January 31st- Grocery Shopping

I cannot resist the siren song of Disney, even when it occurs in the grocery store.  I'm sure I could have bought Everett some other snacks, but I couldn't resist giving these a try.  We are all about multi-tasking in this household, Everett will have a side order of Disney indoctrination with his snack.

January 30th- I spy

Don't you just love those days when Disney is everywhere!   My daily Disney devotion on January 30th occurred when I was walking down the street in Old Town Alexandria.  I was passing by the Hallmark store, when this display caught my eye.

Now I really need to stop myself from going in there and buying out the store!

January 29th- righting a wrong

For my daily Disney devotion on January 29th, I got myself to Target and purchased Fantasia (and Fantasia 2000) on blu-ray.  Now I have no excuses, and I can go back to watching all the Disney films in chronological order.  I know as a true fan I really should have purchased it when it first was released, but in my defense, I really thought someone would end up getting it for me for Christmas.  I guess since all my family knows I am a big Disney geek, they all assumed that I had bought it the day it was released :)

January 28th- Walt and El Grupo

So, for my feature film Friday, I have been watching Disney films, and my plan was to watch them in chronological order (because that appealed to the obsessive organizer deep down inside of me).  Well, I ran into a snag this Friday, because I was supposed to watch Fantasia, but I realized I did not own the DVD (I do own the VHS, but I wasn't about to pull out the VCR, not even for my devotion to this blog).  Instead I vowed to remedy the situation (see my daily Disney devotion for January 29th!) and watch a different film instead. 

I decided to try out Walt and El Grupo, I could stream it on Netflix, and I had heard some reviews of the film last year on various Disney podcasts.  I'll admit I really didn't remember too much about the premise of the film before I sat down to watch, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I vaguely remembered that it was about Walt Disney going down to South America to do research for the Three Caballeros, and something about WWII or War Bonds or something.  Well I had it partially right, the film set the scene, starting with a strike that was taking place at the Disney studios, and then a request from President Roosevelt for Disney to travel to South America on a goodwill tour.  The film was an amazing documentary, drawing from the personal diaries and letters written by the participants of the trip and making use of the photos and films taken on location.  I really liked how they interviewed the family members of both the Disney employees who were part of the trip and the individuals they worked with in South America.

The group or "El Grupo" as they were known traveled to Brazil, Argentina and Chile and took in the flavor of the countries concentrating on recording native dance, music and clothing.  The personal interviews, drawings, film and photographs they took on the trip were used extensively in the making of Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros.  The documentary also focused on how the trip effected the different members of the group, many of who went on to have long and successful careers with the Disney company.  One of the most interesting stories, in my opinion, was about Mary Blair, who over the course of the trip developed her signature artistic style.  You could see from the drawings she made of local children in Peru the beginning spark of the artwork that abounds in Its a Small World.

I really enjoyed the film, it was a portion of Disney studio history that I knew nothing about, and not only was it informative, but it was beautifully filmed.  If you havne't had a chance to watch it, I'd definitely give it a shot.

January 27th- Resorts with the kiddos

For my daily Disney devotion on January 27th, I recorded another segment with Shane Roberts for the  Cominicore Online Disney podcast.  Shane has asked me to be a re-occurring guest on the show, and I talk all about taking babies and preschoolers to Disney in the segment "Marissa's Mommy Tips". 

For the January 28th podcast I specifically talked about choosing a resort, and some of the challenges you can face when it comes to accessibility and transportation with young children in tow.  Not all resorts are created equal when it comes to ease of getting to the parks, and some of my top picks for ease of transportation are the Polynesian, The Boardwalk, the Yacht and Beach Club and the Contemporary.  These are great resorts because they either provide boat or monorail transportation or are within walking distance to a park, which is great because they provide access without having to fold and unfold a stroller.

I also discussed room access, where, one again, not all resorts are created equal.  Some resorts, such as the Caribbean beach and Old Key West, either do not have room elevators or have limited access.  The Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside and the Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs (unless you specifically request a handicapped accessible villa), also do not have elevators.  This could become a real issue when trying to carry tired sleeping children back to the room at the end of a fun filled day.  It is much easier to take the elevator than trying to navigate a staircase with a zonked out toddler.

For a more detailed look at this issue, please take a listen to the podcast, it can be downloaded through itunes, or you can listen right on the website, at http://www.communicoreonline.com/index.php  Enjoy!

January 26th- a peek of princess

My daily Disney devotion for January 26th was one of those moments when Disney creeps into everyday life.  I was at my stroller strides class, when I looked over at my friend (the one who went to Disney for Christmas) and I noticed that she had Belle barrettes in her hair, surely compliments of her princess-obsessed daughter.  I'm not sure that anyone else noticed, but that little Disney detail warmed my heart and made me smile.

Janaury 25th- a trip to a different Land

For my daily Disney devotion on January 25th, I watched a very cool video.  It is called Disneyland Dream and it a home movie, created in 1956, and it chronicles the adventures of the Barstow family, who entered a contest sponsored by Scotch tape, and won a trip to Disneyland.  This is a very neat video, not just because it so expertly captures the feel of a family vacation the 1950s, but because it includes some very rare footage of Disneyland a year after its opening.  In 2008 the film was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. 

I'll admit that I am much more of a (Walt Disney)World traveler, than a (Disney)landlubber, but I really enjoyed seeing this early film and getting a feel for the spirit of Disneyland when it first opened.  Its a really wonderful piece of Disney history, and I'm sure most Disney fans would enjoy watching it.

http://www.archive.org/details/barstow_disneyland_dream_1956

January 24th- stop picking on Cinderella

On January 24th for my daily Disney Devotion, I was scrolling through my facebook feed, when I come across this article from the NY Times Cinderella Ate My Daughter   Its another book bemoaning the over-hyped commercialization of little girls and the potential negative impacts of the princess culture.   An excerpt from the book: "but where was I to turn to under­stand the new culture of little girls, from toddler to ‘tween,’ to help decipher the potential impact — if any — of the images and ideas they were absorbing about who they should be, what they should buy, what made them girls?”

Ok, so here is my take- lighten up!  They are little girls playing dress up and make believe and just because they happen to like the Disney Princesses at age 4 doesn't mean they will grow up to be any less feminist.  Personally I think as a culture we are pushing little girls to grow up too fast, and we should be embracing this time of childhood innocence, instead of seeing it as insidious.

I'll agree that Disney is a machine when it comes to merchandising, but seriously, that Cinderella dress is not going to have any lasting negative effects on the little girl who proudly wears it to dine with Cindy at CRT. 

January 23rd- The Magic, the Memories and You!

For my daily Disney devotion on January 23rd, I watched a video (it can be seen here ) of the new show at WDW, the Magic, the Memories and You.  I usually try not to watch things on video before I see them in the parks, because I like to be surprised, but I had some some earlier test footage, and I was curious to see how it all was pulled together. 

Based on my viewing of the video I think I'm going to like the new show.  It projects on the castle before Wishes, and I think it will be a nice way to spend the time while waiting around, but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to see it.  It looks like the projection effects are the main draw for this show, I bet they look really cool in person, and it makes me excited for other uses for this technology in the future.  I'd love to see some of this incorporated into Hallowishes, or maybe even a new fireworks show!

I thought that the show was just going to feature photos of guest taken that day around the park, but it doesn't look like that is the case.  I recognize some of the photos in the show from the promotional materials for the new celebration, so I'm curious to see how much it chances from day to day.  I bet some of the photos are from day guests, and getting yourself on the castle will be the new holy grail among Disney fans.   I know I'm going to be trying to get myself and Everett up there in May!

January 22nd- Wanna trade?

This is the pin that started it all!

Alright, I'll admit it, I'm obsessed with pins.  It all started on July 3, 2005, which was also really the start of my second "Disney Golden Age".  I had just moved to Jacksonville Florida and my boyfriend at the time (now known as my husband) was making good on a promise to take me to Disney after we had finalized the move.  I was over the moon to be back "home" and was practically skipping down Main Street when we were approached by a Cast Member.  I love talking with Cast Members so I made some idle chit-chat while walking very rapidly toward Space Mountain.  The Cast Member began to ask us some questions about parades, and I admitted that I didn't usually watch the afternoon parade, but used that time to ride headliners.  The Cast Member then mentioned that I might be more interested in watching the parade from a different perspective, as the Grand Marshall.  I nearly fell over. 

It was all like a dream, and while we were back stage waiting to join the parade, I noticed that the Cast Member that was helping us had a Connecticut pin on their lanyard.  I asked them if that meant they were from Connecticut, and told them that it was my home state.  The Cast Member then told me about pin trading and asked if I participated.  I told them "no", but the CM took the pin off their lanyard, handed it to me, and said "I think you should start".  Well 500+ pins later, I would say that I took their advice to heart.

Anyway my daily Disney devotion for January 22nd is a bit of pin trading serendipity.  I was checking out at Babies R Us, when I noticed that the employee had Disney Pins on their lanyard!  I complimented her on the pins (Minnie and Tinkerbelle to be specific) and she told me that her family goes to Disney every year at Thanksgiving.  Its always wonderful to have a chance run-in with another Disney fan!

January 21st- Taking my geekdom to a whole new level

So last week I was not able to do feature film Friday, because I was busy entertaining family that was in town for Everett's bapstim.  This week I got back and track and for my daily Disney devotion for January 21st I watched Pinocchio, but in a whole new way.  Two weeks ago when I finished watching Snow White, I noticed that you could watch the film with commentary, and I was kicking myself that I didn't realize it before I had finished watching the film. 

This week I decided to try watching with the commentary, and oh boy was it a revelation.  I don't know if this is a special Blu Ray feature, but it had something called Cine-explore, in which a little picture in picture box popped up with the commentary, showing extra little bits of information.  It was awesome, there were interviews with the animators, concept art from the archives, and all sorts of fun facts and information.  If you are a Disney fan and haven't used this feature yet, rush away from your computer RIGHT NOW and go watch it, I promise it won't disappoint!

January 20th-a bit of parody

The Disney company has been involved in many great partnerships over the years, but one of my favorites has been collaboration with Jim Henson Company.  I get a kick out of Muppet Vision 3-D every time I see it, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the new digitized film during my upcoming trip.

My daily Disney devotion for January 20th deals with a Jim Henson property.  I was once again in my kitchen, preparing breakfast and listening to NPR, when a story comes on the radio about Masterpiece Theatre.  My ears perked up because I'm a huge fan of Masterpiece on PBS, especially any of their Austen remakes (Colin Firth will always be MY Mr. Darcy).  Anyway, I was not expecting a Disney reference, but low and behold, the conversation switched from discussing period costumes to parodies of the famous Masterpiece Theatre opening, and who do I hear over my radio, none other than Cookie Monster,  introducing Monsterpiece Theatre, in his best  Alistair "Cookie" persona.

January 19th- Disney is everywhere

On January 19th my daily Disney devotion was one of those instances when you notice Disney items in everyday life.  I had taken Everett to the playground, since it was an uncommonly mild day, and we spend time time playing on the swings.  When I looked over at the little girl next to Everett, she had mickey mouse shaped hair barrettes, ones that can be bought just about anywhere on Disney property.  It was just that little detail that made me smile and remember that Disney is everywhere.

January 18th-a tribute to Spaceship Earth

photo courtesy of allears.net

Spaceship Earth has always been one of my favorite rides at Epcot.  Lets face it, it is not only the icon of the park but you get to go all the way to the tippy-top of the geosphere, how much cooler can it get.  Well, the inside of the ride is nothing to sneeze at.... one of my favorite scenes in Spaceship Earth is the scene in Egypt, which probably isn't too much of a surprise considering I am an archaeologist and I've been to Egypt.  I love how all the hieroglyphics are true depictions and every time I pass through I wish I had payed more attention in my Egyptian Archaeology class, because maybe I could read some of the writings.

My daily Disney devotion for January 18th was on honor of Spaceship Earth and specifically the Egyptian scene.  I took some time out during Everett's nap and played my favorite computer game, Pharaoh.  Its pretty antiquated as far as computer games go, but I got to build by own Egyptian city, and make papyrus, just like the audio-animatronic.

January 17th- resort decisions

photo courtesy of allears.net

For my daily Disney Devotion on January 17th, I got one step closer to my next Disney vacation.  I called my favorite number (1-407-W-DISNEY) and made my reservation for Port Orleans Riverside.  I was going back and forth deciding between POR and Caribbean Beach, but POR is my favorite moderate, so it won out.  I, of course, requested the Magnolia Bend section, because Gone With The Wind is my all-time favorite book/movie and I have always secretly wanted to be Scarlett O'Hara.

January 16th- A tribute to Rose and Crown

January 16th was a very busy day for me and my family, it was the day of my son, Everett's, baptism; however, I still managed to fit in one distinctly Disney element into the day.  The baptism ceremony was at 2:15 in the afternoon, so my husband Mark and I decided to host a brunch beforehand.  That way our family would still be able to get home to Connecticut that evening.  We chose for our location, Murphy's Grand Irish Pub, a place that both has an excellent brunch and also happens to remind me of the Rose and Crown at  Epcot.  I love the Rose and Crown, and it is a very frequent stop on our Disney trips.  I usually order a Harp, but I've been known to have a car bomb or two in the right company.  Since it was brunch, I stuck with Mimosas, but everything from the accents of the waitstaff to the warm wood paneling and mirrored bar, reminded me of the Rose and Crown, the only thing missing was Illuminations.  For my Daily Disney devotion for January 16th, I hosted a brunch tribute to the Rose and Crown.

January 15th- the littlest stockholder

This weekend was a pretty busy one, and I was worried about being able to keep up with my daily Disney devotions.  We held my son, Everett's, baptism on Sunday, and we had family in town all weekend, but this weekend just goes to show, that if you are living a Disney-centric life, magical things can happen anytime. everywhere.

A really unexpected piece of Disney magic occurred on Saturday, we had my family over at our home, and my parents took this time to present Everett with one of his baptismal gifts.  They had been pretty secretive about the whole thing, so I had no idea what to expect.  My parents gave me a large, flat box to open, and what was inside surprised and touched me.  When I opened the box, I found a framed stock certificate for the Disney company.  My parents had bought Everett his very first share of Disney stock.  What an incredibly special and meaningful gift, now Everett owns a piece of the company which has touched his life so profoundly already, and I can only hope will continue to be a big part of our family.  My daily Disney devotion for January 15th was having Everett become Disney's littlest stockholder.

January 14th- Flying Fish

Photo courtesy of deramialtebloede

One of the things I love best about a Disney vacation is all the wonderful restaurants and dining options.  One of my favorites is the Flying Fish at the Boardwalk.  I pretty much love everything about the Boardwalk Resort, but I hold the Flying Fish in special regard.  I've had some pretty terrific meals there, not just because the food is so great, but because of the wonderful company I've had while dining there.  One time that stands out in my memory is Thanksgiving Day 2007.  My whole family was down for a Disney vacation and we chose the Flying Fish for Thanksgiving dinner.  They did have a special menu that day, which featured the traditional turkey with all the trimmings, but I couldn't pass up my favorite the potato wrapped red snapper.

On January 14th, for my daily Disney devotion, I was able to partially re-create this wonderful experience.  My whole family was once again together, having all come down to Alexandria for my son's baptism.  They all came in pretty late on Friday night, but we were still able to meet up for drinks and a few appetizers.  What made this evening so special is that we were able to go to a restaurant called...you guessed it... The Flying Fish.  It may not be as great as the one at Disney (and has no affiliation with the Disney restaurant), but the company was the same as was the wonderful spirit of family.

January 12th & 13th- Spreading the good word

One of my favorite things to do is talk about Disney.  I think it is pretty typical for a Disney fan to love "shop talk", and I'm sure I'm not along in engaging anyone (including perfect strangers) who will talk to me about WDW.  For my daily Disney devotion for both January 12th and 13th, I "spread the good word" of Disney. 

For January 12th, I struck up a conversation with a woman in my Stroller Strides exercise class.  I don't know her particularly well, but we've been in class together on and off for about a year.  Her daughter came to class wearing two adorable Disney princess bows, the type my experienced eye could tell came custom off of Esty.  After class I complimented her daughter on her bows, and asked if she was a Disney princess fan.  I think her mother's exact words were "If there were rehab for princesses, I'd send her there", already a girl after my own heart.  The mother went on to tell me that they went to Disney over Christmas, and we spent a pleasant few moments discussing what hotel she stayed at, and what princess meals she frequented.  I think I kept it pretty light, not wanting to overwhelm her with my Disney geek-ness, but in my head I was dying to ask about the holiday tag for Illuminations, how was the bus transportation over the holiday, and were they able to get a better sense for what the final plans for the Fantasyland expansion will be?  I wonder if anyone else finds it hard to balance the super fan inside with a casual conversation.

On January 13th, I had a similar encounter, this time with our local children's librarian.  Everett and I went to storytime today, and I noticed that the librarian was drinking her coffee out of a resort refillable mug.  I pointed it out to Everett and asked him if he recognized Mickey Mouse.  That got the librarian and I talking and I think I found a kindred Disney spirit.  She told me about how she had never gone as a child, but took her first trip in 2001 and had a wonderful time.  She returned again in 2009 and can't wait to go back again.  We talked a little about staying on-property (she got extra points for knowing the lingo), and then she had to get back to her library duties.  You know I'll be sure to slip in a little Disney talk next time we are at storytime.  Maybe she'd even be interested in listening to a podcast.  Its always special to find other Disney fans lurking around your everyday life!

January 11th- Bully Beautiful

photo courtesy of TheMightyEye

My daily Disney devotion for January 11th is one of those instances of Disney serendipity when a seemingly unrelated piece of information triggers a flood of Disney memories, and you are transported, if only for a moment, to a specific place in the World.

January 11th was a very typical morning, Everett and I were in the kitchen making breakfast and listening to NPR.  We had gotten to the point in the broadcast where they run down the list of all the people (most of whom I admittedly do not recognize) who have birthdays that day.  Well, Everett and I were listening, and among the list of very important (if somewhat obscure) individuals, was the Grand Canyon, which had been established on January 11, 1908.  What immediately rushed into my head was the scene in the American Adventure where Teddy Roosevelt was speaking to John Muir about establishing the National Park System.  Granted the park they were specifically referencing in the attraction was Yosemite, but the mention of Teddy Roosevelt and the National Park system, reflexively brought to mind Disney.  I feel these moments of Disney serendipity are pretty common among Disney fans, and are a special way for us to stay connected to something we love.

January 10th- All in the family

 The Disney corporation is so much more than just theme parks and animated films.  The Disney company also distributes films through Miramax and Touchstone pictures, it has a theatrical production division, it distributes both soundtracks and original music through three different music labels, it has a huge merchandising division, and its media arm encompasses both ESPN, Soapnet, and ABC.  These different divisions are showcased throughout Disney's Hollywood Studios, in the Great Movie Ride and Backlot tour, during ESPN the Weekend and Super Soap Weekends, and in the ABC Commissary.

I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of sports or soap operas, but I do really enjoy ABCs primetime programing.  One of my favorites is Grey's Anatomy, and while I love the show, I am perpetually one season behind.  I don't know if anyone else remembers the huge Grey's Anatomy billboard that was in DHS, but it used to hang over the ABC Commissary.  For my daily Disney Devotion for January 10th, I began my catch up marathon, watching episodes of Grey's Anatomy season 6 on netflix. 

January 9th- Keys to the Kingdom

After I moved away from Florida, and stopped visiting the parks on a regular basis, I found that the souvenirs I brought back from the parks began to mean so much more.  These small items, more than just tchotchkes, are a tangible link to the parks, and every time I run across them in my daily life they bring me a little happiness, remembering a place I love so much.  I am not one of those Disney fans who's house is over-run with Disney, but if you know where to look, there are little touches that bring the parks home.  One of these can be found hanging right by my front door, my Disney key chain.  I had a key chain that I purchased in 2008, during the Year of a Million Dreams, that I just loved.  It featured a Mickey head floating in the clouds, done all in small pave rhinestones, with the Year of a Million Dreams logo on the back.  This key chain had taken a beating, and bit the dust about a month ago.  I asked my parents to bring me back a new key chain from their most recent trip, and I am now the proud owner of a four parks logo with sorcerer Mickey key chain.  Today I finally got around to transferring my keys, so my daily Disney devotion for January 9th was inaugurating my new  key chain, ensuring that I will have Mickey as my chaperon every time I leave the house.

January 8th- a tribute to San Angel Inn

photo courtesy of disney.com

Mexico has always been my favorite World Showcase Pavilion.  It never ceases to amaze me how you can walk in from a hot summer afternoon and be instantly transported to a cool evening in a Mexican village square.  While in the Mexico pavilion I  enjoy sitting down to a nice meal at the San Angel Inn.  I have many wonderful memories eating here from my childhood and it is also the restaurant my husband and I ate in the night we got engaged.  I love sitting at the intimate tables looking out over the smoking volcano and watching the boats drift by from the Grand Fiesta Tour.  For my daily Disney devotion for January 8th, I attempted to re-create this experience as much as I could by visiting a local Mexican restaurant that serves a reasonable facsimile of authentic Mexican food.  For dinner I had the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce, as an homage to my favorite meal at San Angel the Mole Poblano.  The restaurant certainly left a lot to be desired in the immersive detail department, but a it only took a few bites of food before I was transported back to one of my favorite places in Walt Disney World.

January 7th- Disney Movie of the week

It wasn't too long ago that my Friday nights used to closely resemble the lyrics of the latest Ke$ha hit, lately though, they've been pretty much indistinguishable from any other night of the week.  As part of my Disney Devotion project, I've decided to change that by declaring Friday nights as Disney movie night.  I'll admit it is not nearly as exciting as meeting the girls for drinks, but it sure beats the alternative, which lately has consisted of playing FarmVille and going to bed by 9 pm.  Watching a different Disney movie each Friday night will give me something to look forward to, and give me a chance to revisit my old favorites and maybe even watch a few that I haven't seen (like Brother Bear and Home on the Range).  To start out my movie marathon my daily Disney Devotion for January 7th will begin with the original, and a true classic, Snow White.  I haven't seen the movie in about a year, and although Snow White is not my favorite princess (that distinction goes to Ariel), I love the lavish storytelling and beautiful animation. 

January 6th

One of the greatest joys that Disney brings me is not directly related to the parks, or the movies, or the characters, but is in all the wonderful people that I have met and befriended through my involvement in the Disney community.  One of those individuals is Shane Roberts, who is the host of the Communicore Online podcast.  I met Shane in Spring 2009 and we spent a wonderful day in the Magic Kingdom with other like-minded Disney fans.  Shane and I were able to reconnect last fall and had a fantastic time at the All About the Mouse Illuminations Dessert Party and a memorable evening at Jellyrolls.  We remained in touch and Shane has graciously invited me to join him on the podcast to discuss the ins and outs of taking babies and preschoolers to the parks.  My daily Disney Devotion for January 6th was recording a segment with Shane about the best and worst times of year to travel to WDW with young children.  We had a blast recording it, and I'd highly suggest taking a listen.    Thank you Shane, for allowing me to join you, and I look forward to our recording sessions in the future.  You can find us on itunes, or on Shane's website http://www.communicoreonline.com/podcast.php

January 5th- Mini-Mickey

I was raised in a Disney household, and indoctrinating Everett into a love of Disney has been one of my top Mom priorities.  We watch Disney movies, read Disney books, play with Disney toys, listen to Disney music and, of course wear Disney clothes.  Daily Disney Devotion for January 5th, dressing Everett in one of his Mickey outfits.  Its never to early to start loving the mouse.

January 4th- I can think of no better use for a free ticket...

Today was a big day for a Disney fan.

Today I booked my airfare for my May trip to Disney and clinched my vacation plans.  Up until you spend that money and commit yourself to going, plans are nebulous.  Things could change, plans could get canceled, but no one can argue with airfare.

The best part, was that I was able to use my free Southwest rewards ticket, and I can think of no better use for a free ticket than a trip to Disney World.

So, my Daily Disney Devotion for January 4th, was buying the airfare for my May trip to the World!

January 3rd- Pickles

My favorite counter service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom is Pecos Bills, not so much for the burgers (everyone knows Beaches and Cream is much better!) but for the fixin's bar.  Everything tastes better with warm cheese sauce, fresh shredded lettuce and of course, pickles.  Every time I visit Pecos Bills I make sure to fill up one of those little paper cups (intended for ketchup and mayo) with extra pickles, just for joy of sitting there and eating them while watching the general theme park hubub surround me. 

While fixing myself a sandwich on January 3rd, I performed my Daily Disney Devotion by taking some extra pickles out of the jar, and putting them on plate.  If eating extra pickles makes me happy at Disney, I was sure that it would transfer over to home as well, and you know, I was right.

January 2nd- Lego Store

On January 2nd the original plan was to head out to Maryland and visit a friend of mine from high school.  Her daughter ended up getting sick, so instead we went over to the Tyson's Corner Mall to make some returns.  Tyson's Corner is a pretty spectacular mall, and it boasts a Lego store, which was my Daily Disney Devotion for January 2nd.  The Lego store at Tyson's is much smaller than its Orlando cousin, and it does not have nearly the impressive statues and scenes (like the one above).  What it does have are the cubbyholes on the back wall holding hundreds of individual lego pieces, just like at Downtown Disney.  I stood in front of them, squinted my eyes a little and almost reached Disney nirvana.

January 1st

Alright, I realize that it it January 5th, which means I should have started this blog 5 days ago, but I'll get all caught up right now so we can go forward.

January 1st- Twilight Zone Marathon

I am not a fan of New Years day because it is such a let-down after the holidays and it signals the end of vacation and back to school or work.  The one bright spot of the day is my Daily Disney Devotion, and the Twilight Zone marathon on Syfy.  I'm sure any Disney fan can quickly recognize why black and white episodes of the Twilight Zone transport me to the parks, all I have to do is close my eyes and hear the opening strains of that distinctive theme song and I'm back at DHS, in the library of the Tower of Terror, waiting my turn to board the elevator to the Twilight Zone.

I really like the original Twilight Zone, its perfect in that it is creepy without being scary.  Its just enough to give me a few chills, but not so much that I'm sitting up half the night worrying over every creak and bump.  I was only able to catch a few episodes, but I'm always watching them with a careful eye, hoping to recognize some element that has been worked into the attraction.  I love seeing all the props at the end of the ride before you exit the elevator, someday I hope to know what each of those items signify.  Its going to take a few more New Years day marathons.

Cue the introductory music...

I'll admit it, I'm a little late to the whole "Disney Blog Scene".  When blogging began to really take off in the Disney community I was living in Jacksonville Florida, too busy spending all my spare time IN the parks, to  find time to write ABOUT the parks.  Since then  kept myself busy with a move to Alexandria Virginia, and a baby (my son Everett), born in Fall 2009.

Lately I have been finding myself with a little extra time on my hands, and this coincidentally coincided with the start of the new year and the inevitable New Years resolutions.  I thought long and hard about what I wanted to strive for this year, and instead of the catch-all "lose weight" or "become more organized" (although neither of those would hurt), I decided that I would spend more time concentrating on and celebrating the things that make me happy and less time and mental energy on the things that don't.

That is where this blog comes in.  One of the things that makes me very happy is Disney, Disney Parks, Disney characters, Disney movies, the whole shebang.  When I lived in Jacksonville it was very easy to get down to the parks and to stay connected to something I loved.  Now that I'm away I can still stay connected, and this blog is going to be my record of my Daily Disney Devotions, the things I do everyday to help keep Disney in my life.  Some days it will big things like booking the resort for my upcoming Disney vacation, and other days it will be little coincidences, like the time a convertible blasting "Under the Sea" drove by Everett and I while we were out for a walk.

There are many Disney blogs, blogs about Disney history, running in the parks, food, photography, you name it, you can probably find it.  I hope this will be a little different, no trivia or vacation tips, just a personal account of how I keep something I love, alive in my life every day, and maybe inspire other Disney fans to do the same.