The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - Disney Blog Hop

It's Thursday, and that means Disney Blog Hop!!  Thanks again to Lisa at Babes In Disneyland for hosting the Disney Blog Hop each week.  By the way, if you're the parent of a young child and haven't bought her yet book I highly recommend it (you can find info on her site). Now on to today's post.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
We are going to take a trip back in time today, we are going back to January 2003. It was cold, record breaking cold and the Anderson family was taking their first ever trip to Walt Disney World. But they weren't going alone, they were traveling with a family who we shall call the Smith family (names have been changed to protect the innocent and not so innocent). You see, Michael Anderson was friends with Mr. Smith, but the rest of the Anderson family didn't know any of the Smith family, and Mr. Smith managed to invite his family along on the Anderson family vacation.  Plans were finalized and we began our journey.

I had never been to Disney World before, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw the Welcome To Walt Disney World sign for the first time!  This was definitely the good, actually the great.  I was on the edge of my seat just taking it all in, my heart was racing.  We went to check in at Wilderness Lodge, again beyond my expectations the lobby was amazing. My first impressions of Disney were amazing.  Our rooms weren't ready yet so we were given our Keys To The World and sent on our way, we had ADR's in Epcot at The Garden Grill. The food was good, we got to meet Chip and Dale our first characters at Disney World! Mike and I even had the pumpkin cheesecake for dessert (this is important). After lunch we all went to explore the park. 

Ashley, and the Smiths decided they wanted to ride Rockin Roller Coaster, Mike and I aren't big roller coaster people so we waited with Dakota while they rode. We both were getting kind of tired and decided to go back to the resort and see if the room was ready, Ashley was going to hang out and ride some more with the Smith's and their kids. While we were waiting at the bus stop, Mike and I gave each other the look, you know the look like "I don't know if I am going to make it to the bathroom in time". Yep, I think the cheesecake may have been out a little too long or something.  The bus took FOREVER to get to the Wilderness Lodge, and thank goodness our room was ready. We were both sick, and it was a choice as to which end you were going to be sick from first if you get my meaning.  Our first day at Disney was not very pretty, in fact you could say it was UGLY, very UGLY!!  We didn't leave the room until the next morning.

The next day was better and we spent the day at Magic Kingdom.  Walking down Main Street USA for the first time is very magical, and seeing Cinderella Castle for the first time is indescribable. We had breakfast at Crystal Palace with more characters to meet, Dakota was a huge Tigger fan at the time so that was very good. Now for the bad, the Smith children fought over who was going to hold my hand and who was going to get to ride with Mike and where we were going next. And Mr. Smith didn't like any of the plans I had made or the ADR's I had made. So he simply decided we were not going to do them, and he basically ignored his wife, who I think said about five words to me. It was just uncomfortable. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do and I felt obligated to entertain them, and this was my first ever trip to Disney!! 

The third day at Animal Kingdom was fun and reasonably uneventful all things considered.  Now for the really UGLY!  Our last morning there we decided to return to Magic Kingdom to see some things we had missed.  Mr. Smith wanted to get some Fastpasses to Space Mountain or something and Ashley was feeling a little sick so I took her to a bathroom.  My poor husband was left with Mrs. Smith and the two Smith Children to ride It's A Small World.  If you have ever ridden this ride you know the que to get on is winding, almost like herding cattle. Let's face it people have a Love/Hate relationship with this ride anyway, I personally tend to lean toward the hate side, I think it's kind of creepy.  Mike is waiting in line with Mrs. Smith, the Smith children are between them, these children break out into an all out brawl, fists flying, hair pulling, kicking, screaming, free-for-all. Everyone in line for the ride has stopped moving and has turned to watch the show, Mike thought they were about to pull out their wallets and bet on whether the son or daughter were going to win, and Mrs. Smith is just standing there watching, so Mike has to break it up. He said all he could think was "These people think these are my kids."  As soon as he got off of the ride and found us we split up from the Smith family and told them Ashley wasn't feeling well and we were going to head home.

We all look back on our adventure and laugh now, and as I plan our July trip I have definitely learned two things: 1. Go alone. 2. No Pumpkin Cheesecake. 
*The pictures used on my post today came directly from the Walt Disney World website.

#5-A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

#5-A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes
Cinderella, Ashley's favorite princess and movie. I think Ash would have disowned me if I did not have a song from this movie in my top five. If I were guessing we have watched this movie about a million times, we would watch it over and over when she was a little girl. Ashley met her prince and got married in December of 2009, I gave her the set of Disney Couture rings with A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes engraved in the gold one, and she wore them as she walked down the aisle. It was the perfect gift for for my beautiful little princess, she will always be my Cinderella. I hope you enjoy the song, and Ash from Alabama to Korea I love you with all my heart!!  Have a magical day!!

#7 - Be our Guest - Beauty and the Beast

#7 - Be Out Guest
Beauty and the Beast is a wonderful movie, I love Belle, she is fantastic as I stated in my #12 song. But, I REALLY love the enchanted servants!!  Especially in this scene, they are so excited to have someone in the castle to serve, it's been 10 years since they have had a guest. By the end of the song grumpy old Cogsworth is even enjoying himself. And who does not love Lumiere with his charming French self??? Mrs. Potts, Chip, the Dishes, the Silverware, the Featherdusters even get in on the act. It is just so well choreographed. I hope you enjoy it, now I want to go watch Beauty and the Beast!!  Have a Magica Day!!

#8 - Oh I Just Can't Wait To Be King-Lion King

#8 Oh I Just Can't Wait To Be King
Simba and Nala are so cute as kids aren't they? And Zazu so prim and proper, it's so much fun to watch them make fun of him behind his back.  Simba is really proud of his heritage though, and it is evident here that all of the animals of the Pridelands were proud to have Mufasa as the Lion King and Simba as his successor (I guess Scar wasn't so happy about that was he?).  I love this scene from the movie, it's one of the few where Simba is till a totally innocent cub before Scar sets his evil plan into motion. Hope you enjoy it too!!  Have a Magical Day!!

#10 Tie - Toy Story - "You've Got a Friend in Me"

#10 Tie - You've Got A Friend In Me
So many Disney songs and just 25 spots to put them in...So today we have two #10 songs. And well, like Woody, Buzz, BoPeep, Jesse, Rex, and on and on you can't have too many friends can you? I love this intro to the movie, it really gives you a look into the relationship between Andy and Woody doesn't it. It is very real, and Andy really does consider Woody a friend, just as much as he would a classmate or neighbor. I think that we could all learn a lesson here, friends come in all shapes and sizes and they could be right there in the room with you or hundreds of miles away chatting with you via Facebook or Twitter. So today I dedicate this song to all of my blogging buddies out there, thanks for being my friend and I hope you know "You've Got A Friend In Me!"  Have A Magical Day!!

#10 - Never Smile at a Crocodile - Peter Pan

#10 Never Smile At A Crocodile
I love the Disney Classics, and I love the music from them. I love the "Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock" that this song starts with, I love the up beat tempo of the song. I love that it is a silly song. This is, to me, the epitome of a classic Disney song from this particular era. Besides, I love the movie and I think the way that the crocodile stalks Captain Hook is hilarious, especially the way it seems to drive Hook crazy.  Hope you enjoy!!  Have a Magical Day!!!

#11 - Disney Christmas Song

#11 - Disney Christmas Song
Ok, today is Thursday and that means the Disney Blog Hop!  And that is the reason for my Christmas theme today.  Today we are to post Disney pictures not taken in the parks. Well, every year my Christmas tree a Disney tree. It all started about 20 years ago when Ashley and I were living in Pensacola, Florida. We were far away from our family and living in a hotel and I still wanted it to feel like Christmas for her, she was only 4 years old. So we bought a huge Christmas tree and every payday we bought a few more Disney ornaments to go onto it. It was the hit of the hotel, it was all anyone could talk about-guests and other employees alike.  We stayed there for two more Christmases and the tree went up each year and of course it was bigger and better each year.  Well, I have added quite a few more ornaments over the past 20 years and I have passed down some of the original ornaments to Ashley to share with her family now. It is very sentimental to both of us. Here is a picture of Tinker Belle who sits on top of the tree each year now, there have been other bow toppers throughout the years but I love this Tink tree topper!! The song here is a medley of Christmas songs performed by Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald and Goofy - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!! Have a Merry Christmas - I mean Have a Magical Day!!

#13 - Hakuna Matata-Lion King

#13 - Hakuna Matata
"It means no worries for the rest of your days! It's your problem free philosophy Hakuna Matata." Timon and Pumba had it right didn't they. We could all learn a little something from them. I have to be honest with you, I have a very selfish reason for posting this song today. I could really use a little Hakuna Matata myself right now. You see when I started this blog it was all about fun and just writing about whatever I felt like that day. I never looked at stats or worried if anyone else was reading my blog, much less whether they were enjoying what I was writing. Well, then I decided I wanted to start checking stats and see if anyone was reading my blog.  OMG that will go down as one of the biggest mistakes of my life (along with starting a twitter account and starting a facebook page for DisneyDonnaKay). Suddenly my enjoyment of blogging went to: What can I do to get people to come and read? What if everyone else doesn't like that song as much as I do?  Why aren't more people reading? Why don't people like me? So, as of today I am back to blogging for me. Back to being happy about what I am writing and hoping you enjoy it enough to come back.  And you know what, I feel better already. So Hakuna Matata everybody!! And here's to me believing there are at least 500 people looking at blog everyday, if you dream dream big and for me that's big!!
P.S. I don't know what happened to the video when I originally posted so I had to repost!!

#12 - Belle (Little Town) - Beauty and the Beast

#12 - Belle
For me personally, this song from Beauty and the Beast is where you get to meet the real Belle. The true appreciation in her eyes here when she is given the book here tells you a lot about Belle. She is a beautiful girl but Belle truly loves reading and books, which makes you appreciate it when the Beast shows her the library later in the movie and tells her it's hers. Disney did so many things right with this movie, they made Belle beautiful, intelligent, kind, compassionate and loyal. These are all traits I think any mother would love for her daughter to have. Hope you enjoy the song!! Have a Magical Day!!

#14 - The Lion Sleeps Tonight- The Lion King

#14 - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
I love this song for a couple of reasons. The first being of course, it was so much fun in The Lion King and Timon and Pumba were wonderful singing it. But, I chose this particular version for a much more personal reason if you will indulge me. I come from a family of 7 children-5 girls and 2 boys. I can remember listening to this version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight by the Tokens with my big brother Ricky in his car. It's strange for me to think he was 14, just about Dakota's age, when he started driving all the rest of us kids around, and I thought he was so big, almost larger than life.  Ricky was always such a cool guy, very handsome, a basketball player, I still remember how big his hands were, he could palm a basketball. It's funny how a song can take you back in time and bring back happy memories. Like riding in his blue Impala with the radio cranked up and singing out loud. He had a way of always making everyone feel special, he was very popular at school, yet he always had time for his baby sister whenever he saw me on the playground.  I also thought he was invincible, unfortunately he wasn't. I was nine years old in 1972 when my big brother, who was a high school senior at the time, was killed in a car accident on the way home from school. He wasn't driving the blue Impala I remember riding around in for so many years, he had worked and saved and bought himself a new car, a green Chevy Malibu. Funny how a 47 year old woman can remember so many details from her 9 year old broken heart. So in honor of Ricky, I'm going to listen and maybe even sing out loud!  I love you big brother and always will!!

#17 - You'll be in my heart by Phil Collins - Tarzan

#17 You'll Be In My Heart
I really liked the Tarzan movie, it was at times sweet, dramatic, funny and good Disney story telling. But Disney choosing Phil Collins to do the music was brilliant. He did such a fantastic job with the music for this movie. This one is my favorite, I hope you enjoy it too.  Hope everyone has a Magical Day!!

#19 -The Mickey Mouse Club Song

#19 - The Mickey Mouse Club Song
I am not old enough to remember the original air date of the Mickey Mouse Club, but what Disney fan does not know this song "Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E." And you have got to love Donald trying to steal the limelight. Notice all of the Disney characters in the clip, Mickey, Donald, Minnie, Daisy, Dumbo, Jiminy Cricket, The Three Pigs. It's just a classic. M-I-C "See ya real soon" K-E-Y "Why, because we like you!" M-O-U-S-E! OK-I know that part isn't in this clip but don't you remember it from the Mickey Mouse Club back in the day? Hope you enjoy!!

My Research for Fun Has Begun!!

So Ashley & I went to do a little shopping for winter clothes for Lexi (it gets cold in Korea) and while we were there I had to buy Disney Vacation books. I picked up "The Complete Disney World 2010" by Julie & Mike Neal which I LOVE. Here's a link from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Walt-Disney-World-2010/dp/0970959672) and a pic of the book I love it, it has tons of pictures (500+) and info on EVERYTHING there is to do at Disney including helpful tips and cost of a lot of the attractions. By far the most pictures of the resorts of any book I found. The authors have written several books about Disney World and this is the first one I have bought. It is so well thought out, they go over each attraction and rate it and put a check mark by their favorite. They do the same with each level of resort. I find myself looking at this book all the time. It's a favorite of Dakota's too.

I also got "Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2011." It has lots of good information as well. Here is the link (http://www.amazon.com/Birnbaums-Walt-Disney-World-2011/dp/1423123786/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291831087&sr=1-1)

and a pic.

Birnbaum was the one book I knew I was going to get because it helped me make so many of my decisions from my 2003 trip and it is the "Official Guide." There are also coupons included in the back of this book which you may find useful. But I have to admit if I were going to recommend a book it would be "The Complete Disney World 2010."

My other research has lead me to the pages and pages of information on the internet. I am addicted to the Disboards!! I am now reading Trip Reports and Pre Trip Reports and reviews of restaurants and checking out menus so I can make my advance dinner reservations and OMG don't get me started on all of the acronyms that Disney people use (ADR, BCR, TOT, MK, AKL)!!! That will be a post all by itself!!

By the way, did I mention I called to pay for half of our vacation and found out that Whisper had not included Park Tickets for the Sunday we check out. Johnson was a sweetheart and took care of everything right away and I think it cost us and additional $15.

A Little Background Info

A little background for you. Despite my love affair with Mickey Mouse, we have had a long distance relationship. I didn't actually meet him until I was 40, back in January 2003. Dakota was 5, Ashley was 15 we had a good time but it was a little overwhelming. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, which was beautiful and reminded me very much of my husband (he's an outdoorsy kinda guy). We didn't see any of Epcot at all, saw most of Animal Kingdom and hit the high spots of Magic Kingdom. It was also FREEZING, one of the coldest January's ever (and I am so not a cold weather kinda girl!).

We did go on the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) which has changed quite a bit since that time. I think our favorite meal was at the Rain Forest Cafe. I still have my lavendar sweatshirt we bought there and a souvenir glass we got with Mike's sundae. There was more food than we could ever imagine consuming! I think it will definitely be a must do for our return trip this year. When researching for this trip I did notice that the DDP has changed considerably since our last trip. I hope I can figure everything out. Right now I have us on the Premium Dining Plan, I am curious if the upgrade to Platinum is worth it. Please comment if you have experience with either, I would love to hear your experiences.

We are also going in July this time because I will not be wearing hats and scarves around Disney this time. I am also looking forward to to enjoying water recreation at Disney (Sea Racers, Blizzard Beach, Storm Along Bay). Before any Disney aficionados get mad at me-I know you have to stay at The Beach Club or Yacht Club to use Storm Along Bay. We are currently booked at The Beach Club Resort, but I am comtemplating changing to The Yacht Club. Again anyone with experience at either resort please chime in with your experiences.

Wow! That was a little longer first post than I had expected and you don't know much about me yet. I will give you a little more info next time.