My Most Magical WDW Birthday Memories

Happy Birthday to me! Yes, friends today is my birthday, yay! I thought I would share with you some good manners I experienced from a Castmember the first time I spent my birthday in Walt Disney World in 2010.

I wore my birthday button proudly around EPCOT that day as Jason and I strolled around World Showcase (back then he was just my boyfriend!). We decided to take the Friendship over to Morocco which is close to the Japan pavilion which, of course, is my favorite (and I can't wait for my business trip to Tokyo this November - stay tuned for that trip report)!

Our captain was Richard, a jolly older gentleman who noticed my birthday button said I was turning 30. He smiled at me, said Happy Birthday, and I figured that was that. Ohhhhhh no, he had something better in mind!

As we got under way, Richard made his usual announcements to the passengers. It was a full boat by the way! Then he says Happy Birthday to me again on the microphone. I figured that would be it. Wrong again! He got the ENTIRE boat full of people to sing Happy Birthday to me :) I tell ya, I was beaming from ear to ear!

Believe it or not, that was not the most magical thing that happened to me on that day. Later that evening, Jason and I went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. He proposed to me on Peter Pan's Flight as we were flying over London ::swoon::! It was the most magical day of my life until my Disney Fairytale Wedding :)

I am looking forward to celebrating my first birthday as a Florida resident! Looking back on this past year, WOW I've accomplished a LOT! I've been married, relocated to Florida, and I've been to Mexico and Europe for the first time. Looking forward, I get to go to London 4 times a year for work and I have a business trip to Tokyo coming up! I feel like I can accomplish anything - "look out world I'm comin' through, I'm almost there!"

My Day at the Walt Disney Family Museum

Introduction

I am very lucky to have a job that requires me to travel to destinations all around the world. I have not been able to keep up with blogging as much as I would like but this summer I have been to the Netherlands and San Francisco. Before the year is over, I will also be traveling to London, Tokyo, and Las Vegas. On my recent trip to San Francisco, I made it a point to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum. I went straight from the airport to the museum, I didn't even go check into my hotel first!

As I drove my little VW rental car through the streets of San Francisco, I got very excited when I began to see signs for the museum!!



I found the museum pretty easily using the MapQuest free iPhone app (I have to give a shout out here because I travel so much and I would NOT be able to drive in strange cities without it!!). The museum is located in San Francisco's beautiful Presidio. It is very close to the bay and there is a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of that view because photography is not allowed inside the museum. However, it is allowed outside and in the lobby!



I squealed with delight walking up to the museum - even though it was only 55 degrees! Brrr!



I asked some nice ladies to take a picture of me, this one's a keeper!



A close up of the signage...



I walked up to the counter and purchased my ticket for the very reasonable price of $20. Since I visit San Francisco a lot (my company's headquarters is there), I am considering becoming a member! Membership to the Walt Disney Family Museum is tax deductible and I love my tax deductions! If only my WDW Annual Pass were tax deductible...

The Lobby

I love this cardboard cutout of Walt and Lillian!



I had to get a self photo...



I started snapping all the photos I could since I couldn't take anymore once I entered the museum. Please enjoy these photos of the entire lobby!
















Hand drawings of Walt Disney's daughters




I thought this was cool, it's written Sword in the Stone style!

Uncle Walt's Disneyland Apartment

I saved the two best for last. First, please enjoy the original furniture from Walt's apartment on Main Street USA in Disneyland!!

Walt's Special Oscar

The best part of the lobby was definitely the Oscar case. The best part of the Oscar case was seeing Walt's Special Oscar that he received for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This is the same Oscar that was presented to Walt by a very young Shirley Temple.




In case you don't remember the presentation of this award, here is a short clip!

I still cannot believe I was standing right in front of this very special Oscar. I definitely stood there staring at it for a few minutes drinking all of it in. I thought about Walt's achievement and how different animation would be today without Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This was just the beginning, folks! I had 3 floors in the museum to reflect on Walt and his achievements!

Into the Museum

Here's what the map looks like...3 floors of Disney Family history! Yes, please!



So as you know, after I entered the museum I could not take any pictures. Bummer. I will try my best to explain what I saw and how I felt.

The Lower Level

I arrived around 11AM and the museum closed around 6PM. I stayed there all day :) You actually enter on the 1st floor. There is a lower level but I did not get to go there due to time constraints. Yeah, that's right 7 hours in this place is not enough! The lower level includes a theater where they screen different movies. On that particular day, they were screening Fantasia. They also show special movies on the weekends that follow a theme. The theme for August 2012 was Movies Starring the Golden Gate Bridge.

The lower level also includes 2 studios where they hold programs and lectures. They have an open studio during the first weekend of every month where you can experiment with your artistic abilities. For more information, visit http://www.waltdisney.org/education-programs.

The First Floor

The first rooms that you enter are all about Walt's childhood. There are family photos on the walls and videos playing for those who are too lazy to read the plaques in front of the exhibits :)  I really spent a lot of time in here reading about every piece of history. I have read a lot of books on Walt Disney but this felt way more in depth than anything else I had ever read. There were more stories about his family, not just him. I really liked reading and seeing where Walt Disney came from. He was from a very simple family and it amazes me the empire that he built coming from nothing. His story inspires me everyday! Whenever I feel down about where I am in life, I always think that I can do anything I want as long as I put my mind to it.

The Second Floor

After the first few rooms, you take an elevator up to the second floor (you end up going back down to the first floor later). The second floor is all about Walt's career. It begins with the early days where he struggled to make ends meet and even went through a bankruptcy. I love his quote about having a good hard failure when you're young. I think the real failure in life is not trying in the first place. As long as you learn from failure, it wasn't really a failure was it? I like to think of it as "life experience" instead.

I really enjoyed walking through all of Walt's achievements in animation. There was an entire room on the birth of Mickey Mouse. I'm not sure if you can tell but I LOVE MICKEY MOUSE! I totally teared up in this room surrounded by Mickey's. I loved hearing a recording from Lillian about the name change from Mortimer to Mickey.

The next few rooms went through all of the early successes - Silly Symphonies, Snow White, Bambi, Pinocchio, Fantasia, etc. When I heard When You Wish Upon a Star I had to excuse myself and go to the ladies room to gather my composure. That song always makes me cry but it had a special significance in the museum.

After that there were exhibits on the movies that Walt made. I thought this focused heavily on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and the True Life Adventures. Then you walk down a nice long hallway to prepare for the final room which is, of course, spectacular. I was so bummed I couldn't take a picture in the hallway though because the outer wall is all glass and provides a truly spectacular view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge! I really wish I had a photo of the view, it really was one of the most spectacular things I have seen in my  life.

The Spiral Room

Next there was something I like to call the "spiral room". It began on the 2nd floor but you wind your way down a path and finish on the 1st floor. In the middle of the spiral is a huge giant model of Disneyland. You know the model of Tokyo DisneySea in Walt Disney: One Man's Dream at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World? It's about 3x the size of that. Yeah, HUGE! I teared up big time in this room.

As you walk down the spiral, you read and hear about the events that led Walt to the creation of Disneyland. Being a Walt Disney World history buff, I really didn't know that much about Disneyland. I probably learned the most in this room. I have never been to Disneyland but I am in San Francisco pretty often. I should just hop a plane to LAX while I'm there! Hmm...planning...

At the bottom of the spiral room, you see Walt's final projects including Walt Disney World and especially EPCOT. I watched the clip of him with the Sherman Brothers 4-5 times because in November I am going to MEET RICHARD SHERMAN! Yes, friends my husband and I are so lucky that we get to go on the WDW Radio Cruise 2.0. We are so excited, neither of us have been on a cruise before!

Anyway, I digress. I spent a lot of time in the spiral room, it was definitely my favorite. It was full of great inspiration for me to take back to my job!

The Final Room

Here it is, folks. The final room. As I entered the room, I knew it was all about his death from what I had read from other blogs. I got out my tissues immediately. There was a radio recording announcing his death and other than that it was silent. There were newspaper clippings, company memos, letters, etc. from people mourning the sudden loss of Walt Disney. What gets me every time is the hand drawing of all the characters crying. I can't stand to see (or think about apparently) Mickey Mouse crying.

After the walk-o-tears, you finish in what I like to call the "comfort room". It consisted of happy memories from Walt's life playing on screens all around you. There's a pretty nice bench to sit on in there too. I sat and reflected a bit before I left for good.

Wrap Up

I was very happy with my first visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum! Even though I was there for 7 hours, I felt very rushed and definitely did not get to see everything. In true Disney fashion, after you exit the final room, you are dumped into a gift shop! My friends were not surprised that I bought a tote bag. I love tote bags, purses, handbags, you name it!



For more information about the Walt Disney Family Museum, visit http://www.waltdisney.org.

Have a magical day!

 

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Do the Impossible

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Today's quote comes to us from the man himself, Walt Disney!

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

- Walt Disney

 

 

Does this quote inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Kids on Shoulders

Photo by Amy Petermann

In Walt Disney World, a recurring problem is parents who think it is a normal practice to hoist their children up on their shoulders so that they can get a better view. Not only is this dangerous, it is highly disruptive to other guests - especially if they are trying to watch fireworks or another show.

Putting a child on your shoulders is just plain dangerous. I have heard stories about kids who fell off their parents shoulders and broke bones from their legs to a skull fracture. I also heard a story about a Dad who tripped and to keep his child secure on his shoulders, he gripped her leg so hard that he caused a hairline fracture. I understand these stories are not the norm but just the thought of injuries like these make me very annoyed whenever I see a kid on their parents' shoulders.

Not only is it dangerous for the child, it can be highly annoying for other theme park guests. Just imagine - you have staked out an awesome spot for a fireworks show such as Illuminations or Wishes and once the show begins, your view is obstructed because a parent in front of you decides to put their kid on their shoulders. No one wants to watch a kid's back instead of the fireworks! At the very least, parents should take a look around them to make sure they are not obstructing anyone's view behind them.

I can remember when I was a teenager, my sister and I went to watch Sorcery in the Sky at Disney's MGM Studios (old school shout out - hey!!!). If you remember this show, then you know that people used to sit in front of the Chinese Theater so that everyone had a good view. I will never forget when one Dad decided to stand - and he was in the middle of the crowd. He put his child on his shoulders and the crowd behind him started yelling at him to sit down. This guy was SO stubborn that he stood the entire time and it was very clear that he heard the crowd yelling. He kept turning around and giving people the evil eye. I have met some stubborn people in my life but this guy takes the cake (and no, the cake is not a lie...)!

There are things that parents can do in lieu of carrying their kids on their shoulders. First and foremost, stake out a good spot for fireworks at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before the show. Of course, this is difficult because kids don't like to wait for things or stand still but there are still options. Bring some activities for the kids to do while they wait such as handheld gaming systems, coloring books, mad libs, etc. Or, you can always have 1 parent hold the spot but keep in mind that if anyone comes to stand near you, you should let them know that you are holding a spot and how many people you are expecting. Parents can also hold their child on their hip instead of their shoulders. Yes, I understand this is very hard on your arms if your child is older and weighs more but just imagine how awesome your arms would look!! There are also child "backpacks" such as the ERGO baby carrier and the Deuter child carrier. Please parents, keep your kids safe and try some of these alternatives to putting your kids on your shoulders.

Join the conversation by adding a comment! Have a magical day :)

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Greetings from The Netherlands!

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Today's story comes to you from ME!
Greetings from Drachten, NL! I am currently on a business trip and I just had to share this beautiful photo of the sunrise that I took on my way from the Amsterdam airport to Drachten (I was not driving!). It is beautiful here which makes me wonder why isn't there a Netherlands pavilion at EPCOT?? The food is amazing and the people have been wonderful. I am very blessed to have great opportunities like this to travel the world and fill my real passport with stamps. When I was little, I had the EPCOT passport and I had it stamped in each pavilion around World Showcase. Back then it was my dream to travel the world but now it is a reality! EPCOT is my favorite Disney Park but actually traveling the world is way better.

I am writing this to you as I sit in my quaint hotel room with no air conditioning, windows and balcony doors open, listening to the rain falling softly outside. I keep thinking about all the wonderful things that have happened over the past few years - finally finding a job during the recession, getting engaged, getting married, moving to FL, and now traveling the world! It's hard to think that in 2008 Jason and I were absolutely penniless. But, I stayed optimistic with the help of friends and family and now our life couldn't be better. Or could it?? There's always room for improvement! If you can dream it, you can do it!

Does this story inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Pursue Your Dreams

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Today's quote comes to us from Walt Disney!

"All our dreams can come true...if we have the courage to pursue them."

- Walt Disney

I love this quote...well I love any quote by Walt Disney really :) Dreams don't just fall into your lap, you have to have the courage and confidence in yourself to pursue them. Failure is always an option but you just can't be afraid to fail or else you will never try.

 

Does this quote inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

No Flash Photography

This is a topic that hits very close to home for me, how many of you have been on a dark ride in Walt Disney World and someone is snapping flash photos? It completely ruins the illusion of the ride. At the beginning of many rides, there is a recording that says that flash photography is not allowed. Please, please, please follow this rule!!

In 2009, my husband Jason and I visited Walt Disney World for the first time together. It was during March so there were a LOT of teenagers and kids there on spring break. We got in line for Pirates and unfortunately we were behind a gaggle of cheerleaders who were quite loud and annoying. We had no idea what we were in for.

We boarded our boat and Jason and I were the only ones who were not a part of the huge group that had been in front of us in line. I hoped for the best but the best was not to happen for us on that day. When the ride started, it was apparent that this was going to be the most annoying ride on Pirates that I had ever taken. The cheerleaders were very loud and one of them started taking flash photos immediately and continued throughout the ride. In the second scene, Jason got fed up and said very loudly "NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY!!" Now I understand maybe we could have handled this better, perhaps asked them in a nicer way but we were both SO annoyed. But, what happened next was completely unacceptable.

The girl taking the flash photos actually turned around in the boat and snapped a flash picture...OF US. The chaperones did nothing. We were so mad I'm surprised smoke wasn't coming out of our ears. But, what were we supposed to do? We were stuck in a boat with these people and the situation was already uncomfortable. We just sat there stunned for the rest of the ride.

I know now that after we got off the ride, we should have spoken to a Castmember about it and they would have put us on another boat straight away. But instead, we left angry. I think it might have helped if we had said "No flash photography, please". I have learned from my new Castmember friends that they are trained to always say "Please" and "Thank you" to diffuse a situation. I am still learning and I hope that I am able to diffuse situations like this a little bit better in the future.

Now, if you are on a dark ride and it is empty, I don't see a problem with taking flash pictures. Or, at the very least ask the people in your boat if they mind if you take flash pictures. I understand that not everyone gets to go to Disney World as often as I do and they want to capture their memories. But please take into account that a flash going off on a dark ride will destroy the illusion for everyone else around you. So, no flash photography please! Thank you.