Leaving it All Behind

I finally made a second vlog. It is below. There are so many wonderful things and people in my life. Going to Florida to work for Disney is a great opportunity. But I'm going to miss my friends and family. And I'm going to miss home and school. In addition to these, I'll also miss things like Autumn in Northern Illinois and holiday gatherings with family. I'm leaving a lot behind. But I also feel like I have a lot to gain. It's a give and a take. We'll see what comes of it. Enjoy the vlog.

DDC #8

Day #8: An underrated movie
There are a few movies that I think are underrated. I'm gonna go with The Princess and the Frog. There are many people out there who love it. But I've also heard many discussions about how people didn't enjoy it. They didn't like it. They don't think it was in league with the others. They don't think Tiana should be considered a Disney Princess. Etc. But I'm here to say that it's a wonderful movie! I loved every second of it. And I absolutely love love love the music. Yes, the music is in a different style than most of the other movies, but I think it's interesting!

I also feel like The Sword in the Stone is underrated. You don't hear very much about it. But, it was definitely one of my favorite videos growing up! So I'm gonna go with that as well!

 

Day #8: Sung by your least favorite character

I really had to dig for today's song. It wasn't easy because there are few characters that I really don't like. I mean, there are some characters, such as the villains, which are easy to hate for their personalities, but they make good villains. And so on and so forth. I've decided to go with the Siamese Cats from Lady and the Tramp. They are evil, conniving, stupid characters. I know they don't play a big role in the movie, but I still hate them.

DDC #9

I almost forgot to do this today.... I have 25 minutes left. Haha

Day #9: An overrated movie
Off hand, I can't think of one specifically. I mean, Disney does a pretty bang up good job making movies. So I'm just gonna go ahead and say that I don't have an answer for this one! Sorry!! Which means, no picture today.

Day #9: Sung by a non-princess female
There are some songs that I wanted to share and I had no other place for this particular one, so I decided to put it here. It's one of my favorites.

DDC #10

Day #10: Favorite sequel
Some sequels (in general, not specifically Disney) just aren't any good. Others are. This applies to Disney as well. Some of them are just bland. But others are just as good as the original. I feel like Both of the Aladdin sequels are very good. I enjoyed them both. So I'm gonna stick with those.

Day #10: Sung by a male
Sticking with Aladdin, I'm going to pick one of his songs for this question. I've always enjoyed this song!

Everything at Once

I hope you all have enjoyed my Disney Challenge. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had much time, nor effort, to write a real entry. But here we are.

Update: I have officially decided to change my driving plans. I will be taking three days to get down to Florida instead of the original two. I will write more about my plans in a later entry. The reason I actually bring it up now is in reference to the Disney Challenge. I timed it out just right where my last entry would be on the day that I leave. Due to the fact that I'm leaving a day earlier now, I will have to adjust. I won't really have internet access on the trip. So that means, I will be doing two posts in one day to catch up and get back on track. I just wanted you to know that when you see two entries in one day, I really do know how to count!

But the real point of this entry is not to discuss the Disney Challenge I have been working on. It's to discuss my mental and emotional state right now. Which, currently, is a big mess. I'm still totally excited about the Disney aspect. And excited to meet all the new people and make friends. The experience will be great, and it'll be fun to live in a new state and try new things. What is getting me is the not being at home part. As my departure comes closer, I've started to think about the physical aspect of leaving this place. It's going to be strange. And I'm getting nervous. I'm going to miss so many things. But it's more than the missing. It's the not being able to come home. It's the being so far away from my family part. I'm starting to have little panic attacks here and there. I think once I get down to Florida, for the most part anyway, I'll be fine. But it's nerve-racking to think about this next big step in my life.

Then I find out that my father really isn't too keen on this decision. He thinks that doing the internship is "okay" but that I need to seriously consider things when I look into any future plans with Disney. The whole conversation had a dire undertone that, at least to me, meant that he is not supportive of working for this company. I hope he's wrong. I think I will seriously enjoy it. But now the seed is planted and I'm suspicious. What if I don't like it? Or what if something does go wrong? Or what if the company is fine, but I just don't like being away from IL and my family? It's just all so confusing.

There is a quote from the Disney-Pixar movie Ratatouille. Gusteau tells Remy "If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead." I feel this is definitely true. Part of my freak out is that I am focusing on what I'm leaving behind. My home, my friends, my family, etc. I'm not saying I shouldn't keep them in my thoughts, but I can't let that be my main focus. It tends to blind me to the possibilities in the future. I can't let that hold me back. I really have no idea what's going to happen, but I've decided that I am just going to go for it. Am I going in blind? Definitely. But I'll never know what the future has in store for me if I don't take chances. This is a chance that I've decided is worth the risk. I'm going to see where Disney leads me. If I have a future with them, wonderful. If I don't, no harm no foul. But either way, at least I'll have fun in the process.

DDC #11

Day #11: Your least favorite Pixar film
I'd probably have to say A Bugs Life for this. Not that I hate it by any means. I still enjoy it. I just enjoy the others more than this one!

Day #11: Your favorite love song
Again, there are several that I very much enjoy. For now, I'm going to say That's How You Know from Enchanted. It's fun and I love love love Amy Adams.

DDC #12

Day #12: Your favorite Pixar film
Back to the hard questions. I pretty  much LOVE all of the Disney-Pixar films! It's pretty much a tie between Finding Nemo and Up! So I'm just gonna pick both and upload two pictures! haha.

Day #12: Your favorite duet
There are several out there. But I'm just gonna pick one of the first ones that came to mind. A Whole New World from Aladdin.

DDC #13

Day #13: Your least favorite classic
Gonna have to go with The Jungle Book again for this one.

Day #13: A song that you want to sing on stage
Instead of picking one that I want to sing on stage, I'm going to pick one that I did sing on stage. Last year, for my senior recital, I chose Out There from The Hunchback of Notre Dame to sing in my musical theater set. It's a great song!

DDC #14

Day #14: Your favorite classic
No brainer! (Hey! Look at that! It's a "favorite" question, and I didn't have a hard time with it!). Cinderella is by far my favorite Disney Classic movie!

Day #14: A song you like to fall asleep to
I don't really listen to music when I'm sleeping. So I'm going to change this question to "A song you could fall asleep to" In that case, I'm going to pick a song I love, that's soothing and beautiful, but that I just had no other place for. God Help the Outcasts from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

DDC #15

Day #15: The first movie you saw
As stated several days ago, I believe the first Disney movie a watched was The Little Mermaid. I'm not entirely sure about this, but it makes sense. If you'd like to read a little more, go to DDC #30.

Day #15: From a direct-to-video sequel
Some sequels, especially Disney's, don't do much for me. But I have liked (and do own) all of the Aladdin movies. I'm picking a song from Aladdin and the King of Thieves. I believe this movie is a direct-to-video sequel. Forgive me if I am wrong. The song I chose was Welcome to the Forth Thieves.

DDC #16

Day #16: Your favorite kiss

I'm torn. Frankly, none of the Disney kisses stand out as absolutely amazing in my opinion. Some are better than others, but none raise to be my "favorite." So in lieu of picking my favorite kiss, I happened upon this picture!

Day #16: Your least favorite Disney song

For yesterday's entry, I said that my least favorite song was Colonel Hathi's March from The Jungle Book. Again, it's not that I hate this song, just not fond of the movie. And the song doesn't really do much for me. 

DDC #17

Oops! Yesterday was a long day and I kinda forgot to do the daily post. So here is yesterday's. Today's post will come later today!

Day #17: Your least favorite song
Today worked out rather well that they are "least favorite" questions. However, they are still both hard questions. Now, when I answer this question, it's not to say that I hate the song or the movie it's from. I actually had to seriously search for a song. The song I picked isn't bad, it just doesn't do anything for me. I picked Colonel Hathi's March from The Jungle Book.

Day #17: From your least favorite Disney movie
And again, when I answer this question, it's not because I hate this movie. It's just doesn't do much for me. Perhaps I should give it another go and watch, since I haven't watched it in many years! But I'm going to stick with the answer above and pick The Jungle Book. I picked a different song than above however.

DDC #18

Day #18: Your favorite villain song
Earlier, I posted the video of my favorite villain song. I still stick by that choice. Ursula singing Poor Unfortunate Souls. I'm sure there are other villains songs out there that I enjoy just as much.

Day #18: Sung by a character that you would date if he/she was real (or the same species).
So the choice of whom I would date was relatively easy. However, I've made the realization that this may come to a surprise to some family members, seeing as I am picking a man to date... But that put aside, back to the question at hand. I would pick Flynn Rider. I know he's newer, but he still has a personality similar to what I look for in a man. For those of you who may not know, Flynn is the male lead in the new movie Tangled.  Now for the hard part. I've only seen the movie once and I don't know the songs that well. But from my research, he only sings in two songs. The song he sings a big chunk of I will be using for a future question and do not want to use it twice. However, the other song he sings, he only has like... two lines is all. Oh well, the latter is my choice. For those of you who have not seen the movie, Flynn will be the handsome man that sings in the middle of the sung, not the burly biker-esque dudes. haha!

DDC #19

Day #19: Your favorite love song
There are a lot of good love songs that I enjoy. Many of the movies have awesome love songs. I'm gonna take a step out of animation (although this film is partially animated). I may be choosing this song mostly because I love and adore Amy Adams, but I'm gonna go with That's How You Know from Enchanted.

Day #19: A song that inspires you
There are many. The Disney Company has really written some truly amazing and heartfelt songs. Many have strong words of inspiration. The one that stands out above the others (off hand anyway) is from Hercules, called Go the Distance. This is one of my favorite Disney songs.

DDC #20

Day #20: Your favorite song
These "favorite" questions are going to be the death of me. I feel so bad choosing just one, like I'm neglecting all the others. For now, I'm going to say Go the Distance from Hercules.

Day #20: A song that scared you when you were little
Easy. I can only think of one that really stands out that scared me when I was little. Pink Elephants on Parade from Dumbo.

DDC #21

Day #21: Your favorite original character (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, etc.)
Out of the originals, I'm gonna have to go with my boss, Mickey. And no, I'm not trying to suck up!

Day #21: A song that reminds you of your best friend
I have many best friends from different parts of my life. And if I thought about it hard enough, I could probably find a song for each. But the first song that comes to mind is from a Disney-Pixar movie. This song reminds me of several of my friends, rather than just one. Plus, it's really short!

DDC #22

Day #22: Your favorite couple
Again, there are several. But for now, I'm gonna say Bianca and Bernard. They make me giggle!

Day #22: Sung by an animal
There are many good Disney songs sung by animals, as there are many Disney movies that feature animals as their main characters. I'm going to pick one of my favorite songs to sing. Trashin' the Camp from Tarzan.

DDC #23

Day #23: Your favorite villain
As you saw a couple days ago from the "song" portion of the 30 Day Challenge, my favorite villain is Ursula from The Little Mermaid. I really don't know what it is about her that makes her my favorite. I think it has to do with this: I have a strange attraction to little old ladies. Even when they are evil, I find them endearing and humorous. There are many female villains, most of which are probably older, but Ursula just seems to fit the cooky little old lady role. Or perhaps it has to be that I've watched Little Mermaid so often in my childhood that it's just what stands out. Who knows.

Day #23: A song that makes you cry
Okay, this took a little thinking. I really had to go back and think about all the Disney movies. But in looking at the research, I found that although many of the sadder Disney songs make me tear up, only one makes me bawl like a little baby! Just watching about 15 seconds of a youtube clip was enough to get me going. The song is from The Fox and the Hound, called Goodbye May Seem Forever.

DDC #24

Day #24: Your favorite sidekick
Like all the other questions, I have many favorites, depending on my day and such. And like yesterday, I'm gonna pick the one from the movie I've seen most recently. Ray from The Princess and the Frog. I love his character, he's absolutely hysterical, and I love his family! haha.

Day #24: A song that makes you happy
One of the Disney songs that makes me happy is Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast. There are several others, but this one will suffice!

DDC #25

Day #25: Your favorite animalWell, I have several favorite Disney animals (what's new? These "favorite" questions are hard for me...). I could list them all, or several of them. But instead, I'm just gonna jump straight to the answer. For the only reason that it was one of the last Disney Movies I watched, I'm gonna say Pascal from Tangled. He's super cute, and made me laugh ridiculously hard.

Day #25: Sung by your favorite villain
Later, I will discuss my favorite villain. Today, I'm just going to post the video.

DDC #26

Day #26: Your favorite hero
Off the top of my head, I think my favorite Disney hero would probably be Hercules! Like the other categories, there are definitely several who come to mind. And they switch on a daily basis. Today, it is Hercules.

Day #26: Sung by your favorite princess
Well, a couple days ago, I said my favorite princess was Belle. So here is a song sung by her and others!

DDC #27

Day #27: Your favorite prince
Another hard one. I like several of them for different reasons. I think (for today) my favorite is going to be Aladdin. Some of the princes play such a small role. Some of them I've never really liked, or feel indifferent about them. There are a few that I do like and are up there on my favorite list. But yeah, I think I'll go with Aladdin. Runner up would probably be The Beast.

Day #27: From a movie in which you want to be a character
The first movie that comes to mind is Peter Pan. I actually haven't seen the Disney version many times. But I love the stage version (is that even Disney?). Either way, it's the same story. And don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the Diseny Version. I would love love love to be either a lost boy, or one of the three children in England (it is England, right?). I've always loved the aspect of being able to fly without mechanical means! Dreams of flying have always been a delight of mine! And the whole idea of Neverland just seems great! So I choose Peter Pan.

DDC #28

Day #28: Your favorite heroine
I'd probably have to go with Mulan. Not only do I love the story and movie, but Mulan truly is an amazing woman. Not to mention, I love the setting. China is one of my favorite countries! And I've been to some of the places in real life that were shown in the movie. But that's off topic.

Day #28: A song that you can't help but sing along to
There are several, but I think the one that stands out as a song I always sing along to is Part of Your World from Little Mermaid. I have had it memorized for years and years and no matter what the setting is, I always sing along! I'll even sing it in the shower sometimes! haha

DDC #29

Day #29: Your favorite princess
I had to stop and think about this one for a few minutes. Again, favorites change with me. There are now nine official Disney Princesses. And I can only choose one. But I did narrow it down. I'm gonna go ahead and claim Belle as my favorite. I feel like she is one of the most down-to-earth princesses. Some of the others seem so helpless and hopeless without their princes. There are a few who seem rather self-sufficient, Belle is one of them. She also has a slight attitude, and doesn't give in to her prince right away. None of this phoney "love at first sight" crap.

Day #29: From the last Disney movie you have seen
The last Disney movie I watched was Princess and the Frog. I love this movie, the music is so wonderful. And it was hard to choose just one song. But alas, I did. Enjoy!

Is this Real Life? - DDC #30

OMG It just hit that I'm leaving in about 30 days! This is crazy! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Really, it goes back and forth between the two emotions. Right now, I'm super excited. Actually, there is a third emotion that I also feel. This is a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. I'm already missing my family and my house. I'm missing the fields and the summer and the autumn. It's gonna be super different. But it will be good.

As promised, today I start my 30 Day Double Disney Challenge. I will create a post each day. You'll notice in the title it says "DDC" which stands for Double Disney Challenge. Sometimes, the post will just be the entry. But other times, it might include a little extra info (like above) and thus will have a double tittle like today's post. But, without further ado, let's get on with it!

Photo Day #30: Your favorite character

I'm not going to lie, this is an incredibly difficult question for me. First, it depend on my mood and the day and whether Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow and if the stars are aligned and if it's snowing.... you get the picture. It changes daily. I have come to the conclusion though that although I love all the main characters, it is the sub-characters that tend to be my favorite. Flora, Fauna, and Merirweather (Sleeping Beauty); Grumpy (Snow White); Meeko and Flit (Pocahontas); Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas); Laverne (Hunchback of Notre Dame); etc. I tend to like the old women who are slightly off their rocker. I have several favorites and it's hard to pick just one. But today, I'm feeling Grandmother Fa from Mulan. I love her randomness and she has great one-liners! But she is also caring and thoughtful. Instead of posting a picture, I'm going to post a video that has two of my favorite lines from Grandmother Fa. Enjoy!

Song Day #30: From the first Disney movie you ever saw 

Alright, so here's the deal with this one. I don't actually remember the very first Disney Movie I saw. But I'm going to go ahead and assume it was The Little Mermaid. You see, my sister, as a young child, was obsessed with this movie. Every day after school, she would insist on watching it. So I'm just going to say that The Little Mermaid was my first. Below is the song I chose. 

30 Day DOUBLE Disney Challenge

Many of you may have heard of the 30 Day Photo Challenge, or Music Challenge, or what ever it may be. The low down is that each day, the participant has a specific photo, song, etc that they must find and upload/post. You'll see below what I am talking about. Many of you have probably already figured out that there exists these 30 day challenges with themes. I have found several Disney-themed challenges. I've decided to do two of these challenge at the same time. Each day, I will write a post containing both of my answers. I have included the tasks below for each challenge. 

Additionally, to help the countdown to when I will be arriving, I will start these challenges on this Saturday, July 9th. If you count it out, that means that my final challenge will be on August 7, instead of August 10. I did this on purpose. I am leaving home very early in the morning on August 8 and will not be around my computer. So in essence, this is the countdown to when I leave, whilst the countdown on the side of the blog that you see, is the countdown to when I check in. 

I have numbered the countdowns backwards so as to be an authentic count down instead of count up. However, I have not changed the tasks or order of said tasks. I hope you enjoy! Expect the first post this Saturday! And then every day after that!

30 Day Disney Photo Challenge

Day #30: Your favorite character
Day #29: Your favorite princess
Day #28: Your favorite heroine
Day #27: Your favorite prince
Day #26: Your favorite hero
Day #25: Your favorite animal
Day #24: Your favorite sidekick
Day #23: Your favorite villain
Day #22: Your favorite couple
Day #21: Your favorite original character (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, etc.)
Day #20: Your favorite song
Day #19: Your favorite love song
Day #18: Your favorite villain song
Day #17: Your least favorite song
Day #16: Your favorite kiss
Day #15: The first movie you saw
Day #14: Your favorite classic
Day #13: Your least favorite classic
Day #12: Your favorite Pixar film
Day #11: Your least favorite Pixar film
Day #10: Favorite sequel
Day #9: An overrated movie
Day #8: An underrated movie
Day #7: A movie that makes you laugh
Day #6: A movie that makes you cry
Day #5: Your favorite scene from your favorite movie
Day #4: Saddest death
Day #3: Your favorite quote
Day #2: Your favorite theme park
Day #1: Your favorite theme park attraction/ride

30 Day Disney Song Challenge

Day #30: From the first Disney movie you ever saw 
Day #29: From the last Disney movie you have seen
Day #28: A song that you can't help but sing along to
Day #27: From a movie in which you want to be a character
Day #26: Sung by your favorite princess
Day #25: Sung by your favorite villain
Day #24: A song that makes you happy
Day #23: A song that makes you cry
Day #22: Sung by an animal
Day #21: A song that reminds you of your best friend
Day #20: A song that scared you when you were little
Day #19: A song that inspires you
Day #18: Sung by a character that you would date if he/she was real (or the same species)
Day #17: From your least favorite Disney movie
Day #16: Your least favorite Disney song
Day #15: From a direct-to-video sequel
Day #14: A song you like to fall asleep to
Day #13: A song that you want to sing on stage
Day #12: Your favorite duet
Day #11: Your favorite love song
Day #10: Sung by a male
Day #9: Sung by a non-princess female
Day #8: Sung by your least favorite character
Day #7: A song you would play at your wedding
Day #6: The song with the best lyrics
Day #5: The song that is the most beautiful
Day #4: From a Disney movie that you think is underrated
Day #3: From an old school Disney movie
Day #2: From your favorite Disney movie
Day #1: Your absolute favorite Disney song

The Bucket List

It seems a traditional part of the CP to post a bucket list. And I feel like it's a good idea. It's just a list of things that I would like to do while in Disney/Florida. I'm sure this list will change, and things will be added as I go along. But as of now, this is where it stands! I hope to accomplish these things with friends, not alone. Nick has already consented to helping me out. And I'm making my friend Phil at least help me with the third bullet. I realize that  some of them may be hard, if not impossible. But it's nice to try! And it'll be fun!

• Visit all four parks, two water parks, and Downtown Disney
• Go to all four parks in one day.
• See/Ride every attraction available.
• Work at least once in all four parks.
• Meet a guest from all 50 states. 
• Get autographs from as many characters as possible. 
• Try a Kitchen Sink from Beaches and Cream. 
• Meet Push and Pipa
• Eat a meal at every country in Epcot
• Have a drink at every country in Epcot
• Partake in an activity called Drinking Around the World
• Attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween
• Attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
• Perform in the Candlelight Processional. If not perform, then attend when Whoopi Goldberg and/or Neil Patrick Harris are narrating.
• See a Cirque Du Soleil show at Downtown Disney.
• Ride Space Mountain with the lights on
• Swim in the gulf and the ocean
• Travel to Miami for a mini-vacation
• Visit Universal at least once, especially The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Visit Busch Gardens
• Visit Sea World
• Attend Gay Pride Orlando in October
• Visit House of Blues
• Have adventures with Nick and my other roommates!