I'll get back to finishing up our Disney memories soon, but for now I thought I'd take a moment to post about something else.
Last week, Ryan and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary! 15 years is a long time but not nearly as long as I want to be stuck with this guy. ;) We have tickets to go to a LOTR concert next week to celebrate. We can't wait! :)
I sure love him. He is my best friend and we have so much fun together. I think we've got a pretty healthy relationship; it has taken a lot of work through the years, but we are in such a good place now. We talk, we laugh, we disuss, we listen... I am so grateful to have Ryan and I am so glad we can be together for eternity. When I see how fast time is flying by, I realize just how short life can be. I am so glad our relationship doesn't have to end when our time here does. Heaven will be no good to me if Ryan's not there with me.
Life isn't perfect and neither are we, but I am just so perfectly happy with him. :)
This past weekend I went on a beach retreat with some of the ladies from church. We spent a couple of days on the coast and had a great time! I love taking opportunities like this to just relax and enjoy a break from the daily demands of life.
Being a wife, mom, and homemaker is my full-time job. I love my job, but it can be tiring when you don't ever get a break. I know I've got it easy. My kids are good kids and my husband is a wonderful husband, the girls are both in school all day, and Ryan provides for all of our needs on his income which gives me the opportunity to stay home, so I really don't have much to complain about. But no matter how much you love it, sometimes you do still need a break. Moms don't get nights or weekends off, we don't even get holidays or vacations since we're still cooking/cleaning/dressing/watching... and even when I'm not working, I'm still surrounded by my workplace. I love it, but getting away from it can be a welcome release from time to time.
So, I run away. Usually about twice a year. In the spring with girlfriends to Women's Conference at BYU and in the fall with the RS to the beach. Fortunately, Ryan is beyond supportive and makes sure I can do both. See, I told you he was a keeper. ;)
Coming home from my getaways is the best! I always come home so anxious to see my family. I really do love them and I really do love serving them. I come back wanting to be a better wife and mom, to show them how much I appreciate them.
This time I came back to a sick little girl, so I kept her home with me today instead of letting her go to school. She is sad that she's missing school and hopefully she'll be feeling better tomorrow so she can go back, but for now I'm enjoying having her here. It has only been about a month since she was always here with me everyday. I miss her! So, we're going to snuggle on the couch to watch a movie and I hope she falls asleep for a little nap. I might even take one with her. ;)
This is my life. I'm so blessed. It is good. :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Disney - Water Parks
Florida in August is hot. Hot and humid. We spent most of our time at the main Disney parks but definitely enjoyed some time at the water parks, too.
Blizzard Beach:
We had a lot of fun on the water slides at Blizzard Beach. Rori even went down some by herself! We just made sure Ryan went down before her so he was there to help her when she arrived at the bottom. We also enjoyed the lazy river. The girls and Ryan walked and swam along... I drifted lazily in an inner tube. :)
We also spent a day at Typhoon Lagoon. We especially like the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon. Some of the waves are just so-so, but then it switches to the monster waves that are simply huge! Acadia liked to swim out to the deep part and then ride the wave back to the shallow area. Rori liked to have Ryan hold onto her as the water crashed into her. Ryan just liked it all... especially all the screams when people saw the wave coming. lol
Typhoon Lagoon also has a shark tank that you can snorkel across. Acadia was the only one to do it this time. I had already dried off from the day and we were about to leave the park, so I didn't want to get wet all over again. But I do remember doing it last time and it was really, really cool!
Part of the day we split up. Ryan and Cadi did some of the bigger attractions while I watched Rori have fun at KetchaKiddie Creek. She had a lot of fun!
One of the rides that Ryan and Cadi went on was the Crush -n- Gusher. Acadia had really been looking forward to this one. It is a waterslide that has enough water force to push you up over inclines. She went on it a couple of times, once by herself and once with Ryan. She loved it! Rori watched and waited from a pool nearby...
The waterparks were great! They kept us cool, gave our feet a break from all the walking, and were tons of fun!
Blizzard Beach:
We had a lot of fun on the water slides at Blizzard Beach. Rori even went down some by herself! We just made sure Ryan went down before her so he was there to help her when she arrived at the bottom. We also enjoyed the lazy river. The girls and Ryan walked and swam along... I drifted lazily in an inner tube. :)
We also spent a day at Typhoon Lagoon. We especially like the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon. Some of the waves are just so-so, but then it switches to the monster waves that are simply huge! Acadia liked to swim out to the deep part and then ride the wave back to the shallow area. Rori liked to have Ryan hold onto her as the water crashed into her. Ryan just liked it all... especially all the screams when people saw the wave coming. lol
Typhoon Lagoon also has a shark tank that you can snorkel across. Acadia was the only one to do it this time. I had already dried off from the day and we were about to leave the park, so I didn't want to get wet all over again. But I do remember doing it last time and it was really, really cool!
Part of the day we split up. Ryan and Cadi did some of the bigger attractions while I watched Rori have fun at KetchaKiddie Creek. She had a lot of fun!
One of the rides that Ryan and Cadi went on was the Crush -n- Gusher. Acadia had really been looking forward to this one. It is a waterslide that has enough water force to push you up over inclines. She went on it a couple of times, once by herself and once with Ryan. She loved it! Rori watched and waited from a pool nearby...
The waterparks were great! They kept us cool, gave our feet a break from all the walking, and were tons of fun!
Disney - Hollywood Studios
*Note from the editor* I can't believe I forgot to include the pics of us infront of the Sorceror's Hat! So I'm coming back to add them in... Here they are!
The last time we visited DisneyWorld, it was known as MGM Studios, but now it is Disney's Hollywood Studios. This is a fun park! Ryan thinks this is his favorite park, actually. And considering some of the attractions feature Star Wars, stunt car shows, and Aerosmith, I'm not surprised!
Again, we just didn't have enough time to see and do everything (I'm starting to wonder if it is ever possible to do everything, no matter how long you stay!). But we had a blast doing the things we did get to do! lol
Acadia was really interested in watching the American Idol Experience. Starting as soon as the park opens, guests can audition to try to get a spot in one of the performances. Those that make the cut are given a performance time, come back and sing for the audience. The audience chooses who gets to move on and at the end of the day, all of those performers come back for a final performance where one is selected as that day's American Idol. The winner gets a ticket to the front of the line to be seen by the real show, American Idol's judges when it comes to their hometown. So far, one of those winners has made it onto the show and was one of the final 12. He may have made it farther, I just can't remember who it was or how far they got! lol
Anyway, while Ryan and Rori rode on rides, Acadia and I waited in line for the finale and ended up with fantastic seats (dead center only about 4 or 5 rows back)! The singers were all really good, two were absolutely fantastic and it was hard to pick. The one we both chose didn't end up winning, he got runner up though, and it was all a lot of fun.
Other highlights from Hollywood Studios:
Hollywood Studios really is a fun time! We had a blast!
The last time we visited DisneyWorld, it was known as MGM Studios, but now it is Disney's Hollywood Studios. This is a fun park! Ryan thinks this is his favorite park, actually. And considering some of the attractions feature Star Wars, stunt car shows, and Aerosmith, I'm not surprised!
Again, we just didn't have enough time to see and do everything (I'm starting to wonder if it is ever possible to do everything, no matter how long you stay!). But we had a blast doing the things we did get to do! lol
Acadia was really interested in watching the American Idol Experience. Starting as soon as the park opens, guests can audition to try to get a spot in one of the performances. Those that make the cut are given a performance time, come back and sing for the audience. The audience chooses who gets to move on and at the end of the day, all of those performers come back for a final performance where one is selected as that day's American Idol. The winner gets a ticket to the front of the line to be seen by the real show, American Idol's judges when it comes to their hometown. So far, one of those winners has made it onto the show and was one of the final 12. He may have made it farther, I just can't remember who it was or how far they got! lol
Anyway, while Ryan and Rori rode on rides, Acadia and I waited in line for the finale and ended up with fantastic seats (dead center only about 4 or 5 rows back)! The singers were all really good, two were absolutely fantastic and it was hard to pick. The one we both chose didn't end up winning, he got runner up though, and it was all a lot of fun.
Other highlights from Hollywood Studios:
- Eating at Pizza Planet for lunch! And seeing Rori's twin while we were there. For reals, if I saw this girl from the side, I would have yelled at her for wandering off, she looked JUST LIKE RORI! And their hair was even braided th same that day. lol
- The art gallery. Fantastic! All of the parks have art displayed but Ryan and I could have spent a lot of time (not to mention, money) in there! While we were there, we did get to watch one of the "imagineers" at work drawing.
- Meeting characters. More on this later, but let's just say that this was the first day we actually got to see, meet, hug, etc. Mickey Mouse! The look on Rori's face was amazing, as it was her first time meeting him - ever. We met other characters too, and I'll share all of those pics, but you can understand why I'm most interested in
my boyfriendMickey. ;) - Super fun parade! And it wasn't super long, which is nice when you're standing in the HOT sun! Currently, Dug (from Up) isn't a character you can "meet" anywhere, but we knew he'd be in this parade and we were excited to see him. It was one of those parades that just made you want to dance! And you know that Rori did! lol Here are some pics from that parade, but I didn't get any of Rori dancing...
- Of course, Rori dancing at the Disney Jr. dance party was a highlight I already shared about. One of my favorite memories... what a great night for her!
- One of our favorite rides, Toy Story's Midway Mania. So much fun!!! We rode in pairs, two pairs to a car (back to back), and each person had a "gun" to shoot at the game/ride while we went along the track. Each scene was different, sometimes we were shooting water, other times we threw rings, sometimes darts, etc. At the end, they had everyone's totals. No surprise that Ryan always won in our car. :S lol It was so much fun, we could have gone on that over and over!!! It was one of the rides we did the most.
Hollywood Studios really is a fun time! We had a blast!
Disney - Dancing
Aurora is our dancer. She dances all the time. If she hears music, no matter where she is, she starts dancing. If she doesn't hear music, she makes her own and dances anyway.
One of the things I was really looking forward to with this trip, was taking time to enjoy those kinds of moments. Disney has lots of musicians scattered around the parks and I knew that if we took some time to stop, we would instantly find great memories to be made.
Thankfully, we took advantage of that a few times. I don't have all of them on film, but I do have a couple.
Our first day at DisneyWorld, inMagic Kingdom, I heard this pianist playing, so I redirected our family to walk ourselves past him on our way to our next attraction. We stopped, he played, and Rori danced...
The pianist was great! He kept playing faster, so Rori just kept dancing faster! lol He joked that he couldn't keep up with her! But he clearly loved that she was enjoying his music so much.
Another time I caught her dancing on film was while we waited to have dinner with Mickey Mouse at Chef Mickey's. Another couple was waiting nearby and had a lot of fun watching her dance, too. They said she reminded them of their grandkids. :)
The last dance session that I have photographed took place in Hollywood Studios. We had stayed after hours and Disney Jr. had a huge dance party going on for the little kids. Ryan and Acadia had gone off to ride some rides that Rori was too little for, so Rori and I attended the dance party while we waited to meet back up with them later.
It was like a night club for 3-6 year olds! lol The lights were flashing, there were bubbles, fog machines, balloon animals, a DJ, and lots of really loud dance music! Goofy, Pluto, and some of the Little Einstein characters were there, too! Aurora was in heaven! She absolutely LOVED it!!!
Other dance memories that I don't have photographed (but some may be on video, which is even better!):
One of the things I was really looking forward to with this trip, was taking time to enjoy those kinds of moments. Disney has lots of musicians scattered around the parks and I knew that if we took some time to stop, we would instantly find great memories to be made.
Thankfully, we took advantage of that a few times. I don't have all of them on film, but I do have a couple.
Our first day at DisneyWorld, inMagic Kingdom, I heard this pianist playing, so I redirected our family to walk ourselves past him on our way to our next attraction. We stopped, he played, and Rori danced...
The pianist was great! He kept playing faster, so Rori just kept dancing faster! lol He joked that he couldn't keep up with her! But he clearly loved that she was enjoying his music so much.
Another time I caught her dancing on film was while we waited to have dinner with Mickey Mouse at Chef Mickey's. Another couple was waiting nearby and had a lot of fun watching her dance, too. They said she reminded them of their grandkids. :)
The last dance session that I have photographed took place in Hollywood Studios. We had stayed after hours and Disney Jr. had a huge dance party going on for the little kids. Ryan and Acadia had gone off to ride some rides that Rori was too little for, so Rori and I attended the dance party while we waited to meet back up with them later.
It was like a night club for 3-6 year olds! lol The lights were flashing, there were bubbles, fog machines, balloon animals, a DJ, and lots of really loud dance music! Goofy, Pluto, and some of the Little Einstein characters were there, too! Aurora was in heaven! She absolutely LOVED it!!!
Other dance memories that I don't have photographed (but some may be on video, which is even better!):
- Whenever Rori saw stairs, she pretended they were a stage and danced at the top of them. One was even in a store in Epcot; Cadi and I were looking at some of the shirts and Rori just kept dancing away on the stairs inside the store. Whenever she did this, she would tell us that she was on stage and we should watch her and clap. She usually had to make her own music in these cases, and often we had to guess what song she was singing/humming. lol
- During parades, Rori got up and danced right along with the characters as they danced by. One of the parades in Magic Kingdom is actually meant to be a street dance party, and at the end they have everyone dancing in the streets. They even teach some dance moves to try out. She liked trying their dance moves but always reverted back to her own. lol Everyone had fun!
- Often we had to tell Rori to stop or move because she would dance right in the middle of a walkway. She even tried dancing on the bus!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Disney - Animal Kingdom
I really need to start stuffing more into my posts or this will go on forever!
Today, I'm thinking about Animal Kingdom.
It is pretty awesome. And check out this amazing Tree of Life!
One of my favorite parts of Animal Kingdom is the Kilmanjaro Safari. It is incredible. You ride along through the jungle and then out into wide open grasslands and you see tons of animals, just grazing and wondering around. In fact, it is so big, that Magic Kingdom could fit into all of Kilmanjaro Safari. Yes, the entire Magic Kingdom into this one, (HUGE) animal wildlife area. And as long as we're talking about size, Animal Kingdom as a whole could fit all three of the other WDW parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios) inside of it. It is HUGE!
But back to Kilmanjaro... The safari is really cool and it's different every single time you go on it because you never know which animals you'll see where or what they'll be doing. In the past, we've seen the lion sunbathing on his own Pride Rock, but this time, we just caught a glimpse of his lazy butt taking a snooze in the rocks. lol You just never know what you'll get! Of course, they do have certain animals divided from others, otherwise it could become a little too real... but they do such a good job of disguising those barriers that you don't really realize they are there.
Along with all of the animal exhibits are tons of information stations. Many are geared toward kids to help them learn more about the animals. Rori had a lot of fun exploring those. It is also really beautiful in Animal Kingdom. A lot of the areas are lush, green. It helps keep you cooler to have the thick green canopy overhead, since for some reason Animal Kingdom is the hottest location in WDW. I heard people discussing why it was the hottest park, rationalizing that it was for the animals' sakes... Um, Disney isn't heating the park when it's in the dead of summer, dude. It's not the hottest on purpose, it just is. lol Shoot, you'd think if Disney WAS going to heat a park, it would be the water parks, especially during the winter when even in Floida it can be too cool for the pool sometimes. ;)
But back to Animal Kingdom...
Another one of my favorite parts of Animal Kingdom is the raft ride: Kali River Rapids. So. Much. Fun! Especially when it's a hot day and you just need a good drenching! lol One of Acadia's favorites was a new ride: Expedition Everest. We rode that first thing because we know the lines get really long on it pretty quick. It was great - until the Yeti tore up the tracks and we started going backwards to get off of that mountain! Then it made me feel sick and I was "off" for the rest of the day. Thankfully, it's really the only roller coaster in Animal Kingdom, so I didn't have to miss out on too many rides that I would have wanted to go on. ;)
In Animal Kingdom, Acadia got her super cute Mickey hat and Aurora ate her first Mickey Mouse ice cream. Classic moments you just don't want to forget. ;) It was a really fun day! Even when it started to pour and they had to cancel the afternoon parade. That's okay, it's my least favorite of the parades anyway. We planned to go back to catch it later, as well as revisit some of the attractions, like the safari, but we just never did. There is simply so much to see and do in WDW and even two weeks just isn't enough time for it all!
But we sure had a fun time while we were there!
Today, I'm thinking about Animal Kingdom.
It is pretty awesome. And check out this amazing Tree of Life!
One of my favorite parts of Animal Kingdom is the Kilmanjaro Safari. It is incredible. You ride along through the jungle and then out into wide open grasslands and you see tons of animals, just grazing and wondering around. In fact, it is so big, that Magic Kingdom could fit into all of Kilmanjaro Safari. Yes, the entire Magic Kingdom into this one, (HUGE) animal wildlife area. And as long as we're talking about size, Animal Kingdom as a whole could fit all three of the other WDW parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios) inside of it. It is HUGE!
But back to Kilmanjaro... The safari is really cool and it's different every single time you go on it because you never know which animals you'll see where or what they'll be doing. In the past, we've seen the lion sunbathing on his own Pride Rock, but this time, we just caught a glimpse of his lazy butt taking a snooze in the rocks. lol You just never know what you'll get! Of course, they do have certain animals divided from others, otherwise it could become a little too real... but they do such a good job of disguising those barriers that you don't really realize they are there.
Along with all of the animal exhibits are tons of information stations. Many are geared toward kids to help them learn more about the animals. Rori had a lot of fun exploring those. It is also really beautiful in Animal Kingdom. A lot of the areas are lush, green. It helps keep you cooler to have the thick green canopy overhead, since for some reason Animal Kingdom is the hottest location in WDW. I heard people discussing why it was the hottest park, rationalizing that it was for the animals' sakes... Um, Disney isn't heating the park when it's in the dead of summer, dude. It's not the hottest on purpose, it just is. lol Shoot, you'd think if Disney WAS going to heat a park, it would be the water parks, especially during the winter when even in Floida it can be too cool for the pool sometimes. ;)
But back to Animal Kingdom...
Another one of my favorite parts of Animal Kingdom is the raft ride: Kali River Rapids. So. Much. Fun! Especially when it's a hot day and you just need a good drenching! lol One of Acadia's favorites was a new ride: Expedition Everest. We rode that first thing because we know the lines get really long on it pretty quick. It was great - until the Yeti tore up the tracks and we started going backwards to get off of that mountain! Then it made me feel sick and I was "off" for the rest of the day. Thankfully, it's really the only roller coaster in Animal Kingdom, so I didn't have to miss out on too many rides that I would have wanted to go on. ;)
In Animal Kingdom, Acadia got her super cute Mickey hat and Aurora ate her first Mickey Mouse ice cream. Classic moments you just don't want to forget. ;) It was a really fun day! Even when it started to pour and they had to cancel the afternoon parade. That's okay, it's my least favorite of the parades anyway. We planned to go back to catch it later, as well as revisit some of the attractions, like the safari, but we just never did. There is simply so much to see and do in WDW and even two weeks just isn't enough time for it all!
But we sure had a fun time while we were there!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Disney - In the Spotlight
I have no photos of videos for this post, but I need to write them down so we don't forget them!
One of the fun parts about Disney is never knowing when you might be singled out somehow. On our 3rd day, we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Ryan really wanted to take Rori on Star Tours, but Acadia and I get sick on simulators, so we headed to a bakery for breakfast while they fought Darth Vadar. When they came out, we gave them their breakfast and they told us what happened...
The ride has been redone recently, so it was all different from the last time Ryan rode it. He and Rori liked the displays they went through on the way in. When they finally were seated and the ride started, Darth Vadar instructs his commanders to find one of the rebel leaders. He wants this rebel leader found, at all costs! And then he flashes the picture of this rebel leader... Aurora!!! LOL Everyone laughed! This tiny little red head was Darth Vadar's most wanted #1! Rori loved it! And thankfully, she escaped. ;)
One of the other times one of us was put in the spotlight happened on our very last night. We were saying goodbye to Disney and Magic Kingdom and decided to visit one of our favorite attractions, one last time. The Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor. It was one of our favorites for a few reasons: 1) Since it is a show, not a ride, it has a very short wait (you can fit hundreds of people in it each show), 2) It was air conditioned, and 3) Rori wasn't scared by it. :S Well, plus, it really was funny. It takes audience participation and so it does vary show to show, but if you get the right people participating, it ends up hilarious!
On this, our last time seeing it, we got into our seats and watched as the spotlight randomly fell on people with various comments added to the screen. Like, "Is buying everyone churros after the show!" or "Needs a hug!" And then, we see Ryan up on the big screen with the caption, "Feels the urge to get up and dance!" And out came the disco ball and out blasted the dance music, so what could he do? He got up and danced! lol It was awesome! Especially since Ryan's never been credited as a great dancer. But he did awesome and we all just loved it!
I wish I had it on video, but I do love replaying that memory in my head. lol
One of the fun parts about Disney is never knowing when you might be singled out somehow. On our 3rd day, we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Ryan really wanted to take Rori on Star Tours, but Acadia and I get sick on simulators, so we headed to a bakery for breakfast while they fought Darth Vadar. When they came out, we gave them their breakfast and they told us what happened...
The ride has been redone recently, so it was all different from the last time Ryan rode it. He and Rori liked the displays they went through on the way in. When they finally were seated and the ride started, Darth Vadar instructs his commanders to find one of the rebel leaders. He wants this rebel leader found, at all costs! And then he flashes the picture of this rebel leader... Aurora!!! LOL Everyone laughed! This tiny little red head was Darth Vadar's most wanted #1! Rori loved it! And thankfully, she escaped. ;)
One of the other times one of us was put in the spotlight happened on our very last night. We were saying goodbye to Disney and Magic Kingdom and decided to visit one of our favorite attractions, one last time. The Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor. It was one of our favorites for a few reasons: 1) Since it is a show, not a ride, it has a very short wait (you can fit hundreds of people in it each show), 2) It was air conditioned, and 3) Rori wasn't scared by it. :S Well, plus, it really was funny. It takes audience participation and so it does vary show to show, but if you get the right people participating, it ends up hilarious!
On this, our last time seeing it, we got into our seats and watched as the spotlight randomly fell on people with various comments added to the screen. Like, "Is buying everyone churros after the show!" or "Needs a hug!" And then, we see Ryan up on the big screen with the caption, "Feels the urge to get up and dance!" And out came the disco ball and out blasted the dance music, so what could he do? He got up and danced! lol It was awesome! Especially since Ryan's never been credited as a great dancer. But he did awesome and we all just loved it!
I wish I had it on video, but I do love replaying that memory in my head. lol
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Disney - Fantasmic & IllumiNations
Thinking about and watching the videos of The Magic, The Memories, and You and Wishes has got me thinking about the other night shows at Disney.
I've always loved Fantasmic. The first time I saw it was at DisneyLand with friends. I. was. amazed! And everytime I see it, I am amazed again. It has always been my favorite of the Disney night shows.
The only way to get in to see this amazing show, is to wait... for a very, very long time! (Unless you buy a dinner/show package at one of their restaurants, but we didn't.) It is worth the wait, though. While we waited one of the nights, we started to get rained on. Out came the ponchos. And of course, then it promptly stopped raining. Well, we know how this game is played. We knew if we took the ponchos off, it would start to rain again, so we left them on... and it didn't rain anymore! lol But those ponchos were hot and stuffy! We were so glad to take them off as soon as the show ended. ;)
When I shared about The Magic, The Memories, and You and Wishes, I said that they were my favorites for this trip, and that is true. But watching these videos of Fantasmic again reminds me why it has always been #1 for me.
I think it will just have to be a tie now. I can't pick a favorite. You just can't lose. They are all so incredible.
However, in watching the videos other people have put on YouTube, I've identified one of the reasons why Fantasmic always seems to top my list. It is the only night show that features Mickey! I was looking for a video to share and became torn between two. One, the one I'll post, is a great overall view of the show. It is probably the best video I've seen of it. Yet, the other (I'll link to it, too) kept peaking my interest and when I compared the two, I finally realized it was because the second one zooms in on Mickey more! lol I just love that mouse! Unfortunately, by zooming in on Mickey, there are a lot of things you miss. So... I'm going to give you the option of which to watch. If you've never seen the show, or aren't obsessed with Mickey, watch the first one. If you want to see better close ups of the big guy, click the link that follows the first video. Or, if you're like me (and have an hour to spare - they are both almost 1/2 hour long!), watch them both! lol
Just a note, both have "auto-focus" moments. Filming in those conditions is so hard! But the first one does a better job with most of the filming quality, I think. Especially with capturing the projections. Oh, and skip the first 2 1/2 minutes of this first video, unless you want to watch them walking into the theater and filming people doing the "wave" while waiting. lol The show starts at 2:34. And don't forget your sound! :)
And here is the link if you want to seemy boyfriend Mickey close up.
I hope you can see why I love Fantasmic so much! Isn't it great? All of their shows are, really... Which brings me to IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Some of my friends think this is THE BEST Disney show. For me, it's always been my least favorite. But, the truth is, it is incredible! And actually, watching this video makes me think that I've never really paid as much attention to it as I should have. Maybe I didn't have as good of a view or was just too hot/tired to care by the time it started. I will tell you this, though, the next time I get to go, I'm paying much more attention and I'm sure I'll come away feeling like all three parks' shows are simply too amazing and too close to pick favorites.
In fact, as fireworks go, this is probably Disney's best show. It's got a beautiful message, too. And whoever filmed this video did a great job of picking up the images on the globe. I have a feeling that this would be my mom's favorite. :)
It's almost 13 minutes long, but I hope you take the time to watch it...
WOW!!!
Disney does such a great job of sucking you into it's world. That is probably why so many people (like me!) love to go there. It's so easy to leave your world behind when you enter theirs, and isn't that part of what a vacation is for?! You almost forget that there is a job, school, chores, etc. waiting for you back at home. For those few days, everything is happy, everything is a celebration, and everyone can follow their dreams to wherever they want to go. It is a total break from real life. It wouldn't be healthy to live there forever, but you almost wish you could, and its important to accept that you need to come back to the real world once your time is up, but it is so nice to be able to really take a break from life and just... enjoy! Enjoy who you're with, enjoy who you are, enjoy whatever experiences you want to make there.
I've always loved Fantasmic. The first time I saw it was at DisneyLand with friends. I. was. amazed! And everytime I see it, I am amazed again. It has always been my favorite of the Disney night shows.
The only way to get in to see this amazing show, is to wait... for a very, very long time! (Unless you buy a dinner/show package at one of their restaurants, but we didn't.) It is worth the wait, though. While we waited one of the nights, we started to get rained on. Out came the ponchos. And of course, then it promptly stopped raining. Well, we know how this game is played. We knew if we took the ponchos off, it would start to rain again, so we left them on... and it didn't rain anymore! lol But those ponchos were hot and stuffy! We were so glad to take them off as soon as the show ended. ;)
When I shared about The Magic, The Memories, and You and Wishes, I said that they were my favorites for this trip, and that is true. But watching these videos of Fantasmic again reminds me why it has always been #1 for me.
I think it will just have to be a tie now. I can't pick a favorite. You just can't lose. They are all so incredible.
However, in watching the videos other people have put on YouTube, I've identified one of the reasons why Fantasmic always seems to top my list. It is the only night show that features Mickey! I was looking for a video to share and became torn between two. One, the one I'll post, is a great overall view of the show. It is probably the best video I've seen of it. Yet, the other (I'll link to it, too) kept peaking my interest and when I compared the two, I finally realized it was because the second one zooms in on Mickey more! lol I just love that mouse! Unfortunately, by zooming in on Mickey, there are a lot of things you miss. So... I'm going to give you the option of which to watch. If you've never seen the show, or aren't obsessed with Mickey, watch the first one. If you want to see better close ups of the big guy, click the link that follows the first video. Or, if you're like me (and have an hour to spare - they are both almost 1/2 hour long!), watch them both! lol
Just a note, both have "auto-focus" moments. Filming in those conditions is so hard! But the first one does a better job with most of the filming quality, I think. Especially with capturing the projections. Oh, and skip the first 2 1/2 minutes of this first video, unless you want to watch them walking into the theater and filming people doing the "wave" while waiting. lol The show starts at 2:34. And don't forget your sound! :)
And here is the link if you want to see
I hope you can see why I love Fantasmic so much! Isn't it great? All of their shows are, really... Which brings me to IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Some of my friends think this is THE BEST Disney show. For me, it's always been my least favorite. But, the truth is, it is incredible! And actually, watching this video makes me think that I've never really paid as much attention to it as I should have. Maybe I didn't have as good of a view or was just too hot/tired to care by the time it started. I will tell you this, though, the next time I get to go, I'm paying much more attention and I'm sure I'll come away feeling like all three parks' shows are simply too amazing and too close to pick favorites.
In fact, as fireworks go, this is probably Disney's best show. It's got a beautiful message, too. And whoever filmed this video did a great job of picking up the images on the globe. I have a feeling that this would be my mom's favorite. :)
It's almost 13 minutes long, but I hope you take the time to watch it...
WOW!!!
Disney does such a great job of sucking you into it's world. That is probably why so many people (like me!) love to go there. It's so easy to leave your world behind when you enter theirs, and isn't that part of what a vacation is for?! You almost forget that there is a job, school, chores, etc. waiting for you back at home. For those few days, everything is happy, everything is a celebration, and everyone can follow their dreams to wherever they want to go. It is a total break from real life. It wouldn't be healthy to live there forever, but you almost wish you could, and its important to accept that you need to come back to the real world once your time is up, but it is so nice to be able to really take a break from life and just... enjoy! Enjoy who you're with, enjoy who you are, enjoy whatever experiences you want to make there.
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