I am thankful for: Day Six: Disney.

Last night, my first contribution of November to the Disney Drive Life site went live, the topic was why I was thankful for Disney. And because I do not feel like repeating myself, I am asking you to go to the link below as my thankfulness month continues.

So for day six of thankfulness: I am thankful for Disney....

Why I am Thankful for Disney!

Enjoy!

A New Adventure; Contributor.

Image is not my own.

I have an announcement.

An exciting one at that. I have been holding off on sharing until I got the official notice. 

As many have known, I have been blogging for years. As a writer I enjoy it, maybe it doesn't pay me anything but that is not the reason I do so. I do it because I enjoy sharing my stories, my experiences with anyone who is willing to listen. Whether it is Disney related, hockey related or simply family related. 

I have never expected it to get me further in to anything other than my own happiness. 

That being said, a couple of weeks ago after blogging about the Disney Parks Moms Panel, I was contacted and asked if I would be interested in contributing to The Disney Driven Life.  Believe me I am so honored to have been asked, and of course I said absolutely I would.

For the moment, it will be at a once a month, but I hope to expand and grow on that once back to school routines get in order. I will admit to being a tad bit nervous on the same level. It is the same sort of excited nervous one often gets when starting a new adventure really.

I am excited for this opportunity to spread my love and my passion for all things Disney with so many others. It is in fact one of my favorite thing to do in all honesty. Just as much as I am excited to show off even more of my #Disneyside. While I realize my own blog does it and I will continue to share my experiences on my own, I love the fact that I can reach out to a broader audience as well.

I will make sure to do my best in keeping up to date when a post on The Disney Driven Life is published and invite you all to join my new adventure. My first piece will go live tomorrow, at which point I will actually be a contributor to the blog and I welcome anyone to follow along. 

And no need to worry, I will still be sharing stories, experiences and rambles on my own blog as well. 

So here is to new experiences, new posts and a lot of memories to share on both ends of the blogosphere.

To my Jedi Logan, on the eve of Kindergarten.

Well my young Jedi. Here we are, on the eve of your next great big adventure.  

Kindergarten.

Yes, that's right. Tomorrow you will wake up and to you it may be just another day. But to me? Well everything changes. No longer will you be my little loving Star Wars fan, whose greatest thrill is trying to figure out if you want to be a Stormtrooper or a Jedi when you grow up. No longer will you spend your days with one of your favorite people ever, your Lolli. Believe me I think she will miss you just as much as you will miss her.

No, tomorrow you will strap on that big boy backpack, grip the Star Wars lunch box and board that great big yellow bus for the first time and head off to school. Yes, you will no longer be my little boy in the same sense you were when you got up this morning.

It is a day I have dreaded since the moment I first held you in my arms five and a half years ago.

I can't promise there will be no tears when we walk you to that great big yellow school bus, for I am sure there will be. But don't worry, I will be just fine. You pinky promised I would. And I can't promise you  that I won't be worried about you. Will you be shy? Will you make friends? Will she see you as the smart little boy that I know you are? But as your mom, I will never stop worrying about you, and these questions will always be in the back of my mind no matter what grade you will be heading in to.

And on the eve of the next big adventure my young Jedi, I want you to know how proud you make me to be a mom. How I look at you and think how incredibly blessed I am to be your mom. My wish for you is for you to never lose your sweetness. May you always treat your classmates, your teachers and whomever may walk in to your life with the same sense of empathy and care that you show me. Remember to look both ways when crossing the street. Always treat people with kindness and don't let others treat anyone else with anything less. Dance, even if it is just in the living room with me on a Saturday night. As much as we may not say it, we are super proud of you. Run in mud, get dirty every now and then, it is okay.  Don't grow up to fast. Enjoy your childhood. You will always have a friend in me. There is no shame in being a nerd. Ask your uncle. Lastly, yes you may have to grow up but don't forget to keep a little bit of child in you. After all, it is what dreams are made off.

May the force be with you my young Jedi.

My mom, a couple of thrill rides and a little Disney.

This is not my photo, I do not take credit for it.

Thrill rides and my mother, three words that do not go together at all. In fact when it comes right down to them, my mother tends to look the other way and not walk, but run right past them. She isn’t fond of heights, anything that moves fast and huge hills, which pretty much exclude just about every thrill ride. Hey, I suppose they aren’t for everyone.

How she managed to get three daughters however that flock to them is beyond me. 

Four years ago we took a family vacation to Walt Disney World, promising to not force anyone on any ride they didn’t want to go on. Still somehow my sisters convinced her to at least attempt Soarin’. Despite my efforts to warn them she would not like it. She ended up crying through the entire ride swearing to this day it was one of the worst things ever.

So you can imagine my surprise when she announced she was going to try it again when she came with us on this year’s summer trip. She was not only going to try Soarin’ but she wanted to give The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train a go.  I figured she would change her mind once we got there and actually saw it, because let’s face it she did swear never ever to get on it again. And I was not going to push for her to do it again if she didn’t want to. 

Still she insisted and we made our advanced Fastpass+ selection ahead of time-if you are planning on going to the parks, this is something I highly suggest you do. It is both a time saver and ensures you get the rides you want. For both attractions knowing full well she may back out and the Fastpasses would either have to be rearranged or go to waste. 

It was a risk we were all apparently willing to make. 

I will be honest however and say I had my doubts. I knew how much she hated the first go around. I didn’t think anything would change really. I held my breath as we pressed the Magic Bands up to the Fastpass reader and watched it light up. I wondered if she would back out at the last minute.

Perhaps it was the fact she did not want to disappoint my nephew and my son, or perhaps it was the fact she was determined to do it again. Or maybe she figured it was time to face her fears.  The reason in truth does not matter it is in fact of little importance, but what it important is this. My mom, the one who hates thrill rides and avoids them at all cost, not only sailed through Soarin’ but made her way on to The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as well. Yes there was some pretty touch and go moments there, especially when the coaster came to a stop halfway up the hill mid ride, but overall, she handled it like a pro.

She did this without shedding one tear. 

I fully realize Soarin’ on many accounts is by no means a thrill ride. It does not take you from turn to turn whipping you around but it does however bring you to new heights. And when it comes to “coasters” the Mine Train is calm. It’s also one of the most incredibly smooth ones I have been on and very much of a beginners coaster.

But to her, it was that and so much more. It was facing her fear head on and meeting the challenge and accepting it. Will she ever do them again? It remains to be seen. Perhaps once was enough.

Either way, seeing my mom get on the two rides and watching her reaction to the whole thing including how proud she was of the accomplishment was priceless in its own right.

And if you ask me? That is the sort of magical memories Disney vacations are made of.

An overkill adventure.

Is there such a thing as overkill?

This past week found Disney announcing a summer of Frozen themed fun at Disney Hollywood studios. For full information and details please check out the Disney Parks Blog on the specifics. And while I love Disney, and the movie itself I couldn't help but think, are we reaching the point of FROZEN overkill?

Don't get me wrong I am a sucker for the movie, it is in fact one of my favorite Disney  movies-top three- I think it was wonderful. Yes I find myself still singing in the car to Let It Go, and For the first time while my son is in the back, probably plugging his ears. And I can not think of snowman now without the name Olaf. And OK, I was even excited to see they were coming to the parks. Despite the fact my husband and son would have nothing to do with standing in line to meet them. Just knowing they were there seemed exciting.
 

But then came word that they were flipping Norway's Maelstrom into a Frozen theme base which is sort of cool. I am not one to judge rides until I am actually on it or see how it works so, meaning I will save my thoughts until it actually does. But then they began changing rope drops to suit the needs of the characters. Balloons, floats and all began finding their way throughout the parks. Again, I see nothing wrong with merchandise. After all, it is a hot ticket why not right?

As if this is not enough, Frozen is coming to the ice, and to Broadway..there is sing along versions and parties geared to Frozen. 

But for some reason this latest news seemed to stop me. A special party, parade and sessions for Hollywood Studios? If you are changing a lot of things, including it in to other aspects of the industry already is there a need to?

I am not saying it isn't brilliant because it is. Disney is, if nothing more amazing at keeping our interest in the company. But one has to wonder, in a year from now are we all going to be pulling our hair out and saying...

Let it Go.