This post has two announcements…here is the first.
Today I was honored to visit a Habitat for Humanity job site in Los Angeles, for an announcement made by Bob Iger (Disney CEO). And this has to be one the of the best ideas I have heard in a long time. Honestly, it is a WIN-WIN concept. Disney has partnered with Hands across America and in 2010, you are able to volunteer for one day and in return receive ONE day FREE at Disneyland OR Disney World. Yes, you heard me right. Sign up HERE – and select from volunteer programs in your area, then go work for a day and you will receive a certificate which will grant you access into either Disneyland or Disney World for one day of your choice before December 15, 2010. AND? Whole families can volunteer and work together (kids need to be at least 6 years old)….so you could be helping build a home, or cleaning up trash at a park on a Saturday together as a family…and go to a Disney park on SUNDAY (or any day that year). I gotta tell you…this had me grinning from ear to ear just thinking of all the families who will be able to visit Disney park with this opportunity. Not to mention all the great volunteering efforts that will take place over the year. But here is the thing…it is limited to 1 MILLION. So hurry over to this site and sign up. Do it today. Already have Disney passes? Go ahead and volunteer and you can donate your earned pass to a charity.
This event was fun. Got to hang out with with celebrities like Terri Hatcher, Kermit and my all-time favorite glam girl Miss Piggy. And I had a chance to chat with a few of the volunteers on site. These were neat young men, who told me how great it made them feel to help out families in need. They said they were grateful they had a home, and wanted to give back to their community. And in addition to that, they said they were learning valuable construction skills to help them get jobs. Not good with a hammer? That is okay…the volunteering programs offered are very diverse.
Yes you are very cute Terri. Now go eat something
2nd announcement! Drum roll please……Announcing the launch of a new site. The Daily Disney. A site dedicated to Disney announcements and news like this post, and much more. If you run over there now you will see video from today’s event, the adorable press kit they gave us and a photo of Bob Iger with a hammer….fun right?
I plan to have guest authors there from time to time, so if you are planning a Disney visit and want a place to talk about your visit-let me know. The site is not ‘complete’….I would love your feedback on you what you would like to see in a Disney site…Click over. Miss Piggy and Kermit do not disappoint. And Teri Hatcher? She is pretty darn cute on the video…
Check us out. Deb, Suz and I are gangsta tough Disney princesses…is there such a thing?
Yesterday I hung out at Disneyland enjoying all the new Halloween goodness. And I was able to hang with some of my besties in the blogging world including Debbie, Suz, Linda, Liz, Lisa and many others. Halloween is my favorite holiday. Mainly because it is the only holiday that doesn’t come with any pre-conceived ways to celebrate. One year you can go big or you can ignore it all together. No guilt and no remorse. And this year? Disney has gone BIG. Admittedly I wasn’t overly excited to watch the new Halloween fireworks show….but man am I glad I didn’t miss it. It had to have been one of the best Disney productions I have seen. FOR REALS. The only downside is that the real star of the show is the castle itself so you HAVE to have a view of the castle to really get the most out of the show…and that means limited viewing spots and putting up with lots and lots of crowds. BUT let me say IT IS WORTH IT. You can watch my should-have-had-decaf-shakey video of it (below), but it is something you will want to see in person. And the fire? You can FEEL it. Oh this was some thing I won’t forget for a long time. In addition to all the amazing usual Halloween stuff going on at Disney, this year they have also themed Space Mountain (Called Ghost Galaxy). It is darker and faster, and really just as much fun as the normal ride. But what thrilled me tons? Was seeing JACK SKELETON and SALLY in PERSON. I may or may not have screamed. LOUD. Apparently I was so excited, I couldn’t even manage to get a decent photo either…but trust me in person they look ADORABLE. And he TALKS to you. FUN right?
Do you guys know about Blue Sky Cellar? It is located in Disney’s California Adventure and it has all the sketches and models of the upcoming improvements and changes to the park (lots of what was talked about at D23). If you are interested in all that…very worth a visit. But I found the strangest thing while looking over these large concept cork boards, that had artwork representing the view of the park after the changes are complete.
Apparently ITS ME and I am in the future California Adventure! AND I AM CARRYING a bottle of WINE. Sooooo thoughtful of the Imagineers to capture me in my natural state…just cruisin’ the park with a bottle of alcohol like your average tourist blogger wino.
Hello. AWESOME.
Now I guess I just have to wait for the Disney animated full feature about me a blogger who has crazy dreams of being taken SERIOUSLY as a writer.
Come on Disney animators! I am certain it would be a box-office hit.
I know of at least 35 million other bloggers who could relate.
So when I was first contacted to cover the D23 Expo event I was not overly excited.
I thought, “A Disney Expo? So it is a trade show thingy for Disney freaks fans to sell stuff to one and other?” Basically I was hoping for some good swag and maybe grab a Mickey Rice Krispy treat and call it a day. But now? All that has changed. Since I agreed to cover this event I have learned about all the AMAZING things going on over the 4 day event. Here are just a few:
We get early glimpses ofseveral all-new Disney feature films. including Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, TRON, Toy Story 3 and more. Walt Disney Pictures will present these special sneak peeks in a state-of-the-art cinema built especially for the D23 EXPO.
A special look at what’s being imagineered for the future of Disney’s California Adventure, a peek behind closed doors at the amazing new technologies defining today’s and tomorrow’s Disney theme park experience, and the opportunity to meet and hear from the Imagineers!
Collections of classic and contemporary Disney props, artifacts and costumes will be accessible to the public for the first time ever. “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” brings together such amazing pieces as the fully restored, 11-foot model of the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; the stunning, jewel-encrusted book used in the opening moments of Sleeping Beauty and MUCH MORE.
There will also be an ESPN Sports Lounge, live broadcasts from Radio Disney, and a preview of ABC’s new fall primetime shows, where fans can join actors Patricia Heaton, Kelsey Grammer and others. And by others I mean the entire cast of The Wizards of Waverly Place in a Q &A and ‘surprise’ musical performance. ( I am strangely excited about this. I think I have a thing for Selena Gomez.)
Of course there will be countless vendors and artists selling and displaying a million different Disney products. INCLUDING a live auction with Kevin Kidney for this sculpture. Not to mention I am sure to pick up my new obsession a few SHAG pieces while I am there.
This is obviously a kid friendly event. (hello? It is DISNEY) Special play areas and activities have been designed for the younger attendees. So pack up the kids and enjoy yourselves!
I am one of those stupid people who actually open up their mass produced fortune cookie after Chinese food with the hope that it will contain actual wisdom passed down to me from Buddha himself. In my HEAD I know they are just made up stupidness printed at a factory in San Francisco, but part of me thinks ‘if God WANTED to get a secret message to me, this would be a perfect way to do it!’. yeah, I know. I am lame. So when I opened the first one I smiled….
And decided this was most certainly a message sent to me about the upcoming BlogCrush Blogger Ball. I mean it says GLAMOUR right in it!!! So then I went and pushed my luck and opened another one (hey they are fat-free ya know), and that was when I found this little tidbit of depression….
I mean seriously Fortune Cookie guy, what the heck? How the hell is this inspiring? How does this tell my fortune? It sounds like someone let Martha Stewart into your factory and she decided to remind us all the benefits of good time management. Well, knock it off Martha. After all, I have ‘glamour and excitement’ coming my way. And it might be coming SATURDAY. I don’t want to be too busy doing CHORES to miss it now do I?
So I was thinking now that I have become a minister, I might want to start becoming other stuff too. You know just for a killer business card.
Marcy Massura
Wife, Mother, Blogger, Minister and Mystic Master Witch.
I am particularly attracted to the part in the ad which promises “Freedom From Worry”. I wonder if all witches are free from worry, why they are going around trying to eat children and turning perfectly handsome princes into frogs. For fun I guess. Of course you see a lot less of that these days. I guess the witches nowadays must go play on their Wii and practice Tetris when they get bored like the rest of us. Ooo I wonder if Witch certification comes with a black cat. Now that would be cool.
Yesterday we had another great time meeting friends at Joes Crab Shack in Newport Beach. (Remember our first visit?) That is my friend Dan showing off this King Crab leg to the table, with the killer Newport Bay view behind. I love this place because your food comes in a bucket, they have endless paper towels on the table and they have periodic dance breaks. What? What is a dance break? Well, here is a little video for you…the annoying dorky voice encouraging them is yours truly. Hey, I had two Bahama Mama cocktails at this point- so you are really lucky I wasn’t up there dancing too…
Now quick….turn on some music and have your own dance break. Trust me. Its fun.
See I only have boys. So I never had to experience the hell joy of having a toy box full of pastel colored miniature equine. So in my empathy for that experience- I give you this video. Fav part? VERY end. “Giddy-Up”
d volunteer and you can donate your earned pass to a charity.
This event was fun. Got to hang out with with celebrities like Terri Hatcher, Kermit and my all-time favorite glam girl Miss Piggy. And I had a chance to chat with a few of the volunteers on site. These were neat young men, who told me how great it made them feel to help out families in need. They said they were grateful they had a home, and wanted to give back to their community. And in addition to that, they said they were learning valuable construction skills to help them get jobs. Not good with a hammer? That is okay…the volunteering programs offered are very diverse.
