There’s no doubt about it: Disney people like weird things.
The micro-obsessions we get fixated on at the Disney parks. Something that others might find frivolous or overlook altogether.
It must have been frustrating to be so young, wanting to be heard but wondering if you had a right to do more than listen, trying to find your place at 22 in the shadow of Walt’s legacy, cobbling together a new idea from pieces of older ones, fragments from the original dream-builders of the park that you loved.
Read More
These hitchhiking ghosts used to haunt our Magic Kingdom Doom Buggies and now they are relics of a time when we valued magic tricks over technology. Subtle over silly.
Read More
Over the decades I’ve spent as a Disney historian, I’ve heard people say time and time again that there must be something wrong with Disney Adults. But I have historical evidence that proves that Disneyland was, in fact, created for the enjoyment of adults from the very beginning.
Read More
Sometimes Disney fans, creators, and even Cast Members hear a story about something in Disney history and get so excited to hear a "secret" that they immediately pass it on as fact without tracking down the primary source.
Read More
It occurred to me the other day that so much of what we see at Disney isn’t actually what we think it is. Or it used to be something very different, but we don’t realize it.
Let me explain.
I’ve held my babies with teary eyes during fireworks, I’ve been pixie-dusted for once-in-a-lifetime moments, and I have witnessed a gentle snow falling on Main Street USA in Disneyland Paris at Christmastime. But this moment was one that will go down in the record books as one I will likely never have again, but wish was an everyday occurrence.
Read More
If you're headed to Disneyland too (HOORAY!!), make sure you print out or save this FREE scavenger hunt full of unique items to look out for, along with some fun facts about each one!
Read More
Hey Disney friends! If you're headed to Walt Disney World for the first time this year (or just the first time in FOREVER!), I've put together this scavenger hunt full of unique items to look out for, along with some fun facts about each one!
Read More
What you are drawn to explains more about you than you likely have ever realized.
The question is, where do you find yourself in the story? And why do you connect with a particular character, storyline, or idea?
I'm just going to come right out and say it... traveling to Disney with kids can be less than magical. I admit I'd gotten used to roaming without my littlest explorers due to the pandemic, and now that we are venturing out as a family, suddenly I'm having a crash course in being "mom" again in the Disney parks.
Read More
This carousel nestled in the heart of Fantasyland in Disneyland Park is the "hook" you see as you stand in the hub and look through the castle entrance. It's what draws you into the land, and rightly so!
Read More
Photographing Disney as has opened my eyes to a new way of seeing the magic, and has taught me a few lessons along the way that extend far beyond taking great photos. How we view the parks and the world around us depends on more than the lens we use or the subject matter at hand.
Read More
Is there anything better than that moment when you walk into the parks in the morning? The early light gives everything an optimistic glow, and the anticipation of what's ahead makes your feet light and your heart lighter.
Read More
What if I told you the most memorable part of a Disney trip is not the E-ticket rides or magical shows? Or even (gasp!) our beloved characters?
The truth is, the magic is in the pauses.
Read More
This week while walking with my brother in Hollywood Studios, he pointed out a fairly abrupt transition that has been on my mind ever since. There is a place where the Muppets Courtyard (or Grand Avenue, as it's now called) blends into the entrance of Galaxy's Edge, and while most Disney transitions are seamless, this one is not.
Read More
Let's face it... planning for a Disney World trip has always been a project. And with our brains all a little foggier from this pandemic season (and too many Mandalorian binges), navigating HOW to get to Disney can feel like scaling a mountain as tall as Expedition Everest.
Read More
How does it taste SO much better when you're inside the Disney bubble? And how does a pretzel in the shape of Mickey's head boost our enjoyment of the parks, while a regular-shaped pretzel should, theoretically, be no different?
Read More