Tag Archives: Mickey Mouse

Uncategorized

Loving Myself

Leave a comment

Nine (9, IX, nueve, yhdeksan, neuf, GAH! single digits) nine days to go in striving to be a healthier me when I meet up with Mickey in WDW.

Here is my renewed mantra:

Eat like you love yourself.

Move like you love yourself.

Speak like you love yourself.

Act like you love yourself.

Thanks to hplyrikz.com on Pintreest!

I have not lived my life this way.  But now I am convinced that I have to love myself, so I can better love those around me.  If I eat, move, speak and act like I love myself, then perhaps I’ll can put my self-destructive ways in the rear view mirror once and for all.

  1. Eat like you love yourself–Healthy, nutritious foods that fuel my body.  Bye-bye sugar and salty treats.  Hello veggies, lean proteins and other complex carbs.
  2. Move like you love yourself–Move my body through space everyday.  And get involved in strength training of some sort.  Bye-bye couch potato.  Hello walking and BodyGym (with special thanks to Marie Osmond).
  3. Speak like you love yourself–This one will takes time.  Bye-bye all negative self talk.  (I’ve been so good at this.)  Hello positive self talk.  No more I can’t.  I am an Ameri-CAN!
  4. Act like you love yourself–this one moves into other areas of my life: spiritual, mental, financial.  I will move toward loving myself in all these areas of my life.  This will take much contemplation and planning.

That’s enough to chew on today.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

Donna

Uncategorized

Meeting Mickey At Last

2 Comments

Only fifteen days in my quest to encounter Mickey. Here’s my plan to meet my favorite mouse:

Saturday, Magic Kingdom

  • Lunch at Tony’s Town Square 12:40 pm
  • FastPasses-
  1. Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater 9:20am-10:20am
  2. Jungle Cruise 10:20am-11:20am
  3. Dumbo the Flying Elephant 11:25am-12:25 pm

On October 27 (Lord willing and the creek don’t rise!) I will meet up with Mickey in the Magic Kingdom at the Town Square Theater.  I am so-o-o-o excited when I envision it.

Me: “Thank you, Mickey, for inspiring me to get healthier in the past few years!”

Mickey: Silently nods head and shakes my hand.

Me: “Mickey, you have been a true friend.”

Mickey: Silently nods and rocks back and forth from foot to foot.

Me: “OK, g’bye, Mickey.”

Mickey: Silently gives me a hug and waves goodbye.

But even better I’ll be there with the grandbabies and the kids and Mike. It’s just too good to imagine. 🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

Donna

Uncategorized

My “Magic of Tomorrow” Prize

1 Comment

There are only 16 days now until my Walt Disney World Family Reunion. Woo hoo!

A couple weeks back I won a competition on magicoftmrw blog, (magicoftomorrow.info). I received my prize package this week. It was so much fun to open the box and see what I had won. Here’s a rundown of what I won:

  1. A beautiful, yellow Belle mug, from Beauty and the Beast. There’s a pretty picture of Belle on one side, and the other side says, “It’s hard to be a Beauty when mornings are a Beast.”
  2. A cute keychain shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. In the middle there is a die (one dice? One side has Cinderella’s castle with the words “Disney Parks”, the other side have, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald. I just the cutest! I put it straight on my keychain.
  3. A pretty lei from Disney’s Polynesian Resort. It’s colors, pink, lilac, yellow, orange, light green, and white add a festive decoration to the lamp by my favorite chair.
  4. A bag of Disney’s Halloween Candy Corn Popcorn. It looks so yummy! It has orange and yellow popcorn in the bag with a few actual candy corns thrown in. I had already decided to try this popcorn while in Florida. Now, I will save it to share with Mike, my main squeeze, on Halloween night as we watch “Hocus Pocus.”
  5. A very cute Mickey Mouse thank you card.

It was wonderful timing to get me all juiced up for my vacation. So thank you to Magic of Tomorrow!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

 

 

Uncategorized

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Anticipation

2 Comments

There are only 24 days now until we leave for WDW.

Today’s featured photo was taken three years ago at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. Mike was Indiana Jones. I was some strange mix of Skeleton Mickey with Minnie ears. Jake was a writer. And Eliza was Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. We had so much fun that night! Even though we mostly walked around and chatted.

I absolutely loved the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! And the Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade was so fun, especially when the Headless Horseman led it off. But my absolute favorite event of the evening was the Happy Hallowishes Fireworks Show. It is, hands down, the best fireworks show that I have ever seen.

We have tickets to attend again this year. I will once again be in my Mickey Skeleton shirt, but I have better Minnie ears for this year, and I have some Mickey trousers to wear this year. It will be too much, and I will love it! Mike has decided to be Indiana Jones again. I don’t know how the kids and grandkids will dress, but it doesn’t matter. Just being there with them will be so much fun!

Here’s a bit from Disney about the party:

Halloween Fun Awaits at an After-Dark 
Special Event in Magic Kingdom Park!

The Happiest Haunting on Earth 

Halloween… with a Disney Twist!
The witching hour’s almost here, so get your favorite costume ready for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, a separately ticketed event in Magic Kingdom park!

Back again in 2018, it’s the happiest haunting on Earth! Don’t miss your chance to collect candies, sweets and frightfully delightful treats—all while the park hosts grim grinning ghosts, eerie entertainment and Disney Characters that go bump in the night.

Best of all: since the tone of this event is “not-so-scary,” that means children of every age can enjoy the fun!

Disney Villains perform the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween PartyDisney,

It’s Fun to Be Bad

The mischievous Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus return in 2018 to throw a Halloween party.

With only a few hours to run amuck at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Winifred, Mary and Sarah decide to use their magic to host a decidedly wicked fun fest.

Enlisting the help of the Disney villains, the 3 sisters mix sinister shadows, terrifying nightmares and use the nefarious powers of their frightening colleagues to conjure the ultimate Hocus Pocus Party Potion—and cast a spell on everyone in Magic Kingdom park!

Look for appearances from Dr. Facilier, Oogie Boogie and Maleficent. Combine them and other great Disney villains with amazing dancers, wild visual projections and otherworldly special effects to make Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular a not-to-be-missed Halloween treat!

Separate Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party admission is required. All entertainment is subject to change without notice.

A headless horseman rides a horse and holds a candlelit jack-o’-lantern near Cinderella Castle

A Truly Spooktacular Procession

Party with the grim grandmaster of this eerily awesome parade—he’s literally lost his head!

Returning in 2018 at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, a hair-raising ride by the Headless Horseman himself will begin the festivities, followed by a collection of frightening floats featuring Disney Characters in Halloween costumes.

Prepare for a cauldron of grave-digging delights as the stars of the Haunted Mansion steal the spotlight in this family-friendly parade. Boo-lovers beware—you’re sure to have one scare-tastic time…

And remember: it’s really not so scary; just fiendish fun!

Five kids in different costumes walking into Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Happy HalloWishes

Celebrate the hallowed season with a spider web of pyrotechnic effects and haunting melodies.

During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2018, the Ghost Host from the Haunted Mansion invites you to “drop in” as Disney Villains light up the night with fireworks and a wicked version of melodies from Disney’s past that echo through the night—and creepy colors crawl over Cinderella Castle.

The “scare-abration” gets into full swing when some of the Disney Villains we most love to hate—including Maleficent, Ursula, Cruella de Vil, Jafar and Oogie Boogie—croon their scary tunes and do their best to steal the show.

Happy HalloWishes includes a Disney soundtrack of creepy classics including:

  • “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” from the Haunted Mansion attraction
  • “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” from The Little Mermaid
  • “Never Smile at a Crocodile,“ from Peter Pan
  • “The Skeleton Dance,” from Silly Symphony – The Skeleton Dance
  • “Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?” from The Three Little Pigs
  • “Oogie Boogie’s Song,” from The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • “Night on Bald Mountain,” from Fantasia

Can you see why I’m so excited about the party? Plus the Magic Kingdom is decorated in a fall/Halloween theme. It is delightful! Last time my October birthday boy Jake, who loves Halloween, relished the whole experience. Here’s hoping we all enjoy it this year, too.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

Uncategorized

My Ten Must Dos at WDW

1 Comment

Only 34 days to go until we travel to Walt Disney World. It is creeping closer and closer. Yay!

Here are the 10 things I am the most excited about for our trip to Walt Disney World in October:

#10 Riding it’s a small world.  It is my favorite ride!!

#9 Celebrating our unbirthdays with “the dip” (see below) and birthday cupcakes.  Woo hoo!  Happy unbirthday to us!

#8 Exploring EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival.  Looking forward to tempting tidbits of tasty treats.

#7 Experiencing Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood and Vine, Halloween Edition for the first time ever.  I mean, Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Daisy in their Halloween costumes! Plus the food looks yummy.

#6 Spending the better part of a day at Disney Springs exploring and shopping.

#5 Eating at Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This is by far my favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World.

#4 Experiencing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween.

#3 Spending plenty of resort time and pool time at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  It is, seriously, my Happy Place.  When I’m chilling at Old Key West I can actually feel all stress leaving my body.  It is the ultimate in relaxation for me.

#2 Meeting and greeting Mickey at Magic Kingdom. I am so ready to shake Mickey‘s big, white-gloved hand and get a picture with him and my family.

And the #1 thing that I am excited about…Looking at the faces of my husband and children and their spouses and children and spending some quality time together in this beautiful place.  This will be a family reunion extraordinaire!

Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

*The dip: In a pie plate spread 8 oz. of cream cheese.  Next sprinkle 6 to 8 cut-up green onions on top.  Then spread a can of No Bean chili on top.  (We usually make a second dip with Vegetarian chili with lots of beans.)  Finally sprinkle 8 oz. of grated cheddar cheese on top.  (We prefer sharp cheddar.  The shaper the better.)  Microwave for five minutes and serve with your favorite chips.  (We usually heat it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes instead, because it seem to hold it’s heat longer.)

Uncategorized

Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater

Leave a comment

There are only 39 days until our trip to Walt Disney World now. Each day I get just a little more excited. “Anticipation, anticipa-ya-tion, is making me wait…keeping me wai-ai-ai-ai-aiting…” I’m excited about seeing Emi’s family again. It will only have been five months since I saw them, ten months since Mike, Jake and Eliza saw them. Too long. AND…Emi, James and Ida get to meet Linnie; that’s just the best!

Anyway, this time we got a Fastpass+ to Meet Mickey in Town Square Theater. I’ve always wanted to do this with the family, so this is a real bucket-list item for me. A chance to hug the Big Cheese!

Here’s what Disney has to say about it.

Go backstage as a special guest of your pal, Mickey. 

Master Magician Mickey grabs his cape while onstage at Town Square Theater in Magic Kingdom park

Go Behind the Curtain

Mickey Mouse is in his rehearsal room, ready to meet his biggest fans. Discover props and posters from Mickey’s magical career in the theater and maybe even spot a disappearing dove or a rabbit coming out of a hat. The greatest magic of all happens when you get a hug from Mickey Mouse himself.

A mom, daughter, dad and son smile while posing with a magician-themed Mickey at Magic Kingdom park

Bring Home Memories with Character

Let your moments with favorite Disney Characters last long after your visit by purchasing Memory Maker—which features unlimited digital downloads of all your Disney PhotoPass photos and videos!

We do have Memory Maker, too, so I look forward to all those Photographers snapping us! We’ll be looking for those special shots, where characters magically appear in your photos.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

 

Uncategorized

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine

Leave a comment

With only forty-six days to our vacation to Walt Disney World, I want to feature Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine. We will dine here for an early dinner on our fifth full day in Florida. This is a Halloween themed buffet dinner, featuring four of the Fab 5 (Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy), plus Daisy, in Halloween costumes. And from various blurbs on YouTube, the buffet of food gets great reviews.

Here’s what Disney has to say:

Mickey and Minnie Mouse are dressed to thrill while standing in front of the Hollywood and Vine marquee

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining

Mingle with Minnie and her friends at delightful dining parties throughout the year.

You’re invited! Meet Minnie and some of her famous pals for lunch and dinner celebrations serving up seasonal deliciousness. Guests can pose for pics with popular Disney Characters, say “hi” to those stopping by and engage in table activities geared to the theme. Plus, the party gifts make great souvenirs!

Don’t miss your chance to attend the following events:

Summertime Dine
June 4, 2018 – September 2, 2018 
Head to Hollywood & Vine for a beach-inspired bash celebrating the sizzle of summer!

Halloween Dine
September 3, 2018 – November 8, 2018 
Visit Minnie’s favorite happy haunt for a spooktacular Halloween feast that’s frightfully delightful.

Holiday Dine
November 9, 2018 – January 6, 2019 
Deck the halls at a dazzling dinner party filled with holiday cheer and the joy of the season!

Reservations at Hollywood & Vine are highly recommended and can be made up to 180 days prior to your visit. Please note: All Character appearances are subject to change.

Sounds great, right?

For more on this character dining experience go to Minnie’s Halloween Dining at Hollywood & Vine on YouTube. There are some great videos there. I especially enjoyed the one by Holiday Every Day.

So we are creeping closer to another dream vacation with family. Be still my heart. 🙂 Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

 

 

Uncategorized

FastPass+ Anticipation

Leave a comment

We head to Walt Disney World in just 65 days. This means I’m just five days away from scheduling our FastPass+es. We are choosing kid friendly rides so the grandkids can go on them. Rides/attractions like Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Peter Pan’s Flight, Na’vi River Journey and Festival of the Lion King, Frozen Ever After and The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Toy Story Mania and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

I sure hope we get them all. Although my favorite thing for this trip will be sitting in the same general area as Mike, the kids, their spouses and the grandkids. What a joy it will be! I’m especially looking forward to hanging out at the pool together at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. Ahh… Instant stress relief.

Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

Uncategorized

The Busyness of Being Ready

2 Comments

Just 70 days until our journey to Walt Disney World. It’s so exciting to think about it!

Hotel reservation made. Airline reservations made. Magical Express bus booked. Dining reservations made. Tickets to parks purchased. Tickets to Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party purchased. FastPass+es picked out (keeping my fingers crossed on those). Whew! That’s a lot!

All of that business taken care of and yet the thing I am looking forward to the most is just have our family together, Mike and I, the kids, their spouses, and…tah dah…the grandbabies! I look forward to lounging at the pool, and looking around at all their precious faces. Lord, may it be so, please. It will truly be my Happy Place. I can feel my sigh of contentment now.

Here’s hoping… Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

Uncategorized

Carrying On

4 Comments

Hello Dear Readers,

I hope this post finds you healthy and at peace.

In just 5 days I will call Disney and schedule our next trip to Walt Disney World. We hope to go on October 20 of next year. Because we are Disney Vacation Club members, we can call and book our home resort, Old Key West, 11 months in advance. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, we will have 8 nights and 9 days at Disney: Mike, Emi, James, Ida, Jake, Eliza, Baby Jarvi and me.

This time it won’t be so much about time in the parks, although we will have tickets for 5 days. This time it will be all about the babies. Ida will be 2 & 1/2 and Baby Jarvi will be 8 months old. Dumbo, Prince Charming Carousel, Meeting Mickey, It’s a Small World and splashing in the water fountains will be the focus of our days. Probably just a few hours in the parks and then time at Old Key West.

I take none of this for granted. I know that if we are all there it will truly be a gift from God. I am doing my part to be there. As of this morning, I am 54.4 pounds down since May. I am learning how to eat as a diabetic. Now I just need to start moving more. Please pray that I can and do move more.

May God bless and keep you, dear Readers. Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna