Fun Find: Toy Story Yule Log

Happy Christmas Eve!!!  It's a day early for one of my Fun Find Fridays.  However, since tomorrow is Christmas, I thought I'd share one today anyways. 

Today, I have a Disney Yule Log Video from D23 to share.  I've seen a bunch of these shared online on social media recently.  If you're looking for some ambiance with a little added Disney magic, this is perfect.  It features an hour long video of a relaxing Yule Log, but there are visits from a few familiar Toy Story faces.

I haven't watched the entire thing yet, but I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch next week when Eliot and I are back home.  Maybe I'll even read a book or take a cat nap while listening to the fire.  It sounds like a magical way to relax!  Enjoy!!!  °o° 

Going to the Drive-In

It's no secret that Eliot and I have been super busy as of late, but we've still tried to make time to have a bit of fun.  The past few summers have flown by and I typically find myself wondering where it went once the calendar switches to September.  Thus, we've been carving out time to do a few summer activities in between all of the crazy.

With all of the new Disney movies coming out over the past few months, there's been a lot of potential to go to the movie theater.  We don't usually go that often, but we've been trying to make an effort.  (Even then... it took us about a month and a half before we finally saw Toy Story 4 in theaters.)  Instead of sitting inside the theaters to see a few movies, we've been able to go to our local drive-in theater!

Going to the drive-in has always been a treat for us as neither Eliot or I went to one as children.  (I also didn't grow up near one.)  Both my parents remember going to the drive-in as kids, but we didn't go to our first drive-in movie until Eliot and I moved up to Maine.  I remember driving by the one in Saco all the time when my family used to go camping in Old Orchard Beach, but for some reason, we never went to the theater.

This summer, we were really excited as the Saco Drive-In announced their schedule and there were a few weeks with back-to-back Disney movie showings!  Plus, it's only $20 per car to see both movies... which works out to $5 for each of us per movie- that's a steal!  So not only is it a fun experience, but it's also a good way to have fun without spending a ton of money.  (Gotta save up money to visit the mouse where we can!)

We usually make a plan to meet up so we can go into the drive-in theater in Eliot's car because it's taller than mine.  (He has a Jeep Patriot.)  This summer, both times we went, we also stopped in at a local favorite of ours (Amato's) to grab pizzas, drinks and snacks.  Then, we went to the drive-in early to get a good parking spot, get settled in and to enjoy a meal before our movies start.  It makes for a nice night out together!

The first back-to-back showing that we went to was Lion King and Aladdin.

I was so excited when I found out that the drive-in was playing a double feature of Aladdin and The Lion King.  I've been dying to see Aladdin again but I knew Eliot didn't want to pay to see it in a theater for the third time.  The week we went, The Lion King was the first movie at 8:45 followed by Aladdin at 10:55.

I dressed for the occasion with my new Aladdin t-shirt from Pixie Lee & Co along with my Simba necklace from Hot Topic.  A lot of people told me that they loved my outfit.

Eliot and I had a great time, even though the movies got out super late.  It was a bit hard to see The Lion King at the drive-in the first time as it's easy to get distracted by everyone around you.  Still, we enjoyed it.  Eliot dozed a few times during Aladdin but I soaked in every single second.  It was all I could do to not sing along to the songs since I had bought the soundtrack before seeing it this time.

The second back-to-back showing we saw was Toy Story 4 and the Lion King.

We decided to return to the Saco Drive-In to see another back-to-back Disney showing of Toy Story 4 at 8:35 and The Lion King at 10:25.  We really wanted to see The Lion King as the second movie since we had a hard time seeing it on the drive-in's screen the first time around.  (It wasn't dark enough outside.)

For this Disney double-feature, I wore my Toy Story Land t-shirt from BoxLunch.  I got a lot of compliments on my shirt this time too!

Eliot and I enjoyed seeing both the movies a second time.  We caught a lot more of The Lion King this time.  I was glad to see Toy Story again, even though we'd seen it the theater just days before going to the drive-in.  It was nice to hear all of the jokes again.  This time around, I was able to catch more of them since I knew the storyline.  I was still upset at the ending, but it wasn't as harsh because I knew it was coming.

As of right now, there aren't any more Disney double features scheduled so this is probably be it for us this drive-in movie season.  Both nights were a lot of fun and I'm glad that we made a little bit of time for ourselves to take a break from orders!  °o°

Toy Story 4 Review

Eliot and I did it... we FINALLY saw Toy Story 4 over the weekend!!!  I've been looking forward to seeing this movie all summer.  Yet, when I saw social media posts about how many of my friends cried when they saw it... I realized that maybe I shouldn't be in such a rush to have my heart ripped out of my chest.  I'd already bawled my eyes out at the end of Toy Story 3 after all.  Naturally, Eliot and I have been crazy busy, but we finally set aside some time to go to the movie theater to see it.

Photo Source

I was correct in my assumption that it would be an emotional movie.  Thankfully, we were at the super late movie and there were only four groups in the theater- all young adults.  I don't mind going to movies with kids in the audience, but I wanted to really soak this movie in.  And I didn't want to be sobbing in front of a bunch of children who wouldn't get the deep emotional connection that we have to the characters.  After all, these characters have been part of our lives for 24 years.

I liked the movie... I want to say that I loved it, but the ending shook me.  However, it was everything that I expected it to be.  I can't say that I was surprised by the ending.  I think deep down, I knew it was coming.  I had heard that this was being considered the last of the Toy Story movies... unless they found a really good story to tell for a 5th installment.  I won't lie, I'd love to see another movie 10 years from now with Andy somehow getting Woody and the gang back to give to his children.  Talk about tears!

The animation was spectacular.  It never ceases to amaze me how animators can make the toys and world totally come to life.  You can see the world from a human perspective, but they flawlessly make you enter the world from a toys point of view as well.  The montage with Andy and Bonnie and the toys was beautiful.  It was a great way to recap everything that had happened over the past 3 movies.

Photo Source

The new characters in Toy Story 4 were fun.  I found myself growing more attached to them than I have with the introduction to Bonnie's toys and the Sunnyside Daycare toys.  Ducky and Bunny were so funny.  They brought a lot of much needed humor to the storyline.  I also enjoyed Duke Caboom, Giggle McDimples and Bo Peep's sheep- Billy, Goat and Gruff.  It was also nice to see Bo Peep in a strong female role.

My absolute favorite part of the story was Forky.  I knew that I'd love him.  I could tell from the previews that he would be funny.  I found myself roaring with laughter at his antics.  He had the best lines.  I couldn't help but fall for the cute little utensil.  And the ending scene in the credits with Bonnie's other new toy... priceless.

My love for Forky was so strong that we'd already bought a few Forky things before I'd even seen the movie.  I have a keychain that my brother Jeremy gave me.  Eliot and I bought a few Pop Vinyl figures.  Then, I bought us matching Forky t-shirts a few weeks ago.  Eliot surprised me with a little Forky figurine when he came home from work one night.  And another night he brought home a Toy Story 4 t-shirt for me and a Forky t-shirt for himself.  In fact, we wore those when we went to see the movie!

Photo Source

All-in-all, I did enjoy the movie.  I can't say that it's one of my favorites but I did like it.  It was a great way to tie everything up for the characters.  And, as much as the ending completely broke my heart, it was the only way to end the story.

Thank you Woody, Buzz and gang for welcoming us into your world and giving us 24 years of magic.  I will always love you to infinity and beyond.  °o°

Saturday Shopping Trip

Hi friends!  I wanted to write a follow up to my post about the Disney Store keys.  As I said last Friday, Eliot and I had planned to drive down to Massachusetts to meet up with my brother Jeremy to get the Toy Story keys.  So, early this past Saturday we left Maine and started the 2 hour journey down to meet Jeremy at the Disney Store in the Burlington Mall to get our Toy Story Keys.

We arrived at the mall around 9:10 which was about the time that we'd planned to.  By the time parked and walked up to the Disney Store's location, it was about 9:15 and there were about 30 or so people in line.  Jeremy had arrived a little before us so we joined him in line.  (There were only about 7 people behind him so I didn't feel bad about joining the line and cutting them.  We were all going to get our keys.)

Eliot, Jeremy and I all chatted while we waited.  At about 9:45, the Disney Store employees came out and went through the line to ask if we wanted keys or the Toy Story Shufflerz toys you could get for free with your $10 purchase.  The employees had samples of the toys for people in line to look at.  (Of course, we still all picked the keys anyways, but it was nice for people interested in those.)  We were handed papers for 23, 24, and 25 in the key line.  Clearly, most people were there for the keys!

The employees actually let us into the store a few minutes early at 9:54.  Eliot, Jeremy and I split up to look for what we wanted to get.  Thankfully, since the store handed out numbers, we were guaranteed a key so we didn't have to grab the first thing we saw and run to the register.  After taking a few minutes to explore, the boys ended up coming back over to me... I didn't make it very far since I got sucked into the front left corner of the store where all of the newly released merchandise was located.

We all eventually figured out what made sense for each of us to buy.  Then, we wandered around the rest of the store.  I always enjoy looking at the dolls, princess dresses and the play sets.  I wish they made this stuff when I was a kid!  Finally, we made our way to the registers which surprisingly weren't that busy.

Jeremy bought the Forky mug and spoon set that I liked.  Forky has arms so he can hold on to the side of the mug!  I can't wait to make hot chocolate with him this winter.

Eliot purchased the Pixar Luxo Ball plush pillows that we both fell in love with.  While in the store, I checked to see if they were available online and they weren't so we got the two we wanted just in case.  I hope they make them available to purchase online because the store sold out except for one!  They were really popular that morning!

I bought two new tank tops for myself since they were buy one get one half off.  I don't have that many Disney tank tops so it seemed like a good purchase.  Plus, Jeremy and I loved watching Rescue Rangers as kids and I hardly ever find merchandise for it!

After we checked out, Eliot took our stuff to the car and Jeremy went to Game Stop.  I wandered around the Disney Store for a few more minutes looking at all of the new Descendants merchandise that I'd somehow missed before.  A few minutes later, we all met back up at the Lego Store.

I should probably preface this by saying that I love Legos.  Jeremy and I used to get them when we were younger and I loved putting them together.  Unfortunately, when I was a kid they were very limited on the number of sets they made for girls.  Today, there are so many more options and sets that I love: Disney, Disney Princess, Star Wars, Harry Potter and the architecture sets.

The three of us were there for quite awhile drooling over the sets.  I took pictures of so much of it.  Eliot and I used to go to the store often when we lived outside of Boston before we moved up to Maine.  He always loved the larger sets too.  I figured it was a good idea to keep in mind for our Christmas wish lists.  Legos never go out of style.

At some point, the boys got sucked into looking at the new Disney Lego Series 2 Minifigure blind bags.  Jeremy is a master at figuring out what's in those stupid blind bags.  He collects the Disney figure key chains and he's a whiz at finding the ones he needs.  Eliot and Jeremy must have stood there for 20 minutes feeling the bags and figuring out what figures they thought were inside.  I wanted another Steamboat Mickey and Minnie even though we got some with the Steamboat Willie set we already had at home.  (One set will live on the boat while the new ones will live on my vanity.)  Eliot eventually took 10 of the packages they found to the register to purchase.

Next, we went over to the Build-A-Bear.  I wanted to see the new Lion King plush in person and while they were cute, I wasn't planning to buy anything there.  I also wanted to look at what they had for outfits.  Before I knew it, Eliot found the Pokemon plush he needed... and there were two Bowsers in the clearance box.  The next thing I know, the guys are both in line to get their Bowsers and Eliot's Pokemon filled with stuffing.  I browsed while they stood in line.  We left the store with the three plush and a piranha plant plush for Jeremy to add to his Super Mario bears.

Our last stop at the mall was to Newbury Comics.  Eliot and I always go check out the Funko Pop Vinyls but we don't usually get any unless they're on sale.  The store runs good sales on them pretty frequently.  We didn't purchase anything there, but it was fun to browse.  Plus, our local store has more Disney Pops anyways!

Our next mission was to go to the Cheesecake Factory.  The one at the Burlington Mall is the closest one to us - which really stinks.  I love the Cheesecake Factory and used to go every few months when I was in college.  We decided that we'd move our cars over to that side of the mall.  Once we got parked, Eliot and I decided to open the Lego figures.  The boys did a pretty good job; we got most of the ones they expected.  The only down side was that we ended up with duplicates of Dale and Elsa, but there was a Steamboat Minnie Mouse in there just like they expected!!!  Yay!!!

Next, we enjoyed our lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.  It had opened about thirty minutes before we got there so it wasn't busy.  Eliot and I both got appetizers since we weren't too hungry and Jeremy got a burger.  I was so excited for my Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  I always get them and I haven't had them in so long!!!

While enjoying our meal, we talked about upcoming Disney movies and the live action films.  I was glad we got to spend some time with Jeremy since we didn't see him for very long over the 4th of July weekend.  Jeremy and I both got some cheesecake to go before heading back to our cars.  Jeremy decided he wasn't going to follow us to the other Disney Store so we said our goodbyes in the parking lot of the mall.

Then, Eliot and I started the drive back up to Maine through Nashua so we could make a few stops.  First, we went to the ACMoore to grab a few supplies that we needed for Happily Ever Hatter.  Then, we headed over to Hobby Lobby because I wanted to take a quick peek at their decorative Disney signs.  There was actually a Pure Hockey store next door so Eliot went there before meeting me in Hobby Lobby.  We got a few ideas for some home decor before we got back on the road.

Our final planned stop on our shopping trip was the Disney Store at the Merrimack Outlets.  At this point, we didn't have anything we were looking for, we just figured we'd swing by to check it out.  I ended up finding the rest of the cupcakes that I needed to complete my collection of the ones I bought in Nashville.  After purchasing those, I drove us back to Maine.  We made a quick stop at Eliot's work and the grocery store before heading home.  I was so tired that Eliot had to drive the rest of the way home.

By the time Eliot and I finally got home, we'd been gone for exactly 12 hours.  (We left at 7:18 am and we pulled back into our driveway at 7:18 pm... how weird is that?!?)  I was exhausted and could barely get myself into the house before I crashed.  However, we'd had a great day!  We also found some fun things and we were glad we got to spend some time with Jeremy!  I'd call our Saturday Shopping Trip a success!!!  °o°

Tsum Tsum Tuesday

Happy Tsum Tsum Tuesday!!!  Those of you who follow me on social media know how much I love these small plush toys.  Tsum tsums are a craze that's sweeping the Disney fandom.  What once started out as a mobile device game, has turned into a huge fad with tons of merchandise people line up hours for.  I'm not immune.  After all, how can you resist these adorable little fluffy friends?

Photo Source: Target

Eliot and I started collecting a few of them here and there.  We were going to get our favorite characters and call it good.  Then, Disney announced they were making a new set each month.  We still weren't completely on the band wagon.  However, over the past few months, I've definitely caught the fever.  Now, we're getting most of them from each new set that's released as well as a few from previously released collections.

Photo Source: Target

The Disney Store releases a new set of mini tsum tsums the first Tuesday of each month.  (Hence, the name Tsum Tsum Tuesday.)  Over the past few months, they've released a ton of tsum tsums including Big Hero 6, Lilo and Stitch, Inside Out, Marvel, Little Mermaid, Nightmare Before Christmas and Aladdin.  This month, they released Peter Pan, a Christmas set and a Frozen Fever set.

Photo Source: Disney Store

On another note, Target now carries tsum tsums too!  They usually have some of the previously released collections like Toy Story, Alice in Wonderland, Mickey and friends and more recently Frozen.  There's debate as to whether or not they're the same quality as the Disney Store tsums, but they're all cute and fluffy to me.  Honestly, it's been nice having them at Target since we don't have a Disney Store nearby.

Our little tsum tsum collection has grown a lot in a the past few months.  It's not so little anymore!  I didn't even realize how many we had until we packed them all up for our move.  We filled three one gallon zip loc baggies with tsum tsums.  We owe most of that to my brother Jeremy.  He's been going to Target and his local Disney Store to see what he can find.  (Every time he finds some, he sends me a photo of them stacked up in his car or his apartment.)  Eliot and I have bought a few from our local Target, but Jeremy really deserves the credit for our growing collection.  

In fact, I want to publicly acknowledge my "little" brother.  I've mentioned how awesome he is on my blog before, but he really deserves a lot more credit and recognition.  This morning, Jeremy text messaged me around 8:00 am saying he was in line at his local Disney Store waiting for it to open.  (I thought it opened at 9:00 am but and it didn't until 10:00.)  Not only did he go stand in the cold for two hours to be one of the first in line- he was second from the front- but he also had asked for the day off of work just so he could get me the newly released tsum tsums.  If that's not an amazing show of brotherly love and dedication, then I don't know what is.

Thank you Jeremy for your time and efforts searching for tsum sums at both the Disney Store and at Target.  You're really the best brother ever!  I love you!!!  °o°

Weekend Shopping

Last night, Eliot and I took an impromptu trip up to Portland to go shopping.  It doesn't take much for us to hop in the car to go for a quick shopping trip, especially when we both run crafty businesses and are always needing supplies.  In fact, I actually needed a few things from the craft stores and we also had some coupons.

On the drive up, my car's service light turned on.  We ended up going to Wal-Mart to check the oil just in case.  It needed some, so we went to Wal-Mart, which wasn't on our original to do list.  Of course, while there, we poked around a bit.  Eliot found Toy Story and Lion King pj pants for me and we decided to get them.  I don't have many pants in the thinner material.  These are so cute!  They'll be perfect this fall.

After Wal-Mart, we ran a few errands before heading over to the mall.  I wanted to see if Hot Topic had their new Dumbo bow.  I wanted to get one since Eliot's running the Dumbo Challenge next month!  Unfortunately, they didn't have it.  Instead, Eliot bought two of the Inside Out Mystery Minis by Funko.  I opened up Fear and he got Joy.

We walked through the mall over to the Hallmark store.  Before Eliot left for California, The Paper Source had all of the Inside Out itty bittys.  I was curious what they had in stock now.  Eliot went to another store while I looked around.  I realized they only had one Disgust left.  They also had two Rapunzel plush, but one looked a little wonky.  I decided to purchase those two since I was trying to behave myself.

I went to meet up with Eliot.  He saw my bag and asked what I got.  I showed him Disgust and Rapunzel.  He asked why I only got Disgust and I told him how there were plenty of the other Inside Out itty bittys left.  He then asked me how much each of them were.  Before I knew it, we were walking back across the mall to Hallmark!  Eliot had cash on him and he bought me Joy, Fear, Anger and Sadness!  He's the best husband ever!  My little itty bitty collection is slowly growing!

We had dinner at Chipotle before heading to JoAnn Fabrics.  I needed blue sparkly fabric for one of the Disneyland projects I'm working on.  I had a few great coupons to use so the timing was perfect.  After seeing the coupons, Eliot disappeared for a few minutes and came back with the Olaf fabric he's been admiring for a while.  He got four yards at 60% off and it was a great deal!  He's got a special project in mind for it that we'll try to work on sometime this winter.  I'll share photos once it's completed!

All in all, it was a great spur of the moment shopping trip!  Now I have a few more craft supplies to keep me busy with projects for our upcoming trips!!!  °o°

KeyCon 2014 Trip: Day #5

Monday morning began with a ton of excitement.  I couldn't wait to have our KeyCon 2014 meeting.  I met Joleen and Tricia outside of the Pop Century lobby and we headed over to Hollywood Studios meet the rest of our group.

When we got there, other Key to the World agents had started to gather over by the flag poles near the Sorcerer Mickey topiary outside the park entrance.  We introduced ourselves to those we hadn't yet met while waiting for the others to arrive.  Before heading in, we took a group picture outside of the park.

We walked through the empty park: down Hollywood Boulevard, past the sorcerer hat, finally making our way towards the back of the park.  It was then that we were told we got to go on Toy Story Midway Mania before the park opened!

There were lots of smiles and laugher as we all filed through the queue area.  The cast members helped Tara and me on the ride and we had a blast.  Then, they let us all go on one more ride if we wanted to.  Another ride on Toy Story Midway Mania with no line whatsoever?  Sure, why not!!!

Afterwards, we made our way to our "top secret" backstage location.  We found ourselves entering the "Backstage Prop Shop" filled with classic film decor, movie props and other memorabilia.  I found a place to sit at one of the tables and then joined everyone else taking photos.  There were so many things to look at!

Shortly after we were settled in, our buffet breakfast was served.  There was fruit, coffee, juice, croissant breakfast sandwiches and fruit and yogurt parfaits in champagne glasses.  It was so yummy.

Once we were finished with breakfast, we started the KeyCon meeting with a game of (not) Pictionary.  The room was divided in half and we were told to pick someone to draw for our team.  Jeff said he "nominated Melissa Cady" for our side and I agreed to do it. Now, you'd think that I'd be able to draw pretty well with an interior design degree, and I can when I really want to.  This was not one of those times.  It was hilarious.  The answers were all Disney characters or movies and my team did guess most of my drawings.  Joleen went next and her team did well too.  In the end, my team ended up winning by only a few drawings.  As the team "drawer", I won a Mickey Mouse ice bucket!  I was pumped!  I don't have one of those!  Afterwards, Cheryl had me pose with my ice bucket in front of my drawings.

We got started with our meeting presentations.  We had representatives from Disney, Adventures by Disney and Disney Meetings come speak to us.  We learned a lot of good information about some great website resources.

In between the presentations, Heather and Jeff drew numbers for prizes.  We each had a sticker with a number on the back of our KeyCon backstage passes.  At the beginning of the day I wondered what they were for.  I happened to get my lucky number 20 and I thought that was a good omen.  (Ha!  Little did I know…)  The prizes they handed out were gift bags with Disney mugs, candy, towels, and other souvenirs.  One of those drawings, they pulled out a number 20 and I got a new Minnie mug and some candy!

Before we knew it, it was snack time!  We got a quick break to stretch and grab some food.  Disney had more fruit and delicious brownies laid out waiting for us.  Yum!  The pomegranate lemonade was amazing.

After a few more presentations, we had a surprise guest come visit us!  Sorcerer Mickey strolled in through the back doors!  Yay!  Everyone got to take a picture with him and then we did a few group shots.  I screamed "Mickey!" like a little girl when I got to go over and hug him.  Why not?  It's Mickey Mouse!!!

During Sorcerer Mickey's visit, my "top secret" projects finally made their debut.  I had made Key to the World ear headbands for Heather and Jeff.  We all took turns wearing them and taking pictures with Mickey Mouse.  Everyone was impressed with them and I was very pleased all my hard work paid off.  (I do some of my best work at those little tables in the Pop Century hotel rooms… Mousekeeping probably thinks I'm crazy.)

Next, we were served our buffet lunch!  We could make our own sandwiches and they had pasta salad.  I also grabbed a few crackers and more of that pomegranate lemonade! I was really glad while in the air conditioned room, my appetite came back.  This was by far the most I'd eaten the entire trip!

Afterwards, I indulged some more and had dessert.  Yum!!!

We had a few more presentations after lunch.  We had a great presentation by Cheryl about social media.  That was my favorite presentation.  Ryan showed us a great quote tool that he designed.  In between sessions I ran to the restroom quickly.  When I returned, I found out my number had been selected a few times while I was in the restroom.  Since I already had a prize, they picked someone else.  It seemed #20 kept making an appearance.

In the afternoon, we were shown a video with some details for next year's KeyCon 2015 event: Universal Studios!  As much as I love Disney, I'm excited to learn more about Universal.  Plus, I love Harry Potter!!!  We had a quick question and answer session and then they gave away the Haunted Mansion Dooney and Bourke bag.  I'm glad Jamie won it!  She hadn't been feeling too great and she was so pleased.  Before we the end of the meeting, I grabbed the soaps Eliot had made to give out.  Everyone absolutely loved them and I gave out every single package including the extras.

We packed up and left the Prop Shop and were free to roam around Hollywood Studios until we had to meet back up for the Fantasmic Dessert Party.  Tara and I headed to the front of the park together to get a locker for all of our stuff.  At this point, I had my KTTW bag, meeting folders, the mug and the Mickey ice bucket and it was quite a handful!

After depositing our extra stuff in the locker, we tried to find something to do inside with air conditioning.  The heat and humidity were brutal.  I suggested the Animation Academy. I told Tara I'd never been but that I have always wanted to.  She said it sounded like fun and we set out for the Magic of Disney Animation building.  There was long line but we decided to go for it.  We ended being the last two in the room in the far back.

I was really excited when the animator said he had a special request for Minnie Mouse! She was the perfect character for my first time at the academy!  It was so much fun.  My Minnie animation turned out well!  I was very proud of it.  (It definitely made up for my Pictionary skills from earlier in the day.)  At the end of the class, the animator told us about Mickey's debut in Steamboat Willie and asked us a trivia question about Minnie to win his drawing.  His question was "when was Minnie's official debut?"  My hand shot up like a rocket.  He called on "the girl in the far back" and I answered that she debuted the same day as Mickey.  He said I was correct and that it was a trick question because they both made their debut in Steamboat Willie.

I went up to get my prize and he saw my KeyCon pass and wrote "To Melissa" in the upper corner of the drawing.  I thanked him and practically skipped back to Tara at the back of the room.  I was over the moon excited.  Really, you'd think I'd just won the actual lottery.  I carefully wrapped my drawing and the animator's drawing and rubber banded them together.  Tara and I went back to the front of the park and placed them in the locker with the rest of our belongings so they'd be safe.  I had a ridiculously huge grin on my face as I daydreamed about framing the two drawings for my home office.  I've always wanted to get one of the animation drawings from the Disney art store.  Instead, I'd won one and it was the actual drawing the animator had drawn to teach us.  It's much more meaningful to me than buying one.  Yippee!!!

After we left the lockers, Tara and I ran into Stacey.  She was on a mission to find a different shirt since her KTTW polo was really warm for the insane Florida heat.  We joined her and checked out the stores around the park.  We found ourselves wandering into Wandering Oaken's Trading Post- of course we had to go check it out. The store had tons of Frozen merchandise and the kids seemed to be enjoying the snow play area.

Stacey found a shirt she liked at the Hollywood Tower Hotel store.  We met up with a few more KTTW members and we all got waters to rehydrate.  Tara, Stacey and I realized that we'd all missed phone calls from our husbands so we took a few minutes to call them back.  It was a pretty funny photo op.  Eventually, we made our way over to meet up with the rest of our group outside of the entrance to Rockin' Rollercoaster.  We had to be escorted backstage to our Fantasmic Dessert Party!

It was fun to walk backstage at Hollywood Studios.  (I've been behind Epcot for our wedding reception and behind the Magic Kingdom for our Bridal Portrait shoot.)  We passed behind the Hollywood Tower Hotel and then climbed up a ton of stairs to get to our private dessert party location in the back of the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater.

We were greeted with a ton of delicious desserts.  I was already stuffed from earlier in the day, but I made sure to grab a few things to try.  Yum!

Once we all had our desserts and were settled in, Jeff and Heather announced that there was one more prize to be drawn.  They said that everyones' numbers were back in the bag for this particular drawing.  In my mind, I thought they were going to pick a winner for a pair of Key to the World ears that I'd made.  (That was the original reason Jeff asked me to make them.)  Before I knew it, Jeff's son had picked a slip of paper.  It was #20.

I was shocked when my number was called.  I kinda of chuckled when I thought I might have won a pair of my own ears.  Jeff and Heather had me come up in front of the group and I was very aware of everyone looking at me.  I still had no idea what I'd won.  Then they told me I'd won the grand prize: a trip for KeyCon 2015 with my hotel and theme park tickets being covered.  I just had to get myself down to Florida.  I only half heard them at the time; I think I went into shock.  I thanked them and hugged them both.  I kept telling myself not to cry and to hold it together in front of everyone.

I went back to my table and everyone congratulated me.  We enjoyed our dessert and hung out while other park guests made their way to their seats.  We took pictures, laughed and enjoyed each other's company.

Fantasmic started and we had a pretty good view.  I've never seen so much of the stage before.  Since we were all the way in the back, I could see the entire thing.  I teared up at a few parts, like usual.  I felt so blessed and incredibly grateful to have had such a great time with all of these people.  By the end of the show I really had to hold it together.

After Fantasmic was over, we all filed out of our VIP area, down the stairs and back through the backstage area.  A bunch of us decided to stay at Hollywood Studios for a bit longer.  I walked around with Tara, Stacey, Cheryl, Jen and Laura.  We went on the Great Movie Ride and then over to Muppet Vision 3D since half of the girls hadn't seen it before.  It was a lot of fun.  Before we left, we took a photo on the Streets of America since they were empty.  Cheryl and Stacey had a car and offered to drive me back to Pop Century.  I was very grateful and they dropped me off right near my building.

When I got back to my hotel room, I called my Mom to tell her about my amazing day.  As soon as she asked me about the meeting, I got incredibly overwhelmed and started sobbing.  After a few minutes of happy tears, I calmed myself down enough so I was able to recount the day and my unbelievable experience.  My Mom was already shocked by the time I told her about winning the animator's drawing.  I barely held it together when I told her that wasn't even the best part and announced I'd won the KeyCon 2015 prize. (Another round of joyful tears followed.)  Finally, we said goodnight and she went to tell my Dad all of the good news.

KeyCon 2014 was magical.  I'm incredibly thankful and blessed to be a part of this amazing family.  Almost a month later, I still can't believe the good fortune I had.  It really was the perfect Disney Day.  Appropriately, on another stroke of good luck, this is my 200th My Disney Life blog post and a special day for KTTW!!!  Cheers!!!  °o°