Guest Post: National Roller Coaster Day

Today is National Roller Coaster Day!  I thought this was the perfect opportunity to have Eliot pop in for another guest blog post since it's been a minute since his last one.  I've mentioned that he originally dreamed of becoming a roller coaster designer when he and I first met back in college.  Obviously, life took us both down a different pathway, but his love of rollercoasters is still strong.  (He loves to talk about them.)  To celebrate National Roller Coaster Day, I thought it would be fun to hear more about his passion directly from him... 

Roller coasters, like life, have many ups and downs. Each coaster is made of wood or steel, different types of ride systems, and has many different elements to create a unique ride experience. And there are many types of coasters and elements!

I have been riding roller coasters all of my life. I started riding coasters at a young age. I rode my first one at Paramount’s Great America in their kids section, which at the time was themed to the Smurfs. This coaster was called Blue Streak. It was simple in nature, however I have fond memories of it since it's how I got my start riding roller coasters. It has a hill, drop, helix and some small airtime hills at the end. Over the years, it has had many names, but it's currently called the Woodstock Express. 

Woodstock Express at California’s Great America

While this ride does not have the biggest drop I was able to experience the thrill and realize how much I enjoyed riding roller coasters. Over time, the roller coasters I've experienced only got bigger, longer and faster from here (for the most part).

I was hooked, but since I could only visit the parks so much, I needed to find other ways to get my roller coaster fix. One great option was video games. As I grew up, Roller Coaster Tycoon (RCT) was one of my favorites. I really always enjoyed playing the 1st and 2nd iterations of this game (we won’t talk about the 3rd or mobile). 

Screenshot of RCT2

These games allowed me to "build" roller coasters and design theme parks. More recently there have been other games like No Limits and Planet Coaster. While these games are more focused on the roller coaster design, I have always enjoyed Roller Coaster Tycoon because it allowed me to design the whole amusement park. RCT2 continues to be one of my favorite video games to this day.

When I was able to visit theme parks, I always tried to ride as many roller coasters as possible. My local park, Paramount’s Great America (PGA), has had many coasters over the years with many different types of ride systems.

Entrance to Paramount’s Great America

Most amusement parks try to build a different type of coaster when building new ones to fill in their lineup. People don’t typically like to ride the same type of ride at the same park. PGA started originally as Marriott's Great America.  When Paramount took over the park, they changed many of the names to rides to make them themed to their movies. (New rides also followed this structure.) Some of my favorite rides here were Top Gun (B&M) and Vortex (B&M). Top Gun is a suspended coaster and at the time Vortex was a stand up roller coaster.  One of PGA's claims to fame was the fact they had the first flying coaster. This ride was called Stealth.  

One major problem for the amusement part is that they cannot make coasters or rides more than 225 feet due to airplanes flying low on their way into the San Jose airport. Paramount’s Great America is now known as California’s Great America. (The name was changed when it was purchased by Cedar Fair.) Unfortunately, the park I spent so much time at will be permanently closing its doors less than 10 years from now.

While Paramount’s Great America was not the only park that I visited under the age of 18, it was the one major amusement park I visited the most.

Stealth Coaster at Paramount’s Great America

As a child up until I went off to college, there was only one job that I really wanted... to be a roller coaster designer. Before looking into colleges and programs, I learned that Civil and Mechanical engineering were the best options to study. While at Wentworth Institute of Technology, I got a degree in Electromechanical Engineering.  

Unfortunately, one thing I learned in college was there were not many companies in the US that designed roller coasters. While this is not true as much anymore, I still did not design roller coasters for a living. Some of the major companies that design roller coasters here in the United States and around the world today are the following:

• Vekoma (Netherlands)
• Intamin (Liechtenstein)
• B & M (Switzerland)
• Mack Rides (Germany)
• RMC (Idaho)
• Premier Rides (Maryland)
• S & S (Utah)

Each roller coaster company usually has many different types of roller coasters they manufacture. Coaster companies (and other companies in the amusement park industry) like to show off their new designs and prototypes at IAAPA each year. IAAPA stands for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Many of the prototypes that are showcased never get made; however it is always fun to see the new ride designs companies are willing to make.  

Some of the different types of roller coasters are the following: 

• Flying Coaster
• Stand-Up Coaster
• Floorless Coaster
• Dive Coaster
• Inverted Coaster
• Suspended Coaster

There are also many other types of roller coaster that are not included in the list above.

There are also many different track layouts that include:

• Boomerang Coaster
• Corkscrew Coaster
• Dual-Tracked Coaster
• Figure 8 Coaster
• Out and Back Coaster
• Shuttle Coaster
• Twister Coaster

Sadly not all companies always make it. One company that fits this build is Arrow Dynamics. They ceased operations in 2002 after trying to complete X at Six Flags Magic Mountain. They never completed this design and needed to be completed by SF Magic Mountain. (In 1959, Arrow designed and manufactured Matterhorn for Disney.) For me, Arrow’s most known feature of their rides was they were very bumpy steel coasters. Demon at PGA was an Arrow coaster as well.  (That explains why the ride has only gotten bumpier over the years.) Demon opened as Turn of the Century when Marriott’s Great America opened up in 1976.

Demon at Paramount’s Great America

Let’s talk about my favorite rides. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to go on many roller coasters and visit many amusement parks all over the country. To date, I have been to 20+ amusement parks coast-to-coast and I hope to be visiting more soon. Some of my favorite roller coasters (so far) are the following:

• Millennium Force, Cedar Point
• Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
• Lightning Rod, Dollywood (Pre Steel Track)
• Wicked Cyclone, Six Flags New England
• Superman, Six Flags New England
• Mako, SeaWorld Orlando

Except for Lightning Rod, all of these are steel coasters. Most of them are over 200 feet and have many airtime moments. Each attraction features a very smooth ride and that's probably why I like them so much. If you click the links above, you can see a Point of View for each of my favorite roller coasters. And if you want an extra special experience, try any of them in virtual reality... but make sure you are sitting down for them! (That quick shuffling noise was Melissa running to hide!)

I have never been a fan of wooden coasters. In fact, other than Vekoma’s SLC and Arrow Steel coasters, these are my least favorite type of coasters. What all three have in common is they are bumpy and uncomfortable rides. Most times I visit amusement parks, I will only ride wooden, Vekoma’s or Arrow rides once and sometimes not at all. Rides like Kong (at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom) or Riddler’s Revenge (at Six Flags New England) are part of Vekoma’s unforgettable SLC lineup. Riddler’s Revenge was originally called Mind Eraser and that's the exact feeling I had when I rode it. Melissa will even tell you that it's always my least favorite ride at Six Flags New England!

Roller coasters are made up of different elements that create the experience for the rider. Each element of a ride has a different name. Here are some of my favorites:

• Hammerhead Turn

• Horseshoe

• Cobra Roll

• Butterfly

• Banana Roll

• Pretzel loop

There are many names for other roller coaster design elements. While I have not ridden all of these personally, I always love the different names they come up with. And they're always coming up with new names as well!

There are many roller coasters that I have not had the opportunity to ride here in the US and internationally. Some of the US rides I would like to ride someday include:

• Any Raptor Track Roller Coaster

                    - Railblazer (California’s Great America)

                    - Wonder Woman Flight of Courage (Six Flags Magic Mountain) 

                    - Jersey Devil Coaster (Six Flags Great Adventure)

• X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain

• Tatsu at Six Flags Magic Mountain

• West Coaster Racers at Six Flags Magic Mountain

• Iron Gwazi (Busch Gardens Tampa)

As you can see, I have enjoyed riding many roller coasters over the years. In fact, I have ridden a roller coaster in 11 states, 20+ amusement parks and over 100 roller coasters in total. I will never get tired of riding them. I hope that someday I can travel internationally to visit some of the high class roller coasters that are around the world!

And there you have it!  Eliot loves rollercoasters and learning more about how they're designed.  Hopefully we can check off a few more of these attractions that he'd like to go on.  (I'll be hiding far, far away from them!)  °o°

Guest Post: Eliot's New Adventure

I've been on a roll blogging lately.  My new method seems to be working and I've been feeling really good about it.  The other day, I went back to check some of the other goals that I'd abandoned.  I've been trying to get back to having guest bloggers here.   It's been a long time (almost 7 years!) since I had a guest post.  

Eliot and I talk about it occasionally.  He enjoyed doing a guest blog post about the Avengers Half Marathon back in 2014 and he's talked about doing another post for me, but he never knows what to write about.  

Recently, he's decided to try a new endeavor and I thought that was the perfect thing for him to tell you about!  Here it is in his own words:

Over the past several months, I have been watching many people on YouTube that create content that has to do with building Legos. Watching these videos brought me back to my childhood where I built many different Lego sets. After watching these different channels from all around the world, I decided that I wanted to start my own. While there are a few YouTube channels that build the newest Lego sets, I wanted to do my YouTube channel a little bit differently.

I have decided to call my channel OneLittleSparkBuilds. This will allow me to combine my love for Disney and my love for building.  For now, I have decided to focus on building with smaller blocks. These smaller blocks go by many different names: Nano Blocks, Diamond Blocks, Micro Blocks and more. While I am focusing on the smaller blocks to start, I will also be building sets in a similar size as Legos, Legos themselves, wood design kits, 3D diamond paintings and many other building projects.

For those of you not familiar with Nanoblocks, here's some information on them:

• Nanoblocks were created in Tokyo, Japan by the company Kawada.
• A standard 1x1 block measures 4mm x 4mm x 5mm.
• They were first introduced by the company in 2008. 
• They are made using ABS plastic and there are 11 different types.
• The largest is 8x2 and smallest is 1x1.  
• Nanoblocks typically include spare parts since it's so easy to lose them.

I do not necessarily plan on using "name brand" Nanoblocks as I've found a lot of sets that are similar to them. Over the last few months, I have been collecting several sets from AliExpress. These sets are as small as 200 pieces and as large as 5,000 pieces. These sets include: Disney Movies, Pixar Films, Pokemon, Cars, Animals, Monuments and more. These building block sets are not from Nanoblocks, but are from many companies including: LBOYU, MPIN, Magic Blocks, Balody and others. I have been trying to collect sets that I will enjoy building; however, I will eventually spread out.

Recently, Melissa's family and I visited Virginia and Hershey, PA. While we were visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Melissa and I found some cool sets at the gift shop. I decided to purchase the bald eagle because of the family sentiment. The shop also had a cannon, revolutionary soldiers, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. There was also a display model of the Colonial Williamsburg Governor's Palace, but it was sold out. (I'm hoping to buy it from their online shop soon.) Then, on the ride home, we visited Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, PA. Melissa, her Dad and I went about 5 feet into the store before I found a few sets that were similar to Lego size blocks. These building block sets included a Reese’s dump truck, a Hershey’s fork truck, and the Hershey’s factory. 

I've also recently started working on some videos for my channel. I started with two Pokemon and two Zootopia characters. The two Pokemon were Bulbasaur (pictured above) and Squirtle. The Bulbasaur was not on video due to me wanting to see how difficult it was to put the sets of smaller bricks together. The Zootopia characters I built were Nick Wilde and Clawhauser. I have many more Pokemon to build and I also have 3 other Zootopia characters that include Flash, Judy Hopps, and Chief Bogo.  (All of these sets were around 400 pieces.) The set that I am currently working on right now is a Golden Retriever that is over 1,000 pieces! 

I am hoping that my YouTube channel will start after the new year, but this timetable might have to be pushed back a little. It will depend on how many sets I can finish before the new year and how quickly I can edit the videos to have ready to go.

While everyone wants to be successful on YouTube and be an "influencer", I am just looking to have fun putting together building sets. If success comes with that- then great! If nothing else comes from my channel, it will at least allow me to review all of my past projects. I am looking forward to this new hobby and adventure!

I'm really excited for Eliot and to see how this new adventure turns out!  He has been having a lot of fun so far!  Plus, I love Legos and building things too.  At some point, I might even be a guest on his YouTube channel!  Stay tuned!!!  °o°

Guest Post: Avengers Half Marathon

As most of you know, my husband Eliot did the Inaugural Avengers Half Marathon a few weekends ago at Disneyland.  I asked him to write a guest post with a recap of his trip and the race experience.  Here it is!  Enjoy!!!

Photo Source: RunDisney

The Avengers Half Marathon was my second half marathon participating in.  However, it was my dad’s first.  My dad had three goals he wanted to complete this race:

• 1. To Finish the Race
• 2. To Not Get Hurt
• 3. To Not Die

I trained all summer except the six weeks before the race due to me hurting my knee during a four mile run in late September. I was afraid of hurting  it more before the race so I decided to not run on it.  My dad, on the other hand, had not trained since May. That being said, here is how our race weekend went.

On Saturday, we arrived at the Downtown Disney Parking Lot after driving up from Oceanside, CA. My father and I headed towards packet pick-up while my sisters went into the RunDisney Expo while they waited for us.  We headed down the ramp onto the black carpet towards pickup where we signed our lives away and headed towards our assigned sign at packet pickup.

My father and I were both around the same bib numbers with me being 10268 and my dad was 10352. We were in the same line since we both showed no time to finish. In this race, there were only corrals A-H.  At the Walt Disney World half there were corrals A-P. (They have more room to line everyone up. One advantage to showing up the second day of the expo was that packet pickup was much quieter with less people.)

After picking up our bags, we headed back up the exit ramp and into the expo. Before entering the expo, we saw these flags in which you could take photos in front of.

We headed towards the line to pick up our long sleeve black race shirts.  We both signed up for an XL, however my dad decided to go with the larger size.  (They do run tight.)  We then headed across the expo to pick up our extra commemorative items. I decided to purchase an “I Did It” shirt, a magnet for the car, a Coast to Coast medal pin, and RunDisney shoe lace/bracelet lights.  Looking, back, the shoe lights weren't a great option since they have no off switch.  The batteries are not replaceable and they turn on every time they sense motion. (Making the batteries die quickly.)  We then met up with my sisters to head down towards the park.

My sisters decided to stop at Build-A-Bear while my father and I headed towards the parks to buy our tickets. My sisters and dad got season passes while I got the Premier Passport (an annual pass for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts).  We met back up with my sisters to find that they got me an Olaf Build-A-Bear!

We headed into the Disneyland and California Adventure parks for the rest of the day. My dad and I decided to leave around 6pm to head to our hotel for the night. It gave me enough time to get back to the hotel, repack my bags, and to get a good night's rest.  If you decide to do a race at Disney, I suggest you put your bib on your shirt the night before. This way everything is ready to go in the morning when you get ready. We had to be there no later than 5:30am. My dad and I took showers the night before rather than the morning. We were staying at the Motel 6 about a mile from the front entrance that night. It was much cheaper than staying at the Disney hotels. We went to bed at 9pm and planned to get up by 3:45am and to leave by 4:00am.

Sunday morning came way too fast.  (I'm not a morning person.)  I have a Fitbit and it told me I only got about 5.5 hours of good sleep. Unfortunately, my sisters arrived at the hotel just after midnight and woke me up, which didn’t help either. My Dad and I were in the car by 4:01am and headed towards the Mickey and Friends parking garage. Once we arrived at the garage, we showed them our annual passes, got our receipt and a special yellow tag and headed forwards. We turned left and stayed on the first level. Due to my father’s box on top of the car for skiing we got to stay on the bottom level. (A perk of an annual pass is free parking.) We got out of the car and headed towards the sound of the music. We then followed the corral signs and found Corral H. At Disneyland races, you get to the corrals before arriving at the morning stretching and festivities. We didn’t know this until after the race. We decided to go for our corrals so we could get as close as possible to the front of the corral. Below were the corral times.

Photo Source: RunDisney

There were 3,872 runners in corral H and that’s before some people decided to move backwards to be with friends. Below is a photo of when we go to our corral.

When we got to our corral (around 4:15am), there were about 50 or less of us.  As the morning rolled along, many more people showed up. By the time we started moving forward to get to get closer to the start line, the corral was wrapping around the gates. We stretched while we were in the corrals and my dad and I made some friends around us. At 5:29 they started getting racers on the course with the wheelchairs at 5:29 and elite runners at 5:30. We got to the start line around 6:10am.

This is what I saw when we arrived at the start line. They had us wait about 60 seconds before they got us onto the course. My dad decided he wanted to speed walk the course and I wanted to stick with my dad as much as possible. Since we were at the beginning of the corral, we had a good start on the balloon ladies.  We headed towards the back of California Adventure first.  I tried to take picture of as many of the mile markers as I could. All of the characters were all within Disney Property or in other words the first 3 miles. The only characters that I saw that were not Avengers oriented were the fire truck from Cars (in Carsland), Dug and Russell from Up and the Seven Dwarfs (on the Carousel in Fantasyland).

We headed towards Mile 1 where we were greeted with this Mile marker.

Between Miles 1 and 2, we saw Thor and Route 66. We also got to see a festive Haunted Mansion where Jack Skellington had taken it over for the holiday season.

Between Mile 2 and 3, we saw the Seven Dwarfs on the Carousel and walked through Sleeping Beauty Castle. This is always a slow part of the race since people are taking pictures down Main Street and it is a narrow spot.

We also went through back stage area and finished the Disney parks part of the race. We started running on half of the road. Mile marker 3 was on the other side of the road.

Between Mile markers 3 and 4, you are just running down Harbor Blvd.  By the time we got on the main roads, it starting getting very windy. This race was more difficult since the wind was either coming at us sideways or a head wind.  Due to the high winds, a lot of the mile markers were either broken or knocked down.  We guessed that the wind was between 30 and 40 mph gusts and at least 20 mph constant. By Mile 4, we had already been through 3 water stations. In addition, there were a few bathroom spots before this.  However, most were just normal bathrooms in the parks. Between miles 3 and 4, we also saw the best sign ever with Baymax.

At Mile 4, we were greeted by a fallen Mile Marker.

After Mile 4, we turned the corner to head towards Mile 5 and the Christ Cathedral. There is not much to see here except companies that are all closed due to the race. Between the 4 and 5 Mile markers, it was so windy that my dad and I both got hit in the face with some small branches and debris from some surrounding trees. Just before getting to the Cathedral we turned into complex. Mile 5 was just before the water, bathroom and medical spot.

After Mile 5, in the middle of the Christ Cathedral Complex, was the biggest bathroom spot up to this point. It was also a large water spot and a medical spot. This was only the second medical spot of the route thus far. My dad and I decided to keep moving and get some water while moving. Just as Miles 3-4 and most of 4-5, there was not much to look at while between 5 and 6. We went over the highway which was the biggest bridge we had to go over (or go under) during the course.

The Mile 6 location had a special sign the runners could hold while taking a picture with the mile marker.

About halfway between Miles 6 and 7, we got to another water spot. It was also the place I finally used the bathroom. My dad was slowing down a little at this point.  However, he kept moving as I was going to meet up with him after using the bathroom. After the bathrooms, you turn onto a paved trail that is in Anaheim. Under normal circumstances this would have been perfect- in this case it was not. Since it was windy, the sand was flying in the faces of all the runners.  Most of this section of the race, from Mile 6.5 to 8 (outside Angels stadium), runners were getting pelted with sand.  I was able to get a picture while the wind was down of runners in front of us.

You can see the sand flying off to the left of the photo. Mile marker 7 was off to the side and due to the glare on my phone I was unable to get a good photo of it. Just after heading under the bridge, you were able to see the big Angels "A" that stands at the front of the stadium. At Mile 8, the “A” was still off in the distance but much closer than when you were at the bridge.

Between Miles 8 and 9 was Angels stadium. 

We got to run into the stadium, onto the field (around the outside) and then out of the stadium. I was able to get a quick photo of my dad as he was coming into right field.

After leaving the stadium, Mile Marker 9 (like so many before it) did not work out very well. This time the Mile Marker was facing down.

After Mile Marker 9, we were able to get a Cliff Bar Shot that they were giving out. By the time we had arrived at the station, they only had Citrus (my favorite) and mocha (least favorite).  I grabbed four from four different people, slurped them down and kept moving. Just after the Cliff Bar stop, my dad and I saw what we never wanted to see: the balloon women.  I wanted to stay with my dad but he told me to run ahead and keep pace with the balloon women. My dad kept falling behind and I pushed ahead. As I was trying to push ahead and keep up with the balloon women, both my calf muscles started to pull extremely tight. The only thing I could do was push through it and hope that jogging would eventually stretch them out. They eventually did as we were nearing Mile 10.  However, I was still in pain due to the calf muscles. People behind me kept yelling out how close the balloon ladies were and we would start to jog after we heard them.  Mile 10 is usually the last time they pull people off the course; however, they can do it as late as just before mile 12.  Since I was pushing through Mile 10, I was unable to get a photo of it.

Between Mile 10 and 11 you head underneath a highway.  This time it was completely flat. I passed the hotel we were staying at. Below is a picture of Mile Marker 11.

Runners turned another corner and headed towards Mile 12.  I knew I would be able to complete the race. At this point, I had no idea if I was going to see my dad cross the finish line. We got to Mile 12 and ran into the back lot of California Adventure. I kept pushing ahead. As everyone was slowing down I was speeding up for the last 4 miles of the race. I made it to Mile 12, which was outside the back lot. I kept hearing cast members tell us how many miles were left throughout the back lot.  I started to hear the cast members say 1.1 miles then 0.9 miles then 0.5 miles. Then, as you head into the finish shoot, people were lined up on both sides. I was unable to get pictures due to my phone dying (I was tracking our progress) and taking so many pictures early on.  I then crossed the finish line.  (I know Marathon Foto has the rights to these photos but here is me crossing the finish line.) 

Photo Source: Marathon Foto

I finished with a time of 3 hours, 39 minutes and 25 seconds. My dad finished in 3 hours, 51 minutes and 23 seconds.

Photo Source: RunDisney

Unfortunately, I did not finish under the allocated time runDisney gives you, but I did get to do most of the race with my dad.  I got my medal, something drink and missed the Coast to Coast medal entrance. I had to walk back around to get my medal. After I got my medal, I looked towards the finish line hoping my dad would be able to cross. After approximately 10 minutes (that felt like forever), I saw my dad walking towards the medals.  He had finished!

Photo Source: Marathon Foto

I was so proud of him.  We then got our pictures taken together.  I could tell my dad was spent.  I was spent hoping he would cross.  (Here's another Marathon Foto copyrighted photo with my dad and I.)  

Photo Source: Marathon Foto

We headed back towards the car (very slowly) and relaxed before heading back to the hotel.  We showered, changed into our “I Did It” shirts and headed into the theme parks. We had to leave at 6 so I could catch my 9pm flight from Long Beach to JFK and then back to Maine where it was very cold upon my return.

Overall, this was a great weekend.  You will remember the 3 goals of our weekend.  I got to do most of the race with my dad, my dad finished, was not hurt and did not die. It was a success and he completed all three of his goals. In fact, he enjoyed the race experience so much that he wants to do another one and to complete it in under 3 hrs. I hope he is willing to do Disneyland Marathon weekend in September 2015.  Maybe we can do the Dumbo Double Dare together (10k Saturday and the Half Marathon Sunday).  Perhaps someday I will convince him to do a full marathon with me as well... maybe the WDW Marathon weekend?  

I'm so proud of Eliot and father-in-law!  I'm glad they had a great time!!!  °o° 

Guest Post: Happiest Birthdays on Earth!!

Hi Friends!  Here's my first ever guest blogger post from my best friend BJ who celebrated his 30th birthday at Disneyland last month!  Enjoy!!!

I consider myself a lucky, and fortunate, person. I have a wife I love more than anything, a caring family, and some of the best friends anyone could ever ask for (hence the reason why I am writing this blog post for Melissa). I truly am blessed and am thankful everyday for everything I have at the ripe old age of 30...that's right people, 30. I know, I don't look a day over 29!!  ;-) On top of the people in my life, I have been incredibly fortunate in emptying my bucket list by 30. I have seen and done so much both near and far. Of course, I am a HUGE Disney fan. 90% of the bucket was filled with Disney experiences I always dreamed of.

Let's rewind a few years to 2002. This was the year I graduated high school. As a gift to myself, a friend and I decided to take a road trip (thanks to my grandparents) to Disney World. It was then, February 2002, a cast member at the Country Bear Jamboree changed my life by saying "I am an intern on the College Program." What?!?! How had I never heard of this?!?! Immediately upon my return home, I began researching and made a goal. At 21, I would apply to this program in hopes of being selected as part of the cast of Walt Disney World.

Fast forward 3 and a half years to October 12, 2005 (yes I remember this date as it was my mom's birthday) where I open a letter from "Walt Disney World: College Program". The first word? CONGRATULATIONS!!! Let the tears, jumping up and down, and annoying phone calls to anyone and everyone I could think of commence!!!

While the program itself, and the position of "Cast Member", were not as wonderful as I had dreamed, I did however, get to cross yet another thing off the bucket list. Celebrating a birthday (in this case 22) in Disney World. On March 12, 2006 I was originally scheduled to work. I did ask for the day off, but as a CP you are low man and treated awful so no day off. Instead, my friends encouraged me to call in "sick" and then snuck me into Magic Kingdom. Mind you, I worked at the Emporium so this was VERY risky. I also snuck in through the cast entrance which meant I had no ticket into the park. Your ID was your complimentary park pass. Because I was "sick" any use of my badge would be logged and I would be axed!! Instead my friends took care of me.

While we spent the day sneaking around Magic Kingdom, only those who knew I was there were able to track me down. It was the most fun birthday I had ever had, and I still think of it fondly. I realized at that point, I needed to have a birthday in Disney again, but when / where?

Lets jump to April 2007. This is when I went to Disneyland for the second time. My first trip was in 2003 and I wasn't exactly impressed with Disneyland. This trip changed my mind completely and I fell deeply in love with Disneyland. I realized then that I found my next birthday location. Given the distance it was from New England, I also felt a "BIG" birthday would be the best time. At the time I was 23, so 25 was not that far off. But 25? That isn't all that big of a birthday. 30? YES....30!!!

Now here we are March 12, 2014. After years of planning, my big 30th birthday celebration!! In preparation for this awesome jump into my 30s, my wife Katie made myself and my best friend Amanda shirts to mark the occasion. Now as all us Disney freaks know a day at Disney is not complete without an ear hat (well unless you are at Disneyland Paris, but that's a whole other post which I can add in the future if asked ha ha!!). For this occasion, no regular ear hat would do, and the birthday ear hat was just too generic. Insert another one of my very best friends, Melissa and her new creative line of ear hats: Happily Ever Hatter (Did he just insert a promo?! Yes he did!!). Katie and Melissa brainstormed and came up with the perfect hat to match me, equipped with the logo from the 30th anniversary celebration of Tokyo Disneyland that I MAY have mentioned a few million times that I would like as a logo for my 30th birthday!!  :0)

Well the day at Disneyland was more fun than I could imagine. While I was happy to have two of my favorite ladies with me (Amanda and Katie the wife), I was over the moon at everything we were able to do. We conquered Disneyland Park, and I was wished Happy Birthday so much, I don't remember anything else that was said the entire day!!

In conclusion, celebrating a birthday at a Disney park is pretty spectacular. To celebrate two (one of them being a milestone year) that's just pure lucky!! Disney World and Disneyland do not differ in how they celebrate birthdays. At both parks you are given a button which you put your name on. You are wished Happy Birthday from Cast Members and Guests alike. You still feel like a little kid, your eyes still well up seeing the castle (be it Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty) and seeing my best Disney friend.... Mickey!!!

It sounds like it was an awesome experience!!!  Thank you BJ!!!  °o°