Showing posts with label parade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parade. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2022

Fun Find: Main Street Electrical Parade 50th Anniversary Videos

Happy Friday Friends!  I'm popping in today because it hasn't been a happy Friday here and I could use some cheering up.  Right now, it feels like if something could go wrong, it will.  To put a little pep back in my step, I thought that I'd share a video that will cheer me up, as well as get one of the things that's weighing on my mind out of it.

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Three weeks from today is the first night the Main Street Electrical Parade will no longer glide down Main Street with it's iconic soundtrack and dazzling lights.  As of right now, the Disneyland website is still showing that it's scheduled to leave the parks "for the season" on September 1st... whatever that means.  (I literally just checked it...)

I won't sugarcoat it... as soon as I heard this news a few weeks ago, I was ready to write a giant diatribe about what a stupid idea that is.  At the time, I held back, but now that we're three weeks out, I'm not hiding my feelings about this any longer.  I am absolutely furious.  Disneyland and Anaheim are welcoming some of the biggest Disney fans in the world to their D23 Expo in 29 days, and someone thought it was a good idea to "retire" the Main Street Electrical Parade a mere eight days earlier?!?!?

This is a giant slap in the face to the thousands of us going to CA for the event.


It's been speculated that they'll continue the parade into the fall like they have in other years when the parade made it's reappearance over the summer.  However, with time winding down, I'm starting to get more worried that this isn't going to happen.  And if it is, and it's been in the plans all along, it's a pretty pathetic money grab for Disney to make everyone rush to the parks between now and September 1st, only to become the heroes who extended it out of the kindness of their hearts.  This is complete crap.

I've been looking forward to seeing this parade for months.  It's literally one of the top things that I have had on my to do list.  I was so excited to see the new float at the end of the parade with the It's A Small World theme and all of the Disney characters as dolls.  Ever since Disneyland brought back their nighttime shows, I've been counting the days to see this parade.  They're also "retiring" the Disneyland Forever fireworks that same weekend... but it's the parade that's most upsetting to me.  I really wanted to see it, and this feels like they don't care about any of their D23 guests who aren't locals and who are traveling from across the country to also visit the parks that week.


Thankfully, there are plenty of videos of the 2022 Main Street Electrical Parade's 50th Anniversary version (with the updated finale floats) online.  I've watched a few of those videos the past few days since that might be the closest I get to it at this point.  I found two really good ones that I wanted to share on here with you all.  Between these two videos, you get great views of both sides of the parade!

I am hoping that someone at Disney will wake up and give the people what they want... because I'm not the only one that's completely outraged at the audacity of this entire situation.  But I'm afraid that we're going to have to wait it out... 

In the meantime... I'll be watching these videos and wishing on a star.  °o°

Friday, July 15, 2022

Fun Find: Tokyo Dream Lights Electrical Parade Video

Happy Friday!  Today, I'm busy with a ton of stuff on my to do list... so I'm only popping in really quick with a video.  Eliot and I actually watched this video last weekend and we both were very impressed with it, so I had to share it with you guys! 

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Tokyo Disneyland always seems to have the coolest stuff... and the Dream Lights parade is no exception.  I love watching videos of the shows and parades from the other Disney Parks around the world.  Eliot and I would love to go to all of them someday.  But for now, these videos are a fun way to experience the magic!

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The thing that impressed us most was the quality of the floats in the Tokyo parade.  It has a classic feel like the Main Street Electrical Parade, but it's clearly using the best of today's technology.  I really loved it.  No spoilers from me though... check it out!  

Wasn't that awesome?!?!?  This video really makes me wish Walt Disney World had an electrical parade again.  And we deserve something truly magical like the quality of Paint the Night.  Sadly, with current leadership, things seem to be disappearing more than new things are coming.  Let's just say I'm not holding my breath for an electrical parade at the Magic Kingdom anytime soon.

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Thankfully, with people around the world taping shows at their theme parks, we can experience the magic through those videos!  I hope you enjoyed this one!  

Have an electric weekend friends!  °o°

Friday, April 22, 2022

Fun Find: Disneyland Nighttime Shows are Back!

Today is a very special day Pascal!  

It's definitely one of those when everything collides kind of days... but that's not a bad thing!  First of all, today is Earth Day!  And that means it's also Animal Kingdom's 24th Birthday!  Finally, tonight the nighttime spectaculars return to the Disneyland Resort!!!

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I was originally going to write about Earth Day and Animal Kingdom's birthday, but since I've done that the past two years in a row, I decided to take a break.  Plus, I simply cannot contain my excitement about the return of the nighttimes shows to Disneyland.  I've been so excited for World of Color, Disneyland Forever and the Main Street Electrical Parade to come back!  Disneyland wasn't the same without them!

I'm so excited that World of Color is finally coming back after its multiple years long hiatus.  I'm not sure if it's well-known knowledge, but the show was nixed mostly due to needing repairs.  Eliot and I were visiting back in the summer of 2018 when it was supposed to re-open with the opening of Pixar Pier.  However, a cast member there let us know that it was going to be down for a while due to a severe electrical problem.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that water and electricity don't mix.  I'm not sure exactly what happened... but it sounded like they needed to re-do most (if not all) of the electrical work on the show mechanics.  I'm so glad it's fixed now!

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I absolutely love all of the bright colors of World of Color.  The dancing fountains of water and light are one of my favorite things at Disneyland- especially since there is nothing quite like it at Walt Disney World!  I can't wait for my parents to see it when we go out to Disneyland for the D23 Expo in September!

I'm also excited for Disneyland Forever.  This show is my favorite of the Disneyland fireworks that I've seen.  The show was perfect for the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, but I'm glad it's coming back!  I'd love to have Mom, Dad and Jeremy see them!  Plus, it's fun to watch the show from different locations since you can see the projections in multiple places in the park!  I'm so excited to experience it again!

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Finally, the thing that I'm probably most excited about is the Main Street Electrical Parade.  It's celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year, so they brought it back out of retirement.  Not only is there a ton of new merchandise for it, but they also redid the final float in the parade!  The American flag float has been reimagined into a giant float with tons of characters on it.  However... after watching the video below on Monday, I realized it's more wonderful than I ever could have imagined it to be!

The float is It's A Small World themed with the characters as dolls like the ride!!!  Oh my goodness, this is the greatest news.  For years, I've wanted them to put more character dolls in the Disneyland version of the ride, but I knew that might be a long shot since there are so many.  Now, this is like my wish came true only in parade form.

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The little dolls of Mirabel, Raya, Merida, Hercules, Tiana, Moana, Anna, Elsa, Jasmine, Aladdin (and more!) are so cute!  I cannot wait to see this float in person.  I will have to see the parade from both angles since you'll see different dolls on each side!  And the back of the float looking like the facade of the building... yes!!!  So much yes!

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Ahh, I am so excited to see these wonderful shows in person again!  And Fantasmic will also making it's return soon!  This feels more like the Disney parks that I know and love.  Oh my gosh... all I can think is, "is it September yet?!?!"

Today is a very special day indeed.  Happy Earth Day!  Happy 24th Birthday Animal Kingdom!  And Happy Disneyland Nighttime Show Return Day!!!  °o°

Monday, April 18, 2022

Magical Merchandise: Main Street Electrical Parade

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Disneyland proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination, in thousands of sparkling lights and electro-syntho-magnetic musical sounds, the Main Street Electrical Parade!"

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Unless you've been living under a rock, if you're a big Disney fan, you already know that the Main Street Electrical Parade is making it's comeback at Disneyland later on this week!  It's coming ut of retirement (again) to celebrate it's 50th Anniversary!

Of course, that's also another excuse for Disney to milk it for all it's worth... hence, this Magical Merchandise post of the new MSEP products that will also debut as part of the celebration.  Not gonna lie, I got a good chuckle about how they had all this stuff for it's retirement, and now they are releasing more stuff now that it's coming back.  But, Eliot and I both love the electrical parade... so I'm here for it.

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This particular parade means a lot to us.  Not only is it pure nostalgic Disney, but we have a few personal connections to it.  Part of the reason Eliot is named Eliot is after Pete's Dragon.  It's hard to find Elliott the dragon merchandise, so whenever we see it, we always try to get it.  The other reason that it means so much to me is because my Papa always loved the nighttime parades at Walt Disney World.  I remember seeing both the Main Street Electrical parade and SpectroMagic as a child, and they always enchanted me.  Whenever I see an electrical light parade, I always think of my Papa.

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Naturally, Eliot and I were both looking out for any potential merchandise releases surrounding the return of the parade.  Thursday April 7th, Eliot called me and told me to check my text messages.  He'd texted me a photo of the Main Street Electrical Parade Wishables that were being released.  It looks like they've only shown the blind bags so far... I'm really hoping that Elliott the dragon will be the open edition plush!

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Later that same day, we discovered the rest of the Main Street Electrical Parade items!

The first thing that caught my eye was the Loungefly mini backpack!  I'm so thankful that it's a fixed scene bag since trying to get a good pattern on an all over bag would have been a nightmare.  The front pocket features Elliott and Mickey Mouse.  Then, the top half appears to have Captain Hook and Peter Pan on the pirate ship, Alice on top of a mushroom and the train.  The front pocket is open with black straps, which leads me to believe it's supposed to be an ear holder pouch.

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The mouse ears match the bag perfectly.  Elliott is on one ear and Mickey is on the other.  The bow is a bright yellow and it looks like it has a black Mickey at the center.

There will be at least two different t-shirt designs.  One is black with an all over print of the parade floats with the parade's name and logo on the pocket.  The other design is a split seam shirt with the all over print and a solid turquoise blue on the other side for contrast.  It also has the parade name and logo.

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There will also be a matching pair of leggings with the parade float print on them!

But the thing that put me over the edge was the Main Street Electrical Parade dress by the Disney Dress Shop.  Oh my goodness!  It's like I've woken up from a dream that I never knew I needed to have.  This dress is everything and it is most certainly on my list to get!  In fact, I want it so badly that I'll probably order it in two sizes to ensure that it will fit me correctly.  I love the overall print of the parade floats on the dress and the bright pink belt with the text is super cute!  Plus, it glows in the dark!!!

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Finally, as if all of that wasn't enough, last Tuesday Disney released a TikTok video of a light-up turtle float sipper and a light-up Elliott Dragon popcorn bucket gliding down Main Street USA to the electrical parade music.  (You can see a video on the post here.)  I was floored.  I sent the video to both Eliot and Elissa on Instagram.  These are both another must get, although these will only be available in the park!  Here's hoping that Eliot's mom is able to get a few of them for all of us!

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Eliot and I are hopeful that the rest of the collection will be available in the parks and online on Shop Disney.  We've been keeping an eye out for the merchandise to make it's debut!  We thought it might show up this morning, but since it hasn't appeared yet, we're looking at a possible drop on Friday.  Hopefully we can get the items we'd like!

Now, I just hope that Disney keeps running the parade long enough for us to see it while we're in California for the D23 Expo.  I would love to end my day at Disneyland by watching this classic parade float down Main Street USA with Eliot and my family at my side!  Maybe I'll even wear one of my new outfits while watching it!  °o°

Friday, March 25, 2016

Fun Find: Retro Disney Easter Parade Videos

One of my fondest Easter memories is watching the Disney Easter Parade on Easter morning.  Like the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, the Easter Parade used to be broadcast on television Easter morning.  Jeremy and I loved to search all over the house for our Easter baskets, and then settle down to watch the parade.

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The Azalea Trail Maids were always my favorite part of the parade.  Their gowns left me in awe.  Even to this day, it still has impacted me.  I admit that I teared up when I discovered that they were still in the Easter Day pre-parade that Eliot and I saw back in 2013 during our honeymoon.  (Ok... so maybe I was sobbing from nostalgia.)

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After a little bit of searching, I finally found what I was looking for: pure magic and memories all rolled into one.  Boy, do I have a treat for you!  For today's fun find Friday, I'm sharing some retro Walt Disney World Easter Parade videos!!!


Each video is pretty long since they're the entire broadcast of the parade, but if you have some time, they're fun to watch.  I'm hoping to sit down and watch them in their entirety over the weekend.  It's crazy to see what attractions were "new" back then!



I'm sure that I'll be humming "I could write a sonnet, About your Easter bonnet, And of the girl I'm taking, To the Easter Parade" all weekend.  And I'm totally ok with that.



These videos really bring back memories.  Jeremy and I would sing the Easter bonnet song for days after watching the parade.  I really wish Disney would broadcast the parade on television again.  However, they'd have to actually have a full Easter Parade and not just the pre-parade.  But, beggars can't be choosers and I'm thankful that I at least found these videos to re-live my Easter Day Parade memories.  Enjoy!!!  °o°


(Note: You might have to click through to YouTube on a few of the videos.  Some of them don't appear to be allowed to playback on other websites!)

Friday, October 30, 2015

Fun Find: MNSSHP Halloween Videos

I can't believe tomorrow is Halloween!  It seems like just yesterday Eliot and I were running around the Magic Kingdom at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! (MNSSHP)  Today's Fun Find Friday is in honor of the spookiest time of the year!  I've found a few videos taken from Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party this year.

The Boo To You Parade is one of Eliot's of my favorites.  I love the catchy music.  They have a Haunted Mansion section with Madame Leota's tombstone, the hitchhiking ghosts, dancing ghosts and the always popular gravediggers!  (I love them!)


The Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular was new this 2015 season.  I loved the movie Hocus Pocus growing up.  I'm at that age where I associate Halloween with Hocus Pocus.  One does not seem complete without another.  I really enjoyed this show!  It seems to be pretty popular, so I'm hoping Disney will keep it around for a while!


Finally, no Halloween Party is complete without watching HalloWishes!  These are Eliot's and my favorite fireworks.  Both the music and show are incredible!


I hope you enjoy these Halloween videos!  I'm really thankful we already had some Halloween fun at MNSSHP!  Eliot and I aren't doing much celebrating this year since we'll be right in the middle of our move to the new house.  I'll probably be quiet this weekend with our move taking place.  Have a fun and safe weekend everyone!

HappHalloween!!! °o°

Friday, September 18, 2015

Fun Find: Disneyland 60th Shows

Today's Fun Find Friday is in honor of our recent trip to Disneyland.  There were so many wonderful things to see and do throughout the trip.  My personal favorites were the new nighttime shows for Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration.

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
My absolute favorite was the Paint the Night Parade.  It has catchy music, beautiful costumes and amazing float designs.  The Frozen float was stunning and I loved the colorful lighted balls on the Mack float.  I had the soundtrack stuck in my head before we even left for our trip.  In fact, it's still stuck in my head and I'm ok with that.


The show that reduced me to tears by the end was the World of Color Celebrate.  It was a beautiful tribute to Disney movies and to Walt's vision of Disneyland.  I lost it during the "Forever Young" song section with the vintage clips of families enjoying Disneyland.  I thought Neil Patrick Harris did a great job and I'm pleased they had someone who loves Disney narrate the show.  This was also my first time seeing World of Color in general and I was not at all disappointed.  It was definitely worth the wait!



The Disneyland Forever fireworks show was the most versatile of all the shows.  It's so different depending on your view.  The first time we watched it right after the Paint the Night parade on Main Street.  The projections on Main Street were awesome.  We also had a great view of the fireworks framed by Sleeping Beauty Castle.  The only problem with this location was that we couldn't see the projections on the castle.



Another location Eliot and I watched the show from was It's A Small World.  I love how they incorporated each of the locations into the design of the projections.  For example, Simba is projected onto the clock face from this location.  It was also cool to see the It's A Small World facade "dance" versus the Main Street buildings.



My favorite place to watch the Disneyland Forever fireworks was actually from the same location we watched Fantasmic.  Disney uses their speaker system to "invite" you to stay there to watch the fireworks after Fantasmic ends.  Most of the crowd attempts to make it to Main Street for "prime viewing" without realizing the gem of a location they've just left.  Not only do you get a great view, but you can still see most of the fireworks in the background above Thunder Mountain.  This was also the best location to actually see what's projected on Sleeping Beauty Castle.



The Disneyland 60th Diamond Celebration nighttime shows are all incredible.  These videos are awesome, but if you get the chance to experience them live, take it.  You will not regret being immersed in the magical glow of the Diamond Celebration. °o°

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Easter at Walt Disney World

Happy Easter Everyone!  Today I'm remembering the most memorable Easter I've ever had.  Eliot and I were fortunate enough to celebrate Easter 2013 at Walt Disney World during our Honeymoon.  Seeing the Easter Parade in person on Easter Sunday was one of the big things I had on my Disney Bucket List.  What I didn't count on, was all of the other fun Easter things there were to do at Disney World!


In 2013, Epcot had an Easter Egg Hunt as part of Limited Time Magic.  In order to participate, you had to purchase a map and stickers.  Then you walked around the World Showcase looking for eggs!  Eliot and I didn't do the hunt, but we did find one of the eggs in Germany.  Looking back now, I really wish that we'd done it!  It sounded like fun!  In fact, Disney did the egg hunt in 2014 and again this year.  I'm assuming it has been popular enough to continue!  Maybe we'll do it someday!


Walt Disney World also had meet and greet opportunities with Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny at the United Kingdom in Epcot and on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom.  Eliot and I came across them at the Magic Kingdom and of course I had to get in line.  I was SO excited to get my pictures taken with them!  It was a dream come true!  If you're there for Easter, this is a must do!


While we were walking around the Grand Floridian Resort lobby, we stumbled across the Grand Floridian Resort Easter Egg Display.  Eliot and I didn't even know Disney did this.  The display of chocolate eggs was absolutely incredible!  I couldn't believe the entire display was made with chocolate and candy!


We also didn't expect any Easter magic at Pop Century.  However, Easter morning when we were on our way to the parks, Minnie Mouse surprised us by posing for pictures at the front of the Pop Century Resort Lobby!  She was in her spring dress and there was a little sign you could hold that said Happy Easter.  I had to get a picture!

  
Finally, the highlight of celebrating Easter at Walt Disney World is the Easter Parade at the Magic Kingdom.  I used to love watching the Easter Parade on television when I was a kid.  My brother Jeremy and I would sing the song for days after Easter.  I wish that Disney still televised the parade.  Instead of doing an entire Easter Parade, there was only a short pre-parade before the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade.


However, I was still incredibly excited to see it.  Eliot and I were lucky enough to see the Easter pre-parade twice during our trip.  The parade on Easter Sunday was a little bit different and it was definitely worth fighting the crowds.  There were pastel colored confetti petals that shot off during the parade and they swirled all around as the floats passed by.  (In fact, someone may have gotten a little teary eyed during the parade...)


In addition to the confetti petals, the Azelea Trail Maids also joined the parade on Easter Sunday.  The Azelea Trail Maids are a group of high school girls who are selected yearly to be ambassadors for the city of Mobile, Alabama.  I was so excited they were there!  (Insert tears of joy...)  They were the most memorable part of the Easter parade from my childhood.  I've always loved and wanted one of their pretty dresses since I was just a little girl!  I can still hear the music now:


"In your Easter bonnet, With all the frills upon it, You'll be the grandest lady, In the Easter Parade.  I'll be all in clover, And when they look you over, I'll be the proudest fella, In the Easter Parade.  On the Avenue, Fifth Avenue, The photographers will snap us, And you'll find that you're, In the rotogravure.  Oh, I could write a sonnet, About your Easter bonnet, And of the girl I'm taking, To the Easter Parade."  
Easter Parade-by Irving Berlin


The pre-parade also included other well known Disney rabbits: Thumper, Miss Bunny, Rabbit and the White Rabbit.  There were also dancing butterflies, hippos, ostriches, flowers and chickens!  The parade ended with Clara Cluck in the barn float waving from the windows.  It was an Easter spectacular!


This was definitely an amazing experience and I'm so thankful for these wonderful memories from our honeymoon!  Happy Easter!!!  °o°

Friday, January 30, 2015

Fun Find: Disneyland 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration

Hey guys!  It's been another busy week around here.  We've been getting pummeled by snow up here in the Northeast.  We had another storm today and more snow is on the way next week!  (Alright... who upset Elsa this time?)  It's been a good week to cozy up inside and to surf the internet!  Thus, I have another fun find for you- the big announcement for Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
This year Disneyland is pulling out all of the stops for it's diamond anniversary.  You could actually follow along via their Twitter account Wednesday night to hear about the new experiences that will start May 22nd!  However, if you weren't able to follow along, fear not, I've gathered up some photos to share with you!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
The first thing that stuck me was the renderings of the decorations on Sleeping Beauty Castle and Carthay Circle.  I'm a sucker for renderings and I'm pretty excited about what I see!  Both buildings will be encased in diamond decor and festive banners in blue.  This will surely be a sight to see!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
Along with decorations around both parks, Disneyland will also be adding a few new shows to celebrate their diamond anniversary.  Starting May 22nd, World of Color will have a special edition called "World of Color- Celebrate!  The Wonderful World of Walt Disney."  Mickey Mouse hosts the show and it will feature Walt's dream of creating Disneyland.  I'm sure that this will not not be beautiful, but a powerful and emotional experience for Disney fans.

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
Another new addition to the celebration is the new "Paint the Night" parade.  The parade will feature innovative floats, special effects, new music and over 1.5 billion LED lights!  Disney fans will get to see familiar characters from The Little Mermaid, Cars, Monsters Inc, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen and more!  I am so excited for this!  I've been wanting to see a new nighttime parade ever since Walt Disney World retired the SpectroMagic parade!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
I've saved the best new entertainment for last- the "Disneyland Forever" fireworks display.  They've definitely done it again with this piece of perfection that only Disney could create.  "Disneyland Forever" not only features fireworks, but it will transform Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street, the Matterhorn and other locations into a canvas. Through projection mapping, guests will literally be immersed in their favorite Disney movies.  (This is the largest projection mapping installation in a Disney park thus far.  I hope that means more is to come in the future!!!  Projection mapping is my hero.)

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
"Disneyland Forever" also features two new original songs: "Live the Magic" and "Kiss Goodnight" which was written by Richard Sherman.  I watched a media video from the event that featured a snippet of the show with "I See The Light" from Tangled and I was already tearing up.  This show is sure to be spectacular!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
Finally, you can't have a Disney anniversary celebration without merchandise to commemorate the occasion!  Disneyland is going to have over 500 new items from a few new collections to celebrate it's 60th anniversary.  The first collection is the "Character" collection which will feature our favorite Disney characters and the iconic Disneyland attractions.  The coolest part of this design is that each of the four "sections" of the design feature a 15 year timespan in the parks history.  (You'll note that it starts out in black and white and moves to bright vivid colors.  Cool!!!)

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
Next is the "Castle" collection which will include the silvers and blues the park will be decorated with for the celebration.  Of course, Mickey and Minnie are in the design!  I love blue and silver together and I can't wait to see what this collection looks like!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
Last, the "Diamond" collection is a stunning nod to the 60th anniversary.  The design of these products will feature simple black, gray and silver tones.  I love how Sleeping Beauty Castle is encased in the diamond design.

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
Disneyland has also released a few new designs as a preview of their anniversary merchandise.  These pins will be released each month from January to July.

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
I've saved my personal favorite for last... the Mickey balloon popcorn bucket!  I haven't ever collected popcorn buckets, but I think this is a must have!  It comes in red, purple and blue, and they would look lovely on top of my desk!  I've always wanted an actual Mickey balloon.  Now I can have one that will never deflate!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog
Finally, here's a quick video to recap the big Diamond Anniversary announcement!


And there you have it!  Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration looks like it's going to be absolutely amazing.  (I can already picture myself as a sobbing mess of emotions.)  I wasn't planning on going back to Disneyland until May of 2016 for the Tinker Bell race weekend, but I really have to see those new shows and there isn't a date for when the anniversary celebration ends.  Eliot and I are already looking into a few possibilities for a visit... stay tuned!!!  °o°

Monday, December 8, 2014

Are You Ready For Christmas?

I don't know about you, but around here it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We've started to get our decorations out, the tree is up with lights and we've got plans to decorate this week.  Eliot's finished putting the lights out on the house and I'm gathering addresses for our annual Christmas card mailing.

Lately, I've also been listening to Christmas music to get into the spirit.  One that's been on repeat is the song Neil Patrick Harris sang last year for the Disney Christmas parade.  The intro to the 2013 Disney Parks Christmas Parade was amazing.  I absolutely loved it and caught myself singing the song over and over long after the parade was done.  (In fact, taping for this year's parade has been taking place at the Magic Kingdom over the past few days!  I can't wait to see it!)

For those of you who didn't see it, here's the video footage on YouTube:



Months passed and I still couldn't get it out of my head.  I looked for the lyrics online a few times and couldn't find them anywhere.  So this summer, on an incredibly hot August day, I watched the video on repeat until I had the entire thing written down. Here it is so you can sing along!!!

Are You Ready For Christmas?

Neil Patrick Harris
Disney Parks Christmas Parade 2013 Intro

Spoken:

Neil: So, the big day has finally arrived.  You know, I've wanted to spend Christmas here for a long time and now that it's finally happening, I just hope I get it right.  This is one of my biggest dreams and I don't want to let you down.

Walt Disney: When you wish upon a star, your dreams do come true.

Neil: You would know.  Hey, let's do a show.  Cue the music!

Sings:

Well, the time of year is here again
To throw a party for a few close friends
Now I'm just tying up a few loose ends 
And then we should be good to go.

You know I've made a list and checked it twice,
Because forgetting people isn't nice.
But I don't really wanna roll the dice 
So I'll recheck it nice and slow.

Cinderella? Check!
Belle? Check!
Snow White? Check!
Seven Dwarfs?   Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-check!

Are you ready for Christmas?
Are you ready to have some fun?
In the shining December sun
Cause that's what we're gonna do.
Yes, it's true.

Are you ready for Christmas?
Hurry, hurry now don't be late.
Cause we're ready to celebrate
And all we need is you.
All we need is you!

Neil: Lara, you're up early!

Lara: I'm a morning gal Neil.

Mickey: It's for you!

Neil: Who knows I'm here?  Except everyone watching at home.  Hello!

Nick: Hey Neil, it's Nick.  I'm on my way to Disneyland can you keep singing for another two minutes?

Neil: Can I keep singing for another two minutes?  Tell 'em Newsies!

Newsies: Extra!  Extra!  Neil Patrick Harris can keep singing for another two minutes.

You can feel the magic in the air.
You can see it in Rapunzel's hair.
And that bunch of villains over there
Don't even scare us much today.

Neil:  Hi Villains!
Villians:  Hi Neil!

Everybody's gotta lend a hand
Master your wish is my command
Well I could really use a marching band
To take this number all the way.

Marching Band?  Check!
Dapper Dans? Che-che-che-che-check!

Neil: Who's over where R2?  

Darth Vader: breathing

Neil: Somebody sounds congested.

Darth Vader: You don't know the power of the Dark Side.

Neil: Oh Darth, you need to turn that Dark Side into a Disney Side!

Are you ready for Christmas?
Are you ready to have some fun?
In the shining December sun
Cause that's what we're gonna do.
Yes, it's true.

Nick: Back in two hours homie.

Are you ready for Christmas?
Hurry, hurry now don't be late.
Cause we're ready to celebrate
And all we need is you.

Tomorrowland? Ready!
Frontierland? Ready!
Adventureland? Ready!
New Fantasyland? Ready!

Neil: Ok big finish.  Cue key change and massive fireworks display!

Are you ready for Christmas?
Are you ready to have some fun?
In the shining December sun
Cause that's what we're gonna do.
Yes, it's true.

Are you ready for Christmas?
Hurry, hurry now don't be late.
Cause we're ready to celebrate
And all we neeeeeed issss yoooou.  (It's Christmas!  It's Christmas!  It's Christmas!)

Merry Christmas!

Nick: Did I miss it?

It's really catchy huh?  Don't say that I didn't warn you!  °o°