Harry Potter World 1.2: Disney is not JUST for children

It is 12:02 and I am not in bed.  Why?  Because I went to Disney World today.  And we just got home.

Right now, I'm a little grumpy.  As I write and relive the moments today, I'm hoping my grumpy pants will come off and I will enjoy my recap.  I must say, there is one reason behind my grumpiness:

Children

You know, we chose this time to go because we evaluated the following: kids will be in school while we are here.  And they were.  There were several, several Europeans, and 8 times out of 10, we were in line with several of them at a time.  But they were fine.  They were enjoyable.  And they were entertaining, because they dressed extremely impractical.  I wish I could have known what they thought of "it's a small world" because I think it plays into every stereotype possible.

BUT, whereas there were absolutely no children elementary age, there was a mass of children about 4 and under.  I mean, I get it.  It's Disney World.  It's [supposedly] made for children.  But I don't know why on earth you would bring children that young to Disney World.  For the "memories?"  I went when I was four.  Do you know how much I remember?  Nothing.  Literally NOTHING.  I cannot tell you a thing other than something about Micky waffles, crying about not going on the Tower of Terror and something about giant maracas.  And we sent some postcards.

So, as they squalled and were utterly miserable their parents trekked on with their beasts of a stroller.  And of course, the majority have that mindset of that I owe them something because their precious beast is tired and wants to see the show.  I watched the majority of The Magic, The Memories and You through a sea of children on their parents shoulders.

Basically, by the end of the night, after I watched a child throw up next to me in the trolley line, I looked a little like this:

[Actually, that child throwing up was sort of a highlight, but before that, I looked like this.]

Highlights:
1.  Free food at my breakfast and stealing bananas and bagels and eating them for lunch.  My college student ways are bleeding through.
2.  Riding "it's a small world."  I know it's ridiculous, but it's literally my favourite ride.  I threw a penny in at the France section.  Represent, mes amis.
3.  Going on Splash Mountain for the first time, having a fit, the entire time and then finding out that it's like, the easiest thing ever.
4.  Space Mountain.  Enough said.
5.  Tomorrowland in general.  It was my absolute favourite.  I mean, I liked Fantasyland for what it was, for representing classic Disney movies.  But Tomorrowland was like living in the world of Meet the Robinsons.  I adored it.  LOVE.  What I liked about it was that it was like, what the future was supposed to be, and it's so close, but not yet.

6.  CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS

I want to talk more about everything, but right now, I am so tired, and 7 o'clock in looming ever closer.  Perhaps I'll blog tomorrow.

-Me

Harry Potter World 1.1: Palm Trees

Kelly's currently writing in her "travel journal" about our lovely trip, so I thought I would do the same - except my dear blog audience is going to SEE ALL.  I have to be quick and dirty because we have a date in the Magic Kingdom tomorrow, so this may not be as, proof read as usual.  Did I mention we're wearing our matching Tinkerbell Pajamas?  Well, now I am.

So today I woke up.  And I thought, "this is the beginning of the best week of my life."  I have prepared ridiculously.  I cut my hair!  I bought shorts!  I have toiletries!  I shaved my legs this morning.  And then I put on a dress.  It was red with dots.  Then I drove.  Then I bought gas - apparently cars need that.  I arrived at Kelly's house.  I pet Minerva.  We got in the car. 7:30: we embarked.

We bought biscuits.  They were too hard.  We drove.  For several hours.  We stopped at Subway and bought gas.  It has lots of security precautions.  We drove some more.

When we arrived in Florida there was a palm tree at the entrance.  It made smile.  I was so happy.  There are a lot of palm trees in Florida.  I mean a lot of palm trees.  It was sunny and beautiful, and so flat.  I was amazed.  How can it be so flat?  The sky was such a funny colour.  It wasn't Carolina blue.  I never realized that was, special to Carolina or something.  I mean, I know it's in the name, but you know, I just thought they dedicated it to Carolina.  I didn't think it was like, limited to here...there...whatever, quit judging.

Important/Influential/Significant/Interesting things that happened:
1.  We counted 'ProLife' signs.  There were over 7 - but we started counting late.  Although I am ProLife, they were a tad bit creepy.  For example:

Creepy Baby Smiles are Creepy

2.  Chris called and him and Kelly successful bullied me via phone.  My life is so hard.  They have successfully kept up a bulling chain.  Kelly tells Chris all the dumb things I do, Chris texts her about how dumb I am, and they laugh at me.

3.  Our hotel room is BEAUTIFUL.  It's at the Hyatt Place and it is huge and lovely, with a massive TV, a couch, a kitchenette, a king size bed, and a soap/shampoo/conditioner dispenser.  It looks exactly like this:

Room fit for the Goddesses we are

4.  Our waiter looked like a cross between Daniel Bottoms and Josh Groban.  It was frighting.  I'm posting pictures so you can imagine what a cross between the two would look like and be equally frightened.

When all is said and done, Kelly plans to Tumblr our whole trip; complete with 5,000 of my - interesting - quotes.  Speaking of which, what do coconuts grow on?  I always thought it was palm trees, but with so many planted around here, this can't be.  A coconut tree?  Somehow, this doesn't sound right.

After an 8 hour trip, I'm very tired.  Did I mention our hotel is directly across from Universal, aka, home of Harry Potter world?  I saw a billboard.  I had a nerd fit.  As I sat in a pool chair, looking across at the albino black guy, the Universal parking garage and the sunset, I began to cry because I thought, J.K. Rowling, the one who birthed Harry Potter (Figuratively, because Lily Evans Potter birthed him.) has walked the same streets that I am going to walk.  As I took a very long bath, I prayed, "God, thank you, because I don't know if I've ever been happier."

-Me.

This is: Not a Novel.

Several, Several Mini Things:

First, this makes me think of Scotavi:

Secondly, some links:

New 'Eclipse' Teaser Poster

Sort of boring, sort of not.  I'm neutral about it.

New Moon:  As Told By Lolcats

Abigail'll like it no one else does.

The Snow Queen

Disney's future endeavor.  Although I am beyond excited for 'The Frog Princess,' I am EVEN MORE excited about this one, because it is based off the book by the same author of 'The Little Mermaid.'  Which is very dark (in the end she is turned into sea foam AND the sea witch CUTS her tongue out.  Crazy.) so hopefully this'll be dark...?  Probably not because it's Disney, but still, I'm excited.

And thirdly:  I reviewed the new Harry Potter [and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 teaser] trailer here.  IN ALL CAPS.  BECAUSE I WAS EXCITED.  And it's not very funny or anything, but it has been done.

And now I finnish my pizza, and go watch Hunchback of Notre Dame because I hear it somewhere in the UC...

-Me

PEE.ESS. My Kelly is coming home soon.  Snuggling shall commence.

PEE.ESS.ESS

I'm beating all my friends on School Of Wizardry.  Huzzah.

Robbie is Rap-tastic

You know how Graphic Novels are usually associated with dorks who dress up in leather and go to things like Dragon*Con? Well, I guess Disney is now shooting for that audience because look at their latest addition to the family.

"An All New Graphic Novel." You've went too far HSM. Way too far.
Adding too going to far, look at the new "required" book in the bookstore for a COLLEGE CLASS.

Let me say it again: REQUIRED. What? This is probably the worse example of good literature (writing style), ever, and it's REQUIRED. Not saying it's not a good story, but for College? Bah. But there were other vampire books so I only pray (oh please, oh please) that it's a class on Vampires and not the awesomeness of Twilight.
Now, lets talk about immaturity. This is me. In a shopping cart:

It was very painful and I had a headache afterwards. No one would know it but when clothes are on top of you (and Depends, Hannah Montana calenders, Oprah magazine, diapers, and shoes) it gets rather heavy. But no one realized I was in it the whole time we went around the store... except when I whispered and they looked startled at the basket. Luckily Alex and Brianna kept their cool until AFTER we left.

I sort of regret not jumping out at someone. :(
In other things, Kelly and I went to see Rabun Gap's Cirque. The movements were excellent (this one kid did a push up; sideways; on a pole; a vertical pole) and with all the jumping, standing on rubber balls, hoops, nets and the tiny Asian in a banana suit, I was amazed. But with everything, I am horribly critical, and even though their set was fantastic (or at least the city part; the forest was horrid) and their energy superb, their costumes had that terrible pulled-yet-inconsistent-style to it. Not enough jazz to them.

Whereas there movement was terrific, their acting sort of lacked (sort of, not terrible) at least the two leads were good. Some tall boy in a striped hat and Dylan Duvall played the magician or something. He was definitely the best (which is ironic because the best one learned under the leadership of Oh Mighty Tyrant) and was the only one w/o face make-up. Adding to that, none of those kids knew squat about doing face-makeup. It looked like a three year old had painted on for Halloween.

Afterwards, Kelly and I went back to the senior parking lot and played with her sisters camera: we screamed for it, we laughed for it, we goofed off for it, we got under her running car for it. It was magic. Everett showed up and we attempted to do pictures with me as the third wheel looking mortified at them, but they never turned out well.

We also went to Fatz before and got Everett as our waiter, who brought us Air Heads (blue raspberry) and paid for our meal. But it was all good because we left him a $20 tip.

Saturday was game night and Everett, Kelly and I dominated at Cranium. I lovingly got nominated to do all the acting bits which was great because they guessed them right off. Afterwards we went upstairs and watched The Soup. Or at least Kelly and I did because their was a mass clearing of everyone in the middle of it.
So, yesterday I had my advisor meeting about arranging classes for next semester and I get tons of theatre ones. I have one dance class that runs from 10:10-1:15 and then another movement class that is 2 hours long. So basically, I'm going to be a muscle with and perhaps a little bit more rhythm. Not much; but a little. Along with that I have the possibility of taking a make-up class and a lecture class with Terrence Mann that includes lots of movies. Only thing wrong with this is that my first class would be at 8 in the morning and my Terrence Mann class would end at 7, so essentially, if I go with this plan (hint: I don't think so) I get no sleep. Along with that Susan really wants me to become a design major vs. acting because I apparently have talent in the field. But just wait until she sees my debonair acting. Yeah. I wiggle my eyebrows at that.

Speaking of me and my rhythm and my debonair acting:
Seussical is essentially wearing me out. I scraped my knee yesterday, thus dubbing this play the next Footloose. But, regardless of all the sweat, all the soreness, all the orange juice, all the tiredness and droppyness, I would have it no other way. Everytime I feel my sore thigh I think about how much fun I'm having and I smile and hit it again for more reminecence.
I wish I could say I feel like I'm doing well, but this whole synchrony thing is killing me. Perhaps after an intense dance workout which would include various other things (such as popsickles and nailpolish) I may be able to do those C things with my legs. But, all the same, I can't help feeling like I'm way TOO big compaired to my fellows. For example:

(i.e. I'm the one in the striped shirt) Actually, I don't know what I was doing in this picture. Perhaps I look just slightly better now? Besides my inability to dance, I sing all the songs extreamly low which isn't a bad thing, but I just hope it's on key. Adding to all this, did you know it is next to impossible to get my shoulders to move? I try to shimmy and I end up looking like I'm having a shaking fit all over. I hardly know.
Oh, and I did not obtain a poster, so until I get one, Sevy's windows shall be blank. :( Adding to that, I have window markers in blue and white and guess what is being created on the back of Sev on March 1st? Just guess because, ooooh, it's going to be delicious. I wiggle my eyebrows at this as well.
Everything is just too much fun. :)

And now, I leave you with a gift from the gods. Robbie has created a little rap for us regarding a song from Seuss, and I daresay I was just fortuate enough to have the means to record it at the time. Enjoy because I surely do:



-Me

"Excellent, Rachel."

I got an email from my acting teacher today. Guess what his reply was to my absolutely charming poetic BS that is called my acting journal?

"Excellent, Rachel."

I guffaw. Really... really? See, the thing about professors is I tell them EXACTLY what they want to hear. I had a feminist teacher once, so I wrote multiple essays about women's roles as Disney Princesses and Elle's transformation in Legally Blonde: The Musical. And she ate it up. I never lie; I just make sure to pick a topic that they are passionate about. Now, if I had a teacher that said "write a paper on how God is false," I would write the most beautiful thing about how he is completely true and reward myself with a coffee drink for my F.

Either that or God would completely change his heart and he would give me an A+. I'm just saying that you never know with God.

Seussical is going FANTASTIC. I feel like there is just so much fantasticalness happening every time I go to practice. As a Bird Girl we have sooo much movement. Luckily I rewrote my very sloppy notes, then wrote very detailed notes which, as soon as I get home again I plan on rewriting again in ink. Reinforcing it. Sorry I'm so excited about this play.

Besides that I've been super busy lately. And I sort of like it. Yesterday Brianna and I went to Subway and ate then we went to all kinds of cheep stores and bought... things. I'm not saying what, but I will say a certain operation is beginning. I will say that the end result is going to be AMAZING. We're having a blast. We also returned underwear 30 minutes after we bought it, ate lots of pixie sticks and I impersonated how it would be if I stalked Obama from the White House windows.

More or less.

And when coming to rehearsals I saw the most hillarious thing in the world. Down the parking lot comes two boys on children's scooters with their hoods drawn around their faces. I have never laughed so hard in my life. Props to you, Everett and Samuel mysterious boys on scooters.

Anyhoo, tonight I'm going with Erin to eat delicious mexican and talk about the deep stuff in life and probably the not so deep. One never quite knows where the discussion will lead. But I do know I shall eat a delicious grilled chicken quesadia with onions, green peppers and sour cream. It shall be amazing.

-Me

What if...

Simba takes his fathers death in stride and comes home donning a Mufasa suit.

Who actually liked the original ending anyway?

The bigger verson if you save every thing you see like me.

-Me

Animutations

Behold, Dingo Pictures.

http://www.dingo-pictures.de/en/index.html

It's rare to find something as golden (and by golden I mean atrocious.) as this when it comes to entertainment, but this has to be the jackpot. Dingo Pictures appears to be a German company that sells (!) 30 minute videos to the public, most of which are a blatant rip off of Disney and other major animations. Some highlights:

Aladdin - I'm not sure if the best part of this one is the song Aladdin sings near the end or Abu's head bobbing. Or it could just possibly be the elephant on the flying carpet. I just don't know.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Check out the horribly annoying baby. And the nuns. Definitely check out the nuns.


Just go to the site and watch them. Some of them are soooo bad it makes you want to cringe. Especially the "Sword of Camelot" one. The poor actor at the beginning must have been so desperate for a job that he was willing to settle for anything.

-Me

BONUS!
Aladdin singing his sad song!




If you arn't sobbing by the end like the camel is, then you obviously don't have a soul. *tear*

...and am I the only one wondering why the heck there is a pelican in Saudi Arabia?

Cinderella's biggest wish fufilled.

Okay, so there isn't much in this world that I enjoy more than Disney Princesses (Actually, that's a lie, because I like Harry Potter, Broadway, and lots of countless other things more, but no matter...) and I found this somewhere on the internet. It's Cinderella (In case you are an idiot uneducated person on the Disney Princess franchise) and I daresay, I think it's fantastic. There is the whole menagerie of them here, but methinks they are a tad bit more provocative and less pinup-50s-retro-girlish, but ye may be the judge.

And Arial looks like a fetus or something.... just a thought.

Part Of Your World...

A very large part at that.

The Unseen Life of a Princess.