Disney Time

I’m leaving for Vero Beach on Saturday, and that means that my brain has entered Disney Time. You know, that threshold you cross when your trip is juuuust close enough that you realize that omg it’s actually happening and thank the heavens it’s finally time for vacation. Disney Time is that period before a vacation where you start thinking of everything in relation to your upcoming trip.

For example:

In four days I will be flying to Orlando.

In four days and two hours I will be riding the Orlando monorail (no, not that one) to the terminal to collect my bags.

In four days and four hours we will have checked into Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.

In four days and four and a half hours I will be sunburned.

In five days I will be having brunch at Sonya’s.

In six days I will be sitting on the beach, enjoying my 13th pina colada (of the trip, not that day).

In one week I will be strolling through Downtown Disney.

In one week I will have spent all my grocery money.

In one week I will be eating dinner at The California Grill.

In one week I will be packing my suitcase.

In one week and one day I will be flying back home.

Disney Time creeps into your brain slowly, and then all of a sudden, it takes over. In meetings, my brain fast-forwards several days and imagines what I’ll be doing at that second while I’m in Vero. Literally, all I can think about these days is Florida sunshine and Disney magic, even if we’re in Vero Beach most of the time.

Have you experienced Disney Time? And is there a cure?
---
Related Links:
*  Things to Be Thankful For: Disney Edition
* The Darkest Day
*  The Five People You Meet in Line at WDW

The Disney Princesses Get a New Look

The Disney Store just announced their new line of designer Princess dolls, and for the low price of $595, all 10 can be yours:

Is that Cher in the middle?

Yeeeahhh. I have a somewhat tragic history with dolls, and longtime readers of this blog know how I feel about the Disney Princesses. But on the surface, I do not hate this. I mean, I hate that all the ladies have ridiculously stupidly small waistlines and that Snow White (my favorite 14 year old princess) appears to have had a few, erm, enhancements to her bosom. But Disney does a new take on the princesses (baby versions, that new Kikada line) every so often, so fine. And according to the Disney Store's description:

The idea behind the Disney Princess Designer Collection was to re-imagine the princesses in a way we’ve never done before, by giving them a high fashion edge while still capturing each princess’s classically unique look.

Sounds like a Project Runway challenge. I'm in. But this is the best they could come up with? And so, I'm putting on my best Nina Garcia Squint of Disapproval and going down the line (big version here):

Rapunzel: Love the hair, but the napkin-meets-corset bodice? No. And is it just me, or does her face bear a striking resemblance to Scarlett Johanssen?

Aurora: She's wearing the same dress as before, no? And that HAIR.

Ariel:  Now THIS is how you reimagine a princess. Fah-bulous.

Snow White: Oh dear, where to start. Well, apparently puberty hit Ms. White hard, because her chest is so enormous that she is the only princess who requires straps on her gown. Then there's the gloves, the floor-length cape, the Sunset Strip makeup. Do. Not. Want.

Pocahontas: This is supposed to be Pocahontas, right? I came to this conclusion only after identifying the others and figuring out who was missing. Her dress looks like something Brooke Burke would wear on Dancing with the Stars.

Jasmine: I like this, but I wish her skirt wasn't two skirts. Make up your minds, designers.

Belle: It's a little "prom," but of the group, she looks the most like a princess. The bottom is gorgeous, and I could see this image selling some serious merchandise.

Mulan: After she saved China, Mulan fell on some hard times and was forced to work as a geisha girl in order to make ends meet.

Cinderella: GIANT BUTT BOW.

Tiana: This is the exact same dress she wears in the movie, but now she has a different hairstyle. Lazy.

The complete set will be available for pre-purchase at the D23 Expo, and a new Limited Edition doll will be released in Disney Stores (and online) every Monday, starting August 22.

What do you think? Which one is your favorite? Which one deserves to be "out"?

---
You Might Also Like:
* Princess Cake - Akershus, Epcot
* In Defense of the Living Seas
* Finally! A Princess I Can Get Behind

Magical Blogorail: The Baby and the Pirate

Welcome to those of you joining me from The Magical Mouse Pad and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the third stop on our Magical Blogorail.

I’ll be honest: meeting characters in the parks isn’t my thing. It used to be my thing, but these days I see them more as an impediment than anything else. (I’d love to dine at the Garden Grill or Crystal Palace, but I don’t want to deal with big furry things interrupting me while I eat. Unless it’s my cat. He’s cool.) Cynical? Maybe. Bad form for a Disney fan? Probably. But there you have it.

This wasn’t always the case. As a kid, I loved meeting all the different characters and collecting their autographs. I used to flip through the autograph book over and over once we got home, savoring each scribble. My favorite was always the one from Alice, who wrote: “You’re as pretty as the flowers in Wonderland.” She’s a classy girl, that Alice. There was also the time when I held out my book and marker to Eeyore, who shook his head, held out his paws, and slumped away. I wasn’t sure whether to be offended or irritated, but then it was explained to me that Eeyore couldn’t sign autographs because he didn’t have thumbs to hold the pen. Fair enough, sad donkey.

But my favorite character moment didn’t happen to me at all. It happened to my sister during her first trip to WDW. She was a baby, and obviously couldn’t do all the things her big sister could do, like go on rides. I really wanted to go on the Jungle Cruise, so my father took me on the ride while my mother stayed with my sister, who was sleeping in her stroller.

As you may know, in Adventureland, there be pirates strolling about. Mr. Smee happened to be wandering the grounds that day, and he did what most of the Disney characters do – find the cutest kid in the plaza and go make their day. So he sauntered over to the stroller, where Baby Sister was sleeping, and bent over to say hello. Baby Sister must have sensed someone hovering over her, because she blinked open her eyes, saw Smee standing there, and let out the most bloodcurdling scream the Caribbean had ever heard.

Smee, horrified and now suddenly the center of attention, tried to stay in character and did his bumbling sidekick routine – stumbling back, acting surprised, covering his face with his hands. Then he peeked over the stroller again to give it another go.

He should have quit while he was ahead.

More baby screams, more staring, more embarrassment for everyone involved. Realizing defeat, Smee gave my mother a gesture indicating apology, then yo ho ho’ed the heck outta there. And thus ends the story of the time that a baby publicly shamed a pirate.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Manda's Disney Blog.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Unknown Magic Within Walt Disney World
2nd Stop ~ The Magical Mouse Pad
3rd Stop ~ The Disney Chick
4th Stop ~ Manda’s Disney Blog
Final Stop ~ Mommy Mouseketeer
---
Related Links:
* Segway Tours in WDW: This is How I Roll
* We're Going to Vero Beach!
* What Do Your Disney Maps Say About You?