Happiest Blog On Earth...Time

Boy. You ever notice how time flies when you're at Disneyland? Never fails. You get to the Resort and look down at your watch: 8:00 am. Cool. The Park is open until midnight tonight! You head through the gates and into that welcoming tunnel, pass the Main Street Opera House then take another quick look at your watch and BOOM! HOLY CORN DOG BATMAN! It's 10:00 pm!! WHAT HAPPENED?!

Ok, maybe that was a little exaggerated but you know what I mean. Time moves much faster when you're at the Happiest Place On Earth. However...the exact OPPOSITE phenomenon can be observed when you're waiting for your Disneyland Resort Vacation to start, huh? In fact, Joyce and I are experiencing that at this very moment! We've finally made our reservations, purchased our tickets and plotted the trip course in the old iPhone Maps App (just a little joke there), and now we....wait. Our trip isn't until October 21, 2012 at 7:00 am MST. Not that I'm counting or anything. So, waiting....yeah...waiting.

If you haven't picked this up from our podcast yet, Joyce and I truly love Disneyland. Few things on Earth can lift our spirits the way a visit to Our Laughing Place can. That's probably why waiting to depart on our much needed trip is so torturous. All I can think about is walking through Main Street USA, checking out the new coffee mugs in the shops, spotting the Trading Pin Lanyards on the Cast Members, enjoying a cup of Market House coffee while sitting at the Hub watching happy guests run by. Man...where was I going with this?? Oh yeah...sitting at my desk at work, knowing that in just a little more than a week we'll be DOING all those things, well, makes it very tough to concentrate on my job. Do you ever experience this? Oh, and to add to my anxiousness to get out of my office and into the Family Truckster is the knowledge that Cars Land AND Buena Vista Street are waiting for us. To date, we've only enjoyed what others have shared. Oh cursed watch on my wrist...deliver me through time quicker (until we get to Disneyland, then you can STOP!).

Time. Enemy or friend? You be the judge! ~~~ Al (This nearly incoherent rant is courtesy of slow moving time and the desire to get to my Happy Place

Happiest Blog On Earth...Integrity in Disney



Partners - Not just a Statue!

Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I could list off SO many excuses for not blogging more but...hey, in an election year who needs to hear more excuses! Suffice it to say, life's gotten in the way of more, shall we say enjoyable pursuits. Now that the house cleaning item is taken care of, on with the blog....

So, a lot has happened since my last blog. Joyce and I launched a new podcast (Lost Flight 815), we finally had some pretty good Monsoon storms, oh, and the U.S. put a man on the moon! Can you BELIEVE IT? THE MOON! Ok, well, that last one was just to point out how long it's been since I've blogged (sorry, my ill-sense of humor!). But, anyway...I've got a lot to blog about but there is one topic in particular that has been stewing in my soul lately and I really felt I needed to share it.

Integrity. Yep. Integrity. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, integrity is one of the most important and oft cited terms of virtue for the human species. They claim integrity refers to a quality of a person's character that refers to wholeness, or the purity of something. For example, when one has integrity, they bring a complete honesty to something. They act with a high moral regard. More often than not, a person with high integrity acts with the best interest of the "whole", to advance or bring a positive light upon something. In other words, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You're probably asking me right now why I'm imparting a philosophy lesson on you. Well my friends, read on. My point will become clearer!

When Joyce and I became part of the Disney community through our podcast, Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast, we made the very conscience choice to present the items we claim as fact with the highest amount of integrity we possibly can. If we are not 100% certain of something, we either don't present it, or we present it with the disclaimer that the information has not yet been confirmed. And we've found MANY others in the Disney community who feel the same way: Lisa Robertson from Babes In Disneyland (in fact, she's started an Integrity in Blogging movement that we are part of); Mr. Daps from Daps Magic and Geeks Corner (VERY integrity driven organization); our own podcast sponsor and fellow podcaster Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations and the Stories of the Magic podcast is VERY integrity driven. There are many more I could mention, but to honor the constraints of time, won't.

 

It's extremely important to act with integrity when you tell others that you are a "source of Disney news". Let's face it, there are so many people who LOVE Disney, and Disneyland, Disney World, etc, that are eager to learn things about their favorite passion. And there is an equal number of sources available to gather all kinds of information on Disney - some very honorable and reputable, and some...well, not so much so. Now, I'm not pointing any fingers at all, because that's not my style, but I just want everyone to be aware that there are sources out there that will take rumors and notions of rumors and pass them off as fact. That's dangerous. You see, if I'm a newbie (someone new to Disney) who just wants to absorb all I can about Disneyland, and I stumble across a source that says that Disneyland is going to give away FREE Annual Passports for the next week, and I go to Disneyland only to find that this is in fact...NOT true, well my view on Disney is now quite sullied. I begin to tell others that this happened, then they tell others, and by the time this completes the cycle, the story is now that Disneyland promised this guy a free Annual Passport and then told him NO. Doesn't matter if the story is true, it is what it becomes. And yes, I know this may sound like a rather exaggerated example and it is, but the concept is the same. Rumors are just that: rumors. Not the truth, not fact. If that original source had instead relayed that the Annual Passport story was only a rumor and not confirmed, the outcome would have been different. And this may sound pretty unbelievable, but the truth is, there are sources out there passing rumors off as fact. Intentionally, unintentionally, doesn't really matter. If a story does not come from Disney, then it's only a rumor and should be presented as such. Just my opinion.

Joyce and I love Disneyland. We love DISNEY. Since my first visit to Disneyland in 2007 I've been head over heels crazy about the place. I feel that Disneyland represents a purity and innocence that a lot of us really crave in our lives. Walt Disney inspired countless people to pursue their dreams relentlessly and to act with the utmost integrity. Yes, he was a businessman. Yes the Walt Disney Company IS a business but you know what? The IDEA of Disney ISN'T a business and the IDEA of Disney is what should be protected. By acting with integrity, we can protect that idea. For those of us who embark on the "mission" to be, for lack of a better term, ambassadors for the Disney Magic, it is our responsibility to act with honor and integrity. To report NEWS, not rumors. If we've heard or learned something that MAY be true and feel we just NEED to pass that information along, we should tack on the disclaimer that this just may not be true, it just may be a rumor, but...no matter what we do, we should always Partner with Disney.

So, to close out this soap-box blog, I'd like to offer some advice to all who come to this happy place, unless the news comes directly from Disney or a Disney approved source, take it for what it's worth: rumor. Seek out more information before you pass that rumor along. Oh, and remember....Make It A MICKEY Day!!! ~~~ Al

Happiest Blog on Earth...Special Smiles!

So, you know how I know that Disneyland IS the Happiest Place on Earth? The smiles. Smiles. Yep, there, I said it...SMILES! I challenge you to spend 30 minutes at the Disneyland Resort and count how many smiles you see. I will bet my cherished Lightning McQueen Disney Trading Pin that you find no less than 20! (Just so you know, that wasn't a sanctioned bet by the way. Joyce would have my HIDE if she knew I was betting my very first Disney Trading Pin!).

Well, we all know that you leave the Disneyland Resort with ALL sorts of great memories, and I'm no different. I have so many incredibly awesome memories from Disneyland that I need to buy extra storage in my brain iCloud just to house them all. But, one of my fondest memories, and this is something that happens just about every time we visit the Resort, is when my beautiful wife Joyce gets to meet Mickey Mouse, give him a BIG hug and kiss, then spends the rest of the day beeming! I love that the Disneyland Resort can make my wife smile like that. Why? Good question! Because to me, one of THE best things that I can see in life is that smile! And knowing that Disneyland can make us feel like kids again, forget about the misery of our day, allow us to play and be carefree, even for just a fleeting moment in time, is pure...well, MAGIC! And let me tell you, smiling is one thing. But THIS kind of smile only comes from feeling that child-like wonder of meeting your favorite Disney character IN PERSON! Remember to grab some of that magic next time you visit the Disneyland Resort. It won't be hard. Just look around!

Now THAT'S a smile!

Pixie Tales: Celebrity Etiquette

This is one of the most difficult blogs I have written and I actually put it aside for over a week because I did not want too many emotions to overshadow the true message. A couple of days later, Walt spoke to me through this quote, “I have no use for people who throw their weight around as celebrities, or for those who fawn over you just because you are famous.” 

I am very passionate about Disneyland and feel that everyone should be able to experience the magic whether they are famous or not.  This is my happy place and I feel that everyone who visits the Park should be able to experience the magic in their own way.

Recently, I had a conversation with someone on a social media platform about a picture of a celebrity and his young child that was taken earlier in the day by the poster.  People were encouraging him to sell the picture to the highest bidder but I felt that it was wrong in many ways and had to share my two cents. In the end, the poster did the honorable thing and retracted the photo and stated that there would be no photos for sale! Good for you!

We all get excited when we see our favorite celebrity in public and want to take pictures and say hi! But where do we draw the line when it comes to their privacy? How about when that celeb has their child with them? Just because they’re celebrities are there different rules to their “personal space”?  I say no! Let the celebrity enjoy family time like you would want in the Happiest Place on Earth….. Don’t take pictures without asking and treat them as you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes.

This is how I personally see it:  when you are visiting the Park remember why Walt built it in the first place, and walk in his shoes. Always remember this quote, ““I have no use for people who throw their weight around as celebrities, or for those who fawn over you just because you are famous.” 

Otherwise, your favorite attraction may be closed so the celebrity family can have their magic time in privacy which will be less magical for you and I.

Happiest Blog on Earth - Integrity

Integrity. Man, that's a word, isn't it? Integrity means a lot of different things to a lot of different folks, but one thing that's pretty much universal is that integrity is not something we should take lightly. 


I like to believe that, for the most part, I live my life with integrity. Over the length of my long life (never mind how many years!), I've developed some very specific definitions of integrity, and I hold myself to these standards quite seriously. Let me expound on this a little.


Nearly two years ago when Joyce and I came to the pivotal point in our lives where we felt it was important to share our love for the Disneyland Resort, and Walt Disney, with others on a larger scale. We had experienced a very real magic throughout our numerous visits to the Happiest Place on Earth and we found that when we returned to our "real" lives (work) and answered the inevitable question that all co-workers feel the need to ask - "Did you have a good time?" - we were sharing with folks in a way that honestly made some envious, some curious and some ask for more! Eventually, it got to the point where people were asking us for advice on the whats, wheres and whens for their upcoming Disneyland adventures. So, we did what any normal couple would do: we started the Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland podcast! 


Ok, so what does that story have to do with integrity? Good question. The answer: EVERYTHING! You see, Joyce and I feel very passionate about the Disneyland Resort and the incredible vision of Walt Disney that we want to share honest information with people. This is what I was referring to in my last blog. There are a great many people in this world that share information that's not always true, or, twist it to a point where even though it may be true, it doesn't represent their topic very well. Now, I'm not advocating the "spin" machine at all. If you have something to share that's possibly negative, then by all means, share the negative information, but do it with tact. That's how we present everything we share about Disney in our podcast, in our blogs, in our social media postings, heck, everywhere. 


To me, integrity means honesty...honor. In all things, do with honor. It is possible to deliver negative news with honor, trust me. If you listen to our podcast, you'll discover that. There are many times that Joyce and I've reported on things about Disney that rubs us the wrong way, a not so magical experience we had, or yes, even reviewed an attraction or restaurant we didn't like. But we presented it with integrity, with facts and with tact. Few things irk me more than to listen to a podcast or read a blog where the presenter goes off on something in a very disrespectful way. To me, that shows a bit of ignorance and quite honestly lowers my opinion of them and removes a great deal of their authority on the subject. It is possible to say something negative in a positive way without doing the spin dance. 


Our good friend Lisa Robertson from the Babes In Disneyland blog is part of this wonderful group called The Three Disneyland Moms, and they've started a pledge for this very thing - integrity. It's available to folks who blog, and I believe it adds a great deal of authority to what you offer, as long as you mean it. It's called the "I blog with integrity" pledge, and if you agree with it, and if you truly blog with integrity, they offer a badge to proudly display on your blog site. Joyce and I are proud members of this wonderful community and we proudly display this badge. 


So, in parting I'd like to leave you with a little advice. Share. Share your passion, share your love for whatever you want to share. But do it with honor, do it with integrity. If you find yourself thinking if what you're about to say or write may be a little too...well, nasty, don't post it.  Or if you find yourself really CHEESED off about something and want to share, write it down on a piece of paper, set it aside then come back to it when you've cooled off. Then rewrite it to take the sting out of it. If you do this, if you share with integrity and honor, trust me, you'll have much more magic to offer and others will respect that! 
Thanks for reading...  ~~~ Al 

The Happiest Blog On Earth - My Favorite Thing about Disneyland

This is a question that’s asked a lot of folks, isn’t it? What’s your favorite thing about the Disneyland Resort? We’re guilty of asking that question of every guest we have on our Tales From The Mouse House – Disneyland Podcast, and typically, we get answers like, “Pirates Of The Caribbean”, or “Small World” and even “Corn Dogs”. All very nice answers but if you really take time to consider the question, you may come up with something more.

Many of you know my story: I didn’t discover the Magic of Disneyland until late in life – 2007. And I was born in 1964! So yeah, one could say, late to the party. BUT, I made it to the party! So for me, the question posited earlier has a dual-layer answer. Yes, I LOVE Pirates, Small World and, well, I think you know how I feel about CORN DOGS (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THEM!!), but for me, there’s a much deeper answer. My favorite thing about Disneyland is…Disneyland.

Ok, let me get deep for a moment. Disneyland is many things to many people. It’s an amusement park that’s ever changing and yes, very fun. Disneyland puts the thrill in “thrill rides”, and then some. But if you really think about it, it’s really just a theme park, isn’t it? Roller coaster, check. Carousel, check. Water rides, check. Over priced amusement park foods…check. So, in that regard, what’s the difference between Disneyland and Six Flags? The answer of course is…Disneyland. That’s what Disneyland has that no other theme park in the WORLD has or will ever have. The magic of Disneyland is…Disneyland.

When Walt sparked the idea of creating a place for families to be together and have fun, it wasn’t just so folks could spend the day on rides. No, it was so families of the day, and 100 years in the future could share the same thing –experience. There’s a feeling, no, more like an emotion, that most people feel when they enter the gates to Disneyland. As odd as it sounds at a thrill park, (at least for me) that feeling/emotion is relaxed. I feel relaxed when I walk into Disneyland. Every ounce of concern, irritation, anger, disappointment that I harbor in my everyday life melts away when I’m at the Disneyland Resort. I don’t think that was an accident. I think Walt was very conscience of that fact when he designed the place, and that’s what he strived to achieve when he opened Disneyland in 1955.  No other place in the world can offer me that same feeling, even when I’m not there. When, in my “ordinary life”, I find myself getting overly stressed about something, I’ll close my eyes and visualize Disneyland and I smile. Disneyland is a feeling, an experience. I challenge all of you NOT to feel something on a very emotional level when you visit the Disneyland Resort. ~~~ Al

The Happiest Blog On Earth - Welcome 2012

Well, what can I say? The 2011 Holiday Season has come and gone, and 2012 is now here. Wow. I’m sure this is being said well over a million times today…I just can’t believe it’s 2012! Still, it’s true. I can’t believe it. Seems like just 365 days ago I was saying the same thing about 2011. Sorry, my attempt at a little New Year’s humor.

So, now that it’s a brand new year, I’m sure many of you have some lofty ambitions and resolutions, huh? Lose weight; spend more time with family; get organized; visit Disneyland more; be nicer to people; stop sending angry signals to the aliens living on the dark side of the moon (ok, just checking to see if you’re paying attention!). Making New Years Resolutions is fine and I certainly don’t want to disparage anyone from setting some goals for themselves, but I personally don’t partake in this annual tradition. Why? Thanks for asking…because the way I look at it, making a resolution in the heat of the moment, and let’s face it, making a resolution to do something in direct response to reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to the new year, is really the heat of the moment, is just a bad idea. I feel it’s just setting some unrealistic expectations that I know will fade away within a few months at best. And yes, I’ve seen this not only in myself but many, many, many of my family and friends as well. We always set these resolutions (perhaps at times under the influence of some Holiday beverage?) and have the best of intentions, but once the newness of the new year (and that Holiday beverage) wears off, well, so does the drive to complete your daunting task. Did you know that according to statistics, that the odds we will stay faithful to our resolutions are pretty slim:

·         75% make it through the first week

·         17% make it to the six month mark

·         8% actually successfully complete resolution by year end

Interesting numbers, but please don’t get me wrong. Making a New Years Resolution is actually a good thing, even if the odds are stacked against you. It’s a start. Puts you in the right frame of mind and actually helps you set more realistic goals. I for one like to just make changes, and not because it’s a new year, but because they NEED to be made. How about you? What’s YOUR take on the whole New Years Resolution thingy? If you’d like you can send a comment to us at talespodcast@cox.net. And yes, we’d LOVE to hear from you and share it on our podcast.

So, that aside, Joyce, Kate (the pup) and I had a pretty nice Holiday Season. Christmas was awesome – just the three of us – and New Years was awesome as well – again, just the three of us. Christmas dinner was our traditional honey baked by Al ham and homemade macaroni salad, Hawaiian rolls, veggie and for dessert, cherry pie! Then we watched Elf, or as Joyce calls it…Buddy The Elf. Great Holiday movie. Then topped off Christmas Day by turning out all the lights and just watching the Christmas Tree glow. Awesome!

We took some time off work and just relaxed around the old Mouse House, but one day we decided to find some snow. Now, many of you may remember that we live in the Phoenix, Arizona area, so snow is sort of scarce. We piled up in the car and drove about two and a half hours north, to Flagstaff. And snow we found! It was awesome. We decided to go to this place called, cleverly enough, the Snow Play Area, and pay $12 per car load to, well, play in the snow! It was worth it. Kate had a blast, which kind of shocked us. The last time she saw just a little snow she hated it, but not this time. She romped, hopped, jumped, and generally had a great time. So did Joyce and I. By the end of the day, we were all three pooped out, but grinning ear to ear.

Now, we’re back to work and digging in to a new year. We’ve got a lot of plans for our website and podcasts in 2012, so we’re busy planning those out, but rest assured, they’re going to be EPIC. If you enjoyed Tales From The Mouse House – Disneyland Podcast in 2011, you’re going to LOVE it in 2012! And if you haven’t heard the show yet, now’s a great time to give it a try. If you like Disneyland, you’ll love our podcast.

Well, a blog that looks back (sort of) on the previous year wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention some names of those who played special parts in our lives in 2011. These folks epitomize to us what it means to be true friends and family, folks who’ve helped us, prayed for us, showed us that Disney Magic IS real and CAN be given away. So, in closing, I’d like to say thanks and send lots of love and stuff to the following awesome people:

·         Joyce – my beautiful wife of course!

·         Rick and Amy Moyer – awesome friends I consider family.

·         Lisa Robertson – a TRUE Disney spirit if there ever was one

·         Mr. Daps – ANOTHER absolute True Disney spirit

·         Kenny Mittleider – my adopted little brother, fellow geek and now Disneyland buddy

·         Simon “Hawkeyemeds” Meddings – my UK brother and awesome creative talent

·         Steve Jobs – For creating the many cool and useful toys that I use everyday!