Throwback Thursday: Walt's 111th Birthday

First, before anything else is said, I would be completely remiss if I didn't start off today's article by wishing a very happy birthday to the man who, without his vision, whimsy, imagination, and business saavy, none of us would be blogging about what we are: Walt Disney. Today, had he lived, and he may just have if cancer hadn't taken him too early, would have been his 112th birthday, and not a trip to Disneyland goes by where I don't take a moment to just stand in one spot, close my eyes, maybe even turn in a circle, and just imagine myself in the same spot he probably stood in at one point. It's surreal and from the bottom of so many of our childhood hearts, we thank you Uncle Walt. When I first created and started blogging at Days in the Park, one of my dreams was to one day (I've said this before) set foot inside what was to be one of Walt's very special places, Club 33. I've long since been blessed enough to have done that, and blessed even more to have been now on several occasions. Each time is special and full of new memories and times, and tonight I will have the honor (and to me, that's exactly what it is) of dining at The Club for the seventh time. Perhaps the most memorable so far though was being invited to spend Walt's 111th birthday, last December, in a private party celebrating his life and legacy at The Club. Tonight I will be celebrating his 112th with many of the same people, making new memories which I'll no doubt treasure forever.

Two Years Later... What Has Disney Done For Me?

Welcome to those of you joining me from 'Disney Babies Blog' and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

Looking back, it's hard to believe that two years have gone by around here... and that I've been a part of something as magical (no pun intended) as 'The Magical Blogorail' for almost all of that time. When Beth (from 'Pursuing the Magic') approached me with the opportunity to join up on the very first line we were running, making me one of the charter members in the process, I was just a baby-faced blogger who had barely been doing what I was doing for a month; maybe even less! But I jumped on board and now looking back it's something I can honestly say that I've taken a lot of pride in, despite my absence over the last few months (which I plan on writing more about next week so stay tuned!).

So this month we've been charged with writing about our favorite Disney moment over the past two years since we began this behemoth. I spent quite a bit of time thinking about the topic, and came up with a lot of different options. After all, I've gotten to do some pretty darn cool things since I became a blogger about The Happiest Place on Earth; Club 33, covering the D23 Expo for my blog and a few others, media events, celebrity sitings in The Park, yelling out 'Goonies Never Say Die!' at Sean Astin. Okay, that last one never really happened... but it could have because he walked right by me going into the Grand Californian. Unfortunately, I'm just not very quick on my feet like that.

Ultimately though, none of those things seemed quite right. Sappy perhaps, but these days when I think about Disneyland, I think about all of the friends I've made over these past two years and what they've come to mean to me. Nowadays, going to Disneyland without at least seeing some of them doesn't seem like a complete trip. When I go, I'm with them. I enjoy all the time I get to spend with them, and they've come to mean the world to me. So I guess if I had to pick my favorite Disney moment over the past two years, it would be the moment when my family started to grow, because make no mistake, that's what everyone in my post today has become to me; family.

In general I've never really been one to make friends very easily. To many I seem stand-offish, brooding, and probably grumpy. But in all honesty it's always been my insecurities that have done that. I've always been shy, introverted, and pensive; all of those wonderful traits that make people instantly take to you! I started blogging just figuring I could be "Anonymous Man" hiding behind my keyboard but I quickly found out the more I did, and the more I jumped into social media, the more people wanted to talk to me. That I could handle! Talking to folks through a PC screen I can do! But then suddenly people who lived around me who followed me (and I them) started talking about meeting up in The Park face to face. Perish the thought! One can't type with sweaty palms, and I think I probably shorted out three keyboards during the transition.

Why I did what I did next will always be a wonder to me, but I made a move (since Mark and I were already planning on attending Disneyland's 'Happiest Haunts' Halloween Tour) to invite Rosemary and Neil from Finding Mickey to come along on the night that we did. We had met them a while before after submitting a few Hidden Mickeys we had spotted around The Park, and I found them so friendly and receptive through email, we started a dialogue and I figured, "What the heck?". The day we finally met them for the first time came and went, and we've never looked back, but they would probably laugh at me to know how nervous I was to meet them that first time. I was a complete wreck waiting for them to show up, but show up they did, we had an absolutely awesome night, and have had many since. And to boot, our tour guide that night also holds a special place in my heart now, too! All because I took that first step and decided to be somebody different for once... the rest is indeed history.

The first new member of my family: Rosemary from Finding Mickey

Since then, my family has grown by leaps and bounds. I've met so many wonderful people in the process of doing all of this, and the most wonderful thing is, like I said before, I don't consider them friends anymore. These people are family to me. They're my brothers and sisters, my nieces and nephews, and I love them all just about as much as anyone else I do on the entire planet. We talk routinely, text all the time, when the good times are there we celebrate with each other, and when the bad times come, we pray for each other. Even though we may not all believe the same things exactly, I hope everyone else feels the same way (I'm sure they do), that we've all been truly blessed to become a part of each others' lives. Or, if I'm the only one who feels that way, well that's okay too. Except now they probably think I'm crazy and will avoid me like the bubonic plague.

And what astounds me more? My family criss-crosses this entire country now! I know people all over the place, and even have a plethora (do you know what a plethora is?) of friends from Walt Disney World that I honestly look forward to seeing on an annual basis, too. And yup, they mean the world to me, too! Talk about family? That's what the Blogorail is! I regularly talk to many of them online, and hope with all of my heart to meet all of them someday. And as many as are included here today, there are that many more people in my extended family who don't appear today simply because we haven't met yet, and I don't have pictures with them yet. But you know who you are, and if you don't, check with me and I'll be happy to clarify it for you!

These are just some of my favorite shots over the last couple of years. I honestly can't wait to see what the next year will bring, and I know (now that I've done this one) that it's something that I will gladly update year after year. This list is in no way all-inclusive, and there are tons of you out there in my family. We just need to get those pictures together!

Sarah (formerly of 'Magical Days with the Mouse') and I on the black carpet for the 'Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides' World Premiere

From left to right: Us, Jenn and Jason from Disney Day Trippers, Amy, Julie and Jason (our favorite Cast Member), Rosemary, and Ryan from Original D - and Tiki Maynard of course!

Neil from Finding Mickey, Amy and her sister Sara, Rosemary, Us, and Sarah

Hanging with Finding Mickey at the D23 Expo!

Family night on Paradise Pier! Rosemary and Neil from Finding Mickey, my "niece" Natalie and Amy, Michelle (riding 'Toy Story Midway Mania') with us, and my "nephews" Noah and Nate

The family goes cross country! Nicole Siscaretti from Sparkly Ever After, me, Rosemary (my, she's in a lot of these!), and Suzannah from Zannaland!

Ah, Club 33... Me, Alyssa from Rays of Disneyland, and Rosemary (see!)

Our friend Michelle, Rosemary (whom you should all know by now), me, and my "nephew" Nate on Radiator Springs Racers. We win!!!

Lauren and Ashley - definitely a part of my Disney family, even though I'm not in the picture, so they HAD to be included. Two of the sweetest young ladies that I know!

All in all, some of the best friends I've ever had have come out as a result of my blogging and joining the Blogorail... and that may just be the most magical thing Disney is capable of producing.

One of my favorite shots of Mark from the D23 Expo last summer. He loves those Muppets!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is 'Meet the Magic'.

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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 ~ The CanaDisney Blog
2nd Stop ~ Disney Babies Blog
3rd Stop ~ Days in the Park
4th Stop ~ Meet the Magic
Final Stop ~ Pursuing the Magic