Monday, June 27, 2016

Color Run 2016

Yesterday, the 2016 Color Run event took place in South Portland.  This year's theme was "Tropicolor"- a tropical, Hawaiian themed race.  It was also what we Disney fans refer to as "Stitch Day" 6/26, (for Experiment 626).  What do you do when they fall on the exact same day?  Why, make a Stitch themed Color Run t-shirt of course!!!


I realized that the Color Run was on Stitch Day shortly after signing up for it.  As soon as I realized it, there was no turning back.  I was making our group Stitch themed shirts no matter what.  Unfortunately, we've been super busy, so I ended up designing it last minute, but they still came out pretty cute!  (If we'd had more time, I would have added the Ohana quote to the back so people behind us could have read that!)


Early yesterday morning, Eliot, my cousin Karen, my Dad and I drove over to South Portland for the Color Run.  We arrived pretty early, and we also got a great parking spot.  (Lesson learned- get there really early before the huge crowds arrive.)


Eliot hurt his back again Friday night, so he found a bench in the shade and hung out there.  Dad, Karen and I explored the check in party area.  Dad bought himself a Color Run hat from the merchandise tent.  We looked around, and eventually we made our way to a shady spot on the sidewalk near the start line.  I posted a photo on Instagram and the official Color Run account liked and commented on it almost immediately!


Eliot joined us after a bit.  We waited there for the race to start.  We were probably about the 5th wave (corral) to go.  We had all decided we were going to walk it.  I haven't started training for the Princess and Tink half and I didn't want to over do it in the heat.  Plus, Eliot could barely walk and I wasn't going to let him do it alone.


For the most part, we all stuck together.  Dad got ahead of us a few times when I stopped to check on Eliot.  I could hear him behind us talking to other people.  This year, most of the people doing the race were walking it.  The weather was nice but warmer than I would have liked.  However, there was a really nice breeze coming off the ocean.  I also slowed down while we walked in the shady spots.


We also didn't get as much color on our shirts this year, which is ironic because none of us hurried through the color stations like we have in the past.  The most I got was at the end when we went through the finish line and were covered in multiple colors.


Mom and Nana were waiting for us at the finish line.  (They'd driven over a little bit before us to make sure they'd get a parking spot.)  Nana was sitting over in the shade of a tree where she could still see the finish chute.  Mom was near the finish line waving when we were approaching the end of the race.  She got a few pictures of us before we ran through the final chute, crossed the finish line and got our medals.


We took a few photos post race.  Mom and Nana inspected us and we showed them the color packets we got at the finish line.  Nana got a kick out of it; I'm really glad she enjoyed it!  We had a lot of fun and enjoyed our Hawaiian Rollercoaster Color Ride!


Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel in South Portland so we could take showers and clean up.  Then, we went to hang out at Old Orchard Beach.  Of course, no trip there is complete without Pier Fries!  Eliot and I haven't been yet this summer, so it was definitely a treat!  Mom and Karen got fried dough and it was also tasty!  Hanging out by the beach was the perfect way to spend the rest of Stitch Day!!!  °o°

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

WDW 2017 Packages Released

Hi Friends!  I'm going to take a minute to do a little shameless self-promo.  I want to remind you that along with being a blogger and hat maker, I'm also a travel agent.  As you can probably tell, I'm not a shark about it.  (Unlike some agents I've seen from other companies on Facebook- yowza!)  Instead, I take a more relaxed approach.  My main goal is to help others plan a magical vacation that they'll always remember.


I work for Key to the World Travel.  KTTW is a wonderful company.  They take time to educate their agents.  We have a great support system.  We're always helping each other and asking for opinions or how to approach certain situations.  I consider all of my fellow KTTW agents extended family.  I'm so proud to be a member of their team!

There's a lot of confusion about booking with travel agents.  A lot of people think that they're going to pay extra for our services.  This is not the case.  When you book with an agent, you will get the same pricing that you would had you booked directly with Disney.  (Unless the agent gives you a deal and forfeits some or all of their commission as a bonus for booking with them.)  We're paid our commission directly from Disney.


That begs the question, why use a travel agent if the price is the same?  There are so many benefits!  We get up early to book your FastPass+ and dining reservations.  We also keep track of the latest deals from Disney so we can change your package if there's a better deal that comes along.  We like to save you money.  

Not to mention, we also can help book special experiences like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique- even though we don't get commission on those.  We're here to help you have a magical, stress-free vacation!  And we'll give you some insider tips and tricks too!


Of course, Disney is my area of expertise.  It's what I'm most familiar with.  (And it's clearly what I'm most passionate about!)  I would be happy to help with your vacation planning.  Or, if you have a friend who is an agent, help support them!  It won't cost you anything extra!  Believe me, it really hurts to see photos from your friends and family at Disney and to know that they didn't book their trip through you.

Speaking of booking, Walt Disney World packages for 2017 (through Oct 31st), were released earlier today!  All it takes to start your magical vacation getaway is a $200 deposit.  The rest is due 30 days prior to your trip.  You can also make payments along the way if a payment plan is easier than the remaining balance all at once.

Travel agents are here to help make your life easier.  Feel free to contact me anytime for a free, no obligation quote: melissa.cady[at]keytotheworldtravel.com  °o°

Monday, June 20, 2016

Finding Dory Movie Review

Eliot and I went to see Finding Dory this weekend!  The movie was so good!  It's easy to see why it's the breaking records as the highest-grossing animated film debut of all time.  We both loved it, and we're already talking about going to see it again.

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We had planned to go to the Saco Drive-In since they were showing Finding Dory and Zootopia back to back.  Eliot and I arrived well before the movie was supposed to start, and the drive-in was already full.  There were at least 30 other cars trying to get in, so many that they pulled into the break down lane with their blinkers on.  (I really hope this means the drive in theater will pair these movies together again soon!)

Instead, we drove down the road to the local movie theater.  Thankfully, there were a few more shows starting within the hour.  We decided that we'd go see it in IMAX 3D since we went to the traditional movie theater.  I'm so glad we saw it in 3D too!

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Of course, the visuals were beyond incredible.  Disney and Pixar always stuns me with their beautiful animation.  The amount of color and detail was amazing.  Sometimes, I thought I was underwater swimming alongside the characters.

Speaking of characters, Dory as a baby has got to be one of the cutest baby Disney characters ever.  (Baby Sven is still my top favorite!)  Through her memory flashbacks, we learn Dory's backstory, meet her parents and we find out where she's from.  We also learn how Dory's motto "Just Keep Swimming" came to be.

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The new characters introduced in the movie were a great addition.  After seeing previews, I didn't really know what to think of all the new additions.  However, they were all wonderful.  The sea lions and Becky the loon were hilarious and the perfect comedic relief.  The whales were an important part of the plot.  And then there was Hank.  Hank surprised me most of all.  I won't spoil his role in all of this, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one in the audience who fell for Hank the octopus.

The storyline was perfect.  I didn't know what to expect, even after seeing all of the trailers.  The whole story fit together seamlessly.  When it got to a certain part near the end ("Shells; I like shells.") I realized what was going to happen and I started to tear up.  It was definitely a sequel that's just as good, if not better, than the original.

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Finally, one piece of advice if you haven't gone to see the movie: Don't leave before the credits end!  Disney and Pixar are known for tucking in little snippets at the end of their credits, and this one did not disappoint!  In fact, I think it's the longest end credit scene I've ever seen.  Don't be like 90% of our theater and leave or you'll miss it!

Overall, Finding Dory was a fantastic (or should I say "fin-tastic"?) movie.  It's another Disney Pixar masterpiece and I know it will be loved for years to come.  °o°

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Disneyland June 2016 Bucket List Results

Whew!  It's been a busy and exhausting week as Eliot and I have been adjusting back to this time zone and everyday life.  (I won't deny it; I've spent a good portion of this past week sleeping.)  But I think we're finally getting back in the groove!


As promised, here are the results from my bucket list from our trip to Disneyland!  We didn't accomplish everything, but we made a pretty good dent in it!  Here's how we did:

Melissa's Disneyland June 2016 Trip Bucket List:

°o°  1.) Buy a Mickey Mouse Balloon
This should have been something I did the first day we were there so I could take it home and enjoy it in the hotel room all week.  Unfortunately, it slipped my mind the first few days.  By the time I remembered it, it seemed silly to buy a balloon only to have to deflate it a few days later.  I decided to pass on it, and I'm still regretting that decision.


°o°  2.) Eat at ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney
We ate at the ESPN Zone on Thursday while we watched Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  There was a movie theater sized screen showing the game along with a ton of other smaller screens showing other sporting events.  We had a great time and even got to enjoy the game with a bunch of other Sharks fans!  And the Sharks won!!!


°o°  3.) Watch the new Frozen Show at the Hyperion Theater
I was so excited to see Frozen Live after hearing wonderful things about it online.  It was really good and I enjoyed it.  The theatrics were the best part of it.  The scenery, props and costumes were incredible.  The singing and actors were great too!


°o°  4.) Meet Tinker Bell and the Fairies in Pixie Hollow
Eliot took me to meet Tinker Bell Saturday while we had a little bit of time to kill before going back for pictures on Main Street.  While there, we also got to meet Iridessa, the light fairy.  However, my favorite part was all of the little details you could see in the garden leading up to entering Pixie Hollow.  I loved the statues!


°o°  5.) Buy a Disney Princess Letter Name Painting of my Name
I made sure to do this since I've been wanting to get my name painted in Princess Letters since Eliot and I went to Disneyland last September.  (Sara ordered one that trip and her name came out great.  I've wanted one ever since.)  I pre-picked out my princesses and I'm very happy with the result!  I can't wait to hang it in my office!

°o°  6.) Live Broadcast a Few Disneyland Shows and/or Parades
I made this a priority since I've wanted to do it for so long.  I'm happy to say I live broadcasted riding Dumbo, walking around Main Street, the Paint the Night Parade, Mickey's March Along, Mickey's Soundsational Parade, and Mickey and the Magical Map.  (All of these videos can be seen on my Facebook page under the video section.)

°o°  7.) Go to Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar with Eliot
There wasn't enough time and this wasn't that high of a priority for me this trip.  The parks were crowded enough from having high school grad nights every. single. day. the entire week we were there.  Lines were long, not crazy long, but long- so instead we focused on getting on the rides we wanted to go on.


°o°  8.) Take Pictures with the Diamond Celebration Characters
This was a huge priority during this trip.  Since Eliot wasn't able to dress up with me for Disneyland's Spring Dapper Day, we really wanted to get a few photos together this time around.  We set aside time Saturday morning and early afternoon just for this purpose.  I can happily say that we were successful!  Eliot and I took photos with six of the eight Diamond Celebration characters!  (We only missed Chip and Dale.)

°o°  9.) Go on the Matterhorn
The Matterhorn had a huge line the entire week we were there.  I get anxious enough going on new rides for the first time.  We all decided it wasn't worth waiting in the long line so we skipped it.  I guess I'll try it next time!

°o° 10.) Collect the rest of the 60th Anniversary Pressed Coins
Eliot and I planned on completing our pressed coin mission, but we weren't sure we had documented all of the pennies we got last time.  We decided to wait until we could re-evaluate our collection.  Then, Eliot's Mom will help us get the ones we're missing.


°o° 11.) Ride in the Front of the Monorail
Eliot and I were able to ride in the front of the monorail on his birthday.  It's his favorite ride, and it worked out perfectly.  We were able to take it from Tomorrowland, right to Downtown Disney to get to the ESPN Zone for the Sharks game!


°o° 12.) Do another autograph book
We definitely had an autograph filled trip.  Eliot and I shared our autograph book, while Sara and Elissa each had one as well.  And it made perfect sense since we were going to so many character dining meals.  Eliot and I filled all but 3 pages of our autograph book, and we bought the big Diamond Celebration one!

°o° 13.) Buy Disney art work at Wonderground Gallery
This trip, I got a few more postcards from Wonderground.  Eliot and I are still trying to figure out where we're putting artwork in the house so I behaved myself.  However, his Mom did get him a print that he really wanted.  He'll probably put that one in his office!


°o° 14.) See Mickey's March Along
Eliot and I sat at the train station twice during our trip to see the show.  I video taped the first show and then I live broadcasted the second show.  It was nice to have front row seats for it!  I love the show and hearing the Dapper Dans sing "Live the Magic!"


°o° 15.) Order a Drink with a Diamond Glow Cube
I ordered two Diamond Blue Glowtinis while we were at ESPN Zone.  Eliot and I also added two diamond glow cubes to our order so I'd have 4 of them total.  They're so expensive reselling on eBay.  I'm really glad I bought my own for about $5 each!


°o° 16.) Take Pictures at the Diamond Celebration Photo Stops
We didn't take pictures at all of the stops this trip, but between September and this trip, I've officially taken photos at all of the Diamond Celebration Photo Stops.  I hope Disney does more special photo spots in the future.  I thought they were fun!

°o° 17.) Get drinks and lobster nachos at the Cove Bar
We completely ran out of time to do the Cove Bar... again.  Ugh.  Eliot's promised me we'll get there next time.  I've told him he owes me a drink and some lobster nachos.


°o° 18.) Go on Radiator Springs Racers with Eliot
I was able to get on Radiator Springs Racers with Eliot, Sara and Elissa.  We had a blast.  I sat in the front with the girls and Eliot was behind us.  It reminds me a lot of Test Track, but it's so much longer that it almost makes Test Track look lame.

°o° 19.) See the Newsboys in California Adventure
We saw the Newsboys in California Adventure, but we missed their show again.  I think we'll have to sit and spend some quality time on the main streets so we'll be able to catch it next time!  Not a big deal; I just thought it would be nice to see the whole show!


°o° 20.) Get our picture taken with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde
Eliot and I had tons of fun in our Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde themed outfits.  I'd bought special shirts from Glitter Ever After to wear with the Zootopia ear hats I made!  We got so many compliments on our ears!  And Nick and Judy loved our ears too!  Success!!! 

Overall, I think we did pretty good with the bucket list!  However, I'll admit that I'm definitely disappointed about the Mickey Balloon and Cove Bar.  These have been things I've wanted to do the past three trips to Disneyland.  Eliot's promised to take me to Cove Bar after the Tinker Bell races next spring.  And one of the first things I'm doing at Walt Disney World is buying my Mickey balloon.  I might even see if Eliot's mom can get me a Disneyland 60th balloon to shrink and mail to me.  I've heard you can deflate them and then re-inflate them... and I might just attempt it!

We also didn't get to see Disneyland Forever.  We were ready to watch it the last night but it was cancelled a few nights of our trip due to winds at high altitudes.  I'm pretty sad about that too- especially since we easily could have seen it the first night we were there.  However, I can't be too disappointed.  When Disney first announced it's plans for the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, I wasn't even sure I'd get to go to Disneyland to see it in person.  Looking back, I've been blessed to go not once, but three times.  I can't be upset about that.  I was lucky enough to see the fireworks live a few times back in September.  Plus, on this trip to California, we also got to have a bunch of other cool once in a lifetime experiences!

In addition to my Disneyland Bucket List, I had a few more goals for this trip:

°o° 21.) See Elissa Graduate from High School 
This was the main purpose of our trip west and it was definitely special!  Eliot and I are so proud of Elissa and all of her accomplishments from high school!  It was awesome to see her cross the stage to get her diploma!  Congrats Elissa!


°o° 22.) Go to the San Fransisco Disney Store
We were having so much fun on Saturday that we completely ran out of time to go to the Disney Store.  And I'm not complaining one bit.  When I originally said "we should do this!", we didn't realize the Sharks were going to be in the NHL Finals.


°o° 23.) Go to the Walt Disney Family Museum
Eliot and I had a blast during our visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum.  There's so much to see!  We didn't have enough time to see it all.  We're already planning a trip back Labor Day weekend when we're in San Jose for a friend's wedding!


°o° 24.) Go the Little Mermaid in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl
This was so cool.  Eliot and I loved it.  The pre-show, movie, live music, and actors were all amazing.  I really hope they do more of these shows in the future.  Not that we'll get to go to them necessarily, but it's such a cool thing to experience!


°o° 25.) Go to my first game at the Shark Tank to cheer on the San Jose Sharks!
I have to say, this was definitely the coolest sporting event I've ever been to.  It was incredible to experience the Sharks first home game of the Stanley Cup Finals.  I'll never forget the deafening roar of the crowd, the flashing of our wristbands, or the atmosphere inside the Shark Tank.  Our score in overtime was the icing on the cake!!!  

In addition to all of these awesome bucket list accomplishments, I also experienced a few other things during our trip that we weren't expecting: 

°o° See the Golden Gate Bridge
I knew the Golden Gate Bridge was near the Walt Disney Family Museum but I didn't expect to be able to see it from the museum!  It was really foggy the day we were there, but we got a few views of the bridge!  Hopefully I'll see more next time!


°o° Stop Motion Video of Orange Bird
Eliot and I went to an Open Studio while at the Walt Disney Family Museum.  I was expecting a lecture like demonstration on how to make a character fly.  What we got to do was way better.  Eliot and I were able to design a character out of construction paper, and then use a modern version of a multi-plane camera to make the character fly!  Of course, I had to stick with a Disney character, so we made Orange Bird fly!

°o° See San Francisco
On our way to the museum, we drove directly through San Francisco.  I've been to the airport a few times but never in the actual city.  It was cool to see the houses on hills and the trolley tracks.  Hopefully we'll get to explore it more in the future!

°o° See the Sharks Win a Stanley Cup Final Game Live
As I mentioned above, the Sharks game was a huge deal.  I had so much fun.  What made it better was seeing them win their game at home live, in person!  So cool!


°o° Go to In-and-Out Burger
This is silly, but I had to add this to the list.  I've been there before, but this time I made sure to slow down and enjoy my burger.  It was delicious!


°o° Go to Eliot's High School
After Elissa's graduation, we went out to dinner and drove over to the high school to wait for her project graduation to start.  While waiting, Elissa and Eliot gave me a tour of the building.  I saw Eliot's class mural and Elissa showed us all of the construction projects they're working on over the summer.

°o° Shopping Trip to the Sharks Store at SAP Center
This probably sounds silly, but when your hockey team makes their first appearance in the finals, you buy all the things.  Ok, not all of the things, but Eliot and I made sure to get Stanley Cup Finals shirts, patches and pucks.  I also got a new Sharks jersey!


°o° Goofy's Kitchen
I've always wanted to try Goofy's Kitchen so this trip we finally did it!  Eliot, Sara, Elissa and I decided to have a kids breakfast Wednesday morning.  It was a blast.  Not only did they have awesome breakfast food, but there was macaroni and cheese, pizza, and dessert!  Sara and I were happy with the cake pops.  I'd definitely go there again!


°o° See the Lilly Belle
I was so excited to see the inside of the Lilly Belle!  Since the trains aren't running, you could get close and take pictures.  You could also talk to the conductors!


°o° Sit Inside the Train Engine
I also got to sit inside the train engine with the conductor!  There's a little seat that drops down so Eliot and I took turns in the front!  It was really cool.


°o° Sing Happy Birthday to Donald
Eliot was pretty excited to celebrate his birthday with Donald on Thursday.  A ton of people were waiting to take photos with him.  Since there was such a large crowd, one of the cast members told us we were going to sing Happy Birthday when he came back out.  It was so cool.  There was a huge crowd there singing and Donald loved it.  Then, we got in line so the birthday boys could get a photo together!


°o° Minnie Mouse Hand Picked Me
The day Eliot and I dressed up as Diamond Celebration Mickey and Minnie, I got an extra special treat!  We waited for the characters after Mickey's March Along, and I waved and said hi to Minnie when she finally came out.  She noticed me, and our matching outfits.  (That's when everyone around us realized the significance of my wardrobe selection.)  The next thing I knew, Minnie grabbed my hand and whisked me away with me following behind her to her photo spot!  It all happened so fast Eliot didn't even get a chance to take pictures.  We were first in line to get pictures with her.  And she made a big deal of our matching outfits and my custom ear hat.  It was priceless.

Eliot and I had an incredible trip and I'm happy with our bucket list results!  I'll be sure to post more photos and go into each day (and event) in more detail when I can!  °o°

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

Today, my family is headed to IKEA to get some more furniture for Eliot's and my new house.  We're also visiting Jeremy in New Hampshire and having a quick Father's Day celebration last night and this morning since we won't see Dad tomorrow.


Since today is Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary, I thought I'd quickly share a few flashback photos from my parents' wedding day!  My senior year of college, Mom and Dad celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and I scanned all the photos I could find.  I then used them to create a slideshow for the surprise party we threw them.


Nana made my Mom's wedding dress.  She also made most of the the bridesmaids' dresses!  Pictured below are my Mom and Dad with Nana and Papa.  (Mom's parents.)


Here's Mom and Dad with my Grammie and Grampie.  (My Dad's parents.)


And here's my Mom and Dad at their reception!


Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!  I hope you have a great day!  We love you!  °o°

Friday, June 17, 2016

Fun Find: Grand Opening of Shanghai Disney Resort

Hi friends!  It's time for another fun find Friday!  Today, we're traveling across the world to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Shanghai Disney Resort!  The newest Disney park officially opened it's gates to guests yesterday, June 16th.

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To celebrate, Disney aired a television special called the "Grand Opening Celebration of Shanghai Disney Resort" last night at 8:00 pm on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD, as well as each channel's App.  The television special was narrated by Sofia Carson- who plays "Evie" in Disney's Descendants.  

The show consisted of a concert with classic Disney music, acrobats, fireworks, a large choir and projections on the enormous Enchanted Storybook Castle.  It also featured new music created especially for Shanghai Disney Resort.


Above is a video with a few highlights from the opening concert.  If you missed the full television special last night, don't worry!  It's airing one more time tonight, June 17th, at 10:00 pm on Freeform (formerly ABC Family).


Disney also released a video of the concert without narration on their Youtube channel.


I'm glad Disney did something to formally celebrate the opening of the newest park, although I was expecting a television special more like the Christmas Parade where it's like one giant advertisement for the parks.  I'm really hoping they'll add some footage of the park and attractions during this years' Christmas Parade.  I'd love to see more of the rides!  What I've seen so far is incredible!

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What do you think of the newest Disney park?  I don't know about you, but going to the Shanghai Disney Resort someday is definitely on my Disney Bucket List. °o°

Thursday, June 16, 2016

To Orlando, With Love

Orlando, it's been a really rough week hasn't it?  I've sat down to write this so many times, but I couldn't seem to find the words to describe the events of the past few days.

Heartbroken.  I think that's the only word that really matters.

We heard about the shooting of Voice signer Christina Grimmie when Sara and Elissa were watching the news one night.  We later found out she passed away from those wounds.  I couldn't imagine how someone could end the life of someone so talented.  I don't watch the Voice and I didn't follow Christina, but I was still saddened and upset by the loss of a young person with so much more potential and more dreams to fulfill.

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Unfortunately, the sad news didn't end there.  I was the first one of us to learn of the Orlando nightclub shooting since I woke up really early Sunday morning.  I started playing on my phone when I saw the news on Facebook.  A few hours later, the death toll climbed from 20 to 49.  I was sickened at the very thought.  Honestly, I still can't wrap my head around it.  49 people died for no reason.  49 lives were cut short.  49 stories ended abruptly.  How could this happen?  What's happened to humanity?

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I think of Orlando as the home of my happy place.  To me, Walt Disney World has always been a place filled with laughter, fun, happy memories and most importantly, love.  I spent our last day at Disneyland with my heart, thoughts and prayers over in Orlando.  Our little "Disney bubble" had shattered a bit.  We might be across the country, but you could still feel the sadness and sorrow.

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A few days later, as I was slowly trying to come to terms with what happened at the nightclub, a two year old boy lost his life to an alligator at my happy place.  Walt Disney World turned into a place of nightmares as rescuers did everything they could to try to find him.  The story did not have a happy ending; although, I am incredibly thankful that rescuers were able to find his body so the family can have some closure.

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My heart aches for the parents and sister of the little boy.  I'm also heartbroken for Christina Grimmie's family, friends and fans.  My heart breaks for the family and friends of the victims of the nightclub shooting, as well as the entire LGBT community.

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Sometimes, I really wonder about humanity and where our world is headed.  Things like this make me question humanity as a whole.  But there are always good stories to come out of the bad ones.  I still believe that good will always outnumber evil.  "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me 'Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.'" -Fred Rogers

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Orlando has pulled together just as Paris, Boston, New York, and other communities have in the aftermath of horrific events.  I'm especially impressed with the theme park industry.  This must be an incredibly hard time for them.  Still, the staff, cast members, performers and characters have all banded together in a show of love and support.

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And I think that's what life's all about.  Kindness, love and laughter create happily ever after.  The world already has too much hate in it.  I think we need to spread more love.

Stay strong Orlando.  Know that my thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

"How do you spell love?" -Piglet  
"You don't spell it... you feel it." -Pooh (-A.A. Milne)  °o°

(Note: The Disney cast member photos were all shared here.  They're from different people but they've been shared so much I couldn't find all of the original sources.)