Magical Memories created in the park!

THe next few posts will be about the following:

In mid-October, I was relieved to see Adam, Ann and Mack come visit me for a week. I was even more relieved when I got all of the days off from work! Luckily, they stayed in a motel less than a mile away from the park and pretty much everywhere we needed to be was coincidentally close for us to go.

When they first got here( safely landing in SNA aka John Wayne Airport), I ran up to Adam and gave him the biggest hug I could! (Then Ann got one too!) We then headed up to my room and I introduced my roomies. (Where is Mack you wonder? Well, Ann, being in her travel mode, forgot a bag back at home, so Mack drove back to get it and took a later flight in to LAX). Then we headed to LAX using my GPS. After awhile of driving in the dark scary back roads (my GPS took us there), we switched over to Adam’s GPS and finally made it to the airport to pick up Mack. We quickly picked him up and we stopped by In-n-out burger for some awesome fries! Then we checked into our motel and got some rest for the next 5 days filled with fun!

Look to my right and there’s the Hollywood sign!

 

“This is all so crazy! Everybody’s seems so famous!” So me and my good friend Steph decided to head up to the “Hollywood walk of Fame” on Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, CA! (Original idea was the beach but it was cloudy and cold.) We went to Panera Bread (yes, I miss it!) and then we were on our way! I was so excited because I was my first time!

So we parked under the Kodak theatre (where they hold the Oscars) and we walked our way around! I found a lot of the stars I was looking for and we stopped at the Disney Soda Fountain Shop! Then we stopped in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre where they have the stars’ cement prints! We went all over that area and I actually fit quite a few hands (mine are small btw). I even fit Marilyn Monroe’s!

Then later on, we toured the “Hollywood Wax Museum” and the “Guinness World Record Museum.” The Wax Museum wasn’t as great at Madame Tussad’s and The Guinness needs to be updated; but overall they were both fun! Then we hit the Coffee Bean, got a drink and did some driving around towards Beverly Hills to see if we could see any celebrity’s houses (without the “tourist star tour” people). We drove by, L. A. Ink, and a few other houses (but we couldn’t remember the names).

Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King!

“In this town, we call home, everyone hail to the Pumpkin Song!”

I made another one of my dreams come true… I met Jack Skellington and Sally! It was so exciting and nerve wrecking! Katie ventured with me over to New Orleans square where the Haunted Mansion Holiday is and Jack and Sally! We just missed a set, so to pass the time; we went on the attraction (which only had a 13 minute wait time ironically). Katie was really scared, like squeezing my hand the whole time, but actually turned out to enjoy it in the end. Then when we came out, we got in line and waited…

Awaiting to meet them!

Then the time came and I walked up to them and was like “HI!” Ya, I was totally speechless! I got them to sign my ears and all the while they talked about when Sally sewed Jack’s Sandy Claws’s outfit for when he took over Christmas.

He agreed that in the end, he would let Sandy Claws take care of that. And Sally commented on my “Jack, Sally and Zero” earrings too! After the meet and greet, my day was pretty much a blur afterwards because I FINALLY met Jack and Sally!

So thank you Disneyland, for making some of my dreams come true!

How many wonders can a person wonder in a day?

So the college program coordinators put together special events just for College Program. It’s called Academic Field Experience (AFE). Our first one was the tour of the Animation Building, “Off the Page” in Disney California Adventure’s Hollywood Backlot. The grand finale event was called a Turtle Talk with Crush! An in-depth, private tour exclusively for College Program participants!  We attended it on September 4^th. When I mention us, I mean Rachel, Jenna, Mariana, and I.

 In order to describe our day in the best way possible, I used the information provided on the Disneyland’s website: “When you enter the circular lobby, marvel at the enormous multimedia displays and breathtaking sound system. Original character sketches appear on giant screens along with clips from the films.”        

There are 4 different sections, Animation Academy, Character Close-UP, Sorcerer’s Workshop, and Turtle Talk with Crush. We started our way into the “Character Close-Up”. In this area, we learned about the: Toy Story Zoetrope-“It is dramatically spinning in the center of the room. Instead of using traditional, one-dimensional drawings, the Toy Story Zoetrope features three-dimensional sculptures of characters from the Disney•Pixar film Toy Story 2. As large disks whirl under a flashing strobe light, the Toy Story characters appear to come to life right before your eyes.”

In the Animation Academy, “Discover the secrets of how to draw a classic Disney character from a Disney animator at Animation Academy. When the hands-on show is over, you get to take home your artwork as a souvenir.

Learn the Basics of Drawing-Fun for any age and experience level, Animation Academy provides step-by-step instruction on how to draw some of your favorite Disney characters. Learn some basic tricks and techniques to give your drawing a professional pedigree.

Disney Animation Building-Animation Academy is only one part of the Disney Animation building, where you can learn all about the art and history of Disney animation, in an interactive, hands-on environment.  We learned how to draw Goofy and Jack Skellington!

Our 3^rd stop was the: Sorcerer's Workshop, which has 3 interactive rooms:

·         Magic Mirror Realm — Enter ye into this medieval castle and learn how to create simple animation. The very walls reveal many of your favorite Disney characters beautifully arranged by theme: Fairies and Spirits, Heroes, Villains and Mentors. See if you can spot the artful astrological symbols that grace each one!

·         The Beast's Library — Find your "Disney self" in this glorious library that fades to disrepair as the Beast's famous rose loses its petals! The library repairs itself before it darkens again, its pristine draperies becoming tattered and aged. Sit at one of the royal storybooks and take a quiz to discover which of the Disney characters you are most like.

·         Ursula's Grotto — "Become" the voices of classic Disney characters in a mini-theater! Venture into the villainesses' undersea grotto and stand in each "movie pod," where you can choose to either act or sing in a famous Disney movie scene. The pod will play back the scene on 2 different projection surfaces complete with your voice! If you watch carefully, you might get a glimmer of Ursula's henchman, Flotsam and Jetsam, slithering around the room.

Finally, we got to experience:

Turtle Talk with Crush

Check it, dudes! You can totally talk to Crush in this awesome interactive encounter at the Animation Screening Room. Chill with the righteous surfer turtle from Disney·Pixar's Finding Nemo and learn mondo facts about his aquatic life as he asks you questions about being human.

And as Crush would say, “Later, dudes!”

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneys-california-adventure/animation-academy/