Hey...are you 23?

Who remembers those mysterious ads? Julia remembers them clearly because she was 23 at the time of the launch of Disney's first official fan club, no need to do the math and ask how old she is now. Have you been counting down the days to the 2015 D23 Expo since the end of the 2013 D23 Expo? We are a week away people, and this is no time to panic...or maybe it's the perfect time to panic. If you're anything like us, you've had a checklist growing since the trip home from Anaheim two years ago and we've got a few tips to share.

While the complete schedule won't be finalized until we have the event guide in our hands (and even then it's subject to change), that doesn't mean you can't start planning months (or years) before. Take into consideration what you're going to wear. Are you going for some hardcore cosplay or the more subtle DisneyBound?  Are you dressing up for just one day or all three days?  Putting together your outfit could take some time, so start that process ASAP. You will need your remaining sanity for the upcoming grind of a busy Expo schedule.

One thing we learned from past expos is that you collect a lot of ephemera - free, purchased or otherwise, you are coming home with more than you went with. We quickly realized that a poster tube would be helpful - to keep all those items crease free.  Another good item to have on your person at all times is an autograph book. While most autograph sessions have rules about what can be signed, we both have an emergency autograph kit, you just never know who you'll run into on the show floor. It probably won't be Johnny Depp, but a girl can dream.

Haul from the 2013 D23 Expo.

Maybe the autographs are not a draw for you and you are most excited about the various presentations that will be offered. We must caution you to not be blindly drawn to the big arena events, these can hijack your day and make it hard to do anything else. We are huge fans of John Lasseter, but the man just will not stick to the script and keep a presentation on time! Use the StagePass service that was introduced at the last Expo. Same idea as a FastPass in the parks, cuts down on wait times. On the same note, if you miss out on a StagePass don't hesitate to get in the standby line if it's a presentation you had your heart set on, there's still a good chance you will get in.

We also highly recommend bringing your own snacks and entertainment. It has been our experience that the food options at the convention center are limited and if it's a sold out day can even become non-existent. Having food in your bag can be a lifesaver as it is easy to go from hungry to hangry in no time flat at events like this. Our favorite snack is a bean and cheese burrito from Rubio's. They keep well, are easy to eat, and best of all, they're delicious. We know the official rules say no outside food, but we've never had a problem.

After a long but inspiring day, be sure to grab a beverage at a local podcast meetup (Mousetalgia is meeting Saturday at 8pm), make a new Disney friend, and get ready to repeat. You can never have too much energy stored up for Disney's D23 Expo.

The DBFF's at the 2013 Mousetalgia pre-expo meet

Hey...do you have any more glitter?

This blog post is brought to you by: Pinterest. Ok, not really, but some of our crafts ideas are!  

We’re in between Disneyland trips right now so what better way to spend that “down” time? By working on crafts, Disney crafts, of course. Now each of us is guilty of “pinning” several craft ideas on Pinterest and then completely forgetting about them. However, today is the day we actually tried a few (of the hundreds) we've pinned, there’s only so many hours in the day!

Now before you head to any Disney Park, ears are a must. Well, at least for some of us they are. These ears will take a little practice to get Mickey’s full approval, but we hope you’ll enjoy them for now. This project took a little bit of searching to find just the right tutorial, but this one is very easy to follow. Foam board is used for the ear frame and we suggest cutting this with a hot knife (also handy for cutting craft pumpkins). You can find this in the wood area of your local craft store. We also put all that scrap fabric squirreled away in the back of the closet to good use. We decided to create custom ears to show love for our favorite local sports teams.

Not into ears?  How about a hair bow? Between the two of us, we have our fair share of Disney inspired hair bows - both store bought and handmade. The ones we've personally created are among our favorites and decided it was time to put our creativity to the test again.

There are several different tutorials on the Internet. Do your homework, read a few articles and watch a couple of videos to get the feel of what's involved. Here’s a good beginner video on how to make bows. It’s not hard so don’t be intimidated - it’s only ribbon and glue! Julia made a beautiful Sleeping Beauty bow and Tina concentrated on Daisy Duck and Sofia the First bows (in preparation for the upcoming D23 Expo). We also threw in a bow inspired by Disneyland’s 60th anniversary, for good measure.

You will have plenty of ribbon to make more than one bow, so if you're not satisfied the first time, try again. As you can see with the Daisy and Sofia bows, the same solid purple ribbon was used. Before you know it, your ribbon supply will be so abundant, you won’t always have to go out and buy more ribbon.  Oh, who are we kidding, of course you’re going to buy more ribbon.  There’s a lot of cute stuff out there!

The first step we always start with is picking a character model. From there, look for identifiable features that will make your bow instantly recognizable. Once you've got an idea, it can help to get it down on paper. Whatever your drawing skills may be, working out the design beforehand makes the bow making much easier.

Here are your basic supplies for making a hair bow:

• Ribbon (various widths are nice to have and add dimension to the overall design)
• Hair clips (we lined ours with ribbon for a nice finished look.  Some tutorials use a piece of shelf liner to help hold the barrette in your hair - the stuff that doesn’t allow your dishes to slide. We mainly use the French barrette clips and alligator clips with teeth so they stay in place)
• Glue gun (careful, it’s hot!)
• Needle and thread (careful, it's sharp!)
• Embellishments (to add a finishing touch, such as the rhinestone used in the 60th Anniversary barrette)
• Lighter (why you ask? To seal the end of the ribbon and avoid unsightly fraying. A quick, and we mean quick, swipe over the flame will do the trick and not scorch the ribbon)

So now that you’re a pro at making bows and you have more than any normal head can handle at one time, how are you going to display your creations? Why, make a bow frame, of course!  Except for the frame, we already had everything on hand which, once again, allowed us to keep the cost down. This also taught us an important lesson, keep all your craft supplies - you never know when you will need something until you need it!

Here’s what we used:

• Frame (Large enough to fit your needs. We used a collage frame that was 16"x20")
• Paint & varnish
• Ribbon
• Staple gun

Once we gathered our materials, we applied a couple of coats of paint onto the frame and then finished it off with the varnish. Once that was all dried, we used a staple gun to secure the ribbon to the back of the frame.

**Pro Tip: Stretch your ribbon as tight as you can as it will loosen up over time; and don’t cut it until after you have stapled it to the frame. Trust me, this will save you a lot of frustration. Also, overlap the ends of the ribbon before stapling as it adds a bit of stability to the ribbon and it won’t fray.**

Still have your paint out? Well then let’s use it on our next craft - character clay pots. These were just too cute to pass up when scrolling through Pinterest. Best of all, this craft only cost 78 cents per pot. Hmmm, there seems to be a theme here, inexpensive Disney crafts!

 

Now we didn’t tape anything off or create a guide, we basically dove right in. On most of the pots, we sealed them first, except for one. Whether it was a necessary initial step we can't say for sure, but we did it anyway. On the unsealed pot, we used non-flat paint and it took several coats for full coverage. Please note, these pots are going to be used indoors, so we didn’t use outdoor acrylic paint, but that's another option depending on your needs.

We suggest buying flat paint because the gloss and satin paints required multiple coats causing some frustration. If you want that high-gloss finish, the varnish will take care of that at the end. Also, use a quality paintbrush. The ones we had accumulated over the years were cheap, real cheap, and we ended up having the bristles from the brush come off and stick to the project, not the best look.

Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

• Clay pots (find at a home improvement store)
• Paint & brushes (you can find paint anywhere from 50 cents (not to be confused with the rapper) to $1.50)
• Sealer (optional)
• Varnish (pick your finish, we used high gloss)
  

  
  

And now for the grand finale!  As Annual Passholders to the Happiest Place on Earth, we always have a trip planned, so what better way to look forward to that day than with a countdown? Again, there are several countdown ideas out there, so look around and find the one that suits your needs and fits your style.

The best part of crafting is starting off with an idea and it evolving into something else entirely. Julia started hers off one way and her final product came out great and much different than the inspiration! Tina had some Disney scrapbook materials laying around collecting dust and finally put them to good use. We chose a picture frame to our liking and made sure that it had a glass panel - this is needed for writing the actual days on the countdown. By using a dry erase marker on the glass, you just wipe it off and update your countdown! We look forward to updating ours on a daily basis, as in first thing in the morning...that's normal, right?

This project doesn't take too many supplies and can be completely customized, but you will need these things:

• Frame
• Scrapbook supplies
• Dry erase marker

**Pro Tip:  Most craft stores have an App that you can download on your phone that will have coupons - like 40% off coupons. Download them before you leave to make it easier on yourself (also, log in to the app before you leave). Some you have to create a free account before getting the coupons.  By doing this at home, you won’t hold up the line once you get to the store. Or, you could be retro cool and cut coupons! Either way, be prepared.**

Well, that's all we created this time around. When you get the crafting fever it just takes over sometimes. Because, let’s face it, any craft can become a Disney craft with a little pixie dust...or glitter. We have more craft days scheduled soon, and we have something a little more sinister in the works for next time.

Hurry baaaack!

Hey...will you sign my chili?

Perhaps you eagerly awaited the release of Tomorrowland, like so many optimists, since the 2013 D23 Expo when Brad Bird and Damon Lindeloff revealed the mysterious 1952 box that teased the film. Two long years later, D23 again offered its members another glimpse into the world of the future at the world premiere of the movie. Billed as a chance to view the celebrities arrive for the movie screening along the special red - actually, make that blue - carpet, a handful of D23 members were allowed an even more special experience than what was promised.

With confirmation in hand, it was time to think about what unique things to bring to the carpet on the good chance some autograph collecting was a possibility. At this point, we’d like to introduce another DBFF, Jeff Baham (of DoomBuggies and Mousetalgia fame), to the blog [pause for fanfare]. Without a doubt, Jeff brought with him the most memorable piece of memorabilia to get signed - a can of chili. This was no ordinary can of chili, rather it’s the kind of chili made with a dash of hope.

"It's Optimist chili," Jeff explained. "In the months leading up to the 2013 D23 Expo, Disney started an 'Alternate Reality Game' revolving around the secret society found in the Tomorrowland movie. Part of the game involved taking participants throughout Los Angeles to some of Walt Disney's personal haunts. One of those places is a hole-in-the-wall chili joint called 'Chili John's,' and by going there (back in 2013) and saying a code word, you were handed a very special can of chili. Chili with the word 'optimism' right in the ingredients list." So while most of the people along the carpet brought photos and posters, Jeff showed up with his can of chili in hand.

Taking place smack dab in the middle of another big event being held in the Disneyland Resort’s immediate area (the Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend), the stars ascended on the blue carpet in the very crowded and busy Downtown Disney shopping area, which contains the AMC Theatres that were hosting the premiere. While space to stand along the carpet was open to the public, a few lucky D23 members were provided access to a special and less crowded section along the carpet with great views of the stars and enough elbow room for everyone to see what was happening. D23 members were also surprised with all-access passes to the world premiere of the movie and its associated perks.

These perks included: a star-studded screening of the movie (as in a hobnobbing with the stars we had just seen on the blue carpet) and entrance into the private after party at Disneyland (in Tomorrowland, of course). With a flash of our special lanyards, we were directed behind the hedges that were blocking Tomorrowland from the general public. We gathered there with other guests, awaiting the arrival of the real VIPs of the night - George Clooney and Amal, who arrived effortlessly cool riding in  the nose cone of the Monorail.

It’s always special to have breathing room at Disneyland, but to basically have a whole land to yourself is amazing. The only wait to get on Space Mountain was the length of time it took to walk through the queue - and an empty train is what awaited at the other end. Desserts of every flavor and shape were in plentiful supply; some even looked too fancy to eat. D23 has offered some great events in the past, but this was on a whole other level.

It was a magical night to be sure - made even moreso by the fact that Jeff did get his chili signed. Both by the director, Brad Bird, and Clooney himself, not to mention the ever optimistic Bob Gurr. Now as for the movie itself - if it's still playing near you, go see it before it's gone. There's no real way to describe this movie, not without major spoilers. However, if you're a dreamer, or even just optimistic - there's a good chance you'll love it.

Hey...you can't tell me that wasn't big fun

Maybe this isn't true for you, but when Disneyland announces special events there are a range of thoughts we go through. First, why can't Disneyland be closer? That six to seven hour drive makes it hard to just take off and go to the park at a moment's notice. Second, well...if we fly we would make it in plenty of time and flights are only $77 (assuming you are ahead of the two week window) - that's doable. Third, let's just check on hotels.....holy crow, the Candy Cane Inn has a room for $102 a night and somehow we just booked it. Fourth, we already have our park ticket - and we really need to use it to justify the cost of having an Annual Pass. So really, it all just spirals in to how can we afford NOT to go?
  

At this point, we should mention this is what we went through planning our 24-hour trip to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Indiana Jones Adventure ride at Disneyland park. That's right, twenty years...how can that be possible? In recognition, Disneyland offered two nights of Annual Passholder after-hours parties. Both evenings included select rides to remain operating, a late-night Fantasmic! showing, live entertainment, and a very special panel discussion with Tony Baxter.

We booked our flights, packed our bags, and headed down to Disneyland for this exclusive event. We won't go into too much detail about the panel discussion because you can hear all about it on our favorite podcast Mousetalgia, but we will offer some solid advice: anytime you have the opportunity to listen to a Disney Legend, do it! Also, next time you ride Indy, look for the thousand regular sized snakes in the snake room. Bet you never even knew those existed.

The night was more crowded than we would have hoped for, but we closed the park down! How often can you get a picture in front of the iconic Mickey Mouse floral arrangement without being jostled by frantic park goers? That in itself made the night magical. Advance registration was required for the event, but the AP attendees to that day's other special Annual Passholder event, Wednesdays with Walt, were invited to the party as well. We aren't sure if this is because the party was not full, or if they just wanted to create some extra magic for their guests - maybe both.

We experienced some extra pixie dust along the way as well. At the beginning of the party, while this was not officially part of it but rather a happy coincidence, the stars of the new live-action Cinderella turned up for a photo shoot in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Another tip: if you see the makings of a photo shoot or taping popping up stick around, you never know who will show up! Seeing the stars in person only enhanced our excitement for the advance D23 screening we would be attending the next week.

Possibly the most memorable moment of the night was having the Haunted Mansion to ourselves - which raises the creep factor by about a billion. With no other people around you can hear every noise and whisper, which gives you a deeper appreciation for this spooktacular dark ride. As we took our time making our way to a doom buggy, Tina took some great pictures along the way. We even got to check off a Disneyland bucket list item: riding the entire Haunted Mansion track. We asked the Cast Member as we boarded if we could stay on for a second loop and she kindly agreed.

The whirlwind was definitely worth the effort and it was a nice change to visit the park during the "off" season and mid-week to boot. Thanks Disneyland for letting us join in celebrating this amazing attraction. Happy birthday Indy!

Hey...is that a twerking troll doll?

Heeeere's Mickey!

As we are sure you can tell from the title, we went to Disney on Ice! The DBFFs with family and friends attended a Sunday afternoon performance of Let's Celebrate! at the SAP Center in San Jose. We took a musical tour of the holidays with Mickey and friends - and some unexpected guest stars as well.

The show as a whole was enjoyable, especially seeing how engrossed the kids in our group were with the performance, but left the adults feeling unimpressed. The lack of segues made for a long continuous string of segments that didn't flow and turned nonsensical when Mickey's transport gadget (the name of which was so ridiculous it is not worth remembering) was introduced in the second act as a means of moving between holidays. 

Three holidays in particular got long features and had the grandest production: Halloween, Valentine's Day, and Christmas. Of the three, Halloween was by far the stand out and featured the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington with some party crashing villains. Though Jack did fall at one point (which was not an isolated incident, but hey this wasn't the Olympics), this piece was the most fun and animated of the whole show - not to mention truest to the original music of the movie.

This is Halloween!

 Valentine's Day was all about true love and included remixed versions of classic songs from the best loved princess films...and Mulan. Sorry, but Mulan is not a princess and the fact that she was featured in this segment, as well as Chinese Lunar New Year, and Princess Aurora was no where to be found was a sticking point for one of us (Julia, it was not ok with Julia). The song "How Does She Know" from Enchanted tied the segment together as one classic Disney song after another was strangely remixed...no one needs to hear the R&B version of "So This is Love" from Cinderella used in this show...no one. We agreed it would've been more fun if they used "How Does She Know" for the whole segment.

Mulan is maybe wondering why she was in the segment with all the princesses too.

Which brings us to Christmas. The finale. The biggest celebration of all. Which did not have a traditional Santa, but instead brought out the gang from Toy Story, including a random troll doll. This troll completely distracted from the rest of the segment and was so strangely awesome and terrifying at the same time it was breathtaking. The show culminated in a magical snow fall courtesy of Tinker Bell while all the Disney characters came together once again to send off the show, while the random troll doll twerked its way off the ice...is there any better way to celebrate?

Even Mickey was skeptical of the troll doll!

Kids loved the show in a big way. The two year old princess we brought was glued to the ice the entire time - she didn't blink once. We have plans in place to go see the Frozen on ice show when it skates in to the SAP center this time next year - pre-sale code “DAZZLE” is active until March 10th, if you’re interested. Also, purchase of the show’s program comes with a pair of Mickey ears - both for the price of $20. However, it is worth mentioning these ears are of a more masculine design, which was a sticking point for one of us (Tina, it was not ok with Tina). The show knows its target audience and delivers for them, which is what made the experience a good one for everyone attending.

Hey, Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Why yes, yes we do.  In fact, we did…at Disney California Adventure!  We made our first Disneyland trip of the year in January and it was a fun filled busy trip, with Frozen Fun being at the top of our to do list (everyone takes a to do list to Disneyland right....right?).  We experienced snow in 70 degree weather, got a warm hug, learned how to draw a Marshmallow, and had enough time to sit down and hear a good story while singing songs completely out of tune. Whew, what a whirlwind.

Stage 17 has been transformed into Olaf's Snow Fest

First things first, California Adventure is hosting Frozen Fun now through May and, as you probably guessed, highlights a little-known movie called: Frozen. Are you on Frozen overload?  Perhaps these attractions are not your cup of hot cocoa, but we recommend giving it a try before completely dismissing it. Just follow the giant snowflakes to Hollywood Land and you will find several different experiences and attractions to keep the whole family excited.

The main attraction is in Stage 17 (remember Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? - yeah, pretty sure that’s the last time we were in this building) with Olaf's Snow Fest - which is pretty awesome.  When you enter the building you are instantly transported into the castle courtyard of Arendelle. Snacks are offered at Arendelle’s Warmer Uppers, musical entertainment with live performers set the mood, and a courtyard of snow all welcome visitors to come and play. There is also a small sledding hill where you can race your friends and family at high speeds down the snow - just kidding, it’s not very fast but it is fun and we did it more than once. Here is also where you can get your first glimpse of everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf!

We like warm hugs

Not surprisingly, Olaf attracts a huge crowd. The line was consistently two hours long - which kept us out of it for most of our trip. On the last morning of our stay we were finally able to make it to the park for rope drop and meet Olaf first thing - which is really the only way we were going to get this done. The snow was still fresh under our feet when our pager went off and it was our turn to meet the summer lovin’ snowman. Seriously, it took us fifteen minutes to get through the character meet and greet and we could not have been more thrilled. What is great about this kind of meet and greet is you really get a good amount of time to spend with Olaf. There was time for hugs, autographs, and selfies - all the while having the cast member snap candid shots of the experience. In the end, Olaf’s Snow Fest left us feeling all warm and fuzzy.

No Muppets here

Next door is the Crown Jewel Theatre (aka Muppets Theater), where For the First Time in Forever:  A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration is playing. Make sure to pick up fastpasses for the show because there is no standby line. While we waited for our show time, we headed over to the Animation Building.  This is where you can meet and greet Anna and Elsa (again a long line kept us away) but we headed over to the Animation Academy to learn how to draw some very special snowmen. During Frozen Fun you have two characters to choose from: Marshmallow and Olaf. This time around we learned how to draw Marshmallow, which is what we were hoping for because we have learned to draw Olaf as he had already been added to the regular rotation of characters.  The Animation Academy is a favorite attraction of ours and is something that we do pretty much every time we come to the parks. We do not claim to be artists, so if our sketches resemble the character we’re happy.

Marshmallow sketch

Once Marshmallow became part of our portfolios, it was time for our fastpasses and we headed back to The Crown Jewel Theater. The Muppets Theater has been completely redecorated to resemble the inside of a beautiful theater built for a queen. The Sing-Along is the Frozen story being told by two Storytellers, clips from the movie and Frozen characters appear on stage.  There’s even a snowdusting during the finale. Basically, it is a condensed version of the movie taking out all the dialog and leaving only the songs. We definitely had our diva moments and Let It Go while we belted out the words with Elsa right on stage. When we exited the theater, dusk was falling and Freeze the Night was in full swing.

Freezing the Night and carving some ice

Freeze the Night is the new family friendly dance party that has become all the rage for Disney California Adventure nights. We did not find the party to be as high energy as the Mad T Party, but it was fun and got our toes tapping. We watched the ice carvers while a live dance troupe hyped up the crowd. Our favorite aspect of the party was the Marshmallow photo op - and as you can see, we had a little fun with our picture.

All in all, Frozen Fun is a great addition to the park - especially during this time of the year when there are a lot of closures after the high-traffic holidays.

Hey marshmallow lady!

As mentioned before, we love a good race. 5K, 10K, or the occasional half marathon - whatever the case may be - between the two of us we have completed all these distances. We like to try out new races, especially ones that have a unique aspect - or awesome swag…yeah, we like the goodies too. Don’t get us wrong, the physical accomplishment of completing these races is also a major plus. Getting a personal record is amazing and always gives us a goal to work towards, but a well designed race shirt or a fun medal is really what gets us to spend our money. Does that make us serious runners? Maybe not, but hey - we’re out there doing it and that’s all that matters!

Team Agent P excitedly waiting for the 2012 Cars Land Rally 5K to begin.

The first race we ever completed was the 2012 Cars Land Rally 5K at Disneyland and we have not stopped running since. In 2013, (which we dubbed the year of the 5K) we completed at least one 5K every month - not the cheapest of hobbies, but that’s neither here nor there. One of our favorite races is the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K held in San Francisco every January, in the beautiful Golden Gate Park. This race is becoming a yearly tradition of ours. 

Each time we’ve participated in this race we have come away feeling the same way and bestowing the highest possible compliment we can give: it feels like Disney hosted the event. Well organized and executed, the Hot Chocolate race is great for beginners and seasoned pros. The one aspect of the race we have not quite mastered (which is our bad and not the race organizers’) is our timing for arriving at the event. The first year we were too early and this year we barely made it by the skin of our teeth - hopefully we will find the middle ground with next year’s race.

Highlights include: a scenic course, chocolate chip stops in addition to the water stops, a chocolate fondue finishers cup, and a fantastic jacket to wear with pride. Even with all the chocolate around, the runaway hit of the day was Tina’s hat - seriously, everyone was taken with it. The idea for this hat sparked from one of our daily chats and the result was adorable. In keeping with the chocolate theme and the craft marshmallows she had laying around (because who doesn't have these laying around?), Tina transformed a brown beanie into a cup of hot chocolate. Because of her hat, she was named the marshmallow lady by several passersby who recognized her from the course. This hat is what we try to bring to the races we run - just a little added whimsy.

Maybe we will see you out there on the course sporting your own marshmallow beanie. ‘Till then we raise a cup of hot chocolate to you! 

Enjoy the sights of the Hot Chocolate Race. Fact: bottom left picture was taken seconds after we decided to start a blog.