Epic October 2011 - Day 3

10/3:

Betsy picked me up and we headed over to the Poly. We collected our leis at the front, and met up with Shelley, Dan Braunstein, Lee Dralle, and Robbie Fenoglio to have breakfast at Kona Café! We all tried each other’s food, and I cannot tell whether I love macadamia nut pancakes or Tonga Toast more. I am undecided! It was absolutely delicious. After saying farewell to the guys, Shelley, Betsy, and I went over to wait for the ferry to the Magic Kingdom. When the ferry arrived, Betsy and I boarded while Shelley went back home.

We went on a few rides, although I cannot remember which ones. LOL. We did a lot in Fantasyland – I know we rode It’s A Small World, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Peter Pan, and Winnie the Pooh. We might have done Snow White that day as well. We then went over to Pecos Bill’s and saw Aurora (@RoraBorieAlice), James (@THATJamesMoore), and Cade (@CadelLadelSoup)!! I was thrilled to see them! We had lunch then went on The Haunted Mansion. I had never seen the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It parade, so we went on Main Street to watch it. Jay Griffith and Melissa McCrady joined us to watch it. I LOVED IT!!!! That is definitely my favorite parade there. Aurora and I went out and danced with the characters. Mickey Mouse made me cry at one point…as the floats were leaving the area, he looked at me and Rora and placed his hands on his heart in an “I love you” sort of way. I melted!! I will love Rora forever for capturing that!

Afterwards, we left MK. The six of us squished in Betsy’s car to head to Shelley’s house! First we made a stop at Publix. Yay! I wish we had this chain in New York. It would make my life a lot better. Actually, being in Florida itself would make my life a lot better. ANYWAY. When we got to Shelley’s house, she, Dave, Zoe, and Shane were all there. The Carans’ house is absolutely beautiful, by the way. Wow. After a short while, the Perlmutters arrived equipped with their adorable dog, Jasper! I loved seeing him and giving him his treats. J

As we were eating dinner, someone else arrived. Who appears at the door then, but Tom Chiodo (@idetestyou). He looks at me and goes, “You ARE here!” The picture below came next, followed by him pushing me across the room.

Troublemakers at work ... Tom and me

We all watched wrestling and laughed a lot. I had a ton of fun. It was great to spend time with people I consider true family.

Epic October 2011 - Day 2

10/2:

Around 10am, I strolled over to Downtown Disney. I went all major shopaholic at The World of Disney. Whenever I walk into that store, I always feel like I’m about to hyperventilate. I kept myself from doing so, and calmly walked around. Amazingly, I only bought two items – a lovely navy blue WDW 1971 canvas purse, and a Rafiki stuffed animal for my brother. J I also went to the pin trading booth and bought a mess of pins. My hands were so full of pins, that I believe I frightened the poor Cast Member.

At about 11am, I walked to the other end of DTD (not realizing at this point that they had a water taxi…sigh) to meet my Uncle Don! We had lunch at Earl of Sandwich, and I convinced him to get the holiday sandwich, which he loved. We then went to Ghiradelli and sat outside, eating our ice cream. We spent the next three hours, strolling in and out of stores and catching up. As I was making many purchases, he was teasing me on how I would be the reason that Disney will run out of merchandise. LOL.

He walked me back to my hotel around 2-2:30pm and we parted ways there. Saying goodbye to him is always tough for me. He is not a man who displays affection often, and when he looked away to say “I love you”, that made my heart break a little. When he did that, my eyes filled with tears and I pretty much ran into the elevator. I’m a big softie and I was NOT about to cry on only my second day of the vacation!!

After changing into my Halloween costume, which was Holly Golightly (played by Audrey Hepburn) from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Betsy picked me up around 4:30pm and we drove to the Polynesian Resort. From there, we took the ferry over to the Magic Kingdom. I honestly do not remember what happened in order of how they happened…everything in my brain comes in flashes from that night. I recall heading over to the Space Mountain exit, where Jen (@Dizneydreamer) and Angie (@Minnie_Moose) were. Jen gave me a tackle hug J The four of us were going to ride the Peoplemover (which Jen appropriately re-named the Hussymover), but it broke down, so we went on Buzz Lightyear. I did much better than last time, thanks to Betsy’s assistance.

Let’s see. I know that Jen and Angie took off for a while, which is when we met up with Scott and Peggi. And of course, during all of the events that took place, we were trick-or-treating. At one point, we spotted Colin (@ParadisePeer) and Chip Buchanan, Angi @Angi_Basl) and Bob (@Bob_Basl) Basl. We all decided to go on Space Mountain, and on the way, Jeff Chaney (@jeff_chaney) and Dave Dunkowski (@soarin247) met up with us to ride. They are all such fun, warm-hearted people. I loved having the chance to hang out with them for a while. Betsy, Jeff, and I were in one car and being all brave like I am (not), I said “Let’s wave our hands in the air like we just don’t care!” The picture proves otherwise, as I’m hanging on for dear life, while Betsy & Jeff are throwing the deuces. That was a shameful moment for me. LOL.

Betsy and I stopped by the Be Our Guest podcast meet to say hi to everyone! I got to meet Mike Rahlmann (@BeOurGuestMike), Rikki Niblett (@RikkiNibs), Pam Forrester (@TMFLTPam), Nichole Willis (@nicwillis007), Joanne Griffith (@griffijm), Kayla Lopez (@DisneySoprano), Erin Daniels (@EODaniels), Steve Hood (@DisneyChief), and Lissa McCrady (@LissaLuvsWDW). A bunch of incredible people! Everyone was so kind and it was such a pleasure meeting them all. There were a few group photos taken as well, which was fun. J Also at the meet, I was happy to see Sarah (@Duchess_99) and Barry (@KrazieEyes) McGovern, who I met in NYC this past July. I also met Ricardo Rodriguez (@RJRRodriguez) and Amanda Tinney (@amandatinney). This was another day that my mind was blown from the massive amount of people I met!

After we hung out with them a bit, Betsy and I rode Pirates. She yelled at me that I had better put my arms in the air on this one. I did. J We met Cliff Wu (@bigreddog3109) at the exit. I can’t believe I finally met him! He is a great friend. We talked with him a while, then Betsy and I met up with Jen and Angie again to watch Hallowishes together. Scott and Peggi joined us too! This was the first time I had ever seen Hallowishes and I absolutely loved it. The music is incredible, and the fireworks themselves are out of this world. When it ended, I got to meet Jim Garth (@JimGarth)!! Finally!!

After Wishes, Betsy and I went on The Haunted Mansion, then realized we were cutting it close to the Boo To You Parade. So we held hands and flew through the crowds to get to Liberty Square. We sat next to a popcorn cart with Scarlett and Ben, Emily (@VeganEmily), and Dan Warren (@prd3000). Loved meeting Emily and Dan for the first time!

Me, Emily, and Dan at the Boo To You! Parade

I must add that Scarlett and Ben looked absolutely adorable in their hooded Halloween costumes!! I was a wide-eyed little girl from the moment the Headless Horseman came through, right up until the very end. I kept squealing with joy every time a float passed by. At one point, the Queen of Hearts marched over to me and threw the bottom of her dress over my head. Then one of the frightening hyenas from The Lion King tossed his face in front of mine. I love the villains! My absolute favorite part were the grave diggers from The Haunted Mansion. They scrape their shovels on the ground and sparks fly up. I gasped upon seeing that. Unexpectedly awesome!

When the parade was over, I heard “Brie?!?” Maria (@MauiMinnie702) and Brent (@MauiMickey702) Hannon spotted me and we flew into each other’s arms. It was SO wonderful seeing them! They are one of my most favorite couples in the world. J After chatting with them a while, Betsy and I headed to Main Street to watch the Villains stage show in front of the castle. Scarlett and Ben met us and we all sat on the ground to watch it. Afterwards, I got to meet Henry Work (@hwork). We laughed at our height difference, as you can see from the picture. I’m 5’1 and he….well, he isn’t.

Henry Work and me. The giant and the munchkin.

Betsy and I were heading to the Main Street Bakery when we spotted Cliff. So the three of us went and had a bite to eat. Many laughs and stories were shared…we pretty much closed the bakery that night. We may have caused some stress among the Cast Members. They probably thought we were not going to leave. Cliff had to leave then, as his flight was in a few hours. L We saw Marc Acosta (@markymarc70) and chatted with him a bit! Then we caught up with Colin again, as well as Dan Braunstein (@danbraunstein), Lee Dralle (@HerrDralle), and Robbie Fenoglio (@Caz99). The six of us decided last-minute that we were in the mood for Dole Whips. So we all met up at Captain Cook’s and had a wonderful night of laughter, lederhosen (see picture below), spontaneous combustion, and fun indulging in pizza and Dole Whips. And let me just say, for the record, that the 24-hour Dole Whip self-serve machine is one of God’s greatest gifts to man.

Me and Mr. Lee-Derhosen

On the way back to the hotel where Betsy dropped me off, we blasted music and sang along. Yet another fun, exhausting day!

Epic October 2011 - Day 1

Hey everyone! I was in Walt Disney World from 10/1-10/8 and wanted to tell you all how my vacation went. Now, I want to quickly summarize previous facts here. I decided in March that I wanted to attend Epic October. I told Betsy we spent the next tortured seven months planning, choosing, screaming, etc. I told a couple of other friends as well…for those who knew, thank you so much for keeping my secret!!! Betsy was incredibly awesome throughout the process of getting everything ready for my arrival. About two weeks before I got there, we had to tell Shalon when we came across a few obstacles in planning. She assisted in our scheming.

So this is a delayed trip report and I apologize for that. But I figured it is better late than never! Enjoy my adventures! J

10/1

I took a JetBlue plane from Newburgh International Airport to Orlando at 9am. I arrived around 12pm, and a smile broke out across my face. Simply knowing that I was about to see two of my favorite people in the world was enough to make me the happiest person in that entire airport. I took the little monorail/tram to baggage claim, and waited there for the above mentioned people. At one point when I turned around, there they were…Betsy (@floridamingo) and Shalon (@ShalonGiven)! I gave them both tackle hugs, then while waiting for my luggage which took forever to arrive on the belt, we munched on chips. But not good chips as I was hoping…they were pretty much sugared cardboard (the only negative side of JetBlue would be their snacks – they need regular potato chips). By the way, how AWESOME are Betsy and Shalon for picking me up right after their race! Woot!

We got to the parking garage and climbed into Betsy’s super comfortable car. Seriously – I was the most wide awake, happiest individual in the state of Florida and yet I could have gone right to sleep in this woman’s vehicle. Anyhow, we had a great time in her car, listening to Barbra Streisand (the song by Duck Sauce, not the actual singer herself).

We drove to Epcot. Why, you may ask? You most likely already know the answer to this, but I shall explain it in case you do not. It was to surprise the famously amazing Shelley (@shelleycaran) who had NO IDEA IN THE WORLD that I was going to be there (like most people, haha). Betsy went in first to catch up with her at the Moms Panel event in the old Odyssey building. Shalon and I went to pick up my Park Hopper, then slowly made our way over. We waited around the corner of the building. Our plan went EXACTLY as we hoped it would turn out! When Betsy brought Shelley outside, she began saying to her something along the lines of, “I have been lying to you about something that I cannot keep from you anymore. I need to tell you what has been going on.” At just about that moment, I approached from around the corner and simply said “Hi!” Shelley threw her purse on the ground, and we all began crying and hugging. We even made the Cast Member at the sign-in desk cry! My favorite part was that Shelley kept saying to me, “You are not real” to which I continually responded, “Yes I am.” I am still in shock that Betsy and I managed to pull that off! (Never again though…the suspense nearly killed us)

Surprising Shelley :)

Betsy, Shalon, me, and Shelley

After explaining to Shelley what we had been devising the last seven months, we signed in and hurried inside to the Moms Panel event. FOOD! That was such a beautiful sight to behold after those horrible cardboard chips. Quesadillas and chocolate Rice Krispie Mickey ears = all I needed. I got to see Dave, Shelley’s husband (@DavidCaran) and Zoe, their daughter, which was absolutely awesome. Right after that, I had the privilege of meeting Shelley Jones (@luvlifeinfl) and her family who are all amazing people, Jackie Gailey (@jjzmgailey), and Kristen Kirk (@DVCMom). They are all truly beautiful people and I am honored to have met them! By the way, Shelley started to slowly accept the fact that I was there. At one point while inside, she said to me, “I still hate you but I’m so glad you’re here.” J

An awesome Cast Member heard me talking to someone about Mickey ice cream bars and sandwiches, and he appeared at my side with one of each in his hands for me!! That was so cool. When we left the building, I met Steven (@hiddenmickeyguy) and Vicki Barrett, who are both incredibly kind people. I am thrilled I got to meet them! While outside, Shelley called Todd (@tperlmutter) to let him know I was there. See, there are a select number of friends who are like family to me. Todd and Cheryl (@cherylp3) represent my father and mother. I am incredibly close to them and was therefore ECSTATIC to see them. I talked to Todd for a minute and his response to everything I was saying was “Okay…..okay….okay….” It was not sinking in. I then called up Ryan (@RyanKilpatrick) who was also in shock. I LOVED surprising my friends!!! Right after that, I went public on Twitter. Tears filled my eyes as I received a tremendous amount of texts and tweets from friends.

Betsy, Shalon, Shelley, and I then drove over to the Hilton across from Downtown Disney, so I could check in. The car ride over was interesting, as it included a high speed chase to a vehicle that had a bumper sticker which a certain Miss Shalon Given needed to know what it said. The four of us chilled in my room for a short while, then drove to the Magic Kingdom. My heart started beating even faster, which I thought was physically impossible at that point, where I met so many more amazing people!

On the way over to Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, I see a figure flying toward me at full speed. Before I could even think of who it could be, Scarlett (@scarlettashley1) lunged at me for a tackle hug! She is so awesome. She introduced me to her boyfriend Ben (@Snowpup), who is super nice. After an anxious minute or two, trying to find Todd and Cheryl, my eyes finally spotted them. I lunged at Todd, who said to me, “You suck but I love you” (this became a mantra of his for the rest of the vacation). It was so awesome seeing the two of them. Being around everyone at once was wonderfully overwhelming. Then Anthony (@ayacullo) came along who is such a nice person. Really happy I met him!

We went over to Liberty Square where there was some footage being shot for Lou Mongello’s 40-hour show. I got to give Mike Beckerman (@CaptainMike88) a quick hug. Then I met the lovely Kim Knight (@KimberKnight) as well as Josh (@RaveGreenJosh) and Michelle (@CountryShell) Schultz! My mind was absolutely spinning at this point! I was in complete awe at the number of people I was meeting. I felt like half of Twitter was in the Magic Kingdom that day! Todd had to leave to rest up for his race (YAY TODD!!), so the rest of us walked to Columbia Harbour House. There we met James Dolan (@TheMousePlanner), Scott Nadeau (@CollecTM) and his lovely wife Peggi (#prettypeggi – she has no Twitter handle so it must be hashtagged). I tell ya, being at the Magic Kingdom for their 40^th anniversary was incredible, but being able to spend it with so many amazing people? Magical! Brian Fee (@brianfee) and his wife Kristen met us as well, and joined us in the fun.

After eating, James, JL, Brian and Kristen, Shalon, Shelley, Betsy, and I started to make our way out of the park. On our way, we saw Mark (@IlluminatEpcot) and Libby (@EWeaver6405) Weaver! I got to give them big hugs. We also saw Kristen Helmstetter (@khelmstetter) and Doug Uhlig (@disdug71)! It was great meeting them all. We made our way to the dock to wait for a ferry to take us to the Grand Floridian marina. Waiting there were the remaining friends joining us for the night: Lea Robinson (@MagicalMousecap), John Saccheri (@DisneyWorlds) and his partner Mark, Tracey DeMarco (@dizcraze), Charles (@Yensid1970) and Nessa (@NessaAguillon) Aguillon, Jackie Gailey and her husband Jerry, Kathy McCullock (James' travel agent and such a sweet lady), and Jay Griffith (@Cessna157).

Let me just say that the yacht was phenomenal! We took a bunch of pictures all over the place. The bedrooms are small, but the fact that there are bedrooms on a boat still impresses me. One of my favorite pictures from the trip is of Shalon, me, Shelley, and Betsy lying on our one of the beds with our feet propped up. Shalon actually has that as her profile picture at the moment. J In the living room/kitchen area, there was a television and radio, and “Party Rock Anthem” suddenly came on. I do not know how we managed it, but JL, Shalon, and I did the shuffle in quite a small amount of space. That was too much fun!

Right before 9pm, we had the honor of seeing the Electrical Water Pageant which is always so beautiful. It never fails to amaze. Afterwards, we got ready for Wishes! Let me tell you all…if someone ever asks me what one of the most memorable moments of a WDW vacation was for me…this was it. Having such a perfect view and having the ability to witness the fireworks with incredible friends was a night I will never forget. I remember that my left hand was holding Shelley’s hand, and my right arm was linked through JL’s arm. J And of course, there was much crying going on. What is a showing of Wishes without tears?

At around 10pm, Betsy, Shelley, Shalon, James, JL, and I went by ferry to the Magic Kingdom. Shane Grizzard (@sdrazzirg) met us there!! It was awesome to finally meet him. We all walked over to Tomorrowland and met up with Tammy Tuckey (@voyageofariel), her sister, dad, and her grandpa. We all rode the Peoplemover together, which was also a special experience. After that, Betsy, Shalon, Shelley, JL, and Shane had to go.

It was down to James, Tammy and her family, and me. James, Tammy, and I decided to ride Splash Mountain. At night. With quite a cool breeze out. In other words…FREEZING COLD. Why did I listen to James? He told us we would not get that wet. After all, we were going to sit in the back. I have been on this attraction before, so I should have known better. Did I go with my gut and refuse to ride? No. I went on. Tammy was in the very back while James and I sat in front of her. You know the part where you circle around the final drop to go on the small hill to the left of said drop? We got DRENCHED from the effects of the drop. So there we were, soaking wet, and James is laughing hysterically while I am giving him dirty looks. Meanwhile, Tammy is behind us saying, “You guys, I don’t feel so good.” I began yelling at her that if she was going to puke, it had better be over the side of the boat. After all, I was wearing my yacht dress. LOL. Anyway, after much screaming and “I don’t want to die!” (being uttered from yours truly) being randomly hollered, we made it out alive! And Tammy managed to keep her stomach in one place.

The three of us, along with Tammy’s sister, then went on Jungle Cruise and had a fabulous time! As we got off the attraction, their dad and grandpa were coming toward us with Dole Whips in their hands! The sweet people that they are, they went to Aloha Isle and purchased pineapple Dole Whips for all of us. For me, this was a momentous occasion being this was my first one. I loved it!

We all went to the Main Street Bakery, which is where the Tuckey family had to leave. It was awesome having the chance to spend some time with them! At one point while at the Bakery, I heard a voice say, “Bufferfly Brie?” I turned around and there was Chip Buchanan (@cheshirechip)! We gave each other a big hug. It is truly amazing to travel so far from New York and have people recognize you. Twitter is quite the miracle worker.

James, being the good friend he is, stayed with me until I FINALLY got on the bus to take me back to my hotel. By that time, I was completely drained, both emotionally and physically. It was so worth it though. Every single moment of that day was filled with happiness and joy. My friends are amazing.

-To see my friend Todd Perlmutter's blog about today and his experience racing, head on over to the Touring Plans website! His link is at the following: http://blog.touringplans.com/2011/11/03/a-day-with-the-wine-dine-half-marathon-relay/

Joseph Cotten

As you all may know, I tend to blog about random things. Today I feel like talking about Joseph Cotten. He was a brilliant, underrated actor who co-starred in the famous 1941 classic "Citizen Kane." I have only seen one film of his thus far. However, this one performance alone has influenced me to write a post about him.

This film is a gem from 1943 titled "Shadow of a Doubt." Alfred Hitchcock is the director of this (it is actually his favorite film that he made, so I always felt a connection to him in that way). "The Birds", "Psycho", and "Rebecca" are all wonderful films but there is something about this one that just stood out for me.

"Shadow of a Doubt" stars the lovely Teresa Wright as Charlie, whose Uncle Charlie (Cotten) (as she is appropriately named after him) is coming to visit her and the family. Throughout the film, she becomes suspicious of his shady behavior. I do not want to ruin this for anyone, so I will simply say that Uncle Charlie is not exactly the kind and lovable character he seems to be.

It is not often that an acting performance can break through your skin and reach right into your heart. Although he is basically a villain or "the bad guy" if you will, his dramatic portrayal of Uncle Charlie is so intense and so real, that it takes you right into the film.

Joseph Cotten became good friends with Orson Welles, who helped land him the aforementioned role in "Citizen Kane." Besides "Shadow of a Doubt", he appeared in "Duel in the Sun", "Potrait of Jennie", "Gaslight", "The Third Man", "The Steel Trap", and many other films. He sadly passed in 1994 at the age of 88 after battling a serious case of pneumonia.

I highly recommend seeing this film. I am going to update my Netflix queue with more of Cotten's films as I cannot wait to see more of his brilliant acting skills. Also, by visiting TCM.com, you can check out when his films will be aired.

Cotten was a beautiful man who will always be remembered in my mind for his grace, dignity, handsome face, and brilliant film portrayal. It is not everyday that an actor puts his heart, mind, and entire being into a film.

Thought of the Day

If life ever gets you down, remember to look to the sky and talk to God. Although you cannot hear Him, He is always there and always answers. Whether it is through breeze of wind, shine of the sun, or the flutter of a butterfly's wings, He cares and will provide you with all of the answers you need.

-Me

The Meaning of Disney

Hello All!

As we all know, I am a huge Disney fan, as I believe most of us are. Today in my womens class, there was an online discussion going on about how Disney "corrupted" many of us, especially women in giving the wrong impression on how women should be princesses and stay at home, cleaning and cooking. Um...WRONG. The following is my response to all of the Disney hate going on out there. To those who dislike Disney: I don't hate you. I am sure you are a good person. However, I feel sorry for you.

Here we go....

It was very difficult for me to read this section of the chapter, since I completely disagree with the majority of what Douglas said pertaining to Disney. Now, I must begin this by stating that Walt Disney is my hero. His encouragement to individuals to never lose the imagination within one’s soul is something I will always and forever cherish. My view is partially biased, especially since I aspire to become a cast member for the Disney Corporation, but I hold steadfast to my beliefs. You all are about to see the preachy Princess side of me come out, and everything I am about to say is my opinion and my opinion only.
The media’s general portrayal of women and Disney’s message are two extremely different things. While women were viewed as being Donna Reeds who should put on aprons and bake apple pies all day, Disney’s encouragement came from a completely different view. I do admit that they were lightly influenced by the current time of that period since that was all they knew of, they were striving to make people happy during very dark times. They wanted women to know that they are ALL princesses, no matter who they were.

And yes, they did not have an Asian or black princess until Mulan and Tiana were released to the public. This is simply because times have changed. I do wish these princesses were known back in the 1950s because those cultures that were not appreciated could have really used that hope for the future.

Walt Disney’s imagination and his personal/political beliefs were two extremely different things. His private life had nothing to do with the lives he created through his films and television shows. All he wanted was to turn heads from the dark news of the times to lighter shows to bring happiness to people.

Not all Disney songs were supposed to be taken literally either. The most well-known song from 1940’s Pinocchio is “When You Wish upon a Star.” One of the lines is “anything your heart desires will come to you.” Mr. Disney knew very well that not EVERYTHING will come true. But in a time of desperation when not all situations were hunky dory that was all we had at the time. We wanted to believe that wishing upon a star will encourage these times to get better. The same applies to 1950’s Cinderella where “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” was sung. One of the lyrics was “no matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.” The grieving represents the wars we were fighting and tribulations at the time, not whether Revlon was going to release an appropriate lipstick for women! Individuals analyze Disney wayyyyy too much.

Mr. Disney (or Uncle Walt, as his devoted fans call him) only wished to bring happiness and imagination to those who were losing hope. Yes, he had his faults, but so does everyone else.

What do you all think of what I said? Please leave me feedback either here, or you can reach me on Twitter...I'm @BufferflyBrie -- hopefully my post has encouraged some of you to speak up for Uncle Walt! Let's teach anti-Disney individuals how important Disney is to us.

Thank you all for reading and have a magical day!

To Our Soldiers

Every day, our soldiers risk their lives every day to fight for ours. I do not want to make this a wordy post, I just want you all to look at the pictures and absorb them. These are the ones which meant the most to me, and truly touched my heart as I hope they touch yours. To any active duty/retired soldiers, thank you for everything you do. Words cannot express just how much we appreciate it.

God Bless them all.