Not a fun day for the Bufferfly. First of all, the previous night, when I returned to the resort, I had a sore throat. Whenever I have any sort of illness, I want to be home. That being said, although I did not want to leave Disney, I was kinda relieved to be going home.
So I put the last-minute touches on my packing and went to the gift shop downstairs to get a couple more items for myself. Then I took DME to MCO. Okay, something REALLY strange on the plane …. I was seated right next to Mike DeRosa’s cousin on the way home! She is the one who was in the window seat in my row on the way TO Orlando. WEIRD. She was absolutely lovely and we talked almost the whole flight home. I actually got out my camera and she enjoyed looking through my pictures.
When we got off the plane, I spotted my parents, waving frantically. LOL. I did a dance over to them and we hugged. I did manage to screech a little despite my aching throat. The lady from the plane came over to me and gave me a hug, telling Mom how sweet I was and that my future is a bright one. I blushed.
My parents drove me home and when I went in the house, Daisie (my dog) attacked me. Mom proceeded to make me cry by telling me that while I was gone, Daisie would sit on the little bench in the living room that I always prop my feet up on. Then it REALLY got me when she said Daisie would randomly go into my room and sit on the rug in front of my bed. That melted my heart.
Had a snack, took a shower, then relaxed the rest of the day, trying to get better. I think I talked on Twitter to you awesome people the rest of the day.
This was an amazing, magical vacation. Going solo was terrifying. But so worth it because not only did I get to experience what it was like to travel alone, but it was great being in control and deciding for MYSELF what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.
As always, I thank Uncle Walt, for continuing to my make my dreams a reality. I don’t care what pessimists say, dreams DO come true. You have to put your heart into it and know exactly what you want, and God will handle the rest.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Solo Trip – Day 4 – 11/05/2010
Today was the best day of my entire vacation. That is all.
I decided to go to the Magic Kingdom for rope drop. When I arrived, I heard Christmas music. No way could it be….yes it was. Not only was I able to see the Halloween decorations my first night, but I was able to see the gloriousness of the Christmas decorations my last full day there. I went through bag check, then lined up with all the other people in front of the Magic Kingdom Railroad. The emcee emerged shortly after and said that Mickey was on his way. Sure enough, here comes Mickey on the train, with a bunch of other characters!! Also on the train was the family they were honoring for the day. I was astounded. That was one of the happiest moments of my life. Mickey had everyone count down from 10 to open the park…I tried my best to count through my tears. When they reached 0, they shot out streamers, and dancers from the railroad were waving to everyone as we stampeded into the Magic Kingdom.
First I headed toward the Jungle Cruise. I pretty much walked right onto the ride. Unfortunately, our skipper was terrible. However, it was nice to see all the friendly animals in the morning light. Next I went to Pirates and got right on that as well. I was amazed at how few people were there at that time. As you will all later see from my future Flickr pictures, I took snapshots of the empty streets. I was kinda dancing on said empty streets as well.
Then I decided to go into the Swiss Family Treehouse for the first time. It is beautiful in there! I took many pictures, including one from the top. I love the detail they put into it. Walking through there wreaks havoc on legs which don’t get the exercise they should (i.e. mine), but it was worth it. When I left there, I marched to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I rode it by myself like the big girl I am! After having tons of fun on that, I sat on benches across from Tom Sawyer Island for a short while and just relaxed, enjoying the view.
Next was Splash Mountain. Five-minute wait, people! SOLD! I sat in the back and a family was in the first two rows. At the ending splash, our faces got soaked. Only the mother had wet clothing, but the faces of myself, the husband, and two kids all had soaking wet faces LOL! I had never seen anything like it before. Next I was uber brave and rode the Haunted Mansion by myself. That had been a lasting fear of mine and I overcame it! The ghosts were nice enough to not stop the doom buggies at any point, thankfully. If the buggies had stopped in the séance room, I would have probably fainted.
After that, I decided to go see the Hall of Presidents show. I was emotional at Abraham Lincoln’s speech for two reasons - #1. He is my favorite President and #2. It’s Disney. Everything makes me emotional at Disney. Anyway, I break the stigma that show has because I never fall asleep. I find it extremely interesting, and I love watching the Animatronics to see which Presidents are moving when attention is not on them.
I then had a delicious lunch at the Columbia Harbor House. That place is seriously in my top 3 favorite eateries on the entire Disney property. THEN I went on the Haunted Mansion again. Am I nuts? Yes. Did I have the time of my life? Yes. The ghosts were not as sweet this time. They decided to stop our vehicle right at the end, so I was face-to-face with Miss Bride who says, “Hurry baaaaaack.” Yikes.
Next was Tomorrowland. I tackled the Wedway People Mover once, loving every second of it. The next ride was Stitch’s Great Escape. That was horrible. Now I know why everyone hates it. It was a waste of time and Disney seriously needs to close it soon. I can think of much better possibilities to take its place. Next was the epic masterpiece that is the Carousel of Progress. Love it to pieces! Seeing Uncle Walt’s vision through that show always makes me purely happy. I hope they keep it there forever. I went on the Wedway again after that.
Heading out of Tomorrowland, I stopped at a snack stand and grabbed an Edy’s Strawberry Bar. Mmmmmm. Yummy yummy! I sat under a tree in front of the Adventureland entrance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I saw that Captain Jack’s Tutorial was going on, so I joined the crowd. I stood to the side to watch. No lie, people … he saw me singing along to “Yo Ho” with him and he pointed at me and said, “YES!” LOL! Then I received a couple of raised eyebrow glances from him. I won’t go into it here, but … Captain Jack Sparrow and the Cast Members who portray him are sexy. That is all. I went on Pirates after that to celebrate the pirate awesomeness occurring at that moment.
I had a FastPass for Peter Pan, so I hopped on that and enjoyed every second of it. The Cast Member running the ride was named Briana, so we were laughing about how special we were LOL. Then I went on Snow White. Did not enjoy it so much this year. There was an impatient guy behind me, and this lady in front of me, whose family joined her in line toward the front of the queue. He did not like this and started complaining. So there I am, monkey in the middle, with people in front of me and behind me, arguing. I’m thinking, “Really? Must you be doing this now?”
As I was exiting the ride, I called Shelley (@shelleycaran) to ask her where she was. She was explaining to me but I didn’t understand. All of a sudden, she says all too nonchalantly, “Look to your left.” I look and there she is. LOL! I was able to meet Princess Zoe, her lovely daughter, who is too precious for words. We headed to Tomorrowland first. We got on Wedway and Buzz. Okay so you know when a child does something that warms and melts your heart? While on Wedway, she reached over and hugged me. Then on Buzz, she held my hand. <3 Such a sweet little girl. After that, we met up with Shelley’s husband, Dave, on Main Street USA. We watched the flag ceremony, which was a first for me. That was absolutely lovely. We all rode the Jungle Cruise and happily laughed at the awesomely corny jokes. We then rode Pirates and the Haunted Mansion. We all walked over to Tony’s and met up with John (@disneyworlds) and Nicole (@njoysiscaretti).
The six of us marched happily to Thunder Mountain. So here’s the thing…for a long time now, I have been wanting to ride this at night. I was ecstatic. The only bad part about this was that it was quite cold out. I believe Nicole wanted to strangle me right there. But we survived it! Shelley sat it out, but Dave, Zoe, John, Nicole and I went on. Although it was very cold, I had the time of my life. Such a memorably cold moment! LOL. As we went around the corners, Nicole & I were screaming, ‘WEEEE! WEEEEE!’
When we got off of the ride, Todd (@tperlmutter) was there with Shelley. So we all walked over to Tony’s together. This night was SO magical, I cannot even begin to describe how much fun we all had. Dinner was fabulous. I believe we were the loudest ones in the restaurant. The Carans had to leave after dinner. It was REALLY sad saying farewell, especially to Shelley, since we had hung out together almost each day I was there. ALREADY I was on the verge of crying.
Todd, Nicole, John, and I shopped the Emporium a bit. I found an adorable Thumper charm for my bracelet, and John bought me a Cheshire Cat charm. <3 I wear that bracelet almost every day now. After browsing the Emporium, some Cast Members began to close off entranceways. We kinda panicked and made our way out on Main Street. We started to walk slooooowly (we did NOT want to leave) toward the exit. After a group hug, Nicole mentioned feeling magical. Then, it happened…she and I got on the ground and made snowless snow angels. And you know what? That was one of the most memorable moments of my life. Laying on that ground and looking to the left, seeing the beautiful castle….then as we were lying there, she mentioned how dirty the ground probably was, and we got up. LOL. However, we did not care because we were living the moment!
As we made our way out, I could not stop looking back at the castle. I wanted to treasure every moment, and it looked so beautiful. Nicole and I spotted a Candylane Garden, and a guest was nice enough to take our picture in front of it.
Officially, that was one of the best days and nights of my entire life. It was TERRIBLY hard to say goodbye. I managed to hold my tears in while saying goodbye to them. We shared hugs, laughs, and then split ways.
When I got onto the ferry, I cried my eyes out the entire trip back to the Wilderness Lodge. Not only was I leaving Disney World which is hard in itself, but I was leaving great friends. I will always remember this day and cannot wait to tell my kids all about it.
I decided to go to the Magic Kingdom for rope drop. When I arrived, I heard Christmas music. No way could it be….yes it was. Not only was I able to see the Halloween decorations my first night, but I was able to see the gloriousness of the Christmas decorations my last full day there. I went through bag check, then lined up with all the other people in front of the Magic Kingdom Railroad. The emcee emerged shortly after and said that Mickey was on his way. Sure enough, here comes Mickey on the train, with a bunch of other characters!! Also on the train was the family they were honoring for the day. I was astounded. That was one of the happiest moments of my life. Mickey had everyone count down from 10 to open the park…I tried my best to count through my tears. When they reached 0, they shot out streamers, and dancers from the railroad were waving to everyone as we stampeded into the Magic Kingdom.
First I headed toward the Jungle Cruise. I pretty much walked right onto the ride. Unfortunately, our skipper was terrible. However, it was nice to see all the friendly animals in the morning light. Next I went to Pirates and got right on that as well. I was amazed at how few people were there at that time. As you will all later see from my future Flickr pictures, I took snapshots of the empty streets. I was kinda dancing on said empty streets as well.
Then I decided to go into the Swiss Family Treehouse for the first time. It is beautiful in there! I took many pictures, including one from the top. I love the detail they put into it. Walking through there wreaks havoc on legs which don’t get the exercise they should (i.e. mine), but it was worth it. When I left there, I marched to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I rode it by myself like the big girl I am! After having tons of fun on that, I sat on benches across from Tom Sawyer Island for a short while and just relaxed, enjoying the view.
Next was Splash Mountain. Five-minute wait, people! SOLD! I sat in the back and a family was in the first two rows. At the ending splash, our faces got soaked. Only the mother had wet clothing, but the faces of myself, the husband, and two kids all had soaking wet faces LOL! I had never seen anything like it before. Next I was uber brave and rode the Haunted Mansion by myself. That had been a lasting fear of mine and I overcame it! The ghosts were nice enough to not stop the doom buggies at any point, thankfully. If the buggies had stopped in the séance room, I would have probably fainted.
After that, I decided to go see the Hall of Presidents show. I was emotional at Abraham Lincoln’s speech for two reasons - #1. He is my favorite President and #2. It’s Disney. Everything makes me emotional at Disney. Anyway, I break the stigma that show has because I never fall asleep. I find it extremely interesting, and I love watching the Animatronics to see which Presidents are moving when attention is not on them.
I then had a delicious lunch at the Columbia Harbor House. That place is seriously in my top 3 favorite eateries on the entire Disney property. THEN I went on the Haunted Mansion again. Am I nuts? Yes. Did I have the time of my life? Yes. The ghosts were not as sweet this time. They decided to stop our vehicle right at the end, so I was face-to-face with Miss Bride who says, “Hurry baaaaaack.” Yikes.
Next was Tomorrowland. I tackled the Wedway People Mover once, loving every second of it. The next ride was Stitch’s Great Escape. That was horrible. Now I know why everyone hates it. It was a waste of time and Disney seriously needs to close it soon. I can think of much better possibilities to take its place. Next was the epic masterpiece that is the Carousel of Progress. Love it to pieces! Seeing Uncle Walt’s vision through that show always makes me purely happy. I hope they keep it there forever. I went on the Wedway again after that.
Heading out of Tomorrowland, I stopped at a snack stand and grabbed an Edy’s Strawberry Bar. Mmmmmm. Yummy yummy! I sat under a tree in front of the Adventureland entrance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I saw that Captain Jack’s Tutorial was going on, so I joined the crowd. I stood to the side to watch. No lie, people … he saw me singing along to “Yo Ho” with him and he pointed at me and said, “YES!” LOL! Then I received a couple of raised eyebrow glances from him. I won’t go into it here, but … Captain Jack Sparrow and the Cast Members who portray him are sexy. That is all. I went on Pirates after that to celebrate the pirate awesomeness occurring at that moment.
I had a FastPass for Peter Pan, so I hopped on that and enjoyed every second of it. The Cast Member running the ride was named Briana, so we were laughing about how special we were LOL. Then I went on Snow White. Did not enjoy it so much this year. There was an impatient guy behind me, and this lady in front of me, whose family joined her in line toward the front of the queue. He did not like this and started complaining. So there I am, monkey in the middle, with people in front of me and behind me, arguing. I’m thinking, “Really? Must you be doing this now?”
As I was exiting the ride, I called Shelley (@shelleycaran) to ask her where she was. She was explaining to me but I didn’t understand. All of a sudden, she says all too nonchalantly, “Look to your left.” I look and there she is. LOL! I was able to meet Princess Zoe, her lovely daughter, who is too precious for words. We headed to Tomorrowland first. We got on Wedway and Buzz. Okay so you know when a child does something that warms and melts your heart? While on Wedway, she reached over and hugged me. Then on Buzz, she held my hand. <3 Such a sweet little girl. After that, we met up with Shelley’s husband, Dave, on Main Street USA. We watched the flag ceremony, which was a first for me. That was absolutely lovely. We all rode the Jungle Cruise and happily laughed at the awesomely corny jokes. We then rode Pirates and the Haunted Mansion. We all walked over to Tony’s and met up with John (@disneyworlds) and Nicole (@njoysiscaretti).
The six of us marched happily to Thunder Mountain. So here’s the thing…for a long time now, I have been wanting to ride this at night. I was ecstatic. The only bad part about this was that it was quite cold out. I believe Nicole wanted to strangle me right there. But we survived it! Shelley sat it out, but Dave, Zoe, John, Nicole and I went on. Although it was very cold, I had the time of my life. Such a memorably cold moment! LOL. As we went around the corners, Nicole & I were screaming, ‘WEEEE! WEEEEE!’
When we got off of the ride, Todd (@tperlmutter) was there with Shelley. So we all walked over to Tony’s together. This night was SO magical, I cannot even begin to describe how much fun we all had. Dinner was fabulous. I believe we were the loudest ones in the restaurant. The Carans had to leave after dinner. It was REALLY sad saying farewell, especially to Shelley, since we had hung out together almost each day I was there. ALREADY I was on the verge of crying.
Todd, Nicole, John, and I shopped the Emporium a bit. I found an adorable Thumper charm for my bracelet, and John bought me a Cheshire Cat charm. <3 I wear that bracelet almost every day now. After browsing the Emporium, some Cast Members began to close off entranceways. We kinda panicked and made our way out on Main Street. We started to walk slooooowly (we did NOT want to leave) toward the exit. After a group hug, Nicole mentioned feeling magical. Then, it happened…she and I got on the ground and made snowless snow angels. And you know what? That was one of the most memorable moments of my life. Laying on that ground and looking to the left, seeing the beautiful castle….then as we were lying there, she mentioned how dirty the ground probably was, and we got up. LOL. However, we did not care because we were living the moment!
As we made our way out, I could not stop looking back at the castle. I wanted to treasure every moment, and it looked so beautiful. Nicole and I spotted a Candylane Garden, and a guest was nice enough to take our picture in front of it.
Officially, that was one of the best days and nights of my entire life. It was TERRIBLY hard to say goodbye. I managed to hold my tears in while saying goodbye to them. We shared hugs, laughs, and then split ways.
When I got onto the ferry, I cried my eyes out the entire trip back to the Wilderness Lodge. Not only was I leaving Disney World which is hard in itself, but I was leaving great friends. I will always remember this day and cannot wait to tell my kids all about it.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Solo Trip - Day 3 - 11/04/2010
I met Shelley (@shelleycaran) at 10am in front of the Food & Wine Festival decorations at the entrance to Epcot. We squealed and did a little dance again. Then we went right on Spaceship Earth, paying homage to Dame Judi Dench and watching the Phoenicians hit on me. We were cracking up at the end, with our faces on the screen. We made silly faces, of course, which added to the hilarity. Next was Test Track. I had only been on that once before, but it immediately became a favorite of mine. We had a blast on that, and again were laughing, this time at my hair when we got off the ride. It was sticking out in all different directions!
Next was Living with The Land. It is always so cool to tour the greenhouses, especially when one of the Behind The Seeds tours is going on.
We then had a lovely lunch at Via Napoli. The loveliest part about the lunch was the waiters. One in particular, whose picture I will post with the others on Flickr. The place really is beautiful, inside and out. I’m looking forward to returning there next time.
We rode Maelstrom after lunch. I think I’m now famous for my fear of the polar bear. Not both of them, just the one on his back legs. After that, Shelley had to leave to get her daughter Zoe from school. Unfortunately, Zoe has a cast on her arm, and because rain cannot get on Zoe’s cast, Shelley did not return. That was unfortunate, but I managed to keep myself busy!
I was a big girl and rode Test Track again, this time by myself. Wasn’t frightened one bit! Next I did the Universe of Energy. Love that one! @AmyBethCombs was cracking me up because we had been texting, and when she had not heard from me in a while, I had a text waiting from her that said, “Are you being eaten by a pterodactyl????” This made me laugh because if I WAS in the midst of being eaten by a dinosaur, I would not take the time to text her back about it. LMBO!
I proceeded to do some shopping around the World Showcase. Then I had a lovely dinner at Tutto Italia. When I arrived, I informed them I did not have a reservation but was wondering if they had a table available, and the manager came over and said, “For you? Immediately.” I blushed. Let me tell ya’ll something, the Cast Members there are a bit scary. There were two of them guarding the room I was in. I felt like Michael Corleone. I was expecting machine guns to come popping out at any second. While I was scared, I also felt kinda cool and protected…in a mafia sort of way. My waitress was an absolute doll! And for dessert, I had the vanilla gelato which was ah-mazing.
After dinner, I shopped around a lot more. OH! Along the way, I was able to meet Judd (@SailorJ) who is a great guy! We watched a bit of Off-Kilter together. That band is fantastic. I also got to meet up with a friend of mine, Amanda, from a forum I belong to. It’s great to meet new people.
In the United Kingdom, I bought Mary Poppins and managed to catch a comedy act by these three insane guys. They called it “The Holy Grail” and they took three people from the crowd to be their king, prince, and a witch. The entire crowd, myself included, were laughing ourselves silly. They had the guy playing the king shaking his hips and saying, “Ah cha cha cha! It’s good to be the king!” LOL!
Later that night, I was able to meet the one and only Duffy. HE IS ADORABLE!! I gave him the biggest hug, then Photopass snapped three pictures of us, which I will be showing on Flickr. When I left, I hugged him again and he made kissing sounds on my forehead. I melted! Love love love love Duffy. He is the sweetest bear!
It began raining quite hard. I did have my poncho on but it became irritating so I was ducking in and out of buildings to shop in. Soon after, I hopped on the Monorail to TTC, TTC to Magic Kingdom, ferry boat to the Lodge.
It was a lovely day…despite the rain.
Next was Living with The Land. It is always so cool to tour the greenhouses, especially when one of the Behind The Seeds tours is going on.
We then had a lovely lunch at Via Napoli. The loveliest part about the lunch was the waiters. One in particular, whose picture I will post with the others on Flickr. The place really is beautiful, inside and out. I’m looking forward to returning there next time.
We rode Maelstrom after lunch. I think I’m now famous for my fear of the polar bear. Not both of them, just the one on his back legs. After that, Shelley had to leave to get her daughter Zoe from school. Unfortunately, Zoe has a cast on her arm, and because rain cannot get on Zoe’s cast, Shelley did not return. That was unfortunate, but I managed to keep myself busy!
I was a big girl and rode Test Track again, this time by myself. Wasn’t frightened one bit! Next I did the Universe of Energy. Love that one! @AmyBethCombs was cracking me up because we had been texting, and when she had not heard from me in a while, I had a text waiting from her that said, “Are you being eaten by a pterodactyl????” This made me laugh because if I WAS in the midst of being eaten by a dinosaur, I would not take the time to text her back about it. LMBO!
I proceeded to do some shopping around the World Showcase. Then I had a lovely dinner at Tutto Italia. When I arrived, I informed them I did not have a reservation but was wondering if they had a table available, and the manager came over and said, “For you? Immediately.” I blushed. Let me tell ya’ll something, the Cast Members there are a bit scary. There were two of them guarding the room I was in. I felt like Michael Corleone. I was expecting machine guns to come popping out at any second. While I was scared, I also felt kinda cool and protected…in a mafia sort of way. My waitress was an absolute doll! And for dessert, I had the vanilla gelato which was ah-mazing.
After dinner, I shopped around a lot more. OH! Along the way, I was able to meet Judd (@SailorJ) who is a great guy! We watched a bit of Off-Kilter together. That band is fantastic. I also got to meet up with a friend of mine, Amanda, from a forum I belong to. It’s great to meet new people.
In the United Kingdom, I bought Mary Poppins and managed to catch a comedy act by these three insane guys. They called it “The Holy Grail” and they took three people from the crowd to be their king, prince, and a witch. The entire crowd, myself included, were laughing ourselves silly. They had the guy playing the king shaking his hips and saying, “Ah cha cha cha! It’s good to be the king!” LOL!
Later that night, I was able to meet the one and only Duffy. HE IS ADORABLE!! I gave him the biggest hug, then Photopass snapped three pictures of us, which I will be showing on Flickr. When I left, I hugged him again and he made kissing sounds on my forehead. I melted! Love love love love Duffy. He is the sweetest bear!
It began raining quite hard. I did have my poncho on but it became irritating so I was ducking in and out of buildings to shop in. Soon after, I hopped on the Monorail to TTC, TTC to Magic Kingdom, ferry boat to the Lodge.
It was a lovely day…despite the rain.
The Solo Trip - Day 2 - 11/03/2010
When I awoke, I grabbed some breakfast at the Roaring Fork, and cleaned up for the day. I took the ferry over to the Magic Kingdom. I began the day by shopping for about a half hour inside The Emporium. I bought some awesome items (for myself and family) and put them on hold for package pickup later that day. At around 11am, I met Jared (@jaredsward) at the front of the park, and we made our way to Tomorrowland. I asked where we should go first, and he suggested Space Mountain. Oye. We stood in front of it and I panicked. I said, “Let’s go on the Wedway first. Maybe I just have to get a ride out of my system.” We go on the Wedway, then return to Space Mountain. I panic again, followed by a shriek, ‘OH LOOK! Buzz is only a 10 minute wait!’ He laughed at me, and we rode Buzz. (Jared puts me to shame on that ride. He got WAYYYYY more points than I did.)
After Buzz, we returned to the front of Space. He talked me into it, and I told him to force me on the ride, so he pushed me through the queue as I jokingly freaked that “I was being forced against my will.” It was only about a 10-15 minute wait. We were in the first car and I sat right behind Jared. SPACE MOUNTAIN IS AMAZING. I absolutely loved it!! The music is epic and the ride itself is quite cool. When it ended, I looked at Jared and said, “Let’s go on it again.” LOL! So we did! We sat in the back…not a good idea. We were lunged all over the place. So from now on, I will request a seat in the front; I would rather my organs stay in their natural positions, thank you very much. Anyway, I have PROOF that I was on the ride (AHEM @enthuxiasm who did not think I would brave it), which I will be posting with all of my pictures on Flickr.
After Space, we went on Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Mickey’s Philharmagic. Again, I managed not to cry at that show. We then had an incredible lunch at Tony’s Town Square. I proceeded to get my package at the front of the park. We decided to meet up later at Epcot, so I returned to the Lodge to drop off the package. Relaxed in my room a bit, then met back up with Jared at Epcot. We went on Spaceship Earth, which was awesome as always. Thank you, Dame Judi Dench, for your continued inspiration. Next we went to see Captain EO. That was so many levels of awesome. Yes, it was filled to the brim of 1980s cheesiness, but THAT was the awesome part. Hooter the elephant was precious! And I loved how the seats moved a bit. Way too fun and I’m SO happy I went to experience it!
Next was Imagination with Figment! Imaginaaaaation Imaginaaaaation….one little spark….from me to you! That song was in my head the rest of the night. So worth it though. Afterwards, we got on The Gran Fiesta Tour. They renovated it a bit with the television screens – the quality is sharper and looks crystal clear now. They did a good job. By this time, it was around 8pm, and we decided to split ways. I'm so happy I got to hang out with Jared! A part of #teamepic to celebrate Disney. :)
I returned to the Lodge and decided to eat at the Whispering Canyon Café. My waiter was a tall, thin fellow nicknamed Big Al. As soon as he came over to my table, I knew he would be trouble. He sat across from me to take my order. He returns with my drink and sees I’m quietly on the phone with my mom. He proceeds to scream, “Will everyone please quiet down?! This lady is trying to talk on the phone!!” I could feel my eyes bulging. I stared up at him and whispered, “Thank you for drawing attention to me”, to which he responded, “You’re welcome, dear.” THEN a while later, I had to call up @AmyBethCombs momentarily to tell her something…bad mistake! I thought Big Al just wanted to say hello to Amy. He takes the phone and says, “Hi, Amy? Yeah, your friend is trying to have her dinner. Bye” and hangs up on her! LOL!!!! My jaw dropped to the floor. We stared at each other and he said, “That was long-distance, wasn’t it?” I just stared at him. That was hilarious!! I called Amy back and she was laughing hysterically. The whole dinner was comical – Big Al and I were constantly teasing and torturing each other. At one point, I threatened to throw my fork at him and he said, “Sweetie, I have knives.” LMBO!!
Crazy, wacky, fun day!
After Buzz, we returned to the front of Space. He talked me into it, and I told him to force me on the ride, so he pushed me through the queue as I jokingly freaked that “I was being forced against my will.” It was only about a 10-15 minute wait. We were in the first car and I sat right behind Jared. SPACE MOUNTAIN IS AMAZING. I absolutely loved it!! The music is epic and the ride itself is quite cool. When it ended, I looked at Jared and said, “Let’s go on it again.” LOL! So we did! We sat in the back…not a good idea. We were lunged all over the place. So from now on, I will request a seat in the front; I would rather my organs stay in their natural positions, thank you very much. Anyway, I have PROOF that I was on the ride (AHEM @enthuxiasm who did not think I would brave it), which I will be posting with all of my pictures on Flickr.
After Space, we went on Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Mickey’s Philharmagic. Again, I managed not to cry at that show. We then had an incredible lunch at Tony’s Town Square. I proceeded to get my package at the front of the park. We decided to meet up later at Epcot, so I returned to the Lodge to drop off the package. Relaxed in my room a bit, then met back up with Jared at Epcot. We went on Spaceship Earth, which was awesome as always. Thank you, Dame Judi Dench, for your continued inspiration. Next we went to see Captain EO. That was so many levels of awesome. Yes, it was filled to the brim of 1980s cheesiness, but THAT was the awesome part. Hooter the elephant was precious! And I loved how the seats moved a bit. Way too fun and I’m SO happy I went to experience it!
Next was Imagination with Figment! Imaginaaaaation Imaginaaaaation….one little spark….from me to you! That song was in my head the rest of the night. So worth it though. Afterwards, we got on The Gran Fiesta Tour. They renovated it a bit with the television screens – the quality is sharper and looks crystal clear now. They did a good job. By this time, it was around 8pm, and we decided to split ways. I'm so happy I got to hang out with Jared! A part of #teamepic to celebrate Disney. :)
I returned to the Lodge and decided to eat at the Whispering Canyon Café. My waiter was a tall, thin fellow nicknamed Big Al. As soon as he came over to my table, I knew he would be trouble. He sat across from me to take my order. He returns with my drink and sees I’m quietly on the phone with my mom. He proceeds to scream, “Will everyone please quiet down?! This lady is trying to talk on the phone!!” I could feel my eyes bulging. I stared up at him and whispered, “Thank you for drawing attention to me”, to which he responded, “You’re welcome, dear.” THEN a while later, I had to call up @AmyBethCombs momentarily to tell her something…bad mistake! I thought Big Al just wanted to say hello to Amy. He takes the phone and says, “Hi, Amy? Yeah, your friend is trying to have her dinner. Bye” and hangs up on her! LOL!!!! My jaw dropped to the floor. We stared at each other and he said, “That was long-distance, wasn’t it?” I just stared at him. That was hilarious!! I called Amy back and she was laughing hysterically. The whole dinner was comical – Big Al and I were constantly teasing and torturing each other. At one point, I threatened to throw my fork at him and he said, “Sweetie, I have knives.” LMBO!!
Crazy, wacky, fun day!
The Solo Trip - Day 1 - 11/02/2010
After less than four hours of sleep, I sprang out of bed and into action. I put on my clothes and got ready for the flight. My parents and I left for Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, NY at 5am and we arrived there at 6am. I checked my one suitcase in, then the three of us sat in the eatery area and talked. We also chatted with this couple who were cousins (well, the wife was the cousin) of the San Francisco Giants player Mike DeRosa. Too cool. At around 7am, I bid a tearful farewell to my parents. That was a bit difficult but I managed to get through it okay. I was in line for security and a sweet family kept me company, as they could see the pain I was going through at that moment. So I got through security hassle-free, and waited in the vestibule for boarding to begin. When I got on the plane, not only was I sitting in the same row as Mike DeRosa’s cousin, but across from me and one behind was the family from the security line! I thank God that happened, as I was a bit frightened with this being my first solo flight and all. Everything went without a hitch, the plane ride was spectacular, and I was extremely joyous to see Florida outside the plane windows. Welcome to the Orlando International Airport!
We piled off the plane and I took the terminal to baggage claim. I said goodbye to Derosa’s cousin, and off I went on my search for the Magical Express. Okay. That was annoying. It took me a while to find an employee kind enough to show me the way. When I saw the waving Cast Members with Mickey’s gloves on, I became ecstatic. I got in line and called up Amy (@AmyBethCombs) while waiting. People stared at me as I talked to her while munching on a banana. She tweeted shortly after about my arriving safely in Orlando, which I’m thankful for (love you, Amy!). When they were boarding the bus only after about a 10-15 minute wait, who was I sitting across from but the family from the security line! We spent just about the entire half-hour ride discussing Disney. They were such great people. When we came close to the Walt Disney World welcome sign, I naturally freaked out and snapped a picture.
The Wilderness Lodge was the third stop. I began shvitzing. I headed inside and the Cast Member welcomed me home. I shivered. Then I walked in…and THERE WAS THE DISNEY SMELL. That smell we all know and love. I went to the online check-in kiosk and they put me on the sixth floor. I went to the room and realized I did not like it. They put me in the far back corner of the hallway, in a secluded area. No thank you. So I quickly changed and took my things downstairs. A Cast Member told me they would have another room near the elevator on the same floor, later in the day. YES! So I left my luggage with the concierge (thank you, sir!), and took the ferryboat to the Magic Kingdom. On the way, I hear, ‘Briana!’ I whipped around and across the aisle and behind me were the airplane/bus family!! Great people.
When I entered the Magic Kingdom, I excitedly called Aurora (@RoraBorieAlice) and she told me she was at Pecos Bills. I made my way over there (yeah I took the long way by accident…don’t judge me) but soon enough, I saw Aurora’s pretty, smiling face outside of the restaurant. I waved happily and we hugged each other tight! We went inside and there was her husband James (@THATJamesMoore) and her brother Cade (@CadelLadelSoup). First of all, hanging with them is like hanging with my own family, so it felt like home. As we left Pecos Bills’, I was able to briefly meet Josette (@disneymom1218) and her family! They are great people. We all headed to Thunder Mountain but the line was too long, so we went to The Haunted Mansion. Oh and um…it was kinda raining. As in pouring. Cade and James blame me for the rain. Apparently, Florida had not experienced any form of rainfall in thirty-something days, and I totally jinxed the entire state. Oye. Anyway, the Mansion was extremely fun as always. Next we all went on Small World. Thanks to Cade for one of my pictures being blurry, as he purposely hit my elbow as I was snapping it. As we departed the ride, James let me borrow his sweatshirt hoodie because I had nothing else with me except the tank top I was wearing. I still feel really bad about that. He was drenched and I felt responsible.
We went to see Mickey’s Philharmagic then. LOVE that show! I reached out to Ariel and Aurora said, ‘You can’t hug her, Brie.’ Wish I could have! Surprisingly, I managed to keep a dry eye throughout the entire show. We then walked back to Pecos Bills’ to meet John (@DisneyWorlds) and Nicole (@njoysiscaretti). Nicole was sporting the adorable little pink and green Minnie Mouse D&B purse that I love! SO glad I got to meet her (we were able to hang out more too – see Friday’s post soon to come). And seeing John again was awesome, since he is like family. We all sat at the table for a while to chat, laugh, and take pictures. Aurora, James, and Cade left then to see Boyz II Men at Epcot. Unfortunately, I did not get to see them anymore during the trip, but I’m very thankful I was able to hang out with them a while.
John, Nicole, and I headed to the Haunted Mansion but it had broke down (we think it was something to do with an actual ghost…yes indeed) and went to It’s A Small World. Of course, John’s humor had me laughing hysterically throughout the entire boat ride. THEN Peter Pan! Yay! We all got into one ship and sailed over London. It was a beautiful journey. John took a couple of pictures of Nicole and me along the way....
We piled off the plane and I took the terminal to baggage claim. I said goodbye to Derosa’s cousin, and off I went on my search for the Magical Express. Okay. That was annoying. It took me a while to find an employee kind enough to show me the way. When I saw the waving Cast Members with Mickey’s gloves on, I became ecstatic. I got in line and called up Amy (@AmyBethCombs) while waiting. People stared at me as I talked to her while munching on a banana. She tweeted shortly after about my arriving safely in Orlando, which I’m thankful for (love you, Amy!). When they were boarding the bus only after about a 10-15 minute wait, who was I sitting across from but the family from the security line! We spent just about the entire half-hour ride discussing Disney. They were such great people. When we came close to the Walt Disney World welcome sign, I naturally freaked out and snapped a picture.
The Wilderness Lodge was the third stop. I began shvitzing. I headed inside and the Cast Member welcomed me home. I shivered. Then I walked in…and THERE WAS THE DISNEY SMELL. That smell we all know and love. I went to the online check-in kiosk and they put me on the sixth floor. I went to the room and realized I did not like it. They put me in the far back corner of the hallway, in a secluded area. No thank you. So I quickly changed and took my things downstairs. A Cast Member told me they would have another room near the elevator on the same floor, later in the day. YES! So I left my luggage with the concierge (thank you, sir!), and took the ferryboat to the Magic Kingdom. On the way, I hear, ‘Briana!’ I whipped around and across the aisle and behind me were the airplane/bus family!! Great people.
When I entered the Magic Kingdom, I excitedly called Aurora (@RoraBorieAlice) and she told me she was at Pecos Bills. I made my way over there (yeah I took the long way by accident…don’t judge me) but soon enough, I saw Aurora’s pretty, smiling face outside of the restaurant. I waved happily and we hugged each other tight! We went inside and there was her husband James (@THATJamesMoore) and her brother Cade (@CadelLadelSoup). First of all, hanging with them is like hanging with my own family, so it felt like home. As we left Pecos Bills’, I was able to briefly meet Josette (@disneymom1218) and her family! They are great people. We all headed to Thunder Mountain but the line was too long, so we went to The Haunted Mansion. Oh and um…it was kinda raining. As in pouring. Cade and James blame me for the rain. Apparently, Florida had not experienced any form of rainfall in thirty-something days, and I totally jinxed the entire state. Oye. Anyway, the Mansion was extremely fun as always. Next we all went on Small World. Thanks to Cade for one of my pictures being blurry, as he purposely hit my elbow as I was snapping it. As we departed the ride, James let me borrow his sweatshirt hoodie because I had nothing else with me except the tank top I was wearing. I still feel really bad about that. He was drenched and I felt responsible.
We went to see Mickey’s Philharmagic then. LOVE that show! I reached out to Ariel and Aurora said, ‘You can’t hug her, Brie.’ Wish I could have! Surprisingly, I managed to keep a dry eye throughout the entire show. We then walked back to Pecos Bills’ to meet John (@DisneyWorlds) and Nicole (@njoysiscaretti). Nicole was sporting the adorable little pink and green Minnie Mouse D&B purse that I love! SO glad I got to meet her (we were able to hang out more too – see Friday’s post soon to come). And seeing John again was awesome, since he is like family. We all sat at the table for a while to chat, laugh, and take pictures. Aurora, James, and Cade left then to see Boyz II Men at Epcot. Unfortunately, I did not get to see them anymore during the trip, but I’m very thankful I was able to hang out with them a while.
John, Nicole, and I headed to the Haunted Mansion but it had broke down (we think it was something to do with an actual ghost…yes indeed) and went to It’s A Small World. Of course, John’s humor had me laughing hysterically throughout the entire boat ride. THEN Peter Pan! Yay! We all got into one ship and sailed over London. It was a beautiful journey. John took a couple of pictures of Nicole and me along the way....
We made our way to the Main Street Bakery. We were good kids and did not get anything sugary. I had a fruit cup and Nicole had a coffee. We were living it up healthy, although the cinnamon buns looked amazingly tempting. We walked outside and over to Tony’s, where I met Shelley (@shelleycaran). We screamed and hugged. I have loved talking to this lady on Twitter, so to meet her was awesome. John and Nicole had to leave, so we bid our farewells, agreeing to hang out on Friday.
Shelley and I did a little dance down Main Street, then made our way to Buzz Lightyear. That was my first time on the ride ever. The first experience wasn’t too great, because our vehicle was broken. She was trying to spin it and nothing was happening. Needless to say, we did not score many points. I think I had 12,400 points. Bummer. Still, it was a VERY cool ride. We went to the Frontierland Shooting Arcade next (also a first time experience for me). It was fun! I only got about 1 out of 35 shots, but it was still cool!
Shortly after, it was time for the MSEP tweet-up. First, we spotted Craig (@Craigory24) with Bonus Chris (@opherlee). They are such great people and it was awesome getting to chat with them! Then Amy (not Lisa, haha!!) (@Disney4Babies) and Chris (@CWRidgeway) came along…more great people! Then Todd (@tperlmutter) and Cheryl (@cherylp3) joined us. They are one of my favorite Twitter couples EVER. I’m so blessed to be friends with these people. Seriously. We had a lot of laughs that night. Shelley was all Mary Poppins with her umbrella and Todd snapped a picture (still waiting to see that one!). Todd and I totally did the hot diggity dog dance pre-parade as well. Also, I bought myself a poncho to survive the unending rain, so Bonus Chris and I did a fashion pose for a picture, which ended up being one of my most favorite pictures of the entire trip. Everyone was jealous of the sexy ponchos.
Before long, the MSEP began! Todd will tell any of you, I was shvitzing. Jumping up and down with excitement. It started with Tinkerbell and her fairies…and all I remember after that was being in absolute amazement, and being surrounded by beautiful, bright colors. Shortly after Tinkerbell, the float came along that says vintage-style ‘Disney’s Electrical Parade.’ I just about melted. There was an adorable turtle with a sombrero on that I named Fernando. (This is the only name he can go by now – write this down and remember it.) My favorite float, above and beyond all else, was Elliott from Pete’s Dragon. I stared in disbelief at him. And I did become a little emotional, of course. That was such a memorable moment for me.
After the MSEP, we said goodbye to Craig & Bonus Chris. Sadly, we could not find Amy and Chris, so we did not get to say goodbye to them. The Perlmutters, Shelley, and I made our way to a dessert stand in Liberty Square. Todd bought this irresistible-looking Toll House cookie sandwich with mint chocolate chip ice cream in the middle. It looked amazing. Todd and Cheryl left shortly afterward and Shelley & I watched Wishes. We squealed at certain parts. It was beautiful, as always. We split ways after the display, and I returned to the Lodge via ferry boat. Received my luggage from concierge, and went to my new room, complete with a Mickey head made of towels on one of the beds. I ended my magical night with a phone call to Amy (@AmyBethCombs).
I was SO ready for more magic the next day.
Shelley and I did a little dance down Main Street, then made our way to Buzz Lightyear. That was my first time on the ride ever. The first experience wasn’t too great, because our vehicle was broken. She was trying to spin it and nothing was happening. Needless to say, we did not score many points. I think I had 12,400 points. Bummer. Still, it was a VERY cool ride. We went to the Frontierland Shooting Arcade next (also a first time experience for me). It was fun! I only got about 1 out of 35 shots, but it was still cool!
Shortly after, it was time for the MSEP tweet-up. First, we spotted Craig (@Craigory24) with Bonus Chris (@opherlee). They are such great people and it was awesome getting to chat with them! Then Amy (not Lisa, haha!!) (@Disney4Babies) and Chris (@CWRidgeway) came along…more great people! Then Todd (@tperlmutter) and Cheryl (@cherylp3) joined us. They are one of my favorite Twitter couples EVER. I’m so blessed to be friends with these people. Seriously. We had a lot of laughs that night. Shelley was all Mary Poppins with her umbrella and Todd snapped a picture (still waiting to see that one!). Todd and I totally did the hot diggity dog dance pre-parade as well. Also, I bought myself a poncho to survive the unending rain, so Bonus Chris and I did a fashion pose for a picture, which ended up being one of my most favorite pictures of the entire trip. Everyone was jealous of the sexy ponchos.
Before long, the MSEP began! Todd will tell any of you, I was shvitzing. Jumping up and down with excitement. It started with Tinkerbell and her fairies…and all I remember after that was being in absolute amazement, and being surrounded by beautiful, bright colors. Shortly after Tinkerbell, the float came along that says vintage-style ‘Disney’s Electrical Parade.’ I just about melted. There was an adorable turtle with a sombrero on that I named Fernando. (This is the only name he can go by now – write this down and remember it.) My favorite float, above and beyond all else, was Elliott from Pete’s Dragon. I stared in disbelief at him. And I did become a little emotional, of course. That was such a memorable moment for me.
After the MSEP, we said goodbye to Craig & Bonus Chris. Sadly, we could not find Amy and Chris, so we did not get to say goodbye to them. The Perlmutters, Shelley, and I made our way to a dessert stand in Liberty Square. Todd bought this irresistible-looking Toll House cookie sandwich with mint chocolate chip ice cream in the middle. It looked amazing. Todd and Cheryl left shortly afterward and Shelley & I watched Wishes. We squealed at certain parts. It was beautiful, as always. We split ways after the display, and I returned to the Lodge via ferry boat. Received my luggage from concierge, and went to my new room, complete with a Mickey head made of towels on one of the beds. I ended my magical night with a phone call to Amy (@AmyBethCombs).
I was SO ready for more magic the next day.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
This Is Me
Hello all! First, let me thank whoever is reading this for taking the time out of their lives to listen to what I wish to share.
Now. I call myself a Christian…by MY definition, this means I believe in God and believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. My knowledge does not go so far as to where I can quote from The Bible, but I do adore God with all of my heart.
I occasionally curse. I tend to have a dirty mind and will say things not exactly pure of soul. This does not mean I love God any less. I AM NOT A PERFECT CHRISTIAN. As all human beings do, I sin. Jesus died on the cross to forgive us for our sins. This does not mean when I do sin, I think ‘oh well’, all is fine. No way. OF COURSE I apologize to The Lord. But I do sin.
Some friends have asked me in the past how I can call myself a Christian when I lie/lead others on. Yes, I do admit that in the past I have lied to family and friends. And I am so completely ashamed of that. However, I am working on that. As I mentioned in capital letters above, I am not a perfect Christian. Should I even call myself a Christian? Maybe not at this point. But I can tell you all one thing: I am a God-fearing individual who is trying my very best to do what is right in this world. When I say dirty things or curse, it does not change who I am.
And to reiterate what many of my Disney pals have said, you cannot judge a person by how much they curse. That is prejudice and disgusting. My pal Jim Garth made mention in his blog of how Disney is a big part of who he is BUT, and I quote, ‘it does not define who I am.’ THAT RIGHT THERE explains so much. Yes, some of us curse and do not have a completely pure mind. This does not mean we are not true Disney fans. We can NOT let others tell us who we are. NO ONE in this entire world should judge us. That is completely up to God. Being human beings, we of course make judgments about people. That is another thing I am working on with my religion.
So to my friends who wonder how I call myself a Christian…I’m working on my beliefs. Remember something: I’m 21. I’m still figuring out who I truly am. Not to sound cliché, but this is part of the reason I’m taking a solo trip. Self-discovery is a very important thing, especially in today’s society. You need to figure out for yourself who you are and what your values are.
Sidenote: For the love of all that is kind and good in this world, please do not discriminate. Do not hate people who are black, Hispanic, gay, bisexual, etc etc. I repeat…you have no right to judge anyone. Jesus says something in The Bible similar to not judging anyone, as you yourself have many faults.
Thank you all for reading this, my friends. I'm proud of who I am. Yes, I still make many mistakes and am trying to change that bit by bit.
And to DF – yes, I myself have unfollowed you too. I cannot respect someone who discriminates based on cursing. It is immature.
Thank you all for accepting me for who I am.
All the love in the world,
Brie
Now. I call myself a Christian…by MY definition, this means I believe in God and believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. My knowledge does not go so far as to where I can quote from The Bible, but I do adore God with all of my heart.
I occasionally curse. I tend to have a dirty mind and will say things not exactly pure of soul. This does not mean I love God any less. I AM NOT A PERFECT CHRISTIAN. As all human beings do, I sin. Jesus died on the cross to forgive us for our sins. This does not mean when I do sin, I think ‘oh well’, all is fine. No way. OF COURSE I apologize to The Lord. But I do sin.
Some friends have asked me in the past how I can call myself a Christian when I lie/lead others on. Yes, I do admit that in the past I have lied to family and friends. And I am so completely ashamed of that. However, I am working on that. As I mentioned in capital letters above, I am not a perfect Christian. Should I even call myself a Christian? Maybe not at this point. But I can tell you all one thing: I am a God-fearing individual who is trying my very best to do what is right in this world. When I say dirty things or curse, it does not change who I am.
And to reiterate what many of my Disney pals have said, you cannot judge a person by how much they curse. That is prejudice and disgusting. My pal Jim Garth made mention in his blog of how Disney is a big part of who he is BUT, and I quote, ‘it does not define who I am.’ THAT RIGHT THERE explains so much. Yes, some of us curse and do not have a completely pure mind. This does not mean we are not true Disney fans. We can NOT let others tell us who we are. NO ONE in this entire world should judge us. That is completely up to God. Being human beings, we of course make judgments about people. That is another thing I am working on with my religion.
So to my friends who wonder how I call myself a Christian…I’m working on my beliefs. Remember something: I’m 21. I’m still figuring out who I truly am. Not to sound cliché, but this is part of the reason I’m taking a solo trip. Self-discovery is a very important thing, especially in today’s society. You need to figure out for yourself who you are and what your values are.
Sidenote: For the love of all that is kind and good in this world, please do not discriminate. Do not hate people who are black, Hispanic, gay, bisexual, etc etc. I repeat…you have no right to judge anyone. Jesus says something in The Bible similar to not judging anyone, as you yourself have many faults.
Thank you all for reading this, my friends. I'm proud of who I am. Yes, I still make many mistakes and am trying to change that bit by bit.
And to DF – yes, I myself have unfollowed you too. I cannot respect someone who discriminates based on cursing. It is immature.
Thank you all for accepting me for who I am.
All the love in the world,
Brie
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Film Review: Gone With the Wind
The first hour of it was thoroughly enjoyable for me. Packed with snap and spark, I knew I was in for a good ride. The remaining approximate two and a half hours were great, but left me with such a sad feeling. A happy moment was so rare, that it became joyous when one did occur.
As I mentioned when I watched this, I soaked about five tissues during this film. One of the times being when Ashley returned from the war and Melanie could see him in the distance. I love Olivia deHavilland anyway, but the look of progressed joy on her face was such a brilliant moment of acting, that I basically started weeping. Also, when Melanie died and her child was crying, ‘Why can’t I go where Mommy is going?’
The one thing I HATED…and I rarely use the word…is how the African-Americans were treated. I know it’s the way the South was in that time and it was a way of life, but it was very uncomfortable for me to watch. Especially the scene where Scarlett slaps Prissy across the face.
The scene where Scarlett kisses Ashley (after his already set engagement with Melanie), I gasped and shouted at the television screen. Sadly, I cannot remember my exact words but it went something like, ‘Oh no you didn’t!’
Miss Scarlett O’Hara. That eyebrow just says it all, doesn’t it? Love this dress, by the way.
The first hour of it was thoroughly enjoyable for me. Packed with snap and spark, I knew I was in for a good ride. The remaining approximate two and a half hours were great, but left me with such a sad feeling. A happy moment was so rare, that it became joyous when one did occur.
As I mentioned when I watched this, I soaked about five tissues during this film. One of the times being when Ashley returned from the war and Melanie could see him in the distance. I love Olivia deHavilland anyway, but the look of progressed joy on her face was such a brilliant moment of acting, that I basically started weeping. Also, when Melanie died and her child was crying, ‘Why can’t I go where Mommy is going?’
The one thing I HATED…and I rarely use the word…is how the African-Americans were treated. I know it’s the way the South was in that time and it was a way of life, but it was very uncomfortable for me to watch. Especially the scene where Scarlett slaps Prissy across the face.
The scene where Scarlett kisses Ashley (after his already set engagement with Melanie), I gasped and shouted at the television screen. Sadly, I cannot remember my exact words but it went something like, ‘Oh no you didn’t!’
Miss Scarlett O’Hara. That eyebrow just says it all, doesn’t it? Love this dress, by the way.
Rhett Butler. He is officially in my list of Top 10 favorite film characters. He’s exactly the type of character that I love. Kind of like Errol Flynn in “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” Epically memorable.
Melanie Hamilton. As I have said, Olivia deHavilland is amazing. If any of you have not seen “Snake Pit”, I suggest you do that. Like right now. That is sheer beauty in acting right there, just as her performance as Melanie was. She was my second favorite character in this film (Rhett being the first).
Ashley Wilkes. Ok I’m kind of biased about this because I have a little crush on Leslie Howard. I’ve never been the type to go for the obviously handsome actors such as Paul Newman or Cary Grant. I go towards the less obvious ones such as Howard and Joseph Cotton. That being said, I immediately fell for his character. Aside from my being biased though…he did a great job.
Get away from me, you vile man! That isn’t actually what she said, but doesn’t that fit this picture?
The cast was ginormous, and it would be impossible to post a picture of everyone and describe my love for their performances. But let me give quick props to Hattie McDaniel who played the lovingly strict Mammy and Thomas Mitchell who portrayed Scarlett’s lovable father. When he started to lose his bearings and began speaking as though his wife were still alive, I cried. That was such a heartbreaking, real moment.
As for quotes….there are so many wonderful quotes in this film, but this one is my favorite:
Scarlett: Sir, you are no gentleman.
As for quotes….there are so many wonderful quotes in this film, but this one is my favorite:
Scarlett: Sir, you are no gentleman.
Rhett: And you, miss, are no lady...Don't think that I hold that against you. Ladies have never held any charm for me.
I know many will disagree with what I’m about to say, but I need to say it. Her last line of “Tomorrow’s another day!” is a sore spot with me. Who would actually say that after everything she experienced? Although she did not love Bonnie as much as Rhett did, she also lost her parents as well as Melanie. And what about the love of Ashley that she will never have?
All in all, I’m happy I watched this film. Because of this being the emotional powerhouse it is, I most likely not watch it again for a long time. But to experience this once in your life is a must! And to those who do not appreciate the epic quality of this film…frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)