Top 5 Songs from "We Love Disney"

Remember the days of Disney Mania, when pop singers covered popular Disney tunes? Man, those were the days. For some reason, Disney stopped producing these albums after quite a few editions. I was thrilled to learn that a similar album was recently created called "We Love Disney", which includes a few of my favorite artists.

Here are my top five favorite songs from the new album, "We Love Disney"!

5. "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat" - Charles Perry

I'm actually not much of Aristocats fan, but I was quite impressed with Charles Perry's rendition of this song. I didn't know Perry before this song, but I like the fun jazzy feel in this honestly more than the original. Most likely because it's rather modernized, but still good nonetheless!



4. "Friend Like Me" - Ne-Yo

Tackling this song after Robin Williams' death is a rather tough task, but I think Ne-Yo pulls it off rather well. I love Aladdin, Robin Williams, and Ne-Yo...so I guess it's no surprised that I'm a fan of this song. It's similar, but has its significant differences to differentiate from the original and give it it's own style.




3. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight / Nants' Ingonyama" - Jason Derulo

The Lion King is my all time favorite Disney movie and I absolutely adore the soundtrack, so any different version of these songs is a dangerous task. I really like Jason Derulo originally, and I have no idea if he's a Lion King fan himself, but I feel like he loved singing this song. (Unlike Ariana Grande's Zero to Hero...which was disappointing.) It's fun, slightly different from the original, but still beautiful and captures the spirit of the movie everyone loves and adores.




2. "Rainbow Connection" - Gwen Stefani

When I heard Gwen Stefani was going to cover this song...I was rather skeptical. My first concert was actually a Gwen Stefani concert, but I'm rather hot and cold with her music. Gwen and The Muppets seemed like a rather random pairing, but I was pleasantly surprised! Definitely one of my favorites on the entire album. Makes me reminisce the time Gwen and I rode on the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island (or Pirates' Lair...whatever) in Disneyland earlier this year. Yes, that actually happened.

1. "In a World of My Own / Very Good Advice" - Jhene Aiko

It's funny, if you asked me if I remembered this song or had even heard of this singer before hearing this song, I'd draw a blank for both. I'm not a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, and I've never heard of any Jhene Aiko songs. None of this actually matters, because her rendition of this song is absolutely wonderful. I have it on repeat many mornings while walking to class or finishing homework. It's so serene, pretty, and unique. I'm definitely going to look into more songs from Aiko, because I've also fallen in love with her voice.


What do you think of the new "We Love Disney" album? Which are some of your favorites? You can purchase your copy of the album on iTunes now! Have a magical day!

Win a Copy of "Sara Earns Her Ears"! (GIVEAWAY)

Hey guys!

I've been meaning to do this for a while, but I finally set up a giveaway! You now have a chance to win a free copy of my book, Sara Earns Her Ears!

From now until September 23rd, you can enter through some of the options below to win a copy of my book and learn all about my Disney College Program experience!

You can also enter through following on Tumblr and reblogging this post!

Feel free to comment if you have any questions. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

D23 Expo 2015 Recap: Day 1

Anaheim Convention Center for D23!

This year I was able to attend the D23 Expo in Anaheim, which is the huge convention for all things Disney related. I've never actually been to D23, so I was excited to see everything for the first time.

Since this was my first time at D23, I didn't really have much of a game plan (except for my cosplays for each day, hehe). I had some panels in mind that I wanted to see on day one, but I actually wasn't able to attend any of them except the huge Disney Animation/Pixar panel. I met a couple of my friends in line around 8:15 in the morning, but we weren't actually admitted into the convention center until three hours later around 11:15. It was rather chaotic and we were basically melting in the sun, but it wasn't too big of a deal. We forgot all about it after walking onto the main floor and witnessing all the booths and displays for everything any Disney fan could possibly desire.

The first booth we visited was the display for Shanghai Disneyland. It was really neat seeing the concept art, construction photos and videos for all the new and upcoming attractions for Disney's future theme park. I'm particularly excited to see how the new Pirates attraction, Tron Lightcycle roller coaster, and Soarin Over the Horizon turn out once the park opens.

We wandered around the show floor for a bit, but we couldn't really focus on anything specifically for too long. We were starving, and all of the booths/exhibits were rather overwhelming. Some of the lines to get into certain merchandise stores were over three hours long!

Props for Shanghai Disney's Pirates attraction!

After we bought lunch at the Hilton, we decided to start waiting in line for the huge Disney Animation/Pixar panel. We only had to wait for a couple hours, which wasn't too bad compared to what we tackled the following day for the Live Action panel. I was extremely excited for the announcements because they were forcing us to stow away our phones, which hinted that they were going to show some extremely confidential footage or information about upcoming movies.

I had no idea what to expect for the panel since it was my first time at D23, but as soon as the first video/introduction montage appeared on the screens, I was almost in tears. It was a simple montage of past and future Disney films, both animated and live action. The memories and emotions started pouring in during the video, and I was so excited to hear what they had in store for us.

I was not disappointed.

I won't get into too much detail on every single movie announced, but the movies they announced that I'm the most excited for are definitely Moana, Finding Dory, Zootopia, and Toy Story 4.

Fan art for Toy Story 4

I was a little skeptical about Toy Story 4 at first. I feel like I can speak for many fans and say that most of us were content and emotionally fulfilled from the last movie for the trilogy. However, John Lasseter revealed that the next movie was going to be about Woody and Bo Peep's love story...and everyone in the room nearly melted. It sounds like such a cute idea! I'm sure Pixar will knock it out of the park.

Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Pixar's Zootopia

Zootopia was a movie I wasn't quite sure about before experiencing the panel. After John Lasseter brought out Ginnifer Goodwin (one of my favorite actresses), as well as showed exclusive D23 clips from the movie, I can tell this is going to be an incredibly clever and wonderful film! I'm so excited to see the finished product!

Promotional photo for Finding Dory!

Hands down the best surprise for the entire D23 weekend was seeing Ellen Degeneres live and in the flesh. I'm a huge Ellen fan -- I used to tape her show every day and watch with my mom whenever we had the time. During the Finding Dory presentation, it didn't even occur to me that she could very well walk onto that stage and grace us with her presence. Well....she did. I screamed some sort of a noise I never thought was humanely possible, but it was all so unreal. We were able to see the rest of the cast for the movie, which included some great stars such as Ty Burrell and Ed O'Neill from "Modern Family", as well as more exclusive clips exposing some of the story behind Dory trying to find her family.

Concept art for Moana

Despite the thrill I experienced seeing Ellen, I have to say the movie I'm most anticipated in seeing out of everything announced is Moana. Moana is the next Disney princess movie, scheduled to release late 2016. Set 2,000 years ago in the islands of the South Pacific, this movie is going to have absolutely stunning animation, gorgeous music, and I think a beautiful story. We were able to see a few clips from the film, as well as learn more about another character named Maui, a demi-god played by Dwayne Johnson (who joined the panel on stage during the presentation). We were able to see a live performance of one of the songs from the upcoming movie, and I was almost in tears watching the sneak peek clip of baby Moana discovering the ocean for the first time. Everything about this movie reminded me of both working at the Polynesian Resort and my mother. My mom hula dances and loves Polynesian music, and we were able to visit Aulani in Hawaii earlier this summer. I absolutely cannot wait until this movie is released in theaters.

The animation announcements concluded with a live performance from none other than the legendary Randy Newman singing "You've Got a Friend in Me" with all the Toy Story characters on stage dancing around and singing along. By the time the panel was finished, the Expo had concluded for the evening, ending day one. After experiencing everything that had happened during the first day, I was incredibly motivated for the next morning's panel: Live Action.

I plan on writing separate posts about my DisneyBounds and cosplays from D23 Expo, explaining where I found and bought each article of clothing to help put each outfit together. Stay tuned!

Why I'm Thankful My Dreams Were Crushed

When I visited home a few weeks ago, I found an example graduation announcement (pictured left) in my junk mail. When I opened the envelope and saw this fake Santa Clara University card, I couldn't help but laugh.

Four years ago I was applying for colleges and preparing to graduate high school. Some of my friends weren't exactly sure where they wanted to go or what they wanted to do. I was one of the few who had her mind set: I wanted to attend Santa Clara University to pursue a degree in psychology and a minor in creative writing. I toured SCU earlier in the year and absolutely fell in love.

I received acceptances from all the colleges and universities I applied to (except Stanford which was no shocker), but the day I received the giant envelope from SCU I literally screamed and barely fought away tears. I knew my dreams were starting to come true.

Flash forward a couple of months and a few friends of mine were accepting offers and posting their excitement for their new future schools on Facebook. Meanwhile, I hadn't accepted SCU's offer yet. Finances were an important factor...SCU is a private school. Saint Mary's University (another private school) had offered me a huge scholarship to pay for half of my tuition and attend their honors program, so I had high hopes that SCU would do the same.

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. I received the email from SCU with the subject "Financial Aid." This was it. This was the moment of truth.

I took a deep breath and opened the email. My heart sank.

All they offered me was loans.

No scholarships.

Nothing.

I was so upset. I knew that the reality of the situation required me to think of other options; I simply couldn't afford to go to SCU. I was crushed. I was so hopeful and confident in my plans...I didn't expect anything to go awry. I had no idea what to do.

Remembering what I was feeling when my clear vision became a complete and total blur reminds me of some messages I've been receiving from people about not getting accepted into the Disney College Program. I may have gotten accepted into the DCP when I applied, but this never would have happened if I hadn't gotten the disruption from not going to my dream school.

I've received messages confessing, "The DCP was my dream. I'm completely crushed. It's all I wanted to do. I have no idea what to do now."

When I read messages like this I respond in a way that reflects what happened with me. This was the moment that I realized that everything seriously happens for a reason. When one door closes, another one opens. Add any other cliche mottos/sayings you may have about challenges and opportunities, and they're all true.

The door to SCU shutting in my face opened up a chain of events that I never imagined would be possible. I decided to go to my community college near home, changed my major, finished early, and participated in the Disney College Program. I found the DCP because I knew I was finishing early and wanted to take that opportunity. I might not have even found the DCP if I went to SCU like I had originally planned.

I had doors closed during my DCP: I didn't get the role I wanted, I didn't get the apartment I wanted, nor did I work in a park like I was planning on doing. I wanted to work in attractions or merchandise at Hollywood Studios and live in Chatham Square. Instead, I worked in foods at the Polynesian Resort and lived in Patterson Court. I grew to love what I did and where I lived, and learned a lot about myself in the process.

After the DCP, I took another chance and did something I never thought I would do: move to Southern California. I transferred schools to a completely foreign city, far away from my family. Also, during my DCP my plan of becoming a campus rep was denied (another door closed), but this was great because if I had gotten that job, I would have never applied or gotten hired at Disneyland and meet all my amazing friends I consider my second family and have this incredible job.

Now not only do I work in attractions in California Adventure at my favorite rides, I accomplished a dream I never thought would be possible at my age:

I published a book.

Looking back, this dream was accomplished because another dream was crushed. Receiving this fake graduation invitation the other day reminded me that if I had attended SCU like I had planned, my life would be completely different from what it is today.

If you're rejected or denied from the DCP, an internship, a school, or any opportunity you might have your heart on, just keep in mind that there's a reason behind every action and every moment. This may have been the dream you wanted, but there's another dream out there just waiting for you to discover and accomplish. You can do it, I believe in you. It may be a rough path, but it's all completely worth it in the end.

Disney Parks Tag! (Vlog)

I found this tag a little while ago and decided it'd be fun to share some of my favorite things about Disney California Adventure!

QUESTIONS
1. Pick a park. Answer all following questions about that park.
2. How many times have you been to the park?
3. What's your favorite land? Why?
4. What's your favorite ride? Why?
5. What's your favorite show? (Oops didn't do this one, but it's World of Color)
6. Show us all your pins/buttons/merchandise.
7. What your favorite thing to eat at the park?
8. What's one thing you wish you could experience at the park, but have never gotten to?
9. If you were a cast member, who would you wanna be?
10. Share your favorite story from being in the park.
11. Tag someone!

I tagged: Steven, Raisa, Sidonie, and Molly!

If you'd like to do this tag, go for it, and let me know! I'd love to hear your answers!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

"It Gets Better" - Disney & The Trevor Project

One aspect about Disney that I absolutely love is their upmost acceptance and support of all different kinds of people. I have many friends who at one point in their lives didn't feel comfortable with themselves because they felt "different" or unaccepted within their community due to their sexuality. Many of them actually work for Disney, and most of the time they feel more comfortable being open and themselves at work than anywhere else.

The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization focused on suicide prevention among youths a part of the LGTBQ community. Recently, their Youtube channel posted a video of Disney cast members sharing their experience growing up in a community that didn't accept their differences. These cast members remind and encourage viewers that no matter how hard you might be currently struggling with your identity or feeling accepted, it does get better.

If you or a friend ever needs help, feel free to call The Trevor Lifeline: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386). It's 100% free and confidential and available all day, every day.

For more links and info on the Trevor Project:

• http://www.twitter.com/trevorproject
• http://www.facebook.com/thetrevorproject
• http://thetrevorproject.tumblr.com
• http://www.youtube.com/thetrevorproject
• http://bit.ly/gplustrevorproject

Have a magical day!

Celebrating Fourth of July at Disney?

Independence Day is one of the most popular days for families to spend time together in the Disney parks. Both Disneyland and Walt Disney World have special plans, events, and shows for guests that decide to have their vacation during this patriotic holiday.

Disneyland Resort

For those of you spending the fourth in Disneyland and/or California Adventure, there are a few things to look out for that have been catered especially to this holiday. 

• 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band: An extremely talented military band will perform several times in Disneyland throughout the day on July 4th:
• 3:30 pm - The band will lead the way before the new Frozen pre-parade in Mickey's Soundsational Parade.
• 5:30 pm - During the flag retreat ceremony in Town Square, the band will help retire the flag for the night.
• 5:45 pm - The band will continue down the parade route right after the flag ceremony all the way down to "it's a small world."
• 7:15 pm - The last chance to catch the band will be a full concert session at Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree.
  
• "Disney's Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky": From July 1-4 at 9:25 pm, you can catch Disney's beautiful Independence Day fireworks spectacular above Sleeping Beauty Castle. If you want to find spots right in front of the castle, I recommend getting there at least an hour before the show starts. July 4th is extremely busy for Disney, so the earlier you find spots for shows, the better chance you will have in finding a good viewing location. If you can't find a space for you and your family in front of the castle, I also recommend watching the show from Main Street. I watched "Magical" on Main Street just the other day and it was a wonderful location to view the show.
  
• World of Color Fourth of July Pre-Show: At 9:00 and 10:15 pm, there will be a special patriotic pre-show before World of Color. Remember, if you want to watch World of Color in the dedicated viewing area, you MUST obtain FastPasses before the show. I highly recommend immediately heading towards Grizzly River Run to get FastPasses for the show. On busy days, these passes run out quickly, which is something you won't want to risk if you want a spot in the viewing area. If you for some reason don't get a FP for the show, there are dedicated areas for viewing without FPs. Two consistent locations available are in front of Toy Story Mania, and behind a white fence at the top of the bridge near Ariel's Grotto. Ask a cast member for more specifics if you need to find one of the alternative viewing area options. (Note: I will be working this show for July 4th!)

(Last year's 4th of July pre-show for World of Color)

Walt Disney World Resort

There are a few special patriotic firework shows in different parks in Walt Disney World on July 3rd and 4th:

• Magic Kingdom, "Disney's Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky": This incredible fireworks display will ignite over Cinderella Castle at 9:00 pm. This is probably the most incredible and jaw-dropping fireworks show in all of the Disney parks. I've seen bits and pieces of the show from friends, and I can't even imagine how spectacular it must be to witness in person. You will definitely need to find a spot early for this show if you have a specific viewing location in mind.
  
• Hollywood Studios, "A Rockin' Fourth of July Celebration": The celebration begins at 6:00 pm at the Sorcerer Hat with a DJ to help energize the crowd. At 7:00, 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 pm, Mulch Sweat & Shears will perform on stage. At 10:15 pm, the rock 'n roll fireworks will ignite the sky above the Sorcerer Hat!
  
• Epcot, "Illuminations: Reflections of Earth - 4th of July": Epcot's beautiful nighttime show "Illuminations" will have a new patriotic spin for guests on the 3rd and 4th of July to celebrate America's independence. It will feature a five minute patriotic finale called The Heartbeat of Freedom. Also, throughout the day Disney characters will appear near The American Adventure in patriotic outfits for meet and greets.

Once again, 4th of July is one of the busiest days in Disney. I personally haven't experienced this holiday in the parks just yet, but some compare it to the same kind of crowd as New Years and Christmas time. It is highly recommended to plan ahead which shows you will want to watch, as well as which rides to conquer throughout the day. Lines will be long and shows will be crowded. For those of you planning on braving the parks this day, may the force be with you!

INCREDIBLES 2 OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED

Inside the Magic has officially announced that Pixar is currently in the makings of a sequel to The Incredibles!!

I'M LITERALLY SCREAMING SO EXCITED I CAN'T CONTAIN MYSELF I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT FOR ALL MY LIFE.

There's also a Cars 3 in development but I find that rather irrelevant to the importance of Incredibles 2.

Disney also announced that they will be re-releasing The Incredibles and Ratatoullie in theaters in 3D sometime in the near future.

But you guys...I know I made a previous post about how there hasn't been legitimate proof for an Incredibles sequel, but this has been officially confirmed by Pixar and D23.

Are you guys excited? I'm jumping out of my skin pumped for this movie. I don't care that it's probably going to take years to create until it actually is released in theaters, but just oh my gosh. This is my all time favorite Pixar movie, and I'm so glad it's finally getting the attention and the sequel it rightfully deserves!

Definitely expect to see very many updates on this blog about the movie as more information is revealed!!

Holidays in Disneyland

This was my first time experiencing Disney during the holidays! I absolutely love Halloween, and all of the Christmas decorations and shows were so beautiful! The crowds may be pretty crazy during this season, but it's sure a magical experience!

At first I was a little apprehensive about Haunted Mansion Holiday, where the mansion is transformed into a completely new attraction based off of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, after riding it a few times, finally watching the movie, and meeting Jack and Sally three times, it really grew on me and I have to say I really like it! I wish guests could meet Jack and Sally year round. They're really entertaining, I've never had a dull meet and greet experience!

The parade Disney has during Christmas is called A Christmas Fantasy. Let me tell you, after listening to that parade's soundtrack just one time, the song will be stuck in your head forever. I prefer watching this parade at night. If you see it on main street with all of the Christmas lights shining from the shops and buildings, it's definitely something magical that really took my breath away.

I only saw the holiday fireworks once, but it's a beautiful show called "Believe in the Holiday Magic". I recommend getting there at least an hour before if you want a decent spot. My roommate and I stood there for about an hour, and managed to get a viewing spot right in front of the castle. So worth it!

One of my favorite aspects of Disneyland during the holidays is the decorations for "it's a small world". At night, every 15 minutes or so there's a projection show similar to "Celebrate the Magic" in Walt Disney World. The lights for the night time decorations on this attraction are so stunning!

World of Color: Winter Dreams is the final holiday show, and probably the most popular this year. This is the first time World of Color transformed into a completely new show for the holidays, and honestly it focused on promoting Frozen more than the actual holiday season. However, I LOVED Elsa's part, and I really wish they kept it when they switched back to the regular show! I ended up seeing this show around 40 times since I was scheduled to work it many, many nights. (So. Much. Olaf.) Many memories were made during this show, but I'm definitely glad it's back to the original!

Did you go to Disney during the holidays? What's your favorite holiday attraction?

Have a magical day!

One Year Ago Today..

Today marks exactly one year since I was originally hired into the Walt Disney Company. One year ago today, I was boarding a bus to Traditions with my roommate Bethany to become an official member of the Disney family. I was anxious, excited, and overall overjoyed to finally have the opportunity and experience that I've been waiting for a very long time.

Since then, I finished my entire Disney College Program and my time with the Walt Disney World Resort. I worked in Captain Cook's in the beautiful Polynesian Resort, as well as the Grand Floridian and Art of Animation. I made amazing friends from all over the globe, and made memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

After a few months off over the summer, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the Disney family once again, but this time in my home state. I was hired on September 21st, 2013 as an attractions cast member in Disney California Adventure, and currently reside in Monstropolis at Monsters Inc., Mike and Sulley to the Rescue! I've also played along with Pixar characters during the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun! parade, as well as experienced the magic of World of Color multiple times in one night. Spending New Years Eve at work during World of Color: Winter Dreams with all of my amazing coworkers that are quickly turning into a family was absolutely incredible, and I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for me!

I still pinch myself over the fact that this is my life. I can't even comprehend the fact that I'm going to be published and am currently writing a book about my experience with Disney so far. I have nothing but amazing things to say about my journey with the company, and I will always and forever be grateful for all of the opportunities that have been blessed in my life. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this experience so magical and incredible, without you none of this would have been possible.

Here's to many more years to come!

Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks

I was finally able to see Saving Mr. Banks the other day! It was an absolutely fantastic film, and I definitely recommend everyone to go see it! I explain more about the details in the video above.

If you've seen Saving Mr. Banks, what did you think? Have any favorite parts? What do you think they could have done better, or changed?

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

New "Maleficent" Trailer

The first teaser trailer for Disney's future film, Maleficent was released this morning! I'm personally very excited for this. The CGI effects look breathtaking, and Angelina Jolie is sheer perfection.

Take a look!

What do you think? Are you excited?

Have a magical day!