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!

Book Review: The E-Ticket Life

The E-Ticket Life: by Kyle Burbank

I met Kyle through one of my best friends, who works with Kyle on a Disney podcast called The Disneyland Gazette. Kyle was kind enough to be the first person to officially review my own book on both the Gazette and LaughingPlace.com. While I was participating in an interview for the Gazette with Kyle, I learned more about his book The E-Ticket Life. I was definitely excited to read it myself, and jumped on the opportunity to finally meet Kyle in person at the D23 Expo and purchase a signed copy.

I didn’t actually get around to reading Kyle’s book until a month or so after D23, but I was immediately hooked. Each chapter is a personal anecdote about Kyle’s experience either in Disneyland or somehow related to Disney. He’ll take you through his journeys from Florida to Tokyo, with some stops in between. Kyle includes some of his personal life and lessons woven through his adventures, such as what it’s like to travel to a foreign country on your own, or how you can find a little bit of Disney in unexpected places.

One aspect in particular that I really enjoyed throughout Kyle’s book was reading his Disney experiences through the eyes of a true Disney fan and Annual Passholder. Before I became a cast member, I didn’t travel to Disney as frequently as I do now. Actually, I had only been to Disneyland maybe four or five times and Walt Disney World once before I got a job in Florida. I only know what it’s like to work and play in the parks together, not only see Disney as a place to frequent only for fun on a regular basis. I’ve always wondered what it was like for Annual Passholders to go to Disneyland as often as Kyle did and not grow tiresome of the place (people wonder the same thing about cast members, but that’s a different story).

There was one chapter in particular that really resonated with me. Kyle explains “The Disney Bubble,” which is basically the overall feeling you experience when attending a Disney park. You’re completely unaware of the outside world and simply enjoying the atmosphere and magic within the resort. If you attend as frequently as Kyle or I do, sometimes this “bubble” can pop, leaving you rather uninspired or possibly have a feeling that you’ve “lost the magic.”

Kyle makes an excellent point about being a Disney local or regular: You need to explore outside of the Disney parks to “keep the magic alive.” Disney fans use the parks as an escape from reality, but if you’re in the parks too often…they become your reality. The outside world and problems will follow you inside the parks of you don’t handle them in the “real world” before stepping foot inside your escape. Kyle explains an important lesson perfectly, that I feel more Disney locals need to take to heart:

“I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with wanting to live near the parks and visit often; I’m just saying that you shouldn’t define yourself by your fandom.”

This is something I’ve tried to explain to people who ask if I ever grow tired of going to Disney all the time. My answer is always plain and simple: I don’t allow myself to get to that point. If you maintain a healthy balance and attend the parks with a purpose (whether as small as grabbing lunch and people watching to as large as an all-day Disney excursion), you’ll most likely avoid popping the bubble that keeps Disney’s essence everyone knows and loves.

Along with Kyle’s fun and interesting anecdotes, I have to commend his writing. He’s fluid, professional, and tastefully adds his own personality and humor all throughout his story. If you’re a Disney buff, cast member, or simply want to learn about a young man’s journey traveling across (and out of) the country, I definitely recommend giving The E-Ticket Life a read.

You can find more of Kyle Burbank’s work on his blog at LaughingPlace.com, as well as purchase a copy of his book directly from Laughing Place Press or Amazon.

Disneyland Fall Bucket List

With the end of the year quickly approaching, my two-year anniversary with Disneyland come and gone (already!), and the recent announcements of many Disneyland attractions and locations closing either permanently or temporarily for the construction of Star Wars Land...I decided I need to finally make a bucket list for the parks of things I need to do before the end of the year.

Without further ado, here are a list of attractions, restaurants, and activities I need to do before 2016!

Source

1. Big Thunder BBQ - I've eaten here once before, and I LOVED it! I already have a plan in the works to eat here at least one more time before it goes away permanently in January. (Completed: 11/17/2015)

Source

2. Watch Fantasmic! - I actually haven't seen this show at all this year. I definitely need to see it before it's gone for over a year!

Source

3. Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes - This may seem kind of odd...but I've never been on the canoes that paddle around the Rivers of America. I wanted to give it a try this most recent summer but it was way too hot for that kind of physical activity.

Source

4. Ghost Galaxy - I love this particularly spooky version of Space Mountain during Halloween. I've actually had the opportunity to ride it with the lights on, but I haven't seen the regular version yet this year! (Completed: Oct. 14th)

Source

5. Mickey's Halloween Party - Even though I've worked in Disneyland for over two years now, I've never actually been to a Mickey's Halloween Party. Thankfully, I have a ticket for next week! I'm so excited! (Completed: Oct. 14th)

Source

6. Haunted Mansion Holiday - It's mandatory to see the new gingerbread house and changes Jack Skellington made to the Haunted Mansion every year! (Completed: Oct. 14th)

Source

7. Doctor Who Day - I've participated in the last two "Gallidays" in Disneyland, and they're so much fun! Definitely made it into a tradition and plan on attending this November. If you're a Doctor Who fan, this is definitely a day in the parks you don't want to miss. (Completed Nov 8th)

Source

8. Hyperspace Mountain - A new version of Space Mountain themed for Star Wars? Can't wait! (Completed 11/14/15)

Source

9. Star Wars Launch Bay - Even though I'm not a huge Star Wars nerd, I'm really excited to see what they did with Innoventions for the new Launch Bay coming in November!

I'll keep updating this list as I accomplish each goal, and keep you posted on Twitter and Facebook!

Do you have any items on your Disney bucket list?

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 Look: Baymax DisneyBound

My Baymax DisneyBound at D23!

For the first day of D23 Expo, I put together one of my all time favorite DisneyBounds. If you're not familiar with DisneyBounding, the concept is to put together clothes in a similar color scheme as some of your favorite Disney characters. It's a fun and creative way to dress similarly to these characters, but in a more modern and every day look that you can wear to the parks, school, or wherever you please!

I personally love DisneyBounding. My first ever look I put together was Snow White for Halloween a few years ago. I was immediately hooked.

Since then I've "bounded" as a handful of characters, such as Flynn Rider from Tangled and Megara from Hercules. One of my all time favorite outfits I pulled together was actually Baymax from one of my all time favorite movies: Big Hero 6.

I originally put together this DisneyBound for Wondercon back in April, but I loved it so much I thought it'd be perfect to revive it for D23. It's a very simple outfit, and rather easy to put together.

DisneyBounding at Wondercon!

Baymax Disneybound:

• Earrings (Top Left): These were actually a birthday gift from a friend, but she found them on an adorable Etsy shop called The Little Surprises. She has more adorable handmade crafts and jewelry available on her website!
  
• Baymax Bow (Bottom Left): This is one of my absolute favorite Disney bows. I found it on an etsy shop called Extra Sweet Bowtique! She has a fantastic amount of diverse Disney bows, some even non-Disney themed!
  
• White Dress: I found this dress at Forever 21 earlier this year, just a few days before Wondercon. The fabric is actually perfect, which looks similar to the kind of "huggable" material that makes Baymax! I actually ran into the talented cosplayer, Cassie Wanda, who thought the dress could make a great Baymax before she even realized that was the character I was DisneyBounding!
  
• Red Shoes: I wore red shoes for a couple of reasons. First, I already had these from a previous cosplay as Clara Oswald from Doctor Who on Galliday in Disneyland. Also, instead of finding new white shoes and risk them getting dirty, I thought the red feet could represent Baymax's charging station (as seen in the picture at the top). I found these Vans-like shoes at Ross!
  
• Sunglasses: To put together a finishing Baymax touch, I was able to find some thick, round sunglasses from a thrift store called Buffalo Exchange. If you don't live in Southern California, it'd be really easy to find similar round/circular sunglasses from anywhere, especially Forever 21!
  
• Baymax Purse/Bucket: Each time I've worn this DisneyBound, I've had a different kind of Baymax bag. The first time (pictured in the collage), I carried around a Baymax popcorn bucket from the Big Hero 6 pre-screening at the El Capitan. The bucket was filled with lollipops, which I gave out to anyone who wanted one! Right before D23, a friend of mine (Sasaki Time) found an adorable Baymax purse at a merchandise cart in the local mall! He immediately sent me a photo and I HAD to have it to use it at the expo (shown in the first picture). I love it so much!

That's everything I use for a Baymax inspired DisneyBound! My friend dressed up as Hiro and let me borrow an adorable stuffed Baymax to carry around with me during both Wondercon and D23. 

If you have any questions about this DisneyBound, DisneyBounding in general, or D23, leave a comment below!

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!

Sara Squared Takes on Disneyland's 60th!

Sara came to visit me in Disneyland for the first time in almost two years! It was actually pretty crowded in the parks, so we did everything Sara's never tried in Disneyland before! We were also able to see each of the new shows offered in the parks for Disneyland's 60th anniversary celebration, such as the new fireworks and Paint the Night parade!

Enjoy!