Disneyland Secrets

Walt Disney's Private Apartment at Disneyland -

When Disneyland was being constructed Walt Disney wanted to be able to stay nearby to supervise. Anaheim where Disneyland is located was about an hour away from where he lived so Disney had an apartment built above the fire station on Main Street where he could spend the night.

Everyone knew when Walt was there because of the light left on in the window of the apartment. After Disney died a light has been left on in the apartment window in his memory. The apartment has been left the same way it was when he died but it isn't open for public viewing.

Next time you go to Disneyland look for the light on above the fire station. The fire station is located on Main Street near the entrance. The fire station like all of Main Street resembles what it would have looked like in 1910 Middle America complete with an old time fire engine and Dalmatian dog.

Free Balloons and Coffee at Disneyland -

When park visitors buy a cup of coffee they can hold on to the empty cup after finishing and get free coffee for the rest of the day. Guests simply give their empty cup to any vendor and receive free refills all day.

Balloons that are popped or lost are also replaced free. Even if a guest picks up the remains of some other guest's broken balloon they can still present it to any balloon vendor and receive a new free balloon.

Hidden Magic at the Mad Hatter Shop at Disneyland -

Few people know that the comedian Steve Martin worked at the Mad Hatter Shop in Disneyland's Fantasyland when he was younger. Steve enjoyed magic and was a natural who excelled there as a salesman.

There is hidden magic in the Mad Hatter Shop. Take a look into the oval mirror inside the Mad Hatter. There is an animatronics Cheshire Cat character from Alice in Wonderland that is hidden behind the mirror.

Visitors see their own reflection in what appears to be a regular mirror. Then mysteriously all of a sudden the Cheshire Cat appears next to them in the mirror. Guests are shocked and surprised to see the Cheshire Cat appear suddenly next to them in the mirror and turn around to see it. However, the cat is not behind them.

Hidden Mickey Mouse Ears at Disneyland -

Disneyland is all about taking care of the details. Walt Disney supervised every detail and included many special surprises to add to the magic. When you first enter Disneyland you enter a tunnel. There is a plaque on the top of the tunnel that reads, "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy." Walt wanted to take park visitors to a new world of fantasy. After guests pass through the tunnel they enter the magical world of Disneyland.

Part of creating a fun and magical land was installing hidden Mickey Mouse Ears all over the park. There is at least one hidden Mickey in each land. Sometimes guests might notice the shape in a wrought iron railing has a Mickey Mouse ear shape or a hedge might be pruned to resemble Mickey Mouse Ears. Make a game of it and see which one of your friends can find the most hidden Mickey Mouse ears.

Club 33 at Disneyland -

In Disneyland there is a private members only club called Club 33. It is located in New Orleans Square on the second floor near the Bayou Restaurant.

Walt Disney wanted to provide a private place to entertain his guests. Unfortunately he died before it was completed. When it was completed it was instead opened up as a private club with limited membership.

There are about 400 members and the annual membership is about $1,000. There is a long waiting list to join that usually takes more than 5 years for an opening to become available. Recently the cost of joining was between $7,500 to 20,000 depending on the type of membership.

Members who have reservations for Club 33 are given free passes to enjoy Disneyland for the day of their reservation. They also have a special parking area and of course are treated as VIPs.

Club 33 is decorated in early 20th Century style and some members have been amused by the bordello red velvet decor. There are special Club 33 emblazoned items all over the club that many members take as souvenirs such as the napkins and other items that can be purchased such as club rings.

Club 33 is also the only place at Disneyland where alcohol is served.

THERE ARE TONS OF SECRETS IN DISNEY!! CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE HERE WITH MORE SECRETS!! RYAN AND I ARE GOING TO START TRYING TO FIND THEM ALL!! WE ARE HEADING TO DISNEY TOMORROW NIGHT AFTER WORK!!! YAY!!!!

Michael Jackson

Wowser...

Pop star Michael Jackson, who bridged the gap between black soul and white pop music, has died in Los Angeles on Thursday, according to media reports. He was 50.

Jackson had been rushed by ambulance to a Los Angeles-area hospital after suffering from cardiac arrest, according to a report from the Times.

Capt. Steve Ruda, an official with the Los Angeles Fire Department, told the Times that Jackson was not breathing when paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m.

The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

More of the article here.

Shaq a Cav?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have reached an agreement in principle to acquire Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O’Neal(notes), multiple sources involved in the talks told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday night.

Cleveland will send Ben Wallace(notes), Sasha Pavlovic(notes), the 46th pick in Thursday’s draft and cash to the Suns for O’Neal.

Cleveland and Phoenix were both juggling multiple trade possibilities with other teams, with the Cavs involved with as many as six trade scenarios.

Yet the disappointing Eastern Conference finals loss to the Orlando Magic left Cavs GM Danny Ferry with incredible pressure to accumulate talent around James in the final season prior to his 2010 free agency. James has blessed the O’Neal trade, especially because it should give his overmatched frontline a chance to compete with Dwight Howard in the playoffs.

Read the rest of the article here.

What are your thoughts?!

New Alice

From the towering skyscrapers of Gotham City, to the foggy village of Sleepy Hollow, on into the candy-colored realm of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, director Tim Burton has built his reputation on bringing wildly imaginative worlds to life. It was just a matter of time before he ventured into one of the earliest and still beloved fantasy worlds in literature: Lewis Carroll's immortal "Alice in Wonderland."

Burton's movie version isn't simply a retelling of the original 1865 novel. It's a new story that has Alice returning to Wonderland as a teenager several years after the events of Carroll's books "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass."

But it's not just the story that will be new and innovative in Burton's adaptation. The film will digitally manipulate footage of real actors to create Wonderland's bizarre inhabitants. Burton told Disney's D23 Magazine, "It's kind of a mixture of some distorted live action and animation. I can't relate it to anything because I'm not sure what to relate it to. It's kind of new territory for me."

The visual style of Burton's take on "Alice in Wonderland" has been a closely-guarded secret up until now. Here are five photos revealing how the stars of the movie have been transformed into Carroll's classic characters.

Check out the website here and read more about each of the characters.

It looks like it is going to be an AMAZING movie!! I have to say, I haven't been disappointed with any of Tim Burton's films!! YAY!!

Donation Station

Dear Friends & Family:

A life is lost to suicide every 16 minutes in the United States. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four year olds and the second leading cause of death among college students. However, most Americans remain unaware that suicide is a national health problem. The impact suicide has on the lives of family members, friends, co-workers and the community is devastating. The loss of human potential is enormous.

On October 17th, 2009, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will host its fourth, annual 5K Out of the Darkness Community Walk in San Diego, CA. We hope you will consider walking with us as we travel the beautiful paths at De Anza Cove in North Mission Bay to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention.

A major goal of this event is to show support for the families and friends of the 32,000 Americans who die by suicide, and the 20 million people who suffer from depression, each year. Support of the community walks also helps to raise funds for suicide prevention research and educational programs, erase the stigma surrounding suicide and its causes, and encourage those who are suffering from mental illness to see treatment.

On-line registration is now available at www.outofthedarkness.org. You may register individually or as part of a team. Please consider inviting your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to walk with you or to support your walk. If you are not able to join us, perhaps you would consider sponsoring a walker or making a donation to the San Diego walk. Check out my personal walker page here: http://afsp.donordrive.com/participant/mcdot.

Thank you ahead of time for your support in bringing suicide Out of the Darkness.


Sincerely,
Carlee

Geo Caching Law & Order

How funny!! I was watching Law and Order this afternoon and they mentioned GEO CACHING!! They even showed the website!!

Have you seen this episode?!
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
The Unblinking Eye
Season 4, Episode 21
Episode Description
Originally Aired: May 08, 2005
A stalker is the first suspect when a actor is wounded and his fiancee killed, but it's revealed that he set up the whole thing to get public attention and his career moving forward.

I have seen it probably twice before but I don't think I noticed the GEO CACHING references :). It isn't a big part of the case or anything like that, but I still thought it was fun!!

Sun

The sun is back!! I hope it stays!! We are sick of this May Gray and June Gloom!! I know, I know, I get no pity from you Mid-wester's out there, but HEY WE PAY FOR SUNSHINE OUT HERE AND IT STINKS WHEN MR. SUN RUNS AWAY :) (and you know me, Ms. Deal-Finder, if I am paying for it, it better be delivered :) ).

Bro-Am

The Switchfoot Bro-Am surf contest and concert returns to Moonlight Beach in Encinitas on Saturday, June 27, 2009! An annual event near and dear to Switchfoot's hearts, the Bro-Am was created to give back to the San Diego community while also benefiting a local children's charity through funds raised at a pre-event auction night, as well as from vendors on the beach day-of, sponsorships, and an after-party at the Belly Up Tavern.

We are delighted to announce that this year's event will again benefit the San Diego and Oceanside branches of StandUp For Kids, a national nonprofit volunteer outreach organization that started right here in San Diego and is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless, and street kids. (www.standupforkids.org)

"The Bro-Am has been my favorite day of the year ever since we started it back in '05," notes Switchfoots's Jon Foreman. "To see our hometown come together to help out a deserving group of kids is an incredible experience � surfing, music, and the San Diego scene at its best. We feel truly honored to again partner with StandUp For Kids, an incredible organization serving at-risk youth here in S.D."

"The Bro-Am event changed our chapter, our kids, and our volunteers last year," explains Kim Goodeve-Green, director of center operations for the Oceanside branch of StandUp For Kids. "Not only did it raise crucial monetary support that we used to expand programs for our kids, but it increased awareness of who we are, and this in turn generated more volunteers, more support, and more community involvement. We need your help now more than ever. We've seen a rise in numbers and are currently servicing 50+ kids each night (at our chapter alone). These kids deserve to be loved, cherished, lifted up, and to stand up on their own two feet."

The Switchfoot Bro-Am will again work with San Diego-based Sustainable Waves to offer cutting-edge solar-powered sound and staging. Sustainable Waves utilizes the renewable energy sources of the sun to deliver 100% pollution-free concerts. By using solar power rather than a diesel generator or grid power, the Bro-Am will avoid emitting approximately 1,000 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere (the equivalent of not driving your car approximately 1,100 miles or the annual sequestration of 66 trees).

Surf contest participants include riders representing O'Neill, Billabong, Transworld Surf, Surfing, Surfer, AKA Surfboards, Walking On Water, Macbeth, INT, Surf Ride, Jedidiah, Surfcurls.com, Keep A Breast, Surfline.com, and Dental Specialty Associates, as well as professional surfers Timmy Curran and Rob Machado, and members of Switchfoot.

A free concert on the beach will feature performances by a number of well known local as well as national bands including Tristan Prettyman, Timmy Curran, The New Archaic, The Howls, Indivision, Jane Carrey Band, and Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and friends.

More about it here.

Car-Free

The City of Oceanside actively supports being a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly community. The City hosts several events and activities that promote such a concept. Saturday on The Strand is a new upcoming event with the goal of connecting the community: walkers, bikers, runners, seniors, adults, and children, all in a relaxed car-free environment. This is a free, healthy, recreational event that brings residents together and encourages being a walkable and bikeable city. Saturday on The Strand will be held on June 20 from 9am to 3pm.

The Strand will be closed to vehicle traffic between Breakwater Way and Wisconsin Avenue. Volunteers and police enforcement will be stationed to aid those residents who live on The Strand and need to access their residences. There will be free parking at all City lots and a “Bike Corral” at Betty’s Lot (parking lot south of the Pier Amphitheater). For those commuting to Oceanside via public transportation please check with the North County Transit District (NCTD) for Coaster, Sprinter, and Breeze schedules, as the transit center is located only a few blocks away from the Amphitheater.

Saturday on The Strand will be held in conjunction with Race Across America (RAAM). RAAM is a 3,000 mile endurance bicycle race that spans the United States. The race starts in Oceanside at the Amphitheater and terminates in Annapolis, Maryland.

Don’t miss being part of Oceanside’s first Saturday on The Strand event and cheering on the RAAM team riders! Should you have any additional questions please contact the Development Services Department – Engineering Division at 760-435-5099.

Click here for more info!

Live Simply

I love this line of shirts from Patagonia... Live Simply... I think the whale is my favorite, but feel free to check them out and pick your own fav!! (I think the otter or seal, whatever he is, hehe, comes in a close second)

Which is your favorite?!

Shoe & Board Drop Contest

Check out the website here for more details (you can either make a video or write an essay).

Stop Mailings

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) provides consumers with a service called DMAchoice™ which is an online tool developed by DMA to help consumers to manage the advertising mail that comes to their home address.

You can request to stop receiving advertising mail from each of three categories: Catalogs, Magazine Offers and Other Mail Offers.

Please go to http://www.DMAchoice.org to register. To start, go to “New User” then click on “Register”. There is no fee for online registration, and registration online is the fastest way to see results.

What is DMAchoice?
DMAchoice™ is an online tool developed by the Direct Marketing Association to help you manage your mail. This site is part of a larger program designed to respond to consumers' concerns over the amount of mail they receive, and it is the evolution of the DMA's Mail Preference Service created in 1971.

For the purposes of this site, direct mail is divided into four categories: Credit Offers, Catalogs, Magazine Offers and Other Mail Offers. You can request to start or stop receiving mail from individual companies within each category—or from an entire category at once.

Happy BDay Boys!

Happy 2nd Birthday Quincy and Tucker!!



YAY QUINCY-BOO AND TUCKER-ROO!!!!

The McDot Shop

The McDot Shop inventory is quickly becoming obsolete... Etsy only keeps my current pieces up for a limited time and with no one buying them I am thinking that I will just let the listings expire... If you are interested in anything up there, please let me know!!

I HAVE SLASHED PRICES IN THE McDOT SHOP!! Nothing over $10!! Check out the art!! I would love to sell everything that is currently up in the shop so that I can start restocking it with new pieces!! CHECK IT OUT & TELL YOUR FRIENDS!! Thanks for your continued support!!

Wedding Pictures

I had mentioned that Ryan and I went to our friends' wedding in Arizona. Their professional pictures have been edited and now posted - YAY!!! There were a few that Ryan and I were in, so I have taken a few from the site and linked the rest here. Check out the great pictures of Erik & Sarah here.

Let's Walk!

Dear Friends & Family:

A life is lost to suicide every 16 minutes in the United States. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four year olds and the second leading cause of death among college students. However, most Americans remain unaware that suicide is a national health problem. The impact suicide has on the lives of family members, friends, co-workers and the community is devastating. The loss of human potential is enormous.

On October 17th, 2009, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will host its fourth, annual 5K Out of the Darkness Community Walk in San Diego, CA. We hope you will consider walking with us as we travel the beautiful paths at De Anza Cove in North Mission Bay to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention.

A major goal of this event is to show support for the families and friends of the 32,000 Americans who die by suicide, and the 20 million people who suffer from depression, each year. Support of the community walks also helps to raise funds for suicide prevention research and educational programs, erase the stigma surrounding suicide and its causes, and encourage those who are suffering from mental illness to see treatment.

On-line registration is now available at www.outofthedarkness.org. You may register individually or as part of a team. Please consider inviting your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to walk with you or to support your walk. If you are not able to join us, perhaps you would consider sponsoring a walker or making a donation to the San Diego walk. Check out my personal walker page here: http://afsp.donordrive.com/participant/mcdot.

Thank you ahead of time for your support in bringing suicide Out of the Darkness.


Sincerely,
Carlee

Stanley

Let's finish it out tonight boys!!

GO WINGS!!

T@B

These are my new favorites!! Ryan and I have been talking about getting an RV and just being vagbonds for years now... I LOVE THESE little guys!! They are soooo cute!! Ryan and I have request brochures on them!! Aren't they so cute?! Check out the website here. I think I want it Aqua in color with Yellow trim!! I saw one on the road the other day and I just keep thinking about how cute they are and how Ryan and I could DEFINITELY make a mini-home in one :). You can even add an extra room with an outdoor tent!! The only thing that I wish it had was a shower, but hey, vagabonds can't ask for too much, hehe.




PS Check out this CUTE logo that a couple have for their blog when they are riding around in their T@B. How fun!! Their blog is here.

IC on Larry King Live

Matthew's One

Look @ Mr. Matthew... What a cutie pie... He is the cutest, one year old nephew I have :)

DLand Again

Ryan and I went to Disneyland again today... We have to get our money's worth for our annual passes, right?! :) We took a bunch of pictures this time. Check them out here.

Ryan and his best friend, George-

Pluto and I -

Donald and us -

Lilo and us doin' the shaka -

Minnie in her safari gear and us -

The Stand

Birthdays!!

Today is my madre's birthday as well as my newphew's birthday!! YAY!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SUZIE Q, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!












HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MATTHEW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

All-American Rubios

Sharing is what Americans do - to celebrate our joys, and to help those in need. And now when you share a picture of your ALL-AMERICAN MOMENT, not only will you get a coupon for a FREE ALL-AMERICAN TACO, but Rubio's also will donate 25¢ to SHARE OUR STRENGTH, an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. And we'll put our money where your mouth is: We'll donate up to $25,000! See - sharing really does make the world a better place. So visit Rubio's. Eat well. And do good.

Share Our Strength is the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger in America.

1 out of 6 kids in America is at risk of hunger. By supporting Share Our Strength you can make a difference in a child's life. Please send an All-American Moment photo to Rubio's to help end childhood hunger in America.

Check out the website here.

GO WINGS!!

I will be at small group tonight and unable to watch the game... CHEER ON THE WINGS FOR ME :) Let's win tonight and bring it back to DETROIT TO TAKE HOME THE CUP!!

Detroit Red Wings left wing Johan Franzen, of Sweden, left, center Henrik Zetterberg, of Sweden, center, and right wing Dan Cleary, right, practice at the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Red Wings lead the series 2-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. (AP Photo, Keith Srakocic)

The Hangover

Alright, I know this may not be everyone's type of movie... But I think it will be my kind-o-movie... Ryan and I are quite excited to see The Hangover... It opens tomorrow!!

Up

Ryan and I went to see Up on Saturday (seeing as it was yet another May Gray day and the gross-ness outside prohibited us from doing much else than stay inside). We both give it 2 thumbs up. We saw it in 3-d, which was really cool. I haven't seen anything in the theater lately in 3-d, but I think it really helped the animation. Ryan saw another movie and 3-d and said that the animation in 3-d is much cooler. I would DEFINITELY recommend checking it out!!

Here is a review from the LA Times on Up:

As success follows success for animation powerhouse Pixar, the pressure to maintain the streak must be phenomenal. Will the next film be the one that stumbles, the one that breaks stride? No one need worry, however, about "Up," Pixar's 10th and latest effort. It's not only good, it's one of Pixar's best. Some films are an obligation to write about, "Up" is the purest pleasure.

Though films such as "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." and "Wall-E" are tough to compete with, director and co-screenwriter Pete Docter, a Pixar veteran who had a credit on all those films, was able to push "Up" into the pantheon. He did it by letting his imagination fly away. Working with co-director and co-writer Bob Peterson, Docter came up the idea of cranky 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) floating off to parts unknown when his house gets hoisted into the air by exactly 20,622 helium balloons. Try pitching that idea to your agent.

But what makes "Up" stand out is not just that core concept, but what the Pixar team has been able to do with it. Rarely has any film, let alone an animated one powered by the logic of dream and fantasy, been able to move so successfully -- and so effortlessly -- through so many different kinds of cinematic territory.