A Disney Dry Spell

In Walt Disney World it is already the most wonderful time of the year and has been for a couple of weeks. The entire resort is decked out with boughs of holly, gingerbread houses, and thousands of colored lights. There is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the Candlelight Processional, and the Osborn Lights. The entire resort is in the middle of looking a lot like Christmas.

While Walt Disney World is only a day’s drive from where I live at this point it might as well be on another planet. With no plans or means to go back any time soon, I’ll only be visiting Orlando vicariously through Disney World podcasts and websites. For the first time in a long time I find myself with only a peripheral interest in Disney.

Now that The Muppets movie has been released there’s not anything else to look forward to from Disney this holiday season. Disney Pictures has a pair of December releases scheduled. The Adventures of Tin Tin: Secret of the Unicorn, a Steven Spielberg film, gets released on December 21 and War Horse opens on Christmas Day. I’m not very interested in either of them.

For the first in a few years there will not be a major Disney or Pixar animated release in theaters for the Holidays. Disney is putting all its eggs in “The Muppets” basket.

Of course that should come as no surprise. The Muppets and their co-stars, Jason Segal and Amy Adams, were all over the place for these past few months. I have already seen the movie but I plan on seeing it again before I review it.

But with no Disney animated feature this Christmas season, unless there’s another movie we really want to see, Paula and I will have to find something different to do on Christmas Eve.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, for me, there’s nothing really very interesting going on in the world of Disney right now. Perhaps that’s because there are other things in my life that require more attention and are more exciting than anything I’m getting from Disney.

But then again, by focusing on those other things I’m following my dreams. That’s the number one Walt Disney’s philosophy. So I guess I really am still under the influence of Disney even though I’m pursuing “other dreams”.

I’ll be back again soon with my review of “The Muppets”

A Birthday & A Good-bye

Today is a significant day in the Disney universe. It is a day to both celebrate and lament.

The occasion for celebration is the 93^rd birthday of Mickey Mouse. The date of his “birth” is based on the release of his first cartoon short, on November 18, 1928; Steamboat Willie. I celebrated the day by wearing a new Mickey t-shirt to work.

I may be a “Goofy Guy” but I have to admit I have a real soft spot for “the mouse.” He represents all that is Disney. As I heard a Disney creative artist say in an interview recently, Mickey is Walt Disney. He’s an immortal extension of the man who started all that has become Disney, with just his dreams. While for the first two decades Walt was Mickey’s voice. Mickey continues to be Walt’s voice. Happy Birthday Mickey.

The lamenting I mentioned comes for those fans of the nationally syndicated morning talk show, Live with Regis and Kelly. A show that’s distributed by the ABC TV network, which, as you probably know, is a Disney owned company.

Today was the last appearance for co-host Regis Philbin. The 80 year old TV legend, who holds the world record for number of hours on television, over 17,000, is leaving the program. Philbin is emphatic about the fact that he’s not retiring, He insists that he’s just “moving on”.

During his last show, Regis was given a honor direct from Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger.The CEO appeared on the final minutes of the show to announce that a plaque commemorating Regis and his career at the ABC TV studios would be permanently displayed in the doorway of the building of ABC's building on Lincoln Square in New York City. 

I can’t say I’m really a fan of Regis but I have enjoyed the 15 minutes of “host talk” between co-host Kelly Ripa and him at the beginning of the each show. The chemistry between the two of them is so unique that in the past when I turned on the show and one of them was not there I didn’t’ watch. I don’t know how I’m going to feel about the show now that Regis is gone for good.

As I thought about these two cultural icons today I remembed that today isn't  the first time these two giants in the Disney in the universe have shared the spotlight together. For 17 years (1991-2008) Regis co-hosted the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade. And of course, no parade in Walt Disney World would be complete without an appearance by the head mouse. (see picture below) In addition of the "Live" program broadcast on location from the Magic Kingdom several times over the years. 

I personally have seen something rather unique that also brings Mickey and Regis together. I saw it during my first trip to Walt Disney World in 2004. Here’s a picture of it.

It’s a statue commemorating Mickey’s 75^th birthday customized by Kelly Ripa (notice the “Live” show logo on the mug Mickey’s holding). There were 75 of these statues made that year by each designed by a different celebrity or athlete or otherwise "famous" person. I took this picture along with shots of the others I saw outside the gates at the end of our wonderful first day ever in the Magic Kingdom. The lights around the top of the train station in the back ground really give this picture a special Disney World look to it. I'd like to say I staged this picture to be that way but it was just a "magical" coincidence.

It’s just an interesting thing that in 2004 Mickey & Regis were together on a statue and today, nearly 12 years later, they’re together again because of special occasions on the same day.

Once again, Happy 93^rd Mickey and many more.  Congratulations on a great run with “Live” Regis. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

An Unexpected Goofy Discovery

When song writer and Disney Legend, Robert Sherman came up with the lyric “It’s a small world after all”, he was talking about all citizens of the world and common sharing of the human condition. But the phrase can also be used in a different context. It’s extremely applicable to the Disney merchandise marketing machine.

Almost anywhere you go in the country, where commercial products are available; you’re bound to find something that has a Disney character on it. I’m talking almost anywhere.

There’s also more than likely a significant presence of Disney merchandise in many “after market” venues, like flea markets, as well. But this past Friday I found something Disney in a place I never would have expected.

My sister-in-law invited Paula; our friends Patty & Mark; and me to go to dinner at the Porky Pig restaurant in Pig, Kentucky.  It's only a few miles away from our house. This is a very popular place for both locals and tourists visiting the Mammoth Cave National Park area to eat. The place specializes in pulled pork dinners with homemade side dishes such as coleslaw and baked beans. However this is not a restaurant review so enough about that.

As we sat down at a table I noticed a small room off the other side of the dining area with the lights off. Over the door way was hung a wooden sign.  Carved out of the wood and painted black were the words "Grandma's Store." 

I could see that it was set up like an indoor yard sale with a variety of items fanned out on several long tables. At first glance I caught a glimpse of something that made me determined to take the time to go over and check things out before we left. That’s just what I did.

That first thing I had seen turned out to be a Christmas decoration. It was just any decoration. It was a Disney Christmas decoration. It was a Goofy Christmas decoration. It was a moving Diseny Goofy Christmas decoration. Check out the picture below.

The thing plugged in and when it was switched on Goofy started rolling the snowball forward as though he was making it bigger. I was excited because it was very cute and very Goofy. It wasn’t in perfect condition and had some discoloration on the front of the base and on Goofy’s gloves but overall it was in decent shape.

Using the bargaining technics I’ve learned from watching the TV reality show “American Pickers” I asked the lady in charge of the “store” how much she wanted for the decoration. She said $5. I responded with a quick “I’ll take it”. I was ready to go as high as $10 but $5 was good enough for me.

So now I have a new addition to my Goofy collection and it’s a Christmas decoration I can display in our living room in a few weeks.

I really like my “Goofy making a snowball” decoration. I’m glad my sister in law took us out for dinner. It helped me realize that the merchandise “footprint” of Disney is a lot larger than I ever realized.  The night turned into a real “Goofy off world Disney” experience.

Direct From Walt Disney World

Hey there Goofy Guy blog readers. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted but I've been busy. My main writing focus for the last 3 weeks has been finally finishing my 50th Birthday Walt Disney World Trip Report that I've been working on for over a year.

Finally last week I put the 85 page report in a 3-ring binder with each page  protected by a clear plastic sheet. I really have a sense of accomplishment knowing that there'sIa 41,000 word "book" that preserves the most happy memories and details of the best vacation of my life. I may post portions of that report in the future.

Now on with this post:

As of yesterday, I'm a very proud to be the owner of my first "official" Disney Goofy t-shirt. The great thing about this one is that it's direct from Walt Disney World.

Here's how I got it. A couple of weeks ago I found out that my pastor was going to Florida with his family for fall break. Their plans included spending some time on Walt Disney World property doing things outside the theme parks.

Upon hearing this, of course, I saw it as a chance to ask him to bring me back the one thing I wished I'd gotten for myself the last time I was in "The World". I gave Pastor Tim some money and asked him to bring me back a t-shirt with Goofy on it. As a "thank you" in advance I put 90 minutes of Disney songs on a couple of CDs for his kids to listen to on their long drive to Orlando.

Tim and his extended family are frequent Disney visitors. They've been there quite a few more times than I have. The key element in their latest trip was their Disney Cruise Line vacation on the brand new Disney Dream.

They are veteran Walt Disney World guests. They have so much more overall experiences than I have had (yes, I'm a bit envious) especially as multi-member family with a wide age range. I'd love to get together with them an interview them for this blog. I'll have to see if that's possible. It would be a lot of fun. Now back to our story.

I'm wearing the shirt brought back for me in the picture above. I also took some pictures of me wearing the t-shirt and "talking" on my Goofy telephone. Although I'm not going to make it my profile picture for my blogs I will make it my Facebook profile picture. So if you're interested in seeing it find me on Facebook.

I wore my new Goofy shirt to work today. I got several "I like that shirt" remarks from my co-workers both in the call center and the warehouse. I felt especially "Goofy" all day.

I am very grateful to Pastor Tim for bringing back the first of what I hope will  be several Goofy themed shirts in my Disney collection.

A "Zippidy Doo Dah!" Present

I own over 80 Disney movies on DVD. This includes all the major releases from the Disney animation studios, all Pixar films, True Life adventure films, several life action movies, and a few that have both animation and live action combined. 

I'm anticipating adding Disney Nature's "African Cats" and Pixar's "Cars 2" and the latest "Winnie the Pooh" film, later this year.

But there is one Disney film, I've had to come to accept, might never be added to my collection. That film is "Song of the South."

Culturally questionable, since its initial release in 1946, for portraying allegedly misleading idyllic images of post Civil War race relations, the film remains locked up in the "Disney vault", hidden from generations of Disney fans. This in spite of the fact that there are several major attractions in Disney theme parks throughout the world based on the film and feature its animated characters.

Now I'm not going to go into the lengthy details of the nearly 65 years of controversy that surrounds "Song of the South". My favorite Disney historian and author, Jim Korkis, is a much better source of information and more qualified to write about the subject. Here's a link to an internet article about the movie along with some links to other articles he's written on the subject:  http://www.mouseplanet.com/9602/The_Sad_Song_of_the_South

The Disney Company's decision not to release the Oscar winning film ("Zippidy Do Dah" won the Academy Award for "Best Original Song") made it the one of the Walt Disney films that I would probably never own. 

Whenever the opportunity to discuss Disney movies and my personal collection would come up I always made sure I mention the one movie that's conspicuous by it's absence from my storage cabinet. Apparently my laminations (other than when you are referring to a book in the Old Testament when do you get a chance to use that word?) did not fall on deaf ears and was a lot more frequent than I had realized.

A couple of weeks ago a family member gave me a gift for my birthday that I never thought I'd ever get: an "unauthorized" DVD copy of "Song of the South." Through an exclusive path of channels and extensive efforts, with the help of some tech savvy friends (you know who you are) the family member was able to give me a rather decent copy for my collection.

As I sat in my living room relaxing on my recliner watching the DVD on my big screen TV I realized what a "home run" this birthday present was for me. It's just about the perfect gift for me at this point in my life. "Song of the South" is one of a group of films that defines who Walt Disney was as a film maker. It's part of the fabric and culture that is "Disney". Now I have my own copy of it in my Disney movie collection.

Getting to be in Walt Disney World in September 2010 on my 50th tops the list of ultimate Disney themed birthday day presents. Of course it was given to me by my wife.  This year's gift, Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox on DVD is worthy of second place on the list. The only intent of that statement is a big "thank you" to my family member and everyone involved in the process that put the DVD in my hands. I really appreciate it more than I can ever tell y'all.

Now anytime I need wan t to I can put the movie in my DVD player and make it a "Zippidy Do Dah" day.

When Life Happens; Disney Vacations Don't

The year 2012 was going to be a record year for me as far as Disney vacations were concerned. As of a couple of months ago I was planning on spending several days in Walt Disney World by myself (see the June 20 post). My wife and I had tentatively planned on celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary with a Bahamian cruise aboard the Disney Dream in December.

Of course both of these vacations come with a significant price. Back in April I began saving for them. I put away a small amount each day and a larger amount each Friday. I was well on my way to my goal of having saved a little over $3000 by the time we would leave for our cruise.  

But over the last couple of weeks it has become necessary to redirect my Disney fund toward other issues "closer to home".  A couple of things have happened in our lives that have taken and will take financial priority over Disney vacations.

But what could possibly be more important than a Disney vacation? Well here's my answers: the next generation and new transportation.

A couple of weeks ago James and Brandi, my son and daughter in law, informed us of the most exciting thing to happen in our family since Michael and Heather adopted Bo, their cat. They told us that this coming April we will become grandparents.

Since the baby will be our first grandchild both Paula and I are excited and plan to help our grand baby have everything that he or she needs while growing up. This might mean just helping with furnish the nursery and supply diapers and formula at first. However we're really looking forward to the time when we can spoil our grand baby rotten.

For a year or so now Paula and I have been praying that her car, a 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, would last  a few more years until we could save up enough money for a good down payment on a new one. Up until Friday September 9 it did. That's when, because of the cost of needed repair and maintenance we had to say "good bye" to the to the vehicle my wife has own for more than 10 years.

When we found her a new car, a 2011 Chevrolet Impala, it came with a monthly payment. So our budget had to be adjusted to allow for the inclusion of that payment for the next 5 years.

Now of all the things I value in my life: God, my wife, and my family are without a doubt the 3 most important. There are other things that come after them. In the interest of brevity I won't venture to name them or give them a specific order. For the purpose of this post only the place where my passion for Disney places is important. And that place is somewhere after the three I've already mentioned. 

What does this mean? To paraphrase what Jesus said in 6th chapter of the book of Matthew. Where my heart is my "treasure" will be as well. That's why the funds I've saved and planned on saving for Disney trips will now and in the future be used to make sure my wife has a safe and reliable mode of transportation and to make our little "peanut" happy. (for an explanation of the use of the nickname "peanut" for our new grandchild see my "Found A Peanut" post on my RHFactors blog as listed above) 

Unfortunately that means that all those 2012 plans for Disney are off the table. They won't be happening. I have cancelled the reservation of our stateroom for the December 2012 cruise on the Disney Dream. It looks like I will continue to experience Walt Disney World through the many media resources I (books, magazines, podcasts and the internet) I subscribe to while being "off world", for the foreseeable future.

I'm not saying that our Disney vacations have gone the way of Mickey's Toontown Fair.  I fully intend to go back and visit "The World" again someday. Perhaps the next time I go it will be wilth my grandchild.

While Disney may be the best at giving the guests of their theme parks a special, fun-filled, memorable vacation there's something better. Serving God and taking care of the ones  you love is the "true magic" of life. And when the opportunity comes along it is life's ultimate blessing.

So although I'm a bit disappointed that my 2012 Disney vacations are not going to happen and it took me a couple of days to really process the reality of that. I feel much better knowing that my wife has a reliable vehicle now. And I can't wait to be able to enjoy being a part of the life of my grandchild.

My New Favorite Disney Thing

Before I start this post I want to let y'all know that in the 40 or so days since I've last posted on this blog (sorry it's been a busy and transitional time in my life) a lot of things have changed regarding the place of "Disney" in my life and my plans Disney plans for 2012.  More about that in future posts. Right now it's time to tell you about and show you my new favorite Disney collectible.

Back in the spring I was sent home from work in the early afternoon because business was slow. Before I went home I decided that I'd go to a local flea market to see if I could find any Disney stuff for sale; specifically Goofy stuff.

This was one of those places that had individual booths rented by vendors to sell their stuff. My wife, Paula had a booth there when the place first opened to sell her hand made jewelry.

I found quite a bit of Disney stuff including a wide variety of small character plush toys. I bought one of Goofy dressed as an astronaut and one of Flick the ant from "A Bug's Life". I also found several vinyl albums with vintage Disney music and movie soundtracks. 

I saw a couple Mickey Mouse phones. These were popular in the 80's. I saw a giant version of one of these on display at the Pop Century Resort during my 50th birthday trip to Disney World last year.

But the one Disney thing I found that really caught my interest was a Goofy phone. At the time I was just starting my exclusively Goofy collection. The phone would have been a wonderful addition giving some legitimacy to my fledgling collection.

It was at booth 37 about halfway down one of the corridors of the market. There were no prices on any of the items in the entire flea market. To find out how much something cost I had to go to the desk at the front of the building. I was told that the cost was $60. 

While that wasn't all that expensive for something as novel at the Goofy phone it was a bit much for me at that time. I had just bought myself a new notebook computer and planned on getting a new bike for the summer. Paying $60 for a collectible at that time was a bit over the top as far as spending was concerned. Reluctantly I left the Goofy phone on the shelf of booth 37.

About 2 months later after thinking about it a lot I decided that I would go back and see if the Goofy phone was still there. I thought if it was perhaps I could negotiate a lower price. My heart fell when I found out that it had been sold. I lamented letting the opportunity to buy such a cool Goofy item pass me by. I came to terms with the fact that it just wasn't to be.

Let's fast forward to last week. It was my birthday and I wanted to buy a gift for myself. I couldn't think of anything I wanted. Paula had already let me get a personal PA system to use with my ventriloquism.

One afternoon the thought of the Goofy phone popped back into my head. I thought about the possibility of the phone being for sale on Ebay. I got online and found an auction just starting. I placed a bid. Three days later I received an email telling me that I had won the auction for a price that was about half of what the phone would have cost at the flea market. "Happy Birthday" to me.

 A couple of days ago I received a package in the mail. The Goofy phone was inside. So now I have a Goofy phone in my Disney collection. It will only be a display piece but still it's battery operated animation is really cool. Here's a video of what a sleeping Goofy does when the phone "rings".

Isn't that cool? I love this phone. It's now my favorite Disney thing in my collection. While my red Yago feather from the Enchanted Tiki Room is the most unique item I have; my Goofy phone is the one Disney thing I like that most.

If you ever come to my house I'll give you an in person demonstration of my new favorite Disney thing.