It is hard to grab a pic or better yet get a video of baby Grace and her mother Kashada at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom because the habitat they have is so wonderfully and happily large and open for them so she isn't always right at the window, but on our 4th try I got more than I could have asked for! Despite someone trying to cause a big problem with terrible behavior at Disney, which I will write about on my blog shortly, on visit 4, I got to get some super close ups of baby Grace's face as she sat in her mommy Kashada's lap right up against the observation window only a couple feet from me. So tiny. So cute. Feel so blessed to have gotten so close. This is the wonderfully perfect finished real video but below you will see another video I did that is silly and ridiculous but a real laugh. After experimenting for the first time with the slow motion effect on my movie maker, I realized how funny it could be. The actual moments of seeing baby Grace went by quick so I thought slow mo would allow the viewer to see her for longer and also make for an amazing movie which it did as you will see, but when I first applied the slowmo, I didn't realize it would do the sound in slowmo too and it was a laugh riot for me and the kids so I made another version I have also uploaded to You Tube and my website below with both sped up and slowed down scenes that sound like braying cows and laughing chipmunks. It is so hilarious. Especially at the end.
So the real video is right below and not to honk my own horn too much, but it gives me chills, especially with the music on the last scene of baby Grace. After that, enjoy 49 pictures in this first slideshow and 10 more in the 2nd slideshow that were from the 2nd time we attempted to get pics. We got some that are great on that one too. Below that be sure to scroll down and see the crazy, funny video. Awesome Video of Baby Grace and Mommy Kashada
49 wonderful pics in this slideshow with some amazing closeups of the baby!
10 more pics below from the 2nd attempt we made. Pics are not as close as the ones above but we got some spectacular ones of mommy Kashada holding baby Grace and they melt my heart!
Hilarious mock video with slowmo and sped up sounds just for fun
So we got a great real video of seeing the newborn baby Silverback Gorilla at Disney's Animal Kingdom but while doing it, I was searching for the slowmo effect on my movie maker to try for the first time. I found it and applied it and found the sound to be one of the most hilarious things. As our kids were rolling around laughing, they agreed. So I made the real video which you can find here and also on my You Tube channel.Make sure you watch it til the end bc the last parts are hilarious!
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Was a lot of fun to watch the Walt Disney World Skyliner Gondolas go over us and try to figure out which pictures and characters were on each. They have theme pictures all around them on all sides on some of them and even throughout the window louvers. We saw all the characters including Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Groot, Star Wars, Peter Pan, Coco and a ton more. They are so colorful and cute! I was surprised by how fast they go. They really cruise along! Not open to the public yet but watching them get tested is awesome! This video is a little long, but it was a lot of fun watching them to see which characters were coming next. Enjoy!
Enjoy 108 pic slideshow below. You can start, stop, advance, pause as you need to...
We got to be one of the lucky few who got to see the debut first show of Rivers of Light We Are One on Friday night from first row just about center. We did the same thing when Rivers of Light first came out and got to see the changing and improving of it as time went on which was quite amazing.
We LOVED the new show at Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom! OMG the colors, the lights, the music, the animations, the animals, the projections everywhere at once. My pictures came out awesome, but they don't do justice to the show. I had chills multiple times, cried at times with the music and just loved it. Will see it again and again and again! Below you will find a video and 3 slideshows of stills from the show as each one shows a different set of colors, perspective, lights and flavor. You cannot miss it! Video here and slideshows down the page a bit...
Note about slideshows below: I love to keep clicking the still shot button during taking my videos during these Disney projection shows! Watching the colors, patterns and pictures change is something that just thrills me. There are A LOT of pics in this slideshow. For some it will be as exciting as it is to me. For others it won't be. There are 309 stills of the show split into 3 slideshows here with all the changes. The first one has 96 pics. Second one has 138 pics and the 3rd around 74. Some are crisp and clear and some a bit blurry but the blur almost looks like art! Enjoy it however it works for you. I don't put on thumbnails with my slideshows because it just causes a really long page for people on phones so you just watch for as long as you want to. Of course, the video is also above so you can just enjoy it that way if you want. You can also always scroll through quicker than the slideshow by using the controls. You can play, stop, pause etc.
96 pics in slideshow 1 of 3
138 pics in slideshow 2 of 3
75 pics in slideshow 3 of 3
The sunset from the Magic Kingdom Ferry at Walt Disney World the other night was spectacular! This boat ride always makes me feel at peace. Even on the hardest of days with the biggest challenges, it so brings my blood pressure down and makes me feel so grateful. People love to take the monorail and so do we, but anyone who misses at least 1 ride on this, is really missing something amazing, especially at sunset.
Enjoy 62 picture slideshow here. You can advance, play, pause, stop as you need to...
Nothing feels more like Disney than a wonderful night cruise. We got lucky leaving Magic Kingdom to have one of the cruisers pulling into the dock. We love the ferry boat and the small boats with the blue fringe but for me, the cruisers are one of my favorites. They tie with the Sassagoula Riverboats (pontoon style boat you see at Disney Springs, Port Orleans, Saratoga Springs and Old Key West). The cruisers like the Mermaid 1 and the Bon Voyage are like a small yacht and are so smooth. You can ride in the front like we get to on this cruise. I highly recommend trying a ride on these if you get a chance. Just such a wonderful, peaceful, smooth ride. Night or day, just beautiful as well.
At the wonderful and Amazing Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom Lodge, we got to see an amazing bird that we have not seen before. At first we thought it was a person as it looked to be so tall but then we looked again and it was quite interesting to see. They call this bird the Undertaker Bird for obvious reasons. He was amazing to look at but one of the creepiest birds we have ever seen. To make it more amazing it's height can go to 152 centimeters or 59 inches tall with a wing span of 7 to 9 feet wide. That means this bird is almost as tall as I am. Wow!
It's head looked Vulture-like which was a correct assessment according to Vutomi from South Africa and from the article I looked up about this wonderful bird called a Marabou (see link below). It is actually a stork but digests things like a Vulture would. We got so many great shots and video of it from multiple angles and watched it open it's magnificent wingspan and actually try to chase other animals. One of the things we love most about Walt Disney World...you never know what you will see and what kind of adventure you are in for even if you have done things multiple times.
Enjoy a 65 pic slideshow here. You can advance, start, stop and pause as you need to.
One thing you can say for sure...When Disney makes a mistake, they really make up for it with lots of magic!!! Last year we went to the Epcot Festival of the Arts. We bought Disney Fine Art of Beauty and the Beast and were told by the girls that sold us the painting that we should go meet Paige O'hara and have her sign the painting. They gave us the date and time and we were thrilled and excited. When we got there that day, we got in line to meet her but they put us in the wrong line. They were unaware that we had bought the art because the girls never gave us the wristband we needed to get in so we stood and waited for a hour and a half to the intense disdain of our youngest who wanted to go on rides and we only got to watch lots of other people meet her while she signed their artwork and then I was heartbroken when I watched her walk away. I did run up and give her a Sorcerer card of Belle but did not get the time we were supposed to. So when we knew she was coming back this year, we got in touch with Disney and asked if there was a way for us to try again since we did buy the painting. Disney made our day amazing! Not only did we get to meet her and have her sign the artwork, but they also gave us a nice dessert surprise too that you will see below as well. We were shocked and thrilled to see how they made it up to us. Disney is truly the best and so full of magic and Pixie Dust. Will never forget this day!!! she is at Epcot each year at the Art festival which runs from January through the end of Feb so keep it in mind if you want to meet her but you must buy Disney fine art for her to sign and buying hers is even better.
2nd Time Meeting Paige O'hara 2019 Video...
31 Pics Slide Show. You can start, stop, pause as you need to.
1st Meeting with Paige O'hara at Epcot
Meeting Paige O'hara and getting my artwork signed by her at Epcot Festival of the Arts was awesome. This was the first try and was supposed to be special and private because the prior year, they put us in the wrong line and we missed her. To make up for it Disney arranged to have this meeting. It was great but after this, I saw that the photographer literally ruined the video and my friend got to meet her in a much prettier location by the water with some room where people were not so crunched and on top of each other, so they allowed me a second time to meet her which is on a separate video above. Both times were awesome! Enjoy 12 pics below and the video of this...
12 pic slideshow. You can start, stop and pause as you need to.
More French Ambience With Dinner at LEs Halles Boulangerie Patisserie
We made it a whole French day experience after meeting Belle (Paige O'hara) and getting the wonderful Beauty and Beast artwork signed. We had Quiche and Creme Brulee and Brioche other wonderful meals and desserts. Was delish and if you get a chance try it. Even the girl who served us was adorable. I asked her to reiterate our order out loud in French for my video because it was so wonderful to hear her speak French there! Enjoy 22 pics and the video of the nice girls who served us at Boulangerie Patisserie at France Epcot below...
The Last Part of the Night That Disney Arranged & Surprised Us With Blew Our Minds
The last part of the night blew our minds! The girl who arranged this event for us today as a way to make up for us missing Paige O'hara last year asked us if we planned on staying for Illuminations fireworks. We told her of course we were going to and she said, "good to know". That was after she told us she would have surprised for us. She then told us we would need to go to Italy to get into the special location to see Illuminations and we just figured it would be a good spot to see the show and that was all. We almost chose to just see it from a different location just because we might not make it time wise and we thought it was only about location, but boy am I glad we made it back there because they had something much more special and magical planned for us. It was Valentine's Day and the special spot they had for us also included a beautifully tablecloth draped red and white table with beautiful roses, Werther's caramel corn, chocolate covered strawberries and wine for us and water for the kids. It just amazed us. How incredibly nice. The spot to see Illuminations from was stellar and right in front of us. As I said, Disney sure does know how to make things right when mistakes happen. They did an awesome job for us here and we will never forget this wonderful night!!! Enjoy 33 pics below and the video of our getting there and finding out about this Disney surprise.
The Time Last Year We Were Supposed to Meet Paige O'Hara and They Put Us in the Wrong Line...Still got to Hand Her Something Cool...
9 pics below in slideshow. you can stop, start and pause as you need to.
They Were Huge At Animal Kingdom Lodge Walt Disney World... An Unscheduled Wildlife Encounter12/25/2018 Felt like I was filming for a Disney Documentary in the 60's or 70's...
We were at Animal Kingdom Lodge to see the animals on the savanna and have a bite there at The Mara and as we were watching the animals we noticed movement beneath us. Barely caught my eye. At first we didn't think too much of it and thought they were awesome to watch and that maybe they were carpenter ants until we noticed their colors. At the time, we didn't think they could be Fire Ants until we got home and looked them up. Sure enough the pictures of Fire Ants were right on target and that is what they were. People were sitting on the ledge these things were on and there were a good amount of them and on top of rocks which could easily function as a nest. Got right on the phone with Disney and informed them so they could deal with it which they assured me they would and I am sure they did. In the meantime, I got some very cool video and pics of it, got to talk to some nice Disney vacationers and it feels like National Geographic or like one of Walt's nature documentaries from the 60's and 70's. For more adventures be sure to follow our page here on the feed or on our social media page links below.
I fell in love with this painting at Wyland!
I always love going to Wyland Galleries at the Disney Boardwalk and have seen some amazing art there but last night I just fell in love with this new style of art I have not seen before. The background looks somewhat industrial, but then the clump of what looks like melted glass pieces with all kinds of patterns in them along with Cinderella Castle was just amazing and wonderful. Did not catch the artist's name last night but they are on display there now. Just awesome. I think as a candy head like I am, I think after staring at my pics for a while, I get why I am so attracted to these portraits. Think hard candy and you will get it.
One of the great things about Wyland is how it changes. Always something great and new to see. Always different styles of art. For anyone who loves color and Disney as well as art, you need to go in and check it out!
We love all days here at Walt Disney World, but Halloween has a special place in our hearts. One of the things we love a lot is the amazing pumpkin displays they have at many resorts on Disney grounds. These are not your run of the mill carved pumpkins although those are always cute too. These are wonderfully themed and very intricate pumpkin designs that always blow our minds! They are actually contests and the entries are done by different departments of cast members. People can vote for their favorite pumpkins by texting the number they like. Each year here we usually make it to a few of the resorts but not all of them. Next year our challenge will be to start earlier and make it to all that we can. We spent Halloween night at the Disney Boardwalk Resort area that also includes the Disney Yacht Club, Disney Beach Club, Dolphin and Swan. So that night we got to see the displays at Yacht, Beach and Boardwalk. The night before we went for the pumpkin spiced beignets at Disney Port Orleans French Quarter and got to see their pumpkin designs that night. Below are 4 sections of videos and pictures of what we saw. They were just awesome. Loved them all but I think my favorite one is the one I put in the pic in this section. The colors and details were awesome but I do have to say that having a fish bowl inside of one of the pumpkins was so creative too! Enjoy!!!
Pumpkins at Port Orleans French Quarter and Them Man Catchin' Pumpkin Spiced Beignets
Enjoy 46 pic slideshow. You can advance, stop, start and pause as you need to.
Look who is at the Conceirge Desk at Disney's Boardwalk Resort...
Enjoy 24 pic slideshow. You can advance, play, stop, pause as you need to.
Have you ever seen a live fish inside of a pumpkin??? Here at Disney's Beach Club you will...Disney Yacht Club Pumpkins Were Off The Charts Awesome...
Enjoy 27 pic slideshow below. You can advance, play, stop and start as you need to.
The Disney Vaca That Changed Our Lives Forever and TaughT Us To Always Look For the Silver Lining!9/26/2018
We were in the middle of a firestorm of problems. The economy had fallen and along with it my business at the time. I had been to Disney as a kid, my husband only as an adult, and he had vivid memories of wanting so badly to go there as a kid. I figured with the problems that were going on, there was no chance our kids would be able to see Disney World ever and that devastated me.
Sadly in 2011, Chris' sister died. It was not sudden bc she was ill for a long time but it was still shocking to all of us. There was no will done. Her husband who was good friends with both myself and my husband since long ago, decided that she would have wanted him to have something. We had been struggling to keep up with bills and had all kinds of awful things going on so he told us if we wanted to do more bills we could or maybe we could do something fun with it. We both thought the same thing at the same moment. Disney World. In that moment, we thought it was going to be our only chance to take them to Disney World. So it had to be Disney World. We decided to use what we had, to go in style...
We had an amazing week beyond anything we could imagine. Seeing the place for the first time through the kids eyes was better than anything we could have imagined ever!
I remember the last breakfast on the dock patio at the Grand Floridian. I remember looking around the table knowing that this was going to be the last day of 8 that would not involve fighting with bill collectors and fighting with a corrupt and lying mortgage company that was taking advantage of the housing bubble situation and making it impossible for us to get caught up and keep the home we built and brought our kids home to. You might ask why we didn't just use the money we had gotten that we used for Disney to fix it. We had tried. Every time we tried to offer, they would up it until a time that one of them told me to save my money and use it for something else bc they were going to foreclose no matter what as they would make more for it. They did not care about the family living in the home or any of our efforts. So I sat there in the sun and the wonderful Fla warmth in October and looked at the faces of our kids and how relaxed and happy they were and wondered if we would ever sit at a table here at Disney again and feel this way. I had no idea what our future had in store for us and that we would one day, be living down here and coming to Disney multiple times a week for a few hours to get exercise and be together in the house of mouse and Walt. I am super glad I never lost hope bc many times it came close, which is the main reason I tell people to always hold on and try to tough it out, because you never know what good things are in front of you. Sometimes the bad brings the good as you will learn when I write more of our story. So we got to Disney on October 5th 2011 and got on the saddest bus in the world, the Tragical Express back to Illinois, on October 12th and went home to a cold, rainy, sleety dark night. Our youngest had a horrid problem with his ears in landing bc for them to land at O'hare they seem to have to sharp turn and come down fast. His Eustachian tubes always had some problems but we were not prepared for what this poor little man went through on the way in which made leaving Disney and that wonderful world all the harder. We went back to a home without a plugged in fridge so we ate a nasty meal of late night McDonalds and then for me the moping began for roughly 2 years. But the moping was instrumental because it made me research and it gave me alternative avenues to think about housing and what might be a better decision than staying there. The strange thing is that once we went to Walt's happy place and it showed me the difference between the sepia filled world of Illinois and the color filled world of the Disney area, it became clear what I needed to work towards, and then it almost felt like something took control of it and started making things work out right to get us here. Signs were all around us and things just fell into place the right way. Someday I will write about that too. So out of the pain came the silver lining. Came the thing our lives needed to feel renewed and happy and wonderful. I have a lot more to write but I will save it for another entry. Just know that if you are in a dark place and it seems things are not going to budge, you have to always have hope and faith and know that sometimes the pain you are feeling is growth and the direction you are supposed to go will present itself. Thanks for reading and watching! Hope you enjoy the video. We sure do! If you love Disney as much as we do, I'm sure you will enjoy it. I love sharing our story! |
Our Disney Adventures BlogGreat Disney adventures! We lost everything and had to start over again, but we decided to do it with magic and style here in the most magical place on earth. We were scared to death but by letting go, managed to make Pixie Dust our lives instead. You can see more about our story at the bottom of the page here... Archives
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