Trying To Contain Disney Enthusiasm

How do you, if ever, hide or contain your Disney enthusiasm?  Most of the time, I want to shout from the rooftops that we are going to Disney!  I know it isn’t appropriate in many settings, so I don’t of course.  But it can be difficult.  So, I show my Disney enthusiasm instead.

Instead of shouting, I subtley share my Disney enthusiasm by what I wear.  Almost daily, the small gold hoops with a hidden Mickey dangling from them don my ears.  Other accessories, such as scarves and necklaces demonstrate to on-lookers that I am a fan.  The Mickey watch is another clue.  And, during the winter months, the Mickey gloves that come out of my coat pocket are a reminder of my concealed excitement.

Other hints of my Disney enthusiasm can be found in what I use.  The pen I write with may have Disney characters.  Find me eating lunch and you may discover a spoon or fork with a hidden Mickey shape on the end.  Of course my lunch box is also Disney themed. 

The bag I carry to and from work each day also has Mickey on it—both inside and outside.  And when that bag wears out, there is another Disney themed bag ready to take its place.

Catch me relaxing at home and you would discover a Mickey robe and slippers.  You may even find Walt Disney World Resort or Disney Cruise Line toiletries in the bath and shower. 

The boy has a rotation of Disney pillow cases and there is a set of Disney themed sheets for our king size bed.

In the kitchen, I enjoy using Mickey measuring spoons, measuring cups, and spatulas when whipping up a dish.  And, my Mickey apron keeps me clean along with the Mickey shaped soap dispenser.  If I hand you the salt and pepper shakers, they will look like Mickey and Minnie.

We have two vehicles, each with Disney magnets or window clings designating our preferred destination.

And, if you are a friend or family member, you have received at least one Disney themed gift—possibly more!

Hiding Disney enthusiasm?  Not for me.  I can’t do it.  I promise not to shout though.

How Do You Get Your Mickey On?

Williams Family Blog reader Michael gets his Mickey on wearing his socks

How do you get your Mickey on?  Williams Family Blog reader Michael gets his Mickey on with his socks as shown in the photo above. 

I get my Mickey on with earrings and a watch.  I also have several necklaces and scarves.  If it is winter, my Mickey is on my gloves.  And, a bag I typically carry every day also helps me get my Mickey on.  Then there’s my iPad cover. . .  The list could go on and on.

Disney fans have a tendency to show how they feel about the icon by donning some sort of apparel or accessory.  I know someone who has Mickey tennis shoes!

The rest of the Williams family will sport Disney shirts of some sort every once in a while.  The boy has some Disney themed pajamas.   And I noticed the husband using a Nemo beach towel when he went to the local pool the other day.

If you were in our kitchen you might discover that we get our Mickey on there as well with our salt and pepper shakers in the shape of Mickey and Minnie (they were gifts), the soap dispenser (also a gift), various utensils such as measuring cups, glasses, spatula, and ice cream scoop.  I do have a Mickey apron, too.  But the silverware drawer is my favorite as it contains Mickey silverware.  The iconic 3 circles are found in the handle of each fork, spoon, and knife.

When we travel in a few weeks, we will get our Mickey on with our luggage.  There will be no doubt as to where we are headed!

Someone once asked me if our house was Disney themed and I told them “no.”  Our whole house isn’t Disney themed, but there are sprinkles of Disney throughout with accessories and art work.

So, how do you get your Mickey on?

It's Not Just Me!

It’s not just me!  When it comes to being a fan of all things Disney, I am not the only one in the Williams household.  And, there may be some competition as to who is the biggest Disney fan in the family.

I would have to say that pubic perception is that I am the “pusher” of Disney in our household.  It may have started that way, oh so many years ago, but the pendulum has swung.  You see, the husband has now joined a closed community on Facebook for self proclaimed Disney Nerds; it’s a fan club.

While I haven’t joined, I have eavesdropped on the discussions from time to time about dream vacations, planning trips, best places to shop, Disney trading pins, favorite attractions, etc.  He has even gone so far as to have some of his Disney Nerds friends become friends on his regular Facebook.  I am happy that he has found a community that supports his happy hobby and a family passion.

A dinner conversation the other day (we have lots of good dinner conversations) was reflective about people who spend their time dedicating themselves to their work; their job.  Only to discover that they may not know who they are or what to do when retiring.  And while retirement is a ways off for both of us, we thought about what would happen if it came sooner rather than later.  Would we continue to be fulfilled and spend our time being useful and purposeful?  What we discovered was that we have many joys and interests that our entire family participates in—Disney being one of them. Where one Williams family member goes, so go the rest whether it be theater, soccer, or swimming.  That was a good feeling and a good discovery.

So, it comes as no surprise that the husband is now reigning supreme as the biggest Disney fan in our family.  I just want everyone to know that it’s not just me that is a huge lover of all things Disney!

Click here to read what it takes to be a Disney husband.

We Got Disney Fan Chairs!

I wrote a few weeks ago about how I wanted folding chairs to carry to various events that showed our family’s Disney affiliation, as others had chairs with various sports teams, colleges, even businesses emblazoned for all to see.  Click here to read the original post.

Well, we got the chairs! 

It was quite a journey.  Purchasing the chairs came first.  We were desperately in need of them.  The chairs we were using were falling apart, the thread on the seats was bare in some places, and the boy didn’t have a chair as his broke last summer.  We found 3 red chairs on sale!

Next came the first attempt at a design.  I called a friend of the husband who has their own screen printing business.  A vinyl design was cut and then heat pressed onto the chair.  The problem was the vinyl wouldn’t stick to the chair; something about a special coating on the chair. 

I then had another idea.  I knew of a man who does graphic design and his wife is a Disney fan.  I saw the wife first and asked if the project might be something her husband would take on.  

The answer was yes, but first he had to see if the paint would stick to the chairs—given the previous problem.  It did!  Then, it was time to pick a design.  He emailed me several and the final choice was a combination of one of the designs and some more imagination.  The design was applied to the first chair.  I was ecstatic!    Then it took a few days for the other two chairs to be completed.

Our Disney Fan chairs had their debut at the soccer fields on Saturday!

Interested in obtaining your own Disney chairs or other designs?  If so, here is the email of our graphic designer:  djgbuzz@gmail.com   (He gave me permission to post his email.)

Are You A Fan?

I found the following article waiting in my “inbox” yesterday morning.  Click here to read “You Must Be A WDW Fan If. . .”

Did it have you laughing out loud like it did me?  I was giggling after number 1—No one asks you where you’re going on vacation anymore.  They just assume.  Yep.  That would be us.

But we are not the only ones who have vacation destinations that are visited repeatedly.  We know people who go to a cabin by a lake each summer or travel to sports games or tournaments.  And, while I know they are going, I still ask.

In terms of the “You Must Be A Fan If. . .” article, believe it or not, we still have a ways to go!  I didn’t know what MSEP stood for until someone on the PassPorter Message Boards set me straight—Main Street Electrical Parade.  Got it now!  And, number 23 is still throwing me for a loop.  I have no idea who those people are.  We also do not have a room in our house decorated in a Disney theme or like a Disney resort.  Hmmm. . . I did look a comforter for our bed once that came from a Disney collection once.  I didn’t buy it though.  Does that count?

I would add one to the list and that is your lawn chair that you take to various events has a Disney logo or designates you are a fan.  This idea came to me last evening as I was sitting in our Central Park listening to music and watching people who had gathered to celebrate a summer evening.  I saw folding lawn chairs—you know, the ones that come with a bag—that had logos for various colleges, sports teams, and businesses.  So later, I did a little internet search about the possibility of a Disney themed lawn chair.  Here’s what I learned:  they make them for little kids—Princess, Tinker Bell and Cars themed.  If you want to make your own, you have to pay a set up fee of around $50 and then buy a minimum of 12 or 24 chairs.  Not what I was hoping for.  So, I sent a message to my favorite on-line Disney customizer Zazzle.com and asked them to consider a new product.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

The husband and I were chatting about my dead end on-line shopping spree.  Disney doesn’t make or sell these types of chairs because they don’t want or let people bring them into the theme parks.  But I don’t want to bring my customized Disney themed folding lawn chair into a theme park; I want to bring it to the events in my local park so I show my Disney loyalty  I want to show that I am a “fan!”

The husband did suggest that I could find others who were interested in customized Disney themed folding lawn chairs to help defer the set-up cost and ensure that we didn’t have a dozen chairs in our garage by asking others who might be interested in forming a joint purchase.  Sometimes he has great ideas!  So, this is my plea:  If you want to join me in this venture, add a comment. 

Lack of lawn chair aside, I’m still chuckling over the article.  Sometimes things hit a little too close to home and it feels good to know you aren’t alone!