The Happiest Little Graveyard in the World

My favorite attraction at Walt Disney World is the Haunted Mansion.  Funny and (slightly) scary at the same time, it is a classic through and through.  throughout the ride, and even in the line to get in, there are many in-jokes between the imagineers that designed and built the attraction.  Some of the most famous and funny are the tombstones.

There are (at least) 20 tombstones along the line as of this writing.  In the past few years, the line has been refurbished and many more new and interactive items have been added.  Here's a run-down of the tombstones that commemorate actual people.  Those stones that showcase fictional characters will be covered in an upcoming post.

IN MEMORY OF OUR PATRIARCH,

 DEAR DEPARTED GRANDPA MARC

This stone commemorates Marc Davis.  Marc was one of Disney's "Nine Old Men", the famous group of original Disney animators.  He also designed many of the animatronics for quite a few Disney attractions, such as the Jungle Cruise, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and, of course, the Haunted Mansion.  For the Mansion, he came up with much of the funnier, light-hearted moments, in contrast with Claude Coats' darker ideas.  (More on Mr. Coats later.)

REQUIESCAT FRANCIS XAVIER,

 NO TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR, RIP

Francis Xavier Atencio, best known as X. Atencio, was also an animator and imagineer for Disney.  He wrote the scripts for Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion and also wrote the theme songs that play during those attractions.

DEAR DEPARTED BROTHER DAVE,

 HE CHASED A BEAR INTO A CAVE

Dave Burkhart was a model maker for Disney.  He also was a show designer.  One of his biggest projects was the Haunted Mansion.

IN MEMORIUM, UNCLE MYALL,

 HERE YOU'LL LIE FOR QUITE A WHILE

Chuck Myall was an art director and master planner for the Magic Kingdom.

RIP, GOOD FRIEND GORDON,

 NOW YOU'VE CROSSED THE RIVER JORDAN

Gordon Williams was an audio designer and audio-animatronics expert who worked on the Haunted Mansion and many other attractions.

FIRST LADY OF THE OPERA, OUR HAUNTING HARRIET,

 SEARCHED FOR A TUNE, BUT NEVER COULD CARRY IT

The first woman hired to Disney Imagineering, Harriet Burns was a prop and set designer for the Mickey Mouse Club TV show.  She shared a workstation with Fred Joerger (more on him later), and helped him on some of the models of the Mansion.  She also was a "figure finisher", ensuring that the animatronic figures had a "finished look".  She specialized in creating birds, such as in the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Haunted Mansion and in the film Mary Poppins.

MASTER GRACEY, LAID TO REST,

 NO MOURNING PLEASE AT HIS REQUEST, FAREWELL

Yale Gracey started as a layout artist, who specialized in creating illusions, which were important in helping to create the Haunted Mansion.

(By the way, many call Master Gracey the master of the mansion.  This is not correct, as the term "Master" is used in it's original meaning, which is a young boy not old enough to be called "Mister".)

CAMPBELL, HE DIED IN THE FALL, IT'S A FACT NOTWITHSTANDING,

 BUT THE JUDGES ADMIRED HIS FORM ON THE LANDING

Collin Campbell was a background artist for many Disney films and a conceptual artist for many park attractions, including the Haunted Mansion.

FAREWELL FOREVER, MISTER FREES,

 YOUR VOICE WILL CARRY ON THE BREEZE

Paul Frees was famous as a voice actor.  He provided the voice for the "Ghost Host" in the Mansion.  He was also the voice of Boris Badanoff from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Mister Granite on The Flintstones, Burgermeister Meisterburger on Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, and many, many others.

DRINK A TOAST FOR OUR FRIEND KEN

FILL YOUR GLASS AND DON'T SAY "WHEN"

Ken Anderson was a key animator for many of Disney's classic films, such as Snow White, Pinocchio, The Jungle Book, and others.  He also helped in the development of Disneyland.

WHILE BROTHER ROLAND HERE REPOSES,

HIS SOUL'S ABOVE, ONE SUPPOSES

Rolly Crump was an assistant animator on many Disney films.  He became an imagineer, where he designed many sttractions and shops for the theme parks.

A TRAIN MADE A STAIN OF

ABSENT-MINDED UNCLE BLAINE, REST IN PIECES

Blaine Gibson was a sculptor, who also was an assistant animator for many films.  On joining Disney Imagineering, he returned to sculpting, helping to develop the audio-animatronics on quite a few attractions.

HERE LIES A MAN NAMED MARTIN

THE LIGHTS WENT OUT ON THIS OLD SPARTAN

I've found two different imagineers that this stone could feature.  Bill Martin was an art director and set designer.  He was also a key planner for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  He became Vice President of Design for WED Enterprises, which later became Disney Imagineering.

Bud Martin was head of the Imagineering Special Effects department while the Haunted Mansion was developed.

REST IN PEACE COUSIN HUET

WE ALL KNOW YOU DIDN'T DO IT

Cliff Huet was an architect and interior designer for Disney, working on many attractions, including the Haunted Mansion.

OUR DEAREST DOROTHEA

Dorothea Redmond was an illustrator before she came to Disney, becoming famous for her work with Alfred Hitchcock.  On joining Disney, she turned to architecture, designing portions of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

HERE RESTS WATHEL R. BENDER

HE RODE TO GLORY ON A FENDER, PEACEFUL REST

Wathel Rogers created many of the early audio animatronics for Disney.  He created the Abraham Lincoln animatronic for the 1964-65 Worlds Fair and figures for the Carousel of Progress.

HERE LIES GOOD OLD FRED

A GREAT BIG ROCK FELL ON HIS HEAD, RIP

Fred Joerger was a model builder for Disney, who specialized in rock formations used in attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain, Tom Sawyer Island and, of course, the Haunted Mansion.

AT PEACEFUL REST LIES BROTHER CLAUDE

PLANTED HERE BENEATH THIS SOD

Claude Coats, another of the "Nine Old Men", was an Animation Background Painter.  He helped to create the story for the Haunted Mansion, coming up with much of the darker, scarier ideas.  He also created the track layout.

RIP, MISTER SEWELL

THE VICTIM OF A DIRTY DUEL, PEACEFUL REST

Bob Sewell was a model maker, helping to design the Haunted Mansion.

And here's my favorite...

DEAR SWEET LEOTA, BELOVED BY ALL

IN REGIONS BEYOND NOW, BUT HAVING A BALL

Leota Tombs started in the Ink & Paint department for Disney.  Yale Gracey asked her to model for the crystal ball head illusion, in which her image can still be seen.

This tombstone is one of the few that are animated themselves.  Occasionally, the face on the stone will move, it's eyes will open and look around for a moment before it shuts it's eyes and goes back to normal.

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These tombstones are not the only place in the Disney parks where the imagineers are honored (I may have to write a post about the Main Street Windows, sometime.), but they are a fun, funny and memorable way to express thanks to those men and women whose fingerprints are all over these parks that I love. 

The Forgotten Disney Statue

At the Disney parks, there are many statues.  Of course, there are the characters.  Snow White (and the seven dwarfs).  Ariel, the Little Mermaid.  Belle and the Beast (and Gaston).  Of course, there is Mickey Mouse.

One famous statue including Mickey is the Partners statue.

Partners

 This statue has been placed at Disneyland in California, Magic Kingdom in Flordia, Disney Studios Park in Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland.  It shows Walt Disney, holding Mickey's hand and gesturing toward the park, as if to say "Look at what we have done."

While I love this statue and have taken many pictures of it (and would love a small version of it for my house.  Hint...hint.), this article is not about it.  I have another statue, much more overlooked, in mind.

Sharing The Magic

This is "Sharing The Magic".  It was created by the same artist as the "Partners" statue, Blaine Gibson.

"Sharing The Magic" depicts Roy O. Disney, Walt's brother and business partner.  While Walt was the dreamer of the duo, Roy was the one with the mind for business.  He was the one who would find the money to make Walt's dreams come true.  Without Roy, Walt's legacy would be much diminished.

As depicted in the statue, Roy is...well, I'll just leave a quote by Gibson himself.:

“Roy is sitting back in the bench which indicates he was there first and Minnie came to him, not that he came up to her to ask why she was sitting down and not working or coming up to harass her...Also he is holding her hand underneath so he is supporting it, just like he always supported Walt’s dreams. Roy was very underrated.”

 In 1966, Roy was in the process of retiring.  He was 73 years old and the Disney company was now at a very financially stable time, having just released the classic Mary Poppins.  Then, on the 15th of December, 1966, Walt Disney died of lung cancer.

Roy quickly halted his retirement plans and took over the company, finishing Walt's last and greatest idea, then known by many names, such as "The Florida Project" and  "E.P.C.O.T."   Not the EPCOT we have now, but something much larger.  The "Florida Project" came to be called, at Roy's insistence, "Walt Disney World".

The "Sharing The Magic" statue was, until recently, located next to the flag pole in Town Square on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom, about the same spot where Roy stood during his dedication speech for the park.

The statue now is located in front of  City Hall, still in Town Square.  It is off to the side, easily overlooked, much like Roy O. Disney himself, who stayed out of the limelight in order for the dreams of his much more outgoing brother to become reality.

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I'd like to thank Jim Korkis, an author and Disney historian, whose writings introduced me to the 'Sharing The Magic" statue.  Just like many others, I'd walked tight by it without a second glance.  Mr. Korkis' article on the statue (one of many) may be found here.

Disney Trip (And Half Marathon) 2015

My wife and I went to Walt Disney World for vacation, and also to run in their half marathon, held during Marathon Weekend, which is usually the second weekend of January each year.  Marathon Weekend starts on Wednesday with the Sports and Health Expo, a 5K race on Thursday, a 10K on Friday, a Half-Marathon (13.1 miles/21.1km) on Saturday, and a full Marathon (26.2 miles/42.2km) on Sunday.

We decided to only run the half marathon because we're only half crazy.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7

We left home and flew out of Grand Rapids airport.  There was a snow storm heading in and it was only 7°F (-14°C).  So glad I was getting out of that.  We had a short layover in Atlanta (got some Popeye's chicken), then off to Orlando, where it was 66°F (19°C).

After checking in at our resort hotel (Disney's All-Star Music), we caught the bus to the ESPN Wife World Of Sports Center.  That's the location of the expo and where we had to pick up our race gear.

Back to our resort to drop off our stuff.  Did I mention they upgraded us to a king-size bed?

Then off to do some shopping at Downtown Disney.  Got some gifts for family and then got lost trying to find where the buses pick us up.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8

Our second day, we decided to go to my favorite park, EPCOT.  

Here, we did a number of rides: Spaceship Earth (seen behind us in the above picture), Mission Space (the green, less-thrilling side.  My wife can't handle the orange side.), Soarin' (how come I always get stuck at the top?)

We stopped for lunch at Sunshine Seasons, only because it was close.  We had never been there before and didn't know what to expect.  I needn't have worried.  I had spicy fish tacos, which were great.

We met Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip, & Dale.  Everyone was making fun of me.  I was wearing just a t-shirt (it was about 47°F/8°C).  Everyone else was wearing winter coats.

On to more rides, after a stop at Starbucks.  The Seas with Nemo, Turtle Talk with Crush.  Then into the World Showcase section of EPCOT.  

While walking into the France pavilion, we ran into Mike Scopa and Michelle Scribner-Maclane of the Mickey Miles Podcast.  They are two of my inspirations when it comes to running, so I'm geeking out.  We talk for a bit and then leave them.

We listened to the Voices of Liberty in the American pavilion.  Karamel Kuche in Germany and get a caramel apple and caramel covered rice crispy treat.  I'm in heaven.

To the Morocco pavilion for dinner at the Tangerine Cafe.  I got a kefta wrap and my wife got chicken shawarma.  Both very good.

Back to our resort by 7:30.  we're both asleep before our heads hit the pillows.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9

Day 3. Off to Animal Kingdom.  Waiting in line for the bus, a lady with a huge southern accent says to her kid that she got a pic with the giant "S" (from the "All-Star" sign). It sounded like she said "ass".  I couldn't stop laughing the entire bus ride.  Yes, I'm a 40-something middle school kid.

We arrive at the park before it opens.  I'm third in line.

We get in and my wife stops at a kiosk to get a "Wilderness Ranger Guide".  Before they give us the book, they make us 'caw" like a bird and "roar" like a lion.

Then to some rides.  Expedition Everest.  Dinosaur (I hate this ride.)

We walk through the Maharajah Jungle Trek, where there are many animals, including giant fox bats.  Do you know why bats hang upside down?  They have no ankle bones, so they can't stand up.  (A little trivia for ya.)

Finding Nemo: the Musical.  We sit almost at the front.  It's a very good production.

As we leave the show, I got a phone call from my grandmother and grandfather.  They live down in Florida and want to meet up with us.  They ask us to make reservations at the Tusker House restaurant, which I get the last availability.  When I let her know the time, my grandmother says that they can't get there in time, so my wife and I go to lunch on our own.

The Tusker House is a character lunch, where we meet Donald, Mickey, Daisy, and Goofy.  It serves African food.  I'm running out of words to describe how impressed I am by the food on this trip.

I'm sitting by a window.  After Goofy has his picture taken with me, he starts knocking on the window to get peoples attention outside.  He also kept making fun of Mickey, who was in front of him.  We were having a great time.

We found my grandparents and decide to do a few shows.  It's Tough To Be A Bug.  Kilimanjaro Safaris.  Festival Of The Lion King.  Flights Of Wonder.  My wife and I get our picture taken with Mickey and Minnie.

We need to get up early in the morning, so we have to say goodbye to my grandparents.  We're back to the resort by 5:00 and in bed by 7:00.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10

It's 2:00 AM.  Why am I up this early?  Oh, yes.  The race.  The real reason I'm here.

We catch a bus at 3:00 and are in our race corrals by 3:30.  The race starts at 5:30.  (Yes, we had to get there that early.)  It's very cold, about 35°F (2°C).  Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings movies) is racing today, as well.  That's cool.

The race starts at EPCOT, goes to the Magic Kingdom and then back to EPCOT.  During the race, I run into Lou Mongello of the WDW Radio podcast, another of my inspirations.

Running through the Magic Kingdom is a thrill.  As we get ready to run through the castle, we see Elsa, Anna and Kristof, from Frozen.  I yell out, "I love you, Elsa" as we go by.  She says she loves me too.  Everyone around laughs.  My wife just rolls her eyes.

The race is half over and I'm running out of steam.  I slow down, slower than I wanted.  But I still finish.  My finish time is 3:33:04.  I'm 20224 out of 22081 finishers.  I'll take it.

Then back to the resort for a nap.

After an hour nap, we return to EPCOT.  Back to the France pavilion, we get a Grand Marnier Orange Slush and a Grey Goose Citron Vodka and Lemonade slush.  Yummy!

After drinking, we need food.  So off to the Norway pavilion, to the bakery.  I get the school bread and my wife gets a troll horn.  How do you describe school bread?  Think of a dinner roll, topped with sugar and coconut, and a pat of creamy butter.  Sound disgusting?  It's actually really good.  And a troll horn is just a cream horn pastry, filled with the creamy butter filling, not sugary cream.

While we eat. we see a duck walking around.  We throw over a piece of school bread to him.  We've made a friend.

Got any more school bread?

More walking around the park.  We get our picture taken with Donald and Duffy.  (Duffy is Mickey's teddy bear.)  We go to Club Cool, which is a Coca-Cola store, where you can try Coke products from around the world.  The most famous (or infamous) is Beverly, an aperitif from Italy.  It's very bitter, but I like it.  (You can find videos of people trying it on Youtube.)  I try talking some kids into drinking it, but there are no takers.  Obviously, these are some smart kids.  I need a dumber audience.

Dinner at Tokyo Dining in the Japan pavilion.  Tempura and sushi.  The service is exceptional.  The food is great.  (I prefer my local sushi place, though.)

The sun has set and it's getting cold.  It's been a long day and the drunks are coming out at EPCOT.  it's time for bed.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11

Off to Disney's Hollywood Studios.  On the bus, it's just me, my wife and a bunch of teenage Brazilians.  I wish I knew Portuguese.  (I say this on Facebook, and my cousin starts recommending phrases.  I know enough to not say any of his recommendations.)

The full marathon is happening, which goes through each of the 4 parks.  So we're pretty much stuck on one side of the park for the morning.  We do Aerosmith's Rock N Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Walt Disney:One Man's Dream.

For years, my wife has wanted to see the Beauty & the Beast show, so we do.  Now she says that our local high school did a better job.

Great Movie Ride.  Star Tours.  Watched the Jedi Training Academy.

Lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe.  The pot roast is awesome, much better than mine.

MuppetVision 3D, We catch a show of Mulch, Sweat & Shears (a roving rock band), Voyage of the Little Mermaid (Ariel has D-shells, not Seashells.  There's the middle schooler.)

Pictures with Mickey, Mr. Incredible & Frozone from the Incredibles, Hiro & Baymax from Big Hero 6.

He's so squishy.

The park begins to close, so we go back to our resort for dinner.  In our room, there are no towels, so I go to the front desk to get them.  Back to the room.  We realize we've lost the booklet we need in order to get back to the airport on Tuesday.  So back to the front desk to get a replacement.  (Turns out we'd packed it and it was in our suitcase.)

MONDAY, JANUARY 12

Up early.  Magic Kingdom day.  We have reservations at the Crystal Palace at 8:00 am.  The park opens at 9:00, so we're able to get some pictures before there are thousands of people.

See?  Try getting this few people in a picture like this.

The food at Crystal Palace is good.  It's your normal breakfast buffet stuff.  It's also a character breakfast, with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet.

By the time we've finished eating, the park is open.  We ride the Jungle Cruise (If you sit by the boat pilot, he'll make fun of you the entire ride.)  Pirates of the Caribbean.  Enchanted Tiki Room.  it's A Small World.  The newest ride: The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  It's one of the best rides around.

My favorite ride, though, is the Haunted Mansion.  I'm a little morbid.  After the ride, we stop at the Haunted Mansion store, Memento Mori, and get some spooky pictures taken.  (I'll try to find a way to post them some day.)

Lunch at the Columbia Harbor House, for some fish and chips and a lobster roll.  Not bad.

It starts to rain.  Everyone scrambles for cover, but we just keep walking in the rain.  It gets a little heavier, so we buy an umbrella.  (Surprisingly, it costs just as much as one would have cost back home.)

We get our picture taken with Mickey.  This makes at least one picture with Mickey each day.

Then we also meet Tinkerbell.  I've never met anyone who could out-talk my wife.  Until now.  Holy Crap, Tink could talk.

You'reFromMichigan?YouMustBeIceFairies!MyCousinIsAnIceFairy......

I know how much my wife loves Beauty & the Beast, so I suggest Enchanted tales with Belle, which is where the story is acted out by people chosen from the audience.  Yeah.  Guess who was chosen to be a guard.

By the time we get out, the rain has increased so much, we need to buy a second umbrella.  The park almost seems empty.  So we're able to get on rides easily.

Space mountain.  Tomorrowland Transit Authority.  Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.  (I got a perfect score of 999,999.)  Winnie the Pooh ride.

Dinner at Be Our Guest restaurant.  Awesome food.  Awesome decorations.  We ate in the grand ballroom, which was my wife's favorite room.  I wanted the West Wing, which is darker and cooler, in my opinion.

After dinner, we walk toward the front of the park.  It's getting late and we're wet and tired.

We had a little extra money on our gift cards, so we blew it all on gifts for the family.  For me, it's actually difficult to spend money at Disney.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13

A sad day.  Time to come home.  When we leave Orlando, it's 63°F (17°C).  When we land in Grand Rapids (after a layover in Minneapolis), it's 12°F (-11°C).  Can I go back now?

Disney Trip 2015: Making Dining Reservations

Recently I made advance dining reservations (ADR's) for my trip to Disney World in January.

Have I mentioned I'm going to Disney World in January?  Oh yeah.  My wife and I are running in the Disney World Half Marathon in January.

I'm not really a runner, but I've been training for a while.  I've run a few 5K races over the past couple of years and earlier this year I ran a 10K.  (For those non-metric readers, a 5K is about 3.1 miles and a 10K is about 6.2 miles.  A Half Marathon is 13.1 miles.)  I'll write more about that later.  This is about making the ADR's.

You can't make Disney ADR's until 180 days (plus the length of your stay) before you arrive at the resort.  So, I was counting down the days before we had to make them.  The reservation phone lines and web site don't open until 7:00 am.  It's sometimes difficult to get ADR's for the more popular restaurants, unless you make them early.

This trip, my wife and I planned to go to very few table-service restaurants.  What's a table-service restaurant?  Disney has (mostly) two different types of restaurant: counter-service and table-service.  Counter-service is where you pick up your food at a counter, such as at McDonald's.  Table-service has a waiter that brings you your food.  Usually, at Disney, you have to make ADR's for table-service restaurants, but not usually for counter-service.

Anyway, we planned on on only 4 table-service restaurants for the week we're going to be there.  We REALLY wanted 2 of them and the other 2 were just an afterthought.

First of all, my wife wanted to eat at Be Our Guest restaurant.  It's in the Magic Kingdom and is now the hardest restaurant to get into in Disney World.  You get to eat inside the Beast's castle, from "Beauty and the Beast".  My wife wanted to eat there for dinner.

Second, I wanted to have breakfast at Crystal Palace, also in the Magic Kingdom.  I didn't really care about the food, or the fact that I'd get to see Winnie the Pooh while I eat.  The reason I wanted this restaurant was that it opens at 8:00, while the park opens at 9:00.  Yes, I'd get to get into the park a full hour before it opens.  I hope to get a picture of me in front of Cinderella's castle with NO ONE in the background.

The other 2 restaurants, Tokyo Dining at EPCOT and 50's Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios, were a couple of places we wanted to go to, but if I couldn't get ADR's for, then it's fine.

So, at 6:50 am I was sitting at the computer, ready to start typing.  I actually had my information for the Be Our Guest restaurant already typed in, so I could just hit enter.  So, at 7:00 I hit enter and got my ADR for Be Our Guest.  Great!  That was easy.

I checked for times available for Crystal Palace.  It was 7:02 and already all breakfast times were taken.  WHAT?  Already?  Crap!

So I moved on and tried my next restaurant, Tokyo Dining.  It was then that Disney's web site was overloaded and I got kicked off.  I just sat there hitting refresh on my browser, trying to get back in.  I also texted my wife, saying what had happened.

Eventually I got back on and tried again.  I got my ADR for Tokyo and 50's Prime Time.  But that Crystal Palace kept nagging me.  So I tried again.  Again it said no availability.  I accidentally hit refresh instead of back and it came back on with one availability at 8:05.  I grabbed it and got it.

ALRIGHT!  I got every ADR I wanted.

Unknown to me, though, after I'd texted my wife, she went online and tried to get the ADR's on her own.  She was also trying to get the 8:05 Crystal Palace.  I actually kicked her off by hitting enter before she was able to.  Hehehe.

So, I got all my ADR's and am excited  to go to Disney World.  I can't wait.

Weenies of WDW (Part 1): Cinderella's Castle

When Walt Disney was designing Disneyland, he wanted to find something that would pull the crowds to the different sections of the park. Something that would get peoples attention and bring them into Adventureland, into Fantasyland, into Tomorrowland.

Walt called these people magnets "weenies."  He called them that because when he'd get home late at night, everyone would be asleep. He wanted someone to greet him, so he'd go to the refrigerator and pull out a hot dog, or weenie. The dog would hear and come running for the treat.

So Walt wanted something in his parks that would attract the people, just as the weenie attracted the dog.

Each land has its own weenie.  Tomorrowland has Space Mountain.  Frontierland has Splash Mountain.  Fantasyland's weenie became the main weenie for the entire park: Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

After Walt's death in 1966, it was decided to build another Disneyland in Florida, which became the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.  They kept the same basic arrangement as the park in California, with a few changes.  One big change was the main weenie: they designed an entirely new castle, naming it Cinderella's Castle.

I've started a series of paintings of these main park weenies.  Now, I'm no professional artist.  I don't consider myself great (or even good).  I'm just doing this because it relaxes me.  So, here's the first in a (hopefully) series of (at least) 4: Cinderella's Castle.

Someone's in the doorway.  Who could be home?

Cinderella's Castle was completed in July of 1971.  It is 189 feet (57.6 meters) high.  It appears to be made of stone and brick.  However, there is not one stone in use.  It is entirely concrete, steel, fiberglass and plastic.

Inside, there is a shop where children can get their hair and makeup done to look like a princess called Bibbity Bobbity Boutique.  On the upper levels of the castle, there is a restaurant (Cinderella's Royal Table) and a suite.  Originally, the suite was designed for Walt and his family when visiting the park.  After Walt died, the suite was unfinished.  In 2005, the suite was finished and given as a prize to guests during Disney's Year of a Million Dreams promotion.

The castle has undergone a few changes over the years (including being turned into a big, pink birthday cake) but I prefer to view it as it is currently: Off-white, blue, grey; like a classic castle.

Coming soon: Weenie of EPCOT: Spaceship Earth!

Information on Cinderella's Castle taken from Wikipedia

Frozen Heart (Part 2): Conceal, Don't Feel

I'm sorry I cut the last post so abruptly.  There wasn't a really good stopping point.

Spoiler Alert: If you read any further, you may encounter spoilers to the plot of the movie "Frozen."  You have been warned!

As I stated in the last post, I heard the soundtrack before I saw the movie.  I had this idea of a connection to depression in my head while sitting in the theater.  What I saw did nothing to push the idea away.  In fact, it grew stronger.  Anyway, since the idea started with the music, I'm going to focus on the music here.

Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

In the film, Anna originally knew about Elsa's power, but after she got hurt by it, she was made to forget about the power.  But she still remembered having fun with her sister.  She can not understand why Elsa has shut herself away from her and everyone else.

In the same way, someone with depression often shuts themselves off from the world and those they love.  Often, they don't even realize they are doing it.  The healthy person keeps trying to have a relationship with the depressed person, but keeps getting the door shut in their face.

Also, we hear the first use of the phrase "Conceal it, Don't feel it, don't let it show."  This is quite close to things that depressed people hear quite often.  "If you just smile, you'll eventually feel happier.  Fake it until you make it.  Don't worry, be happy."  I've also heard "No one wants to be around someone who frowns all the time, so if you smile, you'll have more friends and be happier."  As if I had a choice.

The gloves that Elsa wears help her to hide her power.  In the same way, depressed people have a few things to help them to mask their symptoms.  Anti-depression drugs mask the feelings one has and makes it hard to tell what you are actually feeling.  Am I happy, sad, mad?  Don't know.  I felt like a zombie the entire time I was on the drugs.

For The First Time In Forever

Having been shut in the castle for a long period of time, Anna and Elsa have two opposite reactions on coronation day.  Anna is extremely excited and runs out to meet the people, while Elsa is nervous and keeps to herself.  Even when they are using the same words, they have differing meanings.  When they sing "It's only for today.  It's agony to wait." Anna means it's agony to stay inside, so she runs outside.  Elsa, on the other hand, means that she's in agony in going out.  She wants to do it, so she can get it over with.  Then she can once again lock herself away where her secret will stay safe.

This song continues the theme of the depressed person wanting to lock themselves out of the public eye, away from others.  They feel if they keep to themselves, they can't be hurt, or at least hurt worse than they already are.

Let It Go

Here's the song you were waiting for.  Everyone knows it, so I don't really have to go into it much.  Elsa's secret powers are known by the entire village, so she runs away, where she can live without having to keep that power in check.

This scene actually caused problems with my theory.  My first thought was that the song is in the wrong place.  It seems as if Elsa is singing about not having to worry about her problems any longer, as if the depressed person has gotten better.  In this case, shouldn't the song go at the end?

Then, I realized that Elsa is still isolating herself.  Nothing has really changed.  When I isolated myself, I felt as if nothing was wrong.  In my mind, life was going fine.  But, just as Elsa didn't know that her powers were freezing Arendale, I didn't know that I was hurting my family.

In Summer

How in the world am I going to connect this song with depression?  I'm not.  I just love this song.

To be continued...

Frozen Heart (Part 3): Worth Melting For

Spoiler Alert: Don't read past this point if you don't want to see spoilers... yada yada yada... plot of "Frozen"... yada yada.  You get the drift.

For The First Time In Forever (Reprise)

During the course of this song, Elsa is told about the consequences of her actions.  She realizes that Arendale is frozen (in summer).  Anna believes that Elsa can change things back to where they were before, but Elsa is sure she can't.  Anna goes to Elsa, saying that Elsa can come home.  She doesn't have to worry, because Anna will be right beside her.  Elsa responds by saying that she's happy being alone, where she knows others will be safe from her power.  Anna then tells Elsa of the problems Elsa's power has caused.

It is difficult for me to even just listen to this song, because it has the strongest connection to depression of all the songs in Frozen.  I clearly remember my wife coming to me, telling me that I don't need to shut myself away from everyone.  She would always be there for me to lean on.  Then she told me of all the problems in my family that my isolationist attitude had caused.  My reaction was about the same as Elsa's.

I can be hard to hear the lyrics when the two are singing together at the end of the song, so here's what Anna is singing.:

"For the first time in forever, you don't have to be afraid.
We can work this out together.
We'll reverse the storm you've made.
Don't panic.
We'll make the sun shine bright.
We can face this thing together.
We can change this winter weather
And everything will be alright."

While Anna is singing those words, listen to what Elsa's response is.:

"I'm such a fool.  I can't be free.
No escape from the storm inside of me.
I can't control the curse.
Anna, please, you'll only make it worse.
There's so much fear.
You're not safe here.
I can't!

First of all, notice the words they choose to sing.  Anna keeps using the word "we."  We can work this out.  We'll reverse the storm.  We'll make the sun shine.  We can face this thing.  We can change.  She knows that the key to dealing with the curse is to work together.

Elsa, on the other hand, keeps singing "I."  I'm such a fool.  I can't be free.  I can't control.  I can't.  She has isolated herself so far that she can't acknowledge the fact that she no longer needs to be alone.  She has someone to help, but she still feels alone.

I felt the same way.  I believed I was alone, that no one could help, that I had to do this by myself.  Even though my wife was right in front of me, saying "We can do this together," I was thinking "I can't do this."

When you've dug yourself deep into the pit that is isolation, it is so easy to believe you have gone too far to get out again.  There seems like there is no escape.  Everything you do seems to just pull you in deeper.

When you have depression, it's not just a feeling of sadness.  There are also feelings of fear, exhaustion, and anger.  These must be overcome in order to live a more normal life.  ("Normal" is not the right word for this.  I can't think of a word that truly fits here.  Healthy?  Productive?  I still don't know.)

But, in a sense, Elsa's right.  She can't do it.  She needs help.  And in my experience, only one thing helped.

Fixer-Upper

OK.  The whole idea may seem sappy and , dare I say it, Disney-film-like, but yes love helped me get out of depression.  Here's some lyrics of the song:

"We're not saying you can change him,
Cause people don't really change.
We're only saying that love's a force
That's powerful and strange.
People make bad choices if
They're mad or scared or stressed,
But throw a little love their way
And You'll bring out their best.

Everyone's a bit of a fixer upper.
That's what it's all about.
Father, Sister, Brother
We need each other
To raise us up and round us out.
Everyone's a bit of a fixer upper
But when push comes to shove
The only fixer upper fixer that can fix a fixer upper
is True Love."

When my wife told me how much she loved me and I finally realized that fact, it started a turn around in my life.  I finally was able to begin to let others into my life and get myself out of isolation.  That "Frozen Heart" that I had created began to thaw, to melt.

I have always loved my wife more than she'll ever know.  To me, she was the one that was worth melting for.  For her, I would do anything, just to have the privilege to call myself her husband.  For her, I am pulling myself from my kingdom of isolation and doing whatever it takes to remain in the land of Summer with her.

Now, I'm not saying that all depression can be fixed by finding true love.  Far from it.  Even in my own life, I still have times of depression, times where I find myself running away back into isolation.  But in my experience, the love I have for (and from) my wife has made dealing with depression possible in a way that would be impossible alone.

If anyone reading this is dealing with depression, I beg you to please find help.  It can be going to the doctor and talking about it.  It can be just as simple as hanging out with a friend or a loved one, someone you trust and discussing it.  Heck, you don't even have to discuss it.  Just being there and being alive can sometimes be enough to thaw that Frozen Heart.  Please, just don't give up.  There are things (and people) out there worth melting for.

Frozen Heart (Part 1): Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

I've been putting this post off for quite a while. This should actually have been one of my first posts, but I didn't want to finish. If you asked why I'd have to say it's because it was too personal and would tell too much about me. But recent events in my life have shown me that I need to get this out.

I'm a Disney freak. I admit it. My family knows it. They accept me for what I am.

I also have depression. I admit that, as well. My family knows it, too. The acceptance was harder to get, but eventually came.

Recently, Disney released Frozen. This has quickly become one of my favorite movies. I actually heard the soundtrack before I saw the movie, so I had the opportunity to learn the songs long before I went to the theater.  I realized that the movie, especially the songs, have a meaning that can be applied to the subject of depression.

Wait. You've seen Frozen, right?  You haven't?  Ok. Go get the Blu-Ray or DVD and watch it. I'll wait.

You're back?  Great!  Now, you paid attention to the lyrics to the songs, right?  No?  Go back and watch it again.

Ok. Ready?  Good.

Spoiler Alert: I mean it!  Go watch the movie before you read any further!

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with Disney or any of its subsidiaries. I'm just a huge fan. They don't pay me. Although if they wanted to reward me for my loyalty, I'm willing. Also, All characters from Frozen are owned by Disney. The ideas on depression discussed are mine, based on my own experiences. If anyone at Disney wishes to discuss this post, I'll be at Disney World in January. 

In my interpretation, the main character is Elsa, the Snow Queen. She represents someone with depression, represented by her power to freeze.  It is a power that she cannot control.

Then there is Anna, Elsa's little sister. She represents loved ones who are in the life of the depressed person and support them through their good and bad times.

Kristoff and Sven are friends of Anna.  They (along with the residents of the village of Arendale) represent others who are affected by the depression of the main character.

Hans is Anna's fiance.  He turns out to be the antagonist of the movie.  He represents those who claim to be friends, but use the depressed persons weaknesses against them.

Then there's Olaf, the snowman (obviously).  He is an innocent, completely childlike.  He represents unconditional love.  Just as the character is both an outsider yet made from Elsa's power, he represents love from those around the depressed person and the depressed person themselves.

I just wanted to introduce the characters before I got too far into the interpretations.  With this getting as long as it has, I believe I'll have to split this up into 3 parts.  Part 2 will be out very soon.