Tomorrow Night, the Lights Will Appear Just like They Do on My Birthday Each Year

If we're friends on Facebook, you may have noticed that the months in which I post the most pictures are coincidentally the months I do fewer blog posts. At least those few posts are full of fantastic photos!

My last weekend started with a lovely breakfast with Bailey at the other Canada Pavilion, also known as Disney's Wilderness Lodge, more specifically, Whispering Canyon restaurant. Fantastically fantastic banana bread French toast. Then a quick trip to property control, to which Bailey had never been, in which I acquired yet another Ear Hat (seriously, if you're in the protective and decorative shadow box business, let me know) and home.

This is how the Disney totem pole goes too -
Mickey at the top, Cultural Reps at the bottom!

Later, I met up with Anastasia and Amanda for Anastasia's last trip to Hollywood Studios, in which we did the highlight reel - Beauty and the Beast, Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Fantasmic. We sat close enough to the stage for Beauty and the Beast such that Gaston's facial expressions were easily visible. Hilarious!

I'll bring this picture into a wedding planner one day. 

A few days later, Anastasia and I went on an autograph mission around Epcot (for Pluto and Alice) and Magic Kingdom (for the fairies, Tinkerbell and Periwinkle), as well as a Jungle Cruise everyone should be proud of - I did not spoil one single joke (for the record, I'd be a boss skipper).
Tuesday was Anastasia's last day in the Canada Pavilion, with the usual managerial, coordinator and cast member hullabaloo onstage and most of the senior cast members (yup, me included, I'm senior now) being in costume and at work for epic group photos.

The lovely ladies of Canada merchandise -
Lindsay, Sam, Bailey, Anastasia, Briana, me and Amanda

That night, Lindsay, Amanda, Sam and I went to Magic Kingdom for a round of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, in which the park in closed to non-Halloween Party guests, there are multiple rare, villainous characters out and about, there's an epic Boo to You parade with a large section devoted to the Haunted Mansion, Haunted Mansion cast members are decked out as zombies, a very special HalloWishes fireworks show and, for the only time all year, adults as allowed to dress as face characters (ie princesses). Oh, and trick or treating for the first time in probably thirteen years! There were specific trick or treat trails set up all over the park, with festively-dressed cast members meeting us with large handfuls of candy everywhere.

Spooky Haunted Manson CM done up for Not-So-Scary.
Times when having red-eye in a picture actually enhances the picture.

Thursday was Anastasia's last night in Orlando, so a bunch of us merchies went Downtown Disney for ice cream and a little activity called Characters in Flight, a tethered hot air balloon flight high over Downtown Disney.
As most fans should know, Friday was my 28th birthday, the first one in three years not spent in a uniform having gotten up at 4am to work. Thank Mickey for that! Instead, I slept in, saw Anastasia off to the airport via shuttle, and then me and two of my favourite princesses (in matching dresses even) hopped into my carriage to the most magical place on Earth, Magic Kingdom. We met the princesses Cinderella, Aurora, Rapunzel and Ariel, ate dinner at Tony's Town Square and rode my favourite rides (for the record, that would be Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and the TTA People Mover).

Cinderella gave me birthday advice from princess to princess
on how to achieve both a castle and a prince.

We were joined by Lindsay and Sam for a cast-exclusive preview of New Fantasyland.  You may remember I had already peeked into New Fantasyland earlier in the month, but this time the whole thing was ready for dress rehearsals. We saw Be Our Guest restaurant, Gaston's Tavern, Bonjour Gifts, Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid and Ariel's Grotto, a new meet and greet spot for the little mermaid.

In front of Beast castle and the entrance to Be Our Guest.

We also met Gaston in front of the statue he oh-so-generously donated to the people of his village. It was magical. The whole thing's going to be just perfectly magical when in opens to the public on December 6th, just don't expect me to be anywhere near it!

Be still my heart, I'm hardly breathing.

My first day back this week was a whopping 11.5 hours, from which I am still recovering, so with that, I say...

TTFN,


Note: I heard "Happy Birthday!" from about a hundred people on my birthday in the park. I say it probably around that many times a day. I hope I make those birthday guests feel as special as I did!

Thanks to: Each and every single person who contributed to what definitely makes the top 5 birthday celebrations. Sorry no one got cupcakes from me this year!