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Hollywood Studios
May 20, 2019
Guess who's back! It's been a busy five months for sure, but my lack of posts really just means I have plenty of content to catch the internet up on!
This past weekend, my friend and I went to ~finally~ explore the Toy Story expansion at Hollywood Studios at WDW Orlando. I haven't been to Studios since they ruthlessly killed the Osborne Family Lights Spectacular, but I sacrificed my pain to explore the new area!
The highlights of the new Pixar area definitely include all of the detail they've worked into the park. From the little Jack-Jacks running around the Incredibles area (not forgetting to mention the "Num-Num cookies") to the detail of price stickers from Al's Toy Barn, Disney didn't skip out on the references baked into the area!
And of course, we had to stop by and visit Olaf for some warm hugs. Olaf asked if I could find a way for him to also be in stripes, I told him we'll work on that for the third movie.
Despite the heat and crowds, we had an epic Disney day! Here's to the next park day :)
Top Places for Photos at Disney
October 29, 2018 Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL 32830, USA
As someone who’s grown up going to Disney, I often get the question: “How on earth are you not sick of the parks yet?” To most people, a day at Disney consists of rope-drop-to-fireworks nonstop, go go go activities, but for most locals and APs, we have the luxury of not having to rush because hey, we’ll just come back another day!
Recently, my most favorite thing to do at the parks is take photos. I’ve always loved photography, and combining that love with Disney has been some of the most fun ever. To wander MK or Epcot and just snap photos and laugh with friends, well, it’s my favorite!
Here are my top five places to take photos across the parks!
The Bubblegum Wall is one of the iconic “Walls of Disney.” Located just outside the entrance of Spaceship Earth, this adorable pink, magenta, and mint wall is perfect for some photos. This wall even has its own Instagram account, because what else would be more fitting for the futuristic Epcot center than walls with social media accounts?
2. The Purple Wall ~ Magic Kingdom
Now more widely known as the “Galactic Purple Wall,” this next iconic WoD lives in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom. Just like the BG Wall, this wall has its own Instagram and is known to repost some of the best pictures people take against its adorable lilac backdrop.
3. Castle Bridge & The Wishing Well ~ Magic Kingdom
One of my ultimate favorite places to take photos at MK is the bridge leading toward the Madhatter’s Teacups. This less common location tends to get skipped, as most people are content with photos right in front of the castle. This one ends up on the list because it’s less crowded, it’s a unique angle of the castle, and the wishing well has a certain element of that Disney magic to it. If you don’t believe me, trust the fact that I’ve seen not one, but THREE proposals on this bridge!
4. World Showcase ~ Epcot
I know saying “World Showcase” seems INCREDIBLY all encompassing of most of Epcot, but basically everywhere in WS is a prime photo opportunity. Whether your snapping pictures of your food and wine in front of each pavilion’s most iconic landmark or taking selfies, it’s never a dull day traveling around the world. My personal favorite locations in WS are the Moroccan fountain and the phone booths in the UK.
5. Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups ~ Magic Kingdom
Last in this post but first in my heart, my absolute FAVORITE place to take photos is the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups. These pictures always turn out to be the cutest, because it’s hard to not capture genuine laughing candids whilst spinning at top speeds. This photo has become a tradition for me whenever I visit MK, and as I continue to visit the parks it will continue to be a part of that magic!
Now there are PLENTY of other spots that are great for photos, both in the parks and at the resorts, so stay tuned for a part 2 of this post, but for now go get snapping!
Bestie Disney Date! ~ July 2015
July 17, 2015 Lake Buena Vista Stolport (DWS), Orlando, FL 32836, USA
Long post alert! As an Orlando baby, I've grown up with frequent visits to Walt Disney World with family and friends, so visiting the parks has a very special place in my heart. WDW might be my favorite place on Earth (so far) and spending the day with my equally Disney-crazed bestie makes for unforgettable memories!
Last week, we got ready to go and headed out for a day of Princesses, yummy food, and fantastic rides. We arrived around 11, and headed to our favorite lunch spot, Columbia Harbour House near the Haunted Mansion. I opted for the fish and chips, while Bri picked a sandwich (for the fancy chips!) Nestled in our favorite spot in the walk over, we settled in for our meal and caught up on our stories from work that week!
After lunch, we headed to Haunted Mansion and Thunder Mountain. After these two rides, we were beginning to feel the heat just a tad, so we undertook a very important mission: locate some kind of cold drink! We wandered Fantasyland, stopping in Gaston's Tavern and the shop in Belle's village, as well as stopping by the outpost near Ariel's castle, before heading on over towards Tomorrowland. We finally found smoothies in Auntie Gravity's (haha get it, like anti-gravity) and found some air conditioning to hide out in for a break.
While we were waiting, we realized our fastpasses for Space Mountain weren't for another hour, and we were at quite a loss for what to do to avoid the heat while killing time. Naturally, we decided to shop! We went from shop to shop, exploring all the best things Main Street USA has to offer! After a few shops, the Festival of Fantasy parade began and we managed to watch a bit of it from inside the AC, and since it was my first time watching the parade, I was quite amazed!
We finished our shop run and headed back to Space Mountain for some excitement and thrill! After, we had a full on selfie shoot in front of Cinderella's Castle and browsed everything the shops behind it had to offer.
To finish off our time at MK, we headed to Princess Fairy Tale Hall for a royal visit with Cinderella and Rapunzel! We chatted about our favorite colors, princes, and if we'd seen Tinker Bell or the Fairy Godmother around anywhere. Cinderella had stunning elegance, and Punzie's enthusiasm and spirit is always a treat:)
Last week, we got ready to go and headed out for a day of Princesses, yummy food, and fantastic rides. We arrived around 11, and headed to our favorite lunch spot, Columbia Harbour House near the Haunted Mansion. I opted for the fish and chips, while Bri picked a sandwich (for the fancy chips!) Nestled in our favorite spot in the walk over, we settled in for our meal and caught up on our stories from work that week!
After lunch, we headed to Haunted Mansion and Thunder Mountain. After these two rides, we were beginning to feel the heat just a tad, so we undertook a very important mission: locate some kind of cold drink! We wandered Fantasyland, stopping in Gaston's Tavern and the shop in Belle's village, as well as stopping by the outpost near Ariel's castle, before heading on over towards Tomorrowland. We finally found smoothies in Auntie Gravity's (haha get it, like anti-gravity) and found some air conditioning to hide out in for a break.
While we were waiting, we realized our fastpasses for Space Mountain weren't for another hour, and we were at quite a loss for what to do to avoid the heat while killing time. Naturally, we decided to shop! We went from shop to shop, exploring all the best things Main Street USA has to offer! After a few shops, the Festival of Fantasy parade began and we managed to watch a bit of it from inside the AC, and since it was my first time watching the parade, I was quite amazed!
We finished our shop run and headed back to Space Mountain for some excitement and thrill! After, we had a full on selfie shoot in front of Cinderella's Castle and browsed everything the shops behind it had to offer.
To finish off our time at MK, we headed to Princess Fairy Tale Hall for a royal visit with Cinderella and Rapunzel! We chatted about our favorite colors, princes, and if we'd seen Tinker Bell or the Fairy Godmother around anywhere. Cinderella had stunning elegance, and Punzie's enthusiasm and spirit is always a treat:)
We said our goodbyes to the Castle and headed off (by the oh-so wonderful Highway in the Sky) to EPCOT for the rest of the day! A quick and refreshing stop by the Fountainview Starbucks left us prepared for the heat of the afternoon as we began our trip around the World Showcase. We stopped off in Mexico, traveling the river on the Gran Fiesta Tour with Los Tres Caballeros before continuing on in the showcase.
Passing the Norway construction sparked our issues with the development of the new Frozen aspects of Epcot, as even though we do love the movie, EPCOT just isn't the place for Arendelle for us (which also sparked our concern for the future of Avatar in AK, but that's another story!) We lasted in the heat until Japan, where we flocked inside for a break from the evening heat and explored the cute items inside the store.
We took a moment in Italy for some pictures on the bridge and then headed on to drool over the gorgeous makeup and fragrances in the shops of the France pavilion and drag ourselves over to the UK pavilion and debated finding a soccer team to support!
Now came the most important debate of the evening: where to eat for dinner! It came down to a coin toss between the Rose and Crown and the Chefs de France, and France it was! I had never eaten there, but oh my lord have I found my new favorite place to dine at WDW! The inside was gorgeous, and I felt like I was in a real Parisian restaurant. Our waiter was an adorable man named Harold, and he kindly gave us all the water in the world (he could probably tell we were parched from the heat!) We both decided on the Macaroni, which was THE BEST in the world. I think gruyere is my new favorite thing in the world.
To finish the day, we decided to splurge and treat ourselves to dessert! We picked Macaron Ice Cream sandwiches and ate along the canal, laughing and planning our dream trip to Paris, before heading into Impressions de France for our final activity of the day. On our way out, we picked up matching Paris keychains to celebrate how much fun the day had been and to promise ourselves we'll end up in Paris together eventually!
Overall, I think this was one of my most favorite times at WDW. I spent the day laughing, chatting, and having adventures with my bestie, and there's nothing better in life than friendship, food, and Walt Disney World!
x Jessie x
Senior Prom!
April 19, 2015 gaylord palms resort and convention center, 2900 Parkway Boulevard, Kissimmee, FL 34747, USA
So last night was my senior prom, and I can't believe it's finally come and gone! The evening was wonderful, filled with great music, fantastic friends, and incredible food. We spent the evening at the gorgeous Gaylord Palms hotel in Orlando, and finished the night with some ice cream from Ghirardelli at Downtown Disney.
As my high school career comes to a close (10 days left, eek!), it's nights like these where I realize how much I've grown as a person the past four years. Before moving on to college in the fall, having these experiences with my friends puts life into perspective. We might all be going our separate ways, but no matter where we end up, we'll always be able to look back and remember all of the members of our IB family. Congratulations to everyone else graduating this year, enjoy the last few weeks and finish strong! Life is only going up from here(:
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Camp Orlando 2014
December 15, 2014
Five hundred Yearbook nerds. Four days. One Starbucks.
Camp Orlando, offered each year by Walsworth Publishing Company, is a chance for yearbook and newspaper staffs from across the state of Florida (and beyond) to learn all about what it means to build a yearbook. Classes range from marketing to design to theme development, all of which focus on specific aspects of producing a successful book.
Lots of coffee. Little sleep.
As a staff, we've put together one main project so far, our "Be Branded" marketing banner, and tonight we'll be putting together our "Gallery of Excellence" theme board. There is a lot of work to be done, but with the great staffers and editors we have this year, I know it'll be great!
Camp Orlando, offered each year by Walsworth Publishing Company, is a chance for yearbook and newspaper staffs from across the state of Florida (and beyond) to learn all about what it means to build a yearbook. Classes range from marketing to design to theme development, all of which focus on specific aspects of producing a successful book.
Lots of coffee. Little sleep.
As a staff, we've put together one main project so far, our "Be Branded" marketing banner, and tonight we'll be putting together our "Gallery of Excellence" theme board. There is a lot of work to be done, but with the great staffers and editors we have this year, I know it'll be great!
(Very Belated) TFIOS "The Night Before Our Stars"
June 20, 2014
Good Morning, everyone!
So a few weeks ago, my best friend and I went to the Thursday night premiere of "The Fault in Our Stars," the movie based on the best-selling novel by author John Green. You could say we were just a wee bit excited.
Assuming there would be a long line, we arrived around 5:30 (a mere three hours before the movie was set to begin.) Much to our surprise, we were only the second group of people in line, and it was about an hour before anyone else showed up! Despite our early arrival, we managed to stay entertained by playing cards, talking, and mentally preparing ourselves for the movie (which included comparing the amount of tissue packages we'd each brought with us.)
The doors opened, and we were able to go into the theater. Each of us at this showing received The "Night Before Our Stars" started, prompted by a short video introduction by John Green himself, and as the movie began we were all immediately immersed in the world of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters.
The movie was fantastic, and sharing the experience with other Nerdfighters and TFIOS fans made it all the more special. We made a few new friends, and the post-movie live stream was a wonderful experience. It included musical performances, as well as a Q&A with the cast and the ever-so-wonderful lost cameo by John Green himself.
The whole experience was great, and spending it with my best friend made it so much better. I can't wait until Paper Towns is out and ready to watch, because we'll be the first ones in line!
So a few weeks ago, my best friend and I went to the Thursday night premiere of "The Fault in Our Stars," the movie based on the best-selling novel by author John Green. You could say we were just a wee bit excited.
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| My (very basic) TFIOS inspired manicure for the night. |
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| Me and the best friend, pre-movie selfies to pass the time! |
The whole experience was great, and spending it with my best friend made it so much better. I can't wait until Paper Towns is out and ready to watch, because we'll be the first ones in line!
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