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orlando
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!
#jessabroad ~ the departure + Leiden!
June 12, 2016
About a month ago, I was in the middle of studying for finals. Stressed, buried in piles and piles of notecards, and murdering more highlighters than I care to admit, I had another challenge: pack everything I need for a month of travel into one 55L backpack. After a semester of planning, late night runs to Taco Bell while debating which museums to visit, and lots and lots of Pinterest tabs, the time was finally here. A day after my last final, I packed up my car, checked out of my dorm, and headed to the airport!
I traveled with a friend and our flight took us through Dublin to Amsterdam. Our first weekend would be spent in Leiden, a college town outside of Amsterdam. We hopped off the plane, caught a train to Leiden, and dropped our bags off at our apartment, ready to explore Leiden. But of course, first things first, food! We biked to the grocery store (side note: biking is absolutely amazing and terrifying at the same time) and prepared to make dinner. After dinner, we headed into downtown Leiden to meet our friends at a local bar. After a few drinks, some nice conversation, and another bike ride, it was the end to our first night in Europe!
The next morning, after some Hagelslag (traditional Dutch breakfast, basically sprinkles on bread) for breakfast, we headed into Leiden to explore the market. The market consisted of tons of little booths lined up along the canals, selling everything from bike locks to strawberries to fresh flowers. This made me feel like I was truly part of the town, because we got to wander the streets, try different foods, and become completely lost in the culture.
Our main goal for the market was to pick up some snacks to take with us to the beach, so after some browsing, we decided on fresh Dutch strawberries, a tomato spread, some bread, and some incredibly salty taffy. We also picked up some gummy sharks from the candy stall, because they're my absolute favorite and I couldn't resist!
My favorite part of the market had to be the fresh Stroopwafel we tried. These are super thin waffles with a layer of caramel syrup in between, and they are an absolute addiction. They also come in pre-packaged bags, and the two bags I brought home as souvenirs barely made it a week past me being home.
Finished with our shopping, we met up with some friends of our host and began the five mile bike ride to the beach. The ride was beautiful, cycling through the Dutch countryside past farms and fields of flowers. Having the opportunity to bike was amazing, because it's such an integral part of Dutch life that it helped us feel like we were part of the lifestyle. For the rest of the day, we played frisbee, walked along the shore, and relaxed in the sun, munching on our snacks from the market and chatting about our expectations for the trip. Since the sun sets so late in the Netherlands, we ended up staying at Katwijk until around 9 pm, and got to watch the sun set over the North Sea. The view was incredible, and it was a great end to a great day!
After our five-mile ride back to Leiden, we grabbed a quick shower before getting ready to visit The Hague for a drink. We took the train, and walked around the Hague before finding a table to relax at after our long day. After a bit, we headed back to Leiden to get some much needed rest. Leiden was one of my favorite cities we visited throughout my month abroad. I loved the pace of the city, from the lifestyle to the food and everything in between, it was the perfect place to start our trip!
"A Night on the Towns" ~ Paper Towns Movie Premiere
July 26, 2015
John Green has done it again. After the success of TFIOS and last June's fantastic "Night Before Our Stars" event (which you can read about here,) I was beyond excited to not-only hear that Paper Towns was receiving a movie but also that it would also get its own special event, hence, "A Night on the Towns" was born!
Being the huge Nerdfighter I am, I jumped on the chance to see the movie a few hours earlier than everyone else! Paper Towns is the story of Quentin and Margo Roth Speigelman, two Orlando teens, and the love, scandal, and mystery of their lives. As it's set in Orlando and something my best friend and I share, the book is incredibly special to me. I first read it my junior year of high school, but while rereading to refresh for the movie, the themes of leaving high school and the friends you have while you're there really hit home. It's a great read for anyone about to graduate; basically, it's wonderful.
Thursday afternoon, my mom and I went out for a bit of shopping before the movie started. Unfortunately, we overshot a bit on our time and ended up at the theater around 4:30. Seems fine, right? It would be, but the movie didn't actually start until 8:30. Oops. We killed time playing cards, chatting about college and what I have left to prepare, and just spending the afternoon laughing and hanging out while I'm still at home. A few other people began to show up around 6, and soon the queue was filling up and it was almost time for the movie to begin!
Also around 6, I tweeted a question into the Q&A. Hold that thought.
The doors opened around 8, and my mom and I snagged seats in the very back of the theater smack dab in the middle of the row. My mom went out and grabbed some snacks, and we tucked in for some popcorn, sweets, and the film. The film absolutely blew my expectations; I had my reservations about some of the casting and some doubts about whether or not the film would actually be Orlando-esque, but I am in love with the way it turned out. It gave the same feelings I got when reading the book, and the chemistry and relationships between all the characters was spot-on to how I'd imagined them. It had you giggling, questioning, and reflecting on what high school and friendship really mean.
After the film was over, we had about five minutes in between the film and the livestream, so everyone booked it to the restroom and back so as to not miss anything!
Hosted by Tyler Oakley and Jessi Cruickshank, the livestream featured most of the cast and some of the crew of the film, as well as musical performances from Saint Motel and Nat and Alex Wolff. Some adorable dancing by Cara and Nat, John's belly button cameo, and wonderful banter provided great insight into the behind-the-scenes of the movie.
Now, remember how I mentioned that I tweeted a question in? Well, about three questions or so in to the Q&A, I hear Tyler Oakley say "Our next question comes from @Secondbeckfast" and lets just say my heart absolutely stopped. That's right, Tyler Oakley read my twitter handle to a global audience. I told my mom, I told the girl next to me, I texted my friend who was also in the theater, and I was so excited I didn't even hear the answer to my question. All I know is I basically had a conversation with John Green, and that's probably one of the most amazing things in my life so far. Hopefully I can find the livestream online, because as of now I'm still not sure what the answer to my question was!
Overall, the night was just a wonderful experience. From spending time with my mom, to watching the film, to having my question selected for the Q&A, the whole evening was absolutely splendid. I can't wait to see what else comes from John and these producers, because if they make an Abundance of Katherines or Looking for Alaska as good as TFIOS or Paper Towns, I will be one happy Nerdfighter. As I go off to college, having these movies and books will remind me of where I've come from, giving me a sense of home, while inspiring me to push myself to explore and learn all I can while I'm still young and to carry that with me as I grow up.
To John and the whole crew, a million thank-you's for creating something so absolutely special to so many people and for making the Nerdfighter community proud.
Being the huge Nerdfighter I am, I jumped on the chance to see the movie a few hours earlier than everyone else! Paper Towns is the story of Quentin and Margo Roth Speigelman, two Orlando teens, and the love, scandal, and mystery of their lives. As it's set in Orlando and something my best friend and I share, the book is incredibly special to me. I first read it my junior year of high school, but while rereading to refresh for the movie, the themes of leaving high school and the friends you have while you're there really hit home. It's a great read for anyone about to graduate; basically, it's wonderful.
Thursday afternoon, my mom and I went out for a bit of shopping before the movie started. Unfortunately, we overshot a bit on our time and ended up at the theater around 4:30. Seems fine, right? It would be, but the movie didn't actually start until 8:30. Oops. We killed time playing cards, chatting about college and what I have left to prepare, and just spending the afternoon laughing and hanging out while I'm still at home. A few other people began to show up around 6, and soon the queue was filling up and it was almost time for the movie to begin!
Also around 6, I tweeted a question into the Q&A. Hold that thought.
The doors opened around 8, and my mom and I snagged seats in the very back of the theater smack dab in the middle of the row. My mom went out and grabbed some snacks, and we tucked in for some popcorn, sweets, and the film. The film absolutely blew my expectations; I had my reservations about some of the casting and some doubts about whether or not the film would actually be Orlando-esque, but I am in love with the way it turned out. It gave the same feelings I got when reading the book, and the chemistry and relationships between all the characters was spot-on to how I'd imagined them. It had you giggling, questioning, and reflecting on what high school and friendship really mean.
After the film was over, we had about five minutes in between the film and the livestream, so everyone booked it to the restroom and back so as to not miss anything!
Hosted by Tyler Oakley and Jessi Cruickshank, the livestream featured most of the cast and some of the crew of the film, as well as musical performances from Saint Motel and Nat and Alex Wolff. Some adorable dancing by Cara and Nat, John's belly button cameo, and wonderful banter provided great insight into the behind-the-scenes of the movie.
Now, remember how I mentioned that I tweeted a question in? Well, about three questions or so in to the Q&A, I hear Tyler Oakley say "Our next question comes from @Secondbeckfast" and lets just say my heart absolutely stopped. That's right, Tyler Oakley read my twitter handle to a global audience. I told my mom, I told the girl next to me, I texted my friend who was also in the theater, and I was so excited I didn't even hear the answer to my question. All I know is I basically had a conversation with John Green, and that's probably one of the most amazing things in my life so far. Hopefully I can find the livestream online, because as of now I'm still not sure what the answer to my question was!
Overall, the night was just a wonderful experience. From spending time with my mom, to watching the film, to having my question selected for the Q&A, the whole evening was absolutely splendid. I can't wait to see what else comes from John and these producers, because if they make an Abundance of Katherines or Looking for Alaska as good as TFIOS or Paper Towns, I will be one happy Nerdfighter. As I go off to college, having these movies and books will remind me of where I've come from, giving me a sense of home, while inspiring me to push myself to explore and learn all I can while I'm still young and to carry that with me as I grow up.
To John and the whole crew, a million thank-you's for creating something so absolutely special to so many people and for making the Nerdfighter community proud.
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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