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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Disneyland Giveaway Finalists


So now, the officially is in YOUR court. That's right! Choosing the winner of our Disneyland Giveaway is completely up to you, our readers. Read through all 17 of the memories, stories & wishes. Then, don't forget the very most important part... vote for you favorite!

xoxo, C & K

Alison: Having grown up so close to Disneyland, I have so many great memories. Most of them are with family - girls weekend at disneyland, dates to disneyland, high school graduation at disneyland. So many. I think one of my favorite memories was while I was dating my husband. We both had season passes and I was dying to go to Disneyland before Christmas because I wanted to see it snow on main street! We went together on a special date and it was so fun! At the end of the night found we found a small spot on a bench and snuggled as we watched the fireworks and listed to the Christmas music play. Finally it began to snow. I was so happy. It was so romantic. That night Disneyland made us feel like we were at the happiest place on earth!

Amanda: Our last family trip to Disney, was prior to my husband's first 6 month deployment. My son was terrified of all the characters, but we had a blast experiencing it all with my daughter. Now everyone is old enough (and tall enough) to enjoy it all and we would love to head back to Disney, before another deployment interrupts.

Angry Julie Monday: Last year, we went to Disneyland on Halloween. We got there at opening. My husbands aunt, her daughters, and their children were there. My husbands grandmother decided at the last minute to surprise everyone and come up for the trip too. We had three generations of family hanging out at Disneyland. The best part, my husband's grandmother went on The Tower of Terror at California Adventure, just to hang out with her grandkids. Disney with family, it doesn't get any better than that.

Eli's Lids: My favorite Disney memory includes Alice in Wonderland Japanese tourists and two Tweedles!!One morning before Kindergarten my mom said I could wear my Alice in Wonderland costume to school. Big news for a 5 year old!! I was excited to say the least! Then my mom told me that my dad was going to drive with us to school. I remember thinking “That’s odd. We usually walk and Daddy is usually at work by now.”But, being a kiddo I just went with the flow.We piled up in the Big Brown Osmobile Station Wagon and headed to school. The ride was taking longer than expected… especially considering that my school was only about 4 blocks away. My dad said he got lost and then I looked out the window and saw the Disneyland sign (the vintage sign, not the lame one they have now). My parents said they just ended up here and since we were here already we should just stay.I agreed!Right after we entered the park a HUGE group of Japanese tourists saw me (blue eyed blond girl in Alice in Wonderland garb) and swooped me up for pictures. A lot of pictures.This made my parents laugh… still does. But is scared the p-diddy out of me!!Later on in the day Tweedle Dee and Tweelle Dum almost nabbed me. I really thought they were going to take me to the land down the rabbit whole.Now that I think about it the whole day was pretty traumatic!!In a good way :)Sorry it’s so long!!

Found & Made Designs: When I was a kid we would go to Disneyland a lot. My grandfather used to work for Walt Disney and we could go pretty much whenever we wanted. My mom was a single parent and we didn't have a lot of money but Disneyland made us feel rich. My grandfather would take me to parts of the park that the regular public couldn't go. I felt special. My grandfather was always a big part of my life. When he died a year ago, it felt like a part of me died.My husband and I went to Disneyland last year at Christmas time. It was magical. I was so excited to experience the snow and fireworks. When the snow(bubbles) started to fall I was so overwhelmed with joy but then sadness hit because I would never get to experience Disneyland with my grandfather again.Sorry to be so sad and all. He was just such a wonderful man and I miss him bunches.

Jennifer Gilmore: We had season passes with my first born, but now with three kids, we have not been able to get passes for them. We go to the Disneyland Halloween event and it's the most exciting thing for them. They talk about it constantly and want to go again and again. My second son thinks the tram is the best ride ever...little does he know there is a lot more in the park - than just the tram outside. :) We would love to spend time in November with you and the Disney cast members! :) It would definitely be a memorable experience.

Jodie: I've grown up going to Disneyland so I have so many favorite memories, but one of my faves was when we took my daughter for her 2nd birthday. It's right before Christmas so it was all decorated with lights and the "snow"- it was the first time she was old enough to appreciate it and she thought it was absolutely magical.

Julie: I took my girls to Disneyland for the first time on my older daughter's 5th birthday. Our friends who also have a daughter the same age joined us. We started out the day by going to have breakfast with the princesses. They were so excited to get to see the princesses and get their autographs. We had a great day of going on all the rides. She got a special princess hat. We stayed to see the fireworks at the end. I looked over at her, in her princess hat, and she had tears going down her face because she was just so happy. I still tear up when I think of that day, because it really was a magical day for her and I was glad to give that to her.

Kristen {RAGE against the MINIVAN}: My best memory of Disney occured just this year, when I took my daughter for the first time. I grew up going to Orlando every summer, and we always went to Disney. I remember that awesome feeling at the end of the day, when I was tired but still excited, and I would snuggle into my mom's arms as we watched the evening parade. I just had that moment with my own daughter, and sharing that experience with her brought tears to my eyes.

Laura
: I took my darling niece to Disneyland to meet the princesses for the first time. She loved the princesses and was a little nervous to meet them. She would see them in the distance and have a practice conversation with them... “Hi, my name is Autumn. I like your dress...” but was just too shy to go up to them and meet them. Finally, later on in the day, she mustered up the courage to go talk to Snow White. Snow White said to her “If you could have ANY wish in the whole world, what would it be?” She nervously tried to think of an answer and was surprised when “a basket of carrots!” came flying out of her mouth! It was precious... and so memorable.

Libby: Growing up, my rowdy family of nine would pile into the car (Griswold style) every November and drive for two days to visit my aunt in Orange County. The obligatory day at Disneyland was always the best part of this adventure. It made the rest of the trip worthwhile.When I was fourteen, we took the trip just like any other year. I was getting older and this was the first year that I was able to spend the whole day going on the rides with my two older brothers. I said goodbye to my mom and dad just after entering the park and I was off. We had a great day of running around.Around lunch time I started to feel a little uncomfortable and took a trip to the ladies room. What in the world should happen on this day? My very first menstrual cycle showed up! I panicked and stuffed my undies full of toilet paper. After that I felt a little weird the rest of the day. I took frequent bathroom breaks. My brothers thought I was crazy.During one of my pit stops, I was mortified to discover that my toilet paper wad was gone. It must have slid out of my shorts while we were running around. Yikes. I was mortified. That was the last straw. I made my brothers take me to have our mom paged over the loud speakers. She found us and whisked me off to "fix" my new problem.At the time it was quite a traumatic experience. Looking back, I just have to laugh. I'll always remember that special day when I became a woman!

Maria: My husband and I took our four year old son Tate to Disneyland last year. Meeting Belle was a treasured memory we will never forget.For Tate it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. With a great big smile, he began singing to Belle. "I've been dreaming of a true loves kiss..."He then took her hands in his and began dancing with her around the room.I guess she fell in love with him too, because she asked him to be her "handsome prince at storytime".She had a hard time getting through the story, due to the fact that Tate was giving her never ending kisses.Oh, it was just too cute!!!

Momfluential: I have so many Disney moment that I recall fondly. I think my most cherished Disney moments involved bringing a group of Russian orphans to the park one summer when I was coordinating an older orphan hosting program in So. Cal. As magical of an experience it may be for our own children, for these foreign orphans, a day at Disneyland was a trip to, and OVER the moon. I try and close my eyes and remember their smiles and pure joy every time I go. All of those children have since found loving adoptive homes (yay!) and all recall that first trip to Disney. I'm pretty sure they all beg for toys and ice cream now, every time they go to Disney. But on that day they were simple too awestruck to even think to beg for treats.My family and I have lots of fun when we visit Disney and try to pick a theme each time. Here's a recent special outing where we had a blast. It was so fun talking to all the other people at the park, many of whom were first timers. Doing this photo story allowed us to share in their magic moment/joy as well! http://whrrl.com/experience/story/17925121

Petit Elefant: The first time we went as a family to Disney my daughter was 5 and in full princess mode. We ran into Belle in the gardens of Cinderella's Castle and no one else was around; she picked a rose from the garden for my daughter and told her to save it forever, that it was a magical rose. My sweet daughter really believed it was Belle and we still have the rose. It was the Magic Kingdom at its best. Gives me the chills even now.

Qwendykay: I was named after Wendy Darling from Peter Pan. My brothers loved the story, and decided if I was a girl I should be called Wendy. (Also, my brother's threw me off the bunk bed when I was 1, to see if I could fly just like in Peter Pan after sprinkling me with dirt...aka fairy dust. Just in case you are curious... I can't fly. I landed with a thud that made my mother's heart stop beating. But I was fine.)A few months ago while standing in line to see the fairies at Disneyland, I told the children, I really hoped Tinkerbell wasn't there since she tried to shoot me out of the sky. I quickly relayed the story of Peter Pan, telling the children, that *I* was the real Wendy. They stared at me incredulously, and I told them that Tinkerbell and I have had a long feud for Peter's attention. However, I decided to grow up and become a mom, and Peter stayed in Never Never Land. It was time to make nice with Tinkerbell. One of the Disney people overheard me tell this story, and must have relayed it Tinkerbell.When she saw me she let out a shriek and said, "Wendy.. what are you doing here?" My son nearly fell over from shock, because Tinkerbell's outburst solidified the fact that I wasn't making this up. Tink & I chatted reminiscing about "old times" and I let her know I was there to make peace. She apologized profusely for trying to shoot me out of the sky. We hugged and took a picture. The kids LOVE it and STILL talk about it.

Roxanne Hack: I adore Disneyland. When I was in high school, my friends and I would go every weekend and hang out by the Matterhorn. Now, I go with my son, who just turned 1. He was only about 2 months old on his first trip, and he ended up sleeping through the fireworks (we were in front of Small World!). But the best memory I have with him so far is when he met Mickey for the first time. We were in Toon Town at Mickey's House, and we stood in that line for so very long. My son was getting restless, especially because it was pretty dark and he couldn't tell what was going on around him. But we finally got into that back room and the SECOND my boy saw Mickey standing there, a huge grin spread across his chubby little face. His legs started to literally shake, and he was pounding his little hands on my chest, he was so excited. When it was our turn to take a photo, we stood next to Mickey, and my son practically leaped out of my arms to touch him. He just kept grinning and giggling and reaching out to the Mouse, and couldn't have been a happier little boy. The photographer even said how he was the happiest baby they'd seen in a while. I was thrilled. My little boy loves Disneyland just as much as his mama! I can't wait for him to experience more and more of the happiest place on Earth.

Stacey: We took our daughter to have lunch with the Princesses at Ariel's Grotto back in March for her 4th birthday. It was our first time at the grotto and we were chosen as the special guest family who got to introduce the first princess. We were able to introduce Cinderella, my daughters favorite princess!!! When Cinderella came around the corner into our sight, my daughter ran to her and hugged her. I'm such a cheese ball that I had a tears in my eyes. It was truly a "magic of Disney" moment for our whole family. I will never forget it. My daughter went on to tell Cinderella about all the Cinderella legos, headbands, glass slippers, books, etc that she had with Cinderella on them. It was amazing!

51 comments:

Shannon said...

My Vote is for Jennifer Gilmore My son that the tram was the best ride too..

Shannon Samples

auntie gamma said...

I vote for Maria!

Anonymous said...

Maria

Anonymous said...

jennifer Gilmore

Brooke said...

Qwendykay!!!

Holly said...

my vote is for Qwendykay... I love that story!

Anonymous said...

I like Jennifer Gilmore's story!

Anonymous said...

Forgot to mention, my son loves the tram too and gets upset if we cant get on it when it is full. He thinks it is leaving us forever. Go Jennifer Gilmore!

**MIGNONNE** said...

My vote is for Qwendykay! It shows how far cast members go to make Disney experiences magical.

Raena Johnson said...

wendy's is the best!

Jen said...

I vote for Qwendykay!!!

Anonymous said...

QwendyKay gets my vote. Love how Disney can make things so amazing and magical whenever the opportunity presents. Team Disney! Team QwendyKay!

Anonymous said...

Kara's grandmommie said...
Eli'sLids has my vote. I remember that day!!!!! Sweet little Alice in Wonderland!!!

Anonymous said...

I am voting for Jennifer Gilmore!

J.B. Robinson said...

Eli's Lids!

Katie Robinson said...

I vote for Eli's lids! Good luck Kara!

Unknown said...

Laura! Laura!

Mary Jo said...

I vote for QWendyKay. That is a
"darling" story. Hers is the best!

TM_Erin said...

Voting for Petite Elefant - Belle is my favorite!

Carly said...

My vote is for qwendykay.

Anonymous said...

I vote for Alison.

Scott said...

I vote for Momfluential :)

Unknown said...

My vote is for MomInfluential

Andrea said...

I have to vote for Momfluential. Having lived and worked in Russia and visited orphanages there, I can only imagine the joy that trip must've brought those children. Touching memory.

Jenna McCarthy said...

I'm going with Momfluential, too!

Anonymous said...

Libby I am still laughing, what better place is there to become a woman. best story ever

Anonymous said...

my vote is for stacey

bernthis said...

Momfluential baby, that is my choice!

Allison said...

Qwendykay

SandraD said...

My vote is for Qwendykay. Great story.

Anonymous said...

Qwendykay gets my vote. Great memory.

Marily said...

Maria

Anonymous said...

I vote for Momfluential

~Cheryl said...

my vote goes to Qwendykay! That is the best story ever!!

Simply Lovely Gifts said...

Momfluential for sure!!

TonySabs said...

Momfluential FTW!

Kelly said...

My vote is for Qwendykay, love that story!

Anonymous said...

I vote for Kara from Eli's Lids!

Jill Manning said...

ALISON!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Tate is still singing and we vote for Maria.

Anonymous said...

QWendyKay! I love telling my kids real stories also!
-Christina

Anonymous said...

Voting for Stacey whose daughter had such a great experience

joya said...

Momfluential!!

Lori Cook said...

I vote Laura!!

Aimee said...

My favorite story is Eli's Lids!

Debbie said...

I vote for Laura!

Anonymous said...

There are several good ones... =)

But i'm going to have to go with Qwendykay!

Tylynn said...

Fun stories! I vote for QwendyKay

Anonymous said...

Great stories but the qwendykay is the best!

Ginny said...

The Gilmore Family needs a trip to Disneyland! I vote for Jennifer!

Bree said...

My vote is for Libby!!!! What a humiliating thing to have happen at the happiest place on earth. She deserves it!!!

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