Window Displays at the Disneyland Emporium

 Right before my trip to France I wrote 18 blogposts that would update automatically while I was gone, and as soon as I left I had this nagging feeling that there was something I planned to talk about, but forgot.

Honestly, I'm surprised I managed all 18!

But then I remembered: The window displays at the Disneyland Emporium.

It's tradition for me, whenever I come to the Magic Kingdom in California, to see the window displays, which represent scenes from various Disney movies, as soon as I come into the park.  The Emporium is the first shop to the left on Main Street USA, and the windows are right at the entrance.  They're hard to miss, unless you're hypnotized by the distant Sleeping Beauty's castle.

When my family visited Disneyland it was the first week in November, and the park was transitioning from Halloween to Christmas, bit by bit, day by day.

And on the first day of our visit all the window displays were covered up, and stayed covered up through the week.  I was disappointed at first, and wondered if I would ever see the new displays, but as we were leaving the park on our last day, November 6th, sky dark and the castle glowing pink/blue, hurrying to buy final souvenirs, and waiting patiently as the nephew and nieces had their silhouettes cut out, my nephew slept through it, I noticed the curtains for the window displays outside the Emporium were finally open!  I could see them.  And everyone else noticed as well because there were huge crowds gathered around to see.

There was one final display that I wasn't able to see because the curtain was still down, so it will remain a mystery.

 There were five displays from five movies:

Frozen, Princess and the Frog, Toy Story, Cinderella, and Peter Pan.

A little of the old and new.

And each display had two scenes they switched between.  A marvel to watch.

 A sunny scene in Frozen changing to an icy scene, with Olaf walking around dreaming of Summer.

 A swamp scene changing to a celebratory Steam boat scene for Princess and the Frog.

 Woody and Buzz lightyear being played with in Toy Story.

 Cinderella having her pink gown changed to blue and then dancing with her prince.

And the scene from Peter Pan, which was my favorite.  The transition from the nursery scene to flying above the homes was seamless.  I watched this transition over and over.  A lot of fun to watch.

So if you ever find yourself at the Happiest Place of Earth, take the time to watch the window displays at the Main Street Emporium.

It's a fun dash of magic.

Spring Cleaning, all this Warmness and Neverland

 It's been abnormally warm where I live.  So warm that the tulips and daffodils have started budding up out of the ground.  It's too soon, and I'm a little worried about the local crops.  But all that aside, sweater weather has me longing for Spring, so much so that I'm starting my Spring Cleaning today.  I'm getting my surroundings all nice and fresh, and I'm going through all the notes and creative ideas I've jotted down but forgot.  Get them all nice and organized   A folder for song ideas.  Another for story ideas.  Another for my musicals.  It's going to be quite the task.  But now is as good a time as any, and I feel I'm waking up with the flowers. 

It's hard for me to think of Spring Cleaning without thinking of Peter Pan.  It's at the end of the book when Wendy decides to leave him, and Peter Pan agrees to come and get her during Spring Cleaning time.  "You won't forget me, Peter, will you, before spring cleaning time comes?"  He visits her the next year, skips a year, and then came the next.  But time means little to a child.  They don't understand the meaning between months, years, and tomorrows, so Peter doesn't come again until Wendy is all grown.

Even though I'm grown I haven't stopped thinking about Neverland.  I don't think any of us should give up on Neverland and the idea of flying.

So I'm going to Spring Clean and dream of that magical island.  I'm going to dream of mermaids, pirates, and fairies.  It keeps me young :0)