The Lost Jungle Book that Never Was

I recently had the privilege of visiting The Walt Disney Family Museum's special exhibit for the Jungle Book called Walt Disney's Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece, and, to be honest, I was only mildly excited about it walking into the experience. Don't get me wrong, I have always liked The Jungle Book, but it had never been a top 10 (or even 20) Disney movie for me. But after watching the...

“Did you know that… ?” Seeking the Truth in Disney Stories

I once had a conversation with a former Imagineer who told me something along the lines of, "Disney people are storytellers." And boy, isn't that the truth? Sometimes Disney fans, creators, and even Cast Members hear a story about something in Disney history and get so excited to hear a "secret" that they immediately pass it on as fact without tracking down the primary source (my professor...

Repurposing The Magic: How We Reimagine Our Moments

It occurred to me the other day that so much of what we see at Disney isn't actually what we think it is. Or it used to be something very different, but we don't realize it. Let me explain. When you ride on Splash Mountain and sing along (jubilantly, if you're anything like me) with the geese and the swamp critters at the end, you probably aren't thinking about how they were all...

Disney Parks Hidden History & Secrets Scavenger Hunt- Disneyland Edition

Hey Disney friends! I had so much fun crafting the Magic Kingdom Scavenger Hunt that I knew I needed one for Disneyland as I'm headed there this month! *insert "when you wish upon a star" theme here* If you're headed to Disneyland too (HOORAY!!), make sure you print out or save this FREE scavenger hunt full of unique items to look out for, along with some fun facts about each one! I...

Disney Parks Hidden History & Secrets Scavenger Hunt – Magic Kingdom Edition

Hey Disney friends! If you're headed to Walt Disney World for the first time this year (or just the first time in FOREVER!), I've put together this scavenger hunt full of unique items to look out for, along with some fun facts about each one! I tried to include many things from Disney history that are overlooked or not widely known, and some of my favorite Magic Kingdom secrets. You can use them...

How Disney’s hidden magic makes us look closer

As I shuffled around the MDE (My Disney Experience) app to make my next mobile food order, I found myself having walked to a completely new land without ever remembering how I got there. I stopped abruptly and turned around, aghast at what I had missed. Because every time I walk through Disney, I see something new. An unexpected detail I've never noticed before. A color palette I'd never fully...

How the design of Disney parks affects our perspective

The layout of the Disney parks may not be something you think about except for at the end of the day when your feet are aching and sitting feels like the best ride ever. Or when you're hiking around the Epcot World Showcase in the blazing sun and afternoon heat. But the ways the Imagineers have creatively designed the parks influence your experience more than you think, and in ways you might not...