Preparing for D23 Expo 2015

It's that time again, the event that happens every 2 years, the D23 Expo! I went to the last one and my biggest regret was not having a phone with a longer battery life. I've made a list of some expo essentials I plan to bring for this year's expo.

Video on what I think you should bring:



List of what was mentioned in the video:
-Sensible sized bag - for carrying everything. Don't want to have it too big because you'll have to carry it with you all day, but still big enough for the things you are bringing. I might go with a small backpack that way I will have my hands free throughout the day.
-Portable charger - in case of low phone battery or just as a backup
-Camera - if you like something nicer to take pictures with than your cellphone
-Water and snacks - to keep yourself energized and hydrated throughout the day when waiting in lines. (Convention food is pricey)
-Schedule - D23 will have a pdf online with all the shows and panels. Link will be at the bottom of this post when it is up. Also there is an information booklet that is basically a free souvenir you can get when you enter the expo. Don't forget to pick one up!
-Swag bags included! - Giant reusable shopping bags for all your goodies you will get from the expo. I still use mine weekly!
-Sanitizer, tissue, handkerchief - for mess reasons. I always have these
-Money, discount, ID - you need money to buy goodies, and your Disney Annual Pass/D23 Membership/Disney Visa for discounts, and your ID to authenticate that it is your discount.
-D23 Expo 2015 app - Newly updated for 2015, links are at the bottom. Has all the information in your phone!
-Ticket - DON'T FORGET THIS AT HOME! Yes, the ticket is a bulky shape, but the lanyard will be provided at the door. They hand you one as you enter.
-Costume - This is one of the few Disney event allows costumes but make sure to read the rules, they are posted on the D23 Expo site and are the same as the costume rules for the Disney parks.
-Walking shoes - There will be a lot of walking around from panel to panel and standing in lines. Make sure your feet are happy!
-Blankets - If you plan to wait at midnight for the next morning, keep yourself bundled up! Just have someone in your party return it to your room or stick it in your bag before the doors open.

Have Fun!

Playlist of last expo's videos:



Expo website:
https://d23.com/d23-expo/

This year's expo schedule:
https://d23.com/d23-expo/d23-expo-2015-friday-august-14/

Link to Google doc of schedule (I created it myself):
-https://docs.google.com/document/d/1irbKsr03X6EzDVFrrYm9rPX7HiScjZIKaY3WcJnjKG0/edit?usp=sharing
Schedule without signings, meet and greets, and performances:
-https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AByfxxr1awkoOV5OrLgXYLesqJkIXFfe8QLzHMQj70E/edit?usp=sharing

D23 Expo 2015 app:
-Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/d23-expo-2015-official-mobile/id658929476?ls=1&mt=8
-Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.disney.d23expo_goo

New Halloween Tsums!!!

I got some Halloween Tsum Tsums and I'm here to show them off!!








Make sure to check out some of my other sites for other interesting content:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cattyliu816
Blog: http://www.catlovesdisney.blogspot.com/
Other Blog: http://summarieswithcattyliu816.blogspot.com/
Newest Blog: http://allthecatherinethings.blogspot.com/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cats-Disney-Obsession/429770683785688

TsumTsums are Everywhere!

Tsum Tsums are the newest Disney sensation to hit the shelves here in the US! These little stackable toys came all the way from Tokyo just for us to collect!
They were released in 58 stores in the US on July 1st of this year and were out for months before that in Tokyo. As of August 1st, they are also available at the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney Anaheim. Currently there are only a few released in the US but don't worry, there will be more to come!

Out in the US as of August 6th: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Bambi, Thumper, Miss Bunny, Jiminy Cricket, Figaro, Dumbo, Lady, Marie, Pooh Bear, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, and Stitch.

Available at Downtown Disney Anaheim: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Chip, Dale, Dumbo, Stitch, and Jiminy Cricket.
Small Tsums are 5.5 x 5.5 cm and $4.95 online and in Disney stores. $5.95 for 1or 3 for $15 at Downtown Disney.

Medium sizes available: Pooh, Stitch, Mickey, and Minnie
Mediums Tsums are 18 x 18 cm and $12.95 each

Large sizes available: Pooh, Mickey, and Minnie
Large Tsums are 30 x 30 cm and $24.95 each

Please note: not all stores carry Tsum Tsums and not all the stores that carry them have all the ones out.
They can be bought here: http://www.disneystore.com/tsum-tsum/mn/1024503/



Japan of course get first pick at them. Here are some of the ones that are already available there:

A checklist of the initial ones

A bunch of cute ones someone put together

If you want to get your hands on some of these or just look at the ones that are available, you can go to their Disney Store website here: http://www.disneystore.co.jp/tsum/

Better start finding some friends who lives near Tokyo! ;)




Next time I'll be talking about the Tsum Tsum app that has come out

Frozen Funkos

So the stock photos for the Frozen Funko Pops came out recently and here are my thoughts!

Anna

Ana - I've always thought it should be spelled Ana instead of Anna. I mean, when you abbreviate Anastasia, you don't change it to Anna right? So this was the first one that I saw and I thought it was the most adorable thing I've ever seen. I love the one highlight that they put in but I thought it was supposed to be white? Still very cute! 8/10 snowflakes!

Elsa

Elsa - She's holding a snowflake! Super cute! The big eyes make everybody look cute, I'm going to be using this word a lot today haha. This reminds me of the dragon girl from Game of Thrones (don't know her name, I don't watch.) I hope they put sparkles on her dress and make her hair more white than tan like on the box. 7/10 snowflakes.

Kristoff

Kristoff - Hmmm he's supposed to be more blonde. I like that they put him in this outfit. I don't really have an opinion on this. But I do wish that they had also made Hans. 5/10 snowflakes.

Olaf

Olaf - CREEPY! 3/10 snowflakes

Sven

Sven - Super cute! The snout especially! I hope it looks better in person! 7.5/10 snowflakes!

Doing Disney with a Significant Other

Now, I haven't had enough significant others to count on more than one hand, and I've only gone once with a bf, but I feel like I know Disney well enough to be able to write this.

Some things that are more fun to do with a significant other than by yourself or with friends:

• Mickey's Fun Wheel at DCA 
• Eating at Blue Bayou or Carthay Circle (or other nice restaurant at the parks)
• Any extreme ride where you get to hold his/her hand when you're "scared" (I.e. Haunted Mansion, California Screaming, Tower of Terror)
• Any dark ride or location where you can be close (dark rides are great, like Little Mermaid)
• Having someone to hold hands with.
• See also: pros to going with friends. A SO is basically a friend, right?
• See also video: Surprised my bf with a trip to DCA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsenkluPImA

Bad things. 

• Nothing really that bad.
• See also: con's of going with friends

Make sure to check out some of my other sites for other interesting content:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cattyliu816
Blog: http://www.catlovesdisney.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tiggeradventures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cats-Disney-Obsession/429770683785688

And remember to always Keep Calm and Disney On~!

Doing Disney with Friends

[The original file where I wrote this post got corrupted and didn't save properly, I had to restart from memory. Might have left some of the good stuff out.]

A few months after I got my Annual Pass, I found out that my best friend has one too! We started going together very often. It ranged from going once a week to going once a month when we both started getting busy with school. Here are some pros and cons of going to Disney with friends. (Please keep in mind that this is my best friend, the experience might be different from going with a friend because the bond is much closer.)

Pros:

• Sharing a magical experience together
• Having someone to help finish a meal
• Getting to try more than one item on the menu
• Taking ride pictures are way more fun when you guys can collaborate on a theme
• Someone to take a picture of you doing something silly instead of having to take a selfie
• Someone to talk to in line (30min+ line, you need someone to talk to!)
• Not sitting next to a stranger while on the ride
• Having someone to drink with if you decide to take advantage of the alcoholic options at the parks. And having someone to drive you home as long as they don't drink

Cons:

• When you don't like the same type of rides, you end up not going on the ones you like unless your friend(s) wait for you.
• Going with odd numbers: You have to figure out how to split up and who you want to sit next to

Make sure to check out some of my other sites for other interesting content:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cattyliu816
Blog: http://www.catlovesdisney.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tiggeradventures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cats-Disney-Obsession/429770683785688

And remember to always Keep Calm and Disney On~

Doing Disney Solo

Going to Disneyland Solo

   I have had my Disney pass for almost a year and I have so many stories that I can tell. I will start with what it is like to go to the parks by myself and mention some of the pros and cons of it.

Things you can do if you go by yourself that you can't do with other people:

• You can take your time to look at everything and take pictures of things that you see
• You will notice more details about buildlings and you will discover new nooks and crannies of the parks
• You can go on rides that your friends are too scared to go on
• You can also go on single rider which is a million times faster than waiting in line with friends (although it gets lonely having no one to talk to)
• You can eat whatever you want and not have to worry about burdening other people with your specific wants and needs
• You can shop wherever you want
• You might meet random strangers or people who recognize you and get to hang out with them
• Being able to hang out at a charging station while you people watch (granted, my bf and I do that too while we eat or just sit)

   I guess the most important thing is that you can take things slow and steady and you can come and go as you please. I have gone so many times just by myself. I go into the park for a few hours, go on one or two rides that I like and just spend the rest of the time hanging out in an area I enjoy (mostly Mad T Party because of the music and the colors. There's also a charging station there!) I also have a lot of pictures of certain areas of the parks because of these solo trips. Sometimes I take a Canon camera with me and just go on one ride and take pictures of all the details that the imagineers put great detail to. [See BTMRR post: http://catlovesdisney.blogspot.com/2014/03/20140320-disney-visit-tradition.html]




Things that are less fun when you are by yourself:

• Being lonely
• Being bored
• Having no one to talk to while in line
• Not having anyone to show what you're seeing to. You'll just have to take pictures and remember to upload them
• No one will help you finish your food or split a meal with you. You will just have to get smaller portions or take it to go
• You feel like there's nothing left to do after awhile because all the other rides would be more fun with a friend 
• Can't drink because there is no one to drive you home at the end of the night if you decide to take advantage of all the alcoholic offerings in California Adventures

Cave of Wonders

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Make sure to check out some of my other sites for other interesting content:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cattyliu816
Blog: http://www.catlovesdisney.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tiggeradventures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cats-Disney-Obsession/429770683785688

And remember to always Keep Calm and Disney On~!

2014.03.20 Disney Visit: Tradition

I have a tradition of going to Disneyland the day after my last final is over. This time, it fell on a Thursday. So I make my way over to Disney by myself. I have taken pictures to create a narrative of my day. I just went on two rides. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Grizzly's River Rapids. Spent rest of the day drying off and just looking around. So enjoy the pictures and my short narrations.

Of course when you arrive, you have to line up to go to the tram. I parked on the Goofy level. 

My Pal Goofy

After you get off the tram, you have to line up to get your bags checked. Of course..
Here's the list of rides they are currently working on. I was disappointed, I was hoping to go on Small World and Indy.

Unavailable rides :(

I took a lovely picture of the front gate of Disneyland. Another line of course...

Disney Gates

Everyone posing in front of the Mickey flowers

Hi Mickey!

Should I choose left gate or right gate?

I Chose Right

This is why:

I want this

Good thing I did because I happened to come across this!!

Oh hello Hook!

I was hoping for less people but this picture shows just how many people I had to navigate my way through:

Castle

Hmmm where should I go first?

Adventureland?

 Or Frontierland?

I made my way to BTMRR, I stalked this guy and his backpack. I want it

Pooh

Wait time 40 minutes

Got a fastpass but didn't use it. I was fine with just riding it once

Still putting on finishing touches. These guys are hand painting the rocks.

Waiting in line. Ugh so hot. This is the restaurant I always go to when I want to fill up my waterbottle

Rainbow Ridge. Any significance to the number 38?

First sighting of the train (third actually but the first time I was close enough to take a picture)

I'm bored in line by myself so I look at the details of the queue line. I noticed these leather ties they use. They are soft to the touch. I wonder if it's the same as the leather bracelets that we can buy

Also noticed the lanterns they have on the side of the tracks

Wave hello!

Thinking about the fact they handpainted all these

This looks really nice

Look! Authentically worn wooden beams

Oh oops. The metal mesh is peeking out

Can I go to the Never Mined?

So eager to get on the ride! My favorite number is 6!

Empty seat waiting for my butt

Famous ending scene with the dinosaur bones

 I tried taking some action shots after getting off the ride. But it's hard to when your camera is this nice

Moving on. Never been to this area. Thought I'd check it out

Is this where all the Long Lost Friends hang out?

Pocahontas

This creepy goat didn't move the whole time I was walking by

Hi, I'm Olaf and I am going to steal your soul

I chillz. You chillz?

Here I take some pictures of Dumbo. I really should have used my phone. That way it could show motion. But here it is:

Girl got in my way right when I was about to take the picture

Timothy!

This one is my favorite

Alice in Wonderland is down. Took this opportunity to take a picture in front of the White Rabbit's home

Walls are up

Messy hair

Not as messy hair

Teacups

Round and round we go

Poor Alice

Surprised Rabbit

Nemo

Tilly works hard to man the theater

What would you like to watch?

These are the choices

So I make my way over to California Adventures to hang out for a few hours. I go on Grizzly three times and then spend the rest of the afternoon drying off

They changed the sign!

After three rides

Dry spots

Drying off in an undisclosed location (while charging my phone)

It was a short visit. Walked around DTD a little bit afterwards. Got a few vinyls that I wasn't too happy with. Left to go to Brea Mall to eat some fries at the Potato Corner

Where I want to be Photographed

You can always email me or comment if you'd like any of the pictures. Happy to share
Make sure to check out some of my other sites for other Disney filled things:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cattyliu816
Blog: http://www.catlovesdisney.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tiggeradventures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cats-Disney-Obsession/429770683785688