Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review (SPOILER ALERT)

Star Wars fans, including myself and my family, have been awaiting this movie for quite some time now. I'll cut straight to the chase and say I was NOT disappointed. Almost everything about this movie was amazing. I was captivated the entire time, but I'll break it down for you.

Characters:

The new characters in this movie (Rey, Finn, Poe, BB-8, Kylo Ren) are all very likable characters. 

Rey is the heroine we have all been waiting for. She knows how to pilot a ship and she soon learns that she is strong with the force. 

You first see Finn as a storm trooper working for Kylo Ren, but you can tell he is conflicted with it. He later then helps Poe, the best pilot in the Resistance against the First Order, escape from Kylo. After this, Finn is now a "good guy" and joins the resistance. His personality will definitely keep you laughing during the movie. 

Poe, as stated, is the best pilot in the Resistance. He is almost the next Han Solo. He is a little cocky and arrogant, and also quite nice to look at. 

BB-8 is the new little droid for this movie. He is an orange and white little guy that rolls around everywhere. With his head sitting on top of his head the way it is, it makes it a lot easier for him to show his feelings, which can be quite funny at times. 

Finally, we have Kylo Ren, leader of the Knights of Ren and the First Order and the new villain in this Star Wars film. He kind of gives off a Darth Vader vibe, but he is indeed quite different. His voice is quite unique and you find out that he has excelled farther in his powers with the force. However, Kylo is the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia (now General Organa in the Resistance), and used to be a Jedi. Of course Luke Skywalker had been the one training him when he turned, but we don't know exactly what happened yet.

The oldies but the goodies are amazing in the film as well. Of course Han is the only one who has a really big role in the film. Him and Chewbacca are back at it and still the same as always, smuggling people in the galaxy. General Organa (Princess Leia) is in it just a little bit when you finally get to see the Resistance. You learn that Luke has been in hiding because of the turning of Kylo and you don't see him until the last minute of the movie.

Plot:

The plot was good and bad. It was very similar to Episode IV, however, it was just different enough to be able to stand on its own. I really liked how they brought in a storm trooper that didn't want to be bad, it definitely added something different to the films. They also make you sort of believe that Finn is the one with the force powers, and perhaps he might, but Rey is the one with the real force powers, just a scavenger from Jakku. It was definitely interesting how they made Kylo Han and Leia's son. It's like Anakin and Luke, but the opposite. Of course someone of importance had to die, as you see Kylo kill his own father with his lightsaber. This is obviously a very sad moment for Star Wars fans, but it was almost inevitable. 

Theory:

It is almost obvious to me that Rey is Luke Skywalker's daughter. There are countless signs throughout the film. 

1. She was abandoned as a child, which could have been when Luke went off into hiding.

2. Rey also finds Luke's lightsaber at Maz Kanata's and Maz tells her that "it was Luke's and his father's before him and now it calls to you." (This is the one that really convince me.)

3. She is strong with the force with minimal training just as Luke was.

4. The way Han looks at her in some scenes definitely gives a vibe that he knows who she is... he even offers her a job (well he's thinking about it) and would Han usually offer a job to anybody?

This is the only big theory that I feel really strongly about right now.

Overall, this movie was a huge success for me and I think it is amazing. As of now, I have seen it three times in theaters and I'm ready to go back again! My little brother has always refused to watch the other Star Wars movies and now after this one, he wanted to and he's already watched them all. This movie was definitely a success in my eyes and I can't wait for Episode VIII. 

☆☆☆☆☆

See ya real soon!

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

The Good Dinosaur Review

Picture taken at special sneak peak preview at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

NO SPOILERS!

As another Disney Pixar movie hits the theaters, of course my family and I are there to see it. Luckily, I was home for Thanksgiving break, so the whole family got to go. Since it came out the day before Thanksgiving, we had to wait to go until Friday. 

While my family took the annual WDW vacation the week before (with me coming over on the weekends) Disney had a special sneak peak of the movie at Disney's Hollywood Studios in the One Man's Dream theater. We honestly had not heard or seen too much about this particular movie, besides the short little preview we got with the meteor. Once we saw this sneak peak, we were so excited for the movie. The preview was about 10 minutes long and incorporated what seemed to be a lot from the film. We even went back and saw it a second time.

When it came time to actually see The Good Dinosaur, the whole family was pretty excited. We got our sodas and popcorn and were ready for a good movie. As the film started, we were first greeted with the usual short before the actual movie. Can I say DISAPPOINTMENT? After seeing and loving Pixar's short Lava, Sanjay's Super Team did not live up to the normal expectations of a Pixar short. Seeing the shorts before the actual movie is one of our favorite parts and we were definitely upset with the quality of this one. It was a cool and unique idea to involve religion and super heroes, but it was way below par. 

Now time for the movie...

To put it simply, The Good Dinosaur was good, not great. It was just a good movie. It had some hilarious parts which obviously makes a movie better, but it also had some very typical and predictable things happen as well. You could ask anyone in the family, we were all predicting different things that were going to happen and were often right. I really liked this movie, HOWEVER, it did not feel like a Pixar film. Yeah, sure it had some elements that made it a Pixar film, it was just not up to their usual level.

I recommend seeing this movie, it's a good watch. It will make you laugh and cry (both my mom and I did). BUT if you are not huge Disney fans like we are, you may just want to wait until it comes out on DVD. When Inside Out came out, my family saw it twice in theaters. The Good Dinosaur? We won't go back and see it in the theaters.

Thanks for reading my review on The Good Dinosaur. If you go and see it, let me know what you think about it!

See ya real soon!

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney 

Disney Trips Galore!

So you all knew if I was going to be living only an hour away from WDW, I'd be going as much as possible... and I definitely have been! AND I have even more trips coming up!

I'll just talk about my most recent trip with my big, Ally, for now though! We went on Friday, the 6th. We started out going to Disney's Animal Kingdom because I hadn't been there at all since moving down here! We had fastpasses for Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, and the Kilimanjaro Safari. We also saw the Festival of the Lion King because it is definitely the best show on Disney property (if you go, WATCH IT). We hardly had any waits for anything there, it wasn't too busy at all, which was good. 

Then we got to Magic Kingdom...

Magic Kingdom was gorgeous with all of it's Christmas decorations up! It's been so long since I've seen them so I was beyond excited to see the tree and all the red and green. Ally and I even had to buy the Minnie Mouse Christmas ears! They're too cute to pass up. I also got a Mickey ugly Christmas sweater and I have to say... it was one of the best purchases I've made in awhile! 

As soon as we got to MK, we headed to a fastpass plus kiosk to make a fastpass! We got lucky and made one for the Haunted Mansion, one of my favorites that never gets old. We both agreed that we love riding that one over and over again because every time we do, we spot something new! There's so much jam packed into that attraction, it's crazy! 

After that, we watched the Dream Along With Mickey stage show because I hadn't actually watched the whole thing all the way through in such a long time. It's pretty cute and you get to see some unique characters (I won't say who though).

THEN we got to watch Elsa light up Cinderella's Castle! It was definitely amazing to see. Frozen is getting a little overdone, but this was actually pretty awesome the way they do it. It was a gorgeous sight to see! (My video of Elsa lighting it up is on my Facebook page if you want to watch it).

I still can't get over how absolutely beautiful the castle looks when it's all lit up. I haven't seen it like this in years and I can't wait to see it all over again!

A little bit after that, I finally got to meet my G-big! For those of you who don't know what that means, that's my "Grand-big" (my big's big). Her name is Kristen and she is actually doing the Disney College Program this semester! I'm incredibly jealous of her right now because as most of you do know, that's one of my dreams for my college years. She got off a little early that night, so she decided to meet up with us! We rode some rides including Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Haunted Mansion (again), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Pirates of the Caribbean! Then we of course had to take some pictures in front of the castle!

It was definitely a pretty successful day! I'm going back again with a couple friends on Tuesday to Hollywood Studios. And on Thursday, MY FAMILY WILL BE HERE! YAY! I'm driving down to Orlando so I can spend the entire weekend with them at Disney! I'm so excited to see everyone, I can't wait any longer! 

That's all for now though, I'll post again after the family trip!

See ya real soon! 

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

Disney Digital Arts - Part 2

As most of you probably know by now.. I'm a digital arts major! I'm hoping to one day become an animator for the Walt Disney Studios or even Pixar Studios! I would be perfectly content with either one. Disney and art are two of my favorite things, so I really wanted to combine these two things into my career, (hopefully.) Most of these weren't projects for class, just for some fun! Feedback is always welcome! :)

Jack Skellington - The Nightmare Before Christmas

Grumpy - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Mike Wasowski (by request from my mom) - Monsters University

Bing Bong - Inside Out

Sadness and Anger (by request from Spargo) - Inside Out
Also made in the perfect wallpaper size for your phone, let me know if you want the file! 

Disgust (because she's my favorite) - Inside Out

Like I said, feedback is always welcome! I'd love to hear it! 

See ya real soon!

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

College

As promised, here's a little update on my life in college. Not totally Disney related, but I feel it necessary for all of those family and friends back home in Missouri! 

(Don't worry, some Disney will pop up in here)

So as a lot of you were surprised to find out... MARIAH WENT THROUGH RECRUITMENT AND JOINED A SORORITY. I'm just as surprised as everyone else. I never thought I would end up joining a sorority, but now I'm so glad I did. Not only did I meet so many girls just going through the recruitment process, but I gained so many new sisters when the process was over. On Bid Day, I received a bid from Alpha Chi Omega and I couldn't have been happier! I really feel like I fit in with all of these girls so well! We haven't got to do much yet, but soon enough! We'll be initiated on October 25th and I can't wait!

Not only am I involved in AXO, but I am also a part of the recreation committee for Student Productions. We basically plan off campus trips for the study body, it's a lot of fun! In November, there will actually be a trip to Cirque du Soleil in Downtown Disney (now called Disney Springs) and I will HAVE to go because I've always wanted to. We also get even more discounted tickets being on the committee, so that's pretty awesome too! 

My classes are pretty fun too! I'm absolutely loving my digital arts class if you haven't noticed yet! 

I'm also taking an intermediate tap class and an intermediate jazz class which are SUPER fun! They're a little challenging, but challenge is good! We've done a lot of things I've never done before so I really feel like I'm broadening my horizons and learning so much!

Intro to criminology is really interesting, I'm enjoying that class and of course my chemistry class is just awful, I can not stand chemistry. But rather get it done now than later! 

If you haven't seen either, I've also been to Disney twice since I've moved in (I wish more). I went to Epcot the first trip and Magic Kingdom the second trip and they were of course fun as always! I plan on going back soon so that I can go to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios too! 

Some of you may have also seen that I came home a couple weeks ago to surprise my mom for her birthday! That was probably one of my favorite things I've ever done in all honesty. If you saw the video of me surprising her, you would have seen that she had absolutely no idea and was completely shocked! Shoutout to dad for helping me with this. Little did I know when I came home though, it was also homecoming weekend! I was so excited because then that meant all my friends would be home too and I could see them! So Friday I got to go to the homecoming game and see everyone! Congrats to Rachel for homecoming queen, you deserve it! This was definitely a much needed weekend! I'm having a blast down here in Florida, but of course I get homesick too!

The next weekend I got to go on a retreat for my sorority called Relevant and that was a lot of fun too! I met a lot of people from other fraternities and sororities that I didn't know beforehand. I also learned a lot about the Multicultural Greek Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Councils and that was pretty awesome too! I had a great time.

All in all, I'm having a FANTASTIC time down here at Utampa! It's offering some great opportunities and I can't wait to see what else this school has in store for me! 

More Disney to come soon. :)

See ya real soon!

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

Before Move In Day

Hey everyone!

It's clearly been awhile since I've posted anything but I have been crazy busy with COLLEGE.

College in Florida is fantastic and all that I could hope for. I'm adjusting really well I think and I'm loving it here. I mean I'm in Florida and only an hour away from Disney. Doesn't get much better really! 

When my mom and I finally made it down here, we stayed at Disney's Art of Animation Resort before move in day in a Little Mermaid room. It was SO cute!

 I mean look at these pictures... adorable.

We also got to enjoy California Grill, Ohana, and Whispering Canyon while we were there over the weekend! YUM.

 These were our meals at California Grill, always good.

We also enjoyed our resort while we were there too! Art of Animation is a gorgeous resort and I definitely recommend staying there! 

 It was definitely a fun and needed weekend before I moved in at UT. I'm loving everything here at school, but I of course miss my mama every day SO MUCH! 

(I miss everyone else too)

Another post to come soon with all that's been happening here with me at Utampa!

See ya real soon! 

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

Pet Peeves

Here's my rant about pet peeves of mine. You may agree or disagree, I don't care!


When people say...


1. It's for just kids
2. There are no good/fun rides
3. It's too expensive
4. All the food is like cafeteria food
5. It's just another amusement park
6. It's boring


...they are wrong. About all of those things. Need me to elaborate?


1. It is most definitely not just for kids. I'm 18 and love to go. My mom loves to go. My grandparents love to go. WDW is for all ages. There is always something for everyone! If you at least try to appreciate the work and the dedication in all of the places, you will see that. Even if the parks aren't really your thing. There is PLENTY more to do. There are spas, you can eat fancy dinners, chill at the pools, learn how to surf, go parasailing, the options are endless!


2. There are SO MANY good/fun rides. There are a few thrilling rides that are extremely fun and even the rides that may not be as thrilling have some incredible story lines and details worked into the attraction. As said, if you appreciate every little thing and look at every little thing, it makes it much more enjoyable.


3. It is definitely not too expensive. People are always asking my family how we can afford to go every year. Well it's simple, we don't go during the summer and we don't go at any of the other peak times. We usually go in September when it is not very busy at all, so hotel prices are a little lower. And we ALWAYS go during free dining. Yes, FREE. Our food is free when we go. We may have to miss some school, but why take a trip in the summer when it is HOT, busy, and you have to pay for your food? Mom is also constantly checking plane tickets to make sure we get the cheapest ones. So no, taking a trip to WDW is definitely not too expensive.


4. NONE and I repeat, NONE of the food is like cafeteria food, even in the cafes. You saw my post about my top restaurants (and if you didn't go read it). There are endless amounts of options for food at WDW and they are all good.


5. This one is probably my biggest pet peeve. WDW is not an amusement park, at all in my opinion. It is a theme park and a world-wide vacation location. You're not going to take a "vacation" to Six Flags. It is NOTHING like that. Research has shown that even if someone stayed on WDW property for one whole year, they still would not have seen or done all of the things WDW has to offer. There are four theme parks, two water parks, a huge shopping area, and so much more!


6. And finally, WDW boring? How can anything Disney related be boring? The answer is simple... it can't. There is ALWAYS something fun to do no matter where you're staying, what park you're going to, where you're eating, there is always something to do. You can never be bored! Again, as I said, one could not get everything they have done in one whole year, so how could it ever get boring?


That's my little rant for today. Trust me, I have plenty more where that came from, so just you wait.


See ya real soon!


"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

Mini Vacation

As I have mentioned and a lot of you know, I will be leaving Missouri here in just a short couple weeks. Mom and I will be starting the long drive on the 21st and arrive on the 22nd. Now I don't move in until the 24th, so where other to spend those few days than Walt Disney World?

Yep, we decided we will be staying on Disney property the nights of the 22nd and 23rd! I couldn't be more excited because we're staying in a Little Mermaid room at the Art of Animation Resort! If you remember, she is my favorite. If you haven't seen pictures of these amazing rooms, LOOK. THEM. UP. They're totally awesome and I couldn't be more excited to finally get to stay there!

Now of course we had to make some dinner reservations for while we're there as well. When we arrive on the 22nd, we have dinner reservations for California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort. For the 23rd, my mom just snagged a reservation for Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Resort today! She's got skills. And luck. (read my restaurants post for more about those places.)

Since I don't move in until Monday the 24th, we're going to spend the day at Disney on Sunday! We'll probably sleep in and relax a bit. Grab some lunch at the resort cafe. Put on our suits and tan (burn) a bit at the resort pool. Then we plan on doing a bit of shopping at Downtown Disney. What is a trip without shopping at the biggest Disney store in the world? It's a must. After we're done spending all of our money, then we'll start resort hopping! I'm super excited to see some of the resorts because we never really get a chance to do this unless we're actually staying there. And let's be real, we stay at the cheapest places, not the most gorgeous places. I'm looking forward to being able to actually look around some of these amazing resorts! Finally, to top the day off, we'll enjoy an incredible dinner at Ohana. The best of the best, in my opinion. No better way to end a mini vacation.

The next morning we will then start our journey to Tampa to get me all moved in. I can't wait!!!

See ya real soon!

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

Sanaa Review

I'm going to do a few restaurant reviews that are a little more specific every now and then as well. I'm going to start with Sanaa today!

The service there is incredible. On my senior trip, it was just my cousin and I and we were too young to rent a car so we had to use the Disney bus transportation (which sucked). So with doing this we had arrived at Sanaa a whole hour before our scheduled reservation time. We told the hostesses about our situation and we got seated in less than 15 minutes! It was fabulous. 

However, one downfall was that it was absolutely FREEZING in there. It was insane. The first time my family went there our waiter even had to bring us blankets. So definitely make sure to bring your jackets!

Now time for the food!

I already talked a little bit about the the naan bread and the dips. Starting at the top of the dips, they started out mild and got hotter as they went. Some were good, some weren't... just depends on what you like! Honestly, I could have just ate the bread without any of the dips at all and would have been content. But for me, this was definitely the best part of the meal. 

So I'm not 100% on what I got for my entree, but it was pretty good. I think it might have been some type of fish? I don't know, but it was pretty good! 

This is the Tandoori Chicken that Ben got. He didn't like it all that much, but he is a very picky eater and doesn't like "sauces" on his food. Yeah he's weird.

Time for dessert! I got the Dessert Trio with Tanzanian Chocolate Mousse, Banana Cheesecake, and Raspberry Sorbet! This was very delicious. I really love sorbet so that was gone quick. As was the mousse. The cheesecake was alright, just didn't really care for the banana flavoring. 

Overall, it was good. I personally would probably only go back for the bread service, it's definitely a must! Recommend.

See ya real soon!

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

Disney Digital Arts - Part 1

As I've stated before, my dream is to work for Walt Disney Studios as an animator, so naturally I have a lot of art that is Disney themed. Senior year, I took a graphic arts class to help prepare myself a little bit better. These are some of many projects that I did throughout the school year. 

Feedback is always welcome. :)

A Bug's Life theme 

Disney princesses and their castles, along with myself ;)

Disney villains (my personal favorite)

Up quote

Dug and his cone of shame

These are just a few of my pieces and as I said, feedback is definitely appreciated! If there are any certain characters, movies, or themes you'd like to see in the future please leave a comment and I'll try to get to them at some point.

See ya real soon!

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

Top 8 Must Eat Restaurants

WDW is full of great restaurants to eat at, but there are a few that are my personal favorites. I considered: taste, atmosphere, and service when making my list. These are the best restaurants on the WDW property, in my opinion. You must eat a these places if you are ever visiting Walt Disney World!

8. 50's Prime Time Cafe

This restaurant is a little different. With the theme set in the 50s, everyone in the restaurant is your aunt, uncle, or cousin. On my senior trip our waiter was our cousin. Some people don't like it because of the waiters, but it's the best part. You have to have manners and you have to clean your plate... and wait until you try their peanut butter and jelly milkshake! This one is more for the atmosphere than the taste of food.

Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn

Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake :)

7. Sanaa

In my opinion, the entrees at Sanaa were alright. Good, but not great. What was great was the naan bread and dips! Pictured below, you'll see the bread along with 9 delicious dips. Starting from the top right dip and going down the line, they get more and more spicy and it is delicious. This restaurant is one I would recommend to go to for a quick lunch to get this awesome appetizer. The service is great there as well and you can even enjoy a nice view of some wildlife from the Animal Kingdom Lodge Reserve! 

Naan Bread and Dips

6. Be Our Guest Restaurant

This is another place I would say is more for the atmosphere. While we have not been there for dinner before, we have been for lunch. The food is alright, nothing I would necessarily choose to eat (except for the desserts) but we try to go there every time because the theme is incredible. You can visit the ballroom, the library, or even the forbidden west wing while you enjoy your meal. It's beautiful and it's definitely something worth seeing at least once. 

Ballroom 

The "Grey Stuff" on the left

5. Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant

The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is ALWAYS a must for our family! With its scrumptious food and its awesome seating, we love to go here. As you sit and eat your food in your tables shaped like cars, you can enjoy some old cartoons and commercials from the past. It's definitely a fun experience to have, especially with little kids because they always think it is cool to be eating lunch in a car, at least we always did.

Shrimp Pasta

4. Coral Reef Restaurant

If you like seafood, then this is definitely your place! This is the best place for fish, shrimp, crab, whatever you can think of. It has a killer view of a huge aquarium that takes up one entire wall of the restaurant. The first year we went here we thought it was okay. Then when the next year came around Harrison insisted on going and our opinions totally changed and now we love it and go back every trip!

3. Via Napoli

Everyone loves pizza (and if you don't, then you're weird) and this is THE BEST place to get pizza. Having two brothers who would eat pizza for lunch and dinner every single day, we had to try this place out and now we go back every time. I always get the four cheese pizza and I try to eat it slow to make it last. I mean look at the picture, it just looks amazing.

Four Cheese Pizza

2. California Grill

California Grill. Definitely the restaurant with the best view on Disney property. You can enjoy a delicious meal while being able to look at the Magic Kingdom. They even have a viewing area if you time your reservation and get to be there during Wishes (the fireworks show). The food is amazing and it's a very nice restaurant. Probably not a place for small children. If you're lucky enough to get a reservation here, DON'T let it go! You will regret it. 

Sushi

Some type of fish...

1. Ohana

This is a place I do not even know how to describe or where to start. Everything about this restaurant is amazing. With a Hawaiian feel and another killer view of the Magic Kingdom, this is one you absolutely have to go to. And if I find out you went on a Disney trip and didn't eat here... uh oh. They grill the food right there in front of you. They start you out with some salad and buffalo chicken wings, then they serve you some noodles, and then it's time for the meat. There is shrimp, pork, and steak. It's INCREDIBLE. Ohana is a restaurant I would recommend to anyone. And did I mention it's all you can eat?

Wings, Noodles, Pork, and Shrimp

As you can see, WDW is full of some amazing places to eat. There are so many more that you can go to and there are many more that I like to! These are my personal favorites and the ones I think everyone must eat at on a WDW trip. 

See ya real soon!

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney