YARGHBRAINGOBOOM.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMSPLODEY*

...lots of stuff on my mind at the moment...

First thing I wanna talk about is all the fun stuff!
So, back on Thanksgiving Day, I got to head down to Walt Disney Studios and catch a screening of Disney's newest animated movie "The Princess and the Frog". SO MUCH AWESOME!! It was everything I expected it to be and more. So yeah, totally fell in love with it. :) I shall be seeing it again this upcoming Sunday at Downtown Disney with a bunch of good friends, so i'm excited for that as well!
Now uh, back to going off about the amazingness of Walt Disney Studios. There was so much stuff I saw there...so many things I never thought i'd ever have the chance of getting to see. I got to BE in the building where the Mark Twain at Disneyland was BUILT and where movies like Mary Poppins and the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and shows like the Mickey Mouse Club were FILMED. I saw the Disney Water Tower, which was even MORE exciting than seeing the one over at Hollywood Studios at WDW. XD


The theatre itself was beautiful, I wish I could've taken pics inside, but we weren't allowed to bring cameras inside. It was similar to El Capitan, and the curtains had a green glow, which is totally necessary for the movie. ;)
Here's a pic I got of the exterior...

After the movie, we were led to Stage 3. We were led there for 'The Ultimate Disney Experience". There, I got to see all of the Disney princess', a real Disney animator showing how to draw characters of the film (I got to draw Tiana in frog form), games and a play area for kids, and tons of costumes used in films and other totally awesome stuff!

They had Snow White, Mulan, Aurora, Ariel (with fins!), Pocahontas, Jasmine, Cinderella, Belle, and of course, Tiana.

Yessss, that costume above was worn by Julie Andrews in "The Princess Diaries 2". While I wasn't a fan of the Princess Diaries movies, I AM a fan of Julie. :) They had the costume worn by Prince Edward in "Enchanted" (another movie i wasn't too big on, but it had its moments XP), Cruella's big epic red dress from "102 Dalmations" (wasn't a fan of that movie either...geez, it sounds like I don't like anything! XD). It was interesting to see the costumes up close though.
Here, they had some vintage Disney collectibles...

And some- GAH, IT'S TIME FOR THE STUDIO TOUR!!!
This is where it gets really exciting. First thing I learned? The building I was just in? "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was filmed in there, including that epic giant squid scene. Yeah. It wasn't even 5 minutes into the tour and I was already exploding from excitement. I got to see THE BUILDING where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was CREATED. Our tour guide then took us over by the theatre again (we saw Mickey Mouse on the way there). Across the theatre was this magical place...

ANIMATION.
Hard to see? Here's a pic I found on google of it during the day.

What happened next?
We go inside.

(picture also not mine...but I WAS THERE)
I got to see several pieces of artwork from Disney films, plus Frank and Ollie's offices!

Once we reached the end of the hallway, I was already drowning from excitement. We exited the building, went outside...that was it...my brain pretty much exploded from what I saw next.


I was dead at this point.


It was one of the most exciting moments in my life...
Plus, the ORIGINAL Partners Statue (Walt and Mickey, as seen in the hub of Disney Parks) was right across from this.
Our next adventure lead us to the Frank G. Wells Building. Inside, we got to see several kinds of vintage Disney merchandise, costumes used in differnt films (including a hat worn by Julie Andrews when she filmed Mary Poppins and an original Mouseketeer hat). THIS got me really excited...

Not the guy.
But behind him, the original Multiplane Camera!!!
Once we left the building, we made our way back to Stage 3. On the way, I saw Walt Disney's original offices, the Inking and Painting building, and then...our tour guide left us with one last bit of info.
There was a building, with Toy Story 3 posters plastered along the outside. I thought, "Ok cool, I can't wait to see that movie!". I didn't even think of what was inside the building they were on. THE FREAKIN' DISNEY VAULT.
Oh, how I would give anything to go in there...but to SEE it was just amazering.
Now back in Stage 3, it was time to finish unfinished business.

Took some more pics of the princess'.

A look at some of Walt Disney's stuffs.
Then it was time to Learn how to be an Animator!

Before we started to draw Tiana as a frog, we were shown some of the original drawings of Dr. Facilier used in the movie!

Our animator was Joe...Jooeee...his last name escapes me at the moment. >.<
I got to talk to him a bit afterwards and he told me how he got started in animation. Plus he signed my drawing of Tiana, which he said was really good. :D
I ended this fantastic adventure by buying the movie soundtrack (which i listened to nonstop for days...still listening to it XD).
I also got a free lithograph, a mardi gras bead necklace, and of course...THE MEMORY OF BEING THERE!
I don't know when i'll ever get a chance like that. This was the first time the studios was open to the public, and they said they plan on doing it more often. Maybe for Toy Story 3 perhaps? Eh? Hmm? :)
After my amazing adventure, I got something to eat at Denny's and saw a bunch of Black Friday crowds at the Ontario Mills Mall.
I did my Black Friday shopping online and bought a huge Louis (gator from Princess and the Frog) plush toy. :) He's wonderful and verrry soft.
I was on a Princess and the Frog kick after that, so I did a few drawings. Here's one I did of Louis, which I colored in on Photoshop.

It was my first attempt at drawing him, and I have to say, I think it came out rather well. :)
Lets see...some other adventures...
Ah yes, I got the chance to perform on Tiana's Showboat Jubilee at Disneyland! SO MUCH FUN! It's always been a dream of mine to perform on the Mark Twain *COUGH*FANTASMIC*COUGH*, and I think this was as close as i'll EVER get. Man was it awesome!!
Here's a pic my friend Katie got of me performing.

WOOHOO!!! =)
I got a prettyful bead necklace for performing, and I loves it so.
My Disneyland adventures have been fun as usual, I love the Holiday season. :)
OH.
My school did something awesome for once!
They managed to get Frank Beddor, the author of Looking Glass Wars, to do a presentation at my school! I attended both presentations. XD Got front seats for both too! My friend Craig got pulled up to act out part of the script for the Looking Glass Wars movie that's currently in development. He got a free Hatter Maddigan comic. I even got Frank to sign my first Looking Glass Wars book, which included a stamp that says "Long Live Alyss!". Later that day, a few friends and I went to Barnes and Noble for his book signing. I bought, and he signed, the latest book, "ArchEnemy". I can't wait to start reading it. :D

Also, I got a new camera! It's just like the one I lost, but slightly upgraded. It still looks exactly the same though, and I'll definitely make sure I don't lose this one. :) I had some fun and went outside to take some pictures with my Louis plush toy.

I need to get to bed like...now. I wake up at 7...it's almost 2 AM. x_X
But uh...quickly! Some other news!
Today, I did a bunch of new Princess and the Frog sketches, which i'm hoping to get uploaded soon. I have this one of Dr. Facilier that i'm quite proud of.
I'm also seriously thinking about applying to CalArts. It's just sooo freakin' expensive...plus I won't get to go to Disneyland very often. I'll be right next door to Six Flags though, so I might end up getting a pass for that! :p
I dunno, I know i'm not applying for the Fall semester next year though, I want a year off from school to get my brain functioning again, haha. Aaaand hopefully I can take some summer art classes.
I now leave you with one last event i'm attending. On December 19, i'll be attending a Princess and the Frog Artist panel and book signing for the "Art of the Princess and the Frog" book. It was only $5, plus I live an hour away from the event, so that's a great reason to go!! Already bought my ticket and everything. Speakers for this event include John Musker, Ian Gooding, Lorelay Bove, and Randy Haycock. There will be a panel and presentation from 1:30-3, followed by Q&A, then followed by the book signing! And then the day after i'll be at Disneyland..since it's a Sunday and all. :D THEN CHRISTMAS!! WOO!!
Gah,it's almost 2!! Off to bed now!!
TTFN!