Family Movie Night Featuring: THE LITTLE MERMAID

**17 Days til Disney**

OMG!!

 

I'm right on time; that's a first!! We leave in just over two weeks...that hardly seems possible! I am SO very excited for our vacation. The closer it gets, the more surreal it seems! Our countdown calendar is filling up quite quickly! Isn't it pretty?! My aunt made it for us!

 

 

If you look at the title of my blog, you can clearly see that The Little Mermaid is a favorite of mine...and if you haven't, you can read here why it holds a special place in my heart! Even though this was a VERY quick movie night that didn't even entail watching the movie, I certainly can't let these beautiful decorations go unpublished! We've watched the movie a hundred times but somehow couldn't find it when it was time to watch it tonight. I told Lil we would watch it again before we leave for Disney...in 17 days! Actually 16 now, because we're leaving a day early to stay in a hotel before our morning flight. Anyway...here we go!

 

Under the Sea!!

 

Used some of Lil's Little Mermaid stuff to decorate, too.

Lil has been sick with a nasty virus and is unable to go to daycare for the next week - she should be better by Disney! My parents kept her today while Husband and I worked. They were having a marvelous meal of Hamburger Helper and Lil wanted to stay and eat. Since we didn't have dinner with her tonight, I wanted to have a special dessert. My cousin had given me some cupcakes this weekend from her daughter's birthday party (that, again, Lil was sick and couldn't attend), so I used one to make this Ariel cupcake:

 

 

Super Cute Cupcake!

 

 

Whosits and Whatsits Galore!

 

"King Triton's Trident"

She wanted red for Sebastian!

 

I love The Little Mermaid. I love everything about it and I'm so very glad that Lil does too. I'm anxious to experience the new LM attractions at Disney World...when we go in, oh 17 days. Can you tell I'm pumped!? Because I am...and I hope that if you're on a countdown you are too! We only have a couple movie nights left and I'm not exactly sure what they will be - I need to figure that out soon! Until then...

 

See ya real soon!

-Casey

 

 



Family Movie Night Featuring: TOY STORY

**30 Days til Disney!!**

 

One of the biggest, most popular rides at Disney's Hollywood Studios is Toy Story Mania. There's certainly a lot of hype over Woody and the gang but I've actually never ridden it! I can't wait to give it a try! Along with TSM, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom is also a ride we'll be checking out.

 

I set up our own little Pizza Planet in the kitchen for our Toy Story night.

I simply ordered a pizza on special and did some decorating!

 

Woody & His Gang...pizza and some intergalactic décor!  

 

I made this awesome alien and rocket ship...

I swear Lil can draw better than that Wanted picture!

She LOVED her rocket; she kept spinning around saying, "To infinity, and beyond!"

I actually added red streamers to the bottom to represent the flames...those were cool!

 

Remember on my last post I said that these next few would be short and sweet. Well, this is it! Sorry there's not more!! I've really cut down on the photo taking...been too busy living! I've definitely noticed that the closer we get to our trip, the lesser our movie nights become. It makes me kind of sad, though I do plan on continuing the movie nights on a monthly basis once we get back. You can bet those will be quite the party!!

Next is The Little Mermaid!!

 

See ya real soon!

-Casey

 

Family Movie Night Featuring: DUMBO

**40 Days til Disney!!**

 

These next few posts are going to be short and sweet. I want to get all of our movie nights up before we actually leave and in real life, that's a mere 17 days away! I have some catching up to do!

 

With the new and improved Dumbo attraction at WDW...showing Dumbo during our movie countdown was obvious! I can't wait to see an elephant fly and walk into the big top! To prepare for the evening, I bought some circus snacks and decorations from the Dollar Tree. I already had the popcorn buckets and my boss let me have some balloons! 

 

  

Our Table Set Up

 

 Hotdogs & Peanuts...and you can see my awesome balloon animal back there!

 

I gave Lil 5 tickets that she used for balloons, cotton candy, and to play a carnival game.

She won a prize but to be quite honest, I can't remember what it was - ha!!

 

Yum!

 

Craft Pom Clown!

I had to draw it because my laptop is having issues.

 

I look forward to checking out New Fantasyland and seeing as how the Dumbo ride is one of the most iconic rides at Disney, I imagine having twice the flying elephants must be twice as fun!

We will soon find out...up next, Toy Story and The Little Mermaid!

 

See ya real soon!

-Casey

 



Family Movie Night Featuring: LILO & STITCH

*55 Days til Disney!!*

Eek! It's getting closer!

 

 

Aloha! What a fun movie night to plan and take part in! We have an ADR for 'Ohana before our Epcot day and I'm so very excited about meeting Lilo & Stitch. I've heard such great reviews about the restaurant located inside the Polynesian Resort and decided we just had to try it! Unfortunately, we probably won't be doing Stitch's Great Escape at MK, as Lil is a shorty and won't meet the height requirement for the ride. I'm also slightly concerned the noise and darkness would scare her.

Here's our Lilo & Stitch family movie night!

 

 Table settings...notice the grass (table) skirt!

 

Our menu included Hawaiian Pork & Rolls, Stitch's Salsa & Chips, Jumba Juice,

this awesome fruit tray, Tropical Trail Mix and the Pineapple Delight cake below.

 

 

Sweet move during her hula.

We had Hawaiian Ice like in the movie.

For Dessert: Pineapple Delight cake with Cool Whip frosting.

 

 

I've noticed we haven't been able to do as many activities or crafts as I would like, due to a lack of time, but it's still been quite enjoyable. Tonight we did some hula dancing and as you can see, Lil really had fun with that! We also listened to some Elvis while we ate dinner, since Lilo is such a big fan of "the King". I designed the printable menu and had the tickets ready to print but somehow didn't end up printing them that evening. I'll probably print them later, so I can keep them for our countdown "scrapbook" of sorts. I came in under budget for this night, at just about $8 for decorations. I'm hoping to write up some planning and preparation posts this weekend so check back often! Our next movie night will be, drum roll please...LION KING!!

 

See ya real soon,

-Casey

Family Movie Night Featuring: MULAN

*65 Days til Disney!*

Way less now...I've been busy!

 

 

Geez, it's been over a month since I've posted!! If you remember, I work because Disney doesn't pay for itself. Recently, my schedule has changed so we've been adjusting to my new hours and our countdown is a little off. I've also been unable to find the time to actually update my blog as I've been busy planning for Disney in my spare time.
 

For our next movie night, Lil chose Mulan. It wasn't on my list of movies to help us countdown to our Disney trip but who I am to argue with my Disney loving little girl. It was a nice little lesson of culture that I hope to discuss more as we visit China at Epcot.

 Husband couldn't wait to open a fortune cookie...how true it was, too!

 

Don't mind the garbage bag small table cloth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lil using chopsticks!

My favorite part of the night, dessert!!

Dipped fortune cookies with red sprinkles and swiss roll sushi!

 

Fortunes!



I usually get my movie tickets from here...
but I couldn't find one for Mulan so I made this lovely one myself.

We made Chinese lanterns and ate popcorn out of Chinese takeout boxes!

  

 

 

  Such a fun night! I'm really looking forward to visiting Epcot. There's just so much to do and I know Lil will love meeting all the new people and learning about other cultures. She's such an adventurer!

The next movie night we had was Lilo & Stitch and then Lion King...Stay tuned!

 

See ya real soon!

-Casey

Happy Father's Day!!

 

Happy Father's Day

to all the dads out there!

 

I hope you're enjoying the day and able to do something special for the dad in your life!!

 

See ya real soon,

Casey

For the Disney Daddy

If you're a Disney fan, you've surely noticed the lack of a matriarch in most Disney movies. The bond between the main character, especially the Princesses, and their Dad is undeniable.

 

Who's your favorite Disney Dad? I suppose mine might be Ariel's dad, King Triton. Maybe it's because I simply love the movie...or maybe it's because I see such a similarity to my life. My dad has always been a little over protective of his little girl, never hesitating to step in when he thought I might be getting in over my head.

 

If you're struggling with what to get for the Dad in your life this Father's Day, check out the list of gift ideas I've compiled. Be sure to click the link to see the how-to. I hope this helps!

 

Number 1

 

Last year, my aunt helped me out by printing this awesome vintage-looking Daddyland Coupon Book for Lil to give to her Daddy. I'm not certain he even got the connection to Disney...as I said, my husband is just along for the ride! I, however, loved the Disneyland-inspired gift.

 

Number 2

 

 She also gave me a copy of this coloring printable featuring Mickey Mouse and Pluto. Ours didn't look quite this neat once Lil was done with it, although I did help her out a little bit!

 

Number 3

 

This picture was taken last year on Father's Day. My husband's birthday is just the following week so it worked out perfectly that I could use a picture from our fishing adventure for his gift. Lil painted the plaque, I Mod-Podged the picture on and after it dried I framed it out with twine. We wrote a message on the back and dated it. I can't believe how little she was!

 

 

Number 4

 

How cute are these stache jars featured on artsy-fartsy mama's blog??
Load it up with Dad's favorite candy or even let him use it for a change jar!!

 

Number 5

This notepad is sure to come in handy for Dad. I love the simplicity of this gift! 

 

 

Number 6

 

 It's not the outside, it's the inside that counts!

Decorate this Fold-Out Photo Gallery for Dad to carry and show off to all his friends!

 

Number 7

 

I absolutely love this! But I've tried and tried to find more than just a picture online but haven't had any luck. Appears as though it's from Firehouse Pottery. Whether you do it on paper or a ceramic plate, this is pretty neat. Of course, any variation of a hand/foot print gift is a good one!

 

Number 8

 

 

 We're kind of big Monsters, Inc fans around here. It's such a funny movie and this keychain cracks me up. Get it...Eye'm the man?!?! Love it! We have a laminator at work I might see if I can use for this very project! I'm sure my husband would love to carry such a cool key ring!

Number 9

 

Aren't these so stinkin' cute?! Lil and I made these guys by just gluing eyes onto some decorative rocks and painting a smile on with a red craft pen. I plan on putting each one in a little bag with a label that says, "You Rock, Daddy!" I'll change it up for my dad and grandpa. They were just so simple and adorable. Lil actually wanted to sleep with one last night!

 

Number 10

 

For Mother's Day, Lil had help filling out an "all about mom" questionnaire. I really enjoyed it and look forward to doing one each year. To match the one I received, I decided to print one for us to fill out for my husband. This one found at Kinzie's Kreations was cute and I found a variety of others but had a difficult time downloading them. I decided to create my own; it's not this pretty but it works!

 

 

There are a million and one Father's Day gift ideas floating around online. Just do a quick Google search or spend some time on Pinterest and you're sure to find more. I'm notorious for procrastinating so I enjoy these quick, easy ideas! Hope my list helps!

 

See ya real soon!

Casey 

Family Movie Night Featuring: FINDING NEMO

100 DAYS TIL DISNEY!!

((okay, it's actually a few days less than that now))

 

When deciding how I wanted to countdown to our Disney vacation, I began searching that ever-so-popular site, Pinterest. Can you believe how many ideas are on that thing? I must admit...I'm a Pinning Junkie. Especially with an iPhone, it's so easy to just tap on the app and pin away. A recurring theme I found was Disney Movie Nights. I think this is a unique way to prepare and introduce my daughter to some specific movies that play a big role in the magic of Disney World. Obviously, most of the rides and activities there are fashioned after the wonderful films Disney and Pixar have created. 

 

To kick-off our Family Movie Night Countdown, I chose to feature Finding Nemo. From Finding Nemo the Musical to Turtle Talk with Crush and The Seas with Nemo & Friends...the story of the lost clownfish is quite prevalent at WDW.

 

Below are the ideas that came to life during our first Family Movie Night. As we all know, a trip to Disney is anything but cheap. My plan is to keep all our movie nights under $10.

 

Table Setting

 

I got the blue table cloth and blue plates from Dollar Tree for $1 each and already had the green napkins and orange cups. I can use the leftover plates in the future. The treat bags (which really served no purpose...) were an awesome find at the local Party Supply store that day for 54 cents with tax!!  I discovered the very cool "tickets" on Pinterest but they can be found here. If you look at her blog, you can see that her Nemo movie night served as the main source of inspiration for ours.

 

Menu: Octopus Hotdog, Marlin's Anemone,

Seanut Butter & Jellyfish Sandwiches & Dory's Delightful Dessert

 

Plated Meal

 

I just found a nice sized image on Google and added the menu in Paint. I don't have any fancy editing software so I just do what I can with that. I hung it on our front door and Lil was so excited to see it when we pulled into the drive way. She shouted, "There's something on the door!" I had given her the ticket when I picked her up after work so she knew it was going to be a special night. Dory's Delightful Dessert didn't turn out quite as well as I had planned. I made blue Jell-O with swimming Swedish Fish and a Cool Whip topping. Lil also enjoyed blue Mondo "Ocean Water" as her drink.

Dollar Tree Clownfish Craft

Fish Stickers! 

Fishing

 

Our three activities of the evening were purchased for $1 each, again from the Dollar Tree. I love that place! While I was preparing dinner, I let Lil work on the clownfish craft and do a little fishing. She thought that was so cool as did our kitten - she jumped right in! The clownfish craft also came with a sea turtle and an angel fish (I think??) like the black, white and yellow one Nemo meets in the fish tank at the Dentist office. I thought that was pretty neat...especially for $1. Lil picked out the fishing activity when we were at the store and of course I let her get it...it worked perfectly with our theme! I did splurge a little and purchased the Finding Nemo shirt from Walmart for $5-6. I hadn't intended on spending that additional money but boom there it was so I scooped it up.

Table

 

You'll have to forgive the crappy picture of the table set up and jellyfish. I snapped the photo as I was walking out the door to pick Lil up. I knew by the time I was able to take another picture, it wouldn't look quite as nice so I just took one on my way out. The jellyfish was just made with two of the blue plates and some blue streamers I purchased from Dollar Tree as well. I can use them again for future movie nights too.

 

If you're keeping track, that was about $13 spent plus the cost of food which wasn't very much. I would have come in well under my $10 goal had I not picked up that shirt but I couldn't help myself. You don't see many Finding Nemo items anymore and it was still pretty inexpensive. Lil said she had a lot of fun and she's already asking when our next movie night will be. I'm glad she enjoyed herself even though she only watched about 10 minutes of the movie that night because she wanted to watch Dumbo instead (lol). She did pretty much finish it the next morning though.

 

The planning is already underway for the second Family Movie Night. No countdown to Disney would be complete without Cinderella! I hope to write a none-countdown post between now and then though...perhaps one with a little Disney family history...mine, not Walt's! Thanks again for visiting!

 

See ya real soon!

Casey 

Part of My World

Welcome to my blog! I'm glad you found your way here. I've been debating for quite some time whether or not to start this. There are so many successful, informative blogs out there with a variety of Disney material but I decided I needed an outlet for myself. I'm guessing that my hundreds of "friends" on Facebook are probably not as excited for all things Disney as I am so what better way to express my love than to create a blog about my family and all of our magical Disney moments.

I chose the name "Up Where They Walk" because my all-time favorite Disney film is The Little Mermaid. It came out just a few years after I was born and has remained a beloved movie ever since. I was so excited to introduce my daughter to Ariel, Sebastian, and even Ursula. It is almost humorous to me to watch Lil reenact the very scenes I loved to perform when I was her age!

In just 100 short days, we will be making the first of many family trips to Walt Disney World and I couldn't be more thrilled!! Although it won't be my first trip, experiencing it through the eyes of my little girl will make it just as magical! When I was four, I visited Disneyland with my mother and aunts. I've been hooked ever since. I first experienced Walt Disney World when I was 12, with my parents and brother. It was a one day event, seeing Magic Kingdom only and I don't really recall it being all that amazing. However, I was given an opportunity to go at little cost when a friend invited me to go with her family sophomore year of college. We had a week long stay at Caribbean Beach Resort and this is when I really fell in love with the magic. My now-husband and I then stayed off site the next year. That's been four years ago...so I'm definitely ready to go again!

As I said, we're 100 days out from our trip so I'll be sharing a variety of Disney countdowns as we prepare for vacation. We're starting with a family movie night countdown. Every ten days or so we'll be watching a Disney movie with dinner and activities matching the theme. Come back soon to see all the fun from our first family movie night featuring Finding Nemo.

Thanks for visiting!


Casey