This month, I’m writing a series titled 31 Days of Disney! In this part of the series, I’m reviewing past Disney trips and lessons learned along the way. Today’s post is a review of our first trip to Disney World as a married couple. If you’re considering honeymooning at Disney, love Disney or just want an entertaining read, this one’s for you!

Quick Summary of our 1999 Trip to Disney World

We got married in June 1998 and promptly made a big move from Minnesota to Indiana for work and graduate school. So it wasn’t really a great time to embark on a traditional post-wedding honeymoon. After we got into our new apartment in Indiana, we headed straight for Louisville, Kentucky, for a couple nights away. Louisville was nice, but as you might imagine, wasn’t very “honeymoonish.” Nine months later, in March 1999, we decided to take a second go at a honeymoon and booked our first trip to Disney World as a married couple!

Someone generously gifted us their time share for the week, so we stayed off property at a beautiful resort. While we were at Walt Disney World, we visited the Magic Kingdom, Disney MGM Studios (now known as Hollywood Studios), Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. We also spent quite a bit of time at Downtown Disney, including a night at Cirque du Soleil’s show La Nouba, permanently located in the heart of Downtown Disney.

We had a great time, including lots of relaxation back at our two-bedroom time share suite, which I can see now was entirely too big and grand for two newlyweds. It’s safe to say we had no idea how good we had it! No kids. A huge suite to ourselves, generously gifted to us by someone else. And a whole week at Disney World? Sweet!

(My apologies for the off-color photos. 1999 was so long ago, we were still photographing with film then, so I had to take pictures of pictures for this post!)

Lessons Learned From Honeymooners

Lesson 1: Take lots of pictures of each other when you’re at Disney!

We have 44 photographs of our week-long Disney World honeymoon in 1999. Only 5 of those photos are of the two of us together. Let’s be real. When you’re traveling as honeymooners (or as a couple) you’re not going to have a lot of photos of the two of you together unless you’re totally into selfies, have a selfie stick, or are willing to ask people to take your picture all the time. Here’s the thing. It doesn’t really matter. Definitely make sure you get some awesome pictures of you as a couple. But go wild taking pictures of each other, too! Just make sure you get a diverse sampling of photos with characters and Disney-themed backgrounds. They’re fun to look through, and many years from now will remind you of simpler days when it was just the two of you! Those photos will remind you how thin you were, how overweight you were, how silly you dressed, how much fun you had, and how in love you were (and are) with your spouse. It doesn’t really matter if you’re photographed together or alone, just be sure to take pictures. They’ll bring back great memories someday.

Lesson 2: Stay up and do all the late-night adult activities you can!

As I mentioned earlier, we took full advantage of Downtown Disney as honeymooners. If you’re traveling to Disney as honeymooners (or as a couple, just the two of you), I highly recommend late nights at Downtown Disney. There are a LOT of things to do, including fabulous restaurants, bars, clubs, movies, shopping and entertainment such as Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba. We’ve been to Disney World several times since our honeymoon, but we’ve never been able to take advantage of Downtown Disney the way we did when we were honeymooners with no kids. While we’re talking Disney night life, I also definitely recommend taking advantage of Disney’s late-night Extra Magic Hours. Extra Magic Hours are select dates where Disney parks are open extra early and extra late for guests’ extended enjoyment. As honeymooners, you have the distinct opportunity to take Disney up on their offer. Research which parks have late Extra Magic Hours the week you’re there, and go all out! Stay up late! Enjoy yourselves! Have fun! Disney is just as awesome late night as it is during the daytime.

Lesson 3: Raise your hands when they ask for honeymooner volunteers!

There are a few live shows at Walt Disney World that recruit volunteers to participate! One of those shows is “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular” at Hollywood Studios. Guaranteed. They’ll ask for a whole host of volunteers, including a honeymooning couple. This is your chance. This is your big break. Whether you like it or not, you could be in a live show at Disney World. I’m not sure whose idea it was for us to volunteer (probably my husband’s since he’s the extroverted performer), but we did and found ourselves dressed like this in front of a crowd of several hundred Disney guests. We became part of the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. It was certainly out of my box, but definitely fun and a great memory and photo op, of course! So if you’re honeymooning anywhere Disney? Listen up, friends! Listen for cast members’ calls for honeymooner volunteers. You might have this one chance to be in a stunt show, or maybe you’ll get some other cool Disney perks you never would have received otherwise. Disney loves honeymooners!

 

 

 

This post is part of a month-long series titled 31 Days of Disney! If you’d like to read more posts from the series, click here and you’ll be directed back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series are linked within the body of that post. Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I also placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page where all 31 posts are listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days, and I’d LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson. You can also find me on Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson, and I might even do a few scopes live from Disney World, so follow me on Periscope at @AmyBPederson to see if I get brave!

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.

There are probably 100 great reasons to bring your family to Disney parks! Today, I’m covering my top 10. Let’s get to it!

Reason #1: Disney is Great for Kids and Adults Alike

If you’ve never been to Disney, you might be inclined to think it’s just for kids. Totally not true! A trip to Disney is incredibly fun for both kids and adults. Rides and attractions are specially designed to meet the needs of people across the lifespan. Feeling adventurous? Check out the “Rock “n” Roller Coaster” at Hollywood Studios. Traveling with a bunch of tinies? Check out Magic Kingdom’s “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” ride. Young (or old) and wild at heart? Spend late nights at Downtown Disney. Traveling with grandkids and need to grab a little down time? Take the “Kilamanjaro Safari” at Animal Kingdom or a leisurely stroll through Epcot. Something will strike your fancy whether you’re 2 or 82. It’s all good!

Reason #2: You WILL Experience the Magic of Disney

If you’ve ever been to a Disney park, you’ll notice immediately that Disney cast members bid you farewell with “Have a Magical Day!” Maybe some people get annoyed by that and think it’s all a bit too much, that it’s way too cheesy. Not me! Here’s the thing. Disney magic is real. When you’re at a Disney park you WILL experience the magic in one way, shape or form. I promise. Here’s one example of many. During our 2013 trip to Disneyland, there were a bunch of princesses dancing alongside a princess float. I don’t know why, but for some reason they intrigued me and drew me in. They were beautiful, graceful and magical! I took as many princess pictures as I could, and video as well. The kids were tired, so my husband took them back to the room for rest and swimming. I stayed and had some “mama time” at Disney. What did I choose to do? I followed those princesses straight down the parade route. They’d captured my attention so intensely that I wanted to see the magic all the way through. Sound crazy? Okay. Maybe. But when you’re at Disney, seemingly ordinary things turn magical in a flash. Be prepared. The magic is bound to happen and beautiful every time.

Reason #3: Customer Service is Phenomenal

Disney’s customer service is incredible. Exceeds expectations every time. So let me tell you a little story to prove my point. Two days ago, I made a call to Disney as I was having trouble booking Fast Passes for three days of our upcoming trip. If you stay on Disney property, you can reserve Fast Passes for rides and attractions up to two months in advance of your trip. Fast Passes allow you to skip through to the front of the line! You’re allowed up to three Fast Passes per person, per day. My issues with those three days of Fast Passes are complex to explain, but basically, on three days, the system wasn’t allowing me to split up our family’s Fast Passes. (I’m not bringing our three year old on a ginormous roller coaster!) So I gave Disney a call to see if they could help me resolve the issue. Day 1? They searched and searched and couldn’t figure it out. We moved onto Day 2. Fixed with new Fast Passes! Day 3? Fixed with new Fast Passes! The Disney cast member put me on hold so she could speak with her supervisor. When she returned, she told me they still couldn’t figure out what was wrong with that first Fast Pass, so they issued me and my three-year-old daughter one Fast Pass each good for any one ride of our choosing at any time throughout that day! If you’ve been to Disney World, you know that’s gold. This is Disney customer service. Meeting and exceeding expectations without fail.

Reason #4: Disney Parades are World Class

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Disney parades. Any and all of them. Anyplace. Anytime. They’re all great. When you go to Disney parks, you’re sure to see the most awesome parades you’ve ever seen. They make me tear up every time. Okay. I’m an emotional, sentimental sap. But still. They’re amazing. ALL the characters. ALL the music. ALL the Disney love?! Who wouldn’t love it. If you think…maybe we’ll skip the parade today? NOT a good idea. Never skip the parade. They’re awesome. The best. That’s all I have to say.

Reason #5: You Can Wear Mickey Ears All Day and Nobody Thinks Twice

Have you ever wanted to wear Mickey ears? All day? Every day? Then get yourself right on over to a Disney park. People wear Mickey ears all over the place. I’m talking EVERY. WHERE. YOU. TURN. there are Mickey ears. You don’t look dumb and you won’t look dumb and you won’t feel dumb. Just wear the ears, okay?! You can’t do Disney without the ears.

Reason #6: You Get to Meet All the Disney Characters

One of the most awesome things about visiting a Disney park is that you get to see and meet SO many Disney characters! They pull out all the stops. Whether it’s at a random meet and greet, special character greetings at a designated location, or as part of a character dining experience, ALL the Disney characters make an appearance somewhere or another. Mickey & Minnie. Donald & Daisy. Beauty & The Beast. Elsa & Anna. Chip & Dale. Ariel & Prince Erik. They’re all there. And many, many more! The photo opportunities are gold. Kids love the characters, and I promise you will, too.

Reason #7: You Will Have Fun

I guarantee. You WILL have fun on a Disney vacation. No matter what your age. No matter what your mindset coming into the trip. No matter if you’re an introvert or an extrovert. No matter if you’re a huge Disney fan or not so much. You’ll love it and you’ll have a blast! There’s fun around every corner at Disney parks. It’s simple fun. Beautiful fun. Classic fun. Fun memories to last a lifetime.

Reason #8: Disney Parks are Beautiful

Disney parks are stunningly beautiful. The grounds are immaculately clean and well kept. Between the rides, the attractions, the characters, the stores and Main Street buildings, the flowers, trees and beautiful landscapes, there’s a visual delight waiting around every corner. I’m incredibly visual and Disney pleases my senses without fail. If you wanted to do nothing but walk around and simply take in the beautiful sights, that would be worth the trip in itself. This doesn’t even begin to describe Disney’s lovely resorts, also incredibly well kept and a visual delight for guests of all ages. Want to step inside a beautiful world like no other? Bring your family to Disney.

Reason #9: You Get to Ride the Tea Cups! 

Who could resist a ride on the tea cups? They’re awesome. Classic. A must see, must do on any trip to Disney! I’ve seen the tea cups knocked off at non-Disney amusement parks and carnivals. Friends, they’re just not the same as the REAL Disney tea cups! Are y’all with me? Disney tea cups are part of the grand Disney experience. Spin slow. Spin fast. Let the cup take the lead. Whatever floats your boat. There are so many incredible rides at Disney it’s crazy. The tea cups are one of those classics you simply cannot miss, most definitely part of the memory making for a lifetime!

Reason #10: Everyone Should Experience Disney at Least Once in Their Lifetime 

Disney is amazing. That’s all there is to it. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit a Disney park, I highly recommend making the trip at least once in your life. There’s nothing like it. Nothing. That’s why we go back time and time again. So bring your spouse. Bring your kids. Bring your grandkids. Bring your parents, your cousins and your friends. Bring your whole family. It’s a blast. It’s magical. It’s totally worth the trip.

 

 

 

This post is part of a month-long series titled 31 Days of Disney! If you’d like to read more posts from the series, click here and you’ll be directed back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series are linked within the body of that post. Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I also placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page where all 31 posts are listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days, and I’d LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson. You can also find me on Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson, and I might even do a few scopes live from Disney World, so follow me on Periscope at @AmyBPederson to see if I get brave!

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.

Well, friends! It’s October 1st, which means it’s time for the annual 31 Days writing challenge! Every October, more than a thousand writers choose a unique topic and write about it for 31 days straight. Yes, this is a crazy challenge. Most definitely NOT for the faint of heart. But we do it anyway. Because we love writing. We’re passionate. We have something to say, something to share. We’re inviting you into ALL the love, ALL the crazy, ALL the wild and free fun and tears. We want our writing to inspire you, change you, move you, entertain you, and bring delight to your days.

I participated in the 31 Days writing challenge for the first time in 2013. My series was titled Letters to the Unthanked. I absolutely LOVED the series and still do. Basically, I went back through my life, put together a list of people I hadn’t thanked properly, and wrote heartfelt thank you letters to each one. The series was enjoyable and surprisingly therapeutic to write. Readers responded incredibly well to the letters. In fact, many of the letters continue to rank among the most read posts on my site. I’d do the series again in a heartbeat. LOVE.

In 2014, I participated in 31 Days with a series titled 31 Dreams from the Street. I approached and briefly interviewed strangers on the street, asking them one question. “If you didn’t have to worry about money, what would you do with your life?” The series was fascinating, and there was definitely something for me to learn on the journey. But to be honest, it was incredibly challenging to continually put myself out there in the faces of strangers. I experienced plenty of rejection. It required a lot of hard leg work. When all was said and done, I didn’t end up loving the series and was pretty sure I WASN’T going to participate in 31 Days in 2015.

But you talked me out of that idea.

In my 2014 reader survey at the end of November 2014, all but ONE of you indicated YES, you thought I should write another 31 Days series in 2015.

I let that sink in a bit. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to do this 31 Days thing again!

Then ONE idea came bursting forth! It was honestly the ONLY idea I had, the ONE and ONLY way I was going to write a 31 Days series this year.

You see, we’ve been planning a family vacation to Disney World for 18 months now. Our trip is THIS MONTH…in October…during the 31 Days writing challenge! And if you know us well, you know we’re huge Disney fans.

So that was it!

31 Days of Disney!

So here we are, friends. About to embark on a month-long exploration of all things Disney.

For not wanting to write a 31 Days series this year, 31 Days of Disney is an enormous undertaking. As you all know, Disney is gigantic. Massive. Highly commercial. Highly successful. Known by pretty much everyone. So I feel the weight of this series. In many ways, writing this series is like writing a book. But I also feel the excitement! This is a fun topic. It’s highly relevant to many. And I have an opportunity to share with you my love, OUR love for Disney.

I’m going to approach this every which way, all month long. My #1 goal for this series is to provide relevant, useful and inspiring content for you.

So let’s get a move on! 31 Days of Disney it will be!

I’ve divided the month into three sections.

The first nine posts of the series will serve as an ice breaker! Let’s talk about all the reasons to bring your family to Disney. Let’s talk about our favorite Disney memories. Let’s review the six Disney trips our family has taken and lessons we learned along the way!

31 Days of Disney

Top 10 Reasons to Bring Your Family to Disney

Disney World 1999: Lessons Learned from Honeymooners

Disney World 2005: Lessons Learned from a Pregnant Lady

Disney World 2007: Lessons Learned from First Time Parents

Disney World 2010: Lessons Learned from First Family of 4 Trip

Disney World 2011: Lessons Learned from Disney Two Years in a Row

Disneyland 2013: Lessons Learned from Disneyland Newbies

Our Favorite Disney Memories (And Yours!)

The middle nine posts of this series will be written LIVE, in real time, immediately before and during our family’s trip to Disney World! This is going to be a challenge, friends! I’m going to have some very late nights and early mornings. But I’ve blogged live during week-long trips twice before, in Haiti and the Dominican, so I’m certain I can pull this off. I love the experience of writing in the heart of the moment. In the first two posts of this set, we’ll review packing for and traveling to Disney World. Once we’re on the trip, it’s hard to say how I’ll be inspired! This section of the series is least planned, which excites me to all ends. I love the magic of Disney, and can’t wait to share the inspirational stories that are bound to happen while we’re there.

Packing for Disney

Traveling to Disney World

Her First Magic Moments

We Need More Magic

Animal Kingdom is Awesome (Despite the Crabs that Snuck In)

Love Lessons from Epcot

Mini Magical Moments at Hollywood Studios

The Secret to Enjoying Disney World and All of Life

A Simple, Lovely, Loving Last Day at Disney

The last 13 posts of the series will be loaded with Disney goodness! I’m going to share ALL of my favorite Disney tips, tricks and favorites with you. I’m super excited for this part of the series because it’s so content rich and has enormous potential to help a whole host of readers navigate Disney. Fasten your seat belts, friends. This is good stuff! If you plan to take a Disney vacation, this part of the series will be an incredible resource. (Just send me some more late night and early morning prayers, please. This is a lot of writing and content to wade through in a short period of time!)

10 Tips for Visiting Disney World (From a 10 Year Old)

12 Tips for Visiting Disney World (From a 12 Year Old)

Tips for Doing Disney World with a Preschooler

Tips for Feeding Your Preschooler at Disney World

Photographing Your Disney Vacation

Best Places to Rest at Disney World

Secrets to Making Magical Moments on Your Disney Vacation

Tips for Meeting Characters at Disney World

Best Restaurants for Families at Disney World

Taking a Break to Chat About Our Favorite Disney Songs

Reasons to Stay on Disney Property

Our Family’s Experience of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Disney Pin Trading Secrets for Families

So there it is, friends! There you have it.

31 Days of Disney!

Join me on the journey, will you? It’s certain to be magical.

 

 

 

This post serves as the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series will be linked within the body of this post. It’s simple! Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back here where all 31 posts will be listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days, and I’d LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson. You can also find me on Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson, and I might even do a few scopes live from Disney World, so follow me on Periscope at @AmyBPederson to see if I get brave!

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.

Our pizza party happened fairly spontaneously, really.

We were due to pick up Cooper from his morning activity and it was lunch time, so I asked the girls, “Should we get a pizza and head to the park after we pick up Cooper?” They agreed it was an awesome idea, so we pressed onward with plans.

Boys and girls flowed from the school. Cooper hopped in the car and instead of heading for home, we headed to the pizza place for carryout. Cooper was delighted. “Who’s idea was this anyway? This is fun!” he exclaimed.

When we arrived at the park, we casually made our way to a shaded area with picnic tables and got set up. It was incredibly simple. One large Domino’s carryout pizza. Soda. Some paper plates. And a few napkins. That’s it.

Simple was the word.

Almost benign, unremarkable.

Easy.

Regular.

Everyday.

But yet, not.

It worked. It was fast. And it was fun for the kids.

We ate our pizza. We drank our soda (not nearly all of it, mind you). We cleaned up. All in a matter of 10-15 minutes.

Then we made our way to a nearby park. Because for some reason, parks always work well for us.

They swung.

They took turns jumping off swings.

Maisie went down a triple slide.

Then they all went down the triple slide.

They climbed up. Came back down. And climbed some places they really shouldn’t have been climbing.

They had a blast.

When they exhausted their fun at the park, we made our way along a bike path and landed at the skateboard park.

All three kids ran back and forth, up and down, on the skateboard ramps. It was hot. And the ramps were pitch sparkly black. I’m not sure how or why they ran that long. But they did. Apparently they needed some exercise. Cooper was the first to weary. Then Elsa. Then Maisie, “the baby.”

Just when I thought it was time to go, Maisie made her way up to the top of a skateboard ramp onto what looked like a big stage. Cooper, Elsa and I were sitting on a park bench at this point, so we watched as Maisie began performing her favorite songs. Let it Go, of course. And ABCs among other childhood faves. Then, after a while, Elsa joined her on stage. Cooper followed shortly. Before I knew it, they were singing ABCs, as in ALL TOGETHER, at the park, on the skateboard stage. I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears for that matter. My three children were singing the ABCs ALL TOGETHER at the park?! You can’t make this stuff up, especially when two of your kids are 10 and 12 and far beyond ABCs.

This was quaint.

This was obviously a once in a lifetime occurrence.

This was a little other worldly.

This was the motherhood I envisioned before I became a mom.

This was the moment that made me feel like I was doing something right. Even if the moment only lasted as long as the “ABCs” song.

What more can I say? The moment came. And the moment passed.

It was a simple outing. Far better than I would’ve ever guessed sitting at that fairly unremarkable pizza party table.

Another summer bucket list activity checked off. Another day at home with the kids.

Pizza party (and another park).

Total Cost: ~$12.00 for pizza and pop

Mom Lesson: Don’t underestimate kids’ ability to make fun anywhere.

Kid Lesson: Big kids are still little kids at heart.

 

 

This post is part of a summer-long series titled Summer Bucket List. This is my first summer home full-time with our three children. My hope for this series is that it will challenge me to adventure out of my mothering comfort zone, will provide opportunities to live and write simply, practically, beautifully and meaningfully, and will stimulate some some fun ideas for your summer as well! To check out the entire series, click here and you’ll be directed to the introductory post where all the posts are listed and linked for easy reading. Enjoy, friends! And have a blessed summer.

I’ve been intrigued by the psychology of Disney’s Frozen since I saw it in the movie theater twice in one day. But beyond the psychology, there’s something else that will always tie our family’s heart to Frozen. Our nine-year-old daughter’s name is Elsa. After Frozen released, we downloaded the entire Frozen album from iTunes. Elsa and my husband proceeded to memorize every word of every song. And now? Well, let’s just say she’s overdosed on Frozen and is taking a sabbatical. Because with all the Frozen mania, I’m pretty sure that wherever she goes, people reference Frozen when they hear her name. “You’re Elsa, like Frozen?!”

Halloween 2014 was bound to be filled with millions of little Elsas and Annas. In fact, I asked our Elsa if she wanted to dress up as Elsa this year, and she said she’s going to wait until she’s 17 and get a “real” fancy Elsa dress for Halloween. But I was right about those millions of girls dressing up as Elsa and Anna. As I peered through a window in my daughter’s dance studio Halloween week, I saw six girls dressed as Elsa and two dressed as Anna. That represented just one dance class of 15 little girls.

On November 4, 2014, the Wall Street Journal featured an article titled “Elsa dominates Anna in Frozen Merchandise Sales.” It’s a really fascinating article if you’re interested in the psychology and popularity of Frozen, so definitely check it out. But this blog isn’t about numbers. It isn’t about sales. And it isn’t about data, marketing or anything of the like. So I have no intention of digging deeper into sales of Elsa merchandise vs. Anna merchandise.

But I would like to explore the WHY behind “Elsa dominates Anna in Frozen Merchandise Sales.” Because I like to analyze things like that. It’s simply fascinating and kind of fun.

So here we go. Let’s “Let it Go.”

Anna is everything everyone looks for in a sister or a friend. She’s vibrant, loving, energetic, spontaneous, and confident. Anna is authentic. She grieves the loss of her sister, loves chocolate, and is a romantic at heart. Anna is determined and loyal, and won’t let anyone stop her from accomplishing her mission. Not to mention, she’s cute, beautiful and rocks that green coronation dress.

But then there’s Elsa.

We identify so strongly with Elsa because of her gift.

Elsa possesses a special gift. She discovered that gift at a young age and used it for good. But eventually, the gift brought pain into her life. In fact, the gift she once used for good hurt a loved one, her own sister. The only solution was to limit Elsa’s contact with people, and to “keep her powers hidden from everyone.”

Elsa had a gift. Her life had purpose. Yet, she was asked to “conceal it, don’t feel it, don’t let it show.”

THIS is why we identify so strongly with Elsa. THIS is why “Elsa dominates Anna in Frozen Merchandise Sales.”

So Elsa hid away. She put gloves on. She became measured, reserved, and isolated. She was “a good girl.” Ultimately, Elsa spent too much of her life fearing her gift. She held back. She was scared that horrible things would happen if she released her power. She was scared that releasing her gift, wild and free, would have consequences.

Eventually, Elsa couldn’t keep it in anymore.

She had to break free. She had to break through. She sought freedom to use her gift with wild abandon.

When Elsa finally broke free, she made beauty with her gift. “That perfect girl is gone,” she sang from the tall ice castle she created in the wilderness.

Let’s face it, we’re disingenuous when we hide our gifts. There’s a falsity in putting on the good girl face. We aren’t perfect, but we are beautifully gifted.

Truth be told? We’re all like Elsa.

We’re all powerful, beyond our belief.

We’ve all been gifted with lovely, beautiful, amazing powers.

But sometimes, often, our gifts scare us.

Because we know there’s more to life than this.

We know, intuitively, that God put us here for a reason. We have a purpose to fulfill. We’re here for such a time as this.

Yes, we want to break free. Free from bondage. The good girl, the perfect girl, the measured, reserved, isolated girl wants to be free.

So we relate to Elsa. No longer could she sit on her gift. She let it go. She let. it go.

Yes, that’s what we want. To let go. To be free. To be released, to be me.

Gloriously, beautifully, powerfully, mysteriously, ridiculously free.

Me.

So I’ve presented my case, now it’s your turn! I’d love to know who you relate to more in Disney’s Frozen, Elsa or Anna, and why. Let’s chat in the comments!

And did you know I’m doing a GIVEAWAY today? I’m giving away ONE Disney FROZEN Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray DVD + DVD + Digital Copy! I know a lot of you already own Frozen, but a lot of you don’t. And NO household with girls should be without a copy of Frozen this Thanskgiving. So leave a comment on the blog, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, complete the Rafflecopter entries for each below, and you’ll be entered to win the DVD! Giveaway runs through Friday. I’ll notify the winner promptly so I can get you the DVD in time for Thanksgiving!

a Rafflecopter giveaway