Disney Dreams

I love that I look really tiny under the big Fantasia hat.

I'm sharing this photo with you because this image represents making dreams come true to me.  I don't ever think the 10-year-old me would ever think that I would be standing on the Disney studio lot in Burbank not once, but twice in a month's time. Sure, it was just for a screening, but it represents everything to the little me from the suburbs of Boston.  I have always loved anything Disney:  Disney World, Disneyland, Club 33 and I'm off to the D23 Expo in Anaheim this weekend.  It was Walt's animated creation, Jiminy Cricket,  that told me "When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true." (Wait, I'm taking advice from a cricket??!!) After dealing with a lousy end to 2010, 2011 has been a reminder to rediscover my dreams.  Little by little, that is happening and I'm truly grateful for it.



What are you doing to make your dreams come true?



Lyrics:



When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Fate is kind
She brings to those to love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

2010 in Review: February

I had to go back and look at what I did in the month of February.  I always have a gig in Chicago, but the rest of the month was kind of a blur.  However, I have a lot of fun photos that really capture my month:

1.  We were in Chicago and away from all of our significant others on Valentine's Day, but this was a really fun champagne and chocolate-covered strawberry filled evening with my pals, Melody Freeman and Ted Napolitano.

2.  I finally got behind that door and found out what Club 33 was all about.  It is a must for any Disney geek and it is my most popular post of 2010.  What's behind that door?  Unicorns, rainbows, and all the magic of Disney.

3.  Chicago is the most enthusiastic city we hit with Toyota Live each year.  We even gave away a 2010 Prius live onstage which was so thrilling, the winner grabbed me in a huge bear hug when she was declared the winner.  I'll be back in February 2011 and hanging on the jumbo LED wall again.

4.  This was the first infomercial I had shot in awhile and it became my first in a series of four infomercials that I shot in 2010.  It was a great day on set with fitness expert, Jennifer Galardi.  If you want to see the final results, wait for me at 2 AM on your TV or click here.

5.  The Streamys "For Your Consideration" screenings were in full force in February as I covered the red carpet for Koldcast TV at the Fall of Kaden and Blue Movies showing.  Here I am with eventual Best Director nominee, Scott Brown, of Blue Movies.  You can see some of the footage from this evening here.

Come back tomorrow at Red Carpet Closet for a review of March 2010 with Atlanta, paparazzi photos, A Good Knight's Quest premiere and more!

October: Monthly Wrap-Up

It's been a week of premieres, panels, and infomercials, so my posting has been a bit lax.  I will be back with a vengeance on Monday and I will post more on my awesome week on set in Nashville with an infomercial icon.  In the meantime, here is what you were reading this month on Red Carpet Closet:

Top 5 Posts:

1.  Dos and Don'ts on the Red Carpet: The Sequel:  This continues to be a heavy hitter with a majority of the readers coming from overseas.  I'm not sure what is drawing them in as awards season is still six weeks away, but I appreciate everyone stopping by to learn a little about putting your best foot forward on the red carpet.

2.  GQ/Glee Controversy:  The photos are all here, you can chime in with your opinions on Lea Michele's spread-eagle photo spread.

3.  Happy 20th Anniversary, 90210!:  A lot of you certainly remember the Brenda years and those delightful mom jeans.

4.  Disneyland's Club 33:  This post continually makes the monthly Top 5 list, but it slid a few numbers down.  Maybe you are finally tiring of this topic?

5.  Behind the Scenes with Taryn Southern:  This lovely lady is a multi-hyphenate:  actress, producer, writer, singer, and host.  Learn a little more about my pal, Taryn.

I decided to also do something new for this monthly wrap-up:  The Top 5 Most Absurd Searches:

1.  "Berbank Delai":  Um, not sure what this means, but it sure is close to this post about getting stuck at an airport.

2. "Can You Have Carpet for Kinect?":  Okay, this isn't a video game blog, but I did attend the launch of XBox 360 Kinect.  Even armed with that knowledge, I have no idea if you have to have hardwood floors or carpeting to play a video game.  That would seem a bit exclusionary, no?

3.  "Glasses Mark Gantt Wears":  Well, I do know Mark Gantt, but I don't know about his glasses.  He is the super hot star of The Bannen Way.  Do you want me to ask him what kind of glasses he wears?  Mark, maybe you could chime in the comments section.

4.  "Something Serious in Olga Kay's Life Right Now":  Yep, I know YouTube sensation, Olga Kay, too.  I think she is okay, but thanks for your concern.  Maybe Olga can reassure all of her fans with a comment below.  Olga, are you okay?

5.  "Smarties Halloween Treat Holder":  That's some interesting phrasing, but is this what you were looking for?

Have a safe and sweet Halloween!  See you on Monday at Red Carpet Closet.

Weekly Wrap-Up

It's been such a fun first week here at the State Fair of Texas.  The weather has been beautiful and tomorrow is the big Red River Rivalry game at the Cotton Bowl, so it should be an action-packed weekend.  Here are a couple of photos from the week and a wrap-up of what you were reading this month at Red Carpet Closet.

I'm in a tornado with the Tundra!

The Top 5 Posts for the month of September.  If you missed one of them, catch up here over the weekend:

1.  Dos and Don'ts on the Red Carpet:  The Sequel:  It's hard to believe that this post was from July 2010, but I think it made a resurgence with the Emmys and the fact that it has a clip of Anna Torv from Fringe.  She's a lovely gal and a popular one too.  

2.  It's Giveaway Time:  Well, this giveaway is over.....today!  I am proud to announce the winner of two tickets to the Web TV Prom on October 20th.  Congratulations, David August!  In the meantime, head on over to read the comments about everyone's prom experiences.  Priceless.

3.  Emmys: Part 2:  A fun weekend was spent hanging out at the gifting suites with my favorite TV stars.  Check out the photos in this post, I bet you will recognize a face or two.

4.  Disneyland's Club 33:  Yes, it is here again. It's always in the Top 5.  If you have no idea what Club 33 is, then this post is for you.

5.  Web Series Wednesday:  This one snuck in at the last minute.  I posted this article earlier this week about some upcoming shows.  Sure, it has a whiff of nepotism, I am making cameos in a few of the shows.  Check out the on set photos from the shoots.

The Toyota Live team, Week 1 rocking the bumble bee wardrobe.

In parting, my fellow co-host departs tomorrow, so a big thank you for stepping in and making this week so much fun.  We danced, we sang, and he even did The Worm. (voluntarily!)  Thanks, Chris!

I hope your weekend is filled with laughter and fun, make sure to let me know what you are up to this weekend in the comments below.  See you on Monday at Red Carpet Closet.

July Round-Up

Happy Monday, Everyone!  To kick off the week, here's a round-up of the top 5 posts you were hitting in the month of July:

1.  Club 33:  Okay, I get it, this is going to be my top post of 2010.  The mystery of Club 33 has long taunted Disney fanatics, the lore of what is behind that nondescript door.  Well, I got behind the gates, here's my visit to Disneyland's Club 33.

2.  Vampire Mob:  He's a Vampire.  He's a Hitman.  He lives with his mother-in-law.  Find out why this web series with the Marcia Wallace and Kirsten Vangsness keeps bringing you back here: Vampire Mob.

3.  5th Annual ITVFest:  The Independent Television Festival is going on now through August 5th.  Check out the Gala from 2009, 2010, and my red carpet interviews.

4.  Something Exciting is Coming:  Yep, it is coming soon with Open Sky Project.  Read the post, sign up, and join me on August 10th.

5.  Taryn Southern:  I interviewed Taryn for The Web Files earlier this year.  She has been cropping up quite a bit on your searches of Red Carpet Closet.  Yep, she's smart and hot so, go check out the episode with exclusive Behind the Scenes footage.

Thanks for stopping by Red Carpet Closet, I can't wait to see what your picks are for the month of August.  Be sure to comment below and let me know what you think of everyone's eclectic picks for July.

Disneyland's Club 33

Anyone that knows me understands that I am a HUGE Disney dork. The parks have always been a fun place for me to visit whether I was 3 or 33 years old. My family spent a considerable amount of time visiting Walt Disney World in Florida during cold winter breaks when I was a kid and once I moved to LA in 2000, Disneyland became a fun day trip several times a year. I became clued in on a private club that Walt Disney had built to entertain VIPs at the park back in 2001. Walt never had the opportunity to see this club finished, but I made it my mission to find a way into the famed Club 33.

I spent countless visits taking my picture next to the sign, hoping that maybe one day I would make my photo a reality. Well, 2010 was the year it all came true. My super cute boyfriend was able to make a connection with someone that had a corporate membership, and that is how my December 2009 birthday gift came to be. It really was one of those friend of a friend of a friend of a friend situations, so whomever you are, thanks for making one of my top wishes come true. Scratched off the bucket list!

You receive free admission to both parks the day of your reservation and we checked in at Guest Relations over by California Adventure. Our day happened to be the wettest day I have ever been to at the park, but no lines makes for easy ride hopping. The reservation was for 1 PM, so we were told to check in 15 minutes early. We headed over to New Orleans Square and checked in by pressing the hidden bell. They asked for the name of the reservation and then buzzed us in. Turns out, our table wasn't ready, so we had to go out and do the whole process again ten minutes later. Hey, it's Hollywood, you always get a second take. To see my grand entrance, here is a short one minute clip: Club 33
Once we were let into the lobby, the concierge gave us a brief history of Club 33. It is decorated much like a Parisian hotel lobby right down to the lift that was replicated by Disney Imagineers. Americans are kind of chubby, so the lift only holds about 3 average sized people...maybe in France it would be 4 or 5 people. There is a set of stairs to the left of the lift, so half of us hiked it up while I rode the elevator to the top floor.

Much of the decor was selected by Lillian Disney with lots of antiques like this harpsichord rumored to have been played by Elton John during a visit.
The infamous bar! Yes, this is the only place in the Disneyland park where you can drink. (California Adventure allows alcohol to be served in several restaurants.) The bartender was quite a character, but we enjoyed him because he said, "heavy price, heavy pour.". Yep, the drinks were strong and delicious.
Along the walls, there were beautiful wardrobe sketches from the movie, Mary Poppins, along with renderings of Disneyland back in the 1950's, and a fantastic photograph of Walt with Shirley Temple at the Academy Awards.

During media interviews when I worked at the Kodak Theatre, I was always asked about the restrooms. I don't know why people are obsessed with how fancy a bathroom is, but if you are one of those people, these next two photos are for you. This is what the Club 33 bathroom looked like.....vanity area....

And their really odd shaped toilet........

For me, I always want to know about the food. So, all of you foodies out there, enjoy!

The menu....I chose the Monkfish, but our waitress kept trying to get us to order the Chateaubriand. She never stated that it was the best on the menu, she made it sound more like a fire sale on beef.

The opening course is a buffet of cheeses, lobster tail, shrimp, salads, and soup. I was hungry.....

And then my meal came, so I had to find some room for my Monkfish with Lobster Bisque.

But wait, there's more! Dessert buffet filled with every sweet you can imagine. The purple cake thing was not so good, but my Hostess cupcake lookalike was amazing.

But there's even more! It's my birthday celebration, so I also received a Mickey Mouse chocolate mousse cake. Yum!

After eating we headed outside to the balcony to check out the view....

The wet view below with umbrellas and ponchos in sight. This is looking towards the Fanstasmic stage. If you eat dinner at Club 33, you might be able to catch the early showing of Fantasmic from this location. The back end of the balconies leads you into New Orleans Square by the restaurant, Bayou.

The infamous vulture that Walt didn't live to see, but it was designed as one of the Disney animatronics to talk to the dinners and listen in on their conversations.

In fact, he had microphones built into the chandeliers so the person behind the vulture could spy on people dining at Club 33. (microphone in the center of chandelier hanging down.)

And all good Disney attractions lead to a gift shop. We bought an $18 (suckers!) shot glass with the Club 33 insignia. We also managed to take home a few napkins lifted from the restroom, our cocktail stirrers, a pen, and a few chocolates. Hey, it's a once in a lifetime visit! We spent over 3 hours here and it was well worth it....especially the ride on Space Mountain after a few cocktails!

Are there any Annual Passholders reading this? I would like to get my hands on these vintage pins. Email me if you have the hookup. (My first and last name at Gmail)

Now, a few parting shots of our day around the parks....Tower of Terror!

Space Mountain.......

Buzz Lightyear......

Thanks for celebrating with me at Club 33!

Just a few Club 33 details:

14 year waiting list for membership

Waiting list is CLOSED as of Spring 2007

$10,450 to join for an individual and an annual fee of $3,275

$27,500 for a corporate membership with an annual fee of $6,100

Reservations are taken up to 90 days in advance for members and up to 60 days in advance for guests.

P.S. For those of you that are Hidden Mickey fans, they do exist at Club 33. It isn't in the architecture, but in the cast members' Club 33 uniforms. Happy searching!

Many thanks to Disney Food Blog for linking to this post. If you are a Disney Dork and a foodie, this is the site to check out: Disney Food Blog

2009 in Review: December

Happy New Year! Thank you for an amazing 2009. Here's a final look at December......

In San Diego about an hour before 2010. Not my finest photo, but definitely my last photo of 2009.

At the LA show with my newest friend, Shannon Brown, Jr. For you Lakers fans, this is Shannon Brown's little guy. His daddy was busy signing autographs.

Our farm animals and their official Christmas 2009 photo:

I will be inside these gates on February 1, 2010. Google "Club 33" if you have no idea what I am talking about. Stay tuned for coverage next month.

Splash Mountain on Christmas Day 2009:

Outside the Pantages Theatre before a performance of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Thank you, Tiger B., for the amazing tickets! (Yes, that's Tiger B., not Tiger W.)

A Christmas treat in the mail! Thanks to Cookie and Dave for the snacks.

Our last shoot of 2009, Dorm Life! This episode is coming your way soon......

And a little Legend of Neil to start out 2010. This was our second to last shoot of the year.

My birthday and my favorite treat, cupcakes! 1 of 3 that I ate that day.
Here's to a wonderful new year and new decade. May 2010 bring many joys and successes to your life!