Let's Go Fly a Kite (Disneyland part 1)

DISNEYLAND!!!!

We LOVE Disney.  We are proud Mousketeers, Disney Nerds, and collectors and appreciators of all things Disney.  We always have been.  Disney represents to us all the good things in the world, and what can happen with faith, trust and a little pixie dust.

As true Disney nerds we had to see "Saving Mr. Banks" when it came out.  It is a wonderful movie, especially if you love Disney!  It's the story behind Mary Poppins, and it really hit home for me.  At one point Walt tells P.L. Travers (the author of the Mary Poppins books):

"George Banks, and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination. Because that's what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again."

I'm a very amateur writer, but I understood what he meant.  And not just because I write, but because I read, and I've felt what he's talking about watching "Frozen" next to Jason's hospital bed, or watching my younger siblings watch "Steamboat Willie" or "The Lion King" or "Toy Story", or wander around Disneyland for the first time.  It sort of reminds me of a song:

Let's go fly a kite

Up to the highest heights

Let's go fly a kite

And send it soaring 

Up to the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear 

Oh let's go fly a kite 

On our way back from Disneyland we watched a documentary about Ub Iwerks, the man who actually drew Mickey Mouse (Walt came up with the idea and stories but Ub did the actual animating).  It was put together by Ub's daughter, Leslie.  If you need inspiration in your life, I highly recommend checking it out.

Once upon a time, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks were on their last limb.  Their ENTIRE studio staff was leaving them for better salaries offered by Universal Studios (their distributor at the time).  Universal Exec Charles Mintz* was pushing them out.  As a final blow he had stolen Ub and Walt's first and prized creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit**.  The world they had worked so hard to build was crumbling all around them.  

*fun fact: the villain on 'Up', Charles Muntz, was based on Charles Mintz

**don't worry, there's more coming about him! (He's LeAnne's favorite)

But Walt and Ub weren't the kind to give up.  Amidst the chaos of a darkening business they were secretly creating a new character.  His name was Mickey Mouse.

This was the start of Disney as we know it.  It had five founding members.  Walt and Ub were the animators, writers, and producers.  Their wives, Lillian and Mildred respectively, were the inkers.  And Walt's brother Roy helped with business matters.  Together they would create the world's first "talkie" cartoon, one of the most iconic films of all time, Steamboat Willie.

From there, Mickey Mouse would go on to become one of the most inspiring, and recognizable, film characters of all time.  

Starting with his earliest cartoon, Mickey had character.  He has never been perfect, and he isn't always right.   He makes messes, and then makes more messes trying to bring brooms to life to fix his original messes.  He doesn't have the best of luck, in fact his luck sometimes stinks.  But he is always kind to those around him, and he never stops trying.  And in the end, he chooses to be happy and to enjoy his life and to love the people in it. 

Mickey Mouse's story is one of never giving up.  He is the embodiment of perseverance and hope.  He came out of hard times, times of loss and change.  But he came out smiling and ready to tackle the world.  That's why Mom has always loved him.  He's a symbol of hope and joy amidst a confusing - and sometimes just mean - world.

That's why we like this picture so much:

It's important to come together as a family when times are tough.  But sometimes it's more important to slow down and just enjoy the time we have together, and maybe an ice cream sundae too:

Jason and I had two very wise American Studies teachers that taught us, among other things, that "the pants know".  This little beauty is called "The Oswald" by the way :)

Let's go fly a kite :)

Top of the muffin to yah,

-LeAnne

P.S. Part 2 coming soon :)