Six years ago in April of 2008, my first article on MousePlanet ran. It's been a heck of a ride since then and each year as the spring flowers start to bloom, I like to re-visit the past year with, for lack of a better term, an anniversary article. This time around, let's play into the popular “six-word” phenomenon that you see a lot of these days. How can I sum up what we try to do here on MousePlanet in six words? After much thought and lots of delete key usage, here's what I came up with:
Keeping the magic coming your way.
That pretty much succinctly sums up the whole point of MousePlanet. We keep trying to deliver the magic to you in whatever way we can. It's a fun task for sure, but it takes a certain kind of person to pull it off and it takes a particular group of readers to complete the circle and really make the magic happen. The thing about all of us here…and subsequently, all of you out there… is that we're all believers. We believe that places like Walt Disney World and Disneyland are more than just amusement parks. We believe that they serve an important purpose in this world. Walt and his Imagineers have created a true escape where anyone can go to leave the “real world” behind for a while and immerse themselves in a certain, unexplainable magic.
That's why we keep coming back. Isn't it? The sad fact is we can't be at Walt Disney World or Disneyland everyday. (Well, some of us can, but most of us have our alternate realities to attend to!) When we've been away from these places for too long, we need a place to go to get a dose of that missing magic. We need a place to gather, to celebrate and to get lost in that missing magic. And that's where we come in. We try, on a daily basis to, as I said above, keep the magic coming your way.
It's given me such great pleasure to be a part of this MousePlanet experience for the past 6 years and to help keep that magic coming your way. The people behind the scenes are a fascinating amalgam of individuals. The people that come here to read, to discuss and to be a part of something are equally as unique and help to make the whole experience incredibly real and incredibly satisfying. Thanks to all of you for making this all happen. After six years, it's still as much fun as it was when I started. This past year was a good one. So, let's take a look back at some of that magic that we all shared together during my sixth year here on MousePlanet.
The series that I began six years ago, Disney Stuff, showed no signs of slowing down. I dug out more cool stuff to write about and…no big surprise…I actually found more stuff in my travels to collect and share with you.
We cracked open the closets and drawers for some Disney T-Shirts…
It's a Pirate's Life for Me. Photo by Chris Barry.
…and Disney Aloha Shirts.
Mickey and his Woody wait for the surf to come up. Photo by Chris Barry.
The latest Pixar release brought some cool Monster's University Merchandise my way from the Disney Store.
My new Monster's University mug. Photo by Chris Barry.
We hit the books with the classic Walt Disney's Disneyland.
The slightly tattered cover of Walt Disney's Disneyland. © Walt Disney Productions.
Gamers and Disney fans alike were treated to the release of Disney Infinity this past year.
Dash and Mr. Incredible on the Power Pad. Photo by Chris Barry.
The holiday season saw me dig out a vintage Mickey Mouse Christmas book…
Walt Disney's Mickey Goes Christmas Shopping. Photo by Chris Barry.
…and revisit with the Disney Village Christmas Collection.
More email comes in regarding these collectible houses than anything else I've written about. Photo By Chris Barry.
My Disney Journals were opened for a peek.
A look inside one of my Disney Journals. Photo by Chris Barry.
I shed some light (sorry…I couldn't resist) on my wife's Tinker Bell 50th Anniversary Stained Glass Lamp.
The Tinker Bell 50th Anniversary Stained Glass lamp. Photo by Chris Barry.
We looked at Disney Racers…
The Monorail Racer. Photo by Chris Barry.
…the Disney Studios Collector Cards…
The Collector Card Welcome Guide. © 2013 Disney.
…and a very cool piece of history from the Disneyland Tobacco Shop.
The Disneyland Tobacco Shop matchbook back cover. Photo by Chris Barry.
The Top 5 Series has always generated some great emails and discussions on the MousePad. This past year I hit a wide variety of topics such as:
My Top 5 Things to Look Forward to at Disney's BoardWalk Inn…
Disney's BoardWalk. Photo by Brian Bennett.
…which was followed up by the Top 5 Hits and Misses at Disney's BoardWalk Inn.
Last year we took a short trip to Walt Disney World and this year it looks like I'll be doing the same so my Top 5 Ways a Short WDW Trip Can be Your Best WDW Trip is still ringing in my ears.
Just drop me off here for a long weekend and I'll be fine. Photo by Chris Barry.
A debate was sparked with my Top 5 Walt Disney World Roller Coasters.
Number 2 was Space Mountain. Photo by Julie China.
Many of you were surprised with the Top 5 Walt Disney World Attractions I Never Experienced.
A ride I never got to experience. © Walt Disney Productions.
We ate at the Top 5 Walt Disney World Counter Service Restaurants.
The sign for Pecos Bill's in Frontierland. Photo by Brian Bennett.
I took a stand with my Top 5 Unwavering Walt Disney World Opinions…
Staying on property at a Disney resort like Caribbean Beach is essential. Photo by Chris Barry.
…as well as my Top 5 Walt Disney World Guest Mistakes.
Don't leave after Illuminations. Stick around. Photo by Chris Barry.
The seemingly obvious was stated with the Top 5 Things to Love About the Magic Kingdom.
An idyllic brook in the new Tangled rest area. Photo by Chris Barry.
We left the parks briefly for a look at the Top 5 Underrated and Under-appreciated Disney Animated Films…
The Emperor's New Groove. © Disney Enterprises
…and circled right back to the parks with the Top 5 Walt Disney World Live Shows.
Cinderella's Surprise Celebration from 2003. Photo by Chris Barry.
Lots of you agreed with my Top 5 picks—and many of you thought I was crazy for my Top 5 picks and that's just fine. I loved the exchange of thoughts and opinions from all of you. Remember, it's an opinion series, so the more opinions expressed the better. Collecting Disney stuff and having strong opinions on Walt Disney World definitely crosses boundaries and borders. I heard from readers from all over the country and from as far away as South Africa, Germany and the UK. Surely, to paraphrase the song permanently lodged in all of our brains, it's a mouse planet after all!
Anyway, that's what my sixth year here on MousePlanet looked like. Thanks for indulging me with a look back. It helps me as a writer to see where I've gone so I can have a better idea in my head as to where I want to go next. Wherever it all takes me… I'd be humbled and flattered if you'll all still be along for the ride as I continue to… keep the magic coming your way.
With that said I'd like to pose to you readers out there the same six-word quandary; How do you sum up MousePlanet in six words?
Click on the link below; let me hear your thoughts and I'll see you next time with another Disney Top 5 and more of that great Disney Stuff.
