Tag Archives: Sleeping Beauty Castle

Thankful For “When You Wish Upon a Star”

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Note: During the months of November and December, I will be posting something I am thankful for within the spectrum of Disney. With so much negativity in the world, I encourage everyone to be thankful and count their blessings.

Sometimes a song can take you away to another place, or help you believe that dreams come true. I know I’m thankful for songs like these.

There are memorable songs from movies – you know, the songs that you find yourself humming long after the film ended – and then there are songs that transcend movies. Leigh Harline and Ned Washington’s “When You Wish Upon a Star” goes far beyond the film it was written for. This is not in anyway a knock on Pinocchio. No, the movie is among my favorite Disney animated movies – quite possibly my favorite, depending on the day! It’s just that the song itself is so much more. It’s become not only a theme song for the Walt Disney Company in general, but one to dreamers everywhere as well.

Like a bolt out of the blue...

Like a bolt out of the blue…

The notion of wishing upon a star may seem silly, but the idea of dreams coming true? Well, this is something we all long for. Now, in the “real world” we realize we can’t sit back and wait for things to come to us. If Walt had simply wished upon a star without actively pursuing that dream…. well, I don’t think that would have turned out very well. However, the notion of dreams coming true if we have the courage to pursue them (hmmm… now THAT sounds catchy!) is a noble one. Throw in a wish on the evening star as well? Believe in your dreams, and you never know.

Every time my family goes to Disneyland, we always pause underneath Sleeping Beauty’s Castle to here Jiminy Cricket sing his anthem to passers by. Combined with the magical feeling that the park brings, that song means even more there. And I’m certainly thankful for the feeling it brings.

I feel it only fitting to close out this thankful post with the song itself – perhaps my favorite cover of “When You Wish…” Take it away, Pops….

The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge – Day 15!

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Note: This post is part of a 15 Day challenge with questions referring to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. For more information, or to see all 15 questions, please refer to the introductory post, The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge. As stated in that post, I am not the creator of the challenge – just a willing participant!

Day 15 – Your Favorite Castle/Park Icon

This one’s not tough at all. Nothing comes close. Not in beauty. Not in meaning. It’s not the tallest, not the biggest, not housing a ride, but a true icon: Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.

Nothing more beautiful in the park, even at night.

I’ve repeated a few times what it means to me to hear Jiminy Cricket singing “When You Wish Upon a Star” as you walk through, but it bears repeating. As you pass through, whether walking into Fantsayland or leaving the park, for that moment, if you pause and listen, you begin to truly believe your dreams WILL come true. It’s not just the song, it’s the location. You can look into a world of Fantasy or out onto the streets of yore, but either way, for just that brief moment, all is right with the world.

The castle is quaint – any bigger, and the Matterhorn would be dwarfed – the perception would be ruined. As it is, it’s perfect. It’s the obligatory picture shot. It’s the spot to see fireworks in front of. It’s the location of Lord knows how many wedding proposals. What little girl hasn’t looked upon Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, imagining it was their royal home? I know mine has. Maybe that’s the reason she never wants to leave. She doesn’t want to leave her home. And who knows? Someday it might be. After all, When You Wish Upon a Star…..

I still get misty every time I see this.

And with that, dear readers, we conclude The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge. As I have stated on the official Confessions of a Disnerd Facebook Page, I’m not going anywhere – I’m just getting started. Next week I plan sharing exactly where I see the blog going from here, as well as a fun giveaway! I’m excited to be on this Disneyfied journey with all of you!

Until then, I ask you to share: What’s your favorite icon in any of the parks?