Dreamers

It’s been my childhood dream to work for a creative company like Disney. I would spend hours tracing cartoons and memorizing strokes … marveling at the animation, the brochures, the books, the soundtrack of the things that came out of the Imagineering headquarters in Burbank. I was willing to work for free just to be an animator … but somehow I never got the breaks … I never found a mentor. The only one who taught me about work was my Dad who only had an ounce of art appreciation in his blood. So I became a boring entrepreneur like my Dad. I was so discouraged that I wrote a song in my 30s (before I became born again) when I realized I would never be a world renown animator. Here’s just an excerpt of the thoughts of a crushed spirit:

The Real World

Verse 1
Once I had dreams of becoming a king.
Of being the master, being the best in everything.
But now I know. It’s just not so.
Whoever heard … a kingdom full of kings and queens?

Chorus
Each day we learn to live through life’s joy and disappointment.
Each day we have to sacrifice old values for some new ones.
We think that we have grown but reality has shown
there’s more to life than we’ve come to know.

But you know artists. We always have one eye looking at great paintings, one ear listening to musical arrangements, and a big mouth that shares all of our insights to a world that does not understand … or so I thought. Little did I realize, my youngest daughter was picking up my words that fell off deaf ears. When we watched a movie, I’d point out what made the movie interesting. She and I shared this artistic dimension.

A few days ago my family toured the Riot Games Campus in West Los Angeles. You can read all about it in an article I just posted here in TravelingBoy.com. It was really fun. I wish you guys could go there too but it’s one of those places where access is only granted to those who are connected to the organization. My daughter, the artist, works there.

Through her, my dreams have come true. I may have planted the artistic seed but she watered it with her blood, sweat and tears. She braved through the starving artist route that I was too proud to take. Her accomplishments are deservedly her own. I’m so proud and happy for her. Praise God for making my dream her dream and making both our dreams come true.

How about you? Where are you in your life journey? We all have hills and mountains to climb, don’t we? Wherever you are in your life adventure, is God in the picture? Hmmm …

“We are God’s masterpiece [quite perfect in His sight] created anew [born again] in Christ Jesus so the good [the abundantly good life path] that He planned for us a long long time ago [even before we were born], should be our way of life.” — Ephesians 2:10

Blessings to you my TGIF friends!

Raoul

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Original art by Raoul Pascual.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines.

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena. CA

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre. CA

I found these

The Traveling Boy

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

The post A Frog Goes to a Department Store appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Following weeks of expectation, Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Wish, has finally arrived in Port Canaveral, Florida. Nearby, about two dozen local residents watched from the quay of Jetty Park. Several leatherback sea turtles and dolphins were seen romping in the cove as the ship approached. With Florida’s Patrick Space Force Base in the background, the ship was welcomed by Disney characters at a private ceremony shortly before daybreak on Monday.

When the Disney Wish sets sail on its official maiden voyage this July 14th, the ship will offer new experiences soaked in Disney storytelling including immersive dining experiences themed to Frozen and Marvel, and an upscale lounge set in the Star Wars galaxy. Each sailing’s itinerary will offer planned activities for children and young teens, including a completely reimagined Oceaneer Club that will have an entrance directly connected to the Grand Hall. A Marvel Superhero Academy pledges to train young recruits alongside some of their beloved superheroes.

The Wish is the first of three new Disney ships to be constructed at Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard through 2025. The vessels will be powered by liquefied natural gas. The trio will be slightly bigger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, each weighing in at nearly 144,000 gross tons.

The Florida charity Give Kids the World recently revealed its eight winners for the maiden five-night voyage as part of a promotion offered with Disney. The Orlando nonprofit resort hosts families with children living with life-threatening health conditions. They will stay in the two-story Wish Tower Suite inspired by the Disney animated film Moana. After completing its maiden voyage, the Disney Wish will book three- and four-night itineraries from Port Canaveral to Nassau in the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

Disney World employees assembled at the private reception at Port Canaveral to welcome the new ship to port. The ship’s official maiden voyage is slated for July 14 and will commence with a water salute.

“It is truly an emotional moment. Something special, not only for Walt Disney Cruise Line, but for the thousands that help make this all possible,” said Walt Disney ambassador Raevon Redding.

Walt Disney World ambassador Ali Manion predicts that young guests will appreciate the outdoor water coaster.

“The Wish has the AquaMouse, which is the first ever Disney attraction at sea. It will fully immerse you with lots of fun in the middle of a Mickey Mouse cartoon,” Manion explained.

Port Canaveral Director and CEO Captain John Murray attended the gathering.
“We have anticipated this homecoming of the Disney Wish for some time and know that our entire Port community is excited to have her sailing from our Port,” said Murray. “We are proud of the longstanding partnership we have with Disney Cruise Line, and the arrival of the Disney Wish adds to the growing number of impressive cruise ships providing high quality guest experiences from our Port.”

Port Canaveral hosts nearly five million revenue cruise passengers through its terminals and six million tons of cargo annually, including bulk, break-bulk, project, and containerized. The Port is tactically situated to service all Florida markets, as well as the Southeastern United States. In addition to cruise facilities and diverse cargo operations, Port Canaveral is home to an array of varied recreational vendors. For more information, visit www.PortCanaveral.com.

The post Disney’s Wish Comes True in Canaveral appeared first on Traveling Archive.

PART 2:

Why do you like directing?

Tim:  When I’m directing I can’t think about anything else.  I find it a relief to be completely occupied with one thing because then I can’t think about myself.  It’s fun.  It’s the most stimulating, challenging, exciting thing.  I’m so blessed that I get the opportunity to direct from time to time. 

How did working at the Disney studio influence your filmmaking? 

Tim:  I got a chance to work in the animation department as a young person, which had a big effect on me.  What you learn from that is how to tell stories without words.  It’s always better to tell a story without words if you possibly can.  It’s like writing without adjectives.  You have to really distill the story to its essence, always striving to create a scene where nobody sells anything. 

Getting back to the film for a moment.  It’s kind of a cliffhanger.  Are we going to get “ William” 2?

Tim:  Spoiler alert.  I have no comment.  (Laughs)That said, now that I’ve finished this film, I really want to make another one.  I’ve been re-infected.  (Laughs)

You chose to be an independent filmmaker.  Why no studios?

Tim:  I’m not saying I would never work with a studio, it just has never worked out that way.  Also, I’ve always pursued other businesses and so I never made a full-time profession out of moving making. Maybe I should have or maybe I never could have.  I don’t really know.  It’s just how it’s worked out.  It takes a couple of years to make a movie so you have to make sure it’s something you really feel strongly about.  The last seven or eight years I focused a huge amount of my time working on arts and arts education programs. It been very rewarding and I’ve met some wonderful people along the way.

The name Disney.  What’s the upside and what’s the downside?

Tim:  It’s such a global brand name.  It’s one of the most recognizable names on earth.  It would be like being name Tim Coca Cola.  I got to be exposed to amazing things and got to meet really interesting people and I’m grateful for all of that.  I guess the negative is not being anonymous.  I can’t use my credit card without someone asking me about what’s it like being a Disney.  That’s a little intrusive at times.  I respect that people are interested. Most of the feedback I get is positive.  People share their memories about movies they saw or trips to Disneyland. I do my best to honor that for them.  I would never say “quit bugging me. I don’t care about your happy memories.”  That would be rude.  My dad said to me one time that you have a name you can be proud of rather than to be ashamed of.

What was like growing up as a young Disney?

Tim:  Like any kid, you just live in the world that you were born into. It was normal to me.  The Disney family were mid-western people.  My grandfather Roy and his brother Walt were essentially covered wagon people.  Roy died when I was very young, but I have very early childhood but hazy memories of him.   My grandparents were big figures in our lives.  They were straightforward, direct, honest, loving, kind, decent, people.  I still run into people these many years later who knew them or interacted with them and speak so highly of my grandparents. That’s a beautiful legacy. 

How is the Disney brand different from the days when it was family-owned and run?

Tim:  Disney now is an enormous corporation.  Walt could never have imagined what it would become.  It is no longer a family company.  I have the name and I think that entitles me to a cranky opinion and nothing else.  In terms of shareholders, it’s widely held and is too big for any individual to have complete control.  I have immense respect for Bob Eiger and the job he’s done running the company.  He’s a good person and he understands the importance of maintaining the brand as a trusted name that stands for something real and trustworthy.

What about your personal life?  Do you have time to date or are you in a relationship?

Tim: I’m a single dad.  I have three kids – 23,18 and 7.  Two of them are boys and I know about boys.  And, I have a little girl.  They split their time between me and their fantastic mom.  My daughter has really changed my life.  Having a kid later in life is really a good thing.  Sometimes I see my contemporaries who are able to travel.  I can’t really do that.  What would I do if I had more time?  Surf the internet?  There isn’t anything I’d rather do with my time than to be with my daughter.  I’m old enough now to savor her more and I’m more patient than I used to be.  In the past, putting kids to bed was like being taken hostage.  My older one wouldn’t let me leave the bed until he was asleep and would feel me if I tried to get up.  Now, as long as it takes for her to fall asleep is all good.  When I was younger, I was in a hurry.  Not now.

It’s been delightful getting to know you.  The best of luck with your film and of course you role as dad.  

Tim: Thank you.

The post Up Close & Personal With Tim Disney on His Film – “William” and Family Matters appeared first on Traveling Archive.

1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that Adventures by Disney does for fun?

Answer:

Adventures by Disney provides immersive, hassle-free and unforgettable group guided family vacation experiences to destinations in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Adventurers traveling with Adventures by Disney receive exceptional service while taking part in extraordinary and customized experiences at locations including: the South African plains, the great cities of Europe, North America’s national parks, Costa Rica’s rich rainforest, the ruins of Pompeii and Machu Picchu, Australia’s Outback, the Great Wall of China and more!

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Adventures by Disney?

Answer:

When most people think of Disney they think of theme parks or movies. But Adventures by Disney offers something truly unique. With more than 2 dozen destinations to choose from, Adventures by Disney allows you to experience firsthand the people and cultures of the places you visit — and you do so with the service, VIP experiences and unique local opportunities you can only expect from Disney.

3. Question: What has Adventures by Disney contributed to the world?

Answer: 

Adventures by Disney makes it easier for families to see the world together. Each Adventures by Disney trip offers unique itinerary items from more sophisticated experiences for adults to special Junior Adventurer activities created just for kids. And of course, there are plenty of special opportunities to create and share unforgettable memories with the whole family. Over the past eight years, Adventures by Disney has been recognized by numerous travel organizations for its excellence in family tourism and was named the World’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator in the 2012, 2010 and 2009 World Travel Awards. Adventure by Disney was also ranked No 1 among Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters for Families in 2011 by Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards.

Go here for further information about Adventures by Disney

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