Mouse Fest People

**Edited December 28, 2008 to add: The identity of the pin guy has been discovered! Thanks to Tim at the Magic in Pixels for telling me that the pin guy is John Corigliano of Window to the Magic a great place to find podcasts about Disney!**


All this week I have been telling you about the people and the events that we enjoyed during Mouse Fest 2008. Today I want to introduce you to some folks who are doing interesting things in the Disney community. Take the pin guy…



Yes indeed all those shining things on his vest are Disney pins. In fact they are all Lilo and Stitch pins (click the photo to see it larger). The pin guy is a Disney podcaster and he has been collecting those pins since 2003. The vest weighs 16 pounds! Can you imagine! Of course I had to look through his collection (as did many others) and I saw pins that I have never seen before. He has a Steamboat Stitch pin that myself and another gentleman agreed was the pinnacle of his pin collection. In case you were wondering like I was when I first saw the impressive collection… the backs of the pins are locking backs to ensure that he does not lose any. (Oh pin guy if you are reading this, I am sorry I completely forgot your name and affiliation… leave me a comment or email me and I will let others know who you are).

Another group of interesting Disney folks that I meet during the Mega Mouse Meet were the people behind Disney Tube. Disney Tube is a really interesting community. Not only can you see Disney videos (no really when you search there you get real videos of people at Disney not things tagged Disney… but not really Disney) and you get to read other blogs and fan sites and vote on your favorites. I discovered a couple neat blogs there myself.

Mega Mouse Meet was a great place to mingle with other Disney fans and Norwood and I had a great time during Mouse Fest. One of the benefits of Mouse Fest that was not included in the handy dandy guide was the introduction to two resorts Norwood and I have not been to before. After the Mega Mouse Meet Norwood and I walked around the Disney Yacht and Beach club and found a great little place to have lunch which I will tell you all about tomorrow….

Mega Mouse Meet 2008

The Mega Mouse Meet is the BIG one. It is where all the people who are hosting Mouse Fest events or just along to enjoy the events gather to find each other and new people too. With about 1000 people in attendance you are sure to make friends to meet up with. I can honestly say I have never been to something like the Mega Mouse Meet before. Tables were set up along the perimeter of the room with the hosts and authors greeting people, handing out goodies and giving away prizes. Those who were registered for Mouse Fest were able to enter to ballroom an hour earlier than other guests and were given snacks and drinks. I have to give props to the Mouse Fest coordinators the snacks were really good. Norwood and I both enjoyed the soft pretzels (one filled with apple and the other with pepper jack cheese). After grabbing a few snacks we joined a few people at a table. While people ate or walked around from table to table Dave Marx from Passporter called out raffle numbers and gave away some neat prizes. I myself won a Deluxe 2009 Passporter. I think that was the first time I have ever won anything. It is a very neat little guide set up in planner style and my copy just happens to be autographed by the author. Very cool!

As I walked around from table to table I was amazed at all the different Disney communities out there. One of the communities I discovered through Mouse Fest was Tagrel.com. They are a nice community that encourages friendship and cast member appreciation. While I was at the Photography 101 meet I met one of their members Will and he told me to check them out so the next day I found their site online and signed up for their community. While at the Mega Meet I told them how I just signed up the night before and to welcome me to the community they gave me a special little Tagrel pin…



Thanks so much Tagrel! There were lots of interesting people to meet at the Mouse Fest Mega Meet tomorrow I will tell you more about some of the interesting folks Norwood and I meet.

Mouse Fest Events

As I mentioned briefly yesterday there is a whole book full of fun things to do while at Mouse Fest with the various groups that are hosting. If you love the rides at Disney and want a large group of folk to ride with Mouse Fest is a dream. Many groups got together and laughed at the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, screamed on Expedition Everest or marveled at the movies on the Great Movie Ride. But if you are a little more of a ride chicken (guilty!) and prefer events that do not involve you having the death grip and screaming they have events for you too. One of my favorite things to do is take pictures in all the Disney parks. There were several groups at Mouse Fest hosting photo scavenger hunts, tutorials, photo walks, and contests. I joined in on two photo events. Tim Devine from The Magic in Pixels hosted many photo related events during Mouse Fest. Norwood and I were able to attend two. We went to a Photography 101 lecture at the Noodle Station in Magic Kingdom…



Here Tim shared some tips on how to take better photos. From advice on the Rule of
Thirds (for photo composition) to exploring your camera setting Tim made it easy to better understand our cameras. I really have to thank him for clarifying the aperture settings, now when I change my own aperture I actually know a little more about what I am doing. Oh and not to mention, ahh realizing how I should properly change my lens, yeah I often had a disregard for the inside of my camera when changing my lens.

The next day those who joined him again at Animal Kingdom were given the chance to test out our new skills on a Tree of Life Animal Hunt. Norwood and I have been to Animal Kingdom many times and I have often taken photos of the Tree of Life. It was not until Friday of last week that I was made aware of how close you can actually get to the tree. Tim took the group on trails all around and through the Tree of Life. When you really look up close at the tree there are some amazing animals that you can find. Here is my favorite from the hunt…



And here is Norwood’s favorite shot from the hunt…


We had a great time at both the events and meet some great people. Tomorrow I will tell you about the BIG event that happens at Mouse Fest… the Mega Mouse Meet.

Mouse Fest 101 and Kickoff Party

I have had a busy weekend! I am sure that many of you out there know about Mouse Fest which is a gathering of Disney fans from all over the world. For five days we all get together and do various things in the park. Norwood and I went to Mouse Fest for the first time this year. All this week I will be sharing our impressions what events we had a chance to participate in and a little about some of the people we met. The first land event was Mouse Fest 101 and the Kickoff ceremony.



At Mouse Fest 101 event Mike Scopa (All Ears) and Mark Goldhaber (Mouse Planet) talked all of the new comers through the event and gave our tips on how we could effectively enjoy the many events that were offered. It was a great place to ask questions if you had any about the event and it was also a place to gather any missing or lost Mouse Fest supplies (like the nifty little pocket guide). After the presentation we all then had a chance to meet each other and some of the folks that would be hosting events during our five days of celebrations. Some of the crowd favorites were Deb Wills from All Ears and Dave Marx from Passporter. Norwood and I were amazed at the turn out of all first time Mouse Festers. We met a few people and a big time celebrity…



Mickey! For many of my daily readers you know that a trip to Disney for us is more than just a walk around the world a concert or exploring the African wilderness. It is often a search for good coffee. While our time at Mouse Fest 101 and Mouse Fest Kick Off was no different. After Mouse Fest 101 Norwood and I searched the Contemporary for the often sought after cup of coffee. Right when you enter the Contemporary resort (from the convention center walkway) there is a little coffee shop that makes good coffee. A little tip for coffee hounds such as myself… look for an espresso maker… often times if there is one present you can have them make an Americano which will offer the bold flavor (or close to it) some of us love. With a place to get good coffee in our sights we suddenly noticed a small line forming near the entrance. Peeking around the shoulders of others I noticed the man of the hour Mickey Mouse! Decked out in his best attire he was available for hugs and pictures, so naturally Norwood and I stood in line. While it is not the best shot (my silly eyes are closed) it is a keeper and it is the first picture I have with Mickey Mouse!

Although it rained like a hurricane was in town it was a great day. Tomorrow I will tell you more about our Mouse Fest experience.