A Picture Perfect MouseFest 2006


A
Picture Perfect Mousefest 2006
Snapshots from Eight WONDERfully Magical Days

by
Deb Wills
Editor-in-Chief, ALL EARS®

This
article was originally published in AllEars® Weekly Newsletter 12/19/2006

MouseFest
2006 has come and gone but the memories (assisted by many photographs)
will remain for a very long time. Yes, it was a lot of hard work – co-chairing
the cruise with Jennifer Marx, hosting events on sea and land (many thanks
to the AllEars team), setting up the hall for the MegaMouseMeet, managing
the MouseFest.org website, supporting Chairperson Dave Marx and the many
other folks who made this year's MouseFest a huge success!

All that
said, I came home feeling exhausted and elated at the same time. Images
of smiles and hugs and even tears of joy float around my mind as I think
of the incredible experience that just concluded.

Every year since the first MouseFest in 2003, the event has grown. This
year there were more attendees, internet communities, webmasters, authors,
and podcasters than ever before. Each year it gets harder to choose which
events to attend. But it's not just the numbers that grow – the feeling
of camaraderie, the spirit of unity among participants grows, too. Each
year, MouseFest becomes a fuller experience of sharing the magic and cherishing
the special friendships of people from around the world, many of whom
we only see once a year.

In trying
to decide on the theme of my MouseFest article, I spoke with AllEars®
team member Linda Eckwerth, who came up with what I think is the perfect
way to summarize MouseFest – through snapshots. It's impossible to talk
about every event I attended and even more impossible to name every person
I met, reconnected with, or saw during our eight days… so please
know that each of you hold a special place in my MouseFest memories. Your
smiles and encouraging words during MouseFest kept my adrenaline flowing,
and my heart smiling.

Here are
my MouseFest 2006 Snapshots:

December
2 — BoardWalk Villas:
Linda and I arrived in town a day before the
MouseFest cruise and spent the afternoon busily preparing for the days
ahead. After dinner, we sat on our
balcony
and watched the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom and then
Epcot's IllumiNations. It was our calm before the storm of activity MouseFest
would bring. We spoke about MouseFests gone by and wondered what the next
eight days would have in store for us.

December
3 — Cruise Day:
With assistance from Annette Owens (MouseFanTravel.com)
we cooked up a magical surprise for two of her clients, Matt and Maggie,
who were staying at one of the All Star resorts. She had told them she
would take care of their transportation to the port. Sunday morning Annette
pulled up in her car, packed to the top, and told the duo apologetically
that she was making calls to get them alternate transportation. About
that time, we pulled up in a stretch limo. The driver got out with Matt
and Maggie's name on the card. Once
they realized the limo was for them, they screamed with delight!
Needless
to say the ride to Port Canaveral was quite lively.

This being
the fourth MouseFest cruise, we looked
forward to seeing old friends and were greeted at the Port with warm hugs.

We also got to meet many new MouseFest cruisers. We had more than 70 AllEars
goodies bags to hand out and it was a wonderful way to meet folks we'd
be spending the next four days with.

December
4 — Nassau:
This day was a blur as meetings and events packed the
schedule. By the time our 8:15 dinner had arrived, I realized I hadn't
stopped all day. What a joy to get
to know first-time MouseFest cruisers Michelle and Jimmy from Maryland.

These folks blended right in with the others at our dinner table and we
all hit it off "fa-mousely."

December
5 — Castaway Cay:
The now annual MouseFest parasailing meet took
place bright and early. Thirteen MouseFest cruisers showed up to fly through
the sky. The energy, excitement — and nervousness – were palpable.
Four of us were "vets" and the other six MouseFesters on my
boat would be parasailing for the very first time.
The nervous
laughter quickly changed to sounds of joy and triumph once the newbies
were back on board after their flight in the sky. Chants of "We did
it, we did it!" filled the boat and smiles were larger than you can
imagine. We had a special bonding experience that morning — it was a
very empowering experience. As one parasailer later told me, "It
was my favorite MouseFest experience yet!"

December
6 — Day at Sea:
I hosted a walk to raise funds and awareness for
the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. MouseFanTravel, the official travel sponsor
of AllEars, donated $5 for every person who attended the walk, as well
as an amount for each booking made in the month of October (Breast Cancer
Awareness Month). I was anticipating a check for around $200. Imagine
my shock when presented with a check for $1,000!
In addition to
the money the company donated, many of the agents made donations as well.
I was overwhelmed by the generosity. Then, three of the MouseFest cruisers
presented their own personal donations — they had given up their pre-cruise
manicures and pedicures and donated the money to the cause. Again, I was
overwhelmed. It was a very special moment — a snapshot of what tremendous
good we can do and the difference each of us can make!

MouseFest
Cruise High speed photos bursts:
— Laughs at the Christmas Tree lighting meet hosted by Ray
— Meet the authors with Jennifer, Dave and Steve
— Elie (aka Captain Jack), the hands-down winner of the Pirate Costume
Contest
— Introducing the divine "Miss Dee Vah" at the Walk/Stroll
for Breast Cancer

All too quickly,
the cruise was over and we headed to Walt Disney World.

December
7 — Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party:
This has become the place
for an annual gathering in the Magic Kingdom's Rose Garden for the joint
Tagrel and AllEars MVMCP fireworks meet. This year, I was able to match
more Tagrel screen names with faces and enjoyed being so warmly welcomed
by this wonderful community. The snapshot that is in the forefront of
my memories that night is of Masayo and Michiko (friends from Japan) arriving
out of breath at the fireworks meet. Masayo explained how they had left
Japan many, many hours ago and were delayed in a US airport. They were
afraid they would miss the meet and practically ran from the bus depot
to the Rose Garden to be on time. They
were SO happy to be there and I smiled knowing that we really do share
the magic worldwide!

December
8
— Kilimanjaro Safari Ride: More than 150 adventurers set
out on a safari through the savannas bright and early on Friday morning.
After the group photograph ritual, we set off to board our jeeps. I accompanied
the participants traveling in wheelchairs and was able to sit next to
a very special MouseFest attendee, MJ (aka Marjorie). This 5-year-old
has multiple disabilities, but also a smile that warms your heart and
makes you realize just what a gift she really is. As the Safari jeep approached
the bridge that shakes, she looked at me, arms outstretched and said "hugs."
She held onto me very tightly until we were off the bridge and our driver
headed into the savanna
. I marvel at her spirit and that of her
adoptive parents.

December
9
– MegaMouseMeet: There were many special snapshot moments
during the MegaMouseMeet. By themselves they could fill an entire article.
I also want to make special mention of those of you who came over to me
and thanked AllEars for being a site known for its accuracy. You thanked
us for not speculating and not swirling the rumor mill, but for being
a website and newsletter you could turn to for reliable and accurate facts
and information. That means more than you can imagine to all of us on
the team.

I
want to thank everyone who came by the AllEars table and donated money
to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade.
Your incredible generosity
raised $483 for the fund. Thank you so very much! Between the two Breast
Cancer fundraising events, we raised $1,543! Thank you!

December
10 — Kona Café breakfast and IllumiNations VIP party:
Sunday
was the first day in more than a week where I could actually breathe a
sigh of relief and enjoy the festivities. Mike
Scopa, Steve Barrett, Beci Mahnken and the folks from MouseFanCafe and
I hosted 40 guests at the Kona Café
in the Polynesian for
some Tonga Toast and other breakfast delights. It was a lively and festive
event and everyone seemed to be buzzing about their favorite MouseFest
memories and the events still to come. But alas, for some of us, it was
time to start saying "'Til we meet again."

MouseFest
Land High speed photos bursts:
— Mike Scopa singing "Venus" on Karaoke Night at Kimonos.
— Riding Expedition Everest with Masayo and Michiko (and learning how
to say "We did it!" in Japanese so I could share Michiko's excitement).
— Not recognizing my dear friend Jane (from Gifts of a Lifetime) because
she had lost so much weight! Jane, you look marvelous!
— Handing out Mickey stickers to complete strangers.

With all
the incredible people I saw over the last week, there is one person who
comes to mind whenever I think of MouseFest 2006. This person embodies
the spirit of what MouseFest is all about. He exudes magic and love in
everything he does. His wit and charm bring a special joy to everyone
around him. His laughter is contagious. Those of you who know him, know
what I am talking about. The man is Mike Scopa, a columnist for MousePlanet
and podcaster for WDWToday. Mike is truly an ambassador of Walt's spirit.
I was honored to present him with
a pair of Mickey Dream Ears on Sunday evening.

IllumiNations
Reflections of Earth: How appropriate that my MouseFest 2006 journey would
end with a special VIP reception and private viewing location for Epcot's
spectacular nighttime extravaganza. AllEars® gave away 15 tickets
to this special viewing prior to MouseFest. Entrants explained in 50 words
or less why attending a VIP IllumiNations Party would be a dream come
true (tying into Disney's Year of a Million Dreams promotion). We read
each and every submission and choosing the winners was very difficult.

After everyone
had arrived at the event, the special winners were invited to an area
and I told them their dream event had still one more special surprise.
Linda brought a huge Disney bag,
and out came sets of Mickey Mouse Dream Ears that twinkle in the night,
one for each person
. The giggles of delight and the transformation
of 15 adults to youngsters at heart was a sight to behold. From the couple
from the UK who danced around their apartment when they received their
congratulations email, to the cancer survivors, to the couple who had
lost everything during Hurricane Katrina, to an incredibly talented pair
of graphic artists who spread the magic each and every day in their internet
community… for that moment in time, each person present had no weight
on their shoulders and their feet were lighter than air. Daily cares had
vanished.

As the IllumiNations
show began, I stepped back and looked at everyone present… watched their
body language as they gazed into the night, some nestled close to loved
ones, others with their arm around the shoulder of a friend. It was then
that I thought how incredibly blessed we all were to be there on that
special evening. Could it get any better than this? The memories I have
will stay with me for a very long time.

When
the holiday finale that's added on to IllumiNations,
the song
"Let There be Peace on Earth," filled the air and the fireworks
explosions pounded inside our bodies, the tears filled my eyes and I suspect
many of those at the party as well.

The special
holiday finale is a moving tribute to peace and hope and was the perfect
culmination to my eight wonderfully magical days of MouseFest 2006.

Let there
be peace on Earth,
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on Earth,
The peace that was meant to be.

To take each
moment and live each moment
In peace, eternally.
Let there be peace on Earth
And let it begin with me.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

RELATED LINKS

This week's
Wandering the World
features
Deb's
Snapshots of MouseFest:

http://allearsnet.com/tp/wander/wander.htm