Because I Stinkin' Love Disney World
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Ashley Metz keeps a special book in her South Carolina chateau. It's called the Disney Book of Stinkin' Love. Into that book she pours her passion for the parks, her devotion to Disney World, and from that book, every week, she'll draw forth with characteristic exuberance a chapter exclusively for Disney Dispatch. Ashley welcomes questions, but no matter what you ask, the answer will always be the same, and it will always be correct: Because I Stinkin' Love Disney World!
JAN 12Ashley joins us in the new year with some reasoning as to why getting a little wet on Kali River Rapids isn't the worst thing in the world and might even be a little avoidable.
DEC 22Ashley talked last time about 3 trends and this article she puts those trends to good use in a real world creation - this article will certainly put you in the holiday spirit. Thanks Ashley.
DEC 5Ashley talks about how wonderful the holiday season is around Walt Disney World and how to use Disney in your home decorating for the Christmas season.
SEP 26 Ashley talks about some of the hardest working birds in show business - the performers in the Flights of Wonder show at Disney Animal Kingdom.
SEP 9 Ashley goes to one of her favorite rides at Disney Hollywood Studios - the Great Movie Ride - and talks about the power of a really good guide
AUG 30 Kindgergarten teacher Ashley uses a little creativity and comes up with some charming pointer / pencil toppers for next to nothing!
AUG 11 Not gifts FOR teacher but gifts FROM teacher: as in "what should I bring back for the kids in my class from my Disney vacation?" Ashley Metz, who teaches kindergarten, has some ideas for spreadin' the magic between the ritin' and the readin'.
AUG 4 Ashley is in Guatemala. Her Disney T-shirt was made in Honduras, see, and she's tracking it. Well, no, she's in Guatemala for different reasons, but she IS tracking her Disney T-shirt, just as you can track yours using the DisneyStore's Track My T app.
JUL 28 Last week, Ashley had a prickly encounter at Disney World with a parade spot poacher. It didn't turn out well. Could it happen again. Yes. Another parade, another poacher. Welcome to Round 2. Ashley versus the diminutive Disney diabla.
JUL 21 At parades, even Disney parades, people can turn into animals. All they care about is the SPOT, and it doesn't matter if you were there first - they still want it. Ashley has had strife over her spots, but now she knows how to fight back.
JUL 14 It's got fun and games; it's got everything you want, and Ashley knows their names. What's makes the Jungle Cruise so famous isn't the crusty animals or the outdated theme, it's the spiels, and the spiels are only as good as the skippers.
JUL 7 Simple pleasures. You don't have to dive into a Dole Whip, lunge for a Lapu Lapu, to put the magic of Disney in your digestive system. There are easier ways, cheaper ways, and Ashley Metz can testify to the power of the Mickey premium bar.
JUN 30 Ve haff vays of making you talk. In my mind, I picture a Monty Python skit with Michael Palin botching a German accent and terrorizing tied to a (comfy) chair Carol Cleveland as he brings from behind his back a bottle full of ... Beverly! Cue scream!
JUN 23 I have something in common with Ashley Metz. We both stinkin' love Mickey's PhilharMagic in Fantasyland! For me, a trip to Disney World isn't complete with at least three or free visits, and Ashley wouldn't find that strange at all.
JUN 16 I feel no envy, no jealousy, that right this very minute Ashley is in Hawaii, possibly snapping pictures of Aulani, definitely soaking up sun or splashing in surf. I'm not jealous because she left behind this article! About Hawaii...
JUN 9 Last week, Ashley found Hawaii (or at least things Hawaiian) at Disney World. Now, exhausted from too much island merriment, even if it all did happen in Orlando, Florida, Ashley heads to the Disney Resorts only to find more... things Hawaiian!
JUN 2 Ashley is going to Hawaii! Jealous? Of course not. Beaches, palms, beauty, surf, bliss... Well, yes: jealous! But Ashley is not leaving us in the lurch. For the next few weeks, she'll be looking at how you can find Hawaii yourself: in Disney World!
MAY 26 You don't need a grill, burgers, and beer to prove your patriotism this Memorial Day. If you happen to be at Disney World, you won't even need the sparklers; what you will need is right here: Ashley's suggestions for finding America in the parks.
MAY 19 Ashley Metz made a solemn vow: she would find one of the paint brushes Disney hides each day on Tom Sawyer Island. No matter what! Sounds easy? Not. It was hot, it had rained, Ashley hair was frizzled, herself frazzled. Where was the paint brush?
MAY 12 On a recent trip to Disney World, Ashley had some problems, but with the power of Hakuna Metztada, she dealt with them. Now, however, a bigger crisis looms. Will she be barred from breakfast over an ADR error? Or did she finally paint her mouseterpiece?
MAY 5 People plan for their Disney vacations with all the diligence and attention to detail that made the Invasion of Normandy such a rousing success. But things can still go wrong. And things will go wrong. As they did recently for Ashley Metz...
APR 28 Cavorting is an excellent thing to do in the Magic Kingdom, and it's especially fun in Tomorrowland's Club 626, where Stitch holds daily dance parties open to even the most minimally mobile. Ashley Metz cavorts there all the time.
APR 21 Sixteen years ago, young Ashley Metz walked into the Magic Kingdom for the first time, and from that day she has stinkin' loved Disney World - and its annual Easter Parade. The Parade, in fact, holds a special place in her heart...
APR 14 Elbows off table. Napkin on lap. Clean your plate! Fond memories of Sunday dinner at crazy Aunt Tillie's? Nope. It's the 50's Prime Time Cafe. Misbehave here and you'll stand in the corner. Did Ashley Metz misbehave? Let's find out...
APR 7 The essence of Norway is... who said sardines? It's actually Laila, an alluring perfume sold in the Norway pavilion. For Ashley Metz, however, Laila wasn't love at first spritz: it took awhile for the scent to ensnare her fancy, and this is her aromatic report.
MAR 31 In a tale of paranoia and voyeurism, Ashley Metz comes face to foliage with DiVine, the green performance artist who stalks the Animal Kingdom, suddenly appearing on jungle trails to give unsuspecting guests a case of the chlorophyll creeps.
MAR 24 My son, when he was little, loved the 'Wheels on the Bus' song. It took me years to get it out of my head. Now Ashley Metz has brought it all back with her cool article about the music on the Disney bus (which goes round and round and...).
MAR 17 Appropriate, on St. Patrick's Day, that Ashley Metz seeks gold after last week failing to find her prince. But the gold she seeks is not the spendin' kind, it's the shootin' kind. As in the perfect shot of Cinderella Castle. And this time, Ashley finds her fairy tale!
MAR 10 Looking for the small things is part of the magic. Taking in not only the sights but also the sounds, smells, tangibles, and tastes is part of noticing. Be aware of the things that are completely purposeful but often are overlooked and underappreciated. Don't pass by the street corners without looking at the names, don't miss... MORE
MAR 3 At home, maybe, I have a pile of laundry started in one room while I go vacuum another, but at Disney, I constantly stop to smell the roses and watch the jugglers. Did you just re-read that sentence? Don't worry, I intended the jugglers part! The juggler in question makes his home at Epcot. He's Sergio the... MORE
FEB 24 I first read about the goodnight kiss on some Disney fan blogs while doing research for a vacation. I kept reading about a 'kiss goodnight' that followed Wishes Nighttime Spectacular and I wanted to know more. I learned that the kiss goodnight takes place a few minutes after Wishes, but there's never a... MORE
FEB 17 Have you ever had dessert envy? I have. Especially when my mother ordered the Tiramasu at Tony's Town Square in the Magic Kingdom. I should have been content with my gelato, but the instant that our waiter laid her plate on the table, I completely lost it. I eyed her order from across the table. Perhaps it was... MORE
FEB 10 I love things that make me go... Disney! Things that remind me of fun times with friends and family in the parks. Have you ever seen something that makes you go... Disney? I'm sure you have; they're everywhere! For example: the stick figure families adorned with Mickey ear hats or the pink-crowned Minnie... MORE
FEB 3 But I am absolutely convinced that tomorrow morning I will wake up to a surprise. I won't be going to work. Instead, I'll be going to Disney World in time for 'Love is Magical'. (Valentine's Day is my thing, you know!) So, let's talk about all the lovely things I am going to do this weekend... MORE
JAN 27 I love taking on the challenge of drawing my favorite Disney characters. I'm always surprised when I think of how many people have been visiting Disney World for years but either have never heard of The Magic of Disney Animation or have never bothered to walk inside. If it's you I'm talking about, take... MORE