Way to go, Helio!!

I have to give it up for Helio Castraneves. I think he did an amazing job this season on Dancing With The Stars. Half way through the season, I wouldn't have known he'd come this far. He has all the charisma that Marie had to offer and the skill Mel had to offer, he was a total package and I'm glad that he won.

Although, does anyone else find it odd that he called off his engagement the night he won? Was his fiance jealous of his relationship (or all of those kisses he shared with) Julianne? We all succomb to a little bit of gossip now and then, but this just caught me a little offguard. I didn't even know he was engaged to begin with, but I know if my fiance was smooching on someone as drooled over as Julianne, I would be jealous. Oh well not very important. What did you guys think of the finals? I thought it was wayyyy too long. Not suprised though..

I hope everyone is having a great week! 1 WEEK UNTIL MOUSEFEST!!

Since The Disney Company owns ABC Network...

Being an avid viewer of Dancing with The Stars.. I feel the need to take a moment and let the ABC Network know that they will lose a viewer if MARIE OSMOND WINS THIS COMPETITION.

I don't watch much TV, but for some reason I really enjoy watching washed up celebrities attempt to dance their way to the top in this energetic and exciting show. I have watched DWTS since the second season and I've always felt that talent as a dancer has been the essential key to winning this show. It seems that is not the case this season.

I'm sorry to rag on you Marie Osmond, but you have no right being in the finals. This is not a popularity contest, it's about TALENT. Her freestyle dance tonight was an absolute joke. I hope all of her doll collecting fans enjoyed it, because I thought I was watching a car crash. Granted, there has been a ton of drama on this season (that I could've done without, frankly, but we all know it makes for good television), I just am sick of the sob stories and the excuses every week. I'm sorry Marie, but you don't hold a candle to Mel & Maks or Helio & Julianne.


Now don't get me wrong, I know I'm coming off like a %$^#& right now. But this is my opinion and if you don't like it, then don't read my blog. I just get very competitive when I am challenged. This is a dancing competition and I want to see the best dancer win, not the most favored person on the cast. I really think that Jenny Garth gave her all on the show this season. She made a truly awesome journey from the shy and modest girl next door to a confident and sassy dancing queen. Watching her transform was so exciting. I'm sure Marie has gained a lot of dancing experience and has made wonderful memories, but she is just not good enough. I'm afraid to watch tomorrow, but I'll be tuning in. What do you guys think?? Let me know if you are a DWTS fan and who you want to win!! I'm rooting for Helio & Julianne!!!


Also... while I'm on a roll here, to the person who felt the need to leave a severely rude and immature review about The Magical Definition Podcast, my co-hosts and myself.... Thank you for listening ;) If you enjoy the show and have any creative criticism or feedback you'd like to share, please leave us a review on itunes!

I hope you all have a great week and I will possibly be blogging tomorrow! See ya real soon!!


-Jackie O.

I've been Enchanted!

First off, I would just like to say that I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a wonderful and safe Holiday. Those of you who may not, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I had a very nice holiday and having 2 days off was like a breath of fresh air.






So... Aside from Holiday shopping and spending time with friends and family this weekend, I got to see Enchanted last night. I cannot say enough good things about this film. I went to see it with high hopes and I left pleased as pie.

So here is your warning: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ENCHANTED YET AND ARE NOT INTERESTED IN SPOILERS... SKIP THIS ENTRY!


First of all, the one thing that really implanted in my mind that this would be a great film was the casting. With seasoned actors like Susan Sarandon, Julie Andrews, Patrick Dempsey and Timothy Spall included in the cast, I knew this movie was going to be something special. Susan Sarandon as the wicked stepmother, Narissa, was a perfect fit. Everything about her went into the character, the voice, the facial expressions and her actions. Julie Andrews as the narrator was a wonderful compliment to the movie-going experience (not to mention, she's one of my idols!). Patrick Dempsey as the closed-minded New York attorney and father of one's character cannot help but succomb to Giselle's beauty and kindness.

On that note, this film was a door opener for the lovely and talented, Amy Adams. She was perfect as a Disney princess. Airy, naive and sweet, she did an excellent job as Giselle. I just hope this role doesn't typecast her because I'd like to see her in other roles. I hear she was really good in Junebug, so I'd like to see her expanding talents. She has a voice like an angel and the poise of the most perfect Disney princess. Her sidekick, the adorable, wisecracking Chipmunk, Pip, was a typical sidekick, but irresistibly cute and funny.

I also really like seeing this whole other side of James Marsden. I'm so used to seeing him in action films like X-Men and Disturbing Behavior. But this year he blew me away as Corny Collins in Hairspray. Who would've known he had such a great voice? Seems this is his year to shine. His role as the corny, yet dashing, Prince Edward was great was yet another perfect fit.


Some of my favorite parts of this film were the "That's How You Know" scene in Central Park, "The Working Song" scene, when Giselle goes to work with Robert (Patrick Dempsey's character), Prince Edwards screwy chase to find Giselle and of course, The Ball Scene. The costumes in the final scene were gorgeous.

What I really loved about this film was that though it ended how most of us women would've wanted it to, it wasn't what you would call a "perfect" fairy tale. It was a very cute and light movie, but going on Giselle's evolutionary journey from naive fairy tale princess to a real life individual woman was exciting and refreshing. Going on dates with Prince Edward rather then marrying him after laying her eyes on him was both enlightening and contrary. I found this film had a great twist on the fairy tale stories we all know and love.

I believe that this is a movie for anyone who has ever experienced fairy tales or Disney in their lives. It had many throwbacks to original Disney films including, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, among many others. Jodi Benson and Paige O'Hara who in the past have voiced famous Disney princesses such as Ariel and Belle, made cameos in this film, which was really cool! They really worked hard to make this film work and they did an amazing job. Having Alan Menken back at work on the fantastic music, it just added to the whole experience. Every element of this film worked for me. I loved the story, the music, the characters, the acting talents and the direction.

This movie gets two big thumbs up from me, so get out there and see it! It's great for the Holiday season. Go see it with your sweetheart, your family or your friends, you won't regret it.

Pics & the "What The Heck?" Moment of the Day

I just want to give a shout out to the e-lurkers... I love you guys!


Here are a couple pics from The Tower of Terror Run if you haven't seen them yet over on www.waltsgirls.com. I know the pics look cut off, but just go ahead and click the pics for better viewing.









And one last pic... Me and Minnie circa 1987!




So today at work, I was telling some co-workers about some Study Abroad programs being offered by the College of Business at my University for next summer. They are offering two separate trips, one to China and the other to Cambodia & Thailand. I think both of these would be blast. I was just mentioning a few details about the trips to my co-workers and I mentioned you get one free day in Hong Kong to do whatever you wish. Of course, I said that I would spend my free day at HK Disneyland, what Disney Nut wouldn't?? The response I got to this? "You mean to tell me, if you had a day to do anything in Hong Kong, you would go to Disneyland?" To which I replied, "Of course! One of my goals in life is to visit every Disney theme park around the world." The response back? "Well, then I guess if that is a goal of yours..." Which was then followed, by an eyeroll and a change of the subject. What the heck is that all about??

I'm a marketing major and not only would I love to go to HK Disneyland, but I would love to see the difference in management and the way the business functions over there. So, what's wrong with this being something that I'd want to do? I'm sure there are wonderful things to see in Hong Kong, but who's to say I'd never go back? I was just a little bothered at the response I was given to this discussion. To each's own, right? Ok, so maybe I shouldn't get so worked up over this, but I felt like she was criticizing me and I didn't like it.

What do you guys think? If you had one day in Hong Kong, would you go to Disneyland or would you do something else? Let's just say, that someday AFTER that you'd have the opportunity to go back. Maybe I'm just an enormous Disney Dweeb. So be it, I say!

Ashes to Ashes

Check out this article


It seems that last Friday at Disneyland California, Pirates of the Caribbean was closed down because a woman was caught on video by cast members dumping a suspicious powder into the attractions waters. Just what was this suspicious powder? The woman claims it was baby powder, but some people are suspecting it is something more like human ashes. If this is the case, this action is completely illegal.


Now, I don't know how many of you have heard about this, but I have known about this for a while. Am I the only weirdo that isn't bothered by this? I mean, yeah, it's a little creepy, but who wouldn't want to be laid to rest at the happiest place on earth? So, if park management knows that something like this is occuring, why not do something about it? Why not have an area where people could have their last respects paid at their favorite Disney park? Ok, so maybe that would freak out the general public, but I still don't think it's a horrible idea. Let's admit it, the parks have been around for a really long time and I'm sure this has been happening for just at long. People aren't going to just stop scattering ashes within the parks (whether or not they "really" are). Could you imagine if someone you knew asked you to do this? Not that anyone has ever asked me to, but, what would you say if someone told you that their last wish was to have their ashes scattered in the Haunted Mansion or in the waters of the Jungle Cruise? Would you say no? Would you want the same thing? Tough question, huh? Maybe Disney can buy up some land and make a Cemetary that doesn't feel so drab and morbid like most Cemetarys do. Just an idea.... lol

I guess this just isn't something that shocks me. People are crazy, they do crazy things and this would be one of them.. If that is someone's dying wish, so be it. I'm not going to let touching a rail with someones cremated ashes on it ruin my day. I'm sure everyone now thinks I'm crazy, but that's ok. It just further proves my point. What do you guys think? Do you agree? Do you think it's disgusting? Do you want your ashes spread around Disney World? After all, Jackie O. always wants to know, so spill it!

Hannah Montana Madness Continues!

Are you one of thousands who struggled to get Hannah Montana concert tickets for your little ones? If so, just be glad you didn’t have to partake in this radio bit started by a local Tampa morning show on 93.3FLZ. The MJ Morning Show has been hosting a competition called “Hannah Monstrosity” since last Thursday morning. What does the competition entail? 20 devoted individuals must hang on to a 12’ tall Hannah Montana statue that has been created by a company who produces Disney and Universal sculptures. Out of the 20 people clinging to the statue, 4 remain as of today. The winner will receive 4 tickets and backstage passes to the Tampa concert next week. The winner will also have the chance to meet Hannah Montana, herself (Miley Cyrus), along with The Jonas Brothers. The $5,000 cash prize is just an added bonus. For more information, live television quality footage and pictures galore, Visit www.mjmorningshow.com.

It’s actually really neat to be able to stream the contest online. If it were me, I would just do it for the $5,000.00, but unfortunately I can’t take the time off of work. In fact, one guy was called back to work and had to withdraw from the contest. I listen to this morning show every day at work and I really thought this was a great bit. Especially knowing that people are desperate for these tickets. Anyone out there have a tough time getting the tickets or just don’t give a hoot about Hannah Montana?? Let me know!

EPCOT'S Food and Wine Festival

Despite my hectic work schedule, I was able to make it to the food and wine festival at EPCOT this weekend. Juice Newton was the featured musical act for the Eat to the Beat concert series. Although I am a huge music fan, I was not familiar with her, so we didn't stop to listen. Had I gone 2 days earlier, I would've been able to see Little Richard. I LOVE Little Richard! I suppose there is always next year.



I was able to sample what I thought to be quite a bit from the festival, though I was sharing portions with two other people. One or two small bites of each was fine by me.



Here is a rundown of the dishes we got to sample (In the order we sampled, we went counter-clockwise as always):

Dominican Republic

Mofongo - This was mashed yuca (which is a starch root similar to the potato) with pork cracklings served with grilled shrimp. This was one of the best things I tried all day. Great way to start off the day. I highly recommended this item.
Coconut Flan - If you've never had flan, it's basically a sweet, creamy, caramel flavored baked custard. Flan by itself is very good, but the coconut gave it a little extra something. This was another favorite of the day.

Peru

Cause de Cangrejo - This is a cold yellow potato and crab salad. Though the crab was pretty good, I didn't really enjoy this dish very much.
Arroz Con Pato - This is a duck dish with cilantro rice. It was actually pretty good. Not my favorite, but I liked the flavor pairing between the duck and cilantro. I don't recommend this if you don't like peas!
Tabernero Cabernet Sauvignon - This red wine was full bodied and very peppery. A little too strong for me since I prefer mild table wines, such as Chianti. If you like very tannin-stimulating full flavored cabs, give this your best shot.

Greece

We skipped Greece because we live in an area populated by many Greek people and Greek restaurants. It would be really hard to reproduce some of the amazing Greek cuisine we've had so close to home. Although, I had overheard many people saying that the food in this pavilion was very good.

Canada

Cheddar Cheese Soup - What would the food and wine festival be without having this?? Every year it is the same as before. Rich, hearty and full of flavor. If you are a fan of cheese or bacon, this is highly recommended. It was warm out, but not too warm for a cup of this soup!
Maple Custard with Almond Crumble - The almond crumble complemented the maple custard so well. I had this last year, but I don't remember it having the almond crumble on the top. Maybe I am losing my mind. It was very yummy. I love anything almond flavored, so this is right up my alley.

New Zealand

We weren't big fans of this booth last year, so we skipped it this year.

Great Beers of the World

Skipped as well. NOT that I am not a beer fan. We came back to this stand a later at night.

Iced Tea Fusion

Skipped

France

Escargot Persillade en Brioche - Everyone except me tried this dish. I just wasn't in the mood for snails I suppose. Not that I don't like it, I've tried it a few times before, I just didn't want any.
I hear the Pomegranate Kir is delicious!

Oklahoma -Three Sisters' Cafe

Seared Buffalo with Scalloped Wild Onions - We came back for this before we left for the night because it looked delicious. If you are a beef lover, this is for you. Cooked perfectly,melt in your mouth delicious!

Oklahoma - Rose Rock Diner

Native Peach Buckle - This was so tasty. It is kind of like a cake in a tart shell with fresh peaches and pecans. Very yummy, I highly recommend this!

Morocco, Australia, Japan, USA

Skipped x4. What can I say? We can eat, but we just couldn't eat it all. Oh wait I lied... We tried the grilled lamb chop with caramelized onions in Australia. It was good wonderfully and was very tasty!

Hops & Barley Market

New England Crab Cake with Barley-Lentil Salad - For me this is a signature F&W Festival dish. I had it last year, I had to have it this year. And what a better to wash it down, then with a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat beer? The lentil salad is light and refreshing with the hearty crab cake. This is highly recommended by me.

Poland

Skipped

Italy

Lasagna Al Forno - One of the best lasagnas I've ever tasted. The spinach pasta in this lasagna is a nice change from the usual semolina pasta. I don't usually eat lasagna that has meat in it, but this one was really good.
Cecchi Chianti Classico - I'm just beginning my excursion into the wide world of red wine and I prefer chiantis and merlots for the time being. This is a very nice everyday chianti.
Peroni Beer - Light with a full flavor. I would have to compare this to Stella Artois. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, I'm no expert, that's just what it reminded me of.

Germany

Skipped

Turkey

Pistachio Baklava - I hate to say I was disappointed with this item. I love baklava, but this just had nothing special to it.

South Africa

Durban Spiced Chicken on a Skewer - I must be the only person on the planet who isn't overly excited about this dish. Maybe because I got the fatty piece, who knows. The flavor was just odd and the item that accompanied the chicken was just icky.
Goats do Roam Red - This was a nice smooth red wine. Very different flavor then the reds I'm used to drinking, but I really liked this.

India

Skipped. Although, I heard the curried butternut squash soup was very good.

China, Ireland & Spain

Skipped

Mexico

Chilaquiles - Yet another one of the most delicious things we tried all day. Chicken, tortillas and a spicy tomatillo sauce. Definitely try this item. It is so good that I bought the recipe book and made it yesterday. It came out just as delicious as I remembered it

Argentina

Spicy Beef Empanada - If you like surprises, try this! It's like a gourmet hot pocket. The beef in this item is organic and very fresh.
Grilled Beef with Chimichurri Sauce - Just as good as it sounds. Try this!!
Dulce de Leche - Similar to flan, but creamier and without the burnt sugar taste. (Which is basically what caramel is) Loved it!

Chile, Champagne

Skipped both



So there you have it, yes we sampled a LOT, but mind you, we didn't have breakfast, lunch or dinner. We just noshed from 11:00am until 8:00pm. We shared everything and had a bite a piece, if that. The only thing we all had a whole portion of was the cheddar cheese soup. That is just NOT shareable. If you go or plan on going to the F&W Festival, be sure to pick up a copy of the recipe book. It is well worth it! I already made the chilequiles and it hasn't been a week since we went. It's a great investment, makes the memories seem to last and last and would even be a great gift for someone who didn't get the chance to go this year. Remember, the Festival runs through November 11th, so you still have time to get in on the fun! I'm sorry we couldn't do every country's booth, but it was just too much food! Not too mention we ended up indulging in dole whips at the Magic Kingdom after EPCOT closed. Take care everyone and talk to you soon!

What were some of your favorite/least favorite dishes? Disagree with my opinions on the items? Do you do any of the seminars or Party for the Senses? I'm dying to hear how they were, so let me know! I'd love to get all of your opinions as well.


-Jackie O.

(2 days until the ToT Marathon!)