Dreaming Disney - Disney Infinity's "Summer of Endless Fun"

I was lucky on my last vacation to the Disneyland Resort to find out more about another way to bring the Disney magic home, Disney Infinity.

I just happened to be in Anaheim for the first day of the “Summer of Endless Fun” tour which allowed Disney Interactive to show off their latest game at Downtown Disney, Disney Infinity. I attended the July 7th session in Downtown Disney. The tour spot included a tent, under which they showcased the game on a number of different platforms. Those waiting to try out Disney Infinity were entertained with music by Radio Disney. We were also given the chance to pre-order the game while standing in line!

It was a popular event. I got to the tent within the first hour of it opening and had to wait at least 45 minutes for my chance to play. While waiting I was given a Disney Infinity bag, button and place mat shaped handout with game specs. The crowd seemed to be a mix of folks looking for free stuff with little knowledge of the game and people who wanted to know more about the game but who had heard of it. I knew of the game, but honestly I did not fully have a grasp of what the game would entail. I had already pre-ordered, and the sales representative making the pitch to me told me my bonuses were better than they were offering that day.


Once in the tent, I got about 4 minutes of game play. I got to play as Mater driving around Radiator Springs. The console I was using was not one that I have at home, we were not given choices. So it took me longer than I wanted to learn the controls. Basically my big achievement during this time was snagging cars with Mater’s hook and giving them a toss across the landscape. The representative assigned to me asked me questions about what I liked and wanted the game to do to help keep the conversation going. And we discussed what I had pre-ordered and what I would need to make what I have alright purchased work in more than the Toy Box mode. I also found out about the Power Disc sets, $4.99 for a random pack, which could be a big collectible along with giving your game cool features. When I was finished, I was given t-shirts for the Between Kids. For it being such a short time I did walk away with a decent amount of stuff and increased knowledge about the game.

The “Summer of Endless Fun” tour honestly made me more excited about Disney Infinity. I told myself if I did not enjoy it I was going to cancel my pre-order. Instead I walked away thinking about what else I wanted to order! Disney Infinity will clearly help bring the magic home in the between months ahead!

Dreaming Disney - Totems

I love the movie Inception.  In this film, characters enter and experience dreams together.  In order to tell the difference between the real world and dream world the dreamers keep totems, small physical items the dreamer has intimate knowledge of that will show them if they are dreaming or awake.

For me living Between Disney my vacations often seem like they were dreams.  I live in a place so unlike Anaheim and Orlando that it is sometimes hard to believe that Space Mountain actually exists.  Luckily I stumbled accidentally on my first trip to my totems which remind daily that the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are actually real.  And they fit my personality.

I collect baseballs!

On my first trip to Downtown Disney in Orlando, I was shopping in the ESPN store when I picked up two baseballs.  I am a baseball fan.  One had the year of the trip and one had Mickey in baseball gear.  Little did I know that this would lead to me picking up several baseballs over the next few years.   About two years ago I realized I had for most of my trips the souvenir ball with the year on it for every visit but two trips.  This fact lead to an Internet and EBay search of several months that netted me my missing two balls. 

The balls are displayed in my office, and I look at them every day.  My totems remind me of where I have been, where I hope to go again, and that it’s real….it’s really real!

Here is my advice on a totem:

·         Small, easier to display.

·         Cheap, that way you never have to question the price tag.

·         Personal, I really like baseball and my friends will tell you that a Disney baseball is a good combination of two of my favorite interests.

I’m sure that I’m not the first one to pick up using totems out here Between Disney.  What’s your totem?