Well, I survived the D23 Expo. Coming right off the high of BlogHer set my expectations a bit high. I think it was because of that, I was disappointed.

I’ll get the bad out of the way first because I do have a lot of really great things to tell you about. But I do have to explain what I think was done wrong and some suggestions for fixing them.

The first year of D23 (2009), it was open to D23 members only. It’s a fairly exclusive club, you have to pay for your membership and you do get a lot of perks from being a member. One was the expo. This year, it was open to anyone and D23 members received a discount on tickets. It sold out Saturday and I heard a rumor that Sunday did sell out too.

It showed.

Arriving 2 hours before a panel is supposed to start and being turned away because the panel is full is absolutely heartbreaking. There were maybe 4 panels I really wanted to see. I saw none of them. In the interest of full disclosure, I was invited to the expo (after I purchased my own tickets) as a guest of Disney. I had a press pass. With the exception of things being held in the arena (which seated 4,000), my pass did me no good. The other two rooms where panels were being held only sat 750 and 500 people. I was irritated enough that as press I had absolutely no access but I truly felt for the people who had spent hundreds of dollars in tickets, hotels, and travel (along with those that didn’t have to travel or stay over) only to be turned away because they hadn’t sat in line since 10am for a panel that started at 3pm.

How could anyone expect to enjoy the rest of the expo like that?

The only solution I can think to fix this is for one, don’t allow people to line up all day. Advise that you’re going to allow lining up to start an hour prior to the show. For those who don’t make it in, broadcast the panel in one of the many empty rooms. I’d have been happy to sit in a room and watch the panel if I couldn’t be in it. And for goodness sake, set aside room for your press people. If not, this is the review you receive.

Some might argue that it’s my own fault for not waiting and you are right. However, there is no way my son would have survived 5 hours sitting on the floor of the convention center waiting for an hour long panel. The whole weekend would have been wasted waiting in line.

As a matter of fact…

The lines. There were lines for the lines. Lines to eat, lines to shop, lines to pay, lines for photos, lines for autographs, lines every where you looked. I would walk by a line and have no idea what it was for. I started surveying people by Sunday, asking what they were in line for and how long they had been waiting. As someone said on twitter, “Be our guest, be our guest, wait in line with all the rest!” The only place I didn’t wait in line for was the bathroom. I know, its Disney. We should be used to it! Well, I’m not. Disney invented the Fast Pass! Let’s figure out how to use that technology! I understand there were so many people and that’s how you control crowds but holy cow, did I get tired of waiting in lines.

There were other things along the lines of the Disney reps being stingy with their hand outs. Being turned away by two people at the Disney Movie Club booth who were handing out 3D Nightmare Before Christmas cards (the size of a playing card) was such a turn off. We didn’t wait in line they said. Yes, for real. They said that to two people wearing press badges. I know. I was blown away by that and it happened all weekend. I didn’t walk around expecting more than I deserve but I got less than that. Add in being hassled about how to exit exhibits (while open doors out were being guarded by Disney employees) and needing secret passwords for 5 cent buttons… Those little things really add up when they are happening constantly throughout the weekend.

Overall, these things did not define my weekend. I think honestly, a quick fix to a lot of these would be to close it off to the public and go back to members only. If you really want to go, you will join and enjoy all the benefits. Another could be to hold a conference once a year, one year here, one year in Florida.  Haven’t we learned anything from Kevin Costner movies?

“If you build it, they will come.”

Like I said, these things did not define my weekend. Yes I was disappointed by the things I missed but believe me, there were many more things that made up for it.

But you get to see those tomorrow.

…

Ok here’s Lightning McQueen made out of freaking LEGOS. How much more awesome can that be?

To be placed in the new California Adventure entrance area.

Once every two years, a wonderful event comes along:

The D23 Expo!!!

If you’re scratching your head because you don’t know what this is, I can’t blame you. This is only the second one!

The D23 Expo is THE ultimate fan event for Disney fans. There are Disney and Pixar people crawling everywhere. There are behind the scenes looks at all things Disney, this year including Pirates and Marvel hero’s. There are princesses and fairies and thousands of people who love all things Disney.

It’s pretty much my element.

If you’re looking for me this weekend, that’s the only place you will find me.

It’s a Blog Hop! Because when Nic says hop, I say “ok fine but I’m doing it because I want to, not because you’re doing it!”

That’s a lie. I do what she tells me.

Anywhoo… I thought this might be fun and its not 1oo things (remember those??) so let’s see if I can manage to tell you 25 things about me that you might not have known before.

1. My actual name is Melissa. Someone at BlogHer thought the ‘Miss’ on my blog was a title because it was next to @justonemiss on my badge. It read Miss @justonemiss. So she read it as such. And then asked my name. Ha! So that turned into a thing. So in actuality, it’s really Melissa. But most everyone calls me Miss or Mel.

2. I’ve vistited 25 of the 50 states. 24 of them before I turned 18. The only new state I’ve been too since then was New York.

3. On that note, I’ve only traveled out of the country twice and that was to cross the border to Tijuana (which I don’t think really counts but whatever) and the Bahama’s.

4. I live in California but I hardly ever go to the beach. I think I’ve gone maybe 3 times this year. I absolutely take it for granted as most Californian’s do. We’re assholes like that.

5. I’m a pisces so water attracts me. I absolutely love it, I love the sound of it and (I swear I did not know this about her but OF COURSE I feel the same way) like Nic, I love sitting on the beach on a cold day while bundled up. Looks like we’ll be doing that this winter.

6. Watching TV and movies is one of my favorite past times. I probably watch too much of both but I really don’t care.

7. I love camping and I miss it fiercely.

8. I can’t stand it when my kid’s room or the bathroom is dirty but my room is a total disaster.

9. I don’t care about two things, like could honestly care less: if my bed is ever made (I’m just going to sleep in it that night anyways) and how the toilet paper is put on the roll. Seriously people, that shit is absolutely insignificant unless you have a shitty roll holder. They don’t unroll themselves anymore, stop obsessing about that. Also, if you go to someones house and change it while sitting on their pot because it’s bothering you, you’re a total asshole. Don’t touch my TP bitches.

10. I wash my hands a LOT. They feel dirty a lot. Like, borderline OCD.

11. I love old buildings, city history, and photos of the inside of abandoned buildings.

12. Actually, I’m just a history nerd. I love it.

13. I never play the lotto, even if the jackpot is in the millions.

14. I did graduate from college but I had a baby before I did so I finished my degree from my living room in between his naps and working nights.

15. My degree is in Business Administration. I don’t know that it has ever helped me get a job but I don’t know that it hasn’t either.

16. Some people know this but I feel like everyone should: I hate sushi. I’ve tried to love it but I just can’t.

17. I used to be really good at basketball.

18. People really hate Chuck E. Cheese but I love it. It was one of my son’s favorite places as a little(r) boy AND I like the pizza and their bread sticks.

19. I’ve never had a surgery or been hospitalized. Baby having doesn’t count.

20. But I have broken my right wrist twice. In not so graceful/responsible fashions.

21. I don’t have any tattoos but I can’t wait to get some. I have them planned out and everything. Where’s that pesky money fairy??

22. I love Time Management computer games. Like Diner Dash? Love it. I’ll play for hours. I especially like the cooking ones.

23. I hate Black Friday. I hate shopping crowds, especially frantic ones. But I am thinking of going out to get some TVs this year so what does that say about me?

24. I ask a lot of hypothetical questions so don’t answer that.

25. I strongly feel that one can never own too many hoodies, sweat pants, and yoga pants. I really, really love comfort, even to sacrifice fashion. Sometimes. Rompers, you do not apply here. Or anywhere.

So, got 25 things you want me to know about you?? Link up bitches!

Prior to Blogher, my dear friend who you know as Vdog, forwarded an email to me and Nic to ask if we were interested in going to a movie screening of The Help while we were at Blogher. If it were possible, you would have heard us say “YES!” in unison. We have this very dorky (but oh, so, US!) thing where we read a book and see the movie. From the minute we saw the trailer for The Help, we knew we had to see it. We RSVP’d and it was one of the best Blogher scheduling decisions I think we made.

We both finished the book before the conference (one of us faaaar before the other *cough*) and actually turned down other parties to go to this screening. I don’t regret that decision one bit.

The movie touches on a subject that will always be sensitive, racism. The portrayal of this period in our history, in my opinion, was done well. I didn’t feel as if there were heavy cliches in either direction. The screenwriter did a decent and fair job of translating this story to the screen. If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that hinder you from seeing this movie. If anything, you might want to read it even more after seeing it.

One fair warning though… bring tissues! If you’re anything like me, you will cry during this movie. It’s almost emotionally exhausting because I was literally going from laughing hysterically to crying out in shock and sadness. It was refreshing to sit in a theater and listen to all the women this movie was touching, while I was wiping away my own tears.

I would suggest seeing this movie with women that you love and sharing this event with them. Follow that up with some movie inspired cocktails and you’ve got yourself a girls night out! I couldn’t think of a better way to spend an evening. Luckily, the awesome guys at Snake Oil Cocktail Co. were inspired enough to create some amazing (and SO tasty) cocktails inspired by the movie:

The movie opens today so if you’ve even thought for a second that you might want to see this movie, please don’t hesitate and go see it! You won’t regret it, I promise. Let me know what you thought ok?

Extra special thanks to the people at Dreamworks who put the screening together. Thank you for the amazing experience and the yummy cocktails and food. My opinion is my own and I was not asked to write or promote The Help in any way to be able to see the movie. They are just that awesome over there at Disney.

Nic and I were bad bloggers and only took pictures with our phones.

Blogher 2011 has came and went. Aren’t you thrilled? I promise this isn’t a post gushing about all the awesome things to make you feel jealous. I remember feeling that way and it sucks. This post is just for me to really say what I thought and why I think everyone should go to at least 2 of these conferences in their blogging life time.

When I visited Chicago for Blogher in 2009, I went with one goal in mind: to meet the people who lived in my computer. I bought a party pass only for that very reason. I ended up with a full pass thanks to a friend but I didn’t use it much. I accomplished my goal and I spent some amazing time with amazing people. We saw the city, we bonded, we cried as we hugged goodbye. I have friendships in my life that were cemented by that trip and I’ll never forget it. It’s not everyday you get to see a beautiful city with your closest friends by your side.

This year, I went to San Diego with a different goal in mind. To actually attend the conference. To make good connections. Let me tell you, not only did I get to see some amazing people and friends, I made some awesome connections and was able to talk to some of my favorite brands one on one. I even learned a few things along the way.

Being able to chat with a Verizon rep who absolutely made me love his company all over again was amazing. Meeting the super friendly girls that work for HTC and to have them listen to me was impressive and fun. To be able to tell a representative of Disney how much I love what they are doing as a company was an honor. And I got to do it all with my very best friend by my side. How lucky am I?

The non-conference stuff was fun and being able to meet new people in our community was great. I’m going to have to give the Kiss Our Sass party my award for most fun because they did it right. So many of the parties have gone so very corporate and lost what we all loved about them in the first place (IMO) but the Kiss Our Sass girls had fun and put together a party FOR people, not for the status or the ability to have a really overpriced cake and bragging rights. To top it off, they gave me and Nic the opportunity to meet an awesome single dad blogger, RJ, who later forced us to sit on a toilet with him.

These are only things that happen at Blogher folks.

So? What do you think of the new look?

My major re-design is thanks to my honey, Ant. I can’t thank him enough for being patient with me through all this. He really is the best!

If you’re here because of Blogher, I’m happy to have you! If you’re here because I made you come see my new design, I love ya for it!

Either way, I hope you say hello and tell me what you think of the new look and make sure you come back. I always say it but I’m really thinking if actually using space again! (stop laughing)

Catch you on the flip side!