New Website!

Until I figure out how to make this site redirect (is that even possible?)  I'll leave this post here.

Come check me out at missykirtley.com!

omg, Marvel (and Disney/Star Wars). Get with the program.

Okay, so I'm not the only one who noticed that Marvel has a serious problem.  I guess... [insert something here about the decade in which the company was born?]  Maybe Marvel hasn't gotten with the times yet.  (By the way, it's 2015 now. Girls want superhero action figures/role models/etc. just as much as boys do.  Trust me, I'm a parent of young girls.  I've got my finger on the pulse of what makes 5 year old girls tick.)

Oh, you want more proof?  I'm not the only parent who thinks this way.  Here's a fantastic video. (God, if only I had editing skills.  I would love to have made something like this with my daughters.)

My comment on the i09 article is as follows:

My daughters are nearly 3 and nearly 6, and we LOVE watching Marvel films and reading Marvel comics together.  (Not to mention Star Wars, Lego, and tons of other fun/nerdy activities that /the man/ seems to think are only fit for boys.)

When are Marvel, DC, and Disney (STAR WARS) going to realize that girls like action heroes just as much as boys do?  When are they going to start selling us the t-shirts, toys and games that we want?

Speaking of Star Wars, I had to order our "May the 4th" t-shirts from HerUniverse.com (a fantastic site for women/girls, by the way) so we could go to the Disney Store and collect our keepsake pins.  (The Disney Store didn't have a single Star Wars t-shirt for girls or women.  I bet they still don't.)  The good news is I got some FANTASTIC shirts that the girls and I adore.  The bad news is... The Disney Store didn't/doesn't stock any Star Wars mechandise/t-shirts for women/girls.

(I'm going to take a quick moment to brag about how amazing my daughter Alice was on stage for Jedi Training Academy during our recent trip to Disneyland.  I have video proof.)

I suppose we're going to have to demand it.  In voices loud and clear.

-Missy Kirtley

Reviews and Promises

I was listening to the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast (which is absolutely AWESOME, by the way, if you haven't started listening to it, you absolutely should) and in their interview with Hugh Howey, which is Podcast #83, they discussed how Hugh Howey's book, Wool. (Available on Amazon and other fine retailers.)

I haven't read the book.  Yet.  I hear it's wonderful, and it's on my to-do list not only because of the great reviews and my desire to support fellow self-published authors, but mostly because I thought Hugh was great in his interview.  I liked what he had to say about it all.

The thing that caught me the most was his discussion about how he celebrated getting a certain number of reviews on Amazon.  The video-that-shall-not-be-named is linked here.

The first in my The Royals series has 6 reviews on Amazon.  I think it's a pretty good story at a fair price, and I would love to get more reviews.  I'd like to do some sort of recognition like Hugh Howey did when he reached review milestones.  I just need to brainstorm what I might do.  (The idea of posting funny videos is very appealing.)

10 Reviews - ???
50 Reviews - ???
100 Reviews - ???
200 Reviews - ???

Any thoughts?  Has anyone else done this sort of thing?

-Missy Kirtley

Word Count vs. Page Number

(In which I rant, admittedly likely unfoundedly, about people using "page number" when we should all switch to "word count"...)

I found an article this morning called The 10 Best Books Shorter than 150 Pages by Sarah Gerard.  While the article is informative and interesting (and gave me a few more books to add to my every growing 'Need to read again' list), I can't help but nitpick on one point.  Why is it that we use the archaic "page count" when talking about books?

It must be a habit that we're having a hard time breaking.  Because when I read on my Kindle, the page count varies from setting to setting.  Font size, header and footer size, page width, it all varies.  And aren't there large print editions of these books that would have a different page count?  Not to mention that the audiobook versions of these titles have no page count.  But the WORD COUNT remains the same.

At a meeting of the California Writer's Club, Berkeley Branch yesterday, I was speaking with some friends about word counts for Blog Posts.  Word Counts.  Not Page counts.  We discussed a Critique Group in Berkeley that suggests the writers who sign up for a critique session to bring in 1,200 words.  Not 3 pages or 5 pages.

I would love to see this change.  Instead of a "300 page novel" let's start saying a "80k word novel" or a "40k word novella" or a "10k word novelette" ... Unless I'm mistaken, in which case, please give me insight!  Answer my question!  Why "page number" and not "word count"?

-Missy Kirtley

California Writer's Club: Berkeley Branch

I went to the meeting of the Berkeley Branch of the California Writer's Club today in Oakland.  It was a grand adventure with my girl friend.  We took the BART, which is always an adventure, and walked a half mile from the Lake Merritt Station to the Oakland Library.  The journey was relatively uneventful; there were no strangers cursing at me on the BART, which has happened in the past.  We were only asked for money a half dozen times during our treck.

When we arrived at the meeting, we made the group large enough that we had to add more tables and chairs.  From 1pm to 2pm there was a meeting about Marketing for Writers led by Kymberlie, who writes several blogs.  I found her input to be fascinating.  Then we had a break, and reorganized how we were sitting.  A speaker named Lucy came to the podium and talked about her long publication journey, and her bad experiences with iUniverse, a Print On Demand pioneer, who was a Vanity Publisher in disguise.

Sarah Sundin took the stage at 3pm and gave a presentation on The Snowflake Method and how to use it to outline a novel.  It sounds right up my alley, actually.  When it comes to writing, I'm definitely a plotter and not a 'pantser.'  The presentation left my girl friend and I enthused about our own writing, but also a little daunted by the wealth of information we were presented with today.  (Much like how we felt after our experiences at the Writer's Digest Novel-Writing Conference we attended this summer.)

I met some really interesting people, and learned quite a few things.  I am definitely interested in joining the Writer's Club, though my friend and I want to explore the other branches that are local--to make sure we find the right fit for us.

We're signed up for the San Francisco Writer's Conference, over Valentine's Day weekend.  My goal is to have my rough draft of Three Tiers (my YA/New Adult, Sci Fi Novel) finished by then.  I'm signed up for UtopYA Con in June, and I hope to have my NaNoWriMo 2014 Novel finished and polished by then.  These are just a few steps in my writing journey, and I'm so lucky to be travelling on it with such talented, giving, wonderful people.

-Missy Kirtley

NANOWRIMO 2014 Chapter List

PART ONE: The House

Chapter 1: The Wooden Gate

Chapter 2: The Green Door

Chapter 3: The Back Garden

Chapter 4: The Deep Well

PART TWO: The Woods

Chapter 5: The Wild Wood

Chapter 6: The Wolves

Chapter 7: The Old Woman

PART THREE: The Castle

Chapter 8: The Youngest Princess

Chapter 9: Steel, Silk, Surprise

Chapter 10: The Brilliant Escape

PART FOUR: The Clearing

Chapter 11: The Drinking Songs (Autumn)

Chapter 12: The Wisdom of Age (Winter)

Chapter 13: Strawberries in December’s Frost

Chapter 14: The Spring Awakening (Spring)

Chapter 15: The Harvest Preparations (Summer)

PART FIVE: The Trials

Chapter 16: The Wise Eagle

Chapter 17: The Three Trials

Chapter 18: The Sleeping Giants

Chapter 19: The Hungry Witches

Chapter 20: The Dragon’s Egg

PART SIX: The Dungeons

Chapter 21: The Heart’s Betrayal

Chapter 22: The Dungeon Maze

Chapter 23: The King’s Secret

Chapter 24: The Long Road Back

Chapter 25: Advice from an Eagle

PART SEVEN: The Worm

Chapter 26: The Worm at the Heart of the Tower

Chapter 27: The Little House

Chapter 28: The Wooden Gate

Sing-Along Blog

I know it's not Thursday, but here's a Blog Post that I wrote back on July 29, 2008.  It's in an old blog I'm not using anymore, but I thought it was worth reading.  I'm reposting it here.

Sing-Along Blog

It's rather hard for me to put into words just how much I hero-worship Joss Whedon.

...there. That's the end of this entry. Not enough for you? All right, I'll keep going.

My passion for Joss Whedon started when I was in high school. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was in its first season on the WB (remember them?) and I was completely hooked. "Witch" was the first episode I ever saw, and from then on I was positively glued to my television every night the show was on. During the show's third season, I would have "Buffy Parties" at my house on Tuesday nights when the show would air. The only rule for these parties was no talking during the show. Commercials were reserved for answering questions about the plot and characters. Suffice to say, I was a Joss-Head. I followed Angel, too. I didn't like it as much, but it had the same Joss charm and wit that the original series had.

High school was also the time when my passions for filmmaking and Buffy reached an intersection. I hadn't heard of anyone "continuing the story" on their own at that point, so what my best friend and I decided to do was a completely original idea to me. We wrote our own Buffy (And The X-Files) movie. Mulder and Scully go to Sunnyvale to investigate Vampire Activity, and end up on a double date with Buffy and Angel. It was hilarious. We wrote, directed, stared in and edited an 88 minute, feature-length movie on the subject. (We did the same for X-Men, but sadly, that project was never completed. But I digress...)

I entered a period of estrangement from my Whedon-passion during college. (Even though I kept my collection of Buffy VHS tapes--every episode aired, thankyouverymuch--close to my heart, and would put them on whenever I felt down.) Buffy moved to UPN, where the station aired the Buffy Musical Episode. There was no greater feeling than to be watching my favorite television characters dancing and singing. I was such a huge fan I went onto the internet to start searching for more Buffy to fill my cravings. That's how I was introduced to the wonderful worlds of "fandom," "fanfiction," and "rp."--but more on those later.

Even though Joss and I disagree on a few things (Jean Grey, for one) I was thrilled to hear that he was going to start writing for Marvel Comics. I'd been an X-Men fanatic since I was a small girl, as is obvious to anyone who looks in my closet and sees my huge collection of comics and figurines. Jean's always been my favorite character, and, even though he killed her off (how does one kill off a phoenix for good?), I started collecting the comics he'd written for The X-Men.

In 2003, knowing of my passon for Mr. Whedon, my brother sent me this Joss quote from Wired Magazine:

I think the Harry Potter Books are the finest of the century! J.K. Rowling is one of the three best storytellers in young-adult fiction, with C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl. Her characters are archetypes without being cutouts--we've definately known these guys, and at the same time, they're bigger than life. I'd like to see Harry kick it out a little, push against authority, including Dumbledore. But it's great that Harry actually gets older as the books go on. In the last one, they had kids making out for the first time--by Book Seven they'll be like, 'take that wand and shove it up your...'

Joss talking about Harry Potter was like two of my three worlds colliding in a wonderful and brilliant display of fireworks. By this time I'd hopped online and was very deeply involved with fanfiction and role-playing in three fandoms: Harry Potter, X-Men and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was also around this time that the television series Firefly was starting to gain a cult following. Because my attention was spread among three fandoms, it was growing harder and harder for me to follow Joss the way I knew I should. I never saw Firefly. Not one episode. Apparently, according to the rest of Joss Whedon's followers in the whole world, that was the biggest mistake I've ever made.

Suddenly people were coming out of the woodwork to sing Joss's praises to me. People who had never taken an interest in Buffy, people who thought me hosting "Harry Potter Parties" was a stupid thing, people who never understood spending $30, $40, even $50 a month on comics, were all coming to me and saying "Hey, have you heard of this Joss Whedon guy!? He's amazing!! This show is the best show ever made!! You HAVE to watch it!! Why aren't you watching it RIGHT NOW??"

Please excuse my immaturity for a moment. The response I had to bite back time and time again was, "Of course I know who Joss is! Haven't you heard me squealing about him for the last six years? Where the hell have you been?" So, I never watched Firefly. Not one episode. I avoided the movie Serenitylike the plague. I heard about scores of fans lining up like it was a new, well-written Star Wars movie, and I turned the other way.

Mostly, when Buffy ended, I found myself searching for something else to fill that big, gaping hole in my chest it'd occupied during its seven seasons on the air. The distraction I found was in Harry Potter. Again, it was a series, and running on a deadline, but the fanfiction and role-playing world appealed to me, whereas the Buffy one didn't. I moved on, and left my Joss obsession behind. It was a mistake I knew I was going to regret.

The regret came in the form of a three-part mini-series called "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," starring Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion. My Father-In-Law insisted we all watch the mini series, split into three fifteen minute segments. I must admit, after hearing the title, I had my reservations. I was soon to be proven completely wrong. Music, emotion, witty dialogue, beautifully directed comical sequences, interesting characters and an amazing ending all make Dr. Horrible shine like a brand new, copper penny. My faith has been restored.

There is no doubt in my mind, even after years of estrangement, that Joss Whedon is a God.

And, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go watch Firefly.

Words to use instead of Said

I found this list of "words to use instead of said" on a message board somewhere, and I'm re-posting it here.  I can't find it again, though I copied them for my own use.  If anyone knows where they came from originally, please let me know so I can link back to that conversation!  I thought I'd post them here, and see what you think about these words.

Honestly, I don't mind the word said.  I use it a lot because it's very often the best word for the job.  But I've also learned not to adjust the word 'said' with an adverb when a different word for 'said' would work just fine.

For instance, why say "she said breathily" when "she whispered" would work?  It's a stronger sentence.  That's what we're aspiring for in our writing; stronger sentences.  Fewer words to get our points across clearly.  Using these words for said sometimes will surely lead to stronger sentences, but using them too often is sure to distract the reader.

Anyway, here's the list.  Let me know what you think.  

1. Exclaimed

2. Replied

3. Queried

4. Questioned

5. Murmured

6. Muttered

7. Screamed

8. Shouted

9. Whispered

10. Laughed

11. Cried

12. Whined

13. Yelled

14. Answered

15. Encouraged

16. Complained

17. Rasped

18. Whimpered

19. Barked

20. Giggled

21. Ordered

22. Implored

23. Insisted

24. Interrupted

25. Lectured

26. Mimicked

27. Uttered

28. Objected

29. Observed

30. Offered

31. Cowered

32. Sneered

33. Snarled

34. Remembered

35. Lied

36. Exaggerated

37. Cackled

38. Squealed

39. Fretted

40. Sobbed

41. Hollered

42. Persisted

43. Pestered

44. Pleaded

45. Pondered

46. Prattled

47. Prayed

48. Proclaimed

49. Proposed

50. Protested

51. Snapped

52. Added

53. Advised

54. Agreed

55. Allowed

56. Announced

57. Apologized

58. Argued

59. Began

60. Begged

61. Blurted

62. Started

63. Recalled

64. Remarked

65. Repeated

66. Responded

67. Revealed

68. Scolded

69. Simpered

70. Snobbed

71. Spluttered

72. Shrieked

73. Groaned

74. Sighed

75. Gurgled

76. Promised

77. Grumbled

78. Rumbled

79. Mumbled

80. Wondered

81. Thought

82. Told

83. Asked

84. Informed

85. Moaned

86. Breathed

87. Coaxed

88. Chanted

89. Howled

90. Spoke

91. Stammered

92. Sulked

93. Tattled

94. Teased

95. Threatened

96. Tormented

97. Urged

98. Wailed

99. Boasted

100. Called

101. Chatted

102. Chuckled

103. Concluded

104. Decided

105. Declared

106. Denied

107. Disagreed

108. Drawled

109. Inquired

110. Falted

111. Finished

112. Gasped

11. Gloated

113. Grunted

114. Hinted

115. Hissed

116. Warned

117. Wept

118. Wheezed

119. Yawned

120. Tempted

121. Reflected

122. Bellowed

123. Googled

124. Oogled

125. Burble

126. Commanded

127. Wheedled

128. Grizzled

129. Griped

130. Sang

131. Twittered

132. Demanded

134. Wooed

135. Blasted

136. Bit

137. Chewed

138. Bawled

139. Toasted

140. Growled

141. Roasted

142. Hounded

143. Grimaced

144. Slurred

145. Joked

146. Prodded

147. Lamented

148. Mourned

149. Stuttered

150. Dribbled

151. Pronounced

152. Spelled out

153. Reminisced

154. Warbled

155. Elocuted

156. Implied

157. Insinuated

158. Challenged

159. Countered

160. Countermanded

161. Bandied

162. Riposted

163. Deliberated

164. Communicated

165. Oozed

166. Assessed

167. Negated

168. Abnegated

169. Intonated

170. Cussed

171. Cursed

172. Caterwauled

173. Assured

174. Delivered

175. Bleated

176. Dripped

177. Flirted

178. Assented

179. Swore

180. Hesitated

181. Egged-on

182. Confessed

183. Chirped

184. Chirruped

185. Roared

186. Mewed

187. Rattled on

188. Harped on

189. Nattered on

190. Crapped on

191. Went on

192. Continued

193. Blathered

194. Blustered

195. Huffed

196. Nagged

197. Shouted down

198. Squeaked

199. Wished

200. Related

10 Steps to Creating Lovable, Believable Characters

10 Steps to Creating Lovable, Believable Characters

1.) What does s/he look like?

It's important to have a very good vision of your character's appearance in your mind while you write.  And keeping notes in a journal/notebook or on index cards is a good idea.  (Or another file in your computer, since that's what kids are doing now-a-days.)  That way you don't say the character has blue eyes in chapter 2, and then brown eyes in chapter 11.  Sometimes I cheat and steal certain characteristics from actors/actresses, that way I can just reference a picture when I need to.

2.) What does s/he act like?

Sometimes, when I take notes on my index cards, I put down things like "broods like Snape," or "curious like Alice."  I'll write things like "massive flirt," or "gets angry at the drop of a hat."  These notes help remind me that when I'm writing these characters, to make sure and keep their mannerisms and dialogue consistent.  It's confusing and frustrating when characters act a certain way at the beginning of the book, and change drastically by the end.  (Unless, of course, there is conflict and character development to help lead the characters to new personality traits.  For the purposes of character creation, though, make sure to take notes on how your character is at the beginning of the story.)

3.) What backstory would lead to that personality and/or appearance?

Keeping the backstory consistent with the character's physical description and personality description is really important.  If a character is covered in battle scars and gruff toward everyone, there has to be a reason for it.  Perhaps he was injured in a war, and is suffering from post traumatic stress.  (Mad-Eye Moody?)  Likewise, if a character is overly friendly, naive, and young, it's possible that this character has been sheltered her whole life. (Anna of Arendelle?)

4.) What are her/his goals?

If you don't know where your character wants to be in his or her life, character creation is a wonderful time to start brainstorming those things.  A very specific goal is very easy to write--and will drive the story forward.  It's when we get characters with conflicting goals that makes for good drama.  Where would The Fellowship be if Frodo hadn't decided to take the ring to Mordor?

5.) What are her/his fears?

Likewise, your character needs to have things that are holding her back.  Things she fears, things that make her more believable and well rounded.  A character with no internal conflict makes for boring reading, even if the external conflict abounds.  That iconic scene where Rapunzel reaches the ground outside of her tower in Tangled wouldn't be nearly as heart-warming if she was gung-ho about leaving and had no second thoughts about hurting her "mother's" feelings.

Now you have a pretty good idea of who this character is.  Next you have to make sure the character isn't irritatingly perfect, or irritatingly flawed.

6.) Does your character have 1 flaw for every 1 merit?

This is a pretty basic idea.  Take your index card/notebook/word document, split it down the middle, and start brainstorming the merits of your character on one side, and her flaws on the other.  If there's more on one half than the other, you may need to adjust.  There are, of course, exceptions to this rule.  Villains are allowed to have more flaws than merits, or vice versa.  Not all of these merits and flaws will be made immediately known to the reader, which is another thing to keep in mind.  Also, sometimes one huge merit can outweigh a ton of flaws, or vice versa.

7.) Are your character's merits/flaws trendy?  Over-used?

I'm sick to death of characters who "read too much" or are clumsy.  I would prefer to read about fresh characteristics, ones that haven't been over used.  Take a look at the real-life people around you, and "borrow" some of their merits and flaws.  Do you have the best dad ever? (My daughters do.)  Maybe your character can be an amazing father.  Do you know one of the "entitled generation?"  Maybe your character is arrogant and self-important.  These are much better than something we've read time and time again.

8.) Are your character's physical traits believable?

If you considered "too pretty" to be one of your character's flaws, just stop.  Just stop now.  It would be a fantastic, wonderful, amazing world if the physical characteristics of characters in fiction and literature mirrored the physical characteristics of people in the real world.  People are fat.  And thin.  And tall.  And short.  Some have duck feet.  Some are pigeon toed.  Some wear glasses, and some don't.  Race, gender, cultural background and time period are all things to consider when creating your characters.  Diversify, and you'll find it'll be more fun to write and more fun to read.

9.) Does your character have a backstory that makes us sympathize with her/him?

Imagine if Harry Potter had grown up a jerk instead of a modest young man.  Or if Annie hated the world because of the way she was treated in the orphanage.  These are a couple of instances in which the backstory makes the character more endearing.  It would be quite easy to use the backstory for these characters to try and force emotional reactions out of the reader, therefore turning him or her off of your story.  

10.) Will you or your readers be jealous of her/him?

There are two different kinds of jealousy.  One is the kind that makes you dislike a character and the other is the kind where you want to be that character (Tony Stark).  It's okay to give your characters good things in their lives, but make sure that they're believable, and that they move the story forward.  No one wants to read about Scrooge McDuck counting all of his precious gold all day with no conflict and no character development.  Giving a character things struggle with and things to rejoice about will make him or her more well rounded in the long run.

These intricacies will give your readers reasons to root for or against your characters in their endeavors.  Hopefully the passions in your characters will drive the story forward.

Oh, one more thing:

11.) Is your character the "Every Man"?

It's acceptable, maybe even encouraged, to have one character who is "normal."  He is the sounding board for everyone else's crazy.  The Jim Halpert or Arthur Dent, even Yossarian with all of his crazy is a "straight man" when the world around him goes insane.  Having one boring character amidst a handful of interesting ones is perfectly acceptable--and may be a relief for both writer and reader alike.

That being said, good luck writing your characters!  Keep them consistent, change them when the plot organically causes character development, and for goodness sake, don't stop writing!

My Fantasy Disneyland Schedule

My Fantasy Disneyland Schedule

I get to go to Disneyland without children this June.  Two days of childless bliss in the Happiest Place on Earth!  It’s very exciting.  Though I know it’s going to be hot, crowded and exhausting, I’m still thrilled for the chance.

I’ve been to Disneyland a couple dozen times over the course of my life and every time I go I learn something new--a new trick or treat that should make my next visit even more enjoyable.

Here’s my tentative schedule for this visit: (and please, feel free to comment with more advice!)

Thursday: California Adventure

*Since I haven’t spent as much time in the new park as the old, I’m a little less confident about our schedule on day 1.

7:30am - Arrive at Downtown Disney for a quick pastry (?) and purchase tickets as soon as the ticketbooths open.

8am - Parks open. Go straight to get a Fastpass for the Cars Ride, and for World of Color.

10am - Disney Visa Photo: Disney Visa Cardholders get a free character experience and a free photograph.  At least, last I checked.  I’ll have to look deeper into it when we get a little closer to the actual day.  Or I can ask an employee.

12 - Lunch.  We’ll be bringing our own lunch and snacks with us into the park, to try and avoid high prices of food.  Of course, I’m sure there will be things we’ll splurge on, anyway.  But this will help save a couple of bucks!  And make sure I (we?) stick on our diets.

Afternoon: Shopping, Shows, non-ride experiences.  We’ll make sure to hit the Animator’s Studio, Turtle Talk with Crush, some Parades (Phineas and Ferb!), the Muppet Show, photos with whichever characters we run into and wander through the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

*At this point in the afternoon, we could go into Downtown Disney to do some shopping and/or wandering around.  It depends on how hot and crowded it is, and how much shopping we’d like to do.

Dinner: Boudin Bakery for soup in a bread bowl.  Funny, how I live next to San Francisco and insist upon going to Boudin whenever I’m in Southern California.  They just do a fantastic job with the sourdough, no matter where they are.

Why no Character Meal?  We weighed the pluses and minuses of signing up for a character meal.  In the end we decided it was too expensive, the food choices were limiting, and we could meet characters throughout the park.  (If I was coming with my kids, I might reconsider.  Character meals are so. much. fun. with the little kids.)

We’ll have to get good “seats” for World of Color, which performs around 9:45.  It’s standing-room-only (SRO to some people), so I hope that we’re not too exhausted at the end of the day!  Then it’s back to the hotel to SLEEP so we can get up early and come straight back to the parks!

Rides to Hit:

Soarin’ over California

Goofy’s Flying School

Grizzly River Run

Toy Story Midway Mania

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

Luigi’s Flying Tires

Radiator Springs Racers

Monster’s Inc., Mike & Sully to the rescue!

Things to Skip:

Most of Bug’s Land (It’s great when you’ve got little kids, but the rides aren’t especially exciting for two footloose and fancy free adults.)

Upside Down Coaster

Mickey’s Fun Wheel

Disney Jr. Live on Stage (Again, this is a must-see with my 5 and 2 year old.  But not without!)

Aladdin Show**

Jellyfish Ride

**The reason I’m skipping the Aladdin show is this: I went with some good friends to watch the show, and during the performance Aladdin and Jasmine got caught on the carpet, hung upside-down, 50 feet in the air over the audience.  I don’t know if it was because I was there that it happened, but I’m not going to chance finding out.

Friday: Disneyland Proper

7:30am - Arrive early.  (Plan to, anyway.)  Same as the previous day.  Possible pastry in Downtown Disney, or mocha to really get the day started.

8am - The park opens.  This is the best time to meet some characters.  It’s early, and things aren’t flooded with people yet.  

9am - Straight back to Pixie Hollow, Fantasy Faire (as soon as they open) and then to Toon Town to meet Mickey and Co.

Getting character meet and greets out of the way first thing is a great idea, because it leaves the rest of the day open to rides and other experiences.  Besides, the further into the day it gets, the longer the lines become.

Rides to Hit:
Roger Rabbit

Peter Pan

Alice in Wonderland

Matterhorn

Star Tours

Space Mountain

Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters

*Innoventions

Rides to Skip:

Gadget’s Go Coaster

Autopia

Submarine Voyage

Teacups

*Any ride with a long line.

I would be interested in a viewing of the Jedi Training Academy, though I feel like that would be much more entertaining with a child in our party.

Mid-Morning (Depending on how crowded it gets in the park, this may get pushed back to mid-day) - Get on train in Tomorrow Land, and ride it to New Orleans Square.  (I would be perfectly happy to spend the majority of my day in New Orleans Square/Main Street.)

Rides to Hit:
Jungle Cruise

Indiana Jones

Pirates

Haunted Mansion

Splash Mountain

Rides to Skip:

Tom Sawyer Island (or whatever they’re calling it now.  It will forever be Tom Sawyer Island to me.)

Winnie the Pooh.  (Though, we WILL hit the sweets shop next to that ride.)

12:50: LUNCH!  Mint Julep!  Reservations at the Blue Bayou restaurant.

Afternoon - Main Street Shopping, Touristy photos, Mary Poppins Cafe(?), Tiki Room(?).  A Dole Whip is a must.

Dinner - MANY options.  We can go pretty much anywhere in the park for dinner, though I insist that when we get our dinner, we go sit in front of the “Rivers of America” and wait for Fantasmic.  We can sit down as soon as they rope off the area to foot traffic, and play with our phones and write postcards while we wait.  FANTASMIC is a must.

Fireworks - Optional.  Main Street will be packed with people.  After Fantasmic is a great time to hit rides, while people are watching the Fireworks show.  This is an excellent time to hit the rides in New Orleans Square, because the lines are very short.  (Also, because families are starting to leave the park to get little ones in bed at a “reasonable” hour.)

10pm - Midnight - The park closes at Midnight.  We’ve got from the end of Fantasmic/Fireworks until then to wander and hit anything we may have missed.

What did I miss?  Is there anything you’d want to see that I didn’t mention?  Hit me up in the comments. :)