March 25, 2013: Don't count your chickens...

Some days there is just too much stuff to discuss on this blog and Monday, March 25, 2013 is one of them, but even with a wealth of things to talk about I am choosing to talk about something trivial right off the bat. If you know me, or you’ve read these blogs regularly over the last few months then you know that I am from Kentucky and I am an eighth grade science teacher and our first excuse for the day definitely ties in with both.

On this date in 1989, on NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-29, there was an experiment included in the payload that was part of a program that encouraged students to design experiments that were then carried out in space. I’m not sure if these students were from Kentucky but at least one story that I have read implies that they were. The experiment involved 32 chicken eggs containing fertilized chicken embryos to determine the effects of space flight on said embryos. On March 25^th, Chicken Kentucky was partially born and became the first partial birth in space. Wow, I hope he ranked higher than a colonel. What can we do to honor Chicken Kentucky at WDW? If you can find Chicken Little that would be cool, we did a few years ago but I’m not sure how much he is out now. If you can’t find Chicken Little, you can certainly find chicken nuggets and let me suggest the Columbia Harbor House, an excellent counter service restaurant that could satisfy a craving for nuggets at The Magic Kingdom.

In 1909, Jerry Livingston was born in Denver, Colorado. Livingston was a top pop songwriter from the Tin Pan Alley tradition from the Big Band era until the birth of Rock and Roll. For our little World, he wrote two great songs for Cinderella, “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” and “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” as well as “The Unbirthday Song” for Alice In Wonderland. A quick trip through Cinderella Castle on our way to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cup ride and we’ve doubled up in our tribute to Jerry.

While we’re on songwriters, today is the birthday of Sir Elton John. When I was a kid I walked around with a portable 8-track tape player and a copy of Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player. I thought “Crocodile Rock” was the best song ever. I will never forget sitting in a theater and seeing the preview of The Lion King for the first time, it was the entire “Circle of Life” sequence and I had tears in my eyes. Real men can shed a tear for totally awesome. When I found out that Elton John was the man behind the music I had my first moment, of many, where I felt that Disney might just been accumulating everything I’ve ever loved. Elton John is awesome, The Lion King is awesome on stage and screen, and he has done so much more for Disney including Aida with Tim Rice. The possibilities are endless here: The Animal Kingdom for Festival of the Lion King would be good, Mickey’s Philharmagic at the Magic Kingdom is another excellent choice or how about Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios. Whichever one you choose don’t forget your 8-track tape player.

Here come’s the hard part, what to wrap up with? I only have about 20 choices but I haven’t talked about one of my favorite attractions for a while so here we go. On this date in 1944, Frank Oz was born. Frank played a prison guard in The Blues Brothers. Frank was a surgeon in Superman III. Frank was a booking cop in Trading Places. Oh, by the way, Frank Oz is also: Yoda, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggie, Animal, Sam the Eagle, Bert, Cookie Monster and too many more to even mention. Frank is an actor, voice actor and muppeteer , so let’s go to Muppets 3D and take in the insanity, why suffer from it when you can enjoy it.

Remember, your best excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.