What's Your Trigger?

The night before my last trip down to the World, I made a late Target run to pick up some essentials. I wasn't procrastinating. It's become a ritual and I love it. Plus, if you know where to find it, most Targets have an aisle full of travel-sized everythings!

This was especially important as I wasn't going to be checking a bag (curse you airlines with your bag fees!) As you know with the limits on liquids and gels, travel-sized is a key phrase to get to know.
I had my travel-sized toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hairspray, even a tiny package of Q-tips. However there was one last thing I needed. I put a lot of stock in smelling good. It's one of the few things I can control. Plus, as someone with a sensitive olfactory sense myself, I feel it a civic duty and just common courtesy to always smell good, even if you've spent the day marching around a theme park in 80+ degree weather. So, I was hoping to find some form of quality, yet miniature cologne. Turns out, nothing doing. Couldn't find anything that would pass TSA.

Then I noticed it. A rack of these small black aluminum canisters. It was travel-sized Axe Body Spray. Could that do the trick, I wondered? I'd never used Axe before, however I'd seen the commercials. Was it safe to wear this on a trip to Florida, alone?!? Was I responsible for the reaction from the fairer sex?
I examined the can further. The full title was Axe Body Spray After Dark Temptation. My first thought was, sheesh, fire your marketing team . . . that's a mouthful! But then I wondered could I even pull it off? That sounded like a fragrance more befitting a Billy Dee Williams! Time was ticking and I had to make a decision. So I figured what the heck? I dropped it in my cart (okay, I admit it, I was carrying a basket . . . I'm not proud.)



It actually smells pretty good and came it very handy throughout my trip. And of course it didn't even raise an eyebrow at airport security. Then again, my Mickey sweatshirt, orange Animal Kingdom visor, and Crocs might have also flagged me as "Not a Risk." "A Friggin' Weirdo" maybe, but not a threat.

But here's the weirder part of the story. When I got home from that trip, there was a little liquid left in the canister, and every now and then as I was suffering through the WDWW (Walt Disney World Withdrawals for uninitiated) I would spray it on myself and the smell helped take me back for a few moments.
So much so in fact, that I finally broke down and bought a full-sized canister of the stuff. Every time I smell my mind goes to one place. Well, Four Parks, One Place. It's not a daily application, but certainly a few times a week I find my hand reaching for that black and brown can. Like I'm spraying on just a little touch of magic to get through the day.

So I'm wondering of my fellow Disney fans, what's your trigger? And I don't mean a souvenir from the parks or something Disney specific. I'm curious is anyone else out there has something that would seem totally random that immediately takes you on an emotional Disney vacation, at least for a few seconds.

Leave a comment! I'd love to hear!

Top 10 Marvel Characters Disney Should be Rebooting!

Okay, with Bob Iger announcing they're actively figuring out how to get characters from the Marvel Universe into the parks. As usual the article right away went to Spider Man, Wolverine, and the Hulk. All characters currently featured at rival Universal Studios Islands of Adventure.

I understand most journalists in the subject are probably short-sighted and can't see past the big stars of the Marvel Universe (based solely on recent movies.) Marvel has thousands of characters Disney should be rebooting and monetizing.

So, off the top of my head, here's my list of Top Ten Marvel Properties Disney Should Be Utilizing!

10.) Black Knight. A knight who served under Arthur and Merlin who was betrayed, but due to a spell returned to fight evil in present day society with an enchanted blade.


9.) Crystar, the Crystal Warrior. A short-lived title about two warring brothers on another world called Crystallium. One is turned into a Crystar, a warrior made entirely of blue crystal, and his evil brother Moltar because a creature comprised of molten lava. It's an epic tale of good vs. evil that never really got a chance.

8.) Wonder Man. A lesser know hero for sure, but sometimes that's better when you want to introduce him to a whole new generation. Plus he started as a bad guy who turned to good. He's got super strength, speed, and flight. Couldn't hurt to revive him soon, before Superman flies back into theaters with a new flick in 2013.

7.) Moon Knight. A darker title, sort of a cross between Batman and The Mummy. Okay, maybe not great for the parks, but certainly overdue for a reboot.


6.) Brute Force. This one was also a short-lived title from the early 90's with a strong environmental message. I think to some degree Marvel created these cyborg animals to compete with the ninja turtle craze of the day. With a little tinkering, it could make a really fun cartoon!


5.) Black Panther. The prince of Wakanda, a rich, technologically advanced African nation, Black Panther is the costumed protector of his homeland. Black Panther can lean toward the anti-hero mantle, but he was also a sometime member of the Avengers. More importantly, he's one of the first successful black Marvel characters.


4.) Iceman & Firestar. If you're a child of the 80's, you remember these two as Spider Man's sidekicks on Spider Man and his Amazing Friends. Well, the two of them could surely hold their own in a contemporary setting, without their web-slinging pal. It would be like an animated Moonlighting.

3.) She-Hulk. The Hulk's younger female cousin who receives a blood transfusion from her gamma-fied relative and develops the super strength and silky green skin, without the caveman attitude. She's a lady the young princesses could look up to. Literally, she's humongous. And also kind of hot!


2.) Hawkeye. Yes, this incredible archer and leader of the West Coast Avengers is being featured in the upcoming Avengers film. But he's also the one character I can already see they've gotten completely wrong. They stripped him of anything even remotely resembling his signature costume. And they cast him with Jeremy Renner, who can barely see over Warwick Davis in line. Hawkeye is second only to Captain America, and he should be portrayed as such. Disney could have a ball creating some kind of animated concept around him.

1.) Spider Girl! Hello??? Isn't Peter Parker old sauce by now anyway? The only reason there's a new Spider Man movie coming out is because Sony had a "use it or lose it "clause. And it was about to expire, returning Spidey home to the Mouse House where he belongs. So you can imagine what kind of crapfest they'll be churning out this summer, considering it's been widely reported they rushed the whole production. So what? Disney's got carte blanche on Spider Girl. Let's here it for the ladies. Sure, Princesses are great, but I've got one daughter and one on the way. I want my girls to have strong female role models like this web shootin siren and She Hulk, who not only don't rely on men like damsels in distress, they get out there in the streets, kicking butt and taking names.