MagicMeets - Day 2

What an incredible day today (well, now yesterday) was. I attended my first MagicMeets event in Camp Hill, PA. Many of my Disney friends were there including Justin Machoney, Lou Mongello, Tony Caggiano and many, many more. It was so nice to finally meet some of these online friends in person and that alone was worth the trip.

But wait, there's more.

Justin, of course as you no doubt recall, recently ended his time as Disney first (and still only) Chief Magic Official. He gave a moving presentation about how you can make your (and other's) dreams come true. It's all about being "incredible!" If you ever get the chance to hear Justin speak, I highly recommend it. He is quite a motivational speaker. Who knows, maybe this is Justin's new calling.

But wait, there's more.

Following Justin's talk, I attended a breakout session with Deb Wills (of AllEars.net) and Beci Mahnken (of MEI/MouseFan Travel). The two gave a great talk about Adventures By Disney that just about has me hooked to go on an ABD trip to Europe.

But wait, there's more.

During Lunch, the Dream Team Auction was beginning to wrap up. This auction featured 100 items (including two panoramic prints I donated). I managed to be the high bidder for two fun items. What was EVEN BETTER was that my prints raised more than $600 for the Dream Team. I was (and still am) totally astounded by the overwhelming amount my prints went for. I really didn't think they would raise more than about $100 a piece. Instead, they went for about three times that amount.

I am truly humbled, honored and privileged to have played a small part in making magic happen for kids in need and I thank Lou Mongello and Pat Whitson for the opportunity to be a part of the Dream Team.

But wait, there's more.

In the second breakout session, I attended a great talk by Tim Devine (of the MagicInPixels.com). Tim had some great tips and reminders about what makes good photography and what makes great photography. It's always good to hear how some of the real pros like Tim take shots.

But wait, there's more.

After the second breakout session, we all had some trivia fun with Lou Mongello, and then it was time for the main event -- the announcement of how much was raised for the Dream Team overall.

Thanks to a very generous Tony Caggiano (of the WED page blog), the 2009 MagicMeets event raised a whopping $26,235 for the Dream Team to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation. This is an incredible amount and there wasn't a dry eye in the room (myself included) when the final total was announced (see photo above).

I want to thank everyone to attended MagicMeets -- it was a thrill to meet many of you, I hope to meet you again in the future and I hope to meet other fans in other events (sadly, I can't make it to the D23 Expo).

MagicMeets 2009 was a blast and I'm very glad I was here to be a part of it.

MagicMeets - Day 1

Hello all from Day one of Magic Meets!

I was helping out the folks here with Minnie's Mart -- a shopping area where some great savings were available on donated Disney items, from pins to lithographs and all kinds of items. The final figure isn't in yet, but I think we raised quite a bit for the Dream Team! If you had a chance to check out Minnie's Mart, you got some outstanding deals -- all for a good cause.

In the meantime, some early attendees had all kinds of fun inside the main ballroom. It was the annual Meet Before the Magic and all I can say was there was a lot of cheering for the different giveaways.

Following the Meet Before the Magic was celebrity MagicTunes, featuring Lou Mongello, Justin Machoney, Deb Wills and a contestant from the audience. The event was a lot of fun, with each contestant trying to identify different Disney songs. In the end, the event raised $500 for the Dream Team and Deb's Cancer Walk. That' doesn't include an additional donation when Lou Mongello agreed to again moonwalk for the cheering crowd (see photo above). Lou will do just about anything to raise money for the Dream Team.

The fun (and fundraising) didn't stop there -- karaoke night at a local restaurant. This event brought in an additional $600, split between Lou and Deb's charities.

This was just the preshow! The main event starts in nine hours (9 a.m. Saturday)!

Look for more updates in a few hours!

MagicMeets -- tickets selling out fast!

I consider myself one of the lucky few to get a ticket to attend this summer's MagicMeets fan gathering. Tickets went on sale at noon today and within the first 30 minutes, more than 350 of the 550 tickets were gone!

Last year, MagicMeets sold out in 36 hours. At this rate, it might sell out in less than a day!

If you're going to MagicMeets, I'll see you there!