I've Got Ear Hats and Headbands Aplenty
- Ashley Marie
- Jan 27, 2019
- 4 min read
If it wasn't apparent by this picture, I love Disney. I go a lot since I am an Annual Passholder and now a member of the Vacation Club. Most importantly of all, I am a former Cast Member with the Walt Disney Company as a participant of the Disney College Program in the fall of 2017. Again, I'll save that story for another post, but ever since I was a cast member, I bought or wore a new pair of ears every time I went on a trip. And no, these aren't even all of them.
You might be looking at this collection and think it's a bit excessive. Why do I really need this many pairs of $25 ear headbands? The truth is, I don't need them, necessarily, as much as I want physical reminders of the memories they inspire. Each of these headbands, as well as the ones not pictured, holds a special place in my heart. I can procure pictures of myself in these and look back fondly on the trip we took, reminiscing on the places we ate, shows we saw, and conversations we had. These aren't just cutesy Instagram-worthy accessories, they're my wearable scrapbook.
I'll talk about just a few of the ones I find particularly special.
Here's a picture from the final day of my Disney College Program. I bought these ears a day or two before this picture was taken. I worked in Hollywood Studios, and this headband was inspired by the new retro-style Mickey and Minnie cartoons that we promoted in the park. This day was not easy for me, as I was begrudgingly leaving the place I got to call home for five months. Thankfully, Rapunzel, my favorite princess, was there to help remind me that even though you may leave somewhere for a while, there's always adventure in store out on the road. Home will still be here for whenever I decide to make my return, and she promised we would paint together when I got back. Not only were these ears absolutely adorable, they served as my reminder that the magic of Hollywood and of Disney can always live inside my heart.
After many months apart, I got the chance to reunite with my roommate from my College Program, Devin. Devin and I became the best of friends, instantly bonding over our shared love of Hamilton. Saying good-bye to her was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I knew I would be back at some point, but I didn't know when, so we promised each other to keep in touch until that day. Our friendship continued to grow as she stayed in her home state and I went back to mine until I decided to make a 10 day trip to Disney for the summer for my 21st birthday. We had a swingin' good time at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, and my birthday ears are forever synonymous with love, friendship, and unspeakable joy.
These ears are absolutely in my top 3 of all of my pairs for a multitude of reasons. For one, Kayleigh actually made these ears for me, which was the absolute sweetest gift I could have ever received. I made sure to wear them with my Crazy Ex-Girlfriend live tour t-shirt (which I didn't even go to because none of the locations were in driving distance) and received both compliments and questions, including a particularly strong reaction from Daisy wondering if I was the aforementioned crazy ex-girlfriend. I did get compliments from a few Cast Members who actually recognized what the ears symbolized. These hold an incredibly special place in my heart because I know they were crafted with so much love and care.
Finally, we come to my most recent pair of ears. These little beauties I saw in the gift shop by Mickey's PhilharMagic in Magic Kingdom, and I immediately fell head over heels for them. Up is a hidden gem. The first ten minutes of the movie will always have me sobbing like a baby, but the rest of the movie speaks to me more so now than ever. The trademark line "adventure is out there" became my mantra as 2018 closed, and I spent the first few days of 2019 on an epic Disney adventure with my best friend, my mom. She and I took this picture after we became members of the Disney Vacation Club, which gives me basically a lifetime's worth of Disney vacations. My mom and I both view Disney as our momentary escape from reality where we can play and relax and be free from responsibility. These ears will serve as my reminder to never stop taking adventures and never live life with regrets.
Sure, I could spend $25 on lots of other things, but I choose to spend my money here on these. I may have ear hats and headbands aplenty, but they all mean something different and valuable to me. You would think my collection would be complete by now, but there's always room for more; I'll just add a few more nails into my wall.
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