Castle Party is thrilled to announce that we have received the Liebster Award! What is the Liebster Award you ask? It’s a way for bloggers to recognize (and “award”) other bloggers that they admire for their hard work. Awards like this one help up and coming bloggers with promotions, support, and networking that can be beneficial to running a successful blog.
We were nominated by Disney Trivia Blog, which posts weekly Disney trivia posts all about the history and design of Disney theme parks! Definitely check them out if you’re looking to brush up on some Disney Trivia. With our nomination Samara, the mastermind behind Disney Trivia Blog, was also responsible for asking me some questions for this post:
1) What made you want to start your blog?
This is kind of a funny question for me because I’m not sure I really even took the time to think about a reason for blogging before I sort of jumped right in. I used LiveJournal in middle school, high school, (and shamefully part of college), in a typical mid-to-late 2000s girl blogging on LiveJournal fashion. (I’m probably really dating myself here– does anyone even use LiveJournal anymore?) These posts were your standard diary format, how my day or week was going and random ramblings. In college, I started my first Disney-focused blog, with the now defunct Brittany Earns Her Ears. I knew I enjoyed blogging on LiveJournal, but I also knew that while the journal-style technique was fun and relaxing for me, it probably wasn’t doing anything for other people. And if I was spending all of this time and effort to post on the internet I wanted the posts to be fun for me to write but also engaging for others. I kept Brittany Earns Her Ears through my Disney College Program, but eventually wanted to expand to a non-student exclusive audience.
From Brittany Earns Her Ears grew The Disney Outpost, which I started with Chaz to get a feel for running a more organized blog, and for getting used to WordPress as opposed to Blogger and LiveJournal. After about a year of working on The Disney Outpost and researching who our primary audience was, we decided to re-brand and transform The Disney Outpost into Castle Party. So I’m honestly not quite sure how this all started in the first place, I guess it just seemed natural given that I love writing (and Disney!)
2) What inspires you daily?
Whatever is trending or impacting daily life at a given time is my main source of inspiration. I was a history major in college, and while learning about well-known figures throughout history was always interesting, I was most fascinated with the common, average person over different places and times. I love reading about average people from the past, and what their lives were like, especially when these stories are told from their own point of view. When I write anything I’m always trying to relate it to what’s happening now. I can always go back and update certain posts, but I also like the idea of knowing that our thoughts from the present will be around for us to look back to in the future, and that years from now I can go back and relive my first trip to Pandora for instance because of my blog.
3) What is your favourite hobby (when not blogging)?
Reading and traveling. Whether it’s books or other blogs I’m always reading something. Most of my travel (as you may be able to tell) is to Walt Disney World, but being from New England I’m actually in prime day-trip territory as so many fun destinations are only a car ride away.
4) Where is the number one place you would like to visit in the world?
I think all of the other Disney parks is kind of a given here, but I’m still not sure I can narrow this down to just one place… I think I’d have to say Greece. I’d also love to re-visit France, England, and Italy, as I’ve only traveled to those countries on bus tours and it would be amazing for spend more time there.
5) Where is a place that you have already been but would go back in a heartbeat?
See above, and probably Philadelphia. I’ve only been for a school trip in middle school and for a wedding, so given my love for American history I know those visits didn’t do the city justice.
6) What is your favourite Disney Parks attraction?
You know I can’t pick just one! Let’s say it’s a tie between the Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, and the American Adventure.
As part of the Liebster Award, I get to nominate 5-10 other blogs that I think you all should check out, and provide them with questions to answer! Here are our nominations for the award:
- Disney by Age – This blog breaks down each part of visiting Walt Disney World based on the ages of your travel party. We think their posts are super helpful, and they’ve even written a guest post for us!
- Kait Around the Kingdom – Style, food, all-around solid travel tips, this blog has it all!
- Talk Disney to Me – We love Talk Disney to Me because this blog covers the latest Disney news in addition to travel tips, style ideas, and more.
- The Disney Diner – Disney recipes, need I say more? This blog is also run by Red, the business owner behind the Magic Kingdom bracelets in our Best of Etsy post!
- Sara Katherine – You may have realized that this last one isn’t a Disney blog, but it’s actually relevant for us at Castle Party because like our blog Sara focuses on helping millennials. Check out Sara’s blog for all the adulting tips you need from professional networking to self care and everything in between. (Fun fact: Sara and I both wrote books for the Earning Your Ears series by Theme Park Press, and later found out that we’re actually distant relatives!)
Blogs that have been nominated by me can add the Liebster Award badge to their sites and follow the same process I’ve done above. Make a post answering the questions below and nominating 5-10 more blogs you think deserve the award. (Don’t forget to comment on one of their posts and let them know they’ve been nominated!
Questions for my nominees:
- When did you start blogging, and what is the most important thing you’ve learned about running a blog since then?
- What’s your secret for writers block or days when you just aren’t feeling motivated?
- What has been your favorite post to write?
- Which seasonal event is the best time to visit Walt Disney World? (Food and Wine Festival, Flower and Garden, Winter holidays, Dapper Day, etc…)
- Which Disney attraction do you love, and which do you love to hate?
Thanks for reading! And check back at the other blogs for their responses!
