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Author Archives: JL Knopp (NDM#1)

JL Knopp

JL was born and raised in South Florida. Being so close to Walt Disney World, she grew up regularly visiting the Mouse and developed a fascination with the creativity of Disney Parks. Noticing that her happiest moments seemed to always take place in Walt Disney World, JL began trying to recreate the magic of Disney in her everyday life beginning in her pre-teen years. Adulthood, thirteen years of marriage, and three children later, JL continues to lead a Disney Driven Life and diligently works to pass her love for Disney on to her husband and children. Currently she blogs for Touring Plans and Savvy Auntie, but her primary focus lies with the community that has grown around her own site, The Disney Driven Life, and its weekly vidcast, inner mouse. Through these venues JL strives to help other Disney fans stay connected to the brand that has served as a keystone in her family’s life.

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Contributed by JL Knopp (NDM#1) @jlknopp1

Contributed by: JL Knopp (NDM#1) JL is the creator of The Disney Driven Life. She is also a blogger for Savvy Auntie and Touring Plans as well as a contributing writer for The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.

ABC Brings Interactive Activities Online for Castle Fans

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Monday, February 13, 2012

Happy Valentine’s Day out there, Disney fans. I hope some of you have been lucky enough to see the LOVE addition to the nighttime castle show inside the Magic Kingdom. From what I understand, this will continue to run through April when a new summer themed addition will take its place. I love the idea of having something so interactive that changes multiple times a year within in the parks. I must admit that when I saw the show during the initial testing of the projectors I wasn’t entirely sold, but with image tweaks and a better story, I won’t miss it anytime I’m within the Magic Kingdom.

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Posted in Disney Company, News | Tagged ABC, castle, Television
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Modern Family

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Over 100 million people can’t be wrong, so it’s official. Sunday’s Super Bowl between the New York Giants and New England Patriots is the most watched TV show in U.S. history (estimated at 111.3 million people).

Now that the big game is behind us, it’s time to celebrate the season in which networks beg for our attention with new episodes from our favorite shows. That’s right! It’s SWEEPS! And ABC is no different. They want your eyeballs on both the network and online. This month they are hoping to get just that from fans of one of ABCs favorite families, Modern Family.

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Posted in Disney Company, News | Tagged ABC, Modern Family, Modern Family Memory Book
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My Yard Goes Disney

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Thursday, February 2, 2012

A Mickey shaped pool. A backyard safari adventure. A pirates life for you. Sure all of this can be found within the Walt Disney World Resort, but what if you could walk into your own backyard and find the same kind of magic day after day?

Well, friends, it looks like HGTV and Disney are ready to spread a little more pixie dust around the country as they will soon be filming another season of My Yard Goes Disney. And why shouldn’t they pick you?

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Posted in Disney Company, Events, News | Tagged applicant, backyard, casting, Disney, HGTV, Home and Garden TV, homeowner, Jay TV, My Yard Goes Disney, yard
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We Are Go For Launch

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Thursday, November 24, 2011

We are excited to announce that The Disney Driven Life will be launching it’s new site in beta form on November 27th at 1am. With it we will see the passing of LJ, our unofficial mascot in the chair, and the arrival of our new layout, logo and color scheme. The site aims to be more user friendly and feature our community on a greater level. In fact, if you are counted, it’s possible that you might find your very own smiling face on the new site at some point. Features such as The Confessional and the Official NDP Roster will have a more prominent place, and you can expect to see the continuation of great posts by our panel of bloggers. Join us for this next step in our journey, and grow with us.

Posted in DDL Announcements, Disney Driven Life | Tagged beta, Disney Driven Life, new site
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Which Way To Wonderland?

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Monday, October 17, 2011

I stare out the window of the minivan and watch as the I-4 signs indicate we are getting closer to Walt Disney World. Normally, this is a trek that makes me really happy, but tonight it is quite the opposite. “I’m a little bit nervous, and I sort of don’t want to go,” I confess to Jackie, my fellow NDM and escort for the evening. “Why? We are going to have so much fun,” Jackie assures me, “It’s a social media event. That is what you are all about. There is no way that we aren’t going to have the best time ever!” “It’s been so long, Jackie,” I lament. “I am really out of the loop since inner mouse went on hiatus and I started working. Maybe I’m a ‘has been’ at this point. I don’t even really know how I should handle myself at this thing. I just feel incredibly awkward.”

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Posted in Disney Company, Events, Lifestyle, Relationships, True Confessions of a Neurotic Disney Mom | Tagged A Cup of Disney, Ashley Reeve, BuyAliceInWonderlandCostumes.com, costume, Disney Tourist Blog, Disney Trick or Meetup, Halloween, Haunted Mansion, Jackie Gailey, Len Testa, Lou Mongello, Mad Hatter, Mad Hatter costume, Neurotic Disney Mom, Sarah Bricker
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Kim Possible: France

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Kim Possible Missions around Epcot’s World Showcase Pavilions are an interactive experience. Participants enlist to join Team Possible and receive missions as secret agents. These missions track various villains from the cartoon series–one in each country–and seek to thwart their evil plans for world domination. When given an assignment, Team Possible is also given a communicative device, called a Kimmunicator, by which they receive instructions to follow. These instructions ultimately help save the planet. It’s “so the drama,” and lots of fun if you allow your imagination to carry you through to the end.

Posted in Lifestyle, Vacation
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Neurotic Disney Person of the Month

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Monday, July 25, 2011

Here’s a story of a lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls (and one boy). All of them had spunk, like their mother, and went to Disney World. Here’s the story, of a man named Hannon who was busy with two kids of his own. They were three NDPs, living all together, but had they only known…

Imagine visiting the Magic Kingdom for the first time as a kindergartener. Imagine being fascinated by a topiary in the shape of an elephant. Imagine being nervous during a submarine voyage, being whisked in the air on a “Skyway,” or observing life-sized costume characters water ski while you passed by on a ferry boat. Our NDPs of the month didn’t imagine these moments; they lived them. They also didn’t imagine that all of that would one day play a critical part in them finding their future soulmate, but it did. Meet the Neurotic Disney People for this month, Brent and Maria Hannon (NDD#146 and NDM#130).

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Posted in Community, Disney Driven Life, Lifestyle, NDP Community, NDP of the Month | Tagged Brent, Maria, Mickey Mouse, NDP Community, Neurotic Disney Person of the Month, wedding
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STAR TOURS 2 LIVE

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Tuesday, May 3, 2011

If there’s a new attraction that has a lot of buzz lately it’s Star Tours 2, the highly anticipated prequel to the original Star Tours attraction. The new ride debuts on May 20th at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and June 3rd in Disneyland but what exactly does Star Tours 2 entail? What’s new with this ride? What can we expect?

First and foremost, the ride system for Star Tours 2 will be all new. The simulators are being enhanced to offer six axises of movement and the ride will be in 3D. To make things even more enticing, the film you see will be completely random, meaning when you ride at park opening, you’ll see one trip but come ride again and you’ll see something completely different. Disney promises 54 possible destinations and this means there’s lot of great re-rideability built into this ride.

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Posted in Disney Company, News | Tagged AC-38, Aly San San, Boba Fett, C-3PO, Chewbacca, Coruscant, Darth Vader, Death Star, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Endor, Hoth, Kashyyk, Naboo, Princess Leia, R2-D2, Star Tours 2, Star Tours 2 Live, Totooine, Yoda
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SNOW WHITE HAIR TUTORIAL

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Saturday, April 30, 2011

Posted in Beauty and Fashion, Lifestyle | Tagged beauty, Disney, fashion, hair tutorial, Kandee Johnson, Snow White, tutorial
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JESSICA RABBIT MAKEUP TUTORIAL

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Saturday, April 23, 2011

Posted in Beauty and Fashion, Lifestyle | Tagged beauty, Disney, fashion, Jessica Rabbit, Kandee Johnson, makeup tutorial, tutorial
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CINDERELLA MAKEUP TUTORIAL

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Saturday, April 16, 2011

Posted in Beauty and Fashion, Lifestyle | Tagged beauty, Cinderella, Disney, fashion, Kandee Jonson, makeup tutorial, tutorial
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POCAHONTAS MAKEUP TUTORIAL

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Saturday, April 9, 2011

Posted in Beauty and Fashion, Lifestyle | Tagged beauty, Disney, fashion, Kandee Johnson, makeup tutorial, Pocahontas, tutorial
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JASMINE MAKEUP TUTORIAL

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Saturday, April 2, 2011

Posted in Beauty and Fashion, Lifestyle | Tagged beauty, Disney, fashion, Jasmine, Kandee Johnson, makeup, makeup tutorial, tutorial
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MOXIE TASTE TESTS WITH INNER MOUSE

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Thursday, March 31, 2011

These videos were captured by our very own NDA#5, Kelly D., at the last inner mouse meet-up at Flame Tree BBQ. One of the main amusements at the meet was doing Moxie shots. The reactions of the various people were priceless, and Kelly taped the reactions of NDM#1, JL, and NDI#64, John. Watch and learn. Do you have Moxie?

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Posted in DDL Meets, Disney Driven Life
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INNER MOUSE 29 – CONFESSIONS OF INNER MICE

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Disney Driven Life brings you another episode of inner mouse. In this week’s show, Scott and JL discuss Disney confessions. Scott and JL share some of their own personal confessions concerning strange habits in their Disney lifestyle and read confessions that have been submitted by other Disney fans. Making a special appearance, Jennifer McGill from the 90s Mickey Mouse Club, spills a few confessions of her own in some video clips. Come share the laughs and let us know some of your Disney confessions.

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Posted in Community, inner mouse, Lifestyle, NDP Community, Relationships, True Confessions of a Neurotic Disney Mom, Vidcast | Tagged confessions, inner mouse, Jennifer McGill, Mickey Mouse Club
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inner mouse 29 – Confessions of inner mice

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Posted in DDL Audio, inner mouse, Podcast | Tagged inner mouse, podcast
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TINKERBELL COSTUME TUTORIAL

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Saturday, March 26, 2011

Posted in Beauty and Fashion, Lifestyle | Tagged beauty, costume tutorial, Disney, fashion, GiannyL, Tinkerbell, tutorial
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INNER MOUSE 28 – MOUSE MEDIA MOMS

by JL Knopp (NDM#1) | @jlknopp1 | Published: Friday, March 25, 2011

The Disney Driven Life brings you another episode of inner mouse. In this week’s show, Scott, John, and JL discuss Disney’s 2nd Annual Social Media Moms Celebration. JL gives an insider’s view of the conference events and speakers as well as shares life lessons that she was able to take away from the experience. Be enriched by what is shared.

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