As we have written very rarely lately it seems a good time to evaluate what the purpose is for our writing at all. With the boys getting up earlier it becomes harder and harder to find the time. Who has the time anyways to write much at all if we are not getting paid? There has to be a means to this writing doesn't there?
There is a means to this writing. There will always be. Writing for me and for us is therapeutic and we like sharing our thoughts while exercising our minds.
That is what writing is for me. It is an exercise of the mind. When I research and/or write about something it helps me get prepared for what the day has ahead. It makes my mind fresh. Writing not only helps organize my thoughts, but provides that mental obstacle course to enhance them. This practice helps me to be able to be more informed about the world and hopefully enhance it.
When my mind is fresh from writing it is fresh for everything else. It helps me to plan out my morning and my day. My mind is able to stay fresh for the many kids at home and at school that I interact with on a daily basis. Most of all my mind being fresh helps me to evaluate life.
By being able to evaluate life I am able to notice what is really important. I am able to notice how to prioritize. What really matters becomes all the more clear. Also coming clear is why it matters and what to do about it.
Writing isn't, never was, and never will be about money for me or about being right (although I typically am IMO). It is about, why we should do what we do and how to do it better. It is about trying to get better mentally so you can be a better person. Writing will always be about that.
Life doesn't stop to give us the chance to write. It doesn't stop to give us that chance to smell the roses. However, it is important that we do those things that help us grow as people. Those things that stretch our minds. For me that thing is writing. Even if my son wakes up right when I get my computer out and I have to skip a day. For my wife it has been about this lettering she has gotten really good at. You can follow her on instagram to see more about that....For my older son it has been about learning from us and playing with us. For my younger one it has been soaking in what his older brother is doing. Isn't all of this great and what life really is about.
So whenever my next post is, know that it is filled with this sentiment and this intention. To better myself and maybe get others thinking as well. Enjoy this post and each other and have a fantastic week!
-Noland
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
2015 Disney Character Rankings (80-1)
We are once again back fans of the blog! Sorry it took us so long. With Eli's baptism and Noland Jr.'s 3rd birthday, we fell a little behind on writing. However, have no worries because we are back to it now!!! We also have some updates from his birthday coming next week along with some zoo reviews in the near future!
This is the 4th and last portion of the Disney Character Countdown for our Disney loving family. I decided to just include all of the characters and a link to their bios in this piece. I did that because we are running out of 2015 dates and I wanted everyone to see how the characters rankings changed. Feel free to comment to get a rationale for the rankings! Our previous countdowns are preview, 102-91, 90-81. Now, enjoy the rest of our countdown contained here...
This is the 4th and last portion of the Disney Character Countdown for our Disney loving family. I decided to just include all of the characters and a link to their bios in this piece. I did that because we are running out of 2015 dates and I wanted everyone to see how the characters rankings changed. Feel free to comment to get a rationale for the rankings! Our previous countdowns are preview, 102-91, 90-81. Now, enjoy the rest of our countdown contained here...
80. Brer Fox (77)
79. Brer Rabbit (69)
78. Timothy Q. Mouse (73)
77. Marie (80)
75. Bruce (75)
74. Terk (74)
73. Sven (90)
72. Remy (66)
71. Oswald
70. Owl (86)
68. Abu (71)
67. Wreck-It Ralph
63. Bullseye (60)
62. Magic Carpet (89)
61. Zurg (55)
60. White Rabbit (72)
59. Lady (63)
58. The Tramp (62)
57. Pascal (48)
56. Perry the Platypus (53)
55. Squirt (50)
53. Kaa (46)
52. Mushu (45)
51. Tick Tock Croc
50. Thumper (44)
49. Mufasa (39)
48. Scuttle (37)
47. Rabbit
(54)
46. Bagheera (41)
45. Bambi (43)
44. Marlin (40)
42. Flounder (20)
41. Shere Khan (38)
40. Nala (42)
38. King Louie (26)
37. Mike Wazowski (31)
36. James P. Sullivan (29)
34. Rex (51)
33. Crush (24)
32. Stitch (30)
30. Ursula
29. Dory (19)
28. Olaf (22)
27. Lumiere
26. Baloo (8)
24. Nemo (23)
23. Sebastian (16)
22. Eeyore (21)
20. Rafiki (18)
19. Dumbo (15)
18. Beast
14. Simba (11)
13. Woody (13)
12. Buzz Lightyear (12)
07. Tigger (5)
05. Winnie the Pooh (2)
-Noland
Friday, September 11, 2015
Central Florida Zoo
Hello again zoo lovers! We have a few more zoos to review this year and thought we would get started with the Central Florida Zoo.
Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Sanford, FL
Hours: 9 AM-5 PM
Admission: $16.50
Date of Visit: March 2015
Highlights: The Indian Rhino exhibit was awesome and even better than the one at Lowry Park. You were able to get closer and view them quite well. The black leopard exhibit was something I had never seen before which is always awesome. It was a special part of the zoo. Likewise, the crocodile monitor was something I had never seen before and really neat. I just wish we got a better picture of it for you, but it was difficult with the glass. They had a neat butterfly garden for the kids to look at and a cool playground for them as well.
Disappointments: Outside of the highlights and the cool animals in the pictures below, this zoo really lacked something. I was surprisingly underwhelmed. The zoo also didn't have the animals separated by continent like most zoos and just had a confusing layout in general.
Additional Tips: This zoo is actually about 45 minutes outside of Orlando. It is not actually in Orlando, do not be confused by Central Florida Zoo. It is in Sanford and not Orlando.
Pictures
Gila Monster
Cool Iguana
Indian Rhino
Another Indian Rhino
Snake
Butterfly from the Butterfly Garden
Not the best quality because of the glass, but a cool caiman swimming towards us.
Really cool bird by the entrance
Camel
Porcupine
Crocodile Monitor
And the highlight of the visit, this beautiful black leopard. This zoo is also where we learned about why some leopards are black (similar to albino alligators) and that there is no such thing as a black panther.
Final Rating:
3 out of 5 elephants
This zoo had it's highlights, but a confusing layout and a surprising lack of cool animals would have had this at a below average zoo. The Indian Rhino exhibit (which is the best of its kind) and the black leopard exhibit (which is incredibly rare) really saved this zoos rating. If you have never seen these animals, it is worth it just for them, but we will be spending our time at other zoos/attractions. There is so much to do in Florida, and you can do much better than this place. It disappointed me overall, but had some 1 of a kind cool stuff also.
Stay tuned for our next review on a much more pleasant zoo experience in a few weeks.
-Noland
Friday, September 4, 2015
10 Quotes to Live By
People like to throw quotes around, especially on social media. We each love quotes that help confirm what we believe. Some confirmation bias via quotes if you will. I have some of my own that I occasionally look to in order to help me live a better life. Some inspirational words from inspirational people. These are powerful words from Godly men that can have a similar effect to God's word in the bible. Here are 10 of my favorite quotes (not in any particular order).
10) "It dispelled so many myths about the coaching business -- that you had to be a yeller and a screamer to win. You can be your own person, treat people with respect, be very demanding but demanding in a way that doesn't trample on people. And you don't have to give up your faith to win in the NFL." - Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy is a Super Bowl winning and soon to be Hall of Fame coach that has been with the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneer organizations. All of his books are excellent and I highly recommend them eventhough I am not a big books guy. He is a very inspirational figure and I love how he leads with quiet strength. This is how I try to live my life and fuel my own coaching career.
9) “You have heard of ‘quality time’ and ‘quantity time.’ Your family needs both” - Jim Gallery
As a dedicated father I realize that I need to be there for my entire family. This behavior has been modeled for generations before me, but it is good to hear from famous people. Jim Gallery is a former NFL kicker that loves his family. He knows who his kids are and he spends a lot of quality time with them. Our families need active fathers in their lives and they need us to be as present as possible in more ways than one.
8) “Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in, aim at earth and you will get neither” - CS Lewis
The famous author most known for the Chronicles of Narnia, hit the nail on the head here. Aim at heaven and you get all of the joys of earth thrown in with it. When you aim at earth you ultimately remain unfulfilled. Everything on earth is finite and we can't put our infinite desires into finite things. Eventually, we need to put our desire into the infinite possibilities that heaven brings. When I was finally able to do this, God provided me with abundant blessings that led me to Jenna and from there we created our family.
7) “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could” - Zig Ziglar
Zig Ziglar is a Christian author and a motivational speaker and was able to come up with this gem. It is important to believe in our friends and family at times even when nobody else will. People can achieve great things, but need others to believe sometimes. You never know if you are the one person on earth believing or not. This is especially true in the teaching in coaching field. Even as adults, it always feels good to have someone believe in you.
6) “The test of a leader is taking the vision from me to we” - John Maxwell
Another Christian author in John Maxwell delivers a powerful quote here. While Maxwell was born in the 40s, this quote seems even more appropriate today in the social media age. Kids are very me centered now in looking at what they can do. When you are trying to lead a group of people though, as I do as a coach, the vision has to shift from me to we. The team has to think about what they can do for each other to make it work.
5) “Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence” - Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine is one of my favorite saints and this is probably my favorite quote of them all. Trust in God and everything will be okay. God forgives us all our sins so long as we have contrite hearts and confess these sins. He loves us and is ever present in that love. His providence will lead us in the future and ultimately into heaven should we give ourselves to him. Just trust in God and ultimately your life will be much more filling.
4) “The greater part of happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances” - Martha Washington
Happiness depends much more on how we conduct ourselves and perceive things than on the circumstances we find ourselves in. The 1st First Lady nailed it here.
3) “Nothing is unchangeable but the inherent and unalienable rights of man.” - Thomas Jefferson
All men and women have rights from conception until natural death. I STRONGLY believe in this and one of our greatest presidents, Thomas Jefferson, did too. This statement is the basis for the Declaration that Jefferson wrote. A great man with a great quote.
2) “God helps those who help themselves” - Ben Franklin
This is another interesting quote from another founding father. God helps us sure and we must rely on God, but at the same time God wants us and trusts us to help ourselves too. We must try to achieve some and not continually ask for things. Sometimes we need to provide for ourselves and thank God for that opportunity to provide.
1) "Faith is the most important thing in the world to me. It's the greatest strength I've had. It's helped me get through the hard times. You're not going to win every one of your football games. I've always said I'm not going to make football my god. A lot of coaches put so much into coaching football games that they have nothing left." - Bobby Bowden
Everything about my profession and how I feel about it in this quote right here. Work is not my god, sports are not my god. They are fun for sure and important, but the true God should still always be the centerpiece of my life. I need to always keep things in perspective as Coach Bowden was able to do so well.
Next week, we will have another zoo review. Have a great long weekend!
-Noland
10) "It dispelled so many myths about the coaching business -- that you had to be a yeller and a screamer to win. You can be your own person, treat people with respect, be very demanding but demanding in a way that doesn't trample on people. And you don't have to give up your faith to win in the NFL." - Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy is a Super Bowl winning and soon to be Hall of Fame coach that has been with the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneer organizations. All of his books are excellent and I highly recommend them eventhough I am not a big books guy. He is a very inspirational figure and I love how he leads with quiet strength. This is how I try to live my life and fuel my own coaching career.
9) “You have heard of ‘quality time’ and ‘quantity time.’ Your family needs both” - Jim Gallery
As a dedicated father I realize that I need to be there for my entire family. This behavior has been modeled for generations before me, but it is good to hear from famous people. Jim Gallery is a former NFL kicker that loves his family. He knows who his kids are and he spends a lot of quality time with them. Our families need active fathers in their lives and they need us to be as present as possible in more ways than one.
8) “Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in, aim at earth and you will get neither” - CS Lewis
The famous author most known for the Chronicles of Narnia, hit the nail on the head here. Aim at heaven and you get all of the joys of earth thrown in with it. When you aim at earth you ultimately remain unfulfilled. Everything on earth is finite and we can't put our infinite desires into finite things. Eventually, we need to put our desire into the infinite possibilities that heaven brings. When I was finally able to do this, God provided me with abundant blessings that led me to Jenna and from there we created our family.
7) “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could” - Zig Ziglar
Zig Ziglar is a Christian author and a motivational speaker and was able to come up with this gem. It is important to believe in our friends and family at times even when nobody else will. People can achieve great things, but need others to believe sometimes. You never know if you are the one person on earth believing or not. This is especially true in the teaching in coaching field. Even as adults, it always feels good to have someone believe in you.
6) “The test of a leader is taking the vision from me to we” - John Maxwell
Another Christian author in John Maxwell delivers a powerful quote here. While Maxwell was born in the 40s, this quote seems even more appropriate today in the social media age. Kids are very me centered now in looking at what they can do. When you are trying to lead a group of people though, as I do as a coach, the vision has to shift from me to we. The team has to think about what they can do for each other to make it work.
5) “Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence” - Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine is one of my favorite saints and this is probably my favorite quote of them all. Trust in God and everything will be okay. God forgives us all our sins so long as we have contrite hearts and confess these sins. He loves us and is ever present in that love. His providence will lead us in the future and ultimately into heaven should we give ourselves to him. Just trust in God and ultimately your life will be much more filling.
4) “The greater part of happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances” - Martha Washington
Happiness depends much more on how we conduct ourselves and perceive things than on the circumstances we find ourselves in. The 1st First Lady nailed it here.
3) “Nothing is unchangeable but the inherent and unalienable rights of man.” - Thomas Jefferson
All men and women have rights from conception until natural death. I STRONGLY believe in this and one of our greatest presidents, Thomas Jefferson, did too. This statement is the basis for the Declaration that Jefferson wrote. A great man with a great quote.
2) “God helps those who help themselves” - Ben Franklin
This is another interesting quote from another founding father. God helps us sure and we must rely on God, but at the same time God wants us and trusts us to help ourselves too. We must try to achieve some and not continually ask for things. Sometimes we need to provide for ourselves and thank God for that opportunity to provide.
1) "Faith is the most important thing in the world to me. It's the greatest strength I've had. It's helped me get through the hard times. You're not going to win every one of your football games. I've always said I'm not going to make football my god. A lot of coaches put so much into coaching football games that they have nothing left." - Bobby Bowden
Everything about my profession and how I feel about it in this quote right here. Work is not my god, sports are not my god. They are fun for sure and important, but the true God should still always be the centerpiece of my life. I need to always keep things in perspective as Coach Bowden was able to do so well.
Next week, we will have another zoo review. Have a great long weekend!
-Noland
Friday, August 28, 2015
I can't wait until your son......
I try to live a positive life and not let things get to me. Don't sweat the small stuff is an important motto that I and others try to live by. However, we are an imperfect people. I cannot and will not ever be perfect, no matter how hard I try. All I can do is try my best. That being said, one statement truly gets on my nerves everytime I hear it and I just hate the phrase. The phrase that annoys me is in the title of this piece. Why does it annoy me so though?
The phrase I can't wait until you son or daughter...blah blah is a phrase that is rooted with evil undertones and hopes of misfortune. There is absolutely no positive spin that can be put on this statement and I hear it far too often. At best the meaning of this statement is to be happy at someones misery. At worst it is assuming the parent is a self-absorbed ego-maniac that will not be proud of their child and the life choices that they make. Either way it is a misguided and foolish statement unless it is something to the effect of...I can't wait until your child is incredibly successful. That statement seems weak.
When I hear this statement, it usually comes in the form of...I can't wait until your son is a gator. Now, you have to understand I am a Seminole and my blood burns deep garnet and gold. You have to understand that my wife and I met at Florida State and we are each lifelong Seminole fans. Sure we both really want our kids to be Seminoles and hate the Gators, but pump the breaks for a minute....
1) You are assuming we won't raise our child to make the right choice for them...
Sure we have already shown our boys the Seminole traditions. We have shown them our love for the Seminoles and will continue to do so. However, as deep as our love goes for the Seminoles our children know already that their purpose in life is to serve God. Nobody and nothing supersedes that purpose. They will go where they best serve God. I am pretty sure that will be at Florida State, but if God has different plans for my children, I will be happy they are serving his purpose.
2) You are doubting our parenting skills...
You are assuming our kids are making choices that we don't like. You are assuming that our kids are meant to hurt us. That just isn't how we roll. We are and will always be proud of our children. This will be true with any choice they make in life and it will typically be the right decision because that is how they have been raised.
3) You are wanting us to be upset...
Even if you were just trying to get under our skin with the statement, why do it? Why say that you can't wait for something that we dislike? This is the best case scenario as I said for the statement. You are thinking that we will be miserable if this happens and secretly wishing for it so that we can become miserable. Okay, if that's what you want in life fine, but we are called to be much more.
4) If a child is making the choice that is best for them, no parent will get in the way....
Are you saying that we won't be good parents? Sure, rivalries run deep and FSU fans dislike Florida and vice versa. That does not mean a Florida State parent will stand in the way of a kid going to Florida if there is a sport scholarship there that isn't at FSU or in rare cases vice versa. If there is a better or more reliable coach at one of the institutions. Or a better program for the major that the child wants. Heck, one school may have a major that the other doesn't. Assuming the parent won't want what is best for the child based on a rivalry is assuming the parent isn't worth much.
5) So you'd let your kid go to that awful orange and blue school?
Again, I'd let my kid do what is best for them and best for serving the Lord. On the off chance that it is in Gainesville and even possibly playing for the Gators, yes I'd be okay with that. It will never be my first choice or a high choice, but the child comes first. I will always be my kids biggest supporter along with their mom. The only difference if they were to choose that awful school would be that we would never get ourselves apparel from UF. We won't be caught ever in Gator gear, but we will support our children.
This statement is just stupid and if you use it, I ask you to stop immediately. There is no purpose to this foolish statement. Whether it be something silly like college to attend or something much more serious like a political stance, it is a foolish statement. Serve a higher purpose don't aim to take others down because you personally are insecure. I am sure nobody that reads this blog makes this kind of statements though and.....
My older son asked for a Seminole room in the new house and thanks God for it every night though....so I'd say they are on a pretty good track.
-Noland
The phrase I can't wait until you son or daughter...blah blah is a phrase that is rooted with evil undertones and hopes of misfortune. There is absolutely no positive spin that can be put on this statement and I hear it far too often. At best the meaning of this statement is to be happy at someones misery. At worst it is assuming the parent is a self-absorbed ego-maniac that will not be proud of their child and the life choices that they make. Either way it is a misguided and foolish statement unless it is something to the effect of...I can't wait until your child is incredibly successful. That statement seems weak.
When I hear this statement, it usually comes in the form of...I can't wait until your son is a gator. Now, you have to understand I am a Seminole and my blood burns deep garnet and gold. You have to understand that my wife and I met at Florida State and we are each lifelong Seminole fans. Sure we both really want our kids to be Seminoles and hate the Gators, but pump the breaks for a minute....
1) You are assuming we won't raise our child to make the right choice for them...
Sure we have already shown our boys the Seminole traditions. We have shown them our love for the Seminoles and will continue to do so. However, as deep as our love goes for the Seminoles our children know already that their purpose in life is to serve God. Nobody and nothing supersedes that purpose. They will go where they best serve God. I am pretty sure that will be at Florida State, but if God has different plans for my children, I will be happy they are serving his purpose.
2) You are doubting our parenting skills...
You are assuming our kids are making choices that we don't like. You are assuming that our kids are meant to hurt us. That just isn't how we roll. We are and will always be proud of our children. This will be true with any choice they make in life and it will typically be the right decision because that is how they have been raised.
3) You are wanting us to be upset...
Even if you were just trying to get under our skin with the statement, why do it? Why say that you can't wait for something that we dislike? This is the best case scenario as I said for the statement. You are thinking that we will be miserable if this happens and secretly wishing for it so that we can become miserable. Okay, if that's what you want in life fine, but we are called to be much more.
4) If a child is making the choice that is best for them, no parent will get in the way....
Are you saying that we won't be good parents? Sure, rivalries run deep and FSU fans dislike Florida and vice versa. That does not mean a Florida State parent will stand in the way of a kid going to Florida if there is a sport scholarship there that isn't at FSU or in rare cases vice versa. If there is a better or more reliable coach at one of the institutions. Or a better program for the major that the child wants. Heck, one school may have a major that the other doesn't. Assuming the parent won't want what is best for the child based on a rivalry is assuming the parent isn't worth much.
5) So you'd let your kid go to that awful orange and blue school?
Again, I'd let my kid do what is best for them and best for serving the Lord. On the off chance that it is in Gainesville and even possibly playing for the Gators, yes I'd be okay with that. It will never be my first choice or a high choice, but the child comes first. I will always be my kids biggest supporter along with their mom. The only difference if they were to choose that awful school would be that we would never get ourselves apparel from UF. We won't be caught ever in Gator gear, but we will support our children.
This statement is just stupid and if you use it, I ask you to stop immediately. There is no purpose to this foolish statement. Whether it be something silly like college to attend or something much more serious like a political stance, it is a foolish statement. Serve a higher purpose don't aim to take others down because you personally are insecure. I am sure nobody that reads this blog makes this kind of statements though and.....
My older son asked for a Seminole room in the new house and thanks God for it every night though....so I'd say they are on a pretty good track.
-Noland
Friday, August 21, 2015
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
We are all settled with the move and baby is here so we are able to go through some of the old pics and get back to ZooZooReview. We have about 6 zoos to do that we visited this year before the year is out and will post about each zoo every couple of weeks.
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
Sarasota, FL
Hours: 10 AM-5
Admission: $15.99
Date of Visit: 2/7/2015
Highlights:
A few weeks earlier our visit to the Gulf World Marine Park was the closest we had been to flamingos. However, at this park you can walk among the flamingos and even feed them. I enjoyed their Koi Pond as I love those fish. The American Crocodile was pretty cool and not expected at this place. I expected the alligators and the pets, but not the crocodile. The spider monkeys were also really neat.
Disappointments:
Not a lot of variety and the birds were mostly macaws. I enjoy macaws, but I thought there would be a wider variety of birds. There was a lot of empty space that was used for just plant life as well. They could do some really cool things with the extra space they have, but some of it was wasted space.
Additional Tips:
Do not buy lunch there. Pack a lunch and eat it as they will let you bring it in. We wasted money on lunch and I felt sick afterwards.
The shows are cool, but not a necessity.
Pictures
Sign
They May Have Had An Alligator or 2
And a Big Ol' Crocodile
This fake one bit my son
My son loved mommy time
And family time
Also this cow
This show was his favorite though
Until the Iguana
And of course the flamingos!
We gave this zoo 2.5 out of 5 Elephants
There were some really cool experiences and the zoo does great work. However, the zoo didn't really have too much of a wow factor. There was no super crazy animal or new animal. It was all stuff we had seen before. Since all of the animals were exotic pets there were no huge surprises. However, some of the stuff was really neat for what it was. It was cool for what it was. If you are comparing it to a major zoo though you will be disappointed. I do not plan on going back.
-Noland
Friday, August 14, 2015
2015 Disney Character Rankings (90-81)
A few weeks back, I started an updated Disney character countdown. The preview was followed by the rankings for 102-91. Today we continue the countdown.....
Chip Potts is one of the most memorable characters from one of Disney's best movies. If the movies were ranked by a large group of people, I think this would finish between 2nd and 5th for most popular movie. It happened to have some of the best and most memorable characters as well. One of those characters was the little chipped cup named Chip. He has virtually no presence in the parks, but his part in the mega-hit earns him a spot here at 89.
I do not know anyone who has this movie rated as their number 1. It is more recent though and most kids do know it. Flik also is the main character in the Bug's Life show in Disney's Animal Kingdom. Because of that show and him being the main character in the movie he belongs on the list. However, if that show inside the tree of life were to be replaced or removed as some suggest, then he will no longer be on this list. Flik drops 29 spots, but will stay on this list so long as that show stays in a Disney Park.
The main bad guy in Toy Story 3 is shown he strapped to the front of Sid's truck which happened at the end of the movie. He is quite popular among Toy Story fans, but he only was in the final movie of the series (so far). He cannot be ranked as high as most characters from the franchise and I have left him ranked in the 80s for a 2nd time. This is a good spot for him and I think he will always be somewhere from 80-100 unless he makes another appearance or other characters emerge.
Iago had a slight drop to 85 on the countdown this year. He is an incredibly memorable character for an iconic movie franchise, but doesn't have the staying power of some others. Iago is one that won't really be booted from this countdown having appeared in all 3 movies and the TV Show, but he will never be as high as the genie or other characters from the movie. The biggest reason for this is that Iago has 0 presence at the parks unlike the characters from Aladdin that will finish higher than him.
Zazu is a character that everyone loves from Disney's most popular movie. It also happens to be my older son's favorite movie and he loves Zazu. Because he is such a major piece of Disney's top film, it would be hard for him to be removed from the countdown. However, similar to Iago with Aladdin, other characters from Lion King will always be higher than Zazu. He just will not be as popular as the others and has no presence at the parks still.
Top Disney Characters 90-81
90. J. Thaddeus Toad
Previous Ranking: 64
J. Thaddeus Toad is a Disney legend and had this list been made 20 years ago, a top 50 ranking would have been easily justified. However, now many have no idea who Mr. Toad is. His ride has been replaced at Disney World and this photo is the only memory of it existing. Him handing over the deed of the ride to a character from the much more popular Winnie the Pooh franchise should tell you all you need to know about how he has faded from the parks. Still worthy of a spot on the countdown, that may not be true in a year or so.
Previously Unranked
Previous Ranking: 56
Scrooge falls more than 30 spots and it is because he doesn't really have a presence for Disney anymore. Sure, kids can watch DuckTales reruns and they are still fantastic, but he hasn't been in anything new in over a decade. Other than Mickey's Christmas Carol he really isn't seen anymore ever. At the parks he can be seen at Christmas time and that is it. He still belongs on the the list though because people still love DuckTales and the line to see him at Mickey's Holiday Party are insane.
Previous Ranking: 58
Previous Ranking: 82
85. Iago
Previous Ranking: 78
Previous Ranking: 76
83. Mater
Previously Unranked
There is really no good reason for not having mater in the 1st countdown. The only reason he was not in that countdown is because I am not a fan of the Cars franchise. That franchise though has two movies and merchandise galore. People love Mater and he is the 2nd most popular character from the movie. You can also see him at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Mater absolutely belongs on this countdown and an argument could be made for him being higher than he is.
82. Cogsworth
Previously Unranked
Cogsworth is the clock that turns into a human in Beauty and the Beast. He was a major character in the film, but not as major as his best friend Lumiere. He was like Lumiere's side kick/rival of sorts. However, he is not as memorable which is why he is much lower on the countdown. That being said, he certainly belongs and fits nicely at #82.
81. Figaro
Previous Ranking: 95
Figaro has been re-branded from the cat of Gepetto to the cat of Minnie Mouse. While I didn't think so the last time I did rankings, that actually makes Figaro even more popular than he was before. This character is known to multiple generations of Disney fans. This ranking at 81 might even still be too low. He is a strong personality in the Disney Universe when you think about it.
Stay tuned for our next ranking of characters 80-71 in a few weeks. Next week, we will do a zoo review of Sarasota Jungle Gardens.
- Noland
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