Friday, December 2, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Sunday, November 6th, 2011.
The 5th annual (unofficial) Harry Potter Day at Disneyland is Sunday, November 6th 2011. Our event draws Potter fans from all over the Southland and far beyond for a day of mirth, mischief and magic! The elves are hard at work putting together this year's festivities, which will include a scavenger hunt (of sorts) the likes of which you've never experienced before.
Here is our tentative schedule of meet-ups and activities:
10am to 11:30am - Register for "Classes" (our scavenger hunt) at the River Belle Terrace. Catch up with old friends and new. Get sorted into one of Yensid's Houses (Grizcom, Rickett, Willowdell, Dashwood).
12pm to 6:30pm - "Classes." We plan to have enough materials for 100 teams (maximum 10 persons per team). We have no way of anticipating how many students will attempt to register for Classes this year - as with any academic institution, first come, first serve.
7:30pm - Meet at the Small World Promenade (after the parade) for the awarding of the House Cup and crowning of the Magic Kingdom Champions. Any other activities occuring for the rest of the evening will be announced at this time.
Both times and locations are subject to change, so be sure to check back just before November 6th.
To keep up on the latest, be sure to Like our new Page on FACEBOOK
You can also follow us on Twitter
NEW TO THIS YEAR: We've added a downloadable mp3 that gives you a docent tour slash orientation to Yensid's School of Sorcery and Necromancy. Just download it into the mobile mp3 player of your choice, go to Disneyland, press play, and you'll be taken on a guided tour of the campus. Disclaimer: this tour works best if you're using proper ear-covering headphones. Those using run of the mill earbuds will have difficulty discerning elements of the tour over the ambient din of the Park itself. At any rate, Draco, Luna, Ginny, Krum and Gilderoy are at the campus waiting for you right now, so download your free half hour tour at this website.
Also new to this year is our Cafepress store where you can pick up either the new 2011 logo or the Yensid's crest. Or both.
Friday, January 21, 2011
A Recap of Potter Day 2010
Potter Day planning begins with an aimless walk in the Park. Silvia and I are annual pass-holders, as one would expect given that we basically live down the street from the original Happiest Place on Earth. So we stroll aimlessly, waiting for inspiration to strike. You can't force it, but eventually, after days of meandering, it dawns on me - an answer to the question I ask myself every year: how can I outsmart these kids?
The goal each year is to stump our Potter Day attendees with a reasonable degree of difficulty. And each year I show the clues I'm considering to the rest of the Squad, and the question we ask each other is "are these clues too hard?" Inevitably, each year, the results provide a resounding answer of "No."
This year my plan was to present a challenge wherein teams would be handed a set of clues but given no instruction as to what to do with them: The Horcrux Hunt. The object of the game was to figure out the object of the game. Silvia and I derived a great amount of pleasure watching steam come out of players' ears as they tried to decrypt our puzzles.
The first set of clues consisted of small, ovular images paired with short excerpts from the book. Combining the two led teams to a specific place within the Magic Kingdom, where they found a Squad member who gave them yet another clue - this time a double-sided square with esoteric imagery. Combined, these pieces formed a double-sided "Rebus" (latin for "thing") which, if correctly decrypted, told players where to go at what time and what to say to whom when they got there in order to complete the game.
The House which seemed to work together best was Ravenclaw, for more members of their House were able to complete the entire puzzle than any other.
And of course there were our roaming members of the Inquisitorial Squad who doled out coins to the cleverest of individual teams wielding trivia prowess. Although a tight competition among dozens of knowledgeable groups, the Bigonville Bombers alone achieved a perfect score, and took home the unique medals designed and fashioned by Silvia.
As I traveled from one of my stations to another I came across Ambar and Dom, aka Cho and Krum, aka "Team Sexy Seeker." A team called out the password, "Roonil Waslib!" and flagged them down for questioning. To my immense delight I found Cho and Krum quizzing players with Scottish and Bulgarian accents, respectively - they were sticking to and staying in character.
It would be hard to conveive that any participants had as much fun that day as Team Sexy Seeker; and that's not even considering the fact that both of them found special friends that day. Dom informed me later I would have to kill him to keep him off the 'Squad next year.
On paper alone we had over 230 participants this year. Given how many people were not documented, we most certainly had over 250, practically doubling last year's attendance. I wonder how many will show up for 2011, and if we'll even be able to handle you lot.
I normally allow myself a few Potter-free days after getting through one of our annual November events. This year's gathering was so successful and so positive that we were brainstorming for next year that very night at the Hearthstone Lounge. My plans for November 6th, 2011 are more ambitious than anything we've attempted before... But if we pull it off, it could be, dare I say, magical.
~Zoe Necrosis
P.S. These photos are courtesy of Kako Photography. See the entire set of 2010 photos on Facebook here.
The goal each year is to stump our Potter Day attendees with a reasonable degree of difficulty. And each year I show the clues I'm considering to the rest of the Squad, and the question we ask each other is "are these clues too hard?" Inevitably, each year, the results provide a resounding answer of "No."
This year my plan was to present a challenge wherein teams would be handed a set of clues but given no instruction as to what to do with them: The Horcrux Hunt. The object of the game was to figure out the object of the game. Silvia and I derived a great amount of pleasure watching steam come out of players' ears as they tried to decrypt our puzzles.
The first set of clues consisted of small, ovular images paired with short excerpts from the book. Combining the two led teams to a specific place within the Magic Kingdom, where they found a Squad member who gave them yet another clue - this time a double-sided square with esoteric imagery. Combined, these pieces formed a double-sided "Rebus" (latin for "thing") which, if correctly decrypted, told players where to go at what time and what to say to whom when they got there in order to complete the game.
The House which seemed to work together best was Ravenclaw, for more members of their House were able to complete the entire puzzle than any other.
And of course there were our roaming members of the Inquisitorial Squad who doled out coins to the cleverest of individual teams wielding trivia prowess. Although a tight competition among dozens of knowledgeable groups, the Bigonville Bombers alone achieved a perfect score, and took home the unique medals designed and fashioned by Silvia.
As I traveled from one of my stations to another I came across Ambar and Dom, aka Cho and Krum, aka "Team Sexy Seeker." A team called out the password, "Roonil Waslib!" and flagged them down for questioning. To my immense delight I found Cho and Krum quizzing players with Scottish and Bulgarian accents, respectively - they were sticking to and staying in character.
It would be hard to conveive that any participants had as much fun that day as Team Sexy Seeker; and that's not even considering the fact that both of them found special friends that day. Dom informed me later I would have to kill him to keep him off the 'Squad next year.
On paper alone we had over 230 participants this year. Given how many people were not documented, we most certainly had over 250, practically doubling last year's attendance. I wonder how many will show up for 2011, and if we'll even be able to handle you lot.
I normally allow myself a few Potter-free days after getting through one of our annual November events. This year's gathering was so successful and so positive that we were brainstorming for next year that very night at the Hearthstone Lounge. My plans for November 6th, 2011 are more ambitious than anything we've attempted before... But if we pull it off, it could be, dare I say, magical.
~Zoe Necrosis
P.S. These photos are courtesy of Kako Photography. See the entire set of 2010 photos on Facebook here.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Yensid's Founders
Ryder Grizcom was born to Scottish immigrant parents in 1838. He became a hippogryph rancher in Oklahoma until his family was killed in a raid by W'nahawka Warriors in 1859.Grizcom lived in isolation for a time, wandering the wilderness for years until eventually joining the Shadow Riders First Battalion. It was with the Shadow Riders that he fought in the legendary Unicorn Wars (1867 - 1871) against the infamous N'ahtaehalla tribe, otherwise known as The Mounted Phantoms. Grizcom sustained so many injurious curses during the Unicorn Wars that he was forced to retire from the military, and utilized his notoriety and wartime valor to launch a career in local governance.
It was on a tour of the Golden State that Grizcom met R. S. Yensid, who proposed to him the prospect of a school of magical learning that would fill the void of formal magical education in the United States.
The agrarian prosperity of the Southland owes its efflorescence to Grizcom's contribution: the orange. Shortly after Yensid altered the topography and climate of California, Grizcom was quoted as having said "Professor Yensid has said to me that a new land carries with it new dreams, new hopes, and must flower in a new color. I have therefore bestowed upon this newly hallowed ground the gift of citrus, that this golden state may flower with golden fields forever more." Grizcom thereby fostered the state's first orange groves in a veritable forest surrounding Yensid's campus.
Grizcom remained an instructor at Yensid's until his death in 1913.
Willowdell began working as a magician's assistant to a Muggle by the name of "Professor" Emelius Browne. Willowdell used her magical abilities to simulate the effects that performance conjurors created by illusion, such as levitation and vanishing. Browne in fact had neither magical ability nor slight of hand skills, and belabored under the inebriated impression that he was a talented conjuror. This ended when Browne, a notorious sot, accepted a barroom challenge to demonstrate his ability to catch a bullet with his teeth. Willowdell was not present; Browne was killed.
Willowdell joined the traveling caravan of a snake oil salesman named Tobias Pirelli, using her modest talent with Potions to improve the quality of Pirelli's elixirs, which had previously consisted mostly of waste water and ink. She also used her marksmanship skills on stage after joining Pachyderm Perry's Magnificent Exhibition. It was during a tour in San Francisco that she was approached by R. S. Yensid, who offered her a teaching position at his still-developing school. She taught Potions and Defensive Arts for 28 years.
Less is known about Rickett than any other Yensid's founder.
Franklin Dashwood is known to have been Headmaster Pro Tem from 1892 to 1894, at which time Yensid's movements are unknown but likely include visitation to New Mexico, where the magical tribe of the W'nakeh Etamosa (They Who Walk Between Winds) were held on a reservation, and from whose tribe Rickett belonged.
When Yensid returned in 1894 he brought with him the fourth and final House Founder. Rickett held a long-standing animosity towards Ryder Grizcom, whose Shadow Riders were responsible for slaughtering half of her tribe and displacing the survivors. Grizcom maintained personal innocence as neither his battalion nor he was involved in any campain against They Who Walk Between Winds. It fell repeatedly to Phoebe Jane Willowdell to foster reconciliation between the two founders and convince Rickett to remain at Yensid's
Takeri Rickett was the first founder to leave the school in 1908.
Dashwood joined the Order in 1735. It was within the ranks of the order that he met Nicholas Flamel, creator of the Philosopher's Stone and pioneer of the Elixir of Life; Flamel was already 405 years old when he accepted Dashwood as an apprentice. It was under Flamel's tutelage that Dashwood learned the secrets of abnormally long life and vitality, and their continued collaboration and correspondence allowed the two to remain alive until (circa) 1993, shortly after the Philosopher's Stone had been destroyed.
Dashwood ascended to the rank of Grand Master of the Order in 1745. Former Grand Masters have included Pythagoras of Samos, Galileo Galilei, and Aleister Crowley. Many of the Order's studies included mathematics, philosophy, alchemy and haberdashery, but the secret society remains most notoriously associated with their revelries, which ranged in degree from bacchanalian to heretical. Much of the Order's infamous reputation is owed to allegations laid by the clergy, such as demonology, which was patently untrue and absent even from the most aberrant of the Order's practices; nevertheless, some of the Order's notorious reputation is founded in fact and practices which are unsuitable for printing in scholastic materials.
The headquarters of the Order of Five Angels in West Wycombe was purged and burned in 1762 by the Knights of Walpurgis at the order of King George IV. The Order went underground, its members scattered, splintered into factions, and Dashwood fled to the Americas, assuming the pseudonym Phinneus Pogue.
Dashwood became an author and printer, continually changing identities, residences and association so as to not bring attention to his abnormally long lifespan and conspicuous lack of decrepitude.
His association with R.S. Yensid began in 1860, which eventually lead to the creation of Yensid's School of Sorcery and Necromancy, at which he taught arithmancy and alchemy for the better part of the next century.
Yensid, along with the nobility and clergy of England, was summoned to court by Henry I in 1110 to discuss the appearance of John Uskglass and his fairy host northwest of Newcastle. Yensid and the King's army were defeated by the Daoine Sidhe during the short battle that occurred at Newark on the Trent River. King Henry was suffered to retain rule over the southern half of England. Yensid was banished from the realm, but whether by the northern or southern King is unclear.
Several centuries of ambiguous activity later, in which time it is speculated Yensid may have been residing on the dwarf planet of Pluto, he reappears in Ireland, believed to have been his country of origin. Yensid was the most favored subject of King Brian of Knocknasheega up until the King's ongoing tete-a-tete with a Muggle by the name of Darby O'Gill, the only mortal known to have ridden the Cóiste Bodhar twice. Yensid openly criticized Brian for divesting so much time in an amicable feud, which lead to their well-documented quarrel, which lead to Yensid departing Knocknasheega in 1845, casting a blighting curse on King Brian's favorite vegetable, the potato.
Yensid appeared in California three years later seeking resources by which to test his theories of reverse alchemy, in which gold is transformed into baser materials, such as lead. Gold was, of course, in much shorter supply than popularly reputed, leading to a period where Yensid, despondent, wandered the Southland until his contemporary Ratavericus the Terrible introduced him to émigré and fellow alchemist Franklin Dashwood, former Grand Master of the Order of Five Angels.
In 1890, Yensid and Dashwood minced four ounces of salmon fillet combined with olive oil, lemon oil, chives, shallots and kosher salt. Sprinkle black sesame seeds over the rounds of batter and bake on a Silpat for four to six minutes. Shape the batter around the 4 1/2 inch cornet mold, arrange seam side down, and bake for three to four minutes. Fill the top 1/2 inch with red onion crème fraiche. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salmon tartare over the onion cream and lay a chive tip against one side to garnish.
R.S. Yensid is still considered the Headmaster of said eponymous institution, and although it is not known whether the span of his absence will be counted in decades or centuries, he is expected to return.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A Recap of Potter Day 2009
Another year of Potter Day comes to a close.
I'm grateful to everyone, helper and attendee alike, that made this our most successful gathering yet.
By Silvia's count we had roughly 150 attendees, not counting the miscellaneous persons we saw throughout the day wearing house scarves whom we had no contact with. it was wonderful also to reconnect with friends we see but once a year on this particular occasion.
I suspect many of you were studying heavily in anticipation of the Coin Quest. The competitive edge and mastery of esoteric knowledge and details reached a new pinnacle this year. Four teams - four - had absolutely perfect scores. I suspect I'm going to have to re-read the entire canon again in order to prepare for next year's Quest. Poor me. Bookworm mode: activate.
This year's Potter Day was so rewarding for me that I wish I could store the entire thing in a pensieve and relive it over and over again. We treasure Rowling's books because we can step into her world with as much ease and verisimilitude as we can in stepping into the next room. Likewise, it is always an equal treat to spend a day surrounded by fellow Potterheads. Together, donning our magical togs and house colors, we create a fantastic world for each other to exist in.
There are many memories of this particular Potter Day that will live in sharp relief for years to come.
Imagine how impressed I was with young Zoe (not me - a teenage girl, unlike myself in both aspects) who appeared with a carefully sharpie-markered Potter Day Dark Mark, as illustrated by our own Draco (Peter Hamilton, freelance artist).
Which leads me to our bottle-platinum hottie himself. You've all seen the promo video of Draco and Harry running around the park, which I knew would give Peter a certain, special, identifiability. Little did I know the wonderful fandom explosion that would await him that day. I'm certain Peter has never been asked to pose for a photograph with as many complete strangers before - all of them female. I can't help but smile when I think of the 11-year old girl who thrust a camera in her mother's hand and then hugged Draco with all her might, beaming for posterity. And then there were the three female Cast Members who asked him to pose for a photo with them. And the anonymous girls who, walking away from their photo op, fanned their faces with their hands. And so on and so on.
And hoorah for Kate, friend and photographer extraordinaire, who took magnificent portraits of everyone and the day's activities and cast them in a tone reminiscent of the Daily Prophet. As Angela (our own Mrs Weasley) put it, "I keep expecting the pictures to move."
My entire Inquisitorial Squad seemed to have a great time. Ambar (aka Cho Chang) gleefully described the day as young girls running up to her and screaming all day.
My favorite part of Potter Day, always, is the post-park nightcap at the Hearthstone Lounge. After 14 hours of organizing, herding, quizzing, shouting announcements, corralling and bellowing to the crowd, I get to sit down with a perspiring glass in my hand, shut my mouth and enjoy it. Those of you that couldn't make the time last year should seriously plan on staying up past your bedtime on our next meet. It's my great pleasure and reward to bask in the chatter of old friends and new as they share stories of the day, laugh and cajole.
I allowed myself a good three or four Potter-free days after this year's event. And then the wheels started turning again. I'm formulating a plan for November of 2010. It's going to be bigger and better. The Inquisitorial Squad is already growing and recruiting. Next year we're turning this party upside down.
~Zoe Necrosis
I'm grateful to everyone, helper and attendee alike, that made this our most successful gathering yet.
By Silvia's count we had roughly 150 attendees, not counting the miscellaneous persons we saw throughout the day wearing house scarves whom we had no contact with. it was wonderful also to reconnect with friends we see but once a year on this particular occasion.
I suspect many of you were studying heavily in anticipation of the Coin Quest. The competitive edge and mastery of esoteric knowledge and details reached a new pinnacle this year. Four teams - four - had absolutely perfect scores. I suspect I'm going to have to re-read the entire canon again in order to prepare for next year's Quest. Poor me. Bookworm mode: activate.
This year's Potter Day was so rewarding for me that I wish I could store the entire thing in a pensieve and relive it over and over again. We treasure Rowling's books because we can step into her world with as much ease and verisimilitude as we can in stepping into the next room. Likewise, it is always an equal treat to spend a day surrounded by fellow Potterheads. Together, donning our magical togs and house colors, we create a fantastic world for each other to exist in.
There are many memories of this particular Potter Day that will live in sharp relief for years to come.
Imagine how impressed I was with young Zoe (not me - a teenage girl, unlike myself in both aspects) who appeared with a carefully sharpie-markered Potter Day Dark Mark, as illustrated by our own Draco (Peter Hamilton, freelance artist).
Which leads me to our bottle-platinum hottie himself. You've all seen the promo video of Draco and Harry running around the park, which I knew would give Peter a certain, special, identifiability. Little did I know the wonderful fandom explosion that would await him that day. I'm certain Peter has never been asked to pose for a photograph with as many complete strangers before - all of them female. I can't help but smile when I think of the 11-year old girl who thrust a camera in her mother's hand and then hugged Draco with all her might, beaming for posterity. And then there were the three female Cast Members who asked him to pose for a photo with them. And the anonymous girls who, walking away from their photo op, fanned their faces with their hands. And so on and so on.
And hoorah for Kate, friend and photographer extraordinaire, who took magnificent portraits of everyone and the day's activities and cast them in a tone reminiscent of the Daily Prophet. As Angela (our own Mrs Weasley) put it, "I keep expecting the pictures to move."
My entire Inquisitorial Squad seemed to have a great time. Ambar (aka Cho Chang) gleefully described the day as young girls running up to her and screaming all day.
My favorite part of Potter Day, always, is the post-park nightcap at the Hearthstone Lounge. After 14 hours of organizing, herding, quizzing, shouting announcements, corralling and bellowing to the crowd, I get to sit down with a perspiring glass in my hand, shut my mouth and enjoy it. Those of you that couldn't make the time last year should seriously plan on staying up past your bedtime on our next meet. It's my great pleasure and reward to bask in the chatter of old friends and new as they share stories of the day, laugh and cajole.
I allowed myself a good three or four Potter-free days after this year's event. And then the wheels started turning again. I'm formulating a plan for November of 2010. It's going to be bigger and better. The Inquisitorial Squad is already growing and recruiting. Next year we're turning this party upside down.
~Zoe Necrosis
Monday, November 9, 2009
Whimsic Alley
As Harry Potter Day approaches the question on many a Witch or Wizard's mind is how to be properly attired for the occasion - where can I get a tie or scarf so I can fly my House colors with pride?
There is only one answer: Whimsic Alley.
Whimsic Alley is the one spot for all your Wizarding World needs. Your ties, scarves, vests, pullovers, cloaks, capes, hats, and most importantly, wands, are all here waiting for you.
Stepping into Whimsic Alley immediately transports you into the secret corners of a market existing only in the shared imagination of yourself and Jo Rowling. Apparate there today.
And tell them we sent you!
~Z.N.
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