Category Archives: Disney Reviews

John Carter vs Hunger Games? Uh oh! Plus ABC Family news

First things first I would like to thank everyone who responded to my last blog post for CONVINCING me to see John Carter.  I have been flying all over the country for business and finally had a minute to see this epic film this week.  This was definitely something that needed to been seen on the big screen … the BIG BIG IMAX screen and in 3D.  I do still have a bone of contention for how expensive these movies are at the box office.  I mean I paid $16.50 to get into a random Wednesday night showing which seems a bit steep for a movie that will be no more than 25 dollars on Blu-Ray 3D in likely less than 6 months…but I digress.

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John Carter and other ABC news

This week in Disney entertainment – John Carter

 

Photo Credit: Disney Studios

OK this is a little late because I was convinced I was going to see John Carter by now.  In fact I had planned to see it opening night, then the next night then even tonight (Tuesday) and I just cannot get around to it.  Anyone want to fly up to Knoxville and check this sucker out?  Anyway by now we know that it might not have been the best opening Disney had hoped for.  I personally was shocked to see the Lorax beat John Carter.  I know Disney spent at least 6 million dollars on Super Bowl ads alone.  Word of mouth seemed much better (especially among Disney fans) than much of the critical reviewers thought.  Even some critics who are generally harsh gave decent reviews including none other than Rolling Stone’s own Peter Travers (who hates plenty of mainstream fare).  So what’s going on?  Who has seen John Carter and what do you think?

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Book Review: Unofficial Walt Disney World ‘Earbook 2011

Unofficial Walt Disney World ‘Earbook 2011: One Fan’s Review in Pictures, Kevin Yee, Ultimate Orlando Press, 2011

Unofficial Walt Disney World ‘Earbook 2011:  One Fan’s Review in Pictures, Kevin Yee, Ultimate Orlando Press, 2011, 164 pp.

I have to remember to ask Kevin Yee whether he ever served on his high school’s Yearbook Committee. It’s a pity if he didn’t because it is clear he not only understands, but has mastered the genre. In a much broader sense, Yee simply gets Disney. The more I read his Disney-related work, the more I am impressed by his objective passion. Yee’s love of, and belief in, Disney is apparent. Yet his studied approach gives his work validity and a weight not often found in writing about Disney. He isn’t merely a fan or tour guide, but rather an observer and historian.

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The Secret “and Social” World of Arrietty

Photo Credit: www.wired.com

Should those who are powerful come to the aid of those who are vulnerable even if that aid is unwanted? What if that aid produces more harm than good? Those are some of the questions Mary Norton asked in her 1952 novel, The Borrowers, on which Disney’s newest release, The Secret World of Arrietty, is based.  Arrietty opened in North America on February 17, 2012 to largely favorable reviews.

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I’m a Princess? Plus Dancing With The Stars Cast Announced!

Feb 28 (29), 2012

PhotoCredit:Walt Disney

Couple of things – happy birthday to me and happy one more Disney day to you!  I can’t believe I am writing this from 35k feet and didn’t extend my trip one day so I could be part of the “magic” … but I trust there will be plenty of pictures to go around!

 

Anyway, I know I’m generally the TV guy and all, but I hope you will forgive me if I stray away from the media just a bit today because I feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what a truly wonderful experience the Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon was.  (I’m not THAT much of a couch potato, thank you very much!)

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Ideas that Stick

Photo Credit: Derek Hoffman (@TheDisneyMBA)

 

I recently downloaded an audiobook on iTunes titled “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.  Not only is the message fascinating, but the narrator reminds me of “The Most Interesting Man in the World” character from those Dos Equis commercials.

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ABC Getting Their TV Act Together Nicely

Just another rainy Sunday afternoon in Knox-vegas, TN so I’m unspooling yee olde faithful DVR and I got to thinking.

I’m not sure I’m proud of it but I classify myself as an “above average” consumer of media.  Maybe it has something to do with what I do for a living (TV producer).  I can rationalize that it’s “research” (insert laugh track).  Either way, the fact of the matter is – I watch a lot of TV, go to plenty of movies, play my fair share of games and, much like you friendly reader, am always trolling this ever-crazy Internet machine.

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Dream #9 – The Disney Film Project

There is a common thread amongst the people I’ve interviewed who are pursuing Disney; they tend to be involved with other Disney pursuits as well. Such is the case for Todd Perlmutter, co-host of the Disney Film Project Podcast along with wife, and Briana and Ryan who both are contributing bloggers here at the DDL. Each week they take a different Disney movie, watch it, and record a show about it, and tell secrets and background about it as well.

“It’s a lot of fun to do and very important to give back to the Disney community” says Todd. “I’m also a blogger and occasional developer for TouringPlans.com. Writing is something I really love to do, and writing about Disney makes it that much better.  I also help keep the plumbing going at The Disney Driven Life as their resident tech guy.  My official title there is Chief Technical Officer, but I’m a lot friendlier than that makes me sound.”

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Lots To Do In Line

Last year in February, I was taken by surprise when I walked up to the Haunted Mansion.  The tombstones blocked from view by ugly pieces of plywood.  When I heard that Disney was going to be creating an interactive queue for the Haunted Mansion, a la The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh or Space Mountain, I’m sure that my cadaverous pallor betrayed an aura of foreboding, almost as though I sensed a disquieting metamorphosis.
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Dream #8 – Life is a Journey

With a website address that contains TheEnemyIsGood, a lot of people ask Connie M. which enemy is that? Connie laughs and points out how her blog started with a typo, she meant to nab “The Enemy is Food.” But with her new blog formally titled “Life is a Journey” in place, Connie was ready to blog, and embrace what she loved.

“The blog originally was started as a way for me to make a food diary but I gave up that idea when I realized that I am a sensory person and loved the sight, smell and taste of food. So…instead of trying to lose weight by dieting, I embraced my love of food but developed a new respect for it,” Connie said. “Slowly, I began to write less and less about food and now only occasionally include a photo of something I am enjoying on one of my little exploratory trips around Southern California. Or Disneyland!”

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Dinosaur

You climb aboard a time rover.  Everything is going smoothly as you are watching dinosaurs graze and stroll the jungle…but this is only for a short time.  There is a meteorite coming your way!  You have to save yourself!

The attraction I am speaking of can be none other than Dinosaur in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, which is located in the Dinoland USA portion of the park.  Originally, this was called Countdown to Extinction, which opened the same day that Animal Kingdom itself opened, on April 22, 1998.  However, it was re-named Dinosaur to promote the film, also called Dinosaur, which opened in theatres on May 19, 2000.  There are no obvious mentions about the film in this attraction, although the two main dinosaurs are the iguanadon and carnotaurus, both of which were significant breeds of dinosaurs in the film.

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Disney’s 2012 Movie Slate

It’s that time again!  With a year behind us in 2011, it’s time to look forward to see what Disney has planned for 2012.  If you listen to the Disney Film Project Podcast, you know which one I’m looking forward to the most, but here’s the slate of films Disney will treat us to in 2012.

January 13 – Beauty and the Beast in 3D – Not much to say about this, except that it is probably the best hand drawn animated film ever, and it did get nominated for Best Picture.  The addition of 3D did wonders for the box office of The Lion King, and I’d expect the same here.  This will be a must see for me, if only to see it on the big screen again.

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Dream #7 – Busy with Disney

With a passion for Disney, what pursuits does Craig Duncan squeeze in between a full time job and family? How about working on ‘They Disney Brit’, the UKs largest and longest running Disney podcast, the ‘Destination Disney’ radio show and the ‘Eye on Orlando’ radio show both of which are aired live on Florida radio shows. Then there is ‘Mousemeets’ which is UKs Disney annual fan convention and ‘Mousemag’ a free bi-monthly magazine all about Disney written by the Disney Community for the Community. “We have also done something different with our associated web sites. We have made DisneyBrit.com one of the best sources for Disney related news anywhere in the world. EyeonOrlando.com is a pure Orlando holiday portal.”

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Review of DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel in Downtown Disney

When booking our latest Disney vacation, my family first looked to Disney World’s available resorts for our accommodations.  However, the cost of staying during the Holidays at the Disney World resorts proved both expensive and difficult as many of the rooms were unavailable.  We found that we could get a room at the DoubleTree Suites for a very reasonable price for a suite.  After reviewing the hotel’s website as well as a few other sites (such as TripAdvisor), we felt comfortable with a stay at the resort.

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Wireless Onboard the Disney Dream

Photo Credit: www.allmouseallthetime.com

When you book your magical vacation aboard the Disney Dream, you may want to also consider purchasing access to the ship’s wireless Internet.  This is a great way to stay connected to your friends and family during your vacation!

To get connected, here are the steps:

1.  Purchase a wireless plan that meets your needs:

  • Plan 1 – 50 minutes for $27.50
  • Plan 2 – 100 minutes for $40
  • Plan 3 – 250 minutes for $75
  • Per minute – $.75
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Disney Room Service Please!

Photo Credit: www.turkletalks.com

One of my favorite Disney Resorts is the Pop Century where you can find plenty of fun and whimsy!  During a recent vacation’s stay at the Pop, my family decided to try the Peace of Pizza delivery service offered to resort guests.  We were, as always, tired and hungry after a long day of walking through the parks.  Usually, we would go to Everything Pop for a late evening snack but decided to instead try the room service.

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The Santa Clause

Years ago, when I was in college, I liked nothing better than gathering my friends up on a weekday evening and heading off to the movies.  We didn’t have much money, because we were college students, but there was one theater that featured a discount night on Tuesdays.  It was with this group of people, one of whom I married and three others who were in my wedding, that I first saw The Santa Clause.  And it’s probably because of them that I still love the movie to this day.

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Dream #6 – Words with Walt

Words with Walt or Of Mouse and Man is a theatrical presentation written by Chris Lucas. “I play Walt Disney circa 1965 as he gets ready for the press conference announcing the ‘Florida Project.’ He re-caps his life story in an entertaining and moving way. Chris researched to find stories that most people have never heard about Walt or were not well aware of. “My goal is to have today’s generation realize that Walt Disney was a human being and not just a corporate icon. The show can be as short as 30 minutes, or as long as 2 hours, it varies by the group I’m speaking to. It’s currently on hiatus as I work on my father’s movie, but I will probably resume performances in Spring 2012.”

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The Muppets

I love the Muppets.  No, I mean, I really love the Muppets.  I have seen the original Muppet Movie more times than I care to count.  The Muppet Christmas Carol is probably my favorite holiday film.  My children constantly demand to watch all three seasons of the Muppet Show on DVD, despite Sandy Duncan hosting.  So when I say I was greatly anticipating Jason Segel’s take on The Muppets, that is possibly the biggest understatement I could make.

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Bedknobs and Broomsticks

When my son had a particularly hard time with his homework last weekend, I offered him a chance to celebrate when he was finished.  Whatever we could do at home to make a big deal out of finishing this task, I’d do it.  He chose watching a movie.  I knew I loved the kid.  It was the movie he chose that surprised me – Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Growing up, this was one of my favorite Disney films.  The escapism of this film is undeniable, especially for kids.  If you’re not familiar with the movie, it’s basically the story of three orphans during World War II who are sent off the country to avoid the bombing in London.  What they encounter there is a witch in training, played by Angela Lansbury, who gives them a spell to keep them quiet about her witchy ways.  The spell is an enchanted bedknob, which gives their bed the ability to travel wherever they want.  You can see how this appeals to a kid.

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