Photo Credit: Molly Beckley
Are your children the type that get the smallest little prick of a scratch and scream out “MOM! I need a Band-Aid!”? Mine are. Band-Aids are used like stickers in this house. I have to hide them so we actually have them when they are really and truly needed! And what could be better to a Neurotic Disney Kid who is Band-Aid happy then ones decorated with Mickey Mouse?! Ppsshh, not much.
Photo Credit: interactivewdw.com
Doug Ingersoll never visits the Magic Kingdom without spending some time in the Enchanted Tiki Room. There, he feels the presence of his long-departed Aunt Dorothy.
Originally from Indiana, Ingersoll spent much of his youth living and attending school around the world. His father’s work abroad forced Ingersoll to live away from his hometown, his friends and his extended family throughout most of the year. Returning to the Unites States to visit family each summer, he would stop first in Tampa to spend some time with Aunt Dorothy, his “spiritual grandmother.” During each annual visit, Aunt Dorothy would take Ingersoll to Disney World.
Many DVC member and Disney fans are extremely excited about the opening of the Aulani Resort and Spa in O’ahu, Hawaii. This resort is situated miles away from the hustle and bustle of the Waikiki Beach, while remaining close to the island’s airport. Guests are now able to book their stay by visiting Aulani.com or by calling 866-44-Disney.
Copyright: Disney
2012 is a good year to be a D23 member! “The Official Disney Fan Club” is celebrating the magic of Disney throughout the year and all members are invited!
D23 is celebrating its third year of existence (what they are affectionately calling their “fanniversary”) with celebrations all across the country. They have so much in store, including tours of Walt’s boyhood hometown, Marceline Missouri, an experience at Smoke Tree Ranch, and archivist tours that will be visiting Orlando, New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Hi everyone! Trip reporting is so much FUN-I have TONS to tell you about from our October land/sea trip to WDW and the Disney Dream. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must tell you that I had never cruised before, so we were fortunate to have our first cruise experience with what can only be described as the Rolls-Royce of the cruise industry, Disney Cruise Line. After our 3 night cruise on the Disney Dream, I can say unequivocally that it was AMAZING! The food…the service…the smorgasbord of endless kids’ activities! Seriously, if your kids don’t have fun on a Disney cruise, then they are downright unsatisfiable. I have finally got my sea legs back, but I truly wish I was still enjoying all that the Dream has to offer. Oh well, a girl can DREAM…
Ready when you are, CB!
These are the words uttered right before you take off into the glamour of Hollywood. I am speaking of none other than The Great Movie Ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! There is much debate over whether people love, are simply okay with it, or feel it needs a complete refurbishment. I am one who absolutely loves this attraction. I would only make two small adjustments. I would alter the scene in Alien and possibly not make it as long as it is; with the part they remove from this, they could add a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.
Disney's Aulani Resort Photo Courtesy of Disney
Entertainment is always paramount to Disney and at Aulani, prepare to be entertained:
There’s just something about The Lion King, isn’t there? Disney’s re-release of the film has broken through everyone’s wildest expectations, adding to the already massive box office totals that it earned in its initial release. The Bluray is selling like crazy, and as we approach 20 years since The Lion King came out, it’s characters are still all around us, in the parks and elsewhere.
Why does The Lion King last? What is its appeal? I think it has to do with the characters and their struggles. The film does an unbelievable job of setting up the world of Pride Rock, especially in the epic opening sequence. As a viewer, you feel the depth of this world and the emotion of Mufasa as he unveils his new son to his loyal subjects. Then, we are immediately introduced to Scar, his jealous brother. The dynamic between these two is so well done that we instantly know the story.
In all my time watching Disney films, I had never seen So Dear To My Heart before. For that and other reasons I sat down to watch it with great interest. After all, here was a film that was produced in 1948, the very early days of live action at the Disney studio. It had some animated pieces as well as live action, but for such an early film in the Disney live action canon, I had heard very little about it.
That’s a real shame, because So Dear To My Heart is not only an important film in Disney history, it’s a great one as well. This is a movie that tugs at your heartstrings; it makes you cry, laugh and smile – sometimes all in the same sequence. Sure, it’s not original or very inventive, but watching this movie will show you where all the fun Disney sentimentality of future films came from.
Photo Credit: Molly Beckley
Photo Credit: Ayefour Publishing
Four Decades of Magic: Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World: a collection of essays, Compiled by Chad Denver Emerson, Ayefour Publishing, 2011, 379 pp.
Amid the pomp and circumstance certain to be part of the Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary celebration, what will likely be ignored is any reference to the Walt Disney World that never was.
Photo Credit: JustDisney.com
After the overwhelming success of Disneyland, Walt Disney reflected on WED, the company he created to make his theme park dreams a reality:
Click to hear Walt Disney talk about WED Well, WED is, you might call it my backyard laboratory, you know, my workshop away from work. It served a purpose in that some of the things I was planning, like Disneyland for example, is pretty hard for the banking mind to go with it. I had to go ahead on my own and develop it to a point where they could begin to comprehend what I had in mind. So—it’s been true with alot of things in our history here—we’ve been doing something that’s a little bit out of the run of things, and it’s pretty hard to sell people on what you have in your mind, so you have to go ahead and develop it. And that’s what I’ve been doing with WED.
Photo Credit: MacRumors.com
I was very happy to receive the iPhone 4S as an upcoming birthday gift. Keep in mind that I never considered myself an Apple fan boy, but I’m starting to think that I am quickly becoming one.
When I knew that I could choose any smart phone as a birthday gift, I went to both AT&T and Verizon to look at models. I held the Samsung galaxy S2 in my hand and just didn’t like the feel. It felt flimsy and the back case kept falling off. It’s probably important to keep in mind that my previous phone was an iPhone 3GS and I own an iPad. So I have been familiar and comfortable with the Apple products. Still, I toyed with the idea of something new.
In 1986, Disney was still very much a company in turmoil. Their last animated feature, The Black Cauldron, had been very expensive and had not returned that expense at the box office. New management had taken over, led by Michael Eisner and Frank Wells, and they were not entirely sure that feature animation was part of Disney’s future. It was into this environment that The Great Mouse Detective entered.
Directed by a combination of Burny Mattinson, John Musker and Ron Clements, The Great Mouse Detective adapts the Basil of Baker Street books by Eve Titus. Taking off the concept of Sherlock Holmes and applying it to the “underworld” of mice and rats, the story is a fast paced adventure through the streets of London, as Basil, his companion Dawson and a little girl named Olivia search for the girl’s missing father.
Photo Credit: Eddison Moreno, Wikimedia Commons
The hat is coming down. Soon. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the giant Sorcerer Mickey hat, enjoyed by some and hated by others, will be removed, or more likely moved to take up residence elsewhere. Walt Disney Imagineering installed the massive structure for the 100 Years of Magic celebration in late 2001 but it was never meant to be permanent. Because of a few financial quirks it stayed in its location for longer than was intended, however the time has come and the hat will soon be gone. I wonder, will Hollywood Studios lose some of its magic without its magical icon? What happens when the hat does come down?
Photo Credit: Kjersti Holmang
The artists and designers at Walt Disney Imagineering are, first and foremost, storytellers. While they have many methods at their disposal, Imagineers primarily tell their stories visually, owing to the fact that most began their careers in film—a visual medium—and only later became theme park developers. Filmmakers control everything the audience sees and Imagineers try to do the same within their parks. Over time both filmmakers and Imagineers have learned an interesting truth: often the most important piece of visual storytelling is not what the audience sees but rather what the audience does not see. This concept is put to great use through something as simple as a sail in the classic attraction Peter Pan’s Flight.
Photo courtesy of DisneyBeachResorts.com
Many of us enjoy our time in Walt Disney World’s parks. However, even the most die hard Disney fans often get tired after several days of walking the world-class theme parks! If you are interested in finding a way to enjoy a bit of Disney while also enjoying some relaxation, consider a few nights at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.
This resort is located in Vero Beach, FL, which is a little over 100 miles or 2 hours away from Orlando, FL. The resort is located right on the Atlantic coast, thus offering beautiful, oceanfront first class accommodations.
In 1941, the Walt Disney Studios were not the juggernaut they are today. With a series of troubles hitting the studio – including the box office failure of Fantasia, an animator’s strike and the European box office drying up because of World War II – Walt and his crew needed to figure out a new way of making films. They had to make things cheaper and more profitable.
It was from those circumstances that Dumbo sprang to life. If Snow White and Pinocchio were high art films, with incredible realism and lifelike characters, then Dumbo was a cartoon in the best possible way. Using watercolor backgrounds, caricatured animals and a sweet, simple story, Dumbo managed to build an emotional roller coaster like no Disney film to that point had.
Photo Credit: Molly Beckley
When I take my family to Walt Disney World, meeting the characters is a huge part of our vacation. I’m sure that will change as my children get older, so for now I am relishing it! Having a 5, 2 1/2, and 7 month old, I don’t want to have to do a lot of hunting around for characters, and it would be great if they could congregate all in one spot so that you can meet them all at the same time while only having to wait in one line. Oh wait! They do!
It’s amazing the things you find once you stop looking. I ran into an Imagineer not too long ago. His name was Hunter and he was 4 years old.
I had just come off the hockey rink for a little rest when a little guy came tottering over, his mother chasing behind. He announced his name—I’M HUNTER!—and his age—I’M 4!—and, before his mom could get ahold of him, he stole the hockey gloves right off my hands. Hunter was quick.