This is the moment we all have been waiting for. That little fish that taught us all to “just keep swimming” is back. On April 2nd it was announced that Disney’s Pixar will be releasing the sequel to Finding Nemo. The sequel will be titled Finding Dory. The movie, which will be directed by original Nemo co-director Andrew Stanton, is set for release on November 25, 2015 in the U.S. I cant wait that long!
By now, anyone who reads this site is sure to know the story of Nemo and his father’s adventures while searching for him. If not, should you really be on a site called The Disney Driven Life? Nevertheless, two items of discussion we can cover in this review: 1) A review of the 3-D release; 2)Why do we keep going to the theater for a movie already on DVD and about to have a release on blue-ray? (Duh, we love DISNEY movies!)
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…”
Finding Nemo is one of our favorite Disney movies and Dory is one of my favorite Disney characters. Nemo is also pretty awesome and has such a great adventure in the movie. One big moment for Nemo is his first day of school. The riddle this month has to do with that day. Can you name the three friends Nemo makes that day? This month’s winner will receive a Disney magnet.
Submit your answer by September 30th to ddlriddle@thedisneydrivenlife.com. And don’t forget to go see Finding Nemo this month in a theater near you! Best of luck to you.
On August 10, Disney opened its third section of the New “Art of Animation Resort, “The Lion King” Themed after the 1994 Disney blockbuster movie of the same name. This section is beautifully themed as its counterparts, Finding Nemo and Cars. The two buildings, located to the left of the Animation Hall is the only section without its own pool, however the Big Blue Pool, Cozy Cone pool and the soon to be opened, Flippin’ Fins pool are a short walk away.
The whole area is themed as an African Savannah and the Imagineers did a fantastic job. Both buildings sport beautiful murals on their sides, and sculptures of all major characters in the film are all about. There is an elephant graveyard display that is amazing, the detail is awesome and the kids (and adults!) are going to love this new section. The new resort section has 320 suites. (For full detail of the resort, see my article…Disney’s “Art of Animation Resort” officially opens…on this site)
The long wait is finally over. Disney’s newest and most visually stunning resort has opened its first phase, “Finding Nemo.” All the sections of the resort will be themed after classic Disney and Pixar animation films. The next phases to open are…”Cars” with 480 suites on June 18, “The Lion King, with 320 suites, August 10 and last, “The Little Mermaid” 864 suites on September 15.
The resort which caters to families on a budge, aka a “Value Resort” is more than just a resort. Walt Disney was the pioneer in the use of “Storyboards”, which in effect are pictures or scenes in various stages of completion placed in order on a pin up board so the animators and story men can visually see the plot in real time and make necessary corrections. The whole resort is themed upon storytelling and animation. When guests first enter the Animation Hall, where check in is located, all along the walls is model art in different forms of completion, just as a storyboard might have looked. The flow and feel of the resort gives guests the impression of an animator’s studio. Many of these sketches are directly from archives of the films, some never seen before. Check out the floor tiles, they actually resemble small brushstrokes.
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.
Copyright: Disney
Is anyone else out there excited to see the Disney’s Art of Animation Resort open in May 2012? We only have a year left until we will get a new Value Resort! What makes me most happy about this addition is that Disney has stepped up their game with the existing Value Resorts, renovating, painting and the like. I am only guessing, but would think that they are hoping people will continue to want to visit the older Value Resorts if they feel nice and new, just like the newly built Art of Animation!
It’s a fact of life. Every single person has a story: where they came from, where they’ve been and where they’re going. What people have endured over time is their biggest story. We have all been dealt a bad hand; it has not been any different for me. My own personal mantra, “Just Keep Swimming,” has gotten me through some really tough, sad times in my life. This is the exact quote from Disney’s Finding Nemo:
Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do?
Marlin: No I don’t wanna know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.
Let’s say we were swallowed by a whale.
At first glance, we would most likely agree that this is a bad thing. I mean, there you are, swimming along peacefully and BAM! You find yourself trapped. It’s dark, the water is salty and everything smells of fish. We all have days like those though, don’t we? You know, in a manner of speaking, of course. Days where we feel like we’ve been consumed by a whale and surely there is no way out of it. We can’t live up to our own expectations and we feel abandoned by hope. Eventually we do live through it and always we learn something along the way, making us stronger, smarter and more proficient at, well,… life.
Does anyone else have to look carefully when you type the word “buffet”? I am a Parrothead as well as a Disney fan and have to make sure I don’t subconsciously start talking about Jimmy. While I am sure he can set out a great spread, this story is about Tusker House, which I think is a great restaurant for little ones.
Tusker House is a buffet restaurant located in Africa in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It has been renovated within the last couple of years. In its former life, this was a quick service dining location. To access the restaurant now, you wind around to the left and back of the building. Here you check in with the hostess and you’ll be given a buzzer. There is plenty of space to wait in the outdoor seating area. My brother wants me to be sure that I mention the Dawa Bar located within this outdoor area. He recommends this little oasis. There was an African drum group playing during our brief wait and somehow Tink (12 months at the time) slept through the band. Once our buzzer went off, we returned to the hostess stand and were taken indoors to one of the restaurant’s dining rooms. Our server was very helpful and gave us a good idea of what we’d find at the buffet.