Disney Cruising with little ones

My husband and I love cruising even though we've only gone a handful of times.  We got engaged on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas nearly 8 years ago. Since then, I've convinced Derek to do Disney with me!  Before our girls were born, we cruised aboard the Disney Magic in the Mediterranean  and aboard the Disney Wonder in Alaska.  We love the larger staterooms, the rotating themed restaurants, and of course the wonderful Disney entertainment. For me personally as a huge Disney fan, I prefer the Disney ships mainly because I love the presence of the characters. Royal Caribbean's line is great.  We found the service to be completely comparable and had a really fun time.  I just happen to enjoy the experience more with a touch of Disney magic and Mickey Mouse.

I may do a more thorough comparison in a later post, but right now, I'd like to talk about our first cruise with our little girls who were 13 months and almost 4 at the time of our cruise. Disney, as always, is great at catering towards families.  The staterooms are larger than the industry standard with an area that has a pull out couch and a dividing curtain for those earlier bedtimes and naps.  They even provided us with a Diaper Genie right in the room which we were very happy to have.

Disney is fabulous at including amazing experiences for the whole family aboard the ship including a whole deck of activities just for children in the Oceaner's Lab and Oceaner's Club that is included in the cost of your cruise.  You can even check in toddlers and babies at the It's a Small World nursery for a nominal hourly fee. What is nice, is that the kids areas even have at least one time period a day in which one section is in open house mode.  Activities scheduled during that time are for the whole family. This meant I finally got to check out the kid's club myself- I had never looked into it on the cruises we did prior to having kids.

I think how successful cruising with small children is depends a whole lot on the personality of the child.  Our older daughter, Ella, tried the kids club twice and was done and wanted to stay with us the rest of the time. She gets very clingy around people she doesn't know.  We actually had an easier time managing the baby! Our challenge was that Ella kept wanting to return to the stateroom to watch television much to our frustration- we didn't come all that way just to stare at screens. However, I will say that she loved the free ice cream and the Mickey pool.   Unfortunately since diaper aged children are (understandably) only allowed in the little splash zone area, Derek and I could not both go into the pool with her at the same time. We did get to enjoy the kids club during family time since we were allowed to stay with her. Ella also seemed to enjoy the shows. It was fun watching her respond to the magic show.  She doesn't like sitting in the seats that fold up though- she's not heavy enough to keep them down and spent most of the shows squirming on one of our laps.

Originally, I thought we'd check the baby into the nursery during the shows- we were in the earlier dinner group so the girls wouldn't have to wait so late to eat.  We tried it once.  They will put your child down in a crib if you request it.  Unfortunately, when we picked her up, she had only just fallen asleep, and it was after 9 pm, and we got the impression that they didn't even try to put her down earlier. They also called us at least twice while we were watching the show, once to clarify something about the information we had left with them and again when she was crying because she fell out of a chair. This was frustrating enough that for the rest of our trip, I just wore her in the baby carrier during the nighttime entertainment. It worked- she's a pretty chill little one, although she still didn't fall asleep until we returned to the room. We didn't end up with any adult time on this trip which was a bit of a bummer. We also didn't get to do much on Pirate Night or at the ports.  I'm glad this wasn't our first cruise!

One thing that disappointed me on this particular trip was that we were sat at a table for 4 by ourselves.  I had really hoped to be sat with another family- I know it can be a crap shoot as to whether or not you click with strangers, but I think Ella would have enjoyed the trip a lot more if she had a buddy to hang out with.  It also meant Ella was bouncing out of her seat constantly during dinner. Since we weren't sat with anyone, we didn't really make new friends on the ship this time like we have in the past.  Oh well, maybe next time.

Now, least you think I'm complaining too much, we did still have fun on this trip.  The Halloween on the High Seas was great. Ella got a huge kick out of trick or treating on the ship.  The Jack-Jack Diaper Dash where they race babies is just hilarious! We entered the baby, and she won her first heat.  Then for the final race, she kept trying to go parallel to the finish-line instead of crossing it until her sister pulled her across! I discovered on our last day that Ella wanted to do karaoke.  We were too late to sign up though.  Next time for sure- I was so excited that she wanted to go up.

We also splurged on the Enchanted Princess Tea.  It is quite the splurge, and I will only do it once for her and then again for Shira when she's old enough, but it was just darling!  I wasn't sure how into it Ella would be, but I really wanted to do it myself.  Turns out she loved it!  She let me style her hair the way I used to when I worked at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and she wore her Belle dance dress from her dance recital last summer. The girls each got a cupcake featuring their favorite princess of those who were represented.  Ella chose Cinderella. She was fully engaged with the princesses when they came to visit- more than I've ever seen her in the Disney parks. The girls also each got a Cinderella doll, an autograph book and pen, and a jewelry box with a charm bracelet and necklace.  I dressed up too- tiara and all.  It was probably my favorite part of the trip!

Another thing we did that was really fun was participate in a fish extender gift exchange- you can sign up with a group online that you exchange gifts with through a pocket hanger that you put outside your door.  It's called a fish extender because the little wall decoration that you hang it on is literally shaped like a fish.  Ella loved checking for surprises every time we returned to our room! Although I noticed that not everyone paid attention to the fact that our younger child was a baby- she often got the same gifts as her sister that were clearly too old for her. However, we did get a cute bib and some wipes and some baby snacks.

We will absolutely take the girls again despite the challenges.  They won't always be so little, and now that we've done it, I'll have my expectations a little more in check.  I think it will be more fun once the baby (who is now 18 months) is old enough to go to the kid's club with her sister so that they will at least have each other.  I think if we do cruise again before she is 3, I will plan out our nursery usage a bit better! Also, I think a cruise that goes to Castaway Cay, Disney's island in the Caribbean, would also have more successful port experiences for us. I'll let you know how the next one goes!  I think we'll be better prepared next time.

Mary Poppins Returns review

Everyone knows that Mary Poppins is practically perfect in every way, but did her new movie live up to her name? If you ask me, it got pretty darn close! Practically practically perfect, perhaps?

The original Mary Poppins from 1964 has a special place in my heart. I absolutely adore Julie Andrews and have since childhood.  I love the elegance of the Edwardian era.  I love stories of children going on magical adventures.  I love musicals and can sing nearly the entire score.  I saw the Broadway show in NYC, and I've appeared as the cook, Mrs. Brill, in a local stage production of it.

Twice, I have attended Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom in my own homemade Jolly Holiday dress.

 I even went to the D23 Expo and met Karen Dotrice who played Jane Banks.

I was very curious but optimistic when a sequel was announced. I read all the books a long time ago and knew there were more stories to tell. When the first teaser trailer premiered,  I was enchanted.

I think one of my favorite parts of Mary Poppins Returns is just how well they matched the style of the Walt Disney films of the 1960s.  From the joyful songs that felt as if they were carved from the same wood as the originals to the spirit of unadulterated, unapologetic childlike wonder echoed in the script to the sketchbook style of drawings used in the animated sequences, you could easily imagine that you had traveled back in time. It's cliche to say it, but they just don't make them like that much anymore.

I saw a lot of trepidation among the online Disney communities about the idea of someone other that our beloved Julie Andrews playing Mary, but oddly enough, I wasn't terribly worried about that.  I had already seen the role in the hands of other capable actresses both in the Broadway production and in the one I'd done myself. Sure enough, Emily Blunt was marvelous. She definitely chose a spin on the character that was closer to the books, a bit more curt, a bit ruder. Her voice has a lower overall tone than Julie's. But I completely bought into her as the magical nanny. I had been hoping she'd get an Oscar nod as Julie did before her, but no such luck- oh well.

Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack the lamp lighter has received mixed reviews, but I thought he was great too. Hearing him in a fake cockney accent was amusing. Dick van Dyke is infamous for his. What I loved, though, was his genuine enthusiasm.  You could tell he was so excited to be there. What a dream come true that must have been!  I also loved how his character was tied to Bert- clever to have him have been a former apprentice. I know some people complained that he was given one of his signature rap pieces in the middle of a dance hall style number in the animated sequence, but it was actually a patter song- perfectly appropriate for the era.  In fact, Bert did a similar one in the middle of "Jolly Holiday."

Storywise, the script hits a lot of the same beats as the original.  You can easily link each song to a Sherman Brothers counterpart. But it's not the exact same story.  It's a bit darker, a bit more serious. We meet up with the Banks children about 25 years later.  Michael is a recently widowed father of 3, and Jane is a single woman with her own flat who, like her mother before her, is an activist. We are now in the 1930s, and Michael is in danger of losing his home, the same home he grew up in.  He has also lost much of his childhood joy. It always makes me so sad when children grow up to be adults who no longer believe in the magic they once experienced when they were young.

While Jane and Michael were happy-go-lucky children who craved love and affection from their parents, Georgie, John, and Annabel have been forced to grow up too soon due to circumstance.  They act like tiny adults and tell Mary Poppins that they don't need a nanny because they've grown up a lot in the past year.  "Well, we'll have to do something about that," replies Mary. In this film, Mary's job becomes reminding the children (and the former children) how to be children.

Now, least you think I'm fawning a little too much, Mary Poppins Returns isn't without it's flaws. My biggest issue is the unnecessary villain,  a greedy banker who tries to take the Banks' home from them with no good motivation to do so.  He's truly just a stereotypical mustache twirling bad guy, and the story could have been done almost exactly the same without his brand of cruelty.  Similarly, a wild chase scene in the animated sequence seemed to only serve the purpose of getting the children back home after their adventure.

Of course, I can't go on without discussing the music.  I found the songs to be a lot of fun, but certainly not on the same level as the originals.  However, they are growing on me more and more with each listen.  It's hard to compare, though, when I have been singing the originals for such a long time.  I do think overall that the new material written for the Broadway show was better than what we are offered here, but I'm sure in time, I'll be singing these too.  My favorite is probably "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" which is an answer to 1964's "Step in Time" with the lamplighters or "learies" leading the way instead of the sweeps. "A Cover is Not the Book" is lively and a bit naughty, although the lyrics flew by so quickly, I couldn't quite catch what they were saying! It was strange to see Mary perform a number like this though- a bit like seeing her play Nancy in "Oom Pah Pah" from Oliver. "Can You Imagine That?" from the children's first adventure made me smile.  It reminded me somewhat of "The Age of Not Believing" from Bedknobs and Broomsticks, not in the tone which is a lot more playful, but in that the children thought they were too old for such nonsense.

I recommend seeing the original again before seeing this new one.  It is absolutely filled with loving nods to it's predecessor.  There are bars from the famous songs woven into the score at key moments. There are references in the props- both Mary's snowglobe and the kite that Mr. Bank repairs make appearances.  If you look closely, there are photographs of George and Winifred Banks on the mantel. And best of all, there are cameos. Keep an eye out for Karen Dotice who asks Jane for directions and then replies with "Thanks, sincerely!" Of course, the very best cameo is from Dick van Dyke himself, as the son of the character he made a cameo as in the original! They even credit him at the end the same way as before, using the scrambled letters. He still has it, and how lucky and grateful we are that we still have him with us! Julie herself declined to appear as she wanted this to be Emily's show without distraction which I understand, but it would have been a thrill to see her.  In her place, though, we have another Disney legend we are honored to still have with us, Angela Lansbury- featured in the finale as the balloon lady.  She even gets to sing!  If you don't leave this movie feeling lighter than air yourself after that, your heart must be stone.

So, as you can tell, this long time Mary Poppins fans was won over.  I've already bought the soundtrack, and I'm quite likely to take this movie home once it's available.  While it may not be perfect, it's a worthy follow up of a beloved icon.

Beauty and the Beast Deja Vu

First, a little background:

In the summer of 1995, July 5th to be exact- I wrote it down somewhere- I attended the Los Angeles production of Beauty and the Beast the Broadway musical with much of the original cast.  I was 13 at the time, about to start high school and already quite the Disney fan.  I loved the show so much that by the curtain call, my cheeks were literally sore from smiling so hard for so long. My mom bought me the cast recording a few months later, and for a good chunk of my freshman year, I listened to that cassette (yes, cassette) on my portable cassette player every morning as I got ready for school. I got a big coffee table book all about the behind the scenes of the musical that I would carry with me alongside my school books until it was downright dogeared.

Fast forward a couple years, and the original Belle, Susan Egan, had just voiced Megara in Disney's Hercules. Now she had done not just one but two of my dreams, playing a Disney character both on stage and by voicing an animated character.  I was enamored. I then discovered she had a website.  But best of all, this website had an email address. I eagerly penned (well, typed) a gushing letter to my new favorite actress.

At this time, my whole family shared one email address. Three days later, I entered the house after my school day, and my mom said, "Guess who wrote to you? Susan Egan!" Whoa, did my heart race, and my feet raced right upstairs to the computer.  I couldn't believe it.  A real Broadway actress had written to me, and it was a real, personal response- not a form letter!  I printed that letter out and read it over and over.  I even brought it to school to show everyone.

After that, every once in a while, I would write to Susan.  I'd even send her little tokens like drawings or once a tiny homemade pillow with her name on it.  I requested and received an autographed picture.  I'd wish her happy birthday.  Sometimes she responded, sometimes she didn't.  When she did, I'd print it out and place it in a folder I'd decorated with her picture.

Finally, in March of 2000, a friend invited me to come with her to see Susan on Broadway as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. I wrote to Susan that we were coming. 5 years after I first saw her as Belle, I would finally get to meet her.  I was a nervous wreck that day, physically shaking to the point that I could barely hold the camera to take my friend's picture.  It was a very brief visit- Susan had another show that evening, and she disappeared back up the stairs to her dressing room in the blink of an eye.

During college, I backed away from contacting her for a while, fearing I was bothering her, being too pushy of a fan.  I didn't see her again for another 7 years.  Thankfully, after that, I was able to catch her in a number of concerts in various places, and I got the courage to contact her again.  A friend of mine whom I actually met through her old website even tried to get her to call me and congratulate me on my first leading role...she wasn't able to, but instead she did one better and sent me a lovely note and an inscribed copy of a book about musical theatre history.

It all accumulated in the best experience of all.  I auditioned for a chance to participate in a Broadway Bootcamp in which she would not only teach a masterclass but also sing on stage with us. While I wasn't chosen for any of the solo parts in the concert, and I didn't get the chance to sing for her in the masterclass because I was too timid to jump in line quickly enough, I did get to sing back up for "I Won't Say" and we did a lovely choral arrangement of "Beauty and the Beast."

I had noticed during our rehearsal that Susan seemed to be locking eyes with me from across the stage as we sang the titular song.  During the actual performance, she did it again. I wondered if I was imagining things. Afterwards, I didn't see her and thought to my disappointment that maybe she had left already....until another girl from class came running over, exclaiming excitedly that Susan wanted to say goodbye to me. After a big hug, Susan said, "Did you see I sang "Beauty and the Beast" for you?"  So it wasn't just me! She really was doing that on purpose.

These days, she still interacts with me every once in a while.  We aren't buddy-buddy or anything, but I do think it's pretty special that she knows who I am.

Through the years:

                                                   Backstage at Cabaret, 2000

                                               Naples, FL 2007

                                                    South Bend Indiana, 2009

                                                                    NYC, 54 Below, 2014

                                             Broadway Bootcamp selfies, Monterrey, CA 2014

And that brings us to a few days ago, when I got to experience some serious deja vu and see Susan return once again to the role that first made me fall for her 23 years ago in 5 Star Theatrical's production of Beauty and the Beast!

It was a lovely production- the only thing I really missed from the original were the amazing sets and costumes (and perhaps some of the effects.) They weren't quite of the same caliber this time.  But it certainly wasn't too shabby at all!  I like how they added a small children's ensemble.  What an amazing opportunity for those kids! I also noticed perhaps a little more variety in body type than you might see in a Broadway production which was nice. The other actors easily matched Susan- I especially liked Lumiere (Marc Ginsberg) and Cogsworth (Gregory North) who reminded me of John Cleese. Gaston (Adam Hollick) was great at milking it and had the audience in stitches. Maurice (David Gilchrist) was perfectly lovable- a bit like Doc from Fraggle Rock. Mrs. Potts (Sarah Marie) was an understudy, but she was very sweet. And the Beast (Jason Chacon) was able to hold him own opposite a Broadway star just fine.

Susan herself was just wonderful.  Her voice shone as much as ever, just like the recording I'd listened to so many times before, but the best part of seeing her perform live was watching her expressions.  Susan has fabulous comic timing.  I love how she makes Belle just a bit sassy.

While now in her late 40s and technically too old for the role, she pulled it off.  I completely bought into her as Belle again.  It's amazing what make up and costume can do! (And it certainly didn't hurt that she really knows her craft!)

In the theater, the seat to my left remained empty.  But next to that empty seat was a familiar face- Nick Pitera!  If you aren't familiar with him, look him up on YouTube.  He does these amazing, multi-part Disney song videos.  He had made a guest appearance at the recent Broadway Princess Party concert I had attended.  I met him after that performance. But I didn't have the guts to say hello this time, and he was looking at his phone most of the period before the show and during intermission so I didn't want to bother him.

I had told Susan beforehand that we'd be there, and she told me that she'd put me on the list to go backstage for a quick visit.  All we had to do was go to the info table in the lobby and give them my name.  We noticed that Nick was doing the same thing. It didn't take long before we were led through a roped off area to where the dressing rooms were.  It felt special to be escorted passed everyone.  We had to wait for a few minutes outside the door, catching a couple half dressed actors who said quick hellos.

Susan opened the door and after a quick autograph for a young girl in front of us (my husband and I- the kids were with a sitter), we got to say hello.  She loved my Beauty and the Beast ensemble from Hot Topic- a rose skater dress, enchanted rose earrings, and matching hairbow. This was followed by my usual silent smiling, my inner voice going, "Say something, Angela, time is ticking!" She asked me if the show was the same as last time, and I said, "Pretty close!" Then she asked if I remembered it since I had been so little when I saw it!  (Gee, I was 13, not 5- ha ha. And yes, I had told her this just the other day in a tweet.) I told her that I remembered hearing her sing for the first time because it actually took several listens to get used to a different Belle since I knew the movie by heart. Even today, I hear the movie in my head when seeing the stage version.

Susan asked me about my girls, and I eagerly pulled out my phone to show her a cute video.  She popped away for a moment to talk to someone then came back to us and watched, delighting in my daughters joyfully shrieking at each other and noticed the baby wearing an Ariel onesie. She remarked to enjoy this stage where they are getting along as it doesn't last!  Ha!

Knowing we were running out of time (it was late, and they needed to clear the theater soon), I asked for a picture.  Susan happily obliged.  I started to take my glasses off as I usually do for photos, but then I stopped when I realized Susan was wearing hers.  Susan went, "We're going to wear our glasses for the picture!" We ended up doing a second picture because Susan didn't like the way her bangs were in the first.

I thanked Susan again, and my husband started ushering me out, knowing that I'd dawdle if given the chance.  I did have a lovely evening, and I was only minimally embarrassed by my social awkwardness.  Incidentally, when I mentioned this to Susan in a message the next day, she told me that I wasn't awkward at at and to rest easy on that.  She really is a lovely woman, and I know I am quite lucky to have her acquaintance.

Celebrating It's a Small World style!

Obviously, we are a Disney family (mostly because of me), and even though my daughter Ella has recently all but abandoned Disney Junior in favor of Nick Junior, she still loves the Disney parks.  For her 3rd birthday, she chose to theme it after one of her park favorites- It's a Small World!  I had a lot of fun putting it together for her.

Themed parties have been my thing since I was a kid myself!  I came up with a lot of my own parties growing up and used to love to check out party planning books from the library.

If this had been a party for a slightly older child, I think I would have gone with stations representing different countries, but I wanted to come up with a simple activity for toddlers.  My mom reminded me of something she'd done for one of my sister's parties when we were little, so a day or two before, Ella and and I dyed a bunch of dried pasta a variety of different colors that could be spooled onto yarn. I know colorful necklaces don't have that much to do with the ride, but it worked.  To dye the pasta, we divided it into several Ziplock baggies and poured in several drops of food coloring and a dash of hand sanitizer. Ella loved getting to shake the bags.  Then we laid them flat to dry over night.

Ta da! Arts and crafts table!

I also rented a children's party table from a local bounce house company and bought a nice gold and white table cloth.

For the door decorations, I cut out geometric shapes from construction paper and used letter stickers and punch out shapes to write hello in different languages like the signs on the ride:

I also made a food table poster recreating the display at the entrance to the ride at Disneyland.  I cut out the flags and used letter stickers again.  I even found cut-outs of international children at Michael's.

I added my own It's a Small World doll and food labels using the clockface that I made myself on my computer.  For fun, I bought a bunch of international treats from World Market- an idea I came across online.  Yum!  Since Ella had mentioned wanting a tea party, we also served tea sandwiches made by my mother-in-law on a tiered tray, and pre-made tossed salad and quiche.  The kids got chocolate milk and could even decorate these paper tea cups I found on Amazon with Small World stickers I found on Etsy.

 Target had these awesome create your own banner flags that happened to be in the right color scheme, and I used glittery stick on letters to write, "Happy Birthday, Ella!" Then I topped it off with hot air balloon Japanese lanterns that I found on Amazon.  We left them up long after the party.  They've been falling down in the middle of the night one by one.  After 5 months, there are 3 left standing!  Well, hanging anyway.

Party favors were little pretend passports with stampers and colorful little maracas.  I tried to get a parade going with the kids, but it ended up being just me and Ella marching around the house.  My husband has set up the coolest sound system in our home- we can actually program different music to play throughout the house, and he set it up so that each room was at a different part of the music creating the effect of going through the ride.  It was so cool!  We even had the clock music and sound effects playing on the porch.

Oh- I forgot to tell you about the cake! We had a custom cake created for us by Suzie Cakes and they did a fabulous job with a complicated request:

All in all, I think everyone had a great time!  I can't wait to come up with more parties.  And I've done plenty of Disney parties in the past, so I can probably make this into a series.  Ella says next year she wants a PJ Masks party at a gym place, and even though her birthday isn't until December, my mind is already buzzing with ideas.  Seeya next time!

Muppet Babies!

Whoa...I've let 2 years slide between posts.  This has got to change.  My goal is to eventually morph this into a real, more professional blog.  But for now, I've got another fun topic for you...

The return of one of my childhood favorites- Muppet Babies!  There was a time when Muppets were a separate entity from Disney, but since Disney now owns them and Muppet Babies is on Disney Junior, they are fair game. This works out perfectly because Jim Henson is just as much of a hero of mine as Walt Disney.  I'm a huge Muppet fan!

Recently, a whole slew of comebacks from my youth have popped up- everything from Duck Tales to Full House has been rebooted, and frankly, I'm getting a huge kick out of it!  Having been born in 1981, I am firmly in what's known among the Muppet fandom as the Muppet Baby Generation.  It's true- the babies were my introduction to the Muppets, my gateway drug if you will.  In fact, I have memories of the first time I saw the adult Muppets in I believe it was 1986's Muppet Family Christmas. I remember thinking they had made adult characters based on the babies and was quite confused about the absence of Skeeter. It wasn't until later that I realized the babies were actually based on the adults and that Skeeter was created for the show as another female character to balance out Piggy.

Anyway, over 30 years after the premiere of the original cartoon, we now have a brand new version airing on Disney Junior.  I'm absolutely thrilled that young children will be introduced to these classic characters much the way Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gave them Mickey and the gang.  The show definitely has the spirit of the original, and the characters have all their signature traits- Fozzie desperately wants to be funny, Piggy is bossy with a sweet side, Kermit is the leader, Animal likes to go crazy, and Gonzo is weird.  I did notice that they down play Piggy's long time crush on Kermit and completely left out Gonzo's pursuit of Piggy for better or for worse.  Also gone is the gag of Fozzie getting repeatedly hit with tomatoes for telling bad jokes.

Missing from the original set are Rowlf, Scooter, and Skeeter who has been replaced by a new character- a purple penguin named Summer. Summer is girlie and feisty and is a fun addition to the gang.  That being said, I still really miss Skeeter.  She was the sporty tomboy character and a more interesting contrast to Piggy.  However, I have hope- Skeeter clearly does exist in this universe as there's a portrait of her and her brother on a seesaw on the wall in the background. Even more fun are the baby versions of characters never previously seen in baby form like the Electric Mayhem, Sweetums, and even Mahna Mahna and the Snowths!  I hope this is foreshadowing future guest appearances- we've already met Baby Rizzo and Baby Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker.

The new voices work just fine, but as a fan of the original, it's a bit jarring at first to not hear, for example, Russi Taylor as Baby Gonzo.  Yes, he shared a voice with Minnie Mouse! Kermit was famed character voice artist Frank Welker who probably voiced a character in nearly every cartoon you remember from that era- from Fred of Scooby-Doo fame to Abu from Aladdin and many more. But, the new voices still capture the nuances of the characters in a way we recognize.

One of the biggest differences between the old and new generations of Muppet Babies is the length of the stories.  The new show now features two 11 minute shorts rather than one full length narrative. While that might be better suited for their preschool audience, as an adult fan, I think they got to play around a lot more in the old stories. I have many memories of favorite episodes- the one when the nursery is being painted and all their toys are put away so they made up there own versions of classic books, the one where Scooter gets sick and they travel inside his body to make him better, the one in which they go on a search for Animal who goes missing, the one where they make their own version of Star Wars (my introduction to that series actually!), the one in which they create their own cartoons, and probably my favorite- the one in which they act out Snow White and Skeeter and Piggy fight over who gets the title role.

The new stories are short and sweet- Gonzo befriends a potato, Piggy makes too many rules until no one wants to play with her, Summer wants to be bigger but Bunsen accidentally makes her tiny, the babies go searching in a dark closet for Nanny's sweater (or Miss. Nanny as she's called here) and it's revealed that Kermit is scared of the dark, and a pirate adventure in which Kermit has to figure out that it's okay for a leader to ask for help.  I do love that they've kept the theme of using imagine, and just as in the original, they show both what is actually going on and what they are imagining.  In this version, though, the setting seems to be more of a preschool than a place where they all live together. They also come across as just a bit older, more preschooler than baby or toddler. In the original they slept in cribs and wore more babyish clothing.

So far, I don't think the humor in the new show is quite as clever as the original. A lot of this may be due to the onslaught of pop culture references and old film footage they used to use.  They've touched on it in the new show- a time travel adventure briefly has a great bit in which the babies come across the opening number of the Muppet Show and wonder who those guys are- but it's not quite up to speed overall. It may be harder to get the rights these days though.  I particularly remember an episode that hilariously riffed on a whole slew of sci-fi properties including Star Wars, Star Trek, Bill and Ted, and the Jetsons with the babies each taking on multiple roles.  It included such gags as Rowlf-as-Astro wondering why he has to put R sounds in front of every word and a futuristic car that won't stop singing a parody of the Jetson's theme song.  We are still early on in the new series, though, so I expect the laughs will get better.  They've definitely made me smile.

The animation in the new show is fantastic.  You can see all the fuzzy texture of each character much like their fleece and foam counterparts.  I've read they actually developed a program that allows them to flop around like puppets.  Everyone looks great, and the backyard play area where they hang out looks like such fun.  Heck, *I* want to play there! I appreciate how they often use different style animation for the backgrounds of the fantasy sequences, a callback to the original show, and I'm pleased they continued the Henson tradition of including some fun songs.

All in all, I am excited to see the Muppet Babies back on TV.  It may not be exactly the show I grew up on, but it's heart and spirit are in the right place.  I have been having a lot of fun watching it- I'm not just a Muppet fan, I'm a fan of children's programing in general.  There are several shows on Disney Junior that I follow even without my 3 year old. I'm tickled to be able share the Muppets with her. Thanks to YouTube, she has had the chance to check out the original too and seems to like both.  Now, someone needs to work on getting the old one released on dvd!

Disney Parks with a Baby

I've been trying to think of new posts for this blog, and I think I've come up with something.  Since I now have a little one of my own, I can share with you my experience going to Disney parks as a new mom.  I know there are lots of mom blogs out there with all sorts of advice on taking babies to the parks, so rather than repeat the same information that you can find all over the place if you search for it, I will just tell you about my own personal experience.  In fact, as crazy as it sounds, our little Ella has already experienced Disney parks on both coasts in her short life so far- more than many adults do in their lifetime!  That's what happens when you've spent time living in both states and have people to visit coast to coast.

Our first trip to Disneyland with little Ella was this past September when she was 9 months old.  At this point, she was a new crawler, ate solids mostly in the form of food pouches, and still nursed periodically throughout the day.  One thing that any advice blog on taking a baby to Disney will tell you is to seek out the baby care centers in the front of each park.  When we happened to be near one, they were fabulous- huge changing tables, a private nursing room, high chairs, microwaves, and baby products for purchase.  I only wish there were more of them! Depending on how far into the park you are, schlepping all the way back to the front isn't always convenient. We didn't take advantage of them as much as I thought we would, and a few times, I just plopped in the nearest secluded corner to nurse.

Another thing I discovered is that while there are places for toddlers to play, there aren't many places to put down a crawling baby!  I wish they had a few indoor play locations for that purpose. Once Ella became mobile, it became even harder to keep her content in the stroller, and it would have been nice to put her down more often, although we did put her down inside Goofy's house and inside the animation building.  A few months ago, we were back at Disneyland, and now Ella walks- it was so much more fun that way!  We could just put her down and watch her skitter all over Toontown.

I definitely recommend having both a carrier and a stroller- strollers cannot go into lines, and it's so much easier to wear a baby than to hold her.  On the downside, it gets too hot to comfortably do this for too long during the summer. The stroller was nice to be able to put stuff down and park somewhere in the vicinity of where we were hanging out- just remember that any valuables you leave in it are at your own risk.

A baby/ young toddler can definitely still have a lot of fun at a Disney park.  Ella's favorite from the get-go was the Enchanted Tiki Room.  In fact, she loved it so much that we bought a print for her room and now say goodnight to the Tiki Birds each night as part of her bedtime routine. She went on lots of dark rides and spent most of the time just staring intently at everything as if she was thinking, "What on earth is this?" but she did enjoy Small World as well as the Disney Junior show- before she could stand, she kept insisting on being held upright so she could see.

When it comes to the characters, ever child is different.  I've seen babies adore them and six year olds run in terror- you just never know.  When she was younger, she was indifferent, but during her first trip as a toddler, she adored Mickey and Minnie- both of whom she calls Minnie. She walked right up to them going, "Minnie! Minnie! Minnie!" My advice for a first meeting is to move slowly to test your child's reaction, and if he or she doesn't want to stand close and you absolutely must get a picture, stand with your child in your furthest arm from the characters or stand several feet in front of them. 

All the advice I've read on taking children recommends going back to the hotel mid-day for rest. We probably should have done that more than we did.  We can still occasionally get Ella to fall asleep on the go, but the older she gets, the harder it is to pull off.  We tend to push our luck because we don't like wasting time at the hotel if we can get away with it.  I'm very thankful we can afford an annual pass so we don't have to stress about getting our money's worth. On our most recent trip to Disneyland, she napped poorly the first day, so we gave her a break in the hotel during the afternoon on the 2nd, and she ended up sleeping for 3 hours! I took advantage of my husband staying in the room with her to go for a swim- she wouldn't fall asleep with me being right there anyway.  Having stayed in hotels with her several times at this point, I like it better when we have a suite and can put her down in a separate room.

Since we've had the chance to experience taking Ella to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World within a couple weeks of each other, I can tell you with reasonable authority that Disneyland is by far  easier to navigate with a baby than WDW and also allows for more freedom in planning your day.  At WDW, everything is quite spread out- there are buses and/or monorails to get to everything. Every time you board one of those buses, you must fold up your stroller.  This can be very frustrating if you have a napping baby or you are using your stroller to hold backpacks and such, and going back to your resort for a nap is a huge pain unless you are lucky enough to be staying in a particular hotel and going to it's adjacent park. At Disneyland, however, everything- even many off property hotels- is right there within walking distance.  The two theme parks are literally a courtyard away from each other, and Downtown Disney and the Disney resorts are just beyond that- no folding up strollers necessary.  I would add, however, that while strollers do not need to be folded for WDW's monorail, they do on Disneyland's equivalent which is quite a bit more compact.

The question people always ask is if it is worth it to take a baby to Disney.  I would say that the answer depends a lot on how you feel about Disney parks yourself.  I am a Disney geek.  If the only way I get to go to a Disney park any time soon is to take a baby, then by golly, I'm taking a baby!  If however, you aren't really into the parks yourself but want to do it for your child, you may have a better time if you wait a few years. When you go to Disney with your baby, you are really going because *you* want to go. However, if you are a big Disney fan like I am, rest assured that your baby can still have lots of fun!  Just take it easy and work with your baby's schedule with the understanding that you'll have to change your approach, that your visit will be different that your previous trips but with just as much magic as long as you remember to look for it!

Islands of Personality

Hello again- sorry I've neglected this blog as of late.  Having a new baby is quite distracting!  However, this summer, I did manage to make it out to the theater for Disney-Pixar's exciting new movie Inside Out.  I'd been waiting for this movie since the D23 Expo back in 2013 when they debuted the characters and some rough footage.  I'm thrilled to see Pixar finally have a movie with several female characters- something sadly lacking in most of their earlier pictures.

In case you've been out of the loop, Inside Out is the story of a young girl named Riley and the emotions that control her mind- Anger, Joy, Sadness, Disgust, and Fear.  I love how they've visualized how the mind works, how memories are formed and how they are colored by emotion.  From what I've read, the production team did a lot of research on how the mind works in order to accurately portray it:  not that we all have little people living in our heads of course, but what they represent. If you've seen the movie, though, admit it- you now imagine your emotions as these brightly colored characters taking turns on a console, don't you?  I know I do! I've heard that many therapists have already started using these characters to help children understand their own emotions. I think that's fabulous!

In the film, Riley has what they refer to as Islands of Personality, islands created by core memories that form different aspects of her personality.  In Riley's case, they are Friendship, Family, Honesty, Goofball, and Hockey.  It's fun to try to imagine what your own might be and what core memories might be behind them.  I think that I would share all of Riley's except Hockey.  Of course, an adult (in theory) such as myself would have a vastly more complicated system than an 11 year old, but I can picture what some of the others might be for me. 

First of all, I would most certainly have a Disney island. Disney is such a huge part of who I am. (Obviously.) I can think of a couple potential core memories for that one.  It might be my first trip to Disneyland at age 7.  However, I think the moment that really closed the deal on my Disney geekiness was going to see The Little Mermaid in Hollywood when I was 8.  While we went to see all the classic Disney re-releases of the 80s, it was that movie and that particular experience that really struck a cord.  It was the first movie I remember highly anticipating and counting down the seconds, the first one that I ever owned on VHS, and the one whose soundtrack I wore out. I made references to "Under the Sea" on three different writing exercises in 3rd grade.

I would have to have an American Girl island.  I've been collecting the dolls and their things since my 9th birthday.  I can pinpoint exactly when that one started.  It was one fateful day at the library when I was searching for more children's lit historical fiction, something I developed a love for after my dad started using the "Little House" books as bedtime stories.  I even remember that the American Girl book I chose to check out that day was Changes for Kirsten.  I still have the book report I wrote on it on which the teacher had commented, "Do you like stories about long ago?" and I had penciled in, "yes." There was a postcard in the back of the book advertising the dolls, and my mom let me send away for the catalog.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Then, of course, there would be a Broadway island.  Coincidentally, this one also started when I was 8.  My core memory would probably be the very first time I watched a television airing of Mary Martin as Peter Pan from the 60s.  Until that time, it hadn't occurred to me that acting was something one could do for a living.  After that, I decided I was going to be Wendy on stage when I grew up.  I went on to major in theater in college.

I love when I go see a movie, and it inspires my imagination.  What do you think your Islands of Personality and Core Memories would be?