I mentioned before that I am completely obsessed with the tv show Once Upon a Time, right? It's a natural fit for a Disney fan, combining all sorts of storybook characters into one giant mish mashed fanfiction. Then there is the added bonus that the show is on ABC and actually produced by Disney, therefore they have access to the entire Disney canon! Granted the stories on the show take a very different path than their Disney counterparts, but they love to throw in little tributes to the films. I'm going to see how many of them I can remember.
Snow White:
The most obvious one here is the names of the dwarfs. In the original versions of the Snow White story, the little men are are just alike, generic figures with no names. It was Walt Disney who decided to give them distinct personalities, and the classic names we remember from the film are all there in the tv show. Fun fact- here is a way to remember the names of the 7 dwarfs: 2 D's (Doc and Dopey), 2 S's (Sleepy and Sneezy), and three emotions (Bashful, Happy, and Grumpy).
We occasionally get a snippet of a song. The episode "Tiny" has the dwarfs singing "Hi Ho." In "Heart of Darkness" Snow White is heard humming "With a Smile and a Song" right before whacking a bluebird! In the same scene, she's also wearing the famous red hair bow.
Dopey wears his signature purple hat.
Cinderella:
Before Billy the auto mechanic meets his grisly fate, he reveals that he was once a little mouse named Gus who lived with Cinderella- it's Gus Gus! Poor Gus Gus...
Interesting fact: In the Disney films, Prince Charming is actually the name of Cinderella's prince, not Snow White's. Snow White's prince is known in the film only as The Prince. Backstage at Disney, they refer to him as Snow Prince.
Sleeping Beauty:
I'm not 100% certain, but I think all the names: Prince Philip, Aurora, and Malificant are specific to the Disney version. Malificant in the Onceverse also borrows her look a bit from the film with the horns, but lacks the green skin and wears purple instead of black.
Pinocchio:
Jiminy Cricket being Pinocchio's conscience is really a feature of the Disney film. In the original book, he is killed off almost immediately.
Beauty and the Beast:
Obviously this one is my favorite, but I think it wins the record for the most direct tie ins to the Disney version. Here we go:
The most obvious is the names. Belle, Gaston, and Maurice are all Disney specific.
Belle wears both her signature dresses, the golden gown and the blue dress.
Then, course, everyone gets the reference of the chipped cup to Chip, although the objects don't come to life here.
When Gaston bursts in and tries to reclaim Belle, Rumple turns him into a rose. Belle asks who was at the door, and he replies, "Just an old lady selling flowers" which is directly out of the Beauty and the Beast prologue. "One winter's night an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in exchange for shelter from the bitter cold."
Belle loves to read just as in the Disney film and as in the Disney film receives a library for a gift. In fact, Rumple presents one to her twice both in Storybrooke and in the Fairytale world.
Did I leave anything out? Is there something you caught that I missed? Let me know! I love this show so much, and it is even better when you are a Disney fanatic. There's a chance I might be able to make it to a big Once convention in Orlando this November. If I make it, I'll be sure to blog about it! I'm also going to the D23 Expo in August- woohoo!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
A Beauty by Any Other Name
Twenty-one years ago, Disney released a film that introduced my favorite character of all time. It didn't start out that way. For a while, three animated heroines bobbed up and down on a current- Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine each taking a turn as the highest ranked. I couldn't make up my mind which I liked best. However, it wasn't long before one of them found her special place in my heart as number one.
Belle of Beauty and the Beast is so much that I am and everything I wish I could be. I'll admit it- part of the reason I adore her is superficial. She is the only Disney heroine with hair like mine, the only one I even remotely resemble, but she is so much more than her physical appearance. When the entire village sings about how odd Belle is, I feel for her. I know people think I'm odd too, and I go back and forth between just wanting to feel as if I belong and wanting to stand out and be embraced for my differences. Like Belle, I have walked around with my nose in a book. I beamed when friends back in my school days would on occasion call me Belle. Like Belle, I tend to be off in my own world, forgetting to pay attention to my surroundings.
In 8th grade, I participated in the ensemble for a production of Cinderella. Another girl playing a townsperson decided to make her entrance in the opening number with a book in hand, reading as she walked. I wished so much I had thought of that myself that I decided to pretend to read over her shoulder so that I could be Belle-like too!
In other ways, Belle is very different from me. She is far more courageous and selfless than I could ever be, and I greatly admire her for it. She gave up her freedom for her father's. She stood up to the Beast, and later she stood up for the Beast when Gaston riled up the town. Belle is no wallflower. She is not afraid to speak her mind, and she is not afraid to defy popular opinion. I love how she has some sass and attitude. When the Beast yells at her in her room, "You can't stay in there forever!" she yells right back, "Yes, I can!" In the Broadway show, the Beast orders her to be hungry, and Belle points out just how ridiculous that is.
My latest obsession is the Disney produced fairytale mash-up television fantasy Once Upon a Time. Last year, my favorite episode was, of course, the one that brought Belle, played by the lovely Emilie de Ravin, into the show's narrative, "Skin Deep." In this version, Rumpelstiltskin takes on the role of the Beast, and it works perfectly. Rumple hates himself for the monster that he believes he has become, but Belle reaches out to him and sees the goodness in his heart. She isn't scared of him, and he has never met anyone quite like her. It's heartbreaking when he sends her away because he can't believe someone could love him. She calls him out on it, not believing for a second that he would choose his power over love but rather that he is too afraid to accept the idea that someone might actually love him.
Belle's love of books is also transposed to Once Upon a Time's take on her, and it is used to even greater effort. Belle uses knowledge and books to find a monster and later a pirate. Her ability to read another language saves a life. She is strong in this show, not afraid to decide her own fate.
Sometimes among the vast world of fictional characters, we find one that truly resonates with us. For me, that one is Belle. Belle is my muse, my spirit, my aspirations. She is beautiful both inside and out. Several years ago, my mom bought me a name necklace that says "Belle" instead of "Angela." Sometimes, people ask me why I wear a name that isn't mine. I like to think that it's a little reminder of my own inner Belle.
Belle of Beauty and the Beast is so much that I am and everything I wish I could be. I'll admit it- part of the reason I adore her is superficial. She is the only Disney heroine with hair like mine, the only one I even remotely resemble, but she is so much more than her physical appearance. When the entire village sings about how odd Belle is, I feel for her. I know people think I'm odd too, and I go back and forth between just wanting to feel as if I belong and wanting to stand out and be embraced for my differences. Like Belle, I have walked around with my nose in a book. I beamed when friends back in my school days would on occasion call me Belle. Like Belle, I tend to be off in my own world, forgetting to pay attention to my surroundings.
In 8th grade, I participated in the ensemble for a production of Cinderella. Another girl playing a townsperson decided to make her entrance in the opening number with a book in hand, reading as she walked. I wished so much I had thought of that myself that I decided to pretend to read over her shoulder so that I could be Belle-like too!
In other ways, Belle is very different from me. She is far more courageous and selfless than I could ever be, and I greatly admire her for it. She gave up her freedom for her father's. She stood up to the Beast, and later she stood up for the Beast when Gaston riled up the town. Belle is no wallflower. She is not afraid to speak her mind, and she is not afraid to defy popular opinion. I love how she has some sass and attitude. When the Beast yells at her in her room, "You can't stay in there forever!" she yells right back, "Yes, I can!" In the Broadway show, the Beast orders her to be hungry, and Belle points out just how ridiculous that is.
My latest obsession is the Disney produced fairytale mash-up television fantasy Once Upon a Time. Last year, my favorite episode was, of course, the one that brought Belle, played by the lovely Emilie de Ravin, into the show's narrative, "Skin Deep." In this version, Rumpelstiltskin takes on the role of the Beast, and it works perfectly. Rumple hates himself for the monster that he believes he has become, but Belle reaches out to him and sees the goodness in his heart. She isn't scared of him, and he has never met anyone quite like her. It's heartbreaking when he sends her away because he can't believe someone could love him. She calls him out on it, not believing for a second that he would choose his power over love but rather that he is too afraid to accept the idea that someone might actually love him.
Belle's love of books is also transposed to Once Upon a Time's take on her, and it is used to even greater effort. Belle uses knowledge and books to find a monster and later a pirate. Her ability to read another language saves a life. She is strong in this show, not afraid to decide her own fate.
Sometimes among the vast world of fictional characters, we find one that truly resonates with us. For me, that one is Belle. Belle is my muse, my spirit, my aspirations. She is beautiful both inside and out. Several years ago, my mom bought me a name necklace that says "Belle" instead of "Angela." Sometimes, people ask me why I wear a name that isn't mine. I like to think that it's a little reminder of my own inner Belle.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Our anniversary day at Disneyland
I forgot to mention- after our first day in the parks, we were greeted with the sight of yummy anniversary cookies in our hotel room. Score one for Candy Cane Inn!
For the day of our actual anniversary, we decided to start our day with breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe in the Grand Californian. The buffet was tasty but fairly standard, however, we had a great server. Not only was he friendly and very chatty, but when we returned from our first round of food, he had taken it upon himself to bring us a plate of fresh, hot Mickey waffles- yum! Our characters were Meeko, Chip, Dale, Koda, Kenai, and....Terk (as I sing "One of these things is not like the others...") Not all the characters made it to our table before we left, but oh well.
Our second day, we planned to be the reverse of the first day- spending most of it at DL with an evening return to DCA. Because we had spent a good chunk of time at DL the year before, we took a more casual approach for the day. Therefore, my coverage of this day will be a bit less play by play.
"It's a Small World" was already decked out for the holidays, and neither of us had ever seen it that way, so it was one of our first stops. It's fun to hear a new song mixed in on a classic attraction, but both of us felt a little uncomfortable that Christmas was basically imposed on every country when many of them don't celebrate it. (I know "Jingle Bells" doesn't specifically mention Christmas, but still...)
We spent some time in Toontown which I've always thought was leagues ahead of the one that used to be in WDW. I had to visit the treehouse home of my two buddies, Chip and Dale, and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin is always a favorite. We practically walked right on.
We did some cave exploring on Tom Sawyer's Island, oh- excuse me, Pirate Island....eh, it will always be Tom Sawyer's Island to me, although I did enjoy the effects they've added.
I insisted we meet Merida from Brave since I had not been back to a Disney park since the film premiered and hadn't had the chance to pose with her before. She was a total hoot with her Scottish accent. When we told her we were celebrating our anniversary, she asked if my mother had picked him out!
The Haunted Mansion had it's holiday version up and running too. This time, the makeover got enthusiastic thumbs up from us, although I missed some of the classic elements that had been temporarily removed. The Nightmare Before Christmas made for a good fit though.
My other must do character interaction was Wreck it Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz. We loved the film. They were hanging out- appropriately enough- in the Tomorrowland Arcade. Due to poor luck with timing, Vanellope left just as we were getting to the front of the line. We got our picture with Ralph and then had to return later and get in line again for Vanellope. I don't know why DL has them posing separately. They would be a lot more fun to interact with if they could play off each other.
They had real "vintage" Fix it Felix machines in the arcade. They cracked me up- anyone who didn't know better would think it was a real arcade game from the 80s! The machines were distressed to look old, and they had a copyright mark for 1982.
The lack of long lines meant I was able to go on both Space Mountain and the Matterhorn without making Derek wait too long for me. Space is so different since they changed it a while back. The new version is very fun but definitely more dizzying. Matterhorn has new vehicles, but I couldn't tell if there was a huge difference in the ride experience. It had been a while since I last rode it. Indiana Jones- one of my favorites and a ride Derek is willing to go on- was sadly on a scheduled rehab period during our visit.
When it was time for our evening entertainment, we picked a spot in Fantasyland to watch the Christmas parade. It was soon apparent that we should have watched from Main Street where the parade actually steps off from. We just barely made it back to DCA in time for our dinner reservations at Carthay Circle Restaurant.
I had heard great things about Carthay Circle and couldn't wait to check it out for myself. The theming was exquisite. Despite most everyone wearing casual theme park clothes, we felt a bit under dressed. The place emulated the 1930s movie palace for which it was named and felt elegant and refined. The walls were decorated with photos of Walt Disney with various celebrities.
We ordered the cheddar jalapeno biscuits that I had heard so much about- they were delicious although different from what I was expecting. They were more like filled fried dough than what I would describe as a biscuit. My main course was a unique version of ravioli. I enjoyed it very much. I don't remember exactly what we ordered for dessert, but I think it was something chocolate and yummy. The couple next to us appeared to be regulars. They were discussing the menu as if they had been there several times before.
Eating in the restaurant got us reserved viewing for The Wonderful World of Color. We got to enter a section right in the center. How nice it was for this 5' 3.5" girl to be able to see the show without periodically jumping or balancing on my toes as I did last time! I also got a kick out of watching all the "Glow with the Show" mouse ears blink in unison with the show.
When it ended, the park was basically closed for the day, so we said good night and headed to Downtown Disney to choose a special anniversary memento. It took us literally until store closing, but we finally settled on a Stitch big fig in our of our honeymoon in Hawaii.
The next morning, we ate our bagels, and headed back to San Jose. Till we meet again, Disneyland! Hopefully sooner rather than later!
For the day of our actual anniversary, we decided to start our day with breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe in the Grand Californian. The buffet was tasty but fairly standard, however, we had a great server. Not only was he friendly and very chatty, but when we returned from our first round of food, he had taken it upon himself to bring us a plate of fresh, hot Mickey waffles- yum! Our characters were Meeko, Chip, Dale, Koda, Kenai, and....Terk (as I sing "One of these things is not like the others...") Not all the characters made it to our table before we left, but oh well.
Our second day, we planned to be the reverse of the first day- spending most of it at DL with an evening return to DCA. Because we had spent a good chunk of time at DL the year before, we took a more casual approach for the day. Therefore, my coverage of this day will be a bit less play by play.
"It's a Small World" was already decked out for the holidays, and neither of us had ever seen it that way, so it was one of our first stops. It's fun to hear a new song mixed in on a classic attraction, but both of us felt a little uncomfortable that Christmas was basically imposed on every country when many of them don't celebrate it. (I know "Jingle Bells" doesn't specifically mention Christmas, but still...)
We spent some time in Toontown which I've always thought was leagues ahead of the one that used to be in WDW. I had to visit the treehouse home of my two buddies, Chip and Dale, and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin is always a favorite. We practically walked right on.
I insisted we meet Merida from Brave since I had not been back to a Disney park since the film premiered and hadn't had the chance to pose with her before. She was a total hoot with her Scottish accent. When we told her we were celebrating our anniversary, she asked if my mother had picked him out!
The Haunted Mansion had it's holiday version up and running too. This time, the makeover got enthusiastic thumbs up from us, although I missed some of the classic elements that had been temporarily removed. The Nightmare Before Christmas made for a good fit though.
My other must do character interaction was Wreck it Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz. We loved the film. They were hanging out- appropriately enough- in the Tomorrowland Arcade. Due to poor luck with timing, Vanellope left just as we were getting to the front of the line. We got our picture with Ralph and then had to return later and get in line again for Vanellope. I don't know why DL has them posing separately. They would be a lot more fun to interact with if they could play off each other.
They had real "vintage" Fix it Felix machines in the arcade. They cracked me up- anyone who didn't know better would think it was a real arcade game from the 80s! The machines were distressed to look old, and they had a copyright mark for 1982.
The lack of long lines meant I was able to go on both Space Mountain and the Matterhorn without making Derek wait too long for me. Space is so different since they changed it a while back. The new version is very fun but definitely more dizzying. Matterhorn has new vehicles, but I couldn't tell if there was a huge difference in the ride experience. It had been a while since I last rode it. Indiana Jones- one of my favorites and a ride Derek is willing to go on- was sadly on a scheduled rehab period during our visit.
When it was time for our evening entertainment, we picked a spot in Fantasyland to watch the Christmas parade. It was soon apparent that we should have watched from Main Street where the parade actually steps off from. We just barely made it back to DCA in time for our dinner reservations at Carthay Circle Restaurant.
I had heard great things about Carthay Circle and couldn't wait to check it out for myself. The theming was exquisite. Despite most everyone wearing casual theme park clothes, we felt a bit under dressed. The place emulated the 1930s movie palace for which it was named and felt elegant and refined. The walls were decorated with photos of Walt Disney with various celebrities.
We ordered the cheddar jalapeno biscuits that I had heard so much about- they were delicious although different from what I was expecting. They were more like filled fried dough than what I would describe as a biscuit. My main course was a unique version of ravioli. I enjoyed it very much. I don't remember exactly what we ordered for dessert, but I think it was something chocolate and yummy. The couple next to us appeared to be regulars. They were discussing the menu as if they had been there several times before.
Eating in the restaurant got us reserved viewing for The Wonderful World of Color. We got to enter a section right in the center. How nice it was for this 5' 3.5" girl to be able to see the show without periodically jumping or balancing on my toes as I did last time! I also got a kick out of watching all the "Glow with the Show" mouse ears blink in unison with the show.
When it ended, the park was basically closed for the day, so we said good night and headed to Downtown Disney to choose a special anniversary memento. It took us literally until store closing, but we finally settled on a Stitch big fig in our of our honeymoon in Hawaii.
The next morning, we ate our bagels, and headed back to San Jose. Till we meet again, Disneyland! Hopefully sooner rather than later!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Disneyland 1st anniversary trip, Part 1
Here we go- a long overdue Disneyland trip report!
After nearly a year since moving to CA and leaving WDW, Derek and I finally planned a return to my childhood park- Disneyland! While WDW saw me through my first decade of adulthood, my youth was spent at Disneyland. For our first anniversary, I felt as if I was going home.
My mascots on this trip were little Stitch who took posed for pics all over our honeymoon in Hawaii and Erik Sock Monkey in memory of my friend's little boy who lost his short battle with cancer a few months ago.
We decided to make the drive from Northern CA- about 6 hours, and one of the most boring drives ever with nothing but miles of farmland for long stretches. We kept ourselves entertained with my collection of Disney cds. We stopped for lunch at a random collection of restaurants and hotels in the middle of nowhere. The place we chose had all the walls lined with vintage lunch boxes and thermoses ranging from Star Wars to Fraggle Rock and everything in between- that was a hoot.
We chose the Candy Cane Inn because it had free breakfast, free parking, and a walkable pathway to the parks. It had many good reviews. We didn't find it particularly special- theming was minimal at best, the breakfast was bare bones basic and there weren't really any extra perks, but the rooms were clean and the bed was comfortable, and that's all that really mattered.
It was too late in the day to bother going to the parks, so we headed to Downtown Disney to explore shops and choose dinner. Browsing shops is really more my thing than Derek's, but he patiently let me explore World of Disney where I took mental notes of what I wanted. I was impressed with the amount of new adult sized Disney Princess t-shirts- Belle in particular. We walked up to several restaurants, but they all had really long wait times that we weren't willing to settle for. We decided on a quick service location- the Jazz Kitchen express- where I had the New Orleans version of a meat pie, and we ordered some beignets for good measure- yum.
We woke up bright and early the next morning, with plans to grab a quick bite at the continental breakfast before heading to Disney's California Adventure for opening. Candy Cane Inn breakfast is about as simple as you can get- the only hot item was a machine in which you can toast your bread on a bagel. Other than that, your options were cereal, pastries, fruit, and yogurt. On the bright side, it meant we didn't have to feel stuffed.
Our Plan was to be at DCA for opening and make a beeline for Carsland to get fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers. When we got there, we discovered a huge line being set up along the side of the building just for fastpasses. The rest of the crowd was waiting for the park to open. The fastpass line was so long that instead of getting in it, we decided to try our luck with the standby line.
Our risk paid off. We got on the ride with only about a half hour wait. By the time we finished, the wait time outside was 120 minutes! We both agreed that the ride was absolutely amazing! While the track was very similar to Epcot's Test Track, it had a much higher element of magic as it recreated Radiator Springs. The audio-animatronic figures of the Cars characters were incredibly lifelike and enormous. I would have loved for the fast part to be longer, but for the most part, it's a huge hit.
Carsland itself is a big hit too. We spent a good hour just hanging out in that area of the park. I'm not even a huge fan of the films, but the details were so fun- the baby tractor "petting zoo", the Cozy Cone, the posters on the walls of Flo's Cafe. They had the Christmas decorations up already. Even the statue of the town's founder had a Santa hat on.
Once all the Cozy Cone kiosks were open, I insisted that we try the apple slush drink- I had read that the concoction was exactly the same as Lefou's Brew, the new specialty drink in WDW's new Fantasyland. Since who knows when I'll get to return to FL, this would have to do. It was really delicious! It tastes like frozen apple juice and a sweet marshmallow foamy topping.
Derek didn't feel like waiting in line for Luigi's Floating Tires or Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, so we decided to swing by The Little Mermaid ride. On our last visit, it was brand new, and we waited over an hour. This time? Only 5 minutes! Woohoo! While a cute ride, there is no way it was enough payoff for the wait we had the first time.
Derek doesn't care too much for coasters, so I grabbed a fastpass for California Screamin', and we checked out this little "museum" near the winery. It was part real life demonstration center for the new Carsland and part Radiator Springs exhibit- they even had an old guestbook on display signed by car themed celebrity parody names. They also had a viewing area for a Cars short about Mater and his time machine- very funny.
I had not had the chance to get to California Screamin' on the last visit, so I was glad to return. So fun! It was actually longer and more intense than I remembered.
We decided to do lunch at the excellently themed Flo's Cafe- a 50s style diner for car customers- advertising the best in oil, ha ha. The food was very good and quite a big meal for a quick service location. We both chose turkey slices with gravy.
We left Carsland to explore other areas of the park. We had been there just the previous year, so our must see list wasn't terribly long- just the new stuff. One of those new things was a Newsies inspired musical revue on Buena Vista Street I'd read about. With it's Broadway style singing and dancing, the show naturally received raves from me, especially when Mickey joined in. With him now being able to blink and move his mouth, it was annoyingly hard to get a good picture.
Let me take a moment to say how much I absolutely loved Buena Vista Street! It echoed Disney's Hollywood Studios (aka MGM) back in FL but represented a slightly earlier Hollywood, the one Walt saw when he first arrived. The streetmosphere folks were more believable and less goofy than their Florida counterparts (except Goofy himself of course).
The theming of the area was great- really stepping back in time. From the names of the shops to the old fashioned Christmas decorations, the imagineers didn't miss a detail. I got a kick out of everyone wearing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit ears. I'm so glad Disney got the rights to him back.
We next wandered into the modern Hollywood part of the park. Monster's Inc had an almost non existent wait time posted so we hitched a ride. I always forget just how good that one is! I still think there ought to be a coaster based on the door room scene though.
We headed into the animation building and paced through it pretty quickly. Derek had never seen Turtle Talk with Crush in WDW to my surprise so we got in line. The set up here is much better. They can fit more people, and it has real theater seats instead of standing blocks. The show itself is about the same, although I noticed that Crush now brings out a Buzz Lightyear toy instead of a bikini top which I thought was funnier.
Over at the Hyperion Theater, guests filed in for the next performance of Aladdin- perfect timing as it started soon. We had to sit in the balcony, but the view was still decent. I had seen the show before, but Derek hadn't. It really is an impressive production for a theme park. What a shame that Aladdin and Jasmine don't fly over the audience anymore. I do love how Genie is always up on the latest pop culture jokes.
I wanted to catch another show- Minnie's Fly Girls- so we found ourselves in Condor Heights and grabbed fastpasses for Soarin Over California. Yes, we have ridden the one at Epcot many times, and once you have flown over the real Hawaii in a real helicopter, pretending to fly over CA seems a little silly, but hey- it's still fun.
We gathered in front of the little platform for the show. Once again great fun- Minnie's fly girls were dressed like 1960s Pan Am stewardesses and sang some great ditties. At one point, they were asking people where they wanted to fly, responding with an enthusiastic, "We go there!" I stood right up front, so they asked me! I had to think for a second and settled on Ireland. Then they sang a medly about all the countries they fly to. When they got to Ireland, they smiled right at me.
After the show, we decided to grab snacks. I picked a chocolate dipped Mickey shaped marshmallow. We nibbled on our goodies while watching the talents of "Five and Dime"- a 1920s jazz group. We then found spots for the Pixar Play Parade featuring an insanely catchy theme song and nearly every Pixar character.
Hearing that Carsland looks amazing after dark, we went to admire all the neon signs. I talked Derek into hopping onto Mater's Junkyard Jamboree since the line was so short. He was afraid the spinning would be too much, but we both handled it just fine.
We decided to take advantage of Disneyland Park's later hours. Our desire for some dinner led us to the Big Thunder BBQ which neither of us had tried before. The food was all you care to eat and comparable to WDW's Hoop De Do menu, although the later has a few tastier items. Big Thunder doesn't have the fried chicken or the strawberry shortcake. The entertainment was a few rodeo characters singing Christmas tunes with guitar or piano accompaniment.
We finished the night catching rides on a handful of Fantasyland classics. Getting those out of the way would give us more time for other things the next day. We caught a glimpse of the fireworks as we headed out for the night. The next day was our actual anniversary.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Disney and Pixar loop de loop
Last weekend, I got to see Disney's latest effort, the nostalgic video game movie Wreck it Ralph. Initially, I wasn't too keen on it upon first hearing about it. It sounded like too much of a "boys" movie with a story about video game characters. I've never been much of a gamer. Then I saw the trailer....holy cow, is that Bowser and a Pac-Man ghost in the same room?! And ooh....cute little girl character alert- maybe I will like this movie. After all, I was part of that 80s game generation even if I was never very good at them. My cousin had Pac-Man on her computer, and I was once very addicted to Donkey Kong, the game that inspired the film's Fix it Felix. While my sister took a karate class at the JCC, I would hang out in the teen lounge where they had a bunch of arcade games set on freeplay, and I gravitated to Donkey Kong again and again. The iconic sound effects of that game send me back every time.
I'm not going to do a full on movie review, but I will tell you this much- I may be very biased towards fairytale musicals with princess characters when it comes to animated films, but I had a big grin on my face throughout the entire movie. The references and puns and unexpected "did they really just say that?" laughs didn't end. My reaction to this movie reminded me quite a bit of seeing another movie with a packed, thoroughly entertained audience back in college- Pixar's Monster's Inc, and it's due to a similar dynamic: a hulking, can be scary but is really a sweet lug character befriending a precocious little girl. Monsters had Boo- a 2 year old who doesn't talk a whole lot but really makes the film with her antics. Age Boo several years and give her an attitude, and you have Vanellope von Schweetz- Wreck it Ralph's 9 year old sassy racer. It's no surprise that I have absolutely fallen for this little livewire too just as I fell for Boo- I adore precocious little girl characters. I almost immediately rushed out to the Disney Store for my own Vanellope.
(How are my future children going to react to a mom who has all these toys??)
I've already decided that I will be creating my own Vanellope costume in the future. All I'd need are a mint green hoodie with pink ties, a pleated brown skirt, swirled stockings, black boots, and candy shaped barrettes.
What really struck me about this film was that Disney Studios had created a movie that felt like a Pixar movie. I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't!
Meanwhile, over the summer, Pixar created a film- Brave- that felt more like a traditional Disney story! With John Lasseter now in charge of Disney animation, everything is coming full circle. I did enjoy Brave a lot. The story was on a much smaller scale that what I expected, but I've always been a sucker for magical transformation stories. And I must say, the beautiful artwork of Brave makes a great advertisement for visiting Scotland. If it wasn't high on my travel list before, it sure is now!
As for which film I liked better, it's really hard to say- they are so completely different. I love the fairy tale quality of Brave, but I think I smiled and laughed more during Wreck it Ralph. I will definitely be getting my picture with both sets of characters at Disneyland next week. Whichever the preference, can we all agree that it is so wonderful to see Disney making really great movies again after the long lull they had once the spark of the Disney renaissance of the early 90s dimmed?
A little sidenote- Wreck it Ralph opened with a wonderful cartoon short called "Paperman" that had a nostalgic feel too it. It too felt very Pixar in it's storytelling with it's lack of any dialogue- all the emotion played by the artwork and the music. I actually hadn't heard there was going to be a short, so it was a pleasant surprise.
I'm not going to do a full on movie review, but I will tell you this much- I may be very biased towards fairytale musicals with princess characters when it comes to animated films, but I had a big grin on my face throughout the entire movie. The references and puns and unexpected "did they really just say that?" laughs didn't end. My reaction to this movie reminded me quite a bit of seeing another movie with a packed, thoroughly entertained audience back in college- Pixar's Monster's Inc, and it's due to a similar dynamic: a hulking, can be scary but is really a sweet lug character befriending a precocious little girl. Monsters had Boo- a 2 year old who doesn't talk a whole lot but really makes the film with her antics. Age Boo several years and give her an attitude, and you have Vanellope von Schweetz- Wreck it Ralph's 9 year old sassy racer. It's no surprise that I have absolutely fallen for this little livewire too just as I fell for Boo- I adore precocious little girl characters. I almost immediately rushed out to the Disney Store for my own Vanellope.
I've already decided that I will be creating my own Vanellope costume in the future. All I'd need are a mint green hoodie with pink ties, a pleated brown skirt, swirled stockings, black boots, and candy shaped barrettes.
What really struck me about this film was that Disney Studios had created a movie that felt like a Pixar movie. I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't!
Meanwhile, over the summer, Pixar created a film- Brave- that felt more like a traditional Disney story! With John Lasseter now in charge of Disney animation, everything is coming full circle. I did enjoy Brave a lot. The story was on a much smaller scale that what I expected, but I've always been a sucker for magical transformation stories. And I must say, the beautiful artwork of Brave makes a great advertisement for visiting Scotland. If it wasn't high on my travel list before, it sure is now!
As for which film I liked better, it's really hard to say- they are so completely different. I love the fairy tale quality of Brave, but I think I smiled and laughed more during Wreck it Ralph. I will definitely be getting my picture with both sets of characters at Disneyland next week. Whichever the preference, can we all agree that it is so wonderful to see Disney making really great movies again after the long lull they had once the spark of the Disney renaissance of the early 90s dimmed?
A little sidenote- Wreck it Ralph opened with a wonderful cartoon short called "Paperman" that had a nostalgic feel too it. It too felt very Pixar in it's storytelling with it's lack of any dialogue- all the emotion played by the artwork and the music. I actually hadn't heard there was going to be a short, so it was a pleasant surprise.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
A Castmember confession
I recently did an interview for MiceChat all about my years as a WDW castmember: http://micechat.com/8194-bibbidi-bobbidi-boutique/ that you can read if you'd like more details on what I did.
It got me thinking- a lot of people wonder what it's like when you work for the mouse. Do you get sick of the parks? Do you start to hate Disney after a while? Does it ruin the magic?
Well, I can't answer for everyone, but as I'm sure you can guess from the topic of my blog, my answer to those questions is a resounding no! Okay, maybe that isn't entirely true all the time. There were days when I did not feel like smiling- when I'd had it up to my chin with guest issues and strict rules and miscommunications. I will admit it wasn't all pixie dust all the time. But even on my worst days, I never hated Disney. My job was to make people happy- it's hard to stay gloomy all day in that environment. Enthusiasm and joy are contagious. For every guest that gives you a hard time, there will be a dozen others that make your day. Also, being a Disney fan is a core part of who I am. Working for the company could never change me that dramatically. I will always adore the stories of the films.
Did I get sick of the parks? I can tell you that you don't feel the need to go all the time after a while once you've seen every ride so many times you feel the need to share random trivia with the person next to you, and you tell your friends not to bother with a guide map because you know where every bathroom is in the entire Magic Kingdom. Sometimes I wonder if you led me blindfolded to an area of the park if I would be able to figure out where I was. I avoided the parks during the hottest and most crowded times, rarely tolerated lines longer than 20 minutes, and visited less frequently as time went on. However, now that I've gone from a local to a 6 hour drive from the nearest Disney park, I miss that easy access immensely.
Some think that being a CM must cause you to not want to set foot in the parks because you work there, and for some people that is true- especially if you are in guest relations and give tours so going around the park all day is part of your job. Most of my jobs, on the other hand, involved being stuck in one spot- I never saw any other parts of Disney property when I was on the clock! Once my shift ended, it was as if my invisible barrier had been broken, and I was free to explore beyond the confines of my work location.
Does working for Disney ruin the magic? After all, you see all the behind the scenes stuff- characters out of character, the grumpy guses who complain to everyone backstage, and the sometimes stinky undecorated underbelly of MK known as the utiladoors. Thankfully, as someone with a background in theater, I love seeing how the magic is created and learning the secrets. I have no trouble suspending my disbelief again when I return to guest mode in the parks, so seeing all that behind the scenes stuff doesn't bother me. Even if I was just talking to a character performer backstage, when I see Mickey out in the parks, he is the real Mickey. (Or at least as real as he can be in our world.)
Some CMs go through the back way when going to play at the parks even though they are technically not supposed to, but I always made a point to enter through the front like a guest if I was there to play. Going backstage immediately snaps you back to reality, and who wants to do that when you have plans to jump into fantasy? I'd rather ride the monorail, pass under the train station, and travel down Main Street to Cinderella Castle- even if it takes longer.
Being a CM doesn't ruin the magic- it only alters how you perceive it. Going to the parks becomes your local hang out rather than your vacation. You might only go for a couple hours at a time and not even get on a ride during that time. You tell your friends you went to Mexico for dinner or China for lunch, and they know you mean Epcot. Sometimes I missed being a vacationer....staying at a hotel, being completely away from the real world, having the visit be a special occasion, etc. And other times, I was so grateful to not feel the need to get to as many attractions as possible to get the most for my money. I loved being able to pop over to Epcot once a week during the Food and Wine Festival or to go check out the newest thing whether it was a brand new attraction in its soft opening or a new shop or even just a new menu item at a quick service stand. When Tangled premiered, I went to MK to have my picture taken with Rapunzel. I just missed the cut off for her line and ended up waiting two hours to meet her and Flynn. If I were a paying guest on vacation, I would have said no way, forget it. But since that was the whole reason I had come to play that day, I stayed in line and had a really fun character interaction. (Flynn asked me what was in my satchel, and he and Rapunzel were fascinated by my cellphone.)
Another way the magic is altered is that you are now a magic maker, and when you make magic, the magic you experience yourself is in their reactions. I have had the pleasure of creating so many happy memories for people- the smiles, the hugs, the expressions of gratitude....I dare anyone to not melt when a little girl shrieks with joy and bounces around like Tigger after you've revealed her new princess hairdo.
Being a CM is not for everyone. There are many others besides me who let a bad experience forever color their perception of Disney from that point out. Working for them will either kill your fandom or make it stronger than ever. It's really all about the attitude. If you keep your head above the drama and always remember why you fell in love with Disney in the first place, you can live through being a CM with your love for all things Mickey still intact. Look at me- over 8 years worth, and I'm still on board- forever a Disney dreamer.
It got me thinking- a lot of people wonder what it's like when you work for the mouse. Do you get sick of the parks? Do you start to hate Disney after a while? Does it ruin the magic?
Well, I can't answer for everyone, but as I'm sure you can guess from the topic of my blog, my answer to those questions is a resounding no! Okay, maybe that isn't entirely true all the time. There were days when I did not feel like smiling- when I'd had it up to my chin with guest issues and strict rules and miscommunications. I will admit it wasn't all pixie dust all the time. But even on my worst days, I never hated Disney. My job was to make people happy- it's hard to stay gloomy all day in that environment. Enthusiasm and joy are contagious. For every guest that gives you a hard time, there will be a dozen others that make your day. Also, being a Disney fan is a core part of who I am. Working for the company could never change me that dramatically. I will always adore the stories of the films.
Did I get sick of the parks? I can tell you that you don't feel the need to go all the time after a while once you've seen every ride so many times you feel the need to share random trivia with the person next to you, and you tell your friends not to bother with a guide map because you know where every bathroom is in the entire Magic Kingdom. Sometimes I wonder if you led me blindfolded to an area of the park if I would be able to figure out where I was. I avoided the parks during the hottest and most crowded times, rarely tolerated lines longer than 20 minutes, and visited less frequently as time went on. However, now that I've gone from a local to a 6 hour drive from the nearest Disney park, I miss that easy access immensely.
Some think that being a CM must cause you to not want to set foot in the parks because you work there, and for some people that is true- especially if you are in guest relations and give tours so going around the park all day is part of your job. Most of my jobs, on the other hand, involved being stuck in one spot- I never saw any other parts of Disney property when I was on the clock! Once my shift ended, it was as if my invisible barrier had been broken, and I was free to explore beyond the confines of my work location.
Does working for Disney ruin the magic? After all, you see all the behind the scenes stuff- characters out of character, the grumpy guses who complain to everyone backstage, and the sometimes stinky undecorated underbelly of MK known as the utiladoors. Thankfully, as someone with a background in theater, I love seeing how the magic is created and learning the secrets. I have no trouble suspending my disbelief again when I return to guest mode in the parks, so seeing all that behind the scenes stuff doesn't bother me. Even if I was just talking to a character performer backstage, when I see Mickey out in the parks, he is the real Mickey. (Or at least as real as he can be in our world.)
Some CMs go through the back way when going to play at the parks even though they are technically not supposed to, but I always made a point to enter through the front like a guest if I was there to play. Going backstage immediately snaps you back to reality, and who wants to do that when you have plans to jump into fantasy? I'd rather ride the monorail, pass under the train station, and travel down Main Street to Cinderella Castle- even if it takes longer.
Being a CM doesn't ruin the magic- it only alters how you perceive it. Going to the parks becomes your local hang out rather than your vacation. You might only go for a couple hours at a time and not even get on a ride during that time. You tell your friends you went to Mexico for dinner or China for lunch, and they know you mean Epcot. Sometimes I missed being a vacationer....staying at a hotel, being completely away from the real world, having the visit be a special occasion, etc. And other times, I was so grateful to not feel the need to get to as many attractions as possible to get the most for my money. I loved being able to pop over to Epcot once a week during the Food and Wine Festival or to go check out the newest thing whether it was a brand new attraction in its soft opening or a new shop or even just a new menu item at a quick service stand. When Tangled premiered, I went to MK to have my picture taken with Rapunzel. I just missed the cut off for her line and ended up waiting two hours to meet her and Flynn. If I were a paying guest on vacation, I would have said no way, forget it. But since that was the whole reason I had come to play that day, I stayed in line and had a really fun character interaction. (Flynn asked me what was in my satchel, and he and Rapunzel were fascinated by my cellphone.)
Another way the magic is altered is that you are now a magic maker, and when you make magic, the magic you experience yourself is in their reactions. I have had the pleasure of creating so many happy memories for people- the smiles, the hugs, the expressions of gratitude....I dare anyone to not melt when a little girl shrieks with joy and bounces around like Tigger after you've revealed her new princess hairdo.
Being a CM is not for everyone. There are many others besides me who let a bad experience forever color their perception of Disney from that point out. Working for them will either kill your fandom or make it stronger than ever. It's really all about the attitude. If you keep your head above the drama and always remember why you fell in love with Disney in the first place, you can live through being a CM with your love for all things Mickey still intact. Look at me- over 8 years worth, and I'm still on board- forever a Disney dreamer.
Friday, June 1, 2012
No one does it like Disney
Since moving to Northern California, I ended a reign of over 8 years with Walt Disney World at my disposal...the freedom to go play at the parks whenever I wanted. My new local park is California's Great America, a fun little park with lots of coasters. I finally got my annual pass and checked it out yesterday. It really makes you appreciate how much more effort Disney puts into their theming.
Great America is perfectly clean and pretty with plenty of fun rides and things to do, but their theming is marginal at best. I walked through one area that suggested the idea that it was New Orleans with some of the classic iron detailing on the buildings, but it was a cleaned up version...as if someone had drawn some ordinary buildings and thought at the last minute to declare that they were supposed to be in Louisiana style. One of the eateries was called Pizza Orleans. Pizza? What happened to the beignets and gumbo? When you go to New Orleans Square at Disneyland, you feel as if you've really traveled to another time and place.
I remember as a kid, we visited a little place in Memphis, TN called Libertyland. Its highlight was the Zippin' Pippin'- a coaster rumored to be Elvis's favorite. It was a tiny amusement park, and I was shocked that you could see the cars zooming by on the city streets from inside the park- something absolutely unheard of when you visit the big parks.
I know I'm biased. I fully admit to being a Disney snob. But, really, after visiting other parks, you have to agree that no one does it quite like Disney. Only Universal comes close. Their Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Island of Adventure is incredibly detailed, and I applaud a job well done. (And as I say that, I'm craving one of those yummy frozen butterbeers!) But often, Universal falls just short of what you'll find at Disney. A prime example is Shrek 4-D. The audience holding area for this movie is perfect- you are in the Duloc dungeon. There are signs everywhere indicating you are about to be tortured. The attraction hosts announce that the punishments for not following the rules are various amounts of flogging. Then you are herded into the theater....and *boom* no more theming. It's just an ordinary theater. The movie- a short sequel to the original Shrek, is great fun- the theater rumbles along in sync with the action on the screen as the ghost of Lord Farquaad persues Princess Fiona. However, they've created a story with a complete disconnect from the audience. There is no reason for us to feel those rumbles as we are not part of the story. The characters don't acknowledge us.
At a Disney park, most of the 3-D/4-D movies actually have the audience playing a role in the story. In Honey I Shrunk the Audience, we are the audience watching the science awards show. We feel the rumbles because the giant toddler picks us up. In It's Tough to be a Bug, we are inside a tree. Everywhere you look inside that theater looks like a part of that tree- the benches, the ceiling, etc. Flit talks directly to us. At Muppetvision, we are right there inside the Muppet theater. You can even see the Swedish Chef inside the back wall. Statler and Waldorf are physically there in the balcony just as they are on the tv show.
In college, my friends and I had season passes to Dollywood, a themepark owned by Dolly Parton. I spent many happy hours there, including a fun 20th birthday celebration. I had to laugh at their attempt to imitate Disney though. They have a ride called Blazing Fury which is a wild ride through an 1880's town that is on fire. A few human figures pop up throughout the journey, but they all look incredibly fake, and all the female characters sound like Dolly herself. Disney really has a monopoly on realistic audio-animatronic figures.
Don't get me wrong- one can absolutely have a great time spending a day at a non-Disney park, especially someone who only cares about the intensity of roller coaster thrills- something Disney doesn't have much in the way of. My own dad is one who falls in that category. Some folks are more about a good thrill than being immersed in the story, and that's fine. For me, though, I want to be transported to another world.
Great America is perfectly clean and pretty with plenty of fun rides and things to do, but their theming is marginal at best. I walked through one area that suggested the idea that it was New Orleans with some of the classic iron detailing on the buildings, but it was a cleaned up version...as if someone had drawn some ordinary buildings and thought at the last minute to declare that they were supposed to be in Louisiana style. One of the eateries was called Pizza Orleans. Pizza? What happened to the beignets and gumbo? When you go to New Orleans Square at Disneyland, you feel as if you've really traveled to another time and place.
I remember as a kid, we visited a little place in Memphis, TN called Libertyland. Its highlight was the Zippin' Pippin'- a coaster rumored to be Elvis's favorite. It was a tiny amusement park, and I was shocked that you could see the cars zooming by on the city streets from inside the park- something absolutely unheard of when you visit the big parks.
I know I'm biased. I fully admit to being a Disney snob. But, really, after visiting other parks, you have to agree that no one does it quite like Disney. Only Universal comes close. Their Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Island of Adventure is incredibly detailed, and I applaud a job well done. (And as I say that, I'm craving one of those yummy frozen butterbeers!) But often, Universal falls just short of what you'll find at Disney. A prime example is Shrek 4-D. The audience holding area for this movie is perfect- you are in the Duloc dungeon. There are signs everywhere indicating you are about to be tortured. The attraction hosts announce that the punishments for not following the rules are various amounts of flogging. Then you are herded into the theater....and *boom* no more theming. It's just an ordinary theater. The movie- a short sequel to the original Shrek, is great fun- the theater rumbles along in sync with the action on the screen as the ghost of Lord Farquaad persues Princess Fiona. However, they've created a story with a complete disconnect from the audience. There is no reason for us to feel those rumbles as we are not part of the story. The characters don't acknowledge us.
At a Disney park, most of the 3-D/4-D movies actually have the audience playing a role in the story. In Honey I Shrunk the Audience, we are the audience watching the science awards show. We feel the rumbles because the giant toddler picks us up. In It's Tough to be a Bug, we are inside a tree. Everywhere you look inside that theater looks like a part of that tree- the benches, the ceiling, etc. Flit talks directly to us. At Muppetvision, we are right there inside the Muppet theater. You can even see the Swedish Chef inside the back wall. Statler and Waldorf are physically there in the balcony just as they are on the tv show.
In college, my friends and I had season passes to Dollywood, a themepark owned by Dolly Parton. I spent many happy hours there, including a fun 20th birthday celebration. I had to laugh at their attempt to imitate Disney though. They have a ride called Blazing Fury which is a wild ride through an 1880's town that is on fire. A few human figures pop up throughout the journey, but they all look incredibly fake, and all the female characters sound like Dolly herself. Disney really has a monopoly on realistic audio-animatronic figures.
Don't get me wrong- one can absolutely have a great time spending a day at a non-Disney park, especially someone who only cares about the intensity of roller coaster thrills- something Disney doesn't have much in the way of. My own dad is one who falls in that category. Some folks are more about a good thrill than being immersed in the story, and that's fine. For me, though, I want to be transported to another world.
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