Frozen Going to Broadway

Frozen's success has been nothing more than inspiring and infectious as Disney continues to gain success from the movie. Now a Golden Globe winning movie, the hit is now being seen to be taking the Broadways stage.

Other successful Disney movies have been able to move to the Broadway stage. Lion King, still one of the best productions Broadway continues to see still tours, while Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast is also another that has come to the stage. Now seeing Frozen, it has made its way into the talks of becoming the next of the Disney movies turned to the stage.

While there is no set date on when it will make its move, CEO Bob Iger says "We're not demanding speed, we're demanding excellence".

Frozen's soundtrack is number one on Amazonand iTunes.

Dead Men Tell No Tales

On August 22, 2013, the Disney Company released that the fifth installment of the blockbuster hit, Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, will be named Dead Men Tell No Tales. The theme of the ride itself has used this saying over and over and is echoed through the scenes where Davy Jones erupts from the water in the ride. As he said, "they do tell tales". 

The movie will be released in 2015, with themes of a ghost, farming romantic duo, and a new romantic lead who will be suspected of witchcraft. 

A Great Villain

Watching Hercules today and I think everyone loves this villain whether the movie has been seen or not and has been equated to one of the greats. Hades, being one of the largest villains of not only the Disney world, but also one of Greek themed movies. His sass in his lines, the way his anger had been portrayed. People have been able to relate to him not just because of the way he speaks and his words, but because of how you work so hard for something and one person comes in a sweeps us in.

With James Woods as the voice, Hades has been one of our favorites from the Disney Renaissance era.

The Disney Parks Castles

Disneyland, CA

I recently got into a large discussion with this person on Instagram. I talked about how each castle was dedicated to its own princess. Now, not many might know whose castle belongs to who. So, with that being said, I plan to show not only the castles from around the world, but also to relay which castle belongs to which princess.

Hong Kong, China

Walt Disney World, Florida

Now, much to the surprise of myself, I looked further into which castle belonged to who and it seemed that not only the original park, Disneyland in California, the Disneyland Hong Kong was the same castle. It is said that they are almost exactly the same in construction and color, but only changed by the shades of color they put on the top of the castle.

Tokyo, Japan

Now, much like how the Disneyland Castle and the one in Hong Kong share a castle to a princess, the same happened with the one in Florida at Walt Disney World as well as the one in Toyko Disneyland. Sharing this one characteristic the two castles were dedicated to Cinderella. While being in the center of the park for both of the parks, this castle in particular also serves as the logo for the Walt Disney Company and its affiliates. The castle in Florida is much different to its counterpart though. Cinderella's Castle in the Year of a Million Dreams had become a place where you could sleep and enjoy the castle and look upon the park while you slept. The castle in Tokyo was much like the one in California where you could go through the castle and experience the story of Cinderella, but this ended in 2006.

Disneyland Paris

The last of the castles is in France. Formerly known as EuroDisney, Disneyland Paris has a castle which has been debated upon which was the castle and who it was dedicated to when they got to that point. The castle is dedicated to Sleeping Beauty. Though the castle is designed after the one in Sleeping Beauty, it is not known as 'her' castle. The castle is rumored to be dedicated to Belle and Beast's castle, but as stated, it is not the castle.

The Festival of Fools

So, I was thinking lately about the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I hadn't seen the movie in a while and while I always had seen the music box in Disneyland's newest land Fanatasy Faire, but I had thought about what had happened to the whole idea behind the festival? I happen to think there could be a lot more done with this aspect of the story.

So, I decided to do some digging and look to see if there was anything done with the Hunchback's story and the theme of the Festival of Fools. I found that there had been in 1997, around the release of the movie, Disney had built a stage, and a show which was used for the Festival of Fools.

It is interesting to watch and according to the YouTube video which I will link here they also have kept the stage area, but have decided to only use it for corporate events.

What do you guys think? Could there be a revival of the movie's themes? Could there be a Festival of Fools themed parade? I personally would love to see a float given in the Soundsational Parade. But again, what are the thoughts you guys have?

The Beginning of an AVATAR themed land...

So, being out of the loop that I am, I am trying to explore all the different things about Disney and what are the new things coming about in the theme parks. It seems that Florida is having its big debut as the Disney Company broke ground in the Animal Kingdom to make the park "become an all day park". The transitions they said they are trying to bring to revamp the park is adding this new land which is based off the largest grossing movie in the world "AVATAR". Guests will be able to go to Pandora and ride some amazing attractions. Most of all, they will be able to see the beautiful plant life grow when night rolls around. It looks very exciting, and another reason I want to go to the parks!

The execs also make a hint that there is going to be a new nighttime show that will take place at the park as well!

Mickey and the Magical Map - New Additions

Picture found on Google

I don't know if this is a recent addition, or it was added in December of 2013, since I am an avid supporter of this show at the park. I love this show, and someone who has studied every movement of that show, soundtrack, everything (trust me, I see when things go wrong now, and if actors are being unprofessional, *like today*) and there are two changes that I saw in the show that they added.

The first, when the Lilo and Stitch portion of the show comes up, they have now added a Stitch character who comes on stage and acts how Stitch would in the situation. It is a really fun portion to watch as he dances as well.

The second change is that at the end of the show, Mickey reappears not in his apprentice attire as he is in the whole show, he changes to look like the rest of the cast.

Not huge changes, but changes that add to the show and make it that much better. Make sure you check the show out! They do it everyday at the parks!

Disney Movies of 2013

Well, as the year comes to an end, it is time to reflect back to Disney and what they have done this year. When we look upon the year, let us take a look at what Disney movies have come out this year in the theaters, which have also come out on DVD this year!

The first of these movies this year was Oz the Great and Powerful! A movie based on the Oz books and follows the Wizard who comes to Oz in the first place. There is also the explanation of the Wicked Witch of the East and West and where they came from, as well as Glinda's origin as well. This movie is great, and from the rumors that have been said, this movie is to get a sequel in the near future.

Next movie was Iron Man 3. The highly anticipated movie after the third highest grossing movie of all time, The Avengers. It follows Tony Stark and the events after what happened in New York.

Another movie which took place this year was the highly anticipated Monsters University. This was the prequel to Monsters Inc. This movie followed Mike as he got into Monsters University and what their life was like at college and how they ended up at Monsters Inc.

Following that movie, there was Planes, which cam
e from "above the world of Cars" which was a movie about a plane who wants to race and they would race along the skies.

We then had the Lone Ranger which was a remake on a movie done by the same title. This was done by the same director and producer as the first three Pirates of the Caribbean companies. Starring Johnny Depp, it is a movie that is set in the Wild West.

Following that, was Thor: the Dark World, which is the highly anticipated Thor sequel which everyone was excited to see. Still starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleson, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and the same cast as the last movie.

Frozen was the next of these movies, and is the golden gem of Disney since the Disney Renaissance. Takes place in the legendary land of Arendale. It focuses on two sisters, one of which has the power to freeze things and places the land of Arendale in eternal snow.

Lastly, to top the year off, Disney released Saving Mr. Banks, which is the story of P.L. Travers, the woman who wrote Mary Poppins and the route taken to make the movie with Walt Disney.

With all these great movies released by Disney this year, what great movies can we look forward to next year? 2014 here we come!

The Animated App!

I have no purchased this app, and I feel like I may get it one day, but at the moment, I am seeing this app and it is perhaps one of the greatest apps that Disney could ever provide.

It is an application that allows you to see the sketches of all the 50 animated Disney movies. They show what the sketches, how they animated them, and what they continue to do. The other important thing about the application is that is also has updated to include all the sketches up to Frozen!

As I stated, I have not personally gotten the application yet, But I shall give a proper review when needed.

Those Thinking of Disneyland on New Year's Eve

Well, I was looking at the hours for Disneyland Resort for those who want to go tomorrow!

Disneyland is open from 8am - 2am
Disney's California Adventure is open from 8am - 1am

Hope you enjoy all of Disney tomorrow!

Every Role A Starring Role - Silhouettes

I used to do this as a kid. My mom would ask for my brother and I to get this done. We would hate having it done, but it makes a beautiful picture to make in the house, and it also is a great memory and memorabilia to have in the house when you are there for vacation. This video provided by Disney Parks, explains how it is done, and how you might have enjoyed this wonderful piece of artwork that is done everyday at the Disney Parks!

The Haunted Mansion - Paris

I went to Disneyland on Christmas Eve, and decided that since I wasn't going to go as often as I used to, I needed to have a way to remember and learn more about my favorite place on earth until I was able to return. I decided to not only get a Walt Disney biography (which I will be able to review and discuss upon at a later time), I also decided to get the Haunted Mansion history. I loved learning more of this attraction. I knew most of the information when it came to the Haunted Mansion in California, I knew small snippets of the Disneyland Paris attraction, but I learned much more.

So, let's talk about the Haunted Mansion that was placed in Paris.

First, the attraction was renamed to Phantom Manor. The attraction, unlike the Florida, California, and Hong Kong locations, they had moved the attraction to Westernland,which we could equate to Frontierland to us.

The best part of this attraction is that the ride completely encompasses the story that the land possesses. They say that the land was owned by a man named Ravenswood who owned a mining company since the center of the land was Big Thunder Mountain. This mining company completely took over the town, with shops that were dedicated to the town which helped enhance the economy there.

Now, to come to the Manor itself. According to the story, Phantom Manor was made by Ravenswood for his family in the town that Westernland was known as Costa Mesa. Ravenswood had a daughter who wanted to marry a man who wanted to take her out of Costa Mesa. Now. Mr. Ravenswood did not like this idea at all.

There was an earthquake which came from the mountain, and it shook the whole town. After the earthquake, the father and the groom to be were never seen again. This shook the daughter and because of this, she wore her wedding dress and moaned around the house until her death and continues to do so after death as well. The Phantom, while we do not know if it is the groom or Mr. Ravenswood, continues to haunt the house, making sure the daughter never leaves.

This house, is much different than the other Mansions around the world. Not only because of it's setting, but also the way the place looks to the inside of the Manor as well. The house, unlike all the others was unkept, not keeping to the idea Walt Disney had was that the outside Disney maintained, the rest the ghosts took care of. The inside is much darker in theme as well. The graveyard itself does not even have what those at the California and Florida parks know. It is much different.

I personally have not been to this attraction, but I am much more fascinated by this than any other Mansion in the world. I hope to see it one day, and while I continue to watch YouTube videos, and read about it and listen to the soundtrack, I hope to see it live and in person one day!

Merry Christmas

Hello all!

I am not able to get to my computer as best as I can, seeing as our internet it out until the day after Christmas. So! With that being said, this post will be picture less and sad looking but the thought still counts!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! While Walt had on the first Christmas celebrated at the parks with a circus with the Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers, we celebrate with Walt in the old commercials and specials he did. We also have Mickey's Christmas Carol, Mickey's Once and Twice Upon a Christmas to have as well. Celebrate with all family and friends.

Thank you all for sticking around and reading the blog if you read regularly, if not then hopefully we get more joining us!

I will be making more announcements about the blog in the upcoming days.

HAVE A VERY MERRY DISNEY CHRISTMAS!

Saving Mr. Banks

This perhaps has been one of those movies I have been longing to see for a long time. Being a person from the arts world myself, seeing how a vision can be taken and then put together and placed in an art form. This was no different upon going into this movie. I am not one who usually cries or has even the tug of emotion when I watch a piece. I know something can be sad, and I know something can be happy, etc. But when it comes to my actual watching of something I do not display the emotion itself. This movie, upon watching it, on numerous occasions had gotten me to tear up. Yes, even a man can cry once in a while.

I, being the aspiring Disney historian I am, have known about the story of P.L. Travers and Walt Disney, knowing that their relationship was anything but easy. Any Disney geek knows that in the making of this movie, and it had taken Walt Disney over twenty years to get Mrs. Travers to finally agree to relinquish the rights to the book to the Walt Disney Company. It was something of a conundrum when listening to these tapes and to why it had taken them so long to get the rights and why she was so stubborn to let it go. It seems now a days, unless you are J.K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, or even Cassandra Clare, the reason an author would let go of their work was to just further their monetary gain. P.L.Travers was not like the modern era, and while she, according to the movie that was presented, she needed the money herself, she did not sell out. She was very dedicated to what she had made, and she planned on making sure that no one made her work turn out to be anything she didn't want.

This movie, while the emphasis in the trailers seemed to be very much placed in the relationship of Walt Disney and P.L. Travers, the movie is actually about how Mrs. Travers came with the story of Mary Poppins and why the story was so important to her. Watching this movie, you understand where she is from and why she is so very much important to Mrs. Travers herself. I enjoyed this movie for that particular reason. It is not because you understand where the books come from, but how when people say "write what you know" that is what P.L. Travers had done with her book.She had done it in a way that was relatable, but also a way that would be fun for a child.

Another thing I loved about this movie is that you learned more about Walt Disney himself. You learn that Walt Disney had his own personal troubles, and it is particular because of this he has Disneyland as it is. I loved as well that it seemed the late Diane Disney Miller was the reason Mary Poppins exists in the movie form that it has for the past fifty years.

I would suggest this movie to anyone, and I would not be surprised that it won an Academy Award the upcoming Oscars.

The 76th Anniversary

Today, according to the D23 website is the 76th anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves premiere. This day today, Walt Disney and the cast, as well as the animators went to the Carthay Circle Theater where they watched the first ever animated feature film. This movie has always been known as the 'Fairest of them all". I haven't gotten any of the new editions of the movie since the first time it was released on DVD. Happy Birthday to the movie Snow White!

Chrona and the Inklings

So, I went on the D23 Facebook page and saw that there is a new game for the iPad and Android. It is a game which takes place in all the different Disney realms such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Tangled. It is a game where the leader, Chrona, defeats a villain which she accidentally created with her imagination. I think that this could be a really fun game, and I am going to try and play it on my iPad when I get the money to do so. Have any of you played it? Let me know what you think of the game and check out the post that D23 made about the game here!

UPDATE: Just looked further into the game. It's free, and if you want the game to speed up, you will need to pay for it. The app is also called Hidden Worlds.

Beautiful Portrait of the Haunted Mansion

Well, I upload a lot of pictures on my Instagram with Disney pictures. While on Google yesterday, looking for a new iPhone wallpaper, I looked up the Haunted Mansion and found a really cool picture which I put up.

This picture is also my cover photo on Facebook now. I don't know what it is about this portrait, but it's amazing to me.

 Let me know in the comments what you think of it!

Christmas Day Parade at the Disneyland Resort

Well, it was not that long ago in early November, I was there for the taping of two of the people who will be performing for the Disneyland Christmas Day Parade. I have made this a tradition the past couple of years to watch it not only for the people who are in it, but also for the promotions that the Disney Parks will be making for the year. The first year I watched was when the Year of a Million Dreams had first began. It was the best thing ever. BUT this year is what we are talking about isn't it?

Anyways, this year, I know that there will be Demi Lovato singing "Let it Go" which was amazing as she had sang it live as opposed to some just playing a track back for those to sing.

Jordin Sparks will be singing with Jason Derulo. I wasn't present when they were performing, but I have a guess that they will be singing "Marry Me", the duet that is currently on Jason Derulo's newest album.

And finally, if I am remembering correctly, Mary J. Blige will also be singing as well.

So far it looks like a great line up, and who knows who will be performing for us from Disney World!

New Disney Movie - Tomorrowland

So, after some digging around the Disney website and deciding to spark not just on the old of Disney, but the new and upcoming, there is a new movie set to come out on May 22,2015 called Tomorrowland. According to the Disney website, the plot for the movie is:

"Bound by a shared destiny, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor jaded by disillusionment embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as "Tomorrowland."

It seems like an interesting movie, driven by the land that each of the Magic Kingdom Parks possess with Tomorrowland, the age of science and space, just as Walt had imagined It. Not much else has been given about the movie other than a large exhibit that took you through some of the scientific things at the 2013 D23 Expo. 

What have you guys heard?

New Disney Film - Moana

Well, apparently in the wake of the success of 'Frozen', they all calling this being Disney's new Golden Age. With that, they have started development on their new film titled Moana. According to Disney reps, the movie is set 2000 years ago in the Hawaiian Isles with demigods and their mythology put inside. The synopsis for the movie was released as:

"The main character will be Moana Waialiki, a sea voyaging enthusiast, and the only daughter of a chief in a long line of navigators. When her family needs her help, she sets off on an epic journey. The film will also include demi-gods and spirits taken from real mythology"

They say that the movie will be released in the same CGI animation as the short "Paperman", with creative minds that works on Aladdin and Princess and the Frog. Music will be produced by Mark Mancina who worked on Tarzan, Brother Bear, and Lion King.