Monthly Archives: August 2013
Keith’s D23 Expo Day 1 Vlog
Aug 31
We covered the D23 Expo here on Modern Mouse but Keith was actually in attendance at the D23 Expo and was on the carpet to interview celebrities for upcoming films. Here is his look at the first day of the Expo along with his friend Peter Armado. Enjoy!
Keith Lapinig
http://www.KeithLapinig.com
Top 5: Classic Tales Too Inappropriate to be a Disney Animated Feature
Aug 30
Since 1937, Disney has been churning out animated feature films based on classic novels, fairy tales, history, and folklore. They “Disneyfied” some stories to be appropriate and considered as family entertainment. Let’s face it, almost anything from the Grimm fairytales could scare any 5 year old, but Disney made them fun, silly, and cute. They’ve touched a bit of everything in the world of classic tales, but there are some classics that Disney can’t even mess with. There is just no way that some things can become Disney. So that’s where we are today. The Top 5 classic novels too inappropriate to be Disney animated features….and here they are.
#5-Rumplestiltskin. We’ve seen him in the hit ABC show Once Upon a Time and his a great character for the show. He is the deal maker and probably of the Grimm fairy tales, the most adult of all the tales. A woman that lies to a king is set to be killed unless she can turn straw into gold. She makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin which eventually leads to her giving up her first born child in a pact. In no way or fashion can Disney spin this tale into something of positive meaning. Making deals based on lies you’ve told can only end with lawsuits for Disney. I guess Rumple will only have is glory in Once Upon a Time.
#4-Anything by Edgar Allen Poe. The epitome of Gothic Literature is a figure most of us are familiar with. We read his stories and poems in school and we’ve seen some of his work inspire film makers like Tim Burton. The material he has created however usually ends in tragedy. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is an exception in a long list of happy ending Disney films, but to turn Poe’s work of insanity and homicide into a classic Disney film would probably ruin the childhood of every young boy and girl that saw it.
#3-Faust. Speaking of making deals. Like Rumplestiltskin, Faust is a tale of making deals, but this one is about making a deal with the devil. Not only does it involve Satan himself, but it is less about escaping oppression and more about owning things and gaining knowledge. In short, this story is about being materialistic and doing anything to get there. Disney couldn’t spin this into anything more than a 1980s drama about girls who shop too much. Faust is a play that showcases what happens when you want materials, which I guess can be a good lesson to learn, but by involving the protagonists death and religion, Disney has to leave this one behind.
#2-The Scarlett Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel is probably his best work and certainly ranking high in classic American tales., but it’s themes are so risque that it puts the Hunchback of Notre Dame to shame in terms of political and religious views. Playing off of the themes of Adultery, guilt, regret, and sin, The Scarlet Letter really had to of pushed the boundaries in the mid-1800s. It’s a brave and bold novel about serious adult subjects. In no way is this a story fit for children or family viewings. It’s been adapted into teen and adult dramas and comedies for a reason. We will have to keep this one out of the hands of children.
#1-Dante’s Inferno. I’ve read Dante’s Inferno several times. I really took note of it in a Masterpieces of Literature class during college where I studied it’s teachings and what it represented in it’s day or publication while also seeing what it meant in modern day. It’s the most famous part of three books written as the Divine Comedy, Inferno is so religious and deranged and off the charts offensive that it could never never ever be a Disney film. We’ve seen some demonic places and characters in Disney films, but the journey of one man into the nine circles of hell to save a soul is not a film any family is going to sit down and watch. Are there lessons that children could potentially take away from this? Yes…but the imagery alone of lust, treason, treachery, glutton, and so on is so foul and crude and horrible that Disney can not change this story into anything better.
Got any other tales too inappropriate? Leave your thoughts and comments below!
Josh Taylor
https://ModernMouseRadio.com
Disney Film History: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Aug 28
After Snow White’s success in 1937, everyone was pitching stories to Walt Disney. Several films were put into production at once, but that was not to be for long. World War II, as we’ve talked about in previous articles, disrupted the feature length production. Films like Alice and Wonderland and Peter Pan were put on hold until further notice, while other films were segregated and turned into “Package Films” or films without a single narrative, but rather a collection of shorts. I was excited to begin the World War II era because Disney gave so much back to the world during that time. The Disney films were used as propaganda, a way to make peace with allies, and above all, bring a smile to those living in a time of war. As excited as I was, I’m glad we are leaving this era behind. Disney was able to find his way out of debt during the 1940s, through government funding and box office draws. Walt turned his failing company, with it’s strikes and debts, into a happy place without payments having to be made to the bank. Strangely enough, the film we are getting to today, the last of the “Package Films”, is actually quite grim. We are looking at The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. A film cut into two parts much like Fun and Fancy Free. Unlike that film, the two stories of how Sleepy Hollow and The Wind and the Willows came to be placed together intermingle. The film’s two shorts were smashed together unintentionally for the better. So how did this strange package film come to be? Well, let’s start with the first short of the film.
The first of the two shorts is that of Mr. Toad, based on Kenneth Graham’s Wind and the Willows. The famous novel from England really struck a chord with readers when it first came out in 1906. Remember that at the turn of the 20th century, automobiles were a thing of luxury, not necessity, and airplanes were impressive and new to the public. Graham capatilized on the new obsession over these motorized vehicles and created a booke made of talking animals. Fast forward to 1938, after the success of Snow White, and we have animators in James Bodrero and Campbell Grant pitching the idea that Wind and the Willows should be the next Disney film. Due to the anthropomorphic characters (humanized animals) the film could only be done in animation and would be perfect for a Disney film. Walt Disney didn’t see the money in it. It was too cartoonish for his new realistic feature film division. The following June of 1939, he had a change of heart, put in for the rights to the book, and production started on a feature length film called The Wind and The Willows.
Due to World War II, animators were diminished and the film, a half hour already fully animated, was put on the shelf to be later picked up. As the idea of putting together package films came to be, Walt decided that the cartoon nature led Mr. Toad and friends to be part of that rather than demean his artistic full length films. He decided that the Wind and the Willows could be attached to Mickey and the Beanstalk as well as another film in the works, The Gremlins. Nothing came of the stories of the Gremlins and Mickey and Mr. Toad would go on to be packaged together as one film titled Two Fabulous Characters. This idea was then ditched and Mickey was paired with Bongo in Fun and Fancy Free, once again leaving The Wind and Willows on the shelf ultimately left to never be seen until luck might have it and it is paired in the late 1947 with another feature film in the works, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was a thrilling tale from American history. Originally published in 1820 and undoubtedly Washington Irving’s most popular short essay, maybe next to Rip Van Winkle, the tale was harkening back to the folklore of Snow White and Pinocchio. Throughout the “Package Film” era, many of the tales told, outside of Mickey and the Beanstalk, were contemporary and not based on classic tales. Sleepy Hollow, not only American at heart, is also a folk tale many people had read or heard of. It was to be a crowning acheivement for Disney, combining realism, horror, and family friendliness. Unfortunately, the film, like the story, ran short and the decision to be made was if the film should be kept. It seemed wise, that during a time when many shorts were packaged together, Sleepy Hollow could also be part of that. Regardless of it’s length, animators and Walt alike wanted the film out there so they dusted off The Wind and the Willows project and decided to attach the two films together.
What had already been animated in the early part of the 1940s was kept in the Wind and Willows and areas of the film were either cut or not animated at all to keep the story from running too long. Too help boost this new film, dubbed The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Basil Rathbone and Bing Crosby, two well known personalities on the ’40s, were brought in to narrate and boost the credibility of the film.
Ichabod and Mr. Toad was released in October of 1949 and was a big hit with audiences. Released around Halloween time, the film fits the autumn weather as both tales end on a dark note, and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow is probably the most terrifying piece of animation up until that point. Despite Walt Disney’s lack luster appreciation for the film itself, it has proven over time to be a favorite amongst fans, especially those that saw this film during the Autumn months during it’s run on television and in home video. Out of the Package Films, this may be the most successful over time, and it will most likely continue to help profit the company in one way or the other. It’s inspired attractions at the parks, parade characters, restaurants, and merchandise that will keep the lovable characters alive. It won’t be seen as a historic piece of artisitc animation, but rather two shorts driven by wonderful story telling that only Disney can do. On top of that, it’s the end of an era for Disney. World War II is over, the 1950s are heading our way, and the debt once piled high had turned into profits for Walt Disney. What would he do with the money from Ichabod and Mr. Toad as well as the other package films? He’d spend it, and in a big way during the next decade. I’m looking foward to the 1950s and the big productions, both in animation and live action, thanks to the wonderful films of the 1940s like The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Josh Taylor
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Previous Film: So Dear to My Heart
Next Film: Cinderella
Disney Trip Planning: Keeping a Travel Log
Aug 26
I am a fairly organized person when I want to be, so for all of my Walt Disney World vacations, I have always kept a Travel Log. The log, in this case, is mainly to keep track of costs, but I also add in sections to keep a diary/journal of useful tips for next time we pass through, or funny memories that happened along the way! Not only are Travel Logs great for future trip planning purposes, but they are great “scrapbooks” to look back at and reminisce about what happened along the way!
So here is a list of the different things I keep track of in my Travel Log:
• theme park ticket costs
• hotel stay costs
• food costs (you could even go as far as tracking what each person ate)
• extras: souvenirs (what you got and their cost), tours, non-food/toiletry-type items
• car rental (if applicable)
• a “Remember When” journal/diary section to record memories
If you are driving you may want to also keep track of the following that apply:
• costs of hotels you stay in along the way
• costs of food eaten along the way
• tolls
• when you enter each state; what time and the car’s mileage
• all the stops you make; where you are, car mileage, time, reason
• fuel/gas costs
• miles to go/miles traveled
Note: You may even want to leave room on pages in between to paste in pictures later!
Currently, all of my trip logs go into one 3-ring binder, with the most recent on top. This way I can always add in pages since it’s on 3 hole punch sheets and, because they are all kept in one record, I can flip through and compare past trips!
Another great thing about a 3-ring binder is they usually have pockets on the inside of the front and back covers, so you can save your receipts and brochures along the way!
I always divide the binder into certain sections such as:
• “Fuel/Tolls/Stops/Etc.”
• “On the Way”
• The name of the resort we are staying in
• “Theme Parks”
• “Food”
• “Coming Home”
• “Total Costs”
This is probably one of my favorite tips to give out to friends who are planning a Disney trip! I hope it helps you, too! Is there anything else I may have missed that you would record in your Travel Log? Leave your answers in the comments below!
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
Modern Mouse Radio #26: Weird Stories of Disney Park Guests
Aug 25
A brand new segment called “Weird Stories” has come to Modern Mouse Radio. Keith is out but I am joined by fellow Modern Mouse blogger Angie Carriero. We discuss some weird happenings at the Disney Parks thanks to guests that took things to that level. Enjoy some funny stories and some weird moments on the latest episode.
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Interview with Disney Legend Glen Keane
Aug 24
IF you didn’t know, Keith was at the D23 Expo. Thanks to Stitch Kingdom, Keith was able to hit the red carpet (or blue carpet) and talk with some of the actors, imagineers, animators, and legends that were at the D23 Expo this year. Check out his interview with Glen Keane here. Be sure to head over to Keith’s YouTube page for more interviews from the Expo.
Keith Lapinig
http://www.KeithLapinig.com
Top 5: Worst Places to Lose Your Lunch at Disneyland
Aug 23
Okay, so you saw the title! Let’s all stare at the elephant in the room. Sometimes your stomach and you don’t get along and you need to make a run for the nearest porcelain throne. It happens to everyone, young or old. It’s unfortunate but on a daily basis, people upchuck at Disneyland and some of them don’t make it to the bathroom or anywhere that might not make we want to throw up when I see them. I’ve seen it, and it’s not a pretty site when a 7 year old that just ate cotton candy decides his stomach has had enough for the day. Even I’m ashamed to say that I’ve gotten sick while at Disneyland, as a child and as an adult…but I didn’t let it ruin my fun because I didn’t do it the worst places possible. What are the worst places possible? Here are my top 5 worst places to lose your lunch at Disneyland.
#5-Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Unlike the Mad Tea Party in Fantasyland, this Roger Rabbit attraction won’t spin unless you really want it to. Sure you want to turn to see all the great stuff within this dark ride, but do you really want to spin around the whole time after you just scarfed that churro and lemonade in line. (Seriously, churros are my favorite though.) Also, because it’s up to you, it’s also up to whomever your riding with. If you have a jerk for a friend of if your spouse is mad at you for not allowing her to get her picture taken with hunky Captain Jack Sparrow, you better have brought a bucket because it’s go time pal. This one can get scary, but because of it’s “create your own puking adventure” game, it only scores #5 on the list.
#4-Anywhere on Main Street U.S.A. Everyone starts and ends their day on Main Street U.S.A. We enter the main gate waiting for that first glimpse of Sleeping Beauty Castle or we exit the park, moving from shop to shop looking for the perfect souvenir for the trip home. What if both of those experience are ruined by a stomach bug. So you’ve been sheep herded through the turnstiles, you walk through the square and turn the corner to see Sleeping Castle only to lose it right in front of the guy selling Mickey ear balloons. What worse start to a day could there possibly be? Or who wants that memory of the last thing to happen to them at Disneyland as they pass the Emporium is to vomit all over themselves and cry as they hear “When You Wish Upon a Star” exiting the park. You’d better wish upon some serious laundry detergent and maybe a hot shower because you just embarrassed yourself in front of everyone you know and you more than likely stink.
#3-Star Tours. This is my mother’s favorite ride, and for good reason. She has come to terms with the fact that her stomach plus motion simulators equals a recipe for disaster. A disaster recipe that involves her, the breakfast she had, and a public restroom. Did I paint that picture clear enough? Star Tours is an amazing attraction, especially if your tummy doesn’t get all rumbly. New 3D elements were recently added to Star Tours as well as a new film during a revamp not too long ago. So if you didn’t have serious issues before now you do. Hopefully you don’t need to target lock that projectile onto any unknown spacecraft.
#2-Space Mountain. Uh oh! It’s dark and you just lost it. Is it in your lap? Is it on the person in front of you? Is it on the person behind you? It’s the worst guessing game you’ll ever play but sure enough, someone is going to lose and nobody will be a winner here. It could be the longest 3 minutes in the dark of your life, but if you see that you are clean and someone else got the bad end of the stick, my suggestion is to run and pretend nothing happened. Just run!
#1-Mad Tea Party. You can’t stop it. Once you are in, you’re in for the long haul. The Mad Tea Party has to be the worst attraction to get sick on. It’s Russian Roulette for everyone on that ride. If one person takes that ship down, everyone is screwed. Who will it end up on? Probably a little bit of everyone. That’s the bad news bears here folks. Not only is it bad initially, but once you’ve decided to serve up a bit of your stomach soup to everyone on board, the spinning doesn’t stop. Does closing your eyes help? No! Does looking down help? No! You’ll probably throw up on your shoes that way. Does jumping from your tea cup help? It might….if death is your magic answer. Otherwise, you are probably going to feel sick again and again and again until you are dry heaving your way to the hall of shame deep inside your brain. What an unfortunate circumstance. I guess there is always next vacation right?
What’s your disgusting vomit story? Have you ever lost it at Disneyland or Disney World? What rides make you feel uneasy? Leave your comments and thoughts below! In the meantime, I hope I didn’t just make all of you throw up a little in your mouth. Also, I should have said to not eat for at least a half hour before reading this….or getting into a pool for that matter.
Josh Taylor
https://ModernMouseRadio.com
Disney Food: Pizza Planet
Aug 21
When I first discovered that there is a Pizza Planet at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I was excited and scared. I was excited because it’s Pizza Planet, as in Toy Story’s Pizza Planet. If you are a Toy Story fan, you have to eat at Pizza Planet, right? But I was also scared because I was afraid it would be like Chuck E. Cheese. Just typing the name Chuck E. Cheese increases my anxiety levels. I know I’m not the only parent who feels that way. Let me take you on a little trip down my memory lane to explain my fears.
My husband and I took my stepdaughter to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese when she was about four years old. She was so excited that she didn’t bother to tell us that she had to go potty and had an accident in her car seat. We had to make an emergency stop at Wal-Mart to clean her up and get a change of clothes. Once we were there, the first thing she wanted to do was climb up in the giant hamster tunnel thing. As she was up in the tunnel, she banged on one of the windows to get our attention. The second we looked up at her she licked the window. Yeah, she licked that germ filled thing that I’m sure no Chuck E. Cheese employee has ever cleaned. Obviously, I am still traumatized by the whole event. My youngest is very Chuck E. Cheese deprived. She actually went to Disney World before she had ever been to a Chuck E. Cheese.
I can gladly say Pizza Planet is not Chuck E. Cheese. Pizza Planet reminded me more of a Dave and Buster’s, with more big kid or adult games (and no giant hamster tunnel, thank goodness). It wasn’t as large as I expected it to be, but there is still plenty of fun for everyone. Surprisingly, it wasn’t very crowded either. I honestly don’t think a lot of people realize it is there. It is in the back of Hollywood Studios next to Muppet Vision 3D. By the way, it is not located anywhere near Toy Story Mania Midway and the Woody and Buzz Lightyear Meet and Greet location. I found it rather odd that Pizza Planet was so far away from the other Toy Story attractions.
The menu at Pizza Planet is pretty limited. Your choices are pizza (veggie, cheese, pepperoni, or meat lovers), a meatball sub, or a salad. Kid’s choices are cheese pizza, a mini chicken sub, or a Power Pack (usually yogurt, carrots, Goldfish Crackers, string cheese, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich). The food was just okay. It wasn’t the worst quick service meal we had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. You definitely eat at Pizza Planet for the atmosphere, not for the food. The girls had fun running around pretending like they were actually in the movie version of Pizza Planet. I was relieved that I could actually enjoy our time there and left with good memories instead of being traumatized all over again.
Alexia Christensen
Disney Trip Planning: Playing Games
Aug 19
Everybody likes to play games, right? Well, not everybody realizes that almost anything can be made into a game, even if there aren’t technically going to be winners. That’s why I would like to give you this blog post on different games you can casually play during your Disney vacation.
Find the person with the most “Awesome Outfit Ever”
“Find the person with the most __________”
The blank can be anything you decide for that day or for that trip. You can also have multiple versions of this game going on during any given trip. Examples of filling in the blank could be “uncomfortable shoes,” “silly hat,” “annoyed look on their face.” The possibilities are endless. Keep in mind the goal of the game isn’t to fill in the blank, it’s to find the things that the blank describes. For example, if I fill in the blank with “unflattering accessory,” and throughout the day someone in the group I am traveling with finds someone with a fanny pack atop their fanny, then they probably win that round.
“Drinking around the world”
I’ve talked about this game in a previous blog post, but the basic idea is: Go to World Showcase in EPCOT, get one drink in every country’s pavilion, drink it, have funny stories about falling into the World Showcase Lagoon or falling asleep on a stranger’s lap on a park bench to tell your coworkers, family, and friends when you get home. The smart thing to do would be to of course split one drink per pavilion between you and a friend, instead of trying to chug a full one down yourself, because there are 11 countries showcased and that’s only asking for trouble!
Hidden Mickeys
A lot of people either know what these are or have at least heard the term before. When you see something that sort of resembles Mickey Mouse (most commonly the classic 3-circle shape), that seems subtly inserted into the design of something on Disney property, that is a Hidden Mickey. Over the years, other classic character resemblances can be considered Hidden “Mickeys” as well. You can find them in attractions, paintings, shrubbery, fences, man-made rock structures, etc., you name it! The imagineers have intentionally, and sometimes unintentionally included Mickey’s likeness into many a Disney design. See how many you can find on your trip, and who can find the most obscure one! There are a few online guides and books that point out many Hidden Mickey locations, but sometimes it’s more fun to discover them yourself!
Here are just a few examples of ways to add a little extra magic by playing games during your next Disney Vacation. What games do you like to play on your Disney Vacations? Leave your answers in the comments below!
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
Modern Mouse Radio #25: Is Animal Kingdom a Half Day Park?
Aug 18
We are excited to be bringing new series to the show to replace our old Modern Mouse News show. This is the first of a Point/Counterpoint series where Josh and Keith will probably kill each other at one point. In this episode, we bring up Animal Kingdom and it’s debate over the park being considered a “half day” park or whether this park needs more time to be explored. Leave your thoughts and comments and let us know your opinions.
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