Monthly Archives: December 2013

Modern Mouse Radio #39: Should You Visit Disney Parks the Week of Christmas?

I know it'll be crowded...but check out that sweet castle!

I know it’ll be crowded…but check out that sweet castle!


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We are kicking off our own version of the Holidays with a point/counterpoint episode of Modern Mouse. The parks are the most crowded during the week of Christmas so is it worth the money to travel to the most crowded place in the world? We take sides and you’ll have to decided whether or not it’s worth it.

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www.keithlapinig.com

Top 5: Disney Gifts Under $30

Shopping for that Disney lover is pretty darn easy as it is, because, let’s face it, a Disney fanatic will pretty much love anything Disney. But, how about those gifts under $30? Now that gets a little harder… So here are some of my picks for the top 5 Disney gifts under $30 for an assortment of Disney fans!
gift

“and I’ll be doing whatever snow does in summer!”
I’m gonna tell him…

5. Singing Olaf Plush – $24.95 – Anyone who has seen Disney’s newest animated full length feature, Frozen has GOT to love Olaf – the enchanted snowman who has no idea that warm weather melts snow. He even has a song about how much he’d love to experience summer, and that’s just what this doll is – a summer-longing song by Olaf himself!

4. A fleece throw – Reg $19.95, on sale on DisneyStore.com for $10 – Who doesn’t love the gift of warmth during this cold, cold season? And what better than to get a blanket with a Disney theme for that Disney lover in your family! There are all different designs over on the Disney Store website and they are all on sale for $10 right now!

gift2

A pretty necklace for a pretty lady

3. A Mickey Icon Necklace – $30 – There are a bunch in or under this price range on the Disney Store website, and a lot of them are really pretty and simple. For a girl who likes getting jewelry, this might be a piece she doesn’t have in her collection yet!

2. A t-shirt – $15-$30 – There are a bunch of really unique and creative shirts Disney is offering these days. They not only include the characters of the parks, but they actually seem artfully done in the sense that you might not even recognize the references at first. Great for the Disney fan who loves Disney characters, but doesn’t want to be too too obvious with a huge mickey face t-shirt.

gift3

I love that they include Scuttle and Max!

1. A movie character playset – $19.95 – The Disney site has a few of these from specific movies. Because of the re-release of the Little Mermaid, there’s one of all those characters and it’s pretty affordable considering how many pieces come with it! I’ve also seen Monsters U, Frozen, Cars, Disney Junior stuff, and many others.

gift5

So cute!

Honorable mentions –

A sparky vinyl, just because I want this. (Actually, all of the popcorn series vinyls are pretty darn cute!)

Oh, an a Sven plush please (Santa, do you read my blog?)

What Disney gift ideas do you have for your loved ones? Leave your answer in the comments below!

Angie Carreiro


http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/flipadeeflop 

DIY Disney Movie Night: Frozen

Disney's Frozen

Disney’s Frozen

Before taking my girls on their first trip to Disney World, I wanted to make sure that they were familiar with all of the characters we met.  I also wanted to make sure that my youngest (who was two at the time) was comfortable with all the characters so she wouldn’t be afraid of anyone we met.  A few months before we left, we started doing Disney family movie nights every other week.  The girls loved them.  We have been suffering from the Disney blues lately since we weren’t able to make a trip this year, so we started up our Disney Family Movie Nights again to chase those Disney blues away!  I love the fact that despite their age difference (my stepdaughter is 12 and my daughter is 3), they both love Disney Family Movie Nights and love being involved in the activities.

Every other week, I will let one of the girls pick out a Disney movie.  Then, I will come up with decorations, a menu, and an activity based to the movie that was picked.  I’ll post everything here on Modern Mouse Radio so you guys can follow along the fun with us!  We decided to kick things off with Frozen, since we were all super excited about the release of it!  This ended up being a Disney Family Movie Day instead of night since we had a themed breakfast and saw a matinee.

Matinees are great for cheaper movies!

Matinees are great for cheaper movies!

The decorations:  I had wanted to do a snowflake theme, but I had trouble finding a lot of stuff with snowflakes on it in November.  I did find a snowman tablecloth (for Olaf), a toy snowman, and some plastic snowflake ornaments at Dollar Tree.  My youngest already had an Anna and Elsa doll, so we used them for our centerpiece as well.

The menu:  This was the toughest component to come up with for this movie, since I hadn’t seen it yet.  I decided to go with Norwegian food since Norway inspired the scenery for Frozen and Anna and Elsa are currently meeting guests in the Norway Pavilion of Epcot.  When I looked at recipes from Akershus, I considered Kjottkaker and cauliflower mashed potatoes, but I knew my picky eater wouldn’t touch it, so I decided to go with breakfast foods instead.  We had breakfast potato casserole, sausage, and Mickey waffles.  I had planned on having fresh fruit as well, but my youngest is a fruit fiend and ate it all.  Now that I have seen the movie, I probably would have done sandwiches, carrots, and chocolate fondue for dinner.  Sandwiches and chocolate fondue are a reference to a line in the song “Love Is an Open Door” and carrots for Sven and Olaf.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The activity:  When we got home from the movie, we made snowman sundaes.  I had found Mayfield Snow Cream ice cream, which I thought would be perfect, but it wasn’t.  It wasn’t very creamy, it was more flakey, which made it difficult to mold into snowmen.   Next time I will stick with regular vanilla ice cream instead.  The girls still enjoyed it.  They used pretzel sticks for arms, chocolate chips for eyes, mouths, and buttons, chocolate syrup for hair, and Starbursts for noses.  We microwaved the Starbursts at 40% power for 15 seconds to soften them a little so they could be molded into noses.

I had also planned on making snow globes, but the girls were tired and more interested in ice cream.  To make your own snow globe, glue small figures or toys into the lid of a clean jar (baby food and pickle jars work great).  Once the glue is dry, fill the jar with water and glitter. (Note: be sure to use cold water because hot water will be cloudy.)  Screw the lid back on the jar and apply a thin layer of glue around the lid to make sure it stays closed and doesn’t leak.  Viola!

Decorations and Food for Frozen!

Decorations and Food for Frozen!

I let my oldest pick our next movie, which will be The Emperor’s New Groove.  She couldn’t pick an easy movie for me, could she?  Stay tuned!

Alexia Christensen

Disney Trip Planning: Pros and Cons of Visiting During the Holiday Season

Gather ’round with your family

Everyone wants to get the most out of their Disney Vacation, but what does getting the most really mean to you? Is it about the atmosphere, the amount of rides you can fit in, relaxing, or maybe just checking something new off your Disney-Experience-Checklist. One of the toughest decisions to make when planning your Disney trip is deciding when to go! If you are considering a trip during the Christmas Season, here are some pros and cons you should consider!

Pros:

Quality Family Time – Christmas is a time to be with your family, and what better gathering place than the Happiest Place on Earth!? Even for those who aren’t young at heart, everyone can get enjoyment out of a Disney Vacation! It may be hard to decide on a meeting place for Christmas when family is scattered all over the country (or even the world), but Disney Parks might just be that special place everyone will agree on meeting at!

the most magical time of the year

the most magical time of the year

Taking it Easy – Because of the enormous crowds, you are pretty much forced to take it easy at the parks if you want to enjoy yourself. This means going for a stroll, visiting the other resorts and seeing their Holiday decorations, and really experiencing the parks and the holidays for what they really are.

The Most Magical Time of the Year – Some families can’t afford to go on a Disney vacation every year, or even every 2 years, so when planning your trip, you might want to opt for going during the most magical time of the year! Disney Parks go all out in their decorations, special party, and costumes! Being surrounded by all the over the top decorations is truly a sight to see!

Cons:

it’s beautiful, but oh, those crowds!

Crowds – This is the busiest time of year in the Disney Parks which means long lines, shoulder to shoulder walking traffic, and much opportunity for frustration. If you are planning on visiting the parks to get a lot done, like ride most of the attractions, pick a less busy time like September or April!

Cost – Because this time of year is the busiest, Disney takes full advantage of the demand and bumps up the prices. You may get sticker shock when booking your vacation if you are used to going in the off-seasons.

Weather – This might only matter if you are flying or driving from a far distance. Unpredictable winter storms may affect your vacation plans. Storms frequently cause airports to cancel flights, traffic to back up, or roads to close! Weather is always a threat any time of year when planning a vacation so far in advance, but winter storms can last almost as long as your vacation would have been in the first place!

These are just a few Pros and Cons of visiting the Disney Parks during the Christmas season. What do you all think of visiting during that time? Leave your answers in the comments below!

Angie Carreiro


http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/flipadeeflop (if you are interested in ordering shoes for Christmas, visit my Etsy shop and get your order in by the end of this week!)

Disney Character Trivia: Roger Rabbit

A few weeks back we were priveleged enough to talk with Gary Wolf, the creator of Roger Rabbit and the author of the books Who Censored Roger Rabbit and Who Whacked Roger Rabbit. Keith has once again collaborated with Gary Wolf to put together this more in depth character trivia for Roger. Enjoy this in depth look at the character and the special things to see in the film and cartoon shorts. To see more from Keith Lapinig, head over to the following sites:

http://www.KeithLapinig.com

Disney Film History: Peter Pan

Walt Disney's Peter Pan

Walt Disney’s Peter Pan

I’ll be quite honest, I’ve been loving the last few posts! Cinderella is my father’s favorite Disney film and he will claim that to this day. Some of my favorite Disney films also came from the 1950s including my absolute favorite Disney film, Peter Pan. I’m all about pirates, lost boys, Indians, mermaids, and anything Neverland. I love the half way romance story between Peter and Wendy, the spunk of Tinker Bell, and the all around villainous nature of Captain Hook. I’ve not only enjoyed the Disney film, but the countless other film versions, the book, and the original play from J.M. Barrie. Not remarkably shocking, Walt Disney was also a big fan of J.M. Barrie’s story of a boy that never grows old and his adventures in a place called Neverland.

J.M Barrie’s play was first presented in 1904, just three years after Walt Disney’s birth, and in 1913, Walt saw this story on stage. He immediately fell in love with it as a young boy. As the film studio was looking into making more full length animated films, Walt had suggested that Peter Pan be the second Walt Disney film, after Snow White was such a success. It was put into the lineup after rights had been purchased from London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Children’s hospital for which Barrie had left the rights to his greatest work. The film was pushed back a bit due to film adaptation and story planning. Several things about Barrie’s story needed to be changed in order for the story to work in animation, especially at a family friendly level. (If you’ve ever read Barrie’s version, it isn’t exactly happy-go-lucky.) It was slated to be Disney’s fourth film, but even as the story became solid, World War II came into play and like many of the other films we’ve talked about, Peter Pan was put on hold.

Peter and Wendy is still a better romance story than Twilight!

Peter and Wendy is still a better romance story than Twilight!

After WWII ended, Walt picked up the film again and the story once again had become lighter. Originally Nana, the Darling’s dog, was to come to the island and there were much darker scenes in the film inlcuding Tinker Bell betraying Pan and telling Hook where his hideout is instead of Hook forcing Tink to tell him. Speaking of Tinker Bell, Barrie’s play originally never had a pixie on stage. The use of a spotlight moving across stage was how the famous pixie was represented. Walt turned to one of his Nine Old Men, legendary animator Marc Davis who designed the character after the actress playing her voice, Magaret Kerry. (Many have rumored that Tink is modeled after Marilyn Monroe but Monroe had yet to become a star in Hollywood.) Tinker Bell has now become one of the magical symbols of Disney and has been prolific in most of the marketing that the Disney company uses. Another interesting note is that Bobby Driscoll voices Peter. Driscoll was the child star contracted to Disney and had made starring roles in Song of the South, So Dear to My Heart, and had played a boy who made enemies with pirates in Treasure Island. His brush with pirates in Peter Pan would become his most succesful role, but not his last for the Disney company.

The film made it’s debut on February 5th, 1953 to the praise of critics and film fans everywhere. The film’s budget of $4 million was overshadowed by it’s success in it’s original film run, making $7 million and becoming the highest grossing film of the year. The film’s success in theaters was so good that Peter Pan has been re-released on six separate occasions with the film currently have made over $87 million. That doesn’t include the Disney Fairy films, the direct to video films based on Tinker Bell, as well as the toys that have been made of the film.

Beyond the critics praise at the time, Peter Pan has fallen into controversy in recent years. The representation of Native Americans isn’t what we would call “politically correct” in this day and age. Many of the artists who had worked on the film said in later interviews that had they made the film at a later time, the Natives would have been represented better, however during the time, not just Disney artists were animated red-skinned, “How”-saying Indians. Many of the animation studios, including Disney’s rival Warner Brothers, had made several shorts with stereotyped Native Americans. It’s something that can’t be taken out of the film as it serves a large plot point, but we have to take this animated stereotype with a grain of salt.

Stereotypes are awful but I still love Peter Pan.

Stereotypes are awful but I still love Peter Pan.

Peter and the rest of the characters from the film have made their mark on pop culture. Michael Jackson loved the film so much, he named his famous estate/amusement park, Neverland Ranch, after the island the film takes place on. Peter Pan’s Flight is one of the original attractions from Disneyland and has made it’s way into all of the Disney parks, still being one of the most popular in any park. Speaking of Disney Parks, Pixie Hollow is one of the newest spots dedicated to Tinker Bell and her friends in Disneyland, and Peter Pan continues to be one of the most sought after characters to met at the parks. The characters have also made appearances in video games, books, television series, Disney on Ice, and new films.

As it seems, Peter Pan isn’t just my favorite Disney film, but many others. It’s one of Disney’s most popular classics and will always inspire us, no matter what age, to stay young at heart. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with thinking happy thoughts and dreaming of a land where anything is possible.

What are your thoughts on Peter Pan? Is it one of your favorites of would you rather pass on it? Is Disney’s version the best or do you prefer another film adaptation? Have you seen Barrie’s original play? Leave your comments and let me know!

Josh Taylor
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Previous Film: The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men
Next Film: The Sword and the Rose

Disney Trip Planning: Surviving a Disney Trip During Christmas Time

Even Disney Characters get together for the Holidays!

Even Disney Characters get together for the Holidays!

It might be obvious enough to you, but if it isn’t, let me say it now: Christmas time is the most crowded time of year in the Disney parks. There must be some reason for that, right? It’s a magical time of year and where better to spend a magical holiday than at the most magical place on Earth? So, you agree with me and decided to book your Disney vacation sometime during the Christmas season, but how are you going to manage such a busy time of year!? Here are some survival tips just for you!

Expect to wait in line – Know that you are going to be waiting in line. If you have ever visited the parks during the slower seasons, you may have been able to just walk right onto certain attractions. Well, that’s probably not going to ever happen this time of year. If you know what to expect, you wont be let down. Your trade off for visiting during the most beautifully decorated time of the year is doing it with thousands of other people.

Take your time – Because everything will be super busy and packed, just tell yourself to take a deep breath and take everything in. Otherwise, you will feel very rushed to complete everything there is to do in the Disney Parks, and during the busiest time of the year, that is an impossible goal to have! Make yourself relax and stroll and take it easy. If you make your trip about that instead, you will have a more fulfilling experience in the end (since that might be the only realistic goal you can set this time of year)

See the decorations at various resorts, like these at the Grand Floridian!

See the decorations at various resorts, like these at the Grand Floridian!

-Resort hop during the busiest times of day at Walt Disney World – Resort hopping is one of my favorite things to do. Sure Disney Transportation will be especially crowded this time of year, but it’ll probably be considerably less busy than lines to the most popular attractions inside the parks during the busiest times of the day. Early morning and late night tend to be slower times inside the parks, and so are the times when different fireworks shows and popular parades are taking place. During all the other times, you may want to consider checking out all the different Christmas Trees, decorations, and gingerbread houses at the different resorts!

-Prioritize – Have everyone in your family make a list of what is most important for them to do during your vacation and make sure those get done. Make sure the list includes all the things you can’t miss and don’t leave off anything that you would be disappointed that you didn’t get to. If seeing the fireworks show and parade in Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day is on the top of your list, know that you probably wont be able to move anywhere else in the park that day, so make sure you REALLY want to do that and pretty much only that on that day! Also, make sure you are in the park early, because they close when they reach a certain capacity! (TIP: Disney Resort guests get first priority of being let into the parks when they are close to capacity!)

Mickey Very Merry Christmas Parade!

Mickey Very Merry Christmas Parade!

-Find things to do other than ride attractions – Make a plan of other fun things to do in the parks besides things you know you will have to wait for! You may want to play some of your own made up games like these I wrote about in a previous post: Disney Trip Planning: Playing Games.

There are always pros and cons to booking your Disney Vacation any time of year, and these are just some suggestions I have to enhance your Disney Vacation when visiting during one of the busiest times of the year. What are some of your survival tips? Leave your answering in the comments below!

Angie Carreiro


http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/flipadeeflop

Modern Mouse Radio #38: Top 10 Disney Heroines

Powerful Ladies!

Powerful Ladies!


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Disney has had many female characters but what females inspire us with their knowledge, charm, and drive to be the best? Find out what Keith and Josh have to say this week with their latest top 10.

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www.keithlapinig.com

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