Monthly Archives: April 2014
Disney Film History: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
Apr 30
Let me first start by saying that I apologize for not having this up sooner. I took a break from the film articles because I was watching so many movies and television that I thought I was going to personally be stuck in my couch cushions. I needed to get away from this and enjoy some other things in life. I typically spend a few hours on these articles so I wanted to clear my head.
Disney had numerous live action films that were made over in the U.K. after World War II and they did pretty well at the box office. In fact, the live action films were cheaper and quicker to turn around than the animation features that Disney had been producing. So after the success of the U.K. films, Disney decided to continue his live action film making back in the United States while downplaying the animation department. During the mid-1950s, and all the way through the 1970s, very few animated films were put into production as Walt focused his attention towards his new passion in film. The first of the new live action films he was basing out of the Walt Disney studio in Burbank was a classic tale that turned into one of his biggest successes of the decade, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
Jules Verne’s classic novel was chosen and put into production in the Spring of 1954. The film starred several Hollywood A-list actors including James Mason and Kirk Douglas. (The father of Michael Douglas.) It was also intriguingly directed by Richard Fleischer. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Richard was the son of Max Fleischer, who, for years, was Disney’s rival in the animation world, being the creator of Betty Boop and Popeye. An interesting choice as well because Disney had not ever worked with Richard Fleischer before. To his credit, Fleischer had many films under his belt and had a good reputation as a director.
The film was shot on location in the Caribbean. Many of the shots done in caves were shot inside the cliffs of Negril. As much fun as I can imagine shooting a film in a tropical paradise would be, the technical shots for this film were not so fun. It took as many as 400 people to pull off many of the shots in the film including the giant squid which had to be reshot after Walt Disney saw it, changing it from a daytime attack to a nighttime attack in the middle of a rainstorm.
Costs for the film continued to soar and during production, budgets were continuing to be pushed. The film would eventually cost $5 million. That’s over $3.5 million more than Snow White, which was an outstanding budget only 15 years earlier. Despite the large film cost, the film was finished and ready for a release just two days before Christmas in 1954.
20,000 Leagues went on to become the second highest grossing film of the year, making $8 million at the box office. (White Christmas was the highest grossing that year, having the advantage of coming out a few months earlier.) Audiences flocked to the theaters and critics also gave praise to the film. Many said this was James Mason’s best acting and that the film’s technical work, including the fight with the squid, was some of the best special effects out there. In fact the film won an Academy Award for special effects as well as another award for it’s art direction. The success continued at Disneyland since many of the sets were transported there and put on display until 1966.
So much praise and love for Walt Disney, the man of cartoons. He had conquered another realm of film. With that said, the success of 20,000 Leagues gave Walt the desire to continue into the avenue of live action films, but not many will ever be better than that of this film and it shows. Despite live action films taking over much of the decades to come, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one of few live action films to ever get their own attractions at Disney parks. It’s also a film that continues to be synonymous with Disney and has been included in many film clips of Disney’s best films as well as how it continues to influence future films and Disney parks. It’s truly an amazing film that everyone should enjoy and see at least once!
Josh Taylor
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Previous Film: The Vanishing Prairie
Next Film: Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
Modern Mouse Radio #54: Marvel and Disney
Apr 29
Keith and Josh are back to chat about superheros and Marvel entertainment. They bring up the brief history and connection with Disney as well as the films that have come out and are coming out. They also delve into comics, heros at the parks, video games, and more!
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Disney Trip Planning: Free Souvenirs
Apr 29
So you’ve decided that you need that memento to remember your trip by. You’ve visited one of your favorite parks but as most discover, almost everything inside of a shop is very expensive. You’ll see $25 shirts, $15 toys, $1,000 jewelry, and the list goes on. It’s amazing how much you can spend on only one or two items from those shops, but there are other things at Disneyland and Walt Disney World that are entirely free….but they aren’t contained in any of the shops. So where are they? Here is where you can find and what you can do with free souvenirs from Disney!
Park Tickets. Technically, they aren’t free, but you did already pay for them and keeping them is the best option. At Disneyland, you’ll get a paper ticket and they are usually rather fun to look at. Frame them or laminate them. You can turn them into bookmarks or hang them on a wall or display them on your bookshelf. Many of them are dated and have your name on them so you can remember exactly when you went.
Park Maps. Collecting park maps is fun. They are always colorful. Grab a non-krinkled one at the end of your day and shove it into your suitcase so that it won’t get ruined at any point. Like your park tickets, you can frame or laminate your map. Hang it up or like the Disney Park’s Blog recently suggested, cut it out and turn it into several magnets for your fridge.
Magic Bands. For those visiting Walt Disney World, you are getting a pretty sweet wristband. These are great as something just to wear because they look like any other wristband that is out there for a cause. (Live Strong) The Mickey shape isn’t overly noticeable which makes this a perfect little memento for people who aren’t full on Disney Geeks, but want to remember their trip.
Animation Academy. At Disney’s California Adventure or Disney’s Hollywood Studios parks, you can visit the Animation Academy and learn to draw a Disney character. They best part of this is that no matter how good or bad your drawing is, you can take it home. If you want to keep your picture in mint condition, do this near the end of your day to protect it, then make sure to keep it in a secure place in your suitcase on the way home. You can frame this at home or stamp in onto your fridge.
Kidcot Stations. If you’ve got kids, or if you can convince cast members that you just really love coloring, you can get a great souvenir from any of the Kidcot stations in Epcot. Kids will be excited to take home a hand-colored mask and won’t be asking to jump into the shops to buy a plush since they already have their souvenir.
Autographs. Disney does sell autograph books but Disney characters will really sign anything and if you can bring your own autograph book, you will save yourself some cash. Create something like a small journal and have them sign right into your journal so you can write about it afterwards! You can keep this book on your bookshelf forever.
Hotel Room Takings. If you are like Angie Carreiro, you love the fact that many of the Disney hotels leave little shampoos and things for you to use, but you can also take these things home with you since they are part of your payment when you get a room there. If you are staying on Disney property, you’ll be getting shampoo and body soap as well as some pens, pencils, and a notepad all with Disney’s name on it. A great little thing to take home and use to remind yourself of your stay!
Your Own Photos. Of course, many of us bring a camera or even video camera to the park. If you don’t have a camera, I’m pretty sure you have a cell phone that at least takes decent pictures right? No better vacation souvenir than a classic photo if you ask me. I love photos and with so many computer and cell phone programs, you can get a good quality photo or video from your vacation without ever having to drop a dime inside the shops!
I’m sure there are more free little things here and there that I missed. Leave your thoughts and stories to keep this post alive!
Josh Taylor
https://ModernMouseRadio.com
Monday Memes: Kermit Reveals the Truth Behind the Question We’ve All Been Asking
Monday Memes: Why Would Someone Even Do This?
Disney Tag #2: 15 Disney Questions
Apr 19
Last week, Josh and Angie took a stab at answering 15 Disney Questions. (CLICK HERE TO SEE IT) This week, Keith takes a stab at answering these 15 Disney Questions. Enjoy Keith’s answers and be sure to check out all of his other stuff at the links below.
Top 5 Reasons to visit Disney Parks in the Spring
Apr 18
Disneyland and Walt Disney World are great places to vacation all year round. There are many great reasons to visit the parks anytime of year. For some, the lure of summer road trips with the family harkens back to the idea of “When my parents took me to Disney”. For other folks, there isn’t anything like Christmas with Mickey Mouse. For myself, I’ve traveled during the Spring the last 4 out of 5 times I’ve decided to take a Disney vacation. Why you ask? There are several perks to going during the Spring. There are disadvantages, like attractions being refurbished, but the overall advantages outweigh the disadvantages and for myself, it’s the most perfect time to go. Here are my top 5 reasons to visit Disney Parks in the Spring!
#5-Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival. Epcot is a beautiful place all year round. In fact, all of the parks have a magical botanical quality to them, but during the spring, Epcot really blossoms (get it?) with amazing colors. Maybe this isn’t for everyone, but for someone who does like to stop and smell the flowers every once in a while, I love this festival. If the flowers don’t get you, the concert series should. In my opinion, the Flower Power concert series is one of the better deals. Due to smaller park crowds (I’ll get to that in a minute!) and artists most people tend to know whether you are young or young at heart. Who doesn’t want to scream “We built this city on Rock and Roll” at the top of their lungs with a beer in one hand and a park map in the other. Sounds like a perfect day at the parks to me!
#4-Mardi Gras at New Orleans Square. For most Disneylanders, they will tell you one of the best places in the park is New Orleans Square. The original expansion to Disneyland is beautiful as well as intimate. The area also tends to be laden with musicians on most regular park days, but there is just something about Mardi Gras and Disneyland that go hand in hand. The real Mardi Gras is definitely not a place for families with nothing but bars and exploitations of body parts, it’s just a little on the sketchy side. At Disneyland, you can hear tons of music and eat great food without feeling like someone is going to get drunk or you’ll see something you didn’t want. Dance, sing, and play along with everyone in New Orleans Square as they celebrate in the friendliest of ways.
#3-Easter. Christmas time is one of the busiest times at the parks as well as Halloween time. Some of the events during these holidays are also ticketed events which means that you’ll have to pay an extra charge beyond your regular park ticket just to get in. For Easter, there is none of that. Easter at the parks is a great way to see some beautiful painted eggs, see some flowers, colorful dresses, and maybe a bunny rabbit or two. Due to smaller crowds (again, that’s coming up!) you can take your time with characters and see eggs without feeling rushed. It’s one of the best holidays that most people don’t know about at the parks.
#2-Perfect Temperatures. In the winter, it can get cold in California and Florida. Being on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad may not be as fun as you’d like when you feel like your ears are freezing. Likewise, standing in line for any period of time in the hot sun during the summer can be a draining experience. It’s why I always recommend Autumn or more likely, Spring for traveling. Temperatures are still nice enough on both coasts to wear comfortable clothing and enjoy outdoor attractions without getting cold. You also won’t have heat stroke just from standing upright. During the Spring, you’ll find that you can last longer in the parks and not think to yourself, “Man it is hot/cold out today!” at all. I’ve hard trips ruined with days that are too hot. Trust me, that won’t happen to you in the Spring.
#1-Low Crowd Levels. As an out-of-the-closet Disney lover, many people come to me saying, “…but don’t you hate standing in lines?” Of course I do! I’m pretty sure anyone with intelligent thoughts hates standing in a line. Disney has done a wonderful job of sprucing up many of their queues with interactive elements or appealing things to look at, but the bottom line is that nobody WANTS to wait 75 minutes to ride Space Mountain. During the Spring, you can avoid those horrendous Summer vacation and Christmas vacation lines. (Make sure to look up when Spring Break is for most public schools and know when the school year ends as well.) Book a trip 2 weeks before most public schools get out and you’ll find yourself in a park with few people and fewer children. Not saying that kids are bad, but there is a general feeling of less crying and angry dads.
Have you traveled during the Spring. What are your thoughts and recommendations? Leave your comments and keep this thread alive!
Josh Taylor
https://ModernMouseRadio.com
Ariel Inspired Hair Tutorial
Apr 16
I’m starting a brand new video series to showcase hair and makeup inspired by Disney! This is my first video and improvements will come in future videos. Please enjoy this Little Mermaid inspired hair and I will have the makeup portion of the tutorial in my next video!
Angie Carreiro
Disney Trip Planning: Some Quick and Easy Ways to Save Money for Your Next Disney Vacation
Apr 15
1. Keep a coin jar – Put all of your spare change and one dollar bills at the end of the day in a change jar. To make it a little more fun, decorate one yourself (old coffee cans work well for this!)! When it comes time for your trip, take a trip to coin star or the bank and cash in your coins!
2. Buy Disney Gift Cards – Set an amount aside each week just for your vacation, whether it be $5, $10, $20, etc. or whatever you can afford. Each time you accumulate $50, bring it with you to your local grocery store and purchase yourself a Disney Gift Card! You can use up to 5 forms of payment to pay for your trip, so you may want to purchase larger denominations of gift cards, or just put the rest on your credit card and use your other gift cards for purchases in the parks (souvenirs, food, etc.)
3. Get a Chase Disney Rewards Visa – Every $100 you spend, you get $1 worth of Disney Dollars. This is what Josh and I do – we pay all of our bills with our Disney Rewards Credit Cards, then immediately pay them off with the cash in our bank account (Note: ONLY use this method if you know you’ll pay it off as you use it, otherwise you might rack up credit card debt and that’s the OPPOSITE of saving money!) Then, right before your vacation, request your rewards on a card and the company will ship it to you!
4. Cut out one money costing activity per month, and instead, put that money in your “Disney Fund” – For example, if you tend to eat out once a week, either go to a less expensive restaurant, order cheaper meals, or eat at home instead for at least one of those weeks, then take whatever money you would have normally spent and put it in a special “Disney Fund” container, like a coin jar!
5. Save all extra income – Take anything you make in a week that is over the average amount you normally make (for example – extra tips, over time, etc.) and put it aside in a separate “Disney Fund” envelope, container, or coin jar!
The great thing about these tips is that they are all really easy and can all be combined!!! The key is to put the money you are saving in a place you won’t touch it otherwise – it’s really just disciplining yourself and planning ahead, and if you follow these suggestions, before you know it, you’ll have enough saved for either a whole Disney Vacation, or at least a big chunk of it!
Angie Carreiro
Modern Mouse Radio #53: To Sequel or not to Sequel
Apr 14
Keith and Josh are back with an argument as old as film itself? Should there be sequels? For Disney, this is a debate. Providing original content or taking that effort to put forth a sequel? Josh and Keith take sides and give their reasons. What are your thoughts on sequels to films?
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