BUT, here’s some great news for those of us who were not able to attend. My buddy John from BigFatPanda.com has posted a video he filmed during the big night! Like some sort of lovable octopus with multiple hands and arms – he held food, drinks, the video camera – and still managed to get smiles and comments from some of the best Disney correspondents in our community. What a guy! Watch closely to see everyone’s favorite Disney blogger – Mya Space – a character actor hired by Disney to keep everyone laughing!
I think you will agree that it is a real gift to be able to hear and see what it was like to attend this fantastic event. Thanks Panda for sharing the Disney magic with us once again!
Oh and if you will be in the Walt Disney World area on September 13th 2013 – there is another meetup to come. Everyone is invited. No fast and furious emails required. Click here for details, and have a magical day!
There is a new Disney princess movie! In fact there are two princesses- sisters Anna and Elsa-in the movie Frozen.
Frozen is loosely based off of Hans Christian Anderson’s story the Snow Queen. While you may not realize it, Hans Christian Anderson is the writer of some of the most beloved children’s stories in existence. He wrote The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, and my favorite, The Little Match Girl (*note* if you do choose to watch this link of the Little Match Girl, grab a tissue).
Disney has done many of Anderson’s stories whether it’s a full length movie or a short film and now Disney will be able to add this production to its collection.
(A note from Krista: This post has been written by guest author Laura Bensen. Laura is a life-long Disney lover. She was born in Ventura CA and spent many weekends as a child at Disneyland with her family before she moved to Tacoma WA. Laura enjoys reading, writing, and learning languages. She also speaks fluent Disney. )
The Stories
In The Snow Queen, the story centers on the struggle between good and evil. The main characters are a little boy and a little girl. The boy becomes (literally) blinded by evil (an evil splinter) and is picked up by the Snow Queen who takes him into the wilderness to her snow castle to keep her company. The queen doesn’t do anything to harm him. She kisses him twice-once to numb and protect him from the cold and the second time to make him forget about his family. She sounds, simply, like a very lonely lady with only her snow bees to comfort her. The little girl treks across the wilderness searching for him with the help of a reindeer and a robber girl.
Frozen’s story is slightly different. Anna’s sister, Elsa, has secret magical powers that she has struggled controlling her entire life. Elsa accidentally loses control of her powers and curses her kingdom, by name of Arendelle, to a constant state of winter. Distraught, Elsa banishes herself to the mountains in Norway to live in by herself in snowy exile. Anna goes in search after her sister into the Everest like conditions of the mountains. Along the way she makes friends with an ice harvester, by the name of Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a magical living snowman named Olaf.
The Players
The voices of the main characters are played by some truly talented actors. The voices of the main characters are played by some truly talented actors:
• Kristen Bell, from Veronica Mars and Forgetting Sarah Marshal will be playing the voice of Anna.
• Idina Menzel, from Enchanted, will be the voice of Anna’s sister Elsa, the snow queen.
• Jonathon Groff from Glee will voice the character Kristoff and Josh Gad, from The Book of Mormon, will be the voice of Olaf.
It is safe to say this movie will be jam packed full of amazing songs as Menzel, Gad and Groff have all had experience on Broadway. Menzel has been part of the original cast in productions like Wicked and Rent, Gad in the new musical The Book of Mormon and Groff in Spring Awakening. Kristen Bell also started her acting career in the Broadway production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Bell has always had a beautiful child-like twinkle to her voice but she just recently had a baby. In a People magazinearticle, it said that Bell’s voice changed to a deeper more motherly voice and they had to re-record her lines so her voice matched. It is unknown how far this will set them back because when making animated features, the voice acting is recorded first and then animators use recordings of the actor’s expression and motions when making the scenes for a movie. New recordings could mean they have to redo a lot of Anna’s scenes.
New Relations
Frozen is going to attempt something never done by Disney before. It is going to have a positive (royal) sibling relationship. Some of the Disney siblings we have seen in the past include Mufasa and Scar from The Lion King and Cinderella and her step-sisters- both where the siblings are not the greatest set of people. Even harder to do that having a positive sibling relationship is to make the dynamic between sisters work and be believable.
Any girl with a sister knows that that is not an easy relationship to maintain. It changes like the tide. One moment you are inseparable friends and the next you want to claw each other’s eyes out. It’s unexplainable but through thick and thin we come through for each other in the end. Frozen is definitely going to be a movie that will bring sisters together everywhere.
Frozen is scheduled to release on Thanksgiving Day this year so get together with your sister this November and prepare for another delightful Disney experience that will leave you feeling grateful for each other once again.
Get ready to dance your cares away – down in Fraggle Rock!
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MuppetVision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has closed for a month-long refurbishment this summer 2013. Have you been wondering how you’ll get your Muppet fix until it reopens on September 3rd of 2013?
Well if you appreciate the works of Jim Henson in different forms and fashions – you will be happy to know that Jim Henson Family TV has just come to Hulu Kids! Here you can see clips and full episodes from 10 different series for the Jim Henson collection, right from your PC or laptop – without even leaving home.
Here is a detailed list of what is available:
“Fraggle Rock” Four seasons, 96 episodes
“Fraggle Rock: Animated” One season, 13 episodes
“Jim Henson’s Play-Along-Video” One episode
“Mopatop’s Shop” One season, 32 episodes
“Jim Henson’s Animal Show With Stinky And Jake” One season, 26 episodes
“The Hoobs” One season, 40 episodes
“Mother Goose Stories” One season, 13 episodes
“Secret Life of Toys” One season, 13 episodes
“Wubbulous World Of Dr. Seuss” Two seasons, 40 episodes
“Construction Site” Two seasons, 26 episodes
One of my favorites series available is good old Fraggle Rock!They are the same awesome Fraggles, singing, songs, and bringing you comedy that the whole family can enjoy – only now you can see them commercial-free on Hulu Plus.
Isn’t this an interesting picture? (Photo credit unknown)
I thought it might be fun to play a game called “Caption This Disney Pic – and Win!”
All you have to do to play is leave me a comment with your caption, and follow @DisneyPKPodcaston twitter.
Rules: Your caption needs to go in the box below – that says “What are your thoughts?” – and you must also leave us your twitter handle so we can confirm you are following @DisneyPKPodcast on twitter.
My son Brad will pick his favorite comment and the winner will get a surprise Disney gift! I will accept comments until Friday August 30th 2013 at midnight – eastern time. I will email the winner on August 31st 2013 and they will have 24 hours to respond before he picks another winner.
The lights around the kingdom dim – and you feel the rush of excitement when you hear the words,
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! The Magic Kingdom proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination. In thousands of sparkling lights, and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds: the Main Street Electrical Parade!”
If you haven’t seen it in person for a while – today is your lucky day. I sat with John from BigFatPanda.com the other night as he filmed the entire parade from two different areas of the park and put them together in one glorious video, just for you. John calls it his “Love Letter tribute to the Main Street Electrical Parade, shot in Glorious Multi Angle Pandavision in HD including overhead Train Station”.
It’s a beautiful videoand I think it is just about as close to being here as you can get. Enjoy!
Your digital and cell phone cameras are great for capturing memories of your Disney vacation. In addition to recording all the fun you’re having, did you know there are many practical uses them as well? Here are some good and creative tips on how to use your camera to enhance your next trip even more!
1. Use your digital camera to take photos of any scratches or dents on your rental car when you pick it up. The couple of minutes it takes to snap the pictures can save you a lot of time and money if there is any question about the condition of the car when you return it.
2. A bright image on your camera or cell phone gives just enough extra light to read menus in any dark Disney restaurants that you may dine in.
3. Snap a picture of your luggage. Also, if you take photos of it’s contents – there are double benefits. If the airline loses or damages your luggage you will have an image to show them what it looks (or looked) like. This can be especially important if you packed anything valuable. Got that nagging feeling that you forgot to pack something important? Just take a look at your photos to either ease your mind, or plan ahead if you know you are going to need to buy an extra upon arrival.
4. Take a picture of your rental car license plate so you can tell it from all the others when you are ready to leave. While you’re at it – snap a photo of your row and section in the Disney parking lot! That way, even if you forget it later – you have a reminder.
Lightning McQueen
5. Take the media card out of your digital camera and write your cell phone number and/or your email address on it. That way if you lose your camera or phone – you will have a better chance of getting it returned to you.
6. Is the print too small on your Tables in Wonderland or Annual Pass booklet? Take a photo of the words with your phone and zoom in on that fine print! It works just like a magnifying glass.
7. Prescription medicines can sometimes have long names, different dosages and milligrams of strength. If you take more than one – it can be extra tough to remember all the details. Take a photo of the labels to keep on your phone or camera. This can come in handy if you need to replace the medication or tell someone what it is.
8.Take a photo of all your dining reservations, tours, spa appointments, that you wrote down while planning your trip! That way you aren’t carrying extra paper or notes that could get wet and unreadable after a ride on Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids.
9. Are you in love with that new wine you tasted while on your Disney vacation? Take a photo of the label so you can remember what it was after you get home. Taking pictures of your food when it’s served will also remind you of why you want to return to that same restaurant again.
10. Write or print your name and contact information on a piece of paper. Snap a clear photo of the paper and then use the features on the camera to lock it on the memory card so it can’t be easily erased. If your camera is lost this will increase your chances of having it returned to you.
11, Take a picture your tickets and passes, being sure to include the barcode. This takes away some of the worry if you leave it in a FastPass machine. Show the picture to Guest Services and they can issue you a replacement ticket.
12. Take a photo of each of your childrenin the outfit they are wearing for the day. You can also dress them alike. In the unlikely event that they get separated from you, you’ll be able to show a Cast Member what your kid looks like and what they are wearing that day.
13. Here’s a fun money saving tip: If you see something that you just can’t live without, take a photo of it (as well as the store name) instead of buying it right away. Then later, maybe even on the last day of your trip, if you still think that Mickey figurine or hat really needs to come home with you, you can buy it then.
I hope these tips will help you make the most of your magical vacation! What tips do you have to share about using you camera at Disney?
Did you know Cinderella has her very own horse on Prince Charming Regal Carrousel in the Magic Kingdom?
Here is a photo!
You will know you’ve found the right horse if you see a golden ribbon on it’s tail. The challenge can be to find this world secret among the herd. Here’s how you can find it super fast and amaze all your friends!
Keep calm and…look for the sleigh!
There is only one sleigh – and it’s big – so this is pretty easy to do. Once you spot the sleigh – go up 3 rows – and look towards the center of that third row. Once you see the beautiful horse covered in roses – with the signature gold ribbon on the tail – you’ll know you have the right one! Now get on and practice your princess wave!
Congratulations, you have found Cinderella’s horse among all the others on Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel (in record time!)
Hey if we can’t stay in her suite in the Castle – or are perhaps a little old for the makeovers in the boutique – isn’t it great to know we can at least ride on Cindy’s horse? If a big burly Dad beats you to the horse first – perhaps you can tell him this secret and make his day! Or – just snicker to yourself like I always do.
I hope you enjoy this World Secret in record time! Have a magical day!
Disneyways 