Tag Archives: Princess

Frozen 2 Movie Review

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(As with all our movie reviews, we will attempt to entice you without having to issue any “spoiler alerts.”)

Frozen II opened in theaters nationwide on November 22. (©Disney)

Three years since Anna saved Arendelle with her dying act of true love, we are transported once again to that mythical (mystical?) kingdom ruled by a young queen and her little sister.  In the gap of time, Elsa has learned to control her fear and is no longer a threat to the village, but now she is called upon to use her powers to find the truth to right a wrong between two people groups.

After an unexplained event dried up the water, put out the fires, blew everyone around and eventually ran them out of town, Pabbie Troll shows up to provide some clues about what is to come. Elsa, hearing a call in the wind, follows it and inadvertently awakens the spirits of Earth, Wind, Fire Continue Reading →

We’re Back!

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It seems that it has been quite a “dry spell” since our last post.  We have had a lot going on that took time away from normal trips to a Disney park.

Savannah Linn

We welcomed our newest “Princess” into our family last fall.  Savannah Linn was born on September 8 in California.  Shortly thereafter, we helped her mom and dad move cross country to the east coast and helped them get resettled into their new home and life.  Then came the holidays and time with family.

So finally, 2018 has arrived and life is returning to “normal,” or something that resembles it; and we find ourselves back at Walt Disney World.

So much is going on this spring at Walt Disney World with the Epcot International Festival of the Arts; and it will be quickly replaced by the International Flower and Garden Festival on February 28th.  We will have new experiences, visit new lands and savor new foods which we will certainly tell you about and give you ideas for your next Disney adventure.

If all goes as planned, we will be back in Disneyland in May before we head east again and start our training to run the Wine and Dine 10K in November – our first in almost 3 years.

So bear with us and keep checking for updates and information!

Beauty and the Beast Movie Review

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Yeah, yeah, we know.  The movie has been out for almost three weeks – so what took us so long?  We just didn’t have the opportunity with our travels to find enough time for a night at the movies.  The important thing is we finally did it!  We saw the new Disney Beauty and the Beast live action movie in 3D.

Beauty and the Beast now in theaters. (©Disney)

With just a few exceptions, this story strays very little from the original 1991 animated movie; from the bookworm Belle, to the antagonist Gaston who is bent on marrying her, to the iconic songs and French setting.  The director and writers have taken the liberty of expanding on parts of the story that were left to the imagination in the original, such as the fate of Belle’s mother (most Disney movies are notoriously missing at least one parent).  The Enchantress who cast the beastly spell on the prince plays a much larger, and surprising role in this story.

The story also goes farther in humanizing the beast when he begins quoting Shakespeare, and then grumbles when Belle tells him that Romeo and Juliet is her favorite, which helps the audience realize that under that scary, hairy façade is a person who is capable of feeling.  The beast is also given Continue Reading →

Cinderella’s Castle

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The magic of Cinderella’s Castle goes beyond the size and scope of it as a building or the centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom.  It is also the entrance to Fantasyland, a stage for theater, television and movies, a restaurant, a projection screen, and a place to propose.  It is even a joy to photograph!  There are so many angles that natural lighting changes make every few moments a different picture, and the nighttime events add even more magic.

Cinderella's Castle - Magic Kingdom. 189 feet tall.

Cinderella’s Castle – Magic Kingdom. 189 feet tall.

Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom stands second tallest among the six Disney castles at 189 feet, measured from the bottom of the moat.  Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland is only 77 feet, although it carries the distinction of being the oldest Disney castle.  Hong Kong Disneyland has a carbon copy of Anaheim Disneyland’s original castle, also called Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, but it will be undergoing major remodeling where rumors have that it will be completely different, and scheduled to be finished in 2019.  Paris Disneyland’s castle, coincidentally is also called Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, but it tops out at 167 feet, more than twice the size of its sister edifices.  Cinderella gets another castle in Tokyo Disneyland and it comes in just a foot shorter than its Orlando version.  The newest castle is in the Shanghai Disney Resort and is also the tallest at 197 feet, but it doesn’t belong to any one Disney princess.  This castle is called the Continue Reading →

Moana Movie Review

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Disney Animation Studio’s latest movie, Moana, is an original story about the daughter (and probably soon to be an official Disney princess) of a village chief who is attempting to save her people from disaster.  This story takes place on an island in the Pacific in a past era and incorporates a lot of Polynesian mythology.

Disney's latest animated movie, Moana, brings Polynesian history and mythology to life.

Disney’s latest animated movie, Moana, with demigod Maui, brings Polynesian history and mythology to life. (©Disney)

Chief Nui, Moana’s father is grooming her to become the leader of the village, but her heart is inexplicably drawn to the ocean.  Only when her grandmother reveals to her the village’s history of being voyagers and the story of how the demigod Maui stole the “heart” of Island Goddess Te Fiti, does she realize that she must journey across the ocean in order to save her people.

Trying to navigate the ocean on her own, she encounters a storm and washes up on an island where she encounters Continue Reading →

Frozen Ever After

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Entrance to Frozen Ever After in the Norway Pavilion

Entrance to Frozen Ever After in the Norway Pavilion.

A new addition to EPCOT in the Norway Pavilion is “Frozen Ever After,” a boat ride through the story of the iconic movie, “Frozen.”

This new attraction has been extremely popular.  Fast passes are reserved weeks in advance and on most days, the standby waiting line is in excess of 90 minutes.  We discussed with Cast Members and the tips they gave for navigating the lines saved us from waiting too long.  They said that from about Continue Reading →

Dining With A Princess

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Ever wanted to have dinner with a princess?  How about dining in her castle, with all its royal, opulent décor and really good food?  We found out that it’s entirely possible at Walt Disney World.  You can have breakfast, lunch or dinner in Cinderella’s Castle. Upon entering the castle, Cinderella will greet you and you can have a picture taken with her in the foyer.  Then, while your meal is being served, other Disney princesses will make a royal entrance to visit each table for a meet-and-greet, complete with a photo, if you like.

Cinderella's Castle

Cinderella’s Castle At Walt Disney World

The advantage of the size of Cinderella’s castle in Walt Disney World is that it Continue Reading →

Cinderella Review

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Cinderella Marquee

Cinderella Marquee

We finally went to see the new Cinderella movie on April 7th at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood.  Overall, we couldn’t be more pleased with Disney’s careful remake of this classic story. This live-action version adds a lot of depth to the animated story that Walt Disney made into such a classic in 1950, and with the help Continue Reading →