Disfans

I treated myself to a little present, and picked up this puzzle at Target. I thought it would be fun to do a little slide show of putting it together. Of course it features all the Disney Characters… which makes it perfect for Disfans, and its a sphere! I enjoyed putting it together, it wasn’t too hard, except for that last piece.

Dear readers, you have my humble apologies for my disappearance. Many factors contributed to this vanishing act, not least of all is my inability to say “No, I can’t add another project to my schedule.”

With the holidays and unscheduled illnesses intruding, well, you can see what happens.  I should have enough material to keep marching forward, and so I shall try to do so.

Happy 2008 to you all.

What do you suppose I purchased at Super Target today? It’s obviously a DVD…

Yes, that’s right, it’s ….

Ratatouille!

(I know I look like I’m not thrilled, but I really am! Just fiddling with the camera…)

I knew it was coming out soon, but seriously, I’ve had my mind on so many family related issues right now, I’ve just had my nose to the grindstone and haven’t looked up in a while. I was at SuperTarget today, picking up at the pharmacy, and I glanced up and saw the happiest little boy in his mother’s shopping cart, and he was holding a Ratatouille box. No wonder he was happy!

My eldest daughter was with me, and struck up a conversation about the movie with him. He informed her that they had the DVDs in the very store we were standing in and she should get a copy. I agreed with his sentiment wholeheartedly, and as you can see, I snatched up a copy.

If you recall, I shopped around a bit for my copy of The Jungle Book, but this time, I just pounced. $15.99 is a pretty good price for the movie, and Target has an “Exclusive Bonus DVD” with deleted scenes, etc. Kind of like the normal second disc you get with 2 disc sets. I’m glad I got it at Target, though, because as I noticed from the discussion on the MiceChat forums, the second DVD isn’t included at other stores.

I’m going to keep my eye out for the Pixar Shorts DVD coming out very soon as well.

In case you missed it before, here’s my original review of Ratatouille. I’ll put up a review of the various DVDs and their special features, coming soon.

In honor of Meet the Robinsons, on DVD today, I’m reprinting my original review. This was from the 3D screening at our local theater. Enjoy the movie!!

I brought my kids (girl age 12, and boy age 8 ) to see the movie with some trepidation, having read a few reviews of this movie online, I had heard it suffered some from too many cooks syndrome, having so many writers.

We got there early to avoid crowds and make sure we got choice seats. There is nothing worse than trying to find a seat in a crowded theater in the dark, with 2 kids, popcorn and drinks. As a consequence of our early arrival, we didn’t receive 3D glasses, before we sat down. I hoped we’d soon find out why.

Other people arriving asked the same question, as they arrived laden with snacks, and one gentleman finally went out to find that later arrivals were getting their glasses on arrival. Soon a theater employee came in with an armful of 3D glasses.

Black horn-rimmed style glasses, which reminded me immediately of my father’s glasses, and a standard “Do not use as sunglasses” warning on the plastic overwrap. I was quite glad to see we all got fresh new pairs of 3D glasses and that they were not paper. These were sturdy plastic, and not uncomfortable to wear.

After the standard previews, we were treated to a visit by the Robinson’s robot, advising us to put our glasses on. A preview for The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D (which my 8 year old boy found “scary”), was then followed by a Donald Duck short, which we are told was originally produced by Disney in 1953 as a 3D cartoon. “Working for Peanuts”, was a cartoon I had seen many times on television before, but I had never seen it in 3D, and had no idea it was originally produced that way.

Finally to the main feature. After all those previews, preliminaries and the cartoon short, it was finally time to see the movie.

I immediately took to the main character, Louis . He is the traditional Disney orphan, an endearingly sweet nerd who invents things in his room at the orphanage, while trying to get adopted. Its not going so well. He gets a brilliant idea for an invention to help him find his real Mom. It seems like a familiar theme for a Disney movie, with a sweet little orphan child looking for their parent, and maybe that’s why I sort of felt weary at this point. When the action begins, and Louis meets the protagonist, Wilbur, the movie took off for me.

I was anticipating a story that was confusing, with so many writers, but I found it easy to follow and very entertaining. My children loved it. Rather than a standard Disney adventure, with a problem and a resolution and happy ending, this was a rather convoluted story, with complex ideas and many characters. There were a LOT of characters to keep track of but I didn’t feel confused or befuddled even though I thought that some of their appearances were a bit fleeting. I thought the kids might have difficulty following this kind of “sci-fi” idea, but they got it, and enjoyed it. It was a very basic science fiction story, not that complex, but just enough of a twist on reality to make an enjoyable story. I’m not sure that smaller children would get it, but I might be wrong, my kids seemed to have no trouble with the idea. The basic idea of family and people who love you makes it easier to understand.

The message of the movie, “keep moving forward” is a great one, and I found it to be a refreshing one. I have been to a lot of kid movies, and the ones that try to give the kids a message are very annoying to me. The best way to ruin a movie, is to stop the action, or sabotage the cuteness and put a heavy message into it.

Meet the Robinsons puts a positive idea into a movie for kids, doesn’t preach it too hard, and makes an enjoyable story out of it. I really liked this movie, and the kids did too. We all enjoyed ourselves and I would love to buy this movie when it comes out on DVD. We laughed and yes, I teared up at the end, and then I teared up again when my son told me his favorite part was the end. I can’t tell you what happens, because that would ruin it for you.

I would recommend this movie to anyone. Even people who don’t have children might like this movie. We can all use a reminder to not let failure drag us down, and keep moving forward.

I’m putting together my photos from Disneyland and writing my blog post in my head. (honestly, its how I come up with the brilliance that is DisFans)

While I’m busily doing that, and a hundred Mom-type duties, I did some Disney research yesterday, and went to Disney.com. (sorry, Disney.go.com) I was somewhat disturbed to see this page. Hm. Disney Fans? Are they trying to steal my idea? disfans? Disney Fans? I dunno… but its sort of disturbing, nonetheless.

Are you ready? Here is my number one, best ever tip for having a great time at Disneyland with the kiddies. I’m going to put it in bold, so you don’t miss it.

Do NOT go to the park on a Saturday.

That’s it, the number one best tip ever for having a good time at Disneyland. There are a number of reasons I don’t recommend setting foot on Disney property on Saturday, and all of them are this: Everyone in the world is at the park on Saturday.

Remember that people who live in California have no choice but to visit on the weekend, because they have jobs during the week. Also, most travelers have to stay over a Saturday because of the rates airlines and hotels charge if you don’t. You may have encountered this phenomenon yourself.

If you can avoid trying to enter “the Happiest Place on Earth” on Saturday, you will be much better off. Lines are longer, everything is more crowded, and just trying to walk around is hazardous. Add your hot, tired, possibly hungry, and crying and/or whining child, and pretty much no one is having fun anymore.

Here are a number of alternative suggestions for Saturday in Southern California. You will notice that not one of them is a theme park.

1. Sleep in, if you like that kind of thing.. have a late breakfast, and hang out at the hotel pool. Relaxing.

2. Go to the beach. Orange County is well known for its sunny beaches, and Saturday is a great day for a beach trip, if you get there early in the day. Newport, Huntington, and Laguna are a short drive away from Anaheim.

3. Visit friends and family in Southern California. My parents live locally, so we often spend our Saturday with them, hanging out at the pool and/or having a BBQ.

4. Go shopping. There are many, many malls and shopping centers in the Orange County vicinity.

5.Discovery Science Center. My kids love to go to this children’s museum, and we usually will make a stop here. If you have a membership card to your local Science Museum, check the back of your membership card, you may be able to use your membership here.

6. If you are brave enough, take a drive up to Hollywood and walk around. They really do have Movie Stars names on the sidewalk, and the kids enjoy looking at them. Put your feet in the footprints at Grauman’s Chinese. Warning: It is a long drive to Hollywood from Orange County, and there will be traffic, it will probably be pretty crowded when you get there, and there are some strange characters in Hollywood. You have been warned.

7. Go to Catalina Island. You’ll need to take a boat out to Catalina, where no cars are allowed. You can rent a golf cart and tour the island, go fishing, or just hang out. Avalon is very picturesque and peaceful, its a great place to spend a Saturday.

8.If you’re visiting during Whale Watching season, go Whale Watching at Dana Point. Check it out!“Each winter, thousands of California Gray Whales leave the cold Artic Seas and follow the coastline to the warm, calm waters of Southern California and Baja. This 5,000-mile migration brings much of the pod past Dana Point, where pods of Giant Grays can be easily seen and photographed.”

These are just a few suggestions, Orange County is a diverse community, full of fun activities and things to see and do in the immediate area. Pick up the Orange County Register and check out all the fun things to do, but don’t go to Disneyland on Saturday.

I asked my brother Mike what his Top Ten favorite things about California Adventure are. Mike is younger than me, and also single with no kids, and he lives in Southern California. I thought he might have a slightly different perspective that y’all might enjoy. Here’s what he had to say…Jen

Yes, I was the one who made the joke about doing everything in California Adventure in a couple hours. This is the public perception, and I am used to park hopping, after all. Somewhat surprisingly though, you can fill out the whole day with nothing but California Adventure. Of course, CA has one major advantage over it’s neighbor: they can sell alcohol freely throughout the park. (Although this doesn’t make a difference to me personally.) You see, when CA was built, they applied for a liquor license in advance. At Disneyland, they needed an address, and that’s part of how the famous “Club 33″ got started. Anyhow, here are my top ten things to do at Disneyland’s California Adventure:

10. As soon as you enter, you are greeted by Gift shops. Not at all surprising. What is interesting is the exclusive toys you can find, such as monorails, cars and dolls. Noticeably absent are any replicas of the submarine voyage subs. (hint, hint). The true draw for me tho, are the many different parts of Mr. Potato head! You can grab a box, get a potato head (if you need one) and fill it with as many parts as you can fit in there. (the lid has to close) They are always making new parts, like Mr. Incredible, pirate eyes, Disney princesses, etc. If you have a nephew or godson, you have the perfect excuse to go in and play with toys.

9. Grizzly River Run. This is pretty much your standard get in a round raft and spin around and get wet ride. Oh, and the mountain is shaped like a bear. Something to do if it is very hot.

8. Ariel’s Grotto. I like this place. It’s a fun restaurant to sit down and eat. You will either have to make reservations, or show up at a certain time for “stand by” seating. It costs about 20 bucks, but the meal includes an appetizer (soup or salad) a main entree, drink and dessert. That’s too much food for lunch to me, so I usually go there for dinner. The Disney princesses will come out to your table for a photo op. One time when Belle came around, my brothers and I all said “Bonjour!” …It was funny at the time, I swear.

7. Disney Animation: Animation Academy. This is a new favorite I discovered fairly recently. It’s basically a drawing class. When you go in, you are given a huge clipboard with paper and pencil. An artist will show you step by step how to draw a different character each time. My Minnie Mouse and Pooh Bear were ok, but my Tigger needed help.

6. Disney’s Electrical Parade. While no longer “The Main Street Electrical Parade”, the name is the only difference. I wasn’t really all that into it as a kid, but It grew on me. That darn music still gets stuck in your head.

5. Drawn to the Magic. While you’re near the Disney animation building, check out the “Drawn to the Magic” stage show. It is usually on the stage next to “Monsters, inc.”, or just outside the animation building itself. Three singers dance and sing various songs from the Disney animated features. Three costumed characters appear at the end for the kids. They are generally one “hero” (Hercules, or Woody) one “princess” (Cinderella) and one “magic sidekick” (Sorcerer Mickey) There are generally around 3 or 4 shows between 11 am to 4 pm. I’ve heard rumors that this show may end soon, so I may have to come up with a new number 5.

4. Speaking of music, you have to see “Aladdin the Musical Spectacular”. It is a well done professional musical, in an air conditioned building. You can view it multiple times, thanks to the Improvisation role of the Genie. One time, when Aladdin tells the Genie he wants to do something special for him, the Genie responds: “Guitar hero for X-Box?” You have to see it. Put it on the list. Right now.

3. Ok, now for the rest of the thrill rides. These are the things I do whenever I go to CA, whether park hopping or not. First is Soarin Over California. Once you are strapped in, you are elevated in front of a huge screen, and treated to a flight simulator.

2. California Screamin’. This is the Second thing we usually do, after getting a fastpass to Space Mountain at that other park, and hitting Soarin’. Need for speed, baby! Can you say 0 to 55 in zero seconds? I knew you could. This coaster uses steam catapaults to launch ya, so you can pretend you’re in “Top Gun”. The only Disney coaster with a loop, so far. Lotsa fun. Don’t forget to goof off for the camera.

1. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. If this were just an elevator ride, it would be much less appealing. For fans of the Twilight Zone, this is a must! Rod Serling himself* Introduces the ride, and sets up the whole experience. Then you have the randomness of the drops, and the “slightly faster than natural” speed. Well worth it, every single time.

*They used an old clip from the Twilight Zone, and hired an impersonator. It sounds dead on tho.

Well, there ya have it.
MJT

I’ve got an ice pack on my back, and I’m still recooperating, but I put together my Top Ten favorites from California Adventure for you, and I also put a Slide show together.

Jen’s Top Ten from California Adventure:

10. Disney’s Electrical Parade: AKA: The “Main Street Electrical Parade”… A darkened street, and then that music, followed by all the floats that we loved as children with all those light bulbs..it can only be the Electrical Parade. The only difference is that its now no longer on Main Street USA in Disneyland. I love this parade, and I’m so glad Disney brought it to California Adventure so those of us who remember and still love this parade can still enjoy it.
9. Bountiful Valley Farm: A great place for the kids to run and play and get soaking wet. I get to sit down and have a drink, or an ice cream while the kids refresh themselves. Not to be missed if you have hot, tired kids, on a hot afternoon.

8. Grizzly River Run: If you’ve done a water rapids ride, this will be familiar to you, but its still a great ride. Fun to get wet!

7. Monsters Inc: Its a dark ride, like the ones found in Fantasyland in DL. Fun for the kids, short, and even better, the line for this one is not usually as long as the ones in Fantasyland.

6. California Screamin’: Roller Coasters are not really my thing anymore, but this one is fun. There is one upside-down loop, but other than that, its your standard wooden roller coaster, at really high speed. Not sure this one is really wooden, though.

5. Muppetvision 3-D: I’m a sucker for the Muppets, ok? Kermit, Fozzie, Ms. Piggy and Gonzo are all in this fun show. The appearance of all these old favorites, and the horrible, horrible jokes (which are standard for the Muppets) make the annoying “new” characters bearable.. Wukka, wukka, get it? BEAR-able? Hm. Well, I love this show, and I see it every time we’re at CA Adventure

4. It’s Tough to Be a Bug: I’ve seen this one a few times, too. It’s a really creative 3-D show, and lots of fun, even when you know all the gags already, its fun to see the audience reactions. Word of warning, this one is a tiny bit scary for little ones or those that don’t care for bugs or spiders.

3. Soarin’ Over California: This is an awesome ride, do not miss it. Even my son, who hates anything that might remotely resemble a roller coaster in any form.. LOVED this ride. You really feel like you’re flying and gazing down at the beautiful landmarks familiar to Californians. I felt a little homesick for my native California.

Two way tie for first: Two things I was really surprised and impressed by. These 2 are excellent examples of why we come to the Disney parks.

1. Aladdin-A Musical Spectacular: I was taken by surprise by this one, quite frankly. They say “Spectacular” right in the name, but I wasn’t expecting this. This is a full, staged musical of the story of Aladdin with great songs, action and “special effects”, in a “real” theater. The genie steals the show, of course, and there are some unexpected surprises. Everyone in our group loved it, from my 8 year old son to my mother. My son was actually entranced by this show, and engaged by all the characters. While I loved the show itself, I loved watching my son enjoy it even more.

1. Turtle Talk with Crush: I was also not expecting this to be as much fun as it was, the effect of Crush talking to the audience is really amazing. Crush spoke to my daughter first, and we were all really charmed by him. She was amazed that the animated character could actually see her and talk to her about where she was from and how she got to California Adventure. He didn’t get around to everyone in the audience, but we were all captivated by Crush, and his reactions to people in the audience. For a little while you really believe that animated character is real, and talking to you.

Honorable Mention: Ariel’s Disney Princess Celebration at Ariel’s Grotto. The food is decent, we were able to sneak in without a reservation, but the highlight of this place is really the princesses. They gave my kids a lot of individual attention and we never felt rushed even when 4 or 5 of us all wanted pictures. The princesses are very sweet and attentive to the children, calling them “Prince Charming” and “Princess”, and pretty much giving them the royal treatment.

Service is so-so, and we did wait a while for our food. The picture guy was kind of annoying, to the point that I felt I needed to buy a picture package from him to get him to leave us to eat in peace. The prices for the food are kind of high, but this is a Disney establishment, and if you want a sit down meal, you’re going to pay for it.

The food is ordered as a complete meal, including soup or salad, entrée and dessert. I kept one of the kid’s menus. For $13.99 plus tax, you get carrot & celery sticks with ranch dressing, choice of drink, choice of entrée (spaghetti with green beans, fish sticks with mashed potatoes and green beans, chicken tenders with mashed potatoes and green beans, or mac & cheese with hot dog slices and gold fish crackers), and choice of dessert (apple slices with caramel sauce or yogurt and berry parfait). The kids meals are for those 3-9. My daughter ordered off the adult menu, which was waaaay too much food for her, and my son was disappointed when he didn’t get the same kind of fancy dessert offerings on the kids menu that were offered on the adult menu. I knew that would probably happen, though. My daughter is a very fussy eater, and doesn’t eat very large portions even if she loves it, and the adult portions of food were very generous. My son was satisfied with a few bites from grandma’s dessert, and a couple bites from mom’s dessert. There was plenty to go around.

I liked that the restaurant seemed to do a good job of thinking about what kids like to eat, and putting some nutritious choices on the menu, offering veggies and fruit. I loved the individual attention that the kids got from the Princesses, and the general relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of the restaurant. I would definitely try Ariel’s Grotto again.

I hope to add Mike’s Top Ten coming soon.

I threw out my back today people. Thank goodness for The Jungle Book, that I picked up at the Walmart. (sadly, it did not come with the free bookmark I saw online yesterday). DVD Decision

Tonight I just plopped the kids in front of The Jungle Book and threw pizza at them while I sat and rested my back.

I just need to tell y’all about the Enchanted preview. My kids were really excited about this one. We watched the preview a couple of times, because they laughed uproariously at it. Bonus… it opens on my daughter’s birthday. They immediately decided it was a must see. In my opinion, anything with Patrick Dempsey in it, that I can take the kids to, is a plus for me. Our first impression is that this will be a fun movie to see as a family.

Here’s a link to the Disney webpage, that shows the trailer. Enchanted

We enjoyed The Jungle Book immensely. I remember all the songs from the movie, because we had the soundtrack record when I was a kid. (yes, record. I’m THAT old.) But, I don’t think I ever saw the whole movie all at once, just clips here and there on TV when I was a kid. So much fun, and the kids loved it too. They were really entertained, and my daughter recognized small bits from the Kipling version. Thumbs up from the kids.

We haven’t played with the “special features” yet, but I think that the movie itself was well worth the $14., even with no “special features”.

Yes, I know I promised to continue with my trip to Disney, but I hurt my back, and I’ve been lazy today. I have just a little more to do on my Top Ten, and then we’ll get on with it.

Please excuse this little side tangent, I will resume telling you about my trip to Disney tomorrow. I’m putting together a Top Ten list for California Adventure, and then we’ll move on to the story of my visit to Disneyland, which I know all 12 of you readers are dying to get to.

Well finally… The Jungle Book is out on DVD, in a 2 Disc 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition, no less. I want to purchase this movie, because I’m certain my son will love it, I will love it, and my daughter actually read Kipling’s Jungle Book this past summer, so she may get something from it as well. Since the Disney version covers just a very small part of Kipling’s work, and in true Disney fashion, isn’t all that true to the book, all she’ll probably get from the movie is entertainment. However, I’m totally fine with that.

All of that is aside from the fact that it’s a Disney movie that I don’t currently have, and must possess. It’s an annoying fact that my children are continuing to grow up and leave me with fewer and fewer “real” excuses to buy the movies. I’ll finally have to fess up that I enjoy watching Disney movies and Mickey cartoons, won’t I?

Now, I’m not an idiot, I want to get the best price for the thing. I saw that my local SuperTarget has the DVD, of course… at $16.99, and I get a $5 gift card with my purchase. Tempting. Walmart Online tells me that I can have this item for $14.87 plus shipping, and… I get a free … bookmark. What? A book..mark? They realize that this is a Movie, not a book, despite the word “book” in the title? Wow. That hurts, it really, really does. I grabbed a screenshot of this, in case you don’t believe me.

The bookmark reads: “Bloomin’ In The Jungle, Help Plant the Seeds to Beautify the Environment. Brought to You By Walmart and Disney, Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book: 40th Anniversary Edition, Avilable on DVD, October 2.” Sorry, that’s lame. I’m so not paying shipping to get a free bookmark, that reads like it was supposed to be a pre-sale promotional giveaway.

But the price is good. I’m not making a special trip to Walmart to save $2.12, even if it does come with a free bookmark, but I might grab it while I’m there doing my food shopping. (which the hungry, and constantly eating monsters that I live with tell me should be soon)

I checked out Amazon, just to make sure they weren’t running some super awesome deal. Nope. $14.99 seems to be the price there, and I’d have to pay shipping, because this item only “eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.” If I buy it with the pre-release of Ratatouille, the price is $30.99. Hm… I’m tempted, but decide I’ll drive to the store I have to visit anyway, and pick up the movie. I’ll have it in my hands right away, and chances are, when Ratatouille comes out, there will be some good deals on it as well.

Now I notice that all of these places have claimed a pretty hefty discount percentage, saying 50% off “List Price” of $29.99. I wonder if any place is selling the DVD for $29.99. After a little clicking around on the internet the most expensive price for the same DVD is $23.99 on Blockbuster’s site. Everyone seems to have marked this down from the original “list price”.

I thought, surely Disney must be selling it for the “List Price” of $29.99, they must have set that price for some reason. But no. Check it out. Disney has this item for sale at $19.99 on it’s Disney shopping.com. It doesn’t look like it comes with any free bookmarks either, but it does say Free Shipping on DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. wahoo. I think I’ll go to Walmart and do some food shopping and pick up my DVD, or I just may run out for milk and bread at Target and get the DVD withthat $5 gift card.

My words of advice here are, don’t believe that SALE!! 50% off List Price!!! sticker you see everywhere. If you shop around, you’ll see the same item for practically the same price everywhere. Its my personal opinion that List Price is for rich folk, and suckers who don’t pay attention. If you happened to be in Blockbuster to return some rentals, and purchased a movie for $23, when you could have purchased the movie at Walmart for $14, then you are either a)Paris Hilton, who doesn’t shop at Walmart (does she know there are Walmarts out there?) or b) you don’t pay attention to small details like where your money is going. (you know there are Walmarts don’t you?)

I understand that some people are opposed to Walmart. You can still shop at Target or even barring that, shop online at Amazon or Disney’s own site, can’t ya? There’s no reason to just throw money away, even Disney doesn’t expect anyone to pay anywhere near that list price for this movie.