Tag Archives: movies

runDisney Playlist Part II

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Ready for some more Disney music inspiration for your runDisney or Disney themed playlist?  Well look no further!  Here is part II with a new list of upbeat and fun songs to help pass the time while you are training or just doing some exercising.

 

  1. One Little Spark- Journey into Imagination with Figment
  2. I Just Can’t Wait to be King-The Lion King
  3. Kiss the Girl- The Little Mermaid
  4. You’re Welcome- Moana
  5. I’ll Make a Man Out of You- Mulan
  6. Prince Ali- Aladdin
  7. Sugar Rush- Wreck-It Ralph
  8. Topsy Turvy- The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
  9. It’s A Small World- It’s a Small World attraction
  10. Be Our Guest- Beauty and the Beast
  11. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride- Lilo and Stitch
  12. Monsters Inc- Monsters Inc
  13. The Best Time of your Life- Carousel of Progress
  14. Dig a Little Deeper- Princess and the Frog
  15. Three Caballeros- Gran Fiesta Tour
  16. Trashin’ the Camp- Tarzan
  17. Fixer Upper- Frozen
  18. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo- Cinderella
  19. The Bear Band Serenade- Country Bears Jamboree
  20. I’ve Got a Dream- Tangled
  21. One Step Ahead- Aladdin
  22. Zero to Hero- Hercules
  23. You Can Fly- Peter Pan
  24. Almost There- Princess and the Frog
  25. We Know the Way- Moana

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed adding some new music to your playlist!  Happy Trails runners!

Did you miss Part I?  No problem, check it out here.

 

runDisney Playlist – Part I

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If you’ve signed up for a runDisney race chances are good you are a Disney fan.  So the perfect choice to get you moving and running is some Disney music!  I am a big fan of Disney music and I listen to it frequently at home, in the car and yes while running.

 

Here is a playlist of Disney music to get you through the miles.

  1. Go the Distance- Hercules
  2. Under the Sea- The Little Mermaid
  3. I’ve Got Not Strings- Pinocchio
  4. Hakuna Matata- The Lion King
  5. I Wan’na Be Like You – The Jungle Book
  6. How Far I’ll Go –Moana
  7. Try Everything- Zootopia
  8. When Can I See You Again- Wreck-It Ralph
  9. The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers- Winnie the Pooh
  10. Gaston-Beauty and the Beast
  11. A Spoonful of Sugar-Mary Poppins
  12. Down in New Orleans-Princess and the Frog
  13. Life is a Highway- Cars
  14. Ha Mele No Lilo- Lilo and Stitch
  15. Love is an Open Door- Frozen
  16. Immortals- Big Hero 6
  17. Friend Like Me- Aladdin
  18. The Scare Floor- Monsters Inc
  19. The Bear Necessities- The Jungle Book
  20. Shiny- Moana
  21. Touch the Sky- Brave
  22. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah- Song of the South
  23. Give a Little Whistle- Pinocchio
  24. Heigh Ho- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  25. There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow- Carousel of Progress

 

I hope you can find some motivation from these songs!  Happy trails!  Don’t forget to check back for Part II of the runDisney playlist!

Upcoming Disney and Pixar Movies

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Last month D23 held a presentation on some upcoming Disney and Pixar movies. Want to know what’s up and coming in the Disney movie future? We’re here to tell you!

The Good Dinosaur: Up first, due to be released in November 2015, is The Good Dinosaur. This movie tells the story of Arlo, a young Apatasaurus trying to find his way home. Along the way he finds and makes friends with a human caveboy he names Spot. The animation in The Good Dinosaur looks absolutely amazing, check it out for yourself here!

Finding Dory: In June 2016 the long-awaited sequel to Finding Nemo will finally be released. Originally reported in 2012 the highly anticipated movie will take place 6 months after the events in Finding Nemo and will focus on Dory’s journey to find her family (with the help of Nemo and his dad Marlin, of course!) Set in Monterey, California we’ll also meet plenty of new sea based characters including a beluga whale named Bailey, an octopus called Hank and Destiny the whale shark. I can’t wait!

finding-dory-1

Photo courtesy of EllenTV

Moana: Meet Disney’s first Polynesian princess, Moana! This film (which is based on mythology) is set in Oceania and will follow Moana on an epic journey. Continuing on Disney’ non-traditional princess trend (Merida, Queen Elsa, Rapunzel) Moana is described as “spirited”. Moana travels with her two animal sidekicks, a pig and a rooster, and if we know anything about animal sidekicks, these two are going to be pretty funny! Moana is due in theaters in November 2016.

Zootopia: “The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery.” (via Walt Disney Animation) Zootopia is due in theaters March 2016. Trailer from Walt Disney Animation can be seen here!

D23 also saw the announcement of Toy Story 4, not due out until 2017, but it’s something to look forward to! Which of these movies are you most excited for?

Imagineer for the Day- Hollywood Studios

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Hollywood Studios is in a transition period and I am sure the attractions that are in progress will be wonderful but if I were in charge here is what I would do, if I was an Imagineer for the day with no budget in mind.

HS Water Tower

Pixarland- A land filled with the characters and scenes from some of the best films. I personally love Monsters Inc and Monsters University and would love to see a dedicated area with over the top theming straight out of Monstropolis. Wall-E and the scene where he and Eva and whirling around space with a fire extinguisher. And a new addition, a dark ride based on Inside Out.

Carsland- Of course this could have been added to my Pixarland but I would love to see what they have in California in Florida. I think it could be a huge draw for more crowds.

CL

Star Wars Land-  I would love to see more Star Wars in the park! Permanent meet and greets with popular characters would be pretty amazing. Of course I would love to see some new attractions based on the classic episodes for the greatest appeal.

Updated stage shows- So many of these shows can use some fresh meat. I think the Little Mermaid show can leave forever, since there is an attraction in Magic Kingdom. Same with Beauty and the Beast. And I wouldn’t be sad to see Lights, Motor, Action! go be replaced by a Carsland attraction. Changing one of these shows to a Disney Junior show starring Sofia the First or Jake and the Neverland Pirates with full sized characters, similar to the traveling productions.

There is my take on Imagineer for the day in Hollywood Studios. If you missed the first for Animal Kingdom you can find it here.  Leave a comment and tell me what you would do if you were in charge of Hollywood Studios!

Tomorrowland- Movie Review

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I recently watched Tomorrowland and I will say out of the gate that I really enjoyed this movie! It wasn’t exactly what I expected but it a great way. The previews that you see on TV just don’t do it justice. This was a truly original movie with a great cast and was visually stunning.

Tomorrowland

I won’t be spoiling the moving for anyone because I think as a Disney fan you all should probably get out and see it. But I will say there are plenty of Disney references for you to find and enjoy. It starts out strong with a look back at the 1964 World’s Fair where we hear “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”, take a quick ride on “it’s a small world”, and see a dress that will remind you of Spaceship Earth, all this in the first few minutes!

The characters spend a lot of time trying to get to Tomorrowland and so much of the film is about the journey not the destination. But when they do get there it is just stunning to look at. If this were are real place we would all be clamoring to live there! These sections of the film also have nods to the Disney parks, like Space Mountain or the hover rails.

The thing I love most about this movie is it is pretty quick moving with lots of action and adventure. It may not be suitable for most young children since it does have some violence and death as well as end of the world themes.

I didn’t know Walt Disney personally but I feel as if he would have been so proud of this film. The story and lessons to be learned from it where all part of his personal philosophy of always moving forward, creating and inventing new and exciting things and ideas. Bottom line: I would very much see this again I give it two thumbs up!

Disney Parks and Disney Movies- Epcot and Magic Kingdom

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This is part 2 of familiarizing yourself with the Disney Parks by watching movies that directly relate to attractions or shows from the parks.  This week I am focusing on Magic Kingdom and Epcot.  As I said before this is not an exhaustive list but it should give you something to spend all those hours while waiting for your next Disney vacation!

Epcot:
Gran Fiesta Tour-Three Caballeros If you can get your hands on a copy it is a pretty neat film from 1977 you get to know Donald and his friends.

Turtle Talk with Crush and The Seas with Nemo and Friends-Finding Nemo Knowing the characters from each of these is a bonus since you will know the story of Nemo.

Magic Kingdom:
Swiss Family Treehouse-Swiss Family Robinson Here is another that might be hard to get your hands on but you will understand this attraction so much better with some background story of the family and their home.

Pirates of the Caribbean- Pirates of the Caribbean The attraction inspired the movies which re-inspired the ride. It is neat to see the original scenes that are now in the film.

Journey of the Little Mermaid-The Little Mermaid Like in Hollywood Studios you will want to brush up on your Scuttle speak before hitting this attraction.

Enchanted Tales with Belle and Be Our Guest Restaurant- Beauty and the Beast Knowing this movie will help you know the part you have in this little play. Plus how neat is it to see a movie come to life.

Monster Inc, Laugh Floor- Monsters Inc You don’t need to know about the monster world to enjoy this show but you will appreciate it more.

Peter Pan’s Flight-Peter Pan You won’t want to miss this classic while you gain your Disney movie education and it will help you catch the little things in this attraction

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs This attraction only gives a little taste of the movie but you will love to watch this for the first time or re-watch if it has been a while.

Now that you’ve seen them all which movie would you like to see an attraction based on?

Disney Parks and Disney Movies- Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios

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If you are new to Disney parks you might not know that many of the attractions in the Disney parks are based on Disney films. If you want to familiarize yourself with some of the movies that have tie-ins at Walt Disney World this is a good place to start. These are a mix of animated and live action. If you don’t own these I highly suggest checking out Netflix, your local library, movie store or Amazon.com. To get us started we will check out Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

fallFN

Animal Kingdom:
It’s Tough to be a Bug- A Bug’s Life This 3D film and live action show is based on this film.

Finding Nemo the Musical- Finding Nemo This is a great stand-alone show which is a condensed version of the film but with music and puppetry.

Festival of the Lion King- The Lion King This show is condensed version of the film but with acrobatics, puppetry.

Avatar– Technically there isn’t anything open just yet but soon there will be Avatarland and you will want to check out this film.

LM

Hollywood Studios:
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular- Indiana Jones This series is sure to please the older kids and adults.

For the First Time in Forever: Frozen Sing Along and Frozen Summer Fun- Frozen I supposed if you are living under a rock and haven’t see this yet you better remedy.

Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage- Beauty and the Beast A household staple you have probably seen if you have a little girl but you don’t need to see the film to like the stage show.

Voyage of The Little Mermaid- The Little Mermaid same as the above, this stage show is a condensed version of the movie.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids No you don’t have to see this film to enjoy playing here but it might make more sense! Plus it is a pretty cute movie.

Toy Story Midway Mania- Toy Story A great standalone attraction but there are also character meets nearby, but if you or your kids haven’t been introduced to Woody and Buzz you are missing out.

Star Tours and Jedi Training Academy- Star Wars I highly suggest you start with Episodes IV-VI and then I-III but you will know that characters better.

Tower of Terror- The Twilight Zone This queue and attraction are filled with references to this classic TV show if you like to be in the know this is a good place to start.

Toy_Story

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should be enough to get you started.

Review of Disney’s Cinderella Movie

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Cinderella_2015_official_posterRecently, I took my 8 year old daughter to see the new Cinderella movie.  This was her first live-action, non-animated film, and while she wasn’t 100% sold, I have to say that I loved it!

The locations and set designs were just gorgeous and the costuming was incredible!  Lily James was the perfect choice to play young Ella.  She has the perfect mix of sweetness and courage that makes the character come to life.  Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother is also spot-on.  If you’re also a fan of Downton Abbey, you’ll be happy to see Sophie McShera (aka Daisy) as one of the stepsisters.

Overall, I thought they did a great job of keeping true to the original story while putting a new and fun spin on it.  I can’t wait until the film is released on DVD so I can watch it again!  Remember, “Be courageous, be kind.”

Pre-Cruise Trip Report

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My family and I will soon be sailing on our first Disney Cruise, a 5 night Western Caribbean on the Disney Wonder. We have previously cruised before on a Carnival Cruise so this is still a somewhat new experience for all of us.

As a Travel Agent who specializes in Disney vacations, I am a certified graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge. The courses are informative and I have studied the Disney Cruise Line, but nothing beats first hand experience.

I love to travel, but cruising wasn’t really on my radar. My first concern was for my family and how they would react to the motion of the ocean, would we get seasick? The next, is there enough to do on a cruise, you are essentially stuck for a few days. And lastly, safety. The media will never pass up a story about a ship without power or damages and even personal tragedies. I don’t believe all these worries are uncommon for many travelers, but we decided to try it out anyway.

I am happy to report that after our first cruise we had none of these issues and ended up having a FANTASTIC time! So almost a year later we were ready to go again! On our previous cruise we did a 5 night Bahamian and wanted to do something different. As I said we are doing another 5 night with stops at Cozumel, Mexico and Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).

So far we haven’t booked an excursion for Cozumel for a few reasons. The first is that we are traveling with a 5-year-old and there are a number of excursions that have age requirements. In some ports children can be left in the kids clubs so that is an option if your child is still young. But I love to travel to see new places and try new things and I want that for my child as well. We are not into snorkeling and prefer to make our beach day the day we are at Castaway Cay so those are out as well. One thing that interests me the most is visiting San Gervasio; a Mayan archeological site, being a historian it is high on my list. Also, being a big fan of Mexican food, my other plan is to get an authentic lunch.

Our other day off-ship is at Castaway Cay. I have a feeling this will probably be our family favorite. On our previous cruise we stopped at Little Stirrup Cay and we loved having the beach day, especially coming from Michigan in December! Castaway Cay is so much better, as well, with kids activities and play areas, adult only beaches, and bike rentals. My plan for this day is low-key: play on the beach and have some fun!

On our cruise we have two sea days plus our departure day, I am sure that we will spend plenty of time exploring the ship, swimming, watching shows and movies, meeting characters and of course playing in the kids club. Since we are going before Christmas we will have a Christmas Ball and a chance to meet Santa!

Another thing I had to do was make a reservation for dinner at Palo for my husband and I. Since I have heard so much about it and I had such a hard time choosing between brunch and dinner but since I decided to count it as a date night I decided on dinner. But I’m not ruling out brunch either just so I can compare for myself.

I am so excited to try cruising with the Disney difference and of course will be sharing my experience here with all of you here at Dole Whipped!

Big Hero 6 headed to Disney Parks

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Disney has recently announced that starting November 7th, 2014 the stars of “Big Hero 6” will be doing a character meet at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

At Walt Disney World you can meet Hiro Hamada and Baymax at Hollywood Studios inside The Magic of Disney Animation. This meet will be replacing the meet with Wreck it Ralph and Vanellope.

Big hero 6

Photo courtesy of Disney©

In Disneyland Park they are meeting in the Starcade in Tomorrowland and you can also see and extended sneak peek of the movie at the Magic Eye Theater.

The movie is an action comedy adventure about brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who finds himself in the grips of a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. With the help of his closest companion-a robot named Baymax-Hiro joins forces with a reluctant team of first-time crime fighters on a mission to save their city.

The movie will be in theaters on November 7, 2014.