Disclosure: Mama Smith was provided with an all expenses paid trip to cover this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.
I love Disney music. Come on, you all know that you can get one of the amazing songs stuck in your head for hours – or even days at a time. Every Disney movie has at least one or two immediately recognizable songs. You all know by now how much I love Disney, so when I heard about The Legacy Collection (and got an up close look at it at the D23 Expo), I was in heaven.
Walt Disney Records’ newly created line of collectible CDs, Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection, celebrates the anniversaries of Disney’s most cherished and classic properties that have been enchanting audiences for generations. Through 2015, Walt Disney Records will celebrate 12 anniversaries including “Pinocchio” (75th), “Fantasia” (75th), “Cinderella” (65th), “Lady and the Tramp” (60th), “Sleeping Beauty” (55th), “Mary Poppins” (50th), “The Lion King” (20th) and “Toy Story” (20th), among others. Boy oh boy, do those numbers make me feel old. I remember growing up with these classics. I still cannot believe Toy Story was 20 years ago – I am showing my age with that one as I saw it in theaters at age 11!
To honor these musical landmarks, Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection features the beloved original soundtracks, plus valuable documentary content that tells the story behind the music. Each album will feature newly created artwork from Lorelay Bove, a visual development artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios (“Tangled,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “Wreck-It Ralph”). The illustrations, inspired by the original properties, will celebrate Disney’s rich heritage and create a unified look for the entire collection. The Legacy Collection celebrates the anniversaries of 12 of Disney’s most cherished original soundtracks:
The Lion King
Mary Poppins
Sleeping Beauty
The Little Mermaid
Fantasia
Pinocchio
Lady and the Tramp
Disneyland
Cinderella
Toy Story
Pocahontas
The Aristocats
I received the Toy Story Legacy Collection and I love it. My husband was in awe over it when he first saw it – like the afraid to turn the pages too quickly type of awe. The art work is incredible and my daughters had fun looking through it. You would never know that these are actually new drawings vs. actual concept art drawings before the film was made. They are flawless – and so much fun to look over! And speaking of flawless, Disney is joining forces with H2O+, a leading brand of premium, water based skincare products for the face and body. H2O+’s unique concept combines efficacious ingredients and state-of–the-art technology to improve and maintain healthy and youthful skin. H2O+ has a large and expanding presence in more than 40+ countries. Their parent company, Tokyo-based, Pola Orbis, ranks among the Top 25 beauty care companies worldwide. I received their Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment and I must say that I love it. It feels great on my skin. I also love that it is water based.
H2O+ is the exclusive worldwide provider for in-room amenities of Disney Resort, Vacation Club and Cruise Line properties and they are teaming up with Disney Music Group to commemorate the release of Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection through an empowering #ShareYourLegacy campaign. H2O+ and Walt Disney Records invite women to share their own legacies with stories, affirmations, and inspirations in an emboldened, globally supported community. Walt Disney Animation Studios Visual Development Artist Lorelay Bove and Disney historian Paula Sigman-Lowery will join the #ShareYourLegacy discussion by sharing their personal journeys to inspire women around the world to celebrate their individual triumphs. H2O+ and Walt Disney Records encourage women to upload a video of their powerful story using the hashtag #ShareYourLegacy.
“At H2O+, beauty is more than skin deep, and we feel that empowering women speaks to the core of our brand. As a big supporter of female growth and entrepreneurship, this campaign means a great deal to me. It’s exciting that H2O+ will be the voice of such an inspiring message.” – CEO of H2O+, Joy Chen
In addition and in celebration of the #ShareYourLegacy campaign, women can enter for a chance to win a magical trip for 2. A winner and guest will be flown to New York City to see the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, The Lion King, including a behind the scenes tour, and will also receive a care package of H2O+ products! Talk about the trip of a lifetime! The #ShareYourLegacy campaign starts now and will end on October 1st. For more information on how to enter and full official rules, click here.
Disclosure: Mama Smith was provided with an all expenses paid trip to cover this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.
A couple of weeks ago I told you guys about Playmation. I have since gotten the chance to see it played in person – and even to wear it – and I feel like an update is warranted. I know I was singing it’s praises before even seeing it in action but now I can officially tell you that you should pre-order your Playmation now. This gaming system is incredible. I love the fact that it can be played anywhere – inside, outside – wherever your imagination takes you. The piece that you wear is too cool. In the Iron Man set you will receive repulser gear, two power activators, the Captain America Smart Figure, and the Iron Skull Smart Figure. I love that they chose some of my favorite characters from the films and comics for the starter pack.
When I put the repulser gear on I instantly felt like Iron Man himself. It is designed to fit any size arm so kids and adults can play it (good thing because I plan to play this a lot) so it fit perfectly. There are three different ways to attack – a thumb trigger, palm up (of course!), and a rocket blast by holding a button down for a few seconds with your other hand. If you hold your forearm up, you will create a shield. To hide from attacks, you can also duck behind objects like beds, trees, or even other people! I really felt like I was part of the Avengers – and I didn’t even play the game. You can play by yourself, or team up with someone if they have their own repulser gear. The starter pack comes with 4 locations and 25 missions – there is no need to download anything as it is preloaded with these. You can purchase other Smart Figures separately and they all contain their own missions that you can download onto your gear. All moves are motion based – so when you are told to sneak – walk slowly, to run – walk quickly/run. One part I loved was when the bomb was set the repulser gear actually had to get out of the radius of it so the player could move forward in the mission.
With Playmation you can spar with someone else, spar with a Smart Figure, or play the missions. You will earn points and level up as you play, unlocking things like freeze blast as you grow. Different characters have different abilities you can learn from them by sparring with them. For someone who is a “completionist” like me, this is awesome – knowing that you are working for a reward. At the D23 Expo Disney Interactive panel, an announcement about Playmation was made. Playmation Marvel’s Avengers Gamma Gear – inspired by the 7-foot Hulk – will be coming this fall! It lets you smash into battle using motion-sensing technology putting you in the Avengers action. Slip your hands into the Gamma Gear and use the motion-based controls to smash your way through missions and stomp through battlegrounds with different Hulk moves like Ground Slam, Thunder Clap, and other combos. I love the idea of Playmation and getting kids to use their imaginations. While I am still a fan of screen gaming, of course, I like that you can take a break and still have fun with gaming! With Playmation you are right in the middle of the action – you become an Avenger. This is something that I cannot wait to share with my girls, I just know we are going to have so much fun with it! Also available at launch, is the AvengersNet app where you can register Avenger Gear to see progress, explore additional locations and characters, and get access to new missions. Playmation Marvel’s Avengers will hit shelves this October. Oh, and coming in 2016 and 2017 will be Star Wars and Disney Frozen Playmation sets respectively! Playmation is the future of gaming – you don’t want to miss it!
Disclosure: Mama Smith was provided with an all expenses paid trip to cover this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.
I am such a Disney, Marvel, and LucasFilms geek – which I am sure most of you know by now. So attending the Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios panel was like a dream come true. I was dying to hear about upcoming films like Captain America: Civil War, The Jungle Book, and of course, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I walked in holding my breath and hoping for some visit looks at scenes, trailers, and maybe even some celebrity guests. I could not have even imagined the amount of awesomeness I was about to witness. There were a lot of laughs, and a lot of tears. Just being in the same room as some of these celebrities was a complete honor. I cannot wait to tell you all about what I found out!
Captain America: Civil War
I am a huge comic book reader and so I have been waiting for the Civil War story line to come to the big screen for a while now. I know that some things will be different, but there is sure to be a lot of action! I could not believe that not only the producer, Kevin Feige came out to introduce the footage – he brought Anthony Mackie and Chris Evans with him to talk about the film! Falcon and Captain America himself! They flew in from filming in Germany and then were heading right back out – talk about dedication to their fans! I love that this did not stop them from appearing at D23. I was so excited that we were able to see the extended trailer as well as a scene featuring Paul Rudd as Ant-man. It did not disappoint. Paul is hilarious and his banter with Chris Evans had me laughing so hard I was crying! Oh, and spoiler alert – they showed Bucky getting his memory back! That scene gave me goosebumps! It was amazing! Feige then revealed that there was a special “Easter egg” in the footage and it was aptly a nod to D23 EXPO. Love it! The movie stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Emily VanCamp, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Frank Grillo, Tom Holland, with William Hurt and Daniel Brühl. Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR is directed by Anthony & Joe Russo and produced by Kevin Feige. Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Patricia Whitcher, Nate Moore and Stan Lee serve as executive producers and the screenplay is by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR opens in the U.S. on May 6, 2016.
Doctor Strange
Another Marvel movie that I have been looking forward to is Doctor Strange. He is a favorite of mine from the comics. Benedict Cumberbatch has been announced as Doctor Strange and I think he will play him well. He fits the character. We got to see a video that he sent it (he even joked at the beginning by giving the Star Trek fingers – tisk tisk) and we were even shown some pre-production images. I can tell that this movie is going to be incredible and I cannot wait to see what they do with it. Doctor Strange will open in U.S. theaters on October 26, 2016.
The Finest Hours
My husband, who was in the Navy, has been really excited for The Finest Hours since he heard it was coming to theaters. This movie is based on a true story about a famous Coast Guard rescue. I can’t wait to see it either. The cast is amazing (Chris Pine, Eric Bana, Ben Foster, etc) – Chris Pine even showed up to talk about it! That was awesome and trust me, the crowd went wild. We got to see a scene from the movie where Holliday Granger is asking Eric Bana to call back the rescue crew which Chris Pine is part of. Just seeing her on screen saying “Please call them back” over and over was heart-wrenching. I know that this movie is going to be intense, but also super amazing. It is at the top of my must see list! The film is based on the book by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman and the screenplay is by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. The Finest Hours storms into U.S. theaters on January 29, 2016.
The Jungle Book
Ever since I heard that Disney was going to take on The Jungle Book as a live action movie – I was thrilled! Not only did I grow up watching, and loving, this movie, it is something that I have shared with my girls. When Jon Fabreau was called out on stage to discuss it, I was so excited. I am a huge fan of his – Sean Bailey said it best, “He has the rare talent of being as good behind the camera as he is in front of it”. Jon talked about how they wanted this movie to be a perfect mix of the book and the animated feature. Then the stars of the film, Ben Kingsley (Bagheera), Lupita Nyong’o (Rakisha), and of course Mowgli (Neel Sethi) came out on stage. They discussed how it was working together and on this film. We were then shown some footage of the movie that even the actors hadn’t seen yet. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Neel exclaimed “That was me!”. You could tell he was in true aw of what he had seen. We also got to see Christopher Walken as Kind Louie in the footage – it was incredible. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s 1967 animated classic, the film features state-of the-art technology that immerses audiences in the lush world like never before. The Jungle Book hits theaters in stunning 3D and IMAX 3D on April 15, 2016.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
I have been really excited for information an Alice Through the Looking Glass because I loved the first one. I also think that Johnny Depp makes an incredible Mad Hatter – as a matter of fact, all of the actors/actresses are brilliant. I was thrilled when Mia Wasikowska who plays Alice was welcomed to the stage! She talked about how it was fun to be working with everyone again. We were also let in on the fact that the character Time is being introduced and will be played by the amazing Sacha Baron Cohen. We got a look at some footage and I have to tell you, it is incredible! The story taking place in this film is that Alice is going back in time to find out what made the Mad Hatter so mad. She wants to help him and I cannot wait to go on the journey with her. We were all given a tow sided movie poster on our way out which was really cool! ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS opens in U.S. theaters on May 27, 2016.
Pete’s Dragon
I grew up watching Pete’s Dragon. It is a movie I have seen so many times, I can’t even count. So when I heard that it was going to be reimagined, I was super excited. Bryce Dallas Howard stars in this movie – and she even came out on stage to talk about it. I love her so this was a very cool experience for me. We got to see some footage and even got a quick glance at the back of the dragon. I cannot wait to see what they do with this film. It is going to be special. PETE’S DRAGON also stars Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and Robert Redford and opens in U.S. theaters on August 12, 2016.
Queen of Katwe
Bailey, with the help of Lupita Nyong’o, introduced the crowd to the upcoming film QUEEN OF KATWE, which is based on the inspirational true story of a girl from the poverty-stricken slums of rural Uganda who dreams of becoming a champion chess player. We were told that the cast and crew went to Uganda to do research to be sure that this film would be very accurate. Lupita talked about how this really touched her. Directed by Mira Nair from a screenplay by William Wheeler based on the book by Tim Crothers, QUEEN OF KATWE stars Nyong’o, David Oyelowo and newcomer Medina Nalwanga. I am really excited for this film.
Beauty and the Beast
Introduces as “The Tale as Old as Time” – everyone cheered. We all knew that we going to be talking about the live action veriosn of Beauty and the Beast which will be staring Emma Watson as Belle. We were even let in on the rest of the cast which includes Luke Evans (Gaston), Josh Gad (Le Fou), and Dan Stevens (Beast). While they could not be there in person, Emma, Luke, and Josh sent in a video. Josh and Luke even sang a little bit of “Gaston” – which was so good and super funny. I think this film is perfectly cast and I cannot wait to see the final product. We were even told that while there will be new recordings of the original songs – there will also be several new songs! BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
One of my favorite parts of the panel was the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dean Men Tell No Tales part. I have been a fan of the Pirates movie since the first one came out. There is something about Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) that I cannot help but love. I was thrilled to hear the announcement that Orlando Bloom would be back and Will Turner in this film! I cannot wait for this! The crowd went crazy when we were told that. But then, the most amazing thing happened. Johnny Depp himself came out on stage! Not just dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow – he was fully in character! It was incredible. He was munching on grapes and even started throwing them in to the audience. He claimed to have never heard of Johnny Depp when it was mentioned that he became a Disney Legend just the day before (well deserved!). I am pretty sure this is the moment that I lost my voice – and it is still gone, for those of you wondering. I absolutely cannot wait for this film! PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES releases in U.S. theaters on July 7, 2017.
And then it happened. The moment everyone was waiting for – Alan Horn took the stage again to present the Lucasfilm slate and timeline to the D23 EXPO fans. Horn told the audience that there were only 124 days to the release of Episode VII, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, on December 18, 2015 and added that there have been record-breaking trailer views and fantastic fan response. Touching on STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII, Horn reminded the audience that Rian Johnson will be directing the film slated for release on May 26, 2017. Then in a surprise announcement, Horn informed everyone that Colin Trevorrow (“Jurassic World”) has signed on to direct STAR WARS: EPISODE IX, which is scheduled for release in 2019. Moving on to the new Star Wars stories series, Horn touched on the “Untitled Han Solo” stand-alone film, slated for release on May 25, 2018 by reminding everyone that it will be directed by Christopher Miller & Phil Lord, with Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon Kasdan writing the screenplay. The crowd was cheering uncontrollably for every single one of these announcements. It was so amazing to be a part of it all.
Star Wars Rogue One
We were all excited when we were told we would find out the cast of Rogue One at this panel. The filmmakers have assembled a stellar cast for this movie, including Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, and Riz Ahmed. Rogue One will tell the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star and I, for one, cannot wait for it. I know it is going to be amazing. The crowd was excited to also be shown a cast photo (see above). Star Wars Rogue One is slated for a December 16, 2016 release.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Then it was time – time for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. We were shown an extended trailer and I am pretty sure the entire crowd got goosebumps when Han Solo said “Chewy, we’re home” at the end. Mostly everyone (if not everyone) had seen that before because it ends the teaser, but there is nothing like seeing it in a room filled with 8,000 Star Wars fans. It brings tears to my eyes now just remembering it. Then the unthinkable happened. J.J. Abrams was introduced to talk about the film. Just the fact that I was in a room with such talent had me shaking. Oh, but it got better. He started listing off the stars of the film and they were joining him on stage – John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Issac, Lupita Nong’o…. we were told we would be getting a special Drew Struzan D23 Expo poster that they showed on the screen. The poster was shown on the screen and then (even typing this now, I have tears running down my cheeks guys), Han Solo came into view. Harrison Ford was then introduced and came out on stage. HARRISON FORD. The crowd was immediately on their feet. I could barely tweet it out because my hands were shaking so much. To see such talent right in front of me – I was in shock, as I am sure many others were. I can’t even fully describe how it felt to be in that room, to be a part of it all – watch the recap video below to see. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS releases in U.S. theaters on December 18, 2015.
The entire panel was closed out with the announcement that Disney would be building a Star Wars Land in Disneyland as well as at Hollywood Studios in Disney World. You can read more about the park expansions here.
Disclosure: Mama Smith was provided with an all expenses paid trip to cover this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.
I am a huge fan of Disney’s Short films. One of my favorite parts about seeing a Disney movie in the theater is knowing that I will most likely get to check out a fun short before the film. They always amaze me because they are only around 8 minutes long (hence the name shorts) but they tell a complete story. Disney knows how to bring the feels! These shorts know how to make me laugh, and boy oh boy do they know how to make me cry. When I learned that Disney Animation Studios was releasing a collection of these shorts on BluRay/DVD I was super excited! My girls and I love watching them and having them at our fingertips to watch whenever we please is awesome. The DVD arrived about a week and a half ago and we have already watched it through at least 10 times. This collections consists of Frozen Fever, Feast, Get A Horse!, Paperman, Tangled Ever After, The Ballad of Nessie, Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa, Tick Tock Tale, How To Hook Up Your Home Theater, The Little Matchgirl, Lorenzo, & John Henry. While at the D23 Expo this past weekend I was lucky enough to sit down with some of the creators of these incredible shorts.
Mike Gabriel director of Lorenzo Mark Henn director John Henry Peter Del Vecho producer of Frozen Fever Dorothy McKim produced Get a Horse!, The Ballad of Nessie, Tick Tock Tale, Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa
Talking with these creators was like a dream come true. I loved learning about the different shorts, how they came about, and even about some fun Easter Eggs! Let me start off by saying that these four people are ridiculously brilliant and just being in the same room with them was an honor. The first question asked was to Dorothy about which one of the short’s that she worked on was her favorite. Of course this was a tough question because she has worked on so many incredible shorts. She stated that she loves them all for different reasons but that she leans toward Get A Horse!, which I must say is a great choice. Her reasoning? “Just to be able to bring a continued Walt’s legacy and his dream of doing shorts and using his voice in that short. Everything authentically was Walt in that short.” Yup, you read that right, even though the animation was completely new, they used Walt’s voice completely in that short. As a matter of fact, we learned that they could not find the word “red” anywhere and when they screened it to John Lasseter – he picked it out immediately. They went back and finally found the correct syllables to piece together the word.
When it comes to inspiration, the creators admit that they find their inspiration in many different places. Mike Gabriel says that his inspiration for Lorenzo came from Joe Grant, one of the earliest Walk Disney super stars of the studio. “So Joe had this idea for Lorenzo the cat made back in the 40’s. He left in 1950. So he’d been there from ’33 to ’50. 17 year run, he left for 40 years. He came back in 1989. He still had this Lorenzo idea in his head and he put it up in the drawings. He kept it alive. When Don Hahn started doing a Fantasia 3 – it didn’t get finished, but he was developing Fantasia 3 – Joe kept those drawings out in front of his office. Don said, ‘Mike you wanna check the Joe idea with the cat and the tail thing and put it to a tango for this Fantasia 3?’ And I said, ‘Hell yeah I do.’ So you know that’s sort of where the idea came from and I was the lucky to be one that was asked to do it.” Lorenzo is one of my favorite shorts. I think it is fun and even a little dark – but mostly fun – so I am really glad that this idea came about. My daughters love it as well – it has a Tom and Jerry feel to me. Classic.
Mark Henn pointed out that the legend of John Henry is something that he grew up with – and he thinks all of us have at some level. “What I found interesting is the fact that Disney and some of their short films involved American Tall Tales and Legends it actually alluded to John Henry. It is mentioned twice in the title sequence to Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunion, but they never did anything with it as far as I knew or could find, except for those two little title cards, and I thought this would be a great. We should do something with it.” For Peter, of course we know where the main inspiration came for Frozen Fever – from Frozen itself. He goes on to explain that “the idea that we get to explore a different side of Elsa and find certain comedy in her really appealed to us. And we started the short not that long after the movie – about 6 months after the movie – but we had just released in some of the foreign territory. So the movie was very fresh in our minds, but it was really the idea of exploring a different part of Elsa.“
When asked if anyone has ever done a short and then wanted to take it further and create a feature, the answer seemed to be no. Mark mentioned that he was not aware of the reverse – because we all know several short films have come after the feature (Frozen Fever and Tangled Ever After for example). Mike chimed in saying that he has had people ask for a Lorenzo feature (I love that idea!) but that there is one feature that was inspired by a short. Can you figure it out? Fantasia! This idea stemmed from the short, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Boy am I glad that was brought to a feature! One really cool thing about Walt Disney Animation Studios is that anyone – even a production assistant – can take an idea to John Lasseter. He allows anyone to pitch to him. I think this is awesome because a fantastic idea could come from anyone. I also learned that a lot of shorts are used to test out a director or new technology. “The Old Mill, for example, was playing with the multiplying camera back in the 30’s and 40’s.” Mark Henn explained. “I’m thinking of a little short called Goliath. It was about a miniature elephant, but they were basically testing out the Xerox camera process which replaced inking painting – our inking at that point in the studio’s history. So those kind of things get their birth or get launched in a short and often get implemented in a feature.“
As for the Easter Eggs we heard about – one of the Snowgies in Frozen Fever resembles a certain lovable, inflatable, BIG personality – Baymax from Big Hero 6! Dorothy McKim let everyone know that in Get A Horse, Oswalk peeks through right at the end. We also learned from Peter Del Vecho that there is an Easter Egg in the Frozen feature film that no one has found yet. They wouldn’t share with us so it is time to watch Frozen on repeat in slow motion until we discover it! The animators also love to put themselves and others who have worked with the films in them as characters. For example, in John Henry, Byron Howard (who directs Zootopia), appears as one of the railroad workers in John Henry. Mark Henn appears as one of the polyps in The Little Mermaid (the one with a mustache) and as soon as he mentioned that, I knew exactly which one he was talking about. For another take on this interview – and more photos! – read Christa from The Fairytale Traveler’s take.
The Walt Disney Animation Short Films Collection is available on Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital HD as well as Digital HD on the Disney Movies Anywhere app and website TODAY! The bonus features include a short (no pun intended) interview with the creators by TJ Miller (the voice of “Fred” in Big Hero 6)! Purchase yours here.
Disclosure: Mama Smith was provided with an all expenses paid trip to cover this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.
One of my favorite panels at D23 was the Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films (Hosted by John Lasseter) panel. From the moment the list was released, I know this would be one of my favorites. John Lasseter, chief executive officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Stuidos, is amazingly talented and I was itching to watch him speak about the work being done. There are so many animated movies that I am looking forward to like Finding Dory, Toy Story 4, and Moana. I had no idea the amount of cast members that would show up on stage – and the amount of tears that I would be wiping away while watching the trailers and sneak peaks. Being in this room was electric. The energy was contagious. There is no other way to put it.
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: (L-R) Actors Ed O’Neill, Ty Burrell, Kaitlin Olson and Ellen DeGeneres of FINDING DORY took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Finding Dory
Finding Dory was teased to us what seems like forever ago. Since watching Finding Nemo, I have been waiting for a sequel. It is one of my favorite Pixar movies of all time. It is extremely well done and the voice acting is incredible. I know that Ellen Degeneres (the voice of Dory) has been waiting for a sequel too. We were able to see some footage of the movie and get to meet the rest of the cast – Hank, a cantankerous octopus will be voiced by Ed O’Neil (Married With Children, Modern Family), Bailey, a misguided belgua whale will be voiced by Ty Burrell (Modern Family), and Destiny, a kind hearted whale shark is brought to life by Kaitlin Olsen (Always Sunny in Philidelphia). The cast was hilarious creating witty banter on stage and making everyone laugh until their cheeks hurt. In Finding Dory, Dory will remember something about her parents – and will swim through the ocean trying to find them. This movie is going to be even better than you would expect it to. I really enjoyed the footage that we saw and can’t wait to see more when Finding Dory will hit theaters June 1, 2016.
GIGANTIC Adventure-seeker Jack discovers a world of giants hidden within the clouds, hatching a grand plan with a 60-foot-tall, 11-year-old girl. Directed by Nathan Greno (“Tangled”) and produced by Dorothy McKim (“Get A Horse!”), “Gigantic” hits U.S. theaters in 2018. 2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
Gigantic
Gigantic was a movie that I had not even heard was coming out. This was all new to me and since my daughters are obsessed with the story of jack and the Beanstalk, I was thrilled to learn about it. In this movie, Jack will climb the beanstalk to discover not just one giant, but a whole world of them. He will meet a giant girl, Inma, who is 11 years old and will travel with her to take on the storm giants. We saw some very early drawings and this movie is sure to impress. We also go a real treat when the team behind the music of Frozen, the Lopez team, came out and sang us a song from Gigantic. The My Tiny Little Man Song is funny and cute – and is sure to get stuck in your head just like Let It Go did. I am humming it right now as I type this. After the announcement was made, D23 had a beanstalk “grow” in the convention center – how cool is that? Gigantic will hit theaters in 2018.
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: Producer Darla K. Anderson (L) and director Lee Unkrich of COCO took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Coco I have known for a little while that Disney/Pixar was working on a Dia de los Muertos animated film but the title was just released (along with a fun clip) at D23! The title will be Coco and it looks incredible. This movie is the celebration of a lifetime, where the discovery of a generations-old mystery leads to a most extraordinary and surprising family reunion. The visuals are breathtaking and the audience at the panel were all excited for Coco – you could tell by their reaction to the video. In the clip, we saw a skeleton band playing and singing some lively music – but that is all I will give away to you. “In our story,” Director Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”) and producer Darla K. Anderson explained, “the celebration of Dia de los Muertos serves as the perfect backdrop for our main character to ask where he comes from, what his place is within his family, and how families stay woven together across time through the simple act of remembrance.”
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: Director John Musker (L) and actor Dwayne Johnson of MOANA took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Moana
Probably one of the most highly anticipated movies that was discussed is Moana. This movie introduces a spirited teenager who sails out on a daring mission to fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest. She meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui (just announced he will be voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), and together, they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage. I had to collect myself after The Rock himself came on to stage. He hung out for quite sometime discussing his role and even chanting with us. He is very happy to be a part of this movie and you could see it. He even got a little emotional – well, everyone in the room did – while watching the clip we were shown of a young Moana. There were no official announcements about the voice of Moana – for that, we will have to wait another couple of months most likely. Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess & the Frog), Moana sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.
The Good Dinosaur The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters on November 25, 2015 and I have been looking forward to taking my daughters for quite some time now. This movie plays with the idea that the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs never hit Earth. I think it is a unique and fun concept and I was so excited to see some scenes from the movie at the panel. In the footage that we saw a trio of T-Rexes that were introduced for the first time. They help Arlo find a way through his personal fears and ultimately teach Arlo what he’s truly made of. I do not want to give too much away but this is a Disney movie so of course they brought the feels. One scene that we saw had me (and most of the audience) bawling. Just typing this has me tearing up again. You do not want to miss this movie. The Good Dinosaur is a “Boy and his Dog” type story with the boy being a dinosaur, Arlo, and the dog being a human boy, Spot. I cannot wait to see this with my family this Thanksgiving!
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: (L-R) Director Byron Howard, actress Ginnifer Goodwin, director Rich Moore and producer Clark Spencer of ZOOTOPIA took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Zootopia One movie that I have been excited about since I first heard about it is Zootopia. I love the idea that animals have evolved like humans and the cast is pretty stellar. At the D23 Expo we got a look at a scene from the movie and it did not disappoint. Nick, who is a sly fox voiced by Jason Bateman, feels that animals are who they are – foxes are sly and bunnies should not be cops. Judy Hopps. who is a police officer bunny voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, feels differently. She believes that you can be whoever you want to be. The two pair up to solve a missing mammal case and the results are funny as well as touching. Ginnifer surprised everyone by coming out to talk about her character Judy. The crowd went wild – and she was so nice and sweet! There was even a special announcement – we were told that Shakira would be voicing Gazelle AND she even sang some of a new song that will be a part of the movie called “Try Everything”. I am way more excited for this movie after seeing these clips and learning this information, which I did not think would be possible! Zootopia opens nationwide March 4, 2015.
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: Composer Randy Newman of TOY STORY 1, 2 and 3 and director John Lasseter of TOY STORY 4 (C) took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Toy Story 4
The creators of Toy Story made a pinky promise after Toy Story 3 that they would never make another one – unless they came up with a story line that was worthy. John Lasseter explains that they were actually in a meeting discussing another film and an idea came up. He secretly worked on it and once it was ready the team read it – and immediately knew that it had to be made. Toy Story 4 will be about the love story we have all been wanting to see – Woody and Bo Peep! Woody and Buzz will venture out to find her and who knows what obstacles they will encounter. This movie is sure to be everything you could hope for in a Toy Story movie and more. The presentation of this movie was amazing and even had a few surprise guests – including Randy Newman who sang “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” live. There were so many tears flowing at that point. Every Toy Story movie has made me feel just about every emotion you can. I usually end up going through a lot of tissues and I am sure Toy Story 4 will be no different. Toy Story 4 is slated to release on June 16, 2017.
RILEY’S FIRST DATE.2015 Disney Pixar. All Rights Reserved
Riley’s First Date Knowing all of the amazing movie announcements and information that was shared at this panel, it might sound silly when I say that my second favorite thing of that panel (Randy Newman being first of course) was watching the new short, Riley’s First Date. Maybe it is because I feel such a connection to the Inside Out movie. Not only was I lucky enough to attend the premiere (if you missed that, read my post about it here) but this is movie that hits home with me. I remember being Riley’s age all too well and I love that this movie will help my daughters understand their emotions better. When Inside Out is released on BluRay and DVD later this Fall, a special short will be a bonus feature. In this short, we see how Riley’s parents react as she goes on her first date. The entire room was cracking up during the short. My cheeks hurt I was laughing so hard. Be sure to grab Inside Out as soon as it comes out so you can see it – you will love it!
Disclosure: I was provided with an all expenses paid trip by Disney to attend this event. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
Star Wars Land Cantina Concept Art
I was lucky enough to be able to attend one of the most anticipated panels at the D23 Expo this weekend – the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts panel. There was so much news that my mind was racing. From Star Wars to Toy Story, the park expansions across the world are going to be incredible. Get ready to have your mind blown.
Star Wars
The first major announcement was one that we heard during the Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios panel – there will be a Star Wars expansion to the theme parks. Yes, I said PARKS. Star Wars “Land” will be coming to both Disneyland and Disney World! In Disneyland it will take up 14 acres and at Disney World it will be added on to Hollywood Studios. Both of these will be the largest land expansions that the parks have seen. This is beyond exciting guys. I was freaking out when I heard this.
Oh, and it gets even better. Plan to be immersed in a whole new world. The Star Wars section of the parks will be set up as a whole new planet and all shops and restaurants will be run by local inhabitants. Yup. That means that the native aliens of the planet(s) you are visiting will be assisting you during your stay. There will even be a cantina just like in the film. Oh and I did I mention that you will get a chance to take the wheel of the MILLENNIUM FALCON! Like… what! I about died when I heard that – amazing! You will be greeted by the characters you know and love – as well as some new characters. The concept art is incredible and I am so excited to share it with you.
Since this park is going to take a long time to be completed, Disney wants to give you something in the meantime. Star Tours in both parks will be updated with a new adventure featuring locations and characters from the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There will also be a Star Wars Launch Bay which will take guests into the upcoming film with special exhibits and peeks behind-the-scenes, including opportunities to visit with new characters, special merchandise, and food offerings. This will be located in the Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park. At Disneyland, it will be sharing it’s space with Super Hero HQ where guests will be able to take photos with Captain America and Thor, as well as experience Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries.
Jedi Training Academy will also be reimagined with a new experience that includes new characters and a new villain to battle from Star Wars Rebels. One of the things that I am most excited about is the Season of the Force. This is a seasonal event that will begin in early 2016 and brings new experiences to both coasts. At Disneyland guests will explore the Star Wars galaxy with special entertainment and foods throughout. Space Mountain will be reimagined as Hyperspace Mountain and guests will join and X-wing Starfighter battle! At Hollywood Studios guests will close out weekend nights with a new fireworks spectacular set to the iconic score of the Star Wars movies.
Toy Story Land
The reimagining of Hollywood Studios Florida doesn’t stop at Star Wars. If you thought things couldn’t get any more exciting, than you were wrong. Toy Story Land will be cover 11 acres of the park and will bring guests in to the world of Andy’s toys. You will be shrunk down to the size of Woody and Buzz as you navigate through toys like building blocks, buckets, and game board pieces. The experience alone is sure to be like nothing you have ever seen before. Toys Story will be launching the fourth movie in the series soon – but that story is for another post.
I know you are dying to hear about the rides that will be featured in Toy Story Land so get ready. There will be a family friendly roller coaster all taking place on the back of Slinky Dog. He will zip and zoom, plunge and coast as he takes guests on a fun, toy-filled adventure throughout the new land. There will also be an alien saucers attraction where they will take you around for a spin in their very own flying saucers. The music, lighting and sound effects add to the flurry of the action, while the “claw” looms over. Toy Story Mania will also be adding a third track to the popular ride.
As part of the largest expansion in the park’s history, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will immerse guests into the world of Pandora, the entire park will transform after dark with new nighttime entertainment experiences which will offer longer days at the park. Expected to open next spring, “Rivers of Light” will be an innovative experience unlike anything ever seen in a Disney park. It will combine live music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery. The most exciting announcement about Pandora (besides the giant floating lands above you of course) is the AVATAR Flight of Passage ride. In this E-ticket attraction, guests will soar over Pandora on a Banchee to see it like it was meant to be seen – from a bird’s eye view. I was over the moon at this presentation because guess what – James Cameron came out to talk to us about it! He is incredibly talented and it was so cool to see him live and in person!
Animal Kingdom will also be extending of Kilimanjaro Safaris for a new nighttime adventure. This expansion also includes two new species of animals – African Wild Dogs and hyenas. I know that my girls will love this addition because this is their favorite ride at Disney World.
Other announcements included Soarin Around the Worlds to be added to both California and Florida parks as well as the Iron Man Experience news which will be added to the Hong Kong park. And let me just say that Stan Lee showed up to talk about this amazing addition and I couldn’t stop the tears. That man is my hero. He is funny and beyond talented. It was an absolute honor to see him in person!
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Disclosure: Mama Smith’s Review Blog received this item in exchange for her honest review. All opinions expressed are 100% hers.
My daughters love Transformers: Rescue Bots. I was really surprised at how in to this show they get on weekday mornings – they are glued to the TV when it comes on. They like to run around and play Transformers after it ends and it is the cutest thing. This new DVD from Shout Factory! called Transformers Rescue Bots: Dinobots is a huge hit with them! They love that the transformers turn in to dinosaurs. I must admit, it is pretty cool!
Synopsis:
More Fun With Everyone’s Favorite DINOBOTS! Optimus Prime, Chase, Heatwave, Blades and Boulder are back for more rescuing adventures in Griffin Rock! This time, their adventures are going to be huge — and prehistoric! That’s right! The Dinobots are back and they’re bringing big fun back to Griffin Rock! This DVD includes five fun filled episodes:
Three-time US Champion, Johnny Weir, announced today that he will join the star-studded Halloween on Ice cast, touring SMG managed facilities throughout the month of October. The Halloween On Ice tour will stop in Syracuse for one night, performing live in The Oncenter War Memorial Arena on Thursday, October 15th. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at the Solvay Bank Box Office at The Oncenter (760 S. State Street), charge by phone (1-800-745-3000) or online via Ticketmaster.com.
“Nancy Kerrigan’s Halloween on Ice” promoter Jerry Solomon announced today that three time US National Champion Johnny Weir will join the 15 city tour.
“I am so excited for Halloween on Ice!,” said Weir. “It’s going to be such a perfect opportunity to combine my love of costumes and fashion with the privilege of performing my heart out each night. This will be an amazing show for the whole family to enjoy and I can’t wait to see you all there!”
“I can’t wait to work with Johnny,” said two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan who is co-directing the show with Kurt Browning. “Johnny’s costumes are well known beyond skating so I am sure the audience will beexcited to see what he comes up with.”
Halloween on Ice began in 1995 as a vehicle for Kerrigan following her Silver Medal performance in the 1994 Olympics. This year’s tour begins on October 8 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and continues through the end of October, concluding in Grand Rapids, MI. Tickets are priced from $25, with special fan opportunities available. Tickets are available at all arena box offices and Ticketmaster.com.
“We are excited that Johnny will share top billing with Nancy and Kurt Browning for this year’s tour,” said Solomon, “which also includes a group of national, world and Olympic medalists. With the emphasis on costumes, we felt it was a natural for Johnny to be part of the show. Not only is he one of his generation’s best skaters but he is probably the best showman. He will be a great addition to the tour.”
Halloween on Ice is a StarGames production. Tour sponsors include Party City which will host the costume contest, Musselman’s Applesauce, Flex24 and Getty Images. The tour is sanctioned by US Figure Skating which will host skatefests in certain locations. Venue operator SMG manages each arena on the tour.
HALLOWEEN ON ICE 2015
October
8 Wilkes-Barre, PA Mohegan Sun Arena; presented by Mohegan Sun Casino
9 Reading, PA Santander Arena
10 Johnstown, PA Cambria War Memorial
11 Richmond, VA Richmond Coliseum 15 Syracuse, NY The Oncenter War Memorial
16 Rochester, NY Blue Cross Arena
17 Albany, NY Times Union Center; presented by Hannaford
18 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena
20 Mississauga, Ont The Hershey Centre
22 St Catharines, Ont Meridian Center
23 Toledo, OH Huntington Center
24 Saginaw, MI Dow Event Center*
25 Rockford, IL BMO Harris Bank Ctr*
29 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center; presented by Lexus of Peoria
30 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
*Mr. Weir will not perform at this location due to prior commitments
I love banana bread – but my husband doesn’t. So I purposely buy extra bananas knowing that the only solution will be to back up some bread for my daughters and I! They are huge fans of it too and it usually does not last long in our home. I love the smell that it fills the house with as well. This is a recipe that I got from my grandmother. Yum!
Ingredients:
3-4 very ripe bananas, peeled
1.3 cup melted butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter/spray loaf pan.
Mash bananas in bowl until smooth.
Stir in melted butter.
Mix in salt, baking soda, egg (beaten), sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
Mix in flour.
Pour batter in to loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (I do 45 in my convection oven).
Let cool completely.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Have a recipe you would like to share? Link it up below!
Every week my family and I have “Family Movie Night” – my husband and I let our daughters pick out a movie and we go in to our theater room to watch it. This week’s selection was The Seventh Dwarf from Shout! Factory and we all really enjoyed it! My husband is very in to music and was entertained by the songs in this movie. He kept saying how good they were and what a good soundtrack it would make for road trips with the girls. As soon as it ended, my oldest asked if we could start it over. My 2.5 year old usually stops paying attention about halfway through movies and starts playing with toys or something else – but she sat on the couch with us through the entire showing of The Seventh Dwarf! We all fell in love with BoBo and I know you will too. This movie is sure to be a family favorite and I know that we will be watching it time and time again.
Synopsis
Join all seven dwarfs for an adventure as big as they are small! It’s the eve of Princess Rose’s 18th birthday. Everyone in the kingdom has come to Fantabularasa Castle to celebrate including Snow White, the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood. But just before the stroke of midnight Bobo, the youngest dwarf, accidentally pricks the finger of Princess Rose (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) with a cursed needle and sends the kingdom into a century-long slumber! To find Rose’s true love Jack to save her with a kiss, Bobo and the other six dwarfs must go on a treacherous journey, face a fiery dragon and outwit the jealous, scheming and evil witch, Dellamorta! This hilarious mash-up of the best classic fairy tales for young and old alike, features a winged dragon, a brave little dwarf, non-stop laughs and toe-tapping songs!
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