Magical Adventures & Memories
In my travels today, I saw these little beauties in World of Disney…the original Disney Dooney & Bourke Cindy Sketch featured in black or white as an iPhone case for the 4 and 4S. They are real cases that go over the front of the phone as well and not just the snap on the sides and leave the front exposed. Each case is $50.
Now the movie is available on Blu-ray in pristine condition, with some pretty fun bonus features as well. One of my favorite parts is when you press the pause button on the movie, it goes to a special screen and the a little mini-scene comes up to entertain whomever is left watching while the screen is on pause.
Who doesn’t love this classic Tink scene?
I’m also a huge fan of Mary Blair and her amazing artwork, and the Peter Pan disc offers a great gallery of some of the Mary Blair concept art for Peter Pan:
version available as well. My son is addicted to Disney Storybook apps and Peter Pan is no exception. Bring Peter Pan and the whole Never Land gang home to your family today!
There are so many movie/pop culture-make-up crossovers lately, it may be hard to keep up, but one I was instantly enamored with was Urban Decay’s The Glinda Palette
and Urban Decay’s The Theodora Palette. UD is my favorite brand of eye shadows (so many sparkles!) and I tend to get a little obsessed with their new releases. This is no exception. The two sets are just gorgeous and seem to have a color for any occasion, eye color, or style. See the hues below:
From UD’s description: Inspired by the Disney film’s theme of good witch vs. bad witch (and the good witch/bad witch dichotomy in all of us), Urban Decay created two collectible palettes loaded with beautiful, never-before-seen shades. Recreate Glinda’s ethereal, spellbinding look with eight all new and exclusive eye shadows in six pans (this set includes two duo-shades that are split in half, with a different color on each side of the pan).
Fellow blogger Estelle from ThisHappyPlaceBlog.com picked up the Glinda palette and had these photos to share:
From UD’s description: Inspired by the Disney film’s theme of good witch vs. bad witch (and the good witch/bad witch dichotomy in all of us), Urban Decay created two collectible palettes loaded with beautiful, never-before-seen shades. Recreate Theodora’s captivating, edgy look with eight all new and exclusive eye shadows in six pans (this set includes two duo-shades that are split in half, with a different color on each side of the pan).
Urban Decay’s The Glinda Palette and Urban Decay’s The Theodora Palette are $49 each and available now. Now go get them before someone drops a house on you too! 😉
On the heels of the great success of 2011’s The Muppet Movie, bringing the Muppets back to the forefront of our hearts and minds and exposing them to a whole new generation, work has begun on the next installment. The sequel to The Muppet Movie will be called “The Muppets…Again” and while Jason Segel is not involved in the movie this time around, the rest of the filmmaking team is back in place and ready to make some Muppet-filled magic. Here is the official press release about the work in progress, hitting theatres in March of 2014:
The filmmaking team behind 2011’s celebrated film “The Muppets” reunites as Disney’s “The Muppets … Again!” kicked off production last week in London. The all-new global Muppets adventure welcomes Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell and Tina Fey to the mayhem, along with Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Walter and rest of the Muppets. The film is directed by James Bobin (“Flight of the Conchords,” “Da Ali G Show”), who was just nominated for a BAFTA for “The Muppets” (Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer), and produced by the Academy Award®-nominated team of David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman (“The Fighter,” “The Proposal”). With a screenplay by Bobin and Nicholas Stoller (“The Five-Year Engagement”), who is also executive producer with John Scotti, “The Muppets … Again!” will feature music from Academy Award®-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie (“Flight of the Conchords”), who won an Oscar® for best original song for “The Muppets” (“Man or Muppet”). The new film will hit the big screen March 21, 2014.
“It’s great to be back working with the Muppets,” said Bobin, “some of them even remember my name occasionally now. As for the movie, it’s a tip of the hat to the old-school crime capers of the ’60s, but featuring a frog, a pig, a bear and a dog—no panthers, even pink ones—along with the usual Muppet-y mix of mayhem, music and laughs.”
Disney’s “The Muppets …Again!” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais, creator of “Derek” and the Golden Globe®- and Emmy®-winning series “The Office” and “Extras.” The film stars Golden Globe-, Emmy- and SAG Award®-winning actress and writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” “Mean Girls,” “Date Night”) as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Emmy Award winner Ty Burrell (TV’s “Modern Family”) as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.
Said Kermit the Frog, “This movie takes us places we’ve never been before. And trust me—this frog has never seen so much international flavor. I think audiences will eat it up—the entertainment, that is.”
Featuring a slew of surprising celebrity cameos, Disney’s “The Muppets … Again!” will shoot on location in London and in Hollywood, as well as in the famed Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, just outside of London.
Muppets in England? Sign me up! Can’t wait to see where the Muppets and their human friends take us this time around.
Well, my personal opinion is that, as a local, I may have taken approximately 1971 photos of Cinderella Castle, and while it never gets old for me, I like to shake things up. Instagram and other photo apps make it easy and fun to focus on one castle spire, or close-up on the clock, do a tilt-shift of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, all sorts of FUN stuff. And, within the Instagram app lies a whole other community, connected by hashtags and common friends, of people that support and enjoy photos as much as you do. It really is a wonderful place. And you can in turn share the photos you create on Instagram over on twitter or Facebook or tumblr or even Flickr and Foursquare. It’s so easy. (And I mentioned fun, right?) One note of caution: many people feel like using social networks in the parks can lead to missing out on what’s going on around you. As someone who is guilty of that, I’ve come up with a sort of solution. I will take photos along the way, but still enjoy everything that’s happening and not get too engrossed in my phone. Then later, when we stop for a break, I’ll edit and post the photos then. It makes for a nice balance where you aren’t spending the entire visit with your head down in your phone.
Over time, I’ve downloaded quite the collection of photo editing apps, for making photos pop or adding some sparkles here and there, and it’s become quite an art form in its own right. Of course other times I just want to share a photo of my cat or my kids being silly. That’s the great part about Instagram, there are no rules. Another great part of the Instagram community are the hashtags, just like on twitter using a tag like this: #disney will allow you to find lots of other photos using that tag, and ensure your photo is seen by more people. It’s also fun to go back and look at hashtags later on and relive the memories you created. My friends, family and I have taken to using “#widdlebabygio” every time we post a photo of my youngest – just looking back on that set of photos puts a huge smile on my face. The use of hashtags then leads to other fun stuff, like photo challenges.
Our hashtag for this challenge is #WhimsicalDisneyGram and there you can see all of the daily topics and the photos participants have created. February just started and we’ve already seen some amazing content! So if you haven’t tried Instagram before, give it a go, you just may fall in love! And if you’re already up there, look me up – I’m @zannaland, Nicole is @sparklynicole and you’ll find so many other Disney friends there too! Nicole and I would love to have you take part in our February photo adventure, with more to come each month! No pressure, just drop in and out as you please, and have fun!
I hope to see you ‘gramming soon!
It may feel like winter will never end in some parts of the world, but Disney and LeSportsac are ready to infuse a little spring into your life with their latest designs for the Mary Blair-inspired collection. I wasn’t a huge fan of the winter designs, but they have won me over again with these whimsical colors and styles, this time paying homage to the country of Holland!
From LeSportsac’s blog: “…our carefree Dutch girls Saskia, Kalie and Brandie urge us to toss our devices and enjoy a sun-kissed afternoon on a bicycle! The Kalie Charm comes with the handkerchief-style print Well Wishes, as well as the embroidered placement tote Blooming Joy which features a Delft blue inspired needlepoint print brimming with bright pink daffodils and tulips.” Let’s see what’s in store for us:
Well Wishes print will be available in 14 styles: Rectangular Cosmetic, Travel Cosmetic , Kasey, Classic Hobo, Deluxe Everyday Bag, EveryGirl Tote, Medium Weekender, Large Weekender, Mini Basic Backpack, Basic Backpack, Small EveryGirl Tote, Deluxe Shoulder Satchel, Ryan Baby Bag, Lily Wallet.
More info from LeSportsac’s blog: “Adding to the Small World capsule is the latest installation of Mary Blair’s original artwork. See the World reworks the the world’s icons into a placement tote with beige and pastel contrasts, while our familiar geometric facade print continues with Global Journey in this color palette. Smaller styles in Global Journey include the Time To Share Double Coin Charm, while the larger styles and the See the World Tote come with the highly anticipated Multi Landmark Charm. It is sure to steal hearts all over!” I am pretty sure I need one of these styles!
Global Journey print will be available in 17 styles: Small Cleo Crossbody, Classic Hobo, Deluxe Everyday Bag, EveryGirl Tote, Medium Weekender, Large Weekender, Voyager Backpack , Carryall Tote, Basic Backpack, Small EveryGirl Tote, Deluxe Shoulder Satchel, Ryan Baby Bag, Jessi Baby Bag, Rectangular Cosmetic , Travel Cosmetic, Kasey, Lily Wallet.
“Share Your Dreams embroidery is a subtler beige and cream print, with small colorful embroidered impressions of the world’s icons sprinkled throughout and features cream tipped handles and straps. It includes the Share Your World Coin Charm on the larger styles, and the smaller styles come with the Time To Share Double Coin Charm.”
Share Your Dreams embroidery will be available in 8 styles: Classic Hobo, Deluxe Everyday Bag, EveryGirl Tote, Large Weekender, Small EveryGirl Tote, Deluxe Shoulder Satchel, Kasey, Small Cleo Crossbody.
New styles added to the Spring Disney It’s a Small World line-up include the Lily Wallet, Jessi Baby Bag, Basic Backpack, Small EveryGirl Tote, Medium Weekender, Deluxe Shoulder Satchel, and Carryall Tote.
Okay, maybe I need that one too, Love that charm too!
Which is your favorite design? I think they Spring 2013 collection will be a great success! Disney LeSportsac designs are available online and in select Disney Parks merchandise locations and the Spring collection will be out in February. Happy shopping!
After the great success of the Disney and Sephora collaboration on their Cinderella collection, Sephora recently announced the Princess Jasmine set will be the next in the series of Disney princesses. I know there are many of us grown-up princesses that absolutely love this partnership and it only seems right that glitter and sparkles should be available in the form of gorgeous make-up, accessories and even perfume. Check out the beautiful images below for the Jasmine collection, available this March exclusively at Sephora:
If you missed the Cinderella collection, some pieces are still available at Sephora:
In the continuing Disney Dream Portrait series by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, the Disney Parks Blog released the latest celebrity to pose. This time around Taylor Swift is transformed into Rapunzel, which seems like a natural fit for the singer known for singing her heart out and sharing her emotions within her songs.
You can see more of the Disney Dream Portrait series here on Zannaland.
Disney may have caused a bit of a national stir with their first incarnation of the Habit Heroes attraction, (which held soft openings about a year ago, and then closed less than two months later) but the entire show has been rewritten, revamped and ready for action.
The issue faced in the previous version was that two of the cartoonish characters depicted obesity as being easily solved by exercising and eating right, and, critics felt, used tools of shame to attempt to get their message across. Bariatric surgeons and National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance advocates spoke out against the attraction perpetuating negative stereotypes about obesity. At the same time, many in the local Disney community felt that too much of an overreaction was made toward the attraction’s characters. A show about bad habits included characters depicting the effects of those bad habits. One need only look at our schools and yes, theme parks, to see first-hand the effects of those bad habits. As someone who has struggled with weight all my life, I was not offended and definitely understood the message trying to be conveyed. Regardless, Disney closed the attraction while it retooled the storyline based on guest reactions.
Habit Heroes is now back and opens today in Epcot’s Innoventions East, right near the popular Sum of All Thrills motion simulator ride and the Vision House walk-through. I was given a special preview yesterday and even better, was able to take my four year-old with me to test out the changes.
This time around, according to Creative Director Brent Strong, the focus is on positive messages and at the core, trying to make sure everyone feels like a super hero, tapping into emotions to get guests engaged and excited about healthy habits. Rather than having “bad guys” fighting with donuts and sweets, the focus is on YOU, the hero, making good choices and keeping the effects of bad choices away. These bad choices are represented by the unseen forces that threaten our health – dehydration, inactivity and lack of nutrition.
Guests are taken into a series of 4 rooms within the attraction, starting with the training center and ending with the debriefing room. In the training center, we are introduced to our Habit Hero guides, who tell us about these unseen dangers, and how we can combat them by making the right choices. These stories are told in a simple manner that anyone can relate to, without making it seem silly or corny.
Every guest walking into Epcot has probably seen the effects of dehydration, represented here via “Scorchers.” Inactivity is translated into a young boy wanting to go out and play on his skateboard, but getting distracted by the “Sappers” who do anything they can to keep you from activity. Lastly, we are shown the effects of not having proper nutrition. The “Blocker Bots” are what appear when you just eat whatever you want, leaving no room for good choices like fruits and vegetables to get into your system. These lessons are very well portrayed, in such a way where you could see the effects of your choices and how being a Habit Hero will ensure good health.
Next, we enter a room full of “blasters” which correspond with the habits we just learned about. Blue for hydration, red for activity, and green for nutrition. We then use the blasters to zap away the cartoon representations of Scorchers, Sappers, and Blocker Bots as they try to attack people. A fun little addition is each blaster gives off a little “surprise” as you hit your target – blue gives off a mist of water, red a puff of air, green a little vibration. Another round is played where teamwork comes into play, showing the importance of neighbors and community as you battle to be a Habit Hero.
The community aspect is also utilized in the next room, where you are given a colored card as you enter. The room is surrounded by a screen showing Scorchers, Sappers and Blocker Bots attacking from above. Guests place their card on stands around the room, activating a shield and destroying the bad habits. The habits are attacking all around, so guests must run around to the different stations, and are encouraged to ask for help when they see a different card is needed, “we need a red card here!”
Once the world has been saved, you are ready to head to the debriefing room to take the Habit Heroes pledge. The fun doesn’t end there, however. Guests are given a wrist band bracelet in the color representing the habit they most identified with, red, blue, or green. Guests are also given a special card with a mission to embark on in the real world – Epcot! The cards show a cut out to match up on an Epcot map displayed within the debriefing room, and they follow the clues to find a hidden code word somewhere in a nearby Epcot attraction. They are then instructed to return to the Habit Heroes kiosks outside the attraction and enter their code word for a special message from the Habit Heroes leader and an option to enter their email address to receive more information on the Habit Heroes app which is available for Apple and Android mobile devices. Right now, there is just one mission and code word per card, but the attraction itself plus the app ensure lots of return visits to Habit Heroes.
While the Epcot mission takes the Habit Heroes attraction one step beyond, the app truly brings it to the real world, creating healthy families along the way. The app provides the same missions on the cards at the end of the show, as well as backstory on all the Habit Heroes, along with interactive tracking of activity which allow you to unlock content and real world tools for healthy living. The overall message here is positive, healthy changes and how those healthy choices affect us, our friends, and our family.
Guests leaving the attraction were already commenting on how they will now make sure their family stays hydrated throughout the day. This is definitely an interactive attraction that stays with you and keeps the entire family working toward healthy goals. As Brian Wansink, Ph.D. from Cornell University and the Director of Cornell Food and Brand Lab puts it, “Habit Heroes is incredible because it’s not just about learning…it’s about learning and turning it into action. That’s the nice thing about this is that when people leave, they’ve got a plan of how to make their life healthier.” That is definitely the message I took away; kids and adults alike are given the lesson and the tools to turn those lessons into life changes.
In addition to all of that – it’s just plain fun. My four year old loved it the two times he got to play and couldn’t wait to bring his older sister and brother back so each of them could be a different color and get all the bad habits. The app is a great addition to keep the lessons and the momentum going, leading to lifelong lessons and positive habits down the road.
Habit Heroes is sponsored and presented by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I was provided with a preview of the attraction from Disney – my thoughts and opinions are my own. You can also learn more at HabitHeroes.com.
See more photos from Habit Heroes:
After returning to the Boston area to finish high school, I saw Phantom of the Opera, followed by Les Misérables. I loved it so much I had to see it again right away. It became the show I saw the most and still is to this day. The music moved me so, combined with the story (what girl isn’t obsessed with Paris at some point?), and of course, the amazing staging of the show itself. Needless to say, I’ve been more than a little excited to see Les Misérables come to the big screen as close to the stage show as possible. The clips I saw prior to watching the film were all just incredible; haunting, alluring, drawing you in, just like the stage show. The film did not disappoint in that regard.
I did not do much research before seeing this film version of Les Misérables, but what I did know is that it was produced by Cameron Mackintosh, who produced the original stage production, and directed by Tom Hooper, who had done The King’s Speech, most famously. Hooper did something truly unique for the filming of the musical, he had the actors sing their parts live as the cameras were rolling, rather than lip-synching to pre-recorded songs. By doing this, Hooper believed this method allowed the actors to have emotional control over their songs, noting that when Anne Hathaway sings ‘I Dreamed a Dream,’ if she needs to take a moment to have a thought or show an emotion before she sings it, she can do that. And after witnessing this first hand, I can tell you it was the right decision.
Now, to the film itself. If you do not want spoilers, save this part for after you’ve seen the film. Obviously, the story is well-known at this point, but I’ll go into specific details from the movie which could be considered spoilers if you want to be surprised. For those who aren’t familiar with the Les Misérables story here’s a quick synopsis before the review:
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Hugh Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
The opening scene is one of the most powerful I have seen on screen. I truly did not even recognize Hugh Jackman as he sang his parts and acted with the other condemned men doing hard labor for their crimes. It was an excellent set-up to the antagonistic relationship between Jean Valjean and Javert.
We then move into the struggle for Valjean to find his place in the world that wants nothing to do with him. Refused at every turn, Valjean finally receives shelter and care from an elderly bishop who takes him in and treats him like an honored guest. The bishop is played by the original Jean Valjean in the stage production, the amazing Colm Wilkinson. It was wonderful to see him on screen and in this story once more. When Valjean receives the second chance from the bishop and is faced with the life-altering decision to remain as himself or create a new life and leave his past behind, Hugh Jackman’s performance is Oscar-worthy without a doubt. The emotion is palpable and to say it is moving just doesn’t seem strong enough. At this point, I realized that this film version of Les Misérables was not going to be about the singing, but rather the story, the individual characters purging their emotions before our eyes and telling this tale with great care and love.
When the next scene opens with ‘At the End of the Day’ and the music, the staging, the costumes are all spot on, I just sat in my seat with a giant grin on my face, seeing the story I loved so much essentially coming to life before my eyes. The citizens were singing out in the open, under a grey sky, with the bustling of the 19th century France enveloping the singers. It was wonderful for a fan of the original musical.
There were a few changes from the original show, most of which I did not have any problems with. With Fantine, ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ is sung after she hits bottom, selling her necklace and hair and teeth and committing to the life of a prostitute in order to provide for her daughter Cosette. I thought this worked and made sense and her performance makes much more sense after being so beaten down by her experiences prior to singing the most famous song from the production.
There were a few other differences; we don’t hear all of ‘Little People’, nor all of the Thénardiers various songs. However my thoughts on that are that unlike the stage production where you truly need that comic relief and breaking up of the misery that’s occurring in the film, you sort of need that continuity to keep you in the story with these characters without being chopped up by comedy right and left. We still get ‘Master of the House’ and the antics of the Thénardiers, and I think the choices were founded. I did miss ‘Turning’ at the end of the battle scenes, as it’s one of my favorites, but we did hear a few lines from it. Nothing is missing completely from the stage version, they are just sometimes subtle nods vs. full performances.
There is also a new song, written just for the film by original Les Miserables composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyricist Alain Boublil. The song, ‘Suddenly,’ definitely fits within the film and the scene in which it is used, but something about it seemed a bit off to me, lyrically. The rest of the score is so rich, lyrically, each word seems to hold some important key to the story at hand, giving you insight to the characters and pushing the plot forward. ‘Suddenly,’ however, seemed a little thin, and just, there. Still, it’s a pretty song and does fill in some gaps in the transformation of Valjean from mayor and factory owner to substitute father.
The one performance I had a problem with was Russell Crowe. I feel he was a weak choice for Javert and even though he’s in a band, I felt his singing was not up to what I’ve come to expect from the relentless inspector who is completely overcome by his need to find and arrest Valjean. While his singing lacked power and, for me, was distracting enough to detract from the film, it was not enough to make me come away from the screening I attended disappointed. Javert’s final scene was one I was most concerned with translating to screen, and while the actions themselves were well-done, Russell Crowe just did not make the connection I needed to feel for Javert in any way. That said, the other excellent performances overshadow the few that aren’t up to par, in my opinion, and the film on a whole is just an amazing concentration of story and song. [Update: after some reflection on Javert as portrayed by Russel Crowe, and listening to his songs again, I’ve come to a new understanding of him as a character. In the stage production, Javert is overtly ruthless, a man of the law, who strives to hunt down and bring Valjean to justice at any cost. In the film, Javert is someone we actually do feel for. He’s still upholding the law and out to get Valjean, but his songs and actions portray him as someone lacking his own sense of self and security. When he sings ‘Stars’ it’s as if he’s trying to convince himself, rather than the audience, of his duty and mission. So it’s a different Javert than I’m used to, but he did grow on me.]
I lost count of the number of times I cried during the movie, which is not unusual for me, but I was actually worried going in that the film would not elicit that response. I was wrong and cannot wait to go through the emotional wringer again when I head back to see Les Misérables with my oldest children, who are also into musical theatre, much to my delight!
I think fans of the stage production of Les Misérables will be overall pleased with the film adaptation and hopefully enjoy the few nods to the original which are found within the movie. Those who have never heard of Les Misérables prior to this will most likely be moved by the story, music and characters and I hope the movie’s success translates into more touring of the stage show. At the end of the day (pardon the pun), I feel that is what the true purpose of these films should be, to spark interest in theatre, musicals, and live performances; something everyone should get to experience in their lives, no matter their age. Les Misérables succeeds in this regard as it certainly made me want to take my children to see it live and begin fostering that love of theatre as well.
Connect with Les Misérables, which opens December 25,here:
Official Site: www.lesmiserablesfilm.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lesmismovie
YouTube:
Twitter:
Pinterest:
Right now, you can also get digital downloads of the Les Misérables: Highlights From The Motion Picture Soundtrack
and the Les Misérables Original Broadway Cast Recording
for $5 and $5.99 respectively at amazon through the end of December!
Disclosure: I was provided a free screening of the film prior to its opening. My thoughts and opinions are my own.