Magical Adventures & Memories
Exciting! Check out this first view of Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger – aka John Reid. It will definitely be interesting to see how this film plays out. My initial impression is that Johnny looks like a cross between Brandon Lee in The Crow and Captain Jack Sparrow. Eep. Of course, I have hope, as always, that Disney will do the film justice! The Lone Ranger is set for a May 2013 release.
The story opens in Arizona, where John Carter is instantly identified as a valiant Civil War soldier from the Confederate Army in Virginia, who has now left the service. For some reason we don’t yet know, has no desire to return to service, even when imprisoned as a last resort. John Carter has his sights set on a different purpose, however, and nothing will stop him. He is looking for his cave of gold, which makes him the laughing stock of his fellow frontiersmen. We learn in a chase scene that he has no ‘side’ in the war anymore, and can speak in Native American tongue. He is out for himself, and no one else. Or so it seems.
Escaping soldiers and Native Americans he does find his cave of gold and with it someone from Mars, who he shoots and in the process ends up on Mars itself. It is here that our real story begins. John Carter discovers he has the power to jump great distances. That excitement is tampered by the fact that he is soon captured by tall green alien creatures, with four arms and tusks – the Tharks. I won’t go into a play-by-play of the movie plot, but the story here parallels that on earth; he does not want to fight or defend anyone, but is drawn in to defend those he considers defenseless, in the course of trying to get back home.
At this point, we still don’t know why John Carter is who he is, or why he so strongly defies choosing a side and fighting in a war. We are treated to various flashbacks as the central characters make their way to what John hopes will be a way home. This culminates in a fight scene when a rival tribe of Tharks has been called in to destroy him. John makes his companions go as he stays to fight, in one of the most powerful and emotional scenes I have seen on film in a long time. It brought tears to my eyes, and it is what sums up John Carter’s character, purpose, and hatred of war. It is beautifully edited and worth seeing the film for that alone, in my opinion.
After this turning point, John Carter is then on the side of good on Mars, or Barsoom as it is known by its people, and the battles continue to save the planet and get John home. However, John then falls in love with Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium – the most human-like of Barsoom’s inhabitants. This leads to several other twists and plot turns as John Carter fights for their lives. Just when all seems well, John is sent back to Earth. Yet another battle then begins – where John must seek out a way to return to Mars and his love. Since those details tie up the final points of the film, I won’t reveal them here, but rest assured, they are well done.
I’m not sure why the marketing for John Carter has been so confusing and poorly received, even in reading twitter streams after seeing the premier, there was a lot of silly chatter about Disney daring to make an action film. Maybe audiences are just used to the Disney marketing machine being the same, whether the film delivers or not, but in this case, it is sad to see such bad pre-press about a film I really had no problems with. Well, I take that back. In the beginning, John Carter’s voice and tone seem a little like a bad John Wayne impression, but by the end of the movie, I attributed it to the mannerisms of the time, and was okay with it, overall.
I didn’t want to see this movie. I was going to send my husband and son in my stead. I was completely won over and I plan to see it again once it opens officially on March 9th. It has all the elements of a wonderful film, Disney or otherwise: a story you want to hear, characters you care about, and just enough special effects and eye candy to make you ooh and ahh. More than just an action sci-fi flick, I had no idea it had a steampunk feel to it, and as a fan of that style, I was thrilled to see its use on Barsoom. It is appropriate for all tweens and up, with minimal up-close violence and gore, with a great message about preserving our world and doing the right thing. Go see John Carter of Mars – even if you don’t want to.
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Find 24 Hidden Mickeys – look around, they’re everywhere!
Ride an attraction 24 times – not all attractions will be open for the full 24 hours so check before you head over.
Play Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom – you know I will be!!
Create your own scavenger hunt – look for certain items (a crown, a star, a squirrel!), see who can find the most yellow things – the sky’s the limit!
Count the ghosts on Haunted Mansion – play in the queue!
Have 24 different snacks – popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, egg rolls, you can come up with 24, right?
For the hardcore snacker – have 24 Dole Whips! (or Mickey Bars, or snack treat of choice!)
Check out the cool One More Disney Day merchandise commemorating the momentous day.
Buy 24 Disney Dooney & Bourke purses? (Just seeing if you were paying attention – but if you have the means, be my guest – and let me know, I’ll post about you!)
Take 24 Disney Photos! Friends and followers of mine on twitter know of my addiction to Instagram. There have been several photo challenges on there, just for fun, with prompts of things to capture and post. Now friend and fellow blogger ThemeParkMom has come up with a #Disney24 photo challenge for those of us spending the next 24 hours surrounded by endless photo opportunities. Check it out and post your photos to instagram, twitter, with the hashtag #24DisneyPhotos, or publicly on facebook. ThemeParkMom will be sharing her favorites on her blog, so check back there.
In addition to these fun ideas, here is the official entertainment line-up for tomorrow, from the Disney Parks Blog:
- Two performances of the Main Street Electrical Parade, at 10 p.m. and midnight
- Four showings of “The Magic, The Memories and You!” at 7:45 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. (March 1)
- The Frontierland Hoedown near Country Bear Jamboree, at 2:45 a.m., 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.
- Disney’s Dance the Night Away Party at Cinderella Castle, from 1 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.
- Character greetings throughout the night, including:
- Phineas and Ferb in Tomorrowland
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Fantasyland
- Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Town Square, wearing their pajamas for the party in Florida before heading out west to visit guests at Disneyland park
Finally – have fun! If you are in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World – look me up on twitter @zannaland. I’ll be there off and on throughout the day and I’d love to meet up!
During the Pixar presentation at D23’s Expo in Anaheim last August, lucky attendees were shown this clip of Brave – opening in theatres June 22. We were unable to share it until now – and finally, the world can see it! Once again, it is simply stunning, and I do not have enough words to describe how excited I am for this film!
And here’s a bonus clip – the commercial that aired during Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremonies – the music was so lovely, I had to share it here: [the Gaelic song is Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A’ Chuain by Julie Fowlis.]
Lastly, a brand new, even more vibrant poster for Brave: (click to see full-size)
See you at the movies on June 22!
If you are part of the online Disney community on twitter, facebook or message boards, you have no doubt heard the buzz about the new interactive card game that has premiered under beta testing in the Magic Kingdom Park – The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. As a local, we saw the little portal stations being built for quite some time, as speculation swirled regarding what these new screens and areas would mean to the parks. Would they interfere with guests’ experiences as they explored the lands of the Magic Kingdom? Would Imagineers be able to pull off the mixing of villains and animated film characters? The answers are a bit complex, but overall, I give the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom a hearty “thumbs up.” I’ll go into further detail below.
First, let’s go over exactly what the game is all about. The premise is that certain villains, organized by Hades, Lord of the Underworld, are teaming up to steal pieces of the crystal of the Magic Kingdom. Merlin is on board to fight evil, and enlists us – the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, to help defeat the foes.
How it Works (the short version):
- Head to the Main Street, U.S.A. Firehouse, pick up your cards and Sorcerers key card
- Follow the icons on the map to defeat villains at various portals throughout the Magic Kingdom
- Use your spell cards to defeat each villain and eventually become a Master Sorcerer
- Come back again and again to collect more cards and defeat more villains!
How it Works (the long version):
You start off by heading to the Main Street Firehouse. There you can watch a preview, check in with your ticket media and receive a key card, 5 spell cards and a map marking the portal locations. You are given a key card which will correspond with your park pass. So you cannot have 5 key cards and expect to get spell cards for each key. You must present your park pass with your key card, so everyone can play fairly. You then watch a tutorial with Merlin so you know exactly what to do when you set out on your quest. Now here you must make a decision with your group – you can all battle together under one key card, or if you each receive a key card, you will most likely be separated and sent to different lands to explore the portals at different times. When we first checked in, we got key cards for each of our family members, but only used one, so we stayed together. Now that we’ve been playing for about a week, my older kids or husband can go off and fight at a portal in a different location within the same land. We usually stay together until we all get portals in the same land though, so for example, if my son gets Adventureland and I get Fantasyland, we’ll go to one land and then wait until he gets Fantasyland too so we can be in the same area. Of course it’s up to you how you want to handle these battles, and keep in mind, not going where the portal tells you to can impact your wait time.
Who Can Play? As far as age-range for the game, this was something my 3 year old could play – at least the unlocking of the portal with the key card. He could still use the spell cards, but only if we told him how to hold them, etc. I’d say in a year he’d be perfect at figuring out the right way to hold or picking out the spell cards he wants. However, from the sounds of level 2 and 3, it would probably take an older child or adult to weigh the options for each card’s skill points and so on.
Once you start collecting your cards, you will get doubles or duplicates of some of them. Especially with our family, we are getting 4 sets of 5 cards each day, so our collection has added up quickly. In the case of dupes, guests can trade with other Sorcerers players and pick up some missing cards that way. So far, we’ve run into new players, who don’t really have anything to trade, and seasoned players, who have almost everything and don’t really need to trade. But we have picked up I’d say about 10-15 cards through trading and it’s a great way to complete your collection. Especially if you have friends playing, they can hold cards for you and will be more willing to trade.
There are 70 cards – but at this time cards 61-70 have been pulled from play. Cast members are saying they will be selling those last 10. As of right now, the packs arriving at the Firehouse don’t have cards 61-70 within them, so you’ll have to wait, or find someone that’s been playing from day 1 of beta testing who’s willing to trade. [note: as of 3/4/12 we have been hearing reports in the park and on twitter of guests getting cards 61-70 randomly in their packs of 5 cards, so keep your eyes peeled!] The game has been officially started since February 22, 2012 and during medium and hard, which cards you use to defeat villains now matters.
All About the Cards:
Once you start your collection of cards, you’ll notice some numbers and symbols on the face of each card. in the bottom left corner there will be a number out of 70, which tells you simply the number the card is in the collection. For example, Sorcerer Mickey is 1/70 and Cabellero Donald is 43/70. In addition, the cards are listed by spell – Mystic Spell (blue background), Princess Spell (purple background), Toy Spell (red background), Machine Spell (black background), Warrior Spell (dark blue background), Monster Spell (green background), Hero Spell (dark teal background), Animal Spell (dark green background), and Fairy Spell (pink background).
Within each spell card, there will be three types of numbers: attack, boost, and shield. So Merlin’s card has a 5 Energy attack, 0 Energy boost, and 1 Energy shield. Other cards will have other types of spells. Options are Energy, Charming, Wishful, Quick, Flying, Strong, and Gross. Right now, in level one, these distinctions don’t really matter as any card defeats any villain. However when the game really goes live, or in higher levels, the type of card and type of attack will most likely matter.
Lastly, above the number is a symbol, with one of three designations – a star symbol, which indicates a rare card; a moon symbol, which signifies an uncommon card; and a planet symbol, which indicates a common card. There are also cards out there with lightning bolt symbols, which seem to be the 61-70 cards that are now pulled. Hopefully we’ll get more facts as the game gets out of testing mode.
UPDATE: throughout the course of playing, my son has been using a few cards continuously. As a result, these cards have become more powerful. Now when he uses Lumiere’s spell card, he often shoots 3 candles, rather than the one. Similarly, my husband was using the Mike Wazowski’s Great Entrance card today and over time the animated spell scene changed to show different monsters. I know when I first used that card, all that showed up was Mike opening a door. This makes for a fun way to keep things continuously changing as you play. And spells that may seem rather boring at first could change to something more magical over time.
UPDATE 2: friends playing on hard are now reporting how certain cards will defeat certain villains easier. For example, one friend spent 2 1/2 hours trying to defeat Kronk on hard, and discovered that Flower, Thumper and Eeyore worked, because they are woodland creatures! So the game is now making you think and really pick and plan the best attack card for each villain. It’s not just the spell or type of spell, but the character casting it that matters.
Game play:
Just head to the portal the Firehouse initially tells you to go to, and then you’ll be instructed where to go next. After you’ve played once, you can pick up where you left off, unless the system has been reset. You can always check where you are supposed to be by scanning your key card at any portal and it will tell you where you need to be. If the game has been reset, it will tell you to head to the Firehouse to get reassigned. There is also a booth in Liberty Square, behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, staffed with cast members, who can fix errors, show you the tutorial and help you out. (You can also sign up there with usually no line compared to the Firehouse) In no time you’ll have all the portals memorized and be able to go from place to place without even needing a map.
The game itself involves defeating 8 villains at this time:
- Main Street, U.S.A. – Cruella DeVil
- Adventureland – Jafar, Yzma and Scar
- Liberty Square/Frontierland – Dr. Facilier and Governor Ratcliffe
- Fantasyland – Maleficent and Ursula
Once you defeat ALL of those villains, you will have a final battle with Chernabog and Hades, and become a Master Sorcerer. Then you proceed to medium and from there, hard. You must check in with either the Firehouse on Main Street or the Sorcerer’s Training booth in Liberty Square, to be set up for medium or hard. They will then tell you where to go to continue your games, and give you 5 additional cards for moving up. Here’s a video of the Master Sorcerer announcement. If you don’t want the finale to be spoiled, don’t watch! You can check out another video on my YouTube channel of the scene before this one, where you actually battle Hades.
The first portal you go to tells you the story of the villain, and where to go next to help out. The next portal you will get to pick spell cards (you can combine spells up to 6 at a time!), and usually one of the portals will ask you to use the Sorcerer’s Crest on the back of the card (I actually don’t like this since you don’t get to pick the spells!). The final battle for that land’s villain will let you use two separate spell castings (again, up to 6 cards for each one). Then you have defeated that villain and Merlin will tell you if you’d like to continue to help, which land you should head to next.
Now that we have been playing Medium, I can update that the main differences here are an additional spell added to the scenes where you use spell cards vs. Sorcerer’s Crest card. Where you once cast one spell, you’ll cast two, and in the final battle, you’ll cast three spells, not two. It’s a little choppy in parts because you are just getting repeats of scenes where you had to cast spells before, but in some scenes, there are a few new lines thrown in.
I highly recommend playing in both daylight and nighttime. At night you can see many details and lighting effects of the portals that just aren’t visible in bright sunlight. It’s also usually less crowded, though you must wait to play in Fantasyland until the fireworks have ended. After playing at night and in the day when the park was a crowd level 10, I have to say I much prefer night time. Waiting in the sun for your turn at the portal isn’t the most fun, and I can only imagine during the summer months it could be downright unbearable.
If you’d like to see more photos, I’ve created a flickr set for all our Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom adventures. Just click to see the portals – I’ll be adding more as I make future visits to the Magic Kingdom.
Pros and Cons to the game:
As far as pros go, for the most part, I’d categorize the game as unobtrusive to the average guest. You don’t have to pay attention to it as you are passing, though some portals are hard to ignore and can all be a bit loud. I don’t think a single portal detracts from its land or the space it is in. If anything, the only problem is the fact that passers-by will often ask WHAT you are doing, and you’ll have to give a quick synopsis of the game, usually while your animated scene is playing. In addition, those with quite a few cards can expect smaller children who’ve just started playing to ask “where did you get all those cards?” and even “can I have some?” so just be prepared for lots of questions. Since first writing this review, the additional issue of lines for portals has cropped up. On a weekend day, a queue for a portal can be up to 10 deep and definitely puts a damper on making the game fun. I am confident that Disney is aware of this issue and will attempt to come up with a solution as time passes.
I can see how those on a one-time trip to Walt Disney World or even a once-a-year visit would perhaps get frustrated by the time it takes to become a Master Sorcerer, but of course, that’s what Disney wants: return visitors. Or, for guests to plan a day longer vacation to be sure you get enough game time. In the 4 times we’ve played, we have not gone on a single ride in the Magic Kingdom, and we’ve spent about 17 hours playing (not counting time spent dining). Again, being locals, this isn’t a big deal to us…but those on a yearly vacation may feel they are missing valuable ride time. What we did get to do was notice more details around the park, and enjoy the various parades and nighttime shows from different angles than usual. And just like pins or Vinylmation figures, the cards become your own prize collection, free – for now, and unlike Vinyls or pins, you get to actually use them in the park. There is a reward for your patience and your play.
My hope, when the game goes officially live on the 22nd, is that cast members at the Firehouse are able to better explain the ins and outs of card use. What the symbols mean, what you want to do or not do in the second or third levels – even if only to give us a vague idea and let us figure it out for ourselves. [Note: now that the game is live, this hasn’t really happened yet. I can understand letting us all figure out the little secrets and tips within the game, but I do wish more help were available, with so many variables in play] In addition, there needs to be a more pronounced explanation about keeping the map and cards. A handful of times, I have heard, “do we get to keep these cards?” or “do we have to give the map back?” from guests. I understand that given the only other comparison game within Walt Disney World – the Kim Possible missions, you are instructed to return your Kimmunicator, but it makes me sad to think that people are worried they have to give their cool cards and map back, and the problem is easily solved by cast members up front.
With ALL of that said, I’m so excited to see where this game goes in the coming months and will of course update this page as I find out definitive facts or news. [I’ve decided to wait on reporting news that I hear until I can confirm it first hand through gameplay or experience.] Even as I type this post, changes are happening to some of the portals; updates, props, new posters and banners…Disney really is working to make this an amazing experience. You can also follow all the latest updates on twitter at @DisneySorcerers, an unofficial account offering tips, news, photos, videos and more. Now go get ’em, Sorcerer!
For those unfamiliar with The Secret World of Arrietty, which opens February 17, 2012, here is the official synopsis:
Residing quietly beneath the floorboards are little people who live undetected in a secret world to be discovered, where the smallest may stand tallest of all. From the legendary Studio Ghibli (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”) comes “The Secret World of Arrietty,” an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers
.”
Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger. The English language version of “The Secret World of Arrietty” was executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and directed by Gary Rydstrom.
I was lucky enough to be able to see a preview screening of Arrietty last weekend. I should preface my review with the fact that I am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli in general and Hayao Miyazaki in particular. Arrietty has been out in Japan as The Borrower Arrietty 
for quite some time and now the American English dubbed version is coming to theatres. I was quite pleased with the voice acting from Amy Poehler, Will Arnett and David Henrie, and thought they seemed to fit their characters perfectly. As usual, however, the real star of the film is the animation and with it, the story.
Compared to the Miyazaki films of My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo, the animation in Arrietty is not as breathtaking visually, but it is no less amazing, if you watch for the details. Some little things that made me smile; when Arrietty’s mom pours their tea into dollhouse-sized cups, she is not just pouring liquid like we are used to doing – the tea looks like a tiny drop of dew – because after all, that’s how small their tea cups would be. When it began to rain, the drops on one of the stones outside look exactly like they do in reality – not tiny drops all uniform in size, but some larger than others, and all spreading out as the water soaks in to the stone. In addition, whenever you are seeing things from Arrietty’s point of view, the sounds around her are all amplified, since, to miniature eardrums, that’s how they would be heard. Brilliant little details that draw you into the secret world and truly make you feel a part of it.
The story itself is one of family, friendship, trust, and hope. Arrietty learns that friendship can transcend differences while Shawn learns that it’s never too late to have hope. And all the characters learn that sometimes the risk of trust is worth it in the end. It was a truly beautiful story wrapped inside layers of Japanese landscapes. There is just enough comic relief to keep the little ones, who may not be as entranced by the details, entertained and laughing.
The Secret World of Arrietty opens in theatres on February 17, be sure to bring the whole family to experience the world of the borrowers.
2014 Edit: Here are the 2014 Princess Half Marathon Disney Dooney & Bourke bags!
UPDATE: I was just in TrenD last night at Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World, and was surprised to see a Princess Half bag on the shelf. I noticed there wasn’t a Princess Half Marathon hang tag on it, so we asked to see it up close and sure enough, it’s the same bag as below, without the special WDW Princess Half Marathon hanging charm. The cast member said they just arrived and as of last night, that was the only style they had in the Princess print. Interesting! Not sure if they just had a few left over or if they will be releasing all the styles in this print soon. I will of course, report more as I find out. Here are the photos I took last night:
Special thanks to @DisneyInATweet for giving me the heads up on these new purses so I could share them with you all here!
After the success of the Disneyland Tinker Bell Half Marathon Dooney & Bourke designs, I guess we should’ve known the WDW Princess Half would be the next to receive the D&B treatment. Check out the photos and prices below:
They again feature a Half Marathon logo hanging tag like the Tinker Bell Half Marathon did. I love the college-look to the design and the color scheme as well. You can check out a preview of the rest of the Princess Half merchandise at the DisneyParks Blog. Best of luck to all the runners too – I’ll be doing the Royal Family 5k with my 11 year-old daughter again! 😀
Don’t forget to check DisneyStore.com for sales of select current released Disney Dooney & Bourke purses and Zannaland’s Disney Dooney & Bourke page with ALL handbag photos and info.
*DisneyStore.com links are affiliate links, which means it costs you nothing extra to click or buy, but if you do, I get a small commission. Thanks for reading!
I remember when Beauty and the Beast first came out like it was yesterday. Yes, that makes me old. I had just started college a month before and the tale of Beauty and the Beast had always been a favorite of mine. To say I was excited to see Disney’s treatment of it is an understatement. Now, *gulp* 20 years later, Disney is re-releasing the film in theatres, and this time in 3D. After meeting Paige O’Hara at Disney’s D23 Expo a few months ago, I’m even more excited! Here’s Disney’s latest information on the project:
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ magical classic “Beauty and the Beast” returns to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™, introducing a whole new generation to the Disney classic with stunning new 3D imagery. The film captures the fantastic journey of Belle (voice of Paige O’Hara), a bright and beautiful young woman who’s taken prisoner by a hideous beast (voice of Robby Benson) in his castle. Despite her precarious situation, Belle befriends the castle’s enchanted staff—a teapot, a candelabra and a mantel clock, among others—and ultimately learns to see beneath the Beast’s exterior to discover the heart and soul of a prince.
Featuring unforgettable music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and an enormously talented vocal ensemble, “Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated feature to receive a Best Picture nomination from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“Like” BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on Facebook: http://www.facebook.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST returns to theatres for the first time in 3D on January 13, 2012!
Check out these awesome Muppet Saga photos- Bella Swine, genius! The Muppets opens November 23 in theaters everywhere!
Just saw these Santa Mickey mugs for Dole Whip and had to share! The line was too long to ask last night but I’ll update as a find more info. If they are like the Halloween Dole Whip mugs, they will be available daily, not just for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The Halloween mugs were available in some resort locations with desserts inside too, so keep an eye out.
