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A Time to Escape, and a Time to Act

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Too often, we hear about Disney as “an escape.” Whether Disney animated films, Parks and Resorts, or Disney Cruise Line, they often go hand in hand with staying full of “magic” and “pixie dust.” As a result, many folks in my position, running a Disney-themed site, blog, vlog, or social account of some sort, have felt that they shouldn’t “discuss politics” or engage in discussion about any serious issues.

The fandom has had its own divides over the years: those who love everything Disney does with no critiques vs. those who long for the earlier days of better attractions, less marketing, and less IP-based updates. More recently, the real world began to creep in, as a global pandemic affected even pixie dust. Those who are for a slower, more calculated re-opening, mask requirements for safety, and additional precautions, vs. those who want everything they always got from a Disney vacation, with no changes or new actions on their part. That discussion started to become political. This was mainly because as with everything in the last handful of years, opinions of what should and shouldn’t be a focus or a “freedom” tend to run down party lines, and many look to our current President as an example – if he isn’t wearing a mask, why should I?

Like many, I shied away from sharing my thoughts on things. I tried to stay neutral, I didn’t want to rock any boats or upset anyone who might be reading and have a different opinion. Part of why I’ve struggled so much (internally) with my site as of late, is I feel like I am lost in a sea of influencers looking for how they can convert their readers/listeners/viewers/followers into dollar signs. I’ve never felt like that was me. I’ve only ever wanted to share my silly thoughts and experiences with the Disney community. But that is getting away from the point of this post.

This is very much not about me and my inability to play the blogging-as-a-business game. My purpose in that backstory was to say that all that time, I worried SO much about what people would think. I can’t have a controversial opinion, what if it upsets someone? I can’t discuss my thoughts on that, it might get political and offend someone or alienate my audience. And certainly, I don’t want anyone to not read/listen/view my site because they disagree with my thoughts as a person and human being! But that ended on May 25th. And I am ashamed and embarrassed that it took me that long to realize that. We are now beyond “opinion” – we are at an impasse of right and wrong and human rights.

black lives matter
image @laurajaneillustrations

If you get offended by any opinions I have, relating to basic human dignity and preservation, I will not at all miss you when you leave this site to never return. If you remove and block me from any and all social media channels, I will not post counting the number that have unfollowed me, or mourn your loss. Because quite simply, there could be nothing that mattered less in this time than caring about losing views or taking away your magic and pixie dust. If you think differently, I urge you to ask yourself why and truly think about the root of your feelings. Human injustice is not partisan, or it shouldn’t be. Things have gone on too long, and must change. I cannot remain silent any longer. I cannot pretend this doesn’t exist and share a photo of the castle and leave it to someone else. Yes, Disney is an escape. But we need to live in a world where we shouldn’t feel like that escape means we live in the dark the rest of the time. 

We can no longer sit idly by, and I certainly won’t, as people of color literally fight for their lives and the ability to exist in this country without fear of being killed, attacked, denigrated, or treated as less than equal, for simply the color of their skin. I have never known that injustice, that inequality, that discrimination. I’ve seen many discussions recently where some white people get very upset because “they aren’t privileged, they grew up poor/with struggles/had a hard life” and that couldn’t be further from an understanding of what white privilege means. My children and I have the privilege to not think twice before we leave the house, drive our car, walk into a store, or any countless number of basic activities. I do not have to have a talk with my sons about how they must try to act to increase their chances of not being murdered just for how they look. Systemic racism is a disease in our country, and we are the cure. Only together can we change the status quo and what we will no longer accept as the norm. Black Lives Matter. Black. Lives. Matter.

For some reason, those three words upsets some people. They parrot back, “ALL lives matter!” Well, no one said they didn’t. Not once. Do you think people who say Black Lives Matter want all other lives to be treated poorly? No. The point is that they want Black lives to be just as important as all other non-BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) lives in this country have been for centuries. It’s not a difficult ask. Please, do not get caught up on worrying that if lives suddenly matter, you as a non-person of color will suddenly be less-than. The irony to me is that those shouting all lives matter from the rooftops, are doing so because they don’t want to be treated badly, they don’t want to be ignored, or experience “racism” or discrimination. Now think about what that is saying. That is exactly how BIPOC have been living in this country since the first boat arrived. Imagine that. All lives do matter, and once we can all experience the same freedoms and lack of discrimination, they will.

black lives matter
image by @ohhappydani on instagram

 

Additionally, people with law enforcement families or friends chant “Blue Lives Matter.” It is mind-boggling to me that this is even an argument people are trying to use. A person of color cannot clock out of their shift, take off their badge, hang up their uniform, and call it a day. Blue lives are a job title. A profession. Not a life you are born into and can’t walk away from. As with all professions, some are more dedicated than others. Does this mean all police are bad people? No, but if even one is, it is too much, and they should not be in a position to inflict their control and misplaced power over another human being. If you or someone you love is a police officer, I would hope you would want the same justice and removal of those who are giving your profession a bad name. Why wouldn’t you want a justice system that lives up to its very definition? This movement isn’t about good cops. It’s about bad ones and stopping them from doing more harm.

That is all I am going to comment about what should and could be, because as a white middle-aged mom, mine is not the voice that needs to be heard right now. I will be listening. I urge you to listen. Let us learn together. Let us be open to knowing and understanding that not all of our stories are the same. Our hearts and our hopes should be the same, but until we stop and listen, we will never know and never learn.

black lives matter
image @radicalchilddesigns on instagram

 

There have been many links, petitions, and protests shared over the past week and I hope they will continue. I am sharing some here in hopes we can achieve more understanding, build community, and affect change in our country. Until we stop shouting “but what about…” and can be allies, listening to others’ stories, and others’ truths, there can be no peace.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

Let’s all be a light, together. 

Anti-Racism Resources

If you want to make a change from the ground up, fill out your Census form and to register to vote! Both of these can shape local funding and who is selected to run local government which is so important for how our local communities run.
Are there hate groups in your area? Open your eyes to what is happening in your backyard:
Since many anti-racist books are selling out, here are some other anti-racism books you can read.
Thank you to friend Becky Staudt for the above links.

Online Resources:

Being an Ally, Dear White People

Trailhead Equity Ally Learnings

From Curious to Courageous

The King Center – Online Nonviolent Protest

The Need for Stronger White Allies

Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race Resource Roundup

Living in Minneapolis While Black

Thank you to Ryan P. Wilson (frequent guest author and friend) for the above links)

This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Here is a shorter link: bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES

To take immediate action to fight for Breonna Taylor, please visit FightForBreonna.org.

Resources for white parents to raise anti-racist children:

 

Articles to read:

 

Videos to watch:

 

Podcasts to subscribe to:

 

Books to read:

 

Films and TV series to watch:

  • 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
  • American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
  • Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
  • Blindspotting (Carlos López Estrada) — Hulu with Cinemax or available to rent
  • Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
  • Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
  • Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
  • I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
  • If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
  • Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent for free in June in the U.S.
  • King In The Wilderness  — HBO
  • See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
  • Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
  • The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
  • The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
  • When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix

 

Organizations to follow on social media:

 

More anti-racism resources to check out:

Document compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein in May 2020.

Campaign Zero

  • Campaign Zero – Donate to the effort to end police violence in America. This is a baby step, but change needs to start somewhere.
  • Talking About Race – National Museum of African American History and Culture. 
  • Black Table Arts – Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota – Gathering Black communities through the arts, working towards better Black futures.  
  • BEAM – Black Emotion and Mental Health Collective – BEAM is a training, movement-building and grant-making organization dedicated to the healing, wellness and liberation of Black and marginalized communities. 
  • The Four Bodies –  A holistic toolkit for coping with racial trauma.

If you can donate, I urge you to do so too. BlackLivesMatter.com. If you can attend a peaceful protest in your area and affect change in numbers, I encourage that as well. Thank you for reading, now let’s listen, together. 

blm protest orlando

 

 

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What’s MouseAdventure?! A Disney Scavenger Hunt!

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Having been around the Disney internet-sphere for over a decade, I’ve certainly heard of MouseAdventure, and knew it was a scavenger hunt-like game held at Disney parks. Despite taking part in a few Disney scavenger hunts myself, I’d never done MouseAdventure. Well, my procrastination and forgetfulness to figure it out and sign up myself came to an end this year, when the fine folks at MouseAdventure invited us out to experience it first hand. I soon found out it was much more than a scavenger hunt!

Mouse Adventure Night and Day

What IS MouseAdventure?

If you are completely unfamiliar, MouseAdventure is a scavenger hunt/brain puzzle game that has been taking place for the past 20 years! Looking back at the timeline linked above, I am kind of really regretting not doing this earlier, some of the themes sound so fun. This year’s theme was “Night and Day” like the Pixar short “Day and Night” that was shown before Toy Story 3. It was named this because it was taking place over 2 days; the first at night in the Magic Kingdom, and the second the next day at Disney Springs. Teams could sign up for either both days together, or just the Saturday night or just the Sunday day. We were given a full ticket, so we were able to do both Night and Day events.

Mouse Adventure 20

How Do You Sign Up for MouseAdventure?

From the MouseAdventure site for the most recent Walt Disney World registration:

MouseAdventure registration does not include theme park admission. All registrations are final. Registration is strictly limited by the capacity of the event venue, and teams may not change divisions or add players after registration closes. Once we are fully registered, we cannot make special exceptions or extend registration. There is no waiting list for this event.

Your MouseAdventure team must consist of at least two players and no more than four players. Some people like having four brains on their team; some teams work better with just two or three players. It is up to you to decide whether you want 2, 3, or 4 people on your team, but there are often advantages for larger teams.

MouseAdventure events can sell out very quickly, so you’ll want to have your team’s details before registration opens:

  • Pick a team captain who will be responsible for registering your team. Don’t assume your teammate is going to register for your team!

  • Signup for an account at thirdgategames.com. You will need an account to register for the event.

  • Decide on a team name. (optional, but if you are going to have a team name, you must provide it during registration)

  • Be sure to have the first name, last name, and email address for each member of your team. This is a really good time to add [email protected] to your e-mail client’s approved sender list. (If you use Earthlink or Hotmail, we can not guarantee that you will receive event-related e-mail from MouseAdventure. We STRONGLY encourage players with Earthlink or Hotmail accounts to register for another e-mail address [GMail is free, and works just fine] to ensure you receive all of the messages from MouseAdventure.)

  • Names for personalized buttons (optional)

 

Then, the fun can begin! When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom bus loop area, we didn’t really know what to expect. Most exciting was how MANY people there were participating with us. One of the organizers, Stephanie Wien, who invited us, let me know that there were 63 teams signed up for Saturday’s game (If I got that wrong let me know Steph!). Since each team can have up to 4 team members, that adds up quick!

The MouseAdventure folks were amazing at keeping us all organized and passing out all of the info, and then quest packets in an orderly fashion. I was very impressed. Knowing that MouseAdventure has 20 years of experience behind them lets you know this is not some Mickey Mouse operation (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Once we got our quest packets, we were set loose upon the Magic Kingdom and had 4 hours-ish to complete our quests. We were ready. I think.

Past Experience
Team badges and scoring sheets
Team badges and scoring sheets – photo courtesy of MouseAdventure

Previously, I participated in D23’s Walt Disney World Scavenger Hunt (which took place in May of 2011 over 2 days with 4 parks being visited and an average “feels like” temperature of about 157 degrees. :P).

I also competed in a Goofy’s Mystery Tour. Goofy’s is a Walt Disney World Cast Members-only trivia/puzzle event where you and 3 teammates are bungee corded together and compete in a park after hours. It’s as crazy as it sounds. My husband, Scott Otis has a record 3 consecutive Goofy’s wins. He won a 4th time in 2014, when I was on his team and it was enough for me to want to retire and rest on my laurels after that.

Disney has recently changed its registration process for Goofy’s to a lottery-type system, so Scott has pretty much retired as well. Point being, I knew what to expect a little. Although I was a bit rusty with my puzzle-solving, it wasn’t like we were coming in blind to how the game worked.

How Does MouseAdventure Work?

Basically, you receive a packet of quests, which contain mini-quests and clues within them, and then formulate your final answers to the main quest, and answer on the answer sheet. There are puzzles and visual clues where you have to find signs or letters etc. Lastly, there are trivia questions on both days, which can also help make or break your scores.

How to Choose Your MouseAdventure Team

MouseAdventure is a great cross-section of quests that involve finding details throughout the park you are in (or Disney Springs in this case), brain-teaser puzzles where you have to unscramble word puzzles or even math, and trivia, which if you’re signing up to do MouseAdventure, you probably are prepared to answer random Disney trivia questions. But be prepared to cover allll areas of Disney – parks, attractions, movies, tv, etc!

This is why it’s great to have people on your team that also represent this cross-section of skills. For example, Scott is really good at word jumble type filling-in-the-missing-letters type puzzles and math too. Me, not so much. I can do some word puzzles, but under pressure, and when you really have to dig in to do things like “3 letters up from and 5 letters down from” I kind of zone out. But that doesn’t mean this wasn’t fun for me, it was a blast! I love high-energy, complex situations where you need to stay on your toes and still get surprised.

The best plan is to look over the various quests that you receive, and see first if there are any answers you can fill out on your own (but it’s always good to double check even if you think you know it!). Next you should be reading all the clues to organize your paths within the park. See if you can tell up front which clues will send you to Tomorrowland vs. Fantasyland vs. Frontierland, for example. That will hopefully save you a lot of zig-zagging back and forth across the park. This is both for the sake of your feet and the time expiring with every step you take!

Our Zannaland MouseAdventure Video!

To see more of what this edition of MouseAdventure was like, Christian put together a fun video of our experience. Since we kept joking that it was like The Amazing Race (a show which our entire family watches religiously and likes to pontificate about what we would do in each situation), Christian themed the video to The Amazing Race, which makes it worth a watch just for that comedic value.

Some notes on the video and our game play while you watch…

The first quest we did, the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor quest – we got wrong. 😛 This was a case of Scott solving the clue by filling in the blanks. We were thinking we knew the answer to the final clue – but we didn’t. THAT is where these quests trip you up. You might think “The future of energy at Monsters Inc….” is LAUGHTER, but turns out, it’s a JOKE. So we lost points on that. I take full responsibility for that one, because Scott wanted to double check and go back in the queue. However, we had spent so much time in there…and the cast working the attraction were NOT too happy with all of us looking at the bulletin board in the queue for 15 minutes. So I said “No, what else would it be?” haha joke was literally on me.

Mouse Adventure Zannaland

Additionally, at Disney Springs, one of the questions was “name all of the parking lot fruits listed on the Disney Springs map.” We included the garages as well, which was NOT what they were asking. So things like that really make a difference between ranking high or winning, and getting knocked down a few pegs. But that’s all part of the fun and it definitely makes you want to play again and “prove” yourself if you’re the competitive type (which Scott definitely is).

The End Result

There is a reason they have teams “master out” after 3 consecutive wins. Teams can still play, but won’t compete to win any longer. And some teams just do it for fun anyway, which I think is really the best way to approach a MouseAdventure scavenger hunt! At the end of the event, there is a ceremony to award winners their Disney gift cards and buttons and other fun stuff. Scores are later posted online with answers to the quests (but not trivia) so you can see how you did.

Mouse Adventure Night and Day
The final tallies – photo courtesy of MouseAdventure

Anyway, we had a great time and we are so grateful to MouseAdventure for inviting us out. As always, our opinions are our own. We hope you enjoyed our experiences too! If you’d like to do more research and sign up for the next event, head to MouseAdventure.com and also be sure to check out the MouseAdventure forums to see lots of great conversations and more puzzles too.

Have you ever participated in MouseAdventure or another theme park scavenger hunt? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear what you thought!

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO: 

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love! 

 

 

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Best Special Effects at Disney – Up the Waterfall

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Season 2 – Episode 9 (Episode 24) of Up the Waterfall

One of the things that makes us love Disney so much is the ability to transport us. Whether it’s visually or through sounds, smells and movement, Disney parks have some of the Best Special Effects around. We’ve discussed some of the Biggest Hits (and Misses) of Disney parks, and among that list were things like animatronics. Jumping off from that point, this week on Up the Waterfall, Scott and I each share our picks for the best special effects used by Disney Imagineers that really “changed the game” so to speak as far as attractions go. And as always, we know that attractions doesn’t necessarily mean rides.

With all of the amazing ride and Imagineering technologies available today, one of the things we explore is that it can sometimes be the simplest of effects that have the biggest impact. For example, growing up, for both Scott and I, the effect of “fire” in Pirates of the Caribbean burning village scene. Another of Scott’s favorites (and mine once I finally got to Disneyland) was the “lava” in the Primeval World diorama on the Disneyland Railroad. Simple rolling logs covered in foil, with lighting, has the uncanny appearance of flowing lava.

Pirates of the Caribbean village fire scene
photo credit: Disney

Effects like this laid the groundwork for today’s Na’vi River Journey‘s Shaman of Songs animatronic, or the newest attractions of Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (which we don’t discuss too much to be completely spoiler-free).

Get comfy and listen along or watch below and see if our list matches yours – OR – if we left one of your favorite Disney special effects out of this episode! Feel free to comment below with your picks, or if you disagree with our choices. If you enjoy our show, we’d love you to subscribe to Up the Waterfall podcast, either on your podcast app of choice, or on Zannaland’s YouTube channel, to see all of the fun as well as hear it. Keep reading below for all the places to find and listen or watch.

Thank you for reading, watching, and listening as we go Up the Waterfall!

You can watch this Best Special Effects at Disney episode here:

 

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall!

How to Listen to Up the Waterfall

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

How to Watch Up the Waterfall

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Feel free to comment below with your opinions on ANY of these hot button topics, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney Parks fans!

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO: 

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love! 

Up the Waterfall logo

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Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Rundown Review!

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Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway neon marqueeThe newest attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – open today – features the oldest and most beloved characters in Disney history (minus Oswald of course, maybe someday he’ll get an attraction). Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway may feature the original Fab 5 – but in a very new and non-traditional way. As I’m sure you know by now, this new ride is entirely drawn from the Mickey Mouse original cartoon shorts that premiered back in 2013. These cartoon shorts really created a whole new world that Mickey and his pals lived in, and we got to see an entirely different side of Mickey and the gang.

Runaway Railway Backstory

As much as I am for the most part a Disney purist and don’t like to see character integrity challenged, I really love these shorts. I found the fact that Mickey had more “human” qualities of not just being perfect and having nothing go wrong, combined with very non-human effects and cartoon physics, a hilarious combo.

Mickey and Minnie are still in love, Donald and Daisy are still in love (but bickering cause Donald has that temper), Goofy was still a class A goof, and Pluto was a loyal best friend. Those character traits are pushed to extremes in these cartoon shorts, all while highlighting obscure Disney or Disney parks history, or poking fun at themselves in the best possible way. Additionally, many of these shorts feature different countries; their traditions, music, culture, and even language. The shorts are little love-letters to their featured country, and Mickey and the gang speak the native language in these episodes, with no translation. I love this because it shows the power of Mickey as a character, how beloved he is across the world, and how he can fit right in anywhere because of his universal appeal and good intentions.

Anyway, I’m getting a little off track (no Runaway Railway pun intended) but I really do think these shorts are a triumph in character and art style, and show that Mickey can keep up with the times and be enjoyed by a whole new generation, while appreciating the history of the past. For those that aren’t fans of the animation style, or how different the characters may look at times, I like to just look at these set of shorts as a whole separate entity from the Mickey and friends represented in the parks, movies, and comics. Just as some classic Disney attractions and characters received new treatments in the form of comic books in recent years, this is a whole new separate way to enjoy Mickey and pals.

Back to the Runaway Railway…I think if Walt Disney Imagineering tried to create a new ride based on the Fab 5, it would almost immediately be outdated, or look odd. Honestly, even the talking/blinking Mickey characters in the parks looks a little off to me. Seeing tiny, casual, full-of-life representation of these characters is a great way to ensure this attraction can appeal to everyone, because it is linked to these shorts and not tied to any one Mickey Mouse storyline or timeline.

Thanks to Imagineer Kevin Rafferty and the entire Runaway Railway team, the Mickey Shorts we’ve come to love have come to life before our eyes, and we get to be a part of the action and fun. I think there are a lot of spoilers out there already, and I don’t aim to add to that. So this review really just serves as a discussion for my thoughts after riding multiple times yesterday, and its impact on Disney’s Hollywood Studios overall.

Runaway Railway Rundown

Location

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is located in the former home of The Great Movie Ride, at the Chinese Theatre. This end of the park has gone through its own ups and downs. Once seen as you first entered the park, welcoming you at the end of Hollywood Blvd., it was then hidden behind a giant hat, providing a merchandise and pin trading location. We finally got rid of the hat, and an even larger, movable stage popped up, for Star Wars performances. This stage is still in use today, but I hope that the new attraction opening will see the end of that stage. There is no shortage of Star Wars content around the park, having it block the iconic Chinese Theatre just seems silly.

Of course its new home meant the end of a classic and much beloved attraction – The Great Movie Ride. I have countless memories of this ride, both of myself as a child, and with my own children. I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few events inside the former attraction, and getting to roam the track and get up close and personal to the amazing details that went into The Great Movie Ride are some of my most treasured memories.

Do I wish Runaway Railway could’ve found a new home elsewhere in the park? Yes. But alas I don’t make the decisions, and it’s here now. I do think that The Great Movie ride was sorely in need of updating and more TLC, and I don’t know that it ever would, in an age of IP drawing in the crowds and being the reasons for vacations being planned. The majority of folks were not flocking to Walt Disney World because of the Great Movie Ride, and right or wrong, Disney decided to change that by taking it out of the equation altogether.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway neon marquee

Disney’s Hollywood Studios, along with EPCOT, have had an issue with the parks not being able to live up to their original messages, themes, and experiences. Much like EPCOT Center was a place for inspiration, understanding and discovery, Disney’s Hollywood Studios was originally a love note to the past, and a guidebook for the present, in the form of the movie-making industry. That all changed when the Studios were no longer studios at all. The tours were still there, but soon those became stagnant as well, and unable to properly represent the process of making movies. So the focus shifted, to rides vs. experiences. Thrills vs. nostalgia. What we were then left with, in both those parks, was a mishmash of different themes, different messages, different stories. Both parks are now in flux and perhaps in the future will tell a more cohesive story overall.

Runaway Railway Queue

The facade of the Chinese Theatre is for the most part unchanged with this new attraction. Yes, there is a new sign out front, reminiscent of old Hollywood neon, with nods to the former marquee within the Great Movie Ride load area. The taller palm trees that flanked the main entrance have been replaced by shorter trees, presumably to keep from blocking the sign, while still keeping some foliage in the plaza.

The queue itself is pretty similar in the first portion, looking to the original Chinese Theatre for its decor. However, once you make the turn into the former pre-show area for The Great Movie Ride, where you’d see the “coming attractions” on the big screen, you’ll notice a big change. The room is now only perhaps a quarter of that size, and is walled off. That is the very end of the queue, and there are I think 3 pre-show rooms that you will be ushered into for the first portion of the ride. It’s a very small room because it’s basically just the amount of guests that will fit on one train, which is much less than the old people-eating GMR moving theaters.

The queue itself does not seem very big, but while it’s hard not to compare it to The Great Movie Ride, it really shouldn’t be done as it’s a completely different experience from pre-show to load to ride to exit. It’s no longer a slow-moving queue where you would sometimes see the coming attraction movies multiple times in that room. And it’s no longer loading two huge cars full of guests at a time, but then keeping them in there for 18 minutes or so.

Pre-show

I won’t get into spoilers here, since it literally just opened today, and the spoiler potential starts right with the pre-show. As someone who had the pre-show spoiled for me, I wish I hadn’t and don’t want to do that to anyone else. It was still fun, but why not preserve the magic whenever possible? Anyway, as mentioned above this is a smaller room and there are I believe 2 of them, but in the madness of the media event, I may be getting that wrong.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway preshow

The premise here is that you are arriving at the theatre to see Mickey and Minnie’s newest short, Perfect Picnic. Then in classic Disney fashion, something goes very wrong. But it’s all good, Goofy’s in charge!

Ride Rooms

There have been quite a few video clips and images released by Disney at this point, and we’ve included some in our Runaway Railway Review video. More than what’s shown there, I don’t want to reveal. I wouldn’t do it justice by describing it, or showing it on video. It is best experienced in person, and as difficult as it may be to do for a while, experiencing it multiple times to really take it all in.

 

 

The main experience here is that you are IN a Mickey Mouse short, and enjoying a trip from Runnamuck Railway Station to the park to meet up with Mickey and Minnie. And that does happen, eventually. Along the way you’ll see stunning visuals, albeit in the style of the Mickey shorts mentioned above. There are some character animatronics, which are also in that style. As a result, they may look a little odd from certain angles. It’s best to try different train cars when you can to see things from different angles. And even if you don’t, you may find that you end up in a different car than you started in.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway ride photo
Engineer Goofy says hello to Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

There are 8 rows of seats, 2 rows in 4 cars, plus Goofy driving the train. Each seat is a good view, but the perspectives will be different if you are further up or further back.

Characters on the Ride

    • Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse – These true originals are ready to take their little red convertible for a leisurely drive through Runnamuck Park in search of the perfect picnic spot. What could possibly go wrong?
    • Pluto – The dutiful dog just wants to bring Mickey and Minnie their lost picnic basket.
    • Engineer Goofy – Mickey and Minnie’s lanky pal invites guests into the cartoon world for what surely promises to be an uneventful train ride through Runnamuck Park.
    • Daisy Duck – The proprietor of Daisy’s Dance Studio is ready to teach guests some fancy new moves.
    • Donald Duck – Everyone’s favorite hot-headed “problem child” is steaming again, as someone made off with the sign from his hot dog stand at the carnival.
    • Jackhammer Pete – The big brute’s vibrations may have some unforeseen consequences for Mickey and Minnie.
    • Chuuby (pronounced “choo-bee”) – This adorable little bird – created exclusively for the attraction – likes to sing and dance in Runnamuck Park.

Runaway Railway Music

If you are a fan of the cartoon shorts, then you’ll know that the music is very catchy and gets stuck in your head. Many episodes have their own original songs, which are brilliantly memorable. Even just the tune of the theme song and end credits get stuck in my head all the time. Runaway Railway is no exception. There is a new song composed just for the ride, and I think Disney knew it was going to be so catchy that they put the lyrics on multiple merchandise items. So get ready for “Nothing Can Stop Us Now…” to be rolling around your brain as you ride other attractions throughout the day! (You can hear the composer Chris Willis speak about the process in our video above!)

Runaway Railway Merchandise

We’ll have another post up soon highlighting all the exclusive ride-themed merchandise for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. For now you can see the Runaway Railway merchandise in our video or on our instagram and facebook too.

Speaking of instagram and facebook, we are giving away an exclusive MagicBand that we received for the Runaway Railway media event on our instagram and facebook page. The MagicBand has not been linked to any account so it’ll be good to go for whoever wins! Head to our zannaland instagram or zannaland facebook page to enter to win!

We  hope this review and rundown give you some backstory and helps with your planning to experience Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Runaway Railway Tips:

  • We’d definitely advise getting FastPasses if you can. These can be reserved up to 180 days in advance if you are staying on property. For locals, we only have 30 days in advance, but it’s better than nothing!
  • If you can’t get a FastPass, get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios super early. Then head straight to Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway first and you shouldn’t have too long for standby.
  • We’d advise riding in the first two cars the first time you ride, if you can request it. We preferred the second or third row of all the rows we tried.
  • Be on the lookout for some nods to The Great Movie Ride including a prop from the ride along with other visual Easter eggs.
  • And while you’re waiting, there’s a fun new Mickey & Minnie trivia game on the Disney Parks Play app, so be sure you’ve got that ready to go and you can test your knowledge while you wait to ride!

 

If you’ve experienced this ride, let us know what you thought in the comments below! 

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway

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Disney Parks Recent Changes-Good/Bad?-Up the Waterfall

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Taking a break from Disney parks history, we’re sharing a round table discussion of the Disney Parks Recent Changes. All the major and subtle changes that have taken place at Disney parks over the past 5-10 years and how those changes have affected the park-going experience.

This past week we’ve seen major announcements and changes upcoming to Disney parks – a new chairman – Bob Chapek, Spaceship Earth closing, and so many other updates. Rather than comment on the decisions that will affect FUTURE experiences, we are commenting on past changes and how that has affected current park experiences.

Disney After Hours

We discuss many controversial topics like Upcharge Events, Festivals, Drinking in the Parks, and Homogonization of the parks in general. HOT BUTTONS! You may not agree with us, and that’s ok too! We’d love to hear your thoughts.

You can watch this episode here:

 

 

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall!

How to Listen to Up the Waterfall

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

How to Watch Up the Waterfall

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Feel free to comment below with your opinions on ANY of these hot button topics, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney Parks fans!

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Finding the Grand Canyon At Disney – Up the Waterfall

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Grand Canyon at Disney? Well sure, I’m sure everyone knows about the Grand Canyon Concourse at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and perhaps the Grand Canyon Diorama on the Disneyland Railroad, but there are more than just those connections between the Grand Canyon and Disney.

On this episode of Up the Waterfall, we share and discuss the first appearances of the Grand Canyon as it relates to Disney, and all the way up to current representation in the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Of course as usual, we inject our own memories, experiences and thoughts on all of these connections.

The blog post from Passport 2 Dreams, I will link here. Foxxy actually has two posts on the Contemporary if you’d like to read, they are fascinating and accurate historical accounts of the creation and changes to Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

Passport2Dreams: The Contemporary Resort in the 1970’s

and The Contemporary Resort through the 1990’s

Additionally, I wanted to share some photos from our family’s trip to the Grand Canyon in 2016. This was part of a multi-part summer vacation, where we visited Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park, as well as the North Rim and South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Parks. (And ended up in Disneyland!) (you can click on any photo to enlarge it)

Grand Canyon North Rim panorama

I mentioned on the show the Grand Canyon Lodge where we had lunch, but I didn’t really have good photos of that, just one from inside showing the view from the windows. But be sure to watch the show on the video below for even more photos, including the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone, one of the inspirations for Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. So be sure to check those out!

 

Grand Canyon North Rim
Gio overlooking the North Rim of the Grand Canyon – I think it’s much prettier than the South!

 

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall!

How to Listen to Up the Waterfall

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Where to Watch Up the Waterfall

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and some images of the Grand Canyon represented in Disney over the years. Here’s the latest episode:

 

Feel free to comment below with your memories of the Grand Canyon at Disney, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney or Grand Canyon fans!

How Can I Learn More About This Episode?

Here are some of the books we referenced for this episode (the links will go to the item on amazon.com and are affiliate links – meaning no extra cost for you but a small portion goes back to zannaland if you make a purchase – thank you for supporting our site!):

   

There are a few Sleeping Beauty DVD sets out right now, this one linked here contains the Grand Canyon short mentioned on the show.

 

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Regal Eagle Smokehouse – Do’s and Don’t’s

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There’s a new eagle in town…a Regal Eagle, so we thought to make it easier, we’d share our review and some Regal Eagle Smokehouse Do’s and Don’t’s. Actually, the eagle’s not new, but his BBQ place is. Last June when Disney announced a new barbecue restaurant would be replacing the original-to-EPCOT-Center Liberty Inn, we were all pretty excited and hopeful for this new experience.

Regal Eagle new entranceDisney Dining for Everyone

Being a vegetarian for the past 3 years and vegan for the past 6 months, I wasn’t worried at all, because I knew Disney’s new plant-based initiative would ensure there was something for everyone at this new spot.

As sad as I was at losing an original piece of EPCOT Center in the Liberty Inn, barbecue does seem disctinctly American, so it seemed like a good fit. Disney has slowly been replacing its “fast-casual” dining locations with less burgers/nuggets/hot dogs and fries, and more healthy options, or at least more unique and more culinarily adventurous.

Now most places will offer a wrap or a unique salad vs. a plain old burger. With more and more folks eating more plant-based entrees, Disney really is making sure there is at least ONE thing that vegans, vegetarians, and usually gluten-free folks can try. More on that as you keep reading.

 

The Muppet Connection

Back in January, Disney then announced the the new bbq eatery would feature Sam Eagle of the Muppets. Of course everyone knows him from the original Muppet Show, but also Disney parks fans love to quote his line from Muppet Vision 3-D of “A salute to all nations but mostly America” which was supposed to be a “glorious 3 hour finale” (he only got a minute and a half). Disney has spun that quote and turned the motto of Regal Eagle Smokehouse to be “A salute to all cook-offs, but mostly barbecue.”

Regal Eagle BBQ

Reaction online was mixed, with some thinking the Muppets (and Intellectual Property [IP] in general) should be left out of the World Showcase’s representation of our home country of the United States of America. Others thought Sam Eagle was a perfect fit to represent our country with his swelling patriotism. The irony is that Sam was sort of a spoof himself, created for the original Muppet Show when the bicentennial of America was happening and brought out many over-the-top patriotic zealots. Whatever the backstory, he became very loveable character for his set-in-his-ways sensibilities and love of country.

Whatever your views on patriotism, it’s important to note that at the end of the day, he’s a Muppet. Part of what made the Muppets so relatable was that they poked fun at all sorts of different views, ideals, and preconceived notions.

Personally, I LOVE as in  L O V E  the American Adventure in this pavilion. Others think it’s boring and skippable or a place to take a nap. Still others think it leaves out huge portions of history and doesn’t do a great job of representation. From a purely fan-of-Disney-Imagineering perspective, it is one of my favorites, for its displays, its music, and its place in EPCOT Center history. So I understood feeling protective of this original concept and space and not wanting any IP seeping in. That said, I hold the Muppets to a different standard and am pretty much okay with Muppets being added any and everywhere. Double standard? Perhaps. But the Muppets deserve our love and appreciation whenever possible.

ALL of that said, after visiting the Regal Eagle yesterday, the Muppet representation, or Muppetation if you will, is really minimal. There is a small Sam Eagle in the sign logo, and 4 framed drawings of a different Muppet at each of the 4 types of barbecue represented inside the restaurant. To the left of the registers there is a sillhouette portrait of Sam Eagle and Gonzo. That was really all I saw. The rest of the decor is all early-American art and informational posters of meat cuts etc. So much more “bbq” themed than Muppets.

Regal Eagle interior

What struck me was the weird juxtaposition of the original colonial columns and more Georgian architecture from Liberty Inn now contrasted with brick work and very casual bbq-joint type decor, mixed with old Americana kitchen accoutrements like pot-bellied stoves and old kitchen furniture. So it’s kind of an odd space visually speaking, but I know they had to work with what they had and the bones of the existing Liberty Inn. It certainly didn’t affect our experience, just something I noticed while sitting there.

Regal Eagle interior

Regal Eagle Food

Back to the food options! So you may have heard about or seen the giant smoker that was installed outside the Regal Eagle, as a showpiece/centerpiece. It’s a huge double smoker and we were there on day two and the smoker was still not working. We asked at the bar outside and they said it is a functional smoker but as of now is not being used yet. So I’m not sure if they are planning to set it up soon, if it will always just be a display thing, or if they will perhaps just pipe in a smoker scented smellitzer and some smoke machine effects?

Regal Eagle smoker

 

So that said, they are not smoking the bbq meats you can order outside in that smoker. As far as the meats they offered, Christian enjoyed his brisket, and the photos and reviews I’ve seen of the other options all seem to be favorable. I ordered the BBQ Jackfruit Burger, which is made with a Beyond Burger, topped with bbq’d jackfruit, the plant-based replacement for a “pulled pork/chicken” type of bbq. The best part for me was that it was served on Texas Toast. Garlic bread may perhaps be my downfall as a human, and it really added to the burger rather than a plain bun. I’m not a huge jackfruit fan, it’s a texture thing for me, but the flavor was good. The beyond burger was a beyond burger.

While I appreciate the availability and the way that this burger helps meat eaters try something plant-based, a beyond burger has a very distinctive flavor that really overpowers everything it touches. Again, I’m grateful we have an option, but I’d love if Disney chefs started creating their own veggie burgers with natural ingredients as a choice for vegetarians and vegans who are interested in a good burger, not necessarily a meat replacement. But I digress.

We ordered:

Sliced Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich
Rubbed with our secret Brisket Rub then Slow-smoked and smothered in Spicy Mop Sauce, and placed between Garlic Toast and served with your choice of side.

BBQ Jackfruit Burger
Plant-based Burger on Garlic Toast topped with BBQ Jackfruit served with your choice of side.

As well as a few side items and deserts (Hint, pickles may have been present). (Click on photos to view larger size)

Sauces:

The BBQ sauces were nothing really stand out, but as a fast-casual option, they need to appeal to the masses. The “Cook-off” theme comes in to play here with the different sauces being regional representations of bbq styles. A classic pit bbq sauce, a vinegar based sauce, a sweet-but-spicy choice, and a sweet mustard sauce. Those sauce types are the same represented on the walls as you walk in. A Muppet is displaced as the winner of each cook-off style. That’s about it for the cook-off theming so I feel like the slogan of “A Salute to all cook-offs but mostly barbecue” is a bit of a misnomer. They do have the side items of house made pickles, mac and cheese, beans with burnt ends, cole slaw, and seasoned fries. However I view a “cook-off” as many more options.

Side Items:
Regal Eagle bbq saucesRegal Eagle bbq sauces

Speaking of sides, as noted in our video, there’s a bit of a discrepancy with value of sides. You get one side with an entree. Certainly a side of pickles is not in the same range as the fries, mac and cheese, or single slice of garlic bread. Same with the desserts. There is the S’mores Brownie, the Banana Pudding, and for vegans or those wanting a healthy option, cut up watermelon.

My order of watermelon was the extreme rind end of things. Very pale pink and almost too hard to bite into. That was disappointing for $5, the same price as the brownie or pudding.

Final Thoughts before the Regal Eagle Smokehouse Do’s and Don’t’s:

So overall, my thoughts on Regal Eagle is that it’s a fun addition to the America pavilion. If you are a bbq fan, you’ll enjoy it here. If you are a bbq connoisseur, you’d find more authentic styles at Polite Pig or off property altogether. From the looks of Christian’s S’mores brownie, that’s worth a visit. As are the seasoned fries and pickles in my opinion. I’d like to give the salad a try with the chicken on the side for my husband haha.

Craft Drafts Outdoor Bar

The official name of this restaurant is Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts and Barbecue.  So if you’re here for the craft drafts, you will enjoy the new outdoor bar windows. There are a few options inside, but even more outside, including some frozen mixed drinks as well. I’m not a big beer drinker (as mentioned on our City Works review) but even I am intrigued by the cider on tap, and may have to try that out next visit. In any event, it’s a fun addition that I’m sure many will enjoy. This whole new addition is really just like a permanent location for the Epcot International Flower and Garden and Food and Wine Festival offerings for the American Pavilion, so I’m sure they will be immensely popular.

Regal Eagle Bar
Regal Eagle Craft Drafts Outdoor Bar

 

Regal Eagle Smokehouse Do’s and Don’t’s

Do’s

  • Definitely the atmosphere, the seating indoor and out is fun and functional.
  • Drink Stations and sauce stations, a plus.
  • House Made Pickles, I loved them, maybe not for $4.99 tho.
  • Garlic Texas Toast, yes please.
  • Outdoor bar – a win!

Dont’s

  • Side of Garlic Bread. Be aware that not all sides are created equal. $4.99 for 1 slice of store-bought garlic bread? No thanks.
  • Watermelon, $4.99 for unripe/rind ends of watermelon is a no from me.
  • Sauces – don’t go in expecting to find hand-crafted artisinal bbq sauces. These are just standard food supply sauces as you would expect at a quick-serve/counter service/fast-casual location.

Are you planning a visit to the Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Draft and Barbecue? Let me know what you’re most looking forward to trying, of if you’ve been, what you enjoyed or didn’t!

Here’s our vlog from our visit if you’d like so see what it’s like to experience Regal Eagle BBQ:

 

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Best Scenic Spots in Disney Parks – Up the Waterfall

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Disney California Adventure - Best Scenic Spots in Disney ParksThis week on Up the Waterfall we took a break from the deep dives into Disney history and have a palate cleanser of sorts with a Best Scenic Spots in Disney Parks episode. This came about from my handful of recent visits to the newest Disney hotels – Disney’s Riviera Resort and Gran Destino Tower, both of which have rooftop restaurants or lounges with amazing views. It made me really appreciate some of the great scenery that exists around Disney parks. Of course, I mean outside of the normal ones we expect like Cinderella Castle and the main “weenies” of the parks.

In this episode we share our favorite scenic spots in Walt Disney World, Disneyland and the Disney resort hotels as well. Do any of our picks align with yours? What did we leave out? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear your best scenic spots in Disney parks picks too!

 

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall!

How to Listen to Up the Waterfall

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

How to Watch Up the Waterfall

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and some unique images of the places we mention. Here’s the latest episode:

 

Feel free to comment below with your favorites spots, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney fans!

 

 

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VLOG: City Works Disney Springs Dining Review!

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Join us for another fun vlog as we review the new City Works Eatery at Disney Springs. This is the newest  restaurant at Disney Springs, located next to the new NBA Experience. With over 90 craft beers on tap, City Works Eatery and Pour House makes for a fun addition of American sports-bar style flair to your vacation.

City Works currently has nine locations across the country in cities and towns including Fort Worth, Tex.; Frisco, Tex.; King of Prussia, Pa.; Lake Buena Vista, Fla.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Schaumburg, Ill.; Tysons, Va.; Wheeling, Ill.; and Vernon Hills, Ill. With 90 local and global beers on tap, the restaurant offers a wide range of rare and unique craft selections. All locations are open for brunch, lunch and dinner, and prices range from $13-$20 for lunch and $15-$28 for dinner.

City Works will have 30-40% of its draft beer taps dedicated to local breweries and eight wines on draft. It will also offer a seasonally changing cocktail menu and a fully stocked bar, plus a whiskey list. Guests can enjoy Happy Hour specials, including $2 off well drinks, local craft beers and glasses of wine, and $7 bar bites Monday through Thursday 3-6 p.m. Drink specials also are available 10 p.m.-midnight.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday 11 a.m.-midnight, Friday 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m.-1 a.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m.-midnight. It also offers brunch dishes on the weekends 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

We’ll have a full blog post review soon, but until then, enjoy our City Works video review! You can check out our other Zannaland Videos here.

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REVIEW: Look At This PHOTOGRAPH

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 There’s a new great romantic classic to watch on Valentine’s Day this year. The Photograph is one I’m excited to review.

Regardless of me being graciously invited to this screening, I would have no doubt made plans to see this film on my own. The Photograph features Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, two stars whose work has never been shy of amazing in my eyes. That fact alone was enough to sell me on it.

Luckily there was so much more in store.

A NEW ROMANCE

If you’ve seen any trailers for The Photograph, then you’ll know the basic plot – a reporter profiling a man in Louisiana finds there’s more to the story than he initially thought. 

I’ll cut right to the chase, The Photograph isn’t anything incredibly groundbreaking. But it doesn’t necessarily need to be. For someone who’s always enjoyed this type of movie, The Photograph really worked. It’s the kind of movie that helps you remember what’s important, what’s worth committing to, and what’s worth sometimes leaving behind.

The romance genre is ready for another powerhouse like The Notebook, and I think The Photograph could fill that position. If nothing else, I at least appreciate the growing list of romantic films named after everyday items.

Of course it wouldn’t be a review by me if I didn’t mention the soundtrack, and this one was nice. There’s not very much in the way of a score (though what was there I did enjoy), but the actual songs used throughout really add to the overall mood. It’s something to get you in the mood that you can just vibe to, and felt very natural.

A GRAND PERFORMANCE

As I hinted at before, I’ll see literally anything with LaKeith Stanfield. And I’m a big Issa Rae fan too. Their performances in this were top notch.

The connection they had was genuine, and you felt as if they had actually been through this, and were experiencing this in real time. I honestly would not have been surprised if I had walked out of the theater, opened twitter, and saw they were actually dating. They felt that real.

And they weren’t the only ones! Rob Morgan and Chanté Adams have great chemistry too. Their characters add a surprising amount of depth that I didn’t anticipate, but certainly appreciated.

To top it off, when the movie was funny, it was funny. The whole cast felt like they had experience in comedic roles for the stage – that is to say, the pacing of the comedic moments felt really great, which is something that usually I can’t say for mainstream comedy.

THE PHOTOGRAPH

Overall, expect to laugh, expect to cry, and expect to enjoy it. There are some movies I see where I just get to enjoy them, and writing a review for The Photograph was one of those times. January is always a fun time at the theaters because it’s right after the heavy awards season, and movies can just be movies for fun. And this one was certainly fun.

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