Monthly Archives: May 2014

So Long Snow White – Hello Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

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Snow White's Scary Adventure - WitchThroughout my life (yes, nearly 50 years!), I’ve often found myself in a small minority of people who like change.  Change doesn’t generally bother me – most of the time I’m in favor of it.  For sure, I’m not as resistant to it as most folks tend to be.  In fact, in my job (the one I have to support my Disney vacation addiction), I’m often responsible for helping people adjust to and embrace change.  This sort of brings me to today’s topic…Snow White's Scary Adventure - Peek Inside

Two years ago we were at Walt Disney world during the last week of May.  Snow White’s Scary Adventure was closing forever after May 31st, 2012, so I planned for our group to be in Magic Kingdom that day in order to take a farewell ride.  As we rode along through all the scenes, I tried hard to feel sentimental and drum up some appropriate feelings of nostalgia – tried hard to be a little sad even.  Well….not so much.  Snow’s ride had never been one of my favorites and, in the spirit of totally honesty, I was not going to miss it.  At all.  I didn’t hate it or anything – To name my feelings, I would say I was perfectly ambivalent.  Yes, it was a Fantasyland classic, but it always seemed to lack the whimsy of Peter Pan’s Flight.  For sure, it wasn’t as interesting as It’s a Small World and Fantasyland Construction Wall Signwas completely without a catchy tune.  I guess you could say – I was in pro-change mode.  Close the ride and make something else?  Build a new Snow White-related attraction?  Make a Princess Fairytale Hall for meet-and-greets?  YES!  I was completely in favor of those plans.  Change is sometimes good and necessary.  This was certainly one of those times.

I walked by the walls surrounding the Fantasyland Expansion that day in 2012 and wondered what we could expect from the barely-begun Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – it seemed a fitting plan to pay tribute to one of the most Disney-esque of movies, while adding some much needed pizazz to a Snow White experience.  Back then, very little was know about the would-be attraction and its cutting-edge technology.  As construction updates began to appear on my favorite media sites, my excitement slowly built….

Next week, almost exactly two years to the day from the date we said goodbye to Snow Seven Dwarfs on Fantasyland Construction WallWhite’s Scary Adventure, I’ll finally get to ride the much-anticipated Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!  I’ve watched the YouTube videos, read the reviews and blog reports and am absolutely thrilled to have booked FastPasses for the afternoon of May 30th.

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Seven Dwarfs Sign Fantasyland Construction WallAre you excited for the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train?  Do you wish Snow White’s Scary Adventure had stayed in Fantasyland in place of the Princess Fairytale Hall? 

Disney’s Million Dollar Arm – Spoiler-Free Review

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Million Dollar Arm Ticket StubI’m a baseball fan.  Always have been.  The St. Louis Cardinals is my team – my big brother, Mike, bought me my first Cardinals tee-shirt (Lou Brock!) in the ’70’s and Oh, the crush I had on Keith Hernandez when I was in high school…sigh.  I married a lifelong Cards fan and we’ve lived in blissful baseball harmony all these 25 years (this September 9th).  Consequently, Raymond and I both love baseball movies.  We will often kick off baseball season in the spring by re-watching a few of our favorites.  Field of Dreams, a perennial favorite, is just outstanding no matter how many times we watch it.  I was once burned, though, by another Kevin Costner movie – For Love of the Game (1999) – a chick-flick disguised as a baseball movie.  That cruel deception has made me wary of baseball movies – I walked into the theater expecting another epic baseball film and walked out royally pissed off really angry.  As usual, I digress.  Okay – back to today.

I didn’t want to read anything before seeing Million Dollar Arm, in spite of my fear of baseballMillion Dollar Arm Movie Poster movie deception, but I found a spoiler-free review in my twitter feed and trusted it enough to follow the link – so the great review here (by George Gensler) at Adventures by Daddy told me enough to know I could expect Million Dollar Arm to be a real baseball flick (with a dash of romance thrown in).  The movie’s based on a true story and if you go see it, stick around through the credits to see some wonderful actual photos and videos of the real people behind the story.

Why this is a fantastic baseball film:

Million Dollar Arm Movie PosterMillion Dollar Arm is about baseball.  And business.  And relationships, personalities, taking chances, and redemption.  I was drawn into the story right away – then experienced a huge variety of emotions.  Many scenes are funny, but I also felt sorrow, anger, joy, surprise, and frustration.  To be cliché, I laughed, I cried – and everything in between.  John Hamm does an exceptional job playing J. B. Bernstein – the sports agent main character.  His ability to manipulate viewers’ emotions is a huge part of what makes this movie work.  I have never been to India, but the parts of the film that take place in India were superbly filmed and edited – I saw India in a way I never have before.

The script, acting, and directing – along with an amazing musical soundtrack – combine to make you feel something for each character.  Those feelings may not always be positive, but that’s also what makes Million Dollar Arm good entertainment – and a GREAT baseball movie.  In fact, I haven’t enjoyed any movie as much as I did this one in quite a while.

On the fence?  Go on – there’s a great story there…even if you’re not into baseball – but if that’s the case, don’t tell me, okay?  I don’t trust people who don’t love baseball.

Have you seen Million Dollar Arm?  What did you think?      

Summer Wardrobe for a Disney Vacation

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Walt Disney World Summer Wardrobe Tips

Cool Clothing and Sunglasses at Walt Disney World

Summer Wardrobe for a Disney Vacation – This post is part 2 of my Summer Sun Survival Tips.  Link to Part 1.

Here’s an important lesson my wise (and much older) sister taught me as I was growing up. (Thanks, Sandy!)  Always start the day looking the way you will at the end of the day – take into account any factors that may adversely affect your appearance and plan accordingly.

This advice is extremely applicable when visiting Walt Disney World in the summer months.  We (maybe I’m kinda mostly talking about women here) want to look super-cute on vacation (I’m sure some of you guys do too, right?).  We shop for cute vacation wardrobes and plan out adorable outfits for every possible vacation contingency.  I’m here to tell you…some forms of cute vacation outfits, in the summer at Walt Disney World, are potentially fraught with peril.

The best clothing tip I can give you for a summer Disney vacation is to take my sister’s advice:  Start the day looking pretty much the same as you’ll end up.  Confused?  Let me explain.  It’s HOT at the World during the summer.  And incredibly HUMID!  The combo of the two can be brutal!  Everything is damp, your favorite tried-and-true hair products will totally fail you, makeup melts off completely – you may start the day looking super cute and fresh only to end up a sticky, wilted mess!  Start the day looking perhaps a little less fabulous than originally planned with the idea that you will never look “less” than you do right then.

WDW Animal Kingdom Family Picture

One of us (me) is NOT following this article’s tips!

Here’s my head-to-toe plan:

First things first:  Don’t try to style your hair – caps, hats, ponytail, braid – you pick what works for you, ’cause if you think your perfectly coiffed ‘do will hold up against the Florida sun and humidity (or worse, those two in the morning and a torrential downpour in the afternoon) – you’ll be so sorry you didn’t listen to me.  Start the day with well-subdued hair, liberally applied sunscreen, very little makeup, and a good lip balm.  Don a hat and sunglasses and voila!  You’ll end the day looking just the way you started – which is a LOT better than starting out like a movie star and ending up a caked-up, raccoon-eyed sweat-ball.

Walt Disney World Mother/Daughter Picture

Headed in at the end of the day – not looking TOO bad!

Wear cool comfortable clothing that breathes well and allows you to move freely (for getting on and off attractions).  If you’re planning to ride attractions where you may get wet or the weather person has predicted rain, be sure to choose clothing that will dry quickly.  I prefer cotton (or performance/athletic-wear fabric) tees and tanks paired with cotton shorts or running shorts.  Shoes should be well broken in – vary shoes day-to-day to reduce the potential for blisters and raw spots.  You could try comfy sandals one day, sneakers/trainers/running shoes the next and so on.  Switch up the shoes!

Finally, I hate to bring this up, but if this post is going to be of value, I’m going to have to mention something a bit delicate.  Shhhhh, come closer so I can whisper it…chafing.  There.  Now it’s out.  For many summer Walt Disney World guests, chafing is a very real risk.  You might not be prepared for so much walking – in the heat and humidity – which results potentially in unprecedented sweating – which, in turn, results in “hot spots” where wet clothing rubs against tender skin.  Distance runners and cyclists (of which I’m both) are unfortunately well-acquainted IMG_2338with the horrors of chafing and I’m happy to report there’s an easy preventive measure that can be taken.  Cover areas which may chafe with a smoothing substance made specifically for this purpose.  One brand I’m familiar with and have used before is Body Glide – but I’m sure there are others on the market that will work just as well.  The product comes in a convenient solid (like antiperspirant)  – you just apply it wherever you think you may need it.

There you go!  Take my advice and you’ll be golden.  While you’re touring comfortably – look around at some of the other WDW guests – the limping ones are the easiest to spot – they didn’t do their homework.  Adopt the Boy Scout motto and Be Prepared!

For more on protecting yourself from and treating chafing and blisters, there’s a good article here.

What did I leave out?  Do you have any tips for comfortably dealing with the summer conditions at Walt Disney World?  Tell me!  I’m headed there in 9 days!!!

 

ABC’s Once Upon a Time – Addicted and Unashamed

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ABC’s Once Upon a Time – Addicted and Unashamed

OUAT - Charming, Regina & SnowThis blog is titled “Living a Disney Life”.  The name was chosen very carefully and, I think, wisely.  Seriously, Disney is a big deal at our house!  We may have passed the time of having little ones at home that keep us in the know about the hottest TV shows on the Disney Channel/Disney Junior, but I will never outgrow the enjoyment of going to see the latest Disney movie in theaters.  I grew up with The Wonderful World of Disney – on our family’s TV – EVERY Sunday night.  It’s Disney….on Sunday night.  That’s how, I’m convinced, it was SO easy to become addicted to ABC’s Once Upon a Time.  And addicted we are!  Except for Joseph – and I’ll cut him some slack since he’s 18 and perhaps too young to appreciate all the subtleties, nuances and incredible plot twists – the sheer genius of every single moment of Once.

So – big Disney TV action on Sunday evening.  It’s perfect!  Nothing makes me happier than ABC's Once Upon a Time(just like when I was little) – gathering the fam together, grabbing a snack or late supper, and watching great stories unfold in the comfort of our own living room.  So…this begs the question.  Is Once Upon a Time good enough?  Would I still watch if it were moved to another day of the week?  YES!  As we wrapped up Season Three this past Sunday – I have to say – this show just gets better and better!!!  Each and every episode of all three seasons – genius!  Packed with twists, thrills, surprises, joy, heartache – this show has it all!

OUAT - Red, Belle and HenryI don’t want to spoil the story-line for anyone who is just joining the OUAT mania.  I have to say, though, that just about every single Disney character you can think of has appeared in one or more (or all) episodes – and the characters are developed beautifully and fully to viewers’ satisfaction.  Snow White, Prince Charming, The Evil Queen, Rumpelstiltskin, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Jiminy Cricket, The Blue Fairy, Captain Hook (oh, sigh), Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Mulan, Ariel, Aurora, Prince Phillip, Red Riding Hood and Granny!  The Wicked Witch of the West, Belle, Robin Hood, Marian – and many characters both well-known from Disney and classic fairy tales.  Additionally, there are brand new characters for the show.  The writers make it easy to keep up with (and adore) each and every one!  Some you love to hate (and others you hate to love) – it’s just perfect.

Curses, different realms, magic (with which always comes a price), time travel – this show has it all!  Good versus Evil – the lines are often blurred and unpredictable – which alone is probably OUAT - Rumpleone of the show’s biggest draws!  My compliments to writers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis (both also wrote Lost) who focus on strong female characters who (mostly) do the rescuing as opposed to waiting to be rescued.  I’m proud to say I’m a Once fan and I cannot wait for Season Four!  Tiny spoiler ahead – WHO is the biggest, most sought-after character currently in the Disney parks?  Yep – She’s coming to Season Four!!!  Again – GENIUS!

How about YOU?  Are you a Once Upon a Time fan?  If not, have you thought about giving it a try?

Catch up – watch Once Upon a Time episodes here.