Monthly Archives: June 2015

Review: Disney Trivia from the Vault by Dave Smith

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Oswald the Lucky RabbitSummertime is a great time to relax with a good book and enjoy the warm weather.  With perfect timing, my friend Andrew dropped by with this wonderful book review.  I already have Dave Smith’s Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia, and now I want this trivia book as well, thanks to Andrew’s review.

Review: Disney Trivia from the Vault – Andrew Carrieri

In the summer of 2012, Dave Smith, the chief archivist emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives, released a trivia book, Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered. Here, Smith discusses trivia from eight categories over 262 pages: “Animated Features,” “Animated Shorts,” “Disneyland,” “Live-Action Films,” “Publications,” “Television,” “Walt Disney World,” and “Walt Disney.”

Unlike Lou Mongello’s popular Disney trivia books, Smith’s version is not written in a quiz-like format with multiple choice questions and corresponding answers in a separate section. Rather, Smith compiles a wide selection of questions and answers from his various columns over the past thirty or so years and duplicates these questions and answers in the appropriate section of the book. As such, Smith’s book is better utilized as a light read than for a game with friends.Early Disney Cartoon

I purchased Smith’s book shortly after its release and have greatly enjoyed it. More than anything, I have used the book to discover new films and shorts to view. I first watched the live action movies The Ugly Dachshund (1966), The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973), and The Cat from Outer Space (1978) after seeing them referenced in questions in Smith’s book. For what it’s worth, I enjoyed the first two of the aforementioned movies, but thought the third figuratively stunk like cat food; oh well.Donald's-Decision

As for shorts, based on mentions in Smith’s work, I watched “Donald’s Nephews” (1938), “Mickey’s Trailer” (1938), “Donald’s Decision” (1942), “Susie, the Little Blue Coupe” (1952), and “In the Bag” (1956). These shorts are all available to view on youtube. I found “Donald’s Decision” especially interesting because it was made as a propaganda piece such as to encourage Canadians to purchase war bonds during World War II rather than for general amusement. Also, in “Donald’s Nephews,” we learn that our favorite duck, the one who is never wrong but always right, the one who never dreams of starting a fight, the one who gets stuck with all the bad luck, the one and only Donald Duck, has a sister named Dumbella.

While Disney fans will likely be familiar with some of the information presented by Smith, it is equally likely that you will learn something new, especially since multiple aspects of the Disney Company are highlighted. I strongly recommend reading it if you get the chance.

Feel free to sound off with any thoughts in the comments!

Want to read more of Andrew’s posts?  He’s a contributing writer at The Mouse For Less and you can also follow him on Twitter @AndrewCfran

Disney Dining – Beaches and Cream’s Kitchen Sink

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If you have a sweet tooth, this post is for you!  Today, Nick’s wife Barbie shares their experience at Beaches and Cream (located between Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts).  Barbie, Nick and their friends conquered The Kitchen Sink – the craziest ice cream sundae in the World!!!  (See the complete Beaches and Cream Soda Shop menu here.)

Disney Dining – Beaches and Cream’s Kitchen Sink

Imagine going into a restaurant and ordering a Kitchen Sink, and you really get the kitchen sink! Despite the fact that it was freezing cold and January, that’s what my husband and I did with our friends, Kandi and John. The lights in the restaurant dimmed, you could hear the crowd hush and people started clapping and ta dah! This is what was delivered to our table!

 Here’s a listing of what this amazing dessert includes:
(thank you to disneyparks.com for this thorough breakdown) 

  • fudge topping, warmed
  • butterscotch topping, warmed
  •  peanut butter topping, warmed
  • 1 medium banana, sliced in 1/2 –inch slices
  • 1 cinnamon spice cupcake, quartered
  • 1 angel food cupcake, quartered
  • 2 4-oz. scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 2 4-oz. scoops chocolate ice cream
  • 2 4-oz. scoops strawberry ice cream
  • 1 4-oz. scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream
  • 1 4-oz. scoop coffee ice cream
  • 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
  •  marshmallow crème
  •  strawberry topping
  •  pineapple topping
  • 1 14-oz can dairy whipped topping
  • 1 brownie, quartered
  • 1 regular-sized (2 ounce) candy bar, quartered
  • 4 chocolate cookies (oreos-basically) with cream filling
  • 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds
  • 1 tablespoon dark and white chocolate shavings
  • 1 tablespoon chocolate cookies with cream filling, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped jellied orange slice
  • 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chip morsels
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter chip morsels
  • 1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles
  • 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
  • 1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries
Barbie, Kandi, John, Nick

Look at us, we didn’t know what we were getting into! We couldn’t stop laughing once we saw what this was, and it was ours! The question now, could we finish it off? It’s a long list of ingredients, too many to ponder on for any length of time…so did we finish it, and was it any good? Well, the consensus was that it was an fun and awesome dessert, that definitely needs to be shared with good friends; and yes, we absolutely were able to finish it off, and almost wound up licking the sink clean!!

Don’t get the wrong idea, we’re not done yet in this pic!

For more adventures with Barbie and Nick, follow Disney Musings on social media:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.

 

Geekin’ on Disney Trip Planning

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Meeting TiggerPlease join me in welcoming back another one of my favorite Disney podcast hosts, Curtis Stone.  Curt and his daughter, Lindsay, (and a bunch of special guests) can be found (I should really say heard) weekly on the Geekin’ on WDW Podcast.  If you haven’t yet listened to an episode of this show, you really need to give it a try – it’s another great podcast to keep you going between Disney vacations.  You can also follow the Geekin’ on WDW on Facebook and you can follow Curt on Twitter.

Geekin’ On Disney Trip Planning – By Curtis Stone

I’m excited again to make a trip down to Disney World. I think I’m on number 20. I’ll have to get back to you on that. When I tell people at work that I’ll be “Out of Office” next week, they say, “What are you going to Disney?” I excitingly say “Yes” and proceed to tell them a small pre-trip report. For you guys, I’m giving you a full pre-trip and I hope you can sense my excitement once again for my trip “Home”.

Purpose

This trip has a bit of a purpose to start. My wife and I will be flying with my youngest (19) to Ft. Lauderdale. He’s attending a college level baseball training program for the next two months. I’ve never been to either coast of Florida. It will be fun to check out the baseball facilities and see the Atlantic Ocean from the deep South. We’ll just stay one night there, rent a car and drive up on Monday morning to Disney World.

Curtis on Splash MountainSecond, purpose of trip is to spend some time with our daughter Lindsay who’s been participating in the Disney College Program since February. The three of us are the total Disney Geeks of the family and we always have a great time. Smiles never leave our faces as we enjoy all aspects of the resorts and parks.

Must Do’s

I like to build a list of Must Do’s for every trip I take to the World. One of the great things about hosting a Disney World Podcast is that I get lots of great ideas from my guests and friends I’ve made. It’s amazing to me that I continually get new suggestions of things to try. Plus, Disney World has been creating new things on such a rapid pace, there will be new things since my last trip in February of this year.

The List In No Particular Order

Polynesian DVC

We bought DVC at Bay Lake Tower about 5 years ago. Love it!

RM-Polynesian-SignLove it so much, I seem to always be in a deficit when it comes to points. Our use year is June and our 2016 points become available on June 1st this year. We love the Polynesian and it was the first deluxe resort our family ever stayed at when the kids were young. We always dreamed of the day they would expand to include DVC rooms. I can’t wait for our 3 night stay in one of the new deluxe studios. I promise to do some live trip recordings for the podcast describing the entire resort. We could only get 3 nights so we’ll spend one night at Bay Lake Tower.

Hoop De Doo

Hoop-Dee-Doo-Musical-ReviewI can’t believe we’ve never attended the Hoop De Doo Revue. I’ve begged my wife and she’s never caved until this trip. We’ve had so many friends talk about this dinner show over the years. I can’t wait to check this out.

German ChallengeGermany-Pavilion-Beer

This one comes from a podcast episode where Erika Murphy suggested to me but didn’t tell me what it was. I still don’t know what it is but I have to believe it has something to do with beer. My intention is to walk up to the Beer attendant in the German Epcot pavilion and ask them to surprise me.

Scotch Flight

RM-Rose&Crown-Scotch-Flight2This one is inspired by our host blogger, Lisa. I’ve had every intention of trying this out on my last trip but was denied. It’s a big priority for my next World Showcase adventure.

After Hours at Epcot

I listed this one because we did it last year in Italy and really enjoyed it. It was a drink flight and cheese platter after Illuminations. It now appears they won’t be doing this again this year. In it’s place, we’ve booked a dessert party with drinks during Illuminations. They rope off a prime spot for viewing Illuminations and we can have a little relaxing party. Cool!

Splitsville

I keep hearing great things about the food at Splitsville. I’d like to check it out as well as take a long walk to see all the things happening at Downtown Disney.

Tonga Toast

My wife had Tonga Toast at the Kona Cafe back in the day. I wished I’d tried it then. I’m thinking I can get one or two over at Captain Cooks on one of my early morning strolls through the resort for my coffee. This is one of my favorite times of the day. It will be fun and relaxing to sip my coffee and enjoy my first Tonga Toast outside on the Captain Cooks patio with all the beautiful surroundings.

Lava Pool

We received a letter from Disney explaining some of the continued construction at the resort which includes the “quiet” pool still under construction during our stay. The good news is that the main Lava pool is complete. I can’t wait to check out the new pool. I’m hoping I get some down time on this trip.

Pork Nachos

A recent guest on our podcast, David Castro, raved about the Pork Nachos at Capt Cooks at the Polynesian. Nachos and Pork separated are two of my main food groups. Putting them together intrigues me. David assures me I won’t be disappointed. He describes the spice and deliciousness so intently. Yum…

American Music Machine

The American Adventure / Epcot / Walt Disney WorldI’m a little disappointed I’ll be too late for the Flower and Garden Festival and too early for the Summer Concert Series music acts. I really love the music shows over at the American Pavilion in Epcot. Luckily, Epcot has added this new music group. I’ll get a fresh American beer and relax to the Summer breeze and cool music.

Star Wars Lounge

My daughter Lindsay recently tried out the Star Wars lounge at Hollywood Studios that is there for Star Wars weekends. It’s one of the main goals for me while I’m over there. I heard our friend Nick Maglio had some fun with friends, drinks and characters.

Mickey Pants Sundae

My wife and I were really disappointed when we were last in Disney World and the entire resort ran out of the Mickey Pants Sundae. We love ice cream and we both need to score this treat this time.

Avocado Margarita

Anyone who’s listened to a few of our podcast shows knows how much we love the Margarita stand in the Mexican pavilion of World Showcase. Simply the best in all the World and always an 11am must do for us. It’s just our thing, baby. We also like to get retrained on how to drink tequila shots in the bar inside of Mexico. It’s fun to interact with the bartenders there. I’ve had samples of the Avocado Margaritas but never a full drink. I must rectify this issue.

Yak and Yeti Quick Serve

RM-Yak-&-Yeti-Menu-BlueAlthough I’m a huge BBQ guy and the Flame Tree BBQ restaurant should be reopened, I’m excited to finally try the quick service at Yak and Yeti. I was on my way there for lunch on my last trip when we were interrupted by Lindsay to have lunch somewhere else. Denied again. I must try this one out this trip.

Trader Sam’s Grotto

Let me finish with my biggest one. We are really excited to check out this new lounge at the Polynesian. It sounds like fun with great drinks and atmosphere. Our kind of place. My intention is to copy a trick from Lisa, Dave and Nick’s recent podcast on resort loop hopping. We’ll start at Trader Sam’s for food and drinks and then do the same at Grand Floridian and Contemporary with a finish at the Tambu Lounge at the Polynesian. I’ll add a cheese plate or two also.

I may come up with more but this is a pretty good start of fun stuff to explore on this upcoming trip. We’ve not booked too many restaurants or fast passes. We do have Boma one night and Hoop De Doo. I’m hoping this is a bit relaxing instead of the usual commando style we’re accustomed too. It’s a bit shorter than a full week and it’s sure to go fast. Check out our podcast in June if you’d like to hear my live trip reporting where I’ll describe my trip everyday as it happens.

If you have more suggestions, please leave them in the comments. I’m always ready to hear more advice to add more fun to my trip.

 

Top Five Disney Animated Movie Soundtracks

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I’m very happy to say that my good Disney friend Andrew Carrieri is back with a great post on one of my favorite ways to add a little Disney to my day – Disney music!  (Andrew can usually be found as a contributing writer at The Mouse For Less and on Twitter @AndrewCfran)

Top Five Disney Animated Movie Soundtracks

Andrew Carrieri

Disney animation is legendary. Through 2014, the company has released fifty-four full length animated movies, which feature classic characters, unforgettable moments, and amazing music. The latter element is the subject of this post. Below, I will list my top five soundtracks among these animated flicks and provide reasons for my choices. You may very well disagree with my selections. If such is the case, don’t just “let it go”! Sound off with your opinions in the comments! After all, there’s plenty of music to go around.

Fifth-best Soundtrack: Oliver and Company (1988). Huey Lewis’s “Once Upon a Time in New York City” and Billy Joel’s “Why Should I Worry?” are two of my favorite Disney songs, in part because of my New York bias. As a Long Islander, I’ll gravitate towards anything that features Joel, one of our top celebrities.

Fourth-best Soundtrack: Hercules (1997). From a depth standpoint, I think Hercules has the most underrated soundtrack in Disney history. With upbeat Gospel music (“The Gospel Truth”), songs of despair (“I Won’t Say I’m in Love”), and one of the most epic numbers in animation history (“Go the Distance”), Hercules’ soundtrack brings it all. Hercules

As a general note, I typically prefer the popular version of Disney songs to the in-film rendition where applicable. Here, I find Michael Bolton’s rendition of “Go the Distance” during the end credits superior to Robert Bart’s performance in the movie proper.

Third-best Soundtrack: Pinocchio (1940). Disney’s second animated feature may not have as many great songs as some of its counterparts, but it gets bonus points for “When You Wish Upon a Star,” which is undoubtedly my favorite song from any Disney movie. I am known to tear up whenever I hear it played, usually at the start of Disney movies with the “Walt Disney Pictures” logo.Pinocchio

Second-best Soundtrack: Aladdin (1992). “A Whole New World” is one of my favorite Disney songs, and the film’s other numbers are anything but shabby. Whereas some movies feature songs that are solid in the moment but otherwise forgettable, Aladdin has a plethora of memorable numbers. “Arabian Nights,” “Friend Like Me,” and “Prince Ali” are extremely enjoyable tunes in their own right.Aladdin

Best Soundtrack: The Lion King (1994). What is the best song in The Lion King? Now, that is an easy question! It is “Circle of Life.” On second thought, it is “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”! Or, maybe it is “Hakuna Matata”? Umm, maybe this question is not so easy after all.The-Lion-King

Suffice to say, in my opinion, The Lion King features the greatest and most complete soundtrack in Disney history. All the songs are catchy, and they bring different vibes to the table. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “The Circle of Life” are beautiful and sentimental, “Hakuna Matata” and “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” are whimsical, and “Be Prepared” is foreboding.

As an aside, while I usually prefer the popular versions of Disney movie songs to the in-film versions, I find the in-film rendition of “The Circle of Life” superior to the Elton John version, which is still excellent. The song provides an exhilarating commencement to the film.

Well, that’s my list! Feel free to share your favorite Disney soundtracks in the comments!