Category Archives: Disney at Home

Muppets Most Wanted – Mostly Great!

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Muppets Most Wanted Movie PosterAfter all the many previews over the months (years?) leading up to the theatrical release of Muppets Most Wanted, it’d be pretty hard to write a review that contains many, if any, spoilers.  All the previews pretty much show what the movie is all about.  I couldn’t wait to see it anyway.  So we caught a Sunday matinee – The Fam plus Meg’s boyfriend, Grant.  Personally, the movie was what I expected.  No more, no less.  A little longer than necessary with a superfluous musical number thrown in here and there, Muppets Most Wanted was exactly as promised – a sequel maybe not as good as the first.  IF the “first” we’re talking about is the original movie debut of the Muppets way back in the 70’s and not the gang’s 2011 picture.

The original (epic, fantastic, classic), 1979 The Muppet Movie, created the perfect mix of humor, sentimentality, music, and the very best in cameo appearances – all in precise balance Muppets Most Wanted Ticket Stubbetween Muppet and human characters.  At 95 minutes, The Muppet Movie told a very basic story about how the actual movie itself came into existence.  By contrast, Muppets Most Wanted, which also tells an excellent story and makes even better use (to me) of cameo appearances, is a little less precise in accomplishing the same goal – using humor, sentimentality, and music less effectively during its 112 minute runtime.  The balance between Muppet and human characters is as perfect as can be, though.

The plot involving the double characters of Kermit and Constantine works very well – Constantine’s selfishness and ego are in perfect opposition to Kermit’s generosity and humility.  The heart of each character from Piggy to Scooter, Walter, and Gonzo (and the rest) remains true to previous movies and TV shows.  They act the way we expect them to in the manner we’ve grown to love over the years.  Surprisingly, many of the original, early Muppets are nearly left out completely, which I found disappointing.  Perhaps this was necessary in order to beef up the cameos – in that case, it was worth it.

Fozzie the Bear Disney PinTo sum it all up – I thought Muppets Most Wanted was entertaining and true to the heart and soul of previous Muppet movies.  I liked it a little more than The Muppets (2011) and a lot less than The Muppet Movie (1979).  There are some clever, wonderfully unforgettable scenes in this newest installment in the Muppet movie lineup.  I can’t help but feel that if the director had tightened it up by dropping a couple of unnecessary scenes and musical numbers, it would have been perfection.  No, it’s not doing well at the box office, but I don’t care.  I’m a Muppet fan like I’m a Disney fan and that means I’m loyal no matter what.

Did you see Muppets Most Wanted this weekend?  What did you think?

 

 

Five Disney Planning Resources – Books

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Disney Resources 2014 - BooksI did an earlier post about Disney resources available online, detailing websites that I believe are excellent for researching all manner of Disney travel information – specifically Walt Disney World trip planning tidbits.  Today I want to talk about some of my favorite Disney resources of the old-school variety – the ones you can carry around with you, the ones that have pages you can touch and turn.  Ones that you can enjoy for hours and they will never give you a “low battery” warning.  Strange as it may seem in this day and age of technology, I still love books and find them invaluable as Disney vacation planning resources.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, although I do possess mad internet searching skills, wicked Pinterest pinning prowess, and ingenious Instagram involvement.  I think books are still useful and important to my everyday happiness.  I currently have in my Disney planning arsenal three excellent, hot off the presses, up to date Walt Disney World informational books…but I promised you FIVE Disney resources and I’ll deliver, but the last two are less travel planning info and more trivia, stories, and historical information-type books that I believe are excellent entertainment.

Here we go:

1.  Birnbaum Guides 2014 Official Guide to Walt Disney World – “Expert Advice from the Inside Source” (for Kingdom Keepers fans, this book has tie-ins to that book series).  With only 275 pages, this Official Guide has some good, well-organized information – all will be 100% positive.  The glossy pages and beautiful pictures bring Walt Disney World to life in your hands.  Looking for balanced feedback?  Look someplace else.  Just the happy facts here, but the information on Birnbaum's WDW 2014things like budgeting, vacation planning (6+ month plan), sample park schedules (one-day and half-day versions), transportation and dining is excellent and well presented.  In each park’s section, there’s a “Park Primer” page that consolidates useful information like the location of baby facilities, disability information, lost and found, ATMs and more. The resort-finder matrix pages allow resort comparisons at a glance and the book’s color-coded easy to navigate sections are really packed with excellent, useful information at a very reasonable price.  MSRP $17.99 U.S.

2. The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2014, by Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa – Before the Appendix and Index, this baby packs a whopping 774 pages with mostly Disney information.  No glossy pages or colorful photographs here (only the occasional map or cartoon), this book is 100% information and does make an effort to provide balanced feedback.  The section on “How to Evaluate a Walt Disney World Travel Package” gives the lowdown on how to get the most for your money.  The Unofficial Guide to WDW 2014Disney property hotel section is very thorough and also (like book #1) has comparison tables for quick reference.  Extensive park touring plans, feedback/reviews from “real” vacationers (both positive and not-so-positive) and a section called “The Ecstasy and the Agony” gives sincere and helpful advice on the reality of vacationing at Walt Disney World with children – Let’s face it, those Disney commercials make Walt Disney World look like such a magical vacation spot that everyone is happy and having fun 100% of the time – tips and tricks for managing expectations (and helping children and parents have a great vacation) are what make this particular book super helpful.  For research purposes, this book gets a double thumbs up – be prepared for NO pictures, no frills.  You can also find tips/details on hotels and restaurants (and even some rides) outside the Disney bubble.  MSRP $19.99 U.S.

3. Cross book #1 and book #2 and you get PassPorter’s Walt Disney World by Jennifer Marx, Dave Marx, and Alexander Marx.  292 pages before the index (plus post-index bonus features), this book does have glossy pages and lovely photographs plus some very unique features not to be found anywhere else.  I must confess, I did receive a review (free) copy of this book, however, if you’ve read previous posts you’ll know that I, a) have an abundance of opinions and am not afraid to share them and b) tend to be…well…brutally honest.  The wear and tear on my 2009 edition of PassPorter’s WDW can attest to how much I’ve relied on this tome in the past for assistance with trip planning.  The fact that I didn’t pay for this year’s version won’t keep me from telling you how I really feel.  Back to the book review:  In addition to the well-organized, easy to read information, this book has fold-out maps (plus mini maps of each resort), and pockets in the back for organizing/storing paperwork, maps, tickets,Passporter's WDW 2014 reservation information, etc.  These pockets allow space for 10+ individual days-worth of documents AND on the outside of each pocket, provides places to makes notes, plans, record reservation numbers, travel time schedules, and more.  The book’s cover folds out to encompass the contents and has its own attached elastic strap to hold it all together…pretty darned NIFTY!  The sections are easy to navigate and each restaurant, attraction, show, etc. is given a rating by three different reviewers (on a scale of 10) – so, yes, an attempt is made to provide balanced reviews.  However, please DO NOT rely heavily on these ratings – they’re the reviewers’ opinions – I like to form my own opinions on things and encourage you to do the same.  For example, the book’s ratings for the Columbia Harbour House restaurant in the Magic Kingdom were a 5 and two 6’s.  We LOVE Columbia Harbour House and eat there at least once every time we visit Walt Disney World – our ratings would be much higher.  The book’s reviewers gave Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios scores of 7, 8, and 8 – we thought that show was just so-so (or maybe not even that good) and wished we hadn’t wasted the time…our scores would have been considerably lower.  Don’t let the ratings in the book keep you from trying something you’re really interested in.  In the “Planning” and “Getting There” sections, PassPorter’s offers excellent money-saving, budgeting, and packing tips, and resources.  MSRP $24.95 U.S.

4. The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness – “Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom” – Raymond picket up this little book for me as a birthday gift back in November.  While, after many visits and much pod-cast listening and blog-reading, I was familiar with many of the magical facts and trivia the author shares in this book, there were plenty of new/unusual things to discover.  It’s an easy, fun read, I could see how sharing the bits and pieces of Disney magic pre-vacation or while traveling to Walt Disney World would be a great way to pass time and get everyone excited to see it all!

5. The Revised Vault of Walt by Jim Korkis (forward by Diane Disney Miller) – This little book is jam-packed full of short stories about Walt Disney, Disney movies, Disney parks and more.  There are even recipes for some of Walt Disney’s favorite foods!  If you’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Korkis talk about anything/everything Disney-related, you’ll know how passionate, sincere, and fascinating he can be.  This book gives readers new insight on the man behind the theme parks, movies, TV shows, and characters that we grew up with and have loved all our lives.

Now it’s your turn!  What are your favorite Disney books for travel planning or just plain fun? 

 

What if Wednesday – An Evening With the Muppets

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What if Wednesday

Fellow Disney Fans!  It’s time once again for What-If Wednesday!  The game show where we use our imagination to answer Disney-specific “What-if” questions.  Contestants from Twitter and Facebook go head to head and compete to invent the most popular answers.  Get ready to let your imagination run wild!  And as Drew Carey would say, this is ”the show where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.”

In honor of this week’s premier of Muppets Most Wanted, our weekly what-if became a bit of a Muppet mash-up.  The question of the week was:

WHAT IF you could have an evening out (drinks and dinner) with TWO of your favorite Muppet Guitar Disney PinMuppets?  Who would you choose and why?

I’m excited to say that contestants from both Twitter and Facebook jumped right on it!  No shortage of opinions or Muppets favorites – just the way I like it!  Here we go:

Starting with Twitter this week…

 

Sara (@CheshireCanuck) answered right away with ” Fozzie because he would tell lame jokes all night and that would be awesome AND Pepe cuz he’s just cool.”  Good answer, Sarah – Fozzie does tell lame jokes – unapologetically and with gusto – the fact that he clearly LOVES his own jokes is endearing indeed.  Now Pepe, the accent, the propensity for romantic gestures…well, he would just be an interesting dinner companion for sure!

Wesley Snyder (@365DaysOfDisney) was a bit of a maverick!  Wesley voted for “Animal and Sweetums at a Vegas buffet. It would be glorious. :-D”  Some thought went into that answer, Wesley!  Two things occurred to me:  No way could you out-eat someone of Sweetum’s stature and Animal probably has terrible table manners.  By comparison, Wesley, the rest of us would look like incredibly polite diners with bird-like appetites.  Brilliant!  100 bonus points for you!  Wesley also added, “Sweetums is underrated. I love him and I like his walk-through character at the Muppets 3-D too.”  100 MORE Bonus points for appreciating Sweetums’ best work!

Rowlf Disney PinDisneyPrincess83 (@OzGoofyPrincess) also wanted to spend the evening with Fozzie, but chose Rowlf as her other companion for the evening – she said, “They are my absolute favourites! They are both so funny – in very different ways.”  This idea has balance!  Fozzie’s eager to please, bold humor offset by Rowlf’s more laid back, easy going dry wit.  Good choices for an enjoyable evening!

***I’m throwing in a NON-Twitter, NON-Facebook entry – Raymond (from the other end of the couch) also voted for Fozzie and Rowlf – most likely for the exact same reasons as the DisneyPrincess83 but, being a man of few words, Raymond did not elaborate on his answer.*** (Thanks for playing, though, Honey.  You’re the best!)   ‏

Safari Mike (@JamboEveryone) First, I gotta say that I’m a teeny bit flattered and somewhat Statler and Waldorfstar-struck that Mike played this week – I love the Radio Harambe podcast!  AND Mike chose the very same two Muppets I would have chosen myself!  In answer to the What-if Wednesday query, Mike said, “easy Waldorf and Statler for the comedy” – YES!  Those two are perfect.  They’re hilarious, irreverent, and PUNNY!  Best hecklers EVER!!!  Plus, I bet they have some amazing stories to share,

Andrew Carrieri (@AndrewCfran) chose the same – “Statler and Waldorf, so I can make lame jokes with them :D” – I disagree with one thing in that answer – those jokes are not lame.  They are brilliant!!!  And so are YOU, Andrew for choosing those two for your answer.

Kermit PinJordan Duncan (@JordanGhastly) “I’d go w/ Kermit b/c he’s the iconic Muppet and Dr. Teeth b/c he’s the band leader (and modeled after Dr. John).”  Now, Jordan has thought about this – I commented about how Kermit would probably be willing to answer questions as long as they weren’t too personal (I also mentioned that I LOVE Dr. Teeth’s voice) and Jordan added “Kermit always gives good advice through a narrative of his life it seems. He’s one to learn from. I’d jam with Dr. Teeth!”  Feature that for an evening on the town and YES, Jordan – good times would be in store!  Excellent answer and very original!

Miss PiggyDisney Dream Girls (@DisDreamGirls) Now when the Dream Girls join in the fun, you never know what surprises to expect – this time was no different when the What-if question was answered like this:  “Pepe and Miss Piggy… I’d take them to ‘Ohana for the fire pit grilled prawns n pork #mmmm”  Whoa!  Ladies!  I posed a question begging for thoughts on an evening’s entertainment and you did not disappoint!  Thinking outside the box in a big way – 1000 bonus points to you!  Just imagine Piggy and Pepe when the ‘Ohana server explains the menu!  Hahahahahahha!!!!

Now, here’s what our Facebook contestants had to say:

Niki answered, “Beaker because he’s simply amazing and Kermit of course for his gentle soul!”  I Beakeragree, Nick – Beaker is certainly something unusual – a man of few (or absolutely no) words, his perpetual aura of shocked surprise would liven up a night on the town to be sure.  Kermit is a gentle soul and would guarantee a lovely evening.  Excellent (and unique) answer! – 150 bonus points for picking Beaker!  Glad you played again this week.

Christina played along this time and wished her night out to be with “Miss Piggy and Gonzo.  She would get the conversation going (about herself) and Gonzo would be interesting (or we could blow him out of a cannon :)”  So TRUE – you could just kick back, cocktail in hand – launch Miss Piggy into a lengthy monolog with a fashion/QVC question and while she’s sharing her latest news, let Gonzo….well…..be GONZO!  Yep – that would be fun.  Maybe he could explain the chicken fetish.

Sharon, a brand new follower on Facebook – jumped into the fray in a big way!  Sharon’s answer was “Sweetums just because I have always loved him, and the duo of Mert the LaChoy salesman and the dragon. I can’t remember his name.”  Seriously?  A person who both remembers Delbert the Dragon AND Mert the LaChoy salesman – both very VERY early Muppets (mid-1960’s) and admits to knowing them!!!!  Sharon, I think I love you.  Way to GO!  2000 bonus points for Muppet knowledge! (and not being afraid to show your age!)

Heather dreams BIG with this answer:  “Miss Piggy and Rowlf. They’re my two favorites. Plus, Rowlf could play the piano while Piggy and I did a big song-and-dance number.”  Of all the imaginary Muppet dates this week, Heather’s the one I want an invite for.  I would keep Rowlf company on his piano bench (Squeeeee!) and enjoy what would certainly be the amazingly entertaining spectacle of watching Heather and Miss Piggy’s epic dance performance!  Yipee!  More bonus points (a gajillion) for participation and wicked imagination go to Heather.  Can I get a “WooHoo”?

My Goodness!  You guys killed me this week!  What GREAT participation!!!  I loved everyone’s passion and thoughtfulness.  I have the BEST followers, readers, “like”-ers in the world and appreciate your playing….What-if Wednesday!!! (big voice, echo, echo, echo)  Please watch for the next “What-if” question and hop on board for another round.

 

Voices of Disney – Remembering Paul Frees

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IMG_5260Along with millions of other Disney vacationers, I am crazy about the Haunted Mansion.  While I’ve only had the opportunity to visit the one at Walt Disney World, I feel certain that all the Disney Haunted Mansions are equally as wonderful.  I’ve written a Haunted Mansion Halloween Homage and a bit about bringing some Haunted Mansion home.  Today I want to revisit my love for the home of 999 happy haunts – specifically, I want to talk about a very important character, without whom our Haunted Mansion experience would be greatly diminished:  The Ghost Host voiced by Paul Frees.

The voice of the Ghost Host is unique and forceful – absolutely perfect for a dark and scary Doom Buggy ride through the spooky rooms, hallways, attic and graveyard of the house at the end of the lane in Liberty Square.  It doesn’t matter if he’s telling me that HE will lower the safety bar, explaining a pause in the ride, or warning me that a ghost may follow me home – the ride needs a host and I can’t imagine any other voice being as perfect.

Turns out, Paul Frees (born in 1920) voiced a great number of our favorite characters from movies, cartoons, DWR2009 079and stop-motion specials over more than four decades until his death in 1986.  Now, maybe you knew all about Mr. Frees other works, but I did not and am so surprised and thrilled to find out my beloved Ghost Host was also the voice of these characters (and many more)…

“Dead men tell no tales” – the voice in Pirates of the Caribbean that echoes this phrase over and over – Paul Frees!  He also did other voices in this ride.

Ludwig Von Drake in Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (1957 – 1986)…Do you remember him?

Boris Badenov in Rocky and His Friends (1959-1961) and The Bullwinkle Show (1961)  While Rocky and Bullwinkle were, technically before my time – I grew up on the reruns and LOVED Boris and Natasha!!!  Can you believe it?

Santa Clause in the much loved Frosty the Snowman (1969) – wouldn’t be Christmas without this special cartoon, would it?  FYI – he was also in the 1976 Christmas hits Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (as Santa Clause, Eon, and General Ticker) and Frosty’s Winter Wonderland (as Jack Frost).

Ignatz Mouse in Krazy Kat (1963) – If you’ve not seen this very different cat and mouse cartoon series, you really need to check out some samples on YouTube.

Burgermeister Meisterburger – Seriously, it’s TRUE!  Paul Frees is the village villain in Santa Clause is Coming to Town! (1970)

Okay, last one.  Paul Frees was the voice of Crusty in The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)…if you missed out on this cinematic comedy classic starring Don Knotts as the title character, well you need to get your hands on the DVD!

So, how many of Paul Frees’ voices did you already know about?