Tag Archives: Pinocchio

Disney Pinocchio Cookie Jar

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Happy Saturday, Disney Friends!  Does anybody have a Disney character cookie jar?  I’ve got a Dalmatian teapot, but I’ve yet to come across a character cookie jar I can afford (I see them in antique stores from time to time and they’re always very pricey).  As usual, Nick and Barbie have all the luck!!!

Disney Pinocchio Cookie Jar

By Nick

We picked up this Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket ceramic cookie jar at a fine cookware retailer, Kitchen Kapers, for $10. There was a minor problem. There is no top. 

 My wife immediately saw this could be used as a planter. 


 This wonderful piece has graced our home for many years now. 

Marked down from $49.99.


 So if you come across a great item that perhaps has an issue, try to figure out if you can repurpose it.

Just let your conscience be your guide. 

 

To read more about Nick’s amazing Disney collectibles and his many Disney adventures, visit the Disney Musings Blog (where this article first appeared).  You can follow Nick on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Pinterest.  You can also listen to Nick, our friend Dave, and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about our love for all things Disney – new episodes every Sunday morning.

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!

Disney Collectibles – Lunchboxes

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As a family, we hoard collect things.  As Disney People, we tend to collect Disney things in particular.

As far as Disney collecting goes, Raymond favors pins and watches, Megan, clothes and purses, I like Disney kitchen and home goods and Joseph – well, Joe’s a collector of a different sort.

Disney Collectibles – Lunchboxes

Joseph can best be described as an “old soul”.  He sprang from the womb as a wise and worldly little guy with a particular passion for antiques.  This took a bit of adjustment on our part – as a mother, who really expects their four year old to kiss them on the forehead and say, “You’re a lovely girl”?  Or ASK to go antique shopping in the first grade?  Joe was an American Picker long before we’d ever heard of Mike or Frank or Antique Archaeology.  Once our little antique collector could read, Raymond taught Joseph how to search for items on ebay and, with a little adult supervision, bid on treasures he was interested in owning.  Most of the time, that meant Disney collectibles.

Among his first ebay purchases, Joseph chose (over several months) four Disney lunchboxes.  To a guy born in 1995, cool stuff from the ’70’s was really old!  I believe the price heIMG_2219 paid for each was in the $8 to $10 range and the lunchboxes were all missing their thermoses.  I had quite a time explaining how brokenhearted a grade-schooler in the ’60’s and ’70’s was when their thermos shattered, ruining the hot soup or cold milk accompanying their sandwich that day – seized by a teacher when the telltale rattle was heard from inside the thermos’s broken interior – and coldly, unceremoniously, chucked in the trash.  The sadness was nearly indescribable.  Yes, why indeed, did they allow children to carry liquids to school in such a fragile container – covered in beloved cartoon characters?  I didn’t have a satisfactory answer for that.

IMG_2226The oldest in Joe’s collection is the Jungle Book lunchbox.  Dating from 1968, it features Baloo and King Louie with Mowgli and Shanti (originally called only “The Girl” until Jungle Book 2) and some monkeys on the top.  Baloo, Mowgli, Shanti, and Bagheera on the bottom.  It’s a little dented and scratched, but the colors are still bright.  Really, it looks pretty good for 45 years old!

Next in age, is the Pinocchio lunchbox from 1971.  This one’s the most worn, but still has good colors and detail.  The top features Pinocchio and Jiminy CricketIMG_2218 heading off to school.  The bottom features a very angry Monstro, the whale that swallows Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo in the movie.  Trivia tidbit for you – Monstro was voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft (“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch…”).  On the bottom’s lower left corner, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo are shown fleeing Monstro on a raft.  Cleo, especially, is hard to make out due to wear and rust.IMG_2222

The final two lunchboxes both date from 1976 andIMG_2221 are in the best condition.

The Winnie the Pooh lunchbox features Pooh enjoying some honey and hanging with his buddies from the Hundred Acre Woods (Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet, and Roo) on the top and Kanga joins the gang on the bottom as poor, sad Eeyore hauls a cart of IMG_2223honey jars.

Last but certainly not least, Joseph (wise beyond his years) scored a Walt Disney World lunchbox in great condition.  Mickey and the gang, riding the Disney World Railroad, are featured on the top along with iconic Disney World theme park images (Cinderella Castle, Monorail, Main Street Trolley).  The bottom is the best!  Country Bear Jamboree in all its original glory!  I don’t know about Joe, but this one’s my favorite.  Do you suppose he’d mind if I started using it to take my lunch to work?

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