I’m in Hawaii to celebrate the opening of Aulani, Disney’s newest resort in Ko’Olina and the number one thing I am feeling is guilt. It is so lovely, and I feel so lucky that I get to be here. There are so much shitiness in the world, and I’m here. Snorkeling, drinking, laying by the beach, repeatedly going down the water slide.
Is Mickey here?
Filed under Kick Ass Things, Travel
To many film critics or people with good movie taste, Disney’s 1992 musical about an 1899 New York City newsboy strike Newsies was a bust. But to anyone who was an 8-year-old girl the first time she saw it and had pretty much zero standards for film finesse, it became an obsession. My friends and I memorized all the songs, dreamed of doing the dances, and broke at least one Newsies VHS from over-use. Today, there are lots of girls in my generation who love this movie for the same reason of sentimentality that people in my generation love Goonies or The Sand Lot. These movies were awesome to us when we were younger, so even watching them now, we are under their spell.
Filed under I'm Getting Sentimental, Kick Ass Things, Movies
My mom used to make me Mickey Mouse pancakes all the time, and every time she did I thought, Holy shit I am such a lucky girl! My mom is the funnest! And really, why don’t moms make Mickey Mouse pancakes every time? It’s not like it’s all that much harder, and the amount of increased pleasure is astronomical. Why the fuck would you be a lazy a-hole and make regular, circular pancakes when you could make these?
Courtesy of Flickr/lorenjavier
Filed under Dining, Kick Ass Things
I have an idea for Disney – an adults only resort. I’m not talking about a den of sin with topless sunbathing or anything that would be offensive to main stream America, just one little oasis in the middle of Walt Disney World where children are not allowed.
I was thinking about themes, and Retro Vegas would be an obvious one. They could do a kind of Las Vegas Strip instead of Main Street, with all the old casinos like The Flamingo. There wouldn’t be real gambling; this is Disney so we don’t want it to get super seedy, just pretend seedy. You could win Disney Dollars or stuffed animals – the winnings aren’t the important thing, the atmosphere would be the draw. We could smoke and drink fancy cocktails all day long if we wanted – and mambo. I don’t know how to mambo but I’m sure some handsome Latin American Disney cast member could give us lessons by the pool. Continue reading
Filed under Kick Ass Things
Artist Clair Hummel did a series of illustrations of historically accurate versions of Disney Princesses. They’re beautiful and much more interesting than the dresses of the real Disney princesses (although a six-year old princess-freak may not concur.) What’s more interesting is how pissed off people are getting about it. Particularly Jasmin’e costume.
Aladdin, if you did not know (I didn’t), is a Chinese story that takes place in fantastical “Arabia” with Indian influences, and Jasmine’s name is actually Princess Badroulbadour. Since Jasmine’s outfit could not possibly existed, Hummel stuck with mostly Persian and Iranian influences, since it was the closest historical archetype she could find (because dragging India to this is just crazy.) It’s like a pita pocket up mixed-up Persian/Iranian/Indian/Arabic ingredients, which actually sounds delicious. But instead, people are mad:
Filed under Kick Ass Things, Princesses, Web
Check out this Disney version of celebrity dopplegangers–I think it’s pretty accurate.
Filed under Kick Ass Things
What Disney calls “late summer savings” could mean “Happy Halloween” for you – if you don’t mind celebrating Halloween in September. (Go to mousesavers.com for information about the discounts available.) Lauren and I do it every year – we go to “Mickey’s Not So Very Scary Halloween Party” the last weekend in September. This year we’ll do the party Friday night and we’ve signed up for the Wine and Dine half marathon that they’re having Saturday night (let’s hope I don’t chicken out). It’s a night race, starting at 10:00 PM and running through 3 parks, ending in EPCOT for a special after-hours party at the International Food & Wine Festival.
You really have to book now for all this stuff – the half marathon is already 87% full and as popular as Disney Dining plans have become if you don’t book restaurant reservations in advance you don’t get the reservations you want . Since most of the restaurants can be booked 180 days in advance we should have already made ours by now.
Mickey’s Not So Very Scary Halloween Party is a blast – we dress up every year and really love seeing everyone else’s costumes. I was Tinkerbell last year and I’m thinking about being Mary Poppins this year.
Filed under Kick Ass Things
People who find out that I love Italian movies always assume I love the older ones – and it’s not like I don’t, but I don’t know much about them and I hardly ever watch a Fellini movie.
But I have to admit being in awe of 76 year old Sophia Loren, still a knock out, and so I guess I’m going to have to go to Rome see Cars 2.
She’s do her first ever dubbing as the Neapolitan voice of a character in “Cars 2″ for the sake of her grandchildren (“Who knows? Maybe watching ‘Cars 2’ they’ll recognize the voice of their grandmother”) and the late Walt Disney as the voice of the character of Mama Topolino (Mamma Mickey Mouse). “Cars 2″ opens across Italy today.
The two-time Oscar winner will dub with her lively Neapolitan accent and won’t be dubbed in 21 countries including France, Spain, Russia, and Brazil. Loren said her role in the upcoming movie ” Cars 2″ is a tribute to movie giant Walt Disney, who helped her when she was a young woman.
“I was in Los Angeles many years ago to receive an award. I was terribly nervous, and very young, and I ran into Mr. Disney. It was an unforgettable evening. We talked and he helped me with my jitters… This is my way of honoring Disney.”
Filed under Kick Ass Things
