What Disney Movies Taught Me (Jenna Marbles)

I love Jenna Marbles. I love Disney movies. These are her thoughts on Disney movies, especially the Princesses. I agree entirely (and I used to do some of those things she talks about when I was growing up, so I find it extra funny).

Hilarious!!

Beauty & The Beast (B*tchy Version) - hilarious!

Just in case anybody hasn't seen this yet. I had to share.

HEY GIRL!

Starbucks in the Disney Parks - starting June 2012

Yes. That's Mickey Ears on Mrs. Starbucks or whatever her name is.  Starting in June 2012 the first of six themed Starbucks locations will open in Disney's California Adventure. Starbucks coffee will be served INSIDE the Disney Parks. 

According to Disney Parks Blog, "The café will serve Starbucks items, including coffee and espresso beverages, Frappuccino® blended beverages, and signature breakfast sandwiches and pastries. Guests also will have their choice of Disney favorites, including signature sandwiches and other items, as well as delicious desserts and sweet treats."

OK, that sounds lovely, but I have mixed feelings about this.

Disney knows food. It knows themed dining. It certainly knows customer service.  Why do they need Starbucks to step in for the assist with this?  I’m no coffee aficionado, but seriously, the coffee selections in Disney parks are um, sub-par, to put it lightly. So I guess the quality will improve, that’s one good thing.

Which brings me to my devils-advocate point I’m trying to make here. As I said, Disney knows how to do food, they know how to do themed dining, but for some dumb reason they don’t know how to do coffee. The Nescafe insta-crud they offer for their coffee selections in the parks is barely drinkable. So… if their coffee is bad, which it is, and they have the money to hire the know-how, which they can…why don’t they just make the coffee better?! Doesn’t that sound a tad more reasonable than bringing a chain restaurant inside the parks? 

Outside the parks, anything goes as far as I’m concerned. Outside the parks is the “real world”.  For example, I live in Manhattan, so what does Starbucks remind me of…morning commutes, crowded subways, long lines, and cubicles.  Not exactly a fantasy world.  Starbucks serves its purpose in the real world, providing caffeine fixes for millions of people day in and day out.  But I don't want it in my fantasy world.

Inside the parks is not the real world, it’s fantasy world, a happy place where cubicles, deadlines, commutes, and emails don’t exist.   I don’t want to be reminded of the real world when I’m at a Disney park.  I go to Disney specifically to escape that very drudgery.   But now we’ll be surrounded by cups plastered with that smiling green Mrs. Starbucks, to remind me that the real world is still out there…waiting for me to return.

The Disney Starbucks locations will no doubt be themed and lovely in every way. They’ll be aesthetically beautiful, service will be excellent, the drinks will be varied and palatable (Not to mention ridiculously overpriced). You’ll be able to get your ‘Venti, Non-Fat, No Foam, No water, 6 pump, extra hot, chai tea latte’ (wtf? I never know how to order at Starbucks).  Just how you like it...every day on your commute to work. It will be familiar and that will make us happy. To get the same stuff we enjoy in the day to day "real world".  When "worlds" collide, eh?

Americans like Wal-Mart, too. I don't see that being plunked into Animal Kingdom anytime soon (I shudder at the thought).

Disney World Facebook Timeline Cover Photos

Love it or hate it, Facebook has made us all switch to the Timeline view in the past few weeks.  I am on Team "Love It". I think it keeps the information organized nicely and displays it in an aesthetically pleasing way. My favorite aspect of it is the ability to personalize your Banner / Cover Image.  Of course mine is a rotation of Disney oriented pictures, some my own, but also some professional shots.

These are from the Disney Tourist Blog. Stunning, aren't they!? 

Check out their site for the full collection (they have Disneyland ones too!): Disney Tourist Blog

You may also enjoy:

Disney World iPhone Wallpapers
Disney World Christmas Computer Wallpapers

Disney Characters in Reality TV Shows

Having fun today casting our favorite Disney characters onto trashy reality TV shows.

Hoarders. Ariel needs help.

Kuzco is the original Undercover Boss

Charlotte baby definitely goes on Toddlers and Tiaras

Both Cinderella and Fairy Godmother go on What Not to Wear

Jon and Kate Plus 8 (7 Dwarves plus the horse, heh)

Mary Poppins is the #1 British SuperNanny!

Remy is my Top Chef, of course.

Academy Award Noms and Snubs: Best Animated Film

I don't usually rant here, but I need to make an exception this time.  The Academy Award nominees were announced, and I agree with a lot of them. Hugo was a fantastic film, I saw it twice in the theater, and it deserves the 11 nominations it received.

However, I do have a problem with the 2011 Best Animated Film category. Here is the list:

"Rango"

Animated Feature Film

"A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli

"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson

"Puss in Boots" Chris Miller

"Rango" Gore Verbinski

I admit, I have not seen the first two films, nor have I even heard of them, although I will make a point to now. Therefore I will say nothing more about them.

However, I have seen Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, and Rango. 

I loved Rango. However, I did see Rango in a theater full of families with little kids that were simply too young for the film. Rango is not Cars, and clearly was not made for toddlers. So, the kids got bored, started screaming and crying, and basically ruined my movie-going experience. Rango was visually absolutely stunning, yes. For little kids? No. It was funny in a witty and subtle way.

Please keep in mind, animation is a medium not a genre!! Just because a film is animated does not mean it's for kids. That used to be the case perhaps, but not anymore.

Puss in Boots was cute but forgettable, and the Kung Fu Panda movies have never grabbed me. They're ok, but meh. I like them and enjoy them, but only on a superficial level. If I want to have a moving emotional experience (to characters with depth and story with meaning), while watching an animated film, I'll pop in Finding Nemo, Wall-E or Up. Not Kung Fu Panda.

Pixar has dominated the Animated Film category at the Oscars, as well it should, for many years.  This year, not even a nomination was made for Cars 2. Justifiably. Nobody in their right mind would consider Cars 2 an Oscar-worthy film the likes of Wall-E, Toy Story 3, or Up. The only reason they made Cars in the first place has to have been to offset all the Disney Princess stories that appeal to little girls. Plenty of Princess dolls, dresses, etc for elementary school girls. Not much for the boys.  

Disney/Pixar "Cars"

A film chock full of colorful talking cars filled that void, and is clearly a massive cash cow for Disney/Pixar. The merchandise for that film has been incredible. Every time I turn around I see a little boy wearing a pair of Cars sneakers or backpack or whatever. Cha-ching cha-ching!! 

The films exist not because the Cars movies hold a candle to any of the other Pixar films in existence, but simply because they're talking cars. Nothing little boys and their parents love more than talking cartoony automobiles. (Think: Thomas the Tank Engine's never-ending popularity with the 2-5 year old male demographic.)

But, if the cash flow from movies like Cars must be made to fund high-quality Pixar stories like Up, Wall-E, and Toy Story 3, then so be it. Take the good with the bad. Nobody is forcing me to watch them.

That being said, considering how much of a powerhouse Pixar is in the industry, I guess it's a big deal for them to not even be nominated, even though the film didn't deserve it. Eh, whatever.

"The Adventures of TinTin"

Which brings us back to the issue at hand, the Academy Award Nominees. My biggest problem is WHY was TinTin not nominated? It's accrued a massive amount of accolades this year, but now somehow NOT even nominated for the Oscar?? I know the Academy Awards are all about politics and who knows what was going on behind the scenes. Delicate egos in Hollywood and such, but come on. It's the best animated film this year, hands down. 

One argument is that it was done using Motion Capture ("Mo-Cap"). OK, fine. Maybe if you're a super-purist that could be construed as a legitimate argument, but then how do they explain Happy Feet (also made with Mo-Cap) winning Best Animated Film in 2006 (beating out Cars that year, mind you).  Therefore that argument doesn't have two legs to stand on. 

There must be some other forces at work. The anti-TinTin squad of the Academy or something. Spielberg's War Horse got 6 Nominations. Tin Tin got only one, Best Music (Original Score) - John Williams. Maybe they're sick of seeing Spielberg and Peter Jackson dominate the Oscars. Well, when either of them starts putting out mindless dreck, then so be it, their time has passed. But not yet.

Bad call, Academy of Motion Pictures. You're wrong on this one.

Trailer for Finding Nemo 3D

Fall 2012 - I can't wait!! :)

You may also enjoy:

Wreck-It Ralph Trailer

Monster University Teaser