Hello there, long lost blog. Oh, how I have neglected you lately. There have been far too many times over the past few months when I’ve watched an animated film, television show, special or had something in my life happen that made me think, “hmmm…I should blog about that.” Well, here we are with a late-night story time because I’ve got approximately one hour to kill before Jimmy Fallon starts, and I really need to get some of the thoughts out of my brain space and into the cyber space.

“Superb intro-slash-disclaimer, Emily.”

“Thanks, self.”

Onward!

Since June, I have become a resident of the lovely state of Florida. Among the many new sights, sounds, smells and other elements, perhaps the most obvious difference from my Upstate New York upbringing is the heat. And while I thought I was prepared for the challenges of the Sunshine State during the summer with sunscreen, fans, air conditioning, water and more, something I was not prepared for was having the tire pressure light come on in my two-month old car (who is named Spock, for those who are curious).

This may not seem like a big deal whatsoever to those of you who have experienced this before. Unfortunately for me, I had no idea how to check the tire pressure, where to go to adjust it and how to do so. It took me three separate visits and the assistance of a very patient gas station attendant to alleviate the issue.

And you know what? I blame animation. That’s right! I blame animated films, shows, shorts and specials for not illustrating this simple yet necessary task that I would inevitably face one day. Sounds crazy? Well, given the trend of “edutainment” in animation that all 90’s kids and later have experienced, I think it’s fair to wonder why such life lessons aren’t covered along with counting, the ABC’s, basic math, colors, sharing, spelling and the myriad of other tools provided to children in animation (Spongebob even teaches us how to tie our shoes for goodness’ sake).

So now without further adieu, I present to you a list of life lessons animation failed to teach me:

1. How to check and the air pressure in car tires — see above “adult struggles.”
2. How to click the little switch on the gas nozzle that makes it fill automatically — this is something else I learned from the kind Speedway attendant.
3. How to change a tire — okay, maybe there’s a slight trend to the car theme, and there are definitely YouTube videos and websites that will help me to do this, but I would enjoy it so much more and not live in terror of getting a flat tire if a cute little anthropomorphic bunny would just show me what to do.
4. How to iron clothes — I’m 23 years old and I still rely on steam from the shower and/or my hair straightener to get the job done because I always seem to burn myself and sometimes the clothes when an actual iron gets involved (I’m also thinking this was a missed opportunity in the seminal forgotten classic, “The Brave Little Toaster).
5. How to walk in heels — Tyra Banks has definitely covered this on “America’s Next Top Model,” but again, it would’ve stuck much better had it been to an uptempo xylophone jingle playing to a CG version of Tyra.
6. Taxes — and really anything adult-financial-needs related. There’s not too many ways that I can imagine making this fun, but I’d still love to see the likes of Glen Keane try.
7. Establish a regular blogging schedule — Ah, yes, we reach the truest obstacle that I face, and hopefully the one that I can conquer sans animated short (although I do want to pitch the concept of “Writers Block” to Disney if they don’t have anything slated to play before “Moana” just yet). But this is a goal I have for myself starting now, to blog once a week, and I plan on sticking to it!

Hello, dear friends, it’s been a while. And a lot has changed. First and foremost: I have a job! And it’s at the most magical and my most favorite place on earth: Walt Disney World Resort (insert squeal of joy here)!

It took a considerable amount of hard work (something I’m pretty good at), patience (something I’m really not great at) and a whole lot of driving (something I hope I don’t have to do again for a while) to get here, but it’s all worth it, because I’m home.

Much to my road trip buddy, AKA Dad’s amusement, I made a Disney playlist for the drive (what else did you expect?). And there are obviously a lot of Disney songs that talk about following your dreams, discovering your destiny and finding your place in the world.

But I gotta go with my good friend Herc on this one:

I will find my way
I can go the distance
I’ll be there someday
If I can be strong
I know every mile
Will be worth my while
I would go most anywhere
To feel like I belong

I can’t thank my family, friends and good fortune enough for making this possible. I am truly the happiest I could be, and I’m just so lucky to have this opportunity. I hope to share as much of this new dream with whoever is interested in joining in the journey!

For this post Emily has graciously allowed me to guest write and share a few thoughts. My name is Mike Mort—some of you may remember me from the post I cowrote during DisneySide Week—I had the pleasure of meeting Emily during her 2012 internship with Make-A-Wish Central New York. To share a little more background about myself, I am a 23-year-old blogger (Man, Myth, Mike) and Make-A-Wish volunteer who is living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive muscle weakening disorder. I may use a wheelchair to get around and need a ventilator but, all in all, I tend see my situation as simply unique and by no means tragic or inspirational.

Two major interests of mine are movies (especially of the Disney variety) and disabled activism. Where these passions combine is disabled representation in film. Movies can act as both a window and a mirror; allowing us to glimpse at new things as well as see ourselves in new ways. With film being such a major part of our modern culture, I believe it is very important for Hollywood to better represent the full range of life, disabled individuals especially. One of the areas that I think this diversity is particularly crucial to are films tailored to children and families, hopefully following the trend of How to Train Your Dragon 2, which featured multiple amputee characters.

Personally, one of my favorite examples of positive disabled representation is the 2003 Disney/Pixar classic Finding Nemo. This all-around fantastic movie is a visual masterpiece as well as heartwarming, funny and well written. Fairly early on in the film we are introduced to the fact that Nemo (Alexander Gould), the adorable young clownfish, has a deformed fin, referred to as simply his “lucky fin”. This always really struck a chord with me, it is such a wonderful way to view Nemo’s physical difference, not as negatively but as just part of his life. Marlin (Albert Brooks), Nemo’s father was certainly a bit overprotective of his son, though that mostly stemmed from his own trauma and phobia.

Marlin was very reluctant to let Nemo go to school (love this movie’s fish puns) or even leave the anemone and when he did finally let him, he felt the need to speak for his son and worried about him not fitting in. Nemo, on the other hand, had no trouble being accepted and exuded confidence. This rift between parent and child is fairly common, particularly with children who are disabled. Throughout the course of the film, Marlin learns to cope with his fear of the sea in order to save Nemo. Along the way he is helped by Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who was a little different herself, she struggled with short-term memory but could read english (P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney!) and speak whale.

The best thing about Dory, however, was her attitude: she was outgoing, fearless and lived by an amazing motto, “just keep swimming.” Nemo also met some fascinating characters during his captivity at the dentist office, the fish-tank crew truly teaches him the value of teamwork and determination. There also was a very interesting moment in which Nemo notices that the lead fish, Gill (Willem Dafoe) has a damaged fin as well, this silent recognition was so powerful to me.

Representation in film is quite a bit like that interaction, it is that instantaneous feeling of not being alone in the world. As Finding Nemo clearly teaches us, we each have struggles we must face and that we are far stronger together than alone. I strongly believe that we should embrace our differences at the movies and in our lives. The fact that I am disabled does not necessarily define me as a person but it is a part of my life that I am certainly not ashamed of—it’s my own lucky fin.

If you enjoyed Mike’s guest post as much as I did, I really recommend checking out his blog: Man, Myth, Mike. Thank you so much, Mike!

During my Disney College Program experience, I performed in a short show about safety with Timon and Pumba from The Lion King. It involved some helpful tips, a few cheesy jokes, a catchy song and some sweet dance moves.

As I describe this, I sense that it sounds a little dorky. And it was. In the very best way. I loved performing this show, because it let me fulfill a childhood dream of having my very own adorable animal sidekicks.

Now, I know that among other criticisms for Disney Animation, the animal sidekicks are frequent topics of critics, who may argue that they are just there to keep the really little kids laughing and to sell merchandise. As usual, I disagree. There are plenty of instances when these cute critters help to advance the story, provide a needed perspective, counsel the protagonist and, yes, make us laugh. And here are 10 times when I wish I had my own little sidekicks:

1. When I don’t want to do my hair.

2. When I have nothing to wear.

3. When mornings are tough.

4. When I’ve watched one too many Netflix episodes in a row.

5. When I need to practice my dance moves with a partner.

6. When I need to celebrate an accomplishment with a truly epic handshake.

7. When I’m in the wrong.

8. When I need to learn a good life lesson in the form of a song.

9. When I need to chill.

10. When I need to practice a new talent.

BONUS (and yes, I know it’s not Disney): when I’d like to go for a ride.

Who’s your favorite adorable animal sidekick? And what’s the best thing they do?

I just saw Disney’s new live-action Cinderella and it was wonderful! I was in awe of the visuals the entire time and loved seeing this familiar story told again.

I am really grateful that Disney didn’t try to change the plot or change our opinions of the story. The film presents the classic fairytale with a little more back story and a few small additions, making it a beautiful revision of the original film.

I think the imagery is going to be one of the top things people say about this film. The animation is a beautiful extension of the live action shots, and it’s used to bring animals to life, heighten the scenery and make the world more magical (particular when the Fairy Godmother visits). I couldn’t get enough of the details woven throughout the film. For example, the butterflies on Cinderella’s dress and slippers that initially seemed a little random in trailers, were introduced early in the film, and then the imagery made sense. Also, the transformation sequence for Cinderella’s dress is breathtaking.

The score was unbelievable. I think it was really interesting that the creators chose to invent new themes rather than reach for music from the 1950 animated film. But the score was perfectly done, and swelled with all of the emotions that the film showcased. I especially loved the music for the first dance at the ball. But my favorite music came in during the credits, so make sure to stay for those when you go!

The acting performances were top notch across the board. Lily James was lovely and demure and the truest embodiment of a princess I could imagine for the role of Cinderella. Cate Blanchett stole every scene she was in. She was wonderfully wicked but did so in such style as the Evil Stepmother. Richard Madden as the newly named Kit (AKA The Prince) was very charming but also vulnerable and quirky at times, making him more real and likable. Anastasia and Drisella (Holliday Grainger and Sophie McShera) were hysterical and just the right amount of ridiculous to keep us laughing.

The film does an amazing job of evoking emotions and taking the audience on a journey. There are many quotes that are going to be standouts in the film, but my personal favorite came from Cinderella’s footman when she is about to enter the ball: “enjoy it, it’s not going to last forever.”

I made a short video detailing more initial thoughts about the film if you’d like to hear more of my ramblings and musings about this fantastic film! But I really recommend that you go see it as well!

---

I just realized that this brings us to the very end of Disney Side Week! I’ll continue to show off my #DisneySide beyond this week, but I’ve really enjoyed the excitement and magic of this week and writing about it every day!

I’m really excited to continue celebrating Disney Side Week with a special collaboration for today’s post! I’m happy to introduce my friend Mike, who I met at the local chapter of Make-A-Wish. A few weeks ago, I was a guest in his Oscars wrap-up post. We loved talking about the films and performances, but as I naturally gravitated towards the animation winners, we decided to continue the conversation here. This time, we’re going to do so with a little more nostalgia, and as two 90s kids, we’re going to look back to some of our favorite Disney animated films from our childhoods.

Mike: First of all, I want to thank Emily for giving me the chance to weigh in on the magic that is Disney animation. As far back as I can remember, these movies have been an inseparable aspect of my life and personality. When I was small I spent quite a bit of time at my grandparents house, some of my fondest memories are watching Disney movies in the basement with my grandfather. In many ways he enjoyed these films just as much, if not more, than I did—it was the fact that we could do it together.

One of my personal favorite Disney movies from this part of my childhood is the amazing and majorly underrated gem, The Rescuers Down Under. The absolutely brilliant film, unfortunately, was the least successful movie of the famed “Disney Renaissance” but was certainly no less creative, in fact, it was the first Disney movie to combine CGI and hand-drawn effects. This sequel to the original 1977 The Rescuers, once again follows Bianka and Bernard, two mouse agents of the Rescue Aid Society dedicated to helping children in danger. The small but brave duo travel to Australia to help an adventurous young boy named Cody who has been kidnapped by McLeach, a violent poacher bent on hunting a beautiful golden eagle that Cody has befriended. I instantly fell in love with this film during its spectacular flying sequence, in which Cody is carried by Marahute, the massive golden eagle, this scene was inspired by the works of the legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki.

Emily: I remember The Rescuers and the Down Under sequel very well, but as crazy as it sounds the villains in these stories stood out to me, especially Madam Medusa of the original film, but I think that’s partly due to her alligator henchmen. I was probably a little scared of them, but also interested by the villains’ harmatia and how the main characters were ultimately victorious. This was especially the case for The Little Mermaid. I grew up watching and loving and reenacting this film constantly – so much so that I broke the library’s copy of the VHS and my mother had to replace it! But I was hooked. I absolutely loved Ariel and completely identified with her adventurous and ambitious spirit that sometimes landed her in trouble, but ultimately made her dreams come true. I also loved the soundtrack and score very early on, and I think it helped to inspire my love and study of music. At the age of two, however, I don’t think I understood the artistry behind Allen Menken’s music, but I enjoyed the storytelling of the songs.

The Little Mermaid also has a wonderful and under appreciated sequel: Return to the Sea. This remains a favorite of mine, but that’s another post for another time!

Mike: The Rescuers movies did have terrifying villains, I agree, but Disney villains are some of the most intriguing characters of all because they don’t always know they’re villains, they had hopes and dreams but along the way lost their sense of morality and were consumed by evil. Ursula from The Little Mermaid, for example, was a fantastic villain that spoke to the true nature of evil—exploiting the dreams of good people and hungering for power at all costs. Conversely, the greatest Disney heroes have a strong moral code and are fiercely loyal, one of my favorite movies that certainly proves this is Disney’s Mulan. The powerful and entertaining 1998 film shows that its title heroine will do anything to protect her family and her country. The incredible scene where Mulan takes her father’s sword, cuts her hair and rides off to war still gives me chills. The movie also wonderfully balances humor, excitement and musical numbers throughout, plus it’s strong leading female character sends a great message.

Emily: I completely agree with Mike that Mulan was an incredible and inspiring film, and also one of the most successful Disney animated features to use CGI with hand drawn to create larger than life landscapes in a cohesive way. Hercules of 1997 also shows this marriage of animation styles. I think this is one of the funniest movies with the jokes and puns it makes about Ancient Greece and mythology (“somebody call IX-I-I!”). The story takes one of the greatest heroes in history and, similarly to Mulan, displays Hercules as an underdog at first. It lets us relate to and root for him throughout the rest of the film because he worked for his dreams. And along the way he meets one of my favorite Disney ladies, Meg, who is flawed and aware of her mistakes and therefore a tough cookie to start. I think it’s really rewarding to see her arc as a character and how it compliments that of Herc. And finally, as I’ve written in a previous post, I absolutely adore Pegasus!

Mike: Another great movie that really stands out to me is Lilo and Stitch, it is such a unique and endearing story to me. The film, at its core, is about family and belonging; the idea that, “Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” I was really struck by the relationship between Lilo and her older sister, Nani, they oftentimes got on each other’s nerves but ultimately loved and relied on one another which rings true for most siblings out there. This movie was also responsible for bringing to life one of my all-time favorite Disney characters, experiment 626, AKA Stitch, the hilariously mischievous yet lovable blue alien.

Emily: I love the messages about family from Lilo and Stitch, and also that it explores and accepts families even if they aren’t entirely blood-related. I also love that it tackles this subject in a creative way by with the introduction of aliens. Disney Animation Studios have always been successful in showing the human side of fantasy lands and animal kingdoms for quite some time, but my favorite film of this kind remains The Lion King. It was the very first film I saw in theaters with my dad. The two of us were talking about it the other day, and I learned that he was just as impressed by the film as I was. Even though I was only three at the time, I distinctly remember “The Circle of Life” opening, and how small it made me feel. That’s what great films can do. And I think both Mike and I agree that the Disney films we grew up with were important and awesome to us.

It’s been fantastic to have this conversation with Mike, and we hope that you’ve enjoyed it! If you’d like to read more of his writing, I really recommend checking out his blog: Man, Myth, Mike. And you may see more collaborations from the two of us in the future!

It happened. For the first time in forever, Disney officially confirmed what we’ve all been anticipating since November 27, 2013: Frozen 2!

The internet might just explode from the news. But this is the second time in forever (well in the last six months) that Disney has announced a sequel the day before the opening of a new film.
Note: And not that I’m asking for a job well done or anything, but this is the second time I’ve written a blog post recognizing this!

Since Josh Gad attended the shareholders meeting for the announcement, I think it’s safe to assume that our favorite little snowman will make a return. It also looks like the lovely Kristen Bell, voice actress of Princess Anna, is on board for the sequel:

So what can we look forward to in Frozen 2? Glad you asked!

1. A new villain. I would love to see Elsa and Anna’s sisterhood and the kingdom of Arendelle tested by a challenging force. Hans is presumably back in the Southern Isles, but I don’t think he is the only one that would covet Arendelle’s resources and power. Or, could we find a villain in the form of weather forces again?

2. New songs. Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez seemed be planning ahead in their 2013 Oscar acceptance speech! Let’s hope that they’ll some other inspiring songs up their sleeves.

___
3. More Oaken! This is a personal hope because I just love Oaken. Yoohoo!

4. NOT Anna and Kristoff’s wedding. Yes, I know this was what happened on Once Upon a Time, and that’s exactly why I don’t think it will be part of the film.

I’m sure this list will continue to grow, but I think that’s all I’ve got for now!

This announcement is particularly good timing since many of us will be watching Cinderella and Frozen Fever this weekend. What better way for Frozen fans to celebrate than with a short to (hopefully) show a little of what Frozen 2 has in store!

A few weeks ago, I discussed Bambi in my Walk on the Wild Side post. I have been meaning to talk about today’s topic since then, and even though it’s taken me a little while, I think that Disney Side Week is the perfect time to do this!

In writing the original post, I did some research on the animation of Bambi and came across this incredible Making of Bambi featurette:

—-
This is worth watching for the artistry and animation history alone, but when I first watched it I had to pause at 5:19

—
Because that little deer figurine in the background looked very familiar. Because I have the same one:
——————-      

My mom enjoys and has a real talent for finding some outstanding vintage items at local sales. She writes about it on her blog and actually sells some in her Etsy shop. But you won’t find too many of her Disney finds listed for sale, because she is wonderful at encouraging and enabling my Disney collection.

This figurine is actually a bank, with a small slot for coins in the front of the foliage. Through a little research, I’m pretty positive that it is handmade and hand-painted. One of my favorite parts about this little figurine are the hand-marked Walt Disney and Bambi on the back.

I’ve done a little snooping around Ebay, and there are a handful of others like this listed. I looked to Ebay to try to answer the number question I have about this figurine: is it Bambi or Faline? Incase anyone doesn’t remember, Faline is Bambi’s childhood friend, and later on his love interest. Both of the fawns have dramatic eyelashes, and differ only slightly in their fur colors. Faline (on the left below) has bright blue eyes, and Bambi’s are a light brown. The figurine conveniently just has dark pupils, so I’m left a little stumped.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! And Happy Disney Side Week Day 2! Some pretty cool news popped up today with the release of the official poster for the upcoming animated short, Frozen Fever:

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, there is a lot of anticipation building for the release of the live action Cinderella this Friday. But I think a good portion of that excitement is for this animated short that will premiere before the feature length film. It’s typical for Disney’s films to be accompanied by a short, but this is the first time in forever in recent years that it has done so before a live action film. It’s also one of the few times that an animated short has acted as a “mini sequel” to an animated film, but it was done — and done very well  — in 2012 with Tangled Ever After with the 3D release of Beauty and the Beast.

From the poster alone, Frozen Fever looks adorable. I love that we see the characters from Frozen freshened up for spring. Anna and Elsa’s outfits and hairstyles have been revamped and Olaf has a whole flurry of new friends (if you want to know why, you can read more here, but I didn’t want to spoil this!). I also love Elsa’s expression in this image: it’s a little softer and sweeter than the powerful smirk she wears on media images for the film, and this smile shows off her snowy white teeth! The coloring of the title is also spot on, perfectly illustrating that the characters in Frozen are warming up to spring.

For nearly a month, a few other sneak peak images have been available, as well as a teaser trailer from Disney:

~
It’s been announced that a new song from Frozen songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez will be included in the short. Just from these small sneak peaks alone, I am really excited to see the short! I love that we will get to see Elsa and Anna continue to find their friendship and become closer sisters, and do so in some snazzy new springy outfits! Olaf looks like he will be just as silly and funny as ever. I’d also like to point out that good old Oaken from the Wandering Trading Post and Sauna makes an appearance at 0:26 in the video!

Finally, let’s take a quick PR look at this (because that’s what I do): the timing of this release is super smart. Cinderella is Disney’s first big film of 2015, and with the common princess factor, it makes perfect sense to pair these two together. Additionally, the spring theme matches up incredibly well Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival at Walt Disney World. This celebration displays topiaries and floral arrangements of favorite Disney characters, and Elsa and Anna have joined the green group for 2015! The special park event even has some pretty incredible limited edition merchandise, some of it featuring Frozen Fever! Finally, I think everyone (well, at least everyone in Upstate New York) is good and done with this winter, and an animated short celebrating spring is just what we need!