Hidden Mickey (Maybe) at College

During the same trip down to college with MMM, she and I were waiting for a session from the English department (my intended major) when I noticed there was a familiar face in the shape of the table.

Yes, a tad more like a clover than a Mickey, but
hey, it was close enough for me!
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

Not quite a perfect Hidden Mickey, but pretty close!

MMM smiled when I pointed it out and said, "It's a sign: this is the college for you!"

An Out of State Find

At the beginning of the month, MMM and I headed down to the college I'm going to next year (which happens to be the same one The Beast and I visited before).  There was this pre-freshman orientation that weekend.  It ended up being lots of fun, and it was nice to meet my fellow future classmates.

On the way home Saturday afternoon, we (of course) stopped by a gas station to fill up the car and so, you know....well, in case one of us had to "go."

We both did.

When I came out of the restroom, I noticed some of those cheap toy dispensers.  You know, put in a few quarters, get a tattoo or a small toy.  And just like on that other road trip I shared with you about, I noticed one of the dispensers was filled with Disney items.  "Disney tags" to be exact.

Sweet.

I headed back to the van and climbed into my seat.

"Hey, [MMM], when you come out of the restroom, could you buy me two of those Disney tags?  You'll see them right away."

I handed her two quarters.  Oddly enough, she didn't give me a look or anything.

Seems My Disney Family may be accepting me after all.

Anyway, she and I were taking turns because we had some valuables in the car that we didn't want to leave alone.  That's why I went first and then her.

When she came back out, she handed me the two tags (but they come in those flat-bottom-bell-top-you-take-off containers) as she put a new bag of ice into our cooler full of snacks.

Eagerly, I popped open the containers to see which characters I'd gotten.

Bambi and Minnie, that's who!
Am I Minnie "cursed"?  I want some Mickey luck!
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

Strangely enough, I got another Minnie item!

I think they're both pretty cute.  I actually prefer the Minnie one though, because I don't like how Bambi fills up the entire tag unlike Minnie.

Some more pictures.  Sorry, I went a bit photo crazy because my camera was actually working!

Yes, I'm a Pokemon fan too!
All following pictures taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

A bit close-up...

Even closer...
And obviously, the first picture is closest!
My camera loved me that day!!
(Usually it doesn't find anything to focus on, and the pictures are blurry
or have a glare!)

One final note, after I opened them and was playing with the tags, MMM smiled and asked me which ones I'd gotten.  It was so nice!

(For more Disney Freak fun, like me on Facebook or check me out on Tumblr!  If you know of other ways I can expand this Disney Freak universe, let me know in the comments!!)

Midnight

It has happened.

Brave is now out in theaters.

See it.

The Pizza Planet Truck

If you know anything about Pixar movies, they have certain traditions for every movie.

Some people call these "Easter eggs" because when you look for them, it's like being on an Easter egg hunt.

One such Easter egg is the Pizza Planet Truck.

Picture from the Pixar Wiki.

If you don't know where the truck's from, it originated in Toy Story since Pizza Planet is the restaurant Andy and his family go to.  Since it's first appearance, the Truck has appeared in every following Pixar movie, except The Incredibles apparently.

But what of the upcoming Brave?

It seems a bit odd to think of a truck appearing in 10th century DunBroch.

However, Mark Andrews, one of the "co-directors" of Brave, has confirmed that the all the traditional Easter eggs will appear, including the truck!

It made my Disney Family and I wonder just how this was going to be done.

I'd read somewhere (the source escapes me) that it would appear but it won't be what you're expecting.  Some sort of twist.  Makes the hunt a little more exciting!

But here below is a clue, if you want it.  Otherwise, I direct you to another post of mine....

Clue, Maybe

According to both the Disney Wiki and the Pixar Wiki, "it was reported that Tia Kratter, art director of the film, has hinted during her presentation at the D23 Expo that the truck would be in the Witch's house" (The Disney Wiki).

Good luck!

Breathe, Myself, Breathe...

It's official.

Brave opens tonight at midnight because then it will be tomorrow.

Picture from the Disney Wiki.

To put it plain and simple, it opens tomorrow, Friday the 22nd of June.

I can't tell you how excited I am!

I went from casually learning about the movie via the Disney Wiki, being curious, creating a blog, learning a ton more, and becoming to excited to be unable to tell you just how excited I am.

To put in less words, it seems like so long ago we were just learning about it and then waiting for the release date.  And now it's about to be here.  Literally!

While I will not be able to make it to the premiere because I don't personally have any money at the moment, MMM is "considering" taking me this weekend to see it.

To end this post:

"If you had the chance to change your Fate, would you?"

Steamboat Willie (Mickey Cards One)

I shared a long time ago that I found some new Disney items at a thrift store near my grandma's.  I will not be doing a post on all the items, but rather each item individually.

One of the items was a boxed set of collectible Mickey Mouse cards celebrating his 75th anniversary.  I'm guessing that was back in 2004 since that's when the cards are copyrighted.

Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

Bottom of box.
Note the 2004 copyright.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

The set includes a commemorative card about Mickey...

Front of card.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

Back of card.  Sorry for the glare.  Stupid camera
flash.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

...and 75 cards highlighting Mickey's appearances. 

The 75 cards!  Er, actually, I'm missing like 3 of them.
The Disney Mermaid and I counted them several times, and every
time we never reached 75. So I only have like 71-73.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

The set might have included 1 of 1 Walt Disney Cut Signature Card, but I guess I didn't get the lucky set.  Or if I did, it was taken out before being sold at the thrift store.  Oh well.

Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to find it and the rest of my missing cards.

"Steamboat Willie"

As I was considering some posts to do, I thought of this idea.

I will watch each of the clips I have a card for, share it with you, and share my ideas about the clips!

So to start this series off, I introduce to you the first Mickey Card: "Steamboat Willie," 1928.

The first card.  Each card features a shot from the short/film,
the year it came out, and on the back, a bit of info.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

If you can't read that: "While iron-fisted Captain Pete fumes, his ne'er-
do-well deckhand Mickey Mouse neglects his riverboat duties in favor of
impressing Minnie.  And impress her he does, thanks to a motley
crew of animals that he uses as instruments for an impromptu version of
'Turkey in the Straw.'"
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

To be honest, I must admit that I've never actually seen Mickey's first clip!  Sometimes I'd seen the short part (for the link, it's at the end of the video) of Mickey whistling at the wheel (shown in the card's screenshot).  And also when my siblings played Epic Mickey, there was a short part on "Steamboat Willie."  So I was given what you could call a preview.

I thought this was actually a pretty cute clip and a great start to Mickey's reign.  However, I was surprised Mickey, Minnie, and Pete didn't have voices yet.  I guess I'm pretty used to a talking Mickey.

The "impromptu version of 'Turkey in the Straw'" was also very enjoyable.  Walt did an incredible job of matching sound to the animation.

The man really is the genius of movies.

Random Hidden Mickey

I've noticed this since I was a child, but only recently did I think of sharing it with you!

Rafiki: "Look harder."
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

The Hidden Mickey at my grandma's....on her bathroom floor!

A Hidden Mickey!  Sorry for the slight blur.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

Thanks to The Disney Smart One for reminding me of it, which reminded me to take some pictures to share with you.

Today in Disney History...

The Lion King came out to theaters (to a limited audience--critics and such).  That marks today as its 18th anniversary!

The beginning....
Picture from a photoset from lionkingfreak.tumblr.com post.

And you know what's the best part?

It's my favorite Disney movie!

And it came out the same year as when I was born, only about a month early.

Excuse me while I go and celebrate.

By watching it.

Long live the king of movies.

...and the end.
Picture from same source as previous picture.

Glow with the Show -- Literally!

Disney always does crazy things with the newest technology.

Awhile back, they debuted the show "World of Color."  And now they're adding to the show!

I'm not referring to the new Brave section in the show, though that is pretty cool.

I'm referring to some pretty neat Mickey Mouse ears that will glow with the show -- literally!

To understand what I mean, this video below gives you an idea.  All those glowing things right in front of the camera?  Mickey Mouse ears...ears!

That's right.  With these new ears, the wearer takes part in "World of Color!"

The ears before they start to glow!
Picture from the Disney Parks Blog.

But they glow!
Picture from simplydisneyariel.tumblr.com post.
Picture originally from butacinamo.tumblr.com post.

According to the Disney Parks Blog, "Now, using the latest interactive technology, our newest ear hats will quite literally let you 'Glow with the Show.'  Watch as the iridescent ears change to complement and harmonize with what’s happening around you, allowing you to become a part of the magic of our nighttime spectaculars, such as 'World of Color' and Mad T Party. But that’s not all – there are lots of surprises in store when you visit Disney California Adventure park with Glow with the Show Ears, so I’ll let you discover them for yourself!"

And as you saw in the video, "the Glow with the Show Ears become a set of pixels that dance and play along with each sequence in ‘World of Color’ in a bright and dynamic way. For example, during the show, guests become part of the ocean with the Little Mermaid, a shining galaxy of stars for WALL-E and Eve, an extension of the Genie’s magic in ‘Friend Like Me,’ among other interactive explosions of color throughout the entire show. It truly brings the show’s environment out of the lagoon and into the audience in an amazing and dazzling new way" (Disney Parks Blog)!

Now, the question is, where do I buy?

See ya all real soon!

***UPDATE***

Sorry for the incorrect source information under the glowing ears.  Hope this clears everything up.  I got it from one source, but it originally came from another.

Lottie Popular

Most of the time when I see or hear of a video where scenes from a Disney movie are matched to a song from pop culture, I get a bit judgemental.  And then I don't watch it.

Today, though, was different.

I was surfing YouTube to see if there was a video of Charlotte "Lottie" La Bouff's scenes since I found a photoset of her on Tumblr that made me laugh and reminded me of how funny she is.  Funny and sweet.

I keep laughing when I see this...someone help! :)
Picture from ourdisneymemories.tumblr.com post.

Instead I found this.

And since "Popular" is a fantasmic song, I just had to check it out.

I didn't regret.

The video creator did a great job matching the scenes to the song lyrics.  Often, it looked like Lottie really was singing it!  And even if the words and lip-movements weren't matched, Lottie's actions made it just perfect.

What do you think?

Witch's Magical Mystery Brew

I still can't stop grinning from watching the new clip/trailer from Brave.

It's absolutely the funniest one that's been released yet.

And probably the best one yet.

Picture from the Disney Wiki.

Sure, it doesn't exactly tell more of the story.  It plays more like a ad.

But it's hilarious!  The music that starts playing, such upbeat happy music, when the narrator starts to say, "But next time, don't just wish your problems away..."  It's fantastic!  (Oops, I meant to say fantasmic!)

The part when the "ad" goes through all the side effects of the "Witch's Magical Mystery Brew" was when I really started smiling.

By the way, Queen Elinor, that's not exactly lady-like, is it?

Order your Witch's Magical Mystery Brew today!

I'm Gonna Wreck It!

I know.  I'm late.

For a very important date.

But after seeing it on The Disney Den, I had to do a post on the first trailer for Wreck-it Ralph, even though I promised a post on it when the trailer would first come out.  Sorry!

I have to say, once I realized other video game characters were going to be in this movie, I got a lot more excited.  At first, I was like a bit...judgemental and didn't feel quite ready to get excited for this movie.  But now, after seeing this trailer (and especially Bowser!) I'm actually really looking forward to this movie.

And echoing what Sara said, this is the originality that we're looking for in a Disney movie.

However, that's just a tad unfair.

Because Disney has done some incredible work retelling fairy tale stories.  Just saying.

But I do appreciate it when they create an original story that looks like it's going to do well.

Oh, and one thing that kind of annoyed me though was that Fix-it Felix really really reminded me of Bob the Builder.  And Bob's annoying motto.  That I had to live through with a younger brother.

But Hey, We All Love Disney Trivia!

Speaking of other video game characters, did you catch all the cameos?

The support group for bad guys...love it.
Did you catch any cameos here?  Of course you did!  But did
you know all of them?
Picture from Wreck-it Ralph Facebook page.

Well, this article gives you a look into all the characters that appeared in the trailer...who aren't from Disney!  Enjoy!!

Every Role a Magical Role

At the Disney Parks Blog, there is a video series called "Every Role a Starring Role at Disneyland Resort."  I'm going to share on of those videos, but I changed the title.  I don't know why.  I just did.

You remember that I shared (on Facebook) a few weekends ago that Fantasmic! recently celebrated its 20th anniversary?  Well, this recent "Every Role a Starring Role at Disneyland Resort"/"Every Role a Magical Role" video shows some backstage footage while interviewing one of the Fantasmic! stage technicians.

The one thing that I found a tad annoying was that the James (the stage tech) seemed to refer to Maleficent as "the Queen."  Really.  It annoys me how people often refer to her as the Queen.  She's a fairy!  And an evil one at that.

But The Disney Mermaid wants me to say that he could be referring to the Evil Queen since she does appear in the show while the video footage just happened to be of Maleficent (for the link, see number 27).

I have to agree with this guy that Fantasmic!, even though I haven't seen it in person yet, is one of the best shows Disney has created for its Parks. It combines all sort of fantasmic/fantastic elements to create a show you won't forget!

Mickey giving us a few thumbs-up in this video seems to show he agrees!



The show must be really good to get two thumbs-ups!
Video screenshot by THE Disney Freak from the included video.

See ya all real soon.  For more awesome Disney Freak fun, check me out on Facebook and on Tumblr!

Elinor and Fergus' Own Clip

I've mentioned I like these two, right?

As I've said on the Facebook page for this blog, June is Brave month because....Brave comes out on the 22nd this month.  It's going to be so awesome!

Well, here's a clip that shows that full scene which we got glimpses of in Trailer 3.  I really enjoyed seeing more of it.

But what I really like in this clip is Fergus and Elinor together.  I still want to know their backstories (were they married through arrangement?), but this clip really and finally shows me they are a great couple together.  Their little conversation is very cute here, and I understand now that Fergus can be pretty serious about being a king.

Let me explain myself.  At first, when I started watching Brave clips, I thought maybe Fergus didn't really want to be king and left all the work to Elinor, which she apparently didn't mind but at the same time did (she obviously was still queen but seemed to want her husband to focus, rather than "encourage" Merida).  While I'm pretty sure Fergus is still a fun-loving guy a lot like Merida, he does take some matters seriously.

The one thing I really really like?

Elinor's muttering.

"I don't mutter!"

Sorry, Your Highness.