Wednesday, July 31, 2013

You Are the Glow!

I raved in a previous post how much I love the song “The Glow” that the beautiful and talented Shannon Saunders sings.  For those of you who don’t recognize or remember the song, here it is below.

Both videos are from YouTube. This is the music video version.

And this is the alternative music video with some behind the scenes footage of Shannon recording and performing the song!

During this past school year, I discovered that when the volume is set quietly, this is actually a really great song to listen to on repeat as I study.  So one day after listening to it over and over, I was so excited about the song that I wrote the chorus lyrics on the whiteboard outside my dorm room.

The Glow Lyrics
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Just so everyone would know that they “are the glow”!

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See you all real soon!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Got 60 Seconds?

You realize this will only take a minute, right?

Say you’ve got 60 seconds to sparewhat do you do?

Watch either Mulan or Tangled.

Both videos are from YouTube.


Now get going – your minute is up! (Or two minutes, if you watched both.)

my work here is done
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See you all real soon!

Maleficent and Mickey Fun!

I filmed this back during the school year, before Christmas break, I’m pretty sure.  While studying, I listen to Disney music, mostly instrumentals/scores from my favorite movie soundtracks.  This particular time, the parade music for the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland started playing, and noticing my Solar Mickey’s head swaying, I just had to get my camera out.  Of course, Mini Maleficent had to get her time in the spotlight too!

Video from YouTube. The Disney Freak’s Blog Original Video.

I’m planning on getting some posts specifically on both Mini Maleficent and Solar Mickey separately, both parts of my personal Disney collection.  But for now, enjoy the random video above starring both of them – I mean, really: who does homework in college?

ttfn!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Saddest Moments in Disney History (Part 4)



So if you’re reading this, it must mean you’re ready (or willing) to get those tear ducts working again.

Yesterday, I finished my boring, stay-inside-all-day-except-for-piano kind of day by watching Lady and the Tramp, one of Walt’s finest achievements, in my mind.  (But maybe that’s just because I’m a huge dog lover.)

Which brings me to our “Saddest Moment” of the day.

Have you ever been inside a dog pound?  All those lonely and sad eyes looking into your very soul?

Lady finds herself in the pound during our “Saddest,” which you can view below.

Video from YouTube.

Why I consider it one of the “Saddest”: Okay, so maybe this scene just really affects me because I’m a huge dog lover, but I think everyone feels some sort of pain when they see how sad and lonely all those adorable puppies and doggies are…  I'm pretty sure you'll find that every Disney fan out there considers this one of the saddest, most heart-wrenching scences in Disney history.

This "Saddest" not only makes my heart ache but it also makes me want to adopt all of the pound puppies – and some real puppies too!

This little guy is the “Saddest” of them all, I think – seeing him makes me want to pull him out of my TV screen and give him a big hug!

Awww!
Image from Disneyscreencaps.com

But this guy comes at close second...

His tears make me cry!
Image from disneyscreencaps.com

Which puppy dog tugs at your heart strings the most?

There’s actually another “Saddest” in Lady and the Tramp, which I will feature another time. For now, finish mopping your tears with that tissue (you used the whole box, didn’t you?) and tune in again for Part 5 if you can withstand the tears.

ttfn!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Mickey Mouse Has…Two Voices

Disney just released the latest installment in a new series of Mickey Mouse shortsThis one is titled “Stayin’ Cool” (and yes, that apostrophe belongs there).

Video from YouTube.

These new shorts are part of an attempt to revive Mickey and his friends, who were the focus of many of the cartoon shorts throughout Disney’s history, after a 50 year absence from these kinds of cartoons.  (To see all of the new shorts, here’s a YouTube playlist with all of them so far.)

Personally, I don’t much care for these other than watching them once (and probably again only if MDF or YDF find out and beg me to “watch a video”).  To me, the cartoon continuity bugs me – “New York Weenie” features a lion that goes from cartoony to suddenly finely detailed – and the humor seems more like something I would look for in SpongeBob or Cartoon Network – again, see the hot dog at the end of “New York Weenie” to see what I mean.  Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not a huge fan.  I’d actually rather watch Looney Tunes over these, and I love the classic Looney Tunes.

I do appreciate that Disney is bringing Mickey and his gang back in cartoons.  And I mean, there are some aspects of the cartoons that I like -- Cinderella and Prince Charming's cameos in the first short, for example -- but overall, I don't much care for them.

But what’s the point of my post here?

Well, as I finished “Stayin’ Cool”, I paused at the credits, something catching my eye.  Throughout the short, I’d assumed that Mickey’s voice actor was Bret Iwan, and I was loving the fact that he’s doing so well, being new to voice acting and all.  But when I didn’t see him under the voice talents, I immediately “Googled” (is that a word yet?) it.

What did I find out?

For these shorts, Chris Diamantopoulos from The Office voices Mickey.

Reaction: Wait, what?
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Why?

I have no idea.

From what I could find out, there is no stated or given reason why Mickey now has two voice actors.  The weirdest part is that Bret Iwan is still the official voice actor for Mickey. 

As the Rotoscopers say in their article:

This comes as a huge surprise considering the effort Disney makes to preserve the continuity in its characters’ voices. For instance, Wayne Allwine voiced Mickey for nearly 30 years with no replacement. If Bret Iwan has only been Mickey’s voice since 2009, why is Disney already switching things up? Even more peculiar is that the rest of Mickey’s pals in these new cartoons retain their regular voice actors who have personified the characters for years: Russi Taylor as Minnie, Bill Farmer as Goofy, Tony Anselmo as Donald, and Tress MacNeille as Daisy.

Mickey is portrayed in the new series as the plucky adventure-seeker from his early days who lives a bit wilder than the calm, reserved Mickey seen in recent years, so perhaps the change in personality prompted the change in voice.

Whatever the reason, the voice shift to Diamantopoulos only seems to be for the Mickey Mouse shorts series. Bret Iwan is still considered to be the mouse’s official alter-ego. Iwan still voices Mickey in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and made an appearance as recent as last week at an official, Disney-sponsored fan event at Disneyland.

(Taylor, Blake. "Disney Shorts Debut with New Voice for Mickey Mouse." Therotoscopers.com. 2013. Retrieved 21 Jul 2013. Web.)
So why did they give Mickey well, two voices?

I don’t know, but I hope to find out!

Stay tuned!

So I’ll see you all real real soon!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

French Trailer for “Frozen” with Translations!

Today, I discovered the latest trailer for Frozen but yet again, it’s in another language.  This time: French.  But the video below has English subtitles!

Video from YouTube.

The good and bad thing is that this trailer is the exact same one as the Japanese version (disappointing) but at least now we get to understand what they’re saying.  (Well, I’m trusting that whomever posted the trailer translated it correctly… I don’t know French. You?)

So we’ve had one English teaser and two foreign trailers for this film…  C’mon Disney: release an English trailer with new footage!  Get me even more excited!

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Are you excited for Frozen?  Let me know in the comments below!

See you all real soon!

Mickey Mouse Presents "Fantasmic!"!

I have a hard time picking favorites in some aspects of life, but I do have a few: I have a favorite friend (Bestie), a favorite food (blueberries), and a favorite dog (Riley, my own).  When it comes to Disney, I have lots of favorites!  Among those is Fantasmic! – one of the nighttime shows originally at Disneyland Park and now also Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland – which is my favorite Park live show, attraction, whatever.

So I love looking at anything related to Fantasmic! because well, I just plain love it.  (So I’ll be posting about it a lot whenever I get the chance!)

Today, I stumbled upon this cute little gem.  It’s a video of Mickey Mouse himself, in his Sorcerer Mickey attire, presenting some clips of Fantasmic! during a TV special in 1992.

Video from YouTube.

I thought you’d enjoy seeing some of the highlights from this spectacular live show. Keep in mind that the clip is from 1992 versus in the present year (2013), there are a couple (technical, mostly) changes to Fantasmic!….

Like an even better dragon!

See ya all real soon!

Magic Mirror on the Wall…

There’s a new Magic Mirror at Walt Disney World!

You can find it at Downtown Disney, in the marketplace.  With the mirror’s magical abilities, little girls can see themselves wearing the dresses (complete with accessories such as wands) of their favorite Disney Princesses!

And it also doesn’t speak with a slightly creepy male voice.

Check out the magic for yourself, in the video below:

Video from YouTube.

Adorable!  You think it’ll work for a teenager/young adult like me?  I’d love to see what I look like in Aurora’s dress.

ttfn!

Friday, July 12, 2013

First Look at “Saving Mr. Banks”

So I was on Tumblr today, and this set of GIF images appeared on my dashboard.

P.L. Travers means serious buisness.
All GIF images are from bobdeniros.tumblr.

The Sherman Brothers are so proud of themselves.
It's actually really kind of cute.


She means it, boys.

This. Is. The. Best. Part.
I can't stop laughing!

Not only did it make me laugh, but as soon as I finished my recent The Lion King post, I knew I had to do one on the new Saving Mr. Banks trailer.

For those of you who don’t know, Saving Mr. Banks is the untold story of Walt Disney’s 20-year mission to get the rights to Mary Poppins and make the novel series into a movie.  However, before he could do that, he had to get on the good side of the series author: P.L. Travers, a no-joking-around English lady.

A wonderful first glance at the first time Walt is being portrayed in a feature film!

To be honest, I don’t know much about the Mary Poppins backstory, though I have read all the books as a child, so it was interesting to see this trailer and learn a bit more.  And trust me, I’m excited for it, really I am.  However (you should know by now that I’m always hesitant, even with Disney), Walt Disney was a very important figure, so Tom Hanks has some big shoes to fill. 

I just hope he doesn’t disappoint.
Image from animatedaldaz.tumblr.
Otherwise, I can’t wait till this December! 

How about you?

By the way, Tom Hanks (Disney) and Emma Thompson (Travers) actually did go to Disneyland for filming, and this article has great behind-the-scenes pictures of the two days of shooting there.  Enjoy!

See ya all real soon!

It’s the Circle of Life!

If you are a devoted follower of this Blog, you will know that my favorite Disney movie is The Lion King.  I love all of the songs from that movie but especially “Circle of Life,” both the beginning and ending versions.  Because I love this song and accompanying movie moments, it is my dream to own all the Disney merchandise I can find representing this song (especially Rafiki’s iconic pose).

And so when I discovered that Hallmark had released a musical ornament of Rafiki holding up Simba -- and musical in that the ornament played a snippet of the song -- I just knew I had to buy it!

So I searched around the Internet until I found one reasonably priced on Ebay.com.  After consulting with my father, who is the computer whiz (sort of) at home, about the prices and how to work Ebay, I went ahead and bought it – with encouragement from Roomie, as well.

Excitedly, I waited for the day when it arrived.  When I got the package slip one morning (it was a Tuesday or Thursday because I remember the specifically Tuesdays and Thursdays class I had to sit through), I waited patiently (just barely) through class until I could leave and get my package straightaway!

As soon as I got back, I snagged a pair of scissors from my room and opened it in the lounge, as Roomie was sleeping in our room (and I didn’t want to disturb her with my screams of joy).

Of course, I thought of all of you, my wonderful followers, so I had my camera ready.  Enjoy the pictures below.

Lion King Ornament (edited)
Box within a box...Disney inception.
All pictures were taken by THE Disney Freak.
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Lion King Ornament
Front of the box.
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Lion King Ornament
Back of box.
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Lion King Ornament
Bottom of box.
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Lion King Ornament
One side of the box.
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Lion King Ornament
This side gave the normal price, but I got it a bit cheaper.
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Lion King Ornament
Here they are!
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Lion King Ornament
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Lion King Ornament
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Once I’d opened it, I went back in the room to find a screwdriver because it hadn’t come with batteries so the music wouldn’t play.  Roomie was awake, so I brought everything back into the room and asked her for a screwdriver, as I couldn’t find mine.

As soon as I’d put the batteries in, I turned on my camera once more to film the experience for all of you.

THE Disney Freak/The Disney Freak Blog Original Video. I think this is the first time you guys get to hear my voice!

That’s all for this time.  If you’re a The Lion King fan, I totally recommend getting this piece for your collection!  I absolutely love it and would play the music all the time (just ask Roomie!) until TDM warned me it wouldn’t last as long if I pressed the button like every other minute.

But every once and awhile, the button is just begging for use…and so I push it.  Just once.

Makes me so happy every single time.

GIF from stormborntargaryen.tumblr

ttfn!

Monday, July 8, 2013

It's a Jolly Holiday with Amy Walker!

Amy Walker is a YouTube sensation known for her video 21 Accents, in which she effortlessly moves from one accent to another.  It’s really quite amusing.

All videos are from YouTube.

Today, I discovered this other video of Amy’s – in which she sings “Jolly Holiday” from Mary Poppins, impersonating the animals from the barnyard scene as well as Mary herself.

Personally, I liked how she mentioned Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins) was one of the big influences that got her into accents – Julie is my biggest idol!

She did a splendid job!  If you aren’t familiar with the original, I’ve put it below.  The similarity is uncanny!  (If you want to view right where Amy began her version, skip to about 1:38 and enjoy.)

I don’t know if I’ve said it before, but this is one of my favorite musicals and Disney films!

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See ya all real soon!

What did you think of Amy’s take on “Jolly Holiday”?

Friday, July 5, 2013

Exciting “Frozen” Japanese Trailer!

Sometimes, I just go onto YouTube, start off with a video I know, and then just click on intriguing video suggestions in the sidebar.  I can end up in weird places, which I quickly click out of.  But today, I saw something I just knew I had to click on.

The Japanese trailer for Frozen.

And let me just tell you now, it’s exciting!

Video from YouTube.

This is what I was waiting for in a trailer for FrozenExciting, curiosity-sparking, thrilling.  Only problem is, I can’t understand a word they’re saying!  Translator, anyone?

Oh, well.  Not understanding the dialogue or words on the screen is okay as long as I get to see some footage from the film.

And also?  Elsa looks awesome.  With a capital A.


"Yes. Yes, I am."
.gif image from obsessionsrosanahas.tumblr.

See ya all real soon!