Epic Mickey 2 Trailer!

Any of you heard of Epic Mickey?  It's a Disney video game for Wii where Mickey is pulled (literally) into a world of forgotten characters (a world that he *SPOILER* ruined) to fix what he (*SPOILER*) messed up (didn't I just say that?).

Well the video game was/is spectacular.  My Disney Family owns it (because I saw it was on sale and organized the saving-up for it).

Sorry, I just like to take credit where it's owed.

The game is actually lots of fun and keeps you on your toes trying to overcome the obstacles Mickey faces.  My family and I haven't finished it quite yet, but we're loving it so far!

The game has done so well that Disney has developed a sequel, and the trailer just got released!

This time, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit has paired up with Mickey ("The Power of Two" part) where before in the first game he started out as a jealous enemy.

The sequel's cover.
Looks exciting!
Photo from The Disney Diner (where I found the trailer).

I was disappointed (but not surprised) that the sequel's trailer avoids any dialogue other than the narrator's.  Why am I not surprised but disappointed?

In the original game, the characters only spoke in grunts and other sounds while their "lines" were shown on the screen.  However, Disney revealed that in this game, the characters will be speaking full dialogue.  So I wasn't expecting them to give us a preview of that, but it would have been kind of fun.

Oh well.

A good thing to note about the full dialogue is that this means Oswald's voice will be heard...for the first time!

I couldn't remember the source where I first heard about this, but on Wikipedia's article on Oswald, it states that "will feature full voiced cut scenes introducing Frank Welker as Oswald's first voice actor."

It's funny how my brother keeps mentioning that "they'll ruin Oswald's voice."  How can one ruin a character's voice when it hasn't even been done before?  This will be Oswald's debut voice.

Interestingly enough, the Disney Wiki mentions that Welker did Oswald's sound effects in the first game, so it's not like they're bringing in a whole new voice actor.

Pre-ordering information can be found here.

Design By Me: Vote Now!

Not only is there a Disney Parks Blog, but there's also a Disney Store blog.

It's called The Buzz.

I'm not sure if it's named after Buzz Lightyear or if they just use him as their...mascot since the names match.

Anyway.

The Buzz just featured a contest called "Design by Me" for talented artists around the globe to submit their designs for t-shirts featuring...you guessed it, the one and only Mickey Mouse!

And the designs are just awesome!  Honestly, I can't choose my favorite(s).

I like this one a lot.  It's unique with
a different take on Mickey.
It's winning so far!!
Picture from The Buzz.

Also a very interesting unique one.
Makes me think of Epic Mickey
actually.  Nice use of colors.
Picture from The Buzz.

Probably one of the most creative ones:
Disney characters make up the black and red
parts of Mickey's familiar face!
Took me awhile to get it.
Picture from The Buzz.

Which isn't a good thing because The Buzz needs my vote, and yours too!

By going to their Facebook page, you can vote for your favorite (one favorite!! Oh gosh) design.  The winning t-shirt will become part of the Disney merchandise as an official Disney t-shirt!

According to The Buzz, you can cast a vote each day.

So get voting!

As soon as you decide on your favorite.  One favorite.

Just one.

Almost There...!

No, I am not referring to Tiana's classy song about almost hitting it famous.

Actually, I'm referring to a new picture for Brave.  I found it on the Disney Blog today.

Merida: I've almost got it...almost!
Me: The tension is too strong!  What will happen next?
It kind of left off here in the trailer too, but in slow motion.  Which was kind of fun.
Picture from the Disney Blog.

If you saw the last trailer, the picture should look pretty familiar.  It does to me.  But seeing this as a picture reminded me of a question I have (which I shared on the Disney Blog in the comments).

Who's the second bear (the one trying to help Merida out)?  All I know about Brave is that there's Mordu (the bear with just the razor-clawed paw showing), the demon-like bear from folklore.  Obviously the movie has something about Merida defeating him.  But that's just a hunch.

I'm also curious why the second bear is helping Merida, it seems.

Could that second bear possibly be Mordu's mate...and/or the mother of these three?

The three little bears.
They'll be at the Parks with Merida!
Could they be the cubs of the second bear...and/or possibly Mordu?
Picture also from the Disney Blog.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Can you stand the tension?

***UPDATE***

My Disney-unnamed sister mentioned her theory on the bears:

• Because of the curse, the queen turns into that second bear who helps Merida out.
• The triplets turn into the trio of bears.
• Only the king stays as he is (not counting Merida of course), and Mordu is himself.

Some good "proof" that this could be so:

• The triplets match in number with the trio of cubs
• The maid doesn't like the triplets (such as when they steal the cookies in one trailer).  And...
• She runs away from the bear cubs

I don't really have any "proof" for Queen Elinor turning into a bear.

What do you think?  I think my sister may be onto something.

Real Life Princesses

Ever wondered what the Disney Princesses would look like in real life?

Well, Jirka Väätäinen has figured out for you.

Jirka (pronounced Yirka) is a Finnish student studying graphic design at the Arts University College at Bournemouth.  One of his projects (I'm not sure if it's for school or just for fun) has been to draw the Disney Princesses as they would appear in real life.

Actually, he calls it photo manipulation using Photoshop.

But he still does a fantastic job!

He was kind enough to let me share his artwork with you, as long as I credit him and link back to his site!

As I told him in a comment, I think he does a great job of keeping the original character but making her look more realistic, less "cartoony".  But you have to see below for yourself!

Personally, I enjoy Mulan and Rapunzel very much.  And I realize Ursula isn't a Disney Princess...but he included her, so of course I'm going to include her for you!

Which ones do you like?

Jane from Tarzan.
All credit and copyright goes to Jirka.
Used with permission.
Do not re-post or anything without Jirka's permission.
(Same with the rest of the portraits)

Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
Being that blue's my favorite color, I really like this
one too.  Her eyes are beautiful!

Can't tell you how much I absolutely love love love
this one!
Rapunzel from Tangled.

Cinderella from Cinderella.

Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Still the most beautiful one of all?

Tiana from the recent The Princess and the Frog.
Jirka says this is the only Princess that he
looked at her voice actress.
Otherwise, he doesn't.

Mulan from Mulan.
I love the pink background, and her hair tucked behind her ear just
makes her all the more pretty.  Sometimes I have to do a double-take
because the "gaps" in her teeth give the appearance
of braces to me from a distance.  Whoops!  My bad.

Pocahontas from Pocahontas.
Nice pose!

Jasmine from Aladdin.
This one is very close to being tied with my two
favorites!

Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Also another great pose!

Aurora from Sleeping Beauty.

Meg from Hercules.
He picked a great pose for her: really brings out her
spunk!

The beauty: Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Quite an interesting face...

Ariel from The Little Mermaid.
I love the sand clinging to her tail and arms!
The only thing that makes me cock my head is her right arm:
is she double-jointed?

And the villainous Ursula brings up the end!
Ursula also from The Little Mermaid.
So Ariel gets her villain.

Rapunzel's Here!

Guess who's made her long awaited animated debut on the Disney Princess site?

Rapunzel!

Rapunzel just can't stop telling you how excited she
is to be on the Disney Princess site!
She's actually so cute, and Mandy Moore does her
voice as sweet and bubbly as ever!
Picture from Petite Tiaras.

Right after her official crowing last fall, Rapunzel was added to the site, but she wasn't animated yet, and one couldn't select her to play her games.

This morning though Petite Tiaras shared pictures of the Disney Princesses from their sites, and bubbly Rapunzel was among them.

And of course I had to check it out!

Like the other Princesses, her main game involves you choosing an outfit to wear.  Rapunzel has to get dressed soon for her (first ever!) tea party at...you guessed it, the Snuggly Duckling!  But she's promised to help Attila with baking and is late!

Sure you need help, Attila?  I think you've got it covered...
er, baked.
Picture from the Disney Wiki.

So will you help her pick out a dress?

Good Ol' Fashioned Fun

One of the best live-action Disney classics is The Apple Dumping Gang.

The 1975 movie tells the story of Mr. Donavan who takes in three orphans, not that he wanted to.  He thought they were going to be valuables...as in money or other things.  But valuables indeed they are, as he learns the value of being a father.

But not after some antics caused by those three kids.

One of the antics being the fact that they find a gold nugget.

And the local "bandits" Theodore and Amos try to steal it.

Which leads to the good ol' fashioned fun this movie is full of!

Below are two of the best scenes in the whole movie.  The first is when Theodore and Amos first decide to steal the nugget, which will be just too easy.  The second clip involves their...robbing.  How does it end up?  Watch to find out!

Another good clip involves newlyweds Donavan and Dusty (whom you'll met in the second clip) fighting in the saloon...but I couldn't find that scene on YouTube.

Hope you enjoy!

Princesses of Silly

Please do not judge me by that title.  Read on to understand.

Last year, my bestie and her family took me to Cedar Point, apparently the roller coaster central of the United States.  After the trip (lemme just say I now love roller coasters), my bestie and I had a Disney "fest."  We colored in her Disney Princesses coloring books.  We watched Tangled and The Princess and the Frog.  And she also gave me a little surprise gift: some Silly Bandz!

Now, I'm sure you've heard of those.  So I'll spare you the explanation.  (If not, I direct you to this link.)

Different Silly Bandz.  I'm sure you get the
idea of the different forms, colors, and shapes
they can come in!
Picture from Wikipedia.

Guess what the Silly Bandz she gave me were of.

The Disney Princesses!

Okay, only four of them.

Tiana, the spirited Princess from The Princess and the Frog, is in a flashy red, in what I suppose is one of her signature poses.

(At last, a good quality photo from my camera!)
This is Tiana.  I couldn't find a clipart/picture
for reference.  It's a side shot of her.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

While this isn't a Disney Silly Bandz, I also have a frog prince from a different set...could it be Naveen?

A frog prince...all he needs is one kiss...
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

My next Princess is the sassy Princess Jasmine, from Aladdin.  She's in a pretty blue (which happens to be my favorite color) that makes me think of sparkles.  Do you?  Maybe that's just me.

And here is Jasmine.  I love the color.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

No, that's not her hand.  It's her hair.  Use this picture as reference.

Reference for the Silly Bandz above.
Picture from the Disney Wiki.

The third little Princess I have is sweet and innocent Snow White, titular star of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney's first full-length animated movie.  She's in a bright purple.



Snow White!  She's sort of bendy
so that's why there's a shadow (aka she
doesn't lie flat).  To get an idea of
this pose, see the below picture.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

Imagine this image flipped...and it's pretty close!
Picture from the Disney Wiki.

And finally, my favorite of the four I have is Ariel, the awesome but naive star of The Little Mermaid!  She's in a bright yellow, and when my bestie handed her to me, I nearly fell out of my seat I was so happy.  Ariel is also the favorite Princess of The Disney Mermaid, my sister.

Ariel! When my bestie handed me
this Silly Bandz, I literally freaked out...
I was so excited!
Picture taken and copyright THE Disney Freak.

And again, this one's not a Disney Silly Bandz, but it's another mermaid...so Ariel's got some company.

One of Ariel's fellow mermaid
Silly Bandz...
She's lounging on her side.
Picture taken by and copyright THE Disney Freak.

Do you have any Disney Silly Bandz?

I've Said This Before...

I'm really very sorry.  I know I promised a Maleficent post.  And I know I promised a sequel post.  But to be honest, those posts are going to take some time to write, edit, and make sure are perfect.  And I'm going to have to become more confident in spilling my opinions with you... So I'm sticking with shorter, easier ones.  I will get to the promised ones though!

Now bear with me as I give you a short post on one of those promised ones: sequels.

In fact, it's very repetitive.

Petite Tiaras is a tumblr blog, and the blog author (I don't know the person's gender) shared a nice collection of the different Disney film sequels along with a quote I shared in an earlier post.

And she/he/it (the author, okay?) shared some of her/his/its own opinions on these sequels.

"I’ll admit it, Disney sequels aren’t that great. In fact, I think for the majority of the movies they use the same formula. You have the original awesome characters who are no longer as cool as they were before. They have a child who thinks that they run the place. For some reason the kid always makes their parent look weak. For instance, how did Simba get his butt kicked? Or what about Tramp? Ariel? None of it makes sense. We watched and cherished the first films because the characters were great and relatable, but the sequels bring them down a whole notch.  That’s not to say that Disney sequels aren’t fun though. I always get a laugh watching the Lion King 1 1/2 and Bambi 2 was a very heartfelt film. Sequels are a give and take thing."

Source: Petite Tiaras

I definitely agree!

Oh yes.

More on that later.

Until then, here are some pretty interesting sites discussing Disney sequels...

Just One of Those Days...

Ever had one of those days?

We all have.

Even Disney characters.

I found out about this video through The Disney Diner, and I have to admit, some of them are pretty funny.  But poor Mickey!

What I want to know was that an articulated head?  It didn't look like one.  I guess his eye just fell out.

That wasn't the real Mickey, folks.  It was one of his helpers.  Just like Santa.  In case you were wondering...

The Reality of Disney

Fellow Disney fan Sara introduced me to the tumblr blog Walt Disney Confessions.  Today, I think one of the best confessions appeared on the site.

An anonymous confession...but I think we all feel this way.
Picture from Walt Disney Confessions.

I admit, I feel this way as well.

Except, I wonder if I ever accept that.

You?

Merida's Brave Story

Disney released yet another trailer for Brave (which is a good thing!).  This trailer highlights the back story of Merida, which is helpful.

Why is it helpful?

Let me explain.

Sunday (yes, Easter Sunday) I headed over to my Bestie's house for an egg hunt.  And as the parents made abundantly clear, it's not your typical little-kids-look-there's-the-Easter-Bunny-hey-what's-that-over-there-wink-wink egg hunt.

No, this was a teenage egg hunt.

Think money.  And woods.

You're pretty dang close.

We had some extra time until the adults were done hiding the eggs, so she flipped open her Mac.  She showed me a few funny talking animal videos, and then I showed her the Pixar short "George and AJ."

And one of the videos on the side of the screen (you know how YouTube pops up similar videos alongside the one you're watching) was the first trailer for Brave.

And she didn't know anything about it!

So when I tried to explain it, all I could really get out was "Really great Pixar movie coming out."

Not exactly what she was looking for (but she did watch the trailer).

Now with this new trailer, I can give a little more info.  So thank you Disney!

Oh, Please...

Sorry for the lack of a creative title.  Usually I'm good at those.  But today + what I'm writing about + someone certain = not a very good mood.

Hey, that was kind of creative.

Another day at piano.  And another time looking through the pages of TIME Magazine.  (Ooh, that was creative there too!)

The article's title?  "10 Questions for Angelina Jolie" by Belinda Luscombe.

Yay.

I admit that Jolie is a talented actress, though I really haven't seen many of her movies.  All I can think of right now is Kung Fu Panda.  And that was just voice acting.

My parents have seen The Tourist and love it (at least, MMM does).  So I'm guessing she's great in that too.

However, there are some roles that certain actress should not play.

More after the jump....

Good Morning America And Disney

As always, I was just surfing my blogs to see if anything really Disney newsworthy had come up, anything I thought would be worth repeating.

And as always, there was something.

The Disney Parks Blog this time.  If you haven't checked them out yet, you should.

According to a new post, "Good Morning America" teamed up with Disney for the GMA Disney Memory Makers, and the winners were awarded this morning live on the show.

"The contest asked viewers to nominate someone special in their lives who created an amazing memory for them. Three winners were chosen: Two girls who helped save their mother’s life; a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who returned from Afghanistan to quickly become a stepfather to three teenagers; and a boy who made senior year memorable for a student with Downs Syndrome by taking her to the prom," reported Jennifer Fickly-Baker, Social Media Manager, over at the blog (she wrote the post).

When the winners were awarded today, the show hosts surprised them live at Times Square.  With the hosts were the Big Cheese himself and his girl--Mickey and Minnie!

The winners each received a trip to a Disney Park.

The post included a link to a yahoo video.  The winners' stories were explained (wow, my own eyes are watery), and then Mickey and Minnie ran in!

It was kind of cute, actually.  GMA co-host Lara Spencer introduced them as the biggest memory makers of all.  And that's definitely true!  Ask any Disney Parks visitor, and I bet you money that one of their biggest memories (past or present) is meeting Mickey and/or Minnie.

Well, I won't bet on myself, as I haven't met them yet (still getting over that fear).  I do have an autograph though!

So to end this post, here's to the heroes who pretty soon will be saying "Good morning, America!" from a Disney Park.

Here's to all our heroes!

(Note: I'm so sorry that all my posts have been lacking pictures lately!  It's been hard to find pictures that aren't copyrighted....And is it just me, or did my font change?? Now it's really weird, and I actually have trouble looking at it, it's so distracting!)

Easter Goodies--Oh, And Have a Happy One!

Happy Easter to all of you!

The Easter Bunny was especially kind to Young Disney Freak and I.  Young Disney Freak received a Polly Pocket Belle set with different dresses.  I on the other hand received another Mickey Mouse shirt--which I shall wear tomorrow!

Again, happy Easter to everyone.

Thomas Kinkade Goodbye

He filled the world with light.

Thomas Kinkade, also known as the "Painter of Light," died yesterday from natural causes at his home in California, according to The Disney Blog.  He was 54.

He gave himself the title, explaining that "my mission as an artist is to capture those special moments in life adorned with beauty and light.  I work to create images that project a serene simplicity that can be appreciated and enjoyed by everyone.  That's what I mean by sharing the light" (Thomas Kinkade, "The Artist" page on website).

Many people know Kinkade from the beautiful paintings of houses and landscapes he created.  I myself knew him from these paintings.

This picture shows one of Kinkade's paintings.  The river's
movement was added later by someone, I don't know who.
It obviously doesn't flow on canvas.
Picture from an email I received several years ago.
I could not locate it.

It was only a few months ago that I discovered he'd painted simply breathtaking paintings of Disney characters.  The paintings are even featured on the homepage of his website (number 3 on the slide show).

The Disney Blog says, "Disney fans will be familiar with Kinkade as he frequently painted scenes from Disney’s animated classics and the theme parks. Kinkade often spoke of parallels between his life and Walt Disney’s. Both traveled to California as young men with just a few dollars to their name and a portfolio to show their talent. Paintings from Kinkade’s Disney Collection are sure to immediately become more valued."

The Disney paintings are known to include several scenes from the movie into one painting.  For example, in the Bambi painting, Bambi is shown as both an adult and a fawn, with his mother and fawn Faline looking on.  His father is shown on the side of the river where the adult Bambi stands.  If you look at the painting closely, it really does look alive...filled with light.

We will truly miss the Painter of Light.

Comments: Do you own any of his paintings?  If so, please tell us which ones!  I'd also love to hear your thoughts on his death.  Thank you.

What Do Others Make of Disney Freaking?

Good question.

I'm guessing you'd like me to answer that, huh?

Too bad, I'm not going to.

My grandma is.

So technically the post's title should have been "What Does Another Person Make of Disney Freaking?".

There.  Corrective advertising.

The Answer...

"You've got mail!" my dad told me just a few moments ago.

I was hoping it was from one of my friends, who'd recently traveled out of the country and had promised me a postcard (for my collection).  Instead, dear old Grandma had sent me something.

My grandma is great.  I can't really describe her greatness in a single post.  She's always sending me short little newspaper clippings, usually something about writing, as that's what I do aside from school and this blog.

Yep, it was a clipping.

However, it was on Disney.

Someone in the local newspaper (for her; she lives 3 hours away) had written about being Disney freak.  But it was what my grandma wrote in the short included note that caught my attention.

"(I) thought you might enjoy it.  You are not alone in your addiction."

So there you have it.  I'm addicted.

According to my grandma.

I don't know about the others.

Oh wait.  I corrected that.

Hello, My Name Is....

THE (Addicted) Disney Freak.

Thank you.

The Goof Will See You Now

I will let you in on a little secret.  How ironic, but can you keep it?

When I was much younger, and much more afraid of costume characters, I would dream about Mickey Mouse showing up at my house to look for me.  They were nightmares.

I've changed, if your wondering.

Well, what do I find today as I'm going through my blog list but an article on Goofy visiting your own house?

The nightmares all came back to me....

Just kidding.  It wasn't that dramatic.

But I was definitely very interested!

According to the article, all you need to do to receive this special visit is to go to giantsteps20.com and type in your address.  And Goofy will visit you, direct from Disneyland Paris!

(Does he get a discount on flight tickets?)

Then, using Google Maps and pictures from the maps, a giant form of Goofy appears in a 15 second video.  He seems to be looming as a giant shadow over the house before finally strolling down your street, en route to your house.

The article stops explaining the video there, indicating it "won't give away the rest" for your enjoyment.

So what do I do?

Check it out myself!

But I won't tell you what happens so I "won't give away the rest" for your enjoyment.

Can You Keep a Secret?

Hope you're okay with "potty" mouth.  I mean, 3-year-old potty mouth.  You'll see what I'm getting at.

So this happened literally less than five minutes ago, and I just had to share!

My little baby sister, 3-years-old, and I were eating some right-before-dinner snacks (small ones!) when she realized she had to go to the bathroom.  She's been potty trained for awhile now, but I was still sort of surprised she didn't need any help.  Only a few days ago, she did -- which included basically just standing nearby really.

So halfway through I'm waiting for the flush when she pops, er waddles out, dress tucked into her underwear and pants at the bottom of her legs.

"What are you doing?"

"I need help with my pants."

Of course, being the good elder sibling I am, I headed over there and helped.  "Wash your hands and flush, okay?"

"I know," she says in that matter-of-fact, but adorable, voice (because 3-year-olds know everything!).

So I sit back down and wait for the flush.

She finally gets around to it, but then again she pops out, smiling.

"Did you wash your hands?" I ask, looking down at her as she's come over to stand by my chair.

"No, not yet," she says and leans forward, like she's going to whisper in my ear.  I reel backwards.

"I have to tell you a secret."

"Well, just don't touch me, okay?  Your hands are gross."  And I lean back down.

After attempting to push my hair away from my ear, she pulls her hand back as I do it myself (her hands are gross, remember?)  "I went p--p in the potty," she whispers.

(There, I'll do some censoring for you.  Does that make this a clean G-rated post?)

I nod, straightening.  "Did you?  Good job.  Now go wash your hands."

Off she goes.

So I sit there again and wait for the running water.

When it stops, she comes back out and heads right for me again.  Another secret?  You bet.  I lean down, but she tucks back my hair this time (she washed them, okay?).

"I killed Mufasa."

"Nooo!" I scream.  "Murderer!"

She laughs, and we do it again.  And again.  And again.

Young Disney Freak.  Gotta love.

Head Over Heels...for Disney

Imagine this.  You're walking down the beach (I don't care where, just picture a beach!!), the sun's rays right on your face (ooohhh...soo warm), your hair streaming behind you in the breeze (or if your a guy, ruffled in the breeze), feeling the water tickle your toes.

What's missing?

Flip flops.

Though maybe barefoot isn't too bad.

Luckily, you won't have to worry about missing these summertime shoes at the Disney Parks.

Because they're making them for you!

That's right: Disney is releasing a line of flip flops for the Disney Parks.  The designs vary from Mickey himself to Disneyland Resort logo across the...what are flip flops made of?

The flip flops all come with these really cute...things on the straps, designed to look like a Mickey Mouse head with feet!  It sounds weird, but it's actually really cute.

Disney Parks Blog recently shared a post on these new fashion trends...and the flip flops are just too cute!  Like these ones:

Cute!  And a must-have for any Disney fan!
Picture from the Disney Parks Blog.

That first pair has my name on it...

I don't mean literally.  (Wish!)