'Frozen' Live Musical Debuts at Disney California Adventure!

Time to throw myself back into the blogging life. And why not start with one of the biggest pieces of recent Disney news?

Earlier this year, to many fans' protests, the Aladdin live musical at Disneyland had its last show, after a 13-year run at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure.

What was to replace it?

Frozen.

Which only added to fans' bitterness over the change.

All this hype and hesitation came to a climax when the Frozen live Broadway-esque show premiered just two days ago.

Reaction: mixed feelings.
Source

And despite two technical difficulties, the show proved to be a surprising success, due to its incredible effects, puppetry and color-blind casting.

Let's address each on its own.

Broadway-style Effects

This show, this story, needs lots of technical effects. For one, Elsa has ice powers. To make this work onstage, special effects are needed. And of course, it's typical for Disney to pull a few tricks out of their sleeves to keep the audience interested.

And man, do the effects absolutely blow one away!

Let's start with the set. It's designed to easily transition into each scene, with a giant door at the back. Either the door is also a screen or high-tech projections are used. But it's truly amazing to watch in action (which you can find at the end of this post).

The set is made up of technical details as well as standard pieces. The floor rotates, and various doors either drop down or roll onstage. Elsa's ice bridge is a similar piece to Pride Rock in The Lion King on Broadway (a show that also influences the puppetry in Frozen).

Now onto some icy magic -- or rather, magical effects. I'm talking about Elsa's signature song, "Let it Go." Instagram user @bruinrogue captured the first bit of her song, giving us an idea of how Disney brought Elsa's magic to life (hint, hint: door.)

I'm not the best videographer but here's the first part of #LetItGo before my view gets blocked by the staircase. 😂 #frozen #frozenmusical #frozenliveatthehyperion #dca #disneycaliforniaadventure #disneyscaliforniaadventure #hyperiontheater #disney #disneyland #disneylandresort #disneyparks #disneyside #disneyig #disneygram #instadisney #elsa #nikon #d7200 #nikond7200 @donnajeanie

A video posted by Regan Wong (@bruinrogue) on May 27, 2016 at 3:35pm PDT

But the part that really takes your breath away is when Elsa discards her royal robes for her iconic blue dress.

BURST!!! ❄️✨👌🏻 #frozenliveatthehyperion amazing costume design by @clintramos

A video posted by mary (@mousekears) on May 27, 2016 at 1:53pm PDT

Actual queen, this woman blew me away today. Broadway may have Betsy, but this Elsa made my heart love frozen again. I'll be doing a BIG photo spam soon of frozen photos so stay tuned but for now enjoy this video clip. Spoilers for #frozen #frozenliveatthehyperion #elsa #letItGo #disneyland #disneycaliforniaadventure #DCA @donnajeanie

A video posted by Nicole wiseman (@nicwise) on May 27, 2016 at 11:44pm PDT

It's all in the style of Cinderella on Broadway, an effect that always amazes me, despite (now) knowing how it works.

Part 2 after the staircase comes back into view. 😂 #LetitGo #frozen #frozenmusical #frozenliveatthehyperion #dca #disneycaliforniaadventure #disneyscaliforniaadventure #disneyland #hyperiontheater #disney #disneylandresort #disneyparks #disneyside #disneyig #disneygram #instadisney #nikon #nikond7200 #d7200 #elsa @donnajeanie

A video posted by Regan Wong (@bruinrogue) on May 27, 2016 at 3:50pm PDT

This should serve as enough to convince you that the show effects are spectacular, just what you'd expect from a Broadway-style show. There's plenty more, trust me. But we'll close with the moment Anna completely freezes -- an effect even I don't fully understand yet.

She's completely frozen 🌬❄️ #frozenliveatthehyperion

A video posted by mary (@mousekears) on May 27, 2016 at 7:18pm PDT

Humorous Puppetry

Almost all the characters in Frozen are human. Key word: almost.

To bring reindeer Sven and snowman Olaf to life, Disney opted for puppets, instead of the typical costume characters seen in other Frozen shows. Quite a refreshing change, honestly, because Olaf being the same size as Anna was a little overwhelming.

Again, Frozen looks to The Lion King for inspiration, by bringing Julie Taymor-styled puppets to the stage. Sven is performed by a partially-visible performer, whereas Olaf is completely visible. Just like Pumbaa and Timon, respectively.

Bruce! #iagonowolaf #Iago #Olaf #frozen #frozenmusical #frozenliveatthehyperion #dca #disneycaliforniaadventure #disneyscaliforniaadventure #hyperiontheater #disney #disneylandresort #disneyparks #disneyside #disneyig #disneygram #instadisney #disneylandhd #nikon #nikond7200 #d7200 #aladdinamusicalspectacular #aams #aamssquad #aamssquadforever

A photo posted by Regan Wong (@bruinrogue) on May 27, 2016 at 9:02pm PDT

The ❤️ between a man and his reindeer! #kristoff #sven #frozen #frozenmusical #frozenliveatthehyperion #dca #disneycaliforniaadventure #disneyscaliforniaadventure #hyperiontheater #disney #disneylandresort #disneyparks #disneyside #disneyig #disneygram #instadisney #disneyland #nikon #d7200 #nikond7200 #mezzanine #liveatdisneyland 5.28.2016 @garrettpmarshall

A video posted by Regan Wong (@bruinrogue) on May 28, 2016 at 2:06pm PDT

This gives the puppets a whole new level. Not only are the performers portraying a character, but they're adding their own personalities as well. And the puppets are extremely animated.

Race Doesn't Matter

Perhaps the most acclaimed aspect of the Frozen musical is its color blind casting. One of Anna's friends is Cuban. One of Kristoff's is African-American. Fans wanted this in the animated film itself, so many are satisfied it happened in the live musical.

#frozenliveatthehyperion #frozenshow #sven #kristoff #hyperiontheater

A photo posted by Kate C (@katecphotography) on May 29, 2016 at 6:58pm PDT

Apparently, Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular also did color blind casting, so the fact that Disney is honoring the previous show is a nice touch!

But color blind casting aside, the entire cast (and it rotates) is incredible. Bravo to the casting team and performers!

All Together

With all these factors combined, my final opinion on Frozen at the Hyperion is this: take me to Disneyland so I can see my guilty pleasure in person!

And finally. Here is the entire show, courtesy of SoCal Theme Parks 360.



What do you think of the show? Comment below!

See y'all real soon!

***UPDATE***

But even Disney isn't perfect. Live shows are always at risk of malfunctions, forgotten lines and technical mistakes.

Twitter user Jesse Rhian shared this video of Elsa's dress malfunction not quite happening as planned. It does eventually work, but spoilers on how the effect is created are shown. Even so, the effect is altogether amazing.

her dress malfunctioned, but she held it together and her vocals were AMAZING. pic.twitter.com/TKnXtUnp4r

— Jesse Rhian (@fantasmia_) May 29, 2016

'Frozen' Gingerbread Castle Returns to Contemporary Resort for Holidays

Due to the popularity of Frozen (though, Cinderella and Rapunzel's wait times have finally overtaken Anna and Elsa's), the Frozen-inspired gingerbread castle has returned for a second year to the Contemporary Resort!

All photos taken by Molly Blaeser for The Disney Freak's Blog.

The castle is located on the 4th floor, in front of the 'it's a small world' mural on the other side of Contempo Cafe. Because the Contemporary gets most of its lighting from outside through huge windows, going in the daytime is best for good lighting.

The castle is also inspired by Alice Davis' designs for 'it's a small world,' apparent in the stylized look of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Sven.

New to the castle this year are the Snowgies from "Frozen Fever."

Olaf appears next to a sand castle. I enjoyed the hidden Nemo!

 

The bakery team also hid 15 Olaf silhouettes throughout the castle. I overhead lots of children pointing them out to each other and keeping track of how many they'd found.

To the side of the display are holiday sweets for purchase. Check out the video below for Cast Member Alexander's top picks.



See you all real soon!

'Frozen Summer Fun': Ice Palace Boutique Opens Tomorrow!

Disney's Hollywood Studios has gotten quite a makeover with all the new Frozen additions for "Frozen Summer Fun." (And, which this particular Disney fan quite enjoyed.)

Most notably is the closing of the American Idol Experience which has been changed into the Hyperion Theater to host the Frozen Sing-along.

And now, the Ice Palace Boutique is opening up in the former American Idol Experience audition area, just across from ABC Commissary!

Images via Disney Parks Blog.

Starting tomorrow, July 26, Guests ages 3-12 can receive a Frozen-inspired makeover, styled after either Princess Anna or Queen Elsa.

According to WDWMagic.com:

[T]he 'Ice Palace Boutique' will offer four packages to fit various budgets.

• Frozen Summer Fun Boutique Package – This package includes Anna or Elsa-inspired shimmering makeup palette, face gems, nail polish, a braided hair piece with sparkling snowflake accessory and an exclusive photo opportunity. Package retail: $75, includes tax.
• Ice Palace Boutique Package – This package includes the items offered in the Frozen Summer Fun Boutique Package. It also includes access to the Ice Palace Café and reserved seating at one of the “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration” shows. Package retail: $175, includes tax.
• Ice Palace Boutique Deluxe Package – This package includes an Anna or Elsa costume plus the items offered in the Ice Palace Boutique Package. Package retail: $240, includes tax.
• Olaf-inspired package that includes a glitter hairstyle and Olaf tee-shirt. Reservations are not required for this package and will only be available on-site at the location. Package retail: $19.95, plus tax.

Also part of the higher priced packages is reserved seating for a showing of the Frozen sing-along at the Hyperion Theater. The Ice Palace Boutique Package and the Ice Palace Boutique Deluxe Package is for up to 6 guests, including the child getting the magical transformation.

Those higher end packages also include access to the Ice Palace Cafe, where additional party members can enjoy the exclusive Ice Palace Café, an immersive “Frozen”-themed café with included snacks while they wait for their Anna or Elsa.

The boutique is only open until September, when the "Frozen Summer Fun" festivities conclude. Purchase an Ice Palace Boutique through Destinations in Florida by clicking HERE!

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***UPDATE***

Disney Parks Blog has released this inside look at Ice Palace Boutqiue. Check it out!

Happy Hoppity Easter!

Happy hoppity Easter!

Do you dye eggs for Easter egg hunts? Or maybe just for decoration?

Last year, Bestie decorated a few eggs with a Disney twist.

L-R: Mickey, EVE and Olaf.
Do you decorate your eggs, Disney-style?
Photo courtesy of Summer Rajavouri and used with permission.

This year, like every year, my younger siblings and I dyed our Easter eggs for the Easter bunny to hide in the morning.



From my family to yours, we hope you have a loverly Easter Sunday!

‘Frozen’ MagicBands and Package Announced!

For the “Frozen Summer Fun” event coming to Hollywood Studios (which starts tomorrow!), Disney has added a Frozen Summer Fun Premium Package for $59 for adults and $34 for children.  It includes reserved viewing for three of the park’s most anticipated new Frozen experiences: Royal Welcome parade, Frozen Sing-Along show, and nighttime Frozen fireworks spectacular with a dessert party!

Plus, exclusive Frozen-themed MagicBands have debuted for the event.

Image from Inside the Magic.

Want to book this Premium Package?  Get a free quote from Destinations in Florida by CLICKING HERE.

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‘Frozen’ Summer Fun at Hollywood Studios!

Starting July 5, “Frozen Summer Fun: Live at Hollywood Studios” is coming to Walt Disney World!
Olaf would be so happy.

“Frozen Summer Fun” consists of special Frozen-themed events that will come with regular park admission.  The fun lasts from July 5 to September 1.

The best part?  Kristoff is going to make an appearance!

Image from Disney Insider.

From Disney Insider, here are some of the highlights:

• Olaf on Summer Vacation – Olaf the snowman is having the time of his life on his very first summer vacation! He chimes in throughout the day to keep everyone updated on all his adventures. Plus, you can pick up your very own Take-Along Olaf from locations in the park, so he can join you on your summer vacation. And when you share your photos with Olaf on social media, be sure to tag them with #OlafSummerVacation. They may just get selected to appear in that day’s grand finale!

• Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome – At 11:00 a.m. each day, Elsa and Anna arrive in Hollywood as part of their goodwill tour of neighboring kingdoms, making their way down Hollywood Boulevard in a horse-drawn sleigh. Kristoff is along for the fun, too, joined by a flurry of skaters, skiiers, ice cutters and more! The entire procession culminates in a special moment at the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage to officially welcome the visiting royalty to this kingdom of Hollywoodland.

• For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Sing-Along Celebration – Cool down inside the Premiere Theater, where Anna and Elsa join the Royal Historians of Arendelle for a fun and comedic retelling of the unique history of their Kingdom, filled with delightful, sing-along moments from “Frozen.”

• Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post & Frozen Funland – Inside Soundstage One, Oaken and his cousins have created a Frozen Funland filled with cold weather activities, unique photo opportunities, and more! There’s a frozen pond with ice skating demonstrations, wintertime fun for kids in the “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” play area, a “big summer blowout” with plenty of “Frozen” merchandise, and special “Frozen”-inspired food and beverage offerings.

• “Coolest Summer Ever” Dance Party – Starting at 5:30 p.m. each day, a dance party takes over the area around the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage, with a DJ, live band, and more! The band plays a variety of classic and contemporary summer rock & roll hits, as well as a cool, rocking medley of “Frozen” favorites. It’s going to be hot!

• “Frozen” Fireworks Spectacular – Everything wraps up at 9:45 p.m. when Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf come together at the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage for a grand finale to the day’s festivities, kicking off an awe-inspiring fireworks display set to the glorious music of “Frozen!”

Just a note, the royal welcome is not Elsa and Anna’s rumored coronation into the Disney Princess franchise.

You’re not going to want to miss out on all this Frozen fun!  CLICK HERE to get a free quote on a Disney vacation from Destinations in Florida!

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***UPDATE***

Inside the Magic just posted this to their Facebook page on Friday:

Post by Inside the Magic.

‘Frozen’ Pre-Parade Float at Disneyland!

In WDW's Festival of Fantasy parade, Anna, Elsa and Olaf appear at the end of the princess float, the first in the parade.  The trio was added last minute due to Frozen’s unexpected popularity.

At Disneyland, the trio was just given their own pre-parade float in front of Mickey’s Soundsational Parade.

Here are three videos of the float’s debut.

Videos from YouTube.

Image from dlandlive.com

My thoughts?  Since I love these three to death (no surprise there), I’m excited for them to get their own float and everything, but it’s kind of disappointing.  Of course, it’s merely a pre-parade float, but I was kind of hoping for some singing, not just instrumental. The design is beautiful, but Olaf wasn't quite as animated as I expected.  No mouth movement at all?

However, I am hoping that this pre-parade signals their expansion in the Festival of Fantasy parade.

Your thoughts?

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Revealed: ‘Frozen’ Funko Pop!

Just today, the newest additions were announced for the Funko Pop! line of vinyl Disney figures.

And the figurines are….Frozen!

Image from popvinyl.net

You may recognize the style and look of these characters – Mini Maleficent is also a Funko Pop! model. This, of course, means I absolutely love Funko Pop! figures.

Meaning, I can’t wait to get my hands on these Frozen ones, especially Elsa!

According to the popvinyl.net, the Frozen figures won’t be released until July.

(Birthday present, Mom and Dad?)

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‘Frozen’ Float Coming to Disneyland!

Elsa, Anna and Olaf will be featured on a Frozen-themed pre-parade float, coming in June!

The float will come at the start of Mickey’s Soundsational Parade (my favorite) at Disneyland.

Image from the Disney Parks Blog post.

Hopefully, this means they will get their own float in Festival of Fantasy Parade at Disney World, as the trio was added last minute due to Frozen’s popularity.

Speaking of which, did you know Frozen just became the highest-grossing animated film of all time?

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Best “Let it Go” Cover. Ever.

I have been watching plenty of covers of the Frozen songs, as I’ve been trying to find the greatest covers to share with you guys. 

So I’m totally in the right to say this is the best “Let it Go” cover out there.

Seriously: You. Must. Listen.

Video from YouTube.

Why exactly does this cover blow my mind?

One, all the singers are freaking amazing.  Alex Boye is really cool, and he reminds me of a humanized Rafiki.  The children’s choir sends chills down my spine whenever they start singing.  But the most amazing one of all is soloist Lexi Walker.  Man, does she have an incredible voice, and she’s only 11 years old!

Such a pretty smile!
The instant she started singing, my jaw dropped.
All images from onevoicechildren.blogspot.com

Favorite part.
GIF image from anefinity.me

Secondly, the idea of “Africanizing” the song is pure genius.  One reason I love The Lion King is for all the African chanting put in.  So to add that to one of my new favorite Disney songs is good on my list.  I just wish I knew the translation.

And the kids are just all so cute!  The ones who get to star as Frozen characters have such adorable yet simple costumes (TDM, take note).  These kids were formerly known as the 2002 Olympics choir, and they’ve been doing a lot of professional recordings!  Yay for kid power!

They are all so talented!

Finally, how far is Utah from Atchison, Kansas?  Because I definitely want to visit this ice castle now!

In all honesty, I now believe that instead of Demi Lovato’s pop version (which I strongly dislike, but that’s a post for another time), Disney should have done a version of “Let it Go” with Idina and/or Lexi singing with a child’s choir in the background.

See you all real soon!

(PS: Alex Boye, with all this popularity, will probably put the song iTunes and Amazon, but for now you can buy it HERE.)

Dreaming of Summertime

There’s at least six inches of snow here at my grandma’s house, and the air is cold.  Welcome to northern Minnesota.

But snowman Olaf is dreaming of summer (like I am).

Watch him “imagine what it’ll be like when summer does come” in his song “In Summer,” the whole sequence of which was posted on YouTube by the disneyanimation channel.

Both videos from YouTube.

When I went to see “Frozen,” upon hearing Olaf begin to sing, I at first worried the song would distract from the story and be a cheap attempt at humor.  But I actually ended up really liking it – laughing at nearly every lyric – and it served as a great way for me to start enjoying Olaf and his character.

Favorite lyric: “But put me in summer and I’ll be a….happy snowman!” 

Busted out laughing.

Below is an entertaining cover by two young sisters, named Sophia and Bella.  Keep up the good work, girls!

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Snow Snow Snow!

It’s finally snowed here at school:

Video from YouTube. Molly THE Disney Freak’s Original Video.

So I thought it appropriate to share these images of Disney characters and winter weather...

GIF image from Oh My Disney post

Remember this?
GIF image from panda-city.tumblr.com

Ah, snowball fights...
GIF image from mymagicalstory.tumblr.com

GIF image from thezestyexperience.tumblr.com

GIF image from hellonevergiveup.tumblr.com

GIF image from whiteangelxoxo.tumblr.com

GIF image from avengedpendulum-escape.tumblr.com

GIF image from good-vibes-good-day-bad-life.tumblr.com

Of course, winter weather is always best when you
have the powers to control it!
GIF image from herardentwish.tumblr.com

Speaking of “Frozen,” you need to go see it!

See you all real soon.  Stay safe if there’s ice and snow where you live.

GIF image from angelamongthedevils.tumblr.com

Finally: Our First Real Look at “Frozen”!

And this time, the trailer’s in English!

Ten days ago, I saw on my Facebook feed that a new Frozen trailer (technically the first for us American folks, since we’ve only had a teaser and then international trailers) would be put online today!  So all morning (that’s a lie – all 10 days actually!) I eagerly waited for it to show up.

When I saw The Rotoscopers had posted a link for the trailer, I knew “it is time!”

Behold, the chilling glory of the first English trailer for Frozen!

Video from YouTube.

As always, Elsa looks freaking awesome.

She's all like, "Don't come a step closer: I'm the Snow Queen!"
Image from therotoscopers.com

Gah, I love her.
All GIF images from findsomethingtofightfor.tumblr

SHE'S SO FREAKING COOL WHEN SHE "THROWS" THE ICE FORWARD!

Sven is still adorable, of course. Olaf is still the comic relief.

Sven's determined face = love.
Olaf's sledding = laughs.

We finally get to see more of Kristoff, the mountain man who helps Anna.

But the main focus this time around is Anna, our protagonist.  She’s quirky, awkward, clumsy, quick-thinking, funny, an all-around good character.  I loved the little interaction between her and Hans (his horse Sitron is so cute!), and her time with Kristoff looks like it will be quite entertaining indeed.  Oh, and the snowball part – pretty darn funny!

Was it just me or was Anna’s hair white in this scene?

Anna or Elsa?  It's Anna!
What's going on?!
Image from some-girl-who-draws.tumblr.

Why does Anna look like her sister so much in that scene?  We’ll just have to wait till November!

I’m crossing off the days!  How about you?  What did you think of the trailer?

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A Freezing Teaser: First Look at Disney’s Frozen!

Today, Disney released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming animated feature Frozen, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of The Snow Queen.

And guess where this teaser trailer appeared.

On Weather.com.

If you think about it, it does make sense.  Because at weather.com, they had this weather outlook forecast before playing the trailer, so it was a clever bit of advertising.

Video from YouTube.

Pros: the two characters are adorable!  I absolutely fell in love with the caribou/reindeer character, even though I know nothing about him so far.  According to the Disney Wiki, the snowman is named Olaf, and the reindeer is named Sven.  So can I buy myself a Sven?  He’s so cute! 




Such a cute face!
Video screencapture taken from the included video.

Overall, this is a great sneak peek that really grabs your attention with the two cute characters and amusing antics.

Cons: of course, this is a teaser trailer, which means it’s part of an advertising campaign made to tease us and gain our interest about a movie’s existence.  The real trailer will give us more information about the plot, characters, and more important stuff.  The first trailer for Frozen will be played before Monsters University, which opens this Friday (who’s going?).  So while the teaser is adorable, it doesn’t quite give me all the information I want, as expected.

Why I’m pumped for this movie: I fell in love with The Snow Queen story after watching a different animated film of it years ago, so when I heard Disney was making their own adaption of the tale, I got really excited. 

You could say as excited as I got for Brave.  However, I don’t know much about Frozen at this point as I did for Brave, so I’m actually even more excited because I knew too much about Brave.

I’m also excited because this is another fairy tale story, which is Disney’s expertise in animated movies.  Idina Menzel is voicing Elsa the Snow Queen (and villain? *big grin*), and I absolutely love Idina.

So at this point, let’s just say I cannot wait for Disney’s Frozen!



.gif image from trex0rapunz3l.tumblr

See ya all real soon!

What did you think of this first sneak peak to Frozen?  And which character do you think is cutest: Sven (yes!) or Olaf?  Tell me in the comments below!