Pocket Princesses Celebrates 100th Comic Strip!

My absolute favorite Disney fan artist is Amy Mebberson, the creative mind behind the adorable Pocket Princesses.  The weekly one-panel comic strip features all the official Disney Princesses in candid moments (as Mebberon sees fit), with cameos from others such as Kida, Stitch, and the princes.

The strip is posted on Facebook (almost) every Friday, and yesterday's was the 100th post!

 I love all the excitement and hidden jokes in this one!
Did you find Snow White?
Image from the Pocket Princesses Facebook page.
Copyright belongs to Amy Mebberson.

Congrats to Pocket Princesses!  I highly encourage you to like the page on Facebook -- you won't be disappointed!  Every single strip is cute and hilarious.  Mebberson's take on the characters are true to the original and yet uniquely hers at the same time.

ttfn!

Five4Florida: Spring Break 2014!

Exciting news, ya'll!

In a little less than two weeks, my girls and I will be in Florida for spring break!

That's right: Michelle, Molly, Kaihtlyn and Mary are going to Florida March 9-15, 2014!

Reaction: Can't hold it in anymore!
Sources missing.

Reaction: Worth celebrating!

Reaction: yesyesyesyes!

Reaction: excited dance!

We are super excited about the trip.  It's been a long time in the making, as we realized we will never have time to go on a senior spring break -- Kaihtlyn and Mary are studying abroad different semesters next year, and then the three of us other than Mary are all graduating a semester early.  But while we've been planning this trip since last semester, we only recently got fully approved by all of our parents.

Originally, our friend Tara was going to join us but after some disagreements, she is potentially not coming.

We'll be staying at Kaihtlyn's aunt house in Florida, and Michelle is driving us down there and back.  It's going to be quite the adventure!

Previously, we tossed around the idea of going to Disney World for a day (how can you go to Florida and not go to Disney World?!) but because of financials, that's out of the question.  (Super sad face!)

Of course, I will still blog/vlog for all of you guys here, but we have created a Wordpress blog so everyone can take turns posting for friends and family to see.

So please, keep up with our Five4Florida: Spring Break 2014 adventure by checking out our blog HERE.

"Adventure is out there!"
Image from five4florida.wordpress.com

Have a lovely day, everyone!  ttfn!

Halloween: Disney Style!

(So I apologize that this is late since Halloween was like 2 weeks ago – jeez, that makes me feel bad.)

Do you dress up for Halloween?

Or even better: do you dress up Disney-style for Halloween?

Joslyn is Violet Parr.
Don't you love how she even made sure
to have her hair cover one eye?
Do not remove watermark.

Allison is hipster Ariel.
Do not remove watermark.

And of course, my gals and I dressed up too:

Hipster Disney Princesses!
L-R: Thing 1 Kaihtlyn as Rapunzel, Michelle as Jasmine,
Thing 2 Mary as Belle, and me as Cinderella.
Do not remove watermark.

Hope you had a happy, not-too-spooky Halloween!

See you all soon!

Disney Concert Tonight!

This is the news blurb Benedictine College has been sending out via their email newsletter:

Join the BC Chamber Singers and the Concert Chorale for ‘A Night of Disney Magic’ on Saturday, Oct. 5.   The program will feature selections from 5 decades of Disney classic movies, including Beauty and the Beast, It’s a Small World, Hercules, The Lion King and many more.  Performances will be presented at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. in O’Malley-McAllister Auditorium.   The groups are under the direction of Dr. Sean Teets, and will be accompanied by Laura Moreno, piano, Rachel Gallagher, guitar, and Grace Kirwan, percussion.  Admission is $2 for adults, and $1 for students (5 & up).

I’m so excited to see this tonight!  (Provided I can get off work early enough…)

Poster for the event.
Picture taken by Molly THE Disney Freak.

Literally everyone who knows me and my Disney “Freakness” has been telling me, “Molly, I thought of you when I heard about the Pops Concert!  Are you going?” and I reply, “What kind of question is that?!”

I actually did a really-really-excited-because-I-can’t-wait-to-go dance in Walmart last night…

Reaction: Excited dance!
GIF source

Tonight, I’ll probably be silently singing along to every word.

Tune in again soon for a video of (hopefully) the entire show!

ttfn!

King Louie’s Still Got the Beat!

Extremely recently, I posted about the upcoming show ‘Mickey and the Magical Map,’ coming to Disneyland’s Fantasyland Theater.  In fact, said post had a title basically the same as this one’s (find the difference?).

In that post, I shared with you a clip of a backstage rehearsal of The Jungle Book number “I Wanna Be Like You” used in the show.

Well, literally two days ago, InsidetheMagic.net (get used to see them mentioned a lot around here!) shared even more exclusive sneak peeks at the show.  One of the videos they posted shows a preview of a dress rehearsal for the show, including the King Louie piece, now complete with costumes and set!

And, sorry Dewey, but the stilted dancers aren’t giraffes.

Video form YouTube. Check out the InsidetheMagic.net article for another cool behind-the-scenes video! Random, but in the thumbnail, Flynn looks like he’s just seen a ghost!

The screen (er, I mean, the magical map) looks great.  However, Yen Sid did look a bit…unfinished?  Something just seemed off with him.

I really really love the “I Wanna Be Like You” number, especially with the colorful jungle set!  I thought it was interesting that the trumpet player wasn’t the same guy from before -- and yet the article has a picture with the original guy.  And did some of the dance moves for Louie change?  Well, I still love it anyway.



Love this set so much!
Video screencapture by THE Disney Freak and
taken from the included video.

And the ending scene (of the video) with Flynn and Rapunzel, Pocahontas, and Mulan almost gives me chills.  It’s very well-done.  I had a hard time understanding what Pocahontas was singing – “I See the Light” with our Tangled stars or “Just Around the Riverbend”?  I’m not sure.



Such a great scene.
Video screencapture by THE Disney Freak and
taken from the included video.

All in all, I am really excited to see this show – online, of course, and hopefully someday at Disneyland.  While I don’t expect it to replace Fantasmic! as my absolute favorite show (really, anything Disney), I do think Mickey and his magical map will become a new favorite of mine.

See ya all real soon!

Happy 13th, Jackie!

Today’s a pretty big day for one of my favorite singers, someone who has an amazing gift: the voice of (seriously) an angel.

Today is Jackie Evancho’s 13th birthday!  She’s a teenager!

But does she sound her age when she sings?

Not at all.

I’ll show you in a second.

Jackie’s most recent album is titled Songs from the Silver Screen, which features several favorites from popular musical films.  The Phantom of the Opera, for example, one of my favorites.  But most importantly of all, Jackie' included songs from The Lion King, Tangled, and even Mulan.



Album cover.
Image from a Google search.

So in honor of her birthday, I thought I would share a clip of her rendition (mind-blowing!) of “I See the Light,” featuring her big brother Jacob.

Video from YouTube.

Keep singing Jackie and inspiring us all!  Hope you have a wonderful birthday!

ttfn!  What do you think of Jackie’s voice?  Her rendition of “I See the Light”?  Tell me below!

Royal This, Royal That: New Fantasy Faire

Just today, InsidetheMagic and DisneyParks posted several new videos showcasing the new Fantasy Faire at Disneyland, which officially opens March 12 this year (also TDM’s birthday!).

Video from YouTube.

It seems I am not able to put the InsidetheMagic videos here in my blog, so I will just include a link to those.

The most important part about this new area at Disneyland is the Royal Hall, where you can meet some of your favorite Disney Princesses, as shown in this video.

Another fun attraction is the Royal Theatre, with two fun shows!  One tells the story of Rapunzel and Flynn/Eugene from Tangled.  The other tells the story of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The cool thing about both shows is it incorporates what you could call “simple theatre,” with really just two actors/narrators doing the parts, with Flynn and Rapunzel or Belle playing themselves.

This video gives you an idea of the two shows:

Video from YouTube. The Mother Gothel and Rapunzel part was really well done!

This first link is for the full Tangled show.  And this second link is for a video of the entire Beauty and the Beast show.  Enjoy!

I’m upset that someone commented that the Belle show is better than the Enchanted Tales attraction.  From what I’ve seen and heard, the Enchanted Tales attraction is very amusing and fun, and I can’t wait to experience it in person someday!

Personally, I’m thinking the Fantasy Faire is going to be a pretty fun addition to Disneyland.  All the designs, styles, and costumes remind me of Renaissance Festivals, such as the one here in Minnesota, which I enjoy immensely because the Renaissance era and fantasy stories are my favorite things!

A sleepy Figaro and the bird who seems to be disturbing his nap!
Video screencapture by THE Disney Freak from the first included video.

To close this post (but not the day – look for an Oz post tonight!), here’s a fun video of the Figaro animatronic you got an introduction to in the first video.  I agree with the commenters on the InsidetheMagic video that the animatronic (*ahem, ahem*) looks a bit unfinished or something, but since it’s up, it must be done.

Video from YouTube. I love the Tangled music playing in the background! Very fitting.

ttfn!

Sing a Song, Hear a Story

For Christmas 2012, YDF and MDF each found a very cool CD in their stockings, gifts left there by Santa.

For MDF, it was the CD Songs and Story: The Littler Mermaid.

For YDF, it was the CD Songs and Story: Tangled.



Photo taken by THE Disney Freak;
do not remove watermark.

I’d seen other CDs in this series at Walmart and Target but hadn’t ever bought one, not really interested.  So when YDF and MDF each got one, I was curious and suggested we listen to them a few days later as we waited for the guests to arrive for our annual New Years Eve party.  Gave them something to do while they waited and gave me something to blog about for later.

Video from YouTube. The Disney Freak’s Blog original video.

My thoughts overall: the CD is great in terms of the story part, where a narrator narrates (no way!) the story of your favorite Disney movie.  However, in terms of the song part of the CD, it seems to depend on the CD you get. 

For YDF’s Tangled CD, the songs were all from the movie and featured the original voice actors.  There was one song that I guess was inspired by the movie, which was fine.  I enjoyed it. 

For MDF’s The Little Mermaid CD, the songs were the originals from the movie but other singers sung the parts.  Which was disappointing.  I’d rather hear Jodi Benson sing “Part of Your World” instead of some random singer they chose.

Otherwise, great CDs, and I’m going to look for some myself.  I really like the story part, especially since each narration is complete with audio clips from the movie.

ttfn!

Bestie’s Birthday – Face Reveal!

Friday, December 14th, 2012.  Bestie’s birthday.

And it would be her “adult” birthday.

When I first got home for Christmas Break, I was hoping to spend the day with her in honor of her big day.  However, being in ballet, she had a show and class to do, with community college finals early in the day.  I got to see her at 2:15 for a coffee break with her mom, but then she was headed to ballet.  I did get to hang out with her mother for the rest of the day until Bestie got back in time for presents and cake with her family (including me, an honorary family member).

Before Bestie got back, her aunt and I went to pick up dinner.  On the way, she and I decided to “roam Apple Valley” which really meant get a present for Bestie.  With my help, she found basically the perfect gift.

And of course, there was my gift to her – which was unfortunately not Disney-themed.

Let me show you in pictures.

Warning: there are a lot of them.

Annie Leibovitz’s Rapunzel

Just today, the Disney Parks Blog released the newest portrait for the “Disney Parks‘ ongoing Disney Dream Portrait series” (the Disney Parks Blog post).  In short, this series is of different Disney characters portrayed by familiar celebrities for Disney Parks ads (e.g., I found one in an issue of O, The Oprah Magazine).  The portraits are all taken by the spectacularly-skilled photographer Annie Leibovitz.  I’m hoping to eventually get a post out of all the portraits, probably as soon as the series is over (will that happen?).

Note how I said “portrayed by familiar celebrities.”  Usually these celebrities are well-known actors and actresses.  But it seems Disney has decided to include singers.

You’ll see what I’m getting at.

The 11th Disney Princess: Verified

Thanksgiving day, YDF, MDF, and I worked on some of their Disney Princess puzzles.

Picture taken by THE Disney Freak;
do not remove watermark.

Picture taken by THE Disney Freak;
do not remove watermark.

The next day, I was glancing through all the toy catalogs from various retailers.  In the Target one, I found an interesting Disney Princess doll set.

Picture taken by THE Disney Freak.

Picture taken by THE Disney Freak.

Why am I highlighting this?  Maybe it was pretty obvious that this would happen, but Merida is included in an (*ahem*) official Disney Princess doll set. 

So is Merida going to be an official Disney Princess?  Or is she just being included with official Disney Princesses as a non-official princess?  Will that change (aka question A)?  Several questions arose at the sight of this set, obviously.

Immediately, I called over TDSO (our previous Brave hypothesizer) for her take on this all.  She said that she didn’t think Merida would be an official Disney Princess but because she is a Disney princess, she would be included in a few sets.  Just like when Kida or Nala sometimes appear in Disney Princess merchandise.

However, seems things have changed – or been verified.

Because in July 2013, Merida will indeed join the official lineup as the 11th Disney Princess.

What are your thoughts?  The Disney Mermaid is personally upset because Ariel won’t be the only ginger anymore (and for some other reasons).

As for me, I’m not quite sure what I think right now.  As the Disney Wiki pointed out, Merida will be the first Disney Princess without a love interest, which I’m not against, but all the other Princesses appear with their Princes in some merchandise and at events at the Parks.  Poor Merida will be the odd one (literally) out.  Like The Disney Mermaid, I’m disappointed that they would add in another ginger, and if they’re going to just add any new princess character they add, why not allow Kida to join?  How does Disney’s selection work (hey, that’s another post to work on!)?

See ya all real soon!

Christmas is quickly approaching!  Shopping done?

I See the Light

A friend of mine also graduated this year.  And here in Minnesota, there are these things called "Open Houses."  Supposedly they're to celebrate the graduate's successful graduation without dying (high school is tough these days, you know!).  To be honest, it's more of a free food fest ("So how do you know the graduate?"  "What? Oh, we're just here for the food."--no that doesn't really happen).

Well, this particular friend of mine happens to be extremely cool and came up with a fantastic idea to end her Open House.

Floating lanterns.

(Does not come with matching Flynn and Rapunzel.)

The Beast and I, being introverts, discussed whether or not we wanted to stay to see the lanterns.  Good thing we did!

At the appointed time (9:30 I believe), everyone was called over to the side yard, where there was more room.  Various kids held unlit lanterns by the strings attached.

Yes, the lanterns weren't really going to float up into the sky as in Tangled.  The idea was to hold onto the (invisible) string, making the lantern like a kite.

(Or was that the idea?)

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?

Dare to Dream in the Pioneer Press

This Sunday (which would be yesterday), the Pioneer Press printed this short notice about the Disney on Ice show "Dare to Dream" opening on Wednesday at the Target Center.

FAMILY / DISNEY ON ICE: DARE TO DREAM
Wednesday-March 4: A show about a frog opens on Leap Day. Along with plenty of jumping, audiences will see stunning spins and synchronized dancing when Disney on Ice presents "Dare to Dream." Princess Tiana will boogie on skates with Prince Naveen (aka the frog) as they act out scenes from "The Princess and the Frog." You'll also see Rapunzel and Cinderella with their princes. Target Center; 600 First Ave. N., Mpls.; $65-$10; 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
- Maja Beckstrom

I smiled at the reference to Leap Day and Naveen and Tiana as frogs.

Don't miss out on this great show!  Check my other two posts about "Dare to Dream" for showtime info and ticket info.

Poster for show.
From the Disney Wiki.

Alert! Dare to Dream!

"Dare to Dream" opens on Wednesday, two days from today!

Here are the showtimes.  Remember it's only a five day show here in Minnesota!

Opening Day: February 29: 7 p.m.

March 1: 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

March 2: 7 p.m.

March 3: 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Last Day: March 4: 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Tickets can still be found here!  And remember, they start at just $10....going up to $65 for front row.

Dare to Dream

In just a little over a week, the Disney on Ice show "Dare to Dream" is coming to the Twin Cities!

The poster for the show.
From the Disney Wiki.

Here's a short synopsis from the Disney Wiki: "Experience Disney's hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled; as Rapunzel, her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths! Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss. And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true. All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime! Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit when Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream comes to your hometown!"

While there is a video on the webpage for the show, I've included two from YouTube.  The first is pretty much the official video for the show (although different than the one on the webpage for the show).  The second is a behind the scenes look at how the show went from "Idea to Ice."

Starting February 29, this magical show will be playing at the Target Center in Minneapolis.  The show will be playing at the Target Center from February 29-March 4.

As in ad in the Sunday paper recently proclaimed, tickets start at $10!  For front row, tickets are priced at $65.

Tickets can be found here.

I'll be keeping you informed as we move closer to the dates and if I hear anything else!

Comments: Planning to go?  Tell us!  Went?  Please share, whether you liked it or not!