“As true fans of Walt Disney and his Disneyland Resort, it is the sole purpose of “Tales From The Mouse House – A Disneyland Podcast” to deliver the magic and happiness we have experienced in all that Walt Disney created with his Original Park to our listeners by delivering the most entertaining and sincere shows possible through the use of audio and video episodes. Following Walt's example, we will always strive to improve what we bring to our listeners"
Review by Joyce Kessel Just in time for Halloween, Disney/Pixar reunites Woody, Buzz, and all our Toy Story friends, but this time, their adventure is fun with a side of fright. Toy Story of Terror! was released on BluRay+ Digital Copy, DVD, DisneyMoviesAnywhere and Digital HD on August 19th. The movie starts with the friends embarking on a road trip with Bonnie and family. While watching a horror movie to pass the time, the car gets a flat tire, so, they stop at a road side hotel. Forced to spend the night, Woody advises his friends not to leave the suitcase because they might get lost. But of course, Mr. Potato Head wanders off and they fear he is lost.
Watching a horror movie
The gang meets a new friend, 'Combat Carl', who helps the crew survive their own horror story (that's all you're getting. Remember, NO SPOILERS HERE!). This made for TV adventure is just shy of 22 minutes and is a must-see. Even though it's 'for kids', Al and I LOVE this and will be making it one of our Halloween traditions!
Combat Carl
The Blu-ray is loaded with never-before-seen bonus features, including three Vintage Toy Commercials, which can be viewed as act breaks during the film or separately with Director Introductions. The Blu-Ray also includes additional special features shorts: “Small Fry”, “Partysaurus Rex” and “Hawaiian Vacation”. “Toy Story OF TERROR!” features the voice talents of original “Toy Story” cast members Tom Hanks as “Woody,” Tim Allen as “Buzz Lightyear,” Joan Cusack as “Jessie,” Timothy Dalton as “Mr. Pricklepants,” Don Rickles as “Mr. Potato Head,” Kristen Schaal as “Trixie” and Wallace Shawn as “Rex,” along with series newcomer Carl Weathers as “Combat Carl/Combat Carl Jr.”
Written and directed by Angus MacLane, animator on such Disney•Pixar classics as “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Toy Story 2 & 3” and produced by Galyn Susman, “Toy Story OF TERROR!” features an original score by composer Michael Giacchino (“Ratatouille,” “Up,” “Cars 2”).
When Walt Disney was very young, he and his family lived on a farm in Marceline, Missouri. In many interviews, Walt mentioned that living on that farm was perhaps some of the greatest times in his life. He "met" nature there, got to really experience the awesome beauty that "wild life" has to offer. And years later, that passion could be seen in the many films Disney made, especially the True-Life Adventure Series, where Walt featured, in true Disney fashion, nature at it's best in his oft awarded documentary shorts.
Acrobatic Warrior
That awesome tradition is still alive today in the newest entry to the Disney nature line-up: Disneynature Wings Of Life. This beautifully photographed film is told from a unique perspective, from that of the majestic flower. Not just one flower but ALL the flowers of the world. The incomparable Meryl Streep narrates this look inside the world most of us take for granted, as she "speaks" as all the flowers of the world. Wings Of Life tells the story about the pollinators of the world: humming birds, bees, butterflies and even bats, and the incredibly vital role they all play in life on the planet Earth. And since this IS a Disney film, it is presented as an adventure full of intrigue, drama and mesmerizing beauty! A true life and death struggle for survival, which in a way it is. For without the magic flowers bring to the world, the planet on which we live would be a much more hostile and boring looking place.
Pollinators To The Rescue - Majestic Monarch Butterfly
Disneynature Wings Of Life is without doubt a beautifully visual movie. The film follows the various creatures that aid the flowers in spreading their pollen throughout the world of nature, bees (of both honey and bumble variety!), the beautifully majestic butterfly, humming birds (who, despite their petite size and beautifully ornate feathers CAN be quite the warrior), and even bats. The intricate partnership these creatures have created with flowers has become an integral part of life as we know it. By creating a system in which plants create the pollen and these cooperative creatures carry the needed mixture to other plants to complete the pollination process, they have helped all species of the Earth survive. In fact, a third of the world's food supply depends on these incredible (and unfortunately increasingly threatened) creatures.
Disneynature Wings Of Life is absolutely a film that is a must see. As with all of Disney's Nature series, Wings Of Life presents us with a seriously important subject, but in a way that we can all relate to. It gets its message of conservation across without being preachy, and by the end of the film, you find yourself WANTING to find ways to help the flowers and little critters that help us live! In fact, we've decided to build a wild flower garden in our back yard, to try to bring at least a little nature back to our lives! Wings Of Nature is the perfect film to start that conversation with your kids about how the world works, and what WE MUST do to help keep it working. In fact, Disneynature Wings Of Life would be a terrific film to show in school science and nature classes. This is certainly one film we are happy to have received to review. A beautifully written, directed, filmed and presented movie. With shots you'd swear are CGI (computer generated image), Wings Of Life uses riveting high-speed, time-lapse and macro filmmaking to showcase in spectacular detail these unsung heroes of our planet.
Disneynature was launched in April, 2008. It's mission is to bring the world's top nature filmmakers together to share a wide variety of wildlife stories on the big screen in order to engage, inspire and educate audiences everywhere. Walt Disney was a pioneer in wildlife filmmaking, producing 13 True-Life Adventure motion pictures between 1948 and 1960, which earned eight Academy Awards. To learn more about this wonderful venture, and the other movies in the Disneynature series, visit Disneynature online.
Disneynature Wings Of Life is available now on the following: * Blu-Ray Combo Pack (Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital and On Demand copy) SRP $34.99. Running time approximately 80 minutes
Well, Joyce and I had an awesome time on our recent Disneyland Resort vacation! Met up with a few of our good friends, Mr. Daps, Julie and her husband Jason (our favorite Cast Member), and our great friend and Podcast Sponsor Randy Crane. We also (finally) got to visit Cars Land and Buena Vista Street! Two AWESOME new additions to the Disneyland Resort, over in California Adventure. We made many great new memories this trip, but I think that the one memory that will stand above just about everything is something we were blessed to be part of on our last day at the Resort. An event that both Mr. Daps (from Daps Magic) and Lisa Robertson (from Babes In Disneyland blog) asked us to cover for their respective sites: the media event covering the release of Disney's newest Tinker Bell movie - Secret Of The Wings. This was our very first media event, and hopefully, just the start of a wonderful media relationship with the Disney Company and Disneyland. I'd like to share with you our write-up and coverage of this awesome event: Tinker Bell’s Winter Wonderland Comes to Downtown Disney By Al Kessel - Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast On October 23, 2012, DisneyToon Studios released the fourth installment of their popular straight to DVD animated film series based on the Disney Fairies franchise, starring the mischievous, and lovable, Tinker Bell. This time, Tink ventures into the forbidden world and discovers a Frost Fairy named Periwinkle, who shares some remarkably familiar traits with our Tinker-Talented Fairy. Disney’s Secret Of The Wings introduces fans of this beloved series to their newest Fairy - Periwinkle (voiced by Lucy Hale), who has a talent for creating frost and winter wonderlands whenever and wherever she desires.
To celebrate the release of this newest film, Downtown Disney has created a brand new guest experience - Ice Skating in Tinker Bells Winter Woods, the Winter Wonderland that Tinker Bell experiences in her new film. The ceremony opened with Tinker Bell and Periwinkle performing a brief dance on the small stage set up in the middle of the Ice Rink. As they exited the Rink, Disneyland Resort Ambassador Rene Torrico welcomed guests to Downtown Disney and revealed the premise of Tinker Bells’ latest adventure. Torrico then introduced Vice President of Resorts Daniel Delcourt and Downtown Disney’s General Manager Janet Knox to dedicate the new Ice Rink. Delcourt welcomed guests and thanked Downtown Disney Cast Members for all their hard work in bringing this wonderful new opportunity to Disney Resort guests, followed by Knox’s dedication of the Ice Rink for family and friends to enjoy a piece of Tinker Bells’ Winter Wonderland. Secret Of The Wings director Peggy Holmes, and producer Michael Wigert then described the new film and how Tink learns to ice skate, and with the opening of the new Ice Rink, Resort guests can now experience that same feeling. Finally, Rene Torrico returned to the stage to thank guests for joining them for the event and as he spreads a little Fairy Dust, like magic Tinker Bell and her Pixie Sister Periwinkle return to the stage for a dramatic Fairy dance to officially unveil this newest Resort experience. A first for Southern California’s Downtown Disney District, the Ice Rink is made from real ice, not synthetic ice, which, according to Janet Knox, Downtown Disney’s General Manager, was an important detail to offer guests. Knox stated that there are many who visit Downtown Disney who may never have had the experience of skating on “real ice”. This attention to detail brings an air of nostalgia to those guests who may have grown up with experiences such as this, allowing them to share with their children the family fun and adventure they had growing up. The Rink took about two weeks to assemble and is kept at a chilling six degrees by a massive “Chiller Machine” discreetly hidden behind the rental shacks. Knox also stated that Disney has wanted to offer a family activity to guests such as the Ice Rink for years, but never really had the perfect story to share. However, with the introduction of the new Tinker Bell story, they now had the perfect story to tell. Knox hinted that it may very well be the vision of VP of Resorts Delcourt to eventually expand the Ice Rink to a more elaborate Holiday Village should the Ice Rink prove successful.
The Ice Rink will operate through the beginning of January, 2013, and for the Holidays, Downtown Disney will open several shopping and food chalets for Resort guests to linger through while enjoying the atmosphere of the Ice Rink. Each skating session lasts 60 minutes and will cost $15.00 for adults and $12.00 for children ages 2 to 12. The Ice Rink will also offer rental skates for $3.00 and for the younger skaters, Disney offers double-bladed skates. Hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM, Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. The Ice Rink does require all skaters to wear an approved helmet for safety reasons. Every 30 minutes the Ice Rink will offer their “WOW” moment, in the form of a whimsically choreographed light display set to the Secret Of The Wings song The Great Divide, by the McClain Sisters.
After the event, Director Peggy Holmes and Producer Michael Wigert stated that being part of the Disney Fairies franchise is both an honor and terrific opportunity allow fans to learn more about Tinker Bell and her Fairy friends. Wigert also hinted that we have not seen the last of the world of Pixie Hollow.
To view a short video we produced on the event, just click play below!
