Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast...Episode 72

Welcome to Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland podcast EPISODE 72! Wow, another audio episode for your Disney enjoyment! Well, we had a lot of fun on this episode, but also....well, in our Host Chat segment, ONE of us kind of goes off on a rant (ok, it was ME - Al). Couldn't be helped. I had something to get off my chest and thought it should be shared. Ok, before you actually listen to the show, I'll put up a bit of a warning. I vent about Disney's D23 a bit because of recent events, and not so recent events. I thought long and hard before including that on our show, but I thought that it wouldn't be right if we only shared the great things about Disney (and trust us, there are a LOT of great and awesome things about Disney...) and swallowed our opinions on the things we thought don't work. That would be a huge disservice to you and to us. We may offend some, but you know what? We are all about being TRUE to ourselves and delivering an HONEST show to you. Doing anything else would be wrong, even if that means offending some folks, and ruining our chances at being included in Disney sponsored events. If lying to you and to ourselves is what it takes to be invited to those events, then I guess we'll relegate ourselves to never being included! 

California Adventure's Wold Of Color

Ok, on with the FUN stuff. On this episode, Joyce reviews one of our favorite additions to Disney California Adventure - The World Of Color. We still remember when they drained Paradise Bay and constructed the jets and things...it was awesome. Then, when they actually began testing them...well, you'll have to tune in to find THAT out! Hey, can't give away EVERYTHING, can I?? 

Then, in Food Reviews, I cover a cool out of the way place in Disneyland's Critter Country that we overlooked for YEARS! Walked past it hundreds of times and NEVER saw it...until our last visit. Suffice it to say, Harbour Galley is one of the neatest places to grab some grub that you never saw! They even have a great deck to relax on that gives you a terrific view of the Rivers Of America, where you can watch the Mark Twain and the Columbia lazily sail on by. Oh, and you'll have to tune in to hear about an AWESOME little known spot by Harbour Galley where you can watch a LOT of fun in action!

Harbour Galley

As we shared on episode 71, we've added to our Hidden Treasures segment. Instead of just sharing the awesome little gems in and around the Resort that we feel are true Hidden Treasures, we're going to start sharing lots of other things too, like audio clips, music, that sort of thing, that WE feel enhances that Disney Magic and furthers our cause to spread the Disney Love to as many as we can! Plus...we launched a new "contest" where you can win your very own copy of David W. Smith's In The Shadow Of The Matterhorn: Stories about Life, Love and Laughter at Disneyland audiobook! 

Win YOUR audiobook copy!

Hey, if YOU'RE in need of a great travel agent, why not give our sponsor, Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations a holler! I bet he can make YOUR vacation a MAGICAL one! Visit Randy at www.randyc-mouseearvacations.com 

As always, If you’d like to send in comments for the show, you can send us an email to talespodcast@cox.net, leave us voicemail on the Hotline at 304-TALES23, leave us feedback in iTunes or leave comments for us on our Twitter account @talespodcast. Heck, you can even find us on FaceBook, just search for Tales From The House House - Disneyland podcast! If you'd like to listen to the show, you can find it on iTunes, on our podcast site at talescast.com, the direct episode link: Episode 72, or on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!


Thanks for making us part of your Disney experience and remember…

Nothing to do with the episode...she's just CUTE!

"Make It A Mickey Day!" ~~ Al & Joyce

Tales From The Mouse House....Episode 68

Happy Easter and welcome to episode 68! We're back to a more...."normal" format on this episode! We discuss all kinds of fun stuff in our Host Chat, like, the crazy weather in Arizona and how it's creating all kinds of misery.....like Joyce's allergies raging full speed ahead! Because of the weird weather - one week it was freezing cold, the next HOT, then the next cold, well, you get the picture, all the desert plants are blooming early and in full force. So, poor Joyce is suffering horribly from it. Oh, and we have a winner in our audiobook giveaway! Tune in to find out WHO! If you "LIKE" our FaceBook page, keep an eye out because we're going to launch another contest this coming week on FaceBook for...yep, ANOTHER copy of the audiobook!

Oh how we MISS THEE!

 

And of course, as many of you already know, I (Al) am without formal employment (nice way to put it, huh?) so I've been really working on my VoiceOver stuff. In fact, Joyce and I decided to take our podcast production "company" and turn it in to a legitimate COMPANY. We're calling it Storyteller Productions (cuz, well, we tell stories...) and I've embarked on a fun voiceover career. I've taken our good friend Dave Smith's (author of In The Shadow Of The Matterhorn) advice and have begun seeking audiobook narration gigs. And I've got FOUR in production right now! One is a book I'm REALLY suited for: a Walt Disney biography! YEAH!! 

Brand New Audiobook!

In our Attraction Reviews, I start a new series reviewing extinct attractions, but only ones that were around since 2007 when we started visiting. Should be fun! And in Food Reviews, Joyce discusses some alternatives for those Resort Guests who would rather have something not of the meat variety! 

Joyce and I really want to thank all of you who tune in to our fun little show. We truly have a passion for Walt Disney and his beloved Disneyland, and we're honored that you allow us to share that love with you!  


Hey, if YOU'RE in need of a great travel agent, why not give our sponsor, Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations a holler! I bet he can make YOUR vacation a MAGICAL one! Visit Randy at www.randyc-mouseearvacations.com 

As always, If you’d like to send in comments for the show, you can send us an email to talespodcast@cox.net, leave us voicemail on the Hotline at 304-TALES23, leave us feedback in iTunes or leave comments for us on our Twitter account @talespodcast. Heck, you can even find us on FaceBook, just search for Tales From The House House - Disneyland podcast! If you'd like to listen to the show, you can find it on iTunes, on our podcast site at talescast.com, the direct episode link: Episode 68, or on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!

AND, we're listed on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!

Thanks for making us part of your Disney experience and remember…
"Make It A Mickey Day!" ~~ Al & Joyce

(Enjoy a little Splash Mountain...)

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green...

Disney's The Odd Life Of Timothy Green

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green has landed!

In 2010, Joyce and I attended the Disney D23 Expo at Disneyland. Probably the most popular panel was one that highlighted the many films Disney, Disney/Pixar and Marvel would be releasing in the months and years to come. One of these films was a live action family film by Disney starring Jennifer Gardner, Joel Edgerton and CJ Adams, called The Odd Life Of Timothy Green. We weren't shown many clips, but what we did see interested us a great deal, and at the time, we were very excited to see this film. As life would have it, when the movie was released in theaters, we didn't make it. 

But on December 4, 2012, Disney released The Odd Life Of Timothy Green on Blu-Ray and DVD, and we finally got a chance to see it. And we were not let down in the least. 

Of course by now, you all know that we're not about spoilers here. We firmly believe that YOU should be able to experience movies on your own, and really just want to give you OUR take on it. So, with that in mind....

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is really a story about what happens when life throws you a huge curve ball and sends you down a vastly different path than the one you imagined yourself taking. How would you react? That's the question facing Jim and Cindy Green, a very happily married couple who want nothing more than to have a family to share their incredible love with. Unfortunately, after many unsuccessful months of trying, they're given the terrible news that they will never have children. So they decide to take all the traits they envisioned for their child and bury them (literally), their way of dealing with their grief, and moving on. Then, one "stormy" night, something incredibly amazing happens: Timothy shows up on their doorstep. And the adventure begins!

Cindy, Timothy and Jim Green

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is a film that really touches the heart, on many levels. At it's core it's a family film, and by that I mean it's something that speaks to all of us. On some level we can all identify with the Greens, if not their exact situation, with something we each call our own. There of course is a definite message in this movie, as  you would expect from a Disney production. When things look darkest, that's when we should be at our best. Life deals many cards to us during our time on this planet. Sometimes we're dealt all aces, but most of the time, the hand we're dealt, well, stinks. But it's HOW we deal with that twist of fate that speaks volumes about us. That's what the Greens discover, with the help of Timothy. 

Calling any film "heartwarming", or "uplifting" is really kind of cliche but in all honesty, The Odd Life Of Timothy Green IS all of those touching cliches! I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, more in fact than I thought I would. Oh, I knew I would like it, from the clips we saw, and how Jennifer Gardner spoke about it at the Expo. But I didn't expect to have this film leave me with the feeling that I COULD in fact watch it over and over. It's certainly a must have in the Disney library for sure. 

"Low Ridin'" with Cindy, Timothy and Jim Green

With an incredible cast that includes Jennifer Gardner ("13 Going On 30", "Arthur"), Joel Edgerton ("Warrior", "The Thing"), Dianne Wiest ("I Am Sam", "Parenthood"), CJ Adams ("Dan In Real Life"), and an all-star supporting cast, and directed by Peter Hedges, the man who brought us "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and "Dan In Real Life", Timothy Green is a beautifully acted and visually wonderful film. 

Joyce said that for her, this is a very heartwarming and family friendly movie, done in true Disney fashion. Although many of the situations in this film may be a bit beyond younger children, they'll still enjoy the magical characteristics of Timothy! With themes like love, heartache, bullying and enduring, there's something everyone can relate to in Timothy Green. A well acted and well written movie, although a bit unrealistic in some areas and very different than any Disney movie she's seen, Joyce said there are a lot of valuable take-aways. 

Now, although I like this movie a great deal, I must admit that I AM glad we never got around to seeing it in the theater. It's not really a "pay full price, plus $20 for popcorn" kind of film. It is a bit slow in some places, and I found myself thinking a few cuts here and there wouldn't have been bad. But it is certainly something I will watch over and over, snuggled up on the sofa with my best friend (and wife!) Joyce. In fact, we watched it over the Thanksgiving holiday and have decided to make it our annual Turkey Day Movie Tradition. On my as yet to be named rating scale of 1-5, I'm giving The Odd Life Of Timothy Green a 4, because it made me tear up! ~~ Al 



The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is now available on Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD, HD Digital. Visit our Amazon Affiliate Store for your copy today! Tales From The Mouse House Amazon Store

DVD Extras -1

Happiest Blog On Earth...Walter Elias Disney



Walt Disney and a Friend!

Today is December 5th. For a lot of people, an ordinary, average everyday sort of day. For many, it marks the point in the year where it's officially time to freak out about Christmas shopping! And then there are those of us who look at this day differently. We see December 5th as a very auspicious day in the...well, in the Happiness "industry"! See, an inspirational visionary was born on December 5, 1901 - Walt Disney

Now, this isn't going to be a history lesson, or a biographical piece, so I won't delve into WHO Walt was, but I will tell you WHAT he means to me. It's only fitting that I pay tribute to him. After all, I owe a LOT to him really. Over the course of his amazing life, Walt created most of the greatest memories for a great many people, through his animated movies, TV shows and of course, his beloved Parks. I know for me personally, Disneyland has changed my life, for the better of course!

 By now, most of you know my story: I didn't make my first visit to Disneyland until 2007. After that point, well, pretty difficult to imagine life WITHOUT Disneyland. For so many reasons, I owe Walt Disney a debt. By creating his wonderful Disneyland, Walt helped me find that inner child that I had once thought gone. Disneyland also created a huge bond between Joyce and me (not that we were EVER in danger of growing apart, trust me! We're soul mates!!), it gave us a HUGE common thread, something we could both dive head-first into TOGETHER. Up to that point, Joyce's fixation with Disney was a mystery to me. After that point, well, let's just say our house definitely looks like a place where true Disney lovers live! But it's more than just a fanaticism for an icon with us. Much more. Through Disney, and Disneyland, we have met some of the most awesome people - people who we are very proud to call friends, no, not friends...FAMILY.

Walt and the Main Street Station

Without even knowing me, Walt Disney also gave me a new purpose in my life. I truly believe in the Magic Walt Disney created. Magic he dearly loved to spread to others. In fact, both Joyce and I believe in that Magic so deeply that we built our now fairly popular podcast around it. I say popular not out of ego, but out of thanks to those of you who enjoy the Magic we share! We've built our mission statement, not just for the podcast but for every aspect of our "Disney Life" to reflect the sincere love we have for Disney and Disneyland, and the fond desire to spread that Magic to as many people as we can. And through this mission, we've met other Disney minded people, like Mr. Daps, Lisa Robertson, Randy Crane, Jason Gordon...and so many, many more, that we've realized that the word friend just doesn't cut it! They're our family.

So, as the world laments about the quickly fading number of days of shopping left until Christmas, some of us celebrate the birth of a man who, without knowing, improved the lives of so many others, including me! Happy Birthday Uncle Walt...and thank you for the Magic! ~~ Al