Minnie: Helping Hearts

by Joyce Kessel

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day, than by celebrating with Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck?! 

The Happy Helpers are on their way!  When their friends need help, these two BFFs are at the ready! As the Happy Helpers from Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Minnie and Daisy can complete any task at hand, whether they are babysitters, personal assistants, or cruise ship directors leading the Valentine’s Day dance contest! Every day is an exciting new adventure and you can always count on the Happy Helpers to show up with happy hearts and helping hands!

With a whopping EIGHT episodes and a running time of about 96 minutes total, Disney Junior Minnie Helping Hearts is loaded with lots of fun that will keep your little ones (and maybe you!) entertained. 

The first episode, “The Happiest Helper Cruises”,  introduces Minnie and Daisy as cruise ship directors and they lead the Valentine’s Day dance contest, along with helping their friends complete the tasks at hand.  

The fun continues with The Big Broadcast,  Adventure in Buddysitting, Lights! Camera! Help!, Grandpa Beagle’s Day Out, Artful Helpers, Cuckoo La-La, and Figaro’s new friend.

All the episodes were fun, but my favorite episode was Adventures in Buddysitting.  The play center was closed so Minnie and Daisy extended their helping hands to care for their friends children.  Buddy was new to town and did not any friends, so they attempted to welcome him and introduce him to new friends.  When Daisy thought Buddy escaped, she mistakenly ran after the squirrel in the chicken suit.  Meanwhile, the happy helpers helped Buddy overcome his shyness and make new friends.

Episodes Included Are:

 * The Happiest Helpers Cruise!

 * The Big Broadcast

 * Adventures in Buddysitting!

 * Lights! Camera! Help!

 * Grandpa Beagle's Day Out

 * Artful Helpers

 * Cuckoo La-La

 * Figaro's New Friend

 Each episode runs about 11 minutes, just the right amount of time!

Minnie Helping Hearts released on DVD February 6, 2018 and is available just about everywhere! With a voice cast including Russi Taylor (Minnie), Tress MacNeille (Daisy), Bret Iwan (Mickey) Daniel Ross (Donald), Bill Farmer (Goofy), April Winchell (Clarabelle) and Jim Cummings (Pete), this is a must have for every Disney fan!

Here are some fun Valentine's Day Activities you can download, print off and play!

              

Mickey Mouse Merry & Scary!

by Joyce Kessel

Disney has just released a new must have DVD for your Holiday Collection! Mickey Mouse Merry & Scary isn't JUST for Christmas, it's also for Halloween! Chock full of fun and scares, this DVD is packed with a collection of soon to be classic shorts:

• Two 22-minute specials:
• The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular - Mickey decks out his house like a tomb and with his pals Donald and Goofy, attempts to tell the scariest story ever!
• Duck The Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special - Instead of heading south for the winter, like all good ducks, Donald decides to stay with Mickey and the gang to enjoy all the Christmas with his pals has to offer!
• Bonus Shorts (Three minute classics)
• Ghoul Friend
• The Boiler Room
• Black & White
• Entombed
• Split Decision

With nearly an hour of Disney fun, Mickey Mouse Merry  Scary is a great addition to your Disney library, and a great way to celebrate Halloween AND Christmas! Now available on DVD everywhere. Oh, and seriously, this DVD Collection makes a GREAT Halloween gift...AND a GREAT Christmas stocking stuffer!

Tater Travel Tips!

by Joyce Kessel
What better time to create life long family memories than Summer break!!   It can be challenging to prepare for the trip, but Mrs. Potato Head shared all her secrets with us!

Now, Mrs. Potato Head has some challenges when it comes to the Potato Head family get-aways but she doesn’t let that stop her.  Ready, set, GO!!


‘TATER TRAVEL TIP #1: MAKE A LIST!
Mr. Potato Head can be a klutz when it comes to packing, which is why Mrs. Potato Head loves to make a list of packing essentials for their vacation needs. It’s a good idea for the sweet potato to start planning her list weeks before the traveling ‘taters head off on their journey. By planning so far in advance, you are much less likely to miss off any travel necessities!

‘TATER TRAVEL TIP #2: ROLL UP, ROLL UP!
Who wants to iron an outfit when you reach your destination? Mr. Potato Head doesn't, that’s for sure! Instead of folding your clothes and placing them in your suitcase, try rolling them. Tightly rolled clothes are less likely to get heavy wrinkles from fold creases and they take up less room.

‘TATER TRAVEL TIP #3: PACK LIGHTLY!
Nobody wants to be weighed down with heavy baggage, especially if you’re a tourist ‘tater who wants to wander around with ease. That’s exactly why Mrs. Potato Head suggests everybody packs lightly. Pack layers of clothing that you can easily put on or take off. And think twice about adding that spare pair of shoes to your luggage. Do you really need them?

‘TATER TRAVEL TIP #4: KNOW THE RULES!
Mrs. Potato Head is a stickler for the rules. Get to know them all before you travel, especially if you’re flying! If your journey involves an airplane ride, make sure you pack correctly and don’t place any large liquids (such as a regular-sized bottle of perfume or a can of hairspray) in your carry-on luggage. All liquids brought onto planes must be in 3.4-ounce bottles or smaller. And they must all be placed inside a single, clear, quart-size zip-top bag.

‘TATER TRAVEL TIP #5: CARRY-ON VALUABLES…
What would Mr. Potato Head do without his trusty bowler hat and his angry eyes? Well, every now and then luggage gets delayed or lost – and that’s exactly why it’s a good idea to pack your travel essentials and valuables in your carry-on bag. Never put them in your checked luggage! Make sure your ID, passport, keys, money, credit cards, jewelry and electronics are safe and secure in your carry-on bag, as well as items like extra contact lenses and a spare pair of undies. Happy traveling!


MRS. POTATO HEAD’S PACKING ESSENTIALS

Mrs. Potato Head says: “I’m packing your extra pair of shoes!” 
Don’t be a couch potato on your summer vacation; head outside and explore. When you’re packing your bags, make sure you’ve got comfortable shoes in your luggage. Nobody wants sore tootsies!  

“And your angry eyes, just in case!”  

Who wants to get angry-eyed in the blazing sunshine? Nobody! That’s why it’s important to pack your sunglasses. If your eyes need some extra help, don’t forget to take your spectacles and contact lenses, too.

“A dime!”
A few dollars will certainly help ease your summer vacation needs. It also helps to have a credit card for any unexpected incidentals, as well as the purchase of the odd souvenir or two. See if you can seek out a bargain!

“Cheese puffs!”
Don’t forget to pack some snacks for the journey. If you’re a picky eater, it might be wise to add a few of your favorite munchies to your suitcase to ensure you’ve got lots of treats to eat while you’re away, too. Mmmm!

“A spare set of lips!”
Mr. Potato Head can swap his lips with a spare set if they become chapped or sore in the sizzling sunshine. Non-spuds can’t do that, which is why it’s a good idea to pack some lip balm for your travels. Pucker up!

“A key!”
It’s always a good idea to keep all your essentials together in one place, including your keys, money, ID and passport. Be a safe spud on your travels; don’t be a loser this summer!

“Sunscreen!”
Never forget to apply sunscreen in the scorching summer sun… Or, you’ll end up baked!

Now Walt knew how to pack!

Free Stylin' - Now It's YOUR Turn

by Joyce Kessel

Getting to know you, getting to know me!!! 

In most of our recent podcast episodes, we hosted what we're calling the Free Stylin’ format.  In these episodes, we asked each other questions about the Disneyland Resort, and just chatted about our answers. Now, Al and I did not share our answers with one another before the show, so there would be an element of surprise.

Here are some of the questions from the episodes.  We'd LOVE it if you would answer and share your results with us on our Facebook page: Tales from the Mouse House, or by sending us an email to talespodcast@cox.net. We'll compile all the responses and record a special Free Stylin' episode with all of YOUR answers! Don't forget to include your name when you reply!!  Of course, there's no right or wrong answer, just yours! And we'd love it if you could maybe say why you gave a certain answer. Ok, have fun!!

• Things to do on a rainy day at Disneyland.
• Things to do on a Holiday at Disneyland.
• Secret cool things that you can do and how at Disneyland.
• Favorite Way To Eat on the Cheap
• Favorite Guided Tour
• LEAST Favorite Attraction, Why?
• Which Attraction would you wait over an hour for? Why?
• If you could turn your favorite Disney movie into an attraction at the Disneyland Resort, which would it be, how would design it what land would it fit into and why?
• What Ride/Attraction Do you hope will never become an Extinct Attraction? 
• If you could spend one day at the Disneyland Resort with any Disney personality (living) Who would it be and why? What would you do? Why?
• Favorite Hotel
• Favorite Attraction
• Favorite Place to Grab a Quick bite
• Favorite Place to have a meal
• Favorite Place to Rest your feet
• Favorite Show or Parade
• Favorite Parking Structure
• If you only had 1 hour to spend in the park what would you be sure to do.
• What is fondest memory of Disneyland?  Why?
• Favorite Item on display at the Disneyland Resort and why? (Ex. the bench inside the Opera House)
• Favorite must-have souvenir to purchase?
• The coolest Hidden Mickey you've found?
• If you could voice one character at the Disneyland Resort, which one would it be and why?
• Favorite place to sit and people watch?

If you'd like to hear our answers and discussions to these questions, tune in to Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast, on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and on our main website at www.talescast.com !

Our dear friend Ragtime Robert has been 'off duty' from the piano at Disneyland due to some health issues lately, so we thought we'd share some of his AWESOME piano skills with anyone who's been missing him - and, if you've never seen or heard Ragtime...WHY NOT?!, Err, I mean, now's your chance to hear the BEST piano player around! - Al 

Disney Frozen...a Review

 by Al Kessel


You know the story...You've got a brother, or a sister, and you're the best of friends. You do EVERYTHING together, you play, you build snowmen, you sing, you dance. Then, something tragic happens and you drift apart. You realize your powers to control winter are just to darned strong and getting stronger every day. So, your parents decide to hide you away from the world - even your best friend/sibling - until you can control it. It happens to just about everyone when we're young...well, except for the power over the whole winter thing...

In Disney's latest animated motion picture, that is exactly what happens to our heroines. As children, Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) and Elsa (voiced by the wickedly talented Adel Dazeem...err, I mean Idina Menzel) are the best of friends. Anna, being the younger sister, idolizes her big sis Elsa and Elsa just adores Anna. They love playing games, especially games that include Elsa using her secret blizzardy-wintery-snow-and-ice-making powers! Elsa loves to cover the room in ice so Anna can slide around. Loves building their favorite snowman Olaf for Anna. A perfect life. Until a tragic accident that Elsa causes nearly kills her little sis. An accident that causes her parents to keep Elsa protected from herself (and, I'd posit, everyone safe from Elsa), until they can figure out how to control those powers. Of course, years, and years pass by and the distance between Elsa and Anna grows, much to young Anna's dismay. 

Anna, Olaf and Kristoff

And in true epic fashion, one day, their parents (King and Queen of Arendell) perish at sea, leaving the young girls to be raised by the castle staff! Anyway, the day finally arrives, and Elsa comes of age and is crowned the new Queen. Of course, she's still wary of coming in contact with people and keeps to herself during the coronation ceremony. Anna, quite the opposite of her introverted sister, meets a young prince, decides she wants to marry him and begs her sister for approval. Elsa disapproves, gets in to an argument with Anna (who accidentally removes Elsa's glove), and in the heat of anger, Elsa unleashes her powers with a vengeance! And as she runs away into the wilderness, all of Arendell is turned into the a brutal winter wonderland. 

To prove her sister isn't the monster the villagers fear she is, Anna sets out, with the help of ice delivery dude Kristoff, to find Elsa, have her return summer and live happily ever after and, or, as Elsa would say "Let It Go".

Elsa Blasting Some Chill

Of course, there's a LOT more to this movie than what I skimmed over here, but if you're a regular reader of our blog, you know we don't like to give too much away. So, if you want more detail, you'll need to see the movie yourself. And, if you've already seen Frozen...well, then you don't need ME to explain it, now DO you?! :)

Disney Frozen IS a cute movie. Joyce and I didn't get to see it in the theatre when it was first released, so this screening was our first viewing. Now...over the many months since Frozen had been released, there's been a lot of hype concerning it, especially the main song, 'Let It Go'. Which, by the way, we've heard MANYMANYMANYMANYMANY times over the last few months! And, Mr. Travolta didn't help THAT any, now did he! Anyway, when we popped the Blu-Ray in, we were a bit concerned that Frozen wasn't going to live up to all the incredible hype and awesome recommendations by everyone. And...I'm sorry to say, it didn't. Now, before you leave the blog and banish us to the frozen wilderness for all of eternity, hear me out. I didn't say it was a bad movie - no, FAR from it. We LOVED it. The animation was, for lack of a better word, spectacular. Disney has pretty much perfected animation. Character movements were incredibly realistic. The scenery, all the way down to the finest of details were unbelievable. The story was great (based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale The Snow Queen), and the voice acting was terrific. We LOVED Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad). But...at least in the beginning, there is WAY too many musical numbers. As you probably know, I'm not much for musicals. I just don't really love them. But in most Disney musical movies, the songs don't outweigh the non-musical scenes, so I actually don't mind them. But, in Disney Frozen, especially in the first half of the movie, every few minutes there's another musical number, and I personally feel they don't all serve the story well. But, that's just me. Now, I mentioned earlier that for us, Frozen didn't live up to all the hype. I remember many people who saw it in the theatre post on social media that it was the BEST Disney animated movie ever. Ah...well...I disagree. Perhaps technically (animation/production) it is, but I'd have to toss out movies like The Lion King, Bambi, The Jungle Book, just to name a few that I feel are a little better. However, Disney Frozen is DEFINITELY a new classic. 

Olaf, Always Looking At The Bright Side

All of the voice cast were spot on in Frozen. Kristen Bell was perfect as Anna. Idina Menzel (whom I've never heard of before) was terrific as Elsa. But, my all time favorite character in Frozen is of course, Olaf, as voiced by the very funny Josh Gad. Although Olaf isn't given a great deal of screen time, I felt his character brought a lot of heart to Frozen. His simple, yet deep meaning way kind of epitomizes the Disney Spirit for me. He's always looking on the bright side of things, always willing to lend others a hand (literally) and always the voice of positiveness. 

All in all, Disney Frozen is another great and epic Disney animated adventure. It is definitely a must see for the entire family. It has many things for children and adults to admire. Disney Frozen will be released on March 18th, 2014 in the following:

• Two-Disc Blu-Ray Combo Pack (Blu-Ray+DVD+Digital Copy) MSRP $29.99
• One-Disc DVD MSRP $15.99

Bonus Features Include:

• The Making Of Frozen (Blu-Ray, Digital)
• D'Frosted: Disney's Journey From Hans Christian Andersen to Frozen (Blu-Ray, Digital)
• Breaking The Ice: The Real Making Of Frozen (Blu-Ray, Digital)
• 4 Deleted Scenes (Blu-Ray, Digital)
• Original Theatrical Short - "Get A Horse" (Blu-Ray, Digital, DVD)
• "Let It Go" Music Videos by Demi Lovato, Martina Stoessel and Marsha Milan Londoh (Blu-Ray, Digital, DVD)
• Frozen Teaser Trailer (Blu-Ray, Digital, DVD)

Now, just a few thoughts about the bonus feature "Get A Horse". Usually, we don't review the bonus features, but we thought this one deserved a mention. THIS cartoon short makes the purchase of your very own copy of Frozen well worth it. If you don't want to be spoiled on this part...stop reading now and skip down................."Get a Horse" starts out just as one of Walt Disney's original shorts used to. In fact, the animation, the music, the look and feel of this short looks exactly as if Walt himself had created it. It stars Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pete and all of Mickey's friends. Of course, Pete is causing all sorts of trouble and is trying to kidnap Minnie. Well, things happen and...Mickey is thrown out of the original cartoon and into the color world of 3D animation! I won't give more away, but this short is a wonderful blending of old school animation and new school 3D animation. And it is SEAMLESS! Trust me, you're going to LOVE this short, so don't skip over it.

So, we recommend that you add Disney Frozen to your Disney collection, but, if you haven't seen it yet, and have read all the build up on it, just be aware that it may not live up to EVERYONE'S accolades. But...it IS a great movie! Enjoy - Al 

Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast...Episode 82

Welcome to Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast Episode 82! An extra large, extra special, extra FUN episode!! We stray from our usual format (again) so we can bring you some special stuff! Our great friend and show sponsor (AND AUTHOR) Randy Crane joins us to chat about his BRAND NEW BOOK! Randy shares some great

Randy Crane's New Book 

information about Faith And The Magic Kingdom, his brand new book. AND, he shares his experience at the special preview of Disney California Adventure Parks all new World Of Color show, Winter Dreams! 

And if that weren’t enough, on this EXTRA LONG episode, we share some fun facts and audio clips dedicated to everyone’s bestie, Mickey Mouse, in honor of Mickey’s Birthday on November 18th! 

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. NOW is the time to book your 2013 Disney Holiday adventure! 

Joyce wishing Mickey a Happy Birthday!

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 82, or on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!

Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast...Episode 79

Welcome to episode 79 of Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast - another VIDEO VOICEOVER EXTRAVAGANZA!!! On this video greatness, we share some of our favorite memories from Halloween Seasons Past at the Disneyland Resort, our FAVORITE time of year to visit the Happiest Place On Earth! Why you ask? Well...just watch the video...

Halloween Season at Disneyland

Well, honestly part of the reason we love the Halloween Season so much at Disneyland, is because that was the very first time we had visited the Park together. In fact, Halloween Season 2007 was the VERY first time I (Al) had ever visited Disneyland! I know...shocking right? That's a long story, and if you've been tuning in to the show for any length of time, you've most likely heard it before, so I won't bore you guys again! (And a collective sigh of relief could be heard throughout the land!)

Such a BEAUTIFUL sight!

So, if you've NEVER had the fun of a Halloween Season Disneyland visit, trust me, it's something you're going to want to do.  Yeah, the Holiday Season is awesome, so is Spring Time, but for me at least, Halloween is THE best time. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not like a HUGE fan of Halloween. It's an ok 'Holiday', but never been my favorite. BUT...the way Disneyland dresses up the place for Halloween is...oh, I don't know...magical. Yeah, maybe it's because it always

Haunted Mansion Holiday

reminds me of our first visit, but still, you cannot deny that Disneyland does the fall/Halloween season up right! There's a wonderful chill in the air, especially at night; the fall themed decorations everywhere; Cast Members dressed in warmer clothing...everything! If you need a reality break, trust us, THIS is the time to go! One of the things we love during this season is to stop by the Market House, grab a nice cup of hot cocoa and sit either at the Hub or by the big

Fall Colors at Disneyland

Mickey Pumpkin in Town Square near the entrance to Disneyland, and just watch the happy guests! It's awesome to see the little ones all dressed up in Halloween costumes, HUGE smiles on their faces as they meet their favorite Disney characters all dressed up as well. (sniff, sniff), great, now I REALLY miss Disneyland!

Hey, if you have a favorite Halloween Disneyland memory, how about sharing with us? We'd LOVE to share it with other listeners on our Halloween Special coming up in October. In fact, it doesn't HAVE to be a Disneyland story. It could be ANY Disney Park or even just a favorite Halloween story. We always love to hear from you guys! 

Minnie Mouse in Costume

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. NOW is the time to book your Disneyland Holiday adventure! 

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 79, or on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!

Joyce

Al

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

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

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

Pixie Tales...Never Grow Up Challenge

“If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!”   -J.M. Barrie

Never Grow Up Challenge by Joyce

As part of the 60th anniversary release of Peter Pan on Blu Ray, I was tasked by the PR Firm promoting the release to take the Never Grow Up! Challenge.  I started the challenge on February 1st and continued my child-like activities through February 7th.  I consider myself a kid at heart but consciously playing made my week seem less stressful more productive, too.

Joyce and Mickey

Day One: My first child-like activity was coloring.  I love to color and have a collection of coloring books, crayons and colored pencils but I have not taken the time to enjoy this activity for many years.  It is so relaxing to escape into the world of coloring. 

Day Two: We have a bubble wand that we use as a dog toy and I blew bubbles and tried to catch them on the wand to blow bigger bubbles. Katie the pup, enjoyed this activity with me. 

Day Three: I played hide and seek (mainly with Katie the pup).   This was one of my favorite games as a child and we would play with the neighborhood kids and stay out after dark!

Day Four: I can fly!  I soared high on the swing set and you know...it was so invigorating! Although I could not bring myself to jump off the swing as I did as a child. 

Day Five: I walked/played in the rain.  Not in the exact same manner as I did as a child because in Arizona we do not receive the same volume of rain as we did in Indiana.  I did not jump in puddles and splash anyone but I did take a walk in the rain and I LOVED it!

Day Six: I read the Golden Book, Little Mermaid.  I love this story!

Day Seven: I put my hair in pigtails and well, I FELT like a kid but was not brave enough to leave the house with the hairstyle! 

Joyce (right) and sister Cheryl as younglings

What was/is your favorite childlike activity? Blowing bubbles, jumping in piles of leaves in the fall, making snow angels?  As adults it is difficult to let go and pretend to be a child but when we do, it does so much for the mind and body.  Living in Arizona does not allow me to catch fireflies, make snow angels, and other activities that require 4 seasons, but I can still enjoy activities such as laying on a blanket and looking up at the clouds and imagining I can fly or locating shapes within the clouds.   I am making it a goal to be child-like on regular basis. 

I challenge you to be a child-like for a day or a week and let me know how it changed your day.

Peter Pan now available on Blu Ray

Happiest Blog On Earth...Integrity in Disney



Partners - Not just a Statue!

Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I could list off SO many excuses for not blogging more but...hey, in an election year who needs to hear more excuses! Suffice it to say, life's gotten in the way of more, shall we say enjoyable pursuits. Now that the house cleaning item is taken care of, on with the blog....

So, a lot has happened since my last blog. Joyce and I launched a new podcast (Lost Flight 815), we finally had some pretty good Monsoon storms, oh, and the U.S. put a man on the moon! Can you BELIEVE IT? THE MOON! Ok, well, that last one was just to point out how long it's been since I've blogged (sorry, my ill-sense of humor!). But, anyway...I've got a lot to blog about but there is one topic in particular that has been stewing in my soul lately and I really felt I needed to share it.

Integrity. Yep. Integrity. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, integrity is one of the most important and oft cited terms of virtue for the human species. They claim integrity refers to a quality of a person's character that refers to wholeness, or the purity of something. For example, when one has integrity, they bring a complete honesty to something. They act with a high moral regard. More often than not, a person with high integrity acts with the best interest of the "whole", to advance or bring a positive light upon something. In other words, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You're probably asking me right now why I'm imparting a philosophy lesson on you. Well my friends, read on. My point will become clearer!

When Joyce and I became part of the Disney community through our podcast, Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast, we made the very conscience choice to present the items we claim as fact with the highest amount of integrity we possibly can. If we are not 100% certain of something, we either don't present it, or we present it with the disclaimer that the information has not yet been confirmed. And we've found MANY others in the Disney community who feel the same way: Lisa Robertson from Babes In Disneyland (in fact, she's started an Integrity in Blogging movement that we are part of); Mr. Daps from Daps Magic and Geeks Corner (VERY integrity driven organization); our own podcast sponsor and fellow podcaster Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations and the Stories of the Magic podcast is VERY integrity driven. There are many more I could mention, but to honor the constraints of time, won't.

 

It's extremely important to act with integrity when you tell others that you are a "source of Disney news". Let's face it, there are so many people who LOVE Disney, and Disneyland, Disney World, etc, that are eager to learn things about their favorite passion. And there is an equal number of sources available to gather all kinds of information on Disney - some very honorable and reputable, and some...well, not so much so. Now, I'm not pointing any fingers at all, because that's not my style, but I just want everyone to be aware that there are sources out there that will take rumors and notions of rumors and pass them off as fact. That's dangerous. You see, if I'm a newbie (someone new to Disney) who just wants to absorb all I can about Disneyland, and I stumble across a source that says that Disneyland is going to give away FREE Annual Passports for the next week, and I go to Disneyland only to find that this is in fact...NOT true, well my view on Disney is now quite sullied. I begin to tell others that this happened, then they tell others, and by the time this completes the cycle, the story is now that Disneyland promised this guy a free Annual Passport and then told him NO. Doesn't matter if the story is true, it is what it becomes. And yes, I know this may sound like a rather exaggerated example and it is, but the concept is the same. Rumors are just that: rumors. Not the truth, not fact. If that original source had instead relayed that the Annual Passport story was only a rumor and not confirmed, the outcome would have been different. And this may sound pretty unbelievable, but the truth is, there are sources out there passing rumors off as fact. Intentionally, unintentionally, doesn't really matter. If a story does not come from Disney, then it's only a rumor and should be presented as such. Just my opinion.

Joyce and I love Disneyland. We love DISNEY. Since my first visit to Disneyland in 2007 I've been head over heels crazy about the place. I feel that Disneyland represents a purity and innocence that a lot of us really crave in our lives. Walt Disney inspired countless people to pursue their dreams relentlessly and to act with the utmost integrity. Yes, he was a businessman. Yes the Walt Disney Company IS a business but you know what? The IDEA of Disney ISN'T a business and the IDEA of Disney is what should be protected. By acting with integrity, we can protect that idea. For those of us who embark on the "mission" to be, for lack of a better term, ambassadors for the Disney Magic, it is our responsibility to act with honor and integrity. To report NEWS, not rumors. If we've heard or learned something that MAY be true and feel we just NEED to pass that information along, we should tack on the disclaimer that this just may not be true, it just may be a rumor, but...no matter what we do, we should always Partner with Disney.

So, to close out this soap-box blog, I'd like to offer some advice to all who come to this happy place, unless the news comes directly from Disney or a Disney approved source, take it for what it's worth: rumor. Seek out more information before you pass that rumor along. Oh, and remember....Make It A MICKEY Day!!! ~~~ Al

Happiest Blog on Earth...Special Smiles!

So, you know how I know that Disneyland IS the Happiest Place on Earth? The smiles. Smiles. Yep, there, I said it...SMILES! I challenge you to spend 30 minutes at the Disneyland Resort and count how many smiles you see. I will bet my cherished Lightning McQueen Disney Trading Pin that you find no less than 20! (Just so you know, that wasn't a sanctioned bet by the way. Joyce would have my HIDE if she knew I was betting my very first Disney Trading Pin!).

Well, we all know that you leave the Disneyland Resort with ALL sorts of great memories, and I'm no different. I have so many incredibly awesome memories from Disneyland that I need to buy extra storage in my brain iCloud just to house them all. But, one of my fondest memories, and this is something that happens just about every time we visit the Resort, is when my beautiful wife Joyce gets to meet Mickey Mouse, give him a BIG hug and kiss, then spends the rest of the day beeming! I love that the Disneyland Resort can make my wife smile like that. Why? Good question! Because to me, one of THE best things that I can see in life is that smile! And knowing that Disneyland can make us feel like kids again, forget about the misery of our day, allow us to play and be carefree, even for just a fleeting moment in time, is pure...well, MAGIC! And let me tell you, smiling is one thing. But THIS kind of smile only comes from feeling that child-like wonder of meeting your favorite Disney character IN PERSON! Remember to grab some of that magic next time you visit the Disneyland Resort. It won't be hard. Just look around!

Now THAT'S a smile!