Disney Redefining Princesses

Disney’s gotten a lot of criticism, from me and from plenty of others, for its dedication to princesses.  But today I’m here to give Disney some serious kudos for its latest Princess-related ad.  You can watch the clip on YouTube. It’s just awesome.  If you’re not able to watch it at the moment, the ad features a variety of girls, from all ages, races, and backgrounds, and the voice over repeats that “I’m a princess.”  But in between saying that, the narration says other fantastic things as well, such as “it’s important to stand up for myself.  It’s more important … Continue reading

Wintry Fantasies at the Disney Parks

Disneyland’s new Fantasy Faire doesn’t open until March 12, but details are starting to emerge about what the attraction will entail.  It draws some inspiration from Disney World’s Fantasyland expansion; the Faire as a whole will take the form of a medieval village.  That reminds me a lot of Belle’s village at the new Fantasyland. That shouldn’t be too surprising, because the Fantasy Faire is an expansion of Disneyland’s Fantasyland.  It’s not as large or ambitious as the one at Disney World, but it’s still going to be similar.  Unlike the one in Orlando, however, the one in Anaheim won’t … Continue reading

Couple Visits Disneyland Every Day in 2012

At the end of 2012 I came across an interesting post on the official Disney Parks blog: a couple visited Disneyland every single day in 2012.  On December 31, Jeff Reitz and Tonya Mickesh received special gifts personally from Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs.  It was a typical fancy Disney ceremony: as the two made their way down Main Street, Staggs was waiting for them to present their honors in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Their honors included being made honorary citizens of Disneyland, and a stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite, a luxury apartment off the … Continue reading

Disney Movies Now Available on Netflix Streaming

Having a hard time finding some of Disney’s older films to watch?  Don’t like the crowds at theaters, but don’t want to have to pay to buy a new Disney DVD when it’s released?  Then you should love the news that broke last week: according to the LA Times, Disney and Netflix just reached a deal that will give the online rental and streaming site exclusive rights to Disney films.  The deal takes effect in 2016, at which point Netflix will be able to stream any new films under the Walt Disney Corp. umbrella –which includes Marvel and Star Wars … Continue reading

Disneyland Developing New Fantasy Faire

I’ve come to a conclusion: the Disney parks are almost like a living organism. They’re constantly changing and evolving. Maybe equating them to something that’s alive is a bit of a stretch, but the idea that they never stay the same, that there’s always something different or new happening or in the process of doing so: that’s definitely accurate. When the famous founder of your illustrious company was known for his innovation, you don’t have much choice but to constantly do the same if you want to uphold his legacy. The latest update announced for Disneyland, not long after the … Continue reading

Fantasyland Expansion Opening Dates

It’s 2012: where’s the new Fantasyland? Three years ago when I first read about all of Disney World’s planned expansions for the Magic Kingdom, I was so excited that for a moment I could close my eyes and almost imagine being there. That is the Disney World I always imagined as a child, and I only have to wait for three years, and there it’ll be. Well, we’re halfway through 2012 now, but it seems like little has happened. The biggest expansion-related news to come out of a Disney Park has been about “Cars Land” out in Anaheim. We all … Continue reading

The Surprisingly Strict Disney Dress Code

Is Pluto properly groomed? Just about everyone has a dress code at work. Some are more lax than others, but few work places don’t have any requirements for dress or grooming. One of the few establishments I’d think of that wouldn’t have much in the way of a dress code would be an amusement park. I picture teenagers in t-shirts, baseball caps, and torn jeans when I think of amusement park employees. But the Disney Parks, as they are for many things, are an exception. The Disney Parks follow a dress code that originated in the 1950s. Its rules are … Continue reading

Disney as Christmas Americana

What is it about Disney and Christmas? The two just seem to go together. I was at the post office last week, and while waiting in line I noticed that I could purchase two holiday-designed wrapping paper sets. One of them featured Disney characters. I can’t think of any other brand for which it wouldn’t seem weird to see its characters plastered all over Christmas-themed items. Yet the more I think about it, the more instances I recall of Disney and Christmas intersecting. For years we had Disney ornaments on our tree; some of them were actually thematically-appropriate, with Goofy … Continue reading

Beauty and the Beast to Receive 3D Release

After the phenomenal success of “The Lion King” 3D release, plans have resumed to bring “Beauty and the Beast” back to theaters – in 3D of course. Years ago Disney talked of bringing the Oscar-nominated film back to theaters in 3D, but things never coalesced. For reasons known only to Disney execs, “The Lion King” was instead chosen as the first Disney film to get a 3D makeover. It was a wild success, with the nearly 20-years-old movie topping the box office for weeks ahead of brand new films. With that resounding victory under their belts, now Disney execs have … Continue reading

Disney Parades on Once Upon A Time

The week before Cinderella made her debut on ABC’s Disney-influenced fairy tale drama “Once Upon A Time,” news broke that “Lost” star Emilie de Ravin was cast as Belle for the program. The princesses have arrived. “Once Upon A Time” already features Disney’s first princess Snow White as a major character wrapped up in the series’ main story arc. As is befitting a drama of this size, however, many other fairy tale figures make appearances, such as Rumpelstiltskin and Little Red Riding Hood. Original Disney characters such as Jiminy Cricket and Maleficent also factor into some scenes. However, the entrance … Continue reading