A Disney Princess vs the Real World

A Delayed D23 Expo 2015 - Films Post

2015-09-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hello dear readers! It's been a while.

I had the privilege of going to the D23 Expo in Anaheim this year, and in terms of getting into presentations and panels, this was my most successful trip yet! I was able to make it into all of the major ones I wanted: Animation on Friday, Live Action and Parks and Resorts on Saturday, and Gaming on Sunday. I;m not going to go over everything here, but if you want a more detailed play-by-play, my boyfriend and I did 2 podcasts, one regarding Friday, and the other for Saturday.

I skipped on dressing up this year. As much as I love doing it, it's very time consuming and we were already getting up incredibly early to see things. I am hoping to procure a live action Cinderella ballgown at some point in the near future, though :)

Speaking of which, the Kenneth Branagh directed film exceeded my expectations. The marketing for the film seemed to play up the camp, but the film feels honest and true, and is a very worthwhile re-telling of the classic story that we all know and love. Audiences agreed, too - the film did exceptionally well at the Box Office. I am eager to add the film to my Blu-Ray collection soon.

Cinderella and Maleficent are some of the first few live-action re-tellings of classic Disney animated films, and while some reported titles have made Disney fans nervous (I, admittedly, being one of them), I am happy to report that what little I did see for The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast have me very excited to visit theaters when they are released. In the hands of the right writers, directors and producers, these films can be truly magical.

Beauty and the Beast has a strong celebrity cast, with notables such as Emma Watson and Josh Gad, and is appropriately a musical - it will be taking many cues from not just the animated film, but possibly even more so from the Broadway version. The film will most certainly be a beautiful spectacle, and if Cinderella's performance was any indication, I have faith that the film will do exceptionally well at the Box Office. But we have a while to wait - the film is not coming out until 2017.

Jungle Book is coming sooner, with a release date of April 15th, 2016, and folks, the film looks wonderful. I was especially nervous about this film before, but the footage that I've seen is truly magical. There's definitely a lot of TLC that has been put into this project, and it is obvious that Disney is really making sure that everything comes out just right. They have had to essentially double-shoot everything with their Mowgli (Neel Sethi) to get the look of him interacting with the animal characters and the environment of the jungle just right. But what struck me most is how they are truly keeping the spirit of the animated film with this new version (yes, you will hear a mention of "bear necessities"), and going so far as to re-creating some of those classic shots, but now with a truly living, breathing and wild jungle.

One of the fabulous freebies from D23

The last true standout that I want to talk about is, of course, Moana. Ever since the internet first heard word that Disney was making a Hawaiian "princess" film, fans flooded the internet with their imagined concept art, other making their awkward teen instagram posts lamenting that it took Disney this long to make this film and also noting that they were concerned about how they would treat the character.

Well, the good news is that this film looks to be shaping up to be Disney's next Little Mermaid, and I mean that literally - it's the same two men that shaped the 1989 favorite that are helming the Moana project as well. And it takes place heavily on the ocean. And you have a young girl who is eager to explore the world while her father, the chief, wants her to stay home where it's safe. And the mother is dead. Formulas.

Be excited for the Rock, who plays Maui, a burly demi-god that is trying to prove himself by helping Moana on her journey to be a navigator. Be excited for Moana's adorable piglet. Be excited that Moana looks to have more realistic body proportions! And definitely be excited for the animation. All accross the board, Disney has truly stepped up in the animation and CGI department. The realism is truly astounding. We're in for a treat.

There was a lot of new information and cool things at the Expo, and these are just some of the highlights. If you're looking for something more in-depth, I really encourage you to listen to the two podcasts I made (the details were more fresh in my mind when I recorded), and there's a lot of other details and films that I didn't mention here.

Stay tuned for one additional post regarding the Parks and Resorts news from D23 - lots of photos to come!

Review of Disney's 'Frozen' Blu-Ray/DVD Set - Wishing for More Extras

2014-03-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I got the Tangled Blu-Ray/DVD set when it first came out, and the same thing happened. Why did I think this set was going to be any different?

If you've followed my blog at all, you know how curious I've been to dive into the making of Frozen. I've scoured every resource at my disposal to learn more about the various incarnations this project went through before Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee landed on making the film we now know and love.

The Art of Tangled gave me more of an inside-look to Disney's work on the story of Rapunzel, and while there was still a lot more that I would have liked to see, I felt that the book covered a lot of ground - while The Art of Frozen seemed to hold a lot back when it came to commentary on the amount of work the studio did on the Snow Queen project (don't let that deter you though, the book has stunning artwork and wonderful information on how and why the artists chose different shapes, what inspired them, etc).

The Blu-Ray/DVD set for Tangled could have included bits like these, with some commentary:

Bronze Wool uploaded those last two to their Youtube channel, and there are a few other Tangled storyboards as well. I tried locating a storyboard of one of the old Rapunzel concepts that had an ending very reminiscent of Enchanted, where the two leads end up in a fountain in New York, but could not locate it - it is very possible that it was taken down or hidden.

I know that not everyone cares about extras. I read somewhere that Disney surveyed some of their customers, and most parents said that they didn't really care about all of the bonus features Disney used to put on their releases.

The thing is, I know that I'm not the only person that cares about this stuff. It doesn't surprise me that parents that buy every Disney DVD for their kids don't really care about the movie extras, but it's no secret that there are a lot of adult die-hard Disney fans that appreciate making-of documentaries.

So while the "Making of Frozen" featurette was entertaining and took us through WDAS with some of the leads from the movie, and gave us a joking visual look at the process, the features do not shed a lot of light on what the "Snow Queen" project went through on the whole. I especially would have loved to have seen a full documentary, talking about thing like how the game changed when Jennifer Lee, the first woman to direct at the studio, came on board. And the short deleted scene of Elsa being more of a villain gave us an idea of what the film might have been like, but there's still that darn clip used in all of the promotional material going around of Elsa shooting her ice magic after Anna says, "That's no blizzard, that's my sister!" - which is proof that there's footage of Elsa doing more villainous-type things that are more fully-rendered. Some may consider me strange for wanting to see these things, but I'm a big fan of the movie, the project and the studio that produced it.

Take this promotional image that was released with that first set of (what the rest are) stills from the film, for example:

This never happens in the movie. Interestingly enough, when I received my lithograph set for pre-ordering Frozen from the Disney Store, this image came along with a few other stills, but re-cut awkwardly so we only get a bit of Anna's head and a slightly better view of Elsa, with the torch eliminated (or at least out of frame).

The point that I'm trying to make is that Elsa's character went through drastic changes up until a few months before the film was released.

Frozen has become a sensation. If you use the internet at all, you've seen the explosion that this film has created. "Let it Go" has done more than win an Academy Award this year - it has become the anthem for young and old alike. Frozen is, in a word, special. The creators went so far as to use that term when I visited panels talking about it at 2013's D23 Expo.

One may want to argue that Disney "held back" on extras because with all the re-releases they do, they want to make sure they have more interesting stuff to show us in the future. I understand all of that, but Tangled hasn't seen another release, and all we got on those extras were Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi throwing out a few facts about the film, like how many hairs were actually on Rapunzel's head - something that could have easily ended up on the Disney Channel for promotional material. Sleeping Beauty has seen multiple releases in the past several years and has yet another approaching shortly, but Tangled still sits quietly. So how long will we have to wait to get a real behind-the-scenes look at the work it took to make this film?

Probably a really long time. Decades, even. I anticipate that I will be a senior citizen by the time that happens.

In any case, I guess we should all be thankful that we can actually buy Frozen to watch and bring home with us. Not too long ago, the only way to re-watch your favorite movie was if you were lucky enough to catch it being aired somewhere on cable, or you went back to the movie theaters again in a re-release.

For now, I will "let it go" and enjoy the film in glorious HD.

The Snow Queen Reins Supreme! - Thoughts on Disney's 'Frozen'

2013-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been holding off on writing a review for Frozen, which may seem odd to my readers, as I've been writing about the film with an extreme emphasis for months now. I even had the lucky opportunity to see it before it was released to general theaters, as my wonderful boyfriend obtained tickets to an early showing at the El Capitan in Hollywood.

I knew I would love the film, but I wanted to give the public - and myself - some time to digest. I needed to see the film again, and see how it looked in a regular 2D viewing - which is what I just did today! My mother and I had a movie date - and yes, she enjoyed the film ;)

With all that said, let's talk about Frozen. If you haven't seen the film and don't want anything spoiled, then get out of here and go see it! It's easily a Disney classic, it's been nominated for several awards and is probably going to beat The Lion King domestically at the Box Office because it's just that good.

For some, Frozen is like any traditional and beloved classic Disney animated feature film. It is a compelling story inspired by a classic fairy tale, it features a heroine (or in this case, heroines) in trouble, is made up of a cast of interesting characters, has beautiful animation, and has a magnificent soundtrack.

These are all classic Disney elements that make the brand what it is. One may claim to not appreciate the Disney Princess franchise or enjoy musicals, but they are undeniably integral parts of the Disney legacy.

Where Frozen is different, however, is it's celebration of love. Traditionally, Disney fairy tales celebrate the idea of romantic love overcoming the greatest obstacles and saving the day, but here it is sisterly love that breaks the spell.

Frozen also boldly confronts the idea that some of us do not know what love is, or what can constitute as untrue love, and that the handsome prince isn't always so beautiful underneath his exterior.

I sincerely enjoyed the fact that every main character taught the audience something different about love. Love takes on many forms. Heck, even Olaf, who many were ready to hate coming into the theaters, was the physical embodiment of Elsa and Anna's love for each other and charmed his way through the film.

Disney has shown familial love before. Finding Nemo is a prime example, but Marlin's fatherly love doesn't break a curse. I applaud Disney for breaking from the traditional route here and celebrating something that is all too-often ignored in entertainment representation. Family is tremendously important, and in times like these, it is very important that we are reminded that at the end of the day, we have family (whether blood-related or the families we create with friends, pets etc.) that we can always count on, even when the odds seem insurmountable.

Everything that Elsa does is out of love for others, and her prime motivator is her love for her sister. After nearly killing Anna in an accident, Elsa is mortified and fearful her powers - beautiful, but if not controlled, dangerous. To protect everyone that she loves (her kingdom included), she is forced to lead a life of seclusion, even at times cutting interaction with her parents that know her secret. And even after her parents are gone and she becomes Anna's estranged guardian, she is fully willing to make herself out to be the "bad guy" in order to protect Anna when her younger sister absurdly proclaims that she is going to marry someone that she just met. Anna is selfless in her act of protecting Elsa from Hans even after believing that her own sister meant to hurt her, but it is Elsa's tremendous love for Anna that saves her sister's life and the future of the kingdom - and, in turn, she saves herself.

Some are frustrated with the fact that Elsa did not get a love interest in the film, but Anna got two. The reasons as to why stem from a very, very long development process.

If you have kept up with this blog, you will know that Disney has attempted to bring some incarnation of the story of the Snow Queen to life for several decades, going as far back as to when Walt Disney was still alive and running the show. Obviously, things kept seemingly not working out. Try as they might, Disney's creative teams constantly ran into trouble when trying to get a handle on the Snow Queen's character. Here's one excerpt from James B. Stewart's Disney War:

... June 11, 2003, (Then-Disney CEO Michael) Eisner has invited me to a creative meeting of the feature animation team, led by (Thomas) Schumacher's replacement, David Stainton. Eisner usually attends these meetings once or twice a month.

"That's why this has to be a Legally Blonde-type comedy," replies Mary Jane Ruggels, another creative vice president.

"Sleeping Beauty was 1938," Eisner says. "The ending was forced. Like Treasure Planet-- it just ended. It wasn't funny or clever. Are you sure you can save this? Is Ice Queen better?"

"You mean Snow Queen," Ruggels says.

"I love The Taming of the Shrew idea," Eisner says. "Take Martha Stewart. She's tough, smart -- a worthy adversary. If she were a doormat of a woman, no one would go after her. Marlo Thomas used to call me about marketing 'That Girl.' She said, 'If I were a man, I'd be president of the network."

Eisner expresses some reservation about the team assigned to Snow Queen, then adds, "John Lasseter. If we make a new deal with Pixar ... "

Stainton jumps in: "You mean when we make a new deal with Pixar."

"I said to John, you can have Snow Queen. He loved it. John said, 'I want to do a princess movie.' "

Eisner asks for the Snow Queen synopsis.

"The Snow Queen is a terrible bitch," Ruggels says. "When her suitors try to melt her heart, the Snow Queen freezes them."

"Each one should be a phony, but different," Eisner says of the suitors.

"Then along comes a regular guy," Ruggels continues.

"This is perfect!" Eisner exclaims. "I'm afraid to hear more."

"The regular guy goes up there, he's not that great, but he's a good person. He starts to unfreeze her ... she melts."

"It's great," Eisner says. "Finally. We've had twenty meetings on this."

Some of the language used to describe this shelved concept of the Snow Queen makes me cringe.

Clearly the creatives were toying with the idea of the Snow Queen having a love interest. Perhaps having the title character simply be a "bitch" that has all her problems solved by one man sounded good to some people (this meeting certainly reflects the film industry of the time), but as John Lasseter said to the Chris Buck's team (this was before Jennifer Lee joined the project), "You haven't dug deep enough." Everyone has a motivation. Audiences need to be able to identify with the characters that they see on screen.

Soon Jennifer joined the project (and thankfully breathed some realistic female essence into the leading ladies and story and broke the glass ceiling at Disney) and somewhere along the way someone asked, "What if Anna and Elsa were sisters?"

That question changed everything. Finally there was an emotional core that the creatives could work from, and the story took off.

Could Disney have come up with a version of the story that would have given Elsa a love interest? In Frozen's incarnation that we now know, I do not think so. If Elsa had to cut herself off from her own sister, often her own parents and completely from anyone else in her kingdom at such an early age because she felt she was too dangerous to be around anyone, how could she allow herself to emotionally connect with someone romantically? When Elsa says at her coronation ball that she doesn't dance, it's not because she feels that she has two left feet - it's that she doesn't dare touch anyone for fear of hurting them. It's why she quickly turns away from Anna when her sister reaches to touch her. Elsa is almost completely covered up, but she is still afraid that any contact with her sister could result in harming her.

This is, however, not to say that Elsa doesn't deserve a love interest. Elsa absolutely deserves love, in all forms of the word! And yes, even though it crosses fandoms, Elsa and Jack Frost would make quite the lovely couple (and hey, it's not like Dreamworks owns the entire concept of Jack Frost - Disney could potentially do something with that idea...I wonder what the copyrights are regarding that name...)

Anyhow, the problem was that if Elsa couldn't even let her own sister into her life, how could she even fathom allowing a complete stranger in? Elsa had to reconnect with the person she loved most before she could allow herself to connect deeply with anyone else - and love herself.

Personally, I don't think that Elsa needs a man, because she's so amazing on her own. When we go to the movies and see a male character not have a love interest, are people always getting upset over it? I've never seen that kind of complaint. Leading female characters do not need to be paired off to be interesting to service a story. BUT, I think that the reason why some fans are so upset for Elsa is that they connected with her so deeply - they felt that she deserved to repair all of that awful loneliness and pain in her heart. And I very much feel the same way. Some are calling for a sequel - I truly, truly hope that if a sequel is made, it will be of at least the same caliber as Frozen. Lasseter put his foot down several years ago demanding that Disney films that came out in theaters only get sequels if they are good enough to also be released into theaters. But Cars 2 wasn't that long ago (sorry John)...on the flip side, the Toy Story sequels were all amazing. Cross your fingers.

In the meantime, I have to say that while Anna is a charming character that gives the Disney Princess lineage a nice shakeup and I understand why the film was set essentially from her perspective, I really wish Frozen spent more time with Elsa. The film could have easily used at least an extra 20 minutes with her. We got a fantastic amount of backstory leading up through "Let It Go," which is an amazing song that I cannot stop singing in my car. But after that, we saw a lot less of Elsa and her awesome ice palace didn't really get much use (though at least Marshmallow was able to use it after - please tell me you all stayed after the credits?!) Anna and Elsa's confrontation sped by like a bullet train, and before I knew what was happening, I realized that Disney had cut the whole sequence of Elsa shooting a blizzard at Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven.

And that little piece of footage was what had me hooked to see this film, folks. Do I regret seeing the film because this footage was seemingly cut? No, of course not. But my curiosity is driving me crazy.

Of course we all wanted Elsa to be a hero in this story, but were curious about her also being an antagonist to a certain extent. Disney kept her character shrouded in mystery for a very long time. Of course, originally they planned to have her be even more of an antagonist then she ended up being in the final film, and the script and story went through so many changes...

Still, I have to ask about this bit, because it was (and still is) in a lot of the more recent marketing! I'm sure you all remember the, "That's no blizzard, that's my sister!" clip. Originally, the full clip which is now entitled "That happened" had our characters land into the soft pillowy snow after their encounter with Marshmallow to then be suddenly attacked with a flurry of snow and wind. Kristoff then shouted, "Now we just have to survive this blizzard!" and Anna finished with, "That's no blizzard, that's my sister!" as the camera panned up to Elsa in all of her icy glory. Now, however, if you went on to the official Disney Animation Youtube page, you would see a slightly different video with no Elsa in it at all, which fully matches what you see in the final film version. I wanted to find the original clip for you, but I have a feeling that Disney sought to remove every trace of it that was ever around. Even when I type to search for this particular clip on Youtube, the webpage crashes. Coincidence? I think not!

And neither is this! I am now officially convinced that Rapunzel is cousins with Anna and Elsa.

Anyway, I can't help but think back to when Tangled was coming to theaters. Disney had made some fairly entertaining promos - one of them even got their own poster. And I wondered if maybe this little bit of Elsa's awesome ice magic was merely developed to be used for promotional material.

We got to see Rapunzel dangle Flynn/Eugene out of her tower, and apparently she was enjoying it. But if you think about it now, do you really think Rapunzel would have done something so cruel?

I certainly don't.

And that is possibly what came into play for Frozen, but on a grander scale, and not spawning from trying to generate interest for the film. It wouldn't make much sense for Elsa to shoot ice magic at her own sister after she accidentally struck her and was mortified by the whole thing. Yes, she created Marshmallow, but only so that she could be assured that her sister would be escorted off of the premises.

So perhaps kind of late in the game, the creators decided to cut that footage. But Anna's line kind of stuck with potential moviegoers, and those moments have still found themselves as tidbits in current Frozen trailers. And every time I get a glimpse of Elsa in this footage, I get that darned pang of curiosity.

I still don't have The Art of Frozen in my possession. It may answer all sorts of questions for me. At the same time, I feel that it will leave just as many unanswered. If the Blu-Ray does not have a serious making-of documentary on this project, I will be very, very disappointed. Disney already dropped the ball with Tangled on that front. Are they embarrassed about the amount of times they tackled this project and it didn't go anywhere? They shouldn't. They should also know that there will be fans out there that will want to know more. I just sincerely hope that we will not have to wait 20 years before we get an honest behind-the-scenes-look at the making of this film.

There's still so much more to write about Frozen...it's yet another reason why I've held off. I just had to focus this post on my new favorite character! But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Anna and the rest of the characters. I'm actually really excited to talk about Hans with all of you - some people do not give the filmmakers enough credit for the creative genius that they put into this character!

In the meantime, I hope you all have had happy holidays and will have a happy new year!

The CG Princesses and Disney Animation

2013-10-26T08:39:00.001-07:00

Look, there's been a lot of talk lately about how supposedly similar Anna and Elsa from Disney's upcoming animated feature Frozen look in comparison to Rapunzel in Tangled. And then that statement that a Frozen animator said that has mostly been taken out-of-context. Before pressing on, I highly recommend taking a look at this article real quick - just so you can fully follow along :)

I'll admit that I felt this way when I first saw those supposed "leaked posters" - but I pulled those images from my blog once I found out that Disney was requesting various site to remove said posters as they were fakes. Unfortunately, not all of the images were taken down, and mislead movie-goers are pulling up the pictures and crying foul.

Admittedly, both images were close to the final character designs, but still, they were unfinished. The public groaned over the similarity between princesses, but really, was that fair of us?

Before we tackle this question, we need to look at the official character designs and how they are translating to the screen.

Elsa Final Sketch

Anna Final Sketch

Anna, Elsa, and for your bonus enjoyment, Kristoff ;)

CG Film

I really love the original sketches. There's obviously a strong similarity between the initial concept art and the final CG designs, but as you can tell, the transition was not seamless. Both Anna and Elsa have rounder faces, and even their eyes are slightly different.

Now let's take a look at how Rapunzel translated from concept art to film.

Concept art

CG Advertising

Final film version

Now, I could pull tons of pictures and stick them side-by-side, but have any of you noticed the huge discrepancy between all of Rapunzel's supposed "looks?" I mean, just look at the CG advertising image and compare it to the final version. Rapunzel's eyes used to be set far wider apart. The advertising image was supposed to be the final "official" version of her, and still, it wasn't.

But now take a look at the concept art again. That was how Glen Keane designed her to look. Her features were sharper. She looked a little more mature. Her chin was smaller, etc.

Do you get the point that I'm trying to make here? The animators sketch up these beautiful designs, but when it comes time to entering it into the computer, those designs have to be altered. How something looks in 2D might not necessarily work once it is switched over to the 3D format. And once you start comparing those character designs, you notice differences between the princesses.

Yes, there is certainly a similar "look" going on. Disney is known for their traditional Disney Princess looks. Merida was a huge departure from that design element, but she was created by the Pixar team, not Walt Disney Animation. Her face is also very round, so CG naturally helped that along. Should Disney try to do something different? It's arguable that they should, but whenever they have, Disney has assessed that the films do not do as well at the box office.

So here's that infamous quote that everyone is fuming about right now:

Historically speaking, animating female characters are really, really difficult, ’cause they have to go through these range of emotions, but they’re very, very — you have to keep them pretty and they’re very sensitive to — you can get them off a model very quickly. So, having a film with two hero female characters was really tough, and having them both in the scene and look very different if they’re echoing the same expression; that Elsa looking angry looks different from Anna (Kristen Bell) being angry.”

Yes, that animator wasn't as careful with his words as they should have been (at least, not enough for the internet to quote him later.) Yes, both women and men alike are supposedly difficult to animate, as the classic Disney animators will say in many interviews that no one ever wanted to animate a prince, yet they were comfortable animating characters like the seven dwarfs because they didn't feel like they had to make them look handsome or pretty.

But the quote was taken out of context because the very reason this animator even said any of that was that he was explaining the difficulty of translating the original character designs into the CG format - which is why I've been showing you all the vast difference between sketch to final film designs.

But no, I do not think that these princesses and princes and whatever other supposed ingenue leads Disney comes up with need to look beautiful all the time. If they are to represent normal human beings that we can relate to, they need to express a full range of emotions.

I blame marketing, I truly do. It's why all of the princesses (Merida included, as the internet remembers) got sparkly sexy mess makeovers. It is reportedly what Disney makes more money off of, because little girls want all of their princesses to fit into the same world where they all have a similar look and could possibly be friends, even if it disconnects the characters from their own worlds.

They're afraid to have a single frame of Anna or Elsa look not-so-pretty, because they do not want these characters to end up being "tarnished" in any way. And while I would whole-heartedly prefer that they animate their heroes and heroines in a fully realistic manner, I understand their wariness. Because anyone could take a single frame from their film, upload it online and turn it into a meme that Disney may not be comfortable with.

That's probably not their primary fear, though. Their ultimate goal of marketing is to make little girls continue to love Disney Princesses, and because of that, marketing will always be obsessive with their appearance. They want these female characters to be so beautiful that these little girls will always want to purchase the dolls, dress up like them, etc. And since marketing likes to make them a set, their looks have to be "streamlined."

While that may be somewhat disheartening, here's the good news - marketing can't go back and change how a film is animated. Cinderella's ball gown in her classic film will always be white/silver - marketing cannot touch the film and make her dress blue.

This whole situation is pretty ironic. As I've noted here before, just a few weeks before Tangled was to be released, another Disney employee made a statement that was taken out-of-context. That Disney was supposedly never going to make another fairy tale again. That's not what he actually meant - what he was trying to say was that Disney had no interest in pursuing the little girl demographic with princess films, because apparently princesses didn't do well at the box office because Princess and the Frog was released at the same time as Avatar and the economy was in the middle of its nasty downturn. And then Tangled did well and the "boys club" (as Brenda Chapman aptly puts it) ate their words and pulled the Snow Queen project off of the shelf, which had been an on-again off-again production for a long time at Disney.

As hard as the boys club works, they still seem to not understand why Disney has become the powerhouse that it has. The two films that saved the Disney animation studio from closing were Cinderella and The Little Mermaid - and let's not forget the very first Disney animated feature film that starred Snow White, which was a huge success for the Disney company. They need to understand that it's so much more than just having pretty princesses make a nice doll set.

It's about having any female character to have a story center around her. Because most forms of entertainment star a male character, the male-to-female character ratio is generally 3-to-1, and at best, the female is just in a supporting romantic role, only there to romantically engage the male hero.

Traditionally, boys have had their superheroes. Yes, Marvel and DC have female superheroes as well, but do they get big-budget movies starring just them? Marvel's Avengers set, which has done tremendously well at the box office, only has one female heroine that has not even had her own movie. And let's face it...while Black Widow is awesome, her story is still greatly shrouded in mystery and her costume is a basic black leather catsuit which more than likely doesn't really help her all that much in combat. Over on DC's side, they've been working on a Wonder Woman film for years, and at this rate, it's just never going to happen because all of these big male executives are too chicken to finish the job.

So where does that leave female movie-goers, especially ones of the younger variety who wants toys and costumes to pretend that they are those characters because there is something inside of them that they aspire to be? Disney heroines often enter the picture, and these women generally emulate great compassion, dedication, dreams and fulfilling them. The female underdog that somehow, despite all of these obstacles thrown in her way, achieves her happy ending because she chooses to be brave and takes a risk to get there. Yes, they're beautiful and have wonderful dresses that many of us want to wear, but it's their story and their heart that connect with people all over the world.

But these marketing folks that are aiming to sell as much product as they can - and to a certain extent, many of the higher-ups at Disney - well, I don't think they realize that. Maybe the little boys want the toy cars because it gives the boys a sense of action and the cars are shiny, but personally, I connected with Cinderella because the world was often cruel to her and she continually responded with kindness and her goodness granted her a happily ever after - not because she had a big ballgown and danced with a prince.

In any case, if marketing has this much control over the creative process - and believe me, they do certainly have some clout - then we as fans need to speak up. We can't just say that a statement is misogynistic (even when it is), because that's not going to change the creative process in animating these characters. We need to say that we want to see real human expressions, even if that means that a character is suddenly unattractive. That we want to see more realistic portrayals of humanity, even along with the nitty-gritty.

And maybe, just maybe, we need to stop untagging ourselves or deleting pictures where we ourselves do not feel that we look "perfect." Maybe we all need to recognize that perfection is truly in the eye of the beholder, and that perhaps it is time to practice what we preach when we tell little girls that they do not have to look a certain way to feel good about themselves. Because until that happens, quite honestly, none of this is going to change.

Thinking About Movies, Part 3: Let's talk about Disney's FROZEN!

2013-09-26T17:08:00.001-07:00

Hello my wonderful readers!

Yes, I've been MIA for a while. I've had a lot of out-of-towners visit for extended periods of time (they arrived just before I went to D23, which made things even more complicated), plus a few others things have popped up here and there. Then there's work, some new and some gone. I no longer work for Examiner, so at least I don't have to send you guys over to another website. I'd rather write for myself and make nothing than write for someone else and make next to nothing ;) Anyhow, all of this shifting around has prevented me from writing all that I've wanted to. I'll eventually do a write-up on the D23 Expo from this year. It will have lots of pictures. And I really want to write about the Imagineering Pavillion, as it was, in a word, amazing - and I want to stick up for MyMagic, as the Imagineers there were very helpful, and seriously, they've thought of everything to make things more convenient for guest while keeping them safe.

But what I've really wanted to talk to you all about is this November's upcoming Disney film Frozen. I've been talking about this movie a lot here, and it's easy to understand why - this is a "Disney Princess" blog. But this will be an exciting film to see because 1) the film has been an on-again off-again production at the studio, 2) the people working on this production have bucketloads of talent, and 3) the film looks to be in the same vein as Tangled in that it is a fairy tale, but it is also fun, action-packed and has a bit more of a contemporary feel.

Since the new trailer has premiered today, I felt that this would be the perfect time to talk about this film a bit more, bringing in some things that I found out at D23 (I went to both the big Animation panel on Friday and then the special Frozen presentation on Saturday) and also bringing in some speculations that I have after seeing this new trailer. With that, let me include the video of that first.

I am so excited for this movie. Any concerns that I had with it before are gone - everyone at Disney says they feel that they have something really special, and that's something that they only say when they have a film like Beauty and the Beast. You're going to instantly love Olaf. He's going to be the new "it" character. Girls and women are going to love both Anna and Elsa, and it is going to be truly refreshing and amazing to see Disney tell a story about the power of sisterly love. The music is fantastic. The team behind it was sitting in the audience at several D23 events (they're just as big of fans as the rest of us!) and they are truly proud of their work. They should be. The type of lyricism is going to be something that really knocks your socks off. They've brought in the witty humor from Book of Mormon but kept things tasteful for a Disney audience and story.

If you've seen any of the D23 press from the major Animation presentation, you've more than likely heard that Idina Menzel sang live, "Let It Go." Going into the presentation, I didn't expect to see Idina there - but as the presentation progressed, it was clear that any big stars that were available to attend were there, and as Frozen continued to get built up, the audience was hoping for Idina to make an appearance...then John Lasseter came out, picked up the microphone to move it to the center of the stage, and the audience was screaming. I've never had such a fan girl moment in my life. I love Broadway and Disney - never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would have the pleasure to see Idina Menzel sing live on stage, let alone a Disney song! I will never, ever forget that experience. The song is beautiful and moving, You're going to love Elsa (John certainly does - apparently he listens to it over and over again.)

One more thing I wanted to point out. The love triangle is really intriguing to me, and I'm happy to see that we have a beefier Disney love interest for once (Jennifer Lee, one of the directors, couldn't contain her excitement about the "mountain man" either at D23) - Kristoff's design reminds me of Bastion, who was a potential significant other for Rapunzel in that film's earlier stages.

Oh-kay. With that, I'm going to give you a nice summary of this film, which will include spoilers!!! If you do not want anything from the movie spoiled for yourself, do not continue reading on! Also, anything that I share here has been openly shared - anything that the creators requested to keep secret, stays a secret. In any case, this is going to be an amazing film. We'll start after the break.

Once upon a time, in the land of Arendelle, there lived two princesses that were also sisters, Elsa (the eldest) and Anna. Elsa and Anna were best friends and incredibly close. In their happier times, they built a snow man together, and they named him Olaf. The two girls loved each other very much, but one of them had a secret - Elsa had unique and mystical powers in which she could control ice and snow. Being very young, she had difficulty controlling these powers, and was also afraid of anyone finding out, for there was a prophecy that had been told that someone would put their kingdom into eternal winter.

One day, while Anna and Elsa were playing, Anna made Elsa laugh. Unfortunately, whenever Elsa would laugh or lose her temper, her ice powers would reveal themselves - and poor Anna got hit with them by accident. Anna then became very cold, and nearly lost her life. She was saved and her memory of the incident disappeared, but as a result, she gained a streak of white in her hair, and Anna and Elsa's parents decided it was best to separate the two sisters for their own safety. Elsa was forced to shut out her sister - and the rest of the world - and constantly wear gloves to keep her powers in check. As long as Elsa kept her emotions at bay, her powers would not reveal themselves. She grew up living mostly in solitude, and became a very proper, elegant and controlled princess that the kingdom grew to admire and respect. Anna, on the other hand, never understanding why her sister shut her out, grew up lonely as well, but very awkward and always needing to insert her foot into her mouth.

Time went by, and eventually the day of Elsa's coronation arrived. Many important dignitaries came to Arendelle for the occasion, including a handsome prince that Anna met the day of. They are smitten with each other, and that same day, the prince Hans asked Anna for her hand in marriage. Elsa's coronation went off without a hitch, and during the celebration, Anna asked for Elsa's permission to marry Hans. Elsa was, obviously, shocked that her sister would accept a proposal from a man she'd only known for a day, and told her that she would not allow Anna to make such a rash decision. Anna got upset and confronted her sister, and unfortunately, Elsa couldn't hold back her feelings any longer - her powers were revealed in front of everyone. Elsa fled the kingdom, found a place far away and was finally able to "let it go" and let her abilities thrive and create a beautiful castle made of snow and ice, where she could hide herself from the world.

Time went by, but the kingdom's temperatures didn't change. Anna, determined to bring back warm weather and re-connect with her sister, decided to go off an adventure and save her kingdom. However, the environments were treacherous, so she enlisted the help of a man that knows everything about ice - Kristoff. Kristoff was a guy who preferred to keep to himself (save for hanging out with his pet reindeer Sven), but considering that his business was doing poorly due to the amount of plentiful ice available, he knew he needed to help Anna end eternal winter. On the way, they ran into Olaf - who, as it turns out, Elsa created soon after she created her ice kingdom. What Elsa really wanted was a more intimidating snowman to protect her from the outside world, so Olaf went out and Marshmallow (the very scary-looking snowman) was born). Olaf dreams of what summer is like - he obviously had never experienced summer, but wished to help aid Anna and Kristoff in their quest.

Anna and her friends fought through the harsh winter environment and Elsa's powers to keep them at bay, but finally Anna reaches her sister's new home. Elsa is now very different - she is free to be herself and is a new woman.

What happened next? Well, if the creators revealed all of that, then they'd be revealing too much. But from what I've seen, here's what I think happens.

Anna tries to convince Elsa that she needs to come back home and work with her to figure out how to end eternal winter and resume her rightful place on the throne. Elsa and Anna start to bond again, but something terrible happens - Elsa's powers hit Anna again, and instead of just one white streak of hair, her entire head of hair turns to ice white. She is getting too cold again. Elsa is horrified and begs Kristoff to get Anna away from her and save her. Olaf makes a great sacrifice to save Anna. Hans is not who he appears to be. Anna realizes that she is really in love with Kristoff, and Kristoff isn't interested in being so alone anymore. And because of the power of the love of two sisters, everyone in the kingdom is saved and they all live happily ever after.

That's all I have to say on Frozen for now. I'm sure I'll be writing even more about it before it's released, but until then, see you guys next time!

Thor coming to Disneyland this fall in celebration of 'Thor: The Dark World'

2013-08-20T15:37:00.001-07:00

More Marvel in Disneyland! I know a few people out there aren't that big on the idea, but I like the Iron Man Tech exhibit. What I wonder is, where is Thor going to go?

Thor coming to Disneyland this fall in celebration of 'Thor: The Dark World'

Discuss it here!

Thinking about movies, part 2: The Lone Ranger

2013-07-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Note: I'm delving into The Lone Ranger here. If you haven't seen the film yet, go see it and then come back here!

The Lone Ranger was released amidst a summer filled with big summer blockbuster movies, and it's not the only one that has suffered from a rather cold reception. But I'll get to that later.

I was less excited to see this film in comparison to a lot of other movies that have been released this season, and it had nothing to do with the fact that it's a western.

Let's get something straight here - I love Johnny Depp. I especially love him as Captain Jack Sparrow. But - this film is entitled The Lone Ranger, not Tonto featuring the Lone Ranger. And all of the advertising made it VERY CLEAR IN ALL CAPS THAT THIS FILM STARS JOHNNY DEPP AND ITS FROM THE SAME GUYS THAT MADE THE PIRATES FILMS (LOGO!!! - wait why would they literally show a Pirates of the Caribbean logo for a completely different franchise? Does Disney think I can be brainwashed with it? That's rude) - oh yeah and then there's some guy with a big white cap and a black leather mask. BUT LOOK JOHNNY IS BEING SILLY AND THAT WRAP AROUND HIS HEAD KINDA LOOKS LIKE THE JACK SPARROW BANDANA (oh haha with a bird I see what you did there Disney). In the actual film, there were two obvious gags taken from the first Pirates of the Caribbean film - but it worked.

I don't blame Johnny for the way Disney chose to market the film (although he was a producer). Maybe it was Disney's ridiculous advertising that caused Johnny to decide to create his own studio and work out that deal with Disney so he doesn't become their branded product.

Anyhow, I really wasn't a fan of the way this film was marketed, so I wasn't in a hurry to see it in theaters. When I visited Disneyland a few times before seeing the film, I saw plenty of Tonto headdresses, but not a single white stetson or black leather/pleather mask for sale, which I totally would have picked up. Those cowboy root beer glass mugs sold out super fast - hoping I can still get one of those.

By the way, the Tonto headdress may look offensive at first glance, but the Native American tribe that the character is based from is not offended. It is established in the film that Tonto is an oddball (a fact the other Native Americans laugh about in the film) and Johnny worked hard to sound as authentic as possible. Disability groups, however, are reportedly unhappy with Disney for showing the film's villain with a cleft lip.

Anyhow, the message was clear - Disney didn't appear to be behind the technical star of their film and was over-promoting Johnny Depp.

Image from my buddies over at MiceChat. You can read some very insightful comments on this product here.

Which is a real shame. Because besides the fact that Armie Hammer did a fantastic job in this film and has true star potential and power, the film is actually equally divided between the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Both of the characters get equal screen time on their back-stories and development, and by the end of the film the audience has a solid understanding of why they are who they are and why they become who they become. I guess the payoff of this film was supposed to be that once we saw all of this, we'd be able to see more Lone Ranger flicks with far more Lone-Rangerey action. But the film hasn't done well in terms of American Box Office numbers, and as we all know with Disney - if it isn't an immediate success the first weekend, you can forget seeing any sort of franchise. I hope that people do not consider this film to be a dark mark on any of these actors' resumes - the film was well-cast and full of talent.

The film has its issues - mainly, the fact that it seemed like they were trying to incorporate 4-5 different scripts into one movie all at once. Films can have sub-plots, but it's bad when they jump all over the place and can't carry on a steady narrative. Apparently the writing team from the Pirates films first started on the project, but focused more on the supernatural, like - er, werewolves. Then they brought in another writer in who tried to tone down the supernatural stuff, and there are some really great moments in there, but...it felt like the story had a lack of direction. Yes, it's an aged Tonto retelling a youngster in the midst of the Great Depression what he remembers, and him explaining why they became a team of outlaws that do good. But unfortunately you only have so much time on a movie screen to do that.

As a side note, I wish the filmmakers had taken that opportunity to push forward a message of hope in a dark period. We are, after all, in the Great Recession. House prices may be going back up, but that doesn't mean the majority of us have more money in our pockets to spend. Hollywood and major corporate Disney is probably clueless about all of that, though.

Consider the Star Wars films. George Lucas knew that the beginning of his story wouldn't be as interesting to movie-goers as his middle-to-end story would be, which was why he chose to create A New Hope first - and why, even though the prequels lack solid scripts, a huge fan base came out to see them and continue to make the man rich decades later. Perhaps we needed the middle for the beginning since there was so much story to cover. The source material is from a television series, after all. Perhaps the whole concept would have fared better as a contemporary television show given the HBO treatment, with 44-minute episodes and shot beautifully. Then they could have shown everything and much, much more.

I was going to include some other Star Wars image, but my Google search led me to this and I just had to do it.

Personally, I knew what I wanted to see. I wanted to see some good old-fashioned wholesome heroes in a cinematic look of the west. We got that at times; the cinematography is absolutely breathtaking with its vast scopes of the wild west, and Armie Hammer's portrayal of the Lone Ranger/John Reid is earnest and natural. And let's face it - Silver the horse stole the film in his own right. His "dialogue" with Tonto early on in the film immediately won me over.

The filmmakers went to several states to film in the west's most beautiful landscapes.

But unfortunately, since the filmmakers had to spend so much time covering back-story and shaping these characters, the audience didn't get to see so much of the Lone Ranger actually in action. It's not until the very end of the film that we actually see him take on a "persona," and the film actually ends with John bouncing different names for himself off of Tonto, who shoots down every one of them as they head out into the sunset. The majority of the main trailer shows footage from nearly the end of the film. It just took too long to get to the whole "hero in action" part of the film for me.

But when they finally got there? Wow! I loved it! It was exciting, spectacular and a lot of fun, and I was sorry to know that Disney had already pulled the plug on any future Lone Ranger would see as a franchise. I legitimately want to see more of these characters.

Mainly doing stuff like this.

As Johnny Depp has said, the critics wanted to see this film seriously fail, and they trash-talked it for a long time because of its production issues. The film was expensive to make and Disney had to at one point halt everything to re-work the budget. Everybody has a budget. The critics wanted to see Disney fail, and while the movie isn't doing amazingly, it's really not as bad as they make it out to be. While Disney isn't getting the numbers and reviews it would like over here in the states, the film seems to be getting embraced overseas. That doesn't surprise me - as Americans, we're used to enjoying the novelty of other countries. The same works the other way around, and it's been a while since a western film has been released. Who knows...maybe this film isn't doing what Disney wants it to do commercially right now, but perhaps merchandising, like the film's strong tie-in with the soon-to-be-released Disney Infinity, will help in the long run.

Also, if you just ask a friend who has actually seen it, they're unlikely to bash it the way critics do - based on general public votes online, the film isn't getting remotely as bad of a rating.

Dawww!!!

But the unfortunate thing here is that the majority of the American public just hasn't come out to see this film (Disney missed much of their target demographic and an older crowd showed up instead), and whenever Disney doesn't have an amazing opening weekend, they try to brush everything under the carpet. When my boyfriend and I came into our theater to see it (it was maybe the second weekend of it being out) we discovered about 5 other people in the theater, and no one else showed up. We literally heard crickets as we walked through the door to find our seat.

Something that the media has been pointing out as a whole is that a lot of the major summer blockbuster films haven't been doing well this summer. Journalists are asking whether or not audiences may be "burned out" by the summer blockbuster formula. I will say that it was odd going to see a special screening of Star Trek early this summer and being flooded with only end-of-the-world film trailers. I had to comment to my friends, and they agreed - it's rather depressing. Life is depressing enough as it is - I'm rather keen on seeing something with a more sunny outlook on life. And I've always been burnt out by films that rely on explosions more than story and character development, but perhaps the demographic that's always loved that stuff is getting fed up with it now too. As I've already remarked in this article, it seems that Hollywood is rather out-of-touch with the ordinary man and woman of today. And it doesn't help that a family trip to the movie theater only continues to get more and more expensive as the public's wallets get thinner - people have to be more discerning about which film they choose to see for their excursion.

I suppose the interesting element with The Lone Ranger in this case is that, really, the trailer made the film out to be far more explosion and action-oriented than it really was. I found that the majority of the film was far more introspective than that. What would have drawn in more Americans? I'm not really sure. I do believe that minimally featuring Armie Hammer and plastering anything Pirates of the Caribbean-related hurt the film. Maybe from a marketing standpoint (in terms of numbers) pirates and cowboys deliver the same results financially, but they are two entirely different genres and they need to be treated as such. Perhaps the public saw through the manipulation - I found a lot of it to be insulting. We are people, not numbers.

In any case, it's a shame that things have turned out this way. Marketing can truly make or break a film, and while there may be more factors to take into account with The Lone Ranger, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it probably had a lot to do with what ended up happening at the Box Office.

If you haven't seen the film, I'd suggest giving it a chance. As a forewarning - you may want to pick up a Stetson when you exit the theater.

Next time, I'll be looking more at a favorite here on this blog - Frozen! There's been quite a bit of material released since I last wrote about the film, so there will be a lot to delve into. So don't forget to subscribe here and follow me on Twitter @MakeItAqua!

Thinking about movies, part 1: Disney/Pixar's Monsters University

2013-07-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

I've been mum for a bit, mainly because I wanted to give myself enough time to think about certain Disney films - ones that have been recently been released, some waiting to be released, and others that recently got canned. In this first installment, I take a look at Monsters University, which has seen some healthy Box Office numbers. That should definitely be the tipping point for a Monsters expansion in Hollywoodland at Disney California Adventure. I really hope that Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor doesn't make it's way to Disneyland's Tomorrowland, though...

There are spoilers in this article about the film. If you haven't watched it, then - well, you're missing out! And if you don't want anything spoiled, turn back now.

Before I get into this, I just wanted to say something about the Frozen trailer that was shown before the film. Yes, I was bummed that we didn't get to see Elsa or Anna (and it's admittedly frustrating that both France and Japan got more meaty trailers than we did), but perhaps Disney knows what it's doing here. They're trying to connect with an audience they fear of alienating - mainly little boys and adults that think they're too good for classic Disney stories with princesses I guess. The trailer got everyone of all ages laughing at all the appropriate moments, and we had a pretty packed theater. So perhaps marketing made the better choice here for the American audiences going to see Monsters University. On the opposite side of the spectrum, everyone was dead silent while the trailer for Planes played, and all other trailers were sparse in response to complete silence.

This...

...is more entertaining than this.

But anyhow, it's time to look at Monsters University. Critics seemed to tear this film a new one, so I was slightly anxious. But I liked the advertising, and Monsters Inc. is a fantastic film that still gets me to tear up, so there was no way I was going to miss it.

Perhaps it's because I'm a young adult, but I greatly enjoyed it. The film advertised a fun college flick with characters that we already love plus some new ones, and that's what we got - for the most part. I think I know why some people aren't as thrilled about this flick as I am. In the original film, the audience was mostly rooting for Sulley, who was completely gooey-eyed over this adorable little girl while Mike was constantly freaking out. In this film, however, the audience is rooting for Mike, a bright-eyed kid with big dreams and drive while Sulley is mostly behaving like a jerk. That last part probably left a sour taste in some critics' mouths.

However, this film takes place during the characters' college years. Meaning - immature kids coming into adulthood. How many stupid things did you do in college? How many kids like Sulley did you run into? I felt like it was an honest representation of reality. Yes, Sulley was being a spoiled brat that seemed to think way too highly of himself, but the truth is (and it is shown in the film) is that people that behave that way in reality feel very small on the inside. And I think that showing that Sulley used to be a very different guy makes it that much sweeter that little Boo got Sulley so wrapped around her little finger.

I read from one critic that this film had no heart - I completely disagree. Again, maybe it's my age talking, but Mike's entire journey in that film felt very much like the one I've been through. Having all the drive and passion from an early age but still having someone tell you that you'll never be good enough for that profession or that thing - I think many of us can relate to that. Mike has to come to terms with the fact that he will never achieve his dreams that have essentially driven his whole life - how many of us have been there? What dreams have we held onto that we've had to part with? How many do we still hold on to? This film wasn't so much about Mike and Sulley hating each other before they became best friends - it was more about Mike's personal inner journey, that painful moment in adulthood when you realize that it's just not going to happen for you, and it's time to get real. That was what drove the story and made things really interesting. We all knew that Mike wouldn't become a top scarer, but we weren't sure how he would come to that realization or how he would handle it. This isn't something you generally see in movies, and I applaud Pixar for being so bold and not per-say doing the typical "feel-good" thing. It was much more real.

This scene was absolutely beautiful, and for so many reasons.

While we had to experience that extreme emotional turmoil with Mike, and his dreams had to be altered, there was still a happy ending, and both characters admittedly needed each other to make one whole of a super-monster. I think the film has a very nice message at the end - that it truly doesn't matter what anyone else thinks your potential is. People may reject you and there will be times where you may feel like a failure, but working hard, staying passionate about what you do and being open to tweaking your future plans can still lead you to a very happy and fulfilling life. As part of a generation that is in the middle of The Great Recession (and I don't care who tells you otherwise, I'm a regular working-class girl with a college degree and I'm in the thick of reality) that kind of message is really important to hear right now.

Also, this little guy seems to be a popular search on Google, and the boyfriend sends him to me every now and again to cheer me up:

Baby Mike!!! This image with John Krasinski was the best way to start this film.

For my next installment, I'll be talking about The Lone Ranger, and then after that, a few more details about Frozen! Don't forget to subscribe so that you won't miss them!

'Limited Time Magic' brings back boy band Dapper Dans

2013-07-12T11:24:00.001-07:00

'Limited Time Magic' brings back boy band Dapper Dans

Disneyland announces plans for Halloween Time 2013

2013-07-01T15:04:00.001-07:00

Disney's announced its plans for Halloween Time this year, along with the dates for the specially-ticketed parties. I upgraded to a Premium AP, but with things like this, I wonder if it was worth it. Christmas time will be the true test, especially since that's going to be around my 10 year anniversary.

Disneyland announces plans for Halloween Time 2013

Show your red, white and blue at the Disneyland Resort

2013-07-01T13:07:00.001-07:00

Wanna know what patriotic things you can partake in at Disneyland this year? Here's the down-low :)

Show your red, white and blue at the Disneyland Resort

Disney finally releases a teaser and gallery for Frozen!

2013-06-20T13:26:00.003-07:00

We've all been anxiously awaiting a teaser trailer for this film and some official imagery. Those unofficial posters from several months ago just weren't going to satiate us. However, those unofficial posters were pretty close to the end result.

But let's take a look at the teaser first.

I, personally, was hoping to get an actual introduction to the Snow Queen herself, but sure, the sidekicks seem cute.

I'll be honest here - I wasn't all that impressed with Olaf the talking snowman when I first heard about him. I generally love the 2D concept art that Disney creates for CG films, but I just wasn't feeling it. But after seeing this teaser trailer, I must admit, I think he'll be a very special Disney character that people are going to love.

What does somewhat bother me about this teaser is that Disney has turned a reindeer into a dog. Was that really necessary? Truthfully, I don't know what kind of personalities and behaviors reindeer have, but I'm sure they have something interesting about them past being a significant part of Christmas marketing. If Disney wanted a dog, they should have just included a dog. I don't know. I'm really hoping that this canine behavior makes sense within the context of the film.

*EDIT* As it turns out, reindeer and dogs have a lot in common, and the behavior the reindeer is showing in the teaser is very natural. I think I was a little concerned after seeing Tangled (which I love, btw, and Maximus is a wonderful character, though the animators did have him perform some dog-like behaviors that are not natural, which I know for a fact, as I've grown up with horses my entire life) - but what the animators did here was quite appropriate.

All in all, the teaser is cute, and brings back memories of on of those wonderfully classic Disney scenes: Bambi on ice.

But now, let's take a look at the new photos added to the official Frozen gallery online.

The image that interests me most is the one of Anna looking up and seeing her sister, Elsa. The use of light and dark looks great, and, honestly, their relationship in the story is what I'm really interested in seeing.

I also find it funny that the image of Elsa is nearly the same pose as what we saw in that unofficial poster. It's kind of frustrating that the only official image of her thus far is one where she looks so tiny. I was hoping to see a standalone image of her. While the contrast of light and dark and her high position looking down at her sister suggests power, I'm still craving to see more of her in full glory. Here's hoping we'll see a few more images in the coming months.

I can promise you that at the D23 Expo this year, I will be going to whatever Frozen panel I can get to. Disney was very generous when it was just before Princess and the Frog was coming out - they showed us a full musical number and tons of art for the film, with a healthy dosage of spoilers. I'll be covering the whole expo for Examiner.com, and including some other stuff here as well (don't worry, I'll provide links!) - will be there for the full three days and I can't wait!

Anyhow, stay cool everyone! And go check out Monsters University, which comes out tomorrow!

Trouble at the Studios with 'Frozen'

2013-05-04T15:33:00.002-07:00

I'm sure you've all heard, but Disney laid off a bunch of the hand-drawn animators a while back, and once again shut down the hand-drawn animation department. Obviously very sad, but something that Disney has done quite a few times in the past, and those animators had seen the writing on the wall since a short period before Tangled was released. Looking at past Disney history, I'm fairly confident they'll eventually re-open and close the department again in the future. CG is cheaper, easier and the company makes the excuse that CG films make more money, therefore ink and paint is a waste of the company's time. Truthfully, it's not so much the medium in which an animated film is created, but the social climate, advertising and content is what really sells or doesn't sell something. Maybe one day the suits will care enough to figure that out.

But perhaps the original way the company made feature animated films really was the better way to do things. Surprise surprise, Frozen, that upcoming CG animated feature to open in November, is apparently having some significant trouble right now. Apparently all of the people in the animation studio were asked to literally stop all the other work that they were doing to come and help fix this significantly troubled film.

Final artwork for Olaf, a sentient snowman that Elsa, the Snow Queen, created as her first attempt at making an evil snowman for her army. Olaf turned out more goofy and friendly than evil.

Is it really any wonder that they're having a tough time? The Snow Queen project has been in development at Disney for decades. It's the on-again, off-again fling Disney animation has been having. It was in development years ago, but when Disney felt that The Princess and the Frog underperformed with audiences because it was a princess film, they shelved it once more. But even then, they were having issues...issues with the Snow Queen's character, the plot, etc.

They have some strong people working on this project. They have the tools to succeed, although I think they should have given themselves more time and, well, focus. The feature film animation department used to work on only one project at a time. They didn't set severe deadlines on themselves, though admittedly that had plenty of drawbacks. Watch Waking Sleeping Beauty and you'll get the full story there.

Disney may be a powerful company, but their image will always be rather vulnerable because the public expects so much from them. Frozen could be a true powerhouse of a film, but it must have all the bells and whistles. Dreamworks continues to churn out films that make bank at the box office, but (at least in my opinion) they are nowhere near as good as most Disney films.

Advertising, Disney. Please, for the sake of your company, don't screw up the advertising!

Speaking of which, we still don't have a trailer for Frozen, and the film opens in about 6 months! I wonder if the negative feedback on the looks for Anna and Elsa (from those fake movie posters - I had a feeling they weren't genuine) have anything to do with that? Yes, the posters were fake, but the models were fairly accurate. Truthfully, the similarity in looks between Rapunzel and Anna were a bit disconcerting, not to mention the fact that she looked cross-eyed in the image. And then the Snow Queen, the character that admittedly everyone was honestly the most excited for, ended up looking like a fairy out of a Tinkerbell movie.

Last year at Destination D, there was a panel all about Frozen (that's where the image of the sentient snowman came from). And a little before that event, a video was composed as promotional material for the film - yet, interestingly enough, it was never shown at the D23 event. However, the video was leaked a week ago, and the internet was in a slight frenzy. The video has been pulled for the most part, but I still stumbled across it accidental today while doing a little research for this article. Some stills have been shared online, so I'll share some of them here now (and of course, if Disney wishes for me to take them down, I will do so). If you don't want anything spoiled (though I doubt you would have clicked to read this article then), get out of here now!

Here's a first look at one of the castles in the film. I am guessing that this is the castle that both Anna and Elsa grew up in, as they are sisters. Who knows if this part of the story is still the same, but from what was told at Destination D last year, a major coronation ceremony was taking place when Elsa's powers reveal themselves in a rather unfortunate way. This is even more tragic for her, as there is a prophecy that pretty much calls her out for ruining her kingdom in snow and frost. The girl flees, creates her own castle of ice and an army of evil snowmen, and hides inside from the rest of the world. Presumably Anna misses her sister and wants to make things right, so she goes on the dangerous quest of finding her sister with a "ragtag team."

Once can guess that this is Elsa in her icy palace. I really love this artwork with the stylization and the contrast between cold and warm, something emulated in the designs between Elsa and Anna.

Anna and Kristoff mountain climbing. This could be a set-up for a pretty interesting action sequence.

Another piece of concept art of Elsa. I'm fairly confident that this will not be how her hair looks in the final film (from everything I've heard, it sounds certain that she will have a long fishtail braid), but the dress is fairly close and if anything this just looks quite beautiful. Something that I have heard is that the snowflake motif is like the signature to Elsa's work.

This looks to be Elsa's ice castle. I feel a little bit of Maleficent's Forbidden Mountain Fortress in this, but not per say as ominous. Elsa is probably more misunderstood than evil - I like that.

More of Elsa's handiwork. What a spectacular image! I really hope we see this in the finished version of the film.

Note the color of Anna's hair. She's now more of a strawberry blonde while Elsa keeps the platinum locks, emphasizing warm vs cool colors. Her long cape is also shredded, yet she appears more free.

I'm sure many of you remember those fake movie posters. In the one featuring Anna, I noticed at least one significant white strand in her braid. While the image overall looked like unrefined CG, I don't think that was just a highlight - I'm wondering if the strand has any significance, as Elsa has white blonde hair that looks exactly like that. Anna and Elsa are sisters - is it just because they are related, or could this mean that Anna has some winter magic in her as well?

Disney created a few moments of unfinished CG animation for this video. Here are Kristoff and Anna running from something, only to come to the edge of a cliff.

Here is Anna, covering herself from Elsa's icy attack.

Elsa forming her snowflake trademark.

Actually seeing something makes me more excited about this film. Disney may be holding off any sort of promotion because they are hard at work fixing the film, but I really wish they would officially release something - anything. This leaked video might have been a mistake, but if anything I think it has helped the film. They need to start generating some buzz!

I figure that there will be a major Frozen panel at the D23 Expo this year, which I will of course be attending and covering. They had a big one for The Princess and the Frog, so why not this feature film? And it will be August, so whether they like it or not, they'll have to have something to show by then, as winter will be a hop skip and a jump away.

So, what do you think? How do you feel about Disney not sharing this promo video last year? Do you think that Disney will get Frozen's loose ends tied together nicely by the time the film opens in November? Are you excited for the film? How do you feel about the 2D vs 3D animation debacle? Talk about it here!

P.S. - Many thanks to The Rotoscopers for all their information and insight on this upcoming Disney release!

Why a bunch of E-Tickets were closed on a Saturday, and why Space Mountain has yet to re-open at Disneyland

2013-04-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

I don't like posting rumors without some sort of reliable source.

When I saw on MiceChat that several major attractions at Disneyland Resort were randomly closed on a Saturday morning, I wasn't quite sure what to do. I went to Disneyland and saw for myself that some attractions were inexplicably closed (though by that time a few were luckily back to welcoming guests). As a journalist, one becomes intrigued and eager to write - but without an official source, without any official statement, how can you just sit down and write about this story? Okay, sure, a lot of major networks do this sort of thing all the time nowadays, but little 'ol me? I try to hold myself to a higher standard.

So I waited.

MiceAge eventually procured more information, and based off of that article I was able to write. Luckily, nearly all of the attractions are back up and running, but sadly, Space Mountain is still out of commission. To find out why, go here. Let's just hope this doesn't suddenly turn into a 2-3 year absence.

Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries at Innoventions

2013-04-19T11:10:00.001-07:00

I got to check out this new exhibit in Tomorrowland at Disneyland a few days ago, and it is awesome. For my full review and photo gallery, go here!

Starbucks finally coming to Main Street; Disneyana to merge with Disney Gallery

2013-03-19T13:30:00.001-07:00

New Examiner article up (with artsy pictures of Starbucks Disney Parks coffee cups - you know you want to look ;) ).

Starbucks finally coming to Main Street; Disneyana to merge with Disney Gallery

All I can say is...finally! Maybe now I won't get food poisoning from coffee on Disneyland property (sad, but true). Sure, the other coffee will still be available but you can bet that I will not be ordering it again! Tazo Tea, however...yesssss.

Oh, and don't worry - the same theming and props will remain at Market House, so purists can sleep soundly.

Get Your Greek On & 'A Whole New World' at Sephora

2013-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

As part of Disney Parks' Limited Time Magic, Disneyland Resort will be hosting their very own Greek festival at the "it's a small world" Mall and Paradise Gardens. You can read more about it here.

What's this girl most excited for? Hercules and wine tasting, baby! No judging. Hercules was quite pleasing to the eye and you know it. Too bad Meg won't be joining him. Oh well, at least we also get a Greek sampling of the Food and Wine Festival. I wish they would bring that back. Maybe next year? Testing the waters?

Oh yeah, and remember how I told you that the Sephora Cinderella Collection was only to be the first in a long line of Disney Princess collections? Well, Jasmine now has her own wares out in stores. I snapped a few shots of the new makeup at Downtown Disney in Anaheim.

If you're missing the Cinderella makeup, Anaheim actually still has a display up of those items...guess they're not sold out after all :)

The Jasmine Collection is in the same format as its predecessor, but the colors and fashion in which they are delivered are more on the exotic side. The colors are very vibrant and beautiful! As for the perfume, it is just as appealing. From the Sephora website:

Enchanting as magic itself, this alluring blend of exotic flowers and rich, warm woods is fit for a diamond in the rough. Empowering and seductive, this tempting fragrance will allow you to be the master of your own destiny. So go ahead, make your own magic.

Notes:

Carnation, Orange Blossom, Mandarin, Gardenia, Mimosa, Musky Accord, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber, Benzoin.

Style:

Enticing. Mystical. Sensuous.

No actual jasmine in the notes? That's surprising. Anyhow, the perfume is appropriately titled 'A Whole New World.' As for new additions, we now also have a set of eyeliners and perfumed body shimmer.

What do you think of Limited Time Magic so far? Will you be going Greek Memorial Day weekend? And does the new Jasmine Collection look appealing to you? Talk about it here!

Disneyland's Fantasy Faire Simply Magical!

2013-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

The new princess meet and greet for Disneyland, entitled 'Fantasy Faire' opened Tuesday, having gone through different sets of previews last week. I decided to enjoy it like the average visitor instead and had quite a lovely time on opening day, and wrote a review for it here.

As this is a princess blog, it shouldn't be that big of a surprise that I love the new offerings. But I am a die-hard Disneyland fan, so I'm also from a group of fans that tend to get a little picky about things like theming, paint and whether or not that audio-animatronic is working properly. When a figure from its a small world goes missing since before the holiday overlay last year, I notice (I'm looking at you, yodelers).

That said, we fans debate on these issues extensively and do not always agree. I've noticed a significant amount of griping coming from MiceChat over this new area, and I have to say that on this issue, I have to disagree with them. I hear complaints ranging from the new Royal Theatre tent's colors being too bright that it intrudes on Sleeping Beauty Castle drawing your eye to criticizing the area for aiming specifically towards girls, to which I say the California sun will tarnish that tent's colors rather quickly and that as we are a patriarchal society, we constantly devalue anything that is inherently geared towards the female gender while ignoring the fact that most things we do have are aimed at a white male audience (Carsland, anyone?) and receive very little criticism for it.

Look, we're not all going to enjoy the same things. It is impossible to please everyone at the same time. Walt was very noble in attempting to create a place where families can enjoy something together as a family, and even though not all of you will appreciate the new Fantasy Faire, there will be many more that do, and Disneyland is still a place where families can go and enjoy the day together. I'm sorry that the Carnation stage is underneath everything and swing dancing has been moved to Downtown Disney, but really, is it honestly the end of the world when a prime piece of Disneyland real estate remains dead for most of the day and suddenly gets some new life into it that we all know will be enjoyed by a significant percentage of visitors? There are plenty of places to swing dance. Honestly, you could swing dance anywhere if you really wanted to. My boyfriend has chosen to be cute on many occasions by randomly dancing with me in places like the mall parking lot. But you can't meet Belle from Beauty and the Beast just anywhere, and it's cruel to expect families to wait in 45 minute lines out in the Anaheim heat with no protection or relief from the elements while Aurora is dying in her velvety heavy long-sleeved gown.

Swing dancing may still come back to the area - Disney hasn't made any sort of official announcement yet. This is a new area that they are displaying to guests and they need time to access the area for any tweaking or additions they wish to make before complicating things with dancing on the floor every night. Then add to the fact that the new Tangled Tower has a very beautiful effect at night that you can only really appreciate if it's quiet and not too bright out there. Let the new area stretch it's legs a bit before crying foul play.

In short, I'm sorry you're upset if you feel a piece of Disneyland history has been taken away from you, or that a tradition that you've celebrated in that area is no more, or at least on hiatus for the time being. But Disneyland is not just for you, it's for everyone, and Disney has to play to it's major audiences. Far more critical to the Disneyland experience is meeting your favorite characters, and for a great deal of people they are the princesses. This gives the heroines a royal set-up for families to enjoy, and it has been themed very well. The stage is now also actively being used and is doing what a theatre should do - bringing the magic of live performance to an audience. The new shows are actually very well done, and you should come out to see them, no matter what age or demographic you are.

Disneyland will continue to change. It cannot stay the same forever if Disney wants to continue to entertain guests. That doesn't mean that change should happen for change's sake. In this case, the change was logical and has proven to be a successful one. Now if you really want to gripe, just take a look at Tomorrowland and look at the remnants of 1998... ;)

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Be sure to subscribe to me here and at my new site (you'll find the link through the link at the top of the article)! See you at Fantasy Faire!

A Tale of Two Sites

2013-03-02T10:51:00.002-08:00

Hey guys!

For those few of you that follow this blog, I really appreciate it. It's nice to know that there are people out there that find the things I write about as interesting. If the internet has taught me anything, it's that it can always connect you to at least one human out there that thinks about the same things as you do, even when you felt completely alone, stranded out in the ocean in a little lifeboat with a tiger (little post-Oscar humor for you).

Part of me always hoped that I could make some sort of livelihood on my writing, or on my Disneyland obsession. Well, the opportunity has finally presented itself - I am now a freelance writer for Examiner.com as their Anaheim Disney Travel Examiner! This is all very exciting, and I hope that everything works out.

What does this mean for this blog here? Honestly, there will not be a ton of changes. I still intend on keeping up this blog, writing about all things Disney and princess that I want to write about. But when it comes to Disney Anaheim Travel (meaning Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Disney Anaheim hotels, Downtown Disney, and yes, the upcoming D23 Expo) I will be creating articles at Examiner instead of here. However, so no one stays out of the loop, I will be linking to my articles there here. Shameless self-promotion? Maybe. Completely necessary? Absolutely.

My writing style there will be a little different. The articles will not be as long as they often get over here. They'll be as lean and mean as possible, but still interesting and informative, and hopefully, entertaining.

So, I sincerely hope that you will subscribe to me at Examiner.com and check out my articles there. I have written two so far, and am including their links below.

Thanks for your continued support, and hope to see you both here and there!

'True Love Week' at the Disneyland Resort
Speed through Disneyland Resort with the Single Rider Service

Carthay Circle Restaurant - a Romantic Hideaway!

2013-02-11T16:36:00.000-08:00

When visiting Disneyland Resort, there are days when I just want to hit as many attractions as possible. I will bring my backpack, snacks, water bottles and flip flops and head out early in the morning, full of determination and energy.

However, there are other days where I just want a quiet and serene date day with my prince charming, one where I am not rushing from place to place but taking in the sights, sounds and bites.

Not too long ago, my prince decided to surprise me and took me to Carthay Circle Restaurant, a location that I'd been dying to try ever since I first heard about Disney's plans for the location. I knew that the geniuses behind The Grand Californian's Napa Rose had crafted Carthay's menu, and if Napa was any indicator, I knew I was in for a treat.

The outside of the restaurant is modeled after the very theatre where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered, but the inside is decked out in art deco luxury, with the ceiling on the second floor (first floor is for the lounge, second floor for dining) has a beautiful mural of the enchanted forest from Snow White. Even the flatware was carefully selected to keep within theme.

The service was kind, helpful and attentive. Carthay has an extensive beverage list to appease any palette, and if you love seafood, the menu offers many delicious options. Don't get too full though - you'll want to leave room for the enchanted apple dessert!

If you are in the mood for a calm, romantic atmosphere with exciting and unique dining options, Carthay is the perfect place to visit. This location is fine dining, so it's a little more expensive, but definitely worth the price. Be sure to give it a try!

The Oft Frozen Journey of the Snow Queen

2013-02-04T12:24:00.003-08:00

EDIT: Due to the fact that those supposed Frozen posters of Anna and Elsa were fake, and that Disney has requested their removal in many places online, I have chosen to remove the images that I originally used of them in this article. From what I have heard, the actual models were rather close to what the final character designs were, but I guess we'll have to see - Disney has to release some sort of teaser trailer soon, right?

Not too long ago, Disney gave us a first look at a piece of concept art for Frozen.

Ominously (at least that's how I felt at the time), Elsa, the Snow Queen, was left out of the image while we got a look at Anna (her sister) and Kristoff.

I suppose I've had high hopes for the Snow Queen's design. This animated film has been a long time coming, so there's quite a bit of old concept art out there.

My favorite.

The majority of the old concept art for the Snow Queen shows a very beautiful yet cruel-looking character, or at least someone that you might not feel too comfortable having dinner with. Which is probably part of the reason why this project has been so plagued with problems story-wise.

This film has had several stops and goes...going all the way back to the 1930s, believe it or not (though back then it was supposed to be part live-action and part animation). The project was once called "The Ice Queen" as well as, of course, "The Snow Queen." I'm fairly confident that the project is now called "Frozen" because of how well Tangled did. Those guys in marketing must be convinced that due to the name change for Rapunzel's story and somehow "hiding" the fact that the film was a princess story, instead of making it obvious with The Princess and the Frog, Tangled did better than they thought it would.

In fact, when Princess and the Frog didn't do quite as well as they wanted, that's when Disney chose to rename the Rapunzel film. Disney has wanted to make as much as it did when The Lion King came out ($312 million). Never mind that the film was competing with Avatar at the time and that that's when the economy truly went down the tanker...

That was also one of the instances when the Snow Queen project was shelved. A princess and traditionally hand-drawn film? Oh no, that simply wouldn't do! In fact, mere days before Tangled was released, Ed Catmull stated that Disney was done with fairy tales for a while (though I will emphasize here that after nearly everyone freaked out from what he said, he went on record saying that he didn't mean that Disney would never churn out a fairy tale film ever again). But he and John Lasseter, who oversaw Disney animation, canned not just the Snow Queen film, but also a version they were planning of Jack and the Beanstalk. It's kind of ironic, considering that, once upon a time, John was very eager to actually direct the Snow Queen project, actually wanting to direct a princess film.

Then Tangled was released and earned over $200 million domestically, and the big boys that scoffed at fairy tales and princess stories were reminded why Disney became a powerhouse in the first place. Yes, it helped that Flynn/Eugene was an actually interesting character and the film had some action and adventure - but that never changed the fact that the film was still a fairy tale centered around the story of a princess. The Princess and the Frog had an interesting male character (and was just all-around solid with great word of mouth) as well, but perhaps featuring Flynn more prominently for Tangled's promos helped.

There is something to be said for setting the bar too high for your own good, though. Disney/Pixar cannot expect to get the same set of numbers at the box office every time. Instead of focusing so much on how much of a box office blockbuster they create, they should be more focused on the creative quality of their films (not that quality has gone awry yet per say). And as we all know, Disney makes the majority of its money from their films in the long-run, not simply the time that their films are out in theaters. Merchandise is a huge money-maker, especially where the princesses are concerned.

Anyhow, Tangled proved that the world still wanted to see Disney princesses and fairy tales, which is why the Snow Queen project made a comeback. But perhaps Disney is trying a little too hard to replicate Tangled's success. Besides the name change, the new Disney Princess Anna looks an awful lot like Rapunzel.

So what if they gave Anna blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair instead of green eyes and regular blonde hair...they still look like they could be sisters.

Is this the price of doing this film in CG? Are all of the girls are going to have the same head shape, eyes and nose? People have noted how similar Ariel and Rapunzel are in design, but honestly, after seeing Anna I feel it a bit less. If Disney took the film in a more unique art direction, it would not be so obvious. But at least all of the snow will look luminous...

The original Hans Christian Andersen story actually features children (Kai and Gerda) as main characters. I'm not sure why Disney decided to drop this idea...perhaps they were hung up on creating a romance. But they did toy with the idea. As for the name changes, while I have heard some criticism regarding the matter, I do not see a big problem with it. As someone who has family from that part of the world, I can safely say that all of their names are very Danish.

I am happy to see that Kristoff is a slightly burlier man. While not quite a Bastion (a shelved concept for Rapunzel's beau), he's not as thin as he was in his original concept art.

They have strayed quite far from the original fairy tale, and that is their right as creators of entertainment. But they do seem to be pushing further and further away from the original fairy tale and original concept. The Snow Queen, or Elsa, looks like she came straight out of one of the CG Tinkerbell films or even from Dreamworks. Here's the brand new poster of her (sorry about the awkward logo).

It's true that once Disney decided to toy with more serious animated features, their box office revenues began to dip. Somehow The Lion King, which took the plot of Shakespeare's "Halmet," was able to find a strong balance between comedy and tragedy, and without feeling like it was some sort of formula. But once Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame were released, audiences dropped from the numbers they had built from earlier in the Disney Renaissance.

It's a shame, really. I actually love Pocahontas and Hunchback. They both have sweeping scores, beautiful animation and I felt that Disney made some bold choices with those films. Perhaps part of the problem was that they weren't dedicated to being serious enough...the moment where they would try to implement comedy or cut certain songs were possibly where things went wrong. But in any case, trying to make a film for everyone is shooting yourself in the foot. 99% of the time you just can't please everyone.

Disney is definitely leaning towards a comedic feel, however. Besides a one-antlered reindeer, there will also be a talking snowman named Olaf. He's a snowman, and this film will be released for the holidays, which means a bunch of Christmas merchandise tie-ins. Not quite sure how I feel about him yet.

I still have high hopes for this film, regardless of all the changes it's gone through. Part of what can help ensure that this film isn't just about some cold-hearted [insert derogatory female term here] and coming across as woman-hating, Jennifer Lee, who co-wrote the script for Wreck-It Ralph, will be co-directing this film alongside Chris Buck, as well as contributing to the film's script.

Besides the script and direction, the music and casting sounds promising. Kristen Bell will voice Anna, and Idina Menzel will voice Elsa. Both have great musical theatre chops, though obviously the latter is more well-known for it than the other. While we saw Idina in Enchanted (and was even animated as a fairy tale version of herself), playing a leading role in a Disney animated feature must be a dream come true.

As for the score and lyrics, Broadway vets Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (a married team, aww) are taking care of it. You can bet that the lyrics will be very clever and probably quite funny.

So while Frozen may not be the film we all expected it to be from the beginning, it will probably be successful in that it will entertain audiences. And that's really the most important aspect in all of this, right?

And in the meantime, I'll be anxiously awaiting that secret 2D animated film that Ron and John are working on for (I believe) 2014.

Tony Baxter to Become Part-Time at WDI

2013-02-03T17:09:00.004-08:00

A lot of people seem to be getting a little dramatic about Tony Baxter's sudden change in his work schedule.

Going from full time to part time hardly means that someone "resigns." Look, the man isn't 30 anymore (he actually started working for Disney at 17, scooping ice cream at Disneyland)...he's worked hard for a long time and he deserves to take things a bit easier, step back and enjoy the world a little bit more instead of keeping his nose to the grindstone every week.

If you haven't heard, Tony Baxter is switching from Senior Vice President, Creative Development to becoming a part time advisor for WDI after working for Disney for several decades. If you don't know who he is, he's the guy that has been the mastermind behind mega Disney attraction classics such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. He's an Imagineering rock star, and still a nice guy.

"Why is he doing this?" you may ask. Well, if I was 66, I'd like to have a little more free time for myself. Yes, he's a brilliant guy, but he's also just like any other human being and people generally like to retire around his age. I really don't see there being any huge conspiracy in this. He's already left a strong legacy but he's not abandoning Walt Disney Imagineering. I think his intentions to stay in touch are pretty clear. Here's a snippet from his letter...if you would like to read it in its entirety, go here.

"And now it comes down to the point at hand. I am not suggesting that I could be a mentor to you all, but that said, you should all have someone you can turn to in this manner. I do hope to be available to help support your ideas, give advice or even join a team whenever appropriate. My role will be one of supporting your visions in the best way I can, and encouraging you to maintain and build upon this already special place. I will have availability, and if you would like my assistance in any way, please e-mail Bruce Vaughn’s office to request my time.

This is not a goodbye, but hopefully a letter of introduction to the many of you that I have not yet had the chance to meet personally."

Don't fret. Tony will still make himself available to the Imagineers that need him. Disney has a long tradition of animators and Imagineers calling up the retired pros for their help and guidance. Tony isn't even retiring - if anything, this will probably strengthen the current talent at Imagineering.

Happy belated birthday Tony! May your wisdom guide the newer talent at Imagineering to continue to do great things.

TRON: UPRISING May Be DEREZZED

2013-01-18T11:10:00.001-08:00

ATTENTION PROGRAMS.

Disney is currently sabotaging one of it's best current pieces of entertainment - Tron: Uprising.

I realize that not everyone is a fan of TRON, but whether you are or not, I highly suggest giving this television show a chance, not just now, but for the chance to even continue.

Right now, the show is on Disney XD, and the current new episodes play on Sunday nights at midnight (11 p.m. c).

You think that's a terrible time slot? So do I. The time slot, the channel and the advertising are what's killing this show, not the show itself.

Tron: Uprising doesn't belong on Disney XD. It is far too mature and intelligent to play next to shows like Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja. It belongs on a more adult-geared channel...I don't see why this show couldn't play on, say, ABC. Maybe Disney chose Disney XD because it is an action-packed cartoon, but in tone, maturity and content, the show just doesn't fit comfortably next to all of their other shows.

This reflects one of the inherent issues that the Disney corporation seems to continually struggle with. They can't seem to get over the idea that cartoons are for everyone, not just for kids. Walt understood that, but as with many other aspects of the company, once he died, much of his intentions and direction for the company died as well.

Look at Cartoon Network, for example. They section off their genres of cartoons, knowing what demographics their programming is aimed at and when - and they are proof that mature cartoons can be successful.

This show has so much going for it. The plot is compelling and never talks down to the audience (perhaps too complex for a 7 year old at times, but not for someone a few years older). I would suggest watching Legacy before watching the show, but truthfully it is not completely necessary.

The characters are engaging and actually have interesting arcs, and the vocal cast is equally impressive. Elijah Wood stars as Beck, the program that is tired of Clu's evil reign on the Grid and feels that someone needs to take a stand to stop him. Bruce Boxleitner reprises his role as Tron, who is now too wounded to take back the Grid, but trains Beck to take his place as the new Tron. Mandy Moore, our very own Rapunzel, voices Mara, who along with Zed (Nate Corddry) are close friends of Beck who work with him at Able's (Reginald VelJohnson) Garage. Emmanuelle Chriqui voices Paige, one of Tesler's (Lance Henriksen) field commanders. She is my personal favorite. She is dedicated to working for Clu, but it is sadly all based on a lie, and we as an audience see that she is not actually evil, but misled by the corruption of Clu's cronies. Paul Reubens voices Pavel, Tesler's second-in-command, is however as evil as they come, and it is very interesting to hear Mr. Reubens voice such a different character. And finally, The Grid (yes, The Grid starts off each episode) is voiced by Tricia Helfer.

The animation is awesome, so unique and so appropriate to the world. I didn't like it at first, admittedly, but I soon grew to love it. The style can be desribed as something reminiscent of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, ThunderCats, and Aeon Flux.

The musical score is worth the purchase of the soundtrack, too; it fits into the rest of the Tron universe nicely, as it is orchestrated by Joseph Trapanese, the same guy that arranged Daft Punk's score for Tron: Legacy.

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (the same guys that created Once Upon a Time) along with Justin Springer act as consulting producers while Charlie Bean acts as executive producer.

So the show is pretty solid. There are no gaping holes in the actual content or by the way it is created. But there are rumors spreading that the show could possibly be cancelled due to "lack of an audience."

Well, obviously. If you change the day and time slots for new episodes all of the time, don't let viewers know when the next episodes are even coming, completely stop advertising the show for when it will actually be on, and make the show completely unaccessible online (which is ridiculous, considering that the show premiered on youtube and gave us all hope that it would have a larger internet presence), you're going to kill it. Go here to see Disney's website for the show and see what I mean.

Programs, I'm appealing to you. This is a fantastic show that doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.

This is why I'm encouraging you to check out this show ASAP and watch the new episode that is premiering at midnight this coming Sunday. It's a poor time slot, but the show needs more love or it will probably be cancelled.

It's time to begin the "uprising" in ratings and fight for this show! If you want to do more, you can go here and tell Disney how you feel, or you can tweet at them directly.

Once Upon a Time is Magical, and OMG BELLE!!! (Spoilers & Speculation)

2013-01-16T16:54:00.001-08:00

I always have friends telling me, "Have you seen [some television show]? Oh my God, you have to watch it! You'd love it!" They are always enthusiastic, but I have people telling me this for a whole number of shows all the time.

As it is, I don't generally watch a lot of television as it airs. I'm not always home in the evenings so it can be hard to keep up with a show, but the ones that I do keep up with I remain loyal to. I also have Netflix, which is one of the best investments ever.

There was one show recently that kept coming up over and over again, though, and that was Once Upon a Time on ABC. Initially this irritated me because, well, I felt singled out for my love of Disney and fairy tales. It didn't help that, when someone would describe the show to me, they would say, "Since you love Disney so much this would definitely be a show up your alley."

Yes, obviously I love Disney, but I don't enjoy getting lumped into a category - and just because I generally love Disney doesn't mean that I love everything Disney. In all honesty, I only own 1 Mickey Mouse shirt, and that was gifted to me. I mostly collect princess merchandise. On top of everything, the way people would say that I would like it bothered me. I felt like they saw me as some sort of stereotype, almost as though they were somewhat talking down to me.They wouldn't actually tell me anything about the plot or the characters, not even who was in it - just that I would enjoy it because a bunch of Disney characters were running around.

But the last person that talked to me about the show was also a Disney fan, and asked me if I had Netflix. When I said yes, she told me that the entire first season was there to watch. This appealed to me because I knew that I could sit in front of my television and watch everything back to back if I enjoyed it. So, one day, when I had nothing to do, I decided to give the pilot of the series a chance and just watch.

The pilot got me hooked (pun somewhat intended).

I love that Snow White is a strong woman who is not afraid to use a sword. I love that Prince Charming (and P.S., in Disney lore in the OG Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the prince is just named as "Prince," while in Cinderella the prince's name is "Prince Charming") is a charming kinda guy with a compelling story and a great personality. I love how I truly sympathize for Regina and everything that she's been through, and hope that she does redeem herself for Henry. I love how a character can turn out to be more than one fairytale character. I love how layered the show is, and how much more we still can find out about the characters and their stories. I love that it is a show that doesn't overly PC itself, and how focused it is on parent-child relationships. The concept and execution of the stories are wonderful, and while at times the CGI can get a little goofy, it doesn't take my enjoyment out of the show.

I suppose I could go on and on, but to sum up, I think the show is well-written and well-executed.

I am now completely caught up, and I just have to talk about this last episode, "The Outsider," and what I speculate is to come for the rest of the season. If you don't want any spoilers for future episodes (as I've been visiting the spoiler websites - can't help it), you might want to stop reading. I will also be including promo pictures for the next episode.

Hook was a jerk and shot Belle in the arm, and now she doesn't remember who she is since she fell over the town line. Rumple is traumatized and heartbroken. Then karma hit Hook (literally) with a car, coming from the outside world - and the poor stranger driving said vehicle crashed onto the side of the road. Hook flew to the side of the road as well, and as we know now is unconscious.

When the show opens back up on Sunday, I'm pretty sure we'll be right back in this spot where "The Outsider" ended, with Mr. Gold, still mortified looking at his shot beloved, trying to figure out what to do. Belle will be freaked out, not just because she's shot, but because she doesn't know how she got to where she is or why this strange man keeps calling her Belle.

We know that once someone passes the town line without any magical help, their Storybrooke selves become their only selves. I have a few questions though. 1) Did Belle even have another specific identity/story past being stuck in an asylum for as long as she can remember? Did she have another name that we never found out about? Did she remember any version as to why she'd been locked up for so long? And 2) Would Belle remember, at the very least, Jefferson freeing her, telling her to find Mr. Gold and her interactions with Mr. Gold as a result? I am hoping that this would be a yes, but we'll have to wait and see.

In the images, we also see that Prince Charming, Snow White and Emma happen upon the scene - I guess doing some family sheriff patrol time. Hopefully that will help calm Belle down.

In the summary for "In the Name of the Brother," it says, "Dr. Whale is tasked with mending Hook’s wounds and performing surgery on the stranger whose car crashed upon entering Storybrooke. But some of the townspeople fear that the stranger may have seen magic -- which could expose their true identities to the world -- and think that leaving him to die would be the best solution. Meanwhile, as Mr. Gold tries to reunite with a despondent Belle, Cora attempts to reunite with daughter Regina; and in the land that was,Victor desperately wants to prove to his disapproving father that he can, indeed, bring back the dead.^{" (courtesy of}http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/Gerhardt)
So Hook will be taken to the hospital. I personally hope he becomes incapacitated for a while so that he can suffer for a bit. No amount of hotness can rectify his harming of RumBelle. And I'm pretty sure that Emma will be the one that finds him due to this image right here:

"Oh crap. Not HIM again!"

Granted, she could just be calling Dr. Whale for an emergency trip to the hospital instead.

I wondered initially if Rumple would just heal Belle with magic right then and there, but in one of the previews we see Belle in a hospital bed, so I figure he decided not to - probably so that she wouldn't freak out more. She does, however, freak out when he kisses her.

Nope. No true love's kiss, folks. And why would it work? She can't love him if she doesn't remember their history, just as we saw with Snow White and Prince Charming in season 1's "Heart of Darkness." But Charming fought for his true love by proving his love to her by taking an arrow that Snow intended for Regina, so that Snow would not become truly evil. When Snow realized that he would die for her, she fell in love with him again, they kissed, and all of her memories (and personality) came back. As Regina has said, "True love's kiss can break any curse." So unless Rumple can figure out some sort of magic to change Belle back to her old self (probably something he doesn't want to risk), he'll need to get Belle to fall in love with him again, and he's going to have to do some really big things in order to make that happen. Let's hope that Hook doesn't try to woo Belle while they are both stuck in the hospital.

As for Dr. Whale, he seems to be in for one heck of an episode. Besides being tasked to help all of these injured people, the residents of Storybrooke are afraid that the outsider witnessed magic (meaning that amazing fireball that Rumple never got to shoot off at Hook), so they think that it might be better to let him die. That doesn't sound like the moral choice, folks. I'm pretty sure that they'll come around - I mean, they are fairy tale characters after all.

Anyhow, we'll see more of Dr. Whale's background, which means we're going back to black and white. From the looks of things, it sounds like Dr. Frankenstein's possible classic monster is actually his brother (though one could argue that Daniel ended up being the monster, poor guy), and it sounds like the guy has some daddy issues. Maybe we'll see that story play out, and when things don't go as well as planned, he will be humiliated/possibly terrified of his father and perhaps will flee to Oz. I am convinced that the guy is also the Wizard of Oz. We've seen that page of flying monkeys in Henry's book twice, and he was described to Regina as a "wizard." Rumpelstiltskin inquired while talking to him about a pair of slippers to help him travel between worlds. Plus, the outfit with those glasses - it just screams Oz to me.

Some people threw a fit when we discovered that Dr. Whale was Dr. Frankenstein. "It's not a fairytale, it doesn't belong!" Ah, but my dear friends, it does, and it is still separate. Dr. Whale's world is separate from the fairytale realm, just like Wonderland is. This is amazing for the show because it means that all literary worlds are real and connected to each other, which opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for the show.

And then there's the reunion of Cora and Regina, something we've all been waiting for. Perhaps you'd like to see a sneak peek of this encounter? Well, here you go:

I have to wonder where these two are. I mean, there are dressed up mannequins in the background...if Regina decides to make her own apparel line, then I am so in. I guess this must be her new makeshift home (I like the apple tree and mirrors - nice touch). But perhaps she never left home at all - Regina reaches for a doorknob at the end of this scene, without an obvious door attached to it. Perhaps she has secret hiding places in her house? Smart girl.

Anyhow, what amazing performances and dialogue here! Poor Regina - she's so heartbroken. It almost looks like she finally blames her mother more than Snow for Daniel's death. Regina knows better than to trust mommy dearest at the moment, though that will probably change eventually, as Lana has hinted. Cora doesn't appear insincere here, though she very well could be. Perhaps we'll eventually see a Darth Vader/Luke Skywalker moment eventually. "Join me, and together-" etc. etc. Storybrooke would be in hot water if these two decided to be an evil mother/daughter team.

"Emma, and Henry, and the two idiots-" HAHAHAHA!!!! Love it.

Seriously though, it doesn't seem that Regina holds much against Emma for thinking that she was guilty, which is nice. It can give us all hope that, eventually, they can co-exist in Henry's life peacefully.

So they're off to let everyone know that Regina is innocent. And considering that Archie is alive and well, word has ideally gotten around, and perhaps now the residents can figure out who it was that was actually murdered (we can hope that somebody noticed that they went missing, but I kinda doubt that we'll hear much of a follow-up on that). All of the characters meeting together should be interesting to say the least. We know that Cora meets up with Rumple and behaves in an extra friendly manner - it doesn't look like Storybrooke will be up in flames just yet, but Cora must have a grander plan in mind.

Let's look ahead even further. In a promo from a few weeks ago, Rumple appears to be finally calling in the favor that he's owed from Emma in season 1 to go on a little trip to locate Bae. I guess he'll focus on wooing Belle when she's well-enough to get out of the hospital. Anyway, Emma, Mr. Gold and Henry all end up in NYC to look for him.

Neal is coming back to the series, and from a location shoot we saw that Emma was chasing someone through NY, which has to be for the episode "Manhattan." On the same day of the shoot, Emma was seen talking to Neal in a restaurant. This has been speculated online for a long time, but I believe that the theory that Neal is Bae is true - and I think that he could also be Peter Pan.

Timelines in the show are weird, but Robert Carlyle has revealed in interviews that Rumple is 300 years old. We know that both Bae and Hook got magic beans to jump to different worlds. Hook took his crew to Neverland after his run-in with the Dark One. The blue fairy said that the bean would take Bae to where he needed to go - once Bae realized his father would not accompany him, perhaps the bean changed it's route for him to Neverland? The place is a haven for other Lost Boys, so Bae could fit in there quite nicely. How he would have then made it to our world would be another question, but we can get to Neverland "second star to the right and straight on 'till morning," so it't not impossible.

How will Bae react to seeing his father again? How will Neal react to seeing Emma (August sent him that postcard but never showed up) and potentially discovering that he is a baby-daddy? That's a whole lot of information to digest.

Rumpel seems to have pretty decent knowledge of the past, present and future. If all of my theorizing is correct, does Rumpel know that Emma was his son's girl, and that, therefore, Henry is his grandson?! Rumpel knew who Emma was, so when Henry was put up for adoption, he knew to connect Regina to him. This actually could then make him a double-grandfather to the savior's child! Rumpelstiltskin sure loves kids.

Some people may hate on these potential coincidences, but I kind of love them.

Yay!

Neal has to be familiar with the magical realm - how else could August convince him to listen to everything that he'd have to say (and believe him) by just showing him something small in a box? We don't know what it is yet, but we are supposed to learn what exactly that thing was sometime this season.

And yes, August will be back this season. I miss him too, but I'm pretty sure why we haven't seen him. He doesn't handle responsibility and shame very well - he's probably too mortified to face his father, or the rest of the town for that matter. And once Emma does talk to Neal, she might be pretty angry with August. Could she forgive the two of them? And how will Henry feel about all of this? Emma told him that his biological father was a hero so that he wouldn't be disappointed.

Wow, that was a lot. Thank you for sticking it out if you did.

What do you think about Once Upon a Time and where the series is going? Do you like my predictions? Do you think they might be true? Talk about it here!

Top 15 Tips to Shop Bridal Like a Princess

2013-01-14T10:14:00.003-08:00

Christmas has come and gone, and the retail world is heaving a sigh of relief. The chaos is over and things are back to normal.

That is unless, of course, your shop is a part of the bridal industry. Now, bridal salons have entered "Bridal Christmas."

What is Bridal Christmas, you might ask? Well, think of the mad holiday shopping rush at other retailers, but now picture these shoppers as newly engaged women (and men that are so inclined) who got engaged over the holidays, plus their families and friends. They are rushing into bridal salons, where it is ideal to keep a nice, calm and intimate environment going.

One of the first urges for a new bride-to-be is to go wedding dress shopping. And why shouldn't she? Lots of women have dreamed of their future wedding dress since they were little girls. Sure, their tastes may have changed since they were four, but at the end of the day, they still yearn to wear their fantasy dream dress.

If you have recently gotten engaged, congratulations! As your blogger fairy godmother, I may not be able to accompany you to your bridal appointments, but I can prepare you for the shopping journey that you are about to take. It's exciting but also a bit daunting, isn't it? You want to look your very best at your wedding as it's your special day to truly get dolled up, you want to look extra special for the person that you're marrying, and there's probably going to be a bunch of people watching this whole major event of your life unfold.

Want to run yet? I hope not. I've seen a lot of women step into a bridal salon with the look of a deer in headlights. I don't know what it is exactly, but that moment of seeing a sea of white can often paralyze someone.

It does not have to be scary, I promise! As your fairy godmother, I have compiled my own list of things that a proper princess should know before entering a bridal salon. With these tips, you should have all the confidence you need to find the perfect dress for your big day!

Let's get started over here and I'll take your measurements...

1) Do some research. There are tons of awesome websites at your disposal. I'd suggest theknot.com and brides.com as a jumping-off point to take a look at different designers, fabrics, styles and silhouettes. Try to get yourself familiar with some names if you can, and save pictures of the dresses you really like. You may find a designer that you fall in love with instantly. Make a Pinterest board of your favorites (p.s. - if you're worried about certain people seeing what you like, you can have up to 3 secret boards to pin to now). If you find a designer you love, check out their website and click on their locations link - you can find whatever salon closest to you that has their dresses! And if there is a specific dress you want to try on, make sure to call up the store to ask if they have it. If they do not, they can sometimes make arrangements to get that dress in for you to try on in a sample when you come in. Check to see if there are any bridal shows coming up in your area, as there are often fashion shows where dresses are modeled, or you can see them up close on a mannequin. If you can't really narrow things down, don't panic - just do a search for nearby bridal salons that you can visit.

Lazaro LZ3315, perfectly whimsical and fairytale-inspired.

2) Know your budget. Now that you have done some research on bridal gowns, you've also been able to see what these things generally cost and what designers and bridal shops will fall more towards your budget. Are you paying for the dress yourself? Are your parents? Is someone else offering to chip in or foot the bill? If someone else is helping you pay for this, make sure you sit down with them and get a more solid figure before walking into the salon, or things could easily get messy. Also, if someone is offering to pay but thinks that $100 is more than enough for a wedding dress, then you should be honest with them about how much these things cost. David's Bridal may start at $99, but that doesn't mean your dream dress will be that cheap. And besides budgeting for the dress, also leave room for accessories and alterations, because they add up fast.

David's Bridal 9WG3444

3) Make an appointment! Most bridal salons do not take walk-ins, and considering the fact that we are entering Bridal Christmas, the ones that do will still (perhaps even more so) have extra foot traffic. And don't put shopping for your dress off - most salons want you to start shopping for your dress 8-10 months before your wedding because some dresses will take several months to order (and that doesn't take into account the alterations you will probably need later). Stay classy and be prepared.

Sophia Tolli Enobaria

4) Pick those accompanying you to the appointment carefully! I really cannot stress this enough. The last person you want to bring with you to the appointment is someone that would potentially describe you looking like a "linebacker" in a dress (potentially the nastiest comment that I've heard from someone on Say Yes to the Dress). Keep your group small, and only those closest to you. The more people you bring, the more differing opinions you bring with you. If you are having outside financial help paying for the dress, they should be there (just remember that they're not going to pay for the dress if they don't like it). If mom is wanted and available, she should be there. Be prepared that she might be the toughest one to please. This is more than likely because she loves you very much and has been looking forward to this trip since you were born. Only the best will do for her baby girl. Dads (if they want to come to the appointment) will probably be the same way, but will be more apt to crumbling when they see you in that dress because they don't want to let you go. Once you have chosen the people to accompany you, make sure you communicate what it is you are looking for in a dress. If your group isn't on the same page as you, you may come out in a dress you love and they may shoot it down because they pictured you in something else.

Well, my family definitely didn't like this dress...

5) Bring whatever undergarments/shapewear you deem necessary. Every princess wears a little something underneath to hold certain things in place. If you don't have something, the salon may carry it for you to try on with dresses, which may also be available for purchase. Also know that you will have a complete stranger help you change, as bridal gowns can get very heavy and/or complicated - some have corset backs, buttons, zippers etc. But don't worry, they are just there to help you, and they do this all the time with women every day.

6) Watch a few bridal shows to get an idea of what shopping will be like. Say Yes to the Dress is one of my favorite shows, period (both the OG and Atlanta). They are entertaining and overall rather positive compared to a lot of reality television. If you want tips on how a princess doesn't behave, watch Bridezillas.

Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta

7) Keep your venue in mind while shopping. If you plan on getting married on the beach when it is hot, the last thing you will want to wear is a heavy satin ballgown, which would work far better in a ballroom setting. Some will tell you to purchase your dress before picking your venue...I think that it really depends on a wedding-to-wedding basis. Sit down and have a talk with your fiancée about this - if they are fine with you picking out a style and venue for your wedding based off of your dress, that's great! Just know that that might not be what they (or even you!) want. If you are having a religious ceremony, you should check with your venue to see what their dress code policy is...you might discover that you need to cover up a bit more than you anticipated. Don't fret about that, either - bridal is very accommodating to that today. Anything like that can be added on and removed at your leisure.

From etsy.com, a great site for all your bridal shopping needs.

8) A street size 6 is not a bridal size 6. Don't freak out over your weight or body type when you start trying things on and seeing numbers - the sizes in bridal are irregular. You didn't gain a ton of weight overnight, the sizing is just different. Focus more on how you actually look in the dress versus what size it is labeled. Speaking of weight, don't tell your consultant to order your dress a size smaller because you plan on losing weight. Essentially every bride says this and they almost always gain weight instead. A true princess is confident in her own skin, and your dress should make you feel beautiful no matter what size you are.

See? Marilyn doesn't care, and neither should you.

9) What you think will look good on you might not. This can sometimes be a big surprise or letdown for a bride-to-be, but do not lose hope. Not all mermaid dresses are going to fit you the same. And if you loved the look of a certain silhouette (but it did not live up to your expectations), there are often slightly modified versions of that silhouette that are just waiting for you to try them on! If mermaid isn't quite right, maybe you will want to try on a fit and flare or a trumpet style instead (yes, they are all a little different).

Lazaro trumpet.

Lazaro fit and flare.

10) Trust your consultant! You may (or may not) have an idea of what you like and do not like, but remember, these consultants dress brides for a living. You may come into the store adamant that you hate lace and do not want to try it on, but then find that you're absolutely in love with it when you find yourself in a classic A-line lace dress. It is surprising, but fairly often brides end up in styles that they originally said they were not interested in or absolutely hated. Tell your consultant what you are looking for and bring pictures to show them, but if they bring in something for you to try on that doesn't meet that initial description, give them the benefit of the doubt and just try it. You may surprise yourself!

"I used to hate lace, but now I'm a changed woman."

11) Stay true to yourself. Do your best to come in with a clear vision of what type of style or feeling you want from your dress, focusing on phrases of, "I want" instead of phrases of "I don't want." Buzzwords will help your consultant and yourself. Also, you may try on a dress that physically looks absolutely fabulous on you, and everyone that you brought with you might love it and be raving how much they love it and how you should pick this one. But you may still find yourself not truly in love with the dress. Don't force it - when the right dress comes along, you will know. Not every bride gets "the feeling" per say, but you should feel good in the dress, it should be a style that you love and you should feel confident walking out in that dress to show your friends and family. You should also think about the look on your fiancée's face if you were to walk down the aisle in that dress to them. That generally does the trick. And when you find the dress, stop looking! Many brides will find the dress but then go to several other salons and compare the dresses they try on to the dress they fell in love with. There's nothing wrong with trying on a few more dresses, but this often turns into trying on 50 plus more, which is simply unnecessary. Doing this tortures everyone involved, so try to be kind to yourself and everyone else instead of making excuses as to why you will not allow yourself happiness.

Yes, I'm finally caught up and obsessed with Once Upon a Time. Ginnifer Goodwin has said that Mary Margaret will torture herself with almost having happiness and making up every excuse she can to not be with David because of the curse (Season 1 DVD/Blu-Ray commentary).

12) The first dress is sometimes the right dress, and that's ok! Trying on dresses can be overwhelming. On the first try, you may feel so hyped up on emotions that when you see yourself in the mirror and everyone around you is gasping, you may chock it up to simply being "the first one." Like I've said before, these consultants dress brides for a living, so it's not impossible for them to strike gold on the first try. Go ahead and try on a few more dresses if you want to be sure, but if that first one keeps lingering in your mind, try it on again, and you will know.

I love Randy.

13) Know the terms and conditions. Like your other vendors, the dress will have a contract, fine print, etc. Make sure you triple-check everything, and make sure to get the designer name, style number, size, color, delivery date and alterations estimations in writing (but know that you really will have no idea how much alterations will cost you until your dress actually arrives).

Belle misses nothing, and neither should you.

14) Don't rush yourself. Don't wait too long to purchase your dress, but give yourself at least enough time to sleep on it. This is a big purchase for a momentous occasion and there are (ideally) no do-overs. Dresses are generally final-sale, so you need to be absolutely sure that it is the dress.

15) Enjoy the pampering! We all have a princess inside of us, but balls, dances and other formal events are not very commonplace for the average lady in this day and age. You will have people fawning over you as they dress you and doll you up, congratulating you on your engagement and your upcoming wedding. It is a special time that will not last for very long, so enjoy it while it's there, and let your inner princess shine through, whether you want a princess dress or not!

Happily ever after.