A New Redhead for Us to Love - Merida!

This Friday, the general public officially gets to experience Merida’s world when they see Brave, the new film from Disney, and the Pixar division’s first princess film.

This is all pretty ironic, considering that in November of 2010, Disney’s Ed Catmull had stated that Disney was not planning on doing any more fairy tales for a while. Disney expected Tangled to not do so well at the box office…of course, they were proven wrong. So now we are getting Brave, and Disney has put the story of the Snow Queen back on the table.

Granted, Brave got the renamed title treatment that Tangled did. Originally, the film was called The Bear and the Bow…not necessarily princess-like, but the title was not as quirky or solid. Tangled was renamed because Disney feared that calling the film by its title character (who is, in fact, a girl and a princess) would have scared boys away. Who knows if it was the name change or the simple fact that Flynn was actually made into a solid character? In any case, the film did well and the boys at the office were reminded why Disney became a household name in the first place.

So the girls are back. And with every successive film starring a princess, Disney seems to get better and better with portraying a strong and independent female that little girls can idolize and women can relate with.

I have felt some trepidation regarding this film, I must admit. I love Pixar’s films; the stories are solid and heartwarming, harkens back to classic Disney films, and the animation impresses me with every viewing. However, this is the first time they will be featuring a female lead as the main protagonist, and the first time that they are dealing with a fairy tale. The original director for this film, Brenda Chapman, was to be Pixar’s first female director, but due to creative disagreements, was fired from the film. While it is not unusual for these things to happen while working on an animated film, it comes as a nasty sting here, especially towards women, who are still not getting an ample amount of creative expression in the entertainment industry. As a woman, it gets frustrating to hear about people fearing to alienate the male populous regarding entertainment when females have felt that alienation for most of history itself.

So I can’t help but wonder what specifically happened here. Was her presence actually hurting the film, or was it something that was just harder for the male-dominated studio to relate to and understand? Is it not crucial that a female perspective is expressed in Brave, considering that for the first time Disney is showing the complicated relationship between a daughter and a mother who is not a villain?

I can’t help but think of the film Incredibles. It is a fairly entertaining and solid film, but the one aspect of the movie that I have always felt wasn’t quite right was the mother/daughter relationship. This is not something that can be simply explained to men, and is not something that they can generally understand. And when working in a creative environment, it can be difficult for some men to relinquish some control and listen to a female perspective, even if it would make the final product stronger. The glass ceiling is still very present, and I’m hoping that in the case of Brave, it will not hurt the film.

I have mostly positive thoughts for this film, though. It is fun to see a princess that is not really interested in sitting pretty, but rather being active and adventurous, one who takes charge in controlling her own destiny. That is the stuff that solid films are made of. The fact that Merida is an archer is just, well – cool! I was happy to see at Disneyland when the merchandise for Brave had just been released that of all of their items, they were mostly sold out on the archery sets (and I’m not going to lie, I kinda want to get one for myself - FYI, the online Disney Store is already sold out of them!). And from what I have seen in the previews, the dynamics between Merida and Queen Elinor feel more natural and honest.

Some have complained that while Disney is trying to push the fact that Merida does not want to get married (and really, who could blame her from the selection she’s offered?), the film is still centering its plot on marrying Merida off, and if they really wanted to be progressive, that issue would not have been included in the film. However, I disagree with this sentiment – sure, it would be nice to see a female protagonist just doing her own thing without the focus being on making her an accessory to someone else, but we are dealing with a fairy tale that takes place in an age where this is simply what happened to young women everywhere, princesses especially. Marriages were used to bond other families, tribes and kingdoms together. Women were expected to carry on their bloodlines and have as many children as they could because the life expectancy of children making it past adolescence was perhaps 1 or 2 in 5, and just living in general your life expectancy was to make it to 30. Heirs needed to be produced to ensure that the family name and bloodline could carry on. Yes, it is a fairy tale, but it is set in a certain time period to make the story more believable to general audiences. And let’s be honest – we still have parents arranging marriages in this day and age all over the world, or in more modernized places, mothers pushing their daughters to get married because they want grandchildren.

I am also very, very happy that Kelly Macdonald voiced Merida. Reese Witherspoon was originally supposed to voice the character, and while I love her, she is not Scottish. A Scottish accent is not easy to fake, so it is better to hear some authenticity.

While Brave appears to be expressing a similar style to Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon (a fantastic film, but from a different studio), the sweeping images of the Scottish highlands in the trailers remind us that we will be seeing a film from the animation geniuses at Pixar. While the merchandise and final trailer have mostly given away the film’s plot, I am excited to see this movie and welcome a new redhead into my heart, one who hates having her wild mane brushed, acknowledges corsets for what they are, and is incredibly brave. That’s the kind of girl modern females are aching to see.

So, are you planning on seeing the film this weekend? Are you one of the lucky few that have gotten to see it in previews? Or is Merida scaring some of you boys away? J

A Plan of Attack – Navigating the Disneyland Resort Summer 2012

There’s a lot happening in the Disney universe right now – so much so that I have had a hard time deciding what exactly I should write about first. Should I talk about Merida, Disney’s new and Pixar’s first princess? Should I talk about the Avengers film as being my must-see film for the summer? Or should I mention the curious placement of some classic 80s arcade games, formerly seen in Flynn’s Arcade at eclecTRONica, now in the unused second level of the Starcade?

Oh sure, I have known that I have had to deal with the obvious juggernaut that is today, June 15^th – the day that Disney California Adventure formally re-launches, along with the Matterhorn finally coming out of its long refurbishment. But I didn’t want to do the obvious. There are so many articles and resources from various websites regarding what to expect from the new offerings – I felt that I myself needed to provide a new offering of information myself.

I don’t have any secret information that is not already available online about what is coming June 15^th. I am, however, a viewer and analyzer. I like making things easier for people to understand and use.

That was when I realized that what we need is a plan of attack. It’s no secret that crowding and lines are going to be borderline nightmarish this summer at certain points. There is a lot to see and a day at a busy theme park can leave you in the dust if you are not properly prepared.

So here, today, I hope to give you a good, safe guideline to make it through your day at the Disneyland Resort. I can’t promise that it will be easy (if you want easy, you’d better wait until January to see any of these new offerings), but it should at least make things go by a bit smoother.

So, before we get into this, let’s look at what days you would be best to avoid Disneyland Resort altogether:

Today, June 15^th – Disneyland California Adventure re-opens, and introduces Buena Vista Street and Cars Land to the public. If you have to go…well, I wish you the best of luck. Right now it’s not too bad, but like One More Disney Day, things will probably get intense once people get off from work. Carpool!

Sunday, June 17^th – due to the Annual Passholder demographic spiraling to an out-of-control number, this date is deemed to be so busy (busier than 4^th of July even) that Cast Members do not even get to use their own parking garage. Those spaces will be given to guests, while Cast Members must park at Angel Stadium and Honda Center. Sundays are generally busier than Saturdays now, mainly due to blockout dates.

Sunday, June 24^th – see above.

Okay, so now you know which dates to avoid. I’m not saying that any other dates this summer won’t be busy, but the above are projected to be the most crowded.

Prices for tickets have gone up. You are going to want to make the most out of your day, right? And the purpose of this makeover is not only to make Disney California Adventure a great park that is worthy of sitting across the esplanade from Disneyland, but also to make the park worthy of a full day of offerings.

If you consider yourself a tourist that is planning on making a visit, you will want at least two days to experience both parks…three or four would probably be more relaxing. To get even more time, if you stay at one of the Disney-owned hotels, they offer special Magic Morning hours that allow you to enter the parks before they open to the general public at 8 a.m. (yes, Disney California Adventure is now set to open at the same time as Disneyland, but is supposed to end normal operating hours at 11 p.m. – we’ll see if that actually lasts).

Annual Passholders, you can take advantage of Magic Morning hours too, but you only get one day to do it, and you have to reserve that date ahead of time by going to Disneyland.com.

My advice would be to hit Disney California Adventure first thing in the morning and grab fastpasses for Carsland’s Radiator Springs Racers. However, you won’t be heading to Carsland to pick up those fastpasses – head to A Bug’s Land instead. The machines are located at It’s Tough to be a Bug’s former fastpass location and meet and greet area. Because Radiator Springs Racers has some really cool lighting that is best viewed at night, it is recommended that you try to ride the attraction when it is dark. Aiming for a ride time of at least 8 p.m. would be ideal, but one might have to come back to the fastpass machines later to get the ride time they want. Worse comes to worse, while waiting in a long line, send someone from your party with your Disneyland Resort tickets to get your fastpasses.

By the way, fastpasses are free. Anyone that tries to tell you otherwise is lying and is possibly thinking of Six Flags (or they were just too lazy to actually look into information on Disney’s Fastpass system at all). All you do is insert your Disneyland Resort ticket into the fastpass machine (there is an image at the slot to show you how to insert it properly) and a fastpass will pop out. There will be two return times listed to return in-between to ride. Cast members will not let you in line early, but they generally are not concerned if you don’t make it by the finishing time. Attractions break down, issues arise – they are fairly understanding. Try to make it between the times listed though, as the fastpass system works most efficiently when you do. Once you get a fastpass for an attraction, you cannot get another one until either two hours have passed or you have hit your initial return time for the fastpass you got before, whichever comes first – so you can get multiple fastpasses throughout the day. Also, fastpass times do not interfere with each other from different parks, so if you got a fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers, you could immediately get a fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad if you wanted.

At 450 riders per hour, Luigi’s Flying Tires is going to have the slowest and longest line, so if you want to ride it, I suggest doing that first, or at least ASAP. The reviews on this one are mixed and there is a learning curve, but at the end of the day you will be sitting in floating tires, which is pretty cool. Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree would be a great attraction to ride next (be aware that it will swing you roughly and small children might bang their heads against the side of the ride vehicles).

You might want to see World of Color while visiting the resort. It is a great show and is still very popular – it sees updates quite regularly, too. You can get a “fastpass” for this one, though it is not really a fastpass and does not interfere with any other fastpasses you might get. The machines are located at Grizzly River Run’s fastpass area, and you might as well head over here anyway because it is summer, it is hot and this ride gets long lines too (be prepared to get wet or possibly soaked if you ride). However, Disney California Adventure also offers dining packages for World of Color, so with your special meal you also get World of Color tickets for everyone in your party. The food at Wine Country Trattoria is already great – the World of Color dining package is even better. For more information, you can look at Disney’s official information page here: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneys-california-adventure/world-of-color/dining/

Something that you’ll definitely want to check out is the new Carthay Circle Theatre on Buena Vista Street. The place has fine dining, but if you like, you could just go for a classic cocktail. It is gorgeous and luxurious – exactly what classic California luxe is all about.

Carsland has a lot of new great dining offerings, from smoothies to sit-down American diner fare. The reviews have been mostly positive (though be prepared that the specialty drinks will have their artificiality). A great snack or more affordable lunch/dinner would be the chili “cone” queso. Grab one and just enjoy strolling through Carsland – the new land is simply stunning. John Lasseter was very particular about the authenticity and look of the land in relation to the film franchise, so no detail has been spared.

Other food offerings I would like to encourage you to check out are the new Ghirardelli location (YUM!) which has some cool details and amazing ice cream, and the Boudin Bakery which has a menu that never disappoints.

Give yourself time to walk around Buena Vista Street as well, which is just as stunning. Starbucks has come to a Disney park for the first time and is located at the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Café (named after the three little pigs), so if you need a caffeine boost, you can pick up a drink and explore.

One thing that I cannot stress enough is that you need to keep yourself hydrated. People generally forget that Southern California is a desert, so it is hot and arid during the day (but can drop in temperature significantly at night). Bring several bottles of water and possibly invest in one of those water spray fan bottles. Bring some snacks with you – fresh fruit and nuts are healthy and full of vitamins and protein to keep you going. You can bring food into the park as long as it is cold, so yes, sandwiches are perfectly fine!

If your pockets are not reliable to properly hold things, get a proper bag to carry your things in – but know that if you do lose something, a visit to Disney’s Lost and Found in the esplanade usually will fix everything. I’ve known people who have lost things like their wallets and cell phones and have had them returned just as they were before (being the Happiest Place on Earth, I think people are generally more kind, honest and generous about getting things returned to their proper owners, as everyone is on vacation and spending a pretty penny as it is).

But back to rides. Tower of Terror, Soarin’ Over California and California Screamin’ all have fastpass and are must-sees. My favorite attraction, however, does not have fastpass and does not need it because its hourly capacity is so high. The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is a fantastic, fun and family-friendly ride that generally has the most reasonable wait throughout the park because of its efficiency. If the crowding gets unbearable, head here for some relief and a good time.

If you enjoy funky nightlife, you might want to check out the Mad T Party. I miss elecTRONica personally, but you can still purchase cocktails and visit an arcade (well, more of a carnival arcade) with some nighttime entertainment. Be prepared, though – it is loud, crowded and not necessarily the best place for little ones. If you go, though, give the DJs your love! They’re pretty awesome.

As for the original park? Matterhorn has re-opened with a taller height requirement and lower capacity, so lines for this ride will get longer – but it will still be worth it. Try grabbing fastpasses for Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, Space Mountain, and Roger Rabbit (which is actually disconnected to the rest of the fastpass system, so sneak in an extra fastpass here!). Pace yourself, but try to get the bigger rides (and/or the Fantasyland ones) done in the morning first before the heavy crowds descend. New Orleans Square gets pretty busy in the afternoon, so try to do Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion in the morning or at night (and when Fantasmic! is getting prepped, be prepared for heavy crowding).

Disneyland has plenty of great food options. If you are really hungry, Plaza Inn has really large platters of food (fried chicken or pot roast) that one may feel comfortable sharing with another person, plus pasta and salads. Hungry Bear has delicious country fare, like a fried green tomato sandwich or a chili burger (they even have sweet potato fries!). I also recommend every restaurant in New Orleans Square – if you enjoy gumbo (or heck, even if you don’t), theirs could make you fall in love. Finally, Carnation Cafe has opened back up after a very long and extensive refurbishment. There is more space now, which should make getting a table that much easier (staff also give you pagers to walk around Main Street while you wait for your table, which is a major improvement to the line one used to have to wait in). If you are there, make sure to say hello to Chef Oscar, Disneyland's longest tenured cast member and the head chef of the restaurant!

If you want to meet characters, you can generally ask Cast Members on Main Street when certain characters come out to meet, but if you want to meet Rapunzel or Brave’s Merida, they both have their own individual locations. The waits are always rather long but there is a reason why so many want to meet these lovely ladies. Rapunzel is located next to Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and Merida is next to it’s a small world. Merida’s meet is extra special because the three black bears are with her (really cute interactive audio-animatronics) and you get to learn a little bit of archery and shoot.

If you want to see Fantasmic! and/or Magical (the fireworks show), you should know that Fantasmic! gets two showings with Magical in-between. I’d recommend getting a spot for the fireworks first (as it fills up fast) and then trying to catch the Fantasmic! showing afterwards (bring your patience with you making it through the crowds), as many visitors often leave the park after the fireworks are over. Both Dumbo and Tinkerbell fly in the show, so it is really worth seeing at least once.

If you appreciate a fun bar environment, want some tropical fare or a break from the heavy crowds, one more location I have to recommend is Trader Sam's/Tangaroa Terrace at the Disneyland Hotel (you can walk here quite easily from Downtown Disney, or even hop aboard the Monorail from Tomorrowland and have a much shorter distance to trek). Delicious food and drinks, a fun and interactive tiki bar chock full of inside jokes and nods towards all the things you love about Adventureland, and a place to get real souvenir tiki mugs, it is a must-see for those who appreciate the Polynesian and/or retro scene.

Past that? Make sure your cell phone is fully charged, bring and put on sunscreen, bring your patience and wear a smile! The parks will be busy but you are there to have fun, so for goodness sake, allow yourself to enjoy it! Everything is sure to dazzle this summer, so go out there and have fun!

Beauty and the Beast 3D, Tangled Ever After, and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace That Won't Go Away

I recently visited the movie theater to let my nostalgia get the best of me and watch Beauty and the Beast in 3D. It seems like only yesterday that I detailed here the drama that seemed to be unraveling with this particular release. I’m just thankful that it is finally back in American theaters, entertaining new and old audiences.

Tale as old as time, but still entertaining audiences.

I was very excited for the pre-show, too. In a turn of marketing genius, Disney decided to create a Tangled short featuring Eugene and Rapunzel’s wedding.

Disney Bridal by Alfred Angelo: Rapunzel Dress

Disney Bridal by Alfred Angelo: Rapunzel Veil

The short was like any good old-fashioned Disney short: short, sweet, and full of slapstick and clever gags. One that didn’t hit me until later was Rapunzel’s veil. In many ways, it has bothered me that Tangled seems to suggest that Rapunzel’s hair can’t grow at all now that it has all been chopped off. Eugene acted very nobly, to be sure, and it had to be done, but because of his cutting tool he did a fairly choppy job (which is realistic, and I honestly respect the animators for the end result). But just because Rapunzel lost the flower power doesn’t mean that her hair is just dead. I would prefer to look at it as her being reborn, getting to start her life anew with the family that she’s been separated from this whole time. And while the poor girl has been through a lot and has more important things to concern herself with than hair, it must have still been hard to come to terms with the loss of her long, golden locks. She put her hair to good use and could do things with it that no one else could do. And just in general, when a woman gets a drastic hair cut, it can have a strong effect on her emotionally and psychologically. Therefore, I have a hard time believing that Rapunzel was 100% fine with the way her hair looked on her wedding day. But the length of her veil says everything, in a sweet and subtle way…while Rapunzel decided to mostly skip having a train for her wedding gown, her veil takes up the length that her hair would have. It was clever, symbolic and beautiful. Overall, the short was a fun addition to my evening.

The blonde doll is available now, but you will have to wait until March 28th for the brunette (and pay a lot more).

 But now, on to Beauty and the Beast. I detailed here before that the prologue had supposedly been altered in Australia and New Zealand. I am happy to report, however, that the original prologue is what is playing in movie theaters across America today: “If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return…” In fact, the film is exactly like the original (meaning no “Human Again” add-on) except it is in 3D and the film quality has been greatly enhanced.

 As for the 3D itself? Not too shabby. It really opened up the scenes (which were, of course, dynamic to begin with, but enhanced with the 3D). Beauty and the Beast is filled with detailed, beautiful and sweeping environments, so it was really cool to see it popping out a bit more. It was by no means gimmicky or in-your-face, and felt fairly natural to watch. It was rare that the 3D bothered me…the two most notable moments were when Belle enters Beast’s castle for the first time and looks up into the ceiling (her face ended up looking completely flat for some reason, which looked odd) and during “Gaston” at a time where the trio of blondes stood together but were completely still (I had never noticed their lack of animation at that moment before, but the 3D made it very apparent). With that in mind, I will probably go back to the theater to see this at least one more time, as Beauty and the Beast is my favorite film and I enjoyed noticing all sorts of things that I hadn’t seen before.

3D, but tasteful!

 Would I be willing to go see another Disney film re-done in 3D again? Depending on the film, yes. This fall Finding Nemo is slated to be released in 3D. I know it will look gorgeous…so this will essentially have the same appeal as Avatar (which got way more attention than it deserved, in my opinion). But if Disney thinks I’m going to want to see every Pixar film in 3D, they are seriously mistaken. I sincerely hope that the Cars franchise stays far, far away. Hopefully they learned something from the second film doing abysmally at the box office. They can have their fun with Carsland at Disney California Adventure, but let’s leave it at that, shall we?

There is another film being shown in 3D format for the first time next week: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Do I really need to see this film in 3D? Yes and no. No because Disneyland already has the attraction Star Tours in 3D, which opened last summer to great fanfare and utilizes many possible scenarios from the prequels, like podracing. I am not a fan of the prequels…and if you think they are worthy of a significant amount of praise, then I suggest you head on over to RedLetterMedia (be forewarned – this guy does some really bizarre vignettes for his character and it is by no means child-friendly, and he has a weird sense of humor, but the guy knows what he’s talking about).

So why do I have to see this disgrace to the Star Wars legacy and movies in general? If this release does not do well, then NONE of the other Star Wars films will be released in 3D. Granted, this saves any of the films from being tampered even more by George Lucas (well, temporarily, anyway), who seems completely determined to ruin his own franchise…but I’d be lying if I said I was not interested in seeing the original trilogy in 3D (even with the recent tragic addition of Vader crying “Nooo!” when he grabs the Emperor in Return of the Jedi). They really should have started with the release of the original trilogy (IV, V and VI), but of course they couldn’t possibly do that! Ugh…so, of course, Lucas and his band of cronies who don’t dare tell the man that he’s making bad choices force fans like myself (and, honestly, the majority of true Star Wars fans) to shell out money for films we do not want to see in order to have the opportunity to see the ones we really love. Greedy gungans (or gungas, according to George in an interview).

Hey Ani!!! I'm obnoxious!!!

 So, as much as I hate to advertise for this abomination, as a Star Wars fan I am asking you to go out and see this film so that we have a chance to see the real Star Wars films (that we’re not ashamed to call ourselves fans of) in 3D.

2011 - Disney's Year of the Mermaid

2011 was a fairly good year for the Disney Company. Sure, everyone flubs up at some point (like, say, Cars 2 – was anyone really surprised?), but overall, the company is seeing a bright future.

2011 was the year of the mermaid for Disney. Mermaids have hooked us (no pun intended) long before Walt Disney was even born, entrancing us with their folklore, beauty, and mystery. Disney had two significant mermaid properties to utilize this year especially, though one of them is hardly new.

The Little Mermaid was a turning point for the company. If the film failed at box office, the entire animation division would have been shut down (similar to the circumstances under which Cinderella was made). While most of the people working on the project knew they had something special, the extreme success of the film sent shock waves through the company, and the Disney Renaissance was born.

That was 1989. Jump forward a few years, and Walt Disney Imagineering was working on an expansion plan for Disneyland Paris (then going by another name). Since building a brand new park is a very costly endeavor, most of the time they start off with a limited amount of attractions. In the event that the new park is successful, a company is more at ease to spend more money to expand (and, ideally, they are making a good portion of their money back by that point). As part of the expansion, Paris would receive the first Little Mermaid dark ride. Like Peter Pan attractions, the ride would feature hanging clamshells as ride vehicles, where you would glide under the sea and above. Many were very excited for the proposed attraction, with Tony Baxter eagerly at the helm. Unfortunately, the new park did not do as well as it was hoped (and this became a catalyst for a lot of corner-cutting for many other projects in the 1990s), and Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian got shelved with many other gadgets and gizmos.

 Fans lamented the abandoned plans, but became hopeful as time went on. Perhaps Ariel would find her legs eventually – if not in Europe, maybe in the states? The Little Mermaid got re-released to home theaters with some very interesting bonus features, including a whole segment on the ride that never made it to Paris, garnering even more interest with the public. When the internet got word that Disney (then Disney’s, but no longer, and it sounds strange in my opinion) California Adventure was getting a huge, big-budget expansion to make it a park worthy of sitting across from the original Disneyland in Anaheim, many expressed a hope that The Little Mermaid would finally find a place in a Disney theme park. Some argued that Ariel did not belong in a theme park themed to California when her story took place in Denmark, while others felt that as long as she found her way in Paradise Pier, it was fine. Then, it was finally announced! The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure was kicking Golden Dreams out of Paradise Pier in the expansion, and with much nicer plans than Paris originally had. Fans were told to imagine a Fantasyland dark ride, but with Haunted Mansion themeing and technology. Naturally, expectations were high.

And now, we get to the year 2011. The new attraction begins soft openings just before the chaos of summer and Star Tours 2.0 begin, and the ride is a hit! Not only has the ride become incredibly popular, but because it is such a high-capacity attraction, the wait is never unbearable (and, luckily, when it does have a long line it still does not obstruct the walkway in Paradise Pier). The state-of-the-art audio-animatronics are very impressive, from Ariel’s hair to Ursula’s skin. Later on in the year at D23 (the Disney Convention that was incredibly chaotic), Disney devoted a whole presentation to the new attraction, detailing all sorts of things from how tiny Triton’s head looks without his hair and beard to the utilization of an ipod for Sebastian’s eyes. All of this must be getting those on the East Coast even more excited for their version of that attraction that is to come to Florida.

But meanwhile, a very different kind of mermaid – a terrifying kind, in fact – was swimming into theaters summer 2011. The highly-anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides made its way to the big screen, and utilizing a new (for the series) piece of pirate lore: you guessed it, mermaids. 

While the film had its hits and misses, a major selling point for the film (and favorite aspect for audiences) was the mermaids, who were by no means a small part of the film, with one mermaid actually being a supporting character and a part of a significant plot point. 

The mermaids in Pirates have been frequently used for merchandising, and were even a part of starting a new fashion trend in nail art. They even made their way to the Disneyland Resort with Ariel, part of a newer segment for the hit show World of Color in Disney California Adventure. I’d venture to say that half of the segment features the mermaids. Disney didn’t create this segment just to put in more Johnny Depp. Plus, the film did quite well at the box office, as it was one of the top-grossing films of the year domestically making $241,071,802. 

So here’s to 2011, Disney’s year of the mermaid, and here’s to 2012, with many more exciting things to come!

Priscilla of Boston is Closing After 65 Iconic Years

I just can’t believe it…and yet I can.

After 65 years of dressing brides for their big day, Priscilla of Boston is shutting its doors.

And they just introduced their new collections for the season: Priscilla of Boston, Platinum for Priscilla of Boston, Melissa Sweet, Reverie, Jewel and Vineyard Collection.

This is the same company that created Grace Kelly’s iconic bridal gown that she wore to her wedding to the Prince of Monaco. 

The gowns covered several different price ranges – however, admittedly, most of the gowns cost more than what most brides are willing to spend these days. Here is the painful truth: our economy is in really, really poor condition. People are still getting married every day, but their budgets are smaller. 

One of the new gowns, a personal favorite of mine, called "Lex."

And let’s be realistic – why should brides have to spend over $5,000 for a wedding gown if they want something like nice beading or silk when they could go to a department store and only pay a few hundred instead? Yes, generally designer gowns are created in a very meticulous way, with hand-beading and the like, but the prices still seem utterly inflated for something that is only going to be worn once. And it is not fair that a bride who spends around $1,000 only gets a very basic white dress with cheap material. People in the wedding industry either need to “get real” with brides’ budgets or they will be left in the dust.

The company is actually owned by David’s Bridal, the cheaper alternative to a more luxe bridal salon like Priscilla. Those at the company are saying that they are closing Priscilla of Boston to focus and invest their resources more into David’s Bridal salons instead.

This makes perfect sense to me. David’s Bridal is more affordable for brides as it is, and is usually the first bridal salon an American woman chooses to enter. However, it is on the low end in appearance and selections compared to many other brands/salons. It is hard to find a more luxe gown in one of their stores; however, David’s Bridal recently teamed up with Vera Wang (arguably the most popular name in bridal fashion, but usually rather pricey) to create a line called White by Vera Wang that is hot-off the runway but affordable for today’s bride. The new collection has garnered plenty of excitement from brides, and rightfully so – the gowns are truly Vera but will not break the bank. Who knows – maybe David’s Bridal would like to approach Kenneth Pool next? (Now that would be a Cinderella dream come true!) David’s Bridal could expand to host several big-name designers with collections at a significant fraction of their usual prices, with a more posh-looking environment for their customers.

White by Vera Wang

I am very sad that such an iconic name in bridal fashion is coming to an end, but I am also hopeful for the future of the wedding industry and the options it gives to its couples. I raise a glass of champagne to you, Priscilla of Boston – thank you for 65 years of innovative and beautiful fashion.