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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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.