The Electrical Parade Returns To Disneyland After 20 Years

 (All pictures are from the Walt Disney World Electrical Parade last Summer)

After a 20 year absence The Main Street Electrical Parade returns to Disneyland.  I was about to write "finally returns," only that it wasn't ever suppose to return.  I remember making a trip to Disneyland in 1996 just to see the Electrical Parade, back when all the advertisements stated, "Come see the Electrical Parade before it's gone for good!!!"  Or whatever was said.  It was a big deal!  I was sad.  The parade, which started in 1972, was still a classic.  A wonder.  As a kid I marveled wherever I saw it. How could they permanently take away such a treasure?

Then in 2001 California Adventure got the parade, and it lasted until 2010.  I could never bring myself to view it there as sentimentality got to me.  The Electrical Parade was meant, and will only belong, to Main Street.

Last night there was a special $95 ticketed event for people to be the first to see the parade.  Today is the official opening night of the parade to the public.  I'm hoping it goes well, as there's predicted rain throughout the day.  Accu Weather is far more optimistic over rain predictions than weather.com.

When I saw the Electrical Parade at Walt Disney World last June, which officially closed last October, there was a possibility the parade wouldn't take place due to storm clouds showing up on the radar.  The famous 3:00 parade was moved up to 2:45 pm to avoid rain.  The rain never came.  Both weather.com and Accu weather kept predicting we would be rained out, but the storm moved around us, and it was honestly very beautiful.  Thick black rain clouds, and at sunset brilliant gold light shining through peeks, wind picking up speed.  I was afraid the fireworks would get canceled as well.  But when the time came the Electrical Parade started, followed by the castle projection show Once Upon a Time, which was followed by the firework show Wishes. Three shows in a row, and I got a spot right in front of the castle for the last two shows.  A great way to end the six day trip.

I hope the weather is good tonight for all those wishing to see The Main Street Electrical Parade, taking place right where it belongs.  I wish I could join you as it's a very snowy day in Utah.  The parade runs until June 18, so we have it only for five months until it's gone again.  Thankfully I already have plans to visit the Disneyland park during this window, so I'll have the chance to see it.

I'm really very excited.

Has it really been 20 years!!!!!?????

Oh my freak, that's crazy!

Window Displays at the Disneyland Emporium

 Right before my trip to France I wrote 18 blogposts that would update automatically while I was gone, and as soon as I left I had this nagging feeling that there was something I planned to talk about, but forgot.

Honestly, I'm surprised I managed all 18!

But then I remembered: The window displays at the Disneyland Emporium.

It's tradition for me, whenever I come to the Magic Kingdom in California, to see the window displays, which represent scenes from various Disney movies, as soon as I come into the park.  The Emporium is the first shop to the left on Main Street USA, and the windows are right at the entrance.  They're hard to miss, unless you're hypnotized by the distant Sleeping Beauty's castle.

When my family visited Disneyland it was the first week in November, and the park was transitioning from Halloween to Christmas, bit by bit, day by day.

And on the first day of our visit all the window displays were covered up, and stayed covered up through the week.  I was disappointed at first, and wondered if I would ever see the new displays, but as we were leaving the park on our last day, November 6th, sky dark and the castle glowing pink/blue, hurrying to buy final souvenirs, and waiting patiently as the nephew and nieces had their silhouettes cut out, my nephew slept through it, I noticed the curtains for the window displays outside the Emporium were finally open!  I could see them.  And everyone else noticed as well because there were huge crowds gathered around to see.

There was one final display that I wasn't able to see because the curtain was still down, so it will remain a mystery.

 There were five displays from five movies:

Frozen, Princess and the Frog, Toy Story, Cinderella, and Peter Pan.

A little of the old and new.

And each display had two scenes they switched between.  A marvel to watch.

 A sunny scene in Frozen changing to an icy scene, with Olaf walking around dreaming of Summer.

 A swamp scene changing to a celebratory Steam boat scene for Princess and the Frog.

 Woody and Buzz lightyear being played with in Toy Story.

 Cinderella having her pink gown changed to blue and then dancing with her prince.

And the scene from Peter Pan, which was my favorite.  The transition from the nursery scene to flying above the homes was seamless.  I watched this transition over and over.  A lot of fun to watch.

So if you ever find yourself at the Happiest Place of Earth, take the time to watch the window displays at the Main Street Emporium.

It's a fun dash of magic.

Cinderella 2015, Movie Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

(Before I fully get into this review I would like to note that, compared with my family, I'm scoring this movie really low.  Everyone who has seen this new retelling of Disney's Cinderella, parents included, have scored it a 5 of 5 stars.)

"Tale as old as Time" is the opening line for Beauty and the Beast sung wonderfully by Angela Lansbury, and yet when I hear this phrase I don't think of that gallant tale of seeing beauty deep within, but of Cinderella.  Maybe it's because Cinderella seems ageless.  This story has been apart of my life since I was a kid, and all through history there can be found constant Cinderella retellings of a commoner maiden marrying her prince.

In this most recent retelling of Cinderella, directed by Kenneth Branagh, we find an updated live-action version of the 1950 Disney classic animation, complete with cat and mice chases, glass slippers, and a pumpkin carriage.  What we also find are scenes laced with enchantment and magic, bright, beautiful colors, gorgeous sets, amazing costumes, and a delightful musical score by Patrick Doyle (a composer I've loved since his work on A Little Princess).

I love the opening scenes, and that, in this version, we get to meet Ella's Mother (Hayley Atwell).  It's from her Mother that Ella (Lily James) learns to "Have courage and be kind," these simple yet beautiful words mold Ella into the person she becomes, a bright young women who shines with goodness, kindness, and heart.  I'm glad for the opening moments showing their happy family.  This shows the contrast of Ella's home life, one with her parents and the other with her Step Mother (Cate Blanchett) and Sisters.  It's from her new family that she receives her nickname "Cinderella," a name that threatens to snuff the light right out of Ella.

My brother Steven was telling me that some of the scenes with the Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter) was improvised.  I can't find a source for this information, but I loved her in this role.  Honestly the cast was really strong all around.  I loved Lily James as Cinderella.  Cate Blanchett was wonderful as the Step Mother, devilishly wonderful with an amazing fashion sense and snarky laugh.  Richard Madden is charming as Kit/The Prince.  Though, ah man, every time I saw the King, played by Derek Jacobi, I couldn't stop thinking about Hamlet! (He's played both Hamlet and Claudius.  Fun fact, when he played Hamlet in 1980 Patrick Stewart played Claudius, and I way prefer Stewart's 1980 portrayal of Claudius then when he played the role in 2009 co-starring with David Tennant, completely different portrayals.  Back on topic!)

With all this being said, I've had a hard time not comparing this new version of Cinderella with Ever After, which still reigns as one of my most favorite movies of all time.  Love, love, love Ever After.  With that movie I prefer the interactions between Danielle/Cinderella and the Prince.  There's a lot more development between these two characters leading up to the ball.  The idea of Leonardo da Vinci as the "Fairy Godmother" still gives me giggles, and once again there's more character development as he interacts with both the Prince and Danielle pre/post ball.

I feel, in some ways, the greatest difference between Dinsey's 2015 Cinderella and Ever After is the notion of "Showing, not telling."  This new Cinderella relies quite a bit on narration to move the story along, which made it seem like we were watching a bedtime story.  For a film aimed towards children, this narrative choice fits.  And, honestly, I would rather find out that our narrator is the Fairy Godmother, then coming to the end of The Book Thief and realizing the narration is coming from Death himself.  Kinda disturbing.

As a note, I'm glad this wasn't a musical, though there are vocal musical elements throughout, which was nice.  If you stay and watch the end credits you'll hear Lily James sing "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and Helena Bonham Carter sing "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo."  Both songs are great!  This movie could have easily been a musical, and would have worked quite well as one, only screenwriter Chris Weitz doesn't feel comfortable writing in the musical genre:

"I don't know how to write that kind of thing really, and I think that that's something that for me, it's much easier to do that with an animated film.  That's why many of the Disney animated films are musicals. With live-action, sort of getting into and out of those moments of song is really super tricky."

Obviously he's never watched Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, in which Disney did a remake in 1997 with Bernadette Peters, Brandy, and Whitney Houston.  Such a great show, and proof you can do a live action version of Cinderella with music.  And he has obviously never seen any of the Disney animation musicals on Broadway.  Technically live action as well.

Overall, I love this movie.  Kenneth Branagh did a wonderful job bringing this enchanting tale to screen.  I've already seen this beautiful movie twice.

(Cinderella's "glass" slipper on display at the theater.  I want one!!)

 MPAA: Rated PG for mild thematic elements.

The Indifferent Looking Disney Store Cinderella Prince Doll

Over the weekend I went to the Disney Store to peruse any new items they may have received, and I was excited to find new merchandise for the Cinderella movie coming out in less then a month.

I'm so excited!

Last night I was watching Ever After.  I'm such a huge fan of that movie (saw it in the movie theater 5 times back in the day), and, even though Cinderella looks gorgeous, it's going to have stiff competition in comparison.

Ever After is Epic.

It's always fun looking at Disney Store merchandise, trying to gleam any spoilers or sneak peaks when new movies are about to be released.

 Though, after looking at the dolls I was pretty amused and shocked to see how Prince Charming was modeled.

He does not look happy!

Here he is, getting married (spoilers for those that don't know the story!) . . . (really, does anyone not know how Cinderella ends?), and he looks seriously indifferent, as if this is an arranged marriage or something.  As if he's counting down the minutes in his brain until he can get away from his new princess and go off to do whatever Princes enjoy doing.

It's not romantic.

 Unlike the picture on the back of the box which is clearly romantic.

 There are three other dolls in the series.

 I'm somewhat mixed on how the Cinderella doll came out.  She's beautiful, but they didn't quite get her face right.  There's a whimsicalness the actress processes, as evident in Downton Abbey and the Cinderella trailers, that this doll is missing.

 Now the evil stepmother Lady Tremaine, Cate Blanchett, doll is absolutely stunning.

Seriously, she's gorgeous.

The best doll modeling I've seen in a very longtime.

 And the doll for the Fairy Godmother is very fun.

I liked her so much I got her for my Renaissance doll collection.

She fits!  Even though she doesn't look like a barbie clone.  Heh.

 Here's an image of more Cinderella merchandise the Disney Store is selling.

I'm getting excited for March 13! :0)