Food Fun Family

Disneyland Ushers in Summer 2017! Summer of Heroes and Pirates of the Caribbean’s 50th anniversary!

Lolli — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 18:37:40 +0000

My recent #PiratesLifeEvent press trip would not have been complete without a visit to the ride that inspired the movie franchise – Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland! My travel, accommodations, and activities during the press event were covered by Disney. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland

Did you know? The Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, was the last ride that Walt Disney personally worked on, though he never had the chance to ride the completed ride. Pirates of the Caribbean has not only thrilled kids and adults alike for the last 50 years, but it has inspired a hugely popular movie franchise as well as and entire Pirates Land at Shanghai Disney.

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

There are several Disneyland and Disney World rides and attractions that have been inspired by movies over the years, but Pirates of the Caribbean remains unique in that the ride came first and inspired everything that followed!

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

After riding Pirate of the Caribbean as a group, we had some free time to spend at the park. I explored the park with two friends – Captain Jack and Emily from CleverHousewife! We had a blast, despite the crowds!

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

The newest ride at Disney California Adventure Park – Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! – is NOW OPEN! I missed the opening of the ride by days, but I know that it is epic! The new Guardians of the Galaxy ride is now a permanent attraction at Disney California Adventure!

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

About Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!: the brand new ride launches guests into an action-packed adventure that’s full of irreverent humor, combining a breathtaking free-fall sensation with all-new visual and audio effects. The action jumps to the beat of the attraction’s “awesome mix tape” of music, inspired by the films’ soundtracks. Guests will discover multiple ride experiences as they help Rocket in a daring plan to free the Guardians–a band of extraterrestrial misfits–from the fortress of The Collector, Taneleer Tivan.

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

Summer of Heroes

In Disney California Adventure:

“Avengers Training Initiative”: Black Widow and Hawkeye assemble young recruits for a series of tests to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Avengers.
Heroic Encounter: Black Widow: Black Widow arrives on the scene several times throughout the day in an armored Avengers vehicle for her heroic encounter with park guests.

Grab a Piece (or Bite) of the Action: Special themed merchandise, plus food and beverage items, will be available throughout Hollywood Land.

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

“Disney Junior Dance Party!”: This fun concert experience invites adults and kids to dance and sing along to the music. Popular Disney Junior characters from Disney Junior TV shows “Doc McStuffins,” “Sofia the First” and “The Lion Guard” are joined by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from the new series “Mickey and the Roadster Racers.”

“Pixar Play Parade:” presenting the colorful and exciting worlds of the Disney•Pixar pals from “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.” “Finding Nemo,” “Cars” and others, the Pixar Play Parade has returned to Disney California Adventure with daily performances full of fun and surprising movement and effects.

Princess Elena: the adventurous heroine of the Disney Channel series “Elena of Avalor” and the first Disney Princess inspired by diverse Latin American cultures will greet her fans in the patio of Paradise Garden Grill.

**Guests will enjoy these Super Hero experiences year-round:**

Super Hero Encounters: Meet Groot, the First Avenger, Captain America, and the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man up close and personal!

“Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Dance Off!”: Join Star-Lord and his old-school boom box as everyone (including Groot, of course!) gets in the groove and shows off their moves!

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

In Disneyland:

Main Street Electrical Parade: the classic parade has been extended by popular demand through August 20, 2017! This nighttime parade features half a million twinkling lights and favorites like Cinderella’s ball, Elliot from “Pete’s Dragon” and the “To Honor America” finale.

“Fantasmic!” is coming back: the popular nighttime spectacular will be re-opening this summer on the Rivers of America, featuring Genie from “Aladdin,” and characters from “Tangled,” “The Lion King” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Returning this summer are the Disneyland Railroad and these Rivers of America attractions: the Mark Twain Riverboat, Sailing Ship Columbia, Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes and Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.

Star Wars Launch Bay: In Tomorrowland, Star Wars fans can meet some of their favorite Star Wars characters and take a look at replica props and models from Star Wars movies, including the latest “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Work is continuing on the new Star Wars-themed land, set to open in 2019!!

For more information, visit DisneylandNews.com.

Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration

Lolli — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 15:03:29 +0000

I had the opportunity to celebrate 60 years of magic at Disneyland last week as part of the #Disneyland60 | #AladdinBloggers | #TomorrowlandBloggers media event. Although travel and accommodations were covered, all thoughts are my own.

I don’t remember the first time I went to Disneyland. Growing up in California with grandparents that lived a few minutes away from the park meant that I was there at least once a year. Disneyland is part of my childhood – some of my happiest memories were made at Disneyland – and no matter how old I get (ahem…birthday coming up!) Disneyland is still a magical place for me. I step into the park and I’m flooded with happy memories (from my childhood as well as more recent years).

Mickey & Minnie in their finest Diamond Celebration attire with me and Shelby from ocmomblog.com

It’s hard to believe we’re celebrating Disneyland’s 60th anniversary. 60 years!? While so much has changed in the last 60 years, part of what makes Disneyland so magical for me is the fact that so much of the park has stayed the same since I was a kid.

Here’s a quick video of my latest visit:

While I was at Disneyland last Monday, I tried to run around as fast as I could to fit in as many of my favorite rides as possible (including Radiator Springs Racers, Indiana Jones Adventure, Soarin’ Over California, Space Mountain – decked out for Halloween, and more). There’s never enough time to do everything I’d like to do at Disneyland in one day, much less a half day. I really need to make plans to come to Disneyland for several days – with my family this time.

Our fabulous group of bloggers at the entrance of Tomorrowland

“Few companies have both a legendary past as well as a limitless future. But we had the great fortune to be founded with the spirit of creativity and innovation – one that continues to define this phenomenal company, allowing us to keep moving forward to meet the future without ever losing sight of who we are and where it all started.” – Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company

Here is just a glimpse into my day at Disneyland:

You’ll find magical, diamond-studded decorations throughout the park!

I loved watching this Disney artist at work…and she gave several prints away at our lunch at Disneyland!

On the boat to It’s a Small World (we didn’t find the secret passageway to Tomorrowland this time)

As if Disneyland isn’t magical enough, we were there for Halloweentime – so much fun!

Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy is a blast!

I could spend a whole day at Disneyland just enjoying the treats…this time I “Settled” for cookies ‘n cream ice cream in a dipped waffle cone with Halloween sprinkles

I found Goofy, all decked out in his 60th Anniversary best!

I loved seeing the reminders of the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration throughout the park!

Paint the Night

One of my new favorite things at Disneyland is the new Paint the Night parade. When I was growing up, I had a record with the classic Electrical Parade music, and I would listen to it all the time. As much as I loved the Electrical Parade of my childhood, this new parade blew it out of the water. It was simply spectacular!

Fun Facts About the New “Paint the Night” Parade

“Paint the Night” tells 8 different stories, each represented by multiple floats, props, and performers.
It took Disney design and technical teams 3 years to create the new parade.
“Paint the Night” is the first-ever parade lit almost entirely by LED lights (the only incandescent lights are found at the tip of Tinker Bell’s wand and in Rapunzel’s flickering lanterns).
Including the video screens, the parade contains more than 1.5 million sources of light.
Each costume has its own unique system of lighting controls – some lights are sewn into costume fabric while others are sculpted pieces worn by the performers.

And you must stay for the “Disneyland Forever” fireworks show! What an emotional, uplifting fireworks presentation, filled with some of my favorite Disney songs!

Have you been to Disneyland? What are some of your favorite memories from Disney? If you haven’t been to Disneyland yet during their 60th Anniversary celebration, you’ve still got through Summer 2016 to experience the magic!

San Diego Zoo #PSF Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 03:04:52 +0000

I know what you’re probably thinking. Didn’t she JUST post about going to Los Angeles Zoo? Yes, I did. And then, after my #AvengersEvent #MonkeyKingdom trip was over, I drove down to San Diego to spend a couple of days with family.

Apparently, I didn’t get enough of zoo animals (and let’s face it, the gorgeous Southern California weather) because I suggested to my mom that we take my 2 young nephews to the San Diego Zoo for the day.

We had a blast!

The San Diego Zoo is like the Disneyland of zoos. The boys definitely enjoyed the Skyfari ride, the bus tour, and the kid-friendly Polar Bear area the most. Oh, and the playground. They definitely loved the playground.

Taking my little nephews (who I don’t see often enough!) made me miss having little kids of my own anymore. At least a little.

What have you been up to this week? I’d love for you to link up to this week’s Photostory Friday/Give Me Your Best Shot. How us what’s been happening this past week, and what you’ve captured with your camera.

Have a great weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up

Walking Where Walt Walked – Walt Disney Studios Lot

Lolli — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 18:45:57 +0000

I was invited to tour the Walt Disney Studios lot as part of the Frozen press trip last month (an expense-paid trip). All opinions and thoughts are my own.

“Wind’s in the east, mist comin’ in.
Like something is brewin’ about to begin
Can’t put me finger on what lies in store
But I feel what’s to happen, all happened before.”
—Bert in “Mary Poppins”

Disneyland is called the most magical place on earth…and I would have to agree. But there was something equally – but differently – magical about being on the Walt Disney Studios lot.

Stepping onto the Walt Disney Studios lot was like stepping back in time. As we toured the different sound stages and office buildings where so much magic has happened over the last 70+ years, I couldn’t help but imagine all of the people who have walked those same paths.

I went on my tour of the Studios the day after seeing Saving Mr. Banks and was impressed with all that I was able to recognize from the movie. My experience was enhanced tremendously when I saw Saving Mr. Banks again last night. The magic that I felt when I was walking through the Studio lot was because of all the magic that has happened there.

I walked where Walt Disney walked. I saw the studio doors that Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke entered to film Mary Poppins. I saw the patch of grass outside Walt Disney’s offices where Emma Thompson sat and made a bandstand and lake out of twigs and leaves and a cup of tea (one of my favorite scenes in Saving Mr. Banks!).

Have I mentioned that it was a magical place?

Fun Facts about Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks

…as related to my tour of the Walt Disney Studios Lot!

“Saving Mr. Banks” filmed entirely in the Los Angeles area, with key locations that included Disneyland in Anaheim, TCL Chinese Theatre (formerly called Grauman’s Chinese Theatre) in Hollywood (where the 1964 premiere of “Mary Poppins” took place), the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank (which opened in 1940 and where the 1964 movie filmed in its entirety) and the 10,000 acre Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley (which doubled for the film’s early 20th-century Australian landscape).

“Saving Mr. Banks” was only the third feature film to ever shoot scenes at Disneyland. The last feature to film at the park was Tom Hanks’ directorial debut, “That Thing You Do,” with only one other film before that to shoot inside the 58-year-old theme park—Norman Jewison’s 1962 directorial debut, “40 Pounds of Trouble.”
The Walt Disney Studios’ lot is home to one of Los Angeles’ largest sound stages (Stage 2), now christened the “Julie Andrews Stage” because the 31,200 square foot building housed much of the filming of “Mary Poppins” in 1963.

Julie Andrews Studio 2 plaque

As the 150 or so cast-and-crew members gathered around when production wound down in the Rehearsal Studio set, Richard Sherman, unbeknownst to most everyone gathered, took a seat at the piano and began playing “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” asking everyone there to join in a sing-a-long. Instantaneously, dozens grabbed their cell phones and began recording this spontaneous music video—a once-in-a-lifetime moment in the presence of a living legend.
In order to visually recreate the Disney Studio lot, Disneyland® Park, and the “Mary Poppins” premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre as they appeared in the early 1960s, the “Saving Mr. Banks” production team examined more than 500 photographs from the Disney Photo Library collection (part of the Walt Disney Archives), including images of Studio building hallways and offices, Disneyland storefront windows and aerial photography.
The “Saving Mr. Banks” art department was invited to “D23 Presents Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum,” where Walt Disney’s actual formal office furnishings were on display. The art department team measured and photographed original objects and furniture pieces from the office for reproduction, including Walt Disney’s desk, side tables and shelf units. The Archives staff even provided era-appropriate signage from the Disney Studio’s Animation Building, which the art department referenced when recreating the building hallways.

And, just for fun, here is the cast of Saving Mr. Banks, including Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, on these same steps this week for the premiere!

U.S. Premiere Of Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks” at Walt Disney Studios

Buy Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Edition DVD/Blu-ray today, and be sure to make a date to see Saving Mr. Banks in theaters, opening in select areas 12/13/13 and nation-wide on 12/20/13. My Saving Mr. Banks review is coming shortly!

Note: Fun facts provided by Disney. Many thanks to our tour guide, Jeffrey Epstein, who showed us around and filled our minds with lots of fun information! More than I could remember on my feet, for sure!

Walt Disney Family Museum In San Francisco #MonstersUEvent

Lolli — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:15:08 +0000

I visited the Walt Disney Family Museum while on the #MonstersUEvent press trip. All travel expenses were covered but no compensation was received. All thoughts, opinions, and pictures are my own.

When I say ‘Disney,’ I bet you think of three places: Southern California, Florida….and movie theaters. San Francisco may not be at the top of your list when Disney is mentioned. But did you know that San Francisco is home to the Walt Disney Family Museum?

The Walt Disney Family Museum is a 40,000 square foot Museum that showcases Walt Disney’s successes, disappointments, innovation, achievements and endless optimism. Founded by Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, the Museum, which opened in the Presidio of San Francisco on October 1, 2009, is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Family Foundation, a non-profit foundation.

I think these words by Walt’s daughter and co-founder of the Museum, Diane Disney Miller, explain the value of the Walt Disney Family Museum best:

“My father has one of the most well-known names around the world, but as the Disney ‘brand’ has grown, the man has become lost. We are committed to telling the story of Walt Disney’s life, in his own words, and in the words of others who knew him well and worked with him. My father was very open, and in the many conversations and interviews that you will hear in the galleries, you learn the story of his life. It is a wonderful story, and Dad himself loved to tell it. Thanks to the amazing work of many dedicated people, we are fortunate to be able to tell it here using the tools he worked with—art, music, film and technology—to present an honest yet affectionate portrait of this amazing artist and man.”

Above: It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful location for the Walt Disney Family Museum. From one the gallery windows in the back of the building, you can catch this breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge. One of my favorite “spottings” in the museum was a picture of Walt pitching Disneyland…wouldn’t you agree that his presentation was one of the best business pitches in the history of the world?

It’s tough to think of many people, alive or dead, who could fill an entire museum about their personal life and professional accomplishments, but Walt Disney certainly can. I was blown away by all that Walt created during his lifetime, and how his creations, photographs, and memorabilia gave me a glimpse into his life that I had never seen before. I felt like I left he museum knowing Walt Disney better…and unlike many people, the more I learned about him, the more impressed and amazed I was.

From his early days, growing up on a Missouri farm, to his first years in Hollywood, the museum is full of rare pictures into the mind of a creative genius…

The Walt Disney Family Museum features:

Original drawings that Disney made in his youth
Drawings and cartoons from Laugh-O-gram Films, Disney’s first company
The earliest known drawings of Mickey Mouse
Storyboards, a Disney innovation that maps out timeless film classics
The technically innovative Multiplane Camera that brought vibrancy and depth to his revolutionary feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
An interactive station that allows visitors to synchronize film and music
Disney’s 26 individual Academy Awards as well as the unique Snow White Academy Award®, which includes a full-size Oscar® and seven miniature castings
Gallery 9, an eye-popping 2-story gallery that features the narrow-gauge Lilly Belle train Disney built for his Hollywood home, a 14-foot diameter model of the Disneyland of Walt’s imagination and dozens of video screens that showcase his television programs from the 1950s and beyond
In addition to the galleries, the Museum contains a 114-seat screening facility, a learning center, a store, and a café.

Throughout the 10 galleries, we were able to see original artwork, including sketches and concept art from the Disney Studios movies produced during Walt’s life. Above, you can see the wall full of original paints that the animators used in cartoons and movies.

One of my favorite features within the museum was the enormous model of Disneyland – Walt’s vision for the park. While Disneyland was never exactly how he envisioned the park in this model, I thought it was interesting that every ride and feature that Walt planned made it in to the park at some point…just not all at the same time.

I adored Walt’s miniature Oscar charm bracelet. Each charm represented an Oscar that he was awarded – that was one full charm bracelet!

Walt Disney was an incredible man, and his legacy lives on in each of us. I highly recommend stopping by the Walt Disney Family Museum next time you’re in San Francisco!

Visit the Walt Disney Family Museum:

Hours: The museum is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays through Mondays. Closed on Tuesdays, and January 1, Thanksgiving Day, and December 25.
Admission: Admission can be purchased at the door, or at www.waltdisney.org. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, and $12.00 for children 6 to 17. Admission is free for members and children under 6.
Visit the museum online at www.waltdisney.org.

Disclosure: I visited the Walt Disney Family Museum while on the #MonstersUEvent press trip. All travel expenses were covered but no compensation was received. All thoughts, opinions, and pictures are my own.

San Diego Mountains in Spring – Give Me Your Best Shot #PSF

Lolli — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:44:08 +0000

When I think of San Diego, I think of beaches and sun and zoo animals. I had no idea that there was so much beauty just beyond the city limits. (That’s not to say that there isn’t beauty within the city of San Diego….That came out wrong!).

While I was in San Diego last weekend, I took a road trip in a Hyundai Santa Fe with Deb from Just Short of Crazy (my fabulous driving companion for the day). Luckily, Deb was just as excited about stopping to take pictures at ALL the of the scenic San Diego mountain views. There were so many of them.

It was very, very hard to get on the plane and come back home to 30 degree temperatures and views of rows and rows of homes instead of boulders and wild flowers and GREEN, growing things.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

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Coronado California #WordlessWednesday

Lolli — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:00:11 +0000

The only complaint that I have about my weekend trip to Coronado California is that I forgot to order the warm Southern California weather before I hopped on the plane.

You’d never know that it was in the 60s most of the time I was there – the beach and the scenery were incredible.

PS – How awesome is this runner’s outfit?

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