Food Fun Family

Frozen On Blu-ray/DVD PLUS New Frozen Activity Sheets and Coloring Pages

Lolli — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 11:00:28 +0000

Note: I received a review copy of Frozen on DVD/Blu-ray a few weeks before the DVD release. All thoughts are my own.

I’m guessing that unless you’ve been living under a rock (which you aren’t because you’re reading this on the internet…not really popular with those rock-dwellers), you’ve probably either seen Frozen once or twice (or a dozen times) or you’ve at least heard the wildly popular songs and seen all of the hype (from the news to blogs to YouTube to the Oscars).

About Frozen:

Fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey — teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven — to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

But did you know that Frozen is available on DVD/Blu-ray as of March 18? After my kids saw Frozen for the first time, they immediately started talking about when we’d be able to get it on DVD. They couldn’t wait to watch the movie again (and again and again). I can’t even begin to express how excited the kids were when I found out that a review copy of Frozen was on it’s way to our house – 2 weeks before it would be available in stores and online. We watched it practically non-stop the weekend that the DVD came.

Wondering what is new on the DVD and Blu-ray?

New Bonus Features Available:

The Making Of Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
D’frosted: Disney’s Journey From Hans Christian Andersen to Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
Breaking The Ice – The Real Making Of Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
4 Deleted Scenes with introduction by Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Original Theatrical Short – “Get A Horse” (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD)
“Let It Go” Music Videos by Demi Lovato, Martina Stoessel & Marsha Milan Londoh (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD)
Frozen Teaser Trailer (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD)

I was excited to see Frozen again after the Blu-ray came, and even though I got to see a lot of the behind-the-scenes, making-of-Frozen stuff LIVE in Los Angeles during the premiere trip, I always love watching behind-the-scenes shorts, deleted scenes, and other gems when the DVD comes.

This time around, the thing I was most excited to “experience” was my husband’s reaction to seeing Frozen for the first time. Even though I had seen the movie multiple times in the theater and we all knew every song by heart, my husband had never made it to the theater to see Frozen. I was worried that, in his eyes, the movie wouldn’t live up to all of the hype we had given it. (Don’t you hate going to a movie that everyone has said was so amazing only to find out that it’s just ok?) Boy was I wrong. He adored it. He raved about Olaf, quoting Olaf lines for days after seeing it. He even said that he enjoyed the songs so much more after seeing how they fit into the movie.

Frozen was a family favorite from the first time we saw it together in theaters, but now that we have it on Blu-ray, it is officially on our frequent-watch list. We love this movie!

NEW Frozen Coloring Pages and Activity sheets

Click the button below (or either of the images) to download a full-sized PDF of the new Frozen coloring pages and activity sheets.

Want a sneak peek at what’s inside? How fun are these?

Want MORE Frozen activity sheets or coloring pages? Check out my two previous Disney Frozen printables (one) and (two!).

Like FROZEN on Facebook
Follow FROZEN on Twitter: @DisneyAnimation
Visit the official website: Disney.com/frozen

Saving Mr. Banks Movie Review

Lolli — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:41:58 +0000

Note: I was invited to LA on an expense-paid press trip by Disney, which included access to lots of behind-the-scenes information about Saving Mr. Banks as well as a screening of the movie in Walt Disney’s personal screening theater (how cool is that?). All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is spoiler-free!

Setting the stage: In 1961, Walt Disney invited “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers to his studio in Los Angeles to discuss, in person, his continued interest in obtaining the movie rights to her beloved book and character—a pitch he first made to her in the 1940s. Still hesitant and disinterested after all those years, Travers wanted to tell the Hollywood impresario to go fly a kite but with dwindling sales of her books and a bleak economic future looming, P.L. Travers said yes and embarked on a two-week sojourn in Los Angeles that would ultimately set the wheels of the beloved film in motion.

I had no idea that I would love Saving Mr. Banks so passionately. As wonderful as the story sounded from the trailers that I had seen over the past few months, I was not excited about seeing Walt Disney portrayed by Tom Hanks. I even went so far as to vocally express my disappointment at Disney’s choice for casting Tom Hanks in the role. However, I got through the movie (I’ve seen it twice now) without giving Hanks a second thought. All of the aspects of the movie – from the actors to the script to the music and everything else about it – worked so seemlessly together that I never thought twice about the actor playing Walt Disney.

Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) in Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks”.

What I loved about Saving Mr. Banks:

The story is top-notch. It’s also not what you’d expect, even when you know the basic story line. It is magical, but down-to-earth. You will laugh, sing, and cry. I found myself falling in love with unlikely characters, like Ralph the chauffeur, who ended up being my favorite secondary character. I want to know Ralph. Mary Poppins’ author, P.L. Travers, was phenomenally played by Emma Thompson, and though Travers was a difficult woman to work with, I loved the role and couldn’t imagine anyone doing it better than Thompson.

(Front row L-R) Actress Annie Rose Buckley, actor Colin Farrell, actor Dick Van Dyke, actress Emma Thompson, actor Tom Hanks, actress Julie Andrews, music consultant/composer Richard Sherman, actor Jason Schwartzman, actor B.J. Novak, (back row L-R) Producer Alison Owen, Writer Kelly Marcel, actress Kathy Baker, actress Melanie Paxson, actor Bradley Whitford and actor Paul Giamatti attend the U.S. Premiere Of Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks” at Walt Disney Studios on December 9, 2013 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage)

I loved the flashback scenes of P.L. Traver’s childhood, which is almost like a separate movie inside a movie. It’s a tender and heartbreaking story that is fantastically done.

In the movie, Mrs. Travers has grown into a bitter, stubborn woman who has no interest in selling the rights to her story of Mary Poppins. In fact, she only agrees to travel to California to meet with Walt Disney because she is out of money. Still, the unwavering woman makes Disney’s 20-year-long attempt to make mary Poppins into a movie quite the challenge.

Both my husband and I expected a lot of Disney “magic” throughout the movie. Instead, we were surprised by a very serious film. And while it was certainly full of magical moments, plenty of music, and several laughter-inducing scenes, be prepared for something deep. This movie will move you.

Why is Saving Mr. Banks rated PG-13?

There is some very minor swearing in the “modern day” portion of the movie (you’ve probably heard Walt Disney swear in one of the trailers, so it’s not a surprise) but that certainly does not make the movie PG-13. I’m guessing that the movie received that rating because of Mrs. Traver’s father’s alcoholism and the attempted suicide of one of the characters. There are a few flashback scenes that could be difficult for young children to understand. I am completely comfortable letting my own children watch the movie without hesitation, though I would recommend that parents are prepared to have a discussion with their kids about alcoholism and suicide.

Who should see Saving Mr. Banks?

I recommend that EVERYONE see Saving mr. Banks. I anticipate that this movie (and Emma Thompson for her starring role) will end up winning numerous awards. I’ve already seen it twice – it was just as good the second time!) and would gladly pay to see it again a third time with the rest of my family. See it whether or not you’ve seen Mary Poppins recently (I promise that you’ll WANT to run out and see Mary Poppins soon after you’ve seen Saving Mr. Banks, though!).

Warning: Be prepared to cry. Bring plenty of tissues. I sobbed through the entire movie the first time I saw it (and the second time, I knew what was coming, so I got choked up even earlier!). And then be prepared to wake up singing “Let’s Go Fly a Kite!” for days afterwards. And that’s a good thing. This is a movie I want to see over and over again!

Like I mentioned in Friday’s post, The “Saving Mr. Banks” book is available for free, exclusively on iBooks at www.iTunes.com/SavingMrBanks.

Actors Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke attend the U.S. Premiere Of Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks” at Walt Disney Studios on December 9, 2013 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage)

Like SAVING MR. BANKS on Facebook
Follow SAVING MR. BANKS on Twitter: @disneypictures #SavingMrBanks
Follow SAVING MR. BANKS on Pinterest
Visit the official site here: www.disney.com/savingmrbanks

SAVING MR. BANKS opened in theaters limited on December 13th and opens wide on December 20th!

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!

Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Edition

Lolli — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 18:02:11 +0000

Note: I was invited by Disney to Los Angeles for the world premiere of Frozen, and while I was there I had the opportunity to learn a little about the making of Mary Poppins. I just received the brand new 50th anniversary edition Blu-ray/DVD combo of Mary Poppins in the mail yesterday – all thoughts and opinions on the movie and special features are my own.

I will never watch Mary Poppins quite the same again after viewing Saving Mr. Banks. After screening Saving Mr. Banks and then interviewing Pete Menefee, one of the chimney sweep dancers from the movie, I was eager to see all of those familiar songs and dances through new eyes.

I have watched Mary Poppins dozens of times, but watching the new 50th anniversary edition of Mary Poppins with my husband and kids last night was like watching it for the first time. We laughed together, we sang together…It was beautiful!

About Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Edition DVD/Blu-ray

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney’s classic masterpiece, Mary Poppins, the movie is being released from the Disney Vault – for the first time on Blu-ray – on December 10 (ie – it’s available now! Hurry out to get it for the holidays!). Mary Poppins stars Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins (an Academy-Award winning role) and Dick Van Dyke as Bert, and featurs iconic songs including “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Mary Poppins has been digitally restored for even more magic…like only Mary Poppins can bring.

In addition to the digitally restored feature, the 50th Anniversary Blu-ray DVD includes:

Mary-OKE’s – Sing along with popular music from the film, specifically “Spoon Full of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” Step In Time,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee” – this feature allows viewers to sing along to animated words that display onscreen in unique ways.
Becoming Mr. Sherman – Join actor Jason Schwartzman as he sits down for a fun and musical-filled afternoon with Richard Sherman. In the new film, SAVING MR BANKS, Schwartzman portrays the Disney Legend, half of the famous composing team, the Sherman Brothers who wrote all the classic songs from MARY POPPINS, as well as many other favorites. Hear heartwarming, revealing stories about the making of this beloved musical, get more insight on working with Walt Disney, and get a unique sneak peek into SAVING MR BANKS, starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson.
Deleted song: “Chimpanzoo”
ng ofl about taking Mary Poppins to Broadway. The songwriters, actors, and directors talk about creating the stage version – making it new but retaining the feel of the movie. Includes a full musical scene from the Broadway musical.

A magical reunion with Julie Andrews (Mary), Dick Van Dyke (Bert) and Richard Sherman (one of the song writers).

My favorite special feature was “Becoming Mr. Sherman,” which gave a touching glimpse into making the new movie, “Saving Mr. Banks” as well as the original Mary Poppins. My husband and I were both enthralled.

Whether you’re an old fan of Mary Poppins like me or have kids who have never experienced the magic of Mary, you’ll love the new 50th Anniversary Blu-ray!

Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Trailer on Disney Video

Connect with Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks:

Buy Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Edition DVD/Blu-ray today – from $19.99 – $24.99 (prices as of 12/10/13)

facebook.com/waltdisneymarypoppins

Twitter: @DisneyPictures #MaryPoppins and #SavingMrBanks

https://movies.disney.com/mary-poppins

facebook.com/SavingMrBanks

pinterest.com/disneystudios/saving-mr-banks/

disney.com/savingmrbanks

Note: Some links within this post are Amazon affiliate links. I may get a couple of pennies if you make a purchase!

© 2013, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

Santino Fontana as Prince Hans in FROZEN

Lolli — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 15:52:17 +0000

I was invited by Disney on an expense-paid trip to LA last month for the premiere of FROZEN. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Photos courtesy of Disney. NOTE: There are SPOILERS near the bottom of this post. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, all discussion of spoilers will have plenty of advance warning. When you see “SPOILER ALERT BELOW”, you can quit reading.

As an actor on Broadway, Santino doesn’t get many breaks away from the stage. In fact, the week that we met Santino (the day after the Hollywood premiere of Frozen) was his vacation week from Cinderella on Broadway, where he is playing the Prince (a “very different prince,” he says).

Meet Prince Hans

Hans is a prince from a neighboring kingdom, the 13th son of the king and queen.

When asked if he sees any of himself in Hans, Santino said, “I would say in little bits and pieces….like any role, it’s kind of a match of your imagination and your experience. Other than that, Hans doesn’t have a huge sense of humor. I like to think that I have a good sense of humor. I like to keep people laughing or myself laughing, because life is too hard otherwise. So I’d say we’re pretty different. There’s not a lot that’s similar. Plus, he has red hair. Never could happen. No one would ever buy it.”

Prince Hans comes to Arendelle for the first time to join in the festivities of Elsa’s coronation and bumps into Anna, the younger princess, before the ceremonies begin. They instantly hit it off (that’s an understatement!), and in a very fairy tale-esque manner, he proposes to Anna after knowing her for a few hours. Hans is handsome, chivalrous, kind and slightly awkward…in a good way. He and Anna just “get” each other – both of them have been shut out by their older siblings.

Their love songs, “Love is An Open Door” is one of my favorites ever.

Recording Love is An Open Door:

Santino recorded his part as Hans while he was in the middle of an active Broadway show, and singing Love is An Open Door was the only thing that he and Kristen Bell (Anna) recorded together. He explains the process:

“We were doing (Cinderella) performances; rehearsals during the day, then performances at night, and then after a show one night, I got on a plane into L.A., met Kristen really for the first time. She was pregnant at the time. We sang the song for like a couple hours, got on a plane, went back and did my show.”

They sang together and then separated into different recording booths where they recorded their portions separately as well. He claims, “No, there was no dancing. There was no dancing.”

Getting into musical theater

Santino talked briefly about his childhood and how he got into acting and singing. “I forced my family to do a Thanksgiving play in our garage, and I was the turkey in pre-school. I also played baseball. I mean, I was a big baseball player. I loved baseball, um, and I always did both. I always liked bringing people together and telling a story that kind of united them. I don’t think as a preschooler I thought ah, I want to be an actor….” But acting was always just his “thing.”

On being an animated character, Santino said, “The great thing about animation is you’re not limited by anything physical or even logical. You can totally be in a place of nothing but imagination. And what’s so great about what Jenn and Chris did is they’re the ones who are responsible for the editing, which has all the logic. So my job is just to generate creative ideas, and it’s their job to make it all make sense. And that’s great, that’s great.”

Santino talked about seeing the finished movie: “The second time I saw it, which was like November 9th with a big, big crowd, that was the first time I was really able to take it all in. I’m just so proud to be part of it. I think it’s gorgeous to look at, and I think it’s so moving. I’m so moved by the sister story and by them being so alone and not finding each other. I think that’s so moving and a story that we haven’t heard before. And, and I think it’s also really funny. And it’s also like an action movie in a way. I mean, on Broadway I fight a tree giant every night, and in this I’m fighting a giant snow man. So that’s so exciting. I think it’s one of those things that you realize, I think we all realized, that we’re part of something that would be around for a very long time.”

**SPOILER ALERT BELOW**

Santino Fontana discusses the twist in Frozen

Santino knew when he was asked to play the part of Hans that there would be a twist at the end, but the story was changing and evolving for so long that he wasn’t sure exactly how that twist would come about. Interestingly, he didn’t even know the rest of the story – he was only aware of his part – until he saw the finished movie in early October with a small group of people involved in filming it.

He says that it’s still hard for him to be in a theater when people boo Hans when his true colors are revealed. It’s hard not to take it personally. It’s still fun, though, to hear the gasps in the audience when people are hit with a twist that no one saw coming. Again, he attributes the brilliance of an unexpected twist to the writers and directors and doesn’t take an credit for the surprise.

He says, “Everyone starts as an outsider, really. We don’t know where Elsa’s coming from. We don’t know where the Duke of Weselton is coming from. We don’t really know where Kristoff is coming from. You just have to do what’s in front of you, and then whatever needs to be revealed whenever it needs to be revealed is taken care of. You just have to play the scene as honestly as possible. It’s so great to be an actor and you feel like you’ve been taken care of by what’s on the page, because then you don’t have to cover things up or fix something. And if you do go back and watch, I think you would start putting pieces together, but it we did, very specifically, didn’t want anyone to know (of the betrayal) a second before it happened. You want to put the audience in the place of a protagonist, Anna, so you have to see what she sees.”

As someone who usually figures out twists in movies, I was thrilled that I didn’t see Hans’ betrayal coming at all. I simply thought that Anna and Hans would kiss and there would be no spark. I love that I was surprised. I also loved hearing the gasp of shock from the audience both times I saw the movie.

If you’ve seen Frozen, what did you think about the twist at the end?

Be sure to check out the rest of my #DisneyFrozenEvent posts (with movie review, interviews, embarrassing videos, and other behind the scenes looks at the movie).

FROZEN is in theaters NOW!
Frozen stars the voice talents of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk and Ciarán Hinds and is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee with original songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFrozen
https://twitter.com/DisneyAnimation (#DisneyFrozen)
https://www.pinterest.com/disneystudios/frozen/
https://www.disney.com/frozen

© 2013, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

Mary Poppins Through the Eyes of a Chimney Sweep: Pete Menefee Interview

Lolli — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 14:00:14 +0000

I was invited by Disney on an expense-paid trip to LA last month for the premiere of FROZEN as well as other exciting experiences, like this Pete Menefee interview. Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary edition comes to Blu-Ray and DVD on December 10, 2013. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pete Menefee was 14 years old when he started dancing professionally, 17 when he danced in West Side Story, and 18 when he played Harvey Johnson in the film Bye Bye Birdie. Just a few years later, at 21 years old, Pete Menefee was cast as one of the chimney sweeps in Mary Poppins…and his insight into the filming of the movie and all that went into it was nothing short of fascinating.

By the time Pete was in his mid 20s, he was acting as assistant choreographer and it occurred to him that dancing was a young person’s career. he knew he wouldn’t be jumping down chimneys at 37, so he decided to look for something else he was good at to carry him through the remainder of his working years. He had been drawing from a very early age (even before he was in school), but it had never occurred to him that he could make a career out of drawing. He’d been making money for so many years as a professional dancer, buying his first car at 14 and putting himself through college with the money he earned from his dancing jobs, and he was nervous to give that up.

Luckily, his talent for drawing took him very far.

Just 10 years after shooting Mary Poppins, Pete says, “In ’73, ten years later, I was dressing Julie for the opening special at Walt Disney World in Florida. I opened Walt Disney World for Walt.” What an exciting transition! Throughout his 44 year designing career, he designed costumes for the Moscow Circus, the cabaret show Jubilee in Las Vegas, Circus of the Stars, Miss Universe, many rock and roll acts like KISS, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, etc, and recently the How to Train Your Dragon show and, as Pete puts it, “every ice show in the world.”

“So my career has been really varied as far as design goes. I’ve won three Emmys. I’ve been nominated for five of them. And I’ve just been privileged to work all over the world with all different people. You know, it’s been, it’s been really incredible.”

Rehearsing for Mary Poppins

“The movie was rehearsed here in June and July of ’63 and I don’t know how many of you live in the valley but it’s warm here,” Pete said about his time preparing for Mary Poppins. “They built a set on the back lot for us that was special for (the rehearsals). It was very springy so no one’s legs would get messed up like you do dancing on the concrete or hard surfaces. Walt was there every day, every single day. Walt, he knew everybody’s name. We had to wear the name tags but we were allowed to rehearse in swim trunks because it was blazing (hot) back there.”

It was interesting to hear Pete Menefee talk about those days of dancing for Mary Poppins. The stunts that those men tried while they were building their routines for the movie sounded scary. These were dancers, not stunt men, and yet…

“Three guys really did do flip flops between two buildings and it’s painted in perspective but it still is (real). It means that you’re throwing yourself over and catching yourself on your hands three times with a 15 foot drop below you and it’s grim. It is grim.

He continued, “And the section jumping into the chimney puffs was done with a technical person underneath each of our chimneys and the chimney was solid with a cutout and you would do the section and jump split and do the section again and jump split and the third time you jump split and then you tuck in and pull your knees up and the guy would trip the chimney and you’d fall into it and you’d fall and hit a mattress on the floor and front roll… I used to have nightmares about it.”

I can only imagine.

Pete went on to say, “It was like eight feet…which is a long. That wasn’t the bad part. The bad part was the chimney opening wasn’t that big. And I don’t have a big chin but I used to have nightmares that I had tucked and I would clip my chin, my teeth, my nose, you know, I mean I used to literally wake up sweating about it.

The first day that we shot, the first thing that we shot was the very last thing that you see us all dancing down the street at the end and that was hard because although we had worked for almost a month and a half with the brooms and everything we’d been working on a plywood floor. And all of a sudden we get out and we’re on a cobble stone street and there’s supposed to be four of us tumbling right next to each other and, you put the broom down. Even if it had a rubber point, you’d be all over the place. That was really hard.”

It wasn’t all terrifying stunts, though. Pete told the story of searching for the right sound for the animated dancing penguins in Jolly Holiday. Pete Menefee and a few of his fellow dancers were given flippers to “dance” with to make the sound of the penguin’s feet. It didn’t sound right. They tried dancing with the flippers on a wet floor, on sawdust…but nothing was sounding right. Finally, they broke for lunch. After they were done eating, Pete and another dancer, Bruce Hoy, were standing near the microphone. Here’s what happened in Pete’s words:

“I said, (boy) their food is so terrific here and Bruce pulled his shirt up and he said, [TAPS STOMACH] ‘It’s great!’ And somebody went, ‘Who made that noise near the microphone?’ So, when you see the penguins, think of five dancers with their shirts up going [TAPS STOMACH]. That’s how all the tap dancing was done. So it was great to work on it. I had great memories of it.”

Pete Menefee and his fellow chimney sweeps may have suffered through the hot Southern California summer that year. They may have had nightmares about the stunts that they had to perform. But they knew that they were part of something special, even before they saw the finished movie in the theaters.

“For most of us it was a job. It was your gig that summer but we knew that it was special when we were doing it. You don’t get choreography that good every day or an idea that’s that good. It was terrific to do.”

We are grateful they did.

Mary Poppins is being released from the Disney vaults in just a few days (12/10/13) in honor of the movie’s 50th anniversary (Wow!). I can’t wait to see it again and listen for the penguin flippers!

© 2013, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

Recording the Voice of Olaf in FROZEN {Yes, Me!}

Lolli — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:00:35 +0000

Note: I was invited by Disney to attend the LA premiere of FROZEN last month. Travel expenses and accommodations were covered, but no other compensation was received. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just 2 weeks ago, I stood in the recording studio in Disney Animation Studios. The same recording studio where the songs and the dialog for the movie Frozen were recently recorded. It was surreal.

If nothing else, blogging has given me countless opportunities to do things that I never would have dreamed of doing before this world opened up to me. Since I’m married to an audio and video recorder who used to have his own recording studio, I’ve actually had the experience of recording the voice for an animated character. I’ve watched the process dozens of times. And yet….I was in the Disney Studios recording a portion of a brand new, not even released yet Disney movie.

Incredible.

If only I wasn’t so sensitive about hearing my voice…

Getting into character, maybe?

What I learned:

It’s harder than you’d think to sync your voice with a character that’s already animated.

Even when you have a script to follow and 3-2-1 count down prompts to tell you when to start speaking, it’s challenging to speak at the right speed.

Kids think that hearing their mom’s voice coming out of their favorite snowman’s mouth is AWE-some!

Friends don’t care how lame you sound. Playing around in the Disney recording studio is like the best girl’s night out party game EVER.

We laughed ourselves silly.

Ready to hear me as the voice of Olaf??

Please forgive my delayed start. I swear I was watching the countdown and then all of the sudden it jumped ahead. I did a pretty good job of catching up, don’t you think?

And in case you’ve seen some of my fellow FROZEN bloggers’ posts and videos, I didn’t have a chance to record Olaf’s song, In Summer. Only a small handful of women in our group had time to record the song before we moved on to the next activity, so you’ll have to imagine how wonderful I would have sounded singing. Ha!

© 2013, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

Walt Disney is Mickey Mouse in New Short ‘Get a Horse’ #DisneyFrozenEvent

Lolli — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 19:29:09 +0000

Note: I was invited by Disney to attend the LA premiere of FROZEN last month, during which time I was able to see the new short ‘Get a Horse’ and chat with the filmmakers responsible for the movie. While my travel and accommodations were covered, no other compensation was received. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review contains some spoilers.

I knew nothing about the new short, GET A HORSE, showing before the feature film FROZEN, before I saw the movie. It wasn’t until I had sat down with Director Lauren MacMullan, Producer Dorothy McKim, CG animator Adam Green and Legendary Disney artist Eric Goldberg that I appreciated the full scope of what the team at Disney had accomplished with this short.

If you haven’t had a chance to see FROZEN in the theaters yet (what are you waiting for?) then check out this sneak peek trailer of GET A HORSE:

Get A Horse! Clip on Disney Video

As GET A HORSE began, I had no idea that this classic-style animation was actually brand new. The animation was, in fact, drawn specifically to give it that old-style Mickey Mouse “flavor,” and it comes at a perfect time, as Mickey celebrated his 85th birthday November.

FUN FACT: Perhaps on of the most impressive things about GET A HORSE is the fact that Walt Disney himself provides the voice of Mickey Mouse, just like the “old days.” The team at Disney searched through everything that Walt Disney had recorded while he was alive and pieced together the dialog for the entire movie. Only ONE word in the movie was not found in the Walt Disney recordings. Watch the short and see if you can guess which word that was. John Lasseter was able to hear the difference, but my guess is that the average listener won’t pick it up. I certainly didn’t!

As the director, producer and animators discussed the evolution of Mickey Mouse and how he’s done everything from A (Apprentice to a sorcerer) to Z (Zookeeper) and so many things in between, it was a treat to take Mickey back to his roots. Long-time animator, Eric Goldberg, showed us the slight but important differences in the way Mickey was drawn then versus now.

Eric Goldberg explained Mickey’s evolution, all while drawing the new and old-style Mickeys in front of us. It was brilliant to watch him!

“So the Mickey that most of us have been drawing and animating for the last 20 years or so, for the most part has been the 1939 Mickey that was designed by Freddy Moore. Freddy Moore was one of the greatest Disney animators ever.

One thing that he brought to the Mickey of this period was a sense of looseness and fluidity for the character. One of the most notable things, of course, is that he had whites and pupils in his eyes. And you can see that he had a lot of fluidity for the way his mouth would fit into his cheek. They put a little bit of drag on his ears to give that a little bit of a fluidity.

Walt’s earliest Mickey starts with a more rounded circle, a slightly more pronounced snout.

…Just take those eyes and fill ‘em in black, and you can already tell, he’s gone back a couple of decades. He had a slightly pointier nose, and sometimes he wouldn’t even connect up the mouth to the bottom of the muzzle. He would give him a front facing tongue for a 3/4 view, slightly smaller and rounder ears that did not have a lot of drag on them.

As far as his body goes, it was not a pair shape, it was like a barbell. It was two circles connected by two straights. His legs, generally speaking, would be bowed while he was standing still. His feet looked like bricks with shoes on them.

So he’d have great angled elbows. His hand cuffs would kind of stick out that way. And as far as arms and, and hands and fingers go, forget it. Bananas.”

And here comes the spoilers: The old-style animation and story would have been entertaining enough…but about halfway through the short, Mickey literally came flying through the screen into the theater. I’ve seen the short in both 3D and 3D, and as I recommended in my FROZEN movie review, I would urge everyone to see the movie in 3D just to see GET A HORSE in 3D. It was THAT spectacular.

“GET A HORSE!” Peg-Leg Pete attempts to spoil the fun in “Get A Horse!”—opening in front of “Frozen” on Nov. 27, 2013—but Mickey Mouse has a few tricks up his sleeve. Featuring Walt Disney himself as the voice of Mickey, the never-before-seen short made its U.S. premiere Aug. 9 at the D23 Expo to a surprised crowd of more than 4,000. ©2013 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

As Mickey emerges from the black and white 2D animated story, he becomes full color (Shouting, “Red!” when he sees his own clothes in color for the first time) and fully 3 dimensional. The movie’s characters interact between the 2D and 3D world, creating an exciting and hilarious finish to their story. I was completely fascinated.

Both traditional paper and pencil animators and modern CG animators worked side by side to create something totally new, totally surprising.

Said CG animator Adam Green, the animation was “done simultaneously by their hand drawn and CG animators. A constant back and forth was going on, where the 2D animators would be animating Minnie hanging from his hand, and [a CG animator would] animate Mickey in the foreground, chasing them, and pulling the curtains back and forth.

And they would constantly update one another with the latest version of the hand drawn, the latest version of the CG, make sure all the eye lines were working, and that kind of cooperation was great, you know, to have both camps kind of working for the same goal.”

Their goal proved to be fruitful. The results were stupendous.

Have you seen FROZEN in the theaters yet? Let me know what you thought of the short GET A HORSE!

FROZEN and GET A HORSE are in theaters NOW
https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFrozen
https://twitter.com/DisneyAnimation (#DisneyFrozen and #GetaHorse)
https://www.pinterest.com/disneystudios/frozen/
https://www.disney.com/frozen

© 2013, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

Top 10 Holiday Gift Ideas from Disney FROZEN #DisneyFrozen

Lolli — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:33:54 +0000

When I was in Los Angeles last month for the world premiere of Disney’s Frozen, I was able to see and learn about many of the Frozen merchandise. My travel and accommodations were covered and I was given a selection of Frozen toys to take home to my kids, but the thoughts in this post are my own. Some product links within this post are Amazon affiliate links. Prices listed may have changed.

I was finally able to take my kids to see Frozen in the theaters on Black Friday and now Frozen is ALL THE RAGE at our house. We’ve loaded the Frozen soundtrack on all of our iPods and iPads, and we’ve memorized all of the songs (they’re on repeat!).

In honor of Cyber Monday and all of the holiday shopping I’m sure everyone is doing this week, I thought I’d feature 10 of my favorite holiday gift ideas from Disney Frozen.

Deluxe Fashion Doll Set

This Deluxe Fashion Doll Set is what I would have put on my Christmas wish list when I was a little girl! The set features the sisters in striking satin outfits, plus a change of costume, and accessories so she can create her favorite Frozen moments.

Available at Amazon.

Disney Frozen Castle and Ice Palace Playset

This expandable set is double the storytelling fun with two gorgeous homes — Anna’s castle and Elsa’s Ice Palace. Children can enjoy movie-inspired furniture and play pieces, including a throne, bed, chaise, vanities, mountain slide, and an Olaf figure. Dolls are not included.

List Price: $99.99
Amazon Price: $60.00

Disney Frozen Musical Magic Anna and Elsa Dolls

Not only do these dolls feature glittery and glamorous gowns, but when you hold their hands, (or when they hold each other’s hands), the dolls will magically light up and play enchanting music from the movie.

List Price: $29.99
Amazon Price: $26.61

Frozen Deluxe Soundtrack

We are hooked on the Frozen soundtrack! The music of Frozen is beautiful – definitely a soundtrack you’ll want to listen to over and over again!

Available on Amazon – Audio CD: $11.83 or MP3: $13.99

Anna & Elsa Rolling Luggage

Whether she’s going on a sleep-over at a friend’s house or taking an airplane to visit Grandma, this shimmering, gem-covered travel case with retractable handles and rolling wheels will get her there in style.

Available at Amazon.

Olaf Tees for boys and girls

My kids (especially the boys!) fell in love with Olaf the snowman. I love the selection of adorable Olaf t-shirts for both boys and girls. The Disney Store AND Amazon both have a fun collection of t-shirts for kids and adults.

available at Amazon.

Frozen Upholstered Olaf Chair

Exclusively designed for Toys ‘R’ Us by Delta Children, this upholstered chair boasts a three-dimensional accent and animated graphics of Olaf, the silly snowman from Disney Frozen. I tested this out in LA and it is sturdy and comfortable (at least for small bottoms!).

Available at Toys ‘R Us for $79.99

Olaf Singing Plush

Of all of the souvenirs that I brought back from my trip to the Frozen premiere, the animated talking Olaf plush toy is clearly the most popular at our house. Olaf will melt your heart when you press his foot to hear him speak several phrases and sing In Summer from the movie.

available at Amazon.

Frozen Big Golden Book

I love Big Golden Books! Boys and girls ages 3-7 will love this beautifully-illustrated hardcover Big Golden Book based on the film. It is sure to be a bed-time favorite.

List Price: $9.99
Amazon price: $8.99

Frozen Plush Collection

I saw these at the Disney Store and was so tempted to buy one for each of my 5 kids. They are beautifully made and soft enough to snuggle with. Climb to new heights of high-altitude fun and adventure with our super-soft plush collection, direct from Disney’s hilarious new comedy-adventure Frozen. Includes Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf.

Available on Amazon

Are your kids asking for any Frozen toys or clothes for the holidays? Which are your favorites?

© 2013 – 2015, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

Disney’s FROZEN Review – In Theaters Now! #DisneyFrozenEvent

Lolli — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:03:13 +0000

Disney invited me on a press trip to attend the white carpet premiere of FROZEN in Hollywood last week. Travel, accommodations and activities were covered by Disney, but excitement and opinions about the film are 100% my own.

It’s been a long time since I have raved so enthusiastically about an animated movie. Don’t get me wrong – I have seen many, many excellent movies over the years that I have thoroughly enjoyed (and others that have kept me mildly entertained) but Disney Animation Studios really outdid themselves with Frozen. I am so glad that I can finally share my excitement for the movie (don’t worry – I won’t share any big spoilers in my Frozen review!).

The Story

Disney’s Frozen is loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson’s story The Snow Queen. If you know the classic story, it’s probably best to forget it now. Instead of being centered around two young friends and a distant Snow Queen that lives high in the mountains, Frozen is centered around two sisters, Princesses Elsa and Anna. Elsa, the older sister, was born with the ability to create snow and ice. After an accident, young Elsa is locked away – to protect herself and others she might come in contact with. Little Anna doesn’t understand why her sister won’t come out to play anymore.

Fast forward several years – Elsa has come of age and it’s time for her to be crowned the Queen. The sisters, both isolated from each other and the rest of the world for so many years, react differently to the opening of the gates…and to interaction with all of the people who come to participate int he coronation festivities. Anna is excited for the adventure. Elsa is terrified.

After another accident – this time much more public – Elsa flees to the snowy mountains, but not before she leaves the entire kingdom covered in snow and ice. Anna follows her sister to try to bring her back – and save everyone else from an eternal winter. Of course, she gathers a few helpers along her journey that add to both the humor and the heart of the movie.

The characters of Frozen:

Frozen is full of lovable characters, from the naive and playful Anna to the strong and isolated Kristoff to the silly dreamer Olaf the Snowman. I loved that there was not an evil “witch” or step mother. Although the original Snow Queen from Hans Christian Anderson’s story is pure evil, Frozen’s Snow Queen, Elsa, is just scared. She doesn’t know how to control her powers and so she tries to hide who she is – from everyone else and from herself. I loved that Anna is a normal, relatable, flawed girl. She’s not perfect. She makes mistakes. But she acts out of love.

I also loved both of the lead male characters. Prince Hans, with whom Anna falls instantly in love, is flawed and silly and a dreamer just like Anna. Kristoff is strong and quiet and quirky. At first he doesn’t seem the “hero” type, but he shows his true colors in the end. I loved his relationship with his life-long friend – a reindeer named Sven. But I especially appreciated that Anna doesn’t wait for either one of the male characters to come and rescue her. She sets out on her own horse, determined, brave, and acting out of love for her sister.

Olaf is a snowman that Elsa created when the two girls were young and he’s just as funny as the trailers lead you to believe. Olaf is sure to send the kids into fits of giggles, but at the same time Olaf will find his way into everyone’s hearts. He is sweet and loyal and is so much more than comic relief.

The music of Frozen:

Frozen takes Disney animated musicals back to the days of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. The movie includes 8 new top-notch songs as well as a full score of music throughout the movie, one reprise, and one remake by Demi Lovato. I have listened to the soundtrack so many times already that I’ve memorized all of the songs. Idina Menzel (as Elsa) gives a stellar performance in the song “Let It Go” – she’s incredible! Kristen Bell (as Anna) shines in “For the First Time in Forever” (with Idina) and in one of the most FUN love songs I’ve ever heard, “Love is an Open Door” (a duet with Santino Fontana, voice of Hans).

I can’t say enough good about Frozen, and I am counting down the hours until I’m taking all of my kids to see it. it’s a perfect movie to welcome in the holiday season!

Should you see Frozen in 3D or 2D?

A few people have asked me whether or not it’s worth paying the extra money to see Frozen in 3D. This is one of the few cases where I am actually recommending that people spend the extra for the 3D ticket. Frozen is visually magnificent, and the animated snow and ice is spectacular in 3D. However, I mostly recommend seeing Frozen in 3D because of the very entertaining (and totally surprising) new short that is playing in front of the feature film. I’ll be talking about the new short, “Get a Horse” next week, so today I’ll just say this: “Get a Horse” is a surprising treat that everyone will love…and it just wouldn’t be the same without the 3D.

Whether you see it in 3D or 2D, though, take the WHOLE family to see Frozen! Kids and adults alike are going to love it!

Check out my FROZEN activities that you can do at home with the kids:

Disney’s FROZEN – Free Printable Activity Sheets

FROZEN Coloring Pages and More

FROZEN is in theaters NOW!
Frozen stars the voice talents of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk and Ciarán Hinds and is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee with original songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFrozen
https://twitter.com/DisneyAnimation (#DisneyFrozen)
https://www.pinterest.com/disneystudios/frozen/
https://www.disney.com/frozen

© 2013, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

Food Fun Family

Frozen On Blu-ray/DVD PLUS *New* Frozen Activity Sheets and Coloring Pages

About Frozen:

New Bonus Features Available:

NEW Frozen Coloring Pages and Activity sheets

Saving Mr. Banks Movie Review

What I loved about Saving Mr. Banks:

Why is Saving Mr. Banks rated PG-13?

Who should see Saving Mr. Banks?

Walking Where Walt Walked – Walt Disney Studios Lot

Fun Facts about Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks

Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Edition

About Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Edition DVD/Blu-ray

Connect with Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks:

Santino Fontana as Prince Hans in FROZEN

Meet Prince Hans

Recording Love is An Open Door:

Getting into musical theater

Santino Fontana discusses the twist in Frozen

Mary Poppins Through the Eyes of a Chimney Sweep: Pete Menefee Interview

Rehearsing for Mary Poppins

Recording the Voice of Olaf in FROZEN {Yes, Me!}

Walt Disney is Mickey Mouse in New Short ‘Get a Horse’ #DisneyFrozenEvent

Top 10 Holiday Gift Ideas from Disney FROZEN #DisneyFrozen

Disney’s FROZEN Review – In Theaters Now! #DisneyFrozenEvent

The Story

The characters of Frozen:

The music of Frozen:

Should you see Frozen in 3D or 2D?

Frozen On Blu-ray/DVD PLUS New Frozen Activity Sheets and Coloring Pages