Betsy, Author at On the Go in MCO

Disneyland Holidays Returning

Last year I was fortunate enough to experience Disneyland at the holidays for the first time. It really is the most wonderful time of the year to be at the Disney Parks. Yesterday the Disney Parks Blog announced the return of some of the elements from last year that are returning. I thought I’d share some of my favorite aspects of the holidays between Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney. I also cannot wait to see this again with friends this year.

We started our trip (after the requisite trip to In-N-Out of course) with a visit to Trader Sam’s to see the great holiday decorations and drinks.

Next up we moseyed through Downtown Disney to see the beautiful holiday lights and Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink.

Disneyland does decorations right. Whether it is during the day or at night, the tradition of Main Street USA, or the rustic beauty of Frontierland or charm of New Orleans Square, it is a gorgeous sight to be seen.

Two of the absolute best parts of the holidays at Disneyland are It’s A Small World Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday. These overlays are amazing and I cannot wait to see them again this year! I had to ride both two times they were so incredibly detailed.

Over in Disney California Adventure, I loved the decorations all around the park, but especially in Buena Vista Street. The bell ringers and tweaks to the regular entertainment offerings are great. Cars Land was also very cool to see with their take on the holidays.

Seasons Speedings from Cars Land — Season’s Speedings from Cars Land

The two special holiday offerings at DCA are the Viva Navidad celebration in the Paradise Gardens area of the park, and World of Color – Winter Dreams. I will say, I loved both of these last year. The bands, fun crafts and character meet and greets as well as special food offerings at Viva Navidad were fantastic. I think I also saw Winter Dreams four out of the five nights we were there, however it was before I had seen Frozen. It will be cool (no pun intended) to see it now that I have seen Frozen a few times and will know the characters.

World of Color - Winter Dreams — World of Color – Winter Dreams

Have you seen the holidays at Disneyland Resort? What are you most looking forward to seeing if you haven’t? I am only about 60 days away from my trip and I’m stoked I get to see all the decorations again this year.

Wordless Wednesday: Headless Horseman

Wordless Wednesday: September 10, 2014

The Simpsons: Tapped Out App Review

If you are anything like me, you may have caught at least a few episodes of The Simpsons marathon on FXX. The channel is playing all 552 episodes of The Simpsons in order. I’ve watched The Simpsons since the late 1980s when it debuted as part of the Tracey Ullman show.

All this got me thinking about the only game I’ve ever played on my phone on a regular basis: The Simpsons: Tapped Out. Shelley actually got me started playing it a little over a year ago and I don’t think I’ve gone more than a few days once or twice in the past year without playing. The app is available for free on iOS and Android devices at this time. There are plenty of in app purchases that you can spend your money on if you so desire though. The headline in the app store is that the game is life-ruiningly fun. Preach on.

The basic premise of the game is pretty simple. Homer accidentally blew up Springfield and it is up to you to rebuild it however you wish. There are tasks you can accomplish to unlock buildings, decorations, characters, and even earn (fake) cash. It is a very similar concept to the game the Sims. One of the great things about this game is that it is produced by the writers of The Simpsons show. They will have updates with new characters, story lines and fun Easter eggs from episodes shortly after they air. You can also earn donuts for leveling up, special tasks and randomly in the game. These donuts can be used to purchase premium items in the game, or you can also purchase donuts for real cash to get those hard to get items.

Once you start playing, you can buy more land, houses, and all sorts of other fun things that any Simpsons fan should love. It has great throwbacks to one time characters like Rex Banner, and most all of your favorites. As you continue to play, your town can grow and you can even invite others to be your neighbors. The benefit of having neighbors is typically twofold: 1) you can visit your neighbors to get extra cash, experience points (which help you proceed from one level to the next), and friendship points (these provide you with different gifts as you achieve a new level); 2) during different overlays, you need neighbors to be able to steal things, attack, plant items that will accrue money and points for you, etc.

The different overlays throughout the year are some of my favorite times to play. Since I’ve been playing, we’ve seen different overlays of the Simpsons for Whacking Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and my favorite, the Stonecutter’s overlay. Right now the current missions are based around barbarians and have a medieval theme to them. These all help to keep the game fresh by introducing new characters, buildings, special prizes, and more.

I will warn you, this game is addictive. My friends at work will often walk by me on a break and know that I’m playing this game. I’ve got dozens of friends who play, which helps out as far as neighbors, but they will also keep on you if you haven’t played in a while (I’m looking at you, Cheryl). I play The Simpsons: Tapped Out for probably half an hour at most each day, but you can spend as much or as little time you want playing. Tasks can vary from seconds to days depending on your characters, and some missions require multiple characters to complete them simultaneously. If you have plenty of free time on a day, you may set your characters on shorter missions because you can send them for more right away, which will earn you more money and more experience points. If you’re going to be unavailable for a while, send them all on 8, 12 or 24 hour tasks.

I highly recommend this game if you are a fan of the Simpsons. There is a lot of flexibility in the game to devote a little or a lot of time playing. The goals are constantly changing, which keeps it interesting. I love how they incorporate stories from throughout the past 25 years, but also almost always bring in stuff from new episodes every month. It is a fun game that allows you to exercise some creativity in the design of your town. And if you don’t like it, you can start over from scratch, just keep in mind some of the buildings may need to be rebuilt as opposed to just pulled out of inventory. Have you played The Simpsons: Tapped Out? I know Shelley, Todd, Cheryl, Jillian and I all play. If you want us to be your neighbors, leave your username in the comments below and we’ll try to add you if we aren’t at our limit. Let me know what you think of this game.

Holy Guest Stars, Batman!

If you grew up like me watching the Adam West version of Batman on tv, you may have heard that the series is being released on blu ray and dvd later this year. This show has been at the top of my list (along with The Wonder Years) of series I’ve been hoping to be released for years now. Who doesn’t love the campiness of the Pow! Sock! Blam! Zap! Splat! onomatopoeia that came along with Batman and Robin laying waste to the villainy that plagued Gotham City?

This classic series ran from 1966 to 1968, but has lived on in pop culture and in syndication for the decades since. I have owned Batman: The Movie for years, which was also released in 1966, but wasn’t put out on dvd until 2001. The Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder have long been some of my favorite super heroes and I cannot wait to buy this box set of all 120 episodes with bonus features when it is released on November 11th.

What I thought I’d take a look at today is some of the awesome guest stars, usually in the forms of villains, that graced the small screen in Batman’s two year run. Some became series regulars, but others were only in a single story arc. To the Batmobile!

Some of my favorite roles of guest stars were simple cameos in the form of what is commonly known as the Batclimb. This is when Batman and Robin must scale the side of a building for one reason or another, and out of one of the windows pops a celebrity, or Kato and the Green Hornet thanks to Bruce Lee and Van Williams. This is how we encountered acting legends like Edward G. Robinson, pop culture mainstays like Dick Clark, singers Don Ho and Sammy Davis Jr., tv regulars like Art Linkletter, Werner Klemperer as Colonel Klink from Hogan’s Heroes, and Jerry Lewis.

Fans of stage and screen may appreciate some of the parallels like Gypsy Rose Lee and also Ethel Merman who was famous for portraying her on stage in Gypsy. Mary Poppins fans might spot Mrs. Banks actress Glynnis Johns and one of the maids for the Banks family who was played by Hermione Baddeley. Stars of tv and music from the 1960s were pretty prevalent in the show’s almost three year run. Jerry Mathers aka Beaver Cleaver had an uncredited role in one Batman episode. Alan Hale Jr., the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island, showed up too.

Women who were popular at the time had brief roles in Batman as a variety of lethal ladies. Zsa Zsa Gabor played Minerva in two episodes, which I had not seen until this year. Shelley Winters, probably best known for her roles in A Place In The Sun opposite Montogmery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, and the 1970s disaster flick Poseidon Adventure, also put in time as the villainous Ma Parker. Singer Lesley Gore, diva Joan Collins, stage and screen legend Tallulah Bankhead, and later Bond girl Jill St. John made appearances on Batman as well.

Check this out: Tallulah Bankhead was directed in the film A Royal Scandal by Otto Preminger. He was one of the actors who played Mr. Freeze, and he fathered a child with Gypsy Rose Lee. And as we already have learned, Gypsy was played on stage by Ethel Merman. And all of them were guest stars on the show! Holy tangled web of stars, Batman!

There are so many more stars who made their way to Batman over the years, but I can’t list them all here. I will list a few more of my favorites though. Tv host Steve Allen, tv/film actor/director Rob Reiner, the voice of Fred Flintstone Alan Reed, Honeymooner’s star Art Carney, Gomez Addams/Patty Duke’s ex husband/Sean Astin’s father John Astin, classic film character actor Eli Wallach, Liberace, Milton Berle, actors Roddy McDowall, Cliff Robertson, James Brolin, master of macabre Vincent Price, and Nat from Beverly Hills 90210 Joe E. Tata.

These guest stars don’t even begin to scratch the surface of the fantastic list of people who acted on Batman from 1966 to 1968. I tried to highlight some of the more popular names, and ones that I found fun connections between. I didn’t even get into some of the most popular characters like Cesar Romero as the Joker, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, Julie Newmar/Eartha Kitt/Lee Meriwether as Catwoman, Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, Victor Buono as King Tut, and tons more.

Hope you enjoyed this look back at some of the famous faces the Dynamic Duo encountered in their time on screen! For those who get the Independent Film Channel (IFC), Batman is airing six or seven times a day every day right now. Check your local listings for times. Tune in next week – same Bat Time and same Bat Channel for more fun! I will leave you with this one parting image, as all things should end, with the Batusi.

Four Seasons Orlando Overview

This past week, Cheryl and I had the opportunity to tour the new Four Seasons Orlando that just opened up a couple of weeks ago. We met with the resort’s social media manager, Sally, and she showed us around this beautiful new resort. While we were there, we had a chance to tour some rooms, see the restaurants, pools, recreation areas, spa and more. I thought I’d take a bit of time to share an overview with pictures of the new Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World.

Upon first stepping in to the Four Seasons lobby, you can tell this is not like any other resort you’ve seen at Walt Disney World. It features gorgeous marble and tile floors and a custom chandelier made in the Czech Republic specifically for the resort to mimic the look of fireworks. One of the first things I noticed was the attentiveness of the staff. From valets to doormen, front desk to concierge, everyone was willing and ready to help and welcome you to the resort. The service level throughout our three hour visit (including lunch) was fantastic.

Restaurants

We started our Four Seasons tour at Lickety-Split, the grab and go counter service establishment located just adjacent to the lobby that’s open from 6am til 5pm. Here their specialties include pastries made fresh daily, coffee from a special drip machine that brews for 8 hours, pre-made salads and sandwiches, and gelato. They have seating areas in the coffee shop and you can also get your food to go of course to sit in one of the resort’s many beautiful outdoor seating areas.

Next to Lickety-Split is the Ravello Bar which is open from 5pm to midnight. This extension of the Ravello restaurant downstairs offers a full service bar and full dining menu as well for dinner. The indoor seating is very comfortable and welcoming, but still upscale without feeling pretentious, which is how I’d describe the whole Four Seasons Resort. Outdoor seating is extended from the inside and to me felt like an Italian villa overlooking the lake and pool areas below.

On the first level of the Four Seasons is where you will find Ravello, a breakfast buffet or a la carte restaurant in the morning from 6:30 to 11, and an Italian restaurant at night from 5:30 – 10pm. We were touring during breakfast and the buffet looked great. They are also home to a character breakfast with “Goofy & Pals” on Thursdays and Saturdays. Additionally some Tuesdays may offer the character meal during more popular times of the year. I can’t wait to try this for the character meal as well as for dinner.

In addition to Ravello and Lickety-Split, the Four Seasons currently offers 24 hour room service and lunch and afternoon dining at PB+G, their pool bar and grill. Cheryl and I had a great lunch at PB+G after our tour. The food and service were very good and we both decided we would both order what we had gotten again. Cheryl started with the Crimson Red Corn Popcorn with Guajillo Chili, Smoke and Lime. She liked it a lot, but it does have a bit of a kick. I opted for the Hushpuppies with Huitlacoche Caramel and Habanero Salt. These were fantastic and I’d definitely get them again! For our entrees we got the Smoked Tofu with Carrot and Kale and the Flew the Coop – Smoked Chicken, Celery, Pecan, Grape and Housemade Alabama White BBQ Sauce. I’d never had chicken salad with a barbecued chicken before so it was an interesting twist. I liked it, and would order it again, but I think next time I’ll try one of the BBQ specialties. Cheryl really liked her tofu and said she’d definitely get it again.

The resort also has two other restaurants that will be opening next month. Plancha will be opening in September in the Golf Clubhouse and focuses on Cuban cuisine with sandwiches, burgers, mojitos, daiquiris and more. This restaurant will be open from 10am – 6pm daily. The restaurant I am most looking forward to trying is Capa, the rooftop Spanish steakhouse on the 17th floor of the Four Seasons. I can only imagine how gorgeous the view for fireworks will be from here and I can’t wait to try the tapas and hopefully paella here. They will be open from 6 – 10pm nightly. Good news for locals or guests not staying at the Four Seasons is that you can get your parking validated if you are eating in one of the resort’s restaurants so valet is only $5 since there is no self parking as opposed to the nightly rate of $26.

Pools and Recreation

There are several individual pool areas at the Four Seasons Orlando. The first one you encounter when you exit the building is the Adult Pool in the Oasis, which is for guests 21 and up only. This quiet infinity pool overlooks the lake and features tons of great seating areas, lounge chairs and cabanas for rent. The staff here was quite attentive and had towels, ice water and sunscreen available for guests to use with their last name and room number at no additional cost. In addition to the infinity pool, there is a nice Jacuzzi overlooking the lake. All of the pool areas are open from sunrise to sunset.

The Family Pool is zero entry with tons of great seating for families all around the pool area in part of the resort called Explorer Island. There are cabanas for the family with different themes that come with different amenities and decor based on the theme. A small kiddie slide is in the middle of the Four Seasons family pool meant for toddlers.

As you head up the steps from the Family Pool, you come to the middle of Explorer Island. This is where you find the ruined mansion that houses outdoor recreation like bean bag toss, pool tables, climbing wall and the Kids for All Seasons children’s activity center. Kids for All Seasons is a complimentary kid’s play area with supervision for children ages 4 – 12. Also nearby are the two water slides, Splash Zone water play area, the lazy river (watch out for the water cannons), beach volleyball court, basketball courts, and the Hideout which will open in September as a video game and hangout area.

The Tranquilo Golf Club at the Four Seasons is not open yet, but will be starting in September. This Tom Fazio designed 18 hole golf course is about a two minute drive by golf cart from the resort. The club will feature a driving range, pro shop, pros on site, club rentals, lessons available and a putting green.

On the opposite side of the Four Seasons from the pool are the three Har-Tru tennis courts. Lessons are available, tournaments can be arranged and a ball machine is available as well. Housed on the first level of the resort, guests will find the state of the art spa with 18 treatment rooms. Just next door to the spa is the aerobics studio with spin cycles and yoga mats available to guests. Across the lawn from the aerobics studio is the 24 hour fitness center. There is also a steam room, sauna and whirlpool for guest use.

Four Seasons Room and Suites

The first thing you will notice about the rooms and suites at the Four Seasons is their size. The standard room size is 500 square feet, which is the largest of any resort in Orlando. Suites start at 825 square feet then go all the way up to 3300. The Royal Suite can actually connect to other rooms on the 16th floor to make it a 9 bedroom, 3 living room suite with a view of the Magic Kingdom. You can even buy out the entire 16th floor if you so desire. The Four Seasons features 375 standard rooms in addition to the 68 suites.

Standard rooms come in several view types including Four Seasons, Golden Oak, Lake and Park View. The rooms have either a king bed and a queen pull out sofa or two double beds and can accommodate either 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children. We were fortunate enough to tour a park view room and deluxe suite and they were beautiful. I loved the decor, amenities and the views of the parks were stunning. From the rooms we toured on the 11th floor, we could see Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom. I understand from some rooms you can see Epcot as well and some guests have been able to see fireworks from Epcot, DHS and MK all in one evening.

The amenities in the rooms are again refined, but still very comfortable. Mini refrigerators are at adult eye level, which is convenient not having to bend down to access it. Guests can request fridges be stocked for an additional fee prior to their arrival. Each room also comes with a personal Nespresso machine with individual cup brewing with an assortment of coffees and teas. Free wifi is available throughout the resort, but if you wish to stream, you can pay an additional fee for a higher speed internet connection. There are multiple HMDI hookups and stereo jacks in the back of each tv for guest convenience if they wish to hook up their electronic devices to the tv. Each room also features a mini ipad to order room service from as well as some other features. For those Disney fans staying at the Four Seasons, we saw for ourselves that they do have Stacey and the Disney Must Dos on the tv along with a pretty good variety of stations. I also liked the button on the wall next to the bed indicating do not disturb or requesting housekeeping service in case you don’t want to get out of bed to put up the do not disturb sign.

The rooms are quite spacious with nice sized balconies off of each room at the Four Seasons. The closet area is open between the bedroom and bathroom off the entry hall. The bathroom has a nice setup with a separate toilet room, shower, tub and a vanity area with a tv in the mirror like the Villas at Grand Floridian. There are no onsite self service laundry facilities for guests, but there is dry cleaning available for an additional cost. DVD players and cribs are available upon request at no additional cost. Rooms come with the typical room amenities like hairdryers, bathrobes, etc., but also have umbrellas for guests to use. If the adults need a night out alone, babysitting services for children from six weeks to 12 years old can be arranged for in the room.

Overall Impressions

I was very happy with everything that I saw of the Four Seasons. I know that the resort is not fully open yet with some of the restaurants, shops and amenities not quite finished. I hope to come back and stay at the resort next month or in October with the Florida Resident special that is being offered. The service and attention from the staff was one of the things that most stood out to me on this visit. My background is in hotel management, so I know good service when I see it. I’ve been in the hospitality business for 20 years now and this was one of the best demonstrations of great service I’ve seen. One of the coolest things I saw that I wish more resorts would embrace is the Late Departure Lounge for guests to relax if they have a later flight. There is a nice lounge with sofas and seating areas with tables and chairs, tvs, books to read, and a mini kitchen to store food.

The resort does have a Disney planning center desk right in the lobby that can do most things that the ticket windows at the parks can. Their services include selling tickets, annual passes, magicbands, assisting with fast pass plus scheduling, recreation and dining reservations, and basic park information. Complimentary buses run to the Magic Kingdom via the TTC every half hour on the hour and half hour. The bus to the Animal Kingdom runs every hour on the hour, and buses go to Epcot and Hollywood Studios each every hour on the half hour. If guests need transportation to the water parks, Downtown Disney, or most other Disney locations, for a flat fee of $18-20 the Four Seasons can arrange a private car. Valet parking is $26 per night and self parking is not available. The Four Seasons does not participate in Disney’s Extra Magic Hours or charging to the resort from the theme parks. Mears ground transportation is available at an additional cost to and from the airport and cabs are readily available as well. There are no resort fees at the Four Seasons.

Currently, the resort is about 95% open and I hope to see it soon at 100%. The gift shop, Fable, and boutique, Wardrobe, should be opening in September along with most of the other amenities that aren’t open yet. If a guest needs anything though, the Four Seasons will do what they can to acquire it for the guest. The Four Seasons also allows guests to have their packages sent back from the Walt Disney World theme parks to be picked up next day for convenience. I seriously cannot wait to get back to this resort to stay at the Four Seasons Orlando as a guest. I look forward to seeing the resort fully opened on my next visit and want to see what a relaxing weekend I can have with all the amazing activities and services this phenomenal resort has to offer.

Have you stayed at the Four Seasons yet? I will definitely be back there in the next couple of months to stay and I’m sure after that for meals as well. Let me know if you’ve been or if you have any other questions about this great resort.

Polynesian Resort Photo Update

Yesterday I had the chance to walk around Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for the first time since construction started earlier this year. While I was waiting for my ‘Ohana reservation time to roll around, I took a few minutes to stroll around the resort. Since Captain Cook’s just opened on Wednesday, I thought I’d share the pictures of the newly refurbished counter service location as well as some general construction photos from around the Polynesian.

This was my first chance at seeing the construction walls around the lobby in the Great Ceremonial House. While it did make me sad to no longer be able to see the beautiful water feature, I have to admit the walls looked better than I expected. From what I understand though, they have been recently updated to their current state. The walls surround most of the lobby area that was previously occupied by the aforementioned water feature and wrap around to the entrance to Boutiki on the other side. Concept art of the way the finished lobby will look adorn the walls along with several photo ops with Disney characters in Polynesian outfits.

Polynesian Lobby – Great Ceremonial House

I like the refresh of Captain Cook’s quite a bit. There is new flooring, furniture and artwork throughout with a nice updated Polynesian vibe. Although I was sad when I saw the cooler that is now storing cupcakes where the dole whip machine was housed previously, I do look forward to when the new Pineapple Lanai dole whip kiosk opens up either later this year or beginning of next year at the Polynesian. I also took a moment to lament the loss of the grown up grilled cheese sandwich from the lunch and dinner menus. The food and beverage manager I spoke with suggested emailing guest services to express the desire to have the sandwich added back on the menu. I liked the sound of some of the new menu items and look forward to trying them out sometime soon. One of my favorite things about the refurb is the set of posters around the restaurant named after the different longhouses.

Captain Cook’s Refurb with new menus

After I finished breakfast, my family and I decided to go check out the construction of the Polynesian bungalows down by the beach. The work is coming along pretty well, with siding and windows in and even some painting being done. It was cool to see this up close for the first time in person. The last time I saw the buildings, they were mostly plywood boxes that just had the roof lowered on to them. I cannot wait to see these and how they turn out next year. The progress is very noticeable from the bungalows closest to the beach being the furthest along and seeing the different levels of work being done from one to the next.

Exterior pictures of bungalows and pool

Have you been by the Polynesian Village Resort recently? Have you had the chance to try any of the new menu items at Captain Cook’s yet? If not, what are you most looking forward to trying there? Let me know.

Treviso Restaurant at the Ringling Museum

Recently I found myself at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota and took the opportunity to dine at one of their restaurants, Treviso. Situated in the welcome center at the museum, Treviso features primarily Italian inspired fare. The restaurant is open for lunch daily in the summer from 11am – 3:30pm and for dinner Thursday – Saturday from 4:30 – 8pm.

While I was waiting for the rest of my party to arrive, I opted to have a late lunch at the restaurant I’d passed by on many previous visits. I was very glad to take the time relaxing after having spent several hours in the museum already. I arrived around 2pm and took a look at the menu finding myself curious about the soup and sandwich combo. Apparently this was a popular idea because Treviso was already out of the stacked sandwich that made up half of the combo. The chicken and sausage gumbo sounded good, but I didn’t want to get it on its own, however other diners said it was very good.

I chose something on the menu that intrigued me and wasn’t something I’ve often seen elsewhere. The Modena Pizza is a flatbread pizza with gorgonzola, balsamic vinegar, roasted pears, mozzarella and caramelized onions. Since I was solo, I sat at the bar where service was prompt and attentive. The pizza was very good with a really nice balance between the savory flavor of the mild cheeses and the sweetness of the pears, onions and balsamic. To balance it out a bit more I decided to add a glass of a nice dry prosecco to my meal. It was a perfect pairing.

If you get a chance to check out Treviso at the Ringling, I highly recommend it and I can’t wait to get back here on my next visit. Have you been to the Ringling or Treviso? What did you think?

Movie Soundtracks That Rock

If you’re anything like me and several other millions of folks, you’ve already seen Guardians of the Galaxy and probably recognize how awesome the soundtrack is. I asked Todd before the movie came out if there was a connection to all the seventies music in the film because the songs were so prevalent in the trailers. Obviously, for those who have seen Guardians, you know what an important part the music on the soundtrack plays to our hero Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord.

Since I got the soundtrack a couple of weeks ago, it has been pretty much on repeat non-stop for my hour long commute each way to work, while I mow the lawn, etc. According to a post today on Comicbook.com, the soundtrack is number 3 on the Billboard Top 200 already. Not too shabby for a compilation of songs 30-40 years old, but in all fairness it does feature classics from the Jackson 5, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, and who could forget Blue Swede. Ooga chaka ooga chaka. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I may also be listening still as I write this.

This got me thinking about some of the film soundtracks through the years that have stuck with me and I could listen to them ad nauseam. So I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite soundtracks that I enjoy listening to still today. Theses are in chronological order because I could never put them in an order of best to worst or most favorite soundtrack. I set some basic parameters for myself as far as not including movie or Broadway style musicals with primarily original songs. I wanted to focus mostly on kick ass compilations of existing songs that are inextricably linked to their films. When you hear these songs, I hope you envision the movies from which they come.

Saturday Night Fever (1977) – The first soundtrack I recall from my childhood. Granted the movie came out a couple years before I was born, the awesomeness of this soundtrack has not deteriorated over the decades. It was very Bee Gees heavy with some other disco era gems including A Fifth of Beethoven, If I Can’t Have You, Boogie Shoes, and Disco Inferno. This album is consistently in the top 10 list of album sales of all time.

Footloose (1984) – You know I had to include this for a couple of reasons: 1) it is a great 80s filled soundtrack and 2) the Guardians tie in. What would we do without Kevin Bacon as Ren liberating the poor souls who aren’t permitted to dance? Of course the title track from Kenny Loggins is probably one of the better ones, but this fantastic collection also included Let’s Hear It For the Boys, Waiting For a Girl Like You, and Hurts So Good.

Top Gun (1986) – I will confess something. Harold Faltermeyer’s Top Gun Anthem is on my running mix. Who doesn’t get pumped up by that instrumental music? Just me? Okay, so moving on. I challenge anyone to hear Danger Zone or Take My Breath Away and not picture this movie. Plus, Loggins’ Playing With the Boys always makes me picture the beach volleyball scene. And you’ve got classics like Otis Redding’s Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay, Jerry Lee Lewis’ Great Ball of Fire, and who doesn’t want to be serenaded by a group of Naval officers singing You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling by the Righteous Brothers?

Dirty Dancing (1987) – This may be the movie soundtrack I am most familiar with and have worn out my original cassettes of both the first soundtrack and More Dirty Dancing so I had to get them on cd too. The classics from 1963 era Catskills, NY include Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ Big Girls Don’t Cry, Will You Still Love Me by the Shirelles, Wipeout by the Surfaris and a couple dozen others including a few original songs. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen Johnny rescue Baby from the corner, but it probably isn’t a tenth as many times as I’ve listened to these two soundtracks.

Cocktail (1988) – I know this is the second Tom Cruise movie on the list, but I can’t help it. My mom had this soundtrack on cassette growing up and we’d always listen to it in the car. I love that this introduced me to Don’t Worry Be Happy, revisited my love for the Beach Boys with Kokomo, and Hippy Hippy Shake and Tutti Frutti are just fun songs to balance out some of the darker tones of this film.

The Bodyguard (1992) – Mostly dominated by the powerhouse voice that belonged to Whitney Houston, this soundtrack did immensely better than the movie. Whitney’s version of I Will Always Love You to me surpasses the original by Dolly Parton. The soundtrack also included I Have Nothing, I’m Every Woman, and Run To You as a base to solidify Whitney’s dominance of the charts. This is one of the top selling albums of all time also.

Sleepless In Seattle (1993) – I love this movie and this soundtrack so much! It has some of my favorite artists like Harry Connick, Jr., Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong. It features a good mix of pop, jazz and standards with some country mixed in from Tammy Wynette and Gene Autry. I think it matches the humor and romance of the film perfectly.

Dazed and Confused (1993) – I have to admit that this is the soundtrack I was immediately reminded of when I first saw the list of songs on the Guardians soundtrack. The 1970s rock and pop is near and dear to my heart and includes great music from the likes of Kiss, Black Sabbath, Skynyrd, War, Foghat, Frampton and many others between the two disc album.

Reality Bites (1994) – What angsty teens/twentysomethings at the time don’t recall the greatness that was Ben Stiller, Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder in this flick? To me, I have to admit, the film didn’t resonate with me nearly as much as the soundtrack, but it is still a really good movie. My Sharona, Tempted, Baby I Love Your Way, and Stay are just a few of the songs that stick out from that summer of 1994.

Pulp Fiction (1994) – Misirlou, Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon, You Never Can Tell, Son of a Preacher Man, Jungle Boogie, Let’s Stay Together. These aren’t even half of the songs compiled by Quentin Tarantino for this masterpiece of a film and soundtrack. If you don’t picture John Travolta and Uma Thurman dancing at Jack Rabbit Slim’s to Chuck Berry when you hear that song, then I imagine you haven’t seen this movie.

The Parent Tap (1998) – I know I am probably in the vast minority here, but I actually (slightly) prefer the Lindsay Lohan version to the Hayley Mills classic. Don’t get me wrong, I love them both, but this soundtrack is much better in my opinion. With classics ranging from George Thorogood’s Bad to the Bone, to songs from both Nat King and Natalie Cole, to Do You Belive In Magic from the Lovin’ Spoonful, this one just makes me happy. The music is very upbeat and puts a smile on my face.

Love Actually (2003) – Another one that is in heavy rotation for me, I adore this movie and its soundtrack. Love Actually is one of my favorite non-Christmas Christmas films and has a fun ensemble cast. Some of my favorite songs include the heartbreaking Songbird by Eva Cassidy, Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell, and now I can’t not picture Hugh Grant dancing to the Pointer Sisters’ Jump when I hear that song.

Pitch Perfect (2012) – One of the most recent films in memory that grabbed me with the music on the soundtrack. This one I almost didn’t include because it is a borderline musical with the characters singing frequently to further along the plot, but it is my list and I’ll keep it. Cups has become a pretty big hit making it to mainstream radio, and that’s just one of the songs on the soundtrack I have played dozens of times over. I love Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone, Rihanna’s Don’t Stop The Music, Starships by Nicki Minaj, the Pool Mashup of Nelly’s Just A Dream and Bruno Mars’ Just the Way You Are. Then you go and throw in my favorite Miley song with Party in the U.S.A. and I’m sold.

This list is in no way comprehensive, but it does include some of my favorites over the past thirty plus years of movie soundtracks. I tried to stick with albums that had at least four or five songs each that would be recognizable to the general public. I will say as far as directors go, Tarantino tends to be pretty spot on with his choices of songs for his soundtracks to accompany his films. I have both Kill Bill albums, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs in my collection, but I will also admit he is one of my favorite more contemporary directors.

I threw the question out to Twitter and Facebook to see if anyone else had any albums they thought of and got responses of Swingers (which includes a pretty eclectic mix of standards, disco and some country mixed in), Boogie Nights (which is pretty disco heavy, but I always think of Melanie’s Brand New Key when it is mentioned. Also has crossovers included on the Guardians and Love Actually and Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, so this one’s pretty solid in my book), Reservoir Dogs (which I cannot hear Stealers Wheel’s Stuck in the Middle With You without picturing *that* scene, and also has Hooked on a Feeling), Get Shorty (which is mostly Booker T and the MGs), Can’t Hardly Wait (featuring mostly late 90s pop, but also mixing in some G’N’R and Run DMC for good measure), and Jackie Brown (which I was not very familiar with even though I’ve seen the movie), and The Wedding Singer (which features two albums of 80s awesomeness). For the record, I resisted including Jerry Maguire’s soundtrack (even though it is awesome) because I thought three Tom Cruise films in my list of 14 might be a bit excessive.

Hopefully you have enjoyed this look back at some of my favorite movie soundtracks of all time. What are some of yours? For your convenience I’ve included links to all the soundtracks on my list. Are there any that I’ve missed that you think are seminal in pop culture these days? Let me know in the comments what you think.

Phineas and Ferb Star Wars Review

This past weekend Disney Channel released the latest Phineas and Ferb special: Star Wars!!! If you haven’t seen it yet, I will try not to spoil too much, but basically if you’re peripherally familiar with the plot of Star Wars then there won’t be too many surprises. The special Phineas and Ferb Star Wars episode aired on July 26th, but since I have a certain cable provider, I actually was able to see it early on the 19th with friends. We are all Star Wars fans and came out of the viewing wanting to watch it again. I’ve since seen it two more times in the last week in which I’ve also worked 50+ hours and gone out of town for the weekend. Yes, it’s that good where I’ve fit it in.

Star Wars should be something that most are vaguely familiar with if they have inhabited this planet any time in the last 35 years or so. The fine folks over at Phineas and Ferb previously did a good job with the Marvel special episode and you can read Shelley’s review of that here. For me, as much as I enjoyed the Mission Marvel special, this Star Wars one was absolute perfection. There is singing, dancing, parodies of things from both sets of trilogies, but primarily focuses on the happenings of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. leia projection

From the opening scene, you recognize that this is going to pay homage to the original Star Wars film, but with a Phineas and Ferb twist. Instead of the crawl being preceded with “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” we get “A couple summers ago in a galaxy far, far away.” Then we get the title Episode IVa: May the Ferb Be With You before a comedic interpretation of the crawl that sort of reminded me of the fun in the Monty Python and the Holy Grail opening credits in its style. To further prove that this is going to be poking fun at Star Wars, the crawl ends with the claim “and none of this is canon so just relax.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. For those rabid fans who can get a little too caught up in accuracy, take a chill pill and enjoy this for what it is, a fantastic parody.

Only a couple of minutes in we get a fun cameo from Adam and Jamie from Mythbusters as a couple of Stormtroopers at the Empire Administration Offices. I won’t spoil the other jokes that follow this scene, but pay careful attention to a computer screen in the office and a certain ad. The basic premise of the special is most of your favorite Phineas and Ferb characters leading somewhat parallel lives to those of your favorite Star Wars characters. Agent P is working as a rebel agent who actually is the one who give Princess Leia the Death Star Plans, Phineas and Ferb are farm boys on Tatooine who are friends with Luke, Doof Darthenshmirtz is a lower level Darth, but is actually the one who invented the Death Star … as a nutcracker.

The musical numbers are some of my absolute favorites of the show. The songs in order are “Tatooine” sung by Phineas and Ferb, Candace’s imperial army recruitment song “In The Empire” with Buford and Baljeet, Vanessa’s “I’m Feeling So Low” from the Cantina, Doof’s “Sith-Inator,” and another song from Vanessa over the end credits called “Rebel, Let’s Go!” My favorite was definitely “Tatooine” with so many Star Wars in jokes and references it is absolutely hilarious. I may have to break down and actually buy this soundtrack of the four songs because they are great.

Some of the scenes and lines are shot for shot and line for line recreations from the Star Wars films, but also some of my favorite moments are those little things they sneak in the background that I only caught on the second and third viewing. Look for Jabba making a cameo during a musical number, Boba Fett and his shopping basket, jokes about Greedo or Han shooting first in the Cantina, some things that may explain what happened to Luke in the garbage smasher while he was underwater and more including that time that Jar Jar almost got blamed for everything. 136067_0234

There are so many fantastic jokes and one liners that harken back to the
original, but I will do my best to restrain myself and just share a few. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi is talking to Luke when they first arrive and he says, “Mos Eisley Spaceport … never will you find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” To take it up a level the Phineas and Ferb animators put a banner when the boys arrive at Mos Eisley that says, “Mos Eisley Spaceport now with 14% more scum and villainy.” It is just the little things like this that make me appreciate how well the adaptation was done. Another one of the best lines was by the Cantina MC telling Figrin Dan and the Modal Nodes that it was pretty good that there was only one death and dismemberment during that set referring the to arm Obi Wan cut off the guy at the bar and Greedo being carried out after being shot by Han.

Watch this over and over again as you will catch the awesome things going on in the background. You will see more parallels than the Luke-Leia, Phineas-Candace, Han-Isabella, Millennium Falcon-Centennial Chihuahua, etc. Have you seen Phineas and Ferb Star Wars yet? If not, what are you waiting for? It is on demand from most cable providers on the Disney XD channel or app and it will be aired again on August 4th, but check your local listings to make sure you don’t miss this great episode (my favorite ever) of Phineas and Ferb. I hope you “never look a gift Tauntaun in the oral cavity” and May the Force (or Ferb) Be With You!

Walt Disney World: A Pictorial Souvenir

The other day I came across this book from my childhood, Walt Disney World: A Pictorial Souvenir. The book is from 1986 and has some fantastic pictures from the Disney parks. At that time, the World was much smaller. We only had two theme parks, one water park, four resorts, and not much more. This is a far cry from the four parks, two water parks, 29 resorts and so much more that we have today. So, I thought I’d take a few moments to share some of the pictures and reflect back on how the World used to be.

The book starts with an introduction to Walt Disney World and then breaks it down into subsections. Starting with the Magic Kingdom, the six different lands (this was before Mickey’s Birthdayland/Starland/Toontown) each get their own focus. Several pages with pictures and a brief overview of each land are featured. Walt Disney World has changed quite a bit in the past almost 30 years since the book was released, but it is still cool to see how some attractions are almost exactly the same.

After the Magic Kingdom came EPCOT CENTER. Instead of being broken down into Future World and World Showcase, most all Future World attractions/pavilions get their own section. Likewise, each of the ten countries (prior to Norway’s arrival in 1988) gets their own spread. Most definitely, Future World is where the most notable changes are visible. Attractions of the past like Horizons, World of Motion, Communicore and the Living Seas are neat to see. I didn’t have my first trip to Epcot until April of 1993, so I enjoy that I can look back on some of those things I didn’t get to experience.

Next up is the resort and recreation section of the book, which shows the original and now renamed Polynesian Village, the Contemporary Resort, Discovery Island, River Country, Fort Wilderness, the Disney Inn (now Shades of Green), Walt Disney World Lake Buena Vista, and Walt Disney World Village. The Polynesian, Contemporary and Fort Wilderness each get a two page spread, with the others getting a single page of combined pictures and text.

If you want a copy of the Walt Disney World: A Pictorial Souvenir, I’ve seen a few for sale on Amazon and eBay, but just make sure to pay attention to the year of publication. The pictures and information are great to see for anyone who is nostalgic or someone who wants to see what they weren’t able to themselves.

Be Our Guest Dining Review

One of the most sought after dining reservations at Walt Disney World is the Be Our Guest restaurant at the Magic Kingdom. I was lucky enough to be able to attend a Disney Parks Blog meet up before Be Our Guest officially opened, which you can read about here. It has been over a year and a half since I had dinner at the restaurant, but I have had lunch there a few times over the past couple of years. Fortunately, I was able to snag a last minute reservation less than a week before the holiday weekend, so I was very excited to enjoy a nice meal with a friend at the park.

Our reservation was for 7:45pm, but we arrived at the Magic Kingdom a bit earlier than we expected, so we headed back to see if we could get in to Be Our Guest a bit early. The host said that since we were a party of two it looked like they could squeeze us in. The magic was definitely in our favor that night! We were instructed to wait for our pager to light up and then check in with the cast member at the gates to the Beast’s castle.

Once the pager illuminated, we were escorted into the castle and given a brief tour, eventually being led into the ballroom where we would be eating. Shelley and I had eaten there before for lunch, but never for dinner since Be Our Guest officially opened in late 2012. I don’t know if you are aware or not, but it can be a bit challenging to get a reservation at this very popular restaurant. 😉

Melissa was our server, who I actually remembered from the Parks Blog Meet Up as our server then, so it is nice to see the cast members sticking around from opening still. Since we have some allergies, the chef was called to come and review the menus with us to make sure we didn’t have any issues. This gave us an opportunity to just soak in the environment of the magnificent ballroom setting of Be Our Guest. I am still blown away by how gorgeous the details are, especially the ceiling chandeliers, and how much the restaurant reflects the beauty of Beauty and the Beast.

For the first time, I enjoyed a nice glass of wine with my meal in the Magic Kingdom. I think this was a nice addition to a French-inspired meal. Several French and California wines and select beers are available to be served with your meal at Be Our Guest. For our first course, I ordered the potato leek soup, which I have had several times before and enjoy quite a bit. The taste is fantastic, but this time the consistency seemed a bit off, like the soup needed to go through a strain or puree a bit more. I would still order this again every time. The entree I have heard the most about from friends and other guests is the sauteed shrimp and scallops with seasonal vegetables and mushrooms served in puff pastry with a creamy lobster sauce. Despite having had shrimp and scallops earlier in the week, I could not resist ordering this dish.

Even though Be Our Guest is not considered a character meal, the Beast is often known to parade through the castle waving at guests to welcome them to his home. He also frequently will meet with guests to pose for a picture with them in his library before they depart. We had a great time, the food was enjoyable and I’d definitely order what I had again. I also am anxious to go back and try the salmon I had before to see if it holds up to what I recall from before. The experience is so fun and the food is some of the best in the Magic Kingdom.

As we left the restaurant, we stopped on the bridge on the way out to get a few pictures of the gorgeous sky after the storms cleared for a bit. Have you been to the Be Our Guest restaurant recently? What were your thoughts? Did you order one of the desserts? We skipped out this time since we were full from our meal, but we’ve tried them all before.

Frozen Summer Fun Live! First Impressions

Frozen is a phenomenon that seems to have taken the world by storm. Disney’s Hollywood Studios introduced a new summer event that started this past Saturday and runs through September 1st. The special event is called Frozen Summer Fun Live! and has different entertainment and shopping opportunities throughout the day. Please note that there will not be fireworks the evening of August 23rd since that is the night of the special hard ticket event Villains Unleashed. All other aspects of the Frozen Summer Fun Live! should take place as scheduled on that date.

Being that this was the first day and a holiday weekend, I thought it best to make good use of the fact that I was staying at Port Orleans French Quarter and took advantage of Extra Magic Hours. The first scheduled event for Frozen didn’t take place until 11am, however I had a feeling the lines for merchandise might get a bit out of hand the later into the day it got. So, arriving at the park before EMH at 8am wasn’t exactly fun, but ended up being the right call. When Shelley and I arrived, we were greeted (okay, along with all the other guests) by snow on Hollywood Blvd, which was a nice touch.

After stopping for a few pictures along the way, we arrived at Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post at 8:10am. The line was already a couple of switchbacks deep at this point. Thankfully, we made it inside to check out all of the Frozen merchandise with only about a 15 minute wait. Later in the day this time soared to several hours, so if you are going on a weekend especially and staying on property, get in early for EMH and get out of the trading post. I’d like to note that the procedures changed throughout the day (keep in mind it was the first day of an event that seems to have come together relatively quickly as events go in the parks). At one point, when we arrived, there were separate lines for the Trading Post and for Oaken’s Frozen Funland, but when we returned later they were combined lines. We decided to skip the Funland for now and returned later when the line subsided some.

Once we grabbed breakfast after finishing our shopping, we decided it was getting close to 10am, so we should probably find a spot for the first event of Frozen Summer Fun at 11. Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome starts near the front of the park and proceeds up Hollywood Blvd to make a stop at the Sorcerer’s Hat stage. After a brief singalong to Let It Go, most of the processional returns to their floats and continues along the parade route in front of American Idol, ending by the Jedi Training Academy stage. This was a short processional, but a nice way to see the characters, and was the debut of Kristoff. Some guests may recognize familiar elements borrowed from the Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade featured during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. Shelley watched the parade from Hollywood Blvd near the intersection of Sunset Blvd and I watched from the benches across from the restrooms near Backlot Express. I think for a first timer, it is a better experience on Hollywood with the snow and then being able to follow up to the stage for the singalong. As far as we could tell, the only thing I missed out on from my location was the small group of young Frozen fans included in the parade. For repeat viewing though, I loved my spot on the benches with nobody allowed to stand in front as it is close to where the floats come.

We learned while we were waiting for the parade that tickets were required for the next event, the For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration at 12:30pm. This is why I ended up splitting from Shelley before the parade started. Tickets are handed out back at the corner of San Francisco Street by the Premiere Theater from park opening (not EMH). Each guest in your party should be present to collect the ticket for whichever time of the show you’d like to attend. There are several shows each day, usually about an hour apart starting in the afternoon. I got there around 10:25am and there were still several hundred tickets left for the first show. On the ticket, a return time is listed to queue up near the extended queue for Muppetvision, which is often used during Star Wars Weekends for shows in the same theater.

For me, the singalong was what I was most looking forward to, but it even ended up exceeding my expectations. Since this was the first day of Frozen Summer Fun, we didn’t have a lot of information or really know what to expect beyond what was in the times guide. The approximately 30 minute show featured stage performers, primarily Eric and Aria, the Royal Historians of Arendelle, as well as Princess Anna, Queen Elsa and Kristoff. The historians help tell the story of Frozen and lead guests along in a singalong of most of the songs from the movie where one can follow the bouncing snowflake on the video screen along with clips from the film. The performers were fantastic and added so much more humor to the story and what could have been your usual old singalong. For us, this was absolutely the highlight of the day and Frozen Summer Fun! I’ve even included a video below of some of the highlights, but left out the surprise ending.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5116pm6T6A&list=UUxhza5Nkv4ukqKmIFLE9dgA&feature=share&index=2

Later in the day, we made our way back to Oaken’s Frozen Funland to check out the indoor ice skating. Since I’ve got a bum knee and aversion to most things cold, I opted to simply watch the fun unfold. For those who have been in Sound Stage 1 before for things like Darth’s Mall during Star Wars Weekend, I will say they have made an amazing transformation of the same space. It was absolutely incredible how you felt transported to Arendelle! I loved that there were some Magic Shots created just for this event and Photopass photographers were setup inside and out for several of these locations. Luckily, I had Memory Maker for this trip and have included some of those shots here. The highlight of the space is definitely the indoor ice skating on real ice. There’s even a mini Zamboni to clean it! We were fortunate enough to time our visit right and to catch the performance of Wandering Oaken’s cousins and their ice skating to some of the songs from Frozen. This was fantastic and so much fun. I also loved seeing the young kids (and their parents) get to play in the Do You Want To Build A Snowman Snowground.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifz1_IDwqBQ&list=UUxhza5Nkv4ukqKmIFLE9dgA&feature=share

Due to some prior commitments, we were not able to stay for the dance party and fireworks, but that gives us something to look forward to catching over the next few weeks. I absolutely loved the Frozen Summer Fun celebration and think you should check it out. Even some of my friends who aren’t as big of Frozen fans as I am thought that the event was well done and were impressed with what they had seen. Have you been yet to Frozen Summer Fun Live! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? If so, what were your first impressions? Will you be heading back like I will be several times over the next couple of months?

Independence Day at Walt Disney World Resorts

The other day I highlighted some of the celebrations going on for Independence Day in the Disney Parks this week. Today I’d like to take a look at the resorts in case any of you find yourselves at a Walt Disney World resort today or Friday. The resorts have all sorts of activities planned for fun and games on the Fourth of July, so let’s check some out from the recreation calendars!

Value Resorts

All-Star Movies/Music/Sports:

Ring Toss 1:30pm
Air Band Contest 2:00pm
Hula Hoop Games 2:30pm
Water Balloon Games 3:00pm
Pool Party 3:30pm
Holey Bucket Relay 4:30pm
Name That … 5:00pm
Bingo 6:00pm
Trivia Challenge 7:00pm
Fantasia/Calypso/Surfboard Bay Dance Extravaganza 8:00pm
Monsters University 9:00pm

Art of Animation/Pop:

USA Trivia 1:00pm
Beach Ball Blast 2:00pm
Musical Stars 2:30pm
Big Blue Pool Party 3:00pm
Firework Dance Party 4:00pm
50 State Songs 4:30pm
Water Basketball 5:00pm
Road Trip American Challege 5:30pm
Bingo 6:30pm
Patriotic Bean Bag Toss 7:00pm
Teen Beach Movie 8:30pm

Moderate Resorts

Caribbean Beach Resort
Star Spangled Name That … 1:00pm
4th of July Arts & Crafts 2:00pm
Jammin’ Pool Party 3:00pm
Firework Dance Party Extravaganza 4:00pm
Red, White and Blue Balloon Games 4:30pm
Musical Stars and Stripes 5:30pm
Patriotic Campfire 6:30 – 7:30pm
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets 8:30pm

Coronado Springs Resort
Beach Ball Blast 1:00pm
Great American Guessing Game 1:05pm
Temporary Tattoos 2:00pm
American Graffiti 2:30pm
Pool Fiesta 3:00pm
Pitchburst 4:00pm
Musical Stars 5:00pm
Campfire 6:30pm
Pocahontas 8:30pm

Port Orleans French Quarter
Taffy Guessing Contest at Riverside Marina 10:00am – 5:00pm
All other activities following take place at the Doubloon Lagoon Pool
Independence Day Beach Ball Barrage 11:45am
Patriotic Pool Party 12:00pm
Colonial Cake Walk 1:00pm
Dance Party Extravaganza 2:00pm
Red, White and Balloon Games 2:30pm
Give Me Liberty, or Give Me a Pie in the Face 3:00pm (register at least 15 minutes prior)
Name That State 4:00pm
Backyard Games on the Green 5:00pm
Star-Spangled Campfire 7:00pm
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets 9:00pm

Port Orleans Riverside
Taffy Guessing Contest at Riverside Marina 10:00am – 5:00pm
All other activities following take place at the Ol’ Man Island Pool
Independence Day Beach Ball Barrage 11:45am
Patriotic Pool Party 12:00pm
Give Me Liberty, or Give Me a Pie in the Face 1:00pm (register at least 15 minutes prior)
Dance Party Extravaganza 2:00pm
Red, White and Balloon Games 2:30pm
Colonial Cake Walk 3:00pm
Name That State 4:00pm
American Graffiti (Chalk Art and Crafts) 5:00pm
Star-Spangled Campfire 7:00pm
National Treasure 9:00pm

Fort Wilderness
July 3rd Activities At Meadow Swimmin Pool Area
Patriotic Craft 10:05 – 11:00am
Make Your Own Ice Cream 11:00am – 12:00pm
Field Game: Flag Football 1:30 – 2:30pm
Hoedown Dance Party 2:30 – 3:00pm
Meadow Swimmin Hole Jamboree 3:00 – 4:00pm
American Temporary Tattoos 4:00 – 4:30pm
Red, White & Blue Pitchburst 4:30 – 5:00pm
All other campfire activities take place at the campfire theatre
Chalk Art 7:00 – 7:30pm
Campfire Lighting 7:30pm
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long 8:00pm
National Treasure 8:40pm

July 4th Activities
Fourth of July Golf Cart Parade – Register your cart at the Bike Barn by 5:00pm on July 3rd. The parade will travel down Fort Wilderness Trail from Hitch and Unhitch to Pioneer Hall. Please see registration for more details. Prizes will be awarded immediately following the parade at Pioneer Hall.
Parade steps off at the Hitch/Unhitch Area 9:00am
Parade Award Ceremony outside Pioneer Hall 10:00am
At Meadow Swimmin Area
Patriotic Craft 11:00am – 12:00pm
Field Relay Games 1:30 – 2:30pm
Hoedown Dance Party 2:30 – 3:00pm
Uncle Sam’s Rockin Pool Party 3:00 – 4:00pm
Are You Smarter Than Uncle Sam? 4:15 – 5:00pm
Twister Scram 5:00 – 5:30pm
Disney Charades 7:00 – 7:30pm
Campfire Lighting 7:30pm
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Sing-A-Long 8:00pm
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets 8:40pm
The Fort Wilderness Fourth of July Beach Bash at Clementine’s Beach
The beach bash will start at 5pm and wrap up right after the fireworks at 9pm.
Volleyball Tournament 5:15pm – dark
Join us on the beach for some fun, competitive games of volleyball. Teams must be signed up ahead of time at the Bike Barn by 3pm on July 4th. Teams can be any age or skill level. No more than six persons per team.
Sandcastle Building Contest 5:00 – 6:30p
Disney Trivia 7:00 – 7:45pm
Bingo 7:45 – 8:30pm
Disney Celebrates America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky 9:00pm

Deluxe Resorts/Villas

Animal Kingdom Lodge/Villas – Jambo House
Afternoon Craft: Simba’s Cubhouse 1:00pm
Jefferson’s Giant Jenga Challenge 2:30pm
Patriotic Pool Party 3:00pm
Stars and Stripes Scavenger Hunt 4:30pm
Campfire 5:45pm
Cars 2 8:30pm

Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
Have You Heard? 2:30pm
Patriotic Pool Party 3:00pm
Stars and Stripes Scavenger Hunt 4:30pm
Red, White and Burst! 5:00pm
Campfire 6:45pm
Toy Story 8:30pm

Bay Lake Tower/Contemporary
Lawn Activities
Independence Day Crafts 10:00am – 1:00pm
Idaho Potato Sack Races 10:00am
Watermelon Eating Contest 10:30am
Ye Old Water Balloon Toss 11:00am
Soda Shop Ice Cream Drop 11:30am
Cupcake Walk 12:30pm
Poolside Activities
Washington’s Bucket Bridge 1:00pm
Guess the President 1:30pm
Red, White & Burst! 2:00pm
Stars & Stripes Pool Party 3:00pm
Yankee Doodle Dance Party 4:00pm
Name That State 4:30pm
American Flag Weaving Craft 5:00pm
Campfire 7:30pm
National Treasure 9:00pm

Boardwalk
Liberty Games 1:30 – 2:30pm
Red, White and Blue Relay Races 2:30 – 3:30pm
Make Your Own Ice Cream (additional cost – in Community Hall) 3:00 – 4:00pm
Patriotic Pool Party 3:30 – 4:30pm
Games of the Stars and Stripes 4:30 – 5:45pm

Grand Floridian
July 3rd movie National Treasure 9:00pm
July 4th At Beach Pool
Red, White and Blue Critter Round-Up 1:00pm
Declaration of Your Beach Bag 1:30pm
Star Spangled Bucket Relay 2:00pm
Stars and Stripes Ring Toss 2:30pm
Patriotic Pool Party 3:00pm
Celebration Pool Party 4:00pm
“Sandcastles of the Brave” 4:30pm
Ice Cream Drop 5:00pm
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

Old Key West
Watermelon Eating Contest 11:00am
Patriotic Pargo Parade 12:00pm
All-American Meet and Greet 1:00pm
Family Fun and Games 1:00pm
Ice Cream Drop 2:00pm
Dance Party 2:45pm
Patriotic Pool Party 3:00pm
Cake Walk 4:00pm
Fourth of July Un-Birthday Party 4:30pm
S’mores 7:30pm
First Kid 9:00pm

Polynesian
7/3 National Treasure 9:00pm
7/4 Poolside Activities at the Volcano Pool
Red, White and Blue Critter Roundup 1:00pm
Revolutionary Hula Hoops 1:30pm
Star Spangled Bucket Relay 2:00pm
Stars and Stripes Ring Toss 2:30pm
Patriotic Pool Party 3:00pm
Celebration Dance Party 4:00pm
Declaration of Your Beach Bag 4:30pm
Red, White and Boom Blaster 5:00pm
Party of the Beach 6:00 – 9:00pm
Join us on the Polynesian Beach for games, contests and dancing leading up to “Disney Celebrates America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” fireworks spectacular!
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets 9:00pm

Saratoga Springs
High Rock Spring Pool
Watermelon Eating Contest 12:00pm
Family Fun and Games 1:00pm
Ice Cream Drop 2:00pm
Changing of the Guard 2:45pm
Patriotic Pool Party 3:00pm
Cake Walk 4:00pm
Fourth of July Carnival Games 4:30pm
S’mores 7:30pm
First Kid 8:30pm
Paddock Pool
Stars & Stripes Cupcakes 1:00pm
Dance Party 1:45pm
Pool Party 2:00pm
Design Your Own Fireworks 3:00pm
American Flag Banners 3:30pm

Wilderness Lodge
7/3 National Treasure 8:30pm
7/4 Count’n Candy Guessing Game
Come to the Lodge Marina from 11am – 5pm to guess how many pieces are in the jar. Winner will be announced at 8:25pm where the movie is located.
Patriotic Arts & Crafts at Silver Creek Springs Pool 1:00 – 2:00pm
All-American Temporary Tattoos 2:00pm
Big Blast Pool Party 2:45pm
Red, White & Balloon Pitchburst 4:00 – 4:30pm
Uncle Sam’s Notable Quotables 4:30 – 5:00pm
Star Spangled Chalk Art 5:00 – 5:30pm
Dance Extravaganza 5:30 – 6:00pm
Campfire 7:15 – 8:15pm
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets 8:30pm

Yacht/Beach Club
Bursting Critters and Castles 1:30 – 2:15pm
Red, White and Blue Mickey Tie-Dye T-Shirts 2:30 – 3:30pm
Patriotic Pool Party 3:30 – 4:30pm
Changing of the Guard Celebration 4:30pm
Games of the Stars and Stripes 5:00 – 5:45pm

As always, things are subject to change and please contact the resorts directly for any additional questions. Certain activities may have an additional cost associated with them. Please have a happy and safe Independence Day no matter where you are celebrating this year!

Independence Day in the Walt Disney World Parks

The Fourth of July is rapidly approaching this Friday and Walt Disney World is a great place to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day. What is the holiday you most closely associate fireworks with? Fireworks of course are a special treat any time of year, but Disney really ramps up the pyrotechnics for the Fourth of July.

At the Magic Kingdom, their Independence Day fireworks called Disney’s Celebrate America! – A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky are actually shown on both July 3rd and July 4th at 9pm and lasts about 15 minutes. If you get the chance, I highly recommend catching this show on 7/3 as crowds tend to be a little lighter, plus this allows you to catch a different fireworks show at either Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the Fourth.

Epcot will show their Illuminations: Reflections of Earth regular fireworks show at 10pm, then adds a 7 minute tag starting around 10:13pm called The Heartbeat of Freedom. This is honestly my favorite fireworks show of the entire year, so if you are here for Independence Day, this is my recommendation. If you do end up at Epcot on the 4th, do not miss one of the performances of the Voices of Liberty! Their Fourth of July Concert at the America Gardens Theatre will be held at 12:30pm, 1:45pm and 3:00pm. The last two times I have seen this show it has moved me to tears. Their live version of Golden Dream and the military medley especially can turn even the hardest of hearts to mush. At the Kidcot Fun Stop guests can stop by and test their knowledge of Americana and learn fun facts. Once guests complete the Discovery Experience, they will receive and award certificate.

The fireworks for Independence Day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, called the Special July 4th Fireworks Presentation, will be at 10:20pm. They last about 12 minutes and will be fired off behind the Sorcerer’s Hat and are often best viewed from Hollywood Blvd. or even just outside the park entrance.

No matter which park you choose for fireworks, you will have a blast! 😉 Stay tuned for resort activities for Independence Day later this week. In the meantime, check out our videos below from previous years’ Fourth of July celebrations!

httpv://youtu.be/yT6SgWw8478

httpv://youtu.be/astHL8ef4SI

httpv://youtu.be/fnls9Gf5Hlg

httpv://youtu.be/GmkmxpvtLg8

httpv://youtu.be/a2SP55iCF88

Darby O’Gill and the Little People

How many of you have seen the 1959 Walt Disney Productions film Darby O’Gill and the Little People? This gem features a young Sean Connery as Michael McBride along with Janet Munro as Katie O’Gill and Albert Sharpe as the title character. If you haven’t seen this classic yet, let me tell you a bit about it.

For those who aren’t aware, I have a slight affinity (read: obsession) with Sean Connery. He is my favorite actor hands down, the celebrity I’d most like to meet, and the lock screen on my phone. He is James Bond to me, and many others. I will revisit that character in a bit. I discovered this film existed, thanks to a Disney cd box set I bought in the mid 1990s. I made it my mission to track it down and eventually got it on dvd when it was re-released a few years back. The cd had Sean Connery singing a lovely ditty from the film called Pretty Irish Girl.

Darby O’Gill is the caretaker in Ireland for Lord Fitzpatrick at the beginning of the film, but is shortly thereafter replaced by Michael McBride. Darby has a habit of spinning tall tales at the pub over several pints of whiskey, so it isn’t surprising when nobody believes him that he is friends with little people and their King Brian. Quite a bit of hilarity ensues throughout the film while O’Gill tries to convince others that he now has three wishes since he’s captured the leprechaun. There are definitely some darker elements to the story as well that younger children under 6 or 7 might find frightening. Without spoiling too much, it is safe to say this is a family friendly film that is filled with comedy, a bit of drama, action, and even romance. Peter Ellenshaw and his crew did an amazing job with the special effects of this film.

While Darby O’Gill and the Little People may not be the best known live action Disney film, it is definitely entertaining. It also helped launch Sean Connery into superstardom. It is because producer Cubby Broccoli’s wife Dana saw Sean Connery in this film that he was even considered for the role of James Bond a few years later. The dvd even includes an extra called Mr. Connery Goes to Hollywood. There are also two other fun bonus features called Little People, Big Effects showing how trick shots were used to imply the size difference, and I Captured The King of the Leprechauns, which was a segment on Walt Disney Presents the Disneyland TV show. If you are looking for a fun way to spend a couple of hours with the family, I highly recommend checking out this underrated classic. Darby O’Gill and the Little People is available through iTunes, Netflix and to rent through Amazon Instant Video.