Moana: Go See It. Now.

I've been looking forward to Moana since it was announced. The setting and basic plot, the daughter of a Polynesian chieftain rediscovering her people's lost seafaring skills to go on a quest to save her people, had "Jeffrey's gonna love this" written all over them. How could a Lapu Lapu-loving, Polyneasian Village Resort-dreaming, tiki head collecting guy who dreamt all his life of living by the sea NOT be excited for this?

We saw Moana on opening night, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, in the local theater. I could have waited to go to the more "modern" theater in Wilmington and catch the film in 3-D with all the best sound and projection tech, but I couldn't wait. I think now that was a good choice. It let me get enveloped in the story, and for all it's beauty and all the spectacular music, that was my favorite part. I'm sure Moana in 3-D would blow me away, and I hope to see it again in that format. The music is perfect. I bought the deluxe edition soundtrack so I'd have all the little instrumental bits. It really couldn't be any better in my opinion. But the star of this film is the story, and the storytelling, and that is exactly how it should be.

The story is both original and classic. This isn't based upon any Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen story. It's based loosely upon both Polynesian legend and fact, as all the best stories are because the two aren't mutually exclusive. Moana, the not-a-princess heroine, is entirely a Disney construct while Maui, the demi-god sidekick, is inspired by Polynesian myth. The fact is, the Polynesian people were some of history's greatest seafaring navigators, traveling thousands of miles between tiny islands in sailing canoes, and then they stopped. No one, including them, knows why. That's the basis of this tale. The story seems familiar enough to our Western tastes to be very accessible and easy to follow while maintaining a flavor of the exotic that makes it interesting and fun.

As good as the story itself is, the storytelling is even more impressive. Disney doesn't rush it, doesn't force anything at all. We get a good half hour before even meeting Maui. That time is spent getting to know Moana and her people and it makes the rest of the story, the adventure part, that much more fun because we're invested deeply in both Moana personally and her culture as well. I can't remember a Disney film, or really any other animated feature, that spends this much time building this kind of base. It's a great thing that Disney trusts its audience, even its youngest audience, to leave the immediate gratification expectations behind. And I think it'll work because it was done so well, bringing in music and visuals that captivate and amaze. By the time Moana sets msail on her adventure, we are 100% with her.

The adventure itself is everything one could wish. Maui is more than worth the wait and he's voiced with passion and heart by Dwayne Johnson, who really is larger than life. But he never steals the show from Moana. She is the star and the heroine, not because she's some super-duper brilliant genius, magically-enhanced, over the top super girl, but because its her story. Disney has given us perhaps its first Heroine rather than Princess. Moana does have a bit f a superpower in that the sea likes her and helps her out, but she's not in control of it, she's as amazed and confused by the help as we are. What she does have, her real superpower, is her tenacity will power. She doesn't know how to sail, but off she goes anyway. She's a "I'll figure it out as I go" kinda girl, and I love that. The lesson that teaches, one of risk-taking and trust in oneself, is invaluable for all children, but particularly little girls.

This is a movie for anyone who's ever felt the tug of the sea, for anyone who loves adventure and comedy (the chicken and the coconut pirates still have me smiling), for anyone who appreciates music, for anyone who's onged for the South Seas, for anyone with a child or a parent or a grandmom. Disney has given us a gift here, go unwrap it as soon as you can!

7 Days: ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!

I'm trying to catch up on the whole "blog-a-day" thing. This week hasn't been the best for that. And this coming week doesn't look like it'll be much better. But I've come this far and while they haven't all been on time, I have done a post for each day of the 100 Day Countdown so far, and I plan to ee it through.

This is yesterday's post, and yesterday marks one week until we leave for Disney. We'll be taking a bit of a non-traditional route, meaning we'll be driving about 2 1/2 hours in the wrong direction first and leaving for our trip at 9 or 10 pm. See, John's last band competition of his high school marching band career is Saturday and we aren't going to miss that. We'll be spending the day we leave in Cary, NC watching the Pride of the South Coast compete. We'll leave when the show is over and the awards all handed out, drive through the night, and arrive at Coronado Springs for or Saturday reservation at about 8 or 9 Sunday morning.

I'll have to call down there and explain that to the front desk, because we still want our Saturday reservation so we can have a room to sleep in when we get there. I don't see that being a problem. The question is, will I be able to sleep, even nap? I'm kind of doubting that. I suspect at least Lisa will be able to doze off and likely John as well. So I may just spend the morning chilling at Coronado Springs. Which sounds pretty ok to me!

Here, for your edification, is why are plans for Disney start off in such a strange manner. That face. How could we do this any other way?

10 Days: Hocus Pocus

It came out during some conversations with my podcasting pals that I'd never seen the movie Hocus Pocus. This fact horrified a few of the MouseLifers and they insisted that I remedy the situation. So when a schedule of showing of the film appeared on Twitter the other day, I knew I had run out of excuses and the family sat down to watch last night.

I have an unreasonable aversion to Bette Midler. I have no good reason, she's never said or done anything to make me upset. She has a wonderful voice and I'll even admit she can be very funny. SHe just annoys me. But I girded my loins and gave Hocus Pocus a try.

I'm glad I did. I truly enjoyed the movie, much more than I expected to. I mean, it's not Blazing Saddles funny or scary in the least, but it is completely entertaining, Bette Midler and all. She's actually very good as the lead witch dealing with two less competent little sisters. Sarah Jessica Parker's witch is the youngest and she was my favorite, always in the background doing something goofy with a look of complete buy-in on her face. The child actor leads were good as well, cute but not annoying-cute, if you know what I mean.

I was even surprised at the level of adult humor Disney threw at us adults watching. There's a bus driver that is super-slimey hitting on the witches to the point that when they tell him they want children (they need them to steal their souls and stay young(er) forever) he tells them it may take a few tries, but he's sure he can do that. I died. But then, I'm easily amused.

As an added bonus they say the word "amuck", and that amuses the Hell out of me, too (see? Easy.).

I've completed my podcast homework! I'm a little more Halloween Disney-fied, and I'm ready to appreciate the stage show at MNSSHP this year.

AMUCK!!!!

14 Days: Take My Money

I'm a complete sucker for Disney merchandise. I'm especially a sucker for classic Disney poster art. I have the book this calendar is based upon, and it's amazing.

According to the Disney Parks Blog, each month's poster is perforated for easy removal and framing, almost like they knew I was going to be decorating the room in which I record the MouseLife podcast this winter......

Guess I'll need two :-)

16 Days: Rivers of Light News

We have some firm dates for Rivers of Light, but not so much for an actual opening date. What Disney has done, is release the dates when they will begin offering preferred seating dining packages for Rivers of Light. Sadly, it isn't next week, it's May 1, 2017. Uhrg.No Rivers of Light this trip.

But, for future trips, the dining packages look pretty cool. They are offered at Tusker House, which I expected, and Flame Tree Barbecue, which I did not. Having a quick service preferred seating option is really cool, particularly as Flame Tree is one of my favorite places anyhow!

Now, as the Jambo Everyone blog points out, this doesn't mean May 1 is the opening date of Rivers of Light. Disney tends to open shows and let them run for a bit before starting the seating packages, but it seems to me they wouldn't go almost six months. I'm thinking a Rivers of Light open before the end of the year is looking less likely.

26 Days: Mo Muppets, Mo Muppets, MO MUPPETS

So as if getting to eat in Rizzo's pizzaria and go potty in Gonzo's Water Works wasn't enough, Disney added Sam the Eagle, Kermit, Piggy and friends to Liberty Square with two live shows. That has the Stites fam all kinds of excited. But imagine when I spot this on Twitter!

Photo by Jenny Burke

It's Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker! On their Muppet Mobile Lab! In Epcot! I mean, what if we get to see Muppets in THREE parks?!?!? How cool is that?

Word is the Mobile Muppet LAb was appearing throughout the day today behind Spaceship Earth in Future World. I'm really hoping this is a new thing that lasts through our visit in just 26 days!

32 Days: We Done Been MouseRanted!

It's been eye-opening seeing the vast world that is Disney podcasting. I knew it existed before, but largely because I couldn't figure out how to play my phone through the car radio (yeah, I know, #oldguyproblems), I had never listened to one. Then I was invited to join a podcast and ended up volunteering to produce what is now the three-episode-old MouseLife Podcast. I figured I had better study up, so I noodled out the phone-to-car radio thing and have been listening to a bunch of my fellow Disney podcasters the last few weeks. Some are very professional, some not so much; some I've learned a lot from and some aren't my cup of tea. There are probably hundreds of these things out there, something that surprised me, but it's a labor of love for the people who produce and participate in them, so the fact that so many exist makes me happy.

Thing is, that apparently doesn't make everyone happy. In any gathering of people, either real or virtual, there are the drama queens (male and female, not being sexist here) who revel in rivalry and criticism and basic middle-schoolness. Seems ol' Barry who brought us together got on the wrong side of one of these people, and he stumbled upon MouseLife and tore it apart on his show, Mouse Rants.

Look, I'm not offended or hurt or angry. I'm thoroughly amused. The whole thing is funny, if in a bit of a sad way. Leaving aside the whole Jerry-Barry (Jerry is the MouseRanter) issue and looking at the criticisms of our podcast (and others, part of the shtick of the show is trashing other shows), they largely boil down to a lack of originality. My man even points out that MouseLife is a pretty generic name. Yes, the guy who named a show based on ranting about Disney "Mouse Rants" said that.

And that's the funny part. We're being called out for lack of originality by a guy trying very hard to be the Disney Podcast version of Howard Stern. If you are at all familiar with Howard's show, you'll get it immediately. DisHoward even has a female sidekick who behaves exactly like the Howard Stern Show's Robyn. As DisHoward screams and drops forced F-bombs (because saying "fuck" on a podcast is all edgy and whatnot, don'tcha know) DisRobyn provides the laugh track and agrees with DisHoward and basically just kisses his butt, much like the real pair operated. It's hilarious, at least for a few minutes, or long as you can pretend it's intentional parody.

The part that made me a little sad was noticing that DisHoward almost always refers to podcasting as "radio." It's a bit cute, but I have to wonder if radio wasn't DisHoward's dream and this is as close as he could get to it. More power to him in the sense that a podcast is a spoken audio medium and maybe it makes him feel better about not being a DJ, but I suspect that's where some of his anger comes from---frustration at not being a real radio personality. And that's sad.

So I guess that's our official welcome into the wider social sphere of Disney Podcasters. DisHoward and DisRobyn did play a bit of our show on theirs, and they have quite a few listeners, so that's not all bad. And he gave out our iTunes address! Say what you want, DisHoward, just spell our name right ;-)

37 Days: New Disney Patents

I wrote a couple weeks ago about Disney filing a patent application for dron.....I mean "Flying Robots" that would launch fireworks and other goodies into the sky during park shows. Well, apparently it's Patent Application Season, because I've seen news of two more pop up this week, and both are just as cool as the Flying Fireworks Robots.

The first patent involves a projector that would essentially theme a space (like a resort room) in any way Disney desires. The application is very technical and goes pretty far over my head, but it looks like a lamp or ceiling fixture would be fitted with apparatus allowing animated objects to appear around the space and, along with integrated audio, turn the room into an immersive, themed experience. As I understand it, it would be a lot like virtual reality games but your room would take the place of wearing VR goggles.

The possibilities are huge, both for good and, well, a bit evil. According to the Orlando Business Journal article,

The patent also looks at including a tracking camera that can be programmed to remember a user's facial features and then change the imagery to that person's settings — or in another case can be used to wake up a child by projecting images onto their bed.

Waking a child by projecting images onto his or her bed? That could be way too much fun.....

The second patent is an attempt to make animatronics, especially faces of speaking human animatronic figures, more life-like. The Imagineers have for decades been able to make very real seeming figures, such as those in the Hall of Presidents, but when they speak, the movement of the figures' mouths tend to give them away as robots. The most recent fix for this problem has been to leave the figure's head kind of a blank slate and project a moving, speaking image onto it. This works great on Buzz in is Space Ranger Spin, but apparently not as well on the new Frozen attraction in Epcot's Norway pavilion. No matter how well done, we are looking at two very different technologies and the realism isn't quite there.

The fix in this patent application is based upon building animatronic muscle-like material underneath a "skin" so that when the muscles underneath the skin it looks like a human does when it speaks. The problem with the old animatronics was that the movement points, the pieces of robot that actually moved, were very visible.  This new system spreads the movement along an artificial muscle-like material so the face moves realistically. I think I grasp this concept better than the virtual reality projector, but it still leaves room for  being a tad creepy. I mean, just how life-like are we comfortable with our animatronics looking? Science fiction has delved into the idea of humanoid robots and it doesn't always end well, does it?

Still, all three of these new ideas are completely in keeping with Disney's history. I am thrilled to see the Walt Disney Company continuing to follow in the footsteps of its founders by keeping on the cutting edge of entertainment technology.

39 Days: MY Disney Experience

It's already later than I'd like to be awake, so I'll keep this brief. The My Disney Experience app rocks.

Apparently it's a real joy in the parks themselves, but even as a planning tool it can't be beat, especially for the phone-phobic among us. Today I heard through the Twitter-vine (I just made that word up. Feel free to use it all you like) that Disney had released new first week of November hours for Animal Kingdom. It had been scheduled to close at 6:30, but will now be open until 8:30 pm. I was expecting this, but was waiting for the official word.

Right there in the Food Lion parking lot I opened the My Disney Experience app on my phone, verified the Animal Kingdom hours for November 2, canceled my Morimoto Asian ADRs and made Tiffins ADRs for a nice 1:30 pm lunch. I checked my FastPass+ times and saw it might be a rush getting from Dinosaur to Tiffins as I had them scheduled so I shifted both my Dinosaur and Expedition Everest FastPass+ times back an hour. I then pulled up an itinerary with all these reservations listed together, saw it was what I wanted and ta da I was done. No phone calls, no computer, just my cheap-o smart phone.

THAT is Magical!

44 Days: Disney Infinity

I almost hesitate to write this because I feel silly, but I am completely geeking out over Disney Infinity right now. I did this before, two Christmases ago, when Lisa gifted me the 2.0 version. Now, since the Disney is discontinuing the online features, Walmart is selling all their 3.0 stuff at huge discounts. And I've been snapping an embarassing amount of the stuff up.

If you are unfamiliar, Disney Infinity is a very open-ended game that allows you to play as any number of Disney, Marvel, and, in the 3.0 version, Star Wars characters. You build worlds, decorate a home, race vehicles, fight bad guys, and generally fool around. It's great fun mixing and matching from different franchises.

I've bought mostly Star Wars characters but have a variety of Marvel ones and a few classic Disney, such as Donald Duck. It just tickles me to death the way it all mish mashes together. Kylo Ren fights bad robots from Toy Story, Chewbacca takes on pirates, the Black Panther mixes it up with Rhinoceros pikemen from Robin Hood. Speaking of Robin Hood, one aspect of the game is gaining a "sidekick". Right now mine is Robin Hood, the fox Robin Hood from the animated feature, and he's wearing a Tron helmet. That just makes me smile.

I think I need to maybe reign it in though. I've been telling myself it's a bargain because this stuff is so cheap on clearance. But tonight I went to Amazon and bought, at almost the regular price, Baloo. Because I just HAD to, ya know? Nah, I don't have a problem......

53 Days: MNSSHP PhotoPass Magic Shots

We've decided to purchase the Memory maker package from Disney's PhotoPass service this trip in hopes of getting photos of all three of us at once. One bonus to that I hadn't even counted on was PhotoPass shots during the Halloween party. And a bonus of THAT I hadn't counted on is these super cool Magic Shots available exclusively during the MNSSHP.

We are all fans of the Headless Horseman, so you can bet we're excited to have a photo with him! You can follow the link above to see more examples, including two video Magic Shots. Thanks to my new podcast friends, I have a better idea how this whole PhotoPass thing works and how to make sure we find all the Magic Shots we can (you need to ask the photographers).

If we play our cards right, I'll have Wordless Wednesday material for months to come :-)

58 Days: Poohsticks' Bookshelf

With the approach of Hermine, one must gather supplies. Tops on my list, truth be told, was rawhide bones for Belle the Hound Dog. She gets a little stressy during storms and raw hides are her Valium. The there's biscuits (Lisa's request), cereal and of course Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies, because they are traditional.

But what to do while it's nasty outside? Perhaps the power will go out. Good thing I'm stocked up on some pretty top notch reading, and Disney reading at that. You'll see a review of each of these in the coming days and weeks, but here's a little preview.

The Thinking Fan's Guide To Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom-- I've actually already finished this book, and it was great, but it was a little bit ago and I think I need to refresh my memory before I can review it. It contains history and some editorial thoughts on each attraction in the Magic Kingdom, both of which were interesting and often thought-provoking.

Drunk At Disney-- I'm almost finished with this one and it has made me snort out loud quite a bit. But aside from being hilarious, this book contains some really valuable information, such as which bars allow you to order from the associated restaurant's full menu. Brown Derby with out an ADR? Yes, please.

The Design of Fear-- This is the second book by RJ Ogren, a former WDW Animatronic Artist Lisa and I met at Mizner's Lounge during our Epic Monorail Bar Tour last September. This book features stories about working on haunted houses, from Disney's Haunted Mansion to the Queen Mary to others all over the country.

Keep Moving-- This is Dick Van Dyke's autobiography written on the occasion of his 80th birthday. This man is an inspiration. He lives Disney Magic. He loves life and it shines out of him. I'm guessing there's a lot he can teach me about growing older with class and exuberance. If he has any dance tips in there, so much the better :-)

Any interest in a Poohsticks Book Club? I just had that idea. I'm a genius.

82 Days: The New Moana Trailer ROCKS!!!

We got an HD antennae and began receiving network TV again (after cutting the cable a few month back) so we could watch the Olympics. Turns out we got to see the premier of Disney's new Moana trailer last night as an added bonus! If you haven't seen it, go watch it now. I'll wait.......

The big dude is Maui. He has a magic fish hook.

OK, see? Isn't that cool? I've been stoked for this movie since it was announced. Moana is the story of a Polynesian girl re-learning her cultures seafaring skills after many years of being island-bound. It's based on a bit of fact. The Pacific Islanders were excellent open sea navigators, able to cross vast distances without compass, chart or chronograph. The Pacific is full of little islands and these dudes could find them after crossing sometimes hundreds of miles of open sea. Then, mysteriously, they stopped. No one knows why they quit traveling. That mystery triggers Moana's quest. She is joined by a demigod named Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson), who is a Disney-fied version of a real Polynesian mythological character attributed with raising the Hawaiian Islands from the sea.

There's so much to love about this film. There's NO SNOW! It takes place in a setting Disney has explored in many ways, the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction and Polynesian Resort to name two, but not in an animated feature. The story is fresh, the character of Moana looks to be a great role model, the music sounds wonderful and The Rock appears to be having the ham-it-up time of his life. With a release date right around Thanksgiving later this year, I'm hoping it hits it big. I know I'll be one of the first in line.

84 Days: Opening New Doors

I've grown to really enjoy Disney Twitter and have fallen in with a bunch calling themselves The Small World Club. It's a pretty wide-ranging group with a love for Disney and a positive outlook in common, which is nice. I needed more positivity, and even if I don't actually know these people, I've enjoyed interacting with like-minded folk.

Now it looks like another door may be opening due to this crew. A few of us are toying with the idea of a podcast. Until today,  hadn't even ever listened to a podcast, but I find I'm happy when I keep moving forward so I agreed to hop on board when the suggestion came my way. Because I'm a nerd, I spent the morning looking into how this thing works. I literally Googled "how to make a podcast" and after a bit of clicking learned quite a bit. Turns out it doesn't appear to be that difficult a proposition. The equipment is basic and inexpensive, the software is readily available, and if need be, I think I could manage some of the technical aspects myself.

This project needs a lot of work to become reality, I mean we don't even have a name for the thing yet, but it has me excited in the way only new things can. I love opening new doors, because I'm curious :-)

95 Days: Every Role a Starring Role

Working for Disney. It's a dream for many a Disney Geek, and I am certainly one who shares that dream. Due to the wonders of social media, I've heard all the criticisms of Disney as an employer......they pay too little, value employees not enough, make unreasonable demands. But if I do it, it will be a retirement gig, so I hope to not care much what I'm paid, and after the career I've had, unreasonable demands are a big ho hum. I'm ready, sign me up, put me in coach.

I always figured I could do about anything that didn't require a ton of skill or special knowledge. I'm not above anything, really. I wouldn't turn down a chance to be the barf scooper in Town Square if it meant I got to work....OH MY GOD!!!!....IN Town Square. I have a CDL and good driving record, so I thought maybe a bus driver or a tram driver. Then, on our trip last September, I saw THE DREAM JOB. Amphicar Driver (or captain, I guess). Those things are the coolest. And the driver gets to wear an old timey captain's hat. I am a sucker for a hat. I would be great, too. I would chat up the guests, tell them all about Disney Springs, flirt with old ladies. I was born for that gig. Now, I just have to retire comfortably, move to Florida, and convince Disney Casting I'm their guy.

I would look SO good in that. And the HAT!

If you've ever dreamed of a Disney Job you might want to check out the Every Role A Starring Role video series from Disney Parks Blog. I stumbled across it last night looking for the Live Streams saved on YouTube and got completely sucked in. I haven't watched all 70 videos, but have seen most. They are short and cover the gamut from Show Director for all of Disneyland Parks to the dude who sells balloons. There are resort jobs and park jobs, behind the scenes jobs and on stage jobs. I particularly enjoyed the Stage Tech video about the people who do for Fantasmic what I've done for our local community theatre. The series is limited to Disneyland, so there's no Amphicar Driver segment, but it does feature tram driver, monorail pilot and Mark Twain Riverboat captain.

As expected, it's all unicorns and rainbows from these people, they all say they love their job. The thing is, they really seem to mean it. And these are mostly not actors. They don't all even say the name of the series correctly in their little introduction. Some are comfortable on camera and some less so. I loved it for it's authenticity, taking into account it's Disney PR. It's very well done PR, and I respect that and can relax and enjoy the chance to dream of a DISney job for myself.

"Together In The Dream": Authentic Magic

As I enjoyed this series of remembrances, smiling away at the humor and the love and the wonder of working INSIDE the magic of Disney's Magic Kingdom, the one thing I thought might be a concern was a risk other readers may find this book too cute, too happy, too positive to be believable. Suzanne and R.J. Ogren titled their collaborative work "Together In the Dream" because working at Disney was the realization of a dream for both of them, and they lived it and enjoyed it and appreciated it as the incredible opportunity it was. That really comes through in all the tales here, but the authors also exhibit a love and respect for each other that is obvious and heartwarming. I just wonder if, with all the cynicism I see floating around social media today, people may be tempted to see this as affected, as put on, as too "perfect" to be true. It's not. If I had to review this book with just one word, that word would be "Authentic." Let me tell you how I know this.

The book ends, and I don't think I'm really giving anything away here, with Suzanne and R.J. looking forward to celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Walt Disney World. Earlier in the book, Suzanne talks about how the Grand Floridian is their favorite resort and their love of visiting Mizner's Lounge. This is where Lisa and I had the great good fortune to meet this one-of-a-kind couple.

We had come to Mizner's as the first stop on our Monorail Bar Tour because we were hungry and I'd been told to not miss the pork belly appetizer they serve. There were no tables so we grabbed a couple seats at the bar and ordered drinks from a very busy, but very friendly bartender. The bartender, I wish I wrote down her name because she was wonderful, noticed and commented on our Happy Anniversary buttons. Within a few minutes the last couple of seats at the bar, right next to us, were occupied by another couple, also wearing Happy Anniversary buttons. The bartender pointed this out to all of us and we all introduced ourselves. Now, I can strike up a conversation with anyone, but it's not my favorite thing and I was pretty exhausted from a long drive, so I wasn't looking to get into any kind of deep conversation. Then we found out they were on a special anniversary trip just like us, that they had worked at Disney and were returning because of all the fond memories and an abiding love of the Disney Magic. OK, maybe these WERE our kind of people.

The Mizner's bar sits directly behind the little stage where the jazz band plays, making it a bit loud. We managed, despite this, to find out that R.J worked in animatronic painting and Suzanne in entertainment, that we all four worked with community theatres and that R.J. had served as a Navy combat photographer, possibly in some of the very same places my dad served with the Marines in Vietnam. I was entralled.

A table opened up and we moved there, ordered more drinks and some food (the pork belly is every bit as good as I'd been told), and continued chatting about R.J.'s adventures in the backstage of our favorite Magic Kingdom attractions, discussing the happy difference in the way troops are treated returning from today's conflicts versus what my dad and R.J. faced, wallowing in the joys of being married to our best friends, and sharing stories and photos on cell phones from our theatre productions (turns out we'd both worked on Into the Woods and 39 Steps recently). Before we knew it, a few hours had passed and Lisa and I had say our goodbyes if we were to make our tour complete and hit Trader Sam's Grog Grotto before closing.

During those hours we heard several of the stories you'll read in "Together In The Dream" straight from the proverbial horse's mouth. R.J. and Suzanne are in person just as excited about their time at Disney as they "sound" in the book. They appreciate the opportunities presented by their time at Disney, the people they got to meet and work with, and the behind-the-scenes secrets they were a part of. They love each other in such a sincere and obvious way that the joy they share was contagious. R.J. took obvious joy in requesting Suzanne's favorite songs from the band, Suzanne expressed nothing but loving admiration for R.J. and both were completely happy to let Lisa and I share in their evening. I was blown away to be sitting across from a man who not only had "cobwebbed" the Haunted Mansion, but had told me how to do it myself if I ever worked on a haunted house again. That was the magic of that evening, magic strong enough that I spent the next few hours in a sort of "did that really just happen?" state.

But it did happen, because R.J. and Suzanne are real, and really cool, people. And now YOU can meet them in the pages of this book. It's set up with Suzanne and R.J. writing alternating chapters, a device that works very well. They keep the pace uninterrupted and the timeline is basically smooth (and in all cases easy to follow even when it skips a bit or overlaps). They operate like runners in well-run relay race. Each writer has his and her own style, but both are conversational and interesting, with details that will leave Disney fans thrilled several times over. This isn't a "brag book." Things fell together and apart, there were successes and failures and both R.J. and Suzanne ended up leaving Disney to look for adventures elsewhere, but there is no bitterness or negativity of any kind.

These two had an adventure, lived a dream that many of us share, and they appreciate what that means to themselves.....and to their readers. The "Together" in the book's title means more than they may have intended, more than just R.J. and Suzanne finding theirs side by side with each other. They bring us, their readers, along for the ride, so we all get to experience the dream. Together.

Together In The Dream is available in both paperback and Kindle editions via Amazon here

You can also purchase direct from the publisher, Theme Park Press  here

Have Courage and Be Kind

That was the message in the new live-action Cinderella movie. They said it a lot, so you'd be sure to know. But you know what? That's OK. Because it needs to be said. A lot. We've lost something of the magic and joy and simplicity and goodness of the earlier Disney movies. And this one brought it all back in a most wonderful way.

It's telling that I went into this movie with the lowest of expectations but the highest hopes. Despite all I'd read about it that never said so, I was convinced this would be another "re-telling" of a classic story. You know, the kind where they turn it into a movie about environmentalism or feminism or racism or anti-capitalism or industrialism or any number of -isms. People can't help making a story "theirs" even it means losing the timelessness that makes it a classic by injecting it with the quasi-political cause du jour.  I was sure they had done that to Cinderella, but couldn't have been more wrong. This is a simple live-action version of the film that has become a classic. Sure, they add some back story and focus on different things a bit (it's not a word for word, scene by scene re-creation of the animated film), but they stayed completely true to the story and the themes and the feeling of the original. Kudos to the director and producers and Disney itself for that, and THANK YOU!!!!!

The acting is superb and the casting is genius. Cate Blanchett is my favorite. She plays the wicked step mother as a mean person (a foil to Cinderella's "be kind" motif) without any apologies or humanizing or excuses. She's just mean and bitter and cruel, to everyone. You know, like a villain should be. The step sisters get some great lines and carry them off with gusto. The chemistry between them is terrific. The Prince is charming and lovable and good and kind and heroic (and his ball turns out much better than Rob Stark's wedding). Lily James owns Cinderella. She really shows that being kind in the face of meanness is not weakness, but rather strength. She is the bigger person and knows it and no matter how mean (I keep using that simplistic word because it's the best one. Mean is real and it's cool seeing a movie admit that) the step mother and step sisters act toward her, she stubbornly remains good and kind and forgiving. And it infuriates them, which is both awesome to see and completely realistic. Our children (and us parents) need to learn that lesson, and Lily is courageously and convincingly putting it out there. Helena Bonham Carter only has about ten minutes of screen time, but seems a much bigger part of the film because she fills those minutes to the brim with awesome. The supporting actors, from the animals turned into humans to the king's staff to Cinderella's mom and dad, are also spectacular. The acting is a joy to watch.

And the costumes. Wow. I could fill this blog with screen shots of costumes, but you really need to see them on the big screen. It's simply amazing what they've done. I'm a guy who can barely dress himself and *I* got how wonderful the costuming was. That's saying something.

I simply loved the message of courage and kindness, though. All the pretty clothes and scenery and acting in the world doesn't move me unless there is a real message at a film's heart. And I know there will be those who think think this one is trite. I mean it's not about social justice or lifting up the poor or downtrodden. Except that it really is exactly that. It's a fairy tale about real life feelings and attitudes and behaviors. Being kind is always right but often it's not easy. There is a lot of meanness in the world and in our social interactions, sadly even sometimes between friends and family. But when it's hard, even when sarcasm and snark and returning what you are getting are very tempting, kindness really should win out. And that's where the courage comes in. Two simple words, two simple concepts, but they are really at the heart of living a happy life. I am in love with this film for having the courage and the kindness to say so.


We were really moved by this movie, Lisa and I. We saw it on our way home from an indoor percussion event outside of Raleigh, sort of a date. Yeah, we've been married almost 20 years and we've rediscovered dating. Cinderella is, aside from the lessons of kindness and courage, a love story. And talk about tempting the sneers and sarcasm of the cynics out there, I'm going to go ahead and say it......Lisa and I have a fairy tale romance kind of love. It's been built over a LONG time, but we have gotten to the place where the old trite ideas of honesty and trust and basic kindness are just built into the DNA of the relationship. We felt all the feels at the same times and for the same reasons. I KNEW when the squeeze of the hand was coming, when the sniffle was coming. I felt the same things Lisa did and for the same reasons. It's so nice to have that level of comfort, of assurance. We have the kind of love that makes it easier for us to have the courage to carry kindness out into the world.

So, yeah, we loved it. It's a fairy tale. It's beautiful. It's simply GOOD in so many ways. If you have any magic in your heart, or need to find some, go see this movie.

Hey! We're going to DISNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This blog started out as a Disney Blog. Yeah, another one, sue me. I added the caveats that it would also be about "life" and "fatherhood", two pretty broad topics, because I didn't want to be another of THOSE Disney blogs, regurgitating endless Top 5 lists and advice on all the dining options still available to the tens of people allergic to kumquats. I tried writing for one of them and it didn't go well. Lately, though, the "life" subject has been pretty much sucked up by theatre talk, and while I love my work with the theatre, I'M GOING TO BE IN DISNEY IN 12 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And I am bringing this baby back to Disney talk for a while.

We are taking a long weekend to celebrate the lovely Lisa's birthday, experience Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party for the first time, visit Epcot and generally get a Disney fix while we save for another week-long trip in God knows how many months/years. We are lucky to live an easy day's drive from Disney World, so we like to run down and back for these commando raids of vacations. This time we're picking the boy up from school as soon as he has his State of North Carolina Approved Full-Day Time completed, about lunchtime, and driving straight down to Kissimmee. We'll likely arrive about 9 or 10 pm and check into a cheap-o motel for the night. Then Friday we head into Disney World, drop our stuff at the Port Orleans French Quarter and immerse ourselves in the magic.

We have tickets to the MVMCP Friday night and can enter the parks at 4 pm (see, I'm not writing a whole blog about that "tip" so I'm not too cheesy) so we'll have a good part of the day to just knock around the property. We might head to Downtown Disney early to try the hot air balloon thing, Characters In Flight I think its called, because I read it's half price early. We love DTD and especially The Earl of Sandwiche, so I'm expecting that'll be lunch. We may cruise some resorts to see if any decorations are up yet. We've never even been to The Wilderness Lodge, so I'd like to see that, and I don't believe we've been in the lobby of the Grand Floridian either, so that may be another stop. I'm not applying my Obsessive Disney Planning to this portion of the visit. Yet. We'll see.....

Then it's off to the MVMCP, something we are really looking forward to. I've got an article telling me about all the new things to do (which I will write about soon), but it'll all be new to us, so we are pretty fluid in our planning. We'd like to ride the Seven Dwarves Mine Train and check out the rest of New Fantasyland, so that will likely be our first stop in the park. Once the party starts, we (I) have a plan to see and do all the coolest stuff with the least hassle. Lisa and I also developed an urge to get our photos with characters as of, well, yesterday. We've not been big Meet-n-Greet people, but this time I'm intrigued by Sandy Claws and Lisa by Minnie's Christmas dress, and both of us by Mary Poppins and her penguins. I'm studying strategy on the awesome Kenny The Pirate site (another upcoming post), so I have high hopes for our first attempt at character hounding.

After a few hours sleep, it's off to Epcot for Princess Breakfast at Akershus Dining Hall. We'll try out this new Fastpass + thing and end our day at Beaches and Cream indulging in the Kitchen Sink. I'll blog about our dining choices and the hows and whys as well, because I'm sure you're all DYING to know, right?

Sunday, we hit DTD again on our way out and it's back up 95 toward home.Then I'll be able to blog about all the stuff we saw and did and experienced rather than my plans for same. There will be a good, healthy dose of Disney back on Pooh Sticks. Of course I'm going to be portraying Mr. Fezziwig a week after we return, so the theatre talk isn't over either, but Disney will reclaim the piece of my head and heart it deserves.

Things I ALREADY Love About BLT's Into The Woods

We can start with that poster. Cool, huh?

I've been happily watching this show come together and largely keeping my mouth shut about it. We open two weeks from last night. Two weeks from this moment, I will be backstage at Odell Williamson Auditorium. I like that idea. So, I'm going to list a few of the other things that make me happy about this show, and particularly Brunswick Little Theatre's production of it.

1. The Writing

James Lupine is credited with "the book" on this show. That's, to my simple understanding of musicals, the words between the songs. I imagine he and Stephen Sondheim worked together hand and glove with the lyrics and spoken word bits. The story is told largely in song, so they had to. It really worked, in ways I truly admire as an aspiring writer.

During the opening number, there's a knock on the door to The Baker's cottage. His Wife asks who it is and The Baker responds in a way that sums up so clearly where this journey is taking us. Into The Woods is largely about normal people's responses to unusual situations. It is a great mix of the fantastic and the mundane, both feeding our imagination and relating to us in ways we can completely identify with ourselves. The Baker and his Wife take it for granted there's a witch next door, but it doesn't mean they completely buy into that part about "magic beans." That just strikes me as funny, they accept she's a witch but are suspicious that the beans she claims are magical really are more than just beans. The whole show and all the characters in it are like that. They are upset by a giant walking around their little world, but accept that giants sometimes do that. Cinderella talks to birds and her dead mother, but is shocked to see a giant beanstalk. It just goes to show that "impossible" is often in the eyes of the beholder.

I'm also in love with the idea that so few characters have names. The story is centered on The Baker and The Baker's Wife. Don't assume the show is sexist for identifying the female lead only as the wife of the male lead, the two Princes and called Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince.  We also have The Witch, Granny, Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf, the Evil Stepmother, and Cinderella's Father. Cinderella and Rapunzel have names, of course, but they are so well-ingrained in our cultural identity that both are essentially meaningless as personal monikers. The only two "real names" in the show are the Evil Stepsisters Florinda and Lucinda, which I'm pretty sure speaks to some greater point, but I haven't figured it out yet. The lack of personal names lends the whole story a general appeal, as if it's about US and not just THEM. I'm sure that was the idea, and this isn't a new or particularly subtle way to go about generalizing one's lessons, but I love it nonetheless.  There really is a bit of all these characters in all of us. We are greedy and cutthroat and kind and generous, we are clever and simple, we are loyal and fickle, we are brave and cowardly. And our children WILL listen, just as we did to our parents and their children will to them someday.

2. Steampunk

Jen decided to give this show a steampunk flair in its costumes and set, and it's looking great. If you aren't familiar with the term, steampunk refers to a sort of style based upon Victorian-age science fiction. It's Jules Verne-esque stuff, full of brass and airships and goggles and proto-industrial tech. Not to brag, but I was steampunk WAY before steampunk was cool. I was drawn as a young'un, totally mesmerized, to the 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea attraction in Disney's Tomorrowland. I mean, it was a submarine that looked like a big, metal fish. And you could see all the bolts! I loved blimps and airships. I had a Goodyear Blimp model in my room. I wore goggles and funky hats whenever I could get my hands on them. Back then I was weird. Today, it's a whole subculture and people are going to a lot of expense and trouble to look like I wanted to when I was 8. Jen has designed a whole show to fit my elementary school imagination, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of it.

3. The Costumes

I'll let them speak for themselves.

4. Milky White

Into The Woods features as a sort of character Jack's cow, Milky White. Milky White has been portrayed in different productions using everything from a big prop cow on wheels to an actor in a cow costume. Jen has chosen the middle road, an actor carrying a cow prop.  It's a great idea as it gives the audience a cow but also allows an actor to portray the cow's, well, emotions. The cow goes through a lot. And the actor Jen chose, a teenager named Chase Costen, has totally embraced his bovine side. In rehearsals, I've seen him react with his face and body in logical ways to what the cow is doing and seeing. When they line up to do vocal warm-ups, Chase brings his cow. He gets that they are one piece, not a boy carrying a prop. It's a little thing, but it really tickles me.


That's about all I feel I can say right now. We build the set next Saturday and I am sure I will be adding that to my list. But I don't want to give too much away. You'll have to come see for yourself. Find out all about it here. You'll not be disappointed

Refuting The Top 14 Reasons Not To Go To Disney, Part 8

So I'm happily looking at my Facebook newsfeed the other day and one of those "Sponsored" things is up there. It's from a site called Viral Travel (which sounds like a bad idea on the face of it) and is entitled 13 Reasons Not To Go To Disney. Of course I bite. Sue me. So its about what I expect, the same things we Disney fans expect from you non-Disney fans-- crowds, expense, capitalism, yadda yadda yadda. The thing is, many of these criticisms are true to a large extent, but avoidable. I hate to see people get spoiled on the Disney I love because they go about the whole experience unprepared logistically or mentally for the realities of the place. I figured just for kicks to take the 13 reasons one by one (or two by two) and try to explain why they don't keep ME from the Magic. This part four, part one is here, two here, three here, four here, five here, six here, and seven here.

3. The souvenir shops are designed to make you take out a second mortgage.

See that cute little Mickey knickknack, the one that would look just perfect on your mantle next to your Tinker Bell spoon collection? That’ll be $80. Any decent shirts or other clothing items are about the same price, just because they have a mouse embroidered on them.

There are also all kinds of clever key chains, phone cases, handbags, hats, wallets, cheap plastic toys, stuffed animals, dress-up items, snow globes, license plate frames, and pretty much every other type of souvenir you can imagine, plus some you wish you never knew existed.

Getting caught up in the pin collecting and trading looks affordable at first, but those little pins start to add up to a small fortune in a hurry, especially when you find that ultra rare pin that portrays Winnie the Pooh making Captain Jack Sparrow walk the plank. Disney makes it tempting to just buy and buy stuff you don’t need.

As a guest in one of the park’s hotels, you can have the merchandise you buy sent to your room, free of charge, which encourages you to spend even more. If you don’t watch it, you’ll blow through your savings in no time and will leave the park penniless.

I'm thinking this writer is at least in part simply anti-capitalist. I imagine in that posting-about-the-evils-of-corporations-using-your-MacBook kinda way. A Hipster anti-capitalist. Gag me.

Yes, Walt Disney World exists to make money for the shareholders of the Disney corporation. If that bothers you, stay home. Or move to North Korea. Good bye.

For those of you who are left, yes, the massive collection of STUFF available for purchase in Disney's shops is astonishing. If you are any sort of Disney fan at all, you'll see lots you simply MUST have. Step back. You don't need it. Disney isn't evil for making these things available, they are catering to the desires of their guests, but you need to be smart. And strong :-)

There are a few ways to help yourself, and your family, resist the temptation to buy every pin, every t-shirt and every knick-knack you see. Planning. See, broken record. Decide before you leave on a budget for souvenirs and stick to it as best you can. One way to help, especially with children, is to buy Disney gift cards and use them exclusively for souvenirs and impulse buys. When the card is empty, you're done. Simple.

But DO budget for impulse buys. There are things for sale in the Disney parks that you simply won't find anywhere else. It's part of the fun of a Disney trip to find a few of these treasures and carry them home like the conquering hero. Splurge a little, but plan the splurge.