“it’s a small world” is one of the most polarizing attractions at the Disney theme parks. The charming boat ride through scenes of frolicking animatronic, ethnically diverse children singing in the spirit of international unity, is a ride you either love or you hate. But even if you refuse to ride “it’s a small world” for fear of getting the saccharine, over-long, and repetitive theme song stuck in your head, you’ll have a hard time denying that the ride, originally featured at the 1964 New York World’s Fair before it moved to Disneyland in 1966, is just so darn… precious.
And what could be even more precious than “it’s a small world”, you ask? Why, children’s clothing inspired by “it’s a small world”, of course!
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1054
Recognize these?
Mickey Ears are worn by thousands of theme park visitors year-round, but in 2011 the classic look has gotten a much-needed upgrade. The newest trend seen round the parks are highly decorative Mickey Ears which are themed in everything from bridal to pirate, princess, ice cream, and Jack Skellington. The World Showcase at Epcot even sells specialty country ears, such as the Mexico-themed hats below.
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1025
In the fall of 2009, the Walt Disney Company made a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion, a purchase which transferred control of Marvel’s comic book and movie library to Disney, along with a library of 5,000 characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Daredevil, and Captain America – all of whom have inspired major motion pictures in recent years.
As of now, Disney has held off on incorporating the Marvel heroes into any of its theme parks, although the company is free to do so everywhere except for Walt Disney World in Florida, due to Marvel’s existing contract with Disney competitor Universal’s Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks.
Concept art for Dubailand's Marvel Superhero Theme Park, image from disneyandmore.blogspot.com
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=988
One of my favorite places to waste time online is Sporcle.com, a trivia quiz website which features more than 180,000 timed trivia games that have been played more than 500 million times. Sporcle’s slogan is “Mentally Stimulating Diversions” and these diversions are categorized by theme: Geography, Entertainment, Science, History, Literature, Sports, Language, Just for Fun, Religion, Movies, Televisions, Music, Gaming, Miscellaneous, and Holiday.
There’s something for everyone at Sporcle, and the majority of the quizzes are user-created and cover a wide range of trivia topics, from the common (U.S. Presidents, Countries of the World, etc), to the obscure (20 Weakest Evolved Pokemon, Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector, etc). Disney fans will be pleased to find hundreds of Disney-themed trivia games at Sporcle.com.
Below are links to a few of my favorite Disney quizzes. Beware of addiction!
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=974
There is a strong gender imbalance in Hollywood these days (and throughout the history of film) that has resulted in most studio films being very male-centric and featuring few (if any) female characters of substance. The Bechdel Test, originated by Alison Bechdel in her 1985 comic “The Rule” from “Dykes to Watch Out For”, is a litmus test for gauging the active presence of female characters in films and how well-rounded and complex those characters are.
Screenshot from Disney's Tangled, image copyright Disney
The Bechdel Test Rules:
1. There are at least two (named/significant) female characters who…
2. Talk to each other about…
3. Something other than a man
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=952
