Decoding Disney 101

Disney has just recently released the actress who will play Mulan in the upcoming live-action.  The article by Justin Kroll , speaks about Disney's expectations and requirements in the process to find the actress. He mentioned that Disney's main goal was to find a woman with Chinese decent, but also somebody who was younger in age. The company finally made their decision and hired the young singer/actress Liu Yifei. Liu Yifei seemed to qualify in every aspect that Disney was looking for and she had experience in previous large production movies. Hopefully she will do the well loved film of Mulan justice, and I cannot wait to see who else they choose!

I was reading an article about  21 things you didn't know  about Disney Parks. The article mostly talks about the cast members jobs and what they entail. It seems to me that it is a very serious process that is under the utmost scrutiny. There are also some cool facts that have to do with hidden places/mickeys in the parks or how there are after hours for many Disney parks. I would highly recommend looking through the article just to learn something new about Disney that you can look forward to when you visit

The new Incredibles 2 snippet is out now! Disney, after 15 long years, has finally announced their sequel to their animated hit, The Incredibles . The snippet of video includes Jack Jack revealing all of his powers as well as a mini scene of Mr. Incredible finding out that his son is a superhero. The interesting thing about Jack Jack is that he has multiple superpowers instead of just one. He can walk through walls, shoot lasers out of his eyes, turn into a fireball and become electric. It is also something to note that the animators decided not to age the characters. After the long hiatus between the two films it seems that Mr. Incredible nor Jack Jack have become older, so I wonder what the storyline will entail. Anyways, I can’t wait for summer 2018! Incredibles 2 Sneak Peek

The article,  "Animal Harm: discrimination and difference in Zootopia"  by David Crewe writes about the meaning and nuances of the Disney animation Zootopia. Crewe starts off giving a back story as to the previous plot line of the film, which eventually changed due to need for a happier story. He then begins to talk about all of the themes intertwined within the movie, for instance "optimistic equality, systemic inequality, intersectionality, good intentions," etc. Overall, this essay speaks to how Zootopia connects to the real world as well as what messages come out of it's colorful scenery. There are many claims to Crewe's argument that I appreciate him including. He dotes on the topic of optimism in the film, which is a factor that one cannot ignore while watching Judy Hopps. The difference between Zootopia and other Disney films though, as mentioned by Crewe, is that Judy's optimism becomes dismantled many times throughout the story. It is

Similar to Zootopia, I believe that Wreck-It-Ralph is a very unique and contemporary film that reveals a lot of creative ideas on Disney's part. Not only do they bring in classic and legendary characters from other well-known video games, they make a story out of it and bring video games to life. I really enjoyed the film because it didn't seem like a repetitive type of story. The topic of villainy is extremely prevalent in this film because the entire plot is based around it. Ralph, being the main villain, wants to be a part of the "in" crowd and wants to be recognized for all that he does for the game (even though he is a bad guy). I find it interesting that Disney took on the perspective of the bad guys. I don't know of many Disney classics that took on that persona, but it seems to be an ongoing trend of the new era ( Maleficent, Wicked, Kronk's New Groove ).  Perhaps that is the reason for all of the popularity. Everybody knows everything about

Frozen seems to be another smash hit for Disney enterprises, and the selling point, Olaf, certainly convinced me to not only watch the movie but get a plush toy of him as well. Although it is a new and upcoming film, the issue of race that is found deeper in the characters and plot is very prevalent. I did enjoy this movie, but these issues were hard to look past. I also had some likes about this movie that I am happy to share as well. First off, there are no people of color in the film. I am not one to outright notice race to begin with, but I have a clear awareness of the fact with Frozen. The two sisters are very much caucasian, especially Elsa. Her hair is white, her face is extremely pale and even the castle that she lives in is clear; therefore, casts the color of the white snow beneath. Ana, Sven, the townspeople, and the foreign royalty that visit the small kingdom are white. There is certainly something to say about the time period and the relationship between whites and oth

Another part of Zootopia that I enjoy is the comical aspect of the film. Not all of the characters were serious or dumbstruck in love. Especially the character Clawhauser, he was the funniest out of them all and he made me smile every time he was in a scene. Even Nick Wilde was a funny character because his spunky personality allowed him to crack jokes. Much of this comedy also stemmed from the fact that Disney made fun of itself a lot in the film. For example, their is a street vendor selling illegal movies which are all Disney themed. He has Pig Hero 6, Wrangled, Wreck-it-Rhino, and many other famous titles except with animalistic characters. There seems to be a comedic value to when Disney doesn't take themselves too seriously.  Even though this is not the first time I have seen Zootopia, I seem to enjoy it more and more each subsequent time I watch it. Watching it again also allows me to catch certain details that I might not have seen the first or second time. Personally

This  Vanity Fair article, "Everything You Need to Know About Disneyland Pixar's Dazzling New Slate," by Joanne Robinson intricately and honestly speaks about Disney's D23 Expo (a large meeting that releases new merchandise, fan experiences and upcoming film projects) of 2017. This year Alan Horn (Chief of Disney) and John Lasseter (Disney Animator) spoke about exciting new animations that were on the horizon for Disney. They spoke of Olaf's Frozen Adventure, Wreck-It Ralph 2, The Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4 and many others. Personally, I found the Wreck-It Ralph 2 to be the most interesting because Robinson included some splurges that were given about the film. The speakers hinted that well known Disney Princesses were to be featured in the film, but instead of being stereotypically fragile they were to get down and dirty with the main characters of Wreck-It Ralph. Disney's new ideas seem fantastic and well-known. Let us hope that the sequels of these movies

It seems like Disney World is getting a head start on their Christmas festivities this year! The first week of November marked the switch-a-roo of decor for Disney's theme parks from Halloween to Christmas. The Christmas trees are up, the lights are hung and the shelves are stocked with festive plush toys that replicate the characters of Disney's animations. The visitors don't mind either because Mickey's Christmas Party was sold out in the very first week. Along with many other Christmas lovers, Disney World did not waste any time worrying about Thanksgiving, but instead focused on the upcoming Holiday cheer. Attached below is the article accompanied by some fantastic photos of Disney's Christmas upgrade! http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/disney-vacations/christmas-disney-world-holiday-decorations-2017

Do you know Disney? Well this quiz has some tricky questions that will test your knowledge! Take it to see how much of a Disney fan you really are! Personally, I thought I would have done better, but there were some sneaky questions that I didn't expect so pay attention! https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiemckenna206/can-you-ace-this-insanely-hard-disney-quiz-f78n?origin=filqui&utm_term=.xeA8LNGD9#.xtGyenpr6

If anybody is interested about how Disney is transformed with the festive decor there is a cool and semisecret activity for you! During the Christmas season only, two special tours are held to take a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of Disney's holiday decorations. The groups also get to meet Disney's "elves" that create the lights and decorations for the parks. Throughout the entire tour, you can meet cast members that will tell you everything you need to know about the decorating process! If interested there is a link to the complete article below. http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/disney-vacations/disney-world-christmas-holiday-tours