Decoding Disney 101

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

The article, Simba's Revolution: Revisiting History and Class in the Lion King , by John Morton responds to the ideas in Robert Gooding William's article,  Disney In Africa and the Inner City: On Race and Space in the Lion King . Morton starts off with explaining Gooding-Williams claim of The Lion King portraying problematic views of race and class structure. In an immediate contradiction, Morton states that he believes the animation represents a "stable social class" which works as one in order to bring about the idea of history. He also mentions that Gooding-Williams holds a marxist bias in his writings and mainly focuses on the "fetishism of urban poverty." Throughout the rest of the article, Morton focuses on the web of life and the interactions between Mufasa, Simba, Scar and the Hyenas. What I thought was a good point in his argument was his claim that Gooding-Williams mentions nothing about Mufasa and the fact that the kingdom is run with legitima...