Saturday, May 31, 2014

You Only Think You Know the Fairy Tale-Disney's Maleficent







“Let us tell you an old story anew and see how well you know it” and so the newly released, much anticipated live action version of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent begins.  



Everybody knows the story of Aurora, the sweet fairy tale princess cursed by an “evil” fairy that with the prick of a finger on her 16th

birthday fell into a deep, deep sleep that could only be undone from a true love’s kiss, but how many know the real story of the much-maligned Maleficent? Now playing in theaters everywhere, Walt Disney Motion Pictures does what Disney does best-bring the iconic animated story to life and at the same time put a fresh and unexpected twist to the tale. Starring Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Jolie’s portrayal of the much-heralded villain Maleficent
 is so spot on that to see her in all of her deliciously and delectably evil self, (or is she) is worth the price of admission all on its own. With the glance of an eye, the raising of one eyebrow or the delivery of the simplest of words, Jolie totally says more with a single look than any hundreds of pages of scripted dialogue could ever do. Add in the brilliance of Stefan, played as an adult by South African actor Sharito Copley who shows us just what greed and lust for
power can do and counter that with the sweetness and pure joy that Elle Fanning brings to the screen from the moment she appears as the beloved Aurora and you have you know you quickly realize that you are about to be a part of something very special. Combine this with amazing but not overdone special effects throughout the movie and the comedic genius of Imelda Staunton
as Knotgrass, Juno Temple as Thistlewit and Lesley Manville as Flittle, the pixies in charged with keeping young Aurora safe until her 16th birthday
(think 3 Stooges) and you have movie magic at its best.  Without divulging too much of this enchanted tale, Maleficent explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic Sleeping Beauty and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.  We all know that somewhere, somehow “ Evil has a beginning” but now it’s up to you to see how well you really know the fairy tale. After all, visions are seldom what they seem. See for yourself this weekend-Disney’s Maleficent now playing in theaters everywhere.


Get social with other “Maleficent” fans

Like MALEFICENT on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyMaleficent
Follow MALEFICENT on Twitter: @Maleficent

Join in the fun of  Maleficent  by uploading your favorite Maleficent selfie to Instagram #Malefiselfie  
#Malefiselfie

Keep the fun and the magic of the movie alive with these easy to use activities from our Kid's Korner section.

Gayle is a lifelong educator by day and avid blogger by night and is the owner and cofounder of the Disney Gals, one of the most popular Disney blogs around! Proud mommy to 5, Grammy to 4 she is blessed to share her life with amazing family and friends who encourage her to chase her dreams no matter where they may lead.  When not in the classroom, she can be found following her son as he dances his way through life, or working with young performers in free nationally recognized after school children’s theater program that she founded 13 years ago. On any given day you will find Gayle skipping her way through life with a giggle and a smile knowing that today is meant to be lived and enjoyed. To learn more about Gayle, click here

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Take Flight-Soarin' Over California

My Favorite Rides - Soarin’ Over California




Your feet are dangling above the clouds as you slowly soar through the empty sky with majestic music swelling all around. You swoop downwards and the Golden Gate Bridge appears below you as you glide serenely through the air. Suddenly you dive down and speed rapidly just above a northern California river. The kayakers call out to you and the unmistakeable evergreen scent of the redwood forest surrounds you.

Soarin’ Over California opened in 2001 at Disney California Adventure in the Condor Flats, an area dedicated to the rich aviation tradition of California. It’s one of the most popular attractions in the Disneyland Parks and the wait time can be considerable. Luckily FastPass Service is available.  In 2005 a virtually identical version opened at Epcot in The Land pavilion. The illusion of flight is created by groups of seats being lifted into the air and brought close to a giant concave movie screen so that the riders can only see the images that are being projected. Movements of the seats are synchronized to the film and breezes and appropriate scents waft around the riders. 

As you enter Condor Flats you see the large tan hangar like building that houses Soarin’. The monorail track runs directly in front of the building making for a wonderful sight when a monorail runs past. As with most Disney attractions the queue as you enter the building begins to tell you the story of the ride. Heroic music suggests the majesty of flight and the walls are lined with photographs from aeronautic history focusing on the rich tradition of famous and historic pilots and their aircraft. Next you come to the departure gates where you’re treated to a short and humorous video featuring the chief flight attendant, Patrick, played by actor Patrick Warburton.

Next you enter a large darkened dome shaped auditorium and take your seat and strap in. As the ride begins your seat rises into the air and you feel as if you’re literally soaring through the skies of California. The ride consists of thirteen scenes of iconic locations from all over the state. These include the Golden Gate Bridge, and Redwood Creek in northern California, as well as balloons flying over the Napa wine country, hang gliding in Yosemite, surfing in Malibu, the rugged northern Ca. coastline, the Naval Base in San Diego, a breathtaking view of freeways twisting through a night time Los Angeles and finally ending in the middle of fireworks over Disneyland.  

For me this ride never gets old. I’ve ridden it countless times and hope to ride it countless more. The feeling of flight combined with other tactile and olfactory cues such as the wind wafting around you and the sounds and smells of the region you’re visiting along with the original music by famous film composer Jerry Goldsmith makes for a completely immersive experience. Soarin’ over California is indeed one of my very favorite rides.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Levar Burton On a Quest to Bring Back Reading Rainbow to Every Family


One of many highlights of the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration last 





April came during breakfast Saturday morning when we were suddenly surprised as the Reading Rainbow Theme came alive throughout the room.  And then to our amazement, as we all sang along to this melody that was such an important part of all of our lives, we looked up to see LeVar Burton himself appeared  before us.  I don’t think any rock star would have had more squeals of delight than those that greeted Mr. Burton as he stood before us.  


For one brief moment time stood still and each one of us was reminded of the joy and love that “Reading Rainbow brought into each of our lives, and that of our children, and even our grandchildren.  Even though “Reading Rainbow” left the airways in 2006, thanks to the magic of the Internet, YouTube and videos, it’s ability to instill and foster a pure and deep love of reading still lives on.  Two years ago, Burton came out with a Reading Rainbow App


for the iPad in the hopes of connecting with today’s youth on their technological level. But his quest to bring back the joy and art of storytelling did not stop there as he was determined to bring an unlimited library of books to a much wider audience. Not every child has a tablet and more schools than not do not have access to today's technology. So just how does the driving force behind Reading Rainbow intend to bring back the power of reading to all families? Mr. Burton is on a quest develop a web-enabled Reading Rainbow for at-home use, create a classroom version along with lesson plans and teacher-friendly tools, and subsidize the cost so any school can use Reading Rainbow anywhere for free.




 Burton has set out to raise a million dollars, and has offered up plenty of prizes for donations that run the gamut from a LeVar himself recording your voicemail, to hanging out with you via Skype to sending you an autograph. But what matters most is this will help more kids learn how to read. And although a million dollars sure sounds like a lot, in this day and age where actors are asking for money for movies, regular folk are seeking funding to be the next great reality television stars, and still others are asking the public though Kickstarter to fund their dream vacation, finally without a doubt I can say that this is indeed a Kickstarter cause that I can get behind and so should every family in America. Read more about LeVar Burton's Kickstarter campaign and then join in by ensuring that generations to come will come to know what we already know “ Take a look, it’s in a book, Reading Rainbow. I can be anything, take a look, it’s in a book, Reading Rainbow.”

 To read more about LeVar Burton's work with reading and Disney, check out Give A Book, Get A Book campaign.


Gayle is a lifelong educator by day and avid blogger by night and is the owner and cofounder of the Disney Gals, one of the most popular Disney blogs around! Proud mommy to 5, Grammy to 4 she is blessed to share her life with amazing family and friends who encourage her to chase her dreams no matter where they may lead.  When not in the classroom, she can be found following her son as he dances his way through life, or working with young performers in free nationally recognized after school children’s theater program that she founded 13 years ago. On any given day you will find Gayle skipping her way through life with a giggle and a smile knowing that today is meant to be lived and enjoyed. To learn more about Gayle, click here.

Kid's Korner -Maleficent Activities For the Entire Family




Once upon a time, a Queen in a far off land gave birth to a beautiful daughter.  To celebrate the birth, the Queen invited all of the fairies of the kingdom to the christening of the baby, but alas, one fairy was forgotten. Terribly hurt, and not willing to be left out, the forgotten fairy made her presence and her anger known, and as she passed by the cradle of the Queen’s daughter, she placed a curse on the infant.  “When you are sixteen, you will injure yourself on a spindle and die.”  Horrified, a good fairy quickly chanted a magic spell to spare the child and changed her fate of death to a fate of deep sleep and thus the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent was born. Opening nationwide this Friday, May 30, "Maleficent" explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever. 
This week, to celebrate the opening of “Maleficent”, Kid’s Korner is bringing to you fun and easy to use activities that can be used by young and the young at heart alike. Is Maleficent really the evil villain, as she appears to be, or merely misunderstood? Only time will tell. In the meantime, gather the kids and together create some of the magic that is “Maleficent”.
From the creative people at Spoonful comes these clever and easy to do projects:

Maleficent Horns                                  Disney Maleficent Hair Barrette 

 
             








Tabletop Dragon                                             Maleficent 3D Papercraft


 









Or how about some fun and easy activity and coloring sheets.  Simply right click and save them to your computer.
















 Mark your calendars and save the date-“Maleficent” will be quietly tiptoeing into a theater near you on May 30. Are you brave enough to face Maleficent? 


Get social with other “Maleficent” fans
Like MALEFICENT on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyMaleficent
Follow MALEFICENT on Twitter: @Maleficent



Gayle is a lifelong educator by day and avid blogger by night and is the owner and cofounder of the Disney Gals, one of the most popular Disney blogs around! Proud mommy to 5, Grammy to 4 she is blessed to share her life with amazing family and friends who encourage her to chase her dreams no matter where they may lead.  When not in the classroom, she can be found following her son as he dances his way through life, or working with young performers in free nationally recognized after school children’s theater program that she founded 13 years ago. On any given day you will find Gayle skipping her way through life with a giggle and a smile knowing that today is meant to be lived and enjoyed. To learn more about Gayle, click here