Disney Archives - Page 4 of 8

Bring home the magic with Pete’s Dragon on DVD and Blu-ray today

When I think of my kids getting older, what gets me most emotional is thinking of the magic of childhood being over. Throughout the years of parenting, that childhood magic and wonder had made even the mundane a little more special. There is something really amazing about watching the magic of childhood right in front of you, and it makes me long for that type of magic in my everyday life.

So, when choosing films, TV shows, and books to read with my kids, I err on the side of magic. And, since my son is obsessed with dragons and hasn’t stopped talking about seeing Pete’s Dragon in the theater, I knew that this DVD was one we were going to have to own. Honestly, it was pretty much made for families like mine that love magic and fantasy, but can’t handle films that are so unrealistic that they become unwatchable to anyone under the age of 10.

After being away for a few months, it was really fun to return to the world of Pete’s Dragon and experience the magic for a second, third, and fourth time this year. The cinematography of the sun drenched fields, rolling hills, and beautiful old-growth forest is just amazing and it is fun to return over and over again. The kids immediately recognized the film as being set in the PNW, and now whenever we’re in the forest they love to imagine themselves becoming one with nature along with the characters in the film and having their own dragon friend.

Disney’s Moana is now playing in theaters everywhere

My daughter has been trying to get me to take her to see Disney's Moana ever since she saw the Moana toys hit stores this summer. She was 100% positive that the movie had to be out if the toys were, and she tried her best to persuade me to take her. So, when the Seattle pre-release rolled around, I knew I had to make it work even with our busy holiday schedules.

In my mind I thought I was doing her a favor, but it was only minutes into the film when I realized that I was really glad I didn’t miss it. It had all the heart I’ve come to know with Disney films, all the laughter, and all the beautiful animation.

In short: you should definitely see it.

The movie is set in the Pacific Islands and the animation of the lush islands surrounded by turquoise water and coral reefs were simply gorgeous. Seeing the beautiful island scenery immediately took me back to the Cook Islands where my husband and I spent our honeymoon, and it was my first real introduction to the Polynesian culture and its mythology.

Finding Dory swims home today on DVD and Blu-ray

While at Disney Social Media Moms this spring, we got the chance to preview the first part of Disney•Pixar's Finding Dory before it hit theaters. It was about 30 seconds into the showing when I knew that Finding Dory wasn't going to disappoint and it was definitely going to become a favorite Disney film.

When we finally got the opportunity to see the whole film this summer, I realized just how right I was. The story begins where Finding Nemo left off and shows how our favorite forgetful blue tang has adjusted since Nemo returned home.

As we learn how Nemo, Marlin, and Dory have adjusted since their journey across the ocean, we’re reminded that we don’t know anything of Dory’s past and where she came from. Returning director Andrew Stanton describes why he decided to revisit Dory’s past by saying, “I realized that I was worried about Dory. The idea of her short-term memory loss and how it affected her was unresolved. What if she got lost again?” His response to this question is the touching tale of friendship and family that’s truly unforgettable … perhaps even for Dory.

Strange Magic: Marvel’s Doctor Strange opens today

Just when you think there are no original superheroes left, Marvel does it again by releasing what is arguably the coolest movie of the year and one that Marvel fans have been waiting years for: Doctor Strange.

The film introduces us to Dr. Stephen Strange {Benedict Cumberbatch}, an arrogant, world-famous neurosurgeon who is at the top of his game. But, when he experiences a life-changing accident that robs him of the use of his hands, he finds himself in the role of the patient, and it doesn’t go well.

After traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look elsewhere and hears rumors about a man who was healed from a horrible spinal injury using Eastern Medicine. His journey to find healing takes him to a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj where he learns that there is more to the center than meets the eye.

Embrace the magic with Pete’s Dragon – in theaters this week

When I think of my own childhood, I definitely wouldn’t describe it as magical. Sure, it was a good childhood, and I have some really awesome memories, but it was always rooted in reality. Since I was the fourth of five children, it meant that if the older siblings figured out something, I did to. I honestly never remember believing in Santa, in fairies {tooth or otherwise}, or anything else that would be described as magical, and I knew that there were some serious limitations to our finances that meant sometimes we went without.

In parenting my own children now, I’m experiencing the magic of childhood through them. And, I’m always surprised by how that magic really makes everything more fun. It’s not that I now believe in Santa or fairies or that I don’t worry about finances anymore, but there is something really amazing about watching the magic of childhood right in front of you, and it makes me long for that type of magic in my everyday life. So, when choosing films, TV shows, and books to read with my kids, I always struggle with the balance between reality and fantasy. I figure they have their whole lives to explore reality, so while they are young I am very much enjoying exploring fantasy with them in ways I never did as a child. But, because I’m an adult, over-the-top fantasy and make believe is hard to get into, so this means walking a fine line between the two worlds and finding things we can all enjoy together. Since my son is obsessed with dragons and both kids love magic and adventure, I knew they would be thrilled to see “Pete’s Dragon” at the Seattle media preview. But, even though I knew the kids would love it, I honestly wasn’t expecting that much from the film. Maybe this is because I was picturing a very cartoonish dragon based on the quick previews I had seen, and I was thinking it was going to be one of the movies that leaned too far toward fantasy for my liking.

10+ reasons why you should own ZOOTOPIA on DVD and Blu-ray

It’s the day we've been waiting for! ZOOTOPIA is now out on DVD and Blu-ray!

As soon as I saw Disney's ZOOTOPIA movie, I was smitten. In so many ways, ZOOTOPIA was just as good, and in many ways better, than I had hoped. It had action, it had adventure, it had heart, and it had a really wonderful message.

Even months later, we’re all still talking about takeaways from the movie and parts that we really enjoyed as a family. The conversations are only getting better as we process the movie and discuss it further. Clearly this was a movie we needed to own.

Why should you own ZOOTOPIA? I'm so glad you asked. Here are just some of many reasons:

What we’re playing with: ZOOTOPIA toys

In celebration of next week's ZOOTOPIA DVD and Blu-ray release, we're sharing some of our favorite toys of the season that are based on the movie.

Aren't these so awesome?We picked these adorable poseable figures up at our local Disney Store. We actually got most of them before the movie was even in theaters because my wife and kids thought they were so cute.

The Judy Hopps Meter Maid Pursuit Set came with a meter maid mobile, so I knew it was going to be a huge hit with the kids. I was definitely correct.

Alice in Wonderland inspired wall art on photo canvas

We love Alice in Wonderland around here. Like, really, really love it. In honor of the release of the new movie, Alice Through The Looking Glass, we're sharing one of our favorite Alice-inspired pieces.

A few years ago, I went down the rabbit hole of Etsy {no pun intended} looking for Alice art. In my search, I was reminded of one of my favorite lines of the Disney animated Alice In Wonderland film: "Do You Suppose She's A Wildflower?" I got the idea to put the quote on a picture I took of my baby {who clearly is a wildflower}, and print it on a canvas for her. I used basic clip art shapes to designate wildflowers, and used a fun Mad Hatter-style script to play up the theme.

Take in the wild and beautiful ride of Alice Through the Looking Glass

As you may know, I have a really big soft spot for Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Maybe it’s that I watched the animated version hundreds of times growing up or maybe it was that Lewis Carroll’s books were some of my absolute favorites, but I loved the curious {and couriouser} world of Alice. So, as soon as I heard that a sequel to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland {2010} was planned, I knew it would be one that we had to see.

But, then at Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, Suzanne Todd gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the making of James Bobin’s movie, Alice Through the Looking Glass. Hearing some of the backstory and all that went into bringing it to life made me even more excited to see the film. Knowing how much work went into each and every scene and how deliberate all the little details are made me so excited to see how it all came together on the big screen.

Taking a baby or toddler to Disney World? You are definitely going to want to read this first! Our ultimate guide to Disney World with baby and toddler includes 100+ tips to make the most of your Disney World trip with young kids.