Celebrating DUMBO and the 70th Anniversary!

 

In anticipation of Disney's September 20th release of DUMBO as a 2-Disc Blu-ray Hi-Def & DVD Combo Pack in celebration of the 70th Anniversary, here are some fun Dumbo-inspired puzzler sheets your kids will love!  Featuring fun "spot the difference" puzzles, intricate mazes and games, these puzzler sheets will surely entertain the whole family!  Love Disney!!!

Disneyland - Dates Set for New Experiences!

We haven't had much Disney news in awhile - so I am so excited to bring you the dates for three new experiences opening up this year!  And I hear this is just the start - 2011 will be a huge year for Disneyland! (and us quite frankly!) How exciting!!

Grand opening June 3: At Disney California Adventure park, get ready for an all-new voyage with one of Disney’s most beloved characters, Ariel. The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure will invite guests to take a journey under the sea to experience all the fun and adventures in Ariel’s world. From the great songs to state-of-the-art animatronics and special effects, guests will become a part of her world in a way that’s never happened before.  This is my all time favorite Disney movie - so I am so excited and very much looking forward to what's in store!

 May 27 Premiere: “Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” officially steps off for Memorial Day weekend, with an explosive musical score, thrilling rhythms and bold percussion that will have people dancing to many of their favorite Disney tunes. Look for whimsical float units, live musicians and some of your favorite characters. Mickey Mouse and his pals will be jamming like never before and creating an atmosphere that will be…soundsational!

Believe it or not, a few months ago was the first time we actually stood through one of the parades at California Adventure - and I could not believe what we had been missing out on!  The music and the vibrations were enough to get you moving and put a smile on your face no matter what age you were.  The kids loved the dancing - it got them up and moving their little hips and of course made for great photo opportunities!  I can tell you, we won't be missing a parade again!

Grand opening June 3:  (one of my favorite rides is back!!)  For those who dare to venture into the deep, dark corners of the universe, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue officially launches in Tomorrowland at Disneyland park, taking guests on interstellar adventures to Coruscant, Tatooine, and other destinations in the “Star Wars” galaxy. With the return of favorite Star Wars characters and the addition of more familiar faces and destinations, guests are going to experience Starspeeder travel in an all-new way…in 3D!

Looking forward to an exciting year at the California Disneyland Resort!! (as always :) 

Disney "Prep & Landing"

 The elite unit of elves from ABC’s Emmy Award winning holiday special “Prep & Landing,” extends their adventures online this holiday season with more fun and games than ever before.  ABC.com and Disney.com are the designated online command centers for all things Prep & Landing, offering streaming of the full-length special and new 7-minute short after they air on ABC; new Prep & Landing online creativity tools and activities on Disney.com’s Create; exclusive videos, online games and more.  Disney Family.com is also offering a variety of Prep & Landing printable crafts, recipes and holiday activities the whole family can make and enjoy together.

Prep & Landing features on ABC.com  include:

•     Seven “Prep and Landing” shorts currently available
• “Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa,” the new 7-minute short is now available on ABC.com
• The original Emmy Award winning “Prep & Landing”

Prep & Landing features on Disney.com include:

• The full-length  Emmy Award winning “Prep & Landing” holiday special
• Exclusive Disney.com original short video "Tiny's BIG Adventure”
• Kringle Academy online game, where players can train to someday become part of the Prep & Landing team
• Digital toys and downloadable artwork
• Prep & Landing Digital Painter on Disney.com’s Create, allows fans to create their own original Prep & Landing artwork with a unique set of holiday-themed pens, stamps and fills inspired by the holiday special
• Prep & Landing Photo Mashup on Disney.com’s Create, features a rich set of stamps, backgrounds and characters to create personalized Prep & Landing art and landscapes

Our family had an opportunity to preview the Prep & Landing Digital Painter last month with Disney and I wanted to share a few of their master pieces!  They had a ton of fun using their creativity!   I use to go out and buy Christmas cards every year, then realized it was such a waste of money when you can easily create your own.  Plus on top of that, I always believe that homemade always leaves much more of an impression!  

Also featured on Disney Family.com are Prep & Landing crafts, recipes and printables, including:

• How to Prep for Santa Prep & Landing booklet, with fun activities to get your house Santa-ready
• A printable village play set so kids can dream up their own adventures for Wayne and Lanny
• A homemade snow globe ornament featuring any picture inside
• An easy-to-make gingerbread cookie recipe that looks just like the Gingerbread Man Scanner (GBM) that Wayne and Lanny use
• Dozens of different holiday crafts and printable activities including a snazzy Christmas tree tie just like Wayne’s; printable 3-D versions of  the Prep & Landing elves, a printable Gingerbread man decoder that can be used to send secret messages, and even a elf-size door craft so kids without a fireplace can make sure Wayne and Lanny inspect their home

About Disney Prep & Landing

Disney “Prep & Landing” is the story of Wayne, an elf who believes that Christmas is just a job. After working for 227 years preparing homes for Santa's arrival, Wayne is upset when he doesn't receive an expected promotion. His patience is put to the test when he is paired with Lanny, an idealistic rookie who embraces the spirit of the holiday season. The Elves encounter unexpected challenges on their mission, and Wayne learns that his job has an incredible value that he never realized.

Disney “Prep and Landing” airs Thursday, Dec 9 at 8:30/7:30c on ABC

Hannah Montana - Forever

***Disclosure: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment provided our family with a review copy of this movie.  No monetary compensation was received.  

Hannah Montana is just everywhere these days!! The girls love her, the boys love her and parents can sing along to her songs.    My daughter was Hannah Montana for Halloween so we've had quite a bit of her in our home lately.    Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment just released Hannah Montana Forever: Who is Hannah Montana?  Perfect for a stocking stuffer this holiday season!
 

Synopsis:

World famous superstar Hannah Montana has been living a double life as Malibu teen Miley Stewart?! Say what, say what? In the much-anticipated, 1-hour episode from the all-new season, HANNAH MONTANA FOREVER, the whole world will watch as Hannah takes the wig off ... for good! This is the must-have series collection that includes all of Hannah's biggest moments when she takes off the wig and shares her true identity. Hannah has been rocking the world and living the celebrity life, but behind all the glitz and glamour, she's just a normal teenage girl named Miley Stewart. Things get complicated when she has to keep her true identity from friends, classmates, crushes, paparazzi and millions of fans! Join Miley on a journey of self-discovery in 8 hilarious episodes -- including the sensational series pilot! Watch as she confesses her double life to her BFFs Lilly and Oliver, then to Jake, and then to...? You'll have to watch to find out! Will Hannah finally take center stage as Miley Stewart? It's the big moment y'all have been waiting for -- and you can see it first, only on this DVD! Sweet nibblets!

DVD Bonus features include a sneak peak at Ashley Tisdale's upcoming movie Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure!  

Hannah Montana Forever is rated G and has a retail value of $19.99

Wordless Wednesday

Red Carpet Premier of The Beauty & The Beast Sing-A-Long

Disney Disney Disney!!

This is honestly my favorite time of year!! The thought of the holidays, warmth, family and giving back!  This weekend we're kicking off fall in a huge way!  Tonight we'll be heading to Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland.   This should be a ton of fun since they moved it to Disneyland from California Adventure - where it was last year.   This year as an added bonus, all ticket holders can enter Disneyland three hours before the party starts!! This is very exciting, especially for non-passport holders.  It seems like every year there are less and less people on the street going trick or treating door to door, it just feels like it just gets more and more unsafe every year.  I think this is a great way to celebrate the holiday in a fun and safe environment.   Tickets start at $49 and there are special annual passholder prices!!  For more information please visit Mickey's Halloween Party.

On Saturday we'll be heading out to the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood to see the premier of Beauty and the Beast Sing-a-Long.  Beauty and the Beast is really one of my favorite Disney movies!! I have to admit that every time I watch that movie you'll see my eyes water up!!  This special in-theater Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along Event will feature an audience sing-along to songs like "Be Our Guest", "Beauty and the Beast", "Belle", "Gaston", and all the film favorites!! Cannot wait!

For more information visit the El Capitan's website...

This enchanting event will also feature pop singer Jordin Sparks who will take audiences on a unique adventure with behind-the-scenes looks at the newly restored high definition animated classic and give a sneak peek at her new music video, “Beauty and the Beast.” Guests will also be treated to surprise guest introductions, deleted scenes from the cutting room floor and lost characters, as well as commentary from producer Don Hahn.
Tickets for Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along Event are available at participating box offices and online. Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along Event will appear in 504 select U.S. movie theaters, including AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark Holdings, Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Malco Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements, Rave Motion Pictures and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as Arlington Theatre (Santa Barbara, CA), The Carolina (Asheville, NC), Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA) and Visulite Cinemas (Staunton, VA). For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit the website (theaters and participants may be subject to change).

Sunday we'll be brewing up some magic with Disney on Ice and Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey!  We have made this a tradition every year to go and see Disney on Ice.    Everyone, no matter what age you are will love this show and be memorized! Disney always seems to bring that warm feeling when ever they're around.  

Show Synopsis
Disney on Ice presents Mickey & Minnies Magical Journey takes audiences on a fun-filled tour to four exciting destinations filled with favorite Disney friends.   With Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as tour guides, guests will visit the enchanting worlds of Disney's Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch and Peter Pan.

Disney on Ice presents Mickey & Minnies Magical Journey performs at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, October 1st - 3rd.  Tickets start at $16.00   Visit http://www.disneyonice.com/ for more information. 

***Use the Disney on Ice Mom Blog promotion code and receive 4 tickets for only $44 when using the code "MOM" when ordering over the phone or online!!***


**Disclosure: Our family has been provided comp tickets to all events for review purposes only. No compensation was received.  Thanks Disney!!

Dinnertime with Disney!!

Two of my favorite things - Cooking & Disney!! I love to cook and although my husband would probably agree that I'm not the best cook - I can sometimes squeeze out a good meal! Having four kids and a picky husband it can sometimes, well OK - most of the time it can get hard trying to decide what to make that the whole family will be happy with. The little ones love to get in the kitchen and while sometimes they just get in the way, I love to have them help!! We made fried chicken the other night and they had so much fun that they want to make fried chicken every night now!! LOL! I was so happy to hear that Disney FamilyFun Magazine has come out with Dinnertime! Here is what Disney has to tell us about their new addition -

Disney FamilyFun understands that the evening meal can be the best part of a families day - and the busiest. That's why we've created the special collector's issue, Dinnertime!, which is in newsstands now. Filled with over 98 easy recipes, these pages gather the best dinner ideas from our 19 years of publication. Every recipe is family-tested and approved. Dinnertime! makes family meals simple and stress-free with chapters offering specific solutions to common dinner dilemmas, including:

• Cheap eats: Savory $$ savers
• 30 minute meals
• Picky eater pleasers (Loved it!)
• Break out of your rut: rethinking old favs
• Dishes that teach kids cooking skills

And because family meals aren't just about the food, Dinnertime! also serves up a generous helping of fun: conversation starter games, dinner-hour crafts, fun at the table and more!

Dinnertime! is available for purchase on newsstands and at www.familyfun.com/dinnertime

Disney on Ice

Disney on Ice Presents: Worlds of Fantasy

Read about it and enter to win tickets here