Hello and welcome back. Today, I'll be counting down what I consider the Top 6 Best Disney Dances. They can be animated or live action. Also I want to thank everyone who left a suggestion in the ME Forum thread as that helped to shape this list and made me rethink some of my choices. Though I do apologize in advance that not all of the suggestions will appear on the list. Though I do have some honorable mentions that I'd liked to link you guys to, Once Upon A Dream, & I Think I'm Going To Like It Here.
6. So This is Love - Cinderella
Okay, admittedly this one came to me at the last moment but as soon as I thought of it, I knew I had to include it. It is a very calm and soothing dance. Prince Charming and Cinderella's movement are so fluid as it looks as though they are just walking on air. It is such a joy to watch and it just leaves you with a warm feeling inside.
5. Kingdom Dance - Tangled
Okay, I have to thank Jason On The House for suggesting this one. I don't know I could've overlooked this number. This number just feels celebratory and that is really good. It feels like a coming together of the town to celebrate life and that is just a fun number and everything in this one is great as it builds up slowly over time from a small group to almost the entire town.
4. Are We Dancing - The Happiest Millionaire
Now this is the only one on the list that I have not seen but it does look like a good film. I think the the reason I like this number is because it is a nice quiet moment between two people who are in love. They are able to get away from the crowd and have time to themselves. In many ways, it reminds me of So This is Love in how the two couples get that intimate moment to themselves. Here they are free to be themselves and while the dancing may not be the best, it is still a pleasure to watch as you see these two lovers come closer together.
3. Beauty and The Beast - Beauty and The Beast
Originally, this was going to be my number one but thanks to one suggestion that was mentioned by more than one person, I had to move up two slots to # 3. Again with this dance, it is a very tender moment between the two characters. I think one thing that works really selling this dance is the scope and seeing how big the ballroom is. I feel that immerses the audience into this dance much more. Another thing I really like about this dance is that while Mrs. Potts may be singing, you get some great expression from Belle and Beast without any dialogue. I love the touch of Beast gulping showing that he's nervous about dancing but as the dance goes on, you can see how happy the two are together.
2. Seize The Day (Chorale) - Newsies
Man, I love the choreography in this number. Whereas most of the other dances on this list come from a place of happiness. That isn't the case here. I think that I'd say this one was born out of frustration. At the same time, I wouldn't call it a dance filled with anger. While I do get the feeling that they are fed up through this dance,I don't think it has the right type of passion to be an angry dance. It's hard to explain why I like this dance so much but it expresses the frustration that the Newsies are feeling in a unique way.
1. Step In Time - Mary Poppins
Yep, this is the one I saw mentioned that I realized I had to put at # 1. I think out of all the dances seen today, this one is the most fun and perhaps the most nonsensical. But that works and it is also the longest and while that does show, it is still a fun watch because of the choreography. Watching this dance, I get a sense of aw and wonderment. Just wondering how the pulled off certain things. Also I really love the transition from the rooftops to the Banks house and how the dancing doesn't stop and they get the family in on the dance. Though I'd have to say my favorite moment of this dance is seeing the chimney sweeps dancing on top of the chimneys and then jump in them and jump out again. It just looks so flawless the way, they do that. The dancing is the true star of this number. It is amazing how it stands out and for that reason, I had to give it the # 1 spot.
There you have it, my Top 6 Disney Dances. Again, I'd like to thank everyone that suggested a dance sequence. I apologize if you one suggested didn't make it on the list. Peace!
I've made it no secret that I love reality shows and one of my favorites is Dancing with The Stars. And during it's run it has featured Disney music, which isn't to surprising seeing as ABC is owned by Disney but that is besides the point. Now this Music Fridays will work a tad differently in that while I'll share my opinion on the songs, I'm focused more on the dance numbers. So I guess you could call this one Dance Fridays. With that out of the way, let's begin.
Friend Like Me (Quickstep) performed by Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas
First up dancing the Quickstep to Friend Like Me is season nine champ, Shawn Johnson and her partner Mark Ballas. To me this dance this so much fun. I love the energy here and you can really feel Mark and Shawn light up. This was a great song choice and I really think the dance fit the song and vice versa. Of course, there are subtle little touches with their costumes to make people think of Genie such as them wearing blue but even without that, this is pure fun and reminds me why she won. Because you can how much she is having. Now I may not know all the technical rules of dancing and that's why the judges are there but from a viewer's perspective, this is a great dance.
You've Got a Friend In Me (Foxtrot) performed by Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Putting aside my disdain for Maks' teaching methods, this is another dance I really like. It just leaves me with a feeling of "d'aww" . And that is a lot for Maks as he is perhaps my least favorite professional dancer on the show. This dance from the costumes to the props and oddly even the expressions on their faces feels very Toy Story esque and that is an awesome. It doesn't hurt that this dance is just for a lack of a better word, cute. It's strange to describe a dance as cute but really that what this. Going back to the facial expressions for a moment, there was point during the dance where I swear Maks made his face look rather plastic like. Okay, I do feel a little bad spending so much time talking about Maks and not touching upon Hope as she was the contestant and while she did a good job, I kinda think Maks overshadowed her in this dance. That's probably the only downfall here. Still, an entertaining performance to be sure.
Now that we've looked at the contestants, let's take a look at the performances from The Results Shows. Firs up, The Lion King
Circle of Life
It's funny even after seeing this play, watching it be performed on television still sends chills up spine because of how good it is. This is only a sampling of how good this play is. Everything about this number is just gorgeous and the way they use the space given to them, oh! This is a clip I can watch again and again because of how much I enjoy this performance.
Step In Time
Again, here is another wonderful performance. I think the word that comes to mind when watching this is majestic. Just everything from beginning to end has aurora to it. Now I'd say that I prefer The Lion King performance but this is one plenty strong as well. It is a lot of fun to watch.
Well, I hope that you've enjoyed this unique Music Fridays before I close out though I want to share with you two of my all time favorite dances from the show. Now I won't be giving my thoughts on these two as I feel they speak for themselves. First up from the season 2 finale, Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke dancing their freestyle to Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy. I often consider this the dance that won the competition for them. Sure, they had a lot of votes going in to that night but I think with this number, they secured that gaudy mirror ball trophy.
Okay, I'll give you one word that can sum up this dance for me, damn!
Next up, Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson dancing the Tango to the Star Wars Theme. Lightsaber included.
I hope that you enjoyed these two bonus dances. Join me next time as I go back to looking at songs in a special super sized Music Fridays packed with 12 Songs from...
Hello and welcome back to Classic Shorts Showcase. Today on Classic Shorts Showcase, I'll be taking a look at The Martins and The Coys. This short is loosely based on the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud.
The Plot
As stated up top, this short is loosely based on the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud. The feud starts when one of the elder Martins, I believe steals some eggs and that leads to gun fighting and all different family members dying. The fighting looks a little something like this.
Eventually, they have killed off every Martin and Coy save for two, Henry and Grace who happen to fall in love with each other. Their families watch from above hoping that they'll continue the feud and knock each other off but that isn't the case or is it. For the entire time, they're together, they are madly in love but once they get married as seen at the end of the short, they fighting starts anew. The plot for this short is at best a love story set in a watered down version of this infamous feud. And I think it works. It's funny and it obvious that Disney was poking fun at the Hatfield- McCoy feud and sometimes it doesn't hurt to laugh at our history. I know this may contradict what I said last week regarding The Brave Engineer but I think this is a different situation.
Characters
Now before I get to Grace and Henry, I feel that I should talk about the Martins and The Coys.
The Martins & The Coys
It was clear from the get go, that these were not meant to true to the real life families but rather parodies or caricatures if you will and in that regard it worked. These characters made a good portion of what happened early on in the short and they were fun to watch and it was clear that they weren't going down easy. They fought and they fought and eventually there were only two left and the others were ghosts as we saw them travel up the skies.
A nice touch regarding this is that when they got the what I assume was Heaven, they were clouds that were not right across from each other but also right above their houses on earth.
Grace & Henry
As stated Grace and Henry each came from the opposing families and they fall madly in love and while they were dating, they were as happy as could be and at points, it was sickening but it made for a nice contrast to the feud and they were so happy and for a while it seemed as though the feud had ended but alas that was not the case as you see, once they were married, they fought and they fought hard and from the looks of it, Grace seemed to be winning. A nice touch here is their new house below the hills of the houses of The Martins and The Coys.
My Final Thoughts
This is a fun short and yes it does poke fun at one of history's most famous feuds but I enjoy that and I think the people behind this short also had a fun time getting to poke fun at this feud. It is just so much fun to watch and one that I highly suggest. There won't be a Showcase next week as next week will be House of Mouse Week but never fret, there'll be a short review.
Hello and welcome back. Today, I'll be taking a look at the TV sequel, The Parent Trap II. This film came out in the '80s and so far, my track record with '80s Disney TV material has been varied but I think that this is one of the better things from that era I've watched. Now fun fact here, majority of the names of the main cast are references to past films that Hayley Mills starred in as a child and I have to say that when I first saw Hayley in this film, I couldn't help but to think of Miss Bliss.
The Plot
Now let's just get this out of the blue. While this film does share similarities to the original, it is not a retread of the original. There are enough differences between the two to enjoy them on different levels. With that out of the way, let's get to the meat. It's summertime in Tampa and Sharon's daughter Nikki is going to summer school to improve her grades as they are moving to New York. Sharon is divorced in this film and this actually reminds me of something said in the first film. There as summer school, Nikki meets Mary and the two become fast friends and we find out that her father is widowed. The girls concoct a plan to get their parents together. At first all of their attempts are met with failure. That is until, they call upon Susan and have her pretend to Sharon until that cat comes out of the bag. Now for the most part, this was an enjoyable film and a bit cheesy and it's odd, this film compared to the '61 original feels more dated with the references to MTV and that one of the girls say that Ralph Macchio as being hot. Even with all of these, I still find this film cute and enjoyable in a cheesy kind of way and I'm not using cheesy to say this film is bad because I feel that a film can be fun and cheesy while still being good. This is an example of that.
Characters
Now I won't be breaking this down into my usual categories because all of the main characters are important and they are the only ones that need to be brought up. With that out of the way, let's begin.
Nikki & Mary played by Carrie Kei Heim & Bridgette Anderson
Now I'll admit that the two leads in this weren't anywhere as good as Hayley in the original but to be fair that apples and oranges. On their own in this film, they were a lot of fun and the way their friendship was believable. Now I will say at points it was bit hard to tell the two apart because they had a lot in common. As I said they trick their parents to go out and I have to say that is so weird to see Sharon's daughter do to her what she did to her parents. I will say there is at least one notable trait that separates the two and I don't mean this to be a hit on the character but Nikki came across being more whiny and bratty than Mary. Now on the one hand, I get it. Moving to a new city is scary but there is no need to exaggerate everything but then again, kids do that.
Sharon played by Hayley Mills
Now I admit that it may seem odd to break up Sharon and Susan but unlike the first film, they serve different roles in the film Hayley as Sharon goes back to what I said about Hayley Mills' character looking like Miss Bliss. Sharon in this film was frumpy. Yeah, that's it. She seemed to be in a down mood because of her divorce and had next to zero interest in dating but with the girls' final trick, their parents got together.
Bill played by Tom Skerritt
Bill was Mary's dad and he was a likable enough guy but there is one problem that I had not with the character but rather his arc. In that when the girls had Susan pretend to be Sharon, it seemed as though he was actually falling for Susan while Sharon was oblivious to everything going on. See, I don't blame the character and I don't if falls under the cliche of The Misunderstanding. A cliche that I'm not too particularly fond of but I think it just teeters there and if it this is the case, the cliche is used well
Aunt Susan also played by Hayley Mills
Now I do apologize about this picture. I realize it isn't the best but it works well here. It's odd out of all the twins, Susan reminded the most of her younger self mainly due to the fact that she pretended to be her sister because her niece asked her to do it. Man, that is an awesome aunt. Someone that is willing to go along with the plan of two little girls to get their parents together. Then again she did the same thing at 13. We also find out that is marred to a Navy man, I believe. I'm not positive what uniform he was wearing. If you go back up above to what I said about Bill, this is also my problem because it was clear Susan didn't have any feelings for Bill, it seemed as though he was falling for a married man albeit unknowingly.
My Final Thoughts
This film is one that I realize is not as good as the original but at the same time, I can't deny the fact that I had more fun with this film and would probably watch this one again before I watched the original. I like the classic but there was just something about the sequel that resonated with me more and even though, it felt more dated. That didn't bug me. I know some people may not understand this opinion but it goes back to what I said yesterday about liking the remake more. Both of these are good films in their own right but I can't explain it, I liked this one more. I do apologize if this seems like a 180. Peace!
Hello and welcome back. Over the next two days, I'll be taking a look at the The Parent Trap, the original starring Haley Mills and the TV sequel. So join me as I take a look at the original classic and for those wondering, I have seen the remake and I do like it. Matter of fact, I saw the remake first and I wanted to review that as well but let's save that for another time.
TV Spot
Yeah, had to go with a TV spot this time around bu wow, is it vague. It barely mentions anything about the film other than the fact that Susan and Sharon don't want their father to marry Vicki, who is well, a gold digger. Hey, that's now the movie presents her. This TV spot seems to leave out one key element here in that the girls didn't know each other before that were forced to spend time at camp together and that's how they found they were sisters. I don't know if that was a big deal in the film but the way this TV spot is played out, makes it seem as though it's for a different film altogether.
The Plot
I have to admit while I like the plot of the film, when it actually gets to the meat of the story, it feels as though the beginning of the film at the summer camp is from a different movie. It still fits within this film but it just seems less smooth a transition than one would hope for. Now the rest of the film is good and the old switcheroo does work nicely in getting the parents back together. Now I must say that I was taken aback at the fact that the twins were 13 in this version as I'm so used to the Lindsay Lohan version, where they're only 11.
Characters
Now I'll be breaking this down into Important, Supporting, & Villain. Although I should mention that I couldn't find pictures for all the characters but nonetheless that will not stop this review.
Important Characters
Susan & Sharon both played by Hayley Mills
Now I must say that Hayley Mills did a fine job in dual role and while there was a difference between them, one was more outdoorsy and the other was preppy. Also I do think that the build up to the realization that they are sisters and the switch worked well. They were fun to watch and you really felt for them when they got to meet their parents that they had never known. In a way, it was a bit tragic but I was so happy when they got to see them but I have to bring up one thing that bugged me was the ending in how abrupt it was. Because big surprise, the parents do get back together or so you think because the final shot goes to the girls in their bedroom and one of them, I really can't recall sorry says that she has a dream about the parents getting married and the final shot is of the wedding. Now the way this transition was done, made me think that the wedding was still part of the dream and that it was left open to view if the audience to decide if the wedding was real. That is what I thought but apparently, the wedding was real.
Mitch played by Brain Keith
Mitch is the girls' father. He is a ranch hand in the original and you can see care about his daughters. Although, I have to wonder what he saw in Vicky because I honestly do believe that he had legitimate feelings for Vicky but I don't believe that the feelings were mutual. Though of course, I was happy that he got back together with his wife in the end. I should also note that this was Brian Keith's first role in a comedic film and from some of the reading, I've done there is a rumor circulating that John Wayne was almost cast as the father in this film.
Maggie played by Maureen O' Hara
Maggie was most certainly the motherly type and jut as with Mitch cared for her daughters. Now I wouldn't say they were standout characters but I did want to see them get back together and was so happy when they did. I have to say that the film was a little vague in why they broke up in the first place but that wasn't the main focus of the story. Rather, it was about getting them back together.
Supporting Characters
Miss Inch played by Ruth McDevitt
Miss Inch was not in the film for long but she does play an important role in that she brings the twins together by forcing them to spend the rest of time and being forced into the isolation tent and this brings them together. Now I can't be sure but I do think this was a scout possibly girl scout camp. I only make this observation because of the uniforms.
Grandma Louise played by Cathleen Nesbitt
Now the way, Sharon's grandmother was talked about made me think that she lived with only her grandmother. Even though I knew that wasn't the case before going into the film. Even though, we didn't spend much time with her, you could tell that she was the matriarch of the house and ran it with an iron fist and you did not say no to her. At first, I found this annoying but after watching the film, I thought about this and realized that this the time that film takes place in.
Grandpa Charles played by Charles Ruggles
Grandpa Charles was one of the most likable characters in the film and to see the way, Louise belittled him and thought his opinions didn't matter made me sympathize with him and when he finally stood up to her after Susan revealed who she really was and wanted to let Susan and Maggie have time alone and that he finally put his foot down and realized how important that time is for the two of them. A bit off-track but typing that out made me think of this song.
Verbena played by Una Merkel
Verbena was the house maid at the ranch that Mitch and Susan live at. She was a very fun character who was a bit nosy and even though that she said it wasn't her place, you knew that she knew would stick her nose in where it didn't belong and it was oh so clear that she disliked Vicky to the nth degree. She was one of the most enjoyable characters.
Hecky played by Crahan Denton
I have to say that I find Hecky to be the most forgettable out of all the characters. He's not a bad character but he is overshadowed by the rest of the cast. He is perhaps the most reluctant to help Susan and Sharon get their parents back together. Although he was willing to dress up as a gypsy as seen here to help set the mood for Mitch and Maggie's dinner date. He really didn't have much of a choice as Verbena threatened not to make his dinner for the next month if he didn't go along with the plan.
Edna played by Linda Watkins
Edna was Vicky's mom and she seemed to be oblivious to the pranks that the girls were pulling on her daughter. Okay, there is something that I need to bring up. Most of the pranks that the girls play on Vicky are a bit harmless save for the last one, where they trash her tent. Now this is a callback to the first prank pulled at the summer camp when Susan thrashes Sharon's tent. It's a nice touch but as much as we as the audience we are supposed to despise Vicky, I think the girls overstepped a fine line here. But at the same time, I don't think Vicky was any better in how she reacted. I'll get to that some more, when I talk about her character.
Music
The Parent Trap
I have to say that I'm highly impressed by these opening titles. I'm not certain but I think this was stop motion, I know the video says Cinemascope but the title feels as though it's telling it's own story with a beginning, a middle and an end. That is great and the song fits in well and it is a really fun song. Disney legend Annette Funicello and Tommy Sands are the ones singing. They were brought on to sing as they were at the studio lot filming Babes In Toyland at the time.
For Now, For Always
This is a very beautiful song. I enjoy it very much and it is so peaceful and quiet while at the same time grabbing your attention. Again, it works very well at describing the movie and the relationship of Mitch and Maggie.
Let's Get Together.
Here we go. If anything, this film should be remembered for this song. It is a classic and while the sound isn't perfect, it's not bad. It is a fun listen and I've always liked this song. Though why is it that songs like this from the non-musical live action Disney films aren't as remembered as say the music from Mary Poppins? Because they are just as fun. Honestly, I knew about this song and this scene long before I had seen the movie. Now there is one thing I should mention as much as I like the remake, the cover for the '98 version just isn't that good.
Villain
Vicky played by Joanna Barnes
Vicky is a character that I'm really torn upon because on the one hand, I get that the girls don't want their dad to marry. But at the same time, I feel that the audience wasn't given much reason to hate her at the beginning even though most of the characters hate her. Though of the film progresses, you see her nasty nature unfold but it's not without reason as Sharon tricks her into thinking that Mitch is a ladies man. That's not the case but still, in reality, the whole debacle was started by Sharon as she took an immediate dislike to Vicky. I get that but I don't think there was enough backing there. Now yes, Vicky did escalate the situation but the girls couldn't leave well enough alone and had to get her at any chance they could, it felt. Now I already talked about the final prank that the girls pull on her. It's a bit over the top but I really want to bring up the aftermath. When Vicky realized the next morning, what the twins had done she slaps one of them. Now this is where I'm a bit divided because on the one hand, Vicky was not a yet their step mother and shouldn't have laid a hand on the girls but at the same time, she was frustrated and had it and I can see where see was coming from and even though she wasn't their mother yet, the girls should've been punished for their actions. Now there is one other qualm I have with this character. I feel that she isn't out of the movie rather poorly. Because after the camping trip, she leaves and that is the last we see of her with very minimal mention of her afterwards. Fun Fact: Joanna Barnes appears as the mother of the villain, Meredith in the remake also named Vicky. Now I'm not certain if she is reprising her character or not. I think it's more than likely that it was just a subtle reference to the original for the adults who took their kids to see the remake.
My Final Thoughts
This was a very enjoyable film. The more I think about it was part family film and part romantic comedy. Both of these elements worked well and while I do like this version, I have to say that I think I prefer the remake if only for the fact that I grew up watching that one but this one on it's own is very enjoyable. All of the characters are likable and I have very few qualms with this film. At this point, if I looked for anything, I'd be nitpicking and there is no need for that as this film is just a fun time. Join me next time as I take a look at The Parent Trap II.
As most of you know, I started the Goofy Collab to celebrate his birthday and every no and then, you will see some other Goofy articles pop up from me from time to time. Such as today, taking a look at Goofy songs.
Goofy's Theme
Where better to start than the classic theme to the Goofy shorts. Now I think that this is an extended version and I will say that while nice I don't find it as memorable as say The Donald Duck song. Now it's not bad and it's highly enjoyable but I don't think it as good as the others but it does fit the character well and it's always nice to listen to stuff like this.
You Can Always Be Number One (Goofy Sports Anthem)
Now I know that I've looked at this song before but I like it and it's a fun little number and it always makes me laugh that Goofy did the sports cartoons but that's Goofy for you and I think the best word to describe this song would be encouraging. It gives me a feeling, just because your not good, doesn't mean you shouldn't try.
Goof Troop
Hit It, man this song takes me back and you know I would put this song up there as a great father/son song. Now I know that may seem weird as it's just a theme song but the way I see it, it shows that Max and Goofy have a strong relationship and that it is just plain awesomeness. Yeah!
On The Open Road
Now to close this out, I knew that I wanted a song from A Goofy Movie but one that hasn't been on Music Fridays (at least I don't think it has). Fun song and it sets up the relationship of Goofy and Max in this film well and it shows that Goofy while well-meaning is oblivious to Max's needs as a teen and man this song is just so much fun to listen to and it is one of the best things about this film but what isn't there to love about this film, I think I can best be described as being nostalgia that still holds up.
Well, I hope you have enjoyed my look at these Goofy songs. Join me next time as we visit Dancing with The Stars as I take a look at two dances done to Disney songs and two Disney performances from the Results show.
Hello and welcome back to Classic Shorts Showcase, today I'm taking a look a look at The Brave Engineer. Which is based on the true life of engineer, Casey Jones. Though there were some liberties taken with the story. Casey's goal to keep his train on time and avoid all obstacles. Does he make it, you'll find out.
The Plot
Well, I gave you the plot up top and it is a fun little story watching Casey trying to overcome the different obstacles such as train robbers, a damsel in distress and a flood. Everything in this short seems so over the top that it is hard to think that this was a real person but Casey did exist but again as I said there were some liberties taken and the biggest one being after the wreck in real life, Casey didn't survive and ultimately lost his life. Part of me is a little disappointed that they didn't go with this route because Disney hasn't shied away from this before and instead made it a comic short. Is it bad? No but it's a bit a disappointing that they felt the need to make this change.
Narration
Narrators - Jerry Colonna & The King's Men
The narration was a unique case in this short as it seemed to have two narrators being Jerry Colonna and The King's Men. Jerry Colonna seemed to provide the basic narration and give voices to all of the characters while The King's Men would sing about what was happening. It was unique idea but I don't think it panned out all the way and again I'm not a fan of sing-song narration.
Character
Casey Jones
Casey was a fun character and it was neat watching overcome these obstacles just so that the train would arrive on time to it's detestation. Noting was going to deter him from getting to where he needed to go. At times, Casey came off of as oblivious to his surroundings and it was a little annoying. Going back to Disney changing the outcome of what happened, that is the biggest drawback to me because I would've liked to see them tackle this story in a more serious manner a la shorts like John Henry because I'm not saying this short was disrespectful but I feel by changing what happened it lessens the heroics. I don't know if that makes sense but let's go back to John Henry, John Henry died at the end of his short standing up for what he believed was right. What I'm saying here is I think having Casey die protecting the train would've showed how dedicated he is to his job. Maybe I don't know, really that's the only complaint I have about this short. And I've been holding off on making this joke but I gotta do it.
Corny, sure but hey, it's my review.
My Final Thoughts
This is a good short but I do wish Disney had considered being more truthful to the actual events because I feel that it could've made for a stronger short. Instead they decided to tell lighthearted version of this tale. It's not a bad decision and I wouldn't say it's a slap in the face to the real Casey Jones but it just doesn't sit well with me. I'll admit that these shorts should be entertaining first and foremost and on that front, it is. I enjoyed watching it and I think the best way to enjoy it is by separating what happened in the short from the real life events. Ah, well. Join me next week when I take a look at...
Man, this land looks so cool. Sorry, I should clarify. If you've been following DCA, you know that they have a new land. Cars Land based on Disney and Pixar's Cars. I've been waiting for Cars Land for the longest time and just to see Radiator Springs come to life is amazing. It literally looks as though you can walk into the world of Cars. I'll be doing side by side comparisons of the real locations and the film locations. I mean just take a look at Flo's V8 Cafe.
To me it looks as though they just took it out of the film and plopped it in California. Now they kept the restaurant theme with it serving American cuisine and to me that's a nice touch. This is what I want with Cars Land, the feeling that your actually in Radiator Springs. Now the next eatery, I'm talking about kind of confuses me that they decided to make it an eatery but I see why they chose to include it.
Now while I do appreciate the inclusion of Cozy Cone, it seems odd to turn it into a food stand. Now I know a motel wouldn't have worked but I don't know it just seems like an odd change. I'm happy it's there but I just can't help but shake the feeling that this shouldn't be a food stand. I don't know what else you could make it. I don't think a gift shop would've worked. Maybe a meet and greet with Sally but they probably do that already. So a food stand, it is. Now if you want something a little more organic, there is Fillmore's Taste-In.
Now this I can buy because it fits the theme of what it was in the film and fits the character of Fillmore perfectly. Now this one gives me a feeling of a Farmer's Market and again, it works so well. Now of course there are gift shops based on the shops from Radiator Springs such as Ramone's House of Body of Art, Sarge's Surplus Hut, & the Curios shop
Now there is also a statue of Stanley here as well. Which I really like.
Now of course, the big draw for a new Land are the rides. And as of right now, there are only three rides but it's still a young land. The first one is Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
Now from what I've seen this ride is basically a variation of teacups but in your baby tractors. Yes, just go with it while Mater serenades the guests. Now while that's cool, I like that in the queue line, there are references to the Cars Toon such as a sign from Mater The Greater. Now the other rides are Luigi's Flying Tires and I'll get to the other one in a bit.
One little detail that I love is that the tires are white wall and if you know Luigi, he uses white wall. Now this ride share similarities with an older Disneyland ride, the Flying Saucers.
The entrance for the ride is of course the Casa Della Tires.
Now the biggest draw in terms of rides is Radiator Springs Racers, which can be summed up as a Cars version of Test Track.
I won't spoil this ride too much but I will say that I do like how you go through different scenes from the first film and Doc Hudson is there to guide you along.
At the end of the day, I'm excited for Cars Land and I hope it does well and I know it'll be a while before I get to see it person but from everything that I've seen so far from the conception to realization, I've been ecstatic about this land. I've made it no secret that I love Cars and to have something like this is just pure awesome. I just hope that they don't try to put anything from the sequel in here because I don't think it's needed nor would it work. Peace!
