30 Days of Disney: Day Twenty-Eight

Day 28: Favorite Disney Cartoon Show

I grew up in the late 80s early 90s so I got the best Disney had to offer for tv. Ducktales, Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers, Gummy Bears, Tale Spin, Darkwing Duck! The list goes on! It was a fantastic time to be a kid, that's for sure!

My favorite then and now and forever is Ducktales. Maybe it's because it's about Donald's extended family, I don't know, but I loved Ducktales and would never miss them on TV. I had them on tape (and I want them on DVD) and I loved the antics of Huey, Dewey, and Louie and Webbygirl! Launchpad McQuack added to the hysteria and who doesn't love that ol' softy Uncle Scrooge McDuck?

30 Days of Disney: Day Twenty-Seven

Day 27: Favorite Quote

Yeah, like I can pick just one! But I guess this is the best place to tribute one of Disney's greatest Live Action films of all time. The ground breaking Pirates of the Caribbean brought back not only Disney fans, but it also gave rebirth to an actor who hadn't seen a lot of positive feedback in his career - at least, not by the heavy critics - and now Johnny Depp is everywhere.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow was epic (now they're running it into the ground, but that's a rant for another day) and his line delivery spot on for a Pirate... and he had me in stitches from the moment he came into the movie until it ended.

My all time favorite of his, though, is:

"Me; I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you have to watch out for because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly stupid."

30 Days of Disney: Day Twenty-Six

Day 26: Saddest Death

I would share a video, but the only one on Youtube apparently has embedding disabled. I finally chose the death of Flynn Rider in Disney's newest classic, Tangled. I cried so hard at the end. I won't ruin the movie past that, but it was such a shock that Disney would allow it that I actually had to talk it out and remind myself that this was Disney and the hero never dies. Never, never, never! Haille wanted to know why I was crying because "the Prince never dies!" Guess the five year old is right. (okay so I totally spoiled the movie, so sue me, it comes out on DVD tomorrow.)

honorable mentions are Mufasa's death in The Lion King and Ray's death in The Princess and the Frog.

30 Days of Disney: Day Twenty-five

Day 25: Favorite Scene from your Favorite Movie

I'm pretty sure I've rambled on enough about Sleeping Beauty, so I'll just share the video and be done with it! ha ha!

30 Days of Disney: Day Twenty-Four

Day 24: Movie that makes you cry

Do Disney Park planning videos count, because those things make me cry like nobody's business!

Actually I think Disney-Pixar's UP takes the prize. Other than Toy Story 3, no film has been able to rip my heart out like that film does. I should've known bad things were coming when in the beginning of the film we meet the Fredricksons and then watch their life unfold until Ellie gets sick and passes away. And then towards the end he lets go of the house. What the heck? GAH! Why not just throw puppies in a river and drown 'em! SO SAD!

What is your favorite cartoon character?

Donald Duck!

Ask me anything

30 Days of Disney: Day Twenty-three

Day 23: Movie that makes you laugh

There are several Disney films I could name, but the first one that came to mind was The Emperor's New Groove. Disney's most sarcastic movie to date! Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good bit of sacarasm (especially if I'm the one getting to dish it out). The weakest part of his film is lack of creativity in the animation. It's simple, it's cartoonish, and there's no depth whatsoever. If it was supposed to be styled by some Incan or Mayan or whatever art, I think Disney missed the mark (I'm also not a fan of the Hercules animation even though we're supposed to believe that it's based in Greek art, which you can KINDA see, but again it's a cop out to make sure they don't need to have depth).

What the movie does have going for it is the vocals and, of course, the humor. David Spade and Eartha Kitt - I am so there!



Erin and I have so many inside jokes with this movie, and the "Yzma, put your hands in the air!" is screamed many times while at Disney on rides. Even the wimpy drops get that line from time to time. Because we're the Dorktwins - and proud of it.

30 Days of Disney: Day Twenty-Two

Day 22: Underappreciated Film

I guess I'd say Brother Bear. It's about Inupiat legend - I'm sure incredibly Disney-fied - and it does a great job bridging the many different groups. It has a bit of Alaska (what with the bear river, and of course Sitka, Denali and Kenai), you've got the Canadian moose (not really sure what that's about, eh?), and I'm sure those that are "across the pond" are also well represented.

The animation is pretty spot on, too, for a computer 2d adventure. I love the storyline too. It's so sweet. Yes there's a lot of Native Spiritualism, but even with that I recommend it to families (Christian families can use it as a teach/talking tool afterwards, IMO. To identify where the culture/spiritual beliefs differ from ours).

30 Days of Disney: Day Twenty-one

Day 21: An Overrated Film

Any Disney CGI film before Tangled. Their storylines are horrible, the animation doesn't hold up to dreamworks (Shrek), Pixar (nothing better), or half a dozen other studios who do full out CGI animated movies. I think the only ones they're comparable to are the VeggieTales series, but those at least have short and sweet stories. Not so much - for me - with Meet the Robinsons or Bolt. I want Disney Animation to focus on the medium that grew this company into the monster it is today. 2d animation. Hate to break it to you, but even Tangled would have been just as amazing had they gotten the best 2d animators out there to work on it. Princess and the Frog was lovely (though I like the techonologies of Walt's Day more than doing it all in the computer with scans and what have you).

There's something to be said of the old classics where you can see the "pencil lines" of each character, there's more depth in those films (story and animation) than there are in the newer all done in the computer ones. I don't think Tangled gained anything from being fully CGI. I think the characters would be more life like on 2d form.

But that's just me.

No easy decision.

With the disaster in Japan last week, figure skating has come to a standstill. Not only is one of the sports main supporting counties fighting to regain some sense of normalacy, but the World Figure Skating Championships were set to be held this week in Japan.

Then the earth shook and the waves came and all of that disappeared.

The International Skating Union's (ISU) President, Ottavio Cinquanta, spoke in a press release during the speed skating championships stating that the Figure Skating championships were being postponed out of respect for the Japanese people. When asked when he believed they would resume, he had no answer. Rumors are swirling on the ISU receiving bids from other nations ready to host, to saying dear ol' $peedy (Cinquanta) was pushing the championships until October.

Not many in the skating world can find compassion, empathy or even understanding when it comes to the ISU president, but the man is between a rock and a hard place. Some will critisize that he's even worried about something so trivial when thousands are without homes, without power, and thousands more are dead or missing. Others say that he's trying to come out with as much money as possible in this whole thing. Still others say he is not considering the athletes at all. Everyone, however, are upset that he's taking "so long" to make a decision and share it with the rest of us. But, think of it this way for a moment, he may actually be taking all of these points into consideration in making his decision.

October is the least favorite idea on how to handle the situation. How much recovery will Japan see in that time? Look at the Katrina efforts in the United States, they've built back up a bit, but so many are still in limbo and the government support has all but run out. There are new tragedies to worry about, and Americans are always better to help those across the oceans than across the street. Japanese may be more supportive of their own people, but we're not talking an overstuffed huricane with a broken levy. We're talking about a devastating earthquake followed by a large wall Tsunami. This is not something Brad Pitt and his team can go and convert into charity. This is not something we'll see get fixed in time for the next figure skating season. And we're not even talking about the Nuclear Radiation issue we're seeing now in Japan.

That leaves figure skating with two options: move Worlds to another locale in April or May... or cancel the entire thing. No easy choice for Cinquanta, even if he were better liked by the skating fandom at large. If he moves the event, he risks hurting the Japanese economy, as well as pride. They were so looking forward to the event, figure skating is at its height of popularity with the Japanese Public. Their champions are considered rock stars. Think figure skating in the 90s in the US and multiply it by about a thousand and you've got the interest level of Japan.

Cancel the event altogether and you risk killing the chances of dozens of skaters maximizing their potential. You will have fans in an uproar. The World Championships have only had one previous cancellation. That was in 1961 when the USFSA team was killed in a plane crash on their way to the event. This year marked the 40th anniversary and the USFSA just made their rounds with a new documentary film entitled Rise. The irony has not gone unnoticed by fans, but, again, it's on such a minimal scale compared to what the Japanese suffer at present.

Most of the skaters have voiced their concern for Japan, and the support of its People. They also have been very vocal about hating the current limbo they're all in with no definite plan for what lay ahead. Skaters have let their voice be heard in articles, on facebook, and twitter. There's no question that everyone is getting antsy before making any further plans.

So what is the president of the ISU to do? The decision is supposedly going to be decided on Monday. Fans have a petition going online to get the ISU to do anything but hold Worlds in October. Figure Skaters have also signed. No matter the outcome, some will be upset, others just thankful a decision was made. Still, our hearts and prayers stay with Japan.

(To sign the petition asking the ISU to forget the October option, please visit this page.)