Disney Classics, Part 2

There are a lot of great Disney classics to choose from. Here are my reviews of two more favorites: Parent Trap and Summer Magic. Again, the following includes spoilers of these classic films.

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Parent Trap is a hilarious story about a set of twins who were separated in infancy and meet up unexpectedly at summer camp. At first, Sharon and Susan don't realize they are related, and pick on each other with outlandish hijinks. Once they are forced to spend time in together in isolation, they realize that they have a lot in common, including sharing the same parents.

The girls decide to switch places; Sharon goes to California to meet her father and Susan goes to Boston to meet her mother. But when Sharon discovers that her father, Mitch, is planning to remarry an awful woman named Vicky, she decides to call Susan and their mother, Maggie (the fantastic Maureen O'Hara) to put a stop to it. They surprise Mitch, causing him a lot of confusion and trouble. The girls try to get Maggie and Mitch back together by recreating their first date. This is also where they sing "Let's Get Together", a great classic Disney song.

When the dinner fails, the girls refuse to tell which is which until after the annual family campout with their father. After a day spent tormenting Vicky, they convince their father that the woman he really loves is their mother.

The original Parent Trap starring Hayley Mills is my favorite, but the remake with Lindsay Lohan is actually pretty cute. Bean has watched both versions several times and requests them often.

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Summer Magic is probably my favorite of the Disney classics. I've seen it at least 100 times and I still love it. It's full of wonderful songs and a beautiful story about family and community. Based on the book Mother Carey's Chickens, Summer Magic is the story of the Carey family, the mother Margaret and her three children: Nancy, Gilley, and Peter.

The Carey's have found themselves in dire financial straights after the death of Mr. Carey and are forced to leave their Boston home. Nancy has decided that they should move to a home that they saw once on a vacation; the yellow house in Beulah. The Carey's have a bit of difficulty adjusting to country life, but are aided by the "yellow house's" kindly caretaker, Osh Poppum (the wonderful Burl Ives).

As life begins to settle down, an orphaned cousin, Julia, arrives to create a stir. Through it all, the family learns that being together as a family is what's most important, and that with a lot of love and a little luck, they can make the best of any situation.

There are many memorable songs throughout the film, including: "Flitterin'", "Beautiful Beulah", "Summer Magic", "On the Front Porch", and my two favorites: "Pink of Perfection" and "The Ugly Bug Ball". We haven't had a chance to watch this movie recently (we misplaced our copy in our last move and still haven't found it) but I highly recommend it. It's a great family film and a lot of fun to watch.

Tomorrow, the last of my favorite classic Disney films: Pollyanna and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Disney Classics, Part 3

Part 3 of my favorite Disney classics includes two more wonderful films: Pollyanna and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. As before, the following contains spoilers of these classic films.

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Pollyanna is probably the saddest of these classic Disney films, but it's still a great story full of music and laughter. Based on a classic book written by Eleanor Porter, Pollyanna is the tale of a young orphan who moves to the town of Harrington to live with her wealthy aunt Polly. The daughter of poor missionaries, Pollyanna is a happy child who always sees the best in people and life, thanks to the "Glad Game" her father taught her. She makes a lot of new friends in the community, including a recluse Mr. Pendergast, the hypochondriac Mrs Snow, an orphan boy named Jimmy, and Reverend Ford, the town's minister. With her happy demeanor and bright outlook, Pollyanna changes the lives of everyone in town, except her unhappy Aunt Polly who actually controls the town.

When the town decides to hold a carnival to raise money for a new orphanage, Aunt Polly refuses to allow Pollyanna to participate. Unsurprisingly, Pollyanna sneaks out and has a marvelous time at the carnival. However, when she gets back home, she tries to sneak in by climbing the tree outside her room. Unfortunately, she falls and breaks her back, forcing her to keep to her bed and causing her to become depressed. Her aunt realizes that she truly loves the girl, and the whole town comes to see Pollyanna off to Baltimore for a surgery they hope will allow her to walk again.

While the film ends before we learn if Pollyanna walked again, it is still a wonderful movie about the power of hope. My grandmother introduced Bean to this film when she was 4, just like she introduced me and we both loved it.

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Bedknobs and Broomsticks is based on two books by an English children's author, Mary Norton. It is the story of a single Englishwoman, Eglantine Price, who decides that she can best help the war effort by becoming a witch. Her lessons are interrupted by the arrival of the three Rawlins children, Charlie, Carrie, and Paul, who have been sent to the country during the London Blitz. The children and Miss Price don't get along and wish to part ways as soon as possible.

However, when the children discover that Miss Price is a witch, they agree to keep her secret so long as she gives them something of value. She offers them a traveling spell that will make the old brass bed upstairs travel anyplace they wish to go in mere moments. Due to the sudden closing of the College of Witchcraft in London, Miss Price and the children seek out the college's Headmaster, one Emelius Brown, who it turns out is a charlatan. He never expected anyone to actually be able to perform magic, so when he runs out of pages in the book he was using for lessons, he simply closed the school.

Miss Price, the children, and Professor Brown head off on a wonderful adventure seeking the rest of the book. Their journey's take them to a mystical island and the bottom of the sea. They finally return home and Eglantine uses the spell to animate several items in the house, to the delight of the children. When a German raiding party takes over Eglantine's house, she uses the Substitutiary Locomotion spell to defeat them with an army of reanimated armor from the museum.

In the end, Eglantine and the children realize that they are better off together, and Professor Brown plans to join them when he returns from the war. This has long been one of my favorite movies. I love Angela Lansbury as Miss Eglantine Price and the songs are wonderful and memorable. Bean adores this movie too as it has a lot of fun moments.

I hope you've enjoyed this walk down memory lane as I've shared some of my favorite Disney classics. Be sure to watch these great old films as a family and enjoy the messages they bring. You'll be glad you did.

Disney Classics, Part 1

I grew up watching what I would call classic Disney films. Swiss Family Robinson, In Search of the Castaways, Summer Magic, Parent Trap, Pollyanna, Bedknobs and Broomsticks; there are many to choose from. These films were all about family, and adventure and making the best of what life gives you while never giving up. Recently, I've introduced Bean to several of my favorites. The following includes spoilers of these classic films.

We started with Swiss Family Robinson. This film is based on a book by a Swiss pastor named Johann David Wyss, who wrote the book to teach his four sons about family values and how to use the natural world around us. It is the story of the Robinson family, Father and Mother, and their three sons, Ernst, Fritz, and Francis.

While moving from Switzerland to New Guinea, the family becomes shipwrecked on a deserted, tropical island. At first, the entire family just hopes to be rescued, but soon realize that they need to start planning for an extended stay on the island. Father, Ernst and Fritz build an amazing tree-house with parts from the shipwreck, including the captain's pipe organ. A replica of the tree-house is still open in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, and is a lot of fun to walk through.

The family begins to enjoy the island, but wishes to know if they are truly alone. Fritz and Ernst decide to explore the island and discover a band of pirates and their captives, including a girl masquerading as a cabin boy, Bertie. The film ends with a bang, literally, as the family band together to fight off the pirates and protect their home. I have always enjoyed Swiss Family Robinson and am glad that Bean thought it was "one of the best movies ever."

Our next classic was In Search of the Castaways. This film is based on a book by Jules Verne. It's the story of two children, Robert and Mary Grant, who are searching for their shipwrecked father, Captain Grant. They are helped on their journey by a Frenchman, Professor Paganel, played by Maurice Chevalier, who has found a message in a bottle in the stomach of a shark, that seems to have been written by Captain Grant. They bring the message to Captain Grant's boss, Lord Glenarvon and his son John, who reluctantly agree to help them find him based on the information in the message. What ensues is an amazing adventure around the world.

They start in South America, where they experience an earthquake and avalanche, a flood that strands them in a tree, and the heartbreak of not finding Captain Grant. Next, they head to Australia, where they find someone else who says he knows where to find Captain Grant. They end up stranded in New Zealand, captured by Maoris, and must flee the lava field of a volcano before finally being reunited with their missing father. Between the adventure and the songs, I've always loved this movie, and Bean did, too.

These are only two of the great Disney classics, and there are many more classics to explore. Be sure to check out part 2 tomorrow.

Disney Junior

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Disney has created a new channel perfect for little ones. Aimed at the pre-school and elementary school set, Disney Junior is where the magic never ends, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Featuring shows such as Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Chuggington, Disney Junior is also the home of new shows like Doc McStuffins and Playhouse Disney classics like Rolie Polie Olie. Personally, I'm hoping they'll bring back other Playhouse Disney favorites, like PB&J Otter. I loved them and Rolie Polie Olie, although I didn't see them until I was in my 20s. Disney Junior is currently available in select markets, but should be expanding soon. To see if Disney Junior is available in your area, please visit the Disney Junior Channel website.

It's Nearly Time For Hallowstream On DisneyPlus

All images: Disney

Disney has put together an amazing lineup of shows for Halloween this year. Movies like Hocus Pocus and Haunted Mansion, Disney Channel originals like the Halloweentown series, T'Witches, and Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire, Halloween episodes of favorite series like WandaVision and the Muppet Show, and a few Disney classics like "Lonesome Ghosts" and "Trick or Treat". And there are a few new specials, too, like Star Wars: Terrifying Tales, Muppets Haunted Mansion and a totally unexpected remake of Under Wraps.

I can't wait for October!

EPCOT's Norway Pavilion Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

I love the World Showcase at EPCOT. It is one of my favorite places at Disney World to take a leisurely stroll... while attempting to eat my way around the world. I can honestly say, I've never made it all the way around the world in one day. There's just too much fabulous food! (And it's even worse during the Food and Wine Festival!) One of my favorite snacks at Disney World is the School Bread from the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe from EPCOT's Norway Pavilion. In honor of the pavilion's 25th Anniversary today, I would like to share a recipe for School Bread. I have researched several recipes for School Bread, both Norwegian classics and one's straight from Disney, and think this recipe combines the best of both. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but hope to soon!

School Bread
1 cup water
2 envelopes Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup sugar
5 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cardamom
4 cups flour
1 large egg, beaten

Heat water and butter to 100 degrees Farenheit. Add yeast, sugar, cardamom, flour, and egg. Mix approximately five minutes or until it becomes a stiff dough. Form into a ball and put into an oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rest 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Roll into a log shape and cut into orange sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and allow to proof for 30 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow to cool. While the bread is cooling, make the custard filling.

Custard
1 2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
4 egg yolks
1 Tbsp corn starch

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy saucepan, then set aside. In a bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, and vanilla until doubled in volume. Slowly add the hot milk to temper the eggs, mixing well. Pour the mixture into a double boiler. Dissolve the corn starch in a small amount of water and slowly add to the mixture, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to thicken, but do not boil. Remove from heat and place in an ice bath to cool.

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk or water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut

Mix together powdered sugar and either water or milk and vanilla to form a thin icing.

Now, you can bring it all together. Dip the top of the bread into the icing and sprinkle each one with the shredded coconut. Fill a pastry bag with the custard. Using a fairly large star tip, poke a hole in the center top of each bread and fill with custard. Finish with a decorative swirl of custard on top.

In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room!

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I have always loved the Tiki Room, even if it is rather silly. I loved it as a child and I wanted Bean to enjoy it too. We used to play the songs for her when she was a toddler, and she loved them. (We always sang along, too. The songs are so catchy, you just can't help it!) When we took Bean to Disney World a few years ago, we decided to go to the Tiki Room again. Boy were we disappointed! I missed hearing my favorite songs and I didn't care for Iago and Zazu running the show. It was just plain weird. 

However, I have good news for lovers of the classic Tiki Room... Disney is bringing it back! Beginning August 15, the Tiki Room will be back under the old management. They will employ modern technology for the audio and animatronic controls, as well as a new, energy efficient lighting system, but the songs will be the old classics. I can't wait to see it again and share the real Tiki Room with Bean.

Christmas Movies for Kids, Part 1

I love Christmas movies! I'm afraid I'm rather addicted to them. I have so many favorites anymore, that I start watching them just after Halloween. Some are traditional movies that my family has watched for years. In fact, it's a family tradition to watch Miracle on 34th Street every year during the long Thanksgiving weekend. (And it has to be the old version with Edmund Gwenn and Maureen O'Hara, although we enjoy both the black and white and colorized versions.) In honor of this long standing tradition, I thought I would share some of our favorite holiday films with you. Today, we'll start with great holiday films for kids of any age.

Eloise at Christmastime - The first Christmas that this was on tv, we kept missing the beginning. By the time we finally were able to watch the entire movie, we'd seen parts of it 4-5 times. After seeing it so many times, my grandfather said, "Not that little girl again!" It's one of my favorite memories of him. Eloise is a precocious 6 year old who lives at the Plaza hotel. She's a bit of a trouble maker and match maker who somehow always manages to evade punishment for her adventures. We LOVE Eloise and Julie Andrews as Nanny, too!


Eloise: Little Miss Christmas - Eloise and her friends at the Plaza decide to put on a Christmas Spectacular, but with a review of the hotel coming the day before Christmas, Mr. Salamone may cancel the show. What will Eloise do? A fun, short, animated film, this story of the spunky 6 year old will quickly become a favorite with your kids as well. This movie feature the voice talents of Lynn Redgrave as Nanny and Tim Curry as Mr. Salamone.


Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas - Every fan of the Muppets should own a copy of this movie. Featuring the fantastic talents of the original band of Muppeteers, this story is one that shouldn't be missed. Emmett and his Ma both want to give each other the best Christmas present ever, but with money in short supply, they each decide to enter the town talent contest. Will the risk pay off, or will they both lose it all? Watch this wonderful story to find out.

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas - Featuring three Christmas stories full of love, magic and surprises, this film is sure to delight. In a story reminiscent of O. Henry's Gift of the Magi, Mickey and Minnie remember the year they gave up what they thought was most dear to give gifts to each other. Goofy and Max recall the year Max stopped believing in Santa and the adventure that eventually made him see why belief is important, although a visit from the real Santa always helps. Huey, Dewey, and Louie remember the year they wished for Christmas every day and what it took them to learn what the holiday is really about.

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas - Featuring four new stories of love and magic. Minnie and Daisy are both a part of the ice skating show. Can they put aside their competition and put on their ice spectacular? Uncle Scrooge warns Huey, Dewey, and Louie that their behavior will keep them off Santa's good list, so they travel to the North Pole to fix the problem. While there, they discover that Christmas is about sharing and caring. Max is bringing home a girl for Christmas, but can he count on Goofy not to embarrass him? Donald just wants to sit at home with his cocoa, but Daisy and his nephews have other ideas. Can Donald find his Christmas spirit before its too late? Finally, Mickey has created what he thinks is the perfect Christmas party, but when Pluto wrecks it and then runs away, he realizes that parties are nothing without your friends.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - This classic animated tale tells the story of the grumpy old Grinch who lives on Mount Crumpet and his hatred of the Whos who live in Whoville below. As the story goes "Every WHO down in WHOVILLE liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of WHOVILLE did not!" Narrated by the incredible Boris Karloff with a song sung by Thurl Ravenscroft (who also voiced Tony the Tiger as well as one of the singing busts in Disney's Haunted Mansion attractions.")


Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas - George and the Man with the Yellow Hat are preparing to celebrate Christmas. From Christmas trees with chairs in them to tomato snowman, everything is uniquely perfect for the happy pair. There's just one problem, the Man is having trouble understanding George's wishlist and George doesn't know what to get for the man who has everything. It all works out in typical George fashion and even has a few new songs, like "Are you ready?" and "Christmas Monkey".

Original Television Christmas Classics - There are several different versions of this set available. My favorites from them include: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, narrated by the wonderful Burl Ives, Frosty the Snowman narrated by Jimmy Durante, Santa Claus is Coming to Town featuring Fred Astaire & Mickey Rooney, The Cricket on the Hearth, and the Little Drummer Boy. All are wonderful old classics that are fun to watch at Christmas.
Although not generally included, another old classic is Frosty's Winter Wonderland narrated by Andy Griffith. Frosty makes a Missus and hilarity ensues.

The Happy Elf - This wacky story, narrated by Harry Connick, Jr., is the story of Eubie, one of Santa's elves, who is always deliriously happy, much to the annoyance of those around him. When Eubie learns that there is an entire town of children on Santa's naughty list, he sets out to help them find the spirit of Christmas and get back on the nice list. In the process, he helps himself and his friends to achieve their dream of being part of Santa's sleigh team.

Christmas Movies for Kids Part 1

I love Christmas movies! I'm afraid I'm rather addicted to them. I have so many favorites anymore, that I start watching them just after Halloween. Some are traditional movies that my family has watched for years. In fact, it's a family tradition to watch Miracle on 34th Street every year during the long Thanksgiving weekend. (And it has to be the old version with Edmund Gwenn and Maureen O'Hara, although we enjoy both the black and white and colorized versions.) In honor of this long standing tradition, I thought I would share some of our favorite holiday films with you. Today, we'll start with great holiday films for kids of any age.

Eloise at Christmastime - The first Christmas that this was on tv, we kept missing the beginning. By the time we finally were able to watch the entire movie, we'd seen parts of it 4-5 times. After seeing it so many times, my grandfather said, "Not that little girl again!" It's one of my favorite memories of him. Eloise is a precocious 6 year old who lives at the Plaza hotel. She's a bit of a trouble maker and match maker who somehow always manages to evade punishment for her adventures. We LOVE Eloise and Julie Andrews as Nanny, too!


Eloise: Little Miss Christmas - Eloise and her friends at the Plaza decide to put on a Christmas Spectacular, but with a review of the hotel coming the day before Christmas, Mr. Salamone may cancel the show. What will Eloise do? A fun, short, animated film, this story of the spunky 6 year old will quickly become a favorite with your kids as well. This movie feature the voice talents of Lynn Redgrave as Nanny and Tim Curry as Mr. Salamone.


Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas - Every fan of the Muppets should own a copy of this movie. Featuring the fantastic talents of the original band of Muppeteers, this story is one that shouldn't be missed. Emmett and his Ma both want to give each other the best Christmas present ever, but with money in short supply, they each decide to enter the town talent contest. Will the risk pay off, or will they both lose it all? Watch this wonderful story to find out.

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas - Featuring three Christmas stories full of love, magic and surprises, this film is sure to delight. In a story reminiscent of O. Henry's Gift of the Magi, Mickey and Minnie remember the year they gave up what they thought was most dear to give gifts to each other. Goofy and Max recall the year Max stopped believing in Santa and the adventure that eventually made him see why belief is important, although a visit from the real Santa always helps. Huey, Dewey, and Louie remember the year they wished for Christmas every day and what it took them to learn what the holiday is really about.

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas - Featuring four new stories of love and magic. Minnie and Daisy are both a part of the ice skating show. Can they put aside their competition and put on their ice spectacular? Uncle Scrooge warns Huey, Dewey, and Louie that their behavior will keep them off Santa's good list, so they travel to the North Pole to fix the problem. While there, they discover that Christmas is about sharing and caring. Max is bringing home a girl for Christmas, but can he count on Goofy not to embarrass him? Donald just wants to sit at home with his cocoa, but Daisy and his nephews have other ideas. Can Donald find his Christmas spirit before its too late? Finally, Mickey has created what he thinks is the perfect Christmas party, but when Pluto wrecks it and then runs away, he realizes that parties are nothing without your friends.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - This classic animated tale tells the story of the grumpy old Grinch who lives on Mount Crumpet and his hatred of the Whos who live in Whoville below. As the story goes "Every WHO down in WHOVILLE liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of WHOVILLE did not!" Narrated by the incredible Boris Karloff with a song sung by Thurl Ravenscroft (who also voiced Tony the Tiger as well as one of the singing busts in Disney's Haunted Mansion attractions.")


Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas - George and the Man with the Yellow Hat are preparing to celebrate Christmas. From Christmas trees with chairs in them to tomato snowman, everything is uniquely perfect for the happy pair. There's just one problem, the Man is having trouble understanding George's wishlist and George doesn't know what to get for the man who has everything. It all works out in typical George fashion and even has a few new songs, like "Are you ready?" and "Christmas Monkey".

Original Television Christmas Classics - There are several different versions of this set available. My favorites from them include: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, narrated by the wonderful Burl Ives, Frosty the Snowman narrated by Jimmy Durante, Santa Claus is Coming to Town featuring Fred Astaire & Mickey Rooney, The Cricket on the Hearth, and the Little Drummer Boy. All are wonderful old classics that are fun to watch at Christmas.
Although not generally included, another old classic is Frosty's Winter Wonderland narrated by Andy Griffith. Frosty makes a Missus and hilarity ensues.

The Happy Elf - This wacky story, narrated by Harry Connick, Jr., is the story of Eubie, one of Santa's elves, who is always deliriously happy, much to the annoyance of those around him. When Eubie learns that there is an entire town of children on Santa's naughty list, he sets out to help them find the spirit of Christmas and get back on the nice list. In the process, he helps himself and his friends to achieve their dream of being part of Santa's sleigh team.

The Great Movie Ride

 

The Great Movie Ride is one ride I try never to miss at Hollywood Studios. The ride is located inside a reproduction of the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Hand-prints and signatures of some of Hollywood's most famous stars can be found in the courtyard. Costumes and props from films, both classic and modern, can be found in the queue. After passing through the lobby area, you wind back and forth through the queue to the boarding area.

Disney recently updated the Great Movie Ride in partnership with Turner Classic Movies. I had a chance to ride it 2 days after they'd added the new voice-over, and I must say, I love the changes. Beginning with the pre-show you can watch in the queue, Robert Osborne, the host of TCM, shares a bit of the history of the movies, with clips of several classic films. After boarding your touring tram, which has bench seats and no restraints, you begin your wonderful journey through the history of the movies. The new voice-over, again by Robert Osborne, takes you deeper into each genre you pass through. You begin with the early musicals, then move into classics like Singing in the Rain. From there, you move into mob movies. There are two different skits that the cast members perform that remain unchanged. The first begins in the mobster scene. The second starts in the next scene, which represents classic westerns. (If you haven't seen both of them, be sure to ask a cast member if you can be seated in a specific show. They usually don't mind requests unless there is a problem with a particular skit that day.) Next up, you move into a scene from Alien, which no longer seems hokey thanks to Osborne's voiceover about the Sci-Fi genre. 

 

From there you move through an Indiana Jones scene and into the classic horror genre, where the cast members' skit continues. 

Next, you journey through adventure movies and into a scene from Casablanca, complete with dialogue from the "Here's looking at you, kid" speech. After a brief glimpse of Mickey Mouse in Fantasia, you head into the final scene. This is a full room recreation of Munchkinland from the Wizard of Oz, complete with the Wicked Witch of the West. The ride ends with a montage tribute to the movies in general. It has been updated to include additional films, such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Frozen. It's fun to see how many of the films you can name. (I can name most of them, although I'm not sure what that says about the number of movies I've seen.) A new photo spot has also been added near the exit. Now you can act the star and have your photo taken while pressing your hands into the (dry) cement.

The Great Movie Ride is an 18 minute journey through the history of the movies. I highly recommend it. Not only is it a fun and interesting ride, but it's a great chance to get out of the heat. If you want to skip the lines, FastPass+ is available. There are no height restrictions, but the scenes from Alien and the classic horror movies may be frightening for young children. Guests may remain in a wheelchair on the ride.

Voices of Liberty

One of the most moving experiences at EPCOT can be found in the American Adventure Pavilion. The Voices of Liberty are an 8-part A Capella choir, specializing in songs from the 1700s and 1800s. The choir is made up of both men and women whose voices blend in beautiful harmony. They have been called "the United States vocal ambassadors to the world" and have performed for five American Presidents. They wear costumes representing the early days of the thirteen colonies through the time of the Civil War.

When they enter the rotunda for the first song, the choir director requests that everyone move closer to the center of the room. The acoustics are absolutely amazing! The director introduces each song as well as giving a brief history lesson about where the song came from and why it's important. Then they begin to sing and the music reaches a crescendo - honestly, it gives me chills.

The program of songs changes with the seasons. Most of the year, they sing American patriotic songs. At Christmas, they sing traditional Christmas Carols. One of my favorite songs performed by Voices of Liberty is the Battle Hymn of the Republic. It's enough to make you cry, it's so beautiful. Other favorite songs include the Americana favorites: This Land is Your Land, America the Beautiful, and Ol' Man River. You can also hear Disney favorites such as Golden Dream and When You Wish Upon a Star, as well as classics like Amazing Grace. There is a CD available from Amazon and other retailers featuring a selection of their songs. It is called "A Capella Americana" by the Liberty Voices.

The Voices of Liberty perform several times a day, for approximately 15 minutes, before each showing of the American Adventure. They are definitely worth adding to your "must see list" at EPCOT.