Here's Your First Look at the Genie

Disney

Disney released a special sneak peek of Aladdin during the Grammys. It's here that we get our first look at Will Smith's blue Genie.

Here's the official synopsis from Disney:

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.” The film stars Will Smith as the Genie; Mena Massoud as Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar; Navid Negahban as the Sultan; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia; Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders; and Numan Acar as Hakim.

Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24.

Disney's Live-action Aladdin Is Headed To Digital And Blu-ray

Disney

Disney's live-action Aladdin is a retelling of a classic animated film. It was surprisingly good and I'm really looking forward to seeing it again. Aladdin is coming to Digital on August 27. It will arrive on Blu-ray soon after, on September 10.

Both versions will have a ton of bonus features:

• Aladdin’s Video Journal: A New Fantastic Point of View – Watch behind-the-scenes moments captured by Mena Massoud (Aladdin) in this fun, fast-paced look at his personal journey.
• Deleted Song: “Desert Moon” – Experience a moving duet performed by Jasmine and Aladdin, fully shot and edited, with an introduction by Alan Menken.
• Guy Ritchie: Cinematic Genie – Discover why director Guy Ritchie was the perfect filmmaker to tackle this exhilarating reimagining of a beloved classic.
• A Friend Like Genie – Discover how Will Smith brings talent, experience and his own personal magic to the iconic role of Genie.
• Deleted Scenes: Falling Petals Into OJ, Jafar’s Magic Orrery, Anders’ Gift, Wrong Wishes, Silly Old Fool, Post Yam Jam Debrief
• Bloopers
• Music Videos: “Speechless”, “A Whole New World”, “Un Mundo Ideal”

There's also a Digital exclusive bonus:

• “Speechless”: Creating a Song for Jasmine – Follow the story of Jasmine’s inspirational song “Speechless,” written by Alan Menken, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul especially for this version of “Aladdin.”

Descendants Genie in a Bottle

Disney

While you're waiting for Descendants 2 to air on Disney Channel this summer, how about a video of Mal singing "Genie in a Bottle."

The First Full Aladdin Trailer Is Here!

Disney

Disney has released the first full length trailer for the live-action Aladdin. It's finally starting to look like the incredible adventure it should be.

Here's the official synopsis from Disney:

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.” The film stars Will Smith as the Genie; Mena Massoud as Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar; Navid Negahban as the Sultan; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia and Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders.

Disney

And there's a new poster as well. Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24.

Aladdin Looks Amazing in This "Connection" TV Spot

Disney

The latest TV spot for the live-action remake of Aladdin is gorgeous. The lavish sets and costumes are incredible and we get to hear Aladdin and Jasmine sing part of "A Whole New World" together.

Here's the official synopsis from Disney:

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.” The film stars Will Smith as the Genie; Mena Massoud as Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar; Navid Negahban as the Sultan; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia and Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders. 

Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24.

This Aladdin Teaser Trailer is a Diamond in the Rough

Disney

The first teaser trailer for Aladdin is here, and much like for Beauty and the Beast, it gives just a tiny glimpse of the main character and what's to come. Aladdin arrives in theaters on on May 24, 2019.

Here's the official synopsis from Disney:

“Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, the film is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.” 

“Aladdin” stars Will Smith as the larger-than-life Genie; Mena Massoud as the charming scoundrel Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine, the beautiful, self-determined princess; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, the powerful sorcerer; Navid Negahban as the Sultan concerned with his daughter’s future; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia, Princess Jasmine’s free-spirited best friend and confidante; Billy Magnussen as the handsome and arrogant suitor Prince Anders; and Numan Acar as Hakim, Jafar’s right-hand man and captain of the palace guards. The film is produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich with Marc Platt and Kevin De La Noy serving as executive producers. Alan Menken provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and lyricists Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and two new songs written by Menken and songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.The film, which was shot on practical stages in London and on location amidst the stunning desert vistas of Jordan, has a talented creative team helping to bring Agrabah to life, including: director of photography Alan Stewart, production designer Gemma Jackson and costume designer Michael Wilkinson.

Aladdin Looks Amazing in This TV Spot

Disney

The latest Aladdin TV spot gives us a look at the splendor of Agrabah. It looks quite incredible.
"It's time that I told you the story of Aladdin, the princess, and the lamp."

Here's the official synopsis from Disney:

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.” The film stars Will Smith as the Genie; Mena Massoud as Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar; Navid Negahban as the Sultan; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia and Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders.

Two New Aladdin Clips And Another Poster

Disney

Disney has released two new exclusive clips from Aladdin, and another poster, too. The first clip is Genie's hilarious interpretation of Aladdin's vague request to "make me a prince."

In the second clip, Aladdin offers to show Jasmine "A Whole New World" by taking her to places she's only read about.

Finally, there's a fun new poster from RealD. This poster shows Aladdin and Jasmine running through the market with Genie and Abu looking at the audience and Iago trying to catch the lamp.

Disney/RealD

Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24.

Tsum Tsum Vinyl Minis Series 3

Series 3 of the Tsum Tsum Vinyl Minis arrived in stores recently. It includes an additional 12 characters from Disney movies past and present:

• Pluto with his doghouse 
• White Rabbit with a pocket watch 
• Baymax in armor with a rocket booster
• Patch with a basket
• Donald with a lifesaver 
• Dopey with a mine cart and jewel 
• Alice with a "Drink Me" bottle
• Bambi with butterflies 
• Jasmine with Magic Carpet
• Woody with sheriff's badge 
• Genie with lamp and magic smoke
• Tinker Bell with lantern

So far, I've collected four of this new set. I had to have Baymax to go with Hiro. Bean voted for Alice and Genie. The little buggers are so addicting, I'm sure we'll collect them all!

Additional characters in Series 3 include: Pinocchio, Cleon, Miss Bunny, Cruella de Vil, Iago, Wendy, Hamm, Jessie, Bullseye, Ugly Duckling, Kristoff, Fred, and Sadness.

Tomorrow, I'll share Series 1 in the Marvel collection.

The Genie Spells It Out For Aladdin In This TV Spot

Disney

In the latest TV spot for Aladdin, Will Smith's Genie goes over the rules of granting wishes. There's also a little glimpse of "A Friend Like Me", which has been changed a bit from the original.

Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24.

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 3 Hollywood Studios

There are many opportunities to collect autographs at Disney's Hollywood Studios. For some characters, this is the only park where you can meet them for photos and autographs. The lines in this park are generally shorter than at the Magic Kingdom. At Hollywood Studios, I would recommend seeing Prince Caspian, the Incredibles, Playhouse Disney characters if you have little kids who enjoy the shows, Lightning McQueen & Mater, Mike & Sully, and the characters from UP. I haven't been to the Star Wars weekends yet, but I've heard that there are a lot of great characters to meet at these special events, as well as some of the actors who performed the roles in the movies. Most of the characters at Hollywood Studios are in special, themed areas specific to the character and are available throughout the day. Then there are rotating characters at the Magic of Animation building. These characters vary and may change multiple times throughout the day. As a result, you never know who you're going to get, but that can be fun if you have the time.

Characters that can be seen on normal days:
Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Sorceror Mickey, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto
Chip & Dale
Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Green Army Man*
Prince Caspian*
Power Rangers Green*, Yellow*, Pink*, and more*
Elastigirl*, Mr. Incredible*, Frozone*
Genie
Playhouse Disney: Handy Manny*, Jojo & Goliath*, Annie*, Quincy*, Leo* & June*
Indiana Jones* & Marion* (after the stunt show)
Lightning McQueen* & Mater* (they can't sign autographs because they don't have hands!)
Mike Wazowski* & Sully* (they can't sign autographs because Roz won't allow extra paperwork!)
Russell*, Mr. Fredrickson (Carl)*, and Dug* from UP

Characters that are sometimes available:
Belle
Mulan
Mary Poppins & Bert, Penguin
Villains: Captain Hook & Mr. Smee, Cruella DeVille, Frollo, Governor Radcliffe, Jafar, Prince John, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Queen of Hearts, the Snow Queen, Evil Queen
Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee, the White Rabbit
Rafiki
Snow White & Dopey
Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore
Pinocchio, Gepetto
Lilo & Stitch
Max
Pocahontas & Meeko
Suzy & Perla (the Mice from Cinderella)
Marie

Characters that are only found during Star Wars Weekends:
Chewbacca*, Ewoks*, R2-D2*, Jawas*
Darth Vader*, Boba Fett*, Stormtroopers*, Darth Maul*, Clone Troopers*
Jedi Mickey*, Stormtrooper Donald*, Vader Goofy*, Leia Minnie*

* = only available at this park
Tomorrow, on to Animal Kingdom.

Tsum Tsum Villains

The next batch of Tsum Tsums won't arrive in stores until September 6, but I am very excited about this new set: Disney Villains! There are eight Tsums in the collection:

• Lady Tremaine from Cinderella
• Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians
• Ursula from the Little Mermaid
• Jafar the Genie from Aladdin 2
• The Evil Queen from Snow White
• Dr. Facilier 
• Maleficent 
• Maleficent the Dragon

I especially like Maleficent and the Dragon. Maleficent is my favorite villain because she's just so deliciously evil. Which villain will you add to your collection? 

New Pressed Pennies In Disney World

Pennies

I've loved collecting pressed pennies since I was a little kid. They're the perfect souvenir: small and portable, inexpensive, and easy to store or display once you get back home. I have pennies from places I've visited all over the country, but the vast majority have come from Disney Parks. 

As part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration at Disney World, 53 new designs have popped up throughout the parks. While I prefer the old hand-crank machines where I can use my own carefully saved pre-1982 copper pennies, many of the new automated machines contain new, uncirculated pennies. Either way, they're still a fun collectible. 

Designs include 50 single character designs, one Mickey and Minnie celebration design, and two resort coins. Here's a list of the characters you can find:

• Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Chip, and Dale
• Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio, Cheshire Cat, Lady, Tramp, Dumbo, Timothy Mouse, Mad Hatter, Tinker Bell
• Simba, Timon, Pumba
• Pua, Hei-Hei, Miguel, Dante, Bruni, Olaf, Joe Gardner
• Sebastian, Flounder, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Genie, Abu, Stitch
• Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Bambi, Thumper, Gus-Gus, Jacques
• Woody, Bo Peep, Nemo, Dory, Frozone, Edna Mode
• Figment, Orange Bird, 
• BB-8, R2-D2

If you'd like to collect these new designs on your next visit to the parks, Disney has actually made finding the machines easier. Just open the My Disney Experience app and search for "Coin Press Machines". Select "Find On Map" to see machine locations throught the Walt Disney World Resort. 

New Aladdin TV Spots and Poster

Disney

Disney's live-action Aladdin arrives in theaters in just a few short weeks. So, Disney has released two new TV spots and a stunning new IMAX poster. First up, Aladdin needs to be "Confident" to win the hand of the princess and make the life he wishes for.

Then, he needs to understand that wishes don't change who he is on the "Inside" and who he is is more important than what he is.

Finally, there's this amazing poster.

Disney

It shows that all of the characters are connected by the Genie's lamp. Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24.

Olaf Presents - Coming Soon To DisneyPlus

All images: Disney

Everyone's favorite snowman is back with a new series coming this November to DisneyPlus. Olaf will be entertaining the citizens of Arendelle with his delightfully zany take on five beloved Disney movies. 

Doesn't it look hilarious? Here's the official synopsis from Disney:

Olaf steps into the spotlight and goes from snowman to showman as he takes on the roles of producer, actor, costumer and set builder for his unique “retelling” of five favorite Disney animated tales in “Olaf Presents,” a series of new animated shorts from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The charismatic and versatile Olaf demonstrates his theatrical flair, taking on such iconic roles as a mermaid, a genie, a lion king (and most of the parts in between), as he entertains Arendelle with his delightful abbreviated versions of these beloved tales.

Olaf Presents arrives on DisneyPlus on November 12.

New Disney Princess Legos

Have you seen the latest Disney Princess Legos? Bean and I absolutely love Legos of any sort, but she's especially fond of the Princess ones. The latest sets feature Jasmine, Aurora, Ariel and one of her sisters, along with Anna, Elsa,and Olaf.

Jasmine's Exotic Palace includes Princess Jasmine and Rajah, a magic carpet, a small section of the Sultan's Palace, a market stall, and fountain. Oh, and I can't leave out the most adorable little Genie's lamp.

Sleeping Beauty's Royal Bedroom includes Princess Auroras and a bunny, her bed, dressing table, a window, and of course, a spinning wheel complete with spindle. Her bed opens up to hide secret treasures, such as one of the fairies' wands.

Ariel's Undersea Palace is a large set, which includes Princess Ariel and her sister Princess Alana, Sebastian, Flounder, and a dolphin, and King Triton's Palace complete with bedroom, dining room, music room, and a slide. There's also a chest filled with Ariel's human treasures, such as a treasure map and spyglass.

Elsa's Sparkling Ice Castle is the last new set. It includes Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and Olaf, a three story castle dripping with ice, a sleigh and ice hill to slide down, and Olaf's summer picnic. The ice hill opens to hide Olaf's sandwich and cookies, and the castle stairs close up to keep out unwanted visitors.

I love all these new Legos, but my favorite has to be Elsa's Sparkling Ice Castle: Kristoff's sleigh and Olaf's picnic just crack me up. These new sets range in price from $12.99 for the Aurora set, to $54.99 for the Ariel one, but they are well worth the price for the hours of creative fun they bring. Which Disney Princess Lego set is your favorite?

Photo Credit: Lego

Disneyland trip - California Adventure

As I'm sure you've guessed if you've been following my instagram, I just got back from a short trip to Disneyland.  We've spent the last month and a half fixing up my Mom's house in Arizona, so we decided to go to Disneyland as a reward for all our hard work.  We only stayed for two days, so we visited one park each day.

First, we went to California Adventure. I had never been to Cars Land before,  and I absolutely loved it! It looked just like the movie, which looks just like my hometown. It was especially gorgeous at night with all the neon lit up. Our favorite ride was definitely the Radiator Springs Racers. The cars were fast and the views were awesome. And besides, our car won! We also enjoyed the other Cars Land rides. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree was hilarious! Those little tractors really do whip around. And Luigi's Flying Tires were crazy fun to try to "drive". We had breakfast at Flo's V8 Cafe.  I especially liked the Cars waffles from the kids meal. And the restaurant is so cool. The left side has several of Flo's records from her days as a Motown singer. The right side is Doc Hudson's office and has car replacement parts as well as his trophies from the Piston Cup. They were huge! In the afternoon,  Bean had the mac and cheese meal in a Lightning McQueen car. It wasn't a ton of mac and cheese, but it was more than enough for her. I tried a Chili Con Queso Cone from the Cozy Cone, and it was pretty good. While we were eating, we saw DJ's Dance 'n' Drive. I especially liked the carhop costumes. They were so 50s. My Mom and Bean had chocolate ice cream cones from the Cozy Cone in the evening, and they were huge!

We also got a surprise chance to ride the Grizzly River Run. It wasn't supposed to open back up until Friday, but they got the refurb finished early,  so it opened just as we were walking by. Wow, is that a wet ride! I would say it's at least as wet as Kali River Rapids in Disney World! After we Were soaked,  we wandered down the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail so that Bean could earn her Senior Wilderness Scout Badge. She loved the rock wall and the towers with the netting to climb. She managed to finish just in time for the Wilderness Explorer Ceremony, where we got to meet Russell.

On our way to Paradise Pier, we stopped to watch the Phineas and Ferb Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party Parade. It was really cute, with lots of songs from the TV show. And the dancers were dressed as Fireside Girls; too cute! Bean convinced me to ride California Screamin' for the first time. She loved it, but I'm still not sure I like roller coasters with loops. The other Paradise Pier rides were fun. I really liked the Silly Symphony Swings, which reminded me of the ones I used to ride at Lake Fair as a child. None of us enjoyed Goofy's Sky School, it was way too jerky and rough. The Jumpin' Jellyfish were fun without being fancy. We all liked the Golden Zephyr and King Triton's Carousel. We also rode the Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure, which is so cute.

Toward the end of the night, we headed toward the front of the park. My Mom rode Soarin' for the first time and loved it. She can't wait to ride it again this fall when we go to Disney World. Then we watched the last Aladdin - A Musical, of the day. It was hilarious! The jokes the genie told were somewhat inappropriate at times,  but they were over most kids heads and actually really funny.  It was one of the best shows I've ever seen at a Disney park. We stopped by the Mad Tea Party for a minute. I loved the costumes and the music,  but it was much too loud. Then we rode Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue.

After taking one last peek at Cars Land before we left (I just had to see all the neon lit up), we headed toward Buena Vista Street, where I got the cutest Olaf marshmallow for Bean. (We discovered later that it was dipped in caramel before the white chocolate. Yum!) While I would have liked to see World of Color, the crowds were just too big. Next up, our day at Disneyland.

Time for Another Aladdin TV Spot, or Two

Disney

New Aladdin TV spots and sneak peeks are appearing nearly every day now. Here are two more, one about the Genie and one about Princess Jasmine.

"On May 24, meet your new best friend."

This second spot features a new character, Dalia, as Jasmine's best friend. And it looks like the new version of Princess Jasmine will be an even stronger character than in the cartoon. Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24.

Aladdin As Told By Emoji

Disney

These "As Told By Emoji" short are really cute. I love the way the Aladdin short pays tribute to Genie's "Friend Like Me" and Jafar's "phenomenal cosmic power... itty bitty living space!"

A Whole New Aladdin TV Spot and Poster Plus A Music Video

Disney

The latest TV spot for Aladdin is about what it takes to become a prince. Perhaps, just a "good Genie, great wingman." It's pretty funny.

And Dolby has released their exclusive poster for the film. It shows Aladdin the street rat with Abu and the lamp.

Disney/Dolby

To top it all off, here's the first music video from Aladdin. It features ZAYN and Zhavia Ward's version of "A Whole New World" that will play during the end credits.

Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24.