Disney Store Scare School

 We took Bean to a special class at the Disney Store on Saturday. She attended Monsters University Scare Approaches 101. The class was short, but wild. When we approached the class, we were both given an ID and a sheet of stickers so that we could pick our monster picture. We also started thinking about names for our monsters. I named my monster Oozma and Bean named hers Fast Pink Shadow.
 

Scary Feet Scary Feet Scary Feet

After everyone had their IDs, our teacher walked us through the various scare techniques. We learned to do "Scary Feet", how to really "ROAR!" like Sulley, and even how to do the "Waternoose Jump and Growl."

ROAR!

Bean was so into her roars, that she was even selected to be a helper to get the other kids excited and loud. After learning how to scare, we had to practice until we could fill a scare canister so full that it flew around the room, which meant my mom, sister and I had to participate as well.

Monsters University ID & Pennant

We did a great job and were rewarded with Monsters University pennants, although we each had to roar to get them. We had a great time and a great teacher, which really added to the fun.

New Images from Frozen

All images: Disney

Disney has now released several images from Frozen. The pictures look beautiful and I've always loved the story of the Snow Queen. Above, Anna meets the handsome Prince Hans.

Kristoff and his reindeer, Sven

Olaf the crazy snowman

Anna and her sister, Elsa, the Snow Queen who has cast a spell on the Kingdom of Arendelle

These images are gorgeous and really make me look forward to seeing the movie. Frozen arrives in theaters on November 27.

Destinations in Florida Travel Agency - The Official Disney Vacation Planner of Disney at Heart

Have you ever used a Disney Vacation Planner to plan your Disney vacation? I must admit, I haven't, but I'm seriously considering contacting one the next time I go. And when I do, I'll contact Siera at Destinations in Florida, the official vacation planner of Disney At Heart. Whether you plan to go to a Disney Park, Legoland, Universal Studios or Seaworld, Siera can help you plan the perfect vacation. So, whether you know exactly what you want, but would like someone else to handle booking your trip or you need help figuring out exactly what you should include, be sure to contact Siera and get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package... Guaranteed!

An authorized Disney Vacation Planner can help you do much more than just book your vacation. They can help you to decide whether to stay on-site or off, how many days would be best for your family, should you purchase the Dining Plan, and much more. In addition, they can help you to figure out a budget and make the reservations for you. They will also watch for new deals that may pop up and can adjust your reservation to save you money. In my opinion, that may be the best part. Going to Disney can be expensive and every penny saved is important.

And to top it all off, Siera can give you advice on how to make your vacation even better. Do you know which days are the best days to go to each park? How about which restaurant is best when traveling with a two year old and which is best for a romantic dinner? Siera can answer these questions and more. Also included in your Disney vacation are the following free items: a Mickey Mouse autographed pictures for your kids, Disney Guide Maps, and an Orlando Magicard.

Siera is a travel agent with Destinations in Florida, your PremEAR Disney World and Orlando Vacation Planners. She is an authorized Disney vacation planner and Disney world, Disney Cruise, Disneyland, Disney Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney Specialist. She is also a Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure Specialist. Siera has traveled to these destinations numerous times and would love you help you plan your next vacation.

Happy Stitch Day

Today is June 26th or 6/26. So it must be Stitch Day!

Here's Bean and her favorite alien at Christmas in Animal Kingdom.

Photo of the Week

Have you ever stopped to look at the displays in the queue for the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show at Hollywood Studios? Among the myriad items you would expect to find on a shipwreck or washed up on shore, there's a wonderful old-fashioned diving suit that I just love.

Quote of the Week

New Line Cinema

A day may come when the courage of men fails… but it is not THIS day.
– Aragorn, LOTR: Return of the King

These Monsters University Cookies Are Adorable

I love all of the Monsters University tie ins that have appeared in stores in recent weeks. There are toys, games, and lots of food items. From Kellogg's cereals to Pirate Booty to lots of bakery items, there are many Monster foods available. I especially love the birthday cakes and cupcakes with rings that I found at Walmart the other day. But, we decided that the only ones we could actually eat (bakery frosting may look pretty, but I really don't like to eat it) were the sugar cookies.

We picked a box with a lot of green Mike cookies. The cookies are actually pretty good and they're very cute. There are five different characters: Mike, Sulley, Randall, Squishy, and Arch. Bean loved these cookies and was only disappointed that Mike was missing his braces. Have you tried any of these Monstrous treats?

This Frozen Teaser Trailer Is Hilarious!

Disney

Have you seen the trailer for the Disney film Frozen? I have absolutely no idea what it has to do with the story, but it's hilarious!

Frozen arrives in theaters this Thanksgiving.

Photo of the Week

I loved seeing Gus and Jacques on the sign for Cinderella's Golden Carrousel. Unfortunately, when the name changed to the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, they were removed.

Pixar "The Blue Umbrella" Clip

Pixar

I love the Pixar Shorts. They are usually really cute and always premiere before one of Pixar's movies. The latest Pixar Short is called "The Blue Umbrella." It will debut this Friday with Monsters University.

 This clip looks so adorable! I can't wait to see it.

Happy Father's Day!

Disney

Monsters University Books

I love Disney movie books and they have created a plethora of new books for Monsters University. I got a chance to see several of them recently at my local book store. I must admit, I did buy two, but I stopped at two although there were many great new titles. Here are a few that I think are worth checking out.

Go Sulley! A Hugs Book
This book is so cute! It was created for little ones ages 2 - 5 years. It has soft, furry arms sticking out of the book. Each page tells kids what to do with them, from helping Sulley carry Mike to competing in the Scare Games. I'm sure the preschool set would love this book.


Monsters University Little Golden Book
I can never resist a Little Golden Book. They are so sweet and remind me of my own childhood, so I have quite a few. And I love the way they use simple images when illustrating a Pixar story. This book is no exception. The story of how Mike and Sulley met is told in the perfect manner for kids ages 2 - 5 years.

 

Monster University Fearbook
I love this book! It looks like a real yearbook, complete with notes from friends, class photos, sports, faculty, most likely to..., and more. This is Mike Wazowski's yearbook and all of the notes are personalized as if written by the actual characters in the movie. This would be a fun book to leave out on the coffee table. It would be sure to start a conversation!

 Monsters, Inc Storybook Collection
This book includes 17 different stories about our favorite monsters. The first story is a retelling of the new Monsters University movie. Some of the stories take place in the time between the two films. There is also a retelling of the Monsters, Inc movie. Recommended for children age 3 and up, this would be a great collection for reading as good night stories.


Monsters University Big Golden Book
This is a complete retelling of the new Monsters University film. So, now that I've read it, I know the whole story. I can't say that this ruins the movie for me (I read the Toy Story 3 Golden Book before it came to theaters, too) but if you want to be surprised at the theater, don't read this book first. That being said, this book is full of great pictures and does a wonderful job of telling the ups and downs of Mike and Sulley's friendship.

There are many other Monsters University books out there, but these were my favorites. Be sure to check them out. And if you want a great deal, try Sam's Club. I got the Monster University Fearbook for $8.26 which was $4.73 off the cover price. A pretty good deal if you ask me.

Quote of the Week

Disney

Well, that's just maddeningly unhelpful.

- Captain Jack Sparrow, 

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End

Photo of the Week

Big Thunder Mountain

Happy Birthday, Maurice Sendak!

Google

When I was a kid, I loved reading Where the Wild Things Are. It was one of my favorite books. I loved Max and how he imagined a new life for himself, just because he was angry, and I loved that in the end, he went home to his supper and all was well. I didn't read In the Night Kitchen until later, and although many find it controversial due to a bit of nudity, I really enjoyed the story.

Sendak truly loved classical music and developed several productions of operas and ballets for stage and screen. He often designed sets and costumes as well as occasionally writing librettos. One of my favorite productions was Sendak's version of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. He worked in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Ballet and created wonderful sets and fanciful costumes. It is my favorite production of The Nutcracker, mostly for the beautiful designs by Maurice Sendak.

Today would have been Maurice Sendak's 85th birthday. In honor of his birthday, Google has created a wonderful doodle of some of his most popular works. Maurice Sendak passed away last year at the age of 83.

“But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go - we’ll eat you up - we love you so!”
And Max said, “No!”
The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws but Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye.” - Where the Wild Things Are

Tangled Is An Unexpected Delight

Disney

Well, Bean decided we had to watch Tangled last night. I'm sure this was due in part to the Tollytots Rapunzel Toddler doll we found at Goodwill yesterday. She still had her dress, very few marks on her skin (all of which washed off), but her hair was terribly Tangled (appropriate, I know.) However, she only cost $2.02, so I couldn't pass her up. I spent over an hour working on her hair, but I finally got it all straightened out. Which was when we discovered the one brunette lock in amongst the blonde. So cute!

I love Disney's version of Rapunzel. I had wanted them to make it for years, but was unsure they ever would. This was one of the darker tales from the brothers Grimm, dealing with more than just magic. The story of Rapunzel had a witch, kidnapping, a prince who was blinded by thorns, twins born out of wedlock, and many years of suffering before Rapunzel and her prince found their happy ending. Scary, right? Disney took the key elements and turned it into a story children could enjoy. This has to be one of the funniest of the Princess tales. There are obvious jokes as well as moments of subtle grownup humor. And I love Flynn Ryder, the non-traditional hero. Bean has seen it so many times that she like to quote large sections of dialogue and knows nearly all of the songs. I love listening to her sing along with the "Mother Knows Best" song. It's hilarious! In all, it's a great Princess movie that we enjoy watching again and again.

Quote of the Week

Disney/Pixar

Our fate lives within us,
you only have to be brave enough to see it.

- Merida, Brave

Avengers Lego Are Awesome

So, I couldn't stop with just one set of the Avengers Lego. I picked up Captain America's Avenging Cycle to go with the Iron Man vs. the Mandarin: Ultimate Showdown. What can I say, Avengers and Lego, I had to have them!

The Captain America set comes with two Chitauri aliens, one of which is piloting a flying machine, and Captain America on his motorcycle, complete with shield.

Photo of the Week

This Haunted Mansion photo spot is fantastically funny!

Monsters University Pez

I love Pez! I have been collecting them my whole life. I have a giant collection of Pez, most of which were acquired in the last 15 years. I love all of the different characters you can get, especially the Disney ones. I have a huge set of Star Wars Pez that were released when the original films came back to theaters. My biggest problem is how to display them. My mom recently gave me a giant spice rack that I plan to hang on my wall. I'm hoping that it will hold all of my Pez so that you can see each one, but I haven't had a chance to try it out yet.

My latest Pez are from the new Monsters University movie. They are hilarious! I have three of the four available. Both Mike and Sulley had been released before when Monsters Inc. was in theaters, but they had larger heads and were less detailed than the new set. The new Mike has braces and is holding a book. The new Sulley has a big toothy smile, blue eyes, and detailed hair and spikes even on the back. The third Pez is Randy Boggs, with purple glasses, a big toothy grin, and soft "hair." The last Pez in the set is Scott "Squishy" Squibbles, a five-eyed Sophomore at MU who lives with his mom. These Pez are very cute and a great addition to any Disney or Pez collection.