Halloween Treats at Disney World

I was very excited to discover some new Halloween treats at Disney World recently. There were a few collectible popcorn buckets and drink cups that I was really hoping would be available. First up is a Nightmare Before Christmas popcorn bucket. It's Zero in his doghouse! And to make him even more special, Zero glows in the dark, and his nose lights up! I'm not sure if he's only available during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party or not, but be on the lookout at popcorn carts around the Magic Kingdom.

The next cool container was inspired by the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It's a scary apple with a drippy skull. The cup is a translucent red, and the skull is white and glows in the dark. This lidded cup can be found across from Pecos Bill's in Adventureland. It comes filled with your choice of soft drink and costs $8. And you can ask for your soda without ice for an even better deal.

The final Treat is a regular Disney popcorn bucket with a lid. I saw it earlier in the day, but wasn't sure I wanted to carry it all day. It has the Lonesome Ghosts chasing Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. It's from one of my favorite Disney shorts, so I had to have it. Unfortunately, they close a lot of the popcorn carts early during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. I tried three different carts before I finally found it at the cart next to Gaston's Tavern in Fantasyland. They had already cleaned up the popcorn and closed the register, but when I explained that I had run to the cart just to buy that specific bucket, a very sweet Cast Member gave me the empty bucket anyway. I was very greatful! As silly as it sounds, I adore those ridiculous popcorn buckets and actually have about a dozen. However, we plan to start using them during movie nights, so it's alright.

Although they aren't Halloween, I did want to mention that I found a few of the special Star Wars buckets at Hollywood Studios. They had both Vader's Helmet and the Han Solo in Carbonite from Star Wars Weekends. I found them at the popcorn cart across from Toy Story Midway Mania. You can get them filled with either regular popcorn or caramel popcorn. (All of the popcorn is now PopSecret brand, which is more consistent than the popcorn they used to use.)

Boogedy, Boogedy, Boo!

As a child, I remember watching Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color every Sunday night. I looked forward to the fun movies and documentaries every week. One of my favorites was Mr. Boogedy,  and of course its sequel Bride of Boogedy.  These campy ghost stories were somewhat scary, terribly funny, and totally ridiculous. So of course, I loved them!

For years now, I've been hoping Disney would release these films on DVD.  Recently, my wish came true. Both mivies were recently released together as a single disc. Unfortunately,  you can only purchase the Boogedy movies direct from the Disney Movie Club, but I was just happy that they were finally available.

Of course, as soon as it arrived, I made Bean sit down and watch them. She definitely preferred the Bride of Boogedy.  And she thought it was silly that I'd ever found them scary. But we all had a good laugh, and I still think they're funny. So if you're looking for a bit of not-so-scary nostalgia this Halloween, be sure to get your own copy of Mr. Boogedy and Bride of Boogedy.  They're always good for a laugh!

September Disney World Trip Highlights

I got back from an impromptu trip to Disney World earlier this week.  I'm excited to share some of the fun new things I've discovered.

We attended Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party for the first time in years. We couldn't wait to see the Sanderson Sisters takeover the Villains show, and it was well worth the ticket price.  It didn't hurt that we came home with about 22 pounds of candy from Trick or Treating, either. (Seven pounds of that was Werthers Caramels! And yes, you can go through a Trick or Treat line more than once.)

We had a fun Cast Member experience during the Party as well. While we were sitting near Storybook Treats, a Cast Member brought us a dish of ice cream with candy corn. She said that Maleficent had sent her around to collect autographs from visitors to the party. She asked us to write down what costume we were each wearing, and why, and then sign our names. It was a lot of fun!

It was still fairly hot last week, so I ended up running out of water once or twice.  Luckily, Disney has started selling 1.5 liter bottles of water for $4. That's about three times the size of the 20 oz bottles they sell for $2.50, so it's a good deal.

We tried to stop at my favorite Disney Outlet Store on International Drive, but it still hasn't reopened since they closed for renovations in May. And it looks like it may be smaller when it does reopen, because a Panera Bread is going in where part of the store used to be.

Overall, we had a great time. Halloweentime is definitely one of my favorite times to visit the Disney Parks.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

It's nearly that time of year again, time for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disney World. Halloween is one of my favorite times of year to go to the Magic Kingdom. The decorations are everywhere, from scarecrows on Main Street to pumpkins in nearly every window. And the party is extra fun, with the Boo to You Parade, special Halloween treats, a Villains Show, Happy Hallowishes Fireworks, and of course Trick or Treating throughout the park. This year, the new Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular will be hosted by the Sanderson Sisters from the movie Hocus Pocus. It will be shown four times each party; 8:00pm, 9:20pm, 10:40pm, and 12:00am. I've never stopped to watch the show before, but I can't wait to see the new show. The parade can be seen twice during each party, at 8:35pm and 11:15pm, and the fireworks start at 10pm.

This year, the Party begins on September 15 and continues, on select nights, until November 1. Each party is officially from 7pm until 12am, but you can generally arrive around 4pm. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is a separately ticked event. And just in case you'd like a sneak peek at the maps, here you go.

Sushi Carnival - A Tsum Tsum Short

Disney

This Tsum Tsum short is too funny! I especially love the lobster dance portion of the parade.

*Unfortunately, Disney has removed this video from YouTube.

William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge

I recently received a copy of William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge by Ian Doescher. I have seen these Star Wars as told in the style of Shakespeare books several times in recent months, but hadn't read any of them yet. I must admit, even though I have read many of Shakespeare's plays over the years, this book took me a little while to get into. However, once I figured out the flow, it was a fantastic read.

This book is the third in the Star Wars prequels. As such, it tells the tale of the fall of Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side; a fall that the author has compared to the fall of Othello at the hands of Iago. The book uses Elizabethanan English, interspersed with technical jargon from the Star Wars Universe. While this can be a little jarring at first to the Shakespeare fan, it quickly seems fitting when describing lightsaber battles or strange creatures on distant planets.

I truly enjoyed this book. I was surprised by how lovely the rhyming quatrains between Anakin and Padme are. It makes Anakin's inevitable fall even more heart wrenching. And there is humor in the book as well. I especially enjoyed Yoda's speeches when written in Elizabethan English. Such as:

         "Yet some misgiving
           In mine old green gorge doth rise --
           Fear most unresolv'd."

Somehow, it makes his odd speach patterns even funnier. The illustrations are also wonderful. And each act is marked by an image of Chewbacca in an Elizabethan hat, bearing a standard declaring the act number.

I would highly recommend this book to Star Wars and Shakespeare fans alike. I do believe I will have to find the rest of the series and read them all! If you would like to know more about this book or any of the other titles in the series, please visit the Quirk website. There you will find information about the books, educators' guides, and an interview with the author. William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge is available in bookstores today, September 8, 2015.

I was provided with a copy of this book by Quirk Books for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Force Friday

It's Force Friday today, so I thought I'd share a photo of one of my latest costume creations. I knitted a hat and sewed a beard for a friend's Stormtrooper helmet. He was going for a lumberjack look to wear to Dragon Con this weekend. What do you think of the end result? Funny, right? (And Bean makes a fantastic model.)