Honeymoon in Disneyworld

Kym:

We're back!  And Married!



Rob:

Yes, Kym has finally gotten around to tying me down with the knot, and we were married on a very lovely (albeit incredibly windy) Saturday at Avon Beach, NJ.  We finally made it!  Ladies, I am no longer available.

(Someone break it to Elinor gently)

Kym:

You can break it to her yourself!  We're going to Disney World!


Rob:

We didn't even have to win anything to do it!  It's like the laziest World Series ever!


Kym:


Two blessed weeks away...and also most likely a post/review on some of their wonderful rides, shows, and restaurants.


Rob: 

Can I mention the ludicrously hot princesses?



Kym:

No.

(Very well.  No comment.)

Kym:

*Sigh* Well, with that over with, let's focus on our complete inability to get to the movies.  Nope, haven't gone in weeks.  Expendables 2 slipped through our fingers.

(We're pretty sure it's about this)

Kym:

We've simply been too exhausted with the wedding.  All the planning and preparation was honestly about 50 times harder than the wedding itself, which was a breeze.


Rob:

After collapsing from exhaustion at home, we comforted ourselves with Disney movies, many of which you've all undoubtedly seen...then a few that many of you probably haven't...
 

Kym:

Which led us to create this article on a few forgotten Disney masterpieces and other favorites.

Kym:

I love how real everything is in the movie.  With all the special effects and elaborate sets in most movies, it's so nice to see a movie where they actually brought the actors and animals to an island and built a tree house.


Rob:

I love the wonderful cast!  Virtually everyone in the movie was not only very talented, but eventually nominated for a prestigious acting award....okay, Tommy Kirk didn't really do much after he grew up, but he still had a good early career.

(Poor Francis gets the short end of the stick AGAIN)

Kym:

I'm surprised it doesn't get as much attention as some of the other Disney classics.  It's a great family adventure with something for everyone!


Rob:

Well...except songs.  Unlike most live action Disney movies, there's no songs in this one.  Breaking into song would've probably spoiled the mood a bit though, and personally, I'm thrilled we don't have to hear Tommy Kirk sing.

(DENIED AGAIN!  TWICE IN ONE POST!)

Kym:

Not all movies need songs or cartoon characters!  Swiss Family Robinson is a classic, with its own treehouse attraction in Magic Kingdom's Adventure Land.  It's not quite as cool as the movie's, but it's still really cool.

Rob:

Yeah, Disney certainly can't be accused of 'half-assing' anything.  Well, as long as you ignore the Countless direct to DVD sequels of the Eisner years.

(Mike Eisner: "Does that crab have his own movie yet?  No?  Give him a pretty crab girlfriend, an evil twin brother, make it 80 minutes, and I want it by Friday!!!)

Kym:

Let's just pretend those don't exist.  They're virtually all just shameless, soulless re-hashes of plots and jokes from the original movie.

Rob:

The only exceptions I'd make are for Aladdin 3 (nowhere near as good as the original, but pretty good), and Kronk's New Groove (a surprisingly hilarious movie, wish it made it to theaters)


Kym:

A good rule of thumb is if it isn't a good enough movie to make it to theaters, then you probably shouldn't bother making it.  Of course, not all sequels are bad...

Rob:

One of my all time favorites!  5% travel guide, 5% educational film, and 90% hilarious musical numbers.  I love this one!


Kym:

I first suspected you of being a fan when you hung this on the wall of our place:

Rob:

The movie poster pretty much says it all.  Donald and two of his friends from south of the border take him on a magical, musical adventure through our non-nazi/communist friends to the south.

 
Kym:

Non-nazi/communist?

Rob: 

Yeah, this wouldn't have been made if not for the film before it 'Saludos Amigos', which was entirely made as sort of a 'good spirited' propaganda film during World War 2.  It was all in good fun though, focusing on how good of a neighbor America and its friends down south are.  Although made for purely political reasons, there was nothing mean about it. 

Kym:

Sort of a love letter to Central and South America?  A little piece of paper that asks 'do you like me?' passed during class?

Rob:

Yeah, pretty much.  Anyway it was so successful, Disney made the followup, which was more for entertainment then political purposes, so all in all it works significantly better as a movie.  If you haven't seen it yet, I'd definitely check it out.  Every scene with Donald interacting with live action people is solid gold.



Kym:

And something Daisy definitely wouldn't approve of.

(Donald likes big butts and he cannot lie)

Kym:

We'll also be sure to check out the Three Caballeros ride in Epcot's Mexico section.  It's a lot of fun!

...

Kym:

Generally overshadowed by Marry Poppins, the highly underrated (and usually woefully cut down) Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a great Disney classic starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson.  The story of a good hearted, amateur witch helping some orphans and the war effort in WW2 England.

Rob:

When picking this one up, be sure to look for the complete uncut version.  Several scenes were chopped out when they released it, including a lot more dancing in 'Portobello Road', which is my personal favorite part of the movie.  A couple of the scenes/songs are a bit long and inconsequential, but I think it's still a lot better with them than without.


Kym:

Although many people enjoy the 'Island of Naboombu' scene, I think it gets old very quick and has nothing to do with the rest of the movie, especially the neverending soccer scene.  The scene where they're underwater is a great one though.  I just wish we could skip straight from that to the dancing clothes song.


Rob:

To be fair, quite a few scenes are overly long and a bit pointless, but the movie overall is very enjoyable.  I also really enjoy the ending battle with the Nazis.  If you haven't seen it...

*SPOILER ALERT*

Rob:

The Nazis lose.


Kym:

It'd be a much darker movie if they didn't.  Even darker than...

Kym:

That movie poster isn't quite preparing parents for the political/religious/genocide/murder/multiple attempted infanticide of the film.


Rob:

I love just about everything about this movie, especially the stunning visuals and wonderful songs, but I have to agree, this isn't a movie for little kids.  In fact, I'm amazed this movie even got made!  Judge Frollo is a despotic and insane rapist (albeit attempted through threats, and not actual force) with a God complex.   To give you perspective, Governor Ratcliffe, the villain of their previous animated movie was more or less just greedy, and Scar from the Lion King was almost sympathetic!


Kym:

Seriously?  Scar is sympathetic?


Rob:

Mufasa harassed and belittled the HELL out of him!  Okay, Scar was a crappy leader, but it wasn't like anyone ever prepared him for the job.  Mufasa was the chosen child, not him.  Okay, he's not innocent, but Judge Frollo doesn't even have an excuse!  He just thinks minorities are sub human and must be destroyed, except the pretty ones, who are allowed to become his sex slaves rather than die.

(If you make other Disney villains seem sympathetic, then you've gone wrong somewhere in life)

Kym:

Good lord, how is this for children?!  This is an amazingly dark story, and when you go to a Disney cartoon you have certain expectations, especially when your movie poster includes lots of smiling, silly animals, and talking gargoyles! 


Rob:

Personally, I'm a fan of odd movies, and the juxtaposition of silly Disney animation/gags/songs and a really dark plot makes for one of the most unique movies they've ever made.  Granted, some scenes are better than others, the heroes are occasionally a little too 'goody goody', and the silly talking gargoyle friends have no place in a movie where a woman's killed by the villain on-screen.


Kym:

Still, I'm glad Disney is willing to push the envelope, and release a brave and intriguing movie that may or may not sit well with audiences, rather than just release something generic.  If it weren't for their willingness to push the envelope, we wouldn't have had the Lion King, which is more or less Hamlet in cartoon/animal form.


Rob:

True.  Perhaps it was inevitable that they'd push a bit too far, making the movie far darker than it needed to be.  All in all, I'm glad they did.  If you haven't seen this one, or haven't in a while, I'd definitely check it out.  As I mentioned, it's worth it just for the visuals and songs alone!


Kym:

Aside from the Judge showing up in the Fantasmic show in Hollywood Studios, it's surprising how little Hunchback shows up in Disneyworld and its merchandise.  I guess it's not family friendly enough.  Anyway, that just leaves us with a movie made for the Halloween season....

A

Kym:

Yes, technically it's "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad", but you can go right ahead and skip the Mr. Toad segment.  It's just exceptionally British characters making asses out of themselves for thirty minutes. 



Rob:

I see what they were going for, as many of the characters are popular British caricatures from UK comedies, but most Americans probably won't notice enough difference to be interested in it.  It's not 'bad', but it is indeed a bit dull compared to the second half of the movie.  At least we get to see where the weasels from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" came from.


Kym:

Ichabod's adventures in Sleepy Hollow are a lot more interesting.  Although it's a little slow to start, it's a delightful setup of Ichabod's characters, who's simultaneously funny, kind, and thoroughly dis-likable.


Rob

It's not easy to make someone who isn't evil seem so completely greedy and slovenly, but the movie definitely manages to make sure the audience knows that Ichabod isn't really the hero or the villain.  He's the 'victim we shouldn't feel sorry for', akin to the obnoxious pot smoking teenagers found in most horror movies.  



Kym:

I don't know why, but I can't get enough of watching the guy squirm.

Rob:

I can't get enough of watching this guy:

Kym:


Disney really outdid themselves on this one, with a beautiful villain that immediately steals the show.  Never before have I seen a drawn character so dark in color, and yet stand out so well.



Rob:


It really is a masterpiece, and it's shamefully sweet to see the pretentious and smug Ichabod get chased all the way to oblivion and back by the horseman, while still managing to be kid friendly.   The only drawback I can mention about the movie is some of the elements seem very reminiscent of other Disney movies.  For example, the scene with Ichabod at the piano and the dog barking was originally intended for Cinderella.  You can see it in Cinderella's DVD extras. 



Kym:

Interestingly enough, Ichabod wasn't the only movie to do borrowing.  The scene early in the movie where Ichabod is walking through the quaint town with his nose in a book, deftly avoiding hazards, and everyone singing about how strange he is...well, let's just say that it reminds me of another opening Disney scene.  A real BEAUTY of a scene in a BEASTLY good movie. 


Rob:

Still, they're all good movies regardless.  Where the movie was really ground breaking was not in its gags, but the fact it was a bit scary while still being family friendly.  This was Disney's first big success with a 'not too scary Halloween story', and it made them all possible, especially the amazing Nightmare Before Christmas.


Kym:

Including the Disney World Not So Scary Halloween Party!


Rob:

Ah, I figured you'd squeeze in at least one more Disney World reference before our honeymoon.  Anything else you want to add before we start packing, luv?

Kym:

Only that I'd like to list our all time favorite Disney animated movies (not including Pixar).  I don't want to give the impression that the movies above are the best Disney has.  They're just a few forgotten favorites.  THESE are the best that Disney has:


KYM'S TOP 5 DISNEY ANIMATED MOVIES
 
1. Cinderella (a timeless classic)

2. Princess and the Frog (an underrated joy, and my favorite sound track of all time)

3. Pocahontas (gotta love it)

4. Sleeping Beauty (the most visually impressive Disney movie ever made, and arguably the best villain)

5. Little Mermaid (Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl are two of my favorite Disney song of all time)

Rob: 

Okay, my turn.


ROB'S TOP 5 HOTTEST PRINCESSES

1. Jasmine

(hoo-ha!)

2. Belle 

(holy...)

3. Ariel 

(yowza!)

4. Giselle 

(Human and cartoon form!)

5. Tinkerbell

(awooooooooga!!!)

Rob:

Well, now that we're done with that, I want to thank you all for....


Kym:



*AHEM*


 
Rob: 

Yes, dear?


Kym:

What did I say earlier about Disney princesses?




Rob:

Oh, very well. (Interestingly enough, it only shares one movie from Kym's list)

ROB'S REAL TOP 5 DISNEY ANIMATED MOVIES LIST:

1. Beauty & the Beast (my favorite Disney movie, & one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time)

2. The Three Caballeros (pure delight!)

3. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (in desperate need of a Blu-ray release!)

4. The Lion King (thrilling and visually spectacular!)

5. The Little Mermaid (a wonderfully story and a lot of fun!  Also...)

(Did I mention 'yowza'?)

Kym:

*Sigh* You better behave yourself in Disney World!  This is family entertainment after all.  No drooling over the princesses.



Rob:

I'll do my best.

Kym: 

After we get there, we'll be sure to give everyone a couple reports straight from Disney World!  Thank you everyone for reading, and please, feel free to post comments below!

Rob:

Just no dirty Disney princess pictures.  If I'm not allowed, than you aren't either.

Kym: 

Well said.

...


(Rob: "Can I say it?")

(Kym: "Go ahead, dear.")

(Rob: "I'm going to Disney World!")