Toy Story 3

The Toy Story 3 segment was the longest of the entire show, and it really started to drag on. Savannah loved the Barbie and Ken scene, even though it went a bit long. The Green Army Men section was also popular with our group. We all felt we could have done without the Spanish Buzz section. While this segment was very well done, we had attended Toy Story 3 on Ice 6 years ago and this was just an abbreviated version of that show.

The Little Mermaid

As you know this story takes place both under the sea and on land. They did a great job differentiating the two locales using mostly lighting to tell them apart. I spoke to a 3yo friend of mine who attended the show and she was very confused by the fact that Ariel had legs when she was under the sea. Her costume at that point in the show are blue/green pants which look similar to her normal tail but since her legs were separated, it was confusing. The Little Mermaid segment was a re-purposing of the same segment from the 2013 Disney on Ice Rockin’ Ever After.

Cars

The Cars
section was the only one that was new to us. Mickey and Minnie had gone to look for help when their roadster broke down. While they were gone everyone’s favorite tow truck, Mater came by to help out. Lightning McQueen, Sally, Ramone, and Flo also come by to meet the new roadster. This part of the show was basically cars drifting slowly on the ice. We enjoyed this section a lot!

Frozen

We believe this section was identical to the one in last year’s Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic show. Even though Ron and I have seen it before, we thoroughly enjoyed this part of the show. In this brief re-telling of the story, adapted for the ice, we see Anna meet Hans and then ask Elsa for her blessing of their marriage. Of course, when Elsa gets angry there are pyrotechnics instead of icicles. As the story progresses we meet Kristoff and Olaf.

We always enjoy our visits to Disney on Ice. Disney on Ice Worlds of Enchantment will be touring Florida and Georgia this spring. Visit the website for dates and ticket information.

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About Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire

“Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” immerses guests in a 23-minute royal musical celebration on the Cinderella Castle stage at Magic Kingdom Park. Mickey Mouse and his pals unite in a tale of friendship featuring songs and characters from Disney’s contemporary classics “Princess and the Frog,” “Tangled” and “Frozen.”

“In ‘Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire,’ 15 Disney characters from different stories come together to showcase how diversity and the discoveries you make through friendships shape who you are,” said Show Director, Walt Disney World Entertainment, Tara Anderson.

From the land of the bewitching bayous, Goofy has invited Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen to add a little spice of New Orleans jazz to the party.

Donald Duck brings some new friends he met in the land of the enchanted woods, where Daisy Duck introduces us to her special guests, Rapunzel and Flynn. Finally, Mickey Mouse shares a surprise with Minnie Mouse, as he has traveled to the land of the mystic mountains to invite Olaf, Princess Anna, and Queen Elsa, who swirls a blast of her icy magic.

The celebration culminates in a grand dance, marked by a magical daytime fireworks finale.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed the Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire, as did the rest of the audience around me. It is nice to see a show with characters from newer Disney movies mingling with the Fab 5. The storyline is engaging and relevant without being preachy. I love that there are “thugs and ruffians” helping to represent “Tangled” along with Rapunzel and Flynn (Eugene). Of course, any time guests get to see Anna, Elsa and Olaf, the crowd goes wild. The show is performed several times a day. Check your times guide or My Disney Experience app for showtimes.
If you can’t get to the Magic Kingdom any time soon, my friend, BigFatPanda has a wonderful video of the entire show. If you would like to see the show in person, Email me. I am a Certified Disney Vacation Planner with Destinations to Travel, an Earmarked Disney Travel Agency. My planning services are free to you!

Have a Magical Day!

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Usually I don’t visit Disney in June, July and August because of the unbearable heat. This is the 3rd year in a row that I have had to visit in June because of new attractions or shows. Oh my goodness it was so hot, 89° when I arrived at 11:15am with a feels like temperature of 99°. Later in the afternoon the temp soared to the upper 90s. This is why I don’t recommend visiting in the summer. The heat is unbearable, even for Floridians.

Frozen Ever After

My Frozen Ever After Fastpass was for 12:20-1:20pm. I had checked the My Disney Experience app before heading to World Showcase and it said that the ride was temporarily closed. I wandered back anyway and spoke to a cast member who said that when/if the ride was running again later in the day, expired Fastpasses would be accepted. I headed off for lunch. When I returned to Norway at 1:10pm, the ride was up and running again! The standby line said a wait time of 120 minutes. I got in the Fastpass line and within 10 minutes, I was boarding a boat to Arendelle!

Frozen Ever After is an amazingly beautiful, whimsical and well done attraction. I can’t wait to ride again in September without a camera in my hands so I can truly absorb everything this ride is about. I hate spoilers but, I know many of you don’t currently have plans to visit Walt Disney World. IF you want to watch a video of the ride, here is on from my friend John.

The Royal Sommerhaus

The Royal Sommerhaus is the new meet and great location for Anna and Elsa in Epcot. Located in Norway, this is a beautifully themed setting for meeting Arendelle’s royalty. Unlike Princess Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom, where wait times are always over an hour, both times I checked Royal Sommerhaus the wait was less than 30 minutes! One of the reasons for this is there are up to 5 meet and greet rooms that can be available at the same time. This keeps the line moving and wait times down. Meeting Anna and Elsa is a treat for all ages, they are one of the best meet and greets on property. Each family gets a few minutes with each character and they both have a lot to say to you.

If you have Frozen fans in your family, I recommend you get your Fastpasses for Frozen Ever After right on your 60 day mark. You don’t want to miss this wonderful attraction. If you need help planning your Walt Disney World vacation, Email Me I’m happy to help!

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Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic

The show is sponsored by Stoneyfield Yo Kids Organic Yogurt so, it opens with a Disney Magic of Healthy Living segment. Most people were a bit confused, the skater’s costumes looked like something out of High School Musical, one guy even had a basketball, but when the music started it was a song from Teen Beach 2. While the song was more current, the costumes didn’t fit the song.

Next up was the Pinnochio section. The Blue Fairy was beautiful and her skating was magical. I appreciated seeing Jiminey Cricket as well. I’m old and I love the classics so I enjoyed seeing some of my old friends.

The underlying story tying the Disney movies together was that Goofy and Donald Duck wanted to make a movie. Mickey and Minnie encouraged them by telling them that they needed to start with a good story. Between every few acts the four friends would appear and move this story line along.

Marlin, Dory, Nemo, Crush and Squirt entertained the crowds with a very abbreviated version on Finding Nemo. Crush definitely got the biggest cheers. I was hoping he’d break into “Go with the Flow” from Finding Nemo the Musical at Disney’s Animal Kingdom…but he didn’t.

Beauty and the Beast took to the ice next. Belle is Beth’s favorite princess and one of mine too so we thoroughly enjoyed seeing Belle, Beast, Gaston, Lumiere, Cogsworth and Fifi skate around and re-cap this tale as old as time.

Knowing that it just isn’t possible to feature every Disney movie ever made, the next section was a Disney Princess section including Cinderella and Prince Charming, Ariel and Eric, Snow White and her Prince, Tiana and Prince Naveen as well as Jasmine and Aladdin.

Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen along with Jasmine and Aladdin @disneyonice @amaliearena #disneyonice

A video posted by Cindy Schultz (@mommaven) on May 13, 2016 at 4:31pm PDT

Act one closed out with a Frozen featuring Anna, Elsa, Hans, Kristoff and of course, Olaf! I did not get to see Frozen on Ice when it toured a few years ago so I was very excited to see this section of the show. There are some difficult elements of the movie to try to reproduce in a traveling show. They used pyrotechnics instead of Elsa magically shooting ice out of her hands. Elsa’s ice palace was represented by a staircase and some fabric that hung down from the ceiling giving most of the audience only a silhouette of the queen.

Act two opened with an Aladdin section which started with Aladdin and Abu but quickly transitioned to the Genie and “Never had a Friend Like You.” After that we had Toy Story with Sarge, the Green Army Men, Buzz, Woody and Jessie.

Beth got this great picture of Woody

Mulan was up next. This segment was well done and covered the basis of the story of this very heroic woman.

Last but not least, we see The Lion King! Rafiki, Timon and Puumba were awesome! Simba and Nala’s costumes left a bit to be desired. Meagan even said that it wasn’t Simba cause it didn’t look like him (out of the mouths of babes). Costumes aside, this was a great section of the show. It segued right into the finale, which brought 50 characters out on this ice to the song, “Circle of Life”.

We had a lot of fun at Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic. Meagan squealed so much before, during and after the show, I wonder if she has any voice today. Tickets are still available for the Saturday and Sunday shows in Tampa. If you missed it this time visit DisneyonIce.com to see when they will be in your area!

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The Frozen Royal Welcome is a mini-parade that takes place at 10:30am, and sometimes in the afternoon as well. This procession includes all of your favorite Frozen characters Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and the Ice Harvesters as well as skaters, skiers and a flag corps. The parade stops periodically throughout the route to sing “Let it Go” with the guests. Check your map for parade route and your times guide or My Disney Experience App for parade times.

Frozen Fever, the movie short is showing every day on the half hour in the theater that used to house Sounds Dangerous. This 8 minute movie is adorable and it is a must-see for any Frozen fan.

Olaf’s Summer Cool Down is a show on the event stage hosted by our favorite summer-loving snowman, Olaf and the Ambassador of Hollywoodland. Olaf even shares some cool blasts from his own personal flurry. This show takes place multiple times a day, check your times guide or My Disney Experience App for show times. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to experience this due to rain,

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration has a new home and some new special effects. This is my favorite part of the Frozen festivities. The sing-along is now in the Hyperion Theater (where the American Idol Experience used to be). Since its original opening last summer, I have been a part of the sing-along many times. The new theater is smaller and more intimate and I really like that. The pre-show videos outside the theater are adorable and teach you some of Arendelle History 101. My 13yo nephew didn’t want to see this show but on our way home he said this was the best part of the whole day. Aria and Eric the Royal Historians of Arendelle are very funny and make the show enjoyable for everyone. This is a popular show so I strongly advise getting Fastpass+ prior to your vacation.

Each evening you can join DJ Chill at the event stage for the Coolest Dance Party Ever. You can even share you shoutouts and song requests via social media and join in on all the fun.

End your day with the Frozen Fireworks Spectacular. We didn’t get to experience the fireworks on this trip because we were soaked through from the rain and headed home early. Last year’s Frozen Fireworks were amazing and I have heard this year’s are even better and now there is no Sorcerer’s Hat obstructing your view.

The Frozen Summer Fun Premium Package is available for people who don’t want to miss a thing. For $69 for adults and $39 children 3-9 guests receive 1) a special viewing area for the Frozen Royal Welcome 2) reserved seating for the sing-along and 3) Reserved Frozen Fireworks viewing area and a dessert party. Advanced reservations are highly suggested and may be made by calling (407) 939-3463 or on the Disney World website.

Starting July 26 little girls ages 3-12 can visit the Ice Palace Boutique on Commissary Lane and be transformed into either Anna or Elsa. Package prices range from $75-$240 depending on the package chosen. For boutique reservations call 407-827-7400.

Frozen Summer Fun runs through September 7, 2015 and all events are included in park admission except for the Drozen Summer Fun Premium Package and the Ice Palace Boutique.

  Let me help you plan your next Disney Vacation.

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Before we look forward into this new year, let’s look back at the most read Disney posts of 2014-just in case you missed any of them. Please feel free to share any of these posts on your social media channels so that others can enjoy them too.

#5 You can Have a Frozen Summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Photo courtesy of Disney-David Roark, photographer

#4 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2014

Photo courtesy of Disney

#3 A Visit to Frozen Summer Fun Part 1

This post was also my “most shared on social media” Disney post of 2014!

#2 Using the Aurasma App at Disney’s Frozen Summer Fun

#1 The Current Major Complaint about Fastpass+ at Walt Disney World

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About the Frozen Sing-Along Edition DVD

Experience Frozen, the hit musical comedy from Walt Disney Animation Studios, like never before in a new to DVD, full-length Sing-Along Edition! Follow the lyrics with a bouncing Frozen snowflake. Join Anna as she sets off on an epic journey – teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and a snowman named Olaf – to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. It’s pure enchantment – and full of fun for the whole family!

The Frozen Sing-Along Edition DVD Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a copy of the “Frozen Sing-Along Edition DVD”. The giveaway ends at 12:00am on 12/12/14. This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and verified. The winner will be notified via email and they will have 48 hours to claim their prize. The Mom Maven is not responsible for prize fulfillment, that is the responsibility of the giveaway sponsor. If you would rather be sure that this gift is under the tree order your copy of Frozen Sing Along Edition right now.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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This event is a family favorite each year but this one started off horribly. I understand all about Disney crowds and while I usually try to visit when crowds are lighter, I have never in my 42 years of visiting the Magic Kingdom been in a crowd like I was from 6:00-6:45pm on November 7, 2014, and I hope I never am again.

photo courtesy of Disney

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom later than planned. Our traveling party was myself, my husband, Ron and our 8yo friend Matthew. We all love “Frozen” and Matthew especially loves Olaf so we were excited to see the new “A Frozen Holiday Wish” show and lighting of the castle dream lights. The crowd was lining Main Street like there was a parade coming, which there wasn’t. As we approached the hub we found an ok spot with some tree interference right on a rope line. We were late, it would have to do. After standing in this area for about 5 minutes, we were told by the cast member holding the rope that she would be moving the rope and we could move forward towards the next rope, but we had to stay inside the tape line. We moved up, squished in the taped off area and figured we had been blessed by having an open area in front of us so that our sight lines were much improved.

As show time approached guests were getting angry because there was a lot of reserved handicapped space that wan’t being used. There could easily fit a hundred or more people in this area. In all honesty, if I was in a wheelchair I wouldn’t have wanted to be there because of the throngs of people in front of the castle. Someone in a wheelchair had no chance of seeing what was happening on stage.

Anyway, as the show started, many of the lovely people in the back of the castle section lifted their young children onto their shoulders, making it impossible for those of us behind them to see.

We listened to the show, saw the pretty lights and then things got even worse. No one moved. We heard lots of people saying things like, “That’s it?” “I waited in this crowd for that?” and other similar things, some with language I would never type here. The lady next to me got into a shouting match with cast member Ron about all of the empty space for the handicapped area and how she was sure some of the people they let in there weren’t even handicapped. Cast member Ron even offered to bet her they all were-it was not behavior becoming of a Disney Cast Member…at all.

Next the cast members started hollering for everyone to start moving out of the hub. Unfortunately, the people on the perimeter hadn’t started moving yet, more than 5 minutes after the show ended! How could the middle move when the edges were standing strong? Finally, people in my area said, let’s just start walking so we did. We formed a line and tried to weave our way towards Tomorrowland. As we were walking and saying, “excuse me” I heard a lady yell and then I was smacked on the back! This wasn’t getting bumped in a crowd, I was hit. I turned around to see an older lady with her hand raised. I said, “Did you just hit me?” she said she did because I had knocker her over. 1. I hadn’t knocked her over 2. If I had tried she couldn’t have fallen anyway due to the crowd around her. I told her I didn’t think I had done it, I said I was sorry if I had and then I kept walking. The people behind me in line said I should have hit the lady, but I wouldn’t do that. We finally made our way to Tomorrowland and the crowd finally thinned out a bit. It was a horrible way to start off Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that’s for sure.

Later in the evening, while at the media reception, I was chatting with a cast member about the crazy crowd. He agreed it was poorly planned and unsafe and it is only going to get worse the closer we get to Christmas.

How to Avoid the Crowd

1. Unless you have a die-hard “Frozen” fan in your party, just skip the show and the hub area from 5:45-6:45pm every evening from now through the holiday season.
2. IF you are going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party there is an 8:00pm showing of “A Frozen Holiday Wish” go see that one since the day guests will be out of the park the crowd will be lighter.
3. If you want to avoid the crowd altogether, just watch my friend John’s video below.

I truly hope Disney figures out a way to manage the crowd at this show better. I’m sure having many more cast members manning the area would help. I think they may even need to find a way to make some kind of general announcements because what they are currently doing isn’t enough.

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About Frozen-The Songs

On September 30th, Walt Disney Records is set to release Frozen: The Songs featuring all 10 songs from the Oscar ®-winning film, a vinyl edition and a Spanish language version Frozen Canciones de Una Aventura Congelada, plus the digital score album from composer Christophe Beck. The specially priced Songs CD also includes a fold-out poster and stickers.

The Frozen soundtrack is the top-selling album of 2014 and spent 33 consecutive weeks in the top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, including 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1. It is certified triple Platinum, selling more than 3.2 million units and over 8.4 million tracks. The “Let It Go” film clip from “Frozen” has been viewed over 300 million times on YouTube.

Frozen: The Songs track list:

1. Frozen Heart
Performed by Cast
2. Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
Performed by Kristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monnand and Katie Lopez
3. For the First Time in Forever
Performed by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel
4. Love Is an Open Door
Performed by Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana
5. Let It Go
Performed by Idina Menzel
6. Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People
Performed by Jonathan Groff
7. In Summer
Performed by Josh Gad
8. For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)
Performed by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel
9. Fixer Upper
Performed by Maia Wilson and Cast
10. Let It Go (Demi Lovato Version)
Performed by Demi Lovato

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I had already downloaded the soundtrack, which I listen to a lot. I have no way of listening to my downloaded music in my car because my stereo is 10 years old and has no way to sync with my iPhone. I keep this CD in my car so I can sing along with Frozen: The Songs whenever I am driving around town. While I love all of the extra background music on the soundtrack, this CD include the meat of the project-the songs we all love. This CD is great for everyone who loves the music of Frozen. You can order your copy of Frozen: The Songs from Amazon or you can enter to win one below.

The Giveaway

This is a quick giveaway! Two lucky winners will receive copies of Frozen-The Songs CD. The giveaway ends at 12:00am October 3, 2014.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

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The Announcement

1. A new “Frozen” attraction will be replacing Maelstrom in Epcot. Maelstrom closes October 5, 2014 the new attraction is scheduled to open early in 2016.
2. A meet and greet area for Anna and Elsa will be added to the Norway Pavilion.
3. Queen Elsa will be using her magical powers to turn Cinderella Castle into an ice palace this holiday season.
4. Queen Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf will join the “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Parade” at the Magic Kingdom.
5. The “For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Sing-Along Celebration” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will continue indefinitely.
6. Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post & Frozen Funland is being relocated to a larger, yet unnamed area, and will be open at least through the holiday season.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

Whenever an attraction is closed or changed, there is an uproar in the Disney community. Walt told us that, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” Change happens and nothing in the parks is sacred, look what happened to Cinderella Castle for the park’s 25th anniversary…blech! Anyway, Maelstrom holds a special place in the hearts of many but the ride and film are outdated. Rumor is that Norway wouldn’t step up and upgrade their pavilion so Disney stepped in. Whatever the reason, I am looking forward to the change and I am proud of Disney for giving us an attraction with in 5 years of the movie’s release. Remember, we had to wait 20+ years for a “Little Mermaid” ride.

I have no problem with a fairy tale being in World Showcase because they are already there. Many characters have meet and greets in the country of their story’s origin. Donald Duck already has a home in the Mexico Pavilion so why can’t the fictitious Nordic town of Arendelle be placed in Norway? I am happy that a meet and greet area will be added to the Norway Pavilion too. Hopefully having two locations to meet the Queen and the Princess will help cut down on wait times.

There is a lot more I could say on this issue, but I won’t. I do hope to be at Epcot on opening day of this attraction, yes, I’m that excited.

Having Queen Elsa use her powers to turn Cinderella Castle into an ice palace seems very appropriate to me. Who conjures up a better winter wonderland than Queen Elsa? No one! The “Frozen” characters are a natural fit for “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Parade” and they will be a well-received new addition.

Back in July I told you that I thought the sing-along would stay around for a while and I guess I was right! This makes me so happy! This is a truly magical attraction, which I have seen 3 times so far! Now more guests will get to have fun singing along to their favorite “Frozen” tunes. I’m also glad the Oaken’s will be around for a while longer. Seeing the joy on kid’s faces while they play with snow…in Florida is wonderful. I’m also glad that the new location will have an expanded “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman Snow Ground”. I wanna build a snowman, but the lines have been soooo long, I haven’t done it yet.

I know this post is long but I wanted you to know what is going on at Walt Disney World. While I understand the people who are upset at losing Maelstrom, change is constant and as Walt said, we need to “Keep moving forward.”

What are your thoughts about all of these changes? Leave me a comment so we can discuss this issue.

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