This weekend was chock full of Disney movies, mainly because I was super sick with my FIRST COLD OF THE SEASON!
I found myself reaching for some strong, empowering female-lead movies as well. Not sure why, but anyways, Princess Merida from Brave is a great “spokesperson” for this role! Her whimsy and independence are truly endearing. Merida, you rock!
Hurricane Matthew is making a mess down in Florida, and as we speak, the Walt Disney World theme parks are shut down and preparing for the storm. Folks on vacation at the magical land must be disappointed to miss visiting the parks and the MNSSHP events, I would be! Some comments have been made that it’s risky to travel to WDW during hurricane season, however, it should be pointed out that it is a truly rare occasion that the parks have to close due to the weather.
A flyer handed to all guests exiting the parks on August 13, 2004 explains admission refund policies. Image from Chris Barry. Source: MousePlanet.com
Hurricane season in Florida runs from the end of June to November, believe it or not! But since opening in 1971, the parks have only been closed because of the weather a few times. Hurricane Floyd rushed through in 1999. and this caused the all four parks to close down for the first time in WDW history! And then in 2004, which was a crazy hurricane season in Florida (I know, I was there for Hurricane Charlie!), the parks saw a few different full-day closures.
My trip wasn’t interrupted, however, we were leaving the day it got really bad. But I remember seeing the cast members, all calm and collected, as they had to prepare to shut down some of the attractions. Obviously the rides that are outside get shut down first.
Being in Florida during a hurricane can be unbelievably nerve-wracking! In 2004, during Hurricane Charlie, my family and I were staying with my grandmother who lived in Kissimmee at the time. We were there to help move her up to Boston so should could live with us. Of course, my family planned a couple of nights at the Walt Disney World parks, and, we actually stayed at the Grand Floridian Resort!
That resort is absolutely GORGEOUS and I remember feeling very posh and important whenever I walked onto the property!
Anyways, Hurricane Charlie rushed in, and my whole family (including the dog) had to bunker down in my Grandmother’s pantry! It was crazy. There was six of us all huddled together in an 8×8 room, holding hands, praying, and panicking. The destruction was craziness! My Grandmother’s trees were pulled from the ground, roof shingles were littered all over the yard, but the worst thing was the weather afterwards.
Obviously, we had no power, and the humidity was super oppressive. Without AC, we were getting pretty snippy with one another. Also, we were packing a house full of things by candlelight, mind you, so it was just awful! I remember the need for ice was also in high demand, and the lines… oh my GOODNESS the lines to get ice, gas, just the necessities. It was completely surreal for a New England gal like me.
Don’t get me wrong, we have our Nor’easters to contend with. But to be honest, it’s easier to make a fire and warm up then go without the use of a fan or AC. Horrible.
While I understand that Central Florida does not usually get hit by this Hurricane Season, having lived through one 10+ years ago, my thoughts go out to everyone who is being affected by this right now. I hope that proper aid and help comes swiftly, and everyone remains safe.
October!!! I love October, it’s my second favorite month in the entire year (following December, of course)!!!
So many awesome great exciting things happen in October, especially up here in New England. It’s cool, beautiful, comfy, rejuvenating, and sometimes just a little spooky!
We got the Salem Witch Trial thing up the road, we’re known for being the location where Hocus Pocus was filmed, and it’s easy to believe that mischief and mayhem can occur on our cobblestone streets littered with colorful leaves. *sigh* It really is beautiful right now.
To get in the mood for the “mischief” October brings, I decided to find out What My Disney Villain Name was, by checking out this quiz.
No surprise, I got the magically deceiving Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog. Not only is that one of my all time favorite movies, I think that Dr. F is a great villain! However, I’m not exactly sure I relate to these “traits” the way the quiz believes I do…
“You are very much like Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog. You are shady, suave, and powerful. Your magic is great but comes at a cost, and everyone knows you’ve got friends on the other side.”
Hmph.
Aye aye, Matey!
A fifth Pirates movie is on its way for 2017. And that would be: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
These movies are getting darker and darker, which is cool. I really loved the first and second movie, but haven’t seen the fourth one yet. Maybe a Pirate Movie Marathon is in order?…
Check out the trailer here!
So we have Maleficent, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book movies which have all been revamped and the stories have been modified. In my opinion, 2 out of 3 were hits! Maleficent took me a few tries to appreciate (I really hated the fairies!), but it was visually stunning as all the new movies have been.
Yesterday, however, the Director of The Jungle Book (2016), John Favreau announced that he would be directing a new version of…. drum roll please……..
The Lion King!
The movie is set to be released in 2019. It has also been confirmed that the new film will have some of the original songs in it.
The Lion King is one of my all-time favorite movies, for sure. I’ve literally memorized more than half that movie word -for-word. To be honest, I’m not sure how this movie will be. It’s such a super classic and favorite that part of me is thinking, “Leave it alone!”. But another part of me is trying to imagine how freaking adorable baby Simba is going to be!
What are your thoughts?
Rainy, dark, and chilly. Yes, it is finally autumn – hooray! But this dark weather is making me want to go home and curl up with a nice comfy blanket, some hot chocolate, and binge-watch Disney movies! What am I talking about… I ALWAYS want to be curled up watching Disney movies! 🙂
The Disney Diva 