111 Awesome Disney Songs, Part 6

Ryan Dosier - Part 6, Part 6, woo-hoo!

56.)   "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio
No song says Disney more than the theme from Pinocchio. In fact, this was (and in my opinion, still is) undoubtedly the anthem for The Walt Disney Company. "When You Wish Upon a Star" encapsulates everything that Disney stands for as both an entertainment company and an ideal to strive for. The "Disney Way" is this song, and it's perfection. Jiminy Cricket's original version from Pinocchio remains the stalwart best. Favorite Lyrics: "Like a bolt out of the blue/Fate steps in and sees you through/When you wish upon a star/Your dreams come true."

57.)   "Perfect World" from The Emperor's New Groove
Come on, I had to include a song from The Emperor's New Groove, one of Disney's most under-appreciated animated features. No, it's not a musical, but this number performed by rock and roll legend Tom Jones to open the film is spectacular. It sets the tone for the film immediately, and clues you into the fact that this will definitely not be the traditional Disney fare. "Perfect World" is a perfect song for this film. Favorite Lyrics: "He was born and raised to rule/No one has ever been this cool/In a thousand years of aristocracy/An enigma and a mystery/In Meso American history/The quintessence of perfection/That is he!"

58.)   "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty
This song is actually my favorite part of Sleeping Beauty. It's gorgeously animated, the backgrounds are incredibly stunning, and the song is magical. The lyrics illustrate such a beautiful ideal--meeting your true love in a dream, and knowing they're the one for you when you meet them for real. It's such a delightful moment in one of Walt Disney's classic films. Perfectly performed, stunningly animated, and a wonderful part of Disney music history. Favorite Lyrics: "I know you, I've walked with you/Once upon a dream/I know you, the gleam in your eyes/Is so familiar agleam/And I know it's true/That visions are seldom what they seem/But if I know you/I know what you'll do/You'll love me at once/The way you did once upon a dream."

59.)   "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" from Frozen
The newest song in the list this week comes directly from the icy world of Frozen, the latest Disney animated blockbuster. "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" is the catchiest song in the film and the one that stuck with me the most after my first viewing of the film. I love the angelic voices of the girls singing the song, the adorable way Anna says "It doesn't have to be a snowman," and everything else about this song. Favorite Lyrics: "Do you wanna build a snow man?/Or ride our bikes around the halls/I think some company is overdue/I've started talking to/The pictures on the walls!"

60.)   "Gonna Take You There" from The Princess and the Frog
I really don't understand how you could not love The Princess and the Frog. Stunning traditional animation, wonderful storytelling, and exceptional music from Randy Newman. Ray the Lightning Bug (voiced by voice actor virtuoso Jim Cummings) is my favorite character in the film, and this quick zydeco-flavored song he sings to Tiana is a blast. The animation in this scene is especially stunning, with the many lightning bugs hopping and flying through the swamp. It's a joy. Favorite Lyrics: "We all go through together/Down here that's how we do!/Me for them and them for me/We'll all be there for you!"

61.)   "Stand Out" from A Goofy Movie
I'm pretty sure I've already said this, but my goodness does A Goofy Movie have excellent music. "Stand Out" is the first Powerline song we hear in the film, as Max ruins his school assembly performing it with incredible light and video effects. The song is actually a really nice message of coming to terms with how you're different and how you stand out because of it. Plus, it rocks super hard. Favorite Lyrics: "Some people settle for the typical things/Living all their lives waiting in the wings/It ain't a question of if, just a matter of time/Before I move to the front of the line!"

62.)   "Go the Distance" from Hercules
Perhaps my favorite Alan Menken ballad, "Go the Distance" is the anthem for many, many people setting out to live their dreams on a grand scale. I adore this song so much and I've sang it in the car when I needed a reminder of how important dreams are on multiple occasions. It's one of those songs with a message that will never get old or stop being important. "Go the Distance" is one of many factors that makes Hercules so wonderful. Favorite Lyrics: "I have often dreamed/Of a far off place/Where a great, warm welcome/Will be waiting for me/Where the crowds will cheer/When they see my face/And a voice keeps saying/This is where I'm meant to be."

63.)   "On the Open Road" from A Goofy Movie
Ooh, yet another song from A Goofy Movie, and one of my favorites! This is the only true "musical" style song in the whole film, where there characters are spontaneously all singing the same song. Oddly, I think "On the Open Road" is my favorite tune from the flick. I love Bill Farmer's singing voice as Goofy and this song fits him so well. The chorus of other drivers who chime in are also incredibly well done. Favorite Lyrics: "Do ya need a break from modern livin'?/Do you long to shed your weary load?/If your nerves are raw and your brain is fried/Just grab a friend and take a ride/Together upon the open road!"

64.)   "Strangers Like Me" from Tarzan
Have we had any songs from Tarzan on the list yet? Probably... and I'm too lazy to go back and check! Anyway, Phil Collins' work with the music in Tarzan is wonderful. One of the few Disney animated features to feature prominent songs that characters don't sing, Tarzan features a plethora of hits. "Strangers Like Me" is a beautiful storytelling song in the film, but also works as a wonderful anthem for finding a place where you belong. A true highlight of the film. Favorite Lyrics: "Every gesture, every move that she makes/Makes me feel like never before/Why do I have/This growing need to be beside her /Ooh, these emotions I never knew/Of some other world far beyond this place/Beyond the trees, above the clouds/I see before me a new horizon."

65.)   "Reflection" from Mulan
Another beautiful anthem from a Disney animated feature, "Reflection" is a favorite of many girls and women who adored Mulan. But really, "Reflection" reflects all of us searching for purpose and trying to define who we truly are. It's a touching and staggering song expressing how most people feel at a young age. Trying to figure out who you are at the most confusing period of life is never easy, and this song explores and expresses that incredibly well. Favorite Lyrics: "Who is that girl I see?/Staring straight back at me/Why is my reflection someone I don't know?/Somehow I cannot hide/Who I am, though I've tried/When will my reflection show/Who I am inside?"

66.)   "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins
Absolutely one of the most clever songs ever written, this impossible to spell Sherman Brothers classic is a delight. When performed by Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke, "Supercali-" becomes a masterpiece. I adore this song and how silly and fun and wonderful it is. It's the definition of a nonsense song, and it's marvelous. Favorite Lyrics: "Because I was afraid to speak/When I was just a lad/Me father gave me nose a tweak/And told me I was bad/But then I learned a word to help me save my achin' nose/The biggest word you ever hear/And this is how it goes, oh!/Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" 

Frozen Attraction Heading to Epcot in 2016, replacing Maelstrom dark-ride

The Disney Parks Blog announced earlier today that Frozen is heading back to Walt Disney World, but even bigger than better than ever. After much speculation, it was confirmed that Frozen will find a new home and attraction in the Norway pavilion of Epcot's World Showcase. The new currently unnamed attraction will replace the Maelstorm attraction which has been operating since 1988. The attraction is currently planned to open in 2016.

" We’ve made “Frozen” a part of the guest experience in a number of ways already and our guests have both loved them and asked for more." says Tom Staggs in a Disney Parks Blog post "So I’m pleased to say that we’re starting construction at Walt Disney World Resort on a brand new “Frozen” attraction at the Norway Pavilion in Epcot. The new attraction, which replaces Maelstrom, will take our guests to Arendelle and immerse them in many of their favorite moments and music from the film."

Disney Parks also revealed that Anna, Elsa, Sven, Kristoff, Olaf and the rest of the Frozen gang will be joining Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade later this year with a special pre-show which will include Queen Elsa icing over the Cinderella Castle every night.

You can read more info about these upcoming attractions on the Disney Parks Blog. 

The Story of Frozen: Highlights and What to Expect Next

Mitchell Stein- Somehow since it's release, Frozen has become an incredible instant classic, becoming the highest-grossing films of all time, and one of the most beloved Disney films in many years. Just under an hour ago, ABC finished airing The Story of Frozen gave us an insight behind-the scenes for this fantastic film and what's to come from Disney's latest cash cow.

What I'm not going to do is not tell you if it's good or not, because I am assuming we've all seen it by now, but what specific points seem to stand out for me and what I hope to expect in the future from the franchise.

The beginning of the special introduced us to some of the cast and crew of the film. The crew takes us through a quick journey which brings us back to the days of Walt Disney and the original concepts for The Snow Queen which would eventually become Frozen. The entire crew did a brilliant job on taking us behind the scenes and showing the journey on developing the Frozen characters, from early concept sketches to final animation, the work that went into this film is brilliant.

Beyond that, we look at some of the story development that went through many rapid changes. Originally in the new concepts, Elsa was a villian at first, but they swapped that idea when the Lopez's working on Elsa's song, switching out the original villain song for Let It Go, and an idea from John Lasseter, which would change Elsa's character from the evil villain into the misunderstood sister in the final draft. We also see some footage from the crew's trip to Norway to learn more about the architecture and culture in order to translate into animation and the promise of a big announcement was on the way.

Frozen, and the incredible TV special we saw tonight are just some of the examples of what kind of impact this film has had on the studio and the world, and it's quite clear this cultural phenomenon isn't going to be over quickly. The only questions that stand in the way are what direction Disney is planning to point them in.
Tonight they revealed that the studio is working on a brand-new short to premiere in Spring 2015 (no word on where the short will be shown) named "Frozen Fever" (which oddly is not about the overload of Let It Go parodies you've seen online). Another big project set to premiere soon is the characters of Frozen appearing on Once Upon a Time's fourth season in just a few weeks. While these are just a few big things, I have to say I'm really surprised how Disney is really holding back from milking this major cash cow that they have.

Many people (myself included) were hoping for a little more to come out of the announcement, with major rumors like a potential Frozen themed attraction replacing Maelstrom in Epcot, or a sequel led nowhere, at least for tonight's special that is. I have no doubt that we will hear some announcements about these eventually, and it's highly possible they're already concepts floating around at Disney, but why they are holding back on making these plans public are beyond me. My guess would be that Disney is holding back and just seeing how popular Frozen will be and how long this "Frozen Fever" can go on for, to see if it's a viable franchise.

For the future of the franchise, what I would like to see is a theme park tie-in, like Epcot's Norway would be a viable option to settle the characters, possibly a spot in Fantasyland. I wouldn't be surprised if they happen to land a show in Disney World sometime soon. With the American Idol Experience theater empty, it seems pretty possible a show may end up in that spot. I would also love to see a Frozen television series. Once Upon a Time will likely go in the opposite direction Frozen should be going in, so I think a television series, done in the same great fashion Disney series in the 90's such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules did before it. I think that would be a smart next move for the characters and would keep them in the spotlight for enough time for the folks over at Disney Animation to come up with the next Frozen feature film masterpiece. Whatever it is Disney is holding back from, I hope it's just because perfection takes time.

What would you like to see Frozen do next? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below! 

Frozen Event Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios This Summer

Disney's major blockbuster Frozen is finally making it's first major debut in the theme parks. Beginning on July 5th, Disney's Hollywood Studios will be hosting several major Frozen events, according to rumors, it will include six major events including a Sing Along, a Dance Party, and a Frozen Funland ending the day off with a fireworks show. Rumors are the event is meant to run from July 5th until September.

UPDATE: The event was made official by the Disney Parks Blog earlier. The event schedule is as follows: (from the official Disney Parks article).

(Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog)

• Olaf on Summer Vacation – Olaf the Snowman is having the time of his life on his very first summer vacation! He chimes in throughout the day to keep everyone updated on all his adventures. Plus, you can pick up your very own Take-Along Olaf from locations in the park, so he can join you on your summer vacation. And when you share your photos with Olaf on social media, be sure to tag them with #OlafSummerVacation. They may just get selected to appear in that day’s grand finale!
• 
  
• Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome – At 11:00 a.m. each day, Elsa and Anna arrive in Hollywood as part of their goodwill tour of neighboring kingdoms, making their way down Hollywood Boulevard in a horse-drawn sleigh. Kristoff is along for the fun, too, joined by a flurry of skaters, skiiers, ice cutters and more! The entire procession culminates in a special moment at the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage to officially welcome the visiting royalty to this kingdom of Hollywoodland.

• For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Sing-Along Celebration – Cool down inside the Premiere Theater, where Anna and Elsa join the Royal Historians of Arendelle for a fun and comedic retelling of the unique history of their Kingdom, filled with delightful, sing-along moments from “Frozen.”
• Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post & Frozen Funland – Inside Soundstage One, Oaken and his cousins have created a Frozen Funland filled with cold weather activities, unique photo opportunities, and more! There’s a frozen pond with ice skating demonstrations, wintertime fun for kids in the “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” play area, a “big summer blowout” with plenty of “Frozen” merchandise, and special “Frozen”-inspired food and beverage offerings.

• “Coolest Summer Ever” Dance Party – Starting at 5:30 p.m. each day, a dance party takes over the area around the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage, with a DJ, live band, and more! The band plays a variety of classic and contemporary summer rock & roll hits, as well as a cool, rocking medley of “Frozen” favorites. It’s going to be hot!
• “Frozen” Fireworks Spectacular – Everything wraps up at 9:45 p.m. when Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf come together at the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage for a grand finale to the day’s festivities, kicking off an awe-inspiring fireworks display set to the glorious music of “Frozen!”

Source: Disney Parks Blog

The event has officially been scheduled to take place between July 5th and September 1st. 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Disney Fan Art Showcase: Brittany Myers Part 2

Last week we showcased some of the beautiful and wonderful artwork from Disney fan Brittany Myers. We're once again super excited to share more of Brittany's fantastic art pieces, including art from films like Frozen, Tangled, Brave, and more! Be sure to check out Brittany's website to see more of her artwork.

Without further ado, here is part two of our showcase of Brittany's beautiful fan art:

Merida (Brave)

Nani (Lilo and Stitch) sketch 

"Life is the Bubbles!"

"I Can't!" from Disney's Frozen 

Frozen Heart

Rapunzel (Tangled) 

Violet (The Incredibles) 

Frozen Photo Portrait

That's all for now! Thanks so much to Brittany for sharing her work with us once again! Be sure to check out Brittany's website here to see even more work! 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Disney Fan Art Showcase: Brittany Myers Part 1

Today we're really excited to showcase some truly incredible pieces of artwork illustrated by the incredibly talented Disney fan artist Brittany Myers. Be sure to check out Brittany's website to see even more fantastic artwork! We'll be spotlighting Brittany's wonderful Disney artwork in a special two-part fan spotlight series. Be sure to check back soon for part two:

"Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" 

Kim Possible 

"Conceal, don't feel."

Tinker Bell Sketch 

Sally (Nightmare Before Christmas)

Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Ursula 

Be sure check back for part two of Brittany's art soon! Thanks again to Brittany for sharing her work with us!

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

News Update: May 20th 2014

Lots of major news these past couple of weeks, it's almost impossible to keep track of it all!

Starting off the news this week was just announced by Disney On Ice earlier this morning. A brand-new show starring the cast of Frozen will go on tour starting in Orlando this summer and then moving to many other cities. You can check Disney On Ice's website for the full schedule and when it will be coming to your area.

Frozen is also coming to Disneyland California as announced by Disney Parks some days ago on their blog. A brand-new Frozen float will appear in the pre-parade before performances of Mickey's Soundsational Parade this June.

Television shows Once Upon A Time and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D both aired their season finales this week and have both been picked up for another season on ABC (with the exception of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland which was cancelled earlier this year). Also picked up for next year is Marvel's Agent Carter which will follow Agents Peggy Carter of SHIELD following the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. The series will air during the time when Agents of SHIELD is on hiatus between episodes. Read our in-depth review of the Agents of SHIELD finale! 

ONCE UPON A TIME SPOILER: 

Queen Elsa from Frozen makes a brief appearance at the end of the season three finale, teasing at what's to come next season. The story is currently unknown as what's yet to come, as OUAT tends to return to the origins of the fairy-tales as they deem necessary (rather than going according to the Disney versions) but either way, Disney is promoting this from the 2013 Frozen film, so we should expect big things to come to Storybrooke next season.

Just yesterday, Disney and Marvel released another trailer for their upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy. Guardians stars actors Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Zoe Salanda, Bradley Cooper, John C. Reily along with others. The trailer was released yesterday on the Guardians Facebook page: 

Post by Guardians of the Galaxy.

Star Wars Episode VII has officially begun filming! JJ Abrams' company Bad Robot posted this picture on Twitter with the simple hashtag #dayone. The film is expected to hit theaters December 2015.

Disney's latest sports drama Million Dollar Arm hit theaters this weekend to unfortuantley poor box-office results up against Godzilla which opened this weekend as well. Million Dollar Arm made approx. $10 million at the box office this weekend according to Box Office Mojo. The budget was only $25 million, so it shouldn't take too long to get to that amount. Read our review of the film right here. 

Many new details on the Harry Potter expansion at Universal Orlando has been announced this week, with incredible details and photos from the new Escape from Gringotts attraction and the entire Diagon Alley expansion. Read all the details right here.

And for the final bit of news this week, Disney Parks revealed more info about the Rock Your Disney Side event, which is a 24 hour event in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland California. You can find the full schedules on Disney Parks Blog website.

That's all for now! Have a great week! 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

News Update: May 1st 2014

The cast has been revealed! Disney and Lucasfilm have officially unveiled the cast line-up for Star Wars VII set to hit theaters next December. The announcement brings back original cast members Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew. Newcomers to the scene include actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow and Andy Serkis (who you may be familiar as Gollum from the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit films. We speculate that Serkis’ character will follow something along that line.) 

A group photo of the cast has been released as seen above.

Disney Interactive made a giant announcement this week around Disney Infinity, and at an event in Los Angeles Wednesday morning April 30th, they revealed that Marvel’s Avengers are coming to Disney Infinity, joining a large cast of already existing characters, but until yesterday, Marvel characters were absent from the game. You can now play as any of the Avengers, consisting of Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Thor. You can play with many different devices and locations by purchasing additional power discs, one including Agent Phil Coulson’s “Lola” vehicle from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. What more could you possibly ask for? 

With the opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train just weeks away, Disney Parks continues to tease at the the upcoming ride, and released yet another video of almost the entire ride-through of the attraction. The construction walls recently came down around the ride, and the carts going around the track can be seen quite frequently on regular days in Magic Kingdom, so expect a release date to be announced soon. We’re suspecting of possibly an end of May opening.

Just a few weeks ago, we announced a brand new upcoming home video film starring Mickey and the rest of the gang from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The film, Around the Clubhouse World, takes the gang on a journey across the globe, learning about different cultures in various different countries. Below is a clip that became available this week. The film is available on DVD May 20th, 2014. 

Going viral in Disney circles this week is this hilarious fan-made video made by two fans of the film Frozen and filmed in Disneyland. The video features a couple singing to the hit Frozen song, “Love is an Open Door”, and it shines among many of the other Frozen parodies found on the internet. 

Love is an Open Door Fan: 

A week ago we reviewed Disneynature’s latest film, Bears, a truly wonderful film. Disneynature promised to donate part of the movie’s financial success with the National Park Foundation for every ticket sold on opening weekend. We’re super excited to hear that many people saw the film and Disney delivered the donations to the NPF, and announced that it will be expanding it’s commitment to conservation and would be donating an additional amount than the one previously promised. If you missed seeing the film opening weekend, Disney will also give a portion to the NPF if you purchase any of the following: 

•       Young fans unlocked an exclusive bear costume on Disney Club Penguin to support the National Park Foundation: www.ClubPenguin.com.
•       The Disney Music Group is contributing a portion of each iTunes download of Olivia Holt’s Friends for Change anthem “Carry On”: iTunes.com/CarryOn. 
• The Disney Store committed a portion of “Bears” plush purchases to the National Park Foundation:www.disneystore.com.
•       At Disney Parks, a special Duffy the Disney Bear benefited the National Park Foundation in April.
•          Disney Cruise Line made a contribution in celebration of the movie, which also premiered on the high seas.
•       Regal Entertainment Group introduced a gift card program in conjunction with “Bears” that resulted in a contribution to the National Park Foundation: www.regmovies.com.
•      New York jewelry designer Alex Woo designed eco-friendly pendants inspired by the film, available in Sterling Silver & 14kt Gold—a portion of each sale benefits the National Park Foundation: www.alexwoo.com.

More details have been unveiled about the It's a Small World film which is being developed at Disney. Director John Turtletaub (National Treasure, The Sorcerer's Apprentice) has been signed on to direct the film. No release date has yet been announced.

Muppets Most Wanted, Disney's latest fantastic Muppet adventure hits Blu-Ray and DVD August 5th 2014! No bonus features have been revealed yet, but the film will be available this summer to own. Muppets Most Wanted takes the Muppet gang on an adventure throughout Europe, only to get caught up with Constantine, the World's Most Dangerous Frog and get tangled up in a jewel hesit caper. The film is still playing in theaters worldwide. Read our review of the film here on The Mickey Mindset as well as our review on our other site, The Muppet Mindset. 

And in very sad news this week, legendary actor Bob Hoskins has passed away at the age of 71 on Tuesday. Hoskins was well known in the Disney circles as Eddie Valiant in Disney/Touchstone's Who Framed Roger Rabbit. We pay tribute to Hoskins for his brilliant acting in this video below, showcasing his wonderful acting talents, and what process he went through to film the Roger Rabbit movie.

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

NEWS UPDATE: April 25th 2014

Starting off the news this past week is the (official) fiftieth anniversary of Disney's It's A Small World attraction which first appeared at the 1964-65 World's Fair on April 22nd. To celebrate, Disney held a celebration across the globe, and this video appeared on Good Morning America. This was posted a week ago, but we forgot to share it earlier. Celebrate fifty years of the happiest cruise that ever sailed with this wonderful video:

Got a good baseball arm? Today might be your lucky day. Disney is offering $1 million dollars to any amateur baseball players who can throw a ball at 100 mph in promotion for their next film, Million Dollar Arm, which hits theaters May 16th 2014. More info is available at http://movies.disney.com/million-dollar-arm/special-event

As of this week, Disney World is adding the option of including one extra FastPass for their new FastPass+ system, now moving the limit from three FastPasses per day up to four, but only if you already used all three FastPasses that you reserved on that day. This is great news for fans of the old system of FastPass, and hopefully Disney World will continue to raise the limit on FastPasses throughout the park. 

"The 7D" is set to premiere on Disney XD on July 7th, Stitch Kingdom Reports. Joining the cast is Whoopi Goldberg ad Jay Leno. "The 7D" is a modern re-design of the classic Seven Dwarfs from the famous Snow White story (character design for the series can be seen below)This quite possibly is a tie-in to the opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Disney World is just a few weeks, but we can confirm that the Dwarfs in the attraction look the same as they did in Snow White in 1937. It is unclear why Disney XD chose not to go with the original designs for the series, but the show airs July 7th 2014 on Disney XD. 

Seven Dwarfs Re-designed for 7D series

Speaking of the Seven Dwarfs, the construction walls have come down surrounding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, speculated to open sometime in the next month. The entrance area in front of the attraction has been revealed, and the good folks over at Inside the Magic got the full scoop. Read the article right here. 

"Feast" an all new short from Disney is set to premiere before Disney's next animated film, Big Hero 6. The short shows one man's love life through the eyes of his dog, and revealed bite-by-bite of the meals they share. The short and the film release in North American theaters November 7th 2014. 

Disney's Hollywood Studios is celebrating 25 years since park opening back in the year of 1989, where it opened under the name of Disney's- MGM Studios. Many other attractions came to open in that time and built up to what it is today. Of course, in true Disney fashion, this calls for a major celebration! On May 1st, here's the things you can see and do if you're in the park: 

• At 10 a.m., Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will take the stage with Disney’s Hollywood Studios Vice President Dan Cockerell honoring members of the 25-year cast members at a re-dedication ceremony. 

• “Stars of the Studios”, a brand new special motorcade, will make its way down Hollywood Blvd. beginning at 7 p.m. and feature Mickey and Minnie, Captain Jack Sparrow, Darth Vader, Doc McStuffins, Wreck-It Ralph, Venellope, Sofia the First and stars featured throughout the park. 

•  Special merchandise (although it has not been announced what specific merchandise will be for sale.  

• After the motorcade, the front of the park’s Sorcerer Hat Stage will host a special dance party and a fireworks show finishes the day at 9:30 p.m. The pyrotechnics show, which will be high in the sky above the Sorcerer Mickey Hat, will pay tribute to 25 years of show business stories that have been told throughout the park.

 There you have it! Happy Birthday MGM- er, Hollywood Studios! 

Frozen is unstoppable. Every week, Frozen gets higher on the highest grossing film list, and at the moment of this report, it is currently at the sixth highest grossing film mark of all time, tickets prices un-adjusted, recently surpassing films such as Lord of The Rings: Return of the King and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Congratulations to the entire team who worked on Frozen! 

And for the final bit of news this week: Idina Menzel is hosting a live chat on Frozen's Facebook page later today, Friday April 25th 2014. Visit https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFrozen to submit your questions for Idina Menzel to answer. The chat will start at 6 PM EST/ 3 PM PST. 

That's all for now. Have a magical week! 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Frozen Becomes the Highest Grossing Animated Film of All Time

Mitchell Stein- The fantastic Disney Animated film, Frozen has officially surpassed Toy Story 3, The Lion King and Despicable Me 2 and landed itself as the highest grossing film of all time, as well as being crowned the tenth place on the highest grossing film of all time, which includes live action as well as animated.

We applaud Walt Disney Animated Studios on this amazing achievement, especially for a film that's not a follow-up to any other previous animated film is an amazing feat, so of course the good folks over at Disney Animation are really excited. As well as all this flood of money coming to the movie, the movie earned Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes, the Annie awards, and at the Academy Awards, and walked home with the award for Best Song, "Let It Go".

The total gross of the film as of this morning was $1,072.4 million according to BoxOfficeMojo.com and an official press release from Disney. 

If you haven't seen Frozen yet, it's still playing in many theaters across North America and opened recently in many countries internationally. Check local listings for showtimes. 

Congratulations to the entire team who worked on Frozen! What an incredible achievement! I think it's safe to say we'll be seeing a lot of Frozen theme-park tie-ins, and possibly a Broadway musical in a few years and most probably a sequel soon. That's okay with us. The cold never bothered us anyway. 

Frozen is available to own on Blu-Ray and DVD. Read our review of the home release right here!