Do You Remember: The Pink Cinderella Castle Cake?

A couple of weeks ago, I asked what people thought of the "Magic Wand" over Spaceship Earth.
The response was split pretty evenly. But a lot of people brought up the Pink Castle Cake as perhaps the biggest abomination to ever befall Walt Disney World.

  Photo from Wikipedia. 

My photos from my trip in 1996 are MIA!

I was there on October 1st, 1996, the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort, which is why Cinderella Castle was transformed into an 18-story "birthday cake." Besides the pink icing, there were 26 candles, gumballs, lifesavers, etc.
I wasn't a fan, but at least it wasn't my 1st time at the park. If this was my once in a lifetime vacation to Walt Disney World, and I was excited to see the castle in it's original state, and I saw this, I might ask for a refund of some sort.

What was your opinion of the Castle Cake?

San Francisco Cable Car Vinylmation

I visited family in San Francisco a few weeks ago, and I had a short list of "Must Dos", such as a visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, and to ride a Cable Car. Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad (Never did walk across the Bridge as it was enveloped in fog every day I visited the city).
While in the city, I visited a Disney Store to see if they had any San Francisco exclusive merchandise. They did indeed, such as this Cable Car Vinylmation.

The cable cars are numbered...

...and this one is numbered 28, I am assuming to commemorate the creation year of Mickey Mouse.

 
The back offers another nod to Mickey.

Surprisingly, even the inside of the box is also very well themed.

This is a great souvenir commemorating a wonderful vacation, and fun experience.

My Favorite Buffet - Boma at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Boma is a buffet with an African flavor and has many different multicultural influences as well.
The restaurant has an open kitchen, a wood-burning grill and a rotisserie.



There are several areas featuring a variety of foods, such as a wood roasted meat section, salads, and soups.
We love the soups. They change them frequently, but usually include a few of these:

Chicken Corn Porridge
Smoked Tomato Soup
Creamy Carrot and Ginger Soup
Coconut Currey Seafood Soup
Cote D'Ivoire Seafood Gumbo
Butternut Squash Soup (which is more like a dessert, it's so sweet and creamy)
She Crab Soup (my favorite)



My wife really enjoys the different dips and breads.



 But you have to save room for dessert. Like the rest of the buffet, there is something for everyone.


My very favorite thing though, is the Zebra Dome. Zebra Domes consist of a thin layer of white cake, a dome of Amarula Liqueur mousse, coated in a white chocolate ganache with a dark chocolate ganache drizzle and are one of the most talked about foods at Disney World!

Boma is open for Breakfast and Dinner, and we enjoy both.

There are offerings for every taste, from simple to adventurous, so I highly recommend it for a large group. I can't imagine anyone in the group wouldn't find something they like.

Portions of this article were originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.

Disney Memories

Guest Writer Wednesday

Disney Memories By: Rebecca Kingsley Gonzales

When I was an infant my family started going to Disney, so my love of Disney started at a very young age and I have so many great memories. Disney has always brought me such happiness.  As soon as I drive under the Disney arch I tear up and I am so happy to be “home”. The arch is kinda like a time machine that takes you back to when you were young, or for me it is.

Choosing which rides you love at Disney is like having to choose between a Mickey’s ice cream bar and a Dole Whip, because they all have such special meanings. Like the Haunted Mansion, I remember when I was five I would cry and cry when we would ride it because I was afraid of the hitchhiking ghosts, but every time we got off I would cry because I really wanted to ride again. It’s one of my favorite rides. Riding it now just makes me feel happy!  I do however miss Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and Snow White’s Scary Adventure, they also scared me but were my favorites

Being a child back when Disney opened Epcot I really miss a lot of the old rides. Horizons and World of Motion were always my favorites. While visiting the Land Pavilion we loved eating at The Good Turn, which is now The Garden Grill; I must say I still love eating there.  It brings back such wonderful memories. I love when we pass by the old farm house!

 

I, like many, many others am so very blessed to have been able to go to Disney multiple times.  I am so very glad that Walt Disney had a dream, and he made that dream possible.   I would like to end with one of my most favorite Walt Disney quotes:
 “I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.”~~ Walt Disney


Funko Disney/Pixar Mystery Mini Figures

I'd read about these Funko Disney/Pixar Mystery Mini Figures several months ago on a Vinylmation site.
The article asked if it was possible that these new figures could overtake Vinylmation in popularity.
That obviously hasn't happened, but I actually think they are pretty terrific!
They come in a blind box like Vinyl, and inside they are in a black plastic bag.

 

The character range isn't as wide as Vinylmation, certainly, but manages to include a few of our absolute favorite characters, Mickey Mouse, Stitch, Tinker Bell and Winnie the Pooh. They are about a half inch shorter on average than a 3" Vinylmation.

 

What's very interesting to me, is the rarity of some of these. Some are very rare indeed! 1 in a 144 rare for a Pooh, Tink, or Sulley! Why the top left Mickey is 2 in 24 and not 1 in 12 is a mystery.

After reading the article, I went on a search for these at the local Barnes and Noble, as well as their online shop, and came up empty handed. I found them on Amazon and eBay, but decided to limit myself to finding them at the store. I never did.
But Barbie didn't forget, and bought me some for my birthday! Since they were gifts, I have no idea how much they cost, but she says they were at a reasonable price.
Let's see what I got!
The first package I opened contained a Mike Wazowski. 1/24. Not bad. The very next box I opened contained...the exact same figure!

Next, a Mickey!  1/18.

I love the tail!

 

Next up was another Mike, 1/18, followed by a Sulley, 1/48.
They make a great pair!

Another great tale!

Last, but certainly not least, my wife's favorite, Stitch! 1/18.

Well, I didn't get any super rare figures, but I love what I got! This of course has given me Mini Madness, so I'll be searching eBay for more. I'll share what I find here in the future.

The Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream

Imagine going into a restaurant and ordering a Kitchen Sink, and you really get the kitchen sink! Despite the fact that it was freezing cold and January, that's what my husband and I did with our friends, Kandi and John. The lights in the restaurant dimmed, you could hear the crowd hush and people started clapping and ta dah! This is what was delivered to our table!

 Here's a listing of what this amazing dessert includes:
(thank you to disneyparks.com for this thorough breakdown) 

• fudge topping, warmed
• butterscotch topping, warmed
•  peanut butter topping, warmed
• 1 medium banana, sliced in 1/2 –inch slices
• 1 cinnamon spice cupcake, quartered
• 1 angel food cupcake, quartered
• 2 4-oz. scoops vanilla ice cream
• 2 4-oz. scoops chocolate ice cream
• 2 4-oz. scoops strawberry ice cream
• 1 4-oz. scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream
• 1 4-oz. scoop coffee ice cream
• 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
•  marshmallow crème
•  strawberry topping
•  pineapple topping
• 1 14-oz can dairy whipped topping
• 1 brownie, quartered
• 1 regular-sized (2 ounce) candy bar, quartered
• 4 chocolate cookies (oreos-basically) with cream filling
• 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds
• 1 tablespoon dark and white chocolate shavings
• 1 tablespoon chocolate cookies with cream filling, crushed
• 1 tablespoon chopped jellied orange slice
• 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chip morsels
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter chip morsels
• 1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles
• 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
• 1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries

Barbie, Kandi, John, Nick

Look at us, we didn't know what we were getting into! We couldn't stop laughing once we saw what this was, and it was ours! The question now, could we finish it off? It's a long list of ingredients, too many to ponder on for any length of time...so did we finish it, and was it any good? Well, the consensus was that it was an fun and awesome dessert, that definitely needs to be shared with good friends; and yes, we absolutely were able to finish it off, and almost wound up licking the sink clean!!

Don't get the wrong idea, we're not done yet in this pic!

Flea Market Finds: Mickey and Minnie Banks

Weekends at the Columbus Flea Market are hit and miss. Some days, my wife and I walk the isles of stuff, and don't find a thing. Other times, we pick up several items, like these banks. Let's start off with this large, 8" x 6" (20.32  x 15.24 centimeters), ceramic Mickey bank.

I picked it up for $5.

You can make out the simple Copyright Disney under the price tag. Originally priced at $18!

I picked up these terrific Mickey and Minnie banks for $10.

Made of rubber, they measure 6" (15.24 centimeter's) tall. At their bases they are marked Walt Disney Productions, aging them to pre-early 80s.

Made in Korea.

No markings on the bottom. I'd love to know where they were originally purchased.

As a bonus feature, which I didn't even notice when I bought these, they each have one articulated arm! Minnie's raises up to her mouth. You can almost hear her giggle!

You can hear Mickey saying "Thanks for stopping by the Disney Musings Blog, hope to see you again real soon!"

Disney's The Prince and the Pauper

 

Disney's The Prince and the Pauper is an animated short released in 1990, playing before The Rescuers Down Under. 

I watched it recently, along with the other shorts included on Disney Animation Collection 3.

The Prince and the Pauper stars Mickey Mouse in a dual role as, well, Mickey Mouse, a Pauper, as well as the role of the Prince.

The King is gravely ill, and the captain of the guard, Pete, takes this opportunity, along with his weasel guards, to rob the kingdom in the King's name.

Mickey and his faithful dog Pluto, and his best friend, Goofy, are peasants who dream of a better life.

Meanwhile, the Prince wishes to experience the fun of an ordinary citizen.

When Mickey stumbles into the castle courtyard in pursuit of an errant Pluto, the Prince seizes the opportunity to pull of a ruse. 

Mickey shall be pretend to be the Prince, while the Prince journeys out to walk among his subjects.

Both Mickey and the Prince discover that the other mouse's life is not all that it is cracked up to be.

Things go from bad to worse when their plot is discovered by Pete.

To complicate matters even further, the King passes while the Prince is away.

Mickey is to be crowned King, and his told he will do exactly as Pete says, and Pete holds Pluto captive to ensure Mickey is compliant.

The Prince is captured, and thrown in the dungeon with Donald, the Prince's Valet. 

Goofy manages a not so daring rescue, and they reveal Pete as the scoundrel he is.

The Prince is made the King, and Goofy and Mickey remain at his side, ruling justly.

This is a wonderful cartoon with fun, fast paced action, and even touching moments.

Also included on Disney Animation Collection 3 are Silly Symphonies from 1933, The Pied Piper and Old King Cole.

A Knight for a Day from 1946 stars Goofy. And Goofy. And, well, Goofy plays every part!

Ye Olden Days is a Mickey Mouse cartoon, also from 1933. This is a musical set in Medieval times with Mickey playing a wandering minstrel who saves the Princess, played by Minnie, from the Prince of Poopoopadoo, played by Goofy (who was still known as Dippy Dawg at that time). 

Back when I visited the Walt Disney Family Museum, this sketch from Ye Olden Days was so impressive, I had to photograph it.

I love Ye Olden Days. Walt voices Mickey, but also sings a couple of tunes in this beautifully animated classic.

The Walt Disney Family Museum Store

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the outstanding Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.
As anyone that knows me will tell you, I'm a big fan of Museum Stores. Well, the one here is especially wonderful.

I'm going to apologize up front for the photos. I used my wife's camera, and, while I'd like to blame the equipment, the poor quality is user error.

The shop carries a wide array of Disney merchandise, and it is laid out artistically. Despite being very open, the shop manages to feel cozy, and it's a pleasure to browse around.

 

 

 There's a lovely assortment of books, including a few about the Museum itself.

I bought the red long sleeved tee-shirt seen in the center of this photo.

There are higher end collectables, such as Walt Disney Classics Collection figures.

They also carried back issues of a magazine that I really enjoyed, The E-Ticket.
I have the Redhead and Auctioneer WDCC figures seen here, and will feature them in a future post.

There are several art sets.

An assortment of Snow White items.

Not pictured are a wide assortment of postcards, mugs, pins, DVDs, snacks, and other reasonably priced items to entice you.

A visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum is a must for Disney fans, and a visit to the store is the perfect way to end the day.