Jiminy Cricket

I've got several Jiminy Cricket figures around the house, and so does my Diseny Exchange co-host Lisa Green,. Let's take a look!

By Lisa Green 

As a Disney side-kick, you can’t find one much better than Jiminy Cricket.  Sure, he’s a bug, but thanks to the Blue Fairy, he magically becomes an important part of Pinocchio’s life – acting as his conscience, attempting to keep his charge safe from trouble.  If you didn’t love Jiminy in Pinocchio, you have got to at least admit that he’s an incredible narrator for the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular (Magic Kingdom), right?  You think so, don’t you?  GOOD!  Me too!

There are a couple of precious Jiminy Cricket Disneyana items at our house (in the Joseph Green collection).  One is a modern figurine, picked up not that long ago on a Disney vacation. 

The other is much older and, I think, pretty unique and interesting.  A 1957 Dell Comic (Four Color #795) featuring the man (insect?) himself, Jiminy Cricket.  He stars in several separate comics alongside some very famous co-stars like Goofy, Captain Hook, Donald Duck and his playful nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie.  All the fun and excitement covered by the Dell Comic pledge.

Dell Comics – “A pledge to parents:  The Dell Trademark is, and always has been, a positive guarantee that the comic magazine bearing it contains only clean and wholesome entertainment.  The Dell code eliminates entirely, rather than regulates, objectionable material.  That’s why when your child buys a Dell Comic you can be sure it contains only good fun.  ‘Dell Comics are Good Comics’ is our only credo and constant goal.” 
You’ve got to hand it to the 1950’s – there was no better decade for wholesomeness!

When Jiminy Cricket first appeared in 1940, he was drawn by Ward Kimball (one of Disney’s “Nine Old Men”) and voiced by Cliff Edwards.  When he sang “When You Wish Upon a Star”, Jiminy entered the collective hearts of America and has remained there ever since.

Movies, television, comics, video games, books, and in Disney parks – the character of Jiminy Cricket as a symbol of doing what’s right has endured for more than half a century and I, for one, believe his image will continue to live on for quite a long time to come.

How about you?  Are you a Jiminy Cricket fan?   

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

The Disney Store 25th Anniversary Ornament Set

by: Nick

The Disney Store celebrated it's 25th anniversary on March 28th, 2012, and my wife and I were at our local store to celebrate. We picked up a few items including this ornament set.


Jiminy Cricket.


Sorcerer Mickey.


Pinocchio.


Tinker Bell


Buzz Lightyear.


Minnie Mouse.



Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, along with a Certificate of Authenticity for each individual ornament, which is limited to 2500!



The original price was $79.50, and everything was 25% off, plus we had a $20 discount from pre-ordering The Muppets Blu-Ray.



It was a great day, and this set reminds me of how much I love the Disney Store, a piece of the magic close to home!

Merry Christmas!

The Walt Disney Players Christmas Carol LP

By: Nick and Barbie

Who has seen the animated short film, "Mickey's Christmas Carol," based on the Charles Dickens classic, "A Christmas Carol," released in 1983? Who knows that this Disney classic is largely derived from an LP record released in 1974 by Disneyland Records?

There are several similarities in the scripts, with many of the jokes being the same. The characters are mostly the same, with a few notable exceptions.

In both versions, Scrooge is Scrooge McDuck, Cratchit is, of course, Mickey Mouse. Goofy is Jacob Marley. The ghosts, in the animated short are played by Jiminy Cricket as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Willie the Giant, from "Mickey and the Beanstalk" is Christmas Present, and Pete is Christmas Yet to Come. On the LP, the ghosts are Merlin the Magician from "The Sword in the Stone" as Christmas Past, and the Witch from Snow White as Yet to Come. It is an enjoyable listen, and fun to hear the sometimes verbatim dialogue in the animated version.

Ceramic Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket Cookie Jar

By Nick
 
We picked up this Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket ceramic cookie jar at a fine cookware retailer, Kitchen Kapers, for $10. There was a minor problem. There is no top. 

  My wife immediately saw this could be used as a planter. 

This wonderful piece has graced our home for many years now. 

Marked down from $49.99.

So if you come across a great item that perhaps has an issue, try to figure out if you can repurpose it.
Just let your conscience be your guide. 

Do You “See” What I See?

By Beth Skarp

Disney does an amazing job when it comes to designing and implementing a theme surrounding anything you see while on Disney property. This comes down to the smallest and simplest of things.

Having said this, I wonder how much effort the typical guest puts into admiring or fully taking in the sights that are around us. We are so busy scurrying about. From our resort to our transportation. From our transportation to a much anticipated ride or attraction. From one ride to the next one. From the heat of the parks to the comfort of air-conditioned buildings that offer a place to eat or simply rest our tired feet for a moment. No matter where we are scurrying to or from, chances are we scurry past so many things of beauty that surround us. I know that I have done this.

Instead of posting a photograph and asking you where in the World this might be located, I have opted to use a descriptive picture instead. Here it goes.

This place is a mountain of sorts, in an area where a literal mountain might seem “out of place” compared to the other attractions or buildings that surround it.

A long pathway was built to represent a canyon. As you walk the canyon, going up or down this great mountain, the sides of the canyon afford you a look into the various layers of the Earth's core. Each layer is rich in color, in beauty, and how it is displayed within the canyon.

Just from this brief descriptive, do you know not only what I am talking about, but where this might be located? No...well let me give you a few more clues.

The sides of this canyon surrounding this mountain are mirror images. Over 150,000 meticulously cut pieces of marble, slate, granite, glass and gold were used to create the deeply hued colors of the canyon walls. The canyon walls are mirror images, images originally designed by color stylist and background artist Walter Peregoy, a Disney Legend.

Upon very careful investigation, or in my case being told by my tour guide during a recent tour, you will notice one VERY SMALL difference between the two walls of this canyon. The question or questions come down to this.

What is this new mountain or so-called canyon I refer to? 

How come I don't recall hearing about a new mountain or so-called canyon? I mean, I know a lot about the World and don't know about this!

Do I need a Fast Pass or a special ticket to view this mysterious object?

Give up yet? 

The mountain is actually the glass structure of the building which houses the Land Pavilion at Epcot. 

Many of us are so preoccupied with getting into the air-conditioned building to ride Soarin' or Living with the Land or to eat at Sunshine Seasons or The Garden Grille restaurant that we walk right past the walls of this so called canyon without ever bothering to take the time to observe the beauty of the walls surrounding them. 

The glass structure housing the Land Pavilion is made to reflect a mountain in keeping with the theme for the attractions inside. The canyon is simply the rather long, 134 foot long pathway that leads you into the building for the Land Pavilion. It really does look like a chasm or canyon if you just step back a moment and look at it. Along the pathway is indeed a beautiful mural made from the materials I spoke of above. However, on the right-hand side of the canyon or pathway, as you enter the building, you will find one small stone that is indeed out of place.

While Walter Peregoy may have been the one to design or conceptualize what the mural would look like, a husband and wife team actually built the mural. I am sorry, but I just don't remember the name of the team of artists. and doing a Google search did not give me the answers either. 

These artists painstakingly cut the over 150,000 pieces, carefully laying them out , to not only create a mirror image on both sides of the mural but to portray the conceptualized design that Walter Peregoy came up with. 

This team wanted to sign this beautiful work of art. Ah, but Disney does not allow for an artist to “sign” their artwork, as it detracts from the theme of the work. So, how does one go about “signing” their work and get away with it?

In this case, a small Emerald was placed into the mural. It was an inconspicuous way to pay tribute to their handiwork while “signing” their work. It wasn't until much later, after all was said and done and the dedication ceremony concluded, that an eagle-eyed reporter noted that something was amiss. Too late to remove the artist's signature, so their signature stone remains to this day.

Here is a picture of the Emerald stone. If you look just above Jiminy's head, you will see the green stone. 

No, you don't need a Fast Pass or special ticket to see this mysterious stone. The question now becomes, where exactly is this at? I will not reveal the exact location of where the Emerald is located nor tell you which side of the so-called canyon to look. I will state that you can find the Emerald just before you enter the glass doors to the Land Pavilion. You can try looking for the Emerald on your next trip.
  
Had it not been for my wonderful Tour Guide, Robert, from the UnDiscovered Future World Tour at Epcot, I too would have no idea about this Emerald nor about the rich history of the Land Pavilion.

Take the time to look around you the next time you are at Disney. Chances are, you may be walking right past something of importance, of beauty, and not notice it.

 
                 

Frozen. Time for a Thaw?

By Beth Skarp

I recently returned from a trip to the World. Everywhere I turned, I was inundated with scenes or images from the ever popular movie Frozen. From the images of Olaf on t-shirts with friends being flakes, to little girls sporting the looks of Elsa or Anna, Frozen is everywhere. If you are at Disney, there is literally no way you could not be exposed to Frozen in one way or another. 

Having said this, I wanted to share my less than magical experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

I arrived at MCO fairly early after leaving Philadelphia. Once I checked in at my resort, my first stop was Magic Kingdom. I had a later afternoon dining reservation at Be Our Guest. I was early, so decided to ride the rides that had a fairly short stand-by line and put my Memory Maker to work by getting pictures. The first photographer I encountered had great “magical shots”....of Olaf on Summer vacation. OK, not a big deal, I would pose anyway and just keep going. 

After Magic Kingdom, I rode the monorail to Epcot. I meandered my way through World Showcase, with the intent of getting to the International Gateway. I stopped for pictures along the way, taking along my trusted stuffed Jiminy Cricket. When a photo opportunity presented itself, we stopped and took advantage of it. When we got to Norway, we were once again inundated with Frozen. But it didn't stop there.

Just outside the International Gateway entrance, Jiminy and I boarded the boats that took us to Hollywood Studios. It was a lovely boat ride. We left Epcot around 6PM, plenty of time to enjoy our trip to Hollywood Studios and make our 9PM dinner reservations at Mama Melrose. You know what they say when you make your reservations, to allow ample travel time to make your reservations. We got this.

Once we finally arrived at the boat dock for Hollywood Studios, our captain asked if we were here to enjoy the dance party. Dance party?! I had not a clue what she was referring to.

When we got to the main gates for Hollywood Studios—just before we entered—we came across a huge sand sculpture. What a great photo opportunity, the sculptures are well done and so artistic. What was the sculpture you ask...a larger than life Olaf on summer vacation. 20 minutes Jiminy and I waited in line for this.

A paper lithograph cutout of Olaf was shoved into my hands. On the backside were the signatures of the various characters of Frozen. While I really wasn't interested in this Olaf, I have to admit that it made an excellent hand fan on this hot and humid day. I used my Olaf several times over for just this very purpose.

Jiminy was getting into the swing of taking photographs, so we paused for a quick picture of the hours for Hollywood Studios for the day.

Finally, we made it through the main gates. 7PM...still plenty of time to make our dinner reservations at Mama Melrose. Oy Vey! The thousands of people! What in the World was going on?

When you use a walker to get around, walking can be a bit difficult. Add in several people lining the streets, each vying for the perfect spot to view what was in front of us. Well, it made getting around challenging but not impossible. I figured I would put to good use the trick of walking through the various stores in order to progress down Main Street. Bad idea. The first shop I went into, I came upon a literal wall of people. What was going on? Frozen merchandise had just been restocked on the shelves, so a shopping frenzy was happening. I had to giggle, as one guest, a man, asked me where I got my “shopping cart”. Shopping cart? It was my walker for crying out loud.

Backing out of the shop in order not to get run over, I finally made my way towards the Sorcerer’s hat. My intent was to bear right, heading towards Rockin' Roller Coaster. I had a FP+ for 7:05 to 8:05 that I wanted to use. I got to Rockin' around 7:35. Still plenty of time to get to Mama Melrose and not be late.

What is this Jiminy and I see...a 5 minute wait for Tower of Terror? Let me get this done so Jiminy and I can make dinner in plenty of time and knock this off our to-ride list. I mean really, how often do you see this and just literally walk on the rides?

After we got off Tower of Terror, it was around 8:25 or so. Again, plenty of time to get back to Mama Melrose. My mouth is watering for some Seafood Arrabbitta and a cold Italian Surfer, my favorite food and drink from there.

As I maneuver my walker down Main Street yet again, I made my way towards the Sorcerer’s hat with the intent of turning left and heading towards Mama Melrose. Instead, I found wooden barriers up and several cast members along with security preventing guests from going any further towards the back of the park.

When I asked about getting through to make my reservations at Mama Melrose, I was told it was impossible. I asked how I was supposed to get back and get to my reservation—one I made three weeks ago. I was told repeatedly "Well, you simply can't. The parade is coming, followed by the fireworks then a sing-along.”

Really....you allowed me to make a reservation three weeks ago and never bothered to tell me that I would not be able to make my reservation!? OK, calm down and don't let it get you bothered.

I asked what I was supposed to do. Cast members repeatedly told me "Well, we just assume you will be at the back of the park so you can make the reservation on time." I mean really, does everyone stay in the area for their reservations for hours on end?!   

As I told you earlier, I had a FP+ for Rockin' Roller Coasterthen went on Tower of Terror. I had plenty of time to make my reservation at Mama Melrose, even taking my time and maneuvering my walker through the throngs of people. I was just not allowed to get to the back portion of the park to make this reservation. I was more than annoyed, to say the least.

OK, so I can't get to Mama Melrose. I still need to eat. Let's do alternate Plan B. My plan was to eat at ABC Commissary. Well guess what—this is closed as well. A sandwich board is placed up around 6:30 PM or so to alert park guests that it will close at 8PM prior to the parade. Lot of good that did me—I wasn't in the Park then and no mention was made of the back portion of the Park being closed early on the hours posted at the front of the Park. Also, nothing was mentioned in the times guide or park map. 

Starring Rolls was also closed, which is actually what I expected. Starring Rolls closes around 3PM or so—when they run out of sandwiches and goodies, they close. No way did I feel like fighting any more crowds to get back to Backlot Express, the only other place that was open at this time.

My temper kicked in at this point, I am sorry to say. With a less than pleasant attitude I asked "Where in this Park am I supposed to eat?" The Cast Members never missed a beat, but simply replied, "Well, you could get a tub of popcorn and join the dance party and sing along."

Sorry, not my cup of tea. It has been 6 hours since I last ate and I needed a decent meal, not filler, thank you very much. Don't even get me started on missing out on my Italian Surfer.

After stopping at Guest Relations at the front of Hollywood Studios to let them know how displeased I was with missing my reservation AND to make sure that I would not incur a no-show fee for not making this reservation, I headed back to the bus stations and to our resort. Guest Relations did give me a $25 gift card for my trouble, but this still left a rather sour taste in my mouth.

What did I finally get for dinner? Chicken nuggets back at the resort around 9:45 PM. What were my choices for dessert to go with my dinner? Frozen Cupcakes and Frozen Rice Krispie Treats. You are freaking kidding me...right?! Grrrrrr.  

On Saturday, I met up with some good friends at Port Orleans Riverside at the River Roost Lounge. We were all meeting up to hear Yee Haw Bob. Guess what one of the songs was that the group sang. Yep...”Let It Go.” 

Even at Animal Kingdom, you can't seem to get away from Frozen, no matter what you try. From magical shots to offerings for drinks or desserts, Frozen is everywhere.

I know that many enjoy the movie, the song or songs and the various characters. But really, must Disney incorporate Frozen into EVERY THING is does? Each theme park, every venue of entertainment, every restaurant, the merchandise, the photographers, even the television shows have a bit of Frozen in it someplace.

I for one really and truly believe we need to take a bit of a thaw. It's time to well....LET IT GO!

Excuse me as I run for cover...