A Look at Some Very Disney Bunnies

By D'land Diva

One of our favorite places to visit at the Disneyland Resort lately is the Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree. This little area is just beyond the Big Thunder Ranch and the very tasty Big Thunder Ranch BBQ.

Some folks don't seem to know about it, because it just doesn't seem to get crowded. We have sort of used it as an oasis of escape from the crowds in the park.

It is here that you can find some rare Disney characters! This Springtime, The D'land Diva family was quite happy to see some of these Disney bunnies and the kids even went back for seconds and thirds to meet them!

There was Thumper:

The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland:

The Easter Bunny:

Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh:

and Roger Rabbit:

We hope that the Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree continues to offer some quality entertainment and brings out even more rare characters!

P.S. Sadly, this is the only place we have been able to see The Country Bears since the attraction closed in 2001. Bring 'em back Disney!

Our Usual Table at Mama Melrose's : Story Behind the Photo

When you think of favorite restaurants at Walt Disney World, the first places that may pop into your head are at Epcot's World Showcase, and there are some wonderful eateries there to be sure.
But 2 of our favorites establishments are in Disney's Hollywood Studios.
One is the Hollywood Brown Derby, and the other is Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano.

Mama Melrose's was our go to spot for the first several years after we started visiting Walt Disney World, until the Brown Derby took over as our destination of choice.
The photo above was taken in January of 2011, after we were seated for the fourth trip in a row at our "usual table", which we named "The Domingo", after the album cover on the wall, Placido Domingo's "My Life For a Song."
While we no longer visit Mama Melrose's every trip, it still holds a place in our hearts, the restaurant where we were regulars, and had a special table!

Grumpy Stein at EPCOT's Germany Pavilion

By Barbie

Nick and I were moseying around Epcot wandering in and out of the different pavilions this January, trying to keep warm and take in all the wonderful smells that go along with each one of them. The German Pavilion lures in everyone around with the smell of caramel and sweets, and we were no exception!

As Nick and I were walking through the stores we unexpectedly ran into this absolutely amazing Grumpy stein! He is a limited edition of 2,500 pieces, made in Germany.

On his base it says "I know a little German, Ich kann ein bisschen Deutsch"

The price is steep, but I felt this stein was worth the money. It is a lovely, well crafted piece. A word to the wise though, if you decide to pick one up, please go over it very carefully! As you can see from the first photo, the stein we picked up had a large chip in Grumpy's beard, which we didn't notice at first! Go over your purchase carefully before you buy it. Don't let Grumpy's awesomeness blind you to potential cracks, chips or other problems you might encounter! It's a delicate piece!

Walt Disney World Guidemaps, 1994

By:Nick

Guidemaps are like a snapshot of a moment in time. A time machine if you will. These Walt Disney World Guidemaps show a wide range of attractions that I dearly miss. I truly believe the Epcot of today doesn't hold a candle to 1994's version.

And don't even get me started on Disney's Hollywood Studios', (then Disney-MGM Studios) current incarnations of the Backstage Studio Tour and the Magic of Disney Animation.

Don't get me wrong, I still love Walt Disney World, but believe many of the best attractions were around in the early to mid 90's.

The Magic Kingdom is better than the 1994 version due to the New Fantasyland expansion.

Epcot '94.
My favorite ride, perhaps of all time, was Horizons. Test Track was a great ride, but I dislike the new version, and it makes me miss World of Motion. Then there was Journey Into Imagination, with Dreamfinder and Figment. I like today's version, but only because of Figment, and nostalgia. It is a shadow of it's former self.

Speaking of shadows, if you were fortunate to have gone to Walt Disney World during the new Golden Age of Disney Animation, you may have actually been able to see actual animated movies being produced at The  Magic of Disney Animation at Disney-MGM Studios.

Of course, one major thing Walt Disney World didn't have in 1994, was Disney's Animal Kingdom, which is an amazing park. Sometimes nostalgia gets the best of us. What was your favorite period of Walt Disney World's history?

One of My Favorite Characters - Meeko From Pocahontas

By: Nick

When Pocahontas came out in 1995 the standout character for me was Meeko the raccoon. He reminded me of my dearly departed cat, Morpheus.
I worked at a Disney Store at the time, and collected every reasonably priced Meeko item I could find, many of which I will share here on Disney Musings in the future. My wife was even inspired to write about Meeko back before I started writing this blog with her!
I got the chance to meet Meeko at Disney's Hollywood Studios back when it was still Disney-MGM Studios in January of 2007!

This is the only time I've seen Meeko in any Disney Park!
Do you have an off-beat favorite character that you've had the opportunity to meet at a Disney Park?

Did Frozen's Elsa Ever Visit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?

by Nick

I am behind on my reading.
This weekend I finally got around to the Fall 2013 issue of Disney Twenty Three magazine.
This image on the back cover of Elsa's ice castle looked familiar immediately.

I went to the Art Institute of Philadelphia, directly across the street from One Liberty Place, so saw it daily. I am not sure if this was an inspiration to the creators of Frozen, but feel the top portion of Elsa's castle looks very similar to that of One Liberty Place.

What do you think?

Disney Cakes

By: Jackie Phelan

In my family, I am the cake maker.  With three daughters, a niece and nephew, I am busy with cakes from November to April ( we certainly didn't plan that out very well).  Cake making is something I just love doing. It is surprisingly relaxing for me, although my husband will tell  you I am stressed for a week up to the party.  Being a Disney loving family, it is only natural for me to have made 11 Disney themed cakes in 6 years.

 

 

 

 

Mickey was my first attempt at making a cake that wasn't your normal 8 inch cake. My nephew loved it which is really what my cake making is all about.

My latest creations were the Frozen cake, Minnie cupcakes and Minnie cake for my two youngest daughters.

 

My youngest, who just turned one, is infatuated with Minnie. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen and seeing her face light up at the sight of her Minnie cake warmed my heart. 

This week I am working on a Belle cake for my niece's 3rd birthday. Can't wait to see her face!

Flea Market Find: The Best of the Mickey Mouse Club DVD

By: Nick Maglio

I picked this The Best of the Mickey Mouse Club DVD up at the Columbus Flea Market in New Jersey for $5.

It was brand new in it's shrink wrap!
I love the old Mickey Mouse club, which had 3 original seasons which aired from 1955-1957, before being syndicated.

Each day of the original Mickey Mouse Club featured a different theme.

Included on this DVD are 5 episodes, representing each day. 2 episodes are from the 3rd Season of the series, after it had been paired down from an hour long program down to a half hour show.
The other 3 are from it's syndication days of the 1960's, when original hour long episodes were edited down.

• Monday - Fun with Music Day, from September 30th, 1957, gets this disc off to a slow start. There is a cute musical number about a young lady at a pet shop, but then we have a lengthy preview of a 'Hardy Boys" Serial, titled "The Mystery of Ghost Farm", which made me just want to see said serial! Before you know it, Jimmie is singing farewell.

• Tuesday - Guest Star Day, which the box says aired in October of 1957, but the DVD itself says originally aired August 28th, 1962. (?) This episode is much more entertaining, with guest star Olympic ice skating medalist Ronnie Robertson doing a comical skating routine, before showing off his skill as the "Fastest Spinner in the World". This is followed by a "Mousekartoon", the excellent Academy Award winning Ferdinand the Bull  from 1938. I'll take a closer look at Ferdinand in a future Musings article.

• Wednesday - Anything Can Happen Day, aired November 12th, 1964. You know anything can happen on Wednesday by the surreal opening cast parade, followed by Disney animator Ward Kimball's Dixieland Band, The Fire House 5+2, playing a couple of tunes, with Mouseketeer Cubby playing drums with a guy in a Tiger Costume cavorting around! Whew! There is also a great Mickey Mouse cartoon from 1932 called Mickey's Nightmare. This sounds like it might be scary, but Mickey's nightmare is about the stork delivering too many kiddy mice to him and bride Minnie to take care of!

• Thursday - Circus Day, from October 11th, 1962. The cast is properly adorned circus performers, and the guest stars are jugglers, the Hap Brothers. The "Mousekartoon" is Silly Symphony The Pied Piper from 1933. 

• Friday - Talent Round Up Day, aired October 25, 1957. A rather light episode to end this collection on, with a young lady from Chicago becoming an Honorary Mousekeeter, who sings and dances. Then comes a Mickey Mouse Newsreel featuring Annette in Hawaii. The episode is wrapped up with a fable from Jimmie about a cat who is unable to outsmart a bird.

All and all, it's a nice little diversion, and a nice look back at history.