Honey, Where's the Super Glue?

This post is another tutorial for you, in case someone you love breaks one of your Disney figures. In this case, we will be working on a Japanese Gashapon: Belle from Beauty and the Beast holding the glass jar containing the rose. It is a tiny plastic toy.

First of all, get your supplies together. Not much is needed for this quick fix; a couple toothpicks, super glue and a paper plate. Easy!

Examine your pieces and make sure the broken bits are clean and free from dust, dirt and old glue. Check them out carefully, see if they have any notches in them so you don't have to worry about lining the separate parts up on your own. 

These pieces have notches, so gluing them together will be a breeze! Fit them together first to make sure they go together easily. Next, prepare for the super glue. Place a small dab on your plate. You don't need much to take care of this project. Be careful not to touch the glue.

Use the pointy end of the toothpick to daub a bit of the glue and tap it onto the area you want to fix, the notched area in this case, and the opposite side. I placed the dome on top, put a tiny bit of pressure on it with my finger for about twenty seconds and placed it aside.

I repeated the same procedure with Belle's broken arm, and left them to cure for an hour. I'm sure that was way more time than was needed, but better safe than sorry!

So here is our tiny Belle in all her glory. She is fixated on that rose! For such tiny toys, they are very detailed. These are gumball machine toys in Asia. How cool is that? I know Nick would be spending all his lunch money on these if there were gumball machines with these in them here!

For more figurine fixer-uppers, click here...

The Most Emotional Hour I Ever Spent at a Disney Park

I'm going to share a secret with you. I'm an emotional guy. When I encounter something that touches me, I lose it. A movie. A song. A bench.

What type of bench would make me break down? I've actually talked about this very topic in my review of the Walt Disney Family Museum. I sat down on one of the benches from Griffith Park, where Walt would sit and watch his daughters on the carousel. It was on these benches that Walt envisioned a park that families could enjoy together. The act of sitting on a bench that Walt himself likely sat on made me burst into tears.

But I'm getting way ahead of myself.

Let me take you back to a trip I took to Disneyland back in late September of 2010 with my wife and friends, Todd, Meghan, and our Godson, Flynn.

On the last hot afternoon of our 3 day stay at the Grand Californian, the group went back to the  rooms to escape the heat and take a nap. I stayed behind and decided to visit attractions we hadn't gotten to yet, including Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, located at the Opera House at the front of Disneyland.

Upon entering, I saw this:

 

The plaque reads:
The Actual park bench from the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles, where Walt Disney first dreamed of Disneyland.
Yes, I started to cry.

On another plaque nearby, under a picture of the carousel:

 

 Walt Disney's Dream
"It came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always Daddy's day...So we'd start out and try to go someplace...I'd take them to the merry-go-round and I took them different places and as I'd sit while they rode the merry-go-round - sit on a bench, you know, eating peanuts - I felt that there should be something built, some kind of amusement enterprise, where the parents and the children could have fun together. So that's how Disneyland started."
Walt Disney

I started to sob.
As there was still 15 minutes until the next Lincoln show, I stepped outside to get air, just as the Flag Retreat Ceremony was starting! This is so patriotic and moving, my crying just intensified.

I finally got it together, somewhat, and entered the theater to see Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
Due to knowing that this was an attraction Walt was personally involved with, the patriotic nature of the show, and the moving "2 Brothers" Civil War Segment that people who have visited the American Pavilion in Epcot will be familiar with, I broke into tears once again.

I was thankful that my family and friends were not present to see what an emotional wreck I'd become!

Happy Anniversary to Disneyland, which opened on this day in 1955, and thank you Walt! -sniff-

Brave Little Tailor Mickey Vinylmation in the Magic Kingdom

Brave Little Tailor Tuesday!

I won this Mickey Mouse Brave Little Tailor Vinylmation on eBay. He tagged along on our trip to Walt Disney World in January.

 

Not surprisingly, his favorite park is the Magic Kingdom. Wonder what he keeps in the little pouch at his side? Probably FastPasses.

He was the topper to the Park Series 9 combo pack.

Because he's a tailor, he of course has his scissors. His hat does not come off, and has a read feather painted on.

And then, Mickey was off. He had a FastPass for Peter Pan's Flight.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Paint and Play App Review

I just downloaded the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Paint and Play App to my iPhone, and can't stop painting and playing!

This App allows your child, or you, the chance to paint and then, with a wave of the magic wand,  bring Mickey to life!

You have many art tools with which to color Mickey, brushes, crayons, spray paint, patterns, stickers, etc., or you can choose the "Mousekebrush", which will paint everything perfectly!

Once you pick a room or the garden to enter and have brought Mickey to life, you can start painting objects within that room.

 I used a golf ball to paint the flower pot below!

Click around, you'll find surprises. I clicked on the Juke Box, and was brought to a section where I could make my own music!

This is hours of fun for kids of all ages for $4.99!

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi + 4G, iPad (4th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation), iPad mini and iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Premiere Weekend 2013

I've been collecting Hallmark ornaments for as long as I've been collecting Disney. So, for over 20 years, Hallmark's annual release of new ornaments had been like Christmas.
This weekend was Premier Weekend, and for me, Christmas in July!

There are plenty of ornaments to appeal to just about every Disney fan and taste.

 The highlight for me this year, my favorite Mickey Mouse of all, The Brave Little Tailor, has his own ornament!

I also picked up this Mickey's Christmas Carol ornament.

There is a also a "Limited Quantity" ornament featuring Gus and Jaq, titled "Sewing For Cinderelly", so if you're interested, head to your nearest Hallmark as soon as possible!

Last but not least, this Cinderella Castle ornament that plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" with fireworks bursting above. While not Limited Quantity, I can't imagine this will stay on shelves long!

We'll be taking a closer look at all the ornaments we bought in December.

Christmas in July!

Today is Hallmark's Ornament Premier Weekend! We'll be visiting our local Hallmark store to pick up some of the Disney ornaments that will be debuting, and we'll be posting pics from there on our Facebook Page.
Here are a couple of desktops of Cinderella Castle's Dream Lights to get you in the Christmas spirit.

A Little Streetmosphere at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Me, being taken into custody by Officer William Club.

Disney's Hollywood Studios evokes the Hollywood of yester-years and that never was. It has it's own cast of characters to help sell the nostalgia. The Citizens of Hollywood are a group of street performers that appear throughout the day, primarily on Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards.
They perform largely improvised shows that are sometimes truly inspired. These shows are never the same twice, as they obviously change depending on what character is involved, and, of course, the audience participation.

My wife an I have personally been involved in one such performance!
I was picked out of the gathering crowd, as I am, of course, a "world famous actor" who has agreed to star in the world renowned director Flavio Fellini's next movie.


 Here I am acting in a scene, with the Hollywood starlet, Victoria Throckmorton. As you can see, I'm channeling my inner William Shatner.


 My leading lady has discovered I have been untrue, and is about to visit retribution upon me.


 But, as I am too big a star to be involved with such a dangerous stunt, the director calls in my double, Hubert Hayseed.


 Hubert takes the wrath for me.


 Up next is our make up kiss scene.


 But I have it in my contract that I will only kiss my true leading lady...


 ...my wife, who is called from the sidelines...

... and we kissed. (the director missed the shot!) Here we are, giving a bow to our adoring crowd.


You can often just have a one on one experience with a citizen. Here, I am getting a Lavatory FastPass from aspiring actress, Paige Turner.


 There are many different shows and skits the Citizens perform throughout the day.
This one was early in the morning of our last trip. My wife and I were just finishing up our cupcakes at Starring Rolls, when many of the citizens walked, and rode by.
This is Officer Percival Peabody.


 We followed them over to in front of the Sorcerer's Hat, and watched the "Roll Call."

Tricks were performed, and trivia contests were held, with FastPasses given out as prizes. 
Below is Ben Appetit performing a trick, assisted by Paige Turner.



Also on our last trip, we saw the "Funniest Citizen in Hollywood Contest", and it was great.
The host, Jack Diamond, asks a random guest what they did for a living, and an item they used for their job, and the citizens would then have to tell a joke based on that item, in the form of "99 (insert item here) walk into a bar, and are denied service by the bartender" joke.
The Citizens must come up with a funny one-liner to end the joke.
For instance, someone said they worked with electronics, and the item they used was a DVD.
"99 DVDs walk into a bar, and the bartender says, "We don't serve your type in here, get out!" and the DVD says "Hey, you're making me blue-Ray!

"Officer William Club, telling a joke.

 
Evie Starlight, Stone Granite, and Beau Wrangler wait their turns to prove they are the funniest Citizen of Hollywood.



Host Jack Diamond keeps the show rolling.



Bottom line, if you are in the Studios, and you see a Streetmosphere show starting, or just a lone Citizen, stop and take the time to enjoy one of the most unique and funny experiences Walt Disney World has to offer.

This article was originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Diva Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.