#Melyssa and the Mouse

[fluffyxai]

Melyssa the Lamia

Aaaah it's finally here! I've been working on htis ref sheet for a hot minute. I was veeeeery happy with how the main drawing came out! Except that I couldn't fit her necklace on XD Please don't forget her necklace if you can fit it! Melyssa is a character I first drew ages ago as just a one-off thing. a cobra hooded lamia hypnotising berry twist. Then everyone wanted a piece of her coils (I wonder why) and wanted to commission her. So I ended up making her a permenant character. But she's never really had a proper full ref sheet. just whatever I could throw together. THIS HERE is the definitive, up-to-date, accurate reference sheet for Melyssa. You should defer to this one over all others. You are welcome to draw Melyssa or write about her if you would like to.

Melyssa is a beautiful creature that has the upper body resembling a pony and a lower body of a serpentine form. Her long, smooth, shiny coils can easily wrap a pony up all the way! Or maybe even two or three. (they cna change size a little if she needs them too.) She lives in an abandoned temple on the other side of the everfree forest, kinda in the middle of nowhere. (Not the castle of the two sisters, further than that and a different direction I think probably. I dunno, one only ever seems to find Melyssa's abode when they're hopelessly lost!) Melyssa LOVES the feeling of holding ponies in her coils and hugging them. She'll capture ponies and cuddle with them all day. This sounds great, but she also sometimes eats ponies! so be careful. She has a very powerful version of the same magic that the snakes in the Everfree forest do, which lets her dominate a pony's mind and scramble their thoughts, putting them in a lovely, warm and relaxed state of complete freedom from their thoughts and worries. For the price of their complete obedience, of course~ But I hear it feels super nice to have the honour of being put under this beautiful lamia's spell. You just have to understand she'll probably keep you for a while and play with you, maybe letting you think you've shaken off her power and can make an escape for it, only to find out she was playing snake & mouse with you the whole time.

[lastgenpodcast]

Melyssa and the Mouse at Paddlefish!

Another Melyssa and the Mouse food review featuring Paddlefish in Disney Springs.  If you’re not familiar, this is the restaurant that has replaced Fulton’s Crabhouse and is in the newly renovated paddleboat sitting in the water between the Landing and the Marketplace.  While this restaurant has been open for at least 4 to 5 months, I was only recently able to get there to try the newest seafood place in Walt Disney World.  Here’s how I found it.

To start out, I was able to sample the crab cake, featuring maque choux, fried green tomato, and remoulade ($17); fried calamari with shishito peppers and peppadew piri piri ($16); and lobster corn dogs with sweet chili aioli ($16).  The crab cake was densely packed with crab and sat on a bed of corn maque choux.  And, even though there was so much crab, it did not have a “fishy” taste often associated with seafood.  The sauce was a perfect complement to the crab without overpowering the taste.  The calamari was fried perfectly with the crispy outside staying on perfectly as I pierced a piece with the fork.  The sauce was almost like a sweet and sour sauce with a slight kick from the peppers- a nice twist on the traditional marinara sauce.  Finally, the lobster corn dogs were a good sized portion for an appetizer and again were fried perfectly.  The sauce was not too spicy and the slaw it was served with helped balance the entire plate.

For entrees, I had the Shrimp and Grits, with cheddar grits and spicy black pepper-butter sauce ($30) and Pete tried the Hawaiian Opah, though for this day the Opah was replaced with a Mahi Mahi fish, which was encrusted with a macadamia nut crust, served with red curry and crab fried rice ($38).  The shrimp and grits was served with the black pepper-butter sauce, which was not very spicy to me.  The grits were creamy with a polenta type consistency, or mashed potatoes that haven’t been completely mashed, and were appropriately flavored so they weren’t bland.  It was a decent size with plenty of grits, though there were only 5 shrimps.  The Hawaiian fish dish was also a decent sized piece of fish over a large portion of the crab fried rice.  The crust was light, without overpowering the fish, but adding a nice light crunch to the dish.  The curry was not too spicy either.  We also got the mac and cheese ($15) side dish that was meant to share- and it was a huge portion that more than 2 people could definitely enjoy.  It was a lighter mac and cheese than say the creamy comfort style down at Homecoming, but it was still excellent and cheesy.  

Overall, this was a good meal but nothing memorable.  The service was good, if a touch slow for the beginning of dinnertime.  While I love seafood, I don’t feel this place offers dishes that amaze to justify the cost.  At least Fulton’s had a few unique dishes that seemed to make paying over $50 for a meal per person worth it.  Unfortunately, I was not impressed by this place.  I do think the appetizers were interesting, so maybe the lounge might be worth checking out.  There are also many other places on property that I feel are much more worth the price because the food leaves me in awe.  

How about you- have you tried Paddlefish yet?  What is your take on the food?

[lamurdiparasian]

3 Super Simple Pinterest Strategies to Quickly Grow Your Website’s Traffic

Entrepreneur hosts Melyssa Griffin to teach us how to turn this often-neglected platform into your own marketing powerhouse and drive consistent web traffic to our websites – no matter which niche or industry we happen to find ourselves in.

Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur on YouTube – View Now Entrepreneur on Facebook – View Now Entrepreneur on Twitter – View Now

from https://www.deconetwork.com/blog/3-super-simple-pinterest-strategies-to-quickly-grow-your-websites-traffic/ Hover your mouse to Deconetwork.com from Blogger http://lamurdis.blogspot.com/2019/01/3-super-simple-pinterest-strategies-to.html

[lastgenpodcast]

Melyssa and the Mouse: Summer Adventures- Happily Every After

Magic Kingdom has a new nighttime show- Happily Ever After- which replaced the Wishes fireworks.  I have only seen this show twice so far, but here’s my initial take on it.  

First, I love the new projection show- the level of technology is off the charts and it shows. There is a focus on characters that are not typically highlighted, including a beautiful song by Tiana to start off, as well as a spot by the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and even Mulan.  They also incorporated Moana as one of the newer movies- of course Frozen is in there but only briefly, and this time it's not Let It Go.  Olaf appears to tell you some people are worth melting for, and then Love Is An Open Door plays, but Anna and Hans themselves are never seen on the castle and the song has been re-recorded with new singers.  I enjoyed the selections of the characters they chose to highlight, though the classic characters, such as Peter Pan and Alice, were missing beyond a few images.  There are a few different themes incorporated into the idea of Happily Ever After, ranging from friends/partners (Carl and Russell, Buzz and Woody, Ralph and Vanellope, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde); heroes and villains (Mulan and Shan-Yu, Mr. Incredible and Syndrome, Scar and Simba, Jafar and Aladdin, Maleficent and Prince Philip); and some romantic couples (Eve and Wall-E, Eugene and Rapunzel, Aladdin and Jasmine, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Lady and the Tramp), as well as a host of other characters, including Tarzan, Pirates, Mufasa, and Baloo.  My favorite part was the lanterns projection from Tangled during I See the Light- absolutely teared up during this!  And Tinkerbell is still around, though her appearance is held for a much more opportune moment.  Overall, the projections were on point and the music was engrossing.  

There are also some amazing new uses of technology that Disney has started to show off, such as the newer use of lasers as introduced in the Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! holiday show at Hollywood Studios.  The lasers have a unique interaction with water (as can now be seen during Rivers of Light in Animal Kingdom), resulting in a breathtaking sparkle- the creator of Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! explained during Destination D in November 2016, that this was a happy accident discovered whilst making it "snow" during the holiday show.  I have to say that the laser effects were very well done, adding subtle accents to the projections on the castle, as well as projecting over the guests- at one point creating an under the sea effect.  There were also special fireworks created just for the new show, including fireworks shaped as bells, hearts, smiley faces, bugs, and even the spiral from Moana, all placed at perfect intervals during the show to highlight either the music, the character, or both.  Clearly this show does not lack attention to detail. 

However, this show has become just that- a new nightly show and not necessarily a "fireworks" show, which may be for good or bad, depending on the individual.  On my first viewing, I felt that I was too close to the castle (I was on the back side of the Partners Statue where my back was facing Mickey's and Walt's backs) and was unable to enjoy the fireworks as I was too focused on the castle projections.  Upon a second viewing where I positioned myself farther back across the hub (on the corner before the circular portion that holds the Partners Statue), I was able to see more of the fireworks that were happening behind the castle.  Now, I made it a point to focus on the fireworks this time, and I did feel that I missed a lot of the projections on the castle because I was trying to see the fireworks.  And, while the music is lovely and I’m happy with many of their selections, the individual song tends to go on longer than the projection it is related to, resulting in multiple images happening while one song is playing- such as Cars and Ratatouille being on the castle while Tiana is singing her song.  

All of these elements add up to a true nighttime show versus a typical fireworks show, such as Illuminations, which can be seen from most places around the lagoon.  With the focus on the castle projections, a view of the castle is more than a must now than it was with Wishes.  So, while they expanded the hub to accommodate many people, it also cuts down the other places from where Wishes could once be enjoyed- such as the top of the train station- leading to all of the people filling into the expanded hub and leaving much less room than there once felt like there was after the initial expansion.   

With all of these “however”s, I’m still not sure how I rate this show.  It does showcase the newest technology with the projections and special fireworks, making great work of each.  It also emphasizes some underappreciated characters and music, which I feel is a great way to introduce these things to a younger generation who may have bypassed Hunchback or Mulan. For this alone I am happy with the show.  I know that this is one that is to be viewed multiple times before finalizing my opinion, but I would encourage everyone to go and see what this show has to offer and let me know what your thoughts are too!

[lastgenpodcast]

Princess and the Frog-A Think Piece

Someone once asked why Princess and the Frog didn’t do as well as say Tangled or Frozen when it comes to popularity. I thought this was an interesting question due to the wide variety of reasons that seem to entangle themselves into this question. While I believe part of the lack of popularity may come from an obvious reason, I want to dig a little deeper and do some critical thinking on this topic.  Perhaps my perspective as a Disney lover and a female will bring us to another side of the argument.  Before I begin, let me just say that I don’t think there is one clear-cut answer and, by all means, I don’t propose that my theory is better than others.  This is just to make you think about this issue from another point of view.  

Let’s start with some background to the time period that surrounded the world at the time that this movie premiered.  The country had just been through a period where everyone was suspicious of one another, travel was a nightmare, and financials were a mess. The country also made a decision to back change and a positive attitude (mostly) though there were some dissenting voices. Overall, 2009 had more of a positive feel than many years previously.  Despite that, and I believe the most recent time can attest to the heart of the people, there is that underlying issue that may have played a part in why people didn’t run to the theater for this movie. Yet, looking at numbers, this film didn’t do so terribly.  It was the 5th highest grossing animated movie in 2009 (keeping in mind this year also brought us Up, Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, A Christmas Carol, The Secret of Kells, and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs-besides the many smaller animated and direct to video releases).  It grossed $104 million in the US and Canada, but earned $267 million worldwide.  It was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, but lost to Up and Crazy Heart, which are wonderful movies in their own right.  

The thing about Princess and the Frog is what it did more for Disney animation than anything else. This was the first traditionally animated film since Home on the Range, one I have not seen yet, and was the first “princess” movie since Pocahontas and Mulan (which may be argued wasn’t a “princess” movie at all).  The animation department at Disney had not been firing on all cylinders with putting out stories that did not hit with the masses as Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast once had.  This was also the first film to bring back the Broadway-style music that captured the attention of audiences like those films in the 1990s.  With all these firsts, it would seem someone finally realized people wanted more than just bland animated stories quickly pumped out on the computer, and it’s clear that Disney forgot that one of the main factors in its major films is the music.  Bringing all these factors together really makes this film hit for me, as so many others who gave it a whirl.  

So, why the disconnect? Where did this movie lose people. Many purport that it’s a race thing, which may be accurate. To put some numbers in perspective, Pocahontas made $346 million worldwide ($141 million by Jan 1996) and Mulan brought in $304 worldwide ($120 million in the US and Canada).  Could these numbers be because of the previous films that were already tops, so another Disney film just brought people to the theater? Maybe.  Could it be people were more willing to watch a movie set farther back in history than say the 1920s? That may also be a thing.  Could it be the internet wasn’t such a big thing and the only way to get a review of a movie was to either read a critic’s write up or just go and hope for the best? Definitely something to consider.  Or is the fact that Tiana was loudly and proudly proclaimed as the first African American princess and hyped up long before the release of the movie, with the election of our first African American President rubbing some people the wrong way, causing many people to do what has now become the “thing” to do and hate something just for the sake of hating it? Super possible.  

What other perspective is there that I could possibly show that would make that last option not the main one to go with?  Well, the fact may lie in the history of other Disney princesses.  As we know, many of the typical Disney stories were fairy tales taken from very early times and set long before the 1800s.  That being the case, many of the roles we once held as “typical” princess/female lead were no longer being portrayed in a story from the 1920s.  We sort of saw this change with the character of Princess Ariel, who rebelled against her father and tried to do her own thing; Princess Jasmine, who, while wanting to rebel, didn’t really go that far as she got married anyway and she had a much kinder father than Ariel; and even Belle and Pocahontas who were far more stronger female leads than say Snow White or Aurora, but were still motivated mostly by love/romance.  Yet, the idea of a woman, no matter her skin color, wanting to do something such as own her own business and be independent is not something that, even today, is very popular.  There are many places and careers that hinder the escalation of women into top roles and some even actively prevent a woman from truly being at the top- even in the 21st century!  So setting this movie in a time when women were not very independent, and adding on top of that the traditional Disney princess mold being broken, it makes the traditionalist in many give it pause.  

Now, what do I mean by the traditional Disney princess mold- it’s not her race if that’s what you’re thinking.  It’s the fact that many of the “traditional” princesses were modeled after the meek woman whose only real drive in life is to find that one true love and get married.  Tiana doesn’t need any of that. She wants to do her own thing since this is where her true happiness is found.  At the end, she realizes that having others around her also can make her happy, she isn’t defined by her significant other or the role she plays in his life.  In fact, he is the one that seems to have lost everything and is only made better through his association with her.  It’s not typical for the woman to be the one that completes the relationship- it was typically the strong, handsome man that “fixed” all the girl’s problems.  This is a bold stance for the story to take, and one that was seemingly repeated, though a little softer in Tangled. While Flynn is the one that gets her out of the tower and shows her the city, Rapunzel was seemingly on her way there- she just needed a push.  And Flynn’s redemption comes via his sacrifice for Rapunzel rather than her making the decision to cut her own hair to spite Mother Gothel’s plan.  Rapunzel leaned a bit more to this traditional princess idea of sacrificing for the guy and finding her happiness in him (as well as reuniting with her family). But the fact that there was a short put out not long after that film about their wedding just goes to prove that people want that “happily ever after” ending.  It wasn’t until Frozen that the typical mold was truly broken and everyone could see that a princess (or queen) didn’t need a man to find her true love and her self worth wasn’t dependent on a man’s acceptance of her.  And word of mouth was really where Frozen shone, so if people aren’t recommending Princess and the Frog, this gem remains somewhat undiscovered.  

Tiana was the first to really test that traditional mold and fight back against the idea of a woman needing a man to complete her story- she completed his in fact.  However, another issue with this movie comes up when we discuss the word of mouth scenario.  We have mentioned many times that marketing for movies has not been a strong point lately for Disney, particularly in regards to their animated movies.  I thought Frozen was going to be a buddy-cop type movie with a snowman and reindeer; Zootopia was just talking animals one of which was snarky and one was a goody-two-shoes.  So, while there was a lot of talk before Princess and the Frog regarding the first African American Disney princess, talk of the movie and proper promotion was somewhat lacking.  Most egregious, though, must be the lack of park presence.  While Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee was a delightful surprise in the parks, this only ran from October 2009 through January 2010 in Walt Disney World and from November 2009 through January 2010 in Disneyland.  In Disneyland, this movie got more love from 2011 through 2013 when Tiana’s Mardi Gras Celebration, which initially ran from January through October 2010, again ran for the “Limited Time Magic” promotion.  Yet, considering that the Move It, Shake It parade is still floating down Main Street, I find the lack of park presence to be aggravating at best, particularly with New Orleans Square in Disneyland and the riverboat in Walt Disney World as the perfect settings for these characters (probably more so in Disneyland, hence the extended Mardi Gras celebration). Though, it does seem some justice is being done with the incorporation of Dr. Facilier in the Halloween party and Tiana is finally representing up on the stage show at Magic Kingdom in Mickey’s Friendship Faire.  But, as someone who has been to the parks since age 3, and who has many friends taking young children, I feel that additional park presence would allow for additional exposure to these characters and perhaps a new found favorite for those children not typically exposed to these movies at home.  The music is surely catchy enough to warrant repeated plays in the car and the colors of the movie are truly captivating.  Plus, there’s a talking alligator who loves to play the trumpet and a cajun firefly- I mean honestly now!  

So, while the very easy answer to the question of the obscurity of this movie may be to blame it on racism, I truly feel there’s more at work here.  I do feel the non-traditional woman role is interesting to tackle, but also the seeming lack of faith parks and resorts have in hiding these characters from park guests.  What do you think?  Could the answer be so basic or is there something more at work here?  Do you love this movie- make sure to recommend it to your friends and get them to recommend it also!  The more love we can garner the better!          

[lastgenpodcast]

Melyssa and the Mouse: Epcot's Food & Wine Festival

With the first month of Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival coming to a close this weekend, let's take a look back at all the food and drinks that have been tasted and sampled since the August 31st kickoff, along with the Disney Parks Blog event I went to this week.

Along with an unprecedented length of the festival, the marketplaces have also expanded into Future World and there are things to see in the Festival Center and the Odyssey building.  There are also a few new marketplaces this year, the most interesting of which has to be the Light Lab located in Future World West.  Other new marketplaces include Flavors from Fire, Active Eats, Coastal Eats, and The Almond Orchard have premiered this year.  India and Spain have also made a return after a couple of years away.  With so much to eat and drink, and with more time to do it in, there's much to discuss. So let's jump right into it!

I want to start off with the Light Lab as this is the most unique area of the festival, combining senses of light, taste, touch, and smell.  In the little booklet, the only offerings listed are beverages; however, the most famed item out of this marketplace is the glownut- the donut that glows in the black-lit area.  It was a really good donut but nothing super special about it besides the fact that the light makes it glow.  I also tried the Bleu Spectrum- Blanc de Bleu Cuvee Mousseux with Boba Pearls, which was a light bubbly drink with flavored balls- a fun drink for a hot day.  I think the experience of this room is worth it, though I wish there was more to taste.

Moving into the rest of the outdoor marketplaces over in Future World West, we can take a peek at the new Flavors from Fire.  The Piggy Wings are the highly praise roasted pork wings with Korean BBQ sauce and sesame seeds.  They deserve the praise as they were fall of the bone tender and the twist of this not being traditional BBQ wings made the end taste wonderful!  I was also able to try the Sweet Pancake with spicy Chipotle-chicken sausage, onion jam, and maple-butter syrup, which was a combination of sweet and savory.  This was probably not one I would have sought out if it was not at the event, but it was a pleasant surprise with the mix of flavors.  If you like sweet and/or savory, you should definitely seek this out.  At Coastal Eats, the Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip served with sourdough baguette was my favorite fish dish so far, though the Lump Crab Cake with Napa cabbage slaw and avocado-lemongrass cream was also a good option, just nothing terribly new.  A light dessert from Active Eats was the Sweet Avocado Cream with strawberries, yellow cake, and tortilla streusel.  While this initially sounds weird because of the avocado, the end result was absolutely delightful- I could not even tell there was any avocado in it besides the light green color on top! 

The Sweet Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte with whipped cream and raspberry dust and the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle at the Chocolate Studio were two very different desserts, but both equally delicious.  The raspberry helps off-set the bitterness of the dark chocolate, leaving you with a blend of sweet and bitter that is pleasant but does leave you wanting a glass of cold milk.  The liquid nitro truffle is a fun new option, but be careful if you have cold sensitivity as this will definitely hit a nerve.  Personally, I enjoyed the torte much more.

At the Cheese Studio, you can find the Braised Beef "Stroganoff" with tiny egg noodles, wild mushroom, and boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese sauce. I was able to try this at the Parks Blog event, which was good as I could say I probably would have not sought this out and paid for it while on my way around the festival.  It was a pleasant surprise with very tender beef and a lovely sauce that was not too heavy.  I'm not sure how this would hold up if you were eating it out in the hot Florida sun, but it was a delectable dish overall.

Now let's head into World Showcase for more!  A stop at the Farm Fresh marketplace in the front of World Showcase will bring you to the Crispy Chicken with griddled cornbread and red eye gravy.  Again, I tried this at the event so this was delicious while sitting in the air conditioned room.  The chicken had a perfect skin on it and the cornbread was some of the best I've tried.  Also served here is Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider and the Two Henrys Elderberry Cream Hard Cider, both of which I highly endorse.  I don't typically enjoy beer and wine can give me a headache but ciders have become a nice replacement, particularly in the hot Florida weather- just be careful if you have to watch your sugars.  The Loaded Greek "Nachos" in Greece returns this year and did not disappoint- a perfect sharing size!  If you're hesitant about Thailand- try the Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake with cold noodle salad!  Over in India, the Madras Red Curry with roasted cauliflower, baby carrots, chickpeas, and basmati rice is a great vegetarian, gluten free option with a really nice kick in the spice department (and I like spicy food!).  The mango lassi non-alcoholic drink is a perfect compliment to the spiciness of the dish- so you should definitely pair them together.  Another great surprise was the Pistachio Cardamom Bundt Cake with Chocolate-Coconut Mousse, which was offered at the Parks Blog event, thankfully, because I would not have sought this out to pay for.  If you've ever eaten at an Indian restaurant, then this dessert is perfect- the pistachio flavor was not too overwhelming and the mousse in the center was a good compliment to the somewhat drier texture of the cake.  If you're looking for a good light dessert, and can handle nuts, then I would suggest this.  If you don't like pistachio in your sweets, then you can definitely pass on this.

Moving onto the back part of the World Showcase, let's head into Italy, where the Crispy Calamari with spicy pomodoro sauce and the Spezzatino con Polenta: beef stew with parmesan creamy polenta are awaiting. The spicy sauce on the calamari is not as spicy as the curry in Indian, but if you want a little kick, this definitely has it.  The polenta was good, though may not be great on a hot Florida day- save it for post 4pm.  The McKenzie's Seasonal Reserve Hard Cider from West Seneca, NY was offered at the Parks Blog event, but can be found out in Block & Hans in The American Adventure, and instantly became my favorite cider with their black cherry flavor. I've tried apple cider, pear cider, pear and strawberry cider, and elderberry cider- but this black cherry was amazing- not too sweet as a pear cider and not as crisp as a typical apple cider. Also over in the American Adventure, the Hops & Barley marketplace has the favorite New England Lobster Roll and Freshly Baked Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing- both of which are very good, though the cake drenched in icing was a bit much.  Over in Japan, the Salmon BLT Sushi Roll: Futomaki Roll with lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, and carrots topped with yuzu miso salmon, tomato, and bacon chips was a great option, though it was two very large pieces and was less like sushi than I would have preferred. It tasted amazing, but had a lot going on than typical sushi rolls I've tried before.  However, pairing it with the Pom Pineapple Sake Cocktail was a perfect treat. And finally, a returning favorite, the Belgium Waffle with Berry Compote and whipped cream is still a perfect sized treat!

So what have you tried?  Did you have a favorite? What are you looking forward to trying?

[lastgenpodcast]

Melyssa and the Mouse: Summer Adventures Part 2

It's time for another adventure this week! Let's head over to Hollywood Studios and take a look at the newest summer show gracing the  Beauty and the Beast Theater: Pixar Live: A Symphony of Characters.  This show features the music from many of your favorite Pixar movies played by a live orchestra, as well as movie clips and some fun characters!  I was able to see the show the other week- here's my thoughts.

The show is a unique blend of music and imagery, with the blend of movie scenes set to the music from the Pixar movies.  While the show may seem like something meant for guests willing to sit for 45 minutes listening to music, the imagineers have done a great job of making sure guests of all ages have something to get excited about.  The pre-show features everyone's favorite Green Army Men- telling jokes and interacting with guests to make the wait not seem so long.  Once the show begins, the orchestra and the movie clips are the stars, along with everyone's favorite Pixar characters as wonderful costars.

Featured in the show are the following movies and respective scores: Toy Story 1, 2, & 3 (to get a good tear in everyone's eye); Cars (seemed mostly 1 and 3 with little to no clips from Cars 2); UP (to really make sure you cry); Incredibles (to bring it back to action); Finding Nemo & Finding Dory; and Monsters Inc. (to end on a laugh with a tear of joy as Sully sees Boo again).  The perfect ending to the show was a sing-a-long with all of the characters together on stage with the conductor and orchestra.  Overall the clips and movies work brilliantly together. In between the movie/music portions, the characters come out for a second to entertain the crowd.  But the really great part is the behind the scenes that the directors and musical geniuses behind these films lend to the show.  They explain how the music is a part of the movie, and what it means to the audience seeing the film.  My favorite was the discuss before UP as they explained Ellie's theme- the viewer, without even knowing it, knows Carl is thinking of Ellie just because her musical cue hits- she doesn't even have to appear on screen- we just know.  

Overall, the show is great for guests of all ages, with the characters and movie clips great for younger people and the appreciation of the music and creativity that goes into these films for the older guests.  I would highly recommend seeing this show- I went to a late showing and it was pretty empty because Fantasmic and Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular were going on close to this time- so I really didn't need the Fast Pass.   There is also the option to have a dinner package with the show where guests can eat at Hollywood Brown Derby, Hollywood & Vine, or Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, and then enjoy the show (or vice versa).  Either is a great option and, in a park where the focus is mainly long show experiences versus many short attractions, this is a perfect way to sit, relax, and enjoy the music of Pixar Live!

[lastgenpodcast]

Melyssa and the Mouse: Baseline Tap House Review

With a majority of Hollywood Studios under major construction, it's nice when we have something new to discuss.  Today, I'm going to take a brief look at the brand new Baseline Tap House.  This is where the Writer's Stop used to be, and is directly adjacent to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, to the extent that there is a doorway inside joining the two eateries.  

Baseline is part of a new area called Grand Avenue.  While this is meant to portray a California feel, to me it can also screams "corner in Brooklyn" but that may just be me.  The key here is "corner"- the strip where Baseline sits is a small row of buildings that sit directly across from "Grand Park" that takes you into the Muppet Courtyard.  However, this area really only has Baseline as the one place you can enter (unless the stores are in the process of being gift shops).  The brick theme is consistent throughout the area, streamlining it seamlessly into the brick facade of the Muppets' Theater. 

The menu at the tap house is more extensive in its drinks than in bar snacks, one thing which I feel many of the lounges need to improve.  Food wise, you are able to choose from a, pretty large, Bavarian Pretzel, served with beer cheese fondue and spicy mustard ($9.00); Spiced Almonds, sweet and spicy toasted almonds ($6.00); and California Cheese and Charcuterie plate, featuring Toma Farmstead cheese, Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese, Laura Chenel's Sonoma Goat Cheese, Chorizo and Calabrese Salami, cornicons, grapes, and toasted baguettes ($10.00).

The pretzel was a pretty large size and perfect for sharing, with pretty similar dipping sauces as seen in many other places, including Jock's Hanger Bar.  The highlight for me was the cheese and charcuterie plate, also large enough for sharing, with a decent helping of the meats.  My favorite item was the goat cheese as it was perfectly paired with a topping of cranberries and sunflower seeds (as seen in the lower right corner of the plate pictured above).  The amount of food you get is definitely worth the price- I just wish there were maybe one or two other options as well.     

Turning to the drinks, this is where the menu is extensive, with many of the available drinks on tap.  There are non-alcoholic drinks, including the Blue Sky black cherry soda on tap, and a wild strawberry lemonade.  Many of the beers on tap are from California, bringing the west-coast feel to the menu, and are offered in either a 16 or 22 oz. size.  Some of the beers being offered now include Golden Road 329 Lager from Los Angeles, North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner from Fort Bragg, Green Flash Passion Fruit Kicker Wheat Ale from San Diego, and Napa Smith Lodt Dog Red Ale from Napa Valley. The most interesting option here is that you can create your own beer flight- choosing 4 beers at a time for 5 oz samples ($10.50)- which is great since, if you're like me and don't really care for an IPA, you don't have to have that in your sampler and waste the money on that drink.   

They also have wines on tap- St. Francis Chardonnay and Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon- and even cocktails on tap- Negroni, featuring Hendrick's gin, Campari, and Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth; and a California Sunset, featuring Absolut berry acai vodka, Southern Comfort, orange juice, and sweet-and-sour with a float of pomegranate juice.  I tried the seasonal Ace Space Bloody Orange Hard Cider, which was also on tap, and was a nice blend of the sweetness of a cider and the tartness of a blood orange.  

The verdict? An absolute wonderful new gem in the developing Hollywood Studios and something that I will keep an eye on to see what new seasonal drinks (and food) is brought to the menu.  With a chill atmosphere, great music, and plenty of outside seating, this will be a great place to recharge before heading off to many adventures in the developing park!

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Walt Disney World and the World's Fairs

Epcot just celebrated its 35th Anniversary, and this made me consider where the influence for Epcot came from.  What inspired Walt to try to build an entire functional city where people not only enjoyed life, but also lived life?  In this Melyssa and the Mouse, I'm going to take you on a little journey to some places where Epcot's inspiration may have originated.  

Let's go way back- back to 1893 and the Chicago World's Fair.  Here, we can start to see some elements that seeped their way into Walt Disney's influence and into Walt Disney World itself.  

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, also known as World's Columbian Exposition, which featured the Great White City, shows the traditional aspect of World's Fairs.  World’s Fairs tended to look backwards and reinterpret the past, particularly in their architecture.   The structures built to house the exhibits usually went with an overall theme and demonstrated some type of feat of either construction or imagination.   The Great White City is inspired by the neoclassic style, which focused on ancient Roman and Greek styles of columns and domes, is defined by clean straight lines, minimal use of color, and simplicity of form.  The facades of the buildings were not made of white marble as they would have been in Roman times, but a mixture of plaster, cement, and jute fiber which was then painted white.  The extensive street lights that illuminated the city also added to the name as the entire place would glow at night.  This Fair, though held long before Walt's birth, can still be argued as having some influence over Disney as Elias Disney, Walt's father, was a carpenter during this Fair.  He presumably worked constructing portions of the Great White City.   So the idea of creating a miniature city, which romanticized the past, can clearly be seen over at the Magic Kingdom. But the argument can definitely be made that these grand expositions were a basis for how Walt would hope to create a "world" for people to enjoy.   

The core idea of Epcot, I feel, can be seen in the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, which was entitled A Century of Progress, covering the time from 1833 to 1933.  The main idea with this Fair was not to go back and look into the past for influence, but to reflect new, modern ideas and even suggest future developments.  Why such a change in theme? This Fair happened during a time when the world was dealing with the ramifications of the Great War (WWI), and America was also coming out of the Great Depression.  Clearly the idea of looking ahead and the promise of technological advancement to make the present more bearable was more appealing than looking back.     

Some exhibits from this Fair also can be seen as having influenced some of Epcot's attractions.  For instance, the Fair introduced people to things such as the "dream car" and even "concept cars" that would not be on the market- hello Test Track.  There was an exposition that showed many modern home conveniences, as well as new building materials and techniques- I see you over there Innoventions.  The Union Pacific Railroad exhibited its first streamlined train, named the Zephyr, which made a high speed dawn-to-dusk run from Denver to Chicago in just 13 hours and 5 minutes- can we say "monorail?"  And there was also a wild animal exhibit- think about the original idea for Jungle Cruise and eventually Animal Kingdom itself. But we know that this Fair is not the only influence on Walt himself. 

How does the idea of 140 pavilions, 110 restaurants, and 37 host nations sound- sort of like a certain festival we all want to enjoy each year?  In actuality, this was what the 1964 World's Fair looked like as Walt Disney brought 4 of his own exhibits, showcasing some of the newest audio-animatronic technology, which Epcot's original attractions relied upon.  Another key to Walt Disney World is the visual "weenie," which Walt had been using since Disneyland, though it seems he topped himself with the Tower of the Four Winds as it became landmark of the Fair and introduced the phrase "Meet me under the Tower of the Four Winds."  Now, when you enter Epcot, you can meet under the giant golf ball.  

If you want to find a bit of Walt's influence for transportation around Epcot, you can look at the Ford's Magic Skyway exhibit which featured self-driving cars- think of the People Mover in Tomorrowland.  Progressland, presented by General Electric, also featured some of the newest household inventions, again looking at you Innoventions. 

 Walt had the idea for Epcot, which he described as an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow that "will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry."  He also indicated it would be a "community of the future" that would never be completed, but always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems.  Walt also wanted Epcot to be a showcase to the world for ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise. 

It can also be argued that Epcot is a permanent World's Fair.  It is a showcase of what is to come and lets guests experience the best of the most recent technology.  If we look at it this way, there is no reason why attractions based on IPs could not encompass this.  For instance, if we look outside of Epcot and over at Animal Kingdom, Flight of Passage has a unique ride system and relies on the newest technology.  The Na'vi River Journey contains the most advanced animatronic, and is arguably the most breathtaking even after having experienced it firsthand multiple times.  So, if the Imagineers can bring in new attractions with this in mind, why is it bad if the theme of the attraction is from a Disney movie?     

With what we've seen over the past 35 years, do you think Walt's vision has held up? What changes can be made that will still encompass Walt's ideas but reinvigorate a park that is in sore need of some change?  Let me know!

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Melyssa and the Mouse: Summer Adventures at the Museum with Joe Rohde

Recently I was able to enjoy a night at the Orlando Museum of Art and hear one of the most energetic and prolific Imagineers of our time- Mr. Joe Rohde.  The museum offered an amazing spread of not only food from Animal Kingdom, including many small versions of things that could be found in Satu'li Canteen, but also music from the park, including the soundtrack of Avatar, as well as the harpist who typically plays in Discovery Island across from Flame Tree BBQ.  There was a small exhibit where images from Joe's own sketchbooks were displayed, along with some artwork from around Animal Kingdom.  Take a look below for some of the pictures from the exhibit. 

But the real heart of the night lay in hearing Joe speak about Pandora and Animal Kingdom.  He had mentioned in a tweet that this would be an art history lecture, and let me tell you, that's exactly what this was.  Now, being an art history nerd (I mean I spent a month in Florence, Italy just taking 1 art history class for no credit) I can tell you this excited me- not only would I get to hear an art history lecture, it would relate to my favorite park in Walt Disney World and it was to be presented by the man for whom I have the utmost respect and admiration.  I will attempt to convey what his lecture was about and how it tied into the place that we know as Animal Kingdom!

So, to jump right into it as Joe did himself, we discuss the fact that the way a theme park is planned and constructed is intentional and has numerous influences in the past, so that most of what has been constructed is not anything new, per se, but perhaps only done in a new way to suit a new purpose. 

First- we look at composition and how the layout of an area or scene plays an essential part in artwork.  The artists playing a key role here are landscape architects, which draw some of their inspiration from artist Claude Lorrain.  Lorrain shows the gently rolling hills and broadness of the landscape- landscape as more than just background-something with purpose.  How does this tie into the park- just look at Kilimanjaro Safari and you can see that each slope and rock is placed in such a way as to be appealing to the eye whilst on a moving vehicle, but also functions in a way that ensures both animal and guest safety without obvious lines of viewer/viewee.  Often during the ride, vehicles are not seen by the one behind, or at least you may only see the 1 or 2 ahead of you- particularly if you are out on the savanna.  But again, the construction of the landscape has been shaped in such a way that the bend of the road helps hide the entire progress of the vehicles in front of yours.

And each aspect of this constructed landscape must be placed in such a way that it looks good not only to the vehicle that passes it on the left, but also the one that is passing it on the right and the entire way around.   This is where Charles Bridgman takes his part.  He made the Stowe Garden- an English landscape garden where the hills, valleys, and even the very trees were placed in such a way as to be appropriate to the design.  Creating places also means creating spaces, which leads to architecture, which has been called the highest form of art as it incorporates a multitude of different art forms into one- sculpture, color, design, movement in space- all come together to create something that is functional yet beautiful at the same time.  

When landscape artists build, particularly in Animal Kingdom, and create something out of nothing, we can look at no better beauty that Mt. Everest- home of Expedition Everest.  However, for many years, the mountain was a place that inspired fear and reverence.  It wasn't until the 1780's and Caspar David Friedrich where we begin having the mountain seen as a mountain of aspiration- representing an idea- a positive symbol of what we aspire to.   Everest is very much this invented idea, a crafted idea which stems from the Romantic era, the Picturesque era where the mountain can do more than just invoke terror of the unknown.  

If we leave the mountain and start to look at the world around us, we see that currently there is much going on- which is no better time for artists to do what they do best- create!  We find this if we wonder into Africa in Animal Kingdom, as many of the fabricated artwork here is influenced by someone in particular who showed how to turn what some would consider junk into art.  The idea of things happening in a world of economic pressure, where the focus is on conservation, and where the Imagineers have filtered this world through a lens of brightness and deliberate design- this is Africa in Animal Kingdom and the filter is Robert Rauschenberg.  His work of combining elements of refuse and making art out of these elements inspired many corners of Africa, from the posters hanging on the walls to the bicycle wheels that adorn the light posts.  Take a look in Tiffins and you will see a Rauschenberg inspired piece hanging on the wall- while it may seem odd to have this canvas covered in wires hanging in a signature restaraunt, it demonstrates the influence of this artist on an entire land in the park. 

Another influencer in the upcycling of materials into art is that of El Anatsui.  We may love the new lion marquee outside of the Lion King theater, but we would not have this without El Anatsui's influence.  Here, in Harambe, we see that trash can become more valuable than trash and there is a culture- both fabricated in the park and reflective of real life- where the useless becomes useful and art can be made from anything. 

Now, while we discuss how trash and useless things can be turned into new things, we must also acknowledge that the park is replete with many things that look old.  And, while it's a very cool aesthetic to have old things in the park, sometimes ruins and broken objects can seem very depressing and sad.  Where does one turn to and find that ruination can be crafted to not be depressing and just crumbling facades? Hubert Robert painted many ruins where the feeling of broken but beautiful is clearly demonstrated in the crumbling buildings in his paintings. The imagineers then bring in this idea and show that there is the power of nature absorbing human effort, but still remaining beautiful and giving us a documentarian look at what has happened but through an aesthetic filter.

Now we go into the story behind the things we view- the story that every object that is placed has to tell the viewer if one only looks carefully.  This allows the imagineer to make art by following the rules of art, yet provide just a touch more for those who will view this art while waiting on line to experience an attraction or sitting to eat a meal.  We look to William Gilpin to see that things can be edifying to look at- that they are not just objects- that they are purposeful, beautiful, and intentional.  We also turn to Thomas Cole to see that landscape can be meant to say things- to speak to the viewer.  Cole's work offers landscapes that are imbued with spiritual messages- conveyed by light- and are meant to truly mean things.  And finally we look to Fredric Edwin Church to show us the vastness of a painting and what experiencing this size and scale can do to a viewer.  Church's paintings were often displayed in a theater and were typically shown one at a time as they were so large- thus awing the audience with both size and detail all at once.  The message culminates to: Slow down, take your time, and you will be rewarded with the details in inspection.  This leads us to Pandora.

Our lead imagineer, the one who spent 6 years from concept to opening day, told us that Pandora is the most artificial and profoundly plastic landscape.  While this gave everyone a good chuckle, it's also very accurate.  There is little on Pandora (from the film) that would be recognizable to a human.  So how do you take this insanely mythical place and create a space for people to walk around and truly feel as if they have been transported to such a space without alienating them with all fake objects surrounding them? The first thing that they did was find an object to instill awe into the viewer and create a space where vastness and small detail play hand in hand.  The center of this space is the floating mountains. 

The floating mountains were constructed out of steel and concrete, two materials that do not exactly exude the feel of weightlessness and airiness.   How does one achieve such feelings from such heavy and weighty materials?  We don't need to look anywhere but to the Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.  He created my favorite David and, as you can see from the images, turned marble into cloth and imbued the muscles with movement and poise.  

The additional inspiration for the floating mountains can be found in places where one is meant to look up and draw inspiration from the beauty- churches- in particular the Gothic style of church.  The Gothic style celebrates light and bringing in the "light of God" into a physical space but drawing the eye up towards the heavens by use of columns.  In order to draw the eye up, ribbed columns were implemented, which are lighter and thinner than the heaviness of the Romanesque bulky columns as the flying buttresses on the outside of the churches alleviated the need for the internal columns to be weight bearing and could now achieve that light, airy feel.  Additionally, these churches let in as much light as possible via stained glass windows and even an oculus near the altar of the church.  

The play of light and shadow is also a key element when your "church" is outside.  Here, the mountains are influenced by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, who showed that the eye can be tricked to see what it believes is there and not necessarily what is actually there.  Also, Piranesi has a heavy influence in the combination of light and shadow and the details going on even to the most remote corner of the piece.  So we see through the combination of light and shadow, as well as leading the eye towards the heavens, the floating mountains are sublime- instilling awe and a safe fear in the viewer.

Another place where these themes come together, where the guest is able to have a moment of epiphany, celebration, where everything turns good, is during the Flight of Passage attraction.  If you have not been on this attraction, I will not spoil it but will try to be as specific and vague as possible.  There is one moment during the thrill of the attraction where the pace is slowed and the viewer is able to breathe and have this moment of amaze.  And the influence for the design of this space is clearly the Gothic style church.  Now, I do not have the exact name of the church that influenced the attraction (Joe's picture was spot on) but here is a type of Gothic church where you can how the influence was translated into the attraction.  The columns are a very similar design to the area in the attraction where there is the pause.  So, just as patrons back in the High and Late Middle Ages were invited into the church to pause at the beauty of the Lord, so is the guest invited to pause and absorb the beauty around them during this portion of the attraction.  

Before heading out of Flight of Passage, we need to take a look at the queue for this attraction- easily one of the most magnificent and memorable queues in quite some time for Walt Disney World.  Here, when guests enter the floating mountains, they are surrounded by a most primitive form of art- cave paintings.  Now, the influence here is clear if you open most art history books (and look at the pictures below) but the imagineers were able to do what the men of the caves could not- they were able to ensure that the layout of the cave rock provided the shape they needed so they could, oh I don't know, say paint a huge banshee to encompass 3/4 of a wall.  

It should also be noted how the braided sculptures seen throughout the land were not fabricated on what was seen, but actually made by people adept at this weaving tradition.  The Javi textile artists (I'm unsure of the spelling but this is how he pronounced it) were the ones who actually wove the pieces you see throughout Pandora.  As Joe said, why should they recreate the wheel when these artists have been doing it for so long?  Just take a look at the detail in the pictures and you can see, there is just no comparison to true artistry at work.

We cannot mention Pandora without considering how this place takes the ideas of conservation and nature and presenting them to the viewer in a softened way.  Again, we see the decay of the "great works of man" and the reclaiming of these objects by the force that is nature; however, we are not depressed by this reclaiming.  In Pandora, the artists have filtered this process which could be depressing under the lens of Hubert Robert and Theodore Rousseau and romanticism, as discussed above, and are now showing that the "fantastically aggressive works of man" are succumbing to the forces of nature.

And finally, we cannot leave Pandora without talking about the nighttime spectacular that is the bioluminescence and the influence for some of these plants.  We see the influence of Dale Chihuly in his glass sculpture in the giant plants that grace the night. 

To close the lecture, Joe discussed how John Ruskin, in his book The Stones of Venice (1851), indicated how it was inevitable that we, as people, pursue our future to living in cities.  We have seen that this migration towards cities has been the trend since Ruskin's time.   Now, we must look at how these cities are developed and maintained as, particularly for older cities, they were not developed with the idea of beauty and  meaning.  While cities must tackle the difficulty of containing the density of the population, they could also be places of narrative, meaning, beauty, symbolism, and safety.  The ideas that have been placed in the theme parks, where they are both a functioning place for a massive audience, as well as a place that offers beauty and form, must be now utilized to make our outside world just as pleasant a place to be as the theme parks we come to in order to escape real life are.  And on that note, my friends, is where Joe ended, and so shall I.  

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Melyssa and the Mouse: A Cathartic Piece

Hello everyone! I know this blog is usually for lighthearted stuff that happens in a place many people use as their escape from reality.  But, since you’re all my family, I wanted to open up about what I’ve been dealing with for some time now and hope that this can be a cathartic piece for the both of us.  Not many of you know me, but I have a history of dealing with depression and anxiety.  Having relocated away from my family this past year definitely made dealing with my mental illness issues even more difficult as my whole network was gone and there was plenty of added stress that came along with the move.  I’m also a very quiet person, so reaching out and making new friends was not a tool I had at the ready, though I was able to meet some really amazing people who have stuck by me despite what I was going through on the inside.  So, despite achieving something not only that I had been looking forward too for a long time, but that many people also wish to do themselves, I was slowly sinking back into myself, where my mind was messing with me.  

I have seen that, while I present a certain face to the world, my inner self was quite different.  I lost a lot of motivation to go out- even just to walk around the parks was no longer something that could uplift my spirit and give me that renewed sense of wonder.  I wasn’t the same bubbly person I was before this sickness started to eat away at my joy.  I would find the negative and focus on the things that I could not do or the difficulties before me instead of giving myself credit for having actually done things- ranging from the big thing of moving out of state, to the small thing of continuing to get to work each day and being productive there.  Finally, I can see that, the problem is not totally on how other people treat me, but how I treat myself. I am by far my harshest critic and this has always led to problems within.  I judge myself and then I feel that I am not good enough for others and refuse to see what others see in me.  I honestly struggle with feeling accomplished and successful- I yearn for approval but then I don’t trust those that give it because my crazy mind just believes the person is just being nice without being truthful. I’m a topsy turvy mess.

However, like I’ve said, I live near the happiest place on earth so clearly I have access to some things that even the best therapist could not give to me.  I am going to make some major changes in order to try to refocus my mind and get to the point where I can once again enjoy the happiest place on earth. This will be a year of change and transformation, even more than the previous year had been.  While many of us (particularly those of us in the U.S.) joke that 2016 was the worst year, we all know 2017 did not start off much better. But with the bulk of the year behind us, I think we can try to end 2017 on a positive note and truly have some fantastic stuff to look forward to from this moment on!

I would love to hear from you also because I know everyone has things they deal with and everyone struggles- the more we can come together, the better we can become! If you want to share- please email me at disneymagichourpodcast@gmail.com and put Melyssa in the subject line.  

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Melyssa and the Mouse: Summer Adventures Part 1

Walt Disney World tends to shake things up for the summer season, despite the fact that many people will be flocking to the tourist destination without the pull of extra or new offerings.  This year, there is something new in 3 out of the 4 parks: Pandora and Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom, Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom, and Disney Movie Magic and The Music of PIXAR Live! at Hollywood Studios. I was able to experience all of these things recently (one more so than any other) and wanted to share some of my thoughts with you in a multi-part Melyssa and the Mouse series!

Let’s start with the first major experience that will draw numerous people over the course of the years- Pandora-The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom. Let me just say that I love this park in general, even before the addition of the new land and nighttime hours/experiences.  The thing about this park that attracts me the most is the subtlety of the story and the subdued way the land is shaped and themed to perfectly blend with nature without seeming like it’s intruding into the world.  So adding the experience of Pandora has enhanced that appreciation of nature, even if, on Pandora, it’s in an alien form.    

There are many ways to experience the beauty of this land.  An early morning venture allows one to see the sun rising in the east and hitting the front of the floating mountains.  This is a true movie moment, full of golden yellows and sparkling waterfalls- you can almost hear the theme music hit at the right spot -but since there is no music in this land, you have to imagine this music, as all you will hear is the sound of “nature” on Pandora- the screaming of the Banshees, the grunting of the Hammerhead Titanothere, the winnie of the Direhorse, or the screeching of the Viperwolves.  Alternatively, a late evening venture onto the moon will afford you the opportunity to see the sunset on the backside of the floating mountains, a deep rich color in the evening, warm with reds and oranges.  But the main experience everyone is itching to see is the night-when the world literally comes alive with glowing bioluminescent plants and glowing walkways.  Even the drum circle enters a new form with performers and participants alike filling the air with the sounds of music, which, as noted before, is not typically heard throughout the rest of the land, while the very rocks themselves pulse with the beat.  

While I could go on forever about my love of Pandora itself, I would love if you knew the backstory of this land before entering, because that makes things make more sense in terms of theming.  If you’ve never watched the movie Avatar - that’s ok (besides it’s kinda long and the war part is boring)- you don’t need to have seen it to enjoy the land, which is a great job on the part of the imagineers.  The land itself is “set” in a time decades after the events of the movie, so none of the characters from the original movie are specifically named in the attractions and there are only a couple references to these characters in the land (such as Neyteri’s bust in Windtraders, Dr. Augustine’s book in the line queue for Flight of Passage, and a Jake Sully mask at the Colors of Mo’ara face painting booth).  It was also cool to see the animals and plants from the movie represented throughout the land and attractions.  You can see the old RDA signs (the mining company from the movie that blew up the Na’vi’s home), particularly around Flight of Passage, Windtraders, and Satu’li Canteen, as this is the area where the RDA army base once was.  Since decades have passed and, as seen at the end of the movie, Avatars, along with a couple of select humans, and the Na’vi are living together in peace and harmony, so the old intrusive ways humans came into this land are now being taken back by nature and re-shaped by The People of Pandora.  Now, we travelers from Earth are welcome to come experience the beauty of this new land, with the help of the company Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE), whose name you will see on the newer looking fixtures (such as the handrails heading into the attractions). So, there is some old looking fixtures, rusted areas, and places where an army one inhabited; but at the same time, there are also new fixtures, restrooms, and eateries for the travelers coming to experience this world.  Even the cast members will tell you, they do not work for Disney- they work for ACE, who has a partnership with Disney.  There are no Mickey ice cream bars of Disney logos on even the shopping bags.  The weave of the story is consistent and shows the thought that went into making sure that things make sense.

To bring that love of nature and experiencing the world around you into the rest of the park, one must head to Rivers of Light, a new unique take on the “nighttime experience”.  In my opinion, the blend of the water effects and projections truly adds to the story of the blending of nature and a “theme park” that made Animal Kingdom what it is by showing you the blend of light and earth, which encapsulates the world around you.  When you watch Rivers of Light, you are watching the play of nature, from the majestic beauty of a horse running or an eagle flying, as well as the literal circle of life with a hunt and protection of baby animals by their parents.  And the overall message of “being one” is clear, and is made explicit with the use of the song that weaves it’s way throughout the show “We Are One”- in Animal Kingdom, it’s being one with nature; in Epcot, it’s being one with the world and other cultures.  If we all take care of each other, harmony can happen.

The beauty of nature is usually reserved and requires you to listen and observe.  This park, in many of the things it presents to the visitors, asks the same.  Be quiet, observe, and embrace what is around you.  This is how you enjoy the wonder that is Animal Kingdom.  Until next time, when I tackle another nightly show- Irayo (Thanks in Na’vi).  

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Melyssa and the Mouse: A Newly Discovered Secret

Welcome to the next Melyssa and the Mouse, where the theme will continue to be food related (sorry, but not really because Disney food is amazing).  This time, we really need to discuss the best kept secret in Disney Springs, and it’s not a new restaurant- it’s one that has been around for years, and one I’ve visited often on my numerous vacations to Walt Disney World but apparently never at the right time.  It’s Raglan Road Brunch, which is only served on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am - 3pm.  While I’m sure many people are now yelling at their computer/phone screens that this brunch is amazing, I never really ventured to Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) prior to 4pm and/or on the weekends, so this gem was unknown to me.  And what a pleasant surprise when we made lunch reservations and were handed a brunch menu at 2pm! So here’s some of the menu items that I’ve tried and you will see why I’ve gone back 3 times since moving to Florida in the past 3 months...  

Firstly, since the menu is a brunch menu, there are still some favorites on there, including the fish and chips ($20.00) and the shepherd’s pie ($19.00)- which is amazing if you’ve never had it before.  However, there are also some wonderful breakfast-y type foods on the menu, prepared in an Irish way that allow you to truly experience breakfast foods in a whole new way.  I’ve tried a few of these items and let me tell you- they’re all delicious.  On my first adventure there, I tried the Pork Hash Tagged ($15.00), which is made up of braised pork belly, scallions, and potato hash (think cubed tiny potatoes) served with 2 fried eggs on top.  A simple meal, but it was a nice way to introduce me to this menu.  I absolutely loved the potatoes but I felt the pork belly was a little lost in there.  If you’re not an adventurous eater, though, this is a great meal with plenty to fill you up without worrying about not liking something.  

On my second outing, which happened to also be for my birthday, I did decide to go for something a little more daring.  I tried the Egg en Cocotte ($15.00), which is a farm fresh eggs baked with spinach, mushrooms, and Dubliner cheddar served with toast soldiers.  This was the most UK sounding food I saw, so I went for it.  Let me just tell you how unexpected it was, yet so absolutely wonderful.  So the eggs come in a mini crockpot looking dish just swimming in this delectable cheese sauce with spinach and mushrooms to accompany them.  They’re baked so the yolks were a little soft, but I loved the flavor of that with the cheddar.  The toast soldiers were simply toast cut into strips, as you would do for finger sandwiches.  However, the bread that they were made out of was similar to a sourdough and paired with the cheddar so well.  Amazing!

During the Great Irish Hooley, I decided to go more toward the “unch” side of “brunch” and try their pie of the day, which happened to be a chicken pot pie ($19.00).  It was made with a potato base and not really liquid inside but more of chicken and mushrooms buried in mashed potatoes and covered with a flakey pastry. It was so wonderful- the chicken was flavorful and not dry at all. I loved it and would definitely recommend getting this dish again, no matter if it was brunch, lunch, or dinner!

  Some other items on the menu that I’ve snuck a taste of have included the Three Times a Boxty (sliced gammon topped with Dubliner cheddar sandwiched between 2 pan seared boxty potato cakes with a fried egg on top- definitely use a knife and fork with this one! $16.00) and the Full Irish (a full Irish breakfast with sausage, black and white pudding, bacon, roasted potatoes, mushrooms, fried eggs, and toasties- served in a skillet plate and ready for the devouring! $21.00 and more than enough food for 2 meals). Seriously, though, I have yet to order something off this menu that I haven’t liked.

The great thing about going for brunch is that the dessert menu still has the famous bread & butter pudding on it.  If you’ve never had the bread pudding at Raglan Road, it’s absolutely the best bread pudding so far on property. The size of the serving is also perfect for sharing between at least 2 people and as become a staple for whenever we go to Raglan Road.  While it’s called bread pudding, it’s also the least amount of “pudding” that I’ve had.  It’s served in a tea cup and looks more like a muffin top placed in the cup.  The inside contains some raisins but the light colored ones so the flavor isn’t too heavy, and it’s so moist that it practically melts in your mouth.  But the best part of the bread pudding is the two little creamer containers of caramel sauce and a cream anglaise sauce that you can pour over your bread at your desire.  Not too into sweet- pour a little.  Have a crazy sweet tooth like me- soak it!  I love it!  It’s priced at $9.50, but it’s 100% shareable and so worth enjoying.  If you're interested, All Ears posted the recipe so you can try this amazing dessert in your own home- check it out here!  

So there you go- the best kept secret that has been hiding under my very nose for apparently years.  I love making reservations for 1-2pm on the weekend and enjoying some delicious food while watching the Irish dancers and hearing the band play.  If you want to go, make your reservations and then tag us in the pics so we can all be jealous of your time at Raglan Road Brunch!