Disney Prep
Our family is going to Disney World this fall and we are all so excited. I have been many times and still feel the magic every time I am there. We took our kids for one day to Magic Kingdom two years ago while we were on a beach trip in Florida. It was a tougher day because of some weather, the terrible crowds and a few ride issues. My kids also didn't get quite as excited as I had thought they would about some things. This time we are going just to Disney for the whole week and I wanted to make sure my kids were going to be totally into it this time so in January, we set a family goal to watch all of the Disney animated movies in order of release before we go.
It has been a fun experience and I think very interesting to see the progression of animation and style as we've gone through the years. Here is a quick run down of our journey so far.
1. Snow White--her voice is annoying but the kids really loved the dwarves and I'd forgotten how much personality they each have. It is a slower-paced movie but my kids were totally drawn in and we're ready to ride the Dwarves Mine Train.
2. Pinocchio--the music is good and it teaches some good lessons.
3. Fantasia--I thought about skipping this one but felt it was important for the full Disney education and surprisingly, my kids were into it. There are a couple of strange songs but overall, they enjoyed it way more than I expected.
4. Dumbo--I hadn't seen this one in years and while they are so mean to Dumbo and the clowns getting drunk bothered me, it wasn't as bad as I had remembered and now my kids know why the ride is Dumbo flying.
5. Bambi--my kids were cracking up when Bambi was trying to walk on the ice. Even though it is sad about his mom, there is a lot of humor in this movie and my kids loved all of the animals. All of these early movies had a slower pace than modern movies and I was pleasantly surprised that my kids really enjoyed it and the added character development and simple humor.
6. Cinderella--we all loved this movie. She is one of my very favorite characters because of her kindness and patience and I feel like this is when Disney started hitting its stride.
7. Alice in Wonderland--this movie is seriously so weird and it was the first one my kids didn't like. At least now while we're spinning around in a tea cup they'll remember that scene and recognize the music and know why we're in a tea cup.
8. Peter Pan--my youngest especially loved this one and played pirates for a few days afterwards. Great story and well done and this is one of my favorite kid rides too so it was a fun watch.
9. Lady and the Tramp--my kids love dogs and so they were all into this one
10. Sleeping Beauty--this was my favorite as a child but the older i get the more frustrated I am with the good fairies and their carelessness. They were so close to saving her! But I still love the music and the good fairies, although my kids didn't love it as much as I expected them too.
11. Swiss Family Robinson--even though we decided we only had time for animated movies, I love this one and so I sneaked it onto the list. My kids absolutely loved it! They thought it was so fun to be on an island and they loved all of the animals. They didn't get the romance part and closed their eyes during the kissing but it was a fun watch and now they'll enjoy going on the Swiss Family Robinson tree house in Disney World.
12. 101 Dalmatians. This was a big hit, mostly because of the music and again, it is about dogs. I was surprised they weren't more scared of Cruella but they all enjoyed this one.
13. Sword in the Stone--We all liked this one and still talk about the squirrel scene regularly.
14. Mary Poppins--another technically non-animated one got on the list but it is my very favorite movie so we had to watch it. Seriously, one of the best movies ever. The music is amazing, Mary Poppins is my idol and it has such heart and personal growth in it. I love it and we've been singing the music since!
15. Jungle Book--another favorite because of the music and the funny animals. This is seriously a great time in Disney music and hooray for the Sherman brothers!
16. Aristocats--not our favorite; so much like 101 Dalmatians but not done as well.
17. Robin Hood--we all loved this one for the adventure and Prince John is so funny.
18. The Rescuers--this is where things started to go down hill a bit for Disney. The music stinks and it is all so 70s with this watercolor artwork and dramatic music. I do love the mice and can sing all of the words to the Rescue Aid Society song but overall, I was glad when this one was done. Not a fan of kidnapping in children's movies and this starts a string of them for Disney.
(Winnie the Pooh should have come next but somehow I missed it on my list! We'll squeeze it in at the end and maybe just watch the newer one. My kids have seen it before but since there is a Winnie the Pooh ride, I want them to remember him).
19. Fox and the Hound--my kids aren't familiar with how hound dogs hunt foxes so they missed the complexity of their friendship and the revenge story line here is a bit strong. Lame music too so we were not fans.
20. Great Mouse Detective. Oh Disney. The 80s were tough years for you. This movie again has kidnapping and a very criminal rat who is quick to kill mice and threaten them. If I had wanted to show my kids mafia movies I wouldn't have picked something animated. I love Sherlock Holmes but this was just not a good movie.
21. Oliver and Company. Yikes, none of us liked this one either. My husband used to defend it because he liked it as a kid but it is a terrible story with pretty bad music, kidnapping and again, a peek into this criminal underworld of loan sharks and I think that is just a bit much for kids.
22. Little Mermaid--Hooray for Alan Menken and Tim Rice for saving Disney music! This movie is a breath of fresh air after four bad movies in a row. I can quote this entire movie and sing all of the amazing songs. This starts a new theme for Disney; one of being yourself and being true to who you are. Plus it is fun because we know there is an Ariel ride at Disney World and the pool at our hotel has Little Mermaid characters in it too.
23. Beauty and the Beast--another classic that we'll see lots of in Disney World. Love the music, Belle is such a great character to love reading and to be so kind and brave and my son wasn't a fan of how mushy it was but overall, a family favorite.
24. Aladdin--Love it! The hits just keep coming! Awesome music, Genie is so funny, again the theme of being true to who you are is key to this story and the importance of freedom and being able to choose for yourself which is way better than the criminal stories of the 80s. We're excited to ride the magic carpets in Magic Kingdom.
25. Lion King--Pretty powerful story. I didn't like it so much as a kid because Scar is creepy and I don't like the hyenas or the fact that Mufasa is murdered by his brother, but this is a good movie. I like the theme of rising up to your responsibility and being who you are supposed to be, even when it is difficult. I like the original score too. Our hotel room is decorated like Lion King and we're excited for the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom.
26. Pocahontas--or as I like to call it, Hoakie-hontas. Seriously, the wind blows around her and suddenly she can speak English? Not a winner in our books but everyone liked Meko and Percy and the music is pretty good.
Next up is Toy Story so we are at the beginning of the Pixar age. 27 more movies to go!
It has been a fun experience and I think very interesting to see the progression of animation and style as we've gone through the years. Here is a quick run down of our journey so far.
1. Snow White--her voice is annoying but the kids really loved the dwarves and I'd forgotten how much personality they each have. It is a slower-paced movie but my kids were totally drawn in and we're ready to ride the Dwarves Mine Train.2. Pinocchio--the music is good and it teaches some good lessons.
3. Fantasia--I thought about skipping this one but felt it was important for the full Disney education and surprisingly, my kids were into it. There are a couple of strange songs but overall, they enjoyed it way more than I expected.
4. Dumbo--I hadn't seen this one in years and while they are so mean to Dumbo and the clowns getting drunk bothered me, it wasn't as bad as I had remembered and now my kids know why the ride is Dumbo flying.
5. Bambi--my kids were cracking up when Bambi was trying to walk on the ice. Even though it is sad about his mom, there is a lot of humor in this movie and my kids loved all of the animals. All of these early movies had a slower pace than modern movies and I was pleasantly surprised that my kids really enjoyed it and the added character development and simple humor.
6. Cinderella--we all loved this movie. She is one of my very favorite characters because of her kindness and patience and I feel like this is when Disney started hitting its stride.
7. Alice in Wonderland--this movie is seriously so weird and it was the first one my kids didn't like. At least now while we're spinning around in a tea cup they'll remember that scene and recognize the music and know why we're in a tea cup.
8. Peter Pan--my youngest especially loved this one and played pirates for a few days afterwards. Great story and well done and this is one of my favorite kid rides too so it was a fun watch.
9. Lady and the Tramp--my kids love dogs and so they were all into this one
10. Sleeping Beauty--this was my favorite as a child but the older i get the more frustrated I am with the good fairies and their carelessness. They were so close to saving her! But I still love the music and the good fairies, although my kids didn't love it as much as I expected them too.
11. Swiss Family Robinson--even though we decided we only had time for animated movies, I love this one and so I sneaked it onto the list. My kids absolutely loved it! They thought it was so fun to be on an island and they loved all of the animals. They didn't get the romance part and closed their eyes during the kissing but it was a fun watch and now they'll enjoy going on the Swiss Family Robinson tree house in Disney World.
12. 101 Dalmatians. This was a big hit, mostly because of the music and again, it is about dogs. I was surprised they weren't more scared of Cruella but they all enjoyed this one.
13. Sword in the Stone--We all liked this one and still talk about the squirrel scene regularly.
14. Mary Poppins--another technically non-animated one got on the list but it is my very favorite movie so we had to watch it. Seriously, one of the best movies ever. The music is amazing, Mary Poppins is my idol and it has such heart and personal growth in it. I love it and we've been singing the music since!
15. Jungle Book--another favorite because of the music and the funny animals. This is seriously a great time in Disney music and hooray for the Sherman brothers!
16. Aristocats--not our favorite; so much like 101 Dalmatians but not done as well.
17. Robin Hood--we all loved this one for the adventure and Prince John is so funny.18. The Rescuers--this is where things started to go down hill a bit for Disney. The music stinks and it is all so 70s with this watercolor artwork and dramatic music. I do love the mice and can sing all of the words to the Rescue Aid Society song but overall, I was glad when this one was done. Not a fan of kidnapping in children's movies and this starts a string of them for Disney.
(Winnie the Pooh should have come next but somehow I missed it on my list! We'll squeeze it in at the end and maybe just watch the newer one. My kids have seen it before but since there is a Winnie the Pooh ride, I want them to remember him).
19. Fox and the Hound--my kids aren't familiar with how hound dogs hunt foxes so they missed the complexity of their friendship and the revenge story line here is a bit strong. Lame music too so we were not fans.
20. Great Mouse Detective. Oh Disney. The 80s were tough years for you. This movie again has kidnapping and a very criminal rat who is quick to kill mice and threaten them. If I had wanted to show my kids mafia movies I wouldn't have picked something animated. I love Sherlock Holmes but this was just not a good movie.
21. Oliver and Company. Yikes, none of us liked this one either. My husband used to defend it because he liked it as a kid but it is a terrible story with pretty bad music, kidnapping and again, a peek into this criminal underworld of loan sharks and I think that is just a bit much for kids.
22. Little Mermaid--Hooray for Alan Menken and Tim Rice for saving Disney music! This movie is a breath of fresh air after four bad movies in a row. I can quote this entire movie and sing all of the amazing songs. This starts a new theme for Disney; one of being yourself and being true to who you are. Plus it is fun because we know there is an Ariel ride at Disney World and the pool at our hotel has Little Mermaid characters in it too.
23. Beauty and the Beast--another classic that we'll see lots of in Disney World. Love the music, Belle is such a great character to love reading and to be so kind and brave and my son wasn't a fan of how mushy it was but overall, a family favorite.
24. Aladdin--Love it! The hits just keep coming! Awesome music, Genie is so funny, again the theme of being true to who you are is key to this story and the importance of freedom and being able to choose for yourself which is way better than the criminal stories of the 80s. We're excited to ride the magic carpets in Magic Kingdom.
25. Lion King--Pretty powerful story. I didn't like it so much as a kid because Scar is creepy and I don't like the hyenas or the fact that Mufasa is murdered by his brother, but this is a good movie. I like the theme of rising up to your responsibility and being who you are supposed to be, even when it is difficult. I like the original score too. Our hotel room is decorated like Lion King and we're excited for the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom.
26. Pocahontas--or as I like to call it, Hoakie-hontas. Seriously, the wind blows around her and suddenly she can speak English? Not a winner in our books but everyone liked Meko and Percy and the music is pretty good.
Next up is Toy Story so we are at the beginning of the Pixar age. 27 more movies to go!
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