 Not going to lie, I’ve been waiting for The Nutcracker And The Four Realms to hit theaters FOREVER! I’ve been obsessed with The Nutcracker Ballet since I was a child. Disney is also another obsession of mine. So the two together?!? A dream come true! Would Disney’s take on The Nutcracker live up to my expectations? Find out below!  PLOTFrom Disney ~ All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.  OPINIONI knew from all the previews leading up to the premiere, that this was going to be a unique take on The Nutcracker! Unique is definitely an understatement. I think this was one beautiful movie, but it’s definitely nothing like The Nutcracker ballet. While there are a few similarities, The Nutcracker And The Four Realms is pretty much a totally different story. I couldn’t help but think of all the similarities Disney’s version of The Nutcracker had to Alice in Wonderland. I got Alice in Wonderland vibes while watching the entire film. Magical lands, magical characters, even the same type of graphics and feel. I did love Alice in Wonderland, so I was pleased with Disney’s The Nutcracker And The Four Realms. If you do plan to go, just go into the flick knowing it’s nothing like the ballet.  KID FRIENDLY?My six year old has been attending The Nutcracker Ballet annually since she was a baby! So she was pretty stoked when she spotted The Nutcracker AND Disney in the same title. Every time she watched a preview for the movie, she made sure to tell me it was “D”! D is how she says Disney. While she may have been excited, I honestly think 6 years old was young to fully understand the movie. She watched the entire thing and seemed to enjoy it, but I doubt she understood the movie completely. I would recommend this movie for older kids. Perfect date night movie! Perfect Mommy/Daughter night out flick for the tweens and teens. I would just recommend leaving the younger kids at home unless they are persistent on going like my daughter was. If you do take the younger kids, hit up a matinee, so if they do get lost in the plot, you didn’t spend a fortune on tickets!  LET’S CHAT!Have you seen The Nutcracker And The Four Realms?
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 Can we just take a moment to give Shea’s Buffalo a big round of applause! I swear every time they make a show announcement, it’s something HUGE!!! Bravo Shea’s! BRAVO! Makes this broadway obsessed gal happy that she no longer needs to invest in a jet so she can head to NYC for quality theater since it’s finally making its way to Buffalo! I swear I was going to go broke booking those NYC theater trips! A few weeks ago my daughter and I had the pleasure of checking out Disney “Aladdin” during a matinee performance in Buffalo! Would it live up to all the hype that magazines like Cosmo have been raving about for months? Find out below!  Disney AladdinInspired by the Middle Eastern story, “One Thousand and One Nights”, and the 1992 Disney animated film, “Aladdin” is a mystical coming of age story of an orphan that makes his wildest dreams come true, with the help of a magic genie. Aladdin quickly learns that fame, fortune, and love don’t come easy, and sometimes staying true to yourself will find you true happiness, even without the lamp.  Most Disney fanatics will notice a few differences from the film. Some of these differences I will consider improvements and some not adding much to the story at all. My favorite inclusion was that of Aladdin’s partners in crime. Babkak, Omar, and Kassim. These three added great comedic moments to this musical. The song “High Adventure” when they storm the castle to save Aladdin from Jafar, left the whole audience in tears from laughter. Another great addition to the story was the inclusion of a cut song from the original film, “Proud of Your Boy,” when Aladdin reflects on his mother and future. There were also a few changes that left me scratching my head. I understand cutting Abu the monkey and Rajah the tiger in order to put focus on other characters. Jasmine’s maidens and Aladdin’s friends substituted those roles that were originally filled by these non-speaking characters. However, Iago, the snarky parrot of Jafar, was made human which only took away from an iconic character.  MY OPINIONHonestly, I had one fabulous time with my daughter!!! I love the movie “Aladdin”. I wanted to name my daughter Jasmine, but my husband was anti Disney princess names. Boo!! So it was definitely fun to fly with Aladdin and Jasmine to “A Whole New World” on the magic carpet, travel down into the Cave of Wonders to get the lamp, and tap along with the Genie in the showstopper “Friend Like Me.” However, “Aladdin” will never be my favorite of the Disney musicals. It's by no means a failure, but Disney’s “Aladdin” is not a producer's masterpiece like "The Lion King," nor a charming work of great artistic accomplishment like "Beauty and the Beast". If you’re someone who attends shows regularly like myself, I would say “Aladdin” is a must see. You will have a blast checking off another hit musical off your bucket list. However, if you’re not a Disney lover or if your someone who just never makes it to the theater, I would recommend checking out “The Lion King” instead. That musical will leave you speechless.  Let’s Chat!Have you seen Disney Aladdin ~ The Hit Broadway Musical? Anyone else crazy excited for Christopher Robin to hit theaters?!?! My daughter & I cannot wait! I love it when we both agree on movies so we can both be equally excited at the theater. Christopher Robin is definitely one movie I have been waiting forever for. If you follow me on Facebook, then you probably already had a hint about my excitement since I have been sharing movie previews nonstop since they announced a release date ages ago. To get ourselves even more hyped to see Christopher Robin this weekend, my daughter and I decided to make a Winnie the Pooh Paper Craft! Cutting isn’t exactly my daughters strongest skill, so this activity was a fun way for her to work on her cutting skills while creating one of her favorite Disney Characters!  SUPPLIES
 2. Once you have a set of ears, take your black foam paper & cut out a set of eyes, a nose & a mouth.  3. Grab your handy dandy glue stick and glue your eyes, nose & ears onto your yellow paper plate.  4. Let your Pooh Bear Paper Plate dry.  5. & just like that you have yourself a Pooh Bear Paper Plate :)
 So who here has had the chance to visit Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!?! The new attraction area just happened to open on my birthday, June 30th! Just in time for our family’s annual July Forth vacation which just happened to be at Disney World this year.  Obviously, the first place we dashed to once in the parks was Toy Story Land! We rode both Slinky Dog Dash & Swirling Aliens and omg!!!! Totally epic! So obviously, now that I’m back from the happiest place on earth, I had to get to work on a few Toy Story themed crafts! Today’s craft? Toy Story D.I.Y Jello Cups. Enjoy!  SUPPLIES
 1. Take your lime green pipe cleaners and cut them into thirds.  2. Now take your lime green poms & use your super Glue to glue them to the lime green pipe cleaners to make an alien antenna.  3. Once your alien antennas are nice and dry, take your super glue and glue them to your plastic dessert cups.  4. While your plastic dessert cups are drying, it’s time to make your lime green jello. Just follow the directions on the Jello box. One regular sized box of jello fills three plastic dessert cups. So keep this in mind when making the Alien Jello Cups for parties.  5. Fill your plastic dessert cups up!  6. Place your jello cups onto a plate so you can move them in and out of the refrigerator with ease.  7. Take the plastic lids that came with your plastic dessert cups and close up your jello cups so you don’t spill on your way to the refrigerator.Take your jello cups to the refrigerator to the refrigerator and let them turn from liquid to jello!  8. Once your jello is in a nice solid state, it’s time to take your candy eyes and make your jello cups look like the Toy Story Alien!  9. Serve & Enjoy
 Thank you Walt Disney World for sponsoring this post. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know my family & I spent a fabulous week in Orlando at the beginning of July. While living our best lives doing all things Disney, we had the chance to check out Disney’s new Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios. Growing up a huge Toy Story fan & being the mother of a 6 year old who can’t get enough of the classic, we were beyond excited to see if Toy Story Land, especially the crown jewel, Slinky Dog Dash lived up to all the media hype!  The Wait!Just like any new attraction at any theme park, Slinky Dog Dash has had a 60-130 minute wait time since it’s June 30th opening day. When we had the chance to roam Toy Story Land for ourselves on July 5th, the estimated wait time was 90 minutes pretty much all day long according to the Disney App. This was also the case when the park opened to the public for the day at 8am. So if you have the grand idea to dash to Slinky Dog when the gates open, be prepared to be disappointed when you find out the folks staying on Disney Property get in the parks an hour early. That’s right, lines actually start at 7am! So getting to the park at 8am, you’re an hour behind those staying at a Disney Resort.  TIP!If waiting is not your thing & you can’t snag a Fast Pass because they are pretty much impossible to get your hands on, you can always book a stay at a Disney Resort! Then head to Slinky Dog when the parks open an hour early for folks staying on Disney property. This way your wait will definitely not be 90 minutes since you will be one of the very first people in the park! Just make sure to check park hours to make sure Hollywood Studios is opening an hour early on your planned park day!  Good NewsRegardless of how long your estimated wait time may be, the good news is the line moves pretty fast! When we were in line, the estimated wait time was 60 minutes since we arrived 30 minutes after parks opened for those on Disney property. We were on the ride in about 30 minutes! I’ve been told by other bloggers that have had the pleasure of experiencing Toy Story Land, that this has been the case for most. As long as there are no technical issues or pauses due to severe weather, you will be pretty stoked when you get on the ride in record time!  Worth The Wait?Honestly, I was pretty impressed with Slinky Dog Dash! When I was a child I was obsessed with Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom and Slinky Dog reminded me of a modern version of that coaster. My 6 year old was all smiles and giggles when she exited the 18 seater vehicle. So it’s safe to say Slinky Dog Dash is definitely a ride the whole family can enjoy the thrills from! Now is Slinky Dog Dash worth the wait? If you’re a Toy Story Fanatic or someone on vacation with smaller child, then my answer is heck yes! Your kids will not shut up about how awesome of a coaster Slinky Dog Dash is! The rest of our stay in Orlando, every time my daughter spotted a Slinky Dog billboard, which is pretty much every other billboard you see! She had to make sure we knew she spotted one because the coaster was just that awesome! Slinky Dog Dash has just enough omph to not be scary, yet be a total thriller!!!
Now if you’re not really into Toy Story, have zero kids in tow, then you might want to check out Rockin Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios instead and wait for your next Disney trip to check out Slinky Dog Dash when the buzz dies down a bit. Rockin Roller Coaster is a total thriller and since it’s been around for years, I doubt you will spot a 130 minute wait!  So who here has had the chance to visit Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!?! The new attraction area just happened to open on my birthday, June 30th! Just in time for our family’s annual July Forth vacation which just happened to be at Disney World this year.  Obviously, the first place we dashed to once in the parks was Toy Story Land! Shockingly, lines weren’t that bad when the parks opened. We arrived at 8am and only waited 20 minutes for the new Alien Swirling Saucers! 30 minutes for the new Slinky Dog Dash Coaster! Definitely pays to get there at opening.  Alien Swirling Saucers was a total blast! I’m so happy Toy Story Land is now at Hollywood Studios because it was always my least favorite park, but my daughters favorite since they have Disney Junior and a Sofia the First Meet-and Greet. Now I have a section of the park I can enjoy just as much as my daughter enjoys Disney Junior & my hubby Star Wars! Yay for Disney’s Hollywood Studios now being a park for the whole family!  SUPPLIES
 1. Take your green paper plate and cut it in half with your scissors. You will instantly have an Alien shaped head.  2. Once you have two paper plate Alien heads, grab that glue stick and glue three eyes onto each Alien.  3. Now take another green paper plate and draw/cut out an Alien antenna.  4. When you have two Alien antennas, take your glue stick and glue an antenna onto each Alien.  5. While your eyes and antennas are drying, take your black sparkle foam paper and cut out four Alien ears.  6. Glue those ears onto your Aliens  7. Now for the fun part! Take your black marker and draw a mouth on each Alien. I suggest practicing on a blank piece of paper to perfect your technique before drawing on your plate.  8. & just like that, you have two Toy Story Aliens!
 I have yet to meet a little girl not totally in love with Disney Juniors Sofia the First! When my daughter first started watching “real” cartoons, she was instantly hooked on the adventures of everyone’s favorite Enchancia Princess! She even requested a Sofia themed birthday party at the age of three where we made our very own Sofia The First Birthday Cake.  I’m convinced you end up loving the Disney Princess you resemble the most since Sofia looks a lot like my daughter. When I was her age? I was obsessed with the blonde hair blue eyed Aurora. Then my brown hair, brown/hazel eyed sister? She was all about Belle! Coincidence? Hmmmmm...  When it came to planning our latest trip to Walt Disney World, I had to make sure my daughter met her Disney Jr idol! So if your little princess is Sofia obsessed like my own, you’re in luck! I did all the Sofia Disney World research for you! Here are the three places your Sofia fan can meet this popular Disney Junior star at Walt Disney World Orlando.  Animation CourtyardThe number one spot to meet Sofia? Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! The popular Disney Junior star holds meet-and-greets throughout the day in the same location! No need to search the parks hoping for a glimps of Sofia, just head to Animation Courtyard and get in line for a photo. While Sofia is not a “face character” meaning she does not talk, she is very expressive, loves to pose with you and giggles nonstop! No camera? Phone died? No problem! An awesome perk of the Animation Courtyard meet-and-greet just happens to be that a Disney PhotoPass photographer is on hand to snap that special moment. Pros• Guaranteed to meet Sofia • Disney PhotoPass photographer right there to shoot those photos • Disney PhotoPass photographer will take photos with your phone/camera • If you get lucky & happen to be the last person in line before Sofia takes her break to “check on Clover”, she will walk away from the meet & greet with you! My daughter was lucky enough to have this happen & was escorted to Disney Junior Live On Stage! Video above Cons• Lines can get long depending on day/time • Sofia does take breaks, so you may be in line when this break/Sofia switch occurs. Good news is, it’s only a few minutes long.  Disney Junior Play ‘n DineSofia the First, Doc McStuffins, Handy Manny and Jake from “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” have their very own character breakfast at the Hollywood & Vine restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! This will definitely be a fun-filled meal your Sofia fan won’t forget! As you enjoy a delicious breakfast or lunch, Sofia, along with the other Disney Jr stars will roam the restaurant posing for photos and signing autographs for any child who wishes. Get ready to see some of the biggest smiles and loudest giggles you’ve ever heard from your child as Sofia the First makes her rounds! Pros• No waiting in line • You can meet several Disney Junior Characters in one location. Cons• You must purchase a Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park ticket to dine. • The Character Breakfast/Lunch will cost you an additional fee on top of your theme park admission.  Disney Junior – Live on StageDisney Junior Live on Stage not only brings Sofia the First onstage, but other Disney Jr favorites such as Doc McStuffins, Jake, Mickey & Minnie!!! This is definitely a fun-filled show your kids won’t stop talking about. While your Sofia fan won’t meet Sofia during this performance, they will get to watch a cute skit featuring Sofia, Amber & James in puppet form from the audience. Pros• Air Conditioned Show • You can use a Fast Pass to skip the line • You can watch many Disney Junior favorites during the performance. Cons• No official meet-and-greet • Sofia will be in puppet form • You will be seated on the floor for the performance. No chairs.   Planning a Disney themed birthday party? Huge play date coming up?!?!? Or maybe you want to add a little something extra to the kids lunch!!!?? Whatever the occasion may be, these DIY Mickey Plates will do the trick. Assembly is easy peasy AND ridiculously cheap! Plus, the kiddos will get a huge kick that their favorite mouse is joining them for lunch. My daughters favorite part? There are THREE SEPARATE areas for her food, which means her food won’t be touching. A huge deal to many 5 year olds out there.  SUPPLIES• Small Black Paper Plates •Large Black Paper Plates •Super Glue  Take one large black paper plate & two small black paper plates. Then glue your small black paper plates onto the large black plate to make Mickey’s ears!  Once you have Mickey’s ears in place, wait a few minutes for your Mickey Plate to dry.  That’s all folks!!! Really! These plates are THAT simple to make. Your kids can even make them with adult supervision since this crafty project involves super glue. Enjoy.
 Omg!!!! Isn’t it just crazy that Christmas is just weeks away!!!??? I swear I have zero concept of time since I swear it was summer and I was chillen poolside yesterday! Since the holidays are in full swing, I thought I would share my daughters teacher gifts for this year!  Minni Mouse Oven Mitts with Sugar Cookie Mix stuffed inside the mitt, a fabulous mickey cookie cutter, and a cute printable we tied to the mitt!  The best part of all?! We found these at Aldi! And the best part?! They are legit Disney trademarked AND only cost us $3.99 a Set! You best believe we stocked up and every teacher, therapist, bus driver etc will be receiving a very festive Disney themed gift from Haylie this year!  Since I want Haylie to use these for various people in her life, I designed a very generic gift tag printable to tie to the mitt!  To make the Minnie Oven Mitt a tad bit more custom, just download the printable below. 4 tags per printed sheet of paper. Use 8x10 photo paper to achieve a more sturdy gift tag. Poke holes into the corner and tie the gift tag on! 
 Take a break from all you do. Enjoy this sweet treat just for you! Happy Holidays xoxo  This makes the perfect gift for Disney lovers! And it’s so easy peasy to put together AND beyond wallet friendly!!! When you have gifts to buy for various teachers, therapist, bus drivers etc, it can be tough to find that cute gift for all without breaking the bank! Thanks to this Aldi find, this years Teacher Christmas gifts are pretty fab!!!  Lets’s Chat! Have you finished your holiday shopping yet?
 While we plan our days of wandering the parks based on which rides we scored that fast pass on, very often it’s meeting Mickey, or even a Disney Princess, that becomes the highlight of a child’s vacation. Here’s the inside scoop on which of your favorite Disney characters will sign that famous autograph at Walt Disney World.  Aladdin Alice Anastasia Ariel Aurora Chip Cinderella Daisy Dale Donald Drizella Eeyore Fairy Godmother Gaston Goofy Jasmine Jessie Mad Hatter Mary Poppins Merida Mickey Minnie Perla Peter Pan Piglet Pluto Rafiki Rapunzel Snow White Stitch Suzy Tiana Tigger Tinker Bell Wendy Winnie the Pooh Additional Notes • Belle does not sign her autograph BUT it is on the photopass card. • Beast is known for NOT signing autographs, but has on a rare occasion, so ask! • Buzz Lightyear doesn’t sign autographs, but he usually has a stamp on hand. • Characters at Dance Parties and the Frontierland Hoedown do NOT sign autographs.  Baloo Chip Dale Donald Dug Flik Goofy Mickey Minnie Pluto Pocahontas Rafiki Russell Tarzan Additional Notes • Unfortunately King Louie does NOT sign autographs, but sometimes Baloo will sign for King Louie if you're lucky. So ask!  Aladdin Alice Anna Ariel Aurora Belle Chip Daisy Dale Donald Elsa Goofy Jasmine Joy Mary Poppins Mickey Minnie Mulan Pluto Snow White Additional Notes • Characters found in Random spots (World Showplace, International Gateway, Fountain of Nations, American Pavilion, Imagination Pavilion) usually sign autographs. • Sadness does sign autographs, but at times she can be too sad to sign. So you may end up having Joy sign for her • Baymax does NOT sign autographs  Bolt Chip Daisy Dale Doc McStuffins Donald Goofy Green Army Man Handy Mandy Jake Lilo Max Goof Mickey Minnie Pluto Sofia Stitch Woody Additional Notes • Olaf DOES sign autographs BUT it's in the form of a snowman. • Stormtroopers do NOT sign autographs. • Chewbacca does NOT sign autographs • Jawas does NOT sign autographs • Kylo does NOT sign autographs • Buzz Lightyear doesn’t sign autographs, but he usually has a stamp on hand. • Characters at Characterpalooza usually sign autographs. • Characters found while dinning at Minnie’s seasonal dinner at Hollywood & Vine usually do not sign, but autograph cards are given out when entering meal. • Characters at Disney Jr Dance party do not sign.  Alice Anastasia Cinderella Donald Drizella Goofy Lady Tremaine Lilo Mad Hatter Mary Poppins Mickey Minnie Pluto Prince Charming Stitch Tigger Winnie the Pooh  |
My name is CourtneyLynne. I'm a mommy, wifey & a complete Disney nut! Lived in Celebration, the town Disney built for more years than I can remember & spent every free moment frolicking threw the parks thinking of ways I could take over Cinderella's castle ;-)
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