Fantasy on Ice Horton Plaza in San Diego: Review

By Zach 

Today I was able to drive down to San Diego. Located in Downtown's Horton Plaza is a small ice skating rink that is especially set up for this time of the year. I spent about 45 minutes on the ice. I am not a skater, so most of my time was spent holding onto the railing. Overall, I had a nice time on the ice. It was great because Downtown's weather was really nice and hot, though it did make the ice melt a little. The prices in admission are a little on the pricy side, but the proceeds benefit Rady Children's Hospital.

If you happen to be in the area, I really recommend going out on the ice and have some fun. A good skater or not, just try it and enjoy. 

For tickets and more information, visit www.helpsdkids.org/fantasyonice. 

Fantasy on Ice runs now until January 5th, 2014.
If you don't get to go this year, be sure to go next year. It is an annual event.

Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade: Proposal

By Zach Cooper

 It is an annual tradition in many Disney fans to watch the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade on ABC. For the last few years, I have found myself fast forwarding through 75 percent of the show. This year was the 30th anniversary of the parade. It began in 1983, when it was only filmed at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

When I learned that it was the 30th anniversary, it got me thinking about how many times I have watched the show. I believe this is my 7th or 8th year. I do feel that for the last few years it has always been the same thing, and nothing new. Of course, they brought in new hosts like Mario Lopez and Neil Patrick Harris, but it just doesn't seem like enough.

We see the same floats and characters year after year. The only thing different is the performances, even though they occasionally bring back old musicians. For example, in 2009, Demi Lavato preformed "Wonderful Christmas Time" which was one of the best performances I have seen.

Just 4 years later, Demi returned to sing her new song "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen.

I think the parades should both happen in different places. 2 Main Streets isn't always the most exciting thing. It would be nice if both parks had something different.

I do feel like there should be some changes in the shows outline. Just last year, Disney's California Adventure was fully renovated with all new lands and attractions. This is a great opportunity to host the show in a new environment and setting, still with that 'holiday' feel.

As for Walt Disney World, it would be really cool to see the parade from a different point of view. One thing I love about the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" is how some of the anchors are broadcasting from a rooftop of a hotel. It would be really cool to see the Disney Parks Parade host narrating from a balcony of Cinderella Castle or something like that. 

These might not be the most exciting ideas, but they are ideas. I really feel like the parade should be different and unique every year. Let me know your thoughts. I believe if some changes like these were made, we would not need to fast forward through any part of it.

Photos by Gabe @disneyman2021

This is an opinion-based post. This blog is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or ABC in any way. All opinions are mine and do not reflect another.

2014 in Movies

By Beemerboyz803

2013 was an excellent year in the movie industry, bringing us movies such as the sequel to the 2012 blockbuster The Hunger Games, the next princess in the Disney lineup, Frozen, and the story about how a deep depressing Mary Poppins storyline came to be a whimsical world, Saving Mr. Banks. 2014 will present more exciting movies to the table, including films from Disney, Dreamworks, Lionsgate, and many more theatre-worthy films.

 

January 17, 2014 will bring us The Nut Job, a Canadian-Korean animated film about a squirrel named Surly and his rat-friend Buddy who plan a heist on a nut store. Stars include Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Gabriel Iglesias, and Katherine Heigl.

March 7, 2014 is the release of Rio 2. Rio 2 stars Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, and Rue from the Hunger Games, also known as Amandla Stenberg. Spoiler alert: Jewel finds her long-lost father, and Nigel returns for revenge. 

March 21, 2014 is the release date for two films: Disney's Muppets Most Wanted and Summit Entertainment's Divergent. Based on Veronica Roth's best-selling trilogy, dystopian residents of Chicago are placed into five different categories. But when Tris' test doesn't go well, she is claimed divergent, or an outsider. She soon discovers a criminal plot within her dystopian society. Muppets Most Wanted is about the Muppets, who unknowingly are involved in a criminal caper while touring in Europe.

 

 

April 11, 2014 brings us Mr. Peabody and Sherman, an animated film from DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox. They are bringing back two iconic comic book characters from the 50s' as they travel back in time to repair the destroyed space-time continuum. 

May 30, 2014 is the scheduled for the deathly-scary Maleficent to debut. Loosely based on Sleeping Beauty, Angelina Jolie (what's a good film without Angelina Jolie or Sandra Bullock?) will portray the self-called "Mistress of All Evil", in this new Disney film. Maleficent will present her side of the story, the untold part after Aurora touched the thimble and woke up again.

 

June 13, 2014 is the scheduled release date for the How to Train Your Dragon sequel. The film will take place five years after the first film's setting, featuring Hiccup and his friends in their late teen years. Stars include Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler, two actors from the previous film.

July 18, 2014 will bring us Planes 2: Fire and Rescue, the sequel to Disney's 2013 film. Not much is known about this film, but media sources say Dusty Crophopper, the protagonist from the original movie, will "learn what it takes to become a true hero". 

November 7, 2014 is the release date for Big Hero 6. As unveiled in a recent blog post on this blog, the film will take place in San Froskoyo and feature a young prodigy named Hiro Hamada and his giant, inflatable robot balloon, who must team up with unexperienced crime fighters to make peace in their city. 

November 21, 2014 is the release of the third film in The Hunger Games with the FIRST part of Mockingjay, the final book in Suzanne Collins' epic trilogy. After killing the arena, Katniss Everdeen is wanted for starting a rebellion, alongside Beetee, Johanna Mason, Finnick Odair, and Peeta. 

December 17, 2014 will be the release date for the third film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's bestselling series, The Hobbit. In this film, entitled There and Back Again, Bilbo and the Dwarves must reclaim Erebor and their treasure, and Thorin has reached Smaug's lair. 

Christmas 2014 is the release date for the third Night at the Museum film by 20th Century Fox. Little is known about the movie, except for the fact that Sir Lancelot, a Camelot knight, will appear in the film. 

There are many more scheduled releases for 2014, but these are several major movies. Visit imdb.com or go to Wikipedia and search 2014 in film for more. Now, grab some popcorn and enjoy the movies currently in theaters!!! 

 

 

Wild Rivers: Reopening in Temecula



By Beemerboyz803

Wild Rivers was a water park in Irvine, California, built on a mountainside and lasted 27 years. Iconic slides included the indoor-twirling Abyss, the multi-person slide Patriot, a fan-favorite, and the dueling Bazooka Bowls, similar to Walhalla Wave at Aquatica San Diego. Wild Rivers was a friendly environment for everyone visiting Irvine.

 In 2011, the City of Irvine closed them down to make way for housing complexes. Wild Rivers finally bought land in Temecula. The "New Wild Rivers" began construction in May of this year. Wild Rivers is planned to be bigger and better than the original Wild Rivers. The construction workers had to start from scratch, as the old slides and buildings were demolished, except for novelties like a clock. The park cost about $30 to $35 million.

Wild Rivers is open 110 days a year, starting with weekends in May, everyday through summertime, and ending with weekends again in October. Wild Rivers will present new and exciting things to the table, all of which to be revealed in May 2014.

 

20th Century Fox Theme Park



By Beemerboyz803

Disney and Universal will be up against stiff competition in the theme park world in the future years. 20th Century Fox has unveiled details for its theme park, set to open in Malaysia.

The park, named 20th Century Fox World, will be located at the Resorts World Genting, a hotel, casino, and theme park complex about an hour away from Kuala Lumpur. 20th Century Fox World will be 25 acres, and, coincidentally, have about 25 attractions. The park is completely centered on 20th Century Fox and its movie franchises, such as Ice Age, Night at the Museum, Rio, and Planet of the Apes. 

One rumored attraction is a coaster based on the furry friends from the Ice Age series, which takes riders on a chilly voyage through their icy world. Fox released sketch art to the public. 

20th Century Fox World is set to open in 2016. As the opening day gets closer and closer, hopefully more details will be released.

Upcoming Movies from Disney Animation

By Beemerboyz803

In 2010, Disney brought us Tangled, with Rapunzel and her 80 feet of hair, Flynn Rider, the local criminal in hiding, and Mother Gothel, Rapunzel's evil "mother" who hoarded her hair's healing powers to keep herself young for hundreds of years. In 2011, Disney premiered Winnie the Pooh, a classic Disney character created by author A.A. Milne, and his friends who live in the Hundred-Acre Wood. In 2012, Disney Animation premiered Wreck-It Ralph, about Wreck-It Ralph, a fictional arcade game character with "hammer hands" and Vanellope von Schweetz, a go-kart racer from another arcade game who is ignored most of the time by other racers. Finally, Disney premiered Frozen this year, at the end of 2013. Loosely based on The Snow Queen, a Danish fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen, features Elsa, Queen of Arendelle with magical snow powers, her sister Anna, who is always accidentally hurt by Elsa, and Olaf, a magical snowman created by Elsa and Anna in their childhood. 

But what's next from Disney Animation? Well, let's find out...

2014

In 2014, Disney Animation is set to premiere Big Hero 6, based on a Marvel comic, on November 7, 2014. The movie is set is a fictional metropolis, dubbed San Froskoyo (a name combining San Francisco and Tokyo). It centers on Hiro Hamada and his self-created robot, Baymax. They discover a criminal plot and must team up with a crew of untrained criminal fighters: Wasabi No-Ginger, Honey Lemon, GoGo Tomago, and Fred. Footage of Big Hero 6 was displayed at D23 Expo this year. 

2015

Disney Animation will not premiering any movies in 2015, but there are still movies coming from Disney. Avengers 2: Age of Ultron will be premiered from Marvel (now owned by Disney), Pixar's Inside Out (about Riley, a girl and her five main emotions), Star Wars's seventh episode, Ant-Man from Marvel, and Finding Dory, the sequel to Pixar's hit Finding Nemo.

2016

Disney Animation will return in 2016 with TWO new films!!! Zootopia will premiere in March 2016, and centers around a fast-talking fox who lives in a town of the same name. Also featured at D23 Expo, Zootopia is about the fox, and being framed for a crime he didn't commit. Also in 2016, Giants will be released, loosely based on Jack and the Beanstalk. The film is set for release on November 23, 2016. 

2017

In 2017, Disney Animation will be on break again, with no movies. However, like 2015, Disney will be still premiering movies. That includes two unannounced films from Marvel, two unannounced Pixar films, and the eighth episode in Star Wars. 

2018

Much like 2016, Disney Animation will return to the movie theaters will TWO new films, the first of which is Moana. Moana, set in the Polynesian world about 2,000 years ago, is about Moana, a sea-voyaging enthusiast born into a long line of nautical explorers. When her family is endangered, Moana sets out on an epic journey. Moana, scheduled for March 9, 2018, will feature Polynesian demigods and spirits. Also in 2018 is an unannounced sci-fi animation film. 

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We will learn more about the future of Disney Animation in the upcoming years, but for now, this is all!! 

To learn more about any of the movies featured in this movie, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_t5Intj5Rc for more information.

A Madea Christmas: Movie Review

By The Mega Minecrafter

Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas is one of the movie that i would recommend to put on your must see movie list. The movie is about Madea played by Tyler Perry, who is traveling with her friend,Eileen played by Annna Maria Horsford, from Atlanta to Alabama to visit Eileen's daughter, Tracy played by Tika Sumpter, who has secretly gotten married to, Connor played by Eric Livley, whom Eilleen thinks is just the farmhand or the help. But after Connors parents arrive for Christmas a rivalry begins between the couples family and Madea is in the middle of it but mostly taking sides with Connors family. Then once Tracy tells her mother about the marriage a even bigger fight happens forcing Eileen out of the house and walking towards Atlata. But on that walk she becomes a hero. Watch  A Medea Christmas to find out what happens next...

     I think that if you really want a laugh that you should defiently watch A Madea Christmas soon. It is another Tyler Perry masterpiece. 

Out of 10, I would rate the movie an 8!