A Disney free-for-all

Because we're going to DISNEY WORLD in 35 days and because Tangled made me cry and because I didn't just sell my soul to them, I also seem to have sold them my my higher brain functions as well.


1. Favorite animator? GLEN KEANE. That man is like, the god of Disney animation. He did Penny, Eilonwy, Ariel, The Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Tarzan and was the Executive Producer and Animation Director for Tangled. He has such an incredible talent for eyes. I could write many pages declaring my love for him.


2. Favorite era? I'm a huge fan of Disney's Dark Age. I love 101 Dalmatians, Robin Hood, Winnie the Pooh, Sword in the Stone. All these movies have a very dark, sketchy style. They're gorgeous.


3. Favorite princess movie? Beauty and the Beast. Because it's like a Broadway show. It's epic and colorful and perfect from start to finish.


4. Favorite animal movie? Lady and the Tramp!! The art direction is lovely, I love the characters. It's just special for me.


5. Favorite female characters? Tiana, because she is a fully functioning adult- that's not something we see often. Wendy, because she's charming as anything and I've always had a soft spot for her. Rapunzel, because she's young but she is also capable of making mature decisions and takes responsibility for herself. Lilo, because she is one of the most realistic and brilliantly written characters Disney has ever done. Belle, because she's my spirit animal or whatever. Alice because she's one of the more subtle Disney girls.


6. Favorite male characters? Let's just be shallow here for a moment, kay? NAVEEN, EUGENE, PHEOBUS, AND SHANG. Because of the sexy man shoulders and all that stuff. Male characters don't need character development. All they need is sexy man shoulders. OKAY?


7. Favorite animal characters? Does Stitch count? Definitely him. Also Bianca, Tramp, Robin, and Tiger.


8. Favorite songs? Oh, this is hard. Cruella de Vil, I Won't Say, You Can Fly, I'll Make a Man out of You, Once Upon a Dream, I See the Light, When You Wish Upon a Star... Is this just animated films? Cause if not then also On the Front Porch and Feed the Birds. Are we also talking scores? Because Kingdom Dances and Transformation are perfect on every level. Does Pixar count? Define Dancing and Friend in Me are timeless, right? Should I stop now? Probably.


9. Most magical moment? I Can Fly from Peter Pan, I Can Show You the World from Aladdin and I See the Light from Tangled has somehow made it's way onto this list. (As you can see from the titles these are all songs of self-discovery, which is probably what makes them so awesome.)


10. Favorite live action film? Summer Magic!! Most underrated Disney film ever, or something like that.


11. Favorite couples? Obviously Disney is getting more romantic with each film. Let's be honest here. Naveen/Tiana and Eugene/Rapunzel had the most screen-time and character development and the best chemistry. To be fair, so do Shang and Mulan, who come in third place. They also have chemistry and all that, but 100% fewer kisses, due to the restrictive ancient culture they live in.


12. Favorite crack ship? I'll say Peter Pan and Wendy, because it's not canon, it really should never be canon, and if you look at the book for reference it's downright oedipus-ish. WHATEVER. Haters be hatin.


13. Most beautiful character design? Pocahontas and John Smith. Pity I didn't really like the movie, because WOAH they are so beautiful it hurts.


14. Favorite solo? I adore A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.


15. Favorite childhood Disney film? Robin Hood. We watched that thing sooo many times when I was little. (Also during that brief period in my life when I had a crippling fear of fire and I had to leave the room when the castle burns down.)


16. Film you appropriate more now that you're older? Oh, this is hard. Hunchback of Notre Dame? I actually didn't see it till I was a teenager, but it doesn't seem like a film a kid would really care for, plus I like it more now then I did when I first saw it.


17. Least favorite Disney film? Dumbo, Pinocchio... They scared me when I was little.


18. What project are you most looking forward too? I waited more than five years for Tangled. (I'm 17, so that's over a quarter of my life!!) I remember when THIS image came out in early 2005, I remember the announcement that it would be a new sort of CGI, that it would have a Rococo style, I remember Bear Flynn, I remember way back when Kristin Chenoweth was going to voice Rapunzel, and I remember when this image with the canon Eugene and Rapunzel was released over a year ago. Basically I was the Untitled Rapunzel Project Groupie. Now that I've seen it and it ~WAS PERFECT~ I feel like my life is fulfilled. But I guess I'm looking forward to Brave... although I know so little about it I can't say for sure.

Basically. So. Happy December and stuff! Christmas is right around the bend! I'm finally not (too) sick anymore! I went to work this morning for the first time in five days and I missed it! Is it weird to miss working??

Disney Duets

Not all Disney movies have a duet between the leads. I wish they all did. They're usually the most magical part of the film.


Snow White and the Prince, Wishing/One Song.


Cinderella and Charming, So This is Love.


Aurora and Philip, Once Upon a Dream.


Jasmin and Aladdin, I Can Show you the World.


Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzrupert, I Can See the Light.

Go see Tangled. It was classic Disney in so many ways and the CGI was stunning. It reminded me of The Ordinary Princess and Book of a Thousand Days, two of my favorite books, as well as The Princess and the Pauper (that epic Barbie movie) Ever After. It was lovely.

Happiest Place

Guess what? The Diehl family is going to DISNEY WORLD in 92 days! We booked a few weeks ago but I was waiting for it to sink in before I posted a "DISNEY!" post. This post will be dedicated to the nooks and crannies I miss most. Not everything obviously- just the little, really odd things.


The gift shop at Old Port Royale. This was my first taste of Disney World. Caribbean Beach Resort is so homey.

Innovations, under the Epcot golf ball. Mainly because you can hear THIS there. And the fountain that dances to music.

That WEIRD little Norwegian museum in Norway in Epcot. It's like five square feet or something and filled with dark wax figures of Vikings.


The transition from Tomorrow Land to Fantasy land. Between Cosmic Rays and Alice's Tea Cup ride. It's very flat and lovely and bizarre.


The Sons of Liberty tree. In twilight, when it lights up and you can see the castle behind it... it's one of the most subtly magical places in the park. You know me and my love for Americana...


The Backlot in MGM cause it's all old looking and cute.

So today my boss was listening to Mumford and Sons. He is just this deep well of mystery.

A new month, more tumblr

So my cousins were over all day and we went in the pool and had pizza in the park like old times and I was generally very busy so this is going to be a lazy post.













Susanne Modeski is in Another Cinderella Story, lolomg. YES I DID WATCH THAT MOVIE AGAIN. Stop judging me, it's only like the fifth time or something...

America is still mine

In honor of the Fourth of July, here is a list of random things that make me feel more patriotic and inhabit the kind of America that I like best.


Percy Jackson. These aren't great lit, but seriously, what is? Each book features a sort of road trip through different parts of America so every part of America is represented. And even though Rick Riordan doesn't have a very descriptive style, it's still vivid and ridiculously American.


American Wing Courtyard. If I am in a majorly patriotic mood, I come here to chill. It's full of crazy American art and stained glass and neoclassic sculptures. It makes you feel like we really do have something to be proud of artistically.


X-Files. Even though the whole point of the show is corrupt government men with power who want to kill us, sometimes it's just like "baseball!" or "sweet potato pie!" and you have to shed a tear for our nation.


Moby-Dick and other whale-inspired things. What's cooler than American nautical folk art? Basically nothing. And come on, it's the Great American Novel and that needs some respect.


Twilight Soundtracks. Because Twilight drips of American culture, so three albums worth of music written specially for Twilight has to be dripping with America too.


Luce Center. I like American art better than European now (Van Gogh, Lichtenstein and Klee aside) and I think it is because of the Luce Center. I've never seen folk art put together on display in such an invigorating way.


Bolt. You knew Disney would wrangle its way onto this list somehow. Bolt might not be Disney's finest achievement. But they travel across the country using a WAFFLE MAP and I am a sucker for anything with a trailer park.


Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree. Goldfrapp is a British artist who wrote an album inspired by the USA. Because of that it's really poignant and epic. And the music is beautiful of course.

So remember, even though we have a crap government, Americans invented like everything awesome. The government is only a small part of a country.

Disney Restaurants = Disney Magic

My family can agree on two things, Disney and food. So we go to Disney World to eat, above all. Come and drool over my top 10 favorite Disney World dining spots. (We actually agree on two more things. Aliens and Musicals. And oddly, those have large parts to play while eating in Disney.)


Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. Quick service in Future World. There is an animatronic alien, singing jazz. The burgers are amazing. It's always packed, and I can never get enough.


The Garden Grill. This restaurant goes around in a circle, above The Land ride. The food tastes so fresh and amazing. They have turkey with orange relish, oatmeal rolls, fresh salads...


Le Cellier. The restaurant in Canada in Epcot. Amazing steak, absolutely beautiful. I had the best cheese soup there, it was life changing. And the BREAD STICKS, I could go on forever.


Tony's Town Square. A beautiful, exquisite, Italian restaurant on Main Street. Great pastas and desserts, and it's basically torn out from a picture book.


Electric Umbrella. A quick service place in Future World, Epcot. Something amazing about Disney is that the burgers are different at every single quick service place. Oh, and it's beautiful, and right near Innovations.


The Rose and Crown. We've gone here every trip, and it's always been one of the most magical moments. Great soup and shepherds pie. THE DESSERTS. I had my first custard there.


Prime Time Diner in Hollywood Studios. Good old Americana meals, and waitress' who pretend to be family members, and force you to eat your green beans. And lordy, those milk shakes are heaven sent.


Donald's Breakfastosaurus, Animal Kingdom. My favorite breakfast buffet in Disney World. (Trust me, I've done a lot of them.) The food is good, the setting is amazing. Chip and Dale are there. And cheesy potatoes.


Sci-Fi Dine-In, also Hollywood Studios. You sit in a fake car, and eat your meal, and watch clips from B-movies. The chili was great, and I had my first moon pie there. (Note to potential Disney travelers: Never dine at Prime Time and Sci-Fi in the same day. Ever. You may explode.)


The Liberty Tree Tavern, Liberty Square. I got my own freaking GRAVY BOAT here. The salad is crazy good, I day dream about the buttermilk rolls, and the pork. OH GOD THE PORK. Not to mention it's all Colonial-esque.

This is not counting countless other Epcot restaurants, quick service places, restaurants in the resorts (Good Lord, Shutters) and snack shops which really deserve to be here.
School today, I have the house to myself. I think I'll watch some Doctor Who this evening if I have time. Burgers for lunch. I may saute some onions for that.