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New Haunted Mansion, Jungle Book & Fantasyland Tsum Tsums coming soon!

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Haunted Mansion fans get ready to make room for one more, as the newest Tsum Tsum collection welcomes our favorite ghosts to the fold. Beginning April 15, 2016. That’s the day a new collection of stackable 3-inch plush inspired by the classic Disney attraction will be released at Disney Parks.

The hauntingly cute Tsum Tsums will include Madame Leota, The Bride, and the Hitchhiking Ghosts, as well as a mansion hostess plush

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The next Tsum Tsum Tuesday will be on April 19 and for classic Disney fans this will be a good one. Disney will be releasing the Jungle Book Collection ($5.95 each) at Disney Stores and online at Disneystore.com. The new collection will consist of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagehraa, King Louie, Shere Khan, Kaa, Junior and Raksha.

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Another upcoming Tsum Tsum collection will be showcasing Fantasyland attractions. Disney Parks Blogs shared a sneak peek of three new Tsum Tsum coming to Disney Parks in summer 2016.

Look for the Haunted Mansion-themed Tsum Tsum at the following merchandise locations starting April 15:

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawai‘i – Kalepa’s Store.

Disneyland Resort

  • Downtown Disney District – World of Disney
  • Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure Park – Tee, Hats & Tattoos
  • Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland park – Gag Factory

Walt Disney World Resort

  • Disney Springs Marketplace – Once Upon a Toy
  • Shops at Orlando International Airport
  • Magic Kingdom Park – Curtain Call Collectibles
  • Epcot – ImageWorks
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Beverly Sunset
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park – Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures

Guests may also order select Tsum Tsum from the free Shop Disney Parks mobile app or via theDisney Parks online store.

Happy Stacking!

Celebrate Earth Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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Earth Day is Friday, April 22nd, which also happens to be the 18 year anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. The park plans to celebrate this momentous occasion by holding its annual Party for the Planet that encourages guests to connect with nature and promote animal conservation. Fun and engaging activities as well as special food and merchandise will be available to guests throughout the park. How cute is this new limited edition Earth Day 2016 trading pin?

Below is a listing of special Earth Day events.

Be sure to check Animal Kingdom’s Daily Times Guide on April 22nd for specific offerings:

Oasis:

The Jungle Book Matching Game
Uncover little known facts about select animals featured in Disney’s upcoming film, “The Jungle Book” (premieres April 15th).
The Jungle Book sand sculpture
Guests can take photos of “The Jungle Book” sand sculpture through April 24.
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Discovery Island:

Book signing by Imagineer Joe Rohde
Joe Rohde will be at Discovery Trading Company (previously Disney Outfitters) from 1-2 p.m. signing original artwork and the new Disney Conservation Fund book. Wristbands are required and a limited number will be distributed at the time of art or book purchase at Discovery Trading Company on April 22nd.  100% of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Disney Conservation Fund.
Measure Your Footprint
Discover the size of your environmental footprint and learn some new ways you can make it smaller in order to protect our planet.
Special Treats
Enjoy Earth Day inspired treats including a cupcake that features chocolate mousse topped with buttercream and dipped in Oreo crumbs, a chocolate flowerpot and gummy worms. Available at Isle of Java, Creature Comforts, and Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery. Zuri’s Sweets Shop will also be offering Earth Day inspired pineapple treats.
Island Mercantile
Boiled Books (April 20-24) will be selling books made from pressed flowers/plants and the Fairy House Ladies (April 21-24) will sell fairy houses made from materials found in nature.
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Africa: 
Jorta Boutique
Handmade jewelry collections using items from nature such as orange peels, cantaloupe seeds, coffee beans, bamboo, flower petals and more (April 20-24).
Simba Says
Use your flippers, wings or paws and take a walk on the wild side, but only if Simba says!
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RAFIKI’S PLANET WATCH:
Character Greeting
Jiminy Cricket will be making appearances at Rafiki’s Planet Watch from April 17-23.
Become a Bird
Soar over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch and see how you would measure up to a bird your size.
Asia: 
Leap for Wildlife
Show your enthusiasm for conservation and discover the lengths you can go to protect wildlife.
DINOLAND U.S.A.:
 
Dino Plant Exploration
Use your imagination and help survey the prehistoric on a top-secret mission.
Contact [email protected] or visit my Facebook page here to start planning your next Walt Disney World vacation.  All of my planning services are 100% FREE. 

Photo Credit: disneyparksmerchandise.com

Want to win a trip to Disneyland? Here’s your chance!

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How would you like to win four tickets to Disneyland, airfare to California, $1,000 in spending money for the whole family, as well as a three-night hotel stay at an Extended Stay America property close to Disneyland? Well here is your chance!

Extended Stay America, which is the largest owner operated hotel chains in the US, has announced that to thank it’s over 1 million members it will be running this contest. You must be a an extended perks program member, you can enter the contest April 4th until May 2nd, the official rules are here.

“Our rewards program is different from other hotels programs.  Instead of dangling an unreachable carrot in front of our guests with points, we provide discounts and rewards instantly from the moment you sign up. The response from guests has been incredible.  It’s our way of saying thank you to our loyal customers for their continued support.”

Said Tracy Itzen, senior manager of marketing communications for Extended Stay America.

Extended Perks was launched in the spring of 2015, keeping guests in mind, offering members instant hotel savings at Extended Stay America properties nationwide as well as exclusive offers via more than 150,000 top national and local merchants. You can join extended perks here.

Once enrolled, participants gain exclusive access to incredible hotel discounts up to 20 percent off every week, including a sign up instant perk of 15 percent off their next hotel stay. Members can save up to $2,500 annually on purchases they make every day from hundreds of top dining, car rental, salon, retail brands and more.

 

Don’t miss your chance to win this amazing Disneyland vacation by entering here! Good luck to all that enter! 

Very Merrytime Cruises Onboard Disney Cruise Ships

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Celebrate the holiday season on the high seas this year! Disney Cruise Line will be offering Very Merrytime Cruises available most sailings from early November to late December. Specific sail dates for 2016 have not been announced yet, however cruises are currently available to book for this time period and are filling up quickly.

 

Onboard Festivities

Delight in seasonal magic at sea and discover a jolly fusion of holiday-themed entertainment, activities and décor.Share in the magic with festive onboard decorations that include a life-sized gingerbread house, a 24-foot Christmas tree, garlands, poinsettias and shimmering lights, and experience numerous merriments sure to warm the hearts of the entire family, including:

  • Deck the Deck Tropical Holiday Party
    Candy-cane limbo, dancing and games—share in the yuletide magic of the season during this jovial celebration.
  • Mickey’s Tree Lighting Magic Ceremony
    Kick off the season during this festive gala where kids can help light the ship’s Christmas Tree.
  • Santa Claus Meet-and-Greet
    Share hugs and snap photos with the one-and-only Kris Kringle before he takes to the sky to deliver gifts to the children of the world.
  • Disney Character Greetings
    Meet some beloved Disney Characters in jolly holiday attire and take one-of-a-kind pictures to cherish throughout the year.
  • Youth Parties
    Teens and tweens can party it up with new friends during music and dance extravaganzas that fill the air with joy.
  • Storytime with Mrs. Claus
    Gather the children in the atrium to hear Mrs. Claus read well-known Christmas stories from her rocking chair by the tree.
  • Themed Activities and Crafts for Kids
    Decorate stockings, create festive cards, embark on a holiday scavenger hunt and more—it’s Christmas cheer for the young and young-at-heart.
  • Gingerbread House
    Made completely from edible ingredients, the ship’s gingerbread house is a life-sized treat that you can photograph, but can’t eat!
  • Holiday Merchandise
    ‘Tis the season to pick up exclusive, holiday-themed Disney Cruise Line gifts for family and friends—and make Christmas wishes come true.

Plus, on December 24 and 25, enjoy these additional treats:

  • Cookies on Christmas Eve
  • Special holiday towel animals
  • Caroling with the kids and crew

Holiday Cheer at Castaway Cay

A winter wonderland awaits you aboard each ship—as well as on Castaway Cay! Disney’s private island paradise is transformed with “snow” flurries, a Christmas tree and more. Be on the lookout for Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, dressed in their island attire. Plus, the island’s tram is decorated to resemble a reindeer, complete with antlers and a tail.

 

If you are interested in being notified once Disney Cruise Line announces the 2016 Very Merrytime Cruise dates then contact Laura at [email protected] or visit my Facebook page here to start planning your next Disney Cruise Line vacation. All of my planning services are 100% FREE. 

Photo Credit: Disney Cruise Line

Fantastically Detailed The Nightmare Before Christmas Mouse Ears

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Oogie Boogie Mouse Ears

I sure do love Mouse Ears, I’ve got quite the collection of unique ones, and I’m always on the look out for new and exciting styles. However, my jaw dropped when I saw the impressive video of these The Nightmare Before Christmas inspired Mouse Ears by Etsy designer DsnyByKarina. Not only are these very detailed, but the wheel on them actually spins!

The designer of these fantastic Mouse Ears, is Karina, a super sweet Disney Addict from New York who puts lots of love and attention into each pair of handcrafted ears. She has many more styles of absolutely unique ears, from darling Snow White to magical Sorcerer Mickey there really is a pair for anyone’s tastes. The Oogie Boogie spinning ears are currently the only ears that move, but trust me they are an impressive sight! Be sure to check out the video of the spinning ears on Facebook, and many of her other Disney designs below!

Would you wear these hauntingly fun The Nightmare Before Christmas inspired ears?

Meet Jiminy Cricket at Rafiki’s Planet Watch

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Jiminy Cricket will be making a special appearance at Rafiki’s Planet Watch in Animal Kingdom again this year in celebration of Earth Week.

Hop onboard the Wildlife Express Train in Africa between April 17th until April 23rd for a chance to meet this elusive Disney character from the classic movie Pinocchio. Be sure to check the Daily Times Guide at the park for available meet and greet opportunities.

Contact [email protected] or visit my Facebook page here to start planning your next Walt Disney World vacation. All of my planning services are 100% FREE. 

New FastPass + Changes have arrived

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Screen Shot 2016 04 10 at 8.19.26 AM

It is April 10th, and it seems Disney has indeed gone forward with the release of their new FastPass+ upgrades/changes. In an email from Disney this morning, they stated:

 

Starting April 10, 2016 you will notice the following enhancements to how you make FastPass+ selections:

  • You will now be able to choose individual FastPass+ experiences and times, and will no longer need to make all selections for the same day at the same time.
  • While you will continue to be able to select up to three experiences in advance, you now will be able to book fewer than three selections, if desired.
  • In addition, when you have used your first three FastPass+ selections, you will now be able to make an additional FastPass+ selection via the My Disney Experience mobile app, in addition to in-park kiosks. Once you’ve used the fourth, you will be able to select another, and so on.

 

One of the biggest changes for selections in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom is that now when you select your guests and park you are brought to a screen where you can first select the time frame (morning, afternoon, evening), then a specific time for your choice.

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Once you finalize your selection for the one ride,  you can either stop there, or create your other 2 choices.

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Hollywood Studios and Epcot are still using a tiered system where you can only pick one selection from Tier 1, but this is still a huge improvement over the old way.

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Hollywood Studios Tier One consists of:

  • Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  • Fantasmic
  • Rockin Rollercoaster
  • The Great Movie Ride
  • Toy Story Midway Mania

Epcot Tier One consists of:

  • IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
  • Living with The Land
  • Mission Space
  • Soarin
  • Test Track

 

 

Also, don’t forget that once you’ve used your 3 fastpasses, you can now use the My Disney Experience App to make additional Fastpasses!

 

We’re excited for these new changes, and can’t wait to get to the parks to test the new system out!

If you’re interested in joining in on the new FastPass+ experience at Walt Disney World, contact me today to take advantage of my FREE vacation planning services! I specialize in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Aulani resort in Hawaii, as well as Adventures by Disney. Contact me today at [email protected] for a free quote, or you can find me on my Facebook page here.

Anna & Elsa Leaving Princess Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom

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2016 01 16 21.34.19 Copy

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Attention Frozen fans! It looks as though Anna and Elsa will officially be leaving their space at Princess Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom once the new Royal Sommerhus in Epcot opens this summer. Between the Frozen sisters and the new Frozen Ever After attraction, I can only imagine how crowded the Norway pavilion in the World Showcase will soon become.  Were you hoping Anna and Elsa would be available at both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot like I was?

The following is from the Disney website:

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Anna and Elsa Are Moving to Epcot!

This summer, follow the Frozen magic when Anna and Elsa make their leave from Princess Fairytale Hall and find a new home at Royal Sommerhus, located in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot!

Contact [email protected] or visit my Facebook page here to start planning your next Walt Disney World vacation. All of my planning services are 100% FREE. 

 

BB-8’s Journeys Around the World

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A couple of weeks ago, BB-8 got to take part in Japan-based airline ANA JET’s inaugural flight of their BB-8 themed plane.

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BB-8, becoming quite the jet-setter has now traveled to NASA’s laboratories to mingle with some fellow droids and robots!

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You can check out the video of his adventure at NASA in the clip below:

How amazing is it to see robots interact not just on the big screen in “Star Wars”, but in real life? Disney also released some concept art of BB-8:

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You can learn more about his development and creation in the clip below:

 

I just can’t get enough of BB-8! You can see even more of one of our favorite droids in the special featurette Building BB-8 on the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Blu-Ray!

A look into the Haunted Mansion Ghost Post Subscription- Month 1

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When we signed up for the Haunted Mansion Ghost Post 3 month subscription service, we had no idea it would be so popular that by the next day they would be sold out! Although, since they were limiting the subscription amount to 999 subscribers (get the reference?), I guess that’s what happens. Since not all Foolish Mortals out there were lucky enough to get a subscription, I thought I would share my first month’s findings with you all.

The box arrived yesterday and was full of neat trinkets and clues:

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We were sent a “radio” to insert your phone into while using the app ( I made my husband build that), a teacup, a bat, a Grim Gazette, an advertisement for Bloodmere & Broomes, a set of 10 of Madame Leota’s tarot cards, a wedding invitation, and instructions for downloading and setting up the Haunted Mansion: Phantom Radio App.

There was also a letter attached to the inside lid of the box, and when you read it, you realize that in order to get more helpful hints and clues, you need to get the letter wet. Once we did that, we found some helpful advice from the ghosts on how to proceed:

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In order to utilize the clues using the app, you need to scan each one. This was done by either scanning using the camera, or by entering a 3 symbol code that was written each object.

 

Scanning the Grim Gazette brought the radio feed to life where Phineas, Ezra, and Gus (better known as the Hitchhiking Ghosts), can be heard commenting on the state of the Mansion, and how it’s been “wrapped up in fog”, and how they haven’t been able to follow any mortals home in a long time. They then mention that a “Committee of Wandering Ghosts” has been formed and are trying to find a way to fix the ghosts travel troubles. Then we lose them and all that is heard again is static.

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When you scan the radio itself, you get to listen to a conversation between Sally Slater (better known as the Tightrope Girl from the stretching room), and Victor, where Sally informs Victor that the Ghost relations Department has managed to send out the boxes with the haunted items to foolish mortals. Apparently she says the Committee was desperate and in need of help from the mortal world. We lose them again and more static is heard.

The next thing we did was to scan the advertisement for Bloodmere and Broome’s and once again Sally and Victor could be heard talking, and wondering if the mortals were up to the challenge, and whether or not we were perceptive enough to understand the clues. Victor mentions the mortals need to know to” align the moon and stars” before he is cut off by static again.  We found the “moon and stars” punched out of a corner of the advertisement.

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In the original letter the wet writing from the ghosts had mentioned you needed to use the Bloodmere and Bloome ad with Aunt Agony, which happened to be a section of the Grim Gazette. We found the same moon and stars there, and lined them up to find a special secret message!

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We assume this means we’ll need to use this ad later on in another month’s clues.

 

Next we scanned the Bat (which is also meant to be inserted into the radio box and used as a dial), and could hear a conversation between Sally and Phineas:

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Sally is heard talking to Phineas about the Committee, and he mentions how committees are for the living, and he doesn’t want to be involved. Sally keeps pushing, comfirming with him about how the fog has affected his ability to “perform his customary rounds”, which he agrees to, and she mentions how terrible it is that the mortals are visiting the Mansion, and he is being robbed of his chance to follow them home.

Madame Leota shows up and does not seem pleased with Sally trying to promote this crazy idea of allowing mortals to help the ghosts. She insists that there arent any mortals that are powerful enough to be able to pull off this task. She tells Sally she will consult her cards and take care of the matter herself, and if she needs help, then she will ask for it.

 

Next we decided to scan the wedding invitation, and we remembered from the opening letter that it also needed to get cold.

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So we scanned it and heard a conversation between the Hitchhiking ghosts about how they think Constance, “The Bride”, is probably not even bothered by the fact that she’s “fogged in” to the Mansion. They make a few jokes about her chopping up her husbands, and how after she kills them, they’re still in love with her, so she’s probably thrilled they’re all trapped in there together and can’t travel anywhere else. They talk about how she used to keep each wedding invitation in the ice box, next to the wedding cake, which also re-iterates the fact that you need to get the invitation cold to see another clue.

 

When the cold invitation is scanned, it brings us to Madame Leota being interviewed by the Grim Gazette editor Pearl E. Gates, who asks Leota what her thoughts are on the Committee getting the mortals involved. Leota says to tell the readers that they will find a solution themselves, without a committee, and that revealing the ghosts secrets to outsiders (mortals), is a bad idea. Madame Leota then cuts of the editor mid-speech and states that she can feel someone from the outside listening in. Someone from outside the mansion. We’re back to static again.

Next we scanned the teacup and heard Pearl E. Gates interviewing the hitchhiking ghosts “to see how the typical spirit feels about the current difficulties”. She asks if the ghosts happen use the Gazzette’s Tasseomancy (reading tea leaves) column to cope with the situation. She mentions that what you will see will have something to do with the specific cup that you use, and how the “reflection” can give you a glimpse of the unseen. So we placed the teacup on the Tasseomancy column, and “read” the tea leaves.

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We got a message. Do you see it?

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“Beware Madame Leota”

 

 

At this point we could tell in the app that we were missing 2 more items that needed to be scanned,  so we scanned the tarot cards and heard Victor and Sally conversing again.

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Victor tells Sally the mortals have managed to figure out how to use the clues, and that was good news. But, that it was also bad news, because Madame Leota has figured out that the mortals were listening in to the ghost world, and was not pleased.

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We scanned the final radio card to see if it was our last piece, and Madame Leota suddenly interrupted and instructed us to stop, wanting to know how we got our hands on the haunted items. She says the Mansion has flourished under her guardianship, and that she can’t believe this committee is trying to do a better job than her in solving the current dilemma by bringing mortals into “private spectral affairs”. She claims mortals are without talents, abilities, and without wisdom. But the committee seems to think we have talents; some connection to the spirit world, that we are some sort of medium. But again she highly doubts that is true. However, she says the stakes are too high. The ghosts’ ability to haunt beyond mansion may be obliterated forever, which would be their doom. There cannot be failure, they can’t afford to turn away assistance, even if it comes from mere mortals.

 

She then instructed us in a “card trick”, for lack of better term, using the 10 tarot cards. At the end of the trick, we had somehow achieved the desired results (my mind is still blown), and she then begrudgingly agreed that we must be a very powerful medium, and that she will accept our help, and will be back in touch with us at a later date.

I am now seriously awaiting box #2!!!!

 

Until Next month, Foolish Mortals……..

 

If you’re interested in joining in on the Haunted fun at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, contact me today to take advantage of my FREE vacation planning services! I specialize in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Aulani resort in Hawaii, as well as Adventures by Disney. Contact me today at [email protected] for a free quote, or you can find me on my Facebook page here.

Jungle Book: Look for the Bare Necessities Shirt Campaign

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2016 04 08 20 42 16 T Shirts Bare Necessities TeePublic

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We have partnered with Tee Public to offer you a special limited edition Jungle Book T-Shirt Design. Look for the Bare Necessities is one of our favorite quotes from the Jungle Book movie.

Now is your chance to own this limited edition t-shirt design available in a variety of colors and styles.

It is only on sale from April 9th till when the movie releases on April 14th.

To learn more and to order yours just click here.

Please note – This design is part of a campaign and will not ship until the campaign has ended on the 14th!

“The Jungle Book” Press Conference – Part 2

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: (L-R) Actors Giancarlo Esposito, Sir Ben Kingsley, Neel Sethi, Lupita Nyong'o and director Jon Favreau onstage at Disney's "THE JUNGLE BOOK" Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Giancarlo Esposito;Ben Kingsley;Neel Sethi;Lupita Nyong'o;Jon Favreau
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 04: (L-R) Actors Giancarlo Esposito, Sir Ben Kingsley, Neel Sethi, Lupita Nyong’o and director Jon Favreau onstage at Disney’s “THE JUNGLE BOOK” Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

The global press conference for “The Jungle Book” was jam-packed full of amazing stories and perspectives about the new upcoming Disney live-action film. So much so, that I wanted to give our readers two articles covering the event! In Part 1, I talked about some of the discussions heard from producer Brigham Taylor and director Jon Favreau. There were also several of the film’s actors present, and when telling their stories about their character work and the filming process you could sense each of them having a genuine passion for this film, and a deep love for their character and dedication to the story they wanted each of their characters to get across.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Actor Neel Sethi onstage at Disney's "THE JUNGLE BOOK" Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Neel Sethi
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 04: Actor Neel Sethi onstage at Disney’s “THE JUNGLE BOOK” Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

Twelve-year-old newcomer Neel Sethi played Mowgli, and said it was an experience that felt unreal. Only having to audition once to land this major role, the whole process of casting and filming was an exciting whirlwind. It was easy to see that he didn’t take this once-in-a-lifetime experience for granted, and cherished the time he had mentoring under such talented actors.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Actress Lupita Nyong'o onstage at Disney's "THE JUNGLE BOOK" Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Lupita Nyong'o
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 04: Actress Lupita Nyong’o onstage at Disney’s “THE JUNGLE BOOK” Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

Lupita Nyong’o plays Raksha, Mowgli’s adoptive wolf mother, who takes in and loves Mowgli with all her heart despite him not being one of her kind. Lupita also recently played Maz in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” via motion capture, the role of Raksha, however was completely a voiceover role; the actress’s first. She shared how she felt she could really connect with the character of Raksha, for she has always been drawn to children, and even as a child would prefer babysitting her cousins over going outside to play. Over the course of the film, she said she truly developed a bond and love for Neel/Mowgli.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Actor Giancarlo Esposito onstage at Disney's "THE JUNGLE BOOK" Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Giancarlo Esposito
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 04: Actor Giancarlo Esposito onstage at Disney’s “THE JUNGLE BOOK” Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

Giancarlo Esposito voiced Akela, the head of the wolf pack. Esposito talked about his longtime love of “The Jungle Book”, and that growing up with a single mother and his brother, his mother would recite the wolf pack law from Kipling’s stories, encouraging them growing up to stick together. Not only that, but he dreamt of being Mowgli when he was a young boy, he wanted the freedom to express himself and be who he truly was; acting helped him find that freedom in real life. He jumped at the offer to do the role since “The Jungle Book” already meant so much to him, and he said that the filming process was also a great experience. Esposito recollected how director Jon Favreau would always challenge him in the recording studio, encouraging to push the boundaries in his performance of Akela, but he would challenge him in a loving way. He reflected this challenge-out-of-love teaching in the way he would have Akela act towards Mowgli.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Actor Sir Ben Kingsley onstage at Disney's "THE JUNGLE BOOK" Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Ben Kingsley
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 04: Actor Sir Ben Kingsley onstage at Disney’s “THE JUNGLE BOOK” Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton on April 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

Lastly, the voice of Bagheera, Sir Ben Kingsley talked about his experiences. He grew up with Rudyard Kipling stories, and has for a long time been passionate about “The Jungle Book”. He had the stories read to him as a child, and he now reads the stories to his own children. In reading “The Jungle Book” aloud to one of his children while he was researching his role of Bagheera, he shared that he had a revelation; he felt that Bagheera was actually Kipling himself, and Bagheera and Mowgli’s relationship was a reflection of the relationship between Kipling and his own son. He really delved deep into this idea of Bagheera being Kipling and tried to use this revelation to drive his performance of the character. He even shared a fun fact that when he was a child his boy scout group was called Akela!

It was definitely an event to remember, and all of these stories made me even more excited about the film, knowing what hard work and heart was put into it.

Be on the lookout for my review of the film, and you can check out part 1 of the press conference here, where I talk about the producer and director’s stories they shared.

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