Walt Disney Pictures Remaking Sister Act

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June 8, 2015

Walt Disney Pictures is taking one of my favorite films, Sister Act – Whoopi Goldberg’s hilarious 1992 story of a lounge singer running from the mob who hides in a convent and remaking it, Disney style.

Goldberg is not involved with the new Disney version, but Whoopi fans (especially me) hope she will be joining the cast. For now Disney has Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah working on the screenplay, and Allison Shearmur signed on as Producer. In the very early stages still, Walt Disney Pictures has not released much information but I know this combination of great writers, producer and storyline will make for an amazing remake of a classic comedy.

Loretta Garcia, Entertainment Writer for Chipandco.com is excited to see Disney’s version of Sister Act. Stay tuned for Disney updates and news by following us on our website.

Strange Magic DVD No Spoiler Review

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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June 8, 2015

I finally got my hands on a copy of the Strange Magic DVD, which was released on May 19th and I loved it!

The movie blends comedy, romance, love and a fun soundtrack of popular songs with spectacular animation (even my husband thought so!) that everyone is sure to enjoy.

The story begins by introducing us to two lands: Fairy Kingdom and the Dark Kingdom, separated only by a boarder of primrose flowers – used to create a love potion.

At the beginning of the movie we find the Fairy King’s oldest daughter, Marianne (voiced by Evan Rachel Woods) set to marry Roland (voiced by Sam Palladio) – a handsome fairy set on someday becoming King. While in the beginning Marianne is in love with being in love, after finding her fiance in the arms of another fairy her attitude certainly changes and a spunky and spirited fairy is born.

Much her sister’s opposite, the King’s younger daughter, Dawn (voiced by Meredith Anne Bull) is full of love and life and can’t wait to attend fairy parties and meet fairy boys – much to her best friend’s, a dwarf named Sunny (voiced by Elijah Kelley), dismay. It turns out Sunny is in love with Dawn and wants her to feel the same way.

Fueled by this desire he sets out to find the Sugar Plum Fairy (voiced by Kristen Chenoweth), who is being held captive in the Dark Kingdom by Bog (voiced by Alan Cumming), who turns out might not be as evil as he wants everyone to think.

This is, at the very core, a love story – even if it is a “strange” one! With the amazing animation of George Lucas, a story we can all love and music that will have you tapping your feet, go and pick up your copy of Strange Magic on DVD today!

Buying Groceries at Walt Disney World

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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June 8, 2015

If you’re visiting Walt Disney World, and want to save money on food, or your children or family members like having familiar foods, or someone in your party has special dietary needs, what are your options? Well, Walt Disney World resorts and parks have a wide variety of foods available in their restaurants, food courts, and counter service areas, and there’s more focus on healthy options, and alternatives to high allergy ingredients than ever before. But, if you have a youngster…or even a fellow adult…who will only eat a particular brand of hot dogs or chicken nuggets, or who genuinely prefers a peanut butter sandwich to most other lunch offerings, there are ways to meet those needs, without necessarily breaking the bank.

Bring Groceries With You – If you’re driving to Orlando, and have the car space, you can bring along your favorite groceries, or at least pick them up at a grocery store close by. (WalMart, Super Target, Publix, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s are all in the area). This option does mean a delay in reaching your resort, but may be worth it.
Buy On Disney Property – If you’re only looking for snacks, and maybe some sandwich fixin’s, you’ll be able to find these (including fruit) in the resort gift shops or food courts, or if you’re staying at the Swan & Dolphin, or Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, or Yacht or Beach Club, you can reasonably walk to a Hess gas station that will also have some snack and small grocery items. The downside to this is that if you don’t have your own car or a rental car, you’ll be walking and carrying groceries back.
Rent a Car or Call Uber – If you flew in, and took advantage of Disney’s Magical Express, you can rent a car or you can call a cab (information will be at the resort front desk), or call Uber car service. In the case of a taxi or Uber, you’ll be paying by the mile and the minute, and remember that you’ll want the drivers to wait for you while you’re in the store, so it would be best to have a plan of attack. This can be hard to do at an unfamiliar store, or one simply away from home which may have an unfamiliar layout.
Order Groceries for Delivery – There are several services in the Orlando area from which you can order grocery items to be delivered to your resort. Generally speaking, these groceries are delivered to the front desk, who will store them (refrigerating necessary items) until you are in your room and ready to receive them, and will even deliver them to your room on request (be sure to tip cast members who deliver to your room!). The best known of these services is Garden Grocer. It is recommended that you go to the Garden Grocer website 60 days prior to your trip (this will save you 10%, and ensure that you can get a delivery day and time that will work with your trip). There’s a $40 minimum requirement, and delivery charges are $14 for orders from $40 t0 $199, or $2 for orders $200 or more.

Have you ever bought groceries for your stay at Walt Disney World? What are your favorite tips and tricks? If you’d like more information about staying at Walt Disney World on a budget, I’d be happy to talk to you about that, and help you find the very best value for your magical vacation.

I’m Jeri and I’m a Disney Addict! I’m also an Independent Travel Magician with World of Magic Travel Services, the preferred agency of Chip and Co. and Disney Addicts! Contact me for a free quote, and 100% free-to-you travel planning services – [email protected].

New Disney Short “Lava” Coming To Theaters

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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June 8, 2015

Pixar Animation Studios’ new movie preview, Inside Out, was held a few days ago at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. As I sat down and checked in on Instagram with our fellow addicts, the Disney rep shared that we would be starting the evening’s entertainment with the new short – LAVA. I was curious to see what it was about as I had heard a few bits and pieces of a Hawaiian themed short about a volcano.

The short started and the romantic in me was instantly swept away. Only seven minutes long, yet showing the perfect blend of love and magic that is true to all Disney movies, Lava brings us the story of a volcano, Uke, searching for love in the huge ocean over a span of millions of years. Uke sings a love song and yearns to find “someone to lava”. Below the surface is Lele who listens to Uke’s song and longs to rise to the surface and join him.

The short directed by James Ford Murphy and produced by Andrea Warren had the audience young and old, hoping for a happy ending for Uke and Lele.

During the press conference, Murphy talked about the inspiration for Lava. Murphy and his wife honeymooned in Hawaii where he fell in love with the location and all the beauty of the islands. The music and lyrics were written by John Ford Murphy and talks of having a dream that the earth, sea and sky up above will send Uke someone to lava. Performed by Hawaiian talents, Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Makua, the song is a haunting melody that takes us to a land of sea and salty air and left me with a feeling of warmth and love.

Don’t miss Lava and Inside Out in theaters, June 19, 2015. Bring tissues and be ready to fall in love with Pixar Studios’ newest films. As my oldest granddaughter shared, Lava shows us that “everyone will find true love if they just wish hard enough”

The face of Uku is rumored to be a combination of bulldog, Marc Anthony from the animated short film, Feed the Kitty combined with actor Jackie Gleason and singer Kahele’s facial features.

Share your feelings about the short on chipandco.com or comment below.

Disney Finds – Duffy Tsum Tsums

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Chip

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June 8, 2015

Now in stock from our friends at Mouse to Your House, Duffy Tsum Tsums. Available in Large & Small sizes these things are as cute as can be! These are a Disney Park exclusive item and is not available in store. To order yours just click here.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort Celebrates National Best Friends Day with Official Announcement of Heartlake City Opening Date

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Chip

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June 8, 2015

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WINTER HAVEN, FL - June 05, 2015 -- In honor of National Best Friends Day on June 8, kids share what it means to be a friend and get the chance to be among the first to experience Mia’s Riding Adventure at Heartlake City. (PHOTO / Chip Litherland for LEGOLAND Florida/Merlin Entertainments Group Inc.) — WINTER HAVEN, FL – June 05, 2015 —
In honor of National Best Friends Day on June 8, kids share what it means to be a friend and get the chance to be among the first to experience Mia’s Riding Adventure at Heartlake City. (PHOTO / Chip Litherland for LEGOLAND Florida/Merlin Entertainments Group Inc.)

LEGOLAND^® Florida Resort will open its newest land, Heartlake City, on June 26. The theme park’s newest expansion is based on the popular LEGO Friends product line and is closely modeled after the five LEGO Friends personalities: Olivia, Stephanie, Emma, Mia and Andrea, and their personal interests such as animals, music, nature and fashion.

In honor of their friendships, and in celebration of National Best Friends Day, park guests told Mia which characteristics make the perfect friend. Mia gave each of the first fifty participating kids two tickets to return to Heartlake City with their best friend when Heartlake City officially opens. Mia also personally invited the guests to be among the first to experience the new ride themed to her love of horses,Mia’s Riding Adventure.

Construction is almost complete on Heartlake City, which will be a colorful and vibrant experience offering adventures for all ages. Beyond the new ride, it will include a new interactive show called Friends to the Rescue as well as Stephanie’s News Room and retail stores inside Heartlake Mall.

To continue the experience, LEGOLAND Florida Resort visitors can also book a LEGO Friends room at the LEGOLAND Hotel which offers the only LEGO Friends themed guest rooms in the U.S., and the only LEGO Friends themed suite in the world.

This is a very exciting addition to the LEGOLAND Florida park! My girls are so excited to be there this summer to explore the new hotel and the fantastic new Heartlake City. For more information or to book your visit to LEGOLAND Florida, you can contact me at [email protected]. There are also Pirate, Kingdom and Adventure themed rooms available to book for your awesome visit to Legoland this year! It truly is a great place for a family vacation! Contact me to get started planning your trip!

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Tron 3 Production Has Been Cancelled

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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June 7, 2015

Tron Fans are headed for disappointment. The 3rd movie in the Tron trilogy is no longer coming to theatres near you. The announcement last month, gave fans hope that Tron 3 to be directed by Joseph Kosinski and bring back Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund was coming soon. Sources now say that the project was never given the green light even though preparations had begun and production was scheduled to start in the fall. There was even talk of adding Jared Leto to the cast.

Tron 3 would have been the sequel to Tron:Legacy which was in turn the sequel to the original 1982 Tron sci-fi starring Bruce Boxleitner and Jeff Bridges.

Follow chipandco.com for all the latest and greatest news and updates.

Have a Little Extra Fun with Disney Characters on your Next Vacation!

By

Chip

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June 7, 2015

I’m sure many of you have seen the picture going around Facebook that shows if you yell “Andy’s coming” in front of any of the Toy Story characters, they will fall down. Which is untrue. Disney put a stop to that as it was scaring small children. Not to mention for the cast members in the costume getting up and down is hard work.

Having said that did you know there are phrases you can say to other Disney Characters at the Disney World and Disneyland theme parks to elicit a fun response?

For the princesses:

Ask Ariel if you can be a mermaid
Ask Aurora if she likes to take naps
Ask Belle for a book recommendation
Tell Belle that Beast is very big and scary
Give Snow White an apple
Complement any of the Princesses on their dresses

For the Toy Story characters:

Ask Green Army to march with you then pose with a great salute
Tell Buzz he is a toy…a T. O. Y. toy!
Ask Buzz if you can push his reset button
Ask Buzz to go into Latin mode
Ask Woody if Andy’s name is on the bottom of his boot

Mickey’s gang:

Propose marriage to Daisy or ask for a kiss
Ask Donald why he doesn’t have as much stuff in the parks as Mickey
Ask Donald why he doesn’t wear pants
Tell Donald you like his performance in the Aflac commercials
Ask Goofy if he’s ever taken Pluto for a walk
Ask Minnie if Mickey has given her a ring yet
Tell Pluto he should get a never-ending supply of dog bones

Pooh & friends:

Ask Eeyore where his tail is
Tell Eeyore “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you there”
Ask him if he would like a sausage biscuit or BLT
Ask Pooh why he doesn’t wear pants
Ask Pooh where you can locate some honey because you have a rumbly in your tummy

Other favorites:

Stand behind Captain Hook and go tick tock, tick tock or call him a codfish
Ask Chip and Dale which one is Alvin and which one is Simon. Ask where Theodore is at
Ask Lady Tremaine (Cinderella’s Step Mother) which daughter is her favorite
Tell Mary Poppins that you heard only Mary Poppins can say “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” backwards
Greet Peter Pan with a loud “Cock a doodle doo”
Bring Rafiki a Simba plush. He’ll lift it up like in the movie
Ask one of Cinderella’s Step Sisters to sing
Ask the Step Sisters which is the pretty one
Offer your son to marry one of the step sisters
Ask Stitch what his badness level is
Tell Thumper to stay out of your flower beds

Have you ever tried one of these? Which was your favorite? Share some of yours in the comment box below.

Have a Little Extra Fun with Disney Characters on your Next Vacation!

Breaking News: Starbucks at Animal Kingdom Now has an Opening Date

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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June 7, 2015

Finally! We have an opening date for the Starbucks at Animal Kingdom! The opening date is, drum roll please, June 18th. So very soon! The new Starbucks will be where the old Creature Comforts used to be, on Discovery Island. They will have all the usual food and drinks just like the Starbucks at the other parks.

This new location makes 6 total Starbucks at Disney World.

I love Starbucks so this make me very happy. What do you think?

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Maria

Disney and Vans Release a New Shoe and Clothing Collection

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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June 7, 2015

Earlier this week the Disney Fashionista let us know that Vans and Disney were partnering for a new shoe and clothing line. Available online at Vans and Journeys, as well as in stores, the new line features everything that a Disney fan could want – Princess, Villains, Minnie and Mickey, and more! You can read all about the releases from the Disney Fashionista herself here, and here, and here.

How long do you have to wait for this launch? You don’t! The products launched on June 5 and they are everything I hoped for! The line contains products for kids, men and women, as well as some unisex items as well. I’ve pulled together some of my favorites from the line. I know my credit card will be getting a work out in the next few days ordering some of these shoes before they sell out!

Let’s start with the ladies, shall we?

Whether you are Team Princess or Team Villain, this line has something for you. I cannot pick between the two different styles, and I may have to pick up one of each!

You can find both of the styles here for $60 each. These shoes come in even more colors and designs such as Winnie the Pooh, Donald Duck, and Princess Jasmine, so be sure to check them all out.

I am a huge fan of Disney Princesses, and I fell in love with the shirt the first time I saw it! I would love to pair this with some dark skinny jeans and a ballet flat for a casual weekend look.

Get one for yourself here for $34.50

If you are a fan of Minnie Mouse, then this line is perfect for you! There are so many great Minnie Mouse items in this collection, but my favorites are the slip on shoe and crewneck sweatshirt

These shoes are perfect for a casual outfit, and I can definitely see myself cuddling up in this sweatshirt. The shoes are available here for $60, and the sweatshirt can be found here for $49.50.

Now, we can’t forget about the men, so here are my favorites from the collection for the guys.

I love this crewneck sweatshirt! The design is clean and simple, and it looks very comfortable. This would be a perfect sweatshirt for those cool summer nights.

You can get one here for $59.50

Donald Duck doesn’t always get a lot of love, so I appreciate Vans spotlighting him in this shirt. I think this would be a great shirt for casual cook out this summer.

If you love Donald Duck as much as I do, you can get this shirt here for $59.50

Sometimes it seems like the ladies have all the fun when it comes to accessories, but with this new collection, the guys can dress up as well. I really like the two different Mickey Mouse hats. One in definetly more understated and would be a great everyday accessory, while the other is more bold for the more hardcore Disney fan

You can pick up this hat here for $35.00

Get this hat here for $26.00

And of course, men need shoes too, and what Disney fan wouldn’t love these Mickey Mouse slip ons? Perfect for a casual day, these shoes are classic and comfy.

Pick up a pair here for $60.00

What do you think of the new collection? Are there any items that made your must have list? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Monica is an Alumna of the Disney College Program. When she is not walking down the middle of Main Street USA you can find her wandering the World Showcase, or enjoying a Dole Whip while racing to her favorite attractions. When she is forced to endure life outside of Walt Disney World, you can find her in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she lives and works. You can visit her Disney lifestyle blog here.

Mickey’s Backyard BBQ Now Serving 4 Days a Week at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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June 7, 2015

Mickey’s Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is not talked about often but I think it is very good. More days have been added to their schedule. You can now book Tuesday and Friday as well as Thursday and Saturday.

Mickey’s Backyard Barbecue is an all you can eat feast of classic BBQ favorites like, hamburgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese etc. But wait there is more, they also have some new additions to the classic favorites. Now you can also get dishes like jambalaya, honey-mustard baked chicken, salads and veggies. Of course they have the usual soda and beer but you can also get Chardonnay, Merlot, White Zinfandel and Red Sangria included with your dinner.

We can’t forget about everyone’s favorite part of dinner and that is dessert. You can sink your teeth into a new warm fruit cobbler or strawberry shortcake (when it’s in season). Of course the ever popular Mickey ice cream bars etc.

You will be entertained by a live country western band and character appearances through the night. The character meet and greet area has also been enhanced so you can not spend more time with your favorite characters.

Transportation is always a concern. Have no fear there is a new bus route now. It will take you back to the Magic Kingdom where transportation to any Disney Resort is easily accessible.

Sounds good right?

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Maria

Free Dining is still available. Why not let me plan your next vacation with a stop at Mickey’s backyard Barbecue! I can take the stress out of your vacation planning. I can be as involved as you like. Contact me at [email protected] for your FREE no obligation quote.

Inside Out! Storybook Deluxe App Review!

By

Danielle

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June 7, 2015

Disney Pixar’s new animated feature film “Inside Out” hits theaters June 19, and just in time to get us excited comes the new Inside Out: Storybook Deluxe App!

This bright and fun app now available on iPhone and iPad OS brings to life the new world of Inside Out! The new Storybook app features an interactive retelling of this “emotional” story and activities that give children the opportunity to engage Riley’s 5 emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.

My son and I got to try this adorable Storybook app out, and absolutely loved it! I’ll admit Inside Out looked cute, but I wasn’t sure if it was a must see summer movie. After exploring this app, I am now jumping up and down with excitement to see this new movie! The interactive telling really opened up the world of the Emotions, and how important they take their role in making memories for Riley. Each page comes to life with bright colors, and actions your child can tap to animate! At major points in the story, the app also treats you to spectacular clips straight from the movie!

The activities were a hit with us, they really help open up your child’s imagination! One activity allows you to create dreams for Riley, which are set up like filming a movie! Each dream starts out with a trip to the prop department where your child gets to choose objects for the dream, and then the dream cameras roll! You can also create your own memory spheres using the camera or pictures and videos you have on your iPhone or iPad. A great little way to keep some of your memories magical!

We really enjoyed this Storybook app, not only was it great to learn a little more about the new movie coming out, it was great family activity full of reading, imagination, and even learning ways to communicate our emotions!

App Features:

Interactive retelling of Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out” that kids can read on their own, record their voice, or read along with the narration that accompanies this retelling of INSIDE OUT!
Interact with fun and creative activities to express emotions, dreams, and imagination
Find clips and quotes from the film
Discover surprising interactions with characters from the film

Inside Out: Storybook Deluxe app is available now for $6.99 in the App store for iPhone and Ipad devices.