BBC Walt Disney Documentary 2016 Review

BBC Walt Disney Documentary Review ★★★★

A few months ago my sister text me to tell me that there was a Documentary airing on the BBC Chanel about Walt Disney. I of course was really interested to see it. I had previously, as I'm sure many have, seen a documentary they made years ago regarding his "Secret Life". Unfortunately a lot of that Documentary was intended to malign the man's reputation based on stories of anti communism, sexism, racism etc... which I personally found to be really outlandish and have evidence pointing to the contrary, at least about the sexism and racist parts. Anyway, this most recent documentary wasn't like that at all, it was more just a biographical look at Walt, his work and a bit of the life of the man himself and what made him tick.

I couldn't actually watch it's original airing because I don't have that channel but luckily I found it uploaded on Youtube! So thank you to the person who took the time to do that. It's uploaded in two one hour long parts. The first part obviously deals with Walt's early beginnings as an animator then goes on to his creation of Oswald the Rabbit and eventually his creation of Mickey Mouse. One thing I appreciated about this was that they didn't fixate too much on his difficulties during this time, it was brought up of course but they didn't drag it out too much which some previous ones have done. I really found it very fascinating when they discussed the tole the making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs took on Walt as well as all of the other workers at the studio, there were some facts about deadlines and the work put into it that I wasn't fully aware of before watching it.

The rest of the first segment of the program focuses on the rest of the "Big Five" aka Walt's first animated features which are Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi and the struggles that came with creating those masterpieces. This of course features segments about the strike of the studio's employees due to their outrage over wages, workload etc... and Walt's distaste with them joining unions. This bit of the documentary is handled fairly and it does not once side with the employees or Walt, instead it just takes a subjective look at the situation which I thought was a great way to go.

The second installment was the better one for me personally. It featured a lot about how Walt felt about the production of Cinderella which I had no idea about as a huge fan of that movie and it also talked about the making of Mary Poppins, my favourite movie of all time. The controversy of the movie Song of the South which I have yet to see as I'm not sure I would enjoy it is discussed, as well as criticism of Walt's vision for things by many journalists throughout the years which lends to the unbiased tell of the story. Lastly the idea, creation and execution of Disneyland features in the final part of the documentary. The tidbits and information about the weeks coming up to the opening day of the theme park and why Walt decided to open it in the first place are amazing for any Disney fan to hear about and it was in my opinion the best thing about this production.

Overall, I feel BBC did a wonderful job with this documentary, as I said they made an unbiased and subjective observation on all the aspects of Walt Disney's life and his creations throughout the years. This of course was helped along by interviews from various people including biographers, journalists, animators, family members etc.... I would definitely recommend this to any Disney fan, particularly ones like myself who are not only interested in watching the films, but also the technical and historical aspect of the Disney world. 4 out of 5 stars

Here is a link to the Documentary on Youtube for anybody that wants to check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vts2AWcIUHM  

Valentine's Dates inspired by Disney moments

Some of the moments in Disney film History are so unforgettably iconic that immediately they are recognizable, and none more so than those heart warming romantic moments. Seeing as how I have already posted a list of my favourite of those moments, I decided to do a post about potential Dates couples could share together that are inspired by Disney. I thought it would be a very appropriate post considering what Day tomorrow is! So here they are 💗💗💗💗

Mary Poppins (1964) Jolly Holiday in the Park

One of the most loved scenes in Mary Poppins is the one in which Bert and Mary, along with Jane and Michael step into the chalk drawing together. This would be an excellent idea for a date for couples with children in particular. Why not do as Bert and Mary did and go for a lovely stroll in the park followed by some cakes and tea (unfortunately you can order what we will, as they penguins say, but there will be a bill this time!). Follow that up if you can with a ride on the amusements or merry go round. I couldn't think of a more pleasant and picturesque thing to do on a Valentine's afternoon.

The Aristocats (1970) Jazz music with some cool cats

Everybody wants to be a cat and almost everybody would enjoy boogieing away in a swanky jazz bar/club listening to a fantastic band of musicians play. So, anyone who is lucky enough to live near a jazz place, should try taking their Duchess or O'Malley along to one for a relaxed fun Valentine's night. You could even end up busting a few moves together.

Lady and the Tramp (1955) Spaghetti on a Bella Notte

If you ask anyone what is one of the most romantic movie moments of all time, a good percentage will tell you that the spaghetti and meatballs scene in Lady and the Tramp is their number one. I think it is the perfect idea for any date but in particular for every Disney fan. It's the classic romantic evening with some delicious food, flirtation and beautiful music. How could you go wrong? I don't recommend the nosing of the meatball to each other if you're wearing some good or new clothes though!

The Princess and the Frog (2009) Cooking some tasty grub together

In Disney's extremely fun 2009 animation that is very reminiscent of the renaissance movies, Tiana teaches Prince Naveen to cook her father's gumbo. A fantastic way of bonding with your loved one or a new person in your life is to cook a delicious meal together. Afterall, there must be a reason why they say couples who cook together stay together. I think it's a lovely (and cost efficient) way to spend your Valentine's day together, going grocery shopping then setting a romantic table together while having fun and enjoying one of your favourite meals or something new and different with one another.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) Evening walk with the pups

If you're lucky enough to have a canine companion in your life and/or your partner happens to be that lucky too, a wonderful idea is to break out the leash and head for a leisurely romantic stroll on a Valentine's evening just like Roger and Anita did with Pongo and Perdita in 101 Dalmations. You could also make a day of it by bringing the dogs along while you have a picnic in a park or your favourite scenic location in the afternoon. Just don't get too distracted by the romance and forget to keep an eye on the dogs so you don't end up with 101 puppies at your house!

The Little Mermaid (1989) Seeing the sites around town 

When Eric decides to take Ariel out for a fun filled day of site seeing and excitement, it makes you wish you could be on such a perfect first date. It has everything! A romantic ride through the country, shopping at the market, dancing, and an intimate evening boat ride. It would be the ideal date for a couple just getting to know one another as there are lots of opportunities to talk and learn new things together. Although, hopefully your date unlike poor Ariel's will end in true love's kiss.

So as you can see, there are lots of options and Disney inspiration for a perfect Valentine's time for you and the one you care for, but at the end of the day, as long as you are with that person and happy together, it really doesn't matter what you're doing, because being together is the most important part.

Birthday Things and Girly Disney

My Birthday was this past Sunday and I officially turned the ripe old age of 26! I'm not really one to dwell on getting another year old just yet though, I'll give myself another 5 or 10 years before that starts happening, I'm still a big Disney kid on the inside. For my Birthday I got just two Disney related things from my boyfriend along with some cute pink carnations and a bottle of my favourite perfume. The two proper cute little presents were a tsum tsum Baloo the bear tiny teddy and a Cinderella diary. I have to say, I usually don't collect the tsum tsum items, but this one is one of the cutest little ones they have, it looks like somebody shrunk Baloo and fed him one too many Prickly Pears! The diary is really gorgeous, it has light blue paper and the classic movie poster from 1950 on the front of it, I love getting Disney stationary and more Disney plushies so I was pretty impressed with these. Also along with a ticket to the show Dirty Dancing here in Dublin, my sister gave me a fabulous Minnie Mouse birthday card which I'll keep on my fridge because it's way to lovely to pack or throw away.


 Well, now that I've mentioned my very Merry Birthday presents, I wanted to do this post and talk about some of the more Girly Disney related stuff that I have. When you go into any shopping centre or shopping mall, you're likely going to be able to find some sort of Disney related girly objects such as perfumes, purses, pjs, make up etc.... The variety of things available out there and online is never ending thankfully and depending on where you get them they aren't always that pricey. One thing I have always always always wanted is the MAC Venomous Villains Collection products, but unfortunately they were just way too out of my price range when they were released, an even now on Ebay, they are quite expensive and the shipping is insane. So, if like me you wouldn't be able to write a cheque like say a Cruella De Vil for stuff like that, you might be able to afford some of the other more reasonable things out there that will add just as much whimsy to your collection. Here are some of mine. 

The first thing is a Ariel hair detangling spray that I got in my local grocery store. I'm sure anybody with little kids will have seen these lots, and I'm aware that they're marketed mainly at children, but that's never bothered me before. It cost about €2.50 and it worked pretty well! The scent isn't overpowering due to the fact that it's for kids it doesn't have a lot of harsh chemicals or anything in it either. You definitely wouldn't need to go too hard on your hair with your dinglehopper after using this.

There's a store here in Ireland and I'm not sure if it's in other places, I'm pretty sure it's also in the UK. It's called Claire's accessories and it is just a haven for anyone looking for a Disney princess present for a child! It has all kinds of pretty things, from hair slides, to tiara's to rings. To be honest, it wouldn't really be for me to wear personally as they are just a little bit young looking. If you're looking for Disney jewelry/accessories that are aimed at teenagers/adults, I'd highly recommend Disney couture and Etsy. That being said, one day when I was in Claire's buying a present for my little cousin, I came across a bottle of purple Minnie Mouse Nail Polish that only cost €2 so I said what the heck and purchased it too. The nail polish itself is not great at all, it's one of those types that needs about 4 coats before the colour properly shows, although what did I expect for that price? Honestly I just bought it for the cute minnie mouse on the lid of the bottle, she stands really well on my vanity table next to all my beauty products.

The next thing I wanted to discuss is a make up bag that I purchased in
a shop here called Penney's. In the UK it's called Primark. The shop is really really popular over here if you want something nice to wear that's also cheap and cheerfully priced. They also happen to have an excellent selection of different Disney items, and you can always find a cute pair of Disney pjs or some Disney delicates and socks in those sections. One thing I got there this past summer was a Mickey and Minnie nautical style make up/toiletry bag. It cost around €3.00, absolute bargain! and I keep all my lipsticks and other make up products in it and always take it on trips with me if I'm staying overnight. I'd highly recommend getting one of these as a gift for any Disney lady, she will absolutely adore it!

When I was working in a town called Greystones last year, I used to pop into a supermarket every morning to buy a bottle of water (and a chocolate bar for the afternoon depending on how the morning was going) and I noticed one day one of those machines where you put in a coin and get a prize out instead of a gumball. It had these Disney princess little heart shaped tins and inside them were these little gems of different colours. Well, I'm extremely susceptible to those little collectible cheapies when they're Disney related so of course I had to get one, which turned into getting all of them except the Belle one, which for whatever reason completed eluded me each time! These things were only €1 a go and they look absolutely adorable on your nightstand, book shelf etc... and I really love the unique animation detailing on each of them, particularly the Snow White one.

Lastly I wanted to talk about this small set I got from my boyfriend as a token recently. He spotted it and thought it was nail polish, but it turned out to be a "Hair Mascara" set. I probably would never use the product on my hair because it's obviously meant to glitter up your hair and I don't really think I can pull off that look! However it is a great little collector's item and it sits really nicely among all my other Disney girly bits. My favourite aspect of this set are the names on the little individual bottles, they are called "Under the Sea","Gadgets and Gizmos" and "Kiss the Girl", that is pretty damn cute!

All in all I would say there are lots of really sweet little girly products out there that people can buy that are Disney related to decorate their rooms, give as a gift etc.... I do really wanted to get a few genuine Disney beauty products similar to the MAC make up ones but until then, I'm quite delighted with the things I've talked about here and I hope anybody reading enjoys seeing what kind of things you can get out there <3