Duck Tales: the Movie

Duck Tales was a great TV show. I loved the movie, too! (even have the updated video game!) 

This movie is entertaining. I think kids today would still like it and the show. 

Descendants

Next up is another DCOM - Descendants! I liked the movie. I'm a fan of continuing on classics or re-telling them. I thought this was a clever spin. 

If you are looking for a DCOM with music that isn't your typical teens in a high school or camp or beach setting and has some familiar characters, then this is the movie for you. 

Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Next up is a Disney movie called Darby O'Gill and the Little People. The movie is set in Ireland and I'm Irish so this was fun to watch. 

Cinderella (Live Action)

In the past few years, Disney has been taking their animated movies and re-telling them as live action movies. I personally love how they have been turning out. They almost feel like a more mature story - while I loved Cinderella the animation when I was a child, I connect with the live action version now. Nostalgia is a big thing with us nearly 30 year olds right now and we are constantly revisiting different things we loved in our youth so this is right up my alley. 

We loved it and we simply cannot wait until next year when the Beauty and the Beast Live Action comes out. Squee! 

Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time

In Cinderella 3, we have more of a story. This one is all about what would happen if the slipper did fit one of Cinderella's stepsisters instead. 

I did enjoy this sequel and found the story to be a nice twist. 

Cinderella

Get ready because it is time for my childhood favorite - Cinderella! I loved this movie as a kid and would watch it over and over and over. The songs were upbeat and there was magic and shoes and funny mice. So fun! 

This is a classic and I enjoyed introducing it to my son. He thought the mice were hilarious. 

Christmas Do-Over

Yet another 25 Days of Christmas movie - Christmas Do-Over. This one had a similar storyline of "Groundhog's Day" where you re-live the same day over and over until it is the perfect day. 

I wasn't a big fan. There are plenty of other Christmas TV Movies to watch if you're bored. 

Bridge to Terabithia

Moving along in the Disney Movie challenge, I watched Bridge to Terabithia. I never saw this one before so I didn't know what to expect. 

Expect to be super sad! I liked the fantasy world and the wandering around the woods reminded me of my own childhood. The ending was sad and I wasn't sure why it had to happen like that. Overall  I liked it but it wasn't my favorite.

On to the next one! 

Blackbeard's Ghost

The next movie on the list is called Blackbeard's Ghost.

This movie was a comedy from the 60's. It was actually pretty entertaining! I am kind of bummed that I didn't make the boys watch it with me. Maybe I'll rent it again for them. 

Bedtime Stories

This week we watched Bedtime Stories. I have to say this is one of my favorite Adam Sandler movies after 2000. It's cute. He tells the kids stories and finds out that the part of the story the kids tell comes true the next day. 

The kid has been walking around since we watched this movie saying "for freeeeee?". Hilarious. 

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

Our first movie of 2016 is a sequel - Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. The gang is all there and they have a flashback to a Christmas they spent together when they were all still household objects. 

It was a straight-to-video film and it really wasn't the best Disney sequel, but it was nice to see it right around Christmastime. The kid didn't seem too impressed. 

I cannot wait to see the Live Action version next year! So many exciting things are happening with Disney movies in the next couple of years! 

Balloon Farm

Disney's Balloon Farm was an odd one. I'm still not really sure how the magic worked and why people would spend so much money on balloons. I didn't enjoy this too much. It was a mix of being bored and confused I think. 

I still don't understand what that guy was and what he was doing with the balloons and why he was picking out seeds so messily. I guess I will never find out. 

We tried some crafting with water balloons we had laying around. Here is a balloon covered flipflop.

Avalon High

It is time for another Disney Channel Movie. This one is called Avalon High.

The actress from the recent Tomorrowland movie is in this and I so desperately wanted to like her Disney Channel movie but something about it seemed off. It all felt rushed and almost like for a second they were surprised that the Camelot characters were reincarnated and then a second later they got over it. But Disney sure loves to make movies about Arthur and Merlin! 

Since I watched most of the movie myself, I did the activity myself with a friend at work. We went for a walk at lunch through a trail, much like the one that Allie and Will run on in the movie. 

Alice in Wonderland (Live Action)

This week we watched the Live Action version of Alice in Wonderland. 

Some of the movie was similar to the cartoon, but most of is was very different. In this one, she is returning to Wonderland, although she doesn't remember being there in the first place. She is much older at 19, and is expected to slay the Jabberwocky already. It was only more confusing when I discovered that Disney is releasing a sequel soon when this already felt like it was based more on the second book than the first. I did like the actors in this movie, though. And of course I am still excited to see what they come up with for the sequel.

Nearby in Philadelphia, you can visit the Please Touch Museum where they have an exhibit dedicated to Alice in Wonderland, including this tiny room, the Mad Hatter's tea party, a maze of bushes, and Flamingo croquet. 

Aladdin and the King of Thieves

This week we watched the third Aladdin movie. 

Robin Williams is back as the Genie, making a ton of pop culture references and jokes. We meet Aladdin's father, who turns out to be the King of Thieves searching for the Hand of Midas. 

Once again, I love the music. I am excited to hear they are planning to make a live-action Aladdin movie about the Genies. As far as the straight-to-video sequels go, I think the Aladdin sequels are pretty good. 

We were inspired by the thieve's secret hide-out and the Cave of Wonders from the original movie. We found a cavern nearby to explore. If you are wondering where you can find a cave or cavern to tour in the U.S., check out this website. It was a really cool experience -literally - it was 52 degrees while the surface was somewhere around 95 degrees (F). 

The Return of Jafar

It is time for The Return of Jafar - a sequel to Aladdin!

I love every song in this movie, too! There were so many pop culture references in this one, which is always fun for the adults. The kid loved it and was giggling throughout the whole movie. Robin Williams wasn't the Genie in this movie, and while the man who voiced the character this time tried his hardest to mimic his style, I still found myself missing Robin. No kid is going to notice, though! All in all, it was a fun sequel with a different story line. I like when sequels have a different or continuing story line instead of just repeating the first movie over again! 

We made genie lamps out of small glass jars and glitter. Lots and lots of glitter. I accidentally dropped my phone in the glitter. I'm hoping a genie will appear every time I swipe the screen. 

And look! Left over glitter that can be used as Pixie Dust for a later film! 

Aladdin

I'm so excited we reached another Disney Classic!! 

This movie is so good. I couldn't stop myself from singing along to every single song. The kid loved it. He is the same age I was when I first saw it. The mixture of the music, the pop culture references, the many Disney "easter eggs", and the comedy and romance makes it a classic to remember. 

If you weren't already aware, Disney.com has a ton of online games for kids to play that are based on Disney movies and TV shows. The kid had a blast playing one of the Aladdin games.  

I can't wait to see more Aladdin movies next!! 

A Saintly Switch

This week we watched A Saintly Switch, which was produced by Walt Disney Entertainment and premiered on ABC. 

I thought the movie was funny, but how unfair was it that Sara had to go back into her own body just in time to give birth?! Ouch. The message in the movie is pretty clear - don't talk about others having it so easy when you don't know what they go through every day. Everyone has their own bag of problems. 

We took inspiration from all of the football in the movie and taught the kid how to play paper football. We made field goals out of Popsicle sticks and quite a few different paper footballs until we finally got a good one. The kid needs to work on his flicking skills. 

A Mom For Christmas

I was on my own this week to watch A Mom For Christmas, way after Christmas. 

I feel like I've seen this before, but who knows. There are so many movies out there where mannequins turn to life so it is hard to say. There were some sad parts and some random parts. I don't understand the dad in this story. Why is he just letting this woman into his home to stay and play with his kid? And this sales woman - what sort of magic powers does she have and why? What is up with the rest of the mannequins? The whole thing is mind boggling. But I am pretty certain I would have enjoyed it as a young pre-teen girl, before cell phones and netflix and all that. 

I was drawing a blank for an activity/craft for this one. I'm not going to lie. I talked to the kid and told him it was a movie about moms. I mentioned Mother's Day is next month so he said he would make a Mother's Day present, and then he gave it to me a month early. I'll take it! And while he crafted, I was able to have some time to craft, too! Here is his masterpiece: