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 2: Dreams Come True

Next up is the first sequel to Cinderella, which is basically another one of those short story compilations similar to what they did for Atlantis and Cars and Beauty and the Beast in some of their sequels. 

For being such a big Cinderella fan, I wasn't impressed with this. The stories didn't flow or make much sense with the overall fairy tale. 

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. 

Beauty and the Beast

The last movie of the year is one of my favorites, Beauty and the Beast. I remember every girl in my class wanted to be Belle for Halloween the year it came out. Such a classic tale of learning that appearances aren't everything.

There are so many great songs in this movie, but we love to sing the Gaston song in our house. 

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. 

Alice in Wonderland

Time for another classic - Alice in Wonderland. I cannot believe that I have never watched this movie all the way through. Maybe I did when I was really little, but I don't remember it well enough to count. 

I can see why this movie has such a cult following. It is entertaining, but I kept finding myself going "what the...?" The kid loved it. So many great things about the movie. I think my favorite part has always been the Cheshire Cat. He is so sneaky.

We were inspired to have a tea party of our own. It was yummy! Of course we sang Happy Very Unbirthday. 

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!!