Maleficent Movie Review and Giveaway!

In Maleficent, Disney puts a twist on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale and gives you the other side of the story, told from the supposed villainess' point of view.

The story opens to a Maleficent as a fairy child, who is charged with protecting the inhabitants of the Moors, home to all the magical creatures. She soon meets young Stefan and they become friends, and then fall in love. But as they grow into adults, Stefan's hunger for power overpowers his love for Maleficent and eventually leads him to not only break her heart but to physically harm her by cutting off her fairy wings, to gain the favor of the dying king.

Stefan becomes the new king and marries the princess, and they have a child together, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). Maleficent is still hurt and enraged over the birth of the child, and invites herself to the Aurora's christening. She too bestows a "gift" upon the child, which is really a curse of death upon her 18th birthday. Stefan begs her to take back her curse and so she relents and softens the curse to she will not die, but instead,  upon pricking her finger on a spinning wheel, she will fall into a death like sleep forever.

At this point of the story, you pretty much recognize the original plot where she is sent to live in hiding in the forest, except the 3 fairies, Flora, Fauna & Merryweather are bumbling idiots. This causes the stalking Maleficent to step in (from behind the scenes), to make sure the young Aurora survives until her 18th birthday. It is during this time, Maleficent grows to love the child, and becomes her protector.

I don't want to give away too many more spoilers, and have left out some other parts of the story like how she meets her crow, so you can enjoy the surprises and twists in the plot.

Over all the movie is visually stunning, with just the right amount of special effects, without it taking away from the story and acting. And since we are talking about acting-Angelina Jolie was born for this role. I can honestly say that if anyone else played Maleficent, the movie would not have been as good. When Jolie turns on that 1000 watt smile and seductively lowers those green eyes to look through her long lashes-you are mesmerized. Great supporting cast as well-both magical and human.

The DVD will be released on Nov. 4th, 2014 and is packed with these bonus features:


Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD/SD & Disney Movies Anywhere
· From Fairy Tale to Feature Film – Re-imagining Maleficent for a new generation
· Building An Epic Battle –Creating the clash between Maleficent and King Henry’s Forces
· Classic Couture – Examine Maleficent’s spellbinding head wraps and jewelry.
· Maleficent Revealed – Explore the layers of extraordinary special effects.
· Aurora: Becoming A Beauty – Elle Fanning reveals her lifelong love of Disney’s original animated classic.
· Deleted Scenes:
- “Stefan In King’s Chamber”
- “Pixie Idiots”
- “Diaval asks about the Curse”
- “Pixies Seek Asylum”
- “Suitor”
· And More!

*Digital bonus offerings will vary per retailer.

*****************************GIVEAWAY!!!********************************
You can enter to win a Maleficent Movie Pack including a Maleficent Pop Plush, Maleficent button, and a copy of Maleficent (2-Disc Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)! Visit our Facebook page and click the giveaway tab. You'll need to like our page to enter. Giveaway starts Friday October 31 at 12:00 AM Eastern Time and ends on Friday October 31 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Maleficent Movie Prize Pack Giveaway

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Disney Devoted Yum Yum-Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar

There is no denying that almost every visitor to Walt Disney World will get a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar during their trip. They are just so good! The question is why? Why do you start to crave these bars even as you make your reservation?

The Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar is available at all the parks, usually at an ice cream cart or snack kiosk. The bar is made by Nestle and is a Mickey head shaped vanilla ice cream on a stick. Coated in chocolate goodness. Very similar to a Dove Bar or Klondike. Just not the same, so much better!

Is it because you are eating it in a Disney Park? Perhaps you are taking a few minutes to wind down after a few of your favorite rides. Is it because it’s one of the best values for your snack credit? There are so many choices. Is there some secret ingredient besides the obvious? Nothing noted on the wrapper. Perhaps it's the Pixie Dust.

Devoted Tip: Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar is Gluten-free!

Sorry I can’t answer any of these questions for you. If you’ve never had a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar, you must indulge on your next trip! Don’t believe the person who tells you it’s just like the ice cream you get at home. They have obviously never had one, and probably are Dole Whip fans anyway. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

These bars are so well-loved, Disney made a car air freshener in their honor. Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars are featured on T-shirts and collectible pins. So why question it, just eat it! Trust me when I tell you that it makes the Disney Devoted Hall of Fame!

Maria is a travel planner for Snapshot Getaways, mom to 2 Wild Mickey’s, and in desperate need of a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar!  Contact her at maria@snapshotgetaways.com or follow her on her Facebook page! 

Wordless Wednesday: The Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Amanda is a self proclaimed Disney nerd who is raising two little Disney junkies just like her. Amanda loves to help plan Disney trips for others as an agent of Snapshot Getaways. You

can follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Early 2016 Disney Cruise Line Itineraries Announced!

It is never too early to book your Disney Cruise Line vacation.  Making your deposit early gives you first shot at picking your staterooms and dining times.  Certain itineraries fill up fast so you don't want to be left on Land!  Contact us at our website www.snapshotgetaways.com and complete a quote form for pricing for all cruises.

New for 2016

Itineraries:

• Southern Caribbean Itineraries — Back by popular demand, Disney Cruise Line returns to San Juan, Puerto Rico in early 2016 as the Disney Wonder sails four cruises to the Southern Caribbean, including to the French island of Martinique, a new port of call.

• Western Caribbean Itineraries — Explore glorious Western Caribbean stops on cruises from Miami and Port Canaveral.

• Eastern Caribbean Itineraries — Disney Fantasy will sail from Port Canaveral, Florida to the Eastern Caribbean with stops in—Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

• Bahamian Itineraries — Disney Cruise Line will sail from Port Canaveral and Miami to the Bahamas on a variety of itineraries. All of these cruises include a stop at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.

New Ports:

• Port of Tortola — The British Virgin Islands are an idyllic escape for guests of all ages, from tranquil beaches and stunning scenery to exhilarating activities and authentic Caribbean fare. Guests can swim with dolphins, explore centuries-old ruins, sample local spices on Main Street and revel in the natural beauty of Sage Mountain National Park aboard most Eastern Caribbean sailings.

• Port of Martinique — Known as the "Flower of the Caribbean," Martinique offers breathtaking natural beauty and a cosmopolitan blend of French and Creole cultures. Nature lovers can explore lush rain forests  waterfalls and volcanos, while Guests looking for a more upscale experience can savor superb French cuisine and excellent shopping aboard four limited Southern Caribbean sailings.

Walt Disney to Release New Limited Edition Magic Bands

Walt Disney World has made history with the magic bands. They have released special edition ones for events. Looks like the holidays and the release of Big Hero 6 will not be any different. Walt Disney World is releasing four new MagicBands.  Some are Limited Edition and some are just special designs that have no limited number.

Big Hero 6

Limited Edition MagicBand coming to Disney World will be the new Big Hero 6 MagicBand.  It features Baymax and Hiro in their hero costumes.  It is scheduled for an October 24th release. It isn’t expected to offer special lights or sounds and will not be offered in a collectors box.  Price:  $24.95

Christmas:  Mickey & Minnie

A new regular edition Christmas MagicBand featuring Mickey and Minnie will be released at Walt Disney World on October 31st. It will not feature special lights or sounds and should be priced at $24.95

Frozen:  Olaf Winter

A new Frozen limited edition MagicBand is going to be released at Hollywood Studios on November 3rd.
This new band will be a Limited Edition of 5000, which is the same print run as the Olaf “In Summer” band and will come in a decorative box. It will make new lights and sounds at Fastpass+  touchpoints, but only in Hollywood Studios.  Price:  $29.95.

 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

A new Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party limited edition MagicBand will be released on November 7th, 2014 at the Magic Kingdom. This MagicBand is Limited Edition 5000 and will come in a collector’s box. It will activate new lights and sounds at FP+ touchpoints only in the Magic Kingdom. Price:  $29.95

Will you be selecting one of these? If so which one are you most looking forward into getting? My youngest son is looking forward to Big Hero 6 and I am hoping that they will have the Very Merry Christmas Party band available by the time I get there for our party.

Amanda is a self-proclaimed Disney nerd who loves everything Disney. She is a Destination Specialist with Snapshot Getaways. You can find her and her travel deals on Facebook and Twitter. She loves to chat so feel free to leave her a message.

Freebie Friday-Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Photos

If you go to mydisneyphotopass.com and click "add photo pass card" and type in

 "Come-Join-TheP-arty" it will give you a bunch of MNSSHP pictures.

Disney Apps-Tsum Tsum

Is this not the cutest opening  EVER??? 
What is a Tsum Tsum you ask? And what does it have to do with Disney??  Well Tsum Tsum means "stack stack" in Japanese. Disney came out with a plush line of these lovable characters that you can stack on top of one another and also you can use the bottom of them as a screen wipe for your phone or tablet.  It's a fun little game that has music in the background that reminds me of
a Disney ride or even the Spectromagic Parade! I usually mute all background music on games and apps but this is one I turn the music up on! It's just so happy.

I need one of every Tsum Tsum made

The game is similar to Bejeweled. You have to connect 3 or more matching characters
to make a line. They will fade out to show you hits if you place your finger on one and you
aren't sure if it will make a line. The more you connect the more coins you get. The more characters you clear you get FEVER! With fever you will be able to connect characters and get your score a lot higher during fever!

THIS IS FEVER!! 

Whichever character you set to use depends on what magic they can do for you.  For example Tigger will clear a bunch of random Tsums at once with a swipe of his tail.  Mickey will clear all of the Tsums in the middle of the screen. Sulley is a special 30K coin gift box and he turns into a huge Sulley and you get 5 coins for just one of him. There are different gift boxes and levels that you can purchase with your coins. There is a 10K coin Happiness box that has Mickey and the Gang in them along with your classic characters. Then there are the 30K coin Premium boxes that have special or limited edition Tsums in them like Sulley,Marie,Stitch,Bambi etc in those. The only thing I do not like about the boxes is that you can not choose which character you get.I have gotten the same character multiple times. They level up to the next level but I think this should be up to the player to level their characters up after they get their collection bought. With a higher level character they will get a higher skill level number and will grow in size,variation or how many others they clear at once. You can do this too by spending your coins to change the level they are on.

                          

Tigger Tsum Tsum.....From a Happiness 10K coin box

You earn stars for every time you level up to another level in the game. My level is 28. There is a percentage bar and you usually get 1-3 percent after every game you play. You get 5 hearts to start off with. Those hearts replenish after you start using the 5 you have. It takes 14 minutes to replenish 1 heart. After you have 100% for that level and move up to the next level you will gain a ruby. The rubies are used to buy more hearts or coins.

 Every day there is a daily mission that starts at 24:00 *I'm guessing this is on Japan time but I haven't figured out the rhyme or reason behind it yet. Some days I have 2 missions to complete and some days just 1* During the missions you will have to complete a task. Most take several game plays of 10-20 hearts in a 24 hour period of time. You will gain more coins this way. I have gained up to 40K or more depending on the special they have going.

There are in app purchases and as tempting as it is I haven't bought anything with real money in the game. I find that if I play many times during the day I'm ok and I don't get too bored with it. Each game lasts 60 seconds or longer if you get extended time bonuses during that game.

If you have it on an iPad and iPhone they do not connect and share the information. So you can play on separate devices and get double play but can not share the coins or Tsums between the 2 accounts.
It does require an internet connection to play and will also ask you to create a LINE account. This is not something I have done because every time I tried it told me I had to register for it. I tried a few times and gave up. I believe this is so you can be ranked with other players and play against other people and friends.





Give it a try and let me know what you think!!

All photos are courtesy of Dulcie Hayes

A little about Dulcie...
I am a native Floridian who has been traveling to Disney World since 1976! I am Submariners wife,Mommy to a 10 yr old "Princess" Imagineer in Training and Travel Agent Extraordinaire with Snapshot Getaways. I earned my ears 4 years ago with Disney College of Knowledge and have enjoyed every Magical booking since.Feel free to contact me for your FREE quote today and let's start Makin' Memories the Disney way.
Facebook-Dream Along with Dulcie
Twitter-DreamAlongWithDulcie
Email-Dulcie@SnapshotGetaways.com

Wordless Wednesday: Enchanted Tales with Belle

The two little boy's you see in this Wordless Wednesday is one of our agent's children.

Please excuse the costumes as we went to this experience during the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Amanda is a self proclaimed Disney nerd who is raising two little Disney junkies just like her. Amanda loves to help plan Disney trips for others as an agent of Snapshot Getaways. You

can follow her on Facebook or Twitter.