2016: A Year In Disney

As 2016 is coming to a close, I'd like to look at the amazing feat Disney managed to pull off this year across the board. It was an absolutely brilliant year for the world's happiest company. The company slayed at the box office, television was on point, and the parks are improving. Things are certainly on the up and up for this wonderful organization. Before 2016 closes though, let's look at how historic this year really was.

Back in June, I posted a little piece about the 4 home runs to date in 2016. That bit was written before the Dory movie came out, before Doctor Strange, before Moana, and before the latest Star Wars film. Needless to say, it has gotten even more promising since that post. In order to not sound redundant, I will just say that those 4 home runs were amazing and I recommend them strongly. The 4 were the Lion Guard, Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War, and the Jungle Book. 

Before moving on to the second half of the year, I would like to go a bit further on how obsessed my children are with the Lion Guard. My kids love the show. This is especially true for our 4 year old son, Noland Jr. He has about 1/4 of the stuff he owns currently as Lion Guard related. The kid adores the show and the characters. Jr. is constantly trying to acquire new Lion Guard materials. It is a cool show for us too, because it is a bridge from the classic movie of our childhood, the Lion King. Just a brilliantly done show that hasn't lost any traction in our household.

Now onto the newer stuff...

Finding Dory was another smash hit for Disney and I too enjoyed the movie. I did not enjoy it as much as some people, but it was a great movie. The movie had really strong new characters and is certainly something Disney will continue to cash in on. It was not a failure by any stretch of the imagination and helped to grow the brand overall. Like I said, I enjoyed the movie and most enjoyed it even more than I did.

To me, perhaps the biggest hit and certainly the biggest surprise of the year was Moana. Now, I thought Moana would be really good, but it surpassed every expectation I had of the movie. After seeing Zootopia, I thought there was no way an animated movie could top that in the same year, but Moana was right up there. This movie was darn close to flawless and you must see it if you have not already. It will be interesting to see how the hype around this movie proceeds as time moves on.

Admittedly, I have not seen Doctor Strange or the latest Star Wars yet, but they have been hits. I have also heard terrific things from all that have seen those titles.

2016 also was the year we once again had Disney passes and there are some exciting things going on at the parks. Nothing at Disney World is as exciting as the additional hours at my favorite park, Animal Kingdom. Although I hear next year will be even bigger for this park and Disney World in general. Before we get to next year though, let's talk about one more thing for 2016.

Each year, we do a Disney countdown for characters and this year I decided to include more family. We had 11 family members each submit their top 50 solely Disney characters, and top 50 pixar characters as well. 50 points were awarded for #1 and 1 point for #50 for each list. Here are the top finishers after the vote and who the 4 in my immediate family voted for as their 5 favorites (for Eli we scattered toys and pictures and took them away after he chose somebody).

Overall Disney
#1 Simba
#2 Mickey Mouse
#3 Donald Duck
#4 Pooh
#5 Jiminy Cricket

Robinson Top 5 1-5
Me: Jiminy Cricket, Baloo, Pooh, Pumba, Donald Duck
Jenna: Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Rapunzel, Simba
Jr: Kion, Mickey Mouse, Bunga, Donald Duck, Nick Wilde
Eli: Mickey Mouse, Tigger, Pooh, Piglet, Kion

Overall Pixar
#1 Nemo
#2 Dory
#3 Woody
#4 Crush
#5 Squirt

Robinson Top 5 1-5
Me: Buzz, Crush, Rex, Bullseye, Marlin
Jenna: Woody, Buzz, Lightning McQueen, Marlin, Rex
Jr.: Buzz, Lightning McQueen, Mater, Woody, Rex
Eli: Buzz,Woody, Crush, Lightning McQueen, Squirt

As you can see sometimes the slam dunk winner in the house loses out overall. This was most true with Pixar as Buzz finished 1st for all 3 boys, and 2nd for Jenna. However, my brother and his kids didn't include Buzz and he finished outside the top 5. Crazy!!!!

I sure will have fun comparing the lists as they come out each year. It was a cool project that resulted in a fun coloring book for the kids.

This year in Disney was awesome! I have a feeling that next year could be even better! You will be able to follow our Disney adventures for 2017 right here.

Until next time, see you real soon!!!!

-Noland

Disney Movies: To See or Not To See

This week I watched Into the Woods mostly because Jenna wanted to see it and because it was a movie by Disney. Not surprisingly, I found out that Jenna wanted to see the movie solely because it was Disney. We are Disney fanatics and want to see everything that the company produces. However, on this occasion, it worked out to our disadvantage. We hated this movie and how scattered it was. It was in our opinion the worst Disney movie EVER by a substantial margin. I wondered to myself and posted on Facebook about it, to see if anyone else had made the mistake of watching it. Additionally, I was recalling in my head each of the Disney movies that I treasured and each of the movies that I did not like so much. Then I decided to rank these movies and separate them into categories to inform the good people out there of the movies we recommend and the ones we don't. I also wanted to list the ones I haven't seen or don't remember so the good people can either recommend them or not. I scratch your back and you scratch mine if you will.

Note: Only theatrical films and films released under the official Disney banner are listed. No Marvel, Touchstone, etc. on the list or straight to DVD movies (although I strongly recommend Lion King 1 1/2.) I put the movies my family owns in bold. Jenna loves Hocus Pocus, but its just okay to me...

The first category is full of movies that you have to see in my opinion. These movies are absolutely fantastic and will be ranked in order of best to worst. Animated movies are not the only movies on this list as all Disney Movies will be included. The movies will include the movie title and the year the movie was released.
Remember the Titans (2000)
The Jungle Book (1967)
The Lion King (1994)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
Pinocchio (1940)
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Glory Road (2005)
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Dumbo (1941)
Tangled (2010)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Tarzan (1999)
Mulan (1998)
Miracle (2004)
Finding Nemo (2003)
Aladdin (1992)
Brother Bear (2003)
The Three Cabelleros (1945)
Saludos Amigos (1943)
Meet the Robinsons (2007)
The Tigger Movie (2000)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Hercules (1997)
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Big Hero 6 (2014)
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)
D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)
Invincible (2006)
Angels in the Outfield (1994)
Cool Runnings (1993)
The Aristocats (1970)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005)
Winnie the Pooh (2011)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
Peter Pan (1953)
The Santa Clause (1994)
Monsters Inc. (2001)
The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad (1949)
Frozen (2014)
Robin Hood (1973)
The Incredibles (2004)
The Princess and the Frog (2009)

The second category is full of movies that were pretty good that I would definitely watch again.
Enchanted (2007)
Blank Check (1994)
Inspector Gadget (1999)
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
A Bug's Life (1998)
Honey I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
Heavyweights (1995)
National Treasure (2004)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
The Rookie (2002)
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
The Three Musketeers (1993)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
The Rescuers (1977)
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Jungle 2 Jungle (1997)
Jungle Book 2 (2003)
Holes (2003)
Piglet's Big Movie (2003)
Pooh's Huffalump Movie (2005)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
101 Dalmations (1961)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Fantasia (1940)
Chicken Little (2005)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The Sword and the Stone (1963)
Tom and Huck (1995)
George of the Jungle (1997)
101 Dalmations (1996)
Monsters University (2013)

The third category is full of movies that were just okay that I probably won't see again unless others want me to.
Ducktales the Movie (1990)
Hocus Pocus (1993)
The Game Plan (2007)
Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
Dinosaur (2000)
Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
The Pacifier (2005)
Bambi (1942)
Cinderella (1950)
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Ratatouille (2007)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Planes (2013)
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Flubber (1997)
I'll Be Home For Christmas (1998)
A Goofy Movie (1995)
The Big Green (1995)
First Kid (1996)

The forth category is full of movies that I disliked and don't plan on seeing again, but they were tolerable.
McFarland USA (2015)
Tron (1982)
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Alice in Wondeland (1950)
Pocahontas (1995)
Homeward Bound 2 (1996)
The Parent Trap (1998)
Freaky Friday (2003)
Air Bud (1997)
Mighty Joe Young (1998)
Cars (2006)
White Fang (1991)
White Fang 2 (1994)
The Emperor's New Grove (2000)
102 Dalmatians (2000)
Atlantis (2001)
The Princess Diaries (2001)
Secretariat (2010)

The fifth category is full of movies that are unwatchable IMO and I cannot believe I sat through.
Cars 2 (2011)
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Iron Will (1994)
A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995)
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Air Bud: The Golden Receiver (1998)
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Sky High (2005)
Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
Home on the Range (2004)
8 Below (2006)
The Shaggy Dog (2006)
WALL-E (2008)
Up (2009)
A Christmas Carol (2009)
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
The Muppets (2011)
Brave (2012)
Bolt (2008)
The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
Oz: Great and Powerful (2013)
The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
The Country Bears (2002)
Into the Woods (2014)

Finally, here are the movies that I either have not seen or do not remember.
Victory Through Air Power (1944)
Make Mine Music (1946)
Song of the South (1946)
Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
Melody Time (1948)
So Dear To My Heart (1948)
Treasure Island (1950)
The Sword and the Rose (1953)
The Living Desert (1953)
Rob Roy The Highland Rogue (1954)
The Vanishing Prairie (1954)
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
Davy Crockett (1955)
Old Yeller (1957)
Tonka (1958)
The Shaggy Dog (1959)
Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Parent Trap (1961)
The Incredible Journey (1963)
Mary Poppins (1964)
The Happiest Millionaire (1967)
The Wild Country (1970)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
The World's Greatest Athlete (1973)
One Little Indian (1973)
Pete's Dragon (1977)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Never Cry Wolf (1983)
Oliver & Company (1988)
The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993)
Man of the House (1995)
Tall Tale (1995)
Rocket Man (1997)
Mr. Magoo (1997)
Doug's 1st Movie (1999)
Disney's The Kid (2000)
Recess: School's Out (2001)
Max Keeble's Big Move (2001)
Snow Dogs (2002)
Return to Neverland (2002)
Spirited Away (2002)
Tuck Everlasting (2002)
Treasure Planet (2002)
The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)
Princess Diaries 2 (2004)
Ice Princess (2005)
Valiant (2005)
Roving Mars (2006)
The Wild (2006)
Bridge to Terabitha (2007)
Underdog (2007)
College Road Trip (2008)
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
High School Musical 3 (2008)
The Crimson Wing (2008)
Bedtime Stories (2008)
Earth (2009)
Waking Sleeping Beauty (2010)
Prince of Persia (2010)
Oceans (2010)
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)
Mars Needs Moms (2011)
Wings of Life (2011)
African Cats (2011)
John Carter (2012)
Chimpanzee (2012)
The Lone Ranger (2013)
Bears (2014)
Million Dollar Arm (2014)
Cinderella (2015)

Side Note: The worst day of my marriage was when Jenna made me watch A Kid in King Arthur's Court, well until we watched  Into the Woods. Other than that it has been sunshine and rainbows.

I hope you enjoyed this countdown and that you can give my family some feedback on these movies that we haven't seen or don't remember because we hadn't seen them since we were young kids. I did not include all of the Disney movies as I realized there were some I never heard of. If I hadn't heard of it or couldn't find it available anywhere it was not included on the list at all. Man! Disney made a lot of movies!

-Noland