Inside The Mouse Castle 02-09-2016 - 'Inside Out' Rules the Annie Awards and 'Weird Al' Yankovic Joins Disney XD

By Tim Callaway

Pixar's Inside Out dominated the Annie Awards over the weekend, winning 10 awards out of the 11 categories it was nominated in. The journey into the mind of an 11-year old was named Best Animated Feature and Pete Docter was named Best Director. Inside Out also took trophies home for writing, storyboarding, editing, character design, character animation, music and production design. And finally, Phyllis Smith received a much-deserved Annie for providing the voice of Sadness. It was a busy night for Team Disney as their animated TV series Disney's Mickey Mouse received three Annies (storyboarding, editing and music). The Good Dinosaur, Wander Over Yonder, Gravity Falls and Avengers: Age of Ultron all received one Annie each.

Anthony and I recap the Annies and keep things animated with these other entertaining items in this week's Inside The Mouse Castle:

• Happy Birthday, Disney California Adventure! Disneyland's sister park turned 15 years old on Monday.

• Fresh off his Super Bowl 50 win over the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning visited Disneyland on Monday and--as tradition dictates--was honored with a victory parade down Main Street, U.S.A.

Peyton Manning is feted at Disneyland.

• On Super Bowl Sunday, Disney debuted new trailers for The Jungle Book and Captain America: Civil War. One we were pretty excited for. The other not so much. You'll never guess which is which. Or maybe you have already.

• The Mouse Castle sends our condolences to the family and friends of Daniel Gerson. The screenwriter passed away in Los Angeles Saturday at the age of 49. Gerson co-wrote the scripts for Monsters, Inc. and Big Hero 6, among others. Rest in peace.

Milo Murphy

• This has us majorly excited: "Weird Al" Yankovic will lend his voice and musical talents to a new animated series on Disney XD from the creators of Phineas and Ferb. Milo Murphy's Law will follow the adventures of Milo, the fictional great-great-great-great grandson of the Murphy's Law namesake. Yankovic will play Milo with a voice cast that includes Christian Slater, Vanessa Williams, Sarah Chalke, Jemaine Clement and Mackenzie Phillips. The show premieres this fall.
• Want your house to smell like Disneyland? Anthology Candles has created a line of scented candles that borrow from your favorite park aromas like Dole Whips, churros, the Main Street Bakery and even the Haunted Mansion. That's all well and good, but call us when you've perfected Pirates of the Caribbean Grotto.

Enjoy!

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The Mouse Castle Lounge 02-06-2016 - 'Mickey Mouse: Emblem of the American Spirit' with Garry Apgar

By Tim Callaway

It’s my pleasure to welcome back Garry Apgar to The Mouse Castle Lounge. In 2014, Garry compiled the book A Mickey Mouse Reader, an impressive collection of essays and articles spanning more than 80 years that bore witness to the immense popularity of Mickey Mouse and the impact Walt Disney’s creation had on popular culture. Garry revisits the eternal mouse once again in his latest book, Mickey Mouse: Emblem of the American Spirit. It’s a worthy companion to A Mickey Mouse Reader and an educated and thoughtful study--in words and pictures--not only of Mickey’s life within the Walt Disney Studios, but also his ever-evolving presence as a uniquely American cultural icon.

After my conversation with Garry, stick around for a new segment in the Lounge with our friend Carolyn. She knows a lot about cocktails and is going to start sharing her wisdom with us on a regular basis. Mickey Mouse and booze, what could be better? They're all in today's episode of The Mouse Castle Lounge.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 02-03-2016 - Disneyland Paris Arrest and 'Disneyland 60' with Harrison Ford and Elton John

By Tim Callaway

A man was arrested at Hotel New York at Disneyland Paris last week after bringing two semi-automatic pistols and a knife into the resort. No attack was carried out in the incident. The man was quickly processed by French authorities, appeared before a judge, and on Tuesday was sentenced to six months of house arrest at his mother's home just outside the French capital. 

As alarming as it was to hear about someone bringing weapons to a Disney resort, it was also concerning about how the story was covered in the media. News outlets were quick to point out that, included with the weaponry--which was found in the man's luggage as it passed through a metal detector--there was also a "guide to the Koran." The Daily Mail even went so far as to mention it in their story headline.

Question: Would the press have said anything if the man was packing a Bible?

Multiple terrorist attacks in Paris last year have understandably made the French people jittery about the threat of religious extremism in their country. But, was it right for the media to fan the flames of Islamophobia, especially after the police investigation found no evidence the man intended to commit a terrorist act? The man claimed he was carrying the weapons for self-defense (and if that was true, the guy is pretty dim to think he could get through hotel security).

In this week's Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony and I share our thoughts about the Disneyland Paris incident and the state of security at other Disney parks. Don't worry. We also talk about the usual silly stuff too.

Elton John performs for Disneyland 60 on ABC.

• Harrison Ford and Elton John join the list of celebrities appearing on the Wonderful World of Disney special Disneyland 60. The show will celebrate 60 years of the Happiest Place on Earth and will air on ABC on February 21 at 8:00 p.m. Ford is expected to reveal details about Disneyland's Star Wars Land expansion, while John will perform songs from The Lion King and his upcoming album in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD in April. You can pre-order J.J. Abrams' blockbuster now on Amazon.com.

• Also out now: the Walt Disney Signature Collection release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Blu-ray. You should get it. 
• A family is suing Walt Disney World for negligence in the death of the family's great-grandmother, who they claim was traumatized by witnessing her great-grandson receive a minor, non-threatening snakebite at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It's complicated. 

Enjoy!

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