The Neverland Files

Not all of our ideas are great. Honestly, most of them are pretty far reaching and ridiculous. But let’s highlight the three bestish ideas we came up with in this episode!

🎤Mexico - Coco attraction mashup with karaoke where you may end up singing with Miguel and Ernesto de la Cruz.

Think Mickey’s Runaway Railroad meets Luigi’s Rollicking Roadsters where individual vehicles are randomly chosen to go up on stage and perform while the other cars dance around and party in the crowd with people in them.

🐎China - Mulan-themed ride where you ride on a horse through the battle scenes

Corban is really attached to the idea of riding a horse on a roller coaster. Especially if the people go through the line so everyone can enjoy how silly adults look riding plastic horses.

🍝Italy - Luca movie ride through where you are transported to Portorosso!

We want it to be the most immersive dark ride in all the Disney parks. Take us to Portorosso and the Italian coast. We want it to be high-tech and amazing!

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Here’s our debrief of what we learned from all these random magical Disneyland experiences:

🪄Disneyland with kids is extra work, but extra magical!

Yes, kids get hot and tired. And they cry when they are hot and tired. No, they can’t ride all the rides. And yes, it is more expensive (more people, more money). BUT they understand and experience Disney magic in its purest form and will invite you to come along with them if you are down for the pixie dust-filled adventure.

💍Disneyland proposals are super popular and we know the perfect spot to pop the question!

Yes, you could do the traditional castle or Millenium Falcon proposal. But we think a private dinner for two at the Blue Bayou is a quiet, more intimate way to pop the question for those looking to be non-traditional. And it is the best atmosphere in the entire park!

🎉If you want amazing Disney magic, get involved with the characters (or let them get involved with you)!

We are introverts through and through over here. But! We can’t deny when the characters take extra time to gesture to us at the parades or take additional time to go on a treasure hunt with kids in Fantasyland, that’s where it happens. Where kids’ (and adults’!) eyes start to glow and smiles start to grow broader than ever before.

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🤤Fictional food we want to try most: Tiana’s beignets from Princess and the Frog

They are delicious at Disneyland. But straight from the movie with the honey drizzle on top would be even more amazing!

😝Fictional food that sounds better than it looks (in the quiz at least): Pumpkin pasties from Harry Potter

It is supposed to be a hand-held pumpkin pie pastry! And this picture looks all rumpled and unevenly baked…

😮Most surprising fictional food choice: Mushu’s porridge from Mulan

There may be an overabundance of oatmeal in that bowl. But the runny sunny-side-up eggs and bacon could make this a quite delicious breakfast dish!

😖Most misunderstood question by quiz takers (in our opinion): Snow White’s poisoned apple vs. Harry Potter’s cockroach clusters

Guys. The apple is poisoned. Just eat the cockroaches for goodness sake.

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🏆The Great Muppet Caper’s Charles Grodin gives Michael Cain from Muppet’s Christmas Carol a run for his money as “best performer opposite the Muppets”

Charles Grodin has to convince us that he is in love with Ms. Piggy (who is being puppeted and voiced by Frank Oz aka the performer of Yoda in Star Wars). And he is so believable it is almost too heartbreaking/awkward to watch him continually being friend-zoned. This man deserves an Oscar for creating mounds of chemistry with a pig puppet voiced by a man.

👀This is the Muppet movie to watch for amazing cameo performances!

Between Jack Warden (12 Angry Men, All the President’s Men), Peter Falk (Columbo, Princess Bride), Peter Ustinov (Death on the Nile, Blackbeard’s Ghost), Oscar the Grouch (Sesame Street), and Jim Henson himself (among many others!) it is one quick hilarious hit after another. Our favorite? Monty Python’s John Cleese as the stuffy, boring British man whose house is broken into by Ms. Piggy. Such comedy gold!

🎵This may be the best of the Muppet musicals….just saying.

The music in this movie is top-tier, catchy, ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek, Muppet music. The only song it doesn’t have is Rainbow Connection. But it is one amazing song after another that either gets our toe tapping or puts us in tears from laughter.

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Heisman Trophy Winner (best overall football player) - Li Shang

Bileitnikoff Award Winner (best receiver) - Tarzan

Butkus Award Winner (best linebacker) - Dr. Sweets

Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback) - John Smith

Doak Walker Award Winner (best runningback) - Aladdin

Eddie Robinson Award Winner (best coach) - Yoda

Lou Groza Award Winner (best place kicker) - Groot

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Who will take on Sauron for the “Most Evil Bad Guy”? - The Emperor, Star Wars

Who will take on Treebeard for “Wisest Plant”? - Grandmother Willow, Pocahontas

Who will take on Gollum for “Most Pathetic/Pitiful”? - Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker

Who will go up against Arwen for the “Biggest Sacrifice for Love” award? - Hercules

Who will compete with Galadriel for the “Warrior Princess” award? - Mulan

Who will go against Aragorn for the “Hidden King” award? - Will Turner

Who will compete with Borramir for the “Almost Bad Guy, Good Guy” award? - Loki

Who will go against King Theoden for the “Possessed Character” award? - Lawerance, from Princess and the Frog

Who will take on Sauraman for the “Biggest Traitor” award? - Count Dooku

Who will compete with Eowyn for the “Biggest Friend Zone” award - Quasimodo

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Psst, just so you know: For this episode, our definition of “old school Disney” is any theater-released Disney or Pixar movie released before 2000. “New school Disney” is any theater released Disney or Pixar movie released after 2000.

Best Disney Songs - 50/50 Split

We are split on our votes. The 90s is hard to compete with when it comes to songs. But some of the new Disney stuff is too good to imagine life without.

Best Animation Style - Old School Disney

Hand-drawn stuff like this can’t be beaten (how did they do this??). And we prefer the 2-D animated style overall.

Best Stories/Plots - New School Disney

It is fun to see them push the tradition and start to subvert the tropes of villains, happily ever afters, and true love—case in point: Prince Hans.

Most Funny - Old School Disney

It’s a matter of taste and it’s tough to decide. Old school goes for subtlety and charm. New school is much more on the nose and obvious in its humor.

Most Iconic Moments - Old School Disney

It’s the 90s coming in strong again. How can you compete with these and many more magical moments?

Overall Best Iconic Moment - 50/50 Split

For one of us, it’s all about Lion King. The other loves the iconic moments in Tangled. We will say, New Disney may not have the quantity of iconic moments, but when they have them they are amazing!

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For a full list of all the movies and series announced at D23 Expo, click here!

Incredibles 3 (In Development)

More from the Pixar super family? We are so down. All we want is a movie about the kids. Especially Jack-Jack. Fingers crossed we get a film with the super Parr kids going on an adventure together!

The Mandalorian and Grogu (In Production)

It’s official, Star Wars is returning to the silver screen in May 2026. As they teased the Mandalorian and Grogu we got hints about AT-ATs, a Star Wars: Rebels character joining the cast, and the return of Mando’s Razor Crest ship.

Snow White (In Post Production)

Next March we will finally see the live-action remake of Disney’s first animated feature-length film. The trailer hosts a fun rendition of “Whistle While You Work” and lots of color (although lots of CGI). We are cautiously curious and intrigued…

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 (In Production)

For fans of the Percy Jackson books, the new series on Disney Plus is a must-watch. Season one followed the first book of the series and D23 revealed that season 2 is coming soon and follows book 2.

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🕵🏼It is more of a spy/political thriller than a superhero movie (thank goodness).

Captain America: Winter Soldier expands the Marvel movie genre beyond just “superhero movies.” If you like James Bond, Mission Impossible, or the Bourne movies this has a similar vibe. Captain America’s super soldier-ness comes into play, but it is not Iron Man-flying-around-the-screen in your face. If Marvel is not your vibe, this may be the one Marvel movie that is.

⛓️‍💥It brings up some thought-provoking points about the importance of trust/freedom versus security/safety.

The world Captain America wakes up in is no longer black and white, 1940s bad guys and good guys. With terrorism and now alien invasions in the scope of Earth’s future, world leaders are trying to figure out how to stay ahead of the threat and keep people safe. But at what cost? What happens when we start making decisions based on fear of the future?

🤗It digs deep into Cap’s past and displays the power of loving, vulnerable male friendship.

It’s not all about the punching and explosions (though there is a lot of that…). How the emotional and internal character arcs reflect the themes of trust versus fear is so well handled. And to see macho male characters show their vulnerable sides and support each other is wonderfully refreshing.

😂It still has all the great Marvel humor to balance out the action.

Considering this film lacks Iron Man and Ant-Man who are known for bringing in sarcasm and humor, this one still manages to get in the funny. Anthony Mackie aka the Falcon chimes in when Cap starts taking things too seriously and becomes the character you are always watching for their side commentary.

👍🏼Overall, it is one of our favorite Marvel movies from our chronological rewatch so far…

We are both a little over Marvel. But this one got one of us excited to give Falcon and the Winter Soldier another try and the other a shot of enthusiasm to continue our Marvel rewatch. Give this movie a chance. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised like we were!

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Tier One, AKA The Beauty and the Beast Tier!

These sports define the Summer Olympic experience and are “do not miss watching” during the Paris 2024 Olympics!

🏊🏼‍♂️Swimming- There is excitement happening every night in the pool at the Summer Olympics. Leon Marchand, the French swimmer is “Michael Phelps” dominating. Katie Ledeky is becoming the most decorated American female athlete of all time. And Rowdy Gaines is the best commentator you will find at any Olympic event. It is worth it to watch just to listen to him get excited!

🏉Rugby Sevens - After randomly watching several games, we are hooked. The games are short, and the strength and speed of the athletes are incredible to watch. American football is just not as cool now 😅

🏐Volleyball - These men and women can jump! Not only can they jump, but they also smash the ball onto the floor. How are their not massive craters in a volleyball court?

Which Star Wars/Marvel characters should compete in all three tier-one events?

Any competition with these two is not going to be pretty. Kylo Ren and his massive shoulders will fit right in with the swimmers. And Gamora will not want to lose to someone like Kylo Ren who is a bit emotionally unhinged. Who knows who will win in any of these events😆

Tier Three, AKA Treasure Planet Tier!

These events are easily forgotten. But they are some of the sneaky best events to watch during the Summer Olympics!

🧗🏼‍♂️Sport Climbing - If you want to see real-life Spidermans, watch this. It looks like someone is dragging these athletes up by a harness they are moving so fast. But it is all their legs and finger strength. Just wow.

🤽🏼‍♀️Water Polo - You may turn it on and feel nothing much is happening until you realize that everyone is treading water constantly while trying to throw a ball and score goals.

🏋🏼Weight Lifting - Speaking of athletes who earn their medals, the amount of weight these people are lifting is incredible. You see the physical exertion all over their faces. Fingers crossed they don’t drop the weight prematurely. Injuries here can be nasty looking!

Which Marvel characters should compete in all three of these tier-three events?

We are going with the mechanical limb showdown in the Treasure Planet tier. Will Doc Oc’s multiple arms win out against the Winter Soldier’s ruthless nature? And can we allow Doc Oc to participate with eight limbs? That seems a little out of bounds!

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