Extra! Extra! Extra Magic Hours Change

This just in: the Magic Kingdom has revised the list of attractions open during the morning Extra Magic Hours, to be:

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Haunted Mansion
"it's a small world"
Mad Tea Party
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Peter Pan's Flight
Snow White's Scary Adventures
Splash Mountain

Basically - Fantasyland and Frontierland (plus the Haunted Mansion) are open. Previously, it was Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, but then WDW had to be all responsible and renovate Space Mountain. The new EMH list is probably a good thing, but I can't get those images of the Frontierland stampede out of my head ...

Dancing with the Stars: I Was Expecting Oh No and I Got Ole Edition

5 1/2 couples, a team dance, and more injuries - must be Monday night!

Gilles and Cheryl: Gilles has a shoulder injury, which I think was really an excuse to show him with his shirt off again. Not that anyone's complaining. And Cheryl took quite a few dives in rehearsal but thankfully emerged unscathed here. This dance looked really manic ... and sloppy. Part of that is the style of the lindy hop, but this seemed really uncomfortable and awkward at times. And there was a whole part at the end where Cheryl was full-on potty squatting for several seconds before Gilles jumped over her .... no, just no. But surprise surprise the judges love it because - this season is rigged. Moving on!

Lil Kim and Derek: Lil Kim was kind of made for the paso. It was all snarls and drama, as a good paso should be ... and what a lovely costume. It wasn't the classic Mel B and Maks paso, but it was one of Lil Kim and Derek's best dances to date. Derek has really turned out some great choreography this season too.

Chuck and Julianne: Ah, Chuck has gone for the silken pajamas look again. This was a solid, clean, routine - it's kind of great how he's chosen this point to start being a good dancer. He has that Ian Ziering wooden-dorky likeability factor - I think they're becoming real contenders now.

Shawn and Mark: It's kind of absurd that Shawn got her first ten only last week. And awww Mark's mom - can she be on the show next season, pretty please? Love her and her adorable accent. As much as I love these guys, I did not love this dance. It was kind of ... boring? Shawn's usual spark was missing, and Mark's goofy hamming actually made Shawn look like she wasn't being energetic enough. I thought the scores were kind of high, but I love these two so I'm noot complaining.

Tony and ...... no Melissa: Melissa is out with a rib injury (is anyone else seeing a theme this season?) so the judges must make their decision on the rehearsal footage - which honestly, is kind of stupid. These two marked the dance, which isn't the same as dancing the dance, so it is really unfortunate that this is what we're going on. I do like Tony and Melissa, and I hope they can make it back next week.

Ty and Chelsie: Ahaha, Chelsie made Ty get a spray tan. And it seemed to pay off - Ty was really going for it out there. Oh dear, Carrie Ann has become a scream-giggling fool. Len takes grumpy pills and tells Ty it's time to go home, which I disagree with. Bruno takes the opportunity to mediate the discussion by swiveling his hips (as he does). Whatever, I adore this couple.

Team Mambo: Team Mambo is down a woman, and is comprised of the "cute" couples (minus Ty). Lacey fills in for Melissa - and I give her a huge amount of credit for picking up this routine in less than an hour. The dance itself was pretty good - everyone was together, the solo sections were solid (although it seemed like Shawn wasn't dancing full out), and OMG that ending. Let's just say that was a DWTS first. Kudos to Chuck for being that secure in his manhood. Seriously - oh.my.god. Carrie Ann decides to rain all over the sparkle leotard parade, but whatever - I think this is going to go over really well with the at-home audience.

Team Tango: Shocking, they put Gilles and Lil Kim in the tango group. Stacking the deck much? Haha, Lil Kim actually said "I can't work like this" in rehearsals. Ah, "stars." This dance wasn't as technically solid as Team Mambo's (Lil Kim and Ty both had some oopsies), but no surprise, the judges love them. A 10? No. FAIL.

So who is going home? I'm thinking maybe Melissa/Tony (sad but true) or Ty/Chelsie.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's a Giant Disney Balloon!

As you may have heard, there's a new addition to the Downtown Disney skyline:



The Characters in Flight balloon officially opened last week, and I think it looks cool. Will I be able to convince the not-so-comfortable-with-heights family members to go up? Only time will tell. 400 feet is pretty darn high, but according to the video it looks like you get to see some pretty darn awesome views. If you're planning on trying it out, Orlando Attractions Magazine has a wind barometer thing that tells you whether the balloon will fly or be grounded due to bad weather - so check it out before you go!

Dancing with the Stars: Dancing with the Clowns Edition

I wasn't home last night and so this week's recap arrives a day late, a dollar short, and complete with elimination results:

The big news: the stars chose their costumes! And there's a group dance! And Samantha Harris is dressed like Wendy from Peter Pan! Hang on everybody...

Melissa and Tony: Field trip to the Desperate Housewives set? What? But irrelevant or no, this was their best routine by a mile. And so so so much better than the Argentine tango Gilles and Cheryl did a few weeks back - Melissa's extensions were incredible, and I'm seriously jealous of those legs. Bruno says he needs a drink! Make mine a double.

Lawrence and Edyta: Lawrence decided to dress Edyta like she was in a Russian winter ... oh thank heavens. Actually, this might be my favorite thing she's worn this season. Lawrence looked a little lost during most of this - as Bruno said, not brilliant, but not terrible.

Lil Kim and Derek: This was an okay routine for them - it certainly didnt have the pop of some of Derek's earlier routines, but I thought it was a solid performance. I agree with Carrie Ann being underwhelmed - I didnt think the dance had to be that understated - or as Bruno put it, "taking the raunch out of Lil Kim is like having a margarita without tequila." Well put, my crazy Italian friend.

Chuck and Julianne: Longtime viewers of this show will remember that the samba is Julianne's favorite dance. And AAAA MY EYES WHY IS CHUCK WEARING RED PAJAMAS. Hugh Hefner costume aside, this was easily their best dance by miles and miles and miles. Chuck picked a great time to start getting in the game - I'm really excited to see these guys making a turnaround.

Ty and Chelsie: Aww, Ty is adorable. And so is Jewel. And so was this dance. Just a really sweet, simple, lovely routine. Ty and Chelsie are back! Woo!

Shawn and Mark: Ah, Shawn seems to have gone the obvious route and just bedazzled Mark from head to toe. Truth: I had the hugest smile on my face from the second they started. Just pure AWESOME. Fun choreography mixed with great dancing and a dash of sass - pure perfection. It's about damn time they got a 10.

Gilles and Cheryl: When I saw Cheryl's outfit backstage, I thought they were going to be dancing to "Beauty and the Beast." Seriously. And yes, Gilles is a great dancer, but I'm a little bored of them.

Oh dear, 60s tribute number. The rehearsal footage was pretty hilarious, and so was the routine. The bad wigs, the strange man-wear, the awkward be-bopping ... it was all kind of charming.

And then onto the results show - going in, I thought Lawrence and Edyta were the most vunerable, then Sanjay Gupta came on and everything became confusing. Wasn't this the same guy who was offered a job in the White House? He turned down a gig for Surgeon General to comment on the prospective health of Dancing with the Stars contestants?

New competition! Pick a pro for next season! I love this idea, especially since it gives us a chance to see some more quality dancing and not more packaged filler videos with Sanjay Gupta. Brent and Afton (Afton?) were not that exciting, Anna and Mayo (Mayo?) were lovely and balletic, and Snow (Snow?) and Genya (Genya?) less than stunning.

And then, finally, after all of that - Lawrence and Edyta are gone, making LT the only football player in DWTS history to not make the finals. BOO GIANTS SERVES YOU RIGHT!

Dancing with the Stars: Frisk Me! Take Me! Edition

Sorry sorry sorry - I was crazy busy and wasnt able to post on the results last week. As you probably know by now, David and Kym were sent packing. Yawn. Moving on!

Ty and Chelsie: Oh Ty, how I want you to be better. There was a lack of pointed toes, rhythm, and remembering of the dance, but I still like him. I had just hoped at this point he would have improved some more.

Shaun and Mark: DYING OF CUTE. Why couldnt Mark be my prom date? Gorgeous lines, a beautiful flow, just a wonderful, romantic rumba. Bruno and Carrie Ann nitpick because ... well, because they want Gilles to win.

Lawrence and Edyta: Lawrence needs to calm the eff down - it's the jive. Enter Warren Sapp, who is still annoying. This was kind of like the cruise ship version of the jive, but it sort of worked for him, although I wasn't blown away.

Melissa and Tony: Whoa Tony, your shirt is so .... gay. Sorry, that's really the only word for it. This was a solid performance - everything was good, but it came off kind of cheesy. I think they'll be fine for next week.

Lil Kim and Derek: Minus the one brief oopsie, this was an AWESOME routine. I was really against these guys at the beginning, but I think this was one of the best dances of the season. Len complains there is not enough jive, no one bothers to listen to him. Two well-deserved 10s here.

Steve-O and Lacey: Haha, Steve-O chooses to fart instead of make sexydance with Lacey. Actually, I really liked this routine, although it was kind of Lacey's show. But Lacey is fantastic and this choreography was great.

Gilles and Cheryl: Ugh, this song. I didn't really love this dance, even though it was technically difficult. Meh.

Chuck and Julianne: Honestly, I forgot they were still here. And Chuck is whiny. And is wearing a lace shirt. Seriously, who is dressing these men? Julianne, meanwhile, looks AMAZING. This was a great, sexy dance and it's nice to see them improving.

Happy Easter!

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday!

C'est Magnifique, Le Film

Want to see something cool?
It's the Up poster, en francais. Tres chic!

(Merci beacoup a Blue Sky Disney)

Dancing with the Stars: If All Bulls Looked Like Her, There'd Be a Lot More Bullriders Edition

Yes, I know, blogging on non-DWTS related things has been rather lax as of late. Things have been very busy around these parts, but I hope to get my act together soon. But let's save that for another day, we have dances to judge!

Chuck and Julianne: Oh, I love Julianne's choreography, but Chuck did look a little dopey at times. I kind of agreed with Carrie Anne that Chuck doesnt seem to be getting it, and kudos to Samantha for creating a completely unnecessary awkward moment by implying/asking if Chuck and Julianne were going to get married.

Lawrence and Edyta: Whoa, hideous costume alert. I expected Lawrence to be good at the paso doble, and he was. It's nice to see him improving. I think the judges were a little hard on him, and I agree with Len that this was his best dance to date.

Shawn and Mark: Pure gorgeous. Absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous. This deserved a 30, and yet they fell victim to an awful lot of nitpicking that other couples (*cough* cherylandgilles*cough*) dont ever seem to be subjected to. These scores are BS - these guys are the best couple here.

Melissa and Tony: When did Tony become a good choreographer? This was such a cool routine. More nitpicking, this time it was kind of deserved. The dramatic look kind of suits Melissa tho, I think they should do more of this.

David and Kym: Uh, what? Vegas showgirl feathers? Like most of their dances, this one was just okay. They could be going home.

Gilles and Cheryl: Hmm, these guys are doing the paso, which means they were assigned 2 Latin dances in a row... which means the producers have obviously rigged this competition so they will win. Is there even a point in continuing the rest of the season? And oh look, Gilles is performing this one shirtless. Shocking. The routine was really good (prompting Bruno to pelvic thrust after the performance ... awkward), and obviously Gilles is a great dancer, but the incessant fawning over these two is beginning to become tiresome.

Steve-O and Lacey: Honestly, I forgot they were still here. Oh my, mime waltzing. Points off for a dumb concept and awful costumes, but extra points for dancing to one of my favorite songs. However, it must be said that Steve-O continues to look awkward and his posture is all over the place. Very likely they'll go home tomorrow.

Ty and Chelsie: I was so excited to see these guys do the paso - it is the bullfighter's dance, after all. And yay, he did really well! The judges think it's too stiff, I think everyone is full of crap and they did a perfectly respectable job.

Lil Kim and Derek: Omg, my EARS. Who was killing that poor song? This dance was fine - not amazing, not terrible.

I'm thinking Steve-O is almost a lock to go home.