Fandom Battle: Harry Potter vs. Star Wars vs. Marvel

Alright guys... this is probably going to be a hard post to write... but a fun one too. I was watching a Dis Unplugged episode where Pete said in terms of Harry Potter or Star Wars as properties he prefers Harry Potter... and then I thought "huh... this is interesting."

I'm not even really sure I'll draw a conclusion in this post... but I still wanted to talk about them and although this is a Disney Blog, I will probably post some Harry Potter things to because I think it belongs here.

Marvel 

Marvel seems like it should be #3 on my list. I just started liking it in the last couple years... but the last couple years have also been REALLY amazing for Marvel... and maybe less amazing for Harry Potter and even maybe Star Wars. I think the movies I'm most excited to see in theaters right now are Marvel and Star Wars. And Marvel in particular is something I'm more likely to watch more often. If I'm bored or cleaning my room or something... there's usually a Marvel Movie on in the backround. There's a reason I started Marvel Mondays! I just feel like the characters are really great and I'm just always excited to see it... and I like that each movie adds something. It's almost like an actual comic or a serial or something. These are really great.

As far as Disney/ Universal rides and attractions go... I'm pretty excited for the new Marvel Land coming to DCA... but I don't think it will be anything like Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, or The Wizarding World or Diagon Alley. I feel like it might be slightly on the more kid friendly side than the way we see the Marvel movies today. Although the Guardians ride does look amazing.



Harry Potter 

This... might actually be the number 3 on my list... which is sad because I feel like I have the most fond memories of Harry Potter and it's something I'm always going to love... I'm always going to watch all 8 of the movies... I'm always going to read the books... but I don't love the direction the franchise is headed to be quite honest.

I LOVED Fantastic beasts when it first came out... but The Crimes of Grindlewald just didn't really add anything to the franchise for me. I thought it SUCKED when I first saw it in theaters... seeing it a second time and seeing like 7 minutes worth of deleted scenes that developed some minor characters slightly made a huge difference... but even still... it isn't the best movie and that kind of made me change my mind on the whole franchise...

I also didn't love Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. I didn't see the play itself... I'm sure it's a good play... but I don't like that they made another Harry Potter book. I liked the way that the books ended and this changed that ending and it just didn't really work for me.

As far as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter... this is the only one of the parks I actually visited- but they've actually added and improved it a lot since I first went that I'm not even sure my thoughts on it are the same as they were back then. I loved walking into Hogwarts- that's probably the best queue line of any attraction ever... and I loved The Forbidden Journey a lot. That was a fun ride. I didn't go to Ollivanders or anything... but it was still really like walking around a Harry Potter set... which I did really love. And the Butterbeer was really fun to try and I really liked it a lot.

Star Wars 
What can I even say about Star Wars... as far as movies go... this one was the first one that I saw and really loved. Sometime in the late 90s when I was about 6 they rereleased the original trilogy... and I remember seeing commercials and I was like "I Really want to see this movie." And my mom was like "Oh yeah, that's Star Wars. That's one of your Dad's favorites." So my love of Star Wars was something I kind of shared with my Dad and really my mom too. And I still remember watching it as a kid. I remember I HATED The Empire Strikes Back because Han Solo died and I LOVE HAN SOLO. He was like my first crush ever... he's probably my favorite fictional character of all time... so that broke my heart as a kid... but then seeing Leia save him in Return of The Jedi was just the most awesome thing of all time.

I remember playing with the toys for the prequels as well... although I know the prequels have problems and Attack of The Clones was kind of boring... I'm maybe going to rewatch it sometime. My boyfriend wants to watch them again. The Phantom Menace was genuinely an okay movie and it was really fun to watch as a kid. And Revenge of The Sith was a great movie too... I know the trilogy is bad... but I can't remember it unfondly.

As for the new movies... I think Rogue One might actually be my least favorite Star Wars movie... but I did LOVE The Force Awakens and I liked The Last Jedi... but I know it had PROBLEMS and it wasn't what I wanted the movie to be really... but I do think it kind of set up for a more exciting world after the events of The Last Jedi. And I thought Solo was a fun movie too... Han Solo is my favorite- so I was more excited for Solo than the other movies... and probably more than anyone else was excited for Solo too honestly. I love Han Solo.

And I really think what they're doing in Disney World and Disneyland with Galaxy's Edge and the eventual Star Wars Hotel is unlike anything we've seen before and I can't wait to see it for myself someday. I think I'm going to start saving up and go sometime next year because... I love Star Wars and I can't just not go to it.

I do feel like I have to mention some of the bad things about Star Wars... since I did nitpick Harry Potter. George Lucas... you made 3 amazing films... why did you edit them after they were released and changed things. Why add Hayden Christiansen to the original trilogy.... there's just so much. Honestly... I don't really mind the changes. It's weird- but its not enough to ruin anything for me.

With that ALL being said... I have to say my favorite is Star Wars. My second favorite overall would probably still be Harry Potter and Number 3... but creeping up is definitely Marvel.

I also have to say that these movies are more than movies to me... they're more like hobbies. My friends and I all loved Harry Potter growing up... so THAT is an important part of my friendships and I think it's something that I can immediately relate to people with. Honestly if they've read Harry Potter or not... it's usually something to start conversation and that always makes me really happy.

Marvel is a more current "hobby" of mine where my boyfriend and I see the movies together and we discuss them for... ever afterwards. We saw Endgame 2 times already and I really liked hunting for the Funko Pops and rewatching some of the other movies.

And Star Wars is just something I will always love. It's been my favorite since I was a kid... and The original Trilogy is still something I'd consider as one of my favorite movies.

So take that all as you will... I love all these movies... and I think that is all I have to say!

May The Force Be With You! Excelsior! Always.
-Shannon

What I'm excited for on Disney's New Streaming Service Disney+

I feel like I- like a lot of people- were a little skeptical about the new Disney streaming service. I love Disney- but I didn't know if I really wanted or needed another streaming service... but I do love all the Disney Movies and I'm really excited about all the new original content they're going to release also!

The first thing I'm actually super excited about is one that no one is really talking about- and that's a cooking show hosted by The Office's Angela Kinsey. It's called Be Our Chef- it's families cooking their favorite recipes against each other and coming up with a Disney Spin to their favorite dishes. They have other "reality" shows also from National Geographic. There's one hosted by Jeff Goldblum... which should be exciting because Jeff Goldblum. And there's one going behind the scenes of Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom... which sounds like a really fun show.

Monster's At Work is another one I'm really looking forward to. It's a cartoon that takes place after the events of Monster's Inc I believe... and the original voice cast is back... so John Goodman will play Sully and Billy Crystal will play Mike. Monster's Inc is my favorite Disney movie... so I'm really really excited to see how this one is!

There are also some new shows from Star Wars and Marvel! The Mandolorian is the big, exciting Star Wars show that will launch with the streaming service I believe. This is the first live action Star Wars show. I think they've announced a new animated Star Wars series also. There are also a few Marvel series that have been announced. There's a Loki series, Wanda and Vision, Falcon and The Winter Soldier... all starring the actors we see on the big screen... which sounds great. I really like Loki, and Falcon... I feel like Bucky, Wanda and Vision are all underused in the MCU- so it'll be exciting to see them in their own shows.

I'm really excited for all the movies too! Mostly the existing Disney movies more than the Original movies... I think the new Lady and the Tramp movie looks cute... but I never really watch the Netflix Original movies... so I feel like that's the least exciting thing any streaming service has to offer. I'm not sure what Disney movies will be available on the platform... I'm hoping A Goofy Movie will be. I just want to watch A Goofy Movie all day every day pretty much. Not really- but I'd watch it quite often with this access.

I know they're going to have a lot of the DCOM's also... so I'm really excited for that. I could watch The Luck of The Irish on St. Patrick's day... Under Wraps around Halloween... so much excitement. I hope that they include some of the older Disney Afternoon shows like the original Duck Tales, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers... maybe even the Aladdin TV Show. I'd love to see some of the ABC One Saturday Morning Cartoons too- like Pepper Ann and Recess. Recess is one of the best shows ever... so I really hope they have that on the service.

I'm sure I'll be watching and reviewing all of these shows as soon as I can... this is one thing I'm super excited about having this blog for. I'm excited about all the new announcements... and I'm just really excited to see what will happen with this huge library of incredible movies and shows that could be on this service... and the new ones they can create!

TTFN!
-Shannon

Movie Monday: Ralph Breaks The Internet

So every other week I'm going to watch a Disney movie and talk about it on this blog... and obviously I needed to start off with the movie that inspired this blog's name: Ralph Breaks The Internet! I know it's kind of strange to start these movie Monday's with a sequel... but this seemed the best way to start off this series of posts.

This movie is a very fun and funny sequel to Wreck It Ralph... and I think I like this one better. I like that this is more about Vanellope... and I really love all of the easter eggs and cameos from other Disney Characters... especially the cozy princesses.


One thing I noticed on the second viewing of this movie... IS THIS A MARVEL MOVIE? Sure we see Iron Man and Groot, but we also see Stan Lee and there are 2 post credits scenes... so that sounds like a Marvel Movie to me! Where were Ralph and Vanellope in the Infinity War?

It also does feel like an Infinity War level crossover with the Disney Princesses. This is the first feature length theatrical Disney Movie to include this many characters together... and the Princesses end up saving Ralph at the end... so that's super cool too.

The other thing I like about this movie is that the hero is the villain! Ralph started the virus based on his insecurities... but he saved himself and the internet at the end by addressing those insecurities and letting go. It was a good character arc for Ralph.

Vanellope's Princess song is also one of my favorite moments... especially the pop version of it at the end. It just really makes me laugh. I love it.

I also really liked the new characters. Knowsmore, Shank, Yess, The Pop Ups... all super funny and they were all great additions to this movie. The bad part about this however is that some of the characters from the original, like Felix and Calhoun- were almost non existant in the movie. They adopt the racers and then they check back in on the gang at the end for a joke... and that is it. I loved the new characters... but the old ones felt pushed out.

So this is one of my favorite recent disney movies... it's a really fun one and I had a great time seeing it in theaters and on this second viewing right now.

TTFN!
-Shannon

Avengers Endgame Review- Some Plot Spoilers but no Major Spoilers

In a movie like Avengers Endgame where there is so much hype leading up to the release- it's easy to have some pre-conceived notions of what to expect and you almost have a movie in your head based on what has to happen. To me- Endgame definitely met those expectations... but still in a way that surprised me and exceeded those expectations.

I feel like everyone knew the movie would probably have time travel-I think we knew the Quantum Realm would come into play... I think we had enough to piece together the plot... but the movie still did everything in a way that would surprise us and it was still interesting. Nothing happened that was like out of left field... but it was all still surprising and they followed the format in the best way they possibly could.

My first observation was that Tony Stark kind of lucked out compared to everyone else. Rhodie was still alive, Pepper was still alive... although Tony almost died in the ship with Nebula- when he got home he reunited with Pepper and when they show what happened FIVE YEARS after the snap- btw someone in my audience screamed "Five Years?" Quizzically which was funny- we saw that Tony and Pepper had a daughter named Morgan who was the most adorable kid ever.

Tony having a daughter kind of threw me for a loop. From everything I thought I knew about time Time Travel- had they gone back in time and gotten the gauntlet before the snap- Morgan might not exist. So she immediately changed what I thought was going to happen in the movie and she also raised the stakes and made everything a little more interesting. It also made the time travel plot a little harder. They couldn't prevent the snap from happening- they just had to get the Infinity Stones to get all of those that Vanished in The Snap back. They also had to use the Pym Particles to time travel... but there were only enough Pym Particles for each of them to do one trip to the past and back... which also raised the stakes because they couldn't make any mistakes whatsoever. Plus it was extra fun because they went back in time to the actual movies to get the Infinity Stones... so that was fun too. We got to see Loki as the trickster and the villain again, we saw how other characters reacted to different situations that they weren't in before... it was just very interesting to see how the Time Travel changed the movies. Plus we got to see moments like The Hulk mad because the other Avengers made him take the stairs.

Another thing I absolutely loved about this movie was that all of the characters were really heroes in the movie. We all know Iron Man and Captain America could save the universe and we expect that from them... but even Ant Man and Hawkeye had big "hero moments" and they really helped save Thanos. Each of the characters really did their part to try to stop Thanos. They really all made a good team.

My favorite part in this movie also made me cry. I don't want to spoil anything major... but it is when the Avengers get the Soul Stone. It was just a really emotional and well done scene... and it really honored the relationship between the 2 characters involved in the best way... and those are 2 of the characters with my favorite relationship... so it's really great.

I think that this movie was kind of better than Infinity War... but this one was harder to watch. I could see myself watching Infinity War all the time... and I have watched it several times. I don't know if I would watch this all the time... I might watch it every few years or something. I also think in terms of "was it funny?" I'd say Infinity War definitely had more funny moments... where there could be whole scenes that are kind of funny and definitely lighter... there are funnier moments in Endgame... but the overall tone of the movie is more serious so it really doesn't feel that funny.

There were also 2 moments of "Fan Service" in the movie. We do get one scene where we see what an all female Avengers might look like. And there's another fan service moment that I'm not going to talk about here cause it's a little too much of a spoiler... but it is at the very end... so if you saw the movie you probably know what I'm talking about. There were no post credits scenes... which I  liked... but this was a moment that did sort of set up something else. I hope that makes sense.

So I hope you liked this review. I tried to do the best I could of describing it without spoiling the major parts.

TTFN!
-Shannon

Marvel Monday: Infinity War Review

So I think every Monday I'll watch one of my Disney DVDs or Blu Rays and I'll review them here. Every OTHER Monday- I'll do a Marvel Monday. I might run out of Marvel Movies before Disney Movies however... so we'll see what happens.

So as I'm writing this- I have not seen Endgame yet... but I am seeing it today- so my review on Endgame will be my next post... but right now we have my thoughts on Infinity War.

I've seen this movie multiple times... but this was my first time seeing it with someone else. I watched it with my boyfriend Aspen... and that made it a little more fun. I feel like we noticed different things about it. He noticed the differences in tones while the scenes were transitioning. I realized that Peter Parker is Spider Man and Peter Quill is Starlord. That's 2 Peter's in one movie!

Just kidding... but back to my favorite thing... which I did notice before but... it's better having someone to confirm my notion... The transitions between characters includes a change in tone of the movie. When Iron Man is on screen we have a tone more similar to The Avengers... then we hear 80s music and suddenly we're in space and in a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. The Russo Brothers did a great job of showing how all these characters come together... but also respecting the individual movies that the characters came from and their individual arcs. Guardians of the Galaxy's movies always deal with father-child relationships... this movie includes that greatly. Captain America and Iron Man both deal with themes of War I would say... I've only ever seen Iron Man 3... but I know Tony Stark invented weapons used on both sides of war and that's how he became rich. Captain America was a soldier ready to fight in the war and then became a supersoldier... so very war themed... This movie is literally called Infinity War... so those are represented too. This movie is great because it really does show each of them struggling with their own issues... they just showed how that all came together really well.

My favorite part of the movie is when the Guardians of the Galaxy go after Thanos when he gets the reality stone. I think the reality stone is just my favorite because you never really know what's real or not in the scene... and it just showed how well they all worked together and how well they all knew each other. They knew Drax wouldn't be able to stop himself against Thanos. Thanos knew Starlord wouldn't be able to kill Gamora. Plus I like how Drax and Mantis fall apart in the scene... it's just a cool scene that I love every time I watch it. Plus... it shows how badass Mantis' powers really are... which brings me to my other favorite part!

The scene where everyone teams up and they ALMOST get the Infinity Gauntlet off of Thanos... and then Starlord ruins it. I feel like this shows how strong the Avengers are... I mean together they were almost able to get it off. But it also shows that they are human. Mantis wasn't really strong enough to hold on that long (although technically she isn't human)- Starlord's emotions were also human and they are what end up ruining this plan. I don't really blame Starlord for this either... I think this gives him a stronger character arc and... I feel like any of the Avengers would feel the same way had their loved one been killed to get a stone.

I also feel like the human sides of the Avengers do make them stronger... which is how I think they were able to strategize how to fight Thanos in the first place. I always use the end of Doctor Strange as an example of the Avengers regular abilities are just as strong as their superpowers. Sure Dr. Strange has the superpower to use the time loop... but I feel like it's his human-nature abilities and his brain that made him come up with the idea to use the time loop to annoy someone to death in the first place. That's a cool thing too... kind of a side note... but this is why I like the Marvel Movies so much.

One criticism I do have about this movie is Wakanda... I feel like it was underused. I preferred the scenes in Space and the actual battles between the Avengers and Thanos... I didn't really need to see The Battle of Wakanda... Other than the parts with Wanda, Vision and Thanos and then the snap... the battle itself was just sort of backround noise. A little lackluster.

That is everything for now... I hope you guys like this movie. My next post will be my Endgame Review and next Monday I'll have a review on Ralph Breaks The Internet... so I hope you guys like this!

TTFN!
-Shannon

Disney Themed Desk

Alright guys! Here's a part of my inspiration to do this blog... my desk! I was just at this desk, working on my Beauty Blog... feeling super happy... and I just like being surrounded by all of this cute stuff... a lot of it is disney. And then my boyfriend said "you should do a Disney Side Blog" and The Cozy Princess was born. I know I just posted that story yesterday... but still! It's a fun story!

Let's start with the side of my desk where I have a Gallery Wall of sorts with some of my Disney Lithographs. I'll probably post a whole collection of my Disney Lithographs soon because I have a few of these... but this one is Ariel's Grotto and it's one of my favorites. It kind of describes how I feel about my room and my desk... it's just a fun spot where I can have all my stuff. I have 2 non disney things, one quote from Graham Moore's Oscar Acceptance Speech, one Autograph from My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos... and then we get back to the disney stuff! I have a letterboard, right now I have a quote from Under The Sea on it. And then I have this Ursula Concept Art lithograph... which I love having right here. It matches my wall so well and I like seeing it. I love Ursula. I have a little Gus Gus purse hanging from my desk too! I don't know when I'll actually use Gus Gus, but Gus Gus is one of my favorite characters... and when I saw this on sale at The Disney Store... I had to get it! You can also see I have a little Vanellope sticker right there... my niece actually gave this to me. I think The Disney Store sent stickers to my house recently? My mom gave them to my Niece who is 2 years old and she chose a Mike Wisowski sticker for herself... then she pointed to the Vanellope sticker and pointed to me- like she wanted me to wear it... so I thought that was the cutest thing... and I have her on my desk right now. Which is perfect because Vanellope is The Cozy Princess!

The next little section I took a picture of right here, I have a Harry Potter Spells Picture... this is so cool- I found this at TJ Maxx actually. Then I have some Despicable Me toys and Funko Pops, some Harry Potter things... and I have my Dr. Strange Toybox figure from The Disney Store. My boyfriend actually got this one for me. I also have a happy little Thanos Itty Bitty from the Hallmark Store... I love Thanos guys. I'm sorry lol. I have my Knowsmore Tsum Tsum, and a 101 Dalmatians McDonalds toy that I used to collect as a kid. I have a HUGE collection of 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians McDonalds Toys... I'll have to share those sometime too.

Then on the shelf with my Lipsticks I have my Aurora and Belle Cozy Princess Rock Candy Figures. I have most of these... I just need Pocahontas, Tiana, and Snow White to complete my collection. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get Pocahontas... but I think Tiana is available for Pre Order at Shop Disney right now... and Snow White was available for preorder a few months ago as well... not sure if she's available still or what store she's from either.

Then I have my Disney Makeup Palettes. I have my Lorac Beauty and The Beast Eye Palette and my Besame Snow White and The Seven Dwarves Palette. I also have some gold lipsticks including my Lorac Beauty and The Beast Lipstick set. And I have some gold perfumes here, along with a Beauty and The Beast Perfume that I got from a Hot Topic Mystery Bag.

Back to the top of my desk- I have the rest of my Ralph Breaks the Internet Funko Pops, and my Cozy Mulan Rock Candy. I have some Avengers Tsum Tsums I got from Game Stop. I have a stuffed Zero I got from my last trip to Disney World in 2009. I also have a Jack and Sally Plush and a Fix it Felix mystery figure thing. And my Scrooge McDuck funko... one of my favorites for sure!

Then I have an Octagon Shelf thing that I have the rest of my Cozy Princess Rock Candy figures on, my Knowsmore Funko Pop, Winnie The Pooh Tiny Big Feet (I love these plushes!) and a Miles Mystery Mini that I got in a Boxlunch Marvel Mystery Bag.

I have my Groot Plant on the next shelf there... and some more Rock Candy figures and other things... and then on the bottom I have my favorite Funko Pop which is Fun Bun from Ralph Breaks The Internet! He's my favorite!

I also have my Edna Mode Bobblehead from McDonalds. My sister actually gave me this one! I have another Zero plush there... but I'm not sure if you can see him.

I also have my favorite Disney Lithograph from Ralph Breaks The Internet: Vanellope with the other Princesses in their Cozy clothes! This is kind of the inspiration for my Disney theme to my room and the inspiration for the blog name of corse!

The rest of my desk is just all perfumes, makeup... I have some more Despicable Me things, some Pusheen things... and some notebooks... some are from The Disney Store and some are other places.

I also have my oil diffuser- which I'll probably talk a little more about tomorrow since I have some great Disney Scented Oils.

So that is it! I Hope you guys like this Desk Tour! I have fun sitting at this desk and working on this blog for you guys!

TTFN!
-Shannon