Moana Review
Have you seen the most recent Disney movie, Moana, yet? If not, you definitely should. It’s my new favorite. From the stunning animation to the catchy songs, Moana is an instant classic, and no one knows how far it’ll go.
History and Culture in Moana
The movie Moana takes bits and pieces from various Polynesian cultures including Samoa, Hawaii and New Zealand. And almost all of the voice actors are from these countries as well. For example, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (the voice of Maui) is part Samoan, Auli’i Cravalho (the voice of Moana) is Hawaiian, and Jemaine Clement (the voice of the crab Tamatoa) is from New Zealand. Because it’s a mashup of various cultures, it’s not 100% true to any one culture. Some people complained about Moana not being historically accurate, but come on, this is Disney. Did you see Pocahontas or Mulan? At least Moana isn’t based on a real person or historical character.
Maui, however, is based on a demigod from Polynesian culture. People are all up in arms because he’s “fat” and pompous and because Disney didn’t include his wife in the storyline. If you ask me, I think it’s refreshing that there is no love interest in Moana. It’s all about the strength she finds from within to help her people. Plus, I didn’t think Maui was fat but rather solid like a bodybuilder. When he flexes his muscles, you can tell that Disney was going for muscular rather than fat. All his accomplishments that Maui sings about in the “You’re Welcome” song are actually from folklore.
I killed an eel; I buried its guts. Sprouted a tree; now you got coconuts.
Another piece of historical significance in Moana is what’s known as “the long pause.” In fact, you could say this is what the whole movie was about. Polynesian people were voyagers and spent hundreds of years traversing the oceans and finding new islands. Then they stopped for about 2,000 years. I don’t think anyone really knows why. But then they started back up again like nothing happened and continued populating the rest of the south Pacific for hundreds more years. Moana discovers her ancestors were voyagers and sets forth on a quest to start voyaging again.
We were voyagers! Why’d we stop?
Review of Moana
When asked if we thought Moana was better than Frozen, I said yes but my sister said no. If you’re into sugar sweet and romance, then yes, Frozen was probably better. Princess Anna had TWO love interests. However, if you’re into empowering girls to stand up for themselves and be brave, then Moana was better. While Elsa may not have had a love interest, she was like the villain for half the movie. Moana doesn’t have a love interest and is strong and smart throughout the whole movie.
The music of Moana is just so darn catchy that even my husband (who hasn’t even seen the movie yet) loves the songs. We play them around our house all the time. I don’t think it’s possible for either one of us to say “thank you” without the other singing “You’re Welcome” back. And if anything is even remotely shiny, we have to sing “SHINY!”
I’ll never hideâI can’t! I’m too SHINY!
I think the animation in Moana is absolutely stunning, especially the vibrant colors and the way they animated the water. It’s just so breathtaking. I really wish Motunui was a real place so I could visit it!
Meet Moana at Disney World
Even though Moana doesn’t like it when Maui calls her a princess, as he pointed out, “if you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess.” And just like all Disney princesses, there has to be a meet-and-greet area at Disney World. Moana is the only princess you’ll find at Disney’s Hollywood Studios because the rest take up residence in either Magic Kingdom or Epcot (or sometimes both). She’s located in the Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream attraction, which I think is a little odd placement, but I guess they had nowhere else to put her because half that park is under construction for Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land. Plus, Jasmine is already in Adventureland, and I can’t imagine anywhere else Moana would fit.
When you walk into Hollywood Studios, head to the right of the Great Movie Ride, past Star Wars Launch Bay and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. One Man’s Dream will be on your right. If you get to Toy Story Mania, you’ve gone too far. Once in One Man’s Dream, head all the way to the back to find Moana. I loved it when she showed me how to be a wayfinder!
My Favorite Moana Products
Do you love Moana and coffee? If so, you should buy this tumbler from my Etsy shop, Disney Desi Gifts. Want to make sure your makeup stays flawless throughout the day? The compact is from Fantakeys.
My favorite pair of Moana ears of course comes from my favorite mouse ears shop, All Ears Boutique.
You can get this shirt from 2319 Threads or the cozy from Allison’s Wonderland Co.
Disney-Themed Tumblers
I’ve decided to start designing my own Disney-themed tumblers. I’m trying to do a drinking twist on popular Disney sayings but also occasionally classic Disney quotes. Let me know your thoughts or if you have any suggestions for more Disney tumbler ideas. You can find me on Etsy at DisneyDesiGifts. I may try to come up with more gift ideas but starting with just the Disney tumblers for now. Plus, if you follow me @disney.desi on Instagram, you have the chance to win a free tumbler, or keep checking back for any deals I’ll post.
I’m participating in the #mklandloop right now through December 7, plus the #25shopsofchristmas through Christmas day. Follow me on Instagram for your chance to win!
“Ohana Means Family and family means drinking” Tumbler
“Shining Shimmering Splendid” Tumbler
“Cold Drinks Never Bothered Me Anyway” Tumbler
Best Disney Cyber Monday Deals
Black Friday and Small Business Saturday may have passed, but there is still Cyber Monday to consider. I’ve compiled the best Disney Cyber Monday deals I could find.
Mouse Ears
All of the mouse ears at All Ears Boutique are marked down up to 30% off right now. Plus, use the code HOLIDAYSHIP for free shipping on orders $100+. The quality on these mouse ears is incredible. I just bought the Simba ones, perfect for a trip to Animal Kingdom.
Candles
Candles that smell like Disney’s Main Street Confectionary are only $10 today with free shipping on all orders $50+. I got mine today, and I’m excited for my house to smell as delicious as Main Street USA!
Disney Candle Holders
These gorgeous Disney candle holders are available for 15% off from Neverland Headbandz with the promo code NOVEMBER15. I had to order the castle/mouse love one and the Tinkerbell/Peter Pan one. They are so pretty!
Bracelets
Want 50% off some awesome Disney-themed bracelets? Use code BIGSALE50 at Nat’s World of Bracelets. I couldn’t resist the Jasmine-inspired one.
Baby Clothes
Get 25% off some of the cutest baby clothes with adorable Disney designs from Modern Chic Kids with the code THANKFUL25. I had to get one for my newborn nephew!
BONUS: Disney Tumblers
Interested in pre-ordering one of my Disney tumblers? Sayings include, “Ohana means family, and family means drinking,” “Cold drinks never bothered me anyway” and “Shining, Shimmering Splendid.” Direct message me on Instagram for yours!
Do you have any suggestions for more great Disney Cyber Monday deals? Let me know in the comments below!
The New Disney Springs
I feel like Disney’s shopping area has grown up with me. When I was little, it was quaint little Disney Village. When I turned 21, my mom and aunt took me to Pleasure Island. It turned into Downtown Disney in my 20s. And now that I’m in my 30s, it’s Disney Springs. It went from being a subset of Disney for little kids, to a roaring nightclub scene, to a downtown vibe, and now it has fully grown up into more of a suburb feel. The best part of the new Disney Springs? It’s free! Of course, you have to pay for whatever you get at the shops or restaurants, but it’s free to get in and just walk around.
Morimoto Asia Street Food
One of my favorite restaurants in Hawaii is Morimoto Waikiki. So of course I had to try Morimoto Asia at the new Disney Springs. However, the price tag in the sit-down restaurant is a little hefty for me, so I opted for Morimoto Asia Street Food. It has some of the same menu offerings as regular Morimoto Asia, but it’s quick service, so it’s a lot cheaper. I had the chicken-teriyaki bao tacos, the Morimoto baby ribs and the Singapore slush. OMG, can you say delicious?! I just love the texture of the bao as the “shell” of the taco, and the spicy mayo adds just the right kick. I have no idea what kind of magic they put on the ribs, but it’s amazing. The flavor is sweet and savory, and the meat just melts off the bone. Seriously incredible. The Singapore slush is like a frozen lemonade but betterâbecause it has vodka in it, haha!
Sprinkles Cupcakes and Ice Cream
I had seen photos of the beautiful cupcake creations from Sprinkles, so I really wanted to see if they tasted as good as they looked. I knew you could get cupcakes; I knew you could get ice cream. But what I didn’t know is that you could order what they call a cupcake sundae. You order a cupcake and an ice cream flavor, and then they split the top off the cupcake, put the ice cream on top of the bottom half and then place the top back on. It’s basically an ice-cream sandwich but with a cupcake. Brilliant idea. I got the chocolate-marshmallow cupcake with the peanut-butter ice cream. So yummy! My aunt paired a red-velvet cupcake with the dark-chocolate ice cream, and that was delicious as well. We went inside, but they also have a cupcake ATM outside, which is a pretty neat idea. Overall, I would say it’s a bit pricey (about $8 for what’s basically one cupcake and one scoop of ice cream), but if you have a sweet tooth, you will love it.
D-Luxe Burger
D-Luxe Burger is a quick-service restaurant at Disney Springs with mouthwatering, juicy burgers and greasy, delicious fries. Actually, the best part about the fries is the dipping sauces. When you order your meal, they ask you what kind of dipping sauce you want. We opted for the curry ketchup and the chipotle mayo. They with both very good, but the chipotle mayo was my favorite. I also got El Diablo burger, which was easily one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time (other than what my husband makes, of course). If you’re on a diet, I certainly wouldn’t recommend going to D-Luxe Burger, but if you want to indulge in some comfort food at a good price, D-Luxe Burger is a good place to go.
The Boathouse
After indulging in D-Luxe Burger, we needed to walk and shop around the stores at Disney Springs. We burned some calories and were ready for an afternoon drink and sweet treat. The Boathouse is a cute little restaurant by the water, but since we were still full from the burgers and fries, we just went to The Dockside Bar. You go through the restaurant and walk down a little dock to get to this outdoor bar. Don’t worry about the hot Florida sun though because it is covered. I got a prosecco, and my aunt and I shared the Double Chocolate Bundt Cake, which came with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream. Perfect sweet afternoon treat! The best part about The Dockside Bar was the views. I loved watching the amphicars go by. They look like ’50s cars but can go both on land and water. How cool is that? Next time I go to Disney Springs, I definitely want to try that out!
What to Look Forward to at 2016 Food and Wine Festival
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, I’m not talking about Christmas. I’m talking about the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World. Leave the kids at home. This is when the adults get to have their own magical experiences. It’s time to eat and drink around the world! Disney announced this week the offerings for this year’s festival, and I’m stoked already. So what am I most looking forward to? Let’s break it down.
1. Pineapple Dole Whip Soft-Serve Ice Cream with Bacardi Coconut Rum
My all-time favorite snack at Disney World is the Dole Whip. Now they’re adding a coconut rum topper? I think this is what dreams are made of. Look for it at the Refreshment Port. Take a right when you enter World Showcase from Future World, and it will be one of the first kiosks on the right.
2. TwiningsÂź Pumpkin Chai Tea Frozen Cocktail with Caramel Vodka
One of the great things about the Epcot Food and Wine Festival is that they bring in extra countries with kiosks around World Showcase that they don’t usually have around the rest of the year, such as Ireland. Why a chai drink is at the Ireland kiosk instead of at an India kiosk, I may never know. What I do know is that chai tea is my go-to drink at coffee shops unless it’s fall, in which case I’m as basic of a girl as it gets because I love my pumpkin spice lattes. Putting those two together just might make my tastebuds explode. But then they also want to add caramel vodka? It’s like they tailored this drink just for me.
3. Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel
New to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival this year is the Chocolate Studio. If there’s one thing I love almost as much as Disney (other than my husband and family of course), it’s chocolate. I could totally relate in Frozen when Princess Anna sang, “I want to stuff some chocolate in my face!” This liquid nitro chocolate-almond truffle sounds like it will just melt in your mouth. AND it has warm whiskey caramel? Shut up and take my money!
4. Artist Palette of Wine and Cheese
Also new this year is the Wine & Dine Studio. The Artist Palette of Wine and Cheese includes a trio of cheeses (La Bonne Vie goat cheese served with toasted Craisin bread, Karst cave-aged cheddar cheese served with fig compote, and Statesboro blue cheese served with spiced candied walnuts), each paired with a wine (Conundrum White Blend 25th Anniversary, Kurt Russellâs GoGi âGoldieâ Chardonnay and Robert Mondavi Maestro Red Blend). Is there anything in life that goes better than wine and cheese? Well, maybe magic and Disney. But really, this is a way to get all four at once.
5. Grilled Beef Skewer with Romaine, Apricots and Feta Cheese
Disney is more than just theme parks and movies. In fact, you might be shocked to find out what’s included in the vast Disney empire. One of the many things that Disney owns is the television channel ABC, which of course includes the TV show The Chew. And what promotes better synergy than exploiting the fact they own both a cooking show and a food-themed event than having a The Chew kiosk at the 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival? However, this grilled beef skewer with romaine, apricots and feta will likely make me forget that I’m giving into “the man” (or I guess in this case, it would be giving into “the mouse”).
What are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!
Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Kidani Village
While I’ve stayed at both Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) and Animal Kingdom Kidani Village, I had only eaten at Boma in Jambo House. However, my aunt (who lives in Celebration and goes regularly) really recommended going to Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Kidani Village for lunch. She obviously knew what she was talking about because it was an incredible experience. If you like spice (like spices, not like hot), you will love Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Kidani Village.
We started with their famous bread service. It comes with five different types of naan bread and around 10 different sauces, which you can try on the different breads. We enjoyed mixing and matching the accompaniments to get different flavors. I’m a huge fan of heat, so I really liked the hotter flavors like the jalapeño-lime sauce. But the mango chutney was among my favorites as well. The bread service alone is enough to fill you up! Plus, it is so yummy!
Sanaa has a view of many animals, including giraffes, zebras, oxen and an array of exotic birds. One of these birds (an African crowned crane) decided to hop the fence and come over to say hello. This was definitely the closest I’ve come to any of Disney’s Animal Kingdom animals! And a snake slithered right by our table too, which freaked me out a little bit. The servers were really knowledgeable about all of the animals, which I thought was awesome.
For our main course, we had butter chicken and basmati rice. The flavors and spices in the butter chicken were amazing, and I highly recommend it. We finished off the meal with a trio of desserts so we could try a little bit of everything. We had Afrika povu, which was like a chocolate mousse filled with rum caramel, a lemon lychee tart with a marshmallow topper, and strawberry sorbet. Everything was super yummy, but the lemon lychee tart was probably my favorite. We didn’t try the bread pudding this time, but my aunt says that the bread pudding is delicious as well. I guess that just gives me another excuse to go back!
Be Our Guest Restaurant
With the expansion of the new Fantasyland at Walt Disney World came new attractions and restaurants, including the Be Our Guest restaurant, named after the song from Beauty and the Beast. The theme of the restaurant is Beast’s castle, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Decor- and ambiance-wise, this is the most beautiful restaurant in all of Walt Disney Worldâyes, even more beautiful than Cinderella’s Royal Table in Cinderella Castle.
The first time I went to Be Our Guest was for breakfast, which is quick service. Even though it’s quick service, you still need to get reservations in advance. I was lucky enough to get last-minute reservations, most likely because someone else canceled that day, but that’s not usually the case. It’s better to book as soon as you can. However, if you can’t get in on the day you want, keep checking the My Disney Experience app every day because something may open up. For breakfast, you order from kiosks, get a plastic rose, and then your meal magically shows up at whatever table you pick to sit at. I ordered the egg whites, thinking I was going to be healthy. Ha! I should have known that’s never the case at Disney World. With breakfast came an array of delicious pastries, and the diet went completely out the window.
When I went for dinner with my husband, I booked six months in advance. That’s how quickly this restaurant gets booked up. We checked in at the front a little early, and the cast member said that they were running a little late. So he said we could either wait on the bridge (where they had free water, which was nice), or we could walk down to Gaston’s tavern and hang out in the air conditioning. I am SO GLAD we listened to him and went to Gaston’s tavern because not only was waiting in the air conditioning better than waiting in the hot Florida sun, but we also ordered a couple of LeFou’s Brews. This might now rival the Dole Whip for my favorite sweet treat at Disney World. It’s amazingly delicious. It’s like an apple cider slushy with a hint of marshmallow taste, topped with a passion fruit foam. I can’t even begin to describe how good it was. My husband said he liked it even more than the Dole Whip. It’s still a tight race for me.
We got a text message to let us know that our table was ready at Be Our Guest, so we headed back. The cast member at the front of the castle handed me a Lumiere figurine to “help light the way” to our table. We were lucky enough to be seated in the ballroom, which looks exactly like the movie. It’s so opulent and gorgeous, and they even have the mural with cherubs on the ceiling. If you look out the “windows” in the back, it looks like it’s snowing outside. The other gorgeous room is the West Wing, which, again, looks just like the movie. It has the painting of Beast as a human (Prince Adam) that he clawed at as well as tapestries that had also been clawed. The coolest part of the West Wing is the enchanted rose. It really is just like you stepped into the movie.
For dinner, I ordered the shrimp and scallops, and my husband ordered the steak. This also happens to be the only place in Magic Kingdom where you can have alcohol. Be Our Guest offers beer and wine, but only for dinner. (If you really need a drink, you can go to any of the other parks, or I’ll give you some tips in another post.) Both of our meals were superb. This may be my favorite sit-down restaurant at Disney World (at least for the restaurants that aren’t all-you-can-eat).
Everything was so amazing that we couldn’t even imagine how delicious “the grey stuff” was going to be. In fact, the whole reason I even wanted to eat at Be Our Guest for dinner was so I could try the grey stuff. It comes from the line in the Be Our Guest song, “Try the grey stuff; it’s delicious. Don’t believe me? Ask the dishes!” Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but the dishes are liars. The grey stuff, while decent, was not great. I wouldn’t have called it super delicious. It tasted like Cool Whipâjust Cool Whip with grey food coloring. Womp womp. My husband says that instead of asking the dishes, you should ask the steins. We both would have rather gone back to Gaston’s Tavern and had more LeFou’s Brew.
After dinner, we had a chance to walk around and see more of the restaurant. The ballroom is definitely the best place to sit, but the West Wing is a close second. However, I would have been pissed if I had to sit in Belle’s picture room. It looked like they ran out of budget because they spent so much on making the rest of Beast’s castle look so incredible that they just slapped this room together with some pictures on the walls.
We also had the chance to meet the Beast after dinner. All the cast members referred to him as “the master” and “our host for the evening,” which I thought was a nice touch. However, I think it would have made more sense if instead of the Beast, it was Prince Adam. A cast member happened to drop a dish while we were there, and I said to my husband that’s like murder if the castle is enchanted. He said that it’s not because the curse was broken, which is why all the servers are humans. I said that was a good point. But if the spell was broken, then why is the Beast greeting guests instead of Prince Adam? That’s a miss in my book. Also wish Belle could be there too, but I guess she’s over in the cottage for her Enchanted Tales.
Overall, I highly recommend Be Our Guest for both breakfast and dinner. I can’t comment on lunch yet, but I assume it’s good. But opt for a different dessert than the grey stuff because that was a bit of a disappointment. I’m not saying it’s bad; I’m just saying there’s probably better options on the menu. It’s such a gorgeous restaurant with beautiful decor that it makes for great photo ops. There’s even a room with suits of armor that talk! Disney certainly knows how to pay attention to details.
High Tea at the Grand Floridian
First off, do resorts get any prettier than Disney World’s Grand Floridian? I mean, come on! Gorgeous! My sister and I absolutely love high tea. We grew up going all the time with our grandparents on cruises, so of course I had to take her to try out the high tea at the Grand Floridian in the Garden View Tea Room for her 19th birthday. It did not disappoint.
You do need to book this in advance because times for high tea at the Grand Floridian do fill up. Both my sister are huge fans of the book Pride and Prejudice. So of course I had to get the Derbyshire Tea package, just because Mr. Darcy owns half of Derbyshire. However, I pronounced it like they do in the movie, but our waiter pronounced it phonetically. I was a little put off by that. Maybe Iâm just a snob â ha!
The Derbyshire Tea package was $45 and included various finger sandwiches, cheeses, fruits, a scone, a tart and my choice of dessert and tea (duh). It also included a glass of Veuve Clicquot, which happens to be my favorite champagne. (We had it for the toast at my wedding.) Because sheâs not 21 yet, my sister opted for the Bedfordshire Tea package, which is $30 and is essentially the same exact thing as the Derbyshire Tea package, just without the champagne. A $15 upcharge to include a glass of Veuve didnât seem like that bad of a deal when you consider how expensive a bottle is.
For the teas, my sister got the Earl Grey, which the server warned tasted more like licorice than regular Earl Grey. My sister didnât seem to notice the licorice though. I opted for the nutty chocolate tea because it sounded like it was going to taste like Nutella. While it was good, it wasnât Nutella good. Then again, few things are.
The sandwiches they brought out were all very good. In order of how I liked them, there was a curry chicken sandwich, a golden beet and goat cheese sandwich, a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, and an egg salad sandwich. This actually surprised me because cucumber and cream cheese and egg salad are usually my two favorite kinds of sandwiches. However, I wasnât huge on the bread they paired with the cucumber, and the egg salad had a bit too many chives. Overall, they were all yummy, especially that curry chicken one. The scones came with butter, apricot jam and lemon crĂšme. The lemon crĂšme was definitely my favorite. It was delicious!
For dessert, my sister chose the strawberries and creamâso beautiful! It came with a sprinkle of red sugar in the Grand Floridian logo, and she said it tasted as good as it looked. I got the assorted pastries, which included two macaroons (love!), a chocolate-dipped strawberry and a puff pastry in the shape of a swan, filled with a strawberry cream. Amazing!
Everything was absolutely delicious and well worth the price. Plus, they even gave us each a rose at the end of tea. A Briar Rose, get it? (If you don’t get it, you’re not a true Disney fan.) We were so full from this (our reservations were for 4:15) that we didnât even notice that we didnât eat dinner before the fireworks at the end of the night. I highly recommend afternoon tea in the Grand Floridianâs Garden View Tea Room!
A photo posted by Disney Desi (@disney.desi) on
Pros and Cons of Aulani, Disney’s Hawaiian Resort
When I got engaged, I told my then-fiancĂ© that I’ve always wanted to get married at Disney World. Ever since I was a little girl, I envisioned myself getting married at the Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Florida. However, he didn’t like that idea at all. Can you believe that?! Ugh. So we regrouped and compromised (because that’s what marriage is all about, right?) and decided to get married in Hawaii. And of course that meant going to Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii. There are both pros and cons to Aulani, so let’s get to them!
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As you can see, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Sure, there might be nothing to do outside of the resort and it is really expensive, but with everything there is to do at Aulani, you won’t need to go outside the resort and spend extra money to be entertained. But if you do want to get out and see more and save some money, you could always spend just a couple days at Aulani and spend the rest of your time on Oahu at another resort or rental house on a different part of the island. But I definitely think you need to at least visit Aulani once and experience the magic. And seriously, can you imagine a more beautiful spot for wedding photos?
What a great place to spend time with family!