DisneyExaminer

“...everyone had a perfect family, the children were perfect, the parents were just sweet as could be, and everyone was white. I just could not relate whatsoever, and so I really take my hat off to Disney for keeping up with the times and changing with the times, because I think that’s how we’re going to keep an audience – when they feel like they can really relate to the characters and see themselves up on screen.”

-Lauren Tom on representation in children’s entertainment.

I’m sure you’ve heard Lauren Tom even if you’ve never heard of her name. This Asian-American actress has been in an incredible number of T.V. shows, playing popular characters like Amy Wong in “Futurama,” Numbah 3 in “Codename Kids Next Door,” and Mrs. Linda Tran in “Supernatural.”

I was able to interview Lauren Tom about one of her latest roles – Celia in the new series “Andi Mack,” which is already making waves as a new kind of Disney Channel show, according to a The New York Times. As a children’s show veteran and a mother, Tom was eager to answer some of my burning questions about this new series.

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Happy release night to Beauty and the Beast!

Auli’i Cravalho, the 16-year old voice of Moana, has been cast as a lead in a new TV series!

Deadline shared the full news that Cravalho was casted in an upcoming TV drama pilot for NBC. In the show, Drama High, she’ll be playing a high school girl who takes part in a class taught a high school drama teacher who has been successful at teaching and leading his students and inspiring the entire town. Written by Michael Sokolove, the story is inspired by the book written by Sokolove about his high school drama teacher Lou Volpe. Think Fox’s “Glee,” but on NBC.

Disney + 2017 Oscar wins

“Freaky Friday” is the show you and Broadway need [spoiler-free review + ticket giveaway]I walked into the show knowing nothing about it except the Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis film. How, I thought, are they going to transition an early 2000s teen movie into a musical?

But my jaw dropped when I realized how funny and insightful the show could be – and that was just from the first song. Throughout the show I cheered, laughed out loud, and even teared up. Among the culturally relevant jokes, the timeless lyrics, and the clever writing, I found myself enjoying every single scene of “Freaky Friday.” What other show brings together parent-child relationships, solos sung on hoverboards, themes of growing up, and the dab?

“Freaky Friday” deserves to go to Broadway for the way it makes the everyday interesting – a feat that deserves to be applauded just as loudly as the more fantastical musical shows. As of now there are no plans to bring the show to Broadway, but the La Jolla Playhouse has extended its run of the show all the way through March 19, giving me hope for the future of this show.

What would the most expensive trip to Disneyland look like?

It’s kind of like "Toy Story," but with lost objects.

June will bring Disney fans not only the latest installment of the “Cars” trilogy, but also the brand new Pixar short “Lou.” USA Today revealed that this new short will be about a creature, named Lou, living in a school’s lost-and-found bin. After seeing the school bully, J.J., push the other kids around, Lou decides to take matters into his own hands.

Made up of baseball eyes and a red hoodie, Lou is just one of many inanimate objects Pixar has brought to life. The summary of the short is reminiscent of older Pixar works like “Toy Story” and “Wall-e”. While many joke about Pixar’s penchant for bringing inanimate objects to life, this trope has proven successful through their films, and will probably be just as effective in “Lou.”

Character posters for Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Disney 2017 Oscar nominees.

GMW 3x21: Girl Meets Goodbye 

Can you spot Minnie Mouse?

#RocktheDots, a yearly celebration of all things Minnie Mouse, is happening again this Sunday, July 22nd and Gray Malin, world-renowned photographer, has shot a photo series entitled “Red Carpet” starring the mouse herself. Malin, whose expertise is in aerial photography, has captured a set of photos featuring Minnie as a star on the red carpet, reflecting the glamour and class that Minnie has been known for!

Tangled: Before Ever After

George Lucas’ cultural museum finally has a home in Los Angeles

After 3 years and multiple attempts at trying to negotiate with various city and city planning groups in the United States, it was announced today that Los Angeles would be home to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. It will be built in Exposition Park, just steps away from the LA Coliseum and USC, Lucas’ alma mater.

Once completed, the 275,000 square-foot space will house Lucas’ own art that includes Norman Rockwell paintings and movie memorabilia like the original Darth Vader mask.

Disneyland’s new mobile FastPass service will cost $10 a day

The Disneyland Resort in California is already getting ready for a whirlwind of change with the new year. One of those changes will finally make a rumor true – the ability to bring the popular service of reserving FastPasses online.

The feature will come at a cost to those who decide to use it. While it’s included as part of your ticket purchase for Walt Disney World, guests at Disneyland including Annual Passholders must pay an “introductory price” of $10 per person per day.

Shanghai Disneyland + Crowds

“While each Disney Park is different in its offerings, one thing is common: the diversity of the many people who visit. Those people have their own culture and their own way of doing life, and you can bet that the last thing that a multi-national company like The Walt Disney Company wants to do is to be a mediator between what’s culturally appropriate, especially in a place that was created specifically for people who define living and interactions between people in their own way.”