Deep. This movie is so un-Disney like that we have to put it out there quickly, it’s deep. We were expecting a spoon full of sugar and instead we received a cup full of humanity.

Saving Mr. Banks is the story behind the story of Mary Poppins, and what a story it is! In Poppins, Banks is a child hating, up and coming stick up the backside banker in London England. In Saving Mr. Banks, Banks is a daughter loving Australian relegated to the outback because he can’t hold a job. The second Mr. Banks is loveable and tragic, the first is a robot. Somewhere in there is the humanity that we all seek.

SPEND YOUR NEXT WEEKEND IN NEW YORK CITY

The story is told from the view of the author of Mary Poppins, PL Travers, who wrote the book based on her father Travers Goff, a notorious drinker and banker in Australia. Goff died when she was just seven years old. In real life, Travers then moved in with her aunt Sass (the real life Mary Poppins) the owner of a sugar plantation and quickly retreated into her subconscious. Life with Sass was far from perfect, so PL Travers took up writing as a way to get away from it all – and during the process she created Mary Poppins.

In her book, Poppins (Sass) was created to save Mr. Banks. Like any good Author, PL Travers balanced the message, so Banks appeared to be a successful London Banker with money to burn and staff to attend to his every need. In reality Banks was a down and out man that could not hold a job, so he had to move from town to town to stay ahead of the rent.

Saving Mr. Banks is a story about the struggle between a man and his humanity, between the absolute love of Banks for his daughter and his struggle to exist in this world.

Yes, Walt Disney does play a part, maybe even the main part, but he is still in the background. In the movie Disney wants the rights to the script and PL Travers wants to maintain the memory and dignity of her father, despite his shortcomings. The struggle is the “if and how” they will strike the right balance.

In the end we learn that the book Mary Poppins is not about a spoon full of sugar at all, but about human frailty and dignity.

We rate this Disney movie as an unexpected excellent

Overall Most Clicked

How to Rent a Vacation Club Timeshare Residence

Discount Disney Tickets

Cheap-O-Air How to Find Cheap Flights to Orlando

 Get the Lastest Disney World Savings Tips, Tricks and Techniques. Subscribe below – It’s Absolutely Free!

Email:

We respect your email privacy

10 Necessary Items for a Disney World Vacation

One of the most tempting aspects of any vacation is to buy what you need when you get there. But you know us- we don’t believe in paying the full retail price if we don’t have to. That is what 100 Days ‘Til Disney is all about. We recommend locating (and buying- if necessary) the 10 items listed below ahead of your trip. They will make your vacation to Walt Disney World safer and more enjoyable. It’s better to acquire these items early and cheap than at Disney where they will be more expensive.

1. Backpack – Many of the items on this list will need to be carried into the park. We recommend that you bring a good backpack. It will save you money by allowing you to bring in what you would otherwise buy. We find the most functional of these to be the High Sierra Loop Backpack, sold on Amazon and many other places.
2. Sunglasses – By definition you will be walking in the sun during your visit to Disney’s six parks. The sun can cause damage to your eyes and skin – protect yourself with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. We recommend sunglasses for everyone in the family – not just the adults!. The Sunglass Hut has reasonably priced options for all family members and, of course, they can be used year round – not just at Disney. They also offer Free Shipping + Free Easy Returns.
3. Credit Card – This one may be obvious but you will need it for hotels, dinners, gifts and memorabilia. Make sure you have a reasonable, unused credit line as you will not want to run out before your trip is over.
4. Water Bottles – Like sunglasses, water is essential to your trip. Stay hydrated in the hot Florida sun.
5. Snacks – Yes, you can buy them at the park, but they may not have what you or your children want to eat. Stuff your favorite snacks in the backpack above for your Disney adventure tour of the parks.
6. Walkie Talkies – Walkie Talkies are great for families, including little ones, to stay in contact at the park. They are simple to use, inexpensive, and a great safety item. We recommend (and personally use) the Midland X-TRA Talk walkie talkie. Get one for each family member- you’ll be glad you did.
7. Cash (a lot of singles) – Bring a lot of one dollar bills. You will be tipping regularly and don’t want to over tip. Take out 100-dollars worth of 1 dollar bills.
8. The Disney World Vacation iPhone App – It’s free and will allow you to track all of your important activities at Disney
9. The The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner – this book is fantastic. It is both a terrific planner, journal and keepsake. It will help you relive the magic, again and again.
10. The Individual Disney Park’s Map – These are free and located at the entry to every park and in most hotels on the Disney property. Knowing where to go early on will save you time and money.

Be safe and have fun!

Your Friends at TOTAL DISNEY

 Get the Lastest Disney World Savings Tips, Tricks and Techniques. Subscribe below – It’s Absolutely Free!

Email:

We respect your email privacy

 

In last week’s “Blizzard Beach Review” we asked the question: Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach? The question comes from our desire to balance time, money and energy on a Disney vacation that typically lasts only one week. It’s also a question that is impossible to answer unless we also give our opinion on the second Disney water park at WDW, Typhoon Lagoon.

Typhoon Lagoon is different than Blizzard Beach in many, many ways. First, the central attraction- the giant Typhoon wave, is in the middle of the park, not on the periphery like Blizzard Beach’s 12 Switzerland-style water attractions. Don’t get me wrong, Typhoon Lagoon has a lazy river (called Castaway Creek) just like Blizzard Beach, and in fact, it has exactly 12 water attractions, just like Blizzard Beach. But they play a lesser role in the overall park. The other rides are no less spectacular, but the Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool casts a big shadow that the other rides cannot replicate.  Our favorite “other ride” was Humunga Kowabunga. This “triple speed” ride literally shoots riders out the other end after a near vertical, five story, drop in the middle – awesome!

About Typhoon Lagoon

Typhoon Lagoon was built in 1989 and its design was ahead of its time. Traffic flows well and there was no real line to get on any of the rides, despite the fact that we went there during the busiest week of the year – Spring Break. The theme of Typhoon Lagoon is “shipwrecked on a tropical island,” and it is very Gilligan’s Island-esque. At the very center of the park is a mountain with a ship “stuck” on top. Every so often, the ship will blow thousands of gallons of water in the air through its chimney, dousing park goers within a few hundred yards. Thousands of palm trees cover the property and there are many sandy beach tanning areas.

Lazy River Comparison

We felt that the Lazy River at Typhoon Lagoon (Castaway Creek) was better than Cross Country Creek at Blizzard Beach.  It was just a little more pristine. Both circled the park and both took 20 minutes, more or less.

There were more tourists at Typhoon Lagoon and more locals at Blizzard Beach. This was neither good nor bad, more of an observation.

Overall Rating: Excellent

We rate Typhoon Lagoon as “excellent” (we rated Blizzard Beach “very good”). We just had a better overall experience at Typhoon Lagoon. As an aside, we had an extra afternoon near the end of our Disney trip and, after having been to both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, my nine year old chose to go to Typhoon Lagoon.

See the Typhoon Lagoon map for more on the park layout.

Other Information

Cost: $53 per person, per day

Parking: free

Park hours: 10:00am to 6:00pm

Typhoon Lagoon address (GPS): 1145 Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

 Get the Lastest Disney World Savings Tips, Tricks and Techniques. Subscribe below – It’s Absolutely Free!

Email:

We respect your email privacy