I have a confession. I have never seen the original 1967 animated version of Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book. There, I said it. Whew. Now that I’ve let you in on my little secret, we can move on. Should I also mention that while I have read my kids the classic Disney book, I’ve never seen any other version or remake of the movie featuring Mowgli, Baloo, and the rest of the crew until now? Anyway, I saw the new live action Disney adaptation of the classic, that is currently in theaters, last Sunday with my family. For a bunch of people who do not have a longstanding love of all things Jungle, we cannot stop talking about this movie.
We’ve read the book at home more times than I can count so we did have a good idea of what the plot line would be (although there were some differences but no spoilers here!). If you have been to and love going to Walt Disney World, you love an immersive experience. I was so caught up in the movie that I forgot that animals don’t really talk and that much of the movie was digitally created. The set and scenery was absolutely breath-taking and the characters were funny (for kids AND adults), engaging …yep, even the bad guys. We fell in love with King Louie, Baloo, Kaa, and especially sweet Mowgli. What I really loved about the whole experience was that there were scenes that took me right to a hot day in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom in my mind. The scenes, the music, the whimsy. It was a magical movie that left us in a magical mood. Nothing sounded better than a Dole Whip and a FastPass+ for Jungle Cruise when we left the theater, ecstatic to review everyone’s favorite scenes.
My personal favorite was Mowgli sitting on Baloo’s belly as they floated down the river, singing Bare Necessities. My kids loved the “red flower” scenes… no more about that! You’ll have to go see the movie yourself. If you’ve already seen both, how do they compare? Did you feel the Walt Disney World vibes I felt? You’ll have to excuse me, I’m off to watch the original version and start planning our next trip to the World to experience even more of that Disney magic!
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Candice was raised in east Tennessee. While in college, her best friend dragged her to a Walt Disney World College Program recruiting session at the University of Tennessee and the rest is Disney history. In the Fall of 1999, Candice became a quick service food hostess for Sunset Ranch Market and Fantasmic at Disney-MGM Studios – or what is now known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While soaking up her time as a cast member, she met Ryan, a neighbor and a fellow college programmer who worked as a custodial host at Epcot. Four years later, Candice moved to the Midwest and married that boy from across the hall. They now live in Greenwood, Indiana with their two little boys. The Disney-loving foursome took their first family trip to The Happiest Place on Earth in 2013 and Candice is eagerly planning their return. Candice also works full-time at a community mental health center and enjoys taking photographs and blogging at Mommy in the Midwest.
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