Disney Advent Calendar - Day 1
Posted by MeganL,
"It's the most wonderful time of the year...."
It's hard to believe that it's December again, but sure enough, here we are. I have the pleasure of building our way through the Disney calendar again this year. Last year had a plethora of princesses, though there was a considerable debate as to whether some of the characters featured in the calendar were indeed princesses (our family's Disney expert deemed they all were.)
This year, it looks like there will be no such debate. This year's calendar is dedicated to Frozen, which has two very well-known princesses.
This year's calendar is much like last year's in that it also doubles as a board game. When the place mat is flipped down, it reveals a playing board that shows a path to the upper right corner, which I'm assuming is a destination in Arendelle. I expect we'll see some buildings and other items of interest along the way.
In any event, let's take a look behind door number 1 and see what we find.....
Not surprisingly the first door reveals one of the Frozen princesses! Here we have Elsa in a microdoll form. Her printed dress has a lovely amount of detail with a floral and icicle design. She's holding a blue feather piece to show her power to create ice and snow.
Typically, a microdoll would be the only thing in the box, but this case, there's also Elsa's stuffed puffin toy Sir Jorgenbjorgen. He's very cute, but of course any puffin is!
This is a very nice way to start off the calendar.
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22 comments on this article
Getting two figures (sort of) is a strong start, let’s see if it can keep that up
I loved last year's Disney calendar, and I'm so glad I bought it. Putting together Cinderella's castle in the last few days was wonderful.
But I've still never actually seen "Frozen", so I figured this calendar would be a bit lost on me.
Truthfully, I didn't much care for any of this year's calendars, so I tracked down last year's Spider-Man calendar, so that's what I'll be opening, the next 24 days. I've made my choice.
@Brickalili said:
"Getting two figures (sort of) is a strong start, let’s see if it can keep that up"
If it only was a proper minidoll, but TLG insits that these kid-dolls are sufficient. The penguin is fun, though.
I hate to "um, *actually*"(oh, who am I kidding, I'm a born nitpicker), but Elsa's a queen by the end of Frozen. She and Anna, ironically enough, aren't part of the Disney Princess brand, because the Frozen brand, by itself, is so strong.
We didn't get this one this year, having the variety of princesses last year was more appealing then just all frozen characters. Will enjoy reading your countdown Megan though!
@peace355 said:
"We didn't get this one this year, having the variety of princesses last year was more appealing then just all frozen characters. Will enjoy reading your countdown Megan though!"
I think it was a poor seller this year. Amazon had it for £14 at one stage last week and a number of places have already got it at 50% off to clear now Dec 1 is here.
Dreadflipper rises on Day 1. Trully an auspicious beginning.
@Zordboy said:
"I loved last year's Disney calendar, and I'm so glad I bought it. Putting together Cinderella's castle in the last few days was wonderful.
But I've still never actually seen "Frozen", so I figured this calendar would be a bit lost on me.
Truthfully, I didn't much care for any of this year's calendars, so I tracked down last year's Spider-Man calendar, so that's what I'll be opening, the next 24 days. I've made my choice. "
That is , indeed, a...uh... oh let's be generous and call that a "choice".
@TheOtherMike:
Technically, Anna's a queen as of the end of Frozen 2, though they haven't shown her coronation ceremony. I'd argue that, being microdolls, this takes place while they're still kids, but the presence of Kristoff and Sven complicate that premise.
Cute start.
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I'm the queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway
It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free
Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand and here I stay
Let the storm rage on
My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back, the past is in the past
Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand in the light of day
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway
@Zordboy said:
"But I've still never actually seen "Frozen", so I figured this calendar would be a bit lost on me."
I definitely recommend it. It's a really great movie, one of Disney's best, imo.
@TheOtherMike : It's always kinda bothered me that Disney doesn't include Anna and Elsa within the official Disney Princess lineup.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike:
Technically, Anna's a queen as of the end of Frozen 2, though they haven't shown her coronation ceremony. I'd argue that, being microdolls, this takes place while they're still kids, but the presence of Kristoff and Sven complicate that premise."
I've only seen Frozen 2 once, and honestly don't remember a huge amount about it.
Nice start, although I’m not entirely sold on the penguin.
@BabuBrick:
Frozen is possibly as profitable as all of the Disney Princess lineup combined. TLG is the only licensee I know of that rolls them in with the rest, and I’m surprised that Disney lets them get away with it. The main reason they keep Frozen separate is that the Disney Princess characters get rotated, so they maintain a sense of freshness. If they pump them all out together every year, the belief is kids will tire of them all. Rotate some out, rotate others back in, and there’s always a few that feel “new to you”, while others get a chance to recover. Frozen hasn’t seen enough of a drop in popularity in 11 years to warrant putting it in the Vault for a single day.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike:
Technically, Anna's a queen as of the end of Frozen 2, though they haven't shown her coronation ceremony. I'd argue that, being microdolls, this takes place while they're still kids, but the presence of Kristoff and Sven complicate that premise."
I've only seen Frozen 2 once, and honestly don't remember a huge amount about it."
Like Cars 2, it took me a few rewatches before I could really appreciate it. Unlike Cars 2, I still don’t rate it as highly as the first film. They did fix a few things they got wrong in the original, like bringing on consultants from the Sami people to make sure they got Kristoff’s culture accurate, but they also got sucked into the internet rant about how “all indigenous people have dark skin”. Some Sami do, but others look as white as the Finnish and Scandinavian people they live near. I kinda wonder if the darker skin is just a deep tan built up over years of living a largely outdoor life. Either way, it really complicates things when you consider which _four_ characters from the first film have at least 50% Northuldran blood, vs how every new Northuldran from the second film is depicted. But of course they cast white actors to voice every new Northuldran…
@Wallace_Brick_Designs:
Puffin. And a plush one, at that, hence the button eye.
I think micro dolls work only if they pose as kids in Firends universe.
@Lego_lord said:
"I think micro dolls work only if they pose as kids in Firends universe."
And you thought references to murderous penguins would be the most sinister thing to come out of these AC-related comments.
@PurpleDave said:
@Wallace_Brick_Designs:
Puffin. And a plush one, at that, hence the button eye.]]
So it is. That’s unfortunate. The puffin (Atlantic, or Crested, take your pick), is one of my absolute favorite birds, and this one feels insulting.
Instructions unclear. The doll has been let go of.
@Wallace_Brick_Designs said:
"Nice start, although I’m not entirely sold on the penguin."
I think he's meant to be a puffin...
... unless that's what the penguin *wants* us to think.
Okay, has anyone been able to match these outfits up to any specific footage? Obviously, Sir Jorgenbjorgen appeared in Olaf's Frozen Adventure, and the Olaf appears to be based on that short film as well, and Sven could be from pretty much anything. I haven't been able to positively match any of the human characters up with anything in my collection.
@PurpleDave said:
"Okay, has anyone been able to match these outfits up to any specific footage? Obviously, Sir Jorgenbjorgen appeared in Olaf's Frozen Adventure, and the Olaf appears to be based on that short film as well, and Sven could be from pretty much anything. I haven't been able to positively match any of the human characters up with anything in my collection."
I’ve been wondering the same thing ever since this set was revealed.
@BabuBrick said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Okay, has anyone been able to match these outfits up to any specific footage? Obviously, Sir Jorgenbjorgen appeared in Olaf's Frozen Adventure, and the Olaf appears to be based on that short film as well, and Sven could be from pretty much anything. I haven't been able to positively match any of the human characters up with anything in my collection."
I’ve been wondering the same thing ever since this set was revealed."
Elsa's dress is very similar to a lot of the outfits she wore, including the one from the childhood scene that opens the first film. Anna's dress...is very distinct, as is more often the case with her vs Elsa (it looks pointedly Christmasy, so I really hoped to match it to OFA). And I never really paid much attention to what Kristoff wears, as he tends to dress more plainly in the two films, but Frozen Fever and OFA both have party scenes, so again I was hopeful on the latter.