Sneak Peek | The Face Shop x Disney Collection.

Just when I thought I have enough Disney-themed makeup in my stash, here comes The Face Shop with an all-new collaboration collection that makes me want to teleport to Myeongdong right this instant and set my wallet on fire!

The Face Shop x Disney.

This limited edition collection effectively combines The Face Shop's most popular makeup items with our love for cute Disney characters. Resisting the urge to not buy anything from this collection is next to impossible. I know that for a fact, because right now I'm hell-bent on getting my hands on Mike Wazowski. Haha!

View the entire collection after the jump!

A Very Merry Christmas with Disney on Ice!

Where will you be on Christmas Day? If you're thinking of doing something fun with your kids (after all, Christmas is for the children), then why not watch Disney on Ice? :)

The much-awaited Disney on Ice season is back at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on December 25 to January 4! This year, Pinoys are invited to join Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy as they follow four of Disney’s most inspirational princesses on their adventures to fulfill their dreams in Feld Entertainment’s newest ice spectacular, Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream. Combining the contemporary stories of two modern-day princesses, Rapunzel and Tiana, with the classic elegance of Cinderella and Snow White, Dare to Dream whisks audiences away on exciting journeys where dreams really do come true.

Your favorite Disney characters on ice!

Audiences begin their magical, musical voyage in New Orleans celebrating the story of The Princess and the Frog with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen, and then escape into the enchanted forest with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The trip continues to Cinderella’s kingdom in her search for true love and follows Rapunzel as she discovers the world beyond her tower on her quest to see the floating lanterns. The Disney Princesses then come together for the first time on ice during the finale, to welcome Rapunzel into their royal court in the ultimate princess experience.

“There’s something within each of the stories ofTangled, The Princess and the Frog, Cinderella, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that speaks to women and girls and families around the world,” says Producer Nicole Feld. “Each of these princesses is searching for what truly makes them happy. And I think that’s very reflective of what audiences are like today.”

Rapunzel and Flynn.

Disney’s Tangled 
In adapting Tangled to the ice for the first time, Director Patty Vincent was challenged with how to convey all of Rapunzel’s hair without interfering with the skating. During the segment, 2,000 feet of silk representing Rapunzel’s magical, golden tresses winds throughout the rafters of the arena and drapes down to the ice for use in a heart-stopping aerial act never before seen in a Disney On Ice production. Rapunzel and Flynn Rider escape the tower, flying 25 feet up in the air and performing daring acrobatics.

Under the direction of Choreographer Cindy Stuart and Aerial Trainer Anna Kaminnik, the performers mastered the blend of ice and aerial choreography in which Rapunzel and Flynn fly above the arena floor and slowly descend to the ice in a fluid motion, creating a feeling of constant movement.

The adventurous nature of Rapunzel’s story allowed Costume Designer Ivan Ingermann to incorporate unusual fabrics and silhouettes into his costumes. Rapunzel’s world is mainly full of rich colors and textures and romantic silhouettes.However, during the Snuggly Duckling segment, Ingermann designed costumes for the pub thugs using faux fur and faux leather, materials not normally seen in an ice show.

Another distinctive design element of Dare to Dream is the revolving set, an idea conceived by Scenic Designer Stan Meyer. By designing a rotating piecethat transforms to specifically fit each of the unique settings of the stories, Meyer was able to create one major centerpiece with four entirely different environments. When the set morphs into Rapunzel’s forest, a paneled backdrop of pastel flora and butterflies opens and a majestic tower slowly emerges, rising from the ice as golden hair falls from the window.

Snow White and the Prince.

Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 
In contrast to the colorful and playful world of Rapunzel, to set the mood for the story of Snow White, the lighting had to take on a darker and more mysterious quality. As the story begins, the lighting dims and a thin layer of fog fills the ice. Soon a flash of light and dark shadows appear signaling the arrival of the Evil Queen.

When it comes time for Snow White to flee into the magical forest for protection from the Queen, Morse focused on the use of black lights to highlight her frantic pace. As she finallyescapes the forest and arrives at the door of the Dwarf’s cottage, the ice is bathed in rich golden colors, signaling the calm after the storm and her newfound safety.

Being the Princess who started it all, the costume design for Snow White is a classic silhouette that will be easily recognizable by audiences young and old. The traditional yellow and blue dress was made for swift, yet graceful, movement on the ice, twirling and flowing as Snow Whiteglides through her world.

Audiences will also be delighted to see all Seven Dwarfs make an appearance in Dare to Dream, each outfit as uniqueas the Dwarf wearing it.

Walt Disney’s Cinderella
As the story shifts to the romantic tale of Cinderella, a glittering purple and blue castle stands majestically in the background with a white and gold grand butterfly staircase framing the clock tower. Cinderella is joined by ball attendants regally dressed in bright, colorful gowns sparkling with the help of sequins and glitter. Below the castle, glistening stars and swirls of soft blues and pinks fill the ice when Cinderella skates to classic songs such as “So This is Love” and “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.”

In addition to the pair skating and elegant ice dancing showcased in Dare to Dream, Cinderella features synchronized skating by a team of 20 performers portraying the palace guards searching for the owner of the glass slipper. More than half the cast performs this fast-paced and complex precision number, creating lines, formations and constantly moving patterns on the ice.

Lighting plays an important role in telling Cinderella’s story, and a key component of the lighting design is the ability to feature the skaters themselves.

Princess Tiana.

Disney’s The Princess and the Frog
Popular color palettes and designs from the Harlem Renaissance became a major source of inspiration for The Princess and the Frog. When Dare to Dream opens in New Orleans, vibrant orange and golden yellow light fills the arena, matching the bright colors of the costumes inspired by the period. Set against a French Quarter backdrop painted in rich reds, purples and greens, flappers and banjo players revel on a balcony while page boys and other townsfolk dance on the ice below, creating a multilayered street party.The opening number, “When the Saints go Marching In,” combines jazz-influenced choreography and the Charleston to create a vivid and energetic street scene.

Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream seamlessly merges the classic with the new, maintaining the timelessness of some of the most cherished stories of all time, Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, while also incorporating popular songs and unforgettable scenes from Disney’s newest fairytales, Tangled and The Princess and the Frog. From the lighting and scenery to the music, choreography and costumes, each element of Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream magically combines to create a memorable show for the entire family.

To purchase tickets, visit www.ticketnet.com.ph or call 911 55 55 for inquiries.

Hong Kong Holiday | The Lucky Nugget.

Deep inside the Grizzly Gulch - the western-themed attraction in Hong Kong Disneyland - lies the quaint and quirky saloon called The Lucky Nugget.

The Lucky Nugget.

It's a quick service restaurant that serves snacks and refreshments.

You can choose to seat inside the saloon, or enjoy the outdoors on these picnic tables.

Their menu includes crispy battered fish fillets, shrimp and chips, salads, and the mango panna cotta that we all know and love.

The menu.

Prices start at HK$22 (Php 126) for their ala carte french fries, with the HK$70 shrimp and chips combo (Php 401) being the priciest item on their menu. Combo meals include a bottle of cola - your choice between regular Coke, Coke Zero, and Sprite.

Shrimp or chicken? You choose. :)

Cute character salad.

Mango Panna Cotta. And fruits, too!

We stopped by for a quick snack, and to give our bodies a few minutes of rest from all that walking around and taking pictures.

Photo op at The Old Jail.

The majestic geysers of Grizzly Gulch.

We all had Chicken Nuggets and Chips, one combo meal each.

Chicken Nuggets and Chips.

The food may look very simple, but they're incredibly tasty, especially when dipped in sauce. The batter is light and crisp, and the fries have very little grease.

Now the best part of our Grizzly Gulch stopover? We bumped into Mickey and Minnie while on our way to Main Street! We were actually the first in line for the photo op! :)

Yee-haw, it's Mickey and Minnie! :)

The Lucky Nugget
Grizzly Gulch, Disneyland Resort
Lantau Island, Hong Kong
+852 2162 5010

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.

Hong Kong Holiday | Chef Mickey + Hollywood & Dine.

In my previous post, I mentioned that there are several restaurants in Disney's Hollywood Hotel. There are five in total - Chef Mickey, which offers international buffet; Hollywood & Dine, a quick service restaurant; Sunset Terrace, located outdoors for the perfect barbecue dining experience; Studio Lounge, which serves cocktails anytime of the day; and the Piano Pool Bar, a snack bar located poolside.

Out of these five restaurants, we were able to visit two - Chef Mickey and Hollywood & Dine. Let me walk you through Hollywood & Dine first. It's located on the far end of the hotel, right beside the game room.

Hollywood & Dine.

One look at the restaurant, and I was instantly reminded of the diner depicted in Archie comics. You know, that place where Archie takes Betty (or Veronica) for burgers and milkshake.

Reminds me of the diner in Archie comics.

The restaurant features open display cases which allows guests to see exactly what's on the menu.

That's my brother, having a hard time choosing what to order. Haha. :)

They have a selection of sandwiches, fruits, salads, pasta, and pastries, while their beverage selection includes coffee, bottled fruit juices, and bottled water.

Sandwich selection.

Dessert cups.

Pasta and noodles.

But no matter how yummy the menu looks, we all wanted something more filling than these snacks. After all, it was almost 3 in the afternoon, and our last meal was the empanadas served on the plane. In short, we were famished, and we wanted a meal with rice. Haha!

So off we went to the other restaurant, Chef Mickey, with hopes to satiate our hunger with a hearty meal.

Chef Mickey!

Popular for its Mickey Mouse pancakes and meet and greet sessions with Mickey Mouse, Chef Mickey boasts of an international buffet that features Asian specialties, Western dishes, and local Cantonese courses. They also have a selection of European breads and pastries, plus pizza baked in a traditional wood-fired oven.

Mickey, Mickey everywhere!

Unfortunately,  we weren't able to try their buffet. It was a Friday when we arrived, and lunch buffet is served only during Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. We had no choice but to make do with their a la carte menu. I wasn't able to snap a photo of the menu board (out of famine, I guess - haha!), so I'll just show you what we had for lunch (super late lunch) on the first day of our trip.

Utensils for the kids.

Waiting for the entree.

Bread and butter.

House blend iced tea.

Vegetable soup (this one tastes bland, though).

Yes, rice! One heaping bowl of it!

Braised beef, good for sharing with the little man. :)

Berries and cream for dessert.

Now if you're thinking of giving their buffet a try, do take note of the schedule and be sure to make prior reservations. It can get rowdy and crowdy because of the meet and greet session with Chef Mickey. Buffet prices start from HK$217 (around Php1247) for adults and HK$158 (around Php900) for kids ages 3-11. Kids below 3 years old eat for free.

Chef Mickey
Disney Hollywood Hotel
Lantau Island, Hong Kong
+852 35100 5000

I have a few more food posts from our Hong Kong trip. Will be sharing them in my Foodie Goodie posts in the weeks to come. :)

Hong Kong Holiday | Disney Hollywood Hotel.

It's been three months since our Hong Kong trip, I know. But you know what they say, better late than never! And since it's almost summer - the best time of the year to leave the country and go on a vacay - I thought it would be nice if I could share with you our experience at Disney Hollywood Hotel.

Disney Hollywood Hotel.

We stayed there for two nights and three days, as part of the vacation package that we availed thru Cathay Pacific. The package includes airfare, hotel accommodation, return airport/hotel transfer, plus 2-day tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland.

The little man enjoying his first plane ride.

Airplane food for adults. Kids are served a different meal.

Touchdown, Hong Kong!

One of the two hotels located at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Disney Hollywood Hotel gives off a vintage vibe with its 1930s Hollywood theme.

Here's the check-in counter at the lobby.

And the waiting area, occupied mostly by kids.

Kick Buttowski was airing when we arrived.

A better view of the lobby. That's my brother, niece, and sis-in-law on the right.

Mum with the grandkids.

The hotel has 600 guestrooms in total, categorized according to view. There's 'Park View' which overlooks, well, the park; 'Garden View' which overlooks the landscaped garden; and 'Sea View' which gives you a view of the stretching sea. We stayed at one of the Garden View rooms and here's the view from our window.

Trees and mountains...

And a little bit of the sea.

The rooms are designed for a family of four. They come with either a king-sized bed or two double beds. Our room, which I shared with my son, my sister, and my brother-in-law, had the latter. My Mum, brother, sister-in-law, and niece were checked-in at the room beside ours and they had the same double beds as well.

Two double beds.

The little man feeling at home. :)

There's a flat-screen LCD TV inside the room, with so many Disney Channels. My son kept on flipping through them, not knowing which one to watch. Haha!

Finally settled with this channel that airs Little Einsteins.

There's also a corner lounge, which would have been a great spot to get some writing done. I didn't bring my laptop though, as I had no intention of working while in Hong Kong. It's a vacation, for crying out loud! :)

Corner lounge, pardon our mess. :)

There's no fridge inside the room, but the mini bar comes with complimentary coffee and tea, plus an electric kettle. We got a few bottles of water, too. Wasn't able to take photos though, as we chugged them as soon as we got inside the room. Lol.

Great for night-caps.

The bathroom looks very posh with its black and white color scheme. Not as spacious as I expected, but it has a bath tub complete with water heater. I have one gripe, though. There's no bidet, which I found very uncomfortable, considering I'm used to bidets and dippers all my life. Woe is me, haha.

Towels, toilet paper, check.

Yes, I brought home that Mickey Mouse tumbler.

Now if you're asking about internet access, yes, there's wifi inside the room! And it was fast enough for me to download my Kdramas, and upload photos on my social media sites.

Disney Hollywood Hotel has lots of amenities to keep the kids (and adults, even) entertained. They have a huge outdoor pool, an outdoor playground, a game room, a gift shop, and several restaurants. But since we stayed at Disneyland for the most part of our trip (after all, we came there to celebrate my son's fifth birthday), I only saw the game room in passing and wasn't able to visit the pool or the playground. Luckily, we were able to dine at Chef Mickey, one of the restaurants inside the hotel. I'll talk about the food and the dining experience in a different post. :)

Ah, Hollywood Hotel. Bogoshippo!

If you're thinking of going to Disneyland this summer, you might want to consider getting the same package that we availed. (Thank you, Mum for funding this trip!) Prices start at $277 (around Php 12374); child package rate applies to kids ages 2-11.

Disney Hollywood Hotel
Lantau Island, Hong Kong
+852 35100 5000