Several years ago, I did a countdown to a Disney trip I was taking by writing something about the park each day for like 100 days. It was massive and I think I had to backdate a few posts but I did it!
However, it was several years ago and Walt Disney World has made a lot of changes since then.
I recently got back from Walt Disney World and I thought I would discuss my thoughts on some of the latest changes and additions to the parks.
Here we go!
I hope 2022 finally brings us that new normal we've been waiting for, one where we can live our life even with COVID still among us but without the fear of a surge.
In 2021, I made 56 posts to this blog. And I went back to look at the view counts to find my top 10 popular posts so I can count them down.
So let's begin!
Merry Christmas! I hope who celebrate are having an amazing day filled with loved ones, fun, gifts, food, music and movies. We’ve made it through another year and have reached my last Christmas movie of 2021. While I’m not sure I’ll be doing these monthly in 2022, I’m sure I’ll have more to write about throughout the year.
For now, we’re going to finish 2021 with one of the new movies Hallmark introduced this year, which is a sequel to one of their 2014 movies – “The Nine Lives of Christmas.” I’m fond of it so I was very excited to see it got a sequel and wanted to know what happened to the characters.
Let me just quickly recap the first movie: Firefighter Zachary and Vet Student Marilee cross paths after he ends up inheriting a cat named Ambrose. They develop a friendship that blossoms into something more as Christmas approaches but they both have their own issues to work through in order to be together.
Presents and cards are here/My world is filled with cheer and you/This SPOILERS!
It’s November, everyone! And I know this is coming out on Thanksgiving, so Happy Thanksgiving!
But we’re in the final countdown to Christmas. Hopefully you aren’t tired of Christmas movies by now since Hallmark has been playing them for almost a month.
So we’re close to wrapping up our movie recaps/reviews for this year. And I hope you can look back and put together a good Christmas movie marathon now.
And we’re going to add another one to that list – The Christmas Carousel!
Lullay, thou little child/Sleep well, lully, lullay/And smile in dreaming SPOILERS!
Happy (almost) Halloween!
Since it’s the spookiest month of the year, I thought this movie was appropriate. It’s a ghost story, you see. But it’s also a romantic movie because it’s a made-for-tv Christmas movie. Most of them are romances, let’s be real.
(Speaking of which, Hallmark has already started to air their movies. How many have you seen already?)
Anyway, let’s check out this ghostly yet romantic Christmas movie!
They’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glory of SPOILERS long ago!
Raise the chandelier once more on Broadway's longest running musical - welcome back, Phantom of the Opera!
Let the music of the night live on!
Best wishes to the Queens and crew of Six the Musical on their opening night!
They were supposed to open on March 12, 2020 - the same day Broadway had to shut down due to COVID. But now they are back and ready to tell their stories!
Can't wait to see the show!
We’re three months to Christmas!
I should probably start shopping…
Anyway, my recaps of different made-for-TV Christmas movies continues with this classic from Hallmark. It combines a Secret Santa with the 12 Days of Christmas. And who doesn’t like that?
So let’s check this one out!
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me – a partridge in a SPOILER!
It’s official! Zoey Clarke and her family and friends are returning to The Roku Channel this holiday season for “Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas.”
Creator Austin Winsburg has confirmed the return of several cast members: Jane Levy (Zoey), Skylar Astin (Max), John Clarence Stewart (Simon), Alex Newell (Mo), Mary Steenburgen (Maggie), Michael Thomas Grant (Leif), Kapil Talwalkar (Tobin), Andrew Leeds (David) and Alice Lee (Emily). Also confirmed to be returning are Peter Gallagher (Mitch), David St. Louis (Haskins) and Bernadette Peters (Deb) – who is nominated for an Emmy for her role as Deb! No word yet about Morgan Taylor Campbell (Morgan) and Noah Weisburg (Danny Michael Davis) or if Lauren Graham (Joan) will also manage to stop by as well.
(I do hope at least Campbell comes back. And I also hope the stars align for Harvey Guillen to return as George. He recently revealed that there had been plans for him to appear in Zoey’s Extraordinary Birthday where it would’ve been revealed that getting fired was the best thing for him. Unfortunately, COVID and scheduling conflicts kept him from appearing in that episode. I hope we can still see that and what better time than Christmas?)
Four of the biggest shows on Broadway return to the Great White Way tonight! Wishing everyone at The Lion King, Hamilton, Wicked and Chicago a great show!
And Lackawanna Blues opens tonight! Best wishes to the cast and crew!
Hadestown and Waitress the Musical have returned to the Great White Way tonight.
Break a leg to the casts and welcome back to Broadway!
I caught this movie during the recent Christmas in July movie marathon on Hallmark. And I absolutely fell in love with it. So I’ve decided to recap/review it.
So put down your lemonade and sun hate, don your Santa hat and grab some eggnog and enjoy a sweet little Christmas story.
It’s that time of year/When the world falls in love/Every song you hear seems to say/SPOILERS!
Call it Zoey’s Extraordinary Revival!
‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ Renewed at Roku for Season 3, Movie | TVLine
Well, that season 3 isn’t a done deal so that headline is a bit misleading. Sorry, it’s not mine but TVLine’s.
True to his word, creator Austin Winsburg and Lionsgate has continued to shop Zoey around to find a new home. And Roku seems to be the one who is willing to give it a chance to at least wrap up if not live on. They’ve ordered a movie to be released during the holiday season. If it does well, Roku may then order additional episodes and give us a Season 3 after all!
So if you don’t have access to Roku and want to watch more Zoey, go get access to it! I have a Roku, it’s how I watch my streaming services, so I’m good to go. And I do recommend it to anyone who is interested.
There has been no official confirmation but it’s likely they are waiting to confirm the cast. They had all been released from their contracts a couple weeks ago so now the production company has to negotiate new ones for them. But I’m sure most will be willing to return, it’s just going to be hammering out the details – especially with the promise of new episodes hanging in the air. They will most likely have to figure out agreements for the movie as well as what happens if Roku does approve a third season.
I must admit I’m excited! Even if all we get is a wrap up movie, at least that’s more than other shows have gotten and we can get some closure.
But I really do hope we get a season 3 after all!
So what do I wish would happen? Well, I was thinking about this recently and I would like to share my thoughts. And since it’s my blog, I can!
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| (I miss Galavant too) |
First, I hope we get answers on why Max heard Zoey’s heartsong in the finale. Did her powers transfer to him? Are they contagious and have spread to him? Or are her powers evolving and now she can let others hear her heartsongs?
All three could lead to some great storylines – how does Zoey help Max adjust to powers while possibly having lost hers? Could Zoey “infect” someone else? Or will someone else find out Zoey’s secret because she sings to them?
Personally, I would prefer option #3. I think it’s time another person learns Zoey’s secret. I thought they were heading toward Simon learning it during this past season but that didn’t happen. And since I still feel as if the finale served as a wrap-up to Simon’s character, I don’t think he’ll be the next one to learn her secret – unless it is a way to keep his character involved in the story.
(Once again, I hope not. As much as I loved Simon and John Clarence Stewart, I think the finale was a suitable endpoint for him and if he comes back, it’s just as a guest star here or there).
So who do I want to find out next? At first, I wanted it to be Maggie but then I realize I want it to be Leif. I think that would be interesting. First, it would give him the answers about why Zoey knows what he’s thinking. Next, I think he would want to use Zoey has a way to commit corporate espionage without anyone knowing but Mo, Max and Zoey have to constantly explain her powers don’t work like that. I really think it would open up some good storylines – and I could see Mo and Max having some fun with Leif, like making him do some super embarrassing things and calling it a ritual to join the group of those who know about Zoey’s superpowers.
(But then I want it revealed at the end that Maggie’s known for a while but thought she was going insane because David and Emily couldn’t hear Zoey sing).
Anyway, I’m excited about this news and I’m so happy we’re getting more Zoey!
How about you? Are you excited for the Zoey movie? If so, what do you want to see? Let me know in the comments below!
It’s Christmas in July! Have you been watching the movies airing on Hallmark Channel? I know I’ve caught a few this month!
This movie, though, isn’t a Hallmark movie. I watched it on Hulu when it had its holiday hub going and I enjoyed it a good amount. And I didn’t see the twist coming until the end. So that was a plus.
Let’s take a look at The Christmas Calendar!
Last time: Zoey recalled her first day at SPRQ Point and how she became friends with Max when Danny Michael Davis made the “prehires” go through a competition to see who would get the limited open positions at the company. Zoey and Leif ultimately won but Max was hired about a month later after he and Zoey made Danny’s assistant obsolete with their final project.
As she was competing for her dream job, Zoey found out Mitch had rushed Maggie to the hospital with a possible heart attack. Maggie had to undergo surgery and the family rallied around her. David ran into Emily at the hospital, the spark of their relationship, and Mo was the driver who took Zoey from SPRQ Point to the hospital. Maggie pulled through but it was Zoey’s first brush with a possibly life-changing loss and she realized how fragile everything really was.
After some words of wisdom from her therapist, Zoey headed home and had an awkward encounter with Max. She reminded him of their winning invention, which he still had. We learned that Max had really gotten the job but had given it up for Zoey, something she didn’t know.
Here we are. The last episode of season 2. I really hope that this isn’t the last episode ever of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and continue to pray someone else can pick it up, even if the cast has been released from their contracts. Keep supporting the show and showing it love – that does help in attracting other interest.
Sing, sing a song/Let the world sing along/Sing of love there could be/Sing for you and for SPOILERS!
Last time: Encouraged by her therapist, Zoey decided to focus on her relationship with Simon. But her plans were turned upside down when she ended up on a double date at a marathon with Rose and Max. She also was distracted helping Perry as he introduced his ex-husband Brad to Mo. And things went from bad to worse when Max revealed that he was considering moving to New York for a few months to run a Maximo’s pop-up funded by a friend of Rose’s. Zoey reacted so badly to the news that Simon later questioned if she still had feelings for Max. She denied it, explaining how her therapist had connected Max’s news to all the loss she had already experienced that year and that it was just a continuation of her grief.
Simon wasn’t convinced.
Meanwhile, Deb was worried that Maggie was gambling to fill a hole in her life but Maggie was really trying to just lose the last of the money Roger the Creep was paying her. However, she kept winning and winning. So Zoey and Deb convinced her to use some on house repairs, to save some and then to use the rest to go on a cruise with Deb. After Mo met Brad, Perry realized he still had some insecurities to deal with and it put his relationship with Mo back on the rocks. Tobin and McKenzie were betrayed when Leif submitted the winning phone design and it led to them kissing in the meditation room. And Max decided he needed time and space from Zoey, so he was going to go to New York.
I know we’re probably all still reeling from the announcement that the show has been cancelled. But there is still hope! There are platforms that may still pick it up. Make sure you let them know. Here are links to request shows to different streaming platforms:
Disney+ (Click on "Feedback")
Place your head on my beating heart/I’m thinking out loud/Maybe we found SPOILERS right where we are
Well, we’ve made it! It’s the halfway point! It’s been six months since last Christmas and it’s six months to this Christmas! And right now, I’m cautiously optimistic that we may actually be able to celebrate Christmas like we did before the pandemic.
(“Cautiously optimistic” because I really want to see what happens when the fall comes and cold and flu season bear down on us again. It’s easy to say we’re almost done with the pandemic now in summer when the weather is nice, ventilation is better in most places and most people are spending more times outdoors).
But for now, we’re going to mark the halfway point with a movie from last Christmas that features a carnival, a magical carousel and a chance to change your life.
They’re singing “Deck the Halls”/But it’s not like Christmas at all/’Cause I remember when you were here/And all the fun we had last SPOILERS!
Last time: Zoey made it her mission to help Emily but it proved more difficult than she expected. Emily rebuffed any attempts by the family to help her and continued to put on a brave face, believing she couldn’t break down and had to be strong. Zoey invited Emily over for a girls’ night in hopes some pampering would get her sister-in-law to open up but Emily just wanted to dance. By the end, Emily did acknowledge she needed help and opened up to Zoey. She also asked David for help and support, which he gave.
Max struggled with keeping his relationship with Rose casual, Simon struggled with finding alone time with Zoey and Mo struggled with not being the center of Perry’s world. They had a boys’ night in and talked about their struggles together. Max and Rose decided not to be so casual, Simon finally got to spend some time with Zoey, and Mo got to meet Perry’s children.
Maggie reunited with Deb, who took her out to a casino where they pretended to be other people to forget about their worries. But it only worked for a little bit and a sad Maggie went back to the casino, no doubt desperate for some connection.
And in the end, Zoey finally went to see a therapist! Yay!
I’m in the final stretch of the season. Time to see how these storylines play out and what help Zoey will get from her therapist.
And as many of you no doubt know by now, NBC has decided not to renew the show for a third season or move it to Peacock, which had been the rumored track for the show given how strong it performs in digital viewings. However Austin Winsburg is not giving up and has vowed to continue to shop the show around. So hopefully someone will pick it up and we are all encouraged to use the hashtag SaveZoeysPlaylist in order to show the other networks how much support and love there is for the show.
I am going to stay hopeful that we can get a third season after all. So please use the hashtag and make your voice heard!
Yes, I’m havin’ a good time/I don’t want to SPOILERS at all!
Last time: Mo took Zoey to visit a psychic and her powers went on the fritz. She realized all the heartsongs were mixed up and she had to figure which song belonged to which person in her life. Especially a song Max sang that was calling out for help. In the process, Zoey learned that Rose is a recovering alcoholic, Perry is a devoted dad to his son, Mo is struggling with not being the focus of Perry’s attention, her team is highly competitive and her mother struggled with being around her couple friends again. And she learned that Simon loves her but is a bit insecure about their relationship, especially after she had to blow off a meeting with his woodworking club to solve the mystery of the mixed up songs. In the end, she reassured Simon but chose not to reveal the truth of her powers and discovered the call for help came from Emily.
Sorry for the delay in my posts! May ended up being a crazier month than I thought! I was asked to cover shifts at one of our branches and that affected the amount of time I had to write. And then I went on vacation which was immediately followed by a funeral for a family member. Honestly, Memorial Day weekend feels like the first real break I’ve gotten all month.June, though, is looking a lot less hectic. So I think I can finish up the season before July! And hopefully, we’ll know the fate of Zoey by then.
After all my strength is gone/In you I can be SPOILERS!
It seems the announcements of reopenings has slowed down as many musicals have set their return dates. I'll keep an eye out for any more announcements in the future but I think we're going to have the schedule set by the time summer officially begins at the end of June.
But recently one Tony-award winning musical announced that it would return almost two weeks earlier than the others! So check below to see when the earliest date Broadway will return is and which musical that is! (Hint: It'll be the one in bold).
Keep going to the bottom for news on the Tony Awards as well!
