Mousey Movies - Lilo & Stitch

Love him or hate him you still have to admit that Stitch is part of the Mouse Family. The lovable/despicable alien’s merchandise is everywhere and sells! In the Between Family, Stitch is beloved. The Between Tween when younger got into fights with PhotoPass photographers looking to add magic to photos. They wanted a terrified reaction to match up with the inclusion of Stitch in the photos. Why would you act scared when your lovable friend Stitch emerges? That is absurd the young Between Tween would announce. Luckily in 2012 we found a photographer that understood the excitement and encouraged an over the top thrilled reaction. The Tween loves the photos of Stitch happily popping into frame.

In this Mousey feature, Lilo & Stitch, alien criminal Stitch flees to Earth. While trying to hide from his captors he meets and bonds with a young girl named Lilo. Lilo has recently lost her parents and her guardian and older sister struggles with growing up more quickly than one might want. Lilo adopts Stitch as her family pet, in a family where family matters.  this Alan Silverstri scored film is here to stay with all it's Mouseyness:

• He’s a Tramp: Lilo meets Stitch in an animal rescue shelter. While Stitch pretends to be a dog there are a number of real dogs in the kennel. They should look familiar to Disney fans as they are stylized after the dogs from the kennel in Lady and the Tramp.

• Stitch: In 2002, Chris Sanders did it all in Lilo & Stitch! Sanders providing the voice, writing the story, designing characters and directing the film. Sanders mark on this franchise is impossible to ignore. Sanders, a CalArts graduate, is linked to several Disney animated classics especially in story in visual development for The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan and Fantasia 2000. He followed up Lilo & Stitch with the sequels Stitch! The Movie and Lilo & Stitch: Stitch Has a Glitch. In 2006 Sanders left Disney employment as rumors swirled that John Lasseter and he had disagreements over the story of the movie that would become Bolt. Reports have downplayed the rift since, especially since Sanders returned and voiced Stitch and Leroy in Leroy and Stitch. Also in 2012 he has participated in D23 fan events, so hopefully some reconciliation has occurred. Sanders has had continued success at Dreamworks with films such as How to Train Your Dragon. 

• Postcards from the Edge: At one point Stitch looks through some postcards. One postcard is from Orlando, the location of Stitch’s third home in the Walt Disney World Resort. And another is from San Francisco, home of the Walt Disney Family Museum, which I am desperate to visit!

• A113: It is very standard for animators who are also alumni of CalArts to hide their former classroom in their movies. In Stitch they really hit us over the head with A113 as every license plate, every single one be it car, gas truck or fire truck is A113.

Ohana means family, a message that the Between Family reminds ourselves of a lot. The Between Tween also likes to remind me that meat on sticks is delicious! I like Lilo & Stitch in the final assessment, though honestly if the Between Kids are rewatching it I tend to look for something else to watch. But based on the number of times I have heard the opening theme when cruising the roads of Betweenland behind my head, Lilo & Stitch continues to be a kid hit.

Dreaming Disney – Mousetaliga!

So there was a time when I claimed the Walt Disney World Resort was my home park.  I mean I had been there a few times and felt like I knew the lay of the land.  But then when the Between family was faced with the choice of vacationing in Duluth or the Wisconsin Dells, we chose another D with the Disneyland Resort.  Now this was a major curve ball.  Disneyland was a whole new world.  I did not know the park layout.  I did not know the best places to eat.  I was not sure that I would be able to get a Dole Whip.  In the face of uncertainty, I went to my preferred information gathering platform, podcasts.  In searching for Disneyland information I stumbled on several podcasts.  Most of them did not make the cut after planning for that future trip was complete.  But Mousetaliga not only made the cut but became a part of my regular podcast diet. 

The first reason I moved forward on listening is the four hosts.  Jeff or Chef Mayhem is the force behind DoomBuggies.com and an Haunted Mansion expert.  Jeff is the buddy whose Disney library and expertise you are jealous of.  Jeff often shares highlights from that library in readings from books, magazines or clippings that Disney enthusiasts are always glad he had and shared.  Kristin is the optimistic one.  She’s typically willing to give most things, well maybe not Walt Disney World, a chance.  Becky is the adventurer.  Be it food, running a marathon, Walt Disney World, or be it touring with an infant she takes on the challenge.  Becky’s husband Dave is the techy one.  Dave has an unnatural love for Tron, which at least for me is unnatural.  He has an extensive music collection and he has used his knowledge of Disney music and technology to start two separate websites separate from the podcast MouseVinyl.com and MobileMouse.net.  It’s really not fair for me to try to categorize the hosts in a niche as I work this through, in fact they may not even seen themselves in these ways.  The key for me, and one of the reasons I have kept listening is these four could be your friends.  They will likely remind you of people in your circle.  But they are the friends you have that also enjoy Disney with no eye rolls, and listening to Mousetaliga feels like entering a conversation; complete with sarcasm and in-jokes.  In episode 158 focused around listener email one fan stated the crew was his "fantasy group of friends."  That may just be the best way to say it.        

The second reason I listen is there is a lot of diversity to this podcast.  A typical podcast may start with a Mousetaliga Bits and Bites, a round table of items and opinions amongst the hosts.  Or perhaps there may be a Mousetaliga Emporium with reviews of recent books, movies, merchandise that the gang has acquired.  Many of the shows will combine one of these segments with a topic.  The third reason I kept listening is the topics.  I am Between Disney, so straight parks only news was not going to satisfy me.  I was already listening to enough of those shows.  But the topics of Mousetaliga run the whole gamut of Disney fandom.  The topic could be park centric, but it could also be a movie or book or something else that is available to me Between Disney.  I have to admit their reviews of Walt Disney Family Museum events have become a favorite since sitting in the Midwest the chances of me going to the museum are remarkably low, but the crew has a knack of summarizing the events in such a way I still feel I get a lot of edutainment value.  My favorite all time episode is episode 103 in which Kristin and Jeff discuss their visit to Alice Davis’ home.  In an earlier episode, number 99 Disney Mechanized Magic, Kristin retold how she met and started a relationship with Alice Davis.  That alone would be a dream for most Disney fans, starting a sincere connection with a Legend who knew Legends.  But to have Kristin and Jeff retell actually visiting her home and hearing of her sincere love of her late husband Marc Davis and her good friend Mary Blair.  It is incredible and you feel as if you are listening to someone like you, not a Disney sponsored host or author but your friends as they enter the life of a lady who is not just a Legend but a treasure.  I had to laugh recently as I listened to episode 156 as Kristin discussed appreciating a Privileged Disney Lifestyle as she typically has easy access to Disney events and parks.  Living Between Disney it was awesome to hear someone Disney Adjacent discuss how many of us, if not most, lack daily Disney access and have to generate our own Disney connections.   

The opening of Mousetaliga claims this is the “Wildest Podcast in the Wilderness”.  I have to admit if wild equals fun it may just be.  There is a lot of laughter and you really feel like you are part of this friendship.  Additionally, I have to give this crew a shout out as they have helped me beyond their actual podcast.  In the summer of 2011, I contacted the Mousetaliga gang through chat with questions about D23.  Dave responded and gave me information that was key to helping plan my family’s trip to the D23 Expo.  I guess in the end we are all friends after all!