In September this year I was able to go with co-workers to the Walt Disney Institute in Anaheim to attend business training with a couple of Disney execs. It was a really neat experience to get a "behind the scenes look" (we got to go "backstage" at Disneyland) of how the Disney organization creates their "magic." Since those few days in Anaheim our management team has really focused on elevating our effort and on elevating the people around us. After all, hard work was a key component to Walt Disney's success.
Walt Disney lived by an ethical code of hard work and high expectations. He as a person sincerely believed in "wishing upon a star" but he knew that offering the wish alone wasn't enough, he knew that he had to add a significant amount of effort to his wishes if he were to ever see them come true.
Because of this I can honestly say that The Princess and the Frog is a movie that Walt Disney himself would be extremely proud of. Its main foundation is built upon the idea of working hard to get where you want in life, and it pokes fun at individuals who survive solely on the idea of "wishing" for something, or on the ethical ideals of riding on someone else's coat tails. It deviates from the Disney idea of "When you wish upon a star your dreams come true" and instead ties in the fact that a wish without work is nothing more than a wish. I honestly was extremely proud of the Walt Disney company for making this movie, during this time of financial turmoil in our country.
I may be reading too much into this, but I honestly feel that the message of working hard to achieve your dreams is something society has generally lost. I believe that there are millions of individuals in this world who feel like their needs should be taken care of simply because they want them to be. It is this philosophy that the Princess and the Frog attacks.
The fatal flaw of the hero is that he wishes for money without having to work for it, while the main flaw for the heroine is that she is willing to work extremely hard to reach her dreams, but in working hard forgets that love is a large portion of her dream. The 2 of them on their journey through the film are constantly reminded of their flaws, and learn valuable lessons about compromising their short sighted beliefs in order to obtain something better. It was a beautiful message, that doesn't get told enough in our society.
Go see this movie. It is a little dark for younger kids (the villain is a witch doctor who conjures up evil spirits to do his bidding. The scenes with him in it scared Brooklyn) but the story behind it is something that honestly inspired me. It's the first time I've ever left a viewing of a Disney cartoon feeling empowered. I felt honest pride in the Disney company for making this type of film during this time in our society. It's the perfect message for our society's struggles. I encourage everyone to take the message of this film to heart and to really enjoy it. It's a beautiful film.
Here are some pics from our night out at Thanksgiving Point. We went and saw the movie, then we went and petting some of Santa's reindeer by the water tower at Thanksgiving Point. The kids had a great time...
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