One of my earliest memories of the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast is singing “Be Our Guest” during a chorus concert in the third grade. The movie had come out only a few years earlier and it had already become a classic among parents and kids alike. As I stood in my white button down and black pants, complete with a yellow cummerbund {yes, we were that fancy} in front of the crowd full of parents and family members, I sang the words proudly as if I were recording for the actual movie.
Shortly after that performance, my parents got my sister and I tickets to see Beauty and the Beast on Ice. We were thrilled to watch one of our favorite movies played out on the ice. My sister was especially happy because Belle was her favorite Disney Princess. She felt that with the matching brown hair and brown eyes, they were totally relatable. We even topped off the performance with a snow cone in a special Chip {who was my favorite character} tea cup. We came home and my dad video taped us asking about the performance, Chip apparently was the highlight of the show because he was all that I talked about. That is still one of my favorite home videos to watch with my sister.
Now years down the line from those special moments, I have a little girl who is probably much more obsessed with princesses than I ever was. At two years old, Harlan knows all of their names despite never seeing any of the movies. The number one thing on her Christmas list this year was a Cinderella doll. You can imagine her excitement when she not only opened a Cinderella, but also a Belle doll too.
Shortly after Christmas, Harlan began to see the previews for Beauty and the Beast 3D on television. She couldn’t contain her excitement to see one of her princesses on the tv. When I told her that we were invited to see a sneak preview of the movie, she got even more excited. This would mark her first Disney Princess movie she’s ever seen, which for any little girl is a momentous occasion.
I had the opportunity to see the movie a couple weeks before during my Disney/Pixar War Horse premeire event and I couldn’t have been more excited to see it again. Even at 27 years old, this movie brings out the little girl in me. I couldn’t wait to share that experience with Harlan.
She sat in my lap as we both marveled at the dancing and singing candlestick, clock, and tea cups. She swayed side to side during “Be Our Guest,” and laughed at the scene of Belle and the Beast getting into a snowball fight {one of my favorite scenes from the movie.}
The 3D animation brought the movie to life right before our eyes and made it a much more enjoyable experience. Even MacKay sat and watched in enjoyment at the classic love story.
Beauty and the Beast 3D hit theaters Friday, January 13th, so make sure to take your entire family to see this beloved classic. Try to make it to the theatre early so you don’t miss a chance to see the short film Tangled Ever After, which airs in 3D before Beauty and the Beast.
Watch as Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder say “I do,” in this quirky and hilarious animation. You will sit in your seat laughing as Pascal and Maximus lose the wedding bands and are sent on a crazy search throughout the town trying to save them.
It’s such an amazing feeling to watch a movie I fell in love with as a little girl, only to watch my little girl fall in love with it many years later. That is what is so wonderful about Disney classics.
Stay tuned next week as I will give you a recap of my interview with Paige O’Hara, who plays the voice of Belle!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I did receive tickets to the movie. All opinions expressed are my own.
