*I was invited by Disney on a press trip for Finding Dory. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*
Last month myself and 24 other amazing writers went on an adventure of a lifetime with the quest of Finding Dory. This trip landed us in Monterey Bay, California at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We were free to wander around as we wished to try to find her. Have you seen her? Finding Dory will be swimming into theaters everywhere on June 17th.
The mission of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. For over 30 years, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has worked to protect ocean life for future generations by inspiring young and old with the beauty and wonder of the ocean. So come along with us and let’s take a tour of the aquarium and see if we can find Dory!
Sea Otters
The first thing that caught our eye after entering the aquarium were these adorable otters! These playful California sea otters make their home in a two-story exhibit that they share with coastal marine life. These gals are super fun to watch. Very playful, they were given toys to play with and chunks of ice that they would find creative ways to break apart to find some yummy treats to eat inside. I could have very easily stayed here all day watching these amazing animals, but we needed to find Dory!
Before moving on though, we had to check out the special delivery that had arrived just two days before. Outside, in front of the aquarium a wild sea otter had given birth to an adorable little pup on the rocks. Guests were all standing out on the overlook watching the mother and her baby. If you look closely, you can see her below on the left side, on the second rock sticking out. Yep, that little brown blob is her. Then you can also see a closer up shot I was able to get of her. She swam off into the ocean with her pup the same day we had to leave. 🙂
Touch Pools
Next we made our way over to the Touch Pools! Here you can get up close and personal to Mr. Ray’s cousins, the bat rays, sea stars (like Peach!), and other friends of Nemo and Dory at this interactive exhibit. There is also a very cool Wave Crash gallery nearby here that pumps about 600 gallons of water and “crashes” every 30 seconds! The walk-through tunnel in the wave crash exhibit is one of the most popular family photo spots in the Aquarium.
Kelp Forest
Our next stop on our journey to find Dory, was to the magical kelp forest! This three-story exhibit is the first and largest living kelp forest community created at any aquarium. Pixar animators studied the water movement and play of light here at this very exhibit! How cool is that?
*I have been invited by Disney to cover this media event.All expenses and materials for this event have been provided courtesy of Walt Disney Studios, but all opinions remain my own.*
Have you seen her? Come take a deep dive with Dory and I as we swim along with 24 other swimmingly amazing bloggers to the #FindingDoryEvent! It all starts bright and early Monday morning, as I’ll be flying into San Jose. Throughout the event, we will be meeting a ton of amazing filmmakers, including 2-time Oscar-winning Director Andrew Stanton, and animators, and I am so excited! One of the other major highlights of the trip that I cannot wait for, is that we will be spending some time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! I have had a lifelong love of sea life, at one time wanting to be a marine biologist, and even earned a special medal for Marine Biology and the Life Sciences my senior year in high school. I also have logged in hundreds of volunteer hours at our local aquarium, the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, so you can say I am just a little excited to get to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium again! 🙂
The mission of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. Having the opportunity to learn so much about the follow-up to Disney’s 2003 Finding Nemo at the Monterey Bay Aquarium makes for the perfect setting, going behind the scenes to learn of all the research that went into the making of Finding Dory.
Photo @Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a showcase for the habitats and sea life of one of the world’s richest marine regions. Housing more than 35,000 creatures and representing over 550 species fill 34 major galleries. With nearly 200 exhibits in all, the Aquarium is a window to the wonders of the ocean.
Dory returns to the big screen in Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory”
Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory reunites everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale? Directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”), the film features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton. Finding Dory swims into theaters June 17, 2016.
Have you seen the new trailer yet? You will fall in love with Dory and Nemo all over again! Follow this famous fish with a big heart and a bad memory in her journey to find her family. Just keep on swimming and watch the adventure unfold!
For all the action, make sure to check out all of the Finding Dory links below to follow along! Finding Dory swims into theaters June 17th!
Also be sure to follow the fun of the #FindingDoryEvent hashtag on Twitter and Instagram for some amazing photos and for the latest information about the movie and some cool facts about the sea life in the film!
Just in time for Thanksgiving, comes an unlikely tale about a dinosaur named Arlo and his human companion, Spot. Disney*Pixar takes us on another emotional roller coaster with this one, so be sure to have some tissue on hand because you will need it. This movie will bring up all the emotions from Pixar’s previous hit, “Inside Out” as we watch and feel for Arlo as he goes through events bringing up feelings of Fear, Sadness, Anger,Joy and Disgust. Messages of family, friendship, facing your fears and making your mark on the world in your own way can be taken away from seeing this heartfelt film that is bound to steal your heart.
Inspired by the American Northwest, filmmakers found that even towering dinosaurs could feel small in the right surroundings, which worked to intensify Arlo’s fears. According to producer Denise Ream, the stunning and often overwhelming landscape that artists created ultimately played an important role in the story that is set in a beautiful world untouched by a meteor and extinction. The graphics are beyond stunning and do a fabulous job of bringing the dinosaur landscape to life. Jackson Hole, Wyoming was used as the inspiration for all of the landscaping in “The Good Dinosaur“.
As we begin this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, we meet an Apatosaurus couple who are awaiting the arrival of their little ones. We see the cracking of three eggs, one of them being significantly smaller despite hatching out of the largest egg. Arlo is born the runt of the litter. A bit different from his other two siblings, he needs to learn to get over fears that keep getting in the way of living life as he needs to in order to survive. Dad tries so hard to help him out, but tragedy strikes and Arlo has to find his own way home. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of as he learns to forgive and find it in his heart to make friends with a creature that he feels has caused him so much pain in order to be able to survive in this great big world.
On his journey Arlo encounters a variety of unique personalities who all contribute to his evolution. But the friendship he builds with Spot has the biggest impact. Although Spot cannot speak, he gives Arlo the kind of loyalty and unconditional love that fuels his self-discovery, even in the beginning when he wants nothing to do with Spot. His father always knew what he was capable of achieving, but it’ll take this emotional journey for Arlo to realize it. Funny and clever and filled with a lot of deep emotions. You will fall in love with Spot right along with Arlo. Their bond is interesting and unique. It’s a very special movie.
This one may be a bit too scary and sad for the really young ones out there, but only you know if they are able to handle it or not. It’s a very real world movie, with events that happen in real life. So it has lots of life lessons for us all about the circle of life. The message that family isn’t just who you are born with or who you create a family with, but it’s who you make it with that is important and is something I can completely relate to, not really having a family of my own (ie: husband/children of my own, that I’d so love to have). Friends are largely who I consider my family and who are the ones that are there for me the most when I need someone. Spot and Arlo’s relationship doesn’t start out on the greatest of terms but, Arlo ultimately realizes that he needs Spot to survive. Arlo’s fearfulness also shows us all that we can get over our fears and that being a little bit different is ok. Being different isn’t wrong and should be embraced. Arlo made his mark in his own time. It took a lot longer than the rest, but he kept preserving and he was successful. Success comes at different times for each one of us, and that’s ok. Hard work does pay off.
Also, as a special treat, Pixar has placed an amazing short that shows right before the film, called “Sanjay’s Super Team.” The veryaccomplished artist, Sanjay Patel uses his own experience to tell the story of a young, first-generation Indian-American boy whose love for western pop culture comes into conflict with his father’s traditions. We watch as Sanjay is completely absorbed in the world of cartoons and comics like many children do, while his father tries desperately to draw him into the traditions of his Hindu practice. Reluctantly Sanjay gives into his father, then we quickly turn into an awe-inspiring adventure as the boy embarks on a journey he never imagined, returning with a new perspective that they can both embrace. Directed by Sanjay Patel and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, “Sanjay’s Super Team” opens in theaters on November 25, 2015, in front of Disney•Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur.”
“Sanjay’s Super Team” Disney*Pixar
The Good Dinosaur is out in Theaters now, so be sure to go see it with the ones you love this Thanksgiving! 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving!
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