When you find yourself posing (giddy!) by two cardboard cutouts of animals from the Winter Woods… you know that you have just fallen in love with yet another wonderful Disney adventure and cast of characters that will forever have a place in your heart. (yup…that’s me… gidddddddddddy!)
So I have been telling you for two months now about my trip to California with Disney In Home Bloggers. One word that seems to continually come up when I talk about anything related to Disney, and it is the word magical. I have witnessed the magic of Disney since I was a child, as most of us have. However, there is a totally different kind of magic that has surfaced for me now that I have seen Disney from the inside out.
My behind the scenes experience at Disney Toon Studios has given me a glimpse into the passion that goes into the making of a Disney film. It’s not that I didn’t think that there was a strong passion behind these films, I figured as much. But to actually sit in a room with the people who created these movies and listen to them talk about the process was and incredible experience.
I got to listen as movie director Peggy Holmes shared with us the process of creating this film, and I was just feet away from her as her voice cracked with emotion when she spoke of creating the actual moment when Tinker Bell was to meet her sister for the very first time and how important it was for this moment to be absolutely MAGICAL (goosebumps…mission accomplished!) 
I got to listen to Ritsuko Notani speak passionately about how she created the newest Disney fairy, Periwinkle , and how much time and perfection went into every little detail. I even to got sketch right along with her (joy!)
<—Here is my sketch of Tinker Bell, which I now proudly display on my wall, and it brings me JOY every time I walk past it and “remember the magic”.
Another highlight of my visit to the Disney Toons Studio was our visit with Audio Engineer Paul McGrath. He and his team are responsible for getting the character voices matched up to the animation. This is a slow and tedious process, but obviously a very essential element to the making of an animated film. 
I even had the opportunity to step into the sound studio and record my own voice in place of Tinker Bell’s voice. It was such a neat experience, and let me tell you… not easy, but I had such a wonderful time and felt so lucky to be in that very spot where the voices of so many Disney characters have recorded!
I am the first to admit, I get all mushy gushy when it comes to Disney, but that’s just the point: Disney gets IT. The people behind Disney get IT. From the perfect color and lighting at just the right time, to the beauty that the right music can add to a scene, or the gait of a forest animal that just seems so realistic and studied… it all comes together to create IT. And IT is magic.
I love IT.
For me, the highlight of this journey was the realization (or confirmation?) that there is a passion that goes into this, and other Disney movies, that money can’t buy … it is real, and it is powerful. I saw it on the faces of the wonderful people behind this film, and feel so blessed to have been allowed into their world for a glimpse behind the scenes.
If you haven’t yet seen The Secret of the Wings, then please…do your heart a favor and watch it with someone you love, IT is wonderful. Where to purchase? Tinker Bell Secret of the Wings is available right now on Amazon for $29.96.
In case you are interested, you can read my previous post about my time interviewing Crush at Turtle Talk, my experience at California Adventure and Carsland here, my Finding Nemo in 3D and Partysauraus Rex Review here, and my Cinderella blogger makeover and consumer products post here.
*Disclosure: I was provided with an all expenses paid trip to Los Angeles to participate in interviews and tours with Walt Disney Studios and Click Communications. All opinions are entirely my own, and will be in no way influenced by another person. (a cartoon character maybe, but not another person!)
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