Lexagator Loves

If you’ve read even a few of my blog posts, you’ll quickly see that I’m a huge Star Wars fan. I absorb as much Star Wars as I can through all mediums (film, TV, print, music). So when I heard that Star Wars was going to launch a new show for kids I was excited but also thought to myself how will it be handled and will I enjoy it? The answer is a resounding YES and thought I’d include my 4 reasons why adults along with kids will love this show.

Nostalgia and Connection to Star Wars Lore: For many adults, the “Star Wars” universe holds significant nostalgic value. The show takes place during the high republic era so while Yoda is present and would appeal to all who are familiar to him, there is a new to everyone gang in Lys, Kai, and my favorite Nubs. There is also a connection to the larger Star Wars lore. The first season had references to High Republic ships and the Starlight Beacon that fans of the books/comics might recognize. There is also a episode that covers “Life Day” which is a storied Wookiee tradition of celebrating family, joy, and harmony.

High-Quality Animation and Production: Disney is known for its high production values, and “Young Jedi Adventures” is no exception. The show features top-notch animation from Wild Canary and a killer theme from composer Matthew Margeson. Other episodes have familiar music ques from the larger Star Wars catalog as well.

Positive Messages and Themes: The show imparts valuable lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and empathy. There was one particular episode called “Stuck In the Muck,” written by Katie Kaniewski which addressed the theme of perfectionism and learning from your mistakes. Even as a adult seeing Lys, Kai, Nubs realize that making mistakes is okay and as long as they learn from their mistakes they will keep growing touched a chord with me. These positive messages are timeless and resonate with viewers of all ages, providing moral and ethical insights that adults can appreciate just as much as kids.

Accessibility and Pacing: The pacing of “Young Jedi Adventures” is designed to keep younger viewers engaged, but it also maintains a steady progression that keeps older viewers interested. I love how each episode is 26 minute that is broken up into two stories.

Young Jedi Adventures” is crafted with a multi-generational audience in mind, combining the magic of “Star Wars” with high-quality production/animation/music, connection to the Star Wars Lore we all love, and positive messages that resonate universally. I believe this is a must watch for any Star Wars fan.

Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+!

What I love most about movies, especially Marvel and Disney movies is that they treat music as a character in their films. I saw on LinkedIn about a opportunity to attend a Zoom with Marvels director/Sundance alum Nia DaCosta (Candyman), Academy Award-nominated Composer Laura Karpman (American Fiction), and Supervising Sound Editor Katy Wood (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as they discussed creating the soundscape of “The Marvels”. This talk was put on by the Sundance Collab and the Dolby Institute. Please note if you have not seen the movie “The Marvels” there will be spoilers below. You have been warned!

“The Marvels” movie came out in November 2023 and starred Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. This movie not only had a prominent female cast but differed from other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a unique blend of thriller, comedy, and action.

Director Nina DaCosta: Crafting Tension with a Comic Book Heart

The director Nina DaCosta is a lifelong comic book fan whose fandom includes Blade, saw Marvel as the perfect fit for her varied directorial talents. She has been mostly known previously as a thriller and horror director. During the talk something she emphasized was the importance sound and music play in setting the tone especially in the opening scene. She aimed to evoke specific emotions from the audience right from the start with Kamala Khan’s character intro featuring her bangle’s unique sound which popped from the screen. The other sound effects were intentionally vocal and impactful as Kamala sketched and narrated frames from a fictional team-up between herself as Ms. Marvel and her hero Captain Marvel when she should be studying for high school. I loved how the artwork flew off the screen to become animation and the soundscape really brought it to life. During the talk we also learned that the X-Men theme was meant to be included in this scene but had to be cut due to the upcoming unannounced launch of the X-Men 97 show that was due to hit Disney+ this year. I loved hearing about this “Easter Egg!”

Composer Laura Karpman: Orchestrating a Space Opera

Laura Karpman spoke about how she considered the film a “Space Opera.” She had previous experience creating the score to Disney+’s show Ms. Marvel. Ms Marvel’s score was a beautiful blend of South Asian pop and electronic sounds to reflect Kamala’s teenage character who is Muslim Pakistani American from Jersey City, New Jersey. I have heard previous interviews from Karpman who describes that Khan straddles two worlds and the it was important for the music to reflect her unique and varied background. During the talk Karpman also elaborated on a collaboration with Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie that allowed them to experiment with spacey percussion and non-traditional instrumentals. Glennie has been profoundly deaf since childhood and usually plays percussion barefoot so she can better feel the vibration of her instruments. Karpman also collaborated with choirs that have low human voices and counter tenors which added a otherworldly feel to the score. Data-driven music creation was also used with the help of a data scientist who would plot potential sounds which were then transcribed into MIDI. Karpman carefully crafted the music to support varying tones from scary to funny, ensuring a unifying motif ran throughout. Her ability to decide when to warm up or cool down a scene with music is reminiscent of classics like “North by Northwest,” which she said was a major influence to her.

Katy Wood: Seamless Integration of Sound and Music

Katy Wood who was the sound designer on the film found “The Marvels” script to be refreshingly humorous which set a different tone to a Marvel film from the jump. She also described the challenge of a complex sequence where Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau switch places mid-fight, jumping between locations like space, Fury’s spaceship, and Kamala’s house (complete with her whole family present). The blend of the score, source music, sound design, and dialogue ensures viewers are never lost despite the rapid transitions. She also worked hard to sync music and sound effects to the action’s downbeat which once I watched the scene again it made total sense. Another complicated scene was the Musical number on Aladna. Karpman decided that any kind of music could fit in the diverse setting of Aladna. She created a loop group of background actors’ voices, all in the same key, matched by Wood to the actors’ performances. As a side note in the comments during the talk viewers called out that they would like a full length Marvel movie musical and I concur!

I loved being a fly on the wall during this talk and learned so many things about music scores and sound design. Many thanks to Sundance Collab and Dolby Institute for having me! If you haven’t seen “The Marvels,” it is available NOW on Disney+!

This is a continuation of my series of posts on past experiences at Disneyland. Way back in 2010 ElectTRONica opened in October and closed in April 2012. This nighttime dance party experience was billed as promo to the TRON: Legacy film. While I wouldn’t consider this nighttime experience just a “dance party,” it felt like a full immersion into the Grid. Located in Hollywood Land (now known as Pixar Pier), the event transformed the area into a neon-dazzlingly haven for Programs (guests).

Let’s Rez In!

The ElecTRONica experience began with a special “portal opening” ceremony, welcoming guests into the world of TRON. The night pulsed with electronic music and dazzling light shows, transporting you straight into the movie.

A fan favorite was the unforgettable LASERMAN, a performer who combined music, lights, and lasers for a truly electrifying show. Music featured was from the TRON: Legacy Score composed by none other than Daft Punk in 2010 and then in 2011 they featured music from a remix project called TRON: Legacy Reconfigured. TRON: Legacy Reconfigured album charted in several countries and peaked at number one in the Billboard Dance/Electronic chart. Remixers on that project were The Glitch Mob, The Crystal Method, Moby, Kaskade, and many more. For those needing to recharge after battling on the Grid, the End of Line Club offered themed beverages and refreshments.

But my personal favorite of ElecTRONica was Flynn’s Arcade. This recreated arcade straight out of the TRON universe boasted classic 80s video games. There were even a ElecTRONica themed token that you would use to play the games. I recently found mine at home and it brought back all the nostalgia.

A Legacy of Fun

Though ElecTRONica is no longer around, it left a lasting impression on Disney California Adventure guests. It was a celebration of the TRON franchise and a unique way to experience the film firsthand.

Do you have any favorite memories of ElecTRONica? Share your favorite moments from this nighttime spectacular in the comments below!

When I started creating this post I wanted to create a list of all of my favorite small businesses on the Big Island, Maui, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi. It is really important if you have a opportunity to visit these special islands you must support small businesses and the people who live there. We all know Maui needs our kōkua (kōkua means “help.” Its deeper meaning, however, is to extend help to others in a sacrificial way, with no intent of personal gain). So I wanted to start out my post with a list of organizations you can donate too:

Maui Humane Society

Maui United Way

Maui Food Bank

Hawaii Community Foundation-Maui Strong

Hawaii American Red Cross

Below are my list of businesses giving back to Maui and all my favorites (that I shall keep updated!) and I hope you can support them!

Business that are giving back to Maui

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Below are my personal Hawaiian small businesses:

Clothing and Jewellery

Fighting Eel

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I first came to know this awesome store during my honeymoon on O’ahu. I ended up spending some time in the store buying a long sleeve birds of paradise top that I still wear! I love that you can call the store anytime and they will ship clothing to you!

Kauaʻi Handmade

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While on vacation on Kauaʻi I got to chat with Stephanie who is the owner of Kauaʻi Handmade. I purchased a floating Tahitian pearl necklace that I absolutely love. She even offered to size it exactly how I wanted it! I loved checking out her store at the Coconut Marketplace and see her process in creating beautiful jewelry! Please also check out her website because she’s got some amazing work on there too!

Sandy Feet Hawaii (Oʻahu)

I have been lusting after creator Elene’s work back when she had a Etsy! Now she has a beautiful website of every type of tropical inspired bag you could want. I finally settled on the pineapple one above and I love it! She has also launched some amazing pillowcases too.

Pueo Boutique (Big Island)

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This was another honeymoon find this time on the Big Island. They have handmade jewelry along some amazing clothing. I have also made purchases over the years from the mainland as they make it very easy!

Aloha Collection

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I think my first Aloha Collection bag was back in 2016. These are perfect bags for the beach, gym, and also make great packing cubes. Pretty much every day I use their hip pack as seen in the post above (and doubles as a approved bag for stadiums and concerts.) I love that if you purchase directly from them you can accumulate points. I recently gathered enough points to get a discount on a Dopp kit. I have used it on several trips now and it’s perfect because it’s water resistant. They also carry cozy sweatshirts that I highly recommend.

Kapa Nui Nails (Big Island)

A friend of mine got me a starter kit from Kapa Nui with my new favorite nail polish color HinaHina! I love that this brand is female owned, completely non-toxic, and from the big Island. My nails are in much better shape since using this nail polish.

Malie Organics

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This is a Kauai based company with the best smelling body care products. I discovered their Koke’e scent a few years ago and it’s truly my favorite lotion ever.

Always A.line (Oʻahu)

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Wings Hawaii (Maui)

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Island Jungle Designs (Big Island)

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Food & Beverages

Aunty Sandy (Maui)

Aunty Sandy’s banana bread stand is on the road to Hana and I consider it a must stop. I think I bought 5 loaves and managed to pack my backpack with them when. I came home. They do also offer a banana bread mix which I made for a Christmas presents one year and it was a hit!

Lydgate Farms (Kauai)

After doing a tour of Kauai’s Lydgate chocolate farm I have a better appreciation of the creation of chocolate. This is the smoothest most delicious chocolate I have ever experienced. I’d highly recommend the tour because you get to taste it all and understand the long chocolate making process.

Big Island Vanilla (Big Island)

Inflation has made everything expensive including vanilla. I have read you can make your own vanilla so I did some googling and some the Hawaiian Vanilla Company. After your purchase a kit you add your liquor of choice (like vodka, whiskey, or rum!) and in 6-9 months your own unique vanilla extract will be ready for use! When the beans start to surface above the liquid, just add more spirits. I’m very excited for my own vanilla to be ready for holiday baking this year.

Greenwell Coffee (Big Island)

On my honeymoon my husband and I discovered the smooth tasty brews of Greenwell Farms. Now a few times a we purchased some beans to bring back memories of the Big Island home. During lockdown Greenwell did a fun virtual tasting which was almost as fun as being there!

Shaka Tea (Big Island)

Shaka teas are simply the best iced tea I have ever had! The teas have Māmaki in it which is an ancient, herbal tea that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, only found and grown in Hawai’i, making it one of the rarest herbal teas in the world. The teas are pretty easy to find locally too, available Sprouts, Safeway, and Cost Plus World Market.

Honolulu Cookies (Oʻahu)

I’m a cookie monsters and Honolulu Cookies are my absolute favorite. These are shortbread cookies in the recognizable pineapple shape. I love the dipped chocolate cookies with coconut and the seasonal peppermint cookies. You can find the mini versions of these cookies at some Costco’s and a gift set around the holidays at Tommy Bahamas.

Maui Sun Tea

I first discovered these teas at a Longs Drugs store on Maui. I love that these teas are sugar free and caffeine free. There are available in thirteen tropical flavors. Handcrafted and sustainably sourced by Maui Sun Tea Co. on the island of Maui. My favorite flavor is the Lavender-Lemongrass which is perfect to relax at the end of the day. You can email your order directly with the owner or find it in various shops on Maui.

Thanks for reading this far and please support are these great companies!