Tale as old as time

As part of my preliminary birthday festivities, David took me to see Beauty and the Beast in 3-D tonight (with a delightful prelude of my first maiden voyage to Which Wich - holy cow, deeeelicious).

In case you're a total stranger, Beauty and the Beast and I have had a history that goes back many moons. I saw the movie when I was six years old with my dad, was enamored with Belle (uh, hello, a Disney heroine that had brown hair and brown eyes just like me!), and mildly scared of Beast. By middle school, I'd collected Belle-related collectibles and had developed a treasure trove that Ariel herself would envy. In high school, I fell in love with the Broadway musical, and all through college, it was safe to say it had become an obsession.

Then, on March 30th, 2008, I attended a Disney Entertainment audition and was cast in the role of a lifetime at Walt Disney World Resort:

So, y'know. Belle and I go way back.

Needless to say, my love for the film and all things in it strengthened my appreciation for the 3-D release. The effects were my no means kitschy - if anything, they were truly breathtaking. The scenic sweeps of the opening "shot" of the castle were jaw-dropping and gasp-inducing, to be sure. I even noticed little details of the castle that I'd never spotted before: little statues and accents and such. It was magic, pure and simple.

But, come on, I'm not biased or anything.