One of elements that has propelled the success of animated Disney films since Snow White is the incredible music and the part that music plays in moving the stories forward. Set in the great city of New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog features the flavorful sounds of Jazz, Zydeco, Blues, Gospel and more. Will the tunes of this groundbreaking new Disney classic be as memorable as songs like "Part of Your World" or "Beauty and the Beast"?

You can check out snippets from the Princess and the Frog soundtrack on the Disney website and see what you think. The soundtrack will be available for purchase on November 23, and Ne-Yo's "Never Knew I Needed," the pop theme song for the movie, is already available for download on iTunes.

Take a listen to the new soundtrack, and let us know what you think using the "comments" link below.

(Photo © Disney)

Halloween is over, and if you need some help getting into the spirit of the next season, Disney will be here to help. Disney's A Christmas Carol opens in theaters this Friday, November 6. The film will be released in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D, and features performance capture animation.

So, how will Disney take a story that has been told over and over again and make it new and exciting? That remains to be seen, but here is an interesting clip from the movie that shows one scene with a few elements that are unique to the Disney version:

Visited by Three Ghosts: Disney's A Christmas Carol Movie Clip

Will your family be going to see Disney's A Christmas Carol next weekend?

(photo © Disney. All rights reserved.)

It's crazy hair day at my daughter's school today. We had planned to make her head into a pumpkin patch. This would be the week she would come down with the flu.

So, what do you do when your kid is crushed because they happen to get sick during one of the funnest weeks of the year? We've read books, we've colored, we've watched TV, and tonight -- family movie night! No movie in the world will make up for the fact that she has missed all of the school activities and may miss trick-or-treating in Nana's neighborhood as well, but when the whole family cuddles up together on the couch and we throw in popcorn loaded with Halloween colored M&Ms, we can put at least a faint smile back on her face. (Yes, she's been sick for a few days, so she has her appetite back). Popcorn and M&M's is a favorite family "recipe" passed down for at least two generations. We can't have a true family movie night without them.

Hope everyone has a happy, healthy Halloween!

Which movie will dominate DVD and Blu-ray sales today -- Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure or Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs? Ice Age has an advantage in that it was a major theatrical release, but it wasn't nearly as good as the previous two movies in the franchise. Still, kids like movies about talking animals, and this one even includes a bunch of scary dinos in an underground world, so the movie will be a hit among kids who are into dino movies. My guess is that both titles will generate lots of money this week and in the coming holiday season. Considering that both the Tinker Bell and Ice Age franchises also offer corresponding toys and merchandise available in most stores that carry such items, the DVD or Blu-ray versions of these movies make great gifts for kids or families and can be paired with character merchandise to create a themed gift at varying price levels. Also, both titles are available in a Blu-ray combo pack which includes the DVD, so you can't go wrong there.

Also out on DVD/Blu-ray today:

• Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Vol. 2 (Compare Prices): Remember those oldies but goodies, like Porky Pig, The Jetsons, and Tom & Jerry? This collection contains some favorites that are great for reliving fond memories or sharing childhood favorites with your own kids.
• Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Vol. 2 (Compare Prices): Ah yes, I remember The Hair Bear Bunch. This collection features them plus other famous cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny/Road Runner and Grape Ape.

(Photo © Fox)

More fun and less fright is a great recipe for Halloween fun when it comes to preschoolers. This year, several new Halloween DVDs for preschoolers were released, like the Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! DVD pictured. Even when he's being spooked by monsters, Wubbzy has little ones laughing. Other favorites like Dora and Diego also have Halloween DVDs available, and this year, even Yo Gabba Gabba introduced a new Halloween episode on DVD. What's your preschooler's favorite Halloween show?

(Photo © Anchor Bay Entertainment)

In response to criticism for advertising their Baby Einstein DVDs as educational, Disney is offering an exchange or cash back to any customer who purchased a Baby Einstein DVD between June 5, 2004 and September 4, 2009. Disney's usual customer satisfaction guarantee has been upgraded for a limited time after the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, an organization that has been calling attention to Disney's advertising of the DVDs for years, threatened a class-action lawsuit. If you would like to exchange or return a Baby Einstein DVD, visit the Baby Einstein website for the proper form and information.

Disney's program to upgrade or return the DVDs has brought new attention to the baby DVD debate, as it seems to some that Disney is admitting that the DVDs are not educational. Disney is not alone, though, in touting "educational" DVDs for babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics counsels parents not to allow babies under two to watch TV at all, yet the baby DVD business is booming, and many of the companies that make baby DVDs claim that the DVDs are educational. Is watching TV really dangerous to babies? Can it ever be educational? Is it ever okay to let a baby watch TV? Share your ideas/opinions using the "comments" link below.

Has your child ever been scared by something she say on TV or a movie and had trouble going to sleep at night? Children have wonderful imaginations that are key to their development, but at night time a vivid imagination can be a real problem, and things on TV or movies can really overload their minds with all kinds of things to worry about or be afraid of. Our kids are pretty young, but we have started allowing the older two to watch more than just preschool fare, and there have been a couple of times that they have gotten a bit frightened by a TV show or movie.

In dealing with their reactions to the shows, we have found a couple of things that have worked well. If we are watching something on DVD or Blu-ray, for example, we always watch the "making-of" features to show them that the whole thing was completely fake. These features really helped us out when we watched Spiderwick Chronicles, because the goblins look so real in the movie, but the bonus features explain that they were all computerized, and we even saw the kid actors running away from goblin puppets on sticks.

Another thing we always do, but especially if the kids have seen or heard something that might scare them at night, is we tell them a good story or read a funny book after we get them in bed. Also, just to make sure they fall asleep on a good note, we tell them the beginning of a good story and challenge them to come up with the rest as they fall asleep. We've also had them imagine their own new Strawberry Shortcake character (we now have pictures of "Pomegranate Punch" and "Acai Blast" that they drew upon waking) or Care Bear as they fall asleep -- Anything to keep their brains busy.

What do you do when your child is scared at night, especially after watching a "scary" movie or TV show?

Are Tim Burton films part of your family Halloween ritual? The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a true holiday classic for viewers of varying ages. The movie has some seriously creepy characters, but I guess it's the singing and dancing that softens the fright factor for kids, because a lot of kids seem to eat it up.

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride is also great Halloween entertainment, especially for older kids. Although not quite as silly as The Nightmare Before Christmas, the story still has that weird and fascinating combination of humor and gruesomeness. Another thing you can always count on Tim Burton for -- an interesting and unique story.

(Photo © WDSHE. All Rights Reserved.)

In my post a few days ago, I promised to let you know how taking my kids to Where the Wild Things Are went. Here's the gist of it: my six-year-old begged three times that we leave the movie and go home. I am not blaming Spike Jonze for my decision to take my daughter to the movie. He warned us that the movie is about childhood, not for children. But I do blame him for making it that way.

Aesthetically, Where the Wild Things Are is beautiful -- I can't imagine how it could have been any better. Also, the story reflects that insecure fear that kids feel when life becomes unpredictable, and the frustration kids often feel at having no control over their own situation. The movie is a fabulous commentary on the struggles of being a kid, but he could have done all that and still made the film and it's lessons accessible to kids.

Instead, Where the Wild Things Are, like many other films about childhood, has an audience issue. Who will want to see the movie? In this case, the book and the director are famous enough that it could still do well. But, parents don't generally want to see a touching film about childhood on a date night, and the film is too weighty for the young kids who would have loved the Wild Things and Max's cathartic adventure. Where the Wild Things Are could have been a fabulous and profound family movie, but unfortunately, it's not.

Upon leaving the theater after the movie I heard several parents attempting to explain to their sad and confused children what the film meant and why the characters were all so upset. Some kids were frightened. My kids loved the Wild Things and the idea of the adventure, but they hated the movie. Next time I (usually the big advocate of "preview the movie first") decide to "take a chance" and take the kids, remind me of this disaster. No matter how badly I want a movie based on a classic and beloved book to be great, wanting won't make it so.

More About the Movie Where the Wild Things Are:

• Where the Wild Things Are - Movie Review for Parents
• Where the Wild Things Are - Movie Trailer, Synopsis and Info
• Where the Wild Things Are - Movie Photos

(Photo © Warner Bros. Pictures)

Those who have upgraded to Blu-ray will have the opportunity to enjoy two holiday favorites in hi-def this year:

• Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The original cartoon classic is now available in a combo pack that includes the Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy. Young kids may may enjoy this version of the story more than the live action movie starring Jim Carrey, as the cartoon is shorter and follows the book closely.



• A Charlie Brown Christmas: Peanuts holiday specials hold a prominent place each season. Families have enjoyed Charlie Brown and the gang just about every holiday of the year for so many years, they have become practically synonymous with the holidays. Now families can watch this famous Peanuts Christmas special any time they want, and in hi-def. Will kids today appreciate the Peanuts as much as we did as kids? I doubt it. But it is still fun to share the holiday memories of our childhood with them.

*For more info on new holiday DVD and Blu-ray releases, see our list of New Christmas Releases (2009).

(Photos © Warner Home Video)