Disclosure: I received an expense-paid trip to a blogger event to learn about some of Disney’s exciting upcoming releases, including Disney Super Buddies!

Come with me on the joyous journey I experienced on the Disney lot meeting one of the Disney Super Buddies stars Rosebud!  It all started here, at the Disney Animation Studios:

Don’t you love the wizard’s hat, made famous by Mickey Mouse himself as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice in Fantasia?  And now the star of of the show:

Time for Super Buddies Rosebud to have her close up!

Rosebud was so sweet!  She liked being interviewed so much that she tried to eat my notebook!

Awww, I just want to take her home! But you might be surprised to learn that Rosebud is really a him!  It’s a male dog named Cooper.  According to Rosebud’s trainer, these precious pups are only able to be featured in their Super Buddies roles during filming for a short time. Filming lasts for several months, and the puppies get too big within a month or so to fill their roles as puppies.  At that time, a new cast of puppies is introduced to the set, while the puppies that get too big are adopted out to their forever homes.

Adopting a new dog

Are you thinking of giving a puppy a forever home? Why not try your local shelter, or a dog rescue program? You might be surprised to learn that many pure breeds like Golden Retrievers find themselves looking for their forever home at shelters and rescues. You can check http://www.petfinder.com for your favorite breed, but mixed breeds make wonderful family pets too. Of course, the Super Buddies stars have fantastic owners and trainers make sure they end up with awesome forever homes after they are done with their roles in Super Buddies!

Reel Mama meets the Super Buddies Rosebud!

I fell in love with Rosebud when I got to interview “her” on the Disney lot to celebrate the August 27, 2013, release of Disney Super Buddies on Blu Ray!  Check out this slideshow starring Super Buddies Rosebud and her trainer:

Meet the voice of Super Buddies ROSEBUD

G. Hannelius is the voice of Rosebud in Super Buddies, and I have to say I am impressed with her voiceover skills.  I’m guessing she’s a dog lover herself, because she’s the star of the Disney Channel hit series “Dog with a Blog.”  She’s appeared on “Good Luck Charlie,” “Hannah Montana” and lots of other Disney Channel favorites.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing lots more from this young fashionista.

Disney star G Hannelius, the voice of Disney Super Buddies Rosebud. Photo: IMDB

Super Buddies Review

Friends get in touch with me all the time asking what movies would be good to watch with their kids.  If they have young kids, they usually want something G rated, and it’s sometimes difficult for me to find something that they haven’t seen.  And what if you have children of different ages who all should be included in the movie party?  How do you find something that even children under five can enjoy while not boring the older kids?  I’m always on the lookout for genuinely family friendly films, and I am happy to be able to recommend Disney Super Buddies to families.  It will be releasing on DVD and Blu Ray on August 27, 2013, just in time for a fun end of summer movie party!

 Super Buddies synopsis

When five adorable Golden Retriever puppies accidentally stumble upon the otherworldly rings from the Planet Inspiron, they are each granted a superpower that becomes even more powerful when they work together.  Unfortunately, the malevolent alien called Commander Drex  wants the rings for himself, and he comes to Earth to recover them.  The Super Buddies must defend the planet with everything they’ve got.

Super Buddies rating

First, I love that Disney Super Buddies is G-rated.  We need more children’s films that have the G rating, so that younger kids can also be included in the family movie night experience. Happily Disney’s Super Buddies has something for everybody.  First, who doesn’t love cute puppies?  Young children will love watching these cuddly Golden Retriever pups perform amazing feats of bravery.  There’s plenty of action for the older kids, who will love the Super Buddies’ superhero adventures without the violence.

The movie does feature Drex, an alien bad guy, in scenes that might be too intense for toddlers, but with his gargantuan head and bug-like features, he looks a bit comical and I don’t think is too intimidating for kids four and up.  (My three-year-old daughter was not bothered by him at all.)

Super Buddies cast

John Ratzenberger walks onstage at D23 with a marching band in celebration of his 14 Pixar film voice roles. Photo: Disney

Grownups will appreciate the impressive names in the cast.  The movie stars one of my all-time favorite Disney regulars, John Ratzenberger, as Gramps Livingstone.  When he made a special appearance at the D23 Disney fan convention, I learned that the actor best known for Cheers has been the voice of characters in no less that 14 Pixar films!  (Remember the school of fish in Finding Nemo that mocks Marlin? That’s Ratzenberger!  He’s Hamm in Toy Story, Mack in Cars, and many others).

Another favorite comedian of mine, comic genius Tim Conway, stars as the Basset hound Deputy Sniffer, lending him humor and heart.  I think my favorite performance in this film is Michael Teigen as Sheriff Dan.  He really has a gift for physical comedy that reminds me a lot of John Ritter.  He brings just the right dose of silliness to Sheriff Dan: his expressions and slapstick moves are sure to crack kids up every time.

Super Buddies is great for kids

Disney Super Buddies is a straight to Blu Ray and DVD release, so the film’s budget didn’t permit the special effects you’d find in a super hero blockbuster, but I think it’s for the best.  Such huge effects are intimidating for kids under ten, and these effects, when the Super Buddies are fighting the bad guys, will be convincing enough for children.  I love the paw-sitive message of the movie about the importance of team work.  My three-year-old daughter was jumping up and down and yelling at the screen: “Go Super Buddies! Yay!  Look Mommy, they’re doing it!”  Beating the bad guys, that is. The Super Buddies made my daughter smile and laugh.  Needless to say, Disney Super Buddies is very pup-ular at our house!