Mary Poppins Returns now available on Digital and 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray™

This is an ad for Walt Disney Studios and Mary Poppins Returns.

Over 50 years ago Walt Disney Studios introduced us to a nanny that was like no other, she was “practically perfect” in every way  — and she’s back!  That’s right Mary Poppins Returns is now available in the Walt Disney Signature Collection On Digital and 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™.  While Mary Poppins Returns is different than the original, I thought it was fantastic.  It’s full of amazing songs to sing and dance along with, some great nods to the original movie and of course that extra bit of Disney magic that makes Mary Poppins… Mary Poppins 😉 

In “Mary Poppins Returns,” Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw)—just a child when Mary Poppins first visited 17 Cherry Tree Lane —is now a grown man raising his children Annabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh) and Georgie (Joel Dawson) with help from his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer). Times are tough in Depression-era London but the winds begin to change and the enigmatic governess, whose unique magical skills can turn any ordinary task into a fantastic adventure, enters the lives of the Banks family once again, having not aged a single day. Teaming up with an old friend, Jack, they take the Banks children on a series of whimsical adventures, encountering colorful characters like Mary’s eccentric Cousin Topsy (Streep), Jack’s lovable band of leeries and bank executives William Weatherall Wilkins (Colin Firth) and Mr. Dawes Jr. (Van Dyke)—bringing life, love and laughter back into the home.

Mary Poppins Returns

Emily Blunt stars as Mary Poppins and she does the role credit.  She brings a fresh spin on the character but does not take away from or diminish the legacy that Julie Andrews left for her. 

And Dick Van Dyke being in it… well that was just awesome!

Do you remember Mary Poppins magic carpet bag?  Man I feel like I need one of those, especially when I’m trying to organize and clean my home!  In order to celebrate the home entertainment release of Mary Poppins, Walt Disney Studios did send me something “almost” as good though.. a galvanized pail full of things that Mary likely has in that carpet bag 😉  The only extra thing I think it could have included, is Mary herself!  (Ha ha, or maybe not because she’d probably find cause to get me into shipshape!)

So in Mary Poppins style, I’d like to share Tips for getting your kids WANTING to clean because you have turned cleaning into fun!:

• Have your kids turn on their favorite tunes, crank up the volume and the vacuum, and have a dance party.  Let them show off their “Clean Groove and Fancy Feet and Go! Go! Go!,” and when they’re done.. the carpet will have all the dirt sucked out of it.

(I am being the example, when the kids found out that the bluetooth headphones were playing their favorite Disney tunes, well let’s just say they wanted to take over 😉 ).  

• Let them star in their own cleaning video! What kid doesn’t want to be a YouTube Star?!  Let them grab a tablet and take turns videoing each other as they do “how-to clean” videos of their rooms, the bathroom or the kitchen.  Let them know that if the cleaning was done well, the videos will be up for an award of some kind.  Who knows, if you actually upload it to YouTube, your kids may start a little following and parents across the globe will be in your debt 😉 

• Make cleaning solutions in your secret lab! Find some safe, homemade cleaning solution recipes online and let your kids make their own ‘lab kit’ to clean with.  A great multipurpose cleaner is simply half a cup of vinegar and half a dozen drops of some essential oils (I like orange) in a spray bottle, then fill the rest of the bottle with water.  Send them through the house with a bucket filled with their creations, some brushes and cloths and a secret mission to disinfect the evil germs.

• EVERYONE like rewards.  I have found in the years our daughter was younger that I was more successful getting her to clean if I said “Clean your room AND THEN you can watch your new DVD,” rather than if I said “You can’t watch your new DVD until your room is clean.”  Yes, it’s the same thing LOL, but to a kid the first phrase seems so much more like a reward.  Chore Charts are fabulous for this too. 

Get a dry erase decal and make a chore chart,  then decide as a family what the rewards will be.  When the boxes are all checked the reward will be granted.  Seeing progression toward a goal helps make cleaning fun.

Here’s a fun activity pack you can print off that can be used for motivation 😉 ! Just click on the picture below to download or print.  The icons for each of those will be in the upper right hand corner. 

“Mary Poppins Returns” has been packaged and released in several different formats, giving families the flexibility to watch it on a variety of different devices. Viewers can instantly watch the film in Digital UHD, HD and SD, and/or bring home a physical copy of the film as the Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K UHD, Blu-ray and Digital Code), Multi-Screen Edition (Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Code), a single DVD or a Digital Bundle with both “Mary Poppins Returns” and the 1964 classic “Mary Poppins.”

For those watching with younger children there is a scene that may be scary to them.  I personally feel that most children ages 7+ should be able to watch the movie without issues.  However you know your children best and if they are more sensitive emotionally you may want to preview it yourself first prior to watching it with them.

The feature film is only the beginning of the fun though take a look at what the Bonus features include*:

BLU-RAY & 4K ULTRA HD™:  

• Deleted Song—“The Anthropomorphic Zoo” – In this early song sequence, Mary Poppins and the children visit a very special zoo where the humans and animals trade places.
• The Practically Perfect Making of “Mary Poppins Returns” – Join filmmakers and cast on an amazing journey to embrace the legacy of the original film while making a fresh modern sequel.
  • Introduction – Filmmakers and cast remember the first Mary Poppins movie and share the thrill of working on “Mary Poppins Returns.”
  • “(Underneath the) Lovely London Sky” – Discover how the team mined PL Travers’ books for a fresh perspective on a much-loved character. Plus, meet the Banks children!
  • “Can You Imagine That?” – Be on location for Mary’s iconic entrance from the sky, and explore the movie’s original songs, inspired by the Sherman Brothers.
  • “Nowhere to Go but Up” – Experience being on set with the legendary Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury, and celebrate the joy of choosing the right balloon!
• Seeing Things From a Different Point of View”: The Musical Numbers of “Mary Poppins Returns” – Go behind the scenes and experience the film’s production numbers from a new angle.
  • “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” – Led by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the cast performs the film’s biggest production number, with dancing lamplighters, bicyclists and more!
  • “The Royal Doulton Music Hall” / “A Cover Is Not the Book” – Find out what it takes to create two musical extravaganzas inside an animated world, highlighted by dancing animated penguins!
  • “Turning Turtle” – Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy Turvy, played by Meryl Streep, has an unusual house that turns this musical number upside-down.
  • “Can You Imagine That?” – Dive under the bubbles with the cast and crew to see how this exuberant number was created.
• Back to Cherry Tree Lane: Dick Van Dyke Returns – Dick Van Dyke, who played Bert and Mr. Dawes Sr. in the first film, returns after 54 years to Cherry Tree Lane as Mr. Dawes Jr.
• Practically Perfect Bloopers – There’s nowhere to go but up with the cast and crew in this lighthearted collection of flubs, goofs and prop fails!
• Deleted Scenes
  • Leaving Topsy’s – After their visit to Cousin Topsy, Mary, Jack and the children pause to take a look back.
  • “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” – The leeries light up the screen in this extended clip from the movie’s biggest musical production.
• Play Movie in Sing-Along Mode – Sing along with all your favorite songs as you watch the movie.

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE:

• Play Movie with Audio Commentary – Watch the film with commentary by director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca.

You can purchase Mary Poppins Returns digitally on Movies Anywhere, as well as find limited-time offers for special edition releases on that page as well – https://movies.disney.com/mary-poppins-returns.   Amazon.com has a selection of formats of Mary Poppins Returns as well – https://amzn.to/2Y8KHIF.  

Have you seen Mary Poppins Returns yet?  If so what did you think of it?!