Throwback Thursday: Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast has always been my most favorite Disney cartoon. Here are a few fun facts you probably didn't know about my history with the film...

1) I saw BATB eleven times in the theater. ELEVEN!
2) When I first watched the film at the El Capitan in Hollywood I was crushed that Gaston killed the Beast. I remember crying I was so upset but my dad comforted me and told me to watch what happened. He must've known he'd come back to life ;)
3) We met the artist who drew Gaston, Andreas Deja, twice. Once at the El Capitan (where he did a quick sketch and autograph for us on a napkin) and the other time at Disneyland.
4) Once my family owned the movie on VHS we would sing the songs all the time and my brother and I often reenacted our favorite scenes.
5) I started a BATB collection quite young and to this day occasionally add to it.
6) I was Belle for Halloween twice and eventually wore her gold dress to shreds from playing dress up so much (I cringe at the way I used to take care of things back then! Who was I?).
7) My Uncle, who is now with the Lord, would make me giggle every time I saw him as he'd always say "Hello Belle! Oh, I mean Jennifer." He liked to pretend he forgot my name and it was an ongoing game every time our families got together. What a fond memory!
8) I wanted to have a BATB themed Birthday party but there weren't any party decorations available to purchase so my mom and dad made their own. My dad was quite the artist and drew huge pictures of the characters (we even did pin the tail on the Beast!) and my mom and dad colored them in and made them look JUST LIKE the characters from the movie. I wish I still had them because these drawings were like framed works of art!
9) I debated auditioning to play the part of Belle at Disneyland once ...or twice.
10) Last Summer I met Paige O'Hara (voice of Belle) at the D23 Convention. She took a photo with me and signed my BATB Vinylmation Figure set.

Which Disney movie is your absolute favorite?