14 Ultimate Fans from the Worlds of Disney

By Jessica Benda

Stars—they’re just like us! Especially if the “stars” are our favorite Disney characters, and the “like us” is our fierce love of Disney.

The worlds of Disney are full of fans devoted to their own passions—whether it be musicians, movies, or a certain snowy holiday. Some Disney characters show off a huge collection of their idol’s merchandise, while others may take their fandom to other extremes. To celebrate D23: The Official Disney Fan Club’s 14th anniversary, we’ve rounded up 14 of the ultimate fans from some of our favorite Disney films and series.

In the animated film Turning Red, Mei and her friends cry tears of joy at 4*Town’s concert. The four of them stand in the crowd and sport 4*Town face paint and shirts.

Turning Red’s Mei: 4*Town
Magazine covers, fan art, a CD of the ’99 Australian Tour with the Girl I Love Your Jeans remix—Mei might be the most accurate depiction of tween fandom yet. In Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red, Mei and her friends are deep in a one-sided relationship with boyband 4*Town… so obviously, they have to attend their upcoming concert at the SkyDome!

Ms. Marvel’s Kamala Khan: Marvel
Kamala Khan (a.k.a. SlothBaby to her fan fiction readers) is the ultimate Marvel fan, in her Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. With a fierce adoration of Captain Marvel and a mental encyclopedia of Avenger knowledge, she’s thrust into the life she writes about when she activates her own powers. Kamala ultimately takes on her own Super Hero identity as Ms. Marvel—and surely comes full circle as the new source of other teens’ fan fiction.

The Incredibles’ Syndrome: Mr. Incredible
Metroville hath no fury like a Syndrome scorned… Once the self-proclaimed Incrediboy—and the state-proclaimed Buddy Pine—Syndrome was Mr. Incredible’s No. 1 fan in Disney and Pixar’s The Incredibles. As an active member of the fan club, he often seeks out autographs and pictures, and eventually endeavors to make himself Mr. Incredible’s sidekick. But after he’s brushed aside, he makes it his personal mission to extinguish all superheroes. Syndrome takes “ultimate fan” to new (and kinda scary) heights!

Alt text: In the animated film Lilo and Stitch, the blue alien Stitch stands on the beach in an Elvis Presley costume. He wears a black wig, sparkling white pantsuit, and strums a guitar.

Lilo & Stitch’s Lilo: Elvis Presley
The only thing Lilo loves more than Stitch? Elvis Presley. Okay, maybe not quite that much, but no one can deny that Elvis is Lilo’s idol. In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Lilo & Stitch, she spends a fair amount of time lying on the hardwood while cranking “Heartbreak Hotel.” And when Stitch needs shaping up into a “model citizen,” Lilo knows the ultimate model citizen: Elvis (though the 1950s might’ve disagreed). She takes it on herself to teach Stitch all “the King’s” skills: dancing, guitar, and romance.

Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century’s Zenon: Proto Zoa
In 2049, Microbe is one of the biggest groups in rock—and Zenon is one of their biggest fans. Much of the momentum in the Disney Channel Original Movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century is driven by Zenon’s love of  the group and its lead singer, Proto Zoa. Amid stopping mass destruction, she even wins a “Dance with Proto Zoa” contest, and travels with him to the first live concert in space!

Teen Beach Movie’s Brady: Wet Side Story
In the Disney Channel Original Movie Teen Beach Movie, teen surfer Brady loves the fictious 1960s movie musical Wet Side Story, a Disney Channel rendition of Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story. Brady’s ultimate fan dreams come true when he and his girlfriend, McKenzie, are swept into the movie by a storm. Radical!

In the stop-motion animated film Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, the towering Jack Skellington is wearing a Santa Claus costume. He looms over a child in a Christmas-decorated home, offering him a present from his sack.

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas’ Jack Skellington: Christmas
Few fans take their obsessions as far as Jack Skellington, and that’s probably for the best. After Jack discovers Christmas, he commits identity theft, kidnapping, and surely infringes on Christmas Land copyright… but surely, it’s just because it loves it so much! He spends the bulk of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas attempting to transform Halloween Town into a winter wonderland and himself into “Sandy Claws.” The expression “crash and burn” becomes literal—in a good way—as, thankfully, he eventually reignites his passion for Halloween and his role as the Pumpkin King.

The Little Mermaid’s Ariel: The Human World
As shown by her cavern of collectables, Ariel is a huge fan of the human world. She collects thingamabobs and whatzits to her heart’s contents, and she’s not afraid to break the rules by breaching the ocean’s surface. Her passion for the above world pays off when she becomes a human herself! It’s a little dicey at first, but—spoiler alert—there’s a happy ending after all.

Coco’s Miguel: Ernesto de la Cruz
As an aspiring musician, Miguel idolizes the late singer and (supposed) songwriter Ernesto de la Cruz—so much so that he built a secret tribute to him in his family’s attic. In Disney and Pixar’s Coco, Miguel breaks into Ernesto’s tomb to borrow his guitar, and inadvertently turns himself into one of the dead. Luckily for him, being dead has its perks—as he can now track down his deceased idol. Worth dying for? TBD.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Peter Quill pilots a ship. He smiles as he steers, while Gamora and Drax are blurry in the background.

Guardians of the Galaxy’s Peter Quill: Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon saved a small town through the power of dance in Footloose, so it’s understandable why he’s Peter Quill’s hero! Though Peter mentions his love of the ’80s megastar a few times in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Bacon appears in all his Los Angeles glory in Disney+’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Mantis and Drax abruptly kidnap Bacon to present him to Peter as a Christmas present. But unlike Jack Skellington, Peter knows better than to hold his hero hostage…

Sonny with a Chance’s Sonny Munroe: Chad Dylan Cooper
In Disney Channel’s Sonny with a Chance, small-town Sonny Munroe is starstruck when she meets Chad Dylan Cooper, the star of hit tween series MacKenzie Falls. As she starts as a new cast member of a rival TV show, she’s only dazzled for an episode before she realizes the enormity of his ego. As in any fan’s ultimate dream, Chad goes from Sonny’s celebrity crush, to her nemesis, to her boyfriend, and so on and so on.

A Goofy Movie’s Max Goof: Powerline
Max Goof first proves his love of Powerline in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ A Goofy Movie by hijacking a school assembly to perform as the pop star. He spends the rest of the film on a wayward road trip with his father, Goofy, ultimately trying to steer the course toward Los Angeles. There, he not only gets to attend Powerline’s concert, he performs in it!

In the animated film Moana, Maui the demigod holds a boat in one hand and makes a finger gun symbol with his free hand. He winks.

Moana’s Maui: Maui
The hair! The bod! In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana, the demigod Maui makes it clear that he knows his own worth—perhaps a bit too much. Then again, he harnessed the breeze, pulled islands from the ocean, and made a coconut tree out of a dead eel. Can you blame him?

Toy Story 2’s Al: Woody’s Roundup
Original hand-painted face; natural-dyed blanket-stitched vest; hand-stitched polyvinyl hat! It’s love at first sight for toy store owner Al when he finds Woody at Andy’s family garage sale. When he can’t buy Woody, he lets his inner crazed-fan loose and steals him… it’s the final piece Al needs for his prized collection based on the classic TV show Woody’s Roundup. But that said, Al might be a bigger fan of the profit than the collection.

DOWNLOADABLE: Celebrate Your Creativity with a Disney100 Coloring Page

By Analise Warner

Ring in the last week of Women’s History Month before the clock strikes midnight this Friday! Celebrate with the courageous and kind Princess Cinderella with an exclusive printable page from Disney Publishing’s new Art of Coloring: Disney 100 Years of Wonder book. Have a bibbidi-bobbidi ball with this must-have adult coloring book that offers a fun and familiar look at everything Disney—past, present, and future. Download the charming coloring page below and remember: “If you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true!”

DOWNLOAD

Icons of Disney Storytelling: Jared Bush

By Zach Johnson

For 100 years, Walt Disney Animation Studios has told timeless tales through films that combine beautiful artistry, masterful storytelling, and groundbreaking technology. Among the studios’ many bright stars is Jared Bush, who most recently helmed its 60th feature film, the Academy Award®-winning Encanto, writing the script with Charise Castro Smith and directing the film alongside Byron Howard.

A Harvard University graduate, Bush began his career as a script reader for Oscar®-winning director Robert Zemeckis. After he joined The Walt Disney Company, he co-created, executive produced, and wrote Disney XD’s animated comedy adventure series Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero. He went on to co-direct and write the Oscar-winning feature Zootopia; write the Oscar-nominated feature Moana; and executive produce both the Oscar®-nominated feature Raya and the Last Dragon and the Disney+ Original series Zootopia+. Suffice to say, Bush knows how to tell a good story—and he’s already hard at work on his next one. But first, he’s joining D23: The Disney Fan Club for a wide-ranging Q&A...

In a scene from Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero, animated characters Sashi Kobayashi, Penn Zero, and Boone Wiseman wear superhero suits and stand in a park.

D23: What makes Disney the perfect home to tell your stories?
Jared Bush (JB): Walt Disney Animation Studios is a place that celebrates the elements of stories that I love the most: comedy, emotion, unique characters, and fantastical worlds. Even better, it celebrates those things in a hyper-collaborative environment where we all work together to create something greater than the sum of its parts, built from the imaginations of the most creative people I’ve ever worked with.

D23: How has Disney helped you touch hearts around the world in ways you didn’t expect?
JB: When anyone sees themselves onscreen, whether it’s how they look, experiences they’ve had, or emotions they’ve felt, there’s an amazing connection that can form between audiences and the stories they feel a part of. One of my favorite unexpected things about Disney Animation is just how many different types of people you have the benefit of working with, all of whom are putting their hearts and experiences into our films, which allow people everywhere to feel seen. Being able to translate and perform “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto into 42 languages flawlessly is pretty great, too!

In a scene from Zootopia, the police officer rabbit Judy Hopps holds a sprinkle donut sign above a shrew named Fru Fru, who is holding red shopping bags.

D23: What are some common things you hear from viewers about your projects?
JB: I hear a lot. Truthfully though, I think my favorite thing to hear are viewers’ theories about loose-ends or unanswered mysteries. I feel very strongly that audiences having their own interpretations of our stories and characters is really important—everyone’s lived experiences change their perspective of what’s onscreen, and I think it’s all valid. If you see a story I worked on differently than I do, it means you’ve found your own personal connection, and I think that’s fantastic.

D23: How does Disney Animation help you connect with audiences in a way that’s unique to Disney?
JB: Well, like so many of us, I grew up watching Disney Animation films: The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan. I think the entertainment and wonder immediately grabbed me, but it’s impossible to think of those films without the music that defines them. Music tied to character, even better. I think it’s subconsciously informed a lot of what I love, and the choices I make in the stories I’ve been able to work on. For decades, people have had high expectations of Disney stories: fun, emotion, hope, imagination—all elements I firmly believe in. It’s a high bar to aspire to, but I think challenge breeds creativity.

In a scene from Moana, Moana and a rooster named Hei Hei are on a raft in the ocean on a sunny day. Moana kneels on all fours and holds a coconut in one hand.

D23: What is it about Disney that’s most important to you in supporting your development as a storyteller?
JB: Collaboration with unbelievably talented people who think and create in different ways than I do. It’s hard to describe the feeling of someone finding something absolutely brilliant that you never would have thought of that elevates your story in ways you couldn’t have imagined. It makes you think differently and expands what you think is possible. As a storyteller, it’s an incredible luxury.

D23: How has Disney enabled you to collaborate with other storytellers?
JB: Disney Animation is defined by collaboration. It’s not possible without it. More than 600 people work on any given film, and the reason is because it takes hundreds of specialists to achieve each aspect of what you see in the final frame. Animation, lighting, character design, clothing, music, hair simulation, special effects, story, crowd characters, the technology that makes all of that possible, the people working behind the scenes to support all of it—it takes everyone working together, helping each other, all in pursuit of telling a story that we can be proud of.

In a scene from Encanto, Isabela sits on a swing made of flowers and is bathed in purple light. Her family members stand below, extending their arms.

D23: How would you summarize your experience working with Disney to realize your vision?
JB: Combined imagination. Our stories are not “one vision.” Even in stories very personal to me, where it’s begun with a tiny nugget of an idea in my brain, it quickly becomes a shared vision of many people, all of whom work together and bring themselves into the story to make it something greater than any one person could create alone. It’s my favorite part of working at Disney Animation. And in my experience, it’s wholly unique in Hollywood... which is why I feel so lucky to be a part of it.

D23: What makes you want to work on new Disney projects time and again? How has working at Disney Animation helped you realize your dreams—and dream new ones?
JB: I think any creative person’s dream is to be able to have a career where imagination and artistic freedom is even remotely possible... let alone the most important aspect of what you do. I still don’t believe this is my life. But a step further, I also believe that all creative people hope someone connects with a story they create, a picture they draw, a character they imagine, a song they write... because everything we make is in some way deeply personal. It is truly a part of you. When that resonates, it’s a dream come true. My only new dream is to be able to keep doing what I’m doing... forever.

Totally Tubular Photos from the ’80s-Themed Prom Pact Premiere

By Zach Johnson

Given that the Disney Original Movie Prom Pact features multiple “promposals” inspired by classic ’80s films, it made perfect sense the film’s world premiere, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, was similarly themed. And so, last Friday night, the stars and creative team came together to pose for photos on the pink carpet in celebration of Disney Branded Television’s heartfelt romantic comedy, debuting Thursday, March 30, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and next day on Disney+.

Prom Pact stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Milo Manheim, Blake Draper, Monique Green, Arica Himmel, Jason Sakaki, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and David S. Jung came dressed to impress, as did executive producers Julie Bowen, Rachael Field, and Melvin Mar. “I'm a massive sucker for the ’80s,” Draper, who plays Graham Lansing, said at the recent Winter 2023 TCA Press Tour. “To be able to live out prom in the Prom Pact world, with this ’80s set, was just one of the greatest things ever. So, I had some fun.”

The cast of Prom Pact poses for a photo on the pink carpet at the premiere.

Lee and Manheim’s Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. costars Wes Tian, Emma Meisel, Mapuana Makia, Matthew Sato, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, and Alex Aiono also attended the premiere. (Don’t forget: All episodes from Season 2 will premiere Friday, March 31, on Disney+!) Not only that, but Manheim reunited with his ZOMBIES costars Meg Donnelly, Trevor Tordjman, Emilia McCarthy, and Carla Jeffries!

Before you watch Prom Pact, enjoy more photos from the pink carpet:

Unraveling the Mysteries of Secrets of Sulphur Springs Season 3

By Zach Johnson

Secrets don’t stay secret for long... at least not in Secrets of Sulphur Springs!

Following the time-traveling series’ two-episode Season 3 premiere on Disney Channel, stars Preston Oliver and Kyliegh Curran tell D23: The Official Disney Fan Club they’re just as mystified as fans by what’s happening in Room 205 at the paranormal Tremont hotel. “The ghost of 205 has been doing his best to ruin the lives of the residents and the main characters, and he takes out his anger on Griffin and Harper’s families,” says Curran, who plays Harper and Daisy Tremont. “It ends up turning them against each other. In Harper’s vision, you see that Griffin pushes Topher [Johari Washington] off of the balcony and onto the front desk of the lobby, and that ruins their family’s bond; it tears them apart. So, the Harper you see yelling really loudly at Griffin—that’s future Harper. She’s really torn up about her brother, so she’s taking it out on the guy who she thinks ruined her life—when, actually, it’s because of a ghost.”

When Griffin visits Harper in the future and inquires about Topher’s accident, he is shocked to learn he may have played a part in such a tragedy. “Reading the script, it was a total twist,” Oliver recalls. “It wasn’t where I thought the show was going to go.”

Oliver isn’t the only one surprised by what the future may hold for their characters. Given Harper’s special abilities, one might assume Curran could better predict what’s coming. Not so! “Harper’s visions are usually about something horrible that happened in the past,” Curran says. “But once Harper finds out that bad things will happen to Griffin’s mother in the future, and that there’s been a horrible act in the past in Room 205, they can specifically target those two problems and take preventative measures.”

Throughout Season 3, Griffin’s family—dad Ben (Josh Braaten), mom Sarah (Kelly Frye), and twin siblings Wyatt (Landon Gordon) and Zoey (Madeleine McGraw)—will pay extra attention to the eerie events around the hotel, as will Harper’s brother. Whether they believe a ghost is involved, however, depends on the character. “Having a bigger group to go on these adventures with is refreshing for Griffin,” Oliver says. “But at the same time, it’s a lot more stressful, because telling the kids about all the stuff that’s been going on could mean that they’ll tell other people, which cannot be that good.”

The cast of Secrets of Sulphur Springs stands on a wooden staircase on the show’s set.

When Wyatt, Zoey, and Topher set out to prove the ghost of Savannah (Elle Graham) is real, they stumble upon what Griffin and Harper have long-known: She is not only real, but she’s a real person—not a ghost. As they soon learn, she has been time-traveling from the 1960s to the present day to help Griffin and Harper make sense of the hotel’s enigmas. After filling in their respective siblings, Griffin and Harper remind them that they cannot change the past. But, by changing the present, they might be able to change the future. “I think it’s more hope than anything,” Curran says. “I think their experiences with not being able to change the past created a swell of doubt in them. But they are both super-determined kids, and they care a lot about their families; they aren’t going to let an evil little ghost ruin their lives. So, I think it’s hope against hope.”

Oliver adds, “When it gets the future, that’s where it gets a little confusing—because it’s in the future where their lives go bad. But present day, they’re all still together, so they want to do their best to change the present before it gets to the future. That means they need to go back to the past to get information they can use to change the present. It’s little confusing to talk about, but once you see it, you’ll completely get it!”

As for Harper’s vision of the hotel on fire? “It just kind of happens. It’s an anomaly,” Curran says. “That’s why we don’t like the ghost—because he doesn’t explain himself!”

The next episode of the Children’s and Family Emmy® Awards-nominated series airs Friday, March 31, on Disney Channel. All episodes are available next day on Disney+.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Week

By Andie Hagemann

From lavish Promposals to dramatic series finales, don’t miss all the new content coming to your TV (and assorted streaming devices) this week! Zach’s journey to true love concludes with the season finale of The Bachelor, airing Monday on ABC, and the shocking finale of The Watchful Eye airs that same night on Freeform. The two-episode season finale of Star Wars: The Bad Batch debuts Wednesday on Disney+. On Thursday, Disney Channel Original Movie Prom Pact premieres on Disney Channel. Plus, all episodes of Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. launch on Friday on Disney+.

In a scene from an episode of The Bachelor, series lead Zach Shallcross and host Jesse Palmer sit in an outdoor patio. Shallcross wears a green, short-sleeved, button-down shirt and khaki shorts. Palmer wears a pink button-down shirt and khaki pants.

The Bachelor—Monday, March 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC
It’s a crucial final week in Thailand as Zach Shallcross introduces the final two women, Kaity and Gabi, to his family. With everything on the line, he’ll head out on a romantic horse ride with Gabi and, later, a breathtaking hike with Kaity; each date leading him closer to the most important choice he’s made so far. Watch along with a live studio audience as host Jesse Palmer sits down with Zach and the final three women (Kaity, Gabi, and Ariel) to discuss the emotional conclusion of his journey. Who will receive the final rose?

In a scene from an episode of The Watchful Eye, actor Kelly Bishop wears a black pantsuit and stands in a dark basement.

The Watchful Eye—Monday, March 27, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform
Alliances are tested and new ones are formed in the heart-pumping season finale. Once the truth is revealed, The Greybourne will never be the same.  The scintillating series stars Mariel Molino as Elena, Warren Christie as Matthew, Kelly Bishop as Mrs. Ivey, Amy Acker as Tory, Jon Ecker as Scott, Lex Lumpkin as Elliott, Henry Joseph Samiri as Jasper, and Aliyah Royale as Ginny. New Episodes are available to stream the next day on Hulu.

In a scene from an episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Crosshair wears a gray, armored top.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch—Wednesday, March 29, on Disney+
The second season concludes with not just one, but two thrilling episodes titled, “The Summit” and “Plan 99.” Season 2 picks up months after the events on Kamino with the Bad Batch as they navigate the Empire after the fall of the Republic. They cross paths with friends and foes, both new and familiar, as they embark on a variety of thrilling mercenary missions that will take them to unexpected and dangerous new places. The series stars Dee Bradley Baker who voices the Bad Batch and Michelle Ang who voices Omega.

In a scene from Prom Pact, actors Milo Manheim and Peyton Elizabeth Lee sit in a movie theater and eat popcorn. Manheim wears a white button-down shirt, a purple pattered suit jacket. And a black bolo tie. Lee wears a hot pink, strapless, sequin dress and matching gloves.

Prom Pact—Thursday, March 30, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
It’s the height of prom season, and high school senior Mandy Yang (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her best friend and fellow outsider Ben (Milo Manheim) are surrounded by over-the-top 1980s-themed Promposals. However, Mandy is laser-focused on her lifelong dream of attending Harvard. When she finds out that she has been put on the waitlist, she is determined to do whatever she can to get herself accepted, even if that means asking for help from the one person she abhors—popular all-star jock Graham Lansing (Blake Draper) whose father is a powerful senator and Harvard alum. Once Mandy becomes Graham’s tutor, she begins to realize there’s more to him than she thought and perhaps something more to life than Harvard. The Disney Channel Original Movie also stars Monique Green as LaToya, Arica Himmel as Zenobia, Jason Sakaki as Charles, Chelah Horsdal as Mrs. Lansing, David S. Jung as Tom Yang, with Wendi McLendon-Covey as Alyssa Yang and Margaret Cho as Ms. Chen. The movie is available to stream beginning on Friday, March 31, on Disney+.

In a promotional image for Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., actors Matthew Sato, Milo Manheim, Emma Meisel, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, and Alex Aiono smile and sit huddled together on a grass lawn.

Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.—Friday, March 31, on Disney+
The doctor is in! All episodes of the highly anticipated second season drop on Friday. Season 2 begins with Walter (Alex Aiono) back from the World Surf Tour, but he’s not the same boyfriend Lahela (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) said goodbye to months before. But she’s not the same girl either. When she meets a bad boy on a dirt bike, Nico (Milo Manheim), she’s faced with a decision: fight for what she knows is true or give new love a chance. It’s all complicated by the pressures of being a teenage doctor. Luckily, she has her family, co-workers, and best friend Steph (Emma Meisel) to support her along the way. The series also stars Kathleen Rose Perkins as Dr. Clara Hannon, Jason Scott Lee as Benny Kamealoha, Matthew Sato as Kai Kamealoha, Wes Tian as Brian Patrick Kamealoha, Mapuana Makia as Noelani, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman as Charles, and Ronny Chieng as Dr. Lee.

7 Treasures from the Walt Disney Archives Exclusive to the European Tour of Disney100: The Exhibition

By the D23 Team

The largest exhibition the Walt Disney Archives has ever created begins its European tour in Munich’s small Olympic Hall on April 18, 2023, to mark the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company. Disney100: The Exhibition invites fans to immerse themselves in and rediscover their favorite Disney stories in 10 magnificent and imaginatively themed galleries full of innovative and immersive technology.

Currently open at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, this second unit of the exhibition will offer guests in Europe the opportunity to explore nearly 250 artifacts including special works of art, artifacts, memorabilia, costumes, and props. In advance of the premiere in Munich, Disney revealed seven of the items which will be unique to the European tour.

You can find the European-exclusive items throughout the exhibit. In the gallery Where Do the Stories Come From?, visitors can behold the Dutch Language prop book from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and the Mary Poppins (1964) carousel horse ridden by Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke in his role as the lovable Bert.

In The Illusion of Life gallery, maquettes of Remy for Ratatouille (2007) and Jafar for Aladdin (1992) are among the items on display. Visitors will also discover more about the creation of Disney heroes, villains, and sidekicks that have inspired and entertained audiences across the globe for 100 years—from the first sketch to the finished animation.

The stories of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel invite you on a journey in The Spirit of Adventure and Discovery gallery, where fans can look forward to seeing Iron Man’s helmet featured in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), among other treasures.

Iron Man’s helmet, a shiny gold and dark red helmet stylized like the Marvel comics character of the same name.

Of course, Disney100: The Exhibition also includes a look at Disney’s world-renowned theme parks. In the gallery Your Disney World: A Day in the Parks, visitors will feel as if they are standing on a version of Main Street, U.S.A., when they see an attraction vehicle from Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland Park and a model of the Castle of Magical Dreams for Hong Kong Disneyland Park shine in the colorful light of fireworks.

It took four years to plan and assemble the artifacts for Disney100: The Exhibition, many of which will be on display for fans and Disney lovers for the first time. Most artifacts presented are from the collection of the Walt Disney Archives, with additional items from Marvel Studios and the Pixar Living Archives. A selection of artwork is provided by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library and the Walt Disney Imagineering Collection.

“At the Walt Disney Archives, we work to protect and preserve Disney’s rich legacy—and to make it accessible to the public,” says Becky Cline, Director, Walt Disney Archives. “We cannot wait for fans and families to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating the iconic characters and stories that have captured the hearts of audiences around the globe.”

Tobias Kunz, Creative Director of Studio-TK, the design firm behind the exhibition, adds, “It’s moving to see artifacts from the films we all grew up with. The hand-painted artwork, costumes, props, and other items offer new perspectives on stories we know by heart. The creativity and artistry on display can only be appreciated if you’ve seen it for yourself, no matter how much you think you know.”

Disney100: The Exhibition was developed and curated by the Walt Disney Archives and Semmel Exhibitions. The European premiere of Disney100: The Exhibition will take place on April 18, 2023, at the small Olympic Hall in Munich, Germany.

For more information on Disney100: The Exhibition, please visit its website here.

Behind the Music of Hulu’s Up Here

By Zach Johnson

“Do you ever look at someone and wonder, ‘What is going inside their head?’”

That line is from Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out (2015), but it could have just as easily been said in Hulu’s Up Here—a new musical romantic comedy starring Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes, premiering with all eight episodes on Friday, March 24. Featuring original songs by the Emmy®-, Grammy®-, and Oscar®-winning team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, the series is inspired by their 2015 stage musical of the same name. Set in New York City in the waning days of 1999, the series—intended for mature audiences—follows two ordinary people, Lindsay (Whitman) and Miguel (Valdes), as they fall in love and discover that the biggest obstacle to happily ever after just might be themselves. (Well, that and the fantasies, fears, memories, and obsessions living inside their heads.)

In a scene from Up Here, Lindsay, played by Mae Whitman, performs onstage.

In revisiting the songs for streaming, Lopez tells D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, “Almost none of the original stage musical survives.” Instead, it served as a “jumping off point” to create something new with writers Steven Levenson and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and director Thomas Kail. “There was a lot of inspiration, and the concept and the theme are very similar. For example, in the stage musical, we only ever went into the male character’s mind; we didn’t see to into the female character’s. And, honestly, the characters are different, the names are different, and most of the music is different. The consciousness characters were fantastical. [Editor’s note: They were puppets onstage.] They were embodiments of fear and pain and anger. One of Steven’s amazing and brilliant contributions was to ask, ‘What if these consciousness characters are actual people and memories from Miguel and Lindsay’s pasts?’ Immediately, we threw out everything we’d written for the consciousness characters.” Now, guest stars like Scott Porter bring to life the voices in the lead characters’ heads.

According to Lopez, “a few themes” from the stage musical remain. “The theme of ‘Can I Ever Know You?’ was from the original, but the song was written anew for Hulu,” he explains. “We discovered a lot by collaborating with Danielle, Tommy, and Steven.”

In a scene from Up Here, Miguel, played by Carlos Valdes, is part of a cabaret performance. He is surrounded by seven dancers and appears to be stressed.

Another song, “Please Like Me,” had been cut from the original stage musical, only to be rewritten for the series years later. “The wonderful thing about time is that it helps you have this great perspective,” Anderson-Lopez says. “When we were looking at rewriting a lot of it right after we opened in La Jolla in 2015, we couldn’t even wrap our minds around it. We were far too close; we had put too much of ourselves in it. And then we went on to do Frozen on Broadway, Frozen 2, Coco, and WandaVision—all these things. It was nice to be able to come back and go, ‘Oh, yeah! Remember that song? I like that song.’ The hook is the same, but almost every other lyric is rewritten for this character in this situation—and you can’t do that until you have some distance.”

In addition to songwriting, the Lopezes executive produce the series alongside Kail, Levenson, and Sanchez-Witzel. “We honestly didn’t even know what that meant,” Lopez says of their dual role, eliciting laughter from his wife. “Your first job on a TV show should probably not be executive producer! Essentially, we helped shape it and make it. What we didn’t know, we learned from Tommy and Steven, who made our favorite show, Fosse/Verdon. Danielle, a crack comedy writer with so much experience, knows what it takes to make one of these bounce along over a full season. She is incredible.”

The Up Here Original Series Soundtrack features an orange logo above Miguel, played by Carlos Valdes, and Lindsay, played by Mae Whitman, who are walking down a city street. Below them is text that reads “Original Songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez” in orange letters. The green Hulu logo is below it.

Given their prolific body of work, fans will no doubt want to sing along to the music of Up Here—and soon, they can! The soundtrack—available Friday, March 24, on all digital streaming platforms—features 21 original songs, including “Tiger Shark,” “You Gotta Be You,” and “The Quest,” among others. “I think my favorite is ‘I Am Not Alone,’ because it embodies what the project is about,” says Lopez. “It’s about huge feelings trapped inside. Miguel is in the bathroom, quite alone, singing a song of absolute ecstasy; that emotion is never communicated to Lindsay at all. It’s such a great dramatic moment that you couldn’t do any other way, really, except through song. The idea of going inside people’s brains is funny, and so I really love the tune.”

After initially calling it a toss-up (“I have so many that I love”), Anderson-Lopez aptly says the truth is her favorite song is “The Truth Is.” Featured in the seventh episode, “It’s Lindsay’s 11 o’clock number,” she says. “So many of us go through life people-pleasing, and that really sets you up well; if you know how to anticipate what someone is expecting and then give it to them, it’ll get you far in life. But when you fall in love with someone and you want them to really know you—and you want to know them—you have to get rid of that to sort things out. I love that the song looks at the struggle we have to define our own truth and separate that out from what other people want.”

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend Presented by State Farm®

By Andie Hagemann

Your weekend will be… heroic, thanks to the beloved and new titles coming to your TV (and assorted streaming devices)! On Saturday, watch a presentation of Hercules on Freeform, followed by an all-new episode of Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur on Disney Channel. Mature audiences can binge the first two episodes of FX’s Great Expectations on Hulu, beginning Sunday, and that same day, fans of all ages can watch a new episode of BUNK’D: Learning the Ropes on Disney Channel, followed by a presentation of Tooth Fairy on Freeform.

In a scene from Hercules, Philoctetes, an animated satyr talks to Hercules, an adolescent boy, who wears a one-strapped, white toga.

Hercules—Saturday, March 25, at 10 a.m. ET/PT on Freeform
Hades (voiced by James Woods), the God of the Underworld, wants to take over Mount Olympus after spending an eternity with the undead. However, with Hercules, the infant son of Zeus (voiced by Rip Torn) and Hera (voiced by Samantha Eggar), standing in his way, he enlists his two hapless sidekicks, Pain (voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait) and Panic (voiced by Matt Frewer), to eliminate the heir to the throne. Of course, they fail to administer the final drop of the potion, which leaves Hercules with his God-like strength intact. As Hercules (voiced by Tate Donovan) grows up, he discovers the truth about his origins and sets out to become a true hero so he can return to Mount Olympus. Hercules turns to a veteran hero-training satyr named Philoctetes (voiced by Danny DeVito) to help him go from “Zero to Hero.” Along the way, Hades arranges a catalogue of calamities, including the traitorous damsel-in-distress Megara (voiced by Susan Egan) to thwart Hercules’ mission. The beloved classic also features the voices of Charlton Heston, Paul Shaffer, Joshua Keaton, Roger Bart, Hal Holbrook, and Barbara Barrie.

In a scene from an episode of Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Casey, a teenage girl wears a yellow and teal helmet with pink googles and stands next to a large, red T-Rex while Lunella, a teenage girl looks on and claps her hands.

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur—Saturday, March 25, at 10 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
It’s Moon Girl’s day off, but someone forgot to inform the villains! In the all-new episode, Lunella (voiced by Diamond White) is stuck bed after suffering an injury, earning a much-needed rest. But when chaos ensues, Casey (voiced by Libe Barer) steps in as Moon Girl for the day. Maya Hawke guest stars as the voice of Abyss. The series also features the voice talents of Fred Tatasciore, Sasheer Zamata, Alfre Woodard, Gary Anthony Williams, and Jermaine Fowler. Additional episodes will be available to binge that same day on Disney+.

In a scene from an episode of Great Expectations, actor Olivia Colman grabs actor Fionn Whitehead’s chin as they stand face to face.

FX’s Great Expectations—Sunday, March 26, on Hulu
Based on Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name, the limited series follows the coming-of-age story of Pip (Fionn Whitehead), an orphan who yearns for a greater lot in life. When he encounters the mysterious and eccentric Miss Havisham (Olivia Colman), she shows him a dark world of possibilities. Pip will have to work out the true cost of this new world and whether it will truly make him the man he wishes to be. The series, intended only for mature audiences, also stars Ashley Thomas, Matt Berry, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Johnny Harris, Hayley Squires, and Owen McDonnell. The first two episodes will be available at launch, exclusively on Hulu, with a new episode debuting weekly thereafter.

In a scene from an episode of BUNK’D: Learning the Ropes, actors Alfred Lewis and Shiloh Verrico look through a large green bush. Lewis wears a blue button-down shirt, while Verrico wears a sleeveless white T-shirt.

BUNK’D: Learning the Ropes—Sunday, March 26, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
The brand-new episode, “Camp Fails and Beaver Tails,” follows Winnie (Shiloh Verrico), Bill (Alfred Lewis), and Jake (Luke Busey) as they canoe—unsupervised!—to an island in the middle of Lake Tush. Meanwhile, Parker (Trevor Tordjman) is eager to create a new camp activity, and Lou (Miranda May) helps Noah (Israel Johnson) build a bookcase.

In a scene from Tooth Fairy, actor Dwayne Johnson wears a blue, silk long-sleeved top and large, white angel wings.

Tooth Fairy—Sunday, March 26, at 8:50 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform
Minor league hockey player Derek Thompson (Dwayne Johnson) is a terror on the ice, earning the moniker “Tooth Fairy” by separating opposing players from their pearly whites. However, when Derek dashes the dreams of a young fan, he is sentenced to serve time as a real tooth fairy, complete with wings and a magic wand. Despite his initial hesitation, Derek’s new job helps him to slowly rediscover the dreams that he gave up long ago. The film also stars Disney Legend Julie Andrews, Ashley Judd, and Seth MacFarlane.

DOWNLOADABLE: Commemorate Ramadan Festivities with this Stunning Coloring Page

By Aleena Malik

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar—during which Muslims around the world observe a month-long period of abstaining from food and water from sunrise to sunset. While this can seem difficult, Ramadan is a month that Muslims look forward to all year long! It’s a time when Muslims are especially encouraged to be generous, and commit acts of service that put others first. The entire month is brimming with a strong sense of community and unity; is full of delicious food after the fast; and ends in a festive three-day holiday called Eid al-fitr.

You can join in on the Ramadan celebrations with this beautiful coloring page!

Download Here