By Matt Moryc, Walt Disney Archives In his book Dream It! Do It! My Half-Century Creating Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Disney Legend Marty Sklar recalls the moment during the planning of EPCOT Center [now called EPCOT] when he noticed a musical drought of original songs at Disney Parks throughout the 1970s: “When I realized this, I …
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Anika Noni Rose fulfilled a lifelong ambition with her Disney debut. “I always dreamed of being a voice in a Disney movie, but even in those dreams, I never once dreamed of being a princess,” she once said. “I just wanted to be a voice. I feel like what an honor that this is how …
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In 1990, Robin Roberts joined ESPN—the first female African American sports journalist for the network—and within five years was also a regular contributor to Good Morning America (GMA). In her 15 years at ESPN, she contributed to NFL PrimeTime, and hosted SportsCenter and In the Game with Robin Roberts. In 2005, Robin joined GMA full time as co-anchor. Since she joined the …
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By Francesca Scrimgeour, Walt Disney Archives Muppet Treasure Island was zanily inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island novel, and, in turn, the film inspired a Little Golden Book release as well. Now, isn’t that a story worth the hearing? As a part of the Walt Disney Archives’ collection, we have the original storybook artwork …
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By Francesca Scrimgeour, Walt Disney Archives “Hi-ho!”, everyone! Muppet Treasure Island has been sailing for adventure on the big blue wet thing for the last twenty-five years and has been a classic in our homes ever since! This movie was Brian Henson’s second feature length film, after The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), and he pledged …
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With nearly 200 credits in film and television, and countless more on the Broadway stage, it’s hard to imagine a more recognizable voice than the rich and commanding basso profundo tones of James Earl Jones. In 1977, as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope, Jones helped create perhaps the most indelible …
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From the 1950s to today, Floyd Norman’s diverse career, insightful viewpoint, and unflinching honesty have truly made him a Disney Legend. Floyd worked as an inbetweener and animator on Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, and as a story artist on The Jungle Book, along with various animated short projects at the Disney studio in the late …
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One of the best-known media personalities of our time, Oprah Winfrey is a producer, actress, network CEO, and philanthropist, and for 25 years was a daily fixture on television screens across the nation as host of the award-winning program The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in rural Kosciusko, Mississippi, on January 29, 1954. …
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As an award-winning actress, producer, and talk-show host, Whoopi Goldberg is one of the most prolific entertainers currently working in the industry. She appeared in a string of film roles for 20th Century Fox and Disney in the ’80s and ’90s, such as Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Sarafina!, The Associate, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and …
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By Julia Mariah Vargas, Walt Disney Archives Unbeknownst to many, January 20, 2006, would mark the start of something new. In 2021, the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical celebrates 15 years of encouraging a generation of kids to freely express themselves, challenging the status quo along the way. This “contemporary ‘break-into-song’ production,” directed …
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