Saturday, June 4, was a day that so totally rocked! In anticipation of the upcoming release of Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory, nearly 400 D23 Gold Members and guests gathered at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to join in D23’s Afternoon in the Sea: Finding Nemo. Celebrating the big blue world of the 2003 Disney•Pixar film, the event included behind-the-scenes presentations, exclusive gifts, and a screening of the undersea epic that follows Marlin as he launches a search to rescue his son, Nemo.
Upon arriving at the Studio, each guest received a Finding Dory tote bag and an exclusive gift: a commemorative postcard set featuring beautiful Finding concept artwork. Created in collaboration with the Pixar Living Archives, the set showcased beautiful pastels by production designer Ralph Eggleston, character development art, and even a production drawing by director Andrew Stanton. Guests then swam their way into the historic Studio Theatre, where they could explore original Finding Nemo merchandise and other historical material in displays curated by the Walt Disney Archives.
Then, after a pre-show presentation filled with fun, behind-the-seas trivia, D23’s Kristin Rodack kicked things off by welcoming guests and introducing special presenter Steven Spiegel, Executive Story Development at Walt Disney Imagineering, who gave D23 Members an insider’s look at the popular attraction Turtle Talk with Crush!
Steven—who has been behind such adventurous Disney park experiences as Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, and the upcoming Hong Kong Disneyland attraction Iron Man Experience—first shared background on interactive character shows like Stitch’s Picture Phone, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, and Turtle Talk. “There were a lot of things going for Crush,” Steven revealed. “He’s a supporting character in [Finding Nemo], not a star… We liked that, because as popular as Crush was, we really didn’t get to know him all that well. Therefore, it invites questions from guests.”
After discovering the totally awesome development of the attraction—including a look at all the new characters just added to Turtle Talk at Disney California Adventure and Epcot—D23 Members enjoyed a virtual greeting from Finding Dory producer Lindsey Collins, who shared what Disney fans can look forward to when the film swims into theaters on June 17. (Members were especially excited to get some hints about what “Easter eggs” we can look forward to!)
Then it was time to grab shell and plunge into the main feature, Finding Nemo. After enjoying the film screening, guests made their way to the Disney Studio Store for shopping. And, as a special surprise, some lucky D23 Members even received a Finding Nemo poster from the film’s original release!
