June is a special month for our friends at the Walt Disney Archives—June 22 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Archives’ founding! We’re throwing a celebration for this milestone anniversary, including a very special debut—the premiere of the new documentary Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives, which celebrates the lasting legacy of the Archives and provides an inside look at rarely seen treasures from the extensive collection. The film, hosted by legendary producer Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Maleficent), will premiere on D23.com exclusively for D23 Gold Members on June 27.
Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives celebrates every part of Disney we love—through the lens of the Walt Disney Archives, its history, and its collection. Everything from Disney theme parks to the Studio lot is examined through an engaging, historical lens, as Hahn speaks with Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline and other members of the Archives team. Each stop on the adventure offers a look at some of the iconic treasures that have played a role in shaping The Walt Disney Company. The film, directed by John Gleim, features new interviews with Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige, Pixar’s Pete Docter, film historian Leonard Maltin, and many more.
“Making this film was my Disney ‘fanboy’ dream come true,” says Hahn. “The Walt Disney Archives is packed with hidden treasures, and I had incredible access to them all.”
This morning, D23 revealed the new poster for Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives at the end of a thread on Twitter that featured 50 remarkable items from the Archives collection.
Plus, the Summer 2020 issue of Disney twenty-three, the quarterly publication exclusively for D23 Gold Members, celebrates the Archives’ milestone with an in-depth story written by Leonard Maltin, an array of classic Disneyland merchandise from the Archives collection, and an archivist-curated selection of the best films to watch on Disney+ including The Sound of Music, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Captain Marvel, and The Princess and the Frog.
And starting today, D23 is kicking off a weekly sweepstakes, including exclusive and rare items curated directly from the Archives staff. The prizes, which will be given away in weekly sweepstakes open to all levels of D23 Members, include a check signed by Walt Disney, “Minnie’s Yoo Hoo” sheet music, an original program from Fantasia (1940), and a copy of The Walt Disney Studios: A Lot to Remember book signed by author Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives. And D23 will be featuring exclusive content from the Walt Disney Archives all month long, including videos, interviews, and galleries of artwork. Follow the conversation on social using #DisneyArchives50.
Starting June 15 at 10 a.m. PT, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will be able to register for tickets for Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives.
No purchase is necessary to enter the weekly sweepstakes. Open to all D23 Members who are residents of the 50 United States or D.C., 18 or older. For details, visit https://d23.com/entry/archives-50-sweepstakes.
