New Magic from Topps Digital Collectibles

June 17, 2021June 17, 2021

By the D23 Team

Bring all the magic of Disney and Pixar’s Luca home courtesy of our friends at Topps Digital! Read on to see what you can expect from this brand-new set:

NEW Disney and Pixar’s Luca Debut Collection in Disney Collect! by Topps® app

Thanks to Topps, you can now travel to the scenic Italian Riviera right on your mobile device of choice with the Disney and Pixar’s Luca Debut Collection! These digital collectibles provide an intimate look at the upcoming animated film and feature the charming citizens of Portorosso—including Luca, Alberto, and Giulia.

Collect trading cards and avatars featuring Characters, Scenes, and even special Motion Collectibles reminiscent of classic postcards when this collection debuts Friday, June 18!

Start building your Disney and Pixar’s Luca digital collection now—download the Disney Collect! by Topps® here!

The Stories Behind the Stories—and Storytellers—of Disney’s LAUNCHPAD

June 17, 2021

By Beth Deitchman

You’ve never met a girl like Val Garcia, the teen at the center of Disney’s LAUNCHPAD short Growing Fangs. Half human and half vampire, Val struggles with her identity and the fear that she’s not “enough” for either of the worlds that she straddles. Disney’s LAUNCHPAD will also introduce you to Gabriel, a delightful kid who loves ballet and pink tutus—an affinity that new friend Rob accepts without question, while Rob’s dad becomes suspicious in The Little Prince(ss). And the moving relationship at the heart of The Last of the Chupacabras is between an older Mexican Woman, clinging to tradition, and the dark and mysterious creature she unwittingly summons.

Disney’s LAUNCHPAD was created to discover bold new stories and give voice to storytellers from underrepresented backgrounds, those who typically haven’t had a platform where they could be heard. The chosen filmmakers, who were selected from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants, attended classes—mostly virtual, due to the pandemic—and were mentored by executives from across The Walt Disney Company throughout the process from script development through post production and marketing. The mentors’ role was to provide expertise and a studio perspective, but more important, help ensure that these very personal stories stayed just that: personal. Hao Zheng, whose film Dinner is Served is based on his experience as a teen from China attending a private boarding school in the U.S., shared, “What moved me most is when they gave me notes, they said to me, ‘Take the notes or leave the notes.’ At the end of the day you are making your own movie. Make sure you’re protecting your own voice and we will be there to support you.”

The LAUNCHPAD filmmakers did, indeed, make their own movies and their original voices ring true in all six shorts. Inspired by the theme “discovery,” these talented individuals looked to their own lives and their own journeys to tell stories that end up feeling as universally relatable as they are deeply personal. Hear from the filmmakers about their shorts below, and stream them now on Disney+.

American Eid
Aqsa Altaf, now a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, was raised in Kuwait by Pakistani and Sri Lankan parents in a Muslim household. She explains that the immigrant story is typically one of assimilation, but as an immigrant herself, she has come to realize the experience is a two-way street. “It’s about you accepting your new home, but your new home accepting you for who you are. So that was always at the core of the story for me,” Altaf says of her short American Eid. The short tells the story of Ameena, a Muslim Pakistani immigrant who is heartbroken to realize she has to go to school on Eid and goes on a mission to make the day an official public school holiday.

In early drafts of the American Eid script, Altaf drew comparisons between Eid and Christmas in order to illustrate the significance of the holiday for Ameena and her family in a way audiences might easily connect with. Working with her Disney mentors, Altaf came to realize that Eid could stand on its own, “like I grew up watching films about Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving—all the American holidays—and it wasn’t filtered through any lens for me but I understood because it was told through a story. Eid can be done that way, as well.”

Dinner is Served
“It’s pretty much based on my own story,” Hao Zheng says of his short. Zheng came to New York from China when he was a junior in high school; and like the protagonist of his film, the filmmaker also applied to be maître d’ in the school dining room, hoping the leadership position would bring the acceptance he desperately craved from his fellow students. While he was growing up in China, Zheng admits he didn’t think very much about on-screen representation but that changed when he came to the U.S. “For me, having the opportunity to work with Disney’s LAUNCHPAD and create this story means a lot to me. It’s my hope that kids watching this film can feel that they’re seen and that they can own themselves.”

In Dinner is Served, the protagonist’s quest to become maître d’ culminates with a powerful musical moment—a moment that Zheng describes as “awkward” when he went through it himself as a teen. “Nobody really understood me,” he notes. But at the end of filming the scene, Zheng turned around to see the film’s producer and production designer in tears, followed by a burst of applause for the lead actor from the roomful of crew members and extras. “And to me, that was so rewarding and that is an experience that I didn’t have in my own experience. And I’m getting that through this process of making this film,” he shares.

Growing Fangs
Anne Marie Pace knows a lot about being in between identities and she completely relates to Val’s struggle as a half-human/half-vampire in Growing Fangs. “For me, what that was growing up was struggling between being Mexican American and bisexual and sort of living between these worlds and not quite feeling enough in either world,” she explains. It was only over time Pace came to realize, “just because you’re part of multiple identities doesn’t make you any less that identity; and it all compounds and makes you fully who you are.” Pace chose to use vampires to tell her story because she’s always seen stories about monsters as tales of outsiders being misunderstood or feared.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ blockbuster Frozen has been a huge influence on Pace, who was moved by Elsa’s fear of showing her power to the world and instead hiding it within herself. She says, “I think that’s very emblematic of what I’m hoping to say with [Growing Fangs]. The things you feel you should be ashamed of or hide, they’re actually you’re superpower and they give you such a unique perspective on life.”

Let’s Be Tigers
Directors are often warned about working with children, but for her short Let’s Be Tigers, Stefanie Abel Horowitz went all in. The film hinges upon two actors who play Avalon, a twentysomething babysitter who isn’t ready to process the recent loss of her mother, and Noah, the 4-year-old who delivers comfort she never expected to find. Because of the pandemic, Horowitz had to cast the film virtually and she was thrilled that the rapport between Otmara Marrero (Avalon) and Dash McCloud (Noah) was immediate, without the two actors being in the same room. “They got on their first Zoom together, a chemistry read, and I said, ‘I’m going to go away and just let you guys talk,’” she recalls, and by the time she returned to the video call, the two had formed a connection. “They were kind of instantly friends and that was a big reason why I cast them. They already had such a relationship and through the process of filming, they really only got closer. Dash loves Otmara so much. He was so happy to be there with her all the time, and vice versa.”

Horowitz believes that everyone will be able to relate to Avalon’s story, whether or not they’ve personally experienced such a tragic loss. “We all feel unloved or unwanted or scared or uncertain,” she shares. “This film is really saying, ‘Do the brave thing. Share those difficult things with the people you love, with the people you’re scared to share it with, with strangers.’” She believes that what will come back to you is community and a reminder that no one is truly alone. “I hope that’s what people take away and I hope folks can feel a little braver—myself included—to share deep vulnerabilities with people in our lives,” she says.

The Last of the Chupacabras
Jessica Mendez Siqueiros describes The Last of the Chupacabras as “a celebration of our broken hearts coming together to rekindle our heritages.” The short follows one lone Mexican American struggling to carry on her traditions in a world where culture has nearly ceased to exist. She unknowingly summons a dark and ancient creature to protect her… and comes to discover that she’s not as alone as she’d thought. This is a journey Siqueiros says she’s experienced herself, “one where I have discovered others, just like me, from every race, ethnicity, and economic status that have lost some part of their identity.”

Siqueiros, a Chicana writer/director of mixed indigenous Sonoran and European ancestry, recalls tugging at her mother’s sleeve in Mexican markets and asking, “What does that mean?” at every object they passed by. She shares, “Even as a proud Mexican woman, my mom had been taught from a young age that her language was a burden, that there was no need to speak it outside of her home, that she needed to be more American… So I never learned.” The Last of the Chupacabras looks at the dangers of this type of mentality when looking at individual cultures. Though the world is growing more global in its mindset, Siqueiros believes, “It is important that we stop and take a moment to celebrate what makes us unique.”

The Little Prince(ss)
When Moxie Peng was young, they experienced what Gabriel goes through in The Little Prince(ss). “I was Gabriel. I was the more feminine kid. I was challenged by my friend’s dad, who came over to my dad to, like ‘fix me,’ and my dad was the person who stood up for me and told him that he loved me for who I am,” Peng shares. And as important as Gabriel’s story is to Moxie personally, they believe now is the time for stories like The Little Prince(ss) to be told on a larger platform. “I’m here at this point in history that I have the privilege of telling stories of my own, but also the stories of our queer and trans ancestors and passing this message of love and acceptance to the future generation of kids who may not be able to fit in a box,” they say.

Peng credits the Disney casting team for finding the perfect young actor to play Gabriel: Kalo Moss. The filmmaker immediately believed, “He’s going to make people love him immediately because I loved him.” Of Ching Yin Ryan Hu, who plays Rob, Peng says, “He’s very natural. He doesn’t have any sort of performing quality in his performance. We’re lucky we found two kids who are themselves and can play themselves, so we just brought them to the screen.”

A new season of Disney’s LAUNCHPAD is already in the works, with an added writers’ track to bring even more storytellers into the fold. Stay tuned to meet the next group of filmmakers in the coming months.

Pride Month Spotlight: Legendary Handprints—Howard Ashman

June 16, 2021August 1, 2022

Producer, lyricist, and Disney Legend Howard Ashman made a huge “splash” in the world of popular culture in 1989 with The Little Mermaid, which he also co-produced. His song “Under the Sea,” co-written with composer and Disney Legend Alan Menken, won an Oscar^® that year for Best Song.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 17, 1950, the successful lyricist, librettist, playwright, and director received his MFA from Indiana University. In 1986, Howard penned the wistful ballad “Disneyland” for the Broadway production of Smile, written with Marvin Hamlisch, depicting utopia as a Disney theme park. Soon after, he signed a contract with The Walt Disney Company to write lyrics and dialogue for its animated features.

Whether Howard envisioned a hip genie performing the Oscar^®-nominated “Friend Like Me” with over-the-top flamboyance in Aladdin (1992), or an anthropomorphic candlestick oozing with ornate charm while singing the Oscar-nominated “Be Our Guest” in Beauty and the Beast (1991), he imbued Disney characters with his own sense of emotional realism.

Sadly, Howard passed away in New York City on March 14, 1991, prior to the release of Beauty and the Beast. That film, which he executive produced, was the first animated movie to be nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Motion Picture. Its title song won the songwriters yet another Oscar. Upon its release, the film was dedicated to Howard, “who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul.” Howard earned a posthumous Oscar nomination in 1993 for “Friend Like Me,” which he had co-written for Aladdin prior to his death.

In 1994, Beauty and the Beast moved to the New York stage; when it closed in 2007 after 5,464 performances, it had become the eighth longest-running musical in Broadway history. The production featured “Human Again,” a chorus number by Howard and Menken that was storyboarded for the animated motion picture but never completed. The nearly 10-minute sequence was later animated and added to Beauty and the Beast for an IMAX re-release on January 1, 2002.

To learn more about Howard and his remarkable career, be sure to check out the documentaries Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009) and Howard (2020), both of which focus on the artist’s life and the animation renaissance he helped usher in at The Walt Disney Studios, streaming now on Disney+.

EXCLUSIVE: Q&A with Kalikolehua Hurley and Osnat Shurer about The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon

June 15, 2021

By the D23 Team

Soar through the gorgeous world of Raya and the Last Dragon with the book The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon, featuring never-before-seen development art, character sketches, storyboards, and color scripts from the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film. Get an inside look at how Disney Animation develops a film, from the initial idea to the big screen! If you’ve watched the movie, now streaming on Disney+, and want to keep exploring the world of Kumandra, we’ve got an exclusive look at some of the beautiful art featured in the book. Want to see more? You can add The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon by Kalikolehua Hurley & Osnat Shurer (Raya and the Last Dragon Producer) to your collection by purchasing it here.

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club: Throughout The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon, you highlight the importance of trusting your collaboration partners. How easy or hard was it to continue to build that trust while working remotely on the film and the book during COVID-19?
Osnat Shurer (OS): When we first left the building, we thought it would be for about three weeks. That was over a year ago. There were technological hurdles to overcome, but with the genius team we have, that happened relatively quickly. Our bigger challenge was a social/creative one. Working together in person is in our Disney Animation DNA—spending time together in the room breaking and building story, having side conversations in the coffee line that resolve major design questions, popping down to editorial to review a quick take, etc. How to recreate that over Zoom? It took us a moment—we all had to learn to create clearer and stronger creative briefs, to delegate more fully to each other—basically to trust each other to create a singular movie from our 450 individual homes. And we did. I have never been prouder of a crew!!!
Kaliko Hurley (KH): Osnat is a dream Art of Book collaborator. She’s superbly talented and creative. As the producer of Raya and the Last Dragon, she also knew everything there was to know about the film, which allowed us to take a deep dive into the team’s incredible design process, even remotely!

D23: Were there any specific pieces of art you built pages or sections around to ensure they were celebrated?
KH: Raya and the Last Dragon follows the journey of Raya across the five lands of Kumandra: Heart, Tail, Talon, Spine, and Fang. We loved the idea of matching the journey of the evolution of the art with Raya’s journey to allow readers interested in learning more about Kumandra’s design to follow along the film with book in hand.
OS: We build the entire book with the intention of celebrating the art and artists. Sections like “We are Kumandra” were created specifically to celebrate collaboration, both in the film, as when the characters finally come together around food, and in the collaborative process behind the scenes, including getting to work with our Southeast Asia Story Trust. In this book we also added sections on the uniquely story-driven cinematography, the incredible set extension work that made our world feel so epic, as well as some full spreads of gorgeous final frames from the movie.

D23: What are your favorite pieces of art in the book and why?
OS: One favorite? Really? There are so many! OK, I’ll try. There’s the cover by Mingjue Helen Chen, the colors deeply inspired by a sunset she remembers in Luang Prabang in Laos during the research trip there. Then there’s the opening spread of Part 1 (pages 18/19), a moody painting of Raya leaning into Sisu dragon as they look over the island of Fang, by Paul Felix. I always felt this image captured the promise of the friendship between Raya and Sisu, which is at the heart of the film.
KH: Sisu’s design fills me with amazement. In fact, the first time I saw her realized in the film, I burst into tears. She’s just so powerful. So, I love to imagine how Raya must have felt in the moment Paul Felix painted of the two of them underwater gazing at each other in the opening Sisu spread. The prologue art pieces by Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay, Mingjue Helen Chen, and Brittney Lee that find inspiration in shadow puppet traditions found in places like Indonesia are also among my favorites. They’re so beautiful and intricately detailed.

D23: The book showcases various iterations of the film characters. How do you and your teams know when you have landed on a character’s final look?
OS: It’s hard to know when you’ve landed on the final design. We’ve been known to think we’re there, and go forward into modeling and animation testing, only to realize that the character still needed more refinement as she moves, runs, fights, or emotes. Usually at this point, as happened with the character Raya, the art director of characters and the modeling lead will work together in the CG environment to refine the features.
There is a certain point you reach, though, where the characters on the screen take on a life of their own and begin to tell you what they need. I’ve always loved this moment on a movie!
KH: You can really feel that moment when a character comes together, when they’ve finally become who they’re meant to be. I feel lucky to have witnessed the evolution of so many characters from exploration to final look.

D23: It is clear when reading the book that a lot of thought went into designing the five lands of Kumandra. Were there any lands that proved to be more difficult to visually represent on screen than others?
OS: The unique qualities of each fantasy land, based on their environment, climate, character, and all inspired by Southeast Asian design principles, was quite a feat. Our production designer joked that we are designing five films, not one.
The land that was probably the last to really solidify in design was Fang. We had different story ideas early on about who they were, what drove the people of Fang. Once we landed on the man-made island, the love of hierarchy, formality, and the perception of strength, the design of Fang came together.
KH: The environments modeling team shared a lot about the complexity of Talon port, with its multi-leveled buildings, plentiful crowds characters, and vibrant props, all located on water. With that complexity, the team was able to create a set that felt so chaotic, exciting, and totally alive.

D23: The book mentions how you collaborated closely on the film and the book with the Southeast Asia Story Trust. How did this collaboration help you maintain cultural authenticity in both?
KH: Inclusion is key to our creative process at Disney Animation. We owe a great deal of gratitude to our formidable Southeast Asia Story Trust consulting team, including Dr. S. Steve Arounsack, Emiko Susilo, Dewa Berata, Dr. Juliana Wijaya, Jes Vu, Dr. Chen Chanratana, and Dr. Rebecca Hall, as well as many others who collaborated with us along our journey.

Meet the Characters of Disney and Pixar’s Luca

June 15, 2021

By Zach Johnson

Disney and Pixar’s animated feature Luca is sure to make a splash when it debuts on Disney+ June 18. The film introduces a charming cast of characters that includes humans, sea monsters… and sea monsters who look like humans whenever they’re out of the water! Before it becomes available to stream, get to know the characters at the heart of the story.

Luca Paguro

Voiced by Jacob Tremblay, 13-year-old sea monster Luca Paguro is curios but cautious. Although he’s been warned that the human world is a dangerous place, he can’t help but wonder what it’s like above the water. “He’s never been to the surface,” says director Enrico Casarosa. “When we meet him, he’s beginning to feel that his world is a little too small for him. He starts to follow his nose a bit, venturing farther and farther from the underwater meadow where he takes care of the goatfish. Once a rule-follower, suddenly Luca is checking out an object that fell off a boat. That’s how he meets Alberto.” Soon, fellow sea monster Alberto takes Luca under his fin, exposing him to the human world of possibilities.

Alberto Scorfano

Voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer, Alberto Scorfano, is a free-spirited sea monster with unbridled enthusiasm for the human world. Expressive and gregarious, he is all about having fun and seizing the moment. According to Grazer, his natural ability to portray Alberto is probably due to the fact that he’s a lot like his character. “Alberto is fearless, funny, determined, and eager to see what he’s capable of doing,” he says. “I definitely have a lot in common with him—always trying to create something new, always finding the fun.”

Giulia Marcovaldo

Newcomer Emma Berman lends her voice to Giulia Marcovaldo, a feisty adventurer. Because she only visits Portorosso, Italy, in the summertime, she hasn’t fostered many friendships. But after Luca and Alberto cross paths with the town bully—the same one who’s targeted Giulia for years—she’s the first to defend them. The trio later teams up for an annual race Giulia longs to win. “Giulia is a really awkward, quirky, goofy, and determined character,” says Berman. “I relate to her because we’re both pretty outgoing, we love to make new friends, and we like to learn new things and go on adventures.”

Daniela Paguro

Luca’s loving mother, Daniela Paguro, is determined to keep her son safe. Voiced by Maya Rudolph, Daniela regularly warns Luca of the dangers beyond the sea and the “land monsters” who live there. “I’ve definitely seen my mama bear come out when necessary with my children, so that was a pretty easy element of Daniela to relate to,” says Rudolph. “When your children are pushing boundaries, you want to show them that you love them, but you’re serious. That can be an incredibly difficult balance, but one that every parent understands. Daniela has a very sweet, recurring mantra with Luca, saying, ‘You know I love you, right?’ I think that’s really important for her character because she is not embarrassed to show how strong she is and she’s not embarrassed to show how much she loves her son.”

Lorenzo Paguro

Lorenzo Paguro is Luca’s well-meaning but sometimes distracted dad. He’s not as attuned to Luca’s growing fascination with land monsters as his wife is, but Lorenzo loves his son deeply. “From a parent’s point of view, it’s a story about giving up control—loving a child so much, you let them become who they want to become,” says Jim Gaffigan, who voices Lorenzo. Of course, Luca covers more than that, from forming friendships to finding your own path and beyond. “That’s what’s so amazing—it’ll hit different people in different ways,” Gaffigan explains. “It really captures a childlike imagination and a love of learning.”

JUST ANNOUNCED: Fireworks Spectaculars Are Back at Disney Parks This Summer

June 15, 2021

By the D23 Team

Summer is here and Disney fans are prepping for all their favorite activities—from movie nights with their favorite films to an exciting day at a Disney theme park. For fans hoping to have that perfect day at a Disney park, we have wonderful news! As more communities adjust and ease COVID-19 guidelines, there’s a new sense of optimism with many positive signs moving forward. This includes Disney theme parks, which are gradually bringing back more beloved park experiences, as our friends at Disney Parks Blog just announced.

A Disney tradition since 1957, fireworks shows are what Walt Disney called the perfect “kiss goodnight” at the close of a magical day, and this summer the skies above Disney theme parks will sparkle with color once more. Beginning in July, just in time for the nation’s Independence Day celebrations, nighttime fireworks spectaculars are returning to Disney parks!

Walt Disney World
Starting July 1, Walt Disney World Resort will present nightly fireworks performances at Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT. Happily Ever After will transform Cinderella Castle with lights, projections, and pyrotechnics, as moments from favorite Disney stories encourage you to grab hold of your dreams and make them come true. And as part of the ongoing transformation of EPCOT, EPCOT Forever will produce a spectacle of fireworks, music, and lighting effects over World Showcase Lagoon, highlighting the themes of innovation, exploration, imagination, and celebration at the core of the park’s past, present, and future.

Disneyland Resort
Just in time for Independence Day, Disneyland Park will start the fun on July 4 with Mickey’s Mix Magic presented nightly throughout the summer. State-of-the-art projections, show lighting, and lasers will transform Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle and the façade of it’s a small world into a dazzling, family fun dance party that goes sky high with fireworks to celebrate the leader of the club, Mickey Mouse.

As a reminder, valid park admission and a park reservation are required for park entry and must be linked to your account. Visit Disneyworld.com/update and Disneyland.com/update for important information, including park attendance requirements.

Make These New D23 Tees and Totes Part of Your Summer Style

June 14, 2021

By The D23 Team

Gearing up for summer? So are we! D23 has just unveiled a colorful new collection of must-have tees and totes that every Disney fan needs to add to their wardrobe for summer and beyond.

Here are all of the new items we’ll be sporting this season:

D23 Sketch Icons Shirt – Men
D23 Sketch Icons Shirt – Women

We’ve filled this new design with some of the most revered icons from across the worlds of Disney: a TIE Fighter from a galaxy far, far away… Thor’s hammer… the Pixar ball… Mickey’s Sorcerer hat—and so much more.

D23 Gold Member Sketch Icons Shirt – Men
D23 Gold Member Sketch Icons Shirt – Women

Plus, we’ve also created a version just for Gold Members that’s perfect to wear when you’re visiting your favorite Disney theme park this summer, seeing Disney’s Jungle Cruise in theaters, or even just streaming Disney and Pixar’s Luca or the latest episode of Marvel Studios’ Loki on Disney+. Not a Gold Member? Well becoming one is just a click away. Discover all of the benefits to Gold Membership right here on D23.com.

D23 Figment Shirt – Men
D23 Figment Shirt – Women

This is no figment of your imagination—this adorable T-shirt, featuring the fan-favorite dragon, can be yours! Figment’s inquisitive nature and optimistic spirit has charmed many a Disney fan and it shines through in the design of this new tee.

D23 Inside Disney Podcast Shirt – Men
D23 Inside Disney Podcast Shirt – Women

The Official Disney Podcast now has an official tee! The front pocket of the T-shirt features the D23 Inside Disney logo in a way that’s sure to have people talking, while the back makes it clear that you know where to get the inside scoop on all things Disney.

D23 Sketch Icons Tote Bag

We’ve put all of our favorite things on this new tote that’s perfect to fill with all of your favorite necessities, such as sunglasses, sunscreen, or the latest issue of Disney twenty-three. You’ve got places to go and people to see; so why not take D23 with you, all summer long?

All of the above items—and more—are available now at shopDisney, where Gold Members should be sure to use their D23 Discount of 10 percent off their purchase of $50 or more.

Discover What Imagination Can Spark at Disney Imagination Campus

June 11, 2021June 12, 2021

By Beth Deitchman

Today, Disney Parks announced the launch of Disney Imagination Campus, a collection of hands-on workshops, performances, and special events touching on a variety of subjects, including performing arts, technology, science, humanities, and leadership. The Disney Imagination Campus curriculum will harness beloved Disney franchises—including Star Wars, Pixar, Frozen, and more, as well as Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Live Entertainment—to supercharge the imaginations of students and inspire their career ambitions. Disney Imagination Campus will debut at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort in January 2022.

“Our Walt Disney Imagineering partners are renowned for blue sky thinking, masterful storytelling, and creative problem-solving,” said Maryann Smith, Vice President of Sales, Services & Events at Disney Destinations. “We’ve taken these key skills and worked with Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Live Entertainment and other Disney thought leaders to create new educational experiences to challenge students to use their imagination, all within our real-world learning laboratories and performance venues across our theme parks.”

Here’s a preview of what students will experience:

Art & Humanities—Students will discover the role that artists play in theme park design through the exploration of artistic media and storytelling.

Science & Technology—Students will explore how science and technology applies to every element of the theme park experience and is used to create Disney magic for guests.

Leadership & Innovation—Students will engage in hands-on learning that challenges their creative problem-solving and communication skills based on the real-world business experiences of Disney leaders.

Performing Arts —Disney Parks will raise the curtain once again on beloved Performing Arts workshops and performances. Students will engage in workshops taught by world-class Disney entertainment professionals and perform on Disney stages for audiences from around the world.

“Opportunities for students in the performing arts to engage in performance and workshop experiences have existed at Disney Parks for more than 40 years,” shares Matt Conover, Vice President, Disneyland Resort Live Entertainment. “Disney Imagination Campus will build upon that legacy and expand on stage and backstage experiences led by world-class Disney arts professionals. We worked with educators from a variety of disciplines to bring their expertise so our new campus will offer educational experiences for students from all over to enjoy.”

A new collaboration with education platform Kahoot! will bring an interactive element to select Disney Imagination Campus experiences. Kahoot!, which has engaged 5 billion cumulative players since 2013, empowers students to learn through play with its live games, study tools, and challenges. “Kahoot!’s long-standing relationship with Disney is now expanding beyond the classroom, bringing interactive learning experiences to the Disney Parks designed for Disney Imagination Campus students,” says Kahoot! CEO Eilert Hanoa. “Whether students are visiting the Disney Parks for a day or participating in workshops, we’ve developed interactive, self-guided challenges that will test their comprehension and retention of key learning objectives during their visit. This is a holistic, groundbreaking, and experiential approach to education.”

Ahead of the January 2022 launch of the Disney Imagination Campus workshops, student groups can learn more about this uniquely Disney curriculum and get the latest updates by visiting DisneyCampus.com and following @DisneyImaginationCampus on social media.

Behind the Attraction Coming to Disney+ Next Month—Plus More in News Briefs

June 11, 2021

By Courtney Potter

**Go Behind the Attraction with New Disney+ Series**

Want to know the incredible inside scoop on some of your favorite Disney attractions and destinations? Then mark your calendars for Behind the Attraction, a brand-new series debuting on Disney+ next month!

To celebrate the July 30 release of Disney’s Jungle Cruise—inspired by the Disney Parks attraction that debuted with the opening of Disneyland park in 1955—Disney+ will premiere all 10 episodes of this original series on Friday, July 16. Narrated by actress Paget Brewster, Behind the Attraction gives viewers an exclusive peek behind the curtain of the most beloved attractions and destinations at Disney Parks and Resorts around the world, from Jungle Cruise to it’s a small world to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Additionally, viewers will learn the unique story behind each Castle at the Parks and hear how Disney Imagineers designed and built them; discover the intricacies of the parks’ transportation systems; and even learn how the iconic Disneyland Hotel came to be.

Behind the Attraction features rare interviews with Walt Disney, as well as exclusive chats with Disney Legends and dozens of past and present Imagineers. Revealed for the first time are the out-of-this-world stories of how the Haunted Mansion was filled with 999 happy haunts; how the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ transformed into Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! ; and why Space Mountain took so long to launch.

Executive produced by Dwayne Johnson (yes—as in the star of Disney’s Jungle Cruise!), Dany Garcia, and Brian Volk-Weiss (who also directed the series), Behind the Attraction drops on Disney+ on Friday, July 16.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

Can it be? It’s already time to start figuring out what to watch over this sure-to-be-relaxing June weekend, from around the worlds of Disney. Disney+ adds the iconic 1967 musical The Happiest Millionaire (check it out if you haven’t already—it’s a big piece of early Disney film history) to its library beginning on Friday; the second season of The Owl House debuts on Disney Channel; and much, much more. Tune in and enjoy!

Delicious New Openings and Food Offerings at Disney Parks

Earlier this week, our pals over at the Disney Parks Blog announced booking and opening dates for some of our favorite Disney dining locations—as well as the exceedingly yummy offerings one can soon expect…

Among the tasty revelations is: Oga’s Cantina, located at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland park, will open June 17—with bookings available beginning June 14! While there, guests will be able to sip on a Fuzzy Tauntaun, snack on a Happabore Sampler, and sample the galaxy’s other tasty, out-of-this-world menu items. Meanwhile, over at Disney California Adventure park, foodies can soon get their fix of plant-based Potato Flautas or Indulgent French Toast at Lamplight Lounge Brunch, opening July 9 with bookings available June 14. (Friday, Saturday, Sunday Brunch only.) Plus, Wine Country Trattoria opens June 17, with bookings available June 14—so don’t miss out on that incredible plate of Spaghetti Aglio Olio.

Meanwhile, over at Walt Disney World Resort, guests can sip and savor at Sebastian’s Bistro at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort beginning June 24, with nightly walk-in availability through July 4; at ’Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, starting July 9, with bookings available June 10; and at Tusker House Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park beginning June 20, with bookings now available.

For a complete rundown on what your taste buds are in for, visit the Disney Parks Blog… and remember: Always save room for dessert!

EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival Kicks Off July 15

In further foodie news, guests can expect to embark on a truly incredible, totally tasty tour across six continents when the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE® kicks off at Walt Disney World Resort on July 15! Running through November 20—so guests have plenty of time to feast!—this delicious celebration features a menu of new flavors and sips, plus live entertainment, family activities, and more.

As per usual, Global Marketplaces will serve up a host of international flavors, including fan-favorite dishes from Hawai‘i, Australia, Germany, Canada, and Greece—plus new Global Marketplaces coming to Morocco, The American Adventure, and throughout the park in July with even more marketplaces opening in the fall. In addition, CORKCICLE was announced as the presenting sponsor for this year’s festival; guests visiting Shimmering Sips Global Marketplace (and four other locations) during the event will discover several sparkling beverage options available for purchase in an exclusive keepsake CORKCICLE premium beverage container. Fun entertainment is back too, with performances by Voices of Liberty, Mariachi Cobre, and Jammin’ Chefs—and the festival will also open with America Gardens Bandstand presented by Florida Blue Medicare, a live-music concert series performed Friday through Monday evenings featuring local bands from across Central Florida.

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is available to anyone with valid theme park admission and a park reservation for the same date—so visit TasteEPCOT.com for more info, and stay tuned for more festival news at it becomes available

**Take a Bite Out of National Geographic’s Largest SHARKFEST Yet**

This July, National Geographic is making a big splash with its ninth annual SHARKFEST—a must-sea, six-week summer event that’s set to include 21 hours of original programming and a whopping 60 hours of enhanced content…

It all starts on Monday, July 5, with the premiere of the marquee SHARKFEST special Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth at 9 p.m. ET, which will be preceded by the first episode of When Sharks Attack at 8 p.m. ET. Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth follows the Thor star as he embarks on a personal mission to investigate how we can live more harmoniously with sharks. The one-hour documentary special from Nutopia (One Strange Rock) features shark icon and conservationist Valerie Taylor, who will take Hemsworth for a shark dive to experience firsthand the awe and beauty of nurse sharks, as well as other preeminent shark experts who are exploring new preventative measures and the latest technology to help stave off shark-human encounters.

Other marquee special events include Shark Attack Investigation: The Paige Winter Story, where experts unpack the details of her attack and the inspirational story of how the teen remains an advocate for sharks; the action-packed six-part series Shark Attack Files, which investigates bizarre and fascinating shark behavior; and so much more. And for the first time ever as its biggest shark celebration, not only will the premium content continue to be available on National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD, and Nat Geo Mundo, but select series and specials will also be available post-premiere on Disney XD and Disney+ the following Fridays after their debuts, beginning July 9.

Mark those calendars and tune in for some fin-tastic adventure.

First Trailer for 20th Century Studios Ron’s Gone Wrong

This past Tuesday, June 8, was Best Friends Day—hope y’all had a good one, surrounded by your besties!—and to celebrate such an auspicious occasion, 20th Century Studios debuted a brand-new, first-look trailer for their upcoming animated feature Ron’s Gone Wrong…

This first theatrical release from the U.K.-based CG animation studio Locksmith Animation follows Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler, and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally connected device, which is supposed to be his “Best Friend Out of the Box.” But Ron’s hilarious malfunctions, set against the backdrop of the social media age, launch them into an action-packed journey in which boy and robot come to terms with the wonderful messiness of true friendship. The film boasts a who’s-who of voice talents, including Zach Galifianakis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Olivia Colman, Ed Helms, Justice Smith, Rob Delaney, Kylie Cantrall, Ricardo Hurtado, Marcus Scribner, and Thomas Barbusca—and is directed by Pixar Animation Studios veteran Jean-Philippe Vine (story artist on Cars 3 and The Good Dinosaur) and Locksmith co-founder Sarah Smith (Arthur Christmas), with Octavio Rodriguez (story artist on Coco and The Incredibles 2) co-directing.

Look for Ron’s Gone Wrong in theaters worldwide beginning October 22!

**ICYMI: Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends and Its Super-Cool Theme Song**

Did you know that the first full-length Marvel series for preschoolers, Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends on Disney Junior, has some serious pop-music cred? Its theme song, as well as music throughout the series, is composed by the Grammy®-nominated lead singer of the multiplatinum-selling rock band Fall Out Boy, Patrick Stump! Find out more, and rock out to the theme song, here.

5 Fin-teresting “Tails” from the Luca Press Conference

June 11, 2021June 10, 2021

By Zach Johnson

Ready for a magical summer?

Over the weekend, Giuliana Rancic moderated a panel with the cast and crew of Disney and Pixar’s Luca, where actors Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph, and Jim Gaffigan joined director Enrico Casarosa and producer Andrea Warren for a fin-tastic discussion about the film, which will premiere on Disney+ on June 18, 2021.

Set in a stunning seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Luca follows the adventures of a 13-year-old boy who experiences one unforgettable summer with his newfound best friend. Before Luca debuts on Disney+ next Friday, enjoy five highlights from the press conference:

1. Luca is about facing your fears.
Sea monster Luca Paguro (voiced by Tremblay) is timid by nature, but that changes soon after he befriends the bold Alberto Scorfano (voiced by Grazer). Luca needs to get out of his head, so Alberto comes up with “Silenzo, Bruno!”—aka the perfect way to quiet his fears. “I think we all can learn a lot from this movie, but for me, that ‘silenzio, Bruno’ part is a good way of using your words to kind of silence your anxiety about certain things,” said Tremblay. “You need to do that for acting, and I really hope it can help me in the future.”

2. The film is fun for the whole family.
Although she’s no stranger to voicing animated characters, as she did in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ award-winning Big Hero 6, Rudolph’s role as Daniela Paguro, Luca’s mom, marks her Pixar debut. “My kids, they’re all excited by Pixar, but my oldest lost her mind; I think if she had a child, she’d name it Pixar,” Rudolph joked. “This is maybe the coolest thing I could ever do. We all watched it together and they have not stopped saying, ‘Silenzio, Bruno!’ It’s pretty amazing. I have to be honest: This feels like a dream come true. It feels like you’re a part of something bigger. It’s just such a beautiful movie.”

3. Most of Luca was completed remotely.
With the exception of Tremblay, who recorded his first lines of dialogue at Pixar Animation Studios and the rest at a studio in Vancouver, the voice cast worked from their respective homes. “Being in my mom’s closet for a year, it was definitely a stretch for me—a challenge for me as an actor and as a human being,” joked Grazer, who added that the sound quality was best in his mom’s closet. Gaffigan, meanwhile, said he enjoyed working from the house his family rented in Westchester, New York, during the pandemic. “There was something kind of comfortable about recording at home. There wasn’t a commute. You weren’t in an unfamiliar space,” he said. “It felt like we were working on something very personal to Enrico, so that was exciting. It didn’t feel like a job; it felt like capturing someone’s vision and tone, which is always more fun than simply trying to land a joke.”

4. Enrico Casarosa cast a wide net during the casting process.
Newcomer Berman voices Giulia Marcovaldo, an outgoing and charming adventurer who befriends Luca and Alberto after they swim above the water’s surface, transform into humans, and try to blend in with the locals in Portorosso, Italy. The first time Casarosa met with Berman, he recalled, “The chuckles were just pouring out, and I just knew there was something about her amazing voice and her amazing energy.” In fact, both Berman and Casarosa agree she is quite similar to her “very strong” character. “She’s determined, she’s hardworking, she’s genuine, and she’s intense, but she’s also awkward and quirky and goofy,” said Berman. “I had a really fun time playing her because I relate to her in a lot of ways. We’re both passionate about what we do, and we’re very excited and joyful people.”

5. Luca is a love letter to the idyllic summers of Enrico Casarosa’s youth.
Luca is inspired by a formative friendship from Casarosa’s own life. In fact, Alberto not-so-coincidentally shares a name with his childhood best friend, with whom he spent summers on the coast of Italy. “I was born in Genoa, which is this poor town right on the Riviera. I was a shy kid, a little bit sheltered by my family,” Casarosa recalled. “And when I met my best friend at 11, my world opened up. He was a bit of a troublemaker; he didn’t have a whole lot of supervision. And so, in those special kinds of summers when you’re growing up and kind of finding yourself, I was following him and getting dragged into trouble.” Directing Luca “really made me really think about how much we find ourselves with our friendships,” he added, “or how much friendships help us find a bit of who we want to be.”