Where to Find the Iconic Pizza Planet Trucks in Pixar Films

February 9, 2021February 9, 2021

By Savannah Salazar

No matter how you slice it, the Pizza Planet truck has become an iconic Easter egg for Pixar fans to find. It’s found in just about every Pixar film, either tucked away in a scene or sneakily right in front of your nose. In honor of National Pizza Day, we decided to dough our best to find the Pizza Planet truck wherever we could. Check them out below!

Toy Story
After an argument gone wrong, Buzz and Woody find themselves stranded at a gas station. Luckily, the Pizza Planet truck (in its first appearance!) is there to give them a ride.

A Bug’s Life
Early in the film, Flik journeys to “bug city:” home to a colony of circus insects located in a trash heap under a trailer home. While “bug city” may be underneath the trailer, to the left is the truck!

Toy Story 2
Quickly becoming the toys’ favorite mode of transportation, the iconic vehicle makes its return in Toy Story 2, but this time, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head and Hamm drive the truck as they chase after Al.

Monsters, Inc.
Similar to A Bug’s Life, the Pizza Planet truck is found right next to a trailer home. You can spot it after Randall is kicked out of Monstropolis.

Finding Nemo
In a blink-or-you’ll-miss it moment, you can see the truck whiz by the dentist’s office (aka 42 Wallaby Way). It’s seen as Gill is breaking down his escape plan to his gang of aquarium pals, Nemo included.

Cars
With Pixar creating a movie about cars, it would only make sense to include the fan-favorite pizza truck as well! Stylized to fit into the world of Cars, the truck can be seen during the Piston Cup, along with a bunch of other fantastic cars.

Ratatouille
The pizza truck can even be seen cruising through the streets of Paris, France. In Ratatouille, the truck is at the far back left crossing the bridge as Skinner chases Remy through the streets.

WALL-E
We’re starting to think the Pizza Planet truck will outlast us all; and Wall-E shows that even in a post-apocalyptic world, the truck continues to make an appearance. The truck is seen as EVE scans Earth for any sign of plant life.

Up
We spotted three moments where the pizza truck is seen. For two, keep your eyes peeled as Carl first flies his house across the city. As he flies over the streets, you can see the yellow truck parked on the curb. A little later on, as Russell is being lowered down from the house to scan the city, you can catch the truck pulling out of a parking lot toward the lower right of the screen. The final appearance comes at the end of the film, when Carl and Russell are eating ice cream outside of Fentons Ice Cream. Look in the parking lot for the iconic red rocket.

Toy Story 3
Continuing the trend of being the toys’ favorite mode of transportation, the truck returns as Lotso, Chuckles, and Big Baby hitch a ride on the bumper after being left by their previous owner Daisy.

Cars 2
In Cars 2, we found the pizza truck two times! While the cars are lounging in Wheel Well Motor Court, you can see the truck on the television screen above the bar. Toward the end of the film, the good ol’ pizza truck is seated as a spectator during the Grand Prix at Radiator Springs.

Brave
While there’s no automobiles in Brave’s timeline, Pixar animators still found a clever way to include the beloved Pizza Planet Truck for fans. If you look closely at the table in the Witch’s workshop, you can see a wooden carving of the truck.

Monsters University
What’s a party without some delicious pizza? Even Monstropolis knows that, which is why you can spot the pizza truck in Monsters University parked to the left of the JΘΧ (Jaws Theta Chi) house party.

Inside Out
Finding the pizza truck in Inside Out can be as hard as trying to get the “Triple Dent Gum” jingle out of your head—you’re welcome. But, we found two! Both are located in memory orbs. The first can be seen as Joy is chasing after Bing Bong while the second is when Joy, Bing Bong and Sadness finally make it on the train of thought.

The Good Dinosaur
Like Brave, animators had to get awfully creative when it came to inserting the truck in a pre-automobile and pre-pizza (gasp!) world. What they did have were some rocks and that’s exactly where you can spot a sneaky, sort-of avant garde pizza truck in the rock structure.

Finding Dory
Now, into the depths of the ocean. You can find the sunken, moss-covered Pizza Planet truck when Nemo, Dory and Marlin swim past some wreckage right before they encounter a giant squid.

Cars 3
The Pizza Planet truck makes another appearance in Cars 3. This time, during a demolition derby race with Lightning McQueen and Cruz. You can see the yellow truck get hit by a blue-green car, knocking the pizza truck’s red rocket into the audience.

Coco
In a fleeting moment, you can spot the truck drive by as soon as Miguel looks out the window toward the very beginning of the film.

Incredibles 2
During Elastigirl’s first encounter with the Screenslaver, the two fight, causing them to crash out of a window and fall down into an empty alleyway, where the truck is parked. Afterwards, we quickly learn that the Screenslaver was a decoy, a pizza deliveryman. Coincidence? We think not!

Toy Story 4
While there’s no runaway toys aboard a Pizza Planet truck in the latest Toy Story film, the truck still makes a sneaky appearance: as a tattoo on Axel the Carnie’s leg!

Onward
As Ian and Barley embark on their epic quest, you can see the truck to the right of the toll booth. Who says magical creatures can’t crave some pizza?

Soul
The Hall of Everything is where unborn souls travel to find their “spark”—the thing that they will be passionate about in their life on Earth. Inside the hall are items to help souls discover what they love—a basketball court for the athletically inclined, cameras for those who love photography, and so on. If you have a passion for, say, locating hidden vehicles in your favorite films, your soul may be drawn to the Pizza Planet truck sitting to the left in the hall when Joe and 22 first enter.

7 Terrific Tales from the Flora & Ulysses Cast and Filmmakers

February 9, 2021February 16, 2021

By Courtney Potter

Based on the Newbery Award-winning book by Kate DiCamillo, Flora & Ulysses will bring its hilarious heart to Disney+ beginning this Friday, February 19. The film follows 10-year-old Flora Buckman (Matilda Lawler), an avid comic book fan and a self-avowed cynic whose parents George (DuckTales’ Ben Schwartz) and Phyllis (Alyson Hannigan) have recently separated. After rescuing a squirrel she names Ulysses, Flora is amazed to discover he possesses unique superhero powers—which wind up taking them on an adventure of epic (and side-splitting) proportions… one that ultimately changes Flora’s life, and her outlook, forever.

Directed by Lena Khan, with a screenplay by Brad Copeland (Arrested Development), Flora & Ulysses also costars Danny Pudi (Schwartz’s DuckTales cohort) as Miller, an über-zealous animal control officer. Pudi recently joined Khan, author DiCamillo, Schwartz, Hannigan, and Lawler for a boisterous, laugh-a-minute virtual press conference celebrating the film’s upcoming release on the streaming service. Read on for some of the fabulous behind-the-scenes facts the cast and filmmakers offered up…

DiCamillo reveals the unique inspiration behind the story of Flora & Ulysses:
“So my mom had a vacuum cleaner that she loved,” the author explains. “She passed away in 2009, and in the last year of her life, she kept saying, ‘What’s gonna happen to the vacuum cleaner when I’m gone?’ And I thought, why are we worried about a vacuum cleaner? There are bigger things to worry about! But when she died, as I’d promised her I would do, I took the vacuum cleaner so that it would have a good home. Except that my mom had the world’s most evil cat, named Mildew—and I couldn’t bring the vacuum into the house because of all the Mildew hair in it; I had to leave it out in the garage. [But] every time I pulled into the garage and saw the vacuum cleaner, it would make my heart hurt. It would make me miss my mother. Then, the spring after my mother died, there was a squirrel on the front steps of my house, draped dramatically across the steps—clearly in distress. And he wouldn’t move when I got close to him, and I didn’t know what to do or who to call… I thought about ways to save the squirrel’s life and combined that with the vacuum cleaner in the garage, and that’s the story.”

(Don’t worry, friends—while the vacuum’s fate remains unknown, the squirrel wound up being a-okay!)

Khan discusses bringing Flora & Ulysses to life:
“The blueprint for most of the stuff that happens [in the film] is in the book, so we were kind of lucky there,” she says. “Apparently, crazy things like vacuum cleaners and everything ended up in Kate’s home! We got to play with all kinds of things, like stunts off of buildings and car crashes. It’s just kind of written in Kate’s brain—and then our screenwriter Brad Copeland, who wrote for Arrested Development, put all that kind of weirdness and fun into the movie. And then it was just kind of making it all real, which our lovely cast did.”

Lawler on how she found out she’d been cast as Flora:
“It was insane,” says the actress. “I was in this Broadway show [The Ferryman], and I was actually in the middle of the city—huge crowds everywhere. And I got a phone call from Lena and I hold the phone up to my ear and like, I can barely hear her. [But] I hear her say, ‘You want to be in this movie?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes!!’ It was amazing.”

Pudi on what a memorable time he had filming Flora & Ulysses—especially when it came to his character’s dealings with several energetic animals:
“This is my second time working with Lena,” Pudi explains. “I got to work with her on a film called The Tiger Hunter… [And] she told me that this would be a complete departure; there would be a lot of physical comedy involved. I love physical comedy, [and] I thought that was gonna be really exciting and just kind of fun to dive into this world. And in terms of the physicality, they would give me pillows to put under my shirt, [or] sometimes this weird squishy squirrel doll, to simulate what the real squirrel would look like. And then it was just a lot of [being] told, ‘Okay, just kind of run—dance, jerk your head around, and move your body.’ And it was like dance, it was just letting go! It looked like I was getting electrocuted a lot.” He laughs, adding, “I’ve been attacked by a few animals in my life, so I used that as my acting prep work.”

Schwartz and Hannigan recall some notable improvisational moments from the film’s shoot:
“The script that Brad wrote was so good,” says Schwartz, “and Lena gives us room to play—but with the knowledge [that] we’re not going to be like, ‘What’s going on? What’s that dinosaur over there?’ Y’know what I mean? It’s always within the boundaries of what that scene is, and only if it heightens either the emotion or the comedy of the scene without bringing it somewhere else.” Hannigan continues, “I remember having a lot of fun trying to work out the awkward entrance with Ben—do we hug? Do we shake hands? That was really fun to do… I love anything where I get to be awkward. That was a standout moment.” “It’s very fun to act with someone like Alyson, who’s been in so much comedy and she’s been doing such great stuff for so long,” Schwartz adds. “It was so fun to try to [work out that scene] with her, and with Lena. We literally tried 1,000 ways—there could be a weird ‘super-cut’ of us trying to say hello to each other!” (“It’s on our editor’s computer,” adds Khan.)

Khan gives a few hints on what kind of Easter eggs viewers can expect, including a mini DuckTales reunion:
“We realized that the best goldmine in all of television was DuckTales,” says the director, chuckling. “And we must bring everyone from that show [to our film]!” Besides Schwartz and Pudi, Flora & Ulysses also boasts a turn from DuckTales’ Kate Micucci as a nonplused waitress at the town’s diner, and a cameo appearance by Bobby Moynihan as a clerk at the local comic book store. “We threw in [things like] Bobby reading a DuckTales comic… You’ll see some ducks with different colors on their collars, matching the DuckTales characters, in Danny’s office.” But wait, there’s more: “There’s a whole world for comic [lovers] in that comic book store,” continues Khan. “There’s a giant penny, which would’ve been in the Bat Cave originally. You’ll see Mysterio, with the goldfish thing over his head. Some people will know who the ventriloquist ‘mobster’ dummy is, next to the TV… There’s a lot of Alyson Hannigan love; a lot of stuff from [her past TV and film work] hidden in the background [of the Buckman home]. Different books of Kate DiCamillo’s are hidden throughout. There’s just a lot of treats everywhere!”

Hannigan recalls the fun of showing the film to her two children:
“Well, they’ve been asking since the day we wrapped [filming], ‘When will we get to see it?’… They were so excited, [while] I was apprehensive [as someone who doesn’t like to watch themselves on screen]. But from the moment it started, I sort of forgot that I was even a part of it—because they were so engaged. Watching them, they were just so happy. They were laughing out loud—like, beyond belly laughs; I’d have to pause because I thought well, they’re gonna miss the next scene, cuz they were just in tears! And my husband and I kept looking at each other and saying, ‘This is so good!’ We were so happy… ”

Get ready for some hilarious, high-flying adventure when Flora & Ulysses debuts Friday, February 19—only on Disney+!

Watch the Epic Big Game Trailers for Raya and the Last Dragon and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

February 8, 2021February 8, 2021

By the D23 Team

As Disney fans, there’s a reason to tune in to the Big Game that goes beyond the love of football. Yesterday we gathered around our televisions and were wowed by incredible looks at a highly anticipated Disney movie and television series—plus, a special look at the Disney Bundle.

Raya and the Last Dragon

Raya and the Last Dragon is an exciting, epic journey in the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together long ago in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), to track down the legendary last dragon (Awkwafina) to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well.

Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon will be in theaters or available for order on Disney+ with Premier Access on March 5. Learn more here.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

Following the events of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) team up on a global adventure that put them to the test. Stream the original series beginning March 19, exclusively on Disney+. The action-packed trailer above complements a new TV spot that aired during yesterday’s big game.

Disney Bundle

If you’re counting down the days till you can stream Raya and the Last Dragon and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, you might be in need of some more Disney magic to watch while you wait. From incredible stories to unforgettable characters, the Disney Bundle has tons of content for every kind of Disney fan! Get more details here.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Week

February 8, 2021February 5, 2021

By Zach Johnson

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’re in the mood for love! For the second year in a row, Freeform is celebrating the holiday with “Love Week,” a special weeklong programming event. The marathon will begin Monday with the 2009 comedy Bride Wars. Later that night, Matt James will continue his journey to find love on ABC’s The Bachelor. On Wednesday, Freeform will air the Hollywood Pictures classic While You Were Sleeping. Two days later, Disney+ will add Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella to its library; the musical film originally aired in 1997 during The Wonderful World of Disney on ABC. That same day, Freeform will broadcast Touchstone’s 1999 rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You.

Bride Wars—Monday, February 8, at 11 a.m. ET on Freeform
Lifelong best friends Emma Allan (Anne Hathaway) and Liv Lerner (Kate Hudson) have been planning every detail of their weddings since first witnessing a ceremony decades ago at New York City’s famed Plaza Hotel. Now that they’re both engaged—Emma to Fletcher Flemson (Chris Pratt) and Liv to Daniel Williams (Steve Howey)—their dreams are about to become a reality. But due to a clerical error, their weddings are scheduled for the same day. With neither willing to reschedule, the next few months are a battle of the bridezillas!

The Bachelor—Monday, February 8, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Midway through Matt James’ journey to find love, time is running out for the remaining women to bolster their connection with him. Emotions continue to run high as rivals come face-to-face, cocktail parties are called off, and a group date gets unexpectedly competitive. Luckily, James and one of the women take a break from the drama with a romantic carnival date that includes a performance by Temecula Road. And tensions are briefly lifted when James’ best friend, The Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron, stops by. But everything could change when former The Bachelor cast member Heather Martin (Season 23) makes a surprise visit, adding to this season’s unprecedented twists and turns.

While You Were Sleeping—Wednesday, February 10, at 1 p.m. ET on Freeform
Lonely transit worker Lucy Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) saves her secret crush, Peter Callaghan (Peter Gallagher), from being hit by a train after a mugging on Christmas Day. As he is hospitalized in a coma, Lucy is mistaken for his fiancée. Welcomed into the close-knit Callaghan family through the holidays, she brings new life to the household. But Lucy has misgivings about taking advantage of the mix-up. As she learns more about Peter, she starts to question her infatuation—all while falling for his little brother, Jack (Bill Pulman).

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella—Friday, February 12, on Disney+
At the stroke of midnight, the beloved movie musical will begin streaming exclusively on Disney+ as part of the “Celebrate Black Stories” collection. In spite of her wicked stepmother (Bernadette Peters) and evil stepsisters (Veanne Cox and Natalie Desselle), Cinderella (Brandy) remains hopeful and kind. One fateful day, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother (Whitney Houston) steps in to change her life for one unforgettable night. At the royal ball, Cinderella falls for the handsome Prince Christopher (Paolo Montalban), whose parents, King Maximillian (Victor Garber) and Queen Constantina (Disney Legend Whoopi Goldberg), are eager for him to find a suitable wife. Celebrated for its diverse representation, sweeping musical acts, and unforgettable song book, the film features an array of beloved and original songs, including “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” “Impossible,” “In My Own Little Corner,” “A Lovely Night,” “Ten Minutes Ago,” and more.

10 Things I Hate About You—Friday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. ET on Freeform
Based on William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the comedy film stars Larisa Oleynik and Julia Stiles as sisters Bianca and Kat Stratford, respectively. On paper, they couldn’t be more different. Bianca, a popular high school sophomore, is unable to date until her older sister does… but Kat is so irascible she alienates anyone who might be remotely interested in her. So, Bianca and Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) decide to play matchmaker for Kat by setting her up with the mysterious Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). Will Kat let her guard down enough to fall for the effortlessly charming bad boy?

Celebrate Soulfully in February at Walt Disney World Resort

February 5, 2021

By Beth Deitchman

A new exhibit inside The American Adventure at EPCOT and new art displays and live jazz performances at Disney Springs are among the ways to celebrate soulfully at Walt Disney World Resort right now. Coinciding with and extending beyond February’s Black History Month, these offerings honor Black heritage and culture through music, food, art, and more.

Inside The American Adventure at EPCOT, “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure” debuted Monday, February 1, and will continue beyond the end of the month. Featuring Joe Gardner from Disney and Pixar’s Golden Globe®-nominated Soul (now streaming on Disney+), this new exhibit showcases historic artifacts of famous jazz musicians, inviting you on a musical tour of the United States to learn more about this colorful, inspiring, and constantly evolving genre of music. Learn more about the exhibit and watch a new video from Walt Disney Imagineering’s Carmen Smith now on the Disney Parks Blog.

Over at the Walt Disney World shopping, dining, and entertainment district, “Celebrate Soulfully at Disney Springs” brings together several new offerings debuting this month. With jazz-inspired performances, new art displays, special food menus, and more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy:

Disney and Pixar’s Soul has inspired four new art displays created by emerging Black artists: Bee Harris, Bianca Pastel, Arrington Porter, and Cory Van Lew. Originally developed in collaboration with Disney and Pixar as part of a HUE Unlimited collection of wearable art, the work reflects each artist’s interpretation of the film.
Enjoy Motown Mondays, Jazz Thursdays, and Smooth Sundays at Disney Springs, as musicians perform throughout the district three evenings per week, playing tunes sure to stir your soul. In addition, select dining locations will feature special menu items, including Amorette’s Patisserie, which has created dazzling and delicious treats inspired by Soul and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Princess and the Frog. Also at Disney Springs, several retail locations will spotlight products from Black designers, artists, and visionaries. Learn more about all the ways to “Celebrate Soulfully at Disney Springs” right here on the Disney Parks Blog.

At select Disney Resort hotels, guests can enjoy films that celebrate Black culture, such as The Princess and the Frog, as part of the hotels’ “Movies Under the Stars” program. These complimentary movie screenings are available to guests of Disney Resort hotels, offering relaxing evening entertainment for the whole family in a serene outdoor setting.

Beyond the Page with Marvel’s Behind the Mask—Plus More in News Briefs

February 5, 2021February 5, 2021

By Courtney Potter

Marvel’s Behind the Mask Premieres February 12 on Disney+

There’s a brand-new documentary special coming to Disney+ next week—and if you’re a Marvel fan (honestly, who amongst us isn’t?), then it’s right up your alley… Marvel’s Behind the Mask, debuting on the streaming service on Friday, February 12, will explore the power of identity behind the world’s most iconic super heroes we know and love today.

From the very inception of comic books, secret identities have been an integral part of both Super Heroes and Villains leading “normal” lives. But it’s the characters beneath that resonate within us across generations of fans. Since the advent of the Marvel Age of Comics in the early 1960s, Marvel’s writers and artists have used the notion of identities to examine the evolving concept of equal rights. These legendary Marvel creations and stories have not only reflected the world outside our window—they’ve become a reflection of our own identities and who we truly are.

Marvel’s Behind the Mask features guests from across Marvel’s 80-year legacy, including the writers and artists behind the rise of characters like Black Panther, Miles Morales, Ms. Marvel, Luke Cage, the X-Men, Captain Marvel, and many other characters in the Marvel Universe… all highlighting Marvel’s massive, undeniable impact on pop culture and media.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

We hear tell there’s some sort of big football game happening this weekend—but if sports aren’t your thing (or even if they are and you just wanna fill your viewing calendar with some additional fun!), look no further than around the worlds of Disney. Case(s) in point: a brand-new episode of WandaVision on Disney+; a new episode of Heartland Docs, DVM on Nat Geo WILD; and so much more.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella Coming to Disney+ on February 12

“It’s possible!” Beloved favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, which originally premiered during ABC’s The Wonderful World of Disney, is coming to Disney+ in just a few days!

The musical, first airing in November 1997, became an instant classic—earning seven Emmy® Award nominations and legions of fans. Celebrated for its diverse, memorable casting (is there anyone better to play the Fairy Godmother than Whitney Houston?!) and sweeping musical numbers, the film boasts an array of unforgettable songs by the iconic musical theater legends Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, including “Impossible,” “In My Own Little Corner,” “Ten Minutes Ago,” “A Lovely Night,” and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?”

Directed by Robert Iscove and choreographed by Emmy® Award winner and Oscar® and Tony Award® nominee Rob Marshall, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella stars Brandy in the title role alongside Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber, Natalie Desselle Reid, Bernadette Peters, Paolo Montalban, Jason Alexander, and Veanne Cox. Look for it in the Disney+’s “Celebrate Black Stories” collection along with Disney and Pixar’s Soul, Beyoncé’s Black Is King, Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, Hidden Figures, and many more.

Disney Sets Deal with Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media

He brought the incredible world of Wakanda to the big screen, and now he’ll create even more memorable content for The Walt Disney Company… Earlier this week, Disney announced that it’s entered into a five-year overall exclusive TV deal with writer, director, and producer Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media. Coogler, who co-wrote and directed Marvel Studios’ global smash hit Black Panther and is now working on the sequel, will develop new TV series for different segments of the company—including one based in the Kingdom of Wakanda for Disney+.

“It’s an honor to be partnering with The Walt Disney Company. Working with them on Black Panther was a dream come true. As avid consumers of television, we couldn’t be happier to be launching our television business with Bob Iger [Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board at The Walt Disney Company], Dana Walden [Chairman of Entertainment, Walt Disney Television], and all the amazing studios under the Disney umbrella,” said Coogler, on behalf of Proximity Media. Founded with a mission to create event-driven feature films, TV, soundtracks, and podcasts that look to bring audiences closer together—through stories involving often-overlooked subject matter—Proximity Media also includes Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ludwig Göransson (who recently won a Primetime Emmy® Award for his score for Disney+’s The Mandalorian), Archie Davis, and Peter Nicks.

We can’t wait to see what Proximity Media has in store!

**Coming Soon: FAUCI, From National Geographic Documentary Films**

From National Geographic Documentary Films—and Emmy winners John Hoffman and Janet Tobias; Oscar® winner Dan Cogan; and two-time Oscar nominee Liz Garbus—comes a brand-new look at the life of “America’s Doctor”: Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D.

Simply titled FAUCI, this new documentary features unprecedented access to the nation’s top infectious disease expert and dedicated public servant. A world-renowned ID specialist, Dr. Fauci has led the U.S. fight against every epidemic our country has faced over the past 50 years, from AIDS to SARS to Ebola, and now, COVID-19. The longest-serving public health leader in Washington, Dr. Fauci has worked under seven presidents and is revered on both sides of the aisle—and has testified before Congress more than any other person in American history. FAUCI will take viewers on a journey through his remarkable career, with a particular focus on his work on HIV/AIDS.

The film will also feature the voices of many of those who have influenced him, and whom he has worked alongside—and for—including President George W. Bush, Bill Gates, Bono, former HHS secretary Sylvia Burwell, former national security advisor Susan Rice, NIH director Dr. Francis Collins, former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden, key AIDS activists and organizers, and more… as well as Dr. Fauci’s family, friends, and former patients.

Look for more info on FAUCI—including a premiere date—soon.

ICYMI: Disney’s 25 Golden Globe Nominations

Speaking of Disney and Pixar’s Soul, this week saw the Hollywood Foreign Press Association honor content from around the worlds of Disney with 25 Golden Globe Award nominations! Get the full rundown right here at D23.com, and make sure to tune in on Sunday, February 28, to see if your favorite(s) take home the prize during the telecast hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler…

Big City Greens’ New Music-Filled Episode Hits All the Right Notes

February 5, 2021February 5, 2021

By Beth Deitchman

What’s your go-to karaoke song—the one you’ve perfected in the shower and practiced singing into your hairbrush microphone? In “Okay Karaoke,” the latest episode of Big City Greens—premiering Saturday, February 6 (9 a.m. EST/PST), on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW—a family karaoke outing finds all of the Greens pondering exactly that question. For Cricket; his parents, Bill and Nancy; best friend Remy; and Gramma; choosing the perfect song is a pretty easy decision, but sister Tilly can’t quite settle upon a melody and lyric that embody who she truly is inside. Her dilemma—and the rest of the Greens’ lack thereof—leads to a toe-tapping, laugh-inducing collection of five original songs, as well as an equally unique assortment of videos that accompany them. A digital soundtrack—Big City Greens: Don’t Think, Just Sing!—was released today on Walt Disney Records and features six tracks, including the hit “Stuck at Home” along with the five original songs from this week’s music-filled episode.

Series creators and executive producers, brothers Chris and Shane Houghton, have had a blast bringing original songs into the world of their animated series, including in the 2019 holiday special Green Christmas. “We had so much fun with that and there was such a great response from the fans and from people at the studio that we just decided we had to do more with songs,” Shane tells D23.

The Big City Greens team is a musical bunch, and Chris shares that when the writers first begin to discuss incorporating a song into an episode, the process typically leads to “someone going into some closet somewhere and singing into their phone.” After they have something to work off of, in terms of the lyrics and jokes, they call in series composer Joachim Horsley. “He is just such a talent, he can really help take our rough demos and flesh them out,” Chris says. “It’s kind of down to a science, but it’s a creative science where each song is a little different. Some songs come together very quickly, others need to be hashed out more and more over time… But it’s all within the crew and our composer.”

For “Okay Karaoke,” the Houghtons emphasize how much fun they had exploring the songs performed by the Big City Greens characters and creating a music video for each. Green family patriarch Bill sings a countrified love song… to his pickup truck. “We immediately leaned into the visuals of Bill singing and having his jean jacket open and blowing in the wind, with the sky and mountains in the background. Just these very grand visuals that we kind of associate with that dramatic, ‘I lost my wife, dog, and truck in one week’ sort of vibe,” Chris says with a laugh. Nancy’s song reflects her unconventional, anti-establishment persona, and the Houghtons admit that they might have kept Pink Floyd’s The Wall in the back of their minds as they were devising her anarchic number. Gramma chooses to sing what Shane describes as an “old-time, kind of Betty Boop-style song,” and you can check out her zany number “Ask My Kazoo” in this exclusive clip:

Of course, Chris Houghton isn’t just one of the series’ executive producers—he’s also one of its stars. As the voice of Cricket, Chris teamed up with Zeno Robinson, who voices Remy, for a song that’s a little bit pop, a little bit rap, and 100-percent fun. Chris assures us that he had as much fun recording the song as fans will have watching the sequence. “I’ve had the absolute pleasure now to record a few different pop songs as the voice of Cricket and it’s been a great creative challenge to go in and really give it my all,” he says. “I break out in a sweat, really trying to make Cricket as believable of a pop star as possible, because I think the better he sings, the funnier it is.”

The Houghtons also enlisted two music V.I.P.s for the episode. Aaron Barrett, lead singer for the ska band Real Big Fish—a Houghton brothers favorite—guest stars as the voice of Ska Guy. “We saw Real Big Fish in concert way back when, in like 2005, and just had such a blast. So when we had a ‘Ska Guy’ role, it just had to go to the front man of our favorite ska band.” And singer/songwriter Macy Gray lends her voice to the role of Kara Karaoke, host of the club visited by the Greens, who believes karaoke to be one of “the purest forms of self-expression.” “Kara Karaoke is a very Zen character who has a very philosophical look on what karaoke can do for the soul and how the song you pick has to truly represent who you are,” Shane shares, explaining, “We wanted somebody who could do this kind of laid-back character and Macy Gray has this very chill vibe and very unique voice that we both just love.”

Disney Television Animation recently announced that the Houghtons have entered into an overall deal to create new animated series, shorts, and movies for Disney Channel and Disney+—along with a third season of Big City Greens. “The episodes that are airing right now are some of the biggest and funniest that we’ve done,” Shane says. “Season three continues that trend of really pushing the comedy, pushing the characters, and pushing the heart—and in season three, Big City Greens is just getting bigger!

Get Early Access to the February Disney Treasures From the Vault, Limited-Edition Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Plush, Amazon Exclusive

February 5, 2021February 13, 2024

Access the February Disney Treasures From the Vault, Limited-Edition Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Plush, Amazon Exclusive Plush

Disney Treasures From the Vault, Limited-Edition Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Plush, Amazon Exclusive

Relive the magic of Disney with the Treasures From the Vault Plush. Inspired by Disney’s dynamic duo, the Limited-Edition Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are the second set of collectible characters in this exclusive Amazon series. Standing 16 inches tall and made of soft fabric with embroidered eyes, Mickey Mouse is wearing red shorts and Minnie Mouse is wearing a blue polka dot skirt with a red hat and red bows on her shoes. They are both showcasing their vintage yellow gloves and brown shoes. They even include a Certificate of Authenticity and come in a window box featuring exclusive Disney Treasures From the Vault packaging with gold foil detailing; ideal for collectors. Collect all 12 of these commemorative Disney plush. Ages 3+

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse have been eternal sweethearts since they made their cinematic debut together in the landmark cartoon short Steamboat Willie (1928). Although Mickey and Minnie’s designs have evolved over the decades, their quintessential classic look remains inspired by their 1930s design. It’s hard to imagine Mickey Mouse without thinking of his iconic red shorts and yellow shoes, and Minnie Mouse has been a fashionable star from the very start, in her iconic heels, hat, and polka dot skirt.

Second commemorative plush in the Treasures From the Vault Plush collection.
Includes Certificate of Authenticity.
Amazon exclusive.
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse both stand 16 inches tall.
Made of soft fabric with embroidered eyes.
Collect all 12.
Ages 3+
D23 Members will be the first to be notified about each month’s theme and have an opportunity to order the month’s design.
Each month D23 will provide Members with advance notice of the date the plush will be available for purchase on Amazon.com.
On Friday, February 5, at 9 a.m. PST,visit this page on D23.com for the link to purchase the February Disney Treasures From the Vault, Limited-Edition Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Plush, Amazon Exclusive Plush
Please note: You must be signed in as a D23 Member to access the link to purchase. Click “Sign In” at the top of the page.
Please note limited quantities of the plush will be available on Amazon.com.

For more Disney favorites, visit amazon.com/Disney for a full assortment of products.

Black History Month Spotlight: Legendary Handprints—Oprah Winfrey

February 5, 2021February 4, 2021

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. While studying communications at Tennessee State University she began to work in radio and then television, eventually becoming a local broadcaster in Nashville. In 1976 she moved to Baltimore to co-anchor the local news, and went on to co-host the talk show People Are Talking. She moved to Chicago in 1984, where she became host of AM Chicago, and soon took the show to first place in its market, surpassing ratings expectations just a month after she began. Before long her show was expanded to an hour, put into national syndication, and rebranded as The Oprah Winfrey Show. The ratings juggernaut ran from 1986 to 2011, largely on ABC stations and in more than 100 countries, becoming the highest-rated daytime program in television history.

As an actress, Oprah found success early on in her career. In 1998 she starred in Beloved for Disney’s Touchstone Pictures, a film that she also produced. She later voiced Eudora in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog in 2009, and in 2018 starred in The Walt Disney Studios’ film A Wrinkle in Time as the iconic Mrs. Which.

Off-screen, Oprah has been an active philanthropist. In 2007, she founded The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa to provide educational and leadership opportunities for academically gifted girls from impoverished backgrounds, and is the largest single donor to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture with a $21 million donation.

Oprah’s illustrious career was celebrated by The Walt Disney Company in 2017 when she was named a Disney Legend. “Every day—Disney, ABC7 let me be me,” said Oprah, returning the praise during her acceptance speech. “It was an honor and I feel that… being a Legend, more than being a celebrity or being awarded for notoriety, that really a Legend is about the common experience that we all hold and share—and every day on that show I was able to tell our common story.”

A Closer look at the D23 Vacation Kingdom Lunchbox with Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily

February 4, 2021

By Justin Arthur

The colorful 2021 D23 Collector Set pays tribute to a half century of Walt Disney World with a collection of classic theme park souvenirs which, of course, had to feature a vintage-inspired lunchbox! Completely reimagining a 1973 original, this lunchbox features all-new artwork inspired by all four of Walt Disney World’s theme parks and beyond. There are dozens of characters, icons, and attractions to see on the lunchbox, from the classic Electrical Water Pageant to Star Tours – The Adventures Continue and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway!

We caught up with the artists behind the lunchbox, fan-favorites Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, as they took us on a journey into their imaginations!

What got you excited about this project?
Kevin: We were little kids in the 1970s when the original lunchbox was released, and it was hugely popular at my elementary school. I never got one, but I wanted it SO badly. I remember sitting in the cafeteria across the table from a girl who had one. I just stared at Mickey on that train! I laugh to think the first time I probably ever heard of Walt Disney World was from this lunchbox! Each year my mom would buy me a new lunch kit for school, and I had a fairly impressive collection by the time I was in 4th grade. My favorite was the Walt Disney World America on Parade lunch box which came out in 1976 for America’s bicentennial. It made me want to design parade floats!

How did you fit 50 years of Walt Disney World history into this?
Jody: We love to mimic different vintage art styles, whether it’s the soft watercolor backgrounds from Snow White or the bold graphics of Mary Blair, so this project was a new challenge. At first glance it looks like the lunch box we’re all familiar with, but most of the artwork is entirely new, with each of the Disney Parks in Florida represented with newly added icons and characters. The reverse side of the lunchbox originally showed the Country Bear Jamboree, but we’ve added a band of favorite characters from everywhere in the Resort—from the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, to Kitchen Kabaret and the original Journey into Imagination.

Did you research any other classic Disney lunchboxes for inspiration?
Kevin: The very first character-licensed lunch box featured Mickey Mouse in 1935, but metal lunch kits took off in the 1950s and ’60s thanks to Aladdin Industries in Nashville, Tennessee. They introduced the full-color lithography on all sides of the box and, later, embossed the front and back panels to give a 3D effect. One of the first embossed Disney-licensed lunch kits featured Ludwig Von Drake in Disneyland, released in 1962.

How did you capture that 1970’s Walt Disney World look?
Jody: Here’s some neat trivia about the original Walt Disney World lunch box. The sides were decorated with colorful icons representing the Contemporary Resort, the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction, the Swiss Family Treehouse, and several others. All of these icons were lifted from a colorfully stylized map in a 1970 booklet called Preview Edition of Walt Disney World. The map offered a peek at the “2,500 acres of resort and recreationland” before the construction was completed. If you compare the lunch box with this map, you’ll see where all the original designs came from! Ten years ago, to commemorate Walt Disney World’s 40th anniversary, Kevin and I created a dinnerware set based on this same map. It’s long been our favorite graphic depiction of Walt Disney World, and a big reason why this lunch box is so special to us. In the same art style, we designed brand new icons representing newer attractions for this lunchbox, such as DINOSAUR, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

The lunchbox’s cover now features embossed icons from all four of Walt Disney World’s theme parks, along with the addition of D23 favorites Chip and Dale. And the bottom features two classic 1971 icons that we just couldn’t resist keeping from the original—the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage, and the Walt Disney World Monorail gliding through the iconic A-Frame of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. My personal favorite Easter egg? A penguin from the orchestra of Muppet*Vision 3-D!

There are so many incredible things to see on this lunchbox that you’ll want to take it everywhere you go and dream that you’re on a Walt Disney World vacation! So what are you waiting for? Get your lunchbox, along with a stunning custom-designed set of five retro pins, a colorful D23 pennant, and a vinyl record featuring music from the parks as part of the 2021 D23 Collector Set , only for new and renewing D23 Gold Members in 2021!