Trevor Tordjman Answers Our Burning Questions About BUNK’D

By Zach Johnson

Trevor Tordjman is one happy camper.

The actor, of Disney Fam Jam and ZOMBIES fame, is joining the season five cast of the hit Disney Channel series BUNK’D starting this Friday in “R.V. Having Fun Yet?,” airing at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. He stars as Parker Preston, who—surprise, Lou!—owns 15% of Camp Kikiwaka! Ahead of his debut, Tordjman talked to D23: The Official Disney Fan Club about Parker’s arrival and his dynamic with Lou (Miranda May), as well as what to expect later this season.

D23: How familiar were you with BUNK’D before you were cast?
Trevor Tordjman (TT): I’d heard of Jessie, of course, and I’d heard of BUNK’D being a spinoff. But I didn’t know it well, so the first thing I did was log onto Disney+ in Canada. I was bursting with laughter. I was like, ‘These people are hilarious! I thought I was funny.’ I was a bit nervous coming on, because I thought, ‘These guys are so funny.’ But it’s so great.

D23: Did you know any of the cast members already?
TT: I didn’t. I’d just seen them briefly at events. Before my first day on set, [Raphael Alejandro] and I shared a dressing room for the Christmas special we filmed for Disney Channel, so I got to know him and his mom and we connected. They said, ‘You have to come over for dinner.’ I was like, ‘You’re like my family away from home!’ They’re so cool. It was really cool getting to know him and then the rest of the cast once I once I got onto set.

Trevor Tordjman

D23: Tell us about what your first day on set was like.
TT: Yo, I had a mix of emotions! It started with a COVID test; I got that out of the way. And then I hopped in with all this energy. We had a table read and then we jumped into rehearsal. They’ve got a well-oiled machine going over there at BUNK’D; they know what they’re doing. But when we began with rehearsals, I was like, ‘Oh, is this right? Is this good?’ It took me a second to get back to my usual flow of just going with the flow. That’s usually how I am, but because I was the new kid, it took me a second to get into that. The cast was so cool, so welcoming. [Will Buie Jr.] got me a gift. Miranda had reached out to me before to say, ‘We’re so excited to have you.’ I was like, ‘Wow, this cast is truly special.’

D23: What’s the BUNK’D set like when cameras aren’t rolling?
TT: In between takes, I’m just getting to know the cast. I’m so excited to be working with them. I saw [Israel Johnson] skateboarding the other day, so I’ll be like, ‘Why are you so good at it?’ He’s doing kick flips and stuff. I’m just trying to hang out with them as much as possible because I love them. This cast is so nice. And they’re great gift givers! We filmed on my birthday. I showed up in the morning and my door had candy taped to it. I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh! I didn’t even know you knew it was my birthday.’ I hadn’t even told anybody.

D23: What can you tell us about Parker and how he comes to Camp Kikiwaka?
TT: Parker came all the way from Canada, eh. I don’t have to worry about my accent at all. [Laughs] He comes from this rich, famous family, so he’s super confident. He just struts into the room with a deed showing he owns a percentage of the camp and it throws Lou off. He’s like, ‘All right, let’s make some changes now.’ And she’s like, ‘What?’ Really, Parker wants to be accepted, but he’s going about it the wrong way. He just wants love and he wants to fit in. You get to see that arc happen after you first meet him, which is really cool.

Trevor Tordjman

D23: How does Lou react to having to share part of the camp with Parker?
TT: They have to learn to work together. That’s what I love so much about Parker’s storyline. You’ve got someone who knows what she’s doing and has been doing it for a long time, and someone who thinks he knows what he’s doing. Parker learns a lot from Lou, and you get to see that growth. There are a lot of really cool scenes with Parker and Lou together, and fans will get to watch them evolve. I think the audience is going to love that.

D23: Parker arrives in a tricked-out RV that has everything from a bowling alley to a spa. If you were going to live in an RV, what luxuries would you want to have installed?
TT: They hit it right on the nose. If I could have an elevator, a hot tub, etc., I would choose all of those things. But if I could only choose one thing, I would pick a ping pong table. I’m a big ping ponger. And I’d also want to have a stocked fridge and cooking utensils. If I’ve got a fridge stocked full of food, I am happy. Throw some falafels in a frying pan? I’m sold!

Trevor Tordjman

D23: Right off the bat, Parker gives many of the counselors and campers nicknames, such as ‘Lou-bedo-bedo’ and ‘Noah-Boa.’ Did you have any fun nicknames growing up?
TT: My mom called me ‘Trevy Tulip.’ She loves tulips. And ‘T-money’ was my alter ego rap name. Other than that? Just Trev.

D23: Parker also shows off his dance skills when he creates fun moves like ‘The Lou’ and ‘The Parker.’ Given your dance background, will we see more dancing in his future?
TT: I love to dance. I’ve been dancing my whole life. When I saw that it was in BUNK’D, I was so excited, so I hope. I want a musical episode, OK? Now that we’re talking about it, that’s what I want to do. I just love musicals. And if we don’t, I always try to throw a little dance flavor in there. Like, I’ll do a spin or a slide or something. So, hopefully there’s more!

D23: What can you tease about Parker’s journey for the rest of season five?
TT: You can see a lot of growth in Parker. He came from a super easy, super rich lifestyle before coming to camp. It’s so funny to see him out of his element and to not fit in at first, and there are a lot of laughs that come with that. So, you’ll definitely have to check it out!

Go Behind the Magic with the Raya and the Last Dragon Filmmakers

By Courtney Potter

Faith, teamwork, and trust… when those ideas align—whether within a disparate group, or within one individual’s heart—magic can once again thrive. In Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS)’ upcoming Raya and the Last Dragon, that kind of magic has been drained from the magnificent, fantastical world of Kumandra—where, long ago, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force called the Druun 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 (voice of Kelly Marie Tran), to track down the legendary last dragon Sisu (voice of Awkwafina) to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it takes more than a dragon to save the world… it also takes that mystical mixture of faith, teamwork, and trust.

Recently, D23 was lucky enough to hear from the filmmakers of this colorful new adventure—including directors Don Hall (Oscar® winner for Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada; producer Osnat Shurer (Oscar nominee for Moana); and screenwriters Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim—about what makes Raya and the Last Dragon so very unique, both behind-the-scenes and on screen. Read on for a few of the most interesting tidbits:

Nguyen and Lim on their inspiration for such fascinating, memorable characters:
“In Southeast Asia, there’s a great tradition of female leaders, military leaders, and warriors; leaders of their own realms,” explains Lim. “And also, the stories of Nagas [mythical serpents] and dragons, particularly with water. In Malaysia, we have the warrior Tun Fatimah, and we have stories of Naga Tasik Chini, which is the dragon of Chini Lake. So it’s sort of within a lot of cultures in Southeast Asia, and so we knew it was one of those threads that would really resonate within the film.” Nguyen continues, “In Vietnamese culture, there’s this really famous story of the Trung sisters. They’re like these famous Vietnamese warriors that I definitely thought of. Without a doubt, I think Adele and I drew inspirations for families from our parents. Specifically for me, from my mom—I know what she had to go through when she came to this country; just to have that kind of fighting spirit, and the kind of energy that our people have that you don’t always get to display on screen. It was important for us to show the real spirit of Southeast Asia out there.”

Raya the last Dragon

Shurer on what made the film’s Southeast Asian Story Trust—a group of expert consultants from the region—so important:
“We met many people as we were preparing for the research trips,” Shurer says, “and [then] met some people on the trips—and found commonalities with many people. For example: Dr. Hall, who is our textile expert that we met through the Pacific Asia Museum when we needed to dig into textiles. We had linguists who worked with us. Every name that we put in the movie went through an Indonesian linguist from UCLA who speaks many languages of the region… Dr. Arounsack is a visual anthropologist who couldn’t be more perfect, because his expertise is what is the visual representation of cultural ideas—which is super cool… So [building the Southeast Asian Story Trust] was an organic process where people became a bigger and bigger part, collaborating with us along the way. The script is very deeply a script written by the writers you see here [today], in collaboration with the directors and with WDAS’s chief creative officer, Jennifer Lee, and our [WDAS] story trust. The cultural conversation was going on during the writing of the script and continued to go on throughout the creation of the film, and continues to this day… It grows organically, and they work with us throughout. And the conversation grows and becomes—honestly—[more like] friendships.”

…And speaking of research—the filmmakers on what resonated with them the most, throughout the process:
“For me, the thing that I really wanted, being a lifelong martial artist, was to make sure that our martial arts were correct,” Nguyen explains. “So often when you see a big action movie that is depicted with people who look like me and Adele, the martial arts can be just any combination of anything. Really, they could be made-up martial arts. But for this, it was very important that the moves that Raya [and other characters] used were things that were based and rooted in Southeast Asian martial arts—specifically, Pencak silat, Arnis, and Muay Thai.”

On a broader level, explains Shurer, “I can say that for me, the most important takeaway from these amazing cultures that we got a chance to interact with was the togetherness. The kind of coming-together around food very often, which is very cool. The coming-together and the willingness, and the sense of ‘we.’ The sense of, ‘If we come together, we can achieve a lot.’ That was super, super important.” “I want to echo what Osnat said in terms of community,” adds Lim. “It’s an easy term to say—but I feel like with a lot of cultures in Southeast Asia, it’s really feeling that someone else’s child is your child. That you are responsible for the people in your community as if they are your own family. When that’s broken, it really breaks you individually as a person.  And we really wanted to feel that within the movie.”

Raya the Dragon

Shurer and Estrada on finding their last dragon Sisu in Golden Globe®-winning multi-hyphenate Awkwafina:
“When we met Awkwafina, we knew, first of all, that she’s an incredible actress with a wide range,” says Shurer, “and with a very professional and disciplined approach to acting. But Awkwafina fit the dragon that we were looking for—some combination of wisdom and emotion and humor. She brings all those three things together in some magical potion.” “We obviously know her comedic side,” adds Estrada. “She is hilarious and has improvisational skills like no other. We’ve also seen all of the dramatic work that she’s done, which is also incredible. But [in] this movie, she gets to really travel from one end of the spectrum to the other and everything in between. Sisu really gives Awkwafina such a good chance to explore the wackiest of her comedy, and also just the most earnest beautiful, honest acting that had us all in tears. I just think that it’s really great to see a Disney character that allows an actor to explore that range… She brought so much of herself into the role, and you’ll see it when you see the movie. She improvised so many of the scenes. She would come up with different takes on jokes, or would just say, ‘Let me just try a few more.’ It really shows. We worked on the character [with her mind], but it was not until she stepped in that booth that she really brought her to life in a way that was really exciting to watch.”

…And the filmmakers discuss the focus on the power of trust—for the characters within the story, and for the viewers themselves:
As Hall explains, “For us, it was important to show the different sides of trust in terms of Sisu trusting in people completely and utterly. And how in a world that is as broken as Kumandra, when we pick up the story, that trust can be taken advantage of. But she never loses her belief in the power of trust, and in her belief in human beings. And I think it was important for us to push on it, but have Sisu be unwavering in her ability and belief in trust.” Continues Lim, “I think the magical thing about Sisu, in this movie, is that she has that trust and that faith in humanity, even when we don’t deserve it. Even when we betray it. Even when we let each other down again and again. We can feel embittered; we can feel caught up in our own grudges. But a creature like Sisu being able to see that sort of divine core within everybody is the thing that inspires everyone. I hope that’s what people come away with when they see Sisu.”

Nguyen agrees, adding, “Working for Disney, I think part of what we do is that we deal in magic… This movie has a lot of magic in it, but I think the biggest piece of magic in it is trust. It is the real secret ingredient that will save our fictional world of Kumandra, and it’s a message I think is really important for [our] world to have and to see.”

See Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon when it comes to theaters—as well as to Disney+ Premier Access (in most Disney+ markets)—on Friday, March 5!

Celebrate 60 Years of One Hundred and One Dalmatians—Plus One Incredible Villain, Cruella De Vil

By Beth Deitchman

When thinking about One Hundred and One Dalmatians, one can’t help but run through the numbers. First there were two. Then a litter of puppies found Pongo and Perdita heading up a family of 17. And by the time this fan-favorite, madcap animated adventure drew to a close, Roger and Anita Radcliff had become the human guardians of a staggering 101 dogs and were making plans to build their very own “Dalmatian Plantation.” We’d try to report on how many spots appear on screen, but we’re not sure we can count that high. In fact, One Hundred and One Dalmatians was the first feature to use the Xerox process to transfer the animators’ drawings to cels and this new method must have been immeasurably useful, given the vast number of spots on Lucky, Rolly, Patch, and the other 98 pups.

But there has always been only one Cruella De Vil, One Hundred and One Dalmatians’ wickedly wonderful villain. She careened into our consciousness in the 1961 film, and “that devil woman,” as Perdita first described her to Pongo, has given us chills—and thrills—ever since. Here are some of Cruella’s most noteworthy Disney appearances:

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
“Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil… If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.” The introduction of Anita’s schoolmate (voiced by Betty Lou Gerson) inspires Roger to burst into a melodically mischievous song; and her quest to make a coat out of Dalmatian puppy fur leads Cruella to show us just how devilish she can be, seizing Pongo and Perdita’s brood along with dozens of other adorable pups. The Twilight Bark—think of it as a canine phone tree—helps lead Pongo and Perdita to Cruella’s sinister-looking home, Hell Hall, where the daring Dalmatians make their escape. After a suspenseful chase that spotlights even more of Cruella’s mad driving skills, Ms. De Vil and her henchmen, Horace and Jasper Badun, get their just desserts.

101 Dalmatians

101 Dalmatians (1996)
Glenn Close stars alongside the cutest-ever canine cast in this live-action adaptation of Dodie Smith’s book and Disney’s 1961 animated feature. Set in London, Anita—who works as a designer for Cruella De Vil—loses her job when she refuses to sell Pongo and Perdy’s 15 Dalmatian puppies to her boss. The spotted-fur-loving Cruella dognaps the litter, along with every other Dalmatian pup in London. A countrywide search ensues, and Pongo and Perdy rally their fellow animals as the film builds toward a paw-some climax.

101 Dalmatians: The Series

101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997)
Our favorite pups embark on wild adventures at a farm in the country, where they discover Cruella De Vil is their new neighbor. The animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Jumbo Pictures, aired in syndication and on ABC beginning in September 1997, and it’s now available on Disney+.

102 Dalmatians

102 Dalmatians (2002)
Cruella tries to mend her ways in this sequel to 101 Dalmatians, but remember that saying about old dogs and new tricks…? This 2002 feature finds Cruella De Vil released from prison on good behavior, swearing off of fur for good. But try as she might, Cruella can’t keep her promise and is soon in cahoots with French fashion designer Jean Pierre Le Pelot to get her ultimate Dalmatian coat. The rollicking journey takes viewers from the streets of London to a Parisian bakery, with Oddball, a spotless Dalmatian puppy, and Waddlesworth, a wisecracking macaw who thinks he’s a Rottweiler, at the center of the canine commotion.

101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure

101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure (2003)
Cruella returns in this animated direct-to-video sequel to One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which finds Patch accidentally left behind when his family moves to their new farm. Patch sets out to meet his hero, canine star Thunderbolt, who uses Patch to help him carry out real-life heroics. Cruella De Vil has a new use for the puppies, who she seeks—dead or alive—to serve as models for an artist whose work is an ongoing study in spots.

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time (2015)
Midway through the fourth season of Once Upon a Time, Cruella De Vil arrives in Storybrooke as part of a terrorific trio alongside Maleficent and Ursula. The series creators reimagined the character for the fairy-tale world of the ABC series, taking into account how different that world is from London as depicted in the animated film that introduced Cruella. Adam Horowitz told D23 in a 2015 Q&A, “We have a twist on the Cruella character. She’s not quite what you know from the movie, but at the same time we have plenty of nods to the movie and famous things about her. Like we do with most of the characters, we’ve found a connection to our Once universe we are excited to reveal. And she’s just delicious to write.” Their goal was to capture the spirit of the iconic character, while creating something completely new. “The movie took place in the ’50s, and our Cruella is much more of a Zelda Fitzgerald, Jazz Age flapper with powers. So we took our own spin on it,” Eddy Kitsis noted.

Descendants

Descendants (2015)
The 2015 Disney Channel Original Movie, the first in the über-successful Descendants trilogy, introduced the offspring of some of Disney’s most iconic villains and followed their adventures going from the Isle of the Lost—where the evil ones have all been banished—to the kingdom of Auradon. The late Cameron Boyce plays Carlos De Vil, son of Cruella—who’s still smarting at having been outwitted by scores of Dalmatians. Cruella’s parting words to Carlos, as he embarks on his new life in Auradon: “Bring home a puppy!”

101 Dalmatian Street

101 Dalmatian Street (2018)
This new animated series, which launched in 2018 and can be streamed on Disney+, follows the urban adventures of a whole new group of Dalmatians—direct descendants of Pongo and Perdita—led by oldest siblings Dolly and Dylan and their parents Delilah and Doug. During the series’ inaugural season, our four-legged heroes sniffed out that the series antagonist, Hunter, isn’t just a mischievous boy who likes Dalmatians: He’s Cruella De Vil’s grand-nephew. Cruella has her sights set on the next generation in her quest for a Dalmatian fur coat, and Dolly and Dylan’s 97 younger siblings just might have what she’s looking for.

Cruella

Disney’s Cruella (2021)
We’re eagerly anticipating Disney’s all-new feature film that takes a completely new approach to the delightfully devilish De Vil. Coming later this year, Disney’s Cruella examines the early days of one of the most notorious—and notoriously fashionable—villains. The film stars Oscar® winner Emma Stone in the title role, along with Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, and Joel Fry. Craig Gillespie directs.

Walt Disney Imagineering Reveals Exciting Enhancements Coming to the Jungle Cruise

By Jeffrey Epstein

Since its debut on opening day of Disneyland in 1955, Jungle Cruise has continued to grow and evolve—much like a few of the attraction’s skippers’ favorite plants they point out on the route (“this one… and this one”). What was once a “serious” adventure through tropical waters soon made way for a more humorous expedition with a signature “spiel” given by said talented skippers and hilarious scenes added by future Disney Legend Marc Davis. Changes and enhancements were continually made throughout the years to keep the attraction (and the spiel) fresh. And today, the Disney Parks Blog announced fantastic updates to the ride, coming to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, that give this expedition its first continuous story, fantastic updated scenes, colorful new characters, and more. We sat down with Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Portfolio Executive Chris Beatty to get all the details on everything coming to the Nile. And if you don’t believe us… well, you know the rest.

Jungle Curise

The Jungle Cruise has evolved over the years—maybe more than any Disney Parks attraction.
I think the Jungle Cruise everybody remembers now is the Marc Davis version, which has a little, well, a lot more humor when the skippers really get going. That attraction is really all about the skippers, if you think about it. They bring that attraction to life; they are the heart and soul of it. So you couple that with Marc Davis’s renderings and the characters he brought to life along the river’s edge, and it’s really just a win-win. That’s what gives the attraction its DNA. It’s what makes it a classic in so many ways. And you’re right: over the years, it has changed. Think about the piranhas we added at Disneyland into the Amazon or the exploding barrels as you enter Africa. We’ve added some really great moments that bring new magic to that attraction through the years. So we’re excited about this update—bringing new magic to our guests and giving it a fresh take.

Can you talk about why you decided to make these new updates?
We are constantly evaluating ways to enhance attractions and experiences in our parks. We want to make sure everybody has the best time—that guests from all over the world can connect with the stories we share and that how we bring those to life are respectful of the diverse world we live in. And when they get off the attraction, they know that we have done our homework because these are the details that matter. When you look at the Jungle Cruise, as it is today, there are just a couple of scenes that don’t do that and needed a refresh. But I want to make sure people know we are not changing the whole Jungle Cruise. This is not a re-envisioning of the entire attraction. It’s the Jungle Cruise you know and love, with the skippers still leading the way, and at the same time, we’re addressing the negative depictions of “natives.” So that’s one of the scenes we’re going to go in and change.

Jungle Cruise

So let’s talk about some of these changes…
We want to make sure that we take this as an opportunity, right? So as we look to clean up a lot of the challenges that we have in the attraction, we want to make sure we go in and add all the humor that Marc Davis gave it, all those years ago. Anything new we add will be in that tone. And for the first time, we are actually linking scenes together.

So if you think of the famous rhino pole scene, with the team of explorers who have somehow camped that night and then been run up the pole by the rhino and a group of other animals… that will really kick off the storyline. Did you ever wonder who those explorers were or where they came from? What’s their backstory? As part of the enhanced storyline, each one of them will have their own story and cultural heritage. There’s a birdwatcher, an entomologist, a wildlife painter, and a photographer, and each one will have a different reason for being on the expedition. And, of course, they did one of the things you’re never supposed to do, which is leave the boat. And one of the things we’re adding to the attraction is an animatronic skipper, who’s been chased up the pole by the rhino, along with the other explorers. They each have great personality, and I think our guests will connect with these characters in new ways. So we’re not really re-envisioning that scene, we’re just adding a narrative and storytelling to bring things to life and connect that moment with other happenings along the river.

And you may ask yourself, Wait, what happened to their boat? And we find out that the front of the boat has been beached upon these rocks. We wanted to put something here that feels like Marc Davis had a hand in it, that has a bit of humor in it. And we wanted the animals to have the last laugh. So you’ll see that the family of chimpanzees has moved in. And we don’t currently have chimps on this attraction—all of these amazing animals have been brought to life through the years on the Jungle Cruise and yet we’ve never had chimpanzees. The family of chimpanzees jumps on the wreckage of the boat and they are almost making fun of us. One is wearing the skipper’s hat and is on the microphone. The mother chimp has opened up all the maps and it looks like she’s reading them. A little chimp has gotten into the wildlife painter’s supplies and has made a mess with paint everywhere. It’s the animals really getting the last laugh in this cute scene—these silly explorers really came in and invaded their world.

Jungle Cruise

I almost feel like Jingle Cruise is a link between these experiences because with the Jingle Cruise you have the presents that were mistakenly dropped, and throughout the cruise we get to see what happened to them.
I agree. Jingle Cruise is great, and it probably was the first time we went in and from a narrative standpoint threaded a storyline through all the rivers.

I feel like there is sometimes, perhaps, misplaced concern that when an attraction is reimagined that it is somehow not going to be as great as it was before. How do you address that?
First off, we love our fans. You could ask any Imagineer why we do what we do, and it really is to bring a smile to our fans’ faces. And we’re cautious, because we know that any time we go in to make changes, especially to a classic attraction, some may worry it’s going to lose its magic. To make sure it doesn’t, we do our homework. First, we are really leaning into our skippers. Kevin Lively, who is a writer at Imagineering, is actually a former skipper and is the writer for our show. So any changes that we are making are actually being written by a former skipper. The role the skippers play is a significant part of this attraction experience—their performance and how they bring it to life is something we all love. They are deeply passionate about this attraction, too. We want to make sure we get the skippers on board, no pun intended, and that they feel like they have some ownership in this. So that was step one.

Second was to bring together a diverse project team. We wanted to make sure that any changes we made from a relevancy standpoint were done right. So we’ve been working with Carmen Smith [executive for Creative Development and Inclusive Strategies] and her team within Imagineering to make sure that any time we show something culturally significant, that is done in the proper light. It’s done in a way that celebrates diverse backgrounds and interests—that’s part of the rich storytelling, not something you poke fun at it.

When introducing new elements—even animals—we make sure they’re done in a respectful way. We reached out to Dr. Mark Penning and his team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and said, “Look, we have these chimpanzees that are coming into this new world and we want to have fun with them. How do we make sure it’s done in an authentic way for the chimpanzees?” We want to have fun, but we’re not making fun of the animals. His team had great insights and it really elevated that new scene.

And the last part is really looking back to the source material. We went back and looked at original Marc Davis sketches. We pulled out his work and looked at what makes this scene funny, and what are some of the scenes that Marc developed that didn’t make it? It’s really important to go back—especially on a classic attraction—and look at the DNA and what really makes the attraction work. What makes it funny? What makes it fun for our guests? And part of that is going back to Marc’s humor and his storytelling. And Kevin is brilliant at that. Kevin does an amazing job finding that right tone that has that Marc Davis quality to it.

What’s the reaction been from the skippers?
I was nervous the first time we brought some of the skippers in, just to sit with them and say, “Here’s why we’re making the changes and here’s what some of the changes are going to be.” You could see, at first, some concern, because obviously there’s a lot of love around this attraction. But a few minutes into the presentation, the smiles came onto their faces. They loved it. The feedback from them was that it feels like classic Jungle Cruise, like something that has always been there.

Obviously, this means the skippers’ spiels need to change?
We’re keeping a lot of the classic jokes that the fans know and love, like the backside of water. But it will give our skipper some new material to play off of. So that’s exciting for them. They were really excited about having some new source material.

With the Jungle Cruise movie opening this year, will that be incorporated, as well?
I’m excited about the movie, and having Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt be a part of that film. But these adjustments are really focused on enhancing the existing attraction storyline and addressing some areas that needed refreshing along the way. I’m sure the film is fantastic and we’re very excited about it, but integrating the film into our classic Jungle Cruise is not part of this effort. Does that mean that as Imagineers we won’t put Easter eggs in there? We’ll definitely do that. But we are not adding a major storyline or character from that film.

The attractions are somewhat different at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. Will there be different changes based on location?
We’re telling the same story on both coasts. What you see at Walt Disney World at the Magic Kingdom will be exactly what you see at Disneyland Resort. We really do want to tell a very cohesive story on both coasts. It’s been fun to look at the nuances between the two attractions and what makes them slightly different, but the scenes that we’re adjusting are the same.

Is there a timeline for the enhancements?
We haven’t announced a date yet. We’re working hard to make sure we can get everything in this year.

Thank you so much for your time. Anything else you’d like to say before we go?
Any time we make an adjustment or a change to a classic attraction, I think back to [Disney Legend] Marty Sklar and even back to Walt and the idea that none of these stories were meant to be frozen in time. As new technology came out, as new stories came out, as characters evolved, these attractions could grow and flex. I think we’ve seen that with Pirates of the Caribbean when we updated the role of the redhead. Changes are always taking place. I think it is always important to look at these classic attractions and make sure we don’t disrupt the DNA of what makes that attraction resonate with our guests. It’s important to us. I love these opportunities to make adjustments and bring in new magic. And we will continue to respect the magic that makes it exciting for all of our guests.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Week

By Zach Johnson

Start the week off with a celebratory viewing of One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which celebrates its diamond anniversary Monday. The following night, new seasons of both To Tell the Truth and mixed-ish will debut on ABC. Then, on Friday, Disney+ will add four seasons of Dinosaurs and the fantasy film Epic to its already vast and ever-growing library. 

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

One Hundred and One Dalmatians—Monday, January 25, on Disney+
Celebrate the classic film’s 60th anniversary by streaming it for the first—or 101st—time! Cruella De Vil (voice of Disney Legend Betty Lou Gerson) sets the fur-raising adventure in motion when she dognaps all of the Dalmatian puppies in London, including 15 from Pongo (voice of Rod Taylor) and Perdita (voice of Cate Bauer). Using the “Twilight Bark,” Pongo leads a heroic cast of animal characters—including Duchess (voice of Marjorie Bennett), Sergeant Tibbs (voice of David Frankham), Princess (voice of Queenie Leonard), The Colonel (voice of J. Pat O’Malley), Old Towser (voice of Tudor Owen), Captain (voice of Disney Legend Thurl Ravenscroft), and others—on a dramatic quest to rescue them all.

To Tell the Truth

To Tell the Truth—Tuesday, January 26, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
The season premiere episode will kick off with an enchanting panel of everyday heroes featuring a figure roller-skating champion, a pancake artist, a Baywatch lifesaver, Tabitha from Bewitched, and a Kentucky Derby milliner. Host Anthony Anderson will welcome Jimmy Kimmel, Andrea Savag,  and Sherri Shepherd for the season’s first celebrity panel.

mixed-ish

mixed-ish—Tuesday, January 26, at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC
In the hilarious and heartwarming season two premiere, Rainbow Johnson (Arica Himmel) gets upset after she discovers that her brother, Johan (Ethan William Childress), has been pretending to be a different race. Their parents, Alicia (Tika Sumpter) and Paul (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), then try to find a way to inspire Johan to be proud of being Black.

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs (Seasons 1-4)—Friday, January 29, on Disney+
The beloved ABC sitcom, which was originally conceived by Disney Legend Jim Henson and ran from 1991 through 1994, is joining the Disney+ library. Dinosaurs follows the Sinclair family—dad Earl (voice of Stuart Pankin); mom Frances (voice of Jessica Walter); children Robbie (voice of Jason Willinger), Charlene (voice of Sally Struthers), and Baby (voice of Kevin Clash); and grandma Ethyl (voice of Florence Stanley)—as they go about their daily lives in the “modern world”—in this case, 60,000,003 BC in Pangaea. Keep an eye out for caveman humans, who make occasional appearances as wild animals and pets!

Epic

Epic—Friday, January 29, on Disney+
This 2013 animated adventure follows Mary Katherine “M.K.” Bomba (voice of Amanda Seyfried), a headstrong, spirited teen who has a strained relationship with her scientist father (voice of Jason Sudeikis). She grows tired of his tales of unseen people who live in the woods. But after she is magically transported to that mythical realm, M.K. gains a new perspective. She joins a race of beings known as the Leafmen in their battle to protect Queen Tara (voice of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) from the evil Mandrake (voice of Christoph Waltz) and his crew of Boggans. Rounding out the Epic voice cast are Blake Anderson as Dagda, Aziz Ansari as Mub, Colin Farrell as Roninn, Judah Friedlander as Larry, Josh Hutcherson as Nod, Chis O’Dowd as Grub, Pitbull as Bufo, and Steve Tyler as Nim Galuu.

Check out this Paw-some D23-Exclusive Pin Set!

By the D23 Team

The One Hundred and One Dalmatians pin set is SOLD OUT

D23 Gold Members will have a special opportunity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of One Hundred and One Dalmatians when they “spot” this beautiful pin set! Now’s your chance to take home two of the most beloved canines in animation history with an exclusive pin set celebrating the film, created in beautiful soft enamel for D23 by Disney artist Jose Velasquez.

Featuring four-legged favorites Pongo and Perdita in swinging 1960s-inspired styling and color, this D23 Gold Member-exclusive set of two pins is sure to be the talk of the Twilight Bark!

This pin set, a limited edition of 1,750, will be available exclusively to D23 Gold members on shopDisney starting today!

*Available while supplies last. To purchase, you must log in to  shopDisney.com  with the Disney account tied to D23 Gold or  Gold Family  Membership. Pin sets  are $24.99 each , plus applicable sales tax. Maximum of one (1) pin set for purchase per D23 Gold  or Gold Family  Member for online orders. Shipping not available to PO boxes; shipping and handling fees may vary for all online orders. Other restrictions may apply. All information is subject to change including, but not limited to, artwork, release dates, editions sizes, and retail prices.

Even Debra Jo Rupp Is Mystified by Marvel Studios’ WandaVision

By Zach Johnson

Debra Jo Rupp is no stranger to sitcoms. As Alice Knight-Buffay on Friends (1994–2004) and Kitty Foreman on That ’70s Show (1998–2006), she’s made an indelible mark in television history, making her casting in Marvel Studios’ WandaVision all the more genius.

Rupp joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the role of Mrs. Hart, the curious wife of Fred Hart (Fred Melamed). In the pilot episode, she attends a dinner party with her husband, hosted by Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision Paul Bettany). Mrs. Hart wastes little time before peppering the couple with questions such as: “Where did you two move from? What brought you here? How long have you been married? And why don’t you have children yet?” The questions wouldn’t seem invasive if either knew the answer. “I think it’s Mrs. Hart’s way of polite dinner talk,” Rupp insists. “It’s the answers, or lack thereof, that…”

Rupp cuts herself off, careful not to spoil one (or more) of the series’ many mysteries. Ironically, WandaVision—and the entire MCU—was a mystery to Rupp before director Matt Shakman called to offer her a role. “I’d been doing a lot of theater because I really like an audience. That’s why sitcom is so great for me, because I get camera and I get a live audience. I get a lot of energy from an audience,” Rupp says. “I’d worked at Matt’s theatre in Los Angeles. He called me and asked me to do it. He needed someone who knew the sitcom genre really well, because the others were less familiar, and he needed someone who could be dramatic. I fit the bill! I got the phone call and now I’m in this Marvel world.”

Prior to being cast, Rupp adds, “I knew absolutely nothing… but I learned quickly.”

Wandavision

WandaVision marks Marvel Studios’ foray into the world of sitcoms—with an MCU twist, of course. The first episode is set in the 1950s, and Rupp enjoyed traveling back in time. “I was already used to doing a different period with That ’70s Show, but I had not done black-and-white like that before. I like the clothing of the ’50s, because it looks good on me, as opposed to the ’70s; that clothing is not good for a short person. So, that was a plus!” Rupp was also fascinated by the use of practical effects to replace each sitcom style. “In the kitchen scene where Lizzie is cooking, I watched all the men hidden in cupboards pulling strings,” Rupp recalls. “I said, ‘Wow! Don’t they have machines for this?’ Nope! It’s people.”

With only three episodes available to stream so far on Disney+, little is known about Mrs. Hart thus far… including her full name. “I’m going to call her Vivian,” Rupp says with a laugh. “From this moment on, she is going to be Vivian Hart… until we’re told otherwise!” Whether Mrs. Hart—er, Vivian Hart—will pop up in future episodes remains a mystery. “I don’t know what has been edited out,” Rupp teases, “but I’m hoping you do see me again.”

Adventures by Disney Announces Exciting Expedition and River Cruises

By The D23 Team

Feeling a touch of “wanderlust”? Listen up! There’s some fantastic news just being announced this week: Our friends at Adventures by Disney, who offer truly life-altering guided group vacations all over the globe, are introducing Expedition Cruises with two incredible destinations—Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands—as well as a Buenos Aires Escape add-on for Antarctica. But that’s not all: ABD has also announced its 2022 River Cruises, including a limited number of Seine Family River Cruise: National Geographic Photography sailings. And you can begin to book these sailings on Friday, January 22!

Adventure is truly the name of the game for ABD’s Antarctica & Patagonia Expedition Cruise, a twelve-day, eleven-night extravaganza that includes Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego National Park in Argentinian Patagonia, the Drake Passage, and (of course) the Antarctic Peninsula… Among the excursions: Guests will see Patagonia via train and take a catamaran to the southernmost tip of South America; go on shore via Zodiacs with a team of naturalist guides; hike and explore the landscape and shoreline of Antarctica; view wildlife in intimate, natural habitats; and so much more. (And don’t forget that possible Buenos Aires Escape add-on, four days and three nights prior to your Antarctica visit, where you can spend a day with Argentinean cowboys among other exciting activities.)

Galapagos

With ABD’s Galapagos Island Expedition Cruise, guests will spend a nine-day, eight-night sojourn trekking through incredible places like Gardner Bay and Suarez Point on Espanola Island, El Barranco on Genovesa Island, and even the Charles Darwin Research Center on Santa Cruz Island, where you’ll literally walk in Darwin’s footsteps. You’ll see lots of amazing animals (Marine Iguanas, Galapagos Sea Lions, Blue Footed Boobies, Galapagos Penguins, and more); have the chance to tour the islands in a transparent kayak; and even take part in an exciting football match (that’s “soccer” to us Americans) with the crew of your ship. And there are so many different activities available onboard both cruises, for young and young-at-heart—such as wildlife viewing parties, photography workshops, themed dinners and karaoke nights, Disney movies a-plenty, and lots of good times for the “Junior Adventurers” in your group (including game nights and iceberg-spotting contests).

What makes ABD truly unique is their Adventure Guides: Disney-trained guides who provide an extra (and extra-fun!) layer of storytelling and comfort to each guest’s journey; they’ll be along for the proverbial ride every step of the way. Plus, select sailings will feature seminars, workshops, and dinners with special Disney guests, including Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of Animals, Science and Environment for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Look for him on the first sailing to Antarctica in December 2021.

River Cruises

As for ABD’s latest River Cruises, there are three enchanting trips to choose from for 2022: along the Rhine (Switzerland, France, Germany, Netherlands); the Danube (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary); or the Seine (Northern France, including Normandy). Each sailing is an eight-day, seven-night delight—a few of which are “Adult Exclusive,” with added sophistication. And look for several specialty departures such as Food & Wine, Oktoberfest, and holiday sailings that visit Europe’s famous Christmas markets. But wait, there’s more: Distinctive experiences have been developed for select ABD Seine family sailings featuring a photographer from National Geographic—who will host talks and photography workshops throughout the trip.

Intimate, luxurious purpose-built ships… some of the most fascinating ecological wonders in the world… a team of Disney-trained Adventure Guides and naturalists who join you along the way… It’s all available through Adventures by Disney! Call 800-543-0865 or your Travel Agent to plan now for your 2022 cruising adventure with ABD, and make sure to visit AdventuresbyDisney.com to learn more.

Disney+ Gets Celebrational with Original Muppet Show—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

Time to Light the Lights: The Muppet Show is Coming to Disney+

Honestly, we thought Christmas was over—but with news like this, perhaps Santa’s still out there… Just this week, our pals at Disney+ announced that The Muppet Show is coming to the streaming service in just a few weeks’ time!

It’s true: All five seasons of the original Muppet TV series—which debuted nearly 45 years ago and showcases Disney Legend Jim Henson’s hilarious puppet creatures—will be available for folks to enjoy whenever their Muppet-y heart desires. (Seasons four and five were never previously available on home entertainment, which makes this news really special for longtime fans!) These shows include all the early antics of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and the gang as they produce their eponymous variety show—featuring sketch comedy, original songs, and guest performances from such legendary stars as Steve Martin, Elton John, Liza Minelli, Alice Cooper, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Gene Kelly, Mark Hamill, and many more.

Look for The Muppet Show to start streaming on Disney+ beginning Friday, February 19! (Just don’t tell Statler and Waldorf; we’re not quite sure how they’ll react!)

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

Another weekend is upon us—along with another chance to don your comfiest sweats, brew up some hot chocolate, and settle in for some great viewing from across the worlds of Disney. Hulu debuts The Sister on Friday, while Saturday sees Disney Channel premiering an all-new episode of Big City Greens and Nat Geo WILD bringing us a new episode of The Incredible Dr. Pol. And there’s a lot more where that came from…

Sneak Peek at WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure with Tom Holland

Work on the sure-to-be-incredible Avengers Campus at Disneyland Resort continues apace, heading towards its (still-top-secret) opening date—and to that end, the good folks at Disney Parks just revealed a spidey-sense-tingling new look inside the campus’ WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure attraction, featuring Peter Parker himself: actor Tom Holland.

In the brand-new video above, Holland shares more details about his role in the highly anticipated attraction and his excitement for working with Walt Disney Imagineering on this new adventure. In case you need a refresher in what to expect from this incredible attraction: In the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (WEB) workshop, young engineers specialize in developing innovative technologies to equip and empower a new generation of Super Heroes. This workshop showcases the inventions of Peter Parker and the rest of the WEB Tech team, including their adorable Spider-Bots—which are designed to be robotic sidekicks capable of building anything a Super Hero might need. When Peter’s demonstration goes awry, the Spider-Bots become stuck in a replication loop, creating even more Spider-Bots!

While wearing 3-D glasses, guests’ mission will be to test-drive the aspiring inventor’s latest invention—the WEB Slinger vehicle—and discover their own web-slinging super powers. Through specially designed, innovative technology that recognizes body movements and gestures, guests will reach out their hands and sling webs from their wrists, just like Spider-Man. As the WEB Slinger vehicles progress, guests will virtually pass through several other Campus addresses, including Pym Test Kitchen, Avengers Headquarters, and the Collector’s Fortress (also home to Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!).

Stay tuned for more Avengers Campus news as it becomes available.

Marvel Behind the Mask

New Disney+ Documentary Special: Marvel’s Behind the Mask

In further Marvel-related news, there’s a new documentary special to look forward to, coming soon to Disney+. Marvel Entertainment has announced Marvel’s Behind the Mask, premiering next month exclusively on the streaming service.

Marvel’s Behind the Mask 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 with fans, all across generations. 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 have become a reflection of our own identities and who we truly are.

Marvel’s Behind the Mask will feature 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, highlighting Marvel’s impact on pop culture and media. Look for the special on Disney+ beginning Friday, February 12.

Disney Brings Magic to Three Central Florida Hospitals

Going into the hospital can be pretty overwhelming when you’re a kid… The Disney children’s hospitals program brings Disney characters and stories to children facing serious illness, continuing a legacy that dates back to Walt Disney himself.

In 2020, The Walt Disney Company announced that areas within three Central Florida children’s hospitals would be magically reimagined through the program. Now, as a new year begins, these whimsically transformed spaces are officially part of the patient experience at AdventHealth for Children, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, and Nemours Children’s Hospital—and, as evidenced in the new video above, they’re already beginning to make a difference for kids who stay there!

Disney is committed to delivering moments of magic to children when they need it most, and three hospitals are just part of Disney’s $100M plan to reimagine the patient experience in children’s hospitals and to grant every eligible Disney wish globally.

Pixar Popcorn

Pixar Popcorn—Streaming on Disney+ Starting Friday, January 22

Earlier this week, the country celebrated National Popcorn Day… and in honor of such an auspicious (and delicious) occasion, Disney+ has begun streaming some hilarious all-new shorts from our pals at Pixar.

Pixar Popcorn, a collection of 10 mini shorts exclusive to the streaming service, features characters from Pixar favorites like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Cars, and The Incredibles in new, bite-size stories created by Pixar Animation Studios’ talented animators.

Titles to watch include Dancing with the Cars, Soul of the City, Cookie Num Num, Dory Finding, Fluffy Stuff with Ducky & Bunny, and more. Check ‘em out this weekend!

Don’t Miss This Capsule Collection Featuring Original Artwork Inspired by Soul

By Zach Johnson

We want the soul collection.

In celebration of the animated feature film Soul (now streaming on Disney+), Disney and Pixar collaborated with the creative agency HUE Unlimited to bring Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) and company to life through a curated collection of wearable art pieces. Together, they commissioned four emerging Black artists—Bee Harris, Biannca Pastel, Arrington Porter, and Corey Van Lew—to create a product line that spans apparel, phone cases, PopSockets®, throw blankets, totes, and tumblers, available exclusively through Amazon.

Soul

Soul

Through TONL—HUE Unlimited’s community incubator designed for creatives by Black creatives—Harris, Pastel, Porter, and Van Lew aimed to capture the soul of the film and its heartfelt story of family, friendship, music, and self-discovery, told through their unique perspectives and experiences as diverse creatives. “We’re proud to work on this meaningful collection inspired by Soul and to be able to have each artist’s unique vision shine through,” says Michael Watson II of HUE Unlimited. “As a part of the next generation of creatives, we deeply understand that authenticity is incredibly important to audiences—so being able to curate a collection of products that represents Black voices overall is a dream come true.”

Soul

Harris’ theme, “The Village,” is a collage of the supportive Black women in Joe’s life, including his mother, Libba Gardner (voice of Phylicia Rashad); band leader and hero Dorothea Williams (voice of Angela Bassett); and others. “Working on this collection was a dream come true! It was an honor to highlight the four Black women in Joe’s village,” says Harris, a visual artist and activist whose work reflects and represents the multi-faceted aspects of the Black Diaspora. “These women represent the strong-willed, supportive women in my life who have helped me discover and walk in my purpose. I walked away with a deeper understanding of myself and my capabilities as an artist. It was both challenging and inspiring to create something so unique to things I’ve done in the past.”

Soul

Pastel, meanwhile, chose “Joe & His Fro” as her theme. “Throughout the film, Joe learns some very valuable lessons on his journey, so I wanted to express the connection between colors, characters, and stories in every detail,” says Pastel, who draws inspiration from ’90s cartoons and movies, music, photography, and more. “My favorite part of this process was choosing color palettes because, for me, it’s like picking a feeling. How I want a piece to feel depends on the colors I create with. Throughout the process, I realized I could create authentically, be myself with my process and have fun with my art—which is exactly what I did.”

Soul

Porter, also known as “Heir Porter,” specializes in oil paintings inspired by Black culture, film, music, and people. Porter chose the theme “Joe’s World,” creating an exaggerated portrait of Joe, wearing his late father’s royal blue suit, enveloped by a piano in outer space. “Creating artwork for this collection was an awesome experience! As an artist, I found myself connected to the film, relating back to a familiar place within my own love for music and being in constant pursuit of my dreams,” explains Porter. “Outside of being a visual artist, I too am a pianist, so I related to Joe’s character on a more personal level.”

Soul

Van Lew, whose work highlights Black excellence and joy, chose the theme “The Great Gardner” and created a full-body portrait of Joe and Mr. Mittens exploring another dimension: The Great Before. “This was an amazing opportunity for us as artists to tap into our version of ‘The Zone’ and create a visual representation of what this moment means to us!” says Van Lew. “The parallel worlds in the movie go hand-in-hand with the parallel universe I depict in my paintings. Down to the digitally made background paired with the hand-painted characters, I aimed to immerse people in an alternate realm of my own.”

Soul

Soul

Fans can shop the entire collection featured on the Pixar Soul Shop on Amazon. Fans can also stretch their own creativity by designing personalized products—accessories, home goods, hoodies, and T-shirts—using their favorite piece of artwork from the Soul collection.