Disney Launches Global Mickey & Friends: Stay True Campaign

July 23, 2020

By the D23 Team

Disney announced today the launch of Mickey & Friends: Stay True, a global campaign inspired by the Sensational Six—Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto—and their iconic friendship that has spanned several decades. Through countless adventures and almost a century’s worth of milestones, the Sensational Six have always stayed true to one another, and now they’re inspiring others to do the same. Starting this week and culminating on July 30, International Friendship Day, fans across the world are invited to “shout out” their friends and thank them for “staying true” through social media challenges, free digital activations, and more, using #MickeyFriendsStayTrue.

Yara Shahidi, Gigi Hadid, and Chance the Rapper helped kick things off today with posts celebrating their friends Sayeed Shahidi, Ehsan Shahidi, Olivia Perez, and Taylor Bennett.

“When I think of my earliest memories of friendship and what it means to be a friend, I flashback to the Sensational Six,” said Yara Shahidi. “I am excited to celebrate International Friendship Day with my sensational brothers and the iconic group of Disney friends who have inspired the beauty of friendship.”

“I’ve always been such a big Disney fan, and know any day I get to step foot into a Disney park will be another great one,” said Hadid. “I have so many amazing memories from childhood to adulthood that include Mickey and the Sensational Six. I’m so happy to be celebrating International Friendship Day alongside these iconic characters!”

Added Chance the Rapper, “My brother is my best friend, and I’m excited to celebrate International Friendship Day alongside him and Mickey Mouse.”

Starting July 24 and leading up to International Friendship Day, Disney will prompt fans with calls to action, each inspired by a different member of the Sensational Six, every day via the @mickeytrueoriginal Instagram account. Throughout the week, fans will be encouraged to use #MickeyFriendsStayTrue to share tales of friendship. Good Morning America and syndicated talk show Live with Kelly and Ryan will join the celebration with special messages to encourage viewers to participate—and some of the friendship stories could end up being featured on Disney’s social platforms and on Good Morning America!

“Celebrating friendship and those who help us stay true to ourselves and others is more important than ever before,” said Kareem Daniel, president of Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing. “As families around the world look to Disney to add magic to their daily lives, this campaign highlights the enduring bonds between Mickey and his pals—inviting fans to share in their exciting adventures and iconic friendships.”

In celebration of the campaign, new product collaborations with Primark, H&M, Adidas, BIG W, BaubleBar, Ray-Ban, Otterbox, and Kellogg’s will be available, along with cross-category products for all ages at retailers all over the world, with more to come later this year. On July 23, shopDisney.com will feature a special ‘buy-one-get-one-plush-for-$3’ offer, and on July 28–30, it will offer up to 40 percent off on Mickey & Friends merchandise.

In addition, the Mickey and Friends: Stay True playlist by Walt Disney Records is now streaming. Disney+ will feature the Mickey and Friends Collection at the top of the Collections section in Disney+ from July 27–August 2, in honor of the global campaign.

Being loyal, creating memories and making each other laugh are just some of the ways that Mickey and his friends have continued to stay true to one another for almost a century. In order to highlight the history of this iconic friend group and reveal what it takes to maintain lifelong friends, historian Brian Sibley analyzed more than 600 hours of Disney films, shorts, and featurettes featuring the Sensational Six. The analysis revealed loyalty is the No. 1 trait that stands the friendship test of time. Sharing similar interests and adventures is also key, and laughter really is the best medicine. Per Sibley’s analysis, other important traits include making time for each other, being honest when needed, and being thoughtful.

The top 10 qualities key to lifelong friendship according to 90 years of Disney stories are:

Loyalty (like Pluto always being by Mickey Mouse’s side)
Honesty (whether it’s what they want to hear or not, the Sensational Six are always honest with each other)
Kindness (like Donald taking on an extra job to pay for a big date with Daisy)
Understanding of faults (whether it’s Donald’s feistiness or Goofy’s foolishness, the friends are always forgiving of each other’s faults)
Shared interests (like Mickey Mouse and Pluto’s love of fishing)
Embracing differences (whether you’re sassy like Daisy or happy-go-lucky like Pluto)
Supportive of ambitions (such as Mickey Mouse’s lifelong support for Minnie Mouse’s career paths)
Shared sense of humor (whether you’re always laughing like Mickey Mouse or being the comedian like Goofy)
Making time for each other (a long running theme with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse)
Being thoughtful (such as the birthday surprises the Sensational Six plan for each other every year)

Disney’s Mickey & Friends: Stay True campaign will continue throughout the year, and will include celebrating Friendsgiving in November. For additional information on Mickey & Friends: Stay True, follow @MickeyTrueOriginal and #MickeyFriendsStayTrue on Instagram.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

July 23, 2020

By Zach Johnson

Need something new to watch this weekend? Look no further than Disney+ and Nat Geo WILD, which will air fresh episodes of One Day at Disney and The Incredible Dr. Pol, respectively. Meanwhile, ABC will air an ESPN-produced special celebrating the return of the NBA. And if you’re looking for a new film, Freeform and FX will be airing two very different, very fun movies: Pretty Woman and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

One Day at Disney—Friday, July 24, on Disney+
KABC–TV LA’s Chris Cristi covers breaking news from 1,500 feet aboard his news chopper. As a helicopter reporter, he delivers up-to-the-minute reports on all sorts of events, both big and small, keeping Los Angeles residents invested in their community. A self-proclaimed news nerd since age 9, he is fulfilling his lifelong dream of reporting the news.

NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew: NBA Restart—Saturday, July 25, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Led by host Maria Taylor and featuring analysts Paul Pierce, Jalen Rose, Jay Williams and ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the two-hour ESPN-produced special will include guest interviews and live reports from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida—home of the NBA season. The special will originate from ESPN studios, with Wojnarowski reporting from Lake Buena Vista, and preview the restart of the season and the NBA seeding games after the March 11 season stoppage. Additionally, the NBA Countdown team will examine the current climate in basketball amidst the social justice movement and share how the NBA, NBPA, and NBA player leadership are reacting.

Pretty Woman—Saturday, July 25, at 4 p.m. ET on Freeform
Disney Legend Garry Marshall directed this modern twist on Cinderella, which pairs a down-on-her-luck woman, Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) with wealthy businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere). While on a business trip in L.A., Edward hires the charming Vivian to stay with him for the weekend. As they grow closer, they also discover there are major obstacles to overcome as they work to bridge the gap between their two different worlds.

The Incredible Dr. Pol—Saturday, July 25, at 9 p.m. ET on Nat Geo WILD
The full moon has been known to make the animals of central Michigan act a little crazy, and this month is no exception. In the brand-new episode “Supe-Pol-stitious,” not only is a full moon in effect, but it’s also Friday the 13th! Of course, no one at the clinic will admit they are superstitious… but curious cases and mysterious mishaps will abound despite their skepticism. From unique animals to strange situations, it’s guaranteed to be a freaky Friday!

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children—Sunday, July 26, at 1 p.m. ET on FX
Tim Burton directed this fantastic adventure, based on the novel of the same name by Ransom Riggs. After his dear grandfather leaves clues to a mystery that spans different times and worlds, Jake Portman (Asa Butterfield) finds a magical place known as Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children. The mystery and danger deepen as he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers—and their terrifying enemies. Ultimately, Jake discovers that only his own special peculiarity can save his new friends. The 2016 feature film from 20th Century Studios boasts a stellar cast that includes Judi Dench, Rupert Everett, Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson, Allison Janney, and Chris O’Dowd.

National Geographic’s Rogue Trip Brings the Ultimate Father-Son Adventure to Disney+

July 23, 2020

By Beth Deitchman

As a war correspondent for ABC News, Bob Woodruff frequently reported from so-called “roguish” nations while these countries and their people were facing the worst of times, from civil unrest to civil wars. Now, on National Geographic’s new series Rogue Trip, debuting Friday, July 24, on Disney+, Bob is returning to these far-off locales, which are known mostly for conflict, to shine a lens on the best of what they have to offer: their natural beauty, their time-honored traditions, and especially, the people who are truly the heart of each region. Bob’s 29-year-old son, Mack, shares his father’s passion for travel and reporting, and their commitment to presenting a new perspective on these often misunderstood nations has resulted in a travel guide like you’ve never seen before, as well as the father-son trip of a lifetime.

The Woodruffs embarked on this extraordinary adventure in July of last year and spent about four consecutive months circling the globe. We caught up with them by phone this week, finding them right back where they started—home—where they’re staying safe and healthy, and dreaming of a trip to nearby New Jersey, let alone the other side of the world.

Bob and Mack’s Rogue Trip journey took them to remote corners of Colombia, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Ukraine, regions that most of us are unlikely to visit on our own. These extraordinary locales also invited a host of equally extraordinary experiences, and over the course of six episodes, viewers will see Bob and Mack hunt for crocodiles with their bare feet, rappel down a waterfall, and join what can only be described as a “turtle rodeo” on the open sea.

“This was not a typical vacation like we’ve taken,” Bob stresses, and Mack concurs. “If our family were to design a family trip, it would look nothing like this trip,” he says. “But if my dad and I were to design one together, it would look way more similar to what we did on
Rogue Trip [than the usual Woodruff family vacation].”

For Bob, whose work as a journalist brought him to the regions featured in Rogue Trip, the show is an opportunity to tell more of each nation’s story than has previously been reported on network news. “My biggest fear is that the reporting about countries during crises could somehow make people think that the entire culture is dangerous, or the entire culture is inferior,” he shares, and he wanted each nation’s unique and “remarkable” people to be celebrated front and center. Bob notes that, overwhelmingly, the people they met in their travels take tremendous pride in their respective homelands. “And they don’t like having criticism from the outside or being imposed upon by a culture outside the country,” Bob says. “We went there to learn from them, not for them to learn from us.”

Mack believes there’s much to be gleaned about resilience from these often misjudged nations. “All of the countries that we went to have gone through some sort of war, conflict, or disaster, but they’ve all rebounded from that. They haven’t rebounded perfectly or fully and they’re always going to be a work in progress,” he says—much like any country is.

Of course, the entire Woodruff family understands resilience. In 2006, while reporting from Iraq, Bob was severely injured by a roadside bomb—an event with an impact that can be felt in Rogue Trip as well as in Bob and Mack’s relationship. During a break from the action, father and son discuss how unthinkable a journey such as this—and even a return to reporting—seemed in the aftermath of Bob’s traumatic brain injury, making it all the more special for both that they are now able to share this experience. “I love doing this right now, but I love doing this with you,” Bob says in the episode set in Papua New Guinea.

“The biggest thing is that Dad shouldn’t have lived through his accident, so any time that he can spend with me and any time that I can spend with him pretty much is bonus time at this point,” Mack tells us.

While Bob and Mack are inviting viewers to look at parts of the world in a new light, Rogue Trip has provided a natural opportunity to see new facets of each other, as well. Though Mack has grown up watching his father’s news reports on TV, the trip was the first time he was able to understand how much Bob brings to a story both before and after the cameras begin rolling. “Being able to observe his work ethic is something that I knew existed and had heard about from his friends and colleagues, but it’s a different thing altogether to witness it,” Mack shares.

“This is the first time in our lives that we have spent time together as colleagues more than really father and son, because we both love doing the same thing,” Bob says. “I wasn’t going to teach Mack anything and, more importantly, I think Mack was there to teach me more. He has a different approach to the world. He’s a different generation. He’s got views of the planet and it’s just great to be in a position where I’m the student to the teacher who is my own child. He’s 29 years old now—he’s not even my child anymore. He’s another guy.”

“Hopefully a little more special than that,” Mack laughs.

Fair warning: Watching Rogue Trip—either alone, or with one’s parental units or adult children—may just inspire you to start planning your own trip down roads less traveled. Right now, the Woodruffs are dreaming of colder climes—a Norway vacation is in Mack’s post-quarantine future, while Bob has just one continent left to cross off his list: Antarctica. Their advice to fellow world travelers looking to go off the beaten path—spoken like true reporters—is to do the research and talk to people who have already been to a destination. For Mack, it’s less about the distance covered than simply stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, and that’s what he hopes Rogue Trip inspires in people who watch. As hard as that can be, he stresses, “That’s where you really grow.”

Disney’s Elena of Avalor to End with a Magical Prime-Time Special

July 21, 2020

By Zach Johnson

Princess Elena’s heroic journey to become queen will culminate in an epic prime-time finale special of Disney’s Emmy®- and Imagen Award-winning series Elena of Avalor, premiering Sunday, August 23, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes leading up to the finale will debut every Sunday, beginning July 26, at 5 p.m. ET/PT, and all episodes will debut on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW. Inspired by diverse Latin cultures and folklore, Elena of Avalor premiered in 2016 and tells the story of Elena, a brave and adventurous teenager who has been learning what it takes to be a great leader by ruling her enchanted fairy-tale kingdom as crown princess until she’s old enough to be queen. Airing in more than 150 countries worldwide, the hit series has been lauded for its messages of leadership and inclusiveness.

“It has been a tremendous honor for me to bring Disney’s first Latina princess to the screen,” says creator and executive producer Craig Gerber. “Everyone involved with Elena of Avalor, from the creative team to the unbelievable cast and crew, felt the responsibility to get this right. We created the character of Elena with the hope that she would be a role model, not just for young Latina girls watching, but for all children to be able to see what a true leader looks like. From the beginning, Elena’s story arc has been that she would one day become queen. With the series finale, the creative team has been able to bring Elena’s story to the thrilling conclusion that we always envisioned. I can’t wait for viewers to see the final chapter in Elena’s epic adventure.”

In the prime-time special Elena of Avalor: Coronation Day, as plans for Elena’s (voice of Aimee Carrero) coronation are underway, Esteban’s (voice of Christian Lanz) team of villains unleash legendary spirit misfits, the Four Shades of Awesome. In order to save her kingdom, her family and her friends, Elena must journey to the Spirit World and back, and face the ultimate test of her courage and character, before becoming queen. Jenny Slate, Mark Hamill, Fred Armisen, and Andy Garcia guest star as the Four Shades of Awesome. Patrick Warburton guest stars as Grand Macaw, ruler of the dark side of the Spirit World.

The series also features the voice talents of Jenna Ortega as Princess Isabel; Chris Parnell, Yvette Nicole Brown and Carlos Alazraqui as jaquins Migs, Luna and Skylar, respectively; Emiliano Díez as Francisco; Julia Vera as Luisa; Jillian Rose Reed as Naomi; Joseph Haro as Mateo; Jorge Diaz as Gabe; Keith Ferguson as Zuzo and Joe Nunez as Armando. Elena of Avalor will continue to air on Disney Junior and Disney Channel platforms around the world. In addition, the series’ first two seasons are currently available to stream on Disney+.

The finale also features returning guest voice cast members Constance Marie, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jaime Camil, Justina Machado, Gina Rodriguez, Mario Lopez, Rachel Brosnahan, Tony Shalhoub, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, John Leguizamo, Cheech Marin, Disney Legend Whoopi Goldberg, Cloris Leachman, Chrissie Fit, Tyler Posey, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Kether Donohue, Nestor Carbonell, Andrea Navedo, Eden Espinosa, Ana Ortiz, Gina Torres, and Gaby Moreno, who also sings the Elena of Avalor theme song.

Acquiring the Magic: Fresh Off the Set

July 21, 2020July 21, 2020

By Rick Lorentz, Walt Disney Archives

The year 2020 finds many of our favorite television shows wrapping up storylines and coming to an end. Fresh Off the Boat, Modern Family, Homeland, How to Get Away with Murder and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have either aired their final episode, or will be doing so in the upcoming months.

Fans can rest assured that the laughter, suspense, and mystery created every week through these shows will live on in the Walt Disney Archives. As each show wrapped its final episode, the Archives team sifted through season after season of props and wardrobe to curate a collection that will preserve the magic of each show and rekindle fond memories among fans and researchers for years to come.

Years from now when someone asks, “Whatever happened to the containment modules on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or the flight recorder from President Warren’s helicopter in Homeland? Where is ‘Rebarkla’ from Modern Family? The trophy used to kill Sam when law students learned How to Get Away with Murder? How about the Kenny Rogers neon sign that lit up the Cattleman’s marquee on Fresh Off the Boat?” The answer will be, simply, that all of these objects and many more, found a permanent home in the Walt Disney Archives!

Let’s take a look at just a few of the props and costumes that have arrived most recently in the Archives. The following items were acquired prior to March 2020.

FRESH OFF THE BOAT

When ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat premiered on February 4, 2015, it was the first American television show in over 20 years to feature an Asian American family. The show would continue for six seasons, coming to an end on February 21, 2020, with its 116th episode. Filmed in Los Angeles at the Fox Studios on Stage 14 (which was renumbered for this production as Stage 88, in the name of good luck), the show followed the Huang family after their move to Orlando, Florida, where patriarch Louis Huang established a western-themed steakhouse—“Cattleman’s Ranch”.

MODERN FAMILY

After 250 episodes, ABC’s Modern Family came to an end on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan created many memorable laughs (and a few tears) during the course of its 11 seasons. Winning five Emmy® awards as Outstanding Comedy Series, the show featured a finely tuned ensemble of actors who excelled within the “mockumentary”-style sitcom. As a co-production with 20th Century Television, Modern Family was the longest running comedy on ABC at the time of its final episode. There are many iconic props and costumes within the show’s 11-year history. But most importantly, fans of Fizbo the clown can rest assured that his costume will live on forever as part of the department’s collection.

HOMELAND

As a production of Fox 21 Television Studios, Homeland aired on the Showtime cable channel for eight seasons and 94 episodes. The international spy thriller centered around CIA agent Carrie Mathison, played by Claire Danes. For her performance of the bipolar, never-give-up, take-charge agent, Danes received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series—twice. Many of the props and pieces of set décor from the show that are now housed in the Walt Disney Archives served as background for the White House setting—including bronze bust reproductions of President Barack Obama and President Theodore Roosevelt. In addition, the collection includes the Golden Globe® Award presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association® to Fox 21 Studios for Best Television Series—Drama. And that missing flight recorder from President Warren’s Blackhawk helicopter? Max found it, and now it’s safely stowed away in the Archives.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

Law professor Annalise Keating, along with five law students and two staff members, kept detectives and courtrooms busy with melodramatic murder mysteries for six seasons in How to Get Away With Murder. Beginning in September 2014, the ABC Studios and Shonda Rhimes production held audiences as a captive jury while laying out the clues surrounding several deaths. For her portrayal of the demanding and challenging professor, Viola Davis was honored with the 2015 Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The Walt Disney Archives is excited to have received some of the more iconic costumes from the television production, including a few outfits worn by guest star Cicely Tyson.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe extends its reach far and wide, and ABC’s television series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is no exception. Premiering on September 24, 2013, the show features the travails of agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and the über-secretive Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.). Through six seasons and across 123 episodes, Coulson and his team combat many groups and mercenaries along the way, including Hydra, the Inhumans, and Ghost Rider. Coulson is aided by pilot and weapons expert Melinda May, portrayed by Disney Legend Ming-Na Wen. Sets and props for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. yielded some of the largest objects that the Walt Disney Archives has in its collections—including the cockpit of Zephyr One, a Containment Module and the White Monolith.

Your Foodie Guide to the 2020 Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

July 21, 2020

By Zach Johnson

Join us as we sip, savor, and stroll during the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, currently underway at Walt Disney World Resort! Take a flavorful journey across six continents and explore an array of cultures, cuisines, and innovative cooking techniques.

Open daily from 11 a.m. to park close, the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival offers delicious dishes, wine, craft beer, spirits, and other beverages from over 20 individual marketplaces. (Alcohol will only be served to guests age 21 and older with a valid form of identification.) To enhance the experience, refer to the brand-new digital Festival Guidebook on the My Disney Experience mobile app. It lists every festival-exclusive marketplace and fun activities, like Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt and performances by the Mariachi Cobre band and the JAMMitors crew. The Festival Guidebook also includes a look at the limited-edition merchandise available for purchase.

To whet your appetite, we created a special foodie guide… just for you!

Mac & Cheese Hosted by Boursin® Cheese (World Showplace)

Food
- Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese with Boursin® Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese topped with Herbed Panko
- Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese with Boursin® Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce topped with Carrots, Celery, and Blue Cheese Crumbles
- Lobster Macaroni and Cheese with Boursin® Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce and Lobster Cream topped with Herbed Panko
- Macaroni & Cheese with House-made Italian Sausage and Peppers (Plant-Based)
Beverage
- Stiegl Brewery Radler Zitrone, Salzburg, Austria
- L’ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc Old Vines, Columbia Valley, WA
- Evolution by Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR

Appleseed Orchard (World Showplace)

Food
- Charcuterie and Cheese Plate featuring Burton’s Maplewood Farm Applejack Brandy Barrel Aged Maple Syrup
- Caramel-Apple Popcorn
Beverage
- Frozen Apple Pie (Non-Alcoholic)
- Short’s Brewing Co. Mule Beer, Elk Rapids, MI
- Heavy Seas Brewery Tropicannon Citrus IPA, Halethorpe, MI
- Parish Brewing Co. Ghost in the Machine Double IPA, Broussard, LA
- 3 Daughters Raspberry Lemonade Dry Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL
- Short’s Brewing Company Starcut Ciders Mosa Hard Cider, Bellaire, MI
- Ciderboys Banana Bliss Hard Cider, Stevens Point, WI
- Apple Blossom Sky: Fanta® Apple, Ginger Beer, Floodwall Apple Brandy, Burton’s Maplewood Farm Applejack Brandy Barrel Aged Syrup and Mini Marshmallows

Desserts & Champagne (World Showplace)

Food
- Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pops
- Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pops with Crumbled Twix® Original
- Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pops with Crushed M&M’S® Milk Chocolate
Beverage
- Frozen S’mores (Non-Alcoholic)
- Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut, Champagne
- Dom Pérignon Brut, Champagne
- Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé, Champagne
- Frozen S’mores with Whipped Cream Vodka

Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites (World Showplace)

Food
- Kielbasa and Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream, Poland
- Seafood Fisherman’s Pie, Ireland
- Spanakopita, Greece
Beverage
- Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique, Seneca Lake
- Conundrum Red Blend, California
- tenshən Rhône Style White Blend, Central Coast
- Lang & Reed Wine Company Cabernet Franc, North Coast
- Frog’s Leap Zinfandel, Napa Valley
- Kurt Russell’s Gogi Wines Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
- Bleu Spectrum: Blanc de Bleu Cuvée Mousseux with Boba Pearls
- Guinness Baileys Milkshake

Canada

Food
- Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup served with a Prop & Peller® Pretzel Roll
- “Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Beverage
- Collective Arts Brewing Blackberry Fruit Beer, Hamilton, Ontario
- Inniskillin Icewine
- Château des Charmes Merlot

Refreshment Port

Food
- DOLE Whip® Pineapple (Plant-Based)
Beverage
- DOLE Whip® Pineapple with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum
- Bud Light Seltzer

Hawai’i (Showcase Plaza)

Food
- Kālua Pork Slider with Sweet-and-Sour DOLE® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise
- Teriyaki-glazed Spam® Hash with Potatoes, Peppers, Onions, and Spicy Mayonnaise
Beverage
- Maui Brewing Company Pineapple Mana Wheat, Kihei, HI
- Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Pineapple Wine, St. Petersburg, FL
- AULANI Sunrise: Vodka, DOLE® Pineapple Juice, and Grenadine

The Citrus Blossom (Showcase Plaza)

Food
- Lobster Tail with Meyer Lemon Emulsion and Grilled Lemon (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Crispy Citrus Chicken with Orange Aïoli and Baby Greens (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Beverage
- Orange Cream Shake in a Souvenir Orange Bird Sipper Cup (Non-Alcoholic)
- Islamorada Beer Company Coconut Key Lime Ale, Fort Pierce, FL
- Orange Sunshine Wine Slushy

Shimmering Sips (Showcase Plaza)

Food
- Shimmering Strawberry Soft-Serve in a Waffle Cone
- Banana Bread with Mixed Berry Compote (Plant-Based)
Beverage
- Tropical Mimosa with Sparkling Wine and Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava Juices
- Key Lime Mimosa with Key Lime Sparkling Wine and Cranberry Juice
- Blood Orange Mimosa with Sparkling Wine and Blood Orange Juice
- Banfi Rosa Regale Sparkling Red, Piedmont

Islands of the Caribbean (Showcase Plaza)

Food
- Ropa Vieja Empanada with Tomato Aïoli
- Jerk-spiced Chicken with Roasted Sweet Plantain Salad and Mango Chutney Yogurt (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Flancocho:Passion Fruit Cake with Coconut Flan
Beverage
- Red Stripe Lager
- Opici Family White Sangria
- Frozen Mojito

Earth Eats Hosted by Impossible™ (Near Mexico)

Food
- Impossible™ Farmhouse Meatball with Lentil Bread, Spinach, Marinated Vegetables, and Creamy Herb Dressing (Plant-Based)
- The Impossible™ Burger Slider with Wasabi Cream and Spicy Asian Slaw on a Sesame Seed Bun (Plant-Based)
- Chocolate Pudding Terrarium with Avocado Cream, Matcha Crumble, and Baby Herbs (Plant-Based and Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Beverage
- Bloomin’ Blueberry Lemon and Ginger Tea Featuring Twinings of London® (Non-Alcoholic)
- Playalinda Brewing Company Violet Lemonade Ale, Titusville, FL
- Bloomin’ Blueberry Lemon and Ginger Tea Featuring Twinings of London® with Tito’s Handmade Vodka served in a Mason Jar

Mexico

Food
- Ribeye Taco: Ribeye Steak with Ranchera Salsa in a Corn Tortilla topped with Onions, Chives, and a Lime Wedge
- Pork Tostada: Fried Corn Tortilla topped with Chipotle Black Beans, Roasted Pork, Fresh Salsa Verde, Onions, and Cilantro
Beverage
- Mexican Craft Beer: Tulum Artisanal Lager Crafted with Citrus Notes and made with Mexican Caribbean Seawater
- Passion Rose Sangria: Red Wine, Rum, Rose Petal Liqueur, Passion Fruit Purée, and Lime
- Clásica Margarita: Tequila, Chile Poblano Liqueur, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar with a Salt Rim
- Mango Smoky Margarita: Mango Purée, Mezcal, Applejack, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar with a Tajín Chile-Lime Rim

China

Food
- Chicken Dumplings with Chinese Slaw
- Mongolian Beef Bao Bun
Beverage
- Jasmine Draft Beer
- Happy Peach: Peach Liqueur and Dark Rum
- Byejoe Punch: Chinese Bai Jiu Spirit, Lychee, Coconut and Pineapple Juice

Africa

Food
- Spicy Kenyan Vegan Corn and White Beans with Pigeon Peas, Quinoa & Ancient Grains Medley, and Kachumbari Slaw (Plant-Based)
- Piri Piri Skewered Shrimp with Citrus-Scented Couscous
Beverage
- Tusker Lager
- Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, Western Cape

Refreshment Outpost (Located in the African Outpost)

Food
- Frozen Slushy Coca-Cola® or Minute Maid® Lemonade in a Souvenir Spike the Bee Sipper Cup (Non-Alcoholic)
Beverage
- Bud Light Seltzer

Germany

Food
- Schinkennudeln: Pasta Gratin with Ham, Onions, and Cheese
- Roast Bratwurst in a Prop & Peller® Pretzel Roll
- Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce
Beverage
- Weihenstephaner Festbier Lager
- I.A. Brewing Company Hugo, Doral, FL
- Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse Naturtrüb
- Riesling

Italy

Food
- Margherita: Rustic Italian Flatbread with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese
- La Classica: Cheese Tortellini with Ricotta, Provolone, Fontina, Parmesan, Vodka Sauce, and Crispy Bacon
- Cannoli Siciliani: Crisp Pastry Filled with Sweet Ricotta, Chocolate, and Candied Orange
Beverage
- Peroni Nastro Azzurro Pilsner
- Pinot Grigio, Terre Di Bacco
- Chianti, Gabbiano
- Prosecco, Terre Di Bacco
- Moscato, Batasiolo
- Rosa Regale, Banfi
- Italian White Sangria with Prosecco
- Italian Red Sangria with Cabernet Sauvignon

Hops & Barley

Food
- New England Lobster Roll: Warm Lobster with Fresh Herb Mayonnaise and Griddled Roll
- Southern Seafood Boil: Shrimp, Mussels, Crawfish, Potatoes, Corn, and Andouille Sausage
- Freshly Baked Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing
Beverage
- North Coast Brewing Co. Blue Star Wheat, Fort Bragg, CA
- 3 Daughters Brewing A Wake Coffee Blonde Ale, St. Petersburg, FL
- Heavy Seas Americannon APA, Baltimore, MD
- Angry Orchard Rosé Hard Cider, Walden, NY
- Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands
- Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles

Funnel Cakes (Located in the American Adventure)

Food
- Street Corn Funnel Cake topped with Roasted Corn, Cotija Cheese, Cilantro and Cumin Crema dusted with Paprika

Japan

Food
- Tempura Donburi: Two Pieces of Tempura Shrimp and Kakiage Vegetable Tempura with Tentsuyu Dipping Sauce served over Sushi Rice
- Frothy Ramen: Chilled Noodles in a Dashi Broth topped with Egg White Froth
- Chirashi Sushi Flowerpot: Fresh-cut Salmon, Salmon Roe, and Spinach served over Sushi Rice with Furikake and topped with Poke Sauce
Beverage
- Kirin Draft Beer
- Strawberry Nigori Sake
- Furano Martini: Vodka, Lavender Syrup, and Yuzu Juice

Morocco

Food
- Beef Kefta Pocket with Caramelized Onions, Garlic, and Spicy Tomato Concassée
- Spicy Hummus Fries with Cucumber, Tomatoes, Onions, Tzatziki, and Chipotle Sauce
- Chocolate Baklava: Rolled Phyllo Dough with Toasted Almonds and Dark Chocolate Sauce
Beverage
- Mediterranean Beer
- Kasbah Prestige Red
- Red Organic Sangria
- Mimosa Royale: Sparkling Wine and Orange Juice topped with Orange Liqueur

Brazil (Between Morocco and France)

Food
- Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato, and Onions (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Pão De Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Beverage
- I.A. Beer Company Barbossa Black Beer, Doral, FL
- Frozen Caipirinha featuring Leblon Cachaça

France

Food
- Tarte aux Oignons Caramelises Et Chévre: Goat Cheese Tart with Caramelized Onions on a Flaky Pastry Crust
- Canard Confit À L’orange: Braised Duck Confit À L’orange with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Tarte Tropezienne, Coulis Framboise: Brioche Cake Filled with Light Pastry Cream and Raspberry Coulis
Beverage
- Kronenbourg Blanc 1664 Draft Beer
- VeRy Raspberry: Rosé Wine with Natural Raspberry Flavor
- Bordeaux, Merlot and Cabernet Blend, Château Tarin
- La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy: Vodka, Grey Goose L’orange, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice

Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company

Beverage
- Future World East – Spring Berry Bliss: Frozen Strawberry and Coconut Syrup topped with Raspberry Vodka
- Canada – Orange Splash: Frozen Lemon mixed with Orange Vodka
- American Adventure – Tropical Breeze: Frozen Lemon, Coconut Syrup, and Pineapple Rum
- Showcase Plaza – Passion Flower: Frozen Passion Fruit and Tea infused with Lemon Vodka

For more information regarding the phased reopening of Walt Disney World Resort, including enhanced health and safety measures being implemented, please click here.

*All menu items are subject to change without notice.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Week

July 20, 2020July 17, 2020

By Zach Johnson

There must be something in the water! National Geographic and Nat GEO Wild’s annual SHARKFEST programming event is once again making a major splash. And speaking of sharks, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will be making waves when it makes its streaming debut on Disney+ Friday. We’re also looking forward to the film Bolt arriving on Hulu, the crossover special Raven About BUNK’D debuting on Disney Channel, and the original series Rogue Trip premiering on Disney+… and it’s all happening this week!

SHARKFEST—Beginning Sunday, July 19, on National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD
National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD’s eighth annual SHARKFEST will air five full weeks of action-packed shark programming with 17 original premieres and the best shark programming from the networks’ massive library. Showcasing the ocean’s greatest competitors in their natural habitat, the epic event will begin Sunday, July 19, on National Geographic with World’s Biggest Tiger Shark? at 9 p.m. ET, followed by two weeks of content on Nat Geo WILD, starting on Sunday, August 9. National Geographic premieres for the first week will include When Sharks Attack on Monday, July 20, at 9 p.m. ET and Sharks vs. Dolphins: Blood Battle at 10 p.m. ET; Sharkcano on Tuesday, July 21, at 10 p.m. ET; Secrets of the Bull Shark on Wednesday, July 22, at 10 p.m. ET; Most Wanted Sharks on Thursday, July 23, at 10 p.m. ET; and 50 Shades of Sharks on Friday, July 24, at 10 p.m. ET.

Bolt—Wednesday, July 22, on Hulu
In the 2008 feature film, beloved dog Bolt (voice of John Travolta) is the star of the biggest show in Hollywood—he just doesn’t know it. He thinks it’s real. After he gets sent to New York City by mistake and separated from his co-star and owner, Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus), Bolt em-barks on a paw-some journey and action-packed quest, determined to unleash his “super powers” to fight evil and find his way home. Along the way, thanks to some unlikely new sidekicks, Bolt realizes he doesn’t need super powers to be a super hero.

Raven About BUNK’D—Friday, July 24, at 8 p.m. ET on Disney Channel
The highly anticipated crossover event will bring Raven’s Home and BUNK’D together for one fun-filled adventure. It will begin when Raven (Raven-Symoné), Chelsea (Anneliese van der Pol), Booker (Issac Ryan Brown), Nia (Navia Robinson), Levi (Jason Maybaum), and Tess (Sky Katz) go on a road trip to Maine’s Camp Champion. A GPS glitch will send them off course to Camp Kikiwaka—a place with an uncertain future even for those who can see the future! While Raven and Chelsea hunt for Maine lobster, the kids keep busy before setting out to find the camp’s infamous “Snipe” in Moose Rump’s Forbidden Forest. The adventure will also include celebrity piglets, hidden tunnels, and a musical performance as they forge friendships with Lou (Miranda May), Noah (Israel Johnson), Ava (Shelby Simmons), Destiny (Mallory James Mahoney), Gwen (Scarlett Estevez), Finn (Will Buie Jr.), and Matteo (Raphael Alejandro). As an added bonus, Disney Channel’s newest anthem, “We Own the Summer” by Milo Manheim, will be featured in the one-hour special event!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales—Friday, July 24, on Disney+
The fifth chapter in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is days away from making its swashbuckling debut on the streaming service. The 2017 feature film finds a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow (Disney Legend Johnny Depp) fending off a crew of deadly ghost pirates led by an old rival, the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem). His only hope of survival lies in finding the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that gives its owner total control over the seas. In order to find it, Jack must forge an unlikely alliance with astronomer Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) and Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites)… son of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley)!

Rogue Trip (Season 1)—Friday, July 24, on Disney+
Produced by National Geographic, all six episodes will premiere simultaneously. Led by ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff and his son, Mack Woodruff, Rogue Trip will take viewers along on their father-son journey to some of the world’s most unexpected places. The Woodruffs’ adventure will expose the grit and glamour of travel. They’ll share inside jokes, dirty laundry, and cramped hotel rooms as Bob teaches his son about the hidden places he loves most. Expect the unexpected in this guide to the beautiful, breathtaking and often hopeful experiences to be had on the edge of chaos. They’ll visit Colombia, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Ukraine—and along the journey, the dynamic duo will share raw, big-hearted moments. “Going rogue” together will change their perspectives—not just on their own relationship, but on other people and places, too.

EXCLUSIVE: Q&A with Historian Didier Ghez on the Hidden Art of Disney Animation

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020

By the D23 Team

Since 2015, historian Didier Ghez has been shining a light on the art and animators of The Walt Disney Studios in his book series, They Drew as They Pleased. This ambitious project documenting the history of Disney animation uncovered a trove of previously unpublished artwork, history, and anecdotes that give an unprecedented view into how the films, characters, storylines, and unique Disney look-and-feel came to be.

This final entry in Ghez’ series, They Drew as They Pleased: Volume 6—The Hidden Art of Disney’s New Golden Age, focuses on the 1990s through 2010, when Walt Disney Animation Studios experienced a dramatic creative shift as advancements in digital technology gave rise to computer-generated animation and produced blockbuster hits such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen. To learn more about this book, which is available for preorder now, read our exclusive Q&A with Ghez below:

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club: Can you tell us about the genesis of the They Drew as They Pleased book series?

Didier Ghez (DG): They Drew as They Pleased is a series of six art books spanning the full history of Disney animated features, focusing on the art of Disney “concept” artists.

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, most artists around the world were unemployed. One of the only places that was hiring artists at the time was the Walt Disney Studios. The best among the best of those artists (men and women) were tasked by Walt to “draw as they pleased” to inspire their colleagues, to stimulate their imagination, and to take them in unexpected visual directions. They became the first “concept” artists.

This art book series explores, in detail and decade-by-decade, the art and life of the most prolific and creative of Disney’s concept artists, relying on newly rediscovered pieces of artwork and never-seen-before documents.

Each of the six volumes contains more than 400 never-published-before pieces of artwork and focuses on the careers of artists as diverse as Albert Hurter, Ferdinand Horvath, Bianca Majolie, Sylvia Holland, or, more recently, Mike Gabriel and Michael Giaimo, thanks to previously untapped interviews, diaries, and correspondence.

D23: What were some of the most exceptional discoveries you made while working on this series?

DG: Some have nicknamed me “the Indiana Jones of Disney historians,” which always makes me smile. While working on the first volume of the series, I had the pleasure of discovering the diaries and correspondence of one of the most important Disney artists of the 1930s, the Hungarian Ferdinand Horvath. His diaries and correspondence had been lost for more than 20 years and through detective work, and thanks to the help of a good friend, I was finally able to locate them. They contained even more information than I could hope for, but the diaries were in German and the correspondence in Hungarian. Some good-hearted polyglot volunteers were kind enough to translate those documents for me, which allowed me to write a chapter about Horvath that gives you the impression of being at the Studio with him in the 1930s.

Another astounding and totally unexpected discovery was a whole envelope full of very early Sleeping Beauty character designs by artist Tom Oreb, which had been languishing in a drawer for half a century and that are now featured in the fourth volume in the series.

As to the last volume of the series, which is being released this year (The Hidden Art of Disney’s New Golden Age), the most exciting find must have been all the early character designs for Who Framed Roger Rabbit developed in the early 1980s by artist Mike Gabriel, which you will discover in a book for the very first time.

D23: What are some of the highlights of this sixth volume in the series?

DG: As in previous volumes, 90 percent of the illustrations have never been seen before. The text is based on brand new interviews with three of the artists featured in the book (Hans Bacher, Mike Gabriel, and Michael Giaimo) and on privileged access to the Joe Grant collection thanks to the trust of his surviving daughter.

The first chapter in the book focuses on this outstanding Disney Legend, whose Disney career began in the 1930s and came to an end in the 1990s. At the start of his career, Grant worked with Disney artist Albert Hurter, who is the subject of the first chapter in the first volume of They Drew as They Pleased, taking our story full circle. The chapter about Joe Grant features countless treasures including rare documents about Joe’s work on Disney’s World War II projects, and outstanding pieces of artwork from both his careers in the 1930s (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Lady and the Tramp, Dumbo, etc.) and 1990s (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King).

As mentioned, for the first time artwork from the initial, shelved version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit is revealed in this volume. The book also contains hundreds of pieces of never-seen artwork from some of Disney’s most beloved classics of the New Golden Age (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Frozen, etc.), as well as concept art created for shelved animated features never-before-discussed in book form: Sweating Bullets, Fraidy Cat, Gigantic, etc.

Once again, it is a feast for the eyes that should satisfy both casual enthusiasts and Disney history specialists.

D23: What do you consider as some of the highlights of the series?

DG: I mentioned a few of them in my previous answers, but let me add a few others:

In the first, second, and fourth volumes of the series, I have included in-depth chapters about very important female Disney artists: Bianca Majolie, Retta Scott, Sylvia Holland, and Mary Blair. The life and career of Mary Blair was already well-known, but the life and career of her colleagues Bianca Majolie, Retta Scott, and Sylvia Holland not so much.

Speaking of Mary Blair, in the chapter about her (in the fourth volume of the series), I was proud to feature only artwork that had not been featured in any books before.

In the fifth volume of the series, I was able to pay homage to two of my favorite concept artists: Ken Anderson and Mel Shaw. I had the chance to get to know Mel Shaw personally toward the end of his life and to visit his workshop. As to Ken Anderson, I had always been fascinated by his character designs, especially those he created for Robin Hood (released in 1973, the year of my birth) and that explains why, when I opened the boxes of Robin Hood artwork that are preserved at the Disney Animation Research Library, emotion overcame me and I started crying.

Finally, in the sixth volume of the series, one of the highlights was the fact that I had the opportunity to select artwork to illustrate the chapter about Mike Gabriel in the presence of Mike Gabriel himself. He was generous enough to confide in my taste, but I was privileged to get his guidance while making my selections.

This whole series is a labor of love and the journey to complete it was the ride of a lifetime.

See Kermit and Pals in New Muppets Now Trailer—Plus More in News Briefs

July 17, 2020

By Courtney Potter

Meet Joe from Legal in New Muppets Now Trailer

If you’ve read News Briefs for any length of time, you know we’re big, big fans of the Muppets ’round these parts… so naturally, we’re on pins and needles whilst anxiously awaiting the big premiere of Muppets Now on Disney+! And just this week, we got another sneak peek at the kind of hilarious shenanigans we can expect, via the new trailer above!

In preparation for the world premiere of the Muppets’ first-ever streaming show, Kermit the Frog conducted a video chat—with a host of Muppet faves—a few months ago to break the news that Disney+ ordered six all-new, half-hour “muppisodes.” With a roster of amazing guest stars and pure unscripted mayhem, Muppets Now will break new ground for the gang in their Disney+ debut. And don’t worry about Joe from Legal… he’s approved this message.

Fellow Muppet fans should take note: Disney+ is the streaming home for the Muppets collection, where Muppets Now will join an assortment of fan-favorite Muppet movies, series, and shorts.

Look for the premiere of Muppets Now on Friday, July 31—with new “muppisodes” released every Friday—only on Disney!

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

There’s a bottomless well of thrilling things to watch this weekend from around the worlds of Disney—including the season finale of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted on National Geographic and a new episode of Elena of Avalor on Disney Channel. But as fans of multi-hyphenate Lin-Manuel Miranda, we’re especially excited for the highly anticipated arrival of Hulu’s Freestyle Love Supreme documentary. See what else you can expect this weekend by clicking here.

Original Documentary Howard to Premiere on Disney+ This August

We’ve been looking forward to seeing this particular documentary for a while now… so when news came out this week that it’s coming to our TV screens in just a few weeks’ time, we were thrilled!

Disney+ just announced that the original documentary film Howard will premiere exclusively on the streaming service this August. The film—which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival—follows the life of Disney Legend and Academy Award®-winning lyricist Howard Ashman.

Directed by Don Hahn, Howard is the untold story of Ashman, the brilliant lyricist behind Disney classics such as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast (which Hahn produced), and The Little Mermaid—as well as the creator of musicals including Little Shop of Horrors. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, personal films and photographs, and interviews with friends and family, the film is an intimate look at Ashman’s life, his creative drive, and the process behind the music. Spanning his childhood in Baltimore to his formative years in New York, and his untimely death from AIDS, Howard goes in-depth to explore Ashman’s journey to become the lyricist behind some of the most beloved and well-known classic family films in the world.

Howard features interviews with Ashman’s longtime musical collaborator, fellow Disney Legend Alan Menken (who also scored the film); Ashman’s partner Bill Lauch; Disney Legends Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid) and Paige O’Hara (Beauty and the Beast); his sister Sarah Gillespie; and many more. See it exclusively on Disney+ beginning Friday, August 7.

Tyra Banks Joins Dancing with the Stars as New Host and Executive Producer

The ballroom at ABC’s Dancing with the Stars is getting a bit of a makeover in the form of a new host and executive producer… Just this week, ABC and BBC Studios announced that supermodel and businesswoman Tyra Banks will take over from Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews on the dance floor sidelines, and she’ll join the show’s executive producer and showrunner Andrew Llinares to help steer the series behind-the-scenes.

“I’ve been a fan of DWTS since its beginning,” Banks recently said. “The fun mixed with raw emotion, seeing celebrities push past their comfort zones, the sizzling dance performances… it’s always transported me to my days of turning it up 10 notches on the catwalk.”

Keep your eyes peeled for more information on Dancing with the Stars and its 29th incredible season in the coming months.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch—Coming in 2021 to Disney+

Hot on the heels of the incredible series finale of The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm just announced a brand-new animated Star Wars series coming to Disney+ next year. Read up on what you can expect from Star Wars: The Bad Batch—about a group of experimental clones first introduced in The Clone Wars—right here at D23.com.

Weird But True! Returns to Disney+ on August 14

In further Disney+ news—and something amazing for the young and young-at-heart in your household to watch together—National Geographic has announced that a brand-new season of Weird But True! will premiere Friday, August 14. And get ready, cuz things are gonna get even weirder…

Children’s entertainers and educators Charlie Engelman and Carly Ciarrocchi host the third season of the Emmy® Award-winning series—and this time, they’re embarking on even more imaginative and strange adventures to reveal surprising and interesting facts about the world. Set both in a studio and in the field, the 13-episode series involves a mix of arts and crafts, unbelievable facts, and real-life exploration. Whether hunting for dinosaur fossils, hiking volcanoes, or flying planes, Charlie and Carly inspire kids to get excited about the world around them.

The weekly series will also feature guest appearances from Nat Geo Photographers and Explorers—including Anand Varma, who teaches the correct way to take the perfect photo, and professor (and founder of SciStarter) Darlene Cavalier, who describes how she is exploring new ways to connect people with science. Plus, famed astrophysicist Michio Kaku will appear as a special guest star—playing a fictional character named Buster Infinity, from the Global Space Administration Interplanetary Expedition.

The first two seasons of Weird But True! are available now on Disney+. Let’s get weird, y’all!

Ticket to Dream: Disneyland Treasures from the Archives

July 17, 2020July 14, 2020

By Kevin Kern, Walt Disney Archives

Do you remember the first time you passed through the turnstiles and into a Disney Park? That unmistakable feeling of excitement—the sense that magic is just a few feet away within the many realms of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy—is shared by all who come to these happy places. It’s an exhilarating feeling that millions of Disney Parks guests have come to know since Disneyland first opened on July 17, 1955. Each visit begins in the same, ritualistic fashion—with those memorable “first moments” through the gates.

Disney Legend John Hench once noted that, “[w]hether we go to a Disney park or a ball game, there is always the excitement of deciding to go and planning what to take and to wear, the anticipation of arrival, and the pure pleasure of walking through the entrance with the intention to play.” The main entrance to any Disney Park is our embarkation point for adventure—the point that takes us all to a place where we have (again via Hench) “the opportunity to feel more alive.”

The legacy of our collective main entrance experiences all started 65 years ago, enabled by a few special tickets (shown here), that thankfully have been preserved in the Walt Disney Archives collection.

Ticket to Dream — One of the rarer pieces of ephemera from Disneyland’s invitational press preview and dedication day on July 17, 1955, is this parking pass. Meant to be discarded after initial use, a piece like this speaks to the anticipation guests must have experienced that day in getting to the front entrance (as Hench hints at above)—but first you had to park!

Thanks to the accomplished work of the remarkable artists, Cast Members, craftspeople, employees, and Imagineers who helped make Walt Disney’s kingdom of dreams a reality, these mementoes help remind us not only of that storied past, but what it was like to first anticipate what was (or what could be) just on the other side of the gate.