Welkom!—Day 1 of Adventures by Disney Safari to South Africa

By Robert Yoshioka

A little over seven months ago we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom with the Party for the Planet festival, brand-new photo locations and Wilderness Explorers badges, limited-edition merchandise and a very special Adventures by Disney Safari to South Africa hosted by Joe Rohde and Dr. Mark Penning. Now, after just a few *short* flights, we have arrived in the beautiful city of Cape Town to begin this incredible adventure!

Honestly, Cape Town is nothing like we expected. This metropolitan city feels like any major oceanside city in the states, with beautiful views and weather almost like Los Angeles (which makes sense as Cape Town is approximately as far south of the equator as Los Angeles is north of it)! Our luxurious accommodations are set right on the V&A Waterfront with stunning views of the historic port framed by Table Mountain in the background.

“Most people in Cape Town speak Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch and French settlers. Saying ‘thank you’ for anything in Afrikaans is easy—baie dankie. Pronounced ‘buy a donkey.’”
—Dr. Mark

ABD Safari

ABD Safari

ABD Safari

During the welcome reception, we not only had the chance to meet our fellow Adventurers but also our Adventure Guides Craig and Kira who, along with Joe and Dr. Mark, will be hosting us through the next 10 days of unforgettable experiences.

“Welcome to South Africa, a country famous for its richness of diversity. It has the highest number of official languages, and only 5 countries on earth have greater species biodiversity. Prepare for a rich experience.”
—Dr. Mark

So, as Craig taught us: Masambene! Meaning “let’s go!”

Click here to see more about this amazing safari adventure.

Every Way to Celebrate the Holidays at Downtown Disney and Disney Springs

By The D23 Team

Downtown Disney

Entertainment

Downtown Disney District will feature nightly entertainment throughout the holiday season. From a cappella to carolers—and even a few magicians—there is something for everyone in Downtown Disney. You never know what magical moment you might see while you’re strolling through this winter wonderland.

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Seasonal Overlay

Even with a wintery chill in the air, your heart will melt as you take in the new seasonal overlay, featuring an artificial 30-foot-tall tree positioned near Uva Bar. A tree that tall takes a lot to decorate it—6,200 ornaments in total! You can take in 800 ornaments glimmering on the tree and 900 in each of the six planters.

Holiday Eats and Treats

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Catal Restaurant

  • Breakfast with Santa (Dec 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23): Santa Claus is coming to town and he’s paying a very special visit to Catal Restaurant. Join jolly old Saint Nick and his merry band of elves throughout the holiday season at Catal Restaurant’s classic Breakfast with Santa experience. Guests are invited to feast on a decadent family-style spread of menu offerings such as buttermilk pancakes, crispy bacon, and farm-fresh eggs while Charles Dickens carolers serenade them with their favorite festive tunes. Adults are welcome to sip on bottomless mimosas while little ones are treated to a cookies-and-milk station and steaming cups of hot chocolate from the cocoa cart. After they share their Christmas wishes with Santa, he will gift every child with a pre-stuffed Build-a-Bear™ Workshop teddy bear in addition to a personalized stocking and a complimentary photo print of their magical time with him. Make your reservation today to enjoy this beloved yuletide tradition that is sure to put a smile on every child’s face and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen

  • Christmas Day Menu: Offering specialty menu items such as Gulf Shrimp Ravigote and Fried Green Tomatoes, Blackened Filet Mignon, and a Cappuccino Pot De Crème for dessert
  • New Year’s Eve Menu:
    • Live entertainment on both floors performing until 12:30 a.m.
    • Party hats and noisemakers available for dine-in guests
    • Offering specialty menu items such as a Cauliflower Goat Cheese Bisque, Seafood Jambalaya Risotto, and Rib Eye Steak

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Kayla’s Cake Kiosk

  • Christmas Snowman Macaron: Classic vanilla custard cream with milk chocolate ganache
  • Gingerbread Macaron: Gingerbread buttercream

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Blue Ribbon Corn Dog

  • Holiday Corn Dog (Now through January 6): Our Holiday Feast is a 1/4-pound Chicken Apple Sausage Corn Dog served with cranberry sauce and a side of applesauce

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California Churro

  • White Christmas Churro (Now through January 6): Our White Christmas Churro is coated in powdered sugar with a minty flavor

Cotton Candy Creations

  • Ornament Cotton Candy (Now through January 6): Guests can create their own cotton candy ornament by choosing a holiday stencil that will be placed onto the ornament-shaped cotton candy

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Starbucks

  • Sugar Plum Cheese Danish (Now until early January): A croissant pastry topped with a tangy cream cheese filling and a plum jam (pictured above)
  • Caramel Brulée Latte (Now until early January): Espresso, steamed milk, and rich Caramel Brulée sauce, topped with whipped cream and Caramel Brulée topping (pictured above)
  • Gingerbread Latte (Now until early January): Sweet and spicy Gingerbread syrup with espresso and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and ground nutmeg
  • Christmas Blend Espresso Roast (Now until early January): Cedary and herbal spiciness with an intense caramelly sweetness

Earl of Sandwich

  • Holiday Ham (Now through December 31): Ham, cheddar, yams, and cranberry sauce on freshly toasted artisan bread

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Sprinkles

  • Bakeries will be giving out Surprise SPRINKLE JOY Favor Boxes to guests at random all month. The favor boxes will include a Red Velvet cupcake and a $10 Sprinkles Gift Card

Seasonal Cupcakes:

    • Pumpkin (November 1–30): Fragrant ginger, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon cake, topped with sweet cinnamon cream cheese frosting (pictured above left)
    • Pumpkin Pecan Pie (November 1–30): Spiced pumpkin cake with a rich candied pecan filling and finished with toasted marshmallow frosting (pictured above right)
    • White Chocolate Raspberry (November 1–11): White chocolate chip-studded raspberry cake, frosted with white chocolate frosting marbled with raspberry compote
    • Double Stuffed Oreo® (November 12–30): Chocolate cake with an Oreo® cookie crust, vanilla buttercream filling, finished with a vanilla buttercream frosting and Oreo® crumb rim

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  • Saturday Late-Night Exclusive (Available at ATM Bakeries only, after 8 p.m., in-bakery and in ATM)—Nutella® Hazelnut Mocha (November 3, 10, 17, 24): Rich coffee chocolate cake filled with whipped Nutella®, frosted with mocha buttercream, and finished with a rim of chopped and toasted hazelnuts

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Salt & Straw

  • Gingerbread Cookie Dough: Rum royal ice cream swirled with cookie butter and bits and pieces of gingerbread. (pictured above left)
  • Peppermint Bark Cocoa: Rich cocoa ice cream with a dash of peppermint oil and handfuls of mint dark chocolate bark, white chocolate and handmade peppermint candy bits. (pictured above left)
  • Cinnamon Coconut Eggnog: Rum-infused almond milk churned with coconut ice cream and laced with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Disney Springs

Entertainment

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The elves have been hard at work all across Walt Disney World Resort, and Disney Springs is no exception. From a whole forest of Christmas trees at the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail and a special visit from Santa Claus, to seasonal sights and sounds along the waterside promenade, there are boughs of cheer decked across every pathway as far as the eye can see.

While the holidays are a time of joy and gift-giving, sometimes our plans get foiled! It’s a special season’s greetings to sleuths everywhere as you embark on a merry mission to help Stitch recover his lost gift list at Stitch’s Holiday Gift Hunt.

Holiday Eats and Treats

The Ganachery

  • Hot Ganache—hot drinking chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate crispies (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
  • Santa Mickey Piñata—dark chocolate Mickey sphere filled with marshmallow treats
  • Mickey and Minnie Christmas Cottage—chocolate cottage filled with peppermint bark
  • Peppermint Bark—layers of milk chocolate and dark chocolate swirled with peppermint pieces
  • Eggnog Ganache Square
  • Candy Cane Ganache Square

Planet Hollywood

  • Sticky Toffee Pudding
  • Naughty (alcoholic) and Nice (non-alcoholic) Frozen Cocktails—mint chocolate frozen beverage garnished with brownie and candy cane

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Earl of Sandwich

  • Holiday Ham Sandwich—ham, cheddar, yams, and cranberry sauce on freshly-toasted artisan bread
  • Holiday Turkey Sandwich—turkey, cornbread stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and mayonnaise on freshly-toasted artisan bread

Vivoli il Gelato

  • Candy Cane Sundae—cheesecake, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, ginger, and salted caramel gelatos with caramel sauce, graham cracker, and whipped cream

Splitsville Dining Room

  • Gobble Gobble Sliders (available now through December 26)—three sliders stacked with hand-carved roasted turkey, cornbread stuffing, and crispy fried onions dressed with rich turkey gravy and sweet-sour cranberry sauce
  • Getting Figgy With It (available now through December 26)—fig-infused vodka, fig jam, ginger liqueur, allspice, and rhubarb bitters

4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck

  • Gingerbread Churro Balls—bite-sized gingerbread tossed in spiced sugar and served with cream cheese frosting for dipping

D-Luxe Burger

  • Peppermint Cookies and Cream Shake
  • Turkey Burger—signature turkey burger with fried butternut squash risotto, fresh mozzarella, bacon-cranberry jam, lettuce, and tomato

Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar

  • Jock Frost—a Floridian tropical treat with cinnamon cream liqueur, coconut rum, blue liqueur, pineapple, and lemon juice garnished with an orange
  • Jock’s Holiday Nog—a simple holiday eggnog with vodka, cinnamon cream liqueur, vanilla syrup, and mint candies

Amorette’s Patisserie

  • Gingerbread Hat Cookie Ornaments
    • Goofy Hat Cookie—November 25–December 1
    • Donald Hat Cookie—December 2–9
    • Pluto Hat Cookie—December 10–17
    • Minnie Hat Cookie—December 18–24
    • Mickey Hat Cookie—December 25–30
  • Orange Cranberry Chardonnay Wine Slushy
  • Peppermint Chocolate Milkshake—topped with whipped cream and served with a paper straw coated in crushed peppermint
  • Pear Mousse—with poached pear wine reduction and fresh pears
  • Santa Mickey Macaron Lollipop—filled with eggnog ganache
  • Snowman Macaron Lollipop—hot-chocolate-flavored macarons filled with milk chocolate ganache and a marshmallow cream center
  • Spiced Plum Petite Cake—five-spice chiffon cake with plum pâté de fruit and honey mousse
  • Winter Wonderland Petite Cake—cinnamon nutmeg chiffon cake with cranberry cherry pâté de fruit and salted caramel calvados mousse
  • Gingerbread Mickey Dome Cake
  • Santa Mickey Dome Cake

The Daily Poutine

  • Turkey Poutine with Cranberry Chutney

Goofy’s Candy Company and Disney’s Candy Cauldron

  • Assorted Holiday Crispy Treats
  • Holiday Mickey and Minnie Candy Apples
  • Sandy Claws Candy Apples
  • Snowflake Candy Apples
  • Assorted Holiday Cake Pops

Select Outdoor Vending Carts

  • Mickey Pretzels topped with Holiday Sprinkles

Tree Trail

  • Frozen Eggnog (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
  • Frozen Hot Chocolate (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
  • Gingerbread Cookies
  • Holiday Sugar Cookies
  • Holiday Crispy Treat
  • Holiday Cotton Candy—available in gingerbread, eggnog, or peppermint flavors

 

Mira, Royal Detective—Solving Mysteries on Disney Junior in 2020

By Beth Deitchman

Disney Junior is getting ready to take fans on an incredible and mysterious journey to Jalpur, a magical land inspired by the cultures and customs of India. Production is under way on a brand-new animated series, Mira, Royal Detective, slated to debut on Disney Junior Channels and programming blocks around the world in 2020.

It doesn’t take a detective to deduce that Mira, Royal Detective is sure to be amazing. Mira, a young commoner, becomes a royal detective after she solves a mystery (and saves the kingdom’s young prince); she then travels throughout Jalpur helping both royals and commoners alike. Each episode will feature two 11-minute stories that feature authentic music, dance, and customs that are rooted in India’s vibrant heritage.

Mira will be voiced by 15-year-old newcomer Leela Ladnier. The young sleuth will be joined on her new adventures by her friend Prince Neel, a talented inventor voiced by Kamran Lucas (Disney’s Mech-X4); her creative cousin Priya, voiced by newcomer Roshni Edwards; and two comical mongooses, Mikku and Chikku, voiced by Kal Penn (Designated Survivor) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (The Mindy Project), respectively. The series’ star-studded voice cast also includes Freida Pinto (The Path) as Queen Shanti; Hannah Simone (New Girl) as a young commoner named Pinky; Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) as Mira’s Auntie Pushpa; Aasif Mandvi (Shut Eye) as Mira’s father, Sahil; Sarita Choudhury (Homeland) as Prince Neel’s Great-Aunt Rupa; Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman) as Mira’s cousin Meena; Karan Brar (Disney Channel’s BUNK’D) as Prince Veer; Karan Soni (Deadpool) as twins Ranjeet and Manjeet; Sarayu Blue (I Feel Bad) as the palace tailor; and Parvesh Cheena (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and Sonal Shah (Scrubs) as bandits Manish and Poonam, respectively.

Joe D’Ambrosia, senior vice president, Original Programming, Disney Junior, said in today’s announcement, “We are eager to introduce kids and their families to the rich, diverse cultures and customs of India through Mira, a young girl who looks at things with her own unique lens to gain different perspectives and help others in her community. We hope that she will encourage our audience to engage actively with the inspiring world around them and appreciate the little details that make life extraordinary.”

Mira, Royal Detective is executive produced by Emmy® Award nominee Sascha Paladino (Miles from Tomorrowland); the series was developed by Becca Topol (Elena of Avalor), who also serves as story editor. Sue Perotto and Dorothea Schoentag (both of Phineas and Ferb) are supervising director and art director, respectively. Serving as consultants for Mira, Royal Detective are IW Group’s Shagorika Ghosh, who is the series’ cultural consultant; Bollywood dancer and choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan (So You Think You Can Dance) and music producer Deepak Ramapriyan (Basmati Blues). The series will feature original songs written and produced by Emmy nominees Matthew Tishler (Fancy Nancy) and Jeannie Lurie (The Muppets) and music from composer Amritha Vaz (Miss India America). Wild Canary produces in association with Disney Junior.

We’ll be on the hunt for more clues about the upcoming series until Mira officially begins her sleuthing on Disney Junior. Stay tuned for all of the details.

Meet Artemis Fowl and Revisit the Pride Lands—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

Step inside the world of Eoin Colfer’s über-popular book, and catch a glimpse at Disney’s upcoming retelling of The Lion King… See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

Brand-New Peek Inside the World of Disney’s Artemis Fowl

’Tis the holiday season, which brings with it a festive cornucopia of trailers for upcoming Disney films—all of which look amazing, and all of which we’re currently adding to our jam-packed calendar. (Not a bad problem to have, right?) Well, color us enthralled by the latest entrant in the teaser-trailer hoopla: Disney’s Artemis Fowl, which will grace movie screens across the country next summer. See young Artemis in (amazing) action, above.

Based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer and directed by Oscar® nominee Kenneth Branagh, Artemis Fowl follows 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl (newcomer Ferdia Shaw)—a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds—as he finds himself in a battle of strength and cunning against a powerful, hidden race of fairies who may be behind his father’s disappearance.

Also starring Lara McDonnell, Tamara Smart, Nonzo Anozie, Josh Gad (Frozen), and Oscar winner Judi Dench, Artemis Fowl will rocket into U.S. theaters on August 9.

Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
December 8, 2018
Mickey’s of Glendale – Holiday Shopping 2018
December 9, 2018
D23’s Light Up the Season – 2018
December 15, 2018
D23’s Grand Gingerbread Workshop
August 23-25, 2019
D23 Expo 2019
Parks
Summer 2019
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Opening at Disneyland Resort
Fall 2019
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Opening at and Walt Disney World Resort
Studios
December 19, 2018
Mary Poppins Returns opens in U.S. theaters
March 8, 2019
Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel opens in U.S. theaters
March 29, 2019
Dumbo opens in U.S. theaters
April 19, 2019
Penguins opens in U.S. theaters
May 24, 2019
Aladdin opens in U.S. theaters
June 21, 2019
Toy Story 4 opens in U.S. theaters
July 19, 2019
The Lion King opens in U.S. theaters
August 9, 2019
Artemis Fowl opens in U.S. theaters
Television
November 29, 2018
The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration airs on ABC (9–11 p.m. EST)
December 1, 2018
Disney Parks Presents a 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Party airs on Disney Channel (8-8:30 p.m. EST)
December 2, 2018
Life Size 2 premieres on Freeform (9–11 p.m. EST/PST)
December 8, 2018
Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic airs on Freeform (8–9 p.m. EST/PST)
December 25, 2018
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade airs on ABC (10 a.m.–12 p.m. EST, 9–11 a.m. CST/MST/PST, airtimes vary, check local listings)

Revisit the Pride Lands: The Lion King Roars to Life!

We weren’t kidding when we said there are some incredible Disney movies on the (Pride Lands) horizon… Guests at D23 Expo 2017 were among the first to see footage from director Jon Favreau’s amazing retelling of The Lion King, and now fans across the world can marvel in the film’s photo-realistic CGI—the same process that brought Favreau’s The Jungle Book to life. We legitimately cannot wait to see how it enhances the treasured tale of Simba and all his friends. Take a look, above.

The film will take us once again into the African savanna, where a future king must overcome betrayal and tragedy to assume his rightful place on Pride Rock. Featuring the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Keegan-Michael Key as Kamari, John Oliver as Zazu, Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, and James Earl Jones as Mufasa (reprising his iconic role from the 1994 animated film), The Lion King roars into a cineplex near you on July 19.

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Frozen on Broadway Breaks Box Office Record

The cold never bothered us anyway… and it certainly hasn’t been bothering Broadway audiences in New York City. Disney Theatrical Group’s new musical Frozen recently broke the house record at the St. James Theatre for the week ending November 25, with an amazing gross of $2.3+ million over eight performances—breaking Frozen’s previous record of $2.275 million for the week ending April 8, 2018. This marks the third time the production has broken the house record at the St. James since opening this spring!

Frozen opened on Thursday, March 22, and has been in the top 10 best-selling shows every week, establishing itself as the biggest musical hit of its season. A North American tour will open at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles in Fall 2019. And since we’re celebrating the original film’s fifth anniversary this week, why not check out D23’s roundup of the five best ways to “let it go” with Anna, Elsa, and all their friends?

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Wanna Visit the New Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs?

If the answer to the above question is “yes,” we not only agree, but we also have great news: Beginning this week, guests can make reservations for rooms at the Gran Destino Tower, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World, for stays starting July 2019!

The Gran Destino Tower is part of the reimagining of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort—a transformation inspired by the adventurous spirit of great Spanish explorers, as well as innovative Spanish artists, writers, and architects. New dining experiences at Three Bridges Bar & Grill (which will sit on an island in the middle of the resort’s 14-acre lake) and Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood (featuring incredible views of Walt Disney World Resort) will tickle taste buds, while 545 new guest rooms (including 50 suites) will tempt with comfort and amenities galore. And that’s on top of Coronado Springs’ existing 1,800+ rooms having recently been renovated with new furnishing, fixtures, and lighting.

To reserve your own grand Gran Destino adventure, visit the Walt Disney World website today.

ICYMI: Every Amazing Moment from Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse

There was so much fantastically fun news to come out of D23’s recent Destination D event in Florida that we just had to make a video recap to celebrate. From special appearances by Disney characters and favorite celebs, to memorable panels on Disney history, and everything in between—it was truly a weekend for the Mickey-shaped record books! See for yourself right here.

news briefs 11/28

Holiday Special to Feature Sneak Peek of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy

Grab the family and gather ’round the TV (or mobile device of your choice): Disney Parks Presents a 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Party debuts this Saturday, December 1, at 8 p.m. EST on Disney Channel! It’s a brand-new half-hour special featuring appearances and performances from a cadre of fave Disney Channel stars, including hosts Ruby Rose Turner, Dakota Lotus (Coop & Cami Ask the World), Kylee Russell, Meg Donnelly (ZOMBIES), and Sadie Stanley and Sean Giambrone (the upcoming Kim Possible).

During the special, Stanley and Giambrone take viewers behind the scenes of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios—where guests will step into the world of Disney•Pixar’s Cars. This exciting new show opens in the park’s Sunset Showcase in spring 2019 as part of the overall transformation of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

So mark your calendars for some holiday “ka-CHOW!” this weekend.

5 Ways to Let It Go and Celebrate Five Years of Frozen

By Karina Schink

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Frozen, and we maintain that the day the Arendelle palace gates were opened is one of the best in history! In honor of this super-cool achievement, here are five ways to celebrate Frozen (dancing through the night optional, though definitely encouraged).

Frozen

Watch the film
What can we say? It’s one of the best ways to honor the film on its anniversary. All you have to do is turn up the volume, get wrapped up in your favorite sandwich (um we meant blanket), and settle in to experience this sisterly saga once again.

Watch the shorts
While the first chapter of Anna and Elsa’s adventure may have concluded with the original film, there are still more stories packed into those open doors of Arendelle; two of which come to us in the shape of Frozen Fever and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. Take an icy sleigh ride with your favorite team by witnessing another (mini) chapter of their story.

Frozen on Broadway

See Frozen on Broadway
Things are getting a bit chillier over on Broadway… Frozen, the Broadway Musical, is an entirely new way to experience Anna and Elsa’s story, for those of you who haven’t made your way over to the St. James Theatre in New York City yet. It’s an absolute must for Disney and Frozen fans alike! We’re pretty confident that there’s snow way you won’t like it!

Frozen Ever After

Ride Frozen Ever After at Epcot
Continue this blizzard of Frozen fun over at Epcot in Walt Disney World when you hoist your sails for Arendelle in Frozen Ever After! Your vessel will take you throughout the wintery world that Anna and Elsa call home—and you may even spot some skull-less, bone-less, and carrot loving friends along the way!

Frozen at the Hyperion

Watch Frozen— Live at the Hyperion at Disney California Adventure
Rain, shine, or frozen fractals all around, the show must go on (or maybe that’s snow?). Either way, the show is going on at the Hyperion Theater over in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure! There’s no reason to be late for the ball, because the theatrical interpretation of the film is playing three times a day! Wow, that’s ice!

You Asked, Dave Answered: Your Burning Mickey Mouse FAQs

By D23 Team

It’s been 90 magical, wonderful years of Mickey Mouse, and in celebration of this
monu-mouse-tal occasion, we’re taking a look back at our top Mickey questions, answered by Dave Smith, Chief Archivist Emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives.

Got a question of your own? You can submit it to Dave here.

Bret Iwan

Q : If you could, do you think you could put together a list of everyone who has ever voiced Mickey Mouse? Possibly a list of how long they voiced him to go with it?
Krista, Hillsboro, Oregon

A: There have, up to now, been four people who were the official voices of Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney was the first (1928-1946), followed by Jim Macdonald (1946-1977), Wayne Allwine (1977-2009), and Bret Iwan (pictured above, 2009-  ). Additionally, composer Carl Stalling performed Mickey’s voice in a few early cartoons when Walt was busy.

Q : Has Mickey Mouse ever presented at the Academy Awards®?
Matthew, North Hollywood, California

A: The Disney parks’-costumed Mickey helped present an award in 1978 with Jodie Foster and Paul Williams, and an animated Mickey interacted with Tom Selleck as a presenter at the 1988 Academy Awards ceremony and with Jennifer Garner in 2003. Those were the only times for Mickey, though other Disney characters appeared in the 1990s. Mickey did, however, appear in a short special cartoon, made by Disney for the 1932 ceremony, in which he led a parade of caricatures of that year’s award nominees.

Q : Hi Dave! Let me begin by saying thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge with the world so we can all feel like a part of the Disney magic. I do have a question for you. I’m a hopeless romantic and huge Disney fan, and a friend told me once that the actors who play the voices of Mickey and Minnie are married in real life. Is this true? I know many voice actors have portrayed Mickey and Minnie, so I’m not certain if that was ever the case. Also, I know Mickey and Minnie were never actually married, but there is certainly a wealth of merchandise portraying their wedding. Why was that merchandise created if it was never a part of their stories? Are there plans to have them get married?
Krystina, Avondale, Arizona

A: Russi Taylor, who did the voice of Minnie Mouse, and Wayne Allwine, who did the voice of Mickey Mouse, were indeed married. Wayne, sadly, passed away in 2009, the year after he was named a Disney Legend. Russi is still active in voice recording.

Q : Have Mickey and Oswald ever been in a comic or a cartoon together?
Cora, Navarre, Florida

A: Not in a comic book, comic strip, or animated cartoon, but they are together in the Disney Epic Mickey videogame. [Oswald appears briefly in the 2013 animated short Get a Horse!]

Q : What was the first Disney-based merchandise on the market?
Daniel, Pevely, Missouri

A: There was an Oswald stencil set, a candy bar, and a pin-back button, all licensed through Universal, who owned and distributed the Disney Oswald cartoons. The first Mickey Mouse item was a writing tablet. Supposedly Walt was walking through a hotel lobby in New York, and a man offered him $300 if he would allow Mickey to be used on the tablets. Walt needed the $300, so he said okay.

Q : I’m obsessed with Disney pins. I have more than 300 pins, and I’m only 11! Could you describe what the first pin made looked like and when it was made? Also, is it in the Archives? When did pin trading start, and why did Disney start trading pins?
Kobe, Delaware, Ohio

A: One of the earliest Disney pins I have seen is a Mickey Mouse Chums pin made in England in the 1930s; there is an example of it on display in the Archives. But actual pin trading at the parks began at Walt Disney World in 1999 and at Disneyland the following year.

Mickey Mouse

Q : The Art of Walt Disney by Christopher Finch says that Mickey Mouse’s last black-and-white cartoon was Mickey’s Service Station. But other sources say that Mickey’s Man Friday was one of the last. Which one is the last Mickey Mouse cartoon?
Christopher, Lolo, Montana

A: The last one in black and white was actually Mickey’s Kangaroo. Even though The Band Concert, the first one in color, was released in early 1935, two black-and-white ones followed it—Mickey’s Service Station and Mickey’s Kangaroo. From then on, all the rest of the Mickey cartoons were in color.

Q : Upon watching the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, I was wondering if there are any other non-Disney characters that have been portrayed as being friends with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck?
Ross, Aurora, California

A: I can think of no instance when Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck appeared in a film with cartoon characters from another studio, except in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Mickey Mouse

Q : Why does Disney not acknowledge Plane Crazy as Mickey Mouse’s first movie?Mark, Mission Viejo, California

A: While Plane Crazy was animated before Steamboat Willie (as was The Gallopin’ Gaucho), they were not released until after it. The first two films had been made without sound. With the success of synchronized sound in Steamboat Willie, sound was later added to Plane Crazy and The Gallopin’ Gaucho, and they were released later.

Mickey Mouse

Q : I read that in the film The Opry House (1929), Mickey was first given white gloves as a way of contrasting his naturally black hands against his black body. Is that true?
Marie, Serris, France

A: The white gloves were added to Mickey’s hands in When the Cat’s Away (1929), the film made after The Opry House. John Grant, in his Encyclopedia of Walt Disney’s Animated Characters, quotes Walt Disney as saying, “We didn’t want him to have mouse hands, because he was supposed to be more human. So we gave him gloves.” The white gloves against a black body indeed provided a necessary contrast to the black hands that were utilized in the first few cartoons, so the gloves continued to be used thereafter.

Q : This may sound like a strange question, but I was wondering when did the Mickey Premium Bar first hit the Disney parks?
Samuel, Faribault, Minnesota

A: The current Mickey Premium Bar (ice cream) is a Nestlé product; Nestlé first joined Disney to sponsor The Land at Epcot in 1992. Before that ice cream bar, there was an earlier one, with only the Mickey Mouse ears covered in chocolate. Gold Bond Ice Cream was licensed in 1975 for a Mouseketeer Bar; Gold Bond was acquired by Good Humor in 1989, and they continued selling the bar as part of their Mickey’s Parade line until Nestlé came out with theirs.

The ‘Fantastic’ music of Mary Poppins Returns

By Bruce Steele

Lin-Manuel Miranda is Alexander Hamilton no more. Backstage at Shepperton Studios in London, he’s in full working-class “leerie” garb: a newsboy-like cap, red waistcoat (that’s a “vest” to you Americans) and loose, well-worn jacket and trousers.

Speaking to journalists during a break in filming, Miranda recalls that he had just one question for director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca when they offered him the part of Jack, a London leerie, as the three sat in a restaurant at the Paramount Hotel in New York City’s theater district between performances of Miranda’s hit show Hamilton.

“What’s a leerie?”

Mary Poppins Returns

A leerie, he learned, is an English lamplighter, and in Mary Poppins Returns, Jack is Mary Poppins’ pal, a sprightly Cockney who leads a small army of lamplighters. The leeries ride their bikes through the streets of 1930s London at the especially magical hours of dawn and dusk, when the city transforms, and for a brief moment anything seems possible.

For example, a Broadway star could be swept away across the ocean to sing and dance with Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins Returns was the first project Miranda undertook after leaving Hamilton, the groundbreaking musical he wrote and starred in that won him Tonys® for Best Book and Best Score, as well as Best Musical. He left the show in July 2016 and by that fall was in London, starting rehearsals for Poppins.

Now the filming is about half finished, and Miranda is answering questions in a Shepperton Studios building filled with costumes, props, and concept art from the movie.

Comparing his phenomenal stage career with his new status as a movie star, Miranda quips, “The only real difference is that when you finish a musical number [on a film], they applaud in a year and a half.”

Mary Poppins Returns

The scene being filmed today is an elaborate, 8-minute song-and-dance called “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” that will take many days to shoot. It involves some 50 leeries, with bicycles and lampposts and, of course, Mary Poppins herself, played by Emily Blunt, accompanied by the three kids in her care, the children of a now-grown Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw).

“We’re doing very elaborate musical numbers, more than anything you’ll see on a Broadway stage,” Miranda says.

While the original 1964 Walt Disney film is remembered for its lead performance by Julie Andrews, its groundbreaking blend of live action and animation, and its spectacular visual effects, it’s also one of movie history’s most beloved original musicals. It was based on English writer PL Travers’ several Poppins books, which began appearing in the 1930s, but the songs were pure Disney, written by Disney Legends Richard and Robert Sherman.

Mary Poppins Returns follows in that film’s footsteps, with more than half a dozen original songs by the Tony-winning team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

“I’m a fan of Marc’s and Scott’s music of many years,” Miranda says. “I remember getting rush tickets to Hairspray [on Broadway] right after college when it was in previews and losing my mind. They are so well-suited to this musical. It’s such a love letter to the Sherman Brothers.”

Emily Blunt, appearing backstage in her Poppins finery, complete with iconic hairdo and a brand-new hat, agrees. “I think that these songs, even though you haven’t heard them before, there is something about the music that seems familiar—always a sign of a great song.”

She continues, “It has been such a huge honor, really, to be the person to be first [singing] them.”

Blunt worked with Marshall on a previous musical, Disney’s Into the Woods, but she says it was a different experience for two big reasons: The Stephen Sondheim songs were well-established, and there was a lot less dancing.

Mary Poppins Returns

“The dancing has been the most daunting prospect for me,” she says. “But we all laugh a bit about the fact that Rob makes you feel that you could do anything. He has this wonderful, ceremonial approach to filmmaking. He makes it magical and special for everybody.”

Blunt has similar praise for Miranda, whom she calls “one of the most positive people I have ever met.” Miranda’s aplomb in front of the camera helped Blunt build her own courage as a dancer.

“He has just approached it with such confidence and threw himself into the dancing and singing,” she says. “I think it has been quite nice for him not to be having to write and produce and create every single word,” as he did for Hamilton. (He also contributed songs to Disney’s Moana before leaving Hamilton.)

Miranda confirms Blunt’s assessment, adding that he had “no jealousy” of Shaiman and Wittman. “I could never have written this score,” he says. “To get to sing Mark’s and Scott’s music is a real joy.”

Miranda knows the power of music in the movies. He cites one Sherman Brothers song from Mary Poppins as the reason he didn’t see the ending of the film “for many years” as a child. “I would burst into tears at ‘Feed the Birds’ and then I would be like, ‘Turn it off! Turn it off!’ She broke my heart, that bird lady.”

Practice Makes Practically Perfect on the Set of Mary Poppins Returns

By Bruce Steele

There can be only one Mary Poppins. She is, says Emily Blunt, “a completely singular character.” But on the London set of Mary Poppins Returns, in which Blunt brings the magical nanny back to the screen, you very quickly learn that duplication is the rule.

As costume designer Sandy Powell tours a building at Shepperton Studios that’s jam-packed with costumes, props and concept art from the movie that’s currently being filmed on nearby soundstages, she explains why there are no vintage costumes in the movie, set in 1930s London.

“Everything has to be 100 percent made,” she says, “because we make multiples.”

Mary Poppins Returns

Standing next to mannequins dressed in the costumes of the family of Michael Banks, who has grown up and become a single father of three in the 20-plus years since the events of the 1964 Mary Poppins, Powell relates that making the kids’ clothes was a particular challenge.

“Things happen to kids,” she says, and the costume department has to be ready to step in with a fresh costume immediately, so filming isn’t held up by a wardrobe malfunction. “Then they get muddy, and we have to have multiples of that [the muddy clothes]. And then each of these kids has a photo double, an acting double and a stunt double, and each of those kids has to have the same number of multiples.”

She consults with her assistant, Charlotte Law, who quickly provides the totals: 15 copies of one child’s outfit, 10 each for the other two. And that’s just for one scene.

“And they keep growing,” Powell adds, “so we have to switch them out with longer-length trousers.”

Mary Poppins Returns

Another mannequin wears Mary Poppins’ familiar dark blue coat and her newly redesigned hat, no longer adorned with flowers. “I don’t see Mary Poppins as being very floral,” Powell says. Instead there’s a small robin on one end of her hat pin. Powell’s team had seven copies of this hat at the ready, along with seven robin-topped pins.

When Poppins herself appears in the form of Emily Blunt, taking a break in the filming, she is wearing one of those seven hats along with a coat in a rich red hue, rather than the usual dark blue. Today’s scene is the song “Trip a Little Light Fantastic,” a complicated musical number featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack, a lamplighter who was a protégé to Mary’s now-departed friend Bert. Jack is joined by about 50 of his fellow lamplighters for a dance extravaganza set in an abandoned park at night, so Powell designed a red coat for Mary that would pop better in lower light. It’s paired with a skirt generous enough that “when she spins, you get the full Ginger Rogers effect,” the designer says.

By this point, many weeks into the filming, Blunt is comfortable in her iconic role, attributing her ease to director Rob Marshall, with whom she worked on Into the Woods. She was “terribly excited” to be offered the part, she says, and accepted despite some “trepidations about taking on such an iconic role that had been played by such an iconic actress,” Julie Andrews.

Mary Poppins Returns

“But I think Rob’s greatest quality is making you feel like the impossible is possible,” Blunt says.

For the filmmaking team, that meant having the courage to leave the first Mary Poppins behind them. When production designer John Myhre visits the Shepperton building housing the display of costumes and props, he explains: “The first thing Rob said to me when he invited me on the project was that this was our movie. And while we’re certainly giving a nod to the original, we have a different story, and it’s a more contemporary audience [that will see it].”

For example, the talking parrot head on Mary’s umbrella handle is more elaborate than in the 1964 movie. “We went through many, many passes,” says Myhre, who supervised prop construction as well as designing all the sets. “Rob wanted it to feel more real.”

The final parrot head – and yes, there are many copies of the umbrella, as well—is made both to look as much like a parrot as possible and (in some versions) to contain the mechanics necessary to have it speak. The team discussed using computer effects to create the talking parrot “in post,” after the filming was complete, Myhre says, but decided to stick to animatronics because “the kids are going to have a much better time talking to a parrot head umbrella that can actually talk to them” during the filming.

In the prop workshop nearby on the Shepperton lot, prop supervisor Nick Richardson explains the many steps necessary to make the umbrella handle, with the parrot’s many iterations laid out on a table in front of him.

First an artist needed to carve a sculpture of the head—approved by Myhre and Marshall— then the sculpt was scanned in minute detail to create a computer model that could be reproduced by a 3D printer. The print, made in two halves, was cleaned up by hand and used to create a mold from which the final parrot heads were cast in resin. The heads were then hand-painted, copper plating and other details added, and the brass highlights were then etched, cut out, and lovingly attached.

And then they did it again. And again. Until they had the number of Poppins umbrellas necessary for filming.

Ditto Mary’s carpet bag, several copies of which are displayed on another table in the prop department: The full bag with polka-dot lining. The bag with a hole in the bottom for passing through larger objects. And so on.

“On all these movie props, you need many, many, many, many,” Myhre says. “You can’t just have one.”

Myhre also reveals something else that’s duplicated in today’s filming—something Disney’s most loyal fans might notice in the final movie that other viewers are likely to overlook.

Mary Poppins Returns

On the set where the lamplighter musical number is being filmed, in one of the 10 soundstages at Shepperton filled with Poppins sets, Myhre says, “I put in six hidden Mickeys.” Both he and Marshall are big fans of Disneyland, he explains.

It just goes to show, even the filmmakers tasked with bringing Mary Poppins back to the screen after 54 years are, in their hearts, aspiring Disney Imagineers.

The Untold Story Behind the Reimagined World of Disney Stores

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Every trip to Disneyland is full of magical memories, and since it opened 2001, we’ve counted on the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney to be our one-stop shop for the perfect souvenirs to honor our most magical vacations. Now, this trusty store—and its counterpart in Florida—have been transformed into stunning reimagined locations enriched with new history tied to the legacy of The Walt Disney Company and Walt’s journey through California. The next time you’re browsing through the vintage-inspired Mickey Mouse Club Collection or if you’re picking out the perfect Mickey Ear Hat to #ShareYourEars, make sure to take some time to discover the small touches that hint at the store’s new backstory.

World of Disney reimagining

Grand Beginnings
Let’s take a look at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, which was inspired  by California Craftsman architecture made popular during the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, imagine the new World of Disney store as a bus depot where hotel guests would begin their journeys—in much the same way that guests begin their adventures when they leave the Grand Californian to stroll into Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure.

Of course, this store isn’t a bus stop, but sharp-eyed guests may spot “ghost art” hinting at the store’s past. If you look up, you might notice faded advertising banners encouraging you to “Adventure Through California!” Fans of Walt Disney Imagineering may even spot an ad for the 1401 Series Luxury Coaches, a reference to Imagineering’s street address, which has popped up in some other parts of Disneyland, as well.

World of Disney reimagining

An Animated Location
The next part of the World of Disney’s reimagined story has an extra sprinkle of pixie dust. In this imagined history, Walt Disney expanded his animation studio beyond the famous location in Burbank to both Downtown Disney and Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs. While both World of Disney stores are obviously not animation studios anymore, they are still very animated. Take a look at the paint jars lining the wall behind a register—you might notice some colorful magic happening that causes the surrounding wall art to come to life!

In the new story, both animation studios closed in 1989 with the opening of Disney’s Hollywood Studios (then called “Disney-MGM Studios”), where a real-life animation studio was based in the park, producing some of our favorite Disney films including Lilo & Stitch and Mulan. Later World of Disney stores opened at both locations, hiding all the animated magic hidden behind drywall—until this year’s reimagining, when all the depot brickwork and animation paraphernalia were revealed. Both World of Disney stores are full of hidden secrets and Easter eggs that help tell this enchanting imagined story to guests who are willing to look.

World of Disney reimagining

Easter Eggs by the Dozens
While you’re waiting to ring up your latest purchases—(Might we recommend the new Disney attractions-themed Spirit Jerseys? It’s so hard to pick just one to take home!)—you might take a look at the new cashier desks—does that artwork look familiar? As the newly imagined story goes, the cashier desks are repurposed desks from the Nine Old Men themselves, including reproductions of actual sketches from the Animation Research Library. Can you figure out which desk belongs to which animator?

Behind one of the cashier stations is a large bulletin board dedicated to the Nine Old Men—can you spot caricatures of each of them? Plus, there are snippets of animation advice for any aspiring animators out there looking for tips and tricks from an array of Disney Legends.

World of Disney reimagining

Finally, no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you! The artwork on the walls is, in fact, coming to life before your eyes. Using reproductions of actual Nine Old Men pencil sketches, these amazing art pieces will wow any fan of Disney films.

World of Disney reimagining

What other Easter eggs can you spot that hint at the imagined history of the stores?

See more of the new World of Disney in this video from the Disney Parks Blog:

D23’s Ultimate Guide to Your Holiday Viewing—2018 Edition

By Karina Schink

We’ve decked our halls with boughs of holly, and laid out all the necessary provisions for the big man in red and his merry steeds. Now, it’s finally time to relax and enjoy the holiday spirit that’s all around. Luckily Freeform, ABC, and Disney Channel have got all of us covered in holiday cheer from now until the end of the year!

So, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, because whether the weather outside is frightful or not, inside it’s delightful with tons of shows and films to enjoy!

Friday, November 23
(7 p.m. ET/PT) Vampirina “Nanpire and Grandpop the Great’s”—Disney Junior
(8–9 p.m. ET) Santa Clause Is Comin’ to Town—ABC
Disney Parks Presents a 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Party—DisneyNOW app (Hosted by Jordan Fisher, Ruby Rose Turner, and Dakota Lotus, featuring special appearances by Booboo Stewart, Kylee Russell, Sadie Stanley, and Sean Giambrone, and performances by Gwen Stefani, Brett Eldredge, Asher Angel, and Meg Donnelly)

Saturday, November 24
(11:30 a.m. ET/PT) Elena of Avalor “Snow Place Like Home”—Disney Junior

Monday, November 26
(8–9 p.m. ET) The Great Christmas Light Fight “602”—ABC
(9–10 p.m. ET) The Great Christmas Light Fight “601”—ABC

Thursday, November 29
(8–8:30 p.m. ET) Olaf’s Frozen Adventure—ABC
(8:30–9 p.m. ET) Toy Story That Time Forgot—ABC
(9–11 p.m. ET) The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration—ABC (Hosted by Jordan Fisher and Sarah Hyland, featuring performances by Gwen Stefani, Meghan Trainor, Brett Eldredge, Andrea and Matteo Bocelli, Jordan Fisher, Aloe Blacc, Maddie Poppe, and Why Don’t We)

Friday, November 30
(9:30 a.m. ET/PT) Mickey and the Roadster Racers “Snow-Go with the Flow/Happy”—Disney Channel
(10 a.m. ET/PT) Muppet Babies “A Very Muppet Babies Christmas”—Disney Junior
(10:30 a.m. ET/PT) Puppy Dog Pals “A Santa for Bob / Snowman Secret”—Disney Junior

Saturday, December 1
(7 a.m./6c) Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups—Freeform
(7:30 a.m. ET/PT) DuckTales “Last Christmas!”—Disney Channel
(9:05 a.m./8:05c) Home Alone 3—Freeform
(11:15 a.m./10:15c) The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration—Freeform
(1:15 p.m./12:15c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(3:20 p.m./2:20c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(5:25 p.m./4:25c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(7:35 p.m./6:35c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(8 – 8:30 p.m. ET/PT) Disney Parks Presents a 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Magic—Disney Channel
(9:15 p.m./8:15c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(11:55 p.m./10:55c) Life-Size—Freeform

Sunday, December 2
(7 a.m./6c) Home Alone 3—Freeform
(9 a.m./8c) Eight Crazy Nights—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(1:05 p.m./12:05c) Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(2:35 p.m./1:35c) Life-Size—Freeform
(4:40 p.m./3:40c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(6:20 p.m./5:20c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(7 p.m. ET/PT) Doc McStuffins Christmas Special—Disney Junior
(9 p.m./8c) Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve—Freeform
(10–11 p.m. ET) The Victoria Secret Fashion Show Holiday Special—ABC
(11 p.m./10c) The Holiday—Freeform

Monday, December 3
(7 a.m./6c) Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(8:30 a.m./7:30c) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too—Freeform
(9 a.m./8c) The Little Drummer Boy (1968)—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic—Freeform
(12 p.m./11c) The Truth About Christmas—Freeform
(2:10 p.m./1:10c) The Holiday—Freeform
(5:25 p.m./4:25c) Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve—Freeform
(7:25 p.m./6:25c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(8–10 p.m. ET) The Great Christmas Light Fight “603”/”604”—ABC
(9:30 p.m./8:30c) Pop Up Santa Holiday Special—Freeform
(10–11 p.m. ET) The Good Doctor “Quarantine”—ABC
(12 a.m./11c) The Family Stone—Freeform

Tuesday, December 4
(7 a.m./6c) Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic—Freeform
(8 a.m./7c) Pop Up Santa Holiday Special—Freeform
(11:30 a.m./10:30c) Love the Coopers—Freeform
(2:05 p.m./1:05c) The Family Stone—Freeform
(4:10 p.m./3:10c) This Christmas—Freeform
(6:50 p.m./5:50c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(8–8:30 p.m. ET) The Connors “Hold the Salt”—ABC
(8:55 p.m./7:55c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(12 a.m./11c) Home Alone 3—Freeform

Wednesday, December 5
(7 a.m./6c) I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998)—Freeform
(9 a.m./8c) Mickey’s Christmas Carol—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic—Freeform
(12 p.m./11c) Home Alone 3—Freeform
(2 p.m./1c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(4:05 p.m./3:05c) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town—Freeform
(5:10 p.m./4:10c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(6:50 p.m./5:50c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(8:55 p.m./7:55c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(12 a.m./11c) I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998)—Freeform

Thursday, December 6
(7 a.m./6c) Mickey’s Christmas Carol—Freeform
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups—Freeform
(12 p.m./11c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(2:05 p.m./1:05c) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town—Freeform
(3:10 p.m./2:10c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(4:50 p.m./3:50c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(6:55 p.m./5:55c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story—Freeform
(8–9 p.m. ET) A Charlie Brown Christmas—ABC
(8:55 p.m./5:55c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 2—Freeform
(9–11 p.m. ET) The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition—ABC
(12 a.m./11c) Call Me Claus—Freeform

Friday, December 7
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Jingle All the Way 2—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Call Me Claus­—Freeform
(1:10 p.m./12:10c) Unaccompanied Minors—Freeform
(3:15 p.m./2:15c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story—Freeform
(5:15 p.m./4:15c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 2—Freeform
(7:20 p.m./6:20c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3—Freeform
(8 p.m. ET/PT) Bizaardvark “Holiday Video Sketchtacular”—Disney Channel
(8:30 p.m. ET/PT) Coop & Cami “Would You Wrather Get a Moose Angry”—Disney Channel
(9–10:01 p.m. EST) The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Holiday Special—ABC
(9:50 p.m./8:50c) Disney’s A Christmas Carol—Freeform
(11:55 p.m./10:55c) A Belle for Christmas—Freeform

Saturday, December 8
(7 a.m./6c) The Little Drummer Boy—Freeform
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too—Freeform
(8 a.m./7c) A Belle for Christmas—Freeform
(10:10 a.m./9:10c) Unaccompanied Minors—Freeform
(12:15 p.m./11:15c) Deck the Halls—Freeform
(2:20 p.m./1:20c) Disney’s A Christmas Carol—Freeform
(4:25 p.m./3:25c) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town—Freeform
(5:30 p.m./4:30c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3—Freeform
(8 p.m./7c) Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic—Freeform
(8–10 p.m. EST) The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition—ABC
(9 p.m./8c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(11 p.m./10c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(1 a.m./12c) Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic—Freeform

Sunday, December 9
(7 a.m./6c) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too—Freeform
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Deck the Halls—Freeform
(9:30 a.m./8:30c) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town—Freeform
(10:35 a.m./9:35c) Life-Size—Freeform
(12:40 p.m./11:40c) Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve—Freeform
(2:45 p.m./1:45c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(4:50 p.m./3:50c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(6:55 p.m./5:55c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(8 – 9 p.m. EST) Dancing with the Stars: Juniors “The Finale (Holiday Special)”—ABC
(9 p.m./8c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(11:35 p.m./10:35c) Love the Coopers—Freeform

 Monday, December 10
(7a.m./6c) This Christmas—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic—Freeform
(12 p.m./11c) Love the Coopers—Freeform
(2:35 p.m./1:35c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(4:40 p.m./3:40c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(6:20 p.m./5:20c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(8–10 p.m. EST) CMA Country Christmas—ABC
(9 p.m./8c) No Sleep ’Til Christmas—Freeform
(10–11 p.m. EST) The Great Christmas Light Fight “607 – All Stars”—ABC
(12 a.m./11c) Holidays in Handcuffs—Freeform

Tuesday, December 11
(7 a.m./6c) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too—Freeform
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Unaccompanied Minors—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Pop Up Santa Holiday Special—Freeform
(12:35 p.m./11:35c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(2:40 p.m./1:40c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(4:20 p.m./3:20c) Jingle All the Way 2—Freeform
(6:25 p.m./5:25c) Ice Age: Continental Drift—Freeform
(8:30 p.m./7:30c) Disney•Pixar’s Finding Nemo—Freeform
(8:31–9 p.m. EST) The Kids Are Alright “Christmas 1972”—ABC
(9–9:30 p.m. EST) black-ish “Christmas in Theater Eight”—ABC
(12 a.m./11c) Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure—Freeform

Wednesday, December 12
(7 a.m./6c) Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure—Freeform
(11:30 a.m./10:30c) Jingle All the Way 2—Freeform
(1:30 p.m./12:30c) Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(3 p.m./2c) Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(4:30 p.m./3:30c) Ice Age: Continental Drift—Freeform
(6:30 p.m./5:30c) Disney•Pixar’s Finding Nemo—Freeform
(8–8:30 p.m. EST) The Goldbergs “Yippee Ki Yay Melon Farmer”—ABC
(8:30–9 p.m. EST) American Housewife “Saving Christmas”—ABC
(9 p.m./8c) Disney’s A Christmas Carol­—Freeform
(9–9:31 p.m. EST) Modern Family “Stuck in a Moment”—ABC
(9:31–10 p.m. EST) Single Parents “The Magic Box”—ABC
(10–11 p.m. EST) A Million Little Things “christmas wishlist”—ABC
(12 a.m./11c) Call Me Claus—Freeform

Thursday, December 13
(7 a.m./6c) Call Me Claus—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) No Sleep ’Til Christmas—Freeform
(1:05 p.m./12:05c) This Christmas—Freeform
(3:40 p.m./2:40c) Holiday in Handcuffs—Freeform
(5:45 p.m./4:45c) The Holiday—Freeform
(8–8:30 p.m. EST) Disney Prep & Landing—ABC
(8:30–9 p.m. EST) Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice—ABC
(8:55 p.m./7:55c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(9–11 p.m. EST) The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition “Cookie and Bread Week”—ABC
(12 a.m./11c) Deck the Halls—Freeform

Friday, December 14
(7 a.m./6c) The Family Stone—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Angels Sing—Freeform
(1:05 p.m./12:05c) The Mistle-tones—Freeform
(3:10 p.m./2:10c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(5:15 p.m./4:15c) Deck the Halls—Freeform
(7:20 p.m./6:20c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(8–8:30 p.m. EST) Fresh Off the Boat “Cousin Eddie”—ABC
(8:30–9 p.m. EST) Speechless “J-I-Jingle T-H—Thon”—ABC
(9:25 p.m./8:25c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(11:30 p.m./10:30c) The Family Stone

Saturday, December 15
(7 a.m./6c) Mickey’s Christmas Carol—Freeform
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(9 a.m./8c) Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(10:30 a.m./9:30c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(12:35 p.m./11:35c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(2:40 p.m./1:40c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story—Freeform
(4:40 p.m./3:40c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 2—Freeform
(6:45 p.m./5:45c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3—Freeform
(8–10 p.m. EST) The Great Christmas Light Fight “603”/”604”—ABC
(9:15 p.m./8:15c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(11:55 p.m./10:55c) Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve—Freeform

Sunday, December 16
(7 a.m./6c) A Belle for Christmas—Freeform
(9 a.m./8c) Jingle All the Way 2—Freeform
(11a.m./10c) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town—Freeform
(12 p.m./11c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story—Freeform
(2 p.m./1c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 2—Freeform
(4:05 p.m./3:05c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3—Freeform
(6:35 p.m./5:35c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(7–11 p.m. EST) The Sound of Music—ABC
(9:15 p.m./8:15c) Disney’s A Christmas Carol—Freeform
(11:20 p.m./10:20c) A Miracle on Christmas Lake—Freeform

Monday, December 17
(7 a.m./6c) Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure—Freeform
(9 a.m./8c) Angels Sing—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Call Me Claus—Freeform
(1 p.m./12c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(3:05 p.m./2:05c) Deck the Halls—Freeform
(5:10 p.m./4:10c) Disney’s A Christmas Carol—Freeform
(7:15 p.m./6:15c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(8–10 p.m. EST) The Great Christmas Light Fight “605”/“606”—ABC
(8:55 p.m./7:55c) Paddington—Freeform
(10–11 p.m. EST) In Memoriam – ABC News—ABC
(12 a.m./11c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform

 Tuesday, December 18
(7 a.m./6c) The Little Drummer Boy (1968)—Freeform
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Mickey’s Christmas Carol—Freeform
(8 a.m./7c) Call Me Claus—Freeform
(10 a.m./9c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(11:35 a.m./10:35c) Paddington—Freeform
(1:35 p.m./12:35c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(3:40 p.m./2:40c) The Truth About Christmas—Freeform
(5:45 p.m./4:45c) The Holiday—Freeform
(8:55 p.m./7:55c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(12 a.m./11c) 12 Dates of Christmas—Freeform

Wednesday, December 18
(7 a.m./6c) Snow—Freeform
(9 a.m./8c) Snow 2: Brain Freeze—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) The Family Stone—Freeform
(1 p.m./12c) Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic—Freeform
(2 p.m./1c) The Holiday—Freeform
(5:05 p.m./4:05c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(7:10 p.m./6:10c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(8–8:30 p.m. EST) Olaf’s Frozen Adventure—ABC
(8:30–9 p.m. EST) Shrek the Halls—ABC
(9:15 p.m./8:15c) Disney•Pixar’s The Incredibles—Freeform
(11:55 p.m./10:55c) Life-Size—Freeform

Thursday, December 20
(7 a.m./6c) Pop Up Santa Holiday Special—Freeform
(8:30 a.m./7:30c) Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(10 a.m./9c) Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(11:30 a.m./10:30c) Life-Size—Freeform
(1:30 p.m./12:30c) Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve—Freeform
(3:30 p.m./2:30c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(5:35 p.m./4:35c) Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town—Freeform
(6:40 p.m./5:40c) Disney•Pixar’s The Incredibles—Freeform
(8–9 p.m. EST) A Charlie Brown Christmas—ABC
(9–11 p.m. EST) The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition “Semi-Final and Final”—ABC
(9:20 p.m./8:20c) Ice Age: Continental Drift—Freeform
(11:25 p.m./10:25c) Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve—Freeform
(1:30 a.m./12:30c) Mickey’s Christmas Carol—Freeform

Friday, December 21
(7 a.m./6c) Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(8:30 a.m./7:30c) Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(10 a.m./9c) The Doc McStuffins Christmas Special—Freeform
(10:30 a.m./9:30c) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Mickey’s Christmas Carol—Freeform
(11:30 a.m./10:30c) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town—Freeform
(12:30 p.m./11:30) Love the Coopers—Freeform
(3 p.m./2c) Ice Age: Continental Drift—Freeform
(3–4 p.m. EST) General Hospital “Toys for Tots”—ABC
(5:05 p.m./4:05c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(7:10 p.m./6:10c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(8–9 p.m. EST) I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!—ABC
(9–10 p.m. EST) The Great Christmas Light Fight “607 – All Stars”—ABC
(9:15 p.m./8:15c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(11:55 p.m./10:55c) No Sleep ’Til Christmas—Freeform

Saturday, December 22
(7 a.m./6c) A Miracle on Christmas Lake—Freeform
(9:40 a.m./8:40c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(11:50 a.m./10:50c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(1:55 p.m./12:55c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story That Time Forgot—Freeform
(2:25 p.m./1:25c) Disney’s Prep & Landing—Freeform
(2:55 p.m./1:55c) Disney’s Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice—Freeform
(3:25 p.m./2:25c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(5:05 p.m./4:05c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(7:45 p.m./6:45c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(8–10 p.m. EST) CMA Country Christmas—ABC
(9:50 p.m./8:50c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(11:55 p.m./10:55c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform

Sunday, December 23
(7 a.m./6c) The Little Drummer Boy (1968)—Freeform
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure—Freeform
(9:40 a.m./8:40c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(11:45 a.m./10:45c) Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story That Time Forgot—Freeform
(12:15 p.m./11:15c) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town—Freeform
(1:20 p.m./12:20c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(3 p.m./2c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(5:05 p.m./4:05c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(7:10 p.m./6:10c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform
(8–8:30 p.m. EST) Disney Prep & Landing—ABC
(8:30–9 p.m. EST) Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice—ABC
(9–11 p.m. EST) The Year: 2018 – ABC News—ABC
(9:15 p.m./8:15c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(11:55 p.m./10:55c) Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve—Freeform

Monday, December 24
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish—Freeform
(11 a.m./10c) Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(12:30 p.m./11:30c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(2:05 p.m./1:05c) Jingle All the Way 2—Freeform
(4:10 p.m./3:10c) Disney’s A Christmas Carol—Freeform
(6:15 p.m./5:15c) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Freeform
(8–10 p.m. EST) Beauty and the Beast (1991)—ABC
(8:55 p.m./7:55c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(12 a.m./11c) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause—Freeform

Tuesday, December 25
(7 a.m./6c) Disney’s Prep & Landing—Freeform
(7:30 a.m./6:30c) Disney’s Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice—Freeform
(8 a.m./7c) Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas—Freeform
(10 a.m.–12 p.m. EST, 9–11 a.m. CST/MST/PST) Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade—ABC (Hosted by Jordan Fisher and Sarah Hyland, co-hosted by Jesse Palmer, with special appearances by Trevor Jackson and Cierra Ramirez, with performances by Gwen Stefani, Brett Eldredge, Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli, Jordan Fisher, Aloe Blacc, Olivia Holt, Maddie Poppe, DCappella, and Why Don’t We)
(11 a.m./10c) The Nightmare Before Christmas—Freeform
(12:40 p.m./11:40c) Disney’s A Christmas Carol—Freeform
(2:40 p.m./1:40c) Christmas with the Kranks—Freeform
(4:45 p.m./3:45c) The Santa Clause—Freeform
(6:50 p.m./5:50c) The Santa Clause 3—Freeform
(8:55 p.m./7:55c) Disney’s The Lion King (1994)—Freeform
(12 a.m./11c) Disney’s The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride—Freeform

Thursday, December 27
(8–9 p.m. EST) Happy New Year, Charlie Brown—ABC
(9–10 p.m. EST) Rudolph’s Shiny New Year—ABC

Monday, December 31
(8 p.m. EST) Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest—ABC