Captain Marvel and a D23 Expo 2019 Update—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

The newest addition to the Marvel roster starts filming, and D23 Expo 2019 marks its official calendar… See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

news briefs 28-mar 18

Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel Begins Production and Announces More Cast

Marvel Studios is on a roll when it comes to “movies we’re ridiculously excited to see!”—case in point, the debut of Avengers: Infinity War on April 27 is legitimately circled on our calendar… and we have news on another excellent reason to visit the nearest movie theater, this time in 2019. Their newest film, Captain Marvel, has just begun production in Los Angeles, and will be shooting throughout the city—as well as in several other locations, including Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Check out the film’s star, Brie Larson, in the photo (above), as she meets with Brigadier General Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing Commander, on a recent trip to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to research her character.

The film, scheduled for release in March 2019, follows Carol Danvers (Larson)—a character who first premiered in comics in 1968—as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Directed by the writing/directing team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson), Captain Marvel will also star Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Algenis Perez Soto, Rune Temte and McKenna Grace—and features Clark Gregg and Jude Law.

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
April 7, 2018
The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour—Gold Family Exclusive
April 22, 2018
D23 Celebrates 20 Years of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
May 25, 2018
D23’s Return to Marceline
November 16-18, 2018
Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse
August 23-25, 2019
D23 Expo 2019
Parks
February 28–May 28, 2018
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
March 2–April 12, 2018
Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
April 13, 2018
Pixar Fest begins at the Disneyland Resort
April 26, 2018
Disney•Pixar Toy Story Land opens at Shanghai Disneyland
May 25, 2018
Incredible Summer Begins at Walt Disney World Resort
May 27, 2018
Star Wars: Galactic Nights Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
June 23, 2018
Pixar Pier opens at Disney California Adventure
June 30, 2018
Toy Story Land opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
August 17, 24, 28, 31
September 3, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30
October 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park
August 30-November 12, 2018
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
2019
Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Studios
April 27, 2018
Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War opens in U.S. theaters
May 25, 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters
June 15, 2018
Incredibles 2 opens in U.S. theaters
July 6, 2018
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp opens in U.S. theaters opens in U.S. theaters
August 3, 2018
Disney’s Christopher Robin opens in U.S. theaters
November 2, 2018
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms opens in U.S. theaters
December 19, 2018
Mary Poppins Returns opens in U.S. theaters

news briefs 28-mar 18

Mark Your Calendar for D23 Expo 2019!

Huge news, fans and friends: The dates for D23 Expo 2019 have been set! Trust us when we say you do not want to miss the Expo; it’s three jam-packed days of excitement, devised by literally every single part of The Walt Disney Company, under one extraordinary roof. Read our rundown of the announcement—and take a gander at a video chronicling some of the incredible costumes seen at D23 Expo 2017—right here.

news briefs 28-mar 18

Brand-New Avengers: Infinity War Character Group Posters

Just a few weeks from now, the largest group of Avengers and assorted Super Hero allies ever assembled on the silver screen will rocket into a cineplex near you… and to celebrate, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War just released some electrifying new “character group” posters. Check ‘em out!

news briefs 28-mar 18
news briefs 28-mar 18

An unprecedented cinematic journey 10 years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Infinity War brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time… the Avengers (and their friends) must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

Sing Along with New Dream Big, Princess Theme Song

Since launching in 2016, Disney’s Dream Big, Princess has inspired scores of young girls all over the world—encouraging them to realize their full potential by dreaming, creating, and celebrating the amazing people they are… and offering role models that show every girl that dreaming big truly is possible.

A brand-new Dream Big, Princess theme song recently debuted with an official lyric video on Disney’s YouTube channel; check it out, above. Written and performed by Tina Parol and produced by Jason Mater, we think “Live Your Story” is totally girl-power-anthem ready!

This year, Dream Big, Princess will show girls how they can live their stories with themes of curiosity, adventure, bravery, and kindness. For more information, make sure to follow the Disney Princesses on both Facebook and Instagram.

Let It Go with Official Frozen on Broadway Trailer

Last Thursday, March 22, Disney Theatrical’s Frozen opened to rapturous applause at the St. James Theatre in New York City. For a small sampling of what audiences are seeing, check out the fantastic official trailer for the production; see Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf in action right here at D23.com.

news briefs 28-mar 18

Duckburg Ahoy: DuckTales Coming to DisneyNOW App

Fans of Scrooge McDuck and his mischievous grand-nephews, listen up: All your favorite DuckTales characters are coming to DisneyNOW! Starting Wednesday, March 28, the app is launching new gameplay and activities based on the series, starting with five “Easter Eggs”—fun surprise animations of the characters hidden throughout the site. Huey, Dewey, and Louie—along with Scrooge, uncle Donald, and friend Webby—have ventured somewhere uncharted within the DisneyNOW app, and it’s up to you to solve the mystery and find all those “eggs” (and just in time for actual Easter on Sunday, April 1).

But that’s not all… this summer, DisneyNOW will be updating several of its popular DuckTales games, including DuckTales: Duckburg Quest, which will get three brand-new areas: Scrooge’s Money Bin, WADDLE, and Castle McDuck.

Don’t have DisneyNOW yet? Don’t fret. Head here for more information!

Countdown to Avengers: Infinity War—Everything You Need to Know

By Jim Frye,

Thanos is coming and it’s going to take the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe to confront him.

After 10 years and 18 films (all of which opened at No. 1!), Avengers: Infinity War is almost here, bringing together the largest gathering of Marvel Super Heroes ever assembled. Fans finally get to see Doctor Strange fight alongside Spider-Man, Hulk duke it out beside Drax, and Peter Quill trade snarky lines with Tony Stark. T’Challa, Mantis, Vision—they’re all there too, as the Guardians of the Galaxy join the Avengers and all the warriors of Wakanda in a battle like we’ve never seen before. With such a large cast of characters, D23 wanted to sort it all out into an easy-to-understand guide, using primarily four films as our reference. Here’s where we last saw our heroes:

Captain America: Civil War

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
Anthony and Joe Russo, co-directors of Avengers: Infinity War, also directed 2016’s multi-hero team-up, Captain America: Civil War, pitting Steve Rogers and Tony Stark against each other, splitting the Avengers into two teams. Joining Cap were Falcon, Scarlett Witch, Winter Soldier, Ant-Man and Hawkeye. Lining up with Iron Man were Black Widow (reluctantly), War Machine, Vision, and newcomers Spider-Man and Black Panther.

Everyone on Cap’s side—except Rogers himself and an injured Bucky—ended up in a high-security jail in the middle of the ocean. But neither Stark nor Widow felt good about their victory, especially since Stark’s best friend, Rhodey, sustained an injury during the skirmish that left him unable to walk. In the end, T’Challa accepted the wounded Bucky into Wakanda for safe keeping, and Captain America showed up at the prison, presumably to break his teammates out. Young Spider-Man returned back to New York, where Tony Stark mentored him in the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming. And although passions might still be simmering, it remains to be seen if Team Cap and Team Iron Man can bury their differences and come together to battle Thanos. Their world—and the universe—depends on it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
On the other side of the universe, Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, led his misfit family on an adventure against Ego, the living planet—who also happened to be Peter’s dad. Peter’s misfits included Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Gamora, all flying aboard the spaceship Milano. Gamora’s estranged sister, Nebula, was onboard as well, chained up so that she couldn’t cause any trouble.

The Guardians eventually free Mantis, an empath, from the clutches of Ego in a spectacular skirmish that reveals Peter to be part human and part “eternal,” meaning he has some abilities and powers far beyond what he understands right now. Having reconciled with Gamora, Nebula decides to leave on a mission to kill her—and Gamora’s—father, Thanos. It’s a mission that will again unite the sisters—and the Guardians—in a quest to save the galaxy.

Thor: Ragnarok

THOR: RAGNAROK
Neither Thor nor Hulk showed up for Captain America: Civil War. They were busy on the distant planet Sakaar, fighting each other in an epic gladiatorial stand-off, forced on them by the egotistical Grandmaster. Of course, the mischievous Loki was in the mix too, trying his best to save his own hide. Thor and Loki got there with help from Doctor Strange in New York, who agreed to help them find their missing father, Odin.

Eventually, Thor, Hulk, and Loki team up with the fierce newcomer Valkyrie to escape Sakaar and return to Asgard to battle the powerful and destructive Hela—Thor’s older sister. With Asgard in ruins, all the Asgardians—along with Bruce Banner—flee on a large spaceship. Their escape is brief, however, as they are confronted with a huge, menacing spaceship that stops them in their tracks.

Black Panther

BLACK PANTHER
Back on Earth, King T’challa—Black Panther—returns to Wakanda after the events of Civil War, ready to ascend to the throne and protect the nation of Wakanda by keeping it secluded. A struggle with Killmonger, however, changes his mind, forever changing the course of his nation. T’Challa then appeared before the United Nations with Okoye to announce that Wakanda was ready to share its knowledge with other countries. Shuri, princess and head of Wakanda’s technology and scientific research, prepares to work at Wakanda’s embassy in Oakland, California. The future seems bright for Wakanda—Thanos, though, will soon change everything.

Avengers: Infinity War

Thanos
Thanos. He’s the big purple bad guy who originally cracked a stoney smile in 2012’s Avengers and has been popping up sporadically ever since, always reminding audiences of his ultimate goal—obtaining all six Infinity Stones. These stones, once assembled together, contain power that can—as Gamora warns—wipe out life in half the universe with just a snap of a finger.

Avengers: Infinity War

Infinity War promises to be the ultimate showdown, and the ultimate test of Marvel’s Cinematic Heroes. It all begins April 27. Are you ready?

These Photos from Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival Will Put Some Spring in Your Step

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Spring bloomed into season last week, but some of us are still stuck with cold weather and chilly forecasts despite waving good-bye to winter. Fortunately, our photo gallery of Epcot’s 25th International Flower & Garden Festival has more than 30-million beautiful flowers that are guaranteed to shine some sun on even the rainiest of spirits! Spreading across both Future World and World Showcase, these beautiful gardens and special-character topiaries capture Disney magic through a natural lens. Make sure to check out the photo gallery below, and if you need some extra flower power in your life, stop by the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, now until May 28!

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

The D23 Expo 2019 Dates Are Here!

By D23 Team

All the magic and excitement of the past, present, and future of Disney entertainment will come together once again when D23 presents D23 Expo 2019 at the Anaheim Convention Center the weekend of August 23–25. Each of Disney’s magical worlds—including Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars—will unite under one roof to celebrate what’s new and what’s on the horizon from Disney theme parks, television, music, products, and films.

D23 Expo launched in 2009, and since then the biennial event has attracted tens of thousands of Disney fans from across the country and around the world.

Highlights planned for D23 Expo include more than 50 shows, presentations, and panels, including the Disney Legends Ceremony, which honors the talented men and women who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy; an all-new exhibit curated by the Walt Disney Archives; a daily parade down the middle of the show floor; D23 Expo’s costume contest, Mousequerade, showcasing the most creative designs by fans; and the D23 Expo Design Challenge. (Details on the Design Challenge and Mousequerade are coming soon.)

The 2019 Expo will feature a massive show floor full of immersive experiences and special opportunities to see what’s next for Disney around the world—and guests may run into their favorite Disney stars, characters, Imagineers, animators, and filmmakers. Guests can enjoy numerous shopping opportunities with D23 Expo-exclusive collectibles and more at an assortment of Disney and partner merchants, including the D23 Expo Emporium, where Disney fans can buy, sell, and trade Disney collectibles, memorabilia, merchandise, and more. All of the popular presentation venues will return, including Hall D23, the Expo Arena, Stage 28, and Center Stage.

D23 Expo

D23’s sixth Expo follows the success of D23 Expo 2017, which drew tens of thousands of Disney fans for three star-studded days and nights. Guests enjoyed appearances by such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Whoopi Goldberg, Jordan Fisher, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Hamill, Kristen Bell, Chris Hemsworth, Mandy Moore, and the stars of Disney’s Descendants. Guests had the chance to take a jump into a life-sized DuckTales money bin; were the first to see a full-scale model of Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars-themed land coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts; and were able to enjoy a full-length concert from Disney Legend Alan Menken. They also enjoyed a look back at Disney’s rich history through extraordinary panels, presentations, and exhibits and discovered the newest entertainment, technology, and products coming from Disney.

D23 Expo

Tickets for D23 Expo 2019 will go on sale at D23expo.com beginning August 23, 2018. Special pricing on both one- and three-day tickets to the event—including an Early Bird Discount—will be exclusively available to D23 Gold Members. D23 Gold and Charter Members will also be entitled to special benefits at the 2019 Expo. D23 Gold Members will also have an opportunity to purchase the Sorcerer Package, which provides a host of special benefits and amenities. Ticket prices will be announced later this summer.

Check out some of the fun we had in 2017 here.

Disneyland’s First Female Imagineer Helped Create Your Favorite Attractions

By Jocelyn Buhlman

When we think of classic Disneyland attractions, many minds wander to haunted houses, salty old pirates, and children of the world. One Imagineer had a hand in bringing all of them to life: Disney Legend Harriet Burns, the first woman ever hired by Walt Disney Imagineering in a creative capacity.

harriet burns

A “Model” Imagineer
This March, Women’s History Month is celebrated across the United States. As we celebrate this important woman from Disney’s history, we must remember that Harriet was so much more than “the first” female Imagineer. She painted, sawed, sanded, enameled and even torched to create models like the Tiki birds for Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and mermaids for the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction. She was responsible for designing the scale models for two of Disneyland’s most important landmarks: Sleeping Beauty Castle and Matterhorn Bobsleds.

Harriet’s hands are all over Disneyland, and even where she didn’t work, she passed her influence on to others. She had originally modeled for the mysterious fortune-teller floating in the Haunted Mansion, but her features were too small, so Harriet passed the role to one of the Imagineers who worked under her: Leota Toombs Thomas.

harriet burns

A Guide for the Future
Leota Toombs Thomas’ daughter, Kim Irvine, remembers visiting her mother’s work as a little girl and seeing Harriet in the model shop. “We had many long chats as I sat there playing with a lump of clay or a paintbrush and paper that she had given me,” Kim recalls fondly. Harriet’s positive influence left a big impact: Kim Irvine followed in Harriet and Leota’s footsteps and now serves as art director for Disneyland Park.

Dressed for Success
In Imagineer Karen Connolly Armitage’s early days at WED, she was singled out by a higher-up for wearing cowboy boots and jeans while working in the model shop, instead of more traditional women’s professional wear (high heels and a skirt, of course). When she told Harriet about the interaction, Harriet (known as an incredibly snappy dresser herself) said, “Well, if he asks you again, you just tell him that if he can come here and work for a whole two days in three-inch heels, then you will gladly put yours back on!”

harriet burns

Walt’s Favorite Imagineer
Harriet occasionally appeared on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Disney whenever Walt wanted to show off a stunning new model for an attraction. Disney Legend Marty Sklar described her as “Walt Disney’s favorite Imagineer,” and for good reason: Harriet made Imagineering her own, creating literal magic for Disneyland and passing that spark on to the Imagineers of the future.

Step Inside Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Latest Exhibit

By Courtney Potter

Inside the Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, a gleaming white hallway and rotunda welcome the crew into a building where the likes of Frozen and Zootopia took shape. Since the building’s remodel in 2016, this particular space has been used to display artwork from an animated film currently in production… but right now—between the release of Moana and the making of Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2—the gallery contains a truly one-of-a-kind exhibit chronicling Disney’s unique compilation films of the 1940s.

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

“Rhythm & Rhyme: The Compilation Films Between 1943 – 1949” takes a deep dive into several animated projects made during World War II, a time when The Walt Disney Studios was mostly tasked with creating films for the government. Early in 1941, Walt Disney was asked to be a Goodwill Ambassador to South America; after hand-picking a team of 15 animators, writers, and music producers, Walt and crew headed off on a three-month excursion to exotic locales, including Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Out of this trip came the films Saludos Amigos (1943) and The Three Caballeros (1945)… followed later by Make Mine Music (1946), Fun and Fancy Free (1947), Melody Time (1948), and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). Incredible art from these films, courtesy of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, makes up this new exhibit—some of it being seen in public for the first time.

Recently, D23 took a tour of the exhibit and heard from two of its creators, Tamara Khalaf (Manager, Design) and Patrick White (Designer) of the Disney Animation Research Library (ARL). Read on for a very special glimpse inside the display…

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

D23: What was the main goal when curating these specific pieces, from these specific films, for the exhibit?
ARL: Our greatest challenge, by far, was trying to find a common through-line that would make the exhibit cohesive. From the South American films to the ones that expressly speak to Americana, such as Melody Time, Fun and Fancy Free, and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, finding a common story that could speak to all of the films was difficult at first. The one commonality that they all shared was music. Regardless of their context, culture, or theme, each of the films celebrated music in a way that brought all these fragmented films across the decade of the 1940s and from a wide variety of topics together harmoniously… these films showcase a wonderful variety of styles of the art from film to film. Another challenge selecting the best pieces from each film!

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

D23: How long does it take to set up an exhibit like this? And what was the most memorable or unique part of the process for your team?
ARL: We typically bring an exhibit together of this size in less than six months. It is a slightly aggressive schedule for our team since we have many other projects occurring simultaneously, but we typically schedule our installations around major film releases from the studio. The longest part of the process is the curatorial time it takes to research the films; seeing what artwork is available from in our collection; deciding upon the story we are trying to tell; writing the copy for the exhibit; reproducing the artwork and having it framed; prepping oversized graphics; and then installing everything. As with any large endeavor, it takes a lot of support from [our partners] to get us to installation day—and we want to acknowledge the hard work of our amazing research, collections, and digitization teams for providing the assets to us to work with, and to Howard Green, our VP of Animation Communication, for helping write the label copy for the exhibit.

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

D23: What do you think is the most interesting or unusual piece in the exhibit, and why?
ARL: We have a few favorites… The first are the two maquettes (sculptures) of Pecos Bill and Slue Foot Sue. The characters are beautifully sculpted and painted, and we feel they really helped make the installation look complete. Because the majority of our collection contains works on paper [or as a digital display], with very few “dimensional” objects, our team borrowed the objects in the display cases from our colleagues at the Walt Disney Archives. We are grateful to them for being willing to loan them to us!

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

Another favorite part of the exhibit are the pencil tests (seen on the monitors) that highlight the pencil animation from a couple of scenes of animation. It is rare to see animation in this raw, pencil state—and we are grateful for our Pencil Test Animation group for providing it for us. Of the framed artwork, [a] favorite piece is the long background pan from Pecos Bill that shows the gradation from reds and golds of the setting sun of the desert day to the cold blue hues of nighttime.

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

D23: What do you hope visitors, and fellow employees, take away from the exhibit?
ARL: This rotating gallery space is like a “coda” in a very busy day… [it] offers employees a chance to pause and feed their brains with beautiful artwork from our collection and is a tangible way to connect us to our legacy—and remind us that we have a chance to make impactful art and films for the world to enjoy. Hopefully, the gallery is a space where people can take a few minutes to pause and soak that in!

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

D23: What’s the reaction been like, so far, to the exhibit?
ARL: We’ve received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from folks, inside and outside the studio. Even though the exhibit has been up for a few months now, we still see employees strolling through and often taking friends and family through the gallery space. Because they’re films that many people haven’t seen in years (and some young folks who may have never seen them at all!), the artwork is a fun way for us to connect to our past.

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

We’ve also achieved a balance between our legacy and our contemporary projects by installing artwork along a short hallway nearby, which celebrates Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Since they’re celebrating their 90th anniversary this fall, it’s befitting that our main gallery—which will soon change over to Wreck-It Ralph 2—is adjacent to this hall where we can honor our company’s earliest [history] right next to celebrating our latest film. The studio is burgeoning with new talent and new stories—so we try to strike a balance between honoring our past and where we came from and celebrating who we are today.

Rhythm & Rhyme art exhibit

D23: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about “Rhythm & Rhyme”?
ARL: If you haven’t seen these compilation films from the 1940s, take time to go back and check them out!

Disney Junior’s Reimagined Muppet Babies Makes Jessica DiCicco’s Dreams Come True

By Beth Deitchman

The lifelong fan voices the newest Muppet Baby in the playroom, Summer Penguin, on Muppet Babies, premiering Friday, March 23, at 10 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and in the DisneyNOW app.

If you grew up in the ’80s, you quickly discovered that there was just one thing that might be more adorable than the Muppets… and that’s those same Muppets as babies. We got our first glimpse of the beloved characters’ younger selves in a fantasy sequence of the feature film The Muppets Take Manhattan. Soon the Muppet Babies became a small-screen staple in an animated series that aired for eight seasons and won several Emmys. And now, at last, they’re back—returning for brand-new adventures in Disney Junior’s Muppet Babies, an entertaining and inspiring series that reimagines the classic show for the next generation of fans.

muppet babies

Baby Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Animal are back in the playroom. And, as always, they’re using their imaginations to fuel adventures that take them anywhere they can dream. Once again, the Muppet Babies are under the watchful eye of Miss Nanny (voiced by Jenny Slate), and this time around they have a new friend joining the fun. Summer Penguin is Piggy’s BFF and an artist extraordinaire; she is bursting with creativity and positive energy—just like the actor who voices her, Jessica DiCicco. We chatted with DiCicco about her long history with Disney and her exciting future with babies—both Muppets and her very own.

muppet babies

D23: What is it like to bring to life a brand-new Muppet Baby?
Jessica DiCicco (JD): I grew up watching Muppet Babies when I was little, so I was very familiar with the characters—I knew exactly who I was talking to when I auditioned. It was almost like talking to old friends.

D23: How did you go about finding Summer’s voice?
JD: For the auditions, they give you a little image of the character and a description, and I felt connected to her right away. She’s a creative, artistic girl and not necessarily into the same type of things that Piggy is into. She just wants to have fun, and it was easy for me to relate to the character.

muppet babies

D23: What is Summer’s place in the playroom?
JD: She has a lot of heart. She’s very sensitive and very empathetic. Summer wants to make sure that everybody feels included, and that everybody is happy—she’s just a very sweet character, and she has a great relationship with each one of the other Muppet Babies.

D23: Growing up, were you a Muppets fan?
JD: Yes! I loved The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan. The Muppets’ sense of humor just cracked me up when I was younger. I’ve been acting since I was a kid and, as press for a show that I did, we posed for a photo with the Muppets. I remember geeking out, totally fangirl-ing during that photo shoot. The Muppets have always been a huge part of my life growing up.

D23: You’ve done so many voices for Disney’s animated TV series, from Sheriff Callie and Puppy Dog Pals to Future-Worm and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. They’re very different types of shows and roles. What is the process like every time you take on one of these new characters?
JD: Disney has been such a huge part of my life—the bulk of my career has involved Disney projects. Saying that out loud now, my younger self would have totally freaked out if she knew that! I prep for each project and character in a different way. You really just learn to hone in on the actual character, the world that’s been created, and the tone of the show. And I love being able to play such a diverse array of characters—it really is fulfilling creatively.

muppet babies

D23: The series you’ve worked on have so many devoted fans. What are some of your Disney favorites?
JD: I absolutely love going to Disneyland. When a Disney feature was coming out, we would always go very close to opening day. I grew up watching The Little Mermaid over and over and over, Pinocchio, all of the classics. I’m a huge Pixar fan—voicing a Pixar character is like a bucket-list item for me.

D23: And you’re having your own baby very soon?
JD: I am! It could even be on March 23, the day that Muppet Babies premieres. As soon as I was aware that the baby was able to hear, I put headphones around my belly and let him hear all of the different scenes. It’s like a radio play—he hears the episode. It enhances the experience even more to know that I’m going to have my own Muppet Baby to watch this. It’s like history repeating itself, and now he gets to grow up on a whole different version of Muppet Babies. It’s going to be so fun to watch and enjoy with him—and being a part of it just makes it so incredible!

muppet babies

Muppet Babies premieres with two back-to-back episodes this Friday, March 23, on Disney Channel (10 a.m. ET/PT) and the DisneyNOW app. In addition to DiCicco and Slate, the voice cast includes Melanie Harrison (Fish Hooks) as Piggy; Dee Bradley Baker (Milo Murphy’s Law) as Animal; Ben Diskin (The Spectacular Spider-Man) as Gonzo; Eric Bauza (The Adventures of Puss in Boots) as Fozzie; with Matt Danner (Gravity Falls), who also serves as supervising director on the series, as Kermit.

Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War and a Big Parks Announcement—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

Take a peek at the new Avengers: Infinity War trailer, and find out about the “super” new additions coming to Disney Parks worldwide… Read more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

Incredible New Avengers: Infinity War Trailer

Talk about epic! The official trailer for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War was just released late last week, and honestly—we’ve already watched it multiple times. (OK, maybe many multiple times.) If you haven’t yet taken a gander, do yourself a favor and click play, above.

It’s got everything we want in a Marvel Studios film—thrilling action, astonishing adventure, dire turmoil, and just the right smattering of hilarious tension-breakers. (Hi, Star-Lord!) Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Avengers: Infinity War is a cinematic event a decade in the making, bringing the ultimate (and deadliest) showdown of all time to the big screen. So take out your red marker and put a big circle around April 27 on the nearest calendar… we’ll see you at the cineplex!

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
March 24, 2018
Celebrate the Opening Weekend of Frozen on Broadway in New York City
April 7, 2018
The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour—Gold Family Exclusive
April 22, 2018
D23 Celebrates 20 Years of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
May 25, 2018
D23’s Return to Marceline
November 16-18, 2018
Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse
Parks
February 28–May 28, 2018
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
March 2–April 12, 2018
Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
April 13, 2018
Pixar Fest begins at the Disneyland Resort
April 26, 2018
Disney•Pixar Toy Story Land opens at Shanghai Disneyland
May 25, 2018
Incredible Summer Begins at Walt Disney World Resort
May 27, 2018
Star Wars: Galactic Nights Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
June 23, 2018
Pixar Pier opens at Disney California Adventure
June 30, 2018
Toy Story Land opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
August 17, 24, 28, 31
September 3, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30
October 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park
August 30-November 12, 2018
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
2019
Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Studios
April 27, 2018
Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War opens in U.S. theaters
May 25, 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters
June 15, 2018
Incredibles 2 opens in U.S. theaters
July 6, 2018
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp opens in U.S. theaters opens in U.S. theaters
August 3, 2018
Disney’s Christopher Robin opens in U.S. theaters
November 2, 2018
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms opens in U.S. theaters
December 19, 2018
Mary Poppins Returns opens in U.S. theaters
Television
March 23, 2018
Muppet Babies premieres on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW (10 a.m. ET)

Avengers and Super Heroes to Assemble at Disney Parks Around the World

Huge news for all you “super” fans: Three action-packed new areas—themed after your favorite Avengers and Super Heroes—are coming to Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland! D23.com has a rundown of this exciting announcement right here.

news briefs 3/21

New Production Photos from Broadway’s Frozen

Disney Theatricals’ latest creation, Frozen, has been delighting audiences in previews for the last month—and to celebrate its sure-to-be-huge official opening night this Thursday, March 22, the production just released some brand-new (and seriously gorgeous) photos from the show.

With breathtaking scenic and costume design by two-time Tony® and Olivier Award winner Christopher Oram (Wolf Hall Parts 1 & 2, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Evita) and lighting design by six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (Aladdin; Hello Dolly!; An American in Paris), we can tell that this show won’t just be a treat for the ears—it’s sure to delight all senses!

news briefs 3/21

Frozen stars Caissie Levy as Elsa, Patti Murin as Anna, Jelani Alladin as Kristoff, Greg Hildreth as Olaf, and John Riddle as Hans… and is directed by Tony and Olivier Award winner Michael Grandage and choreographed by Tony winner Rob Ashford. See it at the St. James Theatre in New York City.

Brand-New Trailer for Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger on Freeform

There’s a new Marvel series coming to Freeform this summer, and it looks terrifically exciting judging by this just-released trailer, above.

Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger is a live-action romance (and adventure!) series that follows Tandy Bowen (Olivia Holt) and Tyrone Johnson (Aubrey Joseph)—two teens from very different backgrounds—as they find themselves burdened and awakened to newly acquired superpowers… all while falling in love.

Tandy can emit light daggers, while Tyrone has the ability to engulf others in darkness. They quickly learn they are better together than apart—but their feelings for each other make their already complicated world even more challenging.

Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger also stars Andrea Roth, Gloria Reuben, Miles Mussenden, Carl Lundstedt, James Saito, and J.D. Evermore. Look for it beginning June 7 (at 8 p.m. ET) on Freeform!

Lightspeed to Disneyland After Dark This Summer…

The latest in Disneyland Resort’s supremely cool Disneyland After Dark series is rocketing into “a galaxy far, far away”! Star Wars Nite will help kick off the global “May the Fourth” celebrations on the evening of Thursday, May 3. Read up on what you can expect, and how to purchase your very own ticket, right here.

news briefs 3/21

New Auction Scene Debuts at Magic Kingdom’s Pirates of the Caribbean

As first announced last summer, the auction scene in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts is getting a new auctioneer—in the form of a familiar redheaded denizen of the Pirates crew. (The change was already made to the attraction at Disneyland Paris in 2017.)

Just this past Monday, the new auctioneer made her big debut at Magic Kingdom park; she now oversees a sale of the townspeople’s most prized possessions and goods. In this reimagined scene, the redhead not only has a new name, “Redd,” but she’s also switched sides to become a pirate who’s pillaged the town’s rum supply… and has a little something to say about it!

Disneyland park will receive the same update to the Pirates auction scene later this spring, with work beginning April 23.

news briefs 3/21

“Incredible” Event Coming to Walt Disney World Resort!

Are you ready to get “incredible” this summer? We sure are! And Walt Disney World Resort has just the ticket: Their “Incredible Summer” celebration will officially begin on May 25, with guests getting a chance to immerse themselves in their favorite Disney films in exciting new attractions, entertainment, and more.

At Magic Kingdom park, a slew of beloved Disney•Pixar characters will take over Tomorrowland from May 25 through September 3 as part of an Incredible Tomorrowland Expo that celebrates “all things super”; you’ll get to interact with characters from The Incredibles and Incredibles 2—and, for the first time ever, meet Edna Mode herself! Over at Epcot, Star-Lord and Gamora will help delight the eardrums of guests young and old with their “Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live!” concert series from June 9 through August 19. A brand-new show, “UP! A Great Bird Adventure,” will debut at Disney’s Animal Kingdom a little early—April 22—to help kick off the park’s big 20th anniversary celebration, and “Donald’s Dino-Bash!” will take over Dinoland, U.S.A., beginning May 25. At Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Disney H20 Glow Nights will light up the water park on select, separately ticketed evenings from June 21 through August 11. And over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it’s quite possibly the most incredible event of the summer—the grand opening of Toy Story Land on June 30!

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg (cue Frozone)… Keep your eyes peeled for more incredibly cool “Incredible Summer” news as it becomes available.

news briefs 3/21

Final “Frozen Friday” Song from New Broadway Production

As we mentioned earlier, there’s a chill about to come over the Great White Way—and it’s not the latest Nor’easter! Broadway’s Frozen officially opens at the St. James Theatre in on March 22… and just last Friday, the show released its final “Frozen Friday” new song reveal: “True Love,” as sung by Patti Murin as Anna. Take a look right here at D23.com.

news briefs 3/21

“Carnival of Stars” to Shine Bright at Hong Kong Disneyland

Our friends at Hong Kong Disneyland are getting ready for a big, new celebration this spring and summer! “Carnival of Stars” will introduce a slew of new atmosphere entertainment and shows—including the We Love Mickey! projection show that will transform Main Street, U.S.A.; a Disney Friends Springtime Processional that’ll bring together more than 30 Disney characters to sing and dance with guests; the park’s very first appearances of Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Groot; and the first-ever Disney•Pixar-themed Water Play Street Party.

But that’s not all: Over in Adventureland, the fantastic new Karibuni Marketplace will immerse guests in the sights and sounds of Africa—and Moana herself debuts in the park for the first time, starring in the brand-new stage show Moana: A Homecoming Celebration.

If you happen to be heading out on an epic vacation to Hong Kong in the next few months, be sure to put the “Carnival of Stars” on your itinerary. (And then take some pics of the fun and show ‘em off at D23’s Facebook and Twitter!)

You Can Watch the Trailer for Frozen on Broadway Now and We’re Snow Excited About It!

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Tell the guards to open up the gates—Frozen on Broadway makes its official opening tonight! We’ve been counting down to this day for the past four weeks, belting it out to new songs like “Monster”  and “True Love”, but now you can watch a full trailer for the musical, which dropped this morning!

Set to the chilling tune of the new song “Monster,” the trailer provides our first look at all the singing and dancing you can expect from this cool new musical. Frozen on Broadway is now playing at the St. James Theatre in New York, and some of our D23 Members will be there to see it this weekend! Stay tuned to D23.com to hear about their adventures with this stunning new musical.

For more information on Frozen on Broadway, visit frozenthemusical.com