Find Your Inner Jedi Through the Force of This Quiz!

By D23 Team

Let’s face it, we’ve all imagined what it might be like to put on the robe of a Jedi and wield a lightsaber of our very own. And, from time to time, we may have even tried to summon the television remote without getting off the couch, using only the power of the Force. In a different world—or perhaps in a galaxy far, far away—we would all be Jedi Knights. But which one? In honor of the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we invite you to answer these questions to find out which galactic hero you would be.

This campaign has ended. Check out D23.com for more Disney fun!

D23’s 2017 Year in Review

By D23 Team

It’s been an exciting year to be a Disney fan, and an even more awesome year to be a D23 Member! Take a look at a few 2017 D23 highlights below––we’ll see you in the new year with even more magic!

d23 2017 member gift

January: Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men
After taking D23 Gold Members behind the desk of Walt Disney in 2016, the 2017 D23 Gold Member gift highlighted the unparalleled talent of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men of animation, with artful reproductions of items representing their storied careers with The Walt Disney Company.

batb

March 8: Celebrating a tale as old as time
A day before the world fell in love with this “tale as old as time,” D23 Members in Denver, Colorado attended a complimentary advance screening of Beauty and the Beast (2017). In addition, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members were invited to “be our guest” and attend a complimentary luncheon Lumière would have served himself.

pandora d23

May 1: Discovering the World of Pandora
Before the mysterious land of Pandora – The World of Avatar opened in late May at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney twenty-three gave readers an insider’s guide to the new land. And on May 19, D23 Members were among the first to experience the land with a private tour by Walt Disney Imagineering Portfolio Creative Executive Joe Rohde!

marty sklar d23 lunch

May 12: Lunch with a Disney Legend—Marty Sklar
Our popular Lunch with a Disney Legend series was fortunate to host the late Marty Sklar at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. During this truly incredible afternoon, Marty shared heartwarming (and sometimes hilarious) stories from his 53-year career with Disney.

walt's birthplace

June 3: A Return to Walt’s Birthplace
D23 returned to the Windy City to check in on the historic restoration underway at The Walt Disney Birthplace. In addition to touring the house, D23 Gold Members enjoyed a Chicago-style picnic in the backyard.

disney legends 2017

July 6: Honoring our Legends
2017 marked the 30th anniversary of the Disney Legends program, and in a special-edition issue of Disney twenty-three, each and every Disney Legend was recognized through stunning photographs and never-before-told stories from their days with Disney. The issue also introduced our newest Legends, inducted later that month at D23 Expo, including Oprah Winfrey, Stan Lee, and the late, great Carrie Fisher.

d23 expo

July 14–16: D23 Expo
Our fifth D23 Expo was one to remember, with amazing panels (Power of the Princess!), unbelievable talent (the Avengers: Infinity War cast!), and one-of-a-kind experiences (did you get to jump in Scrooge McDuck’s Money Bin?).

disney afternoon on the lot

August 19: Disney Afternoon on the Lot
D23 Gold Members threw on their best ’90s threads and headed to The Walt Disney Studios lot for an epic throwback event celebrating The Disney Afternoon programming block. The totally rad afternoon included presentations by animators, producers, writers, and voice actors from these fan-favorite shows, including TaleSpin, Darkwing Duck, and Gummi Bears! Plus, guests were treated to afternoon snacks, joined an autograph session with special guests including Jim Cummings and Disney Legend Bill Farmer, and even got to hang out with Chip ‘n’ Dale and Launchpad McQuack!

epcot fanniversary

October 1: D23’s Fanniversary Celebrates 35 Years of Epcot   
This year’s D23 Fanniversary kicked off this year at Epcot with D23 Members from more than 30 states across the U.S. and four countries around the globe. After enjoying a VIP viewing of the special anniversary ceremony, guests were treated to a plethora of presentations celebrating 35 years of the Walt Disney World park. Later that evening, a group of members enjoyed a progressive dinner throughout Epcot before walking through the iconic Spaceship Earth!

halloweentown on the lot

October 29: Halloweentown on the Lot
Dressed in their Halloween best, D23 Members headed to the Disney Studio for a one-of-a-kind spooky screening of Halloweentown (1998). Members also enjoyed a D23-exclusive trick-or-treat trail around the Studios and explored the incredible House of Villains exhibit curated by the Walt Disney Archives. Joey Paul Zimmerman (Dylan Piper) and Kimberly J. Brown (Marnie Piper) surprised our second screening of the day with a Q&A session that included stories about working with the late Debbie Reynolds.

2017 light up the season

December 10: D23’s Light Up the Season
D23 Gold and Gold Family Members took to the historic Studio lot for a fan-favorite night filled with holiday happenings only Disney can create––including special games, holiday treats, and quite a few VIP guests, including Santa Claus himself!

star wars fan screening

December 15: A Force-Filled Star Wars Evening on the Lot
On the evening of the world-wide release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, D23 Gold Members celebrated the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi with a delicious meal inside a First Order-themed room, a dessert reception that included BB-8 and BB-9E cakes, meet and greets with Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren, and a screening of the new film in the storied Frank G. Wells Theater.

Celebrate Mickey Mouse with D23’s 2018 Gold Member Gift

By D23 Team

After honoring Walt Disney and Walt’s “Nine Old Men” in D23’s 2016 and 2017 Gold Member Gifts, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will enjoy a gift inspired by the one who started it all––Mickey Mouse!

This fascinating collection, available exclusively to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members who join in or renew for 2018, chronicles the career of everyone’s favorite mouse, from Steamboat Willie to Shanghai Disneyland. The gift contains 23 reproduced archival treasures that follow Mickey as he transitions from black and white to radiant color, including a miniature animation cel representing Mickey’s first color appearance; a Sorcerer’s Apprentice record cover; a 1978 “Happy Birthday, Mickey” button; a Disney Channel launch party napkin featuring a familiar Mickey-shaped satellite; and a colorful souvenir gift bag from the early days of Tokyo Disneyland. Through it all, Mickey mirrors Walt Disney’s own optimistic spirit and proves himself to be that rare celebrity who is, and always will be, both a global icon and a personal friend to all.

Carefully curated by D23 and with items beautifully reproduced under the supervision of the Walt Disney Archives, the 2018 D23 Gold Member Gift is housed in a beautiful keepsake: a book-like box, perfect for display or safekeeping on your Disney bookshelf.

Click here to find out more about the 2018 Gold Member Gift and each of the items it contains. For more information on D23 Gold Membership, click here.

goldmember_banner_landing-page

How The Last Jedi Costume Designer Created the Canto Bight Scene

By Jim Frye

From the beautiful, flowing robes of General Leia Organa to the uniforms of an entire squadron of resistance fighters—not to mention the striking red armor of the Praetorian Guard—the costumes in Star Wars: The Last Jedi are an out-of-this-world affair. But perhaps one of the most stylish and eye-popping accomplishments for veteran costume designer Michael Kaplan is the Canto Bight scene, which required costuming some 200 people.

“[Writer/director] Rian Johnson took the opportunity to be very playful, now that audiences know who the characters are,” says Kaplan. “It was nice to add in elements of fun, and to break away from everyone in uniform—and to do that huge, huge fancy dress party was quite daunting.” He’s referring to Canto Bight, the huge cosmic playground for the galaxy’s ultra-rich that is one of The Last Jedi’s most spectacular wardrobe showpieces.

Kaplan began his career with the 1982 Blade Runner, creating a bold look that influenced films and culture for decades. He went to work on an impressive portfolio of films, including Pearl Harbor, Fight Club, Star Trek: Into Darkness and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the blockbuster 2015 return to the Skywalker saga, directed by J.J. Abrams.

With so many films under his belt, D23 asked where he got his inspiration, especially for a film like The Last Jedi, which has such a “futuristic” look (even though it’s set “a long time ago.”). “It’s hard to research the future,” says Kaplan, “but you do look back because fashion does repeat itself. I took elements from the past and from my imagination. Rian had given me some interesting parameters, one being that it was to be all black and white. So I looked at the famous Black and White Ball that Truman Capote had.”

He’s referring to a huge masquerade party hosted by the famous author Truman Capote in 1966 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Held in honor of The Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham, Capote’s lavish affair was the must-attend event of the year. He claimed that he got the idea from a scene in the movie My Fair Lady where the guests at the Embassy Ball dress only in black and white.

“We have a lot of creatures that differentiate it from the Truman Capote party,” Kaplan laughs. “When I first read the script, it seemed like something you’d be more likely to see in a James Bond film, and I was nervous I’d have trouble translating it into the world of Star Wars, which is really ingrained in my mind. When I design something, I can say, ‘No, that wouldn’t work in the world of Star Wars.’”

“To create the look of these wealthy people, which we really haven’t seen in Star Wars before, is new territory and a huge challenge,” Kaplan continues. He says that finding enough fabric was a challenge, and that he dressed a number of characters who weren’t even seen in the film. When he and his team design uniforms, they can design a single prototype and then send it out to be mass-produced. But for the Canto Bight scene, they had to hand-design each and every costume. “They all had to be unique,” he says. “They required jewelry, hair styles, gloves, headpieces, and hats.”

The costumes in Star Wars: The Last Jedi may have been designed for an out-of-this-world affair, but the fact that Kaplan found inspiration a little closer to home is a tribute to that 1966 Black and White Gala. “I love the black and white,” says Kaplan. Capote would probably smile knowing that his party is still the talk of the town.

How Did They Do That? Creating the Sounds For Porgs and Fathiers

By Jim Frye

Mos Eisley spaceport, that “wretched hive of scum and villainy,” provided one of the most iconic scenes from the original Star Wars: A New Hope. Audiences were captivated by all the different creatures that had gathered there for cold drinks, socializing, and avoiding any “Imperial entanglements.” In the immortal words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, it was just our “first step into a larger world,” an entire galaxy of imaginative creatures just waiting to be discovered.

porgs and chewbacca

Of all the new characters and creatures introduced in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the latest chapter in the Skywalker saga, perhaps none are more memorable than those adorable little Porgs, the bird-like creatures who inhabit the islands on Ahch-To. With big, black eyes and fluffy feathery fur, the Porgs have been embraced by fans everywhere—even Chewie seems to like them.

Writer/director Rian Johnson tasked sound designer Ren Klyce with finding the perfect sounds for the Porgs. “That was one of the first sounds we were assigned to do,” says Klyce. “Rian gave us a bunch of adjectives as to what he didn’t want it to be. He didn’t want them to sound screechy, or irritating, or squawky. It was a matter of experimenting through four or five versions of the sound.”

He goes on: “At Skywalker Sound there’s a chicken coop with these little chickens, and Coya Elliott, our first assistant, went down and recorded those chickens. And then we took that sound and slowed it down and stretched it out and found little chirps.” They took those chirps and made subtle changes, then added in another sound.

“We found this man who releases doves at weddings,” says Klyce, “and we asked him to come down so we could record them.” Klyce and his team recorded the doves cooing, their wings flapping, and then added in an artificial turkey call from their intern. “So we have a little snippet of that [turkey call], a little bit of chicken, a little dove, and cut it all together.”

fathiers

Another new species that required sound design were the Fathiers, the large furry animals that race around a track in the city of Canto Bight. “When we first got the artwork for them, I thought they kind of looked like goats,” says Klyce. “So we decided to go record some goats at a goat farm.”

He explains that the female goats are very docile and sweet, but the male goats can be very aggressive. “There’s a male goat in there that we recorded, then pitched the sound down and stretched it out—we call him Big Daddy,” Klyce says. “And then we added in the sound of bears—it’s a combination of different animal sounds.”

Re-Live These Ho-Ho-Home Video Classics from Disney Christmases Past

By Beth Deitchman

Many Christmases ago—before the days of DisneyNOW… before the days of Movies Anywhere… even before the days of D23—Disney fans had a very different way of experiencing holiday specials on the small screen. Sure, we could watch them any time—after we sat through the rewinding process, if we were watching on VHS—but we couldn’t watch them just anywhere. We were “forced” to curl up on the couch, within remote control range of our DVD or VHS player, to watch Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas for the umpteenth time (that year). Truly, there may have been no cozier tradition. We here at D23 took a gander at our collection of VHS tapes and DVDs and came up with this list of some of our favorites.

winnie the pooh

Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (1991)
We first celebrated Christmas in the Hundred Acre Wood on December 14, 1991, when this Pooh-rific special debuted on ABC; it would be released on VHS in 1994. In the special, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet set out to retrieve Christopher Robin’s letter to Santa Claus, detailing all of the gang’s holiday wishes, because Pooh has forgotten to include what he wants most: hunny, naturally. When their plans don’t work out, Pooh decides to test out his own Santa skills… and Christmas chaos ensues.

Goof Troop Christmas

A Goof Troop Christmas: Have Yourself a Goofy Little Christmas (1992)
Goofy wants to make the yuletide special for his son, Max, but his best-laid holiday plans—and decorations—always end rather goofily. As Max describes, “Every year we do the same thing—put up a ton of stuff and burn a turkey.” Max isn’t the only one who has had enough of Goofy’s merry mishaps: Pete is so determined to keep his neighbor from wrecking his Christmas that he packs up his family and heads to Asprin, Colorado. But when Max convinces his dad that father and son could use a break from tradition, a horrified Pete discovers that Goofy has followed him to Asprin. Goofy and Pete share some holiday cheer in the end, but along the way there are accidents galore, a blizzard, and a hungry bear. A Goof Troop Christmas reminds us that friendship, family, and a rousing reindeer dance can get us through any holiday challenge.

batb the enchanted christmas

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
Originally called Beauty and the Beast: Christmas Belle, this direct-to-video animated feature was released on November 11, 1997. The story is set in a Christmas past, when Belle is determined to bring a little holiday spirit and hope to Beast’s castle. She enlists the help of the household objects, including Angelique, a tree ornament that’s been stowed away in the attic—but they must first outmaneuver the evil pipe organ, Forte, who wants to prevent Beast from falling in love with Belle. Paige O’Hara (Belle), Robby Benson (Beast), Jerry Orbach (Lumiere), David Ogden Stiers (Cogsworth), and Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Potts) reprised their roles from the 1991 feature, and were joined by Bernadette Peters and Tim Curry, who voiced Angelique and Forte, respectively. At the time of the film’s premiere, Paige O’Hara told the Los Angeles Times, “Robby Benson and I are both so proud of these parts [we play]. We treated this one just as importantly as the first one. They took such care. Everyone had respect for the writing.”

mickey's magical christmas

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
This 70-minute film is comprised of three festive tales tied together by narration from actor Kelsey Grammer. In Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas, Huey, Dewey, and Louie love the holiday so much that they wish upon a star for it to be Christmas every day, only to learn that it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Max questions Santa’s existence in A Very Goofy Christmas, and Goofy goes to great lengths—and heights—to prove to his son that St. Nick is really real. Mickey and Minnie’s Gift of the Magi brings a magical spin to an iconic holiday tale, as Mickey struggles to buy Minnie a chain for her watch as a Christmas gift, while she’s scrimping to put together enough money to give Mickey a case for his harmonica. The true gift they both give and receive proves to be the best gift of all: love.

recess christmas

Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street (2001)
This 2001 home video release is comprised of four episodes of the TV series Recess, which followed a quirky group of fourth graders navigating the school day. When Principal Prickly, Miss Grotke, and Finster are waylaid by a snowbank on their way home from school, their first instinct is to blame T.J. and the gang—which inspires them to share “favorite” memories of their nemeses, the Recess kids. But when T.J. and company end up coming to their rescue, the school administrators can’t help but acknowledge that they might have some warm feelings toward the group after all—good thing they don’t hear the kids in the grand finale, a rousing chorus that begins, “Jingle Bells, Prickly smells…”

house of mouse

Mickey’s Magical Christmas—Snowed in at the House of Mouse (2001)
Who wouldn’t want to spend Christmas at the House of Mouse, the amazing nightclub where characters from all around the worlds of Disney animation would gather to enjoy cartoon shorts, musical numbers, and emcee Mickey Mouse’s lively introductions? Gracious host that he is, Mickey invites his guests to enjoy a Christmas party at the House of Mouse while a snowstorm rages outside. To combat Donald Duck’s “Bah, Humbug!” spirit, Mickey decides to show the guests a series of classic cartoons: The Nutcracker, Donald on Ice, snippets from Mickey’s Christmas Crisis, Pluto’s Christmas Tree, and Mickey’s Christmas Carol. The direct-to-video film also included a brand-new song that details how being with family and friends makes for “The Best Christmas of All.”

very merry christmas

Disney’s Sing Along Songs (Very Merry Christmas Songs) (2002)
The much-loved Sing Along Songs series received a holiday twist in this beloved video. With narration from actor Roscoe Lee Browne (Francis from Disney’s Oliver & Company), the 2002 release featured “The Best Christmas of All” from the aforementioned Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse, “As Long As There’s Christmas,” from Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, as well as a song each from Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year and Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving—in addition to beloved carols. If you’ve never learned the full lyrics to “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” or “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth,” why not learn them with the help of Huey, Dewey, and Louie or Goofy and Max?

huey dewey louie

Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)
When this direct-to-video release debuted, it marked the first time that the Fab Five was presented in 3-D computer-generated animation. “Making the characters in 3-D is a challenge. Especially Mickey,” Matt O’Callaghan, director of Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas, told Disney Newsreel (a publication for employees of The Walt Disney Company) in 2004. “They are so beloved; everyone knows them and has expectations of what they should look like. Mickey’s been around for 75 years now, so we used the medium for what it could bring, such as lighting, camera angles, and textures, but we were careful to keep the classic sensibilities of the original cartoon characters.”

Fans were treated to five charming holiday stories, including Christmas Maximus, in which a college-age Max brings his girlfriend, Mona, home for the holidays to meet his dad. Max’s fears that Goofy will embarrass him shine through in the original song “Make Me Look Good,” which serves as a framing device for the vignette. The release also featured Christmas: Impossible, Donald’s Gift, Mickey’s Dog-Gone Christmas, and Belles on Ice, in which Minnie and Daisy go head to head in a figure skating competition. For the latter, world-renowned skater Michelle Kwan served as inspiration for the characters’ movements, but producer Pam Marsden said that inspiration for all of the stories in Twice Upon a Christmas was found closer to home. “People feel as if they know them, so you have to stay within certain characteristics. But they all have such unique personalities, so the characters actually drove the stories,” Marsden said.

If these classic DVDs aren’t already part of your library, you can find a number of them on shopDisney.com—and don’t forget to use your D23 Gold Member Discount. Do you have a holiday classic to add to our list? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter. And happy holidays from D23!

Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs… Which One Are You?

By D23 Team

The holidays are the perfect time to enjoy the historic, heartwarming film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… but this year, it’s truly special! The legendary animated feature—the first created by Walt Disney at his new studios—was released 80 years ago today, on December 21, 1937. Animation, and film in general, would never be the same.

The story unfolds like this: A beautiful young princess known as Snow White (the “fairest of them all”) seeks refuge in a nearby forest from the jealousy of her stepmother, the Wicked Queen. Thankfully, Snow comes upon a cozy home… and finds it belongs to seven delightfully quirky Dwarfs who pledge to do their best to keep her from harm. Drama and adventure ensue, and our heroine is felled by the queen—but ultimately, she’s saved by a handsome prince and “true love’s kiss,” and everyone lives happily ever after.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably wondered, “Magic mirror on the wall… which Dwarf am I most like?” We here at D23.com decided to find out once and for all… so “Heigh-Ho” your way into the quiz-mine, and then head over to Facebook and Twitter to let the world know!

This campaign has ended. Check out D23.com for more Disney fun!

The Chew’s Foolproof Gingerbread House

Are you ready to create your own holiday masterpiece? Thanks to our friends at ABC’s The Chew for this easy-to-follow guide to building your own gingerbread house.

For more recipes and crafts, visit TheChew.com and tune in weekdays, 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT/PT on ABC.

Servings: 4–6
15 to 30 minutes

Ingredients
Royal Icing:
1 pound confectioners’ sugar (plus additional for dusting)
3 tablespoons meringue powder
3/4 cups water

To Decorate:
1 store-bought gingerbread house
1–2 teaspoons blue food coloring
1–2 teaspoons red food coloring
1/2 cup store-bought chocolate frosting
1 1-pound bag chocolate nonpareils with white pearls
1 7-ounce bag jelly beans
1 13-ounce bag gumdrops
4 candy canes

Step-by-Step Directions

  1. For the Royal Icing: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together the sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat at a medium speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form. Check for consistency of the icing; dip a spoon into the icing, the icing should fall off the spoon, forming ribbons, and settle into a flat surface again after 15 seconds. If the icing is too thick, add more water; if it’s too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar. Once you have found the correct consistency, divide the icing into thirds. Place two of the three thirds into medium bowls and remove the final third of the icing to a piping bag and snip the tip off.
  2. In one of the bowls with icing, stir blue food coloring until combined. In the remaining bowl of icing stir in the red food coloring. Using a spatula, remove both icings to individual piping bags and snip the tips.
  3. Place the chocolate icing in a piping bag and snip the tip.
  4. Pipe the white royal icing onto the roof of the gingerbread house. Place the nonpareils on top of the icing in rows, creating shingles.
  5. Pipe the blue icing all over the sides of the gingerbread house, leaving the door and windows bare. Even out the icing with a small offset spatula.
  6. Pipe the red icing on the door of the gingerbread house and smooth out icing with small offset spatula.
  7. Trace the outsides of the windows with the chocolate icing, leaving the insides bare. Pipe a cross pattern in the middle of each window frame.
  8. Using the remaining white icing in the piping bag, on the edge of the roof pipe strands of white icing from the top of the roof downwards to create icicles.
  9. Use the white icing to attach gumdrops and candy canes to decorate the house!

Tips

  • Crush up the candy canes and add the crumbles to give your gingerbread house a frosted, textured look!

Click here to see our entire recipe collection.

D23 Day of Christmas 2017 back to home banner

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Sneak Peek—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

A special look at Disney’s Christmas 2018 film, and news about the new Cirque du Soleil show coming soon to Disney Springs … See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

Next Christmas, Visit The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

It’s a film that’ll debut in theaters Christmas 2018… we know—it’s a little ways off, but that just adds to the anticipation, right? And after you see this sumptuous trailer, above, we think you’ll agree.

Directed by Lasse Hallström, Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms takes you into E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic story like never before. All young Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key—a one-of-a-kind key that unlocks a box holding a priceless gift from her late mother. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted item… which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice, and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers, and Land of Sweets.

Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Also starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy and featuring a special performance by ballet star Misty Copeland, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms will pirouette onto a screen near you on November 2, 2018.

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
January 12, 2018
Lunch with a Disney Legend—Bob Gurr
January 13, 2018
The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour—Presented by D23
February 2, 2018
D23 Member Night at Disney’s Aladdin at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre
February 20, 2018
D23 Member Night at Disney’s The Lion King in Orlando
Parks
November 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 26 and 28. December 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 22
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World Resort
November 10–January 7
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort
January 12-February 19
Epcot International Festival of the Arts
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
Summer 2018
Star Wars: Pixar Pier opens at Disney California Adventure
2019
Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Studios
February 16, 2018
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther opens in U.S. theaters
March 9, 2018
Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time opens in U.S. theaters
May 4, 2018
Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War opens in U.S. theaters
June 15, 2018
Incredibles 2 opens in U.S. theaters
Television
December 1–25, 2017
Disney|ABC’s 25 Days of Christmas

cirque du soleil

Disney to Collaborate with Cirque du Soleil on New Show for Disney Springs

There’s probably no one better to create a mesmerizing show all about Disney animation than Cirque du Soleil. And, while we’re sad to see La Nouba (the current Cirque show at Disney Springs) take its final bow on New Year’s Eve, we’re extremely excited for what’s to come…

Nearly two decades after teaming up to bring La Nouba to the stage, Disney and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group are now working together on a new collaboration! According to our pals over at Disney Parks Blog, this original show will pay homage to Disney’s rich history of animated films, with a vivid story told in a way that only Cirque du Soleil can deliver. “We are incredibly inspired by Disney’s immense creative universe,” explains Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. “We are convinced that bringing Disney’s magic to life on stage will touch audiences and bring them back to their childhood.”

Keep your eyes peeled for more information about this new show as it develops…

bob iger and robert murdoch

The Walt Disney Company to Acquire Certain Businesses of Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc.

There was a big announcement from The Walt Disney Company last week… and in case you haven’t read too much about it, D23.com has the complete details.

Learn About Pixar Pier’s New Incredicoaster

Fans of The Incredibles, listen up! This summer, Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure (DCA) park will introduce the Incredicoaster—a new experience featuring characters from the 2004 animated film.

A super(hero) combination of character figures, lighting, and cool special effects will bring the action to life as the Parr family races alongside you in an attempt to catch baby Jack-Jack! In the video above, Imagineers working on the project give us a behind-the-scenes look at the Incredicoaster, and how they approach storytelling on a high-speed attraction.

Don’t miss your chance to race along with the Parrs at DCA in Summer 2018!

ron clements and john musker

Ron Clements and John Musker Honored by Art Directors Guild  

Amazing news for the directors of Disney favorites like Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog, and Moana… Just this week, the Art Directors Guild (ADG) announced it will present its prestigious William Cameron Menzies Award to the legendary, Oscar®-nominated filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker. The award—which recognizes the duo’s innovative artistic work on numerous beloved Disney animated features—will be presented at the ADG’s 22nd Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on January 27, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland.

The ADG’s spotlight of Ron and John’s animation achievements is especially meaningful this year, as the guild will debut its new award category, Excellence in Production Design for an Animated Feature Film, in recognition of the growing importance of animated features. Additionally, Kathleen Kennedy, Oscar-nominated producer and president of Lucasfilm, will be honored with the 2018 Cinematic Imagery Award.

Congratulations all around!

Marvel Rising: The Next Generation of Marvel Heroes is Here!

We received a Marvel-related gift under the tree this week, with the recent announcement of a brand-new animation franchise. Marvel Rising is a multi-platform franchise starring the next generation of Marvel heroes—and it’s set to launch in 2018! The program will begin with six, four-minute digital shorts that spotlight Spider-Gwen with her new secret moniker, Ghost-Spider, and introduce audiences to the world of Marvel Rising.

Following the shorts, a feature-length animated film, Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, will premiere later in 2018. Meet the characters—and all-star voice actors behind the all-new franchise, including Dove Cameron and BooBoo Stewart from Disney’s Descendants, as well as Chloe Bennet, Tyler Posey, and Kim Raver—in the video above.

connected ear hats

Make Disney Magic at Home (and at Disney Parks) with 3.0 Connected Ear Hats

We’re officially in the future, y’all! Disney Parks now offers Bluetooth-enabled “Made with Magic: 3.0 Connected Ear Hats”—and they’re able to glimmer and shine both inside your favorite Disney park, as well as in your very own home… Isn’t technology grand?

The ears are the latest in a cool, colorful collection of accessories that light up (and flash to the beat) during popular nighttime shows at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. But this new hat interacts at home in an amazing never-before-seen way: By using the in-app Color Remote on the Shop Disney Parks app, guests can change the color and speed of the strobe effect on the hat’s ears. Plus, the app can also sync the hat with special TV broadcasts, including Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration, airing on ABC this Christmas morning, December 25.

You can find this new ear hat right now at select merchandise locations through Disney Parks, or by visiting ShopDisneyParks.com.