#DreamBigPrincess Campaign Kicks Off—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

Disney partners with Girl Up to empower and inspire, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios previews new fun to come… See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

Dream Big Princess

Disney’s #DreamBigPrincess Photo Campaign Launches Around the Globe

Disney’s “Dream Big, Princess,” an initiative launched in 2016, aims to tap into the power of Disney Princess stories to inspire kids around the world. And this year—starting this week, in fact—Disney is launching a global photo campaign in support of all that magic. Find out more about this campaign here.

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
August 18, 2017
Lunch with a Disney Legend: Wayne Jackson
August 19, 2017
D23’s Disney Afternoon on the Lot
August 31, 2017
Stand Out During A Goofy Movie at the El Capitan Theatre
September 9, 2017
The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour—Presented by D23
October 1, 2017
D23’s Fanniversary Celebrates 35 Years of Epcot
October 1, 2017
A Progressive Dinner Celebrating 35 Years of Epcot
October 3, 2017
D23’s Sip and Stroll
November 18, 2017
The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour—Presented by D23
Parks
August 25 and 29, September 1, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, and 29; October 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, and 31; November 1
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park
August 31-November 13, 2017
Epcot Food & Wine Festival
September 15–October 31, 2017
Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort
September 20, 22, 25, 27, 29, October 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31
Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Park
2019
Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Studios
November 3, 2017
Thor: Ragnarok opens in theaters
November 22, 2017
Coco opens in theaters
December 15, 2017
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in theaters
Television
August 19, 2017
Marvel’s Spider-Man debuts on Disney XD (7–8 a.m. ET)
September 23, 2017
DuckTales Series debuts with two new episodes (7 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT)

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge model

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land Models at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

There are several amazing new lands and attractions being created for Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort—and very soon, you’ll be able to get a close-up look at models and concept art revealing some of the fun to come…

The One Man’s Dream attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is being reimagined as we speak (err, type) into Walt Disney Presents—which will continue to showcase items from Disney’s history… but it’ll also act as a “preview center” of sorts. And the best news? Starting in mid-September, guests visiting Walt Disney Presents will be able to view ride vehicle maquettes, concept art, and a crazy-cool never-before-seen model of Toy Story Land (set to open in Summer 2018).

Plus, a portion of the fantastic Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge model seen recently at D23 Expo 2017 will be on display, as well as concept art for a brand-new attraction called Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. So make sure to take a peek into the future the next time you’re visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Frozen on broadway

Frozen on Broadway: Tickets On Sale Now!

Do you want to build a snowman… in New York City, at the St. James Theatre? Then make sure to purchase your tickets post haste for Disney’s new Broadway musical Frozen! Read up on how to buy both single and group tickets—and get a look at the show’s brand-new (and very fabulous) official artwork—right here.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Stars Love Mission: BREAKOUT!

We’ve fallen pretty madly in love with Guardians of the Galaxy—Mission: BREAKOUT! here at D23… we even have a whole rundown of some of the fun “Easter eggs” you can find throughout the attraction. So we’re particularly enthused to see that cast members of both Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as well as director James Gunn, love it as much as we do!

Check out this adorable new video, above, from our friends over at the Disneyland Resort—and hear from faves including Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, and Star-Lord himself, Chris Pratt.

Sigourney Weaver’s Next Killer Role for Disney

By Jeffrey Epstein

Sigourney Weaver is immersed in Disney. She has voiced roles in Finding Dory and WALL•E. She’s narrated the Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World. And her father, Pat Weaver, even worked on the development of Epcot. On August 18, she takes on a new, somewhat less-friendly role as the nemesis to Marvel’s The Defenders when the show premieres on Netflix. We had a chance to catch up with the three-time Academy Award® nominee while she was exploring Pandora—The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Pandora

Having starred in AVATAR, what do you think of Pandora?
I didn’t realize it would truly put you in the world that we spent such a long time imagining. The incredible detail between the sounds and the colors and the drumming—it’s impeccable. The movie is so seamless as an experience, I didn’t think that would be possible for a theme park. But this is going to change the game. It’s so immersive. And the ride—I went on Flight of Passage twice because I couldn’t believe it the first time. After screaming and laughing and whooping, by the end I was crying because it was so beautiful. It’s extraordinary. I can imagine moving to Orlando to come into this place every day.

But this isn’t your first time to Walt Disney World…
I did the Candlelight Processional for three nights a few years ago. My entire family came down. We had everyone from an 8-month-old to a 70-year-old, and we had the best time.

Epcot

Do you have a park favorite?
I love Epcot. My father worked on Epcot—Pat Weaver. He was involved with the very beginning plans. He was going down to Florida in the early days. He was always living in the future, so it was a natural thing for them to ask him what he thought should be in the park.

Wall-e

You were the voice of the computer in WALL•E. You were the voice of the aquarium in Finding Dory. What is it about your disembodied voice that is so appealing to Disney?
[Laughs] I don’t know! I don’t know why Andrew Stanton, who is such a wonderful director, wanted my obnoxious voice in both of these films. For Finding Dory, he really didn’t know if he was going to use it that much. But it always cracked him up that it was my voice because I do all these programs. So they put it in as a temp thing, and then they just kept it. Now kids come up to me and say, “Are you the voice in Finding Dory?” And I say, “Yes, I am.”

The Defenders

Marvel’s The Defenders is coming up. What can you tell us about your character, Alexandra?
I really admire her. I’ll tell you what my friend Alan Rickman said, because he played a lot of “villains.” He said, “I don’t play villains. I play very interesting people.”

10 Reasons Why High School Musical 2 Still Puts the Music in Us More Than 10 Years Later

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Do you remember where you were when the much-anticipated sequel to Disney Channel’s smash hit High School Musical 2 first premiered? From the opening of “What Time is It?” and its chant of “summer… summer… summer…” to the pool party finale, High School Musical 2 defined summer for generations to come as a time of fun in the sun, as well as a time to figure out what we want from ourselves and our future. Ten years later, this classic sequel still feels as fresh as the day we watched the East High Wildcats first burst from their classroom doors to answer the eternal question: What time is it? Well, it’s time for us to tell you exactly why we are still obsessively watching this ode to summer fun and teenage angst after over 10 fabulous years.

1. It Marks the Return of Our Favorite Wildcats

High School Musical 2

The original High School Musical taught us that we don’t always need to stick to the status quo, and that our differences are what make us great. We couldn’t help but become invested in Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, and all the rest of the East High Wildcats after they overcame the social pressures of high school to follow their dreams and learn to understand each other better. Who wouldn’t be excited to see what they do next?

2. The Costumes

High School Musical 2

From Sharpay’s dazzling pink dress to Gabriella’s iconic red swimsuit, we were living for the fashion this movie delivered. It brought summer cool to a new level and our dreams of summer vacation now involve sparkly swimsuits, floral bathing caps, and the biggest sunglasses we can find.

3. We Finally Saw Troy and Gabriella’s First Kiss!

High School Musical 2

We’ve waited TWO! WHOLE! MOVIES! for Disney Channel’s most iconic couple to finally lock lips and we couldn’t be happier to see East High’s resident lovebirds finally get their happy moment after so much drama (and tearful breakup songs). They started out as the basketball star and the genius whiz kid, but we know they are so much more—and we can only hope we find a love as magical as theirs some day.

4. The Relatable High School Stress

High School Musical 2

Sometimes as teenagers, we feel like no one understands us. We’re trying to figure out our futures and we aren’t even real adults yet! Applying for college can be so stressful, and sometimes we feel like we can’t even survive it, but then we tune into High School Musical 2 and see the East High Wildcats have the same problems. Who can’t relate to Troy as he struggles to get into the college of his dreams? It can feel so much like our entire future is weighing on our shoulders, that we may just want to run out onto a golf course and sing about how frustrated we are! Well, it’s a good thing that High School Musical 2 has an exact musical number to describe that feeling. Did High School Musical 2 help us survive the chaos of being a teenager? You can bet on it.

5. The Hats Get Us Ahead of the Game

High School Musical 2

Allegedly, Ryan and Kelsey wear 13 hats in the film between them, but you can’t forget about Chad’s foray into the world of baseball—and baseball caps! When it’s hot out, you gotta protect your head in a stylish fashion, so you might as well go all-out in true Wildcat style.

6. We Voted!

High School Musical 2

We’ve all dreamed of being among the cool kids at East High, but while we may never hang out with Troy, Gabriella, and the rest, we still had a chance to impact the lives of our favorite Wildcats. Did you vote on what sandwich Troy and Gabriella would enjoy at their golf course picnic (peanut butter and jelly, btw)?  Did you help pick out the “I majored in vacation” T-shirt for Chad’s goofy clothing collection?  Did you vote to have a certain Hannah Montana star make a brief cameo during the “All for One” finale? If so, then you helped make part of the magic of High School Musical 2, and each little element of the movie that you voted on is like a little wave from the big screen to remind the rest of us that we really are all in this together.

7. Summer Vacation Fun

High School Musical 2

How many times have you wished you could recreate the opening of “What Time Is It” and dance through your school’s hallways singing about the awesome summer you’re gonna have? High School Musical 2 gave us not only the anthem of every student about to start summer break everywhere, but it reminded us that even if school stress follows us into the summer, as long as we have people we rely on and care about by our sides, we can do anything!

8. It Is the Music in Us

High School Musical 2

Just like its predecessor, High School Musical 2 gives us a soundtrack of songs to define the experiences of teenagers everywhere. Whether you need to explain to the world how to be fabulous (Hint: It involves ice tea imported from England and towels imported from Turkey) or if you need to give your friends a pep talk to get through a tough summer job, there’s a song on this soundtrack for you. From the silly to the heartfelt, we can’t help but sing along to every moment of High School Musical 2 and appreciate that when we hear our favorite song, we do know that we belong, thanks to this classic Disney Channel Original Movie.

9. We Have to Keep Our Ears Open

High School Musical

Do you have every single High School Musical song memorized? Could you recognize the song anywhere? Well, then you probably know that Troy reminds himself that his head is in the game but his heart is in the song whenever his phone rings—because his ringtone is “Getcha Head in the Game” from the original High School Musical!

10. The Friendships that Last Forever

High School Musical 2

The East High Wildcats go through a lot of drama, whether they’re juggling an academic decathlon and basketball tournament that are scheduled on the same day as the musical auditions, or they’re working together at a country club that just wants them to quit. But if you think that these tenacious teenagers are gonna give up that easily, you’ve got another thing coming. In High School Musical 2, friendships are constantly put to the test when the stakes are as high as college applications and building job experience. But no matter the trials and tribulations, the East High Wildcats are always a song away from working it out—and it reminds us that even though we can’t always break out into song to solve our problems, we can still overcome what troubles us if we focus on what’s important. And yeah, sometimes we do need to sing about it to remember, but in the end, just like in the movie, we remember that it’s not about the future and it’s not about the past—it’s about making every single day last!

See the Light in a Brand-New Way at This Tangled Experience in Tokyo

By Beth Deitchman

From high up in her tower, Rapunzel would gaze at the floating lanterns she’d see released every year on her birthday, unaware they were launched with the hope of lighting her way home. From the moment we first watched Walt Disney Animation Studios’ feature Tangled in 2010, we felt her longing—along with a bit of our own, too. It was Rapunzel’s dream to see the lanterns up close, and now Disney fans in Tokyo have the opportunity to experience the floating lanterns for themselves, up-close-and-personal in an innovative new way!

Tangled lanterns

As part of an ongoing exhibition that celebrates Disney animation at Miraikan—The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo, presented by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library (ARL), guests can step into the story like never before. Walt Disney Animation Studios Tangled Experience powered by teamLab is an interactive installation that lets you see the light… and the light sees you, too! The lanterns—seemingly thousands of them—are intended to symbolize love and caring for someone important. When visitors stop in front of the lights, they shine brighter and the glow spreads to other nearby lanterns. Watch this video from our friends at Disney Japan to see how magical this experience truly is.

Artist collective teamLab, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the ARL collaborated for the Tangled Experience, which is part of the exhibition The Art of Disney—The Magic of Animation, the first of its kind in Japan. The exhibition celebrates Disney’s rich history of animation and spans nearly 90 years, from Steamboat Willie to the 2016 feature Moana. It consists of approximately 500 works of original art, sketches, and concept art that has been selected by our friends at the ARL.

Both Walt Disney Animation Studios Tangled Experience powered by teamLab and The Art of Disney—The Magic of Animation continue through September 24, 2017, so book a flight to see the light. Tokyo is where you’re meant to be for this immersive special event.

The Art of Disney—The Magic of Animation is organized by Miraikan—The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Nippon Television Network Corporation, The Yomiuri Shimbun, and WOWOW INC.

Disney’s #DreamBigPrincess Photo Campaign Launches Around the Globe

By Courtney Potter

Disney’s “Dream Big, Princess,” an initiative launched in 2016, aims to tap into the power of Disney Princess stories to inspire kids around the world. And this year—starting today, in fact—Disney is launching a global photo campaign in support of all that magic.

Nineteen first-rate female photographers from 15 different countries have created a series of empowering images showcasing real-world girls and women—and the pics are ready to be shared on social media to help raise funds for Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation’s program supporting adolescent girls’ leadership and empowerment. With subjects including the youngest-ever speaker at the U.N.; a gold-medal-winning Chinese Paralympian; the founder of the first female cycling team in Bamiyan, Afghanistan; a teenage author of a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) coding book for kids; and a young surf champion from Brazil, the project will shine a spotlight on some truly amazing and diverse stories to connect with kids and families around the world.

But that’s not all! From now through October 11, through a collaboration with Girl Up, Disney Worldwide Services will donate $1 for any public social-media post of a photo using the hashtag #DreamBigPrincess, or a like of such a post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Ready to dream big yourself? Support the campaign, and learn more, by visiting the Disney Princess Facebook page.

Which Disney Afternoon Character Are You?

By D23 Team

Anyone who grew up waiting for their favorite Disney Afternoon show to air on TV has probably had a dream or two of becoming one of those cartoon heroes themselves. It’s why shows like DuckTales, Goof Troop, and Darkwing Duck are so well-loved: We can’t help but admire the brave, clever, and oh-so-silly characters who gave us new adventures to enjoy day after day. Well, it’s time to make your daydreams of animated adventures a reality—now you can find out exactly which of your TV heroes you are most like:

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

Tickets for Disney’s New Broadway Musical Frozen On Sale Monday August 14

By D23 Team

On with the snow! Tickets for Disney’s new Broadway musical Frozen go on sale this Monday, August 14, at 10 a.m. ET. Single tickets will be available for purchase at FrozenTheMusical.com or by calling the Disney on Broadway hotline at (866) 870-2717. Group tickets for 20 or more will be available at DisneyTheatricalSales.com or by calling (800) 439-9000.

The St. James Theatre box office will open Monday, November 13, 2017.

Following an out-of-town tryout at the Buell Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts beginning next week and continuing through October 1, Frozen will join Disney hits Aladdin and The Lion King on Broadway, beginning performances at the St. James Theatre on Thursday, February 22, 2018, and opening mid-March 2018.

For information on the Denver engagement visit DenverCenter.org.

Today Disney Theatrical Productions also shared its official artwork for Frozen. Look closely and you’ll see some familiar silhouettes hidden within the “frozen fractal.” London artist Olly Moss, who created the design for the Broadway advertising agency Serino/Coyne, told The New York Times, “A lot of audiences enjoy a secondary reveal. It’s almost like a magic trick.”

Celebrate 75 Years of Bambi with Stunning Concept Art from the ARL

By D23 Team

The animated classic Bambi celebrates its 75th anniversary on August 13, 2017. In the Summer 2017 issue of Disney twenty-three, we shared some of the stunning concept art created for the film. Now, thanks to the Animation Research Library, we have even more of the beautiful, hand-created concept art for this classic film. Browse through our gallery to feel positively twitterpated by the meticulously created scenes of nature.

Go Retro with “Guardians Inferno”—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

The Guardians boogie down in a brand-new music video, and Disney announces two new streaming services… See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

Can You Dig It? Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Gets Funky

Fans of Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 can now rejoice in the knowledge that they can now own the movie—replete with bonus features galore—to watch in the comfort of their very own living room. Yes, the blockbuster second film in the Guardians franchise just blasted onto digital platforms this week… and it’ll be rocketing onto Blu-ray® on August 22 (along with 4K Ultra HD, as well).

To celebrate such an auspicious occasion, director James Gunn and members of the Guardians cast created what might just be the best music video this side of “Thriller.” “Guardians Inferno,” the film’s end-credits song co-written by Gunn, features vocals by pop-culture icon David Hasselhoff—who makes a memorable appearance in the video… alongside Guardians stars Sean Gunn, Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, and (make sure to watch ‘til the end!) Chris Pratt. If you haven’t seen it yet, we don’t want to give too much away—but let’s just say it’ll leave you pining for a disco ball, some glitter, and a pair of far-out platforms!

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
August 12, 2017
Join D23 and TCM and Celebrate The Great Movie Ride
August 18, 2017
Lunch with a Disney Legend: Wayne Jackson
August 19, 2017
D23’s Disney Afternoon on the Lot
August 31, 2017
Stand Out During A Goofy Movie at the El Capitan Theatre
September 9, 2017
The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour—Presented by D23
October 1, 2017
D23’s Fanniversary Celebrates 35 Years of Epcot
October 1, 2017
A Progressive Dinner Celebrating 35 Years of Epcot
October 3, 2017
D23’s Sip and Stroll
Parks
August 25 and 29, September 1, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, and 29; October 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, and 31; November 1
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park
August 31-November 13, 2017
Epcot Food & Wine Festival
September 15–October 31, 2017
Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort
September 20, 22, 25, 27, 29, October 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31
Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Park
2019
Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Studios
November 3, 2017
Thor: Ragnarok opens in theaters
November 22, 2017
Coco opens in theaters
December 15, 2017
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in theaters
Television
August 12, 2017
“Woo-oo!” DuckTales Movie premieres at 12 a.m. and airs for 24 consecutive hours
August 19, 2017
Marvel’s Spider-Man debuts on Disney XD (7–8 a.m. ET)
September 23, 2017
DuckTales Series debuts with two new episodes (7 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT)

ESPN

Disney Announces Amazing New Streaming Services

Speaking of “watching your favorites in the comfort of your own living room”—or even while you’re out and about on your mobile device—The Walt Disney Company announced some super-cool news on that front just this week. After acquiring majority ownership in a state-of-the-art company called BAMTech, Disney will launch an ESPN-branded multi-sport video streaming service early next year, followed by a new Disney-branded streaming service in 2019.

What does this mean for you, dear readers? More amazing Disney and ESPN content—right at your fingertips—than ever before. The ESPN-branded service will offer approximately 10,000 (!) live regional, national, and international games and events a year—including Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, Grand Slam tennis, and more. And the Disney-branded service will begin with the company’s huge 2019 slate of films, including Toy Story 4, the sequel to Frozen, and the live-action The Lion King… plus a vast collection of Disney and Pixar films; original movies and TV shows; and tons of exclusive content.

Keep an eye out for more info about both streaming services as it becomes available!

Bug Juice

Bug Juice to Bunk with Disney Channel in 2018

Longtime fans of Disney Channel (read: all of us) might remember the channel’s very first foray into unscripted television—Bug Juice, a series that ran from 1998 ‘til 2001, chronicling the hilarious and heartfelt shenanigans of kids aged 10 to 12 as they spent a summer at sleep-away camp. Well, good news: The show is returning! In fact, production is underway as we speak at Camp Waziyatah in Waterford, Maine (the same location as the original series’ first season).

Bug Juice is produced by Evolution Media, which also created and produced the original version of the series—and helped bring several other popular unscripted kids’ shows to Disney Channel, including Movie Surfers, Totally in Tune, and Totally Hoops. Look for the return of Bug Juice in early 2018.

Star Wars

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire Coming to Disney Springs & Downtown Disney

Feel that disturbance in the Force? Don’t worry, it’s a good one… there’s a brand-new, totally groundbreaking Star Wars hyper-reality experience coming to both Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort and Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort—and it’s all thanks to The VOID, a collaboration between Lucasfilm and ILMxLab that combines magic with advanced technology to create amazingly immersive social experiences.

Beginning this holiday season, The VOID’s Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire will transport you to “a galaxy far, far away”—where you’ll be able to engage with friends, family, and all manner of Star Wars characters through sight, sound, touch, smell, and motion! It’ll even allow environmental effects to be felt using “Haptic” feedback, bringing the physical and digital worlds together like never before.

We’ll have more information about Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire—including when tickets go on sale—in the coming months, so stay tuned.

The Chew

ABC’s The Chew Returns to Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Take ABC’s mega-popular The Chew and combine it with Epcot’s epic Food & Wine Festival, and you’ve got a recipe for success! For the third year in a row, The Chew hosts Carla Hall, Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Daphne Oz, and Clinton Kelly will film five episodes—set against the backdrop of Epcot’s iconic Spaceship Earth—during the 22nd annual fest of all-things-delicious, from October 4 through 6… with the shows set to air on ABC the following week.

But that’s not all: For the entire length of the festival—a whopping 75 days, from August 31 to November 13—The Chew will feature segments highlighting food and beverages from “around the world” of all four Walt Disney World Resort parks, as well as Disney Springs.

Going to the Food & Wine Festival the week of October 4, and want to attend a taping? Visit The Chew’s ticketing website for more information. And don’t forget to check your local listings for exact October airdates!

Animator Paul Felix Shares Why Bambi is Still “Deer” to Our Hearts 75 Years Later

By Jocelyn Buhlman

On August 13, 2017, we are delighted to celebrate 75 years of the animated classic Bambi, which recently was released as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection. Not only is it a classic film beloved by Disney fans everywhere, this film has also en-deer-ed itself to animators and artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Animator Paul Felix, who worked on popular Disney films such as Mulan and Tarzan, along with many of the classic Disney Afternoon television shows, counts himself as a fan of the film, and he shares why this movie is so deer-ly beloved by the studio as a reference point for their films for 75 years.

Felix was 24 when he first watched Bambi. He recalls, “I had bought a high-tech Laserdisc player at the time, and one of the first discs I bought was Bambi.”

He, like many, many of the other artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios, was instantly smitten with the beautiful artistry of the film. “I can’t overstate how much of an effect watching this movie had on me, because I had just started at Disney,” Felix explains. “It also had the most amazing use of color in it, but I couldn’t even think about that for about 10 more years because there’s so much more to be learned.”

Paul Felix Bambi art

And now, having had many years to learn from Bambi, Felix was recently given the opportunity to show off the impact of the film. To celebrate the film’s 75th anniversary and its release as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection, Felix created a special Disneygraph of Bambi and Thumper (pictured above). He was honored to create the lithograph, exclaiming, “It was a blast!”

Since the movie had such a strong personal connection for him, he saw this opportunity as a way to pay tribute to artists he admired. “The people who created this film are giants to us. It’s nice to pay them homage that way,” Felix says. “It’s like a fanboy thing. I’m really honored—I got to actually meet Marc Davis and Tyrus Wong, who worked on the project, and having that personal connection means a lot to me.”

Disney Legend Tyrus Wong served as lead artist for Bambi, and his beautiful and iconic artwork has left an impact on the studio ever since. Felix explains, “Bambi never goes away. We’re constantly taking a look at it, to the point where we all know almost every single one of those sketches that Tyrus did, and we know every single sequence from the film.”

Bambi

Wong’s influence goes beyond the Walt Disney Animation Studios to a more personal level with Felix. The unique artistry of Wong’s work resonates with Felix’s own approach to animation. Felix has two favorite scenes in particular: “One is the meadow sequence with the deer, because he got really expressionistic with coloring the deer in pastel colors jumping over the logs. The second is the “I Bring You a Song” sequence, when Bambi and Faline are falling in love. The scene is done exclusively through the action of nature. Bambi and Faline are not falling all over each other—it’s not expressly emoted through [the characters]—but instead it’s what happens around them that lets you know how they feel. And Tyrus explored all these moods in his paintings, and he’s the one who set the template for the film’s visual vocabulary.”

That visual vocabulary that Wong created for the film is still very relevant 75 years later. Felix explains, “One thing I’d like to impress is how much this movie means to the studio. It’s a really deeply revered film—a real touchstone for us. Just seeing how far animated films have come from black-and-white Mickey Mouse films five years before [Bambi was released], it’s amazing.”

Bambi

Felix recalls that even recently, Bambi was referenced as a touchstone for the studio. He recalls, “I was talking to an artist and he said that it just came up in a meeting today. The director said to him, ‘Can you make this look a little more like Bambi?’”

Besides the amazing visuals, Bambi presented something new narratively as well, when it addressed a real-world fear that has impacted viewers of the film of all ages. As Felix explains, “Disney had never explored a theme like that before. The decision was made that we’re creating a sense what life is like in these animals in the forest, and loss is part of it, and you couldn’t leave that out. The question was, how do you prepare the audience for that? I imagine for children to have an experience like Bambi, they can explore what would it would be like if this happened. It’s way to safely imagine, and it’s a way for kids to think outside of themselves.”

Thanks to Bambi, Walt Disney Animation Studios developed a visual and narrative toolkit to prepare the studio for years of beloved animated classics. No wonder audiences are still twitterpated by the film 75 years later.