Frozen on Broadway Sets a Date and a Big Milestone for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

Frozen on Broadway gets a date, construction continues in a big way at Disneyland Park, and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure reveals its poster … Read more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

Frozen on Broadway

Frozen on Broadway Sets Opening Date

Disney Theatrical Productions just announced the official opening date for Frozen on Broadway—March 22, 2018, at the St. James Theatre! The show will begin “preview” performances on Thursday, February 22, 2018, joining Disney’s other NYC hits Aladdin and The Lion King on the Great White Way. Tickets for Broadway performances are on sale now, so get ’em while the gettin’ is good! Check out FrozenTheMusical.com for more information.

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
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
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

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Celebrates Big Construction Milestone

Huge news from the Disneyland Resort, friends: The newest land coming to Disneyland Park, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, just celebrated a huge (err, make that tall) milestone. Walt Disney Imagineering, as well as all the project teams responsible for giving galactic life to the land, commemorated the “topping out” of the tallest peak in the land’s 14 acres! Read more about it—and see a new video detailing the festivities—right here.

Olaf's Frozen Adventure

Frosty Fun: First Poster for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure Released

When Disney•Pixar’s latest film, Coco, is released in theaters this fall, it’ll be joined by what’s sure to be a terrifically adorable addition to the Frozen universe: a brand-new featurette called Olaf’s Frozen Adventure! With several original voices from the 2013 film—including Idina Menzel as Elsa, Kristen Bell as Anna, Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, and Josh Gad as the happy-go-lucky snowman of the title—and all-new songs from the up-and-coming writing team of Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, the featurette follows sweet Olaf as he searches for the perfect holiday tradition to pass on to Arendelle’s royal sisters.

We may have to wait ’til November 22 to see the featurette—but today we got a look at its brand-new poster, above. And in case you missed it the first time around, check out this holly-jolly teaser for the featurette here!

The Muppets

Coming Soon: Grand Avenue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort is undergoing some super-big, super-exciting changes—most notably, the addition of two lands over the next few years: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land. But this is Disney—and Disney likes to “go big”… so there’s a cool transformation happening over in the Muppets Courtyard too!

A portion of the former Streets of America, where the Muppets Courtyard “holds court” alongside Muppet*Vision 3D, is being transformed by Walt Disney Imagineering into a new area called Grand Avenue. Inspired by present-day downtown Los Angeles, Grand Avenue will include a cool corner pub (with plentiful California beers on tap) as well as Grand Park—an “urban square” with shops and restaurants like PizzeRizzo and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. But Muppets fans, take heart: The hilarious 3D attraction featuring Kermit and all his pals isn’t going anywhere… its theater is being renamed Grand Arts Theatre, and it’ll feature an amazing new marquee.

Look for these fun, SoCal-inspired changes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this fall!

Teaser Trailer for Disney XD’s Big Hero 6: The Series

Are you ready for the further adventures of Baymax, Hiro, and all their friends? Big Hero 6: The Series is set to debut in November—and just last week, a tantalizing teaser trailer hit the World Wide Web. Check it out, above!

The series picks up right after the events of the 2014 Walt Disney Animation Studios film; Hiro is the “new kid” at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, and he faces the challenges of a prestigious school while simultaneously being the “little man on campus.” Thankfully, Hiro’s got smarts and creativity—and his best friend Baymax to help him along the way! It’s off-campus where things get dangerous… but with neat freak Wasabi, bubbly mad scientist Honey Lemon, fanboy Fred, and no nonsense Go Go by his side, Hiro forms an awesome (albeit rag-tag) super hero team: Big Hero 6. Together, they face madness and mayhem as a colorful array of science-enhanced villains threaten San Fransokyo.

Frozen on Broadway

Love is an Open Door… to Seeing the Cast of Broadway’s Frozen in Costume!

The stage musical adaptation of Frozen is currently playing to enraptured audiences inside the Buell Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in Colorado… but soon, the production will move to its permanent home at Broadway’s legendary St. James Theatre. Want to see what the triple-threat cast looks like in costume? D23 has you covered—check out the video worth melting for here.

Disneyland Railroad

All Aboard the Brand-New Grand Circle Tour at Disneyland Park!

“Your attention please! The Disneyland Limited, now arriving from a trip around Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom.”

There is a brand-new Guided Tour at Disneyland park, and it’s geared towards all Disney fans—especially those who love trains as much as Walt Disney! The Grand Circle Tour is truly a look behind “the steam behind Walt’s dreams” and departs daily from Tour Gardens.

The D23 team had an opportunity to experience the new tour that includes a ride aboard the beloved Disneyland Railroad’s presidential car, the Lilly Belle, as well as special tour takeaways including: a specially engineered donut served with a warm beverage (coffee or hot chocolate), an exclusive tour credential, and a print of the Main Street Train Station’s newly reimagined railroad map!

We sat down with Valerie Means, one of the developers of the tour, and she explained that the Grand Circle Tour is a great chance for guests to learn more about Walt’s passion for trains and how the Disneyland Railroad has played an integral part to the Disneyland story for more than 60 years. She was also excited to share that this tour integrates video technology during the two-hour tour—a first for Guided Tours!

If D23 Members are interested in pricing and booking information, please call 714-781-TOUR (8687).

Calling All Girls: Join the Thor: Ragnarok Superpower of STEM Challenge!

Amazing news for all you gals out there interested in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math. (Huge kudos if so; our own math skills need a bit of help.) This week, Disney and Marvel Studios announced the Thor: Ragnarok Superpower of STEM Challenge, in conjunction with the November 3 release of the next installment in Thor’s galactic shenanigans.

The program—supported by American Association for the Advancement of Science, Broadcom MASTERS, and Society for Science & the Public—seeks to inspire young girls to use the superpower of STEM to help their family, community, or the world be safer, healthier, or happier. Girls aged 15-18 (in grades 10 through 12), living in the 50 United States and D.C., are invited to use the superpower of STEM to create an original “Do-It-Yourself” project that can be replicated by others. Five finalists will then be selected to come to Los Angeles and present their projects, in person, to a panel of experts and—drum roll, please!—to attend the Red Carpet Premiere of Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok!

But that’s not all: One grand-prize winner will be selected from the five finalists to attend an immersive three-day mentorship in New York City with Walt Disney Imagineering to build her STEM story, creating a professional-level video teaching other young people how to recreate her Challenge-winning project. The winner will also have the opportunity to demonstrate her Superpower of STEM project live to the nation with a brief appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America.

For more info, visit the challenge’s website at MarvelStudiosSTEMChallenge.com. And good luck!

We’re That Much Closer to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with This Construction Milestone at Disneyland

By Nicole Nalty

After taking a closer look at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge––coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disneyland park in California in 2019––at D23 Expo, we’ve been anxiously awaiting more updates on the exciting project. Luckily for us, our friends at the Disney Parks Blog just shared an awesome milestone from the construction site at Disneyland park––the topping out of the tallest peak in the 14-acre land. Standing at 130 feet tall, the steel that makes up the highest point in the new land was put in place yesterday as the design and construction teams from celebrated the tradition.

Before the beam was put into place, Disneyland Resort cast members were invited to take part in another part of this tradition, by signing the steel beam. Some of these cast members will soon take on roles to help bring the land’s two signature attractions to life.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland

We’re that much closer to a galaxy far, far away! Stay tuned to D23 for more updates.

This First Look at the Cast of Frozen is Worth Melting For

By Beth Deitchman

Since the moment Disney Theatrical Productions announced that Frozen is coming to Broadway, we’ve been imagining how the blockbuster animated feature will translate to the stage. Last night, fans in the mile-high city attended the first performance of Frozen’s out-of-town tryout at the Buell Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, but this morning Disney Theatrical gave the rest of us another peek into what’s to come.

This just-released video goes behind the scenes of the first photo shoot of Frozen’s stars, Caissie Levy (Elsa) and Patti Murin (Anna), along with Jelani Alladin (Kristoff) and John Riddle (Hans) wearing their costumes designed by two-time Tony® and Olivier Award-winning scenic and costume designer Christopher Oram. From the print on Anna’s dress and Elsa’s violet cape to Kristoff’s fur-trimmed boots and the royal-ish brocade on Hans’ waistcoat, the attention to detail brings all of our Frozen-fashion dreams to life. Renowned photographer Andrew Eccles photographed the actors backstage at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Frozen continues at Denver’s Buell Theatre through October 1, 2017, before it begins performances at Broadway’s St. James Theatre on Thursday, February 22, 2018, and opens in mid-March 2018.

From Comics to the Screen: How Scrooge McDuck Started His Tales

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Long before we were gathering in front of our television sets to see the hurricane of life in Duckburg, Disney fans would run to comic stores to read about the adventures of their fine feathered friends in the pages of Carl Barks’ iconic Donald Duck comics. While his stories didn’t bear the name DuckTales, over time they evolved into the tales of derring-do and bad and good luck tales that might seem familiar to fans of the Disney Afternoon classic. It all started with the creation of a certain rich uncle…

Carl Barks comics

Inspiration from Classic Origins
The now-famous center of all DuckTales adventures, Scrooge McDuck, found his origins in a classic story. While brainstorming ideas for a Christmas story for his Donald Duck comics, Barks looked to beloved Christmas tales for inspiration. He explains, “I began to think of the great Dickens Christmas story about Scrooge. Somehow it is the classic of all Christmas stories. Now, I was just thief enough to steal some of the idea and have a rich uncle for Donald.”

Barks’ story, “Christmas on Bear Mountain,” featured a miserly Scrooge to play opposite Donald, looking and acting very differently than how present-day fans remember. When Scrooge is introduced he is brooding alone in his massive estate, thinking about how much he hates Christmas, proclaiming in his thoughts, “Everybody hates me, and I hate everybody!” Clearly, this rich, old duck has a lot of growing to do!

Carl Barks

Rich with Popularity
Scrooge’s path as Donald’s bitter opposite soon took a turn when Barks saw potential in one of McDuck’s unique character traits: his wealth. Barks explains that, “[It] generated so many gag situations he was soon upstaging Donald in plot interest. He became popular because the size of his fortune was so ridiculous it didn’t offend readers, the stuff only brought him troubles and troubles.” Fans were entertained by the prospect of this rich uncle of Donald’s having to face all sorts of calamities due to his riches, and soon Scrooge was no longer simply a miserly old man living in his empty manor. In Walt Disney’s Comics (1948), Donald describes Scrooge as “the richest old coot in the world”—a bold title, but one that makes Scrooge the icon he is today.

The Beginnings of an Adventurer
It wasn’t just the riches that captured fans’ hearts—it was the trials and tribulations that came with maintaining such a large fortune. That meant that the old miser brooding around his manor had to actually get up and leave the house. Barks describes the change as, “I made him too old and decrepit. I discovered later on that I was going to have to make him more active; I couldn’t have an old guy like that out doing the things that I had to have him do.” The change made all the difference: Scrooge McDuck, the daring adventurer, was now fully in action.

Carl Barks comics

A Familiar Scrooge
It wasn’t until another Christmas tale that we saw the true Scrooge emerge. Christmas Parade No. 1 features a cane-carrying Scrooge, but the cane is more of an accessory than an assistance, as he’s spry and more worried about showing off his piles and piles of money. When pressured by Donald to purchase a steam shovel, he exclaims, “If I could afford a steam shovel, I’d have one in here shoveling the money out of my way!”

In fact, in the comic itself, Scrooge expresses exactly why fans loved him so: “What’s the use of having eleven octillion dollars if I don’t make a big noise about it?” Little did he know how much of a big noise he would soon be making.

Building a Better Duck Tale
So, by now we have the groundwork for DuckTales falling into place: Donald and his nephews, a spry Uncle Scrooge ready to defend his piles of money, and the potential for endless adventures. Now all that’s missing is a couple of key elements, but those were soon to arrive. Barks explains, “I just gradually made him richer and richer, and then I had to develop a place where he could store the money, and all the time there were the Beagle Boys trying to steal it from him. Those things just grew like building brick walls: You just lay one brick on top of another, and finally you’ve got the whole thing built.” Soon, Barks had built all of Duckburg, from Scrooge’s massive money bin to a cast of dastardly villains trying to break into it.

DuckTales

Tales Still to be Told
Undoubtedly, there would be no DuckTales without Carl Barks. When Barks was honored as a Disney Legend, Roy Disney declared, “Carl’s name is synonymous with Disney’s Ducks, and today his stories live on as the basis for the DuckTales series.” From the original comic tales of Scrooge McDuck, to the brand-new DuckTales series on Disney XD, the spirit of Carl Barks’ storytelling lives on.

#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.