9 Magical Disney Memories from 1977

By Jocelyn Buhlman

With the 40th anniversary of Star Wars almost here, we decided to use some Disney magic to go back in time and take a look at what else was happening in the world of Disney in 1977. It was an exciting year, not only introducing us to the Skywalker Saga but also bringing the premieres of several animated classics, a brand-new Mickey Mouse Club, and some updated pixie-dust at Disney theme parks. So strap into your time machines, Disney fans, and hold on tight, because we are bringing you nine magical Disney memories from 40 years ago!

Star Wars: A New Hope

1. Star Wars
This groundbreaking sci-fi franchise all started with one movie back in 1977 about a boy and a girl and a galaxy. The film originally opened to limited release, but proved so popular that it had a second “opening day” where it returned to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and Darth Vader, C-3PO and R2-D2 all famously put their prints in the concrete in front of the theater. 40 years later, we are just as captivated by Star Wars as audiences were back in 1977. (Disney acquired Lucasfilm and the legendary Star Wars franchise in 2012.)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
This animated classic featured a series of previously released featurettes chronicling the adventure of everyone’s favorite silly old bear. With a cast of huggable characters, memorable melodies by the Sherman brothers, and some of the last animation that Walt Disney oversaw personally, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh remains a classic in the Disney canon to this day.

New Mickey Mouse Club

3. The “new” Mickey Mouse Club
This groovy revamp of the classic Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1959) was notable for its themed days (Tuesday Let’s Go Day! Thursday Discovery Day! Friday Showtime Day—filmed at Disneyland!) highlighting different special guests or talents of the main Mouseketeers. Gold Members got a look back with the stars of the show in the Spring 2017 issue of Disney twenty-three. In 1977 they also filmed a special at Walt Disney World, where a snooping reporter tried to get dirt on the squeaky-clean Mouseketeers. This revival helped pave the way for an all-new Mickey Mouse Club (also known as MMC), which delighted the children of the 1990s.

The Rescuers

4. The Rescuers
A charming tale of two agents from the Rescue Aid Society, The Rescuers enchanted audiences everywhere and even inspired an animated sequel. Besides being a beloved classic, The Rescuers is also notable as being the last film on which three of the Nine Old Men—Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, and Frank Thomas—served as key animators.

Pete's Dragon

5. Pete’s Dragon
Elliott and Pete captured the imaginations of children everywhere in this blend of live action and animation. The lovable dragon, Elliott, was designed by Disney artist Ken Anderson and instantly became an iconic figure in Disney animation, even inspiring a live-action remake of the film that was released in 2016.

Peoplemover

6. Superspeed Tunnel added to PeopleMover
Guests could race through images of cars and boats in this fast-paced addition to the beloved Disneyland classic the PeopleMover. While the ride vehicles still moved at a leisurely pace, video projection and the strategic use of fans created the illusion of speeding along with images around you. This new segment of PeopleMover was eventually enhanced with The World of Tron, which projected exciting footage of lightcycles to race alongside you. When the PeopleMover reopened with the Superspeed Tunnel, the attraction also featured a new detour providing guests with a peek inside Disneyland’s newest thrill ride…

Space Mountain

7. Space Mountain at Disneyland
Space Station 77 landed in Tomorrowland! While its Florida counterpart opened at Magic Kingdom in 1975, this wildly popular out-of-this-world roller coaster made its West Coast debut in 1977, joining the Matterhorn as only the second roller coaster at Disneyland Resort. Space Mountain remains a hugely popular attraction at Disneyland and is still enchanting guests with its intergalactic thrills in different iterations, such as the spooky Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy during Halloween celebrations and the Star Wars­-themed Hyperspace Mountain.

8. The Main Street Electrical Parade Reopens at Disneyland and Premieres at Walt Disney World
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls… While this parade originally premiered at Disneyland in 1972, the fan-favorite nighttime spectacular briefly went dark only to return in 1977 bringing even more sparkling lights and electro-synth-magnetic musical sounds to Disneyland. At the same time, a version of the parade also began lighting up the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, U.S.A. in Florida. The original 1972 version of the Main Street Electrical Parade featured two-dimensional floats, while the version that lit up in 1977 premiered many of the three-dimensional floats that are still glowing down Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland today. Including one very famous float…

Main Street Electrical Parade Pete's Dragon float

9. Pete and Elliott Join the Main Street Electrical Parade
One of the most iconic floats in the Main Street Electrical Parade did not start lighting up Main Street, U.S.A. until 1977. The magnificent Elliott float, accompanied by his beloved Pete, made its debut with the reopening of the parade at Disneyland and its premiere at Walt Disney World. Elliott added a very magical moment to the parade when Pete encourages the crowd to shout “Brazzle Dazzle!” and Elliott disappeared before the audience’s eyes!

Awesome! We Rode Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!

By Jim Frye

Rocket Raccoon rides to the rescue—again!—this time in Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, the brand-new attraction opening this weekend at Disney California Adventure, kicking off the park’s Summer of Heroes celebration. D23 previewed the attraction, and we have to tell you that it’s awesome—so awesome that we came off our first ride and went right back on again… and again… and again!

With all the heart-pounding thrills of Disney’s most adrenaline-packed attractions, and all the adventure, fun, and laugh-out-loud humor of Marvel Studios’ super-popular Guardians of the Galaxy films, Mission: BREAKOUT! is gearing up to be the can’t-miss stop on your next visit to Disney California Adventure.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!

None other than Imagineer Joe Rohde himself, dressed in his best Star-Lord-style jacket, welcomed us to The Collector’s Fortress. Rohde and his team of Imagineering magic-makers have been busy of late, opening Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! in California the same exact weekend they open brand-new land Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando. Both are based on popular film franchises with easily recognizable characters.

For Mission: BREAKOUT!, guests are treated to a special tour of The Collector’s Fortress. The Collector, who goes by the name Taneleer Tivan, is played by Benicio Del Toro in the films. He’s an eccentric man who takes great pride in having the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics, and species in the galaxy. Heck, he even has an elaborate collection of sounds that guests will experience as they wait in the queue. But in Mission: BREAKOUT!, Taneleer shows off his latest—and most prized—display yet: the captured Guardians of the Galaxy. Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Baby Groot—they’re all there. But rest assured, they don’t intend to stay captured for long, especially Rocket, who—as fans of the films know—prides himself in breaking out of every jail cell he’s ever been put into. And this one is no different—except this time, he needs our help.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!

“It’s a very familiar story,” says Rohde as we prepare to enter the Collector’s Fortress. “It’s an inside job where a guy on the inside, Rocket, is going to use our security clearance to open the doors to free his friends, who are imprisoned within the Collector’s vast, extremely power-consumptive facility where he holds all of these precious objects that he’s collected from around the various galaxies for his VIP guests. We are his VIP guests.”

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!

Rohde explains that all the elaborate metalwork on the outside of the building represents a couple things: First, it represents the arrogance of its owner, Taneleer (there’s even a life-sized golden statue of him at the entrance). It also displays all the energy that the Fortress eats up. To free his friends, Rocket needs to shut down that power grid.

Inside the Lobby

Once inside, guests are going to have a heyday as they take in the extensive displays. “These items are from all around the universe,” says Rohde. “Some of them are alive; some are precious, precious objects that have been collected and held here.” The display cases are everywhere—hanging from the ceiling, lining the walls, up on shelves. Everywhere. Guests will be hard-pressed to see everything on their first few visits, especially since the displays will be ever-changing and ever-rotating, just like an actual museum. On the big screen at the end of the hall is a video made personally by The Collector, where he introduces his prized Guardians of the Galaxy. After the video, guests are taken to Taneleer’s private office, where it’s discovered that Rocket has escaped and is poised to cause mayhem as he tries to free his friends.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!

And without spoiling any of the surprises, you’ll love how Rocket jumps aboard your Gantry Lift, plugs in some of Star-Lord’s favorite tunes, and off you go! And when I say, “Off you go,” I mean fast. You’re immediately launched straight up into the adventure to free the Guardians.

You Don’t Need to Know About the Films

And here’s what’s cool: If you’re a fan of the Guardians films (and who’s not?), you’ll absolutely love this new attraction. However, if you haven’t seen the films, no worries—you don’t need to know anything about the Guardians to enjoy Mission: BREAKOUT!, because it’s a completely self-contained story. And boy, what a story it is!

“It is distinctly meant to be its own universe,” says Rohde. “The dimensional universe will grow and expand. We really tried to not simply reflect on an existing narrative, but to extend the narrative and expand it.”

Groot

While filming Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, writer/director James Gunn pulled together the cast and directed multiple all-new scenes for the attraction. We don’t want to ruin the scenes, but let’s just say it’s hard not to fall in love with Baby Groot all over again. In addition, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, Dave Bautista’s Drax, and Bradley Cooper’s Rocket join the fun multiple times throughout the attraction and—based on which profile you get—the scene changes each time you ride.

In true Guardians fashion, there’s a cameo or two thrown in for good measure (one of our favorite parts of the entire attraction). Oh, and lest you think that all the fun is left to the Marvel afficionados, Disney fans will find plenty to keep them coming back, too. Hint: Make sure to look closely inside those display cases and especially up in the rafters as you enter the Gantry Lift area of the Collector’s Fortress—you just might see a large, fur-covered “beast” who has been known to roam the Matterhorn.

There are six different vignettes, or ride profiles, that will mix and match scenes, accompanied each time by one of six different songs, ranging from Elvis Presley’s “Burnin Love,” to “Give Up the Funk” by Parliament, to “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5.

Dave Bushmore, vice president, Franchise Creative & Marketing at Marvel Studios, really enjoyed the collaboration with Imagineering. “Joe and all the Imagineers were great to work with,” he says. “For us, we’re always excited to see any iteration of our characters, whether it’s in the comics, or animation, or film. It’s a thrill to have them translated into the theme parks and it’s been an awesome experience—and Joe’s been great. When we first started working together, he actually secluded himself to just take in what this universe was all about and came back to us and shared what he believed it to be, and we totally bought in.”

Why Guardians of the Galaxy? Why were these the first Marvel characters to be featured in a Disney attraction in the United States? According to Rohde, “There’s something about the Guardians—there’s an energy to it, there’s an irreverence to it,” he says. “This is something that can come out of nowhere. It’s fun, it’s funny, it’s not so serious. It’s super-energetic, super-accessible.”

Of course, when Rohde says, “nowhere,” he could also be referencing, “Knowhere,” the actual location in the first Guardians film where we first meet The Collector.

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! opens just in time for summer 2017 at Disneyland Resort, and the Summer of Heroes inaugurates an ever-expanding universe of Super Hero stories at Disney California Adventure. In addition, guests in the park’s Hollywood Land will join some favorite Super Heroes for epic, new experiences for a limited time.

But, of course, the main attraction is Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! We loved it—and we’re already planning our next escape. We’ll see you there!

Experience Pandora for Real! What Was It Like for the Cast of Avatar to Go From Screen to Reality?

By Jocelyn Buhlman

They were the first to explore Pandora—but never quite like this.

“It’s bizarre because you’re walking around in James Cameron’s imagination,” says Sam Worthington of the new land opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Saturday. Worthington originally explored Pandora on screen, as Jake Sully in director James Cameron’s film Avatar in 2009.

Sam Worthington
Sam Worthington

Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Grace Augustine in the film) expresses similar sentiments: “It’s just impeccable. The movie is so seamless as an experience. I didn’t think it was possible as a theme park.”

As we continue to prepare for the May 27 opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar, we’ve been keeping up with the celebrations and we had the chance to talk with some of the stars of the original film about what it is like to see the world of Pandora made real.

Cast of Avatar enjoy Pandora - The World of Avatar
(from left to right): Jon Landau, Wes Studi, Joel David Moore, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, CCH Pounder, Bob Iger, Sigourney Weaver, Laz Alonso

The reigning theme is amazement. A world that was previously created through state-of-the-art digital effects is now tangible. Weaver explains, “I didn’t realize it would place you in the world that we spent such a long time imagining. They went to incredible detail—between the sounds and the colors and the drumming —I had to touch the moss to realize it wasn’t real!”

Pandora - The World of Avatar

Though Weaver was well acquainted with Pandora through making the movie, experiencing it at a Disney park was a unique—and emotional—experience. “This is going to change the game for all theme parks, I think, because it’s so immersive,” she explains. “The ride [Avatar Flight of Passage]—which I went on twice because I couldn’t believe it the first time—was so moving. After screaming and laughing and whooping… by the end I was crying because it was so beautiful.”

Flight of Passage

She wasn’t the only cast member who was moved by the attraction. “Zoe Saldana cried openly getting off the ride,” James Cameron told us. Avatar Flight of Passage connects with guests in an unexpected, emotional way. The attraction pulls you right into the world of Pandora. In fact, Cameron told us that Laz Alonso (Tsu’tey) expressed his excitement in the Na’vi language while he enjoyed the attraction.

Cameron has been involved with the attraction from the start. He explains, “I’ve had certain steps along the way where I’ve ridden the ride in development. The jump between the last time I saw it and when I saw it completed was profound. I really just completely surrendered to the experience. Right from the get-go, I was impressed by how they created that sense of transition from that link connection to an Avatar and literally opening my eyes and awakening as an Avatar.”

Avatar Flight of Passage provides an emotional, in-depth experience for fans and park guests alike, but fantastic attraction experiences aren’t the only Disney magic in Pandora. The land not only connects with the guests, but with the overarching message of Animal Kingdom itself.

Pandora - The World of Avatar

Worthington was touched by the Pandora’s themes. He explained, “If the message of Pandora is ‘be careful what you do to this beautiful place,’ hopefully that can reflect back to our own beautiful planet. That’s what I get out of the park.” While Disney’s Animal Kingdom has, until now, taken inspiration from locales here on earth, focusing on the beauty of our home planet, the out-of-this-world land of Pandora continues that message with a twist. Worthington tells us, “Good science fiction reflects on now. This park is education about what we are doing to the ecosystem, animals, and deforestation. I love that it actually reflects our time, and I hope that people stop and notice, and reflect more on our own planet.”

And our home planet helped inspired these unique ride experiences, after all. One of Cameron’s favorite Disney attractions is Soarin’, which guests can enjoy at Disney California Adventure, Epcot, and Shanghai Disneyland. The attraction highlights the beauty of our world in a way that Cameron wanted to highlight in Pandora. “When they told me they wanted to do a banshee ride, I said I wanted it to be Soarin’ over Pandora.” Of course, Avatar Flight of Passage takes smooth sailing and stunning scenery to an out-of-this-galaxy level. Describing his experience on Avatar Flight of Passage, Cameron shares, “I was saying, ‘Wow this is really beautiful, I’d love to hang here for another—aggh!’ and then the Ikran [Banshee] plunges about 300 feet straight down the face of a cliff and you realize it’s a no-kidding, flying ride. I’m flying. It’s just one beautiful vista after another, one death-defying exhilarating plunge after another.”

For both Weaver and Worthington, the Disney connection goes deep, so they were honored to be part of the latest chapter of Disney theme park experiences.

“I love Epcot, and actually my father worked on Epcot,” Weaver recalled, “He [her father, Pat Weaver] was involved in the very early plans for it. He was always going down to Florida in the early days. He was really always living in the future, so it was kind of a natural thing to ask what he thought should be in this world.”

As a father of a boisterous 2-year old, Worthington views Disney parks through a new lens. “You change when you have children. You become less selfish. You enjoy the rides they like. It could be something simple as them seeing Mickey for the first time..”

Overall, both Worthington and Weaver agree that Pandora is nothing like they have ever seen before. “I can imagine moving to Orlando to come here every day,” she says.

James Cameron holding Disney twenty-three
James Cameron holding the Summer 2017 issue of Disney twenty-three

Cameron credits Disney with making his dreams come true. He says, “[Pandora] sets the bar so high. I’ve been involved in rides and shows in the past, I’ve gone on them all. There is nothing remotely close to this. And I get to brag because I didn’t make it—I’m looking at the work of the Imagineering team.”

If you want to see more of the amazing, out-of-this-world land, be sure to check out our coverage on Pandora.

Lin-Manuel Gets Quackin’ and black-ish Gets a Spin-off—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

DuckTales gets a new cast member, and we follow black-ish’s Zoe to college … Read more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

DuckTales

Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins the Cast of New DuckTales

As if the cast of Disney XD’s new DuckTales wasn’t fabulous enough—it features former Doctor Who star David Tennant, Saturday Night Live’s Bobby Moynihan and Beck Bennett, and comedian/actress/ukulele player extraordinaire Kate Micucci—they’ve just gone and upped the coolness factor with their latest addition. Are you ready for everyone’s favorite multi-hyphenate Lin-Manuel Miranda as Gizmoduck? Boy howdy, we sure are! Read up on the huge announcement here.

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
June 3, 2017
D23’s Behind-the-Scenes Experience: A Return to Walt’s Birthplace in Florida
July 14-16, 2017
D23 Expo 2017
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
March 1–May 29, 2017
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
May 27, 2017
Pandora—The World of Avatar opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
May 27, 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy–Mission: BREAKOUT! opening at Disney California Adventure
August 31-November 13, 2017
Epcot Food & Wine Festival
2019
Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Studios
May 26, 2017
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens in theaters
June 16, 2017
Cars 3 opens in theaters
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
July 21, 2017
Disney’s Descendants 2 debuts on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Freeform, Lifetime and ABC (8 p.m. ET)
July 21, 2017
Raven’s Home debuts on Disney Channel (10 p.m. ET)

Speaking (Quacking?) of DuckTales… Check Out This Awesome Mashup!

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Disney XD asked the very talented South Asian a capella group Penn Masala (originally formed, as you might’ve guessed, at the University of Pennsylvania—and now a world-renowned troupe) to take on the fan-favorite DuckTales theme song… and take it on they did. Not only in English, but also in Hindi!

Take a look (and a listen) to the guys in action in the clip, above. And make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the big premiere of Disney XD’s DuckTales later this summer.

Meet the Collector of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!

We first encountered the very weird (but very intriguing) Collector—also known as Taneleer Tivan—in the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, he’s back—and he’s captured his biggest “get” yet, the Guardians themselves! It’s up to you, with a little help from Rocket Raccoon, to break ‘em out of the Collector’s Fortress.

Are you ready? Then head over to Disney California Adventure (DCA) starting this Saturday, May 27, to encounter the brand-new attraction Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT! Benicio Del Toro, who portrayed The Collector in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy, recently visited DCA and spoke with our pals over at the Disney Parks Blog about his involvement in the ride. See what he had to say in the clip above.

college-ish

Follow black-ish’s Zoe to College in New Freeform Spin-Off

One member of the Johnson clan on ABC’s hit show black-ish is about to leave the nest… but that doesn’t mean we won’t get to follow her future exploits. Freeform and black-ish creator Kenya Barris recently announced a spin-off—working title: college-ish—coming to Freeform in early 2018!

college-ish would center on eldest daughter Zoe Johnson, played by Yara Shahidi, as she navigates her first year away at college… where she realizes that not everything goes her way. Yara will be joined by black-ish’s Deon Cole; his character, Charlie Telphy, happens to moonlight as an adjunct marketing professor at Zoe’s school. New characters, both in the administration and the student body, will reflect the complex and hilarious points of views that often populate university campuses.

Executive produced by Barris, Helen Sugland, Brian Dobbins, and black-ish stars Anthony Anderson and Laurence Fishburne, college-ish will be a half-hour, single-camera comedy… Keep your eyes peeled for a firm premiere date soon!

Get Enchanted with Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match for Mobile

Disney Games’ latest mobile game allows you to experience the beloved “tale as old as time” in a whole new way! Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match asks players to solve “match-3” puzzles alongside Belle and the Beast, all while exploring the Beast’s castle and uncovering enchantment in magical places like the Grand Staircase, Belle’s bedroom, and the Dining Room. Players can add their own decorative touch to the castle with more than 150 elegant items, including chairs, paintings, chandeliers, and so much more. They can also interact with favorite characters such as Lumière, Cogsworth, and Garderobe!

Be our guest and take a look at some gameplay in the trailer, above. Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match is available now for free download (with in-app purchases) on the Apple App Store and at Google Play.

Haunted Mansion

In Case You Missed It: 8 Disney Myths Every Disney Fan Needs to Know

If you’re looking to be a big hit at the next trivia night you attend, look no further than D23’s recent rundown of eight intriguing Disney myths that every fan should know. We cover everything from the busts inside Haunted Mansion to what Walt himself may (or may not) have written just before he passed. It’s a smorgasbord of fascinating Disney info and it’s all available to you, dear reader, right here on this very website. Have at it!

Who is Captain Salazar? Javier Bardem Introduces Us to the New Pirates of the Caribbean Villain

By Jim Frye

What’s a hero without a villain?

Scar. Maleficent. Jafar. Darth Vader. And, of course, Cruella De Vil. The greatest movies always have the greatest villains who do the most dastardly deeds imaginable. Whether it’s ensnaring a young mermaid’s poor, unfortunate soul; killing a brother lion and chasing away his young cub; or destroying their daughter’s entire home planet, these baddies usually steal the show.?

And nobody does villains like Disney, as you’ll see on Memorial Day weekend, when the newest villain sails into theaters in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the latest voyage in the Studios’ mega-blockbuster film franchise. What do we know about this villain, and how does he fit into the story?

Captain Salazar from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

For starters, he rises from the depths of the mythic Devil’s Triangle, terrorizing the high seas and giving Captain Jack Sparrow a run for his rum…er, money. He is Captain Salazar, played by Academy Award®-winning actor Javier Bardem, leader of a ghostly crew on a grudge voyage in pursuit of—who else?—Captain Jack Sparrow, again played by the incomparable Johnny Depp. Captain Jack’s only hope of escaping Salazar is to find the fabled Trident of Poseidon, a magical object that gives the possessor control over the oceans.

Captain Salazar and Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Of course, Captain Salazar’s grudge against Sparrow is not without provocation. He blames Jack for his current “dead” situation. That’s because when Salazar was younger and in command of a huge Spanish Navy on a mission to rid the seas of piracy, he crossed paths with a young Captain Jack Sparrow, which resulted in Salazar being trapped in a curse for all his “death”—not all his life, but death. Since then, Salazar has been consumed with finding Sparrow and exacting revenge.

To find out more about this brand-new bad guy, we went straight to the source and asked Bardem if he could give some insight into his character. “I think the character of Salazar will be a lot of fun to watch,” he says, “because he’s dead, but he’s still alive. And he’s got this flavor from Spain. The Spanish flavor had to be there. And by that I mean a very specific energy that he brings, and the way he talks and the way he moves. At the same time, I played him as a wounded bull. He’s a warrior, and he’s a soldier, but we find him in a moment when he is enraged but wounded—like the wounded bull you see in an arena. We worked around that concept.”

Javier Bardem

When it comes to portraying villains, Bardem is a master, having chilled us to the core with his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brother’s Academy Award-winning film No Country for Old Men, and one of the most memorable Bond villains to date, Silva, in the film Skyfall. Reflecting on the various bad guys he’s played, he says, “I like to think that they don’t have anything in common. All of them are different, just like people are all different. In No Country for Old Men, I think Anton was a symbolic figure of death. And in Skyfall, Silva was the other side of the coin from Mr. Bond. But [in Pirates], Salazar is more like an animal, something more organic, more impulsive than any of the roles I’ve played before. He’s more driven by instinct.

“Salazar is very strict,” adds Bardem. “He wants to clean the seas of pirates, so he’s very strict with his own men, even if they are dead—which is kind of funny. I don’t know if Salazar has a heart. He used to have it, but I’m not sure he has it anymore.”

Captain Salazar from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Perhaps this is because Captain Salazar built his entire life on the fact that he was a powerful, feared man of fierce moral rectitude happy to be ridding the world of the menace of pirates. But what happens when someone who is feared and respected suddenly has that power taken from him? “When you take the power away from a person like that, how painful would that be for him?” asks Bardem. “He had it all, then he had nothing. I wanted to bring that pain and rage to that character—that’s why the imagery of the wounded bull makes sense. I took this idea to the directors and they liked it, so they went with it.”

When it comes to experiencing the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, especially this latest, Bardem compares it to the experience that the early sailors had out on the sea—they had only stars to guide them and they often journeyed into “the unknown.” Similarly, the Pirates films—with their tales of treasure maps, sea battles, and swashbuckling pirates—take audiences to places they’ve not been before.

“That’s a beautiful thing for a moviegoer,” says Bardem. “It’s sitting down in the theater and going to the unknown.”

What we do know, however, is that Captain Jack Sparrow is up against his toughest foe yet.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens everywhere May 26.

D23 Fab Five: Julianne Hough’s Favorite Disney Movies

By Ingrid Meilan

It’s no surprise that Julianne Hough is a huge fan of Disney movies. The bubbly dancer, singer, and actress says that the music in Disney films has been something she’s loved for as long as she can remember. “Honestly, I just love every song that’s in all of these movies,” the Dancing with the Stars judge tells D23, “and I know every word!”

Hough, who helped decide the Mirrorball trophy winner last night on Dancing with the Stars’ season 24 finale before heading back on the road with brother Derek on their MOVE: Beyond tour, took a break from her busy schedule to share her “Fab Five” favorite Disney movies with D23.

The Little Mermaid

1. The Little Mermaid
“I’ve loved this movie since I was a little girl. I used to dance around the house singing ‘Part of Your World’ constantly!”

Beauty and the Beast

2. Beauty and the Beast
“I played a ‘silly girl’ and a napkin in my high school’s production of Beauty and the Beast! I recently saw the new live-action version while I was on tour and I absolutely loved it!”

Aladdin

3. Aladdin
“Aladdin was my first crush! I also loved that Jasmine had a pet tiger and Aladdin had Abu! I definitely wanted a pet tiger and a monkey as kid.”

The Lion King

4. The Lion King
“This powerful story of figuring out who you are and who you want to become is timeless. And I love the element of unpredictable friendships that help shape you through your journey of life!”

Tinker Bell

5. Peter Pan
“When I was growing up, my friends used to call me ‘Tink’! I still love Tinker Bell so much that I even dressed up like her for Dancing with the Stars’ Disney Week this season!”

Celebrate the Dedication of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World

(from left to right): Jon Landau, Wes Studi, Joel David Moore, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, CCH Pounder, Bob Iger, Sigourney Weaver, Laz Alonso

By Nicole Nalty

Just this morning, the newest land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened following a special dedication ceremony, which began with a stunning performance by a band of Pandoran drummers and dancers. Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger then took the stage to honor this historic moment in the Walt Disney World Resort’s history. “Walt Disney famously said that it’s kind of fun to do the impossible,” Iger remarked, after pausing for a moment to take in the vast wonder of the floating mountains of the valley of Mo’ara, “and it’s a sentiment that captures the soul of our company, reflecting the optimistic spirit that really drives everything that we do.” He then acknowledged the incredible work of Walt Disney Imagineering, singling out Portfolio Creative Executive Joe Rohde, who served as both a “creative and spiritual leader” during the development of the new land.

Pandora - The World of AVATAR grand opening
Disney Chairman and CEO, Bob Iger and Avatar director, James Cameron take the stage during the Pandora – The World of Avatar dedication ceremony.

As Disney fans know, the new land has come to life thanks to an incredible collaboration between Disney and Avatar director James Cameron. As Iger shared, “Working with Jim Cameron and his team, notably Jon Landau, was a dream come true for all of us, as we pushed the limits of creativity and innovation to bring the digital world of Pandora to the real world of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.” The opening of Pandora ­– The World of Avatar is quite literally a dream come true for James, who first envisioned the intergalactic world in a dream at age 19. “It’s a spectacular, very surreal day for me, and thank you so much to everyone at Disney who made today a reality,” Cameron said during the dedication ceremony. “Pandora and Disney’s Animal Kingdom both inspire us to understand and respect the natural world and our place in it.”

Pandora - The World of AVATAR grand opening
Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Bob Chapek and Disney Chairman and CEO, Bob Iger in front of the floating mountains in Pandora – The World of Avatar.

Explore more of this amazing new land here.

Find Out Which Music Makers You Can Meet at D23 Expo

By D23 Team

Disney Music Emporium returns to D23 Expo to celebrate the sounds, songs, and stars of Disney music past and present. The pop-up store, located on the show floor, will feature awesome products and a chance to meet some of the men and women behind favorite Disney tunes!

Album signings at the Disney Music Emporium shop include Oscar®– and Grammy®-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out, Disney•Pixar’s Up), composer Tyler Bates (Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1), Auli’i Cravalho (voice of Moana), Dove Cameron (Descendants 2, Liv and Maddie), Sofia Carson (Descendants 2), and Lorelay Bove (Visual Development Artist, Walt Disney Animation Studios), plus Hollywood Records artists Jordan Fisher and Temecula Road. With the purchase of select music products at the Disney Music Emporium Pavilion, guests will be issued a wristband to secure a space for an album signing.

Disney Music Emporium

The pop-up store will feature a wide assortment of music products, including new releases from some of Disney’s latest films including Moana, Beauty and the Beast, Guardians of the Galaxy (how awesome is this mixtape?), plus lithographs, turntables, and posters. Plus, Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection Robin Hood will be available for the first time, featuring previously unreleased demos, bonus tracks performed by Louis Prima, and more. Theme park fans will be delighted by picture discs celebrating favorite attractions like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and it’s a small world.

Disney Music Emporium

Stay tuned for more D23 Expo updates!