Home Sweet Home: 5 Can’t-Miss Gingerbread Houses at Disney Parks and Resorts

December 7, 2016January 6, 2017

By Nicole Nalty

There’s no place like home for the holidays…but a visit to the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resorts is a close second! If you’re heading on a Disney vacation this holiday season, it will be hard to miss all of the delightful décor––but make sure you keep an eye out for these sweet houses. Here are a few of our favorites:

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
This house takes inspiration from the hotel’s namesake––the truly grand gingerbread house stands at 16 feet high and uses 1,050 pounds of honey and 800 pounds of flour. Not to mention the 400 hours it takes just to bake the gingerbread! Stop by any day (excluding Sundays) to see gingerbread house decorating demonstrations in the lobby.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
Speaking of grand, over in California you’ll find another grand home––modeled after Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa itself––inside the lobby. At seven feet tall and 12 feet wide, look for details like the Grand Californian Hotel’s iconic stained-glass sliding doors on this “Grand” Gingerbread House.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Hop off the monorail in the Grand Canyon Concourse and make your way over to this Frozen-inspired gingerbread holiday castle. Disney fans will notice the design style as an homage to Disney Legend Mary Blair, whose mural towers high above this seasonal sweet. There are 16 hidden Olafs in this castle––can you find them all?

Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland Park
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention this happy haunt…Celebrating its 15th year, this year’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house celebrates Sally’s arrival. The house, made by stitching together different gingerbread houses and treats to create one frightful delight, contains 200 pounds of gingerbread, 200 pounds of powdered sugar, and 1/3 pound of glitter.

Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts
Our final entry technically isn’t a house, but it’s so impressive we just had to include it! The beach may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Christmas, but this almost unbelievable gingerbread creation may change your mind. Made with 36 pounds of honey, 96 pounds of floor, 100 pounds of icing, this Holiday Carousel is so realistic––and it actually spins! Hidden character hunters should be on the lookout for 17 hidden Mickeys.

Breaking News from Duckburg—New DuckTales Image Revealed!

December 7, 2016

By Beth Deitchmnan

With the holidays upon us, there’s a lot of “Ho, ho, ho-ing” in the air. But this morning, we’re hearing a rousing chorus of “Woo-oos,” thanks to the release of a brand-new image from the new DuckTales series—making its debut, as we learned today, on Disney XD in Summer 2017! And in the spirit of the season, Disney XD also shared the gift of a teaser for the series, which will make its broadcast debut this Friday on Disney Channel, during Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special.

There’s so much to see in the new image that it’s safe to say DuckTales is going to be quite the thrill ride, with returning favorites Scrooge McDuck and Donald Duck featured prominently, along with Scrooge’s mischievous grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie. But check out the backseat, and you’ll notice that Webby (aka Webbigail Vanderquack, the granddaughter of Mrs. Beakley, Scrooge’s housekeeper) is back—and we’re beyond excited to see Launchpad McQuack, Scrooge McDuck’s pilot, behind the wheel.

The new series from Disney Television Animation will be executive-produced by Annie Award nominee Matt Youngberg (Ben 10: Omniverse), with story editor/co-producer Francisco Angones (Disney XD’s Emmy®-nominated Wander Over Yonder) and art director Sean Jimenez (Disney XD’s Annie Award-winning Gravity Falls) rounding out the creative team.

So tune in to Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special on Disney Channel this Friday, December 9, and stay tuned to D23.com for all the news from Duckburg. Summer can’t come soon enough!

Jimmy Kimmel to Host the Oscars—Plus More in News Briefs

December 6, 2016December 6, 2016

By Courtney Potter

Jimmy Kimmel to Host the 2017 Oscars® on ABC

He’s had a great 2016, and now it’s looking like Jimmy Kimmel is off to an amazing start for the new year! After successfully hosting this year’s Emmy® Awards, Jimmy has been tapped to host the 2017 Academy Awards®—set to air this February, exclusively on ABC.

Jimmy announced his new gig via Twitter, saying, “Yes, I am hosting the Oscars. This is not a prank. And if it is, my revenge on @TheAcademy will be terrible & sweet.”

So mark those calendars! The Oscars will bring all the glitz and glamour Hollywood has to offer to ABC on February 26. Expect a few of Jimmy’s now-patented Matt Damon jokes, too…

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
December 11, 2016
Holiday Gingerbread House Workshop at Downtown Disney
December 13, 2016
D23’s Disney Springs Holiday Celebration
December 13, 2016
D23’s Moonlight and Mistletoe Dinner
July 14-16, 2017
D23 Expo 2017
Studios
December 16, 2016
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters
February 16, 18 and 22, 2017
Newsies in select movie theaters
March 17, 2017
Beauty and the Beast opens in theaters
May 26, 2017
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
opens in theaters

Parks
November 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29; December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World Resort
November 10–January 8, 2017
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort
November 11–January 8, 2017
Holidays at Disney Springs
January 20, 2017
Main Street Electrical Parade returns to Disneyland park
August 31-November 13, 2017
Epcot Food & Wine Festival
Television
December 1-25, 2016
Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas
December 25, 2016
The Disney Parks’ Magical Christmas Celebration, 9–11 a.m. on ABC
January 15, 2017
Mickey and the Roadster Racers Premieres at 9 and 9:25 a.m. ET on Disney Channel and Disney Junior
February 26, 2017
The Oscars® are broadcast on ABC

Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical—In Cinemas This February!

Ready to “Seize the Day” in a whole new way? Disney Theatrical Productions has partnered with Fathom Events (the leaders in entertainment events broadcast to the big screen) to bring their Tony Award®-winning smash hit musical Newsies to cinemas across the country. And they’ll “open the gates” for a rare three-day event this February! Check out the brand-new official trailer for the exclusive experience, above.

Filmed live this past September at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre—with several members of the original Broadway cast, including Tony® nominee Jeremy Jordan (Jack Kelly), Kara Lindsay (Katherine Plummer), Ben Fankhauser (Davey), and Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Crutchie)—Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical will also include exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and creators.

Tickets for the three showings—on February 16, 18, and 22—and information about the select 700 movie theaters participating can be found at FathomEvents.com.

Brand-New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Teaser Trailer

So we don’t get to revisit with Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot ‘til next summer—but the good news is, we’ve just gotten our hands on a brand-new teaser trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! Check out the clip—which premiered over the weekend at Comic Con Experience 2016 in Sao Paulo, Brazil—above.

We’re not sure what we like most—watching our intrepid anti-heroes zooming around space once again, or how unbelievably adorable lil’ baby Groot is. Those eyes! That voice! We can’t take it!

Look for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in a cinema near you on May 5!

Epcot’s Spaceship Earth Transformed into Star Wars Death Star

Big Star Wars fun at Walt Disney Resort this week… To celebrate all the massively cool additions inspired by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, our pals down at Epcot got into the Force-full spirit by transforming their giant Spaceship Earth into the Death Star! Some lucky Star Wars fans and Disney Parks Blog readers got to experience this totally unique event up close and personal. But if you couldn’t make it yourself, never fear! We’ve got some video of the amazing transformation, above.

Additionally, during the meet-up, actor Mads Mikkelsen—who plays Galen Erso in Rogue One—made a surprise appearance and took part in a quick (but fun!) Q&A session with the audience. Among the night’s other big announcements was the news that the film’s Advanced Weapons Research (AWR) Troopers are coming soon to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, along with new Rogue One props that will be joining the Star Wars Launch Bay, where making-of footage will be added to the Launch Bay Theater. (West Coasters, fret not—similar updates will be found at Disneyland’s Star Wars Launch Bay.) But wait, there’s more: Fan fave nighttime show Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular will return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on December 16 and will join Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! as a second nightly fireworks spectacular through December 31. And! A new Star Wars Guided Tour is also in the works for the ultimate Star Wars fan visiting the park. So many Star Wars goodies, so little time; stay tuned for more info on all of the above as it becomes available…

Disney Junior’s Mickey and the Roadster Racers—Premiering on January 15

Oh boy! The latest madcap animated adventure for the preschool set from Disney Junior, Mickey and the Roadster Racers, will make its TV debut at 9 and 9:25 a.m. EST on Sunday, January 15—with a big simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Two more episodes will premiere the next day, Monday, January 16 (at 9 and 9:25 a.m. EST), on Disney Channel.

The series—set to premiere internationally throughout 2017—takes our pal Mickey Mouse and the gang, along with their unique transforming vehicles, on hilarious, high-spirited races all over the world… as well as plenty of shenanigans in their hometown of Hot Dog Hills. Off the racetrack, Minnie and Daisy run their own successful business as Happy Helpers—solving problems for anyone in need of a helping hand. Meant for kids ages 2 through 7, the stories are designed to convey lessons about friendship, teamwork, optimism, and good sportsmanship.

NASCAR stars Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, and Jeff Gordon will recur on the series as race car drivers Jiminy Johnson, Danni Sue, and Gordon Gear, respectively. Additional guest stars include TV personality Jay Leno as announcer Billy Beagle; Tim Gunn (Project Runway) as Robbie Roberts; Tony Shalhoub (Monk) as Luigi (yes, it might just be his character from Disney•Pixar’s Cars!); and comedian/writer Patton Oswalt as Mr. McSnorter.

Main Street Electrical Parade Returns to Disneyland Resort January 20

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! A few months ago, we clued you into some very exciting news: The legendary Main Street Electrical Parade would be returning to Disneyland Park for a limited time. And now, we can give you a specific date to circle on your calendar: January 20, 2016!

This “encore” performance will run nightly until June 18—which will mark a full 45 years since the parade first lit up Main Street, U.S.A., in 1972! During this limited-time celebration, guests will also enjoy special merchandise and food offerings inspired by the Main Street Electrical Parade; keep your eyes peeled here, and with our pals over at Disney Parks Blog, for more info.

Minnie’s Milk-and-Cookie Mini-Cups

December 6, 2016July 16, 2018

Help Santa get through a long winter’s night with Minnie’s milk-and-cookie mini-cups.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray
Brown melting chocolate (milk chocolate)
Milk

Special Materials

Stainless steel shot glasses

Directions

Prepping the dough:
1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 or 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix on low speed to incorporate.
3. Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
4. Remove from mixer and gently mix in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
5. Roll the dough on wax paper to a quarter-inch thick. Place onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Chilling the dough prevents it from spreading while baking.)

Baking the cookies:
6. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Lightly spray the insides of the stainless steel shot glasses with nonstick cooking spray.
8. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and break off a piece, enough to create a shot glass shape inside the shot glass (the serving will vary depending how big the glass is). Press the dough firmly at the bottom and against the walls of the shot glass, making sure it’s tightly packed. Leave a well in the middle big enough to pour the milk in to.
9. Bake shot glasses about 15–20 minutes. Check first to see if they’re ready at 15 minutes; if not, continue baking until the top edge begins to brown.
10. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, turn stainless steel shot glasses upside down to gently ease the mini-cup cookies out.

Coating the mini-cup cookies with chocolate:
11. Place milk chocolate in a microwave-proof container and heat in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until melted.
12. Pour melted chocolate into the insides of each mini-cup, swirling the chocolate to make sure it completely coats the surface. (If not, once milk is poured into the cookie mini-cup, it will start to soften and break down the cookie.) If necessary, use a butter knife to apply chocolate to any uncoated parts.
13. Chill cookie mini-cups in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes, allowing the chocolate to harden and cool.
14. Take cookie mini-cups out of the refrigerator. Fill each one with milk before serving.

Make Your House a Holiday Winner with Help from The Great Christmas Light Fight Judges

December 6, 2016January 10, 2017

By Beth Deitchman

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go!

From store windows and Disney theme parks to homes in your very own neighborhood, December brings shorter days that give way to festive light displays that, quite literally, make the season merry and bright. But if you haven’t started decorating your house—or if you simply don’t even know how to begin—we’ve pulled in some experts. The Great Christmas Light Fight returned to ABC this week with a host of holiday homes whose owners are each battling to be the brightest bearer of holiday cheer. We spoke with the series’ co-hosts, Taniya Nayak and Carter Oosterhouse, and asked them to share some of their expertise with Disney fans.

Both Taniya, an interior designer, and Carter, a designer and builder, stress that it can be “illuminating” to focus less upon lights and more upon the story that you want to tell with the decorations you place around your house. “I think that a great design starts with a story or a theme and that kind of creates the whole picture,” Taniya says, elaborating, “And that applies both with interior and all the way to your Christmas lights display. We’ve found that there are a lot of stories that we were kind of able to feel connected to, and it’s a great way to keep that theme together and stay focused on what you’re doing with your lights.”

A mistake many people make, Carter says, is to use too many lights. “They will throw lights on one side of the house and just put them everywhere. It’s just like in your home, when you walk into your living room and there’s not a healthy balance between your sofa and your other furniture around your living room. It’s the same with Christmas lights if there’s not a healthy balance, because there are too many lights over here and not enough over there. That can really be offsetting to the eye.” The analogy Taniya makes is to a good outfit that becomes a great one when you remove a single element, “to make it nice and clean,” she explains.

And, Taniya suggests, there’s an easy way to achieve that when you’re lighting your house: “Just follow the lines of your house. Do a nice outline—clean lines are always fun.”

When it comes to inspiration, you can look to local houses that catch your eye—and, of course, the spectacular displays on The Great Christmas Light Fight—but both Carter and Taniya stress that childhood memories can burn brighter than the most elaborate décor. Carter points out, “This year [on the show] we saw a lot of nostalgia, where people were bringing in older elements that they brought from the ’50s and ’60s, which was really cool because they refurbished them. They used pieces that were from the town where they grew up, and that brought back memories for them.” But what surprised Taniya, she says, is, “That randomly brought back memories for me—not that I grew up in these towns, but when I was a little kid I remember how these nativity scenes and inflatables looked.” Vintage pieces are a wonderful touch, Carter says, because “you can definitely tell whether it was made last week or was made in the sixties. You can see the difference.”

Taniya and Carter have both met Disney fans who have gone to great lengths to infuse their homes with that special Disney magic. “I went to a house this season and this guy is just head over heels in love with it’s a small world—and so am I,” Taniya remembers, sharing, “Every single year that I was going to Walt Disney World we would end on it’s a small world. It was my favorite, and the one that I always wanted to remember.” Taniya was blown away by the homeowner’s use of animatronics and music. “It was crazy in the best way,” she marvels.

At another home, Carter recalls a house that used a Disney castle as a background, with fireworks simulated by lighting effects. The foreground boasted large video screens that featured clips from Disney movies, pieced together to tell the story of the display. “It was way over the top but very Disney,” Carter says, and he noticed an extra sprinkling of pixie dust as he saw the excitement the display brought to onlookers. “The cool thing that we realized is that these people within the town may or may not have been able to get to Disney theme parks, so these guys brought Disney to them within their little town—which was so special.”

Taniya reveals that while it can be competitive, holiday lighting rarely turns into a heated battle. “It’s actually the opposite,” she says. “There’s a big Christmas light display community, and people within the community help each other out, which is so fitting.” Tune in as the The Great Christmas Light Fight continues on December 12 (with episodes airing at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC.

Mickey Mouse Felt Ornament

December 5, 2016January 8, 2018

Add some Mickey Mouse joy to your Christmas tree with this Mickey Mouse felt ornament.

Materials

D23 Mickey Mouse felt ornament template
Scissors
Black felt
Red felt
Glue
Hot glue gun
2 white buttons, each one about 1/2 inch diameter
Satin ribbon or string, 8 inches long

Directions
1. Print our Mickey Mouse felt ornament template and cut out figures A and B.
2. Use the Mickey head template (figure A) as a guide to cut out Mickey’s head in black felt.
3. Use figure B as a guide to cut out the half-moon shape in red felt.
4. Apply glue to the back of the red felt and place it on top of the black felt so that the curved edge of the red felt sits perfectly along the curved edge of the black felt. Press down firmly on the red felt to help it stick.
5. Position the two white buttons onto the red felt as pictured and affix using hot glue.
6. Make a loop with the ribbon and affix to the top back of the ornament using a hot glue gun.

Reindeer Cookies

December 4, 2016November 30, 2020

A sweet treat to share with those near and deer to your heart.

Ingredients

Brown melting chocolate (milk chocolate)
Peanut-shaped peanut butter sandwich cookies
Mini pretzels
Candy eyeballs
Mini red chocolate-covered candies

Directions
1. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside.
2. Place brown melting milk chocolate in a microwave-proof container and heat in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until melted.
3. Dunk peanut butter sandwich cookies in melted chocolate, coating it all over. Place cookies on cookie sheet for decorating.
4. Place mini pretzels on the top one-third of the cookie for Rudolph’s “antlers.”
5. Place a pair of candy eyeballs below the antlers, then place a single piece of red chocolate-covered candy for Rudolph’s “nose.”
6. Let cookies chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, allowing the chocolate to harden and cool.

7 Ways To Prepare For Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

December 2, 2016

By Jocelyn Buhlman

We’re only weeks away from the premiere of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in theaters December 16—but for fans like us, the release date feels far, far away. Patience, young Star Wars fan… There is much for you to learn while you wait to find out what will happen to Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and their band of rebels. Do you know exactly how Rogue One fits into the Star Wars universe? The movie is set after the prequel trilogy (Episodes I–III), but before the original trilogy (Episodes IV–VI), a 16-year gap that establishes the rise of the galactic empire and the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Sure, we know that Rogue One is the story of how the Rebel Alliance stole the Death Star plans, but do we really know what is happening in the Star Wars galaxy during this time of civil war? Well, while you are crossing off the days on your calendar, waiting until it’s December 16, here’s what you might do to prepare for Rogue One and catch up on any intergalactic adventures you might have missed.

Read About What Happened After the Prequels
So you’ve watched all the Star Wars prequels and you’re well-versed in the tragic tale of Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side… but do you know what happens next? Rogue One takes place 16 years after Revenge of the Sith, and a whole galaxy’s worth of adventures have happened in that time period. Fortunately, there are plenty of novels out there to take you on the adventures that happened after Anakin took the name Vader, but before the Rebel Alliance started hunting Death Star plans. Novels of note include Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnson, the tale of Anakin’s former Jedi apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, after she leaves the Jedi Order. If you have a taste for the Dark Side and are eager to see how a young Darth Vader may play a role in Rogue One, then crack open Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Klemp, which chronicles Darth Vader’s life as a Sith Lord just after Revenge of the Sith. If you’re less interested in devotion to ancient religions and would rather take a more imperial approach to your evil, then learn about how the infamous Grand Moff Tarkin became overseer of the Death Star in the novel Tarkin by James Luceno. Whether you read one novel or all three, the adventures will have you sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation for Rogue One!

Join the Rebellion with Star Wars Rebels
Revenge of the Sith is sequentially the last Star Wars film to occur before Rogue One, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more adventures you can watch to get ready for the latest Star Wars installment. The TV show Star Wars Rebels, airing on Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD, takes place two years before Rogue One. Chronicling the adventures of a group of Rebel Alliance members, the show explores the galaxy in the face of a growing Empire, a budding rebellion, and the last few remaining Jedi. You’ll see everything from a young Princess Leia serving as a rebel agent, to Grand Moff Tarkin’s early team-ups with Darth Vader, to the epic showdown between master and apprentice as Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker face each other for the first time since Order 66. There’s already three seasons of rebellions and adventures for you to watch, so you can get your intergalactic thrills while waiting for December 16!

Marvel at the Comic Book Adventures
If you’re still curious about what was happening before Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor lead their team on a certain rebel mission, you can follow the adventures of Kanan, Jedi hero of Star Wars Rebels before he became a member of the Ghost crew. In the Star Wars: Kanan comics, you can explore the Star Wars galaxy after Order 66 wiped out all the Jedi… except for two, Jedi Master Depa Bilba, and her apprentice, Kanan Jarrus. Rogue One explores the Star Wars galaxy when there are no Jedi left, but these comics explore what happens when you’re the only Jedi left. On the Sith side of things, you can always pick up an issue of Darth Vader to help you get hyped for his appearance in Rogue One. The comics cover his search for Luke Skywalker after A New Hope, and feature fan-favorite archeologist Doctor Aphra, who will be receiving her own comic series starting December 7! While you’re waiting to find out whether Jyn Erso and her forces of good succeed in their mission, be sure to pick up the first issue of Doctor Aphra to see what kinds of missions the forces of bad are pursing.

Arm Yourself with Rogue One Novels
Now that you have fully immersed yourself in the budding Rebel Alliance, the rising Empire, and the struggling Jedi, you’re ready to get right into the story of Rogue One. That’s where the novel Catalyst by James Luceno comes into play: Read about the life of Galen Erso, Jyn’s father, and how he came to work for the Empire. This novel serves as a prequel to Rogue One, and if you want to read what happens next, make sure to preorder the Rogue One novelization (in bookstores December 20) so you can read it and relive the movie as soon as possible!

Experience Star Wars at the Disney Parks
You’ve read the books, watched the shows, bought all the comics… What’s left for you to do while you wait for Rogue One? How about experience Star Wars in real life?! At Disneyland, you can be in the middle of an action-packed space battle between X-Wings and TIE fighters on Hyperspace Mountain. At both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can face off against the forces of darkness by experiencing the Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, where you have a chance to fight Darth Vader, the Seventh Sister Inquisitor, and other sinister Sith. If you still can’t get enough Star Wars, both Disneyland and Disney World offer plenty of other Star Wars experiences, like the classic attraction Star Tours, the new Star Wars Launch Bay, and more. You’ll feel like you’re part of the Rebel Alliance and be ready to save the galaxy again and again!

Become A Force For Change and Save Our World
Once you’re done saving the rest of the galaxy, stop by Target to help save our world. As part of the Star Wars: Force For Change campaign, Force 4 Fashion donates $5 of every T-shirt sold to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of UNICEF kid power. The Star Wars: Force For Change campaign aims to inspire people to make a positive impact, so be sure to check out their website for other ways you can help bring the Light Side of the Force to our world!

(Of Course) Have a Star Wars Movie Marathon
No Star Wars movie preparation would be complete without the final, crucial step. Gather up your usual rogue’s gallery, make some festive Star Wars-themed snacks, and put on your favorite Star Wars movie. No matter if you’re watching them in release date order or chronological order, seeing the saga of the Skywalker family on your TV screen will only make you more excited to see Rogue One! Whether you and your friends spend the whole time discussing fan theories (Who is Rey’s father? How did Maz Kanata get Anakin’s lightsaber? What does Kylo Ren use to keep his hair looking so good under his helmet?) or take in every scene in awed silence, you know you’ll be full of that Star Wars spirit and ready for December 16. May the Force be with us all until then!

Restoring History: Walt Disney’s Birthplace

December 2, 2016March 31, 2017

By Nicole Nalty

Earlier this year, D23 took a closer look at the efforts to restore the Disney Family home in Chicago. Roy Oliver, Walter Elias, and Ruth Disney were born (in 1893, 1901, and 1903, respectively) in this very special house before the family moved to Marceline, Missouri in 1906. D23 Gold Members were the first group ever to tour the historic location during its restoration effort. Roy P. Disney—son of Roy E. Disney—even stopped by for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.

We’re excited to share photos of the progress made since this event in March, including a new fence and finished exterior. Check back here for more updates from this exciting project.

Update – 12/21
On the evening of Monday, December 5, the 115th anniversary of Walt Disney’s birth, friends and fans gathered at Walt Disney’s birthplace. The house glittered with holiday decorations as local children sang Christmas carols and special guest Rahm Emanuel, the Mayor of Chicago, declared December 5 to be “Walt Disney Day.” Tripp Avenue, the street on which the historic home resides, was officially re-dedicated as “Honorary Disney Family Avenue,” and new street signs were unveiled.

From the Disney College Program to Celebrity Chef: Art Smith Comes Home to Disney Springs

December 2, 2016December 2, 2016

By Jeffrey Epstein

Chef Art Smith has come home—literally and figuratively. The celebrity chef, whose incredibly popular Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming opened at Disney Springs this past July, is returning to his culinary and educational roots. In 1981, Smith was in the first Magic Kingdom College Program (now known as the Walt Disney World College Program), where he was able to cut his teeth (or rather, sharpen his knives) in the kitchen. “I baked cakes in Central Foods,” he recalls, standing on the porch of Homecoming in a crisp, white chef’s coat. It’s a cool fall evening in Orlando, and his restaurant is buzzing with guests, enjoying his food and the cozy design of the warm space. Photos of Smith are peppered on the wall, including images of his family’s visits to the resort, as well as pictures from his time in the college program. “I remember my mother came here and celebrated her birthday—they stayed at the Treehouses in Fort Wilderness. I baked her birthday cake here. She still says it was the best cake she ever had,” he says.

Smith, now a two-time James Beard Foundation award winner, fondly remembers his original stint at Disney. “Being in the first college program was an opportunity to learn about the Disney way,” he explains. “I wanted to learn the magic of running a company, and Disney does that better than anybody. Being a part of the program—Snow White Village, Seven Dwarfs Lane, and among all those crazy kids—I learned a lot of great lessons. Most of all, I learned the lesson of team spirit. It’s carried through my whole life and my career. One of the things I tell students is that it’s so important to do good internships because they follow you through your whole life. I’m very proud of it.”

With restaurants in Naples, Florida; Chicago; Atlanta and Washington, D.C., Smith has a lot to be proud of—including a 10-year run as Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef. “Be authentic,” he says, is the best life lesson he learned from the star, who lent her voice to Eudora, Tiana’s mother in The Princess and the Frog, and who will appear in Disney’s upcoming A Wrinkle in Time.

A longtime Disney fan (he counts Mary Poppins and Maleficent as two of his film favorites), Smith recalls having a passion for the parks before he ever set foot in the Magic Kingdom. “When I was a little, itsy-bitsy kid, in 1964 or ’65 my grandmother took my uncle and aunt to the World’s Fair in New York. They came back with an LP of it’s a small world. I loved that record—I played it over and over and over again.” When he came to Walt Disney World for the first time in 1972, the attraction instantly became his favorite. He’s also a fan of the creators behind-the-scenes, and is especially passionate about the work of Mary Blair, both on it’s a small world and beyond. “The artwork in the Contemporary is beautiful,” he says of the 90-foot-tall mural in the Grand Canyon Concourse of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. “She was such an amazing artist.”

And a passion for Disney runs in his family. Smith and his husband, Jesus, have four adopted children who are already big Disney fans. (“Star Wars—and princesses for the girls,” he notes with a smile.) The family lives in his hometown of Jasper, Florida—about two hours from the resort. “We don’t come that often because I don’t want to spoil them,” he says. “They love it here.” They also love the delicious Florida-inspired cuisine Smith whips up at Homecoming—which includes a savory fried chicken, buttery shrimp and grits, and a must-try Hummingbird Cake dessert. “They are the restaurant critics,” he says with a laugh, noting he hopes their interest in his food could lead them to an interest in his business. “I want them to be a part of this as they get older—if they want to.” Sounds pretty sweet (and savory!) to us.