Wintry Wizardry at Frozen – Live at the Hyperion—Plus More in News Briefs

April 20, 2016

By Courtney Potter

Wintry Wizardry at DCA’s Frozen – Live at the Hyperion

We’re a little over a month away from the big debut of Disney California Adventure’s newest production, Frozen – Live at the Hyperion—which means there’s all kinds of magic occurring behind the proverbial scenes. Lucky for us, our pals over at the Disney Parks Blog recently visited with Disneyland Resort Technical Director Mitch Atkins to get a special look at what it takes to bring a show of this magnitude to life!

The folks at Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment partnered with Tony^® Award-nominated scenic designer Robert Brill (Broadway’s Guys and Dolls and Cabaret) to produce set pieces that will help bring the story of Frozen to life, in a totally unique way! Catch a glimpse of the brand-new Frozen – Live at the Hyperion set—and how the audience will be surrounded by all kinds of frosty fun—in the new clip, above. Mark those calendars: The show opens to the public on May 27!

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
April 20
D23 Member Night at Newsies—On Tour in Portland, Oregon
May 20
Mickey’s of Glendale • Orlando Shopping Event
May 21
Finding Nemo: D23 in the Big Blue World (Florida)
June 4
D23’s Afternoon in the Sea: Finding Nemo
June 8
D23 Member Night at Newsies—On Tour in Salt Lake City, Utah
August 22-26
D23 Presents Aloha Aulani!
November 19-20
D23 Destination D: Amazing Adventures
Studios
May 6
Captain America: Civil War opens in theaters.
May 27
Alice Through the Looking Glass opens in theaters.
June 17
Finding Dory opens in theaters.
July 1
The BFG opens in theaters.
August 12
Pete’s Dragon opens in theaters.
November 23
Moana opens in theaters.
December 16
Rogue One opens in theaters.

Parks
March 2—May 30
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
April 1-May 1
Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
June 16
Shanghai Disney Resort to open
September 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 29, 30 and October 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World Resort
November 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29 and December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World Resort
Television
May 1
Disney Channel Presents the Radio Disney Music Awards airs on Disney Channel from 7–9 p.m. EST

Oscar Isaac and BB-8 Show Their Force for Star Wars: Force for Change

Star Wars: Force for Change—the charitable initiative that inspires people to make a positive impact on the world—is currently busy matching the donations of Star Wars fans to four select charities since April 5, up to a whopping $1,000,000… and it’s all leading to “Star Wars Day” on May the 4th.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Oscar Isaac, along with everyone’s favorite new droid pal BB-8, recently announced this week’s Force for Change incentive: The first four people to donate or raise at least $500 will have the chance to win a Star Wars prize pack including a BB-8 powered by Sphero (seriously one of the coolest toys out there right now!), signed by producer Kathleen Kennedy and director J.J. Abrams. If that wasn’t motivation enough, the top fundraiser this week has the chance to win a tour of Lucasfilm in San Francisco, with a screening of their favorite Star Wars movie while there!

Check out the clip, above—and then visit Crowdrise.com/ForceForChange for all the interplanetary info you’ll need.

Get Your Head in the Game… Literally: High School Musical 4 is Now Casting

Do you love the tuneful, heartwarming Disney Channel juggernaut that is High School Musical? (If you’re anything like us, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”) And are you—or is a talented someone you know—between the ages of 14 and 17? Well then, have we got some amazing news for you: High School Musical 4 has just begun an online casting search.

Video auditions will be accepted now through Monday, May 2, via the Disney Applause App—which is available on both iOS and Android. Guidelines on how to submit your audition video (and a brief scene) are obtainable over at www.DisneyChannel.com/opencall, as are all the official rules.

High School Musical 4 will continue the story of the HSM franchise and will introduce audiences to a slew of new East High Wildcats… as well as their crosstown school rivals, the West High Knights. Jeffrey Hornaday (Disney Channel’s Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2) will direct and choreograph. Break a leg, auditioners!

Celebrate Earth Month with Disney Infinity 3.0 and World Wildlife Fund

Here’s a meaningful and fun way to celebrate our planet: Disney Interactive is collaborating with Apple and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on the Apps for Earth global campaign to raise awareness and direct funds to a very important cause—and it’s all in honor of Earth Month! As part of the Apps for Earth promotion, Disney Infinity is now offering an exclusive Disney Infinity: Toy Box 3.0 WWF Pack for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, consisting of new figures featuring Zootopia’s Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, and The Jungle Book’s Baloo; a Tantor the Elephant Power Disc; two Lion King-themed Power Discs; and several exclusive Toy Boxes, themed to different environments from around the world.

All proceeds from the purchase of the bundle and in-app purchases will benefit the WWF, whose mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Interested? The bundle is available for $4.99, now through Sunday, April 24; visit the “bundles” section in the in-app store of Disney Infinity: Toy Box 3.0 to download!

#TeamIronMan Gets a Big Endorsement

As the lead-up to Captain America: Civil War continues, much of the cast and crew find themselves in exotic locals to promote and premiere the film. Case in point: Their recent trip to Paris, during which Tony “Iron Man” Stark (the always-hilarious Robert Downey, Jr.) visited with the “Iron Lady” herself—the Eiffel Tower.

If you were wondering whose side the Tower was on, take a gander at the fantastic clip above and wonder no more…

Freeform’s “Funday” Weekend—This Saturday and Sunday!

What better way to spend a weekend than with a host of your favorite Disney characters? The adventure begins when this month’s “Funday” weekend programming event kicks off on Freeform this Saturday, April 23, and continues through Sunday, April 24.

Animation fans should especially take note: Highlights of the programming block will include racing with Lightning McQueen in Disney•Pixar’s Cars 2; tagging along with The Incredibles; and exploring outer space with adorable WALL•E.

Take a gander at Freeform.go.com/schedule to plan your weekend… then pop some corn, settle in, and enjoy! We know we will!

Disney’s The BFG to get Cannes Film Festival Premiere

Few film festivals have the same cachet as the yearly, star-studded event in Cannes, France. Founded in 1946, the festival has heralded the arrival of history-making movies like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Pulp Fiction, and Up… and now, Steven Spielberg’s first film for Disney, The BFG, will premiere at the splashy seaside event.

The fantasy-adventure, based on the best-selling book by Roald Dahl, will screen (out of competition) at the Palais des Festivals as part of this year’s festival, which runs May 11 through 22—ahead of its July 1 release here in the States.

The BFG tells the imaginative story of a young orphan girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country, and stars three-time Tony Award^®, two-time Olivier Award, and recent Oscar^® winner Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), newcomer Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, and Bill Hader (Inside Out).

Invictus Games at Walt Disney World: Opening Ceremony Details

For the first time ever, the Invictus Games—an annual event that shines a light on the holistic recovery and rehabilitation that occurs through sport for the wounded, ill, and injured servicemen and women around the world—will take place in America… specifically, at Walt Disney World! And now, we have more details on the fantastic Opening Ceremony they’ve got planned.

The opening festivities on May 8—to be held inside Champion Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex—will feature musical performances by James Blunt and Laura Wright, in addition to appearances from Prince Harry and First Lady Michelle Obama, with more names still to be announced. Additionally, the Games recently named two new celebrity ambassadors: former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, and Derek Hough of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars fame, and both are expected to attend.

The Games themselves takes place May 8–12 and will feature more than 500 injured military veterans and active duty personnel from 14 countries competing in 10 events.

Elena of Avalor to Debut at Walt Disney World This Summer

Have you heard the royal proclamation? The newest Disney princess is coming to Walt Disney World this August! Mark your calendars for the chance to meet Princess Elena, Disney’s first princess inspired by diverse Latin cultures.

She’ll be making her big Disney Channel debut this summer with the brand-new animated series, Elena of Avalor. A teenager in a fairy-tale kingdom, Elena adds a whole new dimension to the ever-popular Disney Princess world… She’s bold, she’s courageous, and it’s her love for her kingdom—and most importantly, her familia—that fuels her magical adventures.

Elena will meet her subjects starting late this summer inside Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort.

British Royals Feel the Force at Star Wars Set

Just imagine—you’re busy shooting the next film in an uber-successful franchise beloved by fans the world over. Now imagine that two of the world’s most famous royals have come to your (normally very secret) set for a visit. No pressure, right?

Well that’s exactly what happened this week when Britain’s Prince William and Prince Harry visited the set of Star Wars: Episode VIII in London! The two princes—led by Daisy Ridley (Rey)—stopped by a number of production and technical workshops, and met the creative teams behind the film… as well as director Rian Johnson, Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and friendly droid BB-8! The brothers even shared a hug with Chewbacca, which makes us extremely jealous.

Star Wars: Episode VIII will zoom into theaters on December 15, 2017.

Did You Know? Strike a Chord With 9 Notes From Make Mine Music

April 20, 2016April 21, 2016

By Greg Ehrbar

When it premiered 70 years ago this month, Make Mine Music was somewhat of a pop music twist on Fantasia (1940). The movie combined 10 animated short cartoons into one film because the impact of World War II on the Walt Disney Studios made a feature with a singular story unfeasible.

Walt’s “package features” of the 1940s were important because they kept his studio going when times were challenging—and each film yielded a wealth of wonderful animated treasures. Among them are Saludos Amigos (1943), The Three Caballeros (1945), Fun and Fancy Free (1947), Melody Time (1948), and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). Cinderella marked Walt’s successful return to the single-story animated feature in 1950.

Here’s a fun fact (or two) for each segment in Make Mine Music (1946):

1. Ken Darby, whose singers performed Blue Bayou, was the vocal director for numerous movie classics including The Wizard of Oz and Finian’s Rainbow. Ken was also a member of The King’s Men, who sang The Martins and the Coys in the original release of Make Mine Music. The King’s Men were regulars on the hit radio sitcom Fibber McGee and Molly, on which Ken Darby’s musical version of “The Night Before Christmas” was an annual tradition. It’s the same version that was performed for years on Disneyland and Walt Disney World stages.

2. The Blue Bayou animation, featuring the lovely egrets, was created for a deleted Fantasia sequence set to Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” which is a bonus track on the recent Walt Disney Legacy Collection Fantasia soundtrack album.

3. All the Cats Join In and After You’ve Gone were played by the Benny Goodman Orchestra. One of their signature hits was “Sing, Sing, Sing”—written by none other than Louis Prima, voice of King Louie in 1967’s The Jungle Book.

4. The singer of Without You is bilingual music star Andy Russell, whose songs were popular in the U.S. and throughout South America. In the early days of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, he headlined at the Top of the World supper club.

5. Casey at the Bat narrator Jerry Colonna, who would later provide the voice (and inspire the appearance) of the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland (1951), also narrated the Disney short The Brave Engineer (1950).

6. Dinah Shore, who made her Disney film debut singing Two Silhouettes, returned to sing and narrate Bongo in Fun and Fancy Free. Dinah’s long association with Disney includes recording a number of Disney song favorites, saluting Disney on her TV shows, and making a number of appearances at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. And here’s another fun fact: the instrumental section of Two Silhouettes can be heard in Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, just before Grandma changes the TV channel to watch a boxing match!

7. Peter and the Wolf was initially planned for proposed revised editions of Fantasia. Composer Sergei Prokofiev met Walt Disney in 1938 and played it for him at the Studio. This moment was reenacted on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color TV series.

8. Lending their flawless harmony to Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet were The Andrews Sisters. In 1973, Patty and Maxene Andrews starred in the Sherman Brothers’ first Broadway musical, Over Here!, which featured such up-and-coming young talents as John Travolta, Marilu Henner, Treat Williams, Ann Reinking, and Samuel E. Wright (voice of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid and the original Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway).

9. Nelson Eddy, who performs The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met, was a superstar of movie musicals. Partnered with Jeanette MacDonald, he sang in the same popular operetta style that influenced several songs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

How The Jungle Book Continues Walt’s Legacy of Innovation

April 18, 2016

By Jim Frye

Much of Disney’s new The Jungle Book, in theaters now, is built on the shoulders of Disney filmmakers who’ve come before, from the robust story development, to mixing live-action with animation, to the relentless drive to push technology. The film’s director, John Favreau—who directed Marvel’s Iron Man and its sequel—tried to follow in Walt’s footsteps to create the film. “Walt was always about pushing the limits of technology, and mixing the old myths and the old stories with cutting-edge technology,” says Favreau. “Think of the Audio-Animatronics®, and Fantasound, and the multiplane camera, and the level of photo-realism in his renderings, or even the fact that he did a full-length animated feature film—people felt emotional watching Snow White; people never thought of [animation] that way before.”

He goes on: “[Walt] did Steamboat Willie and synced it up to audio tracks and picture. Pixar tells a great story and showed us computer animation for the first time with Toy Story—that was the magic combo that Walt really refined. And so we try to honor that approach here.”

PUSHING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP TELL THE STORY

Favreau points out that The Jungle Book’s blend of live-action and computer-generated imagery harkens back to Walt’s first attempts with animation. “We have a live-action kid in a virtual, animated environment, just like Walt did with Alice,” he says, referring to the Alice Comedies, a series of shorts featuring a young live-action girl in an animated environment. “We’re constantly exploring and reinventing,” he says. “This process is so technical, and so different from anything I’ve done and quite a bit different than anything anybody’s done.”

According to Favreau, when discussing the film with Alan Horn, chairman, Walt Disney Studios, Horn asked, “Why not use the technology to create a whole world that transports you? Why be limited by going off and shooting plates? Let’s really embrace this new technology and see what we can get if we push it to its limit.”

Favreau jumped at the opportunity. He wanted to use the most advanced technology to tell the best, most realistic story in a new and innovative way. And the technology behind The Jungle Book is innovative, to say the least. Favreau worked with Oscar®-winning visual effects supervisor Rob Legato (Avatar, Hugo, Titanic, Apollo 13), Moving Picture Company’s visual effects supervisor Adam Valdez (Maleficent) and WETA’s visual effects supervisor Dan Lemmon (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King) to marry performances from the acclaimed voice cast—which includes Oscar winners Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, and Christopher Walken, along with Bill Murray, Idris Elba, and Scarlett Johansson—with action from CG animals that look real enough to touch. From the start of production, Favreau told the creative team, “If the animals don’t look like they’re talking, the movie doesn’t work.”

“Everyone sort of supported how we were going make this film, which is to forget that we have a computer,” says Legato. “I have never have been quite as supported as I have been on this, to allowing us to invest in the tools to bring this to life. And it’s kind of exciting for me because it bodes well for the future. You could shoot anything, create anything, and not just reserve it for a film that has larger-than-life superheroes or big destruction, but also simple, beautiful stories.”

The filmmakers studied footage of wild animals, and each animal brought to life in the film necessitated a different approach. “Dogs or wolves are very expressive with their eyebrows, so you could get away with a lot—but not so much with their mouth. Cats don’t use their eyebrows. Bears use their lips and eyebrows. Each animal gave us a different set of tools to use,” Favreau explains.

Legato details that the process was fluid. “You really can’t do it in 1s and 0s,” he says, referencing binary computer code and explaining how technology and artistry had to go hand-in-hand in bringing The Jungle Book to life. “You really have to play with it. Go one way. Go another way. Go larger. Go smaller. And that’s what we tried to imbue this particular film, is it feels like we really conventionally shot it. We used a computer, but you don’t see the computer.”

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY

Favreau stressed the importance of great cinematography, which might sound a bit counterintuitive considering the digital environments of the film, but that’s not necessarily so. “Cinematography’s such an art form and it’s such a delicate art form,” he says. “What separates a beautifully filmed computer-generated movie from one that isn’t is the art of when and where you put a light. Or how you frame it. All those various things. All of the shot selection.”

He continues: “But still you need the personality and the humor and the charm and the emotion of the characters. That’s really what Jungle Book represents. People don’t think about Jungle Book and necessarily think about action. It’s fun to have it, but really what you think about is the characters in relationships. And that’s where our cast comes into it.”

INTEGRATING THE CAST

The filmmakers began with an extensive storyboarding process that allowed the artists to design a workflow, a system, and VFX pipeline that could capitalize on the most up-to-the-minute movie magic. What audiences will see on film is ultimately a seamless blend of photo-real animation and live-action shooting. Neel Sethi, the young actor who plays Mowgli, is the only live-action actor to appear in the film and his performance was filmed on a Los Angeles soundstage. Practical sets—containing elements that were absolutely necessary for a particular shot—were blended with the CG environment that had been created as part of the pre-visualization process. “It’s never really been done this extensively,” Favreau says, “in every scene—in every shot. We could look at the monitor and see the virtual set we’d already built and how it married perfectly into that environment. We could move the camera and see off into the distance—we could see every mountain and tree that was supposed to be there.”

As a fan of the animated classic, Favreau favored this innovative approach toward a live-action The Jungle Book from the start. “The idea of going out to the jungle and shooting this, it just felt like it wouldn’t have the magic that the 1967 film had,” Favreau observes.

Favreau points to recent films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which have embraced film along with new digital technology. “I think we have to push technology as far as we can because there are other things that digital art is better for, and when it comes to such complicated visual effects and putting all these elements together, I want to see digital continue to grow.” He adds, “I think what’s wonderful is now people are starting to appreciate [format], and format is a part of the conversation. And I think the people who win are the audience.”

“And this is part of what I learned working on the film Chef,” he concludes. “A chef relies on all these other artists and talented people to present their vision. They can’t cook every plate, every dish. And the relationship, as I watched these chefs and studied them, of how you get people to bring what they can to the table, elevate their game and take pride in what they’re doing, take ownership that they did this—this was all done by a team of people who were working very hard.”

D23 Fab Five: Ginger Zee’s Most Memorable Disney Moments

April 18, 2016May 24, 2016

By Nicole Nalty

We may be biased, but we thought Good Morning America’s Ginger Zee was the Belle of the ball on Dancing with the Stars’ Disney Night!

We caught up with the meteorologist after the show and were delighted to learn that she’s just as much a Disney fan as we are! Although she had a hard time narrowing down her favorite ‘whosits and whatsits galore,’ Ginger shared her fab five Disney moments with us—take a look:

Making a Splash Entrance

Ginger definitely wants to be a part of Ariel’s world—she’s reenacted this iconic scene in The Little Mermaid “a million times in a pool.”

Little town, it’s a quiet village…

The opening song “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast makes for a memorable moment for Ginger, and not just because of her fantastic foxtrot last week! She tells us she’s been singing the song for the last 20 years.

Life-Changing Shoes

While many of her favorites are contemporary, Ginger admits that she’s definitely an “old school” Disney fan. One of her favorite classic Disney moments involves Cinderella and a very special shoe. “It may sound cheesy but these are the moments that shape your life,” Ginger gushed.

Puppy Love

One very memorable Bella Notte holds a special place in Ginger’s heart—who can forget Lady and the Tramp’s sweet spaghetti smooch?

Never Had a Friend Like Zee

After seeing Aladdin on Broadway recently, Genie has definitely made his way into Ginger’s fab five. But can you blame her? We’ve never had a friend like him.

The Dancing with the Stars finale airs tonight at 9|8c on ABC.

7 “Are You Sure This Is A Movie?” Moments from The Jungle Book

April 18, 2016April 14, 2016

by Andrew Santelli

“What do you mean, hippos don’t dance ballet?”

“You’re saying mice and birds can’t make ball gowns overnight? Crazy talk!”

Some of our favorite Disney classics require suspension of disbelief—a willingness to go along with a storyteller—in order to fully enjoy a cinematic experience. But in The Jungle Book, making this imaginative leap isn’t difficult at all. In fact, here are seven moments where it was impossible to separate what we saw on screen with a real, live jungle.

Elephants Rule
The lion may be known as king of the jungle, but the regal and imposing nature of the elephants in The Jungle Book has to get them entry to that list of royalty. In person, elephants can at once exude power, playfulness, and peace; and in one scene Mowgli encounters a herd that does just that. With camera work that seamlessly brings you eye-to-tusk alongside Mowgli, these pachyderms seemed completely alive.

A Perfect Storm
As Mowgli and his wolf mother, Raksha, walk together in a rainstorm, every droplet falls right where you expect it to, every lightning bolt illuminates the characters at just the right angle—signs of the exacting attention to detail exhibited by director Jon Favreau and his team, not to mention the advancements in the art form of computer animation.

Cat Fight
With so many talented, big-name voice actors, not to mention the way Neel Sethi makes us care so deeply about Mowgli, it’s easy to forget about the wild, untamed natural forces at play in The Jungle Book. But as the ferocious Shere Khan and loyal Bagheera tussle in front of nearly the entire animal kingdom (no, not the one in Florida), unleashing their rage, we’re reminded of the power of their animal instincts, as well as the importance Mowgli carries in the minds of each big cat.

Trusssssst In Kaa
When Mowgli first encounters the shifty, slithery Kaa, it’s not just Scarlett Johansson’s voice that puts us in a trance. It’s the colorful hypnosis that comes from the eyes of the snake, taking an iconic moment from the 1967 animated film and bringing you even deeper, in a way only possible with photo-realistic animation (and even more compelling in 3-D), not to mention the underscore of the Sherman brothers’ classic “Trust in Me (The Python’s Song).”

Everybody Wants to Be A Cat
It’s amazing what light conditions do to storytelling, especially when we’re introduced to Bagheera, the smooth-stepping, spirit-soothing panther voiced by Sir Ben Kingsley. When Bagheera emerges from the shadows and the dim light catches his eyes, in that moment he is real.

A Bunch of Swingers
The Jungle Book is filled with scenes that showcase the majesty of nature writ large, like the massive King Louie, voiced by Christopher Walken. But when quick, sneaky little monkeys lead Mowgli on a chase through the trees, you see an entirely different side of the forest—and the story. Encountering gibbons we might normally think of as playful, it’s the intricacies of each tiny animal that impressed and gave us the “you are there” feeling.

Grin and Bear It
No discussion of The Jungle Book is complete without Baloo, voiced here with just the right combination of aloof and alert by Bill Murray. As Baloo and Mowgli float down a placid river, with Baloo sharing lessons of “The Bare Necessities” in both story and song, and once again every drop of water hitting Baloo’s fur and Mowgli’s hair just so, it made us think that the animated version of The Jungle Book was based on moments like this, and not the other way around.

In these moments, and plenty more, the real thought we had was “this was filmed on a soundstage in downtown Los Angeles? No way!” But that’s perhaps the signature of this film, that a classic Disney story can be reimagined with new technology and imagination, with an end result unlike anything seen before.

Marvel’s Off the Rack: The Mobile Series You Need to Watch

April 15, 2016

Are you a hardcore comic book fan? Or are you a newcomer to the Marvel Universe, who wants to learn more about the Super Heroes who have inspired Marvel’s blockbuster films and TV series but you don’t know where to start? Whether you’re a fanboy, a fangirl, or a comic book newbie, Marvel’s Off the Rack is the mobile series you need to watch right now. Debuting this week on go90, a social entertainment platform built for the mobile first generation, the 12-episode series airs weekly through the end of June.

“When we initially examined the idea from a digital-first perspective, we thought: Who better to tell these stories than the fans themselves?”

Comic Book Girl 19—of the Maker Studios network—hosts the fast-paced, comedic variety-style show, which is a collaboration between Marvel Entertainment and Maker Studios. The show will feature celebrity guests and geek culture insiders like Method Man and Billy West (Ren & Stimpy) as well as Maker Studios talent like Commander Holly, Strawburry17, Alphacat, Comicstorian and more. In Episode 1, fans can learn about Spider-Man—aka Peter Parker—and his new career as a tech company CEO; and they’ll pick up tips on how best to navigate a local comic book shop.

“The goal in producing this series for Maker Studios and Marvel was not only to celebrate the fandom and rich history of storytelling within the Marvel Universe, but also to expose a whole new generation of fans to comic books,” Kendra Johnson, head of distribution and strategic partnerships at Maker Studios, said in a post on TheWaltDisneyCompany.com. “When we initially examined the idea from a digital-first perspective, we thought: Who better to tell these stories than the fans themselves? And what we found was a rich assortment of people from all walks of life who have long been fans.”

Check out this trailer for a preview of the Marvel-ous new series:

Marvel’s Off the Rack is available now on go90—home to Maker’s On Demand platform, offering thousands of short-form videos refreshed monthly from a vast content library, with more than 100 hours of live Maker event coverage from some of the biggest fan events in the world. go90 is free and available for download on iOS and Android devices.

Jiko’s Macaroni & Cheese

April 15, 2016May 4, 2016

You’ll never get enough of this four-cheese blend Macaroni & Cheese! The deliciously cheesy dish can be found at Jiko—The Cooking Place inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
8 ounces shredded Italian four-cheese blend (such as mozzerella, asiago, fontina, and provolone)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked and kept warm

Preparation

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stirring until combined. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until golden (do not let brown).
Add milk to butter mixture, whisking until completely smooth and no lumps remain.
Simmer mixture, stirring frequently, until sauce coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add cheese to saucepan in batches, stirring until completely melted. Add salt and pepper, stirring to combine.

Place cooked macaroni in a large bowl. Add cheese sauce, stirring to combine. Serve immediately.

Character Close-Up: Kaa and King Louie

April 14, 2016

By Nicole Nalty

It’s time to get wild! The Jungle Book is in theaters this Friday, so we’re wrapping up our Character Close-Up series with Kaa and King Louie—catch up on parts one and two here!

Slither on to read more about these conniving characters—trussst in us, you don’t want to miss this one.

KAA
A massive and devious python, Kaa sets her sights on Mowgli when she finds him alone in the jungle. Using her captivating voice (Scarlett Johansson) and hypnotic gaze, Mowgli is completely entranced and unable to withstand Kaa’s captivating embrace.

KING LOUIE
Voiced by the charismatic Christopher Walken, King Louie is an enormous ape and ruler of the Bandar-log, a colony of wild and wily monkeys—but the colony is not his concern. King Louie is desperate to learn more about Man’s “red flower” and uses his smooth-talking ways to convince Mowgli to share his fire-making secrets.

Groundbreaking News! First Look at Star Wars-Themed Lands

April 14, 2016April 14, 2016

By Nicole Nalty

Exciting news from a galaxy not so far, far away! Our friends at the Disney Parks Blog are celebrating the official groundbreaking of Star Wars-themed lands coming to Disneyland park in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios park in Florida with a first look at the construction site at Disneyland park. Take a look at this 360-degree photo from the 14-acre construction site (the largest-ever singled-themed land expansion at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort!).

First announced at D23 Expo 2015, Star Wars-themed lands are coming to both Disneyland park at the Disneyland Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. Guests will be transported to a never-before-seen planet, inhabited by humanoids, droids, and many others.

We can’t wait to see these planets come to life! Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more updates from both the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.

May the Force be with you!

Tour the Majestic African Savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

April 14, 2016April 13, 2016

By Tyler Slater

The epic adventure of a stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is truly a fan-favorite for guests visiting Walt Disney World. There is something about waking up and seeing zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, and many other animals that graze the savanna from the outside balcony. This beautiful resort opened in 2001 as a journey into the wonder, romance, and mystery of the African savanna with its untamed animals, gracious people, and rich culture traditions. In honor of the 15th anniversary, fans are getting an inside look at the breathtaking lobby at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and how special details pay tribute to Africa’s wildlife, ancient civilization, and vast landscape.

A mystical world unfolds as guests enter the grand six-story lobby of the lodge, unleashing the spirit and romance of the vast continent. Eight enormous Maasai shields banded together create a chandelier over the majestic lobby. The shields are tri-colored—black, red, and white. The black identifies lineage while the red and white carry the age and geographical location of the owner. The geometric patterns painted on the shields also have special meaning: The ones marked with circles signify the Kisongo province of Kenya, the squares denote the Loita province, and the triangles are used by Ol bruggo province.

Each of the lobby’s six seating areas features traditional tables of alderwood and mahogany with tops of antique lapis, stone, and metal. Guests will even notice animal symbols hand-carved into the surfaces! These engravings tell stories of African spiritualism and proverbs of the people. Be sure that you also notice collections of art throughout the lobby that highlight the diversity of materials used by African craftsman.

Embedded in the lobby’s teak floor, guests will find five bronze medallions designed by West African artist and famed storyteller Babab Wagué Diakité. The largest medallion measures eight feet in diameter and is fashioned to look like a relief map of Africa, with mountains raised and water all around. The other four medallions are somewhat smaller, each four feet across, and all etched with different African themes showcasing the relationship between man and animal. Guests will see a fisherman, a peacock, a grouping of African wildlife, and a small humble village depicted in the medallions.

Follow the large, supportive columns to their top and guests will see Grand Bedu masks staring down from their six-floor view. The Bedu mask is a plankmask used throughout the Bondoukou region of the Ivory Coast of West Africa. It traditionally makes an appearance once a year at the festivities that commemorate each New Year. Bedu masks are seen as the product of transfer; perfect for the coming and going of the year, as well as the guests moving across the lobby from one location to another.

At the opposite end of the lobby entrance, a rope suspension bridge stretches across the lobby. The bridge not only allows guests to cross the lobby at treetop level, but also presents a spectacular perch with a grand overview that offers a floor-to-ceiling view of the animal kraal.

Guests visiting Walt Disney World are welcome to explore Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and discover these details on their own. Besides, no trip to this beautiful resort is complete without a walk around the savanna and a delicious meal at Boma—Flavors of Africa!