Disney Details: As Free as a Bird in 1901

April 26, 2016May 3, 2016

Admire this trio of Tiffany-style lamps that provide a wonderfully colorful glow inside the 1901 Lounge at Disney California Adventure. Named in honor of the year Walt Disney was born, the club inspires visitors to travel back eight decades in time and into the kind of cozy retreat Walt and his animators would sometimes repair to in the 1930s—a hushed pocket of calm, away from the hustle and bustle of the park. Sure, you need to be a card-carrying member of Club 33 to have access to this elegantly appointed lounge and to see for yourself the many details that bring the 1930s so realistically to life, but we thought it fair to feature these delightful parrots since most serious Disney fans would have seen them in photographs released around the time of the park’s grand reopening in the summer of 2012.

It’s all in the Disney Details!

Captain America: Civil War —What You Need to Know Before You See It

April 25, 2016May 3, 2016

By Jim Frye

A lot has happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe these past eight years. In 2008, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark created a suit of armor, starting a string of events that culminates with Captain America: Civil War, a Marvel Super Hero extravaganza on a giant scale—but also one of Marvel’s most intimate movies to date.

To understand the simmering tension that sets off the major confrontations in Civil War, it’s best to trace the through-story of Tony Stark/Iron Man and Steve Rogers/Captain America, which is what D23 does for you right here before the film opens in theaters on May 6. We track those storylines through the five essential films that lead up to Civil War. So buckle in—this is one exciting ride!

Iron Man (2008)
This is the blockbuster that started it all. Billionaire playboy Tony Stark creates and wears a super-powered iron suit that enables him to fight bad guys while at the same time keeping his injured heart beating. This film gives us a view of Tony’s chummy relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense, especially his buddy Rhodey, a high-ranking military officer who eventually gets an iron suit of his own. During the film’s end credits, mysterious Nick Fury—a commander in a far-reaching defense group called S.H.I.E.L.D, and played by Samuel L. Jackson—recruits Tony into a not-yet-formed new group called The Avengers.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Scrawny good guy Steve Rogers wants to join the military with his best pal Bucky to fight Hitler’s forces during the second World War, but because of Steve’s puny size, he’s rejected. An experimental drug changes all that, though, turning Steve into a muscle-bound super-soldier who becomes a symbol of American might and patriotism. During a particularly daring mission, Bucky seemingly falls to his death from a train and Steve’s plane crashes into the Arctic, where he freezes in the ice, only to be awakened 70 years later by none other than Nick Fury, who invites him to join the Avengers.

The Avengers (2012)
Serving as the completion of Marvel’s PHASE 1, The Avengers assembled all of Marvel’s heroes onto one team to fight a threat from outer space. The battle destroyed large swaths of New York City, but eventually the Avengers saved the Earth in what became the biggest super hero movie of all time—and they also ate shawarma.

Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)
This next film really packed a punch and upended everything we thought we knew. Captain America: Winter Soldier is the film where Steve and Bucky’s story picks back up. Long thought dead from his fall from the train back in the 1940s, Bucky returns as an enhanced assassin, sent by the mysterious organization known as Hydra to help take down S.H.I.E.L.D. Bucky’s mind has been taken over by Hydra, so he doesn’t have a clear picture of what he’s doing. Steve is torn between his loyalty to his country and his devotion to his friend. Ultimately, S.H.I.E.L.D. is left in tatters, Bucky escapes, and Steve becomes determined to find his friend and bring him back around.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Trying to stave off any future attacks by interstellar invaders, Tony and Bruce Banner (the Hulk) create an artificial intelligence program to safeguard the planet. But something goes terribly wrong, transforming the program into Ultron, a robot determined to rid the world of humanity, thus ridding it of strife. The Avengers are eventually able to defeat Ultron, and create a new Avenger while doing it, The Vision. The fallout from the battle weighs heavily though. Which brings us right up to…

Captain America: Civil War (2016)
…Captain America: Civil War. Tony Stark feels immense guilt for creating Ultron and inflicting him on humankind. Steve Rogers just wants to do the right thing. But when an international governing body seeks to take control of the Avengers, Tony and Steve part ways, each one pursuing a different course of action: Tony thinks that accepting government oversight over the Avengers isn’t a terrible thing—especially considering the terrible loss of life because of the Battle of New York and the battle with Ultron. Steve, on the other hand, prefers independence—he feels as if the Avengers are doing the best job they can. Tensions rise. Friendships fracture. And Earth’s Mightiest Heroes go to war. A Civil War.

23 Questions with Alan Menken

April 23, 2016May 16, 2016

Every few seconds, a pastel-colored clamshell glides into a melodious room of spinning starfish, dancing crustaceans, and instrument-playing sea dwellers in Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid at Walt Disney World. More than 20 years after The Little Mermaid’s film release, timeless Alan Menken songs (“Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl,” to name just two) are still guiding guests through the young mermaid’s love story. That film’s soundtrack was the composer’s first undertaking at Disney, and since then he has added his flair to such sing-along animated favorites as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and, more recently, Tangled. From on-screen classics and Broadway stage hits to music heard at Disney park attractions, Alan’s iconic songs have become part of our world.

Alan’s diverse soundtrack canon is filled with such treasured songs as the hilarious “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin, the heart-wrenching ballad “If I Can’t Love Her” from Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast, and the No. 1 Billboard pop-chart smash “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. He also wrote original music for ABC’s Galavant, and will be providing the score for the upcoming Beauty and the Beast live-action film, which will include new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (The Lion King), as well as several new songs. It’s hard to say whether you would call Alan Menken a Hollywood, Broadway, or pop-music composer. He’s mastered them all. And one thing’s for sure: We’re glad he did.

D23: What was the first musical you composed?
Alan Menken: Howard Ashman and I wrote our first musical together in 1979. It was God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, and it was based on a book by Kurt Vonnegut. At that point in our lives, I was a struggling Off-Broadway composer. It got very nice reviews but didn’t run.

What show put you on the map as a composer?
A musical about a man-eating plant. And until we got the right tone, people thought we were out of our minds. Little Shop of Horrors just amazed us. It was this big green gold mine, and it opened Off-Broadway at the Orpheum and then toured all over… it was a fantastic success.

How did you eventually get involved with Disney?
I have Howard to thank for that. We had the assignment to make animated movie musicals that could sit on the shelf alongside Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Cinderella. It was a great turning point in my life. What really got me excited was that I was getting back together with Howard. So The Little Mermaid was our follow-up to Little Shop of Horrors. And it knocked us over with what a success it was.

Were you surprised when you won at the Oscars^®?
Yes, but it was tinged with sadness. I won an Oscar, and Howard and I won another. And he said, “I’m really happy tonight, but when we get back to New York, we really have to have a talk.” When we got back he said, “I’m sick, I’m HIV positive.” And it was a death sentence then. We wrote Beauty and the Beast under the shadow of his illness.

What was it like working on Beauty and the Beast?
It was an amazingly intense experience, and we had some wonderful times. There was an opening number that we wrote, and it was seven minutes long. It introduces the characters and has Belle walking through the town, and Howard said, “Are we crazy? We can’t send this out.” But finally we sent it. And of course they liked it.

Were any of the songs from Beauty and the Beast particularly challenging?
We worked really hard on “Beauty and the Beast.” It’s interesting how the simplest song takes the most time and is the hardest. We wrote this song and then we did two demos: a pop one and another that was much more theatrical.

Was Angela Lansbury excited to be a part of the film?
Well, we sent the wrong demo, the pop version, to Angela Lansbury and so she at first said, “no thank you. This is not for me.” But when we sent her the movie version, she really got what we trying to create.

What was it like working with Angela Lansbury in the studio?
Going to the RCA Studios with Angela Lansbury to record “Beauty and the Beast” was one of the greatest experiences of my life. She recorded it in one take.

Did you ever work on multiple features at the same time?
They were all intermingled. In between The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, we had started Aladdin.

Did the films ever change much during production?
We did a version of Aladdin that was very different from the one that ended up in the movie. Aladdin had a mother and he had these pals, Babkak, Omar, and Kassim. They were a street band of musicians.

Speaking of Aladdin, what was it like working with Robin Williams?
He was great, and he worked hard. He came in the studio and sang every note just the way I wanted. And then we set him free and let him improvise, and it was just craziness. Both “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali” were track after track of pure brilliance.

What was it like working with Tim Rice on Aladdin?
I was really afraid after Howard passed that my career was going to be over. But then Tim, who wrote Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, wrote a song for Aladdin that changed both our lives.

You are referring to “A Whole New World?”
Yes. I gave him a dummy lyric and a title: “The World at My Feet.” And Tim very wisely changed it—because “feet” in the ballad didn’t suit it—to “A Whole New World.” And we won two more Oscars. I was starting to think that this is how it works. You do a project and you get a pair of these things.

About that same time, you worked on the live-action film Newsies. What was that like?
I was offered to do a wonderful live-action musical about this newsboy strike. The movie only did 2.6 million at the box office, and it was a total failure. I remember having breakfast with Jeffrey Katzenberg and saying, “Well, we just have to do more ads.” He said, “Menken, I could take 10 million dollars and throw it up in the air right here on Doheny Blvd., and it would do just as much good.”

How did you feel when Newsies became a success on Broadway?
Well, I got a Razzie Award for the film, but then with the Broadway show, I got a Tony.

What was it like during the time that Disney was developing its Broadway presence, starting with Beauty and the Beast?
I had a little trepidation about this, but my fears were ungrounded. We had a great team and Tim Rice rode in to the rescue and helped finish the score that I started with Howard. And one of the benefits was that we got a song for the Beast finally: “If I Can’t Love Her.” And five years into the run, Toni Braxton came into the role, and Tim and I wrote a new song especially for her—which is very rare so far into a show’s run—called “A Change in Me.”

What was it like working with Stephen Schwartz, who is now famous for Wicked on Broadway?
He was big on research and so we had a song in Pocahontas that used the Native American language, but it was cut. It was called “In the Middle of the River.” But “Colors of the Wind” was a gorgeous ballad, and I won two more Oscars.

Are there any films that you worked on that never made it into theaters?
I was working on a prequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit called Who Discovered Roger Rabbit. This was my first project with Glenn Slater, who now, since then, I have worked with on so many projects. The style of the music in the film was supposed to be a tribute to old Hollywood music.

Enchanted was almost shelved, too, right?
Sometimes projects get funny twists and turns. They are green-lit and then they go back into development. Enchanted was a project like that. I wrote a song for a big opening number and then days before the recording, they pulled the plug on it. They were looking for someone to hire who could parody Alan Menken music. But they couldn’t find anyone, so thank god they hired Alan Menken. So I did a parody of Alan Menken.

You also wrote a song for the Disney park attraction Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage at Tokyo DisneySea.
Glenn Slater wrote it with me. One thing I learned about writing these songs for these rides was you have one room that meets up against another. You can’t add a key change because the music will clash as the boat is going through. So it is a skillset. I wrote “The Compass of Your Heart.”

Have you ever had a song change completely from your original idea?
“When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled is the same tune it’s always been, but the words changed quite a bit. The song that Glenn and I first wrote was called “What More Could I Ever Need” and was all about how Rapunzel feels completely complete in the tower; but of course she doesn’t know what is outside the tower. We wanted it to be this exuberance. We then decided that we wanted her to have more of a yearning.

How did it feel to become a Disney Legend in 2001?
It’s something that makes me extremely fortunate and grateful. I just want to be a person, like Disney fans, who loves the history of Disney, loves to contribute, and loves to be a part of it. I’m really glad people find what I do special.

Did you ever think that you would be such an important part of the Disney family?
I’ve loved the whole sensibility of the Disney Company since I was a child—the stories, the movies, and the books. It is so universal and so supremely American. I never dreamed I would be a part of it, much less an important part of it.

Let’s Celebrate 20 Years of the Disney Conservation Fund!

April 21, 2016April 21, 2016

By Beth Deitchman

A milestone anniversary at Disney is always cause for jubilation, but in the case of Disney Conservation Fund’s (DCF) 20-year anniversary, it’s a celebration we can all join in. DCF’s two decades of protecting nature for children around the world were heralded at an event that took place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a park that is very much a part of DCF’s history—a history that has included Disney fans from all around the globe. D23 was lucky enough to be part of this celebration and to speak with the inspiring conservationist, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, PhD—Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messnger of Peace—about the theme park’s role in connecting children with nature.

If you’ve been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom since the park opened in 1998, you may have supported the fund with an added contribution to one of your purchases at a park shop or restaurant, or you might have learned more about DCF’s commitment to the preservation and conservation of animals at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, where a visit to Conservation Station inspired you to seek out conservation efforts in your own community. Or maybe you’ve been inspired by initiatives like Disney Friends for Change and have spent more time in nature as a result.

Disney Conservation Fund’s mission—protecting wildlife and wild places and connecting kids with nature—can be traced all the way back to the company’s beginning. In 2000, Roy E. Disney—Walt’s nephew—said, of Disney’s commitment to wildlife conservation, “At The Walt Disney Company, our strong connection to the animal world goes all the way back to the beginning of the century, when my dad and Walt were growing up on a farm in Marceline, Missouri. It was there that they became intimately familiar with a barnyard full of cows, horses, dogs, ducks and yes—you guessed it—mice.”

On April 22, 1995—Earth Day—the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund (as it was then called) was established and awarded its first grants to 39 projects. Since then, DCF grants have supported hundreds of nonprofit organizations working in 115 countries, helped protect more than 400 different species, and connected millions of kids and families with nature.

When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, the park’s Conservation Station—which is now a part of Rafiki’s Planet Watch—served as the headquarters for conservation and species survival activities. And, as visitors to the park well know, so many of the themes and stories associated with Disney’s Animal Kingdom communicate a conservation message and raise public awareness of the extinction crisis that many species face worldwide. One needs to look no further than the park’s iconic Tree of Life to see how the roots of both DCF’s mission and Disney’s Animal Kingdom are intertwined. The park is home to so many amazing animals, and it’s also the home base to some of the world’s leading wildlife conservationists, animal care experts, and educators.

True to DCF form, the organization is commemorating 20 years of protecting the planet by continuing to do what it does best. DCF has announced a new initiative, “Reverse the Decline, Increase the Time,” aimed at reversing the decline of 10 threatened species through scientific research, community collaboration, and increasing the time kids spend in nature. By supporting a network of leading conservation nonprofit organizations like the Jane Goodall Institute and the Wildlife Conservation Society, DCF aims to help “reverse the decline” of species such as great apes, African elephants, and Sumatran tigers. To “increase the time” kids spend in nature, DCF is providing grants to leading nonprofits that engage young people in discovering the magic of nature and protecting the planet, like 4-H, the National Park Foundation, and the Jane Goodall Institute: Roots & Shoots.

World-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall said in the announcement, “The Walt Disney Company’s focus on protecting the planet over the past 20 years has made a significant contribution to conservation, including our work to protect chimpanzees and the forests where they live.”

Dr. Beth Stevens, Senior Vice President, Environment & Conservation, Corporate Citizenship, The Walt Disney Company, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute, and Kevin Callahan, Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy, Disney Corporate Citizenship — (left to right) Dr. Beth Stevens, senior vice president, Environment & Conservation, Corporate Citizenship, The Walt Disney Company; Dr. Jane Goodall; and Kevin Callahan, vice president, Strategic Philanthropy, Corporate Citizenship, The Walt Disney Company

Walt Disney Imagineering’s Joe Rohde kicked off the DCF anniversary event by declaring that he takes personal pride in the Fund through his involvement with Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He explained that the park is founded on a set of values that tie everything together: respect for the essential value of nature, transformation through adventure, and a personal call to action. “This personal call to action manifests itself in the Disney Conservation Fund. This is the mission that binds the park and the Fund. They’re not really two things, but two sides of the same thing,” Rohde said in his remarks, adding that he’s considered it “an honor and a joy” to work with the Fund for the past 20 years.

Dr. Goodall was a guest speaker at the DCF anniversary event at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where she stressed that inspiring children with a love of nature is our best bet for raising future conservationists and protecting the planet. She spoke with D23 about how Disney’s Animal Kingdom has inspired children who visit the park to become more conservation-minded. “I think Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a wonderful way for children to become interested in and excited about conservation. First, when they come here they are having fun and fun is important; but then they get to talk with these amazing caretakers who do such a wonderful job of telling the stories of the animals in their care. I think it has made an enormous difference in helping new generations of young people care about conservation and care about protecting wildlife.”

If you would like to learn more about the Disney Conservation Fund and the “Reverse the Decline, Increase the Time” initiative, visit Disney.com/conservation. D23 congratulates DCF for 20 years of helping to protect the planet—here’s to the next 20 and beyond!

D23’s Ultimate Countdown to Shanghai Disney Resort: Wishing Star Park

April 21, 2016June 9, 2016

By Tyler Slater

In celebration of Earth Day, D23’s Ultimate Countdown to Shanghai Disney Resort continues with an inside look at Wishing Star Park—the perfect tranquil escape where you can embrace nature. Located along the shoreline of a glimmering body of water, Wishing Star Park is approximately 40 hectares, the size of 56 football fields, and includes a 1.5-mile walking path, various beautiful gardens, a wondrous playground, and an inspiring amphitheater.

As guests explore the park’s woodlands, they will have the chance to admire the gardens that combine both Chinese and Western rose natives and cultivars. Families can also marvel at a colorful area that a mix of tile birds and butterflies call home. Not to mention, the majestic Wishing Star Lake is the perfect destination for spectacular sunsets.

Families can let their little ones run and play at Dragonfly Playground—where imaginations may wander freely into a world of wonders. This playground offers fun-filled activities designed especially for children with adventurous hearts and growing minds.

Once the sun sets, fans can watch the night sky unfold as Disney inspires the imaginations of kids of all ages at the Starlight Amphitheater. With nearly 900 seats available, this beautiful amphitheater provides a natural ambiance for any special event.

Be sure to check back next week at we continue the ultimate countdown to the grand opening of the Shanghai Disney Resort June 16!

Looking for more of the countdown? Catch up here:

Jeopardy’s Clue Crew Visits the Walt Disney Archives

April 21, 2016May 3, 2016

By Jeffrey Epstein

What is… what happens when a treasure trove of Disney history meets one of the country’s top game shows, Alex?

The answer was: Jeopardy visits the Walt Disney Archives.

For the episode of Jeopardy that aired April 20, the Walt Disney Archives provided “questions” for one of the categories, and D23 was on hand when the show’s “Clue Crew”—Jimmy McGuire and Sarah Whitcomb Foss—visited to work their magic. Luckily both are big Disney fans, so it was a match made in game show heaven.

Jimmy McGuire holds Peter’s (William Moseley’s) prop sword from *The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian* (2008).

“I guess I was in probably fifth grade when we were brought into the auditorium and we watched 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” recalls McGuire, of his first Disney experience. “Little did I know that the 11-foot miniature used in the film would be part of my life. So we’ve come full circle!”

Foss, an Arizona native, was first introduced to Disney through family trips to the Happiest Place on Earth. “My parents would actually surprise us,” she remembers. “We would be with my cousins, and it would be one of those early-morning drives where we would be driving in the dark and we didn’t really know where we were going until it got a little lighter, and they would surprise us and you’re going to Disneyland!”

Sarah Whitcomb Foss presents animator’s models created during the production of *Pinocchio* (1940).

It’s no surprise that years later Foss—and her family—are annual passholders to Disneyland. “Now that I have a daughter I think my favorite [attractions] have evolved,” she says. “I can’t ride the thrill rides with her quite yet. So seeing the wonder through her eyes on it’s a small world has definitely become my number one. I just love not only the attraction but what it teaches my daughter about the world.”

Preparing for the shoot brought back many more memories for McGuire. “One of my favorite moments as a child was when I saw a double feature that included The Love Bug,” he says. “I just feel that same same excitement being here [in the Archives], and it really is cool that Walt Disney had such an incredible mind. Even though he may be here today, to be able to see all of the things that he was able to do… it’s overwhelming.”

For Foss, getting to see the “Partners” statue of Walt Disney ad Mickey Mouse up close was a highlight. “I’ve seen it at the parks from a distance but you get the chance to stand right there next to Walt and Mickey and just be in the center of this historic studio, it’s pretty awesome.”

Something fans of the show may not know is just how long it takes to put together clues such as the ones highlighted in the Archives—in fact the show viewers saw was more than a year in the making! “There were scouting sessions to see what would be available for us to shoot, and then our producers have to weigh in on their thoughts,” Foss notes. “And then our writers go to work and write the material. Our researchers research all of the clues and by the time we get here today and shoot so much work is already put into something that looks very simple for an eight-second clue. There’s always a little Jeopardy magic. We know you have a lot of Disney magic, but we have a lot of Jeopardy magic as well and a lot goes into those little clues.”

The pair, who have worked together for 15 years have traveled all over the world revealing fascinating facts for the hit show. But—of course—the Walt Disney Archives is already ranking up as one of their favorite destinations. “Today is certainly a thrill,” noted McGuire while standing in the Archives. “Jeopardy is a staple in our culture in certain—as is Disney.”

“We have had the opportunity to shoot at the Walt Disney Family Museum and now here the Walt Disney Archives,” Foss adds. “I’m hoping this is only the beginning of a lot more shoots at Disney, because I am a huge fan and this is the ultimate shoot location for me!”

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.