John Lasseter Reflects on 30 Years of Pixar

In 1986 John Lasseter made a decision that would not only forever change his life, but also the face of animation. He was working at Lucasfilm in the Computer Graphics Group when owner George Lucas decided to sell the division to Steve Jobs. He was given a choice, stay with Lucasfilm and work at Lucas’ visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, or take a chance on the offshoot. Even though John had tremendous admiration for George Lucas and his work on the Star Wars films, the decision was a simple one. “I went with the new company,” John recalls. “There was no question—it was going to be something really special.” That something special was Pixar and under John and Ed Catmull’s leadership it would revolutionize the art form of animation with its groundbreaking computer technology.

This month, Pixar—the studio that masterminded modern animated classics such as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Wall•E, last year’s Inside Out, and, of course, the film that started it all, Toy Story—celebrates its 30th anniversary. In honor of this incredible milestone, John takes D23 on an exclusive stroll down memory lane and talks about some of his own personal highlights from the last 30 years.

“Ed had a dream to do an animated feature film with computer animation one day, and that’s why I was there,” John says about his longtime collaborator and Pixar co-founder’s influence. “I loved animation but I was so excited about the idea of doing computer animation. We knew that it could be something great in the feature film world.” Great, indeed. Over the past three decades, Pixar has produced some of the most beloved, critically acclaimed, and hilarious films of all time, raking in nearly $10 billion at the box office and picking up 15 Academy Awards®—and a whopping 55 Oscar® nominations, in total—along the way.

But before Pixar was breaking records at the box office, it was breaking ground as a technology company. The invention of the Pixar Image Computer, which was capable of producing higher-resolution images, and other advancements in motion blur, complex flexible characters, and hand-painted textures were rapidly changing the look of animation. Short films such as John’s directorial debut, Luxo Jr., and Tin Toy, which was the first computer-animated film to receive an Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1988, were starting to get people’s attention. Then in 1989, the company released its RenderMan software, which would go on to become the industry standard for computer graphics in film.

Perhaps the biggest turning point in Pixar’s history came in 1991. Disney and Pixar announced plans to make and distribute the first-ever feature-length computer animated film. “It was as we started developing Toy Story in 1991 and working towards its release in 1995, when we really saw that the future of Pixar is as an animation studio,” John points out. “And so right after Toy Story came out, Steve took Pixar public as Pixar Animation Studios. I felt very proud of that, that Steve came around from hardware and software to seeing the potential and the value and how cool doing computer animation could be. And he really bet the whole company on that.”

The decision paid off in spades for Pixar and audiences. Can any of us imagine a world without Woody, Buzz, and the gang, or Lightning McQueen and Mater? What about those wonderfully weird monsters Mike and Sully? All these characters and so many more have become part of the fabric of our lives, and a beloved part of Disney experiences, too. Spend a day at any Disney park around the world or on a Disney cruise ship and you’re bound to bump into one of your favorite Pixar characters. “I took my family to Walt Disney World right after Toy Story had come out,” John remembers fondly. “I heard they were doing a small parade with Toy Story characters. To have our characters there represented in such a big way and have them come alive was really, really special.”

The same trip provided John with yet another unforgettable moment. “We were flying back from Orlando and as we were getting off the plane there was a little boy with his mom standing there at the gate waiting for his dad and he was holding a Woody doll. My sons, who were little at the time, go, ‘Dad, Dad, look!’ [That trip] was the first time I’d seen a character—I had created—outside of our studio or at Disneyland or Disney World. And the look of pride and excitement that he had to show his dad this toy of his was really special. And I realized at that moment, that character didn’t belong to me anymore. It belonged to him.”

John thinks about that moment often. He says it’s why Pixar keeps doing what they do—creating heartfelt films about the shared human experience. This summer’s hugely anticipated Finding Dory and the studio’s slate of upcoming films, which includes Cars 3, Coco, Toy Story 4, and The Incredibles 2, will certainly provide us the belly laughs and tug-at-our-heartstrings moments we’ve come to expect from Pixar. “When I think of the highlights of 30 years, those are the kinds of moments [I remember], because it really means that you’ve touched people, you’ve created a character that really entertained someone or really touched someone to where it’s now a part of their life. It’s a part of their family. That’s really what makes a Pixar film. I think that’s it. It’s that love of technology, that love of great storytelling, and that love of deeply entertaining the audience of all ages. And that all comes together so each movie is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”

We couldn’t agree more. Congratulations on 30 years, Pixar!

To watch an exclusive video with John Lasseter talking more about Pixar’s 30th, visit TheWaltDisneyCompany.com.

Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree: Did You Know?

February 4, 2016January 29, 2018

By Jim Fanning

The wrong sort of bees and a very tight squeeze give Pooh Bear a bit of a bother in Walt Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966), the first of the beguiling animated featurettes to introduce the huggable bear of very little brain to the big screen. We asked Disney historian Jim Fanning to “think-think-think” of a Pooh-rade of fun facts fans might not know about Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, which was released on February 4, 1966.

Disney Daughter Delivers Pooh-lightful Inspiration
Walt discovered the Winnie the Pooh books thanks to his book-loving daughter, Diane Disney Miller. “Dad would hear me laughing alone in my room and come in to see what I was laughing at,” Diane later recalled. “It was usually the gentle, whimsical humor of A. A. Milne’s Pooh stories. I read them over and over, and then many years later to my children, and now to my grandchildren.” Walt sought the screen rights as early as 1937, and continued to pursue this Pooh-ticular property over the years, but it wasn’t until June 1961 that he acquired the rights. Interestingly, it was NBC that held the rights from the early 1940s. In 1947, NBC aired a live-action special called A Day in the Life of Christopher Robin, and in 1960, just before Disney obtained the rights (and right before Walt joined NBC as a new home for his weekly TV show), a puppet version was presented on NBC’s Shirley Temple Theatre.

The Shermans Got By With a Little Help From a Pooh Friend
When Walt assigned A.A. Milne’s Pooh stories to Disney Legends Richard and Robert Sherman in 1963, the songwriting siblings found the delicate charm a creative challenge. For insight, they turned to British-born Tony Walton, who was then designing costumes for Mary Poppins (1964). “He spent several hours with us explaining how important the Pooh stories were to him while he was growing up,” remembered Richard. “He identified with pudgy Pooh, who always came out on top.” Suddenly, the Shermans saw the wonder and wisdom behind the Winnie the Pooh whimsy. The original books are sprinkled with Pooh’s songs, called “hums.” “They weren’t really songs,” Richard observed. “They were like little feathers in the breeze, so we wanted to get that feel in our songs—that if Milne had written a song, he most likely would have written it that way. We wanted to be Milnesque but it had to be Disney, too.”

Pooh Illustrations Offer Inspiration
Walt wanted his animation team to not only preserve the whimsy of Milne’s prose but also the artistic style of Ernest H. Shepard’s delightful drawings—so the onscreen character designs sprang from the pen-and-ink perfection of the Pooh-sonalities as drawn by the famed illustrator. As Milne created the stories based on the stuffed animals of his son, the real Christopher Robin, so Shepard based his illustrations on the boy’s real toys. But Shepard actually modeled his drawings of the little boy after his own son, Graham, while Pooh was drawn to look like Graham’s teddy bear, Growler. “Growler was the original teddy, a great big yellow bear,” revealed the illustrator. “He lost his growl quickly, of course, from being pressed so much.” No where is the Shepard charm more lovingly preserved onscreen than in the “100 Aker Wood” endpaper map that opens the animated story—a map that in the Pooh book is labeled, “Drawn by Me [meaning Christopher Robin] and Mr. Shepard Helpd.”

The Voice Of Kaa Was Cast Because Of Pooh
Disney Legend Sterling Holloway was voicing Winnie the Pooh when Walt Disney asked the voice artist to take a crack at Kaa for The Jungle Book (1967). “Walt was such a stickler for voices,” the actor recalled. “He said, ‘When you finish with what you’re doing today with Winnie the Pooh, fiddle around [and] see what you can do with the snake. I can’t get the right voice.’” Though Sterling gave auditory life to many a Disney character (including Kaa), Pooh Bear is by far his most famous vocal role. “I had no problem with Pooh’s voice,” he said. “It was born with the first word I spoke. I saw what Pooh was like and what I’d like him to be, and I tried to make him that way—sincere, lovable… always hungry, always trying. Pooh would never hurt anyone or know a word of hate. He was unselfish, giving.”

Two Favorite Pooh-lebrities Had A Delayed Debut
Piglet and Tigger may be two of the most beloved Pooh characters, but aside from their appearance as toys in the live-action prelude and Piglet’s mention in the “Winnie the Pooh” theme song, these Pooh superstars are not seen in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. The first featurette was drawn from Milne’s Winnie the Pooh chapters “in which” Pooh climbs the honey tree and gets stuck in Rabbit’s front door. Piglet doesn’t pop up until the third chapter while Tigger doesn’t bounce in until the follow-up volume, The House at Pooh Corner—so Walt and his team didn’t include the timid pig and the boisterous tiger until the Oscar^®-winning Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968). Some pre-Blustery Day merchandise, including books and recordings, featured a prototype Piglet and a toothy Tigger complete with lion’s mane.

Walt Loved Winnie the Pooh, Top to Bottom
Sterling Holloway felt that Pooh was Walt’s favorite character—and the prolific producer enjoyed contributing his own ideas in story meetings to give the Milne material that special Disney touch. When reading the story in which Pooh is stuck in a very tight place (namely, in Rabbit’s rabbit-hole front door), Walt wondered what Rabbit did with a teddy bear’s bottom in the middle of his living room wall. Building on the Shepard drawing of Rabbit hanging towels on Pooh’s legs, Walt developed a whole series of sight gags in which Rabbit turns Pooh’s protruding posterior into everything from a hunting trophy to an armchair. “I think,” said Walt, “it might be my funniest scene in the picture.”

From Feature to Featurette (And Back Again)
At first Walt planned a full-length Pooh feature. “In 1965,” the Shermans wrote years later, “we had completed songs for about two-thirds of the story when Walt stunned everyone by announcing… he intended to ‘platform’ Winnie the Pooh into three separate featurettes.” The great showman felt that the Milne stories were not as well known in the U.S. as in Europe so he decided on Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree as an introduction to the “silly old bear.” Even though the following featurettes were released after Walt’s passing, much of them had been developed under Walt’s direction in 1963–1965. The three featurettes were linked by new animation in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), fulfilling Walt’s original vision for a Pooh feature.

23 Favorite Pixar Supporting Characters

Buzz and Woody. Dory. Merida. Joy and Sadness. They’re some of the most iconic characters in Disney•Pixar (not to mention animation) history, and they’re known the world over. As we celebrate the amazing 30-year history of Pixar Animation Studios, we thought we’d take a moment to praise some of our favorite supporting characters from Pixar’s 16 feature films.

Rex from Toy Story
Sure, he looks ferocious—but this plastic Tyrannosaurus Rex is a professional worrier, with a perpetually upset stomach and a penchant for anxiety. Luckily, with the help of Buzz Lightyear and his other toy pals, he finds his “roar.”

Heimlich from a bug’s life
This adorable little caterpillar was a clown for P.T. Flea’s circus… but let’s be honest, he spends most of his time eating. A brave and true friend, Heimlich ultimately gets his wish and transforms into a butterfly (with very small wings).

Wheezy from Toy Story 2
Wheezy the Penguin was one of Andy’s favorite toys until his squeaker broke—and after that fateful day, he was relegated to a dusty bedroom shelf. He’s eventually discovered by Woody and is repaired to his former glory, complete with suave singing voice (provided by Robert Goulet).

George Sanderson from Monsters, Inc.
One of Mike and Sulley’s best friends on Scarefloor F, George accidentally violates Child Detection Agency’s Code 2319 (“contact with a human child”) and is shaved and scrubbed to remove any evidence of human contact. Later, he finds success on the CDA’s new Laugh Floor… and don’t worry, his fur grows back.

Bruce from Finding Nemo
“Fish are friends, not food!” Bruce the Great White Shark works hard to keep from becoming a “mindless eating machine.” Despite his carnivorous instincts, he’s eventually able to help Dory and Marlin escape an explosive fate.

Jacques from Finding Nemo
This little French-accented shrimp is tasked with keeping the dentist’s fish tank clean. He also mans the “Ring of Fire” on Mount Wannahockaloogie. He is a shrimp of few words, but gets along with his fellow tank dwellers.

Edna Mode from The Incredibles
“I never look back darling, it distracts from the now.” An icon in her own right, don’t let Edna Mode’s small stature fool you—she’s a force to be reckoned with. Edna is pulled out of retirement to patch up Mr. Incredible’s (Bob Parr) super suit, but being the visionary designer that she is, creates brand new suits for the entire family—sans capes, of course.

Frozone from The Incredibles
Speaking of super suits, this guy sure has a talent for losing his! Frozone (also known as Lucius Best) is one of Mr. Incredible’s icest—oops—nicest friends with a pretty chill power. Known for skipping out on dates for the “derring-do,” Frozone’s always looking out for the greater good.

Fillmore from Cars
The resident hippie of Radiator Springs, Fillmore’s all about keeping it natural—much to the dismay of his neighbor, Sarge. This 1960 Volkswagen bus is a big believer in individuality and expresses himself through ‘body’ art and blaring Jimi Hendrix.

Red from Cars
You might associate fire trucks with blaring engines and bright lights, but Red is proof that you shouldn’t judge a truck by its color. This shy and simple vehicle spends most of his time watering the flowers in Radiator Springs, but tread lightly—this is one emotional engine that has a tendency to burst into tears.

Emile from Ratatouille
We’ve all felt it: the feeling when you’re so hungry, it doesn’t matter what you eat, you just need to eat NOW. Imagine feeling that way all the time and you’ve got our furry friend, Emile. At first, Remy’s older brother doesn’t understand Remy’s devotion to cuisine, but later he helps his brother serve up a delicious dish of ratatouille to the ultimate food critic—and, in turn, learns how to savor the flavors himself.

Colette Tatou from Ratatouille
“Oh, symphony of crackle. Only great bread sounds this way.” Being the only female cook in Gusteau’s kitchen is tough enough, but when Chef Skinner appears to take a liking to the newcomer cook, Linguini, no one can blame Colette for getting a little bit upset. This hard-working, assertive, and talented cook soon discovers the truth behind the humble, if not foolish, Linguini and his little friend Remy; remembers Gusteau’s motto, “Anyone can cook”; and decides to help them keep the restaurant from falling into the ownership of the egotistical Chef Skinner.

M-O from WALL•E
The adorable cleaner everyone wishes they had for themselves. This diminutive robot (whose name stands for Microbe Obliterator) is programmed to clean anything deemed a foreign contaminant on The Axiom. M-O is obsessed with his goal of keeping the ship clean, even frantically trying to clean his own face after WALL•E teasingly smudges dirt on it. He goes to great lengths to track down and clean WALL•E. Along the way they become friends, and M-O helps WALL•E save the little surviving plant and bring it back to Earth.

Dug from Up
“My name is Dug. I have just met you, and I love you!” As soon as we met this fun-loving dog, we fell in love. Due to a special collar that translates his thoughts into speech, Dug is able to communicate with basic cute phrases. His owner, Charles Muntz, tasks Dug with finding a large bird—SQUIRREL!—but upon encountering Carl and Russell, Dug decides that he loves Carl and that Carl is his new owner. Dug does his best to help them escape Muntz, even braving the top dog, Alpha, and the dreaded cone of shame!

Mr. Pricklepants from Toy Story 3
Ever had a friend who always tried to “play the part”? Well, this charming lederhosen-wearing hedgehog, better known as “Baron Von Shush” by Bonnie’s toys, fancies himself a thespian and is always “trying to stay in character.” He warns Woody about how dangerous Lotso is and helps him get back to Sunnyside Daycare. Mr. Pricklepants may look prickly, but deep down he’s plump and fuzzy.

Peas-in-a-Pod from Toy Story 3
Peatey, Peatrice, and Peanelope are the “peafect” trio in Bonnie’s collection. Known for their expertise for identifying real cowboys, this pod of peas pesters the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the Wild West because he doesn’t have his hat. They are also experts on the whereabouts of Bonnie, especially on details regarding her Hawaiian Vacation.

Guido from Cars 2
This little Italian forklift is the backbone for Casa Della Tires. As Luigi’s assistant and best friend, this dynamic duo is the biggest Ferrari-racing fans in Carbueretor County. Despite knowing only a few English words other than “pit stop,” he joins Team Lightning McQueen for the World Grand Prix for his turbo-changed tire changing abilities. His wish of seeing some Ferraris just might come true, too!

The Witch from Brave
Referred to as the Crafty Wood Carver, this seemingly harmless and eccentric elderly woman specializes in the whittling of wooden bear trinkets, figurines, and curios. However, the brave Merida quickly discovers that this mysterious crone is more than meets the eye. While she might offer a magical solution to change one’s fate, it will more than likely be haphazard and come with an obscure riddle.

Ms. Sheri Squibbles from Monsters University
Ms. Squibbles is a loving single parent who encourages, accommodates, and, more so, coddles her son, Scott “Squishy” Squibbles. She is the best mom in Monstropolis, as she cooks, does his laundry, and even acts as house mom when he has friends over to play fraternity. A drive with Ms. Squibbles may include listening to her favorite death metal tunes.

Art from Monsters University
The new-age philosophy major at Monsters University defies arch-etype: he’s a total free spirit, extremely predictable, and as flexible as they come—and we mean that in both the physical and metaphysical sense!

Fear from Inside Out
Something might be said for conquering one’s fears, but the Fear who lives inside Riley’s head in Inside Out is actually a pretty good guy to have around. There’s really nothing that Fear doesn’t find at least a little dangerous, so he’s happy to let Joy control the console most of the time. But it’s nice knowing that he’ll intervene in times of true crisis—like broccoli on a slice of perfectly delicious pizza.

Rainbow Unicorn from Inside Out
Imagine the most fabulous performer you can… A superstar of such magnitude that you might be rendered speechless in her presence… Such is the effect that Rainbow Unicorn has on Joy when she, Sadness, and Bing Bong encounter her in Dream Productions. It’s easy to see why: the rainbow hair, the lavender eyes, the mythic nature of being a unicorn! We’re thinking her epic performance in Fairy Dream Adventure, Part 7 could only be matched by a follow-up to her showdown with Jangles the Clown.

Forrest Woodbush, aka the Pet Collector, from The Good Dinosaur
Some people are dog people, some folks like cats, and some people bring the whole menagerie home with them. The Good Dinosaur’s Forrest Woodbush takes that to a whole other level—literally—keeping his trove of treasured beasts on horns that surround his head. But given that all of his pets are tasked with protecting Forrest Woodbush from dangers and nuisances, like mosquitoes and “unrealistic goals,” we think he might be on to something. He’s disappointed to miss out on adding Spot to his collection, but we’re pulling for him to reunite with favorite pet, songbird Debbie, so that she can warble him through this latest crisis.

Radio Disney Music Awards Set—Plus More in News Briefs

Radio Disney Music Awards: This April on Disney Channel

Mark those calendars, set those DVRs, and get ready to rock! The 2016 Radio Disney Music Awards (RDMA)—music’s biggest event for families—is officially set for Saturday, April 30, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Now in its fourth year, the RDMA will feature more performances than ever before, combining music’s biggest with tomorrow’s rising stars. The special two-hour telecast, Disney Channel Presents the Radio Disney Music Awards, will be presented Sunday, May 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST on Disney Channel here in the U.S.; once it’s aired in the States, it’ll be shown in another 159 countries! Highlights from the show will also be available on Radio Disney, the Radio Disney App, the WATCH Disney Channel app, and RadioDisney.com.

Radio Disney “ARDY” statuettes, as voted on by fans around the world, will be awarded in categories covering all manner of musical genres… stay tuned to RadioDisney.com for your opportunity to vote, coming soon!

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
February 20
D23’s Adventure in Wonderland
February 20
D23 Shopping Day at Mickey’s of Glendale
March 18
Lunch with a Disney Legend: Charlie Ridgway
March 19
D23’s Very Important Date: 65 Years of Alice in Wonderland—Florida
April 20
D23 Member Night at Newsies—On Tour in Portland, Oregon
June 8
D23 Member Night at Newsies—On Tour in Salt Lake City, Utah
Studios
March 4
Zootopia opens in theaters.
April 15
The Jungle Book opens in theaters.
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, 2016
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
June 16, 2016
Shanghai Disney Resort to open
Television
February 14
Frozen airs on Disney Channel at 7 p.m. ET/PT
February 14
Struck in the Middle Previews on Disney Channel at 8:45 p.m. ET/PT
February 15
Gravity Falls series finale airs on Disney XD at 7 p.m. ET/PT
February 21
The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60 airs on ABC from 8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
February 28
The Oscars® will be presented live on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
May 1
Disney Channel Presents the Radio Disney Music Awards airs on Disney Channel from 7–9 p.m. EST

Star Wars Tsum Tsum Coming February 16

Cute, cuddly, and from a galaxy far, far away? Sign us up! Just yesterday, Disney Store unveiled its Star Wars Tsum Tsum collection—featuring characters from A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi!

The new Tsum Tsum will, as usual, come in three sizes: mini, medium, and large. Characters represented in the collection include Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, Han Solo, R2-D2, Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Yoda, C-3P0, an Ewok, and a Stormtrooper. And like the classic Disney and Marvel Tsum Tsum characters currently available, this first Star Wars collection will serve as an “evergreen” assortment that will live on as future assortments are introduced. (Yup, there’s more to come!) The collection will be launched exclusively at Disney Store locations—both in-store and online—in the U.S. (plus Japan and Europe) on February 16.

New Kitchens at 2016 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Two new Outdoor Kitchens are coming to this year’s Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, which will bloom in 2016 for a record 90 days.

The La Isla Fresca kitchen will take Epcot guests to the Caribbean for authentic dishes including Jamaican braised beef with pigeon peas and rice; spicy jerk chicken or grouper with mango salsa; and an amazing “Tres Leches” cake with guava puree. Meanwhile, the Cider House kitchen will offer its own spin on tastes from the United Kingdom, including a field greens salad with greens harvested from Epcot’s The Land Pavilion, heirloom apples, Stilton cheese, and dried blueberries; and pear cider-brined shredded corned beef with braised cabbage and pears in a Branston (that’s a famous British food brand) dressing. Both kitchens will balance their treats with themed beverages.

They’ll join 11 other diverse kitchens—plus an unbelievable array of colorful garden delights—when the 23rd annual festival kicks off on March 2. For more info, check out EpcotInSpring.com.

“Be Inspired” Celebrates Black History Month with Cameron Boyce

Cameron Boyce, star of Disney XD’s Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything and Disney’s Descendants, has a very special connection to a very meaningful piece of American history. Cameron’s grandmother, Jo Ann Allen Boyce, was one of the “Clinton 12”—the first African-American students to integrate a public school in the South in 1956… and to celebrate Black History Month, a special “Be Inspired” segment (airing this month on both Disney Channel and Disney XD) follows Cameron, Jo Ann, and the rest of their family on a trip back to Clinton, Tennessee.

The “Be Inspired” cameras captured the family making their first visit together to a monument featuring 12 life-size sculptures of Jo Ann and her fellow history-makers at the Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton. “I’ve always known [my Nana] is incredible and now, everyone else will know too,” says Cameron.

The Force is with Star Wars Day at Sea on Disney Cruise Line

Jedis and Padawans alike are reveling in Disney Cruise Line’s new Star Wars Day at Sea, a special day-long celebration occurring now through April during select Western Caribbean cruises aboard the Disney Fantasy.

Star Wars Day at Sea combines the power of the Force and the magic of Disney—for a truly galactic experience! The day includes a Star Wars-themed deck party (complete with fireworks); a shipboard version of the Jedi Training Academy; meet-and-greets with characters like Darth Vader and Chewbacca; themed food and beverage offerings; guest speakers; and even screenings of Star Wars films! For a sneak peak at all the fun, check out this brand-new video from our friends at DCL, above.

MECH-X4 Brings Sci-Fi Fun to Disney XD

A new live-action sci-fi comedy adventure is coming to Disney XD! MECH-X4 (formerly known as MTX!) will center on a heroic team of teenagers who take on the responsibility of controlling a giant robot in order to protect their city from danger. Sounds pretty cool, right?

The series stars newcomer Nathaniel James Potvin as Ryan Walker, a freshman at Bay City High who has technopathy—the amazing ability to control technology with his mind. His talent mysteriously awakens MECH-X4, a giant 120-foot robot built by an elusive genius-in-hiding (Kamran Lucas) in order to defend their town against impending doom. Ryan recruits his two best friends and his older brother (Raymond Cham, Teen Beach 2) to help him operate MECH-X4. When monsters suddenly begin to descend upon their city, the team must quickly learn to work together in order to pilot the robot… it’s their only hope of saving their town, and ultimately the world, from mass destruction. Look for Nathaniel and his friends to bring MECH-X4 to your TV screens this fall!

Aladdin the Musical to Launch U.S. Tour in 2017

If you haven’t been able to make it to New York City (or the U.K., or Australia, or Japan) to see Aladdin the Musical, fret not! Disney Theatrical Productions recently announced that the show will launch its first-ever North American tour in Chicago next year. The 12-week engagement begins performances at Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, and plays through Sunday, July 2, 2017.

Future engagements and casting information will be announced in the coming months. Keep an eye on AladdinTheMusical.com/tour for more information.

A Stunt-tacular Time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The adventures of everyone’s favorite archaeologist and lovable scoundrel, Indiana Jones, have enthralled the world for 35 years… and it’s been almost three decades since The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular first delighted audiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you’ve never seen this amazing, thrill-a-minute show, it features stunts based on the film franchise, all performed live—including whip tricks, sword fights, explosions, and more!

Our friends over at the Disney Parks Blog recently headed backstage for a very special look at what goes into making the Stunt Spectacular so, well, spectacular. Watch all the behind-the-scenes excitement in the video, above.

Oswald Historian Lauds Debut of Lost Short Hungry Hoboes

Thanks to the discovery of the lost Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short Hungry Hoboes in a private London vault in 2011 and its subsequent digital restoration, fans are finally getting a chance to see the silent animated classic for the first time.

Originally released in 1928, Hungry Hoboes is No. 20 of 26 Oswald shorts created by Walt Disney and famed animator Ub Iwerks. Movie journalist Tim Lammers talked with animation historian David Gerstein about the cartoon, which can be unlocked with the digital purchase of the new Walt Disney Signature Collection release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (online now at DisneyMoviesAnywhere.com; on Blu-ray Feb. 2).

Tim Lammers: They may have similar physical characteristics, but what otherwise separates Mickey Mouse from Oswald?

David Gerstein: The two of them are rather different. I’ve read interviews with Ub Iwerks where he talks about how Walt wanted Mickey to be more of a Douglas Fairbanks kind of character—more of a genuine hero. Oswald has an enormous ego and consciously wants to think of himself as clever, lucky, and charming. He’s the first guy on the block to puff out his chest, but he’s also the first to get cold feet. He often has to bluff and outsmart the enemy, and you get the impression once in a while that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is just what he likes to be known as—lucky. But in reality, Oswald’s luck is very bad.

TL: What is different about Hungry Hoboes in comparison to other Oswald shorts?

DG: It might be the rudest and the rowdiest of all of the Oswald cartoons that have surfaced to date. Oswald is a ne’er-do-well who is on the run from the law, and he’s actually pals with Peg-Leg Pete, who is usually his enemy. They don’t exactly get along and they’re squabbling pals like you’ve never seen. When you watch the cartoon, you’ll see Pete is the kind of pal who will light your butt on fire and use the flame to fry an egg. Nevertheless, Pete does reach out to grab Oswald and hoist him to safety when they’re running from the sheriff, so there’s a little bit of love to lose.

TL: How does Hungry Hoboes reflect the comedy of its era?

DG: It’s a cartoon of wild, split-second escapes and has lots of classic, early Disney fun with farm animals. Animals are bent out of shape, distorted, squeezed, and squashed to produce noise and music. It’s a rowdy, outrageous cartoon in the tradition of the live-action two-reel comedies at the time. There’s a little bit of Laurel and Hardy to the camaraderie between Oswald and Pete.

TL: What kind of synergy does Hungry Hoboes have with its animated counterparts?

DG: If you look at Hungry Hoboes together with earlier Oswald, Disney, and other silent cartoons of the period, you’ll see that Hungry Hoboes is an amazing exercise in personality animation that at its time was almost unbeaten. A lot of us fans of classic, silent cartoons love vintage characters like Colonel Heeza Liar and Felix the Cat, who definitely emote to the audience. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks made their characters with the same sort of sensibilities, but with a more nuanced and relatively realistic form of rubbery, smooth motion. There’s just this feeling of, “We can create an emotive character in the same way, but add an extra dimension of believability to him. We’re going to try to push the envelope and do something a little bit new with a little more personality.”

Still the Fairest—And Most Inspiring—of All

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated film, has appeared on most of the world’s “best-film” lists since debuting in 1937. Along with Citizen Kane, it is considered one of the greatest, most influential movies ever made. All these decades later it’s still easy for viewers, young and young at heart, to be drawn into the colorfully dramatic story and its thoroughly engaging characters.

The risks Walt took artistically and financially to produce Snow White are well documented. If it failed, there would be no Disney studio and no legacy of 55 Disney animated features up to and including Zootopia (opening in March). Indeed, there would be no Pixar, no theme parks, and (yikes!) no D23.

As it turned out, Snow White was a financial and artistic hit, and its influence spread far and wide. Its success encouraged MGM, for example, to produce The Wizard of Oz, whose stylistic and narrative similarities were once advertised as “Snow White with live actors.”

Many great filmmakers, from Charlie Chaplin, Michael Powell, and Sergei Eisenstein to Federico Fellini, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg have admired Snow White. Powell, producer/director of the gorgeous The Red Shoes (1948), praised Snow White’s “controlled” color and sound. He called it “a feat not yet in the power of any other producer,” and one that “held audiences enraptured all over the world.” Fellini even emulated the groundbreaking cartoon. His script for Juliet of the Spirits (1965) describes the heroine’s cold, narcissistic mother as “the queen in Disney’s Snow White.”

Snow White has inspired generations to become animators or become better animators. A new generation will now draw inspiration from the beloved classic with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere for the very first time! Plus, a new high definition Blu-ray™, which includes the Digital HD copy, hits store shelves February 2.

But do today’s animators, with all of the vast technological changes in animation production over the last decade, still find the film relevant?

“It was a first for everyone working on it, and though many of the artists were not quite polished, they all gave 200 percent, which really inspires me to aim high.” – Andreas Deja

Andreas Deja, whose brilliant hand-drawn performances encompass villainous Scar, innocent Lilo, and eccentric Mama Odie in The Princess and the Frog, says Snow White still inspires because “it has something very genuine. It was a first for everyone working on it, and though many of the artists were not quite polished, they all gave 200 percent, which really inspires me to aim high.”

The film’s emotional honesty shines in Frank Thomas’ sequence of the dwarfs crying.

Deja is drawn (no pun intended) “to the dwarfs more than the straight characters because of the standout performances” of legendary animators Fred Moore and Vladimir Tytla. He praises their animation’s “gutsiness and control,” especially the latter “because the dwarfs have to be real, yet broad when they’re showing joy or are excited. Fred was the earliest master of the animation principle of squash and stretch [visualize the flexible shape of organic objects in action, as in his animation of the rotund three little pigs], which lends weight to characters and makes them real. That always impressed me, and I try to use that in my animation.”

Deja worked on a Princess and the Frog scene in which “the snake, JuJu, forms a spiral that propels elderly Mama Odie across a boat. She’s flying like the Flying Nun, and then JuJu zips in the scene and forms a spiral again to help with a soft landing. These are pretty broad actions I didn’t think we would do looking at the early storyboards. But it made it more lively, and I could use Fred’s squash and stretch principles a lot better.” By channeling Fred Moore’s gutsy, broad dwarf animation, Deja found inspiration so “those old bones can really move.”

Animator Eric Goldberg’s favorite Snow White scene: the dwarfs introducing themselves to Snow White, who had fallen asleep in their bed. — Animator Eric Goldberg’s favorite *Snow White* scene: the dwarfs introducing themselves to Snow White, who had fallen asleep in their bed.

Eric Goldberg, master of razor-sharp timing and superb comic moments in Aladdin (the gloriously fast and funny physical transformations of Genie), Fantasia/2000 (the split-second actions and reactions in the flamingo yo-yo section), and Hercules (hyper-volatile Phil), also finds inspiration in Snow White’s perfection of distinctive personality animation. “I can watch and mine great things, from the scenes where the dwarfs introduce themselves to Snow White, over and over and over again,” he says. “It is a piece of animation hard to top for sheer entertainment value and for nailing the characters’ personalities.”

Asked what he incorporates from Snow White in his work on Louis from The Princess and the Frog, Goldberg immediately answers “Appeal! I am a huge Freddy Moore fan, and everything he did had a natural charm and appeal to it. Part of the fun is the contrast: this big toothy gator who has tiny baby hands and is nervous. As with many sidekicks, he’s got to carry lots of emotional range—be funny, but you must believe he’s got a soul, some pain, and cares for the others.”

The Queen, shown in rough animation as she transforms into a hag, has inspired many wicked characters.

Goldberg stretches his draftsmanship by analyzing Disney classics, including Snow White. “What struck [Disney/Pixar Chief Creative Officer] John Lasseter with the early films,” Goldberg explains, “is the convincing physicality of the characters. They had believable bone structure, muscles, flab, flesh. While the forest animals in Snow White are less convincing than the dwarfs and the other lead characters, the animators were inching toward something naturalistic and appealing. Snow White was the road to what they cracked in Bambi.”

Mark Henn, an expert animator of subtle female characters, often thought of Snow White when animating Ariel, Jasmine, Belle, Mulan, Pocahontas, and now Princess Tiana in The Princess and the Frog. “Absolutely,” he asserts. “Some might argue that Snow White’s a little old-fashioned. Things happen to her and she reacts, whereas from The Little Mermaid on, our leading ladies became more pro-active. But I find Snow a very sincere, genuine, appealing character. She’s still an inspirational benchmark that I’m always looking over my shoulder hoping to reach.” He particularly loves the scene where Snow White folds her arms and imitates the most recalcitrant of the dwarfs. (“Ohhh! You must be Grumpy!”) “It’s subtle but really nice,” Henn says.

Later in the film, Snow White’s kiss transforms “woman-hater” Grumpy into a lovesick swain. “The transformation [animated by Tytla], where Grumpy puts up a big fuss when she gives him a little peck on the head and then he is overcome with emotion. And you see him melt like butter,” Henn enthuses. “Finally, he can’t hide it anymore… he really does care for her. Then there’s the complementary sister scene where animals bring the news she’s in danger. All the dwarfs run around wondering ‘what-do-we-do?’ But Grumpy’s the one with a plan. ‘Follow me, guys!’ and off goes the cavalry. His character is so rich.”

Henn’s technique uses live-action reference footage similar to how it was utilized in Snow White. After live-action is shot, blown-up stats of each frame are printed, he explains. “I go through, edit them finding the key poses of an action, basic patterns of movement. I put those on my light table’s pegs and make very quick, loose sketches over the keys, mapping out movements, some expressions that I think are worth using. In a sense, the live-action becomes my thumbnail sketches. Then I put the live-action aside, never look at it again, and animate conventionally from that point on. You animate it with all the exaggeration and principles of conventional animation to bring it to life.

“Purely from the technical side, Snow White was beautifully animated and doesn’t look rotoscoped,” Henn says referring to the technique of tracing live-action exactly without the animator’s creative input. “Rotoscoping is dead. It moves, but doesn’t have life. So however they handled their live-action reference in Snow White, I wanted to get the same results.”

Former Pixar CGI director/animator Doug Sweetland, whose 2008 short Presto was an Oscar^® nominee, describes Snow White as “the blueprint for all animated movies.” He finds amazing “how full the film is, packed to bursting with detail and richness, yet how the scenes are really simple and they take all this time to work on character moments. I remember [Inside Out director] Pete Docter mentioning that here’s a movie where you have five minutes of washing up before you have dinner.”

Sweetland also observes how the story “moves on and heads to its conclusion, but things build throughout, and actions are incredibly layered. Everything is boiled down to its essence. During the song ‘Whistle While You Work,’ every vignette is like a short, where they build gags in threes. It’s not enough that the deer gets piled high with clothes; now we follow his walk out the door, and then he’s going to stumble and there are going to be 1,500 animals incorporated in that one action,” he says with a laugh.

Speaking of influencing new generations, Sweetland’s young son, Desmond, “loves that scene the most because he loves animals in particular. He can also take the witch in Snow White, and in The Wizard of Oz, but he sends us, his parents, out of the room. He has to deal with them by himself.”

“Try Everything” in Zootopia—Plus More in News Briefs

Shakira Shakes Up Zootopia with “Try Everything”

We’re just a few weeks away from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ hilarious and heartfelt Zootopia swinging into theaters around the country… and to celebrate, international superstar Shakira recently helped debut some new scenes, plus a clip of her new song for the film, “Try Everything”—written by acclaimed singer-songwriter Sia and songwriting duo Stargate.

The Grammy®-winning “Hips Don’t Lie” singer appears in the film as Gazelle, the biggest and most beloved pop star in Zootopia. Check out the clip, above—and if you wanna rock out to the whole song in your car (like we’ve been doing!), it’s now available on iTunes.

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
January 29
D23 Behind-the-Scenes Experience: Walt Disney’s Office Suite
February 20
D23’s Adventure in Wonderland
February 20
D23 Shopping Day at Mickey’s of Glendale
March 18
Lunch with a Disney Legend: Charlie Ridgway
March 19
D23’s Very Important Date: 65 Years of Alice in Wonderland—Florida
April 20
D23 Member Night at Newsies—On Tour in Portland, Oregon
June 8
D23 Member Night at Newsies—On Tour in Salt Lake City, Utah
Studios
January 29
The Finest Hours opens in theaters.
March 4
Zootopia opens in theaters.
April 15
The Jungle Book opens in theaters.
May 6
Captain America: Civil War opens in theaters.
May 27
Alice Through the Looking Glass opens in theaters.

Parks
January 16
Club Villain at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
March 2—May 30, 2016
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
June 16, 2016
Shanghai Disney Resort to open
Television
February 14
Frozen airs on Disney Channel at 7 p.m. ET/PT
February 14
Struck in the Middle Previews on Disney Channel at 8:45 p.m. ET/PT
February 15
Gravity Falls series finale airs on Disney XD at 7 p.m. ET/PT
February 21
The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60 airs on ABC from 8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
February 28
The Oscars® will be presented live on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

New Disney PhotoPass Offerings at Disneyland Resort

Visiting Disneyland Resort in the near future? You’re in luck! Guests will soon experience Disney PhotoPass Service in amazing new ways…

Disneyland.com is already the best place to plan and book your trip to the Happiest Place on Earth—and soon, all your Disney PhotoPass photos will reside there too! Plus, you’ll be able to link, view, purchase, and download your PhotoPass pics using the already über-useful Disneyland mobile app. With new photographer locations and a new product, Disney PhotoPass+ One Day, you’ll be able to create and collect more photos than ever before.

But that’s not all: Disney PhotoPass’ new Animated Magic Shots will add animation to your pics, making you the star of your very own video memory! Sounds awesome, right? Our friends over at the Disney Parks Blog will be sharing more insider PhotoPass info in the coming days, so keep those eyes peeled…

Star Wars: Episode VIII to Debut in December ‘17

Unless you’ve been living under a Geonosian rock (in which case, how did you survive all those Empire bombings? But we digress), you’ve probably heard the latest news from the Star Wars universe: Star Wars: Episode VIII, originally scheduled for release on May 26, 2017, will now debut on December 15, 2017. The move follows the super-mega-huge success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was the first Star Wars movie to premiere during the winter holiday season.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper), Star Wars: Episode VIII is currently in pre-production and will begin principal photography in London next month. And with Episode VIII jumping to December, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales—once again starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, and featuring Pirates newcomer Javier Bardem—will set sail on May 26, 2017 (moved up from its previously scheduled July 7, 2017, release date). So much to look forward to… it’s an embarrassment of cinematic riches!

First Star Darlings Special Comes to Disney Channel—This Friday!

Disney’s Star Darlings—based on the popular book series from Disney Publishing Worldwide—is ready to take the tween world by storm when its first on-air special airs this Friday, January 29, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel! Star Darlings features a dozen unique girls who encourage us to celebrate our individuality, make positive choices, and show that we all can make any wish a reality.

The 30-minute special, Becoming Star Darlings, introduces viewers to 12 “Star-Charmed” girls who pursue their wishes with determination and the help of their friends. The story begins on Starland, where a major crisis is unfolding—and the girls are chosen to be the first student Starlings to venture to Earth (or as they call it, “Wishworld”). Determined to succeed, the girls show courage and ingenuity—and a whole lot of humor—as they guide others on Earth to discover their own happiness and fulfillment. Music is big in the Star Darlings universe; in fact, teen singer-songwriter/actress Skylar Stecker was recently brought on to remix the Star Darlings theme song, “Wish Now” (available on iTunes).

So tune in this Friday for some inspirational fun… and look for the next special, Star Darlings Friendships, in March!

New Poster for Disney’s The BFG

Beloved children’s author Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda) first released The BFG—an imaginative story of a little girl and the Big Friendly Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country—in 1982, and it remained one of his favorite stories until his passing in 1990. Later this year, Disney and Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg will help mark the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth by bringing this giant of a tale to the big screen… and they’re giving us a taste of the adventure to come with this brand-new poster!

Starring Oscar® nominee Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Bill Hader (Inside Out), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey) and newcomer Ruby Barnhill, The BFG arrives at a theater near you on July 1.

“Disney in Concert: Under the Stars” in Australia

A musical journey through the best-loved Disney songs of all time, at truly iconic outdoor locations, is coming to Australia!

“Disney in Concert: Under the Stars”—sponsored by Target, and produced by The Walt Disney Company and Live Nation—will showcase the incredible voices of Australian stars David Campbell, Harrison Craig, Lucy Durack, and Ricki-Lee in both contemporary and traditional performances of Disney’s repertoire of musical theater and pop tunes. Expect to hear hits from Frozen, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, and much more. Noted musical director Chong Lim will helm the live orchestra.

The show will take the stage—make that steps—of the historic Sydney Opera House forecourt on Saturday, February 27, and Sunday, February 28… followed by performances at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on Saturday, March 5, and at The Riverstage in Brisbane on Saturday, March 12 (a change from its previously scheduled March 13 date). For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit LiveNation Australia’s website.

Elena of Avalor: Additional Voice Cast Announced

Hear ye, hear ye! Later this year, Princess Elena of Avalor—the first Disney princess inspired by Latin cultures and folklore—will make her big debut in a special episode of Disney Junior’s hit series Sofia the First… followed shortly thereafter by the launch of her very own animated series, Elena of Avalor. The show will chronicle the adventures of Elena (voiced by Aimee Carrero of Freeform’s Young & Hungry), a 16-year-old ascendant to the throne of the fairy-tale kingdom of Avalor.

Recently, a slew of new voice talent was added to the Elena of Avalor roster, including Jenny Ortega (Jane the Virgin, Disney Channel’s upcoming Stuck in the Middle), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live, Archer), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), and Carlos Alazraqui (Disney Junior’s Sheriff Callie’s Wild West). Stay tuned for more info—including premiere dates—in the coming months.

D23 Fab Five: Daniel Franzese’s Walt Disney World Favorites

Best known for his roles on HBO’s Looking and the film Mean Girls, Daniel Franzese stars on the new Freeform series Recovery Road, based on Blake Nelson’s popular book of the same name about a young woman who makes the difficult decision to live with other recovering addicts at a sober living facility while facing the daily pressures of her teenage life. Franzese plays Vern, a former go-go boy who has experienced weight gain while getting clean. While the premise of the series is serious, there’s quite a bit of humor as well. So we decided to lighten the mood and ask the Disney fan about his five Disney favorites. Check out what he had to say (and we have a feeling the answers have something to do with a recent trip he made to Walt Disney World Resort)…

780w-463h_012516_daniel-franzese-disney-favorites-1 — Daniel on his recent trip to Walt Disney World Resort.

5) Ursula in Voyage of The Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
I don’t consider this a spoiler—I consider this an epic tip. The appearance of a giant puppet Ursula in the Voyage of the Little Mermaid musical show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is EVERYTHING! When I think about how [actor] Divine was one of the inspirations for Ursula, it makes me feel like a humongous fierce diva: Evil-witch-Divine-inspired-octopus-ish puppet named Ursula is all I ever need in this world. Standing ovation for that one.

4) Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney Animal Kingdom
This was such a great experience. The animals are so beautiful at the reserve, and it was amazing to have a bird’s eye view of the hippos from the truck. I loved seeing the majestic creatures so close up.

3) Watching the fireworks from Mexico in Epcot
It’s the perfect spot to get a view of the entire Illuminations—Reflections of Earth firework show! It was so breathtaking.

2) Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom
This was such a great ride! The dark ride [Audio] Animatronic® technology was at the top of the game, and the coaster was fast and thrilling! I couldn’t help but feel like a kid again when I saw Snow White dancing with the dwarves at the end of the ride.

1) My Disney Experience app
I just planned my entire family trip using this awesome new addition. It helped me make an itinerary for every experience including where and when my family of 10 would eat dinner! It allowed us to make the most out of a day in the Magic Kingdom! I especially loved how I could change my FASTPASS directly on my phone so if I arrived at a ride and the line wasn’t long I could change my FASTPASS for a new experience! So cool!

One Hundred and One Dalmatians: Did You Know?

January 25, 2016January 29, 2018

By Charles Solomon

January 25 marks the 55th anniversary of the premiere of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The first animated feature to earn more than $10 million on its initial release, Dalmatians has remained a favorite with audiences, critics, and artists since 1961. Disney Legend/animator Andreas Deja summed up the film’s appeal: “It’s the combination of an impeccably told story and fresh-looking, modern art. No film pushed the Disney style further than One Hundred and One Dalmatians.”

We worked with Disney author and historian, Charles Solomon, to bring you five interesting things about One Hundred and One Dalmatians many fans may not know.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians was the first Disney animated feature set in a specific place and contemporary time: Pongo says, “My story begins in London, not so very long ago.” Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are set in fairy-tale realms. Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland begin in London, sometime in the later 19th century, Lady and Tramp is set around the same time in a fictionalized New England. Nothing indicates when Bambi takes place. The WPA-influenced scenes of the roustabouts suggest Dumbo unfolds in the 1930s, but the location in Florida remains vague.

It was the first Disney animated feature to have screenplay—by master story artist Bill Peet, who didn’t particularly like the book when Walt gave it to him. “It had a deadly beginning with the people, the Dearlys, and their two dogs: Who can worry about a perfect marriage with two perfect dogs, with nothing to do but take walks together?” Peet said. “I decided to start the narrative from the dog’s point of view.”

In the film, one of Perdita’s puppies seems to have been stillborn, but Roger gently massages it to start its breathing. This sequence was based on an event in author Dodie Smith’s life: In 1943, her Dalmatians, Buzz and Folly, presented her with not the expected seven puppies, but with 13 (15 in some accounts). One of the puppies appeared stillborn until her husband, Alec Beesley, massaged it to life.

The simultaneously scary and funny Cruella DeVil dominates One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Marc Davis, who animated her, recalled, “I had several partial models in mind when I drew Cruella, including Tallulah [Bankhead] and one woman I knew who was just a monster. She was tall and thin and talked constantly—you never knew what she was saying, but you couldn’t get a word in edgewise. What I really wanted to do was make the character move like someone you wouldn’t like.”

Critics and audiences loved One Hundred and One Dalmatians; Walt Disney did not initially. As he had made only minimal contributions to the film, it may have annoyed him that it received so much praise—as Dumbo had 20 years earlier. He particularly disliked Ken Anderson’s art direction: The Xerox lines in the backgrounds matched the look of the characters, but reminded viewers they were looking at drawings. After the film’s release, Anderson suffered two strokes. While he recuperated, Disney sent presents and kept him on the payroll.

High School Musical Reunion—Plus More in News Briefs

High School Musical Stars Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary

“Get’cha head in the game”! High School Musical (HSM) stars Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman just reunited to celebrate the global phenomenon’s 10th anniversary with a special telecast of the movie on Wednesday, January 20, on Disney Channel! The group got together this past weekend to wax nostalgic for several exclusive taped segments, shot inside a suburban Los Angeles high school gymnasium; fellow HSM star Zac Efron will join the telecast with a pre-taped message for fans.

Additionally, Radio Disney’s Ernie D interviewed the cast for fun segments to be seen during a special “Radio Disney Insider” presented on Thursday, January 21, on both Disney Channel and the Radio Disney app. We’re all in this together and bopping to the top… even after a decade!

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

Parks
March 2—May 30, 2016
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
June 16, 2016
Shanghai Disney Resort to open
Television
January 20
High School Musical 10th Anniversary Telecast at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
February 14
Frozen airs on Disney Channel at 7 p.m. ET/PT
February 14
Stuck in the Middle Previews on Disney Channel at 8:45 p.m. ET/PT
February 15
Gravity Falls series finale airs on Disney XD at 7 p.m. ET/PT
February 21
The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60 airs on ABC from 8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
February 28
The Oscars® will be presented live on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Golden Glow: 15 Oscar® Nominations for Disney!

Nominations for this year’s Academy Awards® were announced last week, and Disney received an amazing 15 nominations overall—including five for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, two for Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out, and six for the Disney-released Bridge of Spies (directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Dreamworks Studios). Additionally, Sanjay’s Super Team (the new short that premiered before Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur) has been nominated in the Animated Short Film category, and Disney’s live-action Cinderella also earned a nomination in costume design for triple-Oscar winner Sandy Powell’s gorgeous creations.

The Oscars® will be presented live on “Oscar Sunday,” February 28, 2016, on ABC—all the fun begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT sharp! To view the entire list of nominees, and to get more info about the big telecast, visit Oscar.com.

Star Wars Rebels: New Mid-Season Trailer

We’re now officially halfway through this season of Disney XD’s Star Wars Rebels—and to get you even more excited for its return, they’ve just released a brand-new mid-season trailer! (ALERT: Don’t watch the above clip if you wanna stay spoiler-free!) There are several very interesting tidbits of info sprinkled throughout the trailer’s hefty three and a half minutes…

Featuring the voices of Freddie Prinze Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Ashley Eckstein, Golden Globe®-nominee David Oyelowo, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, Star Wars Rebels continues the epic tradition of the legendary Star Wars saga with new action-packed adventures. Set between the events of Star Wars Episodes III and IV, the story unfolds during a dark time when the evil Galactic Empire is tightening its grip of power on the galaxy. And don’t forget—young Princess Leia is coming to this show later this season.

Tokyo DisneySea Celebrates 15 Years with Wish-Full Fun

Anniversary, ahoy! Tokyo DisneySea celebrates its 15th anniversary on September 4—and Tokyo Disney Resort just announced how they’ll be marking the big day! A huge celebration, called “Tokyo DisneySea 15th Anniversary: The Year of Wishes,” will kick off on April 15, 2016, and last all the way through March 17, 2017.

“Wishes are people’s dreams for the future, and give a feeling of hope and excitement,” say our pals over at Tokyo DisneySea. And during their yearlong anniversary event, crystals of various colors symbolizing those wishes will decorate the entire Park. The “Crystals of Wishes” will also be worn by Mickey Mouse and all his pals; for instance, the red crystal worn by Minnie Mouse represents her wish for love, and Donald Duck’s blue crystal symbolizes friendship. Several new shows will premiere throughout the celebration, including “Crystal Wishes Journey” at Mediterranean Harbor, a re-imagined “Big Band Beat” at the Broadway Music Theatre, and “Out of Shadowland” at the Hangar Stage in Lost River Delta. Plus, look for new merchandise and menu items that follow the “Wishes” theme. Ready? Let’s sail away…

Spider-Man and The Avengers Return to Disney XD

Are your “spidey” senses tingling? Do you feel a little Avenger-y excitement in the air? Well, it’s no wonder… Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 returns for a fourth season with a special one-hour premiere on Sunday, February 21, at 9 a.m. EST, while the third season of Marvel’s Avengers: Ultron Revolution premieres on Sunday, March 13, at 8:30 a.m. EST—both on Disney XD!

In Season Four of Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6, Peter Parker must create a special new team of spiders to help him overcome some of his greatest enemies. The series’ voice cast features Drake Bell (Drake & Josh), Chi McBride (Hawaii 5-0), and Steven Weber (Wings). Meanwhile, the Avengers reunite to face an unexpected return of Ultron—and encounter new threats like Baron Zemo, the Masters of Evil, the Inhumans, and the futuristic Kang the Conqueror—in Season Three of Marvel’s Avengers: Ultron Revolution, which features the dulcet tones of Adrian Pasdar (Heroes) and Roger Craig Smith (Wreck-It Ralph).

Happy to be “Stuck in the Middle”

Whether you’re a middle child yourself or you just know someone who is, you’re bound to enjoy the new Disney channel comedy series Stuck in the Middle, which will see its first episode previewed on Sunday, February 14, at 8:45 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following the Disney Channel premiere of a little movie called Frozen. Now there’s a Valentine’s Day evening worth melting for!

Stuck in the Middle stars Jenna Ortega (Jane the Virgin) as inventive tween Harley Diaz, the middle child in a bustling household of nine. Told from Harley’s point-of-view, the slice-of life stories find the comedy in everyday life of a big family as this middle child devises creative ways to cope with—and stand out—in her family’s busy suburban Massachusetts household. The Diaz parents, Suzy and Tom, also have six other kids: Rachel the self-involved eldest; Georgie, a basketball-playing teen; Ethan, Harley’s closest ally; invincible and indestructible twins Lewie and “Beast;” and the strong-willed youngest sibling, Daphne. Stuck in the Middle will begin in its regular time slot Friday, March 11 (9:00 p.m., ET/PT), on Disney Channel.

New Star Wars Merchandise Awakens in Stores

A cache of Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys and collectibles—kept under wraps, for fear of spoiling some important movie plot points—are now hitting store shelves! New items focus on key scenes from the movie, like the identity of Kylo Ren and the reveal of Rey’s weapon.

Highlights from the Disney Store line include a Rey Lightsaber toy, updated Elite Series Die Cast Action Figures, and a Kylo Ren Unmasked action figure—as well as a Deluxe Figure Play Set that includes 10 highly detailed figures such as General Leia, Han Solo, Rey, Kylo Ren, and more! Also look for action figures from Hasbro; die-cast Hot Wheels® vehicles and ships from Mattel; plush toys from Build-a-Bear Workshop; and apparel for the whole family from Target, Kohl’s, Hot Topic, and more.

Radio Disney Music Awards: This April on Disney Channel

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Star Wars Tsum Tsum Coming February 16

New Kitchens at 2016 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

“Be Inspired” Celebrates Black History Month with Cameron Boyce

The Force is with Star Wars Day at Sea on Disney Cruise Line

MECH-X4 Brings Sci-Fi Fun to Disney XD

Aladdin the Musical to Launch U.S. Tour in 2017

A Stunt-tacular Time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Shakira Shakes Up Zootopia with “Try Everything”

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New Disney PhotoPass Offerings at Disneyland Resort

Star Wars: Episode VIII to Debut in December ‘17

First Star Darlings Special Comes to Disney Channel—This Friday!

New Poster for Disney’s The BFG

“Disney in Concert: Under the Stars” in Australia

Elena of Avalor: Additional Voice Cast Announced

High School Musical Stars Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary

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Golden Glow: 15 Oscar® Nominations for Disney!

Star Wars Rebels: New Mid-Season Trailer

Tokyo DisneySea Celebrates 15 Years with Wish-Full Fun

Spider-Man and The Avengers Return to Disney XD

Happy to be “Stuck in the Middle”

New Star Wars Merchandise Awakens in Stores

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

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

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