Disney Favorites on ABC This Weekend

Like the song goes, “There’s no place like home for the holidays.” And this weekend there’s truly no place like your comfy couch on Saturday and Sunday evenings with your TV tuned to ABC. On Saturday, December 12, tune in to the network’s broadcast of The Wonderful World of Disney Presented by Target Brings You Mary Poppins at 8 p.m. ET/PT—featuring Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke as your host for a series of interstitials throughout the evening. On Sunday, ABC goes back a little further in the Disney canon to present Behind the Magic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, an all-new special that chronicles Walt Disney’s challenging journey to create the historic first full-length animated feature film. You won’t want to miss a minute, so make sure your popcorn is popped before the broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

780w-463h_abc-tv-specials-1 — Click the image above to see Dick Van Dyke speak about what makes *Mary Poppins* so powerful.

Your weekend of classic Disney entertainment starts on Saturday—which just so happens to be the day before Mr. Van Dyke celebrates his 90th birthday—as the actor who brought to life Bert, the carefree Cockney chimney sweep, hosts the first network television broadcast of Mary Poppins in 13 years. He’ll have a little help from Bullseye—Target’s adorable bull terrier mascot—and will take viewers on a magical journey into Disney’s Archives, showing off props from the movie, sharing behind-the-scenes stories about the film, and reflecting upon what has given Mary Poppins such phenomenal staying power.

The following night, Disney fans will be reminded of the many reasons why Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was such a groundbreaking film when it was released in 1937. Before Walt Disney put everything on the line to realize his vision, there had simply never been anything like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in cinema. No one—including Walt’s wife, Lillian, and his brother Roy—believed that audiences would want to watch a “cartoon” for 90 minutes. But oh, how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would prove those naysayers wrong.

Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time, Zootopia) narrates the special, and the filmmakers spoke with Disney and Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, Disney Legend Richard Sherman (Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book), Frozen directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, as well as Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives, and Disney historians like J.B. Kaufman (author of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disney’s Classic Animated Film) to shed new light on this iconic film—which celebrates its 70th anniversary next year.

Sunday night’s special uses clips from the film, early film and audio recordings, and archival photos to help chronicle the film’s often dramatic journey to the screen. The filmmakers have also included live-action moments based on the original tale, shot with dramatic special effects treatments, along with cut scenes and characters from the animated film. Some of the original talent from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were also interviewed for the special, which will make you eager to watch the film in its entirety again.

So many Disney fans grew up with shows like Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color and The Wonderful World of Disney serving as appointment television to cap off their weekends on Sunday nights. And we’re so glad that our friends at ABC are giving us the wonderful holiday gift of a weekend of Disney entertainment across two nights, making Disney fans’ holidays even happier.

5 Fascinating Facts About Fantasia’s Nutcracker Suite

December 11, 2015January 8, 2018

Tchaikovsky’s 1892 ballet The Nutcracker has become a holiday favorite. To celebrate this enduring classic and seasonal hallmark, Disney historian and author Alexander Rannie takes a fond look back at the stunningly beautiful Nutcracker Suite sequence from Fantasia.

1. Americans had never seen the complete Nutcracker ballet when Fantasia premiered in 1940

It wouldn’t seem like Christmas without the melodic strains of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1892 ballet The Nutcracker floating up from the orchestra pit, or wafting forth from the TV screen, or gliding along the grocery store aisle. But when Walt Disney’s animated interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite made its debut in 1940 as one of Fantasia’s eight musical episodes, there had yet to be a complete production of The Nutcracker in the United States. It wasn’t until Christmas Eve of 1944 that the San Francisco Ballet produced the work in its entirety. And in 1954—the same year as the first full-length recording of The Nutcracker was released on vinyl—famed choreographer George Balanchine mounted his version for The New York City Ballet. Balanchine wisely included several dozen children in the cast, knowing that their parents, extended family, and friends, would all purchase tickets. the New York City Ballet production has proved such a success that it now averages almost 50 performances every year!

George Balanchine visited the Disney Studios in 1939, along with composer Igor Stravinsky (whose Rite of Spring makes a memorable appearance in Fantasia). Both were quite taken with the hippos, alligators, ostriches, and elephants in Fantasia’s send-up of classical ballet in Dance of the Hours. Stravinsky and Balanchine collaborated on numerous ballets, including one based on the music of Tchaikovsky, Le baiser de la fée. When he was 11, Stravinsky briefly saw his musical hero in the foyer of Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre. “A glimpse of Tchaikovsky,” Stravinsky said, “was to become one of my most treasured memories.”

2. Walt’s interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite has its origins in the Silly Symphonies

It’s often said that Fantasia is the ultimate Silly Symphony, with music, rather than story or character, as its driving force. But of all the segments in Fantasia, The Nutcracker Suite, with its frolicking flowers and fairies, harkens back most strongly to the earliest Silly Symphonies. Springtime (1929) was touted by the Studio as, “The first animated picture in which flowers were used to interpret a ballet.” (It was quickly followed by Summer, Autumn, and Winter in 1930). Flowers and Trees (1932) was the first commercially released three-strip Technicolor cartoon and featured a chorus of dancing daisies. But Walt was always thinking bigger, and the idea of a grander floral ballet was discussed in story meetings as early as May of 1935. The title of this opus was to be Ballet des Fleurs, and, though it was never made, many of its elements were eventually incorporated into the version of The Nutcracker Suite that we know today.

3. Women played a major role in the creation of The Nutcracker Suite

Women have always played a large, if not readily visible, part in the creation of Walt Disney’s animated cartoons. In The Nutcracker Suite, more than any other segment, talented women were called upon to create some of Fantasia’s most beautiful moments. Story artists Sylvia Moberly-Holland, Bianca Majolie, and Ethel Kulsar transformed the blossoms and weeds they found on the hillsides around the Hyperion Studio into the floral soloists, corps de ballet, Cossacks, and orchid girls that populate Tchaikovsky’s Suite. Their use of pastels in storyboard drawings prompted the women in the Ink & Paint department to develop new ways of painting cels. (More on this in a moment!) In order to create the sinuous and mysterious movements of the Arabian fish, Joyce Coles of the Belcher School of Dancing was brought on board to choreograph an appropriate dance. Cole’s cohort and live-action reference model for Snow White, Marjorie Belcher (later known as Marge Champion) provided reference for the endless pirouettes of the prima ballerina in the Blossom Ballet. And Assistant Music Cutter Louisa Field made sure that conductor Leopold Stokowski’s recordings with The Philadelphia Orchestra perfectly matched the movement of the onscreen animation.

4. New Ink & Paint techniques were developed to bring The Nutcracker Suite to the screen

Walt was so impressed by the look and mood of the story sketches for The Nutcracker Suite that he asked his staff to find ways to avoid hard ink outlines and more closely mimic the pastel and painterly look of the inspirational artwork. For example, the windblown seeds in the milkweed ballet in “Waltz of the Flowers” required delicate inking, drybrush work (done with a brush whose bristles are dry, but can still hold paint), and airbrushing (similar to the effect of spray paint, and which required creating a mask (for each individual cel!) to keep certain areas free of paint). Other painting techniques employed in The Nutcracker Suite involved stippling and the use of transparent paint. It could take hours to complete a single cel, but the visually stunning end result made it all worthwhile. As Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston wrote of the exotic lead Arabian fish, “Never has an object on celluloid looked so diaphanous and delicate.”

5. The Nutcracker Suite contains stop motion animation

Animation at the Studio during Walt’s lifetime was almost exclusively hand drawn, so it’s interesting to note that The Nutcracker Suite contains animation created using stop motion, i.e., animation created by physically manipulating an object in front of the camera. In the case of The Nutcracker Suite, Walt’s animators found themselves flummoxed at how best to create the Snowflake Fairies at the end of the “Waltz of the Flowers.” Hand drawing elaborate snowflakes would not only take an enormous amount of time, but they would inevitably wobble and flop about, unable to maintain the rigid structure of frozen water.

In his book Herman Schultheis and the Secrets of Walt Disney’s Movie Magic, Academy Award®-winning animator and historian John Canemaker reveals the solution. “To create this scene, Leonard Pickley, an inventive fellow in the Special Effects Department, started by suggesting that the Ink and Paint Department trace scientific diagrams of real snowflakes onto a material slightly heavier that regular cels and paint them in translucent white. Once cut out, each of the dozen or so snowflakes was secured atop revolving spools attached to small steel rails, like those used for Lionel toy trains. Black velvet covered the mechanics of the setup, and the three-dimensional snowflake models were hand-animated as the camera recorded the frame-by-frame progress down the hidden tracks.” Additional hand drawn animation of the fairies was added later. “The result,” Canemaker writes, “is a dozen scenes, each timed to the music at a progressively faster pace, that bring a snowstorm of enchanting creatures to the screen in a luminous climax to the ‘Nutcracker Suite,’ one of Disney’s most beautiful film masterpieces.”

To discover more about the Inking and Painting process, keep an eye out for author and historian Mindy Johnson’s upcoming book, Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, available from Disney Editions in 2017.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Our friends at ABC’s The Chew serve up another scrumptious recipe. A hybrid of your favorite holiday pies, this pumpkin meets pecan pie combines the best of both worlds.

For more recipes and crafts, visit TheChew.com and tune in weekdays 1e|12c|p on ABC.

Servings: 8
Cooking time: 1 to 2 hours

Ingredients
1 recipe for Carla’s Perfect Pie Crust
2 tablespoons butter (softened)
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark corn syrup
1½ cups pecans (chopped)
¼ cup pumpkin puree
whipped cream (for garnish)
cinnamon sugar (for garnish)

Step-by-step Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out pie dough to ⅛ inch thickness and line a 9-inch pie plate, allowing excess to drape over edge. Fold over edges and crimp, then trim any remaining excess. Line the pan with parchment and pour in baking beans or weights. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is light golden.
Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar, then add beaten eggs, vinegar, salt, vanilla, and corn syrup. Stir in pecans and pumpkin puree.
Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Place pie on baking sheet. Bake on center rack of oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until set. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve with a garnish of whipped cream and cinnamon sugar. *Note: If crust is browning before center is cooked, tent edges of pie with foil and continue baking.

Create a Babes in Toyland Toy Soldier Craft

December 11, 2015January 9, 2018

A tribute to the famous climactic sequence of the 1961 musical fantasy Babes in Toyland, this holiday craft was originally produced by the Walt Disney Productions character merchandising division and sent out to company and business partners. The imaginative piece invited recipients to create their own miniature holiday display featuring the toy soldier, a Disney icon that swiftly gained popularity in the 1960s and would appear annually in Christmas parades at Disney theme parks.

This toy soldier is sure to bring a vintage Disney touch to your holiday decorations! Is that a trumpet fanfare we hear in the distance? (Feel free to follow the original instructions seen on Page 1 of the downloadable file, or follow ours below.)

Supplies:
8.5 x 11-inch white cardstock (printable)
Scissors

Download and print out both pages (Pages 1 and 2) onto your cardstock. (Note: Page 1 can be printed on regular printer paper, if need be.)

Using your scissors, cut out Images 1, 2, and 3 from Page 2. Then make sure to cut or “push up” any marked slots or tabs. (The slots on the soldier’s boots are a little hard to see.)

Take Image 3 and form a cylinder, placing the cut-out tips in the appropriate slots. Once placed, fold them down to lock.

Fold back Image 2 (vertically, down its center) so that it looks like the drawing marked “2.” on Page 1.

Slide the cylinder formed from Image 3 over the body made with Image 2, locking its shoulders into the appropriate slots.

Place the legs over the turned-up “feet” tabs on Image 1 and lock into the slots cut into the feet on Image 2.

Fold the crease closest to the soldier’s feet up; the next crease, fold down; and the final crease, fold under—creating a small front sign. Lock the tab from the end of Image 1 into its appropriate slot.

Your soldier is ready to guard all your most treasured Christmas goodies!

NOTE: Cutting should be done by an adult.

Lesser-Known Characters from “Enchanted Snow Palace”

In the late 1970s, Imagineer Marc Davis envisioned the “Enchanted Snow Palace,” an attraction that would have transported guests into the icy realms of the Snow Queen with a hypnotizing musical score by composer Buddy Baker. Although Marc’s vision didn’t materialize at a Disney theme park, his masterful concept artwork lives on in the collection of the Walt Disney Imagineering Art Library, where it is carefully preserved and continues to provide inspiration to artists and designers.

Most who have been lucky enough to glimpse these pieces might recall the gorgeous settings of the Snow Palace and its beautiful Queen. But just as Pirates of the Caribbean has its cast of whimsical skeletons and townspeople, and as the Haunted Mansion is host to a company of happy haunts, the “Enchanted Snow Palace” would have introduced its own supporting characters to bring the show to life through a series of clever vignettes.

Courtesy of the Walt Disney Imagineering Art Library, we present several concepts that “could have been,” further showcasing the creative genius of “Walt Disney’s Renaissance Man,” Disney Legend Marc Davis.

In this piece dated April 27, 1977, Marc proposes some miscellaneous characters, including The Three Snowballs (“a cool trio!”) and a penguin entertained by a very small abominable snowman.

Here, one can envision the motion of a cast of musical Snowball Men, whose bodies would have appeared static, but whose legs would telescope up and down on floating icebergs!

“The South Pole Pops” would have featured an orchestra of penguins (sound familiar, Muppet*Vision 3-D fans?) conducted by a maestro seal.

In this piece, Marc lays out a turntable that would have offered fast motion for a group of smiling skating creatures.

Marc’s movement studies for the Snowball Men—who would leap into the air after shooting out of a cave—along with a cast of “snowsliding” animals.

In these vignettes dated August 11, 1977, Marc depicts characters on floating ice… including a penguin who reminds us a little of Pablo, the cold-blooded penguin from The Three Caballeros (1945).

Chicken Crêpes Lilly

In the late 1970s, if you happened to be in Central Florida and wanted a truly special meal, there was one place to go: the Empress Lilly. For 18 years, the regally appointed ship beckoned diners with the finest menu at Walt Disney World. Gourmets, park lovers, romantics all agreed: The Lilly—named in honor of Walt’s first lady, Lillian Bounds Disney—was the place to go.
On April 22, 1995, the Empress Lilly’s three famed restaurants served their last meals, and the boat itself eventually became home to a present-day Walt Disney World favorite, Fulton’s Crab Shack. In remembrance of this bygone treasure, we are featuring the most popular luncheon item on the menu, the Chicken Crêpes Lilly.

Chicken Crêpes Lilly

Serves 6

Crêpes
2 eggs
1 cup flour
¾ cup milk
½ cup water
3 tablespoons melted butter
½ teaspoon salt

Sauce Mornay
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk, warmed
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup heavy cream

Crêpe Filling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
5 shallots, finely chopped
12 white button or cremini mushrooms
1 pound cooked, diced chicken breast
⅓ cup sherry
Butter, for brushing pan

For Serving
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Sliced almonds, for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

For the crêpes:

Combine eggs, flour, milk, water, butter, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 10 seconds. Refrigerate batter at least 30 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Brush a bit of butter in pan, and add about 2 tablespoons batter to pan, swirling to form a thin circle. Cook until light golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Place cooked crêpes on a large plate separated by layers of parchment paper. Repeat with remaining batter.

For sauce Mornay:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour, stirring until golden. Slowly whisk in milk, making sure there are no lumps. Add salt and white pepper.
Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
Pour half of sauce in a medium heat-safe bowl and set aside to cool completely.
Add Parmesan to remaining half of sauce in saucepan and stir to melt cheese. Set aside to cool completely.
Whip cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold cooled portion of sauce with cheese into whipped cream and set aside.

For crêpe filling:

Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and sherry, cooking until chicken is warm.
Lower heat to low and add portion of Sauce Mornay without cheese. Simmer, stirring often, until mixture is thickened slightly.

To serve:

Preheat broiler.
Place about 2 to 3 tablespoons filling in the center of each crêpe, and roll into a cylinder. Place crêpes, seam-side down in a shallow, ovenproof dish.
Spoon the Sauce Mornay with cheese and whipped cream over crêpes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Broil crêpes until golden. Garnish with sliced almonds and chopped fresh parsley.

Cook’s Note: White pepper has a slightly floral flavor, and is used primarily to keep the final dish pure white. Black pepper may be substituted.

Make a Frozen Snowflake Wreath

Do you wanna build a snow… flake wreath? Here’s a Christmas door decoration that’s as fluffy as freshly fallen snow, and as sparkly as Anna’s beloved ice-blue dress! Best to use this wreath on an indoor (or fully covered) door.

Supplies:
8.5 x 11-inch white cardstock (printable)
Styrofoam wreath (recommended: 13.8 inches [or 35 cm])
White and blue tulle (recommended: 40-yard roll of 6-inch width for each color)
Winter-colored (blue/silver/white) Christmas bulb ornaments in varying sizes (1 to 1.5-inch diameter)
Snowflake ornaments in varying sizes (from 3 to 5 inches)
Ribbon
Scissors
Hot glue gun

OPTIONAL:
Small string of battery-operated Christmas lights
Exacto knife

Download and print out the Anna and Elsa image (Page 1) onto your cardstock.

Using your scissors, cut along the image’s black outline to eliminate most of white border. (Note the small border above the sisters’ inside shoulders; you may need a pair of smaller scissors, or an Exacto knife, to remove that piece.)

Cut both the white and the blue tulle into 16-inch strips. We suggest fully cutting up both rolls; you may not end up using every strip (especially if your Styrofoam wreath is a smaller size), but—as you’ll see—the fluffier the wreath is, the better…

Take your strips and tie each one around the Styrofoam wreath, with a double knot—alternating two (2) white with two (2) blue—until it’s nice and full (see photo for details).

Towards the end of tying your tulle strips, tie a piece of ribbon, around one foot in length, to the wreath (double-knotting it). You’ll use that ribbon to hang your wreath once you’re finished.

OPTIONAL:
At this point, if you have a small string of battery-powered Christmas lights, wrap them around the wreath—through the tulle—and use glue to affix the battery box to the bottom inside of the ring. (If using hot glue, wait for the glue to cool a bit before pushing the box down; you don’t want to melt the plastic! Alternately, use another strong adhesive like super or Gorilla glue.)

Attach the Anna and Elsa printout to the bottom center of the wreath with hot glue (using it to hide the optional Christmas lights battery box). (See photo for details.)

Alternate your different-sized snowflake ornaments and attach them with hot glue around circumference of the wreath—leaving Anna and Elsa uncovered, of course! (See photo for details.)

Affix your bulb ornaments on top (and in between) the snowflakes with hot glue. (See photo for details.)

“Love Is an Open Door”… especially with this wreath displayed on it! Enjoy!

NOTE: Cutting—and any hot gluing—should be done by an adult.

Holidays at Disney Parks Worldwide—Plus More in News Briefs

Making Merry at Disney Parks Around the World

Well, it’s official—Christmas is around the corner, and we’re fairly certain Santa’s already started loading up his sleigh. But yuletide excitement doesn’t end there: This time of year brings a new layer of magic to Disney Parks, and we’ve got a rundown of the festive entertainment, delicious food, and traditions-in-the-making you’ll find around the globe.

Disneyland Park is hosting the 21^st edition of its A Christmas Fantasy parade, and it’s a small world Holiday is resplendent with 60,000 colorful lights. Over at Disney California Adventure, “Disney Viva Navidad! Street Party” returns with a cast of more than 50 performers, and World of Color: Winter Dreams delights audiences once more. On the other side of the country, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park boasts its Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (on select evenings) and enchanting entertainment like “A Frozen Holiday Wish.” Epcot’s Illuminations: Reflections of Earth gets a special holiday finale, and the 20th (and final) installment of The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights dazzles guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

At Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Christmas comes early with a special Frozen Christmas tree lighting ceremony; Tokyo Disneyland guests can revel in the Starbright Christmas fireworks spectacular; and Tokyo DisneySea boasts uniquely themed decorations. Not to be outdone, Disneyland Paris welcomes the season with the Disney Dreams! of Christmas fireworks spectacular and a new “Royal Christmas Wishes” show. Even Disney Cruise Line is getting into the spirit with its “Very Merry-time Cruises” featuring “Deck the Holiday” parties and a special atrium tree-lighting celebration.

There’s so much to see and do at Disney Parks during the holiday season… grab a cup of hot cocoa and visit a Park near you!

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
December 13
Holiday Gingerbread House Building Workshop
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
December 18
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters.
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
November 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 29; and December 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Park
January 16
Club Villain at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Television
December 12
The Wonderful World of Disney Presented by Target Brings You Mary Poppins airs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
December 13
Behind the Magic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs airs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
December 25
32nd Annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade airs at 10 a.m. ET on ABC
January 19
Marvel’s Agent Carter returns to ABC at 9 p.m. ET

The Legacy Lives On: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Featurette

Over the weekend, a brand-new Star Wars: The Force Awakens featurette made its debut at Comic-Con Brazil during a presentation hosted by one of the film’s producers, Bryan Burk. Check out the cast and crew as they discuss the legacy of the Star Wars saga, in these last few days before the film premieres!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt… and it’s all coming to a theater (galactic and otherwise) near you on December 18.

First Look at Steven Spielberg’s The BFG

Roald Dahl’s beloved 1982 novel The BFG comes to life next summer, directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg! The film stars newcomer Ruby Barnhill as Sophie, a 10-year-old orphan who finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime with a friendly—if dimwitted—24-foot-tall giant (Tony winner Mark Rylance).

Also starring Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), and Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey), The BFG was adapted by the late screenwriter Melissa Mathison (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial).

Look for The BFG in theaters on July 1, 2016!

Disney Animators Create Art for “Swamp Ghost” WWII-Era Plane

During World War II, The Walt Disney Studios made more than 1,200 insignia for the United States and Allied forces, many of which featured iconic characters including Donald Duck. To help honor the celebrated WWII-era B17 “Flying Fortress”—affectionately named “Swamp Ghost” for its infamous landing in the swamps of Papua New Guinea—Disney artists Mike Gabriel (director, Pocahontas) and Klay Hall (director, Disneytoon Studios’ Planes) worked with the Pacific Aviation Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, to create original nose art for the museum’s brand-new “Swamp Ghost” plane display! The announcement of the collaboration was made by former Good Morning America host David Hartman at the museum’s Annual Gala on Saturday, December 5.

“Walt Disney’s Donald Duck was one of the most iconic and likable characters during the 1940s,” says Hall. “He was very popular amongst servicemen, possessing a feistiness with a ‘can-do’ attitude. He seemed like a natural fit for the ‘Swamp Ghost’ nose art.”

A date for the exhibition’s opening will be announced at a later time.

Carrie Fisher (and Gary the Dog) Visit Good Morning America

Actress and author Carrie Fisher is known for her irreverent and entertaining interviews, and a recent chat with co-host Amy Robach on ABC’s Good Morning America (GMA) did not disappoint! Not only did she speak to her experiences working on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and her legacy as Princess (now General) Leia, but she also introduced viewers to her adorable French bulldog, Gary; evidently, it was the sheer awesomeness of the film (which he “watched” at a recent screening) that caused his tongue to, shall we say, “escape” his mouth. “He didn’t look like this before,” Carrie said, generating laughs throughout the GMA studio.

Take a gander at the hilarious interview, above!

Chat Live with Miss Piggy on Facebook Messenger

Beginning this week, the legendary Miss Piggy will offer her millions of adoring fans a chance to chat one-on-one via Facebook Messenger! The host of Up Late with Miss Piggy (as seen on The Muppets, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC) will be available for live chats Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. PST.

Getting “up close and personal” with her fans (virtually speaking, of course!) is a first for the porcine celeb. “I see this as a gift to all those who love me, who admire me… and who have always dreamed the impossible dream of chatting with me,” says Piggy. “Here’s your chance. Come and get it!”

This truly unique Artificial Intelligence-powered chat experience was created by Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media Labs, The Muppets Studios, and imperson, a participant in the 2015 Disney Accelerator mentorship and investment program for technology-enabled startups in the media and entertainment space.

Head over to Miss Piggy’s Facebook page to start your own unique conversation with the mega-star!

Star Wars Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

For guests at Walt Disney World, the Star Wars galaxy is now closer than ever before! Disney’s Hollywood Studios just unveiled their own Star Wars experiences—on par with Disneyland Park’s recent Season of the Force launch.

Star Wars Launch Bay, located in Animation Courtyard, offers guests the chance to interact with Star Wars characters by choosing to encounter the Dark Side in a Star Destroyer-themed area, or visit with the brave Rebels in a makeshift Rebel Base. Fans can also visit two different exhibits: Celebration Gallery and Celebration Hallway to view iconic ships from the Rebel Alliance and Imperial Navy fleet, as well as replica Star Wars props and murals; and Preview Gallery to explore costumes, artwork, models, and more from the new film. The popular Star Wars—The Adventure Continues attraction is now enhanced with a scene based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and fans of the younger persuasion can get in on the fun with Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple.

Plus, don’t miss new Star Wars-inspired food items throughout the park, and look for an all new Symphony In The Stars: A Galactic Spectacular nightly fireworks show beginning December 18. Light speed to Walt Disney World!

Behind the Scenes with The Good Dinosaur Featurette

This new featurette from Disney•Pixar takes us behind the scenes with the filmmakers and the cast of The Good Dinosaur to learn more about Arlo and Spot’s incredible journey. Hear from voice actors Sam Elliott (Butch) and AJ Buckley (Nash), as well as director Peter Sohn and producer Denise Ream.

The Good Dinosaur is in theaters now!

The Ultimate Disney Fan Holiday Sweets

Miniature Disney trains and Monorails circling the Christmas Tree. Mickey Mouse-shaped wreaths decking the halls. Displays depicting favorite Disney characters illuminating the front yard. The holiday season offers many ways for Disney fans to use their decorating skills to bring even more magic to the most wonderful time of the year. And for D23 Member Christy Fragetta, a newly discovered skill of Christmas treat decorating has started a new family tradition for 2015.

Christy has channeled her love for Disney films and theme parks to craft imaginative treats—such as a cookie depicting the romantic outing in Once Upon a Wintertime, the beloved seasonal short from 1948’s Melody Time.

“My first attempt at a Disney-themed treat was back in March of this year,” Christy sys. “Suffice it to say I have seen my fair share of Captain EO showings, and I started thinking that it might be fun to make a Fuzzball cupcake.”

Christy gave it a shot and discovered she really enjoyed the activity. Since then, she and her sister have come up with even more ideas, including these festive holiday treats:

The famous toy soldiers of Babes in Toyland (1961), who also perform in the annual Christmas parades at Disney parks, inspired Christy to design this delicious cupcake.

Ferdinand, star of the 1938 special cartoon Ferdinand the Bull, usually wants to sit around and smell the flowers, so a holiday cookie would, of course, depict the character sniffing poinsettias.

And, finally, Christy picked Santa, from the Silly Symphonies Santa’s Workshop (1932) and The Night Before Christmas (1933), to spread holiday cheer with this jolly cupcake.

What tips does Christy have for fellow D23 Members who want to try out their own treats? “The advice I try to follow myself during the holidays is to keep it simple,” she suggests. “Maybe try incorporating hidden Mickeys when plating your traditional dishes, or adding Mickey ears to gingerbread men and other Christmas cookies. Most importantly, have fun with whatever you do!”

Apple Crisp from Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

This delicious dish, which is no longer on the menu, is from the Napa Rose restaurant in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

Serves 6
Ingredients

For the apple filling:

1 ½ pounds crisp apples, such as Fuji or Braeburn
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy)
2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the crumble topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup oats
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup shredded coconut
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the manchego cheese ice cream:

8 egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups half-and-half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
½ pound Manchego cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions