The Legend of Disneyland’s Halloween Tree

If you’ve ever visited Disneyland Park, you may have noticed the tall tree in front of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland… a stately oak reaching up to the sky while keeping watch over the passers-by below. Every Halloween since 2007, this tree gets a very special makeover—and it’s all because of one of America’s most prolific (and celebrated) writers.

“I’m glad I’m going to be a permanent part of the spirit of Halloween at Disneyland.”

Ray Bradbury, the famed author behind classic novels like Fahrenheit 451, has a long history with The Walt Disney Company. In fact, his deep-rooted fascination with Halloween began as a child after watching a Disney cartoon: the 1929 Silly Symphony short The Skeleton Dance. Decades later, in 1964, Bradbury and Walt Disney met and became friends and collaborators, joining forces on several projects at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, including Spaceship Earth at Epcot. Bradbury also wrote the screenplays for two Disney films based on his work: Something Wicked This Way Comes in 1983 and The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1999.

The author celebrated his love of Halloween with his 1972 novel The Halloween Tree, which chronicles the adventures of a group of trick-or-treaters who learn about the origins of the holiday while searching for a missing friend. For years, Bradbury dreamt of having a Halloween tree at Disneyland—and on All Hallows Eve 2007, the 35th anniversary of the novel, that wish came true! The Frontierland oak was given a glimmering makeover, complete with twinkling orange lights and hand-painted jack-o’-lanterns hanging from its branches. “I belong here in Disneyland,” said Bradbury at the tree’s dedication ceremony, “ever since I came here 50 years ago. I’m glad I’m going to be a permanent part of the spirit of Halloween at Disneyland.” A plaque at the base of the tree commemorates the night’s celebration.

Brad Kaye, Creative Entertainment art director at Disneyland Resort, helped decorate that very first Halloween Tree. “As a fan of [Bradbury’s] books, it was really an honor,” he explained recently. “For the first year, [Walt Disney Imagineers] Tony Baxter, Kim Irvine, and I sat in front of the Golden Horseshoe late one night and ‘magic-markered’ all the pumpkins. In the years following, park enhancement has done a wonderful job of keeping it up in all its Halloween glory.” Additionally, versions of the Halloween Tree can now be seen during the Halloween season on all four Disney Cruise Line ships.

Bradbury visited the tree his several more times before his passing in 2012. Today, the Halloween Tree delights Disneyland guests of all ages as part of the park’s Halloween Time décor, and honors Bradbury’s illustrious contributions to The Walt Disney Company.

Pumpkin Kings: Cool Disney Carvings by Fans

D23 Members are a truly creative bunch—and at Halloween, imaginations get especially “spooktacular.” So we asked to see your best Disney-inspired pumpkins… and boy, did you deliver like Jack Skellington on Halloween night! Here are some of those frightfully fun Disney pumpkin carvings, made by fans from around the country. Trick or treat!

Ellie from Huber Heights, Ohio, brought a Frozen chill to her incredibly detailed Olaf the snowman pumpkin, and takes us “under the sea” with her homage to The Little Mermaid’s Ariel.

Everyone hail the Pumpkin King! Destiny in Salt Lake City, Utah, went for a true Halloween(town) theme with her smiling Jack Skellington pumpkin.

Destiny from Portland, Oregon, crafted these Mickey and Minnie Mouse carvings. A lovely All Hallows Eve tribute to two animated legends… bet they look especially good lit up at night!

OooOOOooh! EmiLee from (Disneyland Resort-adjacent) Anaheim, California, brought a little Toy Story fun to her Halloween decorations this year with an Alien-inspired pumpkin.

Nothing like seeing this smiling face staring at you in the dark! Justin in Pensacola, Florida, brings Alice in Wonderland’s Cheshire Cat to enigmatic life with this Halloween pumpkin.

Kelli from Phoenix, Arizona, lets the good times roll with her intricate pumpkin featuring Tiana from The Princess and the Frog.

Animated characters get the carving treatment from Lisa in San Bernadino, California—pixelated videogame hero Wreck-it Ralph, and Ariel from The Little Mermaid (complete with realistic-looking water).

Meredith from Montgomery, Alabama, brought big Disney magic to her pumpkins. Check out her two elaborate Fantasia-themed carvings: Sorcerer Mickey and devilish Chernabog!

It’s a fairy-tale happy ending for Nate in West Dundee, Illionois, as his Cinderella and Prince Charming pumpkin “carriage” rides off into the Halloween sunset.

No Disney-on-Halloween celebration is complete without the Hitchhiking Ghosts from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion attraction! Thanks to Rachael in Studio City, California, for giving them a lift.

Avengers are sure to assemble at Robin’s doorstep in Anthem, Arizona, to take a look at her Marvel-inspired pumpkin.

New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer—Plus More in News Briefs

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: New Trailer, New Excitement!

Can you feel it? The buzz is building! We’re just about two months away from the official release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Disney and Lucasfilm celebrated by premiering a brand-new trailer during this week’s Monday Night Football game on ESPN. Just in case you couldn’t tune in, check out the trailer—linked above—post haste!

Need a bit more amazing news to satisfy that ever-growing Star Wars hunger? (Don’t worry, we totally get it.) Well, here it is: Tickets for the film just went on sale, for showings across the globe! Get ’em while they’re hot! And if that isn’t galactic enough, many theaters in the U.S. and Canada are holding all-day Star Wars marathons on December 17, leading up to The Force Awakens’ premiere at midnight on December 18. Find out where Droids and Jedis alike can watch all seven Star Wars episodes by rocketing over to visit our friends at StarWars.com.

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
Fall 2015
D23 Member VIP Nights at The Lion King
October 25
Haunted Gingerbread House Building Workshop
November 6
VIP Studio Experience with Disney Legend Andreas Deja
November 7
D23 Day at the Walt Disney Studios and Archives
November 14
Pinocchio: 75 Years of a Disney Classic
November 14
Mickey’s of Glendale Orlando Shopping Event
December 4
Light Up the Season with D23
December 13
Holiday Gingerbread House Building Workshop
Studios
November 25
The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters.
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.

Parks
September 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27; October 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31; and November 1
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park
September 25, 28, 30; October 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31
Mickey’s Halloween Party 2015 at Disneyland
September 25-November 16
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
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
Television
November 30
It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

Celebrating Friendship with The Good Dinosaur

Woody and Buzz… Joy and Sadness… Carl and Russell… Disney•Pixar has brought us some truly iconic friendships over the last 20 years. And there’s a new duo on the horizon: Arlo the Apatosaurus and his human BFF, Spot, from The Good Dinosaur.

Disney•Pixar celebrates two decades of animated allies with this new The Good Dinosaur featurette, above. It’s a friendship born of an intriguing idea: What if an asteroid never hit Earth, and dinosaurs never became extinct? We’ll see more of Arlo and Spot’s life-changing friendship when The Good Dinosaur hits theaters this Thanksgiving.

Disney’s Descendants Meet & Greet Fans at Disneyland Resort

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Disney’s Descendants sequel is in the pipeline, much of the cast—as well as director Kenny Ortega—took Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort by good-versus-evil storm for a colorful fan celebration on Saturday, October 17.

Disney’s Descendants stars Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Booboo Stewart, and Sofia Carson joined Kenny at the Downtown Disney stage for Q&As and several dance-and-sing-alongs (including a tutorial for the film’s popular pop single, “Rotten to the Core”). Fans were asked to dress up in their Isle of the Lost or Auradon-inspired best, and several Descendants devotees were even invited up on stage for photos with the cast.

Look for the sequel to Disney’s Descendants on Disney Channel in 2017!

Catch a First Look at The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar

“It is time!” Ready to meet brave (and adorable) Kion? The second son of Simba and Nala, and his mighty crew of animal pals, star in this brand-new trailer (above) for The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar—a television movie event premiering Sunday, November 22 at 7 p.m. on Disney Channel.

Join Kion as he takes on the leadership of the Lion Guard and assembles the best and the brightest—who happen to be his closest friends—to help maintain the Pride Lands and keep the “Circle of Life” intact. But Kion himself must learn the power of his roar before a genuine and lasting peace can unfold…

Star Wars: Force for Change Joins Forces with Target

Star Wars: Force For Change is the global charitable initiative that harnesses the strength of Star Wars and its fandom to make a positive impact around the world. And there’s big news in the initiative’s universe: Next year, Target will join Disney and Star Wars: Force for Change to recruit more schools for the UNICEF Kid Power program, which promotes activity through fun competition. Cool fitness bands sync with the free Kid Power companion app—and by going on missions through the app, users learn about new cultures and earn points for completing challenges. The best part? Those points unlock food packets that UNICEF delivers to severely malnourished children around the globe.

As part of the partnership with Target, schools will receive Kid Power bands for their students, classroom tablets for syncing and tracking progress, and standards-based curriculum and content on malnutrition and global citizenship for keeping students engaged and inspired! Ultimately, the program hopes to save lives abroad while also encouraging American kids to become more active.

Want one of your own? Target is now the exclusive retailer of the Kid Power bands, and they’ll be available for pre-order at Target.com on November 29. “Do good, you can!”

Sanjay’s Super Team: First Clip

A new Disney•Pixar film means a new Pixar Animation Studios short! (It’s double the fun, right?) In Sanjay’s Super Team, artist Sanjay Patel uses his own experience to tell the story of a young, first-generation Indian-American boy whose love for western pop culture comes into conflict with his father’s traditions. Sanjay is transfixed by the world of cartoons and comics, while his father tries to draw him into the traditions of his Hindu practice. Boredom (and reluctance) quickly turns into an awe-inspiring adventure as Sanjay embarks on a journey he never imagined.

Get a sneak peek into Sanjay’s world with this debut clip, above. And look for Sanjay and all his epic exploits when Sanjay’s Super Team debuts with The Good Dinosaur on November 25.

Spider-Man Arrives at Disneyland Park This November

Our spidey sense is positively a-tingle with the news that Spider-Man will be making his Disneyland Resort debut at a heroic new character greeting location inside Super Hero HQ—the West Coast home base of some of the greatest heroes in the universe! Located in the Tomorrowland Expo Center at Disneyland Park, Super Hero HQ is the place to go to meet your favorite super heroes… and maybe discover the super hero in yourself. You can tour Treasures of Asgard; virtually suit up as Iron Man and check out the Hall of Armor at Iron Man Tech (presented by Stark Industries, of course); play some of the latest games in the Game Center; and even pick up some Super Hero gear to take with you on your journey home.

Meet Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man when Super Hero HQ opens on November 16!

New Narrators Bring Holiday Sparkle to 2015 Candlelight Processional

Walt Disney World’s Candlelight Processional, held every holiday season at Epcot, is a fan favorite; part of the park’s Holidays Around the World celebration, stars from stage and screen join the Walt Disney World Orchestra and an amazing massed choir to present a dramatic re-telling of the Christmas story. This year’s event runs from November 27 through December 30—and Epcot just announced the full roster of narrators for 2015.

Joining previously announced luminaries like Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris (both repeat Candlelight participants) are Grey’s Anatomy star Chandra Wilson, former The View cohost Meredith Vieira, Lost alum Daniel Dae Kim, Saturday Night Live alum Ana Gasteyer, and recording artist Amy Grant.

For more info on Holidays Around the World at Epcot, and the Candlelight Processional (including how to make reservations for a delightful Processional dinner package), head over to DisneyWorld.com/holidays.

Disney Ghosts: Our Frightful Favorites

The crypt doors are creaking and the tombstones are quaking, which only means one thing … grim-grinning ghosts are soon to socialize! With Halloween just around the corner, we went hunting for all manner of Disney ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. But these particular spirits are not-so-scary—they’re more likely to make you laugh, or even offer good advice.

Our dearly departed faves include the newest member of the “999 Happy Haunts” Club, some revered Chinese ancestors, and Jack Skellington’s loyal pup. Did your favorite silly spectre make our list?

Gusteau from Ratatouille

In the world of 2007’s Ratatouille, Auguste Gusteau and his five-star restaurant were once the toast of Paris—that is, until Anton Ego (France’s top food critic) had his way in the press. Brokenhearted, Gusteau died shortly thereafter. But his spirit lives on, both as Remy’s conscience and Linguini’s culinary “guardian angel.”

The Hatbox Ghost at the Haunted Mansion
The Hatbox Ghost was one of Haunted Mansion’s original “999 Happy Haunts”—but he mysteriously disappeared just as the attraction opened at Disneyland Park in 1969. Thankfully, the reclusive spectre recently rematerialized (just in time for the park’s Diamond Celebration). He’s currently decked out in his wintery best for Haunted Mansion Holiday!

Jacob and Robert Marley from A Muppet Christmas Carol

Leave it to The Muppets to take Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge’s ghostly former business partner, and turn him into a pair of persnickety hecklers! In A Muppet Christmas Carol, Jacob and Robert come from beyond to warn Ebenezer about his greedy ways.

The Fa Family Ancestors from Mulan

Made up of various deceased relatives from Fa Zhou’s family, the Ancestors are spirits tasked with looking after Mulan once she decides to impersonate a soldier and fight the Huns in her father’s stead. They are keepers of ancient wisdom, but they also know how to throw a pretty great party! Side note: Best to keep them away from energetic little dragons.

Lonesome Ghosts

In this 1937 cartoon, a few overconfident spirits hire “professional” (read: bumbling) ghost-exterminators Mickey, Donald, and Goofy to try and get rid of them, hoping for a little fun in the process. Shockingly, the trio succeeds—by scaring the ghosts out of the house! Lonesome Ghosts is especially noteworthy for its use of a special transparent paint created by Disney animators.

The Hitchhiking Ghosts from The Haunted Mansion

You can’t blame us for including several of Haunted Mansion’s happy haunts on our list! The Hitchhiking Ghosts have delighted fans at Disney Parks across the world for decades.

Zero from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

Jack Skellington’s trusty ghost dog from the 1993 stop-motion animation film has floppy ears (reminiscent of Pluto, if you ask us) and a body made from what looks like a single white sheet. His biggest triumph? Leading Jack’s sleigh through thick fog—via his glowing jack o’ lantern nose—to deliver presents across Halloween Town.

Chernabog’s Minions in Fantasia’s “Night on Bald Mountain”

OK, so this one’s just a little scary. In one of the more dramatic sequences in 1940’s Fantasia, the giant demon Chernabog emerges from Bald Mountain to summon all manner of demons from a nearby village graveyard. Almost as soon as they appear, he throws them into a fiery pit! Ultimately, Chernabog himself is overcome once the sun rises.

Ma and Pa Duskerton from Gravity Falls

These two ghostly senior citizens once owned the town’s Dusk 2 Dawn convenience store, and they hated the local teenagers so much that they tried banning them from their establishment. That probably wasn’t the best idea, as the teens retaliated by playing loud rap music with “shocking” lyrics… causing the pair double heart attacks!

“The Seven Ghosts” Mickey Mouse Comic

Mickey had his hands full with supernatural shenanigans during a story arc in the super-popular Mickey Mouse newspaper comic strip, originally published from August 10 through November 28, 1936. Written by Floyd Gottfredson, it was later reprinted in the first issue of the Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse comic book from Gladstone Publishing.

Blackbeard’s Ghost

Disney Legend Dean Jones starred in this 1968 Walt Disney Pictures adventure as Steve Walker, a track coach who moves to a seaside town and inadvertently summons the ghost of notorious pirate Captain Blackbeard (Peter Ustinov). Hijinks ensue, but good ol’ Blackbeard earns his desired eternal rest by helping Steve coach his track team to victory, outwit some gangsters, and even get the girl.

Thackery Binx from Hocus Pocus

Let’s face it: Hocus Pocus is a treasure trove of supernatural Disney fun! Out of all the fantastic characters, we decided to give some love to Thackery Binx—the adorable 17th century farmboy-turned-black-cat who helps Max, Dani, and Allison defeat the Sanderson Sisters in present-day Salem. Towards the end of the film, Thackery turns back into a human apparition and reunites with his long-deceased sister, Emily.

Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket) from Mickey’s Christmas Carol

Jiminy Cricket was the perfect Disney choice to play the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 1983 short film. The jovial insect takes Ebenezer Scrooge (portrayed here by Scrooge McDuck) on a tour through his past—explaining how Scrooge’s growing love of money led him to break his fiancée Isabelle’s heart.

ABC Family’s “13 Nights of Halloween” Schedule for October 2015

NOTE: To see the 2016 line-up, click here.

Second to umpteen rides through Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland Resort, nothing puts us in the Halloween spirit better than grabbing a handful (or six) of candy corn and curling up on the couch to watch our favorite frightening films. For the 17th year, our friends at ABC Family have gathered a smattering of our most beloved ghosts, witches and wizards, corpses, monsters, and more to help us count down to All Hallows’ Eve.

To help schedule your DVR recordings or viewing parties accordingly, here is the full schedule of this year’s “13 Nights of Halloween,” which runs October 19 to 31 2015.

Monday, October 19
9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT Hocus Pocus

Tuesday, October 20
6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT Hocus Pocus
9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT Stitchers—All New Halloween Special

Wednesday, October 21
7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT The Addams Family
9 p.m ET/8 p.m. CT Addams Family Values

Thursday, October 22
8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT The Hunger Games

Friday, October 23
8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT Sleepy Hollow—Network Television Premiere

Saturday, October 24
8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT DisneyŸPixar’s Monsters University
11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT DisneyŸPixar’s Toy Story OF TERROR!
11:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. CT Hocus Pocus

Sunday, October 25
6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT DisneyŸPixar’s Toy Story OF TERROR!
7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT DisneyŸPixar’s Monsters University
9:45 p.m. ET/8:45 p.m. CT Hocus Pocus

Monday, October 26
9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT DisneyŸPixar’s Toy Story OF TERROR!
9:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. CT Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tuesday, October 27
7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT DisneyŸPixar’s Toy Story OF TERROR!
9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT Hocus Pocus

Wednesday, October 28
6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT Hocus Pocus
8:15 p.m. ET/7:15 p.m. CT Dark Shadows

Thursday, October 29
7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT The Addams Family
9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT Addams Family Values

Friday, October 30
6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT Hocus Pocus
8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT Poltergeist

Saturday, October 31
5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT Hocus Pocus
11:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. CT Sleepy Hollow

Schedule subject to change. Please check abcfamily.com or your local listings.

Rebel Rebel—Star Wars Rebels’ Talent Talks Season 2

Star Wars fans have been waiting a long time for a new big-screen installment of the Saga, and most fans already know where they’re going to be on December 18, when The Force Awakens opens in theaters. Lucky for us fans, Star Wars Rebels’ executive producer Dave Filoni loves that far, far away galaxy as much as we do—and Disney XD’s hit animated series has become a must-watch for Star Wars fans of all ages. Star Wars Rebels’ sophomore season officially premieres October 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD, and D23 was recently lucky enough to speak with Filoni and members of the series’ stellar voice cast about what lies ahead.

Kids who grew up watching The Clone Wars will be seeing two familiar faces this season, through Ahsoka’s continued involvement with the crew of The Ghost and with the surprise arrival of Captain Rex. Filoni admits that the Star Wars Rebels writers discussed introducing these characters to the series sooner but it didn’t feel right until now. “Their story had to serve the story of the Rebels. I couldn’t just haphazardly bring them in because I liked them,” Filoni explains. The first season of Star Wars Rebels was about establishing the “family”: reluctant master Kanan, skilled pilot Hera, artist/weapons expert Sabine, the curmudgeonly Zeb, and, of course, padawan Ezra. But, Filoni admits, “Once you know them and you understand their character dynamics, to sit there and suddenly you’re around the table and you go, ‘Oh wow, I wonder what Kanan would think of Rex.’ And you realize, he probably wouldn’t think much of Rex.” Filoni is well aware, though, that Captain Rex has some passionate fans—as does Kanan—so this dynamic was filled with tremendous potential to explore this season.

Making the transition from The Clone Wars to Star Wars Rebels hasn’t exactly been seamless for the actress who provides Ahsoka’s voice, Ashley Eckstein, since the character is so different now. “We worked on Clone Wars for seven years and I was the Ezra of Clone Wars,” she points out, adding, “I automatically want to be snippy and sarcastic and I would say there’s often times I have to do a couple more takes to get into Rebels Ahsoka… I almost channel Obi Wan. She’s more of the master now.”

Ahsoka, Filoni says, helps with the increased stakes our heroes are facing in Season 2 with the arrival on scene of Darth Vader himself. “If you want to have Vader in Rebels, you can’t just bring him into it. Because he’s going to crush them,” Filoni states, honestly. “[Ahsoka] had much more training [than Kanan] from Anakin Skywalker directly—one of the greatest of all Jedi—from Obi Wan Kenobi, from Yoda, so she brings that lineage to the Rebels, but with a perspective that’s, ‘Yeah, that didn’t work for me. I walked away from it.’”

While Ahsoka brings the wisdom of her experience to helping Ezra and the crew, Kanan brings… improvisational skills? His portrayer, Freddie Prinze Jr., jokes that Kanan and Ezra’s relationship is more brotherly than Anakin and Ahsoka’s relationship was on The Clone Wars because “he doesn’t know how to be a master. He was on the run at the age that he finds Ezra, so he’s making it up as he goes. You certainly see him try to commit to the role of master and sometimes he looks like an idiot because he doesn’t know what it’s like—fake it till you make it!” But Prinze is quick to point out that Kanan’s conversation with Master Yoda in Season 1 was a turning point for the character. “From that moment on, it’s like anything. Once you’re not afraid to fail, then you rarely fail. And once he’s not afraid of being a master, he becomes a pretty good master.”

And this season Kanan will also face challenges posed to him by Hera though the couple’s romance is largely implied. “I think it’s more what’s said without words than what you’ll see with bantering and affection,” Hera’s portrayer, Vanessa Marshall, says. “I’m begging him to go from our small structure into a bigger, militaristic structure, which he detests. I think the ask is bigger for Hera, and the fact that he follows through and does is a demonstration of his love.”

Speaking of love within the Star Wars universe, the actor who provides Captain Rex’s voice, Dee Bradley Baker, might have voiced more characters in Star Wars than any other actor in the world, Prinze jokes. “I count every clone. Every one of them gets counted,” Baker laughs. “This is something I’ve loved since I was a kid,” he professes. “I always show a picture of the Jawa costume my parents made for me the Halloween after A New Hope was released in 1977. To be involved in something that you really loved deeply as a kid, to be in it, is living a dream.”

Many fans of Star Wars Rebels will see some of their dreams come true this season when they see backstories revealed for the characters they’ve come to love. We’ll learn more about Hera, whose father was an important revolutionary, and about Sabine, who has a mysterious history on her home planet of Mandalore. Even droid Chopper gets a backstory this time around, Filoni teases, but he adds, “Chopper is the only one that doesn’t arc. He was a jerk at the beginning and he’s still pretty much a jerk.”

Star Wars Rebels has continued the tradition of the Saga, but Prinze is quick to point out, “I don’t think it’s a modern twist on Star Wars. I feel like it’s a throwback to the original trilogy, in the look and the style and the vibe. The older movies are what inspires my performance.”

The Force remains strong in Star Wars Rebels. Watch it, we will!

Disney Infinity 3.0 Fan’s Dream-Come-True-Sweepstakes

Overview
D23 Members are invited to enter for the chance to win a Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack – now featuring characters, stories and worlds from Star Wars™ – along with four Disney Infinity Figures and Toy Box Expansion Games!

To Enter
The Disney Infinity 3.0 Fan’s Dream-Come-True-Sweepstakes is now closed. Thanks to all who entered!

Details
Winner will be notified via email within 48 hours after the end of the Sweepstakes. Click here for complete legal rules.

More Information
Great adventures and great characters join forces to create endless play possibilities with Disney Infinity 3.0 – and D23 wants to put you in the heart of its newest set of adventures and make your Disney Infinity dreams come true!

D23 Members are invited to enter for the chance to win a Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack – complete with Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Video Game, Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Base, two Star Wars ™ figures (Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker), a Star Wars ™Twilight of the Republic Play Set Piece and one Web Code Card – along with Toy Box Expansion Games and four figures (Sadness, Disgust, and Fear from Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out, and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse)!

Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition now welcomes Star Wars™ to the ever-growing collection of Marvel, Disney and Disney/Pixar characters, stories and worlds. Together new heroes can join forces with characters from previous editions and embark on adventures as big as your imagination in the Toy Box!

NOTE:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes begins at 10 a.m. PT on 10/14/15 and ends at 10 a.m. PT on 10/30/15. Open to residents of the U.S. including DC, ages 18 and older (or the age of majority in state of primary residence, whichever is older). Must be an active D23 Member prior to date of entry. Only one entry allowed per D23 Member. For full details on entry requirements, odds of winning, prize limitations and conditions click here for official rules.

Steakhouse 55’s Warm Apple Butter Cake

Whether it’s an apple on a teacher’s desk at the start of a school year or a family outing to a nearby orchard to pick apples, there’s something about the fall season that just makes us think about apples! Disneyland Hotel’s Steakhouse 55 offers a dessert that will put excellent use to apples that you’ve just picked… or bought at your local grocer or farmer’s market—Warm Apple Butter Cake. Our friends at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts are featuring this recipe in their new cookbook, Even More Delicious Disney Desserts, and we think you’ll enjoy making it as much as guests of the Disneyland Resort enjoy eating it.

So how ’bout them apples?

Steakhouse 55’s Warm Apple Butter Cake
With an “Old Hollywood” ambience and black-and-white photos of stars lining the walls, Steakhouse 55 celebrates an era when fine dining was de rigeur. Baked in ramekins with each cake topped with warm caramelized apples, caramel glaze, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s a classic sweet ending.

Ingredients

Makes 15 individual cakes

Caramelized Apples
2 whole Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar

Jack Daniels Caramel Glaze
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon Jack Daniels bourbon
1 cups heavy cream

Apple Butter Cake
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
8 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 cups plus 1 teaspoon buttermilk
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Dried apple slices, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

For caramelized apples:

Cut apples into thin slices.
Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add apples and sugar.
Cook apples until golden and softened. Set aside to cool.

For Jack Daniels caramel glaze:

Combine brown sugar and butter in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until sugar dissolves.
Simmer over medium heat without stirring or touching pan, until mixture is thick and dark amber in color, about 10 minutes.
Remove pan from heat. Carefully whisk in bourbon and heavy cream. Mixture will bubble vigorously and release very hot steam.
Pour caramel into a bowl to cool; set aside.

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 15 (3/4-cup-capacity) ramekins; set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk together sugar, eggs and egg yolks, and melted butter in a separate large bowl, until well combined.
Combine buttermilk and almond extract in a small bowl; set aside.
Fold a third of flour mixture into egg mixture. Stir in half of buttermilk mixture. Fold in another third of flour mixture, then add remaining buttermilk mixture. Fold in remaining flour mixture.
Ladle 1/2 cup cake batter into prepared ramekins. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of cakes comes out clean.

To serve:

While cakes are warm, carefully remove from ramekins onto a serving plate.
Divide caramelized apples among tops of cakes. Spoon Jack Daniels Glaze over top of apples and cake.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and garnish with dried apple slices, if desired.

Moana Finds Her Voice—Plus More in News Briefs

Becoming Moana: Disney Dream Comes True for Hawaiian Teenager

It’s one of those Hollywood stories that’s almost too good to be true—but it is! After a worldwide search, 14-year-old Hawaiian newcomer Auli’i Cravalho has been cast as the voice of the title character in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming film Moana. Cravalho joins Dwayne Johnson in the big-screen adventure about a spirited and fearless teenager named Moana (voice of Cravalho) who—with help from demi-god Maui (voice of Johnson)—sets out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder.

Hundreds of talented people from across the Pacific Islands were eager to try out for the role; luckily, a Hawaiian casting director remembered Cravalho from a past local audition, tracked the teenager and her mother down, and invited her to try out—and the rest, as they say, is history! “Auli’i demonstrated a certain fearlessness in her auditions and callbacks,” explained Moana co-director John Musker. “She has a playful, mischievous wit. She can project vulnerability, she doesn’t seem intimidated at all by the challenges ahead, and her Polynesian background has helped shape her connection to family, hard work, and music. These are all qualities she shares with Moana.”

Look for Moana to sail into theatres in November 2016!

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
Fall 2015
D23 Member VIP Nights at The Lion King
October 25
Haunted Gingerbread House Building Workshop
November 6
VIP Studio Experience with Disney Legend Andreas Deja
November 7
D23 Day at the Walt Disney Studios and Archives
November 14
Pinocchio: 75 Years of a Disney Classic
November 14
Mickey’s of Glendale Orlando Shopping Event
December 13
Holiday Gingerbread House Building Workshop
Studios
November 25
The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters.
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.

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar to Debut This November

Ready to revisit to the Pride Lands? The sweeping storytelling of Disney’s The Lion King continues with The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar—a primetime TV movie event premiering Sunday, November 22, at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel. (For those “streamers” amongst us, the movie will also be available on the WATCH Disney Channel app, the WATCH Disney Junior app, Disney Channel on Demand, and Disney Junior on Demand the following day.)

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar—which kicks off Disney Channel’s new series The Lion Guard—is set in the African savannah and introduces us to Kion (Max Charles, The Strain), the second-born cub of Simba (Rob Lowe, The Grinder) and Nala (Gabrielle Union, Being Mary Jane). Kion is destined to become leader of the Lion Guard, a team comprised of the Pride Lands’ fiercest, bravest, and smartest. But instead of picking a group of fellow lions (as tradition dictates), he instead chooses friends whom he believes best exemplify those heroic qualities. Throughout the movie (and series), Kion and his motley crew will learn how to use their unique abilities to solve problems, protect the Pride Lands, and maintain balance within the “Circle of Life.” The voice cast also includes Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland and The Lion King alumni James Earl Jones and Ernie Sabella.

Winter Wonderlands at Tokyo Disney Resort

If you’re in the market for a trip to Japan this winter, look no further than Tokyo Disney Resort! Our friends in the Chiba Prefecture just announced a frosty-fun variety of special programs and events from early January through mid-March 2016.

At Tokyo Disneyland Park, guests will once again enjoy a glimmering world of snow and ice with “Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Fantasy”—including an updated Frozen Fantasy Parade and a special winter edition of the Once Upon a Time nighttime spectacular (now featuring scenes in Japanese from the Disney animated blockbuster). Over at Tokyo DisneySea, the 10th anniversary of Duffy the Disney Bear continues with “Journeys with Duffy: Your Friend Forever,” and a new greeting show called Come Join Your Friends will introduce audiences to Duffy’s newest pal, Gelatoni the cat.

That’s not all: Tokyo DisneySea will again offer a scarier version of its Tower of Terror attraction called “Level 13: Shadow of Shiriki,” and several intriguing mystery-solving programs will be available throughout the resort. Sign us up!

A Treasure Trove of Disney Movies to Come…

Mark your calendars, be they virtual or made of actual paper! Disney has announced a slew of release dates for some sure-to-be-amazing films, and we’ve got the rundown.

Marvel just unveiled plans for Ant-Man and the Wasp, a sequel to this summer’s Ant-Man, set for release on July 6, 2018. Meanwhile, Marvel’s Black Panther will open February 16, 2018, and Captain Marvel is set for March 8, 2019. In Pixar news, Cars 3 will hit theatres on June 16, 2017; the Dia de los Muertos-themed Coco is set for November 22, 2017; and The Incredibles 2 will save the world (again) on June 21, 2019. Perhaps most notably, the much-anticipated Toy Story 4 will debut June 15, 2018.

Disney Live Action’s The Jungle Book will roar onto a screen near you in April 2016, followed by Alice Through the Looking Glass in May and Pete’s Dragon (starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford) in August. And Walt Disney Animation Studios got in on the announcement fun, too: Gigantic, a unique take on “Jack and the Beanstalk” featuring music from Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen), will be released on March 9, 2018.

The Chew Takes on Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

We clued you into the foodie fun back in July, but now it’s official: The hosts of ABC Daytime’s The Chew just made their big trip to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World Resort (their first-ever foray outside their NYC studios)… and, by the looks of this behind-the-scenes video from our pals at the Disney Parks Blog, they had an absolute blast!

Hosts Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall, Michael Symon, and Mario Batali took Walt Disney World Resort by storm in early October—riding all the best attractions, catching fantastic performances, and still finding time to make some delectable dishes! (Even Scandal star Bellamy Young got in on the action.)

Look for all the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival fun on The Chew this week, October 12 through 16, on ABC!

Adventures in Babysitting: New Disney Channel Movie in 2016

“Don’t mess with the babysitter!” Rarely have truer words ever been spoken—as evidenced by Disney Channel’s Adventures in Babysitting, set to debut in 2016. The upcoming TV movie stars Sabrina Carpenter (Girl Meets World) and Sofia Carson (Disney’s Descendants) as babysitters Jenny and Luci, respectively; the two competing sitters find a dull night turning into big adventure in the big city as they hunt for one of their charges, who has somehow snuck away. Will they find him before his parents come home? Will they encounter some major fun along the way? You’ll have to tune in to find out.

To help tide you over ’til the movie’s premiere, check out this brand-new Adventures in Babysitting teaser, above.

Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars Play Set: New Details Revealed

Big Disney Infinity news from the world of Star Wars… Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm just revealed two new characters—Poe Dameron and Kylo Ren—playable in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set, the third Star Wars Play Set to be released for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition! Now available for pre-order, the Play Set pack will include both Finn and Rey character figures and will be released on December 18.

In the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set, players travel to a galaxy far, far away alongside new heroes and old friends in search for a much-needed ally. Playable characters include soldier Finn and survivor Rey, who join Poe Dameron—the pilot of the Resistance—and devious Kylo Ren as they find adventure at every turn. In addition to the characters native to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set, fans will also be able to unlock and play with all other Star Wars characters from Play Sets like Star Wars: Twilight of the Republic and Star Wars: Rise Against The Empire, as well as Star Wars Rebels characters. “Ready, are you?”

Behind the Scenes at Disneyland Park’s Paint the Night

The Paint the Night parade has been helping guests at Disneyland Park get in the Diamond Celebration mood for the last few months—and now, we can get a peek into how the magic was actually created… or should we say, “illuminated”?

Take a gander at this new video, above, for an early-stage look at some of the floats, and inside scoop from the Walt Disney Imagineers tasked with bringing the parade to life.

Aladdin’s Glittering New Diamond Edition

A street-wise thief with a heart of gold. A free-spirited princess. And the hilarious, larger-than-life genie that brings them together. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Aladdin first took the world by storm Thanksgiving 1992—followed by a record-breaking home video release the next year. Now, for the first time, Aladdin will be released in a whole new way on Blu-ray and Digital HD—with never-before-seen bonus content!

The Aladdin Diamond Edition materialized for the first time on digital HD on September 29, and will hit store shelves as a Blu-ray™ “Combo Pack” on Tuesday, October 13. D23 sat down with filmmakers Ron Clements and John Musker—just before their fascinating “Aladdin: The Making of a Classic” panel at the recent D23 EXPO 2015—to chat about what makes the film so memorable… and why the Diamond Edition is so unique.

D23: Do you have any favorite memories from the making of the film?

Ron Clements (RC): There are many—but for me, I think my favorite memory is when we were recording Robin Williams—I mean, all the recording of Robin was great. There were these moments, though; he was full of energy, full of passion, and once he got going, you couldn’t stop him—and he wanted to do more and more. There were moments where, just watching, it was like he’d reached a higher level. He was always great… I still remember that, just being in awe of that.

John Musker (JM): We had a screening of the movie, which I still remember… Chuck Jones, the famous Warner Bros. animator, was there. He was sitting right behind us; we’re like “Oh no, Chuck Jones is sitting right behind us!” He was one of my idols! And then he really laughed at the jokes, and he really complimented us about the movie at the end. I was really thrilled that somebody who I admired like that got such a kick out of the movie.

I think Aladdin can be appreciated in a way that it wasn’t originally, just for how rare a thing that Robin did, and how wonderful the film was, how heartfelt and funny—and that it will live beyond all of us. That’s a great thing.

D23: Were you involved in the making of this new Diamond Edition for digital HD and Blu-ray™?

JM: We were involved in some of the bonus features, yes. They filmed Ron and me [a bit]… and there’s a really cool feature with Robin—it’s a bonus feature that involves some of the Genie outtakes that have never been heard before. [Original Aladdin animator] Eric Goldberg did some new drawings with that, and we were involved in helping him put that all together. That was really exciting, to revisit some of the material that never made it into the movie.

D23: You might’ve just answered our next question, but—is there something you’re especially eager for audiences to see?

RC: Well, there was a huge amount of material that was not used in the movie, and we thought it would be fun for the audience to see what, essentially, are kind of the Genie’s “outtakes”—so you can experience some of what didn’t make it into the movie, and it’s really fun. Robin was unique… when we wrote the script, we wrote it with him in mind. You could read it and picture what he would do, but we always knew that he was going to riff… He would come in and he would do the script, generally as written, a few times, and then he would embellish.

The only problem was—he did so much stuff, now how do we pick what to use? After the recording sessions, it would all be transcribed; everything he did would be transcribed, and Eric, John, and I listened to it all a second time, and marked things that we thought were funny, things that we thought would work. Then the editor would put the scene together, and it would be three or four or five times longer than the scene really could be. [laughs] Then it was kind of honing that down, and that’s what ended up in the movie. [These new animated sequences are] a great tribute to Robin, and Eric did a great job with them.

D23: What about the film’s iconic music? A new featurette about the making of the Aladdin Broadway musical is included in this Blu-ray™ release, correct?

RC: The music is so great, and so wonderful, and working with those guys—with Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and then Tim Rice came in—Howard passed away pretty early on in the making of the film—was fantastic. And that’s one of the fun things about doing musicals, too. In some ways, they have even a stronger afterlife…

JM: The music fuels it.

RC: Right—and that’s really exciting. I think the song cuts we made were really right for the movie, and the movie was what the movie needed to be—but there were some really cool songs that we loved that never made it into the movie, so I’m glad that they’re coming to audiences through the Broadway show.

D23: Why do you think this movie has stood the test of 20-plus years’ time?

RC: When we were kids, in our generation, Disney films would be re-released every seven years in theaters. They weren’t shown on television, they were re-released, and that was a big deal. I saw the re-release of Pinocchio when I was 9 years old; it blew me away, and made me want to work at Disney… Now, a whole new generation can see Aladdin. I think the movie holds up well. I think it’s still very entertaining, so I hope people who haven’t seen it—or who haven’t seen it for a long time—go back and re-experience it. Because it’s fun that these films keep going, and that they have an “afterlife.” So much work goes into the films when we make them—it’s really nice when they endure, and new generations get to experience it all over again.

JM: I think this Blu-ray™ release is kind of special, given what’s happened with Robin Williams. We probably won’t see his like again, basically, so there’s something really kind of precious about the movie, and how the Genie sort of transcends the limits of space and time. Robin has, too, with his performance in this movie—and this release, I think, is a celebration of Robin, with the outtakes and just the film itself. I think Aladdin can be appreciated in a way that it wasn’t originally, just for how rare a thing that Robin did, and how wonderful the film was, how heartfelt and funny—and that it will live beyond all of us. That’s a great thing.

Look for the Aladdin Diamond Edition on digital HD now, and in Blu-ray™ Combo Pack form on October 13!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: New Trailer, New Excitement!

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

Celebrating Friendship with The Good Dinosaur

Disney’s Descendants Meet & Greet Fans at Disneyland Resort

Catch a First Look at The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar

Star Wars: Force for Change Joins Forces with Target

Sanjay’s Super Team: First Clip

Spider-Man Arrives at Disneyland Park This November

New Narrators Bring Holiday Sparkle to 2015 Candlelight Processional

Ingredients

Preparation

Becoming Moana: Disney Dream Comes True for Hawaiian Teenager

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

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar to Debut This November

Winter Wonderlands at Tokyo Disney Resort

A Treasure Trove of Disney Movies to Come…

The Chew Takes on Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Adventures in Babysitting: New Disney Channel Movie in 2016

Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars Play Set: New Details Revealed

Behind the Scenes at Disneyland Park’s Paint the Night

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: