23 Coolest Moments at D23 EXPO 2015!

Outside the thermometer soared to triple digits. But inside the Anaheim Convention Center at D23 EXPO 2015 it was super cool—with a bevy of A-List celebrities, hear-it-here-first announcements, unforgettable musical performances, a pulsating show floor, and, well, plenty of other fandemonium on hand to render the August heat wave defenseless against the cool stuff unfolding on a practically minute-by-minute basis inside the convention center. Now that the dust has settled—and the degrees have dropped—it’s time to take a look at D23 EXPO 2015’s 23 biggest moments. It’s by no means an easy task—but for us it’s a fun one, so here we go:

I’m Jack Sparrow, savvy?: Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger inducted the eight newest Disney Legends, which is big enough news on its own. But when he suddenly announced that Johnny Depp would also be named to the 2015 class and brought the superstar actor to the stage, it signaled the first of many surprises that would happen throughout the weekend.

Hey There, Hi There, Ho There!: Many of the original Mouseketeers—Sherry Alberoni, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O’Brien, and Doreen Tracey—thrilled guests with a one-of-a-kind performance filled with memories, music, and magic. In honor of the Mickey Mouse Club’s 60th anniversary, they were awarded “Mousecars” that Walt had created many years ago.

A huge development!: Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter announces that work has begun on Gigantic, Disney’s retelling of the “Jack in the Beanstalk” fable, directed by Nathan Greno (Tangled) and produced by Dorothy McKim.

A galaxy far, far away at your nearest Disney park: At the conclusion of the presentation from The Walt Disney Studios, Bob Iger took the stage to announce that a brand-new, 14-acre land themed to Star Wars will be added to Disneyland in California and to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

Soarin’ to new heights: During the Disney Parks and Resorts presentation, Chairman Bob Chapek revealed that in 2016, guests at both Disney California Adventure and Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort will experience Soarin’ Around the World, an innovative update to the beloved Soarin’ attraction.

Thirty card pick-up!: New for D23 EXPO 2015 was the Disney Visa Trading Card Quest—a wildly popular set of trading cards that featured 30 of your favorite Disney characters.

The Force Awakening: Co-stars John Boyega and Daisy Ridley of Star Wars: The Force Awakens appeared onstage during the Disney Interactive presentation in Hall D23 to introduce their Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition character figures, Finn and Rey, for the upcoming Play Set based on the film.

Star Quality: At the jam-packed Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios presentation at Hall D23, Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams introduced his cast with the crowd breaking into thunderous applause upon seeing Harrison Ford. “You guys have made my life,” Ford told the overjoyed fans. “It’s a great thrill to be here with you, who made this whole thing happen.”

Forget about your worries and your strife!: Director Jon Favreau introduced some of the actors from The Jungle Book, which opens in April 2016: Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, and the adorable 11-year-old Neel Sethi. He also introduced footage from the film that included Baloo the bear (voiced by Bill Murray) singing “The Bare Necessities.”

To Orlando and Beyond!: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek announced that Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be taken to a whole new level with “new plans to take you to infinity and beyond” with the new, 11-acre Toy Story Land.

You ain’t seen nothing yet-i!: D23 EXPO’s fan-favorite costume contest was filled with handmade couture creations that amazed, amused, and awed.

Avengers—and Disney fans—Assemble!: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige gave the packed house in Hall D23 a sneak peek at Captain America: Civil War, showing footage that included a D23 Easter Egg.

Stan “the Man” Lee: During the Parks and Resorts presentation in Hall D23, Stan “the Man” Lee, the creator of the Marvel universe, stole the show from Iron Man himself, who made a delayed appearance to celebrate this “Marvel”-ous new attraction.

Just the right notes: “You’re smart to be here,” said Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration host and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin in kicking off a unique musical and cinematic celebration. The event premiered five restored Silly Symphonies accompanied by a live 32-member orchestra playing the actual scores that accompany the shorts.

The South Pacific comes to Hall D23: Moana’s directors Ron Clements and John Musker, along with producer Osnat Shurer, introduced early footage and art from their eagerly awaited 2016 release. But the most emotional part of their presentation was the live performance of a musical number from the film—which will feature a soundtrack composed by Tony® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), Grammy®-winner Mark Mancina (Tarzan, The Lion King), and Opetaia Foa’i (of the award-winning world music band Te Vaka).

A Frozen event worth melting for: During Frozen FANdemonium, award-winning songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez filled Hall D23 with behind-the-songs stories about the music they composed for Frozen, and had a little help bringing the songs to life in the arena from surprise guests Kristen Bell and Josh Gad.

Kingdom Come: Fans of Disney gaming will see two of their favorite franchises come together when Kingdom Hearts enters the world of Disney Infinity 3.0. It was revealed that players who unlock all of the Disney Infinity figures in the Hall of Heroes will unlock the Keyblade from the Square Enix Kingdom Hearts franchise

The shirt off his back: John Lasseter kicked off the Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios presentation by lobbing Pixar-themed Hawaiian shirts (identical to the one he was wearing) into the crowd. The shirts were a top-selling item throughout D23 EXPO, and countless Disney fans wore them proudly during the event.

Worlds of Wonder: Shanghai Disney Resort and Pandora—The World of AVATAR were both previewed on the D23 EXPO show floor. Disney fans might have noticed a familiar face in the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Pavilion, as Avatar Producer Jon Landau played the role of tour guide and answered questions about the new land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, while Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Executive Joe Rohde posed for photos with Neytiri, the iconic Na’vi from Avatar.

Night on Broadway: James Monroe Iglehart, Tony winner for his performance as Genie in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, welcomed theater fans to “THE ORIGINALS,” a one-of-a-kind musical party inside Stage 23 at D23 EXPO 2015. He was joined by original Mary Poppins star Ashley Brown and Tarzan star Josh Strickland.

Movin’ Right Along: The Muppets singing and dancing to “All the Single Ladies,” “Uptown Funk,” and even a little Marvin Gaye number.

Finding Ellen: After John Lasseter revealed that no one lobbied harder than Ellen DeGeneres for a sequel to Finding Nemo, DeGeneres herself appeared on the Hall D23 stage, and was joined by Finding Dory castmates Ed O’Neill, Ty Burrell, and Kaitlin Olson!

“Try Everything”: During the sneak peek of Zootopia, the filmmakers revealed a special surprise—international superstar Shakira is lending her Grammy^®-winning voice to Gazelle, the biggest pop star in Zootopia. Via taped message, Shakira played “a snippet” of an original song from the film, “Try Everything.”

60 Years of Mouseketeers

We couldn’t have wished for a better ending to D23 EXPO 2015! The original Mouseketeers from the Mickey Mouse Club gathered onstage and reminisced about those early days while singing and dancing along with clips from the show. Author Lorraine Santoli (The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book) led the presentation, welcoming Mouseketeers Sherry Alberoni, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O’Brien, and Doreen Tracey.

“The Mickey Mouse Club was a television phenomenon,” said Santoli, “and it’s something that fans still love 60 years later.” Here are a few memories from the Mouseketeers:

Darlene Gillespie: “Disney sent out an audition notice. I came down with three other girls and did a little farm dance. I was so unintimidated so I sang ‘Davy Crocket,’ and Jimmie [Dodd] said to me, ‘Little girl, you’ve got a job.’ I went home and told my mom and she said, ‘Eat your supper.’”

Bobby Burgess: “We were kept busy. One team was going to school, while one team was filming, and another one was rehearsing. We had to keep it rotating. One time, I had to learn to ride a unicycle in my driveway. Then I showed up and they said, ‘You’re gonna have to juggle as well.’”

But the Mouseketeers did more than recite memories… they got up and sang and dance along with old film clips from the show, including a touching tribute to Annette Funicello. “We love ya, Annette,” said Tommy Cole.

And in a fitting tribute to Jimmie Dodd, the musical heart and soul of the show, the Walt Disney Archives had his original Mousegetar (guitar) restrung—first time in 50 years!—and everyone sang along as it was again put to use!

But then we all got a big surprise as Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives, called up world-renowned film historian and critic (and HUGE Mickey Mouse Club fan), Leonard Maltin for a special presentation. Each Mousketeer was given a “Mousecar”—Walt Disney’s own version of “an Oscar,” special awards given by Walt himself. Walt had them commissioned but was not able to present them before he passed. The Archives staff found them, and Maltin presented one to each Mouseketeer. Truly a special moment.

Not to be outdone, though, the Mouseketeers surprised Maltin by presenting him with his own mouse ears, making him an official Mouseketeer. This was Disney magic at its finest. M-I-C…see you real soon. K-E-Y…Why? Because we like you. M-O-U-S-E.

Frozen FANdemonium: A FANtasy Come True!

There was sweltering heat outside the Anaheim Convention Center this afternoon, but Hall D23 at D23 EXPO 2015 was the coolest place on the planet! Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration! was an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience that included behind-the-songs and stories and spectacular guests, and showed us what frozen things do in summer—they go to D23 EXPO!

Chris Montan, president, Walt Disney Music, hosted the event, exclusive to D23 EXPO and “never-before and never-again” to be seen. He explained that Frozen came about because John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, had wanted to make an “integrated” movie like Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid, where “the songs push the emotional aspect of the story, but more importantly, they raise the emotional stakes for the characters.”

During the next 90 minutes, Award-winning songwriting team—and, quite possibly, the most adorable couple on the planet—Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, led us through the process of creating the songs that will now be sung by generations of Disney fans. Their first exposure to Frozen came when director Chris Buck and Peter Del Vecho showed them a visual development image of two young girls in a glade. As the parents of two daughters, it captivated them and, Anderson-Lopez adds, “I was excited to evolve the idea of a Disney princess.”

The audience was treated to the demo of “You’re You,” the first song that was written for the film… which had to be cut because it hinted too early that Hans was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. As Anderson-Lopez pointed out, Hans interrupted Anna—and no real romantic hero would ever dream of interrupting Kristen Bell’s singing. So the Lopezes dug a little deeper and came up with “Love Is An Open Door,” which, they explain, was intended to feel like the perfect first date—and, Anderson-Lopez reveals, was inspired by the date in the film The Karate Kid.

The afternoon became a family affair, thanks to the Lopezes’ daughters, Annie, who helped sing “Fixer Upper” and Katie, who came to the stage for “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”—which she performed with director Jennifer Lee’s daughter, Agatha… and surprise guest Kristen Bell! Montan asked Bell to name the best part of playing Anna, and the irrepressible actress said that she loved Disney princesses but felt, “The goofy girls were being underrepresented a little bit.” She was thrilled to help bring a different kind of Disney princess to the screen.

Of course, you can’t have Frozen FANdemonium in triple-digit heat without a sun-worshipping snowman, so Olaf—and the gifted actor and singer who voices the role, Josh Gad—were the next thrilling surprises to perform “In Summer.”

And then it was time to “Let It Go.” The song, Anderson-Lopez explains, was fleshed out while the couple was walking through the part, talking about what “letting go” really meant to them. They wrote a demo, sent it to the creative team in Burbank, and were thrilled to hear that when John Lasseter heard it for the first time, he jumped up in the room and started making the kinds of motions he could envision Elsa making while she sang.

Lasseter joined the Lopezes; Montan; Bell and Gad; filmmakers Buck, Del Vecho, and Lee; and our favorite folks from Arendelle, Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and Kristoff, for the grand finale—complete with snow. Well, it may have been confetti shaped like snowflakes… but the moment—and, indeed, the entire presentation—gave us chills nonetheless. This was truly a D23 EXPO experience worth melting for.

The Stunning Shorts of Walt Disney Animation Studios

Before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… before The Little Mermaid… and way before Frozen… Walt Disney and his brother Roy told their one-of-a-kind stories through the animated short film. Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS) celebrated its recent DVD release of their Short Films Collection with a crowd-pleasing panel this morning inside Stage 28 at D23 EXPO 2015.

Animator Darrin Butters served as host for an illuminating discussion with the filmmakers of shorts including Get A Horse!; How to Hook Up Your Home Theater; Tangled Ever After; Frozen Fever; and the Oscar^®-winning Paperman and Feast. Animators shared stories from the making of their films, and one thing was abundantly clear: More than 90 years later, WDAS is carrying on the tradition with all the same humor and heart as the brothers Disney.

Mickey Mouse came back to the big screen in Get A Horse!—an animated short that played before Frozen. And while it was all new, it was a stunning return of sorts to the classic 2D animation of Disney movies past. “We all had to unlearn everything we knew about animation, setting our minds back to 1928,” said animator Eric Goldberg. “The more imperfect we made the characters, the closer they looked in 3D to their original counterparts.” And if you thought you heard a familiar voice in that short, you’re right: The filmmakers pieced together bits of recorded dialogue from Walt himself to create Mickey’s signature sound.

A lesser-known animated short, 2004’s Lorenzo began its journey to the big screen all the way back in the 1940s. Disney Legend Joe Grant had always wanted to take an animated look at a mischievous cat… but it wasn’t until more than 50 years later when producer Don Hahn tasked current Disney animator Mike Gabriel with creating a short for a proposed Fantasia 3. After finding the perfect tango-flavored cut of music, Gabriel finally helped shepherd Grant’s feline friend to the screen—and the short was even nominated for an Oscar!

Filmmakers shared all manner of other behind-the-scenes tidbits. There was the time animator Dean Wellins did research for his short Tick Tock Tale at the clock-filled Yorba Linda tract home of an expert clockmaker. Stevie Wermers told the capacity crowd about nervously pitching Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter the idea behind her 12-year-old CalArts student film as the story for 2011’s The Ballad of Nessie. And animator Nathan Greno cracked fans up with a quip about the making of 2012’s Tangled Ever After; “I really wanted to blow up the castle, for some reason,” he admitted. “You never get to do that!”

As Butters reminded the audience, “It all started with a mouse”—and it was that little mouse that thrilled young and old alike with his adventures. Despite their relatively abridged length, the short films of Walt Disney Animation Studios prove one thing: that even to this day, hilarious and heartwarming stories don’t always have to be 90 minutes in length.

Get in the Games

Announcements, sneak peeks, and special surprises came flying from Disney Interactive’s Hall D23 presentation by the boat-load… or should we say, the “ship load,” as in space ships from a galaxy far, far away. As expected, Star Wars was the main event (again), as Disney Interactive president Jimmy Pitaro introduced Electronic Art’s (EA) blockbuster new game Star Wars Battlefront, the exclusive new Star Wars Battle Pod arcade experience, and the galactic Lucasfilm infusion into the hotly anticipated Disney Infinity 3.0.

Star Wars Battlefront racked up a string of awards at the recent Gamescon, including Best of Gameson, Best Console Game for Sony Playstation, Best PC Game, and Best Online Multiplayer Game. Pitaro called it one of the most highly anticipated games in the history of The Walt Disney Company as he introduced Justin McCully, general manager of EA’s Star Wars unit. Explaining the process of creating the game, McCully explained the team’s unprecedented access. “Lucasflm opened their archives and let us use the props and matte paintings and behind-the-scene polaroids from the films,” he said. “We got to use the actual models of the Star Wars ships from your childhood.”

We’ll portray the events that created the Battlefield of Jakku

One of the most exciting parts of the game is that a portion of the visuals was captured onsite during the filming of J.J. Abram’s upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. “We were onsite in Abu Dhabi to capture the desert battle of Jakku,” McCully said. “We’ll portray the events that created the Battlefield of Jakku.” You can live out your dog-fight fantasies with Fighter Squadron Mode, or shoot the enemy in Blast Mode. Experience the Walker assault, ride a speeder-bike, hold off waves of Imperial forces, or become your favorite hero or villain. Star Wars Battlefront is out in November on PS4, Microsoft Xbox, and on Origin for PC.

Riding a multi-year wave of success, Disney Infinity 3.0 has added in characters from the complete Star Wars saga and from the TV animated series, including Anakin and Ahsoka. John Blackburn, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Infinity, and John Vignocchi, vice president of production, introduced all the new characters. The big surprise, though, was having co-stars John Boyega and Daisy Ridley of Star Wars: The Force Awakens appear onstage to give away their character figures, Finn and Rey, for the upcoming Play Set based on the film. The newest version of Disney Infinity also includes characters from Pixar’s Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur, along with new Marvel characters.

Disney’s massively popular Kingdom Hearts game, which has sold 21 million units so far, announced the newest characters to invade the game—the gang from Big Hero 6! Shinji Hashimoto, Larry Sparks, and Kaori Takasue flew in from Japan to make the announcement—accompanied by Baymax.

And the announcements didn’t stop. We heard about Disney’s latest gaming initiative, Playmation; Disney Magic Kingdoms mobile games; the Star Wars Pod for arcade play; and special awards and giveaways, including a brand-new Mickey Mouse figurine for the Disney Infinity game platform. Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition’s ultimate unlock was unveiled during the presentation. Players who unlock all of the Disney Infinity figures in the game’s Hall of Heroes will unlock the Keyblade from the SQUARE ENIX KINGDOM HEARTS franchise.

Fans loved each new announcement and new character—from Baymax, Star Wars, and Marvel, to Pixar, the Magic Kingdom, and even the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Disney Interactive truly is shooting for the stars… and it looks like the Force is definitely on their side.

The Still-Soaring Silly Symphonies

It’s not very long into Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration before you realize you are witnessing something truly special, historic, and magical. The 11 a.m. event, the first of two Sunday performances in Stage 23 at D23 EXPO 2015, was a dazzling showcase of some of the finest animated shorts made in the 1920s and ’30s—including the first Silly Symphony, The Skeleton Dance, and the highly influential Flowers and Trees, The Old Mill, and more. The event is as much a startling revelation of just how entertaining Walt’s early shorts continue to be and a stunning waltz back through time, back to the early days at the Disney Studios before Walt built his new Studio in Burbank.

The films were shown using high-quality, newly restored digital film masters and were accompanied by the films’ original scores, played by a 32-piece orchestra under the baton of Steven Allen Fox. If you closed your eyes, you could easily imagine you were hearing the scores being played just as they were when they were recorded at the Disney Studios on Hyperion Avenue.

“You’re smart to be here,” said Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration host and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin in kicking off this musical and cinematic celebration. “This is a world premiere of this concert performance. You’re the first to see this, and we’re going to have a great time.”

And a great time we had, too, as we enjoyed five landmark Silly Symphonies, beginning with The Skeleton Dance and ending with Music Land. “Almost every Silly Symphony featured a unique cast of characters, and many had little or no dialogue,” Maltin told the large audience. “Music was the driving force. It was the raison d’être for making these cartoons. It’s amazing that after all the success Walt had with Mickey Mouse, he was eager to try something different.”

Listening to a live orchestra accompany these cinematic masterpieces is to see them for the first time. The historically accurate scores, faithfully reproduced by Disney historian Alex Rannie, included dazzling sound effects—some played on Disney Legend Jimmy Macdonald’s original wooden “door.” “The orchestra is the same size as the ones that played on the original soundtracks,” Maltin noted.

The 75 Silly Symphony short films—they won a total of seven Academy Awards®—were a workshop for experimentation in the animation process, providing a venue to try out techniques and technologies that would eventually be used in feature-length animated films. Vast improvements were made during this time in creating believable character animation, special effects animation, and dramatic storytelling in animation. “Walt was always a great leap ahead as these cartoons show,” Maltin said.

Soarin’ With Parks and Resorts at D23 EXPO 2015

Star Wars, Shanghai, Avatar, and Marvel were just some of the magic words that set the imaginations of D23 EXPO 2015 guests soarin’ as Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek presented an exclusive look at in-the-works global excitement. A capacity crowd of passionate Disney park fans at Hall D23 wildly greeted surprise announcements, exclusive insider art and video, and unexpected appearances. A spectacular highlight to the entire D23 EXPO 2015 experience, Chapek promised at the outset that he would take D23 EXPO attendees on a soarin’ round-the-world tour of park and resort pixie dust.

First up was “a galaxy far, far away” that just got a whole lot closer with the freshly announced Star Wars Land coming to the Disney resorts in both California and Florida. Giving guests an exclusive look at projected plans, Chapek revealed that Star Wars Land would center on the incredibly immersive environment of an entirely new planet, while also offering experiences of favorite Star Wars characters and worlds, including, for example, the ability to fly a thrilling mission aboard Han Solo’s iconic Millennium Falcon. Jumping to hyperspace, Chapek announced that new Star Wars experiences would actually be debuting within the next few months, including Star Wars Launch Bay, an interactive experience that will take guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disneyland park in California into the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as the first six films in the Star Wars saga. This new seasonal event, beginning early 2016, will feature at Disneyland (in a crowd-pleasing announcement) Hyperspace Mountain, a reimagining of the classic Space Mountain attraction, in which guests will join an X-wing Starfighter battle thanks to projection technology and other state-of-the-art effects. Later this year, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disneyland in California will incorporate a new destination planet from the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

new plans to take you to infinity and beyond

Citing a galaxy of a more playful stripe, Chapek announced that Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be taken to a whole new level with “new plans to take you to infinity and beyond” with the new, 11-acre Toy Story Land. Imagineer Kathy Mangum revealed the Imagineers were “building a more immersive experience,” much like the level of detail and guest engagement experience with Cars Land in Disney California Adventure. “You’ll be shrunk to the size of Woody and his toy friends,” promised Mangum, “to enter the world of Andy’s backyard.” An exclusive look at a new animatic gave D23 EXPO guests a sense of riding on an elaborate family coaster on the back of Slinky Dog.

Involved with Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida since its inception, Imagineer Joe Rohde was introduced to reveal a thrilling expansion of Sunset Kilimanjaro Safaris, which is being extended for a new nighttime adventure next spring. Guests will travel through the African savanna amid the magically extended orange glow of the setting sun and two fascinating species new to the attraction: African wild dogs and hyenas. Then Rohde shared detailed plans for Pandora – The World of AVATAR, which he described as ”a perfect fit at Animal Kingdom.” For this mind-blowingly new realm of groundbreaking special effects and magnificent environments, Lightstorm (Avatar creator James Cameron’s organization) joined creative forces with Walt Disney Imagineering to make “a mega-team.” To the surprise and excitement of the audience, James Cameron and Jon Landau, the director and producer of the Avatar film, walked on stage. Cameron emphasized the overwhelming imaginations of the Disney team, explaining that when he first met the Imagineers his reaction was, “These guys are crazy!” as they exceeded even his most creative expectations. Emphasizing that the Avatar world offers “a sense of beauty that people want to be part of” Cameron, Landau, and Rohde screened an exclusive behind-the-scenes video revealing some of the craftsmanship, technical expertise, groundbreaking events, and passion that would create a world that would, in the words of Rohde, “not be just fantastic“ but also “meaningful to people.” The centerpiece attraction of this new land will be The Flight of Passage, a personalized experience that will take the illusion of flying to a whole new cutting-edge level. In Pandora – The World of AVATAR, Rohde emphasized, “The adventure is yours.”

“not be just fantastic” but also “meaningful to people.”

Disney Imagineer Ted Robledo then offered a never-before-seen look exclusively for D23 EXPO guests at the in-progress Hong Kong Disneyland attraction, Iron Man Experience. This adventure, the first Marvel attraction at any Disney park, is being created with the combined talents of Walt Disney Imagineering and Industrial Light & Magic. Thanks to insider’s art and never-before-seen video, the D23 EXPO audience saw how a flight aboard the Iron Wing becomes a battle with evil forces of Hydra. The audience went wild with a surprise appearance from the audience by Stan “the Man” Lee himself. The creator of the Marvel universe even stole the show from Iron Man himself, who made a delayed appearance to celebrate this “Marvel”-ous new attraction.

All the way from China, Imagineer Bob Weis treated guests to closest public look to date of progress at Shanghai Disneyland, including the ultra-innovative Tron Light Cycle attraction, simulating what it’s like to ride an individual light cycle “through the digital world of Tron.”

“We’ve soared today,” was the way Weis wrapped up this thrilling presentation, at the same time amping up the excitement with one more headline-making announcement: Guests in Florida and Disney in California will fly above some of the world’s most unique landscapes and soar over man-made wonders when the new Soarin’ Around the World—made possible by cutting-edge Imagineering magic—makes its debut next year. Following was a stunning “kiss goodnight” performed by a chorus of cast members—complete with the Disneyland Herald Trumpeters—with a magical medley of theme park melodies exclusively for D23 EXPO attendees, bringing this “soarin’” experience to a truly magical end.

The Man Who Made Believe

Almost everyone above a certain age has heard the name Walt Disney. But who was he really? What drove him to such soaring artistic heights? And what about newer generations of people who don’t know much about Walt Disney at all—other than his name?

This fall PBS will air American Experience: Walt Disney, a two-part, four-hour documentary on the life of Walt Disney featuring a new and objective look at one of the world’s greatest-ever storytellers—one that will attempt to get to the core of this brilliant and complicated man. At The Making of American Experience: Walt Disney, a Stage 28 presentation held Saturday afternoon hosted by film producer Don Hahn and featuring Walt Disney producer and director, Sarah Colt, Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline, and Disney biographer Neal Gabler, audiences discovered the fascinating story of the making of this film about one of the world’s most fascinating men.

Hahn, who appears in the documentary, began the discussion by noting its complete objectivity in approach. “It’s a journalistic exercise, a third-person look at this man’s life.” Hahn adds that what makes the film so compelling is its reliance on eyewitnesses—men and women who worked directly with Walt. “We connected with [Disney Legend] Marty Sklar and other names you don’t hear from so much, including some of the artists who worked on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, who remember the long hours and the excitement of the project and the craziness of getting it all done on time,” Colt says about the film, which took two years to complete. “It was a long process and a really fun experience.”

“He had a stubborn optimism,” Cline adds. “He wanted so much to live in that perfect existence. He just kept driving everything toward it.”

Interspersed with the interesting discussion were excerpts from the upcoming film, which airs September 14–15 on PBS. During one sequence that included an extended sequence from Snow White, the audience marveled again at the deep emotions that movie engenders even today. As Gabler says in the film, “What did this guy understand about the human psyche?”

“He’s a complex man,” Colt adds. “An extremely complex man; beginning with his childhood, which was dark in many ways. He seemed to alternate between darkness and a certain kind of lightness.”

“He had a stubborn optimism,” Cline adds. “He wanted so much to live in that perfect existence. He just kept driving everything toward it.”

If there’s one word that recurs in this four-hour film it’s persistence, and this pervaded every endeavor Walt undertook. “Disneyland, unlike his films, was this ongoing project,” Colt said. “He could keep investing his time and energy into it.”

Welcome to Zootopia at D23 EXPO!

Like the song goes, it’s all happening at the zoo—although in this case, it’s all happening at Zootopia! In a special panel in Stage 28 at D23 EXPO 2015 today, hosted by animator Darrin Butters, a 19-year veteran of Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), the filmmakers behind the upcoming feature, which opens March 4, 2016, took us through their research process and showed us an assortment of hilarious clips from the movie and from their creative process.

The idea for Zootopia originated with director Byron Howard (Bolt, Tangled), who brought the concept of a movie with talking animals that walk upright—and wear clothes—to John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios and WDAS.

“I loved the legacy of our great animal movies at Disney, like Bambi, The Jungle Book, Dumbo.”

Once Howard and his fellow filmmakers—director Rich Moore (The Simpsons, Wreck-It Ralph), producer Clark Spencer (Lilo & Stitch, Wreck-It Ralph, Bolt), writer/co-director Jared Bush (Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero), writer Phil Johnston (Wreck-It Ralph), production designer Dave Goetz (Tangled), and head of animation Renato dos Anjos (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen)—started focusing on animals, they began the research process for the film. And as fans of Disney and Pixar Animation know, research is extremely important to John Lasseter.

Lasseter sent the team to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida, for a preliminary trip, and then to the Savanna of Africa. “It was life-changing,” Howard said. Bush concurred, saying, “Stepping out of that airplane, it really felt like you were in the animals’ world. Immediately we were seeing giant herds of giraffes. Once you get closer to these animals you get a different perspective on how they move, how they smell…”

The creative talents at WDAS innovate with each new film. They’ve gone from 2008’s Bolt, where, they joke, they had to be careful of including too many windows, which would cause Bolt’s hair to blow, to 2016’s Zootopia, where they are now able to create hundreds of thousands of strands of clear polar bear fur. Yes, we learned from the animators that polar bears’ fur isn’t really white, it’s clear.

Production designer Dave Goetz explained that since the different lands and worlds of Zootopia are designed by animals for animals, they had to accommodate a wide range of animal sizes. “For when they travel, we made different sized trains.” Acclaimed auto designer J Mays even designed different sized cars for the animals, which range in size from mice to elephants.

Visual development art shown at the presentation shows different neighborhoods, like Little Rodentia, and The Burrows, for bunnies… where the population is literally always multiplying. The land is divided mostly by habitat, and the climates range from the desert-like Sahara Square to chilly Tundra Town, which has coolers in the sidewalk. Another plus to Tundra Town, Moore jokes, “is that we get to reuse all of the snow we have left from Frozen.”

The story, according to the filmmakers, is about bias and stereotypes. “Judy is a real optimist and she lives by the mantra that in Zootopia, anybody can be anything,” Johnston said. Later in the presentation, Howard professed that animation is an amazing medium because you can address complicated issues without targeting them head-on. “You get to appreciate the message of the movie without it being in your face.”

All of the filmmakers are thrilled to be part of WDAS’ storied legacy. Howard admits that legendary animators Milt Kahl and Marc Davis were influences, and they know that the films that influenced Zootopia—The Jungle Book and Bambi—were shot on the same lot where they work now. “We walk through those halls all the time,” Howard said. Moore adds that the design sense for Zootopia “comes from that same DNA.”

The audience in Stage 28 was treated to sneak peeks of clips that demonstrated Zootopia’s humor—who knew sloths could be so funny?—and heart, and all were thrilled to get this early look at the film from the people who are making it. The feeling was mutual, Moore said. “We spend so much time at the studio, in a bubble, making these films. To have moments like this where we get to share what we’re working on is very special.” It was a special afternoon, indeed!

“THE ORIGINALS: Disney on Broadway”

Curtain up, light the lights… it’s time to celebrate the best and brightest of Disney on Broadway! James Monroe Iglehart, Tony winner for his performance as the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, welcomed theatre fans to “THE ORIGINALS,” a one-of-a-kind musical party inside Stage 23 at D23 EXPO 2015. Acting as host throughout the performance, Iglehart kicked things off by welcoming attendees to the famed “little town and quiet village” from Beauty and the Beast; a medley from Disney’s most successful Broadway musical ever followed, with Iglehart taking on Gaston’s infamous “Me,” followed by original Mary Poppins star Ashley Brown singing “A Change in Me” (written for the show four years after its Broadway debut), and Iglehart finishing up with the Beast’s emotional ballad “If I Can’t Love Her.”

After introducing their fellow “ORIGINAL,” Tarzan star Josh Strickland, a cavalcade of Disney on Broadway hits followed. The trio took on several songs from The Lion King (including a rousing rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” complete with audience participation); later, Iglehart told the audience about Aida’s complex journey to the Broadway stage (it was originally intended as an animated film), and Josh provided a totally fun take on one of Elton John and Tim Rice’s more spirited numbers from the show, “My Strongest Suit.” (FYI: The song is usually sung by a woman!)

The trio sang through a melody of from The Little Mermaid (Iglehart makes a fantastic Sebastian the crab) before launching into the show that made Josh an “ORIGINAL,” Tarzan. After watching a behind-the-scenes video look at the making of the show in 2006, Josh and James sang the buddy duet “Who Better Than Me?”—followed by Strickland singing one of songwriter Phil Collins’ bigger hits from the musical (and the animated film), “Strangers Like Me.”

Iglehart revealed that Mary Poppins almost didn’t happen with Disney on Broadway; P.L. Travers had sold the stage rights to legendary stage producer Cameron Mackintosh. Luckily, Mackintosh knew the show wouldn’t happen with Disney’s involvement, and a stage version took London’s West End by storm in 2004. Transferring to Broadway two years later, it starred Ashley Brown as everyone’s favorite nanny. Ashley delighted the audience with duets with Iglehart (“Jolly Holiday”) and Strickland (“Chim Chim Cher-ee”) before bringing down the house with a beautiful rendition of Walt Disney’s favorite song, “Feed the Birds.”

After a few numbers from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which just enjoyed a run at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse), it was time for Iglehart to shine with a medley of songs from Aladdin on Broadway. The crowd was already on its feet for a standing ovation when the trio of “ORIGINALS” made the biggest announcement of all: The next Disney on Broadway stage spectacular will be… Frozen! Ashley and Josh then presented a very special “duet” version of “Let It Go.”

The audience sang along to every song… and thankfully, those that missed this morning’s presentation can catch a special “reprise” this afternoon! “Disney musicals touch the core of human emotion,” Iglehart said—and it’s all in honor of Disney’s impact on the musical theatre stage, both on Broadway and all around the world.