“Movin’ On” at Walt Disney World: The Fondly Remembered Grad Nite Film

As graduation season comes to a close, let’s take a nostalgic look back to another time—to “a warmer kind of sunrise” and the 1970s Grad Nites at Walt Disney World.

Grad Nite was first held at Disneyland in June 1961

. . . when more than 8,500 students gathered for the largest graduation party ever thrown in the United States. The event became an instant tradition, with attendance increasing more than tenfold by the end of the decade. In 1972, Grad Nite was introduced at Walt Disney World, with an all-new Magic Kingdom serving as the backdrop to special live entertainment and activities catering to graduates. To glimpse the culture of American youth of the era, look no further than these perfect slices of time.

That’s why we’re so lucky that a mid-’70s film promoting Grad Nite at Walt Disney World survives. To advertise the event to schools across the United States, vice president of entertainment and Disney Legend Bob Jani spearheaded the project, enlisting Bob and Gary of the Saltwater Express—the hilarious duo that performed folk tunes at Captain Cook’s Hideaway at the Polynesian Village—to write the script and perform a catchy song.

Dressed as pied pipers, we see Bob and Gary recruit graduates for the biggest Grad Nite yet—with Walt Disney World entertainment’s Susan Hatfield playing the magical Glinda. Keep an eye out for glimpses at the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village and Space Mountain, fresh new additions to the Vacation Kingdom in 1975.

We hope you enjoy this nostalgic throwback as we “move along” to a different time and the “dawning of a brand-new generation.”

“Tradition Meets Innovation” at D23 EXPO 2015’s Disney Consumer Products Showcase

Get ready, Disney fans, to be wowed by the unique product experiences and exclusive merchandise Disney Consumer Products will unveil at this year’s D23 EXPO, Disney’s ultimate fan event, held at the Anaheim Convention Center August 14–16. Reflecting a “Tradition Meets Innovation” theme, the expansive Disney Consumer Products pavilion will provide interactive opportunities for fans of all ages to explore exciting stories and engaging experiences and products celebrating everyone’s favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars stories.

Throughout the weekend, Disney Consumer Products will give fans the chance to get hands-on with the very latest in product innovations, explore fashion trends, books, apps, and more, as well as shop for collectible Disney Store merchandise at D23 EXPO. Special artist signings and stage presentations also will take place over the three-day event, offering fans the chance to get up close and personal with their favorite storytellers.

Events and attractions within the Disney Consumer Products pavilion include:

Playmation Marvel’s Avengers—EXPO attendees will have the chance to see if they have what it takes to gear up and join the Avengers! Be among the first to experience the recently announced Playmation product, a groundbreaking new system of connected toys and wearables that uses smart technology to inspire kids to run around and use their imaginations, as they become the hero or heroine of Marvel stories.

The Marvel Universe—Fans of all ages collect across the ever-expanding Marvel Universe, and at D23 EXPO they can experience more of their favorite Super Heroes with a preview of the newest large-scale statues, action figures and more. Additionally, attendees will get a first-hand look at how the attributes of Marvel characters—cool, strong, relatable—come together in fashionable apparel and accessories. Attendees are encouraged to follow @StyledbyMarvel on Instagram and to share their own passion for MARVEL with the #StyledByMarvel hashtag.

Evolution of the Star Wars Stormtrooper—Explore the design evolution of the armor-clad legions of Clone Troopers and Stormtroopers that have fought for the light side and the dark side throughout the Star Wars.

#TeamMickey—Fans can show off their #TeamMickey spirit and commemorate their visit at a fun-filled Mickey photo booth.

Rock Your #MinnieStyle—The Minnie lounge will feature a nail bar and surprise product giveaways along with an inspired fashion and accessories statement.

D-Style—EXPO attendees will be the very first to preview D-Style, an all-new, curated assortment of fashion items and accessories debuting at DisneyStore.com this fall.

Make it a Tink Moment—Straight from Never Land, #TinkStyle will land at D23 EXPO. Guests can visit the ‘Bun Bar,’ where professional hair stylists will be on hand to give attendees the iconic Tinker Bell topknot while they peruse a glittering Tinker Bell product display.

Disney Junior ‘Fun Spot’—Fans can experience galactic play with new stellar toys from Miles from Tomorrowland and have the chance to meet Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First at the Disney Junior ‘Fun Spot.’

Unlock Your Inner Disney Princess – D23 EXPO attendees can unlock their inner princess by leaving an empowering message on a special ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ gate.

The Breadth of Frozen—Fans will have the opportunity to check out Frozen products for the whole family and engage in fun activities held throughout the day.

Pixar Storytelling Comes to Life—Pixar films have delighted audiences for more than 20 years with memorable characters that have been brought to life in equally delightful product. Explore some of the newest products from everyone’s favorite Pixar films. Additionally, fans will be able to see the exciting new app from Disney—Cars: Daredevil Garage—that allows you to take your favorite Mattel diecast cars into the virtual world, using them to perform extreme stunts in crazy environments.

Discover Disney’s Descendants—EXPO attendees will get an exclusive look at the wicked world of fashion and toys inspired by Disney’s Descendants, the teenage progeny of Disney’s most infamous villains.

Disney Store

In addition to the exciting events and attractions offered in the Disney Consumer Products pavilion, the Disney Store shop at D23 EXPO invites attendees to shop an array of special products not yet available to the general public. Showcased throughout more than 3,000 sq. ft. of retail space, new collections and Limited Edition items will launch throughout the D23 EXPO weekend.

Offering even more collectible merchandise, Disney Store will be launching “Disney 3D Print Studio” at D23 EXPO, offering fans the chance to personalize new figures, including a Disney Mouseketeer, Star Wars Stormtrooper, and Marvel’s Iron Man, with their likeness through the use of facial-scanning kiosks. Marking the first foray into 3-D printing by Disney Store, the figures sold at EXPO will feature unique packaging with a special D23 Certificate of Authenticity.

More details about Disney Store merchandise offered at EXPO will be released in the coming weeks.

Disney Publishing

Disney Publishing will take fans into the world of books, apps, and everything in between by showcasing how artists, storytelling, and innovative content come together to create stories full of magic and adventure.

Disney Storytelling Pop-Up Shop—EXPO attendees are invited to take a magical journey into the world of storytelling featuring titles that span Disney’s fascinating history. Look behind the magic through Disney Publishing’s Disney Editions books that showcase a vast array of feature films, Disney Legends, and Imagineers, available for purchase at the Disney Store retail space.

Discover the Magic of Learning with Disney Imagicademy—Dive into the world of technology-driven learning through apps designed to encourage children to learn by creating, doing, and making.

Disney Publishing’s Digital Discovery Zone—Fans can immerse themselves in the exciting world of innovative storytelling through a collection of digital experiences that will engage the imagination of people of all ages.

Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets—Take a journey into a secret realm deep in a fairy-tale land between the Disney Princess kingdoms called Animal Royal Kingdom of Whisker Haven, where the Palace Pets characters can meet up with their friends, play, and save the day.

Introducing Star Darlings—Coming this fall, the Star Darlings characters will encourage girls to make wishes from the heart and find their inner star. At D23 EXPO, fans can see a sneak peek into their world, with exciting Star Darlings giveaways being conducted throughout the weekend.

Disney Publishing will also present in Stage 28 at D23 EXPO. Located inside the Disney Consumer Products pavilion, Stage 28 will feature exciting presentations and author signings including:

Friday, August 14

3–4 p.m.: Stage 28: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Storytelling with Ridley Pearson and Marty Sklar

New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson joins Disney Imagineering Legend Marty Sklar as they discuss their seemingly different careers and roles as storytellers, along with how their worlds pleasantly and serendipitously collided with the creation of Pearson’s Kingdom Keepers series.

4:30–5:30 p.m.: Disney Dream Store: Ridley Pearson autographing

Saturday, August 15

10–11 a.m.: Stage 28: One Little Spark—Mickey’s Ten Commandments and The Road to Imagineering—with Marty Sklar in conversation with Eli Erlandson, Shelby Jiggetts-Tivoni, Daniel Joseph, Dexter Tanksley, and Kevin Rafferty

From the acclaimed author of DREAM IT! DO IT!, Disney Imagineering Legend Marty Sklar joins five well-known Imagineers in a lively conversation about what inspired them to go into the arts, ultimately become Imagineers, and the advice they have for young creative talent who wish to do the same. Sklar will engage his fellow Imagineers in an inspiring discussion that will appeal to young and old alike—those who hope to take that “Road to Imagineering” someday, along with the parents and grandparents who encourage young people to follow their dreams.

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: D23 Autograph Central: Marty Sklar signing

2:45–3:45 p.m.: Disney Dream Store: No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz autographing for The Isle of The Lost: A Descendants Novel

Sunday, August 16

1:30–2:30 p.m.: Stage 28: An Animator’s Gallery: Presented by Dave A. Bossert and Eric Goldberg

Based on the book containing whimsical, deluxe Art Deco-themed art showcasing Walt Disney characters in a style reminiscent of caricatures from the famed walls of Sardi’s and The Brown Derby, join Disney Supervising Animator Dave Bossert and Director Eric Goldberg as they discuss the stylized images in the collection that first debuted as a display within the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California. Fans of all ages, and from all over, will learn what inspired Goldberg to create these playful portraits, starting with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse through characters from Frozen and Big Hero 6.

3–4 pm: D23 Autograph Central: Dave Bossert and Eric Goldberg signing

Additional details and updates about Disney Consumer Products events and activities will continue to be updated on www.D23EXPO.com, on Facebook, and Twitter at “DisneyD23.”

Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are available at a discounted price for a limited time. Now through June 30, 2015, tickets are $67 for one-day adult admission and $48 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $58 for one-day adult admission and $42 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $188 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.

Which Emotion Are You?

Inside Out hits theaters this weekend, and we’ve already been hearing Disney fans identify with the main characters: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. We love them all, but which one do you feel like YOU are?

THE SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED

D23 EXPO Secret Suitcase Sweepstakes

D23 EXPO 2015 is just around the corner, and we know you’re starting your packing list: trading pins, comfortable shoes, your favorite mouse ears… But we want to make it a little easier (and way more fun) for you—with four amazing prize packs!

Each of these special Disney-themed suitcases from American Tourister is stuffed full of prizes from D23 EXPO 2015 Partner Retailers, Disney Interactive, Vans, and Target! Every Tuesday, starting July 14, we’ll open up one of the four suitcases to show you what’s inside and randomly pick a winner!

We can’t wait to see you at D23 EXPO 2015, the ultimate Disney fan event!

PREVIOUSLY OPENED SUITCASES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open only to persons who are legal residents of the 50 U.S. or D.C. and who are not minors as defined by their state of primary residence. Sweepstakes starts 12 a.m. PT on 6/17/15 and ends 11:59 p.m. PT on 8/3/15. Limit one (1) entry per person. To enter, follow the instructions and Official Rules on this website. Click here for official rules, including full entry requirements and prize limitations.

The Inside Track from the Cast and Filmmakers of Inside Out

Disney•Pixar’s new film Inside Out opens this Friday, June 19. The film takes you inside the mind of Riley, an 11-year-old girl who has just moved to a new city with her parents. Based in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, eager to guide her through the difficult transition. We recently attended a Q&A with Inside Out’s incredibly talented filmmakers and voice cast—and we’re excited that they shared with us some of the little voices inside their heads.

On how the Emotions were originally conceived:

Producer Jonas Rivera: “Albert Lozano, our character art director, came up with this great little simple drawing of each of them as a different shape: Joy was a star, and she was golden, illuminated, almost like a spark—like an explosion. Sadness was a teardrop, even the shape and color, and her hair was almost a waterfall. Fear was just a raw nerve—drawn like this straight line. He’s tight and conservative and just wound up. Anger is a brick—this brutal briquette that won’t stop, just a square; and Disgust was a stalk of broccoli—because our kids would be disgusted by that.”

On the “Headquarters”:

Jonas Rivera: “I remember looking at the Milennium Falcon [from Star Wars] and there’s a throttle. You don’t need to know what the buttons do. You sort of just accepted that those buttons worked and did things, and we wanted a similar grammar but in a fun way. We talked to the art department as they started coming up with it—that and the whole room—that it was almost like this combination of it’s a small world and an Apple Store. It was just clinical enough to work and be functional and so forth.”

Why Joy has blue hair:

Director Pete Docter: “Giving her blue hair, which was completely opposite of yellow, just rounded her out and made her a more visually complex character. And we liked the idea that even though she doesn’t understand sadness, she has an element of that in her right from the very beginning.”

Pete Docter on Amy Poehler (Joy):

Pete Docter: “I don’t remember whose idea this was, but instead of recording right away, we spent the whole day reading through the script, one sequence at a time, then Amy would start narrating some of the lines, not just for her, but for some of the other characters as well. She has such a brilliant writing mind as well as being an amazing performer. We took advantage of that.”

Jonas Rivera on Bill Hader (Fear):

Jonas Rivera: “I was a fan of Bill Hader since Saturday Night Live, and it turned out Bill was a fan of Pixar and we didn’t know it. He shows up one day at Pixar and the casting director calls and says, ‘Bill Hader is in the lobby. Does anyone want to go have coffee with him?’ So we go down there and there’s Bill Hader, drinking coffee by himself, and on his own dime he had flown up just because he loves animation… We go and introduce ourselves to him, and he says, ‘Oh my god, is that Ralph Eggleston?’ our production designer that no one would [recognize] unless you watched side three of the WALL•E Blu-ray. He watched everything and knew everybody. We just fell in love with him. He came on to write with us—he’s a great writer and he was so much fun in the story room.”

Jonas Rivera on Phyllis Smith (Sadness):

Jonas Rivera: “I saw her in the movie Bad Teacher and she was just so funny. In Bad Teacher, she was hesitant, couldn’t even order a chicken sandwich. Like, ‘I’ll have the chicken sandwich?’ Everything had a question mark and that felt right. It worked. That’s how we ended up playing the character—she just nailed it.”

Lewis Black on his Pixar casting process:

Lewis Black (Anger): “They sent me a box of stuff with a letter in which they said that I may not know what Pixar is—which meant either they were crazy or they thought I was just something short of a recluse, I thought. And so they said that they had this role with Anger—well, that fit—and would I be interested in it? And maybe if I didn’t know them, they sent me all their stuff like, you know, all these things that I’ve seen. And a nice book—I mean, I think I made out better than any of you [the other actors]!”

Mindy Kaling on how much she loved working with Pixar:

Mindy Kaling (Disgust): “It’s almost as if Pixar and Pete and Jonas and the experience of working with them is like dating a guy. It’s like this really well-raised guy that doesn’t know that he looks like Tom Brady.”

On why they chose to make Riley 11 years old:

Jonas Rivera: “That really felt like the fork in the road for most kids. I always think about Steven Spielberg movies in the ’80s. I was always a hair younger than those kids at that time, and I always thought that was cool.”

Pete Docter: “We did kind of hedge up and down around 11, just trying to find exactly the right age where you’re becoming an adult; because some parents would say, ‘My 9-year-old is already doing that.’ Some people would say, ‘My 13-year-old.’ So 11 seemed like a good target.”

Amy Poehler (Joy): “I love that age girl, that moment before you know you’ve been thrown in the snake pit, where you’re just like all possibility and really open-faced and just ready for everything. And boys are the same way, too. It’s just that great time. I feel like as an adult you’re just trying to always get back to it, it’s like “magic hour.”

On the recording process:

Bill Hader (Fear): “Mindy and figured out that we’re all actually reading with Pete. So in the movie, we’re all just sort of responding to Pete, all of our characters were basically just talking to Pete.”

Phyllis Smith (Sadness): “I had the privilege of recording with Amy, and it was great. Amy helped me through some lines that I might have been having a little trouble with and she’d give a suggestion, tweak here and there…”

On the Pixar “brain trust”:

Pete Docter: “I think everybody chips in stuff. Frankly, you could show Casablanca in that room and we would find things wrong with it and chip it apart. A lot of it is schedule, and everybody knows the schedule. Everybody knows where we are and is respectful of that, so on the ninth screening people aren’t going to say, ‘Why emotions?’ They’re going to have more specific, targeted notes.”

On Pixar’s other films:

Mindy Kaling: “Up really made me feel, as a writer, like ‘Wow, you can do anything,’ and as you get older it’s harder to find movies that do that.”

Amy Poehler: “I love WALL•E. I just love the first 35 minutes of no talking. The audacity to make a movie like that… it’s kind of like the big risk, big reward philosophy of Pixar.”

**On why Inside Out is a classic film that kids must see:**

Bill Hader: “I think what’s so great about this movie is that they chose to make a film about a time in your life that we all have to go through, you go from being young and then you start to go—you know, you’re an adolescent and things start to change and things start to get hard for you. A lot of normal movies don’t talk about that. I wish I had that growing up, because you look for answers and you think you’re the only one going through this thing. And they did it in this film in such a beautiful, fantastic way. My life would have been a little easier if this movie existed when I was a kid.”

LAVA Is A Many Splendored Thing

When most people go on a Hawaiian honeymoon, they come back with a great tan, stunning photos, and memories to last a lifetime.

But when Jim Murphy went on his honeymoon on the Big Island in Hawaii, he came home with the inspiration for LAVA, the short that’s opening in front of Inside Out, starting this Friday, June 19.

The short tells the story of Uku, an adorable volcano in paradise, who wants just one thing: someone to love.

Having an affinity for all things Hawaiian since his honeymoon 25 years ago, Murphy returned to the islands for a family vacation and learned a few things about volcanoes and their life cycle while he was there. That life cycle, by the way, is about 85 million years. Around the time that Murphy was studying volcanoes, his sister got married for the first time, at 43. “I thought about how happy she was and how long she waited for this very special day,” Murphy recalls, explaining, “It was there at my sister’s wedding that I had an epiphany: What if my sister, Molly, was a volcano? And what if volcanoes spend their entire lives searching for love, like humans do?”

Murphy spent the next eight months developing a story and writing a song. But not just any song. LAVA has no actual dialogue—the soundtrack is a simple, beautiful song that evokes the Hawaiian islands—and love. Murphy shares, “I’ll never forget the first time I heard Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of ‘Over the Rainbow.’ It absolutely stunned me and I thought, ‘What if I could write a song that makes me feel the way that song does, and feature it in a Pixar short film?’” Murphy sat down at his kitchen table, drew a picture on a napkin of a volcano with a head on it, along with the words, “I lava you,” and started playing around with chords on his own ukulele.

So when Murphy pitched the idea for his short film to Pixar and Disney Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, he didn’t just tell him a story—he sang him a song. And, Murphy proudly says, “It worked. After my pitch, LAVA was put into production.”

After films about toys (the Toy Story films), robots (WALL•E), and fish (Finding Nemo), LAVA marks the first time that Pixar has made a film about a land mass. But Uku is as full of personality as any creature we’ve seen from Pixar to date. The animators divided Uku’s face—a mountain, essentially—into movable parts (like his eyelids) and nonmovable parts. “We didn’t want him to look fleshy. We wanted him to look like a rock,” Murphy explains. Producer Andrea Warren adds, “The team tried to make it look like the facial shapes were formed by a water pathway or the way a wind would have eroded it. It was sort of like a face had eroded out of it.”

Murphy says that the biggest challenge in creating LAVA, from a technical standpoint, was “To get it all to work properly, where you don’t even pay attention to it. It just becomes part of the story, so that you buy that the character is a mountain—to make him look like a mountain before a cartoon character—and then to make the vegetation and the rock textures believable as a place, as rock, and as scale.” Scale was a big priority—they really wanted to make everything feel “giant.”

Both Murphy and Warren, have a long history with Pixar. Warren was hired by Inside Out producer Jonas Rivera 17 years ago as a production assistant on a bug’s life and worked her way up. Pete Docter (Inside Out’s director) brought on Murphy in 1996 for animation on a bug’s life—he’d been inspired by seeing Toy Story in the theater when it was released, and decided then and there that he wanted to work for Pixar.

“The Hawaiians say the greatest gift you can give someone is a song, and the greatest honor that you can give a song is to perform it as a hula, and I’ve always loved the sentiment of both of those ideas,” Murphy says. “But I’d have to add that in our case, the greatest gift in our song was the privilege and opportunity we had to make it into this film called LAVA.”

Meet Maximus from Tangled: The Musical—And More in News Briefs

Tangled: The Musical on the Disney Magic—Meet Maximus!

Hi-ho, Maximus, away! Our friends over at Oh My Disney were lucky enough to visit Disney Cruise Line’s Toronto rehearsal space to watch a sneak peek of Tangled: The Musical—the brand-new show based on the hit animated film. The highlight of the trip? Getting to see how Maximus, Flynn Rider’s long-suffering horse, comes to life on stage! Created by the folks behind the amazing puppets in Broadway’s The Lion King, Maximus (along with his human handler, David) is set to make a big splash once the production debuts onboard the Disney Magic in November 2015.

See Maximus (and David!) in action in the video above…

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
June 20
D23 Day at The Walt Disney Studios and Archives
July 18
D23 Celebrates Disneyland, U.S.A.
August 14-16
D23 Expo 2015 returns to Anaheim, California
Fall 2015
D23 Member VIP Nights at The Lion King
Studios
June 19
Inside Out opens in theaters (along with the short Lava).
July 17
Ant Man opens in theaters.
November 25
The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters.
December 18
Star Wars: The Force Awakens 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 1Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park
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
June 26
Teen Beach 2 Premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel

Dawson and Buffy Join ABC Family This Summer

One series centered on a tight-knit group of high schoolers in a small town, facing problems of the typical, late-’90s sort. The other also centered on a tight-knit group of high schoolers in a small town… but they faced problems of the very atypical, fang-y sort. Both shows became pop culture mainstays—and now, ABC Family’s got ’em.

Starting June 22, Dawson’s Creek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer will join ABC Family’s weekday lineup! To help kick things off, fans have the opportunity to vote at http://abcfpoll.com/ for their favorite Creek and Buffy episodes; the top 10 episodes chosen will air during “Fan Favorite Week” beginning on Monday, June 22^nd, at 12 p.m. Then, on June 29, each series will start from the very beginning, with Creek at 12 p.m. ET/PT and Buffy at 5 p.m. ET/PT. Relive the epic Joey/Pacey/Dawson triangle! See Buffy win her special award at the Sunnydale High School prom (and cry when she does) again! We’re marking our calendars now.

**Musical Milestone: The Lion King Breaks Records**

Broadway’s The Lion King—the musical based on the 1994 animated hit—has not only delighted audiences in the Big Apple for 18 years, but its also been entertaining folks around the world through international tours and special “sit-down” engagements for nearly as long. And as of May 31, a whopping 80 million people have seen the production! Talk about a “circle of life”…

Productions are currently playing on Broadway; on national tours in the United States, Japan, and Australia; and in cities as diverse as Hamburg, Germany, and Mexico City. Check out this special video message from our Lion King performer pals, celebrating their amazing musical milestone, courtesy of Disney on Broadway.

The Good Dinosaur Finds Its Voice(s)

Ever wonder what might’ve happened if the world’s dinosaurs had never gone extinct? Disney•Pixar’s upcoming film, The Good Dinosaur, aims to answer that very question, and they just announced the voice cast that’ll help make it happen.

Raymond Ochoa (NBC’s The Night Shift, Disney’s A Christmas Carol) stars as Arlo, an Apatosaurus who finds an unlikely human ally in Spot (Jack Bright, Monsters University). Also lending their dulcet deliveries are Steve Zahn (That Thing You Do!, HBO’s Tremé), Jeffrey Wright (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Parts 1 and 2), Sam Elliott (FX’s Justified), and Anna Paquin (HBO’s True Blood). Look for Arlo to amble onto the big screen this November!

**The Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Galaxy Expands**

We’re legitimately counting down the days ’til Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens this December—and luckily, there’s been fun Star Wars news almost every week lately… what better to tide us over, right? So we were stoked to learn of the latest additions to the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition family. Characters from the popular animated TV series Star Wars Rebels—Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, and Zeb Orrelios—are joining other Star Wars, Marvel, Disney, and Disney•Pixar characters in Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition’s Toy Box. And good news is, all the characters are unlockable within every Star Wars™ Play Set!

In an effort to stop the plans of the evil Galactic Empire, these new Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition characters are super important players in the fight against the Dark Side, and they’ll be available this fall. Can’t wait that long to see ’em in action? Season 2 of Star Wars Rebels premieres Saturday, June 20, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD.

More Main Street Merriment with New Enchanted Windows

We recently clued you in on the cool technology behind the new Enchanted Windows on Main Street, U.S.A. at the Disneyland Resort, and they debuted in time for the park’s Diamond Celebration. The Disney Parks Blog just posted a few new up-close photos of the windows, which really highlight the incredible detail that went into their creation. The first two windows are themed after Peter Pan and Cinderella; look for The Princess and the Frog, Aladdin, Toy Story, and Frozen later this summer.

Traverse Europe in Style with New Adventures by Disney Itineraries

Adventures by Disney (ABD) has been cornering the market on “ridiculously cool vacations around the world” lately, and they’re not stopping in 2016. Plans are afoot at ABD to offer travelers exciting new ways to experience Europe in 2016—including a reimagined trip through England and France, and additional departure dates for ABD’s fantastic new Danube river cruise.

The new England/France itinerary boasts a lesson in scone making, a dragon “hunt,” a speedboat journey down the River Thames, and a chance to explore the Eiffel Tower. And the cruise down the Danube takes you past iconic locations across Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. (Four countries in one trip? Yowza!)

Read up on all the latest and greatest at Adventures by Disney here.

**Visit Zany Zootopia in New Teaser Trailer**

Zootopia is a melting-pot metropolis of every kind of mammal you can imagine; unfortunately, just like in human-filled cities, not everyone gets along. Leave it to an idealistic police officer bunny (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, ABC’s Once Upon a Time) and a scam artist fox (voiced by Jason Bateman, Arrested Development) to solve the town’s biggest mystery.

Zootopia, the latest Walt Disney Animation Studios feature, doesn’t hit theaters until March 4, 2016—but we’re in luck, because a brand-new teaser trailer is now available! Take a gander at what makes the town so special, above.

So You Think You Know Chewbacca…

He’s terrifically tall, very hairy, and just about the best friend you could have beside you as you traverse the galaxy. Chewbacca the Wookiee (as played by the amazing Peter Mayhew) has attained iconic status after all these years—and thankfully he’ll appear in the highly anticipated new Star Wars installment, The Force Awakens, this December.

But how well do you really know Chewbacca? The good folks over at StarWars.com have unearthed eight little-known facts about the Wookiee, the hard-working actor behind his portrayal, and even how his recognizable voice was created. Get schooled on everything Chewie here.

Celebrate Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Legacy and Future at D23 EXPO 2015

Throughout D23 EXPO 2015—August 14–16 at the Anaheim Convention Center—Disney fans will be treated to show-stopping presentations, engaging panels, and immersive experiences from our friends at Walt Disney Animation Studios. The lineup—just announced—is Walt Disney Animation Studios’ most exciting presence at D23 EXPO yet!

Here is the lineup of all of the happenings you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendars now!

Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films, Hosted by John Lasseter

Friday, August 14, 3 p.m.—Hall D23

After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to “let it go,” come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, presents Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films. Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent. Cell phones, cameras and all recording devices will be checked for this presentation.

**Welcome to Zootopia!**

Saturday, August 15, 1:30 p.m.—Stage 28

Welcome to Zootopia, a magnificent mammal metropolis, and home to Walt Disney Animation Studios’ next feature, the comedy-adventure Zootopia. Join directors Byron Howard (Tangled, Bolt) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), producer Clark Spencer (Wreck-It Ralph, Bolt), and artists from the incredible production team as they introduce rookie rabbit-officer Judy Hopps, con-artist fox Nick Wilde, and a host of dynamic animal characters, sharing footage and behind-the-scenes stories with D23 EXPO-goers.

***Aladdin*—The Making of a Classic**

Saturday, August 15, 6 p.m.—Stage 28

Join Walt Disney Animation Studios filmmakers, including legendary directors John Musker and Ron Clements, animators Eric Goldberg (Genie) and Mark Henn (Jasmine), as well as Jasmine herself, Linda Larkin, and the two actors who gave life to the character Aladdin: Scott Weinger and Brad Kane, as they unveil the stories behind one of the great Disney classics, Aladdin, a film that led to a “whole new world” for animation.

The Shorts of Walt Disney Animation Studios: from Paperman to Prep & Landing, Feast to Frozen Fever

Sunday, August 16, 11:30 a.m.—Stage 28

When Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Studio in 1923, their first medium for storytelling was the animated short. More than 90 years later, Walt Disney Animation Studios continues this tradition, making groundbreaking and award-winning shorts including Feast, Paperman, and this year’s hit Frozen Fever. Join the filmmakers behind these shorts and so many others, including Get A Horse!, John Henry, Lorenzo, and The Ballad of Nessie for a conversation about this truly animated art form.

Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration!

Sunday, August 16, 3 p.m.—Hall D23

Join host Chris Montan, president, Walt Disney Music, and the Oscar^®-winning songwriting team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez as they take you on a once-in-a-lifetime musical journey through the world of Frozen. This one-day-only performance features your favorite friends from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film—including Anna and Elsa—with sing-along experiences and fascinating stories behind some of your favorite Frozen songs.

The Tunes Behind the Toons: Screening/Q&A

Sunday, August 16, 6 p.m.—Stage 28

D23 EXPO invites you to a special screening and Q&A panel for The Tunes Behind the Toons, a short form documentary that celebrates the power of music in animation. From the silent film days when organists played live accompaniments, to the music within today’s animated features, this documentary traces the origins of cartoon music and its pioneers. Featuring interviews with Alan Menken, Randy Newman, Patrick Doyle, Mark Watters, Bruce Broughton, Richard Sherman, and many others. Producer/director Dave Bossert will lead a star-studded Q&A following the presentation.

ON THE EXPO SHOW FLOOR:

Animation—Show Floor Exhibition

For the first time at D23 EXPO, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios have created a joint experience no Disney fan should miss. With live demonstrations, presentations, and autograph signings with top filmmakers from each studio, plus free giveaways and interactive displays featuring the films Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Zootopia, Finding Dory, and Moana, this is a can’t-miss attraction for animation fans.

An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg

D23 EXPO 2015 hosts the first public exhibition anywhere of “An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg.” Celebrate Goldberg, whose artistry at Walt Disney Animation Studios began with his groundbreaking work on Genie in Aladdin, and continues to this day on projects such as the upcoming Moana and the 2014 Oscar^®-nominated Mickey Mouse short Get A Horse! The exhibition features a collection of more than 100 of Goldberg’s caricatured creations of Disney characters, drawn in a style reminiscent of art seen on the famed walls of Sardi’s Restaurant and The Brown Derby. This incredible collection of art is from the newly released book An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg Draws the Disney Characters, and will be available for purchase in the Walt Disney Publishing pop-up shop on the EXPO show floor.

Frozen Album Signing

With the purchase of Frozen: The Songs or Frozen Picture Disc at the Disney Music Emporium, guests will be issued a wristband to secure a space for an album signing with Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, and Tom MacDougall (Co-Producer, Frozen Soundtrack) on Friday, August 14 at 10:30 a.m.

Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are available at a discounted price for a limited time. Through June 30, 2015, tickets are $67 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $58 for a one-day adult admission and $42 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $188 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.

Frozen FANdemonium: One of the “Coolest” Events You’ll See at D23 EXPO 2015

Are you ready to “Let It Go” at D23 EXPO 2015? The just-announced Frozen FANdemonium is going to give you that chance, and you won’t want to miss it!

D23 EXPO 2015 attendees are in for a fun-filled musical treat when Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration! takes over the 7,500-seat Hall D23 on Sunday, August 16, at 3 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center. In what will be a thrilling and fun interactive experience for Disney fans of all ages, join host Chris Montan, president, Walt Disney Music, and the Oscar^®-winning songwriting team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez as they take you on a once-in-a-lifetime musical journey through the world of Frozen. This one-day-only performance features your friends from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film––including Anna and Elsa––with sing-along experiences of your Frozen favorites such as “Let It Go,” “In Summer,” and more. Plus, fans can expect special surprises and fascinating stories behind some of your favorite Frozen songs.

Disney fans know Kristen Anderson-Lopez—and her husband and collaborator Robert Lopez—for their songs from Frozen, along with their song, “Moving Pictures,” that was sung by Neil Patrick Harris to open this year’s Academy Awards^®. The Lopezes also wrote the Annie Award-nominated songs for the 2011 feature film Winnie the Pooh and Anderson-Lopez—also an actress—was featured as the voice of Kanga in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh.

Robert Lopez is the three-time Tony^®-winning co-creator of the worldwide smash hit Broadway musicals Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon. Lopez recently became the youngest of 12 people in history who have won Emmy®, Grammy®, Oscar®, and Tony® Awards (EGOT), and the only one to have accomplished it in under a decade.

Anderson-Lopez and Lopez won an Oscar and a Grammy for Frozen’s signature song “Let It Go” and they share a Grammy for the Frozen soundtrack.

Chris Montan currently serves as president of Walt Disney Music and oversees music for a wide variety of Disney projects including all Disney and Pixar animated feature films, all Disney Theatrical stage productions, as well as the music for Walt Disney Theme Parks and Resorts worldwide. Additionally, he is executive music producer for all of the Studio’s animated features and works closely in the story process as well as helping to select musical talent. Montan joined Disney in 1984. Under his guidance the Studio has garnered an unprecedented 42 Musical Academy Award nominations, and soundtracks from 10 of the Studio’s theatrical releases have been certified multi-platinum.

Summer’s End—Phineas and Ferb’s Creators Send Our Heroes Back to School

We know what we’re going to do today—watch the Phineas and Ferb marathon that’s underway on Disney XD: 73 hours of Phineas, Ferb, Perry the Platypus, and every “inator” Dr. Doofenshmirtz ever built! We also know what we’re going to do tonight—watch “Last Day of Summer,” the series finale that shows our heroes’ 104th day of summer and prepares to send everyone back to school. The episode airs on Disney XD tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

This was the summer that we never wanted to see end, and Phineas and Ferb creators/executive producers Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, recognizing this, stretched the summer’s last day out a little bit for the show’s fans. In the one-hour episode, the summer is coming to a close and it’s Candace’s last chance to bust her brothers. She is quickly foiled, but is presented with an opportunity to redo the day when she sets off Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s Do-Over-Inator, which results in other consequences like rips in the space-time continuum, the shortening of days, and the disappearance of her brothers.

When we attended a Q&A with Povenmire and Marsh, they acknowledged the film Groundhog Day and its influence on the final episode, in which the last day of summer repeats over and over.

“It fulfilled a lot of people’s wishes, I think, for that last day of summer to repeat,” Marsh said.

Povenmire and Marsh made the decision to end the show about two years ago. “We’ve been doing this for a decade and thought this was a good time. I feel like the show is really good and really fresh,” Povenmire said. Since the series will continue to air daily on Disney XD, Marsh adds, “There’s a whole new batch of kids who can start on episode one.”

The “original batch” of kids grew up watching Phineas and Ferb. Many have gone on to colleges, where Povenmire and Marsh often speak, and both are proud and moved whenever they hear of how their show has inspired viewers. When “Last Day of Summer” was announced, Povenmire tweeted the news. “Immediately there were hundreds of people saying wonderful things about the show,” he shares. “And some of them wrote things like, ‘This is the show that got me through PTSD. This is the show that got me through chemo with my kid because it was the one thing that would make him smile.’ And I started crying like I’m doing right now,” Dan admits.

Lucky for fans of Disney animation, Povenmire and Marsh aren’t going very far. Their next project for Disney Television Animation has already been announced. Mikey Murphy’s Law is slated to premiere on Disney XD in 2017, and the show introduces Mikey, the fictional great-great-great-great grandson of the Murphy’s Law namesake. Though whatever can go wrong for Mikey always does, according to Marsh, “If you ask Mikey, he thinks he’s lucky because his life is filled with adventure and excitement every day.” Povenmire agrees, and says that the show is “really about meeting adversity with positivity and optimism.”

Though Phineas and Ferb’s summer may be ending, neither Povenmire nor Marsh will close the door on future adventures with the pair. “I was ready to step away for a while, but I already miss those characters. I miss voicing Doof, I miss spending time with them,” Povenmire admits.

They’re both extremely proud of what they accomplished over “104 days of summer vacation.” When asked what they most want people to know about the show, Marsh emphasizes, “You can never go wrong overestimating the intelligence of kids. You can make cool shows that appeal to everybody from adults and teenagers to little, little kids all the way on down—without being mean, without having your shows filled with jerks and idiots. You can put big words in and it’s OK. You can do classical music and jazz music and folk music and rap and rock ’n’ roll and all of that, and kids will get it.”

And kids weren’t the only ones who’ve been “getting it” during the series’ 126-episode run. Thanks, Dan and Swampy, for an epic summer we’ll never forget!