D23’s Favorite Moments from the Oscars® Telecast

Whether your predictions were as “spot-on” as host Neil Patrick Harris’ were, or if you came up short in your Oscar^® pool, the 2015 Oscars telecast was full of moments Disney fans—movie fans at heart—couldn’t help but love.

It was funny, it was heartfelt, it featured a Disney princess . . .

“Moving Pictures,” the original number created by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez for Neil Patrick Harris to perform, kicked off the telecast and was everything we hoped it would be. It was funny, it was heartfelt, it featured a Disney princess with a surprise appearance from Into the Woods‘ Anna Kendrick, and it was so catchy it made us want to stand up and sing along with Neil.

It was a big night for Walt Disney Animation Studios! D23 congratulates Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed for taking home the Oscar^®for Feast, their animated short about one man’s love life as seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share. This was their first Oscar but we anticipate great things from them in years to come.

The Academy recognized Big Hero 6 for Best Animated Feature, just one year after Frozen‘s win in the same category. The cast and crew members in the back row of the Dolby Theatre weren’t the only ones moved by Don Hall’s speech, in which he talked of being a “freckle-faced little boy who told his mom and dad he was going to work at Walt Disney Animation and they did something amazing. They supported him.” We’re certainly glad things worked out like that!

And we loved Idina Menzel and Travolta presenting the award for Best Original Song, an inspired pairing that allowed everyone—especially the good-natured Menzel and Travolta—to enjoy a playful chuckle about Travolta’s gaffe from last year, in which he inadvertently introduced Menzel as “Adele Dazeem.”

Disney fans, no doubt, were thrilled to see Disney Legend Julie Andrews present the award for Best Original Score to Alexandre Desplat (for The Grand Budapest Hotel), following a tribute to the music of The Sound of Music, sung by Lady Gaga. Ms. Andrews was beautiful, elegant, and practically perfect, as always.

D23 would like to offer our congratulations to all of this year’s winners, and to host Neil Patrick Harris on a job well done!

Once Upon A Time Welcomes the Queens of Darkness: Maleficent, Cruella, and Ursula

Say farewell to the Ice Queen and welcome the “Queens of Darkness.” The ABC hit Once Upon A Time (returning March 1) brings Cruella De Vil (Victoria Smurfit), Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten), and Ursula (Merrin Dungey) to Storybrooke. We sat down with series creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis to get to the bottom of their secret society, what’s happening with the Sorcerer’s hat, and how they resurrected the Wicked Witch of the West—Zelena—to add some extra magic to the second half of the season.

D23: So… we have officially said farewell to Elsa, Anna, and Arendelle?
Eddy: Arendelle will not be coming back.
Adam: For us, Arendelle exists. The way we’ve put it, is with Frozen we went to a little cul de sac, drove around it.
Eddy: It was really fun for us to get to write those characters and do, as we say, our fan fiction.
Adam: More importantly for the show, the effect of Anna and Elsa on our characters will last.

D23: When we last talked, you explained that because the show takes place a little behind where we are in present day, Frozen had not yet been released. Will the movie ever come out?
Adam: [Joking] We’re probably still six months away from the Storybrooke Cineplex booking Frozen. There’s still some Wreck-It Ralph holdover. It’s doing really well there.
Eddy: Storybrooke catches up when they can. The trouble is, the movie theater has a hard time because monsters keep appearing and crushing it. So it’s hard to get prints sent. The studios get upset.

D23: It was great to watch Emma gain some control over her powers. We couldn’t tell if she had one talent—like Elsa with ice—or if she can do many things, like Regina?
Eddy: Certain characters have a very specific power like Elsa. And then we’ve seen magic as an art that is wielded by people like the Evil Queen, Cora, and Rumplestiltskin, I think Emma is much more that way.
Adam: Emma is the savior and she was born with magic. We’ll explore more of what that means for her, what her destiny is beyond what we’ve said before.

The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated

D23: You told us last May that Zelena had died. And yet here comes Rebecca Mader back as the Wicked Witch. What gives?
Eddy: Apparently the quote, “The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated,” applies in this case.
Adam: From the perspective of our characters, she was dead. And from the perspective of our characters, she remains dead. Every now and then, we don’t pick our words with quite the exactitude we’d like.
Eddy: Or we have a really great idea a week later. It’s really fun to see Regina and her sister. We have a really fun idea that we love for Zelena that we started kicking around toward the end of last year and have slowly been putting into place.

D23: You’ve revealed the Sorcerer’s hat—and shown its great power. But we have yet to meet the Sorcerer himself. Will it be Yensid, and will he come to retrieve that which belongs to him?
Adam: It’s something we’ll explore in much greater depth in the second half of the season. And in the premiere there is some iconography from Fantasia that makes an appearance.
Eddy: And hats can be passed on. So we’ll have our own Once twist on it and who it belongs to now.

D23: How did you land on the trifecta of Cruella, Maleficent, and Ursula?
Adam: Starting with Maleficent, we introduced her into the Once world in the second episode in a friendship with Regina. And more importantly, we discover there are other connections she has to our characters, which will spiral out, and it will become clear very quickly why these three are together.
Eddy: And we wanted to reintroduce the concept of “Can villains get happy endings?” We realize Gold, who now has lost everything, realizes maybe Regina is onto something. Maybe it’s time for villains to get their happy endings. Heroes always work in a crew. I think we’re going to see the villains working together. Maleficent felt like a natural because she was already tied into our mythology. Ursula, we teased at in the Ariel episode. And Cruella… We thought she’d be fun!
Adam: We have a twist on the Cruella character. She’s not quite what you know from the movie, but at the same time we have plenty of nods to the movie and famous things about her. Like we do with most of the characters, we’ve found a connection to our Once universe we are excited to reveal. And she’s just delicious to write.

D23: Will Cruella have some powers?
Eddy: Sure! What fun would it be if she didn’t? Hopefully something that would have to do with animals.
Adam: Dogs?

D23: Speaking of dogs, will Pongo recognize her?
Eddy: Pongo is definitely going to be frightened when he sees her.

D23: Will we see Pongo’s history with Cruella?
Eddy: Not Pongo’s, but possibly his great-great grandfather.
Adam: We address Pongo’s lineage.
Eddy: The movie took place in the ’50s, and our Cruella is much more of a Zelda Fitzgerald, Jazz Age flapper with powers. So we took our own spin on it.

D23: So does that mean we won’t see Anita and Roger from the original movie?
Eddy: No, we’ve really just done our own thing with her. It’s a full ‘we did it.’
Adam: Hopefully we’ve captured the spirit of the character and fans will go along for the ride. The crazy ride.

D23: Going back to Maleficent, kinda thought she was dead too?
Eddy: It’s a common theme. [Laughs] We have done it twice with Maleficent. The first time we thought Emma killed her. And the second time, she came back as that ash monster because we understood there was a spell on her that preserved her in any form she was in. So we never actually saw her body or her heart. But how she is resurrected is going to be explained in the first couple episodes.

She’s not the Ursula from The Little Mermaid . . .

D23: You’ve said that all three of the characters will have different backstories than we know. How do you approach that while still keeping some of their Disney heritage in tact?
Adam: A lot of it is on gut. So much of it comes from our love of these characters and the love of the history. We try to have fun and always find nods to things from before. When we do Ursula, there are twists on it. She’s not the Ursula from The Little Mermaid movie, but hopefully you’ll see a nod to the iconography. And there are a few very specific callbacks to The Little Mermaid movie we have included.
Eddy: And some characters lend themselves more for a wider interpretation like the Mad Hatter or some of the dwarfs. And other characters, such as Ariel, Anna, and Elsa, we don’t want to mess with what works. With Maleficent, we will see how she and the Evil Queen met and how they became friends.
Adam: And we’ll get more of what happened between her and Aurora.

D23: Speaking of Aurora, any chance we’ll see Mulan back?
Eddy: We’re trying! We have an idea for her for next year. This year, there are a lot of new characters we are introducing. We really love Jamie [Chung] and we really love Mulan, and we really want to finish that story.
Adam: There’s a long list of things we hope to get to, with Mulan being at the top of it.
Eddy: With the Queens of Evil, as we like to call them, they are really coming in to forward our core characters’ stories.

D23: So, on March 1, we come back after we said farewell to Elsa and Anna.
Adam: It’s a couple months in the future, but we acknowledge the stuff that’s gone on.
Eddy: We will definitely show you Robin Hood in New York and what happened. You’ll see Rumplestiltskin when he was there during the six-weeks time. And we’ll see changes in Storybrooke.

D23: It seems like enough time for Emma and Hook to be, well, hooked up.
Eddy: They’re kind of in a good place. We’ll see them as a couple facing the world. We’re going to get some insight into Hook and some secret fears of his own. And we’ll see Hook has a backstory of his own with one of the queens of darkness.

. . . he’s going to have an unlikely ally

D23: Does Hook come clean about the powers of the Sorcerer’s hat—and the fact that a good number of Storybrooke residents are inside it?
Adam: Yes, and in the spring premiere we’ll see him wrestling with what he did with the hat.
Eddy: And he’s going to have an unlikely ally who also feels scorned—Belle. Both of them were fooled by the Dark One, Mr. Gold. You see them working together to save the fairies.

D23: We talk a lot about themes each year. And it feels like the theme of the second half of this season is, “Can villains have happy endings?”
Eddy: I also think there’s a theme of ‘What makes a hero and what makes a villain?” and maybe it’s not as black-and-white as we think. We’re definitely going to be exploring the grey area. We’ll discover some of the villains aren’t as villainous as we thought, and maybe the heroes aren’t as heroic as we thought.

Our Nominees for Best Performance by a Disney Character in an Animated Role

This Sunday night, four actors will take home Oscars^® for their performances in Leading and Supporting Roles. This year's crop of nominees is full of talent and the Members of the Academy certainly have tough decisions on their hands. But we think you'll agree that the talented movie stars who'll be honored in the Dolby Theatre this weekend might consider themselves fortunate to not have to go head-to-head versus these animated Disney characters who have all delivered their own Oscar-worthy performances.

Mulan (Mulan)
Posing as the opposite gender is a feat often rewarded with Oscar nods, as proven by screen legends like Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie) and Jack Lemmon (Some Like It Hot). In order to spare her father from being conscripted into the war, Mulan disguises herself as a man—training under the stern and dutiful Li Shang, fighting alongside her fellow soldiers against the Huns, and almost single-handedly defeats Shan Yu. Not too shabby for a simple farm girl!

still from the animated movie Frozen featuring the character Hans
Hans (Frozen)
Hans expertly uses his backstory—that he is the forgotten, unappreciated 13th son from the Kingdom of the Southern Isles—to make Anna, and every single moviegoer believe that he is a romantic, charismatic leader who will take good care of both Anna and Arendelle. The moment when he icily tells Anna, "If only there was someone out there who loved you . . . " elicits a gasp every time. Look up the phrase "wolf in sheep's clothing," and you'll find Hans.

still from the animated movie Tangled featuring Mother Gothel character
Mother Gothel (Tangled)
Any garden-variety meanie can play the part of a villain, but it takes a special talent to play a villain who elicits sympathy. Mother Gothel almost makes you believe that she cares about Rapunzel—"I love you most" is a gem—and her vanity and desire to cling to her youth makes for character motivation that's quite universal. Mother Gothel is part witch, part old-movie grande dame.

still frame from animated movie showing small dog named Bolt feeling the rush of wind on his face riding on a moving vehicle
Bolt (Bolt)
You might think of Bolt as the ultimate method-actor—even if he doesn't know it at first. The star of his own TV show, Bolt is deceived into believing that the harrowing situations from which he rescues his human companion, Penny, are actually real—in order for the filmmakers to obtain a more genuine performance from him. It turns out that Bolt really is a natural—after he discovers that he has no superpowers at all, he digs deep and summons courage from within, "acting" brave in order to save Penny. And after this final tour de force, Bolt retires from acting, discarding the life of a canine actor for the simpler life of a canine.

cel from cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse trying to stuff Pluto into his valise in order to sneak him on board a train
Mickey Mouse (Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip)
This hilarious short opens at the Burbank train station, where Mickey and Pluto wait for a train that will whisk them away for some R&R in Pomona. They blithely board only to run smack dab into the menacing figure of Conductor Pete, who punt kicks the two pals off the train, screaming, "No Dogs Allowed!" Over the course of the next five minutes or so, Mickey, intent on having his canine pal along for the ride, dons plenty of disguises to fool Pete—think Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can. After an attempt to stuff Pluto into his valise ends in failure (we love Mickey's "M.M." monogram, however), Mickey dresses as a mother with child (Pluto is pretty convincing as the latter), a train conductor, and a Native American in full regalia. A really impressive performance; however, he never really does fool Pete!

movie still featuring actor Christopher Lloyd as Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Judge Doom (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
A psychiatrist could probably have a field day with Judge Doom, who plays the part of a humorless city administrator who would like to rid the world of Toons—while hiding the shocking secret that he's actually a Toon himself. Doom spends a lifetime trying to pass as human; wearing gloves, essentially posing as a germaphobe or a clean freak, rather than take the risk of falling victim to his own Toon-dissolving "Dip." When Doom ultimately perishes, he shrieks with the abandon of someone who has probably spend decades hiding his true self. Doom's commitment to his role is what places him alongside such masters of physical transformation as Robert DeNiro (Raging Bull) and Tom Hanks (Cast Away).

cel from the animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs featuring the Evil Queen wearing tiara and staring menacingly
The Evil Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Award-winning actors are never afraid to put their vanity aside for the good of a role. The Queen may not be the fairest in the land in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but she needs to act like she believes there's no one fairer—the magic mirror is really just her "yes man." Only a character with such confidence in her appearance could so convincingly alter her looks and show up on Snow White's doorstep. Sure, the Evil Queen drinks an "uglifying" potion, but it takes more than witch's brew to effect such a convincing transformation—it takes acting chops that would give Meryl Streep a run for her money.

Check out our Oscars study guide on Pinterest before you watch the telecast ►

still from the animated movie Lady and the Tramp featuring matching siamese cats Si and Am
Si and Am (Lady and the Tramp)
The buddy-buddy picture is a Tinseltown staple. Who can forget Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or Thelma and Louise? And, while Lady and the Tramp is anything but a buddy-buddy picture, two of its characters—the sly and slinky Siamese cats Si and Am—make for an inseparable and memorably dastardly duo. They emerge from Aunt Sarah's picnic basket to perform their trademark number, "The Siamese Cat Song," a tour de force of feline stealth and treachery. As the song comes to a close, Lady discovers their plan to sample some of the newborn baby's milk—and gives chase. But this succeeds only in wreaking havoc on the household. It's all Si and Am's fault, of course, but, in an impressive piece of acting that would make Olivier proud, they feign injury and Lady gets the blame.

still from animated movie Wreck-It Ralph featuring evil looking Turbo also known as King Candy
Turbo/King Candy (Wreck-It Ralph)
It is not a glitch, but rather true talent for drama that places Turbo/King Candy in our gallery of estimable Disney character actors. You can argue that Turbo's tale is one of reinvention, that he had to change and evolve into Sugar Rush's King Candy in order to survive, or you could look at him as a personality as big and as dramatic as Bette Davis' in All About Eve, reacting and watching over his shoulder as newer and fresher videogame icons cut into his popularity. Turbo so values winning at all costs and is so adept at maneuvering his way into other plots that we think this year's Oscar nominees are lucky he hasn't turned up as a singing prince in Into the Woods, as a codebreaker in Imitation Game, or as a modern-day stage actor in Birdman.

still from animated feature The Little Mermaid featuring Ursula reflected in a mirror
Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
Some actors have such big personalities that they shine through whatever role they're playing, yet we love watching them anyway because no one else can really do what they do. Ursula is one of those thespians. When she essentially tries to assume the role of Ariel, even she knows that she can't put a damper on her true self—hence, she becomes part of Prince Eric's world as "Vanessa." She's equipped with Ariel's voice, but the hair is darker, the lips are redder, and her singing voice is throatier. One might accuse Ursula/Vanessa of chewing the scenery, but she's a larger-than-life figure—as a human and as a sea witch—who we can't help but love to hate.

The Oscars air February 22 on ABC.

Fill in the Blank to Write the Disney-est Oscar® Acceptance Speech Ever

This Sunday, February 22, Oscars® will be handed out for best performances by real-live actors in leading and supporting roles, and every winner will deliver a speech expressing their gratitude. Some of these speeches will be moving, some will be inspiring and—let's be honest—some might be just a tad boring. We think a guaranteed way to liven up the festivities would be to give an award or two to a Disney character; but since Hiro and Baymax aren't nominated this year, we're letting you fill in the blanks to create your own uniquely Disney acceptance speech.

Click here to download a printable version for your Oscar® party ►

Disney Villain:
Adjective:
Name of Disney Parks Attraction:
Disney Hero/Heroine's Talent:
Disney Character's Magical Ability:
Name of Disney Animal:
Adjective:
A Type of Disney Monster or Creature:
Marvel Super Hero:
A Disney Princess:
One of the Toy Story Gang:
A Pixar Character:
Quality Embodied By a Disney Princess
Name of a Disney Kingdom or Land:
Real Oscar®-Winning Actress:
Line from Classic Disney Song:
Adjective:
Adjective:

Don't scroll past this point until you've written down all your answers!

photo of a beaming Walt Disney holding four Oscar(R)s to his chest

I'm so humbled to be holding this Oscar®. Several years ago, (1._____________) came to me with the script for How (2._____________) is (3._____________) and told me that this was a story that needed to be told. Of course I was too frightened to say, "No," and I began preparing for my role by learning to (4._____________) and practicing (5._____________). The story of (6._____________) is such a (7._____________) one, and I like to think that I speak for him/her as well as all of the (8. ) that do not have voices of their own. It is such an honor to be nominated alongside such amazing talents as (9._____________), (10._____________), and (11._____________).

Don't you think about playing me off, Mr. Conductor! I'm not finished! I would like to dedicate this award to (12._____________) for teaching me that hard work and (13._____________) can take a former kid from (14._____________) and put them on the big screen alongside (15._____________). In the words of one of my closest friends, "(16._____________). I would like to thank my (17._____________) mother and father, my delightfully (18._____________) agent, and, of course, the Academy for this great honor."

The Oscars air February 22 on ABC.

Cast Your Vote in Our Disney Oscar® Ballot

February 19, 2015April 19, 2021

With the Oscar® telecast coming up this Sunday, pop culture junkies and office comrades around the country are passing around ballots to try to guess who will win on the big night.

D23 is all about giving a voice to the fans, so we decided, “To heck with guessing!"—we're going to let you vote!

Thanks for voting! See who won below.

Best Critter in a Supporting Role
Gus, Cinderella
Emile, Ratatouille
Meeko, Pocahontas
WINNER- Pascal, Tangled
Thumper, Bambi

021715_OscarBallot_d23.com-news-IMG2
Best Costume for a Ball or Special Occasion
Anna in her coronation dress, Frozen
Aurora in her magical pink and blue gown, Sleeping Beauty
WINNER- Cinderella in her ball gown, Cinderella
Charlotte in her masquerade ball gown, The Princess and the Frog
Giselle in her wedding gown, Enchanted

021715_OscarBallot_d23.com-news-IMG3
Best Special Effects by a Villain
Chernabog, Fantasia
Dr. Facilier, The Princess and the Frog
Judge Doom, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Yokai, Big Hero 6
WINNER- Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty

021715_OscarBallot_d23.com-news-IMG4
Best Act of Bravery by a Hero in a Leading Role
Carl rescuing Russell and Kevin, Up
Hercules fighting the hydra, Hercules
Merida vowing to save her mother, Brave
WINNER- Mulan volunteering to fight on behalf of her father, Mulan
Quasimodo helping Esmeralda escape, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

021715_OscarBallot_d23.com-news-IMG5
Best Song Sung by a Leading Character About Their Hopes and Dreams
Disney Legend Howard Ashman called this the “I Want" song, where the main character sings about what they want, usually one of the first three songs in a classic fairytale musical.
“Almost There," The Princess and the Frog
“Belle," Beauty and the Beast
“Out There," The Hunchback of Notre Dame
WINNER- “Part of Your World," The Little Mermaid
“Someday My Prince Will Come," Snow White

021715_OscarBallot_d23.com-news-IMG6
Best Scenic Design of a Castle
WINNER- The Beast's Castle, Beauty and the Beast
King Candy's Castle, Wreck-It Ralph
The Palace of Agrabah, Aladdin
Rapunzel's Castle, Tangled
Sleeping Beauty Castle, Sleeping Beauty

The Oscars air February 22 on ABC.

Check out our Oscars study guide on Pinterest before you watch the telecast ►

Everything You Need to Know Before You Watch the Oscars, A New Pirates Movie Begins Filming, and More in News Briefs

And the Oscar® Goes To…
Can it be Sunday already? Because—in case you’ve forgotten to mark this on your calendar—next week isn’t just any Sunday, it’s Oscar^® Sunday! We’re, of course, rooting for Disney films to win in the seven categories they’re nominated in, but there are so many other reasons why we can’t wait for the telecast to start:

Neil Patrick Harris is hosting. (We guess it’s too much to hope for him to count down the final seconds to the Oscars the way he counts down to blastoff on California Screamin’ at Disney California Adventure park.)

Not only is Neil Patrick Harris hosting, but he’ll be performing an original musical number written by songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, whom you might remember from last year’s Oscar telecast, when they won for Best Original Song (for a little number called “Let it Go” from Frozen).

This year’s presenters include stars from a variety of current and upcoming Disney films, such as Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana, Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cate Blanchett.

There will, per usual, be music!

There will, per usual, be music! Six-time Grammy^® winner Lady Gaga has signed on to perform a special tribute performance, Common and John Legend will perform their Oscar-nominated song “Glory,” Tim McGraw will perform Glen Campbell’s Oscar-nominated song “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” and Adam Levine will perform the Oscar-nominated song “Lost Stars” from Begin Again.

Into the Woods‘ Anna Kendrick will be performing something special that the show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, say “is sure to be an ‘Only on the Oscars’ moment.”

The fun begins before the show even starts. Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts and Lara Spencer, and LIVE with Kelly and Michael‘s Michael Strahan will host the Oscars pre-show, airing at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC.

And once the last Oscar is handed out, the party moves over to the 10th annual Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars, which will air following the local news in the Eastern and Central time zones and at 10 p.m. PT, on ABC. John Travolta will be in the studio with Jimmy Kimmel, and the show will also feature appearances by Oscar host Neil Patrick Harris, Emily Blunt, Lupita Nyong’o, Kristen Bell, and many more!

. . . tune in for all of the Oscar Sunday festivities . . . !

So tune in for all of the Oscar Sunday festivities, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC!

For more, check out our Oscar study guide on Pinterest►

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
Fall 2014-2015
D23 Member Nights and Upcoming Events
March 12
Cinderella Lights Up the Palace of Fine Arts
March 13
A Taste of Disney at Silverado Vineyards
March 15
The Hunchback of Notre Dame VIP Experience
August 14-16, 2015
D23 Expo 2015 returns to Anaheim, California
Television
March 3
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT

Parks
March 4–May 17
22nd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.
May 15–June 14
Star Wars Weekends Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Studios
February 20
McFarland, USA opens in theaters.
March 13
Cinderella opens in theaters.
April 17
Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom opens in theaters.
May 1
Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theaters.
May 22
Tomorrowland opens in theaters.
June 19
Inside Out opens in theaters (along with the short Lava).
July 17
Ant Man opens in theaters.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Begins Production
It’s always exciting when filming commences on a Disney film, but we’re thrilled to know that production on the fifth entry in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is officially underway in Queensland, Australia. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is directed by Espen Sandberg and Joachim Ronning (the team behind Kon-Tiki), and the cast includes Oscar winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), rising young stars Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) and Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent), and Golshifteh Farahani (The Patience Stone). Geoffrey Rush reprises his role as Barbossa, along with Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs and Stephen Graham as Scrum. And, saving the best for last, Johnny Depp is returning to the iconic, Academy-Award-nominated role of Captain Jack Sparrow! Here’s the official synopsis: “Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar (Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea… including him. Captain Jack’s only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas.

Sail to a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Well, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) may not actually be able to take you to Tatooine or Hoth by sea—but our friends at DCL are going to bringing the Star Wars universe to the Disney Fantasy. Eight special sailings of the ship in 2016 will feature Star Wars Day at Sea, a day-long event that includes a deck party, meet-and-greets with favorite characters, Star Wars-themed youth activities, unique food and beverage offerings, and special merchandise. Whether you consider yourself a mere Padawan or a wise Jedi Master, you can enjoy at-sea screenings, compete in trivia games, and spend an evening at the nightclub, feeling like you’re in the Mos Eisley cantina scene in Star Wars. Star Wars Day at Sea will take place on Disney Fantasy cruises sailing on January 9 and 23, February 6 and 20, March 5 and 19, and April 2 and 16, 2016. Cruises depart from Port Canaveral. To see the entire seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary and learn more, visit Disney Cruise Line‘s official website.

Get the T Party Started
When the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration kicks off on May 22, the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down—quite the opposite. Guests at Disneyland park can already look forward to the Paint the Night parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks; while Disney California Adventure park-goers are no doubt already thrilled to check out World of Color—Celebrate! when it debuts. But the Disney Parks Blog reported this week that a fan favorite, the Mad T Party, will be making a return to Disney California Adventure for the Diamond Celebration and will be a “new, dazzling experience.” We can’t wait!

Watch a McFarland, USA Featurette Today, See the Movie This Weekend!
The film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. In this featurette, Costner, Grammy-winning Latin music star Juanes, and director Niki Caro talk about how the true story of the town and its high school inspired the film—and the featurette is inspiring us to run to our nearest movie theater this Friday and see McFarland, USA when it opens.

Star Will Fight The Forces of Evil for a Second Season
Star vs. The Forces of Evil has already been renewed for a second season, it was announced last week. The series’ opening title was previewed at last year’s Comic-Con and the series immediately found a devoted fan following—hundreds of fan art pieces have already been generated. Star vs. The Forces of Evil is created and executive-produced by CalArts graduate Daron Nefcy, and follows “fiercely awesome teen princess Star Butterfly,” whose Royal Parents send her to Earth—where she brings her “own unique inter-dimensional style.” Eden Sher (The Middle) voices the role of Star Butterfly, alongside Adam McArthur (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as the voice of Star’s best friend, Marco Diaz. A preview episode will be available on WATCH Disney XD beginning February 23 in advance of the show’s Monday, March 30 debut on Disney XD at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Nominees for the 2015 RDMA Will Be Announced February 27 on Disney Channel
This year, for the first time ever, the broadcast nominees for the 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards (RDMA) will be announced in a special that will air on Disney Channel February 27 (7–7:30 p.m. ET/PT)—a television special that promises to be almost as entertaining and exciting as the RDMA itself. The special will include appearances by Nick Jonas, Jessie J, Meghan Trainor, Olly Murs, Becky G, Sabrina Carpenter, Fifth Harmony, and more; and online voting for all categories will open immediately following the special at Disney.com/RDMA. Who will the “ARDY” go to this year? The 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards will take place Saturday, April 25 at Nokia Theatre LA LIVE in Los Angeles, and a 90-minute televised special, Disney Channel Presents the Radio Disney Music Awards, and a 30-minute pre-show will be presented Sunday, April 26 on Disney Channel.

Get Ready to Go Back to the Beach
If it’s cold and snowy where you are, the official trailer for Teen Beach 2 will put you in a summery mood. Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell are back as Brady and Mack; but this time, they’re staying put while Lela And Tanner end up in their modern-day world, bring their ’60s sensibilities—and dance moves—with them.

Take a Closer Look at Cinderella’s Beautiful Wedding Gown
We’ve been dazzled by Cinderella’s stunning blue ball gown since we saw it in the first frame of the first trailer! The butterflies . . . the Swarovski crystals . . . . Now our friends at the Disney Style blog have shared images of costume designer Sandy Powell’s stunning design for Cinderella’s wedding gown (which first appeared in Vanity Fair) and we have new details to fixate upon, like the beautiful floral detailing on the skirt. Sigh. We would say “yes” to this dress long before the clock strikes midnight.

Mickey’s Magical Arts World Lets Kids Bring Their Own Characters to Life
Disney’s new learning initiative, Disney Imagicademy, provides an opportunity for young learners to build, create, design, and invent; and the newest app, Mickey’s Magical Arts World, puts a whole new world of creativity right at kids’ fingertips. Within the app, kids can experiment with color, shape, line, and visual texture in “Mickey’s Sketch Artist”; explore improvisation, storytelling, costume design, dialogue, and character development tools in “Donald’s Costume Play”; create and play music in “Mickey’s Music Maker”; create and design unique digital toys in “Pluto’s Crafty Creator”; and design buildings and practice key design principles using “Minnie’s Art-chitect.” Mickey’s Magical Arts World and Disney Imagicademy Parents (a companion app) are available on iPad and iPhone on the Apple App Store.

Limited-Edition Frozen Dolls Are a Cool New Arrival at Disney Store in March
For the first time in forever, beginning Tuesday, March 3 (and at approximately midnight on Wednesday, March 4), limited-edition Frozen dolls will be available at Disney Store. Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff will all be available—but in limited quantities; so if you wait to buy them “In Summer” you might be too late. Anna and Elsa are 17 inches tall, while Kristoff stands at 18 inches. All feature exquisite detailing, from Elsa’s dark purple gown and the detailing on Anna’s dress to Kristoff’s mandolin. You might just have to “Let It Go” and buy one of each!

Ready for the Red Carpet

You might think after 11 Oscar® nominations—and three wins—the bloom may be off the rose for designer Colleen Atwood.

Not so. "It's still really exciting," she says. "You never know what's going to get nominated." This year, she is being honored for her colorful creations for Into the Woods, one of the many projects she's done with Disney, including Alice in Wonderland and Chicago (both of which she won Oscars® for as well). We had the chance to catch up with Atwood before she walks the red carpet on February 22, to discuss working with "growing" talent, who she'll be wearing on the big night, and secrets to looking your best.

D23: How did you learn about your nomination?

A: I was in England working, so it wasn't first thing in the morning. It was the afternoon. I forgot about it. All of a sudden I started seeing a million texts and it was like, "Oh my gosh!"

D23: Do you put pressure on yourself to be more creative every time you work on a project?

A: I'm really lucky in that I get to do so many interesting and creative projects. You feel a pressure not to repeat yourself, and to take what you've learned from one and apply it to another but still expand on what you're doing artistically.

Colleen Atwood Costume Designs from Into the Woods

D23: When we spoke to the cast for our magazine ***Disney twenty-three*, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt were both amazed at how nimble your team was, coming up with creative elements to hide Emily's pregnancy. Can you talk about the effort that went into that?**

A: When someone is expecting a baby, their body changes every day. And it doesn't stay the same once it's changed. We had multiple dresses, so I'd bring in the multiple and get it prepped for the next day. I'd raise the neckline of the blouse or shade the side. Luckily, because Emily has a really nice, long neck, you couldn't tell [she was pregnant] from her face. So we managed to get away with a huge amount. But we really had to be on it. The difference in the first costume to the last day of shooting was huge!

D23: Anna Kendrick told me she felt badly that she kept getting the pitch material from the stairs all over the dress.

A: It was hard for her not to, doing what she was doing—lying down on those steps. But luckily it rinsed out. It was just molasses. We just spot-cleaned them after each take.

D23: How many of those gowns did you create?

A: It was made out of a vintage fabric, so I only had two of them. So it was a little bit scary when she started doing that number. I was just worried someone would step on it and rip the back, because, believe me, I tested the "tar" way ahead of time!

Colleen Atwood costume designs for The Wolf and Cinderella in Into the Woods

D23: You've worked with Johnny Depp many times before. Did you talk with him when designing his zoot suit Wolf costume?

A: Yeah, I showed him the sketch and he was excited about it. He came in a couple days early for a fitting to see what it would move like. He really loved it. It was a great fitting. We were in a hotel room trying it on. He was running around swishing his tail at people.

D23: What's he like to work with as a costume and as a "model" for some of your more intricately designed outfits?

A: He's one of those guys who puts something on and it feels like he's been wearing it for days. He has such an ability to wear clothes. And I love bringing lots of extra bits to play with. He is so creative, he'll come up with ideas if you present him with something.

**D23: And now you've worked with him again on Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass. What's it like returning to a world you first designed the look of—from the dresses to all the hats!**

A: The hats are still in. The Hatter is still in, but he has some surprise changes. There are some new characters. There's a fun, exotic vibe to the whole thing. The Red Queen is back and she has some really great new stuff. It was fun to take the characters to the next place of their journey.

D23: Do you need to be consistent with the original film's look and feel?

A: Not really. Because it's the same story with the same people so there are some things you want to tie together. But you want to expand the world that you've started. So it's a fun challenge.

D23: With the big day coming up, do you design your own dresses for your red carpet walk?

A: I have some years. And other times I haven't. This year I bought something I'm remodeling. My workrooms are so busy, I think if I asked them to make me something right now they might want to hit me over the head with a pair of scissors.

D23: So can I ask who you'll be wearing?

A: It's a Lancing dress. I like it.

D23: Are there any stores or designers you like?

A: I definitely am a fan of some of the basics of Club Monaco and Gap for layering. I like The Row for their great simple jackets. I use them a lot for work.

D23: Not everyone gets to walk a red carpet, but I feel like everyone wants to look their best, whether it be at a nice dinner or a gala event. What are the secrets to dressing well that won't leave you in pain—or bust your bank account?

A: I think that simple is always better. It's important not to overdress. Also, own what you're wearing. Stand up straight. Present yourself in a way that conveys confidence. Then you can pull anything off.

The Oscars air February 22 on ABC.

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero Premieres on Disney XD and Disney Channel This Friday

When Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero co-creator and executive producer Jared Bush was growing up, he learned that his father wasn’t a nondescript government employee but, in fact, an agent for the C.I.A.—as was Bush’s grandfather before him. Bush could have chosen to go into the “family business” himself, but instead found a way to bring the family business into his chosen field: animation. Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero follows the adventures of a regular boy who inherits the not-so-regular job of part-time hero. Sam Levine, the series’ other co-creator/executive producer, also drew from his childhood to craft the teenage protagonist’s action-packed existence. Levine’s father was a movie projectionist in New York City, so Levine spent a large part of the ’80s in movie theaters. Not only can Levine point to movies of the era like Back to the Future and Ghostbusters as inspirations for Penn Zero, but the projection booth itself served as a portal in the show, to “zap” Penn and his friends into new environments and new superhero personas, giving them the chance to save the world every week.

It’s like an 11-minute third act—when those heroes really need to buckle down and figure it out

Each mission requires Penn and his friends to fill in for heroes in need, and Bush explains that it’s like they’re zapping into the third act of a movie. “Seeing our guys get to go on the coolest part of all those adventures felt really right to us,” he says. Levine agrees, saying of each story, “It’s like an 11-minute third act—when those heroes really need to buckle down and figure it out. And within that, we have our own structure, of course.” The adventures that Penn goes on with his best friends, Boone, an “underqualified wise man” and Sashi, an “overqualified sidekick,” include trips to the old west, an underwater kingdom of fish-people, and Chuckle City, a “clown universe” where whoopee cushion jokes and seltzer sprays are in awesome abundance.

This eclectic and diverse lineup of worlds means that the characters’ appearances and the settings change drastically from one adventure to another. Levine admits, “This show is filled with fun challenges—that’s one of them, keeping the consistency but also getting variety.” The talented cast helps with that variety. Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) provides the voice of Penn, and Levine says, “He really feels grounded, real, and funny and he has a broad range.” Boone and Sashi are voiced by Adam DeVine (Pitch Perfect) and Tania Gunadi (Enlisted). “They’re not doing put-on voices and they feel real to us,” Levine explains. The show’s villain, Rippen, is brought to life by Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), who “loves playing a villain… getting in there and being goofy,” Levine adds before extoling the virtues of Larry Wilmore (The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore), the voice of Larry, as a comedian and great improviser.

Both Bush and Levine have extensive backgrounds in feature animation, and their love for the amazing visual development work typically done in the early stages of animating a feature film helped them shape the aesthetic of Penn Zero. Bush says, “Early on Sam thought, ‘Could we make the show look like those vis-dev pieces?'” Levine points to the period of the 1960s and mid-century Disney design as a big inspiration for the series, and he cites One Hundred and One Dalmatians as his favorite animated film, visually speaking; while Bush says he could watch Jungle Book “over and over and over again.”

Both Bush and Levine are dads—Bush to 5-year-old twins and a 7-year-old son, while Levine’s sons are 12 and 10. They definitely want their kids to like the show and take inspiration from it, but, Levine admits, “We’re making this show, we’re trying to entertain ourselves—it’s one and the same. If we’re going to laugh at something and we’re going to think it’s cool, then we get in touch with the kids inside ourselves.” And given that the spark for the series came from both of their childhoods, staying in touch with their inner children is bound to make Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero a full-time success.

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero premieres Friday, February 13 at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD and Disney Channel.

Revisit a Disney Classic with the 101 Dalmatians Diamond Edition

If you haven’t seen One Hundred and One Dalmatians in, well, a dog’s age, or if somehow you’ve never quite gotten around to watching this fun-filled canine caper, there’s no time like the present to sit down and view this beloved Disney animated film. The Diamond Edition has just become available for the first time on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and Disney Movies Anywhere and On-Demand.

Disney fans might be especially eager to check out The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt

The Diamond Edition includes several bonus features, including Cameron Boyce (who plays Cruella De Vil’s son Carlos in the upcoming Disney’s Descendants) giving “the 411 about 101” and “Lucky Dogs,” which profiles some of the artists involved in the making of the original film. But Disney fans might be especially eager to check out The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt. Owners of real pets already know that few things are cuter than watching their dog watch another dog on TV—and watching Pongo and Perdita’s puppies as they follow the Adventures of Thunderbolt is one of One Hundred and One Dalmatians‘ more adorable scenes. But the episode in the film ends with a cliffhanger, and for the Diamond Edition, Walt Disney Animation Studios created The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt, imagining how the sequence that so thrilled the puppies might have ended. This “extension” of the sequence was inspired by character drawings discovered at the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, and, in case you were wondering, the show is still brought to you by Kanine Krunchies!

Animator and Disney Legend Floyd Norman was involved in the making of The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt, and was an assistant animator at the time One Hundred and One Dalmatians was being produced. He says, “I can’t think of an artist here at Disney who wasn’t excited about what we were doing on Dalmatians, because it was such a break from the past, such a change from the European fairy tales we had been doing. Now all of a sudden, we have this new, bold contemporary look. And it was like a breath of fresh air here at the Disney Studios.”

The artists that Norman speaks of, by the way, include such Disney luminaries as “Nine Old Men” animators Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas, John Lounsbery, and Eric Larson; and the color styling was done by Walt Peregoy. According to Norman, “The use of color was bold and different from things we had done before. Walt Peregoy brought a new design sensibility to this film.”

L-R: Animator and Disney Legend Floyd Norman, Mimi Gibson (voice of Lucky), and Lisa Davis (voice of Anita)

Actress Mimi Gibson voiced the role of Lucky, the Dalmatian pup whose spots fall in the shape of a horseshoe. She explains that she and the other kids who voiced the puppies read the lines for multiple roles and were essentially “cast” later. “I didn’t know who I was [playing] and the others didn’t know who they were,” Gibson details. Gibson is happy to add the Diamond Edition to her collection of One Hundred and One Dalmatians-themed items, which already includes a beautiful Swarovski Crystal pin. “It’s always fun to see my friends tell their grandchildren that I was the voice of a puppy in One Hundred and One Dalmatians. And they look at you and they can’t quite figure out how I’m the voice of a puppy,” she says.

Lisa Davis, who provided the unmistakable voice of Anita, says of the new Diamond Edition, “This new Blu-ray version is beautiful. It’s absolutely beautiful. And I must tell you quite honestly, when I see it, it still makes me cry. As many times as I’ve seen it, when the puppies are out in the snow and lost and they’re trying to find their way home, I still worry that they’re not going to make it—and I know they are. I definitely know they are. Yes, what a wonderful experience to have had. I feel very fortunate.”

And we feel very fortunate for the opportunity to revisit this very special film.

See “Glass Slippers” Inspired by Cinderella, Amazing News About Spider-Man, and More in News Briefs

If the Slipper Fits, Wear It —and Watch a New Cinderella Trailer, Too!
Everyone who has seen the classic animated fairy tale Cinderella knows that there is only one person who can wear the shoe that our heroine leaves behind while fleeing the ball. And everyone who has seen the trailer for the Disney’s upcoming live-action Cinderella knows that Helena Bonham Carter’s Fairy Godmother provides some “surprisingly comfortable” glass slippers to complete Lily James’ stunning ball attire. Now Disney Consumer Products has collaborated with nine designer shoe brands on a collection of shoes that reimagine the most iconic shoe in fairy-tale history and allow you to dance in your own “glass slipper.” Swarovski—which produced the film’s glass slipper under the watchful eye of costume designer Sandy Powell—has again provided the crystals utilized by this collection’s designers, Paul Andrew, Alexandre Birman, René Caovilla, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Nicholas Kirkwood, Charlotte Olympia, Jerome C. Rousseau, and Stewart Weitzman.

Here in the U.S., the shoes will be available for order at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and Beverly Hills, and in early March, windows at both of those stores will also bring Cinderella to life with fairy-tale vignettes that will feature the complete designer footwear collection, along with select props from the film.

See “Glass Slippers” Inspired by Cinderella, Learn the Amazing News About Spider-Man, and More in News Briefs for February 10, 2015

Cinderella opens in theaters March 13, and Walt Disney Studios has just released a new trailer for the film. Watch it here, and then browse the designer sketches of the Cinderella-inspired shoes and imagine which one you would wear to the ball.

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

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
Fall 2014-2015
D23 Member Nights and Upcoming Events
March 12
Cinderella Lights Up the Palace of Fine Arts
March 13
A Taste of Disney at Silverado Vineyards
March 15
The Hunchback of Notre Dame VIP Experience
August 14-16, 2015
D23 Expo 2015 returns to Anaheim, California
Television
February 13
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero premieres on Disney XD and Disney Channel at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT
March 3
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT

Marvel-ous News About the Amazing World of Spider-Man
Comic book fans have long hoped that Spider-Man—always an integral part of the Marvel Universe in the comic books—would one day become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And yesterday Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced that day is coming. The next installment of the Spider-Man franchise will be released on July 28, 2017, by Sony Pictures, but the new Spider-Man will first appear in an upcoming Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films. The next Spider-Man installment will be produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films. A fan-favorite, Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel’s world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.

Pete’s Dragon Begins Principal Photography
Disney fans who grew up in the ’70s no doubt remember Pete’s Dragon, the 1977 classic about the special bond between an orphaned boy, Pete, and his best friend, Elliot—a dragon. We’re thrilled that production has just commenced upon a reimagining of the film, which will blend live action and CGI, and is scheduled to hit U.S. theaters in August 2016. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help) as Grace, a park ranger who discovers the existence of Elliott; 10-year-old Oakes Fegley (This is Where I Leave You) as Pete; Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games) as Jack, a local mill owner; New Zealand native Karl Urban (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Jack’s brother, Gavin; Oona Laurence as Natalie, the young girl who befriends Pete; and Oscar® winner Robert Redford (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, All the President’s Men) as Grace’s father. Pete’s Dragon is directed by David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) from a screenplay by Lowery and Toby Hallbrooks. WETA Digital, the New Zealand-based visual effects company founded by filmmaker Peter Jackson, will utilize the latest in digital effects to bring Elliot to life.

A Whole New Diamond Edition
We’ve been watching the trailer for the Aladdin Diamond Edition—coming to Blu-ray, Digital HD, and Disney Movies Anywhere October 6—and it’s been reminding us of all of the reasons why we loved Aladdin so much when it was released in 1992. The animation is still breathtaking, Genie still delights and amuses us, and our hearts still skip a beat when Aladdin asks Jasmine, “Do you trust me?” before whisking her off on a thrilling magic carpet ride. If we could have just one wish on a magic lamp it would be for the Diamond Edition to come sooner than October.

Chris Pratt and Chris Evans Super Bowl Bet Makes them Super Heroes to Us
Many Disney fans were glued to their TVs during the Super Bowl to see whether the Seahawks or the Patriots would win—not because of love for their team or football in general, but to find out whether Chris Pratt (a loyal Seattle fan) or Chris Evans (New England all the way) would end up paying a visit to a children’s hospital in the “losing” city, dressed as their on-screen persona (Star-Lord or Captain America). The New England Patriots, of course, won the Super Bowl but everybody ended up winning. Chris Pratt made good on his wager, visiting a Boston hospital this week, and Chris Evans has promised that Captain America will pay a visit to a Seattle children’s hospital, as well. Super Heroes on screen . . . Super Heroes in real life.

All-New Experience Driving Into Cars Land at Disney California Adventure
Like they say, when one (car) door closes, another one opens. On February 16, Luigi’s Flying Tires will close—the Parks Blog reports that Luigi’s destined for an extended vacation to his Italian homeland—but will reopen as a completely new attraction in early 2016, which will feature a new ride system and ride vehicles. So we’ll sadly say “Ciao” to Luigi for the time being, but will say “Ka-chow” along with Lightning McQueen on our visits to Cars Land until he returns.

Peter Pan’s Flight Soars Even Higher
The beloved attraction Peter Pan’s Flight has become even more beloved at Walt Disney World with the debut of its new interactive queue, which takes you into the Darling family home, shows you your shadow, and even features Tinker Bell making a bit of mischief. Check out this behind-the-scenes video from our friends at the Disney Parks Blog.

Aladdin and Jasmine—Happily Ever After… For Infinity
There’s nothing like a happy ending. And Disney Infinity makes it possible for an infinite number of them. The latest news to make us feel like true love conquers all and that our favorite Disney super couples are meant for each other is the announcement that Princess Jasmine is joining Aladdin in Disney Infinity Toy Box 2.0. Jasmine is available for purchase individually or in the Aladdin Toy Box Pack, which includes both Jasmine and Aladdin figures and two Aladdin-themed Power Discs, “Jasmine’s Palace View” and “The Sands of Agrabah,” allowing players to create a whole new world of their own.

Disney XD to Debut Two New Series
2015 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Disney XD—and for the Disney fans who tune in. Two new series were announced this week. Becoming is from ESPN films and executive-produced by LeBron James and his Springhill Production Company. This half-hour show will feature inspiring stories profiling athletes from around the world. LeBron James said he’s excited about the series “because it’s something every young kid can relate to. It shows them that everyone faces adversity and challenges while growing up—even their heroes.” Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything is a live-action comedy series that stars Cameron Boyce (Jessie, Disney’s Descendants).

He is reunited with his three former gamer friends

This series follows Conor (Boyce), a 15-year-old video game phenom, forced to attend high school for the first time after a thumb injury sidelines him from the glamorous pro gaming circuit. As a coping mechanism, he begins to visualize life as a video game. He is reunited with his three former gamer friends who he left behind for life on the pro circuit World Tour, and he quickly realizes that restoring his friendships is vital in his quest to “level up” to his former glory. The series was created by Devin Bunje & Nick Stanton (Zeke & Luther, Turbo Fast), who also serve as executive producers. Jim O’Doherty (Grounded for Life, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Kickin’ It) is executive producing and will serve as show runner of the series.

Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything is scheduled to premiere in summer 2015, while Becoming will have its premiere later this year.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians Diamond Edition Has Everyone Seeing Spots
One Hundred and One Dalmatians Diamond Edition is now available on Blu-ray, Digital HD, and Disney Movies Anywhere. You can check out the movie and special features, starting today. The film shows how tough it can be to be a Dalmatian puppy, and this adorable video shows that all pets face challenges—and sometimes that challenge might mean having to dress up in costume.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure Park February 19–22
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Chip ‘n’ Dale will again dress in their Lunar New Year costumes and celebrate the Year of the Sheep at Disney California Adventure February 19–22. The Paradise Gardens area of the park will host the celebration, a multi-day annual tradition observed within the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures. The festivities will include live performances, a daily procession, delicious food, as well as special merchandise.

You might think after 11 Oscar® nominations—and three wins—the bloom may be off the rose for designer Colleen Atwood.

D23: How did you learn about your nomination?

D23: Do you put pressure on yourself to be more creative every time you work on a project?

D23: When we spoke to the cast for our magazine Disney twenty-three, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt were both amazed at how nimble your team was, coming up with creative elements to hide Emily's pregnancy. Can you talk about the effort that went into that?

D23: Anna Kendrick told me she felt badly that she kept getting the pitch material from the stairs all over the dress.

D23: How many of those gowns did you create?

D23: You've worked with Johnny Depp many times before. Did you talk with him when designing his zoot suit Wolf costume?

D23: What's he like to work with as a costume and as a "model" for some of your more intricately designed outfits?

D23: And now you've worked with him again on Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass. What's it like returning to a world you first designed the look of—from the dresses to all the hats!

D23: Do you need to be consistent with the original film's look and feel?

D23: With the big day coming up, do you design your own dresses for your red carpet walk?

D23: So can I ask who you'll be wearing?

D23: Are there any stores or designers you like?

D23: Not everyone gets to walk a red carpet, but I feel like everyone wants to look their best, whether it be at a nice dinner or a gala event. What are the secrets to dressing well that won't leave you in pain—or bust your bank account?

D23: When we spoke to the cast for our magazine ***Disney twenty-three*, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt were both amazed at how nimble your team was, coming up with creative elements to hide Emily's pregnancy. Can you talk about the effort that went into that?**

**D23: And now you've worked with him again on Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass. What's it like returning to a world you first designed the look of—from the dresses to all the hats!**