Disney Channel’s “Fa-La-La-Lidays” Kicks Off November 28
Disney Channel’s annual winter programming event, “Fa-La-La-Lidays,” kicks-off Friday, November 28 with a one-hour crossover of popular comedies Jessie and Liv and Maddie. The programming event also includes a holiday reunion episode of Girl Meets World, guest starring Rider Strong, William Russ and Besty Randle.
A Hawaiian holiday episode of Jessie guest starring Maia Mitchell and popular Liv and Maddie characters Joey Bragg and Tenzing Norgay Trainor, plus a holiday reunion episode of Girl Meets World guest starring Boy Meets World alumni Rider Strong, William Russ and Betsy Randle, new episodes of I Didn’t Do It guest starring Reginald Vel Johnson, Dog With A Blog and Liv and Maddie, will be presented during the fourth annual “Fa-la-la-lidays” event.
The animated premiere of Disney Pixar’s Toy Story That Time Forgot is also scheduled during the month. The multi-platform rollout begins with the Jessie episode, currently available to verified viewers on WATCH Disney Channel. WATCH Disney Channel will continue to roll out holiday programming, including 25 days of throwback, holiday-themed episodes, beginning December 1.
The “Fa-La-La-Lidays” celebration includes the winter makeover of DisneyChannel.com. Each week, kids and families will receive a new, exclusive gift to unwrap containing holiday themed games, videos and activities. It will also feature online crafts, letting fans print their own one-of-a-kind presents to share, including posters, holiday cards and ornaments.
Turner Classic Movies, Walt Disney World Resort, and The Walt Disney Studios Team Up to Share Stories Centered on Classic Film
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Great Movie Ride attraction highlights some of the most famous film moments in silver screen history and is set to receive a Turner Classic Movies (TCM)-curated refresh of the pre-show and the finale. TCM branding will be integrated into the attraction’s marquee, as well as banners, posters and display windows outside the attraction. In the queue line, families will enjoy new digital movie posters and will watch a new pre-ride video with TCM host Robert Osborne providing illuminating insights from the movies—some of which guests will experience during the ride. The finale will feature an all-new montage of classic movie moments. After guests exit the attraction, they will have a photo opportunity with a classic movie theme. The TCM-curated refresh is set to launch by spring.
As part of the relationship with The Walt Disney Studios, TCM will launch Treasures from the Disney Vault, a recurring on-air showcase that will include such live-action Disney features as Treasure Island (1950), Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959) and Pollyanna (1960); animated films like The Three Caballeros (1944) and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949); classic nature documentaries, including The Living Desert (1953) and The African Lion (1955); made-for-television classics, such as the Davy Crockett series; special episodes from Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color; documentaries about the studio, including Walt & El Grupo (2009) and Waking Sleeping Beauty (2010); and animated shorts, such as 1932’s Oscar®-winning Flowers and Trees.
Treasures from the Disney Vault is scheduled to premiere on TCM Sunday, December 21 at 8 p.m. The opening night will include the holiday and winter animated shorts Santa’s Workshop, On Ice and Chip An’ Dale, followed by The Disneyland Story. The night will also include The Reluctant Dragon, Disney’s 1941 film that combined a live-action tour of The Walt Disney Studios facility with animated shorts; Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955), a compilation of the first three episodes of the iconic series starring Fess Parker; the Oscar-winning documentary The Vanishing Prairie (1954), part of Disney’s True Life Adventure series; the rarely seen Third Man on the Mountain (1959), an Alpine tale starring Michael Rennie and James MacArthur; and Perilous Assignment (1959), a documentary about the making of Third Man on the Mountain.
“At TCM, it’s our mission to share and celebrate the greatest films of all time,” Jennifer Dorian, general manager of TCM, said. “Disney provides the perfect relationship through which we can share the magic of the movies with every generation, not only through an amazing new showcase on TCM, but also through newly refreshed components of The Great Movie Ride attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.”
“We are looking forward to this collaboration, which complements Disney’s commitment to telling great stories and immersing our guests in family entertainment,” Tiffany Rende, senior vice president, Disney Corporate Alliances and Operating Participants, added. “Through this alliance, we are able to share more classic Disney stories with TCM audiences, while further enhancing the guest experience by showcasing TCM content and talent.”
Gingerbread Beignets Recipe From Disneyland
Beignets are popular at the Disneyland Resort, but if gingerbread is more your style for the holidays, we’ve got the recipe for the beignets from some of the fine restaurants in New Orleans Square. They’ll be back to plain ol’ beignets in January but you’ll have this recipe year-round! The easy eggnog Anglaise for dipping is the proverbial icing on the cake. Forget wrapping presents for awhile—this sweet duo is worth some time in the kitchen.
Ingredients |
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| Gingerbread Beignets 1 cup evaporated milk, heated until warm but not hot 1 envelope dry active yeast 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 cup molasses 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/3 cup shortening Vegetable oil for deep-frying |
Eggnog Crème Anglaise 2 cups eggnog 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup sugar 6 egg yolks 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) |
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Preparation |
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Gingerbread Beignets
1. Combine evaporated milk and yeast in a large bowl; add egg, molasses, 2 tablespoons sugar, and vegetable oil. Stir until yeast dissolves and mixture is combined.
2. Sift together 4 cups flour, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a medium bowl.
3. Add half of flour mixture to milk mixture. Mix well.
4. Add shortening, blending until combined, then add remaining flour mixture. Knead until mixture comes together, adding remaining 1/2 cup flour, a bit at a time, if needed. Form dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
5. On a floured board, roll dough to 1/3-inch thickness. Cut into 24 squares. Cover with a clean dish towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free area for 45 minutes.
6. Line a plate with paper towels; set aside.
7. Add vegetable oil to a deep-sided pot to a depth of 3 inches. Heat oil to 375°F. Drop in dough squares a few at a time, turning frequently with a long-handled slotted spoon. Cook until puffed and golden. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to the plate lined with paper towels. Lightly tent with foil to keep warm while remaining beignets cook.
8. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Dust hot beignets with cinnamon-sugar mixture; serve warm.
Eggnog Crème Anglaise
1. Combine eggnog and milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until very hot but not simmering.
2. Meanwhile, combine sugar and egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until light, thick and fluffy.
3. Very slowly drizzle in hot eggnog mixture while beating at medium-low speed.
4. Transfer mixture back to saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and becomes creamy, 10 minutes. Do not simmer or the egg yolks will curdle.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat, whisk, and strain through a fine sieve. Stir in nutmeg and cinnamon, if using. Serve warm with Gingerbread Beignets.
S‘mores Bake From Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue at Disneyland
Winter holidays are the time for sweet indulgences, so what better time to share this goodie—perfect for splitting around a fire pit or the kitchen table. Give everyone a spoon and dig in!
This gooey, oft-ordered wow of a dessert is a collaborative effort at Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue at Disneyland park, on the menu for just a few months. Chef Craig Orrell created the recipe with Chef Toby Hollis and the Disneyland Resort Central Bakery team.
Ingredients
1 (10.5-ounce) box fudge brownie mix
1 (1-pound) bag large marshmallows
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce, warmed
8 graham crackers
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 cake pan with cooking spray. Prepare brownie batter per package directions and pour into prepared cake pan. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it.
2. Turn oven to broil.
3. Place marshmallows over brownies. Leaving oven door ajar, place marshmallow-topped brownies under broiler 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown, watching very closely to avoid burning.
4. Drizzle hot fudge sauce over top of toasted marshmallows.
5. Take half of the graham crackers and break them into planks; crush other half of graham crackers into crumbs.
6. Sprinkle crushed graham crackers over top of toasted marshmallows, and place graham cracker planks randomly into toasted marshmallows. Serve immediately.
Red-Nosed Zebra From Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at Disneyland Hotel
What do you get when you cross a thirsty zebra with a bottle of rum?
Yule find out! This is the sort of gleeful schtick found at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel.
Trader Sam, head salesman of the Amazon Jungle, has an expertise in concocting head-shrinking potions soon and a head for mixology around the holidays. From the North Pole to the South Pole, his travels far and wide allowed him to amass intoxicating ambrosial ingredients for his heady brews.
Ingredients |
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| 1.5 ounces Bacardi 8 rum 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice 1 ounce agave nectar 1 ounce strawberry purée Crushed ice, 3 cranberries, 2 mint sprigs, for garnish |
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Preparation |
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1. Add all ingredients in a Boston Shaker (except garnish), fill half full with ice, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
2. Strain into a margarita glass filled with ice. Garnish with a mound of crushed ice, cranberries, and mint sprigs to look like 2 green antlers, cranberries for eyes and nose.
Watch a New Trailer for Strange Magic
Strange Magic, a new animated film from Lucasfilm Ltd., is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Popular songs from the past six decades help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion.
Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Industrial Light & Magic bring to life the fanciful forest turned upside down with world-class animation and visual effects. Directed by Gary Rydstrom from a story by George Lucas, Strange Magic will be released by Touchstone Pictures on January 23, 2015.
Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Returns to Disneyland Resort
The fun, authentic and infectious entertainment of Disney ¡Viva Navidad! adds to the merriment of the Holiday season at the Disneyland Resort, returning this year after its exciting debut in 2013. Guests can enjoy Disney ¡Viva Navidad! now through January 6, 2015 in Disney California Adventure Park, as the Happiest Place on Earth Just Gets Merrier.
This lively holiday experience is inspired by the richness, warmth and joyous spirit of the Latino culture, filled with holiday traditions, jubilant dancing and exciting music. Based in and around the Paradise Garden area of Disney California Adventure, the special activities include live Latino music, holiday foods and crafts, the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party and, of course, appearances by some popular Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy in their festive costumes along with the Three Caballeros: Donald Duck, Panchito from Mexico and José Carioca from Brazil.
Paradise Garden is decorated with holly, banners and Latino cultural icons, including traditional “papel picado” hand-cut paper art decorations. At the Paradise Garden bandstand, guests may enjoy performances by traditional Mariachi, Norteño, and other regional music groups. Also at Paradise Garden, community music and folklorico troupes will perform on the weekends.
Dining locations in Paradise Garden add an array of popular Mexican food options. Menus will feature Mexican dishes that are often served for the holidays, such as fresh seafood ceviche with citrus vinaigrette, pozole (hearty stew), chicken mole, street-style tacos, sopes de Barbacoa (shredded beef), Champurrado (Mexican-style hot chocolate), sweet tamales, torta al pastor (pork sandwich), cinnamon-dusted buñuelos (deep-fried sweet treat) with caramel sauce.
The grand finale of “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” will be the special five-day celebration of Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes) January 2 through 6, 2015 in Paradise Garden. Treats for this holiday will include traditional Rosca de Reyes bread.
Kick Off The Holidays With A Parade
“It all started with the Mickey Mouse balloon,” Bill muses.
“We’ve had a great relationship ever since. The magic between Disney and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has spanned the decades.”
“In the spirit of full disclosure,” Bill Schermerhorn, Macy’s Creative Director, starts, “I should tell you that I am a card-carrying member of D23.” So begins our discussion with Bill, who for more than three decades, has been responsible for bringing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to the streets of New York each Thanksgiving. “It’s the job you get once in a lifetime,” he says with a chuckle.
More than 80 years after Macy’s first parade—originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade and later the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Christmas Parade—the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is known as the “official” kickoff to the holiday season. And with more than 50 million viewers across the country and the more than 3.5 million spectators who line up along the streets of New York City each year, the three-hour spectacle is nothing short of a national icon.
According to Bill, his Official Disney Fan Club membership makes perfect sense, as Disney and Macy’s can be considered somewhat of a match made in heaven. “Both Macy’s and Disney believe in high-quality family entertainment,” explains Bill. “It’s a dream come true that we can work together.”
Disney got in on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Christmas Parade action 10 years after the first one hit the streets. “It all started with the Mickey Mouse balloon,” Bill muses about Disney’s entry. “We’ve had a great relationship ever since. The magic between Disney and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has spanned the ages.” Pluto, the Big Bad Wolf, and the Little Pig balloons also debuted that same year.
In the decades that followed, Disney continued to pop up in the annual parade with balloons, floats, and special guests entertaining parade attendees and at-home viewers across the country. Some of Disney’s most noteworthy Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade moments include the introduction of an updated Mickey balloon in 1973 and the inclusion of a Santa Goofy balloon in 1993.
But Bill has his own favorite Disney parade moment. “My favorite was not that long ago when we had LeAnn Rimes perform on the showboat float, and we also had several Disney characters on that float with her,” Bill recalls. “What was also great about that moment is that we included children dressed up as their favorite Disney characters. For instance, we had Peter Pan with a little boy dressed as Peter Pan. It was a very special moment that only Disney could do in a Macy’s parade.”
You will have to tune in on Thanksgiving Day to see B.—and all of Disney’s parade participants—in action during this year’s annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. As Bill puts it, “You never know where you’ll find a Disney character.”
Happy Thanksgiving From D23
Thank you for being a D23 Member!
In celebration of this special time of year, we pulled this special treat from the Walt Disney Archives to share with all of you.
This charming Thanksgiving-themed evocation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs appeared for the first time in November 1951 to help promote the 1952 re-release of the Disney masterpiece in theaters across the country. The classic film bowed late in 1937 and was released again during World War II to help raise revenue for the Studio, which had experienced a slowdown because of the global conflict. The decision to bring the “fairest one of all” back to the big screen was so popular that it began a tradition of re-releasing Disney animated features every seven to 10 years. In total, Snow White has been released in theaters nine times since making its debut.
We look forward to celebrating the holidays with you on D23.com and kicking off our D23 Days of Christmas campaign, starting December 1.