Get a first look at Walt Disney Animation Studios’ next feature film, Big Hero 6, with this special two-minute sneak peek, featuring Hiro and Baymax.
Walt Disney Animation Studios Announces Frozen Fever Animated Short
From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes the new animated short Frozen Fever, welcoming back to the big screen Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf.
Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, and produced by Peter Del Vecho, with an all-new original song by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Frozen Fever marks the first project reuniting the Oscar®-winning original team from Disney’s Frozen.
The announcement was first made within the ABC Television Network special The Story of Frozen: Making an Animated Classic, which aired September 2.
In Frozen Fever, it’s Anna’s birthday and Elsa and Kristoff are determined to give her the best celebration ever, but Elsa’s icy powers may put more than just the party at risk. The short debuts Spring 2015.
Happy Haunts Delight During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World Resort
Not-so-spooky ghosts and goblins return this fall
—while dastardly villains unleash some mischief—during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, delighting fun-seekers of all ages in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.
What’s New at Disney Parks for Halloween 2014 ►
On 26 select nights now through Halloween night, October 31, Magic Kingdom will host this spooktacular after-hours party from 7 p.m.–midnight.
Disney villains take center stage in 2014 with the Villains Mix & Mingle—Live on Stage castle show, and Club Villain, an all-new nightly character dance party experience that takes over the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland. Mischievous villains will also be available for guests to meet all night long in locations throughout the park.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party features Disney characters donning their favorite Halloween costumes, while partygoers navigate treat trails and candy galore throughout the Magic Kingdom themed out for happy haunts. Partygoers can show their Disney Side and dress up in favorite costumes and explore classic Magic Kingdom attractions as well as the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Eerie entertainment features the twice-nightly Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade, led by the infamous Headless Horseman, at 8:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. And HalloWishes, a green-and-orange fireworks spectacle complete with Disney villains, caps the evening festivities at 9:30 p.m.
Party dates for 2014 are: September 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26 and 28 and October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30 and 31.
Get a First Look at Disney•Pixar’s Lava
Inspired by the isolated beauty of tropical islands and the explosive allure of ocean volcanoes, Lava is a musical love story that takes place over millions of years.
Pixar’s Inside Out Brings Fear and Sadness But Mostly Joy ►
From Pixar Animation Studios, director James Ford Murphy and producer Andrea Warren, Lava opens in theaters on June 19, 2015 in front of Inside Out.
23 Jobs Donald Duck Has Attempted
In celebration of the 90th anniversary, we are taking a look at Donald Duck’s job history.
In the early days, Donald had an exaggerated waddle because the animators found it difficult, on paper, to distinguish between a duck and a goose—we’re assuming that’s what made him so cranky. But his waddle has never held him back from his ambitions. He’s tried many, many jobs. Somehow, though, nothing ever works out as planned.
The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic Interactive Experience Debuts
The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic is an all-new, original special in a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Lincoln Square Productions and Walt Disney Animation Studios. The special ventures behind the scenes for an exclusive look at the origins and evolution of the Academy Award®-winning film Frozen, now the biggest animated feature of all time. A breathtaking and fantastic saga, the special tells the real story of making a modern movie based on a timeless tale that nearly overnight became a cultural touchstone for legions of fans.
The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic airs Tuesday, September 2 (8–9 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network. Click here for the interactive experience.
Viewers will get a rare look inside Walt Disney Animation Studios
. . . and unprecedented access to the creative team that brought Frozen to life. Throughout the one-hour special, the audience will hear from Frozen stars Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, the directors, songwriters, producer, artists and chief creative officer John Lasseter—the team who dreamed of making a cherished Hans Christian Andersen story into a big-screen animated musical. Viewers will take a journey to the beautiful Norwegian villages and landscapes that inspired the look of the fictional kingdom of Arendelle and see images and footage from the research trips to Norway, Quebec and points beyond that helped create the film’s unforgettable look and feel.
This special will also include some exciting announcements about the next chapter of Frozen and a never-before-seen preview of Frozen characters Anna, Elsa and Kristoff on an upcoming episode of ABC’s smash-hit Once Upon a Time.
The program will culminate in an exclusive sneak peek at the action-packed comedy-adventure Big Hero 6, currently in production at Walt Disney Animation Studios—under wraps until now—as the team prepares their next big-screen epic.
The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic is hosted by star Josh Gad (voice of Olaf) and features interviews with Frozen stars Kristen Bell (voice of Anna) and Idina Menzel (voice of Elsa), as well as Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer and Frozen executive producer John Lasseter, Academy Award-winning filmmakers, including directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, producer Peter Del Vecho, and songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. This one-hour special will also feature exclusive insights and commentary from art director Mike Giaimo and talented artists from the art direction, animation and effects teams.
Marvel Announces Star Wars Legends Epic Collections Beginning April 2015
Marvel is excited to announce the release of an oversized dose of a galaxy far, far, away—Star Wars comics are coming to Marvel’s prestigious Epic Collection format, Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Vol. 1 TPB.
the few Jedi that remain must decide whether to hold true to their faith or abandon it completely . . .
Marvel welcomes Star Wars to the Epic Collection program with this first volume of a series focusing on the years that follow Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith! After the end of the Clone Wars, the Republic has fallen and Palpatine exerts his ruthless grip on his new Galactic Empire. Now, the few Jedi that remain must decide whether to hold true to their faith or abandon it completely in the face of a brutal purge—one carried out by the new Dark Lord of the Sith.
Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Vol. 1 TPB will offer a new way for fans to collect and read iconic Star Wars stories across the past 35 years of published titles.
These oversized, self-contained color collections will bring the adventures of the Rebellion, the Galactic Empire and more to the masses with exciting new Epic Collections.
First Look at Winston from Feast, Villains’ Sinister Soiree Debuts, and More in News Briefs
Meet Winston from Feast
Feast, a new short from first-time director Patrick Osborne (head of animation, Paperman) and Walt Disney Animation Studios, is the story of 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. Feast debuts with Big Hero 6 on November 7, 2014.
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives Summer and Fall 2014 D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration August 24 Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Celebration September 13 From the Vaults: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad September 27 D23 Member Night at Aladdin on Broadway October 11 From the Vaults: Sleeping Beauty November 8 Walt Disney Studios and Archives Tour November 11 The Hunchback of Notre Dame VIP Experience November 22-23 Destination D: Attraction Rewind at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World Through January 4, 2015 Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago August 14-16, 2015 D23 Expo 2015 returns to Anaheim, California Television September 2 The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic premieres at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. |
Parks September 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, and 28; and October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 31 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties at Magic Kingdom Park September 26, 30; October 3, 6, 8, 10, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, and 31 Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Resort November 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21, and 30; and December 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 19 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties at Magic Kingdom Park Studios October 10 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day opens in theaters. November 7 Big Hero 6 opens December 25, 2014 Into the Woods opens in theaters March 13, 2015 Cinderella opens in theaters June 19, 2015 Inside Out opens in theaters (along with the short Lava) |
Newsies on Broadway Takes Its Final Bow
August 24 marked the 2-year-old show’s last performance on the Great White Way. But in October, a 25-city North American tour launches with stops planned for Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Miami, and more. The show opened on Broadway in March 2012 and earned Tony® Awards for its score and choreography. Check newsiesthemusical.com for more tour information or to purchase tickets for the show’s remaining Broadway performances.
Villains’ Sinister Soiree Provides Sweet Ending to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Guests planning on enjoying Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party have one more Halloween-themed event in which to indulge. Guests who purchase tickets to the Villains’ Sinister Soiree: A Wicked Takeover of Cinderella Castle will attend a new dessert party, set within the magical halls of Cinderella’s Royal Table, where guests can mingle with a mix of malevolent special guests, listen to live music, and indulge in decadent desserts and specialty non-alcoholic beverages. Guests who purchase a ticket to both Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and the Villains’ Sinister Soiree will receive preferred viewing for the 8:15 p.m. performance of Mickey’s “Boo-too-You” Halloween Parade and preferred viewing for the Happy HalloWishes Fireworks Spectacular. Tickets for the Villains’ Sinister Soiree are $99 for ages 3 and over, plus tax (gratuity included), and may only be reserved by calling (407) 939-5262. There are no online reservations for this event.
Bring On the Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition) Toy Box
Disney Interactive has announced many of the new characters that will be available in the 2.0 Edition of Disney Infinity, and you’ll be able to bring those favorite characters together in the 2.0 Edition Toy Box. Check out the trailer above to see some of the 2.0 Edition Toy Box’s features—the Toy Box is bigger and better than before, with new toys, improved on-boarding, and updated online services. Play without limits!
Phineas and Ferb Are Getting Lost
The Emmy Award®-winning series Phineas and Ferb will pay tribute to ABC’s hit series Lost with a special episode that premieres Monday, September 29 on Disney XD. The special episode, “Lost in Danville,” features a story by Lost co-creator and writer Damon Lindelof and guest stars Terry O’Quinn, known to Lost fans as the series’ John Locke. In the episode, a mysterious locked capsule falls into Phineas and Ferb’s backyard and they struggle to open it, only to discover they have unleashed something they cannot control. Meanwhile, Perry learns that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has been abducted and tracks him to Seattle, where another evil scientist, Professor Mystery, has his own sinister plan. Actors Jane Kaczmarek and Rob Morrow guest star, voicing capsule inhabitants Denise and Bernie.
Star Wars: Commander Now Available For iOS
Star Wars: Commander, the new free-to-play combat strategy game from Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm lets you crush the rebellion or restore freedom to the galaxy, using a full array of vehicles, weapons, and technology from the Star Wars universe. Players who rally to the Rebellion will call upon iconic heroes such as Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia to support missions for justice and freedom, while leaders of the Imperial forces will command AT-ATs, TIE fighters, and Stormtroopers to gain control of the galaxy. Star Wars: Commander also offers an original Star Wars storyline set within the Galactic Civil War of Episodes IV–VI, where “commanders” determine whether it’s the Empire’s strength and relentlessness or the Rebellion’s heroism and resourcefulness that will win the war. Players can join the battle for control of the galaxy on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch by downloading the game from the Apple App Store.
Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved Bonus Tracks
From now through October 20, 2014, fans who pre-order Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved from participating retailers will receive a free three-song bundle of game tracks, including “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen performed by Demi Lovato. “Counting Stars” from the pop rock band OneRepublic and “Lay Me Down” by AVICII round out the bonus trio of tracks. The musical motion video game, inspired by the classic animated film Fantasia, will be available for purchase on October 21, 2014.
Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Available Soon from Disney Store
The Disney Fairytale Designer Collection will feature apparel, accessories, and home items, and is focused on five iconic Disney Princesses and their leading men: Tiana and Naveen, Pocahontas and John Smith, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Mulan and Li Shang, and Aurora and Prince Phillip. Items from the collection will be available online and in select North American stores beginning September 2, but Disney Store announced this week that an online-exclusive set that includes all five couples will be available for pre-order through DisneyStore.com on Tuesday, September 2, for $649.75—to be delivered the week of October 21. This will be the only way to guarantee a purchase of all five couples, and is only available to North American guests. Each Limited Edition Doll Set features exquisite detailing and is presented in a special keepsake display case with intricate details on the base, including a golden plate with the name of the specific Disney Princess and her partner. The individual doll sets are limited to a global edition of 6,000 each and retail for $129.95 US. One new couple will become available for purchase every week. Tiana and Naveen will be the first to be released, in stores September 23 and online September 24. Check The Official Disney Store Blog for release dates for the other doll sets, as well as European release information.
Tsum-thing New
A new collection of Tsum Tsum plush stackable toys made its debut last week with Disney Store’s launch of the Alice in Wonderland collection. The new collection includes Alice, White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, and their Majesties the Queen and King of Hearts in the mini size; and are available at Disney Store and DisneyStore.com. The initial set of Tsum Tsum characters were introduced in July.
Club Penguin Gets Even Cooler
From now through September 3, Club Penguin is bringing the magic of Disney’s Frozen to Club Penguin Island. During the Frozen Party, members can dress up like their favorite characters from the film, and will start the party by searching for Elsa’s magic snowflakes that are hidden around the island. Once members complete the snowflake quest, they will earn the ability to transform into Olaf or Marshmallow and freeze objects around the island. While players are searching for the snowflakes, Elsa will construct her Ice Palace on Club Penguin Island for players to explore. Once the Ice Palace is complete, players will be able to hear a special performance of “Let It Go” when they visit. The Frozen Party is the first party available on the Club Penguin app since it launched.
Once Upon a Time Season Four Preview
In the Fall 2014 issue of Disney twenty-three, now shipping to D23 Gold Members, D23 sat down with Once Upon a Time creators Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz to discuss their very cool plan to incorporate Frozen into the new season. But there’s much more happening in Storybrooke this fall! Here’s our D23 Member “web extra” previewing what’s to come for Snow, Charming, Hook, Regina, Emma, and the rest of the characters when the ABC hit returns September 28. Plus, get ready for a reveal that will have you reeling!
So, looking back to the end of last season, can you explain what exactly happened when the Wicked Witch disintegrated, turned into dust, got into the box with the emerald pendant, and opened the portal?
Adam: She died. She turned into some kind of dust and disappeared because of her magical nature. What happened was, the pendant—which had her magic in it—was triggered at the moment of her death and opened the portal. That wasn’t Zelena in smoke form coming out—it was the magic that we had seen that was absorbed into the pendant Glinda gave her. The pendant became the source of Zelena’s power. Regina removed it and put it into her vault. And at the moment of her death, that triggered the portal opening.
Eddy: Of course, “death” is a relative term.
Emma has finally opened—to her family and to Hook—how do you see their relationships evolving?
Eddy: One of the big themes that tied Never Land and the Wicked Witch together is that happy endings aren’t what we think they are. They are something you have to fight for every day. Now it seems like Emma has found her home and she’s happy where she is. Rumple is married to Belle and that seems to be his happy ending. Snow and Charming have a child and they now share one heart. The question is, what happens next? For us, it’s continuing to evolve the characters—especially with Regina. We left her in a really tough spot. People immediately thought she would go “crazy evil.” For us, that’s what’s interesting—now that we’ve done 66 episodes, how does Regina react? We know how she would have reacted in season one. How does she react in season four? We want to honor that and deepen the characters and create some fun mystery along the way.
Do you think it will be difficult for Hook to see a “little Prince Neal” running around as a constant reminder of Neal and Emma’s relationship?
Adam: I think Hook ultimately recognizes Neal for the hero that he was. And because of that, hearing the name and seeing him carried on in a new generation—he sees that as a good thing.
Eddy: He’s far too confident to be worried about other people.
For a while, David and Mary Margaret were arguing about whether to stay in Storybrooke or go back to the Enchanted Forest. Will that arise again?
**To find out what Eddy and Adam had to say—plus which other characters will be making surprising arrivals in Storybrooke, more on Elizabeth Mitchell’s mysterious character, and a Disney “icon” that will be showing up, log in to D23.com and read the full article. If you’re not already a member, join for free today.**
Revisiting River Country
June 20, 1976, marked the opening of River Country, the first water park at Walt Disney World Resort.
In the 25 years that followed, approximately 4,000 guests would arrive daily to splash, soak, and sun at the park until its closing in September 2001.
Let’s take a look at some documents and images from a bygone, hootin’, hollerin’ fan-favorite spot near Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
With the continued popularity of activities at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, and the added success of River Country, additional (and ultimately unrealized) expansion projects for Fort Wilderness were considered. Ideas swirled about possible additions to the property including the creation of a rustic “fun house” and growing the resort past the water park.
If you’re curious to see for yourself the kind of “fun in the sun” that was once had on the shores of Bay Lake, check out this brief clip from 1977’s The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World when The New Mickey Mouse Club paid a visit to River Country—the old swimmin’ hole!