By Jim Fanning Hello there, you kooky people, you! Are you in for a treat! 60 years ago—on September 24, 1961—the egotistical, erudite, eccentric professor Ludwig Von Drake made his debut on the premiere episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. The only major animated character Walt created especially for television, Professor Von Drake …
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By Beth Deitchman Cue the light(ning) and prepare for some truly fab-boo-lous news. This fall, the Haunted Mansion and its happy haunts will welcome some new visitors: The Muppets. Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn have just announced the Muppets’ first-ever Halloween special, Muppets Haunted Mansion, which will debut this fall exclusively on Disney+. Gonzo …
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By the D23 Team We’ve been counting down the days, and it’s almost here—starting April 30, Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure will reopen their gates to all the magic and adventure we know and love. California residents with valid theme park admission and reservations will be able to once again enjoy their favorite attractions, …
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By Courtney Potter Concept Model for Tokyo DisneySea’s New Themed Port Unveiled Fantastical news from our friends at Tokyo Disneyland Resort: They’ve just unveiled a truly amazing concept model for Fantasy Springs, the new themed port opening at Tokyo DisneySea Park in 2023. This will be the eighth themed port in Tokyo DisneySea, and the …
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By Jocelyn Buhlman Spring has sprung, and the urge to redecorate has possessed many of us who have grown a little too used to our usual haunts. Who hasn’t been seized by the urge to hang some new paintings or replant a garden? The spirit of home improvement isn’t limited to just the living—our ghoulishly …
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Original Story by: Ken Anderson Compiled and Edited By: Amy Opoka, Walt Disney Archives In early 1957, Walt Disney asked Imagineer and story artist Ken Anderson to come up with a haunted house experience for Disneyland. Ken conceived multiple early concepts for what would become the Haunted Mansion attraction, and pitched them to Walt Disney. …
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By the D23 Team During the Halloween season, Disney fans love watching and rewatching some of their favorite ghoulishly delightful films—but how well do you actually know these scary good classics? We’ve rounded up frightfully fun batch of trivia about characters from “regions beyond” to put your ghostly genius to the test. Do you feel …
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By Kimi Thompson, Walt Disney Archives When the Haunted Mansion was being developed for Disneyland, Walt Disney asked Imagineer X Atencio to help develop the storyline for the attraction. He even wrote the now-famous lyrics to the iconic theme song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” As a fun homage to the Imagineers who helped create the Haunted …
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By Savannah Salazar Season’s screamings! Holiday cheer is in the air, and spirits are high, especially at Haunted Mansion Holiday—where the Pumpkin King Jack Skellington and company have gathered for their yearly haunt. Inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, the classic attraction, which is celebrating a “Mostly Ghostly” 50th anniversary this year, gets …
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By D23 Team As we eagerly prepare for our “Mostly Ghostly” Halloween celebrations, let’s take a look at the ultimate supernatural soirée of silly spooks that’s been waltzing inside Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion for 50 years. Who knew the hereafter could be so much fun? After five decades of playful ghosts—just one shy of a thousand!—swinging …
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By Charles Price Trader Sam’s Halloween Tiki Mugs have grown in popularity every Halloween Season at the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort since the first “Mahaloween” in 2014. Creating these fun and detailed tiki mugs is a collaborative process. Here, we explore that process with two Cast Members on the Disneyland Creative Design …
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By Jim Frye Shhhh. In the quiet of night and under a pale-white moon, if you listen closely outside the gates of the grand, stately mansion in New Orleans Square on the banks of Disneyland’s Rivers of America, you might just hear some “goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween” throwing a party. Of course, they’re …
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By Zach Johnson Ever since the Haunted Mansion first opened its creaking doors at Disneyland park on August 9, 1969, guys and ghouls of all ages have been bewildered by the mysterious manor and its 999 happy haunts. In celebration of the attraction’s 50th anniversary, we’ve uncovered a few Easter eggs we’ve been just dying …
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By Jocelyn Buhlman Many Disney fans count themselves as ghostly geniuses when it comes to Haunted Mansion facts—after all, with such a storied history and with so many hidden details to find, learning about the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland is a guaranteed ghoulish good time for everyone. One thing in particular that has entranced fans …
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by Karina Schink This year’s D23 Expo Design Challenge celebrates the Haunted Mansion’s 50th anniversary. We welcomed all foolish mortals to enter the challenge, and 23 made it through to the final judging (and you’ll be able to view all of them at D23 Expo 2019!). Now, please drag your cursor to the dead center …
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By Nicole Nalty There’s so much to appreciate when it comes to a Disney Parks attraction––incredible technology, seamless storytelling, favorite characters that come to life before your eyes… but we’d like to take a moment, as self-proclaimed pun masters, to appreciate the whimsical wordsmithing that you’ll find during a visit to a Disney park. Whether …
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By D23 Team With Halloween just around the corner, stories of haunted houses and creepy fun abound, especially throughout the worlds of Disney! Whether it’s Jack Skellington’s makeover of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, or a Cars Land “Haul-O-ween” at Disney California Adventure, …
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By Courtney Potter Catch a glimpse of the next chapter in the Star Wars saga, and read up on the all-new soundtrack for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure… See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs! Stop Everything—The New Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer Just Landed! Unless you want to …
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By Courtney Potter The “dog days of summer” are here—and while we love to have fun in the sun as much as the next person, there are times when we need to take a refreshing break. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of ways to stay cool inside Disney Parks. (In fact, our pals over at the …
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By Jocelyn Buhlman Did Walt design the Animation building to secretly be a hospital? And WHO is that mustachioed singing bust inside the Haunted Mansion? D23 investigated the most famous Disney myths and has the surprising truths every Disney fanatic should know. MYTH: Walt Disney personally said, “If you can dream it, you can do …
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By Jocelyn Buhlman Today at 2:00:00 a.m. all the clocks turned forward an hour, so if you’ve been running late or are just plain confused, now you know why! You better make sure to spring your clocks forward, or, if you still need some help with the time, why not look to these famous clocks …
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By Jocelyn Buhlman You can always count on spotting some significant numbers throughout the worlds of Disney—we all know, for example, that the “23” in D23 is taken from the year 1923, when Walt Disney first arrived in Los Angeles and founded what is now The Walt Disney Company. The rich history of Disneyland has …
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By Jim Fanning Looking to see your shadow today? Or do you leave that to Punxsutawney Phil, the celebrated groundhog who retreats back to bed for six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow but promises an early spring if he doesn’t. Shadows have been part of Disney animation almost from the start, …
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By Becky Cline Legendary mechanical effects man Robert A. Mattey Jr. began his Hollywood career in the late 1920s, while visiting his father, a costume jeweler who created the faux coins used in the 1927 epic film The King of Kings. The 16-year-old Bob was fascinated by the production process, and was hooked for life. …
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By Justin Arthur Each Halloween, all manner of ghosts and ghouls assemble at The Walt Disney Studios lot for a spooktacular soiree, but this year, something new has materialized. For the first time, the Walt Disney Archives is presenting an immersive Halloween-themed exhibit exclusively for employees of The Walt Disney Company and their “loved ones.” …
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This story is excerpted from a piece originally published in the Fall 2009 issue of Disney twenty-three. If you like what you read, become a D23 Gold Member to receive the Disney twenty-three quarterly publication for more fascinating stories about all the worlds of Disney. By Ed Squair To this day, more than four decades …
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By Jocelyn Buhlman When hinges creek in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls… That is the time when you are at Disney Parks, prepared to experience Disney’s eeriest attractions with ghoulish delight. If you want your Halloween chills and thrills to have that special Disney magic to them, look no …
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By Beth Deitchman For the 999 Happy Haunts of Disneyland Park’s Haunted Mansion, the spooky season is always in high gear. But most of us don’t kick into full ghost-and-goblin mode until October—and Disney XD has given us something to shriek about this morning. They’ve teamed up with Walt Disney Imagineering and the renowned stop-motion …
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By Courtney Potter Trick or Treat: New Frightfully Fun Parade Coming to Disneyland Park There’s something special brewing for this year’s Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Park! The all-new Frightfully Fun Parade will offer all manner of thrills and chills, featuring a bevy of spooky spirits from deep in the New Orleans Bayou, the kooky …
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By D23 Team On July 24, 1966, Walt Disney opened the first major new land to Disneyland since its debut in 1955. Since then, New Orleans Square has become home to fan-favorite attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, delicious eats (Mickey beignets and a mint julep, anyone?), and an amazing atmosphere, from …
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