Universal Studios Hollywood Introduces "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter"

Bringing the Most Anticipated Global Phenomenon to California in an

Authentic Entertainment Experience, Beginning Spring 2016

"Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" Attraction,

Located within Land's HogwartsCastle, Makes West Coast Debut in

Hyper-Realistic 3D-HD with Guests Wearing Quidditch-InspiredGoggles

Hollywood, CA, June 2, 2015-The countdown to "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter^TM" begins today as Universal Studios Hollywood^SM  announces the Spring 2016 arrival of the West Coast's most anticipated entertainment experience and the introduction of the land's signature attraction, "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" in hyper-realistic 3D-HD.

More than five years in the making, and inspired by J. K. Rowling's compelling stories and characters and the Warner Bros. films, "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" at Universal Studios Hollywood will bring guests the same authenticity and storytelling found at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan and is expected to attract Harry Potter fans and visitors from all over the globe for decades to come.

Visitors will be swept into a fully immersive themed land that brings the Harry Potter fiction and films to life with impeccable detail and precision. "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" will be faithful to the visual landscape of the fiction and films, including Hogwarts castle which will serve as its iconic focal point.

"Harry Potter is an exhilarating multi-generational global phenomenon that has captivated the world's attention across every one of its mediums, from books and movies to exhilarating theme park adventures," said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood.  "With its imminent arrival to The Entertainment Capital of L.A., Universal Studios Hollywood is thrilled to bring our guests a new, compelling experience of 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' as we embark on this next chapter in our storied history."

"The momentum behind J.K. Rowling's wizarding world is as strong as ever and we are incredibly excited to bring Hogwarts to Hollywood," said Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "Fans around the world have experienced the magic at 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' in Orlando and Osaka and we look forward to continued success with our partners at Universal Studios Hollywood as we offer more fans a chance to step into this immersive environment."

Like its counterparts, Hogwarts castle will sit at the heart of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" where the land's signature ride, "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey^TM" will take guests on a journey into many memorable scenes alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione. Traveling by Floo powder, guests will soar high above Hogwarts, partake in a Quidditch match, narrowly escape a dragon attack and have a close encounter with the Whomping Willow.

"Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" is an achievement in pioneering theme park ride technology featuring a groundbreaking robotics ride system, fused with elaborate filmed action sequences and immersive visceral effects.  Sporting Quidditch-inspired 3D goggles, guests will venture through journeys experienced by Harry and his friends, spiraling and pivoting 360-degrees along an elevated ride track on a whirlwind adventure of a lifetime.

At Universal Studios Hollywood, "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" will make its U.S. debut as a dynamic 3D-HD adventure designed to further immerse guests in an already captivating storyline.

Also within "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," the enchanting family coaster, "Flight of the Hippogriff" will debut as Universal Studios Hollywood's first outdoor coaster.

"The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" will resonate with immense detail, inviting guests to revel in Harry Potter's epicurean world with the opportunity to enjoy authentic food and beverage at multiple locations, including: Three Broomsticks^TM, and Hog's Head pub, as well the Magic Neep and Butterbeer^TM carts.

A foray through the shops will add to the authenticity of the land with eight retail shops and locations, including Honeydukes^TM, Ollivanders^TM, Owl Post^TM, Zonko's^TM Joke Shop, Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, Dervish and Banges, Gladrags Wizardwear and Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods^TM.

As excitement builds for the Spring 2016 arrival of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," in-park guests at Universal Studios Hollywood will be able to experience and purchase authentic merchandise, including wands, robes and other collectibles from "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," available within the Features Presentation shop, located just inside Universal Studios Hollywood's main entry.

The Live Concert Event Is the Highlight of Disney Music Emporium's EXPO Activities August 14-16, Which Include Music Product, Album Signings, and a Pre-Order for The Silly Symphony Collection

BURBANK, CA - June 2, 2015 - D23 EXPO 2015 will feature the world premiere of Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration-a live concert performance featuring a 32-piece orchestra celebrating the Silly Symphony animated short films and their accompanying music, hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin. Fans will delight in watching selected Silly Symphony shorts from Disney's archives while the music is performed live in synchronization with the picture, presented using high-quality, newly restored digital film masters. The music will be performed as it would have been recorded during those historic days at the Disney Studios on Hyperion Avenue in the 1920s and '30s. This very special concert event will showcase the music of the Three Little Pigs, The Old Mill and many other classics. To ensure as many guests are able to see the concert as possible, two 70-minute presentations will take place on Sunday, August 16, one at 11 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m. in Stage 23.

For the first time ever, Disney Music Emporium, the online destination for collectible Disney music products, is creating a pop-up store on the show floor of D23 EXPO 2015. Over the three-day Ultimate Disney Fan Event, the Emporium will feature album signings by composers and Grammy®-winning Disney music producers. Limited quantities of a wide assortment of music products, including Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels vinyl, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Master Score music sheet book, picture disc vinyl, plus lithographs and posters will also be available. Additionally, visitors to the Disney Music Emporium will be able to pre-order the long-awaited TheSilly Symphony Collection box set, featuring the complete restored soundtracks from all 75 Silly Symphony shorts from 1929-1939, with over eight hours of music on 16 vinyl LPs.  

• For more information on The Silly Symphony Collection and Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration, please visit: http://waltdisneyrecords.com/d23expo/sillysymphonies.html

• The Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection CDs, including The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Fantasia,Pinocchio, and Disneyland, will be available in the Emporium. A limited quantity of lithographs for each title featuring the back cover artwork designed by Lorelay Bove (Visual Development Artist, Walt Disney Animation Studios) will be a gift with purchase.  For more information on theWalt Disney Records The Legacy Collection, please visit:http://waltdisneyrecords.com/d23expo/legacycollection.html

• With the purchase of select music products at the Disney Music Emporium, guests will be issued a wristband to secure a space for an album signing. For a list of album signings and artist appearances at the Pavilion, please visit:  http://waltdisneyrecords.com/d23expo/signings.html

Disney Music Group is home to Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Disney Music Publishing, and DMG Nashville.  The labels' genre-spanning rosters include Demi Lovato, ZZ Ward, R5, Grace Potter, Zella Day, Breaking Benjamin, Bea Miller, Sabrina Carpenter, Joywave, Olivia Holt, Jordan Fisher, Fairfax Recordings, and more.  DMG also releases family music and film and television soundtracks such as the Oscar® and Grammy-winning "Frozen" soundtrack, the Grammy-nominated soundtracks for "Guardians of the Galaxy," the Aladdin Original Broadway Cast Recording, and "Saving Mr. Banks," as well as upcoming soundtracks for "Teen Beach 2," "The Descendants," "Ant-Man," and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."  DMG also releases the Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection, a series celebrating the anniversaries of Disney's most cherished and classic films. 

Honoring the continuing legacy of the Disney music catalog, Walt Disney Records' recently launched site, Disney Music Emporium (DME), is a destination for collectible Disney music products that also features monthly columns by guest writers, a News tab for fun Disney facts, plus videos that exclusively debut on DME including behind-the-scenes of beloved soundtracks, The Lost Chords, and more. 

Given that Disneyland Park kicked off its 60th anniversary celebration last month, I thought it might be fun to take a look at some aspects of the Happiest Place on Earth that didn't make it off the drawing boarding. Take -- for example -- the Mickey Mouse Club.

1953 site plan for Disneyland Park, showing Walt originally envisioned all of
the "lands"  at his theme park being placed. Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

According to the "Inside Disneyland" document that Roy made available to various television executives back in September of 1953 as Walt's brother tried to persuade CBS, NBC and ABC to come underwrite the cost of building the world's first theme park ...

Herb Ryman's drawing of Disneyland's Treasure Island and the giant hollow tree
that was to have served as Mickey Mouse Club headquarters. Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"Mickey Mouse, the best known personality in the world has his MICKEY MOUSE CLUB headquarters in Disneyland. Located on Treasure Island, in the middle of the (Rivers of America), a fantastic hollow tree and treehouse serves at the Club Meeting place. The hollow tree is several stories high, with interesting rooms and lookout spots for club members. There is a Pirate cove and buried treasure on the Island ... and direct from this location the Club presents THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB TELEVISION SHOW."

The cast of the Mickey Mouse Club marches up Main Street, U.S.A. as part of
Disneyland's opening day parade. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

And as the above photo demonstrates, while the Mouseketeers were on hand for Disneyland's grand opening on July 17, 1955, they didn't actually shoot the "Mickey Mouse Club" TV inside the Park. Not on a regular basis, that is. More to the point, when the island in the middle of the Rivers of America became a place that Disneyland Guests could actually visit in June of 1956, it wasn't called Treasure Island. But -- rather -- Tom Sawyer Island.

Explorer's Map for Tom Sawyer Island. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Meanwhile over between Fantasyland and what was then known as "The World of Tomorrow," Walt wanted to build Lilliputian Land. Which -- according to this project's description -- was supposed to have been " ... A Land of Little Things."

Site plan for Lilliputian Land at Disneyland Park. Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

This proposed Disneyland "land" was to have featured " ... a miniature Americana village inhabited by mechanical people nine inches high who sing and dance and talk to you as you peek through the windows of their tiny ships and homes."

The little mechanical figure at the heart of Walt's
"Dancing Man" project. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"And how exactly was Walt going to pull off that effect?," you ask. Well, this is an aspect of Disneyland that Walt devoted a lot of time to in the late 1940s / early 1950s. He even brought in Buddy Ebsen to choreograph a simple eccentric dance that these tiny mechanical figures could possibly perform.

Walt helps Buddy rehearse. Please note the mirror & grid pattern behind Mr.
Ebsen. This was to help WED personnel help replicate Buddy's distinctive
dance moves when it finally came time to program this tiny mechanical
figure. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

In the end, the technology just wasn't there in the late 1940s / early 1950s to properly program these tiny mechanical figures. But on the other hand, there were aspects of Lilliputian Land that were very doable 60+ years ago. These included " ... an Erie Canal barge (boat ride) that takes you through the famous canal boats of the world, where you visit the scenic wonders of the world in miniature."

Please note the tiny canal boats that's about to pass under that railroad bridge
in the center left of the above piece of concept art. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Perhaps the thing that would have been easiest for Walt to pull off at Disneyland Park had he actually gone ahead with construction of Lilliputian Land would have been that " ... little diamond-stack locomotive 17 inches high (which) steams into a tiny railroad station. You sit atop of a Pullman coaches like Gulliver, and the little 9 engineer pulls back the throttle taking you on the biggest little-ride in the land."

Herb Ryman's rough sketch of a handful of Disneyland Guests riding a 17-inch
high  locomotive through Lilliputian Land. Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

For those of you who know your Disney family history, this miniature railroad that Walt wanted to build at Disneyland sounds a lot like the teeny-tiny steam train that he used to operate in the backyard of his Holmby Hills home.

Walt takes his daughters Diane & Sharon (plus some lucky Guests) rolling past
Lily's flower beds. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

As I understand it, it was the one-two punch of these miniature trains having an understandably low hourly ride capacity as well as Disney's lawyer being afraid that some child being scalded by live steam that ultimately prevented this particular ride from being installed at Disneyland.

Fantasyland's "Canal Boats of the World" ride floats past bare dirt banks
on Disneyland's opening day. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Ironically, one aspect of Lilliputian Land did actually make it through to Disneyland's Opening Day. Sadly, the "Canal Boats of the World" ride ultimately proved to be one of the least popular attractions at the Happiest Place on Earth. Which is why -- as part of a $2 million expansion of Disneyland Park -- the "Canal Boats" were closed down in January of 1956. And after six months of toil & effort, this Fantasyland attraction re-opened as ...

Disneyland postcard from the late 1950s shows Storybook Land Canal Boats
in all their glory. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

... the Storybook Land Canal Boats ride. Mind you, if it were up to me, I would have abandoned the "Canal Boat" idea entirely and -- instead -- gone ahead with the restaurant ideas that Walt had come up with for Lilliputian Land. Where "little people with little appetites" would have been able to " ... get miniature ice-cream comes" ...

... " ... or the world's smallest hot-dog on a tiny bun."

But what do you folks think? Would you have preferred it if -- 60+ years ago -- Walt had actually found a way to get Mickey Mouse Club / Treasure Island and/or Lilliputian Land built at Disneyland Park?

Your thoughts?

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

DISNEY ON BROADWAY'S "THE ORIGINALS"

FEATURING STARS FROM BROADWAY'S MARY POPPINS, TARZAN AND ALADDIN.

BURBANK, Calif. - June 4, 2015 - Following the incredibly warm and rousing reception from D23 EXPO fans in 2013, Disney Theatrical Productions is thrilled to announce a new concert presented exclusively for this year's D23 EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center entitledDisney on Broadway's "THE ORIGINALS."  In anticipation of high fan-demand, two performances of the concert will be presented on Saturday, August 15^th at 11am and at 2pm in Stage 23. 

Disney on Broadway's "THE ORIGINALS" stars Broadway's original "Mary Poppins" (Ashley Brown), "Tarzan" (Josh Strickland) and "Genie" (James Monroe Iglehart) from Aladdin.  The "originals" will entertain and delight D23 EXPO attendees by performing favorite musical highlights from the Disney on Broadway catalogue.   Tony Award®-winner James Monroe Iglehart will also serve as host for this 70-minute, live performance that features a five-piece band of Broadway's best musicians with special behind-the-scenes videos and interviews that promise to enthrall Disney on Broadway fans of all ages.

Ashley Brown originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress.  Ms. Brown also starred as Mary Poppins in the national tour of Mary Poppins where she garnered a Garland award for "Best Performance in a Musical". Ms. Brown's other Broadway credits include Belle inBeauty and the Beast, and she has starred in the national tour of Disney's On The Record.  Ms. Brown recently returned to critical acclaim starring in the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production ofOklahoma.   She previously played Magnolia opposite Nathan Gunn in Francesca Zembello'sShow Boat at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Ms. Brown has performed with virtually all of the top orchestras in North America including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at Disney Hall, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall (four times), the Cincinnati Pops and the Philadelphia Orchestra (two times). Ashley starred in The Sound of Music at the St. Louis MUNY which garnered her a Kevin Kline award and her own PBS special called "Ashley Brown: Call Me Irresponsible" which received a PBS Telly Award.  Other television credits include NBC's The Sound of Music.  Ms. Brown's long-awaited album of Broadway and American Songbook standards is available on Ghostlight/Sony. Ashley is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

Josh Strickland is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. In 2006, Strickland created the leading role of Tarzan in Disney's Tarzan on Broadway. In 2009, he made his starring Las Vegas debut in PEEPSHOW at Planet Hollywood Casino & Resort while concurrently co-starring in the hit E! reality show Holly's World. Strickland debuted his first single "Report to the Floor", which skyrocketed to the top five on the iTunes Dance Charts the first week of its release, followed by "Last Dance". Mr. Strickland is currently starring in Vegas! the Show at the Planet Hollywood Casino & Resort in Las Vegas.

James Monroe Iglehart won a 2014 Tony Award® for his performance in Aladdin. He originated the role of Bobby in the Tony-winning musical Memphis. Other NYC: The 25th Annual...Spelling Bee and The Wiz. Film/TV: "Gotham", "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt", "The Good Wife" and "The Electric Company" (the Silent E Soloist). James is a member of the hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme. His greatest gift is his wife, Dawn. This is an absolute blessing - a real-life wish come true!

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

Given that Disney Theatrical has a "Frozen" musical in the worksAND Walt Disney Animation Studios is already working on "Frozen 2"ANDa "Frozen" ride will be opening at Epcot early next year, it's easy nowadays to forget that there was actually a CG Disney Princess which preceded Anna & Elsa. And that's Rapunzel of "Tangled" fame.

In fact, to hear some Disney insiders talk, if "Tangled" hadn't been as successful as it was when this WDAS production hit theaters back in November of 2010 (This Nathan Greno / Bryon Howard film would eventually earn $200 million domestically and more than $593 million worldwide), there never would have been a "Frozen."

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Well, while the $1.27 billion worth of tickets that Anna & Elsa sold has long since thrown Rapunzel's bountiful box office success into eclipse, Disney execs haven't forgotten about this long haired heroine. In fact, over the past 5 years, they've done everything that that they could to keep "Tangled" and its characters out there in the spotlight.

These efforts included "Tangled Ever After" (i.e., the 2012 animated short that detailed what happened at Rapunzel & Flynn Rider's wedding), that 16-foot-high stone sculpture which pays tribute to Rapunzel's tower which was erected in Disneyland Park's new Fantasy Faire area back in 2013,  not to mention that 29 foot-long "Tangled" -themed unit which began rolling through WDW's Magic Kingdom back in 2014 as part of that theme park's new "Festival of Fantasy" parade.

Virtually every arm of The Walt Disney Company has been involved in this keep-Rapunzel-front-of-mind effort. Take -- for example -- how Disney Interactive made this frying-pan-wielding female a playable character in their Disney Infinity game. Or how -- starting this November -- the Disney Cruise Line will begin presenting "Tangled: The Musical" aboard the Disney Magic.

Rapunzel as she appeared in last year's Disney Junior special movie event,
"The Curse of Princess Ivy." Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved 

But of all of the arms of the Mouse House, it's the Disney Channel that's decided it most wants to be in the Rapunzel business. Which is why -- on the heels of the great ratings that "Sofia the First: The Curse of Princess Ivy" got last November (This Disney Junior special movie event was the No. 1 primetime telecast for preschoolers last year, pulling in 4.7 million viewers) -- they've decided to put a "Tangled" animated series into production.

Of course, understanding that Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi's quirky vocal performances as Rapunzel & Flynn Rider were one of the main reasons that audiences embraced "Tangled" in the first place, Disney Television Animation has persuaded these two popular performers to come reprise their roles on this new animated series. Likewise -- given that the songs that Alan Menken& Glenn Slater crafted for this Academy Award-nominated production also played a huge part in "Tangled" 's continued success -- the Disney Channel knew that these two had to be part of this project as well. Which is why Menken & Slater have begun writing new songs for this eagerly anticipated series (which will begin airing on Disney Channels worldwide in 2017).

Mind you, the Disney Channel made sure that Menken, Moore, Levi, and Slater were being backed up by top talent as they began working on this new animated series. Which is why Disney Television Animation tapped Chris Sonnenburg (who's probably best known for his work on Disney's "Enchanted") and Shane Prigmore (who helped shepherd  last year's surprise smash, "The Lego Movie," into theaters) to be the co-executive producers of this TV program.

Eugene and Rapunzel as they'll appear in the
Disney Channel's new "Tangled" animated
series. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved 

As part of today's official announcement of Disney Television Animation's "Tangled" series, Gary Marsh -- President and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Channels Worldwide -- was quick to praise the talented team that has come together to make this new TV show possible.

"The genius of the original movie was its seamless blending of cinematic adventure, character-driven comedy and touching emotion," Marsh explained. "And we are fortunate to have several of the creative talent from that movie on board with this new production.  With the addition of Chris and Shane as Executive Producers, we have the perfect team in place to create a series worthy of the original film."

As for the show itself, the creative team behind Disney Television Animation's "Tangled" series (which includes celebrated artist Claire Keane, the daughter of Disney Legend Glen Keane who was animation supervisor on the original "Tangled" movie) has decided to set this new TV show in that period which falls between the end of the 2010 full-length animated feature and the opening of Disney's 2012 animated short, "Tangled Ever After."

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

To be specific, "Tangled" the animated series unfolds as Rapunzel acquaints herself with her parents, her kingdom and the people of Corona. Her irrepressible spirit and natural curiosity about the world drives Rapunzel to the realization that there is so much more she needs to learn before she can truly accept her royal destiny. So Rapunzel boldly puts her crown and impending marriage on hold to seek out epic adventures. Much to the dismay of the King who -- after missing out on Rapunzel's youth -- must accept that his daughter is now an independent young woman.

Accompanying Rapunzel on her journey will be Eugene (AKA her fiancé Flynn Rider); her plucky chameleon sidekick, Pascal; the no-nonsense horse, Maximus; the Snuggly Duckling Pub Thugs; and newcomer Cassandra, a tough-as-nails handmaiden who becomes Rapunzel's confidant.

Just so you know: The "Tangled" animated series follows in the footsteps of 2014's "The 7D" (which brought a radically reimagined Seven Dwarfs to the small screen) and 2016's "The Lion Guard" (The upcoming Disney Junior show which continues the story of "The Lion King" by placing Simba's son Kion in charge of protecting the Pride Lands) in that it expands the reach / extends the life of some of The Walt Disney Company's most valuable characters & franchises by reinventing them for television.

Simba's son Kion gets ready to pounce in "The Lion Guard," which will debut
as a series on Disney Junior starting in 2016. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved 

And if you're a "Tangled" fan and 2017 is just too long to wait to for the further adventures of Rapunzel & Flynn Rider ... Well, I guess that you could make your way to the Disneyland Resort this summer. Where the characters & music from "Tangled" are prominently featured in all three of the new nighttime shows that debuted last month as part of the Happiest Place on Earth's Diamond Celebration (AKA Disneyland's 60th anniversary celebration).

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Given that the highly anticipated "Iron Man Experience" won't actually open at Hong Kong Disneyland'til the Fall of 2016 ...

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

... I thought that it might be interesting to look back at how the Marvel movies and characters first began filtering into the Disney theme parks and resort. Because it didn't happen overnight, folks. Though The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in the latter part of 2009, it wasn't 'til the Spring of 2012 that that Marvel's "The Avengers" -themed monorail began rolling around the WDW Resort.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

West Coast Marvel fans had to wait 'til April of 2013 before that "Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries" exhibit opened at Disneyland's Innoventions.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

The Disney Magic got a bit more Marvel-ous in October of that same year when Captain America began greeting DCL passengers in Marvel's Avenger Academy.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

The very next month, the "Thor: Treasures of Asgard" exhibit opened at Disneyland Park's Innoventions.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Five months later, the God of Thunder was joined by the First Avenger at the Happiest Place on Earth. Meanwhile at Disneyland Paris, that same month (i.e., April 2014) Spider-Man began doing meet-n-greets at Walt Disney Studios Park.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

And speaking of Spider-Man, I came across a fascinating bit of Disney-related trivia as I was paging through the hardcover version of "Figment" (Marvel, May 2015).

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

The back pages of this Disney Kingdoms book feature some early concept art for Epcot's "Journey into Imagination" attraction. These include Andy Gaskill's first attempt to get a handle on what the Dreamfinder & Figment should look like.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

But the piece of concept art that genuinely fascinated me was this piece by Andy which showed the Literature section of this Future World attraction.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

You see, if you look close, you can see where the images that Gaskill came up with ...

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

... were translated (in somewhat mutated form) into actual "Journey into Imagination" sets & set pieces.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Mind you, the Imagineers didn't exactly copy what Andy had drawn.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

But they did do a great job of capturing the spirit of Gaskill's concept art.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

And it's not just Figment you'll find if you look closely at this particular piece of concept art. The Dreamfinder's in here too ...

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

... pounding away at a creepy old organ's keyboard as he writes a mystery.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

But you know who Andy wanted to place between the Dreamfinder & Figment as a way to remind WDW Guests that not all of the great literature of our age can be found in leather-bound books? Your friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Seriously. Inbetween the Dreamfinder pounding away at that organ keyboard and Figment shifting those building blocks so that they could go from "Cat" to "Bat" and back again, Gaskill wanted to have Spidey bursting out of a comic book with a "Pow!" and a "Zap!"

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

So as you can see, if WED had had its way back in the late 1970s / early 1980s, Spider-Man would have made his Disney theme park debut more than a quarter-of-a-century before The Walt Disney Company actually bought Marvel Entertainment in late 2009.

By the way, if you like these sorts of behind-the-scenes stories, you should definitely check out the "Disney & Marvel" talk I'll be giving this Friday at Dayton Disneyana. Which is this terrific three day-long event that the Plane Crazy Chapter of the Disneyana Fan Club will be holding at the Holiday Inn Dayton/Fairborn June 12 - 14th.

Disney Legend Bill Farmer

Mind you, I won't be the only guest speaker at this event. Disney Legend Bill Farmer will also at this year's Dayton Disneyana talking about the nearly 30 years he's been voicing Goofy. Likewise Senior Character Artist Alex Maher will be meeting with Disneyana Fan Club members to talk about the work that he does with the Disney Design Group.

Senior Character Artist Alex Maher

This year's Dayton Disneyana promises to be a real treat for theme park & animation enthusiasts (And not just because I'll be giving a talk on the development of New Fantasyland at WDW's Magic Kingdom on Saturday and a look back at Disney's many versions of "Alice in Wonderland" on Sunday). So if you'd like to learn more about this three day-long event, go check out the Dayton Disneyana website. Or -- better yet -- just come on by 2800 Presidential Drive in Fairborn, Ohio this coming weekend.

Copyright Marvel / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

I promise you that you'll have a Marvel-ous time.  

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy, big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland Park (especially this summer, when the Happiest Place on Earth is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take -- for example -- Disney California Adventure Park's "World of Color: Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie. One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity 3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to get the look of this particular version of Mickey -- he's called Red Pants Mickey around here -- just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014, that one was relatively easy because ... Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"But this time around, we were being asked to design THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better part of the last century ... Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours & hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish& his team have been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black & white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse possible ... In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity 3.0.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"That -- in a lot of ways -- was actually the toughest part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the key creative conceits of  Disney Infinity is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel& Lucasfilm characters. But they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have. So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which -- to hear Jeff tell the story -- involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there for these two. Though -- truth be told -- a lot of those kind of play off the way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said. "But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to make sure -- especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity figures on display -- that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios decided -- when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose -- that they should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"And what was really great about that was -- as soon as we began showing people within the Company this pose -- everyone at Disney quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo. Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures & TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates (Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take -- for example -- all of "The Secret Life of Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. -- because they wanted "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today -- brought the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie" and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that "The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November 6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July 15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take -- for example -- how the WWE booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which -- I'm guessing -- meant that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that -- as a longtime Star Trek fan -- it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs& write-downs& projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis -- who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator -- is riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think "Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still can't believe -- especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage popped up online last year -- that Sony execs decided not to go forward with  production of Genndy Tartakovsky's "Popeye" movie.  But that's the cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when -- as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center -- the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming, sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals & signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping Disney-related products. Take -- for example -- the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt, these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners ... They were meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel& Lucasfilm brands that would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls (i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner, Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park" to theaters sometime in 2017.  

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it's a melting pot where animals from every environment live together-a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything.

But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn't so easy.

Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery.

Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia," a comedy-adventure directed by Byron Howard ("Tangled," "Bolt") and Rich Moore ("Wreck-It Ralph," "The Simpsons") and co-directed by Jared Bush ("Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero"), opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.

Like Zootopia on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DisneyZootopia
Follow @DisneyAnimation on Twitter - https://twitter.com/disneyanimation
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DISNEY CHANNEL, DISNEY XD, AND DISNEY JUNIOR STARS IN-PERSON AT DISNEY'S D23 EXPO

Star-Studded Center Stage Musical Performances by Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Holt, Bea Miller, Dove Cameron & Sofia Carson, plus Teen Beach 2 Dance Party & more

-- Fans Invited to Meet the Stars of Disney's Descendants, Teen Beach 2, Liv and Maddie, Jessie, Dog With A Blog, I Didn't Do It, Girl Meets World, K.C. Undercover, Austin & Ally, BUNK'D, and Best Friends Whenever as well as Disney XD's Lab Rats: Bionic Island, Mighty Med, Kirby Buckets, and Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything --

BURBANK and ANAHEIM, Calif. - June 9, 2015 - Fans can meet their favorite Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior stars, the biggest among a generation of kids and tweens, at D23 EXPO, the ultimate Disney fan event, FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 through SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

The schedule features "inside-the-magic" experiences including a weekend full of jam-packed Center Stage musical performances by Hollywood Records recording artists Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Holt and Radio Disney's NBT Bea Miller; a dance party with stars from the Disney Channel Original Movie Teen Beach 2; a sneak peek at Disney Junior's upcoming The Lion Guard; meet and greets with beloved characters from top-rated preschool series Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins; the premiere of an all-new Mickey Mouse cartoon short and more.
 
On FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, fans can attend a performance by Disney Channel star Olivia Holt.

On SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, Sofia the First's Ariel Winter will be a special reader during Disney Junior story time. Plus, fans can catch performances by Girl Meets World star Sabrina Carpenter, Disney's Descendants stars Dove Cameron and Sofia Carson, and Radio Disney's NBT Bea Miller. Also, popular radio personalities from Radio Disney will be on site for a Radio Disney dance party. Then, fans can join creators of hit Disney XD animation series for the New Disney Storytellers panel, which will offer a glimpse into the vision and inspiration that go into a Disney XD animated series.

On SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, younger kids and their families can start off with Disney Junior story time featuring special guest reader Loretta Devine from Doc McStuffins, and then get up and groove with Radio Disney Junior at a special dance party. Later in the day, tweens, teens, and families can catch the debut of an all-new Mickey Mouse cartoon short entitled "Wishing Well," then boogie at a Teen Beach 2 dance party, featuring stars from the movie and its choreographer, Chris Scott.

*Schedule is subject to change.

Throughout the three-day event, Radio Disney on-air personalities will be hosting electrifying Center Stage performances and events, while casts from fans' favorite Disney Channel and Disney XD series and movies will be making special appearances and signing autographs in the Disney | ABC TV Pavilion. They include fans' favorite stars from Disney Channel's Descendants, Teen Beach 2, Liv and Maddie, Jessie, Dog With A Blog, I Didn't Do It, Girl Meets World, K.C. Undercover, Austin & Ally, BUNK'D, and Best Friends Whenever as well as Disney XD's Lab Rats: Bionic Island, Mighty Med, Kirby Buckets, and Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything.

Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are available at a discounted price for a limited time. Now through June 30, 2015, tickets are $67 for one-day adult admission and $48 for children 3-12.

Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $58 for one-day adult admission and $42 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available.

D23 Members can save as much as $188 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate.

For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.

In Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along" (which is this wonderful if flawed musical about friendship & show business), there's this particular line of dialogue that talks about the importance of a properly timed exit. It states that ...

"You know what true greatness is? It's knowing when to get off."

Well, tonight -- after 126 episodes, five one-hour specials, and a Disney Channel Original movie -- "Phineas and Ferb" are heading for the exit. Not because anyone in Mouse House upper management decided to pull the pull on this Emmy Award-winning animated series. But -- rather -- because Dan Povenmire& Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (i.e., this show's creator) decided that it was time.

(L to R) Phineas, Dan Povenmire, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, and Ferb. Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved 

"Look, without naming any names here, we all know that there have been TV shows that overstayed their welcomes. Who did themselves a real disservice by hanging in there a season or three too long," Povenmire said during a recent phone interview. "And we just didn't want that to be the case with 'Phineas and Ferb.' We didn't want our show to be one of those that wore out its welcome. We really wanted to go out strong. Shut down production while people were still fond of the show and its characters."

"Besides -- in the animation world -- it's just so rare that that a show actually gets to do a finale," Marsh stated. "Which is why we feel so honored & privileged that Disney allowed us to do this."

And given that "Phineas and Ferb" has always talked about making the most of those "104 days of summer vacation," it's entirely appropriate that this show's finale (which airs tonight on Disney XD and simulcast on Disney Channel at 9 p.m. ET?PT) is entitled "The Last Day of Summer." Ah, but thanks to Dr. Doofenshmirtz' latest invention -- the do-over-inator -- and Candace's determination to bust her brothers -- tonight's episode is really the last day of Summer by way of "Groundhog Day."

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"For a couple of years now, we've been thinking about how we should bring 'Phineas and Ferb' to a close. And then somebody pitched the idea of the show doing its own version of  'Groundhog Day.' And I thought that that was perfect. Because that's what Phineas and Ferb would do if they could. They'd find a way to artificially extend that very last day of Summer," Dan admitted. "So we just took that idea and ran with it."

And to make sure that this particular episode of "Phineas and Ferb" was a true celebration of the show, Povenmire and Marsh pulled out all the stops. They used every asset at their disposal to make sure that this finale was a genuinely memorable one.

"Take -- for example -- the opening number for 'The Last Day of Summer.' We had built a 3D model of Phineas and Ferb's neighborhood for "Night of the Living Pharmacists," which was this episode of the show that we did back in the Fall of 2014," Swampy admitted. "Dan remembered that we had this asset and said 'We've got this cool 3D neighborhood. Why don't we start the show off with a big musical number where the kids fly hover boards all over the neighborhood?' And that turned out to be a really fun way to kick off the finale."

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

And while Marsh & Povemire deliberately tried to craft the sort of celebratory send-off that that the fans of this Disney Channel / Disney XD show expected, at the same time, Dan & Swampy wanted to use this series finale as a way to pay tribute to some of the very talented people who helped to make "Phineas and Ferb" possible. Which is why -- if you watch tonight's episode closely -- you can briefly glimpse the faces of Vincent Martella, Thomas Sangster and Alyson Rae Stoner, the real-life performers who voice Phineas, Ferb and Isabella Garcia-Shapiro.

Given how ambitious & involved this particular episode of "Phineas and Ferb" was, it took a number of months for "The Last Day of Summer" to make its way through the production process. Povenmire & Marsh weren't actually able to deliver this show to Disney 'til just before Christmas 2014.

"Which made for kind of a blue Christmas. I remembering spending a lot of this past holiday season talking with my wife about 'Phineas and Ferb,' " Swampy said. "I mean, Dan and I spent the last 10 years of our lives working on this show. So it was a really big deal -- for me, anyway -- to finally be letting go of these characters."

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Mind you, what's kind of ironic about all this is  -- over these past few weeks, as Povenmire & Marsh have been doing interview after interview looking back on "Phineas and Ferb" -- they've also been hard at work on "Mikey Murphy's Law," a new animated series for Disney XD. Which should debut sometime in early 2017.

"And what's really cool is that -- in my mind, anyway -- Mikey Murphy just lives a couple of neighborhoods over from Phineas and Ferb," Dan said. "And given that these two animated series will have a similar sort of look & design ... Well, who knows? If 'Mikey Murphy's Law' is successful, maybe a few years further on down the line, we could do a crossover episode where the Mikey Murphy characters get to interact with the Phineas and Ferb characters. I'd love to get the chance to do a show like that."

So given that the idea for a "Mikey Murphy's Law" / "Phineas and Ferb" crossover is already out there, tonight's finale may not be quite as final as we think. Especially when you take into consideration that Disney has " The O.W.C.A. Files," which is this hour-long special that focuses on Agent P and his fellow animal agents, scheduled for this Fall.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

But even so, there are going to be some very blue Phineas and Ferb fans when "The Last Day of Summer" airs tonight on Disney XD and simulcast on Disney Channel at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Friday, June 12, 2015

Do you remember how big, strong & scary Darth Vader was in "Star Wars IV: A New Hope" ? Well, that version of this Dark Lord of the Sith -- back when Vader was at the very height of his powers -- will be front & center as "Star Wars Rebels" begins its second season on Disney XD this Saturday, June 20th at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney. All rights reserved

Better yet, to make sure Darth sounds exactly he did in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, Lucasfilm Animation persuaded James Earl Jones to come back and voice Vader.

Given that it had been a decade or more since James had last done any voice work for a "Star Wars" -related project, Jones reportedly expressed some concerns as he stepped up the mic to once again voice this classic screen villain.

Dave Filoni is the head guy when it comes to Lucasfilm Animation's "Star Wars
Rebels." Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney. All rights reserved 

"It was actually kind of funny," Dave Filoni -- the executive producer and supervising director of "Star Wars Rebels" -- recalled during a recent interview at this past April's Star Wars Celebration. "Just before he goes into the booth, James turns to me and says 'David, I haven't done Vader in ten years. Can you remind me how?' And he's telling me this in his big deep James Earl Jones voice. So I just laugh and 'James, you're doing it already.'"

Bringing Jones in to voice Vader isn't the only change that Filoni and the "Star Wars Rebels" production team will be making in Season Two. As you can see by the video below, there'll be more characters joining the story (Among them Ahsoka Tano, the female Togruta who was once Padawan to Anakin Skywalker's Jedi Knight), bigger battles, higher stakes.

And it all begin this Saturday night with "The Siege of Lothal," a one-hour movie event that airs this Saturday night, June 20th at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD.

This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway ... After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul. Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner. Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches. This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why -- given that it was a beautiful summer night -- we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire State Building ...

Photo by Jim Hill

... and eventually wound up just below Times Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart of Manhattan's Garment District along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like and life-sized sculptures that Seward Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And -- yes -- that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the business woman planning out her day ...

Photo by Jim Hill

... the postman delivering the mail ...

Photo by Jim Hill

... the hot dog vendor working at his cart ...

Photo by Jim Hill

Photo by Jim Hill

... the street musician playing for tourists ...

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen ...

Photo by Jim Hill

... and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home ...

Photo by Jim Hill

... there were also statues representing people who were from out-of-town ...

Photo by Jim Hill

... or -- for that matter -- out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill 

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself "Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the impressionists ...

Photo by Jim Hill

... there's also an array of American icons. Among them Marilyn Monroe ...

Photo by Jim Hill

... and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward Johnson piece ( which -- FYI -- is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around  August 14th to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in person (which -- it should be noted -- are part of the part of the Garment District Alliance's new public art offering) -- you'd best schedule a trip to the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on display now through September 15th. 

Toon fans rejoice! The Animation Show of Shows will soon be coming to a theater near you.

Thanks to a successful KickstartASOS.com campaign (which still has a few hours left to run, by the way), this animation industry favorite will now transition from being an insider-only exclusive to becoming a program that film fans around the world can participate in and enjoy.

For those of you who don't know: The Animation Show of Shows has long been Ron Diamond's baby. For the past 16 years, this veteran animation producer has circled the globe seeking out the very best new animated short films. Which sounds like it might be a fun way for a cinema fan to spend their time, but is actually a quite challenging task.

"Just recently, I sat through a screening of over 200 student films. All because I was looking for those one or two short animated films that I might consider adding to the line-up on my next Animation Show of Shows," Ron explained during a recent phone interview."

And  previously -- once Diamond has selected all of that year's animated gems -- he'd then truck this feature-length compilation to animation studios like Disney, Pixar and Blue Sky. All with the hope that -- by exposing these creatives to what the next generation of animators was up to -- he'd then inspire these folks to explore unexpected ideas."

"And while I don't mean to brag, I think that I've got a pretty good eye for this stuff. 29 of the films that I've showcased in previous Animation Show of Shows have gone on to get Academy Award nominations. And 9 of those animated short films then went on to win the Oscar," Ron continued.

But after 16 years of annually assembling this great collection of animated short films which was then meant to educate & inspire industry insiders, Diamond was looking to broaden his horizons. He wanted the general public to now be able to get in on the fun. Which is why Ron set up a not-for-profit organization that would then make it possible to the Animation Show of Shows to expand its mission.

"After all, it's one thing to show these new animated short films to industry insiders who then might have some knowledge of who these fledgling filmmakers are, the reputations of their teachers and/or their independent work. And it's an entirely different thing to show these great new animated short films to an audience that's going in cold. That has absolutely no context when it comes to who these filmmakers are and where the ideas for each of these new animated shorts may have come from," Diamond stated.

Ron Diamond

That was what really drove Ron to get a Kickstarter campaign going for the Animation Show of Shows. If he was going to transform this showcase of new animated short films into something that members of the general film-going public could genuinely understand and appreciate ... Well, that then meant that Diamond would have to craft profiles of the talented individuals who had created these animated short films. And given that Ron prides himself on always putting together a program that represents what is going on internationally in animation that year, that then meant Diamond was going to need to send film crews around the globe to create these contextual pieces that would profile that year's top animators.

Thanks to the generous pledges of the people who supported Ron's vision for a more ambitious, broader reaching Animation Show of Shows, those profiles will now be included in Diamond's next feature-length compilation of the finest animated shorts from around the world. Not only that, but Ron will be using these funds to expand into the field of restoration. Singling out great animated short films from the past that need to be preserved and shared.

By the way, if you're headed to San Diego next week for the 2015 edition of Comic-Con and want to get a sense of the sort of show that Ron Diamond plans on presenting very soon at a theater near you, the 16th Annual Animation Show of Shows will be presented in Hall H on Friday, July 10th from 10 - 11:30 a.m. Hopefully -- as part of the Q & A session that's supposed to follow this presentation -- Diamond will then discuss his post-KickstartASOS.com plans for this award-winning series of animated short films.

This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Thursday, July 2, 2015

THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK SPOTLIGHTS THE CREATIVE FORCES AND STARS FROM SOME OF ITS MOST EXCITING SHOWS AT D23 EXPO 2015, WITH EXCLUSIVE Q&As AND AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS

"Once Upon a Time" Panel Features Series Creators/Executive Producers Edward Kitsis and

Adam Horowitz, as well as Stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Lana Parrilla, Who Will Talk About Their Hit ABC Series 

Find Out What It's Like to Work with the Muppets in a Special Panel Featuring the Talented Performers Working on the New ABC Primetime Series "The Muppets" 

Autograph Sessions Set Throughout the Weekend with Some of Your Favorite Stars from "black-ish," "Dancing with the Stars," "Fresh Off the Boat," "The Goldbergs" and "Once Upon a Time"

BURBANK, Calif. - July 16, 2015 - Be among the first to learn the secrets of what's ahead on ABC's most anticipated new and returning fall series; hear from some of the fairy tale residents of "Once Upon a Time" and the very talented performers from the new series "The Muppets"; and meet some of your favorite ABC stars in person during special signing sessions at D23 EXPO: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where all the worlds of Disney come together, August 14-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center. 

Panels and Presentations 

The Magic Behind The Muppets

Friday, August 14, 10:00 a.m., Stage 23

Calling all Muppet fans! Have you ever wondered what it's like to work with the Muppets? Here's your chance to find out firsthand when ABC presents a panel on the magic and art of being a Muppet Performer. Join these creative artists and some of your favorite characters, along with a few surprise guests, for a rare and unforgettable demonstration of what it takes to bring these iconic and enduring personalities to life. 

Once Upon a Time: An Evening with Snow White & the Evil Queen

Saturday, August 15, 6:00 p.m., Stage 23

"Once Upon a Time's" savior has gone dark! As Emma Swan transitions into her role as the Dark One, join the resident fairy tale characters as they cope with Emma's new role and begin the search for Merlin. This is a journey that will take our heroes from the Enchanted Forest to Camelot and along the way bring many surprises, including Merida from "Brave," as "Once Upon a Time" introduces its first Pixar character. Join co-creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis ("LOST") and Adam Horowitz ("LOST") along with series stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Lana Parrilla as they discuss the upcoming season of unexpected twists, evolving characters, new adventures and new rivalries. This panel is sure to bring some surprises you don't want to miss and an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming season premiere!  The Q&A with this fairy tale team will be moderated by D23's Jeffrey Epstein. 

On The Show Floor

Autograph Signings

Meet and receive autographs from some of your favorite ABC stars at the Disney | ABC TV Pavilion booth, located on the show floor.  Following is the appearance schedule (subject to change): 

Friday, August 14

12:00-12:50 p.m.

"Dancing with the Stars" pro dancers Witney Carson (Season 19 champion) and Allison Holker (Season 20 runner-up)

Saturday, August 15

4:00-4:50 p.m.

"black-ish" stars Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown and Marsai Martin 

5:00-5:40 p.m.

"Once Upon a Time" stars to be announced

Sunday, August 16

10:00-10:50 a.m.

"Fresh Off the Boat" stars Randall Park, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler and Ian Chen 

5:00-5:50 p.m.

"The Goldbergs" stars Sean Giambrone and Hayley Orrantia

"Once Upon a Time" Snow White and Evil Queen Doll Collection

Limited Edition of 300, $129.95

Inspired by ABC Studios' television series "Once Upon a Time," this collection brings to life the beauty, magic and charm of the iconic fairy tale characters from the show. Exclusively available at Disney Store at D23 EXPO. 

Doll Collection Autograph Signing Opportunity with Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White) and Lana Parrilla (The Evil Queen)

Ginnifer and Lana will sign the "Once Upon a Time" Doll Collection, available exclusively at Disney Store at D23 EXPO.  This autograph session will take place on Saturday, August 15 from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. at the ABC booth on the D23 EXPO show floor, and is exclusively for those guests who have purchased one of the dolls.

Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are $74 for a one-day adult admission and $54 for children 3-12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $65 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $112 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.

ABC FAMILY STARS TO MEET FANS AT  D23 EXPO 2015 

-- Fans Invited to Meet the Stars of ABC Family's Hit Series from "Young & Hungry," "The Fosters," "Switched at Birth," "Stitchers," and "Baby Daddy"  --

BURBANK, Calif. - July 17, 2015 - Fans can meet their favorite ABC Family stars and collect exclusive pin sets at D23 EXPO 2015, the ultimate Disney fan event, August 14-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim,

ABC Family will give away exclusive pin sets each day at the Disney | ABC TV Pavilion booth, from our much anticipated new series "Shadowhunters" on Friday, August 14, from the network's hit series "Pretty Little Liars" on Saturday, August 15 and from the network's annual event 25 Days of Christmas on Sunday, August  

Fans can also meet some of their favorite network stars throughout the weekend in the Disney | ABC TV Pavilion booth, located on the show floor. Following is the appearance schedule (subject to  

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14

11:00 - 11:50am

"Young & Hungry" stars Jonathan Sadowski and Aimee Carerro 

1:00 - 1:50pm

"The Fosters" stars Sherri Saum and Hayden Byerly  

5:00 - 5:50pm

"Switched at Birth" stars Constance Marie and Lea Thompson

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15

12:00 - 12:50pm

"Stitchers" stars Emma Ishta, Kyle Harris, Ritesh Rajan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Allison Scagliotti

6:00 - 6:50pm

"Baby Daddy" stars Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Chelsea Kane and Melissa Peterman

*Schedule is subject to  

Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are $74 for a one-day adult admission and $54 for children 3-12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $65 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $112 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO. 

Additional details and updates about ABC Family star appearances and special activities will continue to be updated on www.D23EXPO.com and on Facebook and Twitter at"DisneyD23" as well as the ABC Family Media Relations Twitter and Instagram handle @ABC Family.

THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS PRESENTS UPCOMING FILM SLATE AND MORE AT D23 EXPO 2015 

'Can't Miss' Offerings Include Frozen Sing-Along, Toy Story 20^th Anniversary, Star Wars, and Secret Special Guests

BURBANK, CA - July 21, 2015 - The Walt Disney Studios offers an exclusive look at its upcoming projects from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm at D23 EXPO 2015, taking place August 14-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center. 

The Studio will unveil its animation and live-action film slates via two huge Hall D23 presentations featuring surprise guests and many unforgettable moments. Other not-to-be-missed events include a Frozen FANdemonium musical celebration with Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and the 20^th anniversary celebration of Disney•Pixar's Toy Story with John Lasseter and the original Pixar crew.

HALL D23 PRESENTATIONS: 

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

Friday, August 14, 3:00 pm - Hall D23

After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo, where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to "let it go," come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents this in-depth look at the animation studios' slate. Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar's upcoming The Good Dinosaur andFinding Dory and Disney Animation's Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films' star voice talent.

Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios

Saturday, August 15, 10:30 am - Hall D23

Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm are home to some of the planet's best storytellers, immersing audiences fully in the world of each film from beginning to end and beyond. In this exclusive Hall D23 presentation, join Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn for a tour of upcoming live-action projects from these legendary film studios. A bevy of special guests will be on hand to offer a look at an unparalleled slate that includes Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Jungle Book, Marvel's Captain America: Civil War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens-and much, much more.

Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration!

Sunday, August 16, 3:00 pm - Hall D23

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

CALENDAR OF KEY EVENTS:

In Conversation with the Filmmakers and the Emotions Behind Inside Out

Friday, August 14, 11:30 am - Stage 28

Get the inside story on the making of Pixar's latest summer release, Inside Out. Hear from Academy Award^®-winning director Pete Docter (Up,Monsters, Inc.) and producer Jonas Rivera (Up) as they reminisce and share their personal stories of creating a world that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen.

Welcome to Zootopia!

Saturday, August 15, 1:30 pm - Stage 28

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

Pixar Secrets Revealed! Hear the Stories They Didn't Want You to Know!

Saturday, August 15, 3:00 pm - Stage 28

Ever wonder where your favorite Pixar stories began? Hear the stories you don't know about the classic films that you love. Pixar senior development executive Mary Coleman hosts this experience, welcoming the storytellers behind some of Pixar's most successful films, including Darla K. Anderson (A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Cars, Toy Story 3), Mark Andrews (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Brave), Ronnie del Carmen (Up, Inside Out) and Dan Scanlon (Cars, Toy Story 3, Monsters University), as they talk about the twists and turns of crafting a narrative and share some of the crazy story ideas that didn't make the final cut. 

Toy Story: 20 Years Later, the Original Crew Looks Back

Saturday, August 15, 4:30 pm - Stage 23

From flipbooks to feature films, animation has taken audiences to fantastical new worlds, far beyond the limits of any real-world setting. Pixar Animation Studios has been at the forefront of this evolution, blurring the line between art and technology and bringing beloved characters to life with heart and humor. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of 1995's Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature film, join members of the original crew, including filmmakers John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Galyn Susman, Ralph Eggleston, Sharon Calahan, Eben Ostby, Bob Pauley and Bill Reeves as they share their stories and the challenges they faced along the way.

Aladdin - The Making of a Classic

Saturday, August 15, 6:00 pm - Stage 28

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

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

Sunday, August 16, 11:30 am - Stage 28

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

The Tunes Behind the Toons: Screening/Q&A

Sunday, August 16, 6:00 pm, Stage 28

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

ON THE EXPO SHOW FLOOR: 

The Walt Disney Studios - Show Floor Exhibition

Step into the worlds of The Walt Disney Studios in this wide-ranging showcase of exciting projects from Disney Live Action, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. Among the many highlights:

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

 Explore costumes, props and photo ops from the Studios' live-action films, including Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm. 

Disney Movies Anywhere Tweet Suite

Take pics and share them in the Disney Movies Anywhere Tweet Suite. It's also the perfect opportunity to learn more about Disney Movies Anywhere, Disney's digital movie app that lets you watch your Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars movie collection across your favorite devices, anywhere you go.

Say Aloha to John Lasseter's Film-Themed Hawaiian Shirts

Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter takes Disney and Pixar animation to heart-literally. For nearly every film-from Finding Nemo and Wreck-It Ralph to Frozen and Inside Out, Lasseter has commissioned an exclusive movie-themed Hawaiian shirt. And those who know the Oscar^®-winning storyteller know that he loves his Hawaiian shirts-and dons one for almost every occasion. Animation fans will see their favorite film characters "materialize" before their eyes in this colorful collection, which will be exhibited on the show floor. 

An Animator's Gallery: Eric Goldberg

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

Frozen Album Signing

With the purchase of Frozen: The Songs or Frozen Picture Disc at the Disney Music Emporium, guests will be issued a wristband to secure a space for an album signing with Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez and Tom MacDougall (Co-Producer, Frozen Soundtrack) on Saturday, August 15 at 10:30 am. 

Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are $74 for a one-day adult admission and $54 for children 3-12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $65 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $112 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.

You're familiar with the concept of a farm team, right? That place where would-be professional ballplayers go to get the training & experience that they need before these talented young athletes are then ready to move on up to "The Big Show" ?

Well, the Disney Channel has a similar sort of system in place. And there's no better example of someone who's steadily climbed the ladder, worked his way up through the ranks at the Mouse House -- going from a guest appearance on "Good Luck Charlie" back in April of 2011 to starring in his own sitcom (i.e., "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything," which premieres tonight on Disney XD at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT) -- than Cameron Boyce.

Booboo Stewart, Dove Cameron and Cameron Boyce in "Disney's Descendants."
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

July's actually a very big month for Boyce. For less than 10 days after "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything" debuts, Cameron is co-starring in what the Company's Marketing team is calling " ... the Disney Channel Movie Event of the Year," "Disney's Descendants."

"We actually shot 'Descendants' last summer," Boyce recalled during a recent sit-down interview. "Then we shot a full season of 'Jessie.' That wrapped production back in March. And then -- about a month after 'Jessie' finished shooting -- I started working on 'Gamer's Guide.' "

Which sounds like a pretty busy work schedule for a 16 year-old. But Cameron was quick to credit Debby Ryan (i.e., the talented 22 year-old who played the title character in "Jessie") with showing him the proper way to work within the sitcom world.

Debby Ryan and Cameron Boyce. Copyright 
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved 

"Debby came up through the Disney Channel system just the way I did. She started off playing a supporting role on 'The Suite Life on Deck' and then eventually graduated to playing the lead on 'Jessie,' " Boyce explained. "But what Debby did that really impressed me was that she set the tone for that show. Because she went out of her way to be nice to the crew ... Well, I -- along with the other younger members of the 'Jessie' cast -- just followed Debby's lead."

"And that -- to be honest -- may have been the most important lesson I ever learned when it came to working on a sitcom. After all, whether you're talking about a grip or someone who does hair & make-up on 'Gamer's Guide,' at the end of the day, we all come here to do a job," Cameron continued. "And if you treat the people that you work with well, you make them aware that you know that -- even though I'm supposedly the star of this show -- that this is really a team effort, that we're all here to make each other better ... We all benefit in the end from that kind of work environment."

Which -- I know -- isn't the sort of thing one expects to hear coming out of a 16 year-old boy's mouth. But Boyce isn't your average young performer. Having studied dance for years before he became an actor, Cameron knows first-hand the value of cooperation and teamwork.

If you look to the extreme right in the above photo, you''ll see a very young 
Cameron Boyce appearing on Disney's "Shake It Up" as a member of a
youth dance troupe. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved 

Speaking of dance, that's another way that Boyce originally came on Disney's radar. In April of 2011, following his blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance on "Good Luck Charlie," Cameron was one of the featured dancers on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." That appearance went so well that -- in August of that same year -- Boyce was cast as a dancer on the Disney Channel series, "Shake It Up."

And Cameron's appearance on that sitcom went so well that Disney Channel officials then invited Boyce to audition for "Jessie." And even though the role that Cameron was being asked to read for had originally been envisioned as a young Korean boy named Hiro ... "Jessie" 's casting director were so impressed with Boyce's reading that they then actually reworked this part so that it would better fit his talents.

And the same thing sort of happened with "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything." Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton (i.e., the Disney Channel / Disney XD vets who created this sitcom) initially auditioned a number of young men to play Conor, the 12 year-old video game phenom who is forced to attend high school for the first time after a thumb injury forces him to retire from the glamorous professional gaming circuit. But as soon as Devin & Nick learned that Cameron might be available to play Conor, they immediately begin rethinking their original take on "Gamer's Guide" 's central character.

"Once we learned that Cameron was possibly available to come do our show, we decided to bump up Conor's age from 12 to 16 years-old. Because Cameron's that special kind of performer where -- even when he's playing a character who's kind of cocky or arrogant. Which is the way that Conor behaves when 'Gamer's Guide' 's story is just getting underway -- you still like Conor as a character because of Cameron's natural sweetness," Bunje enthused.

"Besides, once we had Cameron in place, we could then play to his strengths. And since you could immediately buy this guy as a confident, world class video gamer ... Well, that then made it much that much easier to cast 'Gamer's Guide' around Cameron," Devin continued. "We could bring in talented young performers like Felix Avitia, Murray Rundus and Sophie Reynolds to play the quirky kids that Conor would encounter once he returned to high school. Of course, the real challenge here was that -- just like with Cameron -- the audience then had to believe that these three had the skills necessary to make it at the competitive video gaming level once they join up with Conor to form their high school's first-ever gaming league."

Mind you, what's kind of ironic about the creators of "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything" is that Bunje & Stanton came up through the Disney Channel / Disney XD farm system just like Boyce did. They started out at Disney Television Animation writing the pilot of "Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil." Devin & Nick then did some episodes of "Phineas & Ferb," "The Replacements" and "The Emperor's New School." After that, they worked over Disney's live-action side. Bunje & Stanton were the producers of "Zeke & Luthor." And it was the success of that skateboarding sitcom (which ran on Disney XD for three seasons) that then gave Devin & Nick the opportunity to create "Gamer's Guide."

(L to R) Felix Avitia, Cameron Boyce,  Sophia Reynolds and Murray Rundus.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved 

And at this point, though the pilot of "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything" is only just airing on Disney XD tonight, they've already shot 11 episodes. And with each new show that they shoot, Bunje & Stanton get better at tailoring this show to Boyce & Company's specific talents.

"Take -- for example -- the episode we're shooting right now. They've got me and Sophie dancing this week. Which is what the two of us were doing long before we were ever acting," Cameron stated. "What I love about that is that meant the writers of 'Gamer's Guide' actually got to know Sophie & myself as people. They learned that we were capable of doing as performers and then wrote a scene for 'Gamer's Guide' that specifically capitalized on our ability to dance. When we all work together as a team like that ... Well, that then means we can deliver a far better show in the end."

If you'd like to see what Boyce, Bunje & Stanton are capable of now that they've graduated from Disney's farm system, be sure and check out "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Everything." Which premieres tonight on Disney XD at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Wednesday, July 22, 2015

 Glendale, Calif. - July 23, 2015 - Disney Store today announced the all-new collections and Limited Editions set to launch at this year's D23 EXPO2015, Disney's ultimate fan event held at the Anaheim Convention Center August 14-16. Located within the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion at D23 EXPO, the Disney Store shop will feature new and exclusive products showcased throughout more than 3,000 sq. ft. of retail space. New items celebrating everyone's favorite characters will be unveiled each day throughout the weekend. 

In addition to offering attendees the chance to shop special products not yet available to the general public, fans will also have the chance to meet the artists and designers who created these exciting new collections and be treated to the official Disney Store opening ceremony on Friday, August 14. During the ceremony, a special attendee will be chosen to "unlock imagination" at 9 a.m. alongside some of Disney's most famous characters. 

D23 EXPO attendees will get a first look at collections making their debut at the event, including the next installment of the popular Disney Fairytale Designer Collection; a Limited Edition Doll Collection from ABC Studios' television series Once Upon a Time; Toy Story 20^th Anniversary; and Disney Tsum Tsum. 

Highlights of the new collections include:

·         Disney Fairytale Designer Collection - Happily ever after meets happily evil in Disney Store's newest series of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection being previewed at D23 EXPO. Featuring five sets of Limited Edition pairs, these collector doll sets were designed by Disney Store artists and carefully crafted to capture the beauty and romance of fairytale friends and foes. 

Available for the first time at D23 EXPO, guests can pre-purchase the complete set of five Hero/Villain pairs prior to the general public pre-sale beginning online Monday, September 14. 

Following the preview at D23 EXPO, the doll sets will be released and available for purchase in stores and online starting September 29, with a new pair released each week. Each set is limited to an edition of 6,000 globally and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

This line expands into a collection of apparel, mugs, journals, home décor and more, available to the general public in stores and online on September 14. 

·         Once Upon a Time - Continuing the 'heroes and villains' theme, Disney Store will introduce the Once Upon a Time Snow White and Evil Queen Doll Collection, available exclusively at D23 EXPO. Limited to an edition of 300, the doll collection, inspired by ABC Studios' television series Once Upon a Time, brings to life the beauty, magic and charm of the iconic fairytale characters from the show.

Exclusively for guests who purchase the doll set at D23 EXPO, Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White) and Lana Parrilla (The Evil Queen) will be available for an autograph signing at the ABC booth on the D23 EXPO floor from 4 - 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, August 15. This special opportunity will be followed by theOnce Upon a Time panel taking place in Stage 23 from 6 - 7 p.m. 

·         Star Wars - Disney Store will launch an exclusive collection of Star Wars items at the EXPO on Friday, August 14. The collection will feature apparel, collectibles, and toys, including the Star Wars Elite Series, a new line of highly articulated and detailed die cast action figures, representing characters from Star Wars Episodes I-VI. The action figures will be sold individually at Disney Store locations beginning later this year; however, EXPO attendees have the opportunity to purchase the full set of Star Wars Elite Series action figures, which includes D23 EXPO-exclusive versions of R2-D2 and C-3PO. 

Additionally at D23 EXPO, Disney Store will introduce Star Wars Legion Helmets, a series of eight vinyl collectible helmets inspired by the Star Wars Legion Helmet project launched in early 2014. Celebrating creativity and Star Wars, the project pulled together artists from across The Walt Disney Company, resulting in 300 stormtrooper helmets being transformed into diverse pieces of art, which inspired these collectible recreations - epic additions to every Empire.

·         Toy Story 20th Anniversary - In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Disney∙Pixar's Toy Story, Disney Store gleaned art from the adored film's archives to illustrate the evolution of the beloved characters, Buzz and Woody. Featuring toys, collectibles, apparel and more, this collection will be released at the Disney Store shop at D23 EXPO on Friday, August 14.

·         Disney Tsum Tsum - All-new collections of everyone's favorite stackable plush will be unveiled at D23 EXPO, with one releasing each day in limited quantities in mini, medium and large sizes. In addition, limited-edition mini box series - exclusive to D23 EXPO - will be released along with each collection, and a Mickey Mouse Tsum Tsum mini vinyl figure will be available for $5 with any purchase, while supplies last.

Also launching at D23 EXPO is Disney Store's "Disney 3D Print Studio," which offers fans the chance to personalize figures, including Marvel's Iron Man, with their likeness through the use of facial-scanning kiosks. The figures ordered at the event will feature packaging unique to D23 EXPO.

 The Disney Store shop at D23 EXPO can be found in the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion. Additional details and updates about Disney Store D23 EXPO events and activities will continue to be updated on www.D23EXPO.com, on Facebook, and Twitter @DisneyD23.

 New this year, in an effort to minimize wait times for guests, D23 is introducing StorePass at select D23 EXPO shopping locations, including the Disney Store shop. A limited quantity of StorePass tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 14, and while they last, at the StorePass desk located adjacent to the StagePass distribution area in Hall A. Guests can visit D23EXPO.com's "Things to Know" page for more details.

To find a local Disney Store, guests can visit www.DisneyStore.com/storelocator or call (866) 902-2798. Guests can also sign up for email alerts atwww.DisneyStore.com/Updates, become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/DisneyStore or follow along on Twitter @DisneyStore. 

Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are $74 for a one-day adult admission and $54 for children 3-12. Tickets for members of D23:The Official Disney Fan Club are $65 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children.

Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $112 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate.

For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.

 The #TeamMickey All-Star Baseball Tour kicked off last weekend, allowing fans of all ages to celebrate two beloved All-American icons: baseball and Mickey Mouse.

Mickey and local members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America
celebrate Baseball and kick-off #TeamMickey All-Star Baseball Tour, in St. Louis on Sunday 7/26.

At the game, attendees enjoyed exciting Mickey Mouse-themed activities, an on-field celebration, giveaways and special surprises throughout the day.

Fans can join the fun-filled celebration in two more 2015 game celebrations:

- Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers (8/9)

- San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies (8/16).

www.tigers.com/teammickey

www.rockies.com/mickey

In addition to these exciting 'Team Mickey Day' game day celebrations, fans are invited to enter a national sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for a youth baseball team of up to 15 people to visit ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World® Resort and play in a select baseball tournament. Enter at www.Disney.com/teammickey. Sweepstakes ends August 31, 2015*.

Fans in attendance at all three of the 2015 'Team Mickey Day' games will also have the chance to see three all-new Mickey Mouse animated baseball clips and other fun video clips inspired by the Emmy® and Annie Award-winning "Mickey Mouse" cartoon shorts. Plus, lucky fans will have the chance to win Mickey-themed merchandise by participating in interactive activities throughout the game. Local Boys & Girls Club members and team Kids Club members will also be selected to attend and participate in the exciting pre-game on-field celebrations. The Walt Disney Company partners with parents and inspires kids to lead healthier lifestyles. Through engaging content, useful tools and unique experiences, The Company makes nutritious eating and physical activity simple and fun.

* NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open only to persons who are legal residents of the 48 contiguous U.S. or D.C. (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), who are not minors as defined by their state of primary residence and associated directly with an 8U to 18U youth baseball team. Sweepstakes starts 12:00 AM (PT) on 6/26/15 and ends 11:59 PM (PT) on 8/31/15. Limit one (1) Entry per day, per Member/person. See Official Rules for entry details and full eligibility requirements.