Category: Disney News

Here’s One Thing You Didn’t Know About Disney’s Origin Story

Disney News

Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

Walt Disney will have been dead for 50 years next December, but given that his eponymous company continues to ubiquitously engage the popular imagination, retrospectives on his life certainly aren’t few and far between.

Just last week, the movie “Walt Before Mickey,” which tells the story of Disney’s early life, debuted on the cartoonist’s birthday, Dec. 5th. In the very first shots, the movie tackles a question children and adults alike who have voraciously consumed Disney’s main cast of animal characters have likely often wondered. Why did the original Disney universe largely feature creatures?

Although what follows is far from the whole story behind iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, part of the answer is certainly that Walt spent his early years living on a 40-acre family farm in Marceline, Missouri, from April 1906 to December 1910. It was there that he originally developed a fondness for drawing — and his earliest subjects were the animals around his home.

According to Disney historian Jim Hill, Walt would often tell press that his first ever paid illustration gig was from a neighboring farmer named Doc Sherwood, who commissioned the boy to draw his prized stallion, Rupert.

Another Disney expert, Lou Mongello, also told The Huffington Post that this leap — that the original Disney characters were rooted in Walt’s initial love of drawing farm animals — checks out. “Yes, while Walt was growing up on the farm in Marceline, he often passed time by drawing — usually of nature and the animals he had seen and tended to,” said Mongello, continuing, “This would continue to influence his later years and career, as you can see his love of animals and nature animation and film (‘Bambi,’ ‘Jungle Book,’ ‘True-Life Adventures,’ etc.).”

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All of this said, Hill did point out to HuffPost that this narrative has been heavily pushed by Walt and his company since the business’ inception. “Farm animals have always played a significant role in the ‘How-Walt-became-Walt-Disney’ narrative,” Hill explained. “That said, when talking about Walt Disney’s early history, you always have to keep in mind that Walt was a storyteller.”

“As they say, history is written by the victors,” Hill noted.

Hill warned that, over the years, the branding of Disney has, naturally, compromised the narrative we generally link to Walt’s biography. Walt would “sometimes ‘bend the truth’ to make an already good story better,” Hill claimed, and noted the example for the true inspiration for Mickey Mouse:

There’s this story that Walt would sometimes tell about how the inspiration for Mickey Mouse came from this tame mouse who he used to feed crumbs to while working alone late at night in the offices of Laugh-O-Gram Studios in Kansas City, Missouri. But the hard reality is that Mickey was invented on the fly in 1928, when Walt found out that Charles Mintz had basically weaseled Oswald the Lucky Rabbit out from under him, and [then] Disney needed a new character to start animating ASAP.

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Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Walt and fellow cartoonist Ub Iwerks co-created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but lost the rights to Universal. The early version of Mickey Mouse looks nearly identical to this character, save for shorter ears, a shorter nose and no bunny tail.

“Why Mintz and/or Universal Pictures didn’t turn around and sue Walt & Co. for ripping off Oswald as they launched Mickey in 1928, I’ll never know,” Hill joked.

But despite all these caveats, the seeds of Walt Disney’s love of drawing animals indisputably began in Marceline, where you can still visit the Walt Disney Hometown Museum. As it’s operated outside of the Disney corporation, if you don’t trust all the details, but still believe in magic, consider making a pilgrimage to the only true Disney Town.

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Watch Disney’s Magical First Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s ‘The BFG’

Disney News

Talk about big friendly giants — “The BFG” combines the talents of author Roald Dahl, directorSteven Spielberg, and legend Walt Disney. Disney just released the first teaser trailer for the family film, which comes out in July 2016, and it’s less of a traditional trailer than an opening scene to set the stage for the magical story.

Disney’s “The BFG,” based on the classic by Roald Dahl, follows a precocious 10-year-old London girl named Sophie and the 24-foot-tall giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country.

Here’s the dark and whispery first trailer:

That’s how the story begins, but what happens after that?

As Disney described in its synopsis, the BFG (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic and mystery of dreams. Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for one another quickly grows, but Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of the other giants. Sophie and the BFG soon depart for London to see the Queen (Penelope Wilton) and warn her of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.

“The BFG,” which was adapted for the screen by the late “E.T.” scribe Melissa Mathison, is currently scheduled for a July 1, 2016 release.

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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) Enters New Alliance with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Disney News

Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced a new strategic alliance today with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. As part of the alliance, Kimberly-Clark’s trusted brands will increase their availability and offerings within Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line on multiple fronts, including Baby Care Centers hosted by Huggies.

The Baby Care Centers offer parents a dedicated environment to care for children and manage tasks like changing diapers during visits to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. Additionally, Kimberly-Clark’s baby care and family care products such as Huggies diapers and wipes, Kleenex tissues, and Pull-Ups training pants will be available for purchase in the Baby Care Centers and select retail areas throughout Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

This agreement expands upon the existing relationship between Kimberly-Clark and Disney Consumer Products, Media Networks, and The Walt Disney Studios. With millions of families visiting the parks annually, the alliance is a natural extension.

“Today marks an important day in our 20-year relationship with Disney. Our well-known Kimberly-Clark brands are trusted around the world, and have been built based on a strong, emotional connection with families. Through this expanded relationship with Disney, we will take the next step in making lives better,” said Mike Hsu, Group President, Kimberly-Clark North America. “This relationship will provide millions of parents each year with convenient access to their favorite family products featuring Disney licensed characters as well as comfortable diaper changing areas as they experience the joy of visiting Disney parks with their children.”

In addition to the Baby Care Centers hosted by Huggies, highlights of the Kimberly-Clark and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts alliance include:

  • Kimberly-Clark’s well-known global brands, including Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kleenex, and Cottonelle products, will be available for purchase in select merchandise locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and on Disney Cruise Line ships and at the Baby Care Centers hosted by Huggies.
  • Kimberly-Clark Professional’s trusted line of products will be utilized in various locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and on Disney Cruise Line ships.
  • Stroller rental locations sponsored by Huggies brand will be featured throughout Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
  • Disney Junior – Live On Stage! will be sponsored by Pull-Ups brand at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
  • A collaboration between Kimberly-Clark and Disney Baby will be created to develop unique social media elements and digital content.

“We’re thrilled to expand the Kimberly-Clark and Disney relationship to include Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line,” said Tiffany Rende, senior vice president of Disney Corporate Alliances and Operating Participants. “This alliance enables us to offer guests even more convenient options to care for their families while enjoying a Disney vacation.”

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Disney Invests $200 Million More in Vice Media to Support New Programming

Disney News

Disney has invested another $200 million in Vice Media, doubling its stake just weeks after its first investment, people familiar with the deal said on Tuesday.

The cash infusion brings Disney’s stake in Vice to about 10 percent, according to one of the people. The investment does not change Vice’s valuation, the person said, which last month was put in the range of $4.2 billion to $4.5 billion.

The money will help finance original programming, including TV shows, the people said. Vice is expected to unveil its new cable channel, Viceland, as early as the end of February, and intends to fill it with lifestyle and entertainment programming. Viceland will replace H2, the History channel spinoff owned by A&E Networks.

The investment — which brings Disney’s total to $400 million — is the latest show of support for Vice, whose brash voice and ability to attract young male viewers has attracted piles of cash from traditional media companies seeking to reach its core audience. A&E Networks, the television group owned by Hearst and Disney, invested $250 million last year, and 21st Century Fox has invested $70 million.

Vice also has a weekly newsmagazine show on HBO and is expected to introduce a daily newscast on the premium cable network next year.

Family-friendly Disney and insurgent Vice might seem like strange bedfellows, but one reason for the relationship could involve the challenges facing the cable television business. As subscriber losses and ratings declines hold back growth at some of Disney’s older channels, including ESPN, Viceland could pick up some of the slack. Disney declined to comment on Tuesday.

A&E Networks and Vice said last month when they announced the long-awaited deal that the channel would initially be distributed to about 70 million homes in the United States.

Despite Vice’s raciness, Disney believes in the fledgling company’s multiscreen approach to delivering news and entertainment and its understanding of young adult audiences, said people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships. Although the odd-couple nature of Disney and Vice carries risks, Disney has come to believe that the Vice brand can be kept entirely separate from its own.

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Go Behind the Scenes of Disney’s Early Days With These Newly-Released Vintage Photos

Disney News

Disney Photos, Archives, Disney Landdisneyphotoarchives.com

Got a Disney fan in your life? Don’t know what to give them for the holiday season? How about a vintage, behind-the-scenes photo from the filming of Mary Poppins (above)? Have we blown your mind yet?! Wait, it gets better.

Disney announced this past weekend that they are releasing beautifully restored photos from the early days of Disney films and Disney parks. If you are a Disney super fan or you know one, then you almost definitely need a photo of Walt Disney looking up adoringly at the birds in the iconic Tiki Room in 1963. It’s magical.

Disney Photos, Archives, Disney Landdisneyphotoarchives.com

“We are so excited by this opportunity to share our wonderful collection of images in a brand-new way,” Rebecca Cline, Walt Disney Archives director said in a statement. “We have selected some of our very favorite Disney images to share, and we hope that our fans will enjoy having these lovely photographic prints in their own homes—to treasure for years to come!”

Disney Photos, Archives, Disney Landdisneyphotoarchives.com

For the first time since The Walt Disney Archives was established in 1970, you can have your own collection of vintage photos featuring scenes like opening day festivities at Disney Land’s Sleeping Beauty Castle and a bird’s eye view of the Mad Tea Party in 1955.

Disney Photos, Archives, Disney Landdisneyphotoarchives.com

According to the website there are over four million(!) behind-the-scenes photos from more than 90 years of Disney magic in the archive, so we’re looking forward to many, many years of these pictures letting us peek behind the curtain of Walt’s imagination.

Disney Photos, Archives, Disney Landdisneyphotoarchives.com

There are now 25 photos to choose from, but Disney revealed that more would be added for purchase throughout 2016. Personally, we’ve got our eye on the photo of the Matterhorn and the Monorail from 1963. That definitely belongs on our wall.

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Bob Iger Opens Restored Offices Where Walt Disney Once Worked

Disney News
Walt Disney Biopic PBS

The Walt Disney Company opened the newly refurbished offices of the company’s founder on Monday, saying the modest space should serve as inspiration to a new generation of film, television and content creators.

As the media conglomerate celebrates the 75th anniversary of its move to its Burbank headquarters, CEO Bob Iger said the Disney offices remind him, other employees and visitors of the founder’s “devotion to his family, his curiosity and his relentless creative passion.”

The third-floor suite of offices in Disney’s Animation Building in Burbank have been restored to the same condition that they were in at the time of Disney’s death in December of 1966. Scripts that awaited his review are still stacked around his desk and a yellow legal sheet includes handwritten notes on upcoming projects and the name of a promising young actor — Kurt Russell.

Also on view are Disney’s library, with novels, histories and biographies — ranging from artist Salvador Dali to progressive author and politician Upton Sinclair. His formal desk stood in front of Norman Rockwell portraits of his daughters and figurines from his company’s films. A model of the company’s Grumman Gulfstream jet stood atop the desk. In a secondary office, Disney used a lower table for writing a drawing, He sometimes packed creative collaborators inside, until there was only enough room to sit on the floor.

The Disney Archives will maintain the space, known as Suite 3H, making it available to employees, special guests and gold members of Disney’s fan club, D23.

“You could just feel the aura in here, the great man and all that he did,” Dave Smith, the company’s first archivist, said in a video introduction to the offices. Smith was among several guests who attended the unveiling of the restored offices, along with long-time composer Richard Sherman and a handful of Disney’s descendants.

Granddaughter Joanna Miller recalled playing in the offices and around the Disney lot when she was in elementary school. “One thing you take from seeing it now,” Miller said, “it’s a humble place, a cozy place, with things that he loved in it.”

“With this permanent exhibit we are inviting you to take a step back into the past and to gain a greater understanding of an extraordinary and remarkable man,” Iger said. “We put this permanent exhibit together to serve as a source of inspiration to us, a reminder to have greater ambition, to take bold creative risks, to constantly innovate and push the limits of possibility, to relentlessly pursue perfection and to tell fantastic stories that touch people’s hearts. That was Walt Disney.”
Walt Disney’s granddaughters Joanna Miller, Jennifer Goff and Michelle Lund with Richard Sherman and Bob Iger
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Dave Smith, Disney chief archivist emeritus, in Walt Disney’s office
ROB LATOUR/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK

A private kitchen in Walt Disney’s office
ROB LATOUR/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK

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New Disney Nose Art for B-17 ‘Swamp Ghost’

Disney News

New Nose art for B-17 Swamp Ghost

PRESS RELEASE – Pacific Aviation Museum proudly announces a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the talented artists of Walt Disney Animation Studios & Disneytoon Studios. In order to honor the famed World War II-era B17 “Flying Fortress” affectionately named “Swamp Ghost,” artists Mike Gabriel (director, “Pocahontas,” “The Rescuers Down Under” and the Oscar-nominated short, “Lorenzo”) and Klay Hall (director, Disneytoon Studios “Planes”) worked together to create original nose art, to be exclusively displayed at the Museum. The announcement was made by TV personality David Hartman at the Museum’s Annual Gala on December 5th, 2015. The date for the exhibition opening will be announced at a later time.Adds VP, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disneytoon Studios Worldwide Marketing, Greg Coleman, “We hope that the creation and display of the Swamp Ghost nose art serves as a tribute to aviation history and to all those who serve.”

Dumbo, Disney's famed baby elephant, rides a bomb earthward on another of 30 Squadron's Avengers.

Dumbo, Disney’s famed baby elephant, rides a bomb earthward on another of 30 Squadron’s Avengers.

During the war, The Walt Disney Studios made over 1200 insignia for the US and Allied forces, many of which featured iconic characters, including Donald Duck. Disney characters were often painted onto the nose section of aircraft during this era. “Walt Disney’s “Donald Duck” was one of the most iconic and likable characters during the 1940′s,” says Klay Hall. “He was very popular amongst servicemen, possessing a feistiness with a “can do” attitude. He seemed like a natural fit for the Swamp Ghost nose art.”The history of Swamp Ghost, the airplane, is a unique one; no lives were lost in the crash. The plane, a B17 “Flying Fortress” ran critically low on fuel during a mission and had to be ditched in a jungle swamp in the Papua New Guinea area in 1942. All the men walked away from the plane unharmed. It was thought lost until 1972, when it was spotted by a Royal Australian Air Force helicopter, completely intact, resting in a swamp. The plane never received an honorary name or piece of nose art (that usually happened after a few missions). The plane gained the name “Swamp Ghost” because of where it was found. The plane was then carefully extracted from the swamp and ultimately moved to the Pacific Aviation Museum, where it has been exhibited in its “as is” condition since 2014. The exhibition of Swamp Ghost and its nose art joins a collection of more than 40 aircraft within the museum.

B-17 Swamp Ghost

Said Mike Gabriel: “My fervent hope was to do honor to the insignia and nose artwork that the Disney artists created back in the 1940s during the war, by doing a Swamp Ghost design that was totally convincing to the time in which the Swamp Ghost was flying. Klay and I analyzed every aspect of the nose art designs that were created to try and convincingly capture the look, feel, and colors of the time, in order to authentically transport the viewer back to the time. I hope when people see the nose art Klay and I have created, they sense the deep attachment and commitment we have to this exciting project.”

“This is not only an honor for us to be a part of, personally,” said Klay Hall, “it is in remembrance and tribute to our fathers and grandfathers who served their country during that time and those that serve today.”

About the Pacific Aviation Museum

Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to develop and maintain an internationally recognized aviation museum on Historic Ford Island that educates young and old alike, honors aviators and their support personnel who defended freedom in The Pacific Region, and to preserve Pacific aviation history. For more information visitwww.pacificaviationmuseum.org.

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Disney On Ice coming to Belfast for Silver Anniversary Celebration

Disney News
Tickets are on sale this Friday December 11 for the shows which take place on Friday March 25 until Sunday March 27.
Tickets are on sale this Friday December 11 for the shows which take place on Friday March 25 until Sunday March 27.

Disney on Ice is coming to Belfast for its Silver Anniversary Celebration.

The skating spectacular promises to take audiences to four far-away lands in one action-packed ice adventure with all your favourite Disney characters.

Tour guides Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck will guide you as they take you on a journey to the magical worlds of Disney’s The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan.

You will also be whisked away to the winter wonderland of the number one animated feature film of all-time, Disney’s Frozen.

Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they commemorate 25 years of Disney On Ice across Europe in an action-packed ice adventure that travels to four magical destinations.

Told through an international team of award-winning skaters, exciting choreography and a musical score filled with familiar Disney hits and rock-and-roll classics, the whole family is sure to experience a captivating journey to far-away lands without ever leaving their seats.

The arena will be filled with music and magic in every scene as you discover four unique landscapes filled with boisterous pirates, Caribbean beats and tender moments.

Audiences will explore the African Pride Lands with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa; voyage deep under the sea to Ariel’s mystical underwater kingdom; and tour London with Peter Pan and Wendy before flying to Neverland to join Tinker Bell.

Plus, travel to Arendelle for an extraordinary adventure with royal sisters Anna and Elsa, rugged mountain man Kristoff and everyone’s favorite hug-loving snowman, Olaf.

“It’s an extraordinary show and a family vacation all rolled into one incredible night,” said Producer Kenneth Feld.

“You really get a sense you are traveling right alongside Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends.”

Tickets are on sale this Friday December 11 for the shows which take place on Friday March 25 until Sunday March 27.

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Plans for Unfinished Disney Park in St. Louis Up for Auction

Disney News

In the 1960s, Disney drew up plans for an indoor theme park in downtown St. Louis before giving up in a dispute over money and turning attention to Florida.

Imagine packing up the kids and heading for that dream vacation to a Disney theme park … in St. Louis.

It almost happened a half-century ago when Disney drew up plans for an indoor theme park in downtown St. Louis before giving up in a dispute over money and turning its attention to Florida. St. Louis’ loss was the Orlando area’s gain: Walt Disney World became one of the world’s top tourist attractions.

St. Louis can only lament what might have been.

“I think it would have added a very interesting component to the development of the city in the ’60s,” said Chris Gordon, director of library and collections for the Missouri History Museum, who has researched the project. “Disney was such a big phenomenon at that time. There’s a good chance it would have been successful.”

On Thursday, one of the few remnants of the park goes on the auction block — 13 pages of 1963 blueprints spelling out plans for “Walt Disney’s Riverfront Square” in St. Louis. The Calabasas, Calif.-based company Profiles in History is offering up the blueprints as part of its “Animation and Disneyana” auction.

“I believe this is the only complete set of plans,” said Mike Fazio, a consignment specialist working with the company. “It’s amazing how many people don’t even know that they were going to build a park in St. Louis.”

Disneyland opened in Anaheim in 1955, and by the early 1960s, Walt Disney was looking to expand with another park easily accessible beyond the West Coast. St. Louis seemed a good choice, and not just because of its geographically central location or because Disney grew up in Missouri.

St. Louis was booming in the Camelot years. The Gateway Arch was under construction and set to open in 1965. And Busch Stadium was being built a few blocks away, bringing both football and baseball downtown in 1966.

Plans called for “Walt Disney’s Riverfront Square” to cover two blocks in the heart of downtown, just a few blocks from the Arch grounds and the Mississippi River.

St. Louis isn’t blessed with California-like weather, so Disney’s plan called for a five-story indoor park. Some of the rides planned for St. Louis eventually became fixtures at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, including the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Disney himself met with St. Louis Mayor Raymond Tucker in March 1963 to discuss the proposal.

But, the idea fizzled. Legend was that the plan was thwarted because Anheuser-Busch beer baron August A. Busch Jr. insisted that the theme park sell beer, and Disney refused to do so.

But in a 2013 account of the St. Louis project for the Disney History Institute, Todd James Pierce wrote that any disagreement over beer had been worked out — money was the issue. Disney was willing to pay for the rides and attractions, but wanted St. Louis’ redevelopment corporation to pay for the building. The corporation declined to do so.

Disney officially backed out in 1965.

The Arch, the Cardinals and other attractions make St. Louis a popular tourist attraction today, with an estimated 21 million yearly visitors. Walt Disney World draws about 52 million annual visitors.

The blueprints show some wear on edges, but the condition is rated “very good.” They are expected to sell for at least $5,000 to $10,000, said Fazio.

Among other items to be auctioned are the original production celluloid and hand-painted background from the spaghetti-slurping scene in Disney’s Lady and the Tramp, Annette Funicello’s Mickey Mouse Club dancing shoes and a vintage Disneyland Haunted Mansion stretch painting.

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