Get Up to 30% off Holiday Decor at Disney Store!
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Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It’s a true story about the renaissance that took place between 1984 and 1994 at the fabled Walt Disney Animation Studios and how Disney animation regained its magic with a staggering output of hits including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and more.
Available on DVD November 30 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment, the 86-minute documentary features the people who were actually there — Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Roy E. Disney, John Lasseter and others. Directed by Don Hahn, who produced some of the period’s biggest hits, and produced by Peter Schneider, who led the animation group during this amazing period and later became studio chairman, Waking Sleeping Beauty gives viewers an unprecedented look at the conflict, drama and tension that ushered in a decade of unparalleled Disney creativity.
After Walt’s death, without his hands-on supervision, by the mid-1980’s the Disney animation division had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. These conditions produced a series of box-office flops and pessimistic forecasts that led everyone to wonder if the best days of animation were over. Hahn and Schneider provide a fascinating and candid perspective of what happened in the creative ranks as Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg and the late Roy E. Disney (Walt’s nephew) worked to breathe new life into the company. Hahn and Schneider bring insider knowledge, and offer refreshing candor and humorous anecdotes in describing ego battles, cost Waking Sleeping Beauty DVD– November 30, 2010 overruns and failed experiments, set against dynamic tensions with top leadership.
Each DVD is packaged with a special replica caricature of a particularly tough Beauty and the Beast story meeting drawn by Kirk Wise. Director Don Hahn puts several memorable samples on display and marshals a vast array of
interviews, home movies, internal memos and unseen footage. Waking Sleeping Beauty celebrates the rich history of Disney animation and honors the many writers, artists and composers who created the Disney magic.
Announcing the world premiere of Waking Sleeping Beauty at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, the festival’s documentary programmer Thom Powers said, “The treatment of Waking Sleeping Beauty is so thorough that it (even) includes key figures who famously left Disney such as Don Bluth, John Lasseter and Tim Burton. At one time, children imagined that Walt Disney’s signature meant a film was the creation of one man. This is a more grown-up portrayal that reveals the collaborative, often contentious, experience in all its complexity.”
Bonus Features:
Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WakingSleepingBeauty
Hey Tron Legacy Fans! Head on over to KCRW.com to get your first listen of the TRON: Legacy soundtrack as DJ Jason Bentley chats with Director Joseph Kosinski about the film and the much anticipated score. Watch and listen as they preview 5 tracks and discuss its influence on the film.
Click here or the picture above to check them out!
There’s no doubt that queuing is the tedious part of a theme park visit. However there are now some new products which specifically target the boredom of those long zigzagging lines.
Things to Do In Theme Park Queues comes as a book or iPhone app and contains more than 120 activities that can be played in the crowded queuing conditions of any busy theme park.
The award winning author, Scott Wegener, lives in Melbourne, Australia, which is a long way from any theme park with a long queue, but suggests that it may be the reason these products came to be.
“Writing these activities helped me feed the cravings I have between visits to large theme parks, like Disneyland,” he says. “I love thinking about theme parks and this gave me an excuse to constantly picture myself in the queues of my favourite park attractions. I’d play out the ideas that came to mind of how I’d entertain myself and the friends I’d imaginarily taken to the park with me.”
Being an only child may have helped develop Scott’s creativeness for generating entertainment.
“I can’t recall the last time I was bored,” he muses.
” I’ve never personally had any difficulty in entertaining myself in any situation, alone or with friends. Hopefully these products will help those who have to visit theme parks at peak times to endure, if not enjoy, the queuing experience. They’ll have this large collection of ideas of what someone who doesn’t get bored would do in their situation.”
As well as the categorised activities, the book and iPhone app also contain many tips for a theme park visit, such as how to avoid queues, packing checklist, and how to conquer a fear of roller coasters. There’s also a large roller coaster trivia section, which includes things like attendance figures, historic milestones, lists of record-holding coasters and enough definitions of coaster inversions to send anyone loopy.
Scott suggests that if half the day at an amusement park is spent in queues, you can double the enjoyment of your theme park visit by making the queues fun too.
“I guess my ultimate aim could be to make the queuing more fun than the attraction,” he says.
“Can you imagine having people sitting on the attraction waiting eagerly to join the next queue? In respect for the large amount of money spent on attractions, I’ve made sure the activities are just a little less exciting than the attractions being queued for.”
For more information about these products, visit http://www.ThemeParkQueues.com
Disney Consumer Products and Avant Gallery are pleased to announce the launch of the Walt Disney Signature Airline_009 Chair in collaboration with Cory Grosser as they recreate a classic Disney inspiration. The launch event of the exhibit will take place December 2, 2010 during Art Basel/Design Miami fairs.
Los Angeles based designer Cory Grosser and Walt Disney Signature, Disney’s adult lifestyle brand, have imagined a new armchair and ottoman inspired by the original Airline Chair from 1934, which Walt Disney selected when he built his original animation studio in Burbank, California. Visually beautiful and exceptionally comfortable, the Airline Chair was used widely throughout the studio by Walt Disney animators. To this day, the Airline Chair is a physical connection to the story of Disney. Walt Disney had a tradition of collaboration with outside designers and artists, and the Airline_009 chair is the result of collaboration with another inspiring designer.
“Like Walt Disney’s animators, our Walt Disney Signature team were moved by the Airline Chair design and its heritage and sought to recreate the spirit of the original in a re-imagined more streamlined form,” said Pam Lifford, executive vice president, global fashion and home, Disney Consumer Products. “Inspired by lightness and flight, realized with cutting-edge technology and advanced joinery techniques, the Airline_009 chair stretches the boundaries of possibility and the power of imagination. We believe this chair is a new tool for imagination and creativity and we hope it inspires its owners as the original did.”
The Airline_009 chair combines both the classic design of the past chair, but with modern touches of today. It celebrates advances in furniture construction with a sculpted walnut frame and fine leather upholstery. Through careful design choices, the chair references the past but appears both light and unmistakably modern. It reclines with a concealed hinge hidden between the seat and back.
Inspired by the original Airline Chair
In 1938, with the success of, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney began to plan the construction of the ultimate animation studio in Burbank, California. Walt wanted his studio designed to facilitate optimum production, which is why he commissioned the design of the Airline Chair (1934). The chair was manufactured for a limited time and ultimately, the only chairs produced were the 300 or so which Walt Disney purchased for his new studio.
Today, the Airline Chair is highly collectable and remains one of the most sought after Art Moderne products ever designed.
Great news for Disney Pixar! According to Hollywood News Pixar’s Day and Night short film is being nominated for an Academy Award!
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards®. Thirty-three pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:
Great job guys and gals at Pixar! I loved the Day & Night Short. Let us know what you thought in the comment section below or in our all new Forums (see link at the top of this page)
Fans will be the first to get an exclusive look at the brand-new trailer for Walt Disney Pictures “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” in 3D on December 13, 2010, at AMC Downtown Disney Theatre 12 in Anaheim, California, as part of an exclusive “Pirates Fans First!” event. “Fans First!” winners will also have the chance on that day to be the first to experience the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction that started it all. Fans can enter to win a vacation for four to the event by “Liking” Yahoo! Movies on Facebook (www.facebook.com/YahooMovies) or entering the sweepstakes via Disney Movie Rewards (www.DisneyMovieRewards.com). Fans can also gain access to this exclusive event by listening to 102.7 KIIS-FM starting December 6th.
In addition to being the first to see the new trailer for “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” and ride on the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park attraction, the lucky fans will be treated to a special Pirate after party, plus special commemorative gifts—but not until all of them have sworn to the “Pirate’s Oath” in a ceremony on the bow of the Columbia sailing ship. For added fun, fans who come to the event in pirate costume will have additional opportunities to win special prizing.
Following the “Pirates Fans First!” event, the trailer will premiere on Yahoo! Movies, Disney.com, and other premium online destinations around the world at 1 p.m. PST. Later the same day at 7 p.m. EST the domestic broadcast debut will occur on “Entertainment Tonight” as part of their December Event for “Pirates.”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed tale of truth, betrayal, youth and demise. When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love—or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.
The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa, and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is written by “Pirates” veterans Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio. The executive producers are Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Barry Waldman, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio and John DeLuca.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” sails into theatres around the world in May 2011. Official website: Disney.com/Pirates. “Like” Pirates on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PiratesoftheCaribbean.
In celebration of the release of FANTASIA/FANTASIA 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition, we have TONS of bonus content from the movies. Here are a bunch of movie clips to check out and don’t forget to get your copy today.
FANTASIA 2000
Making Destino Cohesive (Bonus)
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Rebirth of Destino (Bonus)
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Personal Contact (Bonus)
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Destino (Bonus)
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Jazz Sequence (Bonus)
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Walt’s Perfect World (Bonus)
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Telling a Story Through Slides (Bonus)
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Musicana (Bonus)
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African Piece (Bonus)
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FANTASIA
Schultheis Notebook (Bonus)
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Finding the Notebooks (Bonus)
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Walt’s Importance (Bonus)
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Creating Volcanos (Bonus)
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Collecting Animation Art (Bonus)
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Lead producer Michael Cohl announced today that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark sold more than one million dollars worth of tickets within 24 hours of the show’s first preview performance. Directed by Julie Taymor and featuring a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger, and new music and lyrics by U2’s Bono and The Edge, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is now in previews at Broadway’s Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street).
“We’re thrilled to finally be performing this terrific show for audiences, and we’re excited that the audiences are coming in droves,” said Cohl.
Opening Night for SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is set for Tuesday, January 11, 2011.
Featuring direction by Tony® Award-winner Julie Taymor (The Tempest, Across The Universe, The Lion King), music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge, a book co-written by Taymor and Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel) and one of the most iconic title characters of all time, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark is the most ambitious production ever undertaken on Broadway and finds astonishingly fresh ways to tell a story inspired by over 40 years of Marvel comic books. The show follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down when he’s bitten by a genetically altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to his bedroom ceiling. This bullied science-geek suddenly endowed with incredible powers soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains put both his physical strength and strength of character to the test. SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark will thrill the audience through a unique entertainment experience in ways never-before-dreamed-possible in live theater.
Tickets are priced from $67.50 – $135 for weekday performances and $67.50 – $140 for weekend performances and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 250-2929. Tickets are also available at the Foxwoods Theatre box office Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Syfy, the premier cable destination for imagination-based entertainment, is a lead media partner for SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark.
Canadian users of the Magic Santa video platform now have another reason to share the joy of the holiday season – a chance to win the trip of a lifetime to Walt Disney World from Sympatico.ca. Canadian residents can win a family vacation valued at $10,000 by creating a free Magic Santa video message for the children in their lives, and then submitting a photo or video that captures the priceless expression on their child’s face as they watch their personalized Magic Santa video. Digital photo or video submissions can be uploaded to Sympatico.ca’s user-generated-content (UGC) platform until December 19, 2010 at contest.magicsanta.ca.
Magic Santa Overview
Magic Santa is a video platform and application that enables parents and extended family members to very quickly and easily create and then view personalized and unique video messages to their kids from Santa. Creating a video takes less than five minutes, with users submitting only essential information (no complex questionnaire), yet will leave a lasting impression as children marvel at the idea that Santa knows their name, what they want for Christmas, and more. The free service is available both online at magicsanta.ca and as a free downloadable iPhone application from the iTunes App Store. Whether a video message was created using Magic Santa online or the iPhone app, families can “share the magic” with others through Facebook, Twitter or email at the click of a button.
Sharing the Magic
This holiday season, Sympatico.ca is also sharing the magic with Kids Help Phone, Canada’s only phone and on-line counselling service for youth, by donating $0.25 to the organization for every Magic Santa video created, up to $50,000.
“Magic Santa was created to bring the magic of the holidays to life for kids. With the launch of our Magic Santa contest, that magic can now live on at Walt Disney World for one lucky family,” says Michele Ferrari, SVP – Portal Content English, Business Strategy at Sympatico.ca. “We are proud to be helping parents share the joy of Christmas with their families, and at the same time enabling those families to support Kids Help Phone, an incredible organization that is there for kids across the country whenever they need someone to talk to.”
Magic Santa is not only a free application, it is also free of advertising, enabling Sympatico.ca to help families across Canada keep the spirit of Christmas alive for young kids, without commercialization.
Photo and Video Submission Guidelines
– All entries submitted to contest.magicsanta.ca will be reviewed for eligibility according to the contest rules. Eligible entries will be processed within one to three business days after a submission has been made.
– There is a per person limit of one contest entry per day and ten contest entries over the entire contest period.
– The odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received during the contest period.
– The contest runs until December 19, 2010 at 11:50pm (ET).
– On December 21, 2010 at 1:00pm (ET), one entry will be randomly drawn from all eligible entries received during the contest period.
– Full contest rules are available at contest.magicsanta.ca/rules.
Connect with Magic Santa
– Create Magic Santa videos online: magicsanta.ca
– Download the Magic Santa iPhone app: m.magicsanta.ca
– Participate in the “share the magic” contest: contest.magicsanta.ca
– Connect with Sympatico.ca on Facebook: facebook.com/sympatico
– Tweet with Magic Santa on Twitter: twitter.com/magic_santa
– Visit the online newsroom: news.magicsanta.ca
This article comes to us from CBS News.
Police are investigating what may be the first ever murder in Celebration, the Disney-developed community in Florida.
Osecola County sheriff’s deputies said a woman who was checking on her neighbor found a body inside a Celebration apartment around 9:40 a.m. Monday, according to CBS affiliate WKMG.
Detectives are investigating the incident as a suspicious death.
“An individual called and said she was checking on a neighbor and when she went into the apartment, she found an individual deceased. At this time, we’re investigating this as a suspicious death,” said Twis Lizasuain, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.
Dawn Peraino, who lives nearby, said a friend was supposed to be keeping the victim’s dog for the holiday and couldn’t reach him over the weekend, according to WKMG. Investigators with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office have not confirmed many details regarding the case.
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Hanukkah begins tomorrow night at sundown, and to celebrate, we’ve got 8 Sparkling Hanukkah Recipes from Disney Family for 8 nights of delicious treats!
Brighten up the Festival of Lights with a delicious Hanukkah feast! Choose from these eight recipes to delight family and friends and add some extra sparkle to these eight special nights.
