Don’t give up, MiceChateers, Friday is almost here! Here’s a little news and more to tide you over until Tuesday:

Don’t Miss Out on a Piece of History

Our pals at the Orange County Register found a real treasure when researching stories for Disneyland’s Diamond Anniversary earlier this year: the original, 16-page opening day newspaper section detailing all the wonders of Walt’s new park. They decided to print up a mess of them and hand them out, gratis, at Disneyland on July 17th. Fortunately for those of us who couldn’t be there, they printed extras, and if you couldn’t get to Disneyland for the Anniversary, you can still get your mitts on this wonderful reprint by going to  ocregister.com/go/disneyland60 . Pricing starts at $6.95 to have it delivered straight to your door. If you’re a local, just head on over to the Register’s office and pick up a copy for $2.00. If you’re a subscriber, you can get a voucher for a free copy. The address is 625 N. Grand Ave. in Santa Ana.

Disney, Fab News: Disneyland Papers, Disney Books, and D23 Expo Plans
Holli Christopher, Orange County Register

The Register also debuted its new section on Disneyland this week! It’s at ocregister.com/disneyland

You’d be Wise to Read This

Ugh, businessy self-improvement books, Disney or no. The jargon. The corporate-speak. “Thinking out of the box.” “Being a team player.” “Employing synergistic strategems for positive forward matrix relatables”. I just can’t.

Don’t worry. Jeffrey A. Barnes’ new book The Wisdom of Walt is NOT one of these. First off, it’s in English. Human English, not Business English (yes, it’s a thing!) nor Academic English (also a thing), even though Barnes does come from academia. It’s a self-improvement book without a bunch of chirpy slogans and mantras as well, which is also nice. So, there’s what it isn’t. Let’s talk about what it IS.

Disney, Fab News: Disneyland Papers, Disney Books, and D23 Expo Plans

It’s a walk through the story of a man who had brain cancer and took the lessons of his unseen mentor, Walt Disney, to heart. It’s a workbook for the reader (I’d use a pencil if I were you) to do the same. It’s a journal of the best and worst you can be and do, but it’s not heavy-handed, (honest!) and all this, while telling stories about Walt Disney’s life experiences as examples to live by. This is the first book of its type that, after just about each chapter, I had to set aside to digest what I’d just learned. And I did learn, which is what I loved the most about The Wisdom of Walt. Jeffrey A. Barnes is an excellent teacher. It took me a lot longer to get through this than usual, but I repeated sections and chapters a few times. There were lessons that I found truly valuable here. Oh, and MiceChat’s own Garner Holt and Bill Butler wrote the foreword!

ABC TV Pavilion Fun – and PINS!!! –  at D23 Expo

I’m still holding my breath for General Hospital stars (Roger Howarth!), but this is really getting good:

ABC Family will be giving away THREE EXCLUSIVE PIN SETS, one on each day of the #D23Expo: The new series Shadowhunters on the 14th, Pretty Little Liars on the 15th, and the wildly popular 25 Days of Christmas on the 16th at the ABC TV Pavilion.

Fans can also meet their favorite network stars at the pavilion. Here’s what they have so far, and remember, everything in TV Land is subject to change!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14

11:00 – 11:50am: “Young & Hungry” stars Jonathan Sadowski and Aimee Carrero
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

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 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”

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There’s More Movie Magic, Too!

It’s official. You’re going to have to clone yourself to even begin to do all of the incredible things Disney has lined up for us at the #D23Expo this August 14-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Walt Disney Studios has everything from movie previews to singalongs to aloha shirt exhibitions. Here’s a preliminary schedule. Everything in Tinseltown subject to change:

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 and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent.

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 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.

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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.

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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-adventure Zootopia. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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A Spoonful of Sherman, A Labor of Love

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? I’m getting rested and ready. While I’m waiting, I’ve started listening to the Original Cast Soundtrack to A Spoonful of Sherman. I’m about a third through and it’s a real delight. You can listen to a few tracks and also order the CD here. It’s by Robert Sherman’s son, also Robert Sherman, and is most definitely a labor of love. I’m certainly loving it. And speaking of LOVE, his new musical is called LOVEBIRDS and it’s feathery fun. Isn’t it great to see the music passed on to a third generation?!

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If you have any news, scoops, questions, rumors, queries, advice or recipes, email me at [email protected]. Have a swell weekend!

 

Shelly Valladolid
Shelly Valladolid, aka Fab, has been writing about Disney and theme parks for about two decades. She has written for various fan and pop culture sites, Disney Magazine and OCRegister.com and participated in several books, including Passporter's Disneyland and Southern California and Disney World Dreams. She was co-founder and president of the Orlando, Florida chapter of the NFFC (now Disneyana Fan Club). She taught a class on theme park history at a Southern California University. She is creator and co-owner of Jim Hill Media, one of the creators of MousePlanet and was a consultant on MSNBC, The Motley Fool and others about Disney and various media matters. She was a Heel wrestling manager on TV and a voice artist on the radio in Honolulu, HI, where she grew up. She has a blog and a podcast with her daughter, Mission:Breakout Obsessive Alice Hill. She and her husband, MiceChat columnist Noe Valladolid, live in Southern California with Alice.