WDW Daily News

Tickets are now on sale to the general public for the D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration presented by Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection. The live event will bring Disney magic to 11 cities across the U.S., commemorating dozens of milestones celebrating landmark anniversaries this year.

Included in the 105-minute show created by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are tributes to beloved classics such as: Donald Duck’s 80th anniversary, the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, Sleeping Beauty, Haunted Mansion, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Little Mermaid, the Disney Afternoon, The Lion King, Splash Mountain, and many more. Plus, Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection will debut never-before-heard songs from the upcoming releases honoring Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid. The show will also feature exclusive video interviews with Disney Legends, luminaries, and celebrities sharing stories about the “Fanniversary” to which they contributed.

In addition, following each show, two rare items from the Walt Disney Archives will be on display for guests to see and photograph: a hat worn by Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins, and a “Duckster” award. Created in 1952, this bronze-colored award in the image of Donald Duck honored those who made significant contributions to Disney over the years. Both Walt Disney and Donald Duck himself were among the recipients of this unique honor.

Tickets for the general public are available now for $40 each. Specially priced tickets are available for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. Tickets are available at D23.com/Events. The touring schedule is as follows:

· August 9: Burbank, Calif.

· August 10: San Diego

· August 16 & 17: San Francisco

· September 6: Chicago

· September 13: Seattle

· September 20: Atlanta

· September 21: Philadelphia

· September 26: Washington, D.C.

· September 28: New York City

· October 4: Boston

· October 25: Orlando

For times, locations, and additional details, please visit the event listing page.

The roster of talent continues to grow for D23 Destination D: Attraction Rewind presented by H2O Plus. The event will take place November 22 and 23 at Walt Disney World Resort. D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will bring Disney archivists, Imagineers, Legends, and luminaries together to celebrate fan favorites such as Adventure Thru Inner Space, If You Had Wings, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with rarely seen concept art and images; vintage video clips; and hours of revealing stories. In addition, there will be a full day of presentations dedicated to Disney’s contributions to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair.

Disney Legends Charlie Ridgway, Ron Logan, and Bill Sullivan have been added to the roster of presenters and panelists.

Plus, current Walt Disney Imagineers will take part in the two-day event sharing their stories and insights on Disney creations of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, including:

· Gary Landrum, show awareness producer, who archives and preserves the history and stories of Walt Disney Imagineering

· Jason Grandt, art director, whose projects include New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom Storybook

· Dave Minichiello, executive director, creative development, whose art direction guided Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

· Pam Rawlins, show producer, whose projects include Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot’s Millenium

They join previously announced guests Disney Legends Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr, and Alice Davis; Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline; Disney and World’s Fair historians Bill Cotter, Stacia Martin, and Michael Kelley.*

In addition to over a dozen panels and presentations, the weekend will also include:

· A special exhibit designed by Walt Disney Archives in honor of the event.

· Pleasure Island: Rewind, an evening celebration themed around the Downtown Disney nightlife district.

· A pop-up shop from Mickey’s of Glendale, the famed Walt Disney Imagineering store, featuring a selection of exclusive Imagineering merchandise as well as limited-edition pins, T-shirts, and collectibles themed to the event.

The weekend event will take place in the convention center at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Tickets are currently available to D23 Gold and Silver Members at $190 each. Beginning May 28, tickets will be made available to D23 Free Members for $250 per ticket. All guests will receive a special gift.

More details about the program and tickets for D23 DESTINATION D: ATTRACTION REWIND presented by H2O Plus, as well as a special offer just for members of D23, can be found at D23.com/Events. Additional schedule announcements will be made in the coming months.

For the third year in a row, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will hit the road with D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration presented by Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection. The live event will visit 11 cities across the U.S. to commemorate dozens of magical Disney milestones celebrating landmark anniversaries this year.

Hosted by Disney archivists and the D23 Team, Fanniversary 2014 will revisit beloved theme park attractions, animated and live-action films, characters, TV series, and more than 90 years of Disney history including Donald Duck, the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, Sleeping Beauty, Haunted Mansion, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Little Mermaid, and many more. The event, which runs approximately 105 minutes, will also feature the never-before-heard track “Evil Evil” from Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection Sleeping Beauty and a demo recording from Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection The Little Mermaid. Fanniversary events will be open to the public, with special admission prices for D23 Members.

In addition, following each show, two rare items from the Walt Disney Archives will be on display for guests to see and photograph: a hat worn by Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and a “Duckster” award. Created in 1952, this bronze-colored award in the image of Donald Duck honored those who made significant contributions to Disney over the years. Both Walt Disney and Donald Duck himself were among the recipients of this unique prize.

D23 Gold and Silver Members will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets on May 21 for $23 each. Tickets will be available to D23 Free Members on June 11 for $33 each, and remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on July 9 for $40 each. Tickets will be available at D23.com/Events. The touring schedule is as follows:

• August 9: Burbank, Calif.
• August 10: San Diego
• August 16 & 17: San Francisco
• September 6: Chicago
• September 13: Seattle
• September 20: Atlanta
• September 21: Philadelphia
• September 26: Washington, D.C.
• September 28: New York City
• October 4: Boston
• October 25: Orlando

For times and locations, please visit D23.com.

Fanniversaries that guests can look forward to celebrating at each stop include:

• Donald Duck (80th anniversary)
• Disneyland TV show (60)
• Sleeping Beauty (55)
• Darby O’Gill and the Little People (55)
• Disneyland’s Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds and Submarine Voyage (50)
• Disney’s contributions to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair (50)
• Mary Poppins (50)
• Haunted Mansion (45)
• The Love Bug (45)
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (35)
• Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) (25)
• Splash Mountain (25)
• The Little Mermaid (25)
• Pleasure Island (25)
• The Lion King (20)
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ (20)

  …and many more!

More details about D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration presented by Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection can be found at D23.com/Events.

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club celebrates the upcoming release of the eagerly anticipated Maleficent in the summer publication Disney twenty-three. Angelina Jolie and the creative team pull back the curtain on the surprising tale behind one of Disney’s most iconic villains. “I was afraid of her, and I loved her,” Jolie confesses in the cover story. Accompanying the piece is an in-depth look by animation historian Charles Solomon at the development of Walt Disney’s 1959 creative masterpiece, Sleeping Beauty, with rarely seen concept art and drawings.

Disney twenty-three’s Summer issue, available exclusively to Gold Members of D23, also includes a behind-the-engine look at Walt Disney World’s newest theme park attraction, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, featuring striking images and interviews with the team responsible for creating the experience, which is based on the world’s first animated feature. Disney twenty-three also explores the Marvel universe, talking to star Chris Pratt about his wild and wacky Super Hero adventure Guardians of the Galaxy.

Also included in the Summer issue of Disney twenty-three:

Star Wars 101: A fascinating look at the creation of the landmark films—and what’s to come
Disney Villains: The comprehensive list—from the mild to the wild—of Disney’s best baddies
A tour of Walt Disney’s Hollywood, with rarely seen photos and stories about his favorite spots
A behind-the-scenes look at Dusty Crophopper’s latest thrilling adventure in the new Planes: Fire & Rescue
Regular columns including A Walk with Walt, PHOTOfiles, D Society, and more

All D23 Members are invited to visit www.D23.com for additional members-only content, including a talk with producer Don Hahn (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast) about how Disney turned the animated Sleeping Beauty into the vibrant, live-action Maleficent.

Other features coming to D23.com include:

A deeper journey into a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars mega fan Steve Sansweet
The story behind Marvel’s selection of one of its lesser-known comic stories—Guardians of the Galaxy—to become its next mega-feature
A virtual map of Walt Disney’s Los Angeles with rarely seen photos

Disney twenty-three, which is delivered directly to fans’ doorsteps, is offered exclusively to D23 Gold Members as a benefit of their membership. The publication will begin arriving mid-May.

Read more

Due to popular demand, the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago is extending the run of Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.  Guests will be able to enjoy the exhibit through August 3, 2014.

“This interactive exhibit has been so well-received by guests of all ages,” said Anne Rashford, director of temporary exhibits. “It tells the great story of the imagination and perseverance of Walt Disney and offers a rare peek into his life and the unforgettable entertainment he created. We are thrilled to be able to keep it at MSI for an additional three months.”

From Mickey Mouse to Mary Poppins to Captain Jack Sparrow, the exhibition features more than 300 artifacts from nine decades of Disney’s rich history—including props; costumes; memorabilia; and artwork from classic Disney animation, theme park attractions, television shows and live-action films. Hands-on activities allow kids and adults alike to explore animation technology from all 53 Disney animated films and learn to draw one of their favorite characters in the Animation Academy.

The exhibit is not included in Museum Entry but can be added to an Explorer ticket package. D23 Gold and Silver Members will receive a special discount on exhibit entry. For more information and to buy tickets, visit msichicago.org. For more information about D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, visit D23.com.

This exhibit is presented by Walgreens.

WHERE:         5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60637

Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward—opening up new doors and doing new things—because we’re curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” It’s in that spirit that guests this fall will have the opportunity to visit—or revisit—some of the most beloved Disney attractions of yesteryear. D23 Destination D: Attraction Rewind presented by H2O Plus will take place November 22 and 23 at Walt Disney World Resort. D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will bring Disney archivists, Imagineers, Legends, and luminaries together to celebrate fan favorites such as Adventure Thru Inner Space, If You Had Wings, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with rarely seen concept art and images; vintage video clips; and hours of revealing stories. In addition, there will be a full day of presentations dedicated to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, which debuted beloved attractions like it’s a small world and Carousel of Progress.

“We keep moving forward—opening up new doors and doing new things—because we’re curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

Presenters and panelists include Disney Legends Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr, and Alice Davis; Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline; Disney and World’s Fair historians Bill Cotter, Stacia Martin, and Michael Kelley—and more to be announced.

During the weekend, guests will be able to explore a special exhibit designed by the Walt Disney Archives in honor of the event.

The weekend will end with an exciting evening event—Pleasure Island: Rewind. This celebration of the Downtown Disney nightlife district will include areas dedicated to the Adventurers Club, Comedy Warehouse, Mannequins, and 8 Trax. And of course there will be a “New Year’s Eve” celebration to cap the night.

Plus, for the first time, Mickey’s of Glendale, the famed Walt Disney Imagineering store, will set up a pop-up shop at the event for attendees, featuring a selection of exclusive Imagineering merchandise as well as limited-edition pins, T-shirts, and collectibles themed to the event. The shop will also carry a special line from H2O Plus, whose products are featured at Disney Resort Hotels.

Highlights of D23 DESTINATION D: ATTRACTION REWIND presented by H2O Plus will include*:

• Disney Goes to the World’s Fair: A look at how Disney became a part of the landmark event
• Lost on the Way to the Fair: Pavilion concepts for the World’s Fair that never came to be
• Retro Rewind References: Nods to favorites of the past in current Disney Parks attractions
• That Was Entertainment: Revisiting beloved theme park parades, shows, and spectacles

The weekend event will take place in the convention center at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Tickets, available Wednesday, April 16, are $190 each and available exclusively to D23 Gold and Silver Members for a limited time. Any remaining tickets will be made available to D23 Free Members on May 28 for $250 per ticket. All guests will receive a special gift in honor of Disney’s contributions to the 50th anniversary of the 1964–65 World’s Fair in New York City. A limited number of “Top of the World” tickets will be available featuring reserved seating, early shopping on November 21, an exclusive dinner reception, special collectibles, gifts from H2O Plus and Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, and more.

More details about the program and tickets for D23 DESTINATION D: ATTRACTION REWIND presented by H2O Plus, as well as a special offer just for members of D23, can be found at D23.com/Events. Additional schedule announcements will be made in the coming months.

All the magic and excitement of the past, present, and future of Disney entertainment will come together once again under one roof when D23: The Official Disney Fan Club presents the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center the weekend of Aug. 14–16, 2015. Each of Disney’s wonderful worlds will unite to celebrate what’s new and what’s on the horizon from theme parks, television, music, games, and films, including Pixar, the Muppets, Star Wars, and Marvel. 

“The D23 Expo is the ultimate Disney fan event, created to honor and celebrate your love of all things Disney,” Disney Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger told shareholders and D23 Members at the Company’s Annual Meeting today in Portland, Oregon. “And we hope to see you there.”

The fourth event promises to be the biggest ever, following the success of D23 Expo 2013, which drew more than 65,000 Disney fans for three star-studded days and nights. Fans were treated to appearances by such superstars as Angelina Jolie, Chris Evans, Billy Crystal, Natalie Portman, and Tom Hiddleston; watched performances by Idina Menzel, and R5 featuring Ross Lynch; enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime concert from Disney Legends Alan Menken and Richard M. Sherman; explored the inner workings of Walt Disney Imagineering; looked back at Disney’s rich history through extraordinary panels, presentations, and exhibits; and discovered the newest entertainment, technology, and products from The Walt Disney Company.

Highlights planned for D23 Expo 2015 include the 2015 Disney Legends Ceremony, which honors the talented men and women who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy; Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, a collection of one-of-a-kind assets, props, and costumes curated by the Walt Disney Archives; and the Collectors Forum, where Disney fans can buy, sell, and trade Disney collectibles, memorabilia, and merchandise. Once again the event will feature a massive show floor full of special opportunities to see what’s on the horizon for Disney around the world—and guests may run into their favorite Disney stars, characters, Imagineers, animators, and filmmakers. Plus, the event will once again feature StagePass, the popular ticket distribution system that allows attendees to obtain a guaranteed seat for some of the Expo’s most popular presentations.

Advance tickets for D23 Expo 2015 will go on sale at D23Expo.com beginning August 14, 2014. D23 Members will receive special pricing on both one- and three-day tickets to the event, which is open to the general public. D23 Gold and Silver Members will also be entitled to early admission to the Expo show floor. D23 Charter Members will enjoy access to the Expo’s Charter Member Lounge. Members will also have an opportunity to purchase the Sorcerer Package, which provides a host of special benefits and amenities.

About D23 Expo 2015

The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, and theme parks. For the latest D23 Expo 2015 news, visit D23Expo.com. To join the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 on Twitter and use #D23Expo.

To celebrate D23’s fifth anniversary this week, D23 has put together a video that captures just a few of the things that make D23 and Disney special: their publication, their website, their events, the D23 Expo, and of course, the members and fans. So sit back (for about 2.3 minutes… get it?) and enjoy this walk down D23 memory lane. D23 wants to thank you for being a part of Disney’s official fan club.

The Celebration Continues at D23.com: https://d23.com/

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club announced the date of Destination D: Attraction Rewind presented by H2O plus at Walt Disney World Resort will shift to November 22 and 23. Check-in and exclusive shopping opportunities will begin on Friday, November 21.

In addition to this news, D23 is thrilled to announce Disney Legends Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr and other popular Disney Legends who worked on the Walt Disney shows for the New York World’s Fair will be taking part in the event this fall.

Additional ticketing information—including discounted hotel and park ticket rates for guests attending the event—will be posted later this spring on D23.com.

About Destination D: Attraction Rewind presented by H2O plus:

Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” It’s in that spirit that guests this fall will have the opportunity to visit—or revisit—some of the most beloved Disney attractions and entertainment of yesteryear. Destination D: Attraction Rewind, November 22 and 23 at Walt Disney World Resort, will bring Disney archivists, Imagineers, Legends, and luminaries together to celebrate fan favorites such as Adventure Thru Inner Space, If You Had Wings, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with rarely seen concept art and images; vintage video clips; and revealing stories. In addition, several presentations will be dedicated to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, which spawned beloved attractions like it’s a small world and Carousel of Progress.

All D23 events, dates, and talent are subject to change.