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By Michael - January 26th, 2011 Now that the new year has arrived, we can start looking forward to a new slate of events and activities from D23. We already knew that 2011 would mark the return of the D23 Expo after last year’s absence, and that a Destination D event would be held in Orlando this spring for those of us who desperately hope for some corporate recognition of Walt Disney World’s 40th anniversary.
Thankfully the “word on the street” is that some of the folks who share our love of the eastern Disney resort are toiling to ensure that the event actually brings the love for the oft-overlooked history of Walt Disney World. We can only hope that the events and perspectives presented are more diverse than last fall’s Destination D in Anaheim. Walt Disney World has its own unique history and it would nice to see it get the attention it deserves.
The D23 slate for 2011, as it stands now:
January 29
Preview screening of Jake and the Never Land Pirates featuring David Arquette
D23 is partnering with Disney Junior – Disney Channel’s new broadcast initiative designed for kids ages 2 through 7 – inviting D23 Members to bring their young swashbucklers for an advance screening of two episodes of Jake and the Never Land Pirates, a new animated series coming to television this February.
David Arquette is the voice of Skully, the parrot who keeps an eye out for Jake and his crew of kid pirates as they navigate the familiar waters of Never Land while dodging the devious Captain Hook and Mr. Smee.
Following the screening of the two 11-minute episodes, Arquette will sit down for a Q&A with D23’s Disney Geek, Jeffrey Epstein, and will also take questions from the audience. Afterwards, the villainous Captain Hook will be available for photos and autographs in front of the Studio Theatre.
May 12-13
D23’s Great Disney Scavenger Hunt: Walt Disney World
In spring 2011, for the first time in the 40-year history of Walt Disney World, guests will have the chance to scour all four Florida theme parks to win incredible prizes in this official Disney scavenger hunt. Each team will consist of 2-4 participants, and additional rules and registration information will be available soon at the D23 Web site.
May 14-15
Destination D: Walt Disney World 40th
Following the rave reviews of Destination D: Disneyland ’55, this event will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Orlando resort, commemorating its history and heritage. Panels will include all-new presentations that build upon the successful panels at the Anaheim event, including:
- Walt Disney World: The Way We Were,” hosted by Disney Legend Dave Smith
- “Weird Disney World” with Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline
- “Walt Disney World Through the Eye of Television”
- A special evening event featuring musical memories from throughout the history of Walt Disney World
Other panels, featured speakers and details will be announced soon on the D23 Web site.
August 19-21
D23 Expo 2011 in Anaheim, California
Affectionately dubbed “The Ultimate Fan Event” by Disney enthusiasts [Actually, by Disney marketing – Ed.], the D23 Expo brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television and theme parks as never before. An event that only occurs every other year, this is the first D23 Expo since the premiere event in 2009.
Highlights of D23 Expo 2011’s weekend activities will include:
- 2011 Disney Legends. Paying tribute to the talented men and women who have made indelible contributions to Disney entertainment
- Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives. Featuring dozen of props, artifacts and costumes, accessible to the public for the first time in Disney’s history
- Collector’s Forum. Where attendees can buy, sell and trade precious memorabilia and merchandise
- Fan Art Contest. Themed to 101 Dalmatians in honor of the 50th anniversary of the animated classic
- The Ultimate Disney Trivia Tournament will allow participants to demonstrate their Disney knowledge as they compete for outstanding prizes
- Many more one-of-a-kind D23 Expo panels, presentations and experiences which will be announced in the coming months.
October 14-15
Sip & Stroll at Epcot in Orlando
As part of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, D23 is once again hosting their annual Sip & Stroll event exclusive to D23 Members. More details will be announced in 2011.
December 17-18
Magic and Merriment at Walt Disney World in Orlando
D23 brings back its annual holiday tradition celebrating the spirit of the season, exclusive for D23 Members. More details will be announced in 2011.
In addition to the weekend events, D23 is continuing its tradition of 50 and Fabulous screenings at the company’s Burbank lot. Taking place in the Disney Studio’s recently refurbished 400-seat Studio Theatre, the screenings celebrate various beloved Disney films that are observing their golden anniversaries this year. The screenings are “free” – except for the $5 “processing” fee – and are good for D23 members and one guest.
January 22
101 Dalmatians
March 12
The Absent-Minded Professor
June 18
The Parent Trap
November 19
Babes in Toyland
D23 is continuing to offer tours of the Walt Disney Studios and the Walt Disney Archives; the two-and-a-half hour tours are available on a limited basis and will be held on the following dates:
February 5
April 30
July 23
November 5
D23 has also announced an expanded slate of member discounts for 2011; they’ve added a page to their website that will allow them to regularly update the list of benefits.
So that’s the schedule so far. Combine it with the incredible TCM event in April, which is D23 affiliated, and any number of unofficial events, and it’s going to be a busy year. Now let’s see if I can afford to go to any of them…
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By Michael - January 18th, 2011 By far the coolest Disney-related fan project of recent vintage is Horizons: Resurrected, an exciting attempt to recreate the classic, beloved EPCOT attraction with interactive CGI.
This isn’t the first attempt to re-live Horizons virtually; an attempt was made several years ago to create a computer model of the pavilion, but despite some very exciting test renders that project now seems to be defunct. Similar projects include Virtual Toad, an extremely impressive attempt to recreate Walt Disney World’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The visual quality of Virtual Toad knocked my socks off in the test renders that emerged in the middle of the last decade, and the sample VR tour shows how much potential the project held. Sadly, Virtual Toad has been in “hibernation” since 2008; hopefully it will return some day, as the quality of the existing work still holds up wonderfully and is a very atmospheric re-creation of the Toad vibe.
The grand-daddy of all these projects is a virtual re-creation of Disneyland’s fabled Adventures Thru Inner Space, created by Steve Wesson and released in 2004. This was notable not only for being the first project of its kind, but for re-creating an attraction that pre-dated the age of the ubiquitous camcorder and was thus not as well documented as others. For someone like myself, who was never able to ride that attraction and thus felt supremely left out, it was a very exciting development. Here’s a trailer for the Adventures Thru Inner Space ridethrough:
Horizons: Resurrected looks like it’s off to a good start, as the project has posted an incredible interactive proof of concept video. After loading the Unity player plugin, viewers can maneuver around the pavilion themselves, using the arrow keys (or WASD keys) to move and the mouse to look. Press spacebar to jump!
At this point you can only approach the pavilion and tour a low-rez model of the queue area but already the effect is striking. Hearing the ambient music play as you enter the queue, and the location-specific audio for each of the kaleidoscopic travel posters, is enough to give you chills. Of course, it is kind of strange walking around Horizons with the same keystrokes you’d use for an FPS game – it seems kind of wrong to feel like you should be walking around with a shotgun in the Horizons queue!
Check it out at Horizons: Resurrected; hopefully this is just a preview of exciting things to come.
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By Michael - January 18th, 2011 Just a quick programming note that I make a guest appearance on the newest episode (Episode #58) of the WEDway Radio podcast, discussing my post from last year about never-built Disneyland attractions.
I’d like to thank Matt and Nate for having me on – it was a lot of fun! Follow the links on their site to download the episode, or subscribe on iTunes.
PS: I’d also like to point out something that I realized almost immediately after we recorded the segment (and of which I’ve already been reminded!): That the great Marc Davis was responsible for a great deal of the “Garden of the Gods” artwork which we discuss in the episode. Sorry Uncle Marc!
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By Michael - January 14th, 2011 
Didier Ghez has announced that the 10th volume in his essential series of collected interviews is now available online, and should be listed on Amazon in four to six weeks.
This new edition is an epic collection, containing all the existing interviews conducted by Bob Thomas for his well-known biography, Walt Disney: An American Original. Weighing in at a whopping 324 pages, this is sure to be a must-read.
Contents include:
Foreword: Diane Disney Miller
Jim Korkis: A history of the Walt Disney biography by Bob Thomas
Didier Ghez: Bob Thomas
Paul F. Anderson: Bob Thomas
Bob Thomas: Walt Disney
Bob Thomas: Walt Pfeiffer
Bob Thomas: Lillian Disney
Bob Thomas: Edna Disney
Bob Thomas: Ub Iwerks
Bob Thomas: Wilfred Jackson
Bob Thomas: Bill Cottrell
Bob Thomas: Herb Ryman
Jim Korkis: Walt’s secretaries
Bob Thomas: Dolores Voght Scott
Bob Thomas: Ham Luske
Bob Thomas: Woolie Reitherman
Bob Thomas: John Lounsbery
Bob Thomas: Ward Kimball
Bob Thomas: Frank Thomas
Bob Thomas: Milt Kahl
Bob Thomas: Hazel George
Bob Thomas: Marc Davis
Bob Thomas: Dick Huemer
Bob Thomas: Ollie Johnston
Bob Thomas: Ken Anderson
Bob Thomas: George Bruns
Bob Thomas: Larry Clemmons
Bob Thomas: Bill Anderson
Bob Thomas: Robert Stevenson
Bob Thomas: Bill Walsh
Bob Thomas: Roy E. Disney
Bob Thomas: Winston Hibler
Bob Thomas: James Algar
Bob Thomas: John Hench
Bob Thomas: Harper Goff
Bob Thomas: Dick Irvine
Bob Thomas: Card Walker
Bob Thomas: Donn Tatum
Bob Thomas: Wathel Rogers
Bob Thomas: Roger Broggie
Bob Thomas: Marvin Davis
Bob Thomas: Joe Potter
Bob Thomas: Robert Foster
Bob Thomas: Joe Fowler
Check it out…
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By Michael - January 14th, 2011 As we continue to wait… and wait… and wait… for any real information about Shanghai Disneyland, we have to look for clues anywhere we can find them. A choice new tidbit comes from this job posting on the official Disney hiring site; in case it disappears, here’s a key quote:
Act on behalf of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations Team throughout the course of a project. This includes the design, development, construction, and turnover phases of the two hotels associated with the Shanghai Disney Resort. Business units represented include Housekeeping, Front Desk, Food and Beverage, Merchandise, Security, Horticulture and Recreation. This position acts as the key liaison between the Operator and the Developer throughout design and construction. Travel to Shanghai will be required on a regular basis to build relationships with local hotel operators, local design firms, and to better understand the market for Guest & Cast planning purposes.
So there you go. Clue one for the initial site plan for Shanghai: two hotels. Next?
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