VIDEO: Kermit The Frog Sings “It Feels Like Christmas”

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

Kermit the Frog is feeling the spirit of the season and teamed up with Disney.com’s Oh My Disney blog to create a special holiday greeting at Disneyland.

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Walking down Main Street, Kermit gave a live performance It Feels Like Christmas, a tune that originally appeared in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Take a look at Kermit’s performance here:

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For more Disney holiday content, visit Disney.com/Holiday which features online and offline fun for the whole family, including festive games, videos, crafts and more.

Happy holidays from The Muppets and WDWNT!

PHOTOS: Disneyland Tiki Room “Barker Bird” Migrates To The Walt Disney Family Museum

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

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The Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presideo of San Francisco has a new “resident.” He looks familiar, but the specifics of his personality and mannerisms are for you to decide.

At the heart of the museum’s newest exhibit is Pepe del Presideo, a replica of the Audio-Animatronic Barker Bird formerly perched outside the entrance to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. Museum guests will first experience a brief show and film about the history of Audio-Animatronics, then guests will be invited to use an authentic programming joystick to interactively experience the fine art of three-dimensional animation for themselves.

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The original Disneyland Barker Bird, whose name by the way was Juan, flew the coop after continually attracting a flock of gawkers and restricting access to Adventureland.

Walt Disney once said of Audio-Animatronics, “it’s just another dimension in the animation we have been doing all our life.” The new interactive exhibit, is a gift to the museum from Garner Holt Productions, Inc., the world’s largest creator of animatronic characters, and the primary animatronics provider for Disney theme parks.

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The Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street, The Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129. They can be found online at at http://www.waltdisney.org/.

Written by Tim Middlebrow

Do You Have A “Million Dollar Arm”? New Contest Offers A Chance To Win $1 Million Prize

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

Amateur pitchers everywhere will have a chance to prove they have the fastball skills to win a $1 million prize in a competition to celebrate the opening of Disney’s Million Dollar Arm which releases  May 16, 2014.

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Million Dollar Arm is an incredible true story about two young men who went from never throwing a baseball to getting a Major League tryout.

Contestants will be able to test their skills at the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, Calif., ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida or the Tribeca Family Festival in New York on April 25 & 26 from 7:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. The three contestants from each location who throw the fastest pitches will advance to the finals and have a chance to compete for a $1 million prize at the world premiere of Disney’s Million Dollar Arm in Hollywood on May 6.

Official contest rules are available on Disney.com’s Million Dollar Arm website located at http://disney.com/PitchingContest

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Based on a true story, Million Dollar Arm is the story of how sports agent JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) finds that business has changed and things aren’t going well for his career. In a desperate effort to save his livelihood he concocts a scheme to find baseball’s next great pitching ace. Hoping to find a young cricket pitcher he can turn into a major league baseball star, JB travels to India to produce a reality show competition called “The Million Dollar Arm.” With the help of cantankerous but eagle-eyed retired baseball scout Ray Poitevint (Alan Arkin), he discovers Dinesh (played by Madhur Mittal from Slumdog Millionaire) and Rinku (played by Suraj Sharma from Life of Pi), two 18-year-old boys who have no idea about playing baseball, yet have a knack for throwing a fastball. Hoping to sign them to major league contracts and make some fast money, JB brings the boys home to America to train. While the Americans are definitely out of their element in India, the boys, who have never left their rural villages, are likewise challenged when they come to the States. As the boys learn the finer points of baseball, JB, with the help of his charming friend Brenda (Lake Bell), learns valuable life lessons about teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family.

Directed by Craig Gillespie, Disney’s Million Dollar Arm stars Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, Suraj Sharma, Lake Bell and Alan Arkin. Disney’s Million Dollar Arm will be released in the United States on May 16, 2014.

 

Many Turn Out to Compete in Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” Pitching Contest

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

Many potential contenders turned out for the first qualifying round of Disney’s Milion Dollar Arm pitching contest Friday, April 25 at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida and Disneyland® Resort in California. There is still time for hopefuls to participate as the qualifying rounds continue April 26 at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, Disneyland® Resort in California as well as in Tribeca at the ESPN Sports Day at the Tribeca Family Festival in New York City. All participants received tickets for themselves and a guest to see an advanced screening of the film.

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Three-time MLB All Star and World Series Champion Tom “Flash” Gordon attended the contest in Orlando and 7-foot center for the Orlando Magic, Nikola Vucevic, who was a first round draft pick out of USC actually participated in the contest.

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The top three eligible pitchers from each qualifying round will be flown with a guest to compete for the $1 million in the final contest, which will take place at the world premiere of Million Dollar Arm on May 6 in Hollywood.

Million Dollar Arm opens on May 16, 2014.

“May The 4th Be With You” Celebrated All Over The World, And Out Of It Too!

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

Star Wars fans all over the world celebrated Star Wars Day- “May the 4th Be With You!”

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Earlier this week Lucasfilm announced the cast for episode VII of the Star Wars saga, as well as premiered a trailer for the new animated series Star Wars Rebels. The trailer was broadcast in more than 160 countries and reached over 439 million households worldwide. Talk about a Death Star-sized debut!

Star Wars literally took over the planet as Star Wars themed rugby matches were held in Australia, Star Wars 5k runs took place in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, character appearances occurred in London, fan events in Shanghai, China and an intergalactic takeover of the Roman Colosseum happened in Italy.

Star Wars Day also took to the stars as the astronauts on board the International Space Station, with a little help from R2-D2, delivered a special Star Wars Day message to Star Wars fans around the world through a special collaboration with NASA and Space Center Houston.

And Hollywood celebrities got in on the festivities with celebrities such as Simon Pegg, Charlize Theron, Tony Hawk & Robbie Williams sharing photos and wishing fans a happy Star Wars Day.

VIDEO: “Nothing’s Impossible” Disney Art Gallery Overview

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

Oh My Disney, the pop culture blog from Disney.com, partnered with Mondo, the collectible art division of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, to present Nothing’s Impossible, a gallery event at this year’s SXSW festival that celebrated classic and contemporary Disney films.

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To celebrate the end of the exhibit at SXSW, the team created a wrap-up video of the gallery opening, featuring some cool Disney-related posters, a few of Mondo’s talented artists and interviews with some of the fans at the exhibit. Check it out below.

Oh My Disney brings classic and current Disney characters to life for digital audiences through humorous and heartfelt original artwork, stories, articles and videos. Be sure to visit Oh My Disney to check out all the new posters like the ones below.

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VIDEO: Trailer for a New Documentary on Walt Disney Imagineering was Released at the D23 Expo!

WDWNT on September 13, 2013

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An exclusive trailer for a new documentary film by legendary filmmaker Leslie Iwerks was revealed at the D23 Expo on Saturday, by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs. This new film explores the story behind Walt Disney Imagineering, along with sharing the vision for their future. Leslie Iwerks comes from a family rich in Disney history, with her father being a former Imagineer, and her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, one of Walt’s original animator’s, and you may be familiar with her due to her previous films about Pixar Animation Studios as well as Industrial Light & Magic. This time around, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has partnered with Leslie to bring us the unprecedented facts, stories, and people responsible for creating all of the wonder and magic behind the Disney Parks.

Here’s the trailer for this upcoming documentary, due to be release in 2016:

 

I can never get enough of the behind-the-scenes Disney magic, and this promises to be extraordinary!

Video and Images courtesy of the Walt Disney Company.

 

Philips Lights the Way for Disney Storytelling

WDWNT on August 7, 2013

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Disney and Philips have teamed up to create unique and exciting lighting products, bringing Disney magic into the lives of children while they play, read and sleep. These amazing products were developed in The Netherlands at the Philips’ facilities, and they will first be introduced in Europe and the U.S. in September, followed by Asia near the end of 2013.

With StoryLight and Mickey, parents and children can enjoy eBooks connected to Mickey Mouse shaped lighting, transforming classic Disney stories with colored synchronized lights.

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Philips Consumer Luminaires CEO Philip Doorduijn had this to say:

“Philips and Disney believe in creating moments and environments that improve people’s wellbeing and happiness. By bringing our collective brand, knowledge and histories together, we have created a range of safe, innovative and dynamic lighting solutions for children, parents and everybody young-at-heart.”

There are other lighting products being introduced as well:

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  • SleepTime and Mickey – Helping children distinguish between sleep and wake time with sun and moon indicators
  • SoftPals and Monsters – Keeping kids comfortable at night with a soft subtle light
  • DisneyLivingColorsMicroCandle Light – Simulating the flicker of a candle with a warm glow
  • LivingColors – Giving children a means to enter an imaginary world through lighting

These creative lighting products are completely child friendly, with built-in safety features, such as lamps which are cool to the touch, allowing for increased usage and long life, and no sharp edges or small parts, and cables which can be tucked away using velcro.

So look for these innovative lighting products coming to your area soon, and create magical worlds for your children with light!

Visit here for more information on the Disney and Philips lighting partnership.
Images courtesy of Royal Philips and the Walt Disney Company

VIDEO: Calling All Recruits – The Club Penguin Star Wars Takeover Event is Here!

WDWNT on August 7, 2013

The highly anticipated Club Penguin Star Wars Takeover Event is here, and the galaxy needs you! Now through August 13th, fans will get to participate in the biggest takeover in Club Penguin history.

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Says Chris Heatherly, Vice President and General Manager of Disney Interactive Worlds:

“The Force is strong with the Club Penguin community, and Star Wars is by far the most requested event we have ever seen from our fans. This is the biggest takeover in Club Penguin history with an epic size and scope!”

Members can dress their penguins in costumes from many of their favorite Star Wars characters, such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, C-3PO, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader. Then enlist in the Rebel Alliance and travel to Tatooine for training, to earn points and unique items while dueling with other Jedi hopefuls. Collect Lightsabers, cloaks, robes, and more. Relax and have fun in Star Wars themed party rooms such as the Cantina, Sandcrawler, Mos Eisley, and Lars Homestead.

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And an exclusive costume can be won only in the My Penguin app.
Following training, penguins travel to the Death Star, fight TIE Fighters, and try to defeat Darth Herbert and destroy the Death Star. Successful players will score an award medal of galactic importance, the Rebellion’s highest honor.

Three exciting Star Wars mini-games give penguins the chance to fly X-wing fighters, solve puzzles, and take out Stormtroopers. Members can decorate their space stations with things such as Death Star Archways, Droid Cleaning Stations, and Emperor’s Chairs.

Watch this urgent message now, as you may be their only hope!

Beware, Darth Hebert will try to convince you to join the dark side. So head on over to ClubPenguin.com and prepare to save the galaxy. Your fellow Jedi knights need you!

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Video and Images courtesy of the Walt Disney Company