Tag: history

Did You Know THIS School Has Cranked Out Dozens of Disney SUPERSTARS?

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date June 16, 2020

For many, working for Disney is a lifelong dream, and fans around the world look at the most successful Disney icons and wonder how they got their start!

You may be surprised to know that a trove of Disney directors, animators, and yes, even LEGENDS, all went to the same college! It’s no coincidence that California Institute of the Arts, or CalArts, happens to be an unofficial hotspot for Disney talent! Today we’re taking a peek at the place that started the careers of so many Disney superstars — and checking out some hidden Disney details.

Why are there so many successful CalArts alumni working at Disney?

CalArts, which is located in Valencia, California, was actually founded by Walt and Roy Disney back in 1961. Back then, it was a merger between two art schools in the area and became an official college in 1970. Walt’s vision was to create a school where emerging artists could hone their craft in a “community of the arts.” Walt wanted the school to be built around real-world experience as opposed to the traditional academic setting.

From left to right: Donn Tatum, Card Walker, Harrison “Buzz” Price, John Kelsey, Thornton Ladd with Walt Disney © CalArts

Since the college opened, it has been a hotbed for producing talented artists across multiple disciplines. But many know CalArts to be one of the best ways to get a foot in the door at Disney. The school quickly became known as “Mickey Mouse U.” for its outpouring of Disney elites. Its close proximity to the Disney headquarters in Burbank and Glendale also helped!

You may have seen a nod to this influential school from its alumni in a HUGE number of projects — both Disney-related and not! Ever heard of the A113 easter egg? This tradition became popular among CalArts grads to hide the term A113 in television and film productions as a nod to the graphic design and animation classroom that all of these grads went through at CalArts.

Believe it or not, you can find mentions of A113 in movies ranging from The Princess and the Frog to Avengers: Endgame and beyond! It’s in hundreds of movies and TV shows! The room number is quite popular in Pixar films and is even hidden in Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! (Hint: it’s near Woody’s Lunch Box!)

Some of CalArt’s most notable alumni

While there are countless names on the list of CalArts alumni who have gone on to have successful careers with Disney (too many to include in just one post!), there are a select few who have truly stood out and become icons in the film industry at large. Some of these alumni have even gone on to become Disney legends!

Tim Burton

Many Disney fans know the work of Tim Burton very well! Although most of his work has been outside of Disney, his work as the producer of The Nightmare Before Christmas remains to this day a revolutionary feat in stop-motion animation! But his career with Disney spans much further than one film!

Tim Burton © Disney

Burton was scouted out by Disney when the animated short he worked on while at CalArts, Stalk of the Celery Monster, caught their attention. He was offered an apprenticeship at Disney where he worked on Fox and the Hound, TRON, and The Black Cauldron. This was followed up with a stop-motion animated short Vincent, which brought Burton’s unique style front and center.

Screengrab from the animated short “Vincent”

His first full-length feature film with Disney, Frankenweenie (no, not the animated 2012 film he ALSO made with Disney — this was a different 1984 version!), actually resulted in him getting fired from the Company as the film was considered too dark and scary for children. Even when Burton returned to Disney to produce The Nightmare Before Christmas, it was produced under Disney-owned Touchstone Pictures due to its darker nature.

Frankenweenie © Disney

Burton has continued to have a working relationship with Disney to this day, which has included that animated re-make of Frankenweenie in 2012!

Glen Keane

Glen Keane graduated from CalArts in 1974 and started working for Disney that same year. Since then, he has gone on to work on classic Disney films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Tarzan, and, more recently, Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph. He was inaugurated as a Disney Legend at the 2013 D23 Expo.

Fun fact — did you know Glen Keane has art in his blood? His dad was Bil Keane — the creator of the Family Circus comic strip — which Glenn’s brother, Jeff, still creates. Glen’s daughter Claire also got involved in filmmaking. You know all those whimsical paintings and drawings Rapunzel creates in Tangled? Those were her artwork!

Joe Ranft

Joe Ranft joined Disney in 1980 and worked in their animation department for over a decade. He worked on films such as Oliver and Company, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. In 1991, Ranft was hired by Pixar as their head of story. He worked on every single film produced by Pixar until his untimely death in 2005.

Joe Ranft © Disney

Like many other creative contributors at Pixar, he got involved in other elements of the films he helped create. In this case, Joe enjoyed contributing as a voice actor! You might recognize his voice as Wheezy in the Toy Story films or Heimlich in A Bug’s Life (“Oooh! A little butterfly!!”). He even voiced a character in another CalArt’s grad’s production — he was the voice of Igor in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas!

Brad Bird

Brad Bird is a multi-talented filmmaker who was actually awarded a scholarship by Disney to attend CalArts. After graduating he began working for Disney, but he was ultimately fired for criticizing upper management for not taking enough risks.

Years later he was hired by Steve Jobs to work at Pixar. His biggest accomplishments include two Academy Awards for The Incredibles and Ratatouille.

Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof at the D23 Expo in 2013 © Disney

He also went on to create a couple of notable live-action films including one of the Mission: Impossible movies and the 2015 Disney film Tomorrowland. He also serves as part of the “Brain Trust” at Pixar of creatives who oversee all their films AND he’s lent his voice to a famous character you might not realize was him — Edna Mode from The Incredibles (“NO CAPES!”).

Danny Elfman

You may not know who this next guy is from looks alone but we guarantee you’ve heard him. He’s responsible for over 100 film and television scores including The Simpsons theme, the score for Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Batman, and so much more. He attended CalArts at the same time as Tim Burton…well, kind of.

Danny Elfman © Disney

While Danny Elfman technically never officially enrolled as a student at CalArts, he started sitting in classes and befriended a number of students, including Tim Burton. Ever since, Burton has used him as the primary composer for most of his films, including The Nightmare Before Christmas. Elfman was also the singing voice of Jack Skellington in the film! He was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2015.

Even MORE Successful CalArts Alumni

There are way too many alumni to list who have gone on to have successful careers with Disney. But this list should give you an idea of the long-standing reputation of CalArts to produce some of Disney’s best and brightest artists.

School of Art – Graphic Design

Amanda Lui (BFA 14), graphic designer, Walt Disney Imagineering

School of Film – Character Animation

Mark Andrews (BFA 93), animation writer-director (Brave) — Academy Award

Chris Buck (78), animation writer-director (Frozen) — Academy Award

Brenda Chapman (BFA 87), animation writer-director (Brave, The Prince of Egypt, The Lion King) — Academy Award

©Disney

Pete Docter (BFA 90), animation writer-director (Inside Out, Up, Monsters, Inc.), Pixar Brain Trust — 2 Academy Awards

Ralph Eggleston (86), animation writer-director (For the Birds), production designer (Inside Out, WALL·E) — Academy Award

Mike Giaimo (78), animation art director (Frozen, Pocahontas)

Jennifer Hager (BFA 05), animation supervisor (Zootopia)

Don Hall (BFA 95), animation director (Big Hero 6) — Academy Award

Minkyu Lee (BFA 09), visual development artist (Big Hero 6, Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph), writer-director (Adam and Dog)

©Disney

Rob Minkoff (83), animation and live-action director (The Lion King, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, The Forbidden Kingdom)

Rich Moore (BFA 87), animation director (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph, Futurama) — 2 Primetime Emmy Awards, Academy Award nomination

John Musker (77), animation writer-director (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog) — Academy Award nomination

Shane Prigmore (99), character designer and visual development artist (The Lego Movie, The Croods, How to Train Your Dragon, Coraline), VP of Creative Affairs, Disney Television Animation

Alonso Ramirez Ramos (BFA 10), character designer, storyboard artist (Gravity Falls, Mickey Mouse) — 2 Primetime Emmy Awards

Peter Sohn (BFA 99), story animation director (The Good Dinosaur), voice actor

Andrew Stanton (BFA 87), story animation and live-action writer-director (Finding Nemo, WALL·E, Finding Dory), Pixar Brain Trust — 2 Academy Awards

Genndy Tartakovsky (cer. 92), story animation writer-director (Hotel Transylvania), creator of Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars — 3 Primetime Emmy Awards, Winsor McCay Lifetime Achievement Award

Gary Trousdale (82), story animation writer-director (Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Kirk Wise (cer. 85), story animation writer-director (Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

School of Film – Experimental Animation

Henry Selick (MFA 77), stop-motion animation director (Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas) — Academy Award nomination

Jack and Sally Meet and Greet

School of Theater – Performance

Michael Jung (MFA 94), director, VP of Theatrical Development, Walt Disney Imagineering

Paul Reubens (73), screen actor, creator of Pee-wee Herman and Pee-wee’s Playhouse — 3 Primetime Emmy nominations, also the voice of R3X on the original Star Tours and DJ R3X in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!)

DJ R3X at his new home in Galaxy’s Edge!

When it comes to a career at Disney, there are MANY ways to get your foot in the door! The school was created specifically to produce well-rounded artists — just like what Disney is looking for in its hires! It’s clear that many of the students that make it through the programs at CalArts are primed to go on to careers with Disney. Saying you attended the school Walt Disney had a hand in creating certainly helps!

Are you a Disney history buff? How many of these CalArts alumni did you know about? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney Entertainment, Featured, History, Special Stuff, brad bird, CalArts, California Institute of the Arts, danny elfman, disney legend, glen keane, joe ranft, Pixar, Tim Burton, Walt Disney

Tags brad bird, CalArts, California Institute of the Arts, danny elfman, Disney Entertainment, disney legend, Featured, glen keane, history, joe ranft, pixar, Special Stuff, Tim Burton, Walt Disney

Disney News Disney Parks

Walt Disney Family Museum offering virtual art exhibition

Post author By chipandco.com
Post date June 12, 2020

The Walt Disney Family Museum is offering a special virtual exhibit for Disney fans staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The World of Tomorrow exhibit includes 175 unique pieces to be displayed in a virtual recreation of the museum’s Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall.

Readers can click here to see the virtual art exhibition. The official description for the museum’s virtual exhibit, The World of Tomorrow, can be found below:

“The Walt Disney Family Museum is excited to premiere The World of Tomorrow, a new virtual exhibition featuring works created by the museum’s global community. Inspired by each artists’ vision for a “world of tomorrow,” this diverse selection of works includes paintings, drawings, photographs, and 3D objects in a 3D-rendered virtual gallery space.

During our temporary closure, The Walt Disney Family Museum has continued to share Walt’s story across social media and virtual platforms. As part of the museum’s mission to enlighten and educate future generations, we strive to highlight the importance of growth through adversity, and how the adversity Walt faced shaped him to be one of the great innovators of the 20th century. The World of Tomorrow draws inspiration from Walt’s ambition to keep moving forward and design a brighter future.”

Source: Walt Disney Family Museum

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Exhibits, History, News, Other Disney Stuff, Disney exhibit, Disney History, Disney Museum, The Walt Disney Family Museum, Walt Disney Family Museum

Tags Disney exhibit, Disney History, Disney Museum, Exhibits, history, news, Other Disney Stuff, The Walt Disney Family Museum, Walt Disney Family Museum

Disney Movies Disney Parks

Everything You Need to Know About Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Ride!

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date June 11, 2020

Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys—and there be plunderin’ pirates lurkin’ in every cove, waitin’ to board.

©Disney

If you’re seeking adventure on the high seas, it doesn’t get much better than Pirates of the Caribbean — one of Disney’s most ICONIC rides!

But maybe it’s been a while since your last voyage, so here’s a refresher (as well as a little background info) on one of our absolute FAVORITE attractions at the Disney parks!

Type of Attraction

Pirates of the Caribbean is a slow, dark boat ride. It’s such a classic attraction, you’ll find a version of it at all the Disney theme parks except for Hong Kong Disneyland! We’re going to focus on the two versions of the attraction in the United States.

Locations

Disneyland

Pirates of the Caribbean originally opened at Disneyland on March 18, 1967 in New Orleans Square. Nearly double the length of Disney World’s attraction, Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean clocks in at 14-1/2 minutes long and has TWO drops instead of only one! These were built not as much for thrills as for necessity — the drops take guests under the Disneyland Railroad to the main show building beyond the train tracks.

Speaking of those drops, the waterfall you drop down is 52′ long, the first drop is only about 18 feet. The second drop is an even shorter 13-foot plunge!

©Disney Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland

The Disneyland version actually features a unique reverse waterfall at the end of the attraction as well. After all those drops, Imagineers needed a way to get guests back up above ground, so a slow-moving ramp hidden in rushing water was conceived to return guests to the loading area.

Another key difference is how Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean starts! Looking around, you’ll notice the setting looks more like a Louisiana swamp, complete with an antebellum mansion you float past, than the Caribbean Islands!

That’s because the theming of the Pirates attraction was based on real New Orleans pirates like Jean Lafitte, making the New Orleans Square setting appropriate. And that antebellum mansion? That’s because Blue Bayou Restaurant shares a building with the ride!

Blue Bayou Restaurant

That means you can actually DINE INSIDE Disneyland’s version of the attraction! Once you disembark, you’ll exit next to Pieces of Eight — Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean-themed gift shop! There’s usually some cool Nightmare Before Christmas stuff inside too!

Walt Disney World

Pirates of the Caribbean is located in Adventureland’s Caribbean Plaza at Magic Kingdom, just past the Jungle Cruise. The ride opened at Disney World on December 15, 1973, and lasts 8-1/2 minutes.

©Disney Pirates of the Caribbean

Only one 14-foot drop takes place at the beginning of the ride, and although it has fewer scenes than Disneyland’s, you’ll still see 125 Audio-Animatronics figures, including 65 pirates and villagers and 60 animals and birds! The New Orleans storyline and a large portion of the pirates’ lair section of the ride were cut for Disney World’s version. After you ride, check out the Plaza del Sol Caribe Bazaar gift shop for some sweet pirate-themed merch!

Wait Times

Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland normally has an average 20-40 minute wait time while Disney World’s version typically has a 20-60 minute standby line. For the shortest wait, try riding Pirates of the Caribbean before noon or after 5 PM.

Accessibility

There is no age or height requirement to ride Pirates of the Caribbean at either Disney park.

©Disney Pirates of the Caribbean Loading Area

Guests using an EVC or wheelchairs can ride Pirates of the Caribbean at both parks if they are able to transfer. Audio description and handheld captioning devices are also available for guests at Disney World and Disneyland.

FastPass?

While you can’t get a FASTPASS to ride Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney World’s version is FastPass+ eligible.

Story Details

On both versions of the ride, you’ll explore a damp pirates’ cave and witness an enormous galleon ship exchanging cannonball blasts with a fortress! You’ll hear them whiz over your head and maybe even get splashed by a few as they land!

Once inside the village, you’ll encounter the marauding pirates and revel in their escapades, which includes a lot of RUM and SINGING!

Refurbishments

Pirates of the Caribbean has undergone several modifications over the years. While both Disneyland and Disney World’s version of Pirates of the Caribbean existed long before the popular movie franchise that began in 2003, Captain Jack Sparrow and his rival Barbossa were added to both rides in 2006 following the success of the films.

The 2006 additions included a waterfall made of mist that guests floated through, featuring projections of some of the films’ villains. This effect was later removed in 2018 in both parks.

The 2006 addition in Disneyland also included a notable prop from the first Pirates film — the treasure chest of Cortés prop was placed in the pirates’ lair section of the ride atop a mountain of pirate loot.

©Disney

Jack Sparrow was added in multiple locations throughout the village scene of the ride, including one of the ride’s more controversial moments — the barrel scene. Originally a smarmy pirate resting near a barrel gloated as he admired a woman’s undergarments he held, with the woman hiding in the barrel behind him popping up from time to time. Now, he holds a key and Jack Sparrow resides in the barrel!

Speaking of controversial — this ride has many scenes that have caused a ruckus over the years. Many guests also remember the original Pirates of the Caribbean’s “chase scene” know that it showed male pirates pursuing the village’s women. The scene was first altered to show the pirates chasing after the women in pursuit of items they were carrying, and not just the ladies themselves. The scene was later altered EVEN FURTHER to show the women angrily chasing the men with rolling pins and other objects in their hands!

Most recently, and perhaps most controversially, the “Take a Wench for a Bride” scene was altered at both Disneyland and Disney World. The famous Mercado scene used to display women being auctioned off to pirates along with the chant, “We wants the Redhead!”

The scene was swapped in 2018, and the “Redhead” is no longer a villager but now a plundering pirate named Redd! She’s no longer being auctioned off — but she’s helping to oversee the auction of the village’s goods to increase their rum supply instead!

A few smaller additions have been introduced over the years including the short-lived underwater mermaid effect in Walt Disney World’s version in 2012. This was tied into the release of Pirates of the Caribbean — On Stranger Tides, which featured siren-like mermaids. A tied-up mermaid skeleton was added to the beach scene nearby as well. The effect was difficult to maintain since it was completely below the water and it was rarely working, so it was ultimately removed in 2018 along with the mermaid skeleton.

Overlays

Pirates of the Caribbean in Disney World receives a couple of overlays throughout the year for special events. We use the term overlay loosely here — it’s really just a few costumed real pirates in the queue and in scenes of the ride! This still makes the experience more engaging and keeps you on your toes looking for who’s actually REAL!

Pirates of the Caribbean Cast Member (Not an Animatronic!)

You’ll find this overlay as part of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Villains After Hours. The two events’ overlays are basically the same, but we did notice for the most recent Villains After Hours it felt like there were a few more pirates than we’d seen at the Halloween Parties.

Look for pirates hiding in the more open areas of the queue, as well in a couple spots on the ride. They can speak and interact with guests, so don’t be surprised to hear them try to talk you into helping them hunt for treasure!

History

Walt Disney originally designed the attraction in the 1950s, but back then he imagined it as a wax museum and a walk-through adventure! It was one of the last attractions with which Walt Disney was intimately involved. and originally Disney World was never going to have a Pirates of the Caribbean attraction!

Imagineers thought Florida was too close to the actual Caribbean Islands, and that people wouldn’t be interested in it. But when Disney World opened in 1971 WITHOUT the ride, guests were adamant about getting Pirates of the Caribbean! Guests consistently asked Cast Members where Disney World’s version of the ride was located only to be told there wasn’t one! Disney listened and put it in a few years later in 1973!

Tips

As you prepare to exit the grotto at Disney World (and encounter the drop) — there’s an on-ride camera that will snap your photo to your left! (Smile and say “CHEESE!” at the talking skull and crossbones.) View it later on the My Disney Experience app where you can download or purchase it!

There are also several hidden Mickeys in the treasure room where Jack Sparrow sits at the end! Look for them on four metal lamps –the lamps are located on each column and two more located on either side of the archway walls.

We hope you’ll get to ride Pirates of the Caribbean soon! Until then, how about joining us in a rousing chorus of “Yo Ho! Yo Ho! A Pirate’s Life for Me”? Any takers?

Is Pirates of the Caribbean one of your favorite rides at the Disney parks? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disneyland, Featured, magic kingdom, News, 1973, 50th anniversary, Adventureland, Animatronics, auction scene, barbossa, Blue Bayou, controversial, Disney World, films, History, jack sparrow, maxpass, modifications, movies, New Orleans Square, original attraction, pieces of eight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Redd, redhead, restrictions, walk through, Walt Disney, wax museum

Disney Parks Other

Disney World Park Photos from the Late 1980s

Post author By touringplans.com
Post date May 24, 2020

In addition to Walt Disney World park maps from 1989, my recent attic purge also unearthed some photos from that same trip.

As much as Disney fans today love to complain about changes to the parks, my largest impression from seeing these long-forgotten shots is that WDW looks substantially the same as it did 30+ years ago.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY

Mickey Mouse’s 60th birthday was celebrated with banners on various transportation methods.

I really miss the character bus that used to stop near the intersection of Epcot’s World Showcase and Future World. This was a terrific way to meet many characters all at once.

MAGIC KINGDOM

These first two photos are from the alleyway on Main Street, on the right as you face the castle, where the silhouette artist is now. I love these bright flowers.

The Haunted Mansion exterior and the burning cabin from the Liberty Belle Riverboat journey are indistinguishable from their appearance today.

These two photos show items that have been discontinued. The first is a submarine from the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction that was located where New Fantasyland is now. And the second is of one of the Mike Fink Keel Boats that used to run near Tom Sawyer Island.

EPCOT

The 1989 exteriors of the Epcot countries look nearly identical to their appearance today.

This was the nighttime show at Epcot – Illuminations – before it was Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.

The exterior of the Imagination pavilion looked the same as it does today.

This is the famed rainbow tunnel in the Imagination pavilion. Every time I see this it just makes me happy.

For an almost fix of rainbow tunnel vibes, I like to take a peek at the similar tunnel on the Disney Cruise Line Dream and Fantasy ships at the entrance to the Vibe teen club. Adults can visit during periodic open house hours. While I sometimes wish that either version were still available on land, I fear that guests jockeying for Instagram photos would cause a daily near riot.