Nancy Stadler

Watching the moon set & the sun rise inside of the Magic Kingdom during WDW's Monstrous Summer! All Nighter

2013-05-28T03:09:00Z

Seeing as Jim has already covered what the Disneyland Resort version of the Monstrous Summer! All Nighter was like, I thought that I'd share Angela Ragno & myself's experience at the WDW version of this 24 hour-long party . Photo by Nancy Stadler In the spirit of full disclosure here, I guess I should mention that we did not in fact spend a full 24 hours inside the Magic Kingdom. Given that I was actually down in Central Florida to cover the grand opening of SeaWorld Orlando 's new...(read more)

Gronckles, Nadders and Vikings, Oh My! DreamWorks "How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular" Has Them All

2012-07-19T04:00:00Z

How do you train a dragon? Very carefully. The life-like Nadder in the DreamWorks How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular. Photo By Nancy Stadler Especially when you have to make sure that twenty-three of the beasts need to breathe fire, roar, flap their wings, blow smoke rings, wag their tail, laugh, grunt, pass gas, blink and -- oh yeah -- actually walk at precisely the right moment. Which is exactly what the cast and crew / dragon tamers of the DreamWorks "How to Train Your Dragon Live...(read more)

Disney California Adventure Update: Kids Race Power Wheels to Cars Land

2012-06-13T14:32:00Z

Jim is in Anaheim getting ready for the grand opening of Cars Land but wanted me to share this fun new video with you - the story of the journey to Cars Land through the lens of the biggest (and youngest) fans. Be sure to stick around to the end of the video for a fun easter egg! (Please visit the site to view this media)...(read more)

Geoffrey Rush isn't rushing to exit Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" film franchise

2011-05-20T05:00:00Z

On the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie , Captain Barbossa was an out-and-out villain. "Spat out from the mouth of Hell," is how one character describes Hector before he makes his grand entrance in "The Curse of the Black Pearl." But to hear Geoffrey Rush describe the character he has now portrayed in four installments of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film series, it's kind of hard not to feel sorry for the "Black Pearl" version of Barbossa...(read more)

Forget about being a man of the cloth. "On Stranger Tides" Sam Claflin wants to be a man of action in "Pirates 5"

2011-05-17T02:54:00Z

When Sam Claflin 's agent told him that he had an audition for " Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ," this just-two-years-out-of-the- London-Academy-of-Music-and-Dramatic-Arts performer was not what you'd call optimistic. "I told him 'Oh, what's the point? This is never going to happen. It's impossible,' " Claflin laughed. "But at his insistence, I went to that audition and then flew off to South Africa to shoot another job." But clearly...(read more)

The mysterious tail ... er ... tale of "On Stranger Tides" mermaid, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey

2011-05-11T18:17:00Z

Astrid Bergès-Frisbey wasn't quite sure what she was getting herself into when this Spanish-French actress first went in to audition for " Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ." Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved "I did that audition in Paris. And the only information I had to go on was this one short scene from the movie and the name of my character, Syrena," Astrid recalled. "But since the name 'Serena' means 'mermaid'...(read more)

Celebrities stroll down Disneyland's black carpet at the "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" world premiere

2011-05-09T02:28:00Z

Typically when something special happens at Disneyland Park , they roll out the red carpet. But this past Saturday - in preparation for the world premiere of Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films ' " Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides " - Disneyland rolled out a black carpet. In fact, when Angela and I arrive at 2 p.m., while Main Street, U.S.A. was already decked out with all sorts of pirates-related finery, they were still in the process of laying that section...(read more)

Johnny Depp is having too much fun playing pirate to give up on Captain Jack Sparrow anytime soon

2011-05-06T05:57:00Z

Are you actively looking for a way to tick off producer Jerry Bruckheimer ? Then suggest to him that the last two installments of Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" film franchise were too long. Or worse than that, criticize " Dead Man's Chest " & " At World's End " for being unfocused. For having storylines that were far too complicated & confusing. At a Beverly Hills press conference yesterday for " Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides...(read more)

Looking back at ABC Super Soap Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios theme park

2010-11-12T06:53:00Z

Am I the only one out there who misses ABC Super Soap Weekend? No. I can't be. I remember the people who used to literally camp out in front of the entrance of Disney-MGM Studios theme park. Photo by Nancy Stadler So that they could be the first in line to meet their favorite ABC soap stars. Veteran performers like Susan Lucci from "All My Children" ... Photo by Nancy Stadler ... or new young breakout stars like Bradford Anderson from "General Hospital." Photo by Nancy Stadler...(read more)

Gary Beach and Terrence Mann remember "Beauty and the Beast" 's trip from the screen to the stage

2010-10-05T05:03:00Z

For Tony Award winner Gary Beach , his association with " Beauty and the Beast " pretty much began the way the rest of ours did. In a movie theater. "I was living in LA when Disney premiered the film at the El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. It was a really big deal. They had a stage show before the movie," Beach recalled. "So I went and I just loved it. I mean, almost ridiculously." "So I'm sitting there, watching 'Beauty and the Beast.' And...(read more)

Robby Benson & Paige O'Hara look back on Disney's "Beauty & the Beast"

2010-10-04T04:26:00Z

To hear Robby Benson tell the tale, the only reason that this " Ice Castles " star wound up doing the voice of the Beast in Disney's acclaimed animated feature was because Robby knew his way around a Walkman. "This is a story that I always tell the students in my acting classes. How I got past that first audition for ' Beauty and the Beast ,' " Benson recalled last week in NYC. Where Robby and Paige O'Hara were doing publicity for this Academy Award-winning film...(read more)

Tube Tuesday: ABC’s “All My Children” celebrates its 40th anniversary today

2010-01-05T05:00:00Z

Nancy Stadler looks back over the history of this long-running soap as well as talking up the production’s recent move to the West Coast...(read more)

Disney Studios exec delivers an "Up" lifting Mother's Day present

2009-05-11T04:00:00Z

Nancy Stadler reports in from Hartford, CT. Where Donald Evans – SVP of Marketing for Walt Disney Animation Studios – hosted an advance screening of Pixar’s latest film ...(read more)

"He's here to save the nation. So stay tuned to this station. If not, we'll be unemployed ..."

2009-04-22T04:00:00Z

Nancy Stadler chats with Paul Rugg about "Freakazoid!," that Daytime Emmy Award-winning Kids' WB series which recently became available on DVD...(read more)

Disney's Hollywood Studios says "So Long" to Super Soap Weekend

2008-11-21T05:00:00Z

Nancy Stadler looks back on last weekend's event at Walt Disney World. Which is alleged to be the very last Super Soap to be held in Central Florida...(read more)