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Stepping off the silver screen and out of the pages of comic books, look for Spider-Man , Iron Man , The Avengers and X-Men to swing into an arena in your hometown. The iconic Marvel super heroes are being tapped to star in an unprecedented new show that brings the characters to life and puts the audience...

Though I must admit that back in January, when the D23 Anniversary event at Disneyland was first announced, I was skeptical as to how Disney would put together a three-hour party on a Wednesday that was worth a three-hour drive to the park.Three hours, each way, I might add. Having just attended the...

Given this documentary’s title, it’s kind of ironic that “ Waking Sleeping Beauty ” got its start the way most of us do when we’re just trying to wake up. Which is with a good, strong cup of coffee. As director Don Hahn recalls, it was November of 2006. Peter Schneider’s latest project – a stage musical...

If you ask Pam Burns-Clair to describe her mother, she’ll tell you that Disney Legend Harriet Burns was not your typical 1950s housewife. “When I was a girl, the shows on TV were Ozzie & Harriet , Leave It to Beaver and I Love Lucy . These women were very much stay-at-home moms with the chocolate...

Last year, after Disney Legend Harriet Burns passed away, Pam Burns-Clair decided to put together a book about her mother. Mind you, what Ms. Burns-Clair had in mind wasn't a traditional biography. But -- rather -- a gathering of memories. Which is why -- in partnership with noted Disney historian Don...

Anyone who’s a fan of the film " Titanic " or has any interest in sea travel at all will recall the romantic and heady days of the ocean liner. These immense ships, designed to swiftly sail primarily between Europe and the United States before the days of air travel, were often opulent...

Are you a fan of “ Beauty and the Beast ”? I hope so. Because – over the next few years – three different versions of this “Tale as Old as Time” are going to turn up at theaters near you. First up is the re-rendered version of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 1991 hit. Which turns this Academy Award-winning...

Have you heard about the Living Character version of Luxo Jr. which began making appearances at Disney's Hollywood Studios earlier this week? Photo by Denise Preskitt This mechanical version of Pixar’s icon (which is rumored to have cost $3 million to build & then program) made its DHS debut this...

Earlier this week, it was kind of ironic that – in a headline that talked up how well “Up” was doing at the domestic box office – Variety mentioned “ The Incredibles .” Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc and Pixar Animation Studios. All Rights Reserved “Ironic how?,” you ask. Well, in a time where this...

Attention, all of you procrastinating portrait painters out there! If you’ve ever dreamt of becoming the artist that The Walt Disney Company will select to paint Donald Duck’s new official portrait , that window of opportunity is closing rapidly. There are just three days left now to submit a sketch...

Last Tuesday night, I traveled down to one of the cities I most dislike in all of Southern California: I went to Hollywood . Good ol’ Tinsel Town, with its sidewalk hucksters wearing eBay costumes of Bugs Bunny and SpongeBob , with its endless food courts and faux-trendy boutiques. Hollywood, that theme...

This past Friday, the Disney community lost one of its celebrities. Harriet Burns passed on at the age of 79. She was the first woman hired by WED as an artist. She was born in San Antonio and remained in Texas for most of her young life, venturing only to Dallas to pursue a college degree in art in...

Picking up where we left off yesterday ... Despite the two MCA lawsuits, Disney continued to develop plans for the Disney-MGM Studio Backlot in Burbank . At the helm of the Disney project were two Imagineers: a young Joe Rohde (then 32-years-old) and Rick Rothschild . Their mission was to seamlessly...

Picking up where we left off yesterday ... During the first five months of 1987, Burbank city officials worked toward an agreement with Disney to build a theme-park-slash-shopping-center in their downtown district. At issue was the money: Disney wanted to buy the land for next to nothing. Disney also...