When it came to proving his "Disney geek" street cred
last January, Adam Sanderson — Head of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club —
had just the secret weapon in mind. To decorate his new office, Sanderson (who
had previously worked as the Senior Vice President of Franchise Management for
the Disney / ABC Television Group) brought in one of his most prized childhood
possession: a 45 of the theme song from "it's a small world."
"This is actually a souvenir from my family's visit to
the 1964 – 1965 New York World's Fair," Adam recalled during an interview for
the Huffington Post. "My family lived about a half hour away from Flushing
Meadow. So we went to the Fair sometime during its two-year run. I'm not
exactly sure which year it was, 1964 or 1965. But I know that my Dad took a
picture of me standing with the Disney characters outside of the Pepsi-Cola
pavilion. So maybe my parents bought me that 45 after we got off of 'it's a
small world' and then exited through the gift shop."
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Now just having a Disney-related souvenir from the 1964 –
1965 New World's Fair should be enough to qualify someone for membership in
D23. But Sanderson — because he was already on a path to eventually become the
Head of the Official Disney Fan Club — had to go a little bit further with his
fandom.
"So years later, I'm working for the Company and I run
into Richard Sherman. And Richard — along with his brother Robert — is the
guy who actually wrote the theme song for 'it's a small world.' And since I
keep this 45 on display in my office … Well, I quickly go and get it and then
tell Richard the story about how I used to play this 45 on my grandmother's
Victrola and how it would mean the world to me if he would now sign it,"
Adam continued. "And Mr. Sherman laughs and then autographs that record
for me, adding a personal note: 'It's about time.' "
And the times, they are obviously a-changing. Nowadays,
we're a long way aways from when Sanderson used to play that 45 on his
grandmother's Victrola. Which is why Adam — while respecting The Walt Disney
Company's history and the obvious affection that its hardcore fans have for the
films, TV shows and theme park attractions of the past — is trying to make
sure that D23 makes use of every available technology and delivery platform to
stay connected with the fan community.
Walt Disney poses with an ABC television camera in a publicity shot of the
Fall 1954 debut of the weekly "Disneyland" TV series. Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"Look, we're honestly just following in Walt's foot
steps here. I mean, think about it. He was an early adopter of technology.
Those early Mickey Mouse shorts were among the first films to feature
synchronized sound. Likewise that Fantasound system which Disney technicians
developed for the original theatrical release of 'Fantasia.' That predated the
elaborate sound systems that we find in movie theaters today. And back in the
1950s, when all of the other studios in Hollywood
were hesitating to get into television, Walt leaped in with both feet," Adam
explained. "So to now make use of new technologies like live-streaming so
that some of D23's panels and presentations can then be available to fan club
members in far-off corners of the globe, that — I feel — is a way to honor
Walt's innovative spirit. More importantly, that there's a real opportunity
here to grow and change the Official Disney Fan Club in a way that's consistent
with the way that people now interact with media. "
Which isn't to say that Sanderson plans on actively moving
D23 away from all older forms of media. Take — for example — Disney
twenty-three magazine, that glossy collectible quarterly which is exclusively
available to all Gold level members of the Official Disney Fan Club.
"Although the world is obviously transitioning away
from print, Disney twenty-three magazine is beloved. This publication resonates
with our fans in a way that Hearst and Conde Nast I know would just kill for.
So we are definitely going to continue publishing Disney twenty-three
magazine," Adam stated. "But that said, are we going to just stay
static with this award-winning publication? Nope. We want to evolve Disney
twenty-three magazine. Explore the idea of doing some new features. We're
looking at all sorts of opportunities right now."
Copyright 2014 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
And speaking of bigger … One thing that certainly won't be
getting smaller anytime soon is the D23 Expo. Even though more than 50,000
people from 48 states and 21 countries attended the third edition of the
largest Disney fan event in the world back in 2013, Sanderson anticipates that
the 2015 edition (which will be held at the Anaheim
Convention Center from August
14-16) will draw an even bigger crowd. More importantly, be an even bigger
crowd pleaser.
"I began working on the 2015 Expo on the first day that
I came to work at D23. And it's just been a thrill to work on an event of this
size. As a kid, I was the one who did the Muscular Dystrophy carnivals in my
neighborhood. And when I worked at Disney Channel Worldwide, I played a key
role in planning some pretty big events. But what we've got planned for the
next D23 Expo, it just boggles the mind," Adam enthused. "I mean,
when you think about everything that's going on inside of the Company right
now, all of the cool things that they're doing at Marvel and Lucasfilm and
Pixar, not to mention the Studio and Consumer Products and Disney Interactive
… We have so much to showcase this time around. Which is why we're looking at
all sorts of different ways to grant Disney fans access, make it possible for
them to interact with all of this incredible entertainment that's headed their
way. Which is why — as I mentioned earlier — we're looking for additional
ways to connect with our D23 Members. Make use of digital and social media so
that they can then have access to all of the great content that's available
through the Official Disney Fan Club. Not just the retro and nostalgic stuff.
But also stories and videos that then talk up all of the great future projects
that The Walt Disney Company currently has in the works."
Adam Sanderson. Head of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Speaking of which … Given that 2015 looks to be a banner
year for the Mouse House, what with the 60th anniversary of Disneyland Park,
not to mention highly anticipated theatrical releases like "Marvel's Avengers:
Age of Ultron," Pixar's "Inside Out" and Lucasfilm's "Star
Wars: The Force Awakens," what Disney-produced project is Sanderson most
looking forward to seeing? Appropriately enough, it's "Tomorrowland,"
that brand-new Brad Bird / Damon Damon Lindelof movie which opens in theaters
on May 22nd. Which (SPOILERS AHEAD) has an intriguing tie to the very
beginnings of Adam's own Disney fandom.
"We actually ran a preview for 'Tomorrowland' as part
of our Destination D: Attraction Rewind event last month at Walt Disney World.
And what was great about this clip is that it showed a scene which was set at
the 1964 – 1965 New York World's Fair where a character got on the 'it's a small world' ride," Sanderson
stated.
What happened next? To be among the first to get a
definitive answer to that question, you should probably think about joining
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.
This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Monday, December 22, 2014