DFC’s Disneyanamania event to celebrate all things Disney

Jim Hill

13 years ago

For most people, when you mention the month of July, they think of the Fourth & fireworks, family get-togethers. The chance to kick back and relax.

Whereas for Mouse House enthusiasts, the fun actually starts after the Fourth. When hundreds of these folks hit the road for Garden Grove, CA. so that they can then take part in the Disneyana Fan Club's annual convention.

And this time around, the DFC has lined up a dazzling array of guest speakers, panels and presentations. Each of them especially selected to reinforce the overarching theme for this year's event. Which is "Disneyanamania." Which is this made-up phrase (in the tradition of Bippity Boppity Boo & Higitus Figitus) that means "The Celebration of All Things Disney."

Anyway, the festivities officially get underway on the night of Tuesday, July 12^th. When conventioneers – after completing the registration process at the Anaheim Crowne Plaza Resort – can then take part in this year's welcoming reception. During which Disney Legend Alice Davis and Maggie Richardson (i.e. the niece of Disney Legend Mary Blair) will discuss the development of that theme park classic, "it's a small world."

And then – on Wednesday, July 13^th – the real fun begins. Over the next three days, there'll be seminars and panels that touch on all aspects of The Walt Disney Company.

If you're an animation fan, you can attend a talk by master animator Mark Henn. Who – in his decades-long career at Walt Disney Animation Studios – became known as the Ladies Man. Mostly due to the large number of Disney Princesses that Henn personally helped design & then animate over the past quarter century.

Master animator Mark Henn. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Or – if you'd prefer to get your stories straight from a female who actually voiced one of Disney's more memorable dames, then you should seek out Susan Egan. This star of stage, screen and television is probably best known to Disneyana fans for originating the role of Belle in the original Broadway production of Disney's stage musical version of "Beauty and the Beast." But Ms. Egan also voiced the character of Meg in "Hercules" as well as did vocal work for the English language versions of two of Hayao Miyazaki's more popular productions, "Spirited Away" and "Porco Rosso."

And speaking of voice talent … The talented performers who currently voice Mickey Mouse (Brett Iwan), Minnie Mouse (Russi Taylor), Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo) and Goofy (Bill Farmer) will all be on hand at the Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort to talk about how they keep these timeless characters alive & relevant for today's audiences.

What's that you say? You're really more of a theme park fan? Not to worry. This year's Disneyana Fan Club convention has plenty to offer WDW and Disneyland enthusiasts as well.

Mickey's Soundsational Parade rolls down Main Street, U.S.A.
Photo by Shelly Valladolid

For "The Happiest Place on Earth" fans … Disney designers extraordinaire Jody Daily and Kevin Kidney will discuss their latest creation for that theme park, the spectacularly stylized Mickey's Soundsational Parade.

For Disney World enthusiasts … Entertainment designer, writer and producer Ron Miziker will help celebrate the 40^th anniversary of this world-class resort by hosting a presentation that looks back at Walt Disney World's grand opening in October of 1971. And noted Disney author and historian Jim Korkis and some schlub named Jim Hill will swap stories about how Walt and his Imagineers turned 40 square miles of Central Florida swampland into a vacation kingdom.

And while we're talking about seemingly impossible projects … Experiential designer, mixed-media producer and conceptualist Eddie Sotto will turn back to the clock to the late 1980s / early 1990s. When WDI took a bunch of beet fields outside of Paris and – with judicious application of some $3 billion dollars – created a collection of highly themed hotels, numerous shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities as well as one whale of a theme park. Which – back in April 1992 – was known as Euro Disney.

If you're a bit of a bibliophile, Disneyanamania has plenty to offer you as well. The Disneyana Fan Club has persuaded some of the top authors in the animation & theme park history fields to make the trek to Buena Park. These talented fellows include:

Jerry Beck, author of "The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons"
Christopher Finch, author of "Disney Winnie the Pooh: A Celebration of the Silly Old Bear"
Jim Korkis, author of "The Vault of Walt: Unofficial, Unauthorized, Uncensored Disney Stories Never Told"
Don Peri, author of "Working with Disney: Interviews with Animators, Producers, and Artists"
Tom Sito, author of "Timing for Animation, Second Edition"
Charles Solomon, author of "Tale as Old as Time: The Art and Making of Beauty and the Beast"

Each of these gentlemen would be on hand to discuss their latest work and/or share their opinions about what's going on in the entertainment industry these days.

Mind you, if you prefer pictures to words, Bob Garner – the director of that "Walt Disney Treasures" 2-disc set, "Disneyland – Secrets, Stories & Magic" – will also be at this year's convention previewing his latest work, "Disneyland: now, Then and Forever." DFC conventioneers will be among the first to see excerpts from this 90-minute-long documentary.

That's a pretty spectacular line-up of panels & presentations, don't you think? But then when you factor in Wednesday morning's charity brunch for Ryman Arts, and Thursday night's Celebration Banquet with Susan Egan, AND Friday afternoon's Luncheon with a Disney Legend, this year's Disneyana Fan Club convention just keeps getting better & better.

And let's not forget about Saturday's All-Disney Show and Sale. Where you'll find thousands of cool collectibles on display. With all manner of theme park & animation rarities available for purchase.

Where the fun begins in just a few days …

So if you're a real Disneyana fan, you can forget about the Fourth of July. The place where you'll get the biggest bang for your buck this year isn't some fireworks display. But – rather – Garden Grove, CA. Which is where this year's Disneyana Fan Club's annual convention will be held, at the Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort from July 12 – 16.

For further information on the DFC's Disneyanamania event, please click on this link.