A Blog About Disney Stuff

It was 65 years ago that Disneyland first welcomed guests to enjoy a new kind of experience: the theme park. And D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is marking this milestone with an incredible celebration. 

First, the fall issue of Disney twenty-three is a stand-alone, collectible issue bursting with stories about the creation, evolution, and innovation of the Disney theme park. From Walt’s first idea for “an amusement enterprise built where the parents and the children could have fun together” and a colorful gallery of beloved attraction posters to the evolution of the “Disney spectacular” and a salute to beloved “Parks Stars” created for the theme parks, the publication is jam-packed with fantastic stories. The issue also includes a postcard set created exclusively for members featuring images from the Disney resorts around the world.

Disney Parks Blog readers are getting a first look inside this stunning issue…

Dateline Disneyland: July 17, 1955: A guided tour of Disneyland on opening day by D23’s Manager of Content Curation (and former Disneyland Park tour guide) Justin Arthur

National Treasures: Stunning images from several of National Geographic’s many trips to the parks from National Geographic’s Caitlin Holbrook

Rooms with a View: The evolution of Disney’s immersive resorts and vacation experiences from the Disneyland Hotel to a galaxy far, far away by Disney Vacation Club’s Ryan March

Plus, D23 is extending the celebration for fans and members, including: 

• Expanded Digital Storytelling: More than a dozen original features on D23.com looking at the Disney theme park, from a look at movies filmed at Disney parks (Saving Mr. Banks and Tomorrowland) to delicious vintage parks recipes. 
• An Exclusive Pin Set: Available only to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members, this 6-pin set features some of the colorful artwork from Ricky De Los Angeles’ cover of Disney twenty-three, including Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort, Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland Resort, Ratatouille: The Adventure at Disneyland Paris, Spaceship Earth at Walt Disney World Resort, Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and one inspired by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. The limited-edition set will be available for $49.99 on August 31 at shopDisney.com.
• Disney Imagineers Celebrate 65 Years of Disneyland Park: From August 21 through August 23, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will have the chance to watch an exclusive virtual panel created by Walt Disney Imagineering celebrating the 65th anniversary of Disneyland with Imagineering leaders Jeanette Lomboy, Kim Irvine, and Scott Trowbridge, along with Disney Legend Tony Baxter, and moderated by Leslie Iwerks, director and executive producer of The Imagineering Story on Disney+.
• D23 Trivia Night: 65 Years of the Disney Theme Park: Disney parks trivia aficionados are invited to join a fun evening of trivia spanning every Disney park around the globe. On August 28, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members can join the fun to celebrate 65 years of favorite places and attractions—classic and new.
• D23 Magical Summer Sweepstakes: Starting August 10, all D23 Members will be able to enter to win exciting prizes, including a new D23 Gold Membership and the exclusive 6-pin set. 
• Special Gold Member Gift: Just for D23 Gold and Gold Family Members, this issue of Disney twenty-three will include a set of six postcards—each representing a different Disney resort around the world. 

For more details, visit D23.com. 

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Uncategorized, D23

Our family has been at home together since March, and life can get repetitive at times. So, to pass away the hours and give ourselves something to do as a family, we decided to create a five-part video series about design at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. 

In our family of four we have multiple writers, a director and cameraman, a producer…and a talking head (me). Plus a house full of  (as the saying goes, ‘one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!’) that we’ve dragged back from all over the world during the last 40 years. The challenge is to work with what we have, therefore limited only to the photographs and video clips that I have on my own laptop and snapshots that I found in a box in my studio, plus settings we’ve improvised in our house and yard. Since we are not going anywhere, it’s called “The Rohdes, Less Traveled”… 

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, BtS, Video, WDW

We have exciting news about the 2020 Disney Dreamers Academy! The immersive, transformational program for 100 high school students will take place virtually this fall and, for the first time in its history, offer career shadow externships for all 100 members of the class.

Like past Disney Dreamers Academy events, the virtual experience will deliver life lessons and tools such as effective communication techniques, leadership skills and networking strategies. This version of the program will do so with self-paced workshops, interactive video-conferencing sessions, networking opportunities and more, led by top speakers and industry professionals.

Following the virtual experience, all 100 students will experience career shadowing externships based on their dream professions, getting personal insights and advice from mentors.

Disney Signature Experiences vice president and Disney Dreamers Academy executive champion Tracey D. Powell announced the news Aug. 5, 2020, at the virtual National Association of Black Journalists/National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention.

The original, in-person 2020 Disney Dreamers Academy program was canceled when Walt Disney World Resort temporarily closed during the pandemic.

Powell said, “We were disappointed to have to cut this year’s event short dueto the pandemic, and we knew we had to create something extra special for this outstanding group of high school students. We expect this experience will deliver an impactful and inspirational experience just as the traditional program has done for more than a decade.”

Disney Dreamers Academy is a four-day, transformational mentoring program that brings teens from across the United States to Walt Disney World Resort for an immersive education and mentoring experience. Since the program debuted in 2008. Each class of 100 teens is selected from among thousands of applicants. The free program encourages participants to“Be100” – to be positive and “all in,” and to pursue their dreams and make a difference in the lives of others.

More details to come as we roll out the program. To stay up to date, follow Disney Dreamers Academy at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Uncategorized, DDA