Golden Horseshoe Visit

Just a few days after the passing of Wally Boag and Judy Taylor (one day apart), I stopped by to take this photo.  It was a bit eerie that day staring at the empty stage with an empty house.

D23 Expo is almost here!

On my recent visit to the Disney Studios for the D23 Expo preview, I was also fortunate enough to meet Bill Farmer - the voice of Goofy for over 25 years.  But did you also know that he also voices Pluto and Horace Horsecollar?  He was made a Disney Legend in 2009, an award presented to him at the first D23 Expo.

This year the Disney Awards will presented to other voice actors like Jodi Benson, Paige O'Hara, Lea Salonga, Linda Larkin and Anika Noni Rose among others.  The Expo is August 19-21, 2011.

Pixar Panels at D23

For the 25th Anniversay of Pixar, the following panels will be taking place at D23, next weekend:

• A Conversation with the Pixar Creative Team
  Enjoy a rare opportunity to spend some time with the key figures responsible for Pixar's unprecedented success, including John Lasseter (chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios), Jim Morris (general manager, Pixar Animation Studios), Pete Docter (director, Monsters, Inc.,Up), Andrew Stanton (director, Finding Nemo,WALL-E), Bob Peterson (co-director, Up), Lee Unkrich (director, Toy Story 3), Mark Andrews (director, Brave), and Dan Scanlon (director,Monsters University). 
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• The Characters of Monsters University
  Director Dan Scanlon and Production Designer Ricky Nierva discuss how they combine hair, horns, and a lot of heart to bring the wonderful Monsters University characters to life.
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• Michael Giacchino's Music of Pixar
  In this musical presentation, award-winning composer Michael Giacchino explores his early influences through the creation of modern-day classic scores from Ratatouille, Up and Cars 2.
• The Art of Brave
  Production designer Steve Pilcher and shading art director Tia Kratter show how they and their team put paint to canvas and fingers to computer keys to create the stunning visuals of Scotland for Disney•Pixar's upcoming film Brave.
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• Pixar Shorts
  Hosted by Tim O'Day, this retrospective screening of the animation studio's legendary short films will be followed by a panel discussion with several of the filmmakers, including Ralph Eggleston (director, For the Birds), Andy Jimenez (director,One Man Band), Angus MacLane (director, BURN-E), Pete Sohn (director,Partly Cloudy), Teddy Newton (director, Day & Night), and Enrico Casarosa (director, La Luna).

Expo attendees will also have access to advance screenings of an all-new 3D version of The Lion King, presented by RealD 3D.  This should top the screenings given last time of Toy Story 1 and 3 in 3D.

A Recent Disney Studio Visit

I normally only post about things related to Disneyland only, but this is related since much of Disneyland was originally built here.  I was recently invited up to attend a preview for the D23 Expo coming up later this month at the Anaheim Convention Center, August 19-21.

The Studio water tower that no longer has water.

Studio Back Lot Bike

Walt's Office

Nature's Wonderland, how we miss thee...

Wally Boag gone to the Golden Horseshoe in the sky

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Wally Boag passed away today at the age of 91.  He opened with the Golden Horseshoe Revue in 1955 and later went on to open the Diamond Horseshoe Revue at the Magic Kingdom in Florida.  He's a beloved Disney icon who will be missed.

Happy Disneyland Star Tours : The Adventures Continue Day!

This morning is the big day that Star Tours 2.0 opens officially.  I was able to hitch a ride last week during an annual passholder preview.  The refreshed queue was eye-catching.  It's nice to see the mix of familiar with the new.  I obsessed over every detail of this ride in 1987 when it first opened.  The new show is the kind of thing we all dreamed of, "What if there were multiple destinations each time?" Now, the dream is a reality.

My only criticism, is that just like the new Star Wars films, the new movies are done all CGI.  There was something special about making films that required miniatures, albeit now you can anywhere and do anything with computers.  The new film is super clear, having the latest technology, and most people won't notice the fact of how flat the old film was.