D23 has just sent over some great news! Next year, 2020 will be a year to celebrate the Walt Disney Archives and its 50th anniversary. As you may know from my previous post “D23 and You (and Me!)” and our first Up the Waterfall podcast episode, the Walt Disney Archives are my favorite part of anything D23 related. This is the true reason we are Disney fans, and any and all info and treasures from the Archives are why we keep going back to D23 events and remaining members.
Destination D – Fantastic Worlds – Walt Disney World 2020
Along with some news about a traveling Archives exhibit, we also get some Destination D news, which will take place at Walt Disney World in the Fall of 2020. UPDATE: We now have an official date for Destination D – Fantastic Worlds in Walt Disney World – November 20-22, 2020! Destination D will honor Disney’s many magical places, from the extraordinary to the fantastical.The exhibit will include 50 iconic treasures, each representing a year that the Archives has been in existence. And Walt Disney Imagineering’s store, Mickey’s of Glendale, will once again open a pop-up shop featuring exclusive items, just for the weekend. Additional details, including special hotel rates and ticketing information, will be announced in late spring. I can’t wait to attend and peruse all of these bits of history. Keep reading below for the official press release from D23:
The Walt Disney Archives celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, and to kick off the festivities, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Calif., will host Inside the Walt Disney Archives: 50 Years of Preserving the Magic, offering a rare look at some of the treasures from the Archives. The 10,000-square-foot traveling exhibit opens to the public on March 7, 2020.
Plus, on June 22, the actual anniversary of the founding of the Archives, D23 will hold a special “birthday party” at the Bowers Museum. And next year, D23 will offer two exclusive D23 Behind-the-Scenes Experiences: A Day at the Studio Lot, for an exciting look behind the incredible work that goes on every day at the Walt Disney Archives.
Guests are invited to step into the Walt Disney Archives as they walk through a dazzling display of more than 400 objects, including original artwork, costumes, and props that tell the story of the Archives, The Walt Disney Company, and Walt Disney himself. Artifacts include never-before-displayed production art from Fantasia, Walt Disney’s office set from Saving Mr. Banks, the original pitch portfolio used to secure investors for Disneyland, maquettes from animated films such as Peter Pan and Frozen, and much more.
Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will be invited to enjoy an exclusive look at the exhibit before it opens to the general public during a special preview night where they can chat with Disney archivists while exploring the exhibit, which runs through August 30, 2020, before heading to other locations around the country (to be revealed in 2020). D23 Gold Members will also receive a discount on tickets to the exhibit, as well as a discount on merchandise in the museum store. Bowers Museum is one of Southern California’s finest museums, showcasing exquisite examples of art and culture from around the world since 1936.
In addition to the exhibit, Disney fans will be able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Archives throughout 2020:
The Archives will partner with the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood for special El Cap Throwback screenings during the year.
WALT’S MARCELINE: Walt frequently cited this charming Missouri town, where he spent his early childhood, as one of his greatest influences. In fact, its lovely main thoroughfare was an inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. D23 Members will have a chance to explore the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, enjoy local treats, and mingle with special guests during this full-day event.
D23’s Behind the Scenes Experience: A Day at the Studio Lot events in 2020, held exclusively for Gold Members of D23, will offer a rare glimpse into how the Archives preserves the magic of The Walt Disney Company.
All Official Walt Disney Studios Tours in 2020, presented by D23, will include a special gift for guests themed to the 50th anniversary.
For nearly five decades, the Walt Disney Archives has carefully safeguarded the most treasured items from The Walt Disney Company’s history, including original scripts, movie props and costumes, Walt Disney’s correspondence and script notes, theme park artifacts, merchandise, millions of archival photographs, and many of Walt’s personal effects. Founded by Disney Legend Dave Smith in 1970, the Walt Disney Archives is a vital resource for every part of Disney, as well as an important research center for Disney scholars, researchers, and writers. The Archives also shares its countless pieces with Disney fans everywhere through its exhibitions and close association with D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.
Like many other posts which I begin here lately, this one has been brewing a while, probably since the EPCOT 30 celebration put on by D23 back in *gulp* 2012…wow, has it really been that long? Well anyway, I wanted to say a lot about D23 back then, and since that time, my sentiments have only grown. I feel that I should preface this by saying that, yes, I am a charter D23 member. Growing up in the 1980’s and falling in love with the Walt Disney World of that time, and then EPCOT Center, I was lucky enough to have parents who were equally as interested and full of love for the parks. As a result, we subscribed to Disney News in our small town of Sharon, Massachusetts, and even joined the Magic Kingdom Club when it was available as a non-corporate membership. I still have that vinyl tote bag and gold membership card that came with the yearly fee to join. So joining D23 seemed like a natural thing to do, to get more knowledge and information about something you love. You got a slick magazine full of interesting articles on current and historical Disney, and the ability to attend special events. More importantly, I felt like I was supporting an arm of the company which held the same values and love for Disney past that I did. So I gladly joined and am a gold member to this day.
There has been some sharp criticism of D23 itself by hardcore fans, noting the cross-promotion or really over-synergisation (if that’s not a word. it is now) of whatever current flavor-of-the-month Disney Channel, Disney Jr., or Disney Consumer Products was strutting out on display. I do agree that most of those who joined D23 did so for the historical aspect; the archives, the trivia, the peek or entrance into otherwise unseen experiences. However, much as we like to think we are Disney’s most important fans (those with a devout love of the company’s storied past achievements and promise for the future), who will put our wallets where our mouths are when presented with the right choices, there simply aren’t enough of us to warrant a separate, exclusive club, without dipping into the overflowing pond that is families, kids, and more kids. After all, who would buy all of the things without the constant suggestion from kids about how they HAVE to have the newest whatever from the newest show on Disney Jr.? I’m oversimplifying of course, but obviously the mass-market is where the money and the success is. Bottom line, for now, you have to endure the latest Disney pop sensation to justify an archives exhibit, presentations by Tony Baxter, and other things that make a Disney nerd’s heart go a-flutter. In a perfect world, that wouldn’t be the case, but there you go.
Now where the concept of D23 just explodes (which is also what happens to the brains of most attendees), is at the special multi-day events, where the best and the brightest come together to bring you, well, the best and the brightest insights into Disney’s past, present, and future, through concept art, Imagineering processes, music, construction, and more. Many times, these stories are told straight from the horse’s mouth, when present or retired Disney cast members, Imagineers, Legends, and archivists share the information.
The first of these events was the D23 Expo in 2009. At that time, I was personally just starting down my blogging and “public” (for lack of a better term regarding my forays into the social media channels of the Disney community) path of Disney love. The concept of me leaving my three children (the youngest not even one at the time) and flying off to the far-off country of California to experience this “Expo” chock-full of Disney history and more, was beyond foreign to me. I’ve mentioned before that before my first visit to California (which I’ll expand on in a moment), the idea of flying to California just seemed an unreachable, unattainable, unthinkable option. What can I say, I was (not-so-)young and uninformed. Before my stint on the Walt Disney World Moms Panel (now Disney Parks Moms Panel) and the training weekend involved, I had *never* left my children for more than a few hours or a sleepover at Grammie’s house. Meeting friends in the local Disney community along with being on the panel led to the desire to simply do more; learn more, experience more and, as silly as it sounds, live more. Without straying off-topic too much, let’s just say I was a very sheltered person in many ways for many years. Painfully shy in person (ok this is still pretty true today), I had zero self-confidence and pretty much lived my life the way I always had, because it’s all I knew. Again, I don’t want to stray too much because that’s really another whole blog post for perhaps a different site altogether, but I must note that I by no means didn’t enjoy or appreciate my role as a mother to my children. But what followed in the months after I began blogging and doing more was that the whole world (though I still stuck to the Disney areas for the most part) opened up to me. So, while I missed out on the first D23 Expo, and followed along on live streams and tweets and instagrams of friends there, I decided that I could and would attend the first Destination D here in Walt Disney World. Again, as corny as this must sound, that event really changed my life.
The Destination D events are held on the even years in between the Expos (except for the first WDW one which was in 2011), and are smaller, more concentrated, less stressful events focusing solely on a particular aspect or two of Disney history. The first one was held in Disneyland and focused on just that: Disneyland. I missed that one too, because of that whole California-being-a-far-off land-that-I-still-couldn’t-possibly-get-to thing. The next one, in Walt Disney World, focused on vintage WDW to celebrate the resort’s 40th birthday (and also combined a very hot, very arduous scavenger/trivia hunt which has not been duplicated since).
To say I fell in love, would be a very severe understatement. The things we got to see were like viewing my childhood on a highlights reel, with bonus features of the stuff I missed before I was born. We heard from some of the original folks involved in the creation of Walt Disney World, from its inception to land purchases to infrastructure to making it all a reality. As a fan like most all of us in the room were, hearing these amazing tales and insights was such an honor. The real hit of the event were the three Imagineers, Jason Surrell (now with Universal but whose spirit still very much haunts the Disney community), Jason Grandt, and Alex Wright. These three had been making their presence and personalities known for months on twitter, and seeing them interact in person was a treat. Like a set of brothers giving each other an increasingly harder time each time they spoke, it was great fun, along with the fact that they shared wonderful information about their projects and the company. Oh, and to top all of that off, Richard Sherman appeared to play and sing our favorites, along with the surprise arrival of the original Dreamfinder, Ron Schneider, in full costume, with Figment. Yes, 8 year-old me was in heaven. In addition, I had the joy of meeting people I had only ever interacted with on twitter, and realizing this was actually real life. So I decided then and there, that I would make every effort to attend every future D23 event like this that I could.
Despite this new-found enthusiasm for Disney history, the Disney community, and D23 events, California and the 2011 D23 Expo still seemed sooo out of reach. When a couple of friends showed me how it could actually be affordable (ahh, I miss airfares to CA for under $300…) and I was able to work it out with my family at home, I finally took that giant leap and got myself to Disneyland. And THERE, my life truly changed. As I’ve written before, I fell head-over-heels in gushy, messy, ridiculously over-the-top in L-O-V-E with Disneyland. Everything people had warned me I wouldn’t like about Disneyland (it’s so small! it’s old! there’s so much more at WDW!) were the exact reasons I fell in love. It was perfection to me, wrapped up in a tiny little jewel-box of a park, drenched in history and dripping in emotions. Emotions I didn’t really know what to do with. I had never been a Disneyland local. I hadn’t grown up with that park, or during the time of Walt’s direct impact on it, so why was this place affecting me so? Maybe I had just been a WDW local for too long, and experiencing something new yet still familiar was just the right answer to an equation I didn’t know I’d tried to solve. Maybe it was the people I was with, sharing stories of their childhood memories there as well as park history and lore. Whatever it was, I drank it all in, and didn’t want to leave. As a result, I spend most of my time in Orlando trying to figure out how I can get back to Disneyland. And now I seem to have gone off on a tangent.
Well, really, it’s not too much of a tangent, since D23 is what brought me into the world of Disneyland, making it attainable and within reach, and worth getting to (not that Disneyland isn’t worth getting to on its own, but as an east coast girl who’d only ever been as far west as Chicago one time, having that much more reason to fly all the way to California was just what I needed). Since then, I went back to Disneyland for the Destination D in 2012, attended the amazing EPCOT 30 event, back to Disneyland for the 2013 Expo, the second Destination D in WDW, and now, the 2015 Expo will begin in just a few days and I’ll be there.
You can find hundreds of accounts of the events and happenings within these D23 events, from live blogging to play-by-plays to full video of presentations. But what those can’t convey are the the feelings that come with seeing these sometimes once-in-a-lifetime events in person. Beyond the big Hollywood stars that appear during the Studios presentations, or even the oft-anticipated news from Parks & Resorts on the Next Big Thing, it is the less-publicized little gems where you hear those first-hand stories, or see those never-before-seen photos or film footage of extinct attractions or concept art that really draw me to D23 and its productions. Sure, there are countless hours spent waiting in line to secure a seat at the bigger showcases, but they are for the most part worth it. And those gems will show themselves, and you’ll find yourself having another eye-opening epiphany of, “wow, this is why I became a Disney fan.”
And to think, I initially intended this post to be a sort of planning guide or tips for getting the most out of the D23 Expo…well, in a way, perhaps it is. Because getting the most out of any event, is remembering and realizing why you wanted to take part in it to begin with, right? You could focus on the lines, the fact that some will get shut out of seeing presentations they want to see, some merchandise you really want may be sold out, and the parks will be extra crowded. But, you are enveloped in history and surrounded by love for a company and a place and people who share that love. And you get to do it all right across the street from Disneyland. What could be better? So if you haven’t ever been to a D23 event or an Expo, think about why you want to go and focus on those things as you look at the schedule or plan your attack on the day. You won’t see everything. You will be tired. You will probably even get cranky. But that’s okay. When it’s all over, you may find you even miss those lines, and what you got to experience at the end of them.
So, a heartfelt thank you to D23 for making me sit up and take notice of my passions and things I could do to further develop them and even grow a bit as a person because of it. Now I’m flying to Disneyland for the 8th time in 4 years like it’s nothing. And I couldn’t be happier with where I’m heading.
To follow along with my D23 Expo 2015 adventures, add me on twitter: @zannaland, instagram: @zannaland, facebook.com/zannaland, or even snapchat as zannadeux. I may blog during the Expo, but most likely my updates will be on the above channels, as I tend to spend all my possible hours not at the Expo in Disneyland.
I’m excited to share my experiences with you and hope you enjoy following along. And if you were on the fence about joining D23, maybe I’ve convinced you a little bit to jump over to this side. If you’re already convinced and attending the Expo, I hope to see you there! I do have that shy/awkward thing going on, but I still love meeting new people at these events!
For all of the official scoop on the D23 Expo 2015 presentations and events, follow @DisneyD23 on twitter, facebook and instagram too. You can see a schedule of all the events too and more in-depth descriptions of the major stage presentations.
By way of disclaimer, I was provided with a single media pass for the D23 2015 Expo. That has not swayed my opinions in any way, all of the above is really me and views, like ’em or not.
Unlike many Disney fans, I can’t really pinpoint my first visit to Walt Disney World. I like to attribute my Disney fandom to our visit in 1983, when I fell madly, deeply in love with EPCOT Center. Then I discovered this gem of a 70’s photo (right) which I guess is from 1978 or 1979. I also found my mom’s photo album, including pictures of us at Sea World that say 1975, and we’d certainly visit Walt Disney World if we visited Sea World, RIGHT MOM? But seriously, my memories are a bit hazy…my dad’s family lived in Ocala, so we did visit Disney back then. I’m just unsure of the very first time. If only my archives were as extensive as those of the D23 fan club.
What I do recall is the Little Orange Bird. I remember getting a little plastic orange cup with the green straw like it was yesterday. I took that cup home with me and it was my favorite cup to use for many, many years to come. I had an Orange Bird bank, and a little PVC figure and they were both prized possessions as well. Sadly, both were lost in a move long ago, and while I know ebay exists for such things, it was hard not having my own childhood collection any longer. I may not be as eloquent with Orange Bird’s history as some of my friends like Progress City, U.S.A. and Passport to Dreams Old and New (<–seriously, PLEASE read these posts!), but I had to try to put into words just what Orange Bird meant to me and how heartwarming it is to see his return.
Having grown up in Massachusetts, I guess the idea of seeing oranges grow on trees and the intoxicating scent of their blossoms (I remember having orange blossom perfume from Silver Springs in Ocala, FL) was just enchanting. Throw in an adorable little mute bird that looks like an orange and you’ve got a generation of kids hooked on Little Orange Bird. Florida at the time was still another world, a natural paradise, which Walt Disney World highlighted when it opened in 1971. Families from the northeast and midwest looked at Florida as this other-worldly place, full of tropical plants and lush greenery, and yes, citrus fruits. While they may not be as popular a gift item today, back then, when you went to Florida, you brought home a bag of oranges or grapefruits. They were THE Florida souvenir. Now, people in every state in the union can get oranges 365 days a year, so the appeal has waned a bit. Kids and families of the past decade walking by the Sunshine Tree Terrace might not have been as impressed as we were by the ability to get a Florida orange juice Citrus Swirl there, or even pay attention to a little orange bird hanging out behind the counter. I mean, there are PRINCESSES to take photos with right behind you! 😉 So, after the first decade of WDW passed, somehow the uniqueness and what made the Sunshine Pavilion so magical in 1971, just wasn’t necessary any more. Enter internet Disney fans.
With the advent of online forums, Disney fans from all over the country and world suddenly had a place to gather and say “Oh yeah, I loved Orange Bird too!” or “If You Had Wings was my favorite ride ever!” And sure, not every classic Disney memory or desire is able to be returned to its former glory, but somewhere along the line, a group of creative folks decided there were a few things they could bring back to Walt Disney World. We started seeing hints of Orange Bird here and there, and merchandise in Japan too. Last year, we saw some Orange Bird shirts and pins appear, and a Passholder Vinylmation as well.
At D23’s Destination D at Walt Disney World last May, we heard from a trio of Imagineers who instantly won the hearts of all in the room and on the Twitterverse. Orange Bird appeared on D23’s 40th Anniversary of Walt Disney World t-shirts, and we hoped our friend would make an appearance at the 40th celebrations. No luck there, but as the year progressed, we saw Little Orange Doodles, instagrams of vintage Orange Bird merchandise and Orange Bird taking pretty much every form possible, including one of the Imagineers himself. Soon those who were too young to know of Orange Bird and the Sunshine Tree, or just had never cared before, had interest sparked in our Vitamin C-filled friend. A month ago, the first step was taken, as the Citrus Swirl was returned to the Sunshine Tree Terrace’s menu. Differing from the orange option down the road at Aloha Isle, the Citrus Swirl is tangy frozen orange juice swirled with sweet vanilla ice cream and is served in a cone or cup. Disney fandom was ablaze with this addition and we hoped against hope it was the first of many changes. Yesterday, our hopes came to fruition (get it? ORANGE? FRUITion? – hopefully I’m not overusing that pun).
In a surprising but welcome announcement, D23 members were invited to reply on Twitter to attend a meet-up the next day, in Adventureland. News had already been spreading, as some additions were revealed before their time, but the excitement was not dampened. Yesterday morning, sixty D23 members with their plus-ones were taken into Adventureland, before the Magic Kingdom opened and host Steven Vagnini from the Walt Disney Archives led us around the corner to this beautiful site:
New Sunshine Tree Terrace sign - the tiki torches are back too!
He then introduced Imagineer Dave Hoffman, part of the Orange Bird team, who shared with us how they actually discovered the original Orange Bird figure from the Sunshine Tree Terrace in 1971. We had been so busy looking at the gorgeous new sign, we didn’t head in by the counter to see our Little Orange Friend hanging out by a crate of oranges watching over his Citrus Swirls. A collective “awww!” could be heard echoing through the Sunshine Pavilion as we saw him perched above us. Taking my blogging hat off for a moment, I had a portion of my childhood handed back to me. In fact as I drank from my Orange Bird sipper cup, I exclaimed, “I’m SIX again!”.
Original Orange Bird figure in his new (old) home!
Original Orange Bird figure in his setting, with sipper cup in the foreground
Jason Grandt, Monty Maldovan and Casey Jones
Imagineer Jason Grandt then took the stage to share about the discovery of Orange Bird in a drawer in Glendale and how happy they were to have him back home. We had a little trivia contest (where some of us learned we needed to brush up on our Orange Bird history a bit) with Orange Bird whistles as prizes. Casey Jones and Monty Maldovan, both of the Disney Design Group, then shared their newest designs – the Orange Bird sipper cup, two new Orange Bird t-shirts, and coming in June, the Orange Bird ear hat. Casey also revealed the new attraction poster to be featured under the Main Street train station. The Adventureland poster entices guests to experience the Sunshine Tree Terrace and enjoy the Orange Bird’s offerings. As a bonus, the poster is available as a print to purchase too.
Sunshine Tree Terrace attraction poster print
Sunshine Tree Terrace attraction poster under the train station
and a close-up, just because I love the artwork...sorry for the glare
Here’s a video from D23 explaining the history and recovery of the Orange Bird:
Did Disney have to add the original Orange Bird figure back? Did we need Citrus Swirls again? Of course the answer is no. Will there be guests that visit the park and don’t know who the heck Orange Bird is or why he’s on the Sunshine Tree Terrace sign? Sure. As with any project WDI takes on, there will be guests who don’t notice or appreciate the details and will happily enjoy their time at the Parks. Then there will be those who take the moment and look down to see those animal footprints in Storybook Circus, or read the windows on Main Street, and notice all the little touches which separate Disney parks from any other theme park or company. When the Imagineers involved in creating new projects are such fans themselves, there is hope for all the other fans who visit and give their feedback.
Orange Bird Sippy cup with my youngest son - the history has come full circle!
Yes, there is new merchandise which will make money. But really, as has always been the case at Disney theme parks, you have to ask yourself these questions: do you want an Orange Bird t-shirt because Disney has hyped it, or do you wish there were Orange Bird t-shirts and thank goodness, Disney now has them? In the case of the recent retro lines and D23 merchandise, the choices definitely seem to be a case of (fan) demand and then supply. That is what gives us hope as extreme Disney fans, who long for preservation and curation of the Disney history we grew up loving.
Overall, it was an amazing event, full of appreciative support of the changes, history and new merchandise. Every cast member I spoke with who was involved with the project seemed so genuinely happy to be a part of bringing a bit of vintage Disney charm back to Walt Disney World. I think announcing the changes in this fashion was a wonderful way to show fans they are appreciated and that membership in D23 is a worthwhile investment. Kudos to the whole Little Orange team – it was a pleasure and honor to be a part of this gift to Walt Disney World guests. You can read more about the return of the Orange Bird at D23’s recent blog.