For those that have seen the new Toy Story 4 (don’t worry, no spoilers here), you were treated to an animation marvel.
The original Toy Story movie came out in 1995. Since that time Pixar has essentially perfected animation. Check out this video to really see the progress that has been made in the last couple decades.
Last week 100 Toy Story fans gathered at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to celebrate the release of Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” with a special advance screening followed by a big surprise.
Stars of the film, including Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Annie Potts as Bo Peep, Tony Hale as Forky, Christina Hendricks as Gabby Gabby, and Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, made an unforgettable surprise appearance after the screening.
Visit Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios by Clicking Here!!
See the highlights:
A successful business turns into a movie-making and entertainment dream
See Creation of an Empire – Part 1 for the first part of our series.
By 1934, Walt became unsatisfied by cartoon shorts and thought a full-length film would be more profitable. he studio began the four-year production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. When news leaked out about the project, many in the film industry predicted it would bankrupt the company; industry insiders nicknamed it “Disney’s Folly”.
Disney first got the idea to do a Snow White film when he was 15, while he was working as a newsboy in Kansas City. The budget for the film eventually grew to over $2 million -an astronomical figure for the time. To put this in perspective, Snow White had gone 400% over budget. It actually ended up costing more than the value of the entire Walt Disney studio. And Disney had never made a feature film of any kind before. Also, this was to be the first-ever animated feature film in color.
During this time, Disney animators invented the multiplane camera which allowed drawings on pieces of glass to be set at various distances from the camera, creating an illusion of depth. The glass could be moved to create the impression of a camera passing through the scene.
Snow White premiered in December 1937 to high praise from critics and audiences. The film became the most successful motion picture of 1938 and by May 1939 its total gross of $6.5 million made it the most successful sound film made to that date.
The success of Snow White heralded one of the most productive eras for the studio; the Walt Disney Family Museum calls the following years “the ‘Golden Age of Animation’ ”. With work on Snow White finished, the studio began producing Pinocchio in early 1938 and Fantasia in November of the same year. Both films were released in 1940, and neither performed well at the box office—partly because revenues from Europe had dropped following the start of World War II in 1939. The studio made a loss on both pictures and was deeply in debt by the end of February 1941.
In response to the financial crisis, Disney and his brother Roy started the company’s first public stock offering in 1940, and implemented heavy salary cuts, which caused the animator’s strike in 1941 which lasted 5 weeks. As a result of the strike and the financial state of the company, several animators left the studio.The strike temporarily interrupted the studio’s next production, Dumbo (1941), which Disney produced in a simple and inexpensive manner.
Shortly after the release of Dumbo in October 1941, the U.S. entered World War II. Walt Disney met with Henry Morgenthau, Jr., the Secretary of the Treasury, and agreed to produce short Donald Duck cartoons to promote war bonds as well as other military films. The military films generated only enough revenue to cover costs, and the feature film Bambi—which had been in production since 1937—underperformed on its release in April 1942, and lost $200,000 at the box office.
Disney’s production of short films decreased in the late 1940s, coinciding with increasing competition in the animation market from Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). In 1948, Disney initiated a series of popular live-action nature films, titled True-Life Adventures, with Seal Island the first winning the Academy Award.
In early 1950, Disney produced Cinderella, his studio’s first animated feature in eight years. Costing $2.2 million to produce, it earned nearly $8 million in its first year.
Disney was less involved than he had been with previous pictures because of his involvement in his first entirely live-action feature, Treasure Island (1950). Other all-live-action features followed, many of which had patriotic themes.
He continued to produce full-length animated features too, including Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953). From the early to mid-1950s, Disney began to devote less attention to the animation department, entrusting most of its operations to his key animators, the Nine Old Men, although he was always present at story meetings. Instead, he started concentrating on other ventures.
These films and innovations in movie-making, as well as, a successful business would allow him to continue his dream of entertainment and move into the realm of theme parks.
Stay tuned for the next part of this series looking at the life and career of Walt Disney!
This year’s Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween party runs from August 16-November 1 on select nights at Magic Kingdom. Disney has announced an awesome new experience featuring Cruella de Vil at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant which sounds amazing.
You can now book the all-new event, the perfect place to mix and mingle with Cruella de Vil and be part of her circle of puppies, aka friends! Enjoy a fun, festive atmosphere, with themed background music and décor, and a great view of Town Square.
Beginning at 9:30 p.m., this new and special experience will allow you to pop in and out at your leisure and indulge in savory hors d’oeuvres with a taste from the Witches Cauldron—a kettle of gooey and creamy spinach dip with ciabatta crostini, assorted Halloween flatbreads and more! In addition, there will be sweet treats such as chocolate-dipped strawberries, cheesecake and mini cannoli, Kanine Krunchy cake and Mini De Vil brownies and a variety of beverages including beer and wine selections and more!
You will also have access to a special reserved viewing area for the truly enchanting “Mickey’s Boo-To-You” Halloween Parade at 11:15 p.m., featuring some of Cruella’s villainous pals.
After the parade, the fun continues at Tony’s where you can hang out until 12:30 a.m.
Cruella’s Halloween Hide-a-Way is available for $99 per person (plus tax).
Seating is available for guests as they dine on a first come, first serve basis and shared seating is encouraged amongst guests to enjoy both the food and company the party has to offer.
Part of going to Disney World is understanding when is the best time to go that has the best weather. We have never taken a summer trip to Disney for this very reason, we didn’t want to deal with the Florida summer heat (and crowds). So what part of the year has the best weather for a Disney vacation?
Here’s some key weather points to keep in mind for the answer to that question;
Sunscreen is needed all year long – There’s really no way of getting around this. Florida is called the Sunshine State for a reason. Even on cooler days, the sun can still beat you up. Apply regularly.
It rains….frequently – Rain is a common part of being in Florida, and there is really no time of the year where it really stops. There are some months that are a part of the rainy season but rain is pretty common most months, if not most days. However, don’t let this be a deterrent. In the summer when it’s hot and humid, expect a rain shower in the afternoon. Be prepared, but it will soon pass then you can get back to the Disney Magic.
Rainy months, June-September – This is the time of the year when the various tropical storms are brewing and send a lot of precipitation to the area. The short showers are still common, but if a big storm system is working through, it could rain almost daily for a several days, possibly your entire vacation. Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November 30. While a hurricane in June and July is rare, the chance of a hurricane in August and September certainly increases.
HOT HOT summers, June-September – The summertime is extremely hot. The sun is beating you down and the humidity is melting you. During these months, you should definitely make sure to stay hydrated and pack all loose, light and comfortable clothing that will hold up comfortably to sweat or getting rained on. Pack as much light, moisture-wicking clothing as possible to wear during this time, and you’ll be glad you did.
Fall cooldown?….Maybe, October & November – Where I live, fall means cooler temperatures, autumn leaves, and apple cider. Not so much in Florida. It is still pretty hot in Orlando and everything is still lush and green due to the constant sun and warm temps of Florida. As it gets deeper into fall the evening temperatures start to get a little bit cooler. Hurricane season can also extend into these months as well.
Let it Snow!…nope, December-February – Average highs are in the low 70s. A cold day is in the upper 50s or lower 60s. It is extremely comfortable and the sun doesn’t feel near as warm, but it’s still a refreshing change from the frigid, cold temps where I come from. During the day, you can likely be comfortable in shorts, but by nighttime you’d likely get a little bit chilly.
Spring Break, March-May – The temperatures and clothes recommendations are almost identical to the recommendations for fall. It is a good idea to prepare to dress like it is summer and then have a light jacket handy. You are less likely to get rained out during this season, too, which can be a relief to some.
No matter what time of year you go, there is always something to worry about it terms of weather. Our recommendations here at A Walk With the Mouse is Spring or Winter. If weather is the only factor, these are the nicest months.