Putting together an exhibit of this size is no small feat, even when you’re powered by an ARC reactor. To put it in perspective, we gathered some armor-blasting numbers from behind the scenes.

Iron Man armors on display in Innoventions at Disneyland Park: Eight, including Mark I-VII, and Mark 42.

Weight of one individual suit: 40 pounds. The Mark I is the heaviest, weighing in at approximately 60 lbs.

Boxes it took to get the suits and Hall of Armor replica to the Innoventions exhibit: 8 very large crates, weighing approximately 2000 lbs. each, carried on two giant flatbed trailers. A crane was needed just to get them into the building.

Total square footage of the exhibit: Roughly 1,500 sq. ft., the same as Tony Stark’s Malibu workshop.

Most firepower-packed suit: Mark VII, which features over 92 micro missiles, twin tri-barreled laser modules, and even a single anti-armor missile!

Most recent make of Tony Stark’s suits: Mark 42, which can be “called” by Tony to fly toward him piece by piece and assemble directly on his body in a matter of seconds.

Time it takes for guests to virtually “suit up” for themselves in the Stark Industries Simulation Module: Approximately 30 seconds before you can virtually see yourself in Iron Man’s signature red and gold.

Check out Iron Man 3 in theatres now!

The post Iron Man Tech – By The Numbers appeared first on Disney Blogs.

Animation Sets the Stage

According to Disney Archivist Becky Cline, Disney began with only a single sound stage at the original Hyperion Avenue location in Los Angeles. That stage was mainly used for recording music and sound effects to use with its main product at the time – cartoons. When Walt moved the Studio to its current location in Burbank, she says, “it was a state-of-the-art animation plant. The other Hollywood studios were created with the intention of making live-action films, but at Disney every building was linked to the animation process. And that’s why one of the earliest stages built here was Stage A, the orchestra stage, which opened in 1940. It was intended purely for recording sound, and that’s been its purpose ever since. Louis Prima performed there with his band for ‘The Jungle Book’ soundtrack!”

Stage 1 was also completed early on. This was the first stage on the lot intended for recording live-action because, as animation grew in sophistication, so did the possibilities of using film. Animators used live actors caught on film as reference to create more realistic movements for films like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Dumbo.” The Studio also began experimenting with amalgamated films that combined live-action and cartoon, resulting in film like “Make Mine Music” and “Saludos Amigos,” and perhaps the finest example of this technique ever made – “Fantasia.” Live-action for all of these films was shot on Stage 1, including the “conductor” sequences in “Fantasia,” showcasing maestro Leopold Stokowski.

Disney at War — and on TV

The world was changing throughout the ’40s, so the Studio changed with it. During World War II, Stage 1 assisted the war effort when the U.S. Army moved onto the lot and commandeered it as an anti-aircraft facility! And after the war, Walt Disney embraced the dawning potential of TV. Stage 1 was used to film Walt’s early television specials, and then became the home of the original “Mickey Mouse Club” show in 1954.

Television was important in the history of the Studio’s next soundstage as well, when Walt was contacted by Jack Webb of “Dragnet” fame.  To mitigate the cost of building Stage 2 in 1947-49, Walt Disney rented out the new stage to producer/actor Jack Webb. Webb’s series “Dragnet” filmed there from August 1952 until February 1955. But Stage 2 came into its own in the mid 1950s, with the Studio’s new endeavor – entirely live-action films. It was larger than Stage 1, which made it possible to shoot more lavish productions like “Davy Crockett at the Alamo” and “Mary Poppins.” Because Stage 2 held the massive Cherry Tree Lane set for “Mary Poppins,” it was dedicated as the Julie Andrews Stage in 2001.

Effects Get Special

Disney’s first completely live-action feature film made on the Studio lot, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” required something else – water, and lots of it. Stage 3 was built in 1952 with a water tank under the floor, specifically for that film. Divided into two sections, the tank has an eight-foot-deep section perfect for capturing battles between submarines and giant squid, and a three-foot-deep section with windows and camera ports so it can be used for special effects. Although it was originally intended for underwater photography for the likes of “Island at the Top of the World,” it has also seen new uses over the years for sophisticated effects and computer motion-control sequences, notably in the ground-breaking “The Black Hole.”

In the decades that followed, movie studios began pushing the limits of special effects and trick photography, and Disney was a pioneer there. Stages 4 and 5 were originally one stage the same size as Stage 2, but were divided in 1988. Although they are now used primarily for TV production, at one point this was the go-to stage for effects photography, most notably used for “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” Becky explains, “They did forced-perspective photography to make full-sized people look little. One actor would be close to the camera and the others would be way back so they’d look tiny by comparison. They had to light the stage brightly to be able to see the people in the back clearly – so brightly that one afternoon they overloaded the electrical grid and blacked out the whole city of Burbank! It also got really hot in there, so they had special panels to vent the heat from the lights. Temperatures in there have reached 136 degrees.”

Today and Tomorrow

The final additions to the Studio family of stages are 6 and 7, state-of-the-art TV stages, which opened in 1997. In the heyday of on-the-lot production, the sound stages were in constant use. “For a big movie, we’d use every stage – for ‘Mary Poppins’ one stage had a green screen where she was flying, another one had Cherry Tree Lane, and then we’d use a third set for effects shots,” explains Becky. “The last film to use most of the stages simultaneously was ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.’ I remember walking into Stage 5 and seeing a set for the scene where Captain Jack is delirious – there were huge Jack Sparrow dreadlocks hanging on one side of the stage, it was pretty surreal!”

Location filming has become ever more common, so today Disney’s sound stages are most often used for television production. “We’re a very small studio on the scale of movie studios, because we were originally meant to be an animation factory,” Becky says. “Still, every sound stage ever built on the Disney lot is still in use, and still used for its original purpose.”

From capturing the voice of Mickey Mouse to creating the watery bayou of “Pirates of the Caribbean” (shot in a pit excavated beneath Stage 2), Disney’s sound stages have hosted every stage of the Studio’s creative evolution, and who knows what they will hold in the decades to come? Inside those big plain-looking buildings is a world of Disney entertainment waiting to be imagined.

The post Peek Inside Disney’s Sound Stages appeared first on Disney Blogs.

I have been going to Walt Disney World since before I can remember. I stopped counting at around my 100th visit. Growing up in Florida and having a parent that loved Disney more than I did has given me a lifetime of Disney memories that I will forever cherish. That is why, when my wife and I got married five years ago, I was ecstatic to discover her love for all things Disney.
We have visited Walt Disney Worlds four times in the last four years, and each time something truly memorable happens that leaves us anxious for our next trip. My family and friends have experienced random acts of kindness from both Cast Members and fellow Guests. In fact, we have coined the phrase “Disney Angel” to describe an anonymous person who suddenly appears to bring joy to our lives, then disappears just as quickly.
During our most recent visit in April 2013 we were visited by another “Disney Angel”. We had planned on visiting the Parks Monday through Friday but, as usual, our desire to get started could not be contained. After arriving on Saturday, we decided to visit the various resorts and Downtown Disney. During our visit to Polynesian we found ourselves in the “Bou- tiki” gift shop. My wife, the avid pin collector, got right to work checking the lanyards of all the Cast Members in sight. After she had checked several lanyards to no avail, one Cast Member asked if there was a specific pin she was searching for. She had her heart set on collecting the new villain parking-lot pins. Unfortunately, no one had seen any … or so we thought.
After a few minutes of searching the gift shop for other Disney sundries that we just could not live without, we were approached by an elderly woman with a big smile on her face. Pat was a Cast Member who wanted to know how our visit to Walt Disney World was going so far. She noticed my wife’s lanyard and asked how her pin-trading was going. My wife expressed optimism that she would find what she was looking for. That is when Pat stopped her and told her that during a recent conversation with Mickey Mouse, he had told her that my wife was seeking the villain parking-lot pins and had sent Pat to deliver one of the pins to my wife. We were both speechless. We gave Pat a hug and thanked her and Mickey for giving us, not only the pin, but another memory. Then, just as quickly as she had appeared, Pat was gone.
Walt Disney World never ceases to amaze me. They continually exceed my expectations and I cannot wait to plan my next trip. Love for Walt Disney World is contagious. I have successfully converted dozens of Disney skeptics to Disney maniacs, and stories of our many Disney Angels make it even easier!

The post Thank You, Disney Angel! appeared first on Disney Blogs.

The Monsters University Storybook Deluxe app was released in the iTunes store yesterday. Tell us more about how the Monsters digital initiative began.

The Monsters digital initiative began with the release of the Monsters, Inc. Storybook app last year. This is when we first started working closely with the Monsters filmmakers, mainly Kelsey Mann and Ricky Nierva. All of our storybook apps initially start with our core publishing team, who create physical storybooks based on our films. That core product incorporates beautiful illustrations and the essence of a film’s story, which is then adapted further to extend the experience to the digital and interactive space.

The app is a multimedia product with the assembly of many parts: prose, illustration, music, animation, interactive activities, game play and more. It combines the flow of the film with the pacing of a book, along with the fun and interactive elements of video games to create an immersive reading experience.

You mentioned working closely with the Pixar filmmakers and their influence on the storybook app. Can you elaborate further and describe how they have affected its outcome?

The filmmakers are so close to the material that the flow of our digital product is something that they can help shape. They help us maintain the correct look and feel of the Monsters world, as well as ensure that the characters stay true to their personas so that we can focus on the other part of the user experience  – ensuring engagement and immersion. Another major contribution from the filmmakers is making sure that the humor and wit, as well as the emotional mounts, truly shine through in our app. Above all, Pixar is known for its high standards of storytelling and animation, and the filmmakers hold our app to the same level.

There’s a big difference between telling a story in a film and telling a story in an app. What are some of the steps you’ve taken to adapt this story digitally?

A film is a succession of moments in which case the filmmaker has complete control over. You experience a movie in real time, and there is no opportunity for input or output from the viewer. In a physical book, you have complete control over the pacing of a story. A digital storybook takes these two mediums and puts them together in a way that gives the reader control over the pace, but still allows them to experience the robust aspects that filmmakers rely on to enhance the experience.

What were your favorite parts of creating this app? Any hidden gems or easter eggs, like in the films?

I love being able to introduce the world of Monsters to a new audience through an immersive reading experience, leveraging the evolving digital space. Having the ability to implement video clips within the app that really captured the humorous and emotional moments from the film was a big part of that.

One of the most exciting parts of this, for me personally, is thinking about how an app could be a family’s first entry point into a movie or a Disney•Pixar story. You become immersed in the story through activities such as creating your own Monsters University ID badge or participating in the official Scare Game competitions.

As for Easter eggs, you can unlock unique Scare Cards and character ID badges featuring official Monster Scarers throughout the app. I won’t elaborate too much as you’ll have to figure it out for yourselves! (But here’s a hint… compete in the Scare Games.)

The Monsters University Storybook brings a new level of interactivity to the app experience. Tell us more about this and how the Digital Media team is making strides in the digital space.

Our team takes cutting edge technology and combines it with Disney•Pixar’s storytelling expertise to create something new and exciting and bring it to the next level. Having the chance to give users this experience on handheld devices allows us to recreate this magic anywhere and everywhere, which brings the user closer to the characters and stories they love. We strive to create engaging product that fuels imagination and creativity, while immersing you into the stories and characters you know and love!

–

You can get ready for the school year at MU by downloading the app for your iPhone and iPad.

The post Experience Monsters University In Storybook Form appeared first on Disney Blogs.

Take a peek at it below, and find more details on “Frozen” in this recent write-up from the LA Times.

A CHILL IS IN THE AIR – Concept art from Walt Disney Animation Studio’s upcoming “Frozen” introduces Arendelle, a kingdom trapped in eternal winter thanks to one sister’s icy powers–and another’s inability to stop them.

The post An Early Look at “Frozen” appeared first on Disney Blogs.

We’ve got some great images from the festivities to share, along with an interview from the Disney Post with the producer from Disney Pixar’s Brave, Katherine Sarafian.

The post Welcome Merida! appeared first on Disney Blogs.

1) What was the name of Zorro’s sidekick on the Disney TV series?

A) Bernardo

B) Tonto

C) Alejandro

2) What is Bolt’s super power?

A) Hyperjump

B) Superbark

C) Ultraspeed

3) In “The Incredibles,” what was the villain’s name before he changed it to “Syndrome”?

A) Bobby White

B) Sidney Snivel

C) Buddy Pine

4) Where was “Zorro” set?

A) Mexico

B) Texas

C) California

5) In “Sky High,” what is Warren Peace’s super power?

A) Creating duplicates of himself

B) Controlling fire

C) He can change his hair color at will

6) In “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes,” how does Dexter Reilly acquire his amazing abilities?

A) Via an electric shock while working on a computer

B) Drinking a secret formula

C) Struck on the head by a computer

7) What is the name of the villainous secret organization on “Darkwing Duck”?

A) Q.U.A.C.K.

B) The Fellowship of Feathered Fiends

C) F.O.W.L.

8) What colors was Mr. Incredible’s original costume?

A) Red, black, and gold

B) Light blue, black, and red

C) Red, gold, and dark blue

Scroll down to the see the answers!

Answers:

1) A) Bernardo was played by Gene Sheldon – and even got to don the Zorro mask himself a few times!

2) B) Offstage, Bolt doesn’t actually have any super powers, but on his television show he is the master of the “superbark.”

3) C) Syndrome starts out as Buddy Pine, Mr. Incredible’s “biggest fan.”

4) C) Zorro takes place in old California, when it was still a Spanish possession.

5) B) Warren Peace (love that name!) has “pyrokinesis,” the ability to manipulate fire.

6) Dexter gets shocked while working on a computer during a thunderstorm. He was played by Kurt Russell, who later portrayed a superhero dad in “Sky High”!

7) C) F.O.W.L. stands for Fiendish Organization for World Larceny.

8) B) The new suit Edna Mode designs for him is red, black, and gold, but his original color scheme was quite different!

The post How Well Do You Know … Disney Superheroes and Masked Crusaders? appeared first on Disney Blogs.

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Big Hero 6,” an action comedy adventure about brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who finds himself in the grips of a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. With the help of his closest companion—a robot named Baymax—Hiro joins forces with a reluctant team of first-time crime fighters on a mission to save their city. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the CG-animated “Big Hero 6” hits theaters in 3D on November 7, 2014.

Below is some first look footage showcasing the city of San Fransokyo and two pieces of original concept art from the making of “Big Hero 6.”  See if you can spot a cameo from the star of a recent animated release from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

BRIDGE TO SAN FRANSOKYO – Concept art showcases an iconic bridge and treasured landmark of the high-tech, fast-paced city of San Fransokyo, the setting for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ action comedy adventure “Big Hero 6”— in theaters on Nov. 7, 2014.

SAN FRANSOKYO AT NIGHT – Pictured in concept art, the high-tech city of San Fransokyo is home to brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada and his team of first-time crime fighters in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ action comedy adventure “Big Hero 6”—in theaters in 3D on Nov. 7, 2014.

The post Announcing “Big Hero 6”—Coming 2014 from Walt Disney Animation Studios appeared first on Disney Blogs.

Got a phone cluttered with priceless photos and videos that you never find the time to share? Story was created for you. Available today in the App Store, Story lives right on your iPhone and makes it easy to turn moments of your life into stories to treasure and share with friends and family. Whether it’s an anniversary party or just a wonderful day at the beach, your favorite times can be turned into treasures. We bet you’ll find tons of ways to use Story that its makers never imagined.

How does it work? Story recognizes when you’ve taken a group of photos or videos at the same time and place, and will put them into a template for you to share or to customize. Story offers a wealth of ways to personalize – adding photos from other sets, themes, captions, and custom layouts. It’s designed to be quick and easy to use, so you can tell your Story and then get back to making new ones!

So start telling your Story — download today.

The post How Will You Tell Your Story? appeared first on Disney Blogs.

“The Lost Chords” wouldn’t have happened without Randy. He’s a Grammy®-Award winning music producer, and Disney music fans know his work well. He’s been responsible for the restoration and rerelease of many classic Disney soundtracks and albums, from animation soundtracks to Theme-Park favorites. Along the way, he made some amazing discoveries – discoveries that led to “The Lost Chords.” There are four albums available now, and Randy has plans for even more.

Randy Thornton, Richard Sherman, and Mike Daly of Walt Disney Records during the recording of “The Lost Chords.”

We’ll let Randy tell the story of the project himself, because it’s a terrific one:

In the late ’80s, I came across the Sherman Brothers’ original pre-demo tape for “Mary Poppins.” I was the gofer in charge of the master tapes at the time. During some downtime I listened to the reel. It was just these two guys singing, but some of the melodies were different and there were songs I had never heard. I told my bosses and they called Richard Sherman. it turned out that he thought the tape had been lost decades earlier!

I realized that the Studio’s acetate library had lots of these demos, and I began exploring them. Most of them feature the composers themselves, playing piano and singing to give the film-makers an idea of how the song might work. For someone who loves a film to discover these songs, it’s like getting a new perspective on the film. Finally, author Russell Schroeder found sheet music in the archives, researched where the songs were originally intended to be used, and wrote a series of books including the sheet music and sketches that showed how they would have been used in the films.

In 2006, we worked with the Experience Music Project in Seattle to celebrate Walt Disney Records 50th Anniversary and Disney Music in general, and they asked Russell to speak. A pianist played the songs live, and I thought ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we re-recorded the songs, sounding the way they were intended for the films, and put them out?’ They were songs from the great Disney composers and they weren’t cut because they were bad, but because the story changed or because they decided to go in another direction.

When you see a film on the screen, you feel like it’s always been that way, it was imagined this way all along. But that’s not how it works. The film is always evolving as they work on it, and more often than not, the songwriters are part of the story process. Disney films don’t just stop all the action and have a song – the songs woven into the story — so when the story changes sometimes the songs have to go, no matter how good they are. Songwriters put their heart and soul into these movies. They understand why something can’t be used, but to bring these back to life in the way that they would have wanted is a real treat!

The “Lost Chords” albums include the original demo version of every song, plus a fully realized version that sounds like it’s ready to be used in a finished film. Nine times out of ten these original demos were performed by the composers themselves. On “The Aristocats” album, we even have a few songs that were written for Louis Prima, and he performed them on the demo! So those are on the album as well. Our arranger is excellent. I’ll give him the actual film soundtracks and ask him to do it in the style as closely as possible. So the “Cinderella” stuff uses a big orchestra, while “The Aristocats” has more of a jazz combo sound.

A lot of thought went into the vocals — we had to walk a fine line. Because these songs were often cut from earlier versions of the films, they aren’t necessarily true to the characters as they appear in the final film. I’ll give you an example: When we did the songs for “Cinderella,” there’s one called “I’m in the Middle of a Muddle,” about all the work she has to do. It was probably cut because Walt didn’t want Cinderella to complain – he felt it would make her less sympathetic. So it’s not really in character, and I tried to cast vocalists who sounded right for the texture of the music, but who weren’t in character as Cinderella.

It’s hard to pick a favorite song, but I have to admit that I love anything from the Sherman Brothers! I’m a huge fan and I’ve known Richard Sherman forever. I first met Richard and his brother Bob when I discovered the “Mary Poppins” pre-demo tape they’d done in the early ‘60s. He’s such a great man, and so humble. He’s so passionate about not only his and his brother’s work, but Disney music in general. I recently did a two-disc set of their Disney career, and it’s just amazing how many iconic songs they created.

It’s important to me to keep the memory and the work of the great Disney composers alive and in the forefront. People know the animators and directors, but the composers are often overlooked – even though their songs are known throughout the world. They’ve contributed so much to American music, and bringing out these gems keeps their memory alive and we can make sure that their music is heard in a way they may have envisioned it.

So, if you find yourself “In the Middle of a Muddle” or need a dose of “Le Jazz Hot,” there are new Disney songs to discover –  classics that you’ve never heard before. We think that’s something to sing about!

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