The DNA of Innovation

The DNA of Innovation

At the 2013 D23 Expo there were 5 panel discussions with Imagineers. The DNA of Innovation was the second in the series.

There were six Imagineers on this panel. Asa Kalama, Scott Throwbridge, Bob Gurr, Trish Albright, Susan Bonds and David Durham were on hand to discuss how Imagineers creative process develops and is passed on.

There was a lively discussion of technology versus creativity, with Bob Gurr joking about how they did things faster in the “old days” without computers, texts and cell phones. It was pointed out that technology and creativity are not different and they support each other. All of these panel member has been responsible for managing and developing different areas of the Disney creative process.

One of the current projects that was talked about was experiential storytelling. This is where the guests help tell the story! Guests are involved in scavenger hunts and problem solving that moves the story along and changes the story. This can be in a park or on a cruise ship. Guests are given a clue and sent out to solve their quest. The guests interact with cast members and characters as they look for clues. Any cast member from janitors to ride operators may be involved in the quest.

This was a very interesting panel and stimulated our creative process so we can improve problem-solving skills and build creative process throughout all areas of life. If you are feeling uncreative or like us have lost some of your creative drive sit down and watch this video. It is well worth the hour out of your day.

Here is video of the panel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHjAx48T4a4

Working with Walt

Working with Walt

At the 2013 D23 Expo there were five panel discussions with Walt Disney Imagineers. The very first one was led by Marty Sklar and had Bob Gurr, Alice Davis and X Atencio talking about what it was like to work for Walt Disney.

It is fun to hear how each of this legendary Imagineers met Walt Disney. They shared their favorite memories of working with Walt and talked about his management style and how it affected their lives.

One thing that kept coming up in all the discussions, starting with this one is Walt was the best “Casting Director” they ever knew. He would talk to someone for a few moments and then ask them to do something they thought they could never do. Yet, they would do it and do it well!

They also share how nobody wanted to fail around Walt, but he never placed blame. If something went wrong he would ask how “we” could make it work. His style encouraged people to work harder and do things they did not know they could.

The discussion ended with a short Q&A.

Both my husband and I were at this panel and it was a life changing event. What we walked out of there was the desire to encourage others as Walt did. We also walked out of there with in intolerance of people and circumstances that stifled creativity and collaboration.

Below is video of the complete panel discussion and Q&A:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJFSSSztDyA

What Type of D23 Expo Attendee Are You??

What Type of D23 Expo Attendee Are You?

There are several different types of D23 Expo Attendees. There is the general Disney Crazed Fan, Collector/Trader, Collector/Profiteer, Comic Con crossovers, and the DisneyFile (nerd).

The Disney Crazed Fan: Just wants to soak up anything and everything Disney! They want to see the Disney Royals walking around. You may find some of these folks dressed up as their favorite Disney Character.

Collector/Trader: Has researched what Disney collectables are going to be available and come early to line up to purchase their desired items. They are fairly easy to identify by the number of bags they carry around. These are Disney Fans that like to have Disney around them at home.

Collector/Profiteer: Like the Collector/Trader the Collector/Profiteer had researched what is available and has thought about what will have the best resale value. They are easy to spot because they have bags full of Disney collectables and usually have multiples of the highly prized items. These people may or may not be Disney fans. Those that are fans are usually nice enough. Those that are not Disney fans are out for nothing but profit. I usually avoid these people because they are not the happiest on earth.

Comic Con Crossovers: Comic Con Spillovers are Comic Con Fans that either are Marvel Comic fans come to see what Disney is doing with their favorite characters or they are also Disney fans. You can often tell these fans by the fact they are at any event that talks about Marvel. Some of them also the wear costumes of their favorite comic book hero.

DisneyFile (nerd): You will find this attendee at all the major events they can pack in. They want to see what is coming in all aspects of Disney. You may find them with notebooks taking notes, camera’s at the ready to take pictures, cell phones, tablets and computers at the ready to Facebook, Google+, Tweet and Instagram everything! The people just want to know EVERYTHING about what is going on in Disney. These are the ones you will find at the discussion panels with Disney Legends. They want to hear the old guard talk about working with Walt and the younger generation talking about how the old guard taught them the way Walt did things. They are the nerds, geeks and oddballs of the Disney fans.

No matter what kind of Disney fan you are you can find lots of things to enjoy at a D23 Expo.

The Ups and Downs of the 2013 D23 Expo

The Ups and Downs of the 2013 D23 Expo

 The 2013 D23 Expo was filled with ups and downs.

I like to start with positive so I’ll talk about the UPs first.

There were amazing presentations! Where else could you see Disney Legends being honored! Sneak peeks behind the scenes of upcoming movies and even hit TV series. Huge presentations on what is coming out of all the Disney Studios. Many panel discussions with Q&A with Disney Imagineers and other Disney Luminaries. Pavilions with displays on what is happening in the parks/cruise and resorts. There were pavilions for Disney In-Home Entertainment, Disney Interactive and Disney Stores as well as Disney Investment just to name a few. There was also the mysterious Mickey’s of Glendale Store! This is the store reserved exclusively for the Imagineers!

Then there was the Collectors floor with the vendors! Oh my Lord!! You could find anything Disney that you could think of!!  David Smith and Nancy Temple Rodrigue, authors of the Hidden Mickeys novels were there to greet people and sign books. (Great books by the way!) Disney Fan sites had booths and were sharing the fun and some had Disney Luminaries hanging out with them.

There were some super special events such as the Richard Sherman & Alan Menken Disney Songbook Concert on Saturday evening. The voices of the Disney Parks were there to make personalized phone messages for your cell phones outgoing message!

Three solid days immersed in all things Disney! What could be better or more enjoyable!!!

Now for the downers.

The line to get into the Expo was long and started the night before on Harbor Blvd.

Due to long lines to get in and when it ended at night there was very little sleeping done during those 3 days.

The lines were crazy! For the most popular presentations you could wait 6 hours or more and still run the risk of not getting into the event.

Many people were there for the limited edition collectable so the lines for the stores were CRAZY the entire time. Only way past that was to pay $1,500 for the Sorcerer Pass.

Confusion was in abundance. Those working at the Expo did not seem to know what was going on ½ the time. They did not know the access for the different level of passes. They often did not even know who to ask.

Many of the best events were scheduled at the same time or were offset in ways that made it impossible to get to more.

WAY TOO MANY THINGS TO SEE AND DO!!!!! No way to do it all!

So will I be going to the 2015 D23 Expo? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will not miss it!!!! The chance to hear some of these people speak is not to be missed!!! The chance to learn something that can change your life is possible!

So I’ll be seeing you in 2015 at the next D23 Expo!!!

Richard Sherman/Alan Menken Disney Songbook 2013 D23 Expo

Richard Sherman/Alan Menken Disney Songbook Concert at the D23 Expo

The fan favorite event at the 2013 D23 Expo was a concert by Richard Sherman and Alan Menken on Saturday evening. Even before the Expo started people were talking about how they would make sure they got to see these two men play their music. The concert was scheduled to start at 6 PM Saturday evening. The line outside the D23 Arena started to form well before 2 o’clock. I hopped into line at about 2 o’clock and was at least 1000 people back in line. The concert was to last about two hours instead it lasted closer to three.

Richard and Alan came out on stage together and were introduced. You could see the warm affection between these two fantastic artists. Alan Menken spoke warmly of how Richard Sherman welcomed him into the Disney musical family years ago. There was only one piano on stage so they were asked how they would play. Alan Menken laughed and said, “4 handed?” It was announced that one would play in the other would come out later. They joke about who would play first and Menken joked, “age before beauty?” And Richard Sherman jokingly took to the piano.

The next hour was filled with Richard Sherman playing the wonderful music that he and his brother Robert wrote over the years. He started with the early music of the Jungle Book, Mary Poppins and even touched on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. As he played he told stories about the writing and special memories of songs.

The most poignant moment was when Richard was talking about the Mary Poppins song, “Feed the Birds”. Richard told the audience about the day he and Robert took a stack of songs for Mary Poppins to Walt Disney’s office. They finished playing all the songs and Walt walked over to the north facing window and stood with his arms behind his back looking out the window. Walt said, “Play that Birdsong again”. So Richard and Robert played “Feed the Birds” for Walt again. When they finished the song Walt said, “Thats it! That song is the reason for the story.” Richard and Robert said, “Yes Walt”. That day Walt signed The Boys to work with him.

Richard shared one more memory of “Feed the Birds”. In 2001 there was a rededication of the Partners Statue at Disneyland. A beautiful white piano was placed in front of the statue in the Central Hub. Richard had play the selection of Disney songs and all of a sudden stopped. He looked at the approximately 2000 people gathered around for this rededication. He told them, “This next song is not for you, it’s for Walt. It was his favorite song.” He then proceeded to play “Feed the Birds”. Not a sound was made as he played but as he played the final phrase and sang, “Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag” there was a great collective sharp intake of breath. A single bird      came streaking out of the blue sky and swooped down low over the piano and then flew up and away. Richard had not seen the bird, when he got backstage he asked what had happen. When he heard the story and then saw the video of the bird he looked around and said, “Walt came.”

The first half of the evening was filled with wonderful moments like this from Richard Sherman.

Alan Menken came out with a stack of paper and set it on the edge of the piano. He started with his early works that he did for Disney and went through the list movie by movie playing the music he wrote. He spoke fondly of working with Howard Ashman and other talented composers over the years.

He joked about how you never know what is going to be a hit. He affectionately remembered “Newsies”. He spoke of how “Newsies” was a flop when it came out in the theaters but now has one Tony awards on Broadway!

Alan joked about being the only composer to have won an Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Razzy!

The evening ended with both men together on stage singing their songs about the world. Alan Menken sang Part Of You are World and Richard Sherman sang It’s a Small World.

These two men did not disappoint the audience! Even though I was in an arena with 4000 people I felt like they were playing for a small intimate group that I was blessed to be a part of. This evening was made even more special because in the row behind us was John Lasseter. He was the biggest fan in the room! You could hear him clapping, whistling and cheering Richard and Alan on.

So now, find a comfy chair, get yourself something to drink and turn up the sound. Enjoy the video of the Disney songbook by Richard Sherman and Alan Menken.

Sherman/Menken Disney Songbook part 1/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na8tCdJOIQo

Sherman/Menken Disney Songbook part 2/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL2w91X219Y

Sherman/Menken Disney Songbook part 3/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8kVQ_cLegQ

2013 D23 Expo: Sorcerer Pass What Is It & Is It Worth It

2013 D23 Expo: Sorcerer Pass What Is It & Is It Worth It

I’ve not been on in a while to write here in Pixie Pranks because I was busy getting ready for going to and then writing about the D23 Expo for a fan site. I will be sharing here as well now.

There were several different level tickets for the D23 Expo this year. There was the Member Ticket that had the guests name on it along with the day/days it was good for. Price this year for Member tickets purchased at the full member price was $145 for all three days $57 for one day. Non member 3 day was $166. There were Guest Tickets for Cast Members that were $15 per day. Then there was the Sorcerer Pass. The Sorcerer Pass was a 3 day D23 Expo pass with special access. The cost for this ticket was $1,500 per person. These tickets were to be limited to 150 but I have head as many as 300 were sold.

At Expo opening every day there was a set order of admittance that was to be followed. First the Sorcerer Level ticket holders were to be admitted 1 hour before everybody else. They were followed by the people with Member tickets once all Sorcerer level holders lined up had been admitted. Once the Member Ticket holders had entered the “Guest Pass” ticket holders were admitted. Press Pass holders were admitted with the “Guest Pass” ticket holders. Guest Pass and Press Pass holders could be admitted as much as 2 hours after the Expo opened.

So what was $1,500 to get you at the 2013 D23 Expo? They were to get early entrance to the facility, 1 hour ahead of general members. Access to the Sorcerer Lounge with snacks. They could select which presentations they wished to see and reserve seats with no waiting in line. Special lines for shops such as the Dream Store, Mickey of Glendale and the Disney Store where limited edition items were for sale. There was also a special fireworks viewing with dessert.

I did not have the Sorcerer Level pass to the D23 Expo, I had a Press Pass (but got in with Members because I’m a Member). I did have friends that had it and I talked to others that I saw at the Expo that had it.

Sorcerer Pass holders did get in early but not as early as they were told they would. Often it was a foot race with the regular Member Pass holders to get to the concessions first. Still this is one thing the majority of the Sorcerer Pass holders said they liked the best and the one reason they would pay for it again.

The Sorcerer Lounge was just a room with some chairs. Often the food offering was peanuts and not much else.

When going to their selected presentations the staff at the doors did not know where to send them to enter and tried to send them to the regular lines. Once inside the presentation Stage or Arena sometimes they were directed to sit with the general public, no special reserved seating for some of the events. Some presentations did have special sections for Sorcerer Pass holders. With people waiting in lines for as long as 4 hours for some events (such as the Sherman/Menken Disney Songbook Concert) this was still a big plus for the majority of Sorcerer Pass holders I talked to.

The special fireworks viewing I hear was not a success. The area would have been fine if the tickets were limited to 150 people but there were about 300 people so viewing was limited due to crowding. I was told that some people did not get dessert because they ran out. There was not even enough coffee for everybody.

Personally I would not spend $1,500 for the ticket but I can see how it would be beneficial to some people. Those that are at the D23 Expo primarily to purchase limited edition collectables would find this an asset. Those that are determined to see as many as possible of the presentations may also find it helpful if they had the extra money to spend. Be aware you will NEVER be able to see ALL the presentations no matter what level pass you have.

D23 Expo, What Is It?!?!

D23 Expo, What Is It?

 

            Most Disney fans have heard of D23, Disney’s club for the ultimate Disney fans. But what is the D23 Expo?

            August 9 – 11, 2013 the third D23 will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center. Disney fans around the world are excitedly awaiting this event. The D23 Expo is held every other year at the Anaheim Convention Center. This is where you can find out about what upcoming things can be expected at Disney parks and the Disney Cruise along with upcoming animated and live-action movies the Disney Studios.

            Along with finding out about what is coming next you can also see seldom seen items from the Disney Archives. This year there will be a major display of costumes and props along with concept art and other items from Mary Poppins. Other movies will also be represented in the display.

            Disney Consumer Products (a.k.a. Disney Stores) will have a display area where you can purchase newly released Disney Consumer Products. They will also have some soon to be released items on display.

            At past Expos may have had Imangineers in the Disney Parks display area to answer questions. At the 2011 Expo they had a mockup of the bow of the Disney Fantasy. Behind that wasn’t area with a mockup of the Disney Fantasy lobby statue of Minnie Mouse. They also had a display allowing you to see a sped up version of what the Virtual Portholes on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy look like. There was a cast member there to explain what you were looking at and a table with pamphlets about the Disney Cruise Line.

            Also in the Disney Parks display area was a 3-D model of the yet to be opened New Fantasyland at WDW’s Magic Kingdom. Also on display with a ride vehicles for New Fantasyland Snow White and those Seven Dwarves Mine Ride. Disneyland Resort was not ignore as they had a model of Disney California Adventures new (not yet open then) Cars Land. They had ride vehicles for all three of the new Cars Land rides on display. They also had Lightning McQueen and Red the fire truck on display. Lightning and Red are the “characters” come out and visit guests in Cars Land.

            There was also a small display on the new Shanghai Disney Park. They had artists drawings of what the park would look like with signs designating some rides that will be there.

            One of my favorite “shops” to check out at the Expo was the Glendale Disney Store that is for Imangineers only. They had items that are normally only available to Disney Imangineers to purchase.

            A large area of the Expo Display Area is open for exhibitors to rent space. These run the gamut from Disney Fan Sites and Disney Specific Travel Agencies to sellers of Disney Collectibles. At the last Expo I saw of very rare Dumbo cel being sold by one of the exhibitors.

            Besides all of these exhibits there are special event hosted by Disney Luminaries. John Lasseter will be sharing about the upcoming animated features from both Pixar and Disney Studios. The head of the Disney Studios will be sharing what is happening with live-action Disney movies.

            Friday Ridley Pearson will be discussing the next and last book in the Kingdom Keepers series. He will be sharing how the fans of the books can be part of the writing of this final Kingdom Keepers book. Imangineer Tony Baxter will be sharing the secrets of Undiscovered Disneyland. He will be talking about the development of rides and storytelling at Disneyland.

            Two of the biggest events will happen on Saturday. 8 new Disney legends will be honored in a special ceremony in the afternoon. In the evening Richard Sherman and Alan Menken will be performing music they wrote for Disney movies and the park.

            All day on Sunday they will be having discussions posted by various Disney Imangineers in honor of Imagineering’s 60^th anniversary. In the evening they will have the head of Disney’s Broadway productions talking about taking Disney movies to Broadway.

            There is actually so much to do at the D23 Expo that there is no possible way to do or see everything. So it is best to look at the schedule and plan ahead if you are going. Realize that you will have to stand in line for the “E Ticket” events.

            There are several helpful links about the D23 Expo.

D23 Expo Homepage:

https://d23.com/d23-expo/

D23 Expo Schedule:

https://d23.com/d23-expo/schedule/friday-august-09-2013/

D23 Expo – To Go or Not To Go

D23 Expo – To Go or Not To Go

Is it worth going to the D23 Expo or not? I think that all depends on you! If you are a Disney fan that loves to see “Disney Royalty”, things from the Disney Archives and be one of the first to know about the new things coming up in Disney movies, at Disney Parks and on the Disney Cruise, then yes is where you want to be. This year’s D23 Expo will be held August 9^th through the 11^th at the Anaheim Convention Center.

I’ve only been able to make one day of one D23 Expo and I totally enjoyed myself! I ended up sitting on the floor looking up at the mockup of the bow of the then the yet to be completed Disney Fantasy and crying. It was so beautiful! They had a copy of the Minnie Mouse statue that now graces the lobby of the Fantasy along with a sped up version of a Virtual Portal.

I enjoyed seeing some of the Cars Land characters such as Red the Fire Truck before Cars Land was completed. It was fun to see the ride vehicles for the three new Cars Land rides before completion.

The New Fantasyland of WDW was also being talked about at D23. They had a miniature of the new area along with some of the ride vehicles. Imagineers were also there to talk to you about what was being created.

Besides seeing some of the new things coming to Disney Parks and Cruise I also had the pleasure of seeing Dick VanDyke and the VanTasticks perform! At 80 years old Mr. VanDyke was still singing and dancing and having a lot of fun.

Many items from the Disney Archives were available to look at. Costumes and props from many movies along with concept art were on display. The “miniature” of the Black Pearl was on display. Even Walt Disney’s personal limousine was on display.

Along with all the items to see there are many vendors that you can buy things from. From the Disney store displaying the new products, not yet released in stores to people selling Disney memorabilia such as animation cells you can find it all.

Many of the larger Disney fan groups also have tables at the event where you can talk to them about joining the group. You can find out about their group events such as cruises and gatherings at the parks. Some travel agencies that specialize in Disney are also represented there.

So you’ve decided to go. Do you go 1, 2 or the entire 3 days? That is a hard question! You cannot see the whole vendor area in one day let alone the displays. Add to that that they have special events, such as the induction of new Disney Legends and performances. At this year’s event there will be one night of magical music with Richard Sherman and Alan Menken playing together. This should be an extremely popular event that many will wait the whole day to see. I know people that are going to pass up looking at the vendors and doing other things to make sure they get a good seat for the show. (I’m going to be one of them!)

D23 is held at the Anaheim Convention Center down the street from Disneyland so it is easy to combine a trip to the parks along with the D23 Expo. It is my suggestion that you do not try to do both D23 and Disneyland on the same days.

There is still time to join D23 and get a discount on your tickets to the Expo. If you join D23 and purchase your Expo tickets by June 16^th you can save $15 per 3 day ticket.

Here is a link to the official D23 Expo page:

http://d23.disney.go.com/d23-expo-2013/