DISNEY CONSUMER PRODUCTS TO OFFER A SERIES OF
FIRST LOOKS AND MAGICAL ACTIVITIES AT D23 EXPO
ANAHEIM, Calif. – August 20, 2009 – Disney’s spectacular product lines will come to life like never before in over 20,000 square feet of fun-filled interactive experiences and activities at the inaugural D23 EXPO, where the entire world of Disney will come together under one roof at the Anaheim Convention Center in California from Sept. 10-13. Disney Consumer Products (DCP) will treat fans to a sneak peek of the latest and most innovative Disney products as well as the chance to meet and hear from the artists and designers that bring them to life.
D23 EXPO attendees will have the premier opportunity to visit the first-ever Disney Dream Home, stroll through 30 years of Disney-inspired Hallmark keepsake ornaments, witness Disney Fine Art created right before their eyes, and immerse in the magic of a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding where guests will get a first look at the yet-to-be-unveiled Princess Tiana wedding gown inspired by the upcoming animated feature The Princess and the Frog. They will go behind the scenes of Disney products through a series of events and presentations including fashion shows, art galleries, appearances by best-selling authors such as Ridley Pearson and artists such as Thomas Kinkade, and seminars describing the creative process by Disney toys and electronics designers. Plus, they will be part of a special introduction to the history and future of Disney Store by Disney Stores Worldwide president, Jim Fielding, and much more.
There will be fun for the whole family at the Disney Creativity Center hosted by Crayola, the Disney Princess Story time and Royal Manners event, the Baby Einstein World of Discovery Center, and a magnificent live LEGO building event of Disney characters with the help of Master Builders.
Additional highlights of DCP’s exciting line-up at the D23 EXPO include:
• Disney Store and www.DisneyStore.com guests will get a first look at this year’s hottest Halloween costumes, exclusive The Princess and the Frog product assortment (available only at Disney Store and DisneyStore.com) and limited edition collectible Snow White deluxe dolls; and on September 12, a special presentation by President Jim Fielding on exciting new developments coming soon to Disney Store retail.
• Guests will stroll through the ultimate showcase house and experience the first-ever Disney Dream Home featuring Disney furniture, carpeting and rugs, paint, lighting, bedding and home decor. They will preview the new color collection from Disney Color by Behr and wall-to-wall imagination from Shaw Carpets. Eight beautifully designed rooms will come to life including a central courtyard, nursery, boys and girls rooms, living and dining rooms, home office, master bedroom and even a Lillyput Play Home in the backyard.
• Guests will travel back through time as Hallmark and Disney introduce the Disney Hallmark Keepsake Museum featuring more than 30 years of Disney keepsake ornaments.
• Disney Toys and LEGO Master Builders will host a live building event where guests can join in the fun and help construct a life-size mural of Disney characters paying homage to innovation.
• Families are invited to Early Bird Books, seminars from renowned Disney Publishing authors including Ridley Pearson, who will discuss the Kingdom Keepers series and Peter and the Starcatchers books where he will be joined via satellite feed by co-author Dave Barry.
• Additional luminaries speaking at Early Bird Books panels include author Don Hahn, acclaimed producer of The Lion King, who will discuss The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age; author and animation historian JB Kaufman, who will speak about his book South of the Border and reveal the story behind Disney’s contribution to Nelson Rockefeller’s “Good Neighbor” program; and Jason Surrell, author of The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, who will discuss the evolution from beloved attraction to major motion picture.
• The Disney Creativity Center hosted by Crayola will bring to life Andy’s room from Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story where guests will learn drawing techniques from DCP character artists John Quinn and George McClements.
• Disney Fashion & Home will host a series of fashion shows featuring the latest styles from Disney Couture, Disney Couture kids and the Wizards of Waverly Place collection inspired by the hit Disney Channel series starring Selena Gomez.
• Guests will go “behind the fairy tale” at the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings showcase; they will hear from celebrity wedding designer David Tutera and couture wedding gown designer Kirstie Kelly who will unveil the first public viewing sketch of the Princess Tiana-inspired wedding gown releasing this October.
• Collectors Editions will showcase beautiful art displays and host an all-star list of artists, voice talent and legendary Disney personalities, including Margaret Kerry (the original Tinker Bell model), Dick Jones (original Pinocchio voice), Eddie Carroll (current Jiminy Cricket voice) and Paige O’Hara (original Belle voice from Beauty and the Beast).
• BOOM! Comics will present comic legend and writer Mark Waid.
• Disney Toys and MINDstyle will introduce Disney’s Stitch: The Experiment 626 Project custom art tour – a collection of interpretive Stitch vinyl figures.
• The original art program “Mickey By” will make its first public debut. These artistic interpretations of Mickey Mouse, in a classic pose, come from Disney artists of every style and genre. The result is a celebration of one of the most recognizable and beloved characters around the globe.
• eFX Inc, will preview an astonishing four foot replica of Captain Nemo’s iconic Nautilus from the classic Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, based on the Jules Verne novel.
• S/R Laboratories’ artists will demonstrate how animation art backgrounds are made for the new Courvoisier Miniatures art collection.
• EK Success will showcase its latest Disney crafts products, from scrapbooking to stamping to paper crafting, and share tips and techniques.
• The Disney food, health and beauty group will offer samplings from the latest Disney food product lines and fun beauty activities for girls featuring Disney beauty products that are age-appropriate, fun and easy-to-use.
• Disney and Retro 51 will host an hourly raffle for a D23 collectors pen. Plus, Retro 51 will introduce a unique design-your-own-pen contest in which guests will have the opportunity to use a Retro 51 pen template to design their own Disney-themed pen. At the conclusion of the D23 EXPO, 23 winning designs will be chosen to be featured in Disney Twenty-three magazine, and souvenir pens with those designs will be produced for the winners by Retro 51.
Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available at http://www.D23EXPO.com. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO and can be purchased for single days or for the full four days of festivities. Admission is $37 for a one-day adult ticket and $27 for children 3-12. Four-day passes are $111 for adults and $81 for children. Members of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on admission, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 EXPO for themselves and their guests.
Many more details about D23 EXPO entertainment, events and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can keep up with all the news by visiting www.D23EXPO.com, as well as by following “Disney D23” on Twitter and Facebook.