The Mouse Castle Lounge 10-03-2015 - Tom Sito, Part Two, and the CHOC Walk in the Park

By Tim Callaway

CHOC Walk in the Park.

For over 50 years, the Children’s Hospital of Orange County has provided state of the art pediatric care to children throughout Southern California. Walt Disney himself was among the many community leaders who championed the need for an area children’s hospital in the early 1960s and helped make it a reality. CHOC Children’s, as it’s known today, has grown from a 62-bed children’s hospital into a complete pediatric health care system with numerous facilities serving multiple counties. CHOC Children’s has been recognized nationally for both its critical care and nursing excellence.

Each year, the Disneyland Resort partners with CHOC Children’s to put on the CHOC Walk in the Park, the largest single pediatric fundraising event in the country. It’s a three-mile stroll through Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney that draws thousands of participants annually. Since 1990, the CHOC Walk has raised over $24 million to support the health and well-being of children. Joining me in The Mouse Castle Lounge today is Zach Abrams, director of special events and corporate relations for the CHOC Children’s Foundation. He’s going to tell us everything we need to know about this year’s event coming up on October 11th.

Before we get to Zach, though, I’m wrapping up part two of my fascinating conversation with author, historian and former Disney animator Tom Sito. Last week, Tom shared stories with us from his memorable animation career, where he worked alongside many of the greats including Richard Williams, Shamus Culhane, Art Babbitt, Glen Keane and Eric Goldberg. Tom appeared recently on the PBS American Experience documentary Walt Disney and last week we talked at length about the documentary and its portrayal of Walt, his life and his legacy. Tom and I pick up that part of the conversation by looking at one of more persistent—and false—rumors that continues to dog Walt Disney’s reputation.

Tom Sito.

Enjoy!

Related: The Mouse Castle Lounge 09-27-2015 - Author, Historian and Disney Animator Tom Sito, Part One

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Inside The Mouse Castle 05-18-2015 - 24 Hours of Disneyland and the Coolest Summer Ever at Walt Disney World

By Tim Callaway

Tinker Bell paints the night.

Team Mouse Castle is going to the Disneyland Resort this Friday for 24 hours of Diamond Celebration fun. Want to join us?

I'll be hitting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure from 6:00 a.m. on May 22nd straight through until 6:00 a.m. on May 23rd...or until I have a psychotic episode. I'll have plenty of friends with me as we battle crowds and exhaustion on our way to get a first look at the Paint the Night parade, Disneyland Forever fireworks and the new World of Color show, Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney.

We may even record a podcast episode. Anything is possible.

In today's Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony and I preview Friday's Diamond Celebration at Disneyland and the Coolest Summer Ever kickoff at Walt Disney World. We also take on these magical subjects:

• Remember Jock Lindsey, Indiana Jones' snake-loving pilot pal in Raiders of the Lost Ark? It appears Jock is getting a bar named after him at Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney. Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar will open sometime this fall. 
• On the Disney Parks Blog, they also announced these shops and restaurants will be joining the Disney Springs expansion sometime between now and 2016:
  
  RETAIL
  Zara
  Tommy Bahama
  Lilly Pulitzer
  UNIQLO
  PANDORA
  UGG
  L’Occitaine en Provence
  Edward Beiner
  
  DINING
  Edison
  Sprinkles
  Blaze Pizza
  Vivoli Gelateria
  Tea Traders by Joffrey’s Tea
• I attended a preview screening of Brad Bird's Tomorrowland to benefit the Walt Disney Family Museum last week. My full review is coming, but let's just say that for all of the film's good intentions, it's not as great as it aspires to be.

Disneyland ticket #1 will be on display at the 2015 D23 Expo.

• This August, sixty years of Disneyland history will be celebrated at the D23 Expo. Disneyland: The Exhibit will contain 12,000 square feet of attraction, parade and entertainment history from the Happiest Place on Earth.
• Screenwriter Stephany Folsom is working on a script for a different kind of Disney princess movie, The Princess of North Sudan. It's based on a strange true story about an American father who claimed control of a disputed piece of land in North Africa so his young daughter could be a real live princess. We're not sure what to make of this exactly.

By the way, if you're looking for a couple of helpful resources for the Disneyland 24-hour party on Friday, this is where to start:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/05/heres-what-you-need-to-know-to-line-up-for-the-disneyland-resort-diamond-celebration-24-hour-event

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?217308-Disneyland-kicks-off-Diamond-Anniversary-celebration-with-24-hour-party-May-22-23/page4 

Enjoy!

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The Mouse Castle Lounge 04-20-2015 - Star Wars Celebration 2015 Recap

By Tim Callaway

What happens when a group of Star Wars nerds get together over drinks to swap stories about Star Wars Celebration? In this case, we turn it into the latest episode of The Mouse Castle Lounge. We spent Sunday afternoon at Uva Bar in Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort talking about our favorite panels, events, celebrity guests, cosplayers and, yes, drinks.

How did Star Wars Celebration compare to other cons like the D23 Expo, Comic-Con and the Emerald City Comicon? Was it worth the money? Did it deliver content you could get elsewhere? What were the unique elements that made Star Wars Celebration stand out? The Force Awakens Trailer? The Star Wars Rebels season two trailer? Carrie Fisher? Most importantly, would you do it again? Or would you do not? This is the podcast you’re looking for and we've got a good feeling about it. It’s Star Wars Celebration in The Mouse Castle Lounge. Enjoy!

Carolyn, Tim and Susie from Team Mouse Castle at
Uva Bar in Downtown Disney.

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Inside The Mouse Castle 07-25-2014 - Comic-Con, Marvel, 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' and Disney Infinity

In this edition of Inside the Mouse Castle, Anthony and I do a lot of whining about not being in San Diego for Comic-Con. We talk about a few other things too:

• Marvel has marked release dates for 11 films through May of 2019. Most of them we don't even know the titles of yet, but there's a lot of speculation about an Avengers meets Guardians of the Galaxy crossover being one of them. We expect to find out more Saturday when Marvel has its panel at Comic-Con.
• Disney will release a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie with Johnny Depp (we assume) returning as Captain Jack Sparrow. It's set to hit theaters on July 7, 2017. Remember when a new Pirates film was something to be excited about? After On Stranger Tides, this is not one of those times.
• Steve Carell will produce and star in Brooklyn Family Robinson for Disney, a family-friendly comedy about a family that relocates from the big city to a tropical island. People seem to be more excited about this film than we expected. Are we missing something?
• Toy Story will return to TV with a new holiday special, Toy Story That Time Forgot, on December 2nd. We're just glad that Tim Allen is still finding employment.
• Disney Infinity is exceeding all expectations as Disney's biggest video game title ever. Just wait until September 23rd when Disney Infinity 2.0 comes out with a slew of Marvel characters.
• Walt Disney World is giving Downtown Disney a face lift as it expands to become Disney Springs. Looks like they finally figured out what to do with all those old Pleasure Island buildings.
• The Walt Disney Family Museum will celebrate its fifth anniversary (already?) on October 1st. Many special events are planned for the month including a members-only Tinker Bell Tea with author Mindy Johnson (Tinker Bell: An Evolution). Mindy will also do a book signing that's open to everyone.

Enjoy!

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'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Trailer - Die Hard Fans Sail With the Dawn

Forget about seeing the whole movie, how early would you get up to be first to see a trailer for a movie?  A group of dedicated Pirates of the Caribbean fans, many dressed in full buccaneer garb, tested that idea at the AMC Theatre in Disneyland's Downtown Disney district yesterday.  Winners of a local radio contest, they were lined up before dawn to see the trailer for the newest installment of the Pirates franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, hours before it was released to the public.  They were also treated to an invitation-only reception and a special ride on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction before the park opened.

Here's a peek inside the event, along with the complete trailer and comments from On Stranger Tides director Rob Marshall:

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opens May 20, 2011.

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