D23 legend photo shoot!

Being invited to the Disney Studios is always a huge honor. But being invited to come and take a photo with some the greatest legends ever? People who contributed to the amazing successes of Disney through out the years? An amazing event.

They were gathered to take a photo for the cover of the upcoming D23 magazine, and we were there to meet them (I am on the left, 4 rows back)

So who are these people?

Kathryn Beaumont, voice of Alice and of Wendy Darling
Alice Davis, Imagineer and costume designer
Lisa Davis, voice of Anita in "One Hundred and One Dalmatians"
Joe Hale, animation producer
Dickie Jones, voice of Pinocchio
Margaret Kerry, live-action model for Tinker Bell
Floyd Norman, animator and "story man"
Richard Sherman, composer and lyricist
Ruthie Thompson, supervisor of Scene Planning department (Ink & Paint)
Tyrus Wong, background artist

But do you know Richard Sherman?
I am a huge and sincere fan. And after watching the Sherman Brothers, I felt like I just wanted to hug him when I saw him. But he is so bubbly and happy in real life- just joyful that I forgot all about that sad documentary of his life and collaboration with this estranged brother.

He asked to see Walt’s piano- and his wish was granted (and mine too!) and here is  a video of him singing (to me!) a song he wrote for Mary Poppins that was never used in the movie...OH and he is performing on WALT's original piano inside the Disney Studio archives. Pretty amazing stuff.

Here are SOME movies that he wrote the songs for....
Mary Poppins, 1964                                                                    The Jungle Book, 1967
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1968                                                 The Aristocats, 1970
Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971                                           Snoopy, Come Home, 1972
Charlotte's Web, 1973                                                                  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1973
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, 1977             The Tigger Movie, 2000

And in the theme parks? all of these earworms and many more:
There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow for Carousel of Progress
"it's a small world (after all)" for the 1964 New York World's Fair attraction Pepsi
The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room for Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

While we were visiting Disney Studios we were given the opportunity to visit the archives on site. Where we were shown this amazing piece of history. This is the original story board notebook for Steamboat Wille. Believed to have been created by Walt. Not gonna lie. This was amazing to see in person.

And then there was Alice Davis taking a look at one of her costumes on an It’s a Small World character…

But as I was just walking along, I see a rack of costumes, and find this. Just sitting there- waiting for me to try on take a pic.

 

And then I grabbed some shots of some Lost stuff for Jack.

 

And then? THIS.

Tiny sign next to it says ‘Escape from Witch Mountain’. Awesome right? Come on all children of the 70’s tell me you aren’t excited about seeing this!

I actually have so much more to tell you….

More about D23 and the awesome adventures they are offering members coming soon!