Get Star-Struck in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure

Have you ever wondered what it's like to drop 13 stories, only to rise right back up to the top? Do you want to learn how to draw your favorite Disney character? Do you want to meet the crew from Arendale, then watch the Mad Hatter crush it on stage? Hollywood Land in Disney California Adventure is the place to see and be seen at the Disneyland Resort. Here you can meet Disney's most popular sisters, Anna and Elsa along with their buddy Olaf. You can also have a conversation with Crush from Finding Nemo; where else can you talk to a turtle?? Little ones will love the Frozen-themed stage show in the Crown Jewel Theatre, or the interactive Disney Junior puppet show in the Disney Theater.

Pro Tip: Get your Fast Pass to meet Anna and Elsa upon entering the park, then walk over to meet Olaf across the street near the Crown Jewel Theatre.

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The Arendale sisters and Turtle Talk are inside my favorite indoor spaces, the Animation building. Here you can also learn how to draw different Disney characters inside the Animation Academy. It's also an amazing space to just sit, enjoy a cool drink (from Schmoozie's across the street!) and cool off while being surrounded by the wonder of animation. Exit through Off the Page to see Disney artists at work and drool over the incredible artwork.

Trust me: if you haven't been inside the Animation building before, take a few moments to step inside. I had no idea what I was missing for years!

Hollywood Land is also home to the thrill ride, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. If you are a fan of the original Twilight Zone TV series, you will appreciate the special setup video that plays prior to the ride. And some of you may remember the Disney movie, Tower of Terror, that further sets the premise for the ride (it was about as popular as The Haunted Mansion movie...). This ride isn't for the faint of heart, so make sure little ones are mature enough to handle the shock (which may not correlate to height!).

Another not-to-be-missed part of Hollywood Land is Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular. True to it's name, this musical adaptation of Aladdin is spectacular, featuring dancing, singing and ornate sets rivaling a Broadway show. Everyone I have taken to this show has loved it. And it's shorter than a normal musical, giving you just enough time to rest before your next adventure in the park. Check the Entertainment Schedule for daily show times.

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When night falls, the Mad T Party takes over Hollywood Land with an explosion of lights and live music. This awesome Alice in Wonderland-themed band plays rock songs from the 80's, 90's and today. There's something for everyone (although I noticed quite a few more adults rocking out than the tween crowd during the previous Frozen-themed party). Grab one of the themed drinks then head down the rabbit hole with Alice and crew.

Hollywood Land is packed with entertainment for all ages, which is different than the ride-focused Disneyland that we're all used to. Make sure to dedicate time to seeing the incredible shows within Hollywood Land during your next visit to Disney California Adventure!

Welcome to World of Color Wednesday! For those of you unfamiliar, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color was a broadcast television series that showcased the new technology of color television. Today, Disney California Adventure plays tribute to that part of Disney history with a spectacular nighttime entertainment show featuring jets of water, lights, lasers and of course music. My own way to pay tribute to the show is by creating a color board every week, inspired by a different land from Disney Parks or character from Disney films. Join me every Wednesday in celebrating the Wonderful World of Color!

Find Your Inner Child at "A Bug's Land"

Welcome to World of Color Wednesday! For those of you unfamiliar, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color was a broadcast television series that showcased the new technology of color television. Today, Disney California Adventure plays tribute to that part of Disney history with a spectacular nighttime entertainment show featuring jets of water, lights, lasers and of course music. My own way to pay tribute to the show is by creating a color board every week, inspired by a different land from Disney Parks or character from Disney films. Join me every Wednesday in celebrating the Wonderful World of Color!

"A Bug's Land"

Most people hear the name and think "Oh that's for kids", but true to Walt Disney's vision, this area is actually fun for the whole family. And it's one of my favorite places to escape the heat in the middle of a hot summer day!

From the underground (air conditioned!) 4D It's Tough to be a Bug! theater to the unpredictable fountains at Princess Dot Puddle Park, visiting A Bug's Land is one of the best ways to cool down in Disney California Adventure.

While you won't find a "thrill" ride in this area of the park, the attractions are wonderfully themed versions of classics that the whole family can enjoy. Francis' Ladybug Boogie is a spin on the Mad Tea Party ride in Disneyland (see what I did there...?). Flik's Flyers is similar to Dumbo, but with more capacity inside your choice of a raisin or animal cracker box. Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies features bumper cars under a big circus tent (read: shade!!).

And last, but certainly not least, is Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. On a cool spring night, my husband and I decided to take a spin on Heimlich's train. We ended up laughing hysterically through the whole ride thanks to the commentary by Heimlich himself. Trust me, this ride is a great way to let your inner child out.

A Bugs Land

A Bug's Land is filled with wonderfully themed details, like giant pencils for posts, and light bugs for the overhead lights. The giant clovers throughout the land provide wonderful shade, and they glow at night! Make sure to take a stroll in the evening to hear the awesome bug sounds that increase after the sun goes down.

Pro Tip: There is only one four-leaf clover in A Bug's Land. Try to find it during your trip!

I hope this color board inspires you to spend some time in A Bug's Land in Disney California Adventure. It's a wonderfully charming land that certainly shouldn't be missed!

Finding Inspiration at the D23 Expo

Well, it's safe to say that D23 Expo 2015 was the biggest Disney fan gathering ever, outside of the Disney Parks of course. This year was the first time I was able to attend this amazing experience, and I'm excited to share my unique perspective as a graphic designer inspired by other Disney artists and Disney movies. Finding Inspiration at the D23 Expo 2015

Here are the highlights of my time at the three-day D23 Expo:

Lovely Ladies of Animation

I was completely entranced watching Lorelay Bove talk about how she found inspiration from women's fashion in Tokyo for Big Hero 6, and Brittney Lee describe how she studied rosemaling in Norwegian culture, then developed her own rosemaling "language" for Frozen. I had already read Brittney's blog post about designing for Frozen, but hearing her talk about it in person was such a thrill. I love how they create color schemes by painting while watching their favorite Disney movies (both love The Little Mermaid) and 50's films.

These women are a big part of the future at Disney Animation. Look for their work in the D23 announced new movie, Gigantic! With Gigantic being set in Spain, Lorelay's home country, and the director of Tangled taking the reins, I am very, very excited to see the artwork for this film!

Disney Visual Development artists

The Good Dinosaur

I knew the Disney/Pixar Animation panel hosted by John Lasseter was a must-do at D23 Expo, but I had no idea what was in-store for the incredibly lucky crowd of 7,500 people. The moment that has stuck with me the most wasn't seeing Ellen Degeneres or Ginnifer Goodwin (although I loved listening to her geek out about Disney).

The moment I keep coming back to is Peter Sohn's presentation for The Good Dinosaur. Of all the directors brought on stage, you could tell he was the most connected and emotionally attached to his film. He spoke about why he wanted to create Disney movies using sketch board images of his childhood. To avoid bursting out into tears (again) retelling his story, please read this summary by Disney Insider about this incredible filmmaker. Then mark your calendar for November 25, 2015 to see The Good Dinosaur in theaters (and bring the Kleenex!).

Disney movie

The Jungle Book

One of the surprise guest appearances during the Walt Disney Studios live action panel was Sir Ben Kingsley. Other than Emma Watson for Beauty and the Beast (who, sadly, could not make it), Sir Kingsley was one of the few people I was really hoping would be at the panel. He spoke briefly about watching Dumbo as a child and having something pop inside of him, inspiring him to become an actor. He also described how watching a young actor (Neel Sethi as Mowgli) become so immersed in his character was such an incredible experience for him.

The director of the movie spoke about how this film couldn't have been made before today due to the technology being used to create this film. Most importantly he spoke about how the technology was so good that is was unnoticeable, and how the movie came to life thanks to the incredible voice talents and Neel Sethi's performance.

My other favorite moments from The Jungle Book portion of the panel including seeing the movie poster with the jaguar Bagheera staring down at Mowgli, and watching Sir Kingsley, Lupita Nyong'o and especially Neel react to clips from the movie for the first time, then getting a standing ovation from a room full of 7,500 Disney fans who grew up with The Jungle Book. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, but there were a lot of uncontrollable tears of emotion during this moment for me. To say I am excited for this movie is an understatement. The Jungle Book comes out in Spring 2016.

Disney Studios Live Action Panel

Disney Art

Walking through the galleries of Disney fine art and historical artifacts gave me goosebumps. There were SO many fine art pieces I wanted to pick up by new artists (like this Belle screenprint by Mark Englert), but I nearly passed out when I saw an original Mary Blair watercolor painting for sale by Van Eaton Galleries. Check out their auction if you'd like to own a piece of Disney history.

I did pick up some incredible notecards featuring artwork from the Walt Disney Archives, including production artwork and promotional materials. The notecards are stored in replicas of the storybooks seen in the films' opening sequences. I picked up the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, but they also had Pinoccio and Fantasia. I inquired about other available collections; they said these were the first notecards released, but the hope to offer more in the future!

According to the flyer, these will be available in Enesco stores in Fall 2015. You can find the letterhead stationery now in their online popup store here! These pieces I know I will be referencing time and time again in my design work. They were a splurge, but totally worth every penny!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella

Disneyland: The Exhibit

By the time we got in the hour-long line for Disneyland: The Exhibit, I was pretty exhausted. It was Day 3 and I was running on little sleep and very sore muscles. But the second I stepped into the exhibit, I immediately came alive. With original concept sketches used as backdrops, the Disneyland exhibit featured artifacts from the Walt Disney Archives that tell the story of Disneyland from the original concept to the present day. Some of my favorite parts included learning about the Tahitian Terrace that hosted Polynesian shows in the current Aladdin's Oasis space, seeing ticket #000001 to Disneyland purchased by Roy O. Disney, and seeing details from the original Alice in Wonderland ride.

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Little Golden Books

The last stop we made at the D23 Expo was the Disney books booth. I had been eyeing the "out of the Disney vault" Little Golden Book Walt Disney's Little Man of Disneyland. After learning about this book in Disneyland: The Exhibit, to get Mouseketeers around the world exciting about the opening of Disneyland, I knew I had to pick it up. You can get your copy of Little Man of Disneyland here!

I also picked up a copy of Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Disney Little Golden Book because I am obsessed with all Disney Little Golden Books. Walt insisted that the artwork be done by Walt Disney Studios for each of the Little Golden Books, and the artwork is often closer to rough concept art sketches than the actual animation images. I love this particular book because it includes pages from most of the Disney Little Golden Books over the years.

Little Man of Disneyland

The biggest takeaway from my first D23 Expo was that there was so much to see and do, it was impossible to "do it all!". I was very happy with my first experience, and I hope this gives you a taste of all the wonderful inspiration I gathered from the expo. My favorite part was being surrounded by other Disney lovers who appreciated the art, music and storytelling that Disney is all about. I can't wait until D23 Expo 2017!

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