Happy New Year 2017 !

All my best wishes for 2017 to all of you, faithful Disney and more readers, and to those you love. Some great new attractions will open this year and i'm sure you can't wait to ride them! Have a great New Year's Eve tonight!

Disney Legend Tyrus Wong, Known For Inspiring Disney’s ‘Bambi’ Dies at 106

Tyrus Wong, the artist whose drawings of a deer in the forest famously became the inspiration for the look of Disney’s Bambi, has died at 106. Tyrus Wong was a Chinese-born American artist. He was a painter, muralist, ceramicist, lithographer, designer and kite maker.

Tyrus Wong was born in Taishan, Guangdong, China. In 1920, when he was 9 years old, Wong and his father emigrated to the United States, and never again came into contact with his mother and sister. Wong was held on Angel Island initially, due to the Chinese Exclusion Act. He was separated on the island from his father, the only child in sight. "Nine years old, I was scared half to death," he later recalled. After his release from Angel Island, he and his father initially relocated to Sacramento. His father moved the family to Los Angeles.


While attending Benjamin Franklin Junior High in Pasadena, Wong's teachers noticed his artistic ability and he received a summer scholarship at the Otis Art Institute. Wong decided to leave junior high for a full-time studentship at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.. Wong's father survived on a more modest income, and Wong worked as a janitor at Otis. He walked for miles to attend classes. He graduated from Otis in 1930 and began working in Hollywood.


In 1938 Wong was hired as an “inbetweener” at Walt Disney Studios, drawing sketches of Mickey Mouse. Then, according to the museum: “When he heard that the studio was in pre-production on the feature film Bambi, he went home and painted several pictures of a deer in a forest. The small, but evocative sketches captured the attention of Walt Disney and became the basis for the film’s visual style. Walt Disney saw that Tyrus was able to produce exquisite artwork that did not necessarily look like the forest — but rather, felt like the forest. Walt’s vision for Bambi and use of Tyrus’ work still influences films today.”





Wong was let go by Disney studios shortly after finishing Bambi, due to repercussions from the Disney animators' strike. He then moved to Warner Bros, where he was a concept and story artist with credits including The Sands Of Iwo Jima, Rebel Without A Cause and The Wild Bunch. Later, he designed popular greeting cards for Hallmark, some of his Christmas cards selling over 1 million copies.


He retired in 1968. After retiring in 1968, Wong continued to create colorful kites (usually animals such as pandas, goldfish, or centipedes). He spent his Saturdays flying his creations on the Santa Monica Pier. He was named a Disney Legend in 2001, and in 2013 the Disney Family Museum mounted an exhibition of his work Water to Paper, Paint to Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong. 

Some of his well known paintings include Self Portrait (late 1920s), Fire (1939), Reclining Nude(1940s), East (1984) and West (1984). He told an interviewer that he's a "lucky artist." 



Wong was featured in Mark Wexler's documentary How to Live Forever, where he discussed his daily lifestyle and his view on mortality, and more recently, in Pamela Tom's documentary Tyrus(2015).

He was married to Ruth Ng Kim , a second-generation Chinese American from a farming family in Bakersfield, California. Ruth worked as a lawyer but became a homemaker after the birth of their children. The couple has three daughters: Kay (born 1938), Tai-ling (born 1941), and Kim (born 1946) and two grandchildren. Wong refers to his daughters as his "greatest achievements. Ruth died on January 12, 1995.

BREAKING NEWS: Carrie Fisher, 'Star Wars'' Princess Leia, dies at 60

Carrie Fisher, 'Star Wars'' Princess Leia, dies at 60: Actress Carrie Fisher, whose grit and wit made "Star Wars'" Princess Leia an iconic and beloved figure to millions of moviegoers, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. She was 60. 

Her death was confirmed in a statement issued by the publicist for Billie Lourd, Fisher's daughter. "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," Simon Halls said. Fisher's death came four days after she suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Full report on CNN HERE and more on D&M Facebook page HERE.

Behind the Scenes Video of Disney's Animal Kingdom Pandora The World of Avatar !

Disney released a great short video showing a behind the scenes of Pandora The World of Avatar, opening Summer 2017 at Disney's Animal Kingdom!




Video: copyright Disney

D&M Christmas Gift : Shanghaî Disneyland and Star Wars Land Wallpapers !

It's Christmas night tonight and, as there shouldn't be any Christmas without a Christmas gift, i've got a great one for you with this series of great high-def wallpaper images for your desktop. The first ones above and below are Shanghaî Disneyland wallpapers which were given to SDL cast-members Grand Opening team, and the others, right after, are Disneyland Star Wars land wallpapers done with the previously released renderings that i'm sure you will love too. Click on each to get them in big size, and Merry Christmas to you all!

And here are the Disneyland Star Wars land wallpaper!

All pictures: copyright Disney

Breaking News : Actress Carrie Fisher - Star Wars Princess Leia - had a cardiac arrest during a flight from London to Los Angeles

Actress Carrie Fisher - Star Wars Princess Leia - had a cardiac arrest during a flight from London to Los Angeles and was rushed on arrival to UCLA Medical Center in critical condition. 
More news on the L.A Times website HERE and on CNN HERE.
Update: Carrie Fisher was unresponsive as paramedics raced to the gate 74 ... according to emergency dispatch calls to LAX.
TMZ obtained the audio, and you can hear HERE LAFD responding to a reported cardiac arrest. Air traffic control coordinated to make sure first responders were ready when the plane pulled into the gate.
It also sounds like some of the passengers assisting on flight 935 were nurses. Carrie Fischer is currently in stable condition at UCLA Medical Center.

Now HKDL Guests Can Sail to Hong Kong Disneyland with Hong Kong Famous Star Ferry !

HKDL guests can now take the HK Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Pier, probably the coolest way to go to HKDL - for 180 HKD ( 23$ US ) - while enjoying the stunning view of Hong Kong bay! Highly recommended for you next visit at HKDL, instead to take the train, and both last the same time, around 45 minutes. Sail on and soak in the extraordinary view! 

Even better, you can purchase a promotional package to enjoy the water tour and receive free Disneyland souvenirs plus a refreshment on board. Promotional package details can be found HERE or below. Options exist which include ticket to the park, and even one with afternoon tea or set lunch at HKDL Walt Cafe!

Ticketing

The Star Ferry's Water Tour tickets are sold over the Water Tour ticket counter at the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier on the date of departure on a first-come-first-served basis. No online booking and reservation is currently offered. Please purchase in cash of Hong Kong dollars.

Schedule & Fares

The Star Ferry's Water Tour runs round trip between Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier and the Disneyland Resort Pier in daytime. In the evening, you can join our tour to see all Hong Kong's famous harbour side attractions with the ICC Light Show & Symphony of Lights show.

ROUND TRIP TICKET TO Disneyland RESORT PIER 

From Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier to the Hong Kong Disneyland Pier (45 MINUTES)

Ticket holders are entitled to a round trip ticket to the Hong Kong Disneyland Pier. A refreshment coupon is included.

From the Hong Kong Disneyland Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier (1 HOUR 10 MINUTES)

This ride is designed for passengers to enjoy the journey via Tsing Ma bridge and container terminal on board. 

ROUND TRIP TICKET TO TSING MA BRIDGE (1 HOUR 20 MINUTES)

This ticket is designed for passengers to enjoy the journey via Tsing Ma bridge and container terminal on board. A refreshment coupon is included. 

ICC LIGHT SHOW & SYMPHONY OF LIGHTS HARBOUR CRUISE (1 HOUR 20 MINUTES)

This ticket is especially for passengers who would like to watch the ICC light & music show and multi-media laser show (A Symphony of Lights) on board. A refreshment coupon is included. The steering route covers the western part of Victoria Harbour and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.