In Disney News...

It's time for some of the latest Disney news!

...Coming next April: THE ART OF THE DISNEY GOLDEN BOOKS. Want!

...Also out in April: an Updated Edition of the excellent 2003 book THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR by animation historian John Canemaker.

...First Showing has the new UK trailer for FROZEN (2013), coming to theaters in the U.S. this Thanksgiving weekend.

...At Passport to Dreams Old and New there's a lengthy but very interesting essay on what makes Disneyland unique, by a Floridian who just concluded a year living in California. Among the things he finds that make Disneyland special are live music and good food that doesn't require sit-down table service. Part of his conclusion: "It's that chill of recognition that I've gotten standing at the foot of the Washington Monument or inside the Smithsonian, that electric spark between you and relevant history. It's very much alive at Disneyland. This is where Steve Martin watched Wally Boag and learned comic timing, right there is where Walt Disney cracked wise with the mayor of New Orleans, over there is where Marc Davis rode a mine train and changed theme design history by not liking it. Magic Kingdom is a darn good theme park, but Disneyland is a national treasure..."

...Jon Hamm of MAD MEN is slated to star in Disney's MILLION DOLLAR ARM (2014), due out in the spring of 2014. It's based on the true story of a search for a Major League Baseball player among cricket players in India.

...The TV special TOY STORY OF TERROR debuts on ABC October 16th.

...Here's fall photos of Disneyland Paris! I'd love to go back...though hopefully by the time of my next visit the menus will have improved.

...The Disney Tourist Blog ranks Disneyland's Top 10 counter service restaurants. See if you agree!

...A 50th Anniversary Edition of MARY POPPINS (1964) will be out on DVD and Blu-ray this December.

...Touring Plans has extensive photos of the Starbucks which just opened in Disneyland's Market House. The stove and checker board are still there, they've just been moved.

...I recently wrote about Disneyland's crazy Friday the 13th event. The Dateline Disneyland column at MiceChat has photos, as well as pictures of the Halloween Time decorations and the ongoing park renovations. The column has even more great seasonal photos here and here.

...Here's the latest big roundup of Disneyland Resort news and gossip from MiceAge!

...Pixar recently removed Bob Peterson as director of THE GOOD DINOSAUR (2015). Changing directors seems to be par for the course for Pixar; it's the fourth time the studio has made such a change. The release date was also changed, from Memorial Day weekend 2014 to Thanksgiving weekend 2015! Meanwhile Angelina Jolie's MALEFICENT (2014) was bumped up from Independence Day week to Memorial Day weekend.

...The Los Angeles Times published a nice article on recently retired Imagineer Tony Blair in August.

...Disney's TOMORROWLAND (2014), starring George Clooney, is still quite a mystery, although bits of info about the story and filming have been revealed.

...Disney is expanding its Golden Oak Movie Ranch.

...Notable Passing: Via Boot Hill I learned that actor Arthur Malet passed on last May at the age of 85. Malet played Mr. Dawes Jr. in MARY POPPINS (1964) and also appeared in the Disney films LT. ROBIN CRUSOE, U.S.N. (1966) and BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS (1971).

...Attention Southern Californians: THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) is currently playing in 3-D at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Although I don't have a great desire to see the movie in 3-D, seeing Disney films at the El Capitan is such an enjoyable experience that I will probably be going to see it there in early October. Besides, THE LITTLE MERMAID features what might be my all-time favorite Disney song, "Part of Your World."

...Disney's Soda Fountain next door to the El Capitan will be converted to a Ghirardelli Soda Fountain beginning November 15th.

...Call me old-fashioned, but Disney inviting the use of iPads and other electronic devices during select screenings of THE LITTLE MERMAID strikes me as a very poor idea. Do we really need to encourage even shorter attention spans and ruder behavior among young filmgoers? The movie even freezes periodically so that related games can be played. No thanks.

...MouseAdventure is coming soon! Our family team, Skippers in De Nile, will be playing the game at Disneyland this Sunday, September 29th.

...My August photo posts on the D23 Expo exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of MARY POPPINS (1964) can be found at Part One and Part Two. I'm behind schedule on posting more photos from the Expo and hope to do that in the near future!

For more recent Disney links, please visit the Disney roundups for July and August.

Update: Late-breaking news today: Steven Clark has resigned as the head of the D23 Fan Club.