Watch the New Trailer for Saving Mr. Banks

You can watch a trailer for the new movie Saving Mr. Banks, starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney, here. The movie is about the process of Walt Disney securing the rights to make Mary Poppins from the protective author, P.L. Travers, played by Emma Thompson.

Early buzz is a bit mixed--let's face it, no one is ever going to play Walt as well as Walt did--but I'm excited to see a glimpse into Walt's world in the  late 1950s and early 1960s...even if it is somewhat fictionalized.

Walt Disney's Birthday

Walt Disney would have been 111 today. Happy birthday, Mr. Disney!

Happy birthday, Walt!

Today would have been Walter Elias Disney's 110th birthday. Happy birthday, Walt!

Happy Birthday, Mickey!

On this date in 1928, everyone's favorite mouse arrived on the scene with the release of Steamboat Willie. (OK, so technically he had arrived on the scene 6 months earlier in the silent film Plane Crazy...but most historians count Steamboat Willie as his official "birthday.") Happy 83rd birthday, Mickey! You don't look a day over 30!



Fun facts about Mickey:

• Walt Disney was the original voice for Mickey Mouse.


• Mickey Mouse was the first ever cartoon character to talk.


• During WWII, when Allied forces invaded Europe, the code name of the operation was "Mickey Mouse."


• Walt Disney is rumored to have said that Mickey and Minnie were actually married in their "private life," although they never were on screen.


• The first piece of Mickey Mouse merchandise was introduced in 1929. It was a child's writing tablet with Mickey's image on it.


• Walt Disney was actually quite frightened by mice...yet he saw them as sympathetic creatures.

Just for fun, who can tell me Mickey's original name? Disney later used this name as a rival character.

One Man's Dream: a Hidden Gem

An often overlooked attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios is One Man's Dream. This walk-through attraction features artifacts and memorabilia from Walt Disney's personal and professional life, up to and including what's being created for the next generation. While it's not usually first on our "to do" list (mostly because you can usually fit it in whenever it's convenient, since there's rarely a wait associated with it), our family--OK, mostly me--really enjoys this mini-museum of Disney!

Imagineers have posted a mini-tour of this attraction on YouTube. You can view it here...and maybe it will whet your appetite for more on your next visit to the Studios.

Friday Photo

You really can't get much better than the Partners statue, can you? Represents everything I love about Walt Disney World--the Man and the Mouse.