Happily Ever After Hours with Director and Filmmaker Mark Dindal

Join director, effects animator, screenwriter, and story artist Mark Dindal for behind-the-scenes stories from his work on Disney’s  Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), The Black Cauldron (1985), The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rockeeter (1991), The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), and Chicken Little (2005) and his work on Warner Bros.’ Cats Don’t Dance (1997).

Registration for this program will open to the public starting Monday, November 9 at noon.

Members receive priority access for registration to these programs. A limited number of spots for each program are reserved for members only on a first-come, first-served basis. To get priority access to future programs, join as a member today.

Questions can be submitted during the webinar through Zoom's Q&A function. Due to anticipated demand and limited Q&A time, not all submitted questions will be answered.

All participants must sign up by noon Pacific Time on the day prior to the event. Participants must have a Zoom account to attend the workshop. A link to the workshop and instructions for joining will be sent via email prior to the event.

Mark Dindal became captivated by animation fever at age three, when his grandmother took him to the theater to see Disney’s The Sword in the Stone (1963). Throughout his childhood and teen years, he drew comic strips and made short films. He attended California Institute of the Arts after high school and was offered a job as an effects animator at Disney in 1980. He animated effects for The Fox and the Hound (1981), Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), and The Black Cauldron (1985), ultimately supervising the Effects Department on The Little Mermaid (1989). Dindal’s interest in directing began when he got an opportunity to direct a short piece of animated wartime propaganda in the Disney live-action film, The Rocketeer (1991). From there, he went on to direct Cats Don’t Dance (1997) for Warner Bros., and The Emperor's New Groove (2000) and Chicken Little (2005) for Disney, as well as develop films at DreamWorks, Warner Bros., and Paramount. Dindal is currently directing the upcoming CG animated film Garfield for Alcon Entertainment based on the popular comic strip character.

Since opening over 10 years ago, we have sought to make the museum a place where our guests could find animation, innovation, and inspiration and immerse themselves in the remarkable life story of Walt Disney—the man who raised animation to an art, tirelessly pursued innovation, and created a distinctly American legacy, transforming the entertainment world.

Over the course of our closure, we have increased our digital presence to stay true to our mission. Your donations ensure that we can continue opening our museum virtually to the world, and that future generations can continue to be inspired by Walt Disney’s life and legacy.