Walt Disney fell in love with the timeless classic Mary Poppins when he witnessed how entranced his young daughter Diane was with the story, so much so that he would go on to make a hugely successful film in 1964 adapted from P.L. Travers’ series of novels.
Follow Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, as he hatches an elaborate plot to steal Christmas from Santa Claus and bring holiday joy to the children of the world—with a spooky twist.
Brad Bird knew he wanted to be an animator when he first toured The Walt Disney Studios at just eleven years old. In his teens, he developed an animated version of “The Tortoise and the Hare” and sent it to Disney, where it caught the attention of several of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men. He was offered the rare opportunity to be educated in the art of animation by a key few of the Nine Old Men—an opportunity which would change the course of his life and help rocket his career into animation superstardom. Hear from Bird as he relives stories of working with the Nine Old Men as a young protégé, how their tutelage influenced his successful career in animation, writing, and directing, and their lessons he still heeds to this day.
Walt Disney sent lights, cameras, and actors—both human and animal—to a faraway tropic island in 1959 to film one of the most beloved live-action adventure movies ever made. Swiss Family Robinson (1960) was shot entirely on the island of Tobago in the West Indies. With its palm-fringed beaches, dense jungles, and dark swamps, Tobago provided the ideal backdrop for the tale of a shipwrecked family facing an unfamiliar and perilous new life. But, as we all know, the true star of the picture was a spectacular tree house built high in the branches of a giant, real-life tree.
Les Clark, one of Walt Disney’s legendary Nine Old Men, served as an animator for countless Disney classics and was well known for his iconic work animating Mickey Mouse in the Fantasia (1940) segment “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” In fact, Clark extensively studied the movement of cloth and drapery in order to create a believably natural sorcerer robe for Mickey. Join us for this workshop about the foundations of drawing drapery—using charcoal and newsprint, learn about shape, form, and weight while drawing from still-life.
Frank Thomas, one of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men, was a brilliant animator when it came to conveying the inner emotions of a character. He masterfully harnessed the snobbish personalities and complex mood swings of various Disney villains like Lady Tremaine from Cinderella (1950), the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Captain Hook from Peter Pan (1953). Thomas dramatized each character’s personality by combining a variety of small gestures and grandeur movements. Join us in this workshop, in which you will create your own villain and incorporate design fundamentals like shape language, posture, and silhouette.
Frank Thomas, one of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men, was a brilliant animator when it came to conveying the inner emotions of a character. He masterfully harnessed the snobbish personalities and complex mood swings of various Disney villains like Lady Tremaine from Cinderella (1950), the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Captain Hook from Peter Pan (1953). Thomas dramatized each character’s personality by combining a variety of small gestures and grandeur movements. Join us in this workshop, in which you will create your own villain and incorporate design fundamentals like shape language, posture, and silhouette.
Ollie Johnston, one of Walt Disney’s legendary Nine Old Men, animated and helped shape many iconic supporting characters, including Mr. Smee from Peter Pan (1953), the King of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland (1951), and the Stepsisters from Cinderella (1950). In the early stages of a production, Johnston treated “sidekicks” with the upmost respect and identified with the character he was working on. He felt these characters’ emotions would influence how the character would look and move, and by knowing them, he could carefully incorporate these traits into their design. Join us for this hands-on workshop, in which you will learn about proportions, shape, gesture and attitude to create an original sidekick character of your own.
Ollie Johnston, one of Walt Disney’s legendary Nine Old Men, animated and helped shape many iconic supporting characters, including Mr. Smee from Peter Pan (1953), the King of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland(1951), and the Stepsisters from Cinderella (1950). In the early stages of a production, Johnston treated “sidekicks” with the upmost respect and identified with the character he was working on. He felt these characters’ emotions would influence how the character would look and move, and by knowing them, he could carefully incorporate these traits into their design. Join us for this hands-on workshop, in which you will learn about proportions, shape, gesture and attitude to create an original sidekick character of your own.
Cadettes connect with animation experts from The Walt Disney Family Museum to learn how Walt encouraged his staff to experiment with special effects to make animation more interesting and realistic, and how the resulting advancements in technology enhanced his classic films. In the Learning Center, experiment in groups with a mini Multiplane Camera, explore how depth is created in animation, and create your own silent stop-motion shorts about the cause of your choice.
Girl Scout Juniors visit The Walt Disney Family Museum to accomplish three of the five steps toward earning a Drawing Badge. In the galleries, observe how drawing was the foundation to Walt Disney’s many animated films from the early 1920s to the late 1960s. In the Learning Center, experiment with different materials to practice various visual effects such as stippling, crosshatching, and smudging. Making your own concept art, backgrounds, and cartoon characters, then showcase your work for other attendees during a concluding group critique.
Taking a cue from ekphrasis, the Greek word for “description,” tour the core galleries in search of artworks that will be used as the inspiration for an imaginative activity focused on writing and storytelling. In the Learning Center, consider the “action” observed in your chosen art object to write a short poem or description of the piece—a textual exploration that will ultimately amplify the original work’s meaning.
In 1939, Walt Disney began production on the animated feature Bambi (1942) and enlisted artist Tyrus Wong to inspire the influential backgrounds used in the film. His minimalist style, specifically in his background concepts, revolutionized the animation art form and continues to be used today. Join...
Walt Disney always encouraged his animators to remain students and to continually learn and improve their craft with every project. Bring your art and join us for this informative workshop about how to build a well-rounded portfolio or demo-reel and catering these items to the job or internship you...
Aside from creating unforgettable animated films, Walt Disney also had a deep-rooted passion for miniatures. In fact, Walt built a miniature train around his Los Angeles home in 1950. Join us this holiday season to learn how to create winter jar dioramas that can be used as decoration in your home.
Over the years, Disneyland has released guidebooks in various styles and fashion to better acclimate guests to the park’s unique layout and environment. Like these and other theme park guidebooks, certain areas and attractions were highlighted on the pages to help guests plan their visits. Join us...
After the success of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney wanted to diversify his art form and create an experimental animated series called Silly Symphonies. The first of these animation shorts was The Skeleton Dance (1929), in which skeletons joyfully dance throughout a graveyard. This month, celebrate skeletons and Dia de Los Muertos by learning about the history behind the traditional Mexican holiday and then make a festive Day of the Dead wreath.
In 1954, Walt Disney began construction on a long-awaited dream, Disneyland. The project required a new team of creatives to makes his vision into a reality. Walt chose one of his Nine Old Men, animator Marc Davis, to help develop many of the theme parks characters and attraction designs. In fact, Davis became responsible for designs in Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and updates to Jungle Cruise, to name a few. In this workshop, explore character styling by studying designs that center around theme, environment, and time period to then create a character of your own.
In 1954, Walt Disney began construction on a long-awaited dream, Disneyland. The project required a new team of creatives to makes his vision into a reality. Walt chose one of his Nine Old Men, animator Marc Davis, to help develop many of the theme parks characters and attraction designs. In fact, Davis became responsible for designs in Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and updates to Jungle Cruise, to name a few. In this workshop, explore character styling by studying designs that center around theme, environment, and time period to then create a character of your own.
John Lounsbery, one of Walt Disney’s legendary Nine Old Men, animated some of the most eccentric and temperamental Disney characters to date, including the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland (1951) and George Darling in Peter Pan (1953). Lounsbery used over-the-top acting and dramatic staging in his animation to truly capitalize on his character’s quirky personalities. Join us for this hands-on workshop, in which we delve into animation principles like staging, squash, stretch, and exaggeration to animate a bold personality.