Figment Cartoon Comes To Life

Disney

The "How Not To Draw" videos from Disney are a lot of fun. In this video, Figment comes to life to share a bit of his imagination. 

Olaf Draws!

An exciting new experience is coming to Hollywood Studios in Disney World this summer. The current home of Star Wars: Launch Bay is going back to its roots as a home to art and animation. The revamped building will be topped by Mickey's sorcerer hat in a nod to the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in California. From special character Meet & Greets, to an art gallery that comes to life, and a playground indpired by Mary Blair's vision of Alice in Wonderland, there will be magic around every corner in "The Magic of Disney Animation". But the part I'm looking forward to most involves a certain talking snowman. 

Olaf Draws! will feature everyone's favorite magical snowman as an all-new Audio-Animatronics figure. Olaf invites guests into a space inspired by a scene in Once Upon A Studio where he took a little time to try out an Animator's desk. There will be sleigh-themed tables for kids and animator-style desks for the young at heart. And, with a little help from some legendary Disney Animation artists, Olaf and his new friends will learn to draw a Disney character. 

Pre-recorded artist videos will guide guests through the process of drawing classic and modern Disney characters. Sketching classes include:

• Mickey Mouse with Dan Abraham, director (Once Upon A Studio, Baymax!)
• Minnie Mouse, with Hyun Min Lee, animator (Frozen 2, The Princess and the Frog)
• Donald Duck, with Austin Traylor, animator (Once Upon A Studio, Moana 2)
• Genie, with Eric Goldberg, animator (Aladdin, Hercules)
• Moana, with Samantha Vilfort, story artist (Encanto, Zootopia 2)
• Stitch, with Fawn Veerasunthorn, director and head of story (Wish, Raya and the Last Dragon)
• Olaf, with Trent Correy, director (Once Upon A Studio, Frozen 3)
• Ursula, with Michael Woodside, animator (Big Hero 6, Encanto)
• Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde, with Byron Howard director, (Zootopia, Zootopia 2)

There's a lot to look forward to in "The Magic of Disney Animation". I can't wait to check it out when it opens in late summer.

EPCOT International Festival of the Arts 2022

Mom and I at the 2019 Festival

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts kicks off tomorrow, January 14. The festival features a variety of artwork, food, and performing arts that is an absolute delight. One of the best parts of this EPCOT festival is that you can meet and talk with your favorite artists and even have them autograph their artwork. 

More than 100 Disney and visiting artists will be on hand each day showcasing their artwork. Guests can become a part of the art in Artful Photo Ops throughout World Showcase, by learning to draw a Disney Character at Animation Academy, and by painting a few squares at Expression Section: A Paint by Numbers Mural. Fifteen Food Studios will be filled with delicious art-inspired treats that are as delightful to the eye as they are to the taste buds. The Disney On Broadway Concert Series will return with 3 performances each evening. The shows feature Broadway stars performing songs from over 25 years of Disney stage productions. 

And don't forget the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine, a food stroll of five sweet and savory dishes listed in the Festival Passport. Once you've purchased and gotten a stamp for the five colorful dishes, head to Deco Delights for your Artist Palette Cookie. 

Here are the dishes you can expect to find in the Food Studios throughout World Showcase.

All food images: Disney

The Craftsman’s Courtyard (near Disney Traders)🧁

• Cast Iron-roasted P.E.I. Mussels with Sautéed Tomatoes, Garlic, and Fresh Herbs🧁
• Cast Iron-seared Steelhead Trout with parsley salad, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, and lemon aïoli🧁
• Wheat Beer
• Chardonnay
• Rosé
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Wine Flight

El Artista Hambriento (Mexico)

• Huarache Verde: Cilantro huarache with cochinita pibil, fresh pineapple, and pickled onion (New)
• Carne Asada: Seared beef tenderloin, grilled queso fresco, refried beans, scallion, and ranchera salsa 🧁
• Taco de Chocolate: Chocolate candy shell filled with Mexican chocolate mousse with a touch of chile topped with seasonal fruit 🥖 
• Mexican Craft Beer: Crafted with citrus notes and made with Mexican Caribbean seawater
• The Lily: Blanco tequila, violet essence Infusion, rose petal liqueur, cranberry, and lime juice
• Smoky Raspberry: Blanco tequila, rosemary-infused mezcal, ginger cordial, lime juice, and rosemary aroma

The Painted Panda (China)

• General Tso’s Chicken Shumai
• Char Siu Pork Bun
• “Panda” Bubble Tea: Classic milk tea with black and white boba 🧋
• Jasmine Draft Beer
• Eastern Dynasty: Vodka, light rum, strawberry syrup, piña colada mix, soda water, and magic boba pearls
• Kung Fu Punch: Vodka, triple sec, mango syrup, orange juice, and soda water
• Sea Butterfly: Butterfly pea flower-infused cocktail with vodka, light rum, lychee syrup, magic boba pearls

Refreshment Outpost

• Plant-based Bratwurst with spicy turmeric aïoli, coffee barbecue jackfruit, and slaw 🥕
• Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Blue Raspberry Blonde Ale
• Nairobi Coffee Dark Beer
• Brown Ale

Pastoral Palate (Germany)

• Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with parsnip purée, broccolini, baby tomatoes, and aged balsamic
• Wild Boar Cassoulet with duck confit, ham hock, and wild boar sausage 🧁
• Opera Cake: Almond joconde, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache
• Rosé Hard Cider
• Rosé Blonde Ale
• Frozen Rosé
• A Play on Rosé Flight
• Old Vine Rosé

L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy)

• Arancini: Fried risotto balls stuffed with braised-beef and served with pomodoro sauce 🧁
• Ravioli alla Boscaiola: Sweet sausage ravioli, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and creamy Parmesan sauce 🧁
• Bomboloni: Chocolate-hazelnut Italian doughnut with powdered sugar 🧁
• Peroni Pilsner
• Pinot Grigio
• Chianti
• Prosecco
• Red Sparkling Wine
• Moscato
• Italian White Sangria with Prosecco
• Italian Red Sangria with Cabernet Sauvignon
• Italian Margarita with Tequila and Limoncello
• Amaretto Bellini: Amaretto, White Peach Purée, and Prosecco
• Bergamotto: Rosolio Liqueur, Prosecco, and Olive

The Artist’s Table (America)

• Beef Wellington: Mushroom duxelle, prosciutto, and puff pastry with red wine demi-glace and baby vegetables
• Pan-seared Scallops with vanilla-butternut squash purée, brown butter cauliflower purée, and lime foam 🎨 - Orange
• Pistachio Cake with cherry mousse and morello cherries
• Sipping Chocolate Flight: White, milk, and dark chocolate 🧋
• White Ale
• Amber Ale
• Brown Ale
• Pinot Noir
• Symphony in Chocolate Flight: Cream liqueurs paired with Sipping Chocolates
• Beer Flight

Funnel Cake

• Cherry Blossom Funnel Cake: Chocolate chip funnel cake topped with cherry ice cream, rainbow whipped cream, chocolate chips, and a maraschino cherry 🧁

Goshiki (Japan)

• Chicken Kushiage: Breaded and fried chicken with yum yum sauce and vegetables 🧁
• Sushi Donut: Donut-shaped sushi featuring salmon, tuna, shrimp, cucumber, and sesame seed over a decorated plate of wasabi aïoli, sriracha, and eel sauce
• Winter Ale
• Sake in a traditional personalized wooden cup
• Niseko Flurry: Sake, rum, white cranberry juice, blue curaçao, and lime juice 🧁

Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco)

• Carrots Three Ways: Berbere-spiced grilled carrots, pickled carrots, and carrot ginger purée 🧁🥕
• House-made Crispy Almond Phyllo Pockets with white chocolate pomegranate and milk chocolate orange 🧁
• Chai Tea Mint Mimosa: Twinings of London Chai Tea with Key lime sparkling wine and mint
• Sangria Hard Cider
• Chai Hard Cider
• Berry Hard Cider
• Cider Flight

Vibrante & Vívido: Encanto Cocina (Between Morocco & France)

• House-made Chorizo and Potato Empanada with turmeric aïoli and annatto aïoli 🧁🎨 - Yellow
• Spicy Ajiaco Soup with guajillo and árbol chili-spiced chicken, potato, avocado, corn, and crème fraîche🧁🥖 (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (New)
• Passion Fruit Mousse with Dragon Fruit Jam 🥖
• Coconut and Passion Fruit Smoothie 🧋
• Frozen Piña Colada
• Passion Fruit Daiquiri

L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France)

• Crème de Brie en Petit Pain: Warm creamy brie in a house-made bread bowl
• Croissant à la Truffe Noire d’Hiver: Black winter truffle croissant served warm
• Mousseline de Bisque de Homard Froide, Brioche Feuilletée à l’Aneth: Chilled lobster bisque mousse served with dill brioche 🧁
• Moelleux aux Noisettes et Chocolats Valrhona: Molten chocolate and hazelnut cake with pure origin Valrhona chocolates
• Frozen French Martini: Vodka, black raspberry liqueur, pineapple, orange, and grape juice with lemon-lime foam
• French Rosé Sparkling Wine
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Sparkling Chardonnay

Gourmet Landscapes (Canada)

• Blood Orange-braised Beet Carpaccio with mustard vinaigrette, pickled clamshell mushrooms, golden beets, and crostini 🧁🥕🎨 - Red
• Roasted Bone Marrow with onion marmalade, pickled mushrooms, mache lettuce, and bone marrow snow 🧁
• Wild Mushroom Risotto, Aged Parmesan, Truffle Shavings, and Zinfandel Reduction
• German Lager
• Cuvée Sparkling Wine
• Merlot
• Frozen Rusty Nail Cocktail

Refreshment Port (Near Canada)

• Gnocchi Poutine with red wine-braised beef, cheese curds, basil, and burrata 🧁
• Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Blood Orange Cosmo: Vodka with blood orange, cranberry, and lime 🧁
• Hard Cider

Pop Eats! (Near Port of Entry)

• Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
• Tomato Soup with Bacon, Apple, and Brie Grilled Cheese 🧁
• Almond Frangipane Cake layered with raspberry jam and Belgian chocolate
• Pop’t Art: Modern-designed sugar cookie with chocolate-hazelnut filling
• Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket with Rainbow Popcorn (Limit 2 per guest)🧁
• Tomato Soup Can Bloody Mary
• Hazy IPA

The Deconstructed Dish (Near Port of Entry)

• Deconstructed BLT: Crispy pork belly, soft-poached egg, brioche, watercress espuma, and tomato jam
• Deconstructed French Onion Soup: Beef broth ravioli, Gruyère espuma, onion bread pudding, and onion textures 🧁
• Deconstructed Key Lime Pie: Flexible Key lime curd, “Key lime” mousse, graham cracker cake, and meringues 🧁🎨 - Green
• Deconstructed Apple Pie à la Mode: Apple-cinnamon gelato, cinnamon apple cider, apple pie filling, and streusel 🧁🧋
• Brown Ale

Deco Delights (Near Port of Entry)

• Dulce Chocolate Mousse with chocolate crémeux and dark chocolate truffle 🧁
• Decadent Valrhona Chocolate with dark chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie, and cassis mousse 🧁
• Orange Mousse with lemon cake and raspberry meringues 🧁
• Artist Palette Cookie 🎨 - Prize
• Strawberry Blonde Nitro
• Vanilla Porter
• Milk Stout
• Neapolitan Beer Flight

The Donut Box (Near Test Track)

• Vanilla Donut with strawberry sugar, strawberry ice cream, fresh strawberries, and strawberry gele 🧁🎨 - Pink
• Inside Out Donut: Vanilla donut with Bavarian cream 🧁
• Chocolate-dipped Donut with black and gold sugar sprinkles and chocolate buttercream 🧁
• Rosé
• Cold Fashion Coffee Cocktail

Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company

• World Discovery (Near Mission: SPACE) – Mocha Masterpiece Cold Brew: A sweet creamy cold brew topped with whipped cream and chocolate puffs
• Canada – Colorful Canvas Cold Brew: A sweet creamy cold brew topped with whipped cream and fruity cereal
• World Showcase (Near Disney Traders) – Cinnamon Swirl Cold Brew: A sweet creamy cold brew topped with whipped cream and cinnamon squares
• The American Adventure – Rainbow Dreams Cold Brew: A sweet creamy cold crew topped with whipped cream and colorful marshmallow crunch

🧁 New

🧋Non-alcoholic

🥖 Gluten/Wheat Friendly

🥕 Plant-based 

🎨 Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts runs from January 14 through February 21, 2022.

Learn To Draw Pascal From Tangled

Disney

Ready for more Disney Learn to Draw fun? This video will teach you to draw Pascal, Rapunzel's chameleon sidekick. 

Learn To Draw Baby Tuk Tuk

Disney

I love Disney's Learn to Draw videos. It's fun to try you hand at drawing favorite Disney characters. Disney's latest video teaches us how to draw an adorable baby Tuk Tuk from Raya and the Last Dragon. 

Learn to Draw The Haunted Mansion

Disney

Ready for another spookily delightful "Learn to Draw" from the Disney Parks? This time, Imagineer Stephanie Jazmines will teach us how to draw our own version of the Haunted Mansion. 

There are 999 happy haunts here, but there's room for 1000. Any volunteers?

The Croods: A New Age Trailer and Poster Are Hilarious

DreamWorks

The Croods are coming back to theaters for another prehistoric adventure. They survived the end of their world in the first movie, now they're on the lookout for a new home. And it turns out, they're not alone.

Here's the official synopsis from DreamWorks:

The Croods have survived their fair share of dangers and disasters, from fanged prehistoric beasts to surviving the end of the world, but now they will face their biggest challenge of all: another family.

The Croods need a new place to live. So, the first prehistoric family sets off into the world in search of a safer place to call home. When they discover an idyllic walled-in paradise that meets all their needs, they think their problems are solved … except for one thing. Another family already lives there: the Bettermans.

The Bettermans (emphasis on the “better”)—with their elaborate tree house, amazing inventions and irrigated acres of fresh produce—are a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. When they take the Croods in as the world’s first houseguests, it isn’t long before tensions escalate between the cave family and the modern family.

Just when all seems lost, a new threat will propel both families on an epic adventure outside the safety of the wall, one that will force them to embrace their differences, draw strength from each other and forge a future together.

The Croods: A New Age features the voice talent of returning stars Nicolas Cage as Grug Crood, Catherine Keener as Ugga Crood, Emma Stone as their daughter, Eep; Ryan Reynolds as Eep’s boyfriend, Guy; Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine) as Thunk and Cloris Leachman as Gran. They’re joined by new stars Peter Dinklage (HBO’s Game of Thrones) as Phil Betterman, Leslie Mann (Blockers) as Hope Betterman, and Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: Episode VIII-The Last Jedi) as their daughter, Dawn. 

DreamWorks

The Croods: A New Age arrives in theaters on November 25, 2020.

Learn To Draw A Pirate Scene

Disney

Ready for your next Disney art lesson? In this video, you'll learn to draw a spectacular Pirates of the Caribbean inspired scene filled with buccaneers, pirate ships, ocean monsters, and sea battles.

Learn to Draw an Adventureland-Inspired Treehouse

Disney

I love Disney's "Learn To Draw" videos. It's so fun to try your hand at drawing a favorite character at home. This time, instead of a character, you can learn to draw a treehouse scene inspired by Adventureland attractions like the Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise.

Learn To Draw Wall-E

Pixar

I love Disney and Pixar's Learn To Draw videos. They're a fun way to experience a little Disney magic at home. This video will teach you to draw Wall-E, the adorable, trash-compacting robot.

Learn How To Draw Little Green Men From Toy Story

Pixar

I love the Little Green Men from the Toy Story movies. They are ridiculously cute! I can't wait to learn how to draw them with this video from Pixar.

Let's Learn How To Draw Stitch

Disney

We're rather obsessed with Lilo and Stitch at our house, so I thought it might be fun to learn to draw our favorite cute and fluffy alien. Disney has a ton of helpful How-To Draw videos, including this one of Stitch.

So, how did your Stitch drawing turn out?

Learn To Draw Bruni

Disney

One of my favorite things to do in Disney World was taking the short drawing classes taught by Disney animators. It was fun to try your hand at drawing the various characters. In the last several months, Disney has released several videos that can teach you to draw characters at home. This video will teach you to draw Bruni, the adorable salamander in Frozen II.

Learn To Draw Olaf

Disney

Have you ever wanted to learn to draw Olaf from Frozen? Well, here's your chance. Supervising Animator Hyrum Osmond teaches you the all steps to create an adorable Olaf in this video. Along the way, you'll pick up a few fun facts about everyone's favorite snowman.

Learn To Draw Multiple Mickeys

Disney

Have you ever wanted to learn to draw Mickey Mouse? Well, you're in luck because Disney has three new videos that can teach you how to draw Mickey as he's looked through the years. First up is Mickey as he originally appeared in the late 1920s.

Next up, a more modern Mickey?

Finally, how about a pie-eyed Mickey?

Ready to try drawing a few more characters? There are several more videos available from the Disney Parks Blog.

Learn to Draw Chip

Disney

I love Disney's "Learn to Draw..." series on YouTube. It's so much fun to try your hand at drawing a favorite character. In the latest video, you can learn to draw Chip from Beauty and the Beast. He's so adorably happy!

Moana on Blu-ray

All images: Disney

I finally saw Moana yesterday. It may be my new favorite Disney Princess movie. (Yes, I know Moana isn't really a Princess, but as Maui says, "If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you're a princess.") It's beautiful, with memorable music and a story that takes you on an amazing journey. Caution: Spoilers Ahead 

The movie starts with baby Moana listening to her Gramma Tala tell stories about the Heart of Te Fiti. Long ago, the demigod Maui Stole the heart, which had the power of Creation. Without her heart, Te Fiti was overcome by a darkness, which spread throughout all the islands, destroying life where ever it went. Gramma Tala believed that one day, one of their people would be chosen to force Maui to return the heart and restore life to all the islands.

Moana's father, the Chief of Mata Nui, wants nothing more than to protect his people and keep them content to stay on their island. But when their crops begin to fail and the fish disappear, Moana pushes him to see that something drastic must be done. Someone must leave the safety of the island and return the Heart of Te Fiti, and she is the one who has been chosen by the ocean to complete this task. With encouragement from her dying Grandmother, Moana steals a boat which has been hidden for years, a remnant from her Wayfinder ancestors. She searches for Maui with a crazy rooster named Hei Hei for unexpected company.

When she finds Maui, they both are in for a bit of disappointment: Maui is no longer revered as the "Hero of Man", and he wants nothing to do with Moana's quest. With a lot of convincing from Moana, they finally start the long journey to set things right. Along the way, they face many dangers: the Kakamora, who look cute but are quite vicious, Tamatoa, a giant crab with a great love for all things "Shiny", and the lava monster Te Kanan. I won't spoil the journey for you, but it's an incredible chance for Moana to find out who she really is (with a little help from Gramma Tala, which made me cry every time.)

This film is one of the most visually beautiful films I've seen. The attention to detail and respect for Polynesian culture is evident throughout. And be sure to look out for the occasional Easter Egg: Sven from Frozen makes an appearance, as does the lamp and Carpet from Aladdin. And if you watch until the end of the credits, you'll catch a glimpse of Wreck It Ralph, as well as a hilarious scene full of Little Mermaid references.

I truly enjoyed watching Moana, and I can't wait to see it again. The songs, with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa'i, are memorable and catchy. You'll catch yourself singing them for days. Both the look and the story are beautiful and draw you into many amazing world for an incredible journey.

Moana arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on March 7. Target has a special Blu-ray/DVD set that comes with a 32-page storybook. And if you pre-order now, you'll also receive a  $5 gift card. If you prefer a Steelbook, there will be two sets available from Best Buy.

How to Draw Baymax

Disney

Today felt like a good day for drawing.  Here's a video from Disney's Hollywood Studios that will teach you how to draw Baymax from Big Hero 6.

Magic of Disney Animation Closing

All images: Disney

I was sad to hear that Disney has announced that it is closing the Magic of Disney Animation at Hollywood Studios on July 12. While I know that this closing will make space for additional new attractions (fingers crossed for more Pixar or Star Wars!), I will miss the Animation Academy.

I have only stopped in to learn to draw characters a few times, but it's always packed and well worth the wait. While rumors abound about what will take the place of the building, nothing has been announced about whether or not the Animation Academy will move to a new location or simply be ended. I hope Disney reopens it in a new, larger location with better seating, but only time will tell. Perhaps we'll learn more during the D23 convention in August.

In the meantime,  there are quite a few videos on the Disney Parks youtube channel that will teach you how to draw Disney characters. Here's a video to help you learn to draw Joy from Inside Out.