Pixar Turns 40

Pixar

Can you believe Pixar has been around for 40 years? In that time, they've made 29 films (all of which are available on DisneyPlus). I can't wait to see what adventures they create in the years to come.

Here's a list of all of the Pixar movies to date:

• Toy Story
• A Bug's Life
• Toy Story 2
• Monsters Inc
• Finding Nemo
• The Incredibles
• Cars
• Ratatouille
• Wall-E
• UP
• Toy Story 3
• Cars 2
• Brave
• Monsters University
• Inside Out
• The Good Dinosaur
• Finding Dory
• Cars 3
• Coco
• Incredibles 2
• Toy Story 4
• Onward
• Soul
• Luca
• Turning Red
• Lightyear
• Elemental
• Inside Out 2
• Elio

LEGO Pixar BrickToons

All images: LEGO/Pixar

I love what happens when LEGO takes on familiar, beloved stories. The results are generally hilarious and always entertaining. LEGO's latest series of animated shorts is LEGO Pixar: Bricktoons. 

Here's the official synopsis from LEGO & Pixar:

“LEGO Pixar: BrickToons” catches up with Marlin and Dory from “Finding Nemo,” Jack-Jack and his super siblings Dash and Violet from “The Incredibles,” Lightning McQueen and Mater from “Cars,” Merida and her rambunctious baby brothers from “Brave,” and Miguel and Hector from “Coco” in an all-new series of LEGO-styled animated adventures for which no assembly is required. 

All five episodes of LEGO Pixar: BrickToons will arrive on DisneyPlus on September 4th.

It's DisneyPlus Day!

Disney

DisneyPlus Day has arrived once again. Disney's live-action Pinocchio, Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder, the new series Cars On The Road, and many more titles made their way to DisneyPlus today. Now, the only difficult question is, "What to watch first?" 

Cars On The Road

Lightning McQueen and his best buddy Mater hit the road for one wild and crazy road trip in the all new series Cars On the Road. Nine episodes will find them heading across the country to Mater's sister's wedding, and stopping at all of the silly and fun roadside attractions along the way.

Cars On the Road arrives on DisneyPlus on September 8.

Cars Land Halloween Transformation

Disney

I love Cars Land in Disney’s California Adventure. It always reminds me of the nearly 20 years I spent living in a small town in Arizona on Route 66. I haven't had the chance to see it transformed for Halloween in person, but it looks amazing!

Photo of the Week

Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy

at Hollywood Studios

Cars 3 As Told by Lego

Disney/Lego

Cars 3 arrives on Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow. Here's an "As Told by Lego" version that tells the entire story in under three minutes. Caution: it's loaded with spoilers.

Haul-O-Ween in Cars Land

Disney

Haul-O-Ween in Cars Land at California Adventure looks like a lot of fun. I love all of the decorations and Cars in costume.

Haul-O-Ween in Cars Land

Disney

Halloween decorations have invaded Disneyland again, but for the first time, the residents of Radiator Springs are getting in on the fun. This year, Cars Land is celebrating Haul-o-ween by transforming their town into Radiator Screams with decorations, costumes, and spooky treats.

Disney

Fillmore will be showing off his Jack-Oil-Lanterns and ghostly folk art around his Taste In. That's also where you can find Vampire Mater Bread. Miss Lizzy's shop has gone witchy with gas pump spooks, tarot cars, and boo-venirs. In front of Ramon's House of Body Art, there's a fantastic sugar skull car.

Disney

Flo's V8 Cafe will feature a Spider-Car spinning her web as well as several unique treats. How about a Car-achnid Pot Pie: a chicken pot pie with dried cranberries and butter-crust spider. Or maybe you'd like something a little sweeter, like a Grape Ghoul-ant Shake or a Mini Candy Cone Pie: a cream pie with vanilla, butterscotch, and white chocolate pudding.

Disney

The Cozy Cone Motel has several tasty treats. If you're feeling adventurous, try the Slow Burnin' Mac & Cheese Cone: macaroni with spicy red pepper cheese sauce, topped with crushed chile-cheese puffs, all in a Black Cauldron Cone. If you'd prefer something sweet, how about a Spoke-y Cone Macaron filled with marshmallow buttercream and candy corn. There's also Junkyard JamBOOree Mix: your choice of flavored popcorn with added "nuts and bolts", such as green M&Ms, candy corn, chocolate pretzels, or Boston baked beans.

Disney

Two rides will also be getting a Haul-o-week makeover. Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters will become Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween. Join the festa at this dance celebration where Luigi and Guido entertain the cugini (cousins). Hear Halloween twists on traditional Italian songs like the "Terror-anrella" and "The Chop Top of Carsoli", and many more.

Disney

For even more fun, visit Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, which has transformed into Master's Graveyard JamBOOree. Take a whirl around the graveyard in a tractor-trailer at this haunted hootenanny while Mater sings creepy country tunes like "Welcome to Radiator Screams" and "Monster Truck Smash". It's a JamBOOree made for vanpires and wheelwolves alike.

Disney

Finally, cruise on over to Route 66 for a chance to take a photo with Lightning McQueen and Mater in their kooky costumes. And be sure to lookout for Cruz Ramirez and the rest of the Radiator Screams crew in costume, too. Try to guess who's who among the super hero, clown, vampire, pirate, and punk rocker disguises. It's going to be a Haul-O-Ween to remember.

The Music of Pixar Live!

Photo courtesy of Disney

The latest show to arrive at Hollywood Studios is "The Music of Pixar Live! A Symphony of Characters." This 40 minute show celebrates over 20 years of Pixar movie music and takes place nightly in the Theater of the Stars.

The show features a selection of unforgettable music from Cars, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story, and UP, performed by a live orchestra. Giant screens show clips from the movies, outtakes, and interviews with the music's creators. And a few special guests may stop in to steal the spotlight and delight the whole family. The finale is a Toy Story sing-along of Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me."

On Thursday, June 29, the Disney Parks Blog will be streaming a performance live at 7:55 PM EST. The broadcast will start with a behind-the-scenes look you won't want to miss.

Quote of the Week

Artwork courtesy of Disney/Pixar

Life's a beach

And then you drive.

- Lightning McQueen, Cars 3

Photo of the Week

After watching Cars 3, 

I wish I could go back to Cars Land.

Cars 3 Review

Disney/Pixar

This has been quite the summer for Disney movies. All of them have been sequels. All of them have been good. But, quite surprisingly to me, the best one was Cars 3. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll always love Pirates and Guardians, but at least Cars 3 didn't make me cry. And while the first two were a bit slow to start, Cars 3 hit the track running and never let off the gas. It also had what I thought was a very satisfying ending. Caution: Spoilers Ahead! 

Disney/Pixar

The film starts with Lightning McQueen doing what he loves: racing and competing with his friends, Bobby Swift and Cal Weathers. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he doesn't, but he and the other racers truly enjoy the sport.

Disney/Pixar

All too soon, Lightning discovers that there's a new type of rookie in the race, Jackson Storm (voiced by Armie Hammer). He is the ultimate in automotive technology, and boy, does he know it! Pretty soon, nearly all of Lightning's friends have been forced into retirement by Jackson and cars like him, and Lightning is struggling to find his place in a strange new world.

Disney/Pixar

And that's when it happens. Lightning pushes himself to the limit and suffers a major crash. He goes home to Radiator Springs and locks himself in Doc's old garage. He's worried that his racing days are over, just like Doc's were after his big crash. With a little encouragement from his friends, he decides to try again, but with some help from the technology that helps Jackson Storm to win.

Disney/Pixar

The Rusteze guys want to make sure Lightning has everything he needs, so they sell their company to Sterling (voiced by Nathan Fillion), the owner of a mudflap company, and super fan of Lightning McQueen and Doc Hudson. Sterling has built a new training center for rookie racecars where Lightning can train with Cruz Ramirez (voiced by Cristela Alonzo). Cruz knows everything about motivation and the latest racing technology, but very little about actual racing. Lightning makes a deal with Sterling that if he wins the next race, he can keep racing, but if he loses, he'll become a spokesman for all the products Sterling wants him to sell.

Disney/Pixar

With so much riding on a single race, Lightning must do everything he can to beat Jackson Storm. He decides to revisit the famous racetracks from Doc Hudson's past. First up, Fireball Beach, which nearly defeats Cruz as she attempts to keep up with Lightning. Then, it's on to the Thunder Hollow Speedway, which has unexpectedly become a hilarious demolition derby. Finally, Lightning decides to seek out Doc's old Crew Chief, Smokey, at his hometown, the Thomasville Speedway. Along the way, Lightning learns a lot about his mentor, which leads up to a fabulous twist during what may be his final race.

Disney/Pixar

Cars 3 was a fantastic movie, which I can't wait to watch again. Kids will love the familiar characters and jokes, while adults will appreciate a story about growing older and figuring out your ever changing place in the world. And there are some pretty funny jokes. Personally, I liked Lightning's offhand remark to Cruz early in the film "Life's a beach, and then you drive." And that one statement just about sums it up.

Cars Tsum Tsums

This week's Tsum Tsum Tuesday saw the release of a Cars 3 collection, just ahead the movie which arrives in theaters today. The Cars gang are well suited to the Tsum Tsum shape. The mini collection includes: Lightning McQueen, Cruz Ramirez, Sally, Doc Hudson, Smokey, Jackson Storm, and Tow Mater.

There are also two medium Tsums:

Miss Fritters, the demolition derby bus,

and Mack, Lightning's driver.

So cute! The Cars Tsum Tsum collection is available at the Disney Store. 

Cars 3 "The Limit" Trailer

With Cars 3 arriving in theaters next Friday, June 16, Disney and Pixar have released one final trailer to get you revved up.

It looks like Lightning will have one last chance to live his dreams.

Cars 3 TV Spot "Thomasville"

Pixar

In the latest Cars 3 TV spot, Lightning McQueen is faced with his greatest quandary: his legacy.

Cars 3 arrives in theaters on June 16.

Cars 3 Sneak Peek at Hollywood Studios

Are you ready to race back into the world of Cars? From now through June 25, guests at Hollywood Studios and California Adventure can catch a sneak peek of Cars 3. At Hollywood Studios, watch the preview in One Man's Dream. At California Adventure, the 3-D preview is shown in the Bug's Life Theater and includes special effects.

Here's the official synopsis from Disney and Pixar:

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!

Cars 3 arrives in theaters on June 16.

Cars 3 Rivalry Trailer

Pixar

It looks like there's quite the rivalry developing between Lightning McQueen and newcomer Jackson Storm.

Cars 3 arrives in theaters on June 16.

Cars 3 Trailer

Pixar 

The newest trailer for Cars 3 is a lot lighter in tone than the previous teaser. Instead of focusing on Lightning's crash and what he may lose, it shows what he's learned and how to be happy as life changes.

Here's the official synopsis from Disney and Pixar:

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage.

Cars 3 arrives in theaters on June 16.

Cars 3 Characters and a New Poster

In Cars 3, Lightning McQueen is no longer the young hotshot. He experiences a brush with death that forces him to reexamine his racing career. While many of his friends are returning to help him, there will also be several new cars joining the lineup.

Lightning's villainous new nemesis is a tech-savvy car named Jackson Storm, voiced by Armie Hammer.

A lifelong fan of Lightning McQueen, Cruz Ramirez, voiced by Cristela Alonzo, comes to his aid, acting as his new trainer.

Sterling, a brilliant businesscar in charge of the Rust-eze Racing Center, will be voiced by Nathan Fillion.

A statistical analyst, who is all about the numbers, Natalie Certain will be voiced by Kerry Washington.

Miss Fritters, voiced by Lea DeLaria, is a demolition derby legend, a giant school bus with a penchant for collecting her victims' license plates.

It sounds like quite the cast. Cars 3 arrives in theaters on June 16.