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‘Blue Umbrella’ New Hi-Res Still from Pixar’s Upcoming Short

Yesterday we shared a hi-res still with you of the new short, The Blue Umbrella, from Pixar Animation Studios. Today we are pleased to bring you another still from the short, this one an aerial view of the street where we catch a glimpse of Blue and Red amongst the sea of black umbrellas.

Click on the thumbnail to see a larger version of the image. If the resize arrow is available, click on it to see the image at its original resolution.

From director Saschka Unseld and featuring an original score by Jon Brion, The Blue Umbrella will play before Disney/Pixar’s Monsters University in theaters beginning June 21, 2013. The full synopsis for the short is as follows:

‘It is just another evening commute until the rain starts to fall, and the city comes alive to the sound of dripping rain pipes, whistling awnings and gurgling gutters. And in the midst, two umbrellas — one blue, one not — fall eternally in love.’

Additionally, the Wall Street Journal has recently debuted a clip from the short which can be seen embeddedbelow:

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CONFIRMED: Disney’s Aladdin is Broadway-Bound

We had been talking about Disney Theatrical producing a musical based on Disney Animation’s Aladdin for years, so it came as little shock to us when the production became fully realized at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater in early 2011.

Since then, the show has been re-tooled and has played at various regional theaters, but it wasn’t until a special private event for members of Disney’s official fan club, Disney D23, last summer, that we had any inkling that it was destined for Broadway (in truth, we believed a touring production would be as far as the plans went).

The event featured an intimate performance by composer Alan Menken, who introduced the song ‘Proud of Your Boy’ (cut from the original animated film) as being prepped for a Broadway production — a statement we took none too lightly, considering Menken’s stature in the theatrical community.

Fast forward to yesterday, when the New York Times published this article, confirming via anonymous inside sources that ‘Aladdin’ is indeed headed to the Broadway stage, replacing Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theater.

It should be noted that there has been no official announcement from Disney Theatrical yet as they have declined to comment both on the New York Times story as well as our own.

Video courtesy of and h/t to @jellicle0

UPDATE: Via its official Facebook page, Mary Poppins has acknowledge the show will have its final performance on March 3, 2013

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LIVING SOCIAL: ‘Peter Pan’ Screening and Special Panel in Los Angeles

For those that will be in the Hollywood, California area on the evening of Friday, January 11, Living Social and the El Capitan Theatre are now making tickets available to attend a special screening of Disney’s Peter Pan along with a special panel for just $11 per ticket.

Take flight for wonder and excitement with this offer: Pay $11 for one ticket to see Peter Pan playing at the El Capitan Theatre on January 11. Prior to the start of the movie, guests will be treated to a special panel discussion. This special panel discussion will be moderated by Leonard Maltin and will include conversations with Kathryn Beaumont (voice of Wendy), Ted Thomas (son of legendary Disney animator Frank Thomas and director/writer of the acclaimed documentaries Frank and Ollie and Walt & El Grupo), and Margaret Kerry (live-action reference model for Tinker Bell). This classic tale taught us all ‘to believe,’ introducing us to the Darling children — Wendy, John and Michael — as they flew with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell past the second star to the right and straight on ’til morning to the enchanted world of Never Land.

Audiences will also be entertained with a never-before-seen episode of Disney Jr’s Jake and the Never Land Pirates, plus an appearance by Jake, live on stage!

For more information and to purchase tickets for this rare opportunity, visit the Living Social deal page.

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‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ Seven New Hi-Res Stills

China Girl (Voiced by Joey King), left; Finley (Voiced by Zach Braff), right Â©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Walt Disney Studios has also provided us with seven new stills from its film, Oz the Great and Powerful, which debuts in theaters nationwide on March 8, 2013.

The new stills give us some fabulous looks at Finley (voiced by Zach Braff) and the China Girl (voiced by Joey King) along with a peek at the developing relationship between Oscar Diggs/Oz (James Franco) and Theodora (Mila Kunis) along with Munchkins and Quadlings.

The new stills have been added to the beginning of our gallery below. Click on any of the thumbnails to enlarge.

[View with PicLens]

Oz The Great and Powerful imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot — fame and fortune are his for the taking — that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry — Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

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Sneak Peek: ‘The Blue Umbrella’ from Pixar, Plus Full Synopsis (Hi-Res)

Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation Studios have provided us with this still from their upcoming short, The Blue Umbrella, which will play before Monsters University in theaters beginning June 21, 2013. The full synopsis for the short is as follows:

Additionally, the Wall Street Journal has recently debuted a clip from the short which can be seen embeddedbelow:

h/t Upcoming Pixar

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New ‘Sofia the First’ Merchandise Debuts at Disney Store

Today, Disney Store Disney Store launched a new line of “Sofia the First” product in celebration of the highly-anticipated debut of the animated children’s series “Sofia the First,” on January 11th, on Disney Channel (9:30-10:00 a.m., ET/PT) and Disney Junior (5:30-6:00 p.m., ET/PT). Available exclusively at Disney Store and DisneyStore.com, the product line features an assortment of items inspired by the series, including Sofia’s iconic amulet necklace and tiara, costume, accessories, “Sofia the First” picture book and more.

The November 18 premiere of Disney Junior’s animated television movie “Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess” introduced a record number of viewers to Disney’s first little girl princess, Sofia the First, delivering a crowning glory of 8.2 million Total Viewers on Disney Channel, handily becoming the #1 cable TV telecast of all time among Kids 2-5 (2.9 million/18.2 rating) and Girls 2-5 (2.1 million/27.2 rating) and 1 preschool cable TV telecast of all time in Total Viewers and Women 18-49 (1.7 million/2.6 rating). A family viewing event, the movie also delivered with older kids and adults, attracting more than 5.0 million Kids 2-11 and more than 2.4 million Adults 18-49.

Enchanting product highlights include:

Sofia the First Costume – Complete with ruffles, bows and all the same beautiful details as Sofia’s gown in the TV series “Sofia the First,” this costume will have little girls enjoying hours of dress-up time all year long. Size run- 18-24 mos, 2/3, 4, 5/6 ($39.50)
Sofia the First Light-Up Amulet of Avalor Necklace – A beautiful purple amulet necklace that lights up, just like Sofia’s! ($9.50)
Sofia the First Tiara – Little girls can feel like a true princess-in-training with this beautifully embellished tiara. This Sofia-inspired crown matches perfectly with the Sofia the First costume for girls. ($14.50)
Sofia the First Book and CD- The story of a young girl whose life changes when her mom marries the King is told in this enchanting Sofia the First picture book which includes a CD with three exclusive songs! ($17.99)
Sofia Plush Doll – Royally huggable, this soft Sofia plush doll is the perfect companion for any little princess. Complete with her signature purple dress and tiara, this doll is ready for fun–from play time through bed time. ($19.50)
Sofia’s Friends Mini-Bean Plush Toys- Sofia’s best animal friends are more huggable than ever, with our Sofia the First mini-bean plush collection. Features: Clover, Blue Bird, Whatnaught and Robin. ($8.50 each)

Also, in celebration of the product line launch, Disney Store will be offering a “Sofia the First – My Royal Family Crest” activity to surprise, delight and engage guests from Monday, January 7th, through Sunday, January 20th, or while supplies last. The Family Crest activity sheet, along with other activities and games, can be viewed and downloaded on Disney.com.

For the entire Sofia assortment, guests can visit the Sofia the First online boutique at DisneyStore.com or visit their local Disney Store.

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New Disney Store Arrivals for January 7, 2013 (356 Items)

New Disney Store arrivals and sales for January 7, 2013 Below is a list of new items and sales now available for purchase at Disney Store. Clicking on a product’s image or description will launch the product’s page on Disney Store in another window. Note that this list is generated and posted automatically. Stitch Kingdom should not be held responsible for any inaccuracies, misinformation or item availability. Disclosure: This post includes specially formatted links which allow the site to receive a small percentage of purchases made through them. Using these links does not affect your shopping experience in any way, but it does help the site. Even if you don’t purchase anything, even just sharing products you like through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest using the icons below them will help the site.

	Tinker Bell iPhone 4/4S Case – $19.50Miss Bell will always supervise your calls when you use her iPhone case with contemporary sketch art. You are sure to connect with Tink as she pixie dusts and protects your precious electronic equipment. share this item
	Mickey Mouse Journal – $12.50Detail your thoughts, dreams, and wishes in Mickey’s gem-studded hardbound journal with over 150 lined pages, perfect for creative expression or daily diary. share this item
	Seagulls Tee for Baby – Finding Nemo – $12.50Baby will be happy to own this all-too-familiar phrase on our fun, colorful tee inspired by the hungry seagulls in Finding Nemo, made in the cool comfort of cotton. share this item
	Lady and the Tramp Mug – $12.50Recover from your lovely Bella Notte with a bright morning sip from our Lady and the Tramp Movie Moments mug, illustrated with scenes directly from Walt Disney’s animated canine classic. share this item
	Tinker Bell Journal with Lock – $14.50Tink’s pixie-dusted diary with tiny heart-shaped padlock is the perfect place to jot down your personal secrets, latest adventures, soaring dreams, magic spells, and daily details. It’s a Never-Never Land for your imagination only! share this item
	Minnie Mouse Tote – $39.50Minnie’s high-fashion tote adds a dash of carefree fun to your daily routine. Sturdy canvas construction is enhanced by embroidered accents and polks dot trims. share this item
	Disney Princess Woven Dress for Girls – $29.50Pretty flowers are arranged around three Disney Princesses on this cotton dress. Belle, Aurora and Snow White are given extra sparkle by their rhinestone-studded dresses, while layers of contrasting fabrics add royal glamour. share this item
	Toy Story Stationery Kit – $16.50Blast-off to new creative heights with our Toy Story zip kit featuring a virtual toybox full of art supplies in a soft-padded case featuring Woody, Buzz and friends, for hours of imaginative play. share this item
	Sofia the First Necklace for Girls – $9.50Her face will light-up whenever she wears Sofia’s glamorous necklace. Press the button to make the glitter-filled amulet glow. The pearl-accented chain helps to make it a sparkling addition to her Sofia the First costume collection. share this item
	Lotso Talking Action Figure – 15” – $24.50The soft-furred but hard-hearted Lotso sure has a lot to say for himself. This fully articulated, strawberry scented plush speaks 11 phrases, including ”Welcome to Sunnyside” and ”I’m Lotso Huggin’ Bear, but you can call me Lotso.” share this item

AFTER THE JUMP: More new items from DisneyStore.com

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CONFIRMED: MyMagic+ to Usher in Custom In-Park Experiences at Disney World

While Walt Disney World’s billion-dollar NextGen project has been no secret for quite some time, along with many of its aspects such as extensive use of RFID, the company itself has remained famously mum about the extent of the project, something we have been discussing for well over a year.

A new article from the New York Times, goes into the technology, now officially known as MyMagic+ and My Disney Experience (terms we have been applying for nearly a year), and some of the experiences it will offer. Some of the recently confirmed technology will allow characters to be able to deliver personalized experiences, a topic we have spoken about quite a bit, including in this article on just what Disney will learn about its guests, from which the NYT quotes some of our commenters. Back in October, we also looked at additional NextGen technology which describes just how the MyMagic+ will function inside the parks and negotiate multiple guests with multiple ‘entitlements,’ including characters who will greet guests by name (as the NYT article also suggests).

As extensive at the NYT article appears to be, it’s our contention that it still just a drop in the bucket with what the full MyMagic+ experience will entail, such as ‘Achievements’ (discussed in Big Brother article), a mobile app that will let family members at home virtually join the trip and interact including purchasing real in-park gifts, personalized and interactive elements at attractions like ‘it’s a small world’ and much, much more.

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Disney Product Releases for the Week of January 6, 2013 (46 Items)

New Disney releases for the week of January 6, 2013 Below is a list of new Disney items being released this week at Amazon.com. Clicking on a product’s image or description will launch the product’s page on Amazon.com in another window. Note that this list is generated and posted automatically. Stitch Kingdom should not be held responsible for any inaccuracies, misinformation or item availability.

A Girl and a Dragon (Disney Princess) (Hologramatic Sticker Book) (Paperback) (Available Tuesday, January 8 or Pre-Order from Amazon.com)