Category: Orange County

Disney Stars at CHOC’s South Tower Dedication Celebration

A variety of Disney (and one Nick star) showed up for the dedication of CHOC’s South Tower in Orange, CA on February 2nd 2013.

These included Kyle Massey from Cory in the House …

… Aedin Mincks from A.N.T. Farm …

… Roshon Fegan from Shake it Up …

… and Nolan Gould from Modern Family.

And who could forget the Chick-fil-A cow and Build-a-Bear bear? 🙂

But if you were looking for the longest line, look no further than the In-N-Out food truck!

On a serious note, this was a major milestone for Children’s Hospital Orange County and we are very excited about the opening of the new tower.

You can find the rest of our original photos in the gallery by clicking on any photo above.

February 26, 2013
Interviews – Kids Help Children Benefit

This will be my last post covering the events of the Kids Help Children benefit at the Anaheim Hilton, and I wanted to take a moment to share all of my “red carpet” interviews in one place.

Ashley Argota

Tiffany Espensen

Teala Dunn

Tyler Alexander Mann

Dylan Riley Snyder

Ashlee Keating

Mikey Reid

Dillon Lane

And just in case you’ve missed any of my previous coverage, here’s a brief recap…

Socal Disney: Event Photos
Socal Disney: Musical Acts
DC Fans: Stefanie Scott
DC Fans: Sammi Hanratty & more
Nick Girls: Ashley Argota
Nick Girls: Tiffany Espensen

August 22, 2012
Musical Acts – Kids Help Children Benefit

We had a number of great musical acts perform at the Kids Help Children Benefit for CHOC, Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

Ashlee Keating (twitter) is like… really pretty. As I told her:

And… in retrospect, maybe I crossed the line a little bit. Most inapropriate interview ever? LOL

Well, she was rather impressive on stage as well. I’ll leave it at that.

Austin Anderson of Victorious brough his entire band with him!

And I gotta say, he has a commanding stage presence.

I was also very impressed by Jamie Dee Hart (twitter)

She wasn’t actually scheguled to perform, as she was there doing sound for the event, but I think she did a great job. As I told her. 🙂

She’s also kind of cute. I didn’t tell her that though… maybe I should have. xD

You can see all of my pictures from the event in the gallery, as I mentioned before, and I’ve been posting about some of the other people I saw and spoke with on the DC Fans and Nick Girls blogs.

August 20, 2012
Kids Help Children benefit at the Anaheim Hilton

Well this was a great event and it’s probably gonna take more than one post to get through it all!

This past Sunday, August 19th 2012, a variety of Disney (and Nick and music) stars attened the 3rd anual Kids Help Children benefi for CHOC Children’s Hospital

The Disney stars included ANT Farm‘s Stefanie Scott…

Ryan Ochoa from Pair of Kings…

Dylan Riley Snyder from Kickin’ It…

Kenton Duty from Shake it Up…

And Sammi Hanratty who was in a few episodes of.

On a personal note, it was a big deal for me to get to finally mean the lovely and talented Ashley Argota.

Her “TV Sister” Tiffany Espensen was there as well…

… as was “Skinner” himself Dillon Lane. It was like a mini reunion!

That’s Matthew Jacob Wayne from “Epic Showdown” in the above pic, and Kenton Duty again in this next one.

Alright, I think that’s enough for one post. I still have video to edit!

August 20, 2012
Fullerton Railroad Days 2012

Anyone who knows me knows that in addition to my love of all things Disney, I also am a bit of a rail buff.

… that means I like trains. xD

Fortunately, so did Walt Disney.

And for this year’s Fullerton Railroad Days, the walt Disney company sent the “Lilly Belle” presidental car,

and the Carolwood Pacific Foundation sent Walt’s combine.

This marks the first time the two cars have been reunited in more than 30 years!

And while the combine is fairly simple inside (by design)…

The Lilly Belle marks a stark contract.

And is quite beautifully detailed.

As always, you’ll find more photos of the cars and the other exibits of Fullerton RR Days in the gallery, just click on any picture above.

June 9, 2012
2011 Disney Legends Ceremony

The 2011 Disney Legends ceremony was held off of studio property for the second time at the 2011 D23 Expo.

A lot of interesting things happened, but seeing newly minted Legends Page O’Hara, Lea Salonga, Anika Noni Rose, and Jodi Benson sing songs from their respective movies live on stage was pretty amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpRfcDsTTvo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQp8sNOO47A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MRQ6codCh0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quvfAxAzuWg

But then seeing tham all together for “A Dream is a Wish Your Makes”? That was simply indescribable!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlEMncG90NE

I also enjoyed finally getting to see the great Regis Philbin in person. Even if he had nothing too important to say. xD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gW1bKzDNTc

They closed the show with a salute to Jim Henson, and one of his first Muppets Skits: “I’ve Grown Accustomed to your your Face”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=688bET41wzM

And finally with Kermit the Frog and his “Rainbow Connection”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIy-8q-mYvg

September 8, 2011
Disney Channel Stars at the 2011 D23 Expo

There’s no denying that my favorite part of the 2009 D23 Expo was getting to see and meet more than a few of my favorite Disney Channel Girls, like Tiffany Thornton, Chelsea Staub, and Debby Ryan.

The 2011 D23 Expo was no different, starting with a repeat appearance from Tiffany Thornton plus Allisyn Ashley Arm, Sterling Knight, Doug Brochou, Shayne Topp, Matthew Scott Montgomery, and Damien Haas.

Doesn’t Tiff look pretty? (As always. xD )

Missing where Brandon Smith and Audrey Whitby. I really wanted to meet her. Oh well. I was able to finish my existing Sonny with a Chance autograph though – I just needed Sterling and Doug. =]

I also got my So Random Main cast autographs…

… and another of the “new” Randoms. 😀

I had also wanted to see the Lemonade Mouth cast, Hayley Kiyoko in particular, but they cut the line before I got there. Damn.

Saturday was a big day for DC events! I got there early to see Alyson Stoner, whom you all know I adore.

She was there for the Phineas and Ferb meet and greet along with the voice of Phineas and Perry.

It took me four years to get her autograph, but I finally did it. 😀 BTW, she has an EP coming out soon on iTunes. She’s not sure if there will be physical CDs or not.

Next up was a signing for Kickin’ It. I didn’t go, but I did get to see Olivia Holt. And I have to say, she is mighty cute. =]

Next was Fish Hooks. Chelsea Kane didn’t show up. >:[

I still got to meet Kyle and the crew, but still, I wanted to hit on see my Chelsea. 🙁

Finally was the cast of A.N.T. Farm. I finally got to tell Stefanie Scott how awesome I think she is. <3

And it was fun to talk to Sierra McCormic. She’s a sweet little girl, emphasis on the little. I’ll have to look her up when she’s older.

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up. I know I said Monday, but I’ve been having computer problems and couldn’t get anything new posted.

Sunday, the third and final day of the 2011 D23 Expo was just as amazing as the first two days. How many people can say they’ve seen Wilmer Valderrama hangin’ out with Handy Manny? LOL

After that photo op, we got in line for the Pair of Kings signing.

I was there to see Kelsey Chow again (obviously). I had gotten her autograph at the filming, but it’s faint ’cause her pin was dying. So when I saw her I was like “I hope your pen works this time” and she was like “Huh- OH! I remember you! =D” And then the Disney employee pushed me along for holding up the line. Of course, SHE was talking TO ME so how was that my fault? LOL

I was also quite shocked to see that Mitchel Musso himself showed up! He wasn’t scheduled to attend and I had never met him before.

And have a look at this guy with the “I <3 Kelsey Chow” shirt! Lucky bastard… why didn’t I think of that? LOL I actually ended up right next to him in the “Shake it Up” line. He’s a nice kid.

Speaking of the Shake it Up line, what a mess. They didn’t know where to put everyone and it was a pretty big mess overall. The line was closed by 2pm… if not sooner.

Now as frequent readers will remember, I’ve met Bella and Zendaya before. It was Caroline Sunshine that I really wanted to meet.

And yeah, meet her I did. 🙂 I even had a few moments to tell her about my fansite and how excited I was to finally meet her.

I didn’t really have anything to say to Zendaya… but I did get a solo autograph of her. =]

As for Bella, I didn’t have anything rehearsed so I simply told her that I couldn’t even begin to tell her how amazing she is.

She was like “Aww, thank you sir” … as if I needed to be reminded how she’s WAY too young for me. LOL. Here’s the autograph.

But that’s not all. Once we finished with the cast we went down in front of the stage to take a few more pics. I got some great shots of Bella and Zendaya.

And by absolute sure luck, I ended up standing against the side of the stage when they finished the signing and the cast came to the front to sign a few more autographs for the crowd! Bella was right in front of me, look!

My friend Anika who was right next to me even got a pic with Zendaya!

I was hoping Caroline would come over to our side, but she didn’t make it beyond mid stage before the CMs escorted her off the stage.

She was the last to leave, but we still had one more surprise in store before we left. About 30 minutes after the event wrapped up, I spotted Roshan Fegan and Anika got a great picture with him too.

And that my friends, was the last day of the 2011 D23 expo. It was something else, I’ll tell you that. Hope to see you all there in 2013. 🙂

August 30, 2011
Disney Store Announces D23 Expo Experiences

Can you believe it? The D23 Expo starts tomorrow! Be sure to check back over the weekend for news and reports live from the expo. And be sure to follow us on twitter @socaldisney.

Here’s a look at some more of the scheduled events and first looks being presented by the Disney store.

Disney Store will treat fans to a sneak peek of its fall and holiday 2011 products, as well as offer them a chance to meet and hear from the artists and designers who created them.

D23 Expo guests will get a first look at this year’s hottest Halloween costumes, join in Disney Store’s 25th Anniversary kick-off celebration, and have the first look at the Disney Princess Designer Doll Collection—expected to be one of the most wanted items this holiday season. Daily at the convention, guests will enjoy Disney Store artist signings and special guest appearances, as well as witness events such as a Halloween costume parade and hear the latest news on what’s next for Disney Store.

Guests can take home the Disney Store magic when they purchase exclusive merchandise in the 1,500 square foot pop-up store housed in Disney Consumer Product’s Disney Living Pavilion. Featured products include items created especially for the D23 Expo, limited edition 25th Anniversary items, Vinylmation, and the always unique and whimsical Kidada for Disney Store Collection. Visitors will not want to miss the daily opening ceremony, where a special attendee will be chosen to “unlock imagination” each day at 9 a.m. (for D23 Members only).

In addition, these other D23 Disney Store celebrations and events are not to be missed:

25th Anniversary Collection and Celebration Kick Off

D23 guests will help Disney Store kick-off its celebration of 25 magical years. Since the opening of the first store in Glendale, California on March 28, 1987, Disney Store has become a global retail phenomenon with more than 350 stores in eight countries and foot traffic of more than 200 million guests per year worldwide. On Friday, August 19 at 9 a.m., for D23 Members only, Disney Store president Jim Fielding will kick off the celebration with remarks prior to opening the store on the first day of D23. The first 25 guests in line will receive a special limited edition 25th anniversary pin. Disney Store artist Jim Salvati will sign exclusive 25th anniversary commemorative art. The pop-up store will offer the first 25th anniversary products ever.

Disney Princess Designer Doll Collection

At D23 Expo, Disney Store will debut 10 spectacular designer dolls just in time for the holidays. Each classic doll dressed in a glamorous runway inspired gown comes in its own special collector case with a sleeve that showcases the beautiful sketch art created for each one. A limited number of complete sets will be available for pre-purchase at the D23 event, in addition to a special limited edition 25th Anniversary silver Cinderella. As part of the worldwide debut at D23, the dolls will be given to the honorees at the Legends of Disney Awards ceremony on Friday, August 19, where the extraordinary actresses whose voices brought to life many modern-day Disney Princesses including Jodi Benson (Ariel from The Little Mermaid), Paige O’Hara (Belle from Beauty and the Beast), Lea Salonga (singing voices of Jasmine from Aladdin and Mulan from Mulan), Linda Larkin (speaking voice of Jasmine from Aladdin), and Anika Noni Rose (Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog) will be named and honored.

Starting August 22, 2011, one new Disney Princess Designer Doll will arrive in stores each week for 10 weeks in a random order not to be revealed to guests until each Monday when they go on sale. An assortment of home products (stationery and mugs) as well as special trend items (t-shirts, cosmetics, and accessories) inspired by the beauty of the new dolls will also be available at D23 Expo. D23 Expo guests will be the first to see these beautiful dolls.

Halloween Costume Parade

The Halloween Costume Parade on Saturday, August 20 at 1 p.m. will unveil the hottest costumes for 2011, including a beautiful limited edition Rapunzel costume (only 2,000 will be available this fall). Visitors can watch kids modeling the best Disney Store costumes on the Disney Living Pavilion Center Stage. Five lucky guests will win the opportunity to receive a complimentary costume, courtesy of Disney Store.

Vinylmation Artists Signing

On Sunday, August 21 at 10 a.m., Vinylmation artists will sign the new Lion King-inspired Vinylmation collection. Vinylmation toys are the latest pop culture phenomenon and are treasured by collectors of all ages.

New Kidada for Disney Store Wish-a-Littles Line

On Sunday, August 21 at 1 p.m. in the Disney Living Pavilion Center Stage, celebrity jewelry designer Kidada Jones will make a special appearance to welcome her newest friends to her exclusive line of jewelry and accessories. Wish-a-Littles are Kidada’s design twist on Disney characters—each figure opens to reveal a secret jewelry charm. The new fall Wish-a-Littles include Alice, Ariel, Jasmine, and Tinker Bell. Guests can make their D23 trip extra special and get their photo taken with Kidada following the reveal.

In addition to all the events and guest appearances, fans can chat with Disney Store president Jim Fielding and other surprise guests via Disney Store’s Twitter, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the D23 experience by checking Disney Store’s blog, The Buzz.

August 18, 2011
Walt Disney Studios at the D23 Expo

The Walt Disney Studios has announced the major guests and topics which will be discussed at their large Arena presentation at the D23 Expo on Saturday the 20th. Notable guests include Jennifer Garner, Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Sarah Silverman, Taylor Kitsch, Jack McBrayer and members of the cast of Marvel’s “The Avengers.”

D23’s “Disney Geek” gives us an in depth account of what to expect at the expo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73_517Ihhns

The Walt Disney Studio’s press release follows:

08.09.11 – Disney film fans will get a first look at the exciting roster of projects on the horizon at The Walt Disney Studios, with a variety of panel discussions, sneak peeks, and exhibits.

On Saturday, August 20, Rich Ross, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios; Sean Bailey, president, Production, The Walt Disney Studios; John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios; and Kevin Feige, producer and president, Marvel Studios, will present a not-to-be-missed look at The Walt Disney Studios’ upcoming film slate, which includes Disney’s The Muppets, John Carter, Disney•Pixar’s Brave, Marvel’s The Avengers, Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, Oz The Great and Powerful, and more.

With projects from Disney, Pixar Animation Studios, and Marvel Studios, this special presentation will feature never-before-seen footage and all-star appearances by Jason Segel, Kermit, and Miss Piggy (Disney’s The Muppets), Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, and Willem Dafoe (John Carter), Kelly Macdonald and Kevin McKidd (Brave), Jennifer Garner (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), Jack McBrayer and Sarah Silverman (Wreck-It Ralph), cast members from Marvel’s The Avengers, and other surprise guests.

Out on the Expo floor, fans can explore the world of The Walt Disney Studios at their leisure with comprehensive exhibits, including:

Walt Disney Studios Animation
Experience the art, technology, culture, and legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios with filmmaker demonstrations, drawing classes, book signings, meet-and-greets, and art exhibits.

Walt Disney Studios In-Home Entertainment
Dive into cutting-edge home entertainment technology and learn what the future holds for Disney movie fans, with sneak peeks of upcoming films in breathtaking high-definition Blu-ray 3D™ and more.

Inside Tides: Pirates of the Caribbean Film Prop Collection
Get an up-close look at an exclusive collection of detailed set pieces, props, and costumes from the billion-dollar blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

In celebration of 25 years of moviemaking magic, five sessions will be devoted to the artistry and technical wizardry of Pixar:

A Conversation with the Pixar Creative Team
Enjoy a rare opportunity to spend some time with the key figures responsible for Pixar’s unprecedented success, including John Lasseter (chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios), Jim Morris (general manager, Pixar Animation Studios), Pete Docter (director, Monsters, Inc., Up), Andrew Stanton (director, Finding Nemo, WALL-E), Bob Peterson (co-director, Up), Lee Unkrich (director, Toy Story 3), Mark Andrews (director, Brave), and Dan Scanlon (director, Monsters University).

The Characters of Monsters University
Director Dan Scanlon and Production Designer Ricky Nierva discuss how they combine hair, horns, and a lot of heart to bring the wonderful Monsters University characters to life.

Michael Giacchino’s Music of Pixar
In this musical presentation, award-winning composer Michael Giacchino explores his early influences through the creation of modern-day classic scores from Ratatouille, Up and Cars 2.

The Art of Brave

Production designer Steve Pilcher and shading art director Tia Kratter show how they and their team put paint to canvas and fingers to computer keys to create the stunning visuals of Scotland for Disney•Pixar’s upcoming film Brave.

Pixar Shorts

This retrospective screening of the animation studio’s legendary short films will be followed by a panel discussion with several of the filmmakers, including Ralph Eggleston (director, For the Birds), Andy Jimenez (director, One Man Band), Angus MacLane (director, BURN-E), Pete Sohn (director, Partly Cloudy), Teddy Newton (director, Day & Night), and Enrico Casarosa (director, La Luna).

Expo attendees will also have access to advance screenings of an all-new 3D version of The Lion King, presented by RealD 3D, coming to theaters and homes this fall, and the upcoming ABC holiday special Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

August 10, 2011
Disney Autographs by Coolwaters Productions

One of the featured independent exhibitors at the D23 Expo will be Coolwaters Productions LLC. They’re a talent management company and they’re bringing stars from Tron, Tron: Legacy, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, and Marvel to the D23 Expo. Well… maybe “stars” isn’t the right word, but they were all in the movies, and you can get an autograph … for a price. Full details below.

06.22.11 – Join us for exclusive autograph sessions and meet and greets with celebrities including Bruce Boxleitner and Billy Dee Williams at The Ultimate Disney Fan Event!

Celebrity management company Coolwaters Productions LLC is bringing a cavalcade of talent to the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, August 19-21, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Each day at the Coolwaters booth, located in the Collectors Forum, fans will enjoy celebrity meet and greets and autograph signings, including rare photographs and limited-edition Tron pin sets created by D23 especially for this event.

Friday, August 19: Marvel Day

Doug Jones: Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (also starred as Billy Butcherson in Disney’s Hocus Pocus and will be signing images from both films)
Matthew Wolf: Voice of Thor in the animated film Thor: Tales of Asgard

Saturday, August 20: Tron Day

Bruce Boxleitner: Alan Bradley/Tron in Tron, TRON: Legacy, the videogame TRON: Evolution and the upcoming animated series TRON: Uprising
Cindy Morgan: Lora/Yori in Tron, and the videogame TRON 2.0
Jackson Bostwick: Sark’s Head Guard in Tron
Anis Cheurfa: Rinzler, Clu’s right hand man in TRON: Legacy
Rob Daly: Clu’s Lead Sentry in TRON: Legacy

Sunday, August 21: Pirates of the Caribbean Day

Isaac C. Singleton: Bo’sun in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Greg Ellis: Lieutenant Commander Theodore Groves in all four installments of the Pirates of the Caribbean films
Treva Etienne: Koehler in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Vince Lozano: Jacoby in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Tyler Tuione: Boiler Room Attendant in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

With the recent opening of Star Tours — The Adventures Continue at the Disney Parks, D23 Expo 2011 is honored to welcome Hollywood icon and Star Wars luminary Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian). Williams, an award-winning artist, has created an exclusive piece of artwork featuring Disney characters, which will be available to attendees as a limited edition poster only at the Expo.

All celebrity appearances are subject to change at any time. There will be a charge for each signature signed during the event from the celebrities listed in this press release. Autograph tickets will be available for purchase during all Expo hours at the Coolwaters Productions LLC booth at the Collectors Forum and are on a first-come, first served basis.

August 7, 2011