THE BEST Disney

If you’ve ever visited one of Disney’s theme parks, you have been tricked. The parks frequently employ an optical illusion known as forced perspective to make structures look bigger or smaller than they actually are. Art of Engineering explains the trickery and why our brains get so easily fooled by it.

Now that Disney+ has reeled us in with The Mandalorian, they’ve started work on their next Star Wars series. This promo for the upcoming Rogue One prequel brings back Diego Luna’s character Cassian Andor and provides a small glimpse of the work going on behind-the-scenes. The initial 12-episode run hits sometime in 2022.

Didier Ghez’s six-volume series delves into the lesser-known art of Disney Animation. Each book is filled with rare images gathered from the depths of the Walt Disney Archives and the Disney Animation Research Library, along with untold stories of the artists behind the scenes. Start with the 1930s and work your way to 2020.

With animated classics like Toy Story, Up, Wall-E, and Finding Nemo to their credit, every animation company on the planet aspires to be as good as Pixar. This new documentary series takes us inside Disney’s famed CG-animation studio to meet the creative minds behind the movies. Premieres on Disney+ 11.13.2020.

We’ve seen some realistic animatronics in the past, but scientists continue to work on ways to make robots even more lifelike. Engineers from Disney Research have been working on a robot with realistic facial movements that can react to humans it monitors using a 3D camera. Too bad it’s terrifying with the skin off.

The Mandalorian is returning to Disney+ on 10.30.2020, so it only makes sense that Screen Junkies would seize upon the chance to make an Honest Trailer for the hit series. Despite being such an excellent show, they still found plenty of reasons to poke fun at its characters and storylines.

The 1929 Disney Silly Symphony animation The Skeleton Dance is a Halloween classic. But modern copies of the clip are grainy and filled with flicker. Adam Maciaszek used a mix of AI tech and his own intelligence to dramatically improve the quality of the footage. Watch at 2X speed on YouTube, or a regular speed on Bittube.

Rock me like a hurricane… here in Duckberg. Leo Moracchioli cranks out yet another awesome heavy metal cover with his take on the theme song from Disney’s 1987 (and 2017) cartoon series DuckTales. There’s also an epic guitar solo starting at about 1:45.

The CGI in TRON seems primitive by today’s standards, but back in 1982 it was not only groundbreaking, it pushed the limits of available technology. Using modern tech, the guys at Corridor Crew decided to see if they could accurately replicate the famous light cycle scene in less than a day.

Queen B’s “Black is King” is a cinematic visual album inspired by “The Lion King.” Beyonce’s most ambitious project yet infuses elements of black history with an empowering message for young kings and queens seeking identity, and co-starring roles for Jay-Z, Lupita Nyong’o, and Naomi Campbell. Premieres 7.31.20 on Disney+.

The Muppets are back with an all-new, unscripted series in which our beloved characters interview celebrity guests, improvise, perform in sketches, and other stuff they’re not willing to say yet. Coming to Disney+ starting 7.31.2020.

While CGI has dramatically changed the way that movies are made, actors still need physical objects to interact with. This new series from Disney+ takes us up close and personal with iconic props from Disney movies. Hosted by superfan and collector Dan Lanigan. All episodes drop 5.1.20.

Now that Disney owns the studio that makes The Simpsons, they figured it was time to pay tribute to some of the many times the series satirized or referenced Disney’s iconic properties. Since they also own Marvel and Star Wars, they couldn’t resist doing compilations for those franchises too.

Judging by their name and their musical prowess, the four members of 40 Fingers have all of their digits intact, and that makes this acoustic guitar medley of Disney songs just that much sweeter. It’s a wonderfully warm bit of ear candy for fans of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Tarzan, Hercules, and Beauty and the Beast.

(Spoilers) The smash debuts of Disney+ and Star Wars The Mandalorian have us obsessed with mysterious helmeted characters, stark desert planets, incredible creatures, and a ridiculously cute baby Yoda. If you’re craving more, too, take a peek at this original gallery of concept art from Chapters 1 to 4 of the series.

Everyone could use a Mickey Mouse clock on their wall, and this model has a trick up its sleeves. It pairs with your Amazon Echo device to work as a timer, displaying the countdown of remaining minutes one 60 individual LEDs along its perimeter.

This 23-minute journey is Disney’s most ambitious attraction yet, recruiting guests into service as heroes of the Resistance in a climactic battle with the First Order. Rise of the Resistance made its galactic debut at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and will launch at California’s Disneyland Park on January 17, 2020.

Inspired by the true story of Leonhard Seppala, Willem Dafoe and Julianne Nicholson star in this original movie about a man who sets off on a perilous journey across Alaska with his sled dogs to help bring home a cure for a deadly disease. Streaming on Disney+ 12/20/19.

“It’s a meaningless line of indifference.” Let’s face it. An all-CGI remake of the animated classic The Lion King was a bad idea from the moment it was born in some executive boardroom. As expected, Screen Junkies simply annihilates this soulless showcase for uncannily realistic singing animals. Disney, please stop the madness.

Got 3 hours, 17 minutes and 53 seconds to spare? Then grab some popcorn, hit play, and watch this comprehensive reel from the new Disney+ streaming service previewing every film and series coming to the service when it launches in the US on 11/12/19. The guys at io9 posted the full list if you don’t have time. (Thanks Rob!)

After hitting it big with Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney is repackaging another of its theme park attractions as a movie. Emily Blunt stars as a woman on a mission to find a rare Amazon plant with healing powers, and Dwayne Johnson is her guide on an adventure that’s sure to be filled with thrills and a few bad jokes.

One of Disney theme parks’ most famous attractions is Space Mountain, a thrilling indoor rollercoaster that you ride in the dark. If you’ve ever wondered what the ride looked like with the lights on, Theme Park University is here to show you just how much less exciting it is.

“I’m not here to be didactic or professorial in any way.” Nope, actor and entertainer Jeff Goldblum’s lighthearted new series simply takes us on a journey through the world, as seen through some of the universe’s most inquisitive and uncritical eyes. Coming to Disney+ 11/12/19.

Walt Disney World’s most immersive experience yet will be a new hotel being built next to Galaxy’s Edge. The Galactic Starcruiser will make multi-day guests feel like they’re inside a spaceship – the Halcyon – via galactic views, hotel staff portrayed by characters like Chewbacca, and a port day on the planet Batuu.

Galaxy’s Edge still has that new theme park smell. Now, Disney has revealed 2020 plans for a Marvel-themed land at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Paris. “Avengers Campus” will include the current Guardians of the Galaxy ride, and a new Spider-Man ride-through attraction, Tony Stark’s Worldwide Engineering Brigade.

The first of what we are sure will be many Star Wars stories on its way to the new Disney+ streaming service takes place between the fall of the Empire and the rise of the First Order. It stars a heavily armored Pedro Pascal in the title role, with Jon Favreau taking on writing and showrunner duties. Premieres 11/12/19.