Walt Disney loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass since he was a boy. He once said of the books, “No story in English literature has intrigued me more,” and he took inspiration from them for a long time. Walt founded his career and his studio on the Alice Comedies, 57 short films in which a live-action child interacted with animated characters in cartoon worlds. In a famous 1936 cartoon, Mickey Mouse’s dream self leaps through a looking-glass and interacts with talking phones and dancing gloves. However, his 1951 feature-length adaptation is the greatest of them all. Alice in Wonderland remains one of Disney’s most beloved animated films. Perhaps the most curious aspect of the movie is that the studio was able to pull it off at all.

After losing so much money on the first few movies, Disney had to seriously scale back the budgets for their newest projects. However, they didn’t scale back their ambitions. Walt and the animators wanted to make something that pushed the envelope without breaking the bank. Their solution was Dumbo, as colorful and magical as their previous movies … while only being 64 minutes long. Walt Disney's fourth film is only barely feature-length, but underestimating it for this is like underestimating the main character for his ears. 

Christmas is an undeniably special time for many people around the world. Whether it's because of the quality family time, the presents, the unforgettable memories, or the overall festive and happy atmosphere, Christmas is often the most beloved of the holidays. Of course, one of the main ways to spread Christmas cheer is by decorating, whether you decide to go all-out or to keep it subtle. And if you love both Christmas and Disney, you're extra lucky because that means your Christmas decorations can be twice as magical!

Are you looking for something really special to add to your Disney collection? Your WDW Store is proud to introduce you to Wreaths by Ashley, created especially for our customers by Ashley Medeiros, a gifted designer who truly feels the Disney magic!

Wreaths by Ashley are fun and whimsical in the way only Disney can be. See more today!

What would heroes be without villains? They'd be boring, because they wouldn't have any challenges to face! But villains are more than just cookie-cutter enemies meant to oppose the hero. They're interesting characters in their own right, with stories and motivations of their own. That's why we focus on them with our Disney Villain Spotlight!

This time, we're discussing an evil schemer who would do anything to be King, and his army of slavering hyena minions: Scar, from The Lion King. Scar is deeply jealous of his older brother Mufasa, King of the Pride Lands, and when Mufasa's son Simba is born, Scar plots to get rid of them both so he can take the throne.

Disney Character Spotlight

Welcome to Your WDW Store's Disney Character Spotlight! In this edition, we're going to discuss one of Disney's wildest heroes: Simba, a lion cub destined to be King of the Pride Lands, and his friends Timon and Pumbaa, a self-centered yet loyal meerkat and a gassy yet steadfast warthog. 

Simba and friends made their debut in Disney's 1994 blockbuster The Lion King, and also appeared in the sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, The Lion King 1½, the Timon & Pumbaa TV series, and more.

Since 1926, generations of children have enjoyed A.A. Milne's beloved stories of Winnie the Pooh, a small yellow teddy bear who lives with his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood: Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo, Rabbit, and Owl, all but the last two of which are living stuffed toys. Their wisest friend, despite being a child, is Christopher Robin, a young boy who accompanies the characters on many of their adventures (and who was based on A.A. Milne's own son).

In this edition of Your WDW Store's Disney Villain Spotlight, we're focusing on one of the most dreaded (and yet undeniably popular) pirates ever to sail the seas between here and Neverland. That's right: Captain Hook!