PDA

View Full Version : WDCC "it's a small world" New Product Release and Signing Event at Disneyland



AVP
07-25-2003, 09:59 AM
Source: Disney Press Release:

DISNEYLAND PARK PREMIERES NEW RELEASES IN POPULAR
“DISNEY’S IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL” COLLECTION

Collection Depicting “The Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed ‘Round The World” Adds Three New Ports O’ Call: Africa, Egypt and Japan

BURBANK, Calif. – The award-winning Walt Disney Classics Collection announces the debut of the three latest releases in its popular “Disney’s it’s a small world after all” collection, an entirely new series of porcelain sculptures based on the charming and fanciful doll-like children and set pieces of Walt Disney’s classic theme park attraction “it’s a small world.” The three new releases will premiere on Saturday, August 9 at The Disneyana Shop on Main Street, USA at Disneyland Park. David Pacheco (creative director for Walt Disney Art Classics and the artistic force behind the new series) along with famed Disney Imagineer Alice Davis (original costume designer for the attraction) will be on-hand (10:00am – 1:00pm) to meet collectors and sign sculptures in the collection.

The new sculptures being unveiled at the event include “Egypt: Queen of the Nile,” featuring a charming, little Egyptian Queen (4 ½” high) comfortably seated upon her divan; “Africa: Rhythm of Africa,” featuring an energetic African drummer (5 ¼” high), along with a friendly, curious giraffe (8 ¼”) and “Japan: Honorable Brother, Honorable Sister,” featuring two kimono clad children (5 ½” high) under a vibrant red and black Torii shrine gate (5 ¾” high).

Each doll sculpture and corresponding set piece is sold together. “Africa: Rhythm of Africa” and “Egypt: Queen of the Nile,” have a suggested retail price of $99 per set. “Japan: Honorable Brother, Honorable Sister” has a suggested retail price of $150. The three new releases highlighting the second installment of the series will be exclusively available at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida until October. Following their initial Disney Theme Park debut, the sculptures will be available at select Walt Disney Classics Collection Gold Circle Dealers worldwide.

The event at Disneyland will also feature the first public unveiling of the third installment in the “Disney’s it’s a small world after all” series. These sculptures will be available to collectors in January 2004.

The tradition of "plussing" Walt Disney Classics Collection sculptures with precious metals, crystals, blown glass, special paint and wood to enhance the believability and detail of each piece continues with “Disney’s it’s a small world after all” series. Examples of such “plussing” elements can be found on “Rhythm of Africa” (Metallic gold accents on costume/glitter paint on giraffe), “Queen of the Nile” (Bronze coins on headdress, opalescent paint on jewel) and “Honorable Brother, Honorable Sister” (Opalescent paint and metallic gold accents).

“Disney’s it’s a small world after all” collection premiered in May with the following three inaugural releases: “Joie de Vivre” (Joy of Life) featuring a little French Can-Can girl and Eiffel Tower, “Serenata” (The Serenade) featuring an Italian Gondolier in his gondola and “Maeva” (“Welcome”) featuring a Tahitian dancer and tropical palm tree. These sculptures are currently exclusively available at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and will be showcased at The Disneyana Shop event on August 9 at Disneyland. After August 15 the sculptures will be available at select Walt Disney Classics Collection Gold Circle Dealers worldwide.

Walt Disney’s “it’s a small world” debuted at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair and proved to be one of its the most popular attractions. Based on the enthusiastic response it received in New York, the attraction was moved to a more elaborate home at Disneylandâ in California and soon premiered on May 28, 1966. Since then the whimsical and musical salute to the children of the world has been one of the most consistently popular Disney Theme Park attractions of all-time, with other successful versions featured in the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland Park at Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris Resort in France. “It’s a Small World (After All),” the attraction’s memorable theme song written by Academy Award winning songwriters Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, has become one of the most performed and recorded songs on Earth.

The Walt Disney Classics Collection is renowned for its faithful recreation of unforgettable moments from Disney’s animated films. The collection features a broad array of sculptures ranging in suggested retail price from $50 to more than $2,000. Created by Disney sculptors and artists, each sculpture is meticulously crafted out of fine porcelain or resin and is hand-painted according to the film’s original color palettes. Sculptures are often enhanced with mixed materials such as precious metals, stones, pearls and crystals.

The collection is developed and distributed by Walt Disney Art Classics, the art and collectibles division of Disney Consumer Products, which administrates the popular Walt Disney Collectors Society and oversees the Disney Showcase Collection (a portfolio of high-end licensed Disney collectibles) and the animation art and fine art portfolios of The Walt Disney Studios. The Walt Disney Classics Collection is available at fine gift and collectible stores, select Disney Stores, DisneyStore.com, Disney catalog and Disney Theme Parks and Resorts around the world.

For more event information, please visit www.DisneyGallery.com. For collectors unable to attend the event, "wish list" and mail order inquiries can be directed to Disneyland DelivEars after August 4th at 800-362-4533 or at e-mail: DLDelivEars@disney.com

For general information about “Disney’s it’s a small world after all” series or the Walt Disney Classics Collection, please call (800) 932 – 5749 or visit www.disneyartclassics.com