A Donald Duck celebration on the Walt Disney Studios lot showcases new merchandise for his 90th birthday
On a beautiful Southern California day, media guests gathered on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California in honor of Donald Duck’s upcoming 90th birthday. With the celebration came lots of exciting activities and a whole slew of new Donald merchandise.
We first visited the Ink & Paint department. This building that once housed many dozens of inkers and painters now houses a small crew of four who are keeping the art form alive. The last Disney animated feature to use the ink & paint process was “The Little Mermaid” in 1989. Now, the work done in this building is for museums and consumer products.
Even as someone who is very familiar with the ink, paint and Xerox process, it was eye-opening seeing it done in real time right before my eyes. It truly gave me a whole new level of respect for the artists who made the Disney animated features. Our ink & paint subject for the day was Donald Duck, of course.
After that, we visited Walt Disney’s office where the Walt Disney Archives faithfully restored it to just as Walt had left it using original furniture and dressings. It is a remarkable piece of history restored. Displayed in Walt’s office is an original Duckster award, equivalent to the Mousecar award, formerly given to Disney employees worthy of notice and significant to the company.
The Walt Disney Archives also put together a display showing off Donald Duck memorabilia through the decades. From Donald’s face used to promote food items, to signage and memorabilia used in the parks for some of Donald’s earlier birthdays, this famous duck has certainly had no shortage of merchandising opportunities.
Speaking of merchandise, Disney Consumer Products has collaborated with a bunch of brands to help celebrate Donald’s 90th. Global brands including Adidas, ASOS, Citizen, Disney Store, Funko, and Pandora as well as North American brands like Baublebar, BoxLunch, Hot Topic, Loungefly and RSVLTS have all joined on the celebrating. Here’s a look at some of the items now available.
Donald will be celebrating his birthday on June 9th. Get your Donald gear to join in on the celebration and expect more special merchandise to be announced in June.
Jeff DePaoli is an event producer and host living in Los Angeles. He graduated from Emerson College where he received a BFA in Theatre. He can be heard as the voice of Disney Trivia on Alexa as well as the host of “Dizney Coast to Coast” podcast, where he and his special guests share honest opinions on all things Disney. Get your FREE gifts of “America’s Hidden Mickeys,” “On the Rohde Again,” “Theme Park Comfort Kit” and more at DizneyCoastToCoast.com. DePaoli’s opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent Attractions Magazine.
