Three days ago, Disney Animation Studio’s 52nd feature, Wreck-It Ralph, debuted in theaters at the top of the domestic box office, earning $49 million domestically and a total of $61 million worldwide. The film was released only four weeks after Disney’s last animated feature, the stop-motion Frankenweenie from director Tim Burton.

Promotional image for Disney Animation Studio's Wreck-It-Ralph, image copyright Disney

Even since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) defied expectations with its wildly successful theatrical debut, critics have predicted the demise of Disney animated films. Walt Disney Animation Studios has suffered setbacks several times over its 80 year history, from suspended animation during World War II, to the studio’s decline in quality and popularity in the 1970s, to the massive layoff of animation staff in 2000.

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In the fall of 2009, the Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion dollars, transferring control of Marvel’s comic book and movie library to Disney, along with a library of 5,000 characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Daredevil, and Captain America.

Logos from Various Marvel Superhero Franchises

This summer, Disney released the blockbuster megahit, Marvel’s The Avengers (2012), which grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide, and the studio has several more Marvel films in production, including Iron Man 3 (2013), sequels to Thor (2013), Captain America (2014), and The Avengers (2015), and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), a film starring that OTHER team of Marvel superheros: Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Gamora. Never heard of them? Me either!

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If you thought Winnie the Pooh couldn’t get any cuter than the original illustrations by E. H. Shepard or the classic Disney animated films, wait till you see the playful shorts that bring plushie Winnie the Pooh and friends magically to life.

Winnie the Pooh Smackerels play on the big screen at the Disney Store in Times Square

Not long after the grand opening of the flagship Disney Store in Times Square, NYC, I found myself standing in the middle of the busy pedestrian plaza, completely enthralled by the cutest short video ever made – ever – as it played on the gigantic digital screen outside the store.

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Halloween is fast approaching, and it’s the one time a year that goblins, ghouls, witches, and monsters are fully embraced – and even celebrated – as part of a long, collective history of superstition and supernatural beliefs. And with these imaginary creatures comes a host of fictional and real-life villains as some of the most popular trick-or-treating costumes, sure to scare up a bag full of treats.

Dolls in the Disney Villains Designer Collection by artist Steve Thompson, image copyright Disney

The Walt Disney Company may be most famous for a friendly talking mouse and fairy tale princesses, but Disney has its fair share of villains too. Largely ignored in most merchandise, these evil-doers are finally getting their due in the exclusive Disney Villains Designer Collection.

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Three out of six finalists made it to Make Your Mark‘s Sunday night results show, and the ultimate winners were pint-size powerhouses DJ’s Mix who beat Starley and Chris and Team Identity to win featured performances as Spotlight Dancers on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up.

Congratulations to DJ's Mix, winners of the 2012 Make Your Mark competition, image copyright Disney

Based on Blogging Disney’s completely unofficial (and completely unscientific) poll results, DJ’s Mix were the clear favorites following Friday night’s competition. They had a commanding lead over the other competitors with 72% of the votes, much like last year’s poll winners, AKSquared (45% of the votes), who also won the first-ever Make Your Mark competition.

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