For many years Tinker Bell had a huge following among Disney fans, but almost no merchandise featured the pint sized fairy. Eventually someone at Disney marketing figured out they were missing out on a steady line of guests willing to shell out for their favorite pixie. Since that moment (about the late 90s) Tink has been just about everywhere.
The culmination of this trend is the series of direct to DVD movies that are under production. The first came out last year and was actually a small gem of a story. The second is scheduled for this fall and looks to repeat the magic. Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com, but released October 27, 2009.
Tinker Bell Topiary greets guests as they enter Pixie Hollow (click on each image to expand).
Guests of EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival are in for a new kind of Disney fantasy when the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden magically immerses them in the enchantment of Tinker Bell and her friends as never before. The garden will be open as part of the festival which runs for 75 full days, March 18-May 31, this year.
The Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden is one of the most detailed creations ever dreamed up for Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival,. The lush and leafy play area showcases Tinker Bell, Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn, and Iridessa in the form of sparkling, detailed topiaries. The fairies’ tools and treasures—ingeniously crafted with objects they’ve found during visits to our world—adorn the serene setting.
After the opening ceremony Tink and her fellow Pixies play in the garden with the day’s honorary pixies (really Cast Member’s children).
Most wonderful of all, the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden offers kids plenty of “pixie power” with hands-on activities at Tinker’s Nook Workshop and the joy of exploring all the adventure they can imagine. Every day at 2 p.m. children are invited to dress in their favorite fanciful frocks and be part of a grand Fairy & Princess Processional through the colorful surroundings.
On March 21, special festivities commemorated the opening of the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden and the direct to DVD animated feature, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. The fun started with a kickoff celebration that included a visit from two-time Emmy-nominated director Klay Hall and producer Sean Lurie, who signed autographs and took photos with guests.
Newly appointed EPCOT Center Vice President Dan Cockerell greats guests at the ceremony. Director Klay Hall and producer Sean Lurie look on
These festivities and events, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden, will be among the bonus features to enjoy when Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure premieres in Fall 2009 on Disney Blu-Ray and DVD.
For more information about the 16th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, click on www.disneyworld.com/flower.
More photos from the Pixie Hollow Grand Opening Ceremony below the cut:
A few years ago John Lasseter swept into the Walt Disney Studios on the waves of the Pixar / Disney merger. Like Obama, Lasseter had a mandate. His mandate was to reform the culture of Walt Disney Feature Animation. Make it more like the successful culture up in Pixar, while still retaining that which is essential to Disney. Near the top of Lasseter’s list, end the direct to video sequels (aka cheapquels).
So why in the world has Disney released yet one more Direct to Video movie? And how could it involve one of Walt Disney’s more beloved and classic characters – Tinker Bell. How could you let that happen Uncle John?
Well, he let it happen because, hey turns out the idea was pretty good. It needed some tweaking, a real reworking, really. They had to upgrade from the ‘TV afternoon quality’ animation the movie started with, rework the story, rework it again, and again, and then suffer while all the merchandise that was created for the original release date hit the streets with no movie to tie-in too.
So the question is, was it worth it?
My answer is yes. “Tinker Bell” turns out to be a good movie. Yeah, they didn’t get Tinker Bell’s look or personality right. Yes, it’s computer animation, not hand drawn. But if you think of it as a re-launch, or an update to keep the character relevant, then they did a good job. In fact, if you can get over the fact that Tinker Bell speaks, you can easily overcome all the other changes that Pixie Hollow brings.
Some of those changes are good things. The story has heart, great characters, and a good message. You certainly can’t ask for more when you’re looking for good home entertainment from Disney. I guess that’s the reason the DVD is number one on the Amazon sales chart right now.
Now we hear that not only is the second Tinker Bell film well under way, a third film is being scripted. There’s a fourth and fifth film in the series if those two do well too. All this is part of the Walt Disney Company’s plan to make the Disney Fairies brand as big a money maker as the Disney Princess brand. I wish them luck.
She’s such a small little fairy, it’s hard to believe she could even make a splash, but the Disney Fairies lines is responsible for an estimated $800,000,000.00 (it’s looks so much bigger when you write it like that) in sales in 2008. Disney is hoping… Read More »Sales of Tinker Bell movie outperforming expectations
Tinker Bell and her Pixie Hollow Fairies made a very brief appearance at a media event this morning. I was only able to get this poor shot.
Sorry about that. Hopefully, we’ll get a better view in the coming days.All I could think was “thank god they don’t have those freaky masks like the Fairies in ‘Light Magic’ did.” As you can see, this might become one of Daddy’s favorite attractions at the parks.
The five fairies are taken from the upcoming Tinker Bell Movie that will be released on DVD October 29th. Their names are:
Tinker Bell, a tinker fairy;
Fawn, an animal fairy;
Iridessa, a light fairy;
Rosetta, a garden fairy; and
Silvermist, a water fairy.
“Tinker Bell,” Disney’s most famous fairy and four of her best friends will debut in a meet-and-greet experience in Mickey’s Toontown Fair at Magic Kingdom. The Pixie Hollow attraction is scheduled to open October 24th at Walt Disney World. Disneyland will get a slightly different version (it’s outdoor for one) that should open by early November.
The guest experience will be more than just the meet and greet. A magical forest will gradually shrink guests down to fairy size as they enter Pixie Hollow. As guests hear Tinker Bell speak for the first time, they also are sure to meet one or more of her fairy friends. Additionally there will be storytelling and other interactive experiences for guests.
Learn more about the Disney Fairies at DisneyFairies.com. I’ve also included two earlier press photos below the cut.
Mover over Jiminy Cricket, Tinker Bell wants in on your environmentality branding. Tink and her friends have joined forces with the Department of Energy to make a few TV ads and a website that will encourage kids to do such energy saving things as use… Read More »Tinker Bell & Friends Want You To Save Energy
