No D23 Expo? Try the Disneyana Fan Club Convention

Did you have a great time at last year’s D23 Expo, you’ll have to wait at least another year for that to return. But you do have the opportunity to enjoy a Disney Fan convention with many years of history putting on a great show every July. The Disneyana Fan Club (formerly known as NFFC) has arranged another wonderful convention for Disney fans everywhere.

From July 13th – July 18th at the Crown Plaza Resort just down the street from Disneyland in Garden Grove you can enjoy four days of seminars, the chance to meet those who make the magic for Disney, and the Saturday Show and Sale where you can pick up just about any piece of Disneyana you’ve been looking for your collection.

Some of this year’s presenters will include, legendary Disney cartoonist Floyd Norman, Willie Ito, whose career in Disney animation harkens back to the famous Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene, the McKim family, noted Disney blogger Jim Hill, themed entertainment industry leader Gary Goddard, Imagineers Kim Irvine, and Tony Baxter, and the amazing and truly unforgettable June Foray.

Complete event details from the Disneyana Fan Club below the cut:

We’re Having a Party and Want All of You to Come……..
When: July 13 – July 18
Where: Crowne Plaza Resort
12021 Harbor Boulevard
Garden Grove, California92840-4001

Register now as prices increase July 1st.
Current Price until July 1, $360. July 1 and After $390.
Price includes All seminars, 4 Meal functions and Priority entrance to the All Disneyana Show and Sale.
Registration available at www.NFFC.org

Schedule of Events:

Tuesday July 13
The NFFC/Disneyana Fan Club opening welcome reception dinner will be a Bayou Mardi Gras party with guests of honor from “Princess and the Frog”, Jennifer Cody, the voice of Charlotte, Princess of Mardi Gras and Michael Leon Wooley, the voice of Louis the Jazz Musician Alligator. As befitting a true Mardi Gras party, the dinner will consist of jambalaya, red beans, and rice followed by beignets for dessert.

Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite Disney costume or any costume they choose. Following dinner, there will be a Meet and Greet and Sign and Sell by our guests of honor. You may bring your own items for personalization but there is a charge for their autographs.

Wednesday July 14
Dream: A Collectors Brunch for Ryman Arts with guests Diane Brigham, Executive Director of Ryman Arts, Marty Sklar- Disney Legend and President of the Board of Directors for Ryman Arts, Tom Sito- Disney animator and Annie Award recipient of the June Foray Award.
Welcome Promptness Drawing
Richard Karft- Finding Kraftland
Lisa Bell of Smoke Tree Ranch
Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily- Disneyland 55th Special Collectibles
Chapters Representative Meeting
Chapters Member of the Year Reception
Hospitality Suite/ GKTW Fundraiser hosted by Orlando and Daytona Chapters

Thursday July 15
Jim Hill -A Look at the Sideways Disneyland That Never Was
Welcome Promptness Drawing
Willie Ito – Disney Daze
Floyd Norman (Disney Legend) – The Good Old Days…. Again
The McKim Family- Their Extensive Disney Careers
Pam Burns, Nancy Rodrigue, Tom Sito- Authors Panel
Fantasiamania – Celebration Banquet with Bill Farmer, the official Voice of Goofy since 1987 and a Disney Legend, entertaining. Bill is a professional stand up comedian.
Hospitality Suite

Friday July 16
Rick Farmiloe- Living the Documentary “Waking Sleeping Beauty”
If anyone has seen the Don Hahn documentary “Waking Sleeping Beauty”, a must see is hearing from an animator, who lived that time, Rick Farmiloe. He will be showing a half hour video of footage of the animators acting out their frustration, prior to the Renaissance, by masking themselves and taking hostages with guns at the trailers, where they had been banished. Not only is Rick talented, but also interesting and has been likened to a younger, slimmer Elvis Presley.

Tony Baxter, Kim Irvine and Josh Shipley, the art director on Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln- will discuss Disneyland’s Mr. Lincoln remount and The Disney Gallery reopening.

June Foray- A Career of Character Voices
An Hour with The Legendary June Foray, who has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We will hear about her life and her career. She may entertain us with some of her voices, such as Rocky, the flying squirrel from Rocky and Bullwinkle, Lucifer’s meow from Cinderella, or Grandmother Fa in Mulan, amongst a few of her voices.

NFFC-Disneyana Fan Club Legends Luncheon:
This year’s honorees are:
Mark Henn- Legendary Marc Davis was called “The Ladies Man” as Walt always assigned him the task of animating the heroines, including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, Tinker Belle and Cruella De Ville (though she was no heroine!). Another Mark, Mark Henn, has inherited that name as he is assigned the same task and has animated Belle, Mulan, Princess Jasmine and most recently, Princess Tiana in “Princess and the Frog”, to name a few. At the NFFC-Disneyana Fan Club’s annual luncheon on Friday July 16, Mark will be honored as an NFFC-Disneyana Fan Club Legend.

Eddie Carroll, the official voice of beloved Jiminy Cricket since 1973, will be honored posthumously. Eddie passed away April 6, 2010, and his wife, Carolyn, will accept the award for him. Eddie also appeared as Jack Benny in a one man show and was a regular on the Don Knotts Show.

Representing the realm of Imagineering, Wayne Jackson, will also be honored. Wayne was the director for theme park development, manufacturing, and installation of show and ride equipment for 21 years. He worked on all the theme parks up through the opening of Tokyo DisneySea, holding a variety of jobs, including creating figures for the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom and directing the installation of all shows and rides for Tokyo Disneyland. He also established the first show quality programs for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Disneyland.

Last but not least, Miriam Nelson will be honored. She was hired by Walt Disney himself to be the choreographer for the opening day ceremonies of Disneyland, then choreographed some of the first dance numbers for the world-famous Golden Horseshoe Revue and was also the choreographer for Disney on Parade, a stage show that was performed in 26 cities throughout the United States and Canada.

Hospitality Suite

Saturday July 17
Disneyland’s 55th Birthday
Group Photo and Foot Rally
Mouse Planet will be celebrating its 10th anniversary at the Anaheim Crowne Plaza Resort. Their special guest will be Charles Phoenix, one of our Club favorites. Tickets are $25 per person and details can be found at www.mouseplanet.com.

Sunday July 18
All Disneyana Show and Sale, open first to convention attendees, then other members, and later also open to the Public.
Vendors will bring their unique and Disney collectables for sale, including exclusive PINS!!!!!!
Included will be:
Margaret Kerry (original model for Tinker Belle) will bring pictures to autograph but will also sign items brought by guests.
Bill Farmer (official Voice of Goofy and Pluto) will bring pictures to autograph but will also sign items brought by guests.
Willie Ito
Floyd Norman (Disney Legend)
Tom Sito (Annie Award Recipient)
The McKim Family
Mickey’s of Glendale will bring their popular Imagineering items.
A first time participant will be The Animation Guild, bringing animation artwork to sell to benefit Disney animator Pres Romanillos, who is on his second round of chemo for leukemia. Pres was the supervising animator of Shan Yu, the villain in Mulan, and has worked on several Disney animated films.