Ortensia the Cat, a rare 1920’s Disney character, and her more well-known beau, Oswald the Rabbit, will be making an appearance during the Lunar New Year festival running from January 20 to February 15 at Disney California Adventure.
The Details
Ortensia and Oswald will be the official faces of the “Lunar New Year” festival at Disney California Adventure, as 2023 is the Year of the Cat in Vietnam, while it is the Year of the Rabbit in China and South Korea.
Ortensia and Oswald will make meet-and-greet appearances dressed in Lunar New Year attire in Disney California Adventure’s Paradise Gardens gazebo.
Oswald will wear custom embroidered shorts in rich golds with an ocean wave motif, and a matching hat. Ortensia will wear a golden skirt with lotus, apricot, and peach flowers inspired by the traditional Vietnamese ao dai gown, and a matching Vietnamese khan dong headpiece embroidered in reds, pinks and golds.
I hear they will take turns posing separately for photos and signing autographs during the month-long festival.
This will be Ortensia’s first appearance at a Disney theme park in the United States. She made her theme park debut as a meet-and-greet character in 2018 during the “Disney FanDaze” event at Disneyland Paris.
About Ortensia
While most Disney fans are familiar with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, few know about Ortensia.
She is an anthropomorphic cat who first appeared in the 1927 short film, “The Banker’s Daughter,” as the love interest of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
The film title referred to her being the daughter of wealthy banker J. P. Whiskers.
A joint creation by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks for Universal Pictures, Ortensia eventually faded into obscurity following a financial falling out with producer Charles Mintz that also sidelined Oswald.
And as Oswald was replaced by Mickey Mouse, Ortensia was replaced by Minnie Mouse.
Ortensia did have a bit of a renaissance in 2010, when she appeared in the “Epic Mickey” video game, along with its sequels and spin-off materials.
Ortensia is the oldest female Disney character that is still being used to this day.
About the Festival
The Lunar New Year Celebration takes place inside Disney California Adventure, and celebrates the traditions of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures with parades, Outdoor Kitchens with food and beverage samples, and, of course, plenty of Disney characters.
The festival is included with park admission, though food and beverage samples are an additional cost. A park reservation for that day and a valid form of admission are required to enter Disney California Adventure.
Are you excited about getting to meet Ortensia and Oswald during the festival? And which Walt Disney World park do you think should host a Lunar New Year Festival in 2024, and bring Ortensia and Oswald to the east coast? I’m thinking the Asia section in Disney’s Animal Kingdom would be perfect.
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