As another year comes to a close, here at Oh My Disney we like to take a look back at all of the things that made our Disney hearts soar. This year has been so full of amazing Disney moments that it’s really difficult to narrow it down, but after careful consideration we have. Take a look back at these delightful gifts of Disney magic from 2016:
1. We felt joy as Inside Out won an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
We absolutely fell in love with Inside Out and were thrilled to see it win the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film and the Oscar for Best Animated Film. One of the coolest things was seeing Buzz and Woody from Toy Story present the Oscar for Best Animated film!
2. Shanghai Disneyland opened and took our breath away.
The newest Disney Park had us absolutely in awe of its gorgeous detail and new experiences. With amazing new hotels and a new Toy Story Land on the way, we could not stop staring at the gorgeous photos of these brand new attractions.
3. We dove back into the ocean with Finding Dory and also met “Piper.”
And are still squealing over the cuteness of Baby Dory. With new amazing characters like Hank, Gerald, Becky, and of course return favorites Marlin, Nemo, and Crush, Finding Dory packed a message of conquering your fears, and finding your way home, wherever that may be. Plus, we were introduced to the adorable “Piper,” the accompanying short film shown before Finding Dory. And let’s not forget when it was announced that Hank appears in every Disney•Pixar film aka a Pixar April Fools’ Day joke for the ages. We absolutely cannot wait to see more Disney•Pixar magic when Toy Story 4 and Cars 3 hit theaters.
4. We watched the Hercules side by side video of “Zero to Hero” on repeat.
In a rare look at how one of our favorite songs from Hercules went from storyboard to final frame, Oh My Disney revealed this side by side of “Zero to Hero.” We are still dancing along to it!
5. We joined #TeamCap and #TeamIronMan in Captain America: Civil War and things got turned upside down with Doctor Strange.
It was hard to take sides when two of our favorite Avengers, Captain America and Iron Man, were at odds, but everyone had to make a choice. The result was an epic battle that had us on the edge of our seats. Later in the year, we also got to see what Thor was up to during Captain America: Civil War in this hilarious video that everyone needs to see. Most recently, we were introduced to Doctor Strange and the concept of astral-projection. Our minds were blown. We can’t wait to see more of the Marvel world with Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in 2017.
6. The animated classic Beauty and the Beast had its 25th anniversary and Angela Lansbury sang the theme song.
We have so much love for this animated classic and our hearts were full when we heard Angela Lansbury sing the theme song absolutely flawlessly. It was the perfect tribute to the tale as old as time.
7. We learned more about the upcoming live-action retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
We could not get enough of the news revealing more about the live-action retelling of this classic! We cried at the teaser trailer, we stared at the new images in awe, and we cried again at this look at the table read with Emma Watson (Belle) and Dan Stevens (Beast). It’s going to be so magical and we can’t wait for March 17! Luckily Instagram takeovers like this one from the Beauty and the Beast cast are giving us life until then.
8. The Little Mermaid Live in Concert enchanted us at the Hollywood Bowl.
There were so many memorable moments in this show. First of all, the cast was amazing: Sara Bareilles as Ariel, Rebel Wilson as Ursula, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, John Stamos as Chef Louis, Norm Lewis as King Triton, and Darren Criss as Prince Eric. Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel, even reprised her role for one of the performances! With the animated film playing in the background as the live orchestra accompanied the performers, it was a magical weekend that we’ll never forget.
9. We celebrated Mickey Mouse’s birthday!
Of course Mickey Mouse celebrated his birthday in the most epic way, by dancing around the world in this adorable video. We were saying #HappyBirthdayMickey all day!
10. The Epcot international Food & Wine Festival delighted us with dishes from around the world.
The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is nothing short of a dream. We set out on a mission to try all of the food and sweet treats, and it was so much fun. We’ll be adding this on our list of travel plans every year.
11. Disney Channel celebrated the 100th DCOM with an epic marathon.
There are so many amazing Disney Channel Original movies, and we got to relive them all on Disney Channel this year, culminating in the 100th DCOM, Adventures in Babysitting. So much nostalgia, so many catchphrases. Cetus Lapetus! Oh and we got to meet the Lawrence Brothers and play DCOM Would You Rather with them. Dreams do come true.
12. We got our first look at DuckTales, coming to Disney XD.
And we couldn’t be more excited to see what’s in store for our favorite adventurous ducks! Our nostalgia levels will be on high alert until further notice.
13. There were countless new things to explore at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and on Disney Cruise Line.
Every year we look forward to new experiences and attractions at Disney Parks, and this year was full of them! We spent the entire year in constant excitement and anticipation, and with tons of Disney magic. From frightful fun at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World and Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland, to holiday cheer at the Magic Kingdom, to brand new experiences on the Disney Wonder including Frozen, A Musical Spectacular, we were full of smiles. We also saw new attractions like Frozen Ever After at Epcot and Soarin’ Around the World at both Disney California Adventure and Epcot. Add in brand new shows like Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World Resort and World of Color – Season of Light at Disney’s California Adventure in Disneyland Resort, and our Disney hearts were soaring!
14. Zootopia brought us Judy Hopps and Moana sailed into our hearts.
We’ll always be grateful for the delightful characters Zootopia introduced us to, like Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and of course, Clawhauser. This movie made us feel like we could do anything. More recently, the beautiful animated film Moana taught us about following our hearts, and paving our own path in life. It made us laugh, and it made us cry. A lot. We were thrilled to hear that Zootopia scored a spot on AFI’s top 10 and both Moana and Zootopia were nominated for Golden Globe awards! Well deserved—we couldn’t be more proud.
15. We saw amazing Disney and Disney•Pixar inspired art at Gallery Nucleus.
Oh My Disney partnered with Disney Fine Art, Gallery Nucleus, and Cyclops Print Works, as well as Walt Disney Disney Animation and Pixar to bring you art inspired by Gravity Falls (the amazing Disney XD show we said farewell to this year), the Disney films of Ron Clements and John Musker, and the films of Pixar.
16. To celebrate Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Death Star was projected onto Spaceship Earth at Epcot in Walt Disney World.
No big deal, just a casual Death Star takeover. This was one of the coolest things we have ever seen, and was accompanied by an announcement of more Star Wars experiences coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is right on the tail of the new image of the Star Wars Land coming to Walt Disney World, which was rolled out at D23’s Destination D. Honestly, we could make a whole list of the amazing Star Wars news this year. We were also first in line to see the amazing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on December 16 and will be going to see it on repeat until further notice!
We think it’s safe to say that 2016 was an amazing year to be a Disney fan.
What was your favorite Disney moment from 2016? Tell us in the comments!
