Coming Up: Disney Animation Yesterday and Today

Disney finally found the balance between their classic fairy tales and the 21st century culture of CGI and smart-alecky humor with "Tangled," their spunky take on Rapunzel. It's the studio's 50th animated feature and their first to arrive day and date on DVD and Blu-ray editions (as well as digital download), which is set for March 29.

While DVD will feature two alternate openings, the Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack comes with extended versions of two songs, deleted scenes and a making-of featurette, and a 4-Disc Blu-ray+DVD Combo will feature the 3D Edition (for viewer equipped with 3D capable TVs and players).

March 1, meanwhile, is the date for "Bambi: Diamond Edition," the Blu-ray debut of one of Disney's animation crown jewels. The film will be available exclusively in Blu-ray+DVD Combo pack at first, with a standard edition DVD to follow on April 19.

Disney, of course, knows how to shepherd their animation library through special edition releases and this is no different. Here, from the press release, is the announced list of extras:

Bonus Features:

Backstage Disney:

• Inside Walt’s Story Meetings-Enhanced Edition - A fascinating, multi-tiered, interactive story-telling experience. Go back in time with dramatic voice re-enactments of the moments with Walt that led to the creation of this classic film.

• 2 Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes

• Deleted Song: “Twitterpated”

• Blu-ray Galleries—A collection of the extraordinary images originally created as part of the design process for BAMBI.

 

Family Play: Games & Activities:

• Disney’s Big Book of Knowledge: BAMBI Edition— An interactive educational gaming experience that uses the film as a learning tool. Players can customize their own Big Book of Knowledge and learn all about forest creatures, seasons and more! Each time a player completes a task, they are rewarded with new stickers to decorate their Big Book of Knowledge.

 

Digital Exclusive:

• The Golden Age

 

Classic DVD Bonus Features:

• The Making Of BAMBI: A Prince Is Born—A comprehensive look at the making of BAMBI covers the story, the characters, the actors, the art design, the music and the history of Walt Disney’s classic film using behind the scenes footage, production stills, animation, artwork and multiple interviews with performers and behind the scenes participants.

• Tricks of the Trade (excerpt)—In an episode from the 1957 Disneyland TV show, Walt narrates the story of the multiplane camera, an animation innovation crucial to the production of BAMBI.

• Inside the Disney Archives—Disney Supervising Animator Andreas Deja guides viewers through Disney’s Animation Research Library, where artwork from past Disney animated feature films is stored, including early story sketches of Bobo the rabbit,” (who became Thumper), glass paintings made for the multiplane camera and more.

• The Old Mill—Winner of the 1937 Academy Award® for Best Short Subject/Cartoon, The Old Mill was a testing ground for several techniques critical to Walt’s artistic vision for BAMBI, including the multiplane camera, animating realistic animals and experimenting with such natural occurrences such as wind, rain and lightning.

• DisneyPedia: Bambi’s Forest Friends