Wreck-It Ralph smashed box office records for a Disney animated film in its opening weekend, and won over critics and audiences no less. With its creativity, heart and passionate storytelling, Wreck-It Ralph signals Walt Disney Animation Studios is back in the game, so to speak. This edition of Disney In Depth will explore what has led up to this new hit for the studio, as well as what awaits.

Many individuals say the Disney Renaissance began with 1989’s The Little Mermaid, with following entries Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King reaching even greater heights – everyone seems to leave out the forgotten The Rescuers Down Under. Regardless, this represented a period of unparalleled imagination and inspiration within the studio, continuing for several years to follow. Then came the slump. Audiences were no longer interested in musicals, so it seemed, and Disney animation switched gears into the sci-fi realm with productions like Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet. Computer animation emerged, and with that advent Disney entered the new arena with misses like Chicken Little and the awkward-yet-smart Meet the Robinsons. None of these performed all that wonderfully. It had appeared as though Disney lost its touch. But the studio had some exciting developments up their sleeve.

The $10 t-shirt deal of the day over at TeeFury today is a mash-up of Labyrinth and Alice In Wonderland called “A Nice Cup of Tea” by Mandrie.

The sale began at Teefury today, Saturday, October 20, 2012, at midnight EST, and will continue for 24 hours from then, and once it’s over, it will not be sold on the site for $10 anymore, though it might continue into the next day for $13 (look for the After Hours bar at the top).

The most magical kingdoms on Earth are unfortunately not spared from mistakes taking place. Though the Disney theme parks, resorts and ships are almost perfect in every way in how they operate, every now and then a blunder or error temporarily disrupts the magic.

In this edition of Disney In Depth, I’ll provide some commentary on a variety of funny and regrettable videos found on YouTube that even make Goofy appear less clumsy.

More than a year ago, Walt Disney Records released a soundtrack to little fanfare within the general music community, but rightfully deserves some attention. Collect a bunch of famous Disney tunes and gather some jammin’ jazz artists. Spin the two together and your creation is an awesome assortment of standards breathing new energy. Here is my review of Disney Jazz Volume 1: Everybody Wants To Be A Cat.

1. “Ev’rybody Wants To Be A Cat” by Roy Hargrove: The Grammy-winning trumpeter lends his potent musical skills into mixing up this classic tune from The Aristocats. While the first minute or so of the five-minute cover closely resembles the jazzy piece, he then spins some impressive arrangements. I could imagine listening to this strong instrumentation in a coffeehouse or lounge. Though it steers off in a different direction for much of the entirety, Hargrove returns to the memorable theme toward the end.

2. “Chim Chim Cher-Ee” by Esperanza Spalding: The artist who prevailed over teen sensation Justin Bieber at the 2011 Grammys as the “Best New Artist” adeptly takes control over the Sherman Brothers’ legendary melody. The orchestration possesses a French flair, with some light piano and accordion in the background at different points. Spalding scats with beautiful range in this romantic version that still stirs up a chilling sensation. Guesses are that if Dick Van Dyke has heard Spalding’s take on the piece, he would be pretty proud.

The Wonderland Alphabet
Verse by Alethea Kontis
Illustrations by Janet K. Lee
Characters inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: June 20, 2012
Cover Price: $11.95

Lewis Carroll has long captured my imagination with his imaginative tales of Alice and her journeys into the rabbit hole. Being a dad, I have looked forward to the day when I can share these books with my daughter. Thanks to Archaia Entertainment I don’t have to wait as long as I suspected.

The Wonderland Alphabet is a simple, but beautiful retelling of the story of Alice. New York Times bestselling author Alethea Kontis has compressed the stories of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass into a format that is fun for the entire family without losing the imagination or enjoyment of the original stories. Starting with the letter “A” and working through the alphabet, each page retells the story of Alice using beautiful poetic language that perfectly captures the magic of the works this book is based on. Naturally Alice graces the first page at the letter “A,” but other favorite characters aren’t far behind with the Cheshire Cat at “C” and my personal favorite, the Jabberwocky at “J.”