New for the upcoming D23 Expo 2019, The Walt Disney Archives returns with “Walt Disney Archives Presents Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume.” This 12,000 square foot exhibit features more than 70 costumes from 55 years of Disney movies and TV shows.
Through the entrance, fans will first find Cinderella’s Workshop, a display of the classic princess’ dresses from several Disney incarnations. Disney reimaginings of Cinderella include 1997’s Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, starring Brandy; Annie Leibovitz’s 2007 Disney Dream Portrait series; 2014’s Into the Woods; the live-action reimagining Cinderella, 2015, starring Lily James; and ABC’s Once Upon a Time.
After this magical section, the main gallery is further divided into “Disney Heroes,” “Disney Villains,” and “Spaces Between.” The “Disney Heroes” section includes costumes from 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, this year’s live-action Aladdin, and a collection of Mary Poppins “traveling dresses.” These come from three different Poppins productions – 1964 original, 2019’s Mary Poppins Returns, and the Broadway musical.
In “Disney Villains,” fans will get some fun nostalgia with the three witch costumes of 1993’s Hocus Pocus and the classic Bette Davis’ costume from 1978’s Return from Witch Mountain. Of course, the will be more modern villains’ outfits, too, like the two stepsisters’ dresses from Cinderella (2015) and much more.
And then there is the “Spaces Between.” Disney describes this section as a display for “antiheroes” whose stories and journeys create characters that are “among Disney’s most complex.” In other words, characters whose hero vs villain alignment might not be so clear. This section will feature Maleficent’s gown from the 2014 origin story film and Once Upon a Time‘s Evil Queen and Hook costumes.
In addition to this huge gallery featuring award-winning costume designers (Colleen Atwood, Tony Walton, and Penny Rose, to name a few), Disney is also releasing the exhibit art in book form. The Art of Disney Costuming: Heroes, Villains, and Spaces Between comes out in September, but D23 Expo attendees will have access to exclusive advanced copies.
D23 Expo 2019 is nearly sold out. Single day tickets for Friday and Sunday are still available ($89 adult, $69 child for non-Gold Members; $77 adult and $59 child for Gold Members). Find out more about the upcoming Disney convention HERE.
