“Wish Upon a Star: The Art of Pinocchio” exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum! #pinocchiobluray #rogueoneevent #disney

When I was little my one of the first Disney movies I ever saw was Pinocchio. There used to be a movie theater where we would go. The showed 2 full feature movies and a Disney short. I remember because this was always a treat for us. I remember watching Pinocchio and loving it. It also was a little scary. But overall, I loved it. I have loved that movie ever since.

I was fortunate to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum  on my Rogue One press trip last month. During this time, the museum had a special exhibit called "Wish Upon a Star: The Art of Pinocchio" that was amazing.

We had a guided tour and were able to see and learn about how Pinocchio was made. The exhibition was created so visitors could discover the artistic process and step behind-the-scenes to explore how one of the most influential animated films in history was produced: Walt Disney’s 1940 feature-length masterpiece Pinocchio.

Disney Studio Artist, Pinocchio visual development, pencil on paper; collection of The Walt Disney Family Foundation, gift of Ron and Diane Miller, © Disney

The exhibition was Guest-curated by John Canemaker—an Academy Award®, Emmy Award, and Peabody Award-winning independent animator, animation historian, teacher, and author—this immersive exhibition invites the visitor to experience the production processes of the pre-digital era, providing a glimpse into how legendary animators worked and thought. Pinocchio inspired advances in character development and three-dimensional design, and the exhibition allows guests to enjoy the art created by the animators and designers of The Walt Disney Studios to create the stunning work featured in the film.

Gustaf Tenggren, Pinocchio concept art; collection of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, © Disney

The exhibition featured original artwork, memorabilia and photography. It was really a special treat to see how the movie was made. There were models and renderings that showed the progression of how the characters and story were made into the film. There were some interactive portions to the exhinition. I loved the artwork. To see the original artwork and the models used to map out the story was amazing.

Photograph of Vladimir Tytla; collection of the Walt Disney Family Foundation, © Disney

If you are ever in San Francisco, you need to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum. It is pretty amazing. As a Disney fan, you will be in heaven. You can see original artwork, early Mickey cartoons and memorabilia. There is storyboards and photos and concept art. The history is laid out beautifully. One of my favorite parts of he museum was the mini model of Disneyland. It was beautiful.

But there was so much more. The clips of early cartoons and artifacts are amazing. You can visit the Walt Disney Family Museum online at www.waltdisney.org.

If you haven't seen Pinocchio, it will be available on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere today and on Blu-ray/DVD on January 31.