A new mural has been revealed by Disney that guests will see at The Villas at Disneyland Hotel when it opens one month from today. This mural is a one-of-a-kind piece of art and was created by Lorelay Bové. Bové was the associate production designer on Disney’s Encanto.
When The Villas at Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Resort opens its door on September 28th, guests will be able to explore this new Disney Vacation Club property and find this mural. Once they do, they will be able to check out all of the different references to different films from Walt Disney Animation Studios found in the mural. There are also plenty of hidden Mickey’s to be found as well! The mural really sets the feel for what guests will experience when they enter the 12-story DVC tower. The whole thing is will immerse guests in Walt Disney Animation Studios history and storytelling.
As for the artist, Lorelay Bové isn’t just the associate production designer for Disney’s Encanto. Her artwork and designs also can be found on Oscar®-winning films Big Hero 6 and Zootopia. She also worked on The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Winnie the Pooh and Wreck-It Ralph. She has also created illustrations for multiple Little Golden Books. Her artwork can be found in The Princess and the Frog, Toy Story: Ride ’em Cowboy! and Wrek-It-Ralph Little Golden Books. Bové has artwork that is featured at the New Orleans Museum of Art’s exhibition Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from The Walt Disney Studios, also in other art exhibits around the globe.
Ahead of the opening of The Villas at Disneyland Hotel, the Disney Parks Blog shared an interview with Lorelay Bové where she shared about the inspiration behind this beautiful mural and how it came into being.
What has been your experience working on the mural for The Villas at Disneyland Hotel?
It was an honor. In a way, the mural is a celebration of Disney Animation all in one image.
I thought, “Okay, how am I going to compose all these amazing movies that are cherished over the years by everyone?” and “How am I going to make it not overwhelming, so everything has its own vignette?” I wanted to have the characters in their own worlds, because I wanted to respect their worlds in their films. To me, that was important. When guests look at it, the viewer is immersed into each of the vignettes individually as they travel through the mural.
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel is inspired by the creative process artists experience when creating an animated film. What was the process like to bring this artwork to life?
First, I got a list of the movies that we wanted to showcase. Then, the first part of the process is thumbnailing. I started sketching vignettes and began to see how I could compose it to make them fit nicely — adding “The Lion King” here, and Mirabel from “Encanto” there. Of course, I was already thinking that characters, like Baymax from “Big Hero 6” or Sisu from “Raya and the Last Dragon,” could be flying. There are also iconic things from each movie in the mural. For example, in “Fantasia” you have Sorcerer Mickey up on that mountain, and that makes sense to be higher in the frame.
My partners were excited, and they asked me to add a few more characters. We added Star from “Wish” up on the hill above the mountain with Anna and Elsa from “Frozen.”
The next step was to create a color key by planning out the colors and seeing if everything fit together. There’s are a lot of green and turquoise. Then, you have a sunset that is placed throughout the whole sky — that was a way to tie everything together. Once the color is final, then I go in and paint everything!
There are so many different films represented in this piece. What is the most exciting part about bringing all these timeless Disney Animation stories together?
To me, it was revisiting each movie and enjoying those moments that are just so precious in each film. I grew up with Disney, like a lot of people, and being able to work on the newer films and celebrate past films was just a treat.
Are there any fun hidden gems in the mural that guests should look out for when they visit?
Yes! There are several “hidden Mickeys” scattered throughout the mural.
Do you have a favorite Disney Animation film you have worked on?
It’s so hard! I enjoyed the first movie I worked on, which was “The Princess and the Frog.” I loved the process of working on that film. “Encanto” was also something that I had a lot of passion about, and it turned out so beautifully. It was great to hear that the characters resonated with all people and felt like they were seen.
What does being part of The Villas at Disneyland Hotel mean to you?
It makes me really happy to hear that the Disney Animation legacy continues – and there’s no other studio that has that legacy. It goes way back generations. People get to enjoy their vacation in a Disney environment, and that’s special.
This role is a dream. I always tell everyone that this isn’t work for me, it’s what I would do on my own time. I’m very lucky!
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel officially opens to guests on September 28, 2023. More information about this new Disney Vacation Club property can be found at TheVillasAtDisneylandHotel.com. More information about Disney Vacation Club can be found at DisneyVacationClub.com.
What do you think of this new mural? Is there any part of it that is your favorite? Is there anything on it that stands out to you? What do you think of the story behind the mural from Lorelay Bové? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
