BEFORE THE โ€œTALE AS OLD AS TIMEโ€ HITS THEATERS THIS MARCH, EMMA WATSON, JOSH GAD, AND ACADEMY AWARDยฎ-WINNING DIRECTOR BILL CONDON TAKE DISNEY TWENTY-THREE BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE ELABORATE, LIVE-ACTION MUSICAL.

PLUS, THE EXCLUSIVE 40TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION OF THE NEW MICKEY MOUSE CLUB, A PREVIEW OF THE UPCOMING GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY FILM AND ATTRACTION, AND A PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN CELEBRATION.

Transforming one of the most beloved animated films of all time into a live-action feature, complete with elaborate sets, extravagant costumes, vibrant musical numbers, and dazzling special effects, is no easy task. But thatโ€™s exactly what director Bill Condon has done with Beauty and the Beast, which arrives in theaters March 17. โ€œWhen a musical works and you feel that kind of thrill of taking off, I think itโ€™s like nothing else,โ€ says Condon who, along with stars Emma Watson (Belle) and Josh Gad (LeFou), reveals to Disney twenty-three the unique challenges they faced and the heartfelt moments they experienced when creating this sumptuous new film.

The spring issue, exclusively for Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, also features a look behind the scenes with Chris Pratt and Kurt Russell at the making of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as well as an interview with Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, who describes in detail the thrills and excitement that await guests on Guardians of the Galaxyโ€”Mission: BREAKOUT!โ€”coming to Disney California Adventure later this year.

Plus, actors Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi talk exclusively with Disney twenty-three about Tangled: The Series, and the hair-raising good time theyโ€™ve had stepping back into the roles of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider (now known as Eugene). Disney twenty-three looks at five incredible decades of Pirates of the Caribbean, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer offers readers a sneak peek at Mayโ€™s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. And the Mouseketeers from The New Mickey Mouse Club come together 40 years later to look back on their fun and funkadelic โ€™70s-era show.

Also included in the spring issue of Disney twenty-three:

  • A celebration of the Main Street Electrical Paradeโ€™s 45th anniversary, as it returns to its original home at Disneyland Park
  • The wonder and beauty of Disneynatureโ€™s newest film, Born in China
  • A peek at whatโ€™s to come during the 25th anniversary of Disneyland Paris
  • Eleven cool experiences you may not have known about at Walt Disney World Resort
  • A look inside the newly renovated Walt Disney Animation Studios headquarters
  • Regular features including A Walk with Walt, D Society, and Ask Dave

And readers will get a look at the 2017 D23 Gold Member Gift, โ€œWalt Disneyโ€™s Nine Old Men.โ€ The gift, sent to D23 Gold Members who join or renew for 2017, includes 23 meticulously reproduced itemsโ€”including beautiful artworkโ€”that represent the work and legacy of the nine animators who created some of Disneyโ€™s most enduring characters. More on the gift is available at D23.com/NineOldMen.

Disney twenty-three, which is delivered directly to fansโ€™ doorsteps, is offered exclusively to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members as a benefit of their membership. The latest issue will begin arriving in mid-February.