Bambi Coming to Blu-ray in March via Diamond Edition

Disney’s animated classics continue to make their way to Blu-ray, as Disney today announced that Bambi Diamond Edition will release on Blu-ray on March 1, 2011. In addition to HD imagery, the Blu-ray edition of Bambi Diamond Edition will include a few Blu-ray exclusive bonus features too. Most interesting, though, is that Disney’s Diamond Edition of Bambi will release on Blu-ray a full seven weeks before the standard-def DVD version.

You can click here to pre-order Bambi Diamond Edition on Blu-ray from Amazon: Bambi Diamond Edition Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack.

The new BAMBI Diamond Edition will be available as a 2-Disc Disney Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) for $39.99. The standard-definition DVD version of Bambi will not appear in stores until April 19, 2011.

Disney’s new “Second Screen” technology, which is being introduced on the Bambi Diamond Edition, will let viewers engage with film content on multiple media platforms with the touch of a button. By downloading the new Disney Second Screen App onto an internet-connected computer or iPad and synching it to the movie, consumers will instantly be able to dive deeper into the film by engaging with interactive elements like animated flipbooks, galleries, photos and trivia.

The bonus features for Bambi Diamond Edition on Blu-ray include:

• • Inside Walt’s Story Meetings-Enhanced Edition — A fascinating, multi-tiered, interactive story-telling experience. Go back in time with dramatic voice re-enactments of the moments with Walt that led to the creation of this classic film.
  • Two Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes
  • Deleted Song: “Twitterpated”
  • Blu-ray Galleries — A collection of the extraordinary images originally created as part of the design process for Bambi

Backstage Disney

• • Disney’s Big Book of Knowledge: BAMBI Edition — An interactive educational gaming experience that uses the film as a learning tool. Players can customize their own Big Book of Knowledge and learn all about forest creatures, seasons andmore! Each time a player completes a task, they are rewarded with new stickers to decorate their Big Book of Knowledge.

Family Play: Games & Activities

• • The Golden Age

Digital Exclusive

• • The Making Of Bambi: A Prince Is Born — A comprehensive look at the making of Bambi covers the story, the characters, the actors, the art design, the music and the history of Walt Disney’s classic film using behind the scenes footage, production stills, animation, artwork and multiple interviews withperformers and behind the scenes participants.
  • Tricks of the Trade (excerpt) — In an episode from the 1957 Disneyland TV show, Walt narrates the story of the multiplane camera, an animation innovation crucial to the production of Bambi.
  • Inside the Disney Archives — Disney Supervising Animator Andreas Deja guides viewers through Disney’s Animation Research Library, where artwork from past Disney animated feature films is stored, including early story sketches of Bobo the rabbit,” (who became Thumper), glass paintings made for the multiplane camera and more.
  • The Old Mill — Winner of the 1937 Academy Award for Best Short Subject/Cartoon, The Old Mill was a testing ground for several techniques critical to Walt’s artistic vision for Bambi, including the multiplane camera, animating realistic animals and experimenting with such natural occurrences such as wind, rain and lightning.
  • DisneyPedia: Bambi’s Forest Friends

Classic DVD Bonus Features