Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has officially announced and detailed the Blu-ray release of Bambi, which as previously reported (see Blu-ray.com, November 5) will come out in a Diamond Edition BD/DVD pack on March 1, 2011. This will be the first Disney BD with the new "Second Screen" technology, which according to the studio "will further transform the at-home movie watching experience by empowering viewers with the ability to engage with film content on multiple media platforms and bring them to life in their own hands at the touch of a button."
By simply 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 fun interactive elements like animated flipbooks, galleries, photos, trivia and more.
Complete special features include:
Inside Walt's Story Meetings-Enhanced Edition (new): A 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 (new)
Deleted song: "Twitterpated" (new)
Blu-ray Galleries (new)
Disney's Big Book of Knowledge: Bambi Edition (new)— 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 and more. Each time a player completes a task, they are rewarded with new stickers to decorate their Big Book of Knowledge.
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 with performers 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
Note: the out-of-scale artwork leaked earlier is final.
You know what's funny? I used to get all excited about these classic Disney announcements and amazed at the depth of content they included. Now, I expect it and aren't so amazed anymore.
I'm so confident of Disney, that I already know that I could buy every future title, sight unseen and be satisfied.
Actually Disney will release FIVE titles not 4 as no doubt "Tangled" will get a Blu release in '11 as well...and then there's "The Incredibles" too...make room on the shelf for 6 cool animated films!
I Hope they include all the old special features from the DVD, including the films trailers, on the disc. If they put them in BD-Live's Disney's Virtual Vault like they did with Fantasia, I won't buy it. Fantasia felt like a near complete rip-off because of that. I hate BD-Live, worst thing to happen to home entertainment.
$10 coupon will come around again for owners of the DVD so we won't have to wait for shipping Also, MovieStop has a $10 coupon right now in stores for when you pre-order.
Too bad this one ain't quite yet hitting 3D blu-ray:( but I'm surely positive it will sometime in the future and I'll wait patiently for the 4-disc 3D blu-ray combo pack:)
I'm going to play the devil's advocate here: In the movie Bambi, first the animals are anthropomorphized so the audience relates to them and loves them, and then the film kills Bambi's mother. This film has probably caused more kids to wind up on psychiatrists' couches than any other in movie history.
I always wonder what little kids are thinking when they see animated films like this for the first time. Do they believe that animals can really talk? Does it confuse them?
But having said that, for better or worse, it is of course a "classic" and I see why many people would want to own it.
Also, MovieStop has a $10 coupon right now in stores for when you pre-order. 
