General
A JimHillMedia exclusive: Your first look at “Project Gemini”
Be among the first to find out what Walt Disney Imagineering really has in store for Epcot's Future World section … or should I say Epcot's new Discoveryland section?
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The dictionary defines “Gemini” as
A constellation in the Northern Hemsiphere. The third sign of the Zodia. A remarkable event; an omen.
Given all three of these meanings, I have to assume that the Imagineers had the third definition in mind when they opted to name their Future World redo “Project Gemini.” For — if WDI’s plans for this extremely ambitious revamp of the front half of Epcot actually does come to pass — they will have accomplished something truly remarkable. Which is to fundamentally change how WDW guests will experience this part of the Park.
How big a change are we actually talking about here? Well, let’s start with the name of that the Imagineers initially came up with for this part of the Park: Future World. As of October 1, 2006, that name will be a thing of the past. From that point forward, the front half of Epcot will be known as Discoveryland.
Why “Discoveryland?” To be honest, this name change is mostly coming about because the Walt Disney Company is tired of flushing millions of dollars down the drain in its attempts to keep Future World futuristic. So — since the Mouse has spent the last couple of years trying to position Epcot as “The Discovery Park at Walt Disney World” — the Imagineers thought: “What the hey. Why don’t we just make this message extremely clear to the public by renaming the front park of the Park ‘Discoveryland’? Then we won’t have to keep struggling to keep all of Future World’s exhibits continually on the leading edge of science.”
Of course, in order to sell the public on Future World’s brand new name, it’ll be necessary to give Epcot’s Discoveryland a bold new look. WDI plans to do this by tearing out much of the neon and the expanses of concrete that make up the heart of this part of the Park and replacing them with trees. Hundreds and hundreds of trees.
The idea behind this part of the redo is to change Epcot’s Discoveryland into a lush, green environment. Not the sterile, beige “Future as designed by Republicans” that EPCOT Center’s original design team dreamed up for Future World. But something more along the lines of the “Montana of the future” that Disney CEO Michael Eisner tried to sell to the Imagineers as his vision of what Disneyland’s New Tomorrowland should look like.
Though — truth be told — I think that this reinvention of Epcot’s Future World section owes a lot more to the Imagineers’ original plans for the Disneyland Resort’s second gate, rather than Disneyland itself. How many of you out there remember WDI’s plans for Westcot Center? Specifically the lush, green island that was supposed to have served as the base of Spacestation Earth?
Picture that sort of environment … but now on a grand scale. Encompassing all of Epcot’s Future World. Flowers, shrubs and trees everywhere. Curving pathways in and around all of the pavilions in this part of the Park. Not a straight line to be seen anywhere. With the “Fountain of Nations” still presenting elaborate water pageants every 15 minutes.
Wanna take a tour of this radically revamped part of Epcot? Okay. Let’s start by having you take a quick look at that “Epcot Discoveryland” map that serves as the central illustration for this article — you can click the image to the right to see it full sized — then you can meet me at the main entrance of “The Discovery Park of Walt Disney World” circa October 1, 2006.
As we push our way through the turnstiles, you’ll notice that things really don’t look all that different. At first. After all, Spaceship Earth still towers over the main entrance plaza.
But — as you get closer to that golf-ball-on-steroids — you suddenly realize that you’re no longer able to walk under the left side of Spaceship Earth. That area has now all been enclosed. It serves as the pre-show / queue area for the new attraction that’s now housed inside the geodesic sphere. Not to mention providing some much needed retail space for the radically expanded Gateway Gifts.
So what’s the name of the exciting new attraction that will zooming around inside Spaceship Earth once October 2006 rolls around? “Time Racers,” Epcot’s latest and greatest thrill ride, sponsored by Microsoft.
And what’s “Time Racers” supposed to be like? More importantly, what’s this attraction supposed to be about? Well, you can say “good-bye” to that herky-jerky omni-mover trip through the Ages of Man that AT&T used to sponsor. The next attraction to make its home inside “The Ball” will literally send Epcot visitors racing across time. Using time lapse photography as well as cutting edge technology, the Imagineers hope to give WDW guests the impression that they’re fast-forwarding through all of human history. Rocketing forward from the time when we were all still living in caves right up today’s modern age … and beyond.
By eyeballing “Time Racers” site plan, you’ll note that the attraction’s ride vehicle is actually supposed to exit the show building and — just like at GM Test Track — take a quick spin outside before it comes to rest in the post-show area. Which will now be housed in the “Global Neighborhood” area of the old “Spaceship Earth” complex.
Now some of you may be asking “Why change Spaceship Earth?” The short answer is: Because this ride — which many folks consider to be the thesis attraction for the entire theme park — hasn’t really changed since EPCOT Center first opened up back in October of 1982. Oh, sure. Spaceship Earth’s narration (and narrator) has been changed several times. And the ride’s finale got radically revamped back in the mid-1990s. But beyond that, this omni-mover based attraction has pretty much stayed the same for the past 20+ years.
Which is why a lot of guests who are making return trips to Epcot just opt to breeze on by Spaceship Earth as they enter the Park. After all, what’s the point of getting on this Future World attraction again? It’s still going to be the same slow moving ride past sleeping monks and smoking ruins.
But — if Disney changes Spaceship Earth so that there’s now an exciting new attraction hidden inside the geodesic sphere — guests might once again feel compelled to go check out “The Ball.” Particularly those hard-to-please teen and pre-teen visitors, those family members who have never really been big fans of this particular part of the Park.
Truth be told, this is the real reason that Disney is about to undertake such an ambitious and expensive (internal WDI documents suggest that the projected construction costs for “Project Gemini” could run as high as $500 million) revamp of Epcot’s Future World section. Recent WDW guest surveys supposedly show that this specific part of “The Discovery Park at Walt Disney World” has almost zero appeal to returning visitors under the age of 18.
Translation: teens and pre-teens who have already been to Epcot — particularly the Future World section of that Park — often try to talk their parents out of going back to Epcot during their family’s return visits to the Walt Disney World Resort. Among the many reasons that these under-18-year-olds cite is “There’s nothing for kids to do there” and “Epcot’s boring.”
For well over a decade now, the Imagineers have known about Epcot’s somewhat toxic reputation among teens and pre-teens. That’s why WDI has been fighting with WDW management for years, trying to get the company to free up the funds necessary to build a series of low budget “Kidcot” attractions (I.E. interactive kid-friendly exhibits that usually feature an arts and crafts activity that’s closely tied thematically to the World Showcase pavilion that’s located nearby).
Unfortunately, WDW management has been resisting the Imagineers’ suggestions for improving Epcot’s kid appeal since the early 1990s. As a prime example of how stubborn Mouse House managers can be, let me tell you about that Viking Boat-themed pay area located right next to the rest rooms for the Norway pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase area. It took almost five years of screaming and threats before WDW management finally agreed to put up the extremely small amount of dough it took to build this Viking Boat play area. Now this low cost attraction typically gets high marks on almost every Epcot guest satisfaction survey. Some WDW guests (8 and under) have even gone so far as to say that the Viking Long Boat play area was their favorite part of Epcot.
Anyway … with an eye toward increasing Epcot’s appeal among returning WDW guests 18 years of age or younger, “Project Gemini” is really trying to pile on the thrills.
Take, for example, the inverted roller coaster that’s supposed to be installed right outside the entrance to “The Land” pavilion. This off-the-shelf thrill ride would reportedly take Epcot guests on a fast, fun and informative trip through the canopy of a simulated rainforest.
Right next door to the “Rainforest Rollercoaster,” the Imagineers would also like to build two giant Omni-max theaters so that they can finally bring DCA’s only hit attraction — “Soarin’ Over California” — to Florida. According to WDI sources that I’ve spoken with, the plan is that Epcot’s version of “Soarin'” will feature the same exact ride mechanism and theater set-up as the popular Condor Flats attraction. The only difference is that Epcot’s “Soarin'” ride film would take Discoveryland visitors soarin’ over some of the Earth’s more intriguing terrain.
For guests who prefer low-tech fun, WDI is also reportedly looking into creating a hedge maze for the south-western corner of Discoveryland (I.E. the piece of land between “The Land” and the “Imagination” pavilion) — something that Epcot visitors can wander through and stumble upon various educational exhibits as they try to find the exit.
Over at what used to be Future World’s somewhat tired looking “Living Seas” attraction, the Imagineers are hoping that the characters from “The Little Mermaid” will help liven up this particular corner of Discoveryland. Ariel, King Triton and Sebastian are slated to serve as the new hosts of the aptly named “Under the Sea” pavilion. The new pre-show (as well as the bulk of “The Living Seas”‘s revamped exhibits) will now stress how we must all learn to live in harmony with the world’s oceans. Not over-fish or pollute … or we risk destroying this precious resource forever.
I’m told that Seabase Alpha will now be repositioned as the finale of the “Under the Sea” show. To show us all how idyllic the future could be if we really do learn to live in harmony with the ocean.
Meanwhile, over at GM “Test Track,” the Imagineers are looking to bring an old Disneyland favorite — the Jr. Autopia — back to life. The idea behind this particular addition to Discoveryland is that this would be the gentle, kid-friendly ride that WDW guests who are too young and/or too short to safely enjoy “Test Track” could experience while Mom, Dad, and big brother / sister are getting tossed around like test dummies.
According to the “Project Gemini” documentation that I’ve seen, there are no current plans to change out “Ellen’s Energy Adventure” at Future World’s … excuse me … Discoveryland’s “Energy” pavilion. And — given that the Imagineers are assuming that the soon-to-be-opening “Mission: Space” attraction will be a huge hit with the public — WDI also has no plans to change out this new Epcot thrill ride by October 2006.
Unfortunately, Epcot’s “Wonders of Life” pavilion may not be quite so fortunate. As the Discoveryland site plan that’s included with this article clearly illustrates, the Imagineers are reportedly giving some very serious thought to shutting down this entire pavilion (which used to be sponsored by Metropolitan Life) and using this space for “Future Expansion.” Whatever THAT means.
So my advice is — if you’re really a big fan of “Cranium Command” and/or “Body Wars” — now might be a good time to schedule your next WDW vacation. Wrack up a few last rides on both of these attractions. For Epcot’s “Wonders of Life” pavilion looks like it will soon be joining “Horizons” and “World of Motion” as a member of the “EEE” Club (I.E. Epcot’s Extinct Exhibits).
Speaking of getting your last crack at things … those of you who are into snagging interesting Disney collectibles, now also might be a good time to start picking up any Epcot merchandise that you can find with the name “Future World” emblazoned on it. For that name officially goes away forever on October 1, 2006.
Speaking of shopping … let’s now talk about Innoventions East and West. That part of Epcot’s Future World where you’ll find most of the shops and restaurants in this part of the Park. This area has also been slated for a rather severe makeover. As I mentioned earlier, WDI’s really trying to create a lush, green look for Discoveryland by planting hundreds of new trees in this section of Epcot.
However, in order to facilitate the growth of all these new trees, Disney’s going to have to pull down the roofs that used to connect those old Communicore buildings. The end result is that Innoventions East and West will lose their classic parenthetical shape and become six separate smaller buildings.
To the East, you’ll have the “Leading Edge” (a building that will feature exhibits of the latest and greatest in scientific breakthroughs), the “Robot Restaurant” (where guests can dine on burgers and fries while watching “Battle Bots”-like shows live every half hour or so) as well as the “Future Mart” (which — just like this retail establishment did back when it was called “The Centorium” and “Mouse Gear” — will sell a wide variety of Epcot- and Disney-related merchandise).
To the West, you’ll find the “Home of the Future” (which — provided that what I’ve been hearing coming out of WDI lately proves to be true — could become the new home for most of the AA figures that used to be featured in the soon-to-be-closing “Carousel of Progress” show over at WDW’s Magic Kingdom), the Internet Café (which — just like the name implies — would be the restaurant where Epcot visitors could dine as they checked their e-mail) as well as “Cool Stuff” (the place where WDW visitors could check out the latest in cool consumers products. Doing fun things like taking a Segway out for a test spin, etc.).
So — as you can see — this proposed revamp of Epcot’s Future World area really is ambitious. It’s not going to be just another Innoventions con job — which tried to use tons of neon, fiber optics and free video games to try and convince WDW guests that there really was something worth seeing in this part of the Park.
And everyone from Imagineering veterans from Walt Disney World management right on down through those rank-and-file Epcot cast members who’ve been lucky enough to get in on some of the Discoveryland preview sessions agree that “Project Gemini” could be a real lifesaver for this theme park. That the Walt Disney Company would no longer have do things like stage WDW’s 15 month long millennium celebration at that Park in order to artificially inflate Epcot’s attendance figures.
(FYI: The Walt Disney Company is planning on doing much the same thing in 2005, when the corporation hold a year-long, ’round-the-world celebration of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. Epcot — because it’s the WDW theme park that most desperately needs an attendance boost — is where the Florida portion of the celebration will be held. Over in Europe, Disney Studios Paris — which hasn’t even come close to meeting its attendance projections — will be the host park for the Disneyland Paris Resort’s version of this celebration. You get the idea, right?)
The only thing that’s currently preventing “Project Gemini” from getting an official greenlight is — of course, what a surprise — money. While the suits seem to love the idea of turning Epcot’s Future World into Discoveryland and what all the proposed changes / additions to this part of the Park could potentially do to WDW’s attendance levels, they’re also not all that eager to pour $350 – $500 million into Epcot.
I’m told that Paul Pressler — the former head of Disney Parks and Resorts — turned WDI’s plans for “Project Gemini” down flat when he first saw them back in the Spring of 2002. Paul reportedly told the Imagineers that he liked a lot of the ideas that they’d come up with for improving Epcot, but that he wouldn’t okay their plans unless they radically reduce the scope of their Future World redo. Come up with a more affordable alternative.
But then Paul Pressler left the Walt Disney Company in September of last year to pursue other opportunities with the Gap Corporation. And now Jay Rasulo is the new President of Disney Parks and Resorts. And — when the Imagineers showed Jay the exact same set of “Project Gemini” plans that they’d originally showed Paul back in April of 2002 — Rasulo reportedly responded with great enthusiasm. He supposedly saw this plan as the way to fix Epcot’s Future World once and for all.
So does that mean that “Project Gemini” will now actually go forward? To be honest, I don’t know. Based on the rumbling that I’ve been hearing, Epcot’s Discoveryland plan really does have an awful lot of supporters inside the Walt Disney Company. But — no matter how good a job that Jay Rasulo does with selling “Project Gemini” to the Mouse House’s upper management — this decision actually comes down to just one man: Disney CEO Michael Eisner.
Is Eisner really in a mood right how to embrace a plan that calls for a $350 – $500 million expenditure in order to save Epcot? Given that Disney’s institutional investors have been leaning heavily on Uncle Mike to keep the corporation’s profits high by keeping costs low, Eisner wouldn’t be making a whole lot of new friends on Wall Street if he decided to put these plans in motion.
Indeed, with the U.S. economy currently in the toilet and the threat of war in the Middle East looming ever larger every day, the Walt Disney Company is reportedly considering all manner of cost savings measures right now. I’ve even heard talk that the Mouse is giving semi-serious thought to actually shutting down each of WDW’s theme parks for one day each week. At least ’til the war with Iraq is over and/or tourist traffic patterns for the Orlando theme parks get back to normal.
So, given the current overly-cautious climate, I have to admit that I think that it’s unlikely that Eisner — even with Jay Rasulo doing his damnedest to sell Disney’s CEO on this idea — will actually allow the full-blown version of “Project Gemini” to go forward. A smaller, less ambitious version of the same plan? Sure. But not the complete bells-and-whistles version of the project that you got to read about today.
So why did I post that Discoveryland site plan and/or write this article today? I thought that JHM readers might enjoy finding out what WDI’s plans for “Project Gemini” were really all about. Here’s hoping that these remarkable plans for overhauling Epcot really are an omen of great things yet to come.
My special thanks to Mr. Bogart (the guy who originally threw the “Project Gemini” site plan my way) as well as Michelle and Nancy (the two women who labored to turn that original piece of art into something that JHM readers would enjoy but that would still prevent me from having to spend the rest of my life in Disney jail and/or prevent some poor Disney employee from accidentally losing their job thanks to today’s disclosure of the “Project Gemini” site plan).
Your thoughts?
General
Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District
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Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.
Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.
Photo by Jim Hill
Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.
Photo by Jim Hill
Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…
Photo by Jim Hill
… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).
Photo by Jim Hill
But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.
Photo by Jim Hill
And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.
Photo by Jim Hill
Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …
Photo by Jim Hill
… the postman delivering the mail …
Photo by Jim Hill
… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …
Photo by Jim Hill
Photo by Jim Hill
… the street musician playing for tourists …
Photo by Jim Hill
Not to mention the tourists themselves.
Photo by Jim Hill
But right alongside the bronze businessmen …
Photo by Jim Hill
… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …
Photo by Jim Hill
… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …
Photo by Jim Hill
… or — for that matter — out-of-time.
Photo by Jim Hill
These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.
Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill
Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"
Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …
Photo by Jim Hill
… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …
Photo by Jim Hill
… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."
Photo by Jim Hill
But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.
Photo by Jim Hill
By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).
Photo by Jim Hill
By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.
General
Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues
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Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.
Photo by Jim Hill
I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.
Photo by Jim Hill
Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.
Photo by Jim Hill
Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.
Photo by Jim Hill
And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.
Photo by Jim Hill
Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.
Photo by Jim Hill
That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.
Photo by Jim Hill
And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.
Photo by Jim Hill
Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.
Photo by Jim Hill
I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.
Photo by Jim Hill
I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.
Photo by Jim Hill
Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.
Photo by Jim Hill
Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."
Photo by Jim Hill
Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.
Photo by Jim Hill
And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.
Photo by Jim Hill
"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.
Photo by Jim Hill
I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.
Photo by Jim Hill
And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.
Photo by Jim Hill
And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."
Photo by Jim Hill
And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."
Photo by Jim Hill
One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.
Photo by Jim Hill
Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.
Your thoughts?
General
It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/jim-hill-media-featured-1200x675-1.png)
You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?
Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved
Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved
Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.
Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved
Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.
"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "
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Inc. All rights reserved
"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"
Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.
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Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."
But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.
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Inc. All rights reserved
"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."
And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.
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Inc. All rights reserved
"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.
Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.
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Inc. All rights reserved
"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."
So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?
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Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."
This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015
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