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Monday Mouse Watch: Will MGM’s upcoming name change really allow the Universal Orlando Resort to nudge Disney out of the spotlight?

Jim Hill shares what he’s heard about Universal’s bold new plan to reposition that Central Florida Resort. He also offers up additional information about that after-hours Halloween party that’s now in the works for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And would you believe “Holidays at Hogwarts” ?

Published

17 years ago

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What’s in a name?


Well, as Universal learned the hard way back in 1998, when it decided to rename its recently expanded resort “‘>Universal Studios Escape” and thus confused hundreds of thousands of tourists … Sometimes picking the wrong name for your theme park and/or resort can prove to be disastrous.



Copyright 1999 Universal Studios Escape


Which is why it was kind of intriguing to learn late last month that Universal Studios Orlando reps were out there surveying up a storm. Not to find out what theme park goers actually thought of the names that Universal had chosen for its two Central Florida parks. But — rather — to learn about what Central Florida tourists thought of the new moniker that the Mouse had chosen for Disney-MGM.


To be specific, the folks at Universal wanted to know if theme park goers felt that Disney-MGM’s new name was confusing (i.e. Where would you expect to find “Disney’s Hollywood Studios” ? In Hollywood, California or in Orlando, Florida ?) as well as what their expectations for the soon-to-be-renamed theme park might be (i.e. What would you expect to find at a “Disney’s Hollywood Studios” that you might not find at a “Disney-MGM Studios” ?). They even went so far as to quiz people about which proposed name they liked best for WDW’s studio theme park (i.e. “Disney’s Hollywood Studios,” “Disney’s Orlando Studios,” “Walt Disney Studios” or “Disney-Pixar Studios”).


“And why would Universal be doing something like this ?,” you ask. To borrow an analogy from Steven Spielberg’s 1976 classic, “Jaws,” Universal sensed that there was blood in the water.


To explain: The executives who run the Universal Studios Orlando resort genuinely believe that the renaming of Disney-MGM Studios theme park will confuse a certain number of tourists. And Universal intends to take advantage of this confusion by launching a bold new promotional campaign for their resort in 2008.


To date, the Universal Orlando Resort hasn’t quite settled on which new tagline it wants to use. Among the finalists are:



  • “Universal Orlando Resort: The Blockbuster Capital of the World”


  • “Universal Orlando Resort: The Feature Attraction“

But Universal is determined to do whatever it has to in order to grab would-be theme park visitors’ attention & nudge Disney out of the spotlight. Perhaps even going so far as to hire Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman to serve as the new face & voice of their resort.


One of the ideas that’s currently on the table involves Freeman starring in an eye-popping series of commercials, which — through the magic of digital effects — Morgan would be inserted into memorable scenes from “Spider-Man,” “The Hulk,” “Jurassic Park,” “Men in Black” as well as the “Harry Potter” films.


Speaking of Harry … Even though “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” isn’t expected to open at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure ’til 2009, look to the Universal Orlando Resort to begin playing up the fact that J. K. Rowling’s characters (as well as the characters from “The Simpsons”) will soon be appearing in their Central Florida theme parks. Look for many of Universal’s TV commercials for 2008 to be peppered with brief clips from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”



Copyright 2007 NBC / Universal


FYI: You may have noticed that — in the early concept art of the Hogsmeade Village section of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” — that this section of Island of Adventure‘s newest “land” is blanketed with snow. Well, there’s a reason for that. You see, Universal is hoping to turn IOA’s “Harry Potter” -themed section into a way to challenge Disney World‘s dominance when it comes to Christmas in Central Florida. Picture — if you will — a yearly “Holidays at Hogwarts” promotion at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. With carolers strolling through the streets of Hogsmeade and a traditional English Christmas feast being served nightly in the Great Hall at Hogwarts Castle.


Of course, what’s kind of ironic about all this is that Disney is well aware of all the survey work that Universal has been doing lately. And Mouse House officials think that it’s silly that Universal Orlando Resort executives seem to believe that any Central Florida tourists will be confused by Disney-MGM’s upcoming name change.


As one unnamed MGM manager explained it to me:



“It’s not like we’re actually going to be closing the park while we rename the place. It’s all going to happen overnight. When the Studios closes on January 6, 2008, it will officially cease being called Disney-MGM and then become Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There’ll be absolutely no interruption in operations. So I don’t understand when exactly it is that Universal thinks that WDW guests are going to start to get confused by this name change.”


This same manager also asked that I please clarify some of the information that has been put out on the Web to date about the Studios upcoming Halloween hard ticket event. Which is now tentatively scheduled to get underway in late October of 2009, with a weeklong series of parties being held after-hours at that theme park.



“We’re not going to do anything nearly as scary or gross as Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. To be honest, given that the Studios Halloween event is being built around Jack Skellington and the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ characters, it’ll be more eerie and silly than anything.


People need to understand that the real reason that we’re prepping a second after-hours Halloween event for the Disney World Resort isn’t because we want to do something like Universal. To be honest, we’re just doing this because of the pent-up demand, because ‘Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party‘ sells out every year. Particularly during that week just before Halloween.


If we offer a second after-hours hard ticket event that’s Halloween-themed, we’ll then be able to meet that demand. Give those folks who weren’t able to get into ‘Mickey’s Not-So-Scary’ another place on property where they can then go and party with their friends & family.



 Copyright 2007 Hong Kong Disneyland


So this isn’t really about Disney trying to out-gross Universal. But — rather — the Disney World Resort just looking for new ways to meet the seasonal demands of our guests. And if this Halloween event at the Studios proves to be successful … Well, we’ll then do what we did with ‘Mickey’s Not-So-Scary’ and ‘Mickey’s Very Merry.’ Which is add a few new dates every year. Maybe even offer people a combo package, so that — if they book a room at one of our on-property resorts during the months of September and October — we’ll then offer them the opportunity to buy tickets to both the Magic Kingdom‘s Halloween party as well as the Studios Halloween party.


But as for the Disney’s Hollywood Studios Halloween event being our way of challenging Universal’s supremacy when it comes to that holiday … Yeah, maybe there’s a little of that going on with this new hard ticket. But to be honest, this is mostly because ‘Mickey’s Not-So-Scary’ always sells out during that last week of October. We’re just trying to do something to meet that pent-up demand. Give the people who are staying on property and who are looking to attend an after-hours Halloween party during their Disney World vacation another alternative to chose from.


But please put the word out. The ‘Twilight Zone Tower of Terror‘ with its new 5th Dimension drop sequence — think ‘Up, up and Away!’ — is about as scary as this new after-hours event at the Studios is ever going to get.”


Now what’s kind of bizarre about all this is — even as the Walt Disney World Resort is trying to create a brand-new, on-property, after-hours Halloween event that will deliberately not be as scary as Halloween Horror Nights — Universal is reportedly looking into creating its own new family-friendly event that — come 2009 — would then challenge “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.”


As the story goes, once Phase One of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” opens in 2009 (FYI: That phase of the project will probably only include Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village. Phase Two — featuring the Forbidden Forest and that Weasley-family-flying-car attraction — isn’t expected to come on line ’til sometime in early 2010), this new “land” will then allow Universal to offer yet another after-hours seasonal event, ” Halloween at Hogwarts.” So while Mom & Dad are next door at Universal Studios Florida getting the snot scared out of them at Halloween Horror Nights, their youngsters can be trick-or-treating in a deliberately scare-free environment over at IOA.


So all in all, it looks like an interesting couple of years for anyone who’s heading down to Central Florida. With Universal looking to take advantage of the confusion that it thinks will arise from MGM’s name change. So that the Universal Orlando Resort will then be able to reposition itself as the place where “… the biggest movies become the biggest rides.” Where you can “… experience the greatest blockbusters of all time in ways that you’ve never imagined.”


Whereas Disney’s response is basically (to borrow a phrase from Alfred E. Newman) “What, me worry?” They’re so confident that the Disney’s Hollywood Studio upcoming name change will be a non-issue (More importantly, that once “Toy Story Mania” opens, that this new state-of-the-art shooter attraction will give WDW guests a compelling new reason to come visit the studio theme park) that they’re not even bothering to prepare a response to Universal’s new ad campaign. These folks are just concentrating on making sure that this name change does go as smoothly as possible come January 6th. Then — once those new Pixar-themed rides & shows are up and running at Disney’s Hollywood Studios — they’ll turn their attention toward getting that new after-hours Halloween hard ticket event up out of the ground.



Copyright 2007 NBC / Universal


So what do you folks think? Will Disney-MGM’s name change — as well as those new “Simpsons” and “Harry Potter” -themed attractions that will be coming on line at the Universal Orlando Resort over the next two years — really be the opportunity that Universal execs seem to think that it is? Will this momentary bit of confusion really be enough to allow them to reposition their resort, convince Central Florida tourists to give Universal another try? Or is Disney forever going to be dominant in the Orlando tourism market?


Your thoughts?

Related Topics:

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

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General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

10 years ago

on

June 23, 2015

By

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. 

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Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

10 years ago

on

June 10, 2015

By

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?

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It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

10 years ago

on

June 9, 2015

By

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.' "


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
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.


Copyright Disney
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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
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?


Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
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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