General

Arrrr you ready for an all-Pirates edition of Why For?

There’s plenty of POTC-related info to be found in this week’s column. Including the current status of “Pirates 4,” news on Disney’s “Legends of the Brethren Court” book series as well as a review of that I-Drive favorite, the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure

Published

16 years ago

May 8, 2008

Jim Hill

R. Noble writes in to ask:

Jim –

I just read your article about Disney’s decision not to go forward with that “Pirates of the Caribbean” character dining experience at the Magic Kingdom. That is very disappointing news for me personally. My kids are obsessed with Disney’s “Pirates” movies as well as the attraction at the Park. That’s why we had to do that Pirate tutorial as well as the “Pirate & Princess Party” the last time we were down in Orlando.

We’ll be heading down to Disney World again next year. And I’m hoping that there’ll then be some sort of new “POTC” –related attraction for my children and I to enjoy the next time we visit the resort. So do you have any good news for me?

R. Noble
NYC

Dear R. Noble –

Um … No.

Please don’t get me wrong, R. It’s not that the Walt Disney Company is actually getting out of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” business. Far from it. Disney’s long term plans for this franchise is that they want POTC to be for little boys what Disney Princess has become for little girls. Which is why the company spent tens of millions of dollars over the past few years developing that “Pirates of the Caribbean Online” massively-multiplayer game. And why Disney Press will be rolling out a brand-new “Pirates” book series — “Legends of the Brethren Court” — this Fall.

But that said … All you have to do is drop WDW Property Control and see all of those racks & racks of severely-discounted-and-yet-still-unsold “Pirates” merch … And then you realize that the Mouse severely over-estimated the public’s desire for more POTC paraphernalia back in 2006 & 2007. That supply definitely exceeded demand.

This is why the company is now pulling back its “Pirates” -related efforts a bit . As they try and get some sense of what fans of this new Disney franchise really want. Other than — of course — to see “Pirates of the Caribbean 4” released to theaters ASAP.

Speaking of that eagerly anticipated film … Earlier today, I spoke with some friends in Development at Disney Studios. And given that “Pirates” director Gore Verbinski just signed to do “Bioshock” for Universal … It looks like the Black Pearl won’t be setting sail again anytime soon.

Mind you, Disney could do “Pirates 4” with another director … I guess. But given that Johnny Depp — in all of the interviews that he did for “At World’s End” last year — was very emphatic about how he’d only agree to do another POTC movie if Verbinski and the series writers — Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio — were also on board. So to Johnny’s way of thinking: No Gore? No more “Pirates” pictures.

(L to R) Gore Verbinski, Jerry Bruckheimer and Johnny Depp
on the set of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.”
Copyright 2006 Disney. All Rights Reserved

But — to be honest — given that Mickey is still trying to get a handle on what the actual demand for new POTC merch might be, they’re perfectly happy to let this film franchise lie fallow for another year or two. Especially since Walt Disney Pictures — with the help of Jerry Bruckheimer — is now trying to launch two new potentially franchisable, high profile projects, “Prince of Persia” & “The Lone Ranger.” Which (Mouse House executives hope) will be considerably less expensive to produce than “Pirates 4.”

So long story short, R : What with the company deliberately pulling back on its “Pirates” -related efforts for a while … Well, there’s no real incentive for Disney Parks and Resorts to go forward with that Tortuga restaurant project that I discussed. Or — for that matter — that long-rumored “Pirates of the Caribbean” -themed water park for WDW. Not to mention the idea of adding Elizabeth Swann & Will Turner AA figures to “POTC” itself.

“But what about Mickey’s Pirate & Princess Party?,” you ask. Well, the jury’s still out on this Magic Kingdom hard ticket. Given the number of these after-hours events that were held back in April which wound up being severely under-attended due to heavy rains … Many WDW officials feel that MP&PP still hasn’t gotten a fair shake. They want to track attendance levels for May & June, see if adding Mickey’s name to “Pirate & Princess Party” really did have a positive impact on ticket sales before making a final decision here.

That said, given the huge amount of “Disney’s Pirate & Princess” merch that’s been remaindered at Property Control … One wonders how much longer the company’s going to try & keep this particular hard ticket afloat. I mean, sure. Disney spent an awful lot of money on the development of the “Magic, Music & Mayhem” fireworks show as well as on construction of those new floats for the “Enchanted Adventures Parade.” But how long do you keep throwing good money after bad? How long ’til you see “We’re not getting a big enough return on our investment. It’s time to pull the plug.”

More to the point, WDW insiders think that it’s pretty significant that — while tickets are already on sale for this year’s editions of Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party — there’s been no word yet about another round of Mickey’s Pirate & Princess Party being held at the Magic Kingdom later this summer. And given that — back in 2007 — Disney announced as early as May 3rd that they’d be holding another set of these hard ticket events … Well, that doesn’t exactly bode well for the future of Mickey’s Pirate & Princess Party.

Though — to be fair here — I guess I should share what I heard from yet another WDW official. Who said that Mickey’s Pirate & Princess Party will mostly likely return in 2009. As to why this hard ticket will not be presented in August and September … Well, that’s supposedly because the Magic Kingdom will be completing its long-overdue Liberty Square Bridge repair project right about then.

So — in theory, anyway, R — if you and your family would like to attend another Mickey’s Pirates & Princess Party … This hard ticket event should be held again at the Magic Kingdom starting in January. Provided — of course — that ticket sales for the May & June editions of this after-hours event justify the continuation of this Party (How’s that for a wildly waffling response ?).

But you said that you were looking for ” … some sort of new “POTC” –related attraction” for your family to enjoy the next time that you were all down at WDW. Well, I guess that you could plan on staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. By this September, construction the newly expanded version of Old Port Royale’s feature pool should be complete. And given this pool’s old–tumble-down-Spanish-fort theming (Which is very reminiscent of the POTC attraction), I’m sure that your kids will get a kick out of swimming here.

Or — if you haven’t been over to DisneyQuest to try out “Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold” yet — that’s very enjoyable too. Your whole family has work at a team on this one. You first all put on 3-D helmets. Then one of you has to take the wheel as the rest man the cannons. And then — from there — you cruise around this CG version of the Caribbean. Where you have to sink as many ships as possible (collecting many treasure chests in the process) before you can then begin to battle the ghostly Jolly Roger.

Given that this particular DisneyQuest attraction sort of redefines the term “interactive” (More to the point, given the huge virtual version of the Caribbean that the Imagineers mapped out for “Battle for Buccaneer Gold”), you and your family could easily spend an entire day playing and then getting back in line for this POTC-themed game.

On the other hand, if you prefer flesh-and-blood pirates to the virtual kind … Well, if your family is visiting Central Florida in mid-January, you can head west on I-4 and sample the Gasparilla Extravaganza. Which is this alcohol-free event that celebrates the return of Gasparilla season to Tampa Bay. This day-long “Extravaganza” features a Children’s Gasparilla Parade during the day and a display of “Piratechnics” (i.e. fireworks over Bayshore Boulevard) at night.

If — on the other hand — anyone in your family shares Capt. Jack Sparrow’s fondness for rum … Well, you might then want to return to Tampa the following weekend. Which is when Southwest Airlines Gasparilla Pirate Fest gets underway. Which is a decidedly more adult take of the whole Gasparilla experience.

Vintage postcard of Tampa’s annual Gasparilla Festival

However, if you’re not going to be flying in to Central Florida in mid-to-late January and would still like the kids to see some real-live pirates (and maybe enjoy a beer or two in the process) … Have I got a dinner show for you !

Pirate’s Dinner Adventure (located at 6400 Carrier) is something of an International Drive icon. Advertising itself as “the world’s largest and most interactive dinner show,” this over-the-top eatery has entertaining 2.3 million Orlando visitors since it first opened back in the Summer of 1996.

And if your kids really are Pirates fans, R … Well, they can’t help be impressed as they enter Pirate’s Dinner Adventure’s main theater-in-the-round. Where all 750 seats face a 46-foot-long Spanish galleon which “floats” in a 300,000 gallon indoor lagoon.

As for the evening’s entertainment … That actually starts out in Pirate’s Dinner Adventure’s cavernous and elaborately themed lobby area. Where guests are welcome to dine on complimentary appetizers while watching dancers & acrobats perform at the Freedom Festival.

But then Sebastian the Black’s scurvy crew shows up and kidnaps Princess Anita. And as they carry this fair maid back to their ship, the audience is then invited to follow the pirates into the main theater. Where they’re then seated in the Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, Red or Yellow section of the hall.

And then — from there — as the audience is served properly Piratically-named entrees (EX: Treasure’s Chicken, Buccaneer Beef or Shanghai Shrimp), the interactive part of the show begins. As the audience is encouraged to cheer for “their” pirate (i.e. the perform who’s wearing the same color as the section that they’re seated in) as these performers take part in various competitions. There’s singing, swordplay and stunts. Not to mention a finale where dozens of children are recruited out of the audience to come play the British soldiers who finally capture Sebastian the Black’s band.

Is Pirate’s Dinner Adventure a bit on the loud side? Given the number of times that you’re urged to cheer for “your” pirate? Sure … And is it sometimes difficult to follow the action? Well, given that the performers can be out in the hall, interacting with the audience one minute and then be high in the rigging the next … Yes, it can get kind of confusing.

But that said, given that many of the people who appear in Pirate’s Dinner Adventure are Disney & Universal vets … You do get some top-notch performances along with your West Indies Rice and/or Roasted Red Potatoes. Then top the whole thing off with Princess Anita’s Royal Desserts (as well as complimentary beer, wine, coffee and soft drinks) … And it’s easy to understand why many school groups make a point of either starting off and/or finishing up their trips to Orlando by spending an evening at this I-Drive favorite.

So if you and your family are willing to wander away from Disney World in order to experience some Pirate-related fun, R … A trip to Pirate’s Dinner Adventure might definitely in order.

Anyway … That’s all of the POTC-related info that I could dig up. Sorry that I didn’t have better news for you in regards to the Disney Parks. But as I mentioned earlier, R, the Mouse is regrouping right now. As it tries to get a better sense of what the real demand is for “Pirates of the Caribbean” merch.

And speaking of demand … I hope that today’s “Why For” (as belatedly as it might be) will satisfy those of you who have been asking for the return of the weekly version of this column. Of course, in order for that to happen, I do need your Disney-related questions. So feel free to send those along to my jim@jimhillmedia.com address.

Anywho … That wraps up another fun week here at JHM. And we’ve already lots of interesting stories in the works for the site for next week. Including why all of that theme park development that’s going on Dubai right now is having a negative impact on Disney’s DCA revamp.

Wanna know how? Come back on Monday and I’ll explain.

Til then, have a great weekend, okay?

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

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

… 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

Published

9 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

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

Published

9 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.' "

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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?

"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