General

How the Imagineers came to create the “Country Bear Christmas Special” show

Published

12 years ago

December 18, 2011

Back when I lived in Central Florida in the early-to-mid 1990s, one of my favorite
things to do this time of year was to go into Frontierland at WDW‘s Magic
Kingdom and then catch a performance of “Country Bear Christmas Special.”

There was just something about that version of “The
Christmas Song” (which you can hear starting 3:10 minutes into this YouTube
recording of the show) which Henry & Teddi Barra perform in this theme park
show that always used to give me chills. Made me miss my friends & family
back up in New England.

Nowadays, of course, the reverse is true. I live up in the
cold & the snow of New Hampshire now. And because the “Country Bear
Christmas Special” is no longer presented at any of the stateside Disney Parks …
Well, I find myself really missing that particular rendition of “The Christmas
Song.”

But you want to know something interesting about the “Country Bear Christmas
Special” ? The Imagineers didn’t create a holiday version of the “Country Bear
Jamboree” because they wanted to
celebrate the season. But – rather – because they were looking to give
Disneyland visitors a reason to return to Bear Country.

Strange but true, folks. Though Walt Disney Productions spent
$8 million and relocated more than 250 trees in an effort to make this theme
park’s old Indian Village area look more like the Great Northwest, Southern
Californians obviously weren’t all that impressed with this new addition to
Disneyland.

By that I mean: The crowds initially came out to this part
of the theme park to catch a performance of “Country Bear Jamboree” when Bear
Country first opened in March of 1972. But as Bruce Gordon & David Mumford
explained in their most-excellent history of The Happiest Place on Earth, “Disneyland the Nickel Tour,” at least from an attendance point-of-view, the park’s newest
addition ” … turned out to be a major letdown.”

“And why was that?,” you ask. Mumford & Gordon had their theories:

This new land’s main attraction – Country Bear Jamboree – turned out to be its
only attraction. The rest of Bear Country consisted of nothing more than a row
of Western-styled buildings circling a dead-end street.

The largest building in this new “land” (outside of Country
Bear Playhouse) housed the Bear Country restrooms. The porch right in front of
the men’s room was often used as a stage for Bear Country’s singin’ cowboys and
square dancin’ gals. But the real entertainment was watching the startled faces
of the guys comin’ out of that men’s room, still busy hitchin’ up their jeans …
suddenly findin’ themselves on stage, smack dab in the middle of a show!

Over the years, [whatever the real cause was of the attendance
erosion that this part of Disneyland experienced] the problem would reveal
itself in the most concrete of terms: the guests simply stopped going to Bear
Country. By the end of the decade, it was obvious that something would have to
be done.

As earlier as June 1976, the folks who were in charge of Disneyland’s
long-range masterplan were discussing what could be done to compel Guests to
once again visit the Northwestern corner of this theme park. Among the ideas
that were discussed at this time was …

… the Keel Boats could be moved from their existing location
to the Bear Country expansion area removing some of the crowded conditions that
presently exist on the river at the Tom Sawyer-Fowler’s area. All of this could
be (done in a way to compliment) the general woodsy atmosphere of the existing
Bear County.

But in the end, relocating the Keel Boats (which was – after
all — a low capacity attraction) didn’t seem like it would drive nearly enough
Disneyland Guests back into Bear Country
to turn around this part of the Park’s low attendance problem. Which was why –
in January of 1982 – the Disneyland expansion committee began talking about
broadening and/or changing the overall theme of this “land” because …

… Bear Country (remains) a weak draw due to (its) limiting
theme and potential attractions based around it. A broader theme would balance
it more with Adventureland, Fantasyland, etc.

Which is why the Disneyland expansion committee began talking
about shifting Bear Country’s storyline, making this part of the Park a
celebration of …

… the deep South, Dixie, Kentucky home, Mark Twain.

Which – at first glance – may seem like a weird idea. But
let’s remember that Bear Country abutted The Haunted Mansion. Which – in turn –
was at the outer most edge of Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. So by turning Bear
Country into a nostalgic recreation of the rural south … Well, that would then
make this “land” …

… a logical outgrowth from the city and plantations (New
Orleans Square and The Haunted Mansion).

So with Tony Baxter helping to guide the development of this
Bear Country retheming, among the attractions that were proposed for this
Disneyland enhancement were a …

Song of the South log flume adventure utilizing many of the America
Sings critters as well as star characters from Mickey Mouse Revue.
(a theme park version of Hal Holbrook‘s acclaimed one-man-show) Mark Twain Tonight
using the front Country Bear Theatre. A Town Hall façade could
be added to the berm, where the overflow queue is. Thus two attractions could
be operated (inside of the) existing (structure).
(An) Aunt Polly’s (restaurant which would serve) country dinners
(out) on Polly’s porch. (This would involve a) complete restyle on the Hungry
Bear Restaurant.
Tom Sawyer’s Island rafts – new location in the woods at the
foot of Aunt Polly’s (replaces canoes)

By the time the Disneyland expansion committee reconvened
in February of 1982, Baxter and his team had further refined their ideas for
this proposed Bear Country redo. Among the ideas that were talked about at this
particular meeting was:

Transforming the ground-floor level of the Hungry Bear into a dinner /
entertainment venue like Pioneer Hall at WDW’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.
Creating a “Fox and the Hound” -themed ride-through attraction where Guests
would board cars similar to the Model T that Amos Slade drove and then roll
past recreations of scenes from this 1981 Walt Disney Animation Studios production.

Adding a new show scene featuring Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn
to the Rivers of America which would then reinforce the new rural South theming
of Bear Country.

The only problem with this plan was that it was going to
take at least six months to develop. Plus an additional 15 months to produce
all of the necessary show elements as well as complete the on-site construction
phase. Now when you factor in the estimated costs of this retheming (which was reportedly
north of $30 million) as well as all of the other Disneyland projects that had to
take precedence (EX: New Fantasyland) … It was looking like the earliest that
this revised version of Bear Country could come on line was June of 1991. And
in the meantime, attendance levels for the Disneyland version of the “Country
Bear Jamboree” show continued to steadily erode month after month after month
…

Enter Dave Feiten and Michael Sprout, who – at that time – were newer, younger
members of the staff at WED. More importantly, these two had a very different
idea than Tony Baxter when it came to solving Disneyland’s Bear Country
problem.

As Sprout told Betsy Richman in an interview of the Winter 1985 issue of Disney
News magazine:

“(Dave and I) both really like Country Bear Jamboree, and
talking about it one day, we decided that those poor bears must get tired of
singing those same songs over and over. We decided to try our hand at developing
a concept for a new show that would place the bears in an entirely different
context.”

Feiten then elaborated on the approach that he and Sprout
took while developing their concept for a new Country Bear show:

“We treated the bears
as a repertory company, and wrote a new play for them. Costumes, scenery,
songs, dialogue and movement are the elements of the show, and once we changed
those, we had the equivalent of a skilled troupe of actors cast in a new play.
Each bear fit into his or her role so easily, it wasn’t hard to think of ways
that they’d talk, dress or sing in another environment.”

Dave Feiten at the control board, programming the “Country Bear Christmas Special.”
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

What happened next? Well, as Randy Bright recounted in “Disneyland Inside Story” …

… WDI creative chief Marty Sklar … reviewed some rough
sketches by two young animation programmers. Each sketch took a specific
Audio-Animatronic Country Bear performers and added new costumes, scenery,
songs and dialogue, all on the theme of Christmas. Could an existing facility
and a familiar set of characters be successfully transformed into an all-new
show? The sketches said yes …

Which is why Sklar put this rethemed Audio-Animatronic show
into production in late 1983. Sprout and Feiten worked very closely with George
Wilkins to create the music to “The Country Bear Special,” and – with the exception
of the traditional songs — the lyrics are the result of a close collaboration between
these three.

“The Country Bear Christmas
Special” opened on November 23, 1984 at Disneyland as well as WDW’s Magic
Kingdom and immediately became a hit with theme park visitors. So much so that
Sklar supposedly ordered Feiten & Sprout to write a second, more-long-lived
show for Grizzly Hall / Country Bear Playhouse. Which is why Dave & Michael reunited with
George to write the “Country Bear Vacation Hoedown” show, which premiered at
both theme parks in February of 1986.

What’s more, Feiten & Sprout also allegedly dummied up concepts
for Halloween & St. Valentine’s Day “Country Bear” shows which WDI was
thinking of putting into production. But then …

Well, the way I heard it, the classic traffic pattern at
Disneyland held. In that Guests would go to the new “Country Bear” show for the
first year or so, but then — after that — the attendance levels for this revamped
Bear Country attraction would steadily erode. That coupled with the fact that
it took the Imagineers three weeks and a reported $50,000 every time they
changed out this show … And you can see why the management team in Anaheim
quickly lost their enthusiasm for WDI’s let’s-seasonally-change-out-the-show-in-the-Country-Bear-Playhouse
idea.

In short, the folks at Disneyland were looking for a bigger, more permanent
solution to their Bear Country problem. Which is where “Splash Mountain” and
Critter Country came in.

Anyway … That’s the story of how the “Country Bear Christmas
Special” came to be. If you – like me – still miss this seasonal show (which
was last presented at Walt Disney World in 2005) … Well, there’s always Tokyo
Disneyland. Which is where the “Jingle Bell Jamboree” (i.e. that’s the name which
this Country Bear holiday show goes by at that theme park) has been presented seasonally
since 1988.

Beyond that … Well, I’m kind of hoping that – as part of the
history-of-the-Country-Bear-Jamboree presentation that he’s scheduled to give on
board the California Zephyr in March of next year as part of Roger Colton’s “Walt’s
Sierra Adventures” train excursion – David Feiten will talk about what the
Halloween & St. Valentine’s Day versions of Country Bear would have been
like.

So does anyone else out there have fond memories of the “Country
Bear Christmas Special?” I mean, I can’t be the only person who smiled whenever
he heard this exchange.

HENRY: I sure do enjoy singin’ with you, Teddi.
TEDDI: Why, thank you, Henry. Y’all
wanna come up and sign my cast?
HENRY: Soon as I can find a pen, I’ll be there.

Your thoughts?

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