General

Much Ado about Pooh

Jim Hill finally weighs in on the “silly old” controversy that continues to rage about Disneyland’s new “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” attraction.

Published

21 years ago

August 3, 2003

Jim Hill

Even though Disneyland’s new “Winnie the Pooh” ride has already opened for several months now, I’m STILL getting e-mails like this:

Dear Jim:

I just got back from Anaheim and wanted to write to let know you about how shocked & appalled I was with Disneyland’s “Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” ride. I still can not believe that the Imagineers had the b*lls to rip out the “Country Bears” show in order to make room for this bargain basement abomination …

… and this:

Jim:

Do you have any idea where I might send a letter to express my disgust with Disneyland’s new “Winnie the Pooh” ride? What a cheap piece of sh*t that was, Jim. It looks like WDI cut every corner they possibly could …

Typically, the people who send me e-mails like this then go on to say that “Walt would have hated that ride” and/or “I know that Walt Disney would be rolling over in his grave if he knew that the company that he founded was foisting such a cheap, tawdry attraction on the public.”

Which is why I typically just delete e-mails like this. Reading them makes my head hurt.

I mean, where are these people’s sense of proportion? After all, we’re just talking about a theme park attraction here. Not ripping out the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel so that we can put in a sky light.

I just can’t understand how some people can whip themselves up into a frenzy over something like this. I mean — yes — I understand that Disneyland’s “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” ride isn’t exactly on a par with Tokyo Disneyland’s “Pooh’s Hunny Hunt.” And it really is a shame that that TDL attraction — along with its cutting-edge ride technology — didn’t make it over to Anaheim.

But that said, is this really a good enough reason for someone to b*tch and moan for weeks at a time? To cry out continually about the horrible injustice of it all? That — because Disneyland didn’t end up getting a clone of Tokyo Disneyland’s “Pooh’s Hunny Hunt” attraction — their life has now lost all reason and rhyme?

For those of you who are playing along on the home edition of the game, the correct answer is: No, Jim. It would be really stupid to do something like that. To obsess about something like that. After all, Disneyland’s new “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” ride is — when you get right down to it — just a theme park attraction. Not a sign of the end times.

Okay. Now I can understand how what I’m writing here today may infuriate a few of you. After all, based on what I’ve been reading on various Disneyana discussion boards, many annual passholders are still obviously quite disappointed that the Walt Disney Company opted not to add a big new E Ticket themed around the Winnie the Pooh characters to the assortment of attractions that the Mouse offers at its Anaheim theme park.

But would it help if I let you in on a little secret? Were you to review long-kept secret documents, reports that would reveal — in great detail — Disneyland’s expansion plans from as far back as the mid-1970s … you’d discover that — even back then — the Imagineers were still thinking small when it came to possibly adding a Pooh-themed attraction into the Anaheim theme park.

Don’t believe me? Then allow me to pull out my copy of Disneyland’s long range master plan circa June 1976. This report was prepared by the park’s interdivisional team and laid out — in five separate phases — a definitive plan for the expansion of the Anaheim theme park that was to have taken place over a 20 -30 year period.

Phase I of this plan was to have focused on the Frontierland and Fantasyland part of the park. This project would have involved:

“… the rework(ing) of the west side of Fantasyland. A marquee type attraction similar to Dumbo or the Rocket Jets possibly with a Mary Poppins theme would be added where the Fantasy I food stand is presently located. This would serve to set the area off as a new experience and create interest as a visual and physically exciting attraction. In addition, a new dark ride type attraction possibly a Pooh theme with 900/hour capacity would be added near Casey, Jr. The major attraction of the reworked area would be a thrill show attraction of 2600/hour capacity. This could be developed around Mary Poppins and include a major merchandise complex at the exit. The Pinocchio attraction would round out the area fitting into what is now the Mickey Mouse theatre, with 1000/hour capacity.”

The above is an exact quote from Disneyland’s once-highly-classified long range expansion plan. I pulled this paragraph off of Page 10 of the report (for those of you who like to keep track of these sorts of things.)

Now there are a couple of things that I find interesting about this particular plan:

1. Only the “Pinocchio” dark ride ever actually made it off of WDI’s drawing board. All the other concepts for new shows and attractions that were proposed for Disneyland’s Fantasyland (with the possible exception of that “Pooh” ride idea) ended on WED’s cutting room floor.

2. Now you have to keep in mind that — as this expansion plan was being prepped in the Spring of 1976 — Winnie the Pooh was coming up on his 10th anniversary as a highly popular and extreme profitable member of Disney’s stable of characters. Yet the Pooh ride that the Imagineers were proposing for Disneyland was to only have had an hourly capacity of 900 guests. Which was less than the number of guests that the “Pinocchio” dark ride would theoretically have been able to accommodate on an hourly basis.

3. It’s Mary Poppins, NOT Pooh, who’s really getting the star treatment in this version of Disneyland’s long range expansion plans. With that practically perfect nanny serving as the central character of a Dumbo-like spinner ride as well as the star of a “thrill show attraction” which would have been able to entertain 2600 guests per hour!

You see what I’m getting at here, folks? For over two decades, the Imagineers have NEVER been all that enthusiastic about the idea using Edward Bear as the central character of some huge new attraction for Disneyland. Why for? Well, mostly it’s because — when you get right down to it — the Winnie the Pooh characters aren’t really all that dynamic. Okay, admittedly they’re sweet and all. But Pooh, Piglet and pals aren’t really all that compelling … from a dramatic point of view, that is.

To explain: A.A. Milne’s original Winnie the Pooh stories are these cute little tales filled with whimsical moments. But whimsy is a pretty darned difficult thing to recreate. Particularly inside of a theme park.

I mean, the Imagineers did at least give it a try with their latest “Pooh” project. As you wander through the queue of Disneyland’s “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” ride, you’ll find many attempts at whimsical little touches. Like the recreations of Poohsticks Bridge and Eeyore’s house that you wander by. It’s just too bad that — given how tightly people are usually packed inside of this Critter Country queue — that cool little details like this often get overlooked.

And then there’s those beehive-shaped ride vehicles. I just love the design of these things. Particularly the little heffalump who’s tacked on to the back of every beehive. It’s just too bad that the ride vehicle used in Disneyland’s “Pooh” ride are far too proximity sensitive.

How sensitive are we talking here? So sensitive that — if the cast member who’s manning the attraction’s off-load position isn’t getting guests out of their cars fast enough and the beehives start backing up inside the show building — the entire ride automatically shuts down.

When this happens (and it’s happened to me twice on recent trips to the park), your beehive will gently come to a halt wherever you are in the show building. You’ll then hear an audio announcement from the attraction’s narrator (Disney vet Pete Renoudet, if I’m remembering clearly), explaining that a “sticky situation” has arisen and to please remain in your seats.

The next thing you know, you’ll see Disneyland cast members — clutching flashlights — moving along the “Pooh” ride track with almost military precision. As they pass your beehive, they’ll pause briefly to reassure you and your party that everything is fine and that “We’ll be with you shortly.” The cast members will then pull out multiple sets of bright yellow plastic steps (which are hidden in closets all over the show building). Which they then use to help the customers safely climb out of their cars. Then, taking people in groups of ten, the “Pooh” crew eventually escorts all the guests out of the show building.

Once “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” has been completely cleared of tourists, the cast members begin cycling all the beehives through the show building. The reason that they’re doing this is that they’re trying to get all of the “Pooh” ride vehicles back to being an equal and safe distance from one another. Once that’s accomplished, then and only then are Disneyland visitors finally allowed to begin boarding beehives again.

A TIP TO REMEMBER: Should this ever happen while you’re riding Disneyland’s “Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” ride, don’t ever make the mistake of wandering away from this Critter Country attraction and grumbling darkly. As you’re exiting the show building, be sure and tell the Disneyland cast member posted outside that you’d like to go back on the ride as soon as possible. They’ll then direct you to go back up “Pooh”‘s exit.

Here, you’ll wait briefly in an improvised queue while the cast members quickly cycle all the beehives through the show building. Once all of the “Pooh” ride vehicles are safely spaced apart again, you — and all the other guests who were unfortunately off-loaded — will be given top priority. You’ll even be allowed to board ahead of all of those other poor folks who are still waiting in “Pooh”‘s crowded queue.

Whatever you do, don’t make this mistake of walking away, thinking that — once it’s broken down — Disneyland’s “Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” is now going to be down for hours at a time. That will just give the cast members a chance to laugh at you behind your back. “What a stupid maneuver,” said one Critter Country staffer to his pal as they both watched some angry tourists storm away from “Pooh”‘s exit area. “It only takes us five minutes to reset this thing nowadays.”

Sure enough, just five minutes later, Disneyland’s “Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” was up and running again. As we climbed back into a beehive, ready to go for another spin through the Hundred Acre Woods, I heard that same Disneyland cast member say to his co-worker “See? We’re getting good at this.”

I’m told that now that the kids who are running this Critter Country attraction have gotten a lot more experience at operating “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”‘s extremely fluky ride system that these sorts of breakdowns aren’t happening nearly as often. Here’s hoping that this is actually the case.

Which brings us — finally — to the ride itself. Admittedly, Disneyland’s new “Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” attraction is NOT an E-Ticket. Which may not make it a truly fitting companion for “Splash Mountain” and/or a worthy follow-up to “The Country Bear Jamboree” (I.E. the Critter Country show that “Pooh” recently replaced.)

But that’s enough talk about what Disneyland’s “Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” isn’t. Let’s now talk about what this attraction is: Cute. Charming. Colorful.

In short, it’s a nice little dark ride. An attraction that — were you to lift it up and drop it down in Fantasyland alongside “Peter Pan’s Flight” and “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” — would fit in just fine over there.

Which — as you may recall from the earlier part of this article — was exactly where the Imagineers had originally wanted to place their “Winnie the Pooh” attraction in the first place.

So — if you really feel that you HAVE TO find fault with Disneyland’s “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” ride — at least pick a reason that makes some sense. Like: this attraction doesn’t really belong in Critter Country. It would have made a better fit over, thematically, in Fantasyland.

Which is admittedly true. But that still doesn’t take away from the fact that Disneyland’s new “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” attraction is a fun little ride. Not an E Ticket, but still one fun little ride.

Which is why I think that this ruckus that you diehards continue to raise about Disneyland’s “Winnie the Pooh” ride really is (to quote Willy S.) “… much ado about nothing.”

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