General

Tales from the Tour: Making a Mountain out of Moat Movings

As part of his promotional effort for next weekend’s JHM tours of Disneyland & Disney’s California Adventure, Jim Hill reveals the real reason that the Matterhorn was so quickly constructed in 1958 / 1959.

Published

21 years ago

June 15, 2004

Jim Hill

Scott Liljenquist – the Ubbermeister of Mouseketrips.com – just dropped me an e-mail to remind me that I have another set of Disneyland Resort tours coming up on Saturday, June 26th & Sunday, June 27th. More to the point, Scott wants me to let JHM readers know that there are still a few slots open for this next set of tours. So – if you still want to get in on the fun – Liljenquist says you should sign up today.

Sigh

I’m sorry, folks. I guess I’m just not any good at this blatant promotional stuff. I mean, JimHillMedia.com has been up & running for almost 2 years now. And I’m still somewhat embarrassed by the fact that this website has my name plastered all over the place.

So – taking that into consideration – I guess you can imagine how uncomfortable it makes me feel to have to pull a Jay Sherman. To go around saying “Book my tours! Books my tours! Book my tours!”

So how’s about this: Rather than go with the obnoxious right-in-your-face promotional stuff, why don’t I take a softer approach. I’ll just share one of the stories that I tell on my Disneyland tour. If you like what you hear & want to hear, then drop Scott a line & sign up for next weekend’s JHM tours.

If you don’t like the story … Then – hey – it’s no skin off either of our noses.

So now the question is … Which story should I tell?

Well, JimHillMedia.com has spent a lot of time over the past few weeks talking about Roy Disney. And (me personally) I really find it fascinating that — just because Roy sort of resembles his uncle — that most people seem to automatically assume that Roy Disney must be a kindly old grandfather-type as well.

Well, I have some news for you people. While Roy may come across as being soft-spoken & folksy, the truth of the matter is that he’s a businessman. Someone who can play hardball when he has to. (Don’t believe me? Then just ask Michael Eisner. Anyway …

Of course, in his day, Walt Disney could be a pretty tough customer too. Someone who could get pretty darn nasty if you ever made the mistake of crossing him.

How so? Well … Let me ask you a question: What do you see when you look at Disneyland’s Matterhorn?

Were you to quiz a semi-knowledgeable Disneyana fan about the Matterhorn, you’d probably hear a few interesting factoids like:

This attraction was Disneyland’s first true thrill ride.
That this steel-and-concrete structure replaced Disneyland’s first man-made mountain, Snow Hill.
(Which – truth be told – wasn’t actually a hill in the strictest sense of the word. It was actually just where the construction workers piled all the dirt that they excavated while digging the moat for Sleeping Beauty Castle
That Walt spent $6 million to add this attraction – as well as the Submarine Voyage & the Monorail – to Disneyland’s lineup in the Summer of 1959. A special occasion that was marked by a two-hour long TV special, which was broadcast on ABC.

Now what you like to hear what I see when I look at the Matterhorn? I see the world’s largest middle finger.

Okay. I know. That sounds kind of obscene. But you have to understand that – by the Summer of 1959 – Walt Disney finally had some serious competition in the theme park arena. Just a year earlier, Lawrence Welk & CBS had poured millions into the creation of Pacific Ocean Park. Which hoped to turn a run-down Southern California amusement pier into Disneyland-by-the-Sea.

And meanwhile – out in Massachusetts – C.V. Wood … The man who Walt entrusted (back in 1953) with the all important job of finding just the right spot to build Disneyland on. The man who Disney then put in charge of building his theme park, making Walt’s dream a reality. The man who then ran Disneyland for the first six months that the park was in operation … That man was in the process of building Pleasure Island. A Disneyland clone that – as the Spring of 1959 rolled around – was rising up out of the swamps of Wakefield, MA. Which was basically a bedroom community of Boston, MA.

Anywho … Back in 1958, when Walt first saw Pacific Ocean Park as well as learning that Pleasure Island was about to become a reality, the man was livid. I mean, how dare these people horn in on his action. Cash in on his idea.

Now Pacific Ocean Park – given that (back in its amusement pier days) this project had actually predated Disneyland – Walt couldn’t get himself all that worked up about that amusement park. Whereas Pleasure Island … The very idea that this theme park even existed was making Disney a little bit crazy.

Now you have to understand that it wasn’t just C.V. Wood’s involvement in the Pleasure Island project that was making Walt mad. It was … Well, that C.V. had lured away some of Disneyland’s very best people in order to make Wood’s own theme park design company – Marco Engineering – a reality. Key personnel like Van France (Yes, Mr. “Window on Main Street” himself) bailed out of the Mouse House in the late 1950s to help Woody go into competition with Walt.

Well, if it was a competition, then it was a competition that Disney intended on winning. For the better part of a year now, Walt had been puzzling with what to do with Disneyland’s Snow Hill area. This prime piece of real estate right in the middle of the park. For a while there, he actually toyed with building an International Village here. A quaint collection of buildings (Which had originally be proposed for that piece of property between Main Street U.S.A. and Tomorrowland. But – eventually – this long-planned Disneyland addition just outgrew that backstage area. Which is Walt then began looking for other places in the park to build his International Village. Anywho … )

But – during the summer of 1958 – while Walt was in Europe, observing the filming of “Third man on the Mountain,” he had a brainstorm. A 1/100th scale model of the Matterhorn with another European innovation that Disney had observed on this trip – a Monorail – whizzing around it. Plus a set of submarines to replace Tomorrowland’s lackluster Phantom Boats. That was just the sort of thing that would put Disneyland back on the map. That would show these Johnny-come-latelys just who the real king of the theme park world was.

The only problem with Walt’s plan was his brother, Roy O. Disney. Who held the purse strings at Walt Disney Productions. Roy had initially been very skeptical about the Disneyland project. By that I mean: When Walt first told Roy about his family fun park dream, the elder Disney brother thought that the younger Disney might be having another one of his nervous breakdowns. That it might once again be time to send Walt off on another “publicity tour of South America.” Which was what Roy typically did when it looked like the old Mousetro had misplaced his marbles, when it looked like Walt had let the pressures of running the studio get to him again. When it was time for Roy’s brother to go & get some R & R …

Anyway … In order to get the money for this massive Disneyland expansion project (More importantly, in order to have these three new Tomorrowland attractions up & running by the Summer of 1959. Just so Walt could steal some of C.V.’s thunder), Walt had to convince Roy that this project was vital to Disneyland’s future. That it was crucial that Walt Disney Productions fast-track these pricey additions to the Anaheim theme park.

Roy listened to Walt’s impassioned pitch, saw that the projected price tag for building the Matterhorn, the Monorail & the Submarine Voyage was going to be somewhere between $5 – $6 million … Then told Walt” “No. We can’t build this. At least not right now …”

And – from a businessman’s point of view – Roy’s reasons were sound. After all, Disneyland was still technically in the red. Walt Disney Productions still had to repay all the loans that the corporation had taken out back in 1954 & 1955 to finish construction of the park. Plus there was still the matter of ABC & Western Publishing, Disney’s two financial partners in the project. If Walt was ever going to buy those guys out, gain control over all of Disneyland, he’d have to start stockpiling dough.

Mind you, Roy admitted that the Matterhorn, the Monorail & the Submarine Voyage all sounded like they’d be fine additions to the park. Just not right now. Once Walt Disney Productions had gotten its financial house in order (Which – to Roy’s way of thinking – was three to four years down the line), then Walt could finally go forward with his plan.

As you might have guessed, Walt was very disappointed when Roy rejected his plan. But – given that the younger Disney respected his old brother – Walt put on a brave face and supposedly said: “Okay. Maybe you’re right, Roy. Maybe it would be best to wait on this project.”

Roy reportedly responded: “Let’s talk about this again after I get back from Europe, okay?” (Here’s an important piece of the puzzle. At this point in 1958, Roy was already scheduled to be headed overseas. Where he was supposed to meet with Disney’s distribution partners on the continent. See if these guys were doing all that they could to properly promote Disney product.)

And – mistakenly thinking that he had successfully persuaded Walt to put off construction of this ambitious Disneyland expansion project for a few years – Roy headed off on a business trip to Europe.

According to a couple of people who have told me this story over the years, Walt waited ’til Roy was officially out of range before he turned to the Imagineers and said: “Okay. Let’s get started on that Tomorrowland addition ASAP.”

A WED veteran (who had allegedly been in the room when Roy rejected the project) supposedly stammered: “But Walt, Roy said that … “

Walt allegedly cut the guy off. “Don’t worry about my brother,” the younger Disney said. “If we can have the site cleared, concrete poured and steel rising by the time Roy gets back, there’s no way that he can derail the project then …”

And – allegedly – that’s just what they did, folks. Quickly went out & hired a construction team to clear away Snow Mountain, then pour the concrete footings for the Matterhorn’s steel structure.

Of course — as you might expect — when Roy returned from Europe and found out that the project that he had rejected was rapidly rising out of the ground … Well, naturally, the guy was furious. But – after some huffing & puffing – Roy eventually came around. Even going so far as to persuade General Dynamics to come in as the sponsor of Disneyland’s “Submarine Voyage.” Which helped to take some of the sting out of this very personal, extremely expensive project.

You see, it was crucial (to Walt’s way of thinking) that this addition to Disneyland be ready to open right before Pleasure Island opened in Massachusetts. So that – no matter what sort of snazzy theme park that C.V. Wood managed to pull out of the swamps of Wakefield, MA. – that all eyes would still be on Disneyland.

Which explains that two-hour-long TV special on ABC celebrating the grand opening of the Matterhorn, the Monorail & the Submarine Voyage. The way that the story’s been told to be, Walt strong-armed the network into running that program just days before Pleasure Island opened. Just so he could send a message to C.V. Wood. Saying – in essence – that “You can try, pal. But you’re never going to be able to top the master.”

And – supposedly – C.V. got that message. As he sat with his Marco Engineering team in a hotel room in Boston, watching the ABC “Disneyland ’59” special, Wood – after seeing a shot of the Matterhorn – reportedly turned to his crew and said: “You see that, boys? That’s the world’s largest middle finger.”
Mind you, even though Pleasure Island never quite emerged as serious competition for Disneyland (The New England-based theme park limped along for 10 years or so before finally officially closing its doors in the winter of 1970). But Wood would go on to try & build other Disneyland clones … Like Freedomland in the Bronx. That theme park also crashed & burned.

Truth be told, it wouldn’t be ’til the early 1960s ’til C.V. finally got the formula right. His “Six Flags Over Texas” project proved to be a real hit with the public, eventually providing a successful template for a series of “Six Flags” theme parks which would be built around the U.S.

Now one might wonder … Why would Walt really give a rat’s ass about a Disneyland clone that was being built ‘way the hell out in Massachusetts? Well, it wasn’t ’til the last couple of years that the Walt Disney Company has finally begun to admit that – as early as 1959 – that Walt was actively looking for a place back east to build another Disneyland on.

So – if C.V. Wood (Once Walt’s trusted right-hand man) was out in Massachusetts, potentially poached on what could be considered Disney’s turf – Well, Walt had to do something about that.

Which – in this case, anyway – meant making a mountain out of a mound of moat movings. (Try saying that one three times fast.)

Anyway … That’s a sample of the sort of stories that you’d here if you ever decided to take part in a JHM tour of Disneyland and/or DCA. So – if that sounded even remotely entertaining to you – then why not make Scott Liljenquist happy by clicking on this link and learn a little bit more about the JimHillMedia.com tours.

And that’s about as close as I can get to a hard sell, folks. Truth be told, people (In spite of JHM’s self-aggrandizing name), I’m really not all that comfortable with tooting my own horn.

On the other hand, tooting someone else’s horn … Well, that’s an entirely different matter. Which is why I’d like to direct your attention to this link. Where you’ll find that Peter Emslie – that wonderful illustrator who provided JHM with those great caricatures of the late John Hench, the late Peter Ustinov and the it’s-later-than-you-think Michael Eisner – has some “Monkey Exec” merchandise available for sale that I think you folks will really enjoy.

Okay. That’s it for today, folks. Here’s hoping that you enjoyed the Matterhorn story. Now go make Scott happy by going to checking out his JHM tours web page, okay?

General

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

Published

10 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

10 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

10 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