General

A bad news edition of Why For

Jim Hill delivers somewhat depressing answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim reveals why “The Morning Report” wound up on the Special Edition “Lion King” DVD, why Innoventions has become so bland, what happens to all those articles on “Save Disney” as well as what’s supposedly holding up the Disney Cruise Line’s third ship

Published

18 years ago

February 23, 2006

Jim Hill

First up, Jennifer S. writes in to ask:

Why for? If anyone might know, you might…

In the Special Edition of “The Lion King,” the song “The Morning Report”, from the (Broadway) musical, is added.

But the thing is…there were many songs from the stage show that were much better and more important to the story. Like “He Lives In You,” which had its genesis on the “Rhythm of the Pride Lands” CD. Or “Endless Night,” Simba’s song about missing his father. Or “Shadowlands,” which Nala sings as she leaves the decimated Pride Lands. (At least that would have given her a song to herself.)

All of these songs detail dramatic character moments and would have added more to the existing movie. So, out of all those, why did they pick a song that really is no more than just a cute throwaway?

Dear Jennifer S.

To be honest, one of the main reasons that “The Morning Report” was selected for inclusion in the Special Edition of “The Lion King” was because this particular song from the Broadway show was so short.

More to the point, the “Morning Report” musical interlude could easily be swapped out for the pre-existing Mufasa-teaches-Simba-to-hunt sequence in the film without having any real impact on the picture that followed.

You see, what the Walt Disney Company basically wanted here was a new song that they could then use to hype the re-release of this 1994 film (I.E. “You may have already seen the original version of ‘The Lion King,’ but not the New! Improved! version of ‘The Lion King.’ Now with a brand-new song!). But — at the same time — the Mouse didn’t really want to pay an awful lot for this new number that was to be inserted into this re-released motion picture.

You see, just as work was getting underway on the “What-should-we-add-to-‘The-Lion-King’-so-that-people-will-then-buy-a-second-copy-of-a-film-that-they- already-own” project, the bills were beginning to roll in for “Beauty & the Beast” ‘s new sequence, “Human Again.” In order for that new musical interlude to fit seamlessly into the revamped version of that Academy Award winning 1991 film, numerous changes had to be made to the original picture. Including animating a new introductory scene for the song, plus digitally adjusting the scenes that directly followed “Human Again” (To reflect that fact that the enchanted objects had actually cleaned up the Beast’s bedroom just prior to his big date with Belle).

Given the additional costs that were involved with seamlessly blending “Human Again” in with the pre-existing footage of the original version of “Beauty & the Beast,” the suits who were then in charge of WDFA decreed that this wouldn’t ever happen again. From here on in, if a new song or scene was to be dropped into an animated re-release, that addition would have to have minimal impact.

So that’s actually why we got “The Morning Report,” Jennifer. Rather than something much more ambitious like “He Lives in You.” Sorry about that, Jennifer.

Next up, Rebecca G. writes in to ask:

Say I was wondering about something after coming back from our fourth trip to WDW.

Why for has Innoventions become so…bland?

See I’ve come on visits starting 1998 then 1999, 2002 and finally 2005. First time it was full of Sega games and it was like a dream come true for me (I think this was one side of Innoventions and the other stuff was things of little interest to me then). Second they had a small Dreamcast area, some cool exibits though wasnt as good as the first and pretty much the same thing next visit with a few added bits.

When we went in October I was really unimpressed with how Innoventions looks now. Everything was the same, the Disney Tag game (which I’d been told the year before and the year after that would eventally be released online but never happened, I’m curious about that too) was still there. The dance mat games were still there. Plus Disneys game section pretty much only consisted of Kingdom Hearts, Finding Nemo and some ESPN games. It felt very lackluster

Do you know if theres any plans to fix innoventions and make it as fun as it used to be or is there the possiblity it’ll be replaced by something?

Keep up the good work on the site BTW, I really enjoy the articles.

Dear Rebecca G.

Thanks for the kind words regarding JHM. As to why Innoventions has become so lackluster lately … I have two words for you, Rebecca: Barry Braverman.

You see, Innoventions was Barry’s baby. He was the WDI exec who (way back in the early 1990s) originally came up with the idea of reaching out to various corporations and offering them huge chunks of Communicore to use as display space for that company’s newest technologies.

And when Innoventions originally opened in July of 1994, it was this huge success. The public just loved having all these new exhibits to explore at the very heart of Future World. And WDW management … They loved the fact that Innoventions cost the Walt Disney Company virtually nothing to operate. The corporations that sponsored all of these displays of their latest products picked up 90% of the cost of operating & staffing Innoventions.

And given that Braverman was the guy who’d originally come up with this extremely clever idea, Barry’s stock really began to rise within Walt Disney Imagineering. Lots of great opportunities quickly started coming his way.

First, Barry was invited to consult on Disneyland’s new Tomorrowland project (Which is why this part of the Anaheim theme park eventually wound up with its very own clone of Epcot’s Innoventions attraction). Then — after the Westcot project fell through — Braverman was invited to pitch ideas for a new second gate for the Disneyland Resort.

Mind you, while all of this was going on, Barry was still supposedly keeping an eye on Innoventions. Making sure that the displays at Epcot’s Future World and Disneyland’s new Tomorrowland were kept fresh & up-to-date by continually hitting up the sponsor companies to bring in their newest products & technologies.

But then as the Disneyland Resort second gate project — AKA Disney’s California Adventure — began to consume more & more of Braverman’s time and energy, Innoventions stopped being such a high priority with Barry. Which is why the time between change-outs of displays of new equipment & technologies gradually grew longer and longer. Until we wound up with what we have today at Innoventions … Which are (to be honest) are mostly out-of-date displays of what used-to-be cutting-edge technologies.

Of course, given that Braverman no longer works for WDI (He officially exited the theme park design arm of the Walt Disney Company earlier this month), Innoventions is pretty much a headless operation right now. There’s no one within the Imagineering organization who is actually keeping after these corporations now, making sure that they regularly change out their Innoventions exhibits, bringing in the latest products & technologies to display.

So now … Well, the guys at WDI are waiting to see what John Lasseter will do once he officially comes on board at Imagineering’s new Principal Creative Advisor. Will John keep Innoventions going? Or will he simply opt to gut this entire section of Future World? Bring in something bold and new just in time for Epcot’s 25th anniversary (Which is officially due to get underway in the Fall of 2007).

Sorry, Rebecca. I wish I had better news for you. But it’s quite likely that Innoventions will remain very lackluster for the next 18 months or so. Til this section of Future World is finally radically revamped and/or it disappears entirely.

And — speaking of disappearing entirely — Carl E. writes to ask:

Carl E.

Do you have any idea of what became of all the articles that were accumulated on the Save Disney web site? There was a lot of very good history and stories. It would be a shame for all of that to just disappear.

Thank you.

Dear Carl E.

You know, while I may not have always agreed with what Roy & Stanley did, I always enjoyed going over to the “Save Disney” website and reading the articles that were posted there. Particularly those pieces that were written by Merlin Jones. Those articles — while they may have laid the Eisner-is-evil-and-must-be-anhilated stuff a little too thick (at least for my tastes, anyway) — were always well researched and loaded with all great info.

Which is why I — along with thousands of other Disneyana fans out there — were sorely disappointed when Disney & Gold decided to shut down their “Save Disney” website on August 7, 2005. Basically scattering this great collection of Disney-related articles to the four winds.

Ah, but that’s the beauty of the Web, folks. Just because someone decides to pull the plug on their website doesn’t actually mean that that particular website is actually gone for good. All you have to do is know the right place to look. More importantly, the right search engines to use as you begin your search.

My advice to you, Carl, is to go on over to the Internet Archive. In particular, check out the Wayback Machine, that amazing tool that basically allows you to travel back in time (at least in a cyber-space sort of way). So that you’re then allowed to resurrect long-dead websites and read stories that were posted there.

The last time I looked, there were various versions of “Save Disney” available for perusal via the Wayback Machine. Mind you, the most recent one dated back to April 7, 2005. So admittedly, you’d miss out on the last four months worth of stories that were posted on that site. But — hey — that’s better than nothing, isn’t it?

Just be warned, though, folks. Last night, as I was trying to access “Save Disney” via the Wayback Machine, the Internet Archive was behaving in a very flukey manner. Which means that — while I could see the listing of “Save Disney” sampling dates that were supposedly available for perusal — I was never actually able to open any of them. So here’s hoping that this proves to be just a temporary glitch.

I mean, I’d really hate it if all of Merlin Jones’ “Save Disney” essays really were gone for good. While I may not have always agreed with that guy’s corporate politics, I almost always enjoyed the stories that he wrote. Here’s hoping that Merlin finds a new home on the web someday.

And — finally — Adam S. writes in to ask:

hi jim,

love the “dailies” i look forward to them, well, umm,… daily. i know alot of what you write on is disney media and parks, but i am looking for some sort of cruise line update. do you have any news on new ships in the works?

thanks.

adam

Adam —

Thanks for the compliments about JHM. As for the Disney Cruise Line … The way I hear it, the third ship of the line is already designed. The plans have been drawn up for several years now. Even the money for construction of this third cruise ship (which would supposedly be berthed on the West Coast) has already been set aside. In fact, all that dough is said to already be in some Disney corporate account, drawing considerable interest.

“So if the plans are complete and the money has already been set aside, then why hasn’t the Walt Disney Company actually gone forward with construction of the third cruise ship?,” you ask. Would you believe that it’s mostly the cost of steel that’s supposedly holding this project up?

I kid you not, folks. I’ve talked with numerous folks at various levels of the Walt Disney Company about this subject. And each of these people have basically told me the same tale. How Disney’s current management team is reportedly waiting for the cost of steel to come down before they finally okay construction of that third Disney Cruise ship.

All the pieces are allegedly already in place. Disney’s reps have even picked out the European shipyard where they want their next cruise ship to be built. But until the cost of steel comes down to a more affordable pricepoint, the Mouse is going to continue to postpone this project.

Anyway … That’s pretty much it for this week’s bad news edition of “Why For,” folks. Here’s hoping that you all have a great weekend and that we’ll see you here again bright & early on Monday morning!

Later,

jrh

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