First up, Roger A. writes in to ask:
Jim,
We just went to see Disney Live!, the new touring magic show this weekend, and were very impressed that Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy all had mouths that moved in sync and their eyes blinked.
Copyright 2006 Disney/Feld Entertainment
Do you know if there’s any plans to use these impressive new heads in the parks, such as during the parades and stage appearances?
Roger
Roger:
Actually, the Walt Disney Company has had character costumes that are capable of doing the whole mouth-moving-eyes-blinking thing for at least 10 years now.
I remember how — back in October of 1996 — my ex, Shelly Smith, came back from this gala event that the Mouse had held at the Orlando O-rena in honor of WDW’s 25th anniversary. And she was just raving about how — as part of this elaborate indoor pageant — the mouth of the Mickey rubberhead that was featured in this show had moved in perfect synchronization with the dialogue that Wayne Allwine had pre-recorded. Which gave the impression that this walkaround version of Mickey Mouse could really speak.
Mind you, this talking-walkaround-character idea actually dates back to the 1960s. In his wonderful behind-the-scenes-at-the-Mouse-House book, “Justice for Disney,” Disney Legend Bill Justice describes how he experimented with strapping a portable reel-to-reel tape recorder to Disneyland cast members. And on this tape recorder would be pre-recorded dialogue for a particular Disney character. Which (once this Disneyland cast member put on the appropriate costume and then turned on the tape recorder) would give the impression that this walkaround character could actually talk.
Illustration from “Justice For Disney” showing how
Bill Justice would create character costumes for the parks
Copyright 1992 Tomart Publications
Unfortunately, the only character costume that was actually big enough to hide the bulk of a 1960s era portable tape recorder was Brer Bear. So the in-park test for this pre-recorded voice track featured this “Song of the South” character saying things like “Howdy!,” “Have you seen Brer Rabbit?” as well as singing “Zip a Dee Doo Dah.”
Which (admittedly) sounds pretty cool. Unfortunately, due to the weight & the thickness of the Brer Bear costume, this pre-recorded voice track (even when it was played loud enough to almost deafen the Disneyland cast member who was inside the costume) came through as … Well … muffled. So, basically what you got was — from your up-close-&-personal encounter with this experimental talking-and-singing “Song of the South” character — was the impression that Brer Bear mumbled.
So Bill Justice’s idea was tabled for about the next 20 years. Mind you, the Imagineers would periodically revisit this talking-character concept. And — in the end — the wizards of WED would eventually come up with a working prototype. The only problem was … The technology involved with making this talking/blinking character head work was so delicate that it would repeatedly break down. Which meant that it just wasn’t practical to use these heads on a day-to-day basis in a theme park environment.
Which is why these talking-blinking character heads wound up being reserved for special occasions. Moments when the Mouse really wanted to wow people. Like Disney World’s 25th anniversary gala.
Copyright 2006 Disney/Feld Entertainment
Now as to why this technology is now being used as part of a Feld Entertainment show … Let me be blunt here: The folks at Feld still pride themselves on putting on a quality show. Which means that they’re willing to spend the money to make sure that these talking-blinking character heads work on a daily basis. That’s why they’ve hired technicians to travel with the “Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show” whose only job is to keep these heads in good working order.
Of course, to be fair, Feld only needs these talking-blinking character heads to work for three shows a day. Which is the typical weekend performance schedule for “Mickey’s Magic Show.” On most other days, these heads have to be in good working order for just a single performance, sometimes two-a-day. Which is hardly the sorts of conditions that this technology would be exposed to were these talking-blinking heads to be used at the Disney theme parks.
Still, one hopes that — with the advancements that are made annually in various technical fields — that a sturdy theme-park-friendly version of this talking-blinking-character-head technology will eventually become available. More importantly, affordable.
So hang in there, Roger. You may yet get the chance to chat with Mickey Mouse at your favorite Disney theme park and then have that Mouse talk directly back to you. Here’s hoping that this technical innovation arrives sooner, rather than later.
Next up, Jonathan W. from the U.K. writes in to say:
Jeff M
Just the quickest of quick emails. I know Disney have recently acquired Pixar, but with the pixar studios chruning out great films such as bugs life, nemo, monsters, incredibles, toy story, these films would be fitting for any studio park. We have seen some of these films already turned into rides.
How about Disney changing the Florida park to Disney – Pixar studios, to replace MGM?
Just a random thought and out of all the cool fan sites i follow, thought i was best placed to share it with you.
Jonathon W.
England
Jonathan —
You wouldn’t happen to be a member of the Psychic Friends Network, would you? The reason I ask is that — just as Mark Goldhaber mentioned in the “Quick Takes” section of his Walt Disney World Park update column over at MousePlanet earlier this week — there have been an awful lot of talk coming out of the studios lately about a possible upcoming name change for that theme park.
Why a name change? More importantly,why now? Well, you have to understand that the Walt Disney Company’s original licensing agreement for use of the MGM name in a theme park setting actually expired last year. On June 27, 2005 to be precise. And given that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer now plans to lend its name to a studio park that will be opening in Busan, South Korea in 2010 … Well, they’d kind of like their name back now.
Sooo … For the past 15 months, Disney has been taking advantage of a grace period that was reportedly built into the original MGM licensing agreement as the Mouse carefully reviewed its options. And given that the company just spent $7.4 billion to acquire Pixar … It seems like sort of like a no-brainer to try & recover some of those costs by rebranding MGM as the Disney-Pixar Studio theme park.
NOT the official new logo for the soon-to-be-renamed theme park
Just a little Photoshop fun by Nancy Stadler
As for a possible timetable for this name change … I’m told that Disney is now looking at the Fall of 2007. With the actual name change supposedly happening on or around October 1st. Which typically is when WDW Press & Publicity holds its annual press event.
Mind you, Disney would allegedly use this same press event to open Disney-MGM’s newest attraction, “Midway Mania.” Which — not-so-co-incidentally — will be themed around characters from the two “Toy Story” films.
And about this same time, a version of Disney’s California Adventure‘s “Block Party Bash” (Which — as Disneyland publicity so aptly describes this street party — ” … stars your Pixar Film Pals”) would reportedly begin rolling through the studio theme park each day. And the characters from “Cars” would supposedly start making cameo appearances in the “Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show.” With the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” Movie Set Adventure then being rethemed around the characters from “A Bug’s Life.”
So as you can see, over a relatively short period of time (More importantly, not for a huge pile of money), Disney-MGM could quickly become the theme park that every Pixar fan has to visit whenever they vacation at Walt Disney World.
Ironically, the one man who allegedly has some real reservations about this plan is Pixar’s own John Lasseter. “And why would John Lasseter be against the idea of renaming MGM the Disney-Pixar Studio theme park?,” you ask. Well, the way I hear it, given that — over the next 12 months — Epcot will be opening its newly rethemed “The Seas with Nemo & Friends” pavilion …
Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises
… And “Finding Nemo — The Musical” will be opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom …
Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises
While the Magic Kingdom gets the Laugh Floor Comedy Club. Meanwhile out in California, Disneyland gets the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage while DCA gets its very own version of Midway Mania. And let’s not forget overseas, where Tokyo Disneyland will soon be getting a “Monsters, Inc.” -themed “Hide and Boo Seek” attraction. While Disney Studios Paris will be getting two Pixar-related attractions: the “Cars Race Rally” and “Crush’s Turtle Twister.”
This — in addition to the various Pixar-related shows & attractions that already exist (I.E. The “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” 3D movie at both DCA & Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the interactive “Turtle Talk with Crush” show at both DCA & Epcot, the five versions of “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” that can be found operating around the globe … Not to mention DCA’s newly opened “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue” ride as well as “A Bug’s Land)” …
*Whew*
That’s an awful lot of Pixar-related stuff opening at Disney theme parks worldwide over a relatively short period of time. Perhaps too much. Which is why Lasseter has supposedly expressed some concerns about a possible Pixar backlash.
Should this backlash actually occur, WDI’s new Principal Creative Advisor may (at least temporarily) put the kibosh on the whole renaming-MGM-the-Disney-Pixar-Studios-theme-park plan.
But either way, look for a lot of Pixar-related stuff to start popping up over in WDW’s studio theme park over the next few years.
And finally, Natalie R. writes in to ask:
Jim:
I was just visiting at the Magic Kingdom. And while I was walking around the Hub, I noticed this odd path that meandered down to the moat around Cinderella Castle. Being in an adventurous mood, I followed that path. Which first took me through a sparse looking rose garden before eventually leading me to this green metallic awning over a couple of empty park benches.
Given the amount of time & money that was obviously spent to create this path & awning, I’m sure that there used to be some sort of attraction here. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out what it could have been.
Could you please clear up this mystery for me?
Natalie:
Actually, what you discovered at the end of that path was the old dock / loading area for the Magic Kingdom’s Plaza Swan Boats. This Main Street U.S.A.-based attraction was in operation (on a seasonal and often-quite-sporadic basis) from May of 1973 through August of 1983.
Copyright 1975 Walt Disney Productions
Obviously, the Swan Boats weren’t a thrill ride. What they offered Disney World visitors instead was a temporary respite from the crush and the crowds at the Magic Kingdom. 26 people at a time could clamber aboard one of these natural-gas-powered vessels. Which would then take these WDW visitors on a leisurely cruise around the center of the park.
Most people think that the Plaza Swan Boats just traveled in a circle, making one quick trip ’round the moat in front of Cinderella Castle. Truth be told, your voyage on the Swan Boats included a side trip into Adventureland. Where you circled the base of the Swiss Family Treehouse before heading back into the heart of the park.
Again, we’re not talking about heart-stopping excitement here. Just a gentle 17-minute-long voyage aboard an old fashioned vessel that was named after one of the three fairies from “Sleeping Beauty.”
In short, the Plaza Swan Boats were charming. But as the 1980s arrived and the Imagineers felt the need to shoehorn more thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain into the Magic Kingdom, there was less & less room for charm in the park. And given the boats were notoriously difficult to maintain & keep in operation … It was really only a matter of time ’til the Plaza Swan Boats were eventually shut down.
All that remains of this Main Street U.S.A. -based attraction is the loading dock. Which nowadays is used for private parties and/or as an extra-special spot to stage an Enchanted Engagement.
Me personally, I wish that the Plaza Swan Boats were still in operation. After all, charm is in pretty short supply in today’s world.
And speaking of things that are in short supply … I’m out of time for this week. So you folks have a great weekend, okay? And (hopefully) we’ll see you all again on Monday morning.
j