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I wonder if Walt would have liked this week’s “Why For”?

Jim Hill’s back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, he talks about Audio Animatronic figures in movies, the possible expansion of WDW’s monorail system, then shares even more images from this past Saturday’s ABC “Fun in the Sun” soap event

Published

19 years ago

on

It never fails. At least once a week, I get an e-mail like this one from Jane P.

Message:

My family and I just got back from a trip to Disneyland. Which we really enjoyed, by the way. The park looks great these days.

But still I couldn’t help noticing how expensive everything seemed to be. From the price of admission tickets to the cost of food in the park to even the souvenirs. It seemed like every five minutes, I was having to open my wallet to buy something else.

I used to think of Disneyland as a place for family fun. But now when I think of Disneyland, I picture Mickey picking me up by my ankles and shaking me ’til all the money in my wallet falls out.

And judging by what I read at your site as well as other Disney websites out there, I know that I’m not the only person who feels this way.

So what do you think, Jim? Do you think Walt would be happy with the idea that people have begun to equate the theme park that bears his name with being nakedly greedy. I’m pretty sure that Mr. Disney wouldn’t approved of the way the current management team runs Disneyland. Where they try & get every penny out of every guest.

I’ll be intrigued to hear what you have to say about this e-mail. Thanks for running such a fun site.

Jane P.

Dear Jane P.

Look, I’ll admit that things do seem pretty expensive at Disneyland. But — then again — I think the same thing everytime I go to my local multiplex and have to take out a second mortage just so I can buy a box of Goobers.

But when you start asking me questions like “Do you think that Walt would be happy …,” that’s when I have to politely bow out of the conversation.

Why for? Because I honestly don’t think I can say what Walt would have said or felt. After all, I never met the man. I mean, I’ve certainly read a lot about Mr. Disney, watched various interviews that the guy gave over the years and have even talked with a large number of folks who worked directly with Walt … But — that said — that still doesn’t give me the right to pretend that I actually know what Walt Disney would have said or done in any given situation.

This is why it always makes me a little crazy to see other webmasters out there making these definitive-sounding pronouncements about how “Walt would have wanted the ‘Carousel of Progress’ to remain open forever …” and/or “Walt would have never taken the Dreamfinder out of Epcot’s ‘Journey into Imagination’ ride …” As if these guys somehow have a direct line to Mr. Disney in the other realm. Where Walt — from beyond the grave, no less — is telling them specifically what he would and would not have done in the theme parks.

Now me? The only thing that I’m actually comfortable with doing is saying something like: “Based on my own observations, I think that Walt might have done this or might have done that.”

Take — for example — this statement: Based on what I’ve observed in a number of motion pictures that Walt Disney himself put into production prior to his death in December 1966, I believe that — had he lived just a few years longer — Walt might have done some very interesting things by mixing Audio Animatronics and film.

The first time that Disney combined these two technologies was the studio’s 1964 release, “Mary Poppins.” How many of you recall that scene where the practically perfect nanny — as she was tidying up the nursery — noticed a pair of robins outside ” … feathering (their) nest”?

Copyright The Walt Disney Company

And the next thing you know, Mary Poppins has one of these birds on her finger. And the two of them are happily warbling “A Spoonful of Sugar” together.

Copyright The Walt Disney Company

As you might expect, Julie Andrews wasn’t really working with a live bird here. But — rather — a mechanical robin that was being controlled by several WED technicians who were just off camera. Ms. Andrews — in interviews that she’s given about the production of this particular Robert Stevenson picture — recalled how the Imagineers had to run the wires that actually controlled the robin up the sleeve of her blouse and then down through Julie’s dress so that they’d eventually reach the control console.

Of course, sometimes their efforts at concealment weren’t quite as successful as others. Me personally, I’ve always been amused by this moment in “Mary Poppins” …

Copyright The Walt Disney Company

… where it seems like Mary’s index & middle fingers seem to have suddenly become grossly enlarged & discolored. Obviously what we’re looking at here is some sort of temporary rig that the Imagineers cooked up that would allow the Audio Animatronic robin to appear to be perched on Julie Andrew’s hand. So that these two songbirds — one human, the other mechanical — could then warble together.

And — given that this particular scene in “Mary Poppins” went over like gangbusters — I’m told that Walt said: “Well, we’ve got to do that again. Only bigger and better this time.”

Which is why — in Walt Disney Productions’ June 1967 release, “The Happiest Millionaire” — Fred MacMurray and Tommy Steele got to perform with an Audio Animatronic alligator. (Which — the way I hear it — was only slightly less temperamental than the real gators that were on that set.)

And for the studio’s July 1967 release — “The Gnome-Mobile” — Walt really upped the ante. He envisioned a scene where Jasper the gnome (I.E. Actor Tom Lowell in miniature form) had to act out a scene with a quartet of mechanical creatures: An Audio Animatronic racoon, owl and a pair of blue jays.

Copyright The Walt Disney Company

Speaking of those blue jays: Do they look familiar? They should. They’re actually the same Audio Animatronic figures that were used in the “a robin feathering his nest” scene in “Mary Poppins.” Only this time around, they’ve got a new coat of feathers as well as different beaks.

Copyright The Walt Disney Company

So obviously, what with Walt inserting AA figures into two pictures that he had Disney Studios produce for 1967, mixing-mechanical-creatures-with-movies was really an idea that the Old Mousetro was enthusiastic about. So one wonders what Walt would have done with combining these two technologies if he’d have just hung in there another couple of years.

But — as I mentioned earlier — Walt sadly passed away in December of 1966. And given the great expense involved with creating AA figures that could be used in front of a camera, Walt Disney Productions executives weren’t all that enthusiastic about continuing this practice. So — after this handful of films in the 1960s — Disney stopped using Audio Animatronic figures in their films.

Mind you, I’ve spoken with a number of people at the studio who wish that Walt Disney Productions had kept up this practice. That way, Disney would have been a better position in 1979 when they started getting panicked calls from Malta. Where Robert Altman’s “Popeye” (Which was a Paramount Pictures / Walt Disney Productions co-production) was being filmed.

It seems like the device that were supposed to have powered the giant rubber octopus that was to have menaced Olive Oyl in the film’s finale broke down as soon as this fake sea monster was exposed to salt water. So here was the “Popeye” production team, down by the edge of the Mediterranean, with a broken octopus and no way to film the end of their movie.

I’m told that it was Robin Williams himself who said: “Look, Disney’s got all those Imagineers. You know, those guys who make the dolls dance in ‘Small World’? So why don’t you have Disney fly a few of them over to Malta to come fix our octopus.” So the film’s producer — Robert Evans — called Disney Studios and begged Ron Miller to put a couple of technicians from WED on a plane to Spain. Only to have Mr. Miller say: “Our guys only do theme park stuff.”

Which is why — in the end — Robert Altman and his actors had to improvise. Which is why — the next time you see “Popeye” — keep a close eye on Shelley Duvall in the film’s finale. Notice how she’s got the octopus’ tentacles in her hands and is frantically waving them about herself. That’s to give the audience the impression that this sea creature is actually alive and menacing Ms. Oyl and her friends.

Ah, the magic of movie-making.

Next up, Thomas writes in to ask:

I’ve read that Disney has plans for monorail expansion and it’s too expensive But what about other forms of transportation to Studios, Animal Kingdom and resorts? Has Disney given any though into light rail, boats to Animal Kingdom, etc.?

Sorry, Thomas. But I’m afraid that I don’t know all that much about what’s up with WDW’s transportation system. So why don’t I turn this question over to Scott Liljenquist of Mouseketrips and see what he has to say?
Scott?

Thank you, Jim.

Monorail expansion? It’s a popular topic (just do a Google search on Walt Disney World Monorail expansion to see for yourself) that’s been rumored for years. As anyone who has been to WDW recently can attest, something needs to be done to fix the overworked transportation system and reduce the vast number of smelly and slow buses that are the mainstay of WDW Transportation.

A monorail expansion is always everyone’s first wish, due to the novelty and history that this unique transportation method has with the Walt Disney Company. What most folks don’t realize, however, is just how close we came to enjoying a vastly expanded and improved WDW monorail system.

You see, an expansion of the monorail system to reach the two newest theme parks, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as the Downtown Disney district, has always been in the long-term plan for the Florida property. Costs, budget crunches, economic recessions, and other factors have all had a hand in preventing that expansion over the years.

However, during the late 1990s work on a complete overhaul of the transportation system really started to pick up steam. In addition to expanding the monorail system, options for additional boat service, bus service, a light-rail system, and even an ultra-futuristic customizable mass-transit system similar to this one and this one were all considered and in the mix. In addition to those plans, a high-speed rail line from the airport and a new transportation hub were planned and designed.

Anyone lucky enough to visit the interior of the monorail service barns during this time, and attentive enough to notice, could have seen the design plans posted on the wall for two additional monorail lines connecting Animal Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios, and the Downtown Disney area to a new transportation hub.

So exactly how close was this revamp of the transportation system? In a speech given in early 2000 to Cast Members, Al Weiss, the president of the Walt Disney World Resort, said “in two years, we are committed to drastically reducing the number of buses required to fulfill our internal transportation needs.” He forecast a “transport system which will whisk guests from the airport to a new hub on property in five minutes.”

In fact, according to company insiders, this ambitious plan was to have been announced to the public during the company’s annual media event in October of 2001.

But then nothing happened. Why For? If you note the date of the proposed announcement above and subtract a month and a few days, you end up with 9/11. The tourism crash precipitated by that event caused Disney to immediately switch to survival mode. The rumored $750 million price tag of this transportation expansion was just too much to spend when visitors to the property were staying home with their money in droves. It just wasn’t wise, at that time, to spend so much on something that did not generate any revenue.

But wait, you’re saying. Aren’t things better now? Aren’t people returning to WDW en masse? Haven’t I heard that bookings at WDW are approaching and even exceeding, in some cases, pre-9/11 levels? Doesn’t that mean we can get the project back on track?

Well, yes and no. The entire project has been pulled back in for re-evaluation. Many readers, I’m sure, have been stopped in the past 18 months by the Disney survey takers at the entrances to the parks and asked their opinion on the transportation system. Disney is right now gathering data and will use it to decide if the old proposal still works or if better alternatives are now available.

No current time frame has been set for this, and I wouldn’t expect to see anything announced anytime soon regarding this massive project. Among other things, Disney has to wait to see what will happen with the proposed high-speed rail system before more concrete plans can be made.

Anyway, I guess that was a long way of saying that while it’s still possible, and as much as we’d all like to see it happen, it’s unlikely that any expansion of the monorail system is coming quickly.

That’s it for this question. Now let me hand the rest of the questions for this week’s “Why For” back over to Mr. Hill. Jim?

Thank you, Scott. It’s always nice to bring the guys from Mouseketrips to answer those travel-specific questions. They really know their stuff when it comes to the Disney resorts.

Now where were we? Ah, yes. Robert B.’s question. Who writes in to ask:

I really enjoyed Jeff Lange’s story about that new Soda Fountain that Disney built next to the El Capitan. But — as part of that article — he mentioned that you’re supposed to get some sort of commemorative button if you & your friends finish the restaurant’s signature sundae, “Mickey’s Masterpiece.” But because the soda fountain had just opened when Jeff initially visited the place, they didn’t have any buttons to give out yet. Which is why the manager promised to mail Mr. Lange & his friends their buttons.

So my question is: Did Jeff ever get his button? And — if so — what did it look like?

Robert B.

Dear Robert B.

Jeff did actually get his button. Which you’ll see pictured below:

Pretty snazzy, don’t you think? Though I’m thinking that this probably wouldn’t be the smartest thing to wear the next time you attended a Weight Watchers support meeting.

And — finally — BlackRose writes in to say:

Thank you, thank you, thank you for running those pictures of the ABC “Fun in the Sun” event at Fanieul Hall. I really wanted to get down to the city that day and see my favorite soap stars from “All My Children” and “General Hospital.” But getting in and out of Boston is such a hassle that I eventually talk myself out of doing it. But based on your article, it sounds like I missed out on a really good time.

So could you please post a few more pictures from last Saturday’s event? So I can see some more of my favorite hunks?

Thanks,

BlackRose

Ask and ye shall recieve …

Nancy picked out a couple of additional shots that I hope all of you ABC soap fans out there will really appreciate. First up, here’s a close-up on “General Hospital” ‘s newest heart-throb, Matt Marraccini …

Photo by Jeff Lange

… Followed  by kind of an artsy-fartsy shot …

Photo by Jeff Lange

… which has a sea of hands reaching out to snatch an autographed 8 by 10 away from Forbes March, who plays Nash on “One Life to Live.”

 But this picture — out of all the shots that Nancy took last Saturday — has been my absolute favorite. Just look at the faces in this photo:

Photo by Nancy Stadler

That’s Jeff Branson of “All My Children” cradling a newborn that some soap fan has just shoved into his arms. Please note the face of Jeff’s handler (I.E. The guy in black directly over Hanson’s right shoulder). Whose facial expression seems to be saying “Please don’t drop that baby!” While right next to Jeff is the official ABC photographer for this event. And his expression seems to be saying: “Boy, I bet I could get a really great shot if this soap star would just slip up and drop that baby.”

Anywho … That’s pretty much it for this week, folks. Here’s hoping that you have a great weekend and that we’ll see you all again here at JHM come Monday.

Til then, you take care, okay?

jrh
 

 

 

Related Topics:

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

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General

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

Published

9 years ago

on

June 23, 2015

By

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


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. 

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Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

10 years ago

on

June 10, 2015

By

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?

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General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

10 years ago

on

June 9, 2015

By

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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved

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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

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.' "


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"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.


Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"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.


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Inc. All rights reserved

"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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"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?


Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"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

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