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Looking for some concrete information on Disney’s World of Color? Then check out this week’s Why For

Jim Hill returns with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, he talks about DCA’s lack of advance planning, what Dick Nunis once called Walt and why it’s important to take a two-tiered approach when discussing Disney World these days

Published

16 years ago

on

Jerry C. writes in say:

Jim,

I really enjoyed that photo you ran last week of the empty
Paradise Bay. Do you have any stories to share yet about DCA’s night-time water
pageant, “Disney’s World of Color” ?

Dear Jerry –

At this point, we’re only about ten weeks into this multi-million
dollar construction project. The draining of Paradise Bay actually began back on November 3rd
and it took more than two weeks to reach the bottom of this man-made lagoon.

As of right now, most of the on-site survey work has already
been completed. So what lies ahead now is several weeks of serious
deconstruction. As crews rip up concrete at various spots along the bottom of
the now-empty Paradise Bay.  In
preparation for those hundreds of high pressure nozzles and pieces of supply piping that are
about to be installed.

While all of this work is going on, the Imagineers
will also be ripping that amphitheater that they built along the north side of
Paradise Bay to then make room for that tiered 9,000-person viewing area that
they’ll be adding to DCA. Which will (hopefully) be able to accommodate those
huge crowds that will turn out nightly to watch performances of “Disney’s World
of Color.”

Given that California Adventure is about to get a brand-new
night-time water pageant that will reportedly put the Fountains at Bellagio to
shame, I know that it may seem somewhat ungracious – if not downright rude – to
begin carping about “Disney’s World of Color.” But me? I can’t help but wonder
how much money the Disneyland Resort would have saved if they’d just done even
the bare minimum  preparatory work for California Adventure’s new water pageant when this theme park was first
being constructed back in 1999 / 2000.

Copyright Tokyo Disney Resort. All Rights Reserved

I mean, that’s what WDI did at Tokyo DisneySea. Long before
all those parade barges for BraveSEAmo! first floated out onto  Mediterranean Harbor, back during the initial construction
phase of the Tokyo Disney Resort’s second theme park, the Imagineers had a lot of
the plumbing and electrical necessary to support this sort of show placed at the bottom of
that concrete harbor. Which made it that much easier to get a night-time water
pageant up out of the ground … er … water when BraveSEAmo! finally got the green
light.

Of course, the Oriental Land Company was okay with this sort
of expenditure. Given that they realized that it would be far cheaper in the
long run to lay the groundwork for a TDS lagoon show while that theme park was
still being constructed. Whereas the executives who were riding herd on the
construction of Disney’s California Adventure were trying to do everything related
to that theme park on the cheap. So any suggestions about doing prep work in
Paradise Bay for a future waterfront show was quickly dismisses as “We can’t
afford to do that right now. “

Which is why The Walt Disney Company is now forced to spend
tens of millions of dollars ripping up the bottom of that concrete lagoon to
make room for all of the underwater equipment needed to present & support
“Disney’s World of Color.” All because of WDI’s penny wise / pound foolish attitude 10 years ago.

Mind you, there is an upside. Because all of this work is now being done in 2009, rather than back in 1999 or 2000, DCA will have a totally state-of-the-art fountain show. One that features the latest & greatest equipment
when it comes to high pressure hoses and fine spray nozzles. So when you see
a full-sized replica of Sleeping Beauty Castle sculpted entirely out of water
suddenly rise up out of Paradise Bay and/or the wildebeast stampede sequence from
“The Lion King” play out on a series of 80-foot tall mist screens … Hopefully, all of the extra
time & expense involved here will have been worth it.

Copyright 2008 Disney. All Rights Reserved 

But last month, as my daughter and I looked out over the
now-empty Paradise Bay … Well, as much as I was looking forward to seeing
“Disney’s World of Color” in 2010, there was a part of me that still wished
that Dick Nunis had gotten his way.

You see, Dick always felt bad that one of the attractions
that Walt had originally proposed for the 1955 version of Disneyland (Which was
a Monstro-the-Whale themed Shoot-the-Chutes attraction) had never made it off
the drawing board. Which is why – when Nunis learned that DCA was supposed to
have a recreation of California’s beachfront amusement piers – he proposed that
the Imagineers add a Shoot-the-Chutes to Paradise Pier’s line-up of
attractions.

Unfortunately, given the “Less is More” attitude that pervaded much of the design & construction phase of DCA, WDI humored Nunis by having some concept art
drawn up for a Shoot-the-Chutes attraction for DCA (Which – FYI – is still on display over at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel). But they never actually had any
intention of building a recreation of this 1900s-era thrill ride as part of Disney’s
California Adventure.

 And speaking of Dick
Nunis … Christopher S. writes in say that …

It just makes me sick the way the modern Walt Disney Company
continues to cut corners at its stateside theme parks. You can bet that, if Walt
were alive today, that the Disney Company wouldn’t dare pull the sort of cr@p
that they’re pulling today. Cutting back on the number of performances of
“Fantasmic!” that they present every week. Eliminating prime rib from all the
restaurants on property …

Christopher’s e-mail goes on and on like this for another
couple of paragraphs. There’s no real point in reprinting the rest of his
e-mail. Given that it keeps going over (and over and over and over and over … )
the same very idea that Walt would have never compromised the Guest experience at
his theme park just to save a few bucks.

Which isn’t exactly true. I mean, Disney was a showman. But he
was also a businessman. And as much as he may have prided himself on delivering
a top quality Guest experience to all those who paid to enter Disneyland,
Walt still couldn’t bring himself to spend money on projects for the Park that wouldn’t then bring about some sort of financial return.

Case in point: Back in the 1960s, Dick Nunis was area
manager for Adventureland. And even back then, this part of Disneyland – due to
its tight, tight quarters and extremely poor layout – was always crowded & congested.

Copyright Disney. All Rights Reserved 

And as Nunis watched tourists struggle daily to make it across Adventureland, he knew that something had to be done to improve Guest flow through this part
of the Park. Which is why Dick proposed pushing the load / unload area for
the Jungle Cruise back 10 – 15 feet. 
Which would then make it possible to add far wider walkways to
Disneyland’s Adventureland section.

The only problem with what Nunis was proposing was that it would
have cost upwards of $3 million. And given that no new food service and/or
retail space was going to be added to the Park as part of shifting the Jungle Cruise’s load / unload
area back, Walt couldn’t justify the cost.

“I’m sorry, Dick,” Nunis remembered Disney saying. “But
unless this change that you’re proposing for Adventureland includes some sort of financial benefit for the Park, I just can’t
allow it to go forward.”

Dick’s response to this news? Well, he sort-of kind-of
called Walt an @$$#0le and then – while attempting to make a dramatic exit from
that particular meeting – accidentally walked into a closet. But the upside is … Disney’s
personal opinion of Nunis really went up that day. Given that Dick had proven that he was
a guy who was willing to fight for what he truly believed in. Which was improving
Park Operations as well as the overall Guest experience.

I know, I know. That sounds like kind of an unlikely story.
But Nunis actually told this tale recently – in front of a hall full of themed
entertainment professionals, no less – as part of Marty Sklar’s “My Ten Best
Tips” presentation at last year’s IAAPA convention. Here’s hoping that Dick
eventually puts this story in print as part of those memoirs that he’s now
rumored to be writing.

Dick Nunis (L) and Marty Sklar (R) during their joint appearance at the 2008 IAAPA Attractions Expo. Copyright 2008 International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. All Rights Reserved

And – finally – Kathryn P. writes in to say:

I’m confused. Last week, you posted a story that said things
were looking so rosy at Walt Disney World that they were about to turn those
long-abandoned buildings at Pop Century into family suites. Yet today you run
an article that times are so tough for Disney Parks & Resorts right now
that the Company’s begun offering buyouts to longtime managers & directors.

So which is it, Jim? Are things looking up for the
WDW Resort? Or is Disney World – due to what’s happening with the economy –
going to take a real hit in the coming months?

Kathryn P.

Look, when it comes to talking about the Walt Disney
World Resort these days, it helps if you take
a two-tiered approach: Taking into consideration both the long range and the short term view.

In the short term, WDW is definitely heading into a weird patch.
Where – instead of people booking their Walt Disney World vacations at least
six months out – the window for advance reservations has now seriously shrunk.
These days, people are booking trips to WDW just two & three weeks in
advance. Which makes it extremely difficult when it comes to properly staffing
& scheduling Cast Members at the Resort.

Which is why – as Disney waits for the economy to right
itself. More importantly, for consumer confidence to return – it’s begun to fixate on quick fixes.
And among the many ways that the WDW Resort can improve its bottom line (at
least when it comes to the short term) is by reducing the head count within its
executive suite.

Now if you take into consideration the long range view … Well, Disney feels that it’s already has enough anecdotal evidence in hand to suggest that the U.S. economy will be well
on its way to full recovery by the middle of 2010. Mind you, folks who will be
traveling to the Resort then will still be extremely cautious about how they spend their money.  Which is why
these would-be WDW visitors will seriously be looking for bargains.

And if the Mouse has a hotel within its Disney World inventory
that would then allow large families to all stay together in the same place for
one low price … Well, Disney is betting that a Resort like that will be
extremely  popular with Guests who are
trying to stretch a dollar as far as it can possibly go.

Which is why it makes sense to start work on the Animation
Inn & Suites project ASAP. So that this revamped version of Pop Century will
actually be ready to start taking reservations by this time next year. When
(hopefully) WDW’s advance reservation window will have shifted back to its normal six-months-out time frame.

This is also why – even though many high rollers have had
their portfolios trashed by what happened on Wall Street last Fall – Disney
is still pushing forward with construction of that on-property Four Seasons
Resort. Yes – in the short term – most Guests vacationing in Orlando won’t
really have the  money necessary to stay
at a posh hotel like that. But if you take the long range view – looking two
& three years down the road, when the U.S. economy has (hopefully) finally
fully recovered – people will then be looking to be pampered once more as part
of their Disney World vacation experience. And when this new Four Seasons Resort officially opens in 2012, it will
then be properly positioned to fill that need in the marketplace.

Concept art for the Four Seasons Resort to be built on property at Walt Disney World Copyright 2008 Disney / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. All Rights Reserved

So long story short
here, Kathryn  … In order to really
understand what’s going on at The Walt Disney World Resort these days, you always have to take into consideration the bigger picture. That the stuff that Mickey is doing in the
short term (i.e. offering buyouts to 619 managers & directors) will then allow
the Resort to better position itself to make some  very serious dough in 2010 and beyond. When
Disney hopes (Hell, we all hope) that the U.S. economy will be on its way to a full
& complete recovery.

Anyway … That’s it for this week’s Why For. Again, if you’d
like to see your Disney-related questions as part of this column, please send
them along to jim@jimhillmedia.com.

Have a great weekend, okay?

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

9 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

9 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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
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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