General

Mist Direction or How DAK Operations just slipped Joe Rohde a Mickey

Jim Hill talks about “Expedition Everest” ‘s faltering effects. More importantly, WDW’s long-standing tradition of bamboozling senior Disney officials whenever they come on property

Published

16 years ago

May 26, 2008

Jim Hill

Folks who visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom late last month got something of a treat. In that — for a while there, anyway — most of “Expedition Everest” ‘s effects were actually working. The scenic mist that’s supposed to drift off of Forbidden Mountain top actually did that. The fog bank that your train is supposed to roll through as you barrel backwards through that ice cavern was actually in place. Even the Yeti was in “A” mode, viciously swinging at tourists whenever they zoomed through his lair.

But then — as April gave way to May — one by one, EE’s effects stopped working … again. First the mist stopped drifting off of Forbidden Mountain. Then the fog bank faded away. And finally — late last week — the Yeti stopped moving. He’s once again in “B” mode. As in: “Broken.” No longer able to swipe & snarl at WDW guests, this 25-foot tall AA figure has since been placed in a frightening pose and lit with a strobe light. Which — as you’re rolling through the Yeti’s darkened lair toward the end of this thrill ride — gives the illusion that he’s still moving.

Now one might wonder — given that these “Expedition Everest” effects were working back in late April — why have they all stopped working now? Is this shoddy maintenance on Disney World’s part?

Actually, no. You see, in reality, that scenic mist & fog bank effect had proved to be a hinderance to safe day-to-day operation of this DAK attraction. In that all of that extra moisture was playing hell with this thrill ride’s sensors. Which is why — shortly after “Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain” officially opened to the public back in April in 2006 — the mist & fog effect were turned off by Ops.

And as for the Yeti itself … This enormous AA figure has been an operational nightmare almost from Day One. Which is why he’s typically left in “B” mode these days.

Joe Rohde speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.
Photo courtesy of Denise Preskitt of MouseSteps.com

“But if that’s really the case, then why were all of these ‘Expedition Everest’ effects working last month?,” you ask. It’s simple, really. Joe Rohde, Senior Vice President and Executive Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering was visiting the Walt Disney World Resort in late April. To be specific, Joe was in town to take part in Animal Kingdom’s 10th anniversary celebration.

And given that Rohde’s extremely close association with this theme park and “Expedition Everest” in particular … Well, DAK’s Ops didn’t want to disappoint Joe. Let him see any “bad show” while he was in that park. Which is why — for the exact length of time that this WDI VP was supposed to be on property — EE’s mist & fog effects were turned back on. Animal Kingdom’s Operations staff also jury-rigged the Yeti so that this AA figure would perform flawlessly. For a while, anyway.

The end result was … Well, for as long as Joe was in town for that 10th anniversary celebration, Animal Kingdom — more importantly, “Expedition Everest” — operated just as he had originally intended them to be run. As soon as Rohde flew back home to Southern California, those mist & fog effects were turned off. And the Yeti was allowed to run until he broke down … again.

Now this may seem like a fairly underhanded thing for Ops to do (i.e. trick a senior Walt Disney Company official into thinking that things are going great at a particular park and/or resort when actually they’re not). But WDW has this long-standing tradition of deliberately duping Mouse House management. A tradition — I might add — that dates back to the days when Dick Nunis ran Disney World like it was his only personal duchy.

Nunis was infamous for mapping out well in advance the exact route that the Suits would be following when they toured Property. Then literally hours before these executives were scheduled to begin their walk-thru, Dick would dispatch Disney World’s cadre of cleaners & painters. So that they could then clean up and/or touch up every item that these execs would pass as they inspected each ride, park or resort.

Mind you, there was one man that Nunis was never able to dupe. And that was Walt Disney himself. As Dick recalled in a May 1999 interview for “Eyes & Ears” …

Former Chairmain of Disney Parks & Resorts Dick Nunis.
Copyright 1982 Disney. All Rights Reserved

“I was promoted to supervisor of Disneyland‘s Frontierland and Adventureland. And during my first week in that role, Walt got on the “Jungle Cruise,” went around and got off, and called me over. He chewed me up one side and down the other. He asked me ‘What’s the trip time?’ and he knew in those days it was seven minutes. He said ‘ Well, Dick, I just got a four-and-a-half-minute trip! I went through the hippo pool so fast I couldn’t tell if they were hippos or rhinos. How would you feel if you went to the movies and they cut the center reel out of the picture?’

Then he proceeded to tell me, ‘We’ve gotta maintain the same consistent show regardless of how long the wait is.’ So after he finished chewing me out, I said ‘Walt, have you got a minute?’ and he said ‘Sure. What for?’ I said ‘Well, sir, I’m new here. I’d like to go around with you on a boat. You tell me how you want it, and that’s the way it’ll be.’ He said, ‘Okay. Let’s go.’

So we went on it a couple of times, and he said, ‘You know, Dick, we don’t really have a lot of show here. We’re going to be adding show, but right now we’ve got to play to the show. So don’t just have the boat go around at one speed. Play to the show and slow the boat up when you’ve got some animation, and then when there isn’t anything there, speed it up. It’ll be more interesting.’

So that’s what we did. I got off the boat and he left. Cliff Walker was my foreman. So I said, ‘Okay. You and I are gonna get seasick.’ We worked in teams and we had one operator drive and one spiel. And then we’d flip it and train them how to drive it and then how to spiel it, and then put them together.

So we were ready the first week, and Walt came down for a weekend. Never got on a boat. Second weekend. Never got on a boat. We were training all that time. By that time we’d gotten clocks on the boat so they had key points where they should be. So that made it a lot easier.

The boarding area for Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise circa 1957.
Copyright Disney. All Rights Reserved

And Walt came down, and I was ready. I had my best spieler in the number-one load position. And he hopped on and went around. (But) Walt’s a pretty smart guy. He knew I had stacked the deck. So he got off the first boat and got on the second boat. We only had seven boats in those days. He rode five boats, got off and went ‘thumbs up.’ And I always wondered what would’ve happened if that thumb had been down.”

Yeah, Walt was a tough guy to trick. Given that he liked to experience Disneyland just as the guests did, Disney would actually stand in line, making his way through the queue the way that the paying customers did. So — as far as Walt was concerned — it was always tough to stack the deck.

Whereas the Michael Eisner-era executives … Given that these Suits seemed to want as little to do with the public as possible, they’d typically come into the park from Backstage, then head straight for whatever ride, show and attraction that they were supposed to experience and/or inspect. Once their tour was over, they’d then be whisked back to their town cars. Where their driver would then take them straight to some high-end Disney World resort.

And — over time — even the WDW resorts got into the act. They’d deliberately make changes / improvements to the hotel rooms that senior Disney Company officials were supposed to be staying in while they were on property.

Take — for example — Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Michael Eisner‘s hotel-of-choice whenever he stayed on property. Disney’s then-CEO always liked to stay in that hotel’s Vice Presidential suite. So — two days prior to Eisner’s arrival at Walt Disney World — Yacht Club management would block out that room. They’d then have WDW’s painters come in and retouch the place. They then rip up the carpet and swap out the mattress. Clean the suite from top to bottom. So that — when Michael arrived at that hotel — he would then, in essence, be walking into a brand-new room.

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort as seen from Crescent Lake.
Copyright 2003 Disney. All Rights Reserved

Speaking of walking … The hotel would actually steam clean all of the carpets that led from the lobby to the Vice Presidential Suite. Or — if the carpet was thought to look worn — they’d actually have it ripped out and replaced. Just so that everything that Eisner saw as he walked to his room would look flawless.

As for the room itself … Because Eisner was such a notoriously bad sleeper, Yacht Club staffers would actually black out the windows in the Vice Presidential Suite. Covering each pane of glass with an adhesive plastic sheet that would help make the room seem darker. Doing anything and everything that they could to head off possible complaints from Michael.

But now that we’re in the Iger era … WDW officials are finding it a lot harder to stack the deck. Particularly when it comes to John Lasseter.

You see, when it comes to Pixar’s Grand Pooh-Bah … Back in the 1970s, Lasseter actually worked at Disneyland. He started as a trash sweeper in Tomorrowland and eventually worked his way up to becoming a skipper on the “Jungle Cruise.” So — much to Disney World management’s chagrin — WDI’s Principal Creative Advisor is a guy who actually knows his way around a Disney theme park. As a former hourly employee, he already knows most of the tricks that managers like to play.

More to the point, John is old school. Meaning that — just like Walt — he likes to experience the parks just as the guests do. Which is why — when Lasseter was recently at the Resort to discuss a new super-secret restaurant project — he didn’t just hole up in some conference room at the Team Disney Building. No, John spent three hours at the Magic Kingdom‘s Liberty Tree Tavern. He sat with three of Disney World’s top Food Service guys and personally observed how that place operated, watching firsthand how the servers interacted with the characters and visa versa.

Photo by Jeff Lange

“What sort of super-secret restaurant-related project was Lasseter in Orlando gathering information for?,” you query. Well, only a rat would reveal advance information about that new Pixar-themed eatery that’s currently under consideration for the WDW resort. But if you liked that animation studio’s 2007 release … Chances are that you’re going to love this restaurant. If it actually makes off of WDI’s drawing board, that is.

Anyway … Getting back to the starting point of today’s article … What are your thoughts on WDW Ops’ practice of occasionally duping senior Disney officials? Making the suits think that things are going better than they actually are? Would you prefer that they were more honest with Mouse House management?

Or — looking at this situation from the Operations side of the fence — wouldn’t it be better if WDI actually designed attractions that were easy to operate on a day-to-day basis? That didn’t include effects that impeded safe-and-continuous operations of that ride and/or AA figures that were extremely difficult to keep up and running?

Your thoughts?

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