General

Monday Mouse Watch : Busting through the berm

Does any of Jay Rasulo’s talk about building Disney-themed hotels & shopping districts outside of the theme parks sound familiar? It should. Jim Hill reminds you of some of the other times that Mickey tried to build & then operate stand-alone attractions outside of Anaheim & Orlando

Published

18 years ago

March 11, 2007

Jim Hill

It was the news that sent Disneyana fans everywhere into a twitter last month. The very idea that Mickey was — in the words of Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts — seriously considering “broadening our footprint” within the continental United States.

Translation: The Walt Disney Company is looking beyond Anaheim & Orlando for possible construction sites of new stand-alone Disney-themed resort hotels, retail, dining & entertainment districts, even water parks.

Mind you, Rasulo (As he was speaking with investors about this possible WDP & R expansion scenario back on February 7th) stressed that …

“These concepts are (just) blue sky ideas right now … They won’t be executed at all if we don’t believe they would generate the returns on invested capital (that the Walt Disney Company has come to) expect to achieve from our businesses.”

Why is Jay sounding so cautious about this rather ambitious idea? It’s simple, folks. Rasulo’s initimately aware of all of the other times that the Mouse has tried to bust through the berm. To do some sort of stand-alone project outside of the theme parks. Only to have those other enterprises close because they either failed to turn a big enough profit or eventually proved to be an operational challenge.

Take — for example — the very first of these stand-alone projects. Which was the Celebrity Sports Center, built back in 1961 in Denver’s fashionable Cherry Creek section. Truth be told, CSC didn’t originally start out as a Disney owned-and-operated establishment. But — rather — this ambitious sports venue was something that Walt himself went in on as a limited partner. Shouldering the cost of construction with several other well-known celebrities of the day like Art Linkletter, Jack Benny and John Payne.

Of course, the main reason that Benny, Disney, Linkletter and Payne pooled their pennies in order to build this enormous sports center right in the middle of Denver (Which featured 80 bowling lanes, an Olympic-sized swimming pool as well as a high-end restaurant) was that they all hoped to make a huge amount of money off of this complex. However, given its somewhat bizarre mix of elements, the CSC was never quite as popular and/or as profitable as the partners had hoped it would be.

What exactly was the problem? Well, based on what several Disney veterans who actually worked at this complex have told me, Denver bowling fans back in the 1960s weren’t all that interested in fine dining. Which meant that — in order to cover its operational costs — the CSC’s restaurant had to rely heavily on the patronage of the swimmers. But then all of those wet bathing suits destroyed the upholstrey in the dining room.

You see what I’m getting at, right? Given all of its operational issues & additional unexpected expenses, the Celebrity Sports Center quickly became a money pit. Which is why Art, Jack & John eventually sold off their shares in CSC to Walt. And as for Walt … Well, he eventually persuaded Roy that Walt Disney Productions should buy the Celebrity Sports Center outright. Making this Colorado-based sports complex a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mouse House.

Of course, one of the main reasons that the Old Mousetro wanted his company to own CSC was that Walt knew that he’d eventually need someplace to train all of the managers who’d work at that new ski area that Disney Productions was planning on building just outside of Sequoia National Forest. And what better way would there be to learn about how to run a brand-new sport complex then by managing the Celebrity Sports Center for a while?

Sadly, neither the Mineral King nor the Independence Lake ski resort projects were ever built. Though Walt Disney Productions did eventually wind up using its Denver property as a training facility. With many of WDW’s original managers getting their first guest service experience in the late 1960s by dealing with all the bowlers & swimmers who frequented CSC.

Unfortunately, even with all of Mickey’s marketing might behind this Denver sports complex, Walt Disney Productions just couldn’t make a go of the Celebrity Sports Center. Oh, sure. The place would be packed on the weekends. And the lanes would do well on most weeknights. But Monday through Friday during the day, the place was basically dead. Which is why the Mouse eventually opted to unload the complex in 1979.

Mind you, this was the very same issue that brought down Club Disney in the late 1990s. Given that this proposed chain of Disney-owned-and-operated children’s play centers would do land-office business on the weekends but then struggle to attract any patrons on weekdays … Well, it just didn’t make sense to move beyond this franchise’s test phase. Which is why all five of the Disney Clubs that had been built were closed down on November 1, 1999.

This is also why Disney Regional Entertainment eventually abandoned its plans to go forward with construction of a worldwide chain of indoor theme theme parks. Given that the Chicago version of DisneyQuest also struggled to draw customers on weekdays, it just made no sense (from a business point of view, anyway) for the company to proceed with this project. Which is why the Mouse pulled the plug on the Philadelphia version of DisneyQuest even after the cellar hole for this 5-story structure had already been dug.

Then there are those mysterious projects like Mickey’s Kitchen (You know? That fast food chain that the Walt Disney Company launched back in April of 1990?) which seemed headed for great success. Only to suddenly get its plug pulled in the Spring of 1992.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Mickey’s Kitchen concept, it was actually a pretty ingenious design. This fast food restaurant was built right next door to a pre-existing Disney Store. And — given that the wall that originally separated these two businesses had been torn out — shopping at the Disney Store and then dining at Mickey’s Kitchen (or visa versa) was a pretty seamless / flow-thru experience.

Best of all, because the Imagineers had deliberately designed this shared space to be a split level. So that hose who were eating in the raised dining area in Mickey’s Kitchen could then peer down into the Disney Store next door and have a clear view of all the merchandise that was on sale. Which clearly had an impact on some consumers. Given that gift sales at this retail-restaurant hybrid (Which was build in Montclair, CA) were 20% higher than at other Disney Stores in the area.

Given that Disney executives quickly greenlit construction of a second Mickey’s Kitchen prototype (Which was built right next door to the Disney Store in the Schaumburg, IL. mall), it seems obvious that the company was eager to move forward with this franchise. But then in April of 1992, the Mouse suddenly pulled the plug on the whole operation.

So what happened? Well … There’s always been this rumor that the Burger King executives — who had just signed a seven figure deal with Disney to promote the studio’s upcoming releases as well as a few theme park events through its Kids Club meals — insisted that the Mouse get out of the fast food business. That BK didn’t think it was kosher that Mickey was horning in on its action. Particularly given that Burger King was going to be spending tens of millions of dollars to heavily hype movies like “Beauty & the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “The Lion King.”

The only problem with that explanation is that the dates don’t exacty line up. You see, Disney signed its sponsorship deal with Burger King in August of 1991. But then the Mouse didn’t bail out of the fast food business ’til April of 1992. Given the eight month lagtime between signing with BK and then shutting down MK … I personally think that this particular story is more of an urban legend than an established fact.

Okay. So you’re picking up on the pattern, right? How the Walt Disney Company will first announce an extremely ambitious plan for its latest outside-of-the-berm project … Only to eventually retrench, regroup and/or just cancel the project outright.

I mean, sure. The Disney Vacation Club still operates its satellite resorts at Vero Beach (Which opened back in October of 1995) and Hilton Head (March of 1996). But let’s remember that DVC originally announced that it would be building beyond-the-Disney-theme-park units in Newport Beach, CA., Beaver Brook, CO. and even just off of Times Square in NYC. But all of those projects were eventually cancelled in favor of safer, on-property resorts like the Villas at Wilderness Lodge, the Beach Club Villas, the units at the Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, even the recently announced Animal Kingdom Villas.

Of course, some of these “Blue Sky” concepts sound like safer bets than others. Take — for example — those stand-alone “Downtown Disney” retail, dining & entertainment districts that the Mouse is allegedly toying with building around the country.

But let’s not forget that — back in the early 1990s — that then-Chairman of Walt Disney Attractions Dick Nunis supposedly put the kibosh on the roll-out of a nationwide chain of Pleasure Islands. Reportedly out of concern about what might happen to the company’s good name if some family eventually wound up being killed by a drunk driver who had earlier been drinking at a Disney-owned nightclub.

So obviously this is trickier than it looks, folks. Given that Jay Rasulo was actually senior vice president for Disney Regional Entertainment as well as general manager of the entire Club Disney chain back in the late 1990s … Well, let’s just say that this guy is very much aware of how truly difficult it is to first get one of these projects off the drawing board, then get it built & keep it open. Which again explains the caution that Rasulo used when describing all of this “Blue Sky” stuff to investors last month.

Though — that said — I am told that Jay does have one project that he’d really like to see make it all the way through to completion. And that involves building a Disney flagship hotel (Something along the lines of the Grand Floridian or the Grand Californian resorts & spas. Which would then be built in a U.S. city that is already a major tourist destination for families) which would have an indoor water park attached to it.

Of course, one hopes that Rasulo can learn from the mistakes that were made at the Celebrity Sports Center back in the 1960s and make sure that all of the upholstrey that’s used in this resort’s restaurants is water-resistant …

Anywho … What do you folks think? Do you like the idea of Disney broadening its footprint in the United States? Building new stand-alone hotels, retail, dining & entertainment districts and/or water parks? Or would you prefer that the company concentrate most of its efforts inside of the berm? Making sure that its pre-existing theme parks and resorts in Anaheim & Orlando are revitalized?

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