General

Okay … now tell me what you REALLY think …

After having 112 pro-“Mickey’s Philharmagic” e-mails come flooding into his in-box over the past two days, is Jim Hill is having second thoughts about WDW’s new 3D movie? Well …

Published

21 years ago

September 23, 2003

Jim Hill

Well, it wasn’t quite “Jim, You Ignorant ***!” But it was pretty damned close.

On the heels of Monday’s less-than-enthusiastic article about “Mickey’s Philharmagic,” I got WHOMPED with a pile of mail from people who had also seen this new Fantasyland attraction during last week’s previews and absolutely loved the show. 112 e-mails, to be exact.

Typically of these was the note I got from StormShadow. Who (in an extremely polite fashion) basically tore me a new one because I had dared to damn “Philharmagic” with faint praise.

What exactly did StormShadow have to say about this new WDW show as well as this past Monday’s article? Read and learn:

I have to totally disagree with your reviews of “Mickey’s Philharmagic.” For those of us who absolutely love [Disney’s] ’90s [animated] features, this attraction takes the cake and gives these moments their just desserts. And the best part of the desserts is that you can actually smell them!

Sure, the queue stinks! Mickey’s pursestrings are tight these days and we all know it! Folks are flying off coasters in CA, planets are out of orbit high atop Tomorrowland, and now a dull pre-show, what else is new? Look at the queue to “Mission: Space” … if you try to do too much with too little imagination and money, you end up with the lame concept of the International Space Training Crap queue leading up to the cool ride. You also have to remember we are dealing with the generation of Imagineers that decided that imagination belongs in an INSTITUTE and not on Dreammaker’s Airship. That’s quite the idea there … an Imagination Institute. But I digress …

I went on Saturday to a broken down “Philharmagic,” gave up and came back Sunday to yet another few hours of broken down “Philharmagic.” After a few spins on Space Mountain, we came back extremely frustrated and was led to the door quickly, so the queue was not really an issue. Sure we have come to expect to be hypnotized while waiting, but this time we’re not, we’ll get over it when the show starts!

This waiting (that I haven’t experienced yet) should all be worthwhile once the picture starts!! This is the BEST Disney attraction I have experienced in quite a while. Sure it isn’t a thrill attraction, but it is the best of Disney’s 3D movies as far as I’m concerned. The screen is designed to IMMERSE you into the movie. “Shrek [4-D]” doesn’t accomplish this, even with moving seats!

The Imagineers have managed to stimulate all the senses at once! The lighting effects are synced to the movie! As Lumiere moves his hands, where his ‘light’ would be falling on you is actually being done by the lighting. The lighting adds so much to the picture!! A whole lot more than “Shrek [4-D]” can do!! They also blow ‘night air’ on you during the flying sequences which gives you chills as you experience the best of the 90s, (and Peter Pan). The moving air adds so much to the experience.

The stimulation of the nose is what impressed me the most. The smells seem to evoke a ‘spine tingling’ sensation, that I haven’t gotten since the IMAX version of “Fantasia 2000.” Maybe I’m just impressed by these immersive musical experiences. They touch the very fiber of my being. It’s the aesthetic experience only produced by the finest work in the arts.

I won’t go into a play by play of what is great, but this film is truly the Disney’s animation fan’s dream come true. Truly great moments happen in this film. I wish we could see a full-length feature with this concept. I came away from the attraction hoping that the 50th Full Length Feature….the highly rumored ‘all-star’ film, will be a 3-D IMAX experience with this concept in mind.

I sat through it three times straight, and I would go back and see it again. I’m not obsessed with the attraction by any means, but I truly do love and appreciate the attraction. Especially after experiencing the past few full-length features and wishing for the glory days again. This film really celebrates the glory days of the early ’90s and lets us know the animators remember what truly great moments in film are like. Combine them all together in this wrap-around screen, with truly the crispest 3D I have seen, and you have a great attraction. TRUE, you can’t call it an E-ticket, but it isn’t supposed to be an E-ticket. It is truly the crown of C or D tickets right now at the parks.

Sure “Shrek [4-D]” is smart-ass and crude and all the things today’s audiences love about the degradation of our society. Sure, “Shrek [4-D]” pokes fun at Disney at every opportunity, maybe with good cause in the past few years! But “Mickey’s Philharmagic” a.k.a. “Donald’s Finest Hour” in WDW is an attraction that Disney can truly be proud of: showing us high quality work in hard times. “Mickey’s Philharmagic” immerses you into the experience further than any other 3-D attraction. “Shrek [4-D]” you are looking at the screen that is far away up on the wall……… “Mickey’s Philharmagic” has you sucked into the picture, and the best part is flying high above the Sultan’s Palace and feeling like you are actually in Agrabah.

The computer animation’s quirks are easily forgiven and brings a kind of ‘new look’ to old favorites. Besides, is it possible to make a 3-D movie such as this with tradition animation? I think you ‘DO WITH WHAT YOU GOT, YOU TAKE A LITTLE AND MAKE A LOT!” Know where I’m coming from on that one?

BRAVO to the team that got this one put through and finished with such fine work. Maybe it could be better, but I fell in love with Disney all over again, even with being frustrated with so many of their current problems! If you miss the great music moments of the ’90s, then you will LOVE “Mickey’s Philharmagic.” Lament the pre-show if you like, but it’s all cheap hype to get you over the 21st Century Faux Pas of actually WAITING for something! Spend some time getting to know your family in line for once, that’s what Walt would want!!!!!! THIS ATTRACTION NEEDS NO PRESHOW!

StormShadow

And the Mitchell family also wrote in to take me to task (politely) for Monday’s article:

Hello Jim,

I’m writing on behalf of my 13 yr. old son who reads your postings everyday religiously. For the first time ever he asked to voice his opinion of WDW’s newest attraction “Philharmagic.” He was a little upset that you received so many negative reviews. He liked your article, and that you remained neutral.

We were able to attend both cast member and the passholder previews. Twice during the cast member preview, and 3 times we saw the show during the passholder preview. We tried many different seats, to make sure that we were seeing everything. So hopefully you will respect our opinion.

Truthfully, it is a wonderful show. A show that is worth seeing again, and again. Of course it has the water spraying effects, but for once it is staged during a part of the show that makes you not mind getting hosed. For once, there was aroma effects that worked, (I’ve done Shrek’s attraction 4 times and have never had that effect work). The timing of each effect was flawless, the CG was beautiful.

What I saw was an attraction that takes the best of Disney, the things we love and puts back the foundation of what the park is supposed to be about. The wonderful characters, the classic comedy, and the music that we all love. Yes, the old folks of Orlando are going to love it, but all the children who love Lumiere, and Ariel, and Aladdin will love this show. My son who dreams of one day being an Imagineer was very proud of the design and show that we were presented with. I witnessed several small children starting to misbehave before the show began, but once they saw the larger than life characters appear, they remained motionless. Not one mother left the theater.

All the good things your readers mentioned to you are true, but they left out the magic that is indeed there in the show. Sure there is no “Pre-Show”, but if you listen you hear the voices of Minnie and Goofy preparing all to enter the theater. I’ve never gone to any concert or Broadway play that had a pre-show, and isn’t the fact that we are going to see a concert the theme of the whole show?

We’re not going to bother you with any more detail. But just know, that it is a wonderful new attraction and long overdue for Fantasyland. The perfect place for it. I’ve seen all the shows that have been there, [“The Mickey Mouse Revue”], “Magic Journeys,” “Legend of the Lion King.” And for once I feel like it is something that finally fits the theme of the area.

Give it a chance, I’m sure you will love it. It is true the more you see it the more you love it.

Thanks for letting us vent.

Lisa and Travis

I’d reprint the rest of the pro-“Philharmagic” letters that I got on Monday and Tuesday. But that — coupled with Seth Kubersky’s mostly positive review of this new WDW show which is also running on the site today — would seem like overkill.

Mind you — in spite of this overwhelming response to Monday’s “Mickey’s Philharmagic” article — I still put plenty of credence in what Seabiscuit, My Friend Flicka and Mr. Ed told me about Disney’s new 3D movie. By that I mean: I know and respect these guys (two are longtime WDW cast members; the other is a highly respected theme park designer). So their opinions matter to me. And if these gentlemen have some issues with “Philharmagic” … well … that gives me pause.

And let’s not forget about Deep Mouse’s comments. Honestly, people, there are really Imagineers who believe that “Mickey’s Philharmagic” could be playing a whole lot better to WDW guests if Mickey had just opened up his wallet a little and provided the Fantasyland Theater with a proper lobby and pre-show area. Something that would have done a much better job of setting the stage for the film that followed.

But — that said — there’s no getting around the fact that 112 pro-“Mickey’s Philharmagic” e-mails turning up in my in-box in just two days time signals that there are quite a few of you out there who really disagree with Seabiscuit, My Friend Flick, Mr. Ed and Deep Mouse. You guys … well … seem to love this new Disney World attraction.

So who’s right here? Well … given that I myself haven’t seen “Mickey’s Philharmagic” yet, I really can’t say. Could it be that Seabiscuit, My Friend Flicka and Mr. Ed went into the Fantasyland Theater with expectations that were far too high? Perhaps … but given what I know about these guys, I don’t think so.

And could Deep Mouse be too much of an insider, too close to the material, to really allow himself to see how this new 3D movie is actually going over with Disney World audiences? Again, this is a possibility. But — given what I know about this guy — I seriously doubt it.

So what’s going on here? Why the vast range in opinions on “Mickey’s Philharmagic?” It may just be that this new 3D movie plays beautifully to some Disneyana fans while it leaves others cold.

That’s the way of the world, folks. Some people view the glass as being half empty, while others may see the glass as half full. And — in Al Lutz’s case — he sees the glass as not only being half empty, but also cracked and dirty. And the water that’s left in that glass? It was pumped straight out of a toxic landfill late at night by Mouse House executives who are determined to destroy everything that’s good about the Walt Disney Company.

Okay, I know: cheap shot. I’ll probably catch hell for that joke. But — after wading through 112 e-mails that told me that I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about when it came to “Mickey’s Philharmagic” — I guess I’ve grown used to being on other people’s sh*t list.

So — before all you Miceage fans work yourself into a frenzy — sorry about that, Al. If you’d like, feel free to take a poke at me sometime.

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