General
The Beach you’ll never reach: Disney’s abandoned plans for Florida’s Eastern shore
Ever hear about Disney’s plans for a theme park in Palm Beach? Or how about that beachfront swimming area that Mickey once wanted to build in Melbourne, FL? Jim Hill fills you on another sad WDW story of what might have been.
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Relax. That loud noise that you’ve been hearing coming from Florida’s coastline is NOT Hurricane Ivan. But — rather — a collective sigh of relief from the staff of Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. “What’s with all the sighing?,” you ask. Well, late last week, it was reported that the damage that Hurricane Frances caused to this beachfront hotel was so severe that the Mouse was going to have to shut down its Vero Beach operation until at least September 30th. Since then, Disney Company management has actually had a chance to inspect the hotel. Which is why Mickey has now asked reporters (nicely) to amend their earlier stories about this Disney Vacation Club facility. You see — as of right now — it looks like repairs could be complete at the Vero Beach Resort by as early as this coming weekend. Which means (Provided — of course — that a fourth hurricane doesn’t suddenly rise up out of the Atlantic and immediately set its sights on Florida’s Eastern shore) that this 175-room hotel could be once again be open for business sometime during the week of the 20th. Which — as you might understand — makes Mouse House managers very happy. Of course, some of the really old Disney Company vets (You know, the guys who’ve been working for Mickey since the 1960s & ’70s?) have recently been heard to mutter: “Thank God we didn’t go forward with that Palm Beach project and/or develop that oceanfront property that we once owned in Melbourne.” What’s that? You say you’ve never heard about these beach-related other projects that Walt Disney Productions once considered for construction in the Sunshine State? Well then pull up a chaise lounge, my friend. And — as we both keep a weather eye out for any funnel clouds coming out of the Caribbean — I’ll fill you in on one of the more fascinating tales from Disney World’s “What Might Have Been” file … The time is early 1959. “The Happiest Place on Earth” is less than 3 1/2 years old. And — though Walt Disney still keeps insisting that “There will be only one Disneyland” — the truth of the matter is that Walt’s operatives are already out there. Scouring the United States for possible construction sites for Disneyland II. The only problem is … Walt Disney Production is currently cash-poor. Though the Anaheim theme park is already making money hand over fist, not all of that dough actually belongs to Disney. A good portion of those funds has to go to the companies who helped fund Phase I of Disneyland’s construction (I.E. ABC & Western Publishing). Plus there are all those park-related bank loans that Walt still has to repay. So — in order to make a second Disney theme park a reality in the not-so-distant future — Walt was going to need some new financial partners. Which was where RCA, NBC and billionaire insurance John McArthur came in. This (on paper, anyway) seemed to be the “Dream Team” for making Disneyland II a reality by the mid-1960s. At the time (1959), RCA was desperate to get in bed with Walt. You see, RCA owned NBC. And the National Broadcasting Company had grown tired of regularly getting its butt kicked by all of ABC’s Disney-related programming. Which is why that Burbank-based network was wooing Walt big-time back then. Anyway … With the hope that they’d soon be able to convince Disney to drop the American Broadcasting Company and come on over to the National Broadcasting Company, RCA was making all sorts of outrageous promises to Walt. Like agreeing to underwrite all of the production costs of a brand new weekly Disney television series. One that would filmed entirely in color. Plus General Sarnoff’s operatives promised to throw open RCA’s research & development department to Disney’s Imagineers. So that Walt could make use of all of that corporation’s snazzy state-of-the-art technology in his theme parks. Speaking of theme parks … With the hope that this incentive would make RCA’s deal absolutely irrestible to Disney, General Sarnoff also offered to put up most of the money necessary to build a second Disneyland. As well as introduce Walt to a man who’d agree to kick in a primo piece of real estate to build this East Coast theme park on: billionaire John McArthur. To call John McArthur eccentric would be an understatement. I mean, here was a guy who’d made millions — billions! — off of the insurance game. Who had a fleet of personal aircraft. And yet John lived in this simple one-story tract house in North Palm Beach. Plus he LOVED to go skinny-dipping. Speaking of Palm Beach … That was where that primo piece of real estate was actually located. 12,000 acres of land on the north side of the city, within easy access to Interstate 95. It seemed like a dream deal to Disney. McArthur would provide all the land. RCA would kick in most of the cash necessary to construct the theme park, as well as provide all the technological expertise necessary to make the Anaheim original look like a kiddie park in comparison to Disneyland II. The four (Well … Three, actually) partners would split all of the profits equally that this project would generate. All that Walt would have to do was provide the Imagineers (who’d then have to design the second “Happiest Place on Earth”) as well as the Disney name. So why did this seemingly perfect plan fall apart? Well, it wasn’t because of anything that Disney did. From everything I hear, Walt was actually eager to built Disneyland II out by I-95 in Palm Beach. It was RCA that eventually put the kibosh on the project. “So why did RCA back out of the deal?,” you query. Well, the electronic company had some real financial setbacks in late 1959 / early 1960. As a result, RCA no longer had the cash flow necessary to fund its part of the Palm Beach plan. Which is perhaps why the whole Disneyland II project collapsed in late 1960 / early 1961. (Mind you, RCA’s financial problems back then may not have been the only reason that General Sarnoff ultimately opted out of the Disneyland II project. You see, about this same time, Walt began talking up EPCOT. And the head of RCA … Well, he wasn’t really interested in building a city of the future to the north of Palm Beach. General Sarnoff just wanted to make some quick money off of a Disneyland clone.) Anyway … In spite of pulling the plug on the Palm Beach project, General Sarnoff must have stayed on reasonably good terms with Walt. For Walt Disney Productions did eventually shut down its weekly anthology series on ABC — “Walt Disney Presents” — on September 17, 1961. Only to have a very similiar television program — “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” — pop up on NBC one week later. But still … There were clearly a few folks at WED who still felt that Walt Disney Productions missed out on something really special when the company didn’t get to build Disneyland II down by Palm Beach. After all, back then, what Florida vacation was considered complete without spending at least one day at the beach? Which perhaps explains why — in the 1971 Walt Disney Productions’ annual report — the following paragraph popped up:
This annual report included an aerial shot of this pristine piece of beachfront property. This beautiful photo — which showed gentle whitecaps lapping against a sandy shore — features a caption that read:
Sounds like a pretty snazzy addition to WDW’s already impressive line-up of attractions, doesn’t it? So what actually became of this project? To be honest, I don’t know, folks. By that I mean: The Brevard County beach project seemed to be something that Disney Company execs were very, very excited about in the early, early 1970s. At the very least, the Melbourne, FL. property rated an additional mention in Walt Disney Productions’ annual report for 1972. Which read:
Which — again — makes the Melbourne, FL. acquistion sound like a very promising project. But then — by the time the 1973 version of Walt Disney Productions’ annual report rolls around — the Mouse stops talking about its Florida beachfront property. You can search that publication from cover to cover. But you still won’t find word one about Disney’s land holdings in Brevard County. “So what happened to this pristene piece of beachfront property?,” you ask. Well, I’ve chatted with a few longtime WDW employees. And they offer up some pretty interesting theories as to why Mickey may have eventually opted to get rid of its land holdings in Melbourne, FL. You see … Well … By the time 1973 rolled around, the Mouse wasn’t all that fond of the idea of any WDW guests wandering off property. By that I mean: Sure, some of these folks might have actually eventually found their way over to Disney’s beach in Brevard County. But still others might have opted out of making that 80+ mile. hour-and-a-half long drive out to Melbourne. And — instead — dropped by the soon-to-be-opening Sea World of Florida (Which initially opened for business in December 1973). Or — worse yet — drove on down to Tampa to check out Busch Gardens. No, Walt Disney World didn’t want to risk letting any of its guests drive off-property. It was far better for the company’s cash flow if these folks (More importantly, their wallets) stayed within the 47 square mile boundaries of “The Vacation Kingdom of the World.” Which is why (according to the WDW vets that I’ve spoken with) Walt Disney Productions probably decided to eventually sell off this beautiful stretch of sand along the Atlantic Ocean. Opting instead to build a place where WDW guests — if they were really looking for a fun place to swim while they were vacationing in Central Florida — could do so without ever leaving property. And that project — my friends — was River Country. Fort Wilderness’ “Ol’ Swimmin’ Hole” which first opened for business in June of 1976. As to why Walt Disney World’s first water park supposedly closed for the season in October of 2001 and never ever re-opened again … Well, that’s a story for another time. Speaking of time … Your time’s running out if you want to take part in JHM’s “Ghost of the Shell” contest. We’ll only be accepting entries through midnight Friday. So — if you’d like a shot at winning that “Ghost in the Shell” DVD and/or one of those five “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence” posters — send an amusing e-mail featuring the phrase “Ghost in the Shell” to jim@jimhillmedia.com.
Hey. That’s kind of appropriate, don’t you think? A story about Disney’s abandoned Florida beachfront projects wrapping up with a mention of a “Ghost in a Shell.” Not bad for someone who’s operating on only five hours of sleep, don’t you think? Your thoughts? |
General
Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District
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.
General
Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues
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
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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