General

WDI’s X-Scream Makeover of WDW’s Haunted Mansion: Part 4

Jim Hill continues his 5-part series on this recently revamped Magic Kingdom classic. This time around, Jim talks about a gag that the Imagineers finally felt was far too gruesome to be added to this attraction’s Attic sequence

Published

17 years ago

October 24, 2007

Jim Hill

Picking up where we left off … By now, I’m sure that you’ve all heard about the neat effect that’s just been installed in Walt Disney World‘s version of the The Haunted Mansion. Where Madam Leota’s head now magically floats above the table, calling ” … in the spirits, wherever they’re at.”

Of course, Disneyland fans are quick to point out that their version of the Haunted Mansion actually got this effect first. That their Leota has been floating above her table since January of 2005 … So nanny nanny pooh pooh !!

(Sorry about that, folks. But West Coast Disneyana fans are not taking kindly to the idea that Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion is now considered inferior to the East Coast version of this same attraction. There has reportedly been much grousing both at that theme park as well as on-line about how WDW’s Mansion now has a Portrait Gallery with 3D sound as well as that super-cool new M.C. Escher-like Grand Staircase sequence. While the Anaheim version of this much beloved attraction still has the same old stuff.

But the good news coming out of Glendale is … Both Anaheim & Tokyo’s versions of this classic Disney dark ride are supposedly slated to receive these well-received enhancements sometime over the next two years. So you just have to have a little patience, people. Okay? … Anyway …)

Me? I’m not really much of a who-got-which-effect-first kind-of-guy. I’m more intrigued by the back-of-the-house stuff. Like the long term cost savings that the Operations side at the Magic Kingdom will now allegedly enjoy. Thanks to WDI‘s decision to make Madam Leota a digitally projected effect.

“And what’s so cost effective about doing something like that?,” you ask. Well, to understand that, you first have to know a little something about the way that the Imagineers originally achieved that talking-head-inside-of-a-crystal-ball effect. Which (not to give in any of WDI’s secrets away, but … ) involved a 16 MM projector, an endless loop of film as well as this periscope-like device.

That last item in particular had to be checked every day by a cast member before the Mansion opened for business. Just to make sure that the projected image of Leota Toombs’ face lined up properly with the blank face that was encased inside of that crystal ball on the table. Otherwise, the Madam Leota effect would look awful and/or wouldn’t work at all.

And let’s not forget about the wear & tear on that endless film loop. Even though this strip of celluloid unspooled into a special cooling box (Which — in theory — helped prolong the life of that loop as it moved through the projector 10, 12, sometimes 16 hours a day), it would still only last two weeks. Then — because this film loop was either torn, broken or faded at this point — it then had to be replaced.

So when you consider the manpower & material that had been dedicated to just making sure that this one effect at the Mansion worked and then multiply that out over 36 years … We’re talking about a considerable chunk of change here.

Whereas going with a digitally projected version of Madam Leota (Where the image is projected from within, rather than from outside. Which is why this new version of the Mansion’s mystic now looks great from both the side and the front) immediately eliminated all of that extra cost & effort … And because this digitally projected effect is a self-contained unit, it was now possible for Leota to levitate right up off of her table.

“And how exactly does she do that?,” you query. Madam Leota’s upward mobility actually involves three separate cables. One that pulls her left & right, one that moves her up & down, and a third which provides power for her on-board electronics.

As for the rest of the Séance Circle room … All the enchanted objects that are floating through the air here have received new black light paint treatments so that they now pop out more. In some cases, the props themselves had been replaced. Take — for example — that trumpet that turns & floats in the air. The original haunted horn had to be removed because … Well, even though it was an authentic trumpet, it was far too hard to spot as floated high in the air in this dimly lit room. Which is why WDI replaced that horn with an over-sized version which was much easier to see.

Speaking of the dim lighting … Check out that flickering candle on Leota’s table. Doesn’t that brand new effect look terrific? Like you’re staring at a really-for-real candle?

Also, even though the rehabbed version of the Mansion has been open for almost seven weeks now, the Imagineers are continuing to fold additional props & effects into this Magic Kingdom favorite. Just in the past few days, WDI added a new floating table to this scene. You can find it among the objects that are now circling around Madam Leota.

But now it’s time to say “Sayornara” to Séance Circle. As our Doom Buggy motors on to the Grand Ballroom. Which is probably a lot brighter and certainly a lot more colorful than you may remember it being.

Mind you, that’s because the Imagineers changed the lightning scheme that they used to use in this room. Gone are the large spotlights that once powered the Pepper’s Ghost effect in the Grand Ballroom. In their place, WDI has installed a series of much smaller, specifically focused lights. Which help individual characters in this scene stand out more.

Now factor in the new wigs & costumes that were created for all the figures in this sequence. As well as the colored lights that are now being used to help make individual ghosts stand out more in this crowded setting. And the end result is that the Grand Ballroom (while it really hasn’t been touched during this rehab) now seems much grander than it ever has.

Oh, sure. The Imagineers added some new speakers here & there to help improve the sound quality in this portion of the attraction. Now — because of the new acoustic signature of the Grand Ballroom — you really do get the sense that you’re looking down on this otherworldly party.

Plus to protect those enormous sheets of glass that play such a crucial part in the Pepper’s Ghost effect, WDI just installed easy-to-clean lexan at the Grand Ballroom. Which should make life a whole lot easier for the Magic Kingdom’s maintenance staff. Given that these poor slobs have to spend hours squeegeeing spit off of those huge glass sheets. All because some truly gross theme park patrons who feel the need to hock at & on the props whenever they’re traveling through the Haunted Mansion.

And speaking of props … How’s this for irony? All of those antiques, every piece of junk that you now see in the Mansion’s Attic sequence is brand new. This part of the attraction was actually stripped to the bare walls as the Imagineers got the place ready for Constance AKA the Bloody Bride.

Now that I know that a number of Disney theme park fans have already expressed their concerns about this new addition to the Attic. They say that Constance and her little silver hatchet are far too frightening for a family fun park.

Well, if you’d actually been paying attention early on in the Haunted Mansion, you’d have noticed — all the way back in the Portrait Gallery / stretching room — that picture of the Merry Widow. Who — as that room reaches its full height — is revealed to be perched on a tombstone. And at her feet is a bust of her late husband who has a hatchet sticking out of the top of his head.

You see what I’m saying here? That ladies who off their husbands with hatchets have always been part of the Haunted Mansion. From the time that the very first version of this attraction opened in Anaheim back in August of 1969 right up until today, that painting has always been prominently displayed in the portrait gallery. So why start squawking now about a gag that this attraction has featured for almost 40 years now?

Anywho … Getting back to the radically revamped version of the Mansion’s attic sequence … There is really some exquisitely detailed storytelling going on in this scene. Little touches that really make this part of the dark ride just sing. Take — for example — how in each wedding portrait that you encounter as your Doom Buggy rolls through this room, with every new husband Constance acquires, she also get another string of pearls.

Or — better yet — how about the cake toppers that are positioned right next to each portrait? If you’ll look closely, you’ll notice that — while the bride figure remains intact — the groom figure is either broken in half or has his head neatly cut off. Or how about those bird cages that you’ll find behind each of the wedding portrait? Please note that all of these cage’s doors are open. Signifying that Constance once again got away with killing yet another husband. That she’s now free as a bird.

By the way, much has been made about WDI’s decision to remove that wedding band used to be embedded in the cement near the Mansion’s Mausoleum / exit area (Okay. I know. It wasn’t really a ring. It was just a piece of a stantion that got snapped off at ground level that — over the years — people then began saying was a wedding band. Now let’s not let the truth stand in the way of a good story, okay?) … Well, as it turns out, there is actually a story-driven reason that the Imagineers had that ring removed.

You see, if you listen closely to Constance’s spiel as you move through the Attic, you will eventually hear the Bloody Bride say ” … in sickness and in wealth.” And — at that exact moment — you’ll see a glint of gold glimmer on Constance’s ring finger.

So — in this revised version of the Mansion’s backstory — the jilted bride doesn’t toss her wedding ring out the window. Constance marries six different men and then manages to kill all of them without getting ever caught. So it’s not in the Bloody Bride’s nature to ever throw anything — especially jewelry — away. Those ever-increasing strands of pearls as well as that glint of gold on her ring finger prove that.

Speaking of Constance killing her six husbands … There was a gag that the Imagineers wanted to include as part of the Attic sequence of WDW’s Haunted Mansion that was actually going to be a callback to Disneyland’s Hatbox Ghost. You know? That AA figure that was originally installed in the Attic of Anaheim’s version of the Mansion but was ultimately removed. All because the Imagineers couldn’t the Hatbox Ghost’s gag (i.e. With each beat of the Bride’s heart, the Hatbox Ghost’s head would disappear off of his shoulders and then reappear inside of the hatbox that this ghoul was carrying) to work properly given the fat-too-light lighting conditions that existed in the Attic area of Disneyland’s Mansion.

Anyhow … The way the Imagineers wanted to have WDW’s Mansion pay tribute to the Hatbox Ghost was by placing a series of hatboxes — one stacked right on top of the other — to the left of Constance. And as she’d say one of her more sinister-sounding lines, which include:

Till death do us part …

As long as we both shall live …

I do… I did …

… You’d see a red head-shaped … something glow from within each of those hatboxes. Suggesting that not only had Constance offed all of her husbands, but that she’d also kept a few … souvenirs.

In the end, the Imagineers opted not to go ahead (forgive the unintentional pun) with adding this particular story detail to the Attic. Feeling that this gag put far too gruesome a tag on the end of this scene in the Mansion. And given that these WDW guests were about to begin their descent down into the fairly high spirited Graveyard portion of this attraction, it was felt that the Attic sequence really shouldn’t end on such a murderous note. Which is why the heads-in-the-hatboxes bit wound up getting axed.

Speaking of the Graveyard … Tomorrow, JHM finally completes its ride-thru of WDW’s newly enhanced Haunted Mansion. Where we’ll then talk about what the future (A Hitchhiking Ghost image capture? The Yankee Trader becoming the Mansion’s official new exit area / gift shop?) may hold for this much-beloved Magic Kingdom attraction.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you want to do this long distance Daddy a huge favor? If so, first go to this website & then vote for No. 37. On behalf of a certain 13-year-old daughter that I know & love, I thank you.

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