General

WDI’s X-Scream Makeover of WDW’s Haunted Mansion: Part 5

Jim Hill concludes his series on this Magic Kingdom favorite by first talking about that state-of-the-art image capture system that was installed at this dark ride but never really turned on, then by discussing the exit area gift shop that will eventually be added to this attraction

Published

17 years ago

October 25, 2007

Jim Hill

Picking up where we left off … As our Doom Buggy exits the Attic, it then descends into the Graveyard. Where diehard fans of Walt Disney World‘s version of the The Haunted Mansion will notice that something‘s different about this portion on the attraction. But — that said — they’ll probably have a problem putting their finger on what exactly has been changed down here.

That’s because the Imagineers stuck with that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude that helped them through so many of their earlier decisions on the Haunted Mansion redo. And given that the Graveyard sequence is considered by many to be the real high point of this dark ride … The guys from WDI took an almost surgical approach to the changes that they made here.

Take — for example — the subtle color adjustment that was made to the ghosts in this area of the attraction. Where once these “creepy creeps with eerie eyes” were all colored purple, now this Graveyard seems to be filled with “Green Grinning Ghosts.”

“Why the change?,” you ask. Because the color purple (especially when viewed through those floor-to-ceiling scrims that you’ll find throughout this portion of the attraction) tends to look washed out. Whereas the color green still manages to pop when viewed under those conditions.

The Imagineers also upgraded the audio in this area by placing individual speakers in front of the Audio Animatronics that are found in the Graveyard scene. So that — as you ride through this revised version of the Mansion — it now sounds as though the dialogue that’s been assigned to a particular character is actually coming from their AA figure.

So now when the Headless Knight sings, you actually hear his voice coming from that head that he holds in his hand. Likewise the Opera Singer’s voice now comes out of her body and the Headsman’s voice seems to come out his body … And so it goes with all of the AA figures in this area. Which adds an element of reality to this unworldly setting.

It’s this renewed attention to detail that also helps make the new version of Little Leota so effective. Instead of staring off to the side as she previously had (So that this figure’s blank face could then line up with that 16 mm projector / periscope set-up that I mentioned in yesterday’s article. You know? The old 1960s era technological set-up that used to be used to project Madam Leota’s talking head into that crystal ball in the Séance Circle room?), Little Leota now looks directly at the guests as they roll by in their Omnimovers. Thanks to her new on-board internal digital projector, this tiny spectre can finally make eye contact. Which makes Little Leota’s instructions (i.e. “Be sure to bring your death certificate”) seem all the more eerie.

But as for the rest of the Graveyard & the Crypt (Which is where you’ll find those pesky hitchhiking ghosts) … The Imagineers didn’t touch a thing. I mean, why needlessly tinker with something that the public already loves?

Of course, that’s not to say that — even before work ever began on this particular Mansion redo — that the folks who run the retail side of things at the Magic Kingdom weren’t pushing for big changes to be made in this portion of the attraction.

“What sort of changes?,” you ask. Well, let’s remember that one of the most popular (not to mention the most profitable) Disney theme park souvenirs is the image capture. You know. That picture that’s snapped just as your log zips down Chickapen Hill over at Splash Mountain or just as that carnotaur lunges at your Time Rover. But what’s the one image capture that WDW guests haven’t able to get yet? That moment where you look in the mirror and discover which member of that hitchhiking trio is now the “ghost (that) will follow you home.”

According to WDW’s own surveys, this is the one souvenir photo that Disney World visitors would most like to have. Mind you, it’s not that the guys in WDW Merchandising haven’t tried to get an image capture up & running at this particular attraction. In fact, they actually funded the construction of a state-of-the-art test unit for the Mansion a few years back. Which was kept in place in this dark ride until just last year but never turned on.

“And why was that?,” you query. Well, this particular image capture system was supposed to make use of the next generation of Disney PhotoPass cards. Where each of these cards would then have had a Smart Chip embedded inside of it.

You see, the beauty of this next generation PhotoPass system was that — thanks to that Smart Chip — the computers that monitors all of the image capture systems that are located within Disney World’s theme parks would then have been aware of your whereabouts. So that — if you had this new, improved version of the Photo Pass card on your person as you rode through Space Mountain or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster — this system would have known to automatically get an image capture of you on that attraction and then save it to memory. So that you’d then be able to view this photo later. Like when you got back to your WDW hotel room later that same night.

You see, the beauty of this system was … If you want to have some imagery of your family enjoying themselves while you were all vacationing at Walt Disney World but wanted to avoid the hassle of bringing a camera with you to the parks … Not to worry. This Smart Chip-driven system would do all of the heavy lifting for you.

What’s more, once you got back to your on-property resort that night, you could then use the television in your hotel room to first review the photographs that had been taken that day. Then if you wanted to share any of these images with friends & family back home, you could then use this same Smart Chip / TV / computer set-up to e-mail these photos to whomever you’d like.

I know, I know. The system that I’ve just described here sounds like something of Steve Spielberg’s “Minority Report.” But I’ve had Mansion insider swear to me that this Smart Chip-driven image capture system was actually in place in that attraction as recently as last year. But that the Mouse never ever turned it on. At least not while any WDW visitors were riding through that show building.

Why For? Well, there were two reasons, actually. One was obviously tied to privacy-related concerns. Disney execs were reportedly worried that guests would really be put off by the idea that — thanks to the Smart Chip that was supposed to be embedded inside of these next generation Disney PhotoPasses — that their movements around the resort could now be tracked.

Truth be told, though, it wasn’t those privacy-related concerns that temporarily put the kibosh on this new image capture system. But — rather — the high cost of these Smart Chip-driven PhotoPasses and Disney’s worry that guests might then lose them that ultimately put an end to any field testing of this new technology.

Mind you, once the per-unit cost for those Smart Chips drops down to a price point that the Mouse’s management team is much more comfortable with … Well, you can then expect the guys in WDW Merchandise to circle back around to this idea. All with the hope that they’ll then be able to sell image capture souvenir photos to any guest who’s ever walked around one of their theme parks with a next generation Disney PhotoPass in their pocket.

Of course, one of the other improvements that’s long been proposed for the Mansion is building a gift shop in its exit area. One where every WDW visitors who was getting off of this Liberty Square attraction would be forced to walk through before they could re-enter the Magic Kingdom.

As I understand it, the blueprints for this proposed store have been drawn up for almost a decade now. Phase One of construction would involve ripping out that post-show Mausoleum area. During Phase Two, the Yankee Trader shop would triple in size until it was finally connected to the Mansion itself.

“Why would this expanded version of the Yankee Trader have to be so large?,” you ask. Well, you have to keep in mind that over 2600 people typically cycle through the Haunted Mansion every hour. And with that many people continually getting off of the Omnimover for 10, 12, sometimes 16 hours a day and then walking straight into your shop … Well, you’re going to need an enormous amount of retail space if you ever hope to handle that much flow-thru traffic.

It’s worth noting here that — ever since the Magic Kingdom’s Skyway system closed back in November of 1999 — that the folks who handle the retail side of things at that theme park have been pushing for the creation of this massive new version of the Yankee Trader. Which would be this ginormous store that would straddle both Fantasyland & Liberty Square while also serving as the Mansion’s new exit area.

One of the other incentive for going ahead with construction of this new Haunted Mansion gift shop / exit area combo is that it would then allow the Imagineers to completely overhaul the attraction’s off-load area. With an eye toward making this section of the Mansion that much more accessible for folks in wheelchairs and/or any WDW visitors who need special assistance in order to properly experience this dark ride.

“So why wasn’t these design changes made this time around?,” you ask. Well, let’s remember that the Imagineers were only given $30 million to cover all of the construction costs of this latest Mansion redo. And given that previous estimates for the revamping of this dark ride’s exit area / the expansion of the Yankee Trader put its construction costs somewhere in the low $40s ($40 millions, that is) … It just didn’t make sense to spend all that money on a Haunted Mansion-themed gift shop when the attraction itself was so desperately in need of some TLC.

Of course, this is not to say that — four or five years further on down the line — that the Imagineers won’t then circle back around to this Haunted Mansion gift shop / exit area overhaul idea. The belief in-house right now is that the Mouse is missing out on millions annually because it doesn’t yet follow the example of “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” and have all of the Mansion’s riders exit through a retail environment. And given how much Mickey likes money … You can bet that this idea is going to come up again sometime soon.

But as I said earlier, that’s at least four or five years further on down the line. So for now, we get to savor our new gift-shop-free version of WDW’s Haunted Mansion. Which sets the bar high for all Disney theme park ride revival projects that follow.

Trust me, folks. This ride — which was great fun before — is now truly spectacular. Never before have the Imagineers been so smart about how they’ve used their available resources. Making changes to this dark ride only where they really needed. Where they’d then have the biggest impact on the guest and/or give the biggest boost to this 36-year-old attraction.

Anyway … Be sure and check out the revamped version of the Haunted Mansion the very next time you’re down in Orlando. You’ll be so glad that you did.

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