General

What a concept. A “Why For” that’s loaded with concept art

Jim Hill looks back at some very early plans for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, California Adventure as well as the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Enjoy!

Published

20 years ago

January 20, 2005

Jim Hill

As you might expect, this week’s article about the Pixar-themed attractions that WDI reportedly has in the pipeline for the Disneyland Resort generated a lot of mail. Particularly from JHM readers who were wondering how exactly that Kuka robocoaster ride system might be used in an “Incredibles” – themed attraction.

Fairly typical of these e-mails was the note that I got from Kelly T. Which read:

Jim —

No way. There’s just no way that the Imagineers would ever use a ride system like that in a Disney theme park. They’re still dealing with all the negative publicity surrounding “Mission: Space.” Yet you say that they’re now going to be using the Kuka arm for this “Incredibles” E-Ticket. Which (based on what I saw in that robocoaster video) makes “M:S” look like a walk in the park.

Sorry, Jim. I love the site. But this time around, you’ve gotta be dead wrong.

Kelly T.

It’s funny that you should bring up Epcot’s “Mission: Space” attraction as part of your explanation as to why Disney would never use Kuka arm technology in its theme parks. Why for? Well, take a look at this piece of concept art …

This is the E-Ticket that the Imagineers initially wanted to build as the centerpiece attraction for Epcot’s “Space” pavilion. A start-of-the-art ride which would have allowed Disney World guests to strap on a faux jetpack and go for a simulated space walk.

Now admittedly, the above concept painting doesn’t really give you much of a sense of which ride system WDI wanted to use on this proposed attraction. All this illustration really does is give you a sense of the magic & the wonder that the Imagineers were hoping that guests would experience as they rode the “Space” pavilion’s E-Ticket.

But what I can tell you is that each of these faux jetpacks were supposed to be attached to a robotic arm. Which — in turn — was then attached to an overhead ride track. So that when WDW guests moved the joysticks that were located in the arms of each faux jetpack, they’d get a real-time yaw, pitch and roll response. In short, this attraction would have given WDW visitors a very real sense of what it must feel like to walk in space.

But — as we all know — this version of Epcot’s “Space” pavilion never quite made it off the launching pad. But WDI never quite gave up on the idea of using this sort of ride system for an attraction for the Disney theme parks. The Imagineers knew that — if the right property came along (More importantly, the right set of characters) — that this vehicle-attached-to-a-robotic-arm-which-is-then-tied-to-an-overhead-ride-track concept could result in a truly killer attraction for the parks.

And let’s keep in mind that WDI has been working on this particular ride concept since the late 1980s. So they’ve been trying to break the back of this proposed attraction’s capacity issues for over 15 years now. And the Imagineers think that they’ve finally found a way to seriously up this ride system’s THRC (Theoretical Hourly Ride Capacity).

What’s their secret? Imagine a couple of dozen robotic arms, each of which would be carrying a multiple passenger vehicle as it moves along a ride track.

Beyond that … I really can’t say a lot about this proposed DCA attraction. Other than — provided that this project actually does go forward — it would be a really “Incredible(s)” ride.

Though — to be fair — I guess I should mention that WDI is also reportedly looking at yet another way to possibly stage this “Incredibles” attraction. Which — while it still would make use of the ride-vehicles-attached-to-Kuka-arms concept — this version of the attraction would eliminate the need for a ride track entirely.

“And how exactly would that work?,” you ask. Well … It’s kind of difficult to explain: In a nutshell, this version of the “Incredibles” attraction would feature multi-passenger vehicles that were tethered — via Kuka arms — to a giant rotating platform. A turntable, if you will.

And — as this platform slowly turned — the ride vehicles would then be lifted aloft. And then — from below — the guests would be inserted into this three dimensional enviroment.

So it would be the slow rotation of the giant turntable — coupled with the fluid movement of the multiple passenger vehicles on the end of those Kuka arms as they moved past sets & projections — that would give this version of the proposed “Incredibles” attraction its sense of speed and danger.

Now where this all gets really interesting is that Kuka is reportedly pushing for one version of this attraction to be built (I.E. The robocoaster) while the folks at WDI are championing the turntable version of this show. Of course, were Kuka to give the Walt Disney Company a significant price break on their ride technology (Not to mention kicking in some cash to help defray Disney’s R & D costs involved with creating higher capacity ride vehicles for this attraction), the Imagineers might be willing to revisit the whole robot-arms-tethered-to-ride-tracks idea.

So — as you can see — this “Incredibles”-ride-proposed-for-DCA story is still very much a work-in-progress, folks. As is the attraction itself. So — as this story (and ride) continue to develop — we’ll try to bring JHM readers regular updates.

Speaking of JHM readers … RaspberryRed also had some additional comments about this proposed DCA addition.

Jim —

“The Incredibles” in California Adventure? How could this proposed attraction ever fit in with DCA’s theming?

“Cars,” I could understand. After all, California has a very strong car culture. But throwing an “Incredibles” themed E-Ticket into California Adventure just because Eisner thinks that this is what it’s going to take in order to sell tickets to DCA … That’s just wrong.

I don’t know about the rest of your readers, Jim. But I think that this is a really terrible idea. One that I hope never makes it off the drawing board.

RaspberryRed —

You don’t know how right you are. About a “Cars”-based attraction fitting into DCA much more easily than an “Incredibles”-themed ride or show would.

Don’t believe me? Then let’s take a look at the original concept poster for Disney’s California Adventure.

Did you see that little red roadster right at the very center of that poster?

The Imagineers deliberately included that image in DCA’s concept poster. Why for? Because WDI had originally intended that California Adventure would have an attraction that celebrated the state’s car culture. One that was to have sent theme park guests whizzing around an outdoor track in recreations of classic muscle cars. Sort of an Autopia for adults, if you will.

But — as the budget for DCA began to get pared back — the little red roadster ride hit the skids. In its place, the Imagineers opted to fold some of the elements that were created specifically for this proposed-but-cancelled attraction into two other rides for Disney’s California Adventure: “Mullholland Madness” and “Superstar Limo.”

But — given how poorly those two attractions were recieved — WDI has been giving some semi-serious thought to the idea of reviving DCA’s car culture attraction. And many Imagineers believe that the talking autos in Pixar’s Summer 2006 release, “Cars,” would be the perfect characters to build this ride around.

The only problem is … The characters from “Cars” have already been spoken for. According to my sources with WDI, those characters are eventually going to be used for a redo of Disneyland’s Autopia. Which is another reason why the characters from “The Incredibles” are now slated to be the stars of DCA’s new E-Ticket.

Mind you, plans can change. I mean, take a close look at this concept painting for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Do you see who’s standing on the roots of the Tree of Life? That’s Simba, Nala and Rafiki from “The Lion King.”

Mind you, those characters weren’t included in this concept painting because they were hyping the “Festival of the Lion King” show. But — rather — Simba, Nala and Rafiki are standing on the roots of the Tree of Life because these three were originally supposed to star in the show that would be presented inside the tree. DAK’s thesis attraction, then entitled “The Circle of Life.”

But then Michael Eisner — while attending a story meeting for Pixar’s 1998 release, “a bug’s life” — supposedly suddenly had a brain storm. “Wait a minute,” Disney’s CEO is reported to have said. “Bugs live in trees. We should have the characters from ‘a bug’s life’ star in the show that we’re presenting in the Tree of Life.”

And that’s how Simba, Nala and Rafiki got tossed out of the Tree of Life, Only to be replaced by Flik & Claire DeRoom.

That’s just the way life is at the Walt Disney Companythese days, folks. Plans that seem to be carved in stone are suddenly tossed aside. I mean, let’s remember that Disney’s Animal Kingdom was once called …

… And that the entrance of that theme park once looked like this …

Now some people will tell you that this sort of thing never happened back in Walt’s day. That concepts for rides, shows and attractions for the theme parks weren’t suddenly tossed aside because of financial concerns and/or because a supposedly better idea came along. I say that the folks who say things like that really don’t know their Disney Company history.

Don’t believe me? Then check out the following. It’s the text from a brochure that Disneyland visitors were handed as they came through the turnstiles back in the Fall of 1961. Which talked about all of the construction that was going on inside the Anaheim theme park at that time:

Coming – $7 million in new Disneyland attractions

Today – Be a “Sidewalk Superintendent”

When Disneyland opened in 1955, we decided that the Magic Kingdom would never really be completed – that it would continually grow and add new things.

This brochure will acquaint you with our plans for new Disneyland attractions opening in 1962 and 1963 – additions that have excited the imaginations of our entire staff.

Today, as in the months to come, it is our sincere wish that you and your family will find as much pleasure and enjoyment in Disneyland’s adventures as we have in creating them.

— Walt Disney

———————————————————

Yes, Walt Disney is turning more exciting ideas into entertaining reality at the Magic Kingdom!

In Adventureland and Frontierland, a great new expansion program is now underway … a development that will add $7 million in new adventures for you and your family to enjoy at Disneyland.

Some of these new attractions – like the “Bathing Pool” of the Indian elephants pictured on the preceding page and the fabulous “Stouffers at Disneyland” restaurants (below) will open next summer, early in June 1962 … Others will be unveiled in 1963.

Because of this construction program, a few Disneyland attractions will be closed during your visit today. However, you will still find the great majority of Disneyland’s famous adventures operating for you enjoyment.

And you are cordially invited to be a “sidewalk superintendent” at the construction work taking place. The Santa Fe & Disneyland train trip – departing from the Main Street Station – will take you “behind the scenes” in the building area … and also introduce you to each “land” in the Magic Kingdom during your “grand circle tour” of Disneyland.

Summer ’62 – A brand new Adventureland area

If you’re among 20 million guests who have steamed down the Jungle Rivers of the World at Disneyland, you’ll want to plan your next “jungle safari” now – a fun-filled new Safari that’s coming to Adventureland in Summer ’62!

You’ll laugh ’til the explorer’s boat shakes when you see the “bathing pool” of more than a dozen Indian elephants … Big ones and “little squirts” … so playful they’ve got a trunk-full of watery surprise – for unwary animals and explorers. You’ll visit the famous African veldt, den of lions, tigers, jackals, laughing hyenas and other wild game … And watch “big game” hunters, falling into the pitfalls of jungle exploration. With its new “fun” theme, the Jungle River Cruise will be a completely new adventure in Summer ’62.

Close to the Jungle Cruise, the world’s largest TREE HOUSE will rise 70 feet above the jungle. Spreading 85 feet in width, this marvelous tree house will provide all of the fun of a Swiss Family Robinson adventure for youngsters … and for grown-ups, an unparalleled view over Adventureland and Frontierland from its three lofty rooms. Thousands and thousands of colorful pink leaves will “grow” on the tree, as will bright blooming orchids.

An exciting new concept in restaurants is also coming to the Magic Kingdom – STOUFFERS AT DISNEYLAND. Operated by one of America’s foremost restauranteurs and accessible from both Main Street and Adventureland, Stouffers will provide three separate and distinct dining places. One will feature both American and European Kitchens … The second, an outdoor Tahitian Terrace, where dancing and live entertainment will complement the food and the view … And the third, the fabulous “Bird Room,” Disney’s first “by reservation only” dining facility with a complete show that’s literally put on “by the birds” – for you!

You can also be a “big game hunter” yourself this Summer at Disneyland … at the unique new “Safari Shooting Gallery” in Adventureland.

So make a note on your calendar to take a trip far from civilization … To see the NEW Adventureland at Disneyland in Summer ’62!

For 1963 – The Haunted Mansion and New Orleans Square

Gathering the “world’s greatest collection of ghosts” is no easy task … Most people are kind of reluctant to admit that they know any. Walt Disney has had his “talent scouts” searching for several years … And in 1963, the HAUNTED MANSION will be filled with famous and infamous residents.

Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion is but one of the new attractions under construction in Frontierland for 1963 opening. An entire new area is being developed along the banks of the Rivers of America. Highlighted by the exciting NEW ORLEANS SQUARE.

New Orleans Square will feature a quaint street patterned after the fabled French Quarter of New Orleans. It will include shops and stores with a “high fashion” theme of French elegance pervading … sidewalk cafes and entertainment … and the BLUE BAYOU MART, a bustling, unique “Thieves Market.”

Nearby, terraced walks at varying levels will lead guests along the river banks … exciting concepts in lighting will create an entirely new atmosphere at night … And the beautiful landscaping of the area will be highlighted in a park filled with magnolias & camellias.

We hope that you will bear with us during the temporary inconvenience caused by this $7 million expansion program … and return to us in Summer ’62 and 1963 to enjoy all of the wonderful new adventures that this development is bringing to the Magic Kingdom.

If you read the above text closely, you’ll learn about a “Bird Room” restaurant which never actually opened. Likewise a version of the “Haunted Mansion” that was supposed to have opened ‘way back in 1963. And how about that New Orleans Square without a single mention of a “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride?

You see what I’m getting at here, folks? That plans changed — sometimes radically — even back in Walt’s day.

So — even though I have fairly solid information about this “Incredibles” attraction that’s been proposed for DCA — that doesn’t mean that a few months from now (like — for example — when Robert Iger takes over for Michael Eisner) that these plans still can’t change.

Which is why — in spite of what you may read here at JHM — it’s sometimes best to remain a little skeptical about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company. Rather than pinning all your hopes on a story that you read on the Internet.

Mind you, I’m not telling you that I think that anything that I’ve posted here on JimHillMedia is wrong. But — as the above examples & pieces of concept art will (hopefully) prove — things can sometimes change.

Take — for example — those plans for the rehab of WDW’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride that I wrote about last week. The way I initially heard that story, the redo of that Adventureland favorite was going to be fairly low key. With only a single new Jack Sparrow AA figure being added into the finale sequence of this Magic Kingdom attraction.

Well, over the past week, I’ve recieved a number of e-mails that there is a second, much more ambitious version of this rehab plan floating around out there. Several JHM readers even claim to have seen the blueprints for the redo of WDW’s “Pirates” ride. Which reportedly call for wholesale changes in the attraction’s load & unload area. Not to mention a slew of new AA figures being added to the ride.

Given how grandieous this version of the alleged “Pirates” rehab plan reportedly is, I’m rather reluctant to talk about it right now. I’d much prefer to just to sit on this story for a while, give my contacts within the Walt Disney Company a few phone calls, see if anyone currently working at WDI can actually confirm this information …

Of course, if one of the guys who wrote into me over the past week would now like to fork over a copy of the blueprints for WDW’s POTC change-out and/or slide me a few supporting documents … I might buy into this story a whole lot faster.

But to go from one new AA figure to nearly a dozen? … That seems like sort a stretch to me. More like a fanboy’s dream than an actual business plan from the notoriously-tight-with-a-buck Mouse.

But who am I to say? As the above “Why For” has (hopefully) proved, the Walt Disney Company does have a habit of changing its plans. As my ex — Shelly Smith — once put it:

“When it comes to the Mouse, the plans aren’t really concrete ’til they’re actually pouring the concrete.”

And — some cases (like with the original “Pirates” ride at Disneyland) — plans for an attraction can actually change AFTER they’ve poured the concrete … But that’s a story for another time.

Anyway … That’s it for this week, folks. Here’s hoping that you all have a very good weekend. And we’ll pick up right where we left off next Monday, alright?

Til then, you take care, okay?

jrh

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

10 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

10 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