General

Why For?

Jim Hill returns with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about Disneyland’s guest list for July 17th, why “If I Never Knew You” got cut out of “Pocahontas,” when Epcot might get a new nighttime fireworks show, as well as your very last chance to get on the official notification list for that JHM Disneyland history CD.

Published

20 years ago

May 5, 2005

Jim Hill

First up, Peter S. writes in to ask:

Jim —

Sorry to hear about you missing out on the Disneyland’s 50th celebration. But look on the bright side: This was just the kick-off of the “Happiest Homecoming” festivities. Disneyland’s real birthday isn’t ’til July 17th. So why don’t you have Angela & Jeff stay home and watch the site then while you come to Southern California and party?

Speaking of the 17th … Do you have any idea what sort of festivities Disneyland has planned for its real 50th birthday?

Peter S.

Dear Peter S.

Boy, it’s funny that you bring this up. For — just this afternoon — an old friend of mine gave me a “heads up” on Disneyland’s potential guest list for July 17th. Some of the people who’ve already agreed to appear (EX: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’s scheduled to read an official proclamation which pays tribute to the huge impact that “The Happiest Place on Earth” has had on Southern Californian tourism) aren’t really all that surprising. While still others (EX: President George H. W. Bush. As well as every other living ex-President) have at least indicated their willingness to appear … Provided (of course) that all the necessary security precautions can be addressed.

But here’s the real surprise. Guess who Disney Company management has allegedly asked to stand in for Walt during the theme park’s official rededication ceremony? As in: Who gets to read the famous “To all to come to this happy place, welcome! Disneyland is your land …” speech?

Would you believe Roy?

That’s right. Mr. “Save Disney” himself. Roy E. Disney, the former chairman of Disney Feature Animation. The nephew of the company’s founder. More importantly, the guy who’s been calling for Michael Eisner’s head on a platter for the past 20 months.

But wait. It gets better. Guess who supposedly suggested that the Walt Disney Company reach out to Roy and ask him to play a prominent part in the festivities on July 17th? CEO-to-be Robert Iger.

Now before everyone gets giddy about the long-range ramifications of all this, I should caution you that Walt’s nephew hasn’t said “Yes” yet. And — to be honest — given the personal note that Roy posted over on SaveDisney.com yesterday, in which he wrote:

Having been present on Opening Day, July 17, 1955, it will be sad for me not to be around for this momentous piece of history, and certainly this July I’ll feel a pretty strong pang of nostalgia…

The early signs aren’t all that encouraging. Particularly since TransPac (I.E. That biennial yacht race from LA to Honolulu that Roy usually takes part in) is being held this year between July 11th – 17th. Which means that — if Walt’s nephew is out in the middle of the Pacific, sailing “Pyewacket” in competition … Well, then obviously the man would be physically unable to attend the event.

More to the point — strictly as a matter of principle — Roy may steer clear of Disneyland on that official anniversary date. Just to make sure that people understand that Walt’s nephew will still have nothing to do with the Walt Disney Company as long as Michael Eisner remains in a position of power.

But — that said — there have recently been some signs of Roy softening his stance. Take — for example — his surprise appearance inside the Anaheim theme park this past Sunday.

Roy was seen on the balcony of the Disney Gallery being interviewed for Australian television. And — based on comments I’ve heard from JHM readers down under who actually caught this interview when it aired on a morning chat show — Roy was his usual folksy self. Clearly getting across how much he cared about Disneyland and (more importantly) the creative legacy of the Walt Disney Company.

So what should we make of Roy’s appearance in the park this past weekend (FYI: That was the very first time that Walt’s nephew had been back to Disneyland since he’d officially resigned from the corporation back on November 30, 2003)? Was this just a one-time-thing? Or an early indicator that Roy might be willing to play ball … If certain conditions were met (I.E. Michael Eisner has next to nothing to do with Disneyland’s rededication ceremony come July).

As I said earlier, that note that Roy just posted over on SaveDisney.com doesn’t seem all that encouraging. But — that said — there are still 10 1/2 weeks ’til July 17th finally rolls around. So who knows what might happen between now & then?

Now — as of right now — it looks like July 17, 2005 is going to be a very interesting day to be inside the park. To see who does (And — more importantly — who doesn’t) take part in Disneyland’s rededication ceremony.

Speaking of things that are missing, Jeremy H. writes in to ask:

Jim,

I didn’t know if you were going to cover it at all, but the newly released Pocahontas DVD features a seamlessly integrated re-animation of that excised love ballad, “If I Never Knew You” and I was curious about the history of this Stephen Schwartz song and how it came to be excised.

Thanks!

Jeremy H.

Dear Jeremy —

Actually, yes. There is a sad but still rather telling (in a Hollywood insider sort of way) tale to be told about this terrific Stephen Schwartz & Alan Menken ballad.

Virtually everyone who heard “If I Never Knew You” while “Pocahontas” was still in production thought that this heartfelt song was the film’s hit single. That this would be the tune that everyone would be humming as they exited the theaters. Having just seen this beautiful & ambitious new Disney animated feature during its initial theatrical release in June of 1995.

Well, imagine WDFA executives’ surprise when — as they initially began test-screening “Pocahontas” in the late summer & early fall of 1994 — and they saw how the kids in the audience reacted to Pocahontas & John Smith’s love song. It was if — from the very second that “If I Never Knew You” began — someone threw a switch that made all of the children in the auditorium whine, fidget and/or race to the bathroom.

According to one “Pocahontas” vet that I spoke with:

“Adults just loved that song. Loved the scene that it was in. ‘If I Never Knew You’ was an absolute winner with anyone over 18.

But the kids in the audience? As soon as that ballad started, they went bezerk. Children 10 and under just hated the idea that ‘Pocahontas’ — a picture that they already thought was far too serious & slow moving — slowed down even more to allow John Smith & Pocahontas to profess their love for one another in song.

I mean, it just killed us to have to cut that song. Particularly since — by removing ‘If I Never Knew You’ — a lot of the heat & emotion went out of the last act of the movie.

But — that said — as soon as that ballad was cut, the picture as a whole started playing better to smaller kids. They stayed involved with the story right up to the end. They didn’t run up & down in the aisle and disrupt ‘Pocahontas’ for all the other people in the theater.”

So you see, Jeremy, even though the folks who made “Pocahontas” recognized that “If I Never Knew You” was a beautiful ballad, that this was a song that perhaps could have had a life outside of the motion picture … they still had to cut the number.

Why For? Because ultimately the audience’s word is law. And — if a large enough percentage of your audience tells you that a particular song is significantly slowing down your movie … Then — no matter how heartfelt that tune might be, how quickly that song moves members of the production team to tears — out it goes.

That’s what’s kind of neat about the new 10th anniversary edition of “Pocahontas” that Buena Vista Home Entertainment released this week. This 2-disc DVD actually features two different versions of this Academy Award-winning film: A kid-friendly version (where “If I Never Knew You” has once again been clipped out) as well as a more adult-oriented edition (where this Schwartz / Menken ballad is allowed to remain right where it was in the original cut in the picture).

Trust me, Jeremy. If you watch the longer cut of this movie (where that song is left right where it was supposed to be in the picture), the ending of “Pocahontas” will be that much more powerful, that much more meaningful to you. You’ll finally get a real sense of the huge personal sacrifices that John Smith & the Indian princess are making in order to maintain a fragile peace in the new world.

That — plus all the extras (I.E. The “Making Of” featurette, the nine deleted scenes, etc.) — make this new 2-disc version of “Pocahontas” well worth picking up. So make sure you pick up a copy of this DVD when it hits store shelves.

And — speaking of hits — Jasper J. writes in to say that he doesn’t think that Epcot’s nighttime lagoon is hitting on of all its cylinders anymore.

Jim —

What’s the deal with “Reflections of Earth”? Epcot has been presenting this same new-age-y fireworks extravaganza for nearly six years now. Once upon a time, my family and I really thought this World Showcase lagoon show was spectacular. But now it just seems tired & dated. Not nearly as much fun as “Wishes” is over at the Magic Kingdom.

So when is Epcot going to get a new fireworks show? Something that’s at least as good as “Wishes” is.

Jasper J.

Dear Jasper J.

You picked a great week to ask me this question. You see, right now, I’ve got friends in both Anaheim & Orlando who are attending Disney press events. So all it’s gonna take to get a highly detailed, almost instanteous answer to your question is one quick phone call.

Slight pause while I get KFO on the line.

Okay. KFO tells me that — based on a conversation that he had with some WDW pyro people yesterday — that Epcot officials are seriously looking into doing something with “Reflections of Earth.” Not so much because this World Showcase Lagoon extravaganza is really showing its age. But — rather — because all the fireworks barges that are used in this show are in really bad shape after nearly six years of continuous use.

Now here’s where KFO’s story gets kind of confusing. You see, one pyro guy that he spoke with told KFO that — given the sorry shape of those barges — “Reflections of Earth” will be overhauled sooner rather than later. Which means sometime in the next year.

Which sounds kind of encouraging, don’t you think? Until you hear that another pyro guy just told KFO that Epcot won’t get a new fireworks show ’til the Fall of 2007. And that this new nighttime extravganza would help celebrate this science & discovery park’s 25th anniversary.

Of course, there’s another factor here that could be causing Disney to hold off on replacing “Reflections of Earth” for another year or two. You see, Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure is supposedly getting ready to debut its own nighttime waterfront extravaganza sometime in 2006. And — based on what I’ve heard so far about this proposed IOA lagoon show — this new nighttime entertainment could potentially blow anything that’s currently being presented over at Disney right out the water.

Which is why (me personally) I think that Disney is going to hold off on staging a new nighttime show in World Showcase Lagoon ’til at least 2007. Just so the Mouse can first get a look at what Universal intends to do in IOA’s lagoon … then figure out a way to top it.

And — finally — here’s a nice surprise for all you JHM readers who live in the Orlando area and/or those of you who’ll be vacationing at the Walt Disney World resort over this coming weekend. The Mouse is desperately seeking people to take part in two tapings of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Which are being held in the Magic Kingdom this coming Sunday, May 8th as well as on Monday, May 9th.

So — if you’ve always dreamed of appearing on ABC Television … Well, now here’s your chance. And the best part is — as a special “Thank You” gift for agreeing to take part in these “AFHV” tapings — participants will be given a free Disney theme park ticket for every taping they take part in.

Mind you, the hours that these shows are supposed to be taped could be a little off-putting to some folks. By that I mean: The Sunday night taping is slated to run from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., while the Monday night taping is supposed to go from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

But if staying up late doesn’t really bother you … Well, Mickey’s still looking for 400 people (ages 5 to 60) to take part in each of these tapings. So give this phone number a call — 407-851-8010 — and let them know you’re interested.

Speaking of interested … Jeff Lange wants me to remind you that — if you’re interested in getting on the official notification list for JHM’s Disneyland history CD — Well … Today’s basically the last day to sign up. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to be sending out e-mails to everyone who expressed an interest in getting this disc, explaining how they can pre-order this sure-to-be-fun recording at a fairly significant discount.

But — like I said — today’s the very last day to get on that list. Soooo … If you’d like to hear the tales that Disneyland Security felt (to borrow a phrase from Berkley Breathed) were “too ticklish to tell” inside the berm, please drop me a line at jim@jimhillmedia.com ASAP.

That’s it for this week. See you again on Monday!

jrh

Special thanks to Eric M. for providing additional research material for today’s column.

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