General

Wh(Yeti) For

In a special all “Expedition Everest” edition of Why For, Jim Hill answers your questions about Animal Kingdom’s newest thrill ride. WARNING! This JHM article features spoiler photos. So reader beware!

Published

19 years ago

February 16, 2006

Jim Hill

Photo by Robert Bish

First up, TenayaGirl. writes in to say:

Dear Jim:

In your February 1st edition of “Why For,” you talked about how bad the backside of “Expedition Everest” show building still looked. Given that I won’t be able to get down to Disney World until 2007, I was wondering if you could put up some pictures of this side of the structure. Just so I could then see what all the fuss is about.

Dear TenayaGirl,

Sure. Here’s a long shot of “Expedition Everest” taken from Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s parking lot. As you can see, this is really an enormous structure that just looms up out of the forest that surrounds this theme park.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Going in for a closer shot now, you can clearly see the squared-off backside of “EE” ‘s show building. Partially because the trees around DAK’s new thrill ride aren’t really tall enough to block WDW visitors’ views of this structure. More to the point, because the Imagineers chose to temporarily paint this portion of “Expedition Everest” brown.

Photo by Jeff Lange

And when I say ” temporarily,” folks, I mean temporarily. Since I first wrote about this somewhat unsightly aspect of Animal Kingdom’s newest attraction, I’ve received numerous e-mails and phone calls from Imagineers associated with this project. And — to a man — they’ve all assured me that once there’s actually money in that theme park’s budget to cover this work, the backside of Disney World’s newest mountain will be slathered with either Look-Away Gray or Go-Away Green (You know? That paint color that Disney always uses to make the backstage aspect of its theme parks become invisible to the paying customers?)

Now I know that the news that “Expedition Everest” ‘s backside is eventually supposed to be camouflaged will please a lot of you hardcore dweebs out there. Particularly those of you who insist that the Walt Disney Company must do things perfectly each and every time the Mouse comes up to bat.

But me? I always enjoy these times in an attraction’s life when a new Disney show is just getting up out of the ground. When a new ride is still kind of rough around the edges.

Besides — when the Imagineers finally do get around to properly camouflaging “EE” (So that the backstage aspects of this new DAK show building can no longer be clearly seen from the parking lot) … Does that mean that we’ll no longer be able to see the train tracks that the Yeti has supposedly torn up and/or that AA vulture that appears to hover over our ride vehicle? Or see where some of the show building’s fire escapes and emergency exits are located?

Photo by Jeff Lange

I mean, there are some of us hardcore Disney dweebs out there who actually enjoy seeing all of this backstage stuff. Just because it helps give us a real appreciation of all the hardwork and engineering that goes into the creation of a new Disney theme park attraction.

So if it actually takes the Imagineers a year or two to find the money necessary to paint “EE” ‘s backside, that’s A-Ok with me.

Next up, Staind Stan writes in to say:

What exactly is going on now with the Yeti in “Expedition Everest”?

I’m an Orlando-area local. Thanks to all of the friends that I have who work at the Disney World resort, I’ve already had numerous opportunities to experience Animal Kingdom’s newest thrill ride. To date, I’ve made 40 separate trips up Forbidden Mountain.

Which is why I’m pretty familar with how the huge AA figure at the center of this new attraction is supposed to look. Which is why I was surprised this past week to see the Yeti suddenly looking so shabby.

The last time I rode this DAK attraction, all of the show lighting in the ride’s finale sequence had been turned off and the huge new AA figure was barely moving at all. And Disney was using this blinking strobe light effect to try & light up the creature.

The end result was very disappointing. The finale sequence was so poorly lit that you could barely see the Yeti at all.

Please tell me that this isn’t actually how the Imagineers intend to leave this attraction. Dropping all of that great theatrical lighting that they previously had on the Yeti in favor of this strobe lighting effect. Because if that’s what they’re really going to do, the Imagineers have effectively ruined the ending of “Expedition Everest.”

So can you please talk to your friends in Imagineering and find go what’s going on here, Jim? Because I’d really like my brightly-lit, fast-moving Yeti back.

Sincerely,

Staind Stan

Dear Staind Stan —

Calm down. You need to remember that “Expedition Everest’ hasn’t even officially opened yet. That this new DAK attraction is still in soft opening mode as the Imagineers attempt to get all of the bugs out.

And — given that (to date) there’s been only one day that Animal Kingdom’s new runaway train ride has actually been able to operate without interruption all the way from park opening through to park close … Well, obviously there are still a lot of bugs yet to be worked out.

Which is why it’s still a fairly common sight these days to see DAK’s train not running. More importantly, to see WDW cast members high up there walking the track …

Photo by Jeff Lange

… as they try & reset the attraction. So that “Expedition Everest” can then begin operation again.

And given that the huge AA figure at the very heart of $100 million attraction is one of the most powerful (I’m told that the amount of power that’s involved in getting theYeti to move so suddenly is the equivalent of what it takes to get a 747 off the ground) and most sophisticated that Walt Disney Imagineering has ever built … Well, obviously, something this powerful and/or technologically sophisticated is going to occasionally break down.

And that (According to WDI insiders) is what recently happened with the Yeti. This AA figure broke while the attraction was in operation. And — rather than entirely shut down “Expedition Everest” down for the day — the ride’s operation staff just shifted this AA figure from its A mode (A = Animated) to B mode (B = Broken).

Photo by Jeff Lange

This means that the computer automatically shifts the Yeti into a particularly frightening pose, then shuts down this Audio Animatronic figure entirely. The theatrical lighting in the attraction’s finale sequence is then turned off (So that “EE” riders won’t be able to see the Yeti from a distance and then realize that this AA figure isn’t actually moving). Then — through a combination of that strobe lighting effect and a series of fans that blow the Yeti’s fur — the Imagineers create the illusion that the Yeti is still moving, that this fearsome creature is about to attack your train.

Okay. Obviously this isn’t the effect that anyone really wants to see when they’re riding “Expedition Everest.” They want to see a brightly-lit, fast-moving Yeti that dramatically swipes at their car as they barrel through Forbidden Mountain.

But — on the other hand — by having a B mode for this Audio Animatronic figure … That at least allows Disney to continue to operate “Expedition Everest” on days when the Yet is being balky. Which means that thousands of WDW visitors then don’t have to go away disappointed because they weren’t allowed to experience DAK’s newest attraction. All because a single AA figure wasn’t working.

And — just so you know, folks — this particular Audio Animatronic figure is going to require a lot of regular maintenance. I’ve heard from several DAK staffers that there’s already a plan in place to shut “EE” down every three months. So that all the bolts on the Yeti can be tightened and all of the creature’s fur can then be combed out.

So please be aware that it’s now quite likely that a number of us — not just Staind Stan — will get to experience the Yeti’s B mode in the not-so-distant future.

And — finally — Debbie C. writes in to ask:

Jim,

I just got the chance to ride “Expedition Everest.” I absolutely love this attraction. That Yeti Audio Animatronic figure is totally awesome. Disney has really oudone itself with this new thrill ride.

There’s only one thing about this new Animal Kingdom attraction that bothers me. If the Yeti that we see inside of this ride has brown fur, then why does all the merchandise that’s on sale in the “Expedition Everest” gift shop feature Yetis with white fur?

Can any of your contacts within the Walt Disney Company please answer this question for me? Because the next time that I ride “Expedition Everest,” I’d like to bring home a toy Yeti that’s the exact same color as the monster that I see inside Forbidden Mountain.

Thanks,

Debbie C.

Dear Debbie C.

As to what’s going on with all this white Yeti merchandise … The way I understand it, Disney ordered all of this merch in this particular color because the corporation hoped to be able to move it in two distinct locations: Disneyland and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Yes see, Disneyland too has an Abominable Snowman (Supposedly nicknamed Harold by longtime DL employees) who spends his days roaring inside of the Matterhorn.

Photo by Jim Hill

So — in order to create merchandise that could (in theory) be tied to two different attractions — Disney created a Yeti merch prototype that had the phsyical attributes of DAK’s Yeti figure while — at the same time — had the coloring of Disneyland’s Abominable Snowman. Given how well all of the “Expedition Everest” merchandise is selling, it’s clear that WDW visitors don’t really care what color the Yetis that are for sale are, These tourists just want to buy the creatures.

Photo by Jeff Lange

So — to answer your question, Debbie C. — all those white Yetis weren’t actually a mistake on Disney’s part. But — rather — just some Mouse House executive’s attempt to be clever. By creating a line of merch that could then be sold in two different theme parks and promote two entirely different rides.

Mind you, that’s not to say that Disney hasn’t create some flawed merchandise that’s associated with “Expedition Everest.” Take — for example –the souvenir shot glass which was recently pulled off the shelves at Serka Zong Bazaaar.

Photo by Jeff Lange

“What’s the problem with the shot glasses?,” you ask. Well, take a closer look at the image that’s imprinted on its exterior. Notice something slightly out-of-whack?

Photo by Jeff Lange

Yep. That’s right. 2005 does not belong on that shot glass. Why for? Because “Expedition Everest” didn’t actually open for business ’til 2006.

Okay. That’s pretty much it for this week’s special “EE” edition of Why For. I hope that you enjoyed today’s column. More importantly, that we’ll see all of you back here bright & early on Monday morning for the next edition of JHM’s MouseWatch.

Til then, you folks have a great weekend, okay?

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