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Roundtable Contributors: Elizabeth
Caran (Outlander
Travel), Princess Fee (DF’82), Estelle Hallick (This Happy Place
Blog), Alan Mize, Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com), and yours truly.
Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com)
An upcoming documentary will shed light on the backstage, inner workings of
the most magical workplace on Earth: Walt Disney Imagineering. Helmed by Leslie
Iwerks (granddaughter of renowned Mickey Mouse animator Ub Iwerks, one of
Walt's earliest colleagues), the film is slated for completion by 2016, just in
time for the opening of Shanghai Disneyland.
Leslie Iwerks is no stranger to Disney docs, having directed The Hand
Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story and The Pixar Story, both of
which are must-watch material for Disneyphiles. (For those interested, the
former is available on the DVD Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the latter is a bonus feature on Wall-E.) While
quite a few books have traced the history of Imagineering and a handful of
television specials have been devoted to the development of the theme parks,
never before has Imagineering itself (rather than its creations) been the
spotlight of such a dynamic and intriguing project in this medium. Considering
the scope of her previous work, I look forward to seeing what Iwerks brings us
and what we will learn from her new project.
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Alan Mize
It was announced this week that a documentary about Ub Iwerks and Walt
Disney Imagineering is in the works. To
be directed by Ub’s granddaughter, Leslie Iwerks, the documentary is slated to
be released in 2016 to coincide with the opening of Shanghai Disney. While I am excited about a documentary about
Imagineering and pleased that a Disney legend will be getting some more
attention for his life’s work, I can’t help but notice that the documentary has
been commissioned by The Disney Company.
On one hand, this is good because it will give Leslie Iwerks access to
old Disney files and pieces of history that will help her develop a full story. One the other hand, this also allows Disney
to restrict her creative process. If
they don’t like the way she is portraying the company or the Imagineers or they
don’t like the direction she is going with the film, they can make her change
course or even prevent her from releasing the film. Hopefully, this will be a good match and
Disney fans around the world can get an honest behind the scenes look at the
Imagineers and the Disney Company.
Estelle Hallick (This Happy Place
Blog)
It's nice to see that WDW does look through their (vast, I'm sure)
suggestion box and actually change things up due to guest requests. I'm not a
huge American Idol fan, actually I'm barely a fan of it at all but I do love to
hear people perform live! And the only and only time I visited the American
Idol Experience at Hollywood Studios -- I had a nice time. Not enough to return
during every trip, but hey, it's a nice thing to do if I have the time. When I
read that songs translated into Spanish were now available for auditions, I was
kind of shocked to realize they weren't readily available before. Sure, a
majority of the songs are Disney animated tunes but hey! I'm all for diversity
in the parks.
Elizabeth Caran (Outlander
Travel)
Disney is apparently making a change to admission policies which could
change the way many parents vacation with their kids at the Florida parks.
Beginning on March 23, 2013, any children under the age of 14 must be
accompanied by a guest who is 14 years old or older. This replaces the policy
by which a child seven or younger could enter if accompanied by a guest who is
at least 14 years old.
Personally, I have never experienced a huge run of children in the parks
unless it is a school group or cheerleading squad or the like. And there is
nothing to stop these groups from breaking up once inside the park. At least
nothing is clear from this particular bit of press. However, it does seem a
very good rule to have. I worked in public libraries for many years, and it
amazes me how irresponsible many young teens are when it come to looking after
a charge. I mean, people hire teens to babysit all the time, but after seeing
kids bring in their younger siblings and proceed to completely ignore them or
be unaware of their location or activities, it frightens me to think of what
could happen in a theme park. Perfectly responsible adults lose their children
in crowds at Disney with frequent regularity. It's far too easy to do in a
place full of distractions like Walt Disney World parks.
I do wonder what prompted this change. I imagine that perhaps it affects
the local Orlando community a bit more than the tourists, but perhaps that is
not correct. Keeping in mind that it not only includes the four major parks,
but also the water parks and DisneyQuest... Come to think of it... DisneyQuest
would be the PERFECT place to send little Johnny with his big brother and also
the PERFECT place for little Johnny to completely vanish.
Regardless, it seems that young teens and tweens will just have to hang out
with their parents a bit more at the World. Fortunately, even parents are cool
when they wear Mickey Mouse ears, right? Right?!
Princess Fee (DF’82)
Walt Disney Studios Prepares to Serve a
New ‘Dish’
As a result of February’s EuroDisney Shareholders’ Annual Meeting, it
was officially announced that a Ratatouille attraction would be coming to the
Walt Disney Studios, Paris, in 2014. Possibly one of the worst-kept secrets in
the Paris parks – the construction has been ongoing for at least 10 months – it
is nice to have this rumour finally announced. Philippe Gas, Euro Disney
Chairman, announcement allows guests of the Paris parks to have another reason
to look into visiting the Disneyland Resort once the 20th Anniversary comes to
a close. From the official press release:
This unique attraction will take guests
into the world of the Oscar-winning Disney/Pixar movie Ratatouille which tells
the tale of Remy – a talented young rat who dreams of becoming a renowned
French chef. Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art technology will come
together in this romantic, larger-than-life, Parisian experience.
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‘By developing this new Ratatouille
attraction, we continue to ensure our guests can experience their favourite
Disney stories in memorable ways that only Disney can provide,’ Gas said. ‘The
theme, which is very français, is a tribute to our capital and the
unforgettable characters that make Ratatouille the ideal choice for an
attraction that fits perfectly at Disneyland Paris.’
I, myself, cannot wait for this addition
to the Studios. It really is moulding itself into more than just a half-day
Park!
Ryan P. Wilson (Main Street Gazette)
Earlier this week the long-rumored Disney
Springs shopping and entertainment complex, the revitalization and expansion of
the current Downtown Disney area, was confirmed to Cast Members. New parking,
new shops, restaurants and entertainment venues are all part of the plan, but
I'll believe it when we see it.
In 2010 it was announced that Pleasure
Island would be reworked to become a new district known as Hyperion Wharf. Some
of the clubs were demolished, but in 2011 it was announced that the project was
being delayed before being cancelled in 2012. The manner in which this area has
been jerked around for the last five years, going back to the closure of
Pleasure Island's clubs, leaves me skeptical of any new announcement.
What Disney Springs has going for it is
the fact that it isn't just a single area that is going to be reimagined, but
the entire Downtown Disney complex. I'd like to believe that such a large
undertaking isn't going to be backed down after the announcement. Personally, I'd
love to see some sort of cohesive theme play out across the entirety of the
area, and Disney Springs has a great story that plays with history and culture
of Florida, an idea that is near and dear to my heart. However, I'm just a
little weary having been bitten by the enthusiasm bug for this area before.
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