15 August 2013

World News Roundtable - 15 August 2013

Roundtable Contributors: Estelle Hallick (This Happy Place Blog), Alan Mize, Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com), Andrew (Disney Hipsters Blog), and yours truly. 


Magical Updates

Estelle Hallick (This Happy Place Blog)

I've been very resistant to the changes on the Disney Magic ship. It's been the only Disney Cruise Ship I've ever been on (as a kid and an adult) and I feel very strong emotional ties to it. The latest video on the Disney Parks blog explains the changes to the "grown up" district of the ship, and that hurts because I spent literally all my time hanging out over here on a trip last June.

I know, I know the bar and the club and the piano bar were all dated (there's also this weird smell over there? I'm serious) so I understand the decisions they are making. Not only for the people who have already booked cruises but for those who are reluctant to book on the "older" cruise ships. Make it sparkly and updated and the people will come.

If I look at it that way, it's all okay. More people loving the Magic? That's the way it should be.

 


In a week that should have been loaded with news, we're left proverbially in the dust. Alas, the D23 Expo is not the source of any major announcements as far as Disney theme parks are concerned...but the expo isn't our only source of news, thank god! Earlier this year a new daytime parade was announced, and the Festival Of Fantasy parade is sure to be a whimsical fan favorite when it debuts early next year.  To make way for this new parade the loooooooong standing daytime fixture Celebrate A Dream Come True will be shuttering in December.  Speculation has the last run on December 19th, though that date hasn't been announced.  If you're a fan of this gaudy institution make sure you find time to experience it one more time!


Scaring Up Some Characters

Alan Mize 

I’ll admit that I’m not really a fan of the Meet & Greets.  It’s not that I don’t like the characters.  I do.  When I eat at Crystal Palace, I have my photo taken with Pooh and the gang.  And if I’m walking through the park and I happen to come across a random character with little to no wait, I’ll grab a quick picture.  I just don’t particularly want to wait in long lines to have a 45 second encounter with a character that generally can’t talk.  Having said that, I have waited in line for a character Meet & Greet exactly one time and it was definitely worth it.  September 2012, on my first visit to Disneyland, Jack Skellington was outside the Haunted Mansion and I was definitely not going to miss the chance to see him in person because I had never seen him appear at Walt Disney World.

Well, it looks like that is changing.  Last year, Jack and Sally made some limited appearances at Downtown Disney as a trial run.  It must have been successful because Disney has confirmed that Jack and Sally will be appearing in Town Square nightly during the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.  I’m sure the lines will be insanely long, but this is one Meet & Greet that I think is worth the wait.  Jack has the ability to interact with you and if Jack’s “friend” is a good actor, you’re sure to be pleased with how delightfully creepy he can be.  I’ll be down there this October but I wasn’t planning on attending the Halloween Party, but now I may just change my mind.


An Emotional Cast

Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com)

Much was revealed at the D23 Expo this past weekend, but the bit of news that piqued my interest the most (that I really didn't expect) was wind of details on Pixar's June 2015 release, Inside Out. Prior to now, we had known that Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc. and Up) is in the director's chair, and that the film takes place inside the mind of a little girl. That was just about it.

Now we know lots more, and the details have really got me hooked. The main characters will be different emotions, all living inside the girl's head. There's Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The voice cast sounds perfect with this one... with two alumni from The Office, you really can't go bad. I had a passive interest in Inside Out before, but now I am really excited to see what Pixar has in store for us with this film. This is in addition to The Good Dinosaur (May 2014) and Finding Dory (November 2015). Quite an impressive roster.
Ryan P. Wilson (Main Street Gazette)


Leslie Iwerks is partnering with Disney to create a documentary on the almost bottomless history of the creative organization known as Imagineering. The film is still three years away from being released, but that just tells me that Iwerks is taking her time and making sure the story is well researched and presented with as many nuances as is possible.

If I’m being completely honest with myself, I am actually slightly disappointed that it won’t be a series of documentaries, as there is so much history that can be covered under the banner of Imagineering. With so many decades and so many avenues of thought and creation, Imagineering has become an organization that more and more casual guests are becoming aware of. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Imagineers are the rock stars of the Disney Company these days, and an occupation that many (including your humble reporter here) aspire to.

2016 cannot come soon enough to see Imagineering on the silver screen, but I’m sure I can find a way to fill those hours researching Imagineering on my own!

1 comment:

bigbrian-nc.com said...

I think the Leslie Iwerks documentary on imagineering sounds very interesting, there are so many things we could learn, one subject that I would be delighted to see more light shed on is the career of and influence on Imagineering of Richard F. Irvine, he seems to be one of the "founding fathers" of WDW of whom I know the least.