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Roundtable
Contributors: Princess Fee (DF’82),
Estelle Hallick (This Happy Place), Alan Mize, Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com),
Andrew (Disney
Hipsters Blog), and yours truly.
Princess Fee (DF’82)
The most recent reader's poll from Conde
Nast Traveller Magazine has placed Disney Cruise Line in the top 3 out of the
top 10 large cruise ships! Coming in at number one was the Disney Magic,
followed by Disney Wonder, Disney Dream and then Disney Fantasy was also
placed in the top 10, coming in at 8. With the Magic being such an in-demand
ship, and the Fantasy the newest of the fleet, these positions are probably not
too surprising for the Disney Cruise Line. Although I have not yet to
experience any of the ships, this has made me even more keen to try these
beauties!
Alan Mize
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Say goodbye to Mickey and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. At least in the world of Wasteland, that
is. In 2007, the Disney Company acquired
the software company Junction Point.
This acquisition led to possibly the best Disney video game since the Kingdom
Hearts franchise, “Epic Mickey.” Disney
announced earlier this week that they will be closing the doors to Junction
Point which means “Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” will be the last of the
Epic Mickey series. Granted, there were
no rumors that more would come and the less than stellar sales of the sequel
probably didn’t help the odds, but this news officially closes the book on the
Epic Mickey story.
Personally, I really enjoyed the first game on the Nintendo Wii. I thought it was fun, creative and
original. I loved the way it played off
of the environments of Disneyland that I know and love. It took Main Street, USA and Tomorrowland and
twisted it around to show a dilapidated world where cartoon characters go to
fade away. I was also happy that the
game gave me my first glimpse at Walt’s long lost friend, Oswald. I knew the history of the creation of Oswald
and how Walt lost the character in the first place. I also knew how Disney essentially traded a
football announcer to get Oswald back into the family. But this was the first time that I got to see
Oswald in action and I’m glad I got the opportunity.
With the announcement of the new Disney Infinity interactive game that I
talked about a few weeks ago, it was inevitable that something get put on the
chopping block. Despite the fact that
the Epic Mickey franchise is done, perhaps the success of the first game will
convince Disney that Oswald needs a more permanent place in the Disney
environment.
Estelle Hallick (This
Happy Place)
The human guest stars (Tina Fey, Ty
Burrell, and Ricky Gervais) have officially been squared away, the Muppets have
made it to London in one piece (or so we think) and filming is all set to begin
on their newest movie… a caper titled “The Muppets… Again.” (It has a certain
ring to it, don’t you think?)
Kermit the Frog revealed some new plot
details this week: the Muppets are basically performing all over Europe and
mayhem ensues when Kermit is confused for a jewel thief that looks exactly like
him. (According to Kermit, he will not pull a Lindsay Lohan and play both
roles… a family member is filling in the villain role.)
I’m a bit torn about this movie in
general. It’s very similar in plot to The Great Muppet Caper which also
revolves around a jewel thief… isn’t there anything else worth stealing that isn’t
sparkly and expensive? Oh well. All I want is to see Walter again, watch the
Muppets in action, and hope and hope Bean Bunny makes an appearance. (“Has
anyone seen a bunny?”)
Andrew (Disney Hipsters Blog)
After all the hoopla last year surrounding Epcot's 30th, Tokyo Disneyland's big day has been shrouded over a little bit. Always seen as the forgotten park by enthusiasts, considering its hodge podge nature, the event is no less momentous. To celebrate the milestone birthday this years promotion is known as The Happiness Year (as if the other years have been totally devoid of happiness...) and includes a special parade, merchandise, and the updated Star Tours (seriously, how is this special?) One of the bright spots in this promotion are the fabulous special costumes that Mickey and the gang will be wearing for the year! Lots of gold and fun...but regardless, why aren't they getting more?
Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com)
The past few years have seen a surge in behind-the-scenes books that give
Disney fans the unique opportunity to peruse pages brimming with knowledge,
insight, and wonder behind the magic we all love so much. However, it's often
that these books are not heavily advertised, even with the excess of social
media present today. For this reason, I occasionally explore Amazon to see if
anything new is on the books (pardon the pun) from Disney's professional
publishing arm, Disney Editions. And wouldn't you know it, such a title is
coming up very soon. Releasing on February 26 and written by Ted Kinni, The
Disney Difference will examine Disney's expert guest services, "from
expression and brainstorming to organization and people management," as
quoted from the book's Amazon page.
Disney is notorious for its strive to give families a near-perfect quality
experience, so this book should hit home not only with the Disney-buff market,
but also in business people working toward infusing excellence in their
company. Interestingly enough, a similarly themed book, Be Our Guest:
Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, also written by Kinni, was first
published in 2003 and just received a revision in late 2011. I'm curious how
that book, while wonderful, is different from this new title. No matter, The
Disney Difference should be a fun read, and is one that I'm looking forward to.
Ryan P. Wilson (Main
Street Gazette)
The spring issue of Disney twenty-three
is heading to newsstands on February 12 with a cover promoting the upcoming
feature film, Oz The Great and Powerful. Oz will be celebrated not only for
this new movie, but also a look back at Return to Oz. A look at another
glistening world coming to film, Frozen, is also highlighted in this issue.
Plus tales from puppeteer Bob Baker, the 30th anniversary of the Disney
Channel, and the Arribas brothers. However, the article I am most looking
forward to is the interview with Joe Rohde looking back at fifteen years of
Disney's Animal Kingdom.
As many of you know, I am continually
falling in love with the youngest Walt Disney World park all over again after
each exploration. Disney's Animal Kingdom is a fount of knowledge and story
that continue to grow together. If there is one person who understands the ins
and outs of this park and truly sees the big and little pictures found
throughout, it is Joe Rohde. I had the pleasure of listening to him talk about
the Disney's Animal Kingdom, the development of its message, icons, and how the
land and structures must work symbiotically when the park celebrated its first
decade five years back. For those of you interested, you can find a transcript of Rohde's lecture on the Main Street Gazette.
Between Disney twenty-three and the
supporting web content, including a talk with Brian Henson about Return to Oz,
and an off road look at Kilimanjaro Safaris, there is a lot to look forward to
in this next issue. Joe Rohde may be the driving force behind my rabid reading
of the upcoming issue, but there is something here for everyone to find some
simple joy in!
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