The Mouse Castle Lounge 08-21-2015 - Inside the Disney Marketing Machine, the Walt Disney Hometown Museum and the Walt Disney Birthplace

By Tim Callaway

A Midget Autopia car on display at the Walt Disney
Hometown Museum booth at the D23 Expo.

Another D23 Expo has come and gone. Hopefully you caught our slightly inebriated recap of the festivities on Inside The Mouse Castle. Today, we’re going to sit down in the Lounge with some of the people who were part of the Expo. We’ve got Kaye Malins and Peter Whitehead with the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Walt’s boyhood home of Marceline, MO. They’re going to talk about their ambitious fundraising efforts to restore the Midget Autopia, which was relocated from Disneyland to the city of Marceline in 1966. It operated in Marceline for a number of years before falling into disrepair and now the Museum wants to bring it back…and you can help.

Another great cause to support is the Walt Disney Birthplace in Chicago. It’s the actual home designed and built by Walt’s parents in 1893 and the very place Walt was born in 1901. The Birthplace is undergoing an extensive restoration and Todd Regan will be here to bring us up to date on how it’s progressing.

Author Lorraine Santoli and Dave Mason with
Saturday's Toys at the D23 Expo

Before we get to that, though, we’ll be joined by the former director of corporate synergy with Disney, Lorraine Santoli. She’s also an author who’s had a longtime association with the original Mouseketeers. In fact, Lorraine hosted a celebration of 60 magical years of the Mickey Mouse Club at the D23 Expo. She was joined on stage by Sherry Alberoni, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O’Brien and Doreen Tracey. It was a delightful presentation.

Before the Expo, Lorraine and I chatted about her latest book, a memoir of her 22 years at the Walt Disney Company, Inside The Disney Marketing Machine. In it, Lorraine recalls the many memorable events she was part of in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, including Mickey Mouse’s 50th birthday, Donald Duck’s 50th birthday and Disneyland’s 30th anniversary. She also talks at length about the leadership styles of Disney’s top executives during that time, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells. It’s an insightful look behind the scenes of an entertainment company on the verge of becoming the media giant it is today.

Enjoy!

For more fascinating books about Disney history, visit www.ThemeParkPress.com.

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Inside The Mouse Castle 08-19-2015 - Disney's D23 Expo 2015

By Tim Callaway

Meet the Parents: Mike and Darla Reynolds with Anthony

I doubt there's a better way to recap last weekend's D23 Expo then doing it with friends over cocktails at the Anabella Hotel.

Bonus points for having Anthony's parents join us.

Even more points for being able to face off about Disney Infinity in-person with Anthony's dad. 

It was a good night. 

Exhausted, exhilarated and just a bit tipsy, Team Mouse Castle does its best to analyze the highs and lows of Disney's mega fan event. So, pull up a chair, pour a drink and join us, won't you?

"Star Wars Land" concept art.

• Plans for "Star Wars Land" (or whatever they decide to call it) at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios were the biggest news to come out of Expo. We were all thrilled to see the first concept images, but couldn't D23 have saved them for the Parks and Resorts presentation Saturday afternoon instead of springing them at the Walt Disney Studios show earlier that morning? 

Avatar Flight of Passage

• Pandora: The World of Avatar will probably look fantastic when it opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom, but does anybody really care?

Finding Dory

• Animation: Based on what we've seen so far, our thumbs are way up for John Musker and Ron Clements' Moana and Pixar's once-troubled The Good Dinosaur. We liked our first look at Finding Dory, but the jury is still out on the Jack and the Beanstalk epic Gigantic, the Day of the Dead tale Coco and, yes, Toy Story 4 (although the Woody's-search-for-Bo-Peep story line has us intrigued). Try as we might, though, we still can't muster any excitement for Disney's March 2016 release Zootopia. 

Rogue One

• Rogue One will be the first Star Wars film that won't be part of a trilogy. The standalone flick will tell the story of how the Rebels stole the plans to the Death Star prior to Episode IV. It will star Felicity Jones, Forest Whitaker and Alan Tudyk. Principal shooting has begun under the direction of Gareth Edwards. The film will open in the U.S. on December 16, 2016.
• Colin Trevorrow will direct Star Wars: Episode IX. Not a bad gig after helming Jurassic World.
• It was my pleasure to regale Mike with the latest on Disney Infinity 3.0, which hits stores in the U.S. on August 30th. Who wants some sneak peeks?

• There was also an exciting announcement about the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III:

These are just some of the highlights in today's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. We also talk about Shanghai Disneyland, lines, the Walt Disney Archives exhibit, lines, the Disney Dream Store, lines and camping overnight (which also involves lines). 

Enjoy!

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The Mouse Castle Lounge 08-14-2015 - The Making of 'Pinocchio' with Disney Historian J.B. Kaufman

By Tim Callaway

Pinocchio:The Making of
the Disney Epic

Pinocchio is arguably Walt Disney's most triumphant achievement in animation. The charming, perilous and ultimately heroic story of the wooden boy who wanted to be real has delighted movie audiences for 75 years. It's a film that represents the absolute peak of Disney animation artistry and storytelling. How the movie came to life is as compelling as the story of Pinocchio himself, and author J.B. Kaufman has written an exquisitely detailed book about it: Pinocchio: The Making of the Disney Epic.

J.B. is always a welcome guest in the Lounge. You may recall a conversation I had with him a few years ago about two of his other amazing works of Disney history, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disney's Classic Animated Film and its companion volume, The Fairest One of All. These are must-reads for any Disney enthusiast, just like J.B.'s meticulously researched book on Pinocchio. He's at the D23 Expo this weekend, but not because of Snow White or Pinocchio, mind you. Because of Silly Symphonies.

J.B. Kaufman

In 2006, J.B. wrote a comprehensive history of Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies with co-author Russell Merritt. Drawing on that expertise, both historians were asked to contribute liner notes to the upcoming release of the Silly Symphony Collection on vinyl from the Disney Music Emporium. Tied to that release, you can catch both J.B. and Russell at the D23 Expo along with music producer Randy Thornton. They'll be inside the Anaheim Convention Center at the Disney Dream Store today at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:45 p.m. They'’ll also be at the Expo’s Autograph Central Saturday at 1:00 p.m..

For now, however, let's wish upon a star and go behind the scenes for a look at the making of Pinocchio with J.B. Kaufman, my guest today in The Mouse Castle Lounge.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 08-10-2015 - D23 Expo Preview

By Tim Callaway

In this week's Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony and I let our imaginations run wild, speculating on what big announcements will come out of this year's D23 Expo. We're already wrong on one idea. At the time we recorded the show, J.J. Abrams hadn't yet announced there would be no new Star Wars footage at the Expo.

Whatever. It happens.

The three-day Disney fan event opens this Friday at the Anaheim Convention Center. I'll be there, taking in as much of the show as I can, but mostly standing in line a lot. And unlike many of the Mouse faithful, I won't be camping out overnight to be first in line for anything.

What secrets do you think will be revealed this weekend? Will attendees get what they want from the show? Will there be details about Disneyland's anticipated expansion and Disney's Hollywood Studios' renovation and rebranding? Will "Star Wars" fans get a full-blown trailer for "The Force Awakens"? What else can we expect from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Animation? Does anyone really care about Avatar Land?

Give a listen to our half-assed opinions and feel free to share yours in the comments below. We'll see you in Anaheim Friday!

Enjoy!

For D23 Expo schedule and ticket information, visit D23Expo.com. We also highly recommend downloading the D23 Expo mobile app for iOS and Android.

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The Mouse Castle Lounge 08-07-2015 - Randy Thornton and Disney's Music Legacy

By Tim Callaway

Randy Thornton

Randy Thornton is a long-time producer and restorer of Disney music. In his nearly 29 years with Walt Disney Records, he has received numerous recording industry awards including ten Gold Records, four platinum records, six Grammy nominations and one Grammy win. Randy is the producer of the Lost Chords, a collection of songs originally written for classic Disney animated films like Peter Pan and Cinderella that never made it into the final productions. Some of those Lost Chords found their way into one of Randy’s other projects, The Legacy Collection.

The Legacy Collection is a series of collectible CDs celebrating the anniversaries of great Disney films like Fantasia, Pinocchio, Lady and the Tramp and The Lion King. They’re available online from Amazon and at the Disney Music Emporium. Currently available only at the Disneyland Resort is the Disneyland Legacy Collection set, three CDs celebrating 60 years of Disney theme park magic. Can’t make it to Disneyland? No worries. The set will be available online later this month. Each Legacy Collection set is handsomely packaged with original cover art by Disney artist Lorelay Bove. The sets also contain song lyrics, concept art and extensive liner notes rich in Disney history.

Randy Thornton is an artist who takes great pride in his work. In his conversation with me, he talks at length about his career and his passion for preserving Disney’s great music legacy. Randy Thornton is my guest today in The Mouse Castle Lounge.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 08-03-2015 - Disney's 'Descendants,' 'Star Wars,' 'Spider-Man' and Saving the Midget Autopia

By Tim Callaway

The cast of Descendants (l. to r.): Booboo Stewart,
Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Sofia Carson,
Mitchell Hope and Sarah Jeffery

Disney's Descendants was a huge hit on the Disney Channel last Friday, attracting over six million viewers. But, was it any good? 

I vote no, but then I'm not in the movie's age 9-14 demographic. 

Still, it's hard to like a film with a dumbed-down story that turns the most evil of Disney's animated villains into buffoons and then adds a rap sequence to "Be Our Guest." 

No. Just, no.

Unlike Descendants, very little is painful about this week's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. There are even a few things Anthony and I like:

• Is Star Wars coming to Netflix? All the signs point to yes. We're hearing as many as three new series from Lucasfilm could be in development for the online entertainment service.
• Rumors abound about who will make up the supporting cast of Marvel's Spider-Man movie in 2017. It could just be wishful thinking, but we'll play along for now. Robert Downey, Jr. returning as Tony Stark, Hugh Laurie as J. Jonah Jameson, Forest Whitaker as Robbie Robertson, Billy Zane as the Vulture, Jason Biggs as Scorpion, Miranda Cosgrove as Betty Brant. We're on board for all of them if the rumors are true.
• Josh Gad has wrapped up shooting on Disney's live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. He's playing LeFou, sidekick to Luke Evans' Gaston. We're going to miss Gad's social media dispatches from the set. 
• What's the deal with Bob the Musical and why are so many big names attached to the project? The Hollywood Reporter says Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay) is working on the script for Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist). Meanwhile, Oscar-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie ("Man or Muppet") will pen the songs for the film about a man who can hear the inner music in everyone's heart. Oh, and did we mention Tom Cruise might star in it too?

The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki.

• Animation fans, especially fans of the great Hayao Miyazaki, are going to love the new Blu-ray box set from Disney and Studio Ghibli. The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki will include all 11 of the master's animated classics including Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and The Wind Rises. It will be available only on Amazon.com and will be released on November 17th.
• In 1966, Walt Disney donated the Midget Autopia attraction at Disneyland to his boyhood home of Marceline, MO, the only time a Disney attraction was ever moved to a non-Disney location. The Midget Autopia stopped operating in the late 1970s, but now the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fully restore the cars and track. You can help by visiting www.bringbackautopia.com. 

• Going to the D23 Expo this month? Download the app that will help you navigate the crowds and presentations at the epic Disney fan event. Get it for free now on Apple iOS and Android.
• We don't know a lot about what will replace Luigi's Flying Tires at Disney California Adventure, but now we have a name for it: Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters.

Enjoy!

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The Mouse Castle Lounge 07-31-2015 - Snow White, Silly Symphonies and the Disney Music Group

By Tim Callaway

The D23 Expo is coming up August 14-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center. At a Disney fan gathering where the Walt Disney Studios and Disney Parks and Resorts typically get the lion's share of attention, the Disney Music Group this year will have a much higher profile. DMG oversees the various Disney recording labels like Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records and also runs Disney Music Publishing. In addition, they manage a very cool website where you can purchase all manner of Disney collectible music items, the Disney Music Emporium.

The Silly Symphony Collection

At the D23 Expo, the Disney Music Group and the Disney Music Emporium will present a concert called Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration. They’ll screen a selection of Walt Disney’s famous musical cartoons backed by a 32-piece live orchestra. How cool is that? The concert will tie in with the release of an epic musical boxed set—on vinyl—called The Silly Symphony Collection. Contained in the set will be remastered audio recordings of all 75 Silly Symphony cartoons released between 1929 and 1939. Expo attendees will be the first people able to pre-order the Silly Symphony set. After that, it can be ordered online at the Disney Music Emporium beginning on August 17. The set will list for $399.98 and will include a free digital download. If you pre-order it, you’ll also receive a 10” vinyl single with "The Skeleton Dance" on Side A and the "Three Little Pigs" on Side B.

The Snow White Master Score

Recently, I paid a visit to the Walt Disney Studios and sat down with Jon Heely, director of music publishing and concert licensing at the Disney Music Group. We talked about Silly Symphonies, of course, but we also talked about an amazing limited edition book release from the Disney Music Legacy Libraries. It’s the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Master Score. And by master score I mean a reproduction of every piece of sheet music from Snow White illustrating how the music synchronized with the film. The printed score even includes notations by numerous artists and technicians that helped bring the movie to life. Only 400 of these are being released. The first 200 are available now at the Disney Music Emporium. Another 200 will be available at the D23 Expo.

Jon Heely is my first guest in The Mouse Castle Lounge today. I also chat with Randy Thornton with the Disney Music Group and Kevin Augunas, Neil Schield and Jesse Obstbaum with Fairfax Recordings.

It's a great time to be a Disney music fan. Enjoy!

CORRECTION 8/5/15: When I originally posted this story, I indicated that the notations to the Master Score were made by Snow White's original composers, i.e., Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline and Paul Smith. That may be a possibility, but since this was a working document, the truth is a number of artists and sound technicians would also have made notations to the score to assist with the recording and audio synchronization including (possibly) studio engineer Bill Garity and director Wilfred Jackson. We can't be exactly sure who made what notations--but doesn't that make it even more interesting?

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Inside The Mouse Castle 07-27-2015 - D23 Expo, Marvel's 'Ant-Man' and Disney's 'Descendants'

By Tim Callaway

In this week's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony has an existential crisis. We're attributing it to a cataclysmic combination of Neil deGrasse Tyson, sleep deprivation, Ant-Man shrinking down to a molecular level and the wretched "Be Our Guest" number from Disney's Descendants (debuting this Friday on the Disney Channel).

With Anthony curled up in a fetal position, he and I delve deeply into these thought-provoking topics guaranteed to make you feel insignificant against the infinite backdrop of space:

• For the first time, the D23 Expo will split their traditional motion picture fan presentation into two separate events, one for animation and one for live action. We're hoping for big announcements (or at least some new trailers) for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Captain America: Civil War and Finding Dory.
• I finally saw Ant-Man and thoroughly enjoyed it. I left the theater totally perplexed, though. Why don't people stay all the way to the end of a Marvel movie to see the post credit-scenes? Have they not learned? The last scene in Ant-Man (and yes, it comes at the very end) is not to be missed. It does an epic job setting up (and raising a few questions about) Captain America: Civil War.

The Sword in the Stone

• Annnd.....The Sword in the Stone is the latest Disney animated classic to go into development as a live-action film. We recap all we know about the full slate of upcoming Disney retreads.

• There's a new trailer for Pixar's The Good Dinosaur. Despite our earlier concerns about production delays, recasting and a new director, we're encouraged by what we see. But, with all the (justified) attention Inside Out has received, will people take to a second Pixar film in the same year?

• Avengers: Age of Ultron will be available on digital download September 8th. Want it in a disc in a box? That's available on October 2nd.
• Michael Jackson as Jar Jar Binks? It almost happened. Well, Michael thought it would anyway.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 07-20-2015 - Disneyland's Diamond Celebration, Shanghai Disney Resort and New Disney Legends

By Tim Callaway

I'm back from a fun-filled weekend in Anaheim where I not only wished Disneyland Happy Birthday on Friday, but I also attended a benefit for the Walt Disney Birthplace where the guest of honor was none other than Bert the Chimney Sweep himself, Dick Van Dyke. Dick performed with his a capella group, the Vantastix. Here's a little taste of what they did:

Disneyland was unsurprisingly crowded for Friday's official Diamond Celebration, but it was totally worth it to get my "I was there" button and join thousands of guests to sing "Feed the Birds" and "Happy Birthday" with Richard Sherman and Ashley Brown. Michael Colglazier, hosted the rededication ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. And while the Disneyland president hit all the proper notes as far as thanking guests, cast members and assorted Disney Legends, his delivery left a bit to be desired. Let's just say he's not personality plus delivering an overly-rehearsed, pre-written speech. He needed to inject a lot more excitement and spontaneity into the festivities. Thank goodness for Sherman, Brown and the welcome cast of costumed Disney characters.

Anthony and I polished our presentation skills for this week's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. Here's what else is going on:

• Bob Iger revealed some of what guests can expect when Shanghai Disney Resort opens in China next year.

• Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland will be held on 17 different nights between September 11th and November 1st this year. Tickets to the late-night event will go on sale for annual passholders, DVC members and Disney Visa cardholders beginning July 22nd. The rest of the world can have at them on July 29th.
• Marvel's Ant-Man opened at number one at the box office over the weekend, taking in $58 million in the U.S. Neither Anthony nor I have seen it yet. We offer our deepest apologies. What did you think of it?
• Tilda Swinton has been cast as "The Ancient One" in Marvel's upcoming Doctor Strange. Apparently the white, middle-aged woman will play an elderly, Asian man.
• Annnnnd......Aladdin is the latest winner in the Disney animation-to-live-action-movie lottery. A prequel is in the works on how the genie ended up in his bottle and got that horrible crick in his neck. 

The 2015 Disney Legends.

• We approve of the newly-named Disney Legends who will be honored at this year's D23 Expo: Andreas Deja, Susan Lucci, Danny Elfman, Julie Reihm Casaletto, George Bodenheimer, Eyvind Earle, Carson Van Osten and George Lucas. They will all be officially inducted on August 14th at the D23 Expo.
• Disney and Lucasfilm are not amused that GQ appropriated (without permission) a handful of Star Wars characters to join comedian Amy Schumer in a racy photo spread. We're not sure what annoyed them more, Schumer in bed with R2D2 and C3PO or Schumer drinking with the droids and Chewbacca at a biker bar. Regardless, we think all the pics are pretty freakin' funny.

Enjoy!

BTW, this show marks the one-year anniversary of Inside The Mouse Castle. Hooray!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 06-08-2015 - Silly Symphonies and Broadway at the D23 Expo, 'Walt Disney' on PBS

By Tim Callaway

Disney's first color cartoon, the Silly Symphony Flowers and Trees.

After a week off, Anthony and I are back Inside The Mouse Castle. This week, we start off with a couple of musical extravaganzas at the upcoming D23 Expo in Anaheim. Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration will screen some of Walt Disney's great musical cartoons of the 1920s and '30s accompanied by a 32-piece orchestra. The massive fan gathering will also welcome Disney on Broadway's The Originals, celebrating Disney's great theatrical shows and starring Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan).

Anthony and I also imagine a world where Nicolas Cage is in every Disney animation-to-live-action movie adaptation, but I digress.

• Disney will produce a live action film based on the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence from Fantasia. Nicolas Cage as Chernabog, am I right?
• Disney has wiped Tron 3 off the grid. There will be no follow-up film to Tron: Legacy and that makes the users sad.
• Would you be willing to pay more to go to Disneyland during peak summer and holiday seasons? How about paying less to go in the off-season? A recent survey of Annual Passholders had social media buzzing about (gasp!) another ticket price increase.

Marvel's Ant-Man.

• DCA guests can catch a preview of Marvel's Ant-Man, starring Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, beginning June 19th in the...wait for it...Bug's Life Theater. Didn't see that coming, did you?
• A recent New York Times article has people questioning hiring practices at Walt Disney World. Two hundred fifty tech workers were laid off last October, but not before many of them trained their replacements: Indian immigrants working in the U.S. on temporary visas.
• Another WDW labor issue: can cast members in character costumes at the parks share their exploits on social media? Disney says no because it ruins the magic. We agree.
• Walt Disney Company CFO Jay Rasulo announced his resignation effective at the end of this month. He was passed over for the COO's position earlier this year in favor of Tom Staggs, who is now the heir apparent to replace Bob Iger when he retires. Publicly, Rasulo's departure from Disney will be amicable. We suspect he won't be unemployed long. "Almost" good enough to run the Walt Disney Company isn't a bad thing to have on your resume.
• We're very excited about the upcoming documentary, Walt Disney, scheduled to run on PBS September 14-15 as part of their American Experience series.
• Tangled, a new animated series based on the movie, is coming to the Disney Channel in 2017. I've already started obsessing on Rapunzel's hair length. It appears long in concept art for the series, but since it takes place after the movie, shouldn't it be short? Yes, I know hair grows. Don't start with me.
• The Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection will be out on Digital HD August 11th followed by a Blu-ray release on August 18th. The best of the bunch in this 12-film set are Paperman, Get a Horse!, Lorenzo and The Little Matchgirl. Get it.
  

• Disney's new line of high-tech, interactive toys looks intriguing. Playmation uses wearable tech, motion sensors and assorted action figures to create a toys-to-life experience that kids (and imaginative adults) can enjoy indoors or out. Go on adventures with the Avengers or (beginning next year) use the power of the Force in the Star Wars edition. They're even working on a Frozen version (of course they are).

Enjoy!

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'The Originals': Broadway Comes to the D23 Expo

By Tim Callaway

Broadway's original Mary Poppins, Genie and Tarzan will perform live at two concerts during August's D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center. Ashley Brown, James Monroe Iglehart and Josh Strickland will present Disney on Broadway's The Originals, a 70-minute show full of music, behind-the-scenes videos and interviews from Disney's theatrical productions.

Iglehart, the Tony Award-winning Genie in Aladdin, will host the event, which will be presented twice at the Expo on August 15th at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Stage 23.

Brown originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway and performed in the show's national tour. She was nominated for Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk awards for her work.

Strickland played the title role in Tarzan during the show's 15-month run on Broadway. He currently appears in Vegas! the Show at the Planet Hollywood Casino & Resort in Las Vegas (hey, my hometown).

The D23 Expo, mega-con of all things Disney, runs August 14-16. Discount tickets are still available for purchase before June 30th. Visit www.D23Expo.com for more details.