The Mouse Castle Lounge 05-28-2021 - 'Cruella,' 'Jungle Cruise,' Themed Bars and Arby's

Anthony has Arby's for lunch while he and Tim talk about "Cruella" with Emma Stone and Emma Thompson (but not Emma Watson) and "Jungle Cruise" with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. They also share updates on Avengers Campus at Disneyland and take a look at a new Haunted Mansion-themed bar in Oregon. 

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The Mouse Castle Lounge Happy Hour - Facebook Live 04-07-2016

So, apparently I'm in the minority when it comes to choosing #TeamIronMan over #TeamCap. I can't even catch a break choosing #TeamBlackWidow.

How do I know this? Because a bunch of you let me have it in the first Mouse Castle Lounge Happy Hour on Facebook Live.

It was supposed to be just a friendly get together on National Beer Day, but no.

All I can say is I better get my red carpet invite for Tuesday night's Captain America: Civil War premiere. It'll be at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood with the stars arriving about 5:30 p.m.

But, I digress.

Because, you see, we talked about a lot of other stuff during Happy Hour. Well, I talked. The rest of you typed. It worked out.

Here's what else we discussed. It was a lot of fun:

• The new Rogue One trailer.
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Blu-ray.
• Walt Disney World's "Early Morning Magic."
• Pixar's Piper.
• The Haunted Mansion "Ghost Post."
• D23's Destination D.

Please take a look and don't forget to like The Mouse Castle on Facebook. You don't ever want to miss happy hour. 

Cheers!

The Mouse Castle Lounge Happy (Half) Hour
Posted by The Mouse Castle - Disney Podcasts on Thursday, April 7, 2016

By Tim Callaway

Inside The Mouse Castle 11-30-2015 - 'The Good Dinosaur,' 'Captain America: Civil War' and Big Trouble in Disney's China

By Tim Callaway

The Good Dinosaur.

Pixar's The Good Dinosaur opened in theaters over the weekend and, depending on who you talked to, was a big success or a bigger disappointment. It had strong box office numbers for a Thanksgiving weekend release, but ranked far down the list among the first weekends of every other Pixar film. I saw it on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has its flaws--most notably an alarming lack of originality--but it's beautiful to look at and has a huge amount of heart and emotion. Thumbs up. Go see it. 

That said, The Good Dinosaur probably won't be regarded as one of Pixar's more memorable films. Toy Story, Wall-E and Up it ain't With that in mind, Anthony and I offer our two cents on the least memorable Pixar movies of all time in this week's edition of Inside The Mouse Castle.

We also tackle a few other items:

• Bromance, betrayal and one badass superhero three-way. Ladies and gentlemen, the first trailer for Captain America; Civil War.

• Oh yeah, here's a trailer for Disney Infinity's Star Wars: The Force Awakens play set. I want it.

• China is cracking down on a hotel chain in the country that has been blatantly using the Disney name without permission. Apparently, plunking down $4 billion to build a resort in Shanghai buys you a considerable amount of trademark protection.
• You can now buy Haunted Mansion Funko Pop! characters based on the Hitchhiking Ghosts and the Hatbox Ghost, but only at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I want them.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 08-24-2015 - Jungle Cruising with Dwayne Johnson, Kind Words for Cinderella, Banksy's Dismaland

By Tim Callaway

Pirates with the lights on.

Pirates of the Caribbean with the lights on, a Haunted Mansion scolding, hard root beer and coconut-flavored vodka. 

And yeah, I guess Anthony and I talk about some Disney news too.

Inside The Mouse Castle this week, we revisit a few more items from the D23 Expo and Anthony's trip to Disneyland with his parents. We also imbibe a few tasty beverages as has become our habit since we started recording the show late at night. Don't judge.

Here's what else is going on:

• The long-rumored Jungle Cruise movie, at one time expected to star Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, is back on track, this time with Dwayne Johnson on board.
• John Lasseter played Jungle Cruise skipper for real last Tuesday, taking guests on a trip through the exotic waterways. And, wouldn't you know? Josh Gad was there to document it.

• Disney's live-action Cinderella comes out on Blu-ray and Digital HD on September 15th. In the spirit of the little cinder girl's upbeat philosophy, fans are encouraged to "have courage and be kind" at www.CinderellaKindness.com. 

George Clooney in Tomorrowland.

• Also available on video beginning October 13th is Brad Bird's Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney, Britt Robertson and Hugh Laurie. I was disappointed the first time I saw it, but not so much that I won't give it a second look.
• Japan's largest airline, ANA, is launching a fleet of Star Wars-themed airplanes (okay, four) featuring droids R2-D2 and BB-8. They'll start transporting passengers, both domestic and international, this fall.
• A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed against Disney, DreamWorks and several other animation studios accusing them of collusion and wage fixing. This follows on the heels of a similar suit that was thrown out in April for falling outside the statute of limitations. 
• Graffiti artist Banksy is taking a satirical shot at Disney parks with his new exhibition "Dismaland." This "bemusement park" takes up space at an old public pool in Weston-super-Mare in southwest England. Its centerpiece is a rotting, decrepit castle surrounded by a warped mermaid statue and a crashed police van. The exhibition is, of course, staffed by surly greeters and security guards. Over 50 artists from 17 countries have contributed to the project, which takes swipes, both good-natured and cynical, at not just theme parks, but at immigration laws and 21st-century activism. The exhibition will be open through September 17, 2015. 

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 05-11-2015 - The Hatbox Ghost Returns, 'Tomorrowland' Premieres and the D23 Expo Expands

By Tim Callaway

George Clooney, his wife Amal and his niece Mia join
Bob Iger and his wife aboard the Monorail.

Last weekend was crazy busy at the Disneyland Resort. Brad Bird's new movie Tomorrowland had its world premiere at Downtown Disney followed by an after-party at the real Tomorrowland. On hand were the film's stars George Clooney, Britt Robertson and Raffey Cassidy, along with a host of other celebrities.

But wait, the weekend also saw the running of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon as well as the return (finally) of the Hatbox Ghost to the Haunted Mansion. Anthony and I talk about all that (okay, we skipped the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, sorry) plus these other fascinating stories in this week's Inside The Mouse Castle.

• Now that Brad Bird has just about put Tomorrowland in his past, what's next? We know (and Bird has officially confirmed) that The Incredibles 2 will be his next film project, but could he also be lining up a deal to helm a Star Wars movie?
• The Avengers 2.5, or as it's also known, Captain America: Civil War, has begun shooting in Atlanta. 
• Avengers director Joss Whedon closed his Twitter account. Was it because he's too busy, or was the Twitterverse just being too mean to him?
• Disney's live action Cinderella has passed $500 million in worldwide box office, making it the third highest grossing film of the year so far. Avengers: Age of Ultron (surprise!) leads the pack at close to $1 billion. 

Jason Bateman will voice the cunning fox, Nick Wilde, in Zootopia.

• Disney Animation announced Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin will voice the lead characters in Zootopia. Bateman will be a "scamming fox" named Nick Wilde while Goodwin will voice "optimistic bunny" Judy Hopps. The film will open in the U.S. on March 4, 2016.
• The big presentations at the D23 Expo will get a bigger venue this year. Traditional popular draws like the Disney Legends Award Ceremony and the Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts presentations will move from the 5,000-seat arena at the Anaheim Convention Center to a new "Hall D23" that can handle 7,500 people. The D23 Expo will be held August 14-16.
• Disney California Adventure's nighttime dance party, the Mad T Party, returns on May 22nd. Break out your Bedazzler, though, because now it's going to be the Diamond Mad T Party.

Enjoy!

The Hatbox Ghost

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The Mouse Castle Lounge 05-07-2015 - Haunted Mansion Expert Jeff Baham

By Tim Callaway

A Hatbox Ghost model at the 2013 D23 Expo.

This weekend, the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland will welcome the return of the Hatbox Ghost, a legendary specter of Disney lore that spent a brief period in the Mansion when the attraction first opened in 1969. Alas, the effect of a spirit carting around his head in a hatbox never quite worked right, so it was quickly removed, never to return…until now, over 45 years later. Time, technology and fan demand have now made it possible for the Hatbox Ghost to make a ghastly return and we can hardly wait to see him.

Joining me today to talk about the Hatbox Ghost and the long history of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland is author and historian Jeff Baham. Eighteen years ago, Jeff started the popular Mansion website DoomBuggies.com, which is a treasure trove of Haunted Mansion history and fascinating facts. Jeff has written a book, The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney’s Haunted Mansion which is available on Amazon and from ThemeParkPress.com. Jeff also co-hosts the popular Disney fan podcast Mousestalgia. 

Forty-five years of Haunted Mansion history with Jeff Baham, my guest today in The Mouse Castle Lounge. Enjoy!

Jeff Baham

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Inside The Mouse Castle 04-14-2015 - 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Premiere, 'Star Wars' Celebration and Selfie Sticks

By Tim Callaway

Avengers assemble!

The Avengers assembled at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood Monday night for the world premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Go on the red carpet to hear from the film's stars Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evens, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, James Spader and director Joss Whedon with a cameo (of course) by Stan Lee.

Tim and Anthony don their super suits and discuss the high expectations attached to the newest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how Age of Ultron could make as much as $2 billion worldwide, placing it in the rarefied air of Avatar and Titanic. They also talk about a few other things in this super long, super entertaining episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. 

• 'Star Wars' Celebration, the massive gathering of Lucasfilm uberfans, gets underway this week at the Anaheim Convention Center. The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy will hold court at the first panel of the event Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Fans can line up to see the presentation beginning at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday night. Wednesday night?!? (NOTE: after we finished recording this episode, 'Star Wars' Celebration announced that the Abrams/Kennedy panel--along with 30-plus hours of content--will be streamed live online at StarWars.com).

• It's official! The legendary Hatbox Ghost is finally returning to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion in May. We anticipate he'll (dis)appear in the area behind the "window" that mysteriously showed up recently in the attic across from the Bride. 
• In other Mansion news, Guillermo del Toro's new Haunted Mansion film is moving forward and will star Ryan Gosling.
• Steven Spielberg will direct his first Disney film, The BFG, co-produced by Disney, Dreamworks and Walden Media, is based on a story by Roald Dahl and is scheduled for release in July 2016.
• Ian McKellen will play Cogsworth in Disney's new live-action Beauty and the Beast. With a cast that already includes Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Emma Thompson, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad and Audra McDonald, can expectations for this film get any higher?
• Disney is developing a new live-action retelling of Pinocchio, which naturally makes us nostalgic for the 2000 made-for-TV movie Geppetto starring Drew Carey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
• Brad Bird is working on a script for The Incredibles 2. It's about time.
• Theme park guests can get a sneak peek at Bird's newest film, Tomorrowland, starting this Friday at Disneyland and Saturday at Epcot.
• The Matterhorn and Peter Pan are both getting upgrades for Disneyland's 60th. Down for refurb now, the attractions will reopen sometime in May.
• A fatal crash at the Exotic Driving Experience at Walt Disney World took the life of racing instructor Gary Terry over the weekend. Our condolences to his family and friends.
• Disney and Dali: Architects of the Imagination, a new exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum, opens on July 10th. It will explore the longtime friendship and artistic collaboration between Walt and the surrealist painter Salvador Dali.

The Boathouse

• The upscale restaurant The Boathouse opened at Downtown Disney (Disney Springs) at Walt Disney World this week. Who wants to share a $115 steak with us?
• Selfie sticks have been outlawed at Walt Disney World. Or not. Or maybe just on attractions. Who knows? Actually, we do.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 10-07-2014 - 'Alexander' Premiere, FastPass Plus and Bailing Out Disneyland Paris

(l. to r.) Ed Oxenbould, Kerris Dorsey, Dylan Minnette,
Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner and Miguel Arteta.

Disney's latest family comedy is the lengthily-titled Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Based on the children's book by Judith Viorst, it's the story of an otherwise normal, well-adjusted family that has, well, a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Comedic complications ensue.

The movie had its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood Monday night leading up to its opening in U.S. theaters this Friday. In the latest episode of Inside The Mouse Castle, we'll be on the red carpet hearing from cast members including Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner.

Anthony and I will also be taking on these excellent, wonderful, awesome, very good topics:

• The Avengers 3 rumor train keeps barreling forward--and that was even before Robert Downey, Jr. confirmed to Ellen DeGeneres that he's coming back for Iron Man 4 (we knew it all along; we were just waiting for an official word). 

• Toy Story Mania at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World is going all FastPass + this week to test guest traffic and ride capacity. Fanboys are in an uproar, but we're not quite sure why. We're hearing that Disney is installing a third TSM track next year--a FastPass+ only track--and needs to do a little R&D in the field. 
• The new Memento Mori shop at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is open for business with all manner of Haunted Mansion merch. Can't get there in person? The HM page at DisneyStore.com will have you dying to join them.

• If owning a Mansion memento isn't enough, how about having a party with the grim grinning ghosts, then spending the night in a spooky Cinderella Castle? Walt Disney World is having a photo contest and is giving away just that. All you have to do is show your haunted Disney side here. Contest ends on November 4, 2014.
• Disney is pumping over a billion dollars into Disneyland Paris to help refinance the struggling resort. This is the second time in three years Disney has upped the cash flow. Is this a sign that Disney will increase their 40% stake in the French property and buy it outright or are they just applying a Band-Aid to buy time?
• Does your child need a Frozen makeover? Anna & Elsa's Boutique at Disneyland's Downtown Disney is now open for business. Future proceeds will probably bail out Disneyland Paris.
• If you're a fan of Disney video games, twenty retro console games have launched on Steam that you can download to your PC for 10% off through Sunday. I'm kind of partial to LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3, and--if you can get past the wonky game play and just enjoy the amazing graphics--Epic Mickey: The Power of 2.

Gravity Falls: Little Gift Shop of Horrors

• Gravity Falls is my favorite show on any of the Disney channels right now and their newest Little Gift Shop of Horrors episode may be the best one of the series. It pays clever tribute to special effects master Ray Harryhausen and even has Neil deGrasse Tyson voicing Mabel Pines' suddenly erudite pig, Waddles. If you've never seen the show, it's a great introduction to the strange goings-on in the mysterious Oregon town.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 09-05-2014 - Deadmau5 vs. Disney, a 'Hullabaloo' Over 2D Animation and Happy Birthday, Pluto!

Does Deadmau5's logo violate a Disney trademark?
We don't think so either.

Joel Zimmerman is going toe to toe with Disney over his big mouse head. The house musician, who performs under the stage name Deadmau5 (pronounced "dead mouse") usually wears a large mouse-shaped helmet when he performs and has done so for well over ten years. He recently registered his mau5head with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Disney is not happy about it. They've filed a trademark infringement suit, claiming Deadmau5's signature look is way too similar to their own in-house mouse.

In the latest Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony and I talk about the trademark controversy and we're siding with Deadmau5 on this one. Does he resemble Mickey Mouse on stage? Yes. Could a reasonable person mistake Deadmau5 for Mickey? We don't think so.

UPDATE: Since we recorded the show Friday, Deadmau5 has upped the ante, filing a cease and desist order against Disney over their alleged inappropriate use of one of his music tracks in a video. It appears Deadmau5 has as much arrogance as Disney has deep pockets for lawyers. Grab your popcorn, kids. This is going to be fun.

Also in this episode of Inside the Mouse Castle:

• A group of former Disney animators led by director James Lopez is crowdfunding a steampunk-style 2D animated film with a smart and savvy female protagonist. We're loving the look of Hullabaloo and we encourage you to contribute to it on Indiegogo.  

• In Marvel news, Al Pacino is gushing over Guardians of the Galaxy and director James Gunn has taken notice. Could the great actor be in line for a role in GotG 2? Also, hear about the Stan Lee cameo in Guardians that didn't happen and how Lee may have spilled the beans on a Black Panther movie.
• Destination D: Attraction Rewind is a two-day D23 event at Walt Disney World November 22 and 23. We're really excited about two recently announced presentations: one by Imagineering Legend Tony Baxter and a panel discussing Brad Bird's upcoming film Tomorrowland.
• There's a Happiest Haunts guided tour that's going on at Disneyland this Halloween season. Apparently it's been around for a few years now. How did we not know about this? Also, Walt Disney World will be opening a Haunted Mansion shop sometime soon that's going to be as heavy in theming and backstory as it is in merchandise.
• It's a good weekend to celebrate birthdays. Mickey's pal Pluto (or the character who would become Pluto) made his debut in The Chain Gang on September 5, 1930. The Morocco pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase opened 30 years ago on September 7. And finally, on September 5, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue marked its 40th year of dinner theater performances at Pioneer Hall at Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness.

Enjoy!

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Inside the Mouse Castle 08-08-2014 - The Haunted Mansion at 45, Star Wars at Disneyland and the D23 Expo

Saturday marks the 45th birthday of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. Come out to socialize with Tim and Anthony as they share a little Mansion history and talk about what makes the home of 999 happy haunts such an incredible attraction all these years later.

Also, in this episode:

• CEO Bob Iger got the interwebs buzzing this week with his comment that Disney's plan to "grow Stars Wars' presence significantly" in the parks. We'll look at what it means and what it doesn't and why everyone just needs to settle down.
• Tickets to the 2015 D23 Expo, Disney's ultimate fan event, go on sale on August 14th at 10 a.m. PT. We take a look back at past Expos and try to justify why spending $2,000 for a Sorcerer Package ticket might actually be a pretty good deal.
• Disney is opening the video vault and releasing Tarzan, Hercules and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad on Blu-ray for the first time. A newer home video release is Disneynature's Bears and Tim offers his review of the Alaska nature doc. It's a beautiful film, but does is really benefit from being narrated by Wreck-It Ralph?

Enjoy!

Disneyland's Haunted Mansion marks its 45th year.

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