The Mouse Castle Lounge 09-19-2015 - 'The Muppets' on ABC and 'The Emperor's New Groove'

By Tim Callaway

Miss Piggy and Kermit in The Muppets.

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, the whole gang is back for a new show on ABC. The Muppets premieres this Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. And the thing that has me really excited about the show is it’s taking the behind-the-scenes antics that were part of the original Muppet Show and bringing them up to date. So, instead of seeing what goes on backstage while the Muppets desperately attempt to put on a theatrical review, we get to see what goes on behind the scenes as the Muppets attempt to produce a night-time TV talk show, Up Late With Miss Piggy.

The Muppets is a reality show—well, as much of a reality show as a show about the Muppets can be. It comes complete with handheld camerawork, celebrity guest stars, and intimate one-on-one conversations with the cast. In fact, we’re going to get a little taste of that in today's show. Joining me today are some of the cast of The Muppets, starting with the green guy himself, Kermit the Frog.

On Monday, September 21st, one of my favorite modern-era Disney animated films is going to be celebrating its 15th anniversary with a special screening at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. The Emperor’s New Groove will be shown at 7:00 p.m. and will be introduced by an esteemed panel of artists: the film’s executive producer Don Hahn, director Mark Dindal, producer Randy Fullmer and screenwriter David Reynolds. In May of last year, Don Hahn was my guest in The Mouse Castle Lounge and among the many things we talked about was The Emperor’s New Groove. Return with me, if you will, to that show and hear what Don had to say about this extremely funny, irreverent and unlikely fan favorite.

For our friends in the Los Angeles area, tickets are still available to see The Emperor’s New Groove on the big screen (and Don Hahn and Mark Dindal and Randy Fullmer and Mark Reynolds). Just call 1-800-Disney6 or visit www.ElCapitanTickets.com. The doors open at 6:00 Monday night and the screening starts at 7:00. I highly recommend you get there early for trivia, a costume contest and a whole lot more. 

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 04-06-2015 - 'Mulan,' 'Winnie the Pooh' and 'Star Wars' Weekends

By Tim Callaway

Big spring break crowds at Disneyland.

Yes, Disneyland is busy this time of year.

Anthony survived massive spring break crowds at Disneyland last week and reports back to us in this edition of Inside The Mouse Castle. How crowded is too crowded at the Happiest Place on Earth and when, if ever, does it stop being fun? Do day guests have a higher tolerance for crowds than annual pass holders? Today, we answer these questions and share our take on these other fascinating topics:

• Mulan and Winnie the Pooh join Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book and Dumbo as the latest animated titles being turned into live action films at Disney. Is the studio finally getting carried away with this trend? Probably not as long as they keep making big bucks at the box office like their predecessors Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent and Cinderella.
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has joined the cast of Moana. He'll voice the demigod Maui, who helps the intrepid title character on a search for a fabled Pacific island.

Johnny Depp with Penelope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

• In Australia, production has shut down on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales while star Johnny Depp recovers from hand surgery in the U.S. Depp injured himself in an off-set incident unrelated to his fifth turn as Captain Jack Sparrow. Shooting is expected to resume on April 15th. The film is still scheduled for a July 2017 release.
• Star Wars Weekends return to Disney's Hollywood Studios beginning May 15th. Celebrity appearances during the event now include Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine), Frank Oz (Yoda) and Warwick Davis (Wicket). For a complete list of guests, visit disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/04/frank-oz-and-ian-mcdiarmid-among-the-stars-announced-for-star-wars-weekends-2015-at-disneys-hollywood-studios.

Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.

• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows had their grand opening at Walt Disney World. The latest Disney Vacation Club properties feature two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living and dining areas and a plunge pool. They can each accommodate up to eight guests. Oh, and they're very expensive.
• Are the Muppets returning to TV? Sure looks like it as ABC has ordered a pilot for a proposed Muppets 2015 series project.
• A federal judge threw out a complaint filed by employees of Pixar, Dreamworks Animation and Sony Pictures Animation accusing the studios of systemic collusion and wage fixing. the case was tossed because a four-year statute of limitations had run out. The employees may refile their complaint within 30 days if they can demonstrate the wage fixing practices continued after September 8, 2010.

Tangled: The Musical.

• The Disney Magic is getting a new musical stage show for their seafaring guests...and it's not Frozen! Tangled: The Musical will begin performances on Bahamian cruises beginning November 11th.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 03-23-2015 - A Monorail on eBay, 'Captain America: Civil War' and a Mo'Ne Movie

By Tim Callaway

Anthony and I don't have enough money to buy a Walt Disney World Monorail train or a Tron light cycle replica, so instead we're arguing about Into the Woods and pineapple pizza on today's Inside The Mouse Castle.

• The front portion of a Mark IV Monorail from Walt Disney World showed up on eBay last week...then disappeared before the auction closed. Bidding was to start at $169,000 (or you could have bought the thing outright for $260,000), but the item was pulled Sunday night with no explanation. 

Tron: Legacy

• An auction that is expected to go through will be held on May 2nd and it's super cool. Get on the grid with a full-size, fully-functional replica of a Tron: Legacy light cycle. It'll only cost you $25,000-$40,000. You know you want to.
• We officially know more plot details about Captain America: Civil War and they're pretty much the plot details we knew already...but now they're official. Actually, Disney didn't make them official until the synopsis leaked to multiple news outlets. Here it is:

Following the events of Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies.

• A new book about Apple and Pixar visionary Steve Jobs, Becoming Steve Jobs, is out this week and includes a fascinating and touching story involving Disney chief Bob Iger. In January 2006, just a half hour before Disney would announce its acquisition of Pixar, Jobs shared some troubling news with Iger that threatened to cancel the deal. Jobs even gave Iger an out if he wanted it. 
• Disney's CFO and senior executive VP Jay Rasulo sold $12 million in Disney stock last week. Was it just normal profit-taking or is Rasulo cashing out before leaving the Mouse? He's been working without a contract since January 31st and was recently passed over for the chief operating officer position that went to Tom Staggs.

Mo'ne Davis talks with Good Morning, America host Robin Roberts

• Mo'ne Davis made history last year by becoming the first girl ever to pitch a winning game (a shutout, no less) in the Little League World Series. Now, the Disney Channel is making a movie about her life. Throw Like Mo will be executive-produced by Debra Martin Chase and written by Sheldon Candis and Justin Wilson. Davis will act as a consultant on the film.
• Muppet Moments is a new short-form video series featuring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and other Muppet favorites in casual conversations with young children. It premieres on Disney Junior April 3rd and yes, it's cute.

• On Blu-ray, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere this week, Into the Woods. <Hooray!>
  Coming out on May 19th, Strange Magic. <crickets>

Enjoy!

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The Muppets Get Cooking With Cat Cora

Disney just sent me this little teaser about the Muppets.  Sounds tasty.

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What to See at D23 - Day Four

Pixar takes center stage on Sunday, the final day of the D23 Expo. Expect a heavy dose of "Toy Stories 1, 2 and 3" and an eye-popping print shirt on John Lasseter. Besides the shirt, here's what else stands out:

Sunday, 9/13/09

9:30 a.m. - The Making of Toy Story Midway Mania!, Storytellers Theater
It may seem like just a ride through a video game with "Toy Story" characters in it, but Midway Mania is a lot more than that, a technological marvel that integrates state-of-the-art ride mechanisms with elaborate gaming systems. Get the inside skinny on how the Disneyland and Walt Disney World versions all work and, most importantly, how you can improve your score playing the game.

11:00 a.m. - The Future of Disney and Pixar Animation, D23 Arena
In what will probably be the most heavily attended presentation of the weekend, John Lasseter, the man who helped bring animation into the 21st century and the guiding force behind ten straight quality hit movies, will hold court in the D23 Arena, previewing not only what's in store for Pixar, but also what's waiting in the wings for Disney Animation. There'll be clips from "The Princess and the Frog," "Rapunzel" and "Toy Story 3" to be sure, but the main attraction will be the man himself. Lasseter is highly regarded by Disney fans, and deservedly so--he was a Jungle Cruise skipper, for God's sake! Don't miss what he has to say.

12:30 p.m. - Silver Banjo Barbecue Panel With David and Ron DeFore, Stage 23
A couple of years ago, I had the chance to meet Ron DeFore and had the most fascinating conversation with him about the early days of Disneyland. Here's a guy who, with his brother David, literally grew up at the Magic Kingdom where his father, TV personality Don DeFore ("The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," "Hazel") operated his own restaurant. There'll be plenty of tales told about Walt and Disneyland at this session, a fun and fanciful trip through the wayback machine.

1:00 p.m. - Special Muppets Presentation, Walt Disney Studios Theater
There's not a lot of background information on this presentation, making it all the more intriguing. Disney hasn't exactly done a lot with the Muppets since taking them over from The Jim Henson Company in 2004. Goodness knows "MuppetVision 3D" could use some freshening up. In August, promotional videos were shot at Disneyland featuring the Muppets, so it appears Disney is looking to give them a higher profile. Also, a new theatrical Muppet movie has supposedly been in the works for a while. Will it finally be time to put on makeup and light the lights again? Fingers crossed.

2:00 - How to be a Disneyana Detective With Tom Tumbush, Stage 23
Mickey Mouse meets the "Antiques Roadshow" when Disneyana expert Tom Tumbush shares tips on figuring out the value of your Disney collectibles. He'll even be available after the presentation to take a look at your old school memorabilia to see if you have any hidden Disney treasures.

3:00 p.m. - Imagineering Pixar for the Disney Parks, Storytellers Theater
Boy, produce ten straight animated hit movies and suddenly they want to build rides about them. Pixar has inspired a number of attractions at the Disney theme parks, including Toy Story Midway Mania, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and the upcoming Cars Land in Disney's California Adventure. John Lasseter returns, this time with a group of Pixar peeps and Disney Imagineers, to talk about what other Pixar projects are being developed.

6:30 p.m. - 'Toy Story 3' Special Presentation
7:00 p.m. - 'Toy Story' and 'Toy Story 2' Double Feature Premiere Screening
The first two "Toy Story" films have been retooled in 3D, which will not only create synergy with next year's "Toy Story 3(D)" but also a mountain of cash for Disney/Pixar. These back-to-back presentations will be the first public showings of the original movies in 3D (they hit theaters on October 2nd) and a sneak peek of "TS3," which will tell the story of what happens to Woody and Buzz and company when their owner Andy grows up.

Alrighty then, that finishes my take on all four days of presentations and previews at the D23 Expo. It all starts Thursday with an estimated 30,000 - 40,000 attendees through the weekend. The complete schedule can be found on D23's website. Tomorrow, I'll have more on the can't-miss pavilions to see at the Expo and, don't forget, live updates all week on Facebook and Twitter.

See you real soon!

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