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Redesigning 'Finding Nemo - The Musical' By Lauren Salisbury

2011-11-15T20:49:00.001-05:00

By Lauren Salisbury

Marlin the clownfish is a safety enthusiast. After losing nearly all his family to a vicious barracuda, the overprotective dad does his best to keep his remaining son safe from the ocean’s dangers in 2003’s Academy Award-winning film “Finding Nemo.”

After an epic journey through the “big blue world” to rescue Nemo, Marlin learns the best way to protect your loved ones is by giving them the tools and education to stay safe.

At “Finding Nemo – The Musical,” a Broadway-style stage show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Cast Members have taken Marlin’s philosophy to heart. With an ergonomic redesign of the show and an infusion of best practices, the team has been able to reduce incidents by 70 percent in one year.

Marlin’s safety attitude has rubbed off on the Cast of “Finding Nemo – The Musical” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

Nemo and friends were brought to life for the park show in 2007 by Michael Curry Design, a veteran puppetry firm whose portfolio includes “Disney’s The Lion King” on Broadway and ”Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular” at Disney California Adventure Park. Advancements in ergonomics united the puppet builders and a group of Walt Disney World safety experts to reexamine the creative production.

To make the characters’ eyes and mouth move, puppeteers squeeze a handle resembling a brake lever on a bicycle, a movement repeated thousands of times each show by performers in the principal roles of Marlin, Dory and Nemo. When first designed, the handle’s distance was beyond a comfortable range for most performers.

After examining hand measurement data, the team installed new levers with a decreased handle width. The result is a more comfortable and safe experience, and fewer hand injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Bill Sheppard presents a lighter, ergonomically friendly Nemo puppet.

Because male and female performers typically have different body measurements, puppets were adjusted to reflect those differences. Dory primarily is played by a female performer, so the puppet’s top lever and handle were redesigned to better fit a woman’s grip. The handle also was extended to rest comfortably in the performer’s hand without much effort.

For the comfort and safety of all performers, most puppets also were redesigned to be lighter.

“When you hold something for [the length of the show], even just a pound in reduction makes a huge difference,” said Susan Shultz, an Entertainment technician who has been part of the production since opening day. “It’s been amazing to see the work that has been done on the puppets. We tested every puppet for improvements.”

Susan Shultz compares the new Dory handle, left, to the old version.

In addition to modifying the colorful puppets, the team also applied ergonomics to the show’s choreography. The Safety team made suggestions on moments where performers could incorporate better practices such as using two hands instead of one, and Safety in Motion techniques.

In the past, turning puppets caused stress on performers’ wrists.

By adjusting the show’s choreography, puppeteers’ wrists now stay in the green zone.

A key principle of ergonomics is to avoid repetitive motions to reduce the risk of injury. Now, each of the show’s 18 performers and 15 technicians is cross-trained on four to five roles to vary the muscles used.

“This has been a big success,” said Bill Sheppard, area manager. “Having multiple roles is very helpful for our performers and technicians so they aren’t using the same muscles every day. This also keeps people mentally in the game,” he added.

The safety success at “Finding Nemo –The Musical” will contribute to future designs in the puppetry industry, according to Sharon.

“Nothing like this had ever been done,” she said. “These are unique puppet designs and they are going to help with other productions outside the company.”

The Haunted Mansion Tour

2011-11-15T00:21:00.004-05:00

Before I get started, I want to let you know that I am writing this out of excitement and not out of professionalism, so forgive me for all the grammar mistakes I might have due to the awesomeness! Its a crime of passion you could say.

My day started at 5am because I couldn’t stay asleep, I was way too excited. I had to be on my way there be 6am anyways so I wasn’t to bad. It’s always a great day when you get to wonder through the Utilidoors, and nothing can beat an introduction like opening up a random door into a completely empty Liberty Square and rounding the corner to see the Mansion staring you down with its hovering eeriness.

Our tour began in front of the mansion, where our guide, Lauren(a Butler for 13 years) greeted us and took us inside. After a short introduction while standing on the motionless walkway at load, we began to head into the scenes. We came upon the portrait hallway, where we were aloud to touch the paintings and get a better understanding of how the lightening and picture change synced with each other. Next we headed into the library, stocked with priceless first editions of course. It’s dark on the ride, but look closely by the table right before the scene ends. You’ll notice not one, but two Jack Skellingtons. One of his face on the bindings of a book on the table, then a full body on the front of one on the floor.

Our next hidden gem is in the next room. There were a lot of fun little things to look at. I was extremely interested in looking at the sheet music on the piano. The words were written in a different language so that even made it more interesting! If you look closely there is an official and unofficial hidden Mickey in the design of the music stand.

The never ending staircases were great to see, because this is the first time you see up close the candles that very realistically move like a real flame.. If you remember before the update a few years back, spiders and cobwebs occupied this room and some of the corner around to the endless hallway. They decided to change the scene because even though the ride is build to spook you a bit, some guests were genuinely displeased because of a huge fear of spiders. I strongly feel this was a fitting change. The effect to create the moving wallpaper eyes is actually quite brilliant, and it works seamlessly blending into the wall itself.

As we came around the to the Endless Hallway, this is where it hit me. You know when you’re excited about something, and you are there absorbing everything but the idea comes into your head that this tour is only just beginning!! That soon we would be in the ballroom, yeah, this is where that moment hit me… So we step up into the hallway and one of the many things I love about the queue is the velvety walls, well they have those same touchable walls in there, only in a red and black pattern. The hallway goes nearly 20 feet back until you get to the floating candelabra, and then who know how far after that, it’s endless!

We then entered the Conservatory, and may I add this room is simple and brilliant. There is so much detail in this little scene that you can only take in so much before you move on. It is dark but if you notice the coffin, it has designs of mournful faces and bones for the handles. All of the flowers around the coffin is there for more than just showing respect for the dead, in that time they didn’t have the proper ways to keep the bodies as nice, so the flowers would mask the smell. You also encounter the raven for the first time! Lots of great speculation surrounding the bird, I’ll keep my story of the Haunted Mansion to myself for now. This isn’t the last time you’ll see the raven. As you continue through the Corridor of Doors, checkout the pictures, some depicting the screamers that you see later in the graveyard. But one stands out among the rest, and that is the infamous Hat Box Ghost! I’m hoping that If Del Toro’s film in the upcoming years is successful that they will revive him! We wondered into the Séance Room, which has the most security out of all the areas in the Mansion. No there aren’t any lasers that will cut your face off if you jump out, but if you do decide to leave your doombuggy, you can be sure that the ride will stop immediately and Madame Leota will float up to the ceiling and stay there until it is once again safe to come down. Also there is about a 5 foot jump to get to her platform and the only thing stopping you from falling about 10ft. to the floor is a little cage, want to risk it? Well, people do daily, and they get hurt. Not always do they make the jump, but they set off the sensor mats placed in the flooring. Most attractions have things like this that notifies CMs right away, so keep that in mind if you ever choose to hop out.

We quickly walked through the upstairs ballroom hallway because we would get to that in just a bit. Next up is the attic! This room has been on my mind for years, there is so much detail in there and you pass by so quickly! With each little setup there is a wedding dress, portrait, and even a marriage license! It is very small, but there is also little brides and grooms for each section, the groom always with his head broken off. It is also set each with an empty birdcage to symbolize that she has “flown the coop!” clever right? Except for one husband, this is because he was a hunter and wouldn’t be believable to have a live bird in his home. Take notice of the last husband, George, does he look familiar? He should, it is Imagineer Joe Rohde!

We then headed down into the graveyard to meet the Caretaker of his faithful dog. If you are wondering, yes, I got to pet him, and it was AMAZING. The graveyard was quite nostalgic to walk through. I really took time to look at all the detail they added into the Hitchhiking Ghosts. I just wish they could have done that when we see them in our buggy. To me they seem very flat, innovative technology yes! But I loved knowing there was an animatronic actually there and not just a screen.

I was already freaking out, but it was at this moment when I started to get that feeling. The feeling of going from that excited little kid, to the legs going numb feeling because we’re about to go where I’ve dreamt of going my whole life, little kid. Which was inside the Ballroom. Anyone who knows anything in the slightest about the Haunted Mansion can picture this room. It’s where the ghosts are first introduced to you, the Pepper’s Ghost effect that has shocked guests here and in Disneyland for over 40 years! And here I was, about to walk the very floors I have only seen from up high.

When I first walked into the room, it was like I muted out the world. I didn’t care what anyone was saying or doing, it was just the room and I. It was amazing just how thin and tall the room looked from on the floor and yet how much room there was to walk around. All of the webs that you see in this room ar the original webs spun up by the Imagineers, done with special string and not the glue the use to create them throughout the rest of the ride. We got to feel them, and yes, I was even excited to touch a spider web… Just seeing the ghosts on the other side of the glass was amazing. Knowing that I’ve never actually seen them in real life until now, because technically we’ve all only seen their reflections. Next time you go, imagine me running around like a child on Christmas and hyperventilating. Even as we all left the scene, I stayed behind just so I could be in the room alone for a quick second…and oh was it was a beautiful second. Every little bit of detail that went into this attraction is sheer brilliance, and most of it goes over looked because it is either too dark to see with the naked eye, or you just haven’t caught it yet.

There is still so much more I can rave about, but then this already extremely long write-up would be…well, lets just say if you’ve read this far, you must be a great fan of The Haunted Mansion like me, and for that, thank you. Let me know through anyway of contacting me if you liked this and would like me to go into even more detail about the amazingness that is the Mansion!

To see all the pictures from my ride through, with flash, head to my Flickr HERE!

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ElecTRONica!

2011-04-24T12:11:00.002-04:00

In honor of TRON: Legacy coming out last year, Disney created a nightly promotional event called ElecTRONica. Taking you from the real world, through the portal, and onto the Grid. They literally transformed Hollywood Pictures Backlot at California Adventure into a whole new land! It was so popular that despite it supposing to end months ago, they have extended its running though Labor Day 2011.

There they have everything from a full functioning Flynn's Arcade, including Flynn Tokens and the most popular arcade games from the 80's, to grabbing a favorite tasty beverage from the End of Line club! Not only that but they have entertainment everywhere. Identity Disk jugglers, to TRON Dancers fill the streets, along with your favorite techno music pumping through the air. My favorite of all the entertainment, is Laser Man. There really isn't a way of describing his act, you just have to see it to get the full effect. Everything can be seen in the video link HERE. YouTube will have none of my video, so I've resorted to Vimeo. Its an overview of ElecTRONica as a whole, then the second half is Laser Man. Enjoy...

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Entertainment Designer Forum 2011

2011-04-23T09:48:00.004-04:00

   Let me just start off by saying I could listen to these creative minds talk for hours. The stories they shared were extremely entertaining. There were two panels of speakers, one at 6:30 and the other at 9. They were connected by an auction of assorted props from HHN, Howl-O-Scream, and some Harry Potter goodies. Both last year and this years event was held at the Mad Cow Theater in Downtown Orlando.

   Literally everything about this event was great, because not only did it give a chance for people like me to meet big names in the theme park industry, but it was also for an amazing cause. Every single bit of profit made there went to the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, and it was in memory of Stephanie Girard, a college and friend of most all the speakers. They said last year they raised roughly $6,000 which is simply amazing, every bit counts. I don't know yet how much was made this year, but I can only hope it topped last year.

   Both sessions were hosted by Universal Show Director Michael Aiello and went as followed; all of the speakers introduced themselves and told a bit of what they do in their respected fields, then opened up the floor for any questions. I love question and answer sessions because they often lead to very interesting topics and discussions.

   If I talked about everything that was brought up throughout the night I'd have a small book, and a better memory then I've got, so I'll talk about a few favorites. It was great talking to T.J. Manarino about his work on Double Dare, and Legends of the Hidden Temple. Being a 90's baby those shows are very close to heart, and seeing as though TV in general is lacking quite a bit these days it was nice to talk about the good ol' days. I also loved watching James Keaton talk about his first experiences playing Jack the Clown. I could see and hear a little bit of Jack in him...or was it the other way around? Listening to the countless hours and detail Eric Baker put into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is very impressive. When asked he mentioned that although there was no official count, there were thousands of props used though out the land.

   It seems that with every passing year this event will get even more popular, and I have nothing but great things to say about it. I cannot wait to attend 2012!

6:30 Session:
From left to right: Michael Aiello, Patrick Braillard, TJ Mannarino, James Keaton, Mary Nesler, Eric Baker, and Rick Spencer.

9:00 Session:
From left to right: Kim Gromoll, Doug Sauls, Robbi Lepre, Ray Kiem, Cindy White, and David Hughes.

A few of the items auctioned off:

If you or anyone you know would like to donate to Universal's Donation Team for American Cancer Society Relay for Life, head here to do so: ACF Universal Relay Rangers, it is greatly appreciated:)

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Walt Disney World Value Resorts

2011-04-14T15:02:00.000-04:00

There is no better feeling then finally checking in to your favorite Disney resort after a long day of travel, and even after all that hard work, you're still to excited to sleep knowing that just next day, you will head to the place where dreams come true! Well just recently, I had the opportunity to wonder around some of the value resorts to broaden my outlook on the hotels.

Many people feel that they are on the lower end, but in my opinion, they are to an extent, but the giant characters around every turn make up for it! Our stop this time was to the All-Star Movies!

This hotel opened periodically throughout 1999, the first time on January 15 with the Mighty Ducks and 101 Dalmatians, then on March 1st opened Fantasia and the Love Bug buildings, then finally completing the hotel on April 15th with the Toy Story buildings! Construction began late 1992, that’s 7 years in the making! It is located in the Animal Kingdom resort area.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice the lobby and gift show area was, there were movie set spotlights shining around the shop and the surrounding theme of early Hollywood.

Next up was the World Premiere Food Court, which I loved! There were five different stands you could get various foods from, sort of like the food pods in the Star Light Cafe in the Magic Kingdom. They were named the Majestic, the Lyric, the Grand, Roxy, and the Rialto. All named after different types of famous theaters serving all kinds of different food.(Pasta, BBQ, Deli exc.) The Grand was great for a quick snack, or to grab something prepackaged to take up to the room for later.

I came across this amazing Tie-Dye Cheese Cake, I'll be honest, I never got a chance to try it, but the fact that it was rainbow food makes it awesome in my book!

This is sort of straying away from the review, but it's not to often to see the forgotten Disney movie Atlantis. I don't want to put it down because I haven't fully seen it, but it must not of done as well as they had hoped.

Now heading out into the courtyard you immediately see why these hotels are so famous, the giant figurers! This section was Fantasia, and you can see the book is opening and letting out all the characters to tell their story.

You can tell this soldier has definitely served his time.

Now we come to the 101 Dalmatians section of the hotel. Every little kid, and the kids at heart, can't help but run around falling over things because their eyes are fix up in the air. Pongo standing at 30 feet and Perdita at 25 tower over you. One night here and you’ll be seeing spots for days!

Next stop is my personal favorite, Toy Story. I love this area because of how it’s laid out. To enter you have to walk into Andy’s room, his “Keep Out” sign didn’t work on me!

To your right you immediately see a 30 foot tall Woody doll slouched over against a bookshelf. I think this is an extremely cool concept, because now you are the one that’s toy sized.

Upon looking at the books closer I noticed titles like “Tin Toy” and “The Adventures of Andre and Wally B.” which are some of the names of Pixar’s very first animated shorts.

In front of Woody are Rex and Bo Peep!

Across the way standing tall at roughly 45 feet tall, is Buzz Lightyear!

I plan on staying here the first chance I get, definitely brought the 90’s nerd out in me, and oh do I miss the 90’s! I can’t speak for the rooms just yet, but once I spend a night I’ll be sure to follow up!

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Orlando Flash Mob at Collaborate 11

2011-04-12T14:27:00.001-04:00

Today, April 12th, at precisely 12pm, the unsuspecting people at Collaborate 11' were entertained by Orlando's newest Flash Mob! Randy Ross and Orange County's former Commissioner Linda Stewart, along with many talented others put together this fun dance!(video below) The crowd loved it with huge applause, most all of the Flashers left right away but I lagged behind to overhear what the onlookers were saying. All I heard was positive feedback. I can't help but think the few people in the back of the center that couldn't leave their booth were left wondering what had just happened. I mean, fun loud music, and people rushing an area in synchronized dance can do that.

For the full video in HD click HERE

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Celebrating 500 Followers!

2011-04-10T13:01:00.006-04:00

I can't thank you all enough for making these past few years a ton of fun, it's been great bringing you on all of my adventures with me! Also networking and finally meeting some of you in person over the past months of being down here in Orlando has been a pleasure, and I hope to meet many more of you in the future! Well, now that I've taken care of the thanks, lets get to the contest!

In honor of hitting 500 followers on my twitter(@DisneyMagicMan) I'll be hosting a give-away April 10th - Wednesday April 20th! The contest will end midnight on Wednesday, don't worry about the time change, I understand we're all over the map;) The Winner will be chosen at random out of the valid submissions and announced on Thursday April 21st!

What the winner will be bringing home:

In celebrating 500 followers I'll be giving away this currently SOLD OUT Epcot Pin Set that can now only be found on sale at Walt Disney World Resort!

and this Jack Skellington Vinylmation!

How to Enter: Head over to my Facebook page (here), don't forget to like it;) And in a short paragraph tell me one guilty Disney pleasure! It doesn't have to be park related, it can be related to anything Disney! For example mine is grabbing some Casey's Corner Corndog Nuggets or a delicious dolewhip and camping out to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade! Have some fun with it!

For a second chance to win you can tweet this:
( Enter to win "Celebrating 500 Followers" Contest by @DisneyMagicMan - http://bit.ly/fWI2E3 )

Looking forward to reading all your guilty pleasures!

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Disney Channel Revamp

2011-04-01T20:19:00.002-04:00

   At the beginning of this year Disney changed "Playhouse Disney" to "Disney Junior" in an effort to make the look more appealing to the younger crowds. With a new logo and the new show "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" the channels ratings have soared up 3 times the ratings it had before.

   With the recent success of they're morning shows, they've decided to revamp the daytime channel starting in early May. I'm incredible excited about this because the "lets see how loud we can yell" attitude all the kid actors have has definitely run it's course. They will be getting rid of all the shows currently on air, with the exception of the more popular, like Phinias and Ferb. In replace we will hopefully we will get fresh new faces, and maybe, just maybe we will see some great new shows that reflect how good the Disney Channel used to be!

....APRIL FOOLS ;D

Hollywood Tower Hotel

2011-04-01T00:20:00.007-04:00

   In light of the huge 17 year success at Disney's Hollywood Studios, formerly MGM Studios, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has brought new life, so to speak, to the park. Launching sister attractions around the world, opening in California Adventure in 2004, and again in 2006 at Tokyo DisneySea. Not only has it given the opportunity to ride in variation around the Disney Parks, but it has also been tweaked over the years to add a little thrill to it. In the summer of 2010, the event Summer Nightastic took place, and the imagineers mixed things up a bit within the attraction. It was a love/hate relationship among the guests, but it was only for a short while until it returned to it original state.

   Disney Imagineers always like to test out their ideas before making them permanent, and that is exactly what this was. Almost a year ago today, Disney came out with a test interactive queue prop for The Haunted Mansion, and due to the success, they supplied a full scale queue for the guests this past month. What the Imagineers were looking for in the change to ToT was the guests reaction to missing the original concept, and how much they still love it. Well, what they got from it was that we absolutely loved the normal version, and that it would be a shame to change it in any way. Thus making them extremely comfortable in creating the concept of an on property Hollywood Tower Hotel. This would be Disney's 26th owned hotel if your counting the villas, and is due to open the end of 2013, roughly a year after the new Art of Animation Resort.

   It will be located in the Epcot Resort area and will house 764 rooms featuring your typical room, to concierge level suites, but will all be set to the theme of the good old 1930's. Although it will not be highly themed towards the darker, scarier side, it will still have that empty feel you'd expect when walking through the front door. It is dated to take place in the early 30's, years before the lightning incident ever happened.

All in all I feel this has GREAT potential, and only time will tell how it will turn out. No other concept art has been released but this small rendering just yet, but when Disney has more to display I'm sure we'll see it soon!

I might have been lying about all this though...april fools;)

The Ellen Degeneres Show at Universal Orlando

2011-03-28T20:33:00.000-04:00

The show is a little less then a week away on April 3rd, and the stage has already begun being set up, the trailers around City Walk have been there for a little while but in just the past few days the bleachers and everything have appeared. I wish I had better pictures, but it's been raining pretty hard all day, and with soaked clothes after a long day of trekking though the parks, this is what I snapped on the way out.

The show will be filming twice on April 3rd, the first at 12pm, with musical guests Duran Duran, and the second at 3pm, featuring Kelly Clarkson. Tickets to the show are no longer available, but if you show up very early you can have the chance to be apart of the Riff Raff Street Party(Space is limited!!) which includes watching the Musical Guests perform live!

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Alice in Wonderland on Broadway

2011-03-28T01:50:00.002-04:00

Disney Theatrical Productions is currently in the middle of multiple "from the screen, to the stage" concept projects.(Dumbo, and Father of the Bride just to name a couple.) They are also in the works to bring to life a musical rendition of the Tim Burton 2010 adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. It was very successful as Disney's 3rd highest grossing film, and 5th worldwide! Opinions aside, I don't doubt that the Musical will be a hit. With that being said, Burton will not be directing the Play, but will be overlooking it to make sure it gets the twist it needs. Linda Woolverton is also on board to write up the screenplay, better known for her work for authoring the screenplay for The Lion King. Although no composer nor date has been set for the Musical, more information will pop up as time goes on.

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Bambi Blu-Ray Second Screen Feature

2011-02-25T11:44:00.003-05:00

After the D23 Event there were Cast Members out in the lobby with the Second Screen feature to demo for us. It was really nice because there was a very long line to get autographs from the speakers, and it was nice entertainment while waiting.

It is a brand new interactive concept that Disney has created with the Bambi Diamond Edition to be released March 1st. This is a completely free application with purchase of the BluRay. Since it is internet based, it only works with Blu-Ray and is compatible for the iPad or computer.(Mac & PC)

They've brought the bonus features to life and linked them perfectly while you watch the movie. Little facts, pictures and different angle videos that pop up threw-out the film. I was only able to see some of the perks that come with it, but one thing I did see was a section where the very early drawing stages of a scene are turned into a flipbook on the screen, so you can see the original concept sketches along with the finished product at the same time. It is very neat. If it is a success, Disney plans to bring it to other Blu-Ray/DVD releases in the future. The Lion King is next in line for a Diamond Edition release, and from what I've seen, this will be nothing but great! So hopefully we will see it there next!

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D23's Bambi Screening

2011-02-24T00:09:00.092-05:00

When I was a kid I was completely amazed by hand drawn animation, my thoughts haven't changed today. I've been very lucky to work at Hollywood Studios, and it's also taught me a lot about Disney's film industry, which brings me to how great the One Man's Dream attraction is. Inside they show different animation techniques the Disney Studios used to get the look they wanted, but I've been in and out of there a ton of times in the past few years. So when I heard we would get the chance to talk with Disney animator Andreas Deja who has worked on characters like Scar, King Triton, Mama Odie, and Bambi in Bambi II, I was extremely excited! On top of that Donnie Dunagan, voice talent of young Bambi. (also starred in 1939's Son of Frankenstein with Boris Karloff and Tower of London.)

This was basically the first time watching it for me, the last time I saw it I was too young to remember. I couldn't believe how funny and artistic it was. Over the years I built up a stereotypic view that the movie was sad and long, but I was wrong. Why would I think that? We were dealing with a Disney movie, they combine beauty, emotion, and humor all in one. That is why they have been so successful for so long. I also couldn't help but feel like I was experiencing something not very many people get to do in there life. Which was watch the film in the same room with the man that voiced Bambi roughly 70 years ago, I mean whao!

Dunagan seen in red, Deja in black

After the film we were introduced to both of the men, and absolutely loved how a simple question would be asked, but they had so much to answer with. As I was leaving, I got the chance to tell Mr. Dunagan that I could listen to his stories for hours...I wasn't lying. I filmed everything which can be watched (here).

Something I want to point out quick, in the movie, the word Twitterpation is used, and obviously the first thing I tought of was twitter, but their definition of twitterpation is falling in love. I thought that was pretty neat.

Next to Deja was a drawing easel, and what all of us hoped came true. He drew for us Bambi, and it amazed us all because he did it in less then a minute. I think it only took him that long because he was explaining it to us. Incredible to see that.

Mr. Dunagan talked about what it was like to work on a film such as this at the age of 6, and how even to this day he has never met the person who voiced young Thumper. It was great getting the chance to meet and talk with them, even if it was brief. Hearing someone talk about their experience working with Walt is always very interesting. Check out the whole session on my YouTube page found here!

To see what the Bambi Second Screen Feature will be like, found on the Blu-Ray, click here!

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Future World Pavilion Symbol Patches

2011-02-23T19:07:00.001-05:00

While at the Bambi Event I was lucky enough to win the complete set of Epcot Center patches, I originally got the Horizons patch (3rd from the end in the picture above) in one of my quarterly D23 Books. When I looked on the back (seen below) I saw that there were nine patches in total, and I wanted them all! Well, I got them...

The back reads:

"This family of official Future World Pavilion symbols that adorned EPCOT Center Pamphlets memorabilia, directional signage, and attractions evokes both a sense of futurism and nostalgia for park fans, Representing the core themes of each pavilion, they formed a sense of consistency that linked the the pavilions together while granting each a character of its own.
Disney Legends and EPCOT Center champions John Hench and Marty Sklar reviewed scores of concepts and colors for each symbol, and the winners, pictured here, became park icons that remain both simple and sophisticated.

To celebrate the 21st Century that began on October 1st, 1982, you have received one of nine custom-made patches exclusively created for D23 Members, each featuring a park symbol. We hope you enjoy this Walt Disney Archives collectable and always remember that we've just begun to dream."

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D23'S Member Mixer at the Chicago Disney Store

2011-02-21T17:53:00.002-05:00

This event was another great D23 event I was lucky enough to go to, and absolutely free to go besides the high city parking prices. I thought we were running a bit late but it turned out we arrived perfect timing because we weren't aloud in the store until 10ish when the event began, and it was raining along with the freezing weather.

Now I've been in the Disney Store along the Magnificent Mile quite a few times and noticed all the characters all over the walls and ceilings, but I've never really paid full attention to them before this. First lets start out with the outside architecture.(Pictures below) I love how this looks, the building is just a block away from the Chicago Water Tower Building and fits in just perfectly while still giving off that Disney vibe.

When they did let us inside there were two lines to sign in to the event, which made thing go very quickly. When our time came to check in, we were given a little gift baggy with a keychain, magnet, and a set of 23 Vintage Disneyland Postcards that were given out to the 2010 Destination D Event. Those are by far the coolest thing in the bag, and a nice little treat just for coming!

While we were waiting in line we were greeted my Jeffrey Epstein and other Disney Store Cast Members. The only thing about the event I didn't like, was the time. Being there so early at 10am, I was still in "just rolled out of bed" mode. So Mr. Epstein, if you are reading this, I'm totally honored you recognized me, and definitely wanted to talk more, you just caught me off guard lol. I don't know how you were up that early and had the energy to talk in front of everyone. You hosted a great event and hope to talk more tonight at the D23 Bambi Screening!

Now on the the event! After a quick introduction and some trivia We were split up into two groups to take a tour around the store.

Here Flounder and Sebastian are playing and singing

in Buckingham Fountain

Minnie and Daisy are posing in front of

The Sears Tower

(or the Willis Tower now)

Clairabell Cow is seen here hinting that she may have started the
great Chicago fire!

They told us that it would be fun just throwing in a slice
of pizza for no reason along with the sky scrapers just because
we're known for it:)

Jiminy, Figaro, and Pinocchio and playing in front of the
Water Tower and the John Hancock Building

All and all this was a great little D23 get together and I'm happy I got the chance to go!

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