The celebrity hosts over all four weekends are Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett from Empire and Return of the Jedi) and Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka from The Clone Wars.

May 21-23 — Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett), Daniel Logan (young Boba Fett), and Dee Bradley Baker (Clone Wars)

May 28-30 — Matthew Wood (Sound Editor), Lorne Peterson (Model Maker) and Tom Kane (Voice of Yoda)

June 4-6 — Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Ray Park (Darth Maul) and Dave Filoni (Clone Wars)

June 11-13 — Ray Park (Darth Maul), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and James Arnold Taylor (Voice of Obi-wan Kenobi in Clone Wars)

                          

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Star Wars Weekends 2010 Guest List Announced
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I never got a chance to meet Fess Parker, although I did meet Buddy Ebsen who played Crockett’s sidekick at a party in Los Angeles once. Parker also went on to play Daniel Boone from 1964 to 1970 as well as many other film and television roles.

After his time in the spotlight, Fess Parker went on to live in the Santa Barbara area, moved into real estate, opened a resort and a vineyard. Both of which have won awards. He was married to his wife Marcella for 50 years. Parker died of natural causes at age 85 on his wife’s 84th birthday.

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger had this to say,

“Like many kids growing up in the 50’s, Davy Crockett was my first hero, and I had the coonskin cap to prove it. Fess Parker’s unforgettable, exciting and admirable performance as this American icon has remained with me all these years, as it has for his millions of fans around the world. Fess is truly a Disney Legend, as is the heroic character he portrayed, and while he will certainly be missed, he will never be forgotten.”

A Disney Legend. From all of us here at The Disney Blog, our condolences to the Parker family.

                          

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We Mourn The Loss of Fess Parker, Disney’s Davy Crockett
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This sneak peek has revealed a number of interesting details about the attraction. For instance, what used to occupy those ankle cuffs Hagrid was holding? But the big news comes March 25th 2010 with an even bigger sneak peek and the reveal of the grand opening date for the Wizarding World itself.

Some other details include: the invisibility cloak is used, a quidditch match is involved (which means broomsticks are involved, which had already been revealed), some of the attraction is filmed on the sets from the movie, and Dumbledore is alive, which gives us and idea of the time the attraction is set in. Did you see anything else?

                          

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Harry Potter Sneak Peek reveals new details
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To get excited about the FlashForward’s return, I recommend reading this article from the AP’s Ted Anthony. It looks at one theory behind the show – that it’s a reflection of what it’s like to be an American today. What do you think? Is he on the right track?

                          

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FlashForward Returns Tonight
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Let’s take a look at this season’s contenders for the mirrorball trophy and speculate wildly, shall we?

Aiden Turner and Edyta Sliwinska: Aiden’s claim to fame is being a sexy soap star on All My Children. Edyta has had great success partnering a sexy soap star before, with Cameron Mathison. These two could be really great, especially during the Latin routines, and I expect Aiden’s strong female fan base will be more than willing to pick up the phone and vote.

Buzz Aldrin and Ashly Costa: Sigh. I’m not sure who I’m more disappointed in, ABC or Buzz Aldrin. It’s upsetting that ABC has dragged a true American hero into their sparkly circus as a blatant ploy for ratings. When Cloris Leachman did the show, it was sometimes amusing, but she’s a comedienne. Buzz Aldrin is an 80 year old former astronaut. If/when he slips up, it’s not going to be funny. And if/when he hurts himself, people are going to be horrified. And Buzz Aldrin – really? Really? YOU WALKED ON THE MOON. YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS. And as for Ashly, this is what happens when you leave the show for several seasons to get married – accept your punishment, enjoy the three weeks this partnership will likely last, and maybe next season they’ll let you partner the football player. Speaking of …

Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke: Cheryl must be thanking her lucky stars right now, because this partnership is already destined for the finals. Football players have a great track record on this show, and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver (and soon-to-be reality star) Chad Ochocinco has an electric personality that will translate well on the dance floor. Add in a three-time DWTS finalist as a partner/choreographer, and you’ve got a combination of athleticism and energy that will be tough to beat.

Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Erin is a former member of the University of Florida’s basketball dance team, and if I was a betting woman, I would say those skills will come back pretty quick. And as a sports reporter, she’s used to dealing with big, imposing personalities, so putting up with Maksim’s tantrums should be a breeze. She and Maks will make a gorgeous couple, and I expect them to scorch up the dance floor. I’m really looking forward to seeing these two perform.

Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya: Okay, confession – I am openly rooting for Evan. And personal feelings aside, I think he’s best positioned to win. First, he’s used to wearing glittery clothes. Second, he’s a professional athlete, which we all know is a huge advantage. Third, he’s riding on a high after bringing home the men’s figure skating gold in Vancouver. Fourth, as a figure skater, he’s a natural at picking up choreography, conveying emotion, and precise technique – all key things you need to master if you want to win. Just ask Kristi Yamaguchi.

Jake Pavelka and Chelsie Hightower: I have no idea who Jake is, but I also don’t watch The Bachelor. Apparently he is a pilot? Taking a cue from Melissa Rycroft, ABC is allowing him to extend his 15 minutes of fame a little longer. He has the fabulous Chelsie as a partner, so this partnership could go either way. For Chelsie’s sake, I hope they do well.

Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani: Personally, I don’t believe that people who exploit their children should be rewarded with more reality shows, but then again, I don’t work in showbiz. Kate has a reputation for being a cutthroat personality who will stop at nothing to get ahead, but that doesn’t play well on Dancing with the Stars (remember Vivica A. Fox?). According to reports, her bad attitude is causing some tensions on set, which isn’t surprising. Will she be a great dancer? Probably not, but it’ll be very interesting to see whether her reputation and tabloid presence ends up influencing the voting.

Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough: Derek loves to swivel his hips and Nicole used to be a member of the Pussycat Dolls. Expect lots of sexy, sultry numbers from these two and inappropriate comments from Bruno. Derek is no stranger to the finals, and he could do with her what he did so well with Lil Kim and bring out Nicole’s classier side. If Nicole can find that classy/sexy balance, she could do really well.

Niecy Nash and Louis Van Amstel: Niecy is the host and producer of Style Network’s show, Clean House. I can already hear the puns about these two “cleaning out the competition” (Tom Bergeron, get out of my head!). With such a strong field of competitors this season, I don’t expect Niecy to last that long, but then again – Louis did amazing work with Kelly Osbourne last season.

Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood: I hope ABC is ready with the censor button and prepared for angry emails, because I can only imagine what Bruno is going to say to poor Pam during judging. I don’t know that Pam is going to be the best dancer here, but I have a feeling she’s going to be this season’s fan favorite. She’s paired with newcomer Damian, who appeared on the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars, and I hope he’s ready for a partner like Pam – because everyone is going to be watching these guys.

Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas: This one surprised me – Shannen never struck me as ever being the ballroom dancing type, but look how well it worked out for fellow 90210 castmate Jennie Garth! Mark is, in my opinion, the best male professional dancer on the show, so if he can get Shannen to loosen up and have some fun, I think they’ll do reasonably well. Will they win? No. But they could make it halfway.

What do you think about this season’s lineup? Anyone dare to call the winner this early?

Catch The Disney Chick at her regular home at www.thedisneychick.com, and keep visiting The Disney Blog for more Dancing with the Stars recaps and commentary!

                          

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Dancing with the Stars: Season 10 Preview!
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When I started watching American Idol, back in season one, I admit I was attracted mainly by the train wreck quality of the performances. But Kelly Clarkson has proved something in the formula works, if you forget that dreadful movie. Thank the maker they haven’t tried that again.

This year, there is a new wrinkle with a Disney tie-in. Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened the American Idol Experience in February 2009. It’s the closest you can get to the real thing without winning a trip to Hollywood. Every day since February 12, 2009 one contestant has left the park with a ‘Dream Ticket’, aka the world’s best Fast Pass, good for a trip to the front of the line at a future real audition for American Idol.

There was a lot of talk about whether this experience would be an accurate predictor of talent. Turns out the answer is yes. It has been hard to pin down, but I heard that of those chosen to visit Hollywood from the TV show’s regional auditions, somewhere north of two dozen were American Idol Experience “Dream Ticket” holders.

One of those made it to the final 24 and he has now, after tonight, made it to the final 11 as well. His name is Aaron Kelly. He’s the youngest contestant this year at 16 and was a year younger when he performed at DHS. The fifth or sixth official Dream Ticket winner, depending on how you count, Kelly performed “Amazed” by Lonestar at both his first round of performances and the finale show, which he won by beating six other contestants who had won their shows earlier in the day.

I’m a little disappointed that Freemantle (the company that produces American Idol) and Disney haven’t made a bigger deal of Aaron Kelly’s success. I suspect it has something to do with the contract Disney and Freemantle signed to get the American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Nonetheless, Aaron Kelly’s success clearly shows that Disney has a great thing going with the show. Once word gets out that Kelly made it as far as he has based on his dream ticket win, you should the hundreds of young hopefuls to descend on Walt Disney World for their chance at fame.

Meanwhile, if you’re watching American Idol this year, how far you think Aaron Kelly will go? I think he definitely has a following already, which will help.

                          

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American Idol Experience Dream Ticket Winner in Top 11
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This whole episode was just a little…slow for me. It felt like we took one tiny small step forward. I don’t know what was really accomplished and I don’t really know what questions to ask. Maybe I’ll feel better as we talk about the episode. Ready?

LA. Present Day. James Ford.

First of all: Sawyer is no more. He goes by James Ford. His real name. His father’s name. James is going for a little roll in the hay with a girl named Ava (do you really know any adults named Ava?!). Suddenly Ava reminds James he is late for his appointment. James jumps up, grabs his briefcase and hello-where-have-we-seen-this-before a pile of money falls out! But this trick is smarter (or is James not?) and has a gun pointing to his head before he can finish speaking. She recognizes him as a con man because “my husband is one.”

James tries to dissuade her by explaining that the place is surrounded by cops. That this was all a setup to get her husband. She doesn’t believe him. He says, “If I say the magic word, they’ll knock the door down.” And he says it, “La Fleur”. (Niiiice.) So, his cop buddies fly in and cuff Ava while James’ partner throws him HIS LAPD badge! (Sawyer is a cop! Sawyer is a cop! Sawyer is a cop!) But wait! There’s more! Because who is his partner? Well, his Island-partner, of course: MILES!

This made me incredibly happy. It seemed as if both Miles and James have decent, fulfilling lives. Sadly, this does not continue. Miles overhears James calling through a list of “Anthony Coopers” (ie. the guy that conned his mom, Locke’s dear old dad). James brushes him off as a guy who is going to get him Laker tickets. Miles says he wants in. But Sawyer was only going to get ONE seat.

Miles turns Mr. Compassionate Partner and says, “When are you going to get tired of being alone?” He then sets James up on a date. A date with none other than our favorite red head: CHARLOTTE! Yes, our very own CS Lewis. They end their conversation when Mr. Compassionate says, “You know you can tell me the truth. About anything?” To which James responds, “Why would I lie?” Why, indeed?

James’ date with CS Lewis is actually pretty good. I guess when you are both completely charming and attractive, it helps. It’s so good in fact, James brings her back to his place for some…cuddling. And after all that…cuddling, she asks for a Tshirt. She digs through his dresser looking for said T and discovers a family photo: James and his dearly departed parents. She also discovers a newspaper clipping that explains the murder-suicide of James’ parents.

When James enters the room to see Charlotte like a kid with her hand stuck in the cookie jar, he is enraged, “WHAT DID YOU SEE? WHAT DID YOU SEE?”. She claims she saw nothing. But James is too upset to care and he demands that she leaves.

The next morning at the police station (after brushing off Liam Pace, Charlie’s brother), Miles slams James up against a locker. He demands to know where James was the weekend before. He claims he was in Palm Springs but Miles shows him that he ran his credit card to discover his real location—Australia. James is ticked again: “It’s none of your business!” And with that, Miles walks out the door saying, “You’re right. Because you are not my partner anymore.”

James dejectedly stares into the mirror and then punches it. (Have you noticed this whole mirror thing? Locke in the bathroom, Jack and his scar, Sayid in the doorway, etc. What’s up with that? Is it a Through the Looking Glass reference? Or is it foreshadowing? A clue? Or just a cameo?)

That night our poor sad James is watching Little House on the Prairie while eating a frozen dinner and nursing a beer. I tried to listen to Pa and Laura but honestly couldn’t catch much of what they were talking about. Basically, Pa says that people don’t die and leave us–we always have their memories. (What does that have to do with anything?) But somehow this encourages James. He shows up on Charlotte’s doorstep with a sunflower (!) and a 6-pack (of beer..and his abs). She is shocked to see him. She tells him he blew it then slams the door in his face.

This rejection, tho’ somehow strengthened James. He finally makes his way back to Miles. He confesses his past–his notebook on Sawyer, his parents’ story and his vengeful wish: to become a cop so he could track down this con man, Anthony Cooper and kill him. Why does he tell Miles? “So you can talk me out of it.”

But before any more hugging and tears can happen, they are sideswiped by a blue car. The driver hops out and runs away. But not for long because LAPD is on the runaway’s tail! James throws the runner (hint, hint) up against the fence (hint, hint) and pulls the hoodie off the face of KATE.

{*trying not to be sad that Sawyer and Kate might get together*}

The Island.

Ben, Jack & Ilana
Roasting marshmallows around the campfire.

unLocke’s Flock.

The old-Temple-Others and old-Losties arrive at unLocke/Claire’s cozy little abode. Sawyer and Jin are already there. Poor Jin wants to escape from unLocke and Claire because he thinks they are crazy. (YEAH.) But Sawyer won’t go because he’s “with Locke”. At first I thought this was weird, why would Jin just acquiesce to Sawyer’s words? Then I remembered—the last 3 years Sawyer and Jin have spent their lives working together. Of course they would respect and listen to each other. Sawyer promises Jin they will not leave The Island without Sun.

As soon as everyone arrives, unLocke informs them that they are going on a journey. They begin to gather their belongings…Kate enters Claires “house” to help her. Until she sees Claire lovingly looking at her skeletal, furry baby. She is repulsed and Claire is not remotely embarrassed. She says, “It’s all I had.” *shiver*

Soon the unLocke’s Flock is traipsing through the jungle again. Sawyer calls unLocke out on his promise to get him off “this rock”. unLocke does not like being reprimanded in public. He takes Sawyer into the jungle to speak to him. And apparently, this emboldens unLocke. He tells Sawyer that he is indeed, “the smoke thing”. Sawyer doesn’t seem too frightened by this. (But my knees buckled just thinking about it!)

They continue their conversation and unLocke tells Sawyer he has a job for him. He wants him to go to Hydra Island (polar bear cages, anyone?) and do a little recon (hint! title of the episode!). unLocke tells him there he thinks there is someone on Hydra who wants to do them harm. Oh, and there is also a plane there.

“Why should I do this?” Sawyer asks. unLocke replies, “Because you are the best liar I know.” So, Sawyer does it. He paddles to the Hydra station, sees the plane and then stumbles across a giant pile of dead and rotting bodies. SMOKEY, anyone?!!

Suddenly, Sawyer hears running feet and he captures Zoe. Zoe, the only one left. They decide to get back in the canoe and head back to unLocke. Until Zoe, a horrible liar asks about guns. Sawyer then pulls his on her. But she has a magic weapon, too: her whistle. With it, she calls a secret weapon-ed (showered!) crew from the jungle.

This crew leads Sawyer to…(do you know I couldn’t guess who these people were?)…Widmore’s SUBMARINE. Ah yes. How could I forget about them? You know Sawyer’s got to be thinking about the last time he was getting on a sub–with Juliet. *sob* As Zoe and Sawyer travel down the hallway, Sawyer notices a locked room. He wants to know what’s inside. Zoe doesn’t oblige.

She leads him, instead to Widmore’s office. And here I love Sawyer’s unimpressed stance, face and words. He tells Widmore why unLocke sent him. He says, “We both know Locke ain’t Locke.” He then makes Widmore a deal: I’ll bring you unLocke. You let my friends off The Island and do what you want with unLocke. They shake.

This was decidedly creepy. Sawyer is suddenly doing a con on BOTH of these guys. But I’m not really understanding what Widmore’s deal is–why does he care about unLocke? As far as we know, Widmore’s problem has always been with Ben. So, how much does Widmore know about the heirarchy of The Island?

When Sawyer returns to The Island and to unLocke, he goes the way of a good conman–he tells the whole TRUTH. He tells unLocke exactly what he told Widmore. And unLocke is impressed with his loyalty. I am not feeling it, though. I felt unLocke’s drunk-on-power. And I felt Sawyer’s I-will-do-anything-to-survive. And I think this may be the course of our Sawyer and the rest of The Island Losties: whatever it takes. Just get off The Island.

While Sawyer is doing his recon, Kate and unLocke are having their own mini-series. While the flock stops to rest (or camp, or something), Claire suddenly becomes enraged with Kate and tries to slit her throat. Infected Sayid just looks on with barely a light in his eye and ignores Kate’s calls. unLocke finally comes to her rescue by THROWING Claire off of Kate and then slapping the bejeezus out of her.

This was so entirely freaky. unLocke and Claire have a weird relationship. I don’t think I wanna know more about, honestly.

unLocke and Kate have a conversation about Claire. He tells Kate about his own mother. He says, “‘My mother was crazy. Long time ago before I looked like this, I had a mother just like everyone. She was a very disturbed woman. And as a result of that, I had some growing pains. Problems that I’m still trying to work my way through. Problems that could have been avoided if things had been different.” But he said this with many mouth twitches and hedging. He was having a hard time saying it in Kate’s terms…or he was hiding something. Very very weird. Especially because I have no idea what he meant by this. Was he trying to have Kate protect Aaron by leaving The Island? Was he trying to scare Kate?

The next scene made the previous one even more confusing: Claire approaches Kate sobbing, “I’m so sorry! Thank you for taking Aaron!” My husband says unLocke is controlling her. This is possible. But which part—the enraged baddie? Or the sobbing mess?

When Sawyer arrives back at the camp, Kate asks him what’s going on. He says he’s going to stay out of it all and let unLocke and Widmore battle it out. He tells her about the plane. She asks if they are going to leave on it. He says, “You and me are getting the hell off this island … We ain’t taking the plane, Freckles. We’re taking the sub!”

{*trying not to be sad that Sawyer and Kate might get together*}

Things To Talk About
1. Recon. This title got me thinking. Was it just a pun because of our con man and the recon he does for Locke? Or was there ANOTHER CON going on with our sideways Sawyer? Our two Sawyers seemed like different people—one was a conman, a jerk and endearing. The other was a cop, a jerk and NOT endearing. I don’t know what I’m saying with this. But James Ford seemed (ahem) lost. Is it because he doesn’t have Juliet? Or is it because he’s still out for blood? He’s not really embracing his bad self?

2. What is Widmore’s deal? Why does he want The Island so bad?

3. What role does dead-Jacob play in this?

4. Where is this all going?!!!

Conclusion
Do you see that I have no answers to any of my questions? This is what this episode did to me. I am confused. But also very unsure. I don’t know where LOST is going. We are ending this entire series in WEEKS. I know they won’t wrap up every twist and question, but shouldn’t’ I at least feel that we are set on a course?

I’ll be scratching my head at my blog ohAmanda.com and tweeting about my questions @oohamanda. Join me!

                          

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Lost Season 6: Recon (Episode 8)
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You can listen to all three parts online.

                          

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Travel Expert Peter Greenberg at Disney World
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Check it out.

Update: Apparently Cinematical was also invited and scored an interview with Jeff Bridges.

                          

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Tron Legacy Set Preview Pics
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This proves that with some ‘clever’ green screen work and editing you too can have your own video inside the parks. What I want to know is how did he get the Disney characters in there?

                          

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Music Video filmed ‘inside’ Disneyland Paris
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As evidenced by Avatar, Disney was going in the wrong direction with the cartoony 3D motion capture. Instead of getting better with each film, it just got creepier and creepier.

IMD will close in January after completing production on “Mars Needs Moms,” which Disney plans to release in March 2011. The other piece of good news is that this means Zemeckis’ 3-D adaptation of the 1968 animated Beatles film “Yellow Submarine” is now questionable.

                          

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Disney to end Zemeckis style Motion Capture Animation?
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“I would love to be in Haiti to help out my family and friends but until I can get there, I do what I can to help from here,” said Wendy Richard, who works as a Cast Service Specialist at Disney’s All-Star Resort. “I am very grateful for this effort and the many Cast Members who contributed together to make it their own cause,” said Richard.

In recognition of the accomplishment, a team of Resorts Cast Members joined by Kevin Myers, vice president of Resort Operations for Walt Disney World Resort, presented a check to Joel Hass, Central Florida CEO of the American Red Cross, along with a gift of more than 1,700 Mickey Mouse plush dolls – one for each Cast Member who donated – for use in their disaster relief efforts involving children. With a smile, Myers noted this is just one example of the care and compassion that Disney Cast Members show the world and each other.

“To see Disney Cast Members giving of themselves to our efforts is just wonderful,” said Joel Hass, Central Florida CEO of the American Red Cross. “This money will go to use right away in helping us in Haiti take care of victims with food, clothing, whatever they need – their immediate humanitarian needs.”

Offering to help with the American Red Cross efforts is just one of many ways that Disney Cast Members and The Walt Disney Company are extending support to the people of Haiti. The Walt Disney Company has committed $100,000 in humanitarian aid through the Red Cross International Fund to support relief efforts and is working closely with Cast Members from Haiti to accommodate their needs. Additionally, Disney VoluntEARS have been instrumental behind-the-scenes by lending their support to the “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon and Clean the World recycling efforts in Disney Resorts.

                          

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Disney Cast Members Donate $47,000 to Haiti Relief Efforts
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So, are you happy to have Adbul and all her quirks on ABC? My question for Disney is what took them so long to come up with a competitor to American Idol, which has been drinking their milkshake for years now.

Star Search was revived by NBC just 6 years ago to compete against American Idol and didn’t fare too well. I wonder what Disney is going to do differently?

                          

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Paula Abdul to host “Star Search” on ABC?
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I hope the cast member’s okay, all things considered. They now have the fun of navigating the worker’s compensation system and something Disney calls “low impact” work. (Usually in an office backstage doing something like sorting out all the mylar confetti from the paper confetti so it can be reused – don’t laugh, this happened at Disneyland to multiple people I know.)

(via the Orlando Sentinel)

                          

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Worker’s Comp, Worker’s Comp
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Jake Pavelka (left), star of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” strikes a dance pose March 13, 2010 with his fiancee, Vienna Girardi (second from left) while Mickey Mouse poses with professional dancer Chelsie Hightower (right), star of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Pavelka and Hightower are partners on the new season of “Dancing with the Stars” which premieres March 22, 2010. Pavelka, Girardi and Hightower were vacationing this weekend at Walt Disney World Resort. (Photo courtesy Disney. Matt Stroshane, photographer)

                          

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Dancing With The Stars performers visit Walt Disney World
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Waltcast (iTunes) Episode #32-First, thanks for the shout out for @dis_pod_review on twitter. Dave and Jennifer Marx of the Passporter series of books tell Shawn and Katie how innocent they were when they started writing their first book, not knowing what they were getting themselves into. I enjoyed the story of what inspired the unique Passporter book, with its pockets. They relate how they cope with the constant changes to the lay of the land as well as the new additions to the 2010 edition. We are informed of how the ebooks are different than the print books, and what the worksheets are, as well as their plans for the future.

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod (iTunes) Episode #49 Disney Decade in Review-Aaron discusses the correlation between the Disney Company in the 1980’s and the 2000’s. He also counts down the best and the worst of the 2000 decade. Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana tops one of those lists. It’s up to you to find out which list that is and why. But with every podcast from Aaron, you’ll find yourself agreeing with much of what he says and equally as much hollering at your ipod questioning his rationale. Either way you realize that he has put a lot of thought into his conclusions, and there is no questioning his love for Disney and his yearning that the company to succeed.

Disneyland News Today (iTunes) Episode #8 3/1/10- Speculation on how long Captain EO will be in the park and a discussion of the large amount of EO merchandise available. They also wonder whether the new Little Mermaid attraction will now set the standard for dark rides. The Indiana Jones attraction is detailed starting with the elaborate queue and its many hidden features. They even speculate that Fast Pass should be eliminated so that all can enjoy the features of the queue. One tip to get the most out of this attraction: buy a whip and a hat and you will be braver on the ride.

Those Darn Cats (iTunes) Episode #93 A Greater Movie Ride? Sure the Great Movie Ride has potential, but these ideas could only come from the Whatchamacallit: Terminator 2, Matrix, Robocop or Godzilla. I tend to agree with Lisa’s proposed changes like adding Animal House, Abbott and Costello and the like. Nix the Burning Man, Wicker Man idea though, it’s a little too over the edge. A lot of fun, though to play around with ideas and how to implement them into this attraction.

Betamouse (iTunes) Episode #5 Lifestreaming from the Parks-Many use Twitter, Facebook and other social media to share with others what they are enjoying in the parks. They discuss the emerging need that some  have to separate their Disney friends from their non Disney friends. One point I appreciated is to not be negative, overusing such terms as: fail, epoch fail etc when referring to a soon to be forgotten misstep. Twitter etiquette, tweeting too often and other pitfalls are highlighted. How about live video streaming? Is it worth the battery drain? And of course the future of social media with that whole flying orb thing is brought up again.

Coaster Radio (iTunes) Episode#426 The Quest for the Perfect Pee-Mike’s road to the American Idol Experience was in the hands of the viewers this week. He sang, now he has to face the critique, so as to better his eventual audition. Also, how does Sea World balance being a business with the care and safety of the animals and humans? And are parks responsible for our valuables while on their rides?

Be Our Guest (iTunes) Episode #208 Surprise Trips and a Big Surprise at the End of Show! We get so much joy at the parks, it is no wonder we want to surprise our loved ones with a trip. The most difficult part is keeping it a secret! We hear of experiences both of giving and receiving, along with a blockbuster idea! The surprise at the end. . . yeah like I’m going to tell you! I will say that it is an opportunity to share in some good times of one of our BOGP family.

Be Out Guest Live show-One of the listeners rode The Richard Petty driving experience, and related it to riding in a golf cart ride (yeah right). They also detail some DCL cabin recommendations to minimize the motion of the ocean, or how far away to be from pointy end of ship. They also share some tips on posting pictures to Facebook while in the parks, balancing enjoying your trip and also sharing it with others. Star Wars weekend tips for the casual fans are requested. As well as some ideas for a dining party of 25. Yee Haa Bob and his awesome show, and the effort of marathon on crowd levels fill out this show.

WDW today (iTunes) Episode#687 Yesterland Tomorrowland-Tomorrowland attractions no longer around. What 5 attractions were in the building before Buzz Lightyear? Remember Timekeeper, Exterrorestrial Alien Encounter, Mission to the Moon or Magic Carpet around the World? They relate which ones they miss the most.

Mousestation (iTunes) Episode#394 March 4, 2010 Tommy Kirk-The Hardy Boys, The Shaggy Dog, and Old Yeller. He relates how he got into character for that famous heart wrenching scene from Old Yeller. His transformation into the Shaggy Dog with the itchy mucilage, his recollection of working with Walt and being part of the studio were enjoyable anecdotes. The question of the week elicited a wide range of responses, with quotes from the movies, parks and even Walt himself.

Disunplugged (iTunes) 3/4/10 email-The team answers emails on these topics that you may also want to hear about: Who’s eligible for the15 month annual pass, vegetarian dining options-particularly during honeymoon, Beach Club concierge vs. Polynesian concierge, Down Syndrome Congress Convention, helicopter tours, forums for Give-a-day Questions, and an ingenious water bottle option.

Character Breakfast (iTunes) Episode #87-The squad has some ideas for romance while at WDW. You know, like stealing a kiss on Big Thunder Mountain or on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Of course, Pluto cues us in on some of the difficulties in being romantic at the park. The crew also speculates on how Disney can avoid an accident similar to the Sea World tragedy.

Disney Tidbits (iTunes) Episode #68 Did You Know. . .The Creative Works of Harriet Burns-Tairy takes us on an audio trip of many of Harriet Burns creations. Like me, you will be in awe to know she contributed to so many attractions as well as other beloved parts of Disney History.

Mouse Guest Weekly (iTunes) Episode #241 March 7, 2010-The extended crew shares their thoughts after seeing Alice in Wonderland in IMAX 3D. With limited spoilers, they compare this iteration to the well known animated feature. How was Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, and did any of his other roles influence his character? And speaking of characters, which ones stood out above the rest? How about the music, was it memorable? And, how about that ‘dance’? This will surely not be the last time this ‘dance’ will be discussed. But should it have been part of the movie, or was it inserted to placate the children in the audience? No review from Mouse Guest would be complete without their patented Fast Pass, standby or just pass rating.

                          

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Mickey Ears-Disney Podcast Review 3-12-10
The Disney Blog - Disney News and Information -- by fans, for fans

John Lasseter is the busiest guy at Disney. He’s the co-founder of Pixar, the history-making computer animation studio, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios; and the principal creative advisor to Walt Disney Imagineering, and in demand at film festivals and charity events. Always at the forefront of what can be accomplished within animation, Lasseter is excited for Walt Disney Animation Studio’s upcoming release, The Princess and The Frog, which marks the return of the musical fairytale with a Princess at the center. In this interview we cover everything from the movie to his love of Hawaiian print shirts (a man after my own heart).

Q: John, how did The Princess and The Frog come about?

Ed Catmull and I, the day I returned to the Walt Disney Animation Studios, said that we wanted to bring back John Musker and Ron Clements. So, once we brought them back, I empowered them to come up with their own project. I mentioned to them one idea that I had, just a nugget of an idea at Pixar. I love the story of “The Frog Prince,” and I love New Orleans. And I thought that it would be a great place to set a story like that…and that’s all I mentioned to them. We always ask for the directors to come back to us with not just one idea, but three ideas…and they came back with nine ideas. These guys were so prolific, they’re fantastic. And one of them was The Princess and The Frog—they had this wonderful twist on the story, where the main character, Tiana, kisses the frog, but she’s not a real princess, she gets turned into a frog as well. That was their clever twist on it. They wanted it to be a musical, set in New Orleans, and they wanted Randy Newman to write the music which, of course, I loved, because I’ve worked with Randy Newman on all of the movies that I’ve directed. Randy grew up in both New Orleans and Los Angeles. He would go every summer to New Orleans, so he knows the city and its music. It’s like he was born with it. It’s in his DNA, and so I think he was a phenomenal choice for it.

Q: Why the return to fairy tale animation now?

I’ve always loved animation it’s the reason why I do what I do for a living – the films of Walt Disney. This art form is so spectacular and beautiful. And I never quite understood the feeling amongst animation studios that audiences today only wanted to see computer animation. It’s never about the medium that a film is made in, it’s about the story. It’s about how good the movie is. And so one of the first things that I did when I came back to the Walt Disney Animation Studios was to ask John Musker and Ron Clements to come back to the studio and just empowered them to say, “Come up with a movie that you really want to tell.” And The Princess and The Frog was born. In glorious Disney fairy tale animation. It’s just spectacular.

Q: How is The Princess and The Frog a continuation of this incredibly rich legacy that is Disney Animation?

You know, what’s exciting about The Princess and The Frog, is that it’s the return to the sincere fairy tale. It’s a return to the musical, which hasn’t been done in quite a while. You know, it’s so classically Disney in every way, yet it’s brand new, it’s something you’ve never seen before. And that’s what’s so exciting about this. When you sit and watch The Princess and The Frog, I mean, I helped make the movie, but I sit there and I watch it and I think, “I forgot how much I love this!” It’s all those things combined, the animation, the sincere fairy tale, the musical, the great characters, the talking animals, the princess, the prince, all these things combined, it’s so classically Disney yet it’s so completely original.

Q: Tell me a little bit more about the story of The Princess and The Frog

The story of The Princess and The Frog is about a fantastic character named Tiana. She is such a strong character. She’s a waitress, but she wants to own her own restaurant. It was her father’s dream that she’s carried on, and she works double, triple shifts to raise money to buy this old sugar mill that she thought would make a great great restaurant right in New Orleans. And on the verge of getting her restaurant, someone buys it out from under her and her entire dream is just pulled out from under her.

So at this moment, she does what she said she would never do, she wishes on the evening star, which is what her best friend Charlotte always does, because Charlotte only wants to marry a prince—Tiana is more practical—but she finally does wish upon an evening star. And then, she looks down and sees a frog and thinks, “Oh great, a practical joker,” you know. And she’s at a masquerade ball and she’s dressed as a princess. She looks down and she says, “I take it you want a kiss now,” and the frog answers, [IN A FRENCH ACCENT] “Kissing would be nice, yes?”

And it freaks her out because this frog is talking, and she finds out this is a frog that claims he’s actually a prince. So he cons her into kissing her. But instead of the frog turning into a prince, she actually turns into a frog, because she’s not a real princess, it was a costume party. So now here’s a prince, and here’s Tiana as a frog, and they have to travel the Bayou to turn this spell around, they have to find this voodoo fairy godmother named Mama Odie to reverse the spell that Dr. Facilier, the evil voodoo practitioner, has put on the prince, and now, Tiana.

Along the way they meet this fantastic alligator named Louis, who’s a jazz trumpet-playing alligator, and he’s hilarious, he’s fantastic. And they also meet a firefly, a Cajun firefly named Ray. And these two become close friends with Tiana and Prince Naveen. And it turns into this fantastic journey for them to become human again. And along the way, they might fall in love. I don’t want to give away the ending. And I’m not gonna say anymore than that.

Q: Could you talk about the filmmakers?

It was really exciting to get John Musker and Ron Clements to come back to the Studio. I went to College with John Musker, so we’ve known each other for a long, long time. I think they are Disney. When you think about the movies they made, especially THE LITTLE MERMAID and ALADDIN, I mean, those are two of the great Disney animated films. And I think that it was so exciting to get them to come back to the Disney Studios.

In the end, when they came back, we just wanted them back at the Studio, because they belong at the Disney Studios. So when they came back, I said, I want you to do a movie that you really want to do, something from your heart. And so we had talked about a bunch of ideas and there was just a nugget of an idea that I have had up at Pixar, which is to do a retelling of “The Frog Prince” set in New Orleans, and that’s all I had.

And so I just mentioned that to them and they took it and created the most original and fresh twist to the story, and they came up with The Princess and The Frog. And they wanted it set in New Orleans and they wanted it to be a Musical. So it was so exciting. I think John Musker and Ron Clements are just phenomenal in their leadership, their storytelling, their creativity, their knowledge of animation, their knowledge of filmmaking, it’s just fantastic.

Q: Tell us about Tiana -

I’m so proud of Tiana. Tiana is such a strong character. She is the newest Disney Princess, but unlike the other Disney Princesses, she’s not waiting around for a Prince to come. She starts out not even a Princess. She’s a waitress that wants her own restaurant. It’s a dream her father had and she works so hard for this, and what she learns through this adventure is that life is a balance of things, of hard work, but also love. You can’t live without love and she just grows tremendously as a character through this movie. And she’s so beautiful, the way she’s designed and the way she’s drawn. I’m so proud of this character.

Q: And Prince Naveen?

Every fairy tale needs to have a Prince and we have a fantastic Prince. Prince Naveen, from the mythical country of Maldonia, and he is terrific. He’s so fun. He’s sort of this playboy, a rich kid character, but he has been turned into a frog by the evil Dr. Facilier. But through being a frog, he learns a lot from Tiana. He learns a lot about responsibility and he falls truly in love for the first time in his life. And he’s just such a funny character.

Q: Talk about the two sides of magic.

One of the things I love about putting the film in New Orleans is the magic. And we have both sides — the dark and the light — side of magic in New Orleans. And so we have Dr. Facilier, the bad guy and he is, I tell you, he is one of the best Disney villains that’s ever been done. He’s so charismatic, charming. He has a musical number and it just stops the show, it’s so beautifully animated. Then we have the sort of Fairy Godmother, you might say. Mama Odie, and she is just so funny and so charming. And she lives in the deepest, darkest part of the bayou in this shrimp boat that’s stuck up into this tree. And she has her seeing-eye snake, Ju Ju with her. She’s really funny, she steals the show.

Q: And the two characters they meet in the bayou?

After Tiana and Prince Naveen are turned into frogs, they travel the bayou looking for Mama Odie to turn them back into humans. On the way, they meet two characters who are just phenomenal. One is an alligator – that is a jazz playing alligator—he plays a trumpet, his name is Louis. And he is so sweet, so funny, and he wants to be human, too, so he could play jazz with all the big bands. He’s kind of a scaredy cat, but that’s what so charming about him. He’s so funny.

And they also meet a Cajun firefly named Ray, and he’s got so much heart—he’s lovesick, he’s so madly in love with the love of his life. The main characters learn a lot about true love from Ray—he’s really just so funny and so sweet.

Q: You returned in 2006 and now it’s 2009. It took you only three years to make this beautiful film?

Yes.

Q: Is it a risk to bring back a classic animated movie?

Animation, for me, it’s a wonderful art form. I never understood why the studios wanted to stop making animation, you know? Maybe they felt that the audiences around the world only wanted to watch computer animation. I didn’t understand that, because I don’t think ever in the history of cinema did the medium of a film make that film entertaining or not. What I’ve always felt is, what audiences like to watch are really good movies. And my partner at Pixar, Andrew Stanton, said this—and I thought it was true—that it seemed like 2D animation became the scapegoat for bad storytelling. What I don’t want to watch are bad movies. I believe that if there’s a studio in the world that should be doing the highest quality classic animation, it’s the studio that started it all, the Walt Disney Animation Studios. This is a gorgeous art form. Now, there are subject matters that lend themselves to classic animation, and subject matters that lend themselves to computer animation. And at Pixar, we’ve always prided ourselves on choosing the right subject matter for computer animation at that place and time, because computer animation is constantly growing in what we can do. And that’s why back in 1991, when we started Toy Story, everything that was produced by computer animation looked like plastic, so why not make the main characters plastic, you know, toys? It’s perfect, right? And so it’s that kind of knowledge. Knowledge of what the computer can and can’t do. And the same goes for classic animation. To be honest, look at Snow White, newly out on HD and Blu-Ray DVD. Honestly, look at the dwarfs, like Dopey, at how brilliant those dwarfs are, with the squash and stretch. Even today, that would be really, really hard to do in computer animation. There is some things you can and can’t do. And I think when you watch, for instance, the character Louis in The Princess and The Frog, the way he’s animated, that would be very hard to do in computer animation. Plus, I think the painted backgrounds are absolutely stunningly beautiful. There’s something really special about this medium. I don’t believe audiences have grown past it. I think what audiences love is to be entertained—thoroughly, deeply entertained, and that’s what I’ve always set out to do. And I think there’s something really special about a sincere fairy tale, and something special about a musical, and we haven’t seen that in a while. I think it’s really great, so I’m excited.

Q: How difficult was it to put a crew together?

That’s a good question. When we decided to come back, some of the animators had been retrained and others had left the studio. So we brought back a lot of them that had left the studio. Also, Peter Del Vecho the producer, and his production crew were fantastic. We challenged them, don’t just do it the way that you have always done it at the studio. Ed Catmull is president of Pixar and Disney Animation. He is fantastic for constantly rethinking the way you do everything. He challenges everybody—just because you’ve done it that way before doesn’t mean it’s the best way. You may learn from something. And he always encourages people to try something. If it doesn’t work, you know what, there’s no finger-pointing. Learn from what doesn’t work. And so Peter Del Vecho and his group were fantastic. They rethought every aspect of the production process, and it was really exciting. For instance, there was one thing I had recommended to them that they should try, and that is there is a stage that we have put into our filmmaking process over time. And that is a stage that we call the layout stage. Now Disney’s always done layout, which is after you’ve figured out the story, you have to then decide how that story is going to be staged, and you work out where the animation’s going to go, and that layout is then given to the animators. And what we’ve started doing is taking and cutting a version of the sequence that we’re doing in just the layout form, so we can actually look at the filmmaking, look at the camera work, look at the timing, look at all that stuff—we can sit back, dim the lights in the screening room, hit play and watch just the layout version. And you want to make sure that we direct the audience’s eye exactly where we want them to look at every single scene, and if the cutting works. And in classic animation, they would always lay out the scene, do all the work, and then just hand out the animation, and not look at it cut together until after the animation’s done, and then they would do all sorts of corrections afterwards. That was just the way they always did it. And I said no, why don’t you try this way? And I challenged Rasoul Azadani, the head layout guy, to try this. And so he tried it. And after the first sequence he says, I’m converted, this is fantastic. And so they had far fewer corrections at the end of the production because of this layout stage. And it’s something that we brought over from Pixar, the way that we did it. So as with this kind of thing, we challenged them all the time. But also I learned a tremendous amount. We also believe very strongly in animation dailies, where all the animators get together in the screening room and show everybody’s work, no matter what stage it is up there, and everybody has the opportunity to make comments or suggestions. They didn’t used to do that. It used to be more of a one-on-one thing, but I said that there’s something about building a team, getting all the animators together, and they did that as well, on The Princess and The Frog, and it worked fantastically. So we rethought every aspect of the production process.

Q: How committed is Disney to doing another classic, animated movie? How many are in the pipeline?

Well, we’ve announced Winnie the Pooh, which we’re very excited about. It’s animation done very much like the original Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. Those are the two that Walt Disney and the Nine Old Men made, and that’s what we’re patterning our Winnie the Pooh after and that’s all we’ve announced so far.

Q: How do you bring the audience back to classic fairy tale animation?

To me, it’s very simple. Hard work, making a great movie. I’ve always believed that. I have this saying. Quality is the best business plan. I believe so strongly in that. I’m the biggest fan of animation. You know, I love the history of animation, I know it well. One of the things we did, we got together, John Musker, Ron Clements, all of the animators, and we got together and we really talked about what style of animation that we wanted to do. And we took a look at the history of Disney animation. And if you know Disney animation, there is a style that I call Walt Disney’s personal style. You might say even it started from Steamboat Willie, the very beginning, and it just kept being developed, and Walt Disney kept pushing his artists to become better artists. And, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio and Fantasia onward, and it was the same kind of style that went through after World War II and into the ‘50s, and I think Lady and the Tramp, if you know that film, it was kind of the pinnacle to me of Walt Disney’s style. There’s a particular caricatured style that is so representative of the artists of the Walt Disney Studio and Walt Disney himself, and it really reached a zenith with Lady and the Tramp. After that, the next movie was Sleeping Beauty, which is stunning, but it was very stylized. Eyvind Earle took the style and took it into a much more stylized look at things, which was very popular in the ‘50s. And after that was 101 Dalmatians, which is fantastic as well, and it brought on this new graphic style in the late ‘50s, early ‘60s. And so they started to become more stylized after that. And so we all narrowed in on Lady and the Tramp as being like something we wanted, because, when you look at it, the characters are very round, right? The animators were at the height of their skill in drawing, being able to make you feel like there was a roundness, a solidity to these characters, even though they were very animated. After that, they became somewhat more stylized. Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians became much more about stylization, with sharp corners and those kinds of things. So we all looked at and said we that we wanted to emulate this beautiful, round style that really was at its best in Lady and the Tramp, even down to the painted backgrounds. And when you watch it, you don’t think about the stylization or the artistic style. You get swept away in the story, and that, to me, was the goal, that you could look at any frame in The Princess and the Frog and it’s worthy of framing and hanging on your wall, it’s that beautiful, right? But we didn’t want you to stop and think about the art at all. We want you to get swept away in the story. And the beauty of the art work matches so beautifully with the storytelling, the characters, the music and everything. In all of the films that I’ve ever made, both at Pixar and at Disney Animation, honestly, it just that there’s a heart to these films. It’s the way that Walt Disney used to make films, and it’s what I’ve always loved about his films, it’s this warmth, this heart that’s in them. Walt always said for every laugh there should be a tear, and it represents the balance of heart and humor. And the humor always comes from the characters, not just a bunch of funny lines. It’s from the characters, the personality of the characters. So all these things wrap together to make this the particular style that we wanted to get, which is so classically Disney.

Q: You’re taking a leap of faith with this film and I think it’s great.

Well, look who you’re talking to, you know? I took a leap of faith with doing computer animation with Toy Story. And you have to understand it was even worse back then with Toy Story, because everybody thought that computer animation is so cold, it’s sterile, it’s just chrome and flying logos and how is someone going to sit still for a feature-length computer animated film? And to me, it’s exactly what Walt Disney went through with Snow White. You read all the stories and the history, and it was nothing but he is crazy, Disney’s folly, he’s nuts, all that stuff, and it was the number one film of the year in 1938 when it was released. It was the number one film of the year. And as it was with Walt Disney, it’s the same thing with what I’m about—it’s about the story and the characters. It’s never the medium. It’s never the medium that entertains an audience. Let me repeat that. It’s never the medium that entertains an audience. It’s what you do with the medium. Imagine two live-action studios. One makes hit after hit after hit and the other one makes so-so films, right? And the so-so studio looks over at this hit studio and thinks I understand why our films aren’t doing well. We’re using a different camera. That’s it. We’re going to use the same camera as they are and we’re going to make hit after hit. Everyone’s going to love our movies because now we’re using the right camera. Of course, that is ridiculous, right? It’s absolutely ridiculous. You would never in your career, ever ask a live-action filmmaker, you changed cameras, are you sure you want to change? Like it’s was such a leap of faith to change cameras? Of course, it’s ridiculous, because it’s about the story and the characters. But for some reason, with animation, everybody thinks, are you sure you want to do that? It’s about entertaining audiences with great characters and great stories, you want to make people laugh, you want to make people cry, you want to have great music that is memorable. You want a movie that, as soon as it’s over, you want to watch it again, just like that. That’s what it is, whether it’s live-action, animation, hand drawn, computer, special effects, puppet animation, it doesn’t matter. That’s the goal of a filmmaker, and that’s the goal that I’ve always had. It’s simple as that. And I just happen to love animation. That’s what I want to do. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do ever since I was a little kid, you know? And I’m so happy to be back at Disney so that I can do a film like The Princess and The Frog. This is the only studio in the world that can do a movie like this.

Q: So why couldn’t you have done Ray or Louis with computers?

Eric Goldberg, one of the great animators, he did the character of Louis the alligator. I’ve known Eric for a long time. He did the genie in Aladdin, and he wanted to do Louis. And there is a way that Louis moves, we call squash and stretch, with the bounciness of all his fat and the liveliness of him. And when it’s done in traditional animation, there’s a believability to a character moving around like that. If you were to do it in computer animation, it would be done totally differently, and I think having Eric animate him the way he did it, it’s so perfect. It’s the squash and stretch. It’s the weight. It’s the believability of this large character being able to move around quite like that. And the same way Dopey, you know, there is a flexibility, a squash and stretch bounciness that he’s got that I think is so perfect.

Q: John, I just want to go back to the story. Why do you think we still need fairy tales after stories about bugs and cars and robots have worked very well?

Disney, what’s at the center of every Magic Kingdom that the company has? It’s a castle, right? It’s at the core of what Walt Disney did, even though he didn’t do just fairy tales. He did a lot of other stories. But there’s something so perfect about a sincere fairy tale in animation. I don’t believe audiences have outgrown a sincere fairy tale. I think there’s a lot of heart to this. And we haven’t seen one in a long time. The last fairy tale that Disney Studios has done is 1991’s Beauty and the Beast. And I’ve always felt that you don’t want to do them every single movie, but it’s nice to do one every now and then, because it’s something so perfect for our audiences, perfect for the parks. It’s the princess brand—we don’t do it because of the products and stuff, but because it’s such an important thing for this company. And I love sincere fairy tales. There’s something really special, and it’s the thing I used to love as a kid growing up watching the Disney films.

Q: Which one was your favorite?

Well, of the fairy tales, I think I liked Cinderella, because I loved the mice. I loved the balance of it—the fairy Godmother, when Cinderella gets her gown and the pumpkin gets turned into the coach, and then the music kicks in and they’re heading to the ball. It’s great filmmaking, you know? It’s fantastic, so I really loved that one.

Q: The trend now seems to be stereoscopic, 3D films. What do you think of 3D?

Oh, I love 3D, are you kidding? We’re doing all of our computer animated films at the Disney Studio in 3D. Bolt was in 3D. You know, Disney has done two before I got here. They did two movies, Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons. At Pixar we’re doing all of our films in 3D now, which I love. I’ve always loved 3D. I have a collection of 3D cameras and I took a lot of 3D photography, mostly in the ‘80s, and even in 1988, when I got married to my wife Nancy, we took our wedding pictures in 3D, which was really cool.

Q: So in your research, did you eat a lot of jambalaya and gumbo?

Yes, we did! We sent people down to New Orleans, very much so, John Musker and Ron Clements and a bunch of artists went down, saw all of the sights, took lots of pictures, talked to people. I had been down there a bunch of times. All of the people down there are storytellers. John and Ron had a bayou tour with this fantastic Cajun guide, and he was so funny that it actually inspired the character of Ray. And this is what I always tell my filmmakers—you have to do tons of research, because you don’t know where the inspiration is going come from. The same with the food—it’s so fantastic, and you can tell it found its way into the film. The music as well. The artists got to go to Mardi Gras, and they dressed up in outfits and threw beads from up on a float, and that found its way into the story. We try to make it rich and believable for the movie.

Q: Did you have live frogs for research?

The animators definitely had some frogs and watched how they moved and hopped. And alligators, too, they saw a bunch of gators. Fireflies are pretty hard to judge, so we mostly had to make up Ray.

Q: Could you tell us a little more about the research that you’ve done in New Orleans in terms of music, specifically?

We went down to New Orleans. We listened to a lot of music. We studied jazz and the history of jazz and zydeco. The New Orleans Jazz Fest was a great place, because they had different stages for all the different styles of music. And the problem was we wanted to have it all, because all the music is so appealing, and I think that’s what’s so great about the music from that area, is it’s so unique. It only comes from there and it’s so appealing, jazz and zydeco and Dixieland and gospel, there’s something about it. Randy Newman was so familiar with all those styles. It’s a part of him. And, you know, it’s funny, it has seeped into the scores and the music he’s done for all the movies I’ve worked on. There’s a little bit of jazz that finds its way into Randy’s music. I knew he would be perfect to work with us. And he was fantastic, and I think that the opening song is a real anthem to New Orleans. It’s so special. And getting his friend, Dr. John, to sing the song, it’s one of the great moments in my entire career. We went to New Orleans to record that song, and sitting there with Randy Newman and Dr. John in a New Orleans recording studio with these fantastic New Orleans musicians playing this music, and going out and having a great meal, it was absolutely fantastic. And it was right around the time of the Jazz Fest, too, so we were able to see Randy Newman and Dr. John perform as well, and it was just really a magical time.

Q: Does your very first African-American heroine have anything to do with the Obama administration?

[Laughing] Do you think I have a crystal ball? Seriously, we’ve been working on this film for three years, we didn’t just start making this film last November. It was just absolute coincidence. John Musker and Ron Clements were very, very excited about having an African-American lead in this, and I was, too. We wanted to do it right, so we did our homework. We tried to tell a story with a character that would make everybody proud and happy, so it was very important for us to make this character real and believable for today’s audiences. It was just learning as much as we can. And honestly, this is not unusual. Every single film I’ve ever worked on, we do a tremendous amount of research in exactly the same way. And I view this as research, to make sure that we get the character as believable as we can for what we were trying to achieve. In the same way for Finding Nemo, all the production staff got certified as scuba divers. We worked with marine biologists. We worked with entomologists on A Bug’s Life. I got to go to toy stores during work hours and buy all the toys that I could with a company credit card for Toy Story! That was my favorite research of all. But it’s what we do, we research each one of our films.

Q: Why was having an African-American lead so important to you?

It’s what John Musker and Ron Clements wanted, and I supported them in that. With the type of story that they wanted to tell, they were very interested in doing that.

Q: With this movie set in New Orleans, did any discussion of a reference to Katrina come up?

No, there are no references to it. You know, I love the city of New Orleans. I love it, love it, love it, and my heart went out to them when that horrible disaster happened. And, it’s still very devastated down there, and so we’re proud to set this movie in New Orleans and proud to have the music. Everybody should go back and visit New Orleans. It’s just a spectacular place.

Q: There is a wonderful scene in this movie that takes place in the forest with these fireflies. And it looks like an Hayao Miyazaki movie. As we all know, you are a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki. Is that possibly a reference or an homage?

No, we didn’t really do homages to Miyazaki, but without question, I’ll be the first to say he has been such an inspiration to me. I hope you’ve seen Hayao Miyazaki’s films, because they’re some of the greatest films ever made, not just animation. But one of the things that I’ve gotten a lot out of Miyazaki’s films is that they’re the very opposite of Hollywood. He celebrates the quiet moments in a film. You don’t see that very often. He celebrates the quiet moments. In each of his films there is a scene where it’s real peaceful, and there’s something going on, too. And it’s so nice, because he’s a master at pacing. And with that quiet moment, he’s setting you up for something coming later, the action. He is one of the best directors of action there is, and the action that either came right before it or right after it, wouldn’t have been nearly as good without that quiet moment. It’s the speed in which the films are going these days, it’s more, more, more, more, faster, faster, faster, people are getting bored, you know? And what I like about Miyazaki is he’s so brave and confident, to sit there, and he knows the audience will stay with him for this quiet moment. And I think UP is a great example of that. I think Pete Docter, he’s a big fan of Miyazaki’s films, too.

Q: You are running three companies now?

Yes, the Pixar Animation Studios, the Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disney Toon Studios, that does the Tinker Bell movies. So those are the three animation studios that I oversee, and then they call me principle creative advisor to Walt Disney Imagineering.

Q: Is there still time for you to direct a movie, or do you feel a little bit sorry that you now have so much responsibility?

No, right now I’m not directing. I do direct the Cars Toons, the little short cartoons that we’re making of the Cars characters. I do get to direct those, which I’m very happy about. But I’m not directing any feature films right now because I’ve got plenty to do. I do very much. I love what I do. I’m happy as a clam. Are you kidding? Look what I get to do. I get to work with John and Ron and make these films, and Toy Story 3 is coming up, and Cars 2 and look at UP, working with Pete Docter, and Bolt was fantastic. I just love that. And wait until you see Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure. Summer 2012, baby, you’ve got to come see Cars Land, it’s fantastic.

Q: The Disney brand appeals to the kid in all of us, where Pixar addresses the adult in us. Do you agree?

No, I don’t really think in terms of that. A studio is not its building. A studio is its people, that’s what I believe in. The only thing that we really imported from Pixar to Walt Disney Animation Studios, is that it’s a filmmaker-led studio. A filmmaker-led studio means that the ideas of the films come from the filmmakers themselves—it’s not an executive-led studio, where a bunch of development executives come up with the ideas and assign a director to it. That’s not the way we work. And that’s the only thing we imported. We also believe in peer review, meaning the directors all get together and are very honest with each director about their film, what’s working and not working. And that is the most important thing, is to the honest dialogue where people know that it doesn’t matter whose idea it is, the best idea gets used. There are no mandatory notes at either studio, not even from me. You know, it’s important for the filmmakers to listen and to open themselves up. One of the fundamental differences, besides that it’s a different set of people at both places, is the heritage. Both studios have a very strong heritage that’s also very different. Both studios’ filmmakers are proud of their studio’s heritage. Pixar, it’s a studio where we started from the ground up. It’s based upon computer animation, new technology, always pushing the edge of new technology—the fact that we’re in the San Francisco area, one foot in Silicon Valley, one foot in Hollywood, and Steve Jobs is our CEO, my partner for all these years, we’re really proud of that heritage. The Walt Disney Animation Studios, it’s the studio that Walt Disney started. Walt Disney started this studio and it has never closed its doors. It’s always continued making animated films and every artist at the Walt Disney Studios is so proud of that heritage. One asset within our studio is the Animation Research Library, the archive where we house all of the animation drawings from all the Walt Disney productions, the backgrounds and story sketches and everything, and it’s just unbelievable. But you go there, you can study and try to learn from the masters.

Q: Does it make for different sensibilities? How so?

Yes. The Princess and The Frog, you know? I think there are subtle differences. Both studios are founded upon the same thing, and that is that we love to entertain audiences of all ages. We never, ever think that we’re making something just for kids, just for adults. It truly is for all audiences. We also believe in our audience, that they’re very smart and they will be there for a really great, smart story. For instance, this fairy tale is perfect for the Disney Animation Studios. I’m not sure this movie would be made at Pixar, because the filmmakers up there have a different sensibility. But Toy Story, I’m not sure it would be made at Disney, it’s that kind of thing. There are subtle differences between the two and that’s what is fantastic about both of these studios. But I tell you, they are proud of each other, too, and they actually help each other, with advice, going back and forth. We’ve taken The Princess and The Frog numerous times up to Pixar and shown it to the filmmakers up there to get comments. We’ve taken Toy Story 3 and brought it down to Disney to get their comments, and back and forth. And so I think it’s a really healthy relationship between both studios, with tremendous respect between both of them.

Q: John, you received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Venice.

Yes, it was a great honor.

Q: And you were already wearing incredible Hawaiian shirts. Does it mean you are ready for retirement?

No. I’ve been wearing Hawaiian shirts for a long time. Hawaiian shirts are not just for retired people, let me tell you. The Hawaiian shirt to me is like a toy I can wear. I’m a big kid. I realize I don’t ever have to grow up and I cherish that. And as far as the Lifetime Achievement Award, yeah, it’s like, I’m 52 years old. I’m still young and I’ve still got a lot of films ahead of me. So, I guess I’m going to have a second lifetime, I don’t know. But I’m very, very honored by the Venice Film Festival. It was a tremendous honor. And I’ve got to tell you one of the things that I’m so honored about is that for the very first time in the history of the festival, which is the oldest film festival in the world, they gave it to a filmmaker, me, and a studio, which they’ve never done before, which is Pixar. And we had Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird, Pete Docter and Lee Unkrich, the other directors that work with me there, in Venice to accept the award with me. And I think that is a first in history, and I feel so honored, because the award was given to us and the way that we make films, which I think was really, really special.

                          

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John Lasseter on The Princess and The Frog
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When you visit Walt Disney World Resort one of the many treats that Disney wants you to experience is their fine dining. They believe that if you enjoy your dining experience, you’ll be much more likely to return for another visit and to tell your friends about your visit. To make it memorable they go out of their way to attract the best chef and cooking talent to their restaurants. Iron Chef Cat Cora’s Kouzzina at the Boardwalk Resort is just the latest example of this trend.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Walt Disney World chefs Dee Foundoukis and George Paterakis took their culinary talents to the White House kitchen earlier this week and joined celebrity chef Cat Cora to cook a formal dinner for President Barack Obama, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and 400 honored guests. The masterful chefs prepared several tasty Greek dishes, many of which are favorites on the menu at Kouzzina by Cat Cora on Disney’s BoardWalk. The meal included Fishermen’s Stew – a savory bowl of scallops, lobster, shrimp and clams with ouzo butter – and loukoumades, Greek donuts served hot and drizzled with honey.

Good for them. That must have been the experience of a lifetime.

                          

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Kouzzina Chefs and Cat Cora cook for President Obama
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With help from a world-famous mouse, dozens of eager children and a shower of confetti, officials opened the doors to the welcoming, new lobby of the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children and unveiled the first physical milestone of the hospital’s innovative model of pediatric health. The entrance serves as a gateway to the remainder of the children’s hospital where the smallest patients from around the world will receive superior treatment and care from renowned physicians.

Inspired by the soothing environment of nature, the lobby features beloved and nurturing Disney characters such as Timon and Pumbaa from “The Lion King,” Flounder and Sebastian from “The Little Mermaid” and Rutt and Tuke from “Brother Bear.” Walt Disney Imagineers designed the space with these thoughtfully chosen characters to complement the hospital’s healing environment where young patients are supported by caring, medical professionals, along with family and friends.

“Our goal is to create a therapeutic environment that reflects the type of attention and care children and their families receive during their visit,” said Marla Silliman, administrator of Florida Hospital for Children. “With this captivating entrance, we hope young patients overcome the apprehension of a hospital stay by engaging them in a world of fantasy, imagination and adventure.”

“I didn’t feel like I was in a hospital,” said Kyle Bennett, a 6-year-old boy from Orlando. “’The Little Mermaid’ section of the lobby was my favorite part and I loved scaring the salmon away.”

The lobby of the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children features several interactive activities and experiences that children of all ages can enjoy to ultimately enhance patient experience. For example, kids can fish for virtual salmon, step into a safari to touch and illuminate markings on a cave wall, generate jungle sounds on musical step pads, swat chirping bugs that glow during an engaging game that tests memory skills or play in a magical world of bubbles and dancing creatures from under the sea.

“This lobby was created with all the care and attention to detail that we devote to an attraction in our theme parks,” said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “It’s a place to leave worries behind and replace them with immersive, interactive fun. We’re delighted to have helped create a calm and relaxing environment for the children and families who will come here for care.”

As part of a part of a $10 million commitment by Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Worldwide Outreach, the lobby represents the first in a series of significant milestones for the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children. Construction and renovations are currently underway and will continue throughout the year to complete units and patient rooms. By early 2011, the addition including seven stories and more than 200 dedicated pediatric beds, will open featuring concepts, colors, sounds and themes inspired by the lobby design. While patients, families and visitors will enter through the lobby, the same calming and reassuring atmosphere will be reflected throughout the entire Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children facility.

Florida Hospital is in the midst of a fundraising campaign to help complete the development of the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children.

                          

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Preview of Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital
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A story in the NY Times all but pins the move on Disney as retaliation for the recall. But since the offices and Disney aren’t talking publicly about the reason, we just don’t know for sure. Also the timing of this story is weird, coming just days after the recall officially ended.

Hopefully, this is just someone who has gone rogue on Disney’s behalf and a call from the right person in Burbank can clear this up and keep Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood in a stable situation where they can continue their good work protecting children.

                          

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Did Disney force the eviction of a non-profit?
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