Mouse Extra

Let’s take a break from the theme parks in this post and have a look at an interesting rumor coming out of the movie studio.  We must thank the always great to read Disney Blog for coming out with this one…

In movie news, there is talk going around that a script is being written to remake the Walt Disney classic live action version of Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Seas”. The hope being that it can fill the vacancy left by Pirates in Disney’s summer blockbuster spot. There is even a possibility that a certain captain from the Pirates franchise may snare the ‘Captain Nemo’ role in the film. Sounds good to me.

Let’s put aside the idea of Johnny Depp playing a starring role, and I assume that’s who he means, and just discuss the idea of remaking the Jules Verne classic.  The 1954 Walt Disney film is one of his greatest and is largely forgotten by the younger generation of Disney lovers who focus mostly on animation.  The very thought of bringing this story to the big screen with modern special effects is enough to get me to spend the money at the box office.  It is a terrific and complex tale and can stand up on its own but, is this generation as fascinated with Jules Verne style sci-fi to make it a real blockbuster?

If this film is to work, someone with uncanny acting ability needs the role of Captain Nemo.  Though Kirk Douglas was the popular actor in the 1954 version of the film, it was James Mason’s performance as Nemo that really blows you away.  Is Depp capable of that kind of performance?  Probably, but he may also be hindered by always being viewed as Captain Jack among Disney fans.  That’s a tough thing to get around when you played such an endearing character.

WDW News Today is confirming some rumors and offering some interesting news regarding changes to the holiday offerings at Walt Disney World this year.  It seems the Cinderella Castle lights will happen and it may finally be time for a new holiday parade.

In some big news, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas parade will not be presented this year. In it’s place will be a new holiday parade titled “Mickey’s Once upon a Christmastime Parade”. Another big change to this year’s Christmas festivities will be the lighting of the Castle, which will be a nightly show with characters lighting up a Cinderella Castle adorned in thousands of Christmas lights.

I am certainly looking forward to seeing the lights on Cinderella’s Castle, though the possibility of going over the top here is certainly a concern.  But if it is done well and with class, looking down Main Street U.S.A, through the “snow” coming off the buildings and the wonderful decorations, at a lit up castle has some serious “wow” potential.

For those of us who torture ourselves every Christmas morning with the 2 hour, horribly produced and overly canned Christmas Parade broadcast can at least look forward to finally seeing something new.  Now, if they can only find a host or two that have some level of watch-ability.

I must applaud the Blue Sky Disney blog for writing one of the most tantalizing posts we have seen on the internet in quite some time.  Among the many topics discussed in today’s piece, he drops this little nugget on us…

…By early 2008 there will be some form of an announcement about Star Tours 2.0. The folks at WDI are hard at work creating a sequel to our current attraction that will be designed to mimic the lines at the Finding Nemo Submarine Ride. There will be more of a synergy between the two companies regarding the Star Wars properties, both here in Anaheim and WDW(more on that in a future post). There has been talk of having some form of promotion to coincide with the new Star Wars television show that will debut in about a year and a half.

So now that he has successfully ensured that we will all be checking his blog everyday waiting for the “more on that in a future post” to show up, what do you think?  The sentence he has about mimicking the lines at the Finding Nemo Submarine Ride is a bit confusing, but what I think he means is that Star Tours 2.0 will be a true gate-buster.  Considering the power the Star Wars franchise has, it is not difficult to see that being the case.  Everyone fears Lucas will push the prequels into the parks, but that seems unlikely at this point.

Can any of our many Star Wars aficionados tell us more about this proposed television show?  What is the premise?  Is this being budgeted to the point that I think a sci-fi series needs to be in order to really be good?

That loud cheering you heard yesterday was the collective jubilation of Disneyland Resort lovers.  Upon hearing the news that Disney executives have approved a huge budget for fixing the maligned Disney’s California Adventure theme park, one can understand the joy. 

You’ll find many stories on the internet about this.  Most of them have little to no information about what new attractions may be going into DCA, but the rumor mill will certainly spin out of control now.  Reports of the budget size are staggering.  Here’s what the Disney Blog had to say…

…the number I’m hearing tossed around is $1.1 Billion (give or take 10%). This is just for the park itself, a separate budget is included for hotels and vacation club expansion and for continual improvements over at the original theme park, Disneyland.

This is good news. $1 billion is about 30% more than was originally spent on the theme park in the first place. Which proves, if you’re going to do something, it makes more sense to do it with quality the first time around instead of trying to cut corners or short change your customers.

Yes, California Adventure will always go down as the final straw for Disney addicts when dealing with Michael Eisner.  Most of the goodwill he earned in the beginning of his tenure and during the Disney’s America battle was gone by the time the park was built.  But as people entered and saw what his budget cuts left guests with, he was finished.

I have never been to DCA, and I had no intention of ever going.  There is just nothing there that makes me want to experience the park.  So those of you who have been there, please feel free to leave your ideas and reactions in the comments section below.  Perhaps these billion dollars will make me want to spend my cash at Anaheim’s second gate.  Can you think of a better birthday present for Disneyland?

As a follow up to a piece we ran last week regarding rumored changes to the CircleVision film at the Canada pavilion, touringplans.com seems to be confirming the information.

New details are available about the upcoming refurbishment of the “O Canada” 360 degree film in Epcot. The film will feature Martin Short as the on-screen narrator with Eva Avila (Canadian Idol season 4 winner) singing the theme song. At least 50% of the footage has been reshot to bring the film into the 21st century.

So I guess we are actually getting Martin Short as the narrator.  The possibilities of silliness are huge, but I will reserve my judgment until I at least hear some reports after it re-opens.  It also appears true that the old song will remain with a new singer I’ve never heard of.  I think most fans of the show will be happy the song will remain.

What I find interesting is that “50% of the footage has been reshot” and not all of it.  If they are keeping half the existing film in tact, this may truly feel more like an “update” and less like an entirely new film.  I’m honestly surprised by this, but I guess the cost of shooting an entirely new CircleVision film might have come into play here.

An interesting report from the news section over at the Touring Plans website, the official site of the Unofficial Guide and Len “Diver Down” Testa, tells us about some upcoming changes to how Disney will conduct Extra Magic Hours in Florida.

Disney will begin testing a stricter enforcement of Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom Park with checkpoints within the park to assure that only Disney Resort Guests are visiting during the period.

Personally, Extra Magic Hours drives me insane, and it’s one of those things Disney has done recently that bugs me.  In what is obviously a cost cutting measure, Disney World has spent the last few years scaling back their park hours.  As a way to mask this to those spending the most money with them, on property resort guests, they offer Extra Magic Hours.  Essentially they funnel everyone to the same park, creating what is often a place that is much more crowded than during the rest of the day.  So now you can either go to this jam-packed park, or call it a night at 8 or 9 o’clock. 

If Disney can do something to alleviate some of the crowds by enforcing these things more, I am all for it.  Cleary the beginning of an Extra Magic Hours is the worst time and this may be a partial fix.  But the real fix is to stop this nonsense and leave the parks open later more often for everyone to attend.  (Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now…)