Mouse Extra

According to a report in yesterday’s Orlando Sentinel, Disney will soon begin selling off parcels of land for the upcoming Western Way construction, an area now being termed by Disney as Flamingo Crossings (Not too catchy, eh?).  The parcels will go to the third party merchants who will run the businesses in that development. 

The news is not that Disney is allowing third party companies on property.   They have been doing that for years.  The news is the way in which it is being it is being carried out.

That prospect creates a first chance for third-party owners to buy and develop land inside Reedy Creek. Disney has previously allowed numerous private developments of hotels, stores and restaurants within Reedy Creek, but always through long-term land leases that have kept the real-estate deeds in Disney’s hands.

Now I know this news truly bothers some Disney fans, but I have to admit that it means absolutely nothing to me that they are selling off a percentage of 450 acres.  For a property that is 25,000 acres, the lost land will barely be noticed.  This sounds more like a way for Disney to develop something it feels is needed by guests without having to do it all on their own.

The 300,000 to 500,000 square feet of retail space at Flamingo Crossings would target merchants of practical wares and services that tourists, Disney employees and area residents might need, such as groceries, toiletries or basic clothing — thereby competing with area shopping centers and outlet stores that draw many visitors off Disney property. The restaurants might include a mix of fast-food and casual-dining franchises not common on Disney grounds.

“Generally speaking, it’s your typical shopping center that you see along the interstate,” Reedy Creek Administrator Ray Maxwell said. “It’s the value end of the market.”

Believe me when I tell you that the “value end of the market” is simply something Disney can not comprehend.  They have never sold anything for a “value” for as long as I can remember.  Even their value hotels are pricey compared to outside chains.  Many people who stay on property have to go off property to buy food and eat out because they can’t afford Disney’s rates.  And many who come to the Mouse need to stay off property to afford their trip.  If this brings all of that a little closer to the “bubble” then I am all for it.

But all of this is predicated on whether these outlets serve Disney’s market and their guests that can’t afford the “magic” in its entirety.  We’ll have to wait and see.

Go to any bookstore and you will find volumes upon volumes of travel guides dedicated to Walt Disney World. There are many guides that appeal to specialized travelers, as well, such as those travelers with young children, or those looking for romantic trips, or guests who are a part of the gay community. Now there is a new book called Walt Disney World with Disabilities by Stephen Ashley and published Bull Media Innoventions. It does a commendable job at making a trip to Walt Disney World “comfortable, fun and safe” for people with disabilities.

And the book covers a wide range of disabilities too. Many would think that this book is for those guests in wheelchairs, who require disalysis, or who depend on oxygen tanks. While those topics are covered in great detail, that is merely the tip of the iceberg. Do you have food allergies? The book covers it. How about a heart condition? The information you need is there. Epilepsy, high blood pressure, hearing impairments, hyperactivity, back pain- its all covered. Even afflictions such as motion sickness or various phobias are addressed to help ensure you have a quality trip.

The first portion of the book covers in the entire resort in its basics such as the transportation system, dining, extra magic hours, ticket purchasing etc. The book also directs you to helpful websites such as touringplans.com and allearsnet.com not mention the author’s own, excellent site, www.diz-abled.com. (Somehow I missed the Mouse Extra citation, but I’m sure its there somewhere). This is also the first guidebook I have ever seen that recommends getting to the park at 10AM or even 11AM to avoid the difficult-to-navigate bottlenecks that a park’s opening creates.

The book also covers each park in great detail. Each ride is described in a way to assist people with any sort of potential problem with an attraction down to certain smells encountered. I would recommend this book to people bringing small kids just for this attention to detail. Toddlers and preschoolers often require a little advanced warning on scares, loud noises and the like and this book gives you what you need. The wealth of information is terrific here. For example, who would even think twice about the show Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. However, the entry in this book provides cautions on fear of the dark, loud noises, lightning simulations, flashing and twinkling lights, and a steam effect. You also warned about a rain effect and bubbles. By the way, Disney Hollywood Studios is apparently the most comfortable park for those guests with disabilities while the Animal Kingdom is the worst thanks to the heat and narrow paths.

Dining is also very effectively covered. Again, the attention to detail is tremendous. For example, the author notes that at the ABC Commissary there is a wheelchair accessible register all the way to the left. Every eatery from major draws like Boma and Le Cellier to the smallest snack shop are described.

I have few if any complaints about the book. Shopping is given no real attention. In fact, Downtown Disney is but an afterthought in this guide. The hotels and resorts are also on the back burner here. I do think this was intentional on the part of the authors as this information is given in plenty of detail in many other books, so why copy it here? Still, I would think some shops would present issues for some disabled guests. Also, the ability of the author to provide updated park information is uneven. He noted the change in the Tusker House from a counter service to a buffet but still listed Alfredo’s as being a part of the World Showcase.

But thats nitpicking and I don’t want to seem too critical. This book is truly a marvel and an absolute must for anyone planning or thinking about planning a trip to WDW with any type of disability. I would also recommend this book to those guests with small kids who would like to warn their children of potentially disconcerting or frightening aspects of rides. I would recommend this book to anyone going for the first time and who would like specific details on rides and dining options. In fact, I would recommend this book to anyone. period.

Today’s merchandise review is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

Enchanted is a film that has been talked about and anticipated by Disney fans for months.  Since the concept art first came out and fans read the plot of a cartoon princess making her way to New York, people were excited about combining Disney’s return to hand drawn animation with the potential of a really fun live action film.  Enchanted delivers the goods, but it is certainly not without problems and lost opportunities.

                                              photo copyright Disney Enterprises 2007

The opening sequence is fully animated and it has a perfectly nostalgic feel to it, bringing that “multi-plane camera” look back in true classic Disney fashion.  But at the same time, it has a very modern look as well.  Think of Snow White meets Beauty and the Beast and you get my drift.   The main character is a girl named Giselle and she has a family of animal friends that all have their roots firmly planted in classic Disney animated animals.  It certainly is done in a tongue-in-cheek manner, but never turns ridiculous.  It is a parody to be sure, but not one that is in your face.

The story sees Giselle fall in love at first sight with a prince named Edward who seems to embody all the Disney princes of the past without any of their brains.  His mother is Queen Narissa of the storybook land Andalasia, and she doesn’t want these two love birds to get married and her throne to be threatened.  So she disguises herself as a near duplicate of Snow White’s evil witch and sends her future daughter-in-law down a well that leads to a terrible place, midtown Manhattan.  (Perhaps I am the only one who thinks Manhattan is a much nicer place than Andalasia, but that’s beside the point.)  It is there she is helped out of the rain by a lawyer named Robert and his daughter Morgan, who introduce her to the “real” world.

As we transition into live-action, the film falters slightly and takes a bit of time to get going.  The opening sequence of Giselle in Times Square has all the average New York City clichés and stereotypes and was particularly uninventive.  But just when you think this is going to turn into a boring and unimaginative film it turns back to the not-so-gentle poking at classic Disney films.  When in need of friends, Giselle sings out her window to call some animals to her side.  Instead of adorable chipmunks, rabbits and deer, she gets very real looking flies, rats and pigeons.  It is a terrifically funny scene and a perfect parody, but not so over-the-top that you can’t wait for it to end.  Neither is the big song scene in Central Park where everyone comes to sing and dance alongside the main character in perfect “Under the Sea” style.

                                                                                                             photo copyright Disney Enterprises 2007

But the story is where the film misses some great opportunities.  At first it appeared as though Giselle was going to use her fantasyland innocence to help Robert find his inner romantic and improve his sputtering relationship with a girl he has been with for five years, while Robert helps Giselle get back to her prince.  But instead it takes the much more predictable boy-meets-girl approach, which makes the ending terribly anti-climactic. 

The film also makes itself painfully obvious that it is another tool in the “Princess” franchise Disney has been pushing throughout the company, as well as other marketing campaigns. “Dreams come true” is an often used theme in the film, and the Bippity Boppity Boutique nearly made an appearance at the end.  This is not ever blatant enough to detract from the film’s quality, but Disney fans will certainly not find this hard to pick up on.

My only other complaint is with the music.  It is not bad at all, but it isn’t terrific either.  Disney’s great films are known for their immensely memorable tunes that stay in your head for weeks after you leave the theater.  Enchanted sets the stage for these kinds of songs, but it never delivers.  Perhaps the issue is that the film’s producers wanted the music to be more humorous then the typical Disney film, but that doesn’t mean it has to be pedestrian as well.

I must say that overall Enchanted left me feeling good about paying the money for a ticket.  It was never ridiculous, but always pleasantly goofy.  It walks a fine line between quirky and stupid and it walks it very well.  It’s lighthearted feel, sense of humor about itself and ability to humorously poke fun at the great movies that came before it was enough to keep it better than some of the story ideas and music that might not have been so impressive.  Kids will adore it, and adults will find it keeps them smiling.

The Disney Reporter has some information on one of Epcot’s oldest rumors maybe coming to life after all.  The proposed Mt. Fuji themed roller coaster, which never made it to the World Showcase back in the 1980’s, is apparently picking up steam once again.  According to the report a new e-ticket attraction, which will not be the same concept and may not even be themed to Mt. Fuji at all, is being planned for the Japan Pavilion for around 2011-12.

Right now there is a MAJOR attraction being worked up for Japan and Joe Rohde has done design/conceptual work on it.

It has not ‘officially’ received the green-light but is considered a shoe-in to do so as Mitsukoshi has offered to put up money, as they have the past few years for the great redos of their department store and dining facilities at EPCOT.

Now, I have not been able to confirm this rumor so far, but I have been hearing rumblings of some World Showcase pavilions looking to raise their profile by adding an attraction.  Canada’s “Brother Bear” raft ride being the most recent and prevalent.  Japan has always been mentioned in that rumor as well, probably because the original Mt. Fuji project was so poorly hidden from the public.  It seems that whenever people start talking about injecting money into the World Showcase, the rumor mill reverts to the oldies but goodies.

So let’s ask the inevitable question?  Do you like this idea?  Does the idea of having an e-ticket attraction in the World Showcase sit well with you?  Personally, I like the World Showcase just the way it is.  I’ll live with an e-ticket, especially if it is a good one, but Disney needs to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the mood around the Promenade is not ruined by the screams of thrill seekers.  In my opinion, anything like this needs to be indoors or Imagineering needs to somehow create a sound shield so that the wonderful peacefulness of the World Showcase does not suddenly sound like a Six Flags park.

It appears as though Disney’s new film “Enchanted” is the cash generator Disney was hoping for and that many predicted it would be.  According to the Los Angeles Times, the new live action film brought in around $50 million over the holiday weekend.

The PG-rated Walt Disney Co. picture, starring Amy Adams as an animated princess whisked to modern-day, live-action Manhattan, grossed an estimated $50 million from Wednesday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, one of the biggest hauls ever for the Thanksgiving period.

The concept and trailers for this film both look fantastic and the reviews have mostly been positive.  That along with a marketing full-court press usually makes for financial success.  I plan on seeing the film this afternoon, so check back later for my review.

Disney Gossip, a wonderful blog that simply does not post regularly enough to keep us addicts satisfied, reported on Monday that Dame Judi Dench will be narrator for the new version of Spaceship Earth.  If true, she will replace Jeremy Irons.

There were two conflicting rumors that I had heard some time ago, which kept me from reporting either of them.  The first was that Patrick Stewart was being strongly considered and was the front runner in many people’s view.  That rumor made the rounds of Disney websites.  But I also heard that Disney was seriously looking into using a woman’s voice to do something different but that they had not found the right person for the job.  It appears from this report they may have found her.

I think this is an interesting choice and one that seems to go right along with the other interesting things they are doing inside Spaceship Earth.  Many, many things will not be the same as they once were.  Changing the narration drastically just fits right in with this idea that the new attraction will be a completely new experience.  Let me just say that every time I hear something new about what may be coming to the big golf ball I get more excited to see this.  The bar is raising on expectations here…