Mouse Extra

I am sure by now you have heard of Disney’s A Christmas Carol, the new version of the Charles Dickens’ classic that is set to be released later this week.  The film, which uses the same “performance capture” animation made famous in the Polar Express, is currently at the top of the priority list of Disney’s marketing machine. 

To spread the word and create a buzz about the film, Disney sent a train around the country filled with items from the making of the film and even from the Dickens Museum in London, to train stations throughout the nation.  All of this was free, and being a devoted fan of the Christmas Carol, I was all set to go this past Sunday.  I got up, made the two hour trek via car, ferry, and bus into Manhattan’s famed Grand Central Terminal where the train was making its final stop. 

With my camera in hand ready to shoot a full spread for Mouse Extra of this sure-to-be fascinating piece of Disney marketing, I followed the signs towards the tracks beneath the station.  As we approached the entrance we were told the wait time would be “at least two and a half hours”!!  Needless to say, spending what sounded more like three hours in the bowels of a nearly 140 year old train station was not my idea of fun.

Now, I could spend this time whining about how terrible a job Disney did with estimating crowds for this attraction, but I won’t bore you with that.  Instead, I apologize for not having the patience needed to bring images from this train to you.  Considering how things went, I can’t imagine many people got a chance to see it.