Mouse Extra

There is a fascinating article recently at damouse.com showing photos from a test run of a new adventure game in the mold of Kim Possible and the recently announced Sorcerors of the Magic Kingdom. It takes place at the Animal Kingdom and features the characters of my favorite Pixar movie, Up.

There does not appear to be any video of the characters of the movie. I sure hope they do add Russell and Dug, but for now I do like this idea. Essentially, its a treasure hunt through the Pangani Forest Trail. I would love for them to add a walkie-talkie type gizmo where you can receive information/ideas from Dug (Squirrels!) and Russell. You earn badges as you explore the Pangani. It seems a simple yet fun idea.

My kids for instance absolutely love Kim Possible and Sorcerors of the Magic Kingdom is sure to be a hit too. I do hope they add some tech to this but even what I see here will be well recieved I think.

Now that Disney is adding a game to the Animal Kingdom, one can only imagine that the Hollywood Studios won’t be far behind. I would love to see a Phineas & Ferb interactive game there. It would be amazing thwarting the plans of Dr. Doofensmirtz and getting info from Major Monogram and even Perry.

Mere weeks after the D23 Expo, where in theory Disney makes their big announcements, they pulled a doozy on us yesterday. Disney has announced an agreement with James Cameron to bring Avatar to Disney Parks. And first up is a brand new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

I can only assume that this wasn’t announced a few short weeks ago at the expo because the deal hadn’t been finalized yet. But it is done now.

Disney has not announced anything with substance yet, other than this will not replace current attractions at DAK and construction will likely begin in 2013. They have indicated that imagineering is just starting to sink their teeth in this so nothing has been designed. We have been told to expect multiple attractions as well as shops, eateries and “other immersive elements.” That is, a Pandora land.

I, for one, am not a fan of the movie, although it was clearly an acheivement in special effects. The beauty of the film could translate well to a themed land. And imagineering will likely have a field day with the subject matter. And even though I am not a huge fan, if the attractions are great, I will be happy. Personally, I would have preferred an Australia or, better yet, a Beastlie Kingdomme.

Of course, we have said for a long time that Disney’s Animal Kingdom needed more attractions to expand its operating hours and rid itself of the stigma of being a “half day park.” And there has been talk of adding the Wonderful World of Color to Florida, perhaps at the Animal Kingdom. And we know that Pandora is awfully colorful…..

Disney has officially announced plans for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game. Rumors about the game have been swirling around the internet for some time. Merlin will be recruiting people to play the game inside the Magic Kingdom, which apparently will be similiar to the extremely popular Kim Possible game at Epcot. Work has already begun on the project in Adventureland.

My kids love the Kim Possible game. In fact, both played it this past August. And I loved playing along with them. My only conern about this would be space. The Magic Kingdom gets a lot more congested than the wide open World Showcase.

Personally, I would love to see a Phineas & Ferb game as well. I originally though Phineas and Ferb would be a good replacement for Kim Possible as Kim Possible is not really in the kid’s culture these days. But the more I think about the more I would like to see a 3rd park use this. I would love a Phineas & Ferb game for Disney Hollywood Studios. And while we are at it, Disney’s Animal Kingdom could be an interesting choice for a game like this. Perhaps, Donald’s Safari Interactive game and what not.

The podcast, BetaMouse, did an excellent episode on the potentials of this game in thier episode 73, back in July. I recommend you check that out.