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PassPorter News Brought to you by PassPorter Guidebooks
  October 31, 2003 * Issue 3.17 * Happy Halloween!

In This Newsletter

From the Authors: PassPorter.com Updates

Travel Today: Making the Most of Message Boards: Top 5 Tips

Disney Feature: Mickey's PhilharMagic In-Depth Review

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips:  Photographer's Vests, Countdown Milestones, Waterproof Your Gear

Q&A: Key to the World cards, Post-La Nouba dinner suggestions, Ft. Wilderness Cabins, More answers on the message boards!
 
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Updates:
What's New and Changed

High speed rail access to Walt Disney World is one step closer! On Monday, Oct. 27, Florida's High Speed Rail Authority announced that they'd chosen the Orlando Airport-to-Walt Disney World leg as the first to be built for the future statewide system. The projected finish time? 2008-2009. Visit Florida's High Speed Rail web site for more information.

Tech TV looks at Mickey's Philharmagic, tonight (Oct. 31) at 8:00 pm Eastern. Visit http://www.techtv.com for more information.

>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com .
 
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Disney  Tips:
From Fellow Readers

Our readers are a wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:

TOTE SMART
"When you have kids, you can potentially become a major pack mule in the parks (especially if you're the "well-prepared" mom). After one trip with the 2-ton backpack, I decided to try something different: a photographer's vest. These are sometimes referred to as safari vests. They have multiple pockets all over them (some even have one on the lower back big enough for the PassPorter!). Some are mesh with solid pockets, some are solid with mesh vents. The two largest pockets on the front can even hold windbreakers for the kids. With the small size of camcorders and cameras these days, they're easy to drop in a pocket. If you have a larger camera, epaulets on the shoulders can keep camera straps from falling down your arm. Wearing one of these vests distributes the weight much more comfortably than a backpack. They won't strain your neck or back. Any large items we purchase in the parks get sent to our hotel rooms and not carried around with us. Some things I put in my pockets are: camera, film (or digital cards), first aid items, thin ponchos, PassPorter, pen, cell phone, Park admission, I.D, money, credit card, quarters/pennies for penny press machines, sunscreen, individual wet wipes. One could carry much more things in a backpack, but one usually doesn't actually use everything in it. I choose carefully for my specific needs. And I now purchase snacks in the parks because of their novelty and fun for the kids. Carrying them around is just more weight. Happy packing!" -- contributed by Anne R. (annerice@joimail.com)

COUNTDOWN MILESTONES
"We haven't left on our trip yet, but at each countdown milestone (i.e., 75 days to go, 60 days to go, 45 days to go, etc.) I give my kids a special Disney gift that will be good for the trip. The PassPorter PassHolder was the first gift, a small Mickey key chain with a tube of SPF lip gloss was second. We haven't reached day 45 yet, but I think it will be a T-shirt to wear while we are there." -- contributed by Beth T.

WATERPROOF YOUR GEAR
"The best thing that we did during our April (rainy April) 2004 trip was to ScotchGard our backpack! We did about three coats/treatments in the week before we left. We had everything in our backpack -- camera, guidebook, cell phone, gifts, etc. -- and we also stood in the pouring rain for Illuminations. Even though we had to wring out our clothes, everything in the backpack was dry! The fabric treatment also kept our light blue/white backpack clean as the spray made it stain resistant. The only other thing to say is that the waterproofer does not waterproof the actual zipper so there could be leakage dependng on where your zipper is located on your backpack, or if there is a flap that does or doesn't cover the zipper. Make sure if you use a backpack you use a little clip or even a safety pin to tie the zipper tabs to each other. It will prevent accidental backpack openings and that little precaution may prevent someone from trying to open your backpack while you are wearing it.-- contributed by Regina A. (wishteller@yahoo.com)

>Notes: Send us your tips ! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter!
 
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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave

In tribute to our way-cool message boards, our Q&A column in this newsletter offers a sampling of the kind of questions that get asked on the boards - and our answers to them!

Member "83katy" asks:
"Can someone tell me if the Key to the World cards on the Disney Cruise have a hole in them? I'm thinking that it might be handy to hook them on a lanyard around my neck instead of keeping them in pockets."

Member "Dave Marx" answers:
"No, they don't have holes. A few people report bringing a hole punch so they can do this, but I don't recommend it, just in case it damages the magnetic stripe on the card (or your ability to insert the card into the door key slot).

The cards are the same size as credit cards. More than a few people get clear plastic ID badge holders for their cards, and clip those to their lanyards. Disney sells these on the cruise (along with a lanyard), and they come with some pin trading lanyards sold at Walt Disney World."

---

Member "RocklandRVers" asks:
"We are going to La Nouba (Cirque du Soleil) on Thursday Dec 17 at 6:00. Where is a nice place to have dinner afterward at about 8:00 pm? Of course there are tons of restaurants all over 'the world,' but since it will be getting kind of late, we want something either in DD (or nearby) or closer to our home away from home FtW. By the way we are already doing Trails End a couple of times so something else would be better."

Member "Dave Marx" answers:
"Well, for dinner at 8:00pm you can dine nearly anywhere, especially if you have wheels. But if you're already at DD, why dine anywhere else? Make an evening of it! House of Blues is closest to Cirque, but Puck's would be my first choice at Downtown Disney West Side. If you do stroll over to Fulton's (or even if you don't), consider dessert at Ghirardelli's."

(To see the rest of the dinner suggestions, visit the Feasting & Snacking forum)


Member "TiggGrrl" asks:
"We're thinking about staying in a Fort Wilderness Cabin next year and would love to hear all about the experiences anyone has had there. Also, have you ever gotten one at an AP discount?"

Member "Jennifer Watson" answers:
"Dave, Allie, and I stayed at a Fort Wilderness Cabin in the summer of 2001... and just loved it. Besides all the perks you get from staying at Fort Wilderness (nightly campfires and movies, lots of recreation options, easy access to Hoop-Dee-Doo, boats to Magic Kingdom, etc,) we found that the Wilderness Cabin worked really well for us. We requested one near a bus stop, which we got -- and that made it easy to get to and from our Cabin. The Cabin itself feels quite roomy. Allie took the bunk beds in the bedroom and we used the Murphy bed in the living room. The Murphy bed is very comfortable, and it's nice to be able to fold it up into the wall when you're not using it. The Cabin is furnished very nicely -- it feels more like a hotel room than a 'cabin' in the woods. And yet one of the nicest things about it is the fact that it stands alone from the others and there are windows on three sides. So when you're lying on the Murphy bed, you've got windows on either side of you -- I really like that. The kitchen was nice, though we didn't use it for much besides storing snacks and drinks (though I think we had microwave popcorn one night). The bathroom was also nice, and I enjoyed several relaxing baths in there. And Allie loved her bunk bed. She still talks about Fort Wilderness. Is there anything bad about the Cabin? Not much, to be honest. If things like room service and a handy lounge are important, then you won't like it -- it doesn't feel pampering as much as comfortable. Transportation from Ft. Wilderness can be a trickier than at other resorts, as it may require an extra bus. Getting around the resort is harder, but not that bad -- you can hop on an Orange, Yellow, or Purple bus to move around the resort. Or rent a golf cart -- we didn't feel the need to do this. Regarding price, I believe we did get an Annual Pass discount on our stay. But it was over two years ago, so I'm not sure how indicative that would be of today. I'm sure someone else can offer some more recent experience with this."

(To see more replies to this question, visit the Staying in Style forum)


More interesting questions that were answered on our message boards in the last few days:

wdwlovers:  "May travelers.....what's WDW like in May?"
(To find out, visit the Planning Your Adventure forum)

statelady01: "I'm going to be on a plane for 9 hours. Any long flight tips?"
(To find out, visit the General Trip Planning forum)

Laughaholic88: "Who has used the Special Assistance Pass?"
(To find out, visit the Vacationing Your Way forum)

FanOfMickey: "Is Song really an economy airline?"
(To find out, visit the Ask the Travel Agents forum)

Princess Charming: "Beyond Dole Whips & Mickey Bars... what other treats and eats?"
(To find out, visit the Feasting & Snacking forum)

MindibellCM: "Is priority seating as important at Disneyland as at Walt Disney World?"
(To find out, visit the Planning Your Disneyland Adventure forum)

All Ears: "What is your favorite onboard activity?"
(To find out, visit the Planning Your Disney Cruise Voyage forum)

Janet 46: "Can you help me find a gift for a 15 year old boy?"
(To find out, visit the The Sunroom forum)

 

Have a question? Post it at http://www.passporterboards.com  -- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered the same question that's on your mind!
 
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From the Authors: Greetings from Walt Disney World!

Hi, friends!

After our recent travels, we thought it would be good to spend some time at home... our web site home page, that is. We've had two significant updates in the last couple of weeks that will interest you:

1.  The PassPorter Walt Disney World 2004 Preview Center is open! It took a while, but we've got all the details, lists, and goodies up for you to see. The thing most of you have been waiting for is our Sneak Peek PDF with 30 actual pages from PassPorter Walt Disney World 2004, include a sample of our new color park maps and a look at our tab/label/sticker page! You can visit the preview center at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/2004.htm

2. We've upgraded and improved our message boards! More on that later in our travel article, but if you want to see the new look now visit http://www.passporterboards.com

This newsletter also contains an excellent article by Dave on Mickey's PhilharMagic, which includes an interview with George Scribner, Animation Director of Mickey's PhilharMagic!

Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Travel Press

 


 
 
 
 

Did You Know? PassPorter Walt Disney World 2004 Pre-Orders Now Being Accepted!

Our sixth edition of PassPorter Walt Disney World will be released around January 1, 2004 - pre-order your copy today to be among the first to receive one! (The earlier you pre-order, the earlier your order is shipped out!)

Our 2004 edition will sport 40+ photos (more than three times the number in our 2003 edition), self-stick, color tabs to mark your chapters, stickers and labels to personalize your PassPockets, light blue highlights on the text of all additions and significant changes at Disney since our previous edition, updated vegebility ratings, and, most importantly, sneak peeks and previews of new and upcoming attractions and resorts!

To pre-order your 2004 edition of PassPorter WDW, visit:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/2004.aspx

Tip: Want to get started planning now? Order our deluxe combo deal to get a 2003 deluxe edition now at 20% off, and the 2004 updated text and covers in January at 50% off. To order, visit:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/
deluxecombodeal.aspx

 

Travel Today:
Making the Most of Message Boards
My Top 5 Tips

by Jennifer Watson 

The power of the Internet isn't in its glitzy sites or great deals. Rather, the Internet gives us an astounding ability to communicate with one another. And no better example of this power is with message boards. Unlike e-mail, message boards allow you to communicate with huge numbers of people -- some you may know, most you do not. And when it comes to planning vacations, this is a big deal. We vacation planners no longer have to rely on what that glossy brochure claims or what your Aunt Mary encountered. Now we can read experiences from many other vacationers, ask them our questions, and share our own ideas and thoughts.

What is a message board? Think of it as a big bulletin board you may have up on a wall at school or work. People pin up notices, announcements, and questions, and everyone can see them as they view it. Now multiply this bulletin board by a magnitude of at least 100,000, add a sophisticated management system to store, sort, and display the messages in an easy-to-use format, and throw in thousands of people like yourself... now you've got an online message board. And access to an enormous amount of feedback from fellow vacationers!

Everyone can use message boards. Some are smaller, some are bigger, some are simpler, some are fancier, but virtually all are accessible. Most are free, and offer simple registration to allow you to participate. Considering their value, you'll find it no surprise that PassPorter.com has its own message boards. In fact, our message boards have become so popular that just last week we improved it with an upgrade to more powerful software. 

Rather than fill this newsletter with technical information on using the message boards, which differ from board to board anyway, I want to share my top 5 tips for getting most out of a message board.

1. When you first find a message board, poke around a bit. Read some messages -- do the folks seem friendly and willing to answer questions? Try a search or sort -- do the message boards seem fast enough to use? Finding a message board that fits you isn't so different than choosing a new house -- you want to be sure the pipes work and the neighbors are nice.

2. Don't hesitate to join a message board community that looks promising. It's simple and free, and you shouldn't worry that someone will harass you with spam -- most travel message boards wouldn't survive without decent 'Net behavior. If you just "lurk" (read only and not participate) you won't be getting anything near the full value out of the message board.

3. Post a greeting. Make your first post simple -- just say hello! Most boards will have either a place for general chat or even a beginner's forum. This is the perfect place for your first post. You'll want to become familiar with how to make posts before you get deep into the discussions.

4. Find a forum that focuses on your specific interests. For example, if you're trying to choose between the many Walt Disney World resort hotels, PassPorter's "Staying in Style" forum is the place to be. The more specific you get, the more likely you are to find quality information.

5. Search, search, search! Look for your answer before you post your question by searching the message board -- most boards offer a search option. And if you don't find an answer, post a question in an appropriate forum! I can't tell you how valuable this has been for me as a guidebook author; if it works for me, you can bet your boots it works for you, too!

There's so much more I could tell you, but it'd really just be easier to show you. I invite you over to our upgraded message boards at http://www.passporterboards.com. The first page will give you an introduction to our community and a great overview of what you'll find. Joining is simple, the folks are very friendly, and we try to keep things easy.


The new PassPorter Boards Entrance screen

And for those of you who're already familiar with our message board, you're going to love our new look! It's faster, more organized, and more powerful... making it easier for you to do what you like best. Check out the new Entrance page with our PassPorter Patter box (a sort of mini-chat), news features, recent threads, the day's hot topic, and member spotlights. Then login and take a look at your very own "My Home" page where you can store favorite posts, add members to your address book, and modify your preferences. The forums themselves have new features like file attachments, the ability to expand threads, more pixies (smileys), a count of the number of times a thread has been viewed, easier post previewing and editing, ability to use colors in your posts, and much more!

And if you've already joined our community but need to look up your login name or password, just visit http://www.passporterboards.com/ubb/login.php, scroll down to the bottom half of the screen, and fill out the form to get your information via e-mail! 

See you at the message boards!

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Disney Feature:
Mickey's PhilharMagic In-Depth Report

by Dave Marx

Amid all the hoopla of October's grand media and travel industry event at Walt Disney World, the opening of Mickey's PhilharMagic was nearly a footnote to the festivities (at least, from our vantage point). Lost somewhere between the technological gee-whiz of Mission: Space and the explosive wonder of the Wishes nighttime fireworks spectacular, our introduction to Mickey's PhilharMagic was a good bit more sedate. Only a handful of select, "A list" media were present for the 3-D attraction's star-studded, red carpet premiere/photo op. We, on the other hand, were invited to a later, after-dinner viewing during the big Magic Kingdom press party on October 8. But we did land a 15-minute, personal interview with George Scribner, Animation Director of Mickey's Philharmagic the following day. Here is our in-depth review, sprinkled with interview quotes from George Scribner. (Warning: This article contains spoilers on the show!)

Simply put, Mickey's PhilharMagic is an utter delight. And judging by the reactions of those around us (including several Disney executives, and audiences full of regular guests at subsequent viewings), we're not the only ones to feel that way. Of course, audience reaction has always been part of 3-D attractions. Startle a person, and he/she will certainly respond. This time, though, the reaction didn't come as screams, gasps, or bawling infants. What we heard was laughter, wonder, and delight. Not bad, eh?

"The Fantasyland Concert Hall" is the former home of "Legend of the Lion King" and from the outside, little besides the signs seems to have changed. The façade is still the familiar Fantasyland "stonework," and the queues seem unchanged, except for the addition of FASTPASS machines and a FASTPASS Return queue. To the right of the entrance is a large new merchandise shop, chock-full of PhilharMagical stuff. Lines in this outdoor, only partially-covered queue area can still be very long, and barely move most of the time, but about every 12 minutes the line moves dramatically, when a new group enters the theater.

Once you've passed the turnstiles at the front door you step into the familiar outer lobby. The décor here hasn't changed much, but the former, open-plan lobby where folks used to simply jostle and press towards the pre-show entrance has been turned into a zig-zaggy crowd control queue. While it's quite tedious to make your way through the queue, ultimately I think it beats the former "trampling herd" environment. While you're weaving your way through the queue, look at the framed posters that line the walls, commemorating great moments in the concert hall's history. As always, the wit of Disney's Imgineers shines in these little gems. From there, guests pass into a new, inner lobby that replaces the former pre-show area. Decorated in rich blues and gold with dramatic mood lighting, this inner lobby sets the perfect mood for the "classical" concert to come. Unfortunately, crowd control here is a good bit more chaotic than in the outer lobby. Guests make their way down a long ramp at the left-hand side of the wide lobby area, and tend to stop at the bottom of the ramp, near the left-most theater doors. There are plenty of additional theater doors and lots of empty space to the right, but cast members have to work hard to encourage folks to move along and make room for those behind them. Let's hope Disney comes up with a solution to this mayhem, as it's one of the few sour notes in the entire attraction. Eventually, though, the automatic doors open, and the crowd streams into the theater.

Once inside the theater, though, we learn just what Disney could (and should) have done in the inner lobby. Instead of a forlorn cast member with a microphone urging folks to move all the way to the right and to leave no empty seats, we hear Goofy's familiar voice moving about behind the wide curtain, cracking jokes and coaxing folks to move along. As a result, the entertainment begins as soon as folks enter the theater, and the crowd settles down quickly - a big improvement over 3D shows of the past. "We really wanted that to avoid having operations break the story that you're entering Mickey's concert hall, that this is his place," noted George. Mickey's concert hall is "like Seiji Ozawa at the Boston Symphony, it's Bernstein's, it's Barenboim's place."


George speaks passionately about PhilharMagic

What's the best seat in the house? "We really try to design it for every seat," said George. "The center tends to be a little better. But as we tested it we sat all over and we would adjust some of the mix levels just to make sure some of the dialogue got out to the back seats."

Finally, the lights dim, and the curtain goes up on an empty concert stage. Mickey's voice floats in from backstage, to ask Donald if he can set up the orchestra. Donald opens a trunk, and a cascade of animated musical instruments pours out to take their places on stage. Then our ducky friend spies Mickey's sorcerer hat, perched on the conductor's podium. He can't resist temptation, of course, any more than Mickey could back when he was the apprentice. In a flash the hat is on Donald's head, the instruments are in rebellion, and a magical whirlpool tries to suck Donald, hat, and all into its swirling depths. We feel the air around us being pulled into the abyss as Donald tries to "swim" right at us against the current, but eventually he loses the battle, and everything goes dark.

In a few moments we see Donald's frightened eyes glowing in the dark, and the lights come up to reveal that the narrow concert stage has disappeared, and it its place is a huge, curving screen that extends to the limits of our peripheral vision. From now on, Mickey's hat leads Donald on a merry chase from one animated scene to another. We're splashed with water when the Fantasia brooms empty their buckets, our mouths water at the scent of cinnamon-heavy apple pie when Lumiere invites us to be his guest; and we splash about some more with Ariel as she sings, "Part of Your World." Simba just can't wait to be king, we swoop over London with Peter Pan and Tink in a breathtakingly enhanced recreation of the original flyover (when PhilharMagic's over, visit Peter Pan's Flight right next door), and we just keep flying, right into a whole new world where Jasmine's perfume wafts on the air and Donald's flying carpet takes us on a Star Wars-style chase through the alleys of Agrabah. Finally, Donald does catch up with the elusive hat and (naturally), all's well that ends well, at least for everyone but naughty Donald.

As a side note, that alley chase is a favorite scene of ours. When Jennifer asked George about it he revealed, "Even I get sorta queasy (on roller coasters), and I was hoping this would work okay. One of the animators turned to me and said, 'Hey, you storyboarded it. Get over it!'"

One goal of 3D films has always been to break down the barriers between the flat action on the movie screen and the guests out in the audience. Originally, that was a matter of creating in-your-face objects that seemed to pop off the screen. Naturally, these startling effects are still the bread-and-butter of 3D, and the quality of those images keeps improving. But over the years innovators have gone on to engage all the senses, with enhanced surround sound, lasers, strobes, theatrical lighting, evocative scents, smoke and mist, rumbling floors, flight simulator-based ride vehicles, "bug infested" seats, under-seat air jets to simulate stampeding mice, explosions, and sprays of water droplets that suggest everything from frothing floods to spattering human guts. And when the movie screen became too limiting, Disney added Audio-Animatronics figures throughout the theater.

Now, purists will note that not every effect that I've listed has been used as part of a 3D attraction, but the theater technologies (except the vibrating chairs) that provide these effects are all present at Mickey's PhilharMagic. What's more, they're used with greater subtlety and expertise than ever before. Objects still do pop off the screen, but their movement is less startling, and the effect more humorous. Fortunately, bugs and mice are nowhere to be felt, and when water is sprayed in our direction we know that it's water - it's not masquerading as something a lot more creepy. Some of the most dynamic effects come from strobes and other lights, placed throughout the theater to supplement the lighting effects that occur on screen. You probably won't even know they're there, but they really help pull us into the action. In our interview, George Scribner pointed out that "one of the biggest goals right from the start was to make something that you could bring anybody to without scaring them. It was a huge, huge push and it was probably one of the original ideas, 'Look, we've really got to create a 3D movie that just would appeal to everybody,' and one of the ways of doing this was less of the what we call flinch moments (things that startle you) and more of 'reach' where elements come out further in space and linger so kids have a chance to try to reach for them."

The 165-degree wide screen (nearly three times the width of a normal screen) helps immerse us completely in the action. Disney boasts that this is the widest (150 foot) seamless movie screen in the world (not a Stitch to be found?). According to George Scribner, "Four projectors, two in the center in stereo, and two on each side" are required - the middle two to create the central 3D effects, and one each for the extreme left and right of the screen. These outer images aren't in pop-off-the-screen 3D, as our eyes can't perceive depth at the outer edges of our vision, but the computer-generated scenes are still "modeled" in 3D, just as they are in Pixar's computer-animated features. George revealed that they tested stereo-3D images on the outer screens "early on, but we were not successful. In terms of the story, it starts to get pretty distracting. (It's) better to focus. We're dealing with a range of audiences. It has to be clear and simple and to the point."

In 3D animation, characters actually become computer-controlled actors. Unlike hand-drawn animation, where nearly no drawing can be reused, these computer programs can be reused and improved indefinitely. In short, by computerizing all these classic characters, Disney has laid the groundwork for films and attractions yet to come. Animation purists will be quite satisfied with some characters, and disappointed by others. Disney has made a virtue of how master animators Nik Ranieri (Lumiere) and Glen Keane (Ariel) were brought in to help translate their creations into 3D computer "models." The rumor mill suggested that they were only brought in to help the animation crew out of a jam, but George Scribner made it clear that these animators were an integral part of the process from the beginning. Nik Ranieri, who animated the Lumiere segment, "was amazing," says George, "When that first scene first came up we had no notes on it. What you saw was (Nik's) first iteration to us."

Even with the masters' help, we can see that 3D animators still haven't solved the problem of modeling realistic human characters. This is not only true on this project, but on every 3D film produced by Pixar and other studios. But humans have always been the hardest to animate. This was as true in the days of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as it is today. Our brains are "hard wired" to recognize our own species above all others, so it's very hard to fool us. So, Aladdin and Jasmine (and to a lesser extent, Ariel) don't move or look quite as good as we'd hope. Neither, of course, did Snow White and Prince Charming. Fortunately, this shortcoming is not enough to tear our minds from the film's fantasy world, and that's what's most important.

I have one other quibble, one that comes from my past life in the music-for-movies business. My eyes have become very sensitive to lip-sync, and both Ariel and Aladdin's lips don't quite move as they should. When animating to an existing piece of music, animators often use a "click track" (metronome) to help them match the musical beat. Indeed, the rest of the film matches the music beautifully. Why, then, is there a problem with the singers lips? A good singer is always singing either ahead of, or behind the instrumental beat, rarely right on it. What we're seeing is probably a result of the animators using a click track that follows the orchestra's beat, rather than the singer's.

I have to apologize to George Scribner, who led the story development and animation process for PhilharMagic. During the interview, I told him I thought the story seemed more like a musical revue rather than a formal plot, with a relatively thin story line. I wasn't fair at all. The story is very carefully developed, moving Donald from one misadventure to the next. George mentioned that "the story evolved concurrently with the development of the music. We were searching for something a little bit more, so there was a through line that was pretty clear, with (Donald) searching for the hat... without being too complicated. I'm a big believer in very simple stories and great characters. I think we're at our best when we know who we're talking to. We don't make long movies so we don't have a lot of exposition time." Unlike Disney's classic 3Ds like Honey I Shrunk the Audience, MuppetVision 3D and It's Tough to be a Bug, Mickey's PhilharMagic has very little dialog. Sometimes we writers confuse "words" with "story." My bad!

The vast majority of the communication in Mickey's PhilharMagic is visual and musical, like a silent movie, ballet, or that animation masterpiece, Fantasia. Mickey's PhilharMagic may "say" very little, but it tells a full and rich story. We see Donald overstepping his bounds (as Mickey himself did in the Sorcerer's Apprentice), unleashing unintended mayhem, trying desperately to correct his error, and finally paying the price for his misdeeds. According to George, "The whole idea is to get you in the middle of the movie. To really fold you in... as if you and Donald were in those movies (together)."

Donald's tale is told in a language that can be understood no matter what your age or heritage. All the right emotional strings are plucked by the beloved songs and even more-beloved characters, and this fantasy in Fantasyland leaves us all happier and more beguiled than we have any reason to expect. So, four thumbs up for Mickey's PhilharMagic! This attraction will be on my "must see" list for many years to come.




 

 

 
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