Mousekingdom Blog

In a very interesting interview with Hans Zimmer (Breaking the Rules with Hans Zimmer) we find some information on the first Pirates movie and who wrote the music.

While Klaus Badelt is named the composer of the very first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Hans Zimmer is saying that he already worked on some of the famous tunes and he put Klaus Badelt forward to complete the score as he could not work on it as he was attached to the (amazing) Samurai soundtrack project at that time.

‘I can’t score this movie, there’s no way I can, but my friend Klaus [Badelt] probably can.’ Klaus is a wonderful composer, but I couldn’t help myself from writing many of the tunes, and then I sort of orchestrated the way those tunes would sound as well, setting the tone. Klaus wrote some more tunes and with our tunes wrote the score, and Blake Neely, Geoff Zanelli, and everyone else went at it.

(more…)

Lost has been a top series for 2 seasons now and with the third season starting in October fans will be glued to their TV sets again. (I know I will be).

When you’re one of the actors other doors open and, while already working for the mouse in some extends (Lost being an ABC show and ABC being owned by the Disney Company), it is no surprise more opportunities will bring you closer to the mouse.

One of the actors, the very talented Kim Yun-jin (aka: Yoon-jin Kim – playing Sun Kwon), will do some extra work for the mouse, although it doesn’t really sound like work but more like fun.

(more…)

When I see a beautiful picture of a Disney Park I can gaze at it for minutes and dream away. It is no secret that I love Illuminations so when I see a picture of this show I can dream even more. Some great pictures I have seen are from Tim Devine’s Photo Blog, he even granted my wish once when adding one of my Illuminations request. Today I visited his site (I have it added to my feeds) and got a treat of a whole other kind. Expedition Everest in the dark: a picture taken during the Extra Magic Hours. I looked at it for minutes before I started writing this to make sure nobody misses this beautiful sight. Well done Tim, again

If you have $1.75 million and would like to own a piece of Disney History and want to live in it too then this might be the deal you’re waiting for. For that amount of money you can live in the Haunted Mansion! Well, not the one in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, but the original house that was the inspiration of the building that hosts the 999 ghosts. The Harry Packer Mansion in Jim Thorpe, the name of the original house, has been put on the market… ghosts and haunts included (There must be, no?).

But how do you find the right buyer for a $1.75 million hilltop mansion built in Jim Thorpe in 1874 that was the inspiration for Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion?

With patience and precision, says listing agent Michael Strickland of Kurfiss Real Estate in Springtown, Bucks County. A love of history doesn’t hurt either.

The Harry Packer Mansion has been for sale since the end of April. The three-story home is currently a bed and breakfast that’s the site of murder mystery weekend getaways. The home was originally a wedding gift to Harry Packer, from his father, Asa Packer, the founder of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Lehigh University. (Mcall.com)

Ciao my friends,

today I want to point out a sad, sad story.

Once upon a time, say 40 years ago, there was a small park built near the shores of a sunny Italian beach town (Rimini) all themed on fables.

As the park was themed on fables it’s management wisely decided to call it “Fiabilandia” (= “Fable land”) and all it’s themeing, walks and attractions where built around fables, fairy tales and imaginary creatures. ….you could call it a similar concept to Efteling!

(more…)

How small can you make Disney figures? Small enough to fit inside the eye of a needle or on top of a fishhook! (Willard Wigan)

Via Waltarbeiter.com

Apocalypto is the new Mel Gibson movie that the Disney Company will release under their Touchstone Pictures Label. A High Definition trailer is online and it looks impressive.

Some people already speak of Oscar material…

An early look at the movie — which is scheduled for release by Disney on Dec. 8 — shows it to have at least some of the earmarks of an Oscar picture, including epic sweep and considerable ambition (The New York Times)

…but with his encounter with Law enforcement and his outburst Mel Gibson might already have mist his chance.

In Hollywood, meanwhile, industry observers were beginning to confront a new problem: If Mr. Gibson’s film proves to be of awards quality, should those who bestow the honors, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which gives the Oscars, overlook his behavior in favor of his art? (The New York Times)

…or at least I hope it will be with this second try to get a Disney Vacation Club contract. (Last time I didn’t make it true Disney’s Right of First Refusal).

It has been a while since my last try but this was the first offer that was of interest for me. While I did get an offer for another contract before this one it wasn’t interesting because it was stripped for 2007, meaning no points before 2008. As I planned to be there in 2007 this would not have been a good choice.

(more…)

It is said that the new “The Seas with Nemo” attraction in EPCOT is so impressive that it looks even better then the real marine life. You can find some more spoilers, especially about the queue waiting area on Screamscape.com (Only read if you do not mind the spoilers)

Annual Pasport holders and Disney Vacation Club members will be able to experience the new ride before the general public. I must admit that I am not a big fan of Nemo, but I am looking forwards experiencing this ride (hopefully soon) myself.

If you are in the Chicago area during the 42 Chicago Film Festival and you’re a PIXAR fan it might be a good idea to get some tickets for the “PIXAR: An Afternoon With Gary Rydstrom” event. You will get to see 5 shorts including a sneak peak at the newest PIXAR short “Lifted”.

Animated Short. A bumbling young alien student from a distant world tests the patience of an increasingly weary instructor as he attempts a first-time abduction of a innocently slumbering farmer in Lifted, the comical latest short film from Pixar Animation Studios. (Source Laemmle.com via Upcoming Pixar)

If not on the blog or on DLP.Info, not in a Disney park or watching a Disney movie then I am playing with my son Jarod who just had his birthday (14th September) and was able to choose, with all the vouchers he got, this great Pirates of the Caribbean; Dead Man’s Chest “The Flying Dutchman” boat from Mega Bloks to build.

We were in for a great afternoon of Disney fun, so here is our “Building” report!

(more…)

With the success of The Pirates of the Caribbean Disney is looking into other potential “rides to movies” projects. This time The Jungle Cruise might find its way to the big screens and there are already some big names attached to the project.

The executive producers of the CW network’s superhero saga “Smallville,” Al Gough and Miles Millar, are in negotiations to write the script. Plot details are being kept under lock and key, but the movie will be set in the 20th century. (Reuters)

The Jungle Cruise is a fun experience and although I don’t see the potential it has for a movie like the pirates do, it might turn out to be something fun. With Smallville being a success the people attached to the new Disney project is a very good start. Let’s hope the can bring out the spirit of the Jungle Cruise and will use some of the funny remarks used by the Cast Members in the spiel.

Ask yourself the following three questions; Are you a FANTASIA fan (ore even more specific a Sorcerer Mickey fan)? Do you like one of a kind Disney collectibles that come straight from Walt Disney World? And are you a collector with some extra cash? If yes the item found on Ebay might be something for you.

Straight from the Disney-MGM Studios you can now own a Broom, created by the Disney imagineers, from the movie Fantasia. The Broom was used at the MGM Studios as a fountain and could be placed in your garden or near your pool.

See the Ebay entry for more picture. Bidding ends Sep-25-06 19:00:00 PDT, 5 days to go and the opening bid of $2500 has already been set (when I wrote this entry).

Alamo.com has started a sweepstake where 100 lucky once could win a trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort.

You don’t have to rent a car to be able to win the prize as everybody can enter but with each qualified rental you get an extra 4 entries. Each extra entry is one extra chance to get one of the holiday prizes.

Registration can be done here

Could you wait until Christmas 2007 before you would by the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy DVD? That is still a long way away for the Pirates fan! But don’t worry, you can also buy the single or Double Collector’s edition Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest before the box date.

How many fans will buy the DVD of the second movie and will then again by the trilogy box in 2007? I think many will do so, because let’s be honest… who can wait to own that masterpiece on DVD.

(more…)

If you would like to see some of the Happiest Celebration on Earth prizes and what they are word head over to the Orlando Sentinal blog Dream Giveaways entry to see a value list.

Membership in the Disney Vacation Club (time-share condominium lease) - $83,701
Grand Marshal World Tour: 15-day tour of Disney’s 11 theme parks from Hong Kong to Paris - $45,370
Adventure By Disney: Viva Italia vacation with 9 days in Disney-affiliated resorts in Italy - $25,600
…

The combined value of all the prices is worth $17.4 million. Here you can see the previous blog entry with the full list (without Value) off all the prizes.

Whenever I go for the “sweet” Walt Disney World Halloween experience I will not miss another Haunt when I am in Orlando. Like I said it the first part; I love Halloween, so it is impossible to celebrate without a visit to some really scary haunts. The best place to do this when visiting Walt Disney World (in my opinion) is going to Halloween Horror Nights in Universal Studios. (starting 29th September)

Now the last thing I would do (as the Disney fanatic that I am) is lure away people from WDW to visit another park, but admittedly there is a lot of fun out there that will tempt me to get off Disney property and enjoy it.

Halloween Horror Night is one of those and one of my favorite events. I go to Mickey’s not so Scary Halloween party, but I will make sure to go to some (multiple) Halloween Horror Nights too during a “Halloween” visit

(more…)

After two full weeks touring in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, it was a great comfort to get back to Florida - even if the temperature was still in the 90sF (we’d actually had hotter in Virginia, where the temperature hit 100F several times and the heat index topped out at 115!). Florida - and Orlando - definitely feels like home to us, and we are lucky enough to live within a (long) stone’s throw of Disney, where we can see some of the Wishes fireworks each night.

Our long tour had shown up a lot of seriously attractive alternatives to the Florida experience, however, and we were perturbed to hear some people saying they thought the local tourist scene was suffering this summer (hint to Florida and Orlando tourism bodies - you need to be MUCH busier with your national and international marketing).

(more…)

While the rumors have been out there that the Illuminations show might changed next year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Epcot, new rumors popped up about the possible new date for the show and a new name: “IllumiNations: The SkyDance”! Don Dorsey might be attached to the project and if rumors are correct the show would replace “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth”, somewhere in 2009.

Personally this would make me happy as the current version is very close to my heart and I would hate to see it go, even if I know that the new version will be another masterpiece.

Picture from the Magic in Pixels

There is a list on Mousesavers.com of all the prizes that are part of the “Happiest Celebration on Earth” event and even as we already knew some of them (like the world trip) the list is very impressive.

3 Grand Marshal World Tours (15-day/14-night trip for 4 people, visiting Disneyland® Park, Disney’s California Adventure® Park, Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, Disneyland® Resort Paris, Walt Disney Studios® Paris, Tokyo Disneyland® Resort, Tokyo Disney Sea® Park, and Hong Kong Disneyland® Resort).

The idea of winning the prize to visit all parks in a world trip sound totally awesome to me. I have been dreaming of doing this myself, but now Disney is making sure 3 parties of 4 people will have the honors of experience this amazing dream prize.

(more…)