Mousekingdom Blog

OK - the Disney community is known for its lightning fast spreading of rumors and news … but unless I have been asleep for several months, this time something fell through the cracks. At least I can’t explain otherwise, that as far as I can see, noone is talking about the story that DailyBulletin.com released already on April 28.

It starts out rather uninteresting for most Disney/Pixar-fans with some general talk about the upcoming summer-feature “Ratatouille” and why it is different from all the other talking critters CG-movies. Then it gets more interesting when it says ”Bird was planning to follow “The Incredibles” with a live-action film.” But this had been a topic among Disney-fans already before. Where it really gets interesting is at the very end of the story, where it says: “As for that live-action film (possibly an entry from the “John Carter of Mars” series?), Bird says it’s next, and it will be for Pixar. ‘The company is evolving into a place where all kinds of movies, not just animated ones, can come out,’ Bird says.”

Now that - to me - is news. Pixar going to enter live-action movie making?? I had the impression that The Walt Disney Company was currently trying to differentiate its brands more strongly by concentrating on certain mediums, say CG-movies at Pixar, classic 2-D-animation (in the future once again) at Walt Disney (Feature) Animation etc. In fact weren’t they planning to actually get rid of some of their studio labels for live-action material?? And now this?!

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The Tokyo Disney Resort has been very successful in Japan; high attendance for the resort and Disneysea being an Imagineering success are proof of that. Oriental Land Company is the owner of the parks (paying royalties to Disney) and they are the once responsible for the success. Now they are looking into the possibility to add a third gate in Japan.

Although one might expect a third gate to open near the existing resort rumors indicate it might be located somewhere else. The Oriental Land Company is looking at one possible area in Southern Honshu. There is no indication how far away from the main park the new gate would be located. One thing is for sure; with the amazing DisneySea the imagineers have a very high standard to go for, this promising a superb looking third gate for the future. But remember, this is a first rumor and nothing is for sure as long as Disney and the Oriental Land Company don’t give out an official announcement.

source; Screamscape. Copyrights Picture; Map-of-Japan.org

Gore’s sick of pirates. If I wrote a scene that had to be shot on water, he’d run the other way.” (Jim Hill Media)

Looks like Gore Verbinski is done with pirates (although this doesn’t come from his mouth) while Johnny Depp would happily do some more follow up movies (but only if Gore Verbinski will direct it).

For more read the Jim Hill Media article.

From May 4 to June 30, 2007, Adventureland has been transformed into Pirateland celebrating the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. To support the Pirates at Hong Kong Disneyland Chow Yun Fat made a visit.

Chow Yun Fat, who plays the pirate Sao Feng in the upcoming movie Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End, visited Hong Kong Disneyland to experience the totally new Pirate Takeover.

When Chow Yun Fat came aboard the Pirates franchise (you get it, came aboard – Sorry for the silliness) I totally geek-ed out. Chow Yun Fat is my favorite actor and has been for a very long time. All you Disney fans, if you like his acting take the time to find some of his other great work. I know some don’t like to watch movies that are not taped in English, but give it a chance. Some of his best work include; “Hard Boiled” (my favorite), “The Killer”, “God of Gamblers”, “A Better Tomorrow” and “Crouching tiger, Hidden Dragon”, however there are a lot more. (Warning, the list above might be rated, check if the movie is appropriate for the persons watching them)

Pictures copyrights PRNewsFoto/Hong Kong Disneyland

All of us have already endured the special treatment as “captive audience”, meaning part of an audience / guest group which - for what ever reason - is bound to consume certain products or services in a set boundary or environment. Say on a trade fair, on the concourse of an airport behind the security check, … and we all have learned (the hard way) that pricing of e.g. food items in these areas clearly reflect that the customers are part of a “captive audience” and thus willing to pay a premium or unable to avoid paying a premium if they want to get a drink, snack, meal etc. No big news here. Obviously the same applies to theme or amusement parks, especially if we are talking about parks that are part of resorts such as Walt Disney World or the Disneyland Resort Paris, where (with very few exceptions such as the ESSO gas station or the shops in the train station) even the sales locations outside the gates are sort of seperated from the regular market.

In the mind of the general public in the meantime a hard rule as developed basically saying: ”theme park guests” = “captive audience” = higher prices for e.g. snacks. Combine that with the general perception of Disneyland Resort Paris in Europe as “expensive” and you have numerous potential guests who turn down a visit to DLRP based on not real pricing but assumed or expected pricing. But is DLRP really charging a premium wherever possible??

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