Mousekingdom Blog

It has well been over a year ago when I told everybody here how excited I was that Stan Lee would be working together with Disney. Now it finally looks like they have a new adventure ready to bring to the comics fans out there…

…to introduce a revolutionary new concept in original superheroes and the comic book format: “Time Jumper”, which will become the industry’s most ambitious digital comic book series ever designed to release on multiple platforms. (TH Online)

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If you’re a pig, living on a farm, your course in live is pretty much set from birth; You’ll get fed a lot and most probably, once fat enough, you’ll end up on somebodies plate! But if you’re a lucky enough pig and are born with a Mickey shaped birthmark on your back you might be very safe. One couple own a pig like this and want to make sure it has a long and healthy live.

Ideally, Miss Minnie Piggie would end up on a Disney-owned Florida farm and lead a pampered life in show biz (WISCnews.com)

Picture copyrights Tim Damos / News Republic

Donaldson stands for quality and expensive clothing. One of the reasons it was so high priced is the fact that they needed to pay Disney a lot of money for licences to use Mickey on their clothing. During the 80 and 90 they did this with big success, but recently they have been in financial trouble, ditched the Disney licence and tried to start over with a unknown dog as a new symbol for their clothing.

Unfortunately, saving on the Disney licence didn’t help them as they have just filed for bankruptcy. The Belgium company has been given some extra time to come up with a sollution (in comparison with the chapter 11 in the US).

I wonder if getting rid of Mickey was the way to save the company in the first place as you can’t say Donaldson without thinking about the Disney characters in the first place…

Mickey Mouse has a big impact on American history, an impact that goes far beyond American boundaries. Just look at the theme parks around the world, the movies playing in thousand theaters and the millions of toys in the shops. Even if you don’t have a Disney holiday, most likely you will still encounter some sort of Disney on your trip (or near your home). You can also ask what cartoon character is the most known in the world; I am pretty confident that Mickey Mouse will make it on the top spot as most well known cartoon character. Mickey (and his friends) are everywhere, even making an impact on our daily lives.

But what about the impact on Mickey Mouse and Disney from the outside? It’s a question that popped up in my head, more specifically the impact of today and in the (near) future! Let’s have a look at some possible theories (I think) that has have impact on the mouse and that might form the future look of Disney. Let’s do so starting with the biggest influence at the moment; PIXAR!

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One million views and counting! Time to celebrate ClickMagique’s PicParade…

ClickMagique’s PicParade is loaded with more then 8000 Disney related pictures and recently had the honors of the 1.000.000th picture being blended in. Only the pictures that are actually opened will be counted, so we can honestly say that this is an impressive result. This result can only by accomplished because of you, the fans and visitors, so a big thank you for sharing your pictures on ClickMagique’s PicParade and a big thank you to all visiting and looking at the pictures too.

The picture that was blended in on 1.000.000 was the picture of Tigger walking past “It’s a Small World” waiving at the photographer in Disneyland Resort Paris. A very nice picture to celebrate this mile stone. But it isn’t enough. We want more!

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And now Six Flags has announced they will be building a park in Dubai… A deal has been announced that Tatweer, member of Dubai Holding, will build Six Flags DUBAILAND. It will bring attractions like The Wiggles, Tony Hawk but also new original shows and concepts to Dubai. Included in the deal are also Six Flags hotels, restaurants, other theme pars and waterparks to be build in the Arab world. Ground breaking for the Dubai park should begin in 2009.

Tatweer has now several theme park projects for Dubai including the Tiger Woods Dubai, Universal Studios Dubailand, the Dreamworks Animation park, the Hit Entertainment park and the Global Village project.

With the announcement of Shamu going to Dubai and all the other projects that are going on one wonders if Disney isn’t missing an opportunity here.

Picture Copyrights Six Flags

Dubai has been putting itself on the map big time! To become the biggest vacation destination they have already surprised us many time. If it is the islands they build, or the amazing theme parks that are announced, it all sounds awesome. Next on the list; Shamu! (See Previous Entry from Dirk “Where can you find Seaworld and Universal”

On The Palm Jebel Ali on the section known as “the Crown”, 4 new parks will be build in one big resort; “Worlds Of Discovery” including SeaWorld, Aquatica, Busch Gardens, and Discovery Cove. The resort will be on the tip of the palm and will be in the form of “Shamu”.

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Moving house is great and stressful at the same time. Our new home is amazing, but the packing and moving wasn’t that much fun. On the other hand I did get to see some of my Disney gems I collected over the years but for some reason could never display, or even forgot about. In the new house I’ll have some more room for all my Disney stuff (Although I did have to promise not to go over the top, displaying to much), but it will a while before the unpacking will begin.

Not only is most of my Disney stuff packed in boxes at the moment, I am also short on Blogging time because of the move. I really miss it when I can’t be here but I have to set my priorities to the new house; No worries of course, I’ll be back with many stories, starting with my visit to Disneyland Resort Paris later this week. I’ll be going to my home park on Wednesday, in time for the shareholders meeting the next day and some park magic too (of course). I’m looking forwards to experiencing our Tower of Terror for the first time. But that’s not al; I promised myself to buy one more nice item that will find a nice place in my new home.

See you on the blog, or who knows, in Disneyland Resort Paris…

You might not be able to live the life of Peter Pan but you can live in the house opposite Kensington Gardens park in central London where the story has been created by the writer James Matthew Barrie.

The 6 bedroom house is on the market for 6.75 million pounds (8.88 million euros, 13.22 million dollars).

Writer James Matthew (J. M.) Barrie lived in the house and met five boys in Kensington Gardens who inspired his creation at the turn of the 20th century.

As well as two large living and entertaining rooms the 3,377 square foot (313 square metre) Victorian home has a study, a dining room, a kitchen, while the bedrooms are adjoined by one en suite and a full-size bathroom, as well as two balconies. (Yahoo News)

Picture Copyrights AFP.com

Have you even been to a tradeshow? I did, when I still owned my comic book store. I was lucky enough to be at the San Diego Comic Convention and on the New York Action Figures and Toys convention “Toy Fair“. Both times I did some great deals and was I able to take some dream stuff home that my customers loved.

However, never ever did I think of making a link between the tradeshow exhibitors and the Winnie the Pooh gang, but according to the following article you’ll find Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, owl and thier friend Christopher Robin somewhere between all the exhibitors…

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We are already 7 days into the new year before I could make it into the blog for some updates and stories.  I guess I’ll have to set my new years resolutions to come here and put a lot of updates online. So, with that out of the way let’s get on and see what kind of Disney year this will be (for me). 

One big chance in my plans is my Walt Disney World visit this year… well the plan has changed into “it’s not going to happen”. That right, my planned WDW visit for 2008 fell into the water. The good news is the reason though, as we bought a new house and we will move into next month. Some more good news, lots of extra room for all my Disney stuff I collected over the years (it is way to much stuff). Now I’ll finally have a big office room where I can (partially) display some of my precious items or where I can store some of my other items. For those interested, my biggest collection consist out of Cast Member magazines (including some Imagineering stuff). Although I love the whole Disney magic, I love the behind the scene stuff so much it came to be my biggest collection (I guess I worked to long in the theater, the reason why I might love to know so much about the stuff that happens behind the scene)

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It is always great to spend new years in Disneyland, seeing all the things you love (rides, shows etc) with that great little “plus” atmosphere which only new years can give! It is even better to spend it with friends; as much as most of my “Disney friends” (to give it a “group name” but the over all friendshp feeling created by Disney goes well behond such a steroptyped group name) could not make it I found myself sharing a room with a dear old good friend (who stands this crazy fastpass adict Italian since a long time ) and really enjoying this strange trip! Why am I calling it strange you might ask? Well I have to admit lately I have been using DLRP to the extreme as “home base” for my French business trips etc.  My company has set up a commercial company in France (which I have been assigned to as head from Italy) and the company is actually based in Lagny sur marne! Where is Lagny you might ask? Well next time you are riding Indiana jones look to your right on the first hill and 2 km straight you will see my office!

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Happy New Year to all our visitors, fellow Disney fans and of course to Mickey and the whole gang and to all Cast Members too.

Another year has passed and we can get ready for the next one. I hope that all of your Disney wishes my come true, including many park visits for all of you. Yes, its pretty much what I wish for myself too, lots of visits to a Disney park. I hope too see all of you back here after your celebrations are over so we can continue to share Disney magic for many more years to come…

Happy New Year

Don’t worry, they’ve done nothing wrong, they are being called in as key witnesses against a Chinese man who tried to make money using their images on counterfeit toys. No, this is no joke but both have been requested by Italian court to appear on a court hearing.

Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck will finally get their day in court if summons served by judicial authorities in Italy are to be believed. Signor Topolino (Mickey Mouse) and Signor Paperino (Donald Duck) “are kindly instructed to appear before the Naples Tribunal on December 7,” reads a copy of the summons, obtained by Milan-based daily Corriere della Sera and published Tuesday. (Earth Times)

How’s that for a bureaucratic blunder! While Judicial authorities didn’t have an answer on the mistake, it is pretty sure both Disney stars will not show up on the set court date.

If you’re in for some Disney history and future check out this interview with Walt Disney Pictures Chairman Dick Cook (The People at the Disney Studios know him as Dick and not Richard Cook). He talks about a fire in 1970 on the Disneyland monorail, how he got the best ice cream in El Capitan and about the new Jungle Cruise movie we can expect in the near future.

There will be a family involved. The skipper will play a very important role. He’ll be more of an Indiana Jones kind of guy, with a little Jack Sparrow in him, who’s going to be able to take this family on an adventure that they never dreamed they were going to be on when they first got on board. In true Disney fashion, it will definitely have the adventure and the intensity—but also the heart and the fun. We hope we have a good outline of where we want to go and what we want to do with it in the next year. (BoxOfficeMojo)

That’s not all as this is a very long interview filled with great information we Disney fans love to hear about. Other items you’ll read about are the Pirates, Peter Pan, Narnia, Star Wars, and the movie Song of the South

It’s a great movie, a great piece of art. It’s a part of our history and our heritage. I’m sure at some point in time it will find its way—we’re just trying to think of the right and proper way of getting it out there. We’ll find the right balance of being respectful and honoring the work that has been done. (BoxOfficeMojo)

Read the whole interview here.

This is a “happy blog”; a blog in which Andy, Dirk, Stefan , Simon and all the rest of us write about our love for Disney, our love for entertainment, our passion for all things “Disney” and in which we all appreciate the way in which this passion (insane one, according to some) allows us to find new friends most often not even close , physically speaking, to us. Today I realised even more the effect Disney has on me! You  see this morning I was woken up by one of those phonecalls which you never want to recieve; a school friend of mine died this saturday night of breast cancer at the always too young age of 30! I knew her since kindergarden and shared every school year from todler age to high school with her. Obviously due to university and life you tend to loose some day to day relationship but every time I saw her I couldn’t help but think what a blossoming flower of  passion and life Laura was! It obviously hurts to know that someone which you shared so much with is no longer here; but I am pretty sure that from up there she would be thinking that all of our lifes need to go on and that if she taught us something this is to always smile and to face life (and death) in a clear way: head on and with a clean soul. Well, as you can imagine I was pretty much in the dumps today. As ridiculous as it seems Disney helped me out! This weekend the Italian press office,  just like many other DLRP marketing offices, had organised the Xmas season press event! For my country one of the main events was having the most heard Italian radio play live from plaza gardens its sunday program running from 14 pm to 17 pm! Well hearing the DJ’s talk about there Disney experience, talk about how wonderful inspiring the park was, how the enchanted xmas ceremony   brought shivers down there spines and all the rest of the wonderful sensations I (and you I guess) get everytime we are there allowed me to distract from my loss and smile!The work done by everybody in Paris, and by local people (such as my friends over here in the Milan offices) has the power not only to make dreams come true but most of all, how Walt would have most probably said to allow for the real world to stay outside those gates and for a few hours (moments for me…and at a physical distance) leave all your worries behind. Thank you Walt, thank you Disney Cast members, with all your work you have once again allowed someone to still think that there is a little bit of hope left in this world. Walt would be proud, and my friend Laura would be smiling   

Well, by the time you read this I’ll have boarded an airplane to Orlando for a nice 10 day visit at Walt Disney World. We have a full program booked, including a viewing of the space shuttle take off, Halloween Horror Night visit and a Bush Garden visit. The rest of the time it will be Disney, Disney, Disney….

Obviously this will reflect my presence on the blog. No regular news and gossip, no rumors or stories from me…

I will not make any promises but do come to the blog to see if I found a little time to say hi from the best place in the world. You can expect a lot of Disney Magic after my return. Trip reports and Walt Disney World magic and more…

Visiting Orlando (or the US in general) hasn’t become easier over the last years for non US citizens. Airfare prices, long security check ins, it’s all keeping away many potential future visitors. Looking at an European view (living in Europe) I see many people enjoying a holiday closer to home not willing to spend the extra money and loose all that time checking in and going true the many security procedures. Obviously the procedures and security standards are there for a reason, and while I have no problem with them, many others just don’t want to take part into this long “getting there” part.

My next trip alone will cost me 15 hours from airport to airport (this includes an unfortunately long 4 hours stop over in Newark). Include the minimum 2 hour you need to be at the airport before leaving, getting to the airport and getting to Walt Disney World afterwards. I am looking at a 20 hour day… Not something I am looking forwards too (my holiday starts when I arrive, not when I leave my door), but at the end it will have been worth it, being the Disney Geek I am.

But like I said, this is not for everybody. A little closer for most Europeans (but also for others) is Dubai. Could Dubai become their new Orlando destination for those people?

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Today Roald Dahl would have turned 91 (9/13/1916 - 11/23/1990) - if Google wouldn’t have come up with a special overlay for the logo on its website to honor the author, I would have missed this anniversary … but the logo immediately reminded me that Roald Dahl is not only the author behind such all time favorite stories as “Matilda” (the capital “G” of Google shows Matilda Wormwood enjoying her passion of reading books) or “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (twice a very successful moviebut not for Disney; the “l” in Google is depicted by a chocolare bar with the golden ticket from the story in the packaging) and penned the story for the movie-musical “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (for which the Disney veterans Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman penned the songs and music) - no he is also the author of “James and the Giant Peach” which is represented by the giant peach featuring the tiny James as the second “o” in the Google-logo. And that story is actually what reminded me of the connection between Roald Dahl and Disney…

After all the 1961 story of Roald Dahl was made into a motion picture of the same name by Walt Disney Pictures in 1996, featuring a mix of live action and stop motion. Produced by Tim Burton the movie was in a way the “follow up” to the cult-hit “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas” but never reached its predecessor’s success and status - even so Randy Newman (who later penned the scores and songs amongst others for the Disney Pixar movies “Toy Story” and ”Toy Story 2″) with an entertaining score and songs fitting the pleasantly strange story by Roald Dahl. But wouldn’t this anniversary be a great day to watch the movie for the first time (or rewatch it)?? If you do so, take a close look at the skeletons in the pirate ship scene - there is one looking like Jack Skellington from “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas”, while another skeleton features the bill, cap, jacket and voice of Donald Duck!!

And before I get too man e-mails complaining: yes, there is also an earlier connection between Roald Dahl and Disney! Roald Dahl wrote the story “The Gremlins” about little mischievous creatures who later on help the Royal Airforce during the 2nd world war. The story was published in 1943 and optioned by Walt Disney for a movie which was never produced. But the original print run of the book featured beautiful drawings by the artists of the Walt Disney Studios. Being long out of print a year ago a re-print with the original illustrations was issued that is still available from the major retailers such as Amazon (for a look at same of the drawings head over to Jim Hill who did a story about the re-release).

… my god … finally … I couldn’t have waited much longer … the Daytime EMMYs past June didn’t even work as a quick fix for me … I just need my regular awards … big scale awards … worth clogging up this blog together with Andy with endless posts about who won and how well or bad the Walt Disney Company with its various outlets did fare in a particular award season … and now the ball is finally rolling again.

Coming Sunday the 59th Primetime EMMY Awards will be presented in the Shrine Auditorium - and fans have a chance to watch the ceremony on FOX in the US (in Germany the telecast is relayed live on Pro7). So how is Disney poised to do in the 59th Primetime EMMY Awards?

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