Disney World’s “Fab 50 Statues” To Get Pixie-Dusted

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 21, 2023

 

In walking around Magic Kingdom recently, my family joked that Florida was continuing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort, instead of Disney100 (honoring the company’s founding), since the golden 50th anniversary character statues were still making their homes throughout the four parks.  We thought by now, a full half-year after the 18-month long 50th celebration ended in March, the figures would have been re-homed somewhere.

The adorable statues had arrived in the parks just a few weeks ahead of the October 1, 2021, celebratory kick-off, and maybe the figures just didn’t want the party to be over. In any case, they were a fun addition to the atmosphere of the parks, and it turned into a bit of an unplanned scavenger hunt trying to locate favorite Disney characters. We especially enjoyed finding our pals in Hollywood Studios.

If you aren’t familiar with the statues, there were 50 (give or take, depending on how you counted the characters or character groupings) small sculptures scattered around the four parks, and when you waved your MagicBand+ at the medallion at the base of the statue, the character would respond with lines or sounds from their respective films. Mostly. (They were notorious for taking too much time to reset between guests, and sometimes not really responding at all.)

Now, Walt Disney World has announced that the medallions will be getting a refresh – Imagineers will be “pixie-dusting” the golden 50th anniversary versions to enable guests to continue interacting with their favorite Disney friends for future trips.

It seems that those beautiful statues will be making their permanent homes in the parks after all! Let’s keep the party going! 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

“Disney’s Illusion Island” Review: Filling a Mickey-Shaped Void

 written and photographed by Jonathan Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 29, 2023

 

Disney has a long history with video games, dating all the way back to 1981 with the game Mickey Mouse, a release in Nintendo’s Game & Watch series. Of course, given the library that Disney has developed (both in-house and through acquisition) their licensed video games have expanded to include their iconic princess characters, Disney renaissance films, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and all the other various “brands” you can imagine that are umbrellaed under the Disney company. Despite working with numerous other notable video game publishers over the years (Sega, Atari, Activision, EA, etc.) and having virtually every Disney character you can imagine have some connection to a video game, Disney’s most recent video game entry comes back to what was established in 1981: Mickey Mouse and Nintendo. 

Disney’s Illusion Island was released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch in late July of 2023. The game revolves around Disney’s Fab Four set of characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy) on a quest to become heroes by defending Monoth Island. Their hero’s journey is defined by collecting stolen artifacts (deemed Tomes) and returning them to the rightful owners. Of course, there are twists and turns along the way, but the game is more explicitly focused on gameplay than it is story. 

By my own admission, I was surprised by the style of gameplay for Illusion Island, having done no research as to what the game was before I started playing. I had seen some of the artwork and a few short clips, but I mostly went in blind in relation to the specifics of the game. From the little marketing I had seen, I assumed Illusion Island was going to be in the style of the Mario 2-D platformers. Instead, the game firmly fits in the Metroidvania subgenre. Sprawling maps, unlocking new abilities, frequent backtracking and exploration to find new paths – these Metroidvania hallmarks are all present within Illusion Island.

The player (or players, as Illusion Island allows for couch co-op with up to four players) begins by selecting one of the Fab Four. Note that the differences between these characters are purely aesthetic. They all play the exact same way and feature the same abilities – the only difference is that the form the abilities take corresponds to the personality of the character selected. Personally, I spent most of the game using Goofy as I felt his style was the most unique out of all four. 

Once you select your character, you begin the game with the ability to run and jump. As the game progresses, the player also unlocks other abilities such as double jumping, rail-skating, hovering, ground-pounding and swinging. There are no ways to “attack” the enemies found on Monoth Island. Instead, the gameplay is made up of finding ways to platform around or avoid entirely the various enemies the player will encounter. Similarly, in the few boss fights that occur throughout the game, there are objectives that the player must complete opposed to directly “fighting” the various characters. 

 

While Illusion Island falls squarely in the Metroidvania category (a subgenre often known for being challenging), this is most certainly a family friendly take on this style of gameplay. In fact, many parents or older siblings may find this to be a wonderful couch co-op experience to introduce younger gamers to this genre. Illusion Island will never be outright difficult or confusing for the seasoned gamer, but it does exist as an excellent entry point for younger players or those with no experience with Metroidvania style games. 

From my limited video game experience, Illusion Island reminds me the most of the Rayman series of games. This includes gameplay, but also the visual style has a strong resemblance to the Rayman series. In fact, in my research for this review, I found out that Aj Grand-Scrutton, the creative director of Illusion Island and CEO of the game’s developer Dlala Studios, cited Rayman Legends and Ori and The Blind Forest as inspirations for Illusion Island. I would describe the art style for Illusion Island as a cross between Rayman and the character designs for Mickey and friends that debuted in 2013 with Mickey Mouse Shorts. While not exactly the designs featured in Mickey Mouse Shorts and “Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway,” it falls closer to those designs than what some fans may expect as “classic” Mickey.

 

However, I think these designs in Illusion Island are an improvement over the often-controversial designs found in the previously mentioned projects. The Illusion Island team does a good job of taking what does work about the Mickey Mouse Shorts designs and making them feel a bit more classic (Goofy, in particular, gets an improved look). However, if fans are expecting a Mickey Mouse video game that explores iconic locations or side characters from Mickey’s 100 year history – they may be disappointed. Outside of the main four characters, all other characters are original creations for this game. In the same vein, the locations are new to both Mickey and the player. Some may be disappointed by this, but it allows Illusion Island to have an identity unique to itself. This does not mean, though, that the game is void of easter eggs and references to Mickey’s history.

 

On the topic of art direction and design, Illusion Island features eleven fully animated story cutscenes. These are a welcome addition to the final product. Whereas the developers could have simply put cutscenes at the beginning and end (or omitted them entirely), the animations being sprinkled throughout the game help bring it to life. It also helps that these cutscenes (and the writing in general) is often funny. Whoever wrote the interactions between the characters understood that the humor would need to appeal to families – meaning both the target demographic of younger players as well as something for parents or older siblings. This shines through in the cutscenes, with full voice acting from the Disney-approved voice actors, but comes through in the text-only scenes as well. 

 

The value of collectibles in Illusion Island will depend on the player’s level of interest in Mickey Mouse’s film history. For me, this was the highlight of the game. The two noteworthy types of collectibles in Illusion Island are hidden Mickeys and Mickey Memorabilia. The hidden Mickeys are a fantastic, if not obvious, addition to the game. Made famous throughout the Disney Parks and a whole host of additional Disney media, Illusion Island sprinkles hidden Mickeys throughout Monoth Island as a motivator for players to find and photograph. 

Beyond this, what I think made the exploration truly enjoyable, was the addition of Mickey Memorabilia. Pieces of Mickey’s long film history have been hidden across the island in gold bags. This covers a wide range of Mickey shorts from the 1930s all the way up to 2020. The memorabilia includes various props and trophies that are heavily featured in famous Mickey shorts and films like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mickey and the Beanstalk, The Three Musketeers, Potatoland and so many more. These additions to the game prove that the developers were not just simply making another licensed Disney game, but were folding in 100 years of storytelling from Disney. 

Disney’s Illusion Island is not a perfect game. The backtracking can often get tiring, experienced players may find the game too simple, and if you are not already a fan of Mickey or Disney in general you likely won’t find much value here. However, if one is looking for an entry-level Metroidvania game on the shorter side, it becomes very easy to recommend Illusion Island. This sentiment is increased infinitely more if you or those in your family are dedicated Mickey fans. While most are likely to see an okay platformer starring Mickey Mouse, I can’t help but see something we do not get much anymore. In an era where Disney has focused mostly on mobile phone games for its licensed properties (especially Mickey) that are designed to have the user continuously dump small amounts of money into the app, Illusion Island is an original story Mickey Mouse game released for a console. It is a fully finished product that a talented team of developers put time and care into. If you are at all nostalgic for the Disney game era of entries like Epic Mickey, Illusion Island might fill that Mickey-shaped void. 

 

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Jonathan Keating is a contributing writer and photographer to DisneyBizJournal.

Are Character Cavalcades Enough Fun For Now?

by Beth Keating

Feature Story

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 1, 2020

I’m not a thrill ride aficionado. While the rest of the family is coursing through the darkened galaxy on Space Mountain, or soaking themselves splashing down Chickapin Hill, I’m probably running around the park collecting character photos. Photopass photographers are my absolute favorite cast members in the whole park. Admittedly, I once booked a really crummy character meal, knowing it was going to be lackluster at best, just so I could get photos with certain characters in their special holiday outfits. (Yep, looking at you, Hollywood Studios…)

So, when Disney World reopened following its COVID-19 closure, I held my breath, waiting to see how the characters would re-materialize in their old haunts. I knew that in a socially-distanced world, character meet-and-greets would be a big no-no. 

My family had a late summer trip planned, and with specialty events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party cancelled, and the Food and Wine Festival scaled back, we weren’t so sure about spending the money on the trip. Plus, is it really closing time at the Magic Kingdom if you haven’t seen the Happily Ever After fireworks?

We cancelled our trip, rationalizing that if we weren’t going to get the most bang for our buck, we’d wait out the virus and try again at a later date. Plus, you know, virus.

Well, late summer came, and I found myself unexpectedly in Florida on a research trip. I swear, I didn’t plan to head to the parks. I even told my son I wasn’t going. But the plane wheels had barely touched down at MCO before my car pulled into Disney Springs, all on its own volition. I took care of some business the next day, but the siren’s call of the Kingdom was too much for me. I was soooo close! I could very nearly see the castle from the highway… I made a last minute reservation, and off I went.

The princesses were there to greet me as soon as I crossed under the train station. Heading from the shadowed tunnel into that brilliant sunlight as you enter the “world of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy” (you know exactly where I’m talking about!), there was a socially-distanced crowd staring right back at me. I knew they couldn’t be there to greet me, since no one except the cast member at the reservation line knew I was coming, but why were all those people looking in my direction?

Turned out they weren’t looking at me at all. They were waving happily back at the princesses holding court at the top of the train station. Cinderella, Aurora, Jasmine, and Ariel, along with the Fairy Godmother, were welcoming guests to their Magic Kingdom day.   

I had barely made it to the hub when – cue the music – along came Tinkerbell spreading her pixie dust along Main Street. It was the first of several times I would see Tink’s float sparkling past the guests that day in an unscheduled “character cavalcade.”

Next it was off to Tomorrowland, to battle the evil Emperor Zurg. It’s always one of my first rides of the day when I’m in the Magic Kingdom. It was only fitting then that the first character I’d come across outside the ride would be Buzz Lightyear on the Tomorrowland stage. While I wasn’t able to get my picture with him, per se, Buzz was doing a great job entertaining the Space Rangers gathered at the foot of the stage without being huggably close. The Magic Kingdom was pretty quiet that day anyway, but each of the cadets assembled in front of the stage were able to get some individual attention from Buzz, with a pretty good angle for the Moms and Dads to get “selfie-esque” pictures with Buzz presiding in the background. Later in the day, Stitch would also show up, creating his own brand of mischief on the stage.  

So far, so good. I’d managed to see a few of my favorite characters, and I’d only been in the park a short time. I cut across the hub again on my way to Pirates, but I found myself pausing in front of the castle for another unscheduled cavalcade. This time, Goofy and company came parading through, with dancers and stilt walkers leading the way. Goofy would pass my way at least two more times that day.

The big moment came when Mickey and Minnie paraded their way through the park, complete with their 90^th Anniversary celebration outfits on. Later, Mickey and gang would replace the princesses on the train station balcony to interact with guests. I guess it was because it was time for the princesses to retire to their princess float so that they could go on a royal tour through the Magic Kingdom as they waved to miniature versions of themselves along their travel route. 

Hidden throughout the park were a few other special treats to see characters. Coming around the back side of the castle, I was surprised to hear a few raised voices. It wasn’t really shouting, but it was louder than your average park conversation. Looking up at where the commotion was coming from, I spied Anastasia and Drizella, Cinderella’s stepsisters, bickering with each other, and entertaining guests from the second floor balcony of the castle. It was a slightly different take on the character interactions, because this time the characters were “face characters” who had the ability to “chat” with guests.

Toward the end of my day, I also had the opportunity to hear the brass sounds of the Main Street Philharmonic as they paraded through Frontierland.

While I didn’t see them during my time at the Magic Kingdom, there are also cavalcades by the Hundred Acre Wood gang, Aladdin and his friends, and even a spot for Jack Sparrow to give his own brand of advice to guests. You won’t see these activities listed in your times guide, however, because they are meant to be “spontaneous” in order to keep crowds from forming and getting too close to each other. The cavalcades were fairly frequent, though, and perhaps even more magical than if I’d lined up an hour before to see a parade, simply because they did occur so unexpectedly. 

While I was only visiting the Magic Kingdom that day, each of the parks has their own style of character appearances to enchant guests, including floating parades on the river at Animal Kingdom.

It may not have been a personalized autographed session with Mickey, or a buffet with “the Fab 5,” but Disney certainly did a better job than I was expecting of incorporating character appearances into the parks.  Character sightings were more abundant than I had anticipated, and while things may be different during the recovery from COVID-19, I was happy to see that our favorite characters hadn’t gone far.

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

Are You Missing Having Fun with Disney Park Characters?

by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 5, 2020

With the Florida, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai Parks reopening with limited character interactions under COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, you might be missing giving Mickey a hug or dancing with Goofy at Chef Mickey’s. (That’s a double whammy….No buffets and no character close-ups right now!) Enchanting interactions with the characters are what make waiting in meet-and-greet lines for an hour worth the wait (or make paying astronomical prices for mediocre buffet food worth the investment of time and money)!

If you need a quick shot of characters doing silly stuff with actual humans, check out this short (six minutes or so) compilation of character exchanges with Gijs Van Winkelhof. We’ve featured Gijs on this site before. He’s the extraordinary, self-taught piano player from the Netherlands who performs at the Disneyland Hotel in Disneyland Paris. (See our DisneyBizJournal review of his performances here.)

Gijs offers us a peek at his shows at Café Fantasia in Paris, with a half dozen Disney characters who randomly pop in to visit. The Fab Five unexpectedly show up at various times to try to steal the show, and a few even attempt to play the piano with Gijs. There’s a fair amount of dancing going on as well, with characters visiting with guests in the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel while Gijs keeps the music going. Among the songs featured are “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Mickey Mouse Club March,” “Part of Your World” (The Little Mermaid), and “A Whole New World” (Aladdin), while Tigger and Goofy, Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Pluto do what they do best. Goofy especially has a good time with “Jingle Bells.” 

Sadly, this is as close as we may get to a character interaction for the time being!  Disney has promised character appearances in the park, but from what we’ve seen in the already-opened parks, these character sightings are being done in creative ways to allow guests to see their favs, while still keeping the “stars” at a protective distance for both families’ and cast members’ safety.

Thanks to Gijs for sharing these guest videos of his piano performances with his Disney buddies. Hopefully, it will tide you over while you wait for your own chance to interact with the Disney crew.

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.