Creative teams at The Disneyland Resort are excited to share two new experiences with guests in 2013: ”Mickey and the Magical Map,” a show in Fantasyland Theatre, and Fantasy Faire, a storybook village near Sleeping Beauty Castle. A few cast members share their thoughts on the new experiences and how they were developed.
Live Entertainment at Disney Parks Kevin Eld, Head of Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment
- How a Disney story is different: “We are obsessed storytellers and we are obsessive about detail. … We all share a deep-seated passion about creating emotional moments. We get to touch people at the very core of their emotions. We want people to get lost in the story of ‘Mickey and the Magical Map.’”
“Mickey and the Magical Map,” Disneyland Park Michael Jung, Theatrical Development Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment
- Ties to Disney animation: “We wanted to take our guests on a magical journey that allowed them to visit beloved characters, songs and story lines that would really touch their hearts and remind them of some of their favorite moments in Disney animation, but in a whole new way – a very theatrical way that doesn’t replicate the films, but actually underscores and brings them to life in an adventurous way.”
- Mischievous Mickey: “We really wanted to bring back the kind of playful, energetic and slightly mischievous Mickey Mouse, to get in touch with the heart of this little rascal. Mickey picks up the paintbrush and he decides to try to paint the unfinished spot on the Map, which of course magically comes to life. There’s a wonderful story about the magic of the Map, and the fact that the unfinished spot is just like our imagination. As long there’s imagination left in the world, there are always new places to go, new dreams to have, new journeys to pursue.”
- Technology serves the story: “The technology of the map is very exciting, but we are doing everything we can to make it feel very painterly, to make sure that it blends into the atmosphere of Fantasyland in a magical way, and doesn’t feel very technological. The way it tells a story, and the way it activates the world of the show and appears interactive with the performance, will be very captivating. It will draw our audience into a magical, visual illusion.”
- Guest reaction: “I look forward to seeing our incredibly special audience respond to this. We know how important it is for them to find ways to spend time together, connecting and creating magical memories. We hope ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ will do that for them … And we hope they take away the moral Mickey learns, the power of being yourself and seeing what’s in front of you.”
Tracy Halas, Show Director, ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’
- Special connection to Fantasyland Theatre: “The most exciting part for me is that I started here as a performer almost 22 years ago, and my first show was actually on this stage at the Fantasyland Theatre. Now, on my own journey, I’m able to bring this really exciting show to guests, and to give new performers who are coming up a start on their own journey. It’s really an honor for me to be a part of this whole thing.”
- Contemporary ‘I Wan’na Be Like You’ Number: “We really wanted to reinvigorate and find a contemporary sort of hipness in the music. We use a lot of the paint buckets as drums and it’s a new feeling, really high energy and fun, hip dancing.”
Fantasy Faire, Disneyland Park
Michel Den Dulk, Fantasy Faire Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering
- A natural addition: “My goal as the creative director was for the new Fantasy Faire to meld into the existing Fantasyland naturally, so that in a couple of years when people visit the park for the first time, they won’t notice that this is a much later addition to Fantasyland.”
- All in the details: “When guests walk in, I hope they will be amazed by the amount of detail we’ve put into Fantasy Faire – with Figaro (sleeping on a window ledge) and Clopin (Clopin’s Music Box) and the Tangled Tower – and I hope this will be a great new location at Disneyland.”
- Inspired by classics: “For the architecture, I took a lot of inspiration from the classic Disney movies like ‘Pinocchio.’ There are references in the architecture to the way the backgrounds of ‘Pinocchio’ are drawn. I also took inspiration from Sleeping Beauty Castle. You’ll see that there are a lot of gold finials and beautiful banners and turrets that are similar to the castle.”
Christopher Utley, Show Director, Disneyland Resort Entertainment
- Royal Theatre shows: “The stories are presented by two storytellers, Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones, who have a Renaissance flair to them – they are men of the theater. At the same time, they are vaudevillians who perform their stories in a fast-paced, comedic and highly theatrical way. The Princesses, Belle and Rapunzel, are treated as royal guests and are invited to help Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones tell their stories.”
- Stories that touch the heart: “I hope our guests experience a change of heart, whether through a hearty laugh or a tender tear. I love both of these stories because they tell tales of characters who take personal journeys; they follow their hearts. They experience adventure, fear, laughter and love. Perhaps our guests, like the Beast, will lean to be a little kinder or, like our Princesses, a little more adventurous, reaching for things that their hearts desire, following their dreams.”
Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust
Sunshine
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