Tag: Disney

Read “Cast Member Confidential” for behind-the-scenes Disney fun

Post author By web gangsta
Post date August 20, 2010
1 Comment on Read “Cast Member Confidential” for behind-the-scenes Disney fun

Cast Member Confidential -a Disney Employee Memoir

If you’re a Disney park fan, then one thing that you’re probably interested in is some of the behind-the-scenes stories about what it’s REALLY like to work at the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Sure, you could read KEVIN YEE’s book MOUSETRAP: MEMOIR OF A DISNEYLAND CAST MEMBER, or maybe even Inside the Mouse: Work and Play at Disney World, The Project on Disney, based on interviews with former Disney employees. Both are excellent books for what they cover, and Web Watch recommends them highly.

But sometimes works like those can offer some views of life at Walt Disney World or Disneyland that are a bit more whitewashed than how things actually were. Looking at working at the Mouse with rose-colored glasses, if you will.

Sometimes we want to see a truth that’s a bit more unadulterated and unfiltered.

Sometimes we want to really pull back the curtain and see what life really is like to work as a cast member at one of the World’s Busiest Theme Parks.

Tags alcohol, Book, Characters, Disney, Epcot, theme parks, Tigger, Walt Disney World

Disney How To Websites

How to take a photograph of a popular location without any people in it

Post author By web gangsta
Post date August 5, 2010

Photobomb!

The Photobomb. It was a great picture… until somebody walked into the shot.

When it comes to vacation pictures at popular tourist destinations, a photobomb is inevitable. Someone always will get in your way as you try to take that once-in-a-lifetime shot.

Web Watch’s friend Chip recently posted an article entitled HOW TO GET THOSE EMPTY DISNEY PARK PHOTOS where he goes on to describe an elaborate process that many people do in order to get that classic “nobody is in front of the Castle” shot down Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom.

While Web Watch was able to get our own photo of the Castle without any people in it by running down Main Street immediately after the rope-drop and taking the picture before the throngs of madly-rushing people behind us got in our way (it’s a great picture, in case you were wondering) – Chip’s solution is to make an early-morning breakfast reservation in the park, and take your picture while you’re heading over to the restaurant before the park opens for the day.

While Chip’s answer offers a more leisurely method of getting the photo compared to our rope-drop version, there’s still an infinitely easier way to get that same “ghost town” effect on any photo that you want to have of a big, popular tourist destination.

Tags Disney, How To, photography, Photoshop, website

Disney Funny Video

Video Fun: Disney Character FAILs

Post author By web gangsta
Post date July 31, 2010

Mickey Never Fails

As the book says, MICKEY MOUSE NEVER FAILS.

Supposedly.

But sometimes Mickey does have a bit of a bad day. As do many of Mickey’s Disney pals around Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the other Disney theme parks.

Because being a walkaround character (sometimes called “rubberheads” or “FUR CHARACTERS” by some) is not always the best job to have in the theme park.

Your vision is hindered, if you can see at all. The costumes are heavy, unbearably hot, awkward to manuever in, and not often cleaned to smell as fresh as they should be. You’re often kicked, poked, prodded, propositioned, and occasionally abused by children young and old-enough-to-know-better.

Yes, being a Disney Costumed Character has been called ONE OF THE WORST JOBS AT DISNEY specifically because of the high accident/injury rate associated with it according to INSIDE THE MOUSE, a book based on interviews with former park employees.

And with all that, the employees who act as “friends of” each character continue to do so in order to bring smiles to the faces of every park visitor. And for putting up with all that, and doing their job well — we at Web Watch salute you.

Tags Characters, Disney, Epcot, Tigger, Video, Walt Disney World

10 Things Disney Movies

Can you name the top merchandised film of the past 18 months?

Post author By web gangsta
Post date June 28, 2010

Profit from your Idea via Smart Licensing

Web Watch has previously covered HOW MUCH MONEY THE DISNEY CORPORATION MAKES ON POOH AND MICKEY MERCHANDISE, and it should come as no surprise that licensing of film characters — whether it be from any of the Disney-Pixar canon, to action heros, to Harry Potter, or to those appearing in the Twilight series — is all big, big business and massive money makers for those who hold the character licensing rights.

But can you name which are the TOP TEN FILMS WITH FILM MERCHANDISE over the past 18 months, based solely on the amout of imported licensed products that have been coming through customs (in other words, not counting anything made in the USA)?

Tags 10 Things, business, Disney, Movies, Pixar, Toys, Winnie the Pooh

Disney Movie Review Movies

Movie Review: Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 poster

Rated G for being appropriate for all ages, and a must-see for everyone. Remember, a “G” rating or that the film is animated does not mean that the film is intended to be seen only by children.
Rating: A+

TOY STORY 3 is the latest film from Disney-Pixar, and completes the Toy Story trilogy that had releases in 1995 and 1999. While the first two Toy Story films were made four years apart, Web Watch will estimate that only 2 years of movie-time passed for the characters in the film. On the other hand, Toy Story 3 was released 11 years after Toy Story 2, and the filmmakers decided to run the movie clock those eleven years as well – which means that it’s time for the toy’s owner, Andy, to head off to college.

Tags closing credits alert, Dismarks, Disney, Disney Store, game, Movie Review, Movies, Pixar

Disney shopping

Improving Disney Shopping, Part 5: Tigger Watch 2011 revisited

Post author By web gangsta
Post date June 4, 2010

Tigger
Tigger

Web Watch last had a TIGGER WATCH article almost a year ago, which is plenty of time to have passed to see if Disney has been paying attention and improved the Disney Shopping Experience.

We were prompted to revisit TIGGER WATCH 2011 due to popular Disney blogger JIM HILL’s recent column entitled DISNEY’S GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH WINNIE the POOH. Why? Because there are some things in Jim Hill’s article that just didn’t seem to add up.

Jim Hill quotes Andy Mooney, Chairman of Disney Consumer Products, as saying that Disney has “done a lot of research” regarding the Pooh characters and marketing franchise. Mr Mooney states, ““We talked with a lot of mothers. Who do most of the buying when it comes to Winnie the Pooh merchandise.” He continues, “What we’re really looking to do here is return these characters to their roots. Try and recapture what made them so popular, so desirable in the first place.”

Tags business, D23, Disney, Disney Catalog, Disney Store, shopping, Tigger, Tigger Watch

10 Things Disney Movies

The 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movies Ever Made

Post author By web gangsta
Post date June 3, 2010

Growing up, we all remember being taken to see certain movies with our parents and wondering why they thought that seeing these films would be a good idea.

Web Watch faintly remembers being taken to see a double-feature of THE THREE MUSKETEERS with UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT, and recalls that we really couldn’t follow the plots of either film, let alone understand why we were taken to see them.

But when it comes to kid’s films, Walt Disney once famously said “for every laugh, a tear must fall”, which explains why many Disney films made back in the day contain some vivid, scary imagery or themes that may be a bit heavy for what today are considered to have been – truthfully or not – primarily children’s films. There’s a reason why the attraction at Walt Disney World is entitled SNOW WHITE’S SCARY ADVENTURES… because that Evil Queen reallydoes live up to her name.

Tags 10 Things, Disney, Movies, parenting, Walt Disney World

Disney Movies Websites

How Disney Villains stack up against each other, and against other characters

Post author By web gangsta
Post date May 26, 2010

The Disney Villain

Remember a few months ago when Web Watch showed you the PIXAR CHARACTER SIZING CHART? Well, it seems that was just the beginning for artist Juan Pablo Bravo.

Since then, he has come out with two additional charts in his character sizing series:

Tags Cartoons, Characters, Disney, Movies