Inside The Mouse Castle: Disney News, Information And Commentary

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Synopsis

We're your weekly dose of Disney news, information and commentary. Tim Callaway and Anthony Reynolds host "Inside the Mouse Castle," with all the latest about Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Studios, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Disney Publishing, Disney Consumer Products and the Disney/ABC Television Group. We don't try to cover everything, just the interesting stuff--and drinks are usually served. Please join us. www.TheMouseCastle.com

Episodes

  • ITMC 09-28-2015 - Season of the Force, Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar and the Death of Duffy

    29/09/2015 Duration: 35min

    The Season of the Force is coming to Disneyland November 16th and we have all the details in this week's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. As excitement builds for Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December and the January groundbreaking of Star Wars Land, the Star Wars Launch Bay will open in the old Innoventions building in Tomorrowland. There will be plenty to preview of the upcoming Star Wars films and eventually, we assume, the park expansion. Also in the Launch Bay will be the obligatory Star Wars character meet-and-greets. Next door, a new Space Mountain overlay, Hyperspace Mountain, will rocket guests through an X-wing Figher battle. Star Tours will get an upgrade as well, adding new show elements based on The Force Awakens. The Force is strong with today's show. Here's what else we have: The Star Wars Land expansion at Disneyland means extended ride closures during construction. Everything on the Rivers of America including the Mark Twain, Columbia and Tom Sawyer will be shut down for more than a

  • ITMC 09-21-2015 - Halloween and Christmas at Disneyland, 'Star Wars' on Netflix and a New 'Mary Poppins'

    22/09/2015 Duration: 40min

    Anthony is back from a week at Disneyland, where he checked out all the Halloween Time activities. There was fall finery everywhere and pumpkin spice-flavored everything, but, we're mostly excited by the perfect pic Anthony took of the goat on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Of course, Halloween festivities are barely underway and we're already talking about Christmas. We've got a preview of all the stuff to expect--and what will be missing--from this year's holiday events at Disneyland. Here's what else we have slated for this episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. It's enough to make your head spin. Rob Marshall (Into the Woods, POTC 4) will direct a new Mary Poppins movie for Disney. Before you lose your minds for them daring to touch this untouchable classic, keep in mind this will not be a remake of the original. It won't exactly be a sequel either. P.L. Travers wrote eight Mary Poppins books. The new movie will likely be adapted from stories we haven't seen on the screen before. If you really want somethin

  • ITMC 09-14-2015 - 'Walt Disney' on PBS, 'Frozen' Replaces 'Aladdin,' and What's New with 'Incredibles 2'

    15/09/2015 Duration: 58min

    After technical difficulties and busy travel schedules squashed last week's show, Tim and Anthony are back for another go-round Inside The Mouse Castle.   We start off with Tim's review of Walt Disney, the new American Experience documentary airing this week on PBS. It's an earnest, if somewhat biased, depiction of Walt's life that plays up the darker elements of his personality and career. Fans will appreciate the rare photographs and archival footage, while Disney history buffs will question how the film presents Walt's relationship with his father, his actions during the 1941 studio strike and the assorted psychobabble spouted by some of the "experts" who try to crawl inside Walt's head.   Here's what else we have in this week's episode: A live action Frozen stage show will replace the long-running Disney's Aladdin--A Musical Spectacular production in the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure...and the Internet loses its mind. We now know for certain that Disneyland and Walt Disney World will

  • ITMC 08-31-2015 - Disney Infinity 3.0, Star Wars and Disneyland Half Marathons, Force Friday

    01/09/2015 Duration: 39min

    The Force is strong with us Inside The Mouse Castle this week. Just about every story Tim and Anthony bandy about has some connection to Star Wars. This wasn't by design. It's just how the news stream happens sometimes. We like it.   Tim starts with his first impressions of Disney Infinity 3.0 and the Star Wars play set that comes with it: Twilight of the Republic. With the help of Tim's grandkids, they gave it a good run over the weekend. The kids loved it. Tim liked the look of TOTR--and certainly felt the Star Wars characters are welcome--but he couldn't help but feel this was just more of the same from Disney Infinity. Quest, destroy bad guys, rinse, repeat.   Here's what else we've got on today's show. It's more fun than shooting womp rats in Beggar's Canyon: How many box office records will Star Wars: The Force Awakens break after it opens on December 18th? We're pretty sure its opening weekend number are going to be through the roof. Industry analysts are predicting a $615 million opening--the biggest

  • ITMC 08-24-2015 - Jungle Cruising with Dwayne Johnson, Kind Words for Cinderella, Banksy's Dismaland

    25/08/2015 Duration: 38min

    Pirates of the Caribbean with the lights on, a Haunted Mansion scolding, hard root beer and coconut-flavored vodka.   And yeah, Tim and Anthony talk about some Disney news too.   Inside The Mouse Castle this week, we revisit a few more items from the D23 Expo and Anthony's trip to Disneyland with his parents. We also imbibe a few tasty beverages as has become our habit since we started recording the show late at night. Don't judge.   Here's what else is going on:  The long-rumored Jungle Cruise movie, at one time expected to star Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, is back on track, this time with Dwayne Johnson on board. John Lasseter played Jungle Cruise skipper for real last Tuesday, taking guests on a trip through the exotic waterways. And, wouldn't you know? Josh Gad was there to document it. Disney's live-action Cinderella comes out on Blu-ray and Digital HD on September 15th. In the spirit of the little cinder girl's upbeat philosophy, fans are encouraged to "have courage and be kind" at www.CinderellaKi

  • ITMC 08-19-2015 - Disney's D23 Expo 2015

    20/08/2015 Duration: 01h06min

    We doubt there's a better way to recap last weekend's D23 Expo then doing it with friends over cocktails at the Anabella Hotel.Bonus points for having Anthony's parents join us.Even more points for Tim being able to face off about Disney Infinity in-person with Anthony's dad. It was a good night. Exhausted, exhilarated and just a bit tipsy, Team Mouse Castle does its best to analyze the highs and lows of Disney's mega fan event. So, pull up a chair, pour a drink and join us, won't you? Plans for "Star Wars Land" (or whatever they decide to call it) at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios were the biggest news to come out of Expo. We were all thrilled to see the first concept images, but couldn't D23 have saved them for the Parks and Resorts presentation Saturday afternoon instead of springing them at the Walt Disney Studios show earlier that morning? Pandora: The World of Avatar will probably look fantastic when it opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom, but does anybody really care? Animation: Based on what

  • ITMC 08-10-2015 - D23 Expo Preview

    11/08/2015 Duration: 39min

    In this week's Inside The Mouse Castle, Tim and Anthony let their imaginations run wild, speculating on what big announcements will come out of this year's D23 Expo. They're already wrong on one idea. At the time they recorded the show, J.J. Abrams hadn't yet announced there would be no new Star Wars footage at the Expo.   Whatever. It happens.   The three-day Disney fan event opens this Friday at the Anaheim Convention Center. Tim will be there, taking in as much of the show as he can, but mostly standing in line a lot. And unlike many of the Mouse faithful, he won't be camping out overnight to be first in line for anything.   What secrets do you think will be revealed this weekend? Will attendees get what they want from the show? Will there be details about Disneyland's anticipated expansion and Disney's Hollywood Studios' renovation and rebranding? Will "Star Wars" fans get a full-blown trailer for "The Force Awakens"? What else can we expect from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Animation? Do

  • ITMC 08-03-2015 - Disney's 'Descendants,' 'Star Wars,' 'Spider-Man' and Saving the Midget Autopia

    04/08/2015 Duration: 41min

    Disney's Descendants was a huge hit on the Disney Channel last Friday, attracting over six million viewers. But, was it any good?   Tim voted no, but then he's not in the movie's age 9-14 demographic.   Still, it's hard to like a film with a dumbed-down story that turns the most evil of Disney's animated villains into buffoons and then adds a rap sequence to "Be Our Guest."   No. Just, no.   Unlike Descendants, very little is painful about this week's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. There are even a few things Tim and Anthony like:  Is Star Wars coming to Netflix? All the signs point to yes. We're hearing as many as three new series from Lucasfilm could be in development for the online entertainment service. Rumors abound about who will make up the supporting cast of Marvel's Spider-Man movie in 2017. It could just be wishful thinking, but we'll play along for now. Robert Downey, Jr. returning as Tony Stark, Hugh Laurie as J. Jonah Jameson, Forest Whitaker as Robbie Robertson, Billy Zane as the

  • ITMC 07-27-2015 - D23 Expo, Marvel's 'Ant-Man' and Disney's 'Descendants'

    28/07/2015 Duration: 43min

    In this week's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony has an existential crisis. We're attributing it to a cataclysmic combination of Neil deGrasse Tyson, sleep deprivation, Ant-Man shrinking down to a molecular level and the wretched "Be Our Guest" number from Disney's Descendants (debuting this Friday on the Disney Channel).    With Anthony curled up in a fetal position, he and Tim delve deeply into these thought-provoking topics guaranteed to make you feel insignificant against the infinite backdrop of space:  For the first time, the D23 Expo will split their traditional motion picture fan presentation into two separate events, one for animation and one for live action. We're hoping for big announcements (or at least some new trailers) for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Captain America: Civil War and Finding Dory. Tim finally saw Ant-Man and thoroughly enjoyed it. He left the theater totally perplexed, though. Why don't people stay all the way to the end of a Marvel movie to see the post credit-scen

  • ITMC 07-20-2015 - Disneyland's Diamond Celebration, Shanghai Disney Resort and New Disney Legends

    21/07/2015 Duration: 46min

    Tim is back from a fun-filled weekend in Anaheim where he not only wished Disneyland Happy Birthday on Friday, but he also attended a benefit for the Walt Disney Birthplace where the guest of honor was none other than Bert the Chimney Sweep himself, Dick Van Dyke. Dick performed with his a capella group, the Vantastix. Disneyland was unsurprisingly crowded for Friday's official Diamond Celebration, but it was totally worth it to get an "I was there" button and join thousands of guests to sing "Feed the Birds" and "Happy Birthday" with Richard Sherman and Ashley Brown. Michael Colglazier, hosted the rededication ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. And while the Disneyland president hit all the proper notes as far as thanking guests, cast members and assorted Disney Legends, his delivery left a bit to be desired. Let's just say he's not personality plus delivering an overly-rehearsed, pre-written speech. He needed to inject a lot more excitement and spontaneity into the festivities. Thank goodness for

  • ITMC 07-13-2015 - Disneyland's 60th Birthday, 'Star Wars' at Comic-Con and 'Wreck-It Ralph 2'

    14/07/2015 Duration: 40min

    So, who's going to Disneyland Friday for the park's 60th birthday party? Tim is! We hope you are too.Sadly, Anthony won't be joining us for the festivities, so let's try not to have too much fun in his absence.Disneyland's Diamond Celebration will be a somewhat low-key event (especially for those of us who remember the 50th). Contrary to earlier rumors, Disneyland and DCA will not be open 24 hours like they were Memorial Day weekend. Disneyland will be open 8:00 a.m. to midnight, DCA from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. As far as special events during the day, Disneyland Resort president Michael Colglazier will preside over a rededication ceremony in Town Square. The event will be streamed live on big screens set up throughout Disneyland, DCA and Downtown Disney. There will also be special late-night performances of World of Color and Paint the Night. Guests are also encouraged to dress in 1950s-style garb just like it was on Disneyland's opening day.   For a complete list of activities this Friday, visit https://dis

  • ITMC 07-06-2015 - Remembering Blaine Gibson, Changes at Disney's Hollywood Studios and New Exhibitions at the Walt Disney Family Museum

    07/07/2015 Duration: 49min

    In this week's episode on Inside The Mouse Castle, we pay tribute to the late Blaine Gibson, the animator, sculptor and Disney Legend who passed away Sunday at the age of 97.   Blaine began his career at Disney in 1939 as an in-betweener and assistant animator. His feature animation credits include Fantasia, Bambi, Song of the South, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians.   He considered himself an animator first, but he also had a gift for sculpting. Aware of Blaine's talent, Walt Disney assigned the artist to WED Enterprises (later Walt Disney Imagineering) to create character forms that would transform into Audio-Animatronics. Blaine made significant design contributions to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Arguably, his most impressive accomplishment in Imagineering was overseeing the design of every president up to George W. Bush in the Magic Kingdom's Hall of Presidents.   Even though Blaine retired in 1983, he continued to c

  • ITMC 06-29-2015 - Selfie Sticks, Disneyland Expansion and Club 33 Lawsuit

    30/06/2015 Duration: 59min

    Last week, Anthony visited Disneyland, rode the Lilly Belle, previewed Ant-Man, and finally saw Paint the Night, but who cares? Because all we want to do is talk about selfie sticks.   The sometimes useful, mostly annoying camera accessories will be banned from all Disney theme parks--including DisneyQuest and the water parks at Walt Disney World--effective June 30th.   And while Anthony and Tim ponder how to take pictures of themselves with their short arms, they also focus on these fascinating stories: Disneyland could be investing $1 billion in the Anaheim resort in return for the City of Anaheim extending an existing tax exemption on park ticket sales. This seems kind of a purposeless trade since Disney will probably spend that much on expected expansion projects in Tomorrowland and Hollywood Land anyway.Annual passholders have gotten a sneak preview already, but the general public will finally get a look at the newly refurbed Peter Pan's Flight at Disneyland starting July 1st. We know for certain Captai

  • ITMC 06-23-2015 - The New Spider-Man, 'Inside Out' Review, Deadmau5 Settlement

    24/06/2015 Duration: 29min

    After weeks of wild speculation, Marvel and Sony finally announced Tom Holland will be the new Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Jon Watts will direct the next standalone film for the web slinger. We expect that Holland will also appear as Spidey in next year's Captain America: Civil War.   In other movie news, Inside Out couldn't beat Jurassic World at the box office over the weekend, but that didn't stop it from scoring the second biggest opening in Pixar history. Tim gives his review of the Pete Docter-directed film while he and Anthony get in touch with their emotions in this week's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. Maleficent made over $750 million worldwide last year. So, umm, yeah, there's going to be a sequel. Linda Woolverton is currently penning the script. No confirmation yet whether Angelina Jolie is on board, but come on, why wouldn't she be? Zuri's Sweet Shop has opened at Disney's Animal Kingdom and it's serving poop candy. That's really all you need to know. Also at Animal Kin

  • ITMC 06-15-2015 - 'Inside Out' Premieres, 'Tomorrowland' Flops, 'Phineas and Ferb' Ends

    16/06/2015 Duration: 51min

     Inside Out had its Hollywood premiere last week, gearing up for its U.S. wide release this Friday. On this week's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle, we hear from the film's director, Pete Docter, and the some of the voice cast including Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and Lewis Black.   Tim expects Pixar's journey into the mind of an 11-year old girl to be a sure-fire hit while Anthony thinks the film, as good as the early reviews are, is going to under-perform at the box office. It won't do as bad as Tomorrowland, though, not by a long shot. The Brad Bird film starring George Clooney is having a dismal run in theaters and could put Disney in the red $140 million or more.   And, Disney or not, no movie conversation this week is complete with mentioning Jurassic World, so we'll touch on that too, plus these other mind-bending topics: In the story that won't die, is Asa Butterfield really out of the running to be the next Spider-Man? Are Tom Holland, Charlie Plummer and Matthew Lintz the new favorites? Who know

  • ITMC 06-08-2015 - Silly Symphonies and Broadway at the D23 Expo, 'Walt Disney' on PBS

    09/06/2015 Duration: 52min

    Tim and Anthony return to "Inside The Mouse Castle," where music will abound during August's D23 Expo in Anaheim. "Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration" will screen some of Walt Disney's great musical cartoons of the 1920s and '30s accompanied by a 32-piece orchestra. The massive fan gathering will also welcome Disney on Broadway's "The Originals," celebrating Disney's great theatrical shows and starring Ashley Brown ("Mary Poppins"), James Monroe Iglehart ("Aladdin") and Josh Strickland ("Tarzan"). Also in this week's episode: Disney will produce a live action film based on the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence from "Fantasia" and, at the same time, cancel all plans for "Tron 3"; the Disneyland Resort is testing guest opinion about tiered daily ticket prices; laid off tech workers at Walt Disney World weren't happy about being replaced by immigrants with temporary work visas; Jay Rasulo resigns as CFO of the Walt Disney Company in a move that surprised no one; a new documentary about the life of W

  • ITMC 05-25-2015 - Disneyland's 24-Hour Diamond Celebration Kickoff Party

    26/05/2015 Duration: 57min

    Tim and Anthony survived last weekend's 24-hour party at the Disneyland Resort and share all the details on today's episode of "Inside The Mouse Castle." Huge crowds were on hand for the premieres of "Disneyland Forever" fireworks, the "Paint the Night" parade and the "World of Color - Celebrate!" show, while equally large crowds waited outside the gates to get in. It was exciting for most and frustrating for some as Disneyland kicked off its 60th anniversary Diamond Anniversary. Also: Disney opens its biggest Disney Store ever in Shanghai, "Tomorrowland" underperforms at the box office and Reese Witherspoon may be the next Tinker Bell--but we may never find out whether or not Asa Butterfield will play Spider-Man. www.TheMouseCastle.com

  • ITMC 05-18-2015 - 24 Hours of Disneyland and the Coolest Summer Ever at Walt Disney World

    19/05/2015 Duration: 42min

    Who's ready for 24 hours straight at Disneyland? How about the same at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom? It's the Diamond Celebration and the Coolest Summer Ever on opposite coasts on May 22nd. Tim will be marathoning it at Disneyland from 6:00 a.m. Friday to 6:00 a.m. Saturday. Why don't you join him? Inside The Mouse Castle this week, Tim and Anthony talk about what to expect during these all-night parties and also take a look at the new Indiana Jones-themed bar at Walt Disney World, the Disneyland exhibit coming to the D23 Expo in August, Brad Bird's Tomorrowland and the hubbub about Disney's African princess. www.TheMouseCastle.com

  • ITMC 05-11-2015 - The Hatbox Ghost Returns, 'Tomorrowland' Premieres and the D23 Expo Expands

    12/05/2015 Duration: 35min

    The Hatbox Ghost returned to the Haunted Mansion on a busy weekend at the Disneyland Resort that also welcomed the Tinker Bell Half Marathon and the premiere of Brad Bird's "Tomorrowland" starring George Clooney. Also "Inside The Mouse Castle" this week: shooting commences on the next "Avengers"...err..."Captain America" film, Joss Whedon bails on Twitter following some harsh criticism on the site, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Cinderella" continue to score big at the box office, "Zootopia" names the lead members of its voice cast, the D23 Expo is adding a really big theater for this year's event, and a sparkly, new Mad T Party will take over Disney California Adventure this summer.www.TheMouseCastle.com

  • ITMC 05-04-2015 - 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Review, 'Star Wars' Day and Disneyland's Future Plans

    05/05/2015 Duration: 47min

    Tim and Anthony celebrate "Star Wars" Day this week by reviewing "Avengers: Age of Ultron." No, wait. They share the latest revelations about "The Force Awakens" from the June cover story in "Vanity Fair." They also discuss the departure of director Josh Trank from an upcoming "Star Wars" film project, the addition of "Star Wars" to Disney Infinity 3.0 and the casting of Asa Butterfield as Spider-Man. In the parks, Disneyland will be closing early on select days in May to prepare for the 60th anniversary. The resort has also plunked down a chunk of money to buy a hotel property across the street. Meanwhile, Cinco de Mayo is being celebrated in full-force in Downtown Disney, there may be a new way to order meals at Walt Disney World, changes are coming to Tokyo Disney Resort and Grizzly Peak Airfield in Disney California Adventure is doing the "Humphrey Hop." www.TheMouseCastle.com  

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