Search Results for: blog epic mickey

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Expands to Tabletop Game

I haven’t reported on Disney World’s live action role-playing game Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom since its debut in February. The game was out, it seemed well-received, so there didn’t seem to be much else to say about it. While I was focusing on other Disney news, however, the game’s done more than just be a success. It’s a total smash. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (SMK) is so popular at Disney World that there just aren’t enough portals available for all of the guests that want to play. Because I haven’t talked about SMK for a while, here’s a … Continue reading →

Uncertain Fate for Walt Disney’s Birthplace

First the Laugh-o-Gram and now the house in which he was born and lived until he was four: the significant buildings of Walt Disney’s early life all seem to be in the news lately. The Chicago Tribune has a story about 2156 N. Tripp Avenue, Walt Disney’s first home. It’s nothing special, just another building on a street with others that look kind of like it. Two-flat, new windows, hardwood floors, and it’s been on the market for over a year. It’s not an official historic landmark and it doesn’t even have a bronze plaque. Yet this is the building … Continue reading →

Wreck-It Ralph Brings Gaming to the Movies

How have I not heard of this before now? Disney has a new animated movie coming out November 2, called “Wreck It Ralph.” I’d seen that title before in a list of upcoming movies, and I knew it had something to do with an arcade, but I didn’t know that 1) it was coming out so soon and 2) that it sounded so awesome. I have to say I’ve been a little hesitant about any animated film coming out of Disney lately that isn’t either a fairy tale film or from Pixar. I love “Emperor’s New Groove” and “Lilo & … Continue reading →

Gaming on Disney Cruises

Gamers aren’t really the type to go on cruises. I don’t want to stereotype too much, but given that I can count myself among gamer ranks I feel like I can speak to some shared experiences. We gamers need our space, sometimes preferring solo games or multiplaying via the web to actually spending time with people in real life. Even those of us who like hanging out with our friends might be put off by being stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean along with the massive crowds of strangers that are an inevitable part of cruises. … Continue reading →

A Celebration for Disney Fans

D23’s been mostly quiet this year. I like to periodically make updates of the various events offered by the official Disney fan club, but there hasn’t been a lot on which to report. However, now the fan club is hopping all of a sudden, between this year’s Destination D and launching a brand new event, one so popular that it’s already sold out in a couple of the cities at which it will appear. If you’re a huge Disney fan (which, if you’re reading this blog or are a D23 member, then you certainly are), then a night filled with … Continue reading →

“John Carter”: The Review

I went to see “John Carter,” figuring that after my disdainful consideration of how Disney handled marketing the movie, I ought to actually go see it for myself. I’ve not read the book upon which the film was based, but now I wish to, and especially to continue the series. I want to find out what happens; the film concluded on a perfect open-ended note, leaving viewers hanging but in that good, can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens-next way. Only now that Disney has to swallow $20 million over “John Carter,” I doubt that any more will be made. And that’s a shame, because “John … Continue reading →

“Lady and the Tramp” Released from the Vault

If you like to play the Disney Vault game then I have some important news for you: one of Disney’s most famous love stories, “Lady and the Tramp,” was freed from its locked depths this month. I’m not sure how long it will be available, probably for a number of months, but if you’ve been waiting to purchase this film now’s the time to do it. Of course Disney does a bit more than just let movies out of the Vault; the company always dresses up the discs in fancy editions with special content; whether or not the content is … Continue reading →

How to Save Money on Video Games

How much do you spend per year on video games and video game systems? With new technology and new games coming out practically every day, it is easy to spend more money on video games than you might think. Most video games cost between $20 and $40. If you have just ten games, they could have cost you up to $400! The systems themselves cost another couple of hundred. Most households do have more than 10 games, plus they have more than one video game system, making the cost even higher. Wow–that sort of slaps you in the face, doesn’t … Continue reading →

Rare Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon Discovered

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit has been getting more attention lately than he’s had in over 50 years. Now that the Disney Company bought him back so he could have a major role in the “Epic Mickey” video game, one could say this is the best Oswald’s career has been since its start. It’s fitting, then, that one of the early shorts featuring him has just been discovered in a film archive in the United Kingdom. The Reuters news agency reports that employees from Huntley Film Archives, one of the U.K.’s largest, discovered the old cartoon this year when doing a … Continue reading →

Playing With Food

(Want fries with that?) Santa brought this McDonald’s Drive-Thru playset to my daughter a couple of Christmases ago. So now, whenever I get a hankering for Ronald’s fries, all I have to do is belly up to the plastic window and yell for the short order cook. Or, in my case, the short cook. The interactive toy has yielded hours of fun for our family, and while my daughter is still nearly a decade away from officially working under the real Golden Arches, the kid can flip a burger and swirl a McFlurry better some of Mickey D’s paid employees. … Continue reading →