Talking Mickey Mouse - Disney Magic on an Epic Scale

By Rick West

Most people taking the time to read this editorial have grown up with one of the original Disney theme parks as part of their lives, I would imagine. Whether your "home" park is either Disneyland in California or Walt Disney World in Florida, we've witnessed the parks evolve from the 1950s on.

With that evolution, we've watched as technology advances the experience - from the very first dark rides such as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Peter Pan, to more innovative systems today such as Monsters, Inc. or soon, The Little Mermaid.

We've also watched as large-scale attractions became known as "E"-Ticket experiences, from Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion to Indiana Jones and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Even the parades and shows at the parks have done their own evolution - from simple parades down Main Street USA or the two-dimensional Main Street Electrical Parade units of the '70s to the dynamic wonders of Fantasmic!, the newer versions of the Electrical Parade and this summer, World of Color at Disney's California Adventure.

As fans, we've grown up with Disney and its parks; it's been a collective maturing on all fronts - the way the parks and rides are built; the way fans became superfans with the advent of the Internet; the way once-a-year vistitors have become three-times-a-week Passholders. The boost the Internet has given theme park fans has taken us from clueless enthusiasts to very savvy fans that often know more than theme park employees themselves about what's happening within their own company - sometimes, right below their own noses. It's not a swipe at them at all; it is a testament to how powerful the Internet and modern communication is in informing the masses and how quickly news can be relayed around the planet just by retweeting a link from your cell phone or posting an image or video online.

Recently, something truly epic in importance and the industry took place that literally stopped me in my tracks and has moved me so that I've been buzzing about it ever since. Something happened at Disneyland that was captured on video and posted to YouTube that has changed the Disney theme park experience forever.

It's something that needs to be seen to be understood:



Now, watch it again.

Maybe a few more times.

I'd venture to guess, if you haven't yet seen this for yourself online, you're sitting there with your mouth open and a fairly dazed/surprised look on your face. And if you weren't sitting down to begin with, I'd wager you are now.

Watch it again; this time, study the people in the room with Mickey experiencing this - because it's critical.

Through a highly-classified effort by the Research & Development branch of Walt Disney Imagineering, this technology has been a held patent of Disney's since July 5th, 1994. This is nothing new - yet, it's been so quiet and so under-the-radar that virtually no one saw it coming until it went viral online this past week. Even as late as last night (May 7, 2010), high-level Disney executives were going online to see this character costume technology for themselves. No one knew this was about to land - and yet, it did. It exploded in our midst in Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland.

And now, the whole game has changed.

This is beyond huge. This is, in my opinion, the single most jarring and paramount advancement we've seen at a Disney theme park since the introduction of Audio-Animatronics in 1961. I believe this is bigger and more important than any ride system, large-scale attraction or show we've witnessed come online.

Watch the video again, and this time, focus completely on the young children. Total suspension of disbelief has taken place and for the first time ever - ever, folks - children and people of all ages are directly communicating with and having a real conversation with Mickey Mouse. This hasn't happened in 55 years. Anywhere. Ever. Yet, watch those kids; it's normal to them and they engage Mickey without hesitation. I'd say, they engage Mickey with even less intimidation than they would a silent five foot-tall character waving at them to come closer.

We have just witnessed the entire scope of theme park experience change forever. And even so, those small children have no idea that until now, Mickey has never spoken a word to any Disneyland visitor. Now, listen to the woman at the end of the video; she is obviously thrilled that the children are talking to Mickey - but there is definitely something more going on. She is trying to wrap her head around what's happening and what she's witnessing herself; you can hear it in her voice as the video ends. It's total amazement. Absolutely.

Why people aren't going as crazy about this yet as I thought they would - I have no idea. Perhaps just not enough people know about it; perhaps the heft of this advancement hasn't yet clicked or sunk in. But I firmly believe that we have just witnessed a jarring, incredible evolution take place.

This is Disney's next step into the future that changes everything for everyone. Manual to automatic auto transmission; black and white to color television; cassette tape to CD; video to DVD; film to digital projection.

Mickey Mouse speaks now. Soon, it will be common to see Mickey and the other Disney characters walking down Main Street saying hello to guests and also, communicating amongst themselves. This technology doesn't just stop at Mickey. Goofy's laugh will be heard punctuating a corny joke, Donald will perhaps laugh in his raspy voice, Minnie will tell Mickey he's her sweetheart.

Welcome to the next level, folks. This is history that's just taken place. Some may read this and look at my enthusiasm as being way too much. I respectfully disagree. The line between fantasy and reality has been blurred. The day absolutely exists now that kids of all ages will not remember "back when characters didn't talk". Technology has caught up with that 1994 patent and Walt Disney Imagineers have made it so.

In the days, weeks and months to come, likely a landslide of video and information will emerge regarding this breakthrough. Disney has released their own video (the one first embedded in this article) and one of the main forces behind this next generation initiative, Scott Trowbridge, has said that there are many more tricks up their sleeves that we will witness in the future. And I believe him.

This has to be the beginning of the touted $1.5 billion technology push that Disney's been promising would take theme park experiences to the next level. It has to be. This is the tip of the iceberg, folks.

Personally, I cannot wait to witness this in person - although I imagine being lucky enough to be in the right place whenever talking Mickey makes an appearance will be a feat unto itself. But, we'll see.

As of the writing of this article, only two more videos that I have been able to find are online. Here they are:





And this is just the beginning, folks.

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