Originally Posted By calgrl2490 ya i thought this was so awesome and really opens up interaction. but i also agree that this is a long time coming, although i never thought about it, i just accepted "silent mickey" i mean if disney can make such leaps in ride technology like soarin' wen that came out, shouldnt we hav had a talking mickey. anyway its awesome
Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance I think it's really neat. That's way better than silent Mickey. Kids always ask, why doesn't Mickey talk?
Originally Posted By DlandDug I think the form they signed said they would allow Disney to take video of them. They had to have been shooting this pretty openly.
Originally Posted By TP2000 The cat is out of the bag, so I don't think Disney is going to make them take the video down. And how could they really? It's kids meeting Mickey Mouse at Disneyland, and suddenly that's some sort of top secret environment? Disney would look silly if they made 'em take it down. The OC Register has covered this now too, and the videos are being viewed by tens of thousands in just one day. That said, this is really impressive tech. I watched the second video again, and Mickey was able to tell what the names were he was given, even though one came from a very little girl and one came from a young lady with Downs syndrome, so the names weren't crystal clear to understand. But Mickey caught 'em and repeated 'em back perfectly within a split second, which is very impressive when you think about it. This isn't just a list of canned responses a la' Roz in Monsters Inc. or Mr. Potato Head. This really is Mickey Mouse speaking with people in real time about real things that can't be predicted or cleaned up. Amazing!
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Wasn't there something like this used in a show at WDW a few years back? This is great because it involves guests one on one.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 I would love to see Disney charge a premium for this experience, like maybe 25 dollars per family for a 5 to 10 minute meeting. Those that want to experience talking Mickey can, and they will pay the premium price for it. But those who want good old old fashioned Mickey can as well for free.... This would ensure the line for talking Mickey isn't 20 hours long, and abused by a select few.... You are less likely to get douches trying to antagonize Mickey into saying something unDisney on camera if you had to pay for it...
Originally Posted By SFH Some people are saying this is creepy, which I don't understand. I mean, a giant cartoon mouse you've never met before with a giant rubber-and-felt head hugs you... that's okay. But if he talks, blinks, and uses your name... that's creepy? I like it. I've been waiting for this since Disney tried to buy Jim Henson Productions in 1989.
Originally Posted By plpeters70 I really hope we see this "talking"-tech added to a lot more shows. Now that they can do this, it's going to start to look very strange to see Mickey on a parade float or in a show "talking" without his mouth or eyes moving. Imagine taking your child to the "Talking" Mickey Meet-and-Greet, and then having to explain why he suddenly has become a ventriloquist in the Parade! ;-)
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Disney posted their own "official" video of this on the Disney parks blog, so the cat is definitely out of the bag. I think they wanted this to leak out. It's great publicity, so how could that be bad? It has people talking and wondering how it works.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo At first, I thought before seeing it "Great, more money invested in rubber heads". But then I watched, and especially the second one, and was in awe. In fact I had a little tear and thought about how this is very cool, very Disney, and is likely to make for an unforgettable experience for so many families. Now that is an awesome thing, and dare I say magical (no sarcasm meant here, but my real feelings).
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I really hope we see this "talking"-tech added to a lot more shows. Now that they can do this, it's going to start to look very strange to see Mickey on a parade float or in a show "talking" without his mouth or eyes moving. >>> I don't think the moving face is the key thing being discussed here, but rather the fact that Mickey is now able to speak to guests live.
