Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Looks like Baxter is alive and well with blood flowing through his veins and on his classics redo mood again. Yes, according to Al, Matterhorn WILL close for 6mos so Tony can update the FX and what not.>> A little birdie recently told me that Baxter is indeed alive and well, but he's no longer leading the Matterhorn project. That has now been given to someone else. Since he hasn't been given another project to work on in lieu of the Matterhorn rehab, it's not too difficult to connect the dots, given that his contract expires next year. Something tells me there will be a surprise event at D23 next month to honor his 40+ year career with Imagineering.
Originally Posted By CDF1 Let's hope TB at least gets a shot at providing input to the "new" Matterhorn. The guy has been involved in some of the best attractions ever done at Disney and it would be fitting that he get some input into the one park attraction that Walt himself had so much involvement with.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt With the first portion of the rehab beginning soon (or has it begun already?) wouldn't pretty much everything already be in place already? How much more involvement would TB have at this point anyway?
Originally Posted By crazycroc Don't you read Al Lutz, Hans? Tony Baxter is going to do the entire rehab himself! Tony Baxter is Disneyland! He will weld and rivet and bend the track with his mighty hands! He will draw each animated snowflake uniquely! He will play all the instruments and yodel for the soundtrack update!
Originally Posted By TP2000 What about the leiderhosen? Is Tony spending his nights in Anaheim Hills doubled over his old Singer, sewing the detailed plackets onto the sides of the leiderhosen for the Matterhorn ride operators?
Originally Posted By crazycroc Yes, yes, he is sewing the leiderhosen! What was I thinking...? He's also redesigning the "Harolds" inside the popcorn poppers, replanting the plants, scrubbing the algae away from the waterfall, installing the lap bars, resculpting the rock formations, re-recording the growl so it sounds scarier, and climbing the Matterhorn on opening day!
Originally Posted By crazycroc All the while fighting the bigwigs at TDA for creative control in the name of good show!
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Skinnerbox, does the little birdie you talked to have any details on what exactly the rehab will entail beyond refreshing the exterior and new bobsleds?
Originally Posted By Bolna <<What about the leiderhosen? >> Ahem, just wanted to point out that this should be lederhosen- leiderhosen would mean "unfortunately trousers"... Would make some sense as well...
Originally Posted By Manfried <<All the while fighting the bigwigs at TDA for creative control in the name of good show!>> All bow in praise of the Baxter!!!!!
Originally Posted By tiggertoo If they can keep it running, it would be great. Saturday, 2nd July, it broke down three times on us, either in line or on the ride.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Skinnerbox, does the little birdie you talked to have any details on what exactly the rehab will entail beyond refreshing the exterior and new bobsleds?>> Nope. Just that Tony isn't in charge of it anymore. He was, but no longer. As to what that means in the future, for either Tony or the Matterhorn rehab, who the heck knows. But my little birdie isn't banking on any career longevity for Baxter at this point, since he wasn't removed to be placed on a different project. He was removed simply to be removed.
Originally Posted By dznydad I love Mr. Baxter. I can't see why they would remove him, unless he wanted to add Song of the South characters to it.
Originally Posted By DlandDug I wish I had collected every time someone has flatly stated that Tony Baxter was finished with his Disney career. Just last fall a prominent "insider" definitively claimed that Tony would be gone by January. Here we are in July, still speculating...
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Um..er..Epxo! Yah, that's it. Sure, they'll announce it at the D23 Expo! It will be interesting to see what sort of 'logic' and reasoning we get after nothing new is announced at the Expo...
Originally Posted By crazycroc Baxter isn't going anywhere! If something happened, he would merely be biding his time, in the shadows, waiting for the proper moment to pounce. Plus, someone has to take apart the rest of the golden gate bridge!
