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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!news.kei.com!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!overload.lbl.gov!lll-winken.llnl.gov!seismo!tanida From: tanida@beno.css.gov (Tom Tanida) Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: rec.arts.disney FAQ, part 1b Followup-To: rec.arts.disney Date: 11 Jun 1993 18:13:58 GMT Organization: Center for Seismic Studies, Arlington, VA Lines: 674 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Message-ID: <1vai16$bun@seismo.CSS.GOV> Reply-To: tanida@esosun.css.gov (Tom Tanida) NNTP-Posting-Host: beno.css.gov Summary: FAQ for rec.arts.disney Keywords: FAQ, disney Originator: tanida@beno.CSS.GOV Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.arts.disney:18678 rec.answers:1162 news.answers:9296 Archive-name: disney-faq/part1b Last-modified: 11 Jun 1993 6) To what degree are computers being used in Disney animated films today? There seems to be a lot of confusion on this issue, partly because Disney seems to be trying to remain at least a little secretive about the exact processes they use. But here's some information obtained and consolidated from various sources, including the periodical Computer Graphics World and some reference books on Disney animation and computer graphics. By far, CAPS holds the greatest mystery; it has won awards for its innovative capabilities, yet nobody except Disney knows a lot about it (and they aren't talking). Much of the computer graphics rendering work is done by the artists at Disney's Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) department in Glendale, CA. There were 14 animators and software engineers there for the production of Beauty and the Beast (they're listed in the credits). Computers are used for several different purposes in Disney animation. One purpose is to process the colorization of the "cels" (I put that in quotes because while there still are pre-production cels, they don't look like the final product- more on this in a moment). Another purpose for computers is for the generation of backgrounds. A third purpose is for the generation of certain types of animated objects. A fourth purpose is for simple modeling. There are probably others. Remember that the ultimate goal of any computer system, of course, is to increase the efficiency and creativity of its users by reducing or eliminating as much of the redundant, "grunt" work as possible. The colorization and compositing of the characters is the most notable use, as it represents the biggest change in the state of the art of Disney animation. In the original process, the animators would draw an image on paper to be transferred onto a cel by an inker, who would pass the cel on to be carefully colored by hand. In general, consecutive cels would use the same colors (i.e. although a particular character wouldn't always be the same color during the entire film depending on light and shadow, or other Disney magic, the next frame of animation is often times very similar to the frame before it). This represented a lot of redundancy. An aside: note that after Sleeping Beauty, however, Disney animators drew on paper, frame by frame, and had their drawings transferred to cels via a xerography process (rather than via an inker) to be individually colored. Also note that cel coloring was applied to the back of the cel, not the front. With modern computer graphics, this process can be eliminated, speeding up the rate of output significantly. The title for the new system is CAPS, which stands for "Computerized Animation Production System." Animators' drawings are transferred directly to a computer, where the computer colors the image based on color models. This is not an automatic process, but a given palette can be repeatedly applied by the computer artist far more quickly than an artist can color a bunch of cels by hand. The last scene from The Little Mermaid (Ariel and Eric kissing) used the process. Most, if not all, of The Rescuers Down Under, and all of Beauty and the Beast used the process. This is *not* to say there is no coloring of cels; models are needed for the computer. In addition, there is still quite a bit of cleanup work done by hand- including the process of transferring animators' original drawings onto clean sheets of paper to be scanned into the CAPS system. There is some final cleanup that is done via computer to make sure all is well and perfect with each individual image. There are other advantages of the process as well. Since the images are effectively digitized in a computer, they can be manipulated and merged at will. The impressive multiplane (3D) effect at the opening of Beauty and the Beast, where the camera travels through a forest past an animated waterfall took advantage of the CAPS process; in the past, a multiplane effect would be difficult at best. For example, the final scene in the "Ave Maria" sequence from Fantasia, involved building a horizontal camera crane, moving the camera along a track "through" panes of glass on which the images of the forest, cathedral, and sunburst at the end, with the panes of glass being yanked out of the way when they became out of focus. Since then, multiplane techniques have improved, but none of these is as easy as simply using a computer to move and blur images in pseudo-3D space. Other advantages of CAPS include: the ability to easily blur images that are "out of focus" relative to the camera position, to blend (e.g. the blush on Belle's cheeks) and to intricately shade the characters (e.g. Belle and the Beast dancing in the ballroom- you were watching them, not the spinning background, right? :-) ); and to combine images of different sizes seamlessly (i.e. you can draw the image at any size and enlarge/shrink to fit as necessary). Other miscellaneous benefits include access to a wider range of colors (if you've used any 24-bit color computer paint/DTP program on a Mac or PC, you can see how this works- you get 16.7 million exact colors versus whatever number you can come up with just mixing paint), and the coloring of the lines that border the characters. Note the black lines that border the characters in films after Sleeping Beauty: a Xerox process was used that introduced this. This was something that annoyed Walt Disney when it was introduced, but it helped speed up the production rate. Later, the studio experimented with different toner types, and was able to reduce the boldness of the lines. Also, exact color matching can be easily achieved, as a color is represented by a 24 or 32-bit recordable numeric value. An example of this would be how Jasmine's shadow matches the non-moving shadows of the trees in her garden, in Aladdin. Another significant use of computers is the generation of backgrounds. Although 99% of the backgrounds are painted (and colored) by hand (and then entered into the CAPS system), there are some notable exceptions. (Note that for a background, it's not necessarily better to color by computer since an artist can paint with a brush just as well, if not better, and there isn't a lot of redundancy since the same background is repeatedly used; incidentally, there were 1300 background created by 14 artists for Beauty and the Beast.) The most notable exception to date is probably the ballroom in Beauty and the Beast. The spinning ballroom sequence was first choreographed using Wavefront Technologies software on an SGI machine, then modeled in 3D using the Alias software and finally rendered frame by frame using the Renderman software (probably using some form of distributed processing, or at least rendering different images on different computers). The animators' drawings of Belle and the Beast were then merged normally using CAPS. In addition, a computer-rendered table was used in the "Be Our Guest" sequence (the scene where Mrs. Potts is singing, with little tea- cups circling her). The staircase that Ariel runs down before first seeing Eric with Vanessa in The Little Mermaid also was generated via computer. Yet another use of computers is for certain types of 3D objects. The modeling and rendering process is similar to that of the Beauty and the Beast ballroom. Some examples include: the gears in The Great Mouse Detective during the chase scene at the climax; the carriage in The Little Mermaid, external views of the villain's vehicle, and the Sydney opera house in The Rescuers Down Under; the dancing forks on the cake chandeliers in the "Be Our Guest" sequence in Beauty and the Beast. A final, minor use of computers, would be for simple modeling. For example, the ship at the beginning of The Little Mermaid was wireframe modeled on computers, but was drawn by hand. I'm sure the Disney artists have found other ways to use computers to assist them, much in the same way they might use clay models to visualize various objects (such as the characters themselves). (I'd be interested in hearing about other uses, by the way. In fact, if there's a Disney artist out there reading this who has anything to add to this description in general... :-) ) 6b) Since computers are being used quite a bit in Disney films now, does that mean there are no "genuine" cels from the movies? Unfortunately, the answer is that there are no more original production cels that were used directly for on-screen images in any Disney animated feature film after The Little Mermaid. Hand-inked cels are created as color models during the production process, and hand-inked cels will probably be created for the purpose of auctioning backgrounds (note: if you look closely through the Sotheby's catalogue for the recent Mermaid auction, it is advertised as a background auction, not a cel auction). For the Sotheby's auction for Beauty and the Beast, Disney auctioned genuine backgrounds with one-of-a-kind cels created by hand by Disney artists based on the directing animator's drawings. See also question #4 for a discussion of cel types. 7) I heard that Walt Disney is "cryopreserved"/"in cryogenic suspension." Is this true? No, this is an "urban legend," although a joke goes "Yes- he's in suspended animation" :-). Walt Disney died at 9:35 am on December 15, 1966, of lung cancer. He was cremated (quite the opposite of being frozen, ironically) and is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. His parents are buried there as well. This rumor did not come about completely out of the blue, however. Some of the reasons this rumor started were: there was a significant time period between the time of Walt Disney's death and the public announcement of his death; Walt himself is said to have shown an interest in cryogenics in his final years (ref. the book Disney's World, see "Books" in question #99, below); and even his animators have been quoted to say that it's an interesting thought that Walt might someday return to "set things straight" in the company. Incidentally, Walt was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, IL, making him just over the age of 65 when he passed away. 8) Who did the voice of {Ariel, Belle, my favorite Disney character}? I can't include the voice of *every* Disney character here, but here is a comprehensive list of the most popular characters. One good reference to the Disney movies is The Disney Studio Story, by Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, 1988, ISBN #0-517-57078-5. The most complete list, however, is the Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters, by John Grant, ISBN 1-56282-904-1. (See "Books", in question #99, below.) If you're looking for the voice of a more obscure character, drop me a line, or just post. This list is in approximate chronological order (by appearance). Mickey Mouse: Walt Disney himself did the voices of both Mickey and Minnie in the early cartoons, including "Steamboat Willie." (Incidentally, "Plane Crazy" was Mickey's first cartoon, "Steamboat Willie" was the first cartoon with sound.) By World War II, Disney had fully trained and then turned over the task to Jimmy MacDonald, who in turn trained Wayne Allwine, the current voice of Mickey. Minnie Mouse: Currently voiced by Russi Taylor. Donald Duck: Initially voiced by Clarence Nash. First appeared in "The Wise Little Hen." Nash also voiced Donald in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983). He is currently voiced by Tony Anselmo, as Nash later passed away in the late '80s. Goofy: Originally voiced by Pinto Colvig. He is currently voiced by Bill Farmer. Chip and Dale: Currently voiced by Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton, respectively. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Snow White: Adriana Caselotti; Prince: Harry Stockwell; Wicked Stepmother: Lucille La Verne; Grumpy: Pinto Colvig Pinocchio - Pinocchio: Dickie Jones; Jiminy Cricket: Cliff Edwards Dumbo - Timothy: Edward Brophy; Stork: Sterling Holloway; Jim Crow: Cliff Edwards Bambi - Thumper: Peter Behn; Bambi's Mother: Paula Winslowe; Flower: Sterling Holloway Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros - Joe Carioca: Jose Oliveira Make Mine Music - Willie the Whale: Nelson Eddy Song of the South - Brer Rabbit: Johnny Lee; Brer Bear: Nicodemus Stewart; Uncle Remus/Brer Fox: James Baskett. The boy (Johnny) was played by a young Bobby Driscoll. Fun and Fancy Free - ("Mickey and the Beanstalk")- Giant: Billy Gilbert The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - Ichabod was narrated and sung by Bing Crosby. Toad: Eric Blore; Cyril (the horse): Pat O'Malley Cinderella - Cinderella: Ilene Woods; Prince Charming: Mike Douglas (the TV personality/talk show host); Stepmother: Eleanor Audley; Fairy Godmother: Verna Felton. Alice in Wonderland - Alice: Kathryn Beaumont; White Rabbit: Bill Thompson; Cheshire Cat: Sterling Holloway; Queen of Hearts: Verna Felton Lambert, the Sheepish Lion (short)- Narrated by Sterling Holloway (Dumbo, Alice In Wonderland, Jungle Book). Peter Pan - Peter: Bobby Driscoll; Wendy: Kathryn Beaumont; Captain Hook/Wendy's Father: Hans Conried; Mr. Smee: Bill Thompson Lady and the Tramp - Lady: Barbara Luddy; Tramp: Larry Roberts; Peg/Darling/Siamese Cats: Peggy Lee Sleeping Beauty - Aurora: Mary Costa; Phillip: Bill Shirley; Maleficent: Eleanor Audley 101 Dalmatians - Cruella DeVille: Betty Lou Gerson; Pongo: Rod Taylor; Perdita: Cate Bauer; Roger: Ben Wright; Colonel: J.Pat O'Malley The Sword in the Stone -Wart: Ricky Sorenson; Archimedes: Junius Matthews; Merlin: Karl Swenson; Madame Mim: Martha Wentworth Winnie the Pooh: Initially voiced by Sterling Holloway (who you'll see pop up quite a bit in this list of Disney voices), who passed away in late 1992. The first two Pooh stories (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day) were narrated by Sebastian Cabot (The Jungle Book). Other voices: Christopher Robin: Jon Walmsley; Tigger: Paul Winchell The Jungle Book - Mowgli: Bruce Reitherman (son of the director, Wolfgang); Baloo: Phil Harris; Bagheera: Sebastian Cabot; Kaa: Sterling Holloway; Shere Khan: George Sanders; Colonel Hathi: J. Pat O'Malley The Aristocats - Duchess: Eva Gabor; Thomas O'Malley: Phil Harris; Roquefort (mouse): Sterling Holloway: Scat Cat: Scatman Crothers; title song sung by Maurice Chevalier Robin Hood - Robin: Brian Bedford; Little John: Phil Harris (The Jungle Book, The Aristocats); Prince John: Peter Ustinov; Sir Hiss: Terry Thomas; Allan-a-Dale (rooster): Roger Miller; Maid Marian: Monica Evans: Sheriff: Pat Buttram; Friar Tuck: Andy Devine; Lady Kluck: Carole Shelley The Rescuers - Bernard: Bob Newhart; Bianca: Eva Gabor; Madame Medusa: Geraldine Page; Penny: Michelle Stacy; Mr. Snoops: Joe Flynn; Orville: Jim Jordan The Fox and the Hound -Tod: Mickey Rooney; Copper: Kurt Russell; Big Mama (owl): Pearl Bailey The Black Cauldron - Taran: Grant Bardsley; Eilonwy: Susan Sheridan; Dallben: Freddie Jones; Fflewddur Fflam: Nigel Hawthorne; the Horned King: John Hurt; Gurgi, Doli: John Byner The Great Mouse Detective - Basil: Barrie Ingham; Dr. Dawson: Val Bettin; Ratigan: Vincent Price Oliver and Company - Dodger: Billy Joel; Tito (Chihuahua): Cheech Marin; Georgette (poodle): Bette Midler; Einstein: Richard Mulligan The Little Mermaid - Ariel: Jodi Benson; Sebastian: Samuel E. Wright; Ursula: Pat Carroll; Eric: Christopher Barnes; Scuttle: Buddy Hackett The Rescuers Down Under - Bernard: Bob Newhart; Bianca: Eva Gabor; McLeach: (the) George C. Scott; Wilbur: John Candy; Jake: Tristan Rogers; Cody: Adam Ryen; Joanna: Frank Welker Beauty and the Beast - Belle: Paige O'Hara; Beast: Robby Benson; Mrs. Potts: Angela Lansbury; Luminere: Jerry Orbach; Cogsworth: David Ogden Stiers; Gaston: Richard White; Lefou: Jesse Corti; Maurice: Rex Everhardt; Chip: Bradley Pierce; Wardrobe: JoAnne Worley Aladdin- Aladdin: (speaking) Scott Weinger, (singing) Brad Kane; Genie/Trader: Robin Williams; Trader (singing): Bruce Adler; Princess Jasmine: (speaking) Linda Larkin, (singing) Lea Salonga; Abu, the monkey: Frank Welker; Jafar: Jonathan Freeman; Iago: Gilbert Godfrey; Sultan: Douglas Seal Other voices: Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and Webbigail (DuckTales)- Russi Taylor Darkwing Duck- Jim Cummings Gosalyn (Darkwing Duck)- Christine Cavanaugh Winnie the Pooh, Tigger (New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)- Jim Cummings Uncle Scrooge (Mickey's Christmas Carol, DuckTales): Alan Young Roger Rabbit: Charles Fleischer Theme parks: Sam the Eagle (from "America Sings"): Burl Ives Robot-Pilot from "Star Tours": Paul Reubens ("Pee-Wee Herman") Ghost Host ("Haunted Mansion"), narrator from "Adventure Through Inner Space": Paul Frees Singing Statue in Haunted Mansion Graveyard (among others at Disneyland): Thurl Ravenscroft 9) How do I get a job working for Disney? Of course, the answer to this depends on what you want to do. All Disney employees go through a training program which introduces them to the Disney philosophy and some of the history of the company. If you're looking for a summer job at Walt Disney World, consult with "Central Casting," located near the Disney Village, where you can get an application. Or you can write to "Professional Staffing", c/o WDW, at the address in question #99 below. At Disneyland, go to the customer relations desk near the fire station on Main Street. If you do get a summer job, you'll probably be making minimum wage (and regularly shaving and getting a hair cut if you're male, since facial hair is not allowed if you're in the public eye- although animators at WDW seem to be an exception). To get a job at the Disney Store, simply request a job application, preferably from the store manager. They aren't always hiring, but like most retailers, will hire more employees for the Christmas season. When a new Disney Store is opened, a "Casting Call" advertisement is placed in the local paper, and they will interview 300-400 people for 20-25 positions. When a position becomes available, the hiring ratio is 15-20 interviews for one Cast Member position. If you would like to work at the Disney Store, ask for an "interest card," which lets the store know when you are available for work and an interview. If you are called for an interview, you will fill out a full application at that time. For more information on what's it's like to work at the Disney Store, see question #16, below. If you're interested in animation, you need to be talented and lucky. It helps if you attended the California Institute of the Arts ("CalArts"), which Walt Disney helped found, and currently has 900 students and five schools (art, dance, music, film video, theater). I suspect Disney currently helps to fund CalArts. (The address and phone information is given in question #99.) If you didn't attend CalArts, some other prestigious school of art with some animation training will probably do (some of the animators were hired out of the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, and the Art Center at Pasadena). If you do get a job as an animator, you'll probably start out by working on "tweening" (i.e. drawing cels that lie in sequence between the cels produced by the primary animators), so you won't have a lot of creative freedom, and you'll probably be quite busy (i.e. working longer than 8 hour days on a regular basis). Show promise, get noticed, and the sky's the limit. At the very least, you get your name in the credits. :-) An address to try writing to regarding employment opportunities with the studios would be: Walt Disney Studios 1400 Flower Street Glendale, CA 91221 Job hotlines at the Walt Disney Company: (818)-560-1811: General Employment (818)-560-6335: Film Industry Opportunities 10) Is Goofy a dog, a horse, or what? Goofy is a dog. He originally started life as "Dippy Dawg" early in the history of the Disney studios, in both comic strips and short films, but evolved into "Goofy" by 1934. He first appeared in film in 1932 (as Dippy Dawg) in Mickey's Revue. This begs the question "well, if Pluto is a dog too, then why don't they act the same (e.g. why does Pluto not talk, why doesn't Goofy walk on all fours, etc.)?" My answer to that is because that's the way Walt wanted it. :-) Pluto is more of a pet to Mickey; Goofy is simply more individualistic and anthropomorphised. In addition, they're both different breeds of dog. :-) (I won't even get into the thread about how Goofy dated Clarabelle Cow.) 11) How can I get the song lyrics to {The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, etc}? Some of the lyrics to The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast are available via anonymous FTP at garfield.catt.ncsu.edu. If you can't FTP, send me e-mail (tanida@esosun.css.gov) and I can mail them to you. Otherwise, you can order the sheet music from the Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, 7777 West Bluemound Road, P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213. There is also The Illustrated Disney Song Book which is published by Random House, Inc., of New York, NY, with the ISBN #0-394- 50745-2. It contains the lyrics (and piano music) to many of the most popular Disney songs. There is a "New" Illustrated Disney Song Book as well (bibliographical reference at the end of this question). Sam Goody's Musicland tends to carry a decent selection of sheet music. The address to the Walt Disney Music Company is given in question #99, below. There is quite a bit of Disney music available on CD and cassette; if there is a demand for it, I'll add a list of Disney music to this list. Disneyland/Buena Vista Records and Tapes (Burbank, CA 92521) is the "official" label that distributes the majority of the music. The New Illustrated Disney Songbook, introduction by Steven Spielberg Abrams, New York, 1986 ISBN 0-810-90846-8 (Abrams) ISBN 0-881-88467-7 (Hal Leonard) Notes: For voice and piano; includes chord symbols and guitar chord diagrams. Presents in sheet music format about eighty songs from such Walt Disney movies as "Cinderella," "Dumbo," and "Mary Poppins." 215 pages. 12) What are the Magic Kingdom Club benefits? As a Magic Kingdom Club (MKC) member, you receive the following benefits: - Special offers on Theme Park admission (usually 10%- there's a price guide), including EuroDisney and Tokyo Disneyland - 10-30% discount on WDW resort accommodations - Ability to take advantage of special vacation packages - 10% discount on merchandise at The Disney Stores - Reduced admission to Pleasure Island, Typhoon Lagoon, River Country, and Discovery Island (at WDW), and the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose attractions (Long Beach, CA) - Membership in Entertainment Publications' Travel America for half price - Up to 30% discounts with National Car Rental - 10% discount on Delta Air Lines tickets when traveling to the theme parks - 10% discount on Premier's Caribbean Cruise and Walt Disney World Week - 15% discount on cruises aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - 10% discount on the Norwegian Cruise Line - 20% nightly discounts at The Hotel Queen Mary - 10% discount at the Paradise Guest Ranch in Wyoming - Special Club Vacations in San Diego, CA There are a wide variety of vacation packages to choose from, with the prices depending on where you stay and for how long, and what time of year you visit the theme parks. I believe there is no charge for joining the MKC if your employer has a group number. You can also join as a MKC Gold Card member. You receive a personalized, embossed Gold Card, a two-year subscription to Disney News magazine (8 issues, worth $14.95), and a membership kit, containing a tote bag, key chain, travel video, and 5 Disney Dollars. The price for joining is $49 for two years. You also receive a list of toll free numbers to call to make travel reservations. There is also a Magic Years Club for those over 60 years of age. It costs $35 for a 5-year membership, and has the same benefits as the standard MKC, plus a few extras (an embossed card, tote bag, key chain, bumper sticker, Magic Key newsletter). The phone numbers for the MKC, MKC Gold Card, and Magic Years Club are given in question #99, below. 13) What are the stockholder benefits? The stockholder benefits have been discontinued for 1993. As a stockholder, you can obtain an Magic Kingdom Club Gold Card membership for $10 off the normal rate (see also question #12, above). Here is the body of a letter received by Michael R. Johnston (Ambrose@world.std.com), from Jennifer LaGrow, Manager of Shareholder Services, regarding this issue. ***** Begin quote ***** May 10, 1993 Due to the tremendous growth in our shareholder base of almost 100 percent over the last year, and the substantially lower stock price resulting from the four for one stock split in April 1992, it is no longer economical for the Company to continue providing free memberships to approximately 800,000 shareholders. It is important that the Company be run as efficiently as possible so that it can offer stockholders and above-average rate of return. Disney stockholders have enjoyed a 28 percent annualized return over the last ten years ending December 31, 1992. Over the same timeframe, the Standard & Poor's 500 has returned just 16 percent. The Company recently increased its quarterly cash dividend by 19 percent -- from 5.25 to 6.25 cents per share, beginning with the dividend which will be paid on May 20, 1993. There was a 100% increase in total shareholders, with approximately 430,000 new Disney stockholders in calendar year 1992. When we reviewed the costs involved in providing complimentary Magic Kingdom Club membership to these new stockholders, we determined that it would cost close to $3 million to service these new accounts in fiscal year 1993. We estimated that is would cost the Company an additional $600,000 in material and postage costs to provide complimentary MKC membership in 1993 to all the Company's record and beneficial owners. These figures do not even include the cost the Company incurs from the various discounts given to Magic Kingdom Club members. We also discovered that 30 percent of the Company's new 1992 record owners (as opposed to beneficial owners of stock held in "street name," for whom the Company does not have records) purchased only a single share of Disney stock. We estimate that it will cost the Company approximately $500,000 to service these one-share accounts in fiscal year 1993. In a recent survey, approximately 10 percent of the stockholders surveyed said that they purchased Disney stock solely to receive shareholder benefits such as MKC membership. Since the hotel discount offered to shareholders through the MKC membership can be as high as $100 per night, you can see why the Company determined that it was not economical to offer complimentary membership to its stockholders. Magic Kingdom Club does provide membership programs to eligible corporations, firms and associations, although this is a separate program and does not have any impact on the shareholder benefit program. ***** End quote ***** If you'd like an annual report, write to: Walt Disney Company 500 S. Buena Vista St. Burbank, CA 91521-7320 14) What is Club 33? Club 33 is a somewhat exclusive club located in Disneyland. It's not really *exclusive* in the sense that anybody who is willing to wait 2-3 years on the waiting list and can afford the membership fee and annual dues can join. To get more information, you can write to Club 33, c/o Disneyland (Disneyland's full address is included in question #99). Club 33 is located in New Orleans Square at Disneyland. It occupies most of the upstairs of the buildings in that area. As you exit from Pirates of the Caribbean, turn left. Just beyond the Blue Bayou restaurant is a green door with the address 33. In the atrium between the One of a Kind shop and the pirate shop is a large staircase and an elevator (behind a door) which serve as alternate entrances. (These directions were taken from the Disneyland FAQ.) If you'd like a copy of the text of the brochures, which includes the membership fees (if you have to ask, you probaby can't afford it), drop me e-mail at tanida@esosun.css.gov. 15) What are the names of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid? Ariel's sisters are: Aquata; Andrina; Arista; Atina; Adella; Allana. (Note the second sister is "Andrina," not "Adrina.") This information was verified using both the songbook lyrics and the book The Little Mermaid: Tales From Under the Sea. There has been a debate over whether or not the spelling of Ariel's last sister is "Allana" or "Alana." The sheet music and most of the books give it as "Allana," but the new Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters lists it as "Alana." "Allana" is most likely correct. It is not a credited voice in the movie. 16) What are the Disney Stores? The Disney Stores are a chain of retail stores dedicated entirely to Disney merchandise. They are located throughout the US and UK, and will soon be opening in Japan and Europe; for the location of the one nearest you, try calling the Disney Catalog at (800)-237-5751- there is a list in the Disney Catalog itself. The first Disney Store opened on May 28, 1987 in Glendale, CA. As of May 1, 1993, there were 208 stores in operation, with plans to open over 60 new stores total by the end of 1993. I've found that the prices of certain merchandise at the stores are lower than the prices of the same items at the theme parks. The Disney Store model is different than an average retail store. As you enter, the Disney Store logo is large and prevalent, usually overhead. There are two glass cases to either side of the entrance one of which is used for seasonal features, and the other a Disney scene portrayed by plastic or wooden models. There are other exterior decorations, including a line of "film" which has in each frame a Disney character, being animated from one frame to the next. At the entrance of each store there is a "greeter" who stands and greets entering guests (customers), and says good- bye to departing guests. Inside the store, around the perimeter and overhead, are various scenes (called "Animations") which differ from store to store throughout the country. Some scenes are from the movies; most are from cartoon shorts or are original. Which scenes appear in which Disney Store is dependent upon the year in which the store opened. There are usually two cash register locations, behind which hang Disney art (cels, serigraphs, etc.). At the back of the store is a large, laserdisc-based projection screen for playing scenes from movies, cartoons, music videos, etc., for the purpose of entertainment (and marketing Disney videos and soundtracks). The stores are kept well stocked and well organized. The Disney Store receives entirely new merchandise on a regular basis (on average about every two to three weeks). There is a shipment of general merchandise every week. Every couple of months or so a new promotion with a different theme is emphasized, sometimes based on the season, other times based on the current movie in the theaters, etc. The employees, called Cast Members (like all Disney employees), are trained in Disney culture, and are routinely kept up to date with current activities at the theme parks, new programs on the Disney Channel, when new movies and videocassettes will become available, etc. This training program is called "Traditions," and (usually) takes place at the store, consisting of some videos and forms. There is an internal newsletter, called The Disney Store Scoop, and award programs for Guest Courtesy, Teamwork, etc. that are reflected in pins. One Cast Member told me that he received some rather substantial offers on his pins (which are not for sale). Cast Members also attend fully paid Disney Store trips to see the latest animated film release twice a year. See also question #9. 17) Who were the "nine old men"? The "nine old men" were the group of lead animators who worked closely with Walt Disney and the Disney studios from around the mid 1940's to the mid 1980's. The term "nine old men" was a takeoff from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's term for the U.S. Supreme Court justices. The nine old men, in alphabetical order with a fraction of some of the notable characters and movies that they contributed to, are: Les Clark - Minnie Mouse, Mickey in Fantasia Marc Davis - Bambi, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Cruella in 101 Dalmatians Ollie Johnston - Dopey in Snow White, Mowgli in The Jungle Book, Bambi, Mr. Smee from Peter Pan Milt Kahl - Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Medusa in The Rescuers Ward Kimball - The Three Caballeros, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Lucifer in Cinderella, Dwarfs in Snow White Eric Larson - Figaro in Pinocchio, horses in Beethoven's 6th in Fantasia John Lounsbery - Ben Ali Gator in Fantasia, Bambi, Victory Through Air Power Wolfgang Reitherman - Goofy, Cinderella, Rite of Spring in Fantasia, The Aristocats Frank Thomas - Bambi, Sword in the Stone These nine men worked on many of the Disney classics, from Snow White to The Rescuers. Not all of the nine men worked on all of the movies (although there were some movies that all of them participated in, including Cinderella). Some of the other major animators at the Disney studios included Ub Iwerks, Norman Ferguson, Ken Anderson, Mary Blair, Bill Justice, Vladimir (Bill) Tytla, William Peet, and Wilfred Jackson (who was the first director for Walt Disney). 18) Who are the current Disney animators? Robert Cook (rcook@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) and Tim Pickett (quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au) have created a comprehensive list of all of the animators who have worked for Disney over the years. These Cast and Crew lists are available via anonymous FTP at yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (130.194.9.1) in pub/rec.arts.disney. Please use this site outside normal business hours (the site is 10 hours ahead of GMT- use the UNIX command "date -u" to get the current GMT time), namely before noon US time, or on a Friday or Saturday. Contact Tim Pickett (quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au) for more info. Some (but certainly not all) of the animators include: Ruben Aquino - Ursula (The Little Mermaid); Maurice (Beauty and the Beast) James Baxter - Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Randy Cartwright- Magic Carpet (Aladdin) Lorna Cook - Contributed to Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Andreas Deja - Mickey Mouse (Prince and the Pauper); Triton (The Little Mermaid); Gaston (Beauty and the Beast); Jafar (Aladdin) Russ Edmonds- Max the dog (The Little Mermaid); Cody (The Rescuers Down Under); Philippe the horse (Beauty and the Beast) Eric Goldberg- Genie (Aladdin) Will Finn- Grimsby (The Little Mermaid); Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast); Iago the Parrot (Aladdin) Mark Henn - Stationed in Florida. Contributed heavily to the character development of Belle and Mrs. Potts/Chip. Was the lead animator on Jasmine (Aladdin). Glen Keane - Supervised The Fox and the Hound; characters include Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective); Ariel (The Little Mermaid); Eagle (The Rescuers Down Under); Beast (Beauty and the Beast); Aladdin (Aladdin). Glen Keane is the son of Bil Keane, artist of the Family Circus comic strip. Lisa Keene - Background artist/supervisor Duncan Majoribanks- Sebastian (The Little Mermaid), Abu (Aladdin) Tom Sito - Worked on layout and animated the Gaston wrestling scene in the pub (Beauty and the Beast) Dave Pruiksma- Bernard (The Rescuers Down Under); Mrs. Potts and Chip (Beauty and the Beast); Sultan (Aladdin) Nik Ranieri- Ursula (The Little Mermaid); Wilbur (The Rescuers Down Under); Luminere (Beauty and the Beast) Chris Wahl - Lefou (Beauty and the Beast), multiple characters (Aladdin) These animators led the teams that animated the characters they are credited with. Lead animators provide many of the story and character ideas, but I am sure that many other ideas (and a lot of hard work) come from the animators who work for the lead animator. 19) Where can I get the movie poster for {Beauty and the Beast, other Disney movie}? You can try just about any movie poster dealer that deals in current posters. Prices will vary. Some things to know: Posters aren't easy to mail. You may need to send the seller a mailing tube in which to hold the rolled poster. The following list was compiled from the periodical Movie Collector's World, published at P.O. Box 309, Fraser, MI 48026. Phone: (313)-774- 4311. You might want to get a copy (published bi-weekly at a cover price of $2.50) to see all the ads for yourself. All of those listed here had at least one Disney title in their advertisements. Disclaimer: I can't vouch for any of these places personally, since I have not ordered from any of them. As always, additions to this list are welcome. Comic Castle 3148 Midway Drive #113, San Diego, CA 92110 (619)-222-3302 (Tu, W, Th only, 11-6 PST) Mike Kinder P.O. Box 772198, Winter Garden, FL 34777 (904)-394-3569, after 5 PM Mark J. Myler 3300 S. Tamarac #N101, Denver, CO 80231 (303)-368-1306 The Movie Gallery 2072 Front Street, East Meadow, NY 11554 (516)-794-0294 Pamela Banner 3409 Lake Montebello Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218-3151 (410)-235-7427 (10-6 EST M-Sa) Poster Emporium P.O. Box 16681, Raytown, MO 64133-6681 (800)-877-7860 Richard Hubel 549 88th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 (813)-578-1236 Walls of Fame 2798 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11229 (718)-692-3200 If you do order from any of these (or other) places, I'd like to know about your experiences (positive or negative).