Mickey & Friends inspire us to always stay true to our friends and today we celebrate all of the qualities that give our friends real character – we love them, quirks and all!
Mickey Takes a Tumble During Fantasmic
When it comes to live performances at Disney, anything can happen. Disney hires the best of the best, and they are truly talented people. Disney stage performers transport us to magical places where we can sing and dance along and have a great time. But they are just regular people, and sometimes things happen that are beyond their control. Like when there is water on a stage and their feet come out from under them. Slip and falls can happen, but one Disney Cast Member showed that an incredible recovery can add to the magic.
Fantasmic! at Disneyland Resort, takes place on a small stage along the Rivers of America. The show uses water effects that can make the stage a little slippery, which can make it hard for the performers. Recently, Mickey Mouse was dancing on the stage and took quite the fall. Thankfully, he recovered quickly, as fireworks were set to come out of his gloves whether he was ready or not. Ever the professional and star, Mickey acted as though nothing had happened and Guests were glad to see that he was okay.
A video of the fall was shared by Scott Gustin on Twitter, and you can watch it below.
Fantasmic! returned to Disneyland Park just about one week ago. It is also shown on the East Coast at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but that show does not currently have a return date. Here is more information on the fun and popular show from the Disneyland Resort website:
As darkness falls, dazzling special effects transform the Rivers of America into an epic canvas for this extravagant live show.
Fast asleep, Mickey dreams he is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. With a wave of his hands, he conducts scenes from Fantasia across enormous screens of water while brilliant sparks burst overhead. Pink elephants, swashbuckling pirates, princesses and more—including memorable scenes from Disney classics such as Aladdin, The Lion King, Tangled and Pirates of the Caribbean—appear on and around the Rivers of America.
When Mickey is suddenly pulled into the Magic Mirror, his dream takes a dark turn. The Evil Queen from Snow White conjures up some of Disney’s most dastardly villains—including Maleficent as a 45-foot, fire-breathing dragon! Mickey must use the power of his imagination to vanquish his foes—and save the day.
Featuring a fantastical array of live performers, beloved Disney characters, enhanced special effects, state-of-the-art projections and superb pyrotechnics, this show will wow the entire family.
Fantasmic! is shown daily, weather permitting. To find out showtimes, you can check your Disneyland Resort mobile app.
Decorate Mickey Mouse Cupcakes at Home
Whether it’s National Cupcake Day or just an ordinary day, it’s always fun to bring Disney magic into our homes. Recently Disney shared a fun way to decorate Mickey Mouse cupcakes at home.
From a Disney Cast Member;
Today I’m excited to talk about two of my favorite things: cupcakes and Make-A-Wish.
Although the pandemic presented unique challenges for everyone – wish granters included – we’ve continued granting unforgettable Disney wishes and creating magical experiences for Make-A-Wish children. From a royal greeting from Princess Belle to the inspirational stories shared as part of #TheWishEffect, we’ve seen how a wish unlocks a world of possibilities. We’re honored that Disney has grown to grant half of all Make-A-Wish wishes in the United States and together with Make-A-Wish, we’ve granted more than 145,000 wishes around the world.
A few months ago, we granted a very special wish request from a child who wanted to decorate yummy cupcakes with Chef Minnie. Inspired by this child’s wish, today we’re going to show you how to make a sweet treat with the help of a special guest: Minnie Mouse, herself! In honor of National Cupcake Day, Chef Minnie and Chef Magaly from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World Resort will walk you through decorating your very own Mickey Mouse-themed cupcakes at home.
Before joining in on the fun, make sure that you have all the ingredients ready to go, and a parent to help for younger children. Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to make these delicious treats**:
Ready, set, go!
- First, fill up the piping bag with red buttercream icing, followed by placing the pastry tip inside and carefully cutting the tip of the bag off.
- Then, fill the bag with red icing and get ready to begin decorating.
- To decorate, start by icing one “ring” of buttercream icing on the cupcake.
- Then, place two yellow “buttons” in the front of the cupcake.
- Almost there! Use the icing bag to add 2-3 rounds of red icing on top.
- Finally, stick two round cookies on the top of the icing to make Mickey’s ears
- Enjoy!
Watch below for detailed instructions from Chef Magaly and Chef Minnie.
For more than 40 years, Disney has worked with our friends at Make-A-Wish, whose amazing work creates life-changing experiences for children with critical illnesses. Together, Disney and Make-A-Wish have granted more than 145,000 Disney wishes globally. From sailing aboard a Disney cruise, to opening the gates of Disneyland park, to decorating cupcakes with Minnie like you’ve seen today, no two wishes are ever the same.
** Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents.
Please supervise children who are helping or nearby.
Mickey Mouse-Inspired Plane Takes to the Brazilian Skies
Last week, Azul Linhas Aéreas presented an Airbus A320neo plane inspired by the mouse that started it all. The first of four red- and yellow-colored aircraft inspired by Mickey Mouse was unveiled during a magical event held at the airline’s hangar in Campinas, Sao Paulo.
In true celebratory Disney fashion, Mickey Mouse surprised the audience, along with executives from Azul Linhas Aéreas and Disney, to officially welcome “Mickey Mouse Nas Nuvens,” which translates as “Mickey Mouse in the clouds,” to the airline’s fleet.
Azul will debut three additional Disney character-inspired aircraft in the coming months, operating domestic routes through nearly 50 Brazilian airports.
Here’s a special look at how “Mickey Mouse Nas Nuvens” was created!
The launch of the first plane coincides with The World’s Most Magical Celebration, which began Oct. 1 and will continue for 18 months to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort.
Could Disney lose the rights to Mickey?
Could Disney lose its iconic symbol? DisDining.com dives into the history of the famous icon.
“Disney is set to lose its rights to Mickey, and a potential new owner is already lying in wait.
Shhh. Did you hear that–the sinister, maniacal laughter of the villain from any of your favorite Disney classic films? Yeah, me too.”
In news reminiscent of that from early 1928, Disney Dining has learned that Disney is set to lose its rights to the beloved Mickey Mouse in 2024, just three short years from now. and the enterprise poised to catch him just as he is loosed from Disney is doing so out of spite–not for the mouse–but for all he represents.
A company called MSCHF has launched its own version of Mickey Mouse–of sorts.
Its “token” isn’t referred to as Mickey, and the likeness is not quite Mickey’s either. It’s more of a copy and an idea rolled into one.
Fans and non-fans alike are invited to purchase a token that looks like a mouse. The so-called “X Famous Mouse” serves as more of a placeholder that can be bought today for $100 and redeemed in 2024 when Disney no longer owns the rights to Mickey. Once redeemed, the owner will receive an actual collectible piece of artwork.
It’s the copyright for Disney’s Steamboat Willie that is set to expire in 2024. Once the copyright expires, the character of the famous mouse as he appeared in the animated short will be part of the public domain. That is, unless Disney can pull a fast one like it did in 1988.
Faced with a similar fate in the late 80s, Disney bypassed any potential riff-raff and went straight to the federal government for help, lobbying Congress in an effort to extend its copyright on Mickey. Whether it was Disney’s powerhouse persona or a Congress full of Mickey fans, we aren’t sure. But the lobbying worked, and the copyright was extended.
But, as with all good things, the copyright is coming to an end. The so-called “Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” or, as it is more formally knows, the Copyright Term Extension Act, only extended the rights so long, and in 2024, the extension of the protection will be terminated.
MSCHF explains that it feels Disney is a “multinational behemoth, able to change national laws to suit the interests of a cartoon mouse,” and that the entertainment giant is also “a massive all-swallowing conglomerate, with a desire for both industry dominance and cultural hegemony.”
The company further says that we must “leap at the chance to take back even the scant morsels available to us; at the slightest chance we must eat them alive.”
So it would seem that MSCHF wants the rights to Mickey, not to continue to see his notoriety blossom and bloom or further his legacy, but rather to mock him and the company he represents for being such a power-hungry “conglomerate.”
Got it.
But if Disney did it once, couldn’t they do it again? Couldn’t they lobby Congress or write a letter to the President or pay a hefty sum of money to see that the copyright doesn’t expire? That remains to be seen.
And if Disney is successful in securing some kind of staying power on its Mickey copyright, MSCHF is ready for that too, saying that it will move along with the extension, should one be granted.
Catching the mouse seems to be the name of the game for MSCHF’s CEO, Gabe Whaley, who says his company is making the most of a loophole in the copyright law.
“Famous Mouse is using the idea of conceptual art as a copyright loophole,” he explained. “Copyright is always a game of loopholes.”
A loophole led to the demise of Walt’s beloved Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in early 1928. The long-eared bunny ended up the property of Universal Pictures, thanks to a contract loophole, a sneaky distributor and some less-than-loyal studio staff members.
Could it happen again in 2024? It’s possible.
Whaley explains, “This is a roundabout way to get the mouse out early.”