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Frozen Co-Director Chris Buck on Bringing Movie to Life

Trevor Hogg over at Flickering Myth is back with another insightful look at the inner workings of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Fans of Disney’s Frozen will want to read his interview with co-directory Chris Buck about the creation of the animated musical. I knew the… Read More »Frozen Co-Director Chris Buck on Bringing Movie to Life

Ihu’s Breakaway Falls to take Aquatica to New Heights and Big Thrills on May 9th

Ihu's Breakaway Falls med

It’s not as well themed as Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, but Seaworld Orlando’s Aquatica water park has become my favorite destination for the family waterpark experience. They have a great range of water rides and a few unique experiences that make me want to return again and again. With Ihu’s Breakaway Falls, Aquatica is adding a new ride high on the thrill spectrum.

Those brave enough to ride will experience a watery free-fall when Ihu’s Breakaway Falls – the tallest, steepest and only multi-drop tower slide of its kind in the southern United States – opens on May 9.

This balloon represents the height of 80ft from which riders will drop into the slide.

This balloon represents the height of 80ft from which riders will drop into the slide.

At nearly 80 feet tall, Ihu’s Breakaway Falls is where thrill seekers face their fears and each other. After stepping into one of three clear “breakaway boxes,” they’ll watch each other fall one-by-one as the floor underneath them disappears. They’ll never know who’s going to breakaway first – and the anticipation of who drops next is part of the wild ride!

“With four unique slide paths, Ihu’s Breakaway Falls brings a whole new level of thrill to Aquatica Orlando,” said Bryan Nadeau, Aquatica Orlando vice president. “Riders can step into three breakaway boxes or test their bravery on a fourth open slide for a different, but just as thrilling experience. No matter which slide you choose, once you get to the top, the only way down is down.”

We were able to conduct a quick interview with Nadeau and then took a hard hat tour o the construction site where Nadeau offered a few more details.

Follow below the jump for some Fun Facts about Ihu’s Breakaway Falls:

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Terrific Dick Van Dyke Interview

I know what you’re going to be doing for at least two hours this holiday weekend. Once you start listening to this wide ranging and entertaining interview with Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke on the Kevin Pollack Chat Show you’ll clear your schedule for next… Read More »Terrific Dick Van Dyke Interview

An Interview With Rich Moore and Clark Spencer on Wreck-It Ralph

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Disney's Wreck-It Ralph
When it comes to experiences and details, Disney spares no expense. Hence the opportunity they provided on a recent press trip for a group of bloggers, myself included, to meet Rich Moore and Clark Spencer, the director and producer of Wreck-It Ralph, respectively.

Wreck-It Ralph Director and Producer

While the conversation (below) was interesting and informative, I was even more excited about the setting for our interview. We actually got to sit in Roy Disney’s old office that is housed in the large sorcerer’s hat on the Walt Disney Animation Building. The story is that Roy Disney only used the office for a short period of time due to the vertical stripes painted along the interior of the round room (see above) — he complained that sitting in it made him feel like he was spinning, so he relocated elsewhere. These days the room is used primarily for photo ops and entertaining me, apparently.

Here is some of that aforementioned conversation with Rich Moore and Clark Spencer that I promised you:

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Meet the Boys of Frankenweenie

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I first met Atticus Shaffer by accident. It was the premiere of Real Steal and I was with my son. The place was packed and he lost me in the crowd. I called his name.

“Atticus!” I shouted above the din of Hollywood chatter.

“Yes?”

I looked down and there was Atticus, just not my Atticus. It was only slightly awkward. I then spent the next few minutes (don’t worry, my son appeared, too) talking to his father about the name we both chose for our sons and the different responses that we get from people. For example, “Did you know that name is from a movie?” ranked high with both of us.

The answer, of course, is yes, an excellent movie, but we got the name from the book. Stay in school, kids!

This time, when I met Atticus Shaffer and his family it was in the quiet comfort of a hallway in the Loews Hollywood Hotel, and when I met his mother I had to recap the original tale. Still awkward.

However, Atticus was excited to see me again. He grabbed my hand for a surprisingly firm shake and asked, “How are you, Sir?” Then we chatted for a moment before I excused myself out of their family time. I’m not one to intrude.

I walked away thinking about the horror stories one hears about Hollywood and childhood, and it was nice to chalk one up for the good guys.

It turns out that the role Atticus plays in Tim Burton’s latest horror story homage Frankenweenie isn’t quite as nice. Edgar “E.” Gore is two parts laboratory assistant and one part Peter Lorre, and skews heavily toward the weaselly and sneaky. You know the type.

I was attending Disney’s premiere of the film in Hollywood, part of an invited group of bloggers, and prior to the screening we had the opportunity to sit down with Atticus and his Frankenweenie costars, Charlie Tahan (Victor) and Robert Capron (Bob). Here is some of that conversation:

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