You serious TwilightZone...
As to answer the Walt Question,
NO! NO! NO! (quick body spasm) No.
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Would you Meet and Greet Walt Disney?
- Thread starter ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ
- Start date
You serious TwilightZone...
As to answer the Walt Question,
NO! NO! NO! (quick body spasm) No.
TwilightZone
Well-Known Member
Well wouldn't it be a bad sign for our education system if people older than 3 didn't know who Ben Franklin was?
Yes, yes it would. Heck, I think most people just think he's the long haired hippy on the $100 bill.
Dutch Inn '76
Well-Known Member
Just saying: that's a really weird idea.
Walt Disney1955
Well-Known Member
No, I am not a big fan of that. I don't care much for holograms either. Different story, but when they had Prince come out and sing with someone (forget who it was) it just felt wrong. I believe Prince never liked the idea of hologram singers either. There is ample video of Walt talking and such, so it isn't as if they can't use more of that stuff if they want people to see more of Walt. I think that is a good idea anyway, but a person playing a once very much alive person who built the park? Nah, too weird.
TwilightZone
Well-Known Member
The singer was Justin Timberlake.
A little useless and doesn't contribute to this thread at all, but now you know! Yay!
Walt didn't like holograms either (not just singers, but in general). That's why the ghosts in haunted mansion are using pepper's ghost effect and why star tours uses the 3D technology for the "holograms".
GVentola
Well-Known Member
Not too many years ago, I was at a special event at Epcot featuring Marty Sklar, who talked about how Ben Franklin and Mark Twain were representing the 18th and 19th century of America. They thought about having someone represent the 20th century. An audience member suggested Walt Disney as the representative for the 20th century, and the audience clapped. But Mr. Sklar said he didn't like the idea of "putting words in Walt's mouth". (Although I must mention, that's wrong for Walt Disney, but not for Ben Franklin or Mark Twain? Or Pocahontas and John Smith, for that matter?) I'm not trying to argue one way or the other, just bring up some points for consideration. Although from what I've seen posted so far, I should forget about that daydream I have of there being an animated Walt Disney biopic, ending not with his death, but with his running with those children into Fantasyland at the then new Disneyland.
TraderSam
Member
Absolutely not. No one could pull that off, and I think it’s much better to have his spirit in the park rather than have someone try to portray him.
Hanks was pretty good in Saving Mr Banks, but it wasn’t hard to tell that he still just wasn’t Walt.
artdeco
Member
Yeah that would be weird. And enough people still know both his quotes and his voice that it would be difficult, and probably expensive, to contract the right guy.
It's not an impossible idea, but it would be challenging to pull off. I like the creative thinking you put into this Magicart87.
Randyland
Member
I am an Iconic figure myself, and I created my own world which people dream of and come to see...., There are MANY parallels where I am compared to Walt Disney.... Guests often want to meet me, as I am the guy who built the dreams... HOWEVER, the "illusion" and "image" built in people's minds, (mostly created by medias interviews of television and news papers), have made me BIGGER then life.... In real life, I could never be exactly as I am perceived. I have hundreds of life-sized Randy mannequins around in my world to see and to trigger imagination... Meeting me in my world is a treat because I am still around to do so... When I am gone, the image alone should not be tarnished by an actor doing a meet and great... the army of mannequins maintain the illusion. This is the way it should be with Walt Disney. An actor playing his part in a show or a parade is not the same as shaking his hand or speaking with him. What would be good is to have an iconic person in change to be present at the Magic Kingdom... working along with the rest of the Cast Members and mingling with the Guests as to live the dreams... The Figure head so Guests can see that it is all about one man living the dreams, rather then a BIG Corporation which is cold and all about the money. THIS IS WHAT SEPARATED DISNEY FROM ANY OTHER AMUSEMENT PARK. And that is what is slipping away.... I created this very persona when I worked on Main Street USA 30 years ago... I brought life to the area and countless Guests and Cast Members alike were inspired by my presence... This could be built upon Park-wide... It is simply a fantastic Marketing plan.
ppete1975
Well-Known Member
He was a real life person who in the grand scheme died fairly recently. I think it is ghoulish to have an actor portray him and honestly why would you want to meet him. Any questions you asked would either be official Disney propaganda or totally bland. The reason it is ok for ben franklin George Washington etc is its been so long since they passed, we don't have archival information, there are no heirs that knew of him and no one is alive that met them. They have become caricatures and more of an idea than they are people.
Only my opinion, sorry if its different than yours.
Only my opinion, sorry if its different than yours.
Short answer - No.
TLDR answer - No.
TLDR answer - No.
OG Runner
Well-Known Member
Based on past experience, I would also say NO!. The princesses and some of the other characters, like Gaston and Aladdin, (bringing to life an animated character), see to work well. When, however, a character actor portrays a real character, (such as the Doctor Strange and Guardians), just do not seem to work as well. Trying to do Walt would just be wrong.
Phil12
Well-Known Member
The problem is that most of his "quotes" were things he never said. They were written by his public relations department.
RoyWalley
Well-Known Member
You do realize the performer is an Adventurers club alumn...You also might have seen him as Gus your Magical Express Bus Driver...
Also known as : Officer Percival Peabody
dougquestion
New Member
I saw him as Officer Percival Peabody at Disney Hollywood Studios. I took a photo of my wife with him a couple of years ago. I said, "Aren't you Gus the Bus Driver?" He said, "No, that's my brother".You do realize the performer is an Adventurers club alumn...You also might have seen him as Gus your Magical Express Bus Driver...
FettFan
Well-Known Member
That sounds very tacky and tasteless.
spock8113
Well-Known Member
Someone speaking as they "think" he would speak? Someone acting as they "think" he would act?
Wouldn't this be recreating the man of the past as someone they think he would be today? Rewriting history?
Best leave that alone. Let his parks and images for us speak for themselves in our own individual way.
Wouldn't this be recreating the man of the past as someone they think he would be today? Rewriting history?
Best leave that alone. Let his parks and images for us speak for themselves in our own individual way.
Astro_Digital
Active Member
dougquestion
New Member
I wonder if the "If you can dream it, you can do it" approach could be applied to making an animatronic Walt Disney? There are plenty of recordings of Walt talking, so those could be used. But the animatronic would have to be almost spot-on perfect, since people would be very picky about an animatronic character of Walt. It would require a new, advanced generation of animatronics. I'd definitely be interesting in seeing that, if the Disney folks thought they could do it.