Conference koolit::disney

    Mickey's Brain has a sched release date of August 11 and will play with
    a  Kid in King Arthur's Court.
    

    I made a mistake in the original entry:  The name of the Mickey cartoon
    was "Runaway Brain" not "Mickey's Brain."  The base title has been
    changed accordingly.
    
    tom

    My 5-year-old and I went to see Toy Story last weekend.  We both enjoyed
    it (but not as much as Lion King :).  The theater was packed (they were
    running side-by-side showings in two adjacent rooms, and ours was
    completely filled).  Gregor now of course wants a Buzz Lightyear for
    Christmas.

    I think what I liked best that afternoon was the preview of Hunchback
    of Notre Dame, though.  Looks very promising! (seems to have a lot of the
    same feel as Beauty and the Beast)  Of course, I also really liked last
    year's Pocahontas preview, but the movie didn't live up to it...

					cheryl

    My 2.75 year old and I went to "Totally Toy Story" at the El Capitan
    theatre in Hollywood, California.  They were selling VIP tickets for
    $30 which got you a special seat, popcorn and soda at your seat, and a
    commemorative program.  I purchased the $20 ticket and it turned out to
    be a better buy because there were more non-reserved seats to choose
    from.  We watched the movie, which amazingly enough, my son sat through
    with a couple of potty breaks.  Fortunately, my son had seen the
    trailer for Toy Story on Cinderella so many times he started saying
    Buzz Lightyear's line "I'm Buzz Lightyear... To Infinity And Beyond"
    and also could complete Woody's line when I said "My name is Woody...",
    he would say "and this is my spot."  So by the time we went to see the
    movie he already knew Buzz Lightyear.
    
    BTW, I really liked the castle logo with the flags blowing in the wind
    - really really cool!
    
    After the movie, you went next door to the Toy Story Funhouse 
    where they had Woody and some helpers teaching the kids line
    dancing in one room; the green toy Soldiers in another room doing a
    little show; Hamm's Revue which did little vignettes of Sherlock Hamms, 
    Silence of the Hamms, Hammlet, and a ton of others plus a little stage
    show with Slinky Dog, Bo Peep, the strongman toy (I forget his name),
    and Mr. Potato Head.  Another room had video games from Disney
    Interactive.  Buzz Lightyear's Galaxy had a simulator ride,
    "Whack An Alien" and an infra-red target zap game, where you could
    win little plastic toys.  Buzz also did a little stage
    show with four Buzzettes (now I know why he always has a smile on his
    face) dancing to such hits as Flying Purple People Eater and other
    alien novely songs.  They also had a collectible story with hats,
    T-shirts, etc. and Pizza Planet where you could get pizza, sandwiches,
    etc. and Green Slime - I tried to get some Green Slime for my son
    because his favorite color is Green but after I asked what was in it
    and was told it tastes like root beer, the woman at the counter said
    they were closed.  One of the workers gave my son a little package of
    green army men instead though.  The other room was a room with
    Etch-A-Sketchs, My First Spirographs, a coloring area with markers
    where they scrolled your child's masterpieces up the wall, another
    coloring area with crayons, and a game where you get a template of
    Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep, etc. and you plug in translucent colored 
    plastic pegs into a lighted pegboard.
    
    There was so much stuff at the Funhouse it was impossible to stay for
    everything - they kick you out after 2 hours because the crowd from the
    next show comes through.  I think it was a test to see what they should
    put in at future attractions at Disneyland / Walt Disney World.
    
    When my son saw the Burger King commercials, of course he wanted Woody
    AND Buzz Lightyear hand puppets.  After I had been to several Burger
    Kings, they were completely sold out of Woody.  However, I live in Los
    Angeles County but work in Orange County and managed to find a Burger
    King which had just a few Woody puppets left.
    
    When we went to Disneyland and went through the Emporium they had tons
    of Toy Story stuff, including Buzz Lightyear with the rocket you can
    attach to his back.  That was in the morning - I was going to buy it
    but I didn't want to carry the thing around with me all day.  When I
    came back in the afternoon all the Buzz Lightyears with the rocket were
    gone and had been replaced by Buzz Lightyears with Karate Chop Action.
    There was one Buzz Lightyear with the rocket left and an older child
    was looking at it but his mother wouldn't buy it so I managed to pick
    up the last one.  Nearly all the Woodys were gone too.  Another
    Disneyholic in the office here says the Disney stores can't get
    Toy Story toys in fast enough.  Really amazing.
    
    Supposedly Steve Jobs is now a billionaire again because of PIXAR.
    
    
    								Michael
    

My wife and I took the kids (or should I say my wife took the kids :) ) to see Toy Story this past 
Saturday, 12/8.  My three year old son did not move for the entire movie.  At one point my other son
thought he may have fallen asleep.  when it was over the 3 year olds first comment was "I like Buzz".

We all enjoyed the movie.  I liked it better than Pocahontas...

Dave V

My brother is a District Manager of a Burger King franchise here in
Rochester, NY.  About six months ago all the managers sit in a meeting
with a corporate marketing rep who "pitches" the upcoming promotions.

You see, each franchise has to decide six months ahead what sounds like
a winner, loser, or middle-of-the-road promotion and place their orders
for how much stock to have delivered for each promotion.

Bottom line:  They're still trying to unload Pocahontas glasses.
They sell out of "Toy Story" puppets wthin days of each shipment.  They
could have ordered triple what they did and still not have enough!

An all computer animated story about toys that think they're alive?
That won't be a big hit....

To make matters worse, the day the movie opened, our AM radio station's
movie reviewer was gushing about how good the movie was.  His exact words:
"GO see this movie, and GO to Burger King and BUY the TOYS, your kids will
love it, you will love it!"

Bill A.

    =========================================================================
    Note 473.                Toy Story and Runaway Brain                   
    5 of 6 CSSE::pkodv1.mso.dec.com::vaughan "All it takes is a" 7 lines
    				 -< I like Buzz >-
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    My wife and I took the kids (or should I say my wife took the kids :) )
    to see Toy Story this past  Saturday, 12/8.  My three year old son did
    not move for the entire movie.  At one point my other son thought he
    may have fallen asleep.  when it was over the 3 year olds first comment
    was "I like Buzz".

    We all enjoyed the movie.  I liked it better than Pocahontas...

    Dave V
    

    
    	If you want to see and learn more about this wonderful movie, look at
    
    	http://www.toystory.com 
    
    	on the web.  You can even get ten wallpaper bitmaps of the main 
    	characters.
    
    	Enjoy,
    
    	Phil D. 
    
    	

    Well, my daughter (8) and I finally got to see Toy Story this weekend.
    We both really enjoyed it, though she flinched a bit at the "misfit"
    toys at first.  I have never been urged by more adults to see a "G"
    rated movie, but was not disappointed when I finally did.
    
    RE: .6 Since we've seen the movie now, my daughter is even more
        disappointed that we never got the Buzz puppet from Burger King.
        We have the other 3, but don't even know of anyone who managed to
        get one.  Do you know if there are any plans to make more or maybe
        get one mail order ?  Or does anyone know of any Disney plans to
        sell them ? 
    
    Thanks,
    Sharon

    I saw Toy Story with my daughter last Thursday. We enjoyed it and I was
    truly amazed at the renedered scenes throughout.
    
    The casting was right on the money. Tim Allen and Tom Hanks did a fine
    job.
    
    One question.......why would a 10-year old boy have a PORCELAIN Bo Peep
    lamp?
    
    The James and the Giant Peach Movie looks good.
    
    "Hunchback" is the next marketing blockbuster. Did anyone notice that
    the Quasimodo character was not hideous but looked cuddly like a Koala
    Bear? All the better to market a stuffed figure.
    
    Mike 

    My daughter-in-law took our 3 year old grandson to see this yesterday.
    She said Josh sat very quietly throu the whole movie.  The only times
    he made a comment was when someone was called "stupid", then he would
    say "he said a naughty word Mommie."  We had dinner with them last
    night and Josh talked constantly about the movie, he just loved it.

Re: 473.10
>    One question.......why would a 10-year old boy have a PORCELAIN Bo Peep
>    lamp?
  
I almost positive it would have been sent to him by an aunt/great aunt,
And he most certainely was forced to write a thank-you letter to this
aunt/great aunt expressing what a great gift it was.

    I thought the lamp was his little sisters.  It looked like she shared
    his room.
    
    Linda

Does anyone know when Toy Story is supposed to come out on video?  My mother
swears she saw a sign in Sam Goody's stating it was coming May 6.  I haven't
seen it anywhere it, nor have I seen any promos for it.

- Lori

    Toy Story comes out on video in October.  Oliver and Company and the
    newest Alladin (amde afor video release only) are coming out during the
    summer.

    Quoting from a Disney press release:)
    
       Wednesday March 12 2:15 PM EDT 
    
    Disney and Pixar Announce Sequel
    
      `Toy Story II' Production Underway
    
      Tim Allen and Tom Hanks Return as `Buzz Lightyear' and `Woody'
    
       BURBANK, Calif., March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Walt Disney Studios and
       Pixar Animation Studios announce today that a sequel to the
       groundbreaking Academy Award-nominated feature film, TOY STORY, is
       underway and being created exclusively for home video. The all-new,
       fully computer-animated sequel will feature the voices of Tim Allen
       and Tom Hanks, who reprise their enormously popular roles as "Buzz
       Lightyear," the space ranger and "Woody," the pull- string Cowboy,
       respectively. Production on TOY STORY II re-teams Disney's Feature
       Animation team and Pixar's Northern California studios, utilizing
       the same cutting-edge, three-dimensional computer animation techniques
       that allowed the breakthrough creation of the original movie. The
       first fully computer-animated, feature-length film, TOY STORY was
       1995's highest-grossing family film, earning more than $350 million
       worldwide in theaters before becoming the top-selling video of 1996.
    
       Winner of a 1995 Special Achievement Academy Award for TOY STORY,
       director John Lasseter is the sequel's Executive Producer. TOY STORY
       Producer Ralph Guggenheim repeats as TOY STORY II Producer. Ash
       Brannon will direct TOY STORY II.
    
       "Utilizing what we call a `Digital Backlot' we are able to work with
       many of the same computer models of characters, sets and props as in
       the original film," said Ralph Guggenheim. "This enables us to create
       the new movie in less time, while maintaining the same quality of
       sophisticated animation and story."
    
       "We are excited to work again with Tom and Tim on this project," said
       John Lasseter. "Their amazing talent helped us bring the characters
       to life. In fact, we think of Woody and Buzz not as creations, but as
       employees."
    
       "`Toy Story II' is the latest production to be announced in our
       growing made-for-video film category," Ann Daly, President, Buena
       Vista Home Video, said. "With `Aladdin and the King of Thieves' and
       the debut of `Honey We Shrunk Ourselves' next week, we are now
       bringing both animated and live-action films into this pipeline with
       great success. `Toy Story II' further demonstrates the prominence of
       this business category for us, and our belief in its ongoing success
       for the company."
    
       Walt Disney Home Video is distributed by Buena Vista Home Video, Inc.,
       the recognized industry leader for nine consecutive years.
    
       Pixar Animation Studios combines creative and technical artistry to
       create original characters and stories in the new medium of
       three-dimensional computer animation. Pixar created and produced the
       first computer animated feature film the Academy Award-winning TOY
       STORY, and has recently entered into a partnership with The Walt
       Disney Company to finance, produce and distribute five computer
       animated feature films and related products. Pixar also created two
       top selling CD-ROMs based on Toy Story characters which were
       released in 1996. 
    
    SOURCE Buena Vista Home Video
    
    (End of quoted press release.)