Imagineer Kevin Rafferty Introduces Mr. Potato Head, The New "Boardwalk Barker" at Toy Story Mania!
(June 15, 2008)
Mr. Potato Head represents a
leap ahead not just for potatoes, but for all Audio-Animatronics figures at Walt
Disney Imagineering. He�s the �Boardwalk Barker� on Paradise Pier, entertaining
guests and inviting everyone to come inside and play �Toy Story Mania!� Kevin
Rafferty, a senior concept writer for Imagineering, talks about his favorite
potato, who performs hundreds of lines and even a few songs. With all that
material, it took longer to animate Mr. Potato Head than any single figure ever
produced by Walt Disney Imagineering.
How big is the figure?
Mr. Potato Head is just a tad taller than five feet � but he's a giant in the
world of Audio-Animatronics figures!
Why is he outside of the attraction?
He's between the queue area and the exterior boardwalk of Paradise Pier. It's
the perfect location for Mr. Potato Head, in his role as "Boardwalk Barker," to
perform continuously for the Guests waiting in line, as well as to those
strolling by on the boardwalk. He will definitely be an attention getter.
What is unique about this figure in relation to
other interactive Disney experiences?
Mr. Potato Head is going to amaze and surprise everyone who sees him because he
is the first attraction-based Audio-Animatronics performer ever created by Walt
Disney Imagineering that can engage in conversation with Guests for as long as
they choose to hang around with him. His show is designed to play off any given
real-time moment with the Guests, so anything goes. I guess you could say his
ability to deliver constant comments would make him a � "Comment Tater."
How can Guests interact with him?
Mr. Potato Head will be close enough to guests for one-on-one dialogue and
interaction. Being the personality that he is, he has a tendency to notice
everything about his audience and prompt them to respond to him, even sing along
at times. He welcomes all questions, takes on all topics and even celebrates
along with Guests on special occasions. For example, if he notices an
anniversary couple, he can renew their wedding vows. After all, being a toy with
changeable parts qualifies him as a "Justice of the Pieces."
What kinds of new technology will the figure
utilize?
Mr. Potato Head is stuffed with all kinds of new technology that makes him look
as though he popped out of the world of Toy Story right onto the stage. His eyes
are amazingly lifelike. Thanks to a new "Guest Location Grid" monitor, the eyes
have the ability to look at an individual Guest and make them absolutely believe
he is focused and talking directly to them (and he is!). He is the first
Audio-Animatronics figure to have the ability to take off � and put back on � a
body part, and that's natural to do when you're Mr. Potato Head. He can actually
reach up, grab his ear with his hand, snap it off, and pop it back on. That was
an incredibly difficult challenge to hand to our dimensional animation team.
They pulled it off, but it took many ears to perfect!
He looks like a carnival barker. What does he
sound like?
Don Rickles is the voice � as he was in the �Toy Story� films � so you can
imagine Mr. Potato Head calling people over: �Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and
girls, step right up and play the greatest games ever made by the toys. They�ll
astound you, they�ll surround you, some will even confound you��
Will there be seasonal updates to the figure?
There's nothing a toy likes better than the holidays � so yes, Mr. Potato Head's
performance will be updated with some seasonal surprises!
-- Posted June 16, 2008