D23 Expo Part Five: “To Infinity & Beyond” Panel (Disney Infinity)

I eagerly make my way to the D23 Arena in order to snap up a spot in line for the To Infinity and Beyond Arena Event, in which all of the new and exciting video game information is going to be released. I get there an hour early, and check the time every five minutes in my excitement for the panel. Finally, we are let into the giant arena, and I manage to wiggle my way into a pretty good seat toward the front of the orchestra section. The lights dim, and my inner fan girl comes out as I stifle a squeak.

First, we were treated to a demo of the new Fantasia: Music Evolved game for Xbox Kinect. The game is sort of a mix between Dance Central and Fruit Ninja, as the main competitive aspect involves pushing bursts of color on the screen in the direction indicated by a streak of color. The game allows the player to play with sounds in various popular songs–we were shown Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody–by choosing different styles to have the music played in. At various points in the song, the player is given the choice of instruments or music style to change the sound to, and the song will continue in that style or instrument. Once a song is completed, an interactive decoration is awarded to the player to decorate a chosen environment within the game. We were shown a beautiful coral reef, and the Bohemian Rhapsody song awarded our demonstrator with a giant turtle that swims around the reef. It is even possible to play music on the turtle’s back by poking the various sea life that resides there.

After the Fantasia: Music Evolved demonstration, panel attendees were treated to an early screening of the new Disney Vinylmation web mini-series, Blank. Blank is a love story about two Vinylmation figures that were not painted. They meet, quickly fall in love, and are separated tragically. The show depicts their adventures in finding each other, and includes humor, drama, and heart-warming romance. Disney Vinylmation’s “Blank” will premier later this year.

Finally, in the moment we had all been waiting for, John Blackburn and John Vignocchi, the vice president and executive producer of Disney Infinity, emerged to share with us some exclusive news regarding the new Disney Infinity game.

First, they showed us exclusive in-game footage that hadn’t been seen before. Seeing this was actually really cool, because there were a lot of game functions that I wasn’t previously aware of, which brings me to the first exciting announcement the John’s gave us!

TOY BOX MODE! This mode is essentially a sand box, allowing the player to create their own world from the ground up. It is possible to invent new games, build new worlds, and explore your imagination in Toy Box mode. The possibilities are literally endless.

To go along with the special announcement of Toy Box Mode, the sixth play set of the game was also announced: Toy Story! The entire family of play sets now includes: Pirates of the Caribbean, Monsters’ Inc., Cars, Lone Ranger, The Incredibles, and Toy Story. A better line up could not be requested!

As if this exciting news were not enough, a whole slew of new playable characters were announced to panel attendees. The new additions to the family include Rapunzel (the first Disney princess to be added to the game!), Jack Skellington, Phineas Flynn, Agent P, Elsa, Anna, Wreck it Ralph, Vanellope Von Schweet, Woody, Buzz, and Jessie. Because it wouldn’t be Disney’s style to stop at that, the John’s had to announce one more playable character–Sorcerer Mickey. In addition, every person in attendance to the Disney Infinity panel was given a Sorcerer Mickey play piece free of charge. That is the Disney way.

The Disney Infinity panel was an exciting and hype-inspiring event. Leaving the arena, the excited murmurs of the crowd surrounded me and got me even more excited than I already was for the release of Disney Infinity, for the premier of Blank, and for Fantasia: Music Evolved.