I don't know a ton about this, but I just completed a 25 minute survey on Disney DVD and Blu-ray and this was mentioned. I found some of the features interesting and some disturbing.

They are apparently thinking of adding the Diamond line to their Platinum line. According to what I read it will include the Blu-ray version, a DVD (like with Sleeping Beauty) and the digital copy. This part sounded cool. The part I didn't like was the restoration better than the quality of the original release. I'm not sure what they meant at first and thought maybe it was just a fancy way of hyping their restoration. However, they then list possible features of the Diamond Edition and it includes all new music integrated into the film and all new animation. This I don't need and rated it low.

They can add new stuff as an extra, but if they start going George Lucas on their classics I will be pissed. I know they probably touch up animation in these restorations, but this sounded like adding all new stuff. Fine as an extra, but I don't want it part of the main feature.

Not sure what the final Diamond Editions will be, but it definitely sounds like something they have planned soon.

I don't like how any of that sounds. The restoration stuff you mentioned sounds absolutely horrifying!

Thank you for rating it low!

Is this a survey that any of us might be able to take and join you in voting down this scary idea?

hmm... i dont like the sound of that one bit. Just keep up with the Platinum Editions. Sleeping Beauty was practically perfection.

Well, they already did change some of the animation in The Lion King.

I would certainly be against the animation changes, but I would welcome a two-tiered edition scheme. I'd like to just get the BD (and hopefully the extras) without having to pay for the DVD and DC.

How did you get to take this survey?

if they can get it (which i doubt) to where we can have both original remastered version & re-cut version with new animation and new music i dont think we'll see to many complaints ...

im guessing they're trying to do what they did on the Beauty & The Beast DVD where they added another musical number in the movie ...

they can keep the digital copy IMO.

Lion King is a bit different though. Not that I agree with it, but what was added was a song from the critically acclaimed Broadway show and it was done within a few years of it's original release. IIRC, the animation was pretty much seamless, voice talent the same, etc. Adding a scene of Goofy into the Sorcerer's Apprentice would be quite different. Essentially a situation where where mixing the animation, voice talent or songs from a different era would be a huge mistake.

Lion King differences outlined:

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/thelionking2.html

The deleted song that was readded to Pocahontas made the film much better, but that was nearly finished animation that was removed after test screenings. This sounds a bit different than that.

I'm signed up for e-rewards.com. I usually do enough surveys to get a $25 Gamestop gift card every 4 months. No biggie. It is very random what I get offered though. Most of the time it is boring stuff I'm not that interested in but on occasion it will be a DVD survey or I will get to watch a new show not on the air yet and rate it.

The other thing that bugged me was their possible list of Diamond editions. It included most Disney films including some mediocre stuff like Tinkerbell and Emperors New Groove. I rated several of these as not something I would want as a Diamond edition. However, I was kind of pissed that Black Cauldron wasn't even listed as a possibility. I love that movie but it always get shafted. Pretty much everything Pixar was on the list along with all the Disney classics.

Other features for BD Live included a game that you would start on the first Diamond release and continue on future releases. To play the whole game I guess you would have to buy every release. They also mentioned add ons for the iPhone that could integrate into your BD Live account, but no real detail on how it would work.

Overall it sounded cool as far as packaging, all the formats, and the extras. I'm just not so sure exactly how far they intend to go with adding new content to old movies. Hopefully they will at least allow us to watch both versions using seamless branching.

Blasphemy! The Emperor's New Groove is a modern classic!

Sounds typical. If their recent restorations are any indication, Disney has already been playing fast and loose with the colors on many of their classics (not to mention the well-documented and none-too-subtle editing of "problematic" non-PC elements). What's to stop them from "improving" on the originals? Whenever I hear Disney and restoration in the same sentence, I reach for my Luger...

...and find that it's been replaced by a walkie-talkie.

^ LOL. True...how true.

Why can't Disney just continue to restore the films t look as good as they can and include whatever extras they find? Stop with the changing and adding, etc. With their current release schedule, they should be able to ride the Blu-ray wave of re-issues for quite a long time.

If it's a question of having too much time on their hands or something, they should put out more movies per year on Blu-ray.

I thought he was referring to the "SEX" that appears in the smoke scene.

I was mostly thinking of the crocodiles.