Will This Rare Ward Kimball Mickey Tour Ride Concept Replace The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios ?

We heard recently that the Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios might be replaced by something supposedly called "The Great Mickey Ride, and here is something to don't miss as Kingdom of Memories found back a Mickey ride concept developed a long time ago by Disney animator and imagineer Ward Kimball between 1979 and then again in 1983 at the request of Marty Sklar. Will this be the inspiration for this upcoming Mickey ride at WDW DHS, i won't bet on it but it worth to have a look at these old renderings HERE.

Editing: IMPORTANT NOTE: I've just been told that all these renderings were done in fact by imagineer Tim Kirk, brother of Imagineer Steve Kirk ( who was the lead designer of Tokyo Disney Sea ) who was working with Ward Kimball at that time on this ride concept. The only one apparently from Ward Kimball is the one showing the ride vehicle.






















Now, these Ward Kimball renderings of a Mickey ride concept were coming from an item that went up for auction last year on eBay, "a set of drawings purchased from famed animator Ward Kimball's estate of sketches for a never-realized attraction for the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland that gives a whimsical behind-the-scenes tour of the cartoon-making process."  The good news for those interested by this historical piece and willing to spend $2500  is that the whole thing is back on eBay auction that you can see HERE.

Pictures: copyright Disney

New Star Wars Nighttime Spectacular Will Debut This Summer at Disney's Hollywood Studios

The Disney Parks Blog reveal that plans are currently in the works for a new Star Wars stage show and procession, as well as a nighttime spectacular "so elaborate it’s set to make Disney’s Hollywood Studios history".

"The Force will officially awaken at the park April 4, with the debut of the brand new Star Wars stage show, “Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away.” The new show will play out iconic moments from the film saga on Center Stage (in front of the Chinese Theater), and will feature appearances from Star Wars characters like Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and Darth Maul.

Also starting April 4, Captain Phasma will begin leading a platoon of First Order stormtroopers on a march from Star Wars Launch Bay to Center Stage multiple times each day.

And starting this summer, fans won’t want to miss the grand debut of a new Star Wars fireworks show, “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.” This new nightly show is the next generation of the current Star Wars-inspired fireworks show. The show will combine fireworks, pyrotechnics, special effects and video projections that will turn the nearby Chinese Theater and other buildings into the twin suns of Tatooine, a field of battle droids, the trench of the Death Star, Starkiller Base and other Star Wars destinations. The show will be punctuated with a tower of fire and spotlight beams, creating massive lightsabers in the sky. This new show will be the most elaborate fireworks display to take place in the history of Disney’s Hollywood Studios."

Well, i have to say that this sounds good and the rendering is looking good, too. There is no doubt that Disney will do its best to keep us waiting while they build the Star Wars land and i have a good feeling with this one.

Picture: copyright Disney

Star Wars Lands Will Break Ground at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2016

Although the Star Wars lands opening dates is not announced yet Disney's COO Tom Staggs announced today that Disney will break ground on the two "Star Wars"-lands at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2016, .

But Tom Staggs, who was speaking at the Bank of America-Merrill Lynch 2015 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference in Beverly Hills, did not say when the “Star Wars” lands would open. But with a start of the works in 2016 i would say that an opening on 2019 can be reasonably envisioned.

Speaking at D23, Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Iger said the “Star Wars”-themed areas will include a re-creation of the Millennium Falcon, the iconic spacecraft from the film series. Iger said guests would be able to take the controls of the ship for a “customized secret mission.”

Picture: copyright Disney

Will Disney Announce at D23 Expo a Ten Year $3 Billion Overhaul for Disney's Hollywood Studios ?

Will Disney announce next month at the upcoming D23 Expo a ten year $3 Billion overhaul of  WDW Disney's Hollywood Studios? According to Billy Donnelly's article on his This Is Infamous website, the answer is yes. Billy even calls this huge $3 billion overhaul “the biggest theme park expansion Disney has ever set out to do” adding that full information on what is in the plans for the new Disney’s Hollywood Studios will likely be announced at D23 Expo this August during the Parks and Resorts awaited presentation.

Billy also say that this $3 billion massive overhaul of the DHS has been approved by Disney’s board "complete with rebranding to better reflect the shift away from how movies are made to more how they live and breathe inside of us. Along with that money, we’ll be seeing the park dominated by STAR WARS, Pixar and Indiana Jones as a great deal of the park’s older attractions are put out to pasture and about six new ones are ushered in".

So, in addition to the attractions that their closure has already been announced ( Magic of Disney Animation, American Idol ) more will be shut down like Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular or Muppet Vision 3D to make room for the new ones coming all along these ten years plan. I'm a bit surprised about Muppet Vision 3D so take this with a pinch of salt as he may be wrong on this one. In the attractions which are "sure to stay" we have of course The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania - which should double its track soon - and the Great Movie Ride which received a renovation recently thanks to Turner Classic Movies sponsorship. 

However, the most important is what is coming starting by the awaited Star Wars land "that should inject some new energy into the park, with two new STAR WARS attractions tapped to be in the works, including a Dagobah centerpiece for where Echo Lake and Gertie the Dinosaur currently reside. Details on what those attractions will be have managed to escape me for now, but, with STAR TOURS and the Jedi Training Academy, which I hear will be relocating indoors to an existing building, already in place, you’re looking at four STAR WARS attractions on the ground inside the park, not to mention the possibilities for dining and shopping experiences that would mimic what you’d encounter in that galaxy far, far away."

The good news, if Billy is right, is about Indiana Jones as, even if the Indy Epic Stunt spectacle will close, "Indiana Jones will not be staying away from Hollywood Adventure for too long… as an updated version of the Indiana Jones Adventure that can be found in Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, will be breaking ground in Florida finally."

The third new "land" will be a Pixar one with an expansion of the current Pixar land which will include three new attractions being added without counting the expansion of Toy Story Mania currently in the works. Billy sources told him that in fact "construction may already be underway, hidden from public view where the Studio Backlot Tour used to exist. That would make the time from announcement to completion feel much shorter, a strategy Universal has successfully employed in recent years for their theme parks."

All of this should be revealed at D23 this August in greater detail so we won't have to wait too long to know if he's right or not. My guess is that it's "probably right". Billy even have a "one more thing" saying that all this "doesn’t even include the new nighttime show being lined up for EPCOT to replace Illuminations or the new attraction that will be kicking Journey Into Imagination to the curb." 

So, if all goes well, plenty of good news coming soon and you can read Billy full article HERE.

It's Official : Bob Iger Announces Star Wars Lands Coming at Disneyland AND Walt Disney World , and Likely in Parks Outside the U.S ...

It was hardly a secret but now it's official as Bob Iger in an interview with Bloomberg confirmed that "there is a fair amount of development going on at Disney Imagineering right now to expand the Star Wars presence ( translate:  Star Wars Lands ) in  Disneyland AND Walt Disney World ( translate: Disney's Hollywood Studios ) and eventually in others Disney theme parks around the world".

"We do have Star Wars in others theme parks, in Paris and in Tokyo, we haven't made any specific announcements about what will be in Shanghaî or what we're heading to Hong Kong after we build an Iron Man attraction but i think it's probably likely that Star Wars will be in more than just our two domestic parks."

Couldn't be more clear, right? Now, Disney still have to announce the opening dates of these Star Wars lands at DL and WDW but what i can tell you is that Disneyland will be probably the first to have one, shortly followed by the awaited one for WDW Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Iger also talked about the release date of Star Wars Episode 7 movie - December 18, 2015 - which happen to be the release date of Avatar who became the most successful movie of all time and hopefully Episode 7 will be as successful.

Check out the full interview in the video below!


Picture and video: copyright Bloomberg

"Glow With the Show" Ears Debut at WDW Disney's Hollywood Studios Fantasmic!

So, last night, these "Glow with the show" ears were introduced at WDW Disney's Hollywood Studios' Fantasmic! show - and will also debut this Saturday at WDW Magic Kingdom "Celebrate the Magic" nighttime projection show and "Wishes" fireworks.

Is it really a good idea or is it the prototype of the right wrong idea? Personally and although i know that these "ears" technology works well i think it's a right wrong idea - except for Disney of course as it brings some cash in. Why? Because the lighting and projection effects of the shows were not designed with these glowing ears in mind. And if you're not in the first row but far behind you now have all these glowing ears in front of your eyes and i'm pretty sure that it spoils the concentration on the show itself.

I may be wrong and i know that audiences can like easily anything which shine - or in this case, glow - but as they say everything which shine is not necessary "gold". That said, have a look at the video below to see by yourself how it looks with the DHS Fantasmic show.




Picture and video: copyright DIsney

American Idol Experience Gala Premiere at Disney's Hollywood Studios

It was the American Idol Experience Gala Premiere at Disneys Hollywood Studios this week, and if you were not there, here is two WDW videos! Enjoy!





Youtube videos: copyright Disney

Disney's Hollywood Studios : New Artwork of " The American Idol Experience "

The Disney's Hollywood Studios " American Idol Experience " is schedule to open in January 2009, but, as Jim Hill told us in one of his recent article, a Christmas soft opening is possible.

The park just released some new artwork of this interactive attraction which will bring all the excitement of the popular television show to Disney's Hollywood Studios, and they give a better insight of how it should look inside the attraction.

First, for those of you who may not know yet what will happen inside the attraction, here is a description: "The American Idol experience will follow the model of the high-energy show. Disney guests will be able to experience the challenge of auditioning, the rush of performing on stage in competition, or the thrill of judging the performances in a live interactive entertainment setting with all the glitz and glamour of the distinctive "American Idol" set.

The experience will include an audition process, open to all eligible to register, where guests perform “live” in front of a Disney’s Hollywood Studios producer for the chance to be cast in a theme park show. If shown to have that star quality during the screening process and after backstage preparation - working with a vocal coach, hair and make-up - it’s lights up and showtime for the lucky guest in front of a “live” audience and a panel of judges.

Guest performers with the highest votes will compete in an end-of-day Grand Finale show at Walt Disney World, and the winner of the Grand Finale show will receive a guaranteed reservation for a future regional stadium audition for the "American Idol" TV show."

Soooo, let's come back to the artwork, and here is the already known but beautiful rendering of the outside.......



........as well as a closer shot on the tower located on the right side of the entrance.



This first new rendering depicts the queue area of "The American Idol Experience " - all the people on the artwork looks really happy!



This next one - obviously a computer artwork - depicts the audition process inside "The American Idol Experience ".



And this last rendering depicts the main scene inside this new attraction. Wow, the winner guest who will be on the stage better be not shy...!



One more picture for the road. Those of you familiar with the original show will recognize singer David Cook, who was recently crowned "American Idol" champion. Here, he poses during a break in shooting June 26, 2008 in a Los Angeles recording studio. A crew from Walt Disney World in Florida taped video segments with Cook in Los Angeles that will be utilize in the attraction.



When they announced the future opening of American Idol Experience some months ago, as i'm not familiar with the show - and although we have a similar one in France - i was not very excited by this new DHS addition. But now, i think that it's going to be fun, and of course tremendously popular with the young generations!

All pictures and artwork: copyright Disney