DLP 20th Ann Main Street Party

I've posted recently an article about DLP 20th press event which happened on March 31, and during this memorable evening a party was organized in Main Street U.S.A with projections on Main street facade, etc... The video below will give you a better look of this party, and with the giant puppets and lighting effects on the castle it looked really cool.




Video: copyright Disney

DLP 20Th Ann - Part Three: Tony Baxter "From Concept to Reality" - Full Master Class Video

Here is the part two of the report about DLP 20th anniversary event. Lots of little happenings were organized in each land but the event that each DLP fan was waiting for was Tony Baxter's master class at Discoveryland's Videopolis. For most of them it was just like seeing God in person, and considering that Tony was the lead show producer on Disneyland Paris park i suppose that the comparison is not exaggerated!

So, for all of you who were not at Videopolis yesterday here is the full video of Tony Baxter "From Concept to Reality" master class, filmed by ptitlionwolfi, whom i thanks a lot. The picture above of Tony was shot in front of DLP castle on March 30 while a DLP team was filming him, by Rififi whom i thanks too.




Edited April 16: I'm adding a new video of Tony Master Class this one being in high-def - choose to watch it in the 1080 definition - filmed by the always excellent Fillip Van Tyghem, whom i thanks a lot.




Video: copyright ptitlionwolfi, Fillip Van Tyghem

Picture: copyright Rififi

DLP 20th Ann - Part Two: Internet Special Show "We don't have twenty years each day"

A special one hour show only broadcast on internet happened yesterday with french anchorman Jean Pierre Foucault. It was called "On n'a pas tous les jours 20 ans" (We don't have twenty years each day). Although the interviews parts are in french you'll find in it archives documents and exclusive shots, including aerial view of the park thanks to cameras which were on the air force plane which drew a "20th" in the sky yesterday morning during the cast members flash mob in Main Street. Have a look!



Video: copyright Disney - TF1

Happy 20th Anniversary Disneyland Paris !

Twenty years ago Disneyland Paris had its first opening day on April 12, and so today it's DLP 20th Anniversary! Unfortunately i was not able to attend the event but others did and thanks to them you will be able to see what happened this morning at DLP. More pictorial reports and video will come soon but for now here is how the day begin, and it began at the entrance of Main Street with a celebration speech of Philippe Gas, DLP CEO...




...Instantly followed by a flash mob of DLP cast members and characters, join in the sky by two acrobatic planes of the french air force who "draw" in the sky a "20th"...


Here is a longer video showing the two planes flying over the park...





Later today DLP guests watched the 20th parade as well as the 20th Anniversary train going up and down Main Street...




...But the show that no one is gonna miss tonight is of course the new Disney Dreams show. Thousands of guests will stand in front of Sleeping Beauty castle and thanks to DLRPMagic you're going to be able to watch it exactly as DLP guests will as this new Disney Dreams video was shot exactly like anyone in front of DLP castle will see the show tonight. It's a whole different experience than the official video that i've posted last week so it really worth to have a new look at this amazing show!




You might be interested by have a look back at the opening celebration 20 years ago and, good news, DLP has released a video showing the grand opening on April 12, 1992 with Michael Eisner, Roy Disney and Bob Fitzpatrick who was DLP first CEO. Here it is;




Now that DLP has reached its 20th, what can we wish to the park for the next 20 years? Of course, a better financial situation, and for DLP fans new rides which hopefully will come soon, beginning by the awaited Ratatouille dark ride at the WDS and then may be the next ride will be for Disneyland Park. In twenty years from now DLP will very probably ave a third theme park - planned for 2020 - and much more like the Village Nature which is confirmed. Again, Happy birthday Disneyland Paris and all my best wishes for the next 20 years and beyond!

Videos: copyright filipv, Disneyland Paris, dlrpmagic


With DLP 20th Anniversary it's the right time to order your copy of the collector's edition of the Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality book which will tell you all about the creation of the park with 320 pages and 750 pictures and WDI renderings! And during all April to celebrate DLP 20th Ann the book is at its pre-order price of 100 euros! Place your pre-order now for a collector's edition copy while you can get a special offer on this wonderful book! To know how to order and send your payment please go HERE.

POTC Update ! Jack Sparrow AAs coming at DLP POTC for the 20th Anniversary, Blackbeard projection effect replaces Davy Jones at DL, and more...

A big POTC update to end the week, and a great news as i can confirm that Jack Sparrow Audio-Animatronics will be installed at DLP Pirates of Caribbean for the 20th Anniversary! More about this below but before let's begin by the big news that was announced by WDI Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald today (and also revealed by Jim Hill earlier this week): "Captain Blackbeard will make his appearance on the ghostly waterfall in the grotto scenes of the park attractions beginning May 20, coinciding with the release of the new film, “Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides,” in which Ian McShane plays a starring role."



In two words, it means that this new Blackbeard projection effect will replace the Davy Jones projection effect BUT as Tom also says in his Disney Parks article; Davy Jones (will come back) later this year. Does it mean that they will regularly change the two characters on the ghostly waterfall - or will they install another "waterfall"? We'll see this later this year but for now, Disneyland fans will be happy to learn that something new is coming in the POTC ride in less than two weeks from now. More about this in Tom Fitzgerald article HERE.

Tomorrow is the day of the big POTC 4 Premiere at Disneyland and they've built a fantastic stage and a "90-foot-wide, six-story-tall motion picture screen on an island created especially for this event"...



...as well as "a state-of-the-art outdoor amphitheater – fully carpeted with stadium seating – is being built right on the Rivers of America just outside of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction".



For sure it's going to be a memorable evening and as soon as videos of the event will be uploaded on Youtube i will embed the best of them on Disney and more, so be sure to come back this week-end to watch this!


Talking about POTC, the movie, you may have read that screenwriter Terry Rossio has just turned in his script this past weekend to Disney for a planned fifth POTC movie. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Johnny Depp said "It boils down to story, script and filmmaker,"..but the actor isn't clamoring to jump back into the puffy shirt until a little time has passed after Pirates 4. He didn't relish the brutal schedule that saw him making Pirates 2 and Pirates 3 back-to-back in order to meet studio-mandated release dates in summer 2006 and 2007, respectively. "It's not something where I would say, 'Let's shoot it next month to get it out by Christmas 2012,'" he says. "We should hold off for a bit. They should be special, just like they are special to me."

And if you want my opinion, i think that Johnny is right. There is no good reasons to rush for a POTC 5, the most important thing is to take all the needed time to make sure it will be a good movie.

Let's come now to the other big news of this POTC update: Jack Sparrow audio-Animatronics will be installed next year at DLP Pirates of Caribbean, and this will include the Barbossa AA in the Pirate ship AND the "ghostly waterfall" projection effect, just like at DL and WDW.

I told you before that new effects were envisioned inside Phantom Manor and Big Thunder Mountain but for now - and unfortunately - these are on hold. In terms of enhancements on classic attractions, only POTC is sure for the 20th. No decision has been taken yet on Star Tours 2 for DLP - which doesn't mean that it won't happen as they still have time to change their mind.

So, where will they put the Jack Sparrow AA inside DLP POTC? According to my good sources Tom Fitzgerald apparently decided that the AAs will be placed at the same scenes that you can see them at DL or WDW. Which means that in 12 months from now Disneyland Paris fans will be able to salute Captain Jack Sparrow near the "mayor in the well" scene, hiding behind the clothes...



...and also a bit later in the ride, popping out of the barrel...



...and of course near the end of the ride for his final appearance. As the big treasure scene in DLP POTC is not the perfect place to put Jack's AA it seems that his Audio-Animatronic will be placed just in front of the treasure scene, on the left side, where you can see now the two skeletons drinking wine. They have more room to put this last scene with Jack AA there and it's quite logical.



Barbossa Audio-Animatronic will also appear on the pirate ship, except if in the meantime WDI Imagineers decide to replace him by a Blackbeard AA, which would make sense - and, by the way, why not having both of them?



But where DLP Imagineers will put the "ghostly waterfall" either with Blackbeard or Davy Jones projection effect? At Disneyland, the projection effect is inside the caves. But at DL the caves scenes are at the beginning of the ride, at DLP they are at the end. As it is better for the storyline to have it at the beginning of the ride and not at the end DLP Imagineers have decided to put the ghostly waterfall effect during the first lift, i.e right after the blue lagoon scenes, when we climb up inside the sunken fortress. Whether they will put it at the beginning, in the middle or at the top of the lift i can't tell you, but from what i know this is where the ghostly waterfall effect will appear next year inside DLP POTC.

My only regret is that Tom Fitzgerald didn't decided to put one Sparrow AA in the duelist pirates scene. That scene is unique and only exist at DLP POTC and it would have been great to see Captain Jack swashbuckling in that scene. Technically speaking it is pretty easy to do as they only have to change the head, hands and clothes, but apparently the reason why they will not do it is because these two AAs can have technical problems and when it's the case they usually put a curtain in front of them which means that in this case we will not see the Jack Sparrow AA. It's a good reason i admit, but, still, i think they should do it.

I'm sure this 20th Anniversary news will delight DLP fans - although i'm also sure some will think it's a sacrilege to the original ride - but whether you like it or not Captain Jack is coming at DLP POTC next year. AND, as Johnny Depp is living in France when he's not on a set i won't be surprised to see him at the Jack Sparrow AAs inauguration when it will happen next year, just like he did at Disneyland in 2006 on the video below!




All pictures and video: copyright Disney

Disneyland Paris Update: The 20th Anniversary Projects

In this new Disneyland Paris update we will have a look to what DLP guests might expect for the 20th Anniversary. But before the future let's have a look at the present.

It may look like minor changes or additions but there is some new things at DLP. First, a great Wall-E and Eve statues appeared in Discoveryland, on the left of Space Mountain. It's pretty well done, Eve seems to be floating in the air and of course it became instantly a photo location!



It seems that the park envision to add more characters/photo locations in other areas next year, so keep your eyes open next time you'll come at the parks!

Outside the parks, other changes are happening in some of the hotels. For instance, at the Santa Fe Hotel the giant Clint Eastwood picture is now replaced by.....the big "Cars" picture who was previously over the entrance of WDS Studio 1. I suppose they thought that Radiator Springs desert could fit well with the Santa Fe theme.



Inside the rooms, the bedspreads now have a "Cars" theme (instead of a New Mexico style) as well as Cars renderings on the wall. These are minor changes and as you can see on the pictures below a big part of the previous Santa Fe style decor is still there.





Apparently the same kind of changes are done at the Sequoia Lodge Hotel with a "Bambi" theme. I've read on DCP forum that the Santa Fe will change its name and be re-named "Cars Hotel" but it seems that this is not going to happen, the hotel will stay with its current name.

At the Walt Disney Studios Toy Story Playland changes also happened but this time nothing was added as it's a decor element who disappeared just two months after the opening of the new land! The RC Racer car photo location was removed and apparently permanently, which means it should never return. From what i've been told it's because of small injuries due to kids climbing on the car and falling down. Considering that the guests had a direct access to the vehicle it was almost inevitable that kids were going to climb it and what had to happen happened. The only thing which is still there is the Hot Wheel orange track.

Here is how it looked before - with the characters...



And here is how it looks now.



Twenty meters from this now extinct RC Racer photo location, Rex - who had a part of him destroyed - is now repaired.



They've put a plastic plaque where the hole was, and although it's not the ideal at least they will be able to replace it easily if another kid destroy it again and guests can still hear the sound of Rex' voice. Let's hope that no accident will happen there too as kids are also climbing on Rex, most of the time with the help of their parents!



Okay, let's have a look now to the future and more precisely the 20th anniversary. As you know 2012 is the 20th anniversary of DLP Magic Kingdom, not of the WDS. And from what i know the park has decided that it was the right time to do a re-launch of the park and to update famous attractions. Phantom Manor should have an update of its special effects, probably the same way they did it at DL and WDW. Can you expect to see Mrs Leota crystal ball "floating" in the air? Probably...



But, due to Phantom Manor different story line DLP Imagineers might have some problems to introduce some of the new effects created at the U.S Haunted Mansions, like the endless stairs - below a WDI Imagineer with the model. That's why DLPI is apparently thinking to introduce changes in Phantom Manor's story line. May be it's the price to pay to have these new effects or the famous hat box ghost appearing in the halls of Phantom Manor in 2012...



Always at Frontierland, it seems that they also envision changes or additions on Big Thunder Mountain. I don't have more infos about this now but if this is true and if DLP Imagineers are looking to enhance some of the BTM effects they could begin by putting back the explosion effects which were designed for the last BTM lift, when rocks are moving and the gold mine appear. Originally there was light flashes effects as well as smoke effects and this is definitely not impossible to achieve.



In Adventureland, the main changes should happen on Pirates of Caribbean as Jack Sparrow Audio-Animatronics as well as Davy Jones ghost effect should at last be introduced. We know now why they didn't put Sparrow's AA before, they were keeping them fot the 20th...but better later than never, right?



Nothing is still confirmed yet for Star Tours 2 but considering they can change the ride in less than a year and that Star Tours really need these changes the 20th anniversary would be the perfect timing for this awaited new version. I still bet on it, mainly because of the reasons above and the reasonable cost for an almost new attraction.



Of course we can expect probably new shows or fireworks for DLP 20th but this "re-launch of the first gate" angle also mean that nothing should be expected for the WDS in 2012 and that the awaited Ratatouille dark ride should not open before...2013. Three more years is a bit long to wait for a new E-Ticket but that's probably what is going to happen.

However, outside the parks something new should open as works on the giant World of Disney store - located at the entrance of the Disney Village - are about to begin. As you'll see on the panoramic shot below palisades are now in place.



Behind the palisades nothing happened yet but they are bringing little by little what they need to build the store which should be ready for a 2012 opening.



Another interesting news is this project to have Paris Rolland Garros highly famous tennis courts relocated near the A4 highway exit. Have a look at the concept-art below showing the project, i've indicated where the park is. Rolland Garros tennis tournament is one of the most famous in the world and is the most viewed sports event after the Olympic Games and the soccer world cup.



The project would bring huge crowds during the two weeks tournament to the park hotels (even if the plan includes a new hotel near the tennis courts) and it's certainly a better idea than the Formula 1 race track envisioned last year. This last project, thanks god, is now dead and for sure the tennis players should make less noise than the Formula 1 cars. However, as the city of Paris really want to keep the tournament inside its "gates" it's not sure at all that we will see a transfert of Rolland Garros to DLP, but if it works it's scheduled to open in 2016.

Something else might happen in DLP future, too, but this is for an upcoming article!



In the meantime, if you're looking for a great Christmas gift for anyone you love - including you! - the "Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality" book with its 320 pages and 750 pictures - including 250 renderings from Walt Disney Imagineering - would be a GREAT gift for any Disney fan! I still have some copies of this hard to find book and, as i am one of the two authors of the book, each copy will be sign specially for you or anyone you wish. Of course, don't forget to tell me the name to whom you wish I dedicate the book.



Price for one copy of the english updated edition (with the text in english) is 87 Euros + 15 euros shipping to any country. Payment can be done with Paypal or by wire transfert if you don't have a Paypal account.

You can see some inside pages of the book on this D&M page HERE and to order the book please email me at: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr

Paypal payment can be sent to: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr


Pictures: copyright Disney, Disney and more, Disney Central Plaza