Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald Announces That Vincent Price Original Narration Returns to Phantom Manor!

BIG news announced yesterday by Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald during the Imagineering panel at DLP Disney FanDaze, as Tom announced that, after 25 years, the original Phantom Manor narration by the great Vincent Price will be back when the ride will reopen this fall! 




If you've never seen Vincent Price recording his Phantom Manor narration, here is this unmissable video, first put on line by David Goebel of the excellent Ravenswood Manor website.




Don't go away as there is more, as Tom Fitzgerald also announced that, in addition to a complete renovation of the attraction, changes will allow Phantom Manor guests to know at last "who" is the Phantom! On the next video below, released recently, Tom Fitzgerald tells you more about Phantom Manor renovation.




Videos: copyright Disney, Attractions Magazine, WDI

The Making of WDS Ratatouille Attraction , by WDI Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald

If you came this morning on D&M you may have follow our LIVE report of DLP Annual Stockolder Meeting but we kept the best for this exclusive article thanks to a great video filmed at the meeting by Max Fan, D&M contributor and screen captures of it that you will see below.

WDI Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald was there to do a great presentation on the making of the highly awaited Ratatouille ride which will open at the WDS probably in the last 10 days of June with an official grand opening apparently scheduled for July 14, the national day in France.

Tom Fitzgerald was introduced to the audience by DLP CEO Philippe Gas...

...who welcomed Tom on the Cinémagique stage...

After an introduction in french Tom told the audience that he will continue in english...

Then Tom Fitzgerald started his presentation of how DLPI Imagineers built the ride.

Tom explained that it started with talks with Pixar animators who worked on the animated feature, including director Brad Bird, to make sure they will create a unique story for the attraction which will pay tribute to the film...

...and from there, the next thing they did was to build a scale model of the attraction  ( the model shown below is just a part of the whole ride model ).

They actually built the model with ride vehicles so they could actually ride through and see the point of view that guests will have during the ride.

Once finished, they started to build the full scale - giant size show elements. I remind you that guests will be "reduced" at the size of a rat during the ride...

They did 2000 over scale leaves for Remi's restaurant which were all hand painted!

...and including set tables also over scaled.

The animated movies that you will see in the ride were created by their colleagues at Pixar, in 3D, in the larger scale they've ever created...

Here is a WDI rendering showing the ride vehicle passing near a giant show element...

Tom also talked about the unique ride system which will be used to move the "Ratmobiles", as Imagineers call the ride vehicles in which six passengers will be allowed to travel.

Meanwhile, the architectural team was busy to create the exterior of the ride, the great decor that you all know.

They created too elaborate color boards that allowed Imagineers to paint in colors any details that you will see...

Tom also talked about "Chez Rémi" and how they're bringing to life Rémi's restaurant where  guests will be able to have a delicious meal...

...in a super over scale fantasy environment!

And it was the end of Tom Fitzgerald presentation. Right after, a great ballet with cook dancers happened in the theatre...

...soon joined by Mickey, Minnie and Rémi for a grand finale!

And now, here is the full video of Tom Fitzgerald presentation that i'm sure you will all enjoy a lot!




Pictures and video: copyright Max Fan

For your info, i remind you that the great Valentine's day special offer on the Disneyland Paris book at 60€ ( + 15€ for shipping worldwide ) will end in six days from now. It's a great offer - valid for both the ENGLISH or FRENCH editions - thanks to which you can save $50 on the normal price, and if you don't own the book yet i'm sure you don't want to miss it! Paypal and credit card payment are accepted, so make sure you don't miss it! 

You can use the Paypal button below for the english edition, and for the french edition or for credit card payment please send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com

Don't know yet the Disneyland Paris book. Have a look at the video below or on the book website HERE.

Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality - Include shipping

1 Copy English NORMAL Edition Disneyland Paris book inc shipping €75.00 EUR 1 Copy English COLLECTOR Ed Disneyland Paris book inc shipping €115.00 EUR 1 Ex Signé Collector Français Livre Disneyland Paris + envoi €100.00 EUR 1 Ex Collector Français Livre Disneyland Paris + envoi €75.00 EUR

Star Tours 2 Pre-Show Videos - Plus: On Ride Audio !

Disney fans who were at WDW last week-end had the luck to try the awaited Star Tours 2 and it seems that everyone is pretty enthusiastic about the new version of the ride. Videos were not allowed inside the attraction whether it was in the pre-show or the ride itself but the will of transgression was too strong for some of them and on my latest post on the D&M Star Tours website you will find some videos that will show you more of the pre-show decor. AND also the full on-ride audio of one Star Tours 2 trip!

Jump to the D&M Star Tours website to watch and hear all this!

C3PO will be the Starspeeder pilot in Star Tours 2 !

You better don't miss Tom Fitzgerald's article on the Disney Parks blog if you want to know more about today major news: C3PO will be the Starspeeder pilot in Star Tours 2! Jump to the full article HERE.

And while i talk about C3PO, watch what unfolds when C-3PO and R2-D2 land on earth and discover a Currys & PC World Megastore in this FANTASTIC new TV Ad.




Picture: copyright Disney

Last News of WDS Toy Story Playland - Opening August 17th

Disneyland Paris fans awaits WDS Toy Story Playland grand opening next August and apparently the soft-openings are now scheduled for August 11, 12 and 13th. The Grand Opening will be on August 17th. If you plan to visit DLP this summer and want to discover these three new little rides inspired by the beloved Toy Story movies it may be better to come after August 17th to make sure this new mini-land will be open.

However, a new article published in the Disney News Reel magazine - a cast member exclusive magazine - provided more details about Toy Story Playland with an interview of WDI Creative executive vice-president Tom Fitzgerald. The excellent WDS Fans web site was the first to post the picture of the article that you can see below. Definitely double-click on it to see it in larger scale and to read the article, full of interesting details.



And for my french readers here is the french version of the same article, thanks to Disney Gazette.fr.



It was also revealed that the giant 14 foot tall Buzz Lightyear which will stand at the entrance of the land will probably talk. Not sure it will be a Audio-animatronic, though, so don't expect mechanical effects on this one. 14 foot tall is anyway a pretty big size for a Buzz Lightyear and if you wonder how big it can be have a look at the picture below of a giant Buzz installed in Hong Kong for HK Toy Story 3 Premiere.



No need to say that you can expect from Disney and more a full report on this new land and its attractions as soon as it will be open in six weeks from now, with pictures, HD videos and more!

Pictures: copyright Disney - All my thanks to WDS Fans and Disney Gazette.

Captain EO now back at Disneyland Paris

That's it, Captain EO is back at Disneyland Paris' Discoveryland. Yesterday June 12, 2010, was the D day for all DLP and Michael Jackson's fans with the usual hysteria that we can find in those circumstances. I have pictures and videos for you below, and remember the show won't last forever, but probably at least two years.







Here is a video of the re-opening, from Disneyland Paris.




More videos with, on the first one, the pre-show movie that guests will watch before the show itself...




And on this last one, the speech of WDI Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald who was here specially for the Captain EO re-opening at DLP.




Please check the important message and special offer below, specially if you don't own the Disneyland Paris book!

Pictures and videos: copyright Disneyland Paris, Disneyland-Resort-paris

WDS Toy Story Playland Update and DV World of Disney Megastore

Here is a new Toy Story Playland update and we will discover too the concept-arts for the awaited World of Disney megastore. Let's begin by Toy Story Playland. As i said yesterday this mini land should open mid-August. DLP Imagineering have a commitment to have everything operational for August 5th so from that date soft-openings might happen. But if you're planning to come to the park next summer and want to see Toy Story Playland you better come after August 15th to make sure it'll be open.

Anyway, one thing is sure, you can't miss the land and the Parachute Drop tower as you see the high green tower even before you enter the park as you can see on the picture above. I've already told you about TSP visual intrusion in WDS other areas and nothing is better than a picture to see how real is the problem. On the picture below, shoot at the exit of Studio 1, guests can see clearly the tower emerging between the art-deco buildings of Hollywood Blvd and the Art of Animation.



One could say that it's no big drama but there is another place where the visual intrusion is more important and it's in the Tower of Terror street where, depending where you stand, you can see either the orange half-pipe coaster of RC Racer...



...or the green tower of Parachute Drop. And, frankly, guests should not be able to see these two structures which have nothing in common with the art-deco architecture all around.



Imagineers will probably be able to hide them when Hollywood Blvd will be expand, but i'm sorry to say this will not happen anytime soon and the visual intrusion will stay for years to come.

Anyway, right now the only thing that guests can see at the exit of Toon Studio is the parachute tower and a bit of the RC Coaster track...





...but on the other side of the fences we can clearly see that the construction is still going on and, although the main infrastructures are now finished, the next four months won't be too much to end the construction of the land.
Please note that because the next picture is a patchwork of pictures what you'll see is not perfectly accurate with reality.



On the next picture, where you can see these wooden decorative structures, the white building on the right is the Costuming building for DLP's cast members which of course will be hide thanks to the giant vegetation of TSP. But the grey road in front of it will be a path located on the right side of TSP.



In two years from now WDS guests will walk through this path to access the future Ratatouille dark ride which will be build behind the Costuming building. The path itself will have a Parisian theming which is natural as it will be a way to introduce the french theming of the Ratatouille area. So far the Ratatouille project have a "go" from DLP management and works on the ground should begin more or less in six months from now.
Here is two videos about TSP, the first one shows Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald presentation of Toy Story Playland two weeks ago at the stockholders meeting.



Making of Toy Story Playland Disneyland Paris
envoyé par Disney_Central_Plaza. - Evadez-vous en vidéo.

And the next one is a time-lapse video of the construction of TSP, also shown at the stockholders meeting.



Time-lapse construction Toy Story Playland Disneyland Paris
envoyé par mouetto. - Explorez des lieux exotiques en vidéo.

The huge World of Disney store is awaited by DLP fans since a while, and the building permit which was granted recently to DLP is at Chessy city hall where everybody can see it. Disney Central Plaza forum has posted this morning some pictures from the permit, including concept-arts of the future store.



The store will have a surface area of 4788 square feet (1438 square meter) and two giant domes on the top of the stor, including one which will be a "Earth" dome with Tinkerbell on the top of it. As you can see on the renderings the store have a art-deco style that should fit well with the back facade of the Gaumont theatres. Looks great to me.





The store will be located at the entrance of the Disney Village and will hide the other and not-so-interesting part of the Gaumont theatre facade. Once the World of Disney store will be open the other Disney Store currently inside the Disney Village will probably close and we can expect merchandise changes in others Disney Village shops. As for the opening date of this World of Disney megastore nothing was announced yet, but i won't be surprised if its opening was part of the 20th Anniversary celebration in 2012.




Thanks to leave a comment or discuss this article on D&M english forum on Mice Chat


Pictures: copyright Disney and more, and Disney for the World of Disney store pictures

World of Disney store pictures from Disney Central Plaza Forum

Videos: copyright Disney