Sunday, March 23, 2014
Universal Studios Hollywood Despicable Me "Minion Mayhem" Attraction - Full Pre-Show and Ride Video
A new attraction will open soon on April 10 and it's Despicable Me "Minion Mayhem" at Universal Studios Hollywood. A soft-opening happened this week and for this USH version Universal did something on a much bigger scale than in Orlando!
On the video below you'll see not only the exterior, the queue decor and the full pre-show but also the ride movie itself! No need to say that it's full of spoilers so i warn those of you who intend to go at USH anytime soon!
Pictures: copyright Universal Studios
How to create your own " Disney Planets " !
Let's begin the week with something great! In this article you will learn how to create "Disney Planets" from any panoramic pictures you may have shot during your last visit at your favorite Disney theme park! And not only it's fun but also VERY easy to do!
You will find below the full tutorial but basically all what you need is: 1) a panoramic shot - whether it's a "one shot" panoramic done with the panoramic feature of your digital camera or a panoramic created through Photoshop with several shots put together - and 2) any Photoshop version - and you don't need the latest CS5 version, the first Photoshop CS will work perfectly. Before i show you some examples keep in mind that each of them were done in less than five minutes - and i mean really not more than five minutes including the time to launch the Photoshop program!
There we go. For each "planet" you'll see first the panoramic shot i've used to create them. The first "planet" above was done from this official DLP panoramic picture.
But this next one below was created from my own panoramic picture shot at DLP Fantasyland.
This next one was created from this Town Square panoramic shot...
...and this one from a panoramic of the Disney Village entrance.
Of course you can try with panoramic pictures from any Disney theme park and the next pictures were not shot by me but by Bernie webmaster of the excellent disney.rocket9.net web site where you will find great panoramic shots as well as many desktop pictures. The first one below was done from a panoramic of Disneyland Central Plaza.
Always from Bernie's pictures here is two "planets" created from two Toon Town panoramic shots.
But you can also have great results with night panoramics, as you can see with this night picture of Disneyland's Main Street...
...or this official night shot of Paradise Pier.
As i'm sure you must be curious to know how works the "transformation" here is the tutorial and if it's not enough clear go on this link HERE where this tutorial is coming from:
1) Choose a panoramic picture, any one but if possible one which have on the top part of the image only "sky" - with no trees or decor "touching" the top of the image AND some ground or grass at teh bottom. Once you've found one, it's going to be very easy.
2) Open the picture with Photoshop (any Photoshop version from the first "CS") and resize the image to a square width size (for example: from 2000 x 650 to 2000 x 2000). To do this, go in the top menu to the "Image" menu then to "Image size".
3) Your original panoramic shot is now a square. Now, always in the "Image" menu, rotate the picture: choose "Rotate 180 degrees".
4) Step 4 is "Polaring": use the polar coordinates filter. Go to the "Filter" menu, then choose "Distort" then "Polar Coordinates", and select "Rectangular to polar".
If you're french: allez au menu "filtre" puis choisir "déformation" puis "coordonnées polaires".
That's it, you've created a Disney Planet!
As i've told you the best is to have a panoramic with sky only all along the top of the image and some ground or grass at the bottom. If you don't you may have some strange effects at the end but sometime it can be "artistically" interesting. Examples with these three shots below. In this case it don't looks anymore like planets but the result is still fun. The first one is from a DLP Frontierland's shooting gallery panoramic.
This next one was done from a panoramic of Alice's Curious Labyrinth...
...and this last one from a panoramic of Main Street Liberty Arcade.
If you want to try by yourself and don't have any panoramic shot you can use some of mine previously posted HERE. Also, you can send to me - at: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr - the "planets" you will create and in the future i will do a special article with the creations of my D&M readers!
Pictures: copyright Alain Littaye, Rocket9, or Disney - All my thanks to Bernie of the disney.rocket9.net web site for his great Disneyland panoramic pictures.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Gusteau's Sign Now in Place at WDS Ratatouille Site !
The big news of the day is the arrival at the WDS Ratatouille site of the awaited Gusteau's sign, which is now in place on the top of a parisian building. I'll have on Monday a fantastic photo update on the Ratatouille works as there is plenty of things new to see, so don't miss it!
Share With the World Your Celebration of It's a Small World 50th Anniversary with the IASW 50 Website !
What you see above is the cool home page of the It's Small World 50th Anniversary web site. According to Disney Parks Blog "You can participate in this historic celebration by recording and sharing an online video of yourself singing “it’s a small world” on our new global online hub SmallWorld50.com. At the site, you can also create virtual “it’s a small world” dolls to share with your friends. The Walt Disney Company will donate $150,000 to benefit UNICEF in honor of the 50th anniversary of “it’s a small world,” plus $1 for every sing-along video recorded on SmallWorld50.com and another $1 for every virtual doll created on the website, up to $100,000.
On April 10, hundreds of voices from Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, Disneyland Paris in France and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will come together to sing the unforgettable theme song of the “happiest cruise that ever sailed the seven seas.”
The picture will make a great wallpaper so click on it to get it in big size - you have the choice between with or without the title - and go share your IASW online video at SmallWorld50.com !
Pictures: copyright Disney
Walt and the NY World's Fair It' a Small World Model
Above, Walt with the NY World's Fair It' a Small World building model. Also, the It's a Small World article below is now updated with new pictures and vidoe so you might want to have a look at it again!
Picture: copyright Disney
Friday, March 21, 2014
Global Sing-Along to celebrate It's a Small World 50th Anniversary !
It's a Small World, will celebrate its 50th and golden anniversary on April 10!
"On Thursday, April 10, 2014, hundreds of voices from Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, Disneyland Paris in France and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will sing the unforgettable theme song of the 'happiest cruise that ever sailed the seven seas,' " Disney Parks and Resorts said Friday.
To initiate the merrymaking, a virtual sing-along is being launched Friday at SmallWorld50.com, where fans "may record videos of themselves singing the classic song" and create virtual dolls to benefit the United Nations Children's Fund.
For every video recorded and digital doll shared, the Walt Disney Company will make a donation to benefit UNICEF, $100,000 in total. This will be in addition to a $150,000 gift the company has already earmarked for the organization, which works in more than 190 countries and territories to save and improve children's lives."
From People online: "The public first heard the theme song on April 22, 1964, the opening day of the 1964 New York World's Fair.
Along with a lifelike Abraham Lincoln who stood up and talked, dinosaurs that hovered over newly introduced Ford Mustangs, and a General Electric presentation about America's technological progress, Walt Disney – the fair's "farthest flung impresario," as The New York Times described him – also presented what would prove to be the expo's most popular draw: It's a Small World – a Salute to UNICEF, "in which visitors enjoy a 10-minute boat ride seeing scenes of foreign lands," reported the newspaper.
Of all people, it was semi-retired Hollywood star Joan Crawford – despite her reputation for mistreating her own kids – who pushed to have Disney honor the world's children.
As the widow of Pepsi-Cola's late CEO Alfred Steele, Crawford sat on the Pepsi board. When the company hesitated in hiring Disney for the pavilion it would sponsor at the fair, Crawford reputedly put her formidable foot down – and Pepsi sponsored It's a Small World.
"Disney's realistic robots," said Time magazine, "stalk the fair. [Small World] has about 350 of them, doll-size, flanking a boat ride that children seem to like more than anything else. Scottish dolls climb steep plaid mountains, Iranian dolls fly on Persian carpets, and French dolls cancan."
During peak periods, the ride – which during its development was called Children of the World – drew up to 40,000 fairgoers a day at 90 cents per adult (about $6.75 today) and 65 cents for those under 12. By the end of its two-year New York run, Small World had been seen by 10 million people.
Knowing it was too good to tear down along with the rest of the fair, "Mr. Disney," said The Times, "has all future rights to It's a Small World, which he may move to Disneyland, in California."
And so he did – situating it directly north of the Matterhorn in the newly expanded Fantasyland, where it opened under a sparkly new edifice on May 28, 1966."
Watch the original It's a Small World at NY World's Fair thanks to the video below!
Pictures and videos: copyright Disney
Aladdin The New Stage Musical Debut on Broadway!
ALADDIN, the musical is now playing on Broadway! Aladdin, the Broadway musical had its Broadway premiere last night and is adapted from the Disney film and centuries-old folktales including "One Thousand and One Nights," is brought to fresh theatrical life in this bold new musical. Aladdin's journey sweeps audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. This new production features a full score, including the five cherished songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack and more written especially for the stage.
Next is a picture of the Genie played by James Monroe Iglehart.
The cast of Aladdin in the Arabian Nights sequence.
Aladdin and Jasmine.
Both, in "A Million Miles Away "sequence.
The first video below is a first look at the main characters and the quite nice, i must say, designed costume.
This next video invites you to join the cast as they sing with the orchestra for the very first time.
Next, a short video of opening night, yesterday!
The four next videos shows the real thing - the show itself - and this first one shows the "One Jump Ahead" sequence.
Next, is the video of "A Million Miles Away" scene with Aladdin and Jasmine.
The next video below shows Aladdin singing the song "Proud of your boy".
...and the next video shows the finale of the Broadway musical.
Now, although it's two different shows i also include this next video of the whole show of Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular at California Adventure as the filming is excellent and you'll probably be pleased to see it again or even to discover it for those of you who've never seen it.
Disney's Aladdin the new stage musical is now playing on broadway, so make sure to book your seats on the site HERE next time you go in New York!
Pictures and videos: copyright Disney
Libellés :
Aladdin,
Aladdin on broadway,
Aladdin the new musical
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