Disney Second Screen Live , The Perfect Movie Fan Nightmare

You know how mad you can be when, watching a movie in theater, you hear cell phone ringing during the screening, just because they didn't "cut" their mobile, Well, it's hard to believe, but Disney is introducing one of the most insane idea i've ever seen with what they call "Disney Second Screen Live", a technology that will allow audiences to interact with the film and between each other of the audience members.

All they'll need to do is to download the free “Second Screen Live: The Little Mermaid' App to their Apple iPad and come with it in the theaters. Then, fans and families will be able to interact with the film, or play games, find hidden treasures and sing along, and finally compete with the audience to win prizes.

Sure it's a limited theaters release and it's done more for kids than adults, but most of all it's a new trick that Disney has found to bring more cash in. But for genuine movie fans it's just the perfect nightmare, and if you're not yet convinced how dumb is the idea and what the result will be, just watch the trailer below. We already had the annoying sounds of pop corn eaters and mobile ringing, not to mention people speaking in the row behind during all the screening, and frankly we don't need that. Sometime too much is really too much, so just say NO.




Picture and video: copyright Disney

Walt Disney Studios Ratatouille Ride Update

I've got a big pictorial update for you today on the WDS Ratatouille ride, thanks to Max Fan, D&M contributor and Dlrp Welcome webmaster! So, there we go, let's move through the park entrance at opening time - Max was that day the very first guest to enter the park...

...and here we are, and as you will see the works on the Parisian facades is on some of them almost over; As a Parisian myself and knowing Paris building architecture i can tell you that DLP Imagineers  are doing a real good job in the making of these "fake" facades.

As you can see on the pictures above they start to remove the scaffoldings but on the part located on the right hand side where will be located part of the queue line and the merchandise shop they still have some works to do.

That said, may be once finished we'll have some visual intrusion... The picture below was shot from the entrance of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Of course what we see the first is the tower of Toy Story Playland Parachute Drop...

...but if we zoom in the picture you'll see in the background the top of a Ratatouille building with metallic structure on the top of it, on which will be placed a giant sign / billboard that surely guests will see from the TOT entrance. That said, comparing to the Parachute Drop tower visual intrusion it will be nothing and probably even help WDS guests to find the Ratatouille area as it is located in a corner and not obvious to find for someone who don't know the park.
 

This week's DLP update is not over so come back tomorrow for the part two at DLP magic Kingdom. In the meantime I remind you that the Disneyland Paris book - in which you have the whole park in 320 pages with 750 photos including 250 WDI renderings - is still available but that unfortunately there is now less than TEN copies of the Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality book available in its ENGLISH collector's edition - the FRENCH edition is also available - so if you don't own the book yet, it's really now or never! 

And there is a special price right now with a $45 / 40€ discount on the normal price, so order your collector copy while there is still copies available as it's really the last english collector copies. You'll find below a one click Paypal button as well as a video showing the whole book. Also, you can have more infos about this gorgeous 320 pages book HERE.

Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality - Include shipping

1 Copy English NORMAL Edition Disneyland Paris book inc shipping €70.00 EUR 1 Copy English COLLECTOR Ed Disneyland Paris book inc shipping €115.00 EUR 1 Ex Signé Collector Français Livre Disneyland Paris + envoi €115.00 EUR 1 Ex Collector Français Livre Disneyland Paris + envoi €100.00 EUR

Click on the image below to jump to the book presentation.

Picture: copyright Max Fan - DLRP Welcome

POTC 5 "Dead Men Tell No Tales" 2015 Release Cancelled, Postponed to Summer 2016

According to The Hollywood Reporter Pirates of Caribbean 5 "Dead Men Tell No Tales" July 2015 release date has been postponed to Summer 2016. Considering the number of big blockbusters scheduled for a release on this summer 2015 - see my previous article HERE - it's not a bad idea. But what seems to be behind this decision is something different apparently linked with the script written by Jeff Nathanson: 

"According to the producer, the Pirates filmmakers weren’t happy with screenwriter Jeff Nathanson’s initial script, and he’s now at work on a second attempt based on the well-received outline: “We have an outline everyone loves but the script is not done... we want a script that everyone’s signed off on and a budget that everyone’s signed off on"... A source says the studio thought the original Nathanson script "was too expensive but it was also really complicated and hard to follow."  

With Star Wars 7, Avengers 2 and Pixar's Inside Out and Finding Dory the same year Disney will have plenty to do so the postpone of POTC 5 is no big drama. And by the way, the Marvel Ant Man movie who was supposed to be released Nov 2015 will finally be released in July, not only because there is a date available now that POTC 5 cancelled its July release but also to don't have to face the November release of the next James Bond. 

In terms of theme parks the postpone of POTC 5 might have an effect on Disneyland Paris if the park was waiting for its release to introduce the Jack Sparrow AAs in the POTC attraction. In two words, DLP fans must not expect a POTC update before 2016 - and IF Disneyland Paris decides to do it, which is not sure yet.

Picture: copyright Disney

Jurassic Dream Theme Park Project

We'll have a look today at the Jurassic Dream theme park which will be built at Daqing Dream City in China. The park has been designed by Thinkwell, a company designing parks, rides and attractions for many theme parks around the world, including Universal and many others.

We have great renderings from Thinkwell to have a closer look and according to the description "This fully immersive, dinosaur-packed theme park will combine education, thrills, and state-of-the-art technology in a massive, indoor environment that provides the perfect climate year-round. Located in the northern Heilongjiang Province of China, this nineteen-acre, world-class park features interactive play areas, thrilling rides, and immersive shows in a spectacular environment that sets the imagination afire". "Unlike any other theme park development in Northern China, Jurassic Dream is a major component to Daqing Dream City, which combines the finest residential, retail, business, and entertainment offerings in one spectacular location".

As you can see on the model pictures and artworks, apparently a big part if not all of it will be indoor. I wish i'll have more details on the attractions but the renderings looks promising and if you click on the picture below you'll see that coasters and rides are included in this indoor theme park!

Pictures: copyright Thinkwell

Great Hayao Miyazaki Interview

A short post about Hayao Miyazaki - who confirmed last week that he decided to stop animated movies - with this interesting long interview filmed when he came in the U.S to be honored with the Berkeley Japan Prize ( 2009 - 2010 ). The Berkeley Japan Prize is a lifetime achievement award from the Center for Japanese Studiesto an individual who has made significant contributions in furthering the understanding of Japan on the global stage. 

This interview - with plenty of humor from the master - will interest particularly Miyazaki fans. You have to know that Miyazaki don't speak english and there is no subtitles. So, an interpreter translate to Miyazaki the questions of Roland Kelts, then Miyazaki answer in Japanese and his answer is then translate in english by the interpreter, so the whole process depending of the length of Miyazaki answer sometime takes some time, but if you're ready to be patient, this 1H33 min interview is a great one!

Why Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are a great news for TDL Fans

You probably have heard that Tokyo won two days ago the organization of the 2020 Olympic Games. It's a great news indeed for Tokyo and the whole Japan and with the legendary know-how of the Japanese there is no doubt that not only there will be ready in time but also that the 2020 Olympic Games will be great.

But it's also a great news for Tokyo Disneyland fans and the world of Disney theme parks fans. Because the Olympic Games are the biggest event in the world, watched by billions of people, and because millions of visitors will come to Tokyo that year you can be sure that Oriental Land will not let slip a chance like this, pretty unique in fact to increase the attendance both at TDL and TDS. In a way or another TDL will be partner of these 2020 Olympic Games and you can bet right now on new rides and spectacular shows ready for opening bot at TDL and TDS for 2020.

In the meantime i suggest you have a look at these spectacular renderings of what will be the new Olympic stadium, designed by the great architect Zaha Hadid, the first woman architect to have won the legendary Pritzker price in 2004 - the equivalent of the Nobel prize for architects. For sure this new stadium has a fascinating futuristic "Sci-Fi" design.

See you in Tokyo in 2020!

Pictures: copyright Zaha Hadid Architects

A Look at Disneyland Paris Future - Part Two

It didn't took long to have reactions to my yesterday's article - and not only from DLP fans - and thanks to new insider infos, i think i find out what is the truth behind all this. The good news is that the situation is probably not as worse as you might think. The bad news is that i've been confirmed again that the plan and the dates are true. But the big difference is in the reasons why. Let me tell you more and if you've not read the part one you must read it first HERE for a better understanding.

The dates indicated in this ten years plan - and i'm talking here essentially about the dates related to DLP future attractions - are in fact the dates at which DLP can expect to build these Star Wars and Marvel lands IF Disneyland Paris has to do self financing without the help of the WDC. In two words, it doesn't mean that the WDC has decided to don't give any more money to DLP for future attractions until 2022, it means that for NOW the WDC can't say when they will be able to do it in the future.

My guess is that what happened some months ago when Disney gave this 1.3 billion euros to DLP is probably something like this: "Listen, we give you 1.3B€ to resolve your debt problem for once and for all as well as 200M€ to build the Ratatouille ride but you need to know that we're going to have huge investments both for Shanghaî Disneyland and at our Disney Parks in the U.S which have priority and for which we still need the approval from the banks and the board. So, from now you will have to self finance the future attractions because we can't tell when we will be able to give you money again for future rides".  I wouldn't be surprised if the conversation has been more or less close to this.

What is sure is that Disney Parks in the U.S - as explained yesterday - needs to have the approval from the banks and stockholders for the needed budgets to build the new lands that they need to build at DL and WDW. What is also sure, when you need to ask more billions of dollars to someone, is that you're trying to reduce the "bill". In others terms, right after they gave 1.5B€ to DLP it is hard for Disney Parks to say to the stockholders "hey, we need to give one more billion to the park in Paris and we need too four more billions for SDL and our parks in the U.S".  And that's probably why the dates on this ten years plan are dates chosen in the option of a self financing by DLP. In other words, and from what i've been told, it is for DLP the "pessimistic option", the option if the WDC don't change its mind and give no more money to DLP in the next ten years.

The good news is that i've also been told that DLP is working on a much more ambitious plan and that it's almost sure that the park will not stay without any new rides until 2022, specially considering what my insider source can hear here and there, and even if no final decision has been taken yet for new rides after Ratatouille. If you ask me what i think, i think that we won't have to wait until 2022 to have new rides at DLP. May be we'll have to wait until the 25th Ann in 2017 or the year after but from what i feel there should be something new in the next 3-4 years after Ratatouille. So, no need to hold anymore your breath until next decade, you can start to breathe again!

Picture: copyright Max Fan