Thursday, September 19, 2013

Disneyland Haunted Mansion Holiday Version Making-Of Video


Disneyland Haunted Mansion is now in its holiday version, paying tribute to Nightmare before Christmas, but how Disneyland Imagineers do all the changes and how long does it take to them to do them, that's what this always too short Disney Parks video will show you!




Picture and video: copyright Disney

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

$16M Upgrade For Tokyo Disneyland Jungle Cruise in 2014


A short but good news from Tokyo Disneyland as the park will do a 1.6 billion Yen ($16.1 million US) upgrade on Jungle Cruise that will close on January 6, 2014 and reopen Fall 2014. According to TDL press release, “The revamped version of the attraction will have new lighting effects and other special show effects. In addition, a specially written musical sound track will be heard throughout the attraction for the first time in any Jungle Cruise. Also, an after-dark only “night cruise” will provide a unique take on the jungle adventure. 

The new Jungle Cruise will offer Guests an adventure that is even more thrilling than before. From on board the attraction’s boats, Guests will explore jungle landscapes full of wild animals with the help of their daring and comical skipper who guides them through the beauty and dangers of this exotic world. The adventure includes a startling encounter with one of the animal spirit guardians in the ruins of a lost jungle temple!”

I remind you that as announce in my previous update TDL apparently cancelled Cars Land and will build instead major additions in Fantasyland. More details in the full article HERE.

Picture: copyright Tokyo Disneyland

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Disneyland Minimalists Attraction Posters


Disneyland released on its Facebook page a series of five attraction posters and these are specially designed in a "minimalist" style, using only a visual element that instantly identify the attraction.  Not bad, not totally exceptional, but nice work.








They've also released three others visuals, less minimalists this time but cool anyway, related to Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain and Peter Pan's Flight. Here they are!






Pictures: copyright Disney

Thor: "Treasures of Asgard" Opening at Disneyland Innoventions Nov 1st Will Teleport DL Guests to Asgard !


Thor "The Dark World" will open in theaters this November, and on November 1st "Thor : The Treasures of Asgard" an interactive experience will open at Disneyland Innoventions! 

The Disney Parks blog released more details about this Thor experience: "Astrophysicist Jane Foster, who established a special relationship with Thor, has been studying the “Bifrost,” a cosmic bridge that allows Thor to travel between the Nine Realms, including Earth. She has determined that the Bifrost is set to open again in Southern California and pinpointed the precise location as Innoventions at Disneyland park".

"Inside Innoventions, Foster and her team are preparing for the opening of the Bifrost with the installation of Thor: Treasures of Asgard, a collection of objects brought to Earth straight from Asgard. After viewing the exhibit, you’ll be invited to enter a chamber where the Bifrost will transport you to Asgard for an audience with Thor himself!"

So, it seems that you have to be ready to be teleported to Asgard this fall for a meeting with the almighty Thor himself, thanks to amazing special effects from WDI wizards. And just like you, i'm very curious to see how they will do this!

Picture: copyright Disney - Marvel

Tokyo Disneyland Update : No Cars Land for TDL , Major Additions Coming to TDL Fantasyland


May be you remember the Mice Age article posted by Al Lutz last November. In his update, called "Cars Land in Tokyo", Al was revealing that TDL was planning to bring Cars Land at TDL Magic Kingdom but at a cost: "Much of Tokyo’s “Westernland” would need to be repurposed and the Rivers of America section would be removed entirely..." although "...Big Thunder Mountain, the Country Bear Jamboree and the original frontier town buildings would remain at the front of the land, with the Western River Railroad continuing to circle the property. But towards the back of Westernland the entire Rivers of America would be leveled and turned into Cars Land." 

Disney fans reactions were not specially enthusiastic at the idea to see TDL Rivers of America disappearing from Westernland, specially in a park which don't have that much spaces with water, even as Al said if "the Rivers of America takes up a huge amount of space but delivers very little in the way of attraction capacity for that crowded park". And God knows how Tokyo Disneyland can be crowded all year long. So, i suppose that WDI Imagineers had a point on this one when they did in Glendale their presentation to Oriental Land top executives, including OLC President and CEO. As Al noted in his update "additional capacity is a huge selling point for the Japanese executives" and for sure we can't blame them to try to add capacity to Tokyo Disneyland. 

But i have a good news for TDL fans who were furious at the idea to can't sail anymore on Westernland Rivers of America as from what i've been told the project to build Cars Land at TDL has been cancelled. I don't know the precise reasons, but may be TDL execs finally understood that the idea to remove a big part of Westernland was not that good after all, or may be it is because of the cost, or may be it is not possible to build Cars Land for technical reasons. As you may know Tokyo Disneyland was built on landfill, and the weight of Carsland rockwork may have been a cost issue in firming up the ground beneath it. Another reason could be for earthquake regulations, the weight and height of the rockwork might have been a problem in case an earthquake happen...

So, except if TDL execs change their mind, Cars Land won't come to Japan - at least at Tokyo Disneyland. But the story has a good ending as in exchange Tokyo Disneyland envision a major Fantasyland expansion, apparently pretty big in size, similar or almost to WDW New Fantasyland. No news yet on which attractions will be part of it but, as OLC pretty much only copy in TDL what has previously been done in U.S parks and go for cute things the most, the Little Mermaid or Seven Dwarfs coaster rides could come soon at TDL Fantasyland. Though with Mermaid Lagoon next door at TDS it's may be not sure that the Little Mermaid ride will come finally to TDL... 



That said, the big question is: where these Fantasyland additions will be built? Because the problem of the available land remains the same and there is not that much spaces available at TDL. Have a look at the Google Earth screen capture above - click on the picture to enlarge it - as it will help you to understand the problem. The picture shows TDL Fantasyland with Westernland on the right, Toon Town on the bottom left with part of the parking lot, and Autopia and Tomorrowland on the top left. The show buildings in the bottom center are those of It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain.

As you can see there is not a lot of choice. Something is going to be removed to make room for these Fantasyland additions and either it will be Autopia, or it could be Toon Town, or they might take a part of the parking lot behind Toon Town. Although Westernland is close to Fantasyland i can't imagine they will build their new Fantasyland there as it will mean that we'll be back to the previous problem, i.e the disappearing of a big part of Westernland. Removing Autopia would be the logical choice, as Autopia always take a lot of land, but this will mean to reduce Tomorrowland and TDL might be interested to keep this space for a future Star Wars or Marvel lands. Another option would be to take away only a small piece of the Rivers of America near the Haunted Mansion. You could make the river loop smaller and gain some land that way, but it may not be enough. Losing Toontown might also be the easiest fix. Removing Toon Town and Autopia next to it would make available a big piece of land. On the right of Toon Town is a Small World, but i wonder if they would ever get rid of It's a Small World, the ride is almost sacred! So far, i don't have the answer so is suppose that for now all we have to do is to wait for more details about this exciting Fantasyland additions!

Pictures: copyright Disney, Google Earth

Monday, September 16, 2013

Planes Characters Introduced in DCA Soarin' Pre-show Movie


Remember one of my previous articles about Soarin' in which i was telling you about this rumor saying that the characters from "Planes" could be introduced in the attraction? Well, since this week-end the Planes pre-show at DCA includes a pre-show movie with them as you will see on the video below filmed by disneygeek.com

I was not a big fan - to say the least - to have Planes characters introduced in the show movie but as long as they stay in the pre-show it should be fine. They even can add a full size plane of a "Planes" character outside near the entrance if they want, it'll be okay too.




Vidoe: copyright Disneygeek.com

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Disneyland Paris Update !


Let's start the week with a Disneyland Paris update thanks to a pictorial report by Max Fan, D&M contributor and Dlrp Welcome webmaster! 

The first Autumn rains have arrived in the north of France but DLP can still expect not too cold temperatures - and why not an indian summer - until the end of October, so it's not too late for you to visit the park if you're planning to do so.


In Main Street U.S.A, at Town Square,  the works on the ground are over and the Parade is now back on its normal route...


...But if you look well you'll see on the top of Main Street Transportation Co building a strange net. First, i thought it might be there to avoid pigeons coming on the roof, but it didn't had much sense...


In fact a rehab on the building is scheduled for next quarter and the net is here to make sure  that in the meantime parts of the top won't eventually fall on the guests.



Let's move to Frontierland, one of DLP guests' favorite land! The picture below shows the entrance with the Fort - which is in good shape - but something which was there at park's opening has disappeared since many years and it's the moose horns over the Fort entrance gate. And guess what? Michael Jackson was in the park the night they were attached to the overhead beam, and liked them a lot! Now, these moose horns are gone, God knows where and why...


On the teepees, the smoke effect appears too white and it looks more like a steam smoke. Oil mixture should make it blacker to fit what the reality was.



Anyway, here we are in Frontierland and the sky was blue again over Big Thunder Mountain Island.



What is a little bit less "blue" however is what is also missing: a large timbered 3 stamp mill on Big Thunder Island at lower mill building is completely missing. On the trains locomotives, Big Thunder Engine's front driving light is missing and although the bracket is still there Big Thunder engines large drive wheels are also missing.


At Phantom Manor, some maintenance is currently happening at the exit of Phantom Manor's ride



Talking about Phantom Manor a good news for DLP fans as DLP merchandise has introduced new products themed on Phantom Manor. They already released some months ago these T-Shirts...


...and now they released these others cool items for sale in the Park or at the Disney Gallery inside Disney Village. Some if not most of them are adapted from Disneyland's Haunted Mansion merchandise products but rethemed on Phantom Manor,  like the coasters below.
( Photos: forum Disney Central Plaza )



 Let's move to Adventureland, and on the way we notice fences who have been placed between Frontierland and Adventureland entrance.




Nothing special in Adventureland, where the Temple du Péril was working fine...



It's also the time of the year during which Adventureland vegetation is at its best and you will feel being really immersed in a tropical land...


Not much more is happening too at Fantasyland, where Peter Pan's Flight is also surrounded by fences for the refurbishment which is going on...


...and Toad Hall restaurant, one of DLP Fantasyland less known and best themed restaurant, is reopen again!


At Discoveryland's Space Mountain,  you may be asked - like it happened for Max - for a bit of help. Space Mountain cast members might give you - if you accept - a badge at the entrance of the queue line that you will give then at a CM before boarding in the train.





This is done to determine the queue waiting time.  The CM will "bip" the badge on a terminal and the waiting time will appear automatically at the entrance of the ride. 




O-kay, that's all for today's DLP update and we'll be back soon with a new one. 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 in its collector edition 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




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




Picture: copyright Max Fan - DLRP Welcome
 
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