Shanghaî Disneyland Update: New Disney Town Artwork, First Pictures of SDL Station, Peter Pan's Flight Pics, Expedition Everest Envisioned for SDL, and more...

I've got a big Shanghaî Disneyland update for you today so, let's go, would we? Above, a photo of the castle posted on the Weibo website and below new artwork - or high-res versions of previously released artworks of Disney Town, the dining and entertainment area of Shanghaî Disneyland.

This first one shows the area with the World of Disney store.

Another rendering, also related to the World of Disney store

Next is a picture showing the model of the area where is located the Walt Disney Theater with the Lion King musical.

Below, a high-res version of the rendering showing Spicy Alley with the restaurants near the lake.

The next artwork is a cropped version of a larger rendering showing Disney Town at night.

Next is two pictures posted by Orlando Theme Park News, and related to the new version of Peter Pan's Flight in Fantasyland showing one of the ride vehicle and Neverland Island which i have to say looks really much bigger than the usual decor.

A Chinese TV news video included new footage showing the park and resort, and i did some screen captures for you. The first shot below shows the castle filmed most probably from Tomorrowland as we can see the elevated walkways in the foreground.

A closer shot on the castle showing that they're still at work on the lower part of the castle.

This next shot shows the Shanghaî Disneyland Hotel, the park is on the other side of the lake but you can't see it clearly because of Shanghaî usual smog...

A closer shot on a center part of the hotel, you'll note that the scaffoldings are still in place all over the hotel, meaning that the works are not over here too.

Next screen capture is a shot showing what is on the left of the picture above with the paths leading to the park on the other side of the lake, and Spicy Alley building in the background, near the lake.

But Shanghaî Disneyland will also have a subway station and we've got plenty of pictures of it, outside and inside, as this one is apparently finished! First is a bird eye view with the park in the background.

A closer shot on one of the entrance.

Another picture showing one of the station exits and the inside of the station.

More pictures of the inside of the station...

The green color on the ceiling pattern on the picture below makes me feel like if it was inside one of the eggs from Ridley Scott's Alien! No kidding.

Last picture, view from the lake...

Now, something about Shanghaî Disneyland opening date. Last week, DCP forum member Vinc said he had an info from a reliable source saying that SDL opening is planned for June but others sources keep saying they still doubt the park can be ready for that date. And this week-end a Chinese TV said that the park is scheduled for an opening on June 1st, as it is a date related with childhood, etc... My feeling is that they're trying to be ready for that date, or another one in June, but i'm not sure that SDL Imagineers are themselves convinced that it's feasible, that everything will be ready for a June opening. We'll know more about this anytime soon, i suppose.

Let's end by something that IceGr33n ( or someone else if it's not him ) has discovered, looking at a plan of the park. It's about an area for a future expansion where he thinks that some layouts would indicate that an Expedition Everest is envisioned for the back of Shanghaî Disneyland, behind Fantasyland and Treasure Cove. Have a look at the pictures below, but i have to say that when you look at the layouts on the plan and the satellite view of Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom it surely looks similar. As said Screamscape in his post, as the park don't have a lot of roller coasters that could be a way to bring one more coaster to Shanghaî Disneyland. 

My only concern about building an Expedition Everest in the park is a political issue. The real Everest is located both on Nepal AND Tibet, and we know that China and Tibet relations are specially difficult. Politically speaking, anything about Everest has so much symbolic that it might be not a good idea to even think about building one. On the other hand, Chinese are so much attached to consider the "roof of the world" as a mountain more Chinese than belonging to any other country that it probably will please them... We'll see what happen in the future about this but this SDL plan may also be an earlier SDL plan and since some ideas may have been deleted by SDL Imagineers. So take this rumor with a big pinch of salt...

And... that's all for today about Shanghaî Disneyland, more updates coming soon, so stay tuned on D&M and Disney and more Facebook page HERE!

Pictures: copyright Disney, DR

First Trailer and New Poster for X-Men Apocalypse

I like really a lot the X-Men movies, specially those directed by Bryan Singer. I like them even much more than any of the others Marvel movies, probably at the exception fo the first Captain America, and may be the first Avengers. And, good news, as the first trailer for the new upcoming X-Men movie "X-Men Apocalypse" has been released with also the official synopsis:

"Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction".

X-Men: Apocalypse will be released on May 27th, 2016 and also stars Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Lucas Till as Havok, and newcomers Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Ben Hardy as Angel, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Olivia Munn as Psylocke, Lana Condor as Jubilee, and Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse.

Picture and video: copyright 20th Century Fox

Disneyland Paris Update !

I've got a great Disneyland Paris update for you for this week-end, thanks as usual to Max, D&M contributor and DLP Welcome webmaster, who's back with new pictures showing all what's going on at DLP Magic Kingdom! 

But before we enter the park an important note as it is the LAST DAYS FOR CHRISTMAS DELIVERY for the Disneyland Paris book!!! The Christmas special Offer on the Disneyland Paris book is still running until December 31 but if you need to receive it for Christmas you must really place your order NOW if you live outside France. If you live in France the last day to make sure you'll get it for Christmas will be December 18. Of course if you don't need it for Christmas, then you have until the end of the month to place your order and enjoy the special price. More about this at the end of this DLP update, as well as the video showing the full book which would make a great Christmas gift for any Disney fan!

And now let's enter DLP Magic Kingdom where the first good news is that they've finally covered the scaffoldings on Main Street Station with a really nice printed canvas, and if i can say, it was about time as this huge scaffoldings structure was really ugly right at the entrance of the park.

Since Max took these pictures this part has been covered too, as well as the ones on the other side of the station.

Let's move toward Fantasyland to have a look at the repainted facade of It's a Small World.

The attraction is reopening in one week from now and the new colors are quite nice, i must say...

Scaffoldings appeared on Fantasyland station meaning that works will start soon...

The arch between Fantasyland to Adventureland - on the Adventureland side - needs some renovation, which is for sure a matter of time...

The Captain Hook ship was repainted last year or so, but already needs some refurb...

They're repainting the little wall on the pathway to Frontierland, behind Colonel Hathi's Pizza restaurant....

At the entrance of Frontierland they've finally painted in "wood" color the metallic tubes at the entrance of the Fort on which will be attached the Frontierland sign.

Talking about signs, plenty of Frontierland shops signs have been removed for repainting...

...and some are already back in place.

The Cowboy Cookout Barbecue is now surrounded by fences...

...which are going all over the place and up to the entrance of Cottonwood Ranch.

To make sure that Disneyland Paris fans understand well what's going on with all these renovations the park released the video below that i invite you to watch as it details what they do exactly.





Meanwhile, the Frozen show is a popular than ever and the whole cast is back for this Christmas season!

The Frozen marketplace village is reopen too with more Frozen merchandise that you'll ever need!

Last but not least, new details about the Star Wars evening happening in Discoveryland on December 16. DLP did a presentation for webmasters and Max was there, and here is all you need to know.

What is the program of the evening?

The evening will begin with an exclusive parade which will take place at 8pm on Main Street USA with stars in vehicles and 60 characters of the saga including Kylo Ren! Once on Central Plaza, guests attending the night will be invited to follow the Star Wars characters and enter Discoveryland through an intergalactic tunnel.

Speaking of Discoveryland, it will be fully decorated with displays of the characters, scenes from the last movie and giant posters up to 6 meters high on the buildings. In addition, The lighting effects but also three BGM (background music) have been created for the land, the building of Videopolis and Discoveryland Theater.

It's at Discoveryland Theater that will happen the conference on the Star Wars saga with Robert Watts, production supervisor on Star Wars, actor Jeremy Bulloch (in the role of bounty hunter Boba Fett), Jersey Bolock, Robert Blalak and Patrice Girod, for an exclusive Star Wars presentation on the adventures. Four sessions will be held during the evening in the 604 seats theater.

After the conference guests will be able to relax with Star Wars music remixed for the disco party. At Discoveryland at least four points of photolocations will be designed with backgrounds from the Star Wars saga and from the last episode "The Force Awakens". A costume contest on the movies universe will be organized and judged on five criterias: Jedi, Princess, alien, or droid. A Replica of BB8 will also be present to greet you, as well as a free makeup booth at Videopolis .

Videopolis Café Hyperion will be themed on the saga with many giants posters and will host many events like a 8 minutes performance with a battle between Jedis and Siths. But the most important will be the animation of Padawan Challenge, a giant quiz based on the knowledge of Star Wars Fans! A reward will be then offered to all participants and even more to the winners!

But Disney will bring even more surprises as this will be an opportunity for memories with the Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, R2D2, or even Chewbacca, not forgetting the French garrison of the 501st who will patrol 2 times during the evening with the sound of the great Imperial march.

Finally, it's at midnight that Darth Vader and master Yoda will offer a great final on the heights of Star Traders at the entrance of Star Tours. Make sure to book your ticket for this special evening HERE as it is reserved to only 5000 people!

There is much more to see about DLP in Max full update on DLP Welcome HERE, including a big part about DLP WDS not posted here so make sure to check Max full article HERE. 
In the meantime, i remind you that it's the LAST DAYS FOR A CHRISTMAS DELIVERY for the orders of the Disneyland Paris book. The Christmas special Offer on the Disneyland Paris book is still running until December 31 but if you need to receive it for Christmas you must really place your order NOW if you live outside France. If you live in France the last day to make sure you'll get it for Christmas will be December 18. Of course if you don't need the book for Christmas, then you have until the end of the month to place your order and enjoy the special price.

Until December 22 you can order the book at the special price of 60€ or 75€ for a signed copy ( + 15€ shipping worldwide, except for Belgium or Italy for which shipping is 29€ ). You can pay by Paypal, credit card or bank transfer ( or by check for French bank account only ) and if you have a Paypal account you can send the total amount, including shipping, directly to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com

You can pay with Paypal for the book in its ENGLISH or FRENCH edition by using the Paypal button below.  Just specify to me by email which edition you want (english or french). Note that the Paypal button may not work if you order a french edition, if it's the case, send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com

For all orders or if you want to pay with credit card, bank transfer or check, please send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com with your shipping address and let me know if you want an english or french edition, and if you order a signed copy at what name you wish the book to be dedicated.

Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality - Include shipping

1 Copy English UPDATED Edition Disneyland Paris book inc shipping €75.00 EUR  1 SIGNED Copy English UPDATED Edition Disneyland Paris book inc shipping €90.00 EUR  2 Copies English UPDATED Edition Disneyland Paris book inc shipping €140.00 EUR  2 SIGNED Copies English UPDATED Edition Disneyland Paris book inc shipping €160.00 EUR

Please check the video below showing the full book, page by page!

Pictures: copyright Maureen - Hello Disneyland

More Infos About Shanghaî Disneyland Adventure Isle by SDL Imagineers

More infos about Shanghaî Disneyland Adventure Isle thanks to a new article from Shanghaî Daily:

Adventure Isle ventures into undiscovered Disney territory:

Adventure Isle, a place found only at Shanghai Disneyland, will be filled with fresh stories, thrilling new rides and original characters when the theme park opens next year. Bringing this new land to life was also a journey of discovery for its creators.

“Our idea is to take our guests to someplace completely unknown and completely exotic, so we created this world that has never been discovered before,” said Stan Dodd - picture below - executive producer and creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering Shanghai, who has been with Disney for 28 years.

For visitors, the mysterious Adventure Isle turns back the clock to the early 1930s, when, as the storyline goes, a group of international explorers known as the League of Adventurers discovered the island and its nature-loving inhabitants, the Arbori people.

“For us, the challenge was really about how to be as innovative as possible with the Adventure Isle story and create something that is completely new,” explained Dodd, who worked with a team of talented Imagineers and local artisans to bring the story to life.

Roaring Rapids, a rafting ride, will take guests on a white-knuckle adventure through the heart of Adventure Isle. Along their journey, guests will learn the undiscovered secrets of an ancient tribal legend and encounter the giant reptile Q’aráq, the protector of the island.

“We get to come face-to-face with Q’aráq,” explains Dodd. “A living, breathing and spitting Q’aráq. Right on top of us!”

Meanwhile, Camp Discovery is a place where adventurers of all ages and abilities can explore waterfalls, ruins and dig sites in search of ancient relics. Visitors can delve into natural wonders and ancient legends, trek past waterfalls and discover tribal ruins in an elevated ropes course created specifically for this land. With its network of scenic paths and ropes courses leading to the same attractions, no one is excluded from the adventure or the area’s beauty.

“This is one of the coolest things we’ve done in a Disney park,” the creative director said.

Also among the highlights is “Tarzan: Call of the Jungle,” an original stage spectacle starring Tarzan and his friends. “Call of the Jungle” fuses theatrics, Chinese acrobatics and rock music into a show that will be performed daily at the Storyhouse Stage.

At Soaring Over the Horizon, guests can experience what it’s like to fly like a bird over spectacular scenic wonders, including The Great Wall of China. The ride is a re-imagining of a popular attraction at Disney California Adventure, tailored for the people of China, and makes an ideal attraction for the entire family.

After a long day of exploration, guests can relax at the Tribal Table, a festive art-filled restaurant serving up appetizing meals and a full-sensory dining experience. Conceptually, the thoughtfully-designed restaurant was conceived as a gathering place of the Arbori people and is meant to represent the heart and soul of Adventure Isle.

Dodd, who has worked on almost every Disney park around the world, has a special fondness for Adventure Isle at Shanghai Disneyland.

“It’s not that often we get to develop a completely new land,” he said.

To design and build this new land, Dodd works with a diverse team of creative and technical professionals from different fields. This crew includes members from China, North America, Asia and Europe.

“When we’re working on something like a piece of wood or rock, there will be three to five languages flying around. Just imagine how fun it is,” he said. “It’s amazing that people from all around the world, from different cultures, can come together on such details. It’s incredible fascinating and something only Disney can do.”

Pictures: copyright Disney - Shendi

Text: copyright Shanghaî Daily