Disneyland Paris Update! Phantom Manor Renovation, and more...

Here we go for a new Disneyland Paris update with, as always pictures shot by Max, D&M contributor and DLP Welcome webmaster. The big renovation in the park right now is Phantom Manor, closed until next October, and this a truly major renovation that was really needed, outside and inside the manor, now hidden behind a wall of scaffoldings.

Of course DLPI will refurb all Audio-Animatronics inside and we can hope that they'll upgrade some special effects too, just like they did in the U.S not so long ago. Of all DLP E-Tickets attraction Phantom Manor is the last one to get a renovation and you may have noticed that all the others E-Ticket attractions not only had a full refurbishment but major changes or additional scenes, whether it is Big Thunder with the new explosive finale, Pirates of Caribbean with the new auction and Barbossa scenes and Jack Sparrow Audio-Animatronic, Space Mountain with the Star Wars update or Star Tours with the 2.0 version of the ride. Will it be the same with Phantom Manor and will they change or add scenes in DLP beloved attraction? Answer next October when the doors of the manor will reopen!


In the meantime a wall of fences not only forbid access to Phantom Manor area, including the cemetery but also to the Riverboat landing which apparently will also get some refurbishment.





Specially designed posters placed on the fences inform the guests about the renovation.

A closer look on the roof reveal that they will have not only to repaint it but also to replace the roof tiles as they are literally falling down! To avoid that guests will be hurt by falling tiles they've placed some nearly invisible net to hold the tiles and prevent them to fall as much as possible...




They had a quite similar problem on Tower of Terror not so long ago, and they used similar nets.




From Big Thunder Mountain we can see behind the Mark Twain riverboat, still waiting for a full renovation before it'll be too late. DLP said that they don't forget it and that it will be done but i'm afraid that the riverboat still has some years to wait before being restored to its original glory.



At Adventureland, the suspension bridge is closed once again, this time for renovation of the wooden structures of the accesses. That should not take too long.










The wood of this little boat decor element is unfortunately now rotten and the bottom has cracked...






Nothing special to report in Fantasyland, except that the castle still does not have its golden arrows since December.







The 25th anniversary shows were back at the Royal Castle Stage when Max shot the pictures, for the greatest enjoyment of the visitors!




















nIf you want to enjoy the 25th Anniversary shows do it soon as, starting March 31st and until May 31 Disneyland Paris will enter in its "Pirates and Princesses" seasonal event, see new visual below with Princesses ( women ) ready to fight Pirates ( men ) which match - probably involuntary - the spirit of times...



You've seen in D&M previous DLP update the incredible pictures of the park under snow, and DLP released a short official video filmed during the snowy days.




Let's end the visit in Disneyland Paris park with the always lovely Boardwalk Candy Palace, one of Main Street U.S.A shops which looks the same as it was on opening day!


















At the Walt Disney Studios it's still the Season of the Force, watch Max videos below showing the decorations and the First Order March.






I also remind you that on March 30 the first of a series of special events to celebrate The Hollywood Tower Hotel 10th Anniversary! An unforgettable costumed party, with a special 1930s Hollywood theme! Available for 39€, tickets for this special evening are now available at the Annual Pass Office at City Hall and Studio Services at the WDS park entrance, or through the Infinity Annual Pass phone line.



Talking about the Walt Disney Studios, following the announcement of the Iron Man ride which will replace the Rock and Roller Coaster - see previous article HERE - DLP released a new video in the "Once upon a time..." series with DLP Imagineer Laurent Cayuela providing details about WDS Backlot land, precisely the one to be transformed soon in Marvel land, so in a few years chances are that it won't look the same anymore...




Max will be back soon with a new DLP update, and in the meantime if you don't own it yet, order your copy of the acclaimed Disneyland Paris book while it is still available in its English edition. The French edition is now out of stock but if you're French, and wish to purchase the book in its english edition a PDF file of the full French text of the French edition will be sent to you.

Lecteurs Français: Etant donné que l'édition française est épuisée, un fichier du texte complet original en Français sera envoyé aux acheteurs Français ne comprenant pas l'anglais.
Egalement, Il me reste trois exemplaires de l'édition collector française, état neufs, 250€ pièce, si intéressé me contacter à l'adresse email ci-dessous.

To place your order for the DLP book, please send me an email at: amplittaye@gmail.com with your shipping address. The price during the  special offer is 75€ ( instead of 100€ ) and shipping worldwide is 22€ ( except Belgium and Italy for which it is 29€ ).

You can pay with Paypal, credit card or bank transfer. For Paypal payments please send directly the full amount  including shipping ( 97€ worldwide, except for Belgium and Italy for which it is 104€ ) at: nme4@wanadoo.fr  If you wish to pay by credit card and bank transfer, let me know in your email and i'll tell you how to do.

Also, each order will receive two surprise gifts - actually there is more than two - and these are GREAT gifts that each DLP fan love!

Here is all you need to know to order a copy of the "Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality" book for those who have never seen the book. First, it's a gorgeous 320 pages coffee table book with 750 pictures of the park including 250 WDI artworks, all DLP attraction posters, and dozens more of sumptuous artworks! The text by Disney historian Didier Ghez tell the story of the creation of the park from dozens of interviews of WDI Imagineers who built the park. It's also probably the best gift you can find for a Disney Parks fan - and it is true! Have a look below to the mosaic pictures showing a selection of pages of the book.








If you've never seen the book before, don't miss the video below showing the full 320 pages of the book!




Pictures : copyright DLP Welcome

Videos: copyright DLP Welcome, Disney

Disneyland Paris Illuminations Fireworks Show to End in 2019, To Be Replaced by Night Show on Lake Disney ?

Our friends of ED92 have posted an interesting, though surprising, news saying that "according to the last rumors, something new should arrive at DLP in 2019 and you're going to be surprised! ". As you'll see below in the translation of ED92 post, indeed we are surprised. For the French version of ED92 post please jump HERE.

"Disneyland Paris daily Disney Illuminations night show launched with great fanfare last year, might not last after the end of Disneyland Paris's 25th anniversary celebrations. And with its end, it would also be the end of the extended schedule system introduced for Disney Dreams in 2012.

Starting Spring 2019, it is around Disney Lake that DLP guests will have to go to enjoy a brand new show combining the latest technologies of Disney's super productions World of Color with the ones of Rivers of Light from Disney's Animal Kingdom.  This all-new 360-degree show, whose name is not yet known, is expected to pay tribute to many feature films of Walt Disney Studios with fountains, water screens, and mobile fountains. lights and many other effects.

Above, the Rivers of Light show at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Four large viewing areas should be developed (the one in front of Disney's Sequoia Lodge might be already under construction), and one on the Disney Village side would be exclusively accessible via a specific ticketing system.

There is still much to be said about this all-new fairy-tale that should arrive next year. We will therefore come back in more detail soon to answer all the questions that this indiscretion raises. But in the meantime, what do you think of this fundamental change in the night-time offer of Disneyland Paris, which should therefore bring back its big end-of-day show on the edge of Disney Lake, as it was during the summers of 1993 to 1996."

So, what does this all mean? Well, first, a fountain projection show cost less than daily fireworks, obviously, though we don't know yet for sure if the new show on the lake will have fireworks or not. DLP will also save money on earlier park closing time as they won't need anymore to wait for the night to fall which in France can happen pretty late in June and July, up to 10 or 11pm! On the other hand guests usually stay a bit more for shopping in Main Street shops after the night show - not all of them as a majority of guests move directly to the exit - something they won't do if they need to move to the Lake show, though when they might do some shopping in Disney Village shops, before or after the show. And eventually even have dinner at Disney Village restaurants before the show starts on the lake.

The question is: how many guests will walk to Lake Disney, specially after a long day in the park when the legs starts to get tired. It's not that far, but if the weather is cold or rainy they might prefer to turn left to the parking lot or the train station before entering Disney Village. Of course guests staying in DLP hotels will go up to the lake because that's what they have to do anyway if they stay in the New York, Sequoia Lodge or Newport Bay hotels. As we are in France you can also count on French guests ranting that they now have to walk a mile to see a night show when before they just needed to assemble on DLP Central Plaza. And probably all guests from wherever they'll come will be disappointed to don't have anymore the great projection show on DLP Castle with fireworks over it, though ED92 rumor don't say if the night show will be permanently cancelled or if the DLP Castle show will be played only during special seasons, which might be the case. Also, apparently some free viewing area will be available for DLP Annual Pass Holders but the fact that there will be a specific ticketing system - meaning that others will have to pay to see the show on the lake - will for sure bring some angry comments.

So, why DLP is doing this? As i've said they can save money with no fireworks show but there might be another reason: a long rumored expansion of the Disney Village might be still in the plans and may be this is a two-in-one operation with which DLP is saving money on one hand - both on no-fireworks and early closure of the parks - and on the other hand  they make a test to see how many guests will come to the lake and how many of them are willing to pay to see a show on the lake. My feeling is that there is much more behind this operation - if ED92 rumor is right, of course - than it seems at first sight. D&M will keep an eye on this and of course will let you know!

Pictures: copyright Disney

Hong Kong Disneyland Losses Doubled in 2017 to $44.4 million up from $22 million

Things are not going too well for Hong Kong Disneyland, financially speaking, as Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has announced a financial deficit of HK$345 million for the most recent fiscal year.

HKDL is located on Lantau Island and is owned at 53% by the government and the rest of the shares by The Walt Disney Company. HKDL has been losing money for three years in a row, up until the fiscal year ending last September 30. HKDL has lost HK$148 million and HK$171 million in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

More from HKFP: "Samuel Lau, managing director of the resort, said the loss was owing to a depreciation of assets, the opening of new facilities last year, and the park’s expansion. New facilities included the Iron Man Experience, and the resort’s third hotel – the 750-room Disney Explorers Lodge. General hotel occupancy at the park was close to 70 per cent during the fiscal year.


The resort’s castle also stopped its daily fireworks display on January 1, as expansion works are set to continue until 2019. Despite the loss, the park saw a 3 per cent year-over-year rise in attendance to 6.2 million people for 2017. It included a five per cent increase in international attendance to reach a record high of around 1.6 million international guests.

Locals made up the largest group of visitors at 41 per cent, while mainland and international guests accounted for 34 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. Local attendance grew six per cent to its second highest level ever. The rise in attendance contributed to an eight per cent rise in revenue year-on-year to HK$5.1 billion. The resort employed more than 5,000 full-time and 2,000 part-time cast members on average during the year.

The Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest of Disney’s international theme parks. It faces a challenge from Shanghai Disneyland, opened in June 2016, which attracted more than 10 million visitors in its first year. Lau said the resort will form a working group to look into attracting visitors as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will be operational soon.

The resort was opened in 2005 but only turned a profit in 2012. The trend continued for two years until it began making a loss again in 2015. The resort increased its entrance fee at the beginning of 2018, the fifth year in a row since 2013. The standard ticket was increased five per cent to HK$619, and the children ticket was increased nine per cent to HK$458."

That said, “HKDL is confident of the market outlook and new guest offerings to be launched in 2018 and that the park is back on a trajectory of growth”, the company said in a statement. New activities are helping launch a stronger first quarter of the current financial year.

In 2018, new attractions will include:
- An 8-minute “We love Mickey!” projection show on Main Street U.S.A. (in March)
- The launch of the African-themed “Karibuni Marketplace” in Adventureland (in March)
- A new stage show “Moana: A Homecoming Celebration” in Adventureland (in May)
- A Summer special event with new Disney-Pixar themed “Water Play Street Party!” (in June)

The great aerial pictures of HKDL that you can see on the top and above were shot by Xavier, faithful D&M reader whom i thanks a lot,  as well as the video below.  The land you see on the left of the park is kept for HKDL second gate which might take some years to be build and open, considering the park financial results.

Below, an official Hong Kong Disneyland 2018 calendar video for the park upcoming events all along the year




Photos: copyright Xavier

Videos: copyright Xavier, Disney

Marvel' Black Panther Opening Week-End is the Fifth Biggest Opening of All Time with $175M in the U.S and $361M Worldwide !

Marvel Studios' 'Black Panther' had a phenomenal opening this week-end delivering the fifth largest opening of all-time, and is heading toward $218M+ 4-Day debut!

From Box Office Mojo: "Dominating the weekend and delivering one of the largest opening weekends of all-time, Disney and Marvel's Black Panther topped the President's Day weekend box office, outperforming its nearest competitor by nearly $175 million in the U.S and $361 million worldwide, based on estimates."

Atop the weekend box office with an estimated $192 million for the three-day weekend, Black Panther delivered the fifth largest three-day domestic opening in history and is currently expected to finish around $218 million for the four-day holiday weekend. The performance is also the largest February opening of all-time, the largest President's Day weekend opening of all-time and gives Disney eight of the top ten domestic openings of all-time. Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther is the eighteenth release in the franchise and the ninth to open with over $100 million. It's also the second largest opening in the MCU, behind only The Avengers ($207.4m) and topping the $191 million debut for Avengers: Age of Ultron.

From an audience standpoint, Black Panther received an "A+" CinemaScore and played to an audience that was 55% male vs. 45% female, of which 61% were over the age of 25.

Internationally, Black Panther brought in an estimated $169 million from 48 markets for a global, three-day debut of $361 million, the fifteenth largest global opening weekend of all-time. The film managed this feat despite not debuting in China (March 9), Japan (March 1) or Russia, where the film will open next weekend along with Vietnam, Trinidad, Peru and Venezuela. Overall, South Korea leads all markets where the film brought in an estimated $25.3 million followed by the UK ($24.8m), Mexico ($9.6m), Brazil ($9.4m) and Australia ($9.2m)."

I've not seen yet Black Panther but will do very soon, may be eventually today. So, Black Panther is a phenomenal success but what is the Marvel Studios model to have almost systematically a big - if not huge - box office success? More about that in this CNN video.

If you've watched Black Panther this week-end you are welcome to leave your comment below!



Pictures: copyright Marvel Studios

Fan-Made Teasers Trailers For Disney's Upcoming Live-Action Adaptations of Classic Animated Films

Disney fan Tommy Ross is doing a series of fan-made teasers trailers for the upcoming live-action adaptations of Disney's animated films. It's done with no special funds so the fact that it is supposed to be "teaser trailers"  allows him to don't have to reveal too much of the characters, something which would have needed a real budget. But, considering that it's done with a mix of drone aerial footage, rides footage, others additional footage apparently filmed by him, and a brilliant editing, i think he's done a great job, check it out below.

The first one below is a teaser trailer for Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.




Next is the one for Aladdin.




The next teaser trailer is for The Little Mermaid




Next is the one for Mulan




And the last one will be a teaser trailer for Alice in Wonderland





You can follow Tommy Ross on his Youtube channel HERE.

Videos: copyright Tommy Ross