Knott's Berry Farm Announces Calico River Rapids, to open Summer 2019 !

Knott's Berry Farm did a major announcement today with Calico River Rapids, to open at Knott’s Berry Farm in summer 2019:

"A new expedition in an uncharted territory awaits eager explorers with the upcoming debut of Calico River Rapids, opening at Knott’s Berry Farm in summer 2019. Knott’s white water raft ride, currently known as BigFoot Rapids, will undergo a major renovation with the addition of new features to the attraction including new animatronics, themed show scenes, a new story overlay and plenty of dynamic water effects."



Guests raft will enter caves and meet a giant Big Foot Audio-Animatronic - most probably built by Garner Holt Productions - let's hope it will work better than Expedition Everest Yeti!



New themed decor await guests all along Calico River Rapids!

"Calico River Rapids will take voyagers on a search for new land through the outskirts of Calico. Rafters will encounter a variety of wild surprises along the way, such as roaring rapids, and indigenous wildlife. The circular raft ride, which seats six passengers, will traverse through unexpected twists and turns, rushing waters and rapid currents as it navigates the unexplored river path."


Non-riding guests will be able to explode water when a raft will arrive with guests!

As Garner Hold said today on his Facebook page HERE "Our friends at Knott's Berry Farm are adding thrilling new life to a classic attraction. It's wonderful to see the Calico Ghost Town story expanding into some new territory with animatronics and detailed scenery in the new Calico River Rapids"

Can't wait for the opening next Summer at Knott's Berry Farm, which by the way was the first U.S theme park as it opened before Disneyland!

See pictures of the ride currently drained and being prepped to install new figures on Mice Age HERE.

Pictures: copyright Knott's Berry Farm

BREAKING NEWS: Stan Lee, Genius Marvel Super-Heroes Creator Dies at 95

VERY sad news as it was just announced that beloved and genius Marvel super-heroes creator Stan Lee died today at 95 at a hospital in Los Angeles.

CNN Article HERE , New York Times article HERE and Washington Post article HERE.

What we owe to Stan Lee is over any estimation. Before being adapted for epic super-heroes movies, Marvel heroes were part of our childhood or teen age and Stan was in its own right called "the Homere of the 20th Century" - in reference to famous ancient Greek writer and poet Homere who wrote the Iliad and Odyssey.

I had the luck to meet Stan for a few minutes during the grand Opening of Universal Island of Adventure, precious minutes that i will cherish forever. Disney and more sent its warmest condolences to Stan Lee children and family.

Here are some pictures of Stan through the years.

With his wife Joan who passed away in 2017.






Here is a great CNN interview of Stan on the Lary King show in 2000.





EDITING: Larry King has posted on Youtube the last interview he did with Stan Lee in 2015 filmed at Stan Lee last company POW Entertainment!




This month, Taschen Editions also released a gorgeous 444 pages book titled Stan Lee Story - written by his long time Marvel writer and collaborator Roy Thomas - on which i had intended to do an article in the next days, here are some pictures from it. The book is a pricey limited editions of 1000 copies but you still can order it if you wish on the Taschen.com website HERE ...for $1500.










The last picture below shows Stan in all his cameos for Marvel movies.



Watch ALL Stan Lee cameos since 1898 till 2018 in the video below.





You might also remember my post earlier this year when Stan was going though all kind of problems, both physically and socially ( with his associates who stole money from him, etc ) in which i was explaining that the transit of Saturn currently on his Sun degree in Capricorn was responsible that all these happened at the same time, and that he'll be lucky if he succeed to survive to 2018. No need to say that i would have preferred to be wrong but Saturn is "Murphy's Law" ( everything that can go wrong will go wrong ) and also, symbolically, the "Grim Reaper". With Saturn transits SOMETHING got to die. When Saturn comes back at 29 on the degree it was the day you're born it is the end of the teen age and time to really grow up. When he's back again at 58 - 59 it's the moment when people retired from their job - or pay the price for all their behaviour and mistakes in the previous 29 years ( Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey ). But when you have a Saturn transit at 95 it's almost impossible to survive to it. And the reason why is not only the dozens of problems it brings but also because Saturn transits are incredibly exhausting. And i can confirm that it's true as I am currently in the same kind of bad Saturn transit - actually exactly this month and even this week - and i don't tell you how bad and exhausting it is - and i'm not 95!
 All this to say that if you're a Capricorn native - Saturn it still in the sign for two more years - or have beloved ones born under the Capricorn sign, and especially if they are over, let's say, 78, make sure to stay close to them as the next years won't be fun for them, not to mention they could be eventually deadly.

Pictures: copyright Marvel, Taschen

Edited: TWO First Official Toy Story 4 Teasers - Introducing New Characters Forky, Ducky and Bunny !

First Official Toy Story 4 Teaser is released - the animated movie will be released in theaters on June 21, 2019!

First official synopsis: Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called “Forky” to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy.





The trailer also introduce a new character, Forky, a newcomer and reluctant toy voiced by Tony Hale. Forky is sure he doesn’t belong in Bonnie’s room, but he keeps getting pulled back into adventures every time he tries to escape. “The world of Toy Story is built upon the idea that everything in the world has a purpose. A toy’s purpose is to be there for its child. But what about toys that are made out of other objects? Forky is a toy that Bonnie made out of a disposable spork, so he’s facing a crisis. He wants to fulfill his purpose as a spork, but now has a new toy purpose thrust upon him.”




EDITING: Second teaser for Toy Story 4! Meet Ducky (voice of Keegan-Michael Key) and Bunny (voice of Jordan Peele) in this new teaser trailer!




 Pictures and video: copyright Disney

Video : Disneyland Anaheim Main Street U.S.A Backstage Path

Last time i went to Disneyland, Anaheim i remember walking in Main Street U.S.A, trying to find a way to turn left or right like i do at Disneyland Paris to reach either Liberty or Discovery Arcades. Just to realize suddenly that Disneyland don't have these arcades, neither any other Disney Magic Kingdom except Disneyland Paris where Eddie Sottto and his team of Imagineers had the genius idea to create these arcades both to enhance Main Street U.S.A experience and for weather reasons as it can be wet and cold at DLP between November and April.

DLP arcades are also precious to escape the crowds at the end of the parades or night shows, and because Disneyland can be so packed i always wondered why they don't create the same arcades in Anaheim. The video below filmed recently by Max, D&M contributor, will show you why they don't, and the reason is simple: they don't have the room to do it. Specially on the left side of Main Street ( looking towards the Castle ) as Jungle Cruise is so close to the back of Main Steeet shops buildings.

Still, guests flow remain a problem at the end of parades or night shows and Disneyland had to do something so they opened the backstage path to guests for a limited time and this is what you will see in the video below, going from Disneyland Central Plaza to Town Square. You can see the "back of House", as they say, and even a bit of the back of Jungle Cruise.

When is this backstage path open? According to Max, at the end or during the parades, or when there is fireworks in addition to Fantasmic! or night parades ( all weekends of the year or all summer or during special nights). Or when Fantasmic! is finished and people are waiting for the fireworks, the backstage passage is open as Frontierland and Adventureland are basically completely packed during Fantasmic! This backstage path plays in fact the role that DLP arcades have. Does it hurt the "magic". Well, a little bit of course but DL guests are rationals, they understand why they open the backstage path and as it help to reach Town Square very quickly no one complain. They've even partly themed the backstage path with attraction posters! Have a look!

Video: Copyright DLP Welcome

The Walt Disney Company Reports Earnings for its Fourth Quarter And Fiscal Year Ended September 29, 2018.

The Walt Disney Company reported earnings for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 29, 2018. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the fourth quarter increased 37% to $1.55 from $1.13 in the prior-year quarter. Excluding certain items affecting comparability, EPS for the quarter increased 38% to $1.48 from $1.07 in the prior-year quarter. EPS for the year increased to $8.36 from $5.69 in the prior year. Excluding certain items affecting comparability(1), EPS for the year increased to $7.08 from $5.70 in the prior year.

“We’re very pleased with our financial performance in fiscal 2018, delivering record revenue, net income and earnings per share,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “We remain focused on the successful completion and integration of our 21st Century Fox acquisition and the further development of our direct-to-consumer business, including the highly anticipated launch of our Disney-branded streaming service late next year.”

Here is the report for the Parks and Resorts division and check the full report for all Disney divisions HERE and also read the transcript of Bob Iger interview by CNBC HERE.

"Parks and Resorts revenues for the quarter increased 9% to $5.1 billion, and segment operating income increased 11% to $829 million. Operating income growth for the quarter was due to an increase at our domestic operations. Domestic results reflected the comparison to the adverse impact of Hurricane Irma, which occurred in the prior-year quarter.

Higher operating income at our domestic operations was primarily due to increased guest spending and attendance, partially offset by increased costs. Guest spending growth was due to increases in average ticket prices for theme park admissions and cruise line sailings, food, beverage and merchandise spending and average daily hotel room rates. The increase in costs was primarily due to labor and other cost inflation, a special fiscal 2018 domestic employee bonus and higher charges for project abandonments.

Operating income at our international parks and resorts was comparable to the prior-year quarter as growth at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort was offset by a decrease at Shanghai Disney Resort. Operating income growth at Disneyland Paris was due to an increase in average ticket prices while growth at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort was due to higher occupied room nights and attendance growth, partially offset by cost inflation. The decrease at Shanghai Disney Resort was due to lower average ticket prices, partially offset by increased attendance."

Picture: copyright Disney

Shanghaî Disneyland Adventure Isle Never-Seen-Before Concept-Arts

Stephan Martiniere who did the artworks for Shanghaî Disneyland Treasure Cove that you saw yesterday is also the one who was asked by WDI to do the renderings for SDL Adventure Isle. Stephan is truly a fantastic artist and we'll have a look today at his concept-arts for this greatly themed land of Shanghaî Disneyland. Most of the artworks below are never-seen-before and are coming from Stephan Martiniere website HERE where i found them.

The firsts artwork below is a closer view of Adventure Isle’s highest peak Apu Taku and the Camp Discovery Adventure Trails.




This next artwork is specially interesting as it seems to be the first version of the rendering showing Adventure Isle restaurant.


This one below is the second version, ofiicially released rendering, check the differences between both!


The artwork below was Stephan vision of the entrance and the Arbori natives village.

There is apparently also a first concept for the artwork above - which is the rendering below - and on this one was envisioned elevated tree houses - after all if the natives were called Arbori there was a good reason for that.


Even more interesting is Stephan first concepts for the natives houses architecture, that you can see below.


The two next orenderings are showing the inside of Arbori natives huts





One of the great theming ideas for the natives huts was the use of fossils skeletons, which would have give a feeling of more dangerosity for the natives habitat. These artworks as well as the ones above shows concepts which were not kept in the final theming of Adventure Isle natives village.

Stephan also did some great concept-arts for the design of the Arbori natives pirogues.

Finally, Stephan did also others artworks showing how the Arbori natives coud look.

Last but not least, if you were wondering who did the now famous artwork below, showing the Roaring Rapids ride giant Audio-Animatronic creature named Q’aráq, a crocodile-like beast—who dwells within “Roaring Mountain”, it was also painted by Stephan Martiniere.



All pictures: copyright Disney - Stephan Martiniere.

Shanghaî Disneyland : The Treasure Cove - Pirates of Caribbean Land That Never Was

Shanghaî Disneyland Treasure Cove "Pirates of Caribbean" land was acclaimed when the park opened two years ago, and for good reasons as the incredible quality of theming and the stunning new version of the POTC ride are exceptional - the POTC ride won a fully deserved THEA Award the next year.

The artwork above shows the officially released artwork of Treasure Cove as we know it but did you know that another design of the land was envisioned, which included the POTC ride but also much more? D&M has found the WDI rendering of it and it's the amazing one below.



Now, let's have a closer look at the artwork to see what were the differences with the one showing the final version. First let's see what remain similar. As you can see the big ship and the two smaller sailing boats are there in both versions, including the canoes going to Adventure Isle, and the Pirates village as well. Note the wooden bridge on the left which don't exist in the final version.



The big E-Ticket ride itself  was there in this first version with the fortress themed show building located on the right, where El Teatro Fandango is now for the pirates stunt show, and the main difference was the giant Skull Rock and its waterfalls which was located in the lagoon, close to the POTC fortress.



But the BIG difference is for the Pirates stunt show which apparently was envisioned to be outdoor with a fierce canon battle between two real size Pirates ships and more Pirates village buildings in the background. Note the entrance to the lagoon on the left, i suspect that one of the Pirates ship would have enter this way during the show to attack the other one. It surely would have been a more expensive stunt show and this is probably why it was cut, still both versions of Treasure Cove are great.



In addition, i have also for you some great never-seen-before artworks done for the SDL POTC ride by WDI artist Stephan Martiniere who also did the two Treasure Cove paintings above. Click on each pciture to see them in bigger size. The first ones below shows the sunken ships and treasure.






The next artwork below shows the scene of the amazing encounter with Davy Jones in his ghost ship.


Next, is the artwork showing the sequence of the ships rising to the surface by the power of Davy Jones.



You probably know this next artwork as it was the only one released officially, showing the final battle between the two ships.



The last never released artwork shows the the final scene, the battle between Davy Jones and Jack Sparrow.



I've got more SDL artworks for you so make sure to come back on D&M tomorrow!

All artworks: copyright Disney / Stefan Martiniere