Saturday, November 21, 2009

New Cars Toons : Unidentified Flying Mater



A new Cars Toons - the fifth in the series - called "Unidentified Flying Mater" was released on ABC last night, and this time Mater is doing its first "close encounter" with a UFO. As usual with Pixar the animation is perfect and this new short is totally enjoyable, so enjoy!




Note: If the embedding of this Youtubevideo is removed you'll be able to see it HERE

Picture and video: copyright Pixar

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Disneyland Paris Main Street Christmas windows



Disneyland Paris began its Christmas season recently and today we will have a look at Main Street Christmas windows. But before i go further you may have notice that Disney and more has slightly changes today with a winter-Christmas theme on the top, and yes, a gentle snow is falling all over the site!



Note that if your screen is in 1024 x 768 definition although you'll still have the snow effect but you may not see the winter pictures on the left and right of the header that you can see on the screen capture above. The original D&M design will be back in January.

Let's come back now to DLP and Main Street windows which also have now their Christmas decor. First, a look inside the Emporium where Bambi is standing inside a Christmas ball under the Emporium dome.



Let's have a look now to the Emporium windows as well as other shops nearby.



















On the other side on Town Square, Christmas windows of Disney Clothiers.











All pictures: copyright Disney and more except top picture: copyright Disney

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Dubai World Marvel Super Heroes Theme Park Concept



Late 2007, United Arab Emirate-based Al Ahli Group and Marvel Entertainment, Inc. announced a partnership that will bring Marvel's full library of Super Heroes - including Spider-Man, Iron Man, The X-Men, Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer - to Dubai for a major new theme park destination being developed by AAG. The Marvel Super-Heroes theme park project was supposed to open in 2011 with an investment of over $1 billion USD but apparently it seems that it will open now in 2012. I don't know yet if the Disney deal with Marvel changed anything in the project, let's hope not.

The creative team who designed the park, in this case not WDI Imagineers but great creative minds from around the globe is based in Hollywood, Orlando and Dubai throughout the development process. When the project was announced the press release said that "New technology and unparalleled visitor experiences will be the hallmark of the theme park creating a new standard for theme parks around the world".

Thanks to Randy, a Disney and more faithful reader whom i thanks a lot, i've found some great artwork of this awaited theme park. All of the concept-arts below were designed by the Chimera Design company who did an absolutely fantastic job as you will see. Unfortunately i don't have a lot of details about the rides but what we can see on the pictures give some indications.

Most of Marvel super-heroes will have their own attractions including the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, X-Men, Silver Surfer and of course Spiderman in what will be probably a different ride than the Spiderman ride at Universal Islands of Adventure. Also, according to a a recent post of Brady Mac Donald of the L.A Times "Off-site testing has already begun on three of the planned attractions: "Flying with Spidey", "Fantasticar" and "X-Men: Danger Room".

The first picture above shows the entrance of the park. Below, a night view as well as the map of the park with the four lands "City of Super-Heroes", "Oasis of Magic", "Marvel's Mythic Mountain", "Nick Neighborhood" and "Crater Lake" at the center of the park. As you can see on the night view, many coasters are envisioned for the park.





Although it's strictly my own personal deduction, this next artwork shows very probably the "City of Super-Heroes" land - and yes, it's a "Wow!".



This next rendering is apparently showing the arrival in the "City"...



And, as we can check on the night view above this great building with the Fantastic Four logo is located at the entrance of the "City of Super-Heroes".



The artwork below shows a 3D (4D ?) movie attraction with all Marvel famous super-heroes.



This next artwork may show a show. Does someone recognize who is the character in the center of the picture?



On the next artwork, obviously a Spiderman attraction - probably the one called "Flying with Spidey" - Spiderman is fighting with the Green Goblin and Dr Octopus. As we can see on the picture, the guests are not seated inside a vehicle (like IOA Spiderman ride). It could be a simulator attraction...or a free fall one like the Tower of Terror...or something totally new!



But in this next ride where we can see the Electro character, guests ARE seated in a vehicle which very probably is moving inside a decor - could it be an attraction using the same technique "decor+3D rear projection" like in the IOA Spiderman ride?



In other areas of the park - probably in the "Oasis of Magic" land - guests will find lush vegetation.



Even with my talent for deduction, i really can't guess what the next artwork is showing. May be one of you will know?



This next artwork, according to the night view and the park's map probably shows the entrance of the "Nick Neighborhood" land.



Below, the incredibly spectacular entrance of the "Stark Laboratories" and the Iron Man attraction. Another big Wow! A closer look reveals a "Rocket Jets"-like attraction and a coaster-like attraction on the top of it.



The artwork below is obviously showing a free fall attraction ( Edited: Or may be it's a new type of coaster designed by Mauher & Sohne, see comment of a D&M reader below ) and it looks like it goes down right inside the water of Crater Lake! Is such a thing possible!?! Or may be there will be a tunnel? I know it's bloody hot all year long in Dubai, but having the guests totally soaked could be a bit extreme...!



EDITED 11/19: A kind D&M reader told me in his comment that an attraction "plunging" under water exist already in Japan (but with a roller coaster) and provided me a picture. The idea looks similar to the one they will probably use on the free fall ride above and i won't be surprised if it looks like the picture below.



What a great theme park concept, isn't it? I really think that Chimera Design who designed all the concept-arts you've seen above did a stunning job, don't you think so? Also, you can see more concept-arts for other projects they've worked on on the Chimera Design web site.

If everything looks like this in real when the park will be built, i'm ready to reserve my plane ticket for Dubai right now!


Talking about theme park, you'll find 250 fantastic Disneyland Paris renderings, all coming from Walt Disney Imagineering, in the great Disneyland Paris "From Sketch to Reality" book. All this along with 750 pictures of the park, and this is what makes it such a great book! And, good news, as i do a special summer offer on the Disneyland Paris "From Sketch to Reality" book which not only include a 20% discount on the regular price but, also, each one who will place an order will receive a special gift - and it's a great one! Below, you can see a video showing the whole book and to know more about the book and how to order and send your payment please go HERE , or send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com , or use the Paypal one-click purchase button below, right under the video!



















All Marvel theme park artwork: copyright Chimera Design - Marvel Entertainment

Lovely Hong Kong Disneyland Christmas Ad and Lights of Winter opening video



Hong Kong Disneyland released today a very nice Christmas Ad video, different but as nice, as poetic, as the other It's a Small World Christmas Ad video released by Disney Parks last week.

In the HKDL Ad that you will see below, two Eskimos characters from It's A Small World escape the attraction and discover the magic of the park during Christmas season. Don't miss it, it's lovely, really!



The next video shows the first show of Lights of Winter illumination on Main Street & HKDL Castle



Picture and video: copyright Disney - Hong Kong Disneyland

Captain Eo is coming back ( for sure ) at Disneyland next January



According to the Hollywood Reporter - and to my sources, too! - Captain Eo should come back at Disneyland next January. Apparently the huge success of the excellent "This is it" documentary - 220 Milion $ worldwide in two weeks had some effects on the WDC. I hope that DLP executives will also have the intelligence to put back Captain Eo at Paris Magic Kingdom as "Honey I Schrunk the Audience", just like everywhere, is not popular any more.

The good news about this come back of Captain Eo is that 3D effects should be enhanced and Imagineers will probably use the "moving floor" effect from "Honey, I Schrunk the Audience" during some scenes of Captain Eo - like when his ship crashes on the planet, for instance.

Watch for Al Lutz next update on Miceage - may be later today - as i won't be surprised if Al, who was the first to reveal the comeback of Captain Eo, had more details about it. Al in one of his previous update also revealed that Disney intend to keep Captain Eo at DL during four months after what the show should be replaced by "Monsters Inc Laugh Floor" - that's the bad news part of the story - a news which has infuriated Disneyland fans as nobody seems to be a big fan of that show that opened this year at WDW Magic Kingdom. And of course it will also mean the end of 3D movies at DL Tomorrowland Theatre...

In the meantime you can watch without the 3D effects the full Captain Eo movie on these Youtube videos below.







Picture and video: copyright Disney-Lucas Film

Monday, November 16, 2009

Disney and more Time machine - Back in time to October 27, 1966 : The Epcot that never was



On October 27, 1966, two months before his death, Walt Disney recorded his last TV presentation. To the american audience he was introducing his vision of Epcot, the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow".
So, today, let's go back in time with pictures, concept arts and the video of the original TV show to have a look at this Epcot who, as we know, finally never was.

Here is Walt recording his last show, his obvious excitement about his new project is "pure Walt".



Walt began by showing the audience a Florida map...



And then came the famous shot on the Disney World project map...



Here is a concept art of Epcot as Walt's envisioned it, with a cosmopolitan hotel in its center. Click on each picture to see them in bigger size.



And here are two others, including one of Epcot's city at night.




Located beneath the hotel, the transportation lobby was fantastic. Different kind of transportation would have been possible, with a choice between the monorail or the famous WEDway people mover.




Inside the indoor international shopping area guests would have found food experience, shows and items from many countries - the World Showcase, on a certain point of view is coming from this original concept.



The Industrial complex was a place where Disney staff would have work with individual corporations to create a showcase of industry.



Here is a last view of the center of Walt's vision of Epcot.
If you want to know much more about this fantastic project , i strongly suggest you to discover the great Waltopia web site where some of these renderings and pictures are coming from.
It's one of the best site i've seen about Walt's original vision of Epcot, and it is full of documents about it.





And now it's time to watch the 1966 video where Walt himself will explain to you his vision of this "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow". It's in three parts and it last 26 minutes. The movie begin by some shots of Disneyland, but don't worry, it is the right one and Walt will appear soon.










Of course, if don't have it yet i strngly recommand to you the Imagineering field guide to Epcot.




Photos, artwork and videos: copyright Disney

Thanks to Waltopia for the photos and artwork and to freedogshampoo for the youtube links.