Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Disneyland Paris " Le Visionarium " making-of documentary



The beloved Disneyland Paris attraction "Le Visionarium" is now an "extinct" attraction. Since the opening of the park in 1992, and until it was replaced by the "Buzz Lightyear laser Blast" ride, everybody loved it. The music score was one of the best ever written for a Disney attraction, the Time Keeper and Nine Eye Audio-animatronics were just perfect, and the circlevision movie was awesome - a special award to legendary french actor Michel Piccoli who played the best Jules Verne ever seen in a movie.



The attraction opened years later at WDW Magic Kingdom - it was called "From Time to time" but was less popular than it was at DLP. For an inexplicable reason, the music was changed, and i'm sorry to say that the new score was not as good as the original one who - literally - was giving an incredible epic energy to any guest exiting the DLP version. Today, the last place on earth where it is possible to see - i should say "live" the attraction is at Tokyo Disneyland's Tommorowland.



Today, we will have a closer look to how this great circlevision movie was made, thanks to a wonderful making-of documentary in three parts. Making-of documentaries of Disney attractions are pretty rare, we saw last week the one did for DLP Space Mountain "Shoot for the Moon", and this one is just as good. Enjoy it!










All my thanks to the very good Imagineering Files site who had the good idea to download it on Daily Motion.


The DLP book is reprint next week! I remind you that the pre-order period for the DLP book is ending soon and that you still can order a collector copy with a 20% discount on the book final price. So, go ahead and place your pre-order now for a collector's edition copy while you can get this special offer on this wonderful book!! To know how to order and send your payment please go HERE. Paypal or bank wire transfer payments are welcome.




Pictures and Video: copyright Disney

Disney and More Time Machine : Back on April 12, 1992 - Disneyland Paris Grand Opening



Where were you on April 12, 1992? Some of you were watching the event on their TV, the luckiest one were invited at the party, and some of you were may be too young to know what the words Disney theme park means. But for many people all over Europe, the Grand opening of EuroDisney - that was the name of the park 17 years ago - on April 12, 1992 was for sure a memorable day.

And what a memorable evening! Today, as another memorable day is ending, the Disney and more Time Machine takes you back in time on this April 12 evening thanks to the DLP opening show. As the majority of my readers speak english, the TV grand opening show you will see below is the British one - I believe each country had its own show with their own anchor men, even if the filming of the show itself was the same for everybody. The show is interesting too because it shows the park as it was on opening day. Some elements don't exist anymore, specially some of the "streetmospheres" as they call it. The Main Street Keystone cops, other street orchestras, the Lucky Nugget show or the Frontierland shooting are gone unfortunately forever! You'll see also an interview of Roy Disney and Frank Wells, some filming of the Buffalo Bill Wild West show, and many more!

One of my favorite emotional moment happen on the first part below when a children choir sings "When you wish upon a star". If you look carefully, at precisely 10 min 19 sec, on the top left of the image you'll see a young black girl. If you look in her eyes, you'll see all the dazzler of the world. For her, it was definitely the most magical day of her life, you can feel it, literally. I have tears in my eyes each time i see this moment...Pure childhood wonder, pure innocence, pure magic. Don't miss it! And, of course, enjoy the show!










The DLP book is reprint next week! I remind you that the pre-order period for the DLP book is ending soon and that you still can order a collector copy with a 20% discount on the book final price. So, go ahead and place your pre-order now for a collector's edition copy while you can get this special offer on this wonderful book!! To know how to order and send your payment please go HERE. Paypal or bank wire transfer payments are welcome.




Photo: copyright Disney

Daily Motion video many thanks to djf06 !

Disney and More Time Machine : Back in 1990 at the Disneyland Paris Preview Center




It's quite a while since the Disney and More Time Machine took you to a "Time" destination, and today we will go back to 1990 at the Disneyland Paris Preview Center.

The Disneyland Paris Preview Center was located near the Paris A4 Highway, and for French and European people it was the first encounter with what will be the future EuroDisney park - now Disneyland Resort Paris.

On these rare photos shoot by Daniel you will see that visitors of the Preview Center, thanks to the Imagineers, were able to discover the different lands of the park with renderings, models, costumes, and more...



Daniel even did this map of the Preview Center, showing the main four "rooms" - the Show room, the Theater, the store, and the restaurant.



A giant model of the park was displayed...



As well as the Sleeping Beauty Castle model...



A carousel horse was shown in the Fantasyland area...



And a model of Phantom Manor in the Frontierland section...



Pirates sculptures were displayed in the Adventureland area...



As well as renderings and cast-member costume...



Guests - like Daniel - could even board inside a Dumbo vehicle...



Or have a picture with C3PO in the Discoveryland area!



Here is the entrance of the theater where a preview movie about the future "EuroDisney" park was shown. As the park was not built yet most of the footage was showing Walt Disney World similar attractions!



Another area was showing renderings of the future hotels and Disney Village.





I want to give a special thanks to Daniel for these pictures, as photos of the Disneyland Paris preview center are really rare!

The DLP book is reprint next week! I remind you that the pre-order period for the DLP book is ending soon and that you still can order a collector copy with a 20% discount on the book final price. So, go ahead and place your pre-order now for a collector's edition copy while you can get this special offer on this wonderful book!! To know how to order and send your payment please go HERE. Paypal or bank wire transfer payments are welcome.




All photos: copyright Daniel Rous

Disneyland Paris Book Update: Printing Starting Next Week !



I have a great news for all of you who have placed a pre-order for a collector's copy of the DLP book....and for those of you who were waiting to be sure that the book will be reprint before placing an order: the printing will start next week and i will go personally to check all the printing. And of course i will post pictures of it when i will be back. After the printing will come the book binding and other operations, and we expect to receive the copies from the printer next April. The pre-order special price was supposed to stop at the end of february but i've decided to keep the special offer during a few more days for those of you who were waiting to pre-order a collector copy.

I repost below the original article where you'll find all infos to place your pre-order and how to send your payment. Paypal and bank wire transfers are welcome. For all infos please email me at: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr

Important Note: For the french version of this article click HERE. Pour la version française de cet article cliquez ICI.
Please note that copies in english of french edition are always available. As long as this message stays here it means that copies are available, so you can place your order directly. For those of you who have never seen a copy of the book you'll find below a video presentation of the full book which will show you each of the 320 pages of the book.

So, I have a great news for all of you who are looking desperately to find a copy of the acclaimed "Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality" book, out of stock since more than a year. The book will be reprint in March - which means that its released in April is now sure! - and not only it will be republished but it will be reprint in its very rare collector's edition, the one impossible to find since eight years, so rare that it is sold on Amazon Market Place or eBay for prices between 500 and 1300 U.S $ !

Thanks to read all the lines below to well understand how to order a copy of this limited collector's edition of the book.

First, a few words to explain you how this re-publishing is happening. As you know the book was impossible to find whether it was in the park or anywhere else at a reasonable price, and obviously the publisher who had the rights wasn't planning to reprint the book. As this publisher wanted to sell the rights after long negotiations i've succeeded to find him someone interested by republishing the book. A new publishing company has been specially created for this and is called Neverland Editions.


In my talks with the new publisher he asked me if, at the first printing, the book had different editions. I told him that we did a collector's edition, and when i looked back in my 2002 files - the year the book was first published - i realized that at that time we've printed only 550 copies of the french collector's edition and 1270 copies of the english collector's edition. This collector's edition being limited at 2000 copies in french and 2000 in english there is still 1450 copies in french and 730 copies in english which are allowed to be reprint and commercialized. These are the one which will be reprint and only these collector's edition will be reprint, not the "regular" edition.

For those of you who don't know what is the collector's edition here is more details: the collector's edition is printed on a luxury glossy paper, it has a gold printing on the cover and dust jacket, is limited at 2000 copies in english ( and 2000 in french ), each copy has a number, AND each copy include four beautiful "lithographs" of WDI artwork for the Walt Disney Studios. Each of these lithographs can be put under frame. Also, the contents of the book will be exactly the same than the first collector's copies printed ten years ago.



We have began to take pre-orders on the book and this not only will allow you to pre-order a valuable collector's edition copy but also to help this legendary book to be reprint and have a new life. The pre-order period is still running until late february and for those of you who haven't pre-order the book yet it's the right time to do it as placing a pre-order also give you a 20% discount on the book final price!

Here is how to do to order the book, and first a real good news: although the printing costs are not anymore what they were ten years ago ( the cost for the paper is specially higher ) i have convinced the new publisher to keep the collectors's edition at the same price that it was sold ten years ago for each one who will pre-order the book. In two words, each one of you placing a pre-order for a collector's edition copy will pay it exactly the same price that it cost ten years ago, in 2002, i.e 100 euros. When the pre-orders will be over and the book issued this collector's edition will be sold at a price between 120 and 130 euros, which means that pre-ordering the book help you to have more or less a 20% discount on it.

The book is expected to be released late April 2012 as of course we wish to have this collector's edition released during DLP 20th Anniversary, and everyone who will place a pre-order will be kept informed of the printing and the release date, as well, of course, of the shipping date. Please note that the book will NOT be sold at Disneyland Paris. The merchandise department, for reasons which are difficult to understand has decided to don't order copies of the book. We'll be happy if there is any changes but apparently the merchandise products plan for 2012 is now finalized and it's too late to change it.

So, how to pre-order a copy of this collector's edition? First, send an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com ( with as subject: "dip book order" ) to let us know that you want to pre-order a copy, how many copies you want, in which language ( english or french edition? ) , and your shipping address. Please also note that a pre-order needs to be paid to be consider as an order.

The price for a pre-order of a collector's edition copy is 100 euros, plus 15 euros only for shipping to any country, including U.S. If you live in France, shipping is 10 euros (only for France).

How to proceed for your payment: We prefer a Paypal payment. Paypal is a very safe way to pay without giving your credit card number. For a payment with Paypal the total amount ( 115€ including shipping or 110€ if you live in France ) must be sent through Paypal at the email adress: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr

If you don't have a Paypal account: either you know someone who have one and through whom you can send the payment, or you can pay with a bank wire transfer ( no foreign checks, sorry ). If you want to do a wire transfer please let us know in your email and we will send you the bank infos.

Finally, the quickest we'll be able to have the needed amount for the printing, the quickest the book will be reprint. So, thanks to don't wait for the last minute to place your pre-order and also because the number of copies of this collector's edition are limited. Also, if you have friends or DLP fans who are desperately trying to find the book, thanks to let them know about this reprinting.

Thanks to all of you for your help and below you'll find a description of the book as well as visuals of the inside pages ( click on the mosaic pictures to see them in larger scale ).

Although you've probably heard about this beautiful book, many of you may have never seen a copy of it. So we've done a video presentation of the full book which will show you each of the 320 pages of the book! The book includes 750 pictures of the park, including 250 gorgeous renderings of Walt Disney Imagineering and stunning pictures of the park seen from above. The book is so big that it took us seven and a half minutes to show you the full book, and that's without stopping turning each pages! So, if you want to have a closer look at a page don't hesitate to stop the video. Finally, because we didn't had any more a collector edition copy the video is showing the regular edition of the book, not the collector's edition that you will receive if you place your order, but the inside pages are exactly the same.

Alain Littaye




Description of the book:



The book is a gorgeous "coffee table book" with 320 pages and 750 pictures - of which 500 are park and attractions photos and 250 are Walt Disney Imagineering renderings!

The size is 9 x 12 inches, all pages are in color and it's hardbound with a glossy dust jacket. The text (by Disney historian Didier Ghez), was written after more than 75 interviews he conducted with all the Imagineers who created the park. He goes into just about everything you wanted to know about this unique place that many describe as the best "Magic Kingdom" ever created by WDI.

It took five years to create the book, but it was worth all the time we spent on it, and the book looks just as good as we had hoped for at the beginning - in fact Imagineer Bruce Gordon told us that it was "probably the best book ever done on a Disney theme park". Coming from Bruce who did with David Mumford the great "Disneyland, The Nickel Tour" book, it was more than a compliment.

The first chapter about Main Street has 52 pages and introduces the reader to the "legend" of Main Street, USA. You'll learn all about the Disneyland Paris Railroad, the unique "Discovery" and "Liberty" Arcades; find out about the architecture, the restaurants (like "Walt's," a tribute to Walt Disney, but also inspired by Club 33 in Anaheim) and the shops; with dozens of photos, renderings, models, and reproduced for the first time here, all the "cities of the future" posters located in "Discovery Arcade."



The second chapter on Frontierland discusses the park's western side with extensive sections about its major attractions, "Big Thunder Mountain" and "Phantom Manor." In fact the book has the longest sections ever put together in a book on all the major attractions. The Pirates of Caribbean section in the Adventureland chapter is 26 pages, Phantom Manor has 16 pages devoted to it, as does Space Mountain, it's a small world, etc. The photo material was so great that we kept adding more pages to the book, which was supposed to have only 240 pages when we started... we ended up with 320 upon completion!



The Frontierland chapter also covers the Mark Twain, the River Rogue Keelboats, Fort Comstock, all the restaurants, the shops and Cottonwood Creek Ranch.and featuring stunning photos of Disneyland Paris from the air by Yann Arthus Bertrand, author of The Earth from Above that make spectacular "double-pages," and allow the reader to discover the park from a whole different angle.



The Adventureland chapter is even more interesting, as many elements of the land exist only in Paris - such as the Bazaar and Aladdin to Africa and the ex-"Explorer's Club." Plus there's a long section about "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril," "Adventure Isle" and "The Swiss Robinson Treehouse" and, of course, "Pirates of Caribbean" the land's major attraction and featuring its amazing Audio-Animatronics! All in all there are 56 full pages about Adventureland, and as in the previous chapters, there are dozens of photos, lots of concept art, and many shots of Imagineers at work. There's even a great bonus here, with the Marc Davis artwork for "Pirates" also included.



56 full pages are also dedicated to Fantasyland. There's an extensive look at Sleeping Beauty Castle, sections on all the dark rides (Snow White, Peter Pan and Pinocchio), as well as a look at "Alice's Curious Labyrinth," the "Mad Hatter's Tea Cups," "Storybookland," and "Casey Jr." There are even 14 pages about "it's a small world" with stunning photos of nearly all the scenes in it. Here the reader can discover a new attraction that exists only at Disneyland Paris, with a great view from above of Alice's Labyrinth.

Discoveryland also gets 52 pages of special treatment, with sections on the Visionarium, the Nautilus, Star Tours, Space Mountain, and everything you wanted to know about the other attractions in this land – Autopia and Orbitron. In fact the Nautilus chapter takes you on a visit with photos of every room of this detailed walk-through and two double page photo spreads, one which makes you feel you're inside Captain Nemo's grand salon, and the other showing you a unique view of Discoveyland featuring the Nautilus and Space Mountain in a kind of "CinemaScope" view.



When the book was released in early 2002, the Walt Disney Studios didn't exist, so you won't see them in the book. But there's still one last chapter about the hotels of the park, and Disney Village too, with the great Buffalo Bill Wild West show that entertains hundreds each evening.

And because every day in a Magic Kingdom should end with a parade and fireworks, we have the Main Street Electrical Parade that close the book, with also an Herb Ryman gorgeous painting in the very last pages!



Pictures: copyright Disney

Video: copyright Alain Littaye 2012

Cars Land Shops Artwork



Disney Parks has released three renderings showing the shops in the upcoming and highly awaited Cars Land. Above, the concept-art for the Radiator Springs Curios shop where you will find "must-haves pins and Vinylmation themed to all things “Cars,” or antenna toppers, window clings, license plate frames and magnets".

Below the artwork for the Ramone’s House of Body Art: "The Champion Custom Speed Shop collection is sure to meet your need for speed with signature pin-stripe style and laid-back look which appears on a variety of shirts for work and play, hats and accessory items."



Last but not least, the barracks of Sarge’s Surplus Hut where you’ll find "a broad selection of offerings featuring Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and other classic “Cars” characters."



Meanwhile they did something pretty funny at DCA, i.e they've buried in Buena Vista Plaza a time capsule containing items specific to the park which will be opened by Disneyland Resort cast members only in 2037. They did this to mark the construction of Buena Vista Street and as you will see on the video there will be lot of goodies inside the time capsule for the DLR cast members in 2037!




Artwork and video: copyright Disney

Official : No Disney theme park planned for Dubai

It's not a surprise, not even really a "news", but today Julian Munoz, Director of Marketing & Sales at DLP said that Disney has no plans to build a Disney theme park in Dubai.

" Julian Munoz said he held talks with officials but there is no such development on this issue for Dubai. “We have been here for the past few days and held talks with officials. But there is no plan as yet; but who knows what happens in future,” Munoz said in a recent interview. Munoz was touring the region to reveal promotional packages for the Gulf Arab region to market its 20th anniversary of Disneyland Paris this year."

Buenos Aires "Inception" Park



Here is a great video which looks like a dream from "Inception". The city that you'll see is Buenos Aires, in Argentina...and i don't tell you more to keep the surprise. But it's wonderfully done. Enjoy.


Buenos Aires - Inception Park from Black Sheep Films on Vimeo.



Video: copyright Black Sheep Films

Monday, February 27, 2012

Disneyland Paris Disney Dreams Show Update



I have for you today a big update about Disney Dreams!, Disneyland Paris 20th anniversary show which will start April 1st with a premiere during the press event scheduled for March 31st.

Steve Davison, the creator of Fantasmic and World of Color has tweeted recently that he was "heading to the plane to spend a month programming Disney Dreams in Paris" and he added "Here's hoping that all goes well", and so do we. With only one month before the show premiere every element of the show better work fine!

But what kind of effects can DLP Guests await from the Disney Dreams! show? As we know Disney Dreams! is a fountain show with projection effects on the castle and fountains, plus fire and firework effects, but also lasers and bubbles effects, with the show will culminating in a stunning finale.

Disney Dreams!, as i've told you previously tell the story of Peter Pan shadow escaping Peter Pan and travelling in the world of Disney classics. The show will pay tribute to Peter Pan, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Lady and the Tramp, Snow White, beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, ratatouille, Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre dame, Raiponce, Mary Poppins, Nemo, Lion King, Princess and the Frog, Hercules and Fantasia 2000. Well, that's what was planned originally but rumor is saying that the Nemo sequence has been deleted. If that's true then the "bubbles" effect originally include in the show effects might have been deleted too.



And what about the music, you ask? Well, written and directed by Joel McNeely, who worked on several Disney movies, the score was recorded at the mythical Abbey Studios in London and the music will play a key role in Disney Dreams! as Peter Pan, Wendy and Captain Hook will be the only one to speak in english or french during the show. Talking about the score here is more details about the themes that you will hear during Disney Dreams! as it was presented during the annual stockholder meeting early this month:

Opening: The Magic of the Second Star:
Tinker Bell - Second Star on the right
Peter and Wendy - Peter's shadow escapes - Diving into dreams

Sequence 2: The Shadow at Play:
Be our guest
Meeting Remy - Shadow set free
Friend like me

Sequence 3: Free to Dream:
Out There
Step in Time
I Wanna be like you
Magic Forest - See the light

Sequence 4 Shadow Battle:
Friends on the other side
Captain Hook captures Peter's shadow

Finale: Dreams can take us anywhere:
Peter & Wendy
You can fly - Second star

Now, talking about the second star to the right, Sleeping Beauty castle will suddenly become a starry sky during the show opening and the "second star" will light from the castle top stained glass window, the one that you can see on the pictures below.





All the fountains are now installed and the water is back in the castle moats. Giant water screens will rise on the sides of the castle and recently a tall but really ugly metallic structure that will be used to create the water screens was installed. The only problem is that you can see it almost from Main Street and there is no doubt that DLP must definitely find a way to theme this structure so it will be hidden during the day, and they probably will do it - well, let's hope so. Below a series of pictures shot by DLRP Welcome whom i thanks a lot.























I show you before pictures of the projectors installed on Main Street rooftops but more have been added including one near the Theatre du Chateau, this one being closer to the fountains.





All this will be directed from a control room located in a new little building built in front of Casey Corner, and i have an exclusive shot for you showing the inside of the control room.



During these last weeks, the works were going on even at night and a lighting system mounted on a crane was illuminating Sleeping Beauty castle.



But recently the first projection tests began and DLP even released some pictures showing the projections on the castle, like the one at the top and this other below which shows perfectly the projection from Main Street rooftops.



The show apparently will last between 17 and 19 minutes and DLP fans are indeed expecting a lot of Disney dreams! but my guess is that they shouldn't be disappointed. With Steve Davison who is a man who knows what the words "fountain show" means the result should be at the height of the fans expectations!



Let's end with this new TV Ad for the 20th Anniversary, just released.




Pictures: copyright DLRP Welcome, Disney

I remind you that the pre-order period for the DLP book is ending soon and that you still can order a collector copy with a 20% discount on the book final price. So, go ahead and place your pre-order now for a collector's edition copy while you can get this special offer on this wonderful book!! To know how to order and send your payment please go HERE. Paypal or bank wire transfer payments are welcome.