Saturday, April 26, 2014

Tokyo Disneyland Release "Once Upon a Time" TDL Castle Projection Show Behind The Scenes Video


Tokyo Disneyland opened a web page as well as released a short video about TDL new castle projection show "Once Upon a Time".  WDI wizard Steve Davison - who create Fantasmic!, World of Color and Disney Dreams is currently at Tokyo to work on the show which will debut May 29, and Once Upon a Time will have a brand new storyline.


The video also shows WDI Imagineers creating the visuals for the projection on TDL castle.





After a Prologue, the show will have three main parts and an epilogue. The story of the first part will be around Alice in Wonderland...


TDL guests will see the world of Alice projected on TDL castle...


...which will then suddenly transforming itself in a castle of cards.


The second and third parts stories will be around Peter Pan and Cinderella.


Although the video didn't show the Peter Pan sequences ( i'm curious to see if they will use at TDL some of DLP Disney Dreams! Peter Pan sequences of if they will create brand new ones... ) it shows plenty of scenes for the Cinderella sequences. During which the little mouses and birds from Cinderella will create a new "outfit" for the castle...




We then can see Cinderella and her Prince dancing at the entrance of the castle while this one transforms in a magical waterfall...



The show will then have an epilogue on which TDL keep the surprise...


Go ahead, watch the TDL video below as there is more to see in it! As for the Once Upon a Time web page do the jump right HERE.






Don't know yet Disney News Central? What are you waiting for, click below!



Picture and video: copyright Disney - Oriental Land

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Are DLP Imagineers Preparing a Soarin' Ride for Adventureland with a 1940's "Indy" Theming ?



Here is something interesting bringing more infos about the Soarin' ride envisioned for Disneyland Paris Adventureland, as you've learned yesterday from my article about the report posted by Geoffrey on his Facebook page. When i read this, i had some doubts that it was a real good idea to put a Soarin' ride at DLP Adventureland but Geoffrey posted yesterday a comment to my article which gives more infos about the theming and / or storyline that WDI seems to envision for this ride. You may have read his comment at the end of yesterday's article HERE but i repost it below.

"From what we have heard, the Soarin' ride will be themed with some ties with Indiana Jones (the planes travels scenes) and will have a very 40's spirit in it. And from what I understood, the opening and ending scenes would be different from the US version of the "Soaring over Horizon" movie to better tie with this style, while the rest might be the same : flights over old historical places. Finally, one important thing about the location: we said ( ndr: in the report ) it could be built behind the Indy Temple, but there are other places available than the one they kept for Indiana Jones Adventure. One that could be far better to hide the huge show building, and I'm sure you know guess where..."

So, what d'you think, folks, do you think a Soarin' ride could find its place at DLP Adventureland with this kind of Indy story line? Which will explain by the way why they will put it also at Shanghaî Disneyland Adventure Isle... Personally i'm still not totally convinced - not by this kind of "Indy" storyline, i think it will work fine - but mainly because of the huge "machinery" of Soarin'. I'm talking about what you can see on the picture below, coming from The Theme Park Guy.


I mean, with the best "Adventureland" storyline in the world there is no way they can theme this huge machinery ( or i don't know how we can call it ). You'll tell me, people will not care as they'll look at the movie. Sure, but you'll admit that it would better fit eventually in Discoveryland than in Adventureland. The 1940's "plane" storyline will help for sure, but i still think - wrong or right - that the transition between an exotic world outside and the inside machinery of Soarin' might be a bit hard to swallow... Now, don't get me wrong, i'm sure DLP  or SDL Imagineers are aware of this and will do their best to create a great theming inside, but i still need to see it to believe it can "work"...

As for the ride location, if they can build the Soarin' show building backstage, on the other side of the railway track, and keep intact the land that they've kept so far to build Indiana Jones Adventure that would be perfect... who knows, may be someone some day at DLP will finally have an epiphany and realize that bringing IJA at DLP Adventureland would be a great idea.

Pictures: copyright Alain Littaye : The Theme Park Guy

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

DLP Fans Report Unveil in Details Plans for DLP Future


Geoffrey Von Ruffenach, a Disneyland Paris fan, has posted on Sunday an incredibly detailed report about DLP future. This report is coming out of a long investigation during several months and he got the infos from different sources. It includes plenty of good news about DLP future and, as i received many emails asking me what i think about it, i will tell you in a few seconds my feeling about this long report which is available in french in a PDF file on their Facebook page HERE and in english with a pretty good translation and summary HERE.

But first, what is he saying in this long report? I post below a summary of it and you can read a longer version in english HERE or in french HERE

Probably the most important thing from the report is the fact that the WDC, and Tom Staggs in particular, would have agreed that there was no other way to resolve the DLP problem than to offer to DLP a big financial plan ( "offer" is not really the right word here as the WDC will probably do a new kind of loan to DLP ), something that should have been done since a long time if Disney didn't had to resolved first the placemaking of Disney's California Adventure and the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland. Now that it's done the last theme park problem - and the last big mistake from the Eisner era - are the Walt Disney Studios. According to their report an announcement of this big plan should be done in the coming weeks or months.

In terms of attractions, now, what are the plans? At the Disneyland park Space Mountain should be closed for six months early 2015 and get new trains, as well as new show elements and effects. The storyline might return to the original one "From the Earth to the Moon" and, if confirmed, this will be indeed a very good news ( let's hope they'll also put back the original music score ). 

From the mid 2015 to 2016 Star Tours should be - finally! - upgraded to Star Tours 3D : the Adventure Continues. Note that this won't mean a Star Wars Land will be built at the same time as it is scheduled for later.

Big Thunder Mountain will have a long refurbishment between early 2016 to early 2017 which will include the addition of one more wagon per train to increase the ride capacity. Rumors too about an interactive queue that could be installed, like they did at WDW MK. Hope, if they do it,  that they won't destroy Pat Burke wonderful queue theming...

Others rumors are saying that Frontierland Rivers of the far West could be drained which could allow the geysers effect to be back as it was on DLP opening day. From what i know they don't really need to empty the rivers to resolve the geysers effect, but let's say they need it...

The financial plan from the Walt Disney Company will serve, first, for a major placemaking at the WDS with a re-themed Backlot which will have a new theme and new storyline around Marvel Super Heroes. Nothing new so far as i told you about this since a long time. But what i didn't told you is what they add in their report, i.e new facades in the area will make it look like Times Square. The Rock & Rollercoaster's facade will also be rethemed to look like the Daily Bugle and riders will soar amongst NY skyscrapers with Spiderman in this re-themed ride. The coaster track should remain exactly the same so we're talking here only about a re-theming of the ride. The Moteurs, Action stunt show will also receive a new theme around the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and the Armageddon attraction nearby should be rethemed to the Fantastic Four. 

Why the Fantastic Four? First, a new FF reboot movie will be coming soon and, two, because if you remember it well in the Fantastic Four origins everything start when they're in space going through a storm of cosmic rays which provoke their mutation. So, may be they're thinking to keep the Space Station decor but with a totally different theme and storyline, as well as new effects. So far, this Backlot re-theming may look like good news - and it's not bad ones, i agree - but it will bring only a retheming and not really brand new attractions so don't get too excited about that part.

However, a new attraction should come to Toy Story Playland and it's the long rumored Toy Story Mania. I have to say that i'm not very enthusiastic about that, as even if TSM is pretty popular with DCA, DHS and TDS guests i think that it would have been better to use the budget for it for another ride. Anyway, i'm not the one choosing the rides for the WDS so let' go for Toy Story Mania.

Always thanks to the WDC financial plan the WDS Front Lot and Studio 1 will be reimagined to create a better immersive experience, closer to what were the Disney Studios in the 1930's. Placemaking is awaited too on Hollywood Blvd, la Place des Stars and Animation Courtyard to make them more immersive.

All of this above was for what should come between 2015 and 2017. Their report also detailed what is envisioned for after 2017 but this is less certain due to changes that time and reality often bring.

In two words: A Halloween and Christmas season might be introduced in the WDS and a former "California Dream" festival might do its come back. 

Star Wars Land should finally come in the back of DLP Discoveryland ( no date specified ) 

A new 2000 seats theater might be build on the right of It's a Small World to allow shows all year long ( i think they should keep the money and the land to build something more interesting, if you ask me )

Soarin' which was originally envisioned to be built at WDS between Ciné Magique and Stitch Live could come at DLP Adventureland in its Shanghaî Disneyland "Soaring over the Horizon" version and its location would be between the Indy temple and POTC.  This might look like a good news but it's also a bad one as the land on which they intend to built it is the one that was kept to build Indiana Jones Adventure. It means that IJA will never be built at DLP, and this is probably the biggest mistake that DLP can do. We know they are reluctant to build it because of the attraction cost and the maintenance cost but, still, it's a mistake. And when i hear like i did recently that the cost of Toy Story mania could be up to $200M because apparently they would like to double the track for a bigger ride capacity, i can't stop thinking that these $200M would be better used by building Indiana Jones Adventure at DLP instead than TSM at the WDS. 

Anyway... always in Adventureland the Jack Sparrow Audio-Animatronics might be installed finally in POTC... not sure if it wouldn't be a better idea to keep the original version...

At the WDS, and always after 2017, a big E-Ticket ride themed on the Avengers should be introduced and rumor is saying that it could use the same technology than the one Universal used for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which in the case of an Avengers ride could be indeed an excellent idea. 

A new hotel integrated to the WDS park - like the one at DCA or at TDS - is also envisioned.

Hollywood Blvd might become a real street leading to a hub and have its own Tramway with shows and restaurants, too.

And, last but not least, an Avatar Land might be built at the WDS and would be the final part of the WDS enhancements, i.e don't expect it for tomorrow. 

In terms of entertainment, now, the Disneyland Park will host 4 distinct seasons each year and you can read more about this in english HERE or in french in the PDF HERE as well as very interesting things about the multi years refurbishment plan for the hotels, which is still going on, and what they intend to do in the Disney Village. 

Now, what do i think about all this? I think it's all true, i think he didn't invented anything and i think the report is reliable and that he did a real good job of investigation. And i know he didn't invented anything mainly because i knew by different sources almost all of what they're saying in this report ( apart the Soarin' over the Horizon at Adventureland which was the only thing i didn't know ). So, yes, it's good news and DLP fans can be happy, especially for what is announced in the report between now and 2017. But anything after 2017 must be taken with caution as it's more "blue sky" projects than anything "dead sure". It doesn't mean that what he says in the report will not happen as some of the "after 2017" plans will very probably happen - like the Avengers ride, for instance - it just mean that what this report is saying is a view of what DLP has in mind at the time Geoffrey has written it, in this case April 2014. So don't come to blame him in some years if what he's said don't happen because it won't be his fault. Again, he's just reporting what he's been told, and what he's been told are the current DLP - or WDC - plans at the time we're talking. 

Picture: copyright Max Fan - DLP Welcome

Monday, April 21, 2014

It's Disney and more 7th Anniversary !


Guess what, it's Disney and more 7th Anniversary this week! I can't believe that it's been 7 years since i started D&M... I enjoyed a lot doing it as well as creating new sites like D&M Artwork, Star Tours, the Innoventions Blog, the Tom Scherman site, the D&M Facebook page, and more recently Disney News Central. I know that for a lot of you these 7 years of Disney and more have been a lot of enjoyment too and i want to thank you again for your support to Disney and more.

Doing new updates each day is always a lot of work, more than one can think when you read it mainly because it's not just putting text and images together, you also have to do it with "spirit". As for the future i'm currently working on great projects which are very exciting and if i succeed to make them a reality you will love them, really! More about this as soon as possible.

Also, although i rarely ask, today being a special day you're more than welcome if you wish to do a kind donation to Disney and more for its 7th birthday. Those of you who have a Paypal account can do it easily through the Paypal donation button below and whatever will be the amount of your donation i thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Thanks again to have been so faithful to Disney and more during these seven years, and see you very soon for a new great update!

Great Short Animated " Bat.tutty.ry " by François Heysen


I've got a new nice short animated for you - very short, less than 1.30 min! Directed by François Heysen, it tells the story of a robot, apparently lost in a kind of desert who is running out of battery and will try to recharge it on a much bigger robot.
Until... ...well, you'll see! The whole thing reminds me a lot - whether it's the colors or the theme - and the location - in a desert - the universe of genius artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud. Those of you who know Moebius will understand why.




Picture and video: copyright François Heysen