Wall-E meet the IPhone 3G - Exclusive Video

Yesterday July 11 was the day of the awaited release of the Iphone 3G. To salute this event, here is a short home made video showing you what happen when you connect your Iphone - or an IPod or any MP3 player - to the "IDance Wall-E" toy on sale in any Disney Store or at DisneyShopping.com.

All you have to do is to connect your Iphone or Ipod to Wall-E with the cable provided inside the IDance Wall-E box. Then, choose a song, play it and you will hear the music through the Wall-E inbuilt speaker. And if you push on a button on Wall-E's back, he will begin to dance, too! Have a look to the video below!

All about Disneyland Paris 2008 Halloween season !

We are still in summer, but at Disneyland Paris, they're already thinking about the upcoming Halloween season that will begin October 4 and ends November 2. Among the new things this year, the guests will be able to meet Jack the skeleton and his
friend Sally from Nightmare before Christmas at the Phantom Manor boot hill cemetery and , also, the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!

Okay, here is the program - um, sorry, i mean the full press release from DLp. Please note that the pictures on this article are from previous Halloween season - all high-res "wallpaper" pictures - and that i've used two pictures from HKD Halloween season to illustrate the coming of Jack Skellington at DLP.

Disney’s Halloween Festival at Disneyland® Resort Paris

From October 4, 2008 to November 2, 2008, guests are invited to discover the unmissable colourful Halloween season in Disneyland® Park that will be full of surprises.

During the month long celebration, Disneyland Park will offer a range of new Halloween entertainment to make the whole family scream with laughter. The spirit of Halloween is up for grabs for the delight of all, Pumpkin Men and Ladies will lead
the fest which takes place on Main Street, U.S.A., Central Plaza and Frontierland®, transformed in Halloweenland for the occasion. And for the first time Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties in Fantasyland and not forgetting the now famous Halloween Party on October 31st.



Halloween invades Main Street, U.S.A.®

Guests, entering Disneyland Park, will discover a ‘spook – tacular’ Main Street, U.S.A., covered with blotches of orange paint left behind by the Pumpkin Men and Ladies.

The Disney Villains’ Halloween Showtime presented by Minnie dressed in Halloween fashion line and surrounded by Pumpkin Men and Ladies will take place several times daily on Central Plaza, followed by a giant “Meet’N’Greet” with Disney Villains.

The Halloween Disney Characters’ Express will several times daily go back and forth on Main Street, U.S.A. with beloved Disney Characters on.

The Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade which features famous moments from the most beloved Disney stories ever, will be preceded by a special Halloween pre parade featuring the Disney Villains, Pumpkin Citizens and for the first time, Tim Burton’s
Nightmare before Christmas characters Jack Skellington and his friend Sally.



NDR: Please note that the picture above is from the HKD Halloween Parade, not DLP. It doesn't mean that there will be a float like this one in the DLP parade.

Halloweenland: the heart of this scary, good humoured celebration

Once through the gateway of Fort Comstock a walk along Halloweenland’s pathway will offer guests loads of surprises.

There will be regular shows on the Trick or Treat stage:
- Minnie & the Bat Boys will appear with live music and a host of singing classic Disney Villain songs.
- Goofy and the Magic Pot, an exhilarating and energetic show where children can learn to make pumpkin soup and dance alongside Goofy himself!



At the Phantom Manor boot hill cemetery, guests may meet Jack the skeleton and his friend Sally, from Nightmare before Christmas. NDR: Please note that the picture below is from the HKD Halloween Parade, not DLP



Children will enjoy the traditional Halloween Piñata for the chance to grab some sweet treats several times daily.



Disney’s Halloween Party in Disneyland® Park*

On the night of Halloween, Disneyland Resort Paris lets all the friendly ghosts in for a special Halloween Party from 8.30pm to 1.00am in Disneyland Park. Night owls in their most spectrrrraaaaacular costumes can enjoy family friendly and ghostly nights
filled with fun and laughter.

As always guests will be able to experience a wide variety of Halloween entertainment:
-The Disney®'s Fantillusion Parade, where the world of darkness meets the enchanted world in a fantastic twilight spectacular
- A Special Fireworks display with the fangtangulous backdrop of Sleeping Beauty Castle
- Spooktackular Stage Shows on the Trick or Treat Stage (Halloweenland) and The Disney Villains’ Halloween Showtime in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle
- A Spooky DJ Party on Main Street, U.S.A



NEW: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

This year, Disneyland Resort Paris will host 4 brand new parties at Disneyland Park during the month of October 2008 for younger guests who like to dress up and want to celebrate Halloween with Disney Characters.
The Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties welcome families for an evening in Fantasyland® dressed up as Halloween for the occasion.
Fantasyland will have a special décor giving an unusual atmosphere with exclusive night time shows, and roguish Disney Characters and Jack Sparrow, new music, and Streetmosphere and many other surprises.
Guests will sing, dance and laugh with Merlin and the four surprising witches: Minnie, Lilo, Daisy and Clarice in the castle courtyard and will enjoy the final Halloween happening at the end of the evening.
Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio’s Fantastic Journey, Le Carrousel de Lancelot, Peter Pan’s Flight, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, “it’s a small world”, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Pirates of the Carribean will be open.


The Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween parties will run from 8.00pm to 11.00pm. (Dates: October, 10 – 17 – 24 – 28, 2008) and the Parties ticket holders can benefit of entering the Park as early as 5.pm.

As the Celebration continues…big time! Children under 7 can experience for free all that’s going on during Halloween Festival. The “Kids Under 7 Stay & Play Free” package*** is for up to three children in each family, and includes a stay in a Disney Hotel (any Disney, selected & associated hotels) and entrance to both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park.

Halloween in Disney Village

From October 24 to November 5, Disney Village will offer to Halloween addicted guests a range of entertainment:
- Spooky street animations (dates: October 24 - 25 – 26 - 31 and November 1-2)
- Trick or Treat make up from October 24 to November 5
- Disney surprisingly and funny Talent casting

On the night of Halloween, guests are invited to dress up to finish their night in the Hurricanes discotheque, and to have unexpected encounters.
The horror’s dance floor will be invaded by witches, vampires and monsters of all kind.
Admission charged: 20€ - Access prohibited for minors who are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
Dress code in effect. Management reserves the right to restrict or refuse access for safety reasons.

*Disney’s Halloween Party ticket will be available at 29€ .On October 31, 2008 attendance is limited in order to ensure premium experience, we recommend to buy tickets in advance on www.disneylandparis.com. The Party ticket holders can benefit of entering the Park as early as 5.pm.
The Party can be modified, or cancelled without prior notice, notably for inclement weather.

**Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties tickets will be available at 25€ for adult and children (free for children under 3 years old). Attendance is limited for those events in order to ensure premium experience,we recommend to buy tickets in advance on www.disneylandparis.com

*** One paying adult per room booked, free for children under 7 at the moment of stay.
For more information, call 0825 30 60 30 (0,15€/mn). Proof of age(s) will be required at check-in. Transport, options and insurance can be added but are not free for children aged 3 and over.

Editor's note: The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel article below - after the Adventurers Club article - is now updated with new additional pictures of the Characters rooms. It will be updated AGAIN tomorrow with new pictures of the hotel's gardens. So, be sure to come back tomorrow!

A last goodbye to the Adventurers Club - High-Res pictures and Video

That's it, in two days, on Sept 28, the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island will close forever, with others Pleasure Island's night clubs, as we know.

Personally, i still think that it's very sad...The Adventurers Club was a wonder of Imagineering theming and it will be hard for everyone to make me believe that it was not possible to find a way to incorporate it in the future buildings/theming of Pleasure Island...

Anyway, today at D&M here is a farewell to this wonderful club with high-res pictures and a video.

Also, for my european readers who have never been inside the Adventurers Club, here is a description - coming from Wikipedia. You will see a video below of the "pupettronic" Colonel Critchlow Suchbench, but you can see many videos of the show on Youtube HERE



The Adventurers Club opened with the rest of Pleasure Island on May 1, 1989. Disney's Imagineers created a fictional legend about the island's previous owner, Merriweather Adam Pleasure, and a backstory describing each of the buildings' former uses.
It is styled after a private club for world travelers and explorers and is set in 1937. The walls of the club are covered with artifacts and photographs from various explorations. The Adventurers Club features animatronics, puppets, and a cast of adventurers who perform in shows and improvise comedy while mingling with the club's patrons. Shows and conversation are often laced with innuendo, and the patrons might be welcomed as guests, given fictitious names and "recognized" as fellow adventurers, or simply referred to as "drunks".

Resident Adventurers

Hathaway Browne - Aviator, and the club's resident innuendo-making ladies' man.
Otis T. Wren - Club Treasurer and ichthyologist.
Fletcher Hodges - Absent-minded Club Curator.
Pamelia Perkins - Club President.
Samantha Sterling - Explorer and cabaret singer.
Emil Bleehall - Contender for the Balderdash Cup. Hails from Sandusky, Ohio. The character used to be portrayed as a plaid sport coat-wearing country bumpkin, but is now depicted as a "Junior Adventurer" in a costume that is a pastiche of a Boy Scout uniform.
Graves - Club Butler.
The Maid - There are many maids who work in the Adventurers Club and participate in its activities. The only character that changes identity for which actor is playing her.
Madame Zarkov - A mysterious gypsy who makes rare appearances at the Club. This character usually replaces that of Samantha Sterling for an evening.
The adventurers can be portrayed by different actors on different nights, and most actors play more than one part. For example, it is not uncommon to see one night's Pamelia performing as the maid on the next night.

Other Characters

Colonel Critchlow Suchbench - Club Gleemeister. The colonel is a cable-controlled puppet worked from behind the scenes. He is usually "on duty" (sitting dormant), but he wakes up to lead the new inductees in the club song, and occasionally to converse with guests in the Main Salon.



Babylonia - A giant stone face on the wall in the Main Salon, the goddess of women and all things fertile, who sometimes speaks.
The Yakoose - A mounted animal head that occasionally moves and speaks, either to guests or to Babylonia.
Arnie and Claude - A pair of talking masks in the Mask Room.
Beezle - A genie whose head appears in the Treasure Room.
Fingers Zambezi - A haunted organ that provides the music for the Library shows.
Sutter Bestwick - A character always mentioned and "supposed" to appear for certain shows but never manages to show up.
Chilton Thompson - A character always mentioned and "supposed" to appear for certain shows but never manages to show up.



Rooms

The Zebra Mezzanine - The top floor of the club. The club entrance leads into the mezzanine, which forms a circular balcony around the Main Salon. The walls feature many artifacts, and a framed parchment of the Club Creed. Primarily Graves' domain, the adventurers spend limited time here except for certain rituals (e.g. an exorcism or the Rhythm Ritual).
The Main Salon - The central room of the club. The Main Salon houses the nightclub's bar, and also has a small stage from which the adventurers often speak or lead shows such as the New Member Induction Ceremony. The centerpiece of the Main Salon is a larger-than-life statue that some say is titled "Zeus Goes Fishing", but alternatively referred to as "God with Rod". It is a replica of the famous Artemision Bronze. The walls of this room are filled with even more artifacts than on the Mezzanine, and many have placards giving their history and importance to the fictional former owner of the island, Merriweather Pleasure.



The Mask Room - A small room off the Main Salon that features several shows throughout the night. The walls are covered with masks from around the world, many of which move and laugh. Two large Bacchanalian-inspired masks at the front of the room, Arnie and Claude, also talk and move their eyes.
The Treasure Room - Another small room off the Main Salon, the Treasure Room contains additional artifacts gathered by the club, and also hosts several shows throughout the night which feature the genii-head-in-a-lantern special effect.
The Library - This room is the largest in the club and hosts the larger (and mostly scripted) shows, many of which are musical in nature. This room also includes a second bar, and is the home of Fingers Zambezi.



Shows

The Adventurers Club offers many shows throughout the night. Several adventurers host small shows in the Mask Room and Treasure Room. The schedule is not fixed, but there are plaques next to each room to show the schedule for that particular evening. The shows mostly follow a script and order of songs and jokes although often guests will be invited to participate and the performers might make running jokes about some guests behavior, dress or place of origin. Shows offered in other rooms include:
Welcome Party - Samantha Sterling and Fletcher Hodges throw a welcome party to get the open house off to a good start.
Radio Broadcast - Otis and Pamelia lead a version of their weekly old-style radio broadcast, "Tales of the Adventurers Club," in which half of the cast is missing and must be replaced by audience members (can't do a half cast show). The broadcast is a serial radio show, akin to those of "The Shadow" or "Little Orphan Annie".
The Balderdash Cup Competition - The Library show that reveals the winner of the coveted Balderdash Cup. The Adventurer of the Year does, that's who.
The RadioThon- The club uses its radio broadcasting ability to attempt to raise $2000 and save the club from losing its lease, finding some trouble along the way. A kind of variety show.
The New Member Induction Ceremony - This ceremony takes place in the Main Salon. Each night you arrive at the Adventurers Club happens to be the night of their membership drive. The ceremony is performed 3 times throughout the night, hosted by different characters each time.
The Club Salute - This is where new adventurers learn the true meaning of the club's greeting, "Kungaloosh!", and the secret salute to accompany it.
The Club Creed - A recitation of the Official Creed.
The Club Song - The Colonel is awakened to teach the crowd the club's anthem, though he usually misunderstands which song is expected of him at first.
Samantha's Cabaret - A Library show featuring Samantha Sterling performing musical numbers.
The Maid's Sing-Along - Another Library show led by the Maid, in which the Maid performs a selection of songs and banters with the audience.
The Rhythm Ritual - A show centered in the Main Salon that leads into the Hoopla. The Ritual usually features all the adventurers looking down from the balconies of the mezzanine as they take turns performing humorous solos on percussive instruments. The ritual usually builds to a crescendo as they come downstairs into the Main Salon, all playing their instruments together. Then the Colonel responds to the sound by coming off duty and shouting out rhythmic but often nonsensical phrases for the patrons to repeat, finalizing in the announcement of the Hoopla.
The Hoopla - The Adventurers Club evening finale. At the end of the Rhythm Ritual, the Library doors open and the guests are seated. The Hoopla is hosted by Samantha Sterling, and always begins with a sing-along of "The Happy Wanderer". There are usually two or three other numbers performed by other adventurers, then the show is always concluded with Samantha leading everyone in "When the Saints Go Marching In", with each remaining adventurer creating a verse. The actors either invent a new verse on the spur of the moment or reuse one they've previously found to be effective.

Photos: copyright Disney

Youtube video: thanks to markbundles2

Adventurers Club description text from Wikipedia

Exclusive - Tokyo Disneyland Hotel Grand Opening - High-Res Pictures and Videos - UPDATED with new additional pictures

Important note: This article has been updated today July 10 with new pictures of the "characters" rooms. You will find below pictures of the Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Snow White and the seven Dwarfs Rooms! It will be updated AGAIN tomorrow with new pictures of the hotel's gardens.



The new and stunning Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is opening today July 8, and i succeed to get some gorgeous official pictures. All of them are here in high-res!

As you will see this new TDL Hotel - 705 rooms on 89,000 m² - is a masterpiece of unimaginable grandeur. It's Disney and Walt Disney Imagineering at their best, a delight of luxury.

Here below and above, two pictures of the exterior - entrance and courtyard.



Three pictures now of the fantastic Atrium lobby, one of the most spectacular ever created by Disney! Stepping through the hotel’s main entrance on the third floor, Guests will find themselves in this grand and spacious lobby with an atrium soaring about 30 meters overhead.





Two pictures of a Tokyo Disneyland Hotel room - the same, with two different colours...Tokyo Disneyland Hotel has two kind of rooms: The Standard Rooms: These rooms provide a comfortable stay for families and groups. All of these rooms are on the side facing Tokyo Disneyland Park. Price: from 31000 Yen per night ( $288 )



And the Character Rooms: These rooms feature designs of characters appearing in the Disney classic films Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella. Guests can immerse themselves in the world of Disney in one of these 138 Character Rooms. All of these rooms are located above the hotel’s Main Entrance. Price: from 36000 Yen per night ( $335 ). Click HERE to see all room prices for the TDL Hotel.

Below, a picture of the Peter Pan room.



Here is the Alice in Wonderland room



This one show the Cinderella room



And here is the salon of the Snow White and the seven Dwarfs room



It seems that the main differences for each room is in the change of colours, the paintings on the wall and this - see below - between the beds, here the one in the Peter Pan room.



The hotel offers also 65 Concierge Rooms and Suites. Guests staying in these rooms can check-in (includes welcome drinks) and checkout in comfort at the exclusive Marceline Salon, and enjoy complimentary continental breakfast at the Dreamers Lounge. Most of these rooms are on the side facing Tokyo Disneyland Park.
Here is a picture of the gorgeous Walt Disney Suite. Located on the 9th floor, or the uppermost floor, this is the premier suite at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. Named after Walt Disney, this lavishly furnished 235 sq/m suite has a living room, dining room, separate shower booth, air jet bath and other amenities to ensure a magical and unforgettable stay at the hotel. Price: 500.000 Yen per night ( $4650 )



Two pictures of two different restaurants of the Tokyo Disneyland hotel - the Sherwood Garden Restaurant facing the formal Victorian garden, and the Canna Restaurant for an exceptional and stylish dining experience.




The Cinderella Dream Grand Ball Room - This Victorian-style large banquet room is available for parties, gathering, seminars and other events.



The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel have four gardens :

Mickey & Friends Square: The atmosphere of the World Bazaar is continued in this garden, with Disney character topiaries giving a heart-warming welcome to the hotel
- see picture of TDLH courtyard above - second from the top.

The Sherwood Garden : This Victorian-style garden of exquisite design has a pond and gazebo for a moment of relaxation.




Fantasia Court is located on the exterior 3rd floor. This fantasy-filled area features Mickey as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and the water-carrying brooms from the Disney film Fantasia.




Alice’s Garden - also on the 3rd floor - is themed to the Disney class film Alice in Wonderland.



And it's also in one of the gardens that you can find the beautifully themed Misty Mountains Pool. Themed to the Disney classic film Peter Pan, this outdoor pool even have a Skull Rock and a fountain featuring the tick-tocking crocodile from the film.



The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel also have three shops:

Above, the picture of the Looking Glass Gifts shop - A wide variety of hotel gifts and daily-use items can be found here.

Disney Mercantile is more a "Disney" shop - This shop offers Tokyo Disney Resort merchandise.



Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a beauty salon for young girls. Shimmering dresses, elegantly coiffed hair, lovely makeup… Every girl’s dream of becoming a “Disney Princess” comes true at this magical salon.





The Hotel also have a photo studio: Magic Memories Photo, a complete studio for one-of-a-kind photo portraits.


Nothing is better than a video to have a better look, so here it is!



And here is a video of the inauguration...



All photos: copyright Tokyo Disneyland Resort

Videos from mainichi.co.jp

Disneyland Mark VII Monorail at last began to run - Videos

We all know the technical problems that happened to the new Mark VII Monorail, but the good news is that the long-awaited train began to run with passengers - only 15 guests per car - last thursday.

No video yet available of the inside, but here are two videos, the first one with the train running over the of the Tomorrowland lagoon, and the next one showing train entering the Disneyland Hotel station, with some shots showing a bit of the inside...





And, for the fun, this one - well done, by the way !



Interesting article, too, on the L.A Times HERE

Youtube video: copyright - and thanks too! - OBLines, ReadyTooGo and : STNautilus

Rendering: copyright Disney

Pre-order your "Ultimate Wall-E" robot on Disney Shopping now !

It is now possible to pre-order on Disneyshopping.com the awaited 18" high "Ultimate Wall-E" robot. However, the price on Disney Shopping is $250 instead than $189 as it was announced previously by the manufacturer.



Features include:

* With the original voice from the hit movie, WALL•E can chat with you. He can also dance, play music from your MP3 player (cable included), follow you around, or explore on his own. His programmable infrared remote control lets you create more than 1000 action sequence combinations!
* His eyes light up and blink with the expressions you loved in the film
* Designed with advanced technology, Ultimate WALL•E has audio, motion and obstacle sensors
* WALL•E will turn his head towards a sound and respond thanks to 4 audio sensors that give him 360-degree sound detection.
* 4 motion sensors, 3 in the front and 1 in the back, allow WALL•E to detect motion and trigger his curiosity
* Obstacle sensors enable WALL•E to detect obstacles in his path to avoid collisions
* WALL•E's arms move up and down, hands grip and rotate 360 degrees and his body tilts forward and backward plus he has real working treads
* Play modes include Follow-U mode, Explore mode, Dance mode, MP3 Music mode and Program mode plus he has an interactive Talk Back feature
* Innovative remote control allows WALL•E to be played with using Touch Pad control, dual joy sticks or any of the 16 function buttons for voice, lights, sound effects, music, expressions, special programs and more!

Include in the box:

* Ultimate WALL•E
* Infrared remote control
* MP3 Backpack and connection cable
* 7.2V rechargeable battery pack and charger
* Instruction guide

Size: 18'' H x 15 1/2'' W x 13'' D

Finally, i remember you that Disney Shopping takes only pre-order - the item is supposed to be ship not before mid-october!