The French Bolt Premiere - the movie and main character is called "Volt" here - was tonight saturday 17th at Disneyland Paris Disney Village Gaumont Theater, and D&M have for you the pics of this memorable evening!
On the picture below, from the left: The two Directors Byron Howard and Chris Williams, John Lasseter, Mark Walton, Rhino's voice in the original version and Clark Spencer, Producer.
Below, another picture of John Lasseter with the Bolt and Penny characters.
Richard Anconina (right) and Gilles Lelouche (left), the two french actors doing Bolt and Rhino's voices in the french version.
All the crew again, with the french actors who did the characters voices on the french version of "Bolt".
The week-end update of this week is all about Hong Kong Disneyland! The beginning of Chinese new year - one of Asia's most important event - will be next month, but Hong Kong Disneyland already launched the celebration with a colorful parade and new entertainment. Here is the HKDL official press release , great wallpaper pictures as well as a video of the Year of the Ox new parade.
Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox All-new Lucky Offerings for the New Year Season
"Chinese New Year arrived early today as Hong Kong Disneyland launched Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox, bringing an exciting and luck-filled fête to Guests and Hong Kong Residents.
Centered around the core themes of Luck, Energy and Unity, the Resort’s celebration will run from January 16 to February 8, 2009, 10 days before Chinese New Year arrives. Guests will have plenty of time to immerse themselves, their families and loved ones in the joyous atmosphere and collect unlimited blessings through the numerous all-new offerings available at the Park and two Disney themed hotels.
“According to Chinese tradition, it is very important to begin the year with luck and happiness and Hong Kong Disneyland will be the best place to visit during Chinese New Year, as the Resort is filled with even more laughter and joy this Spring season,” said Maple Lee, Vice President, Marketing of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
“To welcome the auspicious Year of the Ox, the Resort has combined Chinese traditions with the creativity, imagination and innovation of Disney, to create a captivating celebration. Guests of all ages will find themselves surrounded by abundant blessings for Happiness, Prosperity, Longevity and other aspects of luck.”
Hong Kong Disneyland spokesperson Jacky Cheung helped prepare for the exciting launch of Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox as well. Jacky filmed an all-new Chinese New Year music video and also stars in a promotional video that will be broadcast on Youtube, the Resort’s official website and on video walls around Hong Kong. What’s more, Jacky along with the main characters from Walt Disney Pictures’ “BOLT” will appear in the Park on January 19, 2009 to help promote the event and bring some festive fun to Guests.
Featuring all-new entertainment offerings, attractions, merchandise, food and beverages, these are the fortune-filled times that Guests can expect during Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox.
LUCK
Auspiciousness is an integral part of Chinese New Year and the Resort will surround Guests in luck throughout the festive season. Filled with Disney-themed and Mickey-shaped flora, the Lucky Trail will be an immersive stroll through the Park to gather Happiness, Love/Romance, Prosperity, Achievement, Wealth, Family/Harmony, Longevity and Study. These flower and plant-filled photo moments are set to help bring about a great start to the year; among the eight sculptures, the tallest will almost reach 12 feet, so Guests should be ready to take some amazing photos. The star of Hong Kong Disneyland, Mickey Mouse, will be decked out in an all-new outfit to welcome Guests at Mickey’s House. Richly decorated, Guests will be surrounded by New Year cheer while snapping that special photo with him. For lucky mementos, Guests can also visit Animation Academy to test their artistic skills by drawing New Year versions of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the Little Green Man.
Guests who visit the Park during Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox will also receive a Lai See (red packet) with a Mickey-themed chocolate gold coin for luck.
ENERGY
Energy will fill Hong Kong Disneyland as Mickey Mouse rolls up his sleeves and beats out a fantastic drum routine, three times a day, with a myriad of Chinese drummers during Celebration in the Street. A glittering golden dragon will glide along Main Street U.S.A., followed closely by a host of splendidly dressed dancers, ready to raise spirits. Minnie Mouse and Goofy will also participate in the festive fun with dazzling performances of their own, to help start the New Year in grand style.
The rest of the Park will also be filled with live entertainment during Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox; with Lion Dance performances in Adventureland, as well as a Chinese Drum Dance on Main Street U.S.A., Guests should prepare for an immersive and luck-filled atmosphere.
What’s more, beloved Disney Characters will be dressed in their Chinese New Year costumes to celebrate. Of course, the Gods of Fortune, Prosperity, Happiness and Longevity will all be in the Park to greet Guests. Making special appearances during the Resort’s festivities will be Bolt and his best pal Mittens from Walt Disney Pictures’ “BOLT”. This will be an exclusive opportunity for Guests to snap some charming photos.
UNITY
Chinese New Year is all about unity and during the Resort’s celebration, Guests will be able to whirl and twirl their way to happiness through ‘unity rides’. With the circle representing unity, attractions such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Orbitron will maximize luck. Guests should be sure to collect the special stickers at nearby locations.
With the arrival of the Year of the Ox, the Resort will present over 70 all-new merchandise items to help Guests commemorate Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox. With plenty of gift ideas, as well as 300 Cute Mickey and Minnie in the Year of the Ox Limited Edition Pin Sets available beginning January 16, 2009, finding that perfect present or keepsake will be a pleasure. Guests will also be able to indulge their palates as the Resort presents 80 scrumptious dishes in the Park and at the two Disney themed hotels. From delectable buffets to tasty snacks such as turnip cakes, this will be the perfect opportunity for family, friends and couples to spend some quality time together.
The two Disney themed hotels will also be offering Chinese New Year activities; the moment Guests enter the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, they will be surrounded by the exciting New Year spirit, lucky flowers and decorations.
To ensure that Guests have a magical time during Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox, January 26 to 31, 2009 and February 1, 2009 have been designated as Special Days. Guests must purchase Special Day tickets to enter the Park on these days.
Tickets for Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox can be purchased through the following convenient channels: the ticket booths at the Main Entrance of the Hong Kong Disneyland park, the front desks of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, online at www.hongkongdisneyland.com, the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express at MTR Hong Kong Station, at selected travel agents and Circle K outlets and at The Magic of Hong Kong Disneyland Store at the Hong Kong International Airport.
In order to further celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Ox with Hong Kong Residents, the Resort’s festivities will go beyond the Park and two Disney themed hotels. From now until February 15, 2009, the Resort will fill MegaBox with a myriad of large scale Disney-themed decorations. Mall guests will not only be able to purchase tickets for Mickey Celebrates the Year of the Ox, there will also be festive activities and special promotions to spread some luck and joy."
Here is the video of the "Year of the Ox" parade, filmed by billionwins
Right after this chinese new year celebration will begin the "Celebration of Love," the Resort's first-ever Valentine's Event which will run from February 7 to 15, 2009. Here is the press release for this other special event.
"Hong Kong Disneyland is set to bring romance to an all-new level, as it presents the Celebration of Love, a week long event that will fulfill Valentine’s wishes like never before.
From February 7 to 15, 2009, the Resort will be filled with an ultra romantic atmosphere, making it the best location to celebrate the true meaning of love. With charming and immersive entertainment offerings, attractions and decorations, Guests of all ages will be able to create their very own fairytale love story or express their affection for loved ones.
A dreamy ambience will fill the Park, as Main Street U.S.A. and the Sleeping Beauty Castle Forecourt are delightfully decorated with colorful ornaments and lanterns. To add to the Valentine’s fun, each lantern at the Park hub will feature intricate yet whimsical riddles that are sure to create some fantastic times, as Guests and their loved ones try to solve them. Almost 12-feet tall, a heart-shaped Peach Blossom sculpture will decorate the Sleeping Beauty Castle Forecourt, making it the best photo location for couples. In order to attain good fortune and romantic luck, Guests can fill out wish-cards and hang them around the sculpture.
Classic Disney couples will also be sharing their romantic spirit as they appear in the Park to create some truly enchanting moments. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Philip, as well as Snow White and Snow Prince will help Guests create some everlasting memories.
During the season of love at Hong Kong Disneyland, Guests will be able to easily create a special itinerary to woo their beloved. Guests can embark on an immersive boat ride at “it’s a small world” and explore a multitude of cultures from around the world; this can be followed by a romantic session on top of Tarzan’s Treehouse in Adventureland, watching the sunset; and finally, Guests can indulge in a world of imagination and dazzling music during the Disney in the Stars fireworks spectacular.
Of course, exclusive Hong Kong Disneyland limited edition Valentine-themed merchandise will be available throughout the period. From pink and fuzzy heart-shaped cushions to consumables as well as pins and key chains, finding a gift for that special someone will be a pleasure.
Romantic meals that will warm the heart, comprising buffets, set menus, scrumptious desserts and exquisite Valentine’s cookies and cakes are not far off; and Guests will be able to indulge their appetites at the Park or at the two Disney themed hotels, after a day of fun.
Relaxing spa packages will also be available at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel to complete any Valentine’s celebration. With luxurious offers such as the Victorian Wrapture priced at HK$1,980 per Guest that comes with a complimentary Valentine Gift Set worth HK$490, this will be the perfect way for Guests to declare their love."
Legendary LIFE Magazine did several photographic report at Disneyland in the 1950's, and today we will have a look at the colour pictures. All pictures are coming from the great LIFE archives now available for all on the on line LIFE web site. Click on each to see them in big size.
Above and below, two pictures of the castle shoot by Allan Grant on opening day, July 1955. We know the famous picture of kids running out of the castle - although the one above is a different one - but what is interesting is the picture below with the kids going back inside the castle!
A picture of Main Street Station with the flowers forming design of Mickey Mouse's face, also in 1955.
Another picture by Allan Grant on opening day with children inside the Mad Hatter tea cups.
The two next pictures are beautiful shots of Mine train through Nature's wonderland. Pictures by Ralph Crane.
LIFE photographer Ralph Crane was also there when the Matterhorn opened. And these pictures are particularly interesting, not only because the were shoot from the top , but because in the background you can see Fantasyland attractions. Generally, with the pictures of the Matterhorn shoot from the top you see Tomorrowland with the Submarine Lagoon, etc...but not this time! Note: the first picture below was reversed - you could see it when you looked at the Alice in Wonderland ride who was on the right side instead to be on the left. The picture is now turned the right way!
Let's end with this other Ralph Crane picture of the Disneyland fireworks over the castle, beautiful shot like all the others!
"Bad news from the stars" was the title of a 1980's LP album by genius french song writer Serge Gainsbourg, but it's a good title for this article as some days the news are not that good.
Yesterday, Apple C.E.O Steve Jobs announced that he "decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June" because his "health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought...". Tim Cook, Apple C.O.O will, from now, take care of the day-to-day operations.
Frankly, i have a bad feeling about Steve's health. I do hope that he will recover soon and be really back next summer because not only Apple needs his visionary talent to create great products, but Disney too, and here is why.
First, we have to thank him for all the great Mac products, computers of course, not only beautifully designed - thanks to the great designer Jonathan Ives - but also working with the best reliable OS. Then there is all these tech revolutions that happened thanks to Apple - the IPod, the amazing IPhone, etc... But all Disney fans must not forget what Steve brought to the Disney world.
Think one minute: without Steve's clear vision of the future and his trust in digital animation, there would have been no Pixar Animation Studios. Now, remember how was going the WDC at the end of Eisner's era? Not very well, right? And at this time they did make a lot of money thanks to the distribution and merchandise products of Pixar movies! Can you imagine what would have happened to the WDC without them? Thanks god, the company have now Bob Iger, a C.E.O who understood that a right vision was more important than ego, and we know all the good decisions that he took since then. And Steve is part of the WDC administrators board.
But let's come back to Pixar. Thanks to Pixar existence, we had all these beautiful animated films created by the extremely talented Pixar artists leaded by John Lasseter. And now, John's vision for the Disney theme parks attraction developments is the best thing that happened for Disney fans since a looong time.
So, you see, without Steve Jobs first vision 23 years ago when he bought Pixar to Lucasfilm Computer Division, all the present - and the future - of the WDC would have been very different. That's why we all have to thanks Steve, and send him our best wishes for his recovery.
There is also another bad news today with the death of famous TV Irish American actor Patrick McGoohan. Two-time Emmy award winner, he is best known for the cult tv series "The Prisoner" - only 17 episodes, but always one of the best tv series ever produced. As we know, the main character spends the entire series trying to escape from The Village and to learn the identity of his nemesis, Number One. when it was released the Prisoner was a completely new, cerebral kind of series, stretching the limits of the established television formulas. Its influence has been echoed in Lost, Babylon 5, Nowhere Man, I-man, The Truman Show, The Simpsons, Reboot, even American Idol teaser ads.
McGoohan also worked for Disney on The Three Lives of Thomasina and The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh movies. He was one of several actors considered for the role of James Bond in Dr.No, but he turned down the role as well as the one of Simon Templar for The Saint!
In an 1977 interview, McGoohan said:
“I think progress is the biggest enemy on earth, apart from oneself… I think we’re gonna take good care of this planet shortly… there’s never been a weapon created yet on the face of the Earth that hadn’t been used…
…We’re run by the Pentagon, we’re run by Madison Avenue, we’re run by television, and as long as we accept those things and don’t revolt we’ll have to go along with the stream to the eventual avalanche… As long as we go out and buy stuff, we’re at their mercy. We’re at the mercy of the advertiser and of course there are certain things that we need, but a lot of the stuff that is bought is not needed…
…We all live in a little Village… Your village may be different from other people’s villages but we are all prisoners.”
Patrick McGoohan died at Santa Monica at 81 years old and i send my best thoughts to his friends and family.
Here is the artwork topic of this week, and it's a special Disneyland's Tomorrowland artwork. The renderings below were done by great WDI artists such as Herb Ryman, John Hench, Dale Hennesy and more. As usual don't forget to click on each image to enjoy them in big size!
Walt Disney was fascinated by the future. Tomorrowland is an optimistic salute to "what's in store", a world where "tomorrow is just a dream away". Below, a 1954 Herb Ryman concept drawing with a painting by Collin Campbell of Tomorrowland Entrance.
This 1953 concept for Tomorrowland by Dale Hennesy included a monorail, an attraction which, as we know, did not become a part of Disneyland until the technology became available at the end of the 50's.
Another concept for Tomorrowland entrance - probably by Herb Ryman. The waterfalls evolved into pylons as designers searched for ways to create a visual language of the future. Note the boat which looks like a Jungle Cruise boat...
Next is a great watercolor of a Space Mountain early concept by John Hench, 1965. Detail from this painting at the top.
Always in 1965, John Hench proposed a futuristic adventure called "Saturn" that catapulted guests through the rings of Saturn to a space station.
Let's end with this great painting of Space Mountain at night by John Hench, a real master.
Talking about John Hench, i'd like to let you know that his great book "Designing Disney" is now available in soft cover, now at a very affordable price - only $13.57 ! This 160 pages book is fantastic, each page with plenty of John Hench's paintings, and you can order it if you wish through the Disney and more Amazon store HERE
Editor's Note: I would like to let you know about some changes and new widgets i added on D&M: First, the image header have changed, as you've probably already noticed. Perfect picture for the Winter season! Two, the "Recent Articles" list on the right is now a widget which include not only links to recent articles, but also shows a little image for each article. You can also get the widget for yourself or your blog by clicking on "Get Widget" at the bottom. Also new, the "Walt Disney quote of the day" at the top of the right column. Each day a new quote from Walt! Please note that i am not the one choosing the quote, it's done automatically every day by the widget's creator. We'll see if it works! Another widget "Disney Theme Parks Time" will give you the right time in the Magic Kingdoms located in California, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Finally, i put back the D&M RSS Feeds for those of you who complain it didn't worked anymore. Now you can have your D&M alert again when i post a new article! Let me know if you like these new little additions to the site!
A new book, this time dedicated to Pixar short films will be released on January 21st by Chronicle Books! The title is "The Art of Pixar Short Films", the book has 160 pages, the author is Amid Amidi and there will be a foreword by - guess who? - John Lasseter.
In "The Art of Pixar Short Films" animation expert and short film devotee Amid Amidi shines a spotlight on these short animated with many more memorable vignettes from the Pixar archive. Essays and interviews illuminate more than 250 full-color pastels pencil sketches storyboards and final rendered frames that were the foundation of Pixar's creative process.
The book, as i've said, will be released soon, and the good news is that you can already order it on the Disney and more Amazon Store at special price - $26.40 instead of $40 - you'll find it HERE
This winter in France is a real one, one of the coldest we had since many years! Last week, snow storms were all around France, including Disneyland Paris. Yesterday, as the weather was better and the sky perfectly blue, i went to DLP to took pictures of the park under snow. Even if it doesn't show on the pictures, they were a lot of people at the park this week-end - almost like a regular sunday - and the snow had melted on the walkways but not everywhere else as you will see below in one of the biggest update ever done on Disney and more. There is more than 90 pictures and all are in high-res as usual, so i think you should enjoy this "winter" update!
Let's begin by Fantasia Gardens!
Next, Town Square on Main Street USA!
Around Casey Corner...
The water around the castle is now totally frozen...
Let's move to Frontierland where a big surprise awaits us! Everything around the Fort and the Indian village is covered by snow.
But the big surprise is when you arrive near the Rivers of the Far West: the whole river is totally frozen, icebergs everywhere! Because of the ice the Mark Twain and the Molly Brown are not working.
However, this ice is a haven for the seagulls who can "land" on it!
Let's have a look at Phantom Manor's area and Boot Hill!
The geysers are totally covered by snow!
Let's move now to Big Thunder Mountain entrance...
The Cowboy Cookout Barbecue and around the Pocahontas Indian playground...
Frontierland Station and Woody's Round-up ranch are also totally under snow...
O-kay, let's move now to Adventureland, beginning by the entrance: no more sand in the oasis, only snow!
Next, Colonel Hathi's restaurant and Indiana Jones.
Hakuna Matata and Swiss Robinson Tree area.
Let's have a look now to Adventure Isle. Guess what? Yes, Adventureland Lagoon is also totally frozen!
And when i say frozen, i mean REALLY frozen!
Goodbye Adventureland, Hello Fantasyland...where the ponds are also frozen!
Peter Pan's flight, Toad Hall restaurant and Alice Curious Labyrinth...
Other areas in Fantasyland...
Fantasia Gelati is more "gelati" than ever!
We will end our round trip with Discoveryland...
If you've never drive on Autopia with snow all around, it's now or never!
Let's have a look if the Nautilus Lagoon is also frozen...
Yes, it is! And don't ask me if the seagulls are also landing on the ice here...
The Nautilus covered by snow, you don't see that every day...
On the side of Space Mountain which is in the shadow, the snow is still there!
Okay, that should do it for today, and i hope you've appreciate this big winter-at-DLP report. Feel free to use any of these pictures as wallpaper for your computer if you wish, and any kind comments will be highly appreciated!
All pictures: copyright Alain Littaye and Disney and more
