D&M Innoventions : Mission : Space !

D&M Innoventions series are each week-end on Disney and more and the goal is to introduce some amazing technologies. If you like Epcot, Audio-animatronics or Disneyland Innoventions, then this article is for you!

Today the theme is outer space and this first video will delight those of you interested by Audio-animatronics. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, NASA and GM engineers and scientists came together at NASA Johnson Space Center to build a new dexterous humanoid robot - Robonaut2, or R2 for short - capable of working side by side with people or assisting NASA astronauts on dangerous space missions!




I know you've all seen a Space Shuttle launch but space shuttle Endeavour lift-off that happened last February 8 was absolutely awesome. There is only four more Space Shuttle missions and may be this one was the last launch at night. Definitely watch the video in full screen mode and i guarantee you a big WOW! All engines running!




While we are above the Earth, let's stay there a little bit and let's have a look to this new Google's Liquid Galaxy invented by engineer Jason Holt. With Google's Liquid Galaxy the user have a wraparound view of 8 LCD screens providing a incredibly immersive experience of Google Earth.



And, talking about Space Shuttle launch i have a last surprise for you: a perfect video of Epcot's Mission Space filmed by MickeyEars.com. If you've never ride the Epcot attraction the video below will show you everything and put you at the center of the action, just like if you were there, including queue decor, pre-show and the full ride "mission"! Enjoy!




Picture: copyright NASA

Videos: copyright NASA and MickeyEars.com

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland London Royal Premiere

Yesterday evening the Alice in Wonderland Royal Premiere happened in London. And something that i thought i would never see in my lifetime happened: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp shaking hands with Prince Charles and Camilla!





Then it was the turn of Jay Rasulo and Bob Iger, and it looks just as surrealist.





Outside the theater the premiere had began under the rain with the usual fan hysteria and Tim Burton, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, the young Mia Wasikowska who play Alice or Johnny Depp cheered with the fans and signed autographs.









In the huge crowd of fans, a lot of Mad Hatters!





Johnny and Tim joined Bob Iger and Rich Ross - the new President of Walt Disney Pictures - at the photo call, and Rich Ross seems to be so excited by the Premiere that he is almost in levitation!



A last picture of Johnny Depp with the great Christopher Lee who "play" the Jabberwocky character in the movie.



But if you want to feel the incredible atmosphere of this memorable evening, nothing is better than a good video and here it is! Watch it in full screen!




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Pictures: copyright Image.net - Getty Images

New Clips from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

In one week the highly awaited Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will be released in theatres and Disney put on line yesterday - day of the London Royal Premiere - new clips from the movie. No need to say that if you want to prevent any spoilers it's better that you don't watch them. But for those of you who don't mind to have a look, here we go. Note that all pictures are in high-res except the one above.



In this first clip, a great encounter between Alice and the Cheschire cat.






In this next clip the White Queen play by Anne Hathaway prepares a magic potion for Alice.







In the clip below, the Red Queen play by Helena Bonham Carter in a scene called "Off with his head" - and no, she's not talking about Alice head.







This next one shows the famous sequence of "The Tea Party". Although it's typically Burton's atmosphere, it looks great, so don't miss it!







I'm reposting the clip with the white rabbit posted early this week, so you'll have all of them on the same page.




This last video is not really a movie clip although you'll see many scenes from it. It's more a featurette with some of the actors, including Johnny Depp talking about the film itself.





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Pictures and videos: copyright Disney

Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Update

Here is a new DLP update and we will begin by the Walt Disney Studios as the park released yesterday a great high-res Toy Story Playland rendering. It's the one above and click on it to see it in big size. My Disney and more readers living in Asia will also be interested by it as a Toy Story Land will come to HKDL in 2011 and will look almost the same although the three TSP rides will have a different location in the land.

On this great rendering you can see more clearly the theming of each attractions whether it is the Slinky Dog Zig Zag Spin ride and the RC Racer half pipe coaster...



...or the Green Army Men parachute drop with its "army camp" theming.



By the way, talking about the Green Army Men, they will of course be part of Toy Story 3 and a very short clip from the awaited movie appeared on the official Toy Story 3 Swedish web site. On this 12 seconds clip Sarge and his Green Army Men send a warning to Woody and his friends, have a look at it below.



Let's come back to the Walt Disney Studios and its Toy Story Playland. At the entrance of the land you can see the four meters high Buzz Lightyear and on the very right of the artwork the blue barrels will be another exit of the land leading on the little path on the right handside.

This same path will be the one that DLP guests will take in two years from now when the highly awaited Ratatouille dark ride will finally open for what will be DLP's 20th anniversary and WDS 10th anniversary. In my previous update i told you that the park did a financial plan which was sent to the banks and that everybody was waiting for its approval. Although nothing official has been announced yet it seems that the attraction is on good tracks and Glendale and DLPI Imagineers should begin to work soon on the project for a 2012 opening. A Paris themed area is expected and may be a Ratatouille restaurant which would be perfectly logical as the restaurant is almost a character in the movie.

But for now the construction of Toy Story Playland is still going on and the land should open this summer. However i have to say that there will be a real problem of visual intrusion, more specifically from the Parachute Drop tower and probably from the RC Racer track. Right now the Parachute Drop Tower can be seen from almost anywhere in the park whether it is from the little street in front of Tower of Terror, or from the Moteurs, Action stunt show arena (located at the very end of the park!) or even before you enter the WDS. Thanks god, the tower can't be seen when you enter the park or even when you exit Studio 1 looking towards the Tram Tour Station, but guests who will walk 30 meters in the Hollywood boulevard will be surprised to see this big tower with kaki colours which obviously will not fit with the art-deco style of the Hollywood Boulevard buildings.

Imagineers will be able to hide the tower when there will be an expansion of the Hollywood Boulevard but for now - and probably years to come - i'm afraid the visual intrusion problem will remain. As a matter of fact the Parachute Drop tower can even be seen from the other park, in Frontierland, but to be honest you will see it only from the top of Big Thunder Mountain second lift and during a few seconds which is no big drama. Still, solutions exist to resolve the problem like to plant new trees on the top of the hill behind Boot Hill graveyard and the geysers which will hide this damn' Parachute tower, but i doubt that the park will agree to give the budget for this.



Meanwhile, at DLP Magic Kingdom, the New Generation festival will start on April 2.
The festival will put Disney newest stars in the spotlight and Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen will join the "Once Upon a Dream Parade" while Ratatouille characters Remy and Emile will ride in an all-new car during the "Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars" cavalcade at the Walt Disney Studios.



At the WDS everyone will get permission to be as loud as monster-possible and screams will fill the air several times daily at the "Monsters Inc. Scream Academy" where Sulley will encourage guests to break the decibel meter! Don't be too excited though as the "Monsters Inc. Scream Academy" will be a happening located at the Monsters Inc photo location and definitely not a new attraction.



Outside the parks, at Disney Village, new shops and restaurants should appear in the next two years. The long awaited World of Disney shop which will be located at the right of Disney Village entrance should finally have the budget for its construction and works for a new "Earl of Sandwich" restaurant - located near the Cafe Mickey and stick to the Rain Forest Cafe - are expected to begin in March.



The renderings above and below found on the Disney Central Plaza forum will give you an idea of how will look this new Disney Village addition but don't expect an opening before summer 2011 as i've been told that works could take up to 15 months. It may seem a long time for a simple restaurant but the main reason is probably that part of the building will be build where currently is water coming from the lake nearby and they need to have a ground perfectly dry which as everybody know always takes a long time.



That's all for today, see you soon for a new DLP update with pictures of the park!


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Pictures and artwork: copyright Disney

Video: copyright Disney-Pixar

Editor's Note: If you haven't read it yet then jump to Al Lutz new update on Mice Age with lot of news on Disneyland's future! If you want to know why Disneyland might get a new "arcade" street on the east side of Main Street or what you can expect on Frontierland and many more DL news then read Al's article HERE.

Captain EO is back at Disneyland !

Yesterday was a day of incredible excitement at Disneyland as Captain EO was back at Tomorrowland! The videos selection below will give you a pretty good idea of yesterday's atmosphere at Disneyland as hundreds of Disneyland and Michael Jackson's fans were there for the re-opening and Legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter too!

Cable TVs were there to cover the event and in the first video below Tony Baxter talks about this re-opening.



The always excellent Inside the Magic also did a great interview of Tony Baxter. Tony answers of course to EO related questions but also talk about his dream to have a 3D Festival with vintage Disneyland 3D movies, and it's a very good idea!



And how was the fans excitement when gates of Tomorrowland Theater opened for the first new screening of Captain EO? Have a look at the video below to have an idea of the fans hysteria!



What did they think when they got out of the screening? Disney Parks posted yesterday a short video which will show you the "awesome" fans reactions.



Twenty-four years after its first opening on September 12, 1986, Captain Eo is back at Disneyland, and Disneyland & Michael Jackson's fans can experience again the magic created by Michael Jackson, Francis Ford Coppola and Georges Lucas. Michael, wherever you are, we salute you!



Pictures: copyright Disney

Videos: copyright Inside the Magic, athinamj, cazzofanlax and Disney Parks

When Night falls on Universal Studios Singapore... Part Two

When night falls on Universal Studios Singapore it becomes magical. Today is the last part of the D&M Grand report on Universal Singapore and thanks to Fabian Fan and Wee Sen, here is some great pictures of Universal Singapore at night. In this part two, great night shots of Sci Fi City, Ancient Egypt, Lost World and Far Far Away lands. We begin by Sci Fi City.

If you've missed part one with great night shots of New York Streets, Hollywood area and Madagascar land, you will find it HERE.





Let's move to the very spectacular decor of Ancient Egypt.



























We enter now the Lost World, land of Jurassic Park.













Our last stop: Far Far Away Land and the Shrek Castle!





















And it's with this last picture that we conclude our Universal Studios Singapore Grand pictorial report series. I would like to give a very special thanks to Fabian Fan and Wee Sen as thanks to their great pictures Disney and more was able to show you Universal Singapore in the best possible way. They did a great job, and they deserves thousand thanks!

We will talk again about USS when the park will open for real and when video of the rides will be available which might take some weeks. Hope you've enjoyed this special report, tomorrow we'll be back to the Disney world!

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Pictures: copyright Fabian Fan or Wee Sen depending of the pictures.