An Important Message from Walt Disney

50 years ago, at a time where the word environmental was barely known by anyone, Walt Disney, for a natural wildlife week was already warning us to take care of the planet and to don't spoil its natural resources. Have a look at this short video and follow Walt advice!




Video: copyright Disney

WDS Crush Coaster Making-Of Video

A little bit of Imagineering for this week-end with this Crush Coaster making-of. Personally i've never been a big fan of the ride as i think that the dark ride part is either too short or not sophisticated enough, technically speaking, but the ride is very popular at DLP Walt Disney Studios and you might enjoy it next time you'll visit the park!




Picture and video: copyright Disney

The Sword in the Stone and Aladdin Virtual Rides

Someone has posted early this week on Youtube a video showing the presentation of Radiator Springs Racer. The video is now removed from Youtube but this virtual ride through of the ride was interesting, even if the whole thing was a huge spoiler for any Disney fan. However, this gives me the idea to have a look at others virtual rides, this time not done by WDI but by Disney fans who create with their computer the ride they would love to see.

Here is two of them, the first one is an idea of a Sword in the Stone ride, and it was done by RockyProductions.




The second one, created by AmIKillingU is an Aladdin ride and it's true that Disney should have done a ride based on Aladdin, others than the one which exist at WDW or DLP WDS. None of these virtual creations are perfect but they are enjoyable to watch, just like a dream that will probably never exist in the real world!




Videos: copyright RockyProductions or AmIKillingU

A Video Presentation of the Disneyland Paris, "From Sketch to Reality" Book

SInce i've announced 10 days ago that the Disneyland Paris book "From Sketch to Reality" was going to be reprint i had tremendous answers from a lot of DLP fans who were desperately searching a copy of the book. I've decided to let you know regularly at which point of the pr-orders we are so here are the last news about this, AND in addition i have a great video which was filmed and put online by the Dedicated to DLP website and which will help you to have a look inside the book and to hear another opinion about it.

First, about the pre-orders: We had the last ten days around 80 pre-orders, which is not that bad at all , but we still need at least 200 more orders to have the needed amount to print the book. And we need to have them in the next six weeks. So, if you haven't pre-order a collector's edition copy please don't wait too long as if we can't have around 300 orders this great book will not be able to be reprint and may die forever. No kidding. Also, if you have friends who, just like you, are DLP or Disney Parks fans, please let them know about this collector's edition offer, thanks!

One last word about the pre-orders to answer a question that some of you have asked me by email, i.e : "what is happening of the payments if we don't have the necessary pre-orders to reprint the book?". Well, here is the answer: All Paypal payments will stay on the Paypal account and will NOT be transfered on our bank account until we have enough orders for the printing amount, this way it will be easier to do a refund if we have to, as we will send you back your Paypal payment directly from Paypal. I'm confident that we will succeed to have enough pre-orders but please, don't wait the last minute to place your order, thanks!

And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, here is the video that steve Riley of Dedicated to DLP.com did to present the book on his website. As you will see, Steve is very enthusiastic about the book, but the truth is that everyone who owns the book love it! No, really, it's true, and i promise you that you will be as enthusiastic as Steve when you will receive your collector's copy!




To learn more about the book and how to order a collector's copy please go HERE.



Video: copyright Dedicated to DLP.com

Disneyland Paris Update : DLP Best Wishes Introduces 20th Ann Show Disney Dreams!

Disneyland Paris sent its best wishes yesterday and they did it with this new animated short showing Mickey directing the awaited 20th Anniversary Disney Dreams! fountain show, with Sleeping Beauty castle in the background. I've said it before and i say it again: although most of the marketing material released by DLP about the Disney Dreams! show - including this video - show it as something as big as World of Color don't expect the show to have as many fountains as WOC. That said, i'm sure that DLP 20th anniversary show which is designed by Steven Davidson - a man who know what the words "fountains show" mean as he designed Fantasmic and World of Color - will be spectacular and very good and it will definitely worth your visit at the park during this 20th anniversary year.




In the meantime the Christmas season is still running at DLP until this sunday, January 8, and a new float with Duffy the bear was added in the parade, as you can check on the video below.




Also, until this sunday a new "magical moment" awaits DLP visitors in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle: "As the Royal Court opens the ball, the three godmothers accompany Princess Aurora and Prince Philip as they enter, passing through a guard of honour. The princely couple waltz in the courtyard while the godmothers, distracted as ever, argue about the colour of the castle. They end up deciding to combine their power, and with a wave of their wands, transform the castle roofs into a shining myriad of lights".




I remind you that you can now pre-order a copy of the Disneyland Paris book in its rare collector's edition! All infos to order a copy are HERE, or click on the link at the top of the right column.



Picture and Videos: copyright Disneyland Paris

Universal Studios Singapore Launches Hollywood Dreams Parade - Full Video

On new Year's Eve, Universal Studios Singapore has launched its brand new Hollywood Dreams Parade, and i've found for you a full video of it, filmed by tabihito7. It's a great parade with animated floats and almost each float refers to Universal Studio Singapore attractions.



Among others themes there is floats dedicated to Shreck, Madagascar, the Mummy and Jurassic Park. And you better don't miss the Jurassic Park floats as they succeed to have on one of them an Audio-Animatronic T-Rex as big a sthe one which is in the ride. With the opening of the Transformers ride on Dec 3 this is the second major addition to Universal Singapore and the park now really worth a visit. However you might want to wait until next february when the Jurassic Park rafts ride will re-open after some months of refurbishment, then the park will be fully operational.



The pictures in this article are coming from Dejiki web site who posted last sunday a long pictorial update about the new parade.




Pictures: copyright Dejiki

Video: copyright tabihito7

Universal Studios Orlando : Farewell to Jaws!, Hello Harry Potter Phase Two!

I know it's sad to say, but the Jaws attraction at Universal Orlando has closed forever yesterday and for those of you who, just like me, will miss the ride or those who never had the chance to ride the attraction, here is a great video filmed December 17. Abord are those who were the former "skippers" from the early years of Universal Studios Florida's JAWS! attraction and who take one last trip on Captain Jake's Amity Boat Tours. This skippers reunion was organized by ex-skipper Tom Croom and as you will see the farewell voyage was pretty hysterical, in the good meaning of the word (if there is one!).




I also include below two 1990's artwork for the ride.





As you can see on the aerial shot below the Jaws land was pretty big and now that the Jaws ride is closed what will take its place? Well, as i told you last month in a previous article the expansion of the Harry Potter land is expected to be build at Universal Orlando and not at IOA. And guess what? I think we can say this is now confirmed, although not officially, since last saturday and the great post on Theme Park Insider who had access to Universal secret plans and revealed virtually almost everything of this Potter expansion.



And when i mean everything it's really everything as TPI details scene by scene what will be the big E-Ticket , i.e the Gringotts coaster ride which according to TPI will not be a traditional coaster but "appears to be a hybrid roller coaster and motion-base ride, a la Spider-Man and Transformers with 3D projection screens throughout the ride, embedded in the rockwork of the tunnel walls, creating an illusion of open space, within which we'll watch battles taking place".

He has also posted two CGI artwork showing the Victorian design of the coaster train, that you can see below, slightly enhanced here.





So, jump to the Theme Park Insider article as you better don't miss this fantastic description of the Harry Potter expansion!

Pictures: copyright Universal Studios

Cracking the Shanghaî Disneyland Case

Sam Wilson is a huge Imagineering fan and a faithful Disney and more reader since i've started the site. Recently he has created his own site and yesterday he did a great article about Shanghaî Disneyland.

For the reasons we know WDI don't disclose any infos about SDL rides - mostly because Disney want to avoid SDL ideas to be stolen by other chinese theme parks - but this lack of infos didn't stopped Sam Wilson to try to crack the Shanghai Disneyland case. So, after analyzing all the infos available on different sites like Screamscape or Blue Sky Disney as well as official renderings or the SDL model displayed at D23 he did this very first Shanghaî Disneyland map that you can see below - click on it to see it in larger size.



You will read in Sam article how he did to create this map. Is he right? He probably is for some of the rides and may be not on others but that's not the problem as SDL won't open before three or four years and some of WDI choices might change. Also, in his article Sam is saying that SDL Tomorrowland might have a People Mover. It would be a good idea and we'll see if it will be the case or not but recently i've found this picture shot during an Imagineering presentation at the last D23 Expo. This rendering was apparently done for a new People Mover ride at Disneyland Anaheim, so there is no relation with SDL. Still, it's an interesting artwork as if you have a closer look to it you'll see that this new People Mover had a totally new ride system. In fact you can see that riders are sit on a platform attached to a robotic arm which obviously have the ability to move in all directions while also moving all around Tomorrowland.



What was probably envision here was to use the Kuka robot arm technology, the one that Universal used in the Harry Potter land E-Ticket ride. Universal succeeded to have an exclusivity on the use of the Kuka robot arm technology in theme park rides for the next ten years, but if i remember it well they only have this exclusivity for the U.S. Which means that Disney might be free to use this People Mover / Kuka arm idea for other theme parks, and why not at Shanghaî Disneyland? To be honest i don't think they will use it at SDL as they probably wouldn't have shown the artwork at D23 if they were planning to include this ride at Shanghaî Disneyland.

Now, to come back to SDL and Sam's map i suppose that you're interested to learn how Sam did it and how he put all the infos together to create this great map, so it's time to jump to Sam Wilson's article on his site to learn more about Shanghaî Disneyland secrets! It's right HERE.

Picture: copyright Disney

Map: copyright Sam Wilson

Download the great Tokyo Disney Sea Wallpapers app!
Click HERE for a direct access to the TDS Wallpapers HD iTunes page or READ my article first HERE.

WDW Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Anaheim will be open for 24 Hours on Feb 29

Disney did his awaited announcement yesterday evening and this "one more Disney day" was all about the "leap day", i.e February 29 as 2012 is a year with one more day. So, on Feb 29 WDW Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Anaheim will be open for 24 Hours starting at 6 a.m. until 6a.m March 1st. According to Orlando Attractions "Disney will also be giving away a vacation package each day until then. The available attractions, dining and entertainment is still being determined for the 24 hour Leap Day."

Starting Jan. 1 there will be a daily contest open only to those who are U.S or Canada residents, and if that's your case you can enter to win one of the 60 vacation packages for four to either Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort. More at: disney.go.com/memories

Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts said: “To celebrate, for the first time ever, the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Parks will remain open for 24 hours on Leap Day, so that our guests can take advantage of every minute of their extra day to make memories with friends and family.” Below the promo video released by Disney.




Picture and video: copyright Disney