Walt Disney's Magic Highways : The Vision of the Future that Never Happened

Here is something great for the week-end: the original Disneyland TV show "Magic Highways" aired for the first time May 14, 1958. As usual Walt Disney is hosting the show for ABC. The theme of this show is the significance of the American highway, featuring the history of motoring, but also a both fascinating and hilarious vision of the highways of the future! If you don't want to watch the full 48 minutes show definitely don't miss the animated part beginning at 34.54 min as, although the ideas for these highways of the future are brilliant, everything - and i mean EVERYTHING - that was predicted in the show to be happening in the future never happened!...and very probably will never happen as most if not all of them are simply unfeasible !

So, when you'll see the video you'll understand why there is something funny hearing Walt saying "...However there are highways experts, men of vision who try to predict more seriously what the highways of the future will be like, so now let's take a realistic look at the road ahead and what tomorrow's motorists can expect in the years to come!".

I tell you, it's fascinating and hilarious. Have a look!




Picture and video: copyright Disney

DLP 20th Ann: Master Class with Legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter at Discoveryland Videopolis, April 12 at 10.45 am !

DLP has announced officially that legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter who was Disneyland Paris main show producer back 20 years ago will be at Discoveryland Videopolis on April 12 - date of DLP 20th - for a one hour master class. This is surely a news that will delight all DLP fans planning to be there on this memorable day. Just make sure to arrive at Videopolis in advance to have a seat available. The master class will be presented by DLP ambassadors and Tony will talk about the construction of Disneyland Paris. A questions/answers and autographs session will follow.

Among others infos officially released: DLP gates will open at 9.30 am and guests will be invited to wait a bit on Town Square as Philippe Gas DLP CEO will make a celebration speech to be followed by a cast-members Flash Mob during which a little gift will be offer.

Happenings and surprises will happen all day long but the official program will be released only that day. Everything will happen in Disneyland Park, there won't be new specific animations at the WDS. During all day archives videos of what happened the last 20 years including special events, and VIP happy birthdays will be shown on Videopolis screens. Also, a limited edition T-Shirt for men or women will be on sale in the park, this day only.

Glad to know that Tony Baxter will be there and hope you will enjoy this master class with him!

Picture: copyright Disney

Disneyland Paris Update : Getting Ready for the 20th Anniversary

Hello Everyone, here is a long Disneyland Paris Update with plenty of pictures thanks to good friends from the Disney Gazette and Disney Central Plaza forums who have been very helpful as i am not in Paris right now and couldn't take the pics myself. As you will see the park is getting ready for the 20th and the last refurbishments are now over for the future enjoyment of all Disneyland Paris guests.

However let's begin by something which is not totally finished yet but will be soon, i.e the World of Disney mega-store located at the entrance of the Disney Village. The giant dome color bronze is now in placed at the top and the store which should be finished and ready to open its gates next September.









Close to the World of Disney Anette's Restaurant is closed for refurbishments until April 6.



Let's move to the Disneyland Park now, where everything is getting ready for the 20th anniversary. On your way to the entrance you can see the new 20th anniversary banners!



In Adventureland, after months of works the new Captain Hook ship is now finished! And it looks more beautiful than ever, with plenty of "gold" color which were not there in the previous version on DLP opening day, including on the figurehead. To help you to see the differences here is two pictures of the ship shot in the 1990's...





And now, a selection of pics of the brand new ship, thanks to photographs of Disney Gazette. The ship looks pretty different with its new colors, doesn't it? The new look is a bit more "threatening"...

















Nearby, in Frontierland, the Riverboat pier refurbishment will soon be over while the Mark Twain awaits its major refurbishment inside the recently built wooden shed near the Rivers of the Far West.





On Central Plaza the works to remove the big stage on the hub are finished and on the picture below posted by Steven Davison you'll see that there will be plenty of space to welcome the thousands of guests who will watch the show every night, starting April 1st.



Around Sleeping Beauty Castle the final preparations for the Disney Dreams show are now over and flame thrower structures which will be used for the fire effects appeared recently.





In Fantasyland, the long refurbishment who took place on the Alice's Curious Labyrinth is now over and apparently all thuya hedges have been replaced which is good news as they were in bad condition. Labyrinth characters have also been repainted.











And we arrive to the big event of the week: the Nautilus has been fully restored this week! I've shown you in a previous article in which terrible condition the Nautilus was - the exterior part in Discoveryland lagoon - and now this is just a bad souvenir from the past as they did what has to be done, i.e empty the lagoon, clean the whole submarine and repair and repaint it where it needed to be done. Let's begin this series of pictures by showing the sub in its previous condition when the lagoon, before the works began. The first picture below is from Fourche of Disney Gazette.



Next pictures are from DLRP-Welcome from DCP Forum.









And now let's have a look at DLP maintenance and painters at work on the Nautilus restoration. these first pictures are from MaxIllusion from Disney Gazette.













The next pictures are from Tristos from DCP forum.













The two next pictures show the Nautilus now restored and are from MaxIllusion from Disney Gazette.





And these last ones from Engineer of DCP forum.









Looks like they've done a pretty good job on the Nautilus. And the walls all around the lagoon as well as the bubble air system have been refurbished too. The lagoon will be re-filled soon as the refurbishment is scheduled to be finished on March 25th. With this last ship and the Mark Twain currently under restoration all DLP ships are now restored, and the park will look fresh and new for its 20th anniversary which will begin April 1st!

Inside DLP shops the 20th merchandise is arriving little by little and one of my favorite so far is this retro style items! You can see different styles of 20th merchandise items on Disney Gazette HERE, at the bottom of the article.







The highly awaited Disney Dreams show will have its premiere in 8 days from now, so the next DLP update will be dedicated to it!

In the meantime i remind you that that you still can order a collector copy of the DLP book. the final price now applies but we're doing a FREE SHIPPING for each order placed before April 31st ! So, go ahead and place your pre-order now for a collector's edition copy while you can get this special offer on this wonderful book!! To know how to order and send your payment please go HERE. Paypal or bank wire transfer payments are welcome and below is a video which will show you the entire book!







Pictures: copyright Disney Gazette, Fourche, MaxIllusion, Engineer, Tristo, and Max Fan whom i thanks a lot for their precious collaboration!