Disney Characters Reimagined With a "Steampunk" Style!

Here is a great update for the week-end with these artworks featuring several Disney characters reimagined by Deviant artist MecaniqueFairy with a "steampunk" style! I think that he did an awesome job and people at Disney Parks should have a closer look at these as they could serve as inspiration for costumes of a "steampunk" designed parade in a Disney theme park.

 

Artwork: copyright MecaniqueFairy

Haunted Mansion 45th Anniversary Collectible Products Video Presentation

Hey, Haunted Mansion fans here is a video giving you a closer look at some of the Haunted Mansion 45th Anniversary collectible products coming to Disney Parks this fall!




Picture and video: copyright Disney

First Pictures of Frozen's Anna and Elsa in ABC's Once Upon a Time !

As you may have heard Frozen's Anna and Elsa will be included in the fourth season of ABC's Once Upon A Time set to premiere September 28th. Here is a set of pictures giving us our first look at Georgina Haig as Frozen's Queen Elsa, Elizabeth Lail as Anna and, Scott Michael Foster as Kristoff. They will be joined by Tyler Jacob Moore as Hans, and John Rhys-Davies will voice the rock troll King, Pabbie.

Pictures: copyright ABC - Disney

2015 D23 Expo Tickets To be Available at Discount Price Starting August 14 - And Why This 2015 D23 Expo Is not-to-be-missed

D23.com has announced that on Thursday, August 14, at 10 a.m. PDT, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will start selling tickets for the next D23 Expo, which will take place August 14–16, 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Once again, the Expo will celebrate the past, present, and future of Disney with live events, celebrity appearances, panels, presentations, sneak peeks, and immersive experiences. D23 Expo 2015 will also mark the return of fan favorites including the Disney Legends Awards and Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, which spotlights costumes, props, and set pieces from Disney’s rich history. As in previous Expos, D23 Expo 2015 will showcase all of the latest stars in the Disney universe and Disney executives and creative talent came together to deliver special presentations, announcements, and experiences to Disney fans throughout the three-day of the Expo.

Now, why this 2015 D23 Expo is a not-to-be-missed? Because, as it was announced officially by Bob Iger this week, plans for the Star Wars Land will be announced next year. And you can be sure that if it's not done before the D23 Expo during the Star Wars Celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in April, it will be done during the three days D23 event. And if Disney announce it before D23 there surely will be a special Star Wars Land display at the 2015 D23 Expo.

Tickets for D23 Expo 2015 are available at a discounted price for a limited time and here they are:

From August 14–December 31, 2014, tickets are $61 for a one-day adult admission and $42 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $52 for a one-day adult admission and $37 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $268 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate.

In addition to these special advance-purchase savings, an extremely limited number of D23 VIP Sorcerer Packages will once again be available. Based on fan feedback, even more benefits have been added this year including exclusive opportunities in the Walt Disney Imagineering pavilion and Mickey’s of Glendale.

The SORCERER PACKAGE includes:

Three-day admission ticket and commemorative Sorcerer credential
Reserved seating at all presentations in the main hall, Stage 23, and Stage 28 (must sign up for presentations in advance)
Commemorative Sorcerer level access credential
Exclusive D23 Expo 2015 Samsonite luggage piece
Pre-Expo tour of the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit
Special tour of the Walt Disney Imagineering Pavilion
Exclusive shopping time in the D23 Expo Dream Store, Disney Store, and Mickey’s of Glendale
Tour of the D23 Expo show floor the day before the Expo opens to the public
Welcome Reception on Thursday evening
Exclusive entrance to the Expo each morning
First opportunity to pre-purchase D23 Expo Dream Store select themed merchandise
Exclusive D23 Expo gift pack including gifts from D23 and the rest of The Walt Disney Company
Saturday morning Meet and Greet Coffee with a special Disney guest
“Fond Farewell” reception on final day of Expo
Plus, daily access to the Sorcerer Member Lounge
Sorcerer member lounge: Open from (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.)

Complimentary snacks throughout day (11a.m. – 6 p.m.)
Cash Bar (noon – 6 p.m.)
Access to purchase food in Lounge
Archives exhibit
Dedicated Sorcerer Concierge desk
Baggage Check area
Masseur on site (for pay) (10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.)
One voucher for 20­-minute free massage
Sorcerer Package tickets are available exclusively to both Gold and Silver D23 Members at $2,000 per ticket. Members have the option to purchase up to two Sorcerer tickets.

D23 Gold and Silver Members are entitled to early admission to the Expo show floor and D23 will once again give a special thanks to D23 Charter Members, providing them special access to the Expo’s Charter Member Lounge.

Universal Studios Florida Celebrates One Million Riders on Hogwarts Express!

Universal Studios Florida celebrates the first one million riders on Hogwarts Express! Already? Yep, just one month after Diagon Alley opening a milestone has been reached and cheers from guests filled the air at Hogsmeade Station!

And to celebrate this milestone, Universal orlando gave to two hundred guests complimentary Butterbeer ice-cream, which was probably very welcome during a hot summer day in Florida!`

Pictures: copyright Universal Studios Orlando

Great Tokyo Disneyland Tilt-Shift Video

Disney Parks is still making tilt-shift videos and they've posted a new one which is great. But this time they've fly to the other side of Pacific Ocean and this new tilt-shift video shows Tokyo Disneyland like you've never seen it before.

By the way, when you'll enjoyed the video, try to have a look too at how clean the park looks like. Look at the grounds, they look like "opening day". Maintenance at TDL is the best of all Disney theme parks!




Picture and video: copyright Disney

Michael Jackson Ranch "Neverland" Now on Sale !

Neverland, the ranch that Michael Jackson bought in 1998 will soon be on sale, so if you have $60 million - the estimated price - and you don't know what to do with them, it can be yours! But, beware, all the rides and Michael's zoo animals have been removed, so for this price you'll have the 1600 Ha and the houses built on it, but no rides!

I've found this rare video showing Michael at Neverland when it still was happy days. he's here with Macaulay Culkin apparently shortly after he did "Home Alone", as well as others kids, all having fun at Neverland.

Official : Disney Will Announce in 2015 Its Plans For Star Wars Land

Great news, as Bob Iger said today, in a conference call when Disney's third quarter results were announced, that plans for a Star Wars land will be revealed next year, in 2015 - may be at the next D23 Expo, if not before.

More from Variety.com:

The Walt Disney Co. plans for “a far greater ‘Star Wars’ presence” in its theme parks, company chief Bob Iger said Tuesday.

The first look at new attractions based on the sci-fi franchise, beyond “Star Tours” that currently operates at several of its parks, will be revealed next year, Iger said during a conference call with analysts to discuss Disney’s record third quarter results.

The move comes as Disney is readying to release a new “Star Wars” film in theaters starting Dec. 18, 2015, that J.J. Abrams is currently directing.

Disney opted not to inject more “Star Wars” into its parks until its $4 billion acquisition of the company was complete. Deal also gives it the Indiana Jones franchise, already represented by a ride and stunt show at Disney’s resorts.

During the call, Iger said when Disney now decides to build new attractions, “the likelihood of their success is greater” when they’re branded. “When we grow ‘Star Wars” presence, which we will do significantly, you will see better bets being made that will pay off for us than were made in the past,” adding that leveraging the collection of popular franchises and properties that the company owns for rides and experiences will deliver “better returns than we saw in the past.”

New Century Notions - Flora's Unique Boutique Opens at Disneyland Paris Main Street U.S.A - Full Pictorial Report

A new shop opened at Disneyland Paris Main Street U.S.A, and it's called New Century Notions - Flora's Unique Boutique. I have a full photo report about it for you, and as always let's thanks Max, D&M contributor and DLPWelcome webmaster for his precious contribution and great pictures.

The shop replace the beloved and highly themed Main Street Photography shop and after six months of works reopened on August 1st. Now, let's have a closer look at it and above you can see the new "vintage style" poster specially created for the new shop.

Facing the Emporium and next to Boardwalk Candy Palace - which has currently its facade in refurbishment, New Century Notions - Flora's Unique Boutique also has its new sign, but the one you can see on the pictures below is temporary, the final one will be put in place soon.

Let's go inside!

The first thing you'll notice at the entrance is the new design of the mosaic floor with a big "F" for "Flora"...

The length of the main counter has been significantly reduced...

It took six months of work to have this new shop reopening in a style quite different from the previous one and we now have a completely redesigned space with large shelves and good visibility on the merchandise products. These are the positives aspects but unfortunately, at the end, the atmosphere is less warm than before.

So, shelves everywhere, quite well done, but desperately with no special theming... Although the shop intend to sell product on thematic seasons, the goods for sale are currently mainly attractive for non-French tourists, as, according to Max, it's for the most a range of products about Paris - this might explain the quote "We carry the latest styles from Paris so you don't have to" that one can read on the bottom of the shop poster.

The only remnant of the old shop is the famous vintage phone, with which you can still listen to a phone conversation between two people of Main Street.

A closer look on the lights and stained glass windows...

Let's have a look at the exterior now...

The excitement of having a new shop arriving on Main Street unfortunately doesn't last. Even if we certainly have a shopping experience enhanced by the new layout of the place and the choice of interior colors palette, the considerable loss of theming in regards to the previous shop makes that you walk into a "simple" shop without a soul, unlike the other outlets on Main Street. And all the windows on Town Square now display only the shop products instead to tell a story as it was the case before when it was Main Street Photography - see pictures of it below.

The highly themed photographer office of the previous shop was put in place by Imagineer Eddie Sotto who spent a long time on it, to do it with "spirit" so it could look like a real office.

Below, Eddie Sotto's rendering for the above Main Street Photography photographer office.

A lot of DLP fans are furious about the new shop and it's pretty understandable. It sure is a pity that the old camera shop is gone but times change, guests were not buying anymore camera films and i can understand that the space is valuable. However, despite all of that logic, the irony remains that Main Street exists to celebrate things as they were. Main Street is a small town caught in technical transition. A street of businesses portrayed as "mom and pop" boutiques with the personality of their owners resisting the corporate "chain" retailers of today. In a sense, Disney has become the "Big Box" retailer of Main Street driving out it's own "mom and pop" boutiques and expanding over entire blocks. Things have indeed disappeared from culture and been victims of change, such as Horse drawn Streetcars and Gas lighting, but are they not the charm that we love about Main Street? In all Magic Kingdoms we clap along and enjoy Barbershop quartets and Ragtime piano with strangers and without devices or headphones. Things on Main Street (like candy, glass poodles and hat decor) are hand made on Main Street, as opposed to China. Main Street uses the obsolescence of the past to entertain us through contrast. 



Main Street Photography - concept-art above - was all about photography which was invented in France. Thanks to technology, more pictures are now shot digitally in a day than in an entire decade prior to camera phones. Early photography before digital retouching was closer to truth, to life and a window into the past. I for one, would have loved to see a credible photo gallery of vintage images ( or new images taken the old way with silver background ) somewhere on Main Street to help this "selfie" obsessed generation appreciate where it all began. But instead we have one more merchandise shop without any special soul.

The main reason why it happened is because Disney has come up with a template or pattern for how to design stores and certain requirements for how retail must be done. No this, the size if that, lighting etc... And this new store seems to conform to all the other recent stores and the required template for how you must display merchandise. It's no longer a movie set. These new rules are a reaction to that. They don't see that anymore as a successful way to sell. So time marches on and we have to face - and eventualy accept - the fact the Disney stores now will always look something like this, but in a different flavor.

That's all for today and i'll be back soon with a new DLP update. In the meantime, don't miss the summer special offer on the great Disneyland Paris "From Sketch to Reality" book - for both ENGLISH or FRENCH editions!  Thanks to this special offer you will save $50 on the normal price, so if you don't own the book yet i'm sure you don't want to miss it! Paypal and credit card payments are accepted, so make sure you to place your order now!  

You can use the Paypal buttons below for the english edition, or for the french edition. If you don't have a Paypal account you can also pay directly with your credit card with these buttons without opening a Paypal account. If it don't works please send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com

Paypal button for ENGLISH Edition : 

Paypal bouton pour Edition FRANCAISE :

Don't know yet the Disneyland Paris book? Have a look at the video below or on the book website HERE.





Pictures: copyright Max Fan - DLPWelcome