Disneyland Paris Update : DLP Christmas Season Begins !

The Christmas season begins at Disneyland Paris and Max, D&M contributor and DLPWelcome webmaster was in the park early morning and is back with pictures of everything happening at DLP Magic Kingdom!

And, as DLP launch its Christmas season, the Disneyland Paris book Christmas special offer also starts today and it's a chance for you to get this gorgeous 320 pages book at the best price ever! You'll hardly find a better Christmas gift for a Disneyland Paris fan so don't miss it as it is the last copies of the book which will not be reprinted! The Christmas offer is for both english update edition or the french collector's edition at 60€ ( + 15€ shipping worldwide ) and that include too a great additional surprise gift! 

Special note to buyers with a shipping address in Italy or Belgium : For shipments to Belgium or Italy, the shipping cost is 25 €.

To place your order please send an email to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com  - Please let me know in your email if you want the english or french edition!

Important note: shipping takes 3-4 days for France, 10-15 days to European countries, 2 to 3 weeks for countries outside Europe. To make sure you will receive the book on time for Christmas, if you buy it for a Christmas gift, please place your order as soon as possible, thanks.

You can pay with Paypal bus ending the full amount including shipping to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com or use the Paypal button below. The Paypal button works for both french or english edition but confirm me by email or in your Paypal payment which edition you want ( english or french ). Also note that the Paypal button includes an additional discount for those who want to order 2 or 3 copies instead of one. 

If you do NOT have a Paypal account you can pay by credit card, or bank transfer, just send me an email about it at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com

Those of you who have never seen the book will find at the end of this DLP update a video presentation of the full book which will show you each of the 320 pages of the book AND you can see more pictures on the book website HERE.

Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality Book

ONE Disneyland Paris Book English or French Edition €60.00 EUR TWO Disneyland Paris Book English or French Edition €125.00 EUR THREE Disneyland Paris Book English or French Edition €185.00 EUR

Just like every year Christmas decorations are now in place in Main Street in Central Plaza and the huge Christmas tree also to welcome the guests in Town Square.

The Christmas parade began Friday with only one of the two new floats of this year. The second float was not ready yet and will be presented in the coming days. At the moment, the new float of Max, Pluto or even Clarabel offers some height at the parade. That said, the difference of design between the old and the new floats is visible. Indeed, we have the feeling to see a float of Tokyo Disneyland parachuted in Paris! Changing the design of differents elements of the other floats using fake snow could be a solution for more consistency. Moreover, when it will include the float missing with the three little pigs, the parade will be worthy of a Christmas parade. In the meantime, here is the videoof the Christmas parade!

At Frontierland, the water is back in the lake which is now filed with a clear transparent water - what a change! The water lever was not yet at its peak when Max shot the pictures on Friday.

At Chaparral Stage, the Frozen show is back as well as the Frozen market place!

Let's move to Discoveryland to have a look at the works going on there.

The dome of Space Mountain is currently being repainted, and it shows!

...but of course it's at Star Tours that most of the works are happening. Canvas have disappeared on the building that will serve as meeting point with the Star Wars characters. The roof remain to be completed, for now the metal structure which will be the support of X-Wing still appear. The ground surrounding this building is now in asphalt to the difference from the rest of the paved area. The metal structure of the entrance to the attraction are now installed. The entrance in the show building has also now changed, with two separate corridors and a less important ceiling height. Moreover, the path of the outdoor waiting area is changed to direct to the expansion waiting area to be used during the days with lots of visitors.

At Videopolis, the jungle Bells band is back on stage for a Christmas orchestra directed by Goofy an playing new interpretations of Christmas and Frozen tunes in a festive, dynamic and happy atmosphere!

And that's it for this new DLP update, more coming soon! In the meantime don't miss the Disneyland Paris book Christmas special offer as it's a chance for you to get this acclaimed 320 pages book at the best price ever! You'll hardly find a better Christmas gift for a Disneyland Paris fan so don't miss it as it is the last copies of the book which will not be reprinted! The Christmas offer is for both english update edition or the french collector's edition at 60€ ( + 15€ shipping worldwide ). And that include too a great additional surprise gift! 

Special note to buyers with a shipping address in Italy or Belgium : For shipments to Belgium or Italy, the shipping cost is 25 €.

To place your order please send an email to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com  - Please let me know in your email if you want the english or french edition!

Important note: shipping takes 3-4 days for France, 10-15 days to European countries, 2 to 3 weeks for countries outside Europe. To make sure you will receive the book on time for Christmas, if you buy it for a Christmas gift, please place your order as soon as possible, thanks!

You can pay with Paypal bus ending the full amount including shipping to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com or use the Paypal button below. The Paypal button works for both french or english edition but confirm me by email or in your Paypal payment which edition you want ( english or french ).
Also note that the Paypal button includes an additional discount for those who want to order 2 or 3 copies instead of one. 

If you do NOT have a Paypal account you can pay by credit card, or bank transfer, just send me an email about it at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com

Those of you who have never seen the book will find at the end of this DLP update a video presentation of the full book which will show you each of the 320 pages of the book AND you can see more pictures on the book website HERE

Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality Book

ONE Disneyland Paris Book English or French Edition €60.00 EUR TWO Disneyland Paris Book English or French Edition €125.00 EUR THREE Disneyland Paris Book English or French Edition €185.00 EUR

Although you've probably heard about this beautiful book, many of you may have never seen a copy of it. So we've done a video presentation of the full book which will show you each of the 320 pages of the book! The book includes 750 pictures of the park, including 250 gorgeous renderings of Walt Disney Imagineering and stunning pictures of the park seen from above. The book is so big that it took us seven and a half minutes to show you the full book, and that's without stopping turning each pages! So, if you want to have a closer look at a page don't hesitate to stop the video!

Pictures: copyright DLPWelcome

Is Hong Kong Disneyland Thinking to Tear Down Sleeping Beauty Castle and Build a New One? Answer: Probably Yes, and Here is Why

The big news of the day - though it's still only a rumor - was unveiled by WDW News Today: Hong Kong Disneyland is thinking to tear down their Sleeping Beauty Castle and build a new one!  As WDW news Today says "i've heard some crazy rumors in my lifetime, but never in a million years could I fathom that a Disney theme park would remove its castle. Surprisingly, it seems that Hong Kong Disneyland park will be…"

As, yes, Hong Kong Disneyland is unhappy with the size of its copy of Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle and they find the castle itself rather unimpressive, specially now that that the huge Shanghaî Disneyland castle exist. According to WDWNT "the project is part of a rumored second expansion phase of the park that would include new attractions as well."
More in WDWNT full article HERE.

Now, do you want my feeling about this rumor? Of course you do, so here it is: watch this one closely as my feeling is that it could very well happen, as crazy as it sounds. They won't have a castle as big as in Shanghaî, thanks God, but i'm pretty sure that everyone of HKDL execs - including Bob Iger and the folks of Hong Kong administration - agree that the size of the castle is a problem. Now that they have a huge castle in Shanghai, the one at HKDL looks ridiculously small and i think they understood it’s a big problem to make the park a success, whatever attractions they add at HKDL. After, as usual, it's all about money and if they're willing to spend it or not, but if they announce it officially someday i won't be surprised as there will be some logic in that, including a financial logic. 

Yes, the whole thing sounds unthinkable but remember that the reason why HKDL Imagineers used the blueprint of the original Disneyland castle - as well as those of DL Main Street U.S.A - was because Eisner was not willing to give more budget to the park. Although HKDL Imagineer side a greta job it was of course a mistake as each Disney Magic Kingdom should have it's own design for the castle, as it also gives its own identity to the park. Now, how big a new HKDL castle could be? The layout of the park as it is could probably accept a castle as big as the one at DLP - with a different design - but certainly not as big as the ones at WDW or TDL. The new castle would have to be more vertical as there is less land available now that Fantasyland is built.

And if you ask how they will do if they destroy HKDL Castle to avoid an empty space at the center of the park while they build the new one, as it sure it won't look nice to have the works visible, i think i've found what they'll do: they'll probably have a giant printed canvas, just like they do on Main Street buildings when they repaint them or on DLP Main Street Station recently ( see picture below ) with the concept-art of the new castle printed on it, that's the best way to do it, i think.




Let's end with an Editing: It didn't took me long to check this rumor and, guess what, the rumor is TRUE! It doesn't mean that they are GOING to do it, but it means that they are seriously THINKING about doing it. WDWNT say that Disney should make an announcement soon, but "soon" could mean next month or in six, or one year, so we may have to wait a bit to have an official confirmation.

Pictures: copyright DLPWelcome, Disney and more 

Shanghai Disneyland Breaks Ground on Toy Story Land - Opening Scheduled For 2018 !

It was awaited to be the next Shanghaî Disneyland attraction and it is now confirmed as SDL breaks ground for Toy Story Land. It will be the 7th themed land of Shanghaî Disneyland and will be locate behind Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Below, full SDL press release:

Shanghai, November 10, 2016 – Woody, Buzz and all of their Toy Story friends will soon be entertaining guests at an all-new land of their own in Mainland China. One of The Walt Disney Company’s most popular franchises will have an even bigger presence at Shanghai Disney Resort’s theme park, Shanghai Disneyland, when the park opens its 7th themed land. Leadership from the joint venture’s two shareholders, The Walt Disney Company and the Shanghai Shendi Group, recently broke ground on the new themed land, in a sign of their confidence in the growing consumer demand for themed entertainment in China, and as a clear sign of the early success of Shanghai Disney Resort.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with Shanghai Disneyland’s first four months of operation and couldn’t be more excited about our future in mainland China,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We’re demonstrating our confidence by breaking ground on a new Toy Story Land that will be both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese, delighting our guests for years to come.”

Toy Story Land will be a high-spirited, colorful world where guests will enter the backyard of Andy, the boy from the movies, and will feel as if they’ve been shrunk down to the size of their favorite Toy Story toys for laughter and fun. The toys come to life and play in a fully immersive land with three new attractions and a uniquely themed character greeting area.

“Since its opening in June this year, Shanghai Disneyland’s operation has run smoothly and our guests have been very enthusiastic. We have received positive feedback from the entire society – all of which makes us excited about the future,” said Fan Xiping, chairman of Shanghai Shendi Group. “The newly announced Toy Story Land is part of the accelerated expansion plan for the first phase of the theme park. Both shareholders will continue to launch more new experiences to meet the needs of our guests from China and all over the world.”

Characters and stories from the Toy Story franchise have strongly resonated with Chinese guests. Shanghai Disney Resort has the only Toy Story-themed resort hotel in the world, and Shanghai Disneyland also has the popular Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue attraction, a guest favorite which features the most advanced Buzz Lightyear targeting system at any Disney Park in the world.

“Walt Disney once said that Disneyland, and by extension, all of our theme parks, would never be complete, that they would continue to grow as long as there is imagination in the world,” said Philippe Gas, general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. “We are so excited to bring this same sense of imagination and optimism to Shanghai and look forward to growing our resort together with our guests in China. This is a great time to visit Shanghai Disney Resort and experience the magic of Disney.”

The new Toy Story Land, with unique attractions and experiences guests can only have at Shanghai Disneyland, is set to open in 2018.

Picture: copyright Disney - Shendi

Universal Beijing Construction Starts !

We're back in Asia for today's D&M update as, good news, The construction of Universal Beijing has started! For now of course it's just ground works for a theme park now scheduled to open in 2020 instead of 2019, which leave more time to Shanghai Disneyland before facing the competition of Disney's biggest competitor.

The non-officially released map below shows pretty clearly that Universal Beijing envision a second theme park, and more hotels ( six if my count is right ) and even a City Walk and a water park!



On a recent presentation the map below was shown. The original picture was posted on Themeparx but i tried my best to enhance it to have a better look and it indeed confirm the map above and that multiple hotels are envisioned.






Are they thinking to build a Volcano Bay for the water park of Universal Beijing as this non-officially released rendering may indicate? Mmmmh... if yes, did someone told them that the climate is not really the same at Beijing than at Orlando?



Anyway, we're looking to learn more about Universal Beijing in the future but ...wouldn't it be great if Universal could also think to build one in Europe? After all, back in the 9à's they had plans to build a Universal Studios at Melun, 30 km from Paris...

Pictures: copyright Universal Studios

HKDL Iron Man Experience Update! New Ride Infos, First Pictures of Stark Expo and Queue Decor, and more!

Hong Kong Disneyland released new infos about the awaited Iron Man Experience ride as well as the video below and the attraction opening date: January 11, 2017! But guests staying at HKDL hotels will enjoy from December 23 a preview of the ride, so if you're staying there for Christmas you'll be the first ones to enjoy Iron Man Experience. It probably also mean that we should get the first videos on Youtube, hey, right for Christmas! 

Thanks to the video we have plenty of first pictures of the different "halls" and i did screen captures for you! 

(HONG KONG, NOVEMBER 7, 2016) The much-awaited Disney Parks’ first Marvel-themed ride, Iron Man Experience – Presented by AIA, will launch at Hong Kong Disneyland on January 11, 2017. For the very first time, this new ride-through attraction is featuring a story based in Hong Kong. Guests will be able to soar through Hong Kong’s skies alongside Iron Man and battle the evil forces of Hydra in the multi-sensory immersive motion experience.

“Hong Kong Disneyland is excited to bring the first-ever Marvel-themed ride in a Disney Park to Hong Kong,” said Samuel Lau, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. “The Iron Man Experience is a unique immersive motion experience using Hong Kong as the story background for the very first time. We are proud to give local and overseas guests a different perspective and experience of Hong Kong while promoting our vibrant city to the world at the same time.”

The Resort today also announced a corporate alliance with AIA, which will be the presenting sponsor of the Iron Man Experience.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Hong Kong Disneyland in presenting Disney Parks’ first Marvel-themed ride, Iron Man Experience,” said Jacky Chan, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau. “This initiative is in perfect alignment with the criteria of AIA Hong Kong’s sponsorship strategy. It is a popular world-class event that can be enjoyed by members of the public. The event will create happy memories with the community, it also strengthens our brand promise to be ‘The Real Life Company’ by bringing an exciting experience to people of all ages. Most importantly, it gives us the opportunity to make a positive difference by helping people live healthier, better and happier lives.”

Take flight with Iron Man above Hong Kong

The eminent innovator and pioneer, Tony Stark has selected Tomorrowland in Hong Kong Disneyland to host Stark Expo, where he will show off his latest high-tech creations in various exhibition halls – the Hall of Legacy, the Hall of Protection, the Hall of Energy and the Hall of Mobility. Guests will be among the first to explore Tony Stark’s latest innovations up close and fly in a gravity-defying Iron Wing flight vehicle in Iron Man Experience. He has also made Hong Kong the Asia headquarters of Stark Industries hereafter.

The park has spent over three years to design and create Iron Man Experience – complete with flight simulators, 3-D projection, surround sound and other special effects that immerse guests in the Marvel story of a battle with the evil forces of Hydra.

For the first time, the park has integrated strong Hong Kong elements into a park attraction by using Hong Kong and its skyline for the fly-through ride. After putting on a pair of StarkVision glasses and taking off on Stark Industries’ special Expo-edition Iron Wing, guests will make their way to the Hong Kong Stark Tower powered by the arc reactor and whizz alongside Iron Man through streets that resemble those in West Kowloon and downtown, and fly over iconic Hong Kong landmarks like Tsing Ma Bridge, Victoria Harbour and the city’s pristine mountain ranges.

The Hall of Mobility shows models of Tony Stark inventions, as well as one of the Iron Man ride simulator.
























Some shots of what is most probably the pre-show film before boarding in the simulator.

Want to know how look the inside of the Iron Man simulators? Have a look at Stan Lee interview in the video!

More Iron Man-themed experiences to be discovered at Tomorrowland

The Iron Man Experience will be complemented by a range of Iron Man-themed experiences unveiling at Tomorrowland in the run up to the grand launch of the Stark Expo. The brand-new Expo Shop is already opened to greet guests with a tantalizing range of 70-plus Hong Kong Disneyland exclusive Iron Man merchandise items and more than 250 items of Marvel-themed memorabilia, among them collectibles and toys, glowing key chains, souvenirs as well as apparels and accessories. Some of the exclusive apparels feature Hong Kong’s postcard-perfect scenery or Stark Expo themes.

In the Expo Shop, Iron Man fans get to try on Iron Man’s armor suit in the interactive game Become Iron Man at The Stark Expo. Through interactive motion-sensing technology, guests can experience the various functions of the armor and feel what it is like to be a super hero as they fight the forces of evil while zipping through streets that closely resemble Hong Kong. Guests can also take home a memento package featuring a digital photo collage of their Become Iron Man adventure, as well as a digital download of an approximately 35-second video of their transformation.

The park and hotel restaurants have prepared more than 25 Iron Man-themed food and beverage choices to refuel during the intense Iron Man Experience. Among the delectable choices are an Iron Man Waffle, Iron Man stein, Iron Man desserts at Chef Mickey Buffet and Iron Man beverages served at the resort hotels.

At the Iron Man Tech Showcase presented by Stark Industries, guests will find various Iron Man armor suits. Iron Man will also make his first appearance at Hong Kong Disneyland to meet and interact with guests.

Guests may chance upon an opportunity of a sneak preview, when the Iron Man Experience Sneak Peek is held from December 23, 2016 to January 8, 2017. Starting from December 23, 2016, guests staying at the resort’s two hotels will receive a Priority Admission Pass of Iron Man Experience to shorten the wait for their turn on the Marvel-themed ride.

Pictures and video: copyright Disney