We've got some great Imagineering news for this week-end as, during the Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, a new Star Wars land Imagineering video was presented to the audience, showing new Star Wars land artworks and WDI Imagineers at work at WDI. I did high-res screen captures for you but first, here is the video itself.
Now, let's have a closer look at it, would we? Let's start with the new artworks unveiled by this video showing scenes that will ( or eventually will not ) be created inside Star Wars land. Definitely click on each picture to see them in big size!
The artwork below is not really new but i add it here because of its good quality.
Now, we also have in this video plenty of great shots of Star Wars land Imagineers at work, whether they're drawing or painting...
...Sculpting models of buildings, mountains or creatures of the land...
...or testing the future attractions whether in virtual reality of in the "real" cockpit for the Millenium Falcon ride.
Some pictures of Star Wars land construction site at Disneyland were also shown...
And we also learn from the horse's mouth - i.e Imagineer Scott Trowbridge - exciting new details about the story behind this mysterious destination somewhere on the Outer Rim — lying on the edge of the Unknown Regions: "It's a new planet, a new place, the land has always been there, we are only just now able toe experience it. It's a remote frontier outpost that used to be a vibrant port but its prominence has fallen and faded a bit, but the most interesting people will be there". The remote village was once a busy crossroads along the old sub-lightspeed trade routes, but the prominence of the outpost has been bypassed with the rise of hyperspace travel. Now home to those who prefer less attention, it has become a thriving port for smugglers, rogue traders and adventurers traveling between the frontier and uncharted space. It’s also a convenient safe-haven for others intent on avoiding the expanding reach of the First Order. Unusual characters from across the galaxy have landed here, preferring the “no questions asked” environment as well as easy access to exotic supplies and an abundant supply of ready rogues looking to join a crew for their next adventure."
Imagineer Wendy Anderson added "There will be a presence of the Resistance and the First Order."And about the Millenium Falcon ride Imagineer Asa Kalma said "We're not just going to let you ride the Millenium Falcon, we're going to let you control the Millenium Falcon. You and your flight crew are going to be responsible for piloting". Many Astromech Droids will hang around in the land and blue milk will be available as drinks, too!
Don't miss the video of the full Star Wars Land panel filmed by Inside the Magic where you'll learn much more from WDI Imagineers!
Now, don't go away as there is more Star Wars news as Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald also announced that a new movie will be added to Star Tours late 2017 and the action will take place on the new planet Crait from Star Wars 8!
Pictures and video: copyright Disney, Inside the Magic
The first trailer of Star Wars : The Last Jedi coming in theaters this December has just been released at Star Wars Celebration in Orlando - and we've got a new poster, too!
The big news of the day is the announcement by Sea World of "Infinity Falls" a breathtaking raft ride coming in Summer 2018! :
"Rush the rapids on SeaWorld’s all-new river ride Infinity Falls coming Summer 2018. Climb aboard your raft for a journey of discovery down this lost jungle river. Wind your way around soaking fountains and waterfalls as you pass the remains of an ancient civilization. Hang on as the roaring world class rapids send you flying through chutes before you plunge down the tallest drop of its kind into churning whitewater. Your adventure ends at Harmony Village with a greater connection to the world’s rivers, inspired to spread the message of conservation. Explorers are wanted for the next expedition through Infinity Falls, coming to SeaWorld Orlando!"
“We are constantly looking at new ways to amaze our guests - Infinity Falls will do that, and more,” said Jim Dean, President of SeaWorld Orlando Parks. “From the excitement of the thrilling rapids, to the unique vertical lift element, it will be an adventure that appeals to the entire family. Infinity Falls continues our commitment to investing in our park, and developing new ways to entertain and inspire our guests with meaningful, fun-filled vacations.”
To bring Infinity Falls to life, designers were inspired by the rainforests of South America and the flowing rivers found within. Each raft will twist and turn through a lush jungle environment as guests experience the feel of exhilarating Class IV rapids. A unique vertical elevator will lift each raft for a dramatic launch into the river, 40 feet below.
“Water makes up more than 70% of our planet,” said Brian Morrow, Vice President of Theme Park Design Experience. “We developed Infinity Falls to tell new stories that showcase the beauty and sheer power of water and the amazing wildlife that lives in it. The result is a new river rapids adventure for our guests to explore, and actively help freshwater ecosystems in a way that only SeaWorld can bring to life.”
The addition of Infinity Falls is the perfect addition to SeaWorld’s ever-growing ride portfolio. From the roller coaster thrills of Mako, Manta and Kraken to the water flume fun of Journey to Atlantis, Infinity Falls will soon join the park’s famed attractions as a must-do experience in Orlando.
Infinity Falls will be the centerpiece of a newly themed surrounding area, fully immersing guests in a rainforest canopy. After riding the rapids on Infinity Falls, the entire family can explore the village and take part in interactive experiences that combine play with education to create a positive impact on freshwater ecosystems. SeaWorld’s Animal Ambassadors will also provide up-close encounters with animals native to South America.
Sea World released the great announcement video below, and more about others Sea World announcements on Orlando Sentinel HERE.
Disneyland Paris 25th Celebration happened this morning, April 12, and, boy, what an incredible, amazing, exhilarating celebration it was! Probably the best one i've seen so far with the WDW 25th Celebration 20 years ago. Probably ALL Disney characters were there, the sun and a clear blue sky also were there, and everyone, as well as DLP President Catherine Powell and 1000 Cast-Members, had an amazing energy to celebrate this 25th Anniversary!
I have two fantastic HD videos for you of the whole Celebration show - at the end of the article - one is the official one filmed by DLP ten cameras and the other one is from Max, D&M contributor who was on Central Plaza. But there is more to say about this celebration and the feeling it gives you, now that the park is brand new again after two years of a splendid renovation, and it's the feeling we have that Disneyland Paris is reborn today. If i can say, "the force is with Disneyland Paris again" and i hope they will keep it for the next 25 years and hopefully a bright future with new attractions coming in both parks to be announced soon. In the meantime let's have a look at this glorious day with dozens of pics!
Disneyland Paris fans came by thousands this morning and awaited with excitement the start of the show in Main Street and Central Plaza!
And here it started with Mickey, Minnie and dozens of others characters with DLP marching band!
Then came what we can call a genius idea, i.e FIVE different acts, each with dozens of dancers, characters, and more, one act for each land of the park, and the first one was of course for Main Street U.S.A, with the Aristocats characters and Olaf from Frozen.
Each time one act has ended the next one came in while the dancers and characters of the previous one went down Main Street. The next act was for Frontierland and was lead by Pocahontas and Pixar's Toy Story characters.
Next act was a tribute to Adventureland with Tarzan and Jane, Aladdin and Jasmine, Jack Sparrow and his pirates, Lion King characters, Baloo and King Louis, and many more!
The next act was a tribute to Discoveryland - the one with Fantasyland will come next. This act had Stitch and aliens, as well as dancers with costumes with a Discoveryland theming.
Meanwhile at Main Street Adventureland dancers were interacting with the guests...
It was time to pay tribute to Fantasyland and dozens of Fantasyland characters came out of the Castle!
But, as Disneyland Paris Castle is the one of Sleeping Beauty, Aurora and her Prince along with the three fairies had their own act.
Meanwhile, the previous "acts" with their group of dancers and characters were walking down Main Street U.S.A...
But don't go away as it is just the start of this amazing celebration! Next, came out of the Sleeping Beauty Castle dozens of others characters and dancers! Honestly, i don't see i've ever seen so many Disney characters all together at one time. What a memorable celebration...
The second part of this stunning celebration was about to begin with Mickey and dozens of Disney characters coming back up Main Street to the Castle, all standing in light vehicles.
All arrived then on Central Plaza where a ballet of dancers turned around Aurora and her Prince.
DLP President Catherine Powell came then on "stage" to thanks both all DLP cast-members and the guests for these first 25 years and she was also amazed, just like us, by the incredible show that just happened.
And there we go for the final act of this awesome DLP Celebration with one thousand DLP cast-members coming out of the castle to join the already hundreds of dancers and characters! Unbelievable.
Everyone went down Main Street once again for the Grand Finale...
What is also amazing in this celebration show is how everyone - including Catherine Powell as you can see on the picture above - had not only an incredible energy but the "perfect" energy that this 50 minutes show required. Time for you now to watch this live with the two videos below, the first one being the official DLP video - from where the screen captures above were taken - and the second one was filmed also in HD by Max from Central Plaza. Do NOT miss these videos as you won't see again such a show at Disneyland Paris anytime soon, mainly because of its cost, and also because you won't believe your eyes watching a such exhilarating show!
For the official DLP video below, you can start directly at 9.30 minutes as the show doesn't start before.
As Disneyland Paris celebrates its 25th Anniversary today i remind you the Special Offer for the fantastic Disneyland Paris "From Sketch to Reality" book ( De L'Esquisse à la Création en français ) 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 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!
Note in French for the French readers: Il reste 30 Exemplaires de l'édition Collector française qui ne sera PAS rééditée car c'était une édition limitée à 2000 exemplaires, donc ne tardez pas pour passer votre commande en m'envoyant un email à: neverlandeditions@gmail.com
The Special Offer is for both the English updated edition or the French collector's edition and the English edition is at 60€ / $65 ( instead of 85€ ) and the French Collector Edition is at 75€ ( instead of 100€ ). In both cases the shipping worldwide is 22€ ( $24 ). Shipping takes 3-4 days for France, 10-15 days to European countries, 2 to 3 weeks for countries outside Europe. Sorry for what may seem a high shipping cost but the package with the book is heavy ( 2,5 Kgs ) and the French post office also increased its prices. We also ship the books in the best box you've ever seen for a book to make sure they arrive in good condition, and this has a cost.
Usually the Special Offer includes a great additional surprise gift, but because we celebrate two anniversaries, this new special offer will include TWO great surprise gifts ( and believe me, you'll be VERY happy to get them! )!
Special note to buyers with a shipping address in Italy or Belgium : For shipments to Belgium or Italy, the shipping cost is 29 €.
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!
You can pay with Paypal by sending the full amount - including shipping - by Paypal to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com or you can use the Paypal buttons below. ( make sure to choose the right button for the rich edition ). Thanks to 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 and i will let you know how to do.
Those of you who have never seen the book will find below 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
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 and videos of DLP Celebration: copyright Disney, DLPWelcome