Saturday, December 2, 2017

Photos, Videos : Shanghai Disney Resort Christmas Holidays Season



Shanghai Disney Resort Christmas season has started and Disney and more has a special week-end update for you with new videos filmed this week at Shanghaî Disneyland, pictures from D&M faithful reader Chris, and all details about the holidays season with SDL official press release!

Shanghai Disney Resort is hosting one of the most authentic Christmas celebrations in Shanghai, sparking the Christmas spirit and bringing the joy of the holiday season to guests. Starting November 27, Shanghai Disney Resort will become one of the first places in the city to light up with Christmas magic, unveiling Disney-themed traditions, including a signature daily tree lighting ceremony lasting through January 1, 2018. The resort wide festive décor, scrumptious new holiday menus, exclusive themed merchandise, and many more merry surprises will form a perfect Christmas gift for guests to share with family and friends now and every year at Shanghai Disney Resort.

Experiencing an Authentic Winter Wonderland in Shanghai

This winter, Shanghai Disney Resort will be brimming with genuine decorations and authentic holiday entertainment—making guests feel as though they have been transported to a whimsical Christmas wonderland. The entire resort will be swathed in garland, ornaments, Mickey Mouse-shaped Christmas wreaths and traditional red bows, adding to the festive atmosphere at every turn. As one of the most beloved symbols of the season, guests will be able to take in the splendor of decorative Christmas trees throughout the resort, including the 60-foot tall Christmas tree in Shanghai Disneyland, the ornate tree in Disneytown, and themed Christmas trees bringing extra joy to the resort’s two hotels.



















As a special highlight of the holiday season, guests will enjoy an awe-inspiring nightly “When We’re Together” Tree Lighting Ceremony in front of the Enchanted Storybook Castle. Each evening, Olaf from Frozen will take guests on a quest to uncover beloved holiday traditions, and as they discover the tree lighting tradition, the resort’s soaring Christmas tree will come to life with shimmering lights—dazzling guests with this heartwarming Christmas tradition in truly magical Disney style.




New Themed Entertainment to Celebrate Christmas The Disney Way

As guests enter the park ready to revel in the joy of the season, Mickey and Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Duffy, ShellieMay and other Disney friends will welcome guests in their favorite Christmas attire to spread the holiday spirit. What’s more, dressed in his iconic Santa suit and white beard, Santa Goofy will delight guests of all ages, sending warm season’s greetings and snapping holiday photos.




Each morning, guests can also join characters and the Shanghai Disneyland band dressed in their holiday best for a lively new performance: Happy Holidays Mickey! Throughout the day guests can enjoy pop-up shows of Christmas Swing as Mickey and the gang gather for fun high-stepping routines.




Get Holiday Shopping Done Early with Christmas Merchandise Rolling Out Across the Resort

Gifting is one of the most popular Christmas traditions, with Santa leaving surprises under the tree and thoughtful presents swapped amongst family and friends. A magical day at Disneyland is a perfect gift to give a loved one, and guests can even bring the memory of their visit home, sharing the magic with special gifts for friends and family. This holiday season, Sweethearts Confectionery will transform into a Christmas Gift Shop, immersing guests in the exciting holiday atmosphere with unique Christmas collectibles and some of Shanghai Disney Resort’s exclusive sweet treats, like Christmas Minnie candy apples. Shanghai Disney Resort’s full line of Christmas merchandise includes 40 limited-release products, with seasonal offerings including Christmas stockings, festive home décor and exclusive fleece throws, decorative ornaments, souvenirs and holiday greeting cards, Christmas sweaters, Santa hats, reindeer beanies, Christmas light bulb necklaces, and much more. Shanghai Disney Resort is also unveiling exclusive Duffy Bear and ShellieMay plush dolls featuring the two pals dressed in adorable Christmas hats and sweaters.




Guests Will Enjoy the First Taste of the Holidays with Themed Food and Beverage Offerings

A Christmas celebration wouldn’t be complete without traditional holiday treats. This season, Shanghai Disney Resort is rolling out limited-time tasty delights across the resort in honor of the holiday, including a brand new Christmas menu at the Royal Banquet Hall featuring traditional seafood and beef inspirations, Christmas log cakes, mulled wine and much more. The special Christmas Family Feast at Wandering Moon Restaurant will include a variety of holiday delights, including Disney’s world-famous turkey legs. Remy’s Patisserie will also be bursting with new holiday specialties including fruitcakes, cupcakes and a lovely hot beverage series with Mickey sleeves which will go perfectly with the Mickey Waffle and Donald Waffle from Il Paperino to complete a classic comforting treat. During the holidays, guests will even find new Duffy popcorn buckets available exclusively at the resort, with Duffy donned in a special Christmas cap.






The Christmas Celebration Continues in Disneytown and the Resort’s Two Hotels

Disneytown will also transform into a can’t-miss Christmas destination this winter. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from December 1 to the first day of 2018, Disneytown will host an authentic Christmas Market featuring craft stations, food booths and other holiday-themed activities hosted out of decorative wooden kiosks just like holiday markets around the world. Bringing some more traditional holiday charm, a quartet of Christmas Carolers will meander through Disneytown singing holiday classics for all to enjoy. Guests can even make a special visit to see Saint Nick himself at Santa’s House in the Lakeshore District. Photo locations featuring images of Mickey and Minnie will give guests the opportunity to snap classic holiday portraits to remember their visit. Mickey will also make a special appearance and join the carolers in leading the Disneytown Tree Lighting Ceremony.




Christmas surprises continue at the resort’s two hotels. Toy Story Hotel will boast fun holiday festivities and décor to get guests of all ages into the holiday spirit. Shanghai Disneyland Hotel will be decorated for Christmas, with elegant wreaths, timeless decorations and cheerful holiday music, including its own quartet of carolers during the month of December. A formal Christmas dinner at the hotel’s Aurora restaurant or a feast with family or friends at Lumiere’s Kitchen featuring a whole roast Turkey, fresh seafood, fructose bread and Christmas Log Cake will also be an unforgettable dining experience during the Christmas season.

And of course, the not-to-be-missed show when on visit SDL is the spectacular Ignite the Dream projection show on the castle!




And that's it for this Shanghaî Disneyland Christmas update! D&M will be back soon with a new one, in the meantime if you're looking for a fabulous Christmas gift for Disney fan i remind you that the Disneyland Paris book has currently a Christmas special offer on its last english copies and here is all you need to know to order a copy of the "Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality" book and have it in time for Christmas.

First, it's a 320 pages book with 750 pictures of the park including 250 WDI artworks! It's also probably the best Christmas gift you can find for a Disney Parks fan - and it is true! Read below how to place your order.

To place your order for the DLP book, please send me an email at: amplittaye@gmail.com with your shipping address. The price during the Christmas special offer is 65€ ( instead of 75€ ) and shipping worldwide is 22€ ( except Belgium and Italy for which it is 29€ ).

For French readers a PDF file of the full French text of the French edition will be sent.
Lecteurs Français: Etant donné que l'édition française est épuisée, un fichier du texte complet original en Français sera envoyé aux acheteurs Français ne comprenant pas l'anglais.

Also, each order will receive two GREAT surprise gifts!

You can pay with Paypal, credit card or bank transfer. For Paypal payments please send directly the full amount  including shipping ( 87€ worldwide, except for Belgium and Italy for which it is 104€ ) at: nme4@wanadoo.fr  If you wish to pay by credit card and bank transfer, let me know in your email and i'll tell you how to do.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To make sure you'll get the book for Christmas please place your order as soon as possible, thanks!









If you've never seen the book before, please watch the video below showing the full 320 pages of the book!



Videos: copyright TDR Explorer, Yan Wan Phang, Thingamavlogs, Disney and more

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Shanghai Disney Resort Unveil New Toy Story Land Artworks and Details - Opening Summer 2018


Shanghai Disney Resort unveiled today new artworks and details about the awaited new Toy Story land to open next Summer 2018! Here is the full press release from SDL:

Shanghai Disney Resort Unveil New Magic: Woody, Buzz and Their Toy Story Friends Come to Life at an All-New Land of Their Own as Shanghai Disneyland Expands

Shanghai, November 30, 2017 – 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 expands to include its 7th themed land. Shanghai Disney Resort today revealed details of the highly anticipated Disney Toy Story Land, the first post-opening expansion of the resort. The new land will feature attractions and entertainment celebrating fun and imagination for guests of all ages, and provide yet another reason for them to be immersed in the unparalleled storytelling and creativity of Shanghai Disneyland for multiple-day visits. Disney Toy Story Land is a sign of the early success of Shanghai Disney Resort, and demonstrates the confidence the joint venture shareholders have in the growing consumer demand for themed entertainment in China.

Based on the Disney·Pixar motion picture series, Disney Toy Story Land will be a high-spirited, colorful world where guests will feel as if they’ve been shrunk down to the size of their favorite Toy Story toys for laughter and fun with family and friends in the backyard of Andy, the boy from the movies. Woody, Buzz and their Toy Story friends come to life and play in this fully immersive land, which features three new attractions and a uniquely themed character greeting area.

Slinky Dog Spin: Slinky Dog has been amusing the toys all day long by chasing his own tail round- and-round a giant dog dish filled with toy bones – and soon Shanghai Disneyland guests will be invited to become the “honorary toys” in Disney Toy Story Land, where they will be able to take a seat inside Slinky Dog’s springy spirals and race around a wavy roundabout.


Rex’s Racer: Rex, Andy’s insecure Tyrannosaurus Rex toy enjoys playing with RC Racer almost as much as he likes playing video games. With help from his Triceratops friend Trixie, Rex will invite guests to climb into RC for a thrilling ride on the U-shaped track. With Rex at the controls, RC Racer, with guests aboard, zips forward and backward at ever increasing heights and exhilarating speed.


Woody’s Round-Up: Sheriff Woody has rounded up a herd of ponies, each one pulling a cart, in a ranch set up by Andy. Guests can climb aboard the carts as the ponies start a little square dance swinging their carts to and fro in time to the lively music.



Meeting Post: Next to Woody’s Round-Up is Old West, a town made up of a hitching post and façades for various enterprises, such as the sheriff’s office, the saloon and the bank. Here, guests can meet and pose for photos with some of their favorite Toy Story characters, including Woody, Jessie and Bullseye.

Guests can extend their Disney Toy Story Land experience with the fun, immersive shopping and dining opportunities in Al’s Toy Barn, the merchandise shop where some of Andy’s toys have been purchased, just like in the movie, and Toy Box Café, a restaurant themed to Andy’s packing boxes for Buzz Lightyear, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head and Lotso Hugging Bear. Characters and stories from the Toy Story franchise have strongly resonated with Chinese guests. Shanghai Disney Resort has the only Toy Story-themed hotel in the world, while Shanghai Disneyland is home to 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.

With unique experiences guests can only enjoy at Shanghai Disneyland, the new Disney Toy Story Land is set to open by summer 2018.

As you've seen two of the rides - Slinky Dog Spin and Rex's Racer are similar to the ones existing at DLP WDS or HKDL Toy Story lands, but the third one, Woody's Round-Up is a new version of one similar ride at DCA, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Also, apparently the currently poorly themed Toy Box Café will also be re-themed, which is a good news.

Pictures: copyright Disney, Shendi

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Disney and Oriental Land Plan Tokyo Disney Resort's Largest Expansion in 20 Years !



Although Disney or Oriental Land did NOT announce it officially - there is no press release on the Oriental Land website, i checked - the exciting news that Tokyo Disney Resort will add a third theme park, with works starting in 2023 or 2025 depending of the articles is all over the net.

Editing 12/1: Apparently it's won't be a new theme park but an expansion of the size of the park(s) by 30 percent to help deal with rising visitor numbers, including an influx of overseas tourists, according to Japanese business daily the Nikkei. The expanded area - which will be the largest expansion in 20 years - will include new attractions, and is set to open in 2023.

Here is the full original Kyodo News article about this new Disney park in Japan:

"Tokyo Disney parks operator is planning a 300 billion yen expansion:

Oriental Land Co., operator of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, is planning to spend roughly 300 billion yen ($2.7 billion) to expand the two theme parks, sources with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday.

The company plans to start constructing the new areas - a 30 percent expansion of the existing parks - by 2025, one of the sources said.

To free up space, a parking lot adjacent to the parks within the sprawling Tokyo Disney Resort complex in Urayasu just outside of the capital will be turned multistory. The company is also looking to acquire additional land.

Oriental Land has entered negotiations on the new areas with Walt Disney Co., which licenses the rights to properties from Mickey Mouse to Star Wars, with the details to be ironed out by next May.

The investment, the company's largest since pouring 340 billion yen into the 2001 opening of DisneySea, is aimed at attracting older people and visitors from abroad to boost ticket sales that have stagnated amid Japan's falling birthrate and competition from rivals such as Osaka's Universal Studios Japan and other Disney parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The expansion will also serve to ease overcrowding at the parks. The new areas may carry a Japanese theme to appeal to foreign tourists, a source said.

The company's consolidated sales have seen virtually no growth since fiscal 2013 and visitors to both parks combined in fiscal 2016 fell slightly from the previous year to 30 million."


To know what will be in this new park you'll have to wait, according to the reports, until mid 2018, but it won't be a surprise if it will include some of the new lands that TDR currency don't have room to build, like a Marvel, Star Wars or Avatar land, for instance. Let's wait and see what will be announced!

First Trailer For Marvel Studios The Avengers : Infinity War !


The wait is over and the first trailer of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War is here! And so far it looks good!




Picture and video: copyright Marvel

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Disneyland Paris Unveil the Enchanted Advent Calendar



New this year at Disneyland Paris! From December 1st to the 25th, at the foot of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Enchanted Advent Calendar is highlighting festive and original creations from Les Délices de Minnie and products from our boutiques. This operation is the result of an impressive collaborative effort from our Food & Beverage, Merchandise, and Entertainment teams. The Advent calendar is set up on Central Plaza, standing 2.04 metres wide and 4m10 high!


Every day when Disneyland Park will open, the mayor of Main Street, U.S.A. and his assistant will pick a lucky child to open one of the calendar’s windows using a crank handle. Behind each window is a Golden Ticket which the child can swap for an enchanted surprise – mouthwatering Christmas sweets, or a gift from our boutiques in the spirit of the season! These carefully-selected products will also be available in some of the resort’s retail or restauration points, sometimes for a limited time. All the ingredients for an unforgettable Christmas!

Pictures: Copyright Disney

Monday, November 27, 2017

James Cameron Tells More About the Upcoming Avatar Sequels !



Vanity Fair has posted a great interview of James Cameron in which the filmmaker also dives into plans for continuing the Avatar and Terminator franchises, and about that time he almost got into a fight with Harvey Weinstein at the Oscars.

About the delays of the new Avatar movies in getting started, Cameron say:

"I wouldn’t call them delays. It was highly optimistic that we could start quickly until scripts are written. If there’s no scripts, there’s nothing, right? The scripts took four years. You can call that a delay, but it’s not really a delay because from the time we pushed the button to really go make the movies [until now,] we’re clicking along perfectly. We’re doing very well because of all the time that we had to develop the system and the pipeline and all that. We weren’t wasting time, we were putting it into tech development and design. So when all the scripts were approved, everything was designed. Every character, every creature, every setting. In a funny way it was to the benefit of the film because the design team had more time to work. . . . Most of the actors, the key principals, have all read all four scripts, so they know exactly what their character arcs are, they know where they’re going, they know how to modulate their arc now across the first two films. We all know where we’re supposed to be dramatically in the saga, and that’s great. Let’s face it, if Avatar 2 and 3 don’t make enough money, there’s not going to be a 4 and 5. They’re fully encapsulated stories in and of themselves. It builds across the five films to a greater kind of meta narrative, but they’re fully formed films in their own right, unlike, say, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where you really just had to sort of go, “Oh, shit, all right, well I guess I better come back next year.” Even though that all worked and everybody did.



And to the question "Will the Avatar sequels deal with some of the similar themes you addressed in the first film, in particular, the environment?", Cameron answer: "It will be a natural extension of all the themes, and the characters, and the spiritual undercurrents. Basically, if you loved the first movie, you’re gonna love these movies, and if you hated it, you’re probably gonna hate these. If you loved it at the time, and you said later you hated it, you’re probably gonna love these."

Don't miss the full Vanity Fair interview HERE as Cameron has more to say about the new Terminator movies coming, the HDR re-release of Titanic next month and even about the sale of Fox Movies to Disney, if it happen!

Walk Inside 2017 IAPPA Attractions Expo Just Like If You Were There



Walk inside 2017 IAPPA Attractions Expo just like if you were there with this "All New Theme Park & Roller Coaster Tech at IAAPA 2017" video posted by The Tim Tracker who also sell cool T-Shirts HERE!




Video: copyright The Tim Tracker