Breaking: Sleighs Coaster Added to Hong Kong Disneyland Frozen Land - Now Edited with Latest Infos!

A new rendering has been released for Hong Kong Disneyland Frozen land, and it shows a major new addition that was not there on the first rendering, the one below...

And here is the new rendering, the new "sleighs" coaster is on the right.

A closer look at it reveal that it looks a lot like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, except that the coaster train has a design with sleighs instead than mine vehicles. But the exit from a cave and even the turn down hill look the same, meaning they might use the SDMT blueprint with a Frozen theme, and we don't know yet if there will be a scene with Audio-Animatronics inside the cave, or even if there will be a cave.

But you may remember that another attraction also with sleighs was announced for HKDL Frozen land - rendering below - which apparently would use the same technology than Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters at DCA Cars Land. This other one would be an indoor attraction, and all the question is: does this newly added sleighs coaster will replace the other sleighs attraction? And by the way, as a similar Frozen land is also coming to DLP Walt Disney Studios, will this sleighs coater be added too for the WDS Frozen land, or not?

Important Editing: After a double check, i have more infos about this sleighs coaster: First, and it's good to know, this rendering showing a sleighs coater is real, not a fake. BUT several different renderings were done, showing different options, with or without them, and this "new" rendering may be not that new and the sleighs coaster may or may not be included finally in the Frozen land, depending of the final choice, which itself will probably depend of the budget available. It doesn't mean that this sleighs coaster won't be done, whether at HKDL or eventually at DLP WDS Frozen land ( although the rendering shows clearly the HKDL version of the Frozen land ), it just means that there is no way to confirm it at 100% right now.

New Editing 5/6: According to Hong Kong Main Street Gazette, the completion of Hong Kong Disneyland's castle transformation has been pushed back from 2019 to 2020 and completion of the Frozen themed land has been pushed back from 2020 to 2021. Talking about Frozen land, the more i think about the new rendering we saw yesterday with the sleighs coaster, the more i think it was one of the different versions that were envisioned with the officially announced one being the final choice. Which would mean may be no sleighs coaster for HKDL Frozen land. We'll see what happen but so far, wrong or right, i don't feel it.

Pictures: copyright Disney

Oriental Movie Metropolis Part Two: The Wanda Vista Qingdao Movie Metropolis Hotel

In this part two article about Wanda's Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis which opened last week-end we'll have a closer look at the Wanda Vista Qingdao Movie Metropolis Hotel. Set in Qingdao,it's a 5-star hotel featuring a fitness centre and views of the sea as it is build on an island. With a garden, the property also features a terrace. Qingdao International Airport and Qingdao North Railway Station are both a 1-hour drive away.

Now, why do i talk today about this Wanda Vista Qingdao Movie Metropolis hotel? One of the reason is because it looks like very much like Wanda's answer to Disney's lavish Shanghaî Disneyland Hotel. And not only because both are 5 stars hotels but also in the style and even the architecture as, although different, the architecture of this Wanda Vista hotel is not that far to the SDL Hotel. Both are near water, a lake or the sea, and although Wanda's Movie Metropolis has an indoor theme park which won't compete with Shanghaî Disneyland, both will have guests from the parks, as well as stars from movies productions in the case of the Wanda hotel. 


Looking at the inside it may look different specially because the color palette is not the same, here more in the blue tones but the Wanda hotel has what i could qualify as a "Chinese modern art-deco" style when the Shanghaî Disneyland Hotel, also with a 1930's art-deco style try more to replicate the art-deco style with a Disney flavor, and i'm not sure that the SDL Hotel, although very nice is the winner. So let's have a look at pictures of this new Wanda hotel which like the SDL Hotel also have high ceilings and columns. Make sure to click on the pictures to see them in big size.





Some pictures of the restaurants...














Let's look at pictures of the rooms, suites and bathrooms...

There is two hotels one next to the other on the island, so i'm not sure in which one are the rooms below... 

Very nice pool...



...and the inevitable Convention Halls and Wedding Ballroom.









Okay, the style is quite a Chinese lavish style, i agree, but it's not that bad, could easily have been worst, and there is some parts of it that i even prefer to the SDL Hotel. Those interested can find rooms on Agoda.com HERE or Booking.com HERE, prices start around 200€. 

Pictures: copyright Wanda Hotels

WDW Toy Story Land Slinky Dog Dash Coaster Will Include a Wheezy Audio-Animatronic - Video

As announced by ABC, several sequences about WDW new Toy Story land were aired testerday on ABC, here is the first one, aired in Good Morning America...



Also, a new video showing the Slinky Dog Dash coaster was released.




And most of all we learned that a Wheezy Audio-Animatronic will appear at the end of the Slinky Dog Dash coaster, and Wheezy is singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” assisted by Mike (the tape recorder), who gave to Wheezy a microphone, and Mr. Spell, who “texts” funny commentary.


 

Wanda's Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis - China's "Hollywood" Production Studios - Opens !

China Wanda's Billionaire Wang Jianlin and self declared Shanghaî Disneyland biggest foe opened its $8 billion Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis - or Dong Fang Ying Du - on Saturday. The project is claimed to be the world’s largest studios, and also include a commercial complex covered with giant portraits of Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and Bruce Lee. There’s also a reclaimed island with luxury hotels, condos, two theaters and a yacht club.



Covering an area equivalent to more than 200 football fields, the 400-acre Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis has been touted as China’s answer to Hollywood. Wang, whose group controls U.S. cinema chain AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc and U.S. studio Legendary Entertainment, promised generous subsidies for film makers but indicated a focus on China’s domestic film market.






“We will boost the Chinese movie industry development,” Wang said at the project’s opening ceremony. “We will also turn Qingdao into a global hub for film,” he said, making no reference to Hollywood in his brief speech.


Years ago, at the 2013 breaking ground event, Wanda had invited Leonardo Di Caprio, Nicole Kidman and John Travolta along with Chinese stars. Last week-end was less glamorous with no red carpet or global superstars at the grand theater, where the one-hour ceremony took place, though hundreds of Chinese film industry representatives attended, as well as Hollywood executives and Chinese government officials.



The reason why is because the Wanda Group has been under tight government scrutiny in recent years, particularly over its high profile overseas investments with the acquisitions of Legendary Entertainment and AMC Theatres.

One of the most interesting part of Oriental Movie Metropolis are the street sets which recreate the Shanghaî of mid last century, to be used of course in film production.











No movie metropolis without huge letters on a hill, like the "Hollywood" letters in L.A, and here too the title can be seen miles around.


The studios’ executive CEO Alvin Fu told Variety that "complex’s largest studios (with a floor area of 3,000m2 or roughly 300,000 square feet) are fully booked through the second half of 2018 and will serve as production base for Chinese epic fantasy “Fengshen Trilogy” and a pair of unnamed Hollywood productions. One of them expects to use the studios’ underwater stage and exterior water tank, the world’s largest".The Studios also include a 10,000 m2 soundstage, claimed to be the world’s largest one, something we can believe easily when seeing the size of it.



One thing is sure, they will make movies there, and in a part two article coming soon i will talk about the luxurious Wanda Vista Qingdao Movie Metropolis Hotel, and you'll see the reason why.

Pictures: copyright Wanda, Forbes, Reuters, DR

New Incredibles 2 Japanese International Trailer Includes Tons of New Footage !

The new Incredibles 2 Japanese International Trailer recently released includes tons of new footage never seen before, and here it is!




Picture and video: copyright Pixar

New Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer and Poster !

A new poster for Ant-Man and the Wasp, to be released in theaters on July 6, has been released as well as a new trailer!





Yesterday, a "teaser for the new trailer" was also release with the first trailer, you also have it below!




Picture and video: copyright Marvel

New Solo: A Star Wars Story Featurette "Becoming Solo" Shows Tons of New Footage !

Lucasfilm released a new featurette for Solo: A Star Wars Story! Introduced by Ron Howard, screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, and actors Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover and Emilia Clarke, the featurette is titled "Becoming Solo" and shows tons of new footage never seen before, so don't miss it!




Picture and video: copyright Lucasfilm

DLP Rumor : WDS Art of Disney Animation Post-Show Room to Be Transformed in "Blue Sky Disney" Area to Preview Walt Disney Studios Expansion ?

I’ve got something interesting for you today about DLP Walt Disney Studios expansion. As we know DLP WDS will go through a massive expansion with a new Star Wars land, Frozen land, and a Marvel land, which will be the first one to come. All these with new attractions. Now, when Disney’s California Adventure went through its long placemaking some years ago a “Blue Sky Disney” area was created showing renderings and models for the upcoming attractions - it even reopened recently at DCA for the making of Pixar Pier.

Wouldn’t it be great if they would do the same at Disneyland Paris for Walt Disney Studios expansion? Well, today’s info should make happy DLP fans as a Blue Sky Disney area apparently will be created, using the post-show room of The Art of Animation attraction. It’s of course not yet official, it might take at least one more year before the transformation of the post-show room begin, and questions also remain about the Art of Animation attraction itself as guests exit the attraction precisely through this post-show room. Will they keep the attraction itself or will it be changed? As just a few people each day now do The Art of Animation attraction, it will be interesting to see what will happen of it. Also, as this has not be confirmed yet to me this info must definitely be considered as a “rumor” until an official announcement or a future D&M confirmation, in case they would change their plans in the meantime.



But, as you can see on the above rare WDI rendering showing the Art of Animation post-show room there is plenty of space in it to display artworks or models of WDS upcoming lands and rides - actually it’s even the perfect place to create a “Blue Sky Disney” area at the Walt Disney Studios to preview its expansion. Now let’s cross our fingers it will become reality, and if it does, remember you’ve read it first on D&M!

Pictures: copyright Disney

China Eastern Airlines Toy Story Airplane Launched in Shanghai!

On April 28th, a 'Disney Toy Story' aircraft launched in Shanghai, thanks to a joined venture between China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Disney Resort. A flying Buzz Lightyear is painted on one side of the exterior, and Woody is on the other.



But there is much more to makes it a unique Toy Story experience, and even starting at check-in, as check-in machines are Toy Story themed, and the desks feature images of the characters.

Inside the plane, the top of the cabin features artwork of Woody and Lotso, among others. Luggage compartments above the seats are sky blue, with cartoon clouds and other Toy Story characters drawn on. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are on display. The seats and trays again feature colorful depictions of the characters, and the headphones and other accessories are all themed to further enhance the experience. Menus also revolve around Toy Story characters, with themed cutlery and food and drink options.






China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Disney Resort corporate partnership started in 2016, and since two other Disney themed aircrafts were released , featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse.