LIFE Disneyland Opening Day Pictures, Now in Glorious Colors!

LIFE Magazine photographer Allan Grant was there on Disneyland opening day, July 17 1955, and shot dozens of awesome pictures which now became historical. I had posted most of them on D&M years ago but recently LIFE re-released some of Allan pics with the colors enhanced, looking better than ever and colors more accurate, so i repost these new versions that i'm sure you will enjoy!





Above, Walt aboard the Disneyland Railroad and below interviewed by Art Linkletter.



Let's move To Fantasyland where Walt is ready to deliver his Fantasyland opening speech in from of TV Cameras.























Disneyland very first day parade!
 

A rare picture of Walt on opening day, sit in a Main Street vehicle.



Here is a scene that you will NEVER see again in your life! A Disneyland cast-member "playing" Mickey on Main Street, apparently waiting to enter "on stage", with DL guests all around her ( as it is a girl in the Mickey costume ) as well as others characters like the Mad Hatter and Chip and Dale AND holding the Mickey head in her hands instead to have it on her head! Okay, it was bloody hot on Disneyland opening day, so we don't blame her!

We move to Frontierland with shots of the Mark Twain and Frontierland Saloon on opening day!

'Time for some refreshments for the saloon girls!



Let's move to Tomorrowland now, with its awesome TWA rocket, its Space Bar, Autopia and these simply but greatly designed flat parasols under which guests could sit and avoid sun rays.













And that's it! A last picture of Walt shot during the same opening day,  which no doubt was for Walt the day of HIS LIFE!



Pictures: copyright LIFE Magazine, shot by Allan Grant

The Incredibles 2 Blu-Ray Will Include a Pixar short film "Auntie Edna"

The Incredibles 2 Blu-Ray will include a Pixar short film with the character Edna Mode. Brad Bird - who also did the voice of Edna - has revealed on Twitter that we'll find out what happened the night Edna babysat Jack-Jack in a short film called "Auntie Edna", directed by Incredibles 2 story supervisor Ted Matzot. It will be available in the bonis features of the Blu-Ray edition to be released on November 6, and digitally on October 23.

Picture: copyright Disney - Pixar

Epcot World Showcase Ratatouille Ride Will Open in May 2020

According to WDWNT the Ratatouille ride - currently in construction at Epcot World Showcase France Pavilion - has a May 2020 target date for its opening. The attraction will be similar to the one at DLP WDS.

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney's Hollywood Studios should open Summer 2019 and the Guardians of the Galaxy and TRON roller coasters will open for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2021.

Picture: copyright Disney

LAST CALL! Disneyland Paris "From Sketch to Reality" Book Summer Special Offer at the Best Price Ever Ends in 3 Days on Sept 10!

Last call for the Summer Special Offer on the LAST English copies of the acclaimed Disneyland Paris book "From Sketch to Reality" as the offer will end in three days on Sept 10!!!

It's your last chance to get a printed copy of this 320 pages gorgeous book at the reasonable price of $60 ...except if you want to pay later on Amazon.com between $2150 and $9995 - no kidding, check HERE- to others sellers!

Note: The French edition is totally out of stock but if you're French, and wish to purchase the book in its English edition i will send you a PDF file of the full French text of the French edition. There is also another special offer for French readers which is HERE, also ending soon.

Here is all you need to know to order a copy of the "Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality" book with the special offer. First, it's a 320 pages book with 750 pictures of the park including 250 WDI artworks! It's also probably the best gift you can find for a Disney Parks fan - and it is true! Have a look below to the mosaic pictures showing a selection of pages of the book.

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 special offer is 60€ ( instead of 85€ ) 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. Ou commandez le livre avec l'offre spéciale édition anglaise imprimée + eBook version française ICI.

Also, each order will receive GREAT surprise gifts!

You can pay with Paypal, credit card or bank transfer. For Paypal payments please send directly the full amount  including shipping, i.e 82€ worldwide, except for Belgium and Italy for which it is 89€ at: nme4@wanadoo.fr  If you wish to pay by credit card and bank transfer, send me an email at: amplittaye@gmail.com   and i'll tell you how to do.









If you've never seen the book before, don't miss the video below showing the full 320 pages of the book!

Shanghai Disney Resort to Participate in Shanghai Tourism Festival for the Fifth Consecutive Year ...and more at Singapore Orchard Road

Shanghai Disney Resort to Participate in Shanghai Tourism Festival for the Fifth Consecutive Year, here is SDL press release:

Shanghai, September 3, 2018 – Shanghai Disney Resort will participate in Shanghai Tourism Festival for the fifth consecutive year, marking the occasion by leading the float parade with its newly designed float – “Mouse Party”. The brand new float is designed to be a magnificent celebration, led by the most renowned mouse in the world – Mickey Mouse – bringing an authentic Disney party wherever it goes, sharing happiness and excitement with visitors from China and across the globe.

“With Shanghai attracting millions of tourists every year, we are so proud to see that Shanghai Disney Resort has rapidly become one of the country’s most popular destinations, benefiting significantly from the success of the city’s booming tourism industry,” said Philippe Gas, general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. “The theme of this year’s float is ‘Celebration’, and we look forward to helping our guests celebrate many of their important milestones with us for years to come.”

A number of colorful party elements will draw the audience into the float’s immersive and festive feel, including glowing stars, Mickey-shaped balloons, a huge spinning cake with Mickey features, and an illuminated castle made of party hats in various sizes and colors incorporated into the design. To top it all off, Mickey will also appear at the center of the float surrounded by his pals Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale.

The entire float will also be adorned with gifts from Mickey and his pals, wrapped with supersized red ribbons, helping to bring the celebratory atmosphere to local residents and millions of TV viewers across China. Twenty of Disney’s energetic performers will also be dancing alongside the float to the hit song “It Began with a Mouse”, introducing festival attendees and parade spectators to the magic and legend of Mickey Mouse.

2018 will mark the fifth consecutive time Shanghai Disney Resort has participated in the Shanghai Tourism Festival, with each float proving to be a huge hit with all in attendance. The resort was recognized as an “Excellent Organizer” last year, following its “Best Performance” award in 2016 and “Most Popular Float of the Year” award in both 2014 and 2015.

The float will make its debut on Saturday, September 15 at the 2018 Shanghai Tourism Festival’s Grand Opening Parade. Then, from September 16 through October 6, the float will cross the city, bringing the celebration to several areas of Shanghai and allowing more residents and tourists to get a taste of the Disney’s magic.

On October 6, the 2018 Shanghai Tourism Festival’s closing ceremony will be held at Shanghai Disney Resort’s Disneytown for the first time ever. Featuring an extension of the Disney experience, Disneytown is a unique destination for dining, shopping or catching a Broadway show.

Now, there is more, this time at Singapore famous Orchard Road as Disney and Pixar characters such as Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Elsa and Woody will be lining Singapore's shopping belt this Christmas season, as the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) partners the Walt Disney Company for the annual light-up event.

It will be Disney's largest Christmas street light-up in Southeast Asia, said ORBA in a media release on Tuesday (Sep 4). The association added that this is the first "branded light-up" in the event's 35-year history. A 2.88km stretch of Orchard Road - from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura - will be dressed in festive lights from Nov 10 to Jan 1.



There will be four zones that take on different themes - Disney Princess, Mickey Mouse and Friends, Frozen and Toy Story. The centrepiece of the light-up - the main arch at the Orchard Road-Paterson Road junction - will feature selected 3D Disney characters.

Trees on either side of the road will be decorated with illuminated 3D Mickey Mouse icons, ORBA added. Two malls – Orchard Central and Wheelock Place – will also be decorated with Disney characters.



Read more in the full article HERE.

Pictures: copyright Disney

Disney Release The Final Trailer For 'The Nutracker And The Four Realms"

Disney released the final trailer for 'The Nutracker And The Four Realms"and obviously saved the best trailer for the last one, here it is!




Picture and video: copyright Disney

Tokyo Disney Sea Celebrates Its 17th Anniversary - TDS Attraction Posters

Today is Tokyo DisneySea 17th anniversary - yes, TDS opened on Sept 4 2001, and by the way, now that i think about it that was just one week before Sept 11 attacks... - and i repost today a D&M article all about Tokyo Disney Sea's attraction posters thanks to TDS pictures that my friend Daniel has shot in  Japan. The attraction posters are always difficult to shoot as most of them are displayed behind a window glass and it's sometime difficult to avoid reflection but as usual i did my best to enhance the pictures.

Let's begin with Mysterious Island. Above is the Journey to the Center of the Earth attraction poster and below the one for 20000 LeaguesUnder The Sea .



Next one is the one for the Molly Brown, one of the boats from TDS Cape Cod.



Next attraction poster is the one for the Mermaid Lagoon Theatre...

The attraction poster below is the one for the second version of the Sindbad attraction in Arabian Coast.



Always at Arabian Coast, here is the poster for the Magic Lamp attraction.



In Lost River Delta, the attraction poster of Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull.

In Port Discovery, the attraction poster for Aquatopia...

...and the one for the now extinct Storm Rider attraction and the new Nemo and Friends.

Inside the S.S Columbia TDS guests can now experience a "Turtle Talk with Crush" at the "Undersea Observatory".



As you know, the TDS TOT version, located on the American Waterfront, has a different storyline not inspired by the Twilight Zone series as the TV series are not known or as popular in Japan as they are in the U.S and Europe. Instead, WDI Imagineers imagined a fictitious character named Harrison Hightower, adventurer, explorer, who bring back hundred of antiques from all around the world - and owner of the Hightower hotel. In the storyline Hightower disappeared a fateful night victim of the curse from the African statue Shiriki Utundu, stolen by him in Africa. By the way, you're probably aware of this already but i remind you that the face of Harrison Hightower is inspired by the one of WDI Imagineer Joe Rhode.



To help TDS guests to believe this amazing story many visuals elements are displayed by the "NYC Preservation Society" both inside and outside of the Tower of Terror. Outside, guests cas see fake old newspaper articles talking about Hightower expeditions, like this one below. Enlarge the picture to have a closer look at it.

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Another different one, shot at sunset.



Less known are these great fictitious pictures that guests can see inside the Hightower Hotel, always related to his "adventures". The one below refers to how Hightower learned the art of charming snakes in Bombay, in 1884!

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But my favorites are probably the visuals telated to the "Rajah's Pool", supposedly built inside the Hightower Hotel. The Rajah's Pool poster, below, looks great, doesn't it?



Same for this "old" 1895 Rajah's Pool picture which has a lot of charm.



Hope you enjoyed these Tokyo Disney Sea attraction posters articles, next week we'll be back to Tokyo Disney Resort on a different angle.

All pictures by Daniel Rous. Attraction Posters: copyright Disney Enterprises - Oriental Land Co.