Breaking: Universal Studios Beijing Master Plan Leaked

ThemeParkFan2020 has posted on Reddit the "Overhead permit view of Universal Studios Beijing". On this plan, rides are in red, shows are in orange. According to him, Universal Studios Beijing will have sixteen rides, nine shows and three or four coasters.”

The plan also confirm what i told you earlier this week in my D&M article HERE,  that Universal Beijing will have at its opening seven lands named:

Hollywood
Transformers Base
Jurassic World
Kung-Fu Panda
Waterworld
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Minion Land

The plan is not sharp enough to allow to read the name of rides and attractions - if one of you have a better vision than me and succeed to read them, let us know! - but we know already that some of Universal most favorite rides will be part of Universal Studios Beijing. Also, lands have been kept for future expansions of Harry Potter Wizarding World, Transformers Base and Minion Land!

Picture: copyright Universal Beijing

HKDL 2018 Halloween Season "Journey at Halloween Town" Walk-Through Videos

The Halloween season has started at Hong Kong Disneyland and the first videos appeared on Youtube. Villains Night Out! is now happening on Central Plaza and the new stage recently built in front of HKDL Castle and Hong Kong Main Street Gazette has posted a video of the full show.




But it's the brand new walk-through "Journey at Halloween Town", inspired by Tim Burton Nightmare before Christmas which was the most awaited...


During the day HKDL guests can meet Jack Skellington, Sally and Oogie Boogie at "Meet the Momnt" at the entrance of the path leading to the hidden pavilion where the walk-through is.




"Journey at Halloween Town" is a short but sympathetic walk-through and fans of Nightmare before Christmas will for sure love it! Here is the video filmed by Disney Magical Kingdom Blog.

There is more HKDL 2018 Halloween videos to watch at the Youtube channels of  Hong Kong Main Street Gazette HERE and Disney Magical Kingdom Blog HERE, so make sure to check them all!

Pictures: copyright Disney

Videos: copyright Hong Kong Main Street Gazette HERE, Disney Magical Kingdom Blog

It's a wrap! The Jungle Cruise Movie Has Completed Its Production - Video

It's a wrap! The Jungle Cruise movie has completed its production and Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson and the crew celebrate it in the video below! The movie is expected October 11, 2019!



Here is the synopsis: "Set in the 1930’s during the Great Depression, Frank (Dwayne Johnson), a riverboat captain, takes a scientist and his brother on a mission into a jungle to find a tree believed to possess healing powers. All the while, the trio must fight against dangerous wild animals and a competing German expedition."




Pictures and video: copyright Disney

Thoughts About the Mary Poppins "Flat Ride" Rumor...

WDWNT has posted today an article about a rumor of a Mary Poppins "spinner flat ride" coming at Epcot World Showcase United Kingdom pavilion. That could be a simple carousel but apparently not a full dark ride as we could have hoped - and should be done.

According to WDWNT the ride would likely replace the garden and bandstand area towards the back of the existing pavilion. Sure, they can always add a carousel near the U.K pavilion but that sounds a bit of a lazy idea to me. Then i reminded an old ride system that guests of Paris Jardin d'Acclimatation can always do, and it's this horse ride where you're sit on a wooden horse mounted on suspensions which move on a track around the garden.

Now, think about the horse race in the original Mary Poppins. You could have this moving around an english garden near the pavilion and going through some famous Mary Poppins scene and characters like the Penguins, etc... and eventually going inside a show building for a few seconds, etc... Sure, it's a ride system at least 60 years old, so nothing revolutionary here, but it could work with the traditional spirit of the U.K and could fit the theme of the Mary Poppins era. One problem, though: Florida weather, as when it will rain the ride will need to be stopped as guests will be soaked... Not sure too about the capacity per hour which apparently is of 200/250 Guests per hour at the Jardin d'Acclimatation...




There is surely better things to do for a Mary Poppins attraction, but i thought that if they don’t want to spend money on a big Mary Poppins ride - big mistake in my opinion - then this traditional horse ride would be better than a regular Carousel. I thought too about having guests sit at the start in a carousel from which the horses would « escape » like in the movie, and it surely would be even better...



...and it's at that point that i remembered that D23 had posted a great video with Disney Legend and Imagineer Tony Baxter in which Tony shares a great concept of a never realized Mary Poppins attraction that he designed a long time ago, even before he entered Walt Disney Imagineering - still called WED at that time. Here is the video with Tony presenting the concept, don't miss it!





Truth is that there is tons of things to do with Mary Poppins and with such great songs and music it’s a shame it has not been done already...let's wait and see if this rumor becomes real or not!

Pictures and video: copyright Disney, Disney and more

RED ALERT as Category 5 Super Typhoon Mangkhut Will Hit Hong Kong This Week-End After the Philippines!

RED ALERT if you are - or plan to be - in Hong Kong to visit Hong Kong and Hong Kong Disneyland in the next days as Super Typhoon Mangkhut will hit Hong Kong this week-end after the Philippines!

As the US east coast braces for Hurricane Florence, an even stronger super typhoon is barreling down on southeast Asia, with Hong Kong and Macau square in its path, and so Hong Kong Disneyland. Super Typhoon Mangkhut, known as Super Typhoon Ompong in the Philippines, is currently equivalent to a category 5 Atlantic hurricane, with winds of at least 252 kilometers per hour (157 mph), stronger than Florence, which is expected to cause massive flooding and devastation in the U.S North and South Carolinas this week-end. Again, Mangkhut is a Category 5 hurricane, so it's no jokin';

From CNN: "The worst of the storm will be borne by Hong Kong and Macau which are currently in the storm's path. Per current projections, Mangkhut could be one of the strongest storms to hit Hong Kong in over six decades.

As of early Thursday morning, both cities still had warning signals raised for the comparatively small Typhoon Barijat, as it passed over the Pearl River Delta into mainland China. Officials in Hong Kong held emergency meetings Wednesday, in which all departments were warned to have "their deployment and emergency response plans ready for the possible threats that may be brought to Hong Kong by Super Typhoon Mangkhut."



"As Mangkhut crosses the South China Sea, widespread wind damage will be likely in southern China and around Hong Kong by late in the weekend, especially in coastal locations," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said in a statement.

Multiple Hong Kong airlines, including flag carrier Cathay Pacific, have announced they will waive charges for rebooking or re-routing flights arriving or departing the city during the worst of the storm.

Queenie Lam, a senior scientific officer at the Hong Kong Observatory, told CNN that Mangkhut was "expected to pose a considerable threat to the coast of Guangdong" in southern China and would bring gale force winds to Hong Kong. She said HKO expects to lift the T8 warning signal as the storm nears the city, the second highest in severity."

Characters Posters for Disney's “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” - Preview Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios on October 5th!

Disney’s released a series of characters posters for “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” coming in theaters on November 2 in the U.S.

A 12 minutes Preview of “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is also coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios on October 5th!




Here is The Nutcracker and the Four Realms official synopsis:

 All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston.














Pictures: copyright Disney

Apple Special Event Fun Opening Video

Apple had a Special Event today and the announcements were all about the new iPhones and the new Apple Watch. The new iPhone XS and XS Max look great and they are as expensive a last year ( $999 and $1099 ). But the also new iPhone XR with a LCD Retina Display - instead than an OLED Screen for the XS and XSMax - will be available in six different colors and will have the same features but only one back camera instead of two and will cost $749 "only".

As for the Apple Watch, may be they will succeed to sell one to me someday... Since its original release i'm thinking "why would i need it?" and i'm still awaiting for one good reason to buy it. I also thought that the screen was ridiculously small. But the new Apple Watch Series 4 is slightly bigger in size ( + 4mm ) and the screen ( they say ) is 30% bigger. In addition there is plenty of cool features that you may or not need ( it detect if you fall and call automatically the programmed emergency number and send your location ), including an electro cardiogram allowing to know if your heart beat is normal ...of if you're living your last minutes! ;-)

The video below is the fun video which did the opening of today's Apple Special Event, right at the start, two and a half minutes before the Keynote began.




You can now see the full Keynote with the new iPhones and Apple Watch presentation HERE, and below the videos showing the three new iPhones and the Apple Watch Series 4, presented by Jony Ive, Apple famous designer.








Picture and video: copyright Apple

"Ralph Breaks VR" Virtual-Reality Experience Debuts Fall 2018 at WDW and Disneyland Resort

"Ralph Breaks VR" an all new Virtual-Reality experience will debut this fall at WDW and Disneyland Resort!

More details from the Disney Parks Blog: "This past winter, the groundbreaking hyper-reality experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire by ILMxLAB and The VOID launched to rave reviews at both Disney Springs and Downtown Disney District. Today, we’re thrilled to let you know that another hyper-reality experience from a beloved Disney universe is on its way: a one-of-a-kind, original adventure based on the upcoming Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Ralph Breaks the Internet” in theaters November 21.

 Beginning this fall, Ralph Breaks VR will put you inside a new multi-sensory Disney adventure where you’ll be immersed in the worlds of the internet and online gaming with Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope. To create Ralph Breaks VR and future hyper-reality experiences that allow you to explore amazing worlds and engage with favorite characters, The Walt Disney Company and ILMxLAB (Lucasfilm’s award-winning immersive entertainment division) are again collaborating with the team at The VOID. 



“Our filmmakers and the terrific people at ILMxLAB have collaborated to bring an incredible hyper-real experience, for all ages, to The VOID,” said Oscar-winning “Ralph Breaks the Internet” producer, Clark Spencer. “We can’t wait for people to be immersed in the worlds of the internet and online gaming with Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope.”

 “At ILMxLAB, we are truly excited for fans to ‘Step Inside Our Stories’ by extending our award-winning creative collaboration with The VOID across The Walt Disney Company. Together, we will soon invite guests into other beloved Disney franchises where they can explore rich worlds, engage with compelling characters, embark upon heart-pounding adventures, and indulge the senses — experiencing the magic as never before,” said Vicki Dobbs Beck, ILMxLAB Executive in Charge."

Pictures: copyright Disney

Universal Studios Beijing Update !

I've got a Universal Studios Beijing update for you today with pictures and new artworks, so here we go! On the plan above Universal Beijing is on the top right, opposite to it on the lower center left is a Volcano Bay water park, on the left of it is a City Walk, and on the top left is Universal Beijing second gate, and plenty of hotels here and there, see where will be what on the picture below.



You can find back the same areas / parks / hotels on the model picture below. Click on it to see it in big size, first park is always on the top right. Below, excerpts of a longer description for each land posted by our friends of Theme Parx. I strongly recommend to read the full description with more details HERE.



So, so far, the supposed "lands" of the first park are:

Entrance Plaza/Hollywood: Similar to Universal Japan, guests enter the park by walking through a canopied walkway lined with stores. A walkway leads out to the Hollywood-themed area of the park - straight ahead is the central lagoon.

Jurassic World area can be seen from across the lagoon. Jurassic World’s centerpiece mountain is conspicuous especially with its large waterfall flowing into the lagoon. Entering this area from Hollywood you first see on the right a large mountain connected to a large glass dome. Continuing past the mountain and glass dome is a restaurant on the left and then another one on the right connected to the mountain. Straight ahead is a large rectangular building for the area’s second ride. A rumored attraction for the area is a ride based on the Gyrosphere found in the Jurassic World movies - assuming this Gyrosphere ride is indoors, this is likely the location of the ride.

WaterWorld: Dedicated themed area for the stunt show, similar, if not identical show to what is currently at Universal’s existing theme parks in Hollywood, Singapore, and Japan.

Kung Fu Panda: Universal’s first entirely indoor area. This area has one entrance/exit on the left that comes from the Transformers area and on the other side is the other entrance/exit that comes from WaterWorld. The theme of this area is likely Po's village, the hometown to many of the movies’ main characters.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade: Located on the east-most area of the park - Almost identical design to the equivalent area at Universal Studios Japan with Hogsmeade Village, Flight of the Hippogriff , Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The entrance near Hogsmeade Village is located between Jurassic World and Minion area.

Transformers: Guests entering from that area walk under a large steel roller coaster with the exact same layout as Hulk at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando. Once crossing under the coaster, to the left is the entrance of the coaster. Straight ahead is a restaurant and a large indoor ride assumed to be Transformers: The Ride 3D.

Minions plus additional IPs: Area themed entirely to Despicable Me movies (Minions) in southeast corner of the park between Hollywood and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Minion Park not same design as the same area at Universal Studios Japan. At the back of the area is an indoor ride, assumed to be Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem - Large indoor building themed to Super Silly Fun Land sticks out of area into the park’s lagoon and inside is at least one ride - a small kiddie coaster.

Again, read the full description for each land with more details on Themeparx HERE Also, as you've seen on the park map above they have plenty of land available on the right for future expansions.



As you'll see on the pictures below construction is going on at high speed now after months if not years of pics of the land without nothing going on. Now, cranes are all around and we're back n the kind of views that we saw when Shanghaî Disneyland was under construction!








We've got too some new renderings, supposedly showing the design of part of the Jurassic World area. Sorry, they're not sharp but they were in small dimensions and it's the best i could get...




Here is a 3D rendering for one ofurassic World restaurants. You find back the top domes that we can see on the artwork above.




On the picture below you can clearly see The Mummy area with its Ancient Egypt theming.


Next artwork shows most probably the hotel located at the entrance of the first park.


Below, some concept-arts for Minion Park and Super Silly Fun Land areas.








We're not done yet as, like at Universal Orlando, a river will run through Universal Beijing Resort, outside the parks, with plenty of different gardens and trees. Here are some renderings for it.














Universal Beijing is supposed to open in 2020, 2021 if there is some delay, in the meantime follow the latest news about it on Themeparx HERE.

Pictures: copyright Universal Beijing

First Leaked Pictures of Star Wars Land Galaxy’s Edge

Thanks to JessCejalvo we have a little sneak peek inside the awaited Star Wars Land Galaxy’s Edge. These are the two first pictures "shot from the ground" who are leaked, i won't be surprised if there will be more to come so make sure to check his page on Twitter HERE.

A Great Song From Disney's Original Pete’s Dragon

Just discovered a great song that i didn't knew  from a Disney movie - better too late than never! , it’s a song from the original Pete’s Dragon and it’s titled “It’s not easy”. The great thing is that there is all the innocence and insouciance of the 70's era in this song, they won't write something like this now...

You have it below in two versions, both are cool, the first one is the original version from the movie with the two actors singers, Sean Marshall and Helen Reddy.



And below, the orchestra only version by the Neverland Orchestra.




Picture and music video: copyright Disney

TODAY MONDAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ORDER THE DISNEYLAND PARIS BOOK AND ENJOY THE SUMMER SPECIAL OFFER AT THE BEST PRICE EVER!!!

TODAY MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10 IS THE LAST DAY TO ORDER THE DISNEYLAND PARIS BOOK AND ENJOY THE SUMMER SPECIAL OFFER AT THE BEST PRICE EVER!!!

Order today one of the last copies of the English edition for 60€ only ( + 22€ shipping ) and place your order by sending me an email at: amplittaye@gmail.com Payment can be done with Paypal or by credit/debit card through Paypal even if you don't have a Paypal account. Considering that the book is sold on Amazon.com by others sellers between $2000 and $9995 ( no kidding! ) it'll be a pity to miss it while you still can get it for $60, right? "From Sketch to Reality" tell you all about the creation of

Disneyland Paris with 750 pictures of the park and resorts, including 250 concept-arts from WDI and stunning aerial pictures of the park. More pictures below and watch the video showing the whole book HERE.