Full Video of Disneyland Paris InsideEars Event - Edited With Summary of ALL Announcements !

Here below is the summary of ALL announcements from the InsideEars event. You have them in English below and also  in French after the event video.

At Disneyland Paris Park:

Reopening of Phantom Manor on May 3rd:
- Narration with mixed French / English. The original English voice recording of Vincent Price has been kept. !
- Pre-Show room changed with new portraits of Melanie's friends and her tragic story, with new special effects.
- New changing portrait of the owner of Phantom Manor Henry Ravenswood.
- Portraits of deceased friends of the bride on the piano in the hallway.
- New special effects in the scene of spiritism with Ms. Leota
- New visual effect in the reflection of the mirror in the Boudoir scene with the appearance of the ghost.
- Thunder Mesa scene (ghost town crossing) has been completely revamped with new special effects. - Hand of the skeleton of the deceased groom who wants to leave his grave to join his widow, in the final scene.
- Voice of Melanie inviting guests to marry her.

More infos and pictures of the new scenes in the article on Phantom Manor HERE.

Mark Twain: Dismantling and rebuilding of the whole boat with durable materials. The two-years project has just begun.

Autopia (reopening in September): - All roads are redone while keeping the rail in the center. - Rehabilitation of queues, landscaping and signage and introduction of LED lighting.

Frontierland Theater: - 30 minutes live show
- Exclusively "Face Characters"
- Rafiki will be for the first time a man
- Auditorium with a sound at 365° (4th theater in the world to get this sound technique)

Rhythms of the jungle:
- 4 floats: one for Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy going on an adventure towards India.
- Parade from Main Street USA to Central Plaza with additional mini-floats
- Show on Central Plaza
- Giant animal structures will complete the show of 30 minutes.

Shop: - Closure of the Emporium in 2020. New shopping experience ... cashing without going to the cashier. Expansion of the sales area by taking the space of the Barber's shop.
- The Barber shop will be relocated to Liberty Arcade for more visibility.

At Walt Disney Studios Park:

Art of Disney Animation:
- New name for the building "Animation Celebration"
- Attraction / show themed on Frozen this winter
- Theaters will receive the characters. Kristophe and Sven in the first, Anna and Elsa in the second and Olaf in the last one (exit)

Cars 4 Roues Rallye: Refurbishment of the platform and vehicles, toilets and replacement of vegetation.

Studio Tram Tour (Summer 2020)
- New location for the Tram Tour station
- New Cars experience in the Tram Tour For Halloween: Random falls in the Tower of Terror.

Restoration:
- Product integrated into the franchise
- Lion King products
- Sweet and salty range
- 120 new products
- Themed New Year’s Eve menus

Arrival at Disneyland Paris:
- Cars parking: To reduce waiting times, transformation of toll plaza with the arrival of payment terminals with credit card in addition to the booths with with Cast Members.
- Increase of the security lines on the esplanade for the bags controls.
- New turnstile at the entrance of the parks, a first test in June. As of 2020, all parks will be equipped with new turnstiles.

Hotels: - Improved wifi on hotels and parks.
- New navigation systems on TVs.
- New range of bath products with theming of each hotel with characters
- Improved characters experiences in hotels.

New York Hotel - Art of Marvel:
- 300 Marvel artworks exclusively in the hotel
- 90 unique artworks in the restaurant

Disney Village:
- 95% of the renovation plan of the Disney Village is designed so far.
- Will be a destination and complementary experience for hotel guests!
The village will be primarily a destination for hotel guests.

New Disneyland Paris Mobile Application (Within 3 years) thanks to which guests will be able to do:
- Booking (hotel / tickets / restaurants)
- No need to go through the reception
- Scan Digital Tickets
- Notification helping to find the restaurant with the least visitors to wait / or the least people.
- Hotel room key
- Geo localization / Guide for orientation
- Digital smart card for disabled people.

Watch the entire InsideEars event that happened yesterday at Disneyland Paris with plenty of announcements for DLP parks, including the presentation by Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald of the changes happening in Phantom Manor, thanks to this HD video filmed by Max, D&M contributor and DLP Welcome webmaster during the event!




VERSION FRANÇAISE:

Au parc Disneyland Paris: 

Réouverture de Phantom Manor le 3 Mai:
- Narration avec un français/anglais mixé. La voix anglaise de Vincent Price a été gardé. La voix française est grisante!
- Pre-Show room changes avec nouveaux portraits des amis de Mélanie et son histoire tragique, avec des effets spéciaux nouveaux.
- Nouveau portrait du propriétaire de Phantom Manor Henry Ravenswood.
- Portraits des amis défunts de la mariée sur le piano dans le couloir.
- Nouveaux effets spéciaux dans la scène de spiritisme avec Mme Leota
- Nouvel effet visuel dans le reflet du miroir dans la scène du Boudoir avec l’apparition du fantôme. - La scène de Thunder Mesa ( traversée de la ville fantôme) a été complètement revue avec de nouveaux effets spéciaux.
- Main du squelette du défunt marié qui voudrait sortir de sa tombe pour rejoindre sa veuve, en scène finale.
- Voix de Mélanie invitant les guests à se marier avec elle.

Plus d’infos et photos des nouvelles scènes dans l’article sur Phantom Manor ICI.

Mark Twain : démontage et reconstruction en totalité du bateau avec des matériaux durables. le chantier qui durera deux ans vien de commencer.

Autopia (réouverture en septembre) :
- Toutes les routes sont refaites à neuf en gardant le rail conducteur
- Rehabilitation des files d'attente... revue du landscapping et de la signalétique ainsi qu'un éclairage LED.

Frontierland Theater :
- Spectacle de 30minutes en live
- Exclusivement des "Face Characters"
- Rafiki sera pour la première fois un homme
- Salle de spectacle avec un son a 365° (4eme salle au monde)

Rythmes de la jungle :
- 4 chars un pour Mickey, Minnie, Donald et Daisy partant a l'aventure en direction de l'Inde.
- Défilé de Main Street USA à Central Plaza
- Spectacle sur Central Plaza
- Des structures d'animaux géant viendront agrémenté le spectacle de 30mn avec mini-chars.

Boutique :
- Fermeture de l’Emporium en 2020. Nouvelle expérience de shopping ...encaissement sans passer à la caisse.
Agrandissement de la surface de vente en prenant la place de la boutique du barbier.
- Le barbier sera plus relocalisé à Liberty Arcade pour plus de visibilité.

Au parc Walt Disney Studios:

Art of Disney Animation :
- Nouveau nom plus générique pour le bâtiment: "Animation Celebration"
- Attraction/spectacle sur la reine des neiges dès cette hiver
- Les salles de spectacles recevront une partie des personnages. Kristophe et Sven dans la première, Anna et Elsa dans la seconde et Olaf dans la dernière (sortie)

Cars 4 Roues Rallye : Remise à neuf de la plateforme et des véhicules, des toilettes et remplacement de la végétation.

Studio Tram Tour (été 2020)
- Déplacement de la gare
- Nouvelle expérience Cars dans le Tram Tour

Pour Halloween : Chutes aléatoires de la Tour de la Terreur.


Restauration :
- Produit intégrés dans la franchise
- Produits du roi lion
- Gamme salée et sucrée
- 120 nouveaux produits
- Menus des réveillons thèmés

 Arrivée à Disneyland Paris :

- Parking des parcs : Pour réduire les temps d’attentes, transformation de toll plaza avec l'arrivée de bornes de paiement en carte bleue en plus des guichets avec les Cast Members .
- Augmentation des lignes de sécurité de l'esplanade pour les contrôles des sacs
- Nouveau tourniquet à l’entrée des parcs, un premier Test dès le mois de juin. Tous les parcs seront équipés dès 2020 des nouveaux tourniquets.

Hôtels :
- Ameliorarion du wifi sur les hôtels et sur les parcs.
- Nouveau systèmes de navigation sur les télévisions.
- Nouveau gamme de produits de bains a l'effigie de chaque hôtel avec des personnages
 - Amélioration des expériences personnages dans les hôtels .

Hôtel New York :
- 300 artworks Marvel exclusivement dans l'hôtel
- 90 croquis uniques dans le restaurant

Disney village :
- 95% du plan de rénovation du Disney Village a été acté.
- Destination et expérience complémentaire pour les guests des hôtels!
Le village sera avant tout une destination pour les visiteurs des hôtels.

Nouvelle App Disneyland Paris (D'ici 3 ans) grace à laquelle les visiteurs pourront faire:
- Réservation (hôtel/billets/restaurants)
- Plus besoin de passer par la réception
- Scan Billets numériques
- Notification aidant a trouver le restaurant avec le moins de visiteurs à attendre / ou le moins de monde.
- Clef de chambre d'hôtel
- Géolocalisation / Guide pour orientation
- Carte verte handicapé digitalisé. Picture: copyright Disney

Video: copyright DLP Welcome

OFFICIAL: Disneyland Paris Phantom Manor Will Re-Open on May 3 ! NOW UPDATED With New Pictures !

That's it, folks, it's now official and it's the real date for Phantom Manor re-opening as Disneyland Paris just announced at the InsideEars event that the beloved manor will reopen on May 3!

Yes, the wait has been long but hopefully Phantom Manor update will worth the wait as not only there has been some upgrades to the ride special effects but also changes in the ride itself - don't worry all Phantom Manor famous scenes are still there - to make the storyline more understandable as it's true that the story was not perfectly clear before.

WDI Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald was on stage to bring precious infos about Phantom Manor changes! First in the foyer, before th pre-show, guests will be able to hear at last the original voice recording of the great Vincent Price who was recorded by Phantom Manor Imagineers a loooong time ago. A new narration in French was also recorded and mixed with the one in English of Vincent Price.



The portraits in the pre-show room with an elevator have changed and show the previous lovers of Mélanie who all disappeared mysteriously. When the elevator goes down guests will discover what happened to them.

When guests exit the elevator they enter the portrait hall and a new portrait of Henry Ravenswood - Mélanie's father - has been added, and of course it's a changing portrait which reveal that HE is the "Phantom" of Phantom Manor!



Mélanie, the bride, will now appear on the stairs of the boarding room, with a new lighting, looking outside for her disappeared lover.


The piano scene in the hallway has been updated and pictures of Mélanie's former lovers are placed on the piano.



The spirit seance scene with Mrs Leota has also been updated with some Imagineering magic!




In the scene where Mélanie looks in the mirror, the Phantom face will appear in the mirror.




The Thunder Mesa ghost town at the end of the ride is still there but have been entirely redone, repainted and Audio-Animatronics which had disappeared are back.

And of course the Phantom always salutes you at the end of the ride with his creepy laugh.

In the Mausoleum at the end, a hand coming out of a grave, the one of Mélanie's lover always wanting to join her back? Soon after you'll hear the creepy voice of the bride asking you ...if you want to marry her!



The outdoor garden of Phantom Manor has been completely redone and the addition of a gazebo will allow characters meet and greet along the year.



Here is a picture of the whole team of DLP Imagineers who've participated to this renovation!



I think personally that the changes are excellent and will make the storyline much more understandable. I just feel sorry for Imagineer Julie Svendsen who did the great original paintings for the stretch room in the elevator and who is not the one who did the new paintings.

You can watch below the entire InsideEars event that happened yesterday at Disneyland Paris with plenty of announcements for DLP parks, including the presentation by Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald of the changes happening in Phantom Manor - jump to 1h16min to watch Tom -  thanks to this HD video filmed by Max, D&M contributor and DLP Welcome webmaster during the event!

No ride preview happened for the webmasters at the InsideEars event, another event will be organized later this month exclusively for Phantom Manor reopening. But DLP released this cool video below to let us know officially the reopening date!

One more thing: also announced tonight at DLP InsideEars event: the Mark Twain riverboat will be dismantled and entirely rebuilt and it will take two years but action has started!




The DLP InsideEars event is happening currently with plenty of announcements for Disneyland Paris, and i'm doing a "live" on the D&M Facebook page HERE, so jump to the FB page to have all the latest news!




Pictures: copyright Disney

Video: copyright DLP Welcome, Disney

First Trailer for Star Wars Episode 9 Titled: "The Rise of Skywalker" !

Star Wars Episode 9 title has been revealed, and it is: The Rise of Skywalker! The first Star Wars 9 teaser- trailer is now also released, and, boy, does it look great!




Picture and video: copyright Lucasfilm

JUST A FEW MORE DAYS to pre-order the Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality Book in ENGLISH eBook Edition, and enjoy the Special Price of 14,99€ !

JUST A FEW MORE DAYS to pre-order the Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality Book in ENGLISH eBook Edition, and enjoy the Special Price of 14,99€ ! The eBook is expected to be available late April, but once released the price will be higher. There is still pre-order copies available so make sure to place your pre-order now! Below, all you need to know to do it!


Since YEARS i've been asked if the Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book will be released in ENGLISH eBook edition, either by readers for whom the price of the book printed edition was too high, or by others who already own the book and wanted to have it in digital edition to be able to take the book with them when they visit the park, as the book tell all the story of the making of the park.

Today, i have good news for all of you as the 320 pages Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book will be at last released in eBook edition this April, and you will be able to have the book all the time with you and read it on your mobile, tablet or computer, and inside the park!

This will be the exact same edition than the updated English edition, and, yes, just like the French eBook edition, it will include a selection of 60 best videos about the park, Imagineering, hotels, and more!

And there is one more good reason to order this eBook edition: the pictures have never looked so beautiful, and there is a reason for that: the eBook reproduce the original pictures files exactly as they are, meaning that the pictures look 100% like the originals as you don't have the usual loss or slightly change in colors that usually happen during the printing, as good as the printer can be.

And to celebrate the release of the book in its English digital edition the first 100 people to order it in eBook format can get the book at the price of 14,99 € if it is pre-ordered before April 15! And there is no shipping fee as it is an eBook edition! Once released, the ebook will be sold on the Apple, Android eBook stores at 29,99€ and on Amazon Kindle at a higher price.

In addition, everyone who will pre-order the book will receive GREAT surprise gifts that you'll get instantly once i receive your payment, a cool way to keep you waiting until the eBook edition will be available next month ( Note that these gifts won't be available when you'll purchase the book on the eBook stores once the eBook will be released ).

You can proceed to the payment only by Paypal or credit card via Paypal even if you don't have a Paypal account. Payment with Paypal must be sent at this email address: nme4@wanadoo.fr

To order the Disneyland Paris book, from Sketch to Reality eBook edition with the special 14,99€ price send me an email to: amplittaye@gmail.com with your first and last name and please specify to me if you own an Apple or Android device or account.

The book has 320 pages, tells the story of the creation of the park and includes 750 photos including 250 concept-arts from Walt Disney Imagineering! See pictures below and you can also watch the video that presents each page of the book below.

One more thing: This is a book which its printed edition is sold now between $200 and $2000 ( true!) depending of sellers, so don't miss this eBook edition special offer at very reasonable price while it last!

New Attraction Announced for Universal Studios Hollywood: ‘The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!’ Coming to USH in 2020!

Universal Studios Hollywood announced a new attraction: ‘The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!’ will come to USH in 2020! Don't expect the attraction of the century, but if well done it could be very funny.

Here is the press release:  Universal Studios Hollywood Takes Guests on a Whirlwind Journey through New York City in the All-New “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” Ride In this all-new fully immersive experience, guests will assume the roles of stray puppies as they join the cast of leading characters from The Secret Life of Pets — Max, Snowball, Gidget, Chloe and Duke, along with a host of other animal friends — on the ultimate quest of finding forever homes.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring another exciting Illumination movie-based ride to our guests,” said Karen Irwin, President and COO, Universal Studios Hollywood. “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!’ will capture the essence of the popular film and invite our guests to live vicariously through some of their favorite characters as they embark on a one-of-a-kind experience only available at Universal Studios Hollywood.”



Based on Illumination’s 2016 global blockbuster and upcoming sequel, the innovative adventure will blend live, dimensional and animated characters with hyper-realistic media as guests zip along a track aboard ride vehicles through bustling New York City streets towards the Pet Adoption event and the ultimate happy ending: forever homes. Along the way, guests will face an array of challenges and meet up with fellow animal pals eager to help guide them toward their destination.

“The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” will be located adjacent to the popular “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” attractions. Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets 2, the next chapter in the franchise, arrives in theaters June 7, 2019.

Tim Burton's Dumbo D&M Review

I just come back to watch in theater Tim Burton's "Dumbo" and, personally, i liked it a lot. If you haven't watched it yet i recommend it to you. First, Tim Burton is in my opinion a perfect choice to direct this live adaptation as the universe of early last century's circus fits well with Tim Burton universe, so esthetically speaking it's a delight.

There is one thing you need to know ( no major spoilers ) if you've not yet watched the movie: Tim Burton's "Dumbo" has two parts, the first hour or so is the live adaptation of Disney's 1941 animated film story, and it follows quite accurately the original storyline - without the start with the stork delivering baby Dumbo and some comical scenes that can work only in a cartoon. The second part is in a certain way the sequel of the animated film, what happen after Disney's 1941 Dumbo ended. It's a brand new story which was written for the film and it's in that part that the characters of entertainment entrepreneur V.A Vandevere played by Michael Keaton and his girl friend trapeze artist Colette Marchand played by Eva Green appear, both playing very well as usual. Although Tim Burton obviously enjoyed recreating in the first part the small circus of Max Medici - played by Danny De Vito - it's also in this second part that we find the most elements belonging to Tim Burton's mental universe. There is also nods to Disney attractions - like the Carousel of Progress - and the world of Dreamland is visually stunning.



Above, the arrival to Dreamland sequence, below a production design concept-art.


It seems that some reviews have said that the film lack of heart and i couldn't disagree more with this, so don't believe them. The film has perfectly heart at the needed moments and we can't applause enough the CGI wizards who were in charge of creating the animals as they did an amazing job, starting of course by Dumbo himself. They did it so well that you forget in less than five minutes that Dumbo is a CGI creature.



I wouldn't say that it's Tim Burton most major film but it's certainly a good one from Tim. All the others actors are excellent, starting by Colin Farrell and his two children. The production design, again, looks great and Tim also had the intelligence to don't make out of this live adaptation a bigger film than it should be. Disney's animated film was rather a simple story of a small circus and here, even if the second part has a bigger scope - because of Vandevede megalomaniac dreams - the whole film keep an intimate universe and don't try to be most epic than it should be.

And, yes, there is a happy ending and even two with a sympathetic scene at the very end so make sure to stay till the end!




Pictures: copyright Disney

New Disneyland Paris Fun Map Released This Friday for DLP 27th Anniversary !

Disneyland Paris 27th Anniversary is this Friday and to celebrate it a new fun map ( picture above ) will be released and available for 7,99€ at The Storybook Store and Harrington’s ( Disneyland Paris park ), Galerie Mickey ( Disneyland Paris Hotel ) and at The Disney Gallery ( Disney Village ). It's the first time they release a new and updated fun map since the park opening in 1992.

Picture: copyright Disney

New The Lion King Trailer Provide First Look at Scar, Timon and Pumbaa!

A new Lion King official trailer has just been released and there is no doubt that the CGI wizards in charge of creating the animals have done miracles once again. It looks great, and make sure to stay until the very end of the trailer after the credits to discover Timon and Pumbaa!





Picture and video: copyright Disney

Video: Preview of "Epcot Forever" Coming to Walt Disney World Resort

After a 20-year run, it(s time to say a farewell to “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” at Epcot on September 30, 2019.  If you visit Epcot this Summer come to enjoy the show one last time with its breathtaking display of lasers, lights and fireworks, as WDW get ready to launch two new nighttime spectaculars as part of the park’s unprecedented, multi-year transformation. 

Debuting October 1, 2019, “Epcot Forever” will be an all-new, limited-time spectacle of fireworks, music, lighting, lasers and choreographed, special effects kites. The show will take us on a journey through the past, present and future of Epcot. Featuring a stirring collection of songs that paint a colorful picture of the park, this nighttime extravaganza will offer both a trip down memory lane and a look towards the future and all the magical possibilities still to come.

Disney Parks Live Entertainment is busy getting “Epcot Forever” ready for its opening day. Show Director Alan Bruun recently shared some details about the concept behind the show and the team’s collaboration with noted conductor and composer Don Harper, who is producing new arrangements of classic Epcot tunes to weave into the soundtrack of “Epcot Forever” which will continue into 2020, when the next epic nighttime extravaganza will make its debut.




Picture and video: copyright Disney

First-Ever Photo of a Black Hole Unveiled !

Here it is! The first-ever photo of a black hole! The M87 galaxy is 53 million light-years away from Earth. What we see in this picture is the silhouette of the black hole as it was 53 million years ago. It don't look like but this black hole is a monster. Its mass is 6.4 billion times that of the Sun!

How did they succeed to get this picture? Black holes are relatively small. It is therefore necessary to have an instrument of a monstrous resolution to see them. To give you a comparison, one must be able to distinguish an apple on the moon from the Earth. No current instrument is capable of it. Fortunately, there is a scientific magic trick called very long base interferometry, which combines the signals received by different radio telescopes spread all over the Earth, to create a virtual antenna several thousand kilometers in diameter. That's what the EHT did.

New Sesame Street Land and Ride Open at PortAventura - And at Sea World Orlando !

Not less than two Sesame Street mini-lands and attractions opened in less than a week, the first at Sea World Olando and the second at my favourite theme park in Spain, at Port Aventura.

We will start by the the Sesame Street of Port Aventura where this year, the season kicks off with the arrival of Street Mission, PortAventura World’s first dark ride and the first of its kind to be inspired by Sesame Street. The new ride is an interactive adventure for all ages where visitors have to help Detective Grover successfully complete a secret mission. The attraction consists of a pre-show and a 3D ride experience, featuring numerous animatronics and immersive experiences thanks to 3D video mapping technology.




Outside, the Sesame Street buildings themselves have a bit of  Toon Town design - much different than the one at Sea World Orlando as we will see - but that's okay.

The project has been created in collaboration with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, and Sally Corporation, one of the leading international companies in the development of dark rides and the design of animatronics. The interactive ride is titled "Sesame Street Street Mission" and the full Sesame Street land has cost Port Aventura $15 Million.



Riders embark on a now classic trackless vehicle - may be coming from Oceaneering, as it is often the case. Before that guests move in a queue decor with a quite well done pre-show using a mix of Animatronics and screen - you'll see all of it in the second video below. Then guests embark and the vehicle move in the ride decor and stops in front of screens. Riders are equipped with 3D glasses, not with laser gun but with a device looking like a remote control and they must shoot at targets on the screens along the ride, as usual. In addition to the screens the ride include many Audio-Animatronics, including one of Big Bird, the beloved Sesame Street character.






But where the ride is smart is when, just at the moment you start to think "oh, well, another kind-of Toy Story Mania ride..." it suddenly moves to a different kind of ride like Universal's Transformers or Disney's Ratatouille rides while riders can't still continue to shoot. You'll see all of it in the videos below.

So, let's start by a short official footage, just move a bit ahead to avoid the Grand Opening number.




I strongly suggest that you take the time to watch instead this second video showing everything, from the queue decor and pre-show to the ride itself.



As i've told you, another Sesame Street land also opened a few days ago, this time at SeaWorld Orlando - but without the "Street Mission" ride - and the whole area is, according to Midway Mayhem who filmed the footage below, "absolutely fantastic looking! Imagine stepping into your TV screen and onto 123 Sesame Street, seeing your favorite characters all around you." Check it in the video below!




One more thing about Port Aventura as the resort sixth hotel opens its doors in June, becoming the Resort’s first carbon-neutral hotel, consolidating its commitment to sustainability. The highlight in terms of accommodation, the new Colorado Creek hotel is located in the Far West area of PortAventura Park. The kotel will offer superior 4-star accommodation and will have direct access to PortAventura Park. This new hotel, scheduled to open its doors on 1 June 2019, will have 150 rooms, bringing the resort total to more than 2,200 rooms.

The Hotel Colorado Creek, inspired by the Far West gold rush and mirroring the style of this particular era, will offer its guests a wide range of benefits such as unlimited access to PortAventura Park, 1-day access to Ferrari Land, Express Premium wristband for PortAventura Park, exclusive breakfast buffet and free gifts for children.



The Colorado Creek hotel will also be the first zero-emission hotel when it opens at the Resort. This is a strategic approach from PortAventura World, which will be extended to other areas of the Resort to minimise its environmental footprint.

Together with Clean CO2, PortAventura World will offset its emissions by purchasing Verified Emission Reductions (VERs), a type of carbon credit, for projects that improve the environment and surroundings. Through this initiative, in 2019 PortAventura World will be contributing to the Malawi Borehole project. This project involves the restoration of wells for local communities in Malawi to provide 450,000 people with drinking water, a resource that almost half of the rural population currently does not have access to.

Pictures: copyright PortAventura World

Best Video of Ant-Man & the Wasp: Nano Battle Ride at Hong Kong Disneyland

Here is so far the best video of the new Ant-Man & the Wasp: Nano Battle Ride at Hong Kong Disneyland ( in terms of everything: filming, lighting, etc… although the ride is probably slightly darker in real ) filmed by SoCal Attractions 360. Enjoy!




Video: copyright SoCal Attractions 360

Bad News at The Horizon for Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii as an Atlantis Resort Will Be Built Right Next Door

Bad news at the horizon for Disney's Aulani Ko Olina resort on Oahu Hawaiian island as the project of an Atlantis resort right next door to Disney's hotel is apparently on track to move ahead and we have the first renderings showing its design.

According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the state Commission on Water Resource Management approved in January a water use and well construction permit for the Atlantis project, though the city is currently reviewing Oceanwide’s application for another building permit to build a retaining wall and significant shoreline path improvements.



Back in 2016 Chinese developer China Oceanwide acquired several acres of land in Ko Olina for a planned new luxury  Atlantis resort which would include 1,400 rooms and Atlantis-branded residences, restaurants, bars, conference facilities AND the now famous Atlantis water park and stunning aquarium. Recently, TravelPulse founder Mark Murphy told CBS: “What they’re trying to do is they’re trying to take that property they have in Dubai on the Palm Island and replicate it in Hawaii in a gorgeous setting. We’re talking about massive aquariums, wildlife, great experiences. It’s a fantasy world.”



And that's where the problem begin as Disney's Aulani resort and its superb theming by Imagineer Joe Rhode and his team is supposed to be the one with an Hawaiian "fantasy world". Guests of the Atlantis resort as you can see on the renderings above and below will not only enjoy Oahu's beach on one side but a huge water park with slides, lazy river, huge aquarium, etc,  on the other side, much bigger apparently than the water areas of Disney's Aulani. And guess what others guests will be able to see it through their windows without being able to enjoy it? That's right, Disney's Aulani guests, specially the ones with the rooms on the left side of Aulani hotel.




And there is an even bigger problem, this time in terms of architecture design. As you can also see on the renderings the Atlantis resort architectural style and the one of Disney's Aulani couldn't be more far one from the other. Personally i much prefer the architecture style of Disney's Aulani which i think fit better for an hotel in Hawaii, but having this Atlantis Resort with, let's say, a kind-of Tomorrowland architectural style right next to Disney's Aulani kind-of Adventureland style will be hard to swallow as there is no way Disney's guests will be able to avoid seeing the Atlantis. I'm sure the seaside land at Ko Olina is tremendously expensive but that's the kind of thing which indeed can happen when you don't buy / secure enough land...

Even if it will take some years before the Atlantis open ( if it goes through the final authorizations ) its construction will likely take 2 or 3 years which will mean lot of noise for Disney's Aulani guests during these years, not to mention that the construction of such a huge building is always an eyesore... not the kind of thing you expect for a tropical holiday in Hawaii… Note that actually, on the left of Disney's Aulani - looking from the sea - there is already another hotel, that you never see on Disney's Aulani official pictures as they take care to don't have it in the frame, which was built long before Disney built his resort, but this one is less of a problem. Also, the Atlantis resorts usually include a casino and we don't know yet if it will be the case at the Atlantis Ko Olina resort - may be not, it will depends probably of Hawaii regulations - but if yes, Disney is not going to like that at all.

A question that one could ask is why they don't use the famous architecture of the Atlantis resorts in the Bahamas or Dubai? It is possible that Sol Kerzner sold to the Chinese group the license to use the name Atlantis and the concept but not the architecture of his Atlantis resorts... or that the Chinese were not ready to pay the price to use the original architecture. The other Atlantis resort that the Chinese built in Sanya, China also does not look like the ones in the Bahamas or Dubai. But what is rather strange is that, when you look on the Atlantis Sanya website HERE where there is pictures not only of the others Atlantis resorts around the world but also the rendering below for the upcoming Atlantis Ko Olina, the hotel architecture on the rendering look like the ones in the Bahamas or Dubai, which in my opinion would have been a much better choice, and not like it looks on the above final renderings.

The description of the upcoming resort on the Atlantis website says: "Inspired by the ocean, providing contemporary elegance, Atlantis Ko Olina will celebrate the incredible natural elements of Hawaii's environment, landscape and architecture and its distinctive heritage and character. Overlooking both the stunning Honu and Kohola Lagoons, Atlantis will offer a sense of awe-inspiring discovery, encompassing over 26 acres of unparalleled excitement and larger than life experiences, revolutionary water play in Aquaventure Waterpark, The Ambassador Lagoon and The Lost Chambers Aquarium and incredible dining experiences."



Don't get me wrong, the Disney's Aulani resort will still be great and elegantly themed, no doubt about that, but it's never a good news to have a competitor right next door with plenty of exciting water attractions when you're the one who is supposed to be the specialist of this kind of thing.

Although the opening date of the new Atlantis at Ko Olina is not known yet, if the project goes ahead as planned it will likely take some years before it open, which is probably the only good news here for Disney.

Pictures: copyright Oceanwide Holdings.