Saturday, August 31, 2019

Disneyland Paris Unveil Details About Frozen Celebration, Starting January 11 until May 3 at DLP and WDS


Embark on an unforgettable journey with Elsa, Anna and their friends at Disneyland Paris! From January 11 to May 3, 2020, join the Frozen Celebration and share magical moments that will remain forever.

NEW! Frozen 2: An Enchanting Journey, a dazzling procession!

Immerse yourself in the excitement of Frozen 2 with the unprecedented performance of Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven along with incredible dancers and acrobats. Let yourself be transported and discover their new magical float that brings to life all the magic of nature before your eyes.
Available in Disneyland Park




NEW! Frozen: A Musical Invitation at Animation Celebration

Head to Walt Disney Studios Park for an unforgettable journey to the kingdom of Frozen! For the first time at Disneyland Paris, join Sven and Kristoff on the melody of the chant or the reindeer. Learn to dance with Anna and Kristoff on a magical rhythm and finish in style by singing the mythical title Let it go, with Elsa!
Starting November 17, 2019, then available all year round in Walt Disney Studios Park.




NEW! Olaf loves big hugs!

Prepare to make a totally frosty dream come true with a meeting that will melt you. For the very first time at Disneyland Paris, the warmest snowman in the kingdom of Arendelle awaits you. Are you ready for a big hug?
Starting November 17, 2019, then available all year round in Walt Disney Studios Park. Please book your meeting with Olaf via the LineBerty app.




NEW! Delights straight out of Frozen

Rest your emotions with exclusive treats and drinks inspired by Frozen.



NEW! An exclusive collection of magical memories

Go back with unforgettable memories full head ... but not only! During Frozen Celebration, discover a collection of exclusive products that will immerse you in the adventures of Anna, Elsa and their friends in the heart of nature.

The Magic of Frozen Disney Illuminations

Finish your day in style and let yourself be transported, like in a daydream, in the heart of a wonderful show. The magical adventures of Elsa and Anna and other Disney stories come to life in the midst of spectacular fireworks, lights and special effects on The Sleeping Beauty Castle.



Frozen makes Disney Stars on Parade shine!

Immerse yourself in a parade of sensational stories with Disney Stars on Parade! Let your senses excite in front of the dazzling staging of the Frozen float. Make a sign to your Anna and Elsa straight from the kingdom of Arendelle, as well as to Olaf, always ready to party!

Pictures: copyright Disney

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Not-to-be-missed: Imagineer Eddie Sotto Two-Parts Interview about Disney's Worlds of Tomorrow!



The part two of Jim Korkis GREAT interview of Imagineer Eddie Sotto about Disney's Worlds of Tomorrow is now on line on Mouse Planet! In the part one, Eddie talked about his work for the proposed-but-never-built Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland that was to be called Sci-Fi City. In this part two, he talks about working with George Lucas on Disneyland's Tomorrowland and how Horizons became Mission: SPACE. Don't miss it! https://www.mouseplanet.com/12461/Eddie_Sotto_Interview_Disneys_Worlds_of_Tomorrow__Part_Two
If you missed the part one you have it here: https://www.mouseplanet.com/12458/Eddie_Sotto_Interview_Disneys_Worlds_of_Tomorrow__Part_One

Updated HKDL Iron Man Experience Ride Movie Shows New HKDL Castle and Upcoming Frozen Land !



At Hong Kong Disneyland the top of the new HKDL Castle unveil little by little! ( here seen from the back, from Fantasyland )...



...But riders of Iron Man Experience in HKDL Tomorrowland had a big surprise as the ride movie has been updated and you can see now the new HKDL castle when the ride shuttle is supposed to fly over the park at the start...





...or at the end.




...AND if you look well even the Castle and the village of Arendelle, and even Elsa Ice Castle and the mountains of the sleigh ride, to be built in the upcoming Frozen land! I remind you that the film is in 3D so that's why it looks "double" on the scrren capture.


The mountain of the sleigh ride.


Elsa Ice Castle in the background, behind the castle.


Watch the short vidoe below filmed by HK Main Street Gazette!




Pictures: This is Mr B, HK Main Street Gazette

D&M Exclusive: More About Shanghaî Disneyland Zootopia Land - and also SDL Marvel Land, Star Wars Land, and more




I'm reposting this article that i had posted just three months ago as new infos and artwork released by Bob Chapek at D23 Disney Parks and Resorts presentation bring a confirmation to what i was telling you but which was not yet revealed by Disney last May. When Disney Parks announced that a Zootopia land was coming to Shanghaî Disney Resort last year they didn't provided any infos about what will be the attraction except that it will be "a state-of-the-art ride". Then, last week-end at D23 Disney Parks  released the above rendering, always didn't give specific details about the attraction,  except that it will be "a state-of-the-art ride", etc, and mentioned the Zootopia Central Station that you can see on the above rendering as where will be the attraction.  It's an highly important point as it means that what i told you last May in my article was right - not all of it, but the major part of it - about what kind of ride it will be. The article also included others exclusive infos about the future of Shanghaî Disneyland park, so here we go:


The Zootopia land will be Shanghaî Disneyland’s eighth themed land,  the first-ever “Zootopia” land at any Disney theme park and will be built on the available land behind Winnie the Pooh and Pirates of Caribbean show building,  see the plan below on which the red line encircled the area for the Zootopia land. Which of course reduce quite a lot the land that i had encircled for a Marvel land in the previous article.


Before talking further about what will be the awaited Zootopia attraction, here are some pictures posted recently by a Chinese fan, showing the fences now in place at Shanghaî Disneyland for Zootopia construction. 






Now, you probably noticed that the area encircled in red for the Zootopia land is a pretty big one,  in fact you could put in it three show buildings like the one on the right of SDL Pirates of Caribbean attraction, which is a huge one. We know, thanks to the concept-art below, that they'll build a huge backdrop decor for Zootopia buildings as well as shops and restaurant but why would they need such a big space for the E-Ticket ride - as Zootopia will have only one attraction? 


The land description released by Disney didn't tell a lot about the attraction itself but simply said "Guests will be invited to experience the mammalian metropolis of Zootopia “where anyone can be anything,” with a new major attraction that will seamlessly blend Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art technology to bring this fan-favorite movie and its characters to life – including Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Entertainment, merchandise, and food and beverage offerings will invite guests to fully immerse themselves in the Academy-Award-winning animated movie".

If you've seen the animated film you know that the "real" Zootopia is supposed to be huge and it's of course impossible for Disney Imagineers to build all of it. On the other hand this buddy cop movie had a great script but the sequence that everyone remember the most is the great scene at the start showing a monorail running all over Zootopia with Judy Hopps, and arriving at Zootopia's train station. I mean: this sequence below, watch it, it's important for what is coming next:




Now,  last Sunday Disney Parks released a new rendering - the oartwork below or at the top - for the Zootopia land showing, on the left, the Jumbeaux's Cafe and in the background ...Zootopia Central Station! Don't think it's a coincidence as it's not and it confirms what i've been told. Here it is: from what i was told the Zootopia attraction will be an indoor E-Ticket ride with a "monorail vehicle type”, most certainly looking like the one in the movie, and, as it is of course out of question that Disney will create an indoor ride with a real Zootopia monorail, the Imagineers found a different way to give to Shanghaî Disneyland guests the illusion they travel through Zootopia. How, you ask? Remember the King Kong or Fast and Furious rides at Universal Studios, with guests inside a tram going through a long tunnel with 3D projections on each side? Well, from what i've heard the Zootopia ride will be like this, not with a tram of course but with a Zootopia theming, in addition to a dark ride portion with Audio-Animatronics - as it would be difficult to do a land based on Zootopia without Audio-Animatronics animals, right?



My guess - but what is below was not told to me and is just my guess so i can be wrong here - is that the ride will partly recreate this short travel through Zootopia as seen in the movie, up to the point when eventually "something will go wrong", as i think they can't have a visual travelogue only during the whole ride, something a bit more thrilling must happen. But the question in fact is this one: will SDL guests need to embark first in the monorail to access "Zootopia", then arrive to Zootopia's train station like in the movie and then enter the land - which would be the smartest way to give the illusion that you arrived in a real Zootopia - or: will the guests enter the land as they do usually, simply by walking inside it, and then the ride will provide them a look all around Zootopia? The first option might be difficult on a guest flow point of view - though Universal somewhat did it with the Hogwarts Express bringing guests to IOA Wizarding World and it works perfectly - even if the technology is not the same as it is a train really moving - but i still think that the first option would be the best - we'll see...

That said, even if the monorail designed attraction vehicle won't move on a one km long track like the Hogwarts Express, it still will need to move at least some few hundred meters to enter the part with the projections on each side. Which would explain why the land ( the one circled in red on the Google Earth capture above ) is quite long as the "monorail" will need - after entering the part with the projections - to come back to a station one way or another.

And they might also need to build two different "train stations",  specially in my first option, one for the start, one for the arrival at Zootopia. Will SDL Imagineers recreate the train station like the one in the movie? - pictures below - that would be a smart idea, after all Universal did it with the Hogwarts Express train station in Diagon Alley... And i remind you that Shanghaî Disneyland is the only Disney "Magic Kingdom" with NO railroad, so this ride could be a chance to introduce one which will give SDL guests at least the illusion of a train ride...







Once arrived, guests will find themselves inside Zootopia as shown on the official rendering below., with themed shops and restaurants. A good idea by the way, if guests will need to take the "monorail" to enter the land ( first option described above ) and to take it back again to return to "reality", would be to have a different kind of projections during the ride back, like Universal do in the Hogwarts Express when guests come back from Islands of Adventure Wizarding World to Diagon Alley... That's what i would do personally, but may be we're asking too much... Not to mention that i can be totally wrong and that SDL Imagineers may have planned something totally different for the ride inside the monorail, so as usual consider all this as a rumor until announced officially, may be we'll learn more in August at the next D23.



That was for Zootopia, let's talk now about the Marvel land for Shanghaî Disneyland and what i've heard about it. As said in the previous article Bob Iger announced recently that they intend to do a big Marvel land at Shanghaî Disneyland. You can see on the above Google Earth capture that, even after Zootopia will be built, they'll still have land available on the left of it. It could be big enough for a Marvel land but probably not big enough for what Bob Iger has in mind. So, guess what, from what i've heard the plan is to build the Marvel Land in Shanghaî Disneyland SECOND park ...scheduled to open in 2031, 15 years after the first park which opened in 2016.

But eventually the second park could open before, but not before 2029. Why 2029? Because in the meantime the Marvel land at Hong Kong Disneyland will be finished and HKDL will have an exclusivity on the big E-Ticket Avengers ride during 5 years. So, Shanghaî Disneyland second park is scheduled for 2031 but there’s apparently an option to start the works by 2026 which, with 3 years of construction, will bring its opening to 2029, and will resolve the question of HKDL 5 years exclusivity on the Avengers ride - the one on the artwork below.



Wait, as, as you might expect they're not going to build Shanghaî Disneyland second park with one Marvel land only, as big as it might be. So, the idea - at least for now as plans can change at Disney as we know - is to build also a Star Wars land in the second park - yes, the dream of Disney fans to have a brand new park with both Marvel and Star Wars land in it instead than having like at Disneyland Resort a Star Wars land in Disneyland and a Marvel land in California Adventure might become a reality at Shanghaî Disneyland... And if the Avatar sequels happen to be succesful in China i personally won't be surprised if a Pandora land would be also added in SDL second park... That said, note that nothing is set in stone for SDL second park, though all the ( many ) ideas bouncing around have a Marvel and a Star Wars land included in SDL second park. Not totally sure, though, that they both stick as apparently some big Imagineers think that having both lands in the same park is a waste... so, we'll see.

But we're not done yet, as things gets even more complicated because Disney is currently trying to decide where to build first the next Star Wars land in Asia ...as Tokyo Disneyland was supposed to get it ( it would be built behind Tomorrowland on part of the remaining parking lot ) but Oriental Land - who still have to pay for the Beauty and the Beast land and TDS Fantasy Springs - would apparently prefer to wait for a better Japanese economy... Recently, for the "Fantasy Springs" groundbreaking ceremony and name announcement, you've seen on the picture released by Oriental Land that Bob Iger and Philippe Gas were both at Tokyo Disney Resort, with OLC President and others TDR executives and some of you who know that Philippe Gas is Shanghaî Disney Resort President may have been surprised to see him there. Well, in fact Philippe Gas is no longer Shanghaî Disney Resort President since March and he is now "Walt Disney Attractions Japan and Disneyland International" President - it is Joe Shot ( previously Chief Operating Officer - Senior Vice President at Disneyland Paris ) who is now President / General Manager of Shanghaî Disney Resort. And apparently Bob Iger and Philippe Gas were not only in Tokyo for Fantasy Springs groundbreaking ceremony but also for talks and eventually convince Oriental Land executives to bring a Star Wars land at Tokyo Disneyland. As for what decision went out of the discussions, sorry, but i'm afraid you'll have to wait for an official announcement.

Pictures: copyright Disney, Google

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

First Look Inside Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge



First Look Inside Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge:

From Disney Parks: "As we’ve previously shared, the highly anticipated attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open on Dec. 5, 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Jan. 17, 2020 at Disneyland park in California.

When it opens, this harrowing adventure will blur the lines between fantasy and reality and will put you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance. You will join the Resistance and depart from Batuu in a transport ship to meet General Leia Organa at a secret rendezvous point. Along the way, however, you will be captured by a First Order Star Destroyer. The action then ramps up as you seek to escape the clutches of Kylo Ren and the First Order – with the help of some heroes of the Resistance. Today, we’re excited to share this first look inside the attraction!


Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be one of the most ambitious, advanced and immersive experiences ever undertaken by Walt Disney Imagineering. The attraction is also one of the largest Disney has ever created. Its massive show building is a world unto itself, housing two full-size AT-AT walkers and a Star Destroyer hangar bay – complete with a TIE fighter and a garrison of Stormtroopers – plus more thrills and surprises."

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens its doors to guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 29. An official dedication ceremony in the new land happened today on August 28, and the DisneyParksLIVE team did a live stream for you! Dedication starts around 6 min in the video below.




 Pictures: copyright Disney
Editor's Note: You now have on Disney and more ALL the artworks that were shown or released during D23 Disney Parks presentation. Scroll down below to see each articles and once at the bottom jump to the next page or see all artworks in the big update HERE.

New Footage Released for Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Rise of the Resistance Ride !



Galaxy's Edge is opening soon at WDW Disney's Hollywood Studios and some exciting new footage of the awaited Rise of the Resistance was shown at D23 Expo, check the video and screen captures below!
























Pictures: copyright Disney

ALL New Concept-Arts Released at D23 for Marvel Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure park and Disneyland Paris








Super Heroes Preparing to Assemble at Disney Parks Around the World. Bob Chapek revealed more details about the growing presence of Super Heroes at Disney Parks around the world. Here’s what was shared:



Avengers Campus Coming to California and Paris:







You can soon suit up alongside your favorite Super Heroes at the Avengers Campus, beginning in 2020 at Disney California Adventure park and later at Disneyland Paris. These are campuses set up by the Avengers to recruit the next generation of Super Heroes.







“In some ways, these new campuses are like the Avengers themselves: a group of diverse individuals who have teamed up for the same purpose,” said Scot Drake, Creative Executive, Marvel Global Portfolio, Walt Disney Imagineering. “This collection of unique addresses—each dedicated to a different discipline—have been brought together to champion the next generation of heroes.”



The first key address at the Avengers Campus will be the Worldwide Engineering Brigade – also known as “WEB” – which will house our new Spider-Man experience, the first Disney ride-through attraction to feature this iconic Super Hero.




During an open house at WEB, the aspiring inventors are excited to invite you for a test drive of their latest invention: the “Web Slinger” vehicle, which allows you to sling webs just like Spider-Man! The attraction gives you a taste of what it’s like to have actual super powers as you help Spider-Man collect Spider-Bots that have run amok.




Avengers Campus will also feature Pym Test Kitchen. Just as Ant-Man and The Wasp use “Pym Particles” to grow and shrink just about anything, Pym Technologies is using the latest innovations to grow and shrink food at this eatery!



You will also find heroic encounters throughout the campus, including Black Widow, Ant-Man and The Wasp, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Super Heroes from Wakanda and Asgard, and Iron Man.



Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel in Paris

At Disneyland Paris, you can extend your adventures at Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel, opening next summer. The hotel will celebrate 80 years of Marvel art and artists, with more than 300 curated works of art on display. Rooms will include one-of-a-kind themed suites featuring favorite Super Heroes like Spider-Man, and you can even meet these legends in a dedicated space.