Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks Review

It is extremely rare to say when you've finished reading a book that this is one that will be impossible to  outdone, but Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks is a book - so big that it needed two volumes put inside a slipcase - which is THE book about Imagineering that you've always dream to find and thought it would never happen. Let me say it straight: "Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks" in an absolutely fantastic book which includes everything - and i mean EVERYTHING - that Marc Davis had done during his long career at Walt Disney Imagineering.



This 700+ pages book include ALL the artworks that Marc Davis did for attractions concepts for Disney theme parks - including for attractions that were never realized . It’s definitely a not-to-be-missed book, and certainly the best Christmas gift for a Disney theme parks fan, and i'm not kidding. It is such an awesome book that most probably we will never see again a book as great as this one in terms of WDI concept-arts. There is around 1500 artworks in the book, which is just phenomenal. Believe me, you truly don’t want to miss this book!

The two volumes book cost normally $150 but i just saw that right NOW you can get it on Amazon for $79.86 which is an even better deal than what i paid for it during the pre-order period. You should jump on the Amazon offer, really. It’s right HERE.

A bit more about the book which was done by Oscar-winning filmmaker Pete Docter and veteran Walt Disney Imagineer Christopher Merritt to celebrate Marc Davis work. The two volumes showcase Marc's mostly unseen Disney theme park concept art and offer a unique behind-the-scenes view as told through Marc's own words. Check out below pictures of the contents pages showing the different book chapters.










On February 16, 1962, Marc Davis officially transitioned from Walt Disney Feature Animation to Disney's new division of the company: WED Enterprises, the group assembled to design Walt's new theme parks. The move would be a significant one. After thirty-plus years animating classic Disney features, Marc would become one of the most renowned of Walt Disney's new breed of employee-Imagineers.



During Marc's time with WED (later Walt Disney Imagineering), he would become a driving force behind the designs of many of the most iconic attractions at the Disney theme parks. Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, it's a small world, Jungle Cruise, Country Bear Jamboree, and many others feature environments and storylines that were heavily influenced by his conceptual artwork. 

Featuring work from the sixties through the eighties, this two-volume set includes more than 1,500 pieces from the Imagineering archives, the vast majority of which have never been published. In addition, for the first time Marc's design theories as well as many of his stories of working with Walt are featured in his own words as recorded during hours upon hours of interviews by author Chris Merritt. Marc Davis in His Own Words is a treasure trove for artists, students, and Disney collectors around the world.

ImagiNERDing has posted on Youtube a great  video showing the inside of this absolutely fantastic book, that you can watch below. Again, HERE is the Amazon link to get it at the fantstic price of $79.86 ( instead of $150 ), and by using this link you'll also bring your support to Disney and more, so thanks to use this link when you order the book.




Pictures: copyright Disney

PHOTOS, VIDEOS : New Preview Videos Shows More of Galaxy's Edge Rise of the Resistance Ride Opening Dec 5 !

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Rise of the Resistance is the most awaited ride of the year - if not of the decade - and Disney released two short preview videos, including one in the ABC Holidays special and another one presented by WDI Creative Executive Imagineer Scott Trowbridge. As usual i did some great and enhanced screen captures for you that you will find below!

Editing: Disney released a 45 sec teaser high-def B-Roll for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, that i add below.

As i didn't do the ride yet obviously it's hard to know the chronology of the scenes, so please keep in mind that the order of the pics below is just my guess, though i'm probably close to be right. So, the first shots seems to show the pre-show apparently in the caves where the Resistance is hiding, before the ride itself begins.

Apparently BB8 is also part of the pre-show.


Guests will then embark in a troop transport vehicle, trying to take guests to safety but instead they will be captured by the First Order and brought aboard a Star Destroyer.

Next two pictures shows the screen inside the transport vehicle, on which guests can see the vehicle leaving Batuu and arriving in the Star Destroyer ( enlarge the picture  to see it better ).

Guests arriving in the Star Destroyer and amazed by the army of Stormtroopers.



On the picture below they take pictures of the scene, but once the ride will open i wouldn't bet that guests will have time to take selfies with the Stormtroopers...

Edit: New footage of the B-Roll teaser confirms that guests won't stop in front of Stormtroopers for selfies and will be directed by female guards to the next scene of the attraction.



The ride vehicle entering the room where the impressive AT&T walkers are standing.

All around Stormtroopers are firing at the guests. I'm not a big fan of having screens instead of real AAs Stormtroopers, even if i understand that there is some moves which are very difficult - if not impossible - to get with Audio-Animatronics... Still, i think it would have better with AAs than having screens. It could have worked if guests couldn't see the trick, but here it's pretty obvious and there is no way to don't guess it is screens. Thanks God, there is plenty of "real" Stormtroopers AAs in the ride.

The ride vehicle with guests moving further inside the Star Destroyer.

At one point they'll face a climactic battle with the the Resistance fleet outside and the Star Destroyer cannons near them firing to the Resistance ships.

They'll also meet during their ride in the vehicle Star Wars Droids.

..and finally escape during the climax battle with the help of Mon Calamari and Nien Nunb - though here i'm not 100% sure if they appear at the start or at the end of the ride.

That's it for now, the Grand Opening of Rise of the Resistance will happen on Dec 4th in the evening and will open for everyone on Dec 5. There is no doubt that we will have videos of the full ride next week, so definitely stay tuned on D&M!

Also don't forget to check below or HERE the great Black Friday special offer for the DLP book in its digital French or Englisg editions at 18€ only!

Pictures and videos: copyright Disney

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL OFFER : 35% DISCOUNT ON THE DISNEYLAND PARIS BOOK FRENCH AND ENGLISH DIGITAL EDITIONS - 18€ ONLY UNTIL JANUARY 5 !

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL OFFER 35% DISCOUNT ON THE DISNEYLAND PARIS BOOK FRENCH AND ENGLISH DIGITAL EDITIONS - 18€ ONLY !

From December 20 to January 5, 2020, you can get 35% off the French or English eBook editions of the 360 pages Disneyland Paris book, From Sketch to Reality! You can order the eBook for 18 euros instead of 29 euros, and it's a digital book, so there are no shipping costs and you will get it immediately! The eBook will be readable on your computer or mobile devices, allowing you to always have the book with you, included in the park! And every buyer also get some GREAT additional gifts!

All you need to do is to send me an email at: amplittaye@gmail.com with your name and specifying which edition you want ( French or English edition ). You can send your payment with Paypal to: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8hbx9SRxoL

You will also need to tell me if you will read the ebook on an Apple or PC computer or on an Apple or Android mobile device. I will then send you an email explaining how to download the eBook.

Never seen the book? Check the visuals and presentation video below.

Version Française: Offre Spéciale de Noel! Du 2O Décembre au 5 Janvier 2020, 35% de réduction sur les éditions eBook Française ou Anglaise du livre de 320 pages Disneyland Paris, de l’Esquisse à la Création! Vous pouvez commander l’eBook pour 18 euros au lieu de 29 euros et, comme c'est un eBook, il n'y a aucun frais d’expédition et vous le recevrez immédiatement! L’eBook sera lisible sur votre ordinateur ou appareils mobiles, vous permettant d’avoir toujours le livre avec vous, y compris dans le parc! Et chaque acheteur recevra également de formidables cadeaux surprises!

Tout ce que vous avez à faire est d'envoyer un email à l’auteur du livre Alain Littaye à: amplittaye@gmail.com avec votre nom et en spécifiant si vous souhaitez l’édition française ou anglaise. Vous pouvez envoyer votre paiement via Paypal à https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8hbx9SRxoL

Vous aurez également besoin de faire savoir si vous souhaitez lire l’eBook sur un PC ou un ordinateur iMac ou sur un appareil mobile Apple ou Android. On vous enverra alors un email vous expliquant comment télécharger l’eBook.

Découvrez le livre dans les visuels et la vidéo présentation ci-dessous.

Awesome Video Shows E.T Coming Back After 37 Years to Visit his Friend Elliott for the Holidays

Absolutely awesome short video of E.T coming back after 37 years to visit his friend, Elliott, for the holidays. During his stay, E.T. learns that Elliott now has a family of his own and that technology has completely changed on Earth since his last visit. Wonderful video, and apparenty they had the good idea to choose to use the E.T puppet /animatronic instead than recreating E.T totally in CGI.

The short film has a running time of a bit more than four minutes and was aired Thursday on NBC, Syfy and on the website of Comcast Xfinity. The campaign is slated to air through the Holidays season until January 5, accompanied by presence in the retail stores of Xfinity, a broadband and video platform serving 31 million U.S. households.

“The audience is going to get everything they want out of a sequel without the messy bits that could destroy the beauty of the original and the special place it has in people’s minds and hearts,” said Henry Thomas who played Eliott in the original Steven Spielberg movie. Spielberg at one point pondered some ideas for a sequel but soon moved on, sensing too much creative risk in trying to top a classic.

Steven responded favorably, though, when the idea of an E.T.-centered reunion around the theme of “connection” was pitched by Comcast’s ad agency. Spielberg didn't direct the video but was consulted throughout the process. Lance Acord, a cinematographer known for working on films like Lost in Translation and Adaptation, is the one who directed A Holiday Reunion. Don't miss it!

Happy Thanksgiving , America !

It's Thanksgiving today in the U.S, and i wish to all D&M American readers a great Thanksgiving party. I've found for you the great artwork above inspired by the famous Norman Rockwell painting, and it seems to be the right artwork for this memorable day!

Below, the original and very famous Norman Rockwell painting which inspired this "Disney" version.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving to all D&M American readers!

Pictures: copyright Disney, Norman Rockwell Foundation

WDW Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland Mickey Mouse Revue Tribute

Let's remember the great Mickey Mouse Revue! As you probably know, Mickey's Philarmagic began at WDW Magic Kingdom and was then transferred at Tokyo Disneyland until May 25, 2009.

For me, the Mickey Mouse Revue is probably the most underestimated WDI Audio-Animatronic attraction. When was the last time you saw somebody missing the Mickey Mouse Revue? Or simply talked about it? Never! Nobody speaks about the Mickey Mouse review! And frankly it's a pity, as it was a totally charming attraction. Sure POTC AAs are way much better, there is no doubt about that,  but the Mickey Mouse Review was one of the last attraction from the 1960's WED Enterprises era.

Sure we still have POTC, the Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and others, but the Mickey Mouse Revue was a great audio-animatronics attraction dedicated to Disney Animation characters - the one of the very first Disney classics. Now that it's gone, it's a whole era which has left with it, but as i always say "everything is disappearing,  it's alas of life".

I had the luck to see it both at WDW in 1972 and at TDL, and it's true that the attraction was getting old, but still it was charming. So, for those who never saw this lovely attraction - after all it left WDW for TDL 29 years ago and some of you were probably not even born yet, here is more about it, and, yes, you'll find also videos below of both the original WDW and the TDL versions!

The first time the Mickey Mouse Revue was more or less mentioned was in a 1962 interview when Walt Disney talked about his new audio-animatronic technology in The Enchanted Tiki Room and untitled haunted house attraction. He said that he had similar plans for "all the Disney characters". In October 1, 1971, the Mickey Mouse Revue show opened as an "E" ticket attraction in Fantasyland, in WDW's Magic Kingdom where the show ran until it was closed on September 14, 1980. The building that housed it was renamed the Fantasyland Theater and the Mickey Mouse Revue found a new home at Tokyo Disneyland since then.

The show had Mickey Mouse as the conductor, and favourite Disney characters playing musical instruments, including Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Baloo, Kaa, King Louie, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Dumbo, Timothy Mouse, Gus-Gus, Jaq, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Dormouse, Abner the Country Mouse and Monty the City Mouse, all Audio-Animatronics.

Parts of famous songs from Disney films are performed by Snow White, the Three Little Pigs, the Fairy Godmother, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and the Three Caballeros. 73 characters are represented. Songs include "Heigh Ho," "Whistle While You Work," "When You Wish Upon A Star," "Hi Diddle Dee Dee," "Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf," "I'm Wishing," "The Silly Song," "All In The Golden Afternoon," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," "So This Is Love," "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," and "Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater." Among Disney Imagineers who contribute to the attraction were John Hench, Bill Justice, and Wathel Rogers.

And now, on with the show, starting by good definition footage of the Tokyo Disneyland version. Hope you will enjoy it as much as i did!




This next video will show you the whole show including the entrance, the pre-show movie and the show itself.




Pictures and Artwork: copyright Disney

Major Changes Coming to Disneyland Snow White Dark Ride Early 2020

Mice Age reveal in its latest article HERE that Disneyland Snow White Scary Adventures is about to become a bit less "scary".  The attraction will close for an unspecified period of time on January 7th, with hopefully a re-opening for Disneyland 65th anniversary on July 17th, and during that times Imagineers will update the ride with a.slightly brighter version of the attraction.

Most scenes should remain the same but there will be at least two revised scenes at the end of the ride, the first one showing Prince Charming waking Snow White - artwork above - and a new ending showing Snow White reunited with her forest friends, her prince in the background in front of a gleaming castle - artwork below.



According to Mice Age lighting and projection mapping enhancements, as well as new music, will also help to make the attraction less dark. The exterior will also be revised to give it more of a princess fairytale look tying into the nearby Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Make sure to read Mice Age full article HERE.

Artworks: copyright Disney