Saturday, February 1, 2020

Disneyana Auction at Potter & Potter on February 8 - Rare Disney Parks Attraction Signs



Nothing is more emblematic of Disney theme parks and attractions than the attraction signs. Good news, for those of you looking for these the Disney Collectibles auction happening at Potter & Potter on February 8 include rare attractions signs from Disney parks!

Check these pages of the auction catalogue below, that you can download in PDF HERE. And you can also place your bids right now on the auction site HERE. The signs lots below are from the pages 43 to 64 in the auction catalogue, click on each picture below to see them in larger size, the number of each lots and estimate are indicated.


















nPictures: copyright Disney, Potter & Potter

Tokyo DisneySea Large-Scale Expansion "Fantasy Springs" Land Opening Date Delayed




Oriental Land Co has announced that sthe cheduled timing for the start of operations of Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea has been revised. Based on further study and review, the expansion project of this eighth Tokyo DisneySea themed port will be fully in operation in fiscal year 2023. There is no revision of other items that have been announced to date.

Note: The scheduled timing of the start of operations for the large-scale expansion project was announced as fiscal year 2022 in the press release of June 14, 2018. The Oriental Land Co., Ltd. fiscal year starts on April 1 and ends on March 31.

Also,  because TDR revenue was down 2.4 percent due to lower guest spending the last fiscal year, Oriental Land Co. announced today that ticket prices for Tokyo Disneyland Park and Tokyo DisneySea Park will be revised effective April 1, 2020. From April, Tokyo Disneyland Resort will raise its one-day adult ticket prices from ¥7,500 to ¥8,200 ( US$75.60 ) — a 9.3 percent increase. Two- to four-day tickets also are going up between 8.8 and 10.4 percent. The resort's two-park annual passport also is going up 8.8 percent, from ¥91,000 to ¥99,000 ( US$912 ).

Tokyo Disney Resort continued to expand offerings in family entertainment experiences that guests from different generations can enjoy together. These enhancements include the opening of new facilities, upgrading of entertainment programs and introduction of new technology for guest convenience.

The change will not affect individual Park ticket prices for children ages 4 to 11. In addition, both Parks will offer new discounted tickets for guests with disabilities beginning April 1, 2020. The main reason of the revised tickets prices is most probably. You can download TDR latest financial results in PDF at this link HERE. Prices on the screen capture below are in Japan Yen, use xe.com to know the change in your currency.



Pictures: copyright Disney, Oriental Land

Friday, January 31, 2020

New Luxury Five Stars Marriott Hotel to be Built at Disneyland Paris !



According to OutsideEars a new hotel will be built soon at Disneyland Paris Resort, and it will be a luxury 5 Stars Marriott hotel!

The Marriott group will build the new 5 stars Marriott hotel which will have 183 rooms in the area of Golf Disney. Equipped of all amenities for a five stars hotel ( Spa, tennis court, swimming pool, restaurant, etc...), the hotel will be built on a not yet cultivated land at the heart of Golf Disney,  right in front of the Marriott's Village. OutsideEars has posted on their Facebook page the two concept-arts above and below.



Pictures: copyright Disney - Marriott

WDI Master of special effectsYale Gracey takes a moment to observe the lighting and special effects he developed for the “Burning Town” scene in Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.



On this rare picture released by Disney Archives, WDI master of special effects Yale Gracey takes a moment to observe the lighting and special effects he developed for the “Burning Town” scene in Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, the one on the picture below.



Pictures: copyright Disney

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Spider-Man Will Swing Into Action Above Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure



Spider-Man will swing into action above Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure this summer, and may be as well at DLP Walt Disney Studios Avengers Campus when it will open in 2021.


Guests visiting Disney California Adventure park this summer when the Avengers Campus land will open may be able to catch a glimpse of Spider-Man himself swinging above the rooftops of Avengers Campus.

Check out this video of Spider-Man practicing some of his amazing acrobatic feats at a WDI top secret location:




Now, how would WDI Imagineers will realize this "stunt animatronic"?  If you remember well, some months ago Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development lab created an animatronic that can swing and flip through the air like a real stunt person. That's the one that will be used, dressed with a Spider-Man costume, of course:




But Disney and more tell you more about it: as you can imagine this flying animatronic will need a hook point. And here is where it will be: remember this artwork showing the WEB atraction facade at DCA Avengers Campus?



Well, the hook point, from what i've been told, will be there - circled in yellow below.



Now, will this stunt animatronic acrobatics work fine? And what about if there is wind or rain? Well, we can bet that it won't work if weather elements are not favourable for the acrobatics but one thing is sure, if all works as envisioned it sure will be a thrill to watch Spidey flying over the Avengers Campus!

Pictures and videos: copyright Disney


George Lucas "Star Wars: Underworld" TV Series Test Footage Surfaces !



You may remember that George Lucas had a Star Wars TV series project whuch was titled "Star Wars: Underworld". Well, now some test footage that Lucas had done years ago has surfaced online, bringing fans back to a different time of the Star Wars universe.


The video below includes one sequence of the test footage from the series, followed by a short behind-the-scenes look at how it was done. In this test footage, a mysterious figure clad in robes arrives on the streets of Coruscant to find plans for an Imperial Star Destroyer. Once she found the plans, she moves to a small weapons store, trying to buy a ship and avoid being followed. A group of stormtroopers nearby notice her ship and goes into the store where, after a brief conversation, a massive shootout ensues.



Though sounds and visuals all feel like slightly lower budget versions of what was at that time the Star Wars prequel films, the footage looks impressive, especially considering it was a test footage.



Actually Lucas originally announced the series in 2005 at that year’s Star Wars celebration, and he continued to work on the show with artists and writers on what it might be like. According to a George Lucas 2011 interview not less than 50 scripts were completed for the series at that time — and apparently none had ever been shot.

As for why LucasFilm didn't filmed the series, Lucas explained that the problem was always that these TV series always cost too much to produce, and said on G4’s Attack of the Show: “Right now, it looks like the Star Wars features. But we have to figure out a way to make it at about a tenth of the cost of the features, because it’s television”.

In the meantime, and although the first season of The Mandalorian was a huge success on Disney Plus, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series in-development has been put on hold so that the script can be reworked, and shooting will start in January 2021.

Also in the works for Disney Plus another series set to follow Rogue One’s Cassian Andor as he conducts espionage and missions on behalf of the Rebellion. With the idea of stolen Imperial plans at  the center of this Star Wars: Underworld test footage, it could be a good idea for Disney + to have a look at Lucas scripts for this serie project. Sure, it looks a bit more of an adult series than The Mandalorian series with baby Yoda, but i'm pretty sure there would be an audience for that.




Pictures and video: copyright LucasFilm

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Feb 8 Disneyana Auction: Ever Dreamed of a Disney Parks Cast-Member Costume?



If you've ever dreamed of a Disney parks cast-member costume, plenty of them will be in auction on February 8 Potter & Potter Disneyana auction: Check out above and below these Walt Disney World or Disneyland Castmember Costume and jackets which are on sale in the auction, ( click on each to see them in larger size )  place your bids HERE  and downlaud the auction catalogue PDF HERE:














Pictures: copyright Potter & Potter