Will Mickey's Philarmagic replace Walt Disney Studios Animagique attraction in a near future ?

If there is one attraction which will have its place at the Walt Disney Studios Toon Studio, it's Mickey's Philarmagic. First, it's all about animation, and, two, it's a 3D movie and there is no 3D movie at the WDS.



The Animagique show using dark light effect is okay - just okay - but Mickey's Philarmagic will be a big hit with the WDS guests. And the two shows use Donald as the main character!



So, why don't they replace Animagique by Mickey's Philarmagic ? After all, they already have the building, it's already a theater, and the seats are already in place. So, why?

You, see, they have indeed a building, but they don't have the CEILING. I mean, the ceiling height that the Mickey's Philarmagic show effect need.

Let me explain you more. When they've built the WDS, it was in the Michael Eisner era - well, actually, the end of his era. I'm sure you remember it, it was those times where the WDC choose to don't spend too much money in new theme parks ( to say it elegantly! ). The imagineers who built the WDS did absolutely their best with the budget they had, but ,to stay in the "budget", some choices had to be done.

So, for those of you who have never been to the WDS, the "Studio 1" is a full real building - front, back, walls and ceiling are in "hard" - but Studio 2 and 3 have only the front and the bac , and the floor, of course, which are "in hard" everything between is a huge inflatable canvas ( i think it's inflatable, if it's not, sorry about the mistake ) , just like a huge tent hold on each side, with an invisible metallic structure.

As it's not easy for me to find the right english words, the best is that you have a look at the picture below. Here is what you can see on the left...



And here is a closer look...



Now, let's come back to that ceiling problem. Those of you who have seen Mickey's Philarmagic may remember that, at the very beginning of the show, the screen have a kind of "frame" around it. And when it begin, the frame goes up, to "disappear" in the ceiling - see below a screen capture of a youtube video. And here is the first problem. Because of this damn' hemispheric structure, they simply can't do it! No way to have the frame disappearing in the ceiling!



The other problem is with the screen itself. If you saw the show, it begin with a "small" screen which enlarge after five minutes to reach a kind of "cinemascope" size. Same problem, because the walls are not square, it's another difficulty.

I know, you're going to tell me: " why the hell don't they put out this damn' structure and built real walls and ceiling? It's not THAT difficult..." You will be right, it's not difficult, but it's not cheap. Because not only you have to almost build an entire new building - except the front and back walls, but you have to re-install all the security , fire system, etc...And, believe me, it's always a big part of an attraction budget.

On the other hand, the cost of the Animagique show is not that cheap for the park. The show need many performers which means a salary cost, that would be reduced with a movie attraction which need less cast-members.

So, we'll see in the future, but Mickey's Philarmagic is a really good "D+" ticket, WDS guests will enjoy it immensely, and it will be a real good choice for the WDS Toon Studio.

Animagique and Mickey's Philarmagic show Photos: copyright Disney

Exterior photos: copyright Alain Littaye

Is this the first , and already "Ultimate" WALL-E robot?

Well, if we trust this Flickr picture, it seems that we have here the first WALL-E "real" robot, the one we are all waiting for.

No sign of any name of manufacturer, however, but this "ultimate" and "programmable" WALL-E is supposed to have amazing animated features. Note that "programmable" doesn't necessarily mean "remote controlled". More news as soon as they'll be available.

Meanwhile, a clever group of students using the LEGO Mindstorm series built a working WALL-E, with sensors. This was the winning entry for the NXTLOG Back to School Building Challenge.

This WALL-E is an autonomous clean-up robot for class rooms. After the children leave a mess in the class room, WALL-E would drive around the class cleaning up all the rubbish and leaving the floor spotless and reduce the teachers work load.

The robot would scan the floor for litter and rubbish, pick them up and put it in its belly and crush them. It would use the ultrasonic sensor to detect rubbish.

More infos on the LEGO website where you can see a short video of the robot working, and picture below.



Top picture from Flickr Galerie de Argyle

The American Idol attraction rendering - High-res picture

Those of you who like WDI artwork will enjoy this high-res rendering of the future American Idol attraction building at Disney Hollywood Studios. Double-click on it to see it in big size.

Here is what the press release tell us about this new addition to the Disney Hollywood Studios:

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will create an "American Idol" attraction that will bring the television and pop culture phenomenon to life at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, it was jointly announced today by Jay Rasulo, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts; Simon Fuller, CEO of 19 Entertainment; and Keith Hindle, executive vice president of FremantleMedia Licensing.
The attraction, slated to debut in late 2008, will be located at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park and will follow the model of the high-energy show. Disney guests will be able to experience the challenge of auditioning, the rush of performing on stage in competition, or the thrill of judging the performances in a live interactive entertainment setting with all the glitz and glamour of the distinctive "American Idol" set.
That experience will include an audition process, open to all who register, where guests perform “live” in front of a Disney’s Hollywood Studios producer to be cast in a theme park show. After backstage preparation -- working with a vocal coach, hair and make-up -- it’s lights up and showtime in front of a “live” audience and a panel of judges.
Guest performers with the highest votes will compete in an end-of-day Grand Finale show at Walt Disney World, and the winner of the Grand Finale show will receive a guaranteed reservation for a future regional stadium audition -- to ensure no waiting in long lines. But when it comes down to the television show auditions, everyone is treated equal.
"Millions of people have imagined themselves standing on the 'American Idol' stage," said Rasulo. "We're excited that we will be bringing this dream to life every day at Walt Disney World."
Added Fuller, "One of the most remarkable elements about 'American Idol' is that for a brief moment each week, we can provide TV viewers the opportunity to imagine life as America's next superstar. Disney's new attraction perfectly captures what we at 'American Idol' feel is the heart and soul of this brand, real people getting a shot to make their dream a reality."
"This partnership," noted Hindle, "brings the number one show on television, watched in over 100 countries, to the number one theme park destination in the world. It's a perfect combination and opportunity to offer everyone a taste of the 'American Idol' experience."
The coming "American Idol" attraction will reflect the best and brightest of the TV show, giving starry-eyed park guests a chance to become a star on the attraction's stage. It joins an all-star lineup at Disney's Hollywood Studios, a celebration of today's Hollywood in movies, television, music and theater.

Mmmmh, personnally, i am not a big fan of attractions based on a tv show, so, let's hope it will be better than "Who wants to be a millionaire"

Artwork and press release text: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc

New additions on the site for a better Disney and more

I've added on Disney and more this week-end two small things, but i think you will like them. It will make the site more easy to use and more entertaining.

As you know, all the previous topics are listed on the side bar, but some of you don't necessarily like to scroll down to search for an article. So, now you can search - and find! - easily an article on my site, thanks to the Google search located on the top of the side bar. To find an article on Disney and more, no need to scroll down anymore! , just enter your key word, choose the search in "Disney and more", click on "search", and that's it!

Now, for those of you who WILL scroll down, there is a little reward with three youtube video bars. You will find two of them on your way down on the side bar, and one at the bottom of each page. On each of them, four different youtube videos about Disney theme parks, attractions, Pixar movies, etc...

Each time you will arrive on any Disney and more page, it will be a different choice of videos. I am not making the choice, youtube do it with all the different key words i entered. If you put your mouse on each video the title of it will appear, or you simply click randomly on any one, and each time it will be a surprise!

And the great thing is that you will not leave the site when you'll click on any video. A window will open, where you'll be able to have a look to it, and once it's done, you can either look to another one, or move along to another Disney and more article.
Note: if the video bars don't appear, just upload again the page and they will.

Hope you'll enjoy these new additions, and see you later today for new articles! In the meantime, don't miss the two great topics below: the first pictures of TOY STORY MANIA and Mr Potato Head AA, and right after it, don't miss your first encounter with EVE, WALL-E robot's friend.

First pictures of Toy Story Mania and Mr Potato Head Audio-animatronic !

The New York Times edition has a five pages article today on the highly awaited Toy Story Mania attraction, and it brings a lot of interesting infos. You can read the full five pages on the New York Times web site HERE, but below, some excerpts from the article:

"In June, Disney will unveil a glimpse of the shoot-for-the-moon bet it is making on California Adventure’s makeover, with the introduction of a ride called Toy Story Mania. More than three years in the making, and estimated to cost about $80 million, the attraction essentially puts guests inside a video game.

Riders, wearing 3-D glasses, board vehicles that career through an old-fashioned carnival midway, operated by characters from the popular “Toy Story” film franchise. Vehicles stop at game booths — 56 giant screens programmed with 3-D animation from Pixar — and riders play virtual-reality versions of classic carnival games.

Imagineers Kevin Rafferty and Robert Coltrin, had devised an idea for a new California Adventure ride that would juxtapose the old-fashioned romance of a carnival midway with high-tech video game elements.

Reassembling at Disney’s offices in Glendale, Calif., the team worked on the concept that would become Toy Story Mania. Because carnivals sell commotion, there would be lots of flashing lights, barkers trying to capture riders’ attention, buzzers and bells.

Mr. Rafferty and Mr. Coltrin dreamed up a fanciful story: The classic toys in “Toy Story” had come to life and staged a carnival under their owner’s bed while he was away at dinner. Little Bo Peep would operate the balloon darts; Ham, the talking piggy bank, would cheer riders as they tossed virtual eggs at barn animals. The culmination would be “Woody’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Gallery,” a twist on old-fashioned shooting galleries.



They would use full-scale 3-D animation, a first for a Disney ride. That, Mr. Vaughn said, would make riders feel as if they were inside a video game or a virtual world. “We look at it as gaming meets immersive storytelling,” he said.



The entire project Toy Story Mania - is made up of 150 computers, with 90 of them moving around on the ride vehicles and communicating with one another via a secured wireless network.

Imagineer Senior show producer Chrissie Allen helped to conduct “play tests” on rudimentary versions of the ride. More than 400 people of all ages — all had signed strict nondisclosure agreements — sat on a plywood vehicle set up in front of a projection screen and played various versions of the games. Disney workers studied their reactions and interviewed them afterward. “We were looking to see if some effects were too scary,” Ms. Allen said, “or if there wasn’t enough laughing happening during certain sequences.”

Among the discoveries: People wanted to be able to compare scores after they were finished playing, while some children had a hard time reaching the cannonlike firing controller, christened by Disney as a “spring action shooter.” Engineers added a computer screen to vehicles to display scores and installed the controls on movable lap bars.

The ride’s psychological components started to take shape during this phase. Disney decided that riders were happier when they got a bigger visual payoff. (One of Little Bo Peep’s balloons now pops with greater force when hit with a virtual dart and a blast of air shoots into a rider’s face.) A game involving shooting at a paper target was dropped. (“It was hard to make paper interesting,” Ms. Bryan said.) And developers decided that the last game before the exit needed to be the easiest, so riders would feel that they were coming out as winners, even if they weren’t very good.

The Disney team had also decided to leave out Buzz Lightyear, the modern spaceman toy in the films, because he was already showcased in an older ride called Astro Blasters. But Pixar felt that the character was essential to the “Toy Story” franchise. Buzz will now be a host of a game, and he shares top billing on the ride’s marquee.

Because “People’s tolerance for lines is decreasing at a rapid rate” , Disney has spent much more effort — and money — developing ways to entertain people as they stand in line for Toy Story Mania.

To entertain people as they waited in line, the developers decided to place one of Disney’s signature animatronic figures outside.An animatronic figure - Mr Potato Head - with an estimated $1 million price tag will sing songs and interact with guests as they wait. Employees dressed as “Toy Story” characters will stroll among the crowds.



WORK on Mr. Potato Head started last year in a heavily guarded Disney research plant a few miles from the company’s headquarters in Burbank, Calif. Developers had to make a five-foot-tall plastic potato sing, dance and seemingly hold conversations with people at random. The robot also had to be able to remove his ear and put it back on.



Mr. Potato Head — with help from a dozen video cameras, several computers, an unseen ride operator and a $1 million budget — will be able to make his mouth form words, a first for Disney animatronics.



The comedian Don Rickles, whose gravelly voice brought the character to life in the films, was hired to record 750 words and four songs. The hidden ride operator, armed with a computer and cameras that scan the crowd, will then choose phrases based on the actions and appearance of people standing in front of it. (“Hey, you in the red baseball hat.”)

The goal was to make the character so perfect that it looked as if it had just stepped out of the movies. "



Wow, that looks cool, doesn't it? But if you want to have an insider look on the building of the attraction the New York Times also have an exclusive video, and you can watch it HERE



Text : copyright New York Times

Photos and Artwork : copyright Disney Enterprises Inc

Meet EVE, WALL-E robot friend, in the new international trailer

The new international trailer of Wall-E was released on youtube, and it brings a new vision of this awaited Andrew Stanton animated movie.

Not only we can see new decors of an uninhabited earth....



But most of all, EVE, the other "main" character makes her first appearance!



As it is written on the Wall-E web site: " After hundred of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL-E discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE...



...EVE comes to realize that WALL-E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans( who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home ).



...Meanwhile WALL-E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets in motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen ".




Well, this shot from the new trailer seems to indicate that there may be more than "one" EVE...



Also, let's notice that for the first time we can hear in this trailer what is very probably the original music score of the movie - instead of the "Brazil" theme that was used in the previous trailers...

Unfortunately, the trailer on youtube was removed and is now not available any more, so, we'll probably have to wait for a more "official" release in a near future !


All photos from WALL-E trailer: copyright Disney-Pixar

The new Walt Disney Studios Tower of terror web site is great !

The new Walt Disney Studios Tower of terror web site is great........and will be even better in some weeks when new interactivity sections will be added. However, i strongly suggest you to have a look to it right now as there is nice visual elements to discover. Click on each picture below to have a better look.

Each page is in "flash", with animation and here is how it goes. When you arrive on the first page, the site will ask you to choose your language



Once you've done it, a 1930's "Tribune of terror" newspaper front page will appear, talking, of course, of the dramatic events that happened in the hotel 70 years ago



...and then transform itself in a more modern front page telling you that the Hollywood Tower hotel re-opens for business and asking you if you always want to go further



Of course you say yes, and you arrive then inside the Tower of terror lobby - photo on the top - where a groom welcome you while a big part of the ceiling is falling down in the background !

At this point, you're logically going to click on the different sections to explore them. But don't do it! Stay there, on the "lobby" page, without doing anything.......wait, and watch what happens...

After few seconds, some ghosts will appear and enter the lobby. They are the ghosts of the family who disappeared 70 years ago. First, the little girl and the nanny...



Then, the couple - the father and mother...



While another ghost appears in the armchair on the left...



At that point, light goes down in the lobby, and we can hear one of the elevator falling in the background, with people screaming, and a green ray coming out of it



After what another groom - a ghost - goes through the lobby again walking towards you



All this takes 2-3 minutes, so just wait for them to appear, it's fun to watch. Then, you can click on "Discover the new attraction", another page will open - in fact you're moving two floors up - and you arrive in the library where a groom is reading. A short film on the TOT events history will be played on an old tv screen



But if you choose in the lobby the "Tower of terror effect", you will move to another "floor" where another groom will welcome you in the "Twilight Zone", while the elevator doors open in the background



Click first on "watch the movie" to discover what happen to a lonely dog trapped in the twilight zone. At the end you will have the choice to discover the "Tower of terror effect". Note that you can also access it with a click inside the elevator if you don't want to watch the movie



Another page will open, asking you to download a photo from your computer, and the portrait you will download will ........oh, sorry, i don't want to spoil everything, so you'll have to try by yourself to discover this "Tower of terror effect" !

Other sections, like "games" "presidential suite" or "terror movie theater" will open soon or on february 25th, so you'll have to come back to discover them. However, a last stop is possible if you click on "offer and bookings", and this will send you in the boiler room



This new TOT web site looks pretty cool, doesn't it? Well, you can make the jump to it with a simple click HERE. Enjoy it!

All photos : copyright Disneyland Resort Paris

TOT web site at: http://www.disneytowerofterror.com/