Free Reservations for Disneyland Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Available on May 2 - Or : Book a Stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel Now

Disney Parks announced that reservations to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland will be available on May 2! The other option is to book a stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel now:

"Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is opening on May 31 at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California and August 29 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. If you are planning to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Disneyland Resort between May 31 and June 23, 2019, a reservation and theme park admission are required. There is no additional cost to make a reservation, but reservations are subject to availability.

Specific details on how to make reservations will be available on the Disney Parks Blog and Disneyland.com on May 2 at 8 a.m. PT. You must have a Disney Account to register for a reservation so be sure to create one before registration opens at 10 a.m. PT.



Guests looking to guarantee a reservation to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge today can get one by staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel between May 31 and June 23, 2019. Click here to book your stay or call (714) 520-5060 now!

 *Guests staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel between May 31 and June 23, 2019 will receive a designated reservation to access Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge during their stay. One reservation per registered Guest. Each Guest is required to have valid theme park admission. If the hotel reservation is cancelled, the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reservation will be cancelled. Access to certain experiences in the land are subject to capacity and other factors. Additional restrictions apply."

Pictures: copyright Disney

WDW Photo Update : TRON Lightcycles Construction Site, Epcot Ratatouille, River Country and more

I've got a WDW update for you to start the week with the latest pictures of the TRON Lighcycles  construction site, Epcot Ratatouille and more.

Let's start by Epcot to have a look at the Ratatouille site on a different angle than usual. The building facade below is not new. But on the next pics you can see the wall that they are constructing below the facade to make sure guests can not look out of that area of water.

Nearby is the new gondolas station for world gateway park entrance. The painting on it looks nice.

Let's move to WDW Magic Kingdom to have a look at TRON Lightcycles which starts to go vertical on the construction site.  That said, it's not specially interesting right now, which is normal as they are at the start of teh cosntruction of an attraction that won't open before two years.

Let's have a look now at the works for the new resort where was a long time ago the now extict River Country, They're currently removing everything that was left and clear the ground for the construction.

While we're there let's have a look at the River Country / Fort Wilderness area and the picture below shows where was the entrance sign.


Next pictures shows what was the River Country ticket booth...

But, wait a minute, on the vintage picture below is written "Fort Wilderness Pavilion / Mickey's Backyard Barbecue", so was it River Country ticket booth, or...? In fact, it was River Country ticket booth as you'll see on the second pciture below and they utilized this area later for the Mickey BBQ but this is the river country area anyway.

The next picture shows what was the inside of the ticket booth where guests would purchase tickets and now you can see it is old and decaying.

The picture below shows the entrance turnstile roof that is to the left of the ticket booth window.



Anyone remember the Fort Wilderness train, also extinct since a looong time?

The trace of the train track or the path through which the train was moving is still visible.

And what happened to the Fort Wilderness train now, you ask? Well the least we can say is that the train is not in good condition, rotting away, as you'll see on the pics below.




Well, that's all for now, stay tuned on D&M for a new WDW update coming soon!

Pictures: copyright Disney and more

All aboard! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is Coming to Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland in 2022 !

All aboard! as Disney announced that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will be making its next stop at Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland in 2022!

This first major Mickey-themed ride-through attraction at Disneyland park will put you inside the wacky and unpredictable world of a Mickey Mouse cartoon short where anything can happen! Once you step into the cartoon world of Mickey and Minnie, you’ll board a train with Goofy as the engineer. Then, one magical moment after the next leads you to a zany, out-of-control adventure filled with surprising twists and turns.

With an original story and lovable theme song, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway uses state-of-the-art technologies and dazzling visual effects to transform the cartoon world into an incredible and immersive multi-dimensional experience.

Earlier today, Disneyland Resort President Josh D’Amaro shared a fun photo of him getting a sneak peek of the plans!



It’s the perfect attraction for Mickey’s Toontown as the attraction allows guest to enter the world of Mickey Mouse cartoons and take on their own adventure. Join Mickey and his friends in the first major Mickey-themed ride-through attraction, where Mickey and Minnie are the stars and Goofy is the… train engineer!

Besides marking Mickey’s big ride-through attraction debut, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway also features a brand-new theme song and dazzling visual effects—so you’ll be smiling big and tapping your feet from start to finish during this immersive multi-dimensional experience.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will also open at WDW Disney’s Hollywood Studios in spring 2020, and isrumored to come to Disneyland Paris Fantasyland in a near future.

FIRST-EVER LOOK AT CREATURES INSIDE HAGRID’S MAGICAL CREATURES MOTORBIKE ADVENTURE

FIRST-EVER LOOK AT CREATURES INSIDE HAGRID’S MAGICAL CREATURES MOTORBIKE ADVENTURE

Time to prepare for your journey into the Forbidden Forest!

This week, Universal Orlando is revealing more about the magical creatures you’ll encounter on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the new epic adventure opening June 13 in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. It will be the most immersive, highly-themed coaster experience yet, and take you on a thrilling journey with Hagrid to the Forbidden Forest to discover the wizarding world’s rarest magical creatures.



Now through April 19, the Universal Orlando blog give us a first-ever look at some of the creatures you’ll encounter…including one that’s never been seen in the films. A new creature will be revealed each day at 11 a.m. EDT to prepare you for the incredible things you may see during your trip into the Forbidden Forest as part of Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures Class.

Our fourth creature is a majestic being not to be confused with a horse or human.

Centaur 

A Centaur is a magical creature with a human head, torso and arms, joined to a horse’s body. They are, however, their own species and should be treated with great respect.

As you make your way into the dark forest on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, look out for this mysterious archer in the distance ready to strike. He stands at 8 ft. tall, which would probably make him a great athlete in the Muggle world.



Centaur Fun Facts:

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Hagrid is friendly with the Centaur herds as he regularly enters the Forbidden Forest to help injured creatures
According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, these forest-dwelling beings usually live in herds of between 10 and 50 and are well-versed in magical healing, divination, archery and astronomy
Centaurs made their first appearance in the films during Harry Potter’s detention in the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
As our reveal week comes to an end, it’s time to reveal our final creature – not seen before in the films. Careful, you may want to approach from the front…

Devil's Snare

While Devil’s Snare isn’t a creature, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to mention this perilous plant from the wizarding world – often strangling people who touch it with its dexterous vines. Devil’s Snare flourishes in damp, dark environments and it has a strong dislike of light and fire – remember that for your journey!

Speaking of your journey, Devil’s Snare is one of the many challenges you’ll face on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. You may even find yourself entangled in a thicket of this dangerous plant but remember to remain calm! If you don’t, you may end up entangled in hundreds of its vines…



Fun fact about Devil’s Snare, it made its first film appearance in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone when the brave Hermione told her friends how to defeat this dangerous force.

Cornish Pixies




Cornish pixies are electric blue tricksters who love to create mischief – often at the expense of others. These mischievous creatures fly, and have also been known to seize unwary humans by the ears and deposit them at the tops of tall trees and buildings – poor Neville Longbottom…



In Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, you’ll see these troublesome creatures wreaking havoc on an infamous blue car… and in places you may not expect. They’re about 13 inches tall and you’ll find more than 20 pixies throughout your adventure. Happy hunting!

Fun Facts:

According to Pottermore, Cornish pixies can produce a high-pitched jabbering that’s only comprehensible to other pixies
Cornish pixies made their first film appearance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets during Gilderoy Lockhart’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class

Fluffy, the Three Headed Dog




Fluffy is a giant three-headed dog that’s known for being the trusted guard dog of the Sorcerer’s Stone. And, as many of you know, Fluffy has a weakness – he falls asleep to the sound of music.

In Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, you’ll confront this gigantic, beloved creature deep in the Forbidden Forest. Proceed with caution – he’s a guard dog first and foremost. And in this new adventure, Fluffy weighs 8,000 Ibs., which is roughly as big as two standard Muggle cars.



Fluffy, the Three-Headed Dog Fun Facts:

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Fluffy belongs to Hagrid, who adopted him from a “Greek chappie” he met in a pub
Experts on Pottermore say Fluffy was inspired by Cerberus – the dog that in Greek mythology guarded the gates of the Underworld – and, just like Fluffy, he fell asleep to the sound of music
Fluffy made his first and only appearance in the film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Stay tuned to see more reveals for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Blast-Ended Skrewt 




For the first time ever, you’ll be able to come face-to-face (or face-to-rear) with a Blast-Ended Skrewt on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Described as a cross between scorpions and elongated crabs, Skrewts aren’t afraid to attack other Skrewts they encounter and have incredibly strong armor that can’t be penetrated by spells – proving to be a challenge for Hagrid since they hatched.

On your journey through the Forbidden Forest during Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, you’ll encounter Blast-Ended Skrewts up to 8 feet long with tails up to ten-feet high and topped with a massive stinger. The Blast-Ended Skrewt is the main lesson for the day but, as with all adventures with Hagrid, things don’t always go to plan…

Blast-Ended Skrewt Fun Facts:

Blast-Ended Skrewts were first introduced in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and also mentioned in Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
As you may have read in the book, Hagrid created these unique creatures by crossbreeding Fire Crabs and Manticores – fierce creatures in their own right
Skrewts create actual fire from their ‘blasting-ends,’ igniting at random intervals – so be wary during your encounter
Even if you’re far enough to avoid their fire, watch out as you may still catch a whiff of their powerful scent… known to smell like rotting fish

Pictures: copyright Universal Studios

Netflix in Talks to Buy 1920's Grauman's Egyptian Theatre Located Near Disney's El Capitan

Here is something which won't help to cool down the relations between Disney and Netflix, as Netflix is negotiating with the American Cinematheque to acquire the historical Egyptian Theatre built by Sid Grauman in the early 1920s as a pharaoh-themed theater on Hollywood Boulevard, just a few yards from Disney's El Capitan....



If this happened the venerable Egyptian Theater will be the first movie theater owned by Netflix. This deal which is expected to worth many tens of millions of dollars, will place Netflix in a better position inside Hollywood cinematic community, because Netflix by purchasing this theater will preserve one of Hollywood’s landmark movie theaters. Also non-profit Cinematheque will have a better financial position after this deal.

The deal won’t affect Netflix’s relationship with independent theaters that show its movies like Landmark and Ipic. Netflix and Cinematheque view this deal as a partnership. Netflix will screen its movies for weekday nights, on the other hand Cinematheque runs screenings, lectures and occasional festivals on weekends.

The historical Egyptian Theater hosted Hollywood’s very first movie premiere in 1922 which was a silent film entitled ‘’Robin Hood, directed by Allan Dwan and starred Douglas Fairbanks as Robin Hood, Wallace Beery as Richard the Lionhearted, Sam De Grasse as Prince John, Enid Bennett as Lady Marion and Alan Hale as Little John. Established in 1981, the Cinematheque in 1998 completed a $12.8 million renovation and facelift to the theater.

Full article on Egypt Today HERE.