DLP Mickey's Magical Party Grand Opening Exclusive Video !

Believe it or not, but i finally found back the High-Definition tape of Mickey's Magical Party Grand Opening i was searching since 2 months and a half! I was invited for the Grand Opening at DLP's big event in March, and filmed everything in High-Definition with my Sony HD camera, and when i went back home i could not find the tape!!

After i looked everywhere i began to thought that i really lost it, and, miraculously it reappeared some days ago! I've uploaded it on Youtube, and now you'll be able to see the whole show! What is particularly interesting is that the Mickey's Magical Party show was during the evening. It's a unique occasion to see it at night as at DLP the show happen during daytime at the end of the afternoon.

Also, the laser effects and the firework were only for this magical evening - as well as the big Mickey head screen with projection effects located on the left of the castle. Finally, i shoot everything from the press photographers location, the best location to take picture or movie.



Due to its length, the "It's party time with Mickey and friends" show video is divided in four parts - the firework is of course on the last one. As usual, you can see it in bigger size directly on Youtube - a double-click on each video will send you on the Youtube page. Also, if all the videos don't appear, just reload the page.

After these four "parts" you'll find another video also filmed that evening. If you ever wondered what a disco party on DLP Central Plaza right in front of the castle could look like, there you'll have an idea. And with a DJ dressed in a Stitch costume! Actually, this "disco party" happened before the show itself. Anyway, enjoy all the videos, you'll feel just like if you have been there on this memorable evening!










And now, the video of the disco party before the show.



Let me know in the comments what you think of that special evening and the show!

All videos: copyright Alain Littaye - Disney and more

Disneyland's Matterhorn 50th Anniversary !

Believe it or not, but today is Disneyland's Matterhorn 50th birthday! No kidding. And i think that this Disneyland beloved attraction deserves a tribute with some historical pictures!

Walt Disney conceived the idea for the attraction when visiting Switzerland during filming of his film, Third Man on the Mountain. He was impressed by the beauty of the real Matterhorn, and had the thought of a bobsled ride. Here is a picture of Walt at WEd with the Matterhorn model.



Originally intended as a decorative overlay for the central pylon of the Disneyland Skyway, the concept for the Matterhorn later evolved into a full-blown, separate attraction. The attraction opened on June 14, 1959, as one of three new major attractions for Tomorrowland that year. Built by coaster builder Arrow Development and WED Imagineering, it was the first tubular steel roller coaster in the world. It consisted of a wood and steel infrastructure surrounded by manmade rock. Trees could be seen on its sides; by making the trees at higher altitudes smaller, the Imagineers used forced perspective to augment the mountain's height. Waterfalls cascaded down its sides and frequently sprayed riders. Inside was a large, open space through which the bobsleds traveled. Unlike the real Matterhorn, this peak had numerous holes in its shell through which the riders sometimes exited and re-entered. The space within was not elaborately themed, with the infrastructure being only minimally disguised as rock.



The Matterhorn was part of the famous 1959 inauguration and here is Walt Disney and Vice-president Richard Nixon and his family during this inauguration...



...where guests could enjoyed a Swiss ballet during the Matterhorn's grand opening!



LIFE photographer Ralph Crane was there when the Matterhorn opened and shoot from the top these great pictures. Note: the first picture below was reversed - you could see it when you looked at the Alice in Wonderland ride who was on the right side instead to be on the left. The picture is now turned the right way!





Here is a great video of Walt, Lilian Disney and the Shah of Iran with his wife Farah, all together in a Matterhorn bobsled!



In 1978, the imagineers worked on a refurbishment of the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn was coming down to be reinforced with steel, as it was a wood framed structure since the beginning. The new Bobsleds were being added along with new track, and better brakes too for the splash down. It was also decided to put some show in the interior mostly for the Skyway buckets that passed through the Matterhorn more slowly. The Bobsleds of course at speed could see the new icy interiors and crystals as well as what is now a very famous Disneyland figure: the abominable snowman.



Steve Kirk who will be later the show producer in chief for Tokyo Disney Sea worked on the design of it - i should say them as there is three "abominable snowmen" in the ride. The design of these Snow Men was based on Steve's artwork - the one above - which was a composite of several different contemporary depictions and his own warped imagination.



Sculptor Blaine Gibson will then sculpt the snowman mask, and the imagineers team with Legend and Matterhorn creator Fred Joerger added the interior with the new Ice Crystals. Some of the abominable snowmen AA are in fact old Jungle Cruise audio-animatronic gorillas with a new suit, now living a second life in the role of the Matterhorn's abominable snowmen!



Since then, Disneyland's Matterhorn is always one of DL guests favorite ride, and i'm ready to bet that the Matterhorn will still be there in 50 years from now, to celebrate its 100th anniversary! In the meantime, let's end with a great night picture of the Matterhorn Lagoon showing DL submarines, the monorail, and, of course, the Matterhorn.



Pictures: copyright Disney and Time-Life

Steve Kirk's artwork and abominable snowman pictures: copyright Disney.

Part of the text: copyright Wikipedia

Editor's Note: Hello, all. As i saw UP! two days ago, you'll find my review of the movie below right after the Fantasmic videos. Also, before i left i told you that D&M should have a new design on my return, and it will be the case, hopefully soon, in one or two weeks, as we have a little delay on that.

Disneyland's Fantasmic Return - Videos

Disneyland released this short promotional video for the return of Fantasmic. The new dragon is unfortunately broken and it will take weeks to fix it, but you'll be able to see the new 37-foot-long eels Flotsam and Jetsam! You will see these new Fantasmic characters - eel puppets mounted on the top of a high-performance Jet Ski - even better on the other Youtube video from gunitballa87. Right after the videos, you'll find the official press release.






‘Fantasmic!’ Returns to Disneyland This Summer With Awesome New Creatures and Brighter Images


ANAHEIM, Calif. (June 12, 2009) – More powerful projection technology and some awe-inspiring new creatures – including 37-foot-long eels Flotsam and Jetsam – make “Fantasmic!” an exciting part of Summer Nightastic! at Disneyland. The long-running nighttime special-effects spectacular, presented on the Rivers of America in New Orleans Square and Frontierland, jumps off the screen like never before with stunning video and lighting effects that bring brilliant life to Mickey Mouse’s encounters with classic characters and menacing Disney villains.

What: The show combines animation on giant mist screens with lifelike Disney characters and performers. New to the show are Flotsam and Jetsam, the eel pets of Ursula the Sea Witch from “The Little Mermaid.” Another surprise in the cast of creatures is Captain Hook’s crocodile nemesis, now 12 feet tall, 21 feet long and - thanks to new “high-tech” animation – more lifelike than ever with snapping jaws that threaten Peter Pan’s hapless rival. Making its debut later this summer will be a fully animated, three-dimensional dragon who breathes fire across the Rivers of America. The 40-foot-tall dragon will dazzle guests like never before as the creature steps out of the shadows that concealed it in past “Fantasmic!” performances.

WHEN: Nightly, beginning Friday, June 12, and continuing through Aug. 23, with weekend shows through Sept. 7, at Disneyland. For details, visit www.disneyland.com/summer.

BIGGER, SHARPER IMAGES: All-new digital projectors have replaced the 70mm film projectors, revitalizing the images from classic Disney animated films that appear in “Fantasmic!” The result is a larger image with improved clarity and more vivid colors than even before.

FUN FACTS

* Flotsam and Jetsam, Ursula’s eels from “The Little Mermaid,” are each eight feet tall and 37 feet long.
* Central to the magic of “Fantasmic!” are the three mist screens, each 50 feet wide by 35 feet tall, upon which the films are projected.
* Approximately 9,000 guests can view “Fantasmic!” at each performance. The audience is approximately 70 feet from the main stage on Tom Sawyer Island.
* Each night, more than 100 cast and crew members bring “Fantasmic!” to life, in the
23-minute show.
* Additional water effects include 21 fountains and six “whale tails” in the scene when Monstro the whale charges across the Rivers of America.
* At the beginning of the show, two light towers appear on either side of the main stage. During the day, these towers rest 26 feet underground. They rise to a height of 40 feet in less than a minute.
* The audio surrounding the “Fantasmic!” spectators is created by four speakers on Tom Sawyer Island and three on the mainland.
* Kaa, the conniving snake from “The Jungle Book” who slithers across the “Fantasmic!” stage, is 100 feet long.
* The “crew” of Captain Hook’s ship (the Sailing Ship Columbia by day) is composed of professional stunt performers who execute all the spectacular duels and falls.
* As part of the “Fantasmic!” story, the wicked Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” will rise to a height of 35 feet in 17 seconds, before transforming into a new dragon.
* The new dragon is a fully animated three-dimensional design that replicates the movements of the dragon in “Sleeping Beauty.” The dragon is 40 feet tall by 28 feet wide and weighs approximately 10,000 pounds.
* The dragon lights the Rivers of America on fire for 25 seconds.

Photo and video: copyright Disney

Many thanks to gunitballa87 for his great Youtube video!

UP! Review !

I know you've all read UP! reviews on any Disney fan web site, but in France the movie won't be released before July 29. I had the opportunity to see it two days ago, and so here is my review. And also a rare picture above, not from the movie.



Almost all the reviews of the movie are good, and there is a good reason for that: UP! is a new Pixar wonder! It's a wonderful movie, really. Pete Docter said recently that he was proud of the editing at the beginning of the movie of the scenes showing the meeting and the life of Carl and Ellie, and he can indeed be proud as it is simply perfect...



All the movie is perfect, in fact. Great characters and story telling, and the movie goes from one kind of emotion to another. The animals characters whether it's Kevin the female bird or the talking dogs are simply hilarious. And the action scenes are brilliantly edited. I don't want to tell too much about the story itself to my Europeans readers as the movie is not released yet in most European countries, but all i can say is this: expect something different than the others Pixar animated movies and you won't be disappointed.



You know that Pixar animators are huge fans of the work of Hayao Miyazaki, and after i saw UP! i thought that, of all the Pixar movies, UP! was the closer of Miyazaki's world. I won't be surprised if it was an unofficial tribute to him. By the way, John Lasseter himself was in Japan last week, for a visit at Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli...



Just before UP!, i saw "Partly Cloudy" the short animated movie, and it's also wonderful. There, too, it's totally different from the previous one, "Presto", but it's a delightful little short, now available in HD on the U.S ITunes Store...or see it eventually on Youtube.



Finally, i want to add that i saw UP! in 2D, not in 3D so i can't make any comments on the 3D effects, but, from what i've heard the 3D effects are subtle. Anyway, whether you can see it in 2D or 3D , don't miss it as, really, frankly, UP! is a wonderful movie and i won't be surprised if UP! receives next year the Best Animated Picture Academy Award, as it fully deserves it!

All pictures: copyright Disney-Pixar

First official Toy Story 3 picture !

Just received from Dsney this very image of Toy Story 3!
I think it's fair to say that it's a more than a picture from the movie itself, but, hey, it's also a wallpaper high-res picture, the first one from this awaited movie!

Enjoy!

Picture: copyright Disney-Pixar

Toy Story 3 Teaser now on line !

As i've promised to you, even if i am on vacation, i still keep a look to the major Disney news. And today, there is one, as the awaited Toy Story teaser is now released in theatre with UP! as well as on Disney.com, and now available of course on Youtube. Here it is below. By the way, talking about UP! it seems that the box office for its first week-end is pretty good with more than $68 M!



Video: copyright Disney-Pixar