The New DJI Osmo Pocket Might Be the Device You Were Waiting For to Shoot Smooth Videos in the Parks

A bit of tech with this new product unveiled today by DJI which might be VERY helpful for those of you who take pictures or videos in the parks, specially now that all kind of tripods are forbidden by Disney.

DJI is the company doing the famous drones so they sure know what stabilization means, and it uses the same 20MP sensor than the DJI Mavic Pro or Mavic Air drones. Certainly not as good to make movies than a camera with a full frame sensor and big lenses but to make smooth movies on the go or in the parks coasters and have something light with you, it might work, we’ll see what will say the reviews. That said, it’s probably more a device for sports shooting or vloggers but at $349 it might worth a closer look. Have a look at the B&H article HERE and the official page HERE.

"As the name suggests, the Osmo Pocket is so compact it literally fits inside your pocket (or purse, or pack). At 4.8" tall ( 12 cm ) and weighing 4 oz ( 116 Gr ), the Pocket is the smallest 3-axis stabilized handheld camera DJI has ever designed, and quite possibly the smallest mechanical gimbal available on the market. Despite its pocket portability and small stature, the Pocket packs a ton of impressive features and specs you would expect to find in much larger devices.

Transform life’s moments into a cinematic memory in just seconds. Meet Osmo Pocket, the smallest 3-axis stabilized handheld camera DJI has ever designed. Able to capture stunning images thanks to a 1/2.3-inch sensor and 80° wide-angle lens, the Osmo Pocket is small enough to fit in your pocket and powerful enough to share your best moments at any time, no matter where life takes you."

Here is the official video presentation for the DJI Osmo Pocket, which shows what it can do. It's probably not the right device to film in rather dark attractions like Haunted Mansion or Pirates of Caribbean but it's probably perfect for outdoor rides like Big Thunder Mountain or others outdoor coasters. Have a look!




Here is a first "real" review of the new DJI Osmo Pocket with non-official footage filmed in Bristol, UK, and not specially on a sunny day. Yes, i know this is my fourth post on this DJI Osmo Pocket but i truly think it can be an interesting little camera if it lives to the expectations. And a light one, and don't we all need light photo materials when we spend days in the park? Again, certainly not a nighttime camera but i would say: so far, so good, for daylight shooting. You can also find others official videos filmed in perfect and sunny weather condition on the official page HERE.




This new DJI Osmo Pocket has in fact a competitor, the GoPro HERO 7 Black, which has a super smooth function though it's not mounted on a gimbal. Here is a video showing comparison tests footage between the two:




Picture and video copyright DJI

Tokyo Disney Resort Announces a New 600 Rooms Hotel With a Toy Story Theme !

Tokyo Disney Resort announced today the development of a new hotel with a Toy Story theme, which will open in 2021! Below, Google translation of the Japanese press-release:

"We are pleased to announce that Oriental Land Co.decided to develop a new Disney hotel with about 600 rooms in the Tokyo Disney Resort planned to open in 2021. From the exterior to the courtyard, everything is designed with the theme of the "Toy Story" movies, and the boy Andy who appears in the movie, Woody and Buzz Lightyear that he cherishes.

We invite guests to the world where toys can be fascinating. Guest room interior will be reminiscent of Andy's room in "Toy Story", with colorful furniture line up. By unifying all the guest rooms with a standard type and specializing the facilities such as restaurants for accommodation, we can realize a more convenient resort stay.

At Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, we plan to open new areas in spring 2020 and 2022, respectively. In welcoming more guests, we will enrich our stay at Tokyo Disney Resort, where Disney's dream world continues uninterrupted by enriching the hotels that meets the various needs of our guests.

Story: “Andy, the little boy who loves his toys – Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the other toys – has embarked on the ultimate backyard project: a building to house all his toys. When Andy is called away by his mom, his toys and their helpers take over the “toy” tower and open it as a hotel for all the “honorary” toys of the world”.

The hotel will make approximately 40,000 m² (hotel building only) and have 11 floor above ground, plus 1 basement. Nuber of rooms: About 600 rooms plus Restaurants, Disney shops, parking lots and more. Cost: approximately 31.5 billion yen ( $276 Million ). Opening in 2021.

Picture: copyright Disney - Pixar

First Concept-Arts for "The Cove" , the New Hotel Joining Walt Disney World's Swan and Dolphin Resorts

Marriott International, which owns and operates the Swan and Dolphin hotels, revealed Tuesday concept-arts for The Cove, the new hotel joining Walt Disney World's Swan and Dolphin resorts. The Cove is expected to open in less than two years.


The Cove will be a tower hotel addition to the Swan and Dolphin, and it will include 349 rooms. When completed, Marriott will have a total of 2,600 rooms in the Swan, Dolphin and Cove hotels. The hotel will be built across the street from the Swan and Dolphin on Epcot Resorts Boulevard, near the Fantasia Garden miniature golf course.


The Cove will be group-oriented and event- or convention-focused, giving companies that may have outgrown the current property a reason to come back. “Demand has really been off the charts. We’re going to do about 5 percent more in occupancy this year than we’ve ever done before”.



The Cove will include a rooftop venue for weddings or rental to VIP groups. Like the Swan and Dolphin hotels, The Cove will have walking access to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach resorts.



The Cove is the latest addition to a changing skyline at Walt Disney World. Disney’s Hollywood Studios debuted Toy Story Land this summer and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set to debut in 2019. The park also has at least three other Disney-owned hotels coming in the next few years, including an immersive Star Wars-themed resort, a nature-themed resort, a major expansion to Disney's Coronado Resort and the new Riviera Resort.

Pictures: copyright Disney - Marriott

First Trailer and Poster for Disney's ARTEMIS FOWL

Disney released the first trailer and poster for ARTEMIS FOWL releases in U.S. theaters on August 9, 2019! Directed by Kenneth Branagh and based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, ARTEMIS FOWL follows 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he finds himself in a battle of strength and cunning against a powerful, hidden race of fairies who may be behind his father’s disappearance.

 The film stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Tamara Smart, Nonzo Anozie, with Josh Gad, and Judi Dench. Judy Hofflund and Kenneth Branagh are producing with Angus More Gordon and Matthew Jenkins serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Conor McPherson.




Picture and video: copyright Disney

HKDL Tomorrowland "Ant-Man and the Wasp Nano Battle" Attraction to Open March 2019, Soft-Opening May Happen Earlier

Sean, a faithful D&M reader, was visiting Hong Kong Disneyland yesterday and sent me these pictures last night of HKDL Tomorrowland Ant-Man and the Wasp attraction with this note:

"I noticed that the construction walls were down and exterior signage including the SHIELD logo and attraction sign is up at the new Ant Man and Wasp Nano Battle ride. A small sign out the front still says opening March 2019, however with the walls down there is every chance that technical rehearsals may begin soon!"

EDITING: Things are going quicker at Hong Kong Disneyland than at Disneyland Paris ( as we learned today that Phantom Manor re-opening had again a new delay and won't reopen before April 2019! ) and  since yesterday when Sean shot his pictures below, the full Ant-Man and the Wasp attraction facade has been revealed as you'll see on these pictures posted on Twitter by Hong Kong Main Street Gazette HERE.

First below, Sean pictures shot this Saturday:

And now, HKMSG pictures:

Normally it should be three months to wait before the opening of a new Marvel attraction, may be even less as i feel we can expect oft-openings probably as early in February if everything goes fine. But, wait, on the above picture of the Merch shop we can read "opening late December". Does it mean that the attraction could open late December? Not necessarily as this "late December" date is written on the merch shop and i remind you that the other merch shop next door opened weeks before the Iron Man ride, so it could be the same here.

Let's end with a first picture showing partly the night lighting, posted on Facebook by This is Mr B.



As for the ride itself - which keep the Omnimover system of the former Buzz Lightyear ride as well as the laser guns - some are saying that it will be a shooting arcade ride like Toy Story Mania but it's forgetting that the ride system is entirely different in TSM, not to mention that TSM vehicles stop a few seconds in front of each screen, something that is unlikely to happen here, using an Omnimover system.

Pictures: copyright D&M, Disney, Hong Kong Main Street Gazette

Ricky Jay,, Master Magician Dies at 72

Ricky Jay, the great master magician whose sleight of hand defied logic or physics, died at 72. Excerpts of a Washington Post article HERE :  While other magicians breathed fire, sawed women in half or made entire buildings disappear, Ricky Jay performed remarkable feats using little more than the pads of his fingers. These were, strictly speaking, nothing more than tricks or illusions, sleights of hand performed by a master magician.

But to those who witnessed Mr. Jay up close, turning over a row of red Bee playing cards to reveal an unexpected hand, or flinging them across the room like wild projectiles, his magic tricks were nothing less than works of art, head-scratching, wonder-inducing achievements that made him “perhaps the most gifted sleight-of-hand artist alive” as journalist Mark Singer wrote in a 1993 article for the New Yorker.

A heavyset figure who sported dark suits and a short gray beard, Mr. Jay followed his mentor Dai Vernon, a Canadian magician known as the Professor, in treating a deck of cards as a living being, to be carried with seriousness and handled with sensitivity.

He seemed most at home performing live, in front of small, rapturous audiences in theaters or at private parties. Once, while performing at a New Year’s Eve event in Los Angeles, Mr. Jay was asked by a guest named Mort to “do something truly amazing,” according to Singer’s profile in the New Yorker. Mr. Jay asked him to name a card, and Mort settled on the three of hearts. “After shuffling,” Singer wrote, “Jay gripped the deck in the palm of his right hand and sprung it, cascading all 52 cards so that they traveled the length of the table and pelted an open wine bottle.” After asking Mort to name his card once again, Mr. Jay instructed the guest to “look inside the bottle.” “Mort discovered, curled inside the neck, the three of hearts,” Singer continued. “The party broke up immediately.”

He also performed as an actor, appearing as a cardsharp in the first season of the HBO Western “Deadwood,” as a villain in the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies” and as a cameraman in “Boogie Nights,” director Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 epic about the California porn industry. And he was featured in “Heist” (2001) and other films directed by David Mamet."

Those of you who want to see with their own eyes why Ricky Jay was such a master magician should look the video below, it's beyond amazing.




"Deceptive Practice : The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay" is an excellent documentary about Ricky Jay and i just found it on Youtube, so here it is!




Watch also this Collection of Ricky Jay on Late Night, Late Show with David Letterman 1990-2013:




Who would dare to play Poker with the best cards magician in the world? For sure not a wise decision, except if you're wishing to learn some tricks...

Didier Ghez "They Drew As They Pleased Vol 4: The Hidden Art of Disney's Mid-Century Era: The 1950s and 1960s" Is the Perfect Book About Disney Animation for a Christmas Gift!

My good friend and DLP book co-author Didier Ghez - who was the recipient this year of the June Foray Award during the Annie Awards - has released the volume 4 of "They Drew as They Pleased" a fantastic series of never seen before artworks of Disney legendary artists, and you will hardly find a better Christmas gift for a Disney Animation fan!

From the Foreword of Eric and Susan Goldberg: "Didier has unearthed more treasures for our delectation, and this time, Didier has concentrated on the work of Tom Oreb, John Dunn, Walt Peregoy, Lee Blair, and Mary Blair. As well as uncovering many never-before-published pieces of stunning art, Didier also digs deeper into the motivations and frustrations of these legendarily talented Disney artists. Their backstories are every bit as intriguing as their artwork is beguiling."

Above: Sketch for Peter Pan by Mary Blair

The 1950s and 1960s at The Walt Disney Studios marked unprecedented stylistic directions brought on by the mid-century modern and graphic sensibilities of a new wave of artists. This volume explores the contributions of these heroes with special emphasis on the art of Lee Blair, Mary Blair, Tom Oreb, John Dunn, and Walt Peregoy.



Above, from left to right: Disney artists Herb Ryman, Webb Smith, Mary Blair, Lee Blair, John Rose, Janet Martin, Jack Miller, James Bodrero, Charles Wolcott, and Jack Cutting in Rio de Janeiro in August 1941. Courtesy: Brian Lansburgh.



It includes never-before-seen images from Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Sleeping Beauty and discusses Disney's first forays into television, commercials, space, and science projects—even the development of theme parks. Drawing on interviews and revealing hundreds of rediscovered images that inspired Disney's films during one of its most prolific eras, this volume captures the rich stories of the artists who brought the characters to life and helped shape the future of animation.

Above: Story sketches for Cinderella by Mary Blair
Below: “The Dance of the Hours” sequence in Fantasia by Lee Blair. 

Above: Story sketches for the “Aquarela do Brasil” sequence in Saludos Amigos by Lee Blair.

Above: Walt Peregoy working on The Sword in the Stone.

Above: Concept painting for One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Walt Peregoy.

They Drew As They Pleased Vol 4: The Hidden Art of Disney's Mid-Century Era: The 1950s and 1960s is a large 224 pages book published by Chronicle Books and is available on Amazon HERE either in Hardcover edition ( recommended ) for $28.46 or in Kindle format for $18.99  and whatever the edition you will choose you can be sure that it will make the delight of any Disney Animation fan! Definitely a great Chrismas gift to put on your list!

Pictures: copyright Disney