Last news about Shanghaî and Hong Kong Disneyland

Last news about Shanghaî and Hong Kong Disneyland:

At Shanghaî, the WDC has already began an advertising campaign - may be to learn to those who don't know Disney characters who they are - with a huge ad (picture above) showing Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto. The park won't open before 2014 but apparently it's never too soon to introduce to Shanghai inhabitants the Disney characters.

After news was released about SDL arriving in Shanghai, a piece of land in Chuansha New Town was sold at a record high of 1.19 billion yuan ($175 million) at a land auction. Several stocks related to the Disneyland venture are now hotspots for market speculation, and this is only the beginning!

At Hong Kong, HKDL on Monday "dismissed a report that it is mulling a further expansion in a bid to compete with a planned new park in Shanghai.

The Hong Kong Economic Times cited an unnamed source as saying that Disneyland is considering a further enlargement, after it announced a deal in July to expand the venue by almost one quarter.

But a Disneyland spokeswoman said there was no such plan: "The current position is to implement the extension plan as agreed in July with the development of the three themed areas in phases. There has been no discussion on further expansion".

In two words: HKDL is still building the three new lands previously announced, but no further expansion is scheduled, which of course doesn't mean that there won't be new attractions after Grizzly Trail, Mystic Point and Toy Story Land.

From AFP and Beijing Review

Picture: copyright Beijing Review.com.cn

How Disneyland attractions inspired parks around the world - Part Two : Europa Park's Pirates in Batavia

In the part two of this articles series we will have a look to how Pirates of Caribbean inspired the Piraten in Batavia attraction at Germany's most popular theme park: Europa-Park.

Europa-Park is run by the Mack family which have produced vehicles since 1780, circus wagons since 1880 and rollercoasters since 1921. The park was opened in 1975 to act as a showcase for many of their different ride models - for example, the Wild Mouse roller coaster. Although the park "borrowed" many ideas from Disney parks - beginning by Epcot's Spaceship Earth ball design - Disney is sometime interested by MACK ride systems for a Disney attraction. Recently, Al Weiss, Philippe Gas - DLP chairman - Georges Kalogridis - now at the head of DLR - were at Europa Park for a secret meeting as i told you in previous articles.



At Europa-Park, guests who ride the Piraten in Batavia attraction (Batavia was a city in the Dutch indonesia colony and is known now as Djakarta) can "witness the attack of wild pirates on a southeast Asian Dutch colony in 1619, which has been reproduced to perfection. Already in the entrance area, you are taken to the Far East and put in the mood for the adventures yet to come. You pass by sceneries with Dutchmen who are far away from home, and suddenly – a deafening cannon shot. Here, you won’t have a chance to get bored! Then, you start an adventurous boat trip through the exotic world of the seaport Batavia in the former colony Dutch East India. Become a witness of the pirates’ attack on a peaceful colony!"

Does this synopsis of the ride sounds familiar? Well, although Piraten in Batavia took a lot of its inspiration in Disneyland's attraction - as you will see on the video below - the quality of the audio-animatronics is not as good as the one designed by WDI. But thanks to the lighting and decors, may be the guests don't see the difference...which i doubt.





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Picture: copyright Coasters.com and Rides.nl

Youtube video: copyright Alexhardrock whom i thanks a lot

How Disneyland attractions inspired parks around the world - Part One : Niglo Show at Nigloland

When Walt created Disneyland in 1955 he probably couldn't imagined that this new theme park concept was going to inspire the creation of many non-Disney parks around the world.

The concept of a central hub with 4 or 5 lands all around it was of course copied everywhere but some parks didn't hesitated to almost duplicate a Disney attraction. Of course, when it's the case, they've changed the theme, the storyline or, as we will see today the kind of animals that appears in the show to avoid the rights issue but, still, where the inspiration is coming from is too obvious to say that it's a simple "tribute" even if it is one on a certain point of view! To put it more simply, some of them totally copied a WDI attraction concept.



Today, i'm introducing the "Niglo Show" at Nigloland Park in France. Located in the Champagne region the Niglo Show was introduced in the park in 1991, one year before DLP's opening. To say that the Niglo Show is inspired by the Country Bear Jamboree is a euphemism. The "niglos" animals - symbol of the park - replaced the bears, but the principle of multi-stages with a bigger one in the center was kept, and even the deer trophy AA on the right side wall is there! Not to mention the exterior facade that you can see on the picture above also inspired by the Country Bear Jamboree building at WDW.



The show is full of audio-animatronics, of course not as perfect as the one designed by WDI because the budget was not the same, and the storyline or the music is lame in comparison to the original which is not this time a problem of budget but a lack of inspiration. However, considering that we are in France and that Nigloland is a small theme park it's not that bad.

Thanks to the video below the best is that you'll have a look by yourself as you have to see it to believe it!

Niglo_show
envoyé par charly21500. -

Tomorrow we will see how Pirates of Caribbean inspired a similar ride in one of Europe's most visited park.


Thanks to leave a comment or discuss this article on D&M english forum on Mice Chat

Pictures: copyright Nigloland, last picture copyright romainfanatix.over-blog.com/

Daily Motion video: copyright charly21500

Editor's Note: I usually post on week-ends articles about movies or merchandise and this week-end you have both of them with new Main Street collectibles and the Avatar interactive trailer!

Disney Store on line released new Main Street collectible replicas, and more...

Christmas day is in four weeks from now and i think it's the right time for a little Disney collectibles article. The Disney Store on line released recently new items and some of them were a surprise as i never thought they will ever produce this kind of small replica of the famous Main Street windows!

Frankly, it's not a bad idea but who could have imagine that they will do it? After all, it just prove that everything is possible with Disney! However, no surprise about their choices as the first one above is the Magic Kingdom window dedicated to Elias Disney, the "family patriarch" as they say in the caption of the picture which is right as Walt's name was Walt "Elias" Disney but also his father first name was Elias. Size is 9" high and price is $50. Limited edition of 250.

Also released this other Magic Kingdom window dedicated to Roy E. Disney. Same size - 9" high -and price: $50. Limited edition of 250.



Always about Main Street area this replica of the famous dedication plaque found at the Magic Kingdom reproducing the inspirational words read by Roy O. Disney on October 25, 1971. Today it rests below the Town Square flagpole on Main Street U.S.A: ''Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney... and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn - together. Dedicated this 25th day of October, 1971 - Roy O. Disney''.
The plaque itself is really in Bronze with black resin base. 5" high and wide, $45.00.



Always available, the famous ''Partners'' Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse Statue a detailed bronze replica of the famous ''Hub'' statue. Also in Bronze, 9" high, 135.00.



Something different, now. The Disney Store guys are always trying to find a new kind of merchandise item and i must say that considering the hundreds of thousands Disney merch items that were produced during the last 60 years, it's probably not an easy task. However they succeed with this new "Princess and their wishing well" series! Frankly, the idea of the wishing well is the one that was missing!

More seriously, they did six new items on that theme with Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, the inevitable Tinker Bell (not a princess but who cares ) and of course Snow White, probably the most legitimate as there is really a wishing well in the movie. Limited Edition of 750, 9" high, $75.











As usual the design is a bit kitch but if i had to choose my favourite for the design it would be the one with Sleeping Beauty.



You will note that it's not always a "wishing well" but sometime "fountains". Unfortunately it's not "real" fountains - which would have been much better - and the reason why is probably a manufacturing cost. In fact, it's perfectly possible to do it but it's not possible to do it and have it work well with cheap pumps. From what i've heard they did a bad choice - translate: a cheap choice - recently on the Tiki Room fountain collectible and people had a lot of problems as the fountain stopped many times after a few minutes. If that is the truth, then it could explain why they didn't do real fountains on this new series but instead a "translucent resin fountain".


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All pictures: copyright Disney

New James Cameron's Avatar interactive trailer

Correct me if i'm wrong, but i have the feeling that this new James Cameron's Avatar interactive trailer is a premiere. I mean, isn't it the first time that a trailer give you an interactive possibility with multiple choices? May be, may be not, that's not really the problem, what's interesting in all this, thanks to this "ultimate" version of the trailer, is that we can discover new shots of the movie!

How does it works? Very simple: just click HERE and on the page that will open you will be ask to install a light Adobe Air program - it's perfectly safe and takes less than five seconds - then the interactive trailer will appear and will stop at some points where you'll have the choice to watch (or not) some featurettes explaining each character or how they've designed creatures or other special effects for the movie. It's pretty well done and works very well and if you ask my opinion i think that all trailers should be like this!



Another function of this trailer will give you access to a lot of interesting links, all talking about this highly awaited movie released December 18th, and in 3D!



Pictures: copyright 20th Century Fox

Editor's Note: It's Thanksgiving today, so i wish to all Disney and more American and Canadian readers a happy Thanksgiving!