Disneyland Paris : The Discovery Mountain Project

If you're a faithful Disney and more reader, or simply a Disneyland Paris fan you probably have heard about the Discovery Mountain project that never was. For a lot of reasons, mainly because of the price of it, DLP Discoveryland ended with the Space Mountain that we all know, but Discovery Mountain, which was entirely a tribute to Jules Verne stories was truly an amazing project. In this new article we will have a closer look to what it would have been...and why we will miss forever this great project.

On the first artworks above and below you'll see great Tim Delaney paintings showing Discovery Mountain at night. The transparent tube on the left would have been a direct access from Videopolis, and if you go one day at DLP you still can see on the upper floor of Videopolis restaurant giant circle windows which are the one through which the transparent tubes would have linked Videopolis to Discovery Mountain.



Inside Discovery Mountain, guests would have found not only a unique Space Mountain ride but also the Nautilus submarine floating in a lagoon with a restaurant inside Captain Nemo's Grand Salon, access to the Star Tours and former Cinemagique attractions and also a "Journey to the Center of the Earth" ride - look at the track coming out of the volcano. Totally different than the one built at Tokyo Disney Sea this attraction was in fact the first free fall ride designed by WDI, many years before the Tower of Terror concept!



If we have a close look at this rendering you'll see not only a man on a flying bicycle but on the left of the volcano even a dinosaur!



This other Tim Delaney artwork showing the inside of Discovery Mountain is also great. Not only we also have the Nautilus floating in its inside lagoon...



...but if we have a closer look we can see in the back the entrance for Star Tours and Cine Magique. You'll also note on the top right Jules Verne floating in the shell - a reminiscence of a famous scene seen in Epcot's Horizons attraction.



This other artwork is also interesting as it shows the different access that Discovery mountain would have had.



But two of the most interesting artworks are the ones below, from Tim Lawrence. In Space Mountain Mission One "From the Earth to the Moon" DLP guests were sent by the huge Columbiad cannon in direction to the moon but didn't actually really went ON the moon itself. As you will see on this next artwork WDI Imagineers had envisioned that part of the Discovery Mountain roller coaster ride would have sent the guests "on" the moon. The artwork below shows clearly - enlarge the picture - the train going around and inside moon craters with a kind of victorian moon base built upon them, and all of it could have been watched by non-riders guests.



Another scene showing this moon base - you can see the Earth in the background - and interestingly the decoration of the base reminds the one of the Nautilus. The red sofa and carpets are similar to the one of Captain Nemo's Grand Salon - even the red curtains reminds it - and it seems that a book library was also include in that scene which looks like a place from where moon explorers could have explore the stars thanks to the telescope.



So, you see, this Discovery Mountain concept would have sent the riders really on the moon, and for sure it would have been a memorable experience. All the renderings you've seen above are include in my Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book, and if you don't own the book yet, you will understand why it is such a great book, as it not only tell you the story of the making of what actually exist in the park but also shows never seen before concepts of the DLP "that never was".

And, good news, as until August 30 i do a special summer offer on the book which not only include a 20% discount on the regular price but, also, each one who will place an order will receive a special gift - and it's a great one! Below, you can see a video showing the whole book and to know more about the book and how to order and send your payment please go HERE , or send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com , or use the Paypal one-click purchase button below, right under the video!

Artwork: copyright Disney

HKDL Grizzly Gulch Grand opening, First Pictures of Mystic Manor, and more

Editor's Note: Lot of news about HKDL and SDL this week-end so make sure to scroll down to read the others articles!

Grizzly Gulch is now officially open and Hong Kong Disneyland has released a new promo video showing not only the grand opening, but also the making-of of the TV commercial and, more interesting, the first pictures of the inside of Mystic Manor!

Let's begin by Grizzly Gulch grand opening and as you will see in the video a scale was put on stage, with a supposed gold nugget on one side. Then, WDI Imagineers, HKDL CEO and Tom Staggs put one by one a weight on the other side until they reached the perfect weight and at that time a small fireworks happened and Grizzly Gulch was officially open!



The video also shows for the first time some of the decors of the highly awaited Mystic Manor ride, opening Spring 2013. You'll see on the screen captures below mural elements, props, armors, mosaics, and more. As Imagineer Mitch Gill says in the video "The guests will travel on ( in the manor ) and see wonderful artifacts from around the world. There is magic and mystery of wondering Lord Henry's collection"













The good thing is that it seems that the inside will look like a real manor... I think that Mystic Manor will really be at the height of our expectations, and i can't wait for its opening! Also, some months ago there was a rumor that the trackless LPS vehicle system - more or less similar to the one used in the TDL Winnie the Pooh ride - have been cancelled but i had the confirmation that it's not the case, which is good news.

Now, as i'm sure you're dying to see this new video, so here it is!




Pictures and video: copyright Disney

Don't miss the new HKDL Wallpapers HD App for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch!
Direct iTunes link HERE!

New Theme Park Guy Exclusive Reports on Shanghaî Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland

My good friend Stefan Zwanzger - aka The Theme Park Guy - is back with new exclusive pictures of Hong Kong Disneyland as well as the area around Shanghaî Disneyland construction site. I've said it before but what i like with Stefan is that nothing is stopping him when he wants to get a never-seen-before shot. Last year he went through the jungle of the hills above HKDL to get fantastic shots of the park seen from up on the hills and, according to him, the trek was just like hell, in a real deep jungle.

And this year, guess what he's done? That's right, as you can see on the shots below he went again through the jungle filled with spiders and snakes just to get brand new shots from above, and all this wearing his unique, famous - and copyrighted! - "roller coaster hat"!



But there is a reward and once he was up there he was able to shot unique pictures like the one at the top or this one below on which you can see on the same pic the three new lands AND Hong Kong city, on the other side of the bay!



On his trip, Stefan also went back to Shanghaî to have a look if there was anything new near Shanghaî Disneyland construction site. As the construction of the park itself is just beginning of course there is not a lot of things to see yet, and may be Stefan will need like all of us to wait for SDL opening to have pictures as the park construction site is far away and won't be visible even when SDL castle will rise. But, around the site, interesting things are happening as the road infra structures have totally changed. As you will see below the roads are brand new and look now like the big avenues we can find at DLP or WDW, except that for now there is no cars. But in 2015 it should be totally different as, as they say, "if you build it, they will come!".



So, jump to Stefan site to see his full report about Shanghaî HERE And the great pictures of HKDL as seen from up on the hills HERE! And i remind you, too, his great Theme Park Guy construction board which brings news of all theme parks projects around the world!

Pictures: copyright Theme Park Guy.

Shanghaî Disneyland will have Unique Rides and Attractions, says Tom Staggs

Here is some interesting news about Shanghaî Disneyland! According to China Daily latest article:
"When the Shanghai Disney Resort opens in 2015, all the attractions will look amiable and adorable.
But the process that helped create them was the product of creative opinions, challenges and discussions involving many different voices and backgrounds, including leading Chinese artists and designers.

More than 500 designers, or what Disney calls "imagineers", have worked for years to create the design concept for the first Disney resort on the Chinese mainland, in the hope of making the 3.9-square-kilometer resort 100 percent Disney, but with distinctive Chinese flavors.

For these Disney imagineers, who have already designed five Disney resorts, ensuring their designs are genuinely Disney is not as much of a challenge as ensuring Chinese elements and consumer tastes are appropriately considered and incorporated.

To achieve that goal, the designers launched numerous focus groups and undertook countless field research trips to hear from audiences, and witness and experience Chinese culture firsthand. They also welcomed into their design group top Chinese creative talent to ensure Chinese participation in the project from the very beginning.

During a lunch at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, the Shanghai Disney Resort's creative head, Bob Weis, and three LA-based Chinese imagineers shared with China Daily some of the exciting stories about their work on the Shanghai project.

According to Weis, many of the designers involved with the Shanghai resort have visited China multiple times to experience Chinese culture, and have incorporated elements into their work and discussed improvements with colleagues. Every design in the Shanghai Disney Resort is subject to critical review and debate. "We encourage the exchange of ideas so we can select the best concepts while recognizing there are no stupid ideas," he said.

One of the most debated designs has been of the main castle, the centerpiece of every Disney resort. To ensure a perfect castle for the Shanghai theme park, the team pinned many drafts on a giant wall to solicit opinions from visitors and partners. Lead castle designer Doris Woodward, a senior director and producer who traces her family background to Shanghai, said Shanghai's castle will be the biggest among Disney's castles worldwide. Instead of being home to any single princess, the castle in Shanghai will be home to all of Disney's princesses, including Snow White and Pocahontas.

Beijing-born and raised Yu Xuan, one of the LA-based imagineers, is in charge of organizing creative design focus groups and the immersive trips across China. "We get ideas of what Chinese audiences want through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with thousands of people in many cities. One key thing we have found is that they all want to take away from their Shanghai Disney Resort experience a collective memory that can be shared among family members throughout their entire lives," she said.

Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said some of the designs in the Shanghai park have been pinned down but some are still up for modification. Designs will be constantly improved and refined during the development phase and visitors will be "surprised" when they enter the park at the end of 2015, he said. He added that the Shanghai park will also feature plenty of rides and attractions, many of which are newly designed and cannot be found at other Disney theme parks.

Text: copyright China Daily

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Click HERE for a direct access to the TDS Wallpapers HD iTunes page or READ my article first HERE.

Hong Kong Disneyland Grizzly Gulch TV Commercial

Hong Kong Disneyland just released the Grizzly Gulch TV commercial and you will find it below. What's interesting is not only that it looks like a short movie but also that they obviously choose to show the Big Grizzly Mountain ride in a humorous way. I'm saying this because in the changes on Mystic Manor - HKDL next big attraction opening spring 2013 - the ride two main characters have been "toonified", probably to don't look too realistic, and this are changes apparently trying to don't make the future ride too "scary".

And i'm just wondering if this is a request of HK Administration...might be. I think it's probably better to expect from Mystic Manor more an eerie atmosphere than a scary one, which is fine for me. In the meantime, have a look at this Grizzly Gulch commercial!




Picture and video: copyright Disney - Thanks to Michael20183 !

Don't miss the new HKDL Wallpapers HD App for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch!
Direct iTunes link HERE!

OZ, The Great and Powerful - First Trailer !

DIsney just released the first trailer of OZ, The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, and to be released iMarch 8, 2013. The movie is a prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz™ but into a better man as well.

After watching the trailer, i instantly thought: "oh-oh this one seems to be a good one!" and i have a very good feeling on this movie. Not only because it is the great Sam Raimi who is behind the camera, but simply because i think they probably finally succeeded to create a new OZ movie which finds back the magic of the first one, and i thought it was impossible, or at least i was very doubtful. James Franco and Michelle Williams along with others actors will be fine if not excellent and now i can't wait to see the movie!

That said, i also can't wait to see how successful OZ, the Great and Powerful will be. Why? Because, of how the movie will be successful or not probably depends the OZ land project designed by WDI Imagineer Tony Baxter which is envisioned for the back of Disneyland's Frontierland. It's part of the big projects for Disneyland, along with the Tomorrowland expansion revealed by Al Lutz recently. As far as i know this OZ land has not received the green light yet but apparently Tony Baxter was seen recently walking in the park with Bob Iger, and if you want my feeling they were not meeting in Disneyland to discuss the quality of Disneyland popcorn!

So, let's wait and see for this OZ land, and in the meantime have a look at the trailer below, as well at an interview of James Franco. Afterwhat you're very welcome to let me know your thoughts in the comments!







Picture and video: copyright Disney

WDW New Fantasyland Construction Video

Here is a great video showing WDW New Fantasyland construction, and including shots of Belle Village, the exterior of the Little Mermaid ride. You'll also see the first tests on the Little Mermaid waterfalls, and more !




WDW Magic Kingdom New Fantasyland is, after DCA Cars Land and Buena Vista Street the next big WDI project in the U.S to open. The double Dumbo ride and the Story Book Circusare already open and the rest should open later this year, except the seven dwarves mine ride. On this next video filmed by DisneyByTheNumbers you'll see the new Casey Jr Splash'n Soak Station as well as the double Dumbo ride and the new interactive - read "playground" - queue.





Videos: copyright wesh.com, disneybythenumbers