New Press Release Brings More Details About Disneyland Paris Season of the Force!

New press release from DLP for the Season of the Force!

From 14 January to 26 March 2017, Disneyland Paris will host THE SEASON OF THE FORCE, a unique celebration of the galactic saga.
Imagine a one-time-only experience, coming face-to-face with Captain Phasma or a stormtrooper patrol; imagine activities designed to transport guests to a galaxy far, far away; imagine an evening show performed under the stars, to the backdrop of imposing architecture.

Walt Disney Studios Park will be at the heart of this upcoming celebration, with a whole host of events that fans will simply love, but that’s not all:

“Star Wars: A Galactic Celebration”
At nightfall, Walt Disney Studios Park will light up with iconic STAR WARS colours as part of a new show specially designed for Disneyland Paris. “Star Wars: A Galactic Celebration” is set to be a breath-taking spectacle of light and sound featuring projections and special effects, along with many more surprises. Heroes from the world of Star Wars, such as Chewbacca and R2-D2, as well as the likes of Kylo Ren, Darth Maul, Darth Vader and many more, will be there in person, to the great delight of guests. Iconic characters from the Empire, the First Order and of course the Resistance will all make an appearance on stage, adding an incredible dimension to this show that pays tribute to the Star Wars saga through its heroes. A one-time event not to be missed. Only from 14 January to 26 March 2017.

Before this amazing evening event gets underway, many other experiences await to transport guests from Walt Disney Studios Park to a galaxy far, far away…
From the “First Order March” and the “Stormtroopers Patrol” to “Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away”

From 14 January to 26 March 2017, the days at Walt Disney Studios Park will be marked by epic appearances of heroes straight from the world of Star Wars. Kicking it all off will be the “First Order March”, led by Captain Phasma. This will be followed by the daytime performance of “Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away”, which puts the spotlight on a number of iconic characters from the saga, such as Darth Vader and Kylo Ren, to name but a few. Lastly, guests will be thrilled to find themselves face-to-face with a stormtrooper patrol, and even able to interact with it!

The Jedi take centre stage at Disneyland Park
To bring balance to the Force, Jedi Masters will be ready and waiting every day to train young Padawans, aged from 7 to 12 years, at the Jedi Training Academy (Vidéopolis - Discoveryland). From 12 January to 4 May 2017, this special training course will take them to the very heart of the world of Star Wars and let them walk side-by-side with heroes from the saga.

Heroes from the world of Star Wars are certainly set to take centre stage at Disneyland Paris. “SEASON OF THE FORCE”: an unmissable immersive experience for the youngest Padawans and the oldest Jedi alike. From 14 January to 26 March 2017.

Version Francaise:

Disneyland Paris crée LA SAISON DE LA FORCE, une célébration inédite de la saga Star Wars, du 14 janvier au 26 mars 2017.
Imaginez un rendez-vous éphémère où l’on pourrait se retrouver nez à nez avec Capitaine Phasma, avec une patrouille de Stormtroopers… Imaginez des interactions créées pour transporter les Visiteurs dans une galaxie lointaine, très lointaine… Imaginez un spectacle nocturne, projeté à ciel ouvert sur une architecture grandiose…

Le Parc Walt Disney Studios sera au cœur de cette nouvelle célébration, avec plusieurs rendez-vous qui devraient ravir les fans, mais pas seulement :

“Star Wars : La Célébration Galactique”
À la tombée de la nuit, le Parc Walt Disney Studios s’illuminera aux couleurs de Star Wars grâce au nouveau spectacle spécialement conçu pour Disneyland Paris. “Star Wars : La Célébration Galactique” sera un son et lumière à couper le souffle avec projections et effets spéciaux, parmi d’autres surprises. En effet, les héros de l’univers Star Wars comme Chewbacca, R2-D2 mais aussi Kylo Ren, Dark Maul, Dark Vador et bien d’autres encore seront présents en personne pour le plus grand bonheur des Visiteurs. Les figures emblématiques de l’Empire, du Premier Ordre et bien sûr de la Résistance feront leur apparition sur scène. Ils donneront une dimension incroyable à ce spectacle qui célèbre la saga Star Wars à travers ses héros. Un rendez-vous éphémère qui s’annonce déjà incontournable. A découvrir du 14 janvier au 26 mars 2017.

Avant ce grand moment nocturne, d’autres rendez-vous vont transporter les Visiteurs du Parc Walt Disney Studios dans une galaxie lointaine, très lointaine…
De “La Marche du Premier Ordre” à “La Patrouille des Stormtroopers”,  en passant par le spectacle “ Star Wars : Une Galaxie Lointaine, Très Lointaine”...

Du 14 janvier au 26 mars 2017, les journées au Parc Walt Disney Studios seront rythmées par les apparitions épiques des héros de l’univers Star Wars. A commencer par Capitaine Phasma qui mènera « La Marche du Premier Ordre ». Elle laissera ensuite place en journée au spectacle «Star Wars : Une Galaxie Lointaine, Très Lointaine » qui mettra à l’honneur sur scène de nombreuses figures emblématiques de la saga, de Dark Vador à Kylo Ren pour ne citer qu’eux. Enfin, les Visiteurs seront ravis de pouvoir tomber nez à nez et surtout interagir avec une patrouille des Stormtroopers.

Les Jedi à l’honneur au Parc Disneyland
Afin de rétablir l’équilibre dans la Force, les Maîtres Jedi attendront chaque jour les jeunes Padawans de 7 à 12 ans pour une formation à la Jedi Training Academy (Vidéopolis - Discoveryland). Une formation d’exception qui leur permettra de plonger au cœur de l’univers de Star Wars en côtoyant les héros de la saga.

Les héros de l’univers Star Wars seront définitivement à l’honneur à Disneyland Paris. Rendez-vous du 14 janvier au 26 mars 2017 avec "LA SAISON DE LA FORCE", une expérience immersive incontournable pour les plus petits Padawans comme les plus grands Jedi.

The Making of Walt Disney World’s First Drones Show at Disney Springs

The new show drone experience at Disney Springs, “Starbright Holidays – An Intel Collaboration” is setting the sky aglow this holiday season twice a night in the West Side of Disney Springs.
The first aerial ballet of 300 Intel Shooting Star show drones choreographed to a specially orchestrated medley of classic holiday music with a Disney touch invites guests to wish upon a holiday star at Walt Disney World Resort.
The inspiration behind this new holiday experience: the iconic scene in the Disney animated hit, “Tangled,” when the birthday lanterns are released over the kingdom. When Walt Disney Imagineers saw that moment, it sparked that magical, “what if” momentum.
Watch how WDI Imagineers and Walt Disney World Creative Entertainment worked with the experts at Intel to bring this experience to Disney Springs this holiday season.


Pictures and video: copyright Disney

Efteling Villa Volta Projection Show

The folks at Efteling theme park did an interesting projection show which is totally different than what Disney does on its castles. The whole projection is done on a small house called "Villa Volta" and it's about a haunted house. DLP could do this kind of show on Phantom Manor during the Halloween season if they wanted, or have the budget for, so have a look and let us know what you think!



Video: copyright pixiedust.be

Hong Kong Disneyland Original Tomorrowland.Artwork

Hong Kong Disneyland artwork is pretty hard to find in big size and i found the other day this great Tim Delaney artwork for HKDL Tomorrowland. I did a screen capture on my iMac 5K to have it in an even bigger size, and here it is!

Picture: copyright Disney

Universal and Nintendo Announces a Nintendo Land Coming at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

It was previously announced that a Nintendo land will open at Universal Studios Japan, and now Universal and Nintendo announced that a Nintendo land will also be coming at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. The three will open separately over the next several years.

Nintendo’s legendary Shigeru Miyamoto and Universal Creative’s Mark Woodbury discuss in the video below how you will step into a larger-than-life Nintendo adventures filled with excitement, gameplay, heroes and villains at Universal Theme Parks across the globe. The most funny is that they talk during 1.22 minutes and reveal absolutely NOTHING about what will be in this Nintendo land except that they will be “expansive, immersive, interactive and highly themed and authentic environments filled with multiple attractions, shops, and restaurants.” What a surprise.




Video: copyright Universal Studios - Nintendo

D&M Exclusive : Shanghaî Disneyland First Christmas Season !

It's the first Christmas season for Shanghaî Disneyland and thanks to D&M faithful reader Nick Moody, Disney and more has exclusive pictures for you! Christmas decorations can be seen specially at the entrance of the park, whether it is on the entrance arch, in Mickey Avenue or in the shops...

...and Shanghaî Disneyland also have a big Christmas tree which stands in the Gardens of Imagination, between the Fantasia Carousel and SDL castle! Flowers with a Christmas red color also have been placed in the flower beds.

Shanghai Disneyland guests can see another Christmas tree in Disneytown near the LEGO store!

All my thanks again to Nick Moody for providing to D&M these great pictures!

Pictures; copyright Nick Moody

Discover "Soy Cuba" One of the Most Beautiful and Visually Stunning Film in Cinema History

The big news of the day - internationally speaking - is of course the death of Fidel Castro, "El Comandante" in Cuba since 1959. The last big political figure of the 20th Century died yesterday and tears in Havana, Cuba, contrast with joy of Cuban exiles in Little Havana, Miami, as Castro was loved or hated depending on what side you were. I have one story for you that you won't read anywhere else and it's about a GORGEOUS movie filmed by Mikhail Kalatozov, award winning Russian director in the early 1960's. Castro had asked him a movie about the Cuban revolution and Kalazotov did "Soy Cuba" a sumptuous movie which in fact starts before the revolution, showing the era of dictator Batista and ends with the revolution forces marching on La Havana. The movie took three years to be filmed and had its premiere of course in La Havana. But there is a big "but" as what happened next is that, inexplicably, Fidel Castro hated the movie and ordered that the movie was never shown!

During the next thirty five years or so the film stayed on the shelves of the Mosfilm archives in Moscow until it was finally shown late 80's - early 90's during a film festival in America. Martin Scorcese and Francis Ford Coppola who were there almost fell off their chairs when they discovered it, and Scorcese said at that time that "if the world could have seen this movie in the early sixties the way to film movies would have been changed forever". Why? Because Mikhail Kalatozov had filmed almost the whole movie in "sequence shots", i.e there is no "cuts" during a five minutes sequence, or more. And this at a time when the "Steadycam" was not invented yet, neither the visual effects by ILM wizards! The result is that we have a movie in which in fact "it's the camera which tells the story" as Scorcese said, as there is just a few dialogues during the whole movie. The whole film is fascinating and truly gorgeous, so gorgeous that it's on my list of one of "the ten movies i would take with me on a desert island" if i had to choose ten. I can't recommend enough to anyone to find it and watch it, and i still don't understand why Castro hated it as it is a hymn to Cuba and the Cuban people.

I've found for you two amazing sequences filmed, as i've said, in "sequence shot" mode. The first one below is the very start of the movie  - which, by the way, is entirely filmed in a gorgeous black and white - and, after a start with a woman reading a poem about Cuba while the camera follows a fisherman boat, the next scene shows a fashion show on the top of a hotel of Cuba when Batista was still in power ( so before the revolution began ). WATCH what the camera is doing all in one shot without cuts. Nowadays the sequence shots are often used but back in the 1960's with he exception of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Rope" ( which was filmed entirely in studios and not outdoors like here ), there was not a lot of movies which were filmed that way, as it is incredibly difficult to stage a scene with no cuts during five minutes. The other sequence, even more incredible is below.



And this other one "sequence shot" is even more incredible. In that scene the camera follows funeral of a young man killed by the forces of Batista police. Look closely how the camera starting in the street goes up all along a building, enter a room with dozens of people making cigars and then goes out again literally flying over the crowd of the funeral in the street below. It's this kind of shot who left Martin Scorcese voiceless when he discovered the film, and Martin had to see the film again and again to find how they did it. Absolutely beautiful! Again, try to find "Soy Cuba" and watch it, it's one of the most beautiful film in cinema history, not only for its beautiful sequence shots but also for its humanity!



For those interested ( and you should be, believe me! ) Soy Cuba (also titled: I am Cuba ) is available on Amazon.com in its "ultimate edition" ( Dvd only ) HERE for $24.79. Language: Spanish with English subtitles - Run Time: 141 minutes.

Also exist in French DVD with French subtitles in normal edition for 15.99€ on Amazon.fr HERE.

"A classic... absolutely astonishing! I AM CUBA is that rarity of rarities, a genuine hidden treasure. It puts to shame anything we're doing today." - --Martin Scorsese

"One of the most deliriously beautiful films ever made". - --Manohla Dargis, L.A. Weekly