Shanghaî Disneyland Update

A short news about Shanghaî Disneyland, coming from Shanghaî Daily. And this one is about the transportation hub:

"A Vast public transport network is in the works to serve the expected flood of visitors to the Shanghai Disneyland, officials said yesterday.

A hub at the west gate of the amusement park will comprise five bus terminals, car and taxi parking lots, wash rooms and six lounges. The 77,492-square-meter behemoth will stretch from Xihuan Road to a large square of the Shanghai Disneyland, officials said. Some amusement facilities, shops and trees will line the hub.

The city government is inviting tenders for the construction of the hub that is budgeted at 182 million yuan (US$22.54 million). The project should be completed within a year.

Metro Line 11 will also be extended from Luoshan Road Station to Disneyland with stops at Kangqiao Road E. Station and Hengxin Road Station.

The extended 9.2-kilometer Disney section will use six-car trains with maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour. Ten such trains will initially operate on the line. About 7.7km will be over land while the final stretch will be underground.  The Disneyland Station will be semi-underground with a skylight to bring natural light indoor. It will be surrounded by an artificial lake, trees and shrubs.

Two broad slopes will be built on both sides of the stations for wheelchair-bound visitors. The size and decorations will be designed keeping children in mind.

Road construction is already underway outside the amusement park that will connect to the Middle Ring Road in the Pudong New Area. The new elevated highway, costing more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.62 billion), is being built between the Jungong Road Tunnel and Gaoke Road M. It will be completed in 2015, just in time for the opening of the park. An upgrade of the super capacitor buses that were used at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai may be used to shuttle visitors."

Below, the map of SDL bus station which will be close to the entertainment and shopping area and just a few minutes walk from the theme park entrance.

Pictures: copyright Disney - Shandi

The Disney's California Adventure that never was !

Just found back in my Disney "archives" a press kit that was sent to me in 1996 by the Disneyland press office. It's a presentation of the "future" Disneyland Resort and what was going to be, some years later, Disney's California Adventure.

Everything is there, the Entrance, the Animation building, Soarin', the Grizzly raft ride, the Grand Californian hotel, etc...but if we have a close look to the renderings, nothing look like what we knew in DCA's first version. It's a Disney's California Adventure that never was!

Let's have a look first at the rendering on the cover of this six-pages brochure. It is supposed to be the entrance of the park. The monorail is still passing through, but no Golden Gate, etc...And this giant golden spire was supposed to be the icon of the park, just like Sleeping Beauty castle can be for Disneyland.



Now, if this giant spire looks familiar to you, dear readers, it's normal. You just saw it four days ago in my Westcot article - see the Westcot rendering below - and this spire was probably one of the rare reminiscence of the Westcot project in this early DCA concept-art.



But all is not lost in this "entrance" rendering. If we have a look at this picture of the model of DCA new entrance, we can see that, here too, there is some reminiscence of this first DCA entrance concept-art. But the giant spire has disappeared forever.



The next page of the brochure was introducing the new Disneyland Resort, and i suggest you to double-click on the image to read the text.



As we can see, the next page is very interesting, too...



The Art of animation building looks totally different than the one we know...



And it's the same for the Soarin building, very different, too.



Even more interesting are these two renderings. Not only the Grizzly River Run rafts don't look like the one show here, but we are still waiting for an "abc" attraction!



The master plan on the next page may look familiar...



But if you have a close look to the DCA section, you will notice that big changes were done in the first DCA version, beginning by the water canals...



Next page is interesting, too. The buildings on the rendering with the monorail were never built, and even the Grand Californian hotel had a different architecture.



The last page who show the redesign of Walnut Street and Katella Blvd is may be the most accurate with the final result, though...



We know the rest of the story, and how DCA finally had a totally different look and even more now, but i thought it was interesting to share with you this first vision of the park!

Artwork and brochure: copyright Disney

Iron Man 3 Review

I've been in theater this afternoon to watch Iron Man 3 and here is my review - with no scene spoilers. So, what do i think of the film? Well, if you're looking for an entertaining super-heroe movie - which Iron Man 3 is supposed to be, finally - i suppose that you'll have a good time. But if you're looking for a real good movie, i mean something which also transcend the genre, then forget about it.

Let's say it, the first 20 minutes of Iron Man 3 are dreadful, incredibly bad and uninteresting  at a point i couldn't believed my eyes. The movie starts to be more interesting from the Chinese Theater sequence but i've found that the script, although not too badly written with some good ideas and a surprise twist that i will not reveal, is also weak in the non action scenes. In two words, action scenes are as good as you can expect but don't expect any genius in-between.

The other problem that i had was with the non-esthetic filming of it. It's not badly filmed, and the editing is perfectly done, but the movie is not stylized at all. Avengers had a much better filming - always esthetically speaking -  and Captain America too, with real stylized sequences. You don't have this here, the framing is never interesting, it's just filmed as good as a good TV episode can be but not more. I suppose that most of the spectators won't mind about this as they will mostly expect a thrilling movie and there is plenty of thrilling scenes in Iron Man 3 that kids will love.

Because Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sir Ben Kingsley are such good actors Iron Man 3 acting is good, with a special mention to Guy Pearce - the real bad guy of the movie, you'll see why - but since the first Iron Man, i don't know why, but i always have the feeling that Robert Downey Jr is not "totally" in the role. Don't get me wrong, he plays Iron Man and Tony Stark perfectly because he is extremely talented - when Downey started his career he was acclaimed as the best actor of his generation - but i always have the feeling that he is not duped of what the character is, i.e a super hero character who doesn't really exist in real life. Wrong or right i've always feel a kind of "distance" in the way he plays Iron Man and i wouldn't be surprised if he was happy that the three films contract he had on Iron Man was finally finished. Gwyneth Paltrow, by the way, probably agree with him as she said recently that "there won't be an Iron Man 4", at least with her as her three films contract has ended too with Iron Man 3. The problem is that Iron Man 3 is highly successful, is probably on its way to make one billion dollars at the box office and execs in Burbank will probably want a fourth one. I don't know if Marvel and Disney will succeed to get on board Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow for a fourth movie but i have the feeling that it's gonna cost them quite a lot of money to convince them.

As i've said, Iron Man 3 is exactly what it is supposed to be: a super-hero movie, with all the limits of the genre. You'll have probably a good time watching it, specially if you don't ask more than it can deliver.




Picture and video: copyright Disney - Marvel

Rare Videos of 1958 Zorro Show at Disneyland

LIFE Magazine photographers went several times at Disneyland during special events, and they also have shot a series of pictures with Guy Williams - legendary actor who played ZORRO - in 1958 at Disneyland. I've post them before and you'll find them again below and above.

But these two video will show you rare images of the show itself. So far it's the only videos of the show i've ever seen so i'm glad they've been posted. the first one below was posted by the Disney History Institute web site




And the second one below was posted on youtube by someone who seems to be the son of Guy Williams. Great family shots at the end of it of Guy Williams with his wife, too.




Below, Guy Williams as Zorro jumping from the Golden Horseshoe Revue building roof during the show.



We must remember how good in swashbuckling was Guy Williams. I think the other guy is the actor who played the Monasterio character in the first season, isn't it?



After the show, Guy Williams signed autographs for his young fans at Disneyland.



Now, LIFE photographers shoot Guy Williams also on the ZORRO TV series set! Here are some pictures, beginning by the one at the top of this article. Below, Guy Williams on the set of the TV series, on a white horse - not "Tornado" who had a black colour, if i remember well...



Actor Guy Williams practicing swordplay on the set for his role as Zorro.



Guy Williams acting in the TV show, against Sgt Garcia and another soldier.




Always on the set, with a lovely waitress.


All pictures: copyright LIFE Magazine

Video: copyright Disney History Institute, wdzorrojr

Disneyland Paris Frontierland Update

We're back at Disneyland Paris with this time an update essentially about Frontierland's Big Thunder Mountain where works have began near the show building. So, let's go to Thunder Mesa with pictures by Max Fan D&M contributor and Dlrp Welcome webmaster.

On our way we'll note that there is currently a little refurbishment on the ground of the path leading to Frontierland entrance...

...and that the Fuente Del Oro fountain is now working again!

But as i told you it's on the BTM building that works are happening as you can see on this picture.

Let's have a closer look at this now demolished rock.

What the hell are they doing, you ask? Well, apparently these works are done because DLP decided to create a new and easier access for disabled guests, especially the one in wheel chair. Below a concept art posted on the DCP forum showing what they plan to do.

There built already a new access some years ago, on the opposite, but this one is for guests with Fast Pass, one that guests in wheel chair can't use.

A few more pictures with one of a BTM locomotive exiting the load building...

...a close shot of Big Thunder Mountain...

...and a nice one of Phantom Manor.

See you soon for a new DLP update, and don't miss too yesterday's WDS update about the works on the Ratatouille ride HERE!

Don't miss the $45 Discount on the Disneyland Paris book! English and French copies still available! 

I remind you that the Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book, in which you have the whole park in 320 pages with 750 photos including 250 WDI renderings is still available in its english or french edition. French collector signed copies are also always available. And we do a special price right now on it with a $45 / 40€ discount on the normal price, so order your collector copy while we still have copies available as we're really running low on the english copies. You'll find below a one click Paypal button as well as a video showing the whole book. And you can have more infos about this gorgeous 320 pages book HERE.

Choose between french or english edition -Price include shipping

1 copy ENGLISH edition Disneyland Paris book, include shipping €100.00 EUR 1 SIGNED copy FRENCH edition Disneyland Paris book, inc shipping €115.00 EUR 1 NON SIGNED copy FRENCH edition Disneyland Paris book +shipping €90.00 EUR

Pictures: copyright Max Fan - Dlrp Welcome

WDS Ratatouille Ride Update

We're back at Disneyland Paris Walt Disney Studios for a new update with pictures of the construction site thanks to Max Fan, D&M contributor and Dlrp Welcome webmaster. My last update about it was one week ago and in less than a week it's amazing how fast the workers have been on the facade theming, specially on the main show building. Last week i told you that in less than six months it will be finished but if they're going as fast as they did since ten days the exterior theming will probably be finished in just a few months.

But first, some nice shots of the entrance with a clear blue sky.

There we are. As usual, the show building is in the center and on the left is the building for the Ratatouille restaurant, and click on each pic to enlarge them. 

In the next update coming soon we'll go at the Disneyland park where some works are also happening on the Big Thunder Mountain load building!

Don't miss the $45 Discount on the Disneyland Paris book! English and French copies still available! 

I remind you that the Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book, in which you have the whole park in 320 pages with 750 photos including 250 WDI renderings is still available in its english or french edition. French collector signed copies are also always available. And we do a special price right now on it with a $45 / 40€ discount on the normal price, so order your collector copy while we still have copies available as we're really running low on the english copies. You'll find below a one click Paypal button as well as a video showing the whole book. And you can have more infos about this gorgeous 320 pages book HERE.

Choose between french or english edition -Price include shipping

1 copy ENGLISH edition Disneyland Paris book, include shipping €100.00 EUR 1 SIGNED copy FRENCH edition Disneyland Paris book, inc shipping €115.00 EUR 1 NON SIGNED copy FRENCH edition Disneyland Paris book +shipping €90.00 EUR

Pictures: copyright Max Fan - Dlrp Welcome