Tuesday, 7th August 2007

Five-star luxury, bright and airy rooms

The curse of -those details which have been on the California Tower all along but you probably never noticed- returns! For example — we know a whole front section of this deserted hotel was blown to pieces by the lighting bolt on that “fateful night”, but did you know the Imagineers would fully decorate the remaining corridors and walls as if real rooms within the hotel, before giving them their lightning-struck purple scorch marks?

Disneytheque.com brings the latest construction pictures…

Image
Hollywood Tower Hotel – ready for reopening? (Photo: Disneytheque.com)

The rooms are certainly bright and modern for the era – the Art Deco favourite of turquoise has arrived on the remaining walls of Paris’ front wing, with the completed Californian version showing the wood panelling, window details and — eventually — purple cracks and scorches still to come.

The design of the corridors matches with that seen in the two show scenes below — the elevator’s disappearance in a mirror and the ghostly corridor where The Twilight Zone takes hold of you.

Image Image
Corridors in Paris (Photo: Disneytheque.com) …and California (Photo: Sun-Mountain.net)

Currently looking a rather innocent shade of pale yellow, the completion of this corridor decoration will then allow for the heavier signs of the lightning strike to give the resort’s newest icon a quite surprising sense of devastation. This is no Sleeping Beauty Castle!

The cracked and broken wall around the front portion of the building has now nearly completed its purple lightning overcoat, jutting up across the facade to further push the “story” to guests that the Tower is missing a large portion of its original 1920s structure.

Image Image
More destruction, but rooms are bright are airy! (Photo: Disneytheque.com)
/ Rear paintwork completed (Photo: NeMo, Disney Central Plaza forum)

Finally, more signs elsewhere show the exterior theming project wrapping up remarkably fast — the vertical line of windows on the far left of the building’s behind has now been surrounded by a finished coat of pale yellow paint and 15 years-worth of dirt. The final piece of construction scaffolding — two small steel towers for the “real” service elevators — should be removed soon, finally marking the completion of the rear wall.

The opening date, you ask? The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is still most definitely on track for an official opening in January 2008, it’d be suicide for the resort to begin the full launch any earlier, but word from insiders continues to confirm that guests visiting from 22nd December 2007 onwards could be treated to a special “soft-opening” test ride during their visit. This would then put the attraction in line for a proper launch in the early weeks of January — exactly when many European families begin to plan their holidays for the year.

Will the five-star luxury and bright and airy rooms of The Hollywood Tower Hotel win them over?

You can see the rest of Disneytheque.com’s latest update here.

Friday, 3rd August 2007

Ratatouille infests cinemas, nibbles on tasty tie-ins

Since around the release of Chicken Little in 2005, Disneyland Resort Paris finally got back into some good cross-promotion with Disney’s movie releases. No doubt many fans’ earliest memories of “EuroDisney” come from the countless advertisements placed before films on Disney’s VHS releases of the early ’90s, and now a whole new generation is discovering the resort at its 15th Anniversary with Pixar’s latest smash-hit CGI tale.

Ratatouille is, according to Disney, “the best reviewed film of the Summer”. That’s not just marketing talk – on reviews database Rotten Tomatoes, it currently counts 158 positive reviews against just 6 negative, giving an overall score of 96% fresh and right up there with the best of Pixar’s greats.

Image

“The characters are irresistible, the animation is astonishing and the film, a fantasy version of a foodie rhapsody, sustains a level of joyous invention that hasn’t been seen in family entertainment since The Incredibles,” says the Wall Street Journal.

“In this Michelin-starred confection, Brad Bird deserves an Oscar,” raves The Observer. Luckily for Disney (and the $ 7.4 billion hole in their pocket), it appears the studio may never make a bad film.

We know the two lead characters – Rémy and Émile – have been frequenting Toon Studio since late June, and now Disneyland Resort Paris have cooked up some promotion to make the most of the characters — afterall, where else on this continent can you meet the Pixar stars? No doubt the film’s location of a glowing, saccharine Paris will also play well to draw more eyes to the Disneyland just a few miles East…

Image

On the official website, you can now find a special page with a surprising amount of photos (something Crush’s Coaster and Cars Race Rally still lack) showing the furry pair of rats in front of their new photo location in Toon Studio. Of the international websites for the Ratatouille movie itself, the Dutch and English versions provide partner links to this page on Disneylandparis.com, as has been the case for recent releases such as Cars. The Dutch link, however, is unfortunately presenting a page error. Still, it’s an effort.

The characters themselves, despite being completely Pixar-produced, are 100% Disney. This is actually the first time Pixar have produced furry, hugable animal characters, and no doubt these two will be around for years to come…

Image

What other treats, beyond a hug from Rémy and Émile? Well, if you’re a Shareholder or an Annual Passport Dream holder, you’re invited to a special, free screening of the film in Walt Disney Studios Park‘s CinéMagique theatre!

As has become the norm for every big animated Disney release, the park’s Disney Studio 2 will opens its doors after-hours for a private screening of the new film. The Annual Passport Dream showing takes place on 25th August 2007, though no doubt this will come as news to almost every passholder unless they’ve stopped by the Bureau Passeport Annuel recently and spotted the form. Apparently you’re not alone if you never received any notification via email or through the post.

Image

Registration closes on 6th August, so if you’d like to fill one of the limited spaces available for the single screening (the theatre’s capacity is 1,100), you’d better… well, we’re not sure. They don’t seem to want anyone to go. The only spotting of the registration form is thanks to a member on Disney Central Plaza.

More successful, as always, is the Shareholders Club. Here you’ll find a proper online sign-up (click here) ready and waiting for your membership details and seat reservation for one of two screenings — Saturday 8th September 2007 or Sunday 9th September 2007, both beginning at 7pm. However, unlike several film screenings in the past, Ratatouille will be presented exclusively in French.

“We invite you to improve your French thanks to a screening in French version only (without any subtitles),” they boast. Well then, throw away your phrasebook!

Image

Ratatouille is now showing in cinemas across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Austria since today. After a little time to mature, the fine French delicacy à la Pixar will arrive in Germany on 3rd October and the UK on 12th October.

Images © Disney/Pixar; by Photos Magiques and by Minnie Mouse on DCP.

Wednesday, 1st August 2007

Hollywood’s Sweet Success? Just prefab magic!

At the foot of the boulevard, Paris’ versions of ‘Off the Page‘ and ‘Gone Hollywood‘ are still in almost the same state they’ve been for weeks, only Gone Hollywood appears to have received a few more vertical steel pieces to its busy frame. As we begin to see the changes and enhancements to the prefab version of Sweet Success further below, who knows what changes await for these façades…

Image Image

The word “prefab” usually has ever so slightly negative connotations. But, after seeing the Imagineers work their magic with the process, maybe we should think again. From a bare steel frame to a bare steel frame covered in cardboard-thin dry wall, the tower on the far left of the development has suddenly started to become a real, historic Hollywood landmark.

Image Image

Begun by the pale brown dome, to contrast with the deep turquoise domes of the Tower behind, the movie set is fast become a building, piece-by-piece. Each section of detailed sculpting, window edging and brickwork has been slotted into place and nailed into position like an insanely elaborate IKEA flatpack. Let’s not even begin to imagine the size of that instruction manual…

Currenly going in are undulating borders around the very top of the building, and the immensely detailed coat of arms sculptings along the top of its facade are now making their way onto the side walls. With its zig-zag edging and luxurious prefab detail, it looks as if the Imagineers were helping themselves to a fine French gateux when they re-Imagineered their 1989 original with extra frosting.

Image Image

The two buildings are certainly very similar, with the same sculptings and windows, but now that the Parisian version has taken another leap forward, the real difference in design is apparent. The detailing around the top of Paris’ version is only used above the shop windows of Disney-MGM’s candy store, the wavy edging is nowhere to be seen, the Dome replaces a dull square roof and further differences can just be seen in the way the “stonework” either side of the main window is coming along.

Just as those who expected a carbon copy of California’s Tower of Terror to arrive in Paris have been partially hushed, anyone presuming photocopies of landmarks from Disney’s Californian and Floridian Hollywood Boulevards will also be surprised at the change. Walt Disney Studios Park may be expanding on a strict budget, but those Imagineers can still work in a bit of extra magic.

Image Image

Finally, Maarten – who we must thank again for another great photo update – has captured two photos from an angle which doesn’t appear to have been posted online yet. These two pictures are from between Disney Studio 1 and CinéMagique, close to the parade route, looking straight along the row of buildings which will soon become icons of the whole park.

The proximity to the parade route of the Sweet Success building is surprising, and the height of the developments continues to deceive the eye from certain angles. One look at a construction worker atop the third floor of Disney’s California Adventure’s ‘La Brea Carpets‘ reminds us that these may be fictional, false facades, but their vast size is very real.

The way these sets should enclose guests within a themed environment is exciting to see for the Studios, and of course this leaves us to end with a pun you all saw coming – Hollywood Boulevard should be a Sweet Success indeed.

Latest photos provided by Maarten. Sweet Success photo from DisneyPix.com.

Wednesday, 1st August 2007

Pin Trading August 2007 releases

If the inane amount of times “brand new” was mentioned in that introduction didn’t annoy you enough, then get this – that’s it. Those are the August 2007 releases. Yep, we spoiled the surprise. Oh, and there won’t be a Pin Trading Night this month.

Wednesday 1st August 2007

Ratatouille
Reference number: 209401007122
Price: 6.00 Euros

Saturday 4th August 2007

Retrospective 1997 (LE)
Reference number 209401007043
Limited Edition 900 ex.
Price 10.90 Euros

Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade series #5 – Dreams of Power (LE)
Reference number: 209401007015
Limited Edition: 900 ex.
Price: 10.90 Euros

Why no Pin Trading Night? Why so few releases all at the very beginning of the month?

Here’s why – this month will see a major Pin Trading Day on Saturday 25th August 2007.

The first guests entering the park receive a special board and an exclusive Limited Edition pin for free, and can then pick up more at various locations around the park to complete the collection – if a cut-throat mob of eBay sellers hasn’t trampled you to the floor first, of course.

Pin Trading Day

at Disneyland Park
on Saturday 25th August 2007
from 10.00am

Come and enjoy a full day of Pin Trading in Disneyland Resort Paris!

On 25th August 2007 at Disneyland Park, a free pin on a board to complete will be offered to the first Guests who arrive in the morning. Take the opportunity to start your collection now!

Come and meet our international Pin Collectors, and get the exclusive Limited Edition pins only available on the day!

If you’re visiting and use Extra Magic Hours on this day, remember to head back down Main Street just before 10am to look for the Cast Members giving away the cardboard holders and free pin.

Wednesday, 1st August 2007

Years pass quickly in The Twilight Zone

Our thanks go to magicforum member Maarten for all the photos in this update, who has even sent us in a few extra pictures of construction progress in addition to those posted on the forum.

Facing toward the Castle and therefore away from the sun, it’s rare to see the sun’s rays across the front of Walt Disney StudiosTower. With the long days of July and August, however, the sunset just catches its Californian front…

Image
Sun sets on another day of rapid ageing

Inside the park, and the Summer season also works wonders for the greenery of Walt Disney Studios, framing the Tower and its nearby Hollywood Boulevard companions for a perfect snapshot. Not bad for the Studios, is it?

Image Image
Hiding behind trees and boulevards / All letters face inward

No doubt you’ve noticed the pesky letters – which, last time we updated progress, had just seen the letter ‘Y’ turned to face the park for testing, only to be swiftly turned back again. If you believe the latest rumours, it appears that not only do the letters still need to be wired up and installed properly before turning over, but the first few letters of the word “Hollywood” infact need to be taken down and repositioned several centimetres to the left…

There does certainly seem to be more of the walkway exposed on the left, but could a construction team working for Walt Disney Imagineering really make that mistake? At least if true it’ll make a good “fun fact” for the future!

Image Image
Tower of Terror from across the park

Despite the letters still facing inwards, it’s now much easier to get a sense of what Tower of Terror will bring to the park. Visible from every angle, plastered with detailed theming and Hollywood style, and most importantly set within its own miniature timezone.

The Twilight Zone is a strange place, where cracks and debris can form in just days. However, differences on the “lightning struck” part of the Tower continue to appear between the Paris and Californian versions. The red and grey brick design seen on the right of the building remains and is looking more and more to be the final design.

On the left side, the damage isn’t quite so severe but the purple blast marks certainly are. Overall, though, the strength of the purple markings on this Tower, perhaps a little over-done in California, are looking much more restrained so far.

Image Image
More purple “blast” marks / Tower Hotel Gifts given the gift of paint

Much of the recent progress on the exterior is now focusing on the walls and entrance tower of the Tower Hotel Gifts boutique, a part of the Tower previously far from completion both outside and inside. Circular art deco details have been added to the corner pieces of the tower, which will eventually be quite similar to that of Studio Photo on Front Lot, and the terra cotta tiled roof is finally going on, the final roof to be completed on the project.

Elsewhere, the balconies on both sides of the building have now been uncovered with only small sections of scaffolding remaining. We’ve now less than five months to go until opening, and square front section of the hotel is showing it. With its final coat of paint and final age details, it might not be too long before scaffolding comes down here too.

Image Image
29th July 2006 / 27th July 2007

One year ago it was just a concrete shell, today – it’s The Hollywood Tower Hotel.

Image
From Disney Village parking – Hollywood will now “always have Paris”

The years really do pass quickly in The Twilight Zone!

All photos by Maarten.

Tuesday, 31st July 2007

‘Spooktacular’ Halloween for the 15th Anniversary

From the first days of the 15th Anniversary, fans have been asking what will happen during the annual Halloween and Christmas events. Recent weeks have presented rumours such as a new daytime show on the Candleabration stage and even the return of Disney Villain Parade! Trick or treat?

Image

The English press release reads as follows:

A SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN FOR DISNEYLAND PARIS’ 15TH BIRTHDAY

From 6th October to 4th November 2007, a spooktacular Halloween season comes to Disneyland Resort Paris, offering laughs and mischief for all the family

With the help of Classic Disney Villains, Frontierland in the Disneyland Park transforms into Halloweenland. Cruella de Vil and Captain Hook will take over the park, creating a spooky setting for Halloween mischief and mayhem. There will be tricks and treats galore with the spooky season’s special guests, the high energy Pumpkin Men and Pink Witches, who are sure to entertain kids of all ages at the daily Disney Villains’ Halloween Showtime.

There are regular daily shows on the Halloween stage in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Goofy and the Magic Pot is an exhilarating, energetic show where children can learn to make pumpkin soup and dance alongside Goofy himself! Minnie and the Bat Boys will also be appearing on stage daily, with live music and a host of other Disney characters singing classic Disney Villain’s songs.

Kids can join in the fun as favourite Disney monster Stitch, from the ‘˜Lilo and Stitch’ Disney animation film, wreaks havoc across the park and takes over the 15th Anniversary ‘˜Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade‘.

Disneyland Resort Paris also becomes even more interactive during Halloween season. Guests will have the chance to meet dozens of Disney characters, witches, stilt walkers and other street artists. Children aged between 3 and 11 can enjoy free face painting and ‘˜hair-raising’ antics with Disney’s crazy coiffeurs. Several times a day the Mexican game of Piñata, in Halloweenland, is a test of strength and luck as kids try to break into the colourful paper mâché objects, stuffed with all kinds of sweets, biscuits and candy.

So to recap, the new Disney Villains show on the Candleabration stage will be called Disney Villains’ Halloween Showtime, whilst the FantaStitch Stage in Halloweenland (Frontierland) will welcome back Goofy and the Magic Pot from last year along with the Bat Boys – this year led by Minnie rather than Donald. And as for the parade – it appears a minor Disney Villain Parade-style takeover may happen to the fresh-faced Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade, likely the pre-parade mentioned in the past.

Image

However, the French press release goes on to give even more information and confirm that a Halloween pre-parade, led by Stitch, will precede Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade – “A cortege 100% Halloween led by Stitch”, “Guests won’t believe their eyes! Surprises guaranteed!”.

The Disney Villains’ Halloween Showtime appears to be a spectacle of rivalry between the Pumpkinmen and Pink Witches, hosted by the Disney Villains, to determine which camp of Halloween mischief should be declared winner of the season. Guests will clap, dance and tap their feet to the music and songs, before laughing (for the Pumpkinmen) or screeching (for the Pink Witches) to determine the winner.

Image

The decorations and atmosphere of Halloweenland will return as normal to Frontierland. And the “Orange County” makeover of Main Street USA? Those Pumpkinmen won’t give way for anything, not even the 15th Anniversary! They’ll be back, and apparently giving the 15th Anniversary decorations their own personal, orange, touch…

This Halloween seems like a big success – we’re having nightmares already!

Tuesday, 31st July 2007

More gaps filled at Walt Disney Studios

…And, in classic Walt Disney Studios Park style, they did it on budget with just a bit of clever thinking.

Rendez-Vous des Stars Restaurant becomes Buffet Service

Like Disneyland Park in the early nineties, a simple change of service can solve the restaurants problem. Luckily, this doesn’t mean downgrading a restaurant (such as Explorer’s Club to Colonel Hathi’s), but rather turning the park’s “highest” class restaurant – the Art Deco cafeteria-style Rendez-Vous des Stars into a fixed-price unlimited buffet.

Image Image

The original idea was that the restaurant served as the dining place for the more prestigious stars and directors during their time at Walt Disney Studios. However swanky the interior, though, there’s only so much magic you can get from a canteen-service. As a Buffet Service from 27th August 2007, the restaurant will provide one menu price of € 23 and a dining quality very similar to that of Plaza Gardens Restaurant at Disneyland Park. Quite a step up for the actors and crew of the Studios!

Since the restaurant is already set up with long serving counters, the change will likely take place overnight at the end of the Summer season. Et VoilàWalt Disney Studios finally has a buffet service!

Toon Studio’s first merchandise location!

It’s bizarre that as the park’s most popular land, filled with popular and marketable Disney and Pixar characters, Toon Studio has before now only had the Disney Animation Gallery to its name – a boutique so small you fear for your life (or at least wallet) every time you try to navigate around the delicate glass ornaments and snow globes. Meanwhile, groups of large retail trucks populate areas such as Disney Bros. Plaza and Backlot.

Image Image

The balance has begun to shift – again in typical “small budget but clever thinking” Walt Disney Studios style. The sligthly barren piece of courtyard between Animagique and Flying Carpets Over Agrabah is now finally home to a brand new retail location. Simple in design, but nestled amongst the trees with colours and a curved roof matching Disney Studio 3 itself. The location is clearly more along the lines of “La Petite Maison des Jouets” in Fantasyland, though currently without its own name.

If you’ve ever spotted those merchandise trucks in Backlot, the sheer quantity of merchandise hanging out in the street might have given you the feeling of being at some kind of jumble (rummage) sale. Strangely, the Toons are being much more restrained with the amount of goods on their shelves, and the location even appears to be slightly understocked.

Now they have a place to sell merchandise, and have seen the hundreds of guests running to Crush’s Coaster each morning, will they finaly realise the Studios could have a mega franchise to exploit, and make some more merchandise? Not everyone can fit into a 7-year old’s T-shirt, after all…

Toon retail photos by Maarten on magicforum.

Sunday, 29th July 2007

Third Quarter results: To infinity and beyond?

Revenues up 12%, attendance up 9%, hotel occupancy up 4.7 percentage points… have they been assessing the correct Disney resort here?

A quite significant “boom” is clearly taking place within the berms of Disneyland Resort Paris, and yet these nine-month results only show three months of the year-long 15th Anniversary Celebration expected to boost revenues and attendance. Their hopeful new E-Ticket, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, is still five months away. Can we begin to hush an early “to infinity and beyond” ?

Revenues & Costs – The Balance

It seems wonderful to think that the resort has increased revenues by an incredible 12% in one single year, but as CEO Karl L. Holz warned in his statement accompanying the results, costs and expenses have also increased.

One look at this Summer’s activity — two new attractions, a new parade, new decorations, three nighttime shows, shows and streetmosphere at every angle, Molly Brown and other refurbishments, River Rogue Keelboats — proves the amount of money currently being spent by Euro Disney SCA on boosting their two parks. Not only the initial cost of creation, but the continual operational cost of two extra new attractions, a year-long castle ceremony, for example, must be a worry to the bean counters.

Image

Factor in costs such as 15th Anniversary advertising (noted to be their largest ever), secondary campaigns for Crush’s Coaster and Cars Race Rally and a new website launch, and things begin to add up. But by how much? In 2006, costs and expenses rose by an agreable 1.6% — a long way from knocking down a 12% revenue increase. Things should be fairly sunny, unless the reopening of the Keelboats this Summer happens to be costing € 130m…

Attendance – Smashing the 14 million?!

We’re forever hearing of the impressive attendance Disneyland in California has been counting since its 50th Anniversary, so it’s refreshing, for once, that Disneyland Resort Paris has something in common. The attendance record in Paris is 13.1 million in 2002, the year of Walt Disney Studios Park‘s opening. Last year, in 2006, the two parks welcomed a pleasing 12.8 million guests, 500,000 (4.1%) up on 2005, when they actually fell by 1%.

No such disappointments this year. In First Half 2007 attendance rose by an unparalleled 10.9% to 6.1 million guests, and, proving that guests haven’t simply displaced their visits, Third Quarter saw an equally spectacular increase of 9%. Exact figures for the second half of the year aren’t released until the full annual report in November, but if you’re as committed as a few of the fans over at Disney Central Plaza, you can work out some of the maths for yourself.

Of its 12.8 million visitors last year, 7.3 million were in the second half. Should attendance increase by 9% in the fourth quarter as it has in the third, we would be looking at a 7,957,000 attendance for the second half and (plus 6.1 million for the first half) an astonishing 14.1 million for the year, one million higher than their previous record. Since Summer is already a busy season and less likely to see such growth, however, it’s understandable to hear that current attendance hopes are in the 13.5 to 13.8 million region.

So, that’s the state of the theme parks. What could this mean for the future? Such a strong increase in attendance would clearly mean their investment programme has been a success, and this time they seem far keener to keep the good times rolling rather than let them fizzle out, as the aftermath of Space Mountain

Image

Therefore, if advance reservations are strong enough for The Hollywood Tower Hotel’s opening season, an additional new attraction is apparently waiting in the wings, ready to be Soarin’ into the corner of Production Courtyard as early as 2009. The most popular attraction at Walt Disney World, and the one which Disney Executives are most keen to open up around the world in the manner of Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, could begin construction as soon as Tower of Terror is completed, should the good news continue into the first quarter and first half of 2008.

Sleep in the heart of the magic? You’d better wish upon a star!

If the theme parks attendance is looking like a dream this year, you’d better ready yourself for the Hotels & Disney Village. It’s no secret that the real kick to the success of Euro Disney wasn’t so much overspending in the park but Michael Eisner’s desire to build no less than seven on-site hotels for opening, with the hope they’d instantly see the same success as the then-booming Walt Disney World hotels. Needless to say, the sheer quantity of rooms (5,200 upon opening) crippled the resort for a long time.

When ready to expand in the early 2000s, during a time when occupancy at the Disney Hotels had reached the lofty heights of 88.2% (2002 figure) and higher, the explosion of on-site parter hotels came — MyTravel’s Explorers Hotel, Hotel Kyriad, Holiday Inn, Pierre et Vacances, Dream Castle and Radisson SAS. By 2004, room occupancy had sunk to a modern low of 80.5%.

Image

Following a 2.8 “percentage point” increase in 2006 to 83.5%, first half 2007 brought an almost doubled increase of 5 percentage points, followed up by 4.7 ppt in this third quarter. Should this continue for an average of 4.8 ppt over the entire year, the Disney Hotels would once again be up at 88.3% — a dream for most hoteliers. To put this into perspective, the resort reported a hotel room occupancy of just 68.5% in 1995, the year of Space Mountain’s opening.

The Hotels and Disney Village can also revel in revenue increases of no less than 15% for the first half and a truly incredible 21% for the third quarter, all the time the partner hotels and their 2,500+ rooms enjoying continued success in the background.

What does this mean for the future? On the continually confusing side of a real Disney Village expansion it’s hard to say, but the boom that began with Buzz Lightyear and has taken flight in 2007 can tell us one thing — that the real big news from 2007 won’t be new attractions like Soarin’. It will be that Michael Eisner’s seven babies may no longer be enough to meet demand. After 15 years, an eigth (and even a ninth) could finally now be on the drawing board.

Image

But — yes, there will always a “but” at this resort — we still have to hope for one thing: that the boom in business at Disneyland Resort Paris hasn’t peaked yet, continues to soar a little further and remains steady.

Should we be hopeful? Euro Disney SCA are certainly hoping for “The Space Mountain Effect” with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The Space Mountain Effect, incase you don’t remember, meant 2 million extra visitors in a single year…

Thursday, 26th July 2007

Third Quarter results: Revenues up 12%, Attendance 9%

Marne-la-Vallée, 26th July 2007 ‘” Euro Disney S.C.A., the operating company of Disneyland Resort Paris, publishes its Third Quarter 2007 Results along with total revenues for the nine months ended 30th June 2007. Revenues for the quarter increased 12% to € 321.7 million from € 286.6 million in the same period in 2006. This reflects increases in both Theme Parks and Hotels revenues.

Revenues for the first 9-months of the 2007 financial year increased 11% to € 834.3 million from € 754.0 million in the period last year.

The key points summarised:

Theme Parks

  • Revenues increased 8% to € 173.7 million in the Third Quarter, from € 160.7 million during the same period in 2006. For the nine months of this financial year to 30th June 2007, revenues have increased 11% to € 443.0 million from €397.7 million. The increase this quarter reflects attendance increase. Guest spending remained “essentially stable”.
  • Attedance increased 9% in the Quarter year-on-year. This comes following a 10.9% increase in the First Half 2007, which pushed attendance in the first two quarters to 6.1 million guests. Exact figures are not announced for the Third Quarter, but it seems clear the Theme Parks will surpass the previous year’s 12.8 million guest count. The attendance increase this quarter reflects on-going growth in most markets, particularly France and Spain.

Hotels and Disney Village

  • Revenues increased 21% to € 132.7 million from €109.4 million in the prior-year period, reflecting a 17% increase in average spending per room 4.7 percentage point increase in hotel room occupancy. Occupancy increase here primarily reflects higher leisure stays, rather than corporate conventions as in the First Half.
  • For the 9 months ended 30th June 2007, revenues have increased 15% to € 338.0 million, driven by an overall increase of 10% in average spending per room and an increase of 5.0 percentage points in room occupancy. The higher room occupancy results in an additional 78,000 room nights compared to the prior year period.

Commenting on these results, Karl L. Holz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Euro Disney S.A.S., appears confident yet realistic about the resort’s position, particularly highlighting the impact new attractions can have on the growth of the resort:

“Our third quarter and year-to-date revenues are encouraging, and both represent records for Disneyland Resort Paris for their respective periods. Naturally, the higher Resort activity and labor rate inflation have caused costs and expenses to also increase.

Clearly, the new offerings we developed for our 15th anniversary celebration are greatly appreciated by our guests. New attractions, like Crush’s Coaster and Cars Race Rally at the Walt Disney Studios® Park, combine creativity and innovation to bring to life immersive experiences that only Disney can create and enrich the appeal of our parks.

Management remains focused on our growth strategy as we move forward into our fourth quarter of the year and we believe our growth in revenues indicates progress in delivering on this strategy.”

As Karl L. Holz comments, the third quarter and year-to-date revenues are already records for Euro Disney S.C.A. in their respective periods. Disneyland Resort Paris appears well on its way to a truly record-breaking 15th Anniversary year.

You can read the Third Quarter results in full here. (PDF)

The full 2007 Annual Report will be published in November 2007.

Thursday, 26th July 2007

Letters in place for Hollywood Tower… upside-down

…Apart from the ‘Y‘, that is. But more on that in a second…

“They’ll have to wait until the construction elevator is taken down,” we all thought. “They’ll be the very last thing to take their place on the facade,” we believed. Well, we were wrong. The iconic letters spelling out “The Hollywood Tower Hotel” are now all in place high above the ground of Marne-la-Vallée, installed in just a matter of days along with the service walkway hidden behind them.

You might be thinking “Ah, so now guests will begin to ask Cast Members when they can book a room in the hotel at the middle of the park?”, but we’re not there yet. All of these letters are still upside-down, facing inwards…

Image
Progress on Tuesday by Willi77, Dlrp.fr forum member

Fans of the the Tower of Terror (and in particular its existing Californian incarnation) will likely be well aware that a series of important maintenance and service walkways are hidden behind the famous letters.

Probably a lesser-known fact is that each of the neon-lit letters are connected to the side of the walkway on an axis, apparently allowing them to be turned inwards for maintenance. Installed piece-by-piece in this way, we’re now going to begin a second unveiling, as each of the terror-filled letters turns to face the public and finally reveal… “The Hollywood Tower Hotel”.

Image
Progress early yesterday by STS, WDSfans.com visitor

The words and walkways were only just completely fixed in place yesterday, following several months of preparation backstage, but already the letter ‘Y‘ has jumped ahead and been flipped over to face the park.

Image
Progress late yesterday by Willi77, Dlrp.fr forum member

Each of the larger letters spelling “H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D T-O-W-E-R” has its own independant axis, whilst the italic script words of “The” and “Hotel” are split into three sections – “The”, “Ho” and “tel”. They should gradually be turned to face Walt Disney Studios Park over the coming days, as their electrical components are hooked up. The final nightly illumination won’t come for at least several weeks, and may be held off even longer – perhaps with an elaborate ceremony, as at Disney’s California Adventure?

When illuminated at night, the second ‘O‘ of “Hollywood” is blown-out completely, whilst the ‘W‘, teetering at an angle, buzzing brighter and darker every few seconds. Standing 183-ft tall (as if you needed reminding by now!) and truly “tower”-ing over the entire resort, visible for miles around, the installation of these letters on the resort’s largest icon is a historic step in construction.

And when it’s done?

Image
Completed Tower of Terror by sun-mountain.net

Not only will the glowing letters and startling purple illumination of the Tower be a unique and rather bizarre new landmark for Marne-la-Vallée (don’t forget – it can be seen from as far away as Meaux!), but every time an elevator drops into The Twilight Zone, the bright flash of the on-ride photo cameras two-thirds the way up its facade will be like a flash of lightning over the region.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel wasn’t called a “beacon” for nothing!

Photos by Willi77, WDSfans.com, Sun-Mountain.net.

Subscribe to the Magic!

Ad: Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary Offers and Deals

Tags & Archives

Twitter Updates

Ad: Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary Offers and Deals