2008

This year’s Spring/Summer season officially begins on 5th April, when the parks suddenly come to life with many additional entertainments that run until the end of August. Set to return already are favourites The Tarzan Encounter, High School Musical On Tour (from 12th April) and Good Morning Walt Disney Studios, with Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Too on select dates and during the main Summer season. Add to that the recently-confirmed High School Musical 2 show, a brand new production featuring the songs of the second hit movie.

But that’s not all… Preparations have been underway for some time on a couple more brand new “spectacles”, specific to their locations and set to feature some rare stars from the Disney archives.

The first is currently known as Good Morning Mary Poppins and will be a brand new morning show for Main Street, U.S.A., taking place several times early each day on the Town Square gazebo.

Information from member zanderstarz on magicforum reveals that the small show will feature Mary and Bert alongside three penguin waiters and three dancing couples, for a total cast of 11. Music and recorded singing is apparently taken entirely from existing sources, notably the soon-to-end Disney Cinema Parade.

This could be considered a replacement for last year’s morning event, Alpha Bet You Are, and will be the first daily morning entertainment on Main Street, U.S.A. for quite some time, coming many years after the Good Morning Main Street character happening was retired. It is due to begin from Saturday, 5th April.

The second new event also looks set to return daily entertainment to an underused area of the park — the Castle Courtyard, behind Sleeping Beauty Castle, occasionally home to The Sword in the Stone Ceremony. Provisionally titled The Aurora and Prince Phillip Happening, this mini-show will star the royal couple themselves in a regal ceremony that will likely be rudely interrupted by Maleficent, making it sound somewhat similar to the Halloween event which took place here during the festival’s brief introduction to Fantasyland in 2004.

Source zanderstarz also suggests that royal guard-like figures and fairytale maidens may also make an appearance in the happening, which is currently expected to begin on Wednesday, 26th April.

Finally, a controversial Walt Disney Studios Park memory from last Summer is also due to return…

‘Toon Train…Lights! Camera! Musique!‘, the musical show which featured Chip, Dale and their female friend Clarice alongside a live band, left many fans cold during the Summer of 2007, but the trailer sets it was based upon — originally used for the Starring Cruella De Vil show — are likely to return to the park again soon in another new guise.

However, current plans state their use will definitely be more alike that of the Christmas event ‘Toons en Scene pour les Fetes‘ — as in simply to bring characters into the park and to act as meet ‘n’ greet photolocations. Characters touted so far are Lilo and Stitch, Chip ‘n’ Dale and Abby the Duck with Chicken Little, but this could certainly change.

Add to this promising mix of new and old the 15th Anniversary favourites Disney Characters’ Express, Candleabration and Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade, and you’ve got the makings of a busy Spring season of entertainment in Disneyland Resort Paris!

— See magical Disneyland Resort Paris entertainment in motion at DLRP Magic! Video >>

It’s a modest refreshing of an equally modest entrance, sure. But, given that this area of Production Courtyard will be overrun by the press and VIPs in a couple of weeks to mark the official inaugurations of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Stitch Live!, it’s certainly better than nothing to see the tired yellow walls repainted and a little darker purple to break up some empty space.

The green construction walls have now moved to completely enclose the right-hand side of the Studio 2 waiting area, extending out into the courtyard to allow workers to begin repainting the outer purple panels of the roof in a more traditional burgundy and magnolia, as already seen on the other side.

Underneath the canopy, walls have receded in the waiting area on the left, revealing the new two-thirds-purple wall, currently without its framed posters for movies featured in the attraction. The second waiting area is completely closed to guests, with more flashing “strobe” lights also added to its ceiling.

One noticeable change for CinéMagique fans is the sudden disappearance of the movie cell banners which previously hung from the metal beams of the roof, showing series of split-second stills from various films. Many, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and 102 Dalmations, were not even featured in the actual show inside.

Finally, the famous “Mickey holding a spanner” refurbishment signs began to disappear last year in favour of new signs announcing preparations for the 15th Anniversary (with a “join us from 1st April 2007” line remaining in place on many throughout the year). Now they’re changing again, adopting “The Celebration Continues” wrapping paper designs and the line “In this area, we are preparing even more magic”.

Well, it’s good to see that even with its new hit attractions, the park is still humbly proud of some fresh paint and a few lights.

[Photos credit: Dlrp Time blog]

The ‘Disneyland Direct’ services of Channel Tunnel passenger train operator Eurostar have traditionally been something only enjoyed only by those within the M25 or willing to stay overnight in the capital. With the completion of St Pancras International’s stunning refurbishment, the new timetables only made the situation worse for anyone living elsewhere in England, Wales or Scotland, with 9:37am service now departing the new London high-speed terminus even earlier at 8:53am.

St Pancras International [Photo: Swamibu, Flickr]

Meanwhile, Disneylanders wishing to take this more environmentally-friendly route across the English Channel have been gradually overrunning the midday and afternoon indirect services to and from Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy respectively, taking a Brussels train to Lille and changing for a TGV heading South. Businessmen and French holidaymakers have quickly become outnumbered by eager Brits with their bright blue Disneyland shopping bags, whilst all tickets for the morning ‘Disneyland Direct’ train frequently sell out.

It’s time for Disneyland Direct #2, then — a new midday service to finally allow Disney fans from Birmingham, Manchester and beyond to enjoy a direct high-speed service from London. Eurostar made the surprise announcement just a few days ago:

As if by magic … Eurostar introduces extra direct services to Disneyland resort paris for the summer

‘¢ Eurostar direct services to Disneyland Resort Paris grow in popularity
‘¢ 33,000 extra Eurostar seats
‘¢ Departure times and through fares ideal for travellers from UK regions
‘¢ Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 18 March 2008

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train service linking the UK with mainland Europe, will introduce for the summer extra new services between St Pancras International/Ashford International and Disneyland Resort Paris, starting on Thursday 18 July 2008. These extra trains will provide an additional 33,000 seats to and from the resort and tickets go on sale on 18 March 2008.

The daily direct services to Disneyland Resort Paris have always been popular and the demand has increased further with the opening of St Pancras International and the launch of High Speed 1, the UK’s first 186 mph line, last November.

The extra direct trains will run on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from London St Pancras International/Ashford International and on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from Disneyland Resort Paris.

To celebrate the introduction of the extra services Eurostar is hosting a Disney extravaganza at its Bluewater store over the Easter weekend. The Disney jazz band will be on hand to entertain shoppers and there will be competitions and giveaways for children.

Eurostar’s Director of Communications, Simon Montague, commented: ‘These extra services will make it even easier for families and friends to visit Europe’s leading tourist attraction during the summer holidays. The midday departure times are ideal for travellers living in towns and cities beyond London, who can buy through fares and use domestic rail to St Pancras International, King’s Cross and Euston to connect with Eurostar high-speed trains’.

The timetable will be as follows:

Outward
St Pancras Intl [ 12h49 ] >> Ashford Intl [ 13h24 ] >> Marne-la-Vallée [ 16h17 ]

Return
Marne-la-Vallée [ 14h40 ] >> Ashford Intl [ 15h36 ] >> St Pancras Intl [ 16h11 ] **

(**Return times may differ on certain dates, check when booking)

Disneyland Resort Paris is 2 hours and a half away from London and two hours from Ashford International. The station Marne la Vallée Chessy is only a few steps away from the gates of the two theme parks Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios.

Fares on the direct services start from £59 return and children under the age of 4 travel for free. Tickets are available from Eurostar.com or 08705 186 186.

St Pancras International [Photo: ADevlin Photography, Flickr]

When the ‘Disneyland Direct’ train was first introduced, it ran only on selected days during high season, before eventually becoming a reagular, daily, year-round service just a couple of years ago.

These new services on certain days over the Summer 2008 season will, we can hope, prove popular enough for them to also become a regular fixture, allowing more people to take an easier and more environmentally-friendly route to the magic.

— Click here to check the timetables and book tickets at Eurostar.com

Whilst the look and style of Disney Village has been evolving through a series of enhancement projects in recent years (the latest being the new planters), one thing has remained pretty much stagnant since the opening of King Ludwig’s Castle in 2003 — the choice and availability of dining.

However, amongst all the renewed interest in the Village thanks to the latest enhancements, strong rumours now suggest two small new food locations will almost certainly open within the next year. Information from several members on the French message board Disney Central Plaza suggests that these will be two new, separate buildings — not small stands or kiosks, nor large buildings for the new street next to the IMAX cinema. Instead, they will be slotted into the existing Disney Village area to increase the district’s range of food and capacity.

The current area and carousel, very much unloved by fans

So, which two companies could be involved in these new eateries? Whilst the insiders originally held the information close, it has now emerged that none other than Starbucks could be involved, with rumours even strong enough to suggest that the new location would be behind Rainforest Café, on the site of the current “rainforest carousel” (pictured above).

This would provide enough space for a kitchen and serving area with some, rather limited, seating. It would also make this Starbucks visible from all around the Lake Disney area, perhaps one of the most lucrative locations they’ve ever won in their ongoing world domination.

Example Starbucks franchise

It is expected the design would be overseen by DLP-I, the Paris branch of Imagineering who work on Disney Village projects and most recently completed the PanoraMagique and IMAX developments with a noticeably more discreet and Parisian style than other areas of the Village. With Starbucks‘ branding being much subtler than other chains, the two could fit together well for a welcome lake-side coffee shop.

But what for that second new eatery? The admin of Disney Central Plaza, Grandmath, promised that at least one of the two was already operating at Walt Disney World. Since there are no Starbucks franchises on Disney’s Florida property, the second location must surely be the Orlando import.

Indeed, current rumours, again very strong and from reliable sources, point to an Earl of Sandwich opening at Disney Village. Think of this as a more exclusive, slightly upmarket version of high street-favourite Subway. No location for the second building has been rumoured, and no tentative dates for construction of either have yet been given.

With the new planters, a sandwich shop and a coffee shop, Disney Village could well morph from its metallic, hung-over past to a pleasant, leafy place to spend a lazy afternoon. We’ll have a Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino and a Tuna Melt, please.

Yes, we can wait.

[Photos: DLRP Today and dontthink.feel on Flickr]

The planters might still be largely plant-less, but they’ve already had an impact on the look and feel of Disney Village, adding curves and hidden corners to the previously flat and square street. Curiously, they’ve been used to enclose many of the concrete footers of the old pylons, with no signs of these being removed.

Either the square bases will be expensive or difficult to remove, due to electrics and cabling inside, or they have been kept for some other reason, perhaps seasonal decorations or events.

Further down the street, near New York Style Sandwiches and Disney Fashion, the planters circle outwards from the supports of the undercover areas. There are around seven new planters in total, ranging from a small circle next to Annette’s Diner to the large expanse now covered under Planet Hollywood‘s staircase.

At the entrance to the Village, where wooden-bordered planters first appeared before the full concrete edges arrived, nothing has yet to fill the extra gap, as the concrete pieces are still slotted into place. The planters here create large circular seating areas from the empty area previously used by attractions such as the mechanical bull.

The planters aren’t the only additions to Disney Village in the 2008 slate of improvements. Behind the wall of blue fences to the left of the entrance, another new stand is currently under construction. Its metal structure can just be seen above the fence. This follows the recent addition of a proper stand for Marriott’s holiday village sales next to the Planet Hollywood boutique (see the first photo on this page).

On the subject of Planet Hollywood itself, there’s reason for a real celebration. Because, whilst the rest of the Village might be “going green”, the iconic globe of this restaurant has finally lost its years of green moss and dirt to return to a bright blue, thanks to a long-awaited refurbishment…

The globe had already been given a substantial clean-up in recent weeks, before the arrival of stakeholder Sylvester Stallone, but the two photos below do give a good impression of the improvement to this location which, for many, is their first impression of Disney Village. The repainting is still ongoing, with the lowest section of the globe still awaiting paint and new white cloud patterns still to be applied on top.

There’s a return to form elsewhere in the Village, too, and quite an unexpected one. Just a few years after closing in favour of the new NEX Arcade underneath the IMAX cinema on the Village’s future new street, the games arcade in the former Central Stage area has reopened!

The area has remained empty and untouched since the arcade “moved”, but has now reopened with a dark and simply interior design and simple, rather amateurish signage outside. This must raise questions about the popularity of the NEX arcade, and their feelings about being made practically redundant with the reopening of this location. The games at NEX might be better, and it might offer miniature 10-pin “fun” bowling, but will any guests now walk so far out of the way for it?

Finally, with all these additions, it might be hard to overlook one of the most dramatic and surprising losses from Disney Village in recent weeks — the iconic Billy Bob’s Country Western Saloon sign.

As shown in the photo inset, the sign has survived all previous refurbishments and improvement programmes at the Village, but lost at the final hurdle. It follows the removal of the Billy Bob’s signage, awning and many painted decorations from the building in recent weeks. There has been no word of the Country Western Saloon theme disappearing, and so we can only assume this refurbishment will simply be much, much more ruthless than any in the past…

[Photos by Photos Magiques and Scrooge, Disney Magic Interactive forum]

2007 was a big year for Disneyland Resort Paris in many ways, but none more so than its phenomenal boost in visitor numbers. The figures for the year were first confirmed in last November’s annual report, and, as we announced at the time — they well and truly “smashed the 14 million”, with a spectacular 14.5 million guests stepping through the gates of the two parks.

The annual reports from the Themed Entertainment Association stack up all the attendance reports from every theme or amusement park around the world, with one of the most interesting aspects for a DLRP fan being the chance to see attendance figures for the two parks separately.

And, whilst Disneyland Park hasn’t climbed up the league table and Walt Disney Studios Park only by one place, they can boast the most impressive attendance increases of any theme park in the world — 13.1% for Disneyland Park and 13.6% for Walt Disney Studios Park, or 1.4 million and 300,000 respectively. The only park with a boost of a similar level was Heide Park in Germany, with a 16.7% increase helping its attendance by roughly 200,000.

Disneyland Park attracted a full 12 million guests of the 14.5 million total through its gates (5th place Worldwide, 1st place Europe) whilst, according to this study, Walt Disney Studios Park pulled in the other 2.5 million (1oth place Europe), putting it one place up the European leaderboard and ahead of UK rival Alton Towers for the first time.

Click to enlarge; (C) TEA/ERA

But Studios fans, you’re right to object — the second gate at Disneyland Resort Paris does attract far, far more people than this. The inaccuracy in these estimated figures is that Euro Disney SCA count their parks on what they call a “first click” basis, so if you bought a Park Hopper and visited Disneyland Park the first day and Walt Disney Studios Park the second, your “point” would go to Disneyland Park, and the Studios wouldn’t get anything.

Therefore we can only discover that, of those 14.5 million guests, 12 million headed straight for Disneyland whilst 2.5 million went straight for the Studios. The good thing here being that the Studios’ growth was 0.5% higher than that of Disneyland Park, suggesting the very first signs of guests’ priorities changing thanks to the new attractions in Toon Studio. If both figures were to be shown as the “true” number of unique guests which passed through the gates of each park, there is no doubt that Walt Disney Studios Park would easily be second on the list, just beating Pleasure Beach Blackpool, which, it should be noted, currently has no entrance charge.

Fans of Disneyland Resort Paris will no doubt await the 2008 figures with great anticipation, as we wait and see if the “Tower of Terror effect” can finally begin to readdress the imbalance between these “first click” park figures.

— You can download the full attendance report as a PDF here.

But smokers… no need to fret. Because instead, the two parks will follow their US counterparts by introducing airport-style “designated smoking areas” in secluded corners of each land.

This news, first rumoured several months ago, follows the introduction of a complete “smoking ban” throughout most public buildings in France last year, when England notably also joined the rest of the United Kingdom for a similar ban. Disneyland Resort Paris have wasted no time in taking advantage of this new-found French distrust of the smoker, banning smoking throughout all restaurants several years ago and now confirmed, from April this year, to be taking the brave step to outlaw to designated corners the legions of smokers amongst the millions who visit the parks each year.

Each park will have at least one Smoking Area in each land — 10 in Disneyland Park and 4 at Walt Disney Studios Park. The full locations list, as first confirmed by member HTH2004 on Disney Central Plaza forum via the new park maps for the April season, is as follows (and we’ve created a couple of maps to help illustrate the expected locations) :

Disneyland Park

Click to enlarge

MAIN STREET, U.S.A.
‘¢ Entrance (outside of gates to the left of turnstiles, next to toilets)
‘¢ Arboretum (terrace outside toilets next to City Hall)
‘¢ Central Plaza (near Discoveryland entrance)

FRONTIERLAND
‘¢ Fort Comstock (covered walkway outside toilets on right of land entrance)
‘¢ Pocahontas Indian Village (outside the former Pueblo Trading Post store)

ADVENTURELAND
‘¢ Restaurant Hakuna Matata (unused terrace opposite the restaurant)
‘¢ Au Chalet de la Marionnette (covered walkway next to Adventureland exit)

FANTASYLAND
‘¢ Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin (former queue area of the windmill)

DISCOVERYLAND
‘¢ Autopia (near the toilets to the side of the attraction)
‘¢ Buzz Lightyear’s Pizza Planet (small square outside the entrance)

Walt Disney Studios Park

FRONT LOT
‘¢ Studio Photo/Strollers (next to the stroller rental building)

TOON STUDIO
‘¢ Art of Disney Animation (between AODA and Cars Quatre Roues Rallye)

PRODUCTION COURTYARD
‘¢ Place des Stars (between Stitch Live! and CinéMagique)

BACKLOT
‘¢ Piazza Sergio Leone (between Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Moteurs… Action!)

The Parisian parks will certainly have comparatively more smoking areas than their American counterparts, with Disneyland in California home to just three smoking areas and its neighbour Disney’s California Adventure park having four. Smoking laws and public feeling about the habit are, however, much stronger in California than much of Europe, and the two parks in Paris may well have a tough fight on their hands in keeping smokers to these designated areas.

It remains to be seen just how strictly they will be enforced by Cast Members, but large warnings will no doubt be placed throughout the parks in addition to new information and location markings on updated park maps. As for the smoking areas themselves, in the US parks these consist of some extra seating, bins with ashtrays and subtle, neatly-themed signs declaring the area as designated for smokers.

The areas chosen — or perhaps “condemned” — in Paris — soon to become “no-go areas” for non-smokers — should not cause too much concern for fans, largely placed in secluded corners and near toilets. It is particularly interesting to note that Fantasyland, the most popular land in Disneyland Park, will have only one smoking area — a brave choice, but one which will benefit the children enjoying its attractions no end. The designated areas should also bring an end to smokers lighting up in queue lines, during outdoor shows or in the middle of crowds waiting for parades. It should improve the atmosphere and enjoyment of the parks’ pathways, and in turn help to increase all-important ‘guest satisfaction’ even further.

From 1st April 2008, it’s the start of a great big beautiful smoke-free tomorrow…

Public art installations. We’ve seen colourful Cow Parades, Super Lamb Bananas and many more… but a crashed lift? This is something new. Jutting at an angle from smashed and upturned paving slabs, a very familiar elevator cabin first appeared yesterday in Leicester Square, one of the busiest public spaces in London’s West End and best known as the home to most European and British film premieres.

Just across the way from the Empire Cinema, a cracked and rusted elevator cabin appeared overnight in the square, surrounded by black and yellow hazard tape, as if dropped out of the sky from a great height through an opening in the Twilight Zone. The cables and mechanisms on top were rusted and snapped, the words “Service Elevator” clearly written above the doors.

Through the murky and dirty windows, passers-by could peer inside to see mysterious imagery from the attraction and The Twilight Zone television series. Keeping guard throughout the day were a team of real bellhops, dressed in the now-familiar Parisian Tower of Terror costumes, creeping around the public who dared to look closer, and hosting several special games and entertainments as the crowds gathered. Written on the sides of the box was simply “www.towerofterror.co.uk”.

It was a little piece of Hollywood Tower Hotel magic in the heart of London, as the resort continues to build momentum with its large-scale advertising campaign for the new attraction. Not since the opening of the resort in 1992, when a miniature Sleeping Beauty Castle toured European cities, have we seen such exciting initiatives to create a buzz about the magic.

Also today, the resort issued a national press release for the UK mapping out 13 Twilight Zone “hotspots” around the country, places where surprising levels of paranormal activity — and belief — have been recorded. Here it is in full:

NATIONAL PRESS RELEASE UK 13 TWILIGHT ZONE HOTSPOTS REVEALED

Brummies beware! According to new research out today from Disneyland Resort Paris, Birmingham is the twilight zone capital of the UK, recording the highest levels of supernatural phenomena.

The research, which looked at strange happenings and unexplained mysteries across the country, reveals the UK’s ‘capital’ and 13 hotspots for twilight zone activity. Commissioned to celebrate the launch of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror* – a new attraction at Disneyland Resort Paris, inspired by the 1950s TV series The Twilight Zone® – the research has formed the basis of a spotter’s guide to the UK’s real twilight zones.

UK 13 TWILIGHT ZONE HOTSPOTS

‘¢ Birmingham — the twilight zone capital of the UK
‘¢ Bristol
‘¢ Nottingham
‘¢ Leicester
‘¢ Kent
‘¢ Manchester
‘¢ London
‘¢ Reading
‘¢ Coventry
‘¢ Brighton
‘¢ Southampton
‘¢ Edinburgh
‘¢ Cardiff

With almost two thirds (61%) of Brummies believing in the supernatural it’s hardly surprising that the city boasts some of the country’s most bizarre twilight zone activity — from giant hailstones and alien rocks plummeting from the heavens, to phantom policemen, mysterious fires and mince-pie eating Martians.

One example of bizarre Brummie behaviour is when Sylvia Mowday, from Sutton Park, Birmingham, was walking through the park on 12 June 1954, when there was a sudden downpour. She said, “My four-year old daughter put up her little red umbrella and we heard things thudding against it. To our amazement it was a shower of frogs, coming down from the sky, hundreds of them. We looked up and saw frogs coming down like snowflakes”.

The rest of the country shares the same paranoia, with over half (59%) of Brits believing in the paranormal. Other UK hotspots include Bristol, where 12-year old Vvyan Jones from Henbury, broke his arm and for the next two days his hair stood on end. He developed the power to give people strong electric shocks, make lights flicker, watches stop and the TV crackle. Now that’s what you call a shocking excuse for late homework!

If you’re Scottish, watch out for strange happenings in Edinburgh, specifically the Tranent area. In 1997 a phantom lamp lighter began turning on street lamps during the day for no apparent reason — luckily he vanished unharmed, otherwise Burn’s night would have taken on a strange new meaning!

For those of you not sure whether you’ve ever been to a twilight zone before, Disneyland Resort Paris, with the help of author David Sutton, has created ‘A spotter’s guide to the UK’s real twilight zones’. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, the information contained in the guide will help dispel any doubts, with an A-Z of twilight zone phenomena, as well as tips on how to enter the fourth dimension and side-effects to watch out for. Drop in to www.towerofterror.co.uk to download your copy!

David Sutton, editor of the Fortean Times and author of this spotter’s guide to the UK’s real twilight zones says, “There are millions of unexplained happenings in our world that can occur anytime and anywhere. This guide throws open the door to the 4th dimension for all to see. It’s a fun starting point for your personal exploration of the UK’s real twilight zones.”

Dr. Kenny Webster, Resident Scientist at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum remarks: “It will come as no surprise to the residents of Birmingham that we live in our very own twilight zone. Birmingham has the youngest population in Europe and it is well recorded that children are highly susceptible to paranormal events, there are many cases of ‘imaginary friends’ in children which are now being attributed by some as ghostly interactions.”

Miguel Piedra, PR Director, Disneyland Resort Paris comments: “We haven’t had anything as odd as frogs falling from the sky in Disneyland Resort Paris, but we can certainly offer everyone the chance to drop 13 floors when they ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disneyland Resort Paris — they may even get to enter the 4th dimension!”

The ‘Spotters Guide to the UK’s Real Twilight Zones’ can be downloaded via the Library of the official Tower-of-Terror.co.uk website here (click the lamp on the left of the screen), a downloadable mini-book with countless fun stories of strange apparitions and paranormal events across the UK. A good idea, not only because Brits seem to have a strange appetite for these kind of mysteries, but because it brings the feelings of the attraction itself a little closer-to-home for people right across the country.

The guide also reveals the firm who appear to be behind some of the events so far — Cow PR (you can find their website here). Their slogan is “We’re not sheep”, and they promise to not follow the herd when it comes to advertising. “We steer clear of ‘factory-farmed’ PR and look for new ways of getting in front of your audiences,” they say. They’ve certainly achieved that with the Tower of Terror.

No information about the crashed elevator cabin appearing in other cities has been released, however, but given the quality and scale of the “art installation”, it would seem a strong possibility this wormhole into another dimension won’t be a one-off.

Keep your eyes open… you never know when The Twilight Zone will open up again…

— Find more details of the UK publicity campaign here. The campaign is due to officially begin from 5th April. Amongst the plans, the Centrepoint billboard in London will be turned into a giant reproduction of The Hollywood Tower Hotel for four weeks.