Thursday, 19th February 2009

Lampposts of Main Street prepare to Party

Will Disneyland Park be decorated for Mickey’s Magical Party? You bet it will. Though perhaps not as strongly as for the 15th Anniversary, you can expect to spot the year-long celebration even when none of its three Disneyland Park events are happening.

The first item on the (small, it should be said) list of decorations is a new look for Main Street’s “seasonal” giant white lampposts. “Seasonal” because they were first introduced as the Princess chandeliers for Christmas 2005, before being converted to hold the large, blue, LED-encrusted Lumière banners we’ve enjoyed for two whole years of the 15th Anniversary

Main Street USA decorations

…And the resort’s Entertainment department doesn’t plan on retiring them any time soon.

From late next month, expect to see Main Street, U.S.A. lined by lampposts transformed into a whole new style, covered with bright, multi-coloured streamers (similar to those seen at the American parks), topped with yellow “Mickey Mouse” shapes and holding blue circles showing an image of not only Mickey, but Donald, Goofy and Pluto too.

Retlaw on Disney Central Plaza forum managed to capture the first photo of the first “test” lamppost to be converted, hiding behind a backstage hedge:

Main Street USA decorations

The design is… eclectic, shall we say, and certainly far more modern than the classically-styled 15th Anniversary banners. The bright mixture of colours and the overall design of the streamers wrapped around the white poles closely resembles designs seen at the entrances of Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida for their various celebrations over recent years, a sign that perhaps Paris has been swayed into following suit (by a “suit”) — or that our resort’s Entertainment team merely saw and liked the design.

As DLRP Times blog reported in January, the old 15th Anniversary banners have already all but disappeared:

Main Street USA decorations

If you’d been planning to join the advertised “finale” of the 15th Anniversary this Winter, you’d miss both the regular Candleabration and the beautiful illuminated decorations.

With all the lampposts now backstage being prepared for the Party, it’s a chance to enjoy a brief spell of Main Street, U.S.A. as it was originally designed by the Imagineers (remember them?). Expect the bright colours of the party to begin arriving in the second half of March, ready for the 28th March 2009 press events.

Photos as credited.

Tuesday, 17th February 2009

Widening the Party escape routes

Has someone at Disneyland Resort Paris been reading the several less-than-optimistic murmurings about the upcoming Mickey’s Magical Party online? It looks like they’re bolstering the escape routes in anticipation…

No no, of course not. This past weekend, more construction walls arrived around Central Plaza to close off two secondary paths which lead to Frontierland and Discoveryland avoiding the main hub. You might have used them to leave quickly on a Summer evening, or to rush to your first attraction in the morning — you can spot them on our Main Street, U.S.A. map, and they’re one of the unique features of Paris’ hub.

Central Plaza path widening
View by Casey’s Corner

Not so much accepting that downbeat fans will want to skip the Party then, more accepting (again) that Central Plaza was never built to handle these large, popular shows at its core.

For Candleabration, such a huge gathering of guests blocking all routes into the park is usually fine, since there’s only one show a day and it happens just before everyone leaves.

Central Plaza path widening
View by Frontierland entrance

But think about the new show — It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends. Up to five performances a day, all the popular characters — perhaps even (if we’re lucky), the main core of the Plaza (its raised curb/sidewalk area) being closed completely to guests, allowing everyone an even view.

There’s going to be an awful lot of people crowding the foot of Main Street, U.S.A., meaning those who’ve already seen the show, or don’t want to see it, will have to all squeeze down these extra routes.

Central Plaza path widening
View by Plaza Gardens/Tips Board

The only thing known about this work is that it will “widen” the paths. Concerns about the lack of space for popular shows here was only raised as recently as this Christmas, when, for safety reasons, the park’s record attendance meant that none of the scheduled performances of Enchanted Candleabration were advertised on the park programme, in case such a large volume of people appeared that all walkways were blocked.

Photos by Scrooge, Disney Magic Interactive forum.

Tuesday, 17th February 2009

Extra characters, extra hearts for Valentine’s weekend

Guests had the unique opportunity to meet both Mickey and Minnie Mouse together, at once, in Town Square, or both Donald and Daisy Duck near Casey’s Corner.

As the Characters Photos Blog reports, Mickey and Minnie came dressed for the occasion in special costumes — Mickey with red hearts decorating his shirt and Minnie in a bright pink polka-dot number:

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day

Never one to miss a new trend, however, Minnie was also spotted in a different — even more loved-up — dress over the weekend by Scrooge at Disney Magic Interactive forum:

Valentine's Day

A scattering of white hearts replace the classic polka dots on her dress, which has longer sleeves and extra red trims!

Between their regular clothes, Christmas and Halloween costumes, Welsh and Irish dress and individual park and land outfits, the wardrobes of the happy couple continue to grow!

Photos as credited.

Tuesday, 17th February 2009

Take a seat… Stitch Live! pre-show improvements

Though Stitch Live!, the interactive “living character” show at Walt Disney Studios Park, was an instant hit upon opening last March, its pre-show areas inside the re-purposed Walt Disney Television Studios building weren’t quite as successful.

Part of this was fixed in August 2008 when the main pre-show video — an advertisement for Disney Channel — was completely replaced by a new introduction featuring the stars of Lilo & Stitch beginning the storytelling before you enter the main theatre.

Stitch Live! improvements

Now, you can finally take a seat while you enjoy this part of the show! Most guests would previously congregate at the back here before, leaning awkwardly on the covered windows, so this is a smart sign of spotting where the guest experience can be improved — if only with a simple bench.

The outside waiting area has also received a new screen as part of the latest changes. In its 2002 incarnation, this area featured a block of nine rear-projection screens which were both rather faint and rather dated in appearance from their introduction.

Stitch Live! improvements

This time, the Imagineers have gone with a giant plasma/LCD flatscreen, housed within an indented border. The frame which surrounded the old screen has been entirely changed and the screen now displays an animated space scene and displays updates counting down each minute until you can proceed inside.

Stitch Live! improvements

However, the screen does appear to have some issues with reflections in this covered outdoor space… and was it a good investment just to flash up how many minutes we’ve got left to wait? Why not explain how TV satellites work, or the history of Disney and television, such as the old ‘Disneyland’ TV show?

• Discover our brand new guide to Stitch Live! — find out how the technology works, the defunct attractions which used to be housed in the building and more!

Photos courtesy of our friends at WDSfans.com!

Saturday, 14th February 2009

Lion King GONE, Tarzan Encounter CANCELLED!

It emerged last year that The Legend of the Lion King at Videopolis Theatre could be heading into the park’s entertainment archive perhaps sooner than we expected. And so it did — for now, at least — going on what the American Disney Parks often call “hiatus” since 4th January 2009.

Just this week, however, there are suggestions from some — apparently including the African Tam Tam players, who now have the stage all to themselves this Winter — that the show will return, as a high season-only affair, possibly from as early as May onwards.

Another, arguably even more popular large-scale entertainment production hasn’t been so lucky. It has now been confirmed that The Tarzan Encounter will NOT return to The Chaparral Theater in Frontierland this year at all. The entire production has been cancelled just this week, and the show will not see its tenth season play out in 2009 as planned.

The Tarzan Encounter CANCELLED

The Tarzan Encounter has remained the most popular live stage show at the resort, possibly only beaten by its snowy cousin Mickey’s Winter Wonderland, which continues to play until March, performing to a huge audience of 1,350 guests in the resort’s second-largest park show space after the Moteurs… Action! arena (capacity 3,000).

So, whilst The Legend of the Lion King has been suspended mostly due to the very limited capacity of Videopolis’ theatre seating not making budgetary sense for the entertainment department to continue running the expensive show 5 days a week for just a few hundred guests, why cancel a second show, for an entire year?

If we’re to believe the latest information from posted online, the entertainment department had a decision to make — a very last-minute one, apparently. The Mickey’s Magical Party event It’s Dance Time… in Discoveryland was originally only due to be performed on five days each week. By cancelling The Tarzan Encounter, it can now be a full 7-days-a-week production.

A strange decision, if true, since the cost of running Tarzan versus two extra days of DJ Stitch must be slightly imbalanced — not to mention it being unlikely that that same 1,350 people who could see each Chaparral Theater show will be able to crowd around the outdoor location of the dance-along in the streets of Discoveryland…

It’s a bad announcement for many fans, then, but not necessarily for those still holding out hopes that a water-based attraction along the lines of Splash Mountain could one day arrive at the back of Frontierland as originally planned. Rumour has it this cancellation will also allow preparatory work for a new attraction where The Chapparal Theater currently stands.

Though yes, true, we’ve had such unlikely things happening as a jungle ape-man on-stage in an American Old West setting, Euro Disney SCA going ahead with a hugely expensive new attraction in Frontierland would be pushing the believability scale a little too far for now… wouldn’t it?

Friday, 13th February 2009

Work begins to “open up” Walt Disney Studios Store

Unlike Main Street USA, based on a turn-of-the-century American town where consumerism is developing and developing fast, with shopfronts dazzling your vision and leading right off the street, the Front Lot of Walt Disney Studios Park is closely — perhaps, it seems, rather too closely — modelled entirely on the glamorous, calm administration courtyards at the entrance to the grand old Hollywood studios.

The nondescript — though pretty — buildings you’ll find in those, set well back from the main thoroughfare amongst sedate greenery, aren’t exactly ideal for large stores that need to command your attention, not least when you’ve the huge, overpowering presence of Disney Studio 1 just metres away.

As you enter Walt Disney Studios Park, all giddy with excitement, drawn toward Disney Studio 1 and distracted by the Fantasia Fountain, how often do you completely forget for a moment that the Walt Disney Studios Store even exists?

That’s exactly the problem they’ve begun to solve…

Walt Disney Studios Store

As you can see, much of the upper section of the store has now been surrounded by construction walls, which, though not at all related to the celebration, are decorated in the same Mickey’s Magical Party style as those currently surrounding Central Plaza.

Walt Disney Studios Store

Except, of course, customised with a different message — “The store remains open”…

Walt Disney Studios Store

This project was actually first mentioned in a video interview on the now-defunct 15th Anniversary Blog, when a backstage Cast Member from Merchandising stated they’d like to “open up” the store.

The desire seems to be make it “address” Place des Frères Lumière much better than it currently does, with some rumours suggesting the windows now covered by walls to the right of the red canopy could become extra doors leading inside. Since the walls cover such a large area away from the boutique itself, some changes to the planters — which did in the past seem to shield the building from the courtyard a little too much — could also be in line.

Walt Disney Studios Store Walt Disney Studios Store
(Photos taken before works began)

As admin Kristof on magicforum reports, however, changes are already being seen inside with the layout of merchandise. Outside, the removal of the store’s Christmas decorations also finally saw the end of the out-of-place Disney Princess covering on the red carpet canopy entrance.

Perhaps a larger problem lies exactly here — what is the focus of the store? Front Lot effectively has two, very large Emporium-style stores selling a very general selection of merchandise, with little differentiation between Studio 1‘s Legends of Hollywood and Walt Disney Studios Store here.

Though criticism that “every boutique sells the same thing” is strong as ever over in Disneyland Park, it can at least be said that Main Street‘s stores — from The Storybook Store to Boardwalk Candy Palace — mostly each offer something different…

Photos by Mouetto, Disney Central Plaza forum; DLRP Today.

Friday, 13th February 2009

Mickey Star TV tie-in reveals promos, full remix

Disneyland Resort Paris have long looked to main French TV network TF1 for television promotion when it comes to new attractions or events, and Mickey’s Magical Party will be no different. In fact, they’re due to launch one of their most substantial tie-ins to date: a special dance contest for children aged 5-10, in the same vein as the telephone-voting talent contests which seem to have taken over almost every nation on the planet.

Mickey Star

In France, the two biggest shows of this kind are Nouvelle Star and Star Academy, so what to call Mickey’s own version? Mickey Star, bien sûr!

Mickey Star

The show’s casting website has already gone live at www.castingmickeystar.fr, which actually redirects straight to www.mickeymagicalyear.com/mickeystar/, also confirming the web address of the upcoming mini-site of the actual celebration.

Mickey Star

Star Acamedy‘s own Nikos Aliagas will present the broadcast, which, from 6th to 18th February, is accepting video uploads of children aged 5 to 10 dancing to a song of their choice for one minute.

Mickey Star

Then, from 19th February, a jury of professionals at Disneyland Resort Paris will pick the best of the entrants, who will be invited to the resort on 21st or 22nd February (yes, it’s all happening very fast) to join the final auditions.

Mickey Star

And what does the young winner receive? Why, the chance to dance live on that new Central Plaza Stage alongside Mickey, to launch the entire Mickey’s Magical Party celebration to millions of viewers on TF1 on 29th March 2009!

The first short trailers for the new tie-in have appeared on TF1 this week:

Things will actually play out a little differently to the schedule mentioned earlier, with TF1 viewers seeing adverts to check out the final auditions at the website from 8th to 19th March, with the final result announced on 20th March.

Then, from 21st March, viewers will see advertisements for the big event and the final winner’s moment of magic will come in a special extended advertisement on 29th March 2009 just before the 8pm news. The entire thing, really, is merely a series of special advertisements, with most the action being broadcast instead online.

Mickey Star

According to the official website, though, Nikos will be on the judging panel alongside not only Mickey but Stitch and Donald Duck. Listen closely — well, perhaps you won’t have to listen too close — and you’ll hear something special in the background too: the full version of the “It’s Party Time” dance remix, all 6 minutes of this controversial, noisy, europop mash-up of the actual, really very different theme song of the year.

If you’d like to listen away from the Mickey Star website — though judging by several readers’ comments we’re not sure if you’ll appreciate knowing — you can also listen on Vasile Sirli‘s very own MySpace page. The resort’s musical director also has a few more, rather more — dare we say — “listenable” tracks on there from his archive, too.

Video uploaded by newsdlrp.

Wednesday, 11th February 2009

Entrance signage installed for Playhouse gang

The roof canopy we saw being constructed so faithfully to the design of the Walt Disney Television Studios it joins onto was only the beginning. The third new attraction in Production Courtyard has finally unveiled its entrance — and the look is every bit in-keeping with the location.

Playhouse Disney entrance
Photo: Mathieu, Disney Central Plaza forum

Well, admittedly the bright yellow Mickey Mouse shape and its colourful text is a slight departure, but the pink border actually matches the circa-2002 column of Stitch Live! next door, as does the new Playhouse Disney column itself…

Playhouse Disney entrance
Photo: Mathieu, Disney Central Plaza forum

Though, with that pre-designed pink border in place, and to give a bit of variety compared to Stitch, the Imagineers have instead gone with a classic deep red column for the alien’s new TV partner. And, rather than a satellite dish, a fancifully-designed, smaller antenna.

The Playhouse sign and column also sit slightly to the left of the show times indicator below, rather than at its middle. This provides an end point to the extended canopy and allows both signs to be seen easily between the trees of the courtyard.

But they weren’t done there… It’s worth remembering that Playhouse Disney doesn’t have the same widespread recognition it does across the USA, with some Europeans perhaps never encountering it before either through lack of a premium TV subscription or its plain lack of availability in their country.

Playhouse Disney entrance
Photo: Disneytheque.com

So, to give a little idea of the characters to be found inside, four new images of the four groups of characters popping out from colourful TV screens has been added next to the main logo, as seen above.

The attraction has also been announced as officially opening on 4th April 2009 in the ‘Backstage’ Cast Member magazine, though so-called “soft opening” previews/open rehearsals are expected during the week or fortnight before then.

Photos as credited.

Monday, 9th February 2009

DJ Stitch setting up outside Star Tours?

Hearing the news of hip hop beats and jazzy street dance that are to come when It’s Dance Time… in Discoveryland premieres, the dreams of visionaries and the historical future held by Discoveryland may have cracked just a little.

But, if the latest word is true, it won’t the more classical, Verne-inspired area of the land welcoming DJ Stitch and his loud party tunes, but the other side of Discoveryland… that arguably even more strange, 1980s/90s corner which houses Star Tours and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Discovery fans, breathe a small sigh of relief.

Current work going on over by Star Tours has seen the entire ground dug up around its towering entrance sign, from Videopolis right across to Star Traders.

View from the Fastpass entrance to Space Mountain:

Star Tours works
Photo by Mathieu, Disney Central Plaza forum

And, in a light dusting of snow, from Discoveryland Station:

Star Tours works
Photo by dlrp team, Disney Central Plaza forum

This would be a completely new location for a live show in the park, since the few other entertainment events held in the land have been positioned further toward its entrance. You could even suggest that, by positioning a live Stitch-hosted show here, they might also be trying to drum up more trade for Star Tours and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience themselves, both taking noticeable dips in guest numbers in recent years.

Why do they need to dig up the ground, if this is work for the new show (which is supposed to be hosted by Stitch atop a moving podium, with just coloured dance mats on the floor)..? Unfortunately, we don’t know yet. If only this were a true Tomorrowland like all the others…

Photos as credited.

Monday, 9th February 2009

New casting website opens up (too much?)

This new website can be found at the same address — www.disneylandparis-casting.com — but takes on an entirely new and entirely modern design, very different to the current www.disneylandparis.com or Euro Disney SCA corporate sites. Clean, simple navigation, blogs, keyword searches, Cast Member “walls”, colour-coordinated sections, videos and interactive quizzes.

Arriving on the new homepage, you’re confronted not by a flash animation filling the screen but primarily by just three large, simple boxes — Support, Operations & Maintenance and Entertainment — which, curiously, change position between the French and English versions.

New Casting Website

The first few sections introduce the resort as a whole, including several new videos — both flashy B-roll footage of the resort and useful interviews with actual Cast, such as here 2009 Resort Ambassador Prisca interviewing Vice President of Human Resources Daniel Dreux, or here a look at the lives of the Big Thunder Mountain cast.

New Casting Website

Once you get into the key sections for the employment categories, such as Entertainment, they’re each colour-coded and nicely customised, with even more videos, blogs and news updates specific to each department. Here, for example, you see the latest auditions for character look-a-likes and other roles.

New Casting Website

Operations & Maintenance offers another look behind Big Thunder Mountain in its key video, but check out the second page, too, for a smart commercial showing Cast Members remembering the “first time” they did things ranging from booking someone’s trip or preparing Buffalo Bill’s horse!

New Casting Website

Surprisingly, it’s the Support pages you might want to check out though.

New Casting Website

Because, there’s something in the first video — namely when we’re watching one of the Architecture & Urban Planning cast members — that we’re not entirely sure they wanted us all to see so clearly. Or maybe they did…

That’d be the current future development plan of the entire resort, as it currently stands. Now, you may well have seen one of these plans before, but this is their current plan, and it seems to reveal a few new specific details…

New Casting Website

Note, for example, the 5th and 6th hotel at Val de France, the huge space reserved for a dedicated Convention Centre, the masses of land awaiting new Disney Hotels either side of the main parking lot access road and the brand new patch next to Val d’Europe also ready for hotels (in the very, very far future).

Happily, there’s (slightly realigned) space still ready and waiting for a 3rd park, but the most interesting and probably most relevant aspect here is Walt Disney Studios Park — now extended into a huge rectangle, more than double its current size, extending off to the West. As you’d enter this fully built-out park, it’d actually therefore be more of a stretched diamond shape. It’s finally a specific expansion footprint, not the general shaded area we’ve seen in the past.

But, leaving those dreams of the future behind… the new casting website. Clean, easy to navigate, flash animations only where they’re necessary and full of information in a design that makes you want to click another link.

We’re left wondering… why can’t the resort’s actual website be more like this?

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