News Disneyland Paris Updates & Features

Well, here it is! Over eight years since concepts were first drawn up for a Sorcerer Mickey statue on this spot, the idea has finally become a reality. The statue, plinth and lettering looks almost perfectly like that seen on the concept art of February 2007, but keen-eyed fans will already notice one important change…

Mickey is presented full-colour! Not golden or bronze, but fully coloured in blue, red, yellow and more. With three other statues of the mouse that started it all already featured at the park (including one in almost the exact same pose at Front Lot), this detail at least gives the statue a unique appeal.  We can notice also that the star and detail on the plinth has been presented not in gold as expected from concepts, but instead in silver – hinting that the stars and sketch lines on the Sorcerer’s Hat itself won’t infact be repainted to a matching gold.

But don’t forget the rest of this work of Imagineering art – the stylised, gradient-painted plinth is also an impressive piece of beauty for the eyes, decorated as expected with a design mimicking the Sorcerer’s Hat and featuring golden ‘Toon Studio’ letters against blue and silver for a stunning effect. The exaggerated curves of the plinth are exaggerated even further with several extra outcrops behind the main blue base, painted in gradients of gold.

The actual size of the statue on these photos above is quite deceptive. Whilst Mickey appears as quaint and modest as you’d expect a little mouse to be, the following photo below shows the full scale of this impressive new entrance marquee. As seen in the ‘Tales from the Laughing Place’ magazine when the statue was being sculpted, Mickey infact measures taller than most humans. And when atop the large blue plinths, his marquee easily reaches over 15ft in height.

Currently, no sign of the golden spark due to arc across the parade route can be spotted. Mickey’s wand also appears as if it wouldn’t support such an addition, and no further preparations have been made at the spark’s landing spot on the opposite side. Whilst the Sorcerer’s Hat did welcome Wendy, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell last week, we now can’t be so certain that any of their friends (Ariel, Flounder, Dumbo and Winnie the Pooh were shown) have made it across the Atlantic. As it stands, we’ve got pixie dust and sorcery – already more than enough for a spot of Disney magic to happen!

In place for only around 4 hours, the statue is already providing a special detail for guests to point to, to stop and admire, and to pose for photos in front of. Positioned on its own separate planter at the entrance of Toon Studio, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice signals that the end is almost in sight on this well-thought out (and well-received) expansion and makeover of Animation Courtyard.

As the very first expansion of Walt Disney Studios Park since it opened in 2002, the Studio hasn’t half done badly from Walt Disney Imagineering this time around. And, since Sorcerer Mickey is the unmistakable icon of the Imagineering department, their work will now be rememered long after the construction walls finally fade…

All photos by Photos Magiques.

Entering the new Toon Studio, the Willy’s Butte rock formation is a classic Disney “weenie” (as it has been for months), drawing guests into this brand new themed area hidden by fir trees and planting which appears as if it has been growing at the Studios for centuries. You might even spot a cactus or two amonst the rocky desert floor!

For any guests not sure where they’re headed, a familiar sight from the film has been recreated in reality as you round the corner and get a first glimpse at the raceway – the bright turquoise, yellow and black billboard reading “Welcome to Radiator Springs – Gateway to Ornament Valley”.

Further along, a new planter with a ‘Now in Production’ sign splits the themes of Cars and Finding Nemo in two. The attraction is set up like a real-life movie set, including props, a backdrop and detailed foreground buildings.

Viewed from a distance as above, the entire ensemble of themeing and movie set clichés actually builds to a fairly convincing scene, the cadillac-shaped rocks of Cadillac Range in the background. Together with the newly redecorated Sorcerer’s Hat and the fast progressing Hollywood Tower Hotel, the icons of Cars help to build a real visual feast of recognisable icons and colourful details. Does Walt Disney Studios Park now have visual icons on the scale of Disneyland Park‘s Big Thunder Mountain, Sleeping Beauty Castle and Space Mountain? That’s for you to decide…

This morning, the Quatre Roues Rallye opened for business with the park’s other existing attractions! No fanfare, no special wristbands required – everyone has been getting the chance to join the spin-out with Lighting McQueen and Mater watching from the sidelines. The queue and ride will be featured in-depth in Part 2, but a great feature of the new mini Radiator Springs development is that guests can enjoy the film shoot without actually taking part. The photo above, for example, was taken from a new viewing position right next to the track, raised above the spinning cars thanks to the 1 metre “canyon” dug out early in the attraction’s construction.

Did we say a cactus or two? Make that almost a hundred – the quality of themeing here knows no boundaries. Little paths lead through the cacti landscape surrounded by ochre rocks, the path is bordered by a highway crash barrier and the welcoming magnolia entrance building has been adorned with two banners either side declaring “Welcome Travellers” from the Radiator Springs Chamber of Commerce.

The building – based on Ramone’s House of Body Art in the film – features a strong art deco design with detailed brickwork, large window frames and an iconic tower featuring the ‘Cars’ logo in shiny, metallic 3D form – also due to be illuminated when darkness falls. The attraction’s final in-park name – ‘Quatre Roues Rallye’ – is featured in large blue neons styled to the typeface of the ‘Cars’ logo itself.

Against the perpetual blue sky of the film set backdrop, the colour scheme is incredibly pleasing to the eye, and, in just over six months time, it should mix well with the similar art deco finish of The Hollywood Tower Hotel behind.

Walking further towards the entrance, the flooring changes to a fiery red and more props spring into sight. The telegraph poles present a unique themeing idea, and are joined by extra props of oil barrels (some featuring Lightning’s cherished ‘Rust-Eze’ brand) around their base. To the right of the main entrance is an authentic Route 66 phonebooth, complete with an old-fashioned telephone from the days of the Mother Road’s rule.

During rainshowers, it appears the phonebooth can double as a shelter for the Cast Member positioned at the attraction’s entrance, similar to Crush’s beach hut. But, for the rest of the time, it’s a neat detail for passers-by. Can you think of anything like this in the rest of the park? No, neither can we. Radiator Springs has brought the park its first true slice of real Disney detail…

…Showcased nowhere better than the following series of sets. To the right of the entrance is a generic (but well themed and weathered) brick wall façade, whilst next door is the unmissable Tow Mater garage. Since this is a Radiator Springs Visitor Centre rather than the real thing (which is – according to Pixar legend – located along the real Route 66), the façades aren’t meant to be accurate to the real town but rather a showcase of its themes, locations and people.

Notice again that more aged and crooked trees have been brought in to complete the scene, with a planting area in the scene above bordered by old tires sunken into the desert floor – which again goes through various colour and style changes depending on the themes above.

Therefore, Tow Mater has infact managed to get a real building for his showcase, rather than a flimsy wooden shack. His trademark sign is still in place, though, appearing identical to that in the film with an added “Welcome” sign on a rusted piece of scrap metal. Again, compared to the pristine yellow buildings elsewhere at Walt Disney Studios, this dirty and worn wooden façade is quite a break from the norm.

In the doorway of Mater’s shack are props relating to Fillmore, the hippie Volkswagon camper van hooked on converting the world to organic fuel. These colourful barrels all feature different ingredients for his organic fuel, written in typical 1970s typeface.

At the end of row of storefronts comes the best one yet. No, you’re not looking at a still from the CGI film, this is real – you can touch it! Luigi, who we saw being sculpted many months ago, has been finished off with a perfect Fiat yellow, a shiny gloss and a trademark wince of the eyes. Next to him, the ever-smiling Guido prepares to lift some tires, also appearing pixel-perfect to that seen in the film.

The façade itself is also perhaps the most impressive, coming complete with a Leaning Tower of Tires, strings of lights, tire carvings atop the building and the iconic neon signage of ‘Luigi’s Casa Della Tires’. Notice something in the neons? Yes, ‘Casa’ comes in green, ‘Della’ in white and ‘Tires’ in red… the Italian flag, of course!

Like almost the entire attraction complex, the two vehicles have been given a spot of dirt and weathering already, to add to the rustic realism of the Route 66 setting. Above the scene is an ornate metal framework for the fabric canopy seen in the ‘Casa Della Tires’ of the film. It remains to be seen if a similar canopy will arrive to complete the scene in Paris.

Never one to miss a good sales opportunity, Luigi haseven brought over a selection of tires to showcase to passing guests. In the windows of the store, atop tire-shaped plinths, you can find such novelties as “Creama”, “Latte” and “Blanco Maximo” – Luigi’s famous white-rimmed tires which Lighting McQueen himself adopts halfway into the film.

With our tour of the Radiator Springs exteriors complete, it’s time to head back along Route 66 to the attraction entrance. The yellow stripes lead the way along a special stretch of black asphalt bordering the Visitor Centre complex, filled with worn-out cracks and crinkles as if it has supported weary Route 66 travellers for countless decades.

Back at the attraction entrance, we can find the wait time indicator cleverly positioned on a road sign beside Route 66, the ‘Cars’ logo embossed and given a silver shine, the sign itself presented in a particularly classic and well-designed style. The sign doesn’t just give useful information, it adds to the theme of the attraction. And, like everything else, it already has its fair share of dirt and grime.

For a modest little spin-out like Quatre Roues Rallye, those Radiator Springs folk sure know how to give a warm welcome! Now that we’ve toured the town from outside the race track, get ready on the starting line for Part 2, where we step inside the Visitor Centre and discover even more details from this real “dark horse” of Walt Disney Imagineering.

All photos by Photos Magiques.

You can hop over to Photos Magiques now and see all 40+ photos of the new land, or stay with us for a guided commentary of the area – the themes, the details and even a few in-jokes…

No Race Rally for guests yet… or proper English

First things first – the attractions aren’t officially open yet. Unless you’re part of a special preview group invited to the park, chances of getting a ride on either Cars Quatre Roues Rallye or Crush’s Coaster are pretty hit and miss. Signs featuring the new Toon Studio logo have been placed at the entrances, similar to those used outside Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast last year.

The entire street between Disney Bros Plaza and Studio Tram Tour has now been enclosed by construction fences for Hollywood Boulevard, and so Toon Studio is currently simply the main through-route to the Studios’ current most popular attraction behind.

Looking through the cosy pathways to Toon Town

But that’s not to say Disneyland Resort Paris aren’t already using Toon Studio to its full advantage – the Toon Studio entrance gate area was already populated by some Disney Characters today, not to mention an impressive crowd of – what look like – fairly impressed guests. Heading toward the gate from the entrance of Cars, the planters and twisted lampposts surround the paths and give plenty of new walkways around the area – very different to the wide open spaces of the ‘old’ Studios.

Characters, scenery, lampposts, planting, speakers, railings and bins…
All the Disney trademarks are covered.

The area currently features two simple photo locations, with backdrops attached to steel frames and canopies over the characters dotted with toon-style lighting. The Incredibles on the left, and a backdrop featuring Mickey’s Toon Town house on the right, both surrounded by permanent orange fences. You can also spot smaller details such as the new blue lamps installed either side of the Toon Studio gates and a familiar abode up in the Toon Town hills – just above Mr Incredible’s canopy, it’s Mickey’s house!

Toon Studio gate and Toon Town street, featuring an out-of-control Goofy

Walking around to the gate itself, we can see the forcd perspective in full effect. This is infact more than a flat backdrop – characters enter the park here for their meet ‘n’ greets – but with some clever design of the 2D buildings either side, it really messes with your eyes to give the effect of a road stretching toward the hills. Off in “the distance” then is Goofy, driving out of control along the street towards us. You can also see details like “Toon Town Skool”.

One detail that seems to bug fans already is that the ‘Toon Studio’ letters point inwards rather than toward the street as would be logical and was shown in the concept art. Remember, though, that the secuirty booth in front also technically faces the wrong direction – this entrance is clearly all for the cameras.

Where there’s good publicity, The Incredibles are never far away

As are the characters themselves, populating the studio throughout the day…

Toon Studio even has its share of irony amongst the in-jokes

…And when they’re done filming for the day, they head off back to Toon Town. A sign on the gate warns of the strange divide between Toon Town and the normal world – “Toons Only Beyond This Point – No Funny Business”. The Imagineers aren’t listening, though, there’s plenty of funny details to be found here…

Toon Studio Security – they mean business!

The security booth is one of them, one of very few theme elements at the Studios that serves no real purpose other than a wonderful piece of placemaking. “Toons check in here – No admittance without pass” the notice reads, with a special ‘Toon Studio Security’ logo and a motorised barrier.

…Although it seems they like their lunch breaks

Inside the booth are even more details, including a new Cast Member costume that looks to be a funny spin on the familiar ones seen at CinéMagique, with brightly coloured buttons and a Donald Duck-styled shade on the hat. It remains to be seen if Cast Members will be lucky (or unlucky) enough to wear these somewhere else in Toon Studio.

No more Studio Catering Co. for the old Ice Cream van?

To the left of all this area development, nearing the exit gate toward Studio Tram Tour, we can now find the old Studio Catering Co. van positioned next to Art of Disney Animation for the past five years. Its old ice cream-themed signage has been removed, however, so might be lucky enough to get a small spin on the Studio Catering Co. concept afterall.

Shooting Shedule – are they teasing us with the empty slots?

And finally, a detail from the very first Toon Studio concept seen up-close in reality, over two years later. The new signage is themed as if painted wood, with a silver bolt on the corner. The Toon-styled hands holding the clapper didn’t make it from the latest concept, but the sign does help to build the idea in guests’ minds that this is meant to be a real Toon backlot, each corner filled with filmsets.

Beyond, Cars Race Rally sticks out of the desert canyon at an angle – an entirely different theme yet perfectly fitting in its surroundings. This area must not only be our dream but an Imagineering dream – anything is possible here. No wonder they left two empty slots on the shooting schedule!

All photos by Photos Magiques. You can see many more right here.

Being a Saturday, many local fans were already at the park, and got a first-hand look at the soft-opening previews. Like magic, the blue fences were pushed aside with rows of new Toon Studio Cast Members waiting to greet guests – and inform them of no photography, no filming, merci! The invited guests were all families and workers of Imagineering, construction and vendors – though later hours did see a few regular guests allowed entry.

A view to the new Toon Studio, no Flying Carpet required! 

The day also marked the first official use of the new Toon Studio costumes, seen above, made up of khaki trousers, a red jumper underneath a white shirt decorated with sketches of Disney characters, a red baseball cap and finally the all-important Toon Studio jacket – blue in colour, with the new Toon Studio logo loud and clear. Underneath, logos for Crush’s Coaster, Cars Quatre Roues Rallye and Flying Carpets Over Agrabah. The Crush logo appears like that at the attraction itself – a blue and green warning sign – whilst the Flying Carpets logo is also brand new.

Surrounding the area are several signs indicating that the previews are for invited guests only. WDSFans.com got a high-quality capture of one, so we can see the land’s new logo up-close…

New logo revealed 

‘Official opening 9th June 2007’ of course, but tha’s not the case for the Toon Studio themed area itself – which has infact just opened to the public TODAY, 21st May 2007, for the very first time. Not only does this give guests a better preview of the new area before its two major attractions open, but it’s now an important route through to Studio Tram Tour.

New path gives a true ‘backstage’ experience

Grandmath on Disney Central Plaza forum captured this photo from next to the Tram Tour last week, showing current progress on the new path which will take visitors from the back of Toon Studio to Studio Tram Tour’s temporary entrance. This now allows work to fully begin on the second – and far larger – placemaking project: Hollywood Boulevard. Tomorrow really is becoming today!

Opening photo by nos77 on DCP; Logos captured by WDSFans.com; New path photo by Grandmath.

This new video features two Imagineers working on the project talking about the ride experience and describing their intentions with its design and construction. Behind them, you might spot one or two props soon to appear at the attraction itself in Paris, such as a stop light, cans of motor oil, a poster for Fillmore’s organic fuel and newspaper cut-outs describing the triumphs of the Famous Hudson Hornet, Doc Hudson!

Michael Sprout (Senior Show Writer) / Debbie Hofman (Graphic Designer)

First, Senior Show Writer Michael Sprout, confirms that the queue buildings are set up like a “visitor centre” for Radiator Springs, showcasing each of the stores and locales owned by the motor vehicle inhabitants. He also mentions “wild race music” and that Lightning and Mater will be positioned at the edge of the race area (rather than outside the entrance as expected before) shouting encouragements to guests on the spinning ride.

“The guest experience for the Cars attraction is that first you’re going to visit the town, see the sights, go through the visitor centre, and then you’re going to go out to the race course. Lightning and Mater are there to welcome you to the race. You go out to your new rookie car, get in the car and at a signal, your car starts up, doing this wild spinning race through the desert.

“As you race, Lightning and Mater are off to the side of the racetrack shouting encouragement to you. There’s this wild race music that will get your blood going and you spin around in this crazy figure-eight spinning course for about a minute and half, which is quite a bit of time in those conditions!”

Circular entrance lobby, featuring various advertisements and the famous Piston Cup!

The second half of the video features graphic designer Debbie Hofman speaking briefly about how the Imagineers attempted to capture the feel of Route 66 for Europeans and “show what it means for Americans”, whilst a camera pans across a never-before-seen concept model depicting the full visitor centre complex from behind (imagine yourself stood on the spot of Art of Disney Animation looking towards Crush), the walls decorated in large posters featuring local brands such as Lightning McQueen’s Rust-Eze medicated bumper ointment and Tow Mater’s pick-up service.

When we developed the queue for the attraction we wanted to start with the outside as you’re walking in and the exteriors are featuring Route 66 and the kind of architecture you would see. And then walking into it, we really wanted to bring in that world of Route 66, some of the businesses you’d find, the cars, and really get that feel for the guests. Especially being in Europe, we wanted to really capture Route 66 for them and what that is for Americans.

‘Backstage’ area of the queue under outdoor canopy, featuring more local advertisements.

Video

The work of Debbie Hofman and the graphic design team has now made it to the attraction itself in Paris. We got a glimpse at a poster advertising Ramone’s House of Body Art back in April, and now a much more noticable banner has filled one side of the entrance lobby building.

Graphic design work completed and in place in Paris!

The large blue banner appears to proclaim “Welcome Travellers!” in typically Route 66-style – a part of America famed for its hospitality – with the route logo of the famous road also featured. As they head toward the checkered flag, representing what Route 66 means to Americans as well as recreating the Pixar impression, they’re certainly getting a kick out of it. And speaking of checkered flags, latest rumours are that Cast Members will come equipped with special race accessories – each and every Race Rally spinout will be finished with a wave of the famous race flag!

Concept images © Disney; Latest photo by Photos Magiques.

Whilst little more than 2D façades with empty behinds were – and are – generally expected for this development, as the corner points of the building row forming a huge physical barrier between The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the park entrance, these two at least will be fully-formed, 3D sets.

We reported the first metal framework beginning construction last week, and since then this interesting square tower has begun to match even more exactly the expected finished design – a reproduction of the ‘Off the Page’ store entrance from Hollywood Pictures Backlot at Disney’s Calfifornia Adventure. Also depicted on the new Walt Disney Studios Park map, this building features a square, pointed spire on its roof, and the latest photos below show that construction of its skeleton has almost reached this point.

Adding to the development now is a second tower, much larger in floorspace than the first and equally impressive in height, already adding quite a landmark to the previously barren corner by the Place des Stars stage. Now imagine this with a few more façades inbetween the two and fully decorated in warm Pueblo Deco colours – as a new “heart” for Walt Disney Studios Park, this should really get things beating in a more true Disney style.

The exact design of the building can be seen on the new park map below, with a large square body and a round dome similar to those on The Hollywood Tower Hotel behind. It doesn’t appear to match exactly with a building on either of Disney’s other two Hollywood developments – at Disney-MGM Studios and California Adventure – and considering its size could easily be put to use as something more than an empty façade.

It’s already clear that these buildings on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard won’t just be a much-needed boost of glamour and style for the middle of the park. As the map shows, they form a major barrier between the current hub at Disney Bros Plaza and the entrance of Tower of Terror, forcing guests to walk towards Studio Tram Tour or around Production Courtyard to reach the attraction, perhaps a response to concerns in earlier years that this location was too close to the park’s entrance for such a popular attraction.

The impressive size of the frames already exaggerate the forced perspective design of the 183-ft Tower behind, making it appear taller and more distant, as if this 1950s Hollywood development gradully built-up around its decaying exterior in the decade since that fateful night…

Map © Disney; All photos by Photos Magiques.

Casting has begun for that most prestigious of new roles amongst the upcoming productions at Walt Disney Studios Park. Tower bellhop? Bah! Turtle twister? Don’t get in a spin. This is the big one: the chance to portray a genetic mutation like never before at the Disney Channel Studios – real, live, in front of a studio audience!

Don’t worry, Julie hasn’t returned from the dead – this is Stitch! And for the upcoming Stitch Encounter, some very lucky Cast Members will be spending their days speaking his voice and controlling his movements on-screen, effectively acting out his entire role and interacting with the unprepared – and sure to be quite unexpected – dialogue of the watching audience.

A work position was posted on a French casting website, calling for “comedians capable of imitating the voice of Stitch”. Aware of the strong audience participation in Walt Disney Imagineering “Living Character” show, they’re also asking that applicants be capable of holding an audience and interacting off-script with an audience. You’d need to be between the ages of 20 and 35, fluent in French, English or both. Any additional languages will be a good bonus.

The need for a comedian is particularly highlighted, which already sounds promising for an attraction which relies heavily on the live roles of its Cast Members. The voice of Stitch for each show will need to not only portray the alien’s voice but also control his CGI movements on the giant projection screen and shape the narrative of the show through pre-designed animation rendered in real-time. Another requirement is therefore that the chosen Stitch(es) must be able to work a computer console and joystick.

At the attraction itself, work appears to have already begun on transforming the interior of the old Walt Disney Television Studios tour into the new theatre-based attraction. Closed for good on 16th April 2007, the largely unpopular attraction was swiftly surrounded by blue construction fences and stripped of immediate references to the old walk-through attraction.

The layout configuration of the new Stitch Encounter is still unconfirmed. Will it follow the same route as the former tour, passing by hard-working/solitaire-playing Disney Channel video control crew, or could a totally new design be used? With the former Disney Channel CyberSpace postshow closed since January already, this actually gives two perfect spots for the new theatre room, including the Art Attack stage which has been widely rumoured to be the chosen location.

The casting call posted above also throws up more questions about the actual launch date of the attraction.  Originally rumoured for November 2007, the official press release of 1st April 2007 announced it for an ‘Early 2008’ opening.  Strangely, the casting position is for October 2007 to March 2008!

One thing is certain – they’d better have a longer queue line planned out. Julie might have been legendary, but no-one can match the popularity of Stitch. Especially not if he’s appearing live, courtesy of a professional comedian!

Photos by Photos Magiques.

Those lines in question would be the new flooring. A distracting checkerboard of black tarmac and grey tiles, the idea seems to have been to break the vast expanse of tarmac in the old land, highlight routes between the attractions and generally give a more campus/courtyard feel. Like the Ink of “Ink & Paint”, it’s all dark colours so far and appears to be staying that way – the same design has now reached right across from Flying Carpets Over Agrabah to Disney Bros. Plaza.

The full extent of the finished makeover was revealed this past Tuesday, when 9-month old fences were finally removed from the area between Disney Studio 1 and the Monsters Inc Scream Scene.

The removal of the fences must have been a breath of fresh air for the park – finally a little room to breathe and the first step of the final touches for Toon Studio. The next steps were all made clear behind the fences, such as the Sorcerer Mickey entrance statue due in the new planter above. The portion which will house the statue is actually separate to the existing section, allowing another small route through to the current Animation Courtyard without stepping under Mickey’s spark of golden pixie dust. Either the Imagineers are planning for people with superstitions, or they realised the entrance could become totally blocked in the lead-up to parades!

With the Fantasia hippos now residing along the Studio Tram Tour route, what’s to be found at their old home? Currently, not a lot. But the colourful planting does mix well with the sea of blue, whilst cleverly following the checkerboard pattern of the flooring around it.

As for Animagique, the Studio 3 theatre of the backlight show is still in post production, with fences covering the edges of its waiting area roof as more areas are repainted in the Toon Studio colours of blue, navy blue, pink and purple. No other improvements have been spotted yet, but the fences do encroach quite a way onto the path – more than might be necessary if they’re simply repainting. Can we hope beyond hope those flower beds from the concept art make it to reality, rather than going the way of the quickly-forgotten fountain?

The clean-up animation department has also been at work recently, adding a few extra touches to a project everyone assumed was complete. Whilst every concept showed the huge billboard façade of Crush’s Coaster with straight, cropped edges, the deep and light blue tones have now been extended across its bordering walls, allowing them to fade out. Unlike animation, the Imagineers could make this change very quickly, and the mural now appears better integrated than before.

All of this is essentially the work of background artists, with the placemaking creating a better environment for guests to experience the attractions themselves. The background work is clearer nowhere more than at the Toon Studio entrance gate – the one to be used only by Toons of course – which continues to receive more details such as two photolocations, various props for the security booth and finally the “Toon Town” letters in the hills beyond. Unlike the papier-mâché 3D versions at Disneyland in California, their flat 2D design recessed into the “hillside” is also illuminated throughout the day.

Two basic photo backdrops have appeared either side of the gate – The Incredibles on the left (similar to the old podium but with simply a red backdrop) and Mickey’s Toon Town house on the right. A strange backdrop choice for sure, but in Imagineering legend the only “real” Toon Town is that in California. For this reason the Floridian version is “Mickey’s Toon Town Fair” and our (invisible) Parisian version wouldn’t feature his real house. So when Mickey is in Paris and needs the house for a spot of filming, this is his answer. It saves on airplane fuel at least…

So with all this background work almost complete, the Imagineers next need to start laying on the character animation cells for the final frame-by-frame production. Preparing for the characters of Disney Cinema Parade, the land’s conserved parade route path has now been outlined with small metal studs. Not as noticable as the previous filmstrip or the real sidewalks of Disneyland Park, Guest Flow are going to have fun here when the parade is finally re-routed back to its original path…

And finally, more characters are soon to arrive. Maybe a cheap way of fulfilling the resort’s pledge of “More Disney characters than ever before”, the lighting rigs along the parade route are about to have their posters returned following the storms late last year. A Cast Member sent a photo into our partner site WDSFans.com taken from the other side of the parade access gate, showing the first poster to be fixed in place, facing away from the park.

Does it look familiar? Yes, the esplanade posters of Hong Kong Disneyland have made it almost half-way around the world to Paris, albeit in a slightly cropped format to fit the lighting rigs. Expect all of the on-stage rigs to be given their own characters – from Bambi to Mowgli, Lilo & Stitch to… Lumière! Well, when there’s a banner at Disneyland Resort Paris, you can be sure that candlestick won’t be far away! You can see the full set of Hong Kong banners at LaughingPlace.com here.

The only thing left to do soon will be to run the reel, and for this Walt Disney Studios has another small trick up its Sorcerer’s Apprentice sleeve. As confirmed by Kinoo on magicforum, a “Toon Train” will arrive on the Toon Studio lot each morning, with rumours also of special musicians on a small float as the animation stars arrive at work!

Lighting rig photo by P.T.; Hong Kong Disneyland photo by LaughingPlace.com;
All other photos by Photos Magiques – you can see even more here.