News / Walt Disney Studios Park

Last Monday, 9th March and Tuesday, 10th March 2009 saw the cast of Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars roll out into Walt Disney Studios Park for their very first public performances, one year on from the announcement that the predecessor, Disney Cinema Parade, would wrap for good.

One year without a parade seems to have done this embellished version of the Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade the world of good. “It looks amazing!”, “I want to be there”, “Oh wow!!”, “Wonderful”, read the comments on our first article. Best of all, “It’s great to see Paris take this show and really add some magic to it.” Looks like they pulled it off.

Now, here are two of the best additional videos of the previews; the first showing the cars arriving around Place des Stars, the second presenting the entire “production number” show, where (almost) each of the stars gets their moment in the spotlight.

Enjoy, thank jjasonz54 for uploading them to YouTube, and we’ll see you after for a few extra thoughts…

First question on most peoples’ lips has been “With a show this big and this good, why hasn’t it been featured in any of the TV advertisements?”. The simple answer could be that they just wanted to focus more on the “simpler” events like It’s Dance Time… in Discoveryland, which are very easy to put across in an advert.

The more interesting reasoning, on the other hand, is one that rips open the major flaw in this otherwise very well-executed concept: If this is going to be performed just once a day, before park closing, with the entire cavalcade gathering around Place des Stars Stage, there’d be some very disappointed guests if this were advertised too much.

Sure, the first half of the parade route does give a pretty big space for lots of guests to get a look at the cars passing, but people won’t be happy if they can’t get anywhere near this surprisingly lengthy 10-minute show at Place des Stars because the viewing area is so small.

If you’ve been following the arrival of this parade-event in Paris, you’ll know that the original concept for many months was to have the cars entering the park at three or four set locations, several times a day, perform their own little musical number and then give time for meet ‘n’ greets.

Combining all that into this single, evening event has arguably given a much better end product — with the downside of only allowing for a much smaller audience.

Videos as credited; Lead photo: Chti Greg.

Usually it’s the press, shareholders or Cast Members who get first-look at the latest new events and attractions at Disneyland Resort Paris. Earlier tonight, just as daylight was fading over Marne-la-Vallée, that tradition was delightfully broken and normal, regular guests were the first to see a complete presentation of Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars.

As reported several times previously, you might recognise most of the vehicles — but this certainly isn’t the linear parade you’ll remember from Disney-MGM Studios in Florida. The event now combines a cavalcade, a surprisingly lengthy dance medley on Place des Stars Stage and a meet ‘n’ greet with guests all in one.

Showtime sign on Place des Stars Stage

Different also is the showtime of this new event — not 1pm as with the old Disney Cinema Parade, nor earlier in the day like Good Morning Walt Disney Studios. Instead, it’ll be happening half an hour before park closing each day, as a grand finale of the stars arriving for their “premiere” after “wrapping production” on the film shoots of the day.

So, for the parade doors in Toon Studio to open and reveal the first of the Stars ‘n’ Cars driving out onto the parade route earlier tonight, fans had to wait right until 6.30pm. We’ve collected some of the best of the first photos, taken by Grégory Grienche, Aléxandre Rosa and Clément Poizot. See the links at the bottom of this article for more of these lucky fans’ first photos…

And now, the very first video clip!

This video shows the stars returning back to Toon Studio across Disney Bros. Plaza, with the original “Roll out the red carpet” theme from Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade now combined with a park closing announcement:

Tonight, 10th March 2009, at 6.30pm, the Stars ‘n’ Cars will do it all over again in a second and final preview performance, so check back soon for even more photos and videos!

These two avant-premieres are designed to test both audience reaction and the handing of the event by park operations, to tweak or improve the performance if necessary before its actual premiere on 4th April 2009.

Photos: 1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27 by Grégory Grienche (more 1 | more 2); 2, 3, 4, 14 by CharactersPhotos Blog (more); 5, 6, 9, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 by Aléxandre Rosa (more); Video: pitiguigui, YouTube.

We’ve been used to that tiny corner of Production Coutyard being behind blue construction walls for over a year now, but last week saw a sudden flurry of new fences — and more dramatic activity — in the area.

The walls have been extended to cover a much larger area in front of — and, interestingly, to the left of — the park’s new attraction.

One thing not behind the fences of Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage! is the new show times board, reclaimed from the front of Stitch Live! last month and now finished in its new position with a nicer brick flooring.

But that’s not all — continuing Paris’ love for high-tech video screen tips and times boards, the old poster case has now been fitted with a fancy LCD screen, so that the show times are updated throughout the day and always kept in-sync with the LED electronic displays below the entrance sign.

Next, our friends at Photos Magiques did what fans do best and moved over to the top of the Disney Village parking structure to get a look behind those construction fences…

Above, you can see the new wall constructed along the side of the Television Studios building, where it is expected guests will exit from the attraction. Recently, the backstage doors here were painted the same purple/pink as the Playhouse Disney logo.

What? Not dramatic enough for you? Well, take a look at this…!

Just as they were blasting a hole in the wall of Walt Disney Studios Store, the construction crew were finally given chance to let loose and remove that abandoned character trailer!

As we only very recently wrote in a special Wish List column about the decaying caravan, it had long ago ceased to serve its purpose. Since this expansion slot is unlikely to see construction of Soarin’ or another new attraction anytime soon, we concluded it’d be a wise investment to build up a higher berm (a boundary hill) and some thick trees here, to finally block the outside world.

Well, they’ve been ruthless enough to finally remove the dirty temporary fences along this stretch and fill in the area where the trailer used to be, to make sure it all looks clean and tidy for the launch of Playhouse Disney. But, this is still the Disneyland Resort Paris we know and love…

…Not so ruthless after all.

Pictures: PhotosMagiques.com

From across Place des Frères Lumière at the entrance to Walt Disney Studios Park, the Mickey’s Magical Party-themed construction walls don’t look at all different, covering up two spaces in front of the store — one between the two main entrances, another to the right of the smaller entrance, where previously only a window could be found.

Not any more… Well, that’s one way to “open up” a less popular boutique — drill a gaping hole in the wall. The old window has been completely removed here, and we’ll likely see a new set of more prominent doors in its place, to grab people as they’re leaving the park.

And this means construction has also spread to the inside of the Front Lot store, with white walls closing off a large part of the more “open” part of the building…

Previously, this area sold children’s toys and had a large, usually unused pay desk up against this window which had gradually become little more than a large display area for snow globes and other collectibles, hardly enticing guests stepping inside to look closer.

But with the walls up, that’s exactly what the Photos Magiques team did for latest update…

Peeking through a gap in the first set of fences, between the two main entrances, we can see that the planter previously situated here has been completely removed.

With the courtyard’s original design, planters positioned in front of Walt Disney Studios Store did serve to direct people a little too singularly toward the imposing Disney Studio 1, rather to the all-important shop…

Pictures: PhotosMagiques.com

The new antenna and entrance signage for Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage! finally arrived at Walt Disney Studios Park just a couple of weeks ago. As things continue to progress, time for a closer look at the park’s fifth new attraction…

As can be seen, both the main logo and the four smaller signs all have depth to them, likely to be lit from inside similar to the Stitch Live! signage. The “Live on Stage!” portion of the logo sits on top of the Playhouse Disney Mickey Mouse ears.

Since the attraction will be known simply as “Playhouse Disney – Live!” to most non-English speaking markets, it’s interesting the Imagineers insisted on the full title for the entrance signage, probably to differentiate this stage-based puppet show from the video screen-based living character show next door.

The zoom-ins, courtesy of DisneyGazette.fr, continue with a view from the parking structure of Disney Village, which lies just behind the empty expansion slot in Production Courtyard. From here, it’s now possible to see the completed waiting area barriers, turnstiles and ticket booth-style Cast Member shelter, all similar to Stitch Live! next door.

There are four turnstiles, as for Stitch, but here they all lead into a single waiting area. As mentioned in a previous update, it is expected the show will be performed around five times a day, similar to Animagique, and likely with separate performances for French and English.

Whilst those electronic displays built into the roof canopy above will display the remaining seats for the next show, the full show schedule, it seems, will also be posted outside the attraction — on the grey noticeboard which Photos Magiques recently reported had been removed from outside Stitch Live!.

As NewsDLRP spots, the board has now reappeared outside Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage!, likely because Stitch’s 15-minute show schedules didn’t really require a full guide to be posted outside.

Photos as credited.

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…

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.

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

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.

(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.

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.

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…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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…

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?