January 2007

The 15th Anniversary pin this time counts down 50 days to the big day itself, with rumours suggesting pins will follow for J-20, J-10, J-5, J-4, J-3, J-2, J-1 and finally for the day itself in April. This month will also see the next major Pin Event, to be held at Disney’s Hotel New York – book now if you’d like to attend.

Saturday 3rd February 2007

Mystery Pack
Ref: 209401007086
Price: 12,50 €

Starter Kit Marie Cuties
Ref: 209411007003
Price: 19,90 €

Wednesday 14th February 2007

St Valentine LE
Ref: 209401007089
Limited Edition x900
Price: 10,50 €

Saturday 17th February 2007

PIN EVENT
L’étrange Pin Event de Monsieur Jack / Nightmare Pin Event

Disney’s® Hotel New York.
Times Square, Convention Center.
From 09.00 am.
Entrance : 33 € per adult.
Reservations and prices at 00.33.(0)825.30.60.60

The following pins will be available for pre-purchase, with
remaining stock then moved to the resort’s boutiques:

Mickey Jedi
Ref: 209401007030
Price: 6,00 €

Minnie Leia
Ref: 209401007031
Price: 6,00 €

Mickey and Yoda
Ref: 209401007032
Price: 6,00 €

15th Anniversary – 50 Days Countdown
Ref: 209401007048
Limited Edition x900
Price: 10,90 €

Stitch WDS Invasion #5
Ref: 209401007095
Limited Edition x900
Price: 10,50 €

Crown Princess Strass pin
Ref: 209401007054
Price: 7,90 €

Writing Princess Strass pin
Ref: 209401007055
Price: 7,90 €

Mickey Writing Strass pin
Ref: 209401007062
Price: 7,90 €

Minnie Writing Strass pin
Ref: 209401007063
Price: 7,90 €

Pirate Princess
Ref: 209401007027
Price: 8,90 €

Pirate Stitch
Ref: 209401007090
Price: 8,90 €

Pirate Skeleton Mickey
Ref: 209401007091
Price: 8,90 €

Pirate Donald Mickey Goofy
Ref: 209401007092
Price: 8,90 €

Jack Skellington open edition
Ref: 209401007074
Price: 6,00 €

Pirate Sabers Medal
Ref: 209401007097
Price: 6,00 €

Pirate Medal
Ref: 209401007096
Price: 6,00 €

Saturday 24th February 2007

Mickey and Minnie Hollywood WDS
Ref: 209401007087
Price: 6,00 €

We begin with Imagineer Beth Clapperton, who poses next to one the turtle shell ride vehicles from Crush’s Coaster in Toon Studio, holding plans to the entire track layout. The turtle shell follows all the usual standards of a Maurer Söhne Xtended SC-2000 car, with four seats back-to-back in rows of two. However, the car has also been extensively customised by the Disney Imagineers, extending the front and sides to perfectly resemble a turtle shell, with an incredible level of detail compared to other Disney ride vehicles.

The photo appears to have been taken on the break-run of the attraction’s “coaster” section, likely sometime in mid-2006 since the building does not appear to be fully enclosed. It also seems restraints and seat backs had yet to be fitted to the first vehicle at this point.

Next up, we move across to Cars Race Rally and into the backstage workshops of Walt Disney Imagineering, where a life-size Luigi is being crafted by hand for the upcoming attraction. Also sporting an exceptional level of detail, Luigi is due to appear at the Casa Della Tires photo location near the attraction’s entrance (see the map here), similar to the Mike Wazowski and CDA figures at the Monsters Inc Scream Scene location.

As you can see from the photo, it luckily seems that the resort have been given the rights to use the badge of this 1959 Fiat 500 on the real-life reproduction itself. Guido, Luigi’s forklift sidekick, is also expected to appear at the finished attraction, marking the first time these characters have been created in life-size 3D form.

Finally, the series of photos take us into the colourful Costuming Workshop at the ImagiNations building, backstage at Walt Disney Studios, for a glimpse at two stunning new dresses created exclusively for Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade. The dresses featured are Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, and the “one that started it all”, Snow White.

Along with rich, glistening fabrics and remarkable attention to detail, the dresses have been peppered with beautiful gold-laced leaves, petals and flowers (roses for Belle), allowing them to match perfectly with the garden-themed “Dreams of Romance” finale float where they will be featured. This is the first time such a high level of customisation has been used to allow the dresses to match their floats.

Sumptuous dresses, detailed props and “turtally” unique ride vehicles, all oozing Disney quality… as if the 15th Anniversary wasn’t an exciting enough prospect already!

All photos © Disney, courtesy of WDSfans.com and PhotosMagiques.com!

The new park tickets were announced at the Cast Member Rendez-Vous event earlier this month, and now the designs of the eight different new passport designs have been released. Each ticket option, Park Hopper and 1-Day/1-Park, will have four different designs, each featuring a different graphic from the set of fifteen candle-holding characters we’ve grown to recognise over the past six months.

The characters chosen to feature are Dumbo, Pinocchio and Pluto, with the fourth design presenting the full set of characters surrounding the large gold “15”. Unfortunately, the same set of designs are re-used for each ticket type, with colours and text changed, perhaps making the collection a little less exciting than if a larger number had been used. As reported earlier, Passe-Partout (Park Hopper) tickets are gold, whilst 1-Jour/1-Parc tickets are purple.

One noticable addition to these tickets is the text on the front. Early tickets simply featured the Disneyland Paris logo, whilst those from the past five years simply featured either the Passe-Partout logo or, for the 1-Day/1-Park, a set of Mickey ears. Whilst strange to see the text is presented only in French rather than the usual French/English combination, this should make it much easier for guests – and Cast Members – to see at a glance which ticket they have.

The tickets are expected to begin use on 1st April 2007, the official start of the 15th Anniversary Celebration, and will be used throughout the entire Anniversary year. Then, in March 2008, we’ll almost certainly get another new design – good news for collectors (and eBay sellers) !

Passport images © Disney, thanks to DLRP.fr

This is the latest press frenzy whipped up to try and get the “Year of a Million Dreams” campaign off the ground, but it would appear to benefit Disneyland Resort Paris too. A series of three images showing world famous celebrities “living their dreams” have been created by acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz as part of what seems to be an ongoing attempt to move the Disney Parks further upmarket and a true step above the competition.

Whilst released to support the “Year of a Million Dreams” dream giveaway promotion at the US Disney resorts, the images are all generically branded “Disney Parks”, with the main logo showing DisneyParks.com, where the Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong resorts are also featured. Fittingly, the David Beckham image – featuring the footballer in a scene reminiscent of Prince Phillip’s battle with dragon Maleficent – features our very own European Disney castle, Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, albeit mirrored for better placement on the photo.

David Beckham as Prince Phillip slaying the dragon, Maleficent / Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella

They must have been jumping for joy at Disney PR when he jumped back into the spotlight a couple of weeks ago, announcing a move from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy in the US itself. If that wasn’t enough, they’ve got Beyoncé Knowles playing Alice in Wonderland, whose latest film “Dreamgirls” received eight Academy Award nominations on tuesday, alongside Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter and Lyle Lovett as the March Hare.

Beyoncé Knowles as Alice, Lyle Lovett as the March Hare and Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter / Annie Leibovitz

Finally, Scarlett Johansson, acclaimed actress and associated with L’Oréal, Louis Vuitton and more gives a 21st Century Hollywood touch to Cinderella. Disney are certainly not forgetting to add that she “wears a stunning, one-of-a-kind Harry Winston tiara … a dazzling piece in platinum with more than 62 carats of sparkling diamonds and valued at $325,000. The dress worn by Johansson is a custom-made, Cinderella-inspired gown designed by Nicoletta Santoro” there.

‘Dreamgirl’ Spins For Disney Parks / Beckham Bends It For Disney Parks

The images are expected to be part of a larger series, with more celebrities signed up to be featured shortly. The campaign will premiere as a special insert in the March issues of Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, W, The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler and Cookie. However, there’s still a chance they could head across the Atlantic too, particularly to the UK or other countries where Walt Disney World and the general “Disney Parks” brand is strongly advertised.

Beckham Bends It For Disney Parks / Stars Come Out For Disney Parks And Leibovitz

With these well-chosen celebrities, though, they’ve already raised interest simply through the press, giving valuable promotion to all Disney parks… and it didn’t cost DLRP a cent!

Whether it’ll be the much-needed kick to get Jay Rasulo’s 50th-follow-up Dreams campaign well and truly started remains to be seen, but David Beckham alone is usually enough to get people talking – imagine the effect of the star on a horse, with fire… in front of a Disney Castle! Swooning women are surely about to fall to the ground the world over.

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The press release in full:

Stars Play Out Disney Park Fantasies In New Images Unveiled by Annie Leibovitz

Photography Featuring Scarlett Johansson, Beyoncé and David Beckham Kicks Off Disney’s ‘Year of a Million Dreams’

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2007) ‘” To launch Disney Parks “Year of a Million Dreams” celebration, spectacular new images were unveiled today featuring the work of acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz, and starring Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella, Beyoncé taking a spin in a giant teacup and David Beckham slaying a dragon.

Leibovitz’s images also fulfill one of Beckham’s “dreams,” as the Disney Parks project is his first endorsement since signing a contract to play professional soccer in the United States.

In addition to the three debut images, Disney Parks has commissioned more images by Leibovitz that will feature other celebrities in classic, Disney fairy tale settings.

“I’m really delighted to be part of the ‘Where Dreams Come True’ campaign,” said Leibovitz. “We live in difficult times and I feel, especially as a parent, that keeping dreams alive is one of the most important things we can do.”

Each image features a scene with the featured celebrities transformed into the role of a fabled Disney character, expressing their own dreams and imagination.

* As Cinderella, Scarlett Johansson is seen running down a flight of stairs as the clock strikes midnight with her glass slipper unknowingly left behind. The tagline reads, “Where every Cinderella story comes true.”

Befitting a true princess, Johansson wears a stunning, one-of-a-kind Harry Winston tiara … a dazzling piece in platinum with more than 62 carats of sparkling diamonds and valued at $325,000. The dress worn by Johansson is a custom-made, Cinderella-inspired gown designed by Nicoletta Santoro.

* David Beckham plays the part of the gallant Prince Phillip from “Sleeping Beauty,” atop his trusted steed fighting the evil dragon. The tagline reads, “Where imagination saves the day.”

“There were many Disney characters I liked as a kid,” said Beckham. “Now my sons love the Disney characters and it’s a big part of their lives, a big part of many children’s lives around the world. So to be part of that is an honor and very exciting.

“I love going to Disney, I’m like a big kid,” he added.

* Beyoncé appears as “Alice in Wonderland,” twirling in a teacup, accompanied by Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter and Lyle Lovett as the March Hare. The tagline reads, “Where Wonderland is your destiny.”

“It’s two great imaginations coming together … Disney and Annie Leibovitz,” said Lovett. “To be along for the ride really is quite something, just knowing that you’re going to be part of a great Disney character. And then when you step into the imagination of Annie Leibovitz, you know you’re in another world.”

“The ‘Where Dreams Come True’ campaign is about the imaginations and dreams that are inside us all,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “By capturing these transformational experiences, these emotional images communicate a powerful concept. Working with Annie Leibovitz was a natural fit … Disney is known for immersive storytelling and Annie is a masterful artist whose photos speak volumes.”

The campaign premieres as a special insert in the March issues of Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, W, The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler and Cookie.

As part of the “Where Dreams Come True” initiative, Disney Parks introduced “The Year of a Million Dreams” (Oct. 1, 2006-Dec. 31, 2007). During this 15-month, first-of-its-kind celebration, more than one million very special dreams are being granted to guests visiting Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. The celebration also is highlighted by the debut of innovative Disney attractions and entertainment spectaculars at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts.

For more information about Disney Parks, “The Year of a Million Dreams” and “Where Dreams Come True,” guests may visit www.mydisneyparks.com.

‘¢ Revenues increased 6% to € 284 million
‘¢ Theme parks attendance and hotel occupancy increased driven by strong Halloween and Christmas seasons
‘¢ Negotiations with trade unions successfully completed

This first quarter revenues report covers the quarter up to 31st December 2006, reporting increased sales of € 284.1 million from € 268.5 million in the same period last year. The Theme Parks sector saw the biggest surge with sales up almost 10% to € 153.6 million from € 139.8 million in 2006, thanks once again to special offers for local French guests, merchandise sales and the slight increase in ticket price.

Even more impressive, perhaps, is the rise of Hotel occupancy by 5.8 percentage points, measuring the amount of rooms filled over the quarter. This amounted to around 29,000 extra room nights compared to the same period in 2006, and helped give the Hotels and Disney Village sector an overall rise of 8% to € 108.7 million.

In his traditional statement to shareholders, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Karl Holz appears satisfied with the results and confident the good news will continue into 2007:

“We are pleased that our business continues to improve with both strong park attendance and hotel occupancy as well as increased guest spending. This improvement is consistent with the trend of our last three quarters.
This quarter’s performance is encouraging for fiscal year 2007, and we look forward to commemorating the 15th-year since we first opened the gates of Disneyland Resort Paris. We will celebrate this anniversary by unveiling exciting new entertainment and attractions, which include the spectacular Disney’s Once Upon a Dream parade in the Disneyland® Park and the opening of two new attractions, Cars Race Rally and Crush’s Coaster in the Walt Disney Studios® Park.

We are also pleased to report that we have reached agreement with our labor unions on two important matters: the 2007 salary plan and the amendment of our 35-hour workweek agreement. We have built a solid foundation for our cast members as the agreements strike a balance between our cast members’ expectations and the Group’s need for increased flexibility to accommodate our guests’ visiting the Resort at different periods of the year.”

The report also gives an update of the upcoming events for the 15th Anniversary, similar to that recently given in the latest Shareholders Club newsletter:

In fiscal year 2007 we will commemorate the 15th anniversary of Disneyland® Resort Paris.
As a backdrop for the party, the Disneyland® Park’s Sleeping Beauty Castle will be decorated with delicate sculptures of Disney Characters and 15 birthday candles. Each night, the candles will sparkle to life during Candleabration, a birthday show featuring favorite Disney Characters.

In the Disneyland Park, Disney Characters will star in the all-new Disney’s Once Upon a Dream parade. The parade will feature famous dream moments from Disney stories. Throughout both the Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studios® Park, there will be even more opportunities to meet Disney Characters, including the new Disney Characters’ Express that transports a trainload of characters several times daily down Main Street to meet guests in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle and at other special locations.

Two new attractions will open at the Walt Disney Studios Park during the celebration. Crush’s Coaster family thrill ride plunges guests into the underwater world of Disney/Pixar’s hit animated film Finding Nemo. This experience will transport guests into the adventurous world of Nemo and his ‘surfer’ turtle friend … Crush. Nearby, Cars Race Rally, inspired by Disney/Pixar’s Cars, lets guests of all ages take a ride on the famous Route 66.

A positive report such as this bodes well for the rest of financial year 2007, with the final two quarters in particular hoped to be particularly remarkable. However, the resort may yet face disappointment with its First Half 2007 results in April, since the first three months of the Second Quarter leading up the start of the Anniversary on 1st April lack their usual seasonal celebrations and may be avoided by guests postponing their visit until later in the year.

The next Combined General Meeting of Shareholders is scheduled for 21st February 2007.

You can read the first quarter results in full here (PDF).

Usually, fashion makeovers are ruthless. Bin this, chop that, lift everything. Unfortunately, when you’re the entertainment district of a financially struggling resort still busy improving its two theme parks, it seems you’ll be left standing with a few balloons and some paint colours that can be seen from the Moon. A far cry from the postmodern, monotone designs of original architect Frank Gehry, recent works have attempted to all but eliminate the cold designs and “Disneyfy” the Village street.

After removing the central steel columns in late 2005, colourful illuminated balloons were added to the remaining pylons and along the row of stores on the left-hand side of the street. Next, the area of the former Central Stage was gutted and totally repainted to form a warmer undercover area for the Sports Bar, with new flat signage replacing the neons. The latest phase of work continues this project, with the remaining grey stores repainted neon colours and more new signage installed.

Team Mickey has seen the most change, with its name finally officially changed to “Disney Fashion”. The rebrand already took place inside the store over two years ago, albeit with a different, more modern style to this green and orange redesign. When originally opened in 1992, the store represented the American love of sports with a wide variety of Disney-themed sports items and clothing. Strangely, the various sports balls adorning the entrance arches have remained in place and been given a fresh coat of metallic silver paint, highlighting their design even more than before.

Further along the street, the new orange and pink colours of the Hollywood Pictures and World of Toys stores are nothing short of unmissable. The original large neon signs of the boutiques, previously positioned on the outside of the metal canopy, were removed in late 2005, leaving only 2D signage behind. Some rumours say the stores along this row will be further brightened with murals of Disney characters, any hints of whom are currently totally absent from the main avenue (excluding Café Mickey).

A stunning makeover or a fashion faux-pas? I’ll let you decide…

All photos © Joel.

It’s no use having that expensive birthday present if you don’t have all the accessories to go with it, right? The Imagineers agree, and have confirmed their plans to turn the unremarkable stretch of black asphalt between Disney Bros. Plaza and Studio Tram Tour into a film set boulevard dedicated to Hollywood at the golden age of the movies. This could be the Nautilus to Discoveryland’s Space Mountain, the Riverboat to Frontierland’s Big Thunder Mountain or the moat and dragon to Fantasyland’s Castle, in its effect of setting the tone and theme to welcome guests to 2008’s The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

The new “place-making” sets will effectively comprise of façades from Sunset Boulevard at Disney-MGM Studios Florida and Hollywood Pictures Backlot at Disney’s California Adventure, albeit with the ajoining buildings chopped off to simply give the elaborately themed exterior. The concepts were presented at the recent Cast Member Rendez-Vous event, allowing the following guide to the sets due to be used to be pieced together. You can also see an expanded version with photos of each expected façade at DLRP Magic Guides.

Beginning as if you’ve just stepped out of Disney Studio 1 into the newly transformed park, spot #1 will reportedly feature a Mediterranean corner façade, hiding the existing La Terrasse behind. This Pueblo Deco style will match the current building and the Tower of Terror behind, to which it will also give access. One of several arches in the set will house a brand new tips board (wait time guide) for the park. Based on this information, a search of Disney’s Hollywood inventory brings up “Schmoozie’s” at Hollywood Pictures Backlot as a possible inspiration. Points #3 and #4 will be Pueblo Deco towers, adding to the overall look of the area and helping the 183ft Tower of Terror sit more comfortably in the park.

Across the street, point #2 is the most certain of all the sets, appearing to host a replica of “Gone Hollywood” from Hollywood Pictures Backlot. Strolling further along the new boulevard, a crossroads presents two corner buildings seeming to come from opposite coasts of the US. From the East Coast is #5, reported to be home to a new version of Disney-MGM Studios Florida’s “Villains In Vogue”, a colourful movie theatre façade. Whilst from the West Coast, Disney’s California Adventure, comes #6 – “Off the Page”, an ornate and extravagant sandy-coloured store façade.

Even more promising news is that the boulevard will come complete with new greenery and foliage to hide the reverse of these false movie set buildings, whilst important elements such as lamposts, palm trees, benches and sidewalks look set to complete the scene.

All of these sets should be taken as a rough guide only, since the boulevard is still over 10 months from completion. It seems certain, though, that the Hollywood Boulevards of Orlando and Anaheim will be plundered for their richest icons to provide the fruits of this placemaking, both to keep the project in-budget and to play safe with tried and tested designs.

What will be brand new, though, is the backdrop of the new boulevard – first, #8, a sweeping backdrop of the famous Hollywood Hills on the current location of Studio Tram Tour’s billboard. Finally, #7 is a brand new idea from the Imagineers – a façade themed to a Tunnel through those iconic mountains, functioning infact as the main entrance of Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic. A similar tunnel has been hidden away since 2002 on the fresque at the exit of Disney Studio 1, and even perhaps since 1988 in Touchstone’s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”.

Click here for a full walk-through with photos.

With the details have only just announced, no time has been wasted in preparing the park for the large-scale placemaking work, due to officially begin on 29th January 2007. Already, the entrance of Studio Tram Tour has been re-routed through the canopy of the disused Fastpass distribution area, with the entire entrance surrounded just a few days later by a new tide of tall, yellow construction walls.

Then, on Friday, the walls extended to surround the entire La Terrasse area.

This phase of work is scheduled to be complete by mid-May this year, when the entire route will then close. During this time, Studio Tram Tour will be accessible only via Toon Studio and the new path due to be laid behind Art of Disney Animation. Meaning, of course, that the paths of the new Toon Studio area will be open at least 3 weeks before its two new attractions!

Upon entering the parks now, guests are met by fences to their right, for Toon Studio, and fences stretching ahead of them on their left, for this renamed Production Courtyard – Hollywood Studio.

Despite this unpleasant first impression, it finally seems certain that the Imagineers are about to realise one of our greatest dreams from the past 5 years, and in the process elevate Walt Disney Studios to a true Disney experience. So that, by November of this year, it may finally be proud to proclaim…

“I’m ready for my close-up, Mr Disney.”

Map by DLRPMagic.com based on reports from La Rouquine and Kinoo on DisneyCentralPlaza forum; Photos by Joel, Photos Magiques, Kyoto (Disneymagicinteractive.com), Dlrp.fr, Disneytheque.com

Once again, it’s La Rouquine who brings the confirmation, with additional details adding that shows will be presented alternately in both French and English (Spanish is no longer mentioned as earlier). The show will take place in the current Art Attack stage of the “tour”, with the two preceding backstage rooms presenting the background story to the extraterrestrial encounter on the existing plasma screens and through small themeing additions.

The popular Disney Channel CyberSpace post-show of interactive games and CyberSpace Mountain will remain. No opening date has been announced, but the addition is currently scheduled for early 2008 – a perfect family-orientated companion to Tower of Terror, perhaps. The attraction was reported some time ago to have been confirmed already to most Cast Members at Walt Disney Studios Park, but this resort-wide announcement finally gives a bold confirmation. This brings a fourth new attraction to the 15th Anniversary’s already impressive line up.

If you’re new to Stitch Encounter and not sure what it entails, you can find out everything here.