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Hello everyone,
In part 1 of our grand circle tour of the world's Magic Kingdoms, we toured Main Street USA and World Bazaar.
In this second part we are going to adventure into the depths of Adventureland. For reasons that will become clear later, I'll also be including New Orleans Square in this tour.
Before we begin, I just want to clarify the usage of certain names in this article. Some of you may dislike the fact I refer to each park by its location, but please bear in mind that when referring to “Disneyland”, there are actually four parks that carry that name in one way or another, and while I could type “Tokyo Disneyland”, for example, each time, it would be very time consuming. So, to avoid confusion, for the most part I will simply refer to each park by their physical location, to avoid any confusion (for example, Paris, for Disneyland Paris).
Throughout this tour you will also discover that not everywhere has a comparable experience in the other Magic Kingdom style parks, but in fact sometimes lie in other parks. Although we are comparing Adventureland overall, you will find that I throw in other parks too, where necessary, in order to show the comparable experiences.
There are many, many photos in this article, so be warned, it might take a few minutes to fully load! [ Read More... ] |
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Hello everyone,
First of all, I'm sorry for the lateness with which this news article comes. Some of this news has been around for a few days, but Jon and I have been so very busy that I just haven't had time to post. However, if you join our forums our helpful members there nearly always post the latest things they find, so be sure to join our friendly community and never miss any updates! With that said, I've put together a roundup of the latest character news from this week, including brand new news today about Disneyland Paris' Halloween season this year, and a new Frozen event for Tokyo.
Let's start with an event that is just 2 days away, Villains Unleashed at Disney's Hollywood Studios!
Various sites across the internet, including this one, have been posting information regarding all the characters and locations for this hard ticket event. I have used various sources and compiled together the following guide based on everything we know so far. Of course, Disney can change anything at any time, so just bear that in mind. It should also be pointed out that there are no less than THREE brand new characters on this list that have never met guests before! Constantine from the Muppets Most Wanted (as announced here by the Disney Parks Blog), and the Star Lord and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy (as announced here by the Disney Parks Blog)!
Characters with set locations (locations with a proper line):
- Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow - Captain Hector Barbossa until 11.30pm
- Animation Courtyard - Maleficent until 11.30pm
- Sunset Boulevard - The Witch
- Near MuppetVision - Constantine the Muppet
- Streets of America - Cruella de Vil, Dr. Facilier, Jafar, Bowler Hat Guy, Shan Yu, The Queen, Captain Gantu, Dr. Hamsterviel
- Near Star Tours - Darth Maul, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Stormtroopers
- Near the Sci-Fi Drive In - Emperor Palpatine and the Royal Guards
Wandering Characters (characters that may appear randomly and may or may not form a proper line):
- Near Hades Hangout (AKA the Sorcerer's Hat Stage at the centre of the park) - Queen of Hearts, Big Bad Wolf, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Governor Ratcliffe
- Near Indiana Jones Stunt Show - Brer Fox and Brer Bear, the Hyenas - Shenzi, Ed and Banzai
- Villains Dominion (the Streets of America) - Stromboli, Gaston, Prince John, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Frollo, Lady Tremaine, Drizella, Anastasia, Gideon, J. Worthington Foulfellow
- "The Dark Side" (near Star Tours) - Jawas, Jango Fett, Stormtroopers, Greedo, Asajj Ventress, Tusken Raiders, Gamorrean Guard, Zam Wesell, Aurra Sing
Shows and Happenings (all information adapted from the Disney Parks Blog):
- “Guardians of the Galaxy” Awesome Mix Tape Dance Party at the Animation Courtyard - Dance party featuring Gamora and the Star Lord. They will not greet guests, but the Disney Parks Blog did say they would "interact".
- Hades Hangout - The party kicks off at 8pm at the Sorcerer's hat stage, where hosts Hades, Megara, Pain and Panic. They’ll be joined throughout the night by other villains such as the Queen of Hearts, the Sheriff of Nottingham, the Big Bad Wolf and Captain Hook. None of them will be greeting guests, as per the norm with Disney dance parties.
- Oogie Boogie’s Freaky Funhouse Show - On Sunset Boulevard, Theater of the Stars presents a production of extreme performances, hosted by Oogie Boogie. It’s an all-new show that’s sure to thrill!
- Fantasmic! - On Sunset Boulevard, a gang of villainous henchmen, known as the Night Crawlers, tempt you to join them for a special pre-show to the evening’s performance of Fantasmic!
- “Villainy in the Sky” Fireworks - Hades summons Maleficent to the main event stage (Sorcerer's Hat) to close things out with a devilishly dazzling display of pyrotechnics!
What's interesting also about this list is that The Witch and The Queen will both be greeting, in separate locations. I think there may be some sorcery involved in this one! (Remember, they are both the alter egos of the evil Queen Grimhilde!)
It's also worth pointing out that Emperor Palpatine and the Royal Guards will be greeting, which is very rare. On top of that, of course as we already knew from a couple of weeks ago, Captain Gantu and Dr Hamsterviel will be landing for some alien terror!
On to some Frozen news now, and Hong Kong Disneyland announced at a special media event, and later via their Facebook page, that Anna and Elsa from the wildly popular movie Frozen would feature as characters at the park during their "Disney's Sparkling Christmas" celebrations, from mid-November this year.
Just a few hours ago the Tokyo Disney Resort Blog also announced some news regarding Frozen at the resort. From January 13th until March 20th a new Frozen section will be added to their poplar nighttime show, Once Upon a Time, and, from what I can make out (the Japanese being difficult to translate, as always), they will also feature in some capacity either in the parade, or at least along the parade route during the day.
Staying with the Asian parks, Hong Kong held special preview event of their brand new nighttime parade, Paint the Night, which debuts in October this year. We have some videos posted on our forum here which you should check out, it looks really awesome!
We come to Paris now, where just today they sent out their press release regarding the upcoming Halloween season. The complete English version is below.
A Maleficent Halloween at Disneyland® Paris
From 1 October to 2 November 2014, Disneyland Paris is the place to be to meet the Halloween gang of Disney Villains. Every day, Maleficent will bring together the Disney Villains in a cheerfully ominous atmosphere, promising Disneyland Paris guests encounters to die (laughing) for. The Sleeping Beauty Castle Courtyard will be transformed to welcome the good Disney Villains who will take mischievous pleasure in taking over Disney's Halloween Festival.
And that's not all! During this delightfully frightening month, ghosts and "Disney’s Funky Pumpkins*" will take possession of Main Street, U.S.A., astonishing pumpkins will take over the flowerbeds in Central Plaza and Frontierland will be transformed into an autumn garden, where sunflowers and pumpkins will take centre stage. Finally, Mickey and friends will offer guests a special Harvest festival-themed cavalcade, not far from Minnie's Halloween Costume Corner or the incredible candy-making machine invented by greedy Goofy, all designed to ensure Disney's Halloween Festival is a laugh a minute!
NEW: The Maleficent Disney Villains Promenade
Every day, the Disney Villains will be happy to have their photos taken with guests to immortalize this fearsomely funny occasion forevermore. Together with Maleficent, the Disney Villains will parade around Central Plaza to welcome guests.
NEW: Maleficent's Court
This year, Maleficent will cast a spell on the Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Disneyland Park and will invite some of the Disney Villains to join her in the Castle Courtyard. Maleficent, surrounded by her friends, the Disney Villains, will take over the place - it has now been invaded by imposing brambles, which guests will be able to pose in front of, next to the Disney Villains.
That is how huge brambles mysteriously appear in the Castle Courtyard. Shaped like the famous horns of Maleficent herself, these brambles form the outline of an imposing dragon. As night falls, the bramble will take on a more disquieting look, immersing guests in a universe of bright, unsettling colours.
Mickey's Halloween Celebration
To celebrate Halloween and to provide guests with a unique party, Mickey and friends will offer guests a cavalcade specially dedicated to the Harvest festival, and have naturally been inspired by the autumn and Harvest theme. Several times a day, Mickey and friends will parade in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle and along Main Street, U.S.A., surrounded by dancers wearing autumn colours.
This year, the lovely Daisy will open the cavalcade. The Three Little Pigs and Horace will join Mickey's Halloween Celebration on their brand new float "Raise the Rafters!". Surrounded by owls, black cats, spiders and bats, the Three Little Pigs, Horace and Clarabelle will dance to country music in front of their farm. A tree and an enchanted mushroom will come to life as if by magic.
As for the Disney Characters, they will be showing off their most stunning seasonal costumes. Donald will explore the wonders of autumn in a world made of straw and pumpkins, together with his inseparable nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Meanwhile, Uncle Scrooge will bring up the rear, determined to keep determined to keep careful watch over a strange pumpkin that appears to be worth its weight in gold…
Mickey and Minnie pay homage to the Harvest season from their huge horn of plenty, filled with autumn leaves, fruits and pumpkins. Behind them, Chip and Dale, accompanied by the charming Clarice, have taken advantage of the Harvest to steal and hoard as many hazelnuts as they can lay their hands on!
Ghosts invade Disneyland Park
They thought they could keep a low profile throughout Halloween month, but guests will only be able to unmask them and immortalise them in a photo!
The ghosts of the former residents of Main Street, U.S.A. will use Halloween as the perfect opportunity to make their grand appearance. Delighted to be able to make an appearance during Disney's Halloween Festival, they will take over Main Street, U.S.A., trying to blend into the scenery. The Park's apprentice ghost hunters will be invited to unmask them, armed with their cameras.
Hilarious encounters with Disney Characters
The Disney characters get dressed up to the nines to welcome guests in a vibrant and colourful Halloween atmosphere for those special photo opportunities with guests.
Halloween Costume Corner - Passionate about sewing and fashion, Minnie will invite guests to discover her amazing sewing workshop, specially created for Halloween. An extravagant, colourful world where everyone is encouraged to let their imagination run wild. Minnie, in her fabulous Halloween-inspired dress will no doubt jump at the opportunity to pose with her admirers.
Goofy Bonbons - Halloween would not be the same without bonbons and spells. For that reason, Goofy has designed and created a truly amazing candy-making machine to dazzle those with a sweet tooth, young and old! Fans of bonbons and Goofy will not miss the opportunity to stop in front of this astonishing machine. Goofy might even join them to make sure everything is in good working order. A moment to treasure and a chance for everyone to persuade him to share his confectionery secrets!
Jack and Sally's Cemetery (from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas© Disney) - The famous couple created by Tim Burton will be at Disneyland Paris during Halloween for a mortally enchanting encounter. The set recreates the universe of the film The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Jack and Sally in person will welcome those who will be courageous enough to meet them. A reproduction inspired by the universe of Tim Burton, Jack and Sally's Cemetery is a unique place.
NEW: Disney PhotoPass+
The perfect opportunity to capture your best moments with the Disney Villains.
Disney PhotoPass+ allows guests to collect all their souvenir photos taken on rides or with Disney Characters by Park photographers at photo locations in high definition in a virtual portfolio. The photos are also available on a dedicated website (www.disneyphotopass.eu) and on a mobile app that enables guests to download them, share them on social networks and even purchase personalised photo products (photo albums, mugs, calendars etc.).
Disney's Halloween Festival will therefore be the ideal time to capture the best poses next to the Disney Villains.
Disney's Halloween Party: the grand finale on 31 October!
Guaranteed screams, even for the bravest guests. The most magical Halloween night will take place at Disneyland Paris!
The now famous Disney's Halloween Party (ticketed event) will be held on 31 October 2014 in Disneyland Park. A unique experience to share with family or friends from 8.30 pm to 1 am.
Disneyland Park will reopen its doors after dark and guests will see it as they have never seen it before - in a more mysterious atmosphere than ever, with unexpected animations, terrifyingly delicious surprises and a "hellish" atmosphere. The moon will bring out the ghosts, Disney Villains and other creatures for the party, who are all ready to play their tricks around the most mysterious of places. After enjoying the many attractions Disneyland Park has to offer, guests will be able to immerse themselves in the magical extravaganza of the Disney Dreams®! night-time show.
Thrilling rides
Hair-raising, high-speed sensations!
Halloween will be the perfect occasion to test guests' vocal chords on rides that will make them tremble with fear! With The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster with Aerosmith, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Crush’s Coaster® and Space Mountain: Mission 2, Disneyland Paris will be the place to be to test the limits of the most overwhelming fears.
The Disney Villains have chosen the right occasion for their largest gathering — Disney's Halloween Festival 2014 has become autumn's unmissable event.
In an atmosphere where laughter mingles with spells cast by Maleficent, guests will find themselves immersed in a strange, delightful world that only Disneyland Paris knows how to create. To celebrate Halloween and the Harvest season with Mickey and friends, come to Disneyland Paris from 1 October to 2 November 2014.
Finally, although nothing official has been announced (as far as I'm aware, and I get all the press releases such as the one above for Halloween), Merida will finally be coming to Disneyland Paris for Christmas, and Anna and Elsa will be greeting guests there, too, instead of just being in the parade. Many sites and pages on the internet have been circulating this news this week, and I have reason to believe it holds a good amount of truth. What's interesting is that Anna and Elsa are said to be going into the Princess Pavilion - I wonder where the other princesses will go? Of course, Disneyland Paris only today released the full Halloween information (above), so until they release the full Christmas press release, anything can change! When they do finally release it, I'll be sure to post it here on the blog.
Ok that's everything for today. We were at DLP on two separate occasions over the past few weeks, I have already compiled one photo trip report which includes over 50 photos of the brand new Ratatouille area there, so be sure to check that out! Another report for our second trip will be coming soon!
Also, don't forget to read part one of my Grand Circle Tour of all the world's Magic Kingdoms, here. Part 2 is coming soon, too!
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
Last week Jon and I were in Disneyland Paris again for three days. As always, we had an awesome, action packed time!
I wanted to share with you some photos from our trip.
Let's start on Main Street USA with the brand new "New Century Notions - Flora's Unique Boutique" that has replaced the former Town Square Photography. It should be noted that PhotoPass pictures can still be viewed and purchased here.
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Hello everyone,
I'm starting a new series here on the blog in which I aim to share my thoughts and experiences of the different lands of the Magic Kingdom style parks around the world. Think of it as the ultimate "grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom", to coin a classic phrase!
Of course, there will be many, many photos, so be warned, this post might take a while to load!
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Hello everyone,
Last weekend I was very lucky to be able to spend an unexpected, last minute trip at Disneyland Paris to once again enjoy all their Spring offerings.
While I never do trip reports, I thought it would be nice to just showcase some of my experiences in a photo round-up.
Instead of jumping from thing to thing, I'm going to group items into categories, such as meals, meeting characters, shows etc. So these aren't necessarily chronological.
Be warned! This is a very photo heavy post!
First up, Disney Magic on Parade. For some reason, the day we watched the parade Princess Aurora, Prince Phillip, Duffy, the Clubs Card and the White Rabbit were missing. The Peter Pan ship was also out because of being refurbished, however the characters were walking on the ground. The floating wizards that are usually before Mickey and Friends were behind, for some reason.
I was very happy that I got to watch Disney's Spring Promenade a couple more times before it ends (today in fact is its last day this year). I am in love with this parade/show, and am obsessed with the music, especially the "Let's Go Fly a Kite" sequence!
Along similar Spring lines, we saw the Welcome to Spring show once, which I was happy about. I am so glad that this show will be staying through the summer (obviously with a different title!). It brings much needed life and energy to Main Street, like similar shows at the US parks.
We also watched Disney's Stars 'n' Cars. I have to say that having known this parade from Walt Disney World more than a decade ago, and also knowing what it was like when it first came to Paris (where it was vastly different in concept to WDW), it is not too surprising that it is coming to an end.
Sticking with Stars 'n' Cars, we stayed for both sets of the lunchtime Stars 'n' Cars greetings one day. Here's who we managed to see.
I think we did exceptionally well meeting everyone that we did in two sets!
Other characters we met in Walt Disney Studios were Buzz and Spider-Man. We also saw Mickey at Toon Plaza, but didn't go to meet him.
At Disneyland Park, there were a lot of characters out and about over the few days I was there. Here's who I saw, including the special Spring greeting characters (Minnie and Duffy in special outfits, and Russell).
I also know that while I was there Scrooge, Donald and Daisy made an appearance in Fantasyland, Pluto in Frontierland, Tigger and Eeyore in Central Plaza, and King Louie and Mr Smee were in Adventureland. Those I know for sure, anyone else I can't attest to. Of course, as well as all of those, the Princesses were in the Pavilion, Meet Mickey was open as always, and Rapunzel was at the Spring location in Casey's Corner. I didn't get chance to meet any of those either, but thought it'd be good to mention.
On one of the days, the Auberge Royalty walked past me, and as well as Suzy and Perla there was the following.
I was privileged enough to stay in the Golden Forest Club in the Sequoia Lodge during my trip, and each morning had breakfast with the characters in the Golden Forest Lounge. Here's the Golden Forest Lounge (including the tea time items), my room and my breakfast greetings.
On my way from the Sequoia Lodge to the parks each morning I checked in the Hotel New York and the Disneyland Hotel. All regular characters the whole time, except one character at the New York one morning gave me a pleasant surprise!...
To break this post up a bit, here are some general park shots I took.
We ate dinner at Inventions two nights. The characters were almost identical both nights, so I won't post each occasion I met the same character, but instead just a photo of each different character between the two meals.
We also had lunch one afternoon at Restaurant des Stars at the Studios, which has now lost the Ratatouille theme, since the new area is opening imminently. Oddly enough there were some carvings that I thought were interesting.
We attended the Sunday Brunch at Inventions too. The theme this week was sports, but had an overriding feel of basketball only...
Finally, we saw the Magical Moment at the Disneyland Hotel on Sunday, after the Brunch.
We experienced some attractions and other shows too (Animagique, Cinemagique, Armageddon, Swiss Family Treehouse, Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Caribbean to name a few), watched Dreams! from Central Plaza and walked around, a lot!
Have a great Sunday everyone!
Dan.
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Hello everyone,
Sorry for the lack of news updates lately. I, as always, have been quite busy with normal life. Anyway, there are a number of things I want to talk about that have come up in the last couple of weeks.
We'll start with Tokyo Disney Resort, and work our way around the world.
From 24th June until 7th July at Tokyo Disney Resort, you can celebrate the magic of Disney Tanabata Days, also known as the Star Festival.
At Tokyo DisneySea you can meet ShellieMay and Duffy in their special Disney Tanabata Days costumes at Cape Cod's Village Greeting Place in American Waterfront. You can also see Mickey and friends in a very special show on Mediterranean Harbor, three times per day (10.45am, 1pm and 4.30pm) wearing their special Star Festival costumes.
At Tokyo Disneyland there is a special parade each day at 11.20am and 4.15pm, featuring your favourite Disney friends wearing yet more beautifully crafted costumes.
At both parks guests will be given the opportunity to make a wish on special cards, and tie them to specially dedicated "Wishing Places" in the parks.
After the Disney Tanabata Days end, summer season arrives at the resort, and so does the water! Jon and I have been to Tokyo Disney Resort in the summer before, and I must warn you - prepare to get wet!
At Tokyo DisneySea's Summer Festival, Minnie's Tropical Splash is described as being a "carnival celebrating the bountiful harvest of fruit" and where "hot Latin rhythms begin to throb as colourful fruit themed barges appear on the Harbor". The TDR website then goes on to describe the "torrent of water" that then sprays from the barges and the shore! Characters appearing in the show - and in new costumes this year too - are Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Clarice. The show will be presented three times daily and lasts about 20 minutes.
At Tokyo Disneyland's Natsu Matsuri event, "hot and lively dances" are the thing at the Castle Stage, during Garyo Gunbu. Team Miyabi Kenran starring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Max and Pluto compete against Team Ryobu Shippu's Donald, Daisy, Chip, Dale and Clarice in a water filled dance battle! We've seen these water canons in action, and trust me when I say, if you don't want to get wet, avoid Central Plaza during your visit!
The show will be presented three times per day and lasts about 13 minutes.
The other show at Castle Stage will be Ondo-Ko-Don! which will be presented once per day, morning only, lasting 11 minutes. It will feature Mickey, Minnie, Donald and "others" in a special performance of a Japanese dance called the "ondo".
At both Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland there will be special merchandise, decorations and menu items to accompany these events.
Summer season at both parks runs from 8th July through 31st August inclusive.
We have a discussion topic about the summer fun, here on our forum.
A week later on the 7th September, the long running Legend of Mythica will end. If you're visiting before then, be sure to see this jaw dropping show before it goes away forever!
After the summer, we come to Halloween. At Tokyo DisneySea, the park will be filled with Disney Skeletons! In American Waterfront you can join the skeletons as well as the Disney characters in special costumes for their brand new show "New York's Halloween Follies". At Mediterranean Harbor you can join skeletons for "Welcome Skeleton Friends" in a participation show as they try to make new friends. In the Lost River Delta you can watch Chip 'n' Dale's Skeleton Fiesta, and finally "Street Party of the Skeleton" will be carried out in multiple areas of the park, where skeletons will dance and play around, interacting with guests and greeting them.
At Tokyo Disneyland, from what I can make out from the Japanese release, the Happy Halloween Harvest parade will return with the theme of a Halloween fair.
As with every event in Japan, there will be decorations, merchandise and food involved, too! Halloween at Tokyo Disney Resort runs from 8th September until 31st October inclusive.
Don't forget that throughout the year you can enjoy the brand new nightly spectacular at Cinderella Castle, Once Upon a Time. You can read my review of it from opening week, last month, here.
Additionally, remember that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit made his Disney Parks debut just about 8 weeks ago at Tokyo DisneySea's American Waterfront! He is super cute and gives you yet another reason to visit this summer - as if you needed ay more excuses, right?! You can check out my blog post about meeting Oswald for the first time, here, and our dedicated Oswald page, here.
Finally for Tokyo, member Ryo on our forum posted that OLC have announced some new changes to Dreamlights in 2015, including the addition of Rapunzel and an update to Peter Pan's float! I can't seem to find the actual OLC release for this, as it's probably entirely in Japanese, but if I do, I'll link it here.
Ok, moving on to Walt Disney World now, and the Disney Parks Blog released a short list of some of the characters we can expect at the Unleash the Villains event on 23rd August this year. This is the only official list posted so far, but rumours have been flying around the internet of all sorts of rare appearances! None of the characters on the current list come as any great surprise, so it'll be interesting to see who else they put into the mix. We have a discussion topic about the event here on our forum, so join us in the speculation!
The new Harambe Theater District opened in Animal Kingdom just recently, and is now the new home to the Festival of the Lion King, after a short hiatus when it closed in Camp Minnie-Mickey. Not too much to report here, but people seem to like the new location and the show remains as popular as ever. I'm glad that Timon and friends have now moved back to their native Africa after spending the past ten years in an American Summer Camp!
Finally for WDW, our friends on our forum noticed that when visiting the Magic Kingdom recently, Winnie the Pooh has decided to sport a slightly different expression! Check out this discussion thread to see how he looks now when greeting at the Crystal Palace.
Jumping across the continent to Disneyland in California, and summer has kicked off with a special Frozen pre-parade at Disneyland Park. You can check out this video of it from Inside the Magic here, and discuss it here on our forum.
Also at Disneyland, Merida has now stopped meeting at her location near "it's a small world", and has been moved to inside the Royal Hall, where I guess her appearances will be more random (switching with her royal friends). In other princess news, Anna and Elsa's greeting times have apparently been extended, and they now meet until 8pm daily.
Flying across the Atlantic to Disneyland Paris, the press preview of the brand new Ratatouille attraction and restaurant happens this weekend. The restaurant is believed to be character dining (based on concept art and even one lady on the reservation line at Disneyland Paris), but is yet to actually be confirmed - we shall find out in the next day or two for sure! Rumours have been circulating for quite some time now, and have additionally strongly suggested that Linguini will appear in the new area (not inside the restaurant)! I'll let you know of any developments on those rumours as the weekend progresses. Jon and I have reservations for Chez Remy in August, and cannot wait to see the new land! You can join our discussion topic about Chez Remy (the new restaurant), here on our forum.
Staying in France, and DisneylandBerry on Twitter (who is often very reliable) has suggested that long running show Animagique will close at some point in 2015. As much as I love this show, it would be great if they put in a brand new show, since this once has been here for over 10 years now! Disneyland Paris are notoriously bad at announcing anything, so we won't know if this is actually true for quite some time yet, I would imagine. Our members are discussing this topic here on our forum.
Finally for Disneyland Paris, InsideDLParis revealed that from 5th July this year Disney's Stars 'n' Cars parade would end. The meet 'n' greets that currently take place using the same characters and cars would be extended to include more set times, and 4 of the current cars would be used to transport the characters on and off set from the greetings. InsideDLParis also revealed that the Incredibles would return to the park for the summer near the new Spider-Man location.
To our final topic today, Iron Man. Our good friend DisneyMart discovered something interesting yesterday, while randomly poking around the Disney Consumer Products website. The recent Disney Consumer Products at Licensing Expo 2014 featured Iron Man as a character, alongside Mickey Mouse, Stormtroopers and Buzz Lightyear! What's interesting is that his appearance has been kept so quiet. He did appear at D23 last year, but since then fans have discovered that the Marvel characters at the event were not wearing their official Disney outfits, meaning that Iron Man and Spider-Man were not appearing as they will at the Disney Parks. I have no idea if this is the case for this most recent appearance, and it could be why Disney have kept hush about it, not wanting people to believe they have already developed Tony Stark's new outfit for him, but instead using an older outside design of his!
Finally, although it was a couple of weeks ago now, why not check out my previous news post to read about the Frozen Disney On Ice show and Hong Kong Disneyland's new nighttime parade!
Ok, that is everything for today! Have a great weekend everyone,
Dan.
To read my May 2014 review of Tokyo Disneyland's Crystal Palace Character Dining, click here.
To read my May 2014 review of Tokyo Disneyland's Mickey and Company Dinner Show, click here.
To read my May 2014 review of Tokyo Disneyland's Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise Dinner Show, click here.
To read my May 2014 review of Tokyo Disney Resort's Chef Mickey Character Dining, click here.
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Hello everyone,
Today Walt Disney World released the dates for their popular Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parties at the Magic Kingdom.
Dates are as follows.
MNSSHP:
September 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26 and 28
October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 31
MVMCP:
November 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21 and 30
December 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 19
Today, 5th May, is also the day that Doc McStuffins finally comes to Disney California Adventure, having already been at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida for quite some time now.
If you're planning a trip to Disneyland Paris in the coming weeks, remember that they have lots of exciting things going on right now, such as their brand new Swing into Spring season and Meet Spider-Man at the Walt Disney Studios!
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
This past weekend Jon and I were fortunate enough to be at Disneyland Paris for Spider-Man's official Disney Parks debut!
We were up bright and early Saturday morning, and were first in line to meet him on his big day!
His photo location is at the Backlot area of the park, next to the Blockbuster Cafe (which recently received an Iron Man overlay). Throughout the Studios all the way down to the location there are new signs advertising the experience. Once you arrive at the area there is an outdoor queue area with a wait time board.
Once you get through the outdoor queue you proceed to enter the main building which has a short indoor queue featuring oversized pages from the Daily Bugle (the newspaper Peter Parker works for).
Then finally it's your turn! You are made to enter behind a set piece which serves as a frame for your photo. Spider-Man is there waiting for you! The Cast Member will ask for your camera, or you can just get a PhotoPass one. Strike your best pose, you're about to be headline news!
And voila... You just made the front page of the Daily Bugle! Neat, huh?
This is a great new addition to the park, and one I am sure will be popular with the boys (as well as girls of course, but more so with boys I would imagine). Disney did a good job of the photo location, and Spider-Man himself looks great.
We have had a lot of questions on our Facebook and Twitter about whether Spider-Man can speak, and I can confirm that he does.
Officially Spider-Man will be at Disneyland Paris until the 10th July, but given how popular he is already, I would anticipate he would stay longer. I guess we shall have to wait and see!
Dan.
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Hello everyone,
This year for the first time, Disneyland Paris have introduced a brand new spring celebration, which started on 5th April and will run until 22nd June.
Titled Swing into Spring, it comes with two brand new entertainment offerings, character greetings, decorations and more!
Jon and I of course had to pay a visit, and I have put together the following comprehensive round-up, as a guide for those planning a trip, and something to make you want to plan a trip if you aren't already!
Disney's Spring Promenade
The key event during Swing into Spring is Disney's Spring Promenade, a dazzling show-parade centred around Central Plaza and the Royal Castle Stage.
Let's take a look at some photos from the Promenade, then I'll give a brief guide to how it works, as it has multiple viewing areas which offer different experiences.
The Promenade runs up to five times daily, from mid-morning to around 2 or 3pm, and as I said above, has multiple vantage points. The best place, in our opinion, to watch the performance is in front of the Castle Stage. From here you get to see Clarabelle and the band playing, as well as the cavalcade pass by twice (once out to Central Plaza, and once back again). Not only that, you of course get the view of the gorgeous Sleeping Beauty Castle behind.
Other good places to watch include on the south side of Central Plaza at the top of Main Street, facing the Castle, and at the intersection of where the cavalcade section leaves the Castle Stage area and enters Central Plaza (from here you get two viewings of the cavalcade, too).
We absolutely love the Spring Promenade. The music is very catchy, and embodies the true Main Street spirit, the costumes are bright and colourful for both characters and performers, and the entire thing has an energy to it that really brings the park to life with the celebration of spring.
Note that there are certain days that the show does not take place. Check the park schedule for details.
Welcome to Spring
Welcome to Spring is a small show that takes place at the Town Square Gazebo at the entrance to Main Street USA. It features the Citizens of Main Street who sing and dance along to a selection of classic Main Street tunes, including the wonderful 'Walking Right Down the Middle of Main Street USA'. As with the Promenade, the show brings a really good energy to Main Street and adds music and movement to Town Square that is colourful and fun. Although it doesn't feature characters, it is well worth stopping by to watch it.
Performances take place up to about five times daily. However, as with the Promenade, there are certain days that the show does not take place. Check the park schedule for details.
After the show, the Citizens of Main Street walk around Town Square greeting guests for a short while.
The best place to see the show is on the street between the Emporium and the former photography store (soon to be Flora's), facing the gazebo. There are usually coloured mats on the ground marking the line where you can stand.
Character Greetings
No seasonal event at Disneyland Paris would be complete without character greetings! During Swing into Spring you can find Minnie Mouse and Duffy at the Boarding House on Main Street USA wearing very special, particularly cute, spring outfits! Sometimes they meet together, sometimes separately. The schedule can change daily, so be sure to ask an attending Cast Member who is appearing at the location on the day of your visit.
When Minnie and Duffy aren't at the Boarding House, Russell from Disney-PIXAR's 'UP' greets his fans.
Of course, there are other regular meet 'n' greets throughout the park, as there usually are, but because of the spring season, some may have moved, or are appearing more often than they usually do.
On the days when the Promenade doesn't run, Mary Poppins and Bert greet guests in Town Square. Sometimes Mr Penguin comes with them, but not always. Unfortunately he did not when we were there, hence why he isn't in the photo below.
Rabbit has also been out and about a lot more than usual, since he is in the Promenade show, and can randomly appear in Fantasyland or other areas of the park - we even found him in Discoveryland one afternoon with Pooh!
Rapunzel has been given her own special location for the season, which features a large heart topiary with the word 'Spring' across it, and a small Pascal statue in the details. Be warned that she is ridiculously popular, and lines can be two hours long before her greeting time starts! (Literally!)
Decorations and Topiaries
For the brand new season, Disneyland Paris have worked exceptionally hard in a short amount of time to bring some stunning new decorations and topiaries to the park, starting at Main Street Station, working up through Town Square, and culminating in the spectacular topiaries found on Central Plaza.
Spring Magical Moments at the Disneyland Hotel
The Disneyland Hotel's Thursday through Sunday 'Magical Moment' has had several spring themed versions since the start of the season, and while it is not easy to predict when they will have a particular theme, just be aware that they can happen on any given day (of the days it runs). When it does happen the music will be different, and the characters will wear cute spring outfits.
And Finally...
There are other small things that all add to the experience that unfortunately we didn't get pictures of, such as the horses who pull the horse-drawn streetcars wearing cute spring bonnets and special spring cupcakes at the Cable Car Bake Shop.
Throughout the park you can also pick up a special "Junior Explorer's Guide" to the park, which tells young guests about horticulture and nature at Disneyland Paris. It's a cute idea, and makes for a nice free souvenir from the season!
On top of all that, over at Disney Village, you can celebrate spring with special kiosks selling baked goods and merchandise, and topiaries and decorations scattered throughout.
If you're considering a trip to Disneyland Paris for the spring season, you can check prices and availability on the official Disneyland Paris website, hereg(214505)a(1961589)) . They have some great offers right now, including up to 25% off hotel and and park tickets, and free half board meal plans!
Have a great weekend everyone,
Dan. |
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