Pixar Fest is upon us, & Disneyland has debuted their newest projection/firework show, Together Forever-A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular. WDW News Today caught the first showing, put up this awesome video for us all to capture a little of the magic. Now at first glance this show isn't on the level of Happily Ever After in Disneyworld, but it's a very, very close second. Beautiful moments abound during this, but the biggest highlight for me was seeing the real, "flying" Buzz Lightyear, & even more so the "flyby" from the house from Up! . Those were just amazing, & the house was totally unexpected. I also happened to notice some good ol' Disney reuse of some animation in here, seeing some scenes used in Happily Ever After. You really had to look to find them though. Other highlights in this show for me were the always friends line with Buzz & Woody, obviously the aliens with the claw, & more than any, the first projections from Coco . The little mariachi doesn't have a spot yet in the Happily Ever After , so that was really cool to check out. I wish I could see this live as video doesn't even do these shows any justice at all. To see the actual scale, & scope of these is a real breathtaking treat. If you're anywhere in the vicinity of this, make a point to go see it. You will not be disappointed, I promise you that. Until then though, what did you think of this video version of the debut? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
At First, Not Sure What To Think Of Millennium Falcon Attraction Video
If you didn't know already Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is coming to Disneyland & Hollywood Studios next year. If you have been under a rock on this, I'll also surprise you with the notion there will be a Millennium Falcon Attraction as well. WDW News Today got to see the in-ride video to be synced with this attraction, & they were kind enough to share it with the world. Now, when I first started watching the video, I couldn't help but think that this doesn't look much different than Star Tours. Then, they started in with the distortion for the cockpit, with the added reminder that this will be surrounding your vision. Even when you turn left to right, you will be see the world of Star Wars. The more I started to think about that, the more I started thinking about how much more immersive that will be to the notion you're actually there. As opposed to Star Tours , where you just see what's directly in front of you. Add the notion of the dials & switches you'll be required to "use" for "flight", & I think this is going to be an amazing experience. So, I went into the first part of this video with a meh, only to end in it in high anticipation. What do y'all think though? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Tokyo Disneyland Puts You In The Center Of The Magic With Their 35th Anniversary Projection Show
It's probably going to be awhile before I ever make it over to Tokyo Disneyland. Which is really a shame, they have some really cool stuff going on right now. Luckily, we are in the age of the interwebs, & I can live vicariously through others. WDW News Today has been there all week, & they keep sharing some very interesting videos of what the park is doing to celebrate 35 years. This one is their projection show, & while it's not quite the spectacle of Happily Ever After , it has to get extra points for being done in what is almost 360-vision. The way this is set up all around you has to send you into a state of awe. I would probably find myself spinning in circles, not knowing which way to look. This is definitely a beautiful sight, even on video. I would love to be surrounded by this in person. Until then, keep putting up these awesome video WDWNT!
Tokyo Disneyland's "Dreaming Up" Parade Has Debuted, & It's Amazing
The Dreaming Up parade has made its big debut at Tokyo Disneyland, & it has so much we don't get to see here. I'm a little jealous. WDW News Today just put up this video of the new parade in its entirety, & I'm totally blown away. First off, they have moonraths, hefalumps, & woozles. That right there sealed the deal for me without even mentioning the floats. Which, by the way, are totally extraordinary. My favorite has to be the "London" float, complete with a live, flying Mary Poppins, & a live flying Peter & Wendy. Coming in at a close second, was the beautiful Princess float. Followed by a tie for me in the Belle & Pooh floats. All in all, this was the most impressive parade I've seen. The only thing missing is the fire breathing dragon from the current WDW parade here in Florida. This is making it even more urgent to plan a trip to hit Tokyo, Shanghai, & Hong Kong, & visit what are becoming the most amazing of the Disney parks. Check it ou though, let me know what you think. Put it in the comments, like, & share.
The "it's a small world" Attraction In Tokyo Disneyland Looks Amazing With Disney Characters
I hope they do this here at Disneyworld. This just turned it's a small world into a Disney themed Easter egg hunt. I actually like this ride, but I've never enjoyed it like I just did watching this. WDW News Today put up this awesome video of the new updates given to it's a small world in Tokyo Disneyland, & I've already watched it twice. This attraction recently reopened with a Disney*Pixar overhaul, adding over 40 characters from our favorite films. I don't want to list them all, because that's part of the fun of watching. I will mention my favorite three though: Hercules with Pegasus, Timon & Pumbaa, & Dory with friends got me because they just came out if nowhere. Great little look at these new additions. Thanks WDWNT for putting this up. Check it out, & let me know what you think of the new additions. Put it in the comments, like, & share.
First Look At What We Can Expect From Inside The Millennium Falcon Ride!
An in-progress sequence from the Millennium Falcon attraction has been unveiled, & Nvidia put up this pic as well as some details on what we can expect from this ride when we visit Batuu in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge when it opens next year. The pic's a little lackluster, but the over technical details are amazing. Produced by ILMxLAB, & running in real time, this was the first glimpse of the highly immersive attraction. Walt Disney Imagineering teamed with Nvidia & Epic Games to develop the new tech. Riders will enter the cockpit, which much like Mission: Space will have buttons & knobs, giving you the chance to "pilot" the Falcon. Here's where it gets technical though. The cockpit will be powered with a single BOXX chassis packed witheight high-end NVIDIA Quadro P6000 GPUs, connected via Quadro SLI. Quadro Synch will synchronize five projectors for creating ultra-high resolution & perfectly timed displays to fully immerse guests in planet Batuu. The team created a custom multi-GPU implementation for Unreal Engine. Anyone who plays games knows what that is. “We worked with NVIDIA engineers to use Quadro-specific features like Mosaic and cross-GPU reads to develop a renderer that had performance characteristics we needed,” says Bei Yang, technology studio executive at Disney Imagineering. “Using the eight connected GPUs allowed us to achieve performance unlike anything before.” Most of that was even too technical for me, but from what I got out of it, this definitely is not going to be your average simulator. Five projectors? This is one of my most anticipated parts of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. I can't wait for more on this. What do ya'll think? Does this sound awesome? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Marvel Heroes Are Invading Disney Parks Around The World
So, I've missed a couple things in the few days I've been away. The biggest of which being this huge announcement from Disney Parks Blog. Three themed areas will be coming to Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, & Hong Kong Disneyland, placing guests right in the middle of some superhero action. Developed in partnership with Marvel Studios & Marvel Themed Entertainment, beginning in 2020, Disney California Adventure will be continuing its evolution. With a new experience taking place of "a bug's land", & to be anchored by Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!, you'll be joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, & the Avengers in this new land. Meanwhile, the Marvel-themed area coming to Walt Disney Studio Park at Disneyland Paris will include the reimagined Aerosmith Rockin' Rollercoaster into a hyper-kinetic adventure where you'll team up with Iron-Man & the Avengers. This opens in 2020, but now they have "Summer of Super Heroes" running from June 10th to September 30th. Where you can catch the heroes in a stage production featuring "cutting-edge special effects & spectacular projections." Last but not least, you've got Hong Kong Disneyland, where Iron Man Experience has become the resorts most popular attraction. Their expansion plan is already been put in motion with a new attraction teaming you with Ant-Man & The Wasp against Arnim Zola & an army of Hydra bots. This sounds amazing on so many levels. 2020 is starting to sound like a really good time to plan a trip finally to Disneyland. Who knows? That's a couple years. It could be enough time for me to think about traveling abroad to The Disney Parks of other nations even. The 8 year old me is going absolutely nuts that this is even happening in the first place. Superheroes in Disneyland? Brought to life like Disney does? Seriously? It's hard to wrap my own head around that I love I a time where this is all possible now. Anyway, what do y'all think? Excited? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Disney Releases Concepts For "PIXAR Pier" Eateries
These are hands down the coolest eateries I've ever seen. I want something from every one of 'em. Straigjt from WDW News Today, June 23rd these awesome food stands will open with PIXAR Pier in Disney California Adventure. My favorite has to be the Poultry Palace. Who doesn't want to order food from a giant kid's meal box? There's even a tiny Zurg outside. A lemon snow cone will be one of the frozen treats at Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats so you can eat the yellow snow. Angry Dogs will feature Anger from Inside Out , & give the ability to add some spice to your hot dogs. And last but not least, it wouldn't be Disney without churros. Here you'll get your fix at Senor Buzz Churros, a stand inspired by Buzz Lightyear's Spanish function from Toy Story 3 . It'll probably be a while before I can make it out to the other coast for some Disneyland action. Better believe when I do though, I'll be hitting all of these. What do y'all think of these concepts? Should all kiosks now be shaped like kid's meals? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Construction Video Gives A Sense Of The Massive Scale Of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Disney Park put up this video of how the construction's coming along on Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland, Ca. Until this video I didn't have a real sense of the scale of this project. Galaxy's Edge is going to be huge. I don't know if it's my eyes playing trick, but this place seems to dwarf Pandora in Disney's Animal Kingdom. This is about how far the progress was the first time I saw Pandora actually. Leaving me to wonder what exactly is going to be visible when I visit Hollywood Studios next weekend? I'll try to get some good pics up on Instagram. What do y'all think? Is this shaping up to be everything you ever dreamed of? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Major Expansion Announced For Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris has not seen development like this since 1992. This morning Disney Chairman & CEO, Bob Iger announced a multi-year, 2 billion euro expansion, transforming Walt Disney Studios Park. Three new areas will be added based on Marvel, Frozen, & of course, Star Wars. A new lake will be the focal point for entertainment experiences, & connect the three areas. Phases will start rolling out in 2021, most likely with the previously announced reimagining of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith into an Iron-Man adventure. All these developments in Disney Parks around the world are not just awesome, they're giving me time to save up enough money to check this new stuff. No rush all the sudden, I want to see all this new stuff. Excited for these upcoming additions tok Disneyland Paris? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
All The Disney Park Announcements From D23 Expo Japan
While definitely not as big as last year's D23 Expo, this year in Japan we got some more on last year's developments, as well as some pretty significant new developments. Of course there's also plenty of concept art to go with. First of all, we now have a date for the opening of Pixar Pier. June 23, 2018 is the official date to visit the four new neighborhoods representing Pixar stories with newly themed attractions, food, merchandise, & the rebranding of the Incredicoaster. I wish I could make it over there for this. It sounds pretty amazing.
Speaking of Pixar Pier, there was also this awesome concept art for the new float to be joining the Paint the Night parade. It will feature characters from The Incredibles, showcasing their powers with high-tech, pop-art effects. I'm not one to get excited for a float but this one looks, well, incredible.
After that attention switched over to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. They revisited the Star Wars themed hotel that will join the land. Now we learned the hotel will be a luxury hotel that will not only feature a fully immersive adventure, but it will be seamlessly connected to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge letting the full immersion continue into the park. Speaking if the park they released some things to expect. The lands will feature a life size Millennium Falcon, as well as a full size fleet of X-Wings. Them there's the two attractions to be featured mentioned again. With the chance to fly the Falcon, & the ability to stand on a Star Destroyer in the middle of a First Order/Resistance battle.
After Star Wars, the attention was shifted to Marvel where we found out the new Guardians of the Galaxy themed coaster coming to Epcot will be one of the longest enclosed roller coasters in the world. Following that awesome revelation, Disneyland Paris was informed their Rock n Roller Coaster, a personal favorite of mine, will be getting a total reimagining where you'll now team up with Iron-Man & The Avengers. This is really cool, but if they follow suit in Hollywood Studios, I'll really miss the music of Aerosmith throughout the coaster.
Hong Kong will get in on the Marvel action as well. They already have the Iron-Man Experience, & now you will be able to team up with Ant-Man & The Wasp to fight Arnim Zola & a army of Hydra Swarm bots. That's all the details but this attraction got most of the cool concept art.
Last but definitely not least we get some concept art for one I'm really looking forward to. The first ever Mickey Mouse themed ride through attraction, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. Opening in Hollywood Studios in 2019 this will take place of one of my all-time favorites, The Great Movie Ride. This ride will zap us right in the middle of an original story, Mickey Mouse cartoon short.
Like I said, all in all not as amazing as last year's big reveals, but some awesome follow ups & concept art though. What do y'all think of these developments? Looks like 2019 is going to be a huge year. Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Count Yourself Lucky If You Find Yourself At Disneyland Paris June 2 For FanDaze
Why does there have to be so much water between myself & Disneyland Paris? I would totally be there for this if not. What's this? FanDaze! For one night only at the Walt Disney Studios Park on June 2 there'll be an awesome Disney celebration with exclusive new shows, rare Disney character encounters, original dining menus, a chance to hear from Imagineers, & more. This will be a one-of-a-kind hard ticket event. Out of everything I'm going to list that will be involved in this celebration, this is the one that gets me the most excited. 50+ Disney characters will be visiting the park. Characters from Monsters Inc., The Emperor's New Groove, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Incredibles, Hercules, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, & Big Hero 6. Just to name a few, we're talkin' George Sanderson, Needleman, Kuzco, Kronk, Quasimodo, Esmerelda, Mr. & Mrs. Incredible, & Frozone. Even classic characters Horace Horescollar, Clarabelle Cow, Clara Cluck, & a first ever park appearance from Ortensia, friend of Oswald the Rabbit! With new outfits to debut, & rumor of more than a dozen Heroes & Villains on top of that, I know how I'd be spending my day. The entertainment comes a close second with a Dance Your DuckTales Parade, PJ's Party, & Jumba & Pleakley's Mission: Stitch! interactive show. Then on the Production Courtyard stage rock out with Max-Live! Getting Goofy With It nighttime spectacular. The Farewell Street Party will close everything off with more than 80 Disney characters. Of course there will also be original menus with special foods throughout the park & limited-edition merchandise, but you'll also have a chance to enter a grand raffle for a night at Disneyland Hotel's Sleeping Beauty Suite. Like I said if there wasn't so much water separating me from Paris, you couldn't keep me away from this. This looks amazingly, awesomely, spestastic! What do y'all think? Who would be there if they could, & who's going? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Imagineers Give A Look At The Incredicoaster
This video gives a look at something I'm not sure I'd be capable of. It shows some of the major thought going into converting the coaster at Disney California Adventure into the Incredicoaster for Pixar Pier. They want the coaster to tell a story, which considering it's a high speed roller coaster, would prove quite the challenge. From the looks of this they're pulling it off, & then some. If I was on the right coast, I'd rush out for a before & after. I can't wait to get a glimpse of the finished coaster. What do y'all think? Are y'all excited about the changes? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Disney Releases Pics Of Working Model Of Updates Pixar Pier Coming To Disney's California Adventure In Summer 2018
These are some photos released the imagineers are using to develop Pixar Pier coming to Disney's California Adventure in the summer. With new themed food, attractions, & merchandise, this new spot will introduce new neighborhoods representing Pixar. The coaster will be rebranded The Incredicoaster, after the Incredibles, complete with a Parr family home inspired loading area. Other changes include Pixar theming the games, as well as the 24 gondola on what is now Mickey's fun wheel. Which will feature different pairs of Pixar pals on each one. All during Pixar Fest! I love that this park is getting some proper theming. I've never been so I don't have much to go off, but these changes have interested me in Disney's California Adventure park for the first time in ever. I can't wait to get a look at the finished product. What do y'all think of these changes? Much needed? Or did I have to see it to know? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Check Out This Awesome "Princess Castle" Coming To Hong Kong Disneyland
This thing is amazing! Work will star on January 1st to begin to bring this enormous castle to life. It will draw inspiration from a variety of storybook influences & styles. Featuring new thematic spires & domes, this sky-reaching design will also include features inspired by the Disney princesses themselves. These will include decorations on the spires of Snow White's apple, Cinderella's coach, & Belle's rose. Wow, is it funny that we remember these items as theirs, when none of them was? Anyway, that's a-whole-nother can of worms. This castle is friggin beautiful though. I hope one day I get to see it in person. If it's anything like this concept art, I'm sure it will be a sight to behold. What do y'all think of this addition though? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
I Still Can't Believe Some Lucky Passengers Got To Star Tour With Luke Skywalker
This was all over Twitter & Instagram, but if you didn't see it, check it out. These folks got a once in a lifetime chance to ride the 5-D version of Star Tours. How is it 5-D you ask? Well, simple, you get to ride witb Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. I don't know how many times I've watched this, but I have a smile on my face every time. I don't know how I'd react to this. That said, I love the fact that there's a certain level of fame that reduces people to screaming. It's great! When he enters the room all words are lost. Just woos, eees, & aaahhs!!! I love it. Thank you Mark Hamill for being you! The Force is truly strong with you. What did y'all think of this visit though? What would y'all do? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
New Disney Attractions Win Thea Awards!!
I didn't even know this was a thing until today, but apparently it is. There's not only a Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), they also give out awards. Awards for, go figure, themed entertainment. And obviously if I just heard of them, that must mean Disney has won some of said awards. Orlando Sentinel reports that Disney has picked a handful of TEA Thea Awards. First, Frozen Ever After, in EPCOT won for outstanding achievement in "attraction reimagining". Originally this was my favorite ride in EPCOT, the Maelstrom, a journey through Norway, populated by trolls. I wish I could say that this ride wasn't half the ride Maelstrom was, but I can't. This reimagining is truly amazing. The animatronics are the best I've ever seen, & the story is told flawlessly throughout the ride. Next, they picked up a couple for Pandora - World of Avatar, in which we detailed our own opening day experience here. Not only was the new addition to Animal Kingdom recognized for outstanding achievement in "theme-park area development", Flight of Passage was also recognized for it's achievement, going on to say it was "flawlessly executed". We've made it back to Pandora since opening day, & I must say, I was just as blown away the second time around. As for Flight of Passage? "Flawlessly executed", as great as that sounds, is still an understatement. That might be one of the most thrilling experiences I've ever had. Truly out of this world. Disneyland got a little love too. With Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout, the remixed Tower of Terror in Disney's California Adventure was also recognized in the "attraction reimagining" category. Even though I'm not a fan of being dropped, much less repeatedly, I always do something once. I really do want to check this out, I love me some Guardians of the Galaxy. It'll be awhile before I make it out there though. Anyway, congrats to Disney for winning these well deserved awards. The achievements recently made by these parks, is the main thing that keeps me excited to see what could possibly be coming next. With Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge & Toy Story Land right around the corner, I can't wait. What do y'all think of these awards though? Any thoughts on any of these attractions? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
"Magic Of The Holidays" Video Shows Festivities Throughou The Disney Parks
Disney put out this Magic of the Holidays video to show all the different ways Disneyworld & Disneyland will be celebrating the holidays this year. There's some amazing stuff in here. Sad I can't attend any of the Disneyland offerings, as my daughters would probably sell me to check out that restyling of the Haunted Mansion for the holidays. My thing is the Hollywood Studios set-up though. After Happily Ever After, I'm all into this projection thing. It's probably one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. I'm still trying to find some time to sneak away from my other life to see this before the holidays end. Currently it is an uphill battle. I've seen the Magic Kingdom for the Holidays, even going as far as attending Mickey's Christmas Party. Which was awesome by the way, all-you-can cocoa & cookies has to be the greatest add-on ever! I've saved my personal favorite for last though. Every year I try to find some time to go to EPCOT to check out Christmas as it was thought up & celebrated around the world. The stories are amazing, & help paint a picture of the real meaning to all of this Holiday stuff, celebrating family, celebrating life, & celebrating love. I hope I can steal a couple days away from the man & see my favorite places in the world as they celebrate the holidays. What did y'all think of this video though? Will anyone be trying to sneak away for any of this as well? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
More On Pixar Fest, Coming To Disneyland
Pixar Fest was one of the things announced at D23, & now Disney has released some more details about the celebration. Starting on April 13, 2018 Together Forever - A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular, a new "fireworks spectacular" will debut. Sounding a lot like Happily Ever After on steroids this will involve pyro, projections on the castle, the water screens of Rivers of America, it's a small world, Main Street U.S.A., & Buzz Lightyear flying over Sleeping Beauty Castle. Pixar Play Parade will make it's way to Disneyland with new features including characters from UP, the Pixar lamp, & characters from Inside Out. Meanwhile, Paint The Night with Toy Story, Monsters Inc., & Cars will be joined by another Pixar Story at Disney's California Adventure park later in the year. In addition, the Sunset Showcase Theater will host a Pixar Shorts Film Festival, rotating Pixar shorts throughout the fest. That's not even including yet to be announced food, beverages, merchandise, whatever else gets added to this. I might have to find a way to attend this. It's on the other coast but this sounds amazing, & who knows how long it's going to last. I hope they stream the debut of this just so I at least get to see it for sure. Wow! What do y'all think of the details to this amazing show? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Disneyland Resort Is Getting Another Hotel, I Probably Won't Be Able To Afford
Disney Resort Hotels are some of the most amazing hotels I've ever had the pleasure of staying in. However, that being said, I usually stay off grounds due to the fact that the difference between the cheapest rooms & where I stay winds up being about a hundred dollars a night. That adds up quick. So I'm only guessing that this will also be the case for the new 700-room hotel coming to Disneyland Resort. Set to open in 2021 this is the concept for the new hotel that will connect all four Hotels of the Disneyland resort. The concept looks beautiful, & will contain extensive landscaping & water elements. As well as an upper-level restaurant that will give guest a view of the fireworks over the Downtown Disney District. This will create a new gateway to the Downtown District as well as contain a platform to access the Disneyland Monorail. Beautiful concept once again, I do hope one day I can find it in my pockets to stay here when I visit the Disney of the other coast. What do y'all think of this awesome hotel concept though? Has anyone got to stay at a Disneyland Resort? I've stayed only in WDW so I would love to hear your experience. Put it in the comments, like, & share.
