Monday, 25th March 2013

VIDEO — Disney Dreams! New 2013 Edition with The Lion King, Brave, Light’Ears

It’s here! Our complete, original 1080p HD video of the new Disney Dreams!, now updated for 2013 with new The Lion King and Brave scenes. This video also features our exclusive preview of Disney Light’Ears, set to launch at Disneyland Paris this July for €20. We filmed the video from directly in the middle of Central Plaza, and for the first time used a tripod to steady the camera — enjoy!

More news updates from the 20th Anniversary Extended launch to follow — in the meantime, please scroll back through our many live photo updates from the events on Twitter to get a great recap of all the action!

Watch, like and share on YouTube here!

Friday, 22nd March 2013

Offer Alert: Save 30% and Kids Under 12 Go Free Ends 28th March!

Disneyland Paris Special Offer

If you don’t want to miss the extended Disneyland Paris 20th Anniversary, you most likely don’t want to miss an official special offer either. Read More…

Friday, 22nd March 2013

‘Designers of Dreams’ catwalk fashion show to mark extended 20th Anniversary launch

Minnie Mouse dress by Lanvin for Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris will launch its extended 20th Anniversary celebrations this weekend, with a one-off catwalk fashion show to showcase brand new Disney character costumes made by some of Europe’s most prestigious fashion houses.

Titled ‘Designers of Dreams’, the event will take place this Saturday 23rd March to mark the success of Disney Dreams! and launch its two new scenes (not to mention that soon-to-be fashion craze of the parks — well, perhaps — Disney Light’Ears). And there we were thinking Steve Davison and his team were the only “designers of Dreams”

Cinderella dress by Sister by Sibling for Disneyland Paris Cinderella dress by Sister by Sibling for Disneyland Paris

Alber Elbaz of French firm Lanvin was first to reveal his sparkling new blue dress for Minnie Mouse, while British designers Sister by Sibling have been tasked with creating a high-fashion ball gown for Cinderella. Also joining the fun will be Philip Treacy for Ireland, Luisa Beccaria for Italy, Alexander Terekhov for Russia, Michalsky for Germany, Custo Barcelona for Spain, Jean-Paul Knott for Belgium and for The Netherlands, Olcay Gulsen for Supertrash.

If the event is designed to create media “buzz”, it seems to have succeeded somewhat already with the two articles linked above on Vogue, plus The Telegraph, StyleList, Le Monde, Glamour, Fashionista, Yahoo and, err, CocoPerez.com. Oh, and DLRPToday.com

Watch a video of Minnie Mouse visiting Lanvin to pick up her dress below… Read More…

Thursday, 21st March 2013

Over Half a Million ‘Disney Dreams!’ Come True on Our YouTube Channel

Disney Dreams! at Disneyland Paris

Thank you! In less than a year, our first HD video of Disney Dreams! at Disneyland Paris has been viewed over half a million times. The current tally on our YouTube Channel stands at a simply astonishing 510,879 views. Purely testament to the sheer quality of this stunning show. Read More…

Thursday, 21st March 2013

Pirates of the Caribbean returns from long closure with “minor” technical updates

Previous Pirates of the Caribbean loading/despatch system

If Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris was ever going to welcome Jack Sparrow, like all its three cousins around the world, the three-month closure this winter could have been the ample opportunity. But, just as when the rumour surfaced for the 15th Anniversary in 2007, again in 2008, again in 2009, again in 2011 and again for the 20th Anniversary in 2012, fans can lament (or rather celebrate) accordingly as the ride re-opened without any major changes or additions to its story.

Instead, as reported around 7th January when the Adventureland dark ride closed, the refurbishment amounted to little more than a technical upgrade, with seemingly minor changes visible to guests on board — backstage, the works may well have been more complex.

This included, first and foremost, a new process for loading and despatching the boats themselves. As reported by Mouetto, admin of Disney Central Plaza forum, Cast Members no longer give a hand signal to the elevated control box but have their own control panel at ground level to despatch the boats themselves. The Cast Member up above is now hidden behind a screen, with only the closed-circuit screens monitoring the inside of the ride for company.

Within the scenes themselves, improved lighting has been the most remarked-upon aspect since the ride reopened on 16th March so far, with scenes apparently appearing more colourful and better-lit. Animatronics, such as the duelling pirates, were reported to appear perhaps slightly more fluid and sound effects tightened, all as you would expect after any standard refurbishment. Nothing major, then — and in fact, there’s disappointment that minor effects remain untouched or unreliable (such as the chain which is meant to “pull” you up the lift hill not moving).

While most of us probably agree that Disneyland Paris can do without the now increasingly passé Jack Sparrow tie-in (unless that 5th film renews interest), it would be wonderful to see genuine special effects upgrades and gentle “plussing” of classic attractions — include Phantom Manor in that, too. Just a single new special effect or a fun new trick to make us go “oh, that’s new!”

Don’t go rocking the boat but do, please, keep moving forward…

Watch a glimpse of the newly-refurbished ride in the video by Mouetto below… Read More…

Wednesday, 20th March 2013

‘Disney Dreams!’ effects utilised for renewed St Patrick & St David’s Day fireworks

St Patrick's Day fireworks at Disneyland Paris [Still © DlrpWelcome]

Even before Pixar’s “Brave” makes its grand debut with a new scene in the show itself, the technology of Disney Dreams! has brought an extra Celtic flourish to Disneyland Paris, utilised for the first time in both the recent St Patrick’s and St David’s Day firework displays.

Installed before the debut of the top-rated nighttime spectacular this time last year, the high-powered video-mapping projectors, water fountains and pyrotechnics were put to great use for both shows to bring their respective Irish and Welsh themes alive. Though the graphics and animations were not as “clever” as those used nightly in Disney Dreams! itself, they created a far more stunning display than in previous years thanks to the now bright, vivid quality of the projections.

St David's Day fireworks at Disneyland Paris [Still © DlrpWelcome]St Patrick's Day fireworks at Disneyland Paris [Still © DlrpWelcome]

The two displays, performed 9th and 17th March, were also another welcome chance to see the 40-or-so water fountains now permanently installed in the moat of Sleeping Beauty Castle in action, firing into the sky and lighting up in all new ways. The last time guests got to see the fountains utilised for a different event was the dazzling Christmas Castle Illumination a few months ago.

Watch a complete video of each fireworks show by ‘DlrpWelcome’ below… Read More…

Tuesday, 19th March 2013

California Grill & 10 More Disneyland Paris Menus Updated

Disneyland Paris Restaurant Menus

The new spring season of late March and early April normally brings refreshes to most Disneyland Paris restaurant menus, but until then we’ve been getting the current pages up to speed with a slate of updates from the winter season to help you plan your impending trip. Read More…

Monday, 18th March 2013

Video: Disneyland Paris president Philippe Gas officially announces Ratatouille attraction

Ratatouille dark ride announcement [Video still © Disney Central Plaza]

Each year, late February brings the Shareholders’ Annual General Meeting for Disneyland Paris operating group Euro Disney SCA. And each year, without fail, an optimistic few anticipate the next big attraction will be announced there on spot. This year, that actually came true.

Little fanfare, even fewer hard facts and absolutely no Walt Disney Imagineering concept art accompanied the brief announcement by Philippe Gas on 28th February, now shared online in this video by Disney Central Plaza. Accompanied only by a promotional still from the Disney-Pixar film itself, the CEO of Euro Disney S.A.S. stated that “Ratatouille”, as it was simply referred to, would open next year and “mark a new generation of attractions.”

“Vous serez acteurs dans une nouvelle dimension. Servies par les technologies numériques de pointe, nos réalisations vous donneront des sensations inédites en vous immergeant dans l’univers de Ratatouille. L’immersion dans le Paris : des restaurants, des cuisines, de la gastronomie; l’interactivité, l’innovation, l’émotion. Ratatouille ouvrira ses portes l’an prochain. Nous serons donc très bientôt en mesure de vous dévoiler la primeur de cette réalisation qui marquera une nouvelle génération d’attractions.”

“You will be taken into a new dimension. Thanks to advanced digital technology, our advances will give you brand new sensations to immersing you in the world of Ratatouille. Immersed in Paris: restaurants, kitchens, gastronomy; interactivity, innovation, emotion. Ratatouille will open its doors next year. We will be able to unveil more soon about this development, which marks a new generation of attractions.” (loosely translated)

Concept art and exterior plans for the Ratatouille Kitchen Calamity (working title) dark ride showbuilding have previously been sourced from the local town planning department, still viewable here, but Disney has yet to officially release any artwork for the attraction itself.

Watch the video below… Read More…

Monday, 18th March 2013

Hurricanes Discotheque belatedly white-washed into Disney Village history

Hurricanes Discotheque, Disney Village [© DisneyGazette.fr]

We all have those odd jobs we never quite get round to and you’ll need to be a longtime reader of DLRPToday.com now to remember the demise of Hurricanes Discotheque back in March 2010. So it’s with some relief that, three years on, we report the unmistakably ’90s nightclub spot in Disney Village is at last being white-washed into the history books.

Signage and exterior decorations outside the first-floor unit have laid dormant since the club was unceremoniously and hastily shuttered just shy of its 18th birthday, surely confusing for casual guests and certainly an eyesore on Disney Village’s main avenue.

The latest photo above by DisneyGazette.fr shows the exterior stripped of its colourful fake palm trees and the stairs repainted in plain white — removing the previous Hurricanes Discotheque branding and slogans. Here’s hoping the tacky beach shack and all other remnants will be removed soon, too.

Below, the venue as it was before, pictured in April 2012.

Hurricanes Discotheque, Disney Village

Current consensus seems to be that the location will become a Cast Member restaurant or break space, a slightly disappointing use for a prime space within Disney Village which would itself still benefit from an improved dining offer. Previous rumours, soon after the nightclub’s closure, were for an ESPN Zone, a new Sports Bar or an Italian restaurant.

At the very least, the cleared ground floor area could be a good space for a small café or kiosk and seating area — perhaps Frank Gehry’s minimalist 1992 vision is due a return?

VIA DisneyGazette.fr

Friday, 15th March 2013

St Patrick’s Day 2013 programme: Irish music and dance takes over Disneyland Paris

St Patrick's Day at Disneyland Paris

This Sunday, Disneyland Paris celebrates St Patrick’s Day for one day only with music, dance, fireworks and special character appearances. The full programme of events was released today, confirming the annual Irish celebrations will again be hosted largely in the Cottonwood Creek Ranch area of Frontierland, a tradition begun last year and continued with the St David’s Welsh Festival just last weekend.

On 17th March 2013, guests can expect special appearances from Disney characters in costumes inspired by the Emerald Isle, along with free face painting, a pipe band, Irish musicians and dance shows from the Sarah Clark Academy with special guests Chip ‘n’ Dale. A special fireworks display ends the day as a precursor to Disney Dreams! and the fun continues into the night at Disney Village.

All the times and details are in the programme attached below… Read More…

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