Archive for June, 2009
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
The Government of Hong Kong has officially announced a major expansion plan for Hong Kong Disneyland including three new mini-lands one of which is to be called “Toy Story Land”. While the other two will be exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland for five years from their respective opening, the latter is going to be exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland only within the Asian region (to learn more about the three lands 
and the multi year expansion plan for Hong Kong Disneyland visit the Mousekingdom Blog, where we have now published an updated version of our detailed post including concept-art and an official expansion park plan).
“Toy Story Land”? Exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland only in comparison to other Asian Disney resorts, but therefore not to the US resorts and Disneyland Resort Paris??
Hmm… (more…)
Tags: concept art, construction, expansion, Hong Kong Disneyland, Toy Story, Toy Story Land, Toy Story Plaland, Walt Disney Studios
Posted in Disneyland Resort Paris, Walt Disney Studios | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
In the past months the Disneyland Resort Paris has sent cast members all over Europe (most recently the UK) to find new cast members for the summer season starting today – traditionally one of the busiest parts of the year. With this job done the casting department is now turning to the next two major seasons of the resort: Halloween and Christmas. In the past years both seasons have become more and more important for the resort with major guests numbers in both parks and the hotels during the festivities. Especially dates such as the actual Halloween night and New Year’s Eve see the Disney hotels booking up early in advance. So from June 27th till July 1st the casting department is on a bus tour through the regions of Nord-Pas de Calais and Wallonie looking for potential cast members for the Halloween and Christmas seasons interested in working in the various service positions (in the parks as well as the Disney hotels) offered in the resort.
In itself this is a news that can be expected from the resort – however, the according press release includes one interesting statement: (more…)
Tags: cast member, casting, economic, job
Posted in Disneyland Resort Paris | No Comments »
Monday, June 29th, 2009
Next Saturday will be the first day of the summer season 2009 at the Disneyland Resort Paris – in other words: extended operating hours in the Disneyland Park daily till 11.00 pm (the Walt Disney Studios Park continues to close daily at 7.00 pm) as well as extra-entertainment in the Disney Village and in both theme parks, in particular in the Disneyland Park with the all new daily show “Goofy’s Summer Camp” at the Chaparal Theater as well as the nightly streetacular “Fantillusion” followed by the “Enchanted Fireworks” high over the turrets of Sleeping Beauty Castle choreographed to a musical suite from Disney’s movie “Enchanted”.
Traditionally the summer season will last till the final weekend of August – according press releases of the resort have been released already at least in French, English and Italian advertising the extra entertainment and the daily Fanitullusion as well as fireworks display till August 30th (inclusive). Therefore, it has to be noted with surprise, that the resort updated the official calendar of opening hours on its website – now announcing that the last day with extended 11.00 pm operating hours at the Disneyland Park will be August 23rd! From August 24th on the Disneyland Park will close daily at 10.00 pm till August 30th (inclusive), before switching to closing at 7.00 pm on Monday August 31st (operating hours for September have not yet been released). So what about Fantillusion and fireworks? (more…)
Tags: Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland Park, Enchanted Fireworks, Fantillusion, fireworks, Goofy's Summer Camp, opening hours, season, summer, summer season
Posted in Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort Paris, Entertainment | 1 Comment »
Sunday, June 28th, 2009
Following our update about recent developments of the table service and buffet restaurants at DLPR here comes the update for the counter service aka fast food locations. So what’s new at what are the most popular restaurants in the theme parks? As the transformation of the Backlot Express Restaurant in the Walt Disney Studios Park is still an ongoing project, this update concentrates on the Disneyland Park. So what’s new in the Disneyland Park?
According to the current guide map (valid till November 7, 2009) there is a new fast food location in Frontierland … called “Cowboy Cookout Barbecue”! As regular guests of the Disneyland Park know this restaurant is not new, in fact it is one of the fast food locations that opened together with the park in 1992. However what is new is the menu and choice of selections offered. While some burgers and the half chicken is still on the menue, the selection has been updated to fit the themeing of a wild west barbecue better, now including various grilled and smoked items inlcuding skillets of mixed meats and sides. While a la carte ordering certainly is possible, the restaurant also offers pre-set menues which offer a choice between selected meals at a special menu-price – and are heavily advertised outside the restaurant as seen in the photo above.
(more…)
Tags: Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost, Cool Post, Cowboy Cookout Barbecue, Fuente Del Oro, Hakuna Matata
Posted in Disneyland Park, Restaurants | No Comments »
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
 The Disneyland Resort Paris saw another set of changes among its “official partners” in the past weeks. One partner has been replaced and two new partners have been added.
The replaced partner is Unilever – however, it was replaced by “Miko” (aka the “Heart Brand” ice crem), which is an Unilever brand. While new in the listing of “official partners” Miko already presented The icre Cream Company (on Main Street, U.S.A.) as well as Fantasia Gelati for several years. Interestingly Ben & Jerry’s is not listed as an official partner despite being an Unilever brand and continueing to present The Gibson’s Girl Ice Cream Parlour as well as its own kiosk at the shores of the Lake Disney in the Disney Village.
The first new “official partner” of the resort is Gibson the world famous guitar company. So far Gibson is not identified as presenting any shop, attraction, entertainment or anything else. However, according to first reports coming in the guitars on display in the Rock’n'Rollercoaster queue- and pre-show area have been replaced with Gibson modells. Interestingly Gibson in the US has teamed up with Universal Studios and House of Blues Concerts to rename the Universal Amphitheatre to “The Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal Citywalk”.
The second new sponsor is the French banking institute “CrĂ©dit Mutuel” which is now the “Official Banking Partner of Disneyland Paris”. While at this time the bank is not actively represented in the resort it plans to co-brand its youth bank accounts in France as “Disney”. Also the bank will be entitled to offer ongoing advantages at the resort, e.g. special family resort package offers. Further down in the future the bank will be enabled by the partnership agreement to launch a range of financial services for cast members at DLRP and eventually “propose innovative payment alternatives to the resort visitors“. In relation to the latter statement it is worth noting, that VISA (which replaced American Express as the official credit card of the resort) is already for a longer period not listed as an official partner anymore.
Find the full list of current “official partners” as officially communicated by the resort below the cut:
(more…)
Tags: Ben & Jerry's, Credit Mutuel, Gibson, Miko, official partner, sponsor, Unilever
Posted in Disneyland Resort Paris | No Comments »
Friday, June 26th, 2009
Since 1992 the Disneyland Resort Paris is offering guests a unique choice of high quality table service restaurants (and buffet restaurants) not only in the Disney hotels and the Disney Village but also in the Disneyland Park itself offering a relaxing quality atmosphere for lunch and dinner. After initial problems to fill the seats in the early days guests in the past years frequently had to be turned away at the restaurants if they showed up without a reservation. However, it seems the situation is changing again – not surprising considering the overal economic climate.
In reaction The Silver Spur Steakhouse, The Blue Lagoon (historical the most popular of the table service restaurants in the park) and Walt’s are offering an “Express Menu” for lunch consisting of two courses priced at 19.90 Euro per adult with the promise to serve it in 40 minutes (so also to attract one day guests who may be afraid to miss some of the park’s attractions if they spend time in the table service restaurants).
One location that seems unaffected so far seems to be the Agrabah CafĂ© in Adventureland, which in a surprise move closed off the small courtyard from the main walkway with a themed fence and seems to have prepared (more…)
Tags: Agrabah Café, Auberge de Cendrillon, Blue Lagoon, La Terrasse, Restaurant des Stars, Restaurants, Silver Spur Steakhouse, The Steakhouse, Walt's
Posted in Disney Village, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort Paris, Restaurants, Walt Disney Studios | No Comments »
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Since April 4, 2009 (or March 20th, 2009 if the preview performances are counted in as well) the dinner show “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” in the Disney Village after nearly full 17 years (which makes it the longest running show of the resort)Â is presented in an updated version, which had “Mickey and friends” inserted into the story line of the longest running show of the Disneyland Resort Paris.
With the addition of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy as well as Chip’n'Dale the creative team not only wanted to liven up scenes such as the camp scene but also wanted to counter a trend over the recent years that saw the number of guests booking tickets for the dinner show dwindle. The logic here is that guests may have refrained from paying for the dinner show due to a lack of an obvious “Disney element” in it. (more…)
Tags: Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, dinner show, Disney Village, Entertainment, Mickey, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, show
Posted in Disney Village, Disneyland Resort Paris, Entertainment, Restaurants | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
When Vienna International took over the former Holiday Inn at Val d’France in the Disneyland Resort Paris the most significant change was an immediate improvement of service quality and upkeep. In the meantime the hotel has been renamed to “Magic Circus Hotel” and Vienna International continues to improve the guest experience at their hotel. Only recently the lobby, bar and restaurant areas underwent a major rehab. As part of this all three areas have been remodeld in warmer colors, in particular dark red and warm yellow for a more comfartable experience while still maintaing a connection to the color world of the circus theme. But a change of color is not all. (more…)
Tags: Holiday Inn, Hotel, Magic Circus Hotel, Vienna Hotel International
Posted in Hotels | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
Since the first day of previews in early 1992 the Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort Paris could pride itself with its security. While regular guests will rarely notice the security cast members once they have passed the initial bag check at the entrance to Fantasia Gardens, security (as well as health and fire rescure teams if necessary) are always ready to show up on short notice if needed. Differing from many other theme parks the resort never attempted a strategy of deterrence inside its theme parks. This even included the fact that there were rarely any security cameras on sight guests could have easily spotted – which was not only due to the fact that most cameras were placed far outside the sight lines of most guests and very well hidden / integrated into the themeing. (more…)
Tags: Cool Station, Discoveryland, Disneyland, Disneyland Park, Fantasyland, security, Sir Mickey's
Posted in Disneyland Park | No Comments »
and the multi year expansion plan for Hong Kong Disneyland visit the Mousekingdom Blog, where we have now published an updated version of our detailed post including concept-art and an official expansion park plan).
