Archive for May, 2011
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
1st UPDATE: new technical facts added (see below, section designated as “Update 1″)
2nd UPDATE: new information regarding “Bill Leics” and “Jan” (see below, section designated as “Update 2″)
One week has passed since the accident on Disneyland Paris’ Big Thunder Mountain on Easter Monday and – unfortunately – new information (or should one say new speculations and rumors?) prompted us to update our coverage once again from or follow-up posted on the past Wednesday, April 27, 2011.
First up, the good news: apparently the one guest seriously injured has been discharged from the hospital again. With that, on to the other news warranting the current follow up post. As of last Wednesday it was the general consensus that the fake rock made out of fiberglass and wood fell down in the tunnel of lift hill C (the final lift hill of the coaster, located inside a tunnel in which an earthquake with shaking bolders is simulated before the mine train “escapes” in the last second), not hitting the train or the guests directly (as originally reported on Easter Monday), but hitting the track, where it was then hit by the train, that flung it upwards “spraying” parts of it onto the guests in the train, resulting in injuries of five guests among the 25 on board of it (for details please check our follow-up post from last week). This general consensus of the course of events now seems to be questioned again. (more…)
Tags: accident, Big Thunder Mountain, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland Park, Frontierland
Posted in Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort Paris | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 2nd, 2011
The Magical Moments Festival has taken over Disneyland Paris – and in case a guest might not have checked out the official website or one of the many unofficial ones (such as DLP.info) before visiting … well there is signage all over the place. Whether it is above the moving walkways leading from the theme parks parking lot to the entrance place, in front of the entrance gates to Fantasia Gardens or in the Fantasia Gardens – just as in the past years.
The signs and posters that have been placed all over the resort are a mix of generic festival motives and those advertising specific offers that are part of the festival. The one above for example advertises the new stage on Central Plaza. The photo to the right on the other hand shows the “generic” festival banner aus used amonst others on the lighting poles in Fantasia Gardens.
Once guests have crossed through the turnstiles of the Disneyland Park they are greeted with a large “Welcome” signage for the festival that has been installed on the balcony of the Main Street Station facing toward the Disneyland Hotel and thus onto the entrance plaza.
After last year’s combination of a sign with three dimensional characters for the New Generation Festival this year’s decoration for once is limited again to a “simple” sign featuring Mickey as the sorcerer’s apprentice.
Tags: Disney Magical Moments, Disneyland Paris, Fantasia Gardens, Magical Moments, Magical Moments Festival, Main Street, Main Street Station, Main Street U.S.A., Time
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Monday, May 2nd, 2011
Popcorn – it used to be “sweet” or “salty” weren’t the only two options for this beloved snack at Disneyland Paris. But after a test run last summer and fall alternatively flavored popcorn is back at the Disneyland Park! We sure know someone who would have loved it – anyone still remember the family and their son’s friend from the first Disneyland Paris souvenir video sold at the park?
Above pictured popcorn cart is located in Fantasyland and offers “coconut” flavor, while the popcorn cart on the right can be found in Thunder Mesa (straight ahead when entering Frontierland through the fort). In the wild west setting the special flavor offered is “gingerbread”. With now four flavors (or are there more? Let us know if you come across additional flavors in the resort!) which one is your preferred flavor?
Also note the new popcorn bucket available at the Fantasyland cart with coconut flavored popcorn. The new design is sure to excite all Mickey Mouse fans.
All photos by InsideDLParis
Tags: Central Plaza, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland Park, Frontierland, Main Street, Main Street U.S.A., Main Street USA, Merchandise, Popcorn, snack
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Monday, May 2nd, 2011
The Earl of Sandwich restaurant in the Disney Village, the first of Earl of Sandwich in France, is moving closer to the anticipated June 1st opening date. As can be seen in the photo taken on Easter weekend there is progress inside and outside to be noted. Inside the progress is hard to see through the glass windows, but the ceiling of the top floor seems to have made some progress. However, the sheets seen throiugh the window indicate that there is still some work going on.
On the other hand the exterior progress is rather obvious. The gaps between the galss elements / windows have now been covered with metal elements. This should be the finished look in so far. Also the small high rising element to the right of the main room / the glass elements has now its raw concrete covered with some white plates. At the same time work continues on the roof as the construction railings up there indicate. Also note the blue wall to the right on the photo. This is part of the building housing the adjacent Rainforest Cafe. Original this wall above the fake rocks of the Rainforest Cafe was all white but it now got re-painted in the blue color seen here. This new color has been applied to the complete wall above the fake rocks (which only cover the height up to the top of the ground floor) facing toward Lake Disney.
For those who want to compare the progress to the expected outcome: one of the latest artworks depicting the look of the restaurant building can be found on the official website for the restaurant. On the same website (currently consisting of one page only) the restaurant is also offering jobs and asking for applications (via e-mail only).
Tags: construction, Disney Village, Earl of Sandwich, Earl of Sandwich Restaurant, Restaurant
Posted in Disney Village, Restaurants | No Comments »
Sunday, May 1st, 2011
To end the weekend another quick CRPR – Castle Rehab Progress Report. In our last CRPR courtesy of InsideDLParis we talked about the front facade and how the tarps have come down there. Now, let’s just walk around the castle for a change to it’s backside!
The scaffolding continues to grow further upwards here. And there are still only white tarps here – no printed on replica’s of the facade. But then most guests photograph the front facade from Central Plaza and not the – equally beautiful – back facade, so the use of white tarps might impect most guests less.
In addition to the further upward extension of the scaffolding there are some more details visible here. Firstly the fact that the elements of two turrets have been taken off for the rehab – as mentioned in our last CRPR – is easily visible here. The first “beheaded” turret sits between the two turrets with the already dark blue roofs, to the right of the highest turret. The second “beheaded” turret is on the left side of the castle, peeking just above the highest part of the scaffolding at its far left end.
Also the turrets’ roofs primed to receive their new paint job can be identified very easily in this photo. Note that the roof of the highest turret – while it already got painted on the front side – is still sporting the white primer on the backside.
All photos by InsideDLParis
Tags: Castle, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland Park, Fantasyland, Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, refurbishment, rehab, Sleeping Beauty Castle
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Sunday, May 1st, 2011
With the expansion of the Walt Disney Studios in particular with the Tower of Terror, Crush’s Coaster and then Toy Story Playland in the summer of 2010 the “small” park has long grown into a full day experience for first time guests. With the popular attractions also the number of guests has significantly increased. This in turn resulted in rather long lines at the gates each morning.
Solution: adding more entrance gates to the Walt Disney Studios. Over the course of the past winter two more turnstiles were added to the right of the original entrance gates, where originally a planter (with a fence certainly) separated the entrance structure from the ticketing & guest services building. As can be seen in the photos the two new turnstiles are placed under a glass covered pergola. However, two turnstiles is good … but not good enough.
Therefore the construction crew earlier this year moved across the plaza to the other side of the current entrance structure and is adding more entrance gates / turnstiles there as well. Construction fences now for several weeks already block off the planter and fence that connected the original entrance structure on this side with the home of the Studio Store.
As a keen eye will be able to see in the photo of this construction on the right already the tops of at least two columns can be seen stretching just a bit over the top of the construction fence. So it seems safe to expect that on this side of the original entrance structure a similar or even identical pergola structure with two turnstiles will be added as already in use on the other end of the plaza. This would also keep the overall entrance structure symetric as it was before.
Tags: construction, Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Studios Paris, Walt Disney Studios Park
Posted in Disneyland Resort Paris, Walt Disney Studios | 1 Comment »
Sunday, May 1st, 2011
The Disney Magical Moment festival for 2011 brought several new photo locations to the Disneyland Park. One of two new locations added to Adventureland is located at the oter walls of the Adventureland Bazar toward the lagoon, right next to the small courtyard, which – in summer months – is used as outdoor seating for the Café Agrabah.
Here a new market stall has been set up in front of which the magical lamp from Disney’s Aladdin is placed atop a cushion. A great photo location. But there is more to this detailed photo location than one might think on first sight …
Guests willing to wait a bit will be treated to a special effect enhancing their photo: Aladdin’s magical lamp actually shoots out some smoke every now and then! Our photo on the right of it in action was taken on the past Easter weekend.
Unfortunately that is only, if the magic lamp is in place. It seems lately the Genie got a bit lazy looking for his home. As the photo on the left by InsideDLParis shows the lamp had disappeared by Friday, April 29. Since the smoke effect can be turned off easily one can only assume that the magic lamp was damaged. We can only hope it will return soon…
UPDATE: By Sunday, May 1st, the Genie must have woken up and sorted out his little problem, as the magic lamp is now back in it’s place and guests once again are able to get their photo taken with his home.
Tags: Adventureland, Aladdin, Disney Magical Moments, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland Park, Magical Moments
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