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Summer Break in Manhattan
August 10th, 2010 by Dirk
Sorry … that should have read: Summer Break at Manhattan’s. As in the past years the up-scale Italian restaurant Manhattan’s at Disney’s Hotel New York is closed during the summer months. So guests stating at the resort’s second highest rank hotel are left with only the Parkside Diner as dining option – a buffet location. However, Manhattan’s is used at leas as breakfast location.
The reason for the apparently already usual summer closure of Manhattan’s is not officially known. Bug there has been speculation that it is considered (price wise) more of a business restaurant and therefore it’s opening status may be connected to the booking situation at the hotel’s conference center – which is usually rather slow during the summer school breaks across Europe.
However, there is also some good news: posters in the hotels elevators announce the re-opening of Manhattan’s as full service Italian restaurant for August 31st.
Ice Skating in Summer Time
August 9th, 2010 by Dirk
With the installation of the artifical (=”synthetic”) ice rink on the Rockefeller Plaza in front of Disney’s Hotel New York last winter (check out our report from last October for details) everything had been set up the first time ever for a year round operation of the “Rockefeller Rink”. Gone are the noisy go-carts respectively the fun-bikes that had taken over the area in the past years. Certainly the ice rink is the aesthetically (as well as regarding the noise if compared to the go-carts) much better option (even so the wide open water surface with the detailed map of Manhattan underneath it that originally took the place of the ice rink in 1992 is still missed by long-time fans).
The only problem: with the synthetic ice rink not offering any cooling effect to those skating (since it is assembled out of special “plastic” elements) the numbers of skaters has been rather small during the hot weeks of summer. To help cool the guests down while skating (and give them more of a traditional ice skating experience) the resort has installed a large fan above the rink at the edge of the fountain that sits elevated between the rink and the central lobby building. Said fan is not only creating a pleasant draft of air but also sprays a water mist off and gives guests the impression of a cooling effect (similar misting fans are used e.g. in queue lines many parks in Florida).
Toy Story Playland – MORE Videos
August 9th, 2010 by Dirk
Following his first four videos (check them out in our earlier post) YouTube user Crumser has uploaded two more videos which he filmed Friday evening at nightfall inside Toy Story Playland. Crumser was able to be in the all new area of the Walt Disney Studios for an exclusive after-hour soft opening / preview of the Toy Story Playland apparently conducted for Imagineers, their families and friends. During this event the guests in attendance where not only able to check out the themeing and light design but also the three attractions. But now on to the two new videos … …[more] »
Toy Story Playland – Soft Opening VIDEOS
August 8th, 2010 by Dirk
As already reported cast members were allowed to test the rides of Toy Story Playland Friday evening. Now the first videos have surfaced showing all three attractions, the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, the Slinky Dog ZigZag Spin as well as the RC Racer in action. In addition the videos showcase some of the themeing in the area, including a REX the dinosaur and even capture some of his audio / lines. Thanks to the fact that the preview was conducted in the evening hours the videos also give an impression of the lighting design of the land as well, such as the oversized christmas lights strang along the walkways or the blue lights of the Barrel of Monkey.
Check out four videos by YouTube user Crumser after the break: …[more] »
Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop OPEN!
August 7th, 2010 by Dirk
Friday, 6 pm, Toy Story Playland, Walt Disney Studios Paris – the toy soldiers are parachuting into Toy Story Playland! To be exact: cast member of the park’s other attractions, restaurants and shops are called in to test their abilities as toy solider parachute jumpers respectively to test the new attraction. All six parachutes on the drop tower do rise and fall simultaneously by the way.
Until the park closed guests in the Toon Studios and on Hollywood Boulevard could witness about 7 or 8 ride cycles, but – unfortunately – were not allowed to volunteer as toy soldiers. However, based on the visible reactions of the cast members the ride seems to be offering fun without being to thrilling as they even found time to wave to the guests looking up to them from the other side of the construction fence.
Thanks to Steffi for the photo!
From the world of toys to Paris …
August 7th, 2010 by Dirk
… with just a couple of steps! Where? Just at the Walt Disney Studios Paris! At the end of our photo tour through the new Toy Story Playland yesterday we stood at the far back end of the area in front of the huge blue plastic Barrel of Monkeys that functioned at the exit / entrance of the land at its back – and wondered where we might end up if we walked through the tunnel / barrel. And here is the answer: on a Parisian street! …[more] »
Monkeys over Toy Story Playland
August 6th, 2010 by Dirk
There is one more part to discover in Toy Story Playland, the area beyond Rex (whom we visited earlier today) further down the main walkway. The walkway leads guests further into the woods with the queue area for RC Racer on the left, shortly before the walkway makes a bend to the right the colorful plastic Monkey of the US childrens’ game “Barrel of Monkeys” have formed one of their chains high up above, across the wide walkway from one Tinker Toy structure to another. Some of the Monkeys are carrying scrabble letters dangling from their feet… …[more] »
Meet REX
August 6th, 2010 by Dirk
For this part of our walk through the Toy Story Playland we continue where we finished our look at the RC Racer yesterday. Instead of heading straight back toward the main entrance of the land where we started our tour on Monday we turn left and follow the main walkway further into Toy Story Playland. Just this time we pass by entrance to RC Racer on the left as well as the Slinky Dog ZigZag Spin 
(which we visited in the part of this series published on Wednesday) on the right. Just a few meter further down the walkway under the tree, right next to the Slinky Dog ZigZag Spin Rex, the fearful dinosaur awaits guests… …[more] »
Walking the race track for RC Racer
August 5th, 2010 by Dirk
Once guests half walked into Toy Story Playland and stand between Fort Emery and the Slinky Dog ZigZag Spin area (which we visited in yesterday’s part of our walk through Toy Story Playland) the bright orange race track of the area’s real thrill ride beckons at the far end (and lowest point) of the area, the first ever half-pipe ride in any Disney park worldwide. In fact the (race) track of RC Racer can be seen from various locations inside the Walt Disney Studios, even so it is mostly hidden from sight from Disneyland Park (despite reaching above the berm of the latter) thanks to the fact that it is placed at the lowest point of the land and at the same time among the large trees of the small wood that has been grown for 100 years and longer in the area that is now part of the Walt Disney Studios.
RC Racer seats 20 guests in five rows (of four guests each) in the 8 ton vehicle that has been themed to look like a large version of the RC Racer that has its great moment in the final scene of the very first Toy Story movie. According to Jim Shull, the Imagineer in charge of Toy Story Playland, original concepts only called for a capacity of 16 guests in the vehicle (in four rows) but apparently John Lasseter proposed to add an extra row increasing the capacity of the ride. Nevertheless as RC Racer is the area’s real thrill ride Imagineering expects a large number of guests looking to hitch a ride. So it has come up with a rather long and still uniquely themed queue line… …[more] »