Posts Tagged ‘Discoveryland’

The Orbitron is Rising

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

The Orbitron has been removed from its location in Discoveryland for a while but has now started to rise again. Disney is adding pieces of the Orbitron puzzle overnight. After the first night the black frame was back, after the second night the next piece was added.

Every night a new will find its way back into place until it is fully erect again and ready to re-open. With the speed those parts get back in place this re-opening of the attraction will not be far away anymore.

It’s only a matter of time before the green fences are gone and kids of all ages can take flight again.

“No Fly Zone” at Discoveryland

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

As mentioned a couple of days ago the Orbitron at Discoveryland is undergoing a big rehab that includes a complete dismantling of the attractions main center piece. Now we can show you a new update where the whole ride system is taken down leaving a bare space at Discoveryland. There are only the decorative globes still standing behind the green fences. It will be a while before guests will see the Orbitron go back up. While it didn’t take Disney to long to remove the attraction, they will take the time to make sure the ride is looking at its best when it returns somewhere at the end of June.

Photo by InsideDLParis

Monday Morning Rehab Update

Monday, May 16th, 2011

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20110515-235537.jpgIt’s Monday morning … and to start off the week we got an update of various refurbishment projects inside Disneyland Park courtesy of InsideDLParis for you. Let’s start off deep in Fantasyland … where the scaffolding around the Old Mill has gone up another few meters and is now hjiding the full height of the building – only the weather vane is still peaking over it.

Just a few steps further along the pathway leading away from it’s a small world (where the former post-show pavilion is still closed for it’s transformation into a Princess Meet’n'Greet / photo location) another rehab has come to a fast end and the Unbirthday tea party table has returned to the photo location in front of Alice’s Curious Labyrinth. The table and the decorations, cups and more all look shiny and new again. A closer Look will reveal one important change, though: the cups, in which rain water collected when the table was installed in April are now featuring little holes for the water to drain.

20110515-235616.jpgThe refurbishment of the castle continues, with the front of the main strucutre now free off all scaffolding, but the scaffolding still reaching into the sky on it’s back.

On to the final stop of today’s rehab update program: Orbitron in Discoveryland. As reported the various decorational elements turning when the ride is in motion as well as the arms with all rockets have been dismantled, leaving only the bare center element standing with it’s mechanical interior revealed to see (over the green cosntruction fence) – as can be seen in the photo above taken from the entrance into Discoveryland.

Photos by InsideDLParis

Rehabs fly into Discoveryland (UPDATED)

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

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20110511-000926.jpgThe rehabs in preparation of next year’s 20th anniversary celebration have (finally) touched down in Discoveryland as well. Green construction fence has sprung up all around the Orbitron – the center piece of the large plaza in front of Space Mountain: Mission 2. Orbitron is not only the alternative to Dumbo for a bit more adventurous guests (as it flies higher and turns much faster) but also adds kinetic energy to the front half of Discoveryland with its lgeaming and turning elements. However, guests will have to live without this effect and the attraction for quite a while. Currently the rehab is scheduled to last (at least) till the end of June. If the major rehabs of Orbitron in the past are any indicators the center piece of Orbitron, which still stretches high above the construction fence, can be expected to be taken down soon.

As a side note: surprisingly a themed construction notice has been put up on the construction fence for Orbitron, featuring the popular poster art as seen in the tunnels under the Main Street Station (and on the photo above by InsideDLParis).

UPDATE:
Yesterday we said that the dismantling of the ride’s centerpiece could be expected soon … only shortly after the post was published InsideDLParis reported that overnight that exact dismantling process had started and first elements had been taken down overnight.

Photos by InsideDLParis

Captain EO Merchandise

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Michael Jackson has been entertaining guests of Disneyland Paris in Discoveryland now for a bit more than 10 months in the 3D movie musical / space extravaganza / space themed meag video clip “Captain EO” and it has turned rather calm around this attraction at least among the fans - mind you not inside the theater were the high energy music still continues to rock the guests.

Even so the hoped for long lines never materialized at the attraction it seems those that do come and take flight with Captain EO must still feel entertained enough – or be huge fans of Michael Jackson. Otherwise it could not be explained that early last winter the merchandise selection for Captain EO got a major boost and several new items showed up at Star Traders:

There is the Captain EO jacket (with the Captain EO logo on the front), several t-shirts (including one with the design as worn by Michael Jackson in one scene of the movie) as well as … and that had been hoped for by many fans according to posts on online boards in early 2010 … new plush!

Available are the two members of Captain EO’s crew which lend themselves best for a re-incarnation as plush – Hooter (that is the crew member with the trunk, wearing a muscle shirt) and Fuzzball (the furry one with the wings and long tail). Still missing from the original collection of plush offered at Disneyland Anaheim during the initial run of the 3D movie is the plush of the two-headed navigator of Captain EO’s spaceship, Idey and Ody.

Space Rangers called (back) into Constellations

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

As reported earlier this year a metall barrier / fence was installed at the exit of Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast funneling guests into the shop Constellations. Then in the past weeks suddenly the barrier disappeared and fans rejoiced that the resort had realized that forcing guests from the ride into the frequently already overcrowded shop was a far from perfect idea. However, this reaction came to early. (more…)

Buzz for Constellations

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

Over the years the Disney theme parks have tried with various attempts to attract more guests into the various boutiques. In the recent years one of the latest tricks has become to have shops built right at an attraction’s exit so that guests have to walk through the shop to exit the attraction building. One of the latest example of this can be found in the Walt Disney Studios with the Twilight Zone Tower of Tower.

When Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast replaced the Visionarium in Discoveryland the adjacent Constellations boutique received a complete make-over to a Buzz Lightyear / Space Control theme, however, even so the exit ramp of the attraction ended just opposite of one of the shop’s entries guests were still free whether to walk into the shop or turn sharp left to exit bypassing the shop. Soon enough shop displays were added in the area between and the floor received large stickers guiding guests into the shop. However, it seems to many guests resisted these gentle hints for the liking of the resort’s management. Hence, earlier this year the outdoor shop displays and the graphics on the floor disappeared to allow for the installation of a solid metal fence forcing guests to enter the shop when exiting the ride. (more…)

Work in plain sight

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

The rock work fountains on both sides of the main entrance to Discoveryland require frequent rehabs as the past years have shown – even after the equipment for the small scale fire effects of the early years have been removed and only light and water jet effects remained. The current “off-season” is the perfect time to spruce up this and other areas of the resort. However, it came as a surprise when the work crew was spotted yesterday, Wednesday March 16, in plain sight in the drained fountains between the entrance to Discoveryland and the Annual Passport Office. No sight protection had been errected. Despite the work clearly stretching over several days as indicated by the rather makeshift cover that was laid out after the work had finished for the day – “professionally” secured against being blown off by wind bursts … with several stones strategically placed on it. (more…)

May the Ohana be with you…

Monday, February 28th, 2011

As many star Wars fans have bemoaned the new “Star Tours” attraction has not (yet) been announced for Disneyland Paris and will premiere exclusively at Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort Anaheim only this spring. Instead, for the time being the original Star Tours will continue to take guest in Discoveryland on what is supposed to be a space trip to Endor – as the attraction has dutefuly since the park opened its doors in 1992. However, Star Wars fans nevertheless have a reason to delight. Not only have Darth Vader and his Storm Troopers as well as Chewbacca returned since last year to the parks (posing for photos and autographs regularly in Discoveryland in the proximity of the Star Tours space port). In addition more and more new Star wars related merchandise is arriving the parks as well (more…)

From one (food) frontier to the next

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Yesterday we reported about the “Hot Chili Sandwich” pushing the frontiers of food in the wild wild west of Frontierland. But these chili sandwiches sure are a high-flying bunch … it seems one frontier is not enough for them so they have boarded the rockets to push the frontiers of food in the deep space as well.

Ok – what this means is: the hot chili sandwichs have also been added to the menu at the Rocket Cafe in Discoveryland. This snack location is placed behind Space Mountain, opposite of Star Tours, Star Traders and Captain EO.

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