Mousekingdom Blog

AmusementBusiness reports that an official opening date has been set for the Tower of Terror in Tokyo DisneySea. According to the news the third incarnation of the ride will open to the public on September 4, 2006 - and therefore AFTER the high season summer months.

On an interesting side note the news mentions that a show called “Tower of Terror Memorabilia” is supposed to open on the 1st floor of the building. The latter sounds strange Both in the version in the Disney MGM Studios in Walt Disney World and in Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim guests are exiting the show building through the shop, the shop has been placed on the rights ground level.

To prepare for the experience take a look at the post of Joost on the DLP.info Forum in which he provides the complete story of the ride as it will be experienced in Tokyo - a few mild spoilers included. Sounds like a really different version with some great new effects, especially in the pre-show room, which hopefully will find their way to the version under construction in the Walt Disney Studios Paris as well.

Sorry … it needs to read “Built OUT OF Sand”. Ok, it is not the hottest “news” or link but I just thought it was so cute, that I HAD to share it: Raquel’s Photo Blog has a great collection of giant sand sculptures recreating scenes from various Disney and Pixar features which were taken at a sand sculpting exhibition 2004/2005 at the Docklands, Melbourne, Australia. These life sized scultpures of Mickey and Minnie with the gang in a Christmas scene or the the bugs from a Bug’s Life are just incredible like the characters from The Incredibles … WOW!

On DLP.Info we informed the Disney fans about the Cars parade, currently running in the MGM studios would “drive” its way into the Walt Disney Studios. Now rumors appeared that MGM would get a new parade as of 2007, making the rumors for Disneyland Resort Paris even more believable. Doesn’t mean they will not see anything new at the MGM studios as Screamscape reports that two new cars from the upcoming Disney/Pixar movie Cars will be added. The cars would start to run their engines during spring time. In that case the new cars would only run for 1 year over at Walt Disney World.

Jim Hill published the URL of a new blog titled Re-Imagineering in which current and former Imagineers and other employees of The Walt Disney Company as well as Pixar and other professionals of the themed entertainment industry are supposed to discuss how to improve the guest experience in the Disney parks. Or in the words of the owner of the blog: “catalog past Imagineering missteps and offer up tenable practical solutions in hopes that a new wave of creative management at Imagineering can once again bring back the wonder and magic that’s been missing from the parks for decades”. While not descernible as an official blog according to Jim Hill it has been sanctioned of by the assistant of John Lasseter, who is overseeing Imagineering since the announcement of the Disney Pixar merger.

Interestingly so far Disneyland Resort Paris has not been really a subject, even so a photo of the sword fighting Audioanimatronics from the Paris version of Pirates of the Caribbean has been published to illustrate one post and one comment mentions that Captain Hook’s galley got painted in all brown colors not true to the original design. Still it is interesting to follow the posts and especially the unfolding discussion whether to bring back old attractions or create all new experiences.

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I was meditating yesterday…mumbling to myself about how much good stuff Robert iger has done in the last few months.

Since stepping onto the top spot at the mouse house on October 1^st Bob has done some pretty amazing things - shutting down the Strategic Planning division (which had as head the son of Iger’s old ABC old boss Peter Murphy…); being the first to get content on the new ipod with video (and itunes); buying Pixar; getting Oswald the lucky rabbit back to Disney … e ssentially smoothing all feathers with crashed past management, shareholder and Disney family members.

Most of all what, as a business man, I particularly like about Iger is that he doesn’t try to be creative, he doesn’t’ make creative decisions forcing them on others or pretending to be the next Walt Disney.
Sure the guy follows his instincts. Take the decision to place content on the video iPod / iTunes. Reportedly this was pure instinct on his part, but hey … those are the sort of decisions that in the past were delegated to Peter Murphy’s strategic planning division … and therefore often crashed! (more…)

The close knit “fan” community of Apple is well known to produce rumors galore - but this time the rumors are not started by that community but by the veritable website but by a report of the veritable website Marketwatch on a statement of Barron’s from Sunday. Now technology and financial market blogs like The Raw Feed are spreading the word … what word?

According to Barron Christopher Whalen, a managing director of Institutional Risk Analytics, said “Disney is badly undervalued right now. Jobs might get an opportunity to take it out.”. He is further quoted saying “The markets and Disney shareholders would welcome a merger led by their apparent savior, Steve Jobs”. (more…)

European fans of Buzz and of his friends from Pixar are in for a real treat this year. Not only is Buzz Lightyear inviting them to join him fighting the evil emporer Zurg in the new attraction Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast opening April 8 in the Disneyland Resort Paris. No, now fans should also make plans for a short trip to London between April 1 and June 10!

Thanks to the blog Luxo for pointing out that the acclaimed exhibition Pixar: 20 Years of Animation, which premiered at the world famous Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, now comes to the Science Museum in London!! The exhibition features artworks, sketches, models, paintings and much more from the complete past work of Pixar certainly including their smash hits released in collaboration with Disney. Anyone up for a combined trip to London and Paris?

US comics, it is a passion! So when they announced a comic book about Haunted Mansion I had to have it and placed an order straight away.

When the book finally arrived I couldn’t wait to see what they had done with it. The cover looked promising, so no time to loose, open to the first page and start reading.

But I couldn’t! You see comic books are a form of art. It is the drawing that needs to catch the eye. Well, opening this book and looking at what was inside… it didn’t look good and I could not get to read it at that moment.

Drawings are not everything. How about a good story? It was a comic book that promised me “Stories Inspired by the Classic Disney Attraction”. They could not spoil a perfect ride now, could they? Asking myself this question I could not help myself thinking about this awful movie they made about the ride. Would they do this again with the comic book?

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After starting in Festival Disney (aka Disney Village) in 1992, I have finally decided to move back to my home country after 14 years of working for the Mouse.

Disney has been a learning experience for me, and one that I will always remember with mainly fond and happy memories.

Having recieved many job offers in the UK, which were ALL better paid than Disney (no surprise there…), I made the decision to leave the Entertainment Department, and Disney at the end of January 2006.

In an internal survey, published in 1999/2000, 80% of DLRP Cast Members stated that their main reason for leaving the company was the pay. I was included in that 80%, but did not leave. I had always hoped that the situation of DLRP would get better, both for the company, and for the workers. I had hope for the future, in spite of all the bad press that the company was getting.

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The retail department of the Walt Disney Company seems to be in the mood for some changes since Michael Eisner left TWDC. After the sudden end for the traditional Disney Catalog (as reported yesterday) Disney now, without any big fanfare, has ended its collaboration with ebay.

In the past limited edition pins and other collectibles including high-profile items - like the original letters of the giant “Disneyland” sign that guests greeted in Anaheim - were auctioned off on ebay. With immediate effect all of this business has now been moved to a platform operated by Disney itself - DisneyAuctions.com. The amount of Disney auctions going on at every time sure does justify such a move. The big question is only: why wasn’t it announced with more fanfare? Especially since DisneyAuctions according to its Conditions of Sale ships at least some of the items offered also to international destinations.

Little news like this one just make me wonder more and more often: what happened to the famed press and marketing folks at Disney? Or is it all just a ploy to help us independent Disney sites and blogs get more attention?

This sounds like a very cool book. It will be available as from 1 March. It is by Jeff Kurtti, who wrote a whole lot of other Disney related books but nothing much is know of this book yet. When searching the web I find the book on your regular sales websites like Amazon, but never is there any information on the book itself.

I do love these kinds of books so I’ll get it for sure. Anybody who has some, or found some, information on this please share it with us.

Let’s get this straight: I am not trying to shoot down Hong Kong Disneyland. Heck, I was interested to go there before it opened and the recent stories posted by Andrea about his visit make me want to go their really, really soon… But it seems the local management just can’t get a positive handle on the press coverage.

Thanks to the press agency DPA now another story fills print and online media, detailing how a Singaporean woman announces that she will file a suit against Disney in Hong Kong and the US since allegedly Disney did not react to her mother falling ill in Hong Kong Disneyland properly, but forced her take a regular shuttle bus to the Disneyland Hotel, where cast member, so the claim, originally refused to call an ambulance, turned the ambulance away when it finally showed up at the front entry and send it to the back entry - all in all resulting in a three hour delay. Unfortunatley the guest later died.

Now this is a terrible accident and our heartfelt wishes go to the grieving daughter of the deceased. Still this is a Disney related blog so let’s look into the story from another point of view…
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Well I thought I would write a bit of a post about the Disney Insider Yearbook that has been announced by Disney (This may turn into a little bit of a rant, however all will be revealed)

A few months back, possibly even before Christmas, I received an email from Disney advising me of their intention to release a yearbook for 2005, this will be the first time they have released a yearbook. The email invited me to register my interest, so I followed the link and registered my interest in what looked to be a very interesting annual publication…

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Even if it’s early to talk about it now; Halloween is always been one of those fun things at Disney. There are enough villains to throw in the Halloween fun. I have seen Halloween at Disneyland Resort Paris and at Walt Disney World.

A rumor says that WDW will get a second gate to share in these celebrations. With the big success of the Halloween Horror Nights (I am a big fan) over at Universal Studios (Island of Adventure) it now looks like WDW wants some of that cake too.

A more adult and Teen orientated celebration might finds it way into the MGM Studios. There is no real info if they will add haunted houses, although doubted, my guess is the will have the streets filled with villains (maybe hunting down some guest) and some of the thrill rides open and maybe a special parade… Who knows?

This rumor has been there since 2003, but died out shortly after. This year however the rumor came back and with (rumored) big plans over at Universal Studios this might see the day of light in the near future… It stays a rumor of course until official announcement from Disney, but as a Halloween fan wanted it to share with you.

Source: Screamscape

I was just surfing the net and came across the news of Wishes. It seems that it is almost confirmed that it WILL NOT be re-appearing and there’s to be no replacement this year. What a loss!

Personally I would really like to see the show back this year… if they were to promote it more appropriately of course. Not having a firework show after Fantillusion is hardly the end of the world, but fireworks over the castle is such a Disney trademark as is widely expected by guests… I believe!

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…that Disney catalog won’t be arriving anytime soon at your doorstep. The New York Times reports that the Walt Disney Company has decided to end its successful catalog business and concentrate fully on online shopping - such swiming against the tide and the expert’s opinions which claim that a catalog helps retain guests. Will it be a success? Only time will tell. But one has to notice that of the once three retail arms which TWDC operated and made money with outside the Resorts, only one (OK, and a stump) is left: The Disney Store chain was sold (even so the World of Disney Store on 5th Avenue in NYC is still operated by TWDC - the above mentioned stump) and the catalog is closed now, which leaves us with the online shopping.

A short look at my habbits provides bad news for Disney - and happy news for my purse. I used to sit down and look through the catalog, see a few things I liked but did not want to order. A few weeks later I used to pick the catalog up again in a leisurey moment (maybe when it was raining outside and I was listening to a new Disney CD), flipped through it again … and … usually I ended up ordering something. Unfortunately for Disney I do not really enjoy browsing through an online shop as much as that, and I hardly catch myself relaxing on a rainy day with a new CD in the background and getting the sudden urge to start up the PC, run my browser, surf to the Disney website and start browsing through their online shop. While not an expert I fear I am not the only one…

Ok, blogs are also supposed to be about sharing great stuff and especially great blogs one finds out there … so here is one for all those interested in the history of the original Disneyland in Anaheim, the only park Walt ever walked through:

Stuff from the Park publishes photos and items from the past of Disneyland (and other items). The latest post feature photos of the construction of the Main Street and the Fantasyland dark ride buildings which are not the more or less often seen official construction photos but material the blog’s author obtained through garage sales and at various other opportunities. Have fun browsing through the photos…

This is a new DVD that will come out on 28^th March in the US. It is a Discovery Special about Disneyworld. Should include info from the very beginning up to the WDW we know today.

The DVD is 2 hours long and will have info about the Animatronics, Monorails, The Underground tunnels, Building the 4 gates, parades and more. The DVD will also include some sneak peak views of the new Expedition Everest Rollercoaster.

Sounds great to me and for sure something I will add to my Disney Theme Park Collection!

… that seems to be the message which the new Adventures by Disney travel offer from the Walt Disney Company is advertising. Under this new brand TWDC offers guests from the US and Canada family holidays to selected locations around the world which are supposed to offer the high Disney quality standards on “regular” vacations. The holiday packages include on-site guides who whisk the guests through elaborate itineraries presenting the traditional tourist standards.

One of the offers in the first full season open to the public (after some tests last year) is the “Land of Eternal Knights” 8-days, 7-nights visit to London and Paris. Which includes as one of its highlights a visit to the Disney stage musical “Mary Poppins” in London’s West End on the second night of the trip.

But what is the highlight for Disney fans in the Paris part of the vacation? Wanna bet?

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Wooah, first blog post. Kinda scary! Well what’s really on my mind right now DLRP future… like everyone else! Buzz is just around the corner, the Toons are heading this way and The Tower Of Terror should be dropping in anytime soon - sooner rather than later I hope

Then there’s the anticipated new parades, possible firework display for 2007 and the first European Disney Cruise Line rumour, but that’s all old news now! So, what’s next? If DLP.info’s reports are anything to go by, WDS could well be getting an addition in the form of Mickey’s Philharmagic. That all sounds great when you first hear it, but is removing a current, successful and popular attraction wise, just to replace it with another clone? I understand the news is far from confirmed, but removing Animagique or Cinemagique to make way for an attraction that other parks already have seems a little pointless. At least it seems DLRP know what their priorities are, since DLP is already a complete park experience.

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