Saturday, March 29, 2008

The best news of the year for Tiki Room lovers !



Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily - yes, the two great sculptors that we all have to thanks for the great collectibles they've created for Disneyland 50th anniversary - have done it again!

A series of great collectibles inspired by Disneyland's Tiki Room will be released on June 22, and it is a limited edition!

All looks great, but Kevin and Jody favorite - and mine, too - is this great Enchanted Tiki Room fountain , standing 19-1/2” high and features many design elements from the original Disneyland attraction. Click on the image to see it in big size and how it looks great.



Jump on Kevin's blog to see more pictures of these Tiki's collectibles and get all infos, including prices.

Photos: copyright Disney

Friday, March 28, 2008

A Disney MGM Studios celebration - Part One - original artwork



Remember the Epcot original artwork series of articles i did recently? Well, the same day i was at WDW photo library during the 25th anniversary press event, i also had the good idea to ask them some material about the Disney MGM Studios - which they delivered to me after approval of WDW Imagineering. Now, with the digital era we are living in i'm not sure it will still be possible to have access to the photo library, but in those days of the end of the 90's, everybody was still using slides...

So, here is the part one of this Disney MGM Studios celebration, with lot of original artwork, and probably many that you will see for the first time. The first one below is of course a park overview, without the Sunset Boulevard which will be added later.



Next one is another one showing the whole park, from a different angle, and probably an early concept...



...just like this one, showing the soundstage and support buildings.



This one show the Hollywood Boulevard...



And on this one we can see a "Pooh Hollywood corner"...was the shop really built? I'm not sure, but tell me if i'm wrong...



This next one is a bird eye view of the Indiana Jones epic stunt spectacular building.



And this rendering show the final explosion scene.



Now, here are some interesting renderings, as i think - once again, please correct me if my wrong - that they're showing never realised attractions. And the one below show a kind of "filming tour" where guests would have been able to look behind windows to the real shooting of a movie - just like in the animation tour you were able to watch Disney artists working.



Here is another one, probably from the same concept.



Does anyone know to which attraction this next one is related - it seems to be the shooting of a tv show...



As well as this one, maybe the preshow of the one above...



The caption on the slide for the one below is: "Sounds effects theatre"



This one is for the Tram Tour on the New York street.



And here are three renderings for the Catastrophe canyon scene.





Next, is a rendering for the Honey i shrunk the kids playground.



And here is a picture of the model, with two WDI imagineers...



And another photo, shot during the making of the HISTK playground.



This last rendering is also related to an attraction based on the Honey i shrunk the kids movie, and i don't remember if it was finally built or not...i think it was - or is it not? Anybody knows?



Don't miss the part two coming soon, with a tribute to the Great Movie ride and the Chinese Theater replica!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

IMPORTANT NOTE: Hello, the Disney's America article will stay one more day on the front page, as i added today new fantastic scans in high-res. Have a look specially on the park overview rendering, and on many close shots of this same one, and, also, the rendering of Ellis Island - with the statue of liberty - and the one of the Industrial revolution coaster. You will discover details you've never seen before!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Disney's America theme park project - UPDATED 27/3 with new high-res scans



We had a look recently at the WestCOT "that never was" project, and today i invite you to another Disney theme park that, unfortunately, was never built, the famous Disney's America project. Announced in 1993,it was supposed to occupy 1200 acres of a 3000 acre property in Prince William County, Virginia.



Bob Weis - who was at the head of the creative development for the park - defined it as "an ideal complement to visiting Washington's museums, monuments and national treasures" was supposed to be a park " that will be a venue for people of all ages, especially the young, to debate and discuss the future of our nation and to learn more about its past by living it". A place where guests "will be able to have rides, shows and interactive experiences that are both about the history of America, about America today and also give you a sense of America in the future. And he added: "In some ways the park is a timeline, we start in the mid-1860s and go backward or forward in time".



Yes, but what kind of rides and shows guests would have enjoy at Disney's America? Well, once they entered the park, guests would have found themselves in a detailed Civil War era village, the hub of "Disney's America.



From that point, guests could discover either "Native America" and explore the life of America's first inhabitants - including an accurate Native American village reflecting the tribes that were known in this part of the country. And also enjoy interactive experiences, exhibits and arts and crafts, as well as an exciting white water river raft ride that would have gone all around the area, based on the Lewis and Clark expedition.




Guests, then, would discover Presidents' Square, a celebration of the birth of democracy and those who fought to preserve it. The "Hall of presidents" of Walt Disney World would have moved to Disney's America.



A Civil War Fort would have plunge guests into a more turbulent time of American history, and adjacent to it, a big battlefield, where Civil War re-enactments and water battles between the Monitor and the Merrimac would have once again be fought.




Moving in the 20th century, a replica of Ellis Island building where many immigrants came through, guests would have live the "immigrant experience" through music, ethnic foods and a great live show presentation.





Enterprise, a factory town, would have highlights American ingenuity and guests could have ride a major roller coaster attraction called the "Industrial Revolution" , traveling through a 19th century landscape with heavy industry and blast furnaces. And, on either side of the coaster, exhibits of famous American technology that have defined the american industry in the past, as new developments that will define industries in the future.




On Victory Field guests would have experience what America's soldiers faced in the defense of freedom during the world wars. It would have look like an airport area with a series of hangars containing attractions based on America's military fight using virtual reality technology. The airport would have serve also as an exhibit area of planes from different periods, as well as a place for major flying exhibitions.




Another area, the State Fair, was going to show how - even during the big Depression of the '30s - Americans knew how to entertain themselves. With folk art exhibits and a live show on baseball, guests could have enjoy, too, classic wooden thrill rides in memory of Coney Island.



Finally, in Family Farm, WDI imagineers would have recreate an authentic farm where guests could have the opportunity to see different types of farm industries related to food production in addition to some hands-on experiences like milking cows and learning what homemade ice cream tastes like.



Mind you, all was not lost in this Disney's America project, as some of the concepts were finally used in Disney's California Adventure. Jim Hill wrote an article about it, and you can read it HERE.

After the big battle between Disney, and almost everybody who lived in Virginia - okay, i'm exagerating a bit - the project was cancelled. However, in 1995 Disney envisioned to build it - guess where? - at Knott's Berry farm that the Knotts family, tired to run their theme park, wanted to sale. Jim Hill, again, wrote another great article describing all what happened, and you can read it HERE



I know, this Disney's America project look great and we will all miss it forever, but there is one last good news: Bob Weis, the imagineer that was in charge of the project's creative development is now back at WDI, and is now supervising the new placemaking of Disney's California Adventure. And, believe me, all imagineers welcomed him back like the messiah!

All photos: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc

All my thanks to Jim Hill for some of the infos included in this article.

Many many thanks to Michael of the excellent Progress City web site.

Those of you who want to find more infos on the Disney's America battle can find good links HERE

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Great Disney's California Adventure wallpaper pictures !



Happy Easter to everyone! Here is a selection of high-res wallpaper images of Disney's California Adventure, including some of the Aladdin show as well as the Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotels. Don't forget to double-click on the one you like to get it in bigger size!











I must remind you as it is written on the "terms of use" page that, in the event you download any material from The Disney and more blog, the download of the material, including any files or images must be for your personal, noncommercial home use only. You may not and cannot sell, print or reproduce in any way any material downloaded from The Disney and more blog, and specifically any material copyright Disney , Walt Disney company or any other companies.

All photos: copyright Disney