Disney Parks released yesterday a very interesting video showing WDI Imagineers at work on the highly awaited Little Mermaid attraction opening in four months at Disney's California Adventure. As usual the editing is quite fast as they want to show Disney fans more about the ride but not too much! So, we're going to "stop the time" a little bit and have a closer look at all this in detail with these screen captures - click on each to see them in bigger size.
Imagineer Lisa Girolami takes us behind the curtain (or under the waves) to give us a first look at Ariel's world. It begins at WDI with Imagineers at the drawing board.
The video also disclose never seen before WDI artwork of different scenes of the ride like this one which might show a scene at the very beginning...
...or this one, in fact a closer shot of the "Under the Sea" sequence artwork...
...or this other one, very interesting, as it shows how the guests will have the feeling to be "under the sea" for real, thanks to WDI "dry for wet" special effects.
The video provides also a new shot of the ride's model...
...as well as rare shots of Imagineers at work on the ride's characters...
...and even the first shot of one of the Audio-Animatronics being programmed by WDI programmers.
But of course what we are all waiting for is pictures of the inside decor of the ride that Imagineers have almost finished to build. On this first picture showing a sunken galleon you can clearly see the track for the ride vehicle. But what Lisa Girolami is not telling you in the video is that this scene (if my memory is right) will be the ride's opening, i.e that the ride vehicle will enter and go through this galleon before going down under the sea - if i'm wrong, at least it will be the case for sure in the WDW version.
Always from the video this other scene decor showing, too, the ride track - currently WDI Imagineers are working on it.
These next shots are showing the huge decor for the "Under the Sea" sequence as well as some of the characters, already in place.
As you can see all of this looks pretty exciting and my only hope is that, after DCA and WDW, the Little Mermaid attraction will come soon at DLP. In the meantime as i'm sure you're dying to see the whole video, here it is below.
Let's have a look to the future with new pictures of awaited attractions/lands, which appeared recently on Disney fans web sites. The first picture above, coming from the chinese takungpao.com web site show the future Toy Story Playland opening this summer at the Walt Disney Studios - and next year at Hong Kong Disneyland.
The attraction in the foreground is of course the "Parachute Drop" attraction with its military base theming for the queue decor. Right behind it, the "Slinky Dog Zig-Zag Spin" ride and the "RC Racer" half-pipe coaster.
The next one below - from the WDS Fans web site show the same land on a different angle. As you can see the queue line of "Slinky Dog Zig-Zag Spin" will be inside a giant toy box which, i must say, is a brilliant idea.
I'm not expecting too much from this Toy Story Playland but if WDI Imagineers succeed to create a nice theming - and i'm sure they will - it can be a nice addition to the WDS. My main concern is the visual intrusion problem with the tower of the "Parachute Drop" and the half-pipe track of the "RC Coaster". I don't doubt that WDI Imagineers are aware of the problem, so let's hope that we won't see this tower and track when we'll get out of the Studio 1 and even from the small Holywood Boulevard.
Edited: Don't miss new pictures of Toy Story Playland model posted in my new article HERE.
This last model picture - click on it to see it in big size - was released two days ago by the Stitch Kingdom web site. It shows the highly-awaited new Fantasyland at WDW Magic Kingdom and the main changes from the Greg Pro rendering released last September are on the Pixie hollow area. The renderings shows a giant tree which has disappeared in the model. Big mistake, if you want my point of view. the rest of the land looks like on the artwork and apparently - thanks god! - no changes were done on the Little mermaid area.
Here is a new article on all Jay Rasulo presentation saturday. Pictures were allowed during the keynote and Andy did his best to get pictures of everything that Jay Rasulo shown on the D23 Expo arena screen to the audience. I worked all day to enhance them and try to eliminate distortion effect. Although i can't guarantee that no distortion effect remain in the renderings below, i did my best. All my apologies to the WDI artists if it's not totally perfect. That said, let's go and have a closer look at this awaited "Future of Parks and Resorts" presentation.
Jay Rasulo confirmed that WDW Magic Kingdom will have its huge Fantasyland expansion - so big that it will double the size of the current Fantasyland! To have a better idea of how big it will be, click on the top rendering which is a high-res file.
The Little Mermaid is part of the new Fantasyland, and the biggest ride. The exterior theming will recreate Eric's castle, and have waterfalls and its own lagoon. Expect also a highly themed queue decor, before you load in the ride vehicle. The ride itself should be identical to the one currently build at DCA.
WDW guests - and specially little girls - will be able to visit their favorite Disney Princess in her castle, cottage, or chateau. Whether it will be to share a dance with Cinderella...
...or to see her being transformed right before your eyes.
.
Right next door, guests will celebrate Sleeping Beauty's birthday with the Good Fairies.
The Beauty and the Beast area will be one of the bigger one with Belle's village...
...where guests will join Belle in an enchanting story performance in the Beast's castle library.
Guests will have the choice to have dinner at the Be Our Guest restaurant in one of three enchanted rooms inside the Beast's castle...
...or at Gaston's Tavern.
The double-Dumbo ride is also confirmed and will be part of the new Fantasyland! Dumbo the Flying Elephant will be completely re-imagined. Guests will fly with Dumbo high above brand new circus grounds, twice the size of the existing attraction with a new interactive, three-ring circus tent.
The last addition will be the new Pixie Hollow area. Located behind the Little Mermaid area, guests will meet Tinker Bell and her friends.
Here is a video from Attractions Magazine of the Fantasyland announcement by Jay Rasulo.
The other big news was of course the official announcement of Star Tours 2 for 2011 at Disneyland and Disney Hollywood Studios. The ride will always use simulators but highly improved. In the ride visitors will board a Starspeeder and join a high-speed pod race through the desert canyons of Tatooine.
Storm Troopers and Darth Vader were there for what was the funniest part of Jay's keynote.
Also shown during the presentation, new renderings of Cars Land scheduled to open in 2012 where guests will literally step into the town of Radiator Springs and its six acres of hand-carved rockwork. The vehicles will use a new generation of Test Track technology.
A short CGI clip of Radiator Springs Racer was also shown. Apparently it shows a scene at the end of the indoor part of the ride, before vehicles go outside for the final race. Here are some pictures by Andy and a video of the clip from Mint Crocodile.
Also, a video from TopChefRemy of the Lighting Mc Queen "Automatronic" that guests can see in the Parks and Resorts area. Actually, it seems that there is no mechanical or hydraulic elements involved in the making of this "Automatronic". The eyes are obviously a rear projection, but even the mouth is a projection effect! The effect works perfectly.
Jay talked also about Hong Kong Disneyland and specially about Toy Story Playland with new renderings, here they are.
Jay did not forgot the Disney Resorts and specially the Ko Olina on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Here is some new artwork.
Finally, Rasulo talked about the Disney Dream, the new ship being built by Disney Cruise Line. The new ship is currently built in Germany, here are some pictures.
