Soarin' Over... Shanghaî Disneyland

Today we are going to soar above Shanghaî Disneyland! I know, there is not a lot of things to see right now on the SDL site, but the pictures above and below are the first one showing from above the site which seems to be ready for the big construction. We'll probably have to wait two more years to see something really interesting on it, though.



But in the meantime have a look at this video from a chinese TV which is the first i've seen filming from helicopter the SDL site!




Talking about Soarin' a Mice Chat member think that one of the Adventureland layouts on the SDL map released recently on different forums and on Screamscape shows a Soarin' theatre, with the usual two theaters back to back. Look at the picture below where you have the red circle. It's true that it looks like something with two theaters and you can even guess the Soarin' concave screen in each. So - and if this SDL map is the latest one which remains to be prove - may be it shows a theater for a Soarin' ride in which they will show the long awaited "Soarin' over the world" movie. But it's hard for me to imagine a ride like this in Adventureland. I mean, you have all the Soarin' machinery which fit better in a Tomorrowland or Epcot environment and which is not that easy to hide or themed with an Adventureland style, right?



Then, someone else said that it is located where we have seen a Mayan temple in the first SDL bird's eye view released when the project was officially announced. In fact if you look well - see picture below - the Mayan temple is ( was? ) located higher, and this supposed Soarin' theater is much below and right behind the big mountain of the Dinosaurs raft ride. Now, everything is possible, specially in a Disney theme park and they could eventually have written a storyline based on how the mayans have found a way to fly - after all they DID had a storyline like this for a never done flying coaster project for Disneyland Paris Adventureland, one more DLP project that never was. And then take this storyline alibi to have the guests soaring all over the world... Still, i may find a little bit too hard to swallow a Soarin' ride inside a Mayan pyramid... But it's true that the layout looks like a Soarin' theatre, so let's give for now to this Mice Chat member the benefit of the doubt for his discovery!



You can see more pictures shot on the SDL site on the always excellent Theme Park Guy Board HERE!

Pictures: copyright Disney, Eastday.com

Soarin' Over... Hong Kong Disneyland

Editor's Note: It's summer holiday season and many of you are probably planning to go soon on vacation. But one thing is sure, in July and August everybody wants to "fly" away from home. Good news, we'll have a "Soarin'" week, which started yesterday with the presentation of my new iPad application "Egypt from above" and today we will soar over Hong Kong Disneyland and soon above others Disney theme parks, and you'll see how these aerial pictures can bring interesting informations about the future. So, make sure to don't miss any article of this week!

My good friend Stefan Zwanzger - the Theme Park Guy - is going to be jealous today! Recently he did a seven hours trek up the hills and through the jungle located behind Hong Kong Disneyland to shot great pictures of the park from above, and last week a HKDL fan sent me these great aerial pictures of the park shot very recently and i didn't even had to move out of my home! Yeah, i know, life is unfair...

Seriously, this is a great shot - click on it to enlarge the picture - as we're able not only to see the park and hotels clearly - as well as the new lands - but we also can see the land which is still available for future additions...Let's zoom in the picture to have a better look...



First, as you can see on the next picture below, the big land between the HKDL Hotel and the Hollywood Hotel, the one near the sea, is supposedly reserved for future hotel(s) which most probably will be build in a near future. About the park itself, now: on the top left (color red on the pic below), in front of the HKDL Hotel and on the left of the brand new Grizzly Gulch you can see a big land available - almost as big as Grizzly Gulch - once envisioned for the Pirates of Caribbean land before the project was permanently - and very unfortunately - cancelled. With a bit of luck we'll find it in Shanghaî Disneyland, but that's another story... By the way, you can see that the picture was shot recently as Grizzly Gulch is completed but not Mystic Point of course, still under construction. On the right between Toy Story Land and It's a Small World facility (color green and yellow) there is also a big piece of land available and, who knows, may be they will build Toy Story Mania near TSL someday there...





In the backstage of Tomorrowland there is also some land which could be used for a future attraction, but it's not that big as you'll see on the next picture. It's the land that you can see near the bottom left (color purple), behind the Buzz Lightyear ride building which is on the left of Autopia and Space Mountain. I'm not talking about the big land that you can see on the very bottom left under the plane wing, but the smaller one right over it, where are some kind of containers now. Star Tours 2 was envisioned to be build there some months ago, before it was also cancelled. It seems that there is also some land which could eventually be used behind Space Mountain, on the right. Although there is some backstage buildings (color blue) on it they might be able to remove some of them and get some space for a future ride.



As you can see there is still some land available but not that much, may be they have enough room for three or four rides or mini-land. After that, they won't have the choice than to build the second park as they can't expand the first park either because there is the main road all around it, or the natural hills, or simply no land at all. I remind you that where Hong Kong Disneyland is built there was no land at all 15 years ago, only the China sea!


Don't miss the new HKDL Wallpapers HD App for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch!
Direct iTunes link HERE!

Soarin' Over... The Land of Pharaohs

Soarin' fans are still waiting for the future "Soarin' over the world" movie and from what i've been told one of the country we should "fly" over will be Egypt. But today, i introduce my new application for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch called "Egypt from above" and thanks to the app you'll be able to "soar" over some of the most famous ancient Egyptian temples with dozens of high-def pictures shot by me during travels in Egypt some years ago!

So, all aboard for an amazing hot air balloon flight over Luxor, the Nile river and the temples of Ancient Egypt! With this new app you'll fly aboard a Hod Hod Soliman Balloon over the land of Pharaohs and the Theban necropolis and discover the legendary Valley of the Kings, the Ramesseum - the temple of Ramesses II - Medinet Habu, Deir el Bahari temples as well as Memnon Colosses and many more, like you have never seen them before !

Here is some of the app features with a selection of pics and screen captures:

- Dozens of stunning HD pictures of Luxor Temples seen from above! ALL pictures are in Retina display definition and will look gorgeous on the new iPad as well as on the iPad 1, 2, and all iPhones!











- Wikipedia links for each picture for more infos on each temples!

- Image gallery to directly select pictures of a chapter!



- Selection of favorite pictures and Slide show mode!



- A special video showing a flight aboard Hod Hod Soliman balloon over Luxor west bank temples!



- Fun app UI with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs! ( see picture below )



- During the balloon flight you'll also fly over the Nile river as well as Louxor west bank village and oasis villages!







The app is available whatever is the country you are living but the direct iTunes link if you live in the U.K the direct iTunes link is HERE, if you live in the U.S.A it's HERE , if you live in France it's HERE and and if you live in Egypt it's HERE. If your iTunes account is in another country just enter as keyword "Egypt from above" in the iTunes Store search box and you'll find it instantly. The app is at a very low price , i.e 1.59€ or $1.99 only.

Hope you'll enjoy this flight over the legendary land of Pharaohs!



All Pictures: copyright Park Lane Editions

Walt Disney in Rio de Janeiro, circa 1941 - Part Two

Here we go for the part two of this fantastic LIFE Magazine report on Walt Disney in Rio de Janeiro with his team of Disney Studios animators, in 1941. If you've missed the part one of this article you will find it HERE.

On these first pictures, above and below, Walt, walking with Disney animators is the one holding the bag on his head!



The next three pictures are very interesting. They show a Disney animator learning how to dance samba which... will lead to the famous "Saludos Amigos" sequence when Jose Carioca learn Donald how to dance the famous brazilian dance.



...and Mary Blair was not insensitive to its rhythm.





May be a litlle bit later, the group enjoy a drink - Herb Ryman, left and Frank Thomas and Mary Blair on the right.



The next pictures, showing Disney animators doing sketches of parrots, show the research - and the birth - of a new Disney character, Jose Carioca. On the first picture below, Frank Thomas.



On these two next pictures, Herb Ryman (center).





And here is a sketch of Jose Carioca by Jack Miller.



Let's have a look now at pictures showing famous Disney animators. I think it's Herb Ryman on the one below...



Here is a painting from Herb Ryman.



The next pictures show Jack Miller doing sketches...



...whether it's a man holding bananas...



...or another one walking with plants over his head (!)



...or a man sleeping on a road...



...or a small Brazilian village. I think it's Herb Ryman (right) who is here with Jack Miller (left).



Another painting of Herb Ryman, precisely showing a poor Brazilian village.



A last picture of Jack Miller in big conversation with a charming brazilian girl. Anyone know how the evening ended?



The next pictures show the great Mary Blair. First, in a botanical garden, with her husband Lee Blair, also doing sketches.









Mary Blair doing sketches of young schoolgirls...



...or ducks...



...or a military parade...



And everybody seems to be interested by Mary's sketches!



On the two next pictures, Mary Blair and Lee Blair, with Rio de Janeiro bay famous skyline in the background.





And here is Mary Blair painting.



Others pictures of Mary and Lee...





Visiting a Brazilian art gallery...



A last nice picture of Mary, by LIFE photographer Hart Preston



Let's come back to Walt who also met Brazilian musicians.





On the next picture Walt is the one holding a string basse. Which doesn't mean that he knew to play it!



Apparently there was a private screening (of probably a Disney animated movie), and Walt was doing a special commentary for the audience!



The Brazilian premiere of Fantasia also happened while they were in Rio de Janeiro.



And an evening party, may be on the same evening. On the picture below the atmosphere looks a bit ceremonious...



...but as you can see on this next one it didn't stopped Walt to be sensible to the charm of the woman next to him!



An evening party, may be after the Fantasia Premiere...





...where Walt seems to be amazed by the table decor.





A last picture with Walt listening to a young singer.



This is the end of this incredible LIFE Magazine report and i hope you've enjoyed all these rare pictures of this golden era!


Thanks to leave a comment or discuss this article on D&M english forum on Mice Chat

All pictures: copyright LIFE Magazine - All pictures by Hart Preston