TDL Toon Town New Attraction Goofy’s Paint ‘n’ Play House Video

Goofy's Paint 'n' Play House" is a new attraction at Tokyo Disneyland Toontown which opened three days ago and i've got some videos of it for you! This is definitely an attraction for young children but adults can have some fun too!

Once inside Goofy’s Paint ‘n’ Play House you'll get a “paint”-shooting applicator called a "Toontone Splat Master" with which you'll be able to redecorate Goofy’s room. "You push a button, turn a handle or pull a string to make different colors of what seems like real paint fly out toward the walls and floor of the room. And yes, guests work together to make it happen. And the attraction also features theme options, like “beach” or “jungle,” to help with your remodeling".

Sounds cool? Sure, but once you've seen it the question is: how does it work? Because, may be it don't looks like but there is some pretty smart Imagineering technology behind all this. From what i've understood everything in the room, desk, armchair, etc... is in fact like a blank screen, except that instead to be a flat screen on which you could "paint", it's all 3D screen. Then, the computer identify where you're are pointing your "Toontone Splat Master" and the chosen color appear instantly. Sound simple, but a few years ago it was still impossible. Of course the kids are playing with this a bit too hysterically and don't take their time to use the technique in a more subtle way but, still, the tech behind it is amazing!

Below, a WDI rendering released some months ago and then pictures of the real thing.









And now, let's have a look at this "live" with two videos just posted on Youtube.








See you soon for something else new at another Disney theme park! In the meantime don't miss my great TDS Wallpaper application available on the iTunes Store. Click HERE for direct access to the TDS Wallpapers HD iTunes page or READ my article first HERE.

Videos: copyright Ura Nezu

Star Wars : Detours , A New Animated Comedy Series

Honor Hunter of Blue Sky Disney did a post about it two days ago, and i couldn't resisted to had a look to this new Star Wars animated comedy series called "Star Wars : Detours". What the hell is this, you ask? Well, according to the official description "Star Wars Detours is an animated comedy that explores what daily life is like in a galaxy far, far away. There are no Empires striking back or attacking clones here. Instead, Star Wars Detours focuses on the universe's regular folks and their everyday problems... which, to be fair, do frequently involve famous bounty hunters, crazed Ewoks, and even a Dark Lord of the Sith. Welcome to Star Wars: Detours: the other side of the stars, between the wars".

This animated series is not aired yet on any TV channel so what you'll see below are just previews but i have to say that i like it. I mean, i like the look of it. If the jokes are good enough to be really funny all along each episodes then it might become a cult show. However, i think that Honor is right when he wrote "It's clearly aimed at a younger audience than "The Clone Wars," but it does seem to have humor that will fly over kids heads". Good point, and we'll see how successful it will be.

It also may be surprising to have a show like this produced by Georges Lucas considering that it's having fun of his own creatures. But, first, i think that Lucas is smart enough to enjoy something good even if it's having fun of his creatures, and, two, i suspect that Georges also realized the merchandise potential if the show become successful ( or even if it doesn't ). Expect anytime soon a new style of Han Solo, Obi Wan, Princess Leia and all the others characters, this time in cartoonesque mini-figurines!

In the meantime, jump to my D&M MAX section and have a look to a selection of already released clips. And don't watch only the trailer, as the clips are better!

Picture: copyright Lucas Film

Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon, Dies

Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon and one of the most legendary hero of all time died today, following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures after a heart surgery earlier this month. For those, just like me, who watched live his first steps on the Moon, Armstrong will be forever a legendary figure. I have been always amazed how good NASA's choice has been by choosing Armstrong to be "the one". He definitely had the needed skills to be Apollo 11 mission commander, but the first man to ever walk on the moon needed also something else: innocence, and Armstrong had a genuine innocence which was just perfect.

Neil Armstrong gave very few interviews since 1969, but here is two of them, one for the BBC in 1970, and the second, recorded in 2009.







Disneyland fans will also remember when Neil armstrong himself came in 2005 ago for the Grand re-opening of the "new" Space Mountain during Disneyland 50th Celebration!





Here is the video of the Space Mountain ceremony where you'll see Neil Armstrong speech.



Picture: copyright Disney

Editor's Note: From Pixar we probably know everything, from the long animated features to any short ones. Still, there is two cute short animated commercials that Pixar did for Apple ten years ago when was released the iMac G4 that i've found back for you and posted on my Innoventions tech blog HERE. Have a look!

In the Minds of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali

A little bit of mind reading for this week-end! On the picture above, shot a long time ago, you can see Walt Disney and Salvador Dali at a time they were working on the Destino project. Walt is showing Dali his beloved Lilly Belle locomotive, and the photo was more than probably shot in Walt's garden in California. The picture is interesting because of Dali. Look at him closer, and even enlarge the picture to "feel" him perfectly. Obviously, Walt presents to Salvador Dali one of his passion - in this case, the trains - and you can feel that Dali is listening to him kindly and politely, just like you'll do if you listen to someone talking about a passion that you don't particularly share.

But there is something else which is happening. If you look at Walt, he looks like someone who is addicted to something that he knows is a bit infantile but can't "kick out the habit". And you can feel that Dali have the vision of it. But because Dali was always interested in any kind of madness, even "soft" one like Walt's passion for trains, and because Walt and him were sharing a structure with a lot of "fire", he don't say anything, he just have a little tender smile.

Native americans of late 18th century were reluctant to be photographed because they thought that a picture was stealing the soul of a person, and they were bloody right!

Picture: copyright Disney

Breaking News: Walt Disney Company Considers Buyout Disneyland Paris

If this is confirmed it might be the big news that all DLP fans are waiting for: According to TIME magazine the Walt Disney Company is considering a possible buyout of Disneyland Paris. Currently the WDC owns "only" 40% of Euro Disney, and among "the remaining shares 10% is owned by Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talal, and the rest is held by individual and institutional investors". Sources close to the WDC told TIME that "serious discussions have been taking place internally about buying out the stock it doesn’t currently own".

Always according to TIME "Acquiring the entire French company would be the first step in a comprehensive turnaround strategy that would enable Disney to benefit far more substantially from the popular success of the park". "Disney said in a statement that “we’re encouraged by the resort’s continued financial resilience and remain deeply committed to the future growth and long-term success of this invaluable asset to the Walt Disney Co.” ...but didn’t made any official comment on the buyout possibility "which TIME’s sources say have been under discussion for some time. Based on Euro Disney’s stock price, which has long been depressed, the market value of the 23.4 million shares of the French company that Disney doesn’t own is about $120 million. However, Disney would certainly have to pay a premium over the market price".

TIME note that "It’s not certain that Disney will decide to make a bid for the company, but the timing for such a move is favorable, since Disneyland Paris is currently on track to pay down about 500 million euros in debt over the next six years, or about one quarter of the remainder. This would put it on a more sustainable path to profitability. Thanks to management’s tight financial controls and higher spending per visitor, the resort is now finally making an operating profit and its cash flow is healthier".

And what does all this means for DLP fans? Well, it means that "a buyout would be followed by increased investment in the resort aimed at paying down the debt more quickly and increasing the number of attractions".

I've been saying since a long time that DLP needed a "Marshall plan" and may be it's finally coming now, although in a different way than i had expected. If the WDC really do this buyout it might resolve not only DLP debt problem but also, as they will be totally in charge of DLP parks just like they are at Disneyland Anaheim or WDW, that they will try to resolve DLP problem for once and for all and the example of California Adventure just prove recently that when they want to do it, they can do it, so you can expect new attractions for sure.

Let's cross our fingers that the news will be confirmed, but considering that it's coming from TIME, a reliable magazine, and that "there is never smoke without fire" this one might be the one you were all waiting for.

Text excerpts coming from TIME full article HERE

Breaking News: Shanghaî Disneyland Opening Might Be Delayed To 2016 , and more...

Those of you who can't wait 2015 to visit Shanghaî Disneyland might have to wait a bit more as the last news i have about SDL are saying that apparently Disney is thinking to delay SDL opening to 2016. Don't know when in 2016, so it could be spring, summer or fall 2016.

All the question, of course, is why? From what i've been told it seems that they've realized they may need more time to build the whole thing - park and resorts. Which brings another "why?" question...to which i don't have the answer! Apparently until now they were not late in the works, so there may be different answers to this. However - and this is my own speculation - i wonder if it doesn't have something to see with the land itself. We know that since last year dozens of workers have "prepared" the land of the SDL site but what might be important to remember is what was there before the works began.



And, as you can see on pictures by Stefan Zwanzger - the Theme Park Guy - on his site - and on the picture above - shot before the works began, what was there were rice fields. And so what, you ask? Well, in case you don't know, rice fields are bathing in water, lot of water. Sure, the whole site had been landfilled since then, but may be the ground is not dry enough yet. Not to mention that the water table, under, may be quite high, too.

It's very important that the land will be really dry before they begin to build on it and it's something that WDI Imagineers are really taking care of. Why? Because - and it's not known - problems happened at Tokyo Disneyland some years after TDL opening, precisely because the land was not enough dry. Some buildings began to had some cracks, etc... as the ground had moved because it was not really really totally dry when they've built on it. When they've built Hong Kong Disneyland, which like TDL is built on a land which was the sea before, the Imagineers didn't forgot the TDL problem and waited enough time to have a perfect dry ground. Sure, the SDL choosen site was not the sea previously but all the water of the previous rice fields may be didn't helped. Again, this is my own speculation, so it might be another reason that we may never know.

Edited: The hurricane season is not only "open" in Americas but also in China Seas as Shanghaî is facing right now a typhoon - as you can read HERE - and the season just began. Typhoons generally bring heavy rains and possible flood which certainly will not help to make SDL land more dry!

Talking about Shanghaî Disneyland, Luke from Luke and the temple of fun website did something amazing. Remember last week the SDL hotels plans that were officially released? Well, for the second hotel, the one supposed to have a Toy Story theme we had this plan:



And then, two days later, Attractions Magazine found some new 3D renderings showing the different floors...

That was even better but Luke decided to recreate a real full 3D model that you can see below, based on the layout of the two original plans and his own interpretation. Of course, as he says "the accuracy of the model is not guaranteed" and chances are that it will not look like this. The reason why he chooses the blue, red and yellow colors is because these are the colors used in the Toy Story logo. As you can see below, like this it looks a bit like a big LEGO and considering that it should be a Toy Story themed hotel may be, finally, it will really look more or less like this at the end! there is many more pictures of Luke 3D model on his site, on every angle so jump to Luke and the temple of fun to see more!



Pictures: copyright Disney, Theme Park Guy, Luke and the temple of fun