Any D23 Expo Announcements?

[J9]

I know the D23 expo started on thursday. I haven't heard news of any big announcements or seen any postings about anything really worthwhile yet.

Anyone know what's going on?

[BrerGnat]

I think pretty much all that's been "newsworthy" have been:


Announcement of Alaska itinerary for Summer 2011 on DCL

Announcement of NO PLANS to bring back Captain EO.


That's all I've seen so far...

[Figment!]

... and the official announcment of Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=161148)

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

... and the official announcment of Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=161148)

So essentially they've been announcing things that people knew were inevitable anyway? With the exception of the Alaska itinerary?

[Mufasa]

I think pretty much all that's been "newsworthy" have been:


Announcement of Alaska itinerary for Summer 2011 on DCL
Announcement of NO PLANS to bring back Captain EO.


That's all I've seen so far...

As far as Captain EO, Iger did not rule out plans to bring back Captain EO- specifically he said it was being looked at and if Disney were to bring it back that they wanted to do it right so it was not ruled out completely.

As for other announcements at the Expo- the first few days have focused on ABC and Disney pictures specifically- today was wrapped up with a lot of focus on the movies in the works.

First, they spoke about Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol and also talked about how he would be re-interpreting the Beatles Yellow Submarine in 3D.

Next up was Old Dogs with John Travolta and Robin Williams.

Then went into Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (mostly same footage shown at Comic-Con)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time with Jake Gyllenhaal (who I thought looked somewhat freakishly ridiculous if you haven't seen how he bulked himself up for the role)

Muppets came out on stage in a sort of replica of Disneyland's Mark Twain and did a musical number to promote "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made" which turns out to be a concept originally thought up by Jim Henson, Jerry Juhl and Frank Oz back in the mid 1980s.

Then Nicolas Cage came out to talk about the Sorcerer's Apprentice- not sure about this one. Adapting the sequence we know from Fantasia into a feature film?

Brief mentions of Andrew Stanton's live-action film (director of WALL-E) John Carter of Mars for Summer 2012.

But the major highlight was the Pirates announcement- crowd started screaming when you first saw the silhouette of Captain Jack behind a back-lit sail and then turns out to be Johnny Depp in character as Jack Sparrow- said he was hungry and could go for a snack like that mate Kermit (the frog).

Tomorrow is the big day for Parks and Resorts- also, there are lots of details to be gathered from the Expo itself in some of the smaller sessions and walking the expo floor.

[Mufasa]

What doesn't get covered in the major announcements about the D23 Expo are some of the panel discussions but are the real experiences that offer something unique to the fans.

Opening day was a special particularly with a panel discussion led by Marty Sklar of Imagineering legends like Bob Gurr and Alice Davis (always a treat to hear them speak) and also see them out interacting with guests out on the expo floor during the day.

Another major highlight was a screening and dicsussion about "The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story" including a performance by Richard Sherman

[Chescat]

We've heard nothing about them saying that Captain EO wasn't coming back, quite the contrary in the rumor mills.

We ran into Tony Baxter today and started talking to him. He said make sure we get to that Park discussion tomorrow which was going to be something huge. He wouldn't say anymore.

We know for sure, the Star Wars Stormtroopers will be there and that it has something to do with Star Tours 2.

Miley Cyrus was also there and then sang her current song with her band.

I was one of the people that screamed hysterically when the camera went in on that Jack Sparrow close up on two screens and realized it was truly Johnny Depp!!!! I was in the 5th row!!!!

[Melanie]

Thanks for all the great info, Mufasa! Looking forward to today's theme park focus. :thumbsup:

[Ian]

First, they spoke about Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol and also talked about how he would be re-interpreting the Beatles Yellow Submarine in 3D.Wow, really?? Now that is something I'd be looking forward to!


We know for sure, the Star Wars Stormtroopers will be there and that it has something to do with Star Tours 2.I sincerely hope that Baxter wouldn't refer to a Star Tours 2 as "something huge."

[seanyred]

Wow, really?? Now that is something I'd be looking forward to!

I sincerely hope that Baxter wouldn't refer to a Star Tours 2 as "something huge."

I agree...I want to hear more concrete details for the Fantasyland Refurb for WDW....I hope some of those ideas come true...

[J9]

I'm really excited to see what's planned for the park, if anything (and I'm sure there will be something!)

Please keep us posted!!!!!

[Mufasa]

Forgot to mention World of Color details- the nighttime show set to debut at Disney's California Adventure.

Steven Davison (the Creative Director) walked the audience through the entire show in detail (and was more animated and excited than I've ever seen him- literally out of breath by the time he was done).

World of Color is meant to take our guests through the magical worlds of Disney but through different colors and the aspects of color.

The show platform holding all the fountains/nozzles is larger than a football field. Each fountain actually has an LED lighting element in it so the columns of water will be able to produce a wide variety of colors where we can almost paint with these fountains.

The show will feature a water screen that is a single, seamless projection surface that is 382 foot long at the back of the lagoon (dwarfing what is used in Fantasmic). There's another seamless video water screen closer to the audience and so that will allow for "multi-plane" style effects in the show.

The show opens with The Magical Light- lasers (some custom designed for the show) will paint across the sky as it leads into the theme song from the World of Color TV show (actually went into the archives and pulled the original song recording masters).

Tinkerbell then arrives and as she's flying around, in the pixie dust trail she leaves behind is spelled out a quote from Walt "Every child is blessed with a vivid imagination- Walt Disney". So she enchants each of the letters and they all fall into the lagoon and turn into individual blue fountains- all except for the D in Disney which is playful and follows Tinkerbell around and she keeps trying to zap it to fall into the lagoon to no effect so she enchants it and it flies up and then finally falls into the center where it turns into an orange fountain- which comes to represent a character called little squirt.

Throughout the show we'll see hints of this orange fountain enchanting different scenes and representing sort of the imagination of Walt Disney.

So the orange fountain gets all the blue fountains to gather and race around the lagoon and they form around it and rise into the sky and when they come down it transitions into a sequence called the Magical Forest where we meet the Sprite of Spring from Fantasia 2000. So as the Sprite flies around the lagoon (through projection) she is creating the forest behind her as in the film.

That leads to the Colors of the Wind with Pocahontas. Here we see her hair flowing with leaves flying and as those leaves come down and touch the water they turn into butterflies (made with some of the fountains)

Which brings us to the April showers sequence- where we're greeted by Heimlich from A Bug's Life who suddenly encounters a rain storm. So we create a rain and lightning storm to a projection of the Old Mill which spins and draws us into Alice and the Colors of Wonderland.

For the Alice sequence- it will feature a lot of animation, but a different style of animation. We've been working with an artist- Megan Brain who animates by using cut paper (if you can imagine crafting these paper models) and photographing them like stop-motion animation.

So it's all been frenetic to this point so it leads to a serene scene with the music from the Little Mermaid playing (Part of your world) where the fountains create gentle waves on the surface and we're transported then under the sea to explore the colors of the sea.

Here the fountains in the lagoon will be led into a conga line by the orange, little squirt fountain building up to a giant wave in the back where we meet Crush from Finding Nemo and surfing the EAC.

Surfing the ocean takes us to surfing the skies and into the stars to explore the colors of the universe with WALL-E and EVE. If you recall from the movie when they are "dancing" in space, then that sort of effect will be created in the lagoon.

Next, we visit Infinity and Beyond so we go into Andy's bedroom from Toy Story and encounter Buzz and Woody with the sequence where Woody tells Buzz he can't fly and of course Buzz takes off and does and so he soars into the sky, then we see Carl's House rising from Up all moving into A Whole New World from Aladdin with the Magic Carpet where we see the moon eclipse as the carpet flies off.

Leading to the color of fears (yes, the villains). Lots of brand new fire effects in the lagoon from fire balls shooting up to these swiveling fire nozzles. The sequence opens with the villain from the Princess and the Frog Doctor Facilier, a practitioner of voodoo who conjures up pockets of fire in the lagoon which turn into characters and offers a prediction of what lies ahead.

In the process of conjuring we encounter Chernabog from Fantasia (and this is quite a reveal).

So the strong red colors to this point with fire gives way to a ominous green and through the mist we encounter Scar from the Lion King which leads us into the wildebeest stampede from the Lion King.

Here is where we really show off the multi-plane effects possible with the new fountains. The back wall rises and brand new, very stylized animation is created where we see the wildebeests tumble down into the canyon while the front projection surface shows young Simba caught in the wildebeests with animation taken from the film. As the wildebeests come closer we create that effect by adding another closer wall of water to the guests.

This ends in the world of tears and transformations (yes, there is the death of Mufasa here). But this leads us into a theme of love conquering all and the song So Close by Alan Menken from Enchanted plays highlighted by the Beast transformation from Beauty and the Beast which leads to a spectacular finale (with lots of surprises I won't go into)

The entire show runs about 25 minutes. Also announced at D23 is that the singer for the show will be Amy Grant.

[Mufasa]

Wow, really?? Now that is something I'd be looking forward to!

See, I'm the opposite- especially given that it's Robert Zemeckis behind the project (sorry, but not a fan of his motion capture process that he passes off as animation)- it's very cold and life-less on screen.

And really, do we need Yellow Submarine done over?

Actually, one of the people responsible for the main technology behind Turtle Talk with Crush (John Adamczyk) was the executive producer on a project back in the mid/late 90s for Sony which appeared in Berlin and Japan I think based around Yellow Submarine where it featured a CGI, real time puppet host which would be more interesting than the Zemeckis project.

[BrerGnat]

As far as Captain EO, Iger did not rule out plans to bring back Captain EO- specifically he said it was being looked at and if Disney were to bring it back that they wanted to do it right so it was not ruled out completely.


Sorry, I should have been more thorough. :blush:

I was going off the LATimes.com article that I got via Facebook (Disneyland Fan Page).

Essentially, what I was trying to convey was the debunking of the rumor that EO would be returning to DL's Tomorrowland in early 2010...

[Mufasa]

Sorry, I should have been more thorough. :blush:

I was going off the LATimes.com article that I got via Facebook (Disneyland Fan Page).

Essentially, what I was trying to convey was the debunking of the rumor that EO would be returning to DL's Tomorrowland in early 2010...

Well, even the LATimes can't make up their mind as they posted 2 separate blog style posts about Captain EO- one saying that it definitely wasn't returning, while a few hours later saying wait, maybe it will be returning.

And just to further add to any speculation about announcements they are passing out 3D glasses to people in line for the Disney Parks/Resorts presentation to begin shortly...

;)

[Mufasa]

I will try to keep this thread updated as the keynote goes on- as long as the cell phone networks don't get overloaded as unlike the other keynotes phones and cameras are ok for the session.

[Meteora]

The new show for Disneyland CA sounds amazing...I've actually never been to Disneyland, and really want to go, but it's far from NY, and I am but a poor graduate student. However, this sounds like another reason to add it to my list of things I hope to do.

[Mufasa]

First stop in Jay Rasulo's tour through Disney Parks- Fantasyland. The WDW expansion is true with Fantasyland nearly doubling in size.

[Mufasa]

What to expect?

Dueling Dumbos, Princess meet & greet, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Little Mermaid Attraction for 2012

Rather than a typical queue, Dumbo will be interactive themed like a 3 ring circus

[Mufasa]

DVC Hawaii opens 2011. Guests will also experience retelling of stories of Hawaii (expo guests caught glimpse of this with Storytellers Sandbox) and film clip shown about Hawaii narrated by Imagineering's Joe Rohde

[Mufasa]

Now talking Hong Kong expansion with 3 new lands. First toy story land. Major new attraction Mystic Manor- trackless ride vehicle never same experience twice. Think the next generation Haunted Mansion (I will talk more about this later)

[Mufasa]

Jay briefly touched on new interactive experiences in parks being key

On to the Disneyland resort with first focus on California Adventure and Cars Land. Luigi's Flying Tires inspired by flying saucers attraction years ago

Expo attendees also treated to short sample of computer ride through model of Radiator Springs Racers as a tease.

[Mufasa]

Star Tours closing October 2010 in Disneyland as strormtroopers take the stage. Rasulo says will re-open 2014 as Darth Vader says must open in 2011.

And put on those 3d glasses now ;) (bet you thought they were for EO right?)

clip shown featured pod racing from Episode 1. All attendees to presentation get a Star Tours 2 poster.

[Mufasa]

And that is all- at least the major highlights. I will try to fill in some details when I have more time.

[TheVBs]

WOW!! Lots of great info. Thanks so much for passing it on. Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp dressed as Capt. Jack?! How cool. I am soooo jealous. :D Anybody have some pictures?

[Tink1]

Please let it look like this!


Nanc

[magicofdisney]

How cool. Would have liked to been a part of today's talks. Thanks for the update, Mufasa. :thumbsup:

[Melanie]

:notworth: :notworth: :notworth:

Thanks Mufasa...great info! :mickey:

[Melanie]

Little Mermaid Attraction Concept Art

[Dsnygirl]

Wow... amazing information... thanks for keeping us updated!! I love the stuff they're doing for Fantasyland... that is going to be amazing. Is 2012 the "finish date" for everything?

Thanks again for the updates!!

[Melanie]

Dumbo in Fantasyland Concept Art

[J9]

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!

Melanie, those artist renderings are GORGEOUS!

[Mufasa]

Just a few updates-

The new Fantasyland will open actually in two phases with the majority of the work to be completed by 2012. The new additions will be made while keeping as much of the existing Fantasyland areas open and unaffected during construction.

The Beast's Castle dining area will be CS during the day, table service at night and offer 3 dining areas. The largest room will be the ballroom, and there will also be a small wing off to the side that will also feature effects such as the changing portrait/rose that some may be familiar with from the Beast's library in the Sorcerer's Workshop in the Animation building at Disney's California Adventure.

Since Mickey's Toontown Fair will be taken out to make room for the Fantasyland additions, a lot of people are wondering about where they can meet Mickey and Friends. There are several ideas in the works at Imagineering for relocating those meet and greet areas to new location in the park but nothing ready to be discussed yet.

Now, on to Star Tours 2- as part of the update we're really looking to push new things into the attraction and working closely with George Lucas and his staff. The Star Tours company is always looking for exciting new destinations to visit so the podracing snippet shown at the expo should just be considered a tease of what is to come

[Mufasa]

To further elaborate on the Princess Meet & Greet experiences- we don't want it to just be line up and have your picture taken with the princesses and also make them family experiences.

Instead, you'll be able to visit with each of the princesses in their own fairy tale setting. For example a visit to Cinderella would be at her country chateau of her evil stepmother and before your eyes you'll actually witness the transformation from tattered clothes to her ball gown courtesy of the Fairy Godmother.

Then everyone is enlisted to help her prepare for the Royal ball either by dancing with her, or boys can train to be one of her knights.

For Sleeping Beauty's Aurora, the fairies are throwing a Sweet 16 surprise birthday party for her (since well, she didn't get to celebrate one).

With Belle, guests will be drafted to star in a retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast and perform it for Belle in the Beast's Library.

In addition to the Beast's Castle restaurant (aka Be Our Guest) there will also be Gaston's Tavern (quite an interior decorating assignment for Imagineering putting antlers everywhere).

The latter phase of the Fantasyland expansion will be Pixie Hollow- and as those stories develop there may be additional attractions that can be added to this area over time.

[Mufasa]

For Hong Kong Disneyland's expansion, a real highlight will be Mystic Manor. Now, a lot of people might look at it and think that it will be that park's version of the Haunted Mansion but there are some significant differences.

In a lot of asian cultures, ghosts and the idea of haunted figures, spirits and graveyards are treated differently so Imagineering had to develop a different storyline.

In this case, the year is 1908 and we encounter an explorer named Lord Henry Mystic. It ties in somewhat with the Explorer's Society that you would find at Tokyo DisneySea and Harrison Hightower, however where Hightower is somewhat of a dark figure, Mystic is more of just an eccentric collector and explorer.

Mystic has invited us to visit him in the jungle where he has housed a collection of artifacts he's collected as he's eager to share his latest acquisition- an enchanted box. Along the way we meet Albert, his companion monkey. So Mystic talks about the box and leaves us alone for a moment.

Well, Albert is curious with this box and so he opens it... and it turns out to be a Pandora's box of sorts and basically it winds up enchanting all the artifacts in the other rooms in the manor and come to life whether it's a music room where the instruments come alive, or a Mediterranean room as the statues come alive.

What is unique is the ride system- it is trackless (like the Honeypots used in Tokyo's Pooh ride system). So while you start out dispatched in groups of 4, midway through the attraction you split off and visit different rooms so each ride through will be unique. Eventually you all come back together in the Armory and as the name suggests, suits of armor come alive and swing at you as you swirl around unpredictably around the room.

Eventually it all culminates in the Chinese room where you encounter a statue of the (fittingly) Monkey King as things build up into a swirl of activity and poor Albert desperately wants to set things back and eventually somehow manages to where we encounter Mystic again.

Mystic comes back just in time of course oblivious to what we've encountered and invites us to return anytime as his honored guests.

[Mufasa]

For Carsland, the main focus is Radiator Springs Racers. There are lots of comparisons with Test Track and the attractions are similar in the length of the experience, and there are indoor and outdoor portions as part of the experience (where it all culminates in a high speed lap around Radiator Springs).

We're given a lot of the story behind how Radiator Springs got its name, and along the way we'll encounter some of the characters from Cars who prepare us for our racing lap (the brief pre-visualization clip shown at the Expo featured Luigi and Guido preparing us for the race with a last minute pep talk from Doc Hudson before we set out on our lap).

The most striking element of Cars Land simply is the size and scale of the addition to California Adventure. One of the nagging things about the park was that the city of Anaheim was just outside of the park's boundaries and visible from within- the entire layout of Cars Land and Radiator Springs will really isolate the park and make you forget that you're in Anaheim.

There will be lots of detailed settings from the film that make up the rest of the area like the Cozy Cone (serving up Quick Service) or Fillmore's Organic food/produce offerings and just as the film showed off the area, it will look even better at night.

[J9]

I found a video of today's announcement on youtube - it has some more great concept art. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08W5Os-Wnj0

(Mods - please remove if it is against TOS)

[Ian]

See, I'm the opposite- especially given that it's Robert Zemeckis behind the project (sorry, but not a fan of his motion capture process that he passes off as animation)- it's very cold and life-less on screen.

And really, do we need Yellow Submarine done over?Yeah, I know a lot of people are down on his "animated" stuff, but I can't help thinking of him as the Back to the Future guy.

But as far as needing it done over or not, my opinion is if it makes the Beatles more accessible and known among young kids then it's a good thing.


Since Mickey's Toontown Fair will be taken out to make room for the Fantasyland additions, a lot of people are wondering about where they can meet Mickey and Friends. There are several ideas in the works at Imagineering for relocating those meet and greet areas to new location in the park but nothing ready to be discussed yet.The article I read (from the Sentinel, maybe, so take it for what it is) said they were moving them to "the front of the park", which I took to mean that the Expo Hall rumors were true.

Overall, this is pretty amazing news and, I think, it goes to show that Disneymaybe isn't a lost cause just yet. If they do this right (and so far, it sounds like they're going to) this will be an entire re-invention of Fantasyland ... almost like getting a whole new park!

[Mufasa]

For those wondering about the Parks and Resorts exhibit on the Expo show floor- it is a major showcase of a lot of new technology being developed at Imagineering.

In addition to appearances by both Lucky the Dinosaur and WALL-E, we also have "Otto" which is what we consider an Autonomatronic character.

What does that mean? Autonomatronic? Otto is different from traditional animatronics in the sense that his responses aren't pre-programmed. Otto has cameras for visions (advanced facial recognition) and microphones and other sensors that allow him to carry on a conversation with guests and respond in a non pre-scripted way.

It is startling for Imagineers to stand back and watch because we're even not sure of how exactly Otto is going to respond at any given moment.

There's also something in the exhibit called the Storyteller's Sandbox- it is not easy to describe in words as video would be helpful but it is really something that has to be seen first-hand.

Basically, as the name suggests it is like a sandbox where an image is projected onto the surface. But it is interactive that as you mold and shape things, the projected image then changes and is used to help tell the story of the creation of the islands of Hawaii (so the storyteller and guests can push the sand together to form mountain peaks and then see as lava flows out and down the structure and interact with the presentation in real time as it's happening). So there is immediate visual and tactile feedback that is so much fun to play with and a lot of processing going on behind the scenes to have it all work together.

There's also a full-size mockup of Lightning McQueen that is able to talk and the eyes move- it involves projection as opposed to a mechanical effect but it is seamless where it leaves a lot of people wondering just how it's done.

[J9]

But as far as needing [Yellow Submarine] done over or not, my opinion is if it makes the Beatles more accessible and known among young kids then it's a good thing.

I just hope it's not scary. I remember having a friend in high school who was obsessed with Paul McCartney. I found a "Yellow Submarine" action figure of Paul that came with a blue looking furball with a big nose and bunny ears. I rented the video just to see what that thing was.....and I was scarred for life. It was absolutely frightening!!!

[magicofdisney]

If Toontown is out does that mean the train depot will be inactive for awhile? Also, will the removal of Toontown have any effect on the life expectancy of Toontown online?

[GrumpyFan]

The pictures and video look great! I can't wait to see this happen. Also, the Star Tours 2 announcement is equally exciting! Lots of good news here!

[Chescat]

Mufusa, were we sitting next to you in the Arena? We were by the cameras. :D

Which Star Tours poster did you get? Between 3 of us, we got Yoda, Darth Vader, and C3PO.

When we left tonight around 5:00, they were escorting Lassiter through the Celebrate area. We couldn't keep up with them, but got a side view picture. :blush:

[Lakin]

I am so excited! Too bad I'm too tired to read all the long plans.

Are the Fantasyland updates for Disney World or Disney Land?

[J9]

Are the Fantasyland updates for Disney World or Disney Land?

WDW!

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

I am so excited! Too bad I'm too tired to read all the long plans.

Are the Fantasyland updates for Disney World or Disney Land?

Disneyland's Fantasyland, while not nearly as massive as what WDW's project is going to be, is definitely leaps and bounds ahead of what WDW currently has in terms of aesthetics and number of attractions. Fantasyland is more clumped and more intimate at DL for sure, but it has a charm that the MK incarnation just never had.

[Mufasa]

Some of the items at the D23 Live Auction and what they went for:

First lot was a framed personal check signed by Walt Disney. It was endorsed to the Smoke Tree Ranch (Walt's Vacation Home in Palm Springs, California) and handwritten, signed and dated by Walt in 1943. Sold for $6,900

The big item of the night was Lot 39- a Peter Pan's Flight Attraction Ride Vehicle. Opening bids were $2,500 and the bidding was quick and intense and the final bid was $35,000.

Lot 23 was a Walt Disney Studios and Archives Tour with Dave Smith for the bidder and 1 guest. A personal tour of the Archives and Archives warehouse with Chief Archivist Dave Smith as your guide followed by lunch in the executive dining room, The Rotunda at the Studios Lot. Winning bid was $13,000.

A replica of the Hatbox Ghost from the Haunted Mansion (Lot 27) created by Disney artists Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily was another crowd favorite. It stands 5' 3" as a full scale replica and sold for $9,300.

Bidding was also spirited on Lot 21- the It's a Small World experience with Disney Legend Alice Davis which also included a visit with Alice to the Walt Disney Imagineering Library to learn about the costume design process for many of our attractions. Winning bid was $6,400

A few lots- a private Napa Rose cooking lesson for the bidder and 11 guests (along with 6 bottles of wine from John Lasseter's winery) and a painting based on Winnie the Pooh created by Disney Legend Peter Ellenshaw in 2002 entitled "Pooh Surrounded by Water" were among the items that failed to meet the minimum auction reserve.

And for those curious, the Dancing with the Stars VIP experience went for $4,300 and a costume from Hannah Montana along with a copy of a shooting script was $2,000 (seriously?)

[Mufasa]

Mufusa, were we sitting next to you in the Arena? We were by the cameras. :D

Which Star Tours poster did you get? Between 3 of us, we got Yoda, Darth Vader, and C3PO.


Hmm, I could possibly have been sitting near you but chances are better than I probably ran into you somewhere on the Expo floor.

As for the poster, at the Arena I got the Darth Vader poster, but practically have my choice of any of the available ones (personally I like the Vader one)

And I did like Vader's interaction with Jay Rasulo... if only we could have him around to use his Jedi mind tricks more often

*waving hand* this is the budget you want to approve

[2Epcot]

I was there Friday and really enjoyed the World of Color presentation ... That looks to be an amazing show. I'm also very excited about Mystic Manor after looking at the models and drawings. I can't wait to go back to Hong Kong and see this when it's opened.

The Parks & Resorts exhibit was really well done from the pre-show to the way everything was laid out. It was also great to talk to the Imagineers that were there. I talked to Kevin Rafferty who is one of the principal Imagineers on the new Radiator Springs Racer attraction for California Adventure. This is another attraction I'm very excited about.

I only had time to spend one day at D23, but made the most of it, and had a great time.

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

Also, will the removal of Toontown have any effect on the life expectancy of Toontown online?

Doubtful. Disneyland will still have Toontown, and in a far superior incarnation than they ever had at MK I might add.

[J9]

Here is some of the additional fantasyland concept art that was shown at d23 (screencapped from the presentation):


http://fantasylandexpansionconceptartd2.shutterfly.com/26

I am particularly excited about the new restaurant!!!

[beksy]

Janine,
Thanks for posting the pictures. They look awesome! I'm so excited, especially for Beauty and the Beast!

[J9]

Here's a liveblog from inside the John Lasseter presentation going on right now:

http://twitter.com/disneypictures

[magicofdisney]

How cool were those auctions? I wonder if you can incorporate the Peter Pan ride vehicle into livingroom decor? :mickey: Might be better fitted in a rump, er rumpus, room.

[PirateLover]

Muppet Info (This makes me so happy!):gonzo::kermit::fozzie::animal:

In addition to the announcement of "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made," I found the following list of things that are in the work for our wacky friends:

# A brand new online Muppet cooking show with TV chef Cat Cora. (Presumably on Muppets.com.) Coming THIS Fall.
# More Muppet YouTube videos to hit the web in 2010. Including Muppet versions of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," Kansas' "Dust in the Wind," and "Stand By Me."
# Muppet Halloween Special slated for next year.
# The Muppets will appear on Andrea Boccelli's Christmas special THIS Christmas on PBS.
# Muppet*Vision 3D in Walt Disney World and Disneyland will be receiving an overhaul in Disney Digital 3D. Currently billed as Muppet*Vision 3D Remastered.
# Steiff plush of Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie coming soon.
# New line of Muppet merchandise coming to the Disney Store.
# More Muppet TV cameos and appearances coming next year.
# Muppet iPhone applications planned for 2010. Applications include, "Pepe's Love Meter," "Animal's Drum Set," "Gonzo Grams," and a movie application featuring Statler and Waldorf.
# Statler and Waldorf will be writing a book due out next year.
# Studio DC: Almost Live! on DVD in 2010.
# The Muppet Show: Season 4 on DVD in 2010. Gonzo will be on the cover.
# "Mobile Electric Mayhem Band" coming to Disney parks as part of Disney's "Living Character Initiative."
# New line of Muppet merchandise launches next year. Macy's is rumored to be the new licensing partner.
# The Muppet Whatnot Workshop will have branches in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. New Whatnots with facial hair and "monster fur" are expected.
# Weezer to record "Rainbow Connection" with the Muppets for a CD due out next year.

[acetate]

I thought there was supposed to be some unveiling of the new Disney Store remodels at the Expo. Any news about the stores from D23 ?

[jenny1976]

That Star Tours II, will be in Disneyland only? Are there any other plans aside from the MK Fantasyland Refurb? (DHS, EPCOT,AK, Aventureland, Tomorowland, Frontierland) I am dying to know!!!!!!!!!

[Jeff G]

Thanks Mufasa and everyone else for the outstanding updates and the conceptual art!!!

The updates to Fanatasyland sound amazing. The Princess interactions sound so much better than a meet and greet. The announced renovations sound better than I was expecting and as mentioned earlier, it's almost like getting a whole new park.

Was it mentioned if Star Tours 2 planned for DHS as well?

[Ian]

Was it mentioned if Star Tours 2 planned for DHS as well?Yes it is.

[Jeff G]

Yes it is.

Outstanding!

[GrumpyFan]

While it's good to seem them doing something with MK by giving it a whole new makeover, I wonder if they'll just destroy/trash Mickey and Minnie's houses? It would be nice to see them at least try and preserve them in some way. Move them over to the backlot or what's left of it at DHS, or make them fixtures at Downtown Disney, or auction them off in whole or in pieces, but don't just tear them down, PLEASE!!!

[Ian]

Everything I've seen has indicated that the current Mickey/Minnie houses are going to be razed to make way for the new attractions.

Rumors are Mickey and Minnie will be moving "to the front of the park" ... whatever that means.

[GrumpyFan]

Everything I've seen has indicated that the current Mickey/Minnie houses are going to be razed to make way for the new attractions.

Rumors are Mickey and Minnie will be moving "to the front of the park" ... whatever that means.

Yeah, I've heard that too. It's not that I think the houses are anything special or great, because really they're not, they're kinda shabby. But, I like the idea or concept of having Mickey and Minnie's houses somewhere on property, even if they re-built them in a different style.

[magicofdisney]

Yeah, I've heard that too. It's not that I think the houses are anything special or great, because really they're not, they're kinda shabby. But, I like the idea or concept of having Mickey and Minnie's houses somewhere on property, even if they re-built them in a different style.

I love their houses (when maintenance is on top of upkeep) and I'd LOVE the idea of having Mickey's house in my backyard!

Not sure my HOA (or my budget) would approve it, though. :mickey:

[meldan98]

I attended the Expo and thought it was wonderful! I think we were all sitting pretty close together at the Arena events. We were in row 3 on Thursday and Friday, row 2 on Saturday and row 1 on Sunday. My friends made the D23 Expo blog day 1. We also were in the photo on the blog for day 4. I had so much fun and made so many new friends. I can't wait for next year.