Friday, March 10, 2017

More Amazing Video of Pandora : the World of Avatar !


Another great video of Pandora : the World of Avatar came at the end of the day during Nightline and James Cameron and Joe Rhode were back again to give a tour of Pandora to the ABC reporter. In this new video below you'll see more footage of the Na'vi River Journey, a bit more of the Flight of Passage ride and new shots showing the amazing Avatar land vegetation!











During a sequence of this new ABC video we enter inside the Flight of Passage ride and we can see a bit of the queue decor, but also the "decontamination process" through which guests will have to go to create also their own "avatar"...








...and also a row of seats on which guests will sit for the ride itself. WDWNT think HERE, from what producer Jon Landau is saying, that it will be a virtual reality ride but we can see clearly that they wear only 3D glasses and not a VR helmet, so i think that what Landau says doesn't mean necessarily that it will be a VR ride ...we'll know the truth in two months!







The picture that was leaked a few weeks ago was showing in fact a test seat. But on this other picture below you can see ( on the second floor ) the row of seats and, just as i thought, we can see that the "wall" that you see on the picture above in front of the ABC reporter and Jon Landau, is going up to reveal the screen.





Here is the video and have a closer look at the footage showing the Na'vi River Journey ride as you can see on the left, at the end of a panoramic shot, that they've included screens in the vegetation of the ride. Hope we won't notice them too much. One more thing: according to a review of a Screamscape reader HERE "the overall land is a bit smaller than what you might be expecting when you are actually inside, the quality of it all is just so over the top and authentic looking that you will be blown away".



Pictures and video: copyright Disney

Behind the Scenes Video of the Making-of of Disneyland Paris 25th Anniversary New Parade



Disneyland Paris released a short behind the scenes video of the making-of of DLP 25th Anniversary new parade as well as a the picture above of the impressive new "Nemo" float, which will be part of the 25th Anniversary parade.




Picture and video: copyright Disney

Thursday, March 9, 2017

More Details Released on Pandora : The World of Avatar

Disney released a new press release for Pandora : the World of Avatar, and here it is!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (March 9, 2017) – Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens May 27 at Walt Disney World Resort. The all-new land will immerse guests in a mystical world of massive floating mountains, bioluminescent rainforests and breathtaking new experiences.

The largest addition in the history of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Pandora carries on the park’s tradition of celebrating the intrinsic value of nature, transformation through adventure and a personal call to action

Based on Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron’s record-breaking box-office hit, AVATAR, the new land welcomes guests to the lush world of Pandora long after the human conflict with the native Na’vi inhabitants has ended. The dramatic daytime beauty of the land transforms to glow by night when bioluminescent flora and intricate nighttime experiences add a dreamlike quality to Pandora.

Pandora – The World of Avatar is a creative collaboration of Walt Disney Imagineering, Cameron and Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment. “We are taking our guests on a journey to this world in an experience that’s as realistic and immersive as possible,” says Joe Rohde, Walt Disney Imagineering portfolio creative executive. “In the movie, the world of Pandora is a setting for the action and characters whose story we follow. Here, guests are the primary characters immersed in an extremely vivid, authentic experience.”

Guests to Disney’s Animal Kingdom cross the park’s Discovery River into Pandora – The World of Avatar and continue along a winding rainforest path for their first glimpse of the land’s iconic floating mountains.

“When guests come across the bridge, they are transferred light-years away, to the Alpha-Centauri solar system and Pandora,” says Jon Landau, AVATAR producer, Lightstorm Entertainment. “It’s an otherworldly, fully-themed experience.”

As guests explore the verdant terrain sprawling beneath mountains that appear to float in the sky, they see waterfalls cascading down the mountainside into meandering streams and pools, and they discover two thrilling new expeditions: Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey.

Avatar Flight of Passage launches each guest on an exhilarating, wind-in-your-face experience on a winged mountain banshee over the awe-inspiring world of Pandora. Guests will actually feel the banshee breathe beneath them as they soar through the forest and past floating mountains. What was a rite of passage for Na’vi in Cameron’s film becomes a multisensory experience for guests seeking the ultimate adventure – a faceoff with the most feared predator of Pandora, the Great Leonopteryx.



On the family-friendly Na’vi River Journey, guests travel down a sacred river deep into a bioluminescent rainforest. The eight-seat reed boats float past exotic glowing plants and Pandoran creatures into the midst of a musical Na’vi ceremony. The mystical journey culminates in an encounter with a breathtakingly realistic Na’vi Shaman of Songs who is deeply connected with Pandora’s life force and sends positive energy through her music into the forest.



“The Pandora landscape will be alive with creatures,” Rohde says. “We’re bringing to life everything from the largest creature you might encounter to the most microscopic. Animals will appear out of the underbrush – big Pandoran animals will appear at the edge of the forest and you’ll hear the very complicated calls they issue back and forth.

The thriving Pandoran landscape conveys intrinsic park messages of the value of nature, transformation through adventure and conservation and stewardship.

The artful storytelling in Pandora continues as guests stop for sustenance at the land’s Satu’li Canteen (pronounced “Sa-too-lee”), a Quonset-hut-style building. The fast-casual restaurant is inspired the healthful bounty of Pandora – wholesome grains, fresh vegetables, and hearty proteins. Guests can grab a drink at nearby Pongu Pongu.

Windtraders is a shopper’s delight where guests can choose from Na’vi cultural items, toys, science kits and more.

Authenticity and realism were drivers in the creation of Pandora, and the result is a world beyond belief. “The attractions have very deliberate emotional moments crafted into them, the way a good story does, the way a good film does.” Rohde says. “It’s not as simple as just coming to a place that looks realistic. It’s a place that’s been deliberately imbued with the emotions of awe, of wonder, of respect, of harmony.”

Pictures: copyright Disney

All Day Previews of Pandora : the World of Avatar on ABC, New Videos of Pandora Valley of Mo’ara, Flight of Passage Ride, Na'vi River Journey Boat Ride, and more!



Big previews of Pandora : The World of Avatar today on ABC and the first preview happened during Good Morning America this morning. Here is the video below and don't miss the sequence of the ABC reporter and an Imagineer shot in the Flight of Passage ride!








The other preview aired during The View was with Whoopi Goldberg touring Pandora with James Cameron, and this one was even better with great footage of the impressive Pandora vegetation day and night...




















...and some even greater footage of the Na'vi River Journey boat ride which looks very promising!



















Pictures and video: copyright Disney

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Bob Iger Confirms at Disney Shareholders Meeting that Star Wars Land "E-Ticket" Ride Will Put Guests in the Middle of a Battle of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"


Disney is having its shareholders meeting today in Denver and, during it, it was revealed that one of the attractions the new "Star Wars land" at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Orlando will put visitors in the middle of a battle depicted in last year's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" . From the L.A Times:

"During a shareholder's meeting Wednesday, Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Iger described more details about the 14-acre expansion at each park:

Iger described the expansion as "jaw-dropping" and said it ( D&M: the E-Ticket ride ) will put visitors "in an epic battle between the first order and the rebel alliance."

Disney has released artist renderings of the new attractions, showing a wooded land, dotted with towering spires and domed buildings. The images resemble scenes from the "Rogue One" movie but, until now, Disney has refused to provide details about the project.

Construction of the new $1-billion expansion at Disneyland began in April and is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. It will feature two attractions, including a ride that lets visitors pilot the Millennium Falcon, the spaceship flown by Han Solo in the movies."

A first clip of the next Star Wars movie "The Last Jedi" was shown featuring Rey, Luke, Chewbacca, Leia Organa and  Finn.

Bob Iger then took the stage and announced that almost 8 million people have visited Shanghai Disneyland, which opened in June. He said Disney expects 10 million-plus visitors by the park's one-year anniversary.

Follow the news about this shareholders meeting on the L.A Times HERE.

Universal Orlando Reveal the Backstory of Volcano Bay



Universal Orlando just released this new video in which one of Universal creatives explain the Backstory of Volcano Bay - as, yes, believe it or not, there is a whole storyline for this new water park!




Video: copyright: Universal Orlando

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

New Walt Disney Imagineering Video Tells Us More About Pandora : The World of Avatar


Walt Disney Imagineering just shared another video on the construction of Pandora: The World of Avatar, which is set to open May 27, 2017. "In this video, several members of the Pandora project team explain just how important research has been in bringing Pandora – The World of Avatar to life. Culture plays a huge part in the park’s other lands, like Asia and Africa. Therefore, researching a realistic culture that would exist on Pandora has been a priority."




Picture and video: copyright Disney

Indiana Jones 5 Will Hit Theatres July 19, 2019 !



It's official: the Indiana Jones 5 will be released on July 19, 2019!
"Indiana Jones will return to the big screen on July 19, 2019, for a fifth epic adventure in the blockbuster series. Steven Spielberg, who directed all four previous films, will helm the as-yet-untitled project with star Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role. Franchise veterans Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce."

Picture: copyright Lucasfilm

Monday, March 6, 2017

Former WDI Imagineer Bob Baranick Plans 21 Acres Theme Park in North Carolina




Bob Baranick is a former Disney imagineer who helped to design Epcot, Disneyland Paris and popular attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain and the Haunted Mansion, and he is planning a theme park in North Carolina. Below, Bob Baranick at Epcot Innoventions and working on a theme park model.






"From The News and Observer: "The theme park will be named “Whirligig Woods” and will be located in Saxapahaw, in Adamance County, near the Haw River and it is planned to open as soon as 2019. Saxapahaw is about 20 miles west of Chapel Hill and about an hour from Raleigh. Bob Baranick, who is from Raleigh, has already purchased 21 acres for the park near Stockard Road and N.C. Highway 87."





"The “boutique” theme park will begin with a train ride and a few other attractions and will continue to grow in phases over the years, much the way the Disney parks have grown over the years. The park is a private endeavor, though, and won’t be a Disney park."









Other later additions could include a tree house resort and a haunted land. Above, a rendering for the "candy factory". He also has plans for two more parks in the state, though details on those had not yet been revealed."



"Baranick worked extensively on Disney attractions as an imagineer and has more than 40 years of themed entertainment design. He’s also worked on Paramount Parks, Warner Studios, Six Flags, Everland, Busch Enterntainment, Hershey’s and Universal Studios, among others. He’s consulted on projects around the world, including those in Turkey, China, Abu Dhabi and Korea."

Now, jump HERE to see a video of Bob Baranick talking about this Whirligig Woods theme park project and for those wishing more informations about Bob Baranick, go to bobbaranick.com

Pictures: copyright Bob Baranick