Do you remember Walt Disney Studios Park’s first parade? It had rollerskates and everything! Continue reading “And now… Disney Cinema Parade”
Tag: Throwback Thursday
Four new photo albums from 2009’s Mickey’s Magical Party have been added to our Disneyland Park entertainment archives. Continue reading “Mickey’s Magical Party at Disneyland Park (2009)”
Both the Main Street Transportation Building and Boardwalk Candy Palace are currently being refurbished. Recently a themed scrim was placed over the scaffolding so that it blends in with the rest of the Main Street, U.S.A. buildings.
Fans praised Disneyland Paris for doing this, but did you know this isn’t the first themed scaffolding at the resort? There have been quite a few the past years. Check out these photos from our archives:
Now that Ratatouille: The Adventure is officially open for all guests it’s time to take a look back at how that area looked like before La Place de Rémy in all its beauty was build in that corner of Toon Studio.
This is the plot of land where Toy Story Playland has been build. The costuming building can be seen in the background. This is where La Place de Rémy is build.
The trees on the right were removed to make way for Toy Story Playland and La Place de Rémy.
Part of the original version of Studio Tram Tour Behind the Magic featured a look inside the Disneyland Paris costuming department. Guests could see Cast Members working on park costumes behind glass windows. The workshop was eventually cleared and moved to another location. The space is now partly used for the area’s restrooms.
When Toy Story Playland opened in the summer of 2010 it was now possible to look over the blue construction fences.
As part of the Toy Story Playland expansion, the first theming appeared on the street running next to the costuming building, which was temporary repainted and a Studio sign added to its façade.
Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade originally premiered on 31 March 2007 for the 15th Anniversary celebrations. It featured 8 units with Disney and Pixar characters representing 7 different dreams: Imagination, Laughter and Fun, Friendship, Fantasy, Power and Romance. Each float was equipped with a special scent that matched the theme. For example the Villains float smelled like sulphur, while the Pinocchio float smelled like varnish.
The music was different for every float and was made out of short music pieces bridged together by the Once Upon a Dream jingle. A show stop was performed as well and ended each time with a blast of streamers. The prestigious Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London performed the score led by Steve Sidwell.
During its operating years the parade saw a few changes. Puppeteers and stilt walkers disappeared and Maleficent was removed from her float for a brief time after a serious incident in 2010 when the character fell off the float. In 2009 Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen were added to the Dreams of Romance unit. Halloween and Christmas units were also added over the course of time.
Disney’s Once Upon a Dream lasted in its original form until March 2012 when it was converted into Disney Magic on Parade. A few of the original floats where kept, others where changed completely like the Dreams of Romance and Imagination floats.
There are 70+ pictures of Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade in our gallery! Check them out here.
Walt Disney Studios Park guests can now visit the main star of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 inside Disney’s Blockbuster Cafe as part of a promotion for the movie. But did you know that a couple of years ago a similar event took place for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe?
Right across Disney Blockbuster Cafe sits a large photo location themed to an ice cavern but without any notion why it’s there. Actually about 9 years ago this was the setting for a meet ‘n’ greet with the villain of the Walden Media and Disney produced movie: the White Witch or the Queen of Narnia as she calls herself.
The character meet ‘n’ greet lasted until the movie was released. All signs referring to The Chronicles of Narnia were removed a couple of years later when Disney decided to drop the franchise.
Did you ever meet the Queen of Narnia?
When The Legend of the Lion King opened in 2004, statues of wild animals wearing clothes and behaving like people were placed at the entrance of Discoveryland, pointing to Videopolis where the show was playing.
Inside the restaurant part of Videpolis, more statues where placed which depicted animals carrying their meal order or eating it from a table.
The statues remained for more than a year before finally being removed with the exception of the main logo.
Winnie the Pooh and Friends Too was a character show for the little ones based on the adventures of the silly old bear. It was first performed outdoors on Royal Castle Stage and after a hiatus of a few years, the show popped up in Fantasyland Festival Stage (which now houses Meet Mickey Mouse).
For the Christmas Season of 2006, the story of the show was updated with a seasonal make-over.
During the Christmas Season of 2007, a Christmas Tree appeared for the first time in Walt Disney Studios Park.
It didn’t look anything like the Disneyland Park Tree though and it wasn’t a big centrepiece either, quite literally as it was placed off balance in between Production Courtyard Stage and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Over the years the Tree did return on various locations, last year it was placed in front of Disney Studio 1 on Place des Frères Lumière. However it didn’t return this year.
The XTRM Snow Festival was a special event in Disney Village on 27 November 2004. Professional snowboards could participate to qualify for a ticket to the Ride Pro Snowboarding Tour. The winner of the event would qualify directly to the famous Artic Challenge competition.
For all this, a large snowboard ramp was build on the grass perk between Disney Village and Disney’s Newport Bay Club.
Around the ramp there were some “après-ski” huts offering hot drinks, Corona beer,and Billabong sports wear.
The Swing Along Santas were an a cappella group dressed as Santa Clauses, singing live famous Christmas Songs during the Christmas Season of 2005.
They were joined by Goofy dressed as a white Santa Clause who was “conducting” this little streetmosphere show on Place des Stars.
Back in 2004 there was a meet-n-greet opportunity with Santa Clause nearby Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show Spectacular! Not so special if it weren’t for the unique backdrop that was chosen!
Santa was meeting in front of “his” Monster Truck that just crashed onto a police car.
Do you remember meeting Santa Clause here?
Photos Magiques 