News / It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends

Remember back in July 2006? One of the first articles published on a little site called DLRP Today revealed the hotly-anticipated visuals and brochure covers for the 15th Anniversary Celebration. Now, at the start of a brand new year, let’s do it all over again!

Key Visual

The visual we’ll be seeing most of all throughout Mickey’s Magical Party is that below, showing Mickey reaching out to you with an invitation as Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip ‘n’ Dale and Stitch dance beside him…

“Is that really Stitch?”, you ask? Well, it’s meant to be. The characters in these first two visuals are designed to be half-way between the real in-park characters — which often don’t actually look too good in the glare of a key visual — and the kind of 2D illustrations we saw through most of the 15th Anniversary graphics — which might not be considered “real” enough.

With a blue sky overhead, the red text of the celebration’s logo contrasts nicely, as do the carefully-selected palette of coloured balloons. Even Main Street’s lampposts have turned a yellowy-gold for the occasion, but don’t expect that to happen for real.

Second Visual

The second visual is really just a variation on the first, with a more dramatic, firework-filled sky and balloons surrounding the entire visual. You’ll spot this one being used more for posters and other advertisements.

The invite inside the envelope will usually read “You’re Invited…”, but in all these visuals the envelope is left blank, to be filled in in whichever language is required.

Brochure Covers

That’s also true of this next set of visuals, not published online anywhere before, which will be used as travel operator brochure covers throughout the celebration.

The style is more than a little reminiscent of the original 15th Anniversary brochure covers, replacing candles with balloons and introducing some rather rare characters, not usually chosen for these kinds of visuals. There are so many different variations, in fact, that it’ll be interesting to see just how many different brochure covers can be collected through the year.

If you can’t wait to collect them, here’s the exclusive full set:

Mickey & Tinker Bell / Mickey & Minnie / Mickey & Pluto

Mickey & Goofy / Mickey & Donald / Mickey & Chip ‘n’ Dale

Lilo & Stitch / Seven Dwarfs / Mickey & White Rabbit

Mickey & Genie / Timon & Rafiki / Pinocchio

Mickey & Dumbo / Baloo, King Louie & Mickey / Mr Smee & Captain Hook

Robin Hood & Prince John

Lilo & Stitch… The Jungle Book… Genie… Robin Hood..?! The guest list for this party is pretty impressive indeed. But still note — not a single Pixar character in sight!

All visuals © Disney.

Partly a commemoration of the mouse himself hitting 80 years old, partly another excuse to decorate the park and introduce some brand new entertainment, Mickey’s Magical Party will be a brand new year-long event taking over both parks and introducing new decorations, new shows, a new parade-event and a whole new attraction.

The theme is bright — balloons, characters and colour — and fully intended to feel as fresh and new as possible after the two, more nostalgic, years celebrating the 15th Anniversary.

The Logo

So let’s begin, with the logo:

The balloon theme will never be far away this year, at least in the resort’s advertising, with the colour of red seeming to be a obvious replacement for the copious amounts of blue we’ve seen during the 15th.

A second logo has also been produced, featuring Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto bursting out from a circular Castle background:

The logos themselves are quite deceptive, however — the “Candy Script” font chosen is inspired by South America — brush-like and quite classical — unlike the proposed events themselves…

The Events

Surprisingly, it’s Walt Disney Studios Park that will once again steal the show, enjoying the launch of both a new attraction and a new parade/event (which you’ll know by now) — whilst, over the esplanade, Disneyland Park has to make up its own party games:

• Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars
The renamed and reworked Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade from Florida finally opens in Paris as part of the event. As we’ve reported previously, it likely won’t run as a parade but as a series of drive-in meet ‘n’ greets and photo shoots. (More news…)

• Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage!
Currently being fitted out right next to Stitch Live! in the Walt Disney Television Studios building and classed as a full new attraction, this will be a live puppet show for the younger audience, featuring Handy Manny, Little Einsteins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and My Friends Tigger & Pooh. (More news…)

• It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends
Here we come to the key event of the party, a daytime show on a rebuilt Central Plaza Stage that aims to get the entire audience dancing along with characters from The Jungle Book and Aladdin in particular. (More news…)

• Minnie’s Party Train
You might recognise this one, just a little. It’s the Disney Characters’ Express in a new polka-dot guise, still travelling between Main Street and Central Plaza with its trainload of Disney characters. (More news…)

• It’s Dance Time… in Discoveryland
Jules Verne won’t know what hit him — Stitch is due to roll into Discoveryland atop a moving podium of DJ decks, “pumping out tunes” and encouraging everyone to dance along using special coloured dance mats. (More news…)

Look out for much more in-depth news and features about all these events — and the party itself — on DLRP Today every day from now until the official launch.

The Launch Date

Speaking of which — when does Mickey’s Magical Party really launch? The UK brochure states Friday, 3rd April 2009, whilst other official publications state the Saturday — 4th April. Those are the official launch dates, then there’s the actual launch, the press preview, when these events really begin rolling into the parks — which seems to be set on Saturday, 28th March 2009.

Watch this space…