News / Walt Disney Studios Park

It can be said a thousand times more — stepping out of Disney Studio 1 to see the Hollywood placemaking couldn’t be a more different view to the lone Studio Tram Tour billboard if they tried…

Last October, fans were well prepared for a Tower of Terror sans area development, standing alone at the heart of the park. Luckily, someone stood up and dared to suggest — “shouldn’t we try to squeeze a little more budget?”, and as if by magic, less than one year later, the Hollywood hills have arrived…

The first piece of the boulevard’s “backdrop” stands on the exact location of the old Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic entrance, using a design identical to the ‘Cadillac Range’ backdrop at Cars Quatre Roues Rallye to hold its vision of lush green vegetation, two palm trees standing either side of the tunnel below.

The tunnel, even, has turned out to be rather a surprise. Not at all in the two-dimensional style expected by most, it’s a fully-sculpted 3D entrance with details at its centre matching those of the new Hollywood buildings enclosing La Terrasse.

The more two-dimensional developments also have their details, above the three separate signs placed on what can now be considered a hotel, department store and apartments building. As mentioned previously, Los Feliz was the location of the very first Disney Bros Studio, whilst Larchmont and Ivar have no clear connection to Disney but are certainly well-known Hollywood names.

The above photos from 6th October 2007, jump forward to this weekend just passed — Sunday 14th October to be precise — and the Hollywood hills are looking very much complete:

Photo: Kyoto, Disneymagicinteractive.com

The hills appear very true to their real-life form, relatively flat on top with a small collection of trees to the left of the Hollywood sign. The hills, combined with the forced perspective of the buildings, certainly have a distant, towering effect on the development, bridging the gap between both sides of the street and closing off the rear of the park. From its hub, the park now immediately feels far more enclosed.

Photo: Kyoto, Disneymagicinteractive.com

Looking closer at the hills, your eyes may take some time to decide whether the four/five elements here are indeed flat backdrops or actually real. Without the fake blue skies of the backdrops seen at Disney’s California Adventure, or the hand-painted style of many Disney-MGM Studios backdrops, the Hollywood hills appear more photo-realistic, again matching the qualities of the Cars background.

Photo: EricLovesTZTOT, Disneycentralplaza.com

Stepping to the far side of the street starts to break the illusion the series of elaborate sets gives. The photo above is the first to show the hills together with the tunnel entrance, this portion of the boulevard appearing to thankfully have just the right balance between three dimensions and two. Notice also the forced-perspective awning of the Los Feliz Hotel, which extends into the street a little.

Now, what’s going on elsewhere on the boulevard?

Well, Paris’ version of DCA’s “Off the Page” store entrance has a completed facade and work now starting on its inner archway. The completely redesigned new version of MGM’s “Sweet Success” facade appears the same as our previous update (at least above the fences), with no signage yet. Progress can, however, be seen at that old favourite — La Terrasse — where, finally, a colour scheme appears to have been settled upon, grey with brighter turqoise/green details.

Photo: Kyoto, Disneymagicinteractive.com

The facade of “Gone Hollywood” should become a popular new icon and photo location for the park, realised in full 3D and now moving ahead fast with turquoise art deco details and brown window framings. The park’s new version of DCA’s “La Brea Carpets” set is currently covered in scaffolding and tarp, like much of “Gone Hollywood”, making progress checks a little hard at this point.

Finally, an important new detail which sprang up relatively unnoticed — the new home of the park’s tips board! It’s due to be a wooden/concrete canopy with tiled roof almost identical to the tips board shelter at Disney-MGM Studios. The basic framework and roof is already in place, as seen above. The park’s recently-updated art deco tips board will simply be moved across to sit underneath this new Californian-styled structure.

Photos with great thanks to Kyoto, EricLovesTZTOT and Photos Magiques.

Our friends at Photos Magiques bring us the latest photos from The Hollywood Tower Hotel…

From outside Walt Disney Studios Park, the view we’ve waited over five years to see is finally there. “The Hollywood Tower Hotel” looming on the horizon, partnered with the Earffel Tower.

The neon signage was installed back in July, before “The Hollywood Tower” was turned to sit in its final position in September. It was only last Thursday, 4th October 2007, that the final word — “Hotel” — was turned and the Tower officially christened.

This hasn’t been the only signage to be completed on the exterior. Back at ground level, next to the developing Hollywood Boulevard, the Fastpass structure was recently completed with all its art deco details and classicaly-styled “Fastpass Tickets” text. Coinciding well with the refurbishment of all the Fastpass machines at Disneyland Park, the Tower’s are set to be themed as piles of luggage, as in California.

The entire exterior of the attraction above ground level is now pretty much complete. Scaffolding has been entirely removed since the signage and purple “lightning blast” was completed. As it turns out, the purple paint effect appears just as intense as its Californian sister, despite early appearances suggesting it may be a little less heavy.

Work now continues around the ground level developments of the faux hotel complex, not to mention on the heavy detailing which is going into the interior — as with parts of the exterior, early word suggests much of the themeing has been completed to a higher standard than the budget-tightened Californian version.

The final balconies have been installed on the front of the hotel, paintwork completed around the entrance and Tower Hotel Gifts boutique, and — most noticable of all — landscaping has begun behind the fences…

At the heart of the park and with more space and money to work with than at Disney’s California Adventure, the gardens and greenery surrounding the Parisian version of the attraction are already much more developed and expansive. The area to the left of the attraction which was previously an empty grass lawn has been absorbed into the hotel grounds and filled with conifer trees similar to those found throughout the real Hollywood Hills of California.

Last, but most certainly not least — testing has begun. The sight which Disney fans in Anaheim enjoyed for countless months in early 2004 has finally arrived in Paris — the very first elevator drops, taking place throughout the day. Spend a while in Production Courtyard and you might just notice the doors on the front of the hotel “ping” open and a doomed elevator car plunge into the Twilight Zone.

A french fan, ice0ice, posted the following video on Dailymotion:

Ladies and gentlemen, the Tower of Terror is here.

All photos by Photos Magiques; dated 6th October 2007. Video by ice0ice.

The online poll, which ran for several weeks in the middle of June this year, asked visitors to the official Disneyland Resort Paris website to decide on a final name for Stitch Encounter, a “living character” attraction already open at Hong Kong Disneyland. The original name of Stitch Encounter was never an option, however, no doubt cast aside due to language understanding and similaries to Stitch’s Great Escape at Walt Disney World (which, confusingly for some, replaced the attraction Alien Encounter).

The three nominees in its place were, in no particular order — ‘Stitch’, ‘Stitch Live’ or ‘Stitch Interactive’.

And we can reveal the winner is…. ‘Stitch Live‘!

Visual from Hong Kong to be used for Paris promotions.

The announcement comes from the latest Thomas Cook UK holiday brochure for Disneyland Resort Paris, covering the Spring 2008 season, with thanks to The Butlin Boy on magicforum for confirmation. The name is written here simply as “Stitch Live”, with no extra punctuation such as “Stitch: Live” or “Stitch Live!”.

The attraction replaces the TV Production Tour at Walt Disney Television Studios, using the same queue and pre-show room with the actual performance theatre and giant screen housed in the central production stage, formerly featuring an ‘Art Attack’ theme. The interactive post-show of Disney Channel-themed games is expected to return. Hinted in the official 2008 holiday brochure, it is now confirmed that the “story” of the attraction will indeed see guests enter Disney Channel Studios to interview Stitch via a live satellite link-up with outer space.

Whilst the original ‘Early 2008’ opening date was changed to ‘January 2008’ in June this year, newer park maps and marketing materials have since returned the attraction to an unspecific ‘Early 2008’.

This latest Thomas Cook brochure, which uses information provided directly by Disney, confirms an official opening date of March 2008. However, as with other “living character” attractions, a long “soft opening” period before an official inauguration takes place is likely, allowing the Cast Members and Stitch voice artists to refine their important roles.

Our recent ‘Take a tour of Hollywood Boulevard‘ article began with the following photo, the view which has become familiar to guests exiting Disney Studio 1 during the construction of Hollywood Boulevard.

These themed movie sets in all shapes and sizes lay hidden beyond a screen of trees surrounding the Partners Statue of Disney Bros Plaza, no doubt giving the area an extra sense of exploration, but not quite right for the panoramic view a classic boulevard requires…

Disney Bros. Plaza in late August

And so, Walt Disney Studios Park proudly presents… an unobstructed boulevard.

Photo: Grandmath, Disney Central Plaza forum

Just three trees have been removed from the plaza, two either side of the statue and one to the left of the hub, but in doing so the Imagineers have opened up a full panorama beyond the movie can-styled planter to show the full length of Hollywood Boulevard and its forced perspective horizon.

Whilst the newly-opened view is an impressive, more detailed sequal to that seen inside Disney Studio 1, several remnants from the original 2002 infrastructure remain oddly in-focus to possibly detract from the progress — most notably the two large blue lamposts and the silver “lighting rig” parade route pole. Seeing the lamposts and parade route accessories planned out on the latest concept art for the project, there’s no doubt Disney Bros Plaza would benefit greatly from an extension of these.

Photo: Grandmath, Disney Central Plaza forum

Replacing the three trees temporarily are a series of medium-sized shrubs, likely taken from the resort hub, sitting on wooden panels to cover the metal grilles where the trees were rooted. More permanent planting of some kind should take their place before the boulevard’s completion.

Beyond Disney Bros Plaza it’s the right-hand side of the street which has seen the most advances in recent days, with the department store/apartment block’s backdrop set climbing to completion in a matter of days. Despite being modelled on an almost entirely two-dimensional steel frame, the Imagineers’ famed forced perspective has worked its magic for a quite believable effect.

Photo: DisneyActu blog

Captured perfectly by the French DisneyActu blog, above, the boulevard is really beginning to provide an impressive panorama to guests entering the park now, adding an important feel of a closed environment in a way the smaller Studio Tram Tour billboard failed. With the white steel framework where the billboard once stood now built to its new height, the next major step should see the Hollywood Hills towering, distantly, between the El Capitan and Broadway Building at the end.

Photo: Disneytheque.com

Like the First National Bank and El Capitan, the Broadway Building (from the juntion of Hollywood & Vine in the real Hollywood) can also boast more of a “2.5-D” façade, completed with separate windows to the flat backdrop itself and an overhanging roofline with extra support details underneath.

Just in front, the Gone Hollywood storefront has been covered in scaffolding as work continues with drywall and preparations for the art deco details and neon lights still to come.

The Business Solutions (www.drpbusiness.com) department of Disneyland Resort Paris has long been a huge success for the resort, using its unique locations and high capacity venues to host countless themed events for internationally reknowned companies such as Ford and Microsoft.

Their best ideas (and no doubt the ones most fans wish they could experience) come in the form of special ‘Themed Evenings’, giving attendees entertainment, dining and attractions in select corners of the two Disney parks. Everything from ‘Captain Jack’s Treasure Hunt’ and ‘Witches of the Wild West’ to ‘Australian Crush Party’ and ‘Party on Sunset Boulevard’ can be organised.

So, it’s no surprise that the theme and story-rich Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is their latest (and from the sound of it, greatest) offer for a themed evening, now advertised across their website…

Clicking on the special advertisements, all featuring the bellhop who has proven so popular already with the French marketing department, takes you to a page in the latest Business Solutions e-newsletter, given a full Hollywood Tower Hotel theme and featuring a run-through of what the evening offers, against the backdrop of the full attraction Key Visual…

The text itself reads as follows:

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Dare to take the plunge… and reap the results!

The Hollywood Tower Hotel, which opens its doors in Walt Disney Studios® Park early in 2008, is no ordinary hotel. Don’t even think about spending a night here … you might be propelled into the Fourth Dimension, after plunging from the 13th floor!

When this magnificent Art Deco establishment was in its heyday it hosted the top society receptions and attracted the rich and famous … then, one stormy night, it was the scene of a mysterious accident, in which five people took an elevator ride and disappeared for ever…

Your guests will be invited to experience this journey for themselves in our new themed evening based on the latest attraction: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

They will be welcomed by a rather eerie lift attendant who will lead them to the elevator of this historic establishment and then, from the heights of the 13th floor, they will be plunged into the void and total darkness at astonishing speed … for a totally unforgettable experience!

To recover from their terrifying fall, guests will gather afterwards for a gala dinner accompanied by musicians playing jazz and film music from Hollywood’s golden age.
Calm returns, and the diners are diverted by a medium’s supernatural revelations, special effects and original entertainment.

But what’s that noise … there’s the rumble of another storm brewing … and maybe the lost victims of the Hollywood Tower Hotel are about make an appearance?

Are you ready to take the plunge?

From €110 per person excl. VAT, for groups of 150 to 320.

How does a night of exclusive Tower of Terror rides, jazz music and a gala dinner in Disney Studio 1 sound? Pretty unique, don’t you think? It seems all these new attractions and placemaking have benefits reaching far further than what the average guest notices as they wander the park.

The Business Solutions team must be quite taken with the Twilight Zone package — the page not only offers a themed background and enthusiastic text, but also a video commercial for the new attraction in both French and English. Whilst all of the footage will be instantly familiar to anyone who has ever seen the advertisements for the Florida and California versions, these videos both feature new voiceovers and new closing logos. The use of a more British accent, for example, might suggest that these videos — certainly their narration — could be used beyond the confines of the DLRP Business website.

English Version – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Find this on Dailymotion | on YouTube

French Version – La Tour de la Terrur, Un Saut dans la Quatrieme Dimension

Find this on Dailymotion | on YouTube

This second version of the commercial also features one of the first glimpses at the full French logo of the attraction. The in-park name, as already seen on the current tips board, will remain The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, with this lengthy French title used only for marketing, similar to Buzz L’Éclair Bataille Laser and Cars Race Rally, which were never used in-park.

Hopefully Disneyland Resort Paris will really mean business when they come to advertise the new attraction direct to the public, whether they use these exact adverts or not — but until then, who’s up for sharing these new commercials on YouTube and Dailymotion with a few friends, on blogs or on forums?

There’s nothing like word of mouth to start the thunder rolling…

All marketing materials, text and video © Disney.

Imagine if we’d have been told a year ago that Rendez-Vous des Stars Restaurant would relaunch with a buffet themed to rats — complete with themed costumes, new posters, plush toy decorations and descriptions of each dish with a picture of the key rat himself!

Well, that Pixar magic can do funny things to the public. Now, the unexpected addition of a light Ratatouille flavour to the park’s first all-you-can-eat buffet seems like a wonderful idea — not least considering the film’s huge success in France.

The changes took place literally overnight, with all the previous cafeteria menus being covered with Ratatouille-themed advertisements for the new buffet and various views from inside the kitchen of Gusteau’s, the restaurant featured in the film.

For the launch of the new buffet, Cast Members were given costumes a little similar to those seen at the Disneyland California pre-parade and the Ratatouille Big Cheese Tour, both promotional events in the US. It’s unknown whether this new buffet is part of a deal with Buena Vista International, Disney’s film distrubution arm, similar to the Cars and Ratatouille billboards and posters covering Disney Studio 1.

Have you tried the new buffet already? Take a moment to share your thoughts at our new partner site, DLRP Review, where in just a few clicks you can be given the magic wand to rate and review everything at Disneyland Resort Paris. Click here to rate the new buffet >>

Ratatouille is due for release in the UK (and several other European countries treated with slow service) in October, and is already being given a big marketing push by Rémy’s more mousy rodent friends.

All photos featured by Photos Magiques. See more here.

Sure, there was that original concept art revealed at the 1st April 2007 press presentation and posted exclusively online by our partner WDSfans.com, but, as we knew at the time, this was just one vision out of two for the Hollywood placemaking project — and it wasn’t chosen.

Whilst the original concept featured a large ‘Bank of Hollywood’, a reproduction of the Wiltern Theatre and a road leading directly to the front gate of The Hollywood Tower Hotel, it was already confirmed that La Terrasse would remain, Gone Hollywood would be on the place of the Wiltern and several more “pueblo deco”-style buildings would surround the Tower itself.

And now, at long last, we can see the true Imagineers’ vision of what awaits…

Click to see full-size without number key

The concept art was revealed just days after our ‘Take a tour of Hollywood Boulevard’ article was compiled, sent to Grandmath, admin of the Disney Central Plaza forum, but apparently available to see backstage for Cast Members for around one month already!

The concept art both confirms many of the expectations of the boulevard, built up through rumours over past months, and reveals new secrets of the under-construction project. The immediate impression when compared to the original concept is that the chosen plan features a larger spread and variety of buildings, a horizon/backdrop which is much more dimensional and layered and, most noticably, a greater amount of detail concerning the street-level “accessories” of the development. Certainly an impressive vision, the concept as seen here does not even appear to be the complete panorama, however, missing the far-left “Sweet Success” building and the far-right “Gone Hollywood” storefront.

Beginning on the far right, the Argyle Building (No.1) appears almost identical to its Disney’s California Adventure (DCA) original, though no sign of the “Ben Hair” barbershop gag in its window. Next, the long, three-story La Brea Carpets façade (No.2) has clearly had some alterations, the two arched patio doors on its right replaced with a closed square window and the two doors on its left now without doors, appearing to lead straight into La Terrasse behind. DCA’s tigerprint awnings above the doors have thankfully been replaced with ornate windows, similar to those on the park entrance gate. The signage (No.4) on the building appears identical to DCA, but we’re promised at least one of the two will now read “La Terrasse”.

The park’s Tips Board (No.3) makes a move to Hollywood as expected, positioned underneath a new pueblo deco canopy which bears more than a slight resemblance to that at Disney-MGM Studios. Towards the Hollywood Hills, we can now see that the expected First National Bank and Broadway Building aren’t the only sets to sit either side of the Hollywood Hills. A forced perspective of the Disney-owned El Capitan is featured (No.5) along with at least two other locations on the opposite side (No.7). The Broadway Building even features a new neon billboard atop its roof.

A major change when compared to the previous concept comes with the Hollywood Hills (No.6). Obviously wiser from their experience with Hollywood Pictures Backlot at DCA, the backdrop features no sky whatsoever — only the hills themselves are featured, similar in style to the recent (and successful) Toon Town Hills backdrop at Toon Studio. The tunnel is also featured, and the hills themselves appear to be split into two separate layers.

Those street-level details also improve greatly upon the past concept, from towering palm trees (No.8) lining the street to lamposts (No.10) matching those around Tower of Terror and, most surprising, a complete replacement for the old silver “lighting rig” parade poles (No.11). The first of the controversial towers to be replaced, they now look scheduled to become more ornate green pylons carring more refined speakers and lighting similar to Central Plaza in Disneyland Park.

Finally, continuing the park’s run of bad luck when it comes to fountains, the raised corner of the street now seems to be for a simple planter (No.9), rather than a much-needed splash of water. However, one final pleasing detail which can’t go overlooked is… Curbs! Sidewalks! At least the La Terrasse area now appears to be raised above ground level, practically a first in the entire park and an important step in continuing to remove the “built in a field of flat asphalt” feel the 2002 park occasionally had.

The Hollywood that only existed in our thoughts is now finally there, for all to see.

Photos compiled late August 2007, click to enlarge.

This article could begin with a line such as “When you step outside the doors of Disney Studio 1, the full effect the Tower of Terror and its associated placemaking gives an instant ‘wow’ for the size of this project.”

In fact, when you step outside the doors of Disney Studio 1 during Summer months, a ‘wow’ is still there, but the plentiful green trees block out much of the new scenery, hiding the new locations and giving The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror an even more towering presence.

Where once Disney Bros. Plaza provided the uninspiring panorama of an empty space, Studio Tram Tour billboard and yellow Art of Disney Animation, the glorious little courtyard is now surrounded by the details of the placemaking and the colour of Toon Studio. With his back to Hollywood, Walt points to Disney Studio 1, inspired by his own Hyperion Studio, as if to say to Mickey “look what we acheived here.”

Through the early morning fog, the Tower nestles comfortably behind the La Brea Carpets façade, lost and forgotten in the backstreets of Hollywood. When 2007 began, most expected the only development between the plaza and the Tower to be the old La Terrasse. The Tower would have sat alone as a lonely beacon of theme and story…

The view along this miniaturised Hollywood Boulevard is certainly still reminiscent of the early-2000s era of Imagineering — the picture-postcard entrance of Disney’s California Adventure, and the Hollywood Pictures Backlot of that same park. However, with real, three-dimensional sets in the foreground, the chance for a little “exploration” is still there.

But who said the sets and buildings closer to the backdrop weren’t 3D? Whilst the brilliant colour and forced perspective effects on the First National Bank (above) make it hard to tell at this point what’s dimensional and what’s a flat backdrop, the teal tower and octagonal corners are certainly real. The windows are also recessed into the building and fitted with reflective plastic.

Details elsewhere are also far from fake. On the new version of California Adventure’s three-story La Brea Carpets façade, you’ll find window frames and even a wooden balcony door…

With its location right at the heart of Walt Disney Studios Park, the placemaking is also having an effect on various other views across the Studio landscape. We’ve spoken many times before on DLRP Today about how the Tower’s location at the centre of the park certainly takes some weight of thematic criticisms off the less exceptional buildings in the park, and with Hollywood Boulevard even more visual interest has been added, filling a vast void at the heart of the park.

The large use of yellow throughout the development constrasts strongly with the greys of Backlot and the blues of Toon Studio to finally separate the lands of Walt Disney Studios Park. It might sound a little like Imagineering for kids, but the effect is no different to the ochres of Frontierland or the greens of Adventureland.

And the development hasn’t just added to the park, either. Some of the original 2002 elements which never captured any fans are now gone for good. Case in point — the billboard of Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic, now pulled apart to a single rectangular length of white metal, waiting for its new life in the Hollywood Hills…

From Studio Tram Tour itself, the Hollywood sets have an impressive height, filling the gap between Disney Studio 1 and Tower of Terror.

From behind, the steel skeletons can still be seen clearly by those entering the temporary Studio Tram Tour queue. The steel was painted white after construction, unlike the rest of the developments where it remained a natural colour, suggesting that it may remain visible from somewhere within the park.

Also here is the framework for the tunnel which will fill the problematic “horizon point” of the forced perspective film set (see Hollywood Pictures Backlot, DCA) — check the video on Page 4 for a look at the framework.

The set of the fictional Gone Hollywood boutique may give some hope to those who would rather not see steel frames, since the rear of this building has now been covered in dry wall similar to that given to the buildings surrounding La Terrasse, enclosing its inner framework.

The square structure which extends above the height of the storefront will eventually be home to a brightly-coloured art deco clock, previously missing from the main section of the park.

Continued on Page 2, as we stroll back around to Production Courtyard…