The only real announcement of any substance made at the Press Event over the last three days was the official confirmation that Disney-MGM Studios will be getting a new attraction – Toy Story Mania. Pretty much every other attraction talked about was already known/confirmed to open. It’s true that Disney-MGM needs a new attraction and… Read More »Toy Story Mania, some details confirmed
Over at IMDB they’re hosting a trailer (trailer 2) for Pixar’s upcoming release Ratatouille. It’s just a rough animation and doesn’t reveal any plot spoilers, so feel free to view it (if you can view windows media or real media). It features the rat named Emile doing a magic trick with some cheese. Very cute,… Read More »Ratatouille Rough Animation Test
If Casino’s are the playgrounds of Las Vegas, the theme parks are the Orlando equivalents. A few years back when the Palms casino opened it had the unique feature of having a Tattoo Parlor located right off the casino floor. Now, the trend has made it to Orlando with a tattoo parlor opening right on… Read More »Orlando moves one step closer to Las Vegas
Update: Three more photos added on 10/31/07 and Four more photos added on 1/24/08 and one more on 4/25/08. Three more photos added on 3/3/11 featuring Olivia Wilde, Penelope Cruz, Jeff Bridges, and more.
At the request (and paycheck) of Disney, Annie Leibovitz has set her photographer’s eye for beauty on the magic of Walt Disney’s theme parks. The first three images from Leibovitz were revealed today. They will form the backbone of a new promotion for the Year of a Million dreams promotion. Additional images have already been ordered.
Each image features a scene with the featured celebrities transformed into the role of a fabled Disney character, expressing their own dreams and imagination.
Picture one: As Cinderella, Scarlett Johansson is seen running down a flight of stairs as the clock strikes midnight with her glass slipper unknowingly left behind. The tagline reads, “Where every Cinderella story comes true.”
Befitting a true princess, Johansson wears a stunning, one-of-a-kind Harry Winston tiara — a dazzling piece in platinum with more than 62 carats of sparkling diamonds and valued at $325,000. The dress worn by Johansson is a custom-made, Cinderella-inspired gown designed by Nicoletta Santoro.
Picture two: David Beckham plays the part of the gallant Prince Phillip from “Sleeping Beauty,” atop his trusted steed fighting the evil dragon. The tagline reads, “Where imagination saves the day.”
“There were many Disney characters I liked as a kid,” said Beckham. “Now my sons love the Disney characters and it’s a big part of their lives, a big part of many children’s lives around the world. So to be part of that is an honor and very exciting.
“I love going to Disney, I’m like a big kid,” he added.
Picture three: Beyoncé appears as “Alice in Wonderland,” twirling in a teacup, accompanied by Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter and Lyle Lovett as the March Hare. The tagline reads, “Where Wonderland is your destiny.”
“It’s two great imaginations coming together — Disney and Annie Leibovitz,” said Lovett. “To be along for the ride really is quite something, just knowing that you’re going to be part of a great Disney character. And then when you step into the imagination of Annie Leibovitz, you know you’re in another world.”
I have to say that picture three is my favorite. Those are three people I never thought I’d see together in a teacup. For more read this USA Today article that reveals more details of Leibovitz’s process or the Reuters article. LaughingPlace.com also has video coverage of the event where the first three photos were revealed.
I’ve included a few more ‘behind the scenes’ photos from the photo shoots below the cut for your enjoyment (especially you David Beckham fans).
Update: Find High-Resolution versions of all Annie Leibovitz “Disney Dream Portrait Series” on The Disney Blog Dream Photo Annex.
The Orange County Business Journal interviewed Disneyland Resort President Ed Grier. The fact that the resort continues to plan for a third gate was discussed in the article. This would appear to be the first time that Disney management acknowledged there were actively thinking of expanding in the future. Now don’t jump the gun. They’re… Read More »Disneyland President Speculates on Third Gate
The Disney Enquirer reports that the case has been closed on the 4-year old boy who died after riding Mission:Space. Each party will pay their own attorney fees. Autopsy results indicated the death was from natural causes. You can see the court documents here.
Rebekah from LaughingPlace.com got access to the Cinderella Castle Royal Suite today and posted some marvelous pictures that really reveal the detail Disney’s Imagineers put into the design. I am so jealous. There are all sorts of wonderful details in the room. Plenty of hidden, and not so hidden, references to Cinderella’s story. I didn’t… Read More »More Cinderella Castle Royal Suite Pics
Businessweek Magazine is running an article that looks at Disney CEO Bob Iger’s management style. How does he do it? By being the anti-Eisner. Iger, in short, is the Un-Eisner. He represents the new buttoned-down Hollywood–the anti-mogul in an industry where egos blot out the sunshine. "Bob lets [the person] who can handle the job… Read More »How does Bob Iger do it?