VIDEO: Disney & Cameron Talk AVATAR Project
D23.com has released a very interesting video featuring the announcement and all of the key players in the deal bringing Avatar to Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
40th Anniversary Activities Officially Confirmed!
From the Cast Member Eyes and Ears publication:
While all of this official information is now public, there are a few more surprises expected on October 1. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available.
First Look at “Piratepalooza”
From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:
If yesterday’s Disney Parks Blog pirate takeover got your pirate flag flying, you should check out the new Piratepalooza Dance Party during Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland park.
Each night of Mickey’s Halloween Party, “Pirate” Goofy and his pirate pals will take over Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante and enlist guests into their pirate crew. Dance a pirate jig, join in a “yo ho” sing-along, and play swashbuckling pirate games. Young pirates-in-training can take home a special Pumpkin Pirate souvenir coloring sheet. It’s a pirate’s life for everyone! Arr!
Spotlight On: Customation Project Artist Angie Annett
Remember all those artists from earlier this week? Well, here’s another artist from the Customations Show. Her name is Angie Annett. Let’s see what she’ll be bringing to the show in a few days.
Destination Vinylmation: Welcome to Destination Vinylmation, where can the folks find your work if they are looking for more?
Angie Annett: I have a facebook page where you can see all of my designs as I add them! Here is the link.
DV: How long have you been making custom vinyls?
AA: I started making customs back in February. I was always a bit upset that their wasn’t a Dug vinyl, as he is one of my favorite characters, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I had never painted before, so I made the design on photoshop and transferred it over. Turns out, it went better than I could have ever hoped.
DV: I like the hair, so which vinyls will you have at the event? Tell us a little about them.
AA: The first is my Timon figure that I custom designed. This was the second vinyl that I ever made and the first one I ever used sculpey pieces on. This is one of my favorites in my collection because it is one of my designs that actually turned out better on the vinyl than it looked on photoshop! It took me about 8 hours to finish this piece.
The other design I like to call my Disneyland Collage. This is by far the most intricate and detailed design that I have ever created and it took me over 2 months to finish. Just sketching the design took me over a week! I tried to incorporate all of my favorite rides and aspects of Disneyland into the vinyl. This is my first ever non-character vinyl I made and I was a little nervous attempting this one. Fortunately, it turned out to be one of my favorite customs in my collection.
DV: Both pieces look great, I hope you enjoy the event this weekend! Thanks for letting us chat with you for a moment.
Josh Siegel’s 9/21/11 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel visited the Magic Kingdom yesterday to see what was new at the park (and with the parking), so let’s take a look at the photos from his trip:
Welcome
Read More about Josh Siegel’s 9/21/11 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
Vinylmation Speculation: Star Wars 2 characters
First off, we only know two official characters. So as a reminder, this is all just speculation from MC’s brain.
We know of two characters, Greedo and a Tusken Raider. We also know that the set will be based on the Star Wars: A New Hope.
Now for what I want/think should be part of the set.
 |
Jawa
Jack Purvis and others If we have Raiders we should also get a Jawas. This could be the triple for the case! Imagine an army of these guys. (Unless they come out as Jr.’s which would rock even more.) |
 |
Aunt Beru
Sheila Frasier And think, there could be a “on fire skeleton” variant! (I was gonna add a pic of that scene, but it’s still pretty horrific.) |
 |
Uncle Owen
Phil Brown Also treated to a similar fate, but good for a set. |
 |
Luke Skywalker (X-Wing pilot)
Mark Hamill We have him as a novice Jedi, how about the outfit he spends the last half of A New Hope in. |
 |
Prisoner Princess Leia Carrie Fisher Again, lets see her as we first saw her, in flowing white robes. |
 |
Grand Moff Tarkin
Peter Cushing The guy who really seemed like the antagonist in the first movie. He actually tells Vader what to do! |
 |
Wedge Antilles
Denis Lawson One of the few Rebellion pilots to make it through all 3 movies. This guy is very very lucky. |
 |
Biggs Darklighter
Garrick Hagon An old friend of Luke’s that joined the Rebellion as an X-Wing fighter. |
 |
Porkins
William Hootkins Big guy. Dead Guy. Poor Porkins. |
 |
Mon Mothma
Caroline Blakiston One of the biggest political figures in the Rebellion. |
 |
Admiral Ackbar
Timothy M. Rose The leader of the fleet that attacks the first Death Star. He knows when something is good, and when “It’s a trap!”. |
 |
Any random cantina guy
There are a lot to choose from, but they would help fill out the set. (Yes, I know his name is Pondo Baba. I say random because there are several creatures in the bar that they could use) |
 |
Gonk
I didn’t have any robots for this set, so how about the much maligned Gonk. He’s a robot, that looks like a trash can. How cool is that? No, seriously. Is that cool? |
 |
Chaser- Original Jabba
This is what Jabba looked like before he was cut in the original film. Lucas later went back an covered over him with a CGI version of the Jabba we all know. |
And then hopefully they will release some LE sets. Muppets 2 had them, why not Star Wars 2!
 |
Sandcrawler 9″/Jawa 3″
I like when size matters. This would be a perfect set. |
 |
Cantina Band 3″ set They all look the same, but this would be a great set for accessories. If they can make the 6 piece Kitchen Kabaret, then this would be similar. |
 |
Death Star 9″/ Tie 3″/X-wing 3″ This would be epic. I think they should totally do this (but this would be the only way I’d want to see vehicles done. None in the normal set please!) |
I left out Han, Chewie, and Ben because they would look the same as series 1. (They don’t have a large selection of wardrobe.)
Who would you like to see as part of this set?
“Boo-tiful” New Looks Coming to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
From Michelle Harker the Disney Parks Blog:
Can you believe it? Halloween is just a month away. The questions of what kind of treats to buy, what costumes to wear and how to make your home décor look more spook-tacular this year are starting to fill the air. Get your “To Do List” ready and let me give you a few tips on how you can make this Halloween more fun and less frightful.
Many locations throughout Disneyland Resort are set to meet all of your Halloween needs including World of Disney Store in the Downtown Disney District and Disney Showcase in Disneyland park. Make your way to Port Royal if your Halloween should suddenly turn into a “Nightmare Before Christmas.” Visiting Disney California Adventure park? Then consider Treasures in Paradise as your one-stop shop for costumes and Halloween accessories.
Just in time for Mickey’s Halloween Party, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disneyland park, best known for their princess dresses, tutus and tiaras, will offer an assortment of Halloween headwear that can be added to any transformation package. With a little Disney magic and a Halloween touch, your princess can have a “boo-tiful” new look. Cool Knights are in this Halloween season, too, ready for battle with a sword and shield in hand.
If your inner rock star is crying out, don’t let the ghostly spirits haunt you away from Studio Disney 365 in the Downtown Disney District. Experience “Stage Fright” on an entirely different level with a selection of “mini” character inspired hats, including Tinker Bell, Cheshire Cat or the Mad Hatter. Add a braid, a twist and a pop of color, and voila! Your rock star makeover is complete. Not only are you ready to make your debut, but you’ll dazzle other trick-or-treaters with your super star looks.
Let us “transform” you from head to toe this Halloween season. Halloween treats at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Studio Disney 365 will debut September 30, while other offerings are available in stores now. Cross a few things off your “To Do List” and plan on having fun this Halloween!
The Ultimate Battle Between Good and Evil! The Magic Kingdom Parking Lot?
From Jennifer Fickley-Baker on the Disney Parks Blog:
Are you a “hero” or a “villain”?
Pretty soon, that’s all guests at Magic Kingdom Park will need to remember in order to find their vehicle in the parking lot at the end of the evening – or at least, doing so will help narrow down the location.
Earlier this week, work began to split the parking lot into what will be two main sections, “Heroes” and “Villains,” and then smaller sections within each, including: Woody, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Simba, Mulan and Rapunzel (Heroes lot), and Zurg, Jafar, Hook, Scar, Cruella and Ursula (Villains lot). Each lot also will have its own color, so essentially, all you have to remember is one of these three characteristics (hero, Rapunzel or blue) and you can find your car.
If only Disney could help you remember what your rental car looks like!
(Note: The time completion of these parking lot changes may be influenced by weather).
Spotlight On: Customation Project Artist Jesus Paez
Leading up the Cesar’s event in Santa Clarita, CA this weekend, Destination Vinylmation will feature each of the custom artists and talk to them about some of the figures they will be bringing to the event.
Today we spoke with custom artist (and first time Destination Vinylmation guest) Jesus Paez.
Destination Vinylmation: We saw some of you work and we really think it’s unique, how long have you been working on vinylmation?
Jesus Paez: I’ve been customizing vinlys since February of this year. I’m still learning as I go.
DV: Well you certainly seem to have the swing of things, which pieces will you bring to the show this weekend?
JP: Two of the vinyls that will be at “The Customation Project” show are a 9″ Gene Simmons Mickey vinyl and a 3″ Goku vinyl. The Gene Mickey was the very first vinyl I painted, its the one that started it all. Its Gene Simmons’ costume from the KISS album “Love Gun”. I tried to get as detailed as I could from his Godzilla boots to his chain on his chest. The vinyl took me about three days to complete and when I was done with that one I could not wait to start another one. Another vinyl that will be at the show is Goku from Dragon Ball Z. I have been a DBZ fan since I was kid. I remember drawing Goku and all of the other characters, so I got the idea to make a Goku vinyl. This vinyl also took me three days, I had to mold his hair and the knot on his belt out of super sculpey, then I painted it.
DV: Thanks for your time, and good luck at the show. If people want to see more of your stuff, where can they go?
JP: The best place to find my previous work would be on you tube. If you search for sk8erguy600 or custom vinyls some of my work will pop out, my you tube screen name is sk8erguy600. I recently made a Facebook page which im starting to upload some of my work there.
Avatar Kingdom? Disney Parks Announces Deal to Bring Movie-Inspired Land to Walt Disney World
While not Disneyland Resort related, (at least for now) a special announcement was made today by Walt Disney Park and Resorts about a new franchise coming to the Disney Parks.
From Thomas Smith on the Disney Parks Blog:
We have great news to share today. At a press conference happening right now at Walt Disney Imagineering, Bob Iger and Tom Staggs just announced a long-term creative partnership with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the fantasy world of AVATAR to life at Disney Parks. And it’ll all begin at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.
James and his producing partner Jon Landau and their team at Lightstorm Entertainment will serve as creative consultants on the project and will work side-by-side with our Walt Disney Imagineers as we dream up experiences that will take our guests deep into worlds of AVATAR like never before. There are also two sequels to the record setting first film in the works, which will offer more fascinating stories, characters and locations to explore in the AVATAR universe. Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort is planned as the site of the first AVATAR-themed land with construction expected to begin by 2013.
We believe Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a great fit for this project because it was created to give guests the opportunity to experience the worlds of animals and nature – real and mythical – in new ways. Disney’s Animal Kingdom also celebrates adventure, living in harmony with nature and environmental stewardship – themes that are deeply rooted in the story of AVATAR.
The design phase on the Disney’s Animal Kingdom project has just begun so stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more details.
Got questions about the announcement? If so, Tom Staggs will be answering them in a special Q&A blog post later today. Just submit your name, city where you’re from and your question to questionsfortom@disney.com and then check the Disney Parks Blog later to see some of the answers.
For more details and continuing coverage of this story, please follow our sister site wdwnewstoday.com for any updates.