PHOTO REPORT: Hollywood Studios 6/27/17 (Disney Movie Magic, PIXAR Live, Cars 3, New Cupcake, Etc.)
Our latest photo report takes us to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, to see what is new and exciting for this park in transition…
The Hollywood That Was
Heavy demolition continues in the Hollywood Studios parking lot as they prepare to expand and reconfigure it ahead of Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land opening.
The stage in front of the Chinese Theater was gone for a few days, but sadly they could not figure out a roll-away stage to replace it, so the old one is already back up.
New trees were planted on Hollywood Boulevard for some reason. They are much smaller than those they replaced.
Rather than bore you with the same content twice, be sure to check out our photos of the latest progress on New York Street and Star Wars Land in photos here, or you can just check out the video below.
We Are Reporting on Packaging Now…
The packaging for the various Chip and Dale Snack Co. products was changed, and it is pretty much the cutest thing ever.
New versus old in a side by side comparison.
The vegetable chip packaging was also updated.
Get Your Licks on Route 66
A Cars 3 cupcake is now available at most counter service locations at Hollywood Studios.
We got it and decided we needed to take this cupcake out for a photo shoot. My life now consists of cupcake photo shoots and pretzel packages.
It wasn’t the worst cupcake I have ever had, but I prefer chocolate in my desserts. That being said, it pretty much tasted like strawberry Nesquik that was turned into a cake, which isn’t a bad thing.
WARNING: The white chocolate Lighting McQueen may be hard to break…
Cruzin’ into PIXAR Place
Cruz Ramirez from Cars 3 is now meeting guests towards the end of PIXAR Place.
The awning isn’t very conducive to early morning photos…
Cruz looks pretty cool up close with the metallic paint job.
This and That
The Express Transportation stops all have the bus times posted now, a nice offering.
Disney World is somehow able to sell this Thor mug in the parks, I’m not sure how as items like this weren’t allowed before. Disney Springs and the resorts are typically where you would have to go for stuff like this.
Some new items for pets now available in the Disney Tails line.
Limited edition Pirates of the Caribbean and Cars 3 MagicBands for sale.
A new Lion King MagicBand 2 for sale.
There is now a hard plastic version of the Haunted Mansion wallpaper phone case available.
A growing trend is Disney moving away from the “Disney Parks” branding on items. This will make it hard to tell what is park exclusive and what may also be at your local Disney Store. This is a real shame for guests who want to bring something unique home. Hopefully this doesn’t mean we will see less park exclusive items as well.
There are ads for PizzeRizzo plastered all over the Muppets Courtyard area now.
Seems odd to heavily advertise a restaurant that’s only open for lunch…
More Cars 3 Stuff
One Man’s Dream is currently home to the Cars 3 preview.
There are Cars 3 advertisements everywhere outside of the exhibit…
Inside, guests see a small exhibit very similar to what used to be displayed for new films over at the Magic of Disney Animation.
There was a curtain up when we visited. This has since become a merchandise stand…
Some of the art and displays around the final rooms were changed as well.
Star Wars props were replaced with Dr. Strange.
The Music of PIXAR Live! – A Symphony of Characters
We did the dining package for The Music of PIXAR Live! – A Symphony of Characters, which is running 3 shows a night through the summer. The dining package was a great deal for the food alone, never mind our seating which was dead center. That being said, if you don’t wish to buy one, a FastPass can yield you a very similar seat.
A nearby merchandise cart.
PIXAR Live takes over the Theater of the stars in the evenings.
This is also now the FastPass entrance, but it was just dining package earlier in the run.
REVIEW: Cars 3 Accelerates Where Cars 2 Did Not, Rare Sequel Greater Than the First
Admittedly, I am likely the biggest fan of the original Cars film released back in 2006. I loved the movie and have watched it dozens and dozens of times. I will be likely to tell you that the greatest moment of my life was getting to attend the grand opening of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure back in 2012, and to no surprise, my favorite theme park attraction currently is Radiator Springs Racers. My father and I have also collected the Cars toys from Mattel since the release of the original film, and we may or may not own nearly every little die-cast car that has been made in the toy line. So, might I be biased in a review of the movie Cars 3? Possibly, but let me say that I absolutely hate the film Cars 2 to assure you that I can be fair in my view.
Cars 3 teaser poster
I believe I have seen Cars 2 twice in my life and I pretty much refuse to watch it again. I like to pretend that it didn’t happen. It’s funny because I think that the Cars Toons and Mater’s Tall Tale shorts of a similar nature are all really fun and well done, but the film is just kind of a mess. Going into Cars 3, I was excited to see the series return to focusing on racing and being an animated sports movie of sorts. However, I was scared that one more failure would spell the end of my beloved Cars franchise. I am happy to say after seeing Cars 3 that the franchise is far from dead, and in fact, may have just produced the best film in the entire series. A film so good that I think many who are not fans of the the others may be making an emotional u-turn on their feelings about Disney-PIXAR’s Cars and its characters.
Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage! Directed by Brian Fee (storyboard artist “Cars,” “Cars 2“), produced by Kevin Reher (“A Bug’s Life,” “La Luna” short) and co-produced by Andrea Warren (“LAVA” short), “Cars 3” cruises into theaters on June 16, 2017.
Regardless of it being possibly better than the 1st, Cars 3 can not exist without the 1st film, regardless of how you might feel about it. Without the establishment of the original characters, the short moments of comedy provided by Luigi, Guido, Mater, and the other residents of Radiator Springs will likely be lost on the viewer. That being said, where I feel that comedy is the strong suit of the first Cars film, Cars 3 captures the heart often displayed in other PIXAR movies. Everyone in the audience was genuinely cheering for the heroes during the closing moments of the film, as it is hard not to develop an emotional connection to Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) over the course of the 109 minutes.
Also, the background on Lightning McQueen’s career, regardless of it being recapped a few times over the course of this new entry, needs to be seen to understand the character’s progression. A viewing of Cars 1 might be necessary to fully enjoy the story that Cars 3 tells.
OFF TO THE RACES — Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 3” is teaming up with NASCAR this year as crowd favorite Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) prepares to return to the big screen June 16, 2017, alongside elite trainer Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo) © 2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Cristela Alonzo’s portrayal of trainer Cruz Ramirez is the highlight of the film. The character exhibits genuineness, heart, and a likability which somehow transfers over to McQueen as their relationship rolls on, making him more likable even to audience members who are not fans of the other two entries in the series. Speaking of likability, the Mater character is kept to a bare minimum this time around, likely based on the feedback of viewers after Cars 2. While I love Mater, this was clearly the right move and the movie benefits from it greatly, while still keeping enough comedic moments to keep everyone engaged. The Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer)character makes for a fun new protagonist as well, basically playing the Lightning McQueen character as he existed at the beginning of the first Cars.
The training sequences between Cruz and Lightning, as well as the demolition derby portion provides the comic relief this time around, but the movie is most definitely more about the comeback of Lightning McQueen and his emotional growth that the entire trilogy has focused on. The story takes you to a place that you will probably see coming as an adult viewer, but is still emotionally satisfying for the film’s conclusion.
REAR VIEW — The legendary #95 may be leading the pack, but the high-tech Next Gen racers are closing in fast. Directed by Brian Fee and produced by Kevin Reher, “Cars 3” cruises into theaters on June 16, 2017. ©2016 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Cars 3 is more of a PIXAR film than any other in the series, and as much as I love the original film, I am almost certain that the general public will agree that this sequel is the very best of all three. Don’t get me wrong, Cars is still my favorite of the pack, but Cars 3 is all around the stronger film and connects much better to the audience. The story is uplifting and a good twist on the whole “Rocky” comeback saga, one that breathes new life into the series and pretty much guarantees that it will continue in some shape or form. Even if you are not a fan, I implore you to give Cars 3 a chance and go see it. I would be surprised if you didn’t enjoy it.
I give Cars 3 a 9 out of 10.
VIDEO: Lightning McQueen Is Ready To “Take It To The Limit” One Last Time in Final Cars 3 Trailer
I never thought I would ever hear a song from The Eagles in a Cars trailer but here it is! Only one more week until Cars 3 is out!
Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage! Directed by Brian Fee (storyboard artist “Cars,” “Cars 2“), produced by Kevin Reher (“A Bug’s Life,” “La Luna” short) and co-produced by Andrea Warren (“LAVA” short), “Cars 3” cruises into theaters on June 16, 2017.
Source: Disney Pixar
VIDEO: Sphero Brings Lightning McQueen To Life With “Ultimate Lightning McQueen”
And you thought the Sphero BB-8 was impressive? Wait till you get a load of this! Check out these two very impressive videos.
Introducing Ultimate Lightning McQueen:
Jay Ward Talks Ultimate Lightning McQueen:
Years ago, this would have been an obvious CGI commercial but times have changed and this really looks like the future of toys. Well, expensive toys. If you want Ultimate Lightning McQueen to be in your collection, this little baby will set you back $299.
From Sphero:
This. Is. Lightning McQueen.
Ultimate Lightning McQueen is the top of the line racer packed with personality. With animated eyes, an animatronic mouth, and emotive suspension, experience Lightning like never before.
A seven-time Piston Cup Champion, Ultimate Lightning McQueen was born to race. Connect to the app, hit the gas, and see Lightning respond to your commands with his personality on display, thanks to emotive actions and speech. Watch him lean into hairpin turns and drift like a pro.
When you’re not driving and drifting with Lightning, sharpen your pit crew skills in Pit Stop Panic, create scripts for Lightning to perform in his next Rust-eze spot in the Acting Studio, or kick back and relax by watching Disney•Pixar’s Cars with Lightning while he reacts to the movie.
Features
- Free Drive – Slide your finger on the driving pad to guide Lightning… he’ll go wherever you push the joystick, drift, do donuts, and even react to his expert racing moves.
- Pit Stop Panic – Train hard and join the pit crew. Lightning coaches you as you race the clock changing tires, fueling up, and getting racers back on the track.
- Acting Studio – Direct Lightning McQueen as he prepares to be on camera. Create scripts with your favorite phrases and actions for him to perform.
- Drive-In – Watch Disney•Pixar’s Cars with Lightning and watch him react to the movie. Select this option with Lightning plugged in to charge, start the movie, and hear all he has to say.
Source: Sphero
PHOTO REPORT: Disney’s Hollywood Studios 5/3/17 (New York Street Lives, Pirates Preview, Star Wars & Toy Story Land, Etc.)
Our latest photo report brings us to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the midst of Disney’s Hollywood Studios appreciation week for a look around at what’s new and exciting in tinsel town. Ready when you are C.B.!
Hooray for Hollywood
Streetmosphere characters Mayor Sonny Burbank and Evie Starlight welcome guests to the park.
Officer Percival Peabody of the Hollywood Police Department also ensures that guests walk, and not run to their first destination.
Happy 28th Anniversary
On May 1st 2017, Disney’s Hollywood Studios celebrated its 28th birthday!
The park of course opened as the Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, changing its name in Early 2008.
The only opening day attraction left standing at this point is the Great Movie Ride, but rumors persist of even that closing in the next 2 years.
MagicBand 2.0
For whatever reason, the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival MagicBand is now available at the Studios.
A number of older designs have been updated for the MagicBand 2, some even using the new white and black band base colors.
Star Wars Launch Bay
40th anniversary banners remain outside of Star Wars Launch Bay.
Wait times for the character meet and greets have been short lately. Chewbacca was posted as 20 minutes.
Only 15 for Kylo Ren.
Even the new BB-8 meet and greet has had short wait times.
That sadly hasn’t stopped guests from destroying the walls…
It’s a pretty cute meet and greet experience if you haven’t seen it yet:
New designs celebrating the 40th anniversary of Star Wars can be found at the D-Tech on Demand location inside of Star Wars Launch Bay.
Skywalker Vineyards wines are also available now. We actually bought a bottle and tried the new flight at the Brown Derby, so we will dedicate a post to this in the coming days.
PIXAR Displaced
Work continues on the Star Wars and Toy Story themed lands.
This barrier for Star Wars land continues to rise over the walls.
A peek through the walls at the beginning of PIXAR Place reveals the current state of Toy Story Land.
There appears to be a structure of some kind being erected in the middle of the Slinky Dog Dash rollercoaster now.
It appears that the coaster will barrel through it, whatever it is.
These pics from a few days later show some progress on the walls going up at the other end of PIXAR Place.
Pirates of the Caribbean: One Man’s Dream
The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales preview has moved in at Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream.
The Moana meet and greet recently closed inside, leaving us to believe that the Star Lord and Groot meet and greet coming will be located here.
The exit is currently boarded up as well.
A costume worn by Javier Bardem in Dead Men Tell No Tales is now on display.
The preview is quite good, leading me to believe we might just be returning to form in the series.
New York Street Lives!
It is now certain that this lone standing section of New York Street will remain as modifications are being made to the structure.
Meanwhile, Star Wars Land rises next door.
Not only are the facades being touched up, but new elements are being added.
A new awning was installed at the end of the street.
With much of the original signage stripped, it will be interesting to see what becomes of this area.
The former Writer’s Stop lies behind walls, amidst rumors that this may be the Club 33 location for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. How cool would it be to either here through a facade on New York Street?
Star Tours
No trip to Hollywood Studios is complete without a ride on Star Tours.
In Tatooine Traders, a number of new items can be found.
Beginning May 12th at Disney’s California Adventure Park inside of the Bug’s Life Theater, and beginning May 26th at Disney’s Hollywood Studios inside of One Man’s Dream, Lightning McQueen will be making a pitstop to showcase a special preview of the upcoming movie Cars 3. Artwork and maquettes from the production will also be on display. Cars 3 will be racing into theaters across America beginning June 16th, 2017. ESPN has just revealed the NASCAR legends that helped inspire the creation of 4 new cars that will appear in “Cars 3”. From ESPN.com: In Disney-Pixar’s “Cars 3,” Lightning McQueen seeks stock car racing’s roots. But why wait for the June 16 debut to meet the rides who put McQueen back on track? Here’s a sneak peek at the new characters — and the racers who inspired them. INSPIRATION: Wendell Scott “We did so much research on NASCAR history, and these four jumped out as these incredible stories of inspiration,” director Brian Fee says of the Cars 3 dirt-track quartet. “Lightning is at a place in his life where it’s about overcoming obstacles. No one faced longer odds than Wendell Scott, racing where he did, primarily in the South, during the era when he did it, in the 1960s, and with little money at all. It really is amazing.” INSPIRATION: Junior Johnson The plan was to have an actor voice this part, then Pixar met the Last American Hero, the only living member of the legends. “They weren’t run off by my accent, I guess,” says the 85-year-old former moonshiner, who now pushes legal corn squeezins, also named Midnight Moon. “They gave me one line to read where my car says he discovered how to use the draft at Daytona. I looked up at the movie folks and said, ‘Yeah, that’s true. I did.'” INSPIRATION: Smokey Yunick Yunick was known for his hard facial features (see: the design of his animated car), his ability to bend rules and his penchant for cramming multiple curse words into every sentence. Says Johnson: “We were all pretty good at finding gaps in the rules, but Smokey was probably the best.” Adds Fee, laughing: “We all read Smokey’s book [“Best Damn Garage in Town”]. It’s so great. But if we’d written our script exactly as Smokey would’ve said it, we’d be in big trouble.” INSPIRATION: Louise Smith In 1947, Smith drove down from Greenville, South Carolina, to watch the races on Daytona Beach. But she hated being behind the fence and entered her husband’s new Ford coupe. She wrecked out, hopped a bus home and conjured up a lie to tell Mr. Smith about the missing car, only to find out a photo of his smashed Ford was in the local papers. “We’ve all got great stories,” Johnson says of Smith. “But hers might be the best one of them all.” Source: ESPN.com The third installment of the popular “Cars” film franchise is set to arrive in theatres on June 16th in 3D, but fans can get an early glimpse of the story, which stars longtime favorite Lightning McQueen alongside new characters Cruz Ramirez and Jackson Storm, when the “Road to the Races” nationwide tour kicks off March 23-26, 2017 at Disney Springs Marketplace. Expect fun activities for the whole family, plus an extended “sneak peek” of the film when the tour rolls into town. Photo opportunities with three life-size character cars will also be a part of the event. Alamo Rent A Car will sponsor a giant color mural; Coppertone will encourage guests to take part in a racer pit crew tire-changing activity and a fun photo opportunity; Crest and Oral-B will pass out prizes from the Piston Cup prize wheel and will offer fans the chance to create a digital postcard with Lightning McQueen; at the Dole Refueling Station, you can sample high-octane smoothies; Mattel plans to present an interactive play area; and last, but not least, NASCAR will be on hand to share the history and science behind their iconic brand. During your visit, keep an eye out for “Cars” merchandise and special menu items at select food and beverage locations, plus a DJ dance party with tracks that will make you want to rev up your engine. The tour, located at Disney Springs in the former Marketplace Bus Loop near Disney’s Days of Christmas store, opens to the public on Thursday, March 23 at 12:00 p.m. and will run until 7:00 p.m. that evening. On Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25, join the fun from 11 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. And on the final day, Sunday, March 26, guests can enjoy the experience from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. DISNEY·PIXAR’S “CARS 3” FUELS UP FOR NATIONWIDE TOUR Road to the Races Takes Off March 23, 2017 Title Sponsors Include Alamo Rent A Car SM, Coppertone®, Crest®/Oral-B®, DOLE® and Mattel Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 3” is hitting the road this month with Road to the Races, a nationwide tour inviting fans of #95 to gear up for the upcoming big-screen release. Life-size, character look-alikes of five-time Piston-Cup champion Lightning McQueen, tech-savvy trainer Cruz Ramirez and the sleek next-gen racer Jackson Storm will be rolling into 27 cities coast to coast to celebrate the new movie, which opens June 16, 2017. “We are going to kick off the tour at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World on Thursday, March 23,” said Lylle Breier, senior vice president, worldwide marketing partnerships and special events for the Walt Disney Studios. “There will be fun activities for the whole family—plus a sneak peek of the movie.” The roster of cities includes Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles, among others—the full list is available at CARS3tour.com. The “Road to the Races” nationwide tour wraps up in California with a visit to NASCAR at Sonoma at the Sonoma Raceway June 24-25, 2017, and the life-size character cars will also roll onto the red carpet for the “Cars 3” world premiere on Saturday, June 10, 2017. A host of sponsors have signed on to support the tour, which includes a variety of activities. Fans will be able to catch a sneak peek of the movie in the Cinetransformer Mobile Movie Theater. Visitors will also be able to take photos with the life-size character cars. In addition, the sports national youth program NASCAR Acceleration Nation will display the science behind NASCAR racing, and elements from the NASCAR Hall of Fame will allow attendees to get up close and personal with the history of NASCAR. Mack Trucks, Inc. will transport the life-size character cars on the coast-to-coast tour.
Cars 3 Preview Racing to Hollywood Studios, California Adventure
These Real Life Legends Of NASCAR Helped Inspire New Cars Created For “Cars 3”
River Scott
2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame, first (and so far only) African-American to win a Cup Series race
VOICED BY: Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Junior “Midnight” Moon
2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame and inspiration for the movie “The Last American Hero”
VOICED BY: Junior Johnson
Smokey
Legendary mechanic, winning car builder/crew chief of both Daytona 500 and Indy 500
VOICED BY: Chris Cooper
Louise “Barnstormer” Nash
“First Lady of Racing,” competed in NASCAR from 1945 to ’56, winning
38 races across four divisions
VOICED BY: Margo Martindale
Cars 3 Tour Makes Pit Stop at Disney Springs This Weekend
Lightning McQueen And Crew Will Be Rolling Into A City Near You To Promote “Cars 3”