Our newest staff member here at Disneyland News Today, Conner Purzycki, was at this past Wednesday’s preview performance of Disneyland’s new fireworks show “Magical”. Thanks to our fantastic new WDWNTube Disney Parks Video Site, he brings us a full high definition video of the show:
According to the LA Times Travel Blog:
When Disneyland decided to incorporate Ursula’s evil eels Flotsam and Jetsam from “Little Mermaid” into the updated Fantasmic show, master puppeteer Michael Curry drew inspiration from a novelty shop wooden wiggle snake.
“I wanted a sense of swimming, of serpentine motion and menace,” said Curry, a long-time Disney collaborator. “Since it’s an underwater movie, it made sense to use the water as a stage.”
Curry’s puppets have appeared in the opening ceremonies of the 1996 and 2002 Olympics, the Super Bowl XXXIV halftime show, the Broadway production of “The Lion King,” the Cirque du Soleil production of “Love” in Las Vegas, the “Aladdin” stage show at Disney’s California Adventure and countless parades at Disney theme parks.
To tackle the task of bringing Flotsam and Jetsam to life, Curry and his crew employed an eel puppet mounted on top of a nimble high-performance Jet Ski.
The 34-foot-long aluminum pontoon sub-frame — built of military-grade super-lightweight carbon fiber and a stainless steel typically used in submarines — pivots at 14 points just like the toy snake.
The ingenious invention faced one huge hurdle: “Boats tend to turn over,” Curry said.
To avoid disaster on Disneyland’s Rivers of America, test puppeteers put the “Jetsam Ski” through its paces in a river near Curry’s production facility outside Portland, Ore.
The tests immediately revealed that the friction of the water turbulence put too much drag on the lightweight fabric attached to the subframe.
The solution: a weather-resistant awning-like fabric that pulled over the sub-frame like a pillowcase.
To avoid the robotic animations of computer-programmed audio-animatronics, Curry designed the Flotsam and Jetsam eels to be brought to life by puppeteers. The Jet Skis can operate in manual or automatic mode, depending on the physical demands placed on the driver/puppeteer.
“I always try to put the human at the heart of it,” Curry said.
The updated Fantasmic show, part of Disneyland’s Summer Nightastic promotion, makes its official debut June 12 at 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. “Soft opening” previews of the Anaheim theme park’s all-new Magical fireworks show are underway.
According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:
Guests at Disneyland on Thursday night will likely get a sneak peek at Disneyland’s new summer fireworks spectacular “Magical.”
The new fireworks show officially begins nightly on June 12, but Disney officials plan to test it out in a rehearsal around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday – depending upon weather and scheduling.
Disney characters Tinker Bell and Dumbo, the flying elephant, will take to the skies over Disneyland to lead the pyrotechnics, synchronize to popular Disney music that recalls “Pinocchio,” “Mary Poppins” and “Cinderella.”
It marks the first new summertime fireworks show at Disneyland since the park’s 50th anniversary in 2005. It’s also the first time Dumbo has appeared in a fireworks show, flying over Sleeping Beauty Castle.
After all the kinks are worked out and the show officially gets under way next week, it will run nightly through Sept. 7.
“We’re all looking forward to seeing what our entertainment team has come up with this time,” said John McClintock, a Disneyland spokesman.
Disney put up a new website today promoting “Summer Nightastic!”. This new website offers an overview of the new entertainment experiences coming this summer (the new fireworks show Magical, changes to Disney’s Electrical Parade and Fantasmic, nighttime lighting of Pixie Hollow, and the TLT Dance Club at the Tomorrowland Terrace), 2 commercials (one an overview of “Summer Nightastic!” and the other on the changes to Fantasmic), and lots more. There’s also a downloadable 3D Fantasmic dragon, as well as a pdf of the entire schedule for the summer over at the TLT Dance Club.
Bellow are a few screen-shots from the website:
The new Cheshire Cat in Disney’s Electrical Parade is featured on this page
The Disneyland by Day and Night page has the familiar concept art of the new Tinker Bell float in Disney’s Electrical Parade
To view this amazing website, click HERE.
D23 has even more information on Disneyland’s new Summer Nightastic promotion:
Disneyland Resort will glow like never before this summer as it debuts an all-new fireworks show, Magical, along with beloved characters and sensational new effects that will brighten the Summer Nightastic!
Guests can see Disneyland Resort in a whole new light as Summer Nightastic! brings nighttime shows and parades to life — bigger, better and brighter. A huge new dragon and other special effects enhance the magestic Fantasmic!. Explosive surprises will illuminate the night sky in the all-new fireworks spectacular, Magical. Guests can rock the night away at a new dance club in Tomorrowland. And sparkling new magic comes to Disney’s Electrical Parade, as well as to Pixie Hollow, the enchanting home Tinker Bell inhabits with her fairy friends.
“When the sun goes down, things are going to light up!” says Jill Estorino, senior vice president, Domestic Parks Marketing. “This summer, we’re piling up the magic even more.”
A BOLDER FANTASMIC!: New thrills galore will arrive at the popular Fantasmic! on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. The evil Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty transforms into a brand new, 40-foot tall, fully animated, fire-breathing dragon —. She’ll have flapping wings, a moving head and mouth and at 10,000 pounds she had to be helicoptered in to the Park! Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid will introduce her pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, who slither into the show with new power. “They come right up to the sea wall and look you right in the eye!” says Show Director Carla Carlile. And with the help of HD technology — high definition, not Huge Dragon! — the Fantasmic! video projections practically leap off the giant mist screens. During the Captain Hook pirate ship scene, look for a newly animated crocodile, who now even snaps at Captain Hook!
AN EXPLODING CELEBRATION IN THE SKY: Magical is a new Disney fireworks spectacular created especially to celebrate Summer Nightastic! at Disneyland. Tinker Bell is once again your host, waving her wand to ignite the brilliant color, stunning special effects and charming music. But she won’t be alone in the sky this summer. Dumbo will make his surprise airborne debut in the new show. Tink’s sparkling touch awakens a fantastic array of Disney’s most magical characters, from Pinocchio to Mary Poppins to Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, and the Three Good Fairies from Sleeping Beauty (wait ’til you see Flora and Merryweather engaged in colorful overhead battle between their signature colors pink and blue!). Powerhouse vocalist Eden Espinosa, a longtime signer at Disneyland who starred in the Broadway production of BKLYN and also played Elphaba in Wicked, sings Magical’s theme song as well as classic Disney tunes like “Baby Mine.” Other songs included in this extravaganza include “Second Star to the Right” from Peter Pan, “Hi-diddle-dee (An Actor’s Life for Me)” from , “Jolly Holiday” from Mary Poppins and “So This is Love” from Cinderella. Longtime Disneyland composer Greg Smith supplies the score.
NEW FLOATS BRING FRESH MAGIC TO DISNEY’S ELECTRICAL PARADE: Everything about Disney’s Electrical Parade will have a new glow as Tinker Bell leads the way, waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new opening parade float. “A fairy’s magic lights the way,” reveals Denny Newell, senior show director. The parade’s beloved music and floats will feature electrifying audio and lighting technologies, with sparkling pixie dust added to all the parade floats. Returning to the parade this summer as well, after several years’ absence, are Snow White’s Diamond Mine float and two Pleasure Island floats from Pinocchio. “Because of LED technology,” explains Denny, “we can do a lot more fun programming.” In fact, thanks to LEDs, the Cheshire cat will disappear just like in the movie. Though the Blue Fairy float that used to open the parade has gone on hiatus, Guests with a keen eye will notice that the center mast of Captain Hook’s pirate ship is now a foot-and-a-half taller.
AN EXCITING NEW DANCE CLUB ‘IGNITES THE NIGHT’ IN TOMORROWLAND: Tweens, teens and families will be drawn to the TLT Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. Dazzling décor will include an illuminated DJ console where the TLT Dance Club DJ will spin the hottest dance tunes, guaranteed to keep Tomorrowland rockin’ all night. Live bands and the hottest Southern California radio stations will appear on select nights throughout the summer.
PIXIE HOLLOW ENCHANTMENT: Tinker Bell and her friends have been welcoming guests into their Pixie Hollow home, tucked into the glen near the entrance to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, since fall of 2008. This summer, for the first time, nighttime visitors will find magical surprises as Pixie Hollow and the nearby pond come to life in iridescent light shows. Pixie dust cascades across the landscape and radiates down into the pond. Even the water becomes enchanted as playful fountains spring to life, water jets perform with whimsical precision, and sparkling strobes shine throughout Pixie Hollow. For those who haven’t visited the Hollow before, as guests enter Tink’s domain, they will notice the flora around them growing bigger and bigger — as they shrink to the size of a fairy. “We call the effect, ‘the Monsanto tunnel,’ laughs Denny, referencing the now-defunct Disneyland Journey Thru Innerspace attraction.
As expected, today’s press event at the Disneyland Resort announced their summer 2009 marketing program focusing in nighttime entertainment:
“Disneyland Resort Celebrates Summer Nightastic! Lighting Up The Night With New Shows And A New Glow!”
ANAHEIM, Calif., April 24 – Disneyland Resort will glow like never before this summer as it debuts an all-new fireworks show, Magical, along with sensational new characters and effects that will brighten the Summer Nightastic! lineup of after-dark entertainment.
WHAT: Guests can see Disneyland Resort in a whole new light as Summer Nightastic! brings nighttime shows and parades to life – bigger, better and brighter. A huge new dragon and other special effects will highlight Fantasmic! Explosive surprises will illuminate the night sky in the all-new fireworks spectacular, Magical. Guests can rock the night away at a new dance club in Tomorrowland. Sparkling new magic comes to “Disney’s Electrical Parade,” as well as to Pixie Hollow, the enchanting home Tinker Bell inhabits with her fairy friends.
WHEN: Nightly, beginning Friday, June 12, and continuing through Sunday, August 23, at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. All shows and immersive experiences are free with park admission.
A BOLDER FANTASMIC!: Guests will find new thrills at the popular Fantasmic! on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. The evil Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” transforms into a 40-foot tall, fire-breathing dragon. Ursula the Sea Witch from “The Little Mermaid” introduces her pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, who slither into the show with new power. In addition, the Fantasmic! video projections practically leap off the giant mist screens, thanks to HD (high-definition) technology … (in this case, HD takes on a new meaning – Huge Dragon).
AN EXPLODING CELEBRATION IN THE SKY: Magical is a new Disney fireworks spectacular created especially to celebrate Summer Nightastic! at Disneyland. Tinker Bell is once again your host, waving her wand to ignite the brilliant color, stunning special effects and charming music. But she won’t be alone in the sky this summer. Dumbo will make his surprise airborne debut in the new show. Tink’s sparkling touch awakens a fantastic array of Disney’s most magical characters, from Pinocchio to Mary Poppins to Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, and the Three Good Fairies from “Sleeping Beauty.”
NEW FLOATS BRING NEW MAGIC TO ‘DISNEY’S ELECTRICAL PARADE’: Everything about “Disney’s Electrical Parade” will have a new glow as Tinker Bell leads the way, waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new opening parade float. The parade’s beloved music and floats will feature electrifying audio and lighting technologies, with sparkling pixie dust added to all the parade floats. Snow White and Pinocchio return to the parade this summer as well, after several years’ absence, riding bright new versions of their classic floats.
AN EXCITING NEW DANCE CLUB ‘IGNITES THE NIGHT’ IN TOMORROWLAND: Tweens, teens and families will be drawn to the TLT Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. Dazzling décor will include an illuminated DJ console where the TLT Dance Club DJ will spin the hottest dance tunes, guaranteed to keep Tomorrowland rockin’ all night. Live bands and the hottest Southern California radio stations will appear on select nights throughout the summer.
PIXIE HOLLOW ENCHANTMENT: Tinker Bell and her friends have been welcoming guests into their Pixie Hollow home, tucked into the glen near the entrance to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, since fall of 2008. This summer, for the first time, nighttime visitors will find magical surprises as Pixie Hollow and the nearby pond come to life in iridescent light shows. Pixie dust cascades across the landscape and radiates down into the pond. Even the water becomes enchanted as playful fountains spring to life, pop jets perform with whimsical precision, and sparkling strobes shine throughout Pixie Hollow.
More information about Summer Nightastic! can be found at www.disneyland.com/summer.
According to D23:
Disney’s PhotoPass cards for Summer Nightastic! are available now. Check out the back of the cards to find out how guests can receive a $10 discount on a Disney’s PhotoCD online or free shipping on the PhotoCD.
