Originally constructed to be a backlot film set, most of the buildings along the “Streets of America” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are nothing more than a series of false fronts. Since the camera only needs to see the exterior, that’s all that was built.
The conflict ignites in a brand-new trailer for Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War,” hitting theaters May 6!
Early in the first issue of Marvel Comics’ “Haunted Mansion,” a new one-off, five-issue series inspired by the Disneyland staple, readers encounter a ghost. This is expected. After all, as Haunted Mansion lore tells us…
Returning in early 2017, Disney Cruise Line Guests can celebrate the legendary adventures and iconic characters from theStar Wars saga during Star Wars Day at Sea.
Each sailing features a full day of dark side and light side fun, including official appearances of Star Wars characters, a deck party and fireworks, Star Wars-themed family and youth activities, at-sea screenings of Star Wars films, unique food and beverage offerings, and special merchandise.
Throughout the day, Star Wars Younglings, Padawans and Jedi Masters alike can enjoy the immersive and intergalactic entertainment, including a deck party and fireworks display, exclusive event merchandise, and specialty Star Wars-themed food and beverage items.
Characters from across the Star Wars galaxy will also be onboard for interactions, photos and also may be seen patrolling the decks. And, in “Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple,” Force-sensitive children learn the ways of the Jedi and use their new-found skill in a final face off with Darth Vader.
Star Wars Day at Sea will be on Disney Fantasy seven-night cruises sailing from Port Canaveral on Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28; Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25; March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8 and 15, 2017.
Departing Jan. 7, 21; Feb. 4, 18; March 4, 18; April 1 and 15, 2017, the western Caribbean itinerary includes Cozumel, Mexico; Falmouth, Jamaica; Grand Cayman and Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay. Departing Jan. 14, 28; Feb. 11, 25; March 11, 25; and April 8, 2017, the eastern Caribbean itinerary includes Tortola, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay.
Looking over Disney’s tentpole-filled year, there is one release that stands out as both their biggest mystery and (I would argue) their most important release of the year.
Horror fans across the Midwest will again be treated to the best in genre film as Bruce Campbell’s Horror Film Festival returns to the Chicago area from August 18-21. The 3rd annual festivities will feature dozens of films including the U.S. and World Premieres of both features and shorts, special anniversary screenings, 35mm repertory screenings, and a variety of special guests. The festival will once again be held in conjunction with Wizard World Chicago, all under the guidance of the inimitable, one-of-a-kind host, Bruce Campbell.
Submissions are now open for both short and feature films; details and information on how to submit are available at www.BCHFF.com .
“As the Festival enters its third year, we are more excited than ever,” said Campbell. “The number of quality films exploded last year and we hope to have the same type of growth in 2016. Our goal is to become the premiere destination for all things horror, so filmmakers submit your movies!”
In 2015, BCHFF featured the U.S. Premiere of Tales of Halloween , a 30th anniversary screening of Fright Night with writer/director Tom Holland , special guest Eli Roth, along with the Chicago premieres of He Never Died, Turbo Kid, Dude Bro Party Massacre III, and many more!
Further details on the program, guests, venues, and tickets will be announced at a later date.
Beginning April 3, 2016 at Disneyland® Resort, Captain America will make appearances at Disney California Adventure®Park. And, also swinging in to join him on his latest mission in Hollywood Land will be everyone’s favorite web slinger, Spider-Man.
About a decade before Epcot Center opened, a young college boy began his Disney career working part time as an ice cream scooper at Disneyland. This young man is also known as Tony Baxter. He would be the Marc Davis in a new generation of Imagineers after Walt’s death. He played a key role in attractions such as Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours and Journey into Imagination. The central attraction at the Imagination pavilion at Epcot first opened 33 years ago. The original Journey into Imagination featuring Figment and the Dreamfinder would have celebrated this birthday last Saturday, the 5th if March. That is if it had remained in its original form. But before I begin the journey into the original imagination attraction at Epcot, we should visit a brilliant, yet unrealized land expansion, known as Discovery Bay.
Shortly after completing college at Cal State in 1969, Baxter was hired by Disney in the Imagineering department. He was immediately sent to Florida, under the supervision of Davis, to help with the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction at the Magic Kingdom. Shortly after that, he found himself at the helm of a Disneyland revitalization project. He was tasked the challenge to create a new land on the shores of the Rivers of America. Discovery Bay was to be a balance between fantasy and technology set against the backdrop of 1860s San Francisco. It was to be a steampunk style land before the term was coined and was announced to be coming to the park around 1976. One of the attractions that Baxter had in mind was to be called Mr. Marvel’s Gallery of Wonders. The show’s concept was very similar to the Carousel of Progress in that guests would sit in a rotating theatre around a stationary stage which included various scenes with animatronics. Since the Carousel of Progress show proved to be very popular and recently moved to Florida, it made sense that Disneyland needed a similar style show in its replacement. Mr Marvel was to be a professor of imagination and the show would be the professor showcasing his collection of inventions and unique animals. One of those animals was originally going to be a friendly green dragon. (It actually sounds very similar to the basic story and characters of Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland.)
Unfortunately, Discovery Bay was a victim of the chopping block. One of the big reasons it was cancelled was due to the box office failure Island at the Top of the World. This new land’s E-ticket attraction was to be a ride based on this film. A combination of this failure and the public’s interest in the mid 1970s shifting to adventure stories and films set in space (i.e. Star Wars) led Imagineers to stopping the project. Also by the mid 70s, Imagineering had to refocus its staff towards two new park developments; Epcot in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland. Both of these enormous projects were slated to open in the early 1980s.
Even though Tony Baxter’s dream of Discovery Bay failed to become a reality, he still was able to breathe new life into that area of Disneyland by 1979. His family thrill ride, Big Thunder Mountain, was a hit and marked the beginning of a new era of attractions from Disney. Many of the ideas of this land saw the light of day in some form or another both at Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney Sea. But Epcot would become the home of a new imagination attraction that included his original character duo. He even brought elements of his adapted version of Carousel of Progress to the Imagination’s ride system.
Stay tuned tomorrow as we discover how Baxter’s little spark of imagination developed one of Epcot’s most beloved characters and attraction.
Everything old is new again for the Disney Channel, which is reviving many of its most beloved brands for new series and movies it hopes will appeal to kids as well as their parents.
Disney Research scientists are adapting low-cost depth-sensing cameras for use underwater, with the goal of capturing 3-D models of marine flora and fauna with a high degree of accuracy.
