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[Anthony]

Toon Studio[/size]
The enhanced and expanded Animation Courtyard.
Due to be completed June 2007.

This is the official topic for Toon Studio at Walt Disney Studios Park.  A massive "place-making" project is currently underway to enhance Animation Courtyard with new themeing, photo locations, greenery, paving, and more to create a full-on "Disney" feel and integrate the existing land better with the new atractions.  The project also includes the expansion of the land into the large empty space next to the ImagiNations Costuming building.

This area will feature two brand new exclusive attractions, which both now have their own discussion topics:

Crush's Coaster
Cars Race Rally

This main topic is therefore now for general Toon Studio stuff, and discussion about the enhancements made to the current Animation Courtyard area.

In June 2007 when the area is completed, the entire zone will be renamed Toon Studio.

Toon Studio impressions at Photos Magiques

[Kristof]

As the area is right now:

[Anthony]

Concept Art

So far two full pieces of Toon Studios concept art have been leaked, plus one photo of a display of concept art/models for the land...

Concept Art #1
Released: 21st January 2005



This is the first Toon Studios concept art released, and immediately brought great disappointment to most fans, with it's bland layout, boring design and lack of excitement/magic.  It became clear after some time (and upon seeing the following concept arts) though, that this was mainly an early layout design for the land and not a true indication of what it might actually be.

The concept art did give us a good idea of what kind of attractions to expect though, with a Finding Nemo dark ride, A Bug's Life dodgems, Flying Carpets integrated into the area and lots of character meeting locations.


Concept Art Photo
Released: 5th February 2005

 

This is a small photo taken at the Cast Members' New Attractions previews convention on 11th January 2005.  The convention displayed a lot of concept art for the new attractions, some of it old, some new and some from other Disney parks with similar attractions to those planned.

This photo shows concept art for some kind of dark ride (perhaps Finding Nemo or even Buzz in DLP?) aswell as concept art for "Flik's Flyers" and more.  It's hard to make out, but definately let fans see that there's much more to Toon Studios than the initial disappointing concept art.


Concept Art #2
Released: 11th February 2005



The third and final concept art released so far is by far the best of the lot, with a more traditional Imagineering concept art style and a clear sense of theme, colour and atmosphere.  This concept art was showcased at The Walt Disney Company's AGM (Annual General Meeting).

The concept art shows not only the attractions of Toon Studios but also many enchancements to the existing Animation Courtyard.  Paintbrushes, palettes, tubes of paint and more litter to area and colour the floor to bring it to life, with more greenery and trees aswell.

The actual Toon Studios area looks incredibly different to the original concept art, with very realistic themed areas for each attraction, all coexisting within a very small area and merging into each other accordingly.  Large trees block most of the land from view in Animation Courtyard, and this design features a much larger showbuilding for the Finding Nemo ride (which also has an outside section here aswell).  Also featured is a bumper cars ride themed to Pixar's 2006 film "Cars", set suitably in a grand-canyon-style area with the side of the Art Of Disney building disguised as a drive-in movie theatre.  Further into the land are some trailers like the "Studio Catering Co." vans already in the park.

Missing in this concept art is the rumoured Incredibles themed area aswell as proper character meet and greet areas and the rumoured full new restaurant.

It is likely that none of the concept arts currently available represent the land truthfully, so it looks like we will simply have to wait for the official concept art unveiling before we can really judge the area and the impact it will have on Walt Disney Studios Park.  It has been rumoured that concept art for all the new attractions will be released in May, but the likelyhood of this is very uncertain.

And that's it, the concept art in full!   Phew!  I need a lie down...

[Anthony]

The Attractions

The actual attractions that will appear in Toon Studios are still largely unknown, so here's a list showing the known attractions that could be appearing:

Almost Certain to Appear

- Finding Nemo Dark Ride / Spinning Coaster
A dark ride with spinning coaster elements themed to Finding Nemo.  It is likely to quite similar in design to parts of "Mermaid Lagoon" in Tokyo Disney Sea, and is also likely to feature a small section where the track goes outside the showbuilding and runs along the front, twisting as it does so.  The exterior of the attraction looks likely to be a large soundstage with a huge 2D front facade as seen the concept art above.  The "story" of the attraction will probably be that you are taking part in the filming of the "EAC" scene in the film and riding on one of the turtles in the fast, twisting, turning ocean current.

- Bumper Cars
So far we've seen both A Bug's Life and Cars themed versions of these, but the chosen theme has yet to be confirmed.  It is perhaps more likely that Cars will be chosen so that the land is totally up-to-date with the latest films, but the success of "Cars" will also probably be a major factor in the decision - that is, if making a decision on this in summer 2006 isn't too late...


Other Possible Attractions

- Flik's Flyers

- "The Incredibles" attraction

- No more attraction plans have been seen yet, but if you hear about any be sure to post the info here!

[Kristof]

- Bumper Cars
So far we've seen both A Bug's Life and Cars themed versions of these, but the chosen theme has yet to be confirmed. It is perhaps more likely that Cars will be chosen so that the land is totally up-to-date with the latest films, but the success of "Cars" will also probably be a major factor in the decision - that is, if making a decision on this in summer 2006 isn't too late

What's your opinion on this one, Baloo...  Bugs Life or Cars?  

[flor]

as Raptor pointed out yesterday in the Studios park, there are that same constructions with the boxes and lamps behind the gates where the cinema-parade re-enters backstage as those 'on stage' next to the parade route.



So there will be an expansion that way? why else putting those constructions over there?

[Anthony]

Ohh yeah - well spotted!  I'd never noticed that before.

I can't think why they'd carry the posts on into the backstage area - maybe so that the parade crews can hear the music aswell?  Or so that it doesn't just look like the "themeing" ends at that gate?

Or maybe they just ordered too many posts and had nowhere to put them?

Do they have extra posts outside the gate of the Backlot parade entrance?

And as for Cars vs. A Bug's Life - I might get hated for this one, but I'd choose A Bug's Life anyday.  Not because I like the film, but for the simple fact that it'll bring much more colour and greenery to the studios, whereas Cars would just bring even more industrial style things...

[Kristof]

I prefer the Cars attraction... They could theme the back of the Canyon as part of the coral reef from the Nemo ride.

And the drive-in setting fits more in to the studios park.  

[Anthony]

I prefer the Cars attraction... They could theme the back of the Canyon as part of the coral reef from the Nemo ride.

Yeah, I think what I really like about that second concept art is how all the themes flow and fit together, even though they're so amazingly different.  The grand canyon with under the sea and an Arabian desert?!  You'd never think they could put them together, but in that concept art it *really* works.  I'd be more than satisfied if that second concept art became reality - so long as they added in the extra stuff to the top which we've heard rumoured (like an Incredibles attraction and a proper restaurant).

[Kristof]

Yeah I totally agree...  What Incredibles attraction would you like to see?

[Anthony]

Hmmm... I was thinking perhaps they could build a small street set for Metroville, and then have a ride themed to the "Omnidroid" there.  I suppose it would be a spinning ride, but with the cars moving around and stuff.  I don't know what the rides are called, so basically a nicely themed spinning fairground ride.  :wink:

Even though it might sicken people that Disney would build rides like these, I'd have to disagree and say that these rides are the stepping stones to bigger and greater things.  The park needs to up it's capacity and amount of entertainment time, so simple and cheap but nicely themed rides like this would be perfect.

And if STT will still run close to the ImagiNations costuming building, then they could extend the Metroville set a bit for the STT to run through...

And just to throw in another idea, I've started to like Mary Poppins rather a lot now, so I think it would be great to build a street set of Cherry Tree Lane somewhere (maybe Production Courtyard, near CinéMagique?).  It was Walt's crowning glory (or however they always describe it), so it would fit perfectly in "WALT DISNEY Studios".  :wink:

[Kristof]

Metroville

I was thinking the same thing.  Why not build a ficitional streetset, instead of exhisting ones??  Or a combination.  

[Kristof]

This article was posted on the DLP.info forum, which 'confirms' the Finding Nemo ride and the Cars bumpercars.  It also mentions the height of Tower of Terror: 50 meters!!  

 :arrow:  http://newsparcs.free.fr/articles/peter_mc_grath.jpg

[Disc°o°veryBoy]

there are speakers in backlot backstage (lol funny to say "backlot backstage") too.

[Anthony]

This article was posted on the DLP.info forum, which 'confirms' the Finding Nemo ride and the Cars bumpercars.  It also mentions the height of Tower of Terror: 50 meters!!  

 :arrow:  http://newsparcs.free.fr/articles/peter_mc_grath.jpg

I'm surprised that it now seems the Cars and Finding Nemo rides will be the only rides in the area.  I was hoping for perhaps one extra ride other than those...

The Finding Nemo ride looks to be bigger than your normal fairground-style Disney ride though (ie. bigger than any in A Bug's Land), so I think that will be the main attraction of the land and Cars will be a little bonus.  It'll be nice to have a proper area for the Carpets aswell, since they seem very out-of-place in the rather serious Animation Courtyard.

I think all there needs to be for me to absolutely love the idea of Toon Studios are more themed meet n greet areas, a proper shop and a nice big restaurant - preferably near the back of Art of Disney.