I got the new UK promotional DVD today!
It's not as bad as I thought it would be from what I'd heard, but it isn't very amazing.
There's nice blue menus in the DLRP style (with the needmag?c banner, dlrp font and so on), and then a 5minute video preview of the resort. It's quite a good video despite the very short length, with some good slow orchestral music before it gets to "You'll Be In My Heart". It uses DLRP's collection of footage well and should do a lot of good in persuading more people to go.
If you want an idea of what the video's like, download this:
http://http://www.frantour.nl/data/video/disney_internet.mpgThe video on the DVD is the same except for the following changes:
- The slow orchestral music at the start isn't from Tarzan, but I can't quite tell what it is actually from. It sounds nice though, and stops it from looking like they overused Tarzan.
- Man U Soccer Schools are featured. Only for a few seconds, but this shows they do have some nice footage of the place. Only problem is though, it's VERY obviously added in, since the voiceover guy's voice changes and the picture looks slightly different.
- A few modifed shots here and there, like two (terrible, really terrible shots of LOTLK before the Beauty and Beast section of the Disneyland Park bit.
- At the end, it continues a bit longer to mention the UK reservation hotline and disneylandparis.com
Also included on the DVD are pages with information (which is similar or perhaps even identical the brochure) with a slideshow of photos next to it. Before each of these sections of text info is a short full-screen slideshow. A nice idea, but the transitions between photos are really bad - hard to explain why...
The menus use the orchestral music from the first half of the video to give them a magical yet calming and relaxing feel. They probably look more professional and slicker than the official DVD ones, since they follow the DLRP style and don't have lots of random images jumbled together.
Overall, really not a bad effort at all for their first DVD. It comes in a nice thin card slipcover and definately looks very professional. It should help make people want to go a lot more by letting them see in the video the magic of the resort, and the video itself is a million times better than the one on the official souvenir DVD - no annoying family, no bad dubbing, much better shots, etc. etc. The only small complaint I have about the video is that the picture quality isn't too good, but then I suppose I shouldn't expect much from a promotional DVD.
And so, even though this by no means gets anywhere near as good as the WDW DVDs, it's amazing to finally DLRP doing this, and a clear sign that times have changed at our favourite place on earth - new management, more marketing, more ideas, just MORE magic overall really.
Bravo DLRP! =D> =D>
If you'd like to get hold of this DVD and you live in the UK, then go to
http://www.disneylandparis.com and order the Spring/Summer 2005 brochure. When you receive the brochure the DVD should be thrown in the envelope with it - hopefully. They might not get it into every brochure though, of course, so be patient... :wink:
(btw, I'll scan it in later so you can see what it looks like)
