Imagineering Pixar For The Disney Parks - But Not WDS

[CafeFantasia]

On the 13th of September 2009, at the D23 Expo, John Lasseter and a group of Imagineers gave a talk about "Imagineering Pixar For The Disney Parks". They talked for over an hour about all the rides and attractions in the Disney Parks that incorporate Pixar characters.

Now, what's interesting is, they didn't once mention Disneyland Paris and they didn't once mention the Walt Disney Studios Park. They didn't talk about Crush's Coaster, or Cars Race Rally, or Toy Story Playland. They didn't mention that the little Chef Remy animatronic debuted in Paris. Nothing. However, they DID talk about Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, which are both non-US parks.

So my question is, why do you think that is?

[youtube:2301q7rt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYfbt2_VWCA&feature=related[/youtube:2301q7rt]

[dagobert]

As Anthony mentioned somewhere esle on this forum, it looks like that DLRP is not really part of the Disney Family anymore.

Maybe the best thing for DLRP would be that TWDC is selling the remaining 40% and the whole resort is operated like the Tokyo Disney Resort.

[davewasbaloo]

Maybe the best thing for DLRP would be that TWDC is selling the remaining 40% and the whole resort is operated like the Tokyo Disney Resort.

Oh god noooooooo! OLC does amazing things and invest in their parks. When things are totally left up to Europe, it is aweful.

[dagobert]

Why don't you think that a company independent from Disney would not make such a good job in Europe like OLC does in Japan?

Now Euro Disney SCA is somewhere in the middle. On the one hand DLRP is part of TWDC (Although Disney owns only 40%), on the other hand, TWDC behaves like DLRP is not part anymore of the company.

Every resort gets a big investment from TWDC, except DLRP and TDR which belongs to OLC.
WDW gets a new Fantasyland.
DCA is completly rethemed.
HKDL gets three new lands.
And what does DLRP get? TSPL.

Maybe Disney didn't mention anything, because of the 20th birthday of DLRP in 2012. I think that if DLRP will get a major attraction in 2012, Euro Disney SCA wants to present it on their own.

[CafeFantasia]

Just noticed something very interesting. Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJeUgngh ... ed#t=6m00s

The Imagineers say, I think, "we haven't done stuff over in Paris". "We do have a little Remy figure there over in the restaurant". They seem kind of embarrassed, as if it's not something they should talk about, or enjoy talking about.

[Anthony]

Just noticed something very interesting. Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJeUgngh ... ed#t=6m00s

The guy who asked this question (good on him!) wrote about it on his blog:

One of the stranger moments of my D23 Expo experience was having one of my questions shot down by Bruce Vaughn, the Chief Creative Executive of Imagineering. At a press conference following the panel discussion of the creation of Pixar-based attractions for the theme parks, I asked about some of the attractions they hadn’t mentioned – those being planned for the Walt Disney Studios park in Paris. To the apparent surprise of many of the fellow Disney obsessives in the crowd, Vaughn’s response was that no new projects had been announced for Paris.

I wasn’t really asking about the Playland, though. In my oh-so-clever craftiness I thought that by asking a vague question about the Pixar projects underway in Paris instead of asking specifically about the Toy Story rides, I might get a comment about the rumored Ratatouille attraction that is also said to be underway. I couldn’t care less about Toy Story Playland and its three carny rides, but I’m darn sure interested in the rumored trackless Ratatouille dark ride. It’s pretty funny that I didn’t want to look like a jerk asking about a Ratatouille ride that I wasn’t sure had been officially confirmed, so I thought I’d cover myself by asking about the Toy Story Playland which I thought was fair game. Busted.

Obviously, I have no gripe with Vaughn over his answer. After all, if they haven’t announced anything, they haven’t announced anything. The look on the faces of the Imagineers when I asked the question was worth the price of admission anyway. Sorry guys, I knew not what I did! But my question is this: why hasn’t the Playland been announced?

http://progresscityusa.com/2009/09/20/h ... ain-sight/

So at least it's getting some worldwide attention. And I see what he means about the look on their faces. Don't they have internet access? Don't they know we know?

And about the new advertisement on the construction walls appearing despite any announcement from Euro Disney SCA: "As for Paris, the toys are on the way. Unless this is the most committed disinformation campaign ever!" haha, I love this blog.

Maybe Disney didn't mention anything, because of the 20th birthday of DLRP in 2012. I think that if DLRP will get a major attraction in 2012, Euro Disney SCA wants to present it on their own.

About future attractions I think you're right, DLRP is between phases. The new attractions of the 15th are too "old" to be featured, and it's too soon for the next. Give it a few months, perhaps?

But Alan has a good point. Why wasn't Paris included at all in what was meant to be a retrospective?

[luke85]

Wow. The people on that panel looked as if they were forced to be there. They looked so bored!

[MiklCraw4d]

Haha thanks for the link... glad you enjoyed it.

It was a really bizarre moment. I'd really love to know why the secrecy act is on when they have the sign up already in Paris. I really, really didn't expect that. I was just hoping that they'd announced Ratatouille and might say something about it! Odd that they didn't even mention the things that had already been built (when they mentioned A Bug's Land for pete's sake!).

Anyway, glad I could help you guys overseas. I haven't even been to DLRP, but even I thought it was weird that they ignored it. I wonder when we'll hear something?

[CafeFantasia]

Hey MiklCraw4d, so you're the guy that was there, that asked the question? Welcome on board.

So what did the Imagineers really say? Did they say "we haven't done stuff over in Paris", as in, we haven't worked on any projects over in Paris. Or did they say "we haven't got anything coming to Paris", as in, no new projects that we can talk about?

Like I said before, the weird thing was that they didn't once mention any of the Pixar attractions in Paris. I would've thought they'd be proud of Crush's Coaster, but obviously not.

[Willow]

Its a bit weird.

Next years theme is kinda Pixar related so there was another thing they could have mentioned, especially as Pixar have been involved.

Paris has some of the best Disney attractions in the world, even better than the originals in the American Parks beloved Disneyland.  :roll:

Thanks MiklCraw4d, I'm glad somebody was thinking about us over at the D23 Expo!  

[MiklCraw4d]

So what did the Imagineers really say? Did they say "we haven't done stuff over in Paris", as in, we haven't worked on any projects over in Paris. Or did they say "we haven't got anything coming to Paris", as in, no new projects that we can talk about.

He said that they haven't announced anything for Paris. Which, I guess, is true. I thought for sure they had announced TSP, though, since I'd already seen construction pictures!

I also thought it was odd that they didn't mention Crush, since they mentioned everything else no matter how insignificant...

[CafeFantasia]

Right. Thanks for clearing that up. I just listened to it on headphones, and Bruce Vaughn clearly says "we've announced nothing for Paris" and then something about "next time".

So I guess that actually sounds quite positive. It seems like they're working on something, but they can't talk about it at the moment. But maybe at next year's D23 they can talk about it, when it's nearer the opening date?

It's interesting that Bruce also says, "we do have a little Remy figure over there in the restaurant". It's as if he's saying, we can't talk about the Ratatouille ride at the moment, but for the time being you can see the Remy figure. I mean, why would he bring that up if they weren't working on a Ratatouille ride? Seems like a clue ;-)

[CafeFantasia]

Actually, I made a mistake. Take a look at the Imagineering Pixar For The Disney Parks 6 of 8 video, and fast forward 1 minute and 28 seconds into it. Bruce Vaughn mentions that there's actually a Remy animatronic over in France. He doesn't say "Walt Disney Studios Park", but he was the only person on the panel to bring up Disneyland Paris! There were nine Imagineering/Pixar people there, and he was the only one to bring it up. So, props to Bruce.

[youtube:2n059rbv]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXLSLNR7hBM&feature=channel_page#t=1m28s[/youtube:2n059rbv]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXLSLNR7 ... ge#t=1m28s

[littlemermaid83]

How strange  :|

[Anthony]

Look what just launched today:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

And look at the categories drop-down menu on the right. :roll:

So perhaps it's Disney's European offices which should be doing things like this for Disneyland Paris? Pushing DLP and reporting back to the UK headquarters about what's going on. Disney UK do almost nothing these days to promote the resort. We've not had an email newsletter for months and no mailouts for two years or more. The adverts on TV (supplied by Paris) are incredibly tacky, with bad English voiceovers and for some reason very bad picture quality. There's never any press pictures of British celebrities at DLP, but I'm sure they visit. And so on...