Category: In the Parks

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In the Parks WDW vs DLP

WDW vs. DLP: Frontierland (Part Three – Rivers of America vs. Rivers of the Far West)

Whilst it has been made clear which rivers are referred to in the name of WDW’s Rivers of America (the Potomac, the Rio Grande, the Columbia and the Mississippi), it is as yet unstated which ones the Paris equivalent (Rivers of the Far West) is themed to, although the Mississippi and the Missouri are the two referred to most often by Imagineers in this context.

Rivers of America encompasses Tom Sawyer Island, whilst there are several islands within Rivers of the Far West. One of these is the home to Big Thunder Mountain, one separates Smugglers’ Cove (the load/unload area for the former Keel Boat attraction) from the rest of the water and several of the others make up Wilderness Island (where a “Lil’ Big Thunder” was once considered).

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A detail from Smugglers’ Cove.

As well as the Keel Boats (and Cast Member-only motorized skiffs), other vehicles sometimes visible on the Rivers in Florida include rafts and canoes. Whilst Disneyland Paris has never had the former, nor the need for them, the latter operated in France for the first two years of the park’s existence until being discontinued due to the waterways being considered too busy.

The most iconic vehicles to travel the Rivers however are much bigger. Florida has the Liberty Belle, whilst Paris has the Mark Twain and the Molly Brown, although a maximum of one of the two in France will operate on a given day. All three feature onboard audio. Like the Liberty Belle, the Mark is a sternwheeler, whereas the Molly is a sidewheeler.

An advert for the Mark Twain which can be found on DLP’s Main Street.

The Paris boats are better covered from the elements and their equivalent of Riverboat Landing loads Guests into the bottom story rather than the second floor. The view from all three includes animatronic animals, live ducks, the Railroad and Old Joe, the fisherman.

Whilst most of the visuals along the Rivers of America are thematically manmade (such as the Native American village), on show for those touring the Rivers of the Far West are more nature-inspired features, such as a geyser –which, due to frozen pipes, no longer erupts- and a mock-up of a natural rock bridge, in reality fabricated of steel and concrete.

In both Florida and Paris, the Riverboats are travelling along I-beam tracks and take just under a quarter of an hour to complete a tour of their respective River. In Florida, this round trip takes place in a clockwise direction; it is counter-clockwise in France.

DSC01242 DSC01241The Molly Brown in dock in the early evening, in front of Phantom Manor (left) and Big Thunder Mountain (right).

 

 

The photos below were taken onboard the Molly in Oct 2013.

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All photos courtesy of Hugh Allison. Please do not use without permission.

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In the Parks WDW vs DLP

WDW vs. DLP: Frontierland (Part Two – Shops, Restaurants, Theatres and Shows)

In Florida, Frontierland has six very distinct shops (Big Al’s, Briar Patch, Frontier Mercantile, Frontier Trading Post, Prairie Outpost & Supply and Splashdown Photos) whereas there is really only one store in the Frontierland of Disneyland Paris. This is the Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building, although it is split into three separate parts: Bonanza Outfitters, Eureka Mining Supplies and Tobias Norton & Sons. To the untrained eye (e.g. mine) the three sections seem interchangeable, except for having different entrances, but perhaps the differentiation is to help out those who work in the park’s sales department…or maybe it is a cynical ploy to get more potential customers to visit/revisit the store.

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Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building at dusk. October 2013.
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Interior of Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building. Spot the obvious Hidden Mickey. October 2013.
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Interior of Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building. Two of the store’s many decorative mannequins which originated in the nearby Legends of the Wild West. October 2013.

Arguably there is another sales point of sorts in DLP’s Frontierland: Big Thunder Photographer. As well as this being where one can purchase the on-ride snaps from Big Thunder Mountain, it also sells T-shirts, bottled beverages and plush toys, albeit currently only of Woody and Jessie.

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Big Thunder Photographer – Photo taken in May 2013, when shop was undergoing refurbishment.

In terms of restaurants, Disneyland Paris hasn’t got anything too similar to any of the three eateries currently in WDW’s Frontierland: Golden Oak Outpost, Pecos Bills Tall Tale Inn and Westward Ho.

What Disneyland Paris does have however is the Silver Spur Steakhouse, a restaurant which once featured various watercolors, etchings and oil paintings by the likes of Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), Edward Borein (1872-1945) and Charles Russell (1864-1926) so as to set the scene of “lavish Victorian ambience…accentuated with masterpieces of western art”. In 1994 however, these were removed and replaced with printed copies.

Whilst the Silver Spur Steakhouse is a table service restaurant, the other eateries in the Land are all generally considered to be “Quick Meal” experiences: Cowboy Cookout Barbecue (“Western style” food, and frequent live music and/or characters), Fuente del Oro Restaurante (Mexican food), Last Chance Café (Tex-Mex) and The Lucky Nugget Saloon.

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Although looking slightly shabby now, this Aztec golden fountain sits in the forecourt outside “Fuente del Oro”. The restaurant name translates as “Fountain of Gold” which refers to this fountain. However, Fuente’s other meaning, source, means the eatery’s name is also a reference to the backstory of Big Thunder Mountain, which has its entrance opposite this fountain. backstory. October 2013.
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A detail from the heated terrace added to the Last Chance Café in 2009. Many people are against this terrace as it spoils the view of the Land, and goes against the restaurant’s original theming. October 2013.
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A seasonal addition above the Lucky Nugget. October 2013.

The Lucky Nugget Saloon is (in many ways) France’s answer to WDW’s The Diamond Horseshoe, although it is perhaps closer in design and atmosphere to Anaheim’s The Golden Horseshoe.

When I visited The Lucky Nugget last month, it was featuring shows by The Sun Flower Spooky Trio and The Thunder Mesa Band, with nearby performances by The Riverboat Halloween Band. Other shows at The Lucky Nugget over the years have included Lilly’s Follies, The Lucky Nugget Christmas Trio, The Lucky Nugget Revue and Rosie & The Rebels.

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The Thunder Mesa Band performing inside The Lucky Nugget. May 2013.
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The Riverboat Halloween Band, standing in front of Rivers of the Far West with part of the BTM track in the background. Some of these guys have been known to perform in other bands throughout the park. October 2013.

Now that WDW considers The Diamond Horseshoe as being in Liberty Square, Frontierland has no theatres aside from Country Bear Hall. Conversely, France’s Frontierland has a 1,350-seater called The Chaparral Theater, which opened in 1995.

The Chaparral is currently showless, although extravaganzas which have appeared at this open-air theatre over the years include Goofy’s Summer Camp, Hill Billy Hoedown, Mickey’s Winter Wonderland, Pocahontas: Le Spectacle and The Tarzan Encounter.

 

All photos courtesy of Hugh Allison. Please do not use without permission.

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In the Parks New Releases Site News and Events Store News

Introducing MouseScrappers slideshows for scrapbooks

Earlier this year, I came across a post in our forums that pointed to an intriguing YouTube video.  The video showed how scrapbookers could include a link to videos in their scrapbooks by making use of something called a “QR” (square) barcode.  In a nutshell, a person uploads a video to the internet, creates a scanable QR code and puts that code in their scrapbook. Viewers of the scrapbook then scan the code on a mobile device to quickly and easily watch the video.

But what if I don’t have any video???  I feel so left out!

I think the concept of including video is very cool… it is a way to instantly bring your scrapbook to life by including elements that appeal to your sense of sound in addition to your sense of sight.  But, I hardly have any video footage from my trips, so I feel a little at a disadvantage for not being able to bring that level of interaction to my scrapbooks.  Then, I was hit with an idea… what if MS provided something stock that scrapbookers could use to supplement their layouts?  So I came up with the idea to create slideshows set to thematic music.  When thinking about the first place to start, it was easy… an iconic ‘must do’ attraction that hardly anyone has photos from:  Spaceship Earth.  When you look through our Spaceship Earth forum, you will notice that almost all of the 150+ layouts only have photos of the outside… but what about the inside?   How will your spouse (who is a Disney fan by marriage) remember what is inside the attraction?  How will you describe the ride to grandma? The reason so few people have photos inside is because it is extremely difficult to capture photos inside – the lighting is low and not only does your vehicle move, but so do the figures and displays.  I’ve tried, but if my photos aren’t blurry (which most are) then they are grainy.  While a steady hand is helpful, you really need a high-quality camera and lens to get a decent photo.  One person who has incredible photos from inside is Mark Barbieri, so I asked him if I could use his photos to put together a slideshow for scrapbookers.  He agreed and I’m happy to report that he was pleased with the final product.  I found the perfect music to accompany the photos – a piece that is both futuristic and triumphant. Here is a 30-second excerpt from the video:

photo courtesy Mark Barbieri
photo courtesy Mark Barbieri

So imagine your child sitting on the couch with grandma, showing her the scrapbook you made from your Disney vacation. When your child picks up your phone and scans the code in the book and shows grandma the video, won’t grandma be amazed?  Oh so that’s what’s inside!

I created this with a program called ProShow Producer which is packed with features and yields a higher quality video than other programs I’ve tried.  It also has a number of expansion packs with (addictingly) exciting effects and transitions that I couldn’t pass up.  What is nice about this technology is it doesn’t matter whether you are a traditional or digi-scrapper, anyone can use it.  I have put a copy of this video in the MS store.  Buyers will receive a copy of the video so that they may upload it to their own personal accounts (this way you are not dependent on the lifespan of someone else’s account).  Also included in this package is a little PSD graphic template I created to display your code.

Here is an example of the QR code incorporated into a layout

Layout by Fiona
Layout by Fiona

 

For a limited time, this video is on sale for only $5.  Click here to go to the MOUSESCRAPPERS STORE

I’ve already created several of these videos.  One that I’m anxious to share with you is Expedition Everest – I included some appropriate sound effects. 🙂  I also have a special freebie that I’ll give away at a later date, so stay tuned. What I’d like to do for other attractions are to host ‘challenge’ type events.  If you allow me to use one of your photos of an attraction, you can have a copy of the finished video for free. Sound fair?  Once I work out the specifics I will post the details.

For help uploading a video to the internet and creating a QR code, click here: http://mousescrappers.com/wordpress/?page_id=4441

 

Note:  all photos used in this video are personal and/or used with permission from the photographer(s).  You may download the images for personal use – see store description for more details.  Music was purchased from a royalty-free site.

Use a slideshow in your Disney scrapbook

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Disney History Gone But Not Forgotten In the Parks WDW vs DLP

WDW vs. DLP: Frontierland (Part One)

My favorite Land in Disneyland Paris is Frontierland, and this article is the first in a series of five comparing it to its Floridian counterpart. I am hoping to cover as much of the this Land as is possible, with the exception of the Railroad station, which I wrote about for a previous article – see http://mousescrappers.com/wordpress/?p=656

Several Imagineers I have spoken to about the creation of this Land have referred to it as “Westernland” (the name given to the version in Tokyo, due to “Frontier” being a term not thought to be as recognizable by its target Guests). Although this could on occasion have been them getting their resorts muddled up, there was a period of time when the name was strongly considered for use in the France park, although the Land’s Art Director, Jeff Burke, claims to have been adamant from day one that “Frontierland” was the only name which should or could be used.

Personally, I feel the theming of Frontierland in Paris to be one of the most thorough and in-depth, which is in part due to its size as the biggest Frontierland worldwide. However, much credit must go to the Land having such a coherent backstory, although I suspect that some sections of the storyline may have been retrofitted. However, over time, I feel additions and changes to the Land have contradicted much of this backstory, as did a temporary overreliance on cartoon characters, especially when Woody’s Roundup Village was in operation.

A photo-op from the now defunct Woody’s Roundup Village. Photo courtesy of www.photosmagiques.com

One example of an element of the Paris Frontierland’s backstory which is downplayed more now than in the park’s earlier years is the distinction between the “rich” half of the Land and the “poor” half. Likewise, although the Land is still a hub for Halloween activities, the two halves are no longer changed during that celebration into “Trickland” and “Treatland”.

Recently, although Halloween celebrations in the Paris resort have been more minimal than they once were (and also more Main Street based), during the season, Frontierland still features Pumpkin-Head mannequins, themed bands and the meet-and-greet with Jack Skellington and Sally. In previous Octobers, the Land has also featured face-painting, mummified ships, spooky dinner shows and occasionally an overall re-name/re-theme to “Halloweenland”.

Jack and Sally in DLP’s Frontierland, in Boot Hill Cemetery. Photo courtesy of www.disneyandmore.com

Christmas is also celebrated in Paris’ Frontierland more than elsewhere in the park, with seasonal stage shows, reindeer, Santa’s workshop and a chance to meet the big guy himself.

Other than perhaps during the Halloween/Christmas celebrations, both the Paris and the Florida Frontierland are set in the mid to late nineteenth century. They both feature a generous smattering of props from the era as well as a smoking area, a pin trading location and a shooting gallery.

Attractions currently existing solely in the Paris Frontierland include Legends of the Wild West (a self-guided walking tour of Fort Comstock) and two Native American camps: Pocahontas Indian Village (a play area for younger Guests) and a set of tepees near the Land’s main entrance. In the earlier days of the park, Guests could walk in and around the latter, whereas nowadays they can only be experienced from a distance, although -as of the last few months- smoke has started to come from one of them.

In part two of this article (to be published on Thursday 7th Nov 2013), I shall be looking at the restaurants, shops, theatres and shows of these two Frontierlands, and then parts three to five will look at the “main” attractions of the Paris Land (Rivers of the Far West, Big Thunder Mountain and Phantom Manor) and comparing them to their Florida equivalents. These three articles will be published Nov 21st, Dec 5th and Dec 19th respectively.

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Amazon Disney @ Home In the Parks

New ‘Disneyland Resort Official Album’

Walt Disney Records released this album on August 20, 2013. It has over 2-1/2 hours of music from the parks. If you are like me, you probably have several of these songs already. However, some of the tracks seem to have ‘just a little bit extra’ material in them. For example, I have “Grim Grinning Ghosts” on one or two Disney albums already, but they begin with Thurl Ravenscroft singing “When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake…”. The Grim Grinning Ghosts track on this album also contains the introduction you hear in the foyer, “When hinges creak in doorless chambers…”, voiced by Paul Frees. There is also a Fantasyland ‘dark ride’ medley which begins with audio from Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. This is something I don’t have already. Disk two also contains new material from Disney California Adventure, like the Radiator Springs Ridethrough.

    Disk One

1. All Aboard! (Album Version)
2. Married Life
3. The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room (Album Version)
4. Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Instrumental)
5. Tarzan Medley (Instrumental)
6. Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)
7. Grim Grinning Ghosts
8. Splash Mountain Medley (Medley)
9. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Instrumental)
10. Pecos Bill
11. Touch the Sky
12. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo
13. The Fantasyland Darkride Suite (Album Version)
14. It’s a Small World Clock Parade (Album Version)
15. It’s a Small World (Album Version)
16. Steamboat Willie (Album Version)
17. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (Instrumental)

    Disk Two

1. Submarine Voyage (Disneyland Attraction Version)
2. The Throne Room
3. Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters (Instrumental)
4. Space Mountain (Album Version)
5. Suitcase and a Dream
6. Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf
7. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue
8. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Theme (Album Version)
9. Soarin’
10. The Bakery Theme
11. A Bug’s Life Suite (Album Version)
12. It’s Tough To Be a Bug
13. The Little Mermaid Medley
14. Midway Mania
15. The Cleaner
16. California Screamin’
17. Welcome to Radiator Springs
18. Funiculi Funicula
19. Radiator Springs Racers: Attraction Ride Through

From what I’ve read, it is only available for sale in the Disney Parks or as a download from Amazon or iTunes. If you choose do download, you can download individual songs or the entire album for a very reasonable price ($18.99 at the time of this writing).

If you do order it from Amazon, please consider using the link below to make your purchase.

Disneyland Resort Official Album