Walt Disney Studios Paris

Here are some great photos and videos taken during some recent rehersals for the new Motor Stunt Show.

I have an extremely reliable source indicating that FANTASMIC! will be making an appearance at the new Walt Disney Studios in Paris. The show is currently in advanced production stages, although the show will not be ready for park opening, but will debut after the official opening date of April 12 2002. No word yet on what type of stadium will be built, or if the show will be a direct clone of the Florida or California versions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTRACTIONS

Doubling as a production studio and themepark, Disney Studios will provide entertainment while playing an educational role. In this park guests will be able to discover and learn more about what is goes on backstage in the audiovisual world.

The main entrance will open onto an attractive Central Plaza with fountain and palm trees, where visitors will find a number of services as well as a boutique whose architecture will be inspired by the studio sets. A stroll down the legendary Studio Boulevard, illuminated by show lights, will gradually reveal that the building fronts are actually movie sets, behind which can be found a second large boutique, entirely dedicated to the world of cinema, On the other side of the street, there will be a fast food restaurant decorated to have the look and feel of a live set.

Next visitors will enter the world of animation, where they will be initiated into techniques of this magical art. After watching a video of Walt Disney paying tribute to animation pioneers, they will meet a real live artist who will explain how a script is developed, how the music for a film is created and how character animation is done. They will have an opportunity to see a heart-stirring compilation of classic film sequences from the many Walt Disney masterpieces, or witness a moment from the making of an animated film. Finally, there will be game-stations using classic or recent technologies which, by playing with images and sound, guests will the able to bring animated sequences to life.

The second attraction dedicated to animated feature films will be a show celebrating the infinite possibilities that arise when imagination meets animation. Inside a large theater, this live show with is black light effects is a cross between a magic show and avant-garde theatre.

A train station to be built in the middle of the park will be the point of departure for the Tram Tour - for a tour of the studios. This will take visitors on a backstage ride between different attractions, with a good view of the sets and scenes of films and television series. They will visit the costume department and see the workshops as well as all of the costumes used by our Cast members. The sight of a magnificent collection of costumes from famous films will add to the excitement.

One of the highlights of this tour will be Catastrophe Canyon, where guests will find themselves in the middle of a scene being shot in a desert mountain landscape. They will experience a live earthquake... just as a tanker truck drives in front of them and electric poles come crashing down on top of it causing a dam to burst and is waters to rush down over them. Fortunately the train manages to escape before it is completely flooded, then it wends is way behind the scenes where visitors can see the mechanisms at work behind this incredible disaster.

In the area dedicated to production, visitors will attend a multimedia show in which a theatre troupe, projections, special effects and music are combined to evoke the highlights of international cinema history. A person from audience will fall in love with the heroine of the film on the screen and tries to join her in a series of film sequences illustrating the incredible range of genres explored by the cinematic art! They will discover what goes on backstage in the world of television production. This area will also be used for television broadcasting and live events. Guided tours will reveal the secrets of a real Disney Channel production studios, and guests may even attend the rehearsals and then the taping of „Zapping Zone" a Program targeting young people.

Another attraction relating audiovisual productions called „ The amazing world of special effects" Here visitors will see for themselves how special effects have been achieved over the years, starting early in the 20th century with the films of George Milieus and ending with the latest techniques . They will learn about physical and optical illusions, musical effects and computer generated images. In addition, they will have a chance to experience 360° conditions live: as passengers on the space refueling station from the film Armageddon they will be plugged into a storm of flaming meteorites.

A little farther on, in an open air amphitheater seating 3000 visitors can experience an extraordinary stunt show lasting 25 minutes: in a small Mediterranean village, secret agents are trying to arrest a group of terrorist involved in arms trafficking. The action will combine terrific stunts using cars , motorcycles and trucks with explosions that build in intensity to a mind-boggling finale. And, there will be plenty of laughs, for good measure.

Another spectacular attraction - „The Rock 'n' RollerCoaster will plunge guests into the midst of action. This will be the most hair-rising experience in the entire park. Visitors hurled by a catapult will travel at high velocity to a recording studio, where they will take part in the taping of a video clip complete with rock music, lasers and light effects. We asked the famous rock group Aerosmith to compose the music for this new and extravagant adventure, a heady combination of rock 'n' roll and tailspins, dives and loop-the-loops.

September 29 1999

Disneyland Paris officially announced the Disney Studios Paris today.

EURO DISNEY SCA 29 September 1999 DISNEYLAND PARIS:

LAUNCH OF THE SECOND PARK DISNEY STUDIOS

Euro Disney SCA has today confirmed the launch of its second park "Disney Studios" at the Disneyland Paris site. Envisaged in the original agreement made on 24th March 1987 between the French authorities and Disney, the second park is scheduled to open in the spring of 2002. It will adjoin the present park, the Magic Kingdom and the Disneyland Hotel and will benefit from the existing infrastructure, including RER (suburban) and TGV (high
speed) train stations, Disney village, hotels and visitor car parks.

Disney Studios will draw on a variety of themes: cinema, animation, television and new forms of audiovisual technology, inspired by the cinema of France, Europe and Hollywood. A combination of theme park and production studio, Disney Studios will have both a recreational and an educational aspect. Visitors will be able to discover and become more familiar with what goes on behind the scenes in the audiovisual and film world. The wide range of entertainment on offer for children and adults alike will include: a car stunt show produced by Remy Julienne, an interactive tribute to the genre of cinema, an introduction to what goes into the production of animation, a trip through a Canyon Catastrophes and the Rock'n Roller, a spectacular new attraction centred around the music of Aerosmith. Disney Studios will offer
a large choice of animations and sensations for children and adults.

This project heralds the beginning of an important new stage of development for Euro Disney SCA. It will enable Disneyland Paris to strengthen its attraction, as both a touristic and an economic centre and to confirm its position as the leading tourist destination in Europe. It will also make an active contribution to the regional planning policy for the development of the area to the east of Paris. The park will lead to the creation of almost 5,000 jobs, of which 1,500 will be on the site as soon as the park opens. The public authorities will support the project by speeding up the timetable for certain infrastructural projects, such as a new interchange and a second arterial link from the A4 motorway to the park - both of these will be open from 2002. The authorities will also have a role in professional training programmes, such as the "tourist host" training set up by Disneyland Paris. The cultural dimension of the project will be embodied in the representation of European film heritage within the park and the establishment of partnerships between Disneyland Paris and training companies in television and film.

Total investment in the new park amounts to FRF 4 billion. It will be financed by an equity offering of FRF 1.5, billion of which The Walt Disney Company has undertaken to subscribe 39%, representing the level of its present stake in the Company. The equity offering will be submitted to shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting of Euro Disney S.C.A.,
which will take place on 2nd November. This financing will also include a FRF 2.5 billion long term loan from CDC (la Caisse des Depots et Consignations), one of Euro Disney's principal banks. Separately, Euro Disney SCA has announced today that the existing loans with the CDC for FRF 3.5 billion have been rearranged from 7.85% to 5.15% to reflect the
historical decline in market rates.

Commenting on this announcement, Gilles Pelissor, President and CEO of Euro Disney SCA, said: "The diverse themes at Disney Studios will enrich the existing offering Disneyland Paris. Disney Studios will complement the unique world of the Magic Kingdom, offering a journey behind the scenes of world cinema and into the heritage of Disney animation. The success of this project, represents an historical moment for our company and our region. It is the fruit of the entire cast of Disneyland Paris, who has made this resort the leading tourist destination in Europe, and of the famous Disney Imagineers".