Paradise Pier at California Adventure to be rethemed to Pixar Pier

Image copyright Disney. All rights reserved.

At the D23 Expo 2017, Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek was joined by Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter to unveil plans for Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure, where the pier will take on a brand new look as more favorite Pixar characters and stories come to life, from The Incredibles, to Inside Out to even more Toy Story. Chapek also announced there is more Pixar in store during Pixar Fest at Disneyland Resort. Starting in 2018, this limited-time offering will include a new fireworks spectacular as well as special characters and entertainment moments.

Extraordinary Line-up of Experiences Coming to Disney Parks around the Globe
As part of the celebration, the Pixar Play Parade will return to Disneyland Resort – this time at
Disneyland Park – and the fan favorite Paint the Night Parade will move to Disney California Adventure, one of Disney’s longest parade routes.

How a single final frame of a animated feature is made

In the latest exclusive from Disney Insider, Disney•Pixar fans have a chance to get a behind the scenes look at the making of Monsters University. Using an animated GIF, Disney Insider is giving fans an inside look at Pixar’s six-step progressive animation process, showing one scene from the film as it is transformed from an initial sketch into the final frame that will appear on the big screen.

Here are all the images compiled in a video:

Images are copyright Disney-Pixar.  All rights reserved.

Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer.  The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right. Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”). Check out disney.com/MonstersU, like us at facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity, and follow us on twitter.com/disneypixar. Rated G by the MPAA, the film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in 3D in select theaters.

Tip Tuesday: More points hints at Toy Story Mania

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

This week, let's return to Toy Story Mania for some more tips on scoring big.

Back on January 17, I talked about how to score big points during the Dino Darts game.  This week, let's start with the first game in the attraction, Hamm and Eggs.  While there's a lot on the screen to shoot at, you're going to ignore most of it.  Instead I want you to focus on the bottom right or left corner (depending on your screen).   You will see a red fox worth 500 points.  Hit the fox.  That will trigger three chickens worth 1000 or 2000 points each. 

After you hit the three chickens, the fox will return in second or two.  Just keep doing the same thing through the entire game -- fox and chickens... fox and chickens.

If you get tired of that (or if you have a partner), you can hit the two pigs on the fence just above the fox.  That will trigger a cat near the barn.  Hit the cat for escalating values of 500 to 2000 points, though you have to hit the two pigs each time to re-trigger the cat.

Personally, I recommend sticking with the fox and chickens for the entire round.

I'll share more tips in a future Tip Tuesday post.  Have fun and good hunting!

Tip Tuesday: Toy Story Midway Mania secrets - Dino Darts

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

I'm fresh back from another trip to Walt Disney World and I'd like to start off with sincere thanks to everyone who supported me during the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 8.  I'm proud to say that I finished the race (in a little under 7 hours -- not a great time, but who cares!).

Now on to this week's tip!

I managed to get in a few runs on Toy Story Midway Mania and was working on beating my top score when I recalled that I haven't shared any tips for achieving higher scores at the most popular attraction in all of Walt Disney World.

Well it's time to rectify this oversight.

Let's start with one of the easier (but not the easiest) tip:  racking up big points during Rex and Trixie's Dino Darts.  This is the second scoring segment in the attraction.  Obviously the point is to pop balloons with darts you shoot. 

When the game begins, you'll see some long squiggly balloons like lava rivers on the front of the volcano worth 1000 points each.  There are six total that appear, first a single in the center, then two on the left and right (seen above) and finally all three in a row.  Quickly pop each of these balloon sets as they appear.  If you can pop all six, here's what you'll see next:

See those balloons erupting from the top of the volcano?  Just start shooting at the top of the volcano and hit as many as you can as they erupt.  They're worth 500 points each and they're tightly packed together right at the top so you can hit them easily without having to move much.

Next...

Two comets on the left and right sides of the screen will appear with balloons in the center of each.  As you pop the balloons, the comet will descend a bit each time.  Pop each comet balloon three times to make it fall to the ground.  This is much easier and quicker if you have a partner who can shoot one comet while you shoot the other.  If you can get both sides to fall, you get the big payoff:

Two huge balloon comes crash to the ground, made up of balloons worth 2000 points each.  Just start shooting those yellow balloons and don't stop until time runs out.  You'll probably have only a few seconds so be watching for them as they come into the screen.

So there you go --- just one of several ways to score some big points on Toy Story Midway Mania!  I'll talk about some other easy ways to rack up big points in a future post.

Until next time, good luck and good hunting!

Lasseter talks Toys

Just as the classic Toy Story film franchise returns with the re-release of the first two movies in 3D this October, John Lasseter is taking fans behind-the-scenes in a new, exclusive seven-part YouTube video series (www.YouTube.com/disneyliving), where he introduces the new Toy Story Definitive toy line, the most film-accurate replicas yet. Each video offers a different part of the story from Lasseter’s own words to a profile on each character - including Sheriff Woody, Rex, Space Aliens, RC Remote Control Car and Buzz Lightyear - along with never-before known facts and more.

From the stitching and facial expressions to the original packaging from the movie, Lasseter explains why this new Definitive toy line is a collector’s dream. The highly detailed replicas from Thinkway Toys and Disney Consumer Products are fully articulated and come with many features such as sound effects and even include a Certificate of Authenticity. (Now available at mass retailers, Disney Stores and www.DisneyStores.com.)

Look for additional videos here on DisneyDaddy!

Coming in October: Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D

Toy Story fans have a reason to head to the movies again. Disney today announced that Toy Story 1 and 2 will be re-released on Oct. 2 for a special limited time. The films have been re-rendered into 3D films by Pixar.

But wait, there's more.

Not only do you get two movies in 3D, you get them both at once! That's right, Disney is releasing Toy Story 1 and 2 as a special double feature - two movies for one ticket!

For more on this announcement, see the article on the D23 Web site.

"Up" to open Cannes, a first

Disney Pixar's latest 3-D animated folm, "Up" will be the opening movie for the Cannes Film Festival May 13-14. This is especially significant as no other animated movie ever has been selected to open the world's biggest film competition. Animated movies have been shown, but none have ever opened the event.

"Up" will hit theaters nationwide Memorial Day weekend.

Congrats to Wall-E!!

"Wall-E" has won the Oscar for best animated film over "Bolt" and "Kung-Fu Panda". Unfortunately, Andrew Stanton didn't win the Oscar for best original screenplay for "Wall-E." Also, Pixar fell short in the best animated short category. "Wall-E" didn't win in sound editing, sound mixing, best score or best song categories either.

At least "Wall-E" received one Oscar.

In all, the Disney/Pixar film was nominated for six Oscars.

LEGO and Disney link up

CNBC is reporting that Disney and the LEGO company are teaming up to create a new line of build-your own toys based on three popular Disney titles - Toy Story, Cars and the upcoming Prince of Persia. These new toys should be available in 2010.

Toy Story Children's imaginations will go "To infinity and beyond" when, beginning in 2010, they will be able to re-create the adventures of Buzz Lightyear and Woody with LEGO toys inspired by the Toy Story franchise. Toy Story-themed construction sets will be available on both LEGO DUPLO and LEGO System platforms, building the adventure and fun for children ages 2-12. LEGO System products based on Toy Story and Toy Story 2 will launch in January 2010, to be followed in May by construction sets based on the new animated feature, Toy Story 3, scheduled to hit theaters in Disney Digital 3D June 2010. Toy Story-themed LEGO DUPLO products launch in June 2010.

Cars Lightning McQueen will rev his engine at the starting line of a DUPLO portfolio that will have young builders creating and exploring the high-octane world of the Cars franchise. The Cars-themed LEGO DUPLO line will feature iconic scenes from Radiator Springs and the Piston Cup Championship raceway and will feature favorite Cars characters like McQueen, Mater and Sally. Cars-themed LEGO DUPLO products are scheduled to launch in June 2010.

Prince of Persia A line of LEGO System construction toys based on Walt Disney Pictures' and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, directed by Mike Newell and scheduled to release in May 2010 is also in development. The film, based on the best-selling video game franchise of the same name, stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina and Gemma Arterton in an epic tale of Prince Dastan's struggle to stop an evil ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world. Prince of Persia-themed LEGO products are scheduled to launch in April 2010.

Of course LEGO already has a presence at Walt Disney World, at Downtown Disney. I'm sure these new toys will be a hot item in Downtown Disney once they are released.

Disney/Pixar's Ed Catmull takes Oscar for lifetime of computer animation work

CNBC is reporting that Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull accepted an Oscar statuette Saturday night for a lifetime of work in computer animation.

He said he was inspired by early Disney films "Peter Pan" and "Pinocchio," then name-dropped collaborators George Lucas, Steve Jobs and Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter.

Nine other men were honored at the annual scientific and technical awards ceremony, which put a spotlight on the geekier side of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

We can only hope that Pixar will fare better than they did at the Annies, when they got totally snubbed.