FAIRY TALE SUITE — A marble foyer descends into an enormous bedroom overlooking the entire resort through floor-to-ceiling windows in the Fairy Tale Suite at the Disneyland Hotel. The sage and champagne colors used throughout the suite elegantly blend the combination of blonde and glass furniture and the suiteÕs centerpiece is an exquisite canopy bed overlooking the corner view. The room is finished with crown moulding, automatic drapes and a custom-designed dresser, from which a flat-panel television ascends at the touch of a button. DISNEYLAND HOTEL – The newly renovated Disneyland Hotel includes new décor in the rooms, a new pool-and-slide water play area, and the new poolside Tangaroa Terrace restaurant and Trader Sam’s bar, inspired by classic features found in Adventureland in Disneyland park. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland) DISNEYLAND HOTEL – The newly renovated Disneyland Hotel includes new decor in the rooms, a new pool-and-slide water play area that evokes the early years of Disneyland park, and the new poolside Tangaroa Terrace restaurant and Trader Sam’s bar, inspired by classic features found in Adventureland in Disneyland park. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland)

©2011 Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. For editorial news use only
Goofy’s Sky School – Joining the fun along Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure park, this coaster attraction invites guests to enroll in Goofy’s Sky School, a hilarious adventure filled with zany dips, twists and family thrills. Inspired by the classic Goofy “How-to” shorts of the 1940s and 1950s as well as the cartoon short, “Goofy’s Glider,” the attraction takes “novice pilots” on a flying lesson through the wild, blue yonder. Zipping over and through the clouds, the flight path is filled with wacky antics and instruction from Goofy via whimsically animated billboards. (July 2011)
(Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland)

©2011 Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. For editorial news use only

The fun at Paradise Pier adds to the excitement of Disney Soundsational Summer, June 3 through Sept 5, offering guests even more ways to make special memories at the Disneyland Resort,

New dining locations also make their debut July 1, offering a variety of options for lunch, dinner and snacks at Paradise Pier — Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, Paradise Garden Grill and Bayside Brews, a beer and pretzel kiosk. This spring, the popular Corn Dog Castle made its return and Seaside Souvenirs opened as a restyled merchandise location.

During the past two years, Walt Disney Imagineers have added new attractions, enhanced the entertainment offerings and updated the architecture in Paradise Pier, the boardwalk area surrounding Paradise Bay. The water spectacular “World of Color” opened in 2010, along with Silly Symphony Swings, and guests first enjoyed the high-scoring fun of Toy Story Mania! in 2008.

Ariel and Goofy are now part of the cast of Disney characters along Paradise Bay, inviting guests to stay and play all summer long.

Goofy’s Sky School – Joining the fun along Paradise Pier July 1, this coaster attraction invites guests to enroll in Goofy’s Sky School, a hilarious adventure filled with zany dips, twists and family thrills. Inspired by the classic Goofy “How-to” shorts of the 1940s and 1950s as well as the cartoon short, “Goofy’s Glider,” the attraction takes “novice pilots” on a flying lesson through the wild, blue yonder. Zipping over and through the clouds, the flight path rises three stories high with plenty of wacky antics and instruction from Goofy via whimsically animated billboards.

Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta – The sights and sounds of the boardwalk are part of the flavor at this quick-service Italian eatery, which offers something for everyone. The menu includes delicious pasta dishes and salads, and guests will be able to watch their flatbread pizza being pulled piping hot from the ovens.  Flatbreads run the gamut from a traditional cheese or pepperoni to a Portobello mushroom and spinach flatbread with pesto, artichokes, mozzarella, ricotta-salata and Pecorino Romano cheese. Pasta fans can dig into classic spaghetti and meatballs, pasta tossed with chicken in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce, or five-cheese ravioli with pesto and toasted pine nuts.

Hearty salads include a chicken Caesar; Mediterranean chef salad with provolone, salami, capocollo, fresh mozzarella, cured ham, roasted peppers, olives and greens in a red wine vinaigrette; and  a field greens salad with Craisins® dried cranberries, raisins, caramelized pecans and a basil vinaigrette. Vegetarian options are also available.

Paradise Garden Grill – Guests will find a Mediterranean spin on the food at this location with a variety of skewers and kabobs. Signature items include chicken, beef, vegetable, and tofu skewers served with rice pilaf, cucumber salad and grilled pita bread, with a selection of sauces, including Moroccan chili tomato and tandoori-spiced yogurt. Refreshing Greek salads and a kid’s menu are also available

Bayside Brews – Warm, salted pretzels are an ideal treat to pair with a cold beer, available at this new kiosk beginning July 1 at Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure park. Bayside Brews will offer beverages and six types of beers on tap, for guests 21 years of age and older. The beers include domestic and specialty brews.

Corn Dog Castle – This boardwalk favorite returns to serve one of California’s favorite beach snacks. The quick-serve eatery offers two choices for corn dog fans, original and hot link.  A meatless option is also available, as a delicious, deep-fried cheddar cheese stick.

Seaside Souvenirs – This quaint boardwalk mercantile recalls the nautical-themed curio shops of seaside towns across the land. Formerly known as Souvenir 66, the mementos here are themed to the nearby The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure attraction, and it also carries general merchandise and sundries.

Fun Facts About Goofy’s Sky School:

• The attraction is inspired by the classic Goofy “how-to” short films of the 1940s and 1950s as well as the cartoon short, “Goofy’s Glider.”
• The flight instructor’s motto is on the entrance sign: “Fly the Goofy Way.”
• The attraction tells the story of Goofy’s decision to launch a flight academy following a failed attempt as an egg farmer on his California farmland.
• Residents of the egg farm-turned-flight school still linger on the premises, making this wacky flight school even more thrilling.
• Guests will enjoy unexpected turns on this “flight,” which features several “switchback” sections over 1,200 feet of track..
• Attraction vehicles will hold four guests per car.
• Guests must be 42 inches tall to ride, and FastPass is available for Goofy’s Sky School.

About the Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure park – plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences.  The Resort’s three hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical 969-room Disneyland Hotel and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun.  For information on new attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

Media Contacts: Disneyland Resort Public Relations

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Tell Us About This Attraction

• “The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is a classic Disney ‘dark ride’ that takes you through classic scenes from the movie.  It’s a wonderful ride-through experience of the film with everyone’s favorite animated characters and music.
• “This will be the first time that guests will actually be able to go under the sea with Ariel and her friends.
• ” ‘Dark rides’ are the hallmark of the Disney experience all around the world.  It’s a great way to immerse our guests in an environment and tell a story. I believe going under the sea with Ariel will be one of the best.”

Tell Us about the Guest Experience

“One of the great things guests are going to experience is the actual sensation of going under the water. Guests will start out on the shore with Scuttle but then quickly turn, go backwards and submerge.  We’ve got some great effects that are going to make you feel like you’re going underwater. One of the effects is actually on the ride vehicle in front of you. As you start to feel yourself go under, you’ll see the waterline rise up on the vehicle in front of you.  I know, you’re going to hold your breath in that moment.  You’re going to feel the cold around you, you’re going to see bubbles starting to swirl, and you’re going to feel that submersion.”

Tell us about the music

“The music in The Little Mermaid is fantastic. The songs you hear are the original songs from the film. But we also had Danny Troob, who has been Alan Menken’s arranger, write additional music for us that plays in between each of these scenes. That music is wonderful, and it’s evocative of all the different songs we have in the film.” (Alan Menken composed the film score. Danny Troob, who has collaborated with Menken on many theatrical scores, arranged and orchestrated  special music for the Little Mermaid attraction.)

Do you have a favorite scene in the attraction?

“My favorite scene is Ursula’s lair. That’s the first time, in this attraction, that we actually go into black light – from white light into black light. The mood changes and you see Flotsam and Jetsam and you know Ursula is around the corner singing that wonderful song ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls.’ She’s amazing.  She’s 7 ½  feet tall and 12 feet wide and you’re right up close to her and it’s my absolute favorite.”

Why build the attraction in Disney California Adventure park?

“We decided to put The Little Mermaid here in Disney California Adventure for a couple of reasons.  We picked Disney California Adventure because we are bringing more and more of the Disney characters into this park and she seemed like a perfect fit. The second reason is that, here in Paradise Pier, we’ve created a seaside amusement park.  So it felt right to have this under the sea adventure in this seaside environment.”

Why now for The Little Mermaid?

“We’ve been working a long time to bring this story to life. It’s been more than 20 years since the film was released.  And it just seemed perfect at this time because the technology we need to create and tell this story has caught up with us.”

What are some challenges you faced with this attraction?

• “The number-one challenge is creating an undersea environment. For instance, when Ariel is under the sea, her hair has to animate like she’s under the sea. We actually tried to think of Ariel’s hair as an additional character.  When she moves in the film, her hair reacts after she does.  We actually had to do a lot of extra work there to make guests feel like ‘Yes, we’re underwater and we’re with Ariel,’ and have the hair take on its own personality.”
• “Of course the star of ‘The Little Mermaid’ is Ariel, and we wanted to make sure she was as perfect in this attraction as she is in the film. For example, her skin has to be beautiful, without wrinkles. We can’t have any funny little things …she has to look amazing. You look at characters like those in Pirates of the Caribbean and they’re kind of scarred up, rough and tumble.  But this little gal has to be beautiful, so there was an extra challenge to get her just perfect.”
• “Another challenge is making characters that are tiny – like Sebastian – come alive. The components we have to work with are rather large so we had to work with the research and development team to figure out how to make tiny little characters come to life.”

Is there a surprise you’d like to share?

“Look for the Hidden Mickeys.  I challenge our guests to see if they can find them all!”

What’s it like to lead this kind of project?

• “Being involved in this attraction is a dream come true for me.  I watched the movie when it first came out.  I’ve seen the movie many, many, many times since.  To be able to create Ariel’s world and bring it to our guests and then get to watch the faces of the kids as they come through here is just going to be the best thing ever.”
• “To be in this environment, with what I think are some of the best songs we’ve ever written, it’s the best job in the world.”

What was the process for bringing this attraction to life?

“We start in a phase called ‘blue sky,’ where the sky is really the limit, and we think about all the things we can do to bring this movie to life.  We go through a concept phase and start to do design drawings before we can bring together people who will help us build all the different pieces.  As we produce the pieces, we bring everything together in the facility that will house the attraction.  From there we start to put the whole experience together for the guests.”

Media Contacts: Disneyland Resort Public Relations
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Based on the Star WarsTM films, Star Tours will take Disneyland Resort guests to multiple Star Wars destinations where they will interact with characters from throughout the Saga. And it will all be in 3-D.

With an eye-popping digital presentation leveraging Dolby 3-D to deliver a vivid and realistic experience, a dramatic musical score and motion simulator-based technology, guests will be immersed in the Star Wars galaxy like never before on a theme park attraction.

Star Tours, which had thrilled Disney Parks guests since the 1980s, was “powered down” at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2010 so Imagineers could begin work on the new attraction.

And in a new twist, guests can enjoy the attraction multiple times without ever experiencing the same adventure. More than 50 story combinations are possible for guests to experience aboard Star Tours.

Just as the Star Wars films immerse movie-goers in storylines that keep them on the edge of their seats, Star Tours will feature multiple stories and scenarios that will hurtle park guests throughout the Star Wars galaxy. And all of the storyline’s twists and turns will be random, affording guests the chance to ride the attraction multiple times.

Whether it’s a battle with Darth Vader and his legion of stormtroopers or a plea from Princess Leia to help her save the Rebellion, guests will find themselves in the middle of the action – literally – in the 3-D, multi-sensory attraction.

Entering the attraction queue area, Star Tours guests walk into a bustling spaceport. The famed Star Wars droid duo, C-3PO and R2-D2, greet them as the Starspeeder 1000 is prepped for service.

Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO and the only actor to appear in every theatrical chapter of the Star Wars Saga, reprises his role as the golden protocol droid. Daniels worked with Walt Disney Imagineering to record new dialogue for the attraction. Guests also are introduced to AC-38, a hotshot droid pilot known simply as “Ace,” and Aly San San (voiced by actress Allison Janney), the “spokesbot” for the spaceport.

After winding through the spaceport, guests board the Starspeeder 1000 spacecraft and prepare for Star Tours Flight #1401. Through a series of mishaps, however, C-3PO finds himself in the pilot’s seat instead of Ace, and it’s up to him and R2-D2 to navigate their passengers through the galaxy. However, the tyrannical Empire is out to stop the Starspeeder at all costs. C-3PO and R2-D2 take the controls and try to outwit and outrun the Imperial forces and a galactic bounty hunter hired to pursue the spaceship and its passengers.

Utilizing the 50+ random story combinations, the Starspeeder then embarks on a wild trip through the galaxy, visiting several planets made famous in the Star Wars films. Among the locations that might provide haven from the Empire’s pursuit are the icy planet of Hoth, the lush jungles of Kashyyyk and the underwater Gungan world of Naboo. And along the way guests may encounter Star Wars characters that offer to help (or hinder) their journey, including Yoda, Admiral Ackbar, Darth Vader and Boba Fett. “Skytroopers,” a legion of stormtroopers created just for the Star Tours attraction story, might even join in the chase.

In fact, with multiple ways to experience each flight, guests will never know where the Force will take them.

At Walt Disney World Resort, Star Tours opened May 20, 2011, the same day the annual Star Wars Weekends event began at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. Star Tours and Star Wars Weekends event activities are included in regular admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. For more information and to purchase theme park tickets or book vacation packages, guests may visit disneyworld.com/startours or disneyworld.com/starwarsweekends.

About the Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure park – plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences.  The Resort’s three hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical 969-room Disneyland Hotel and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun.  For information on new attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Media Contacts:    Disneyland Resort Public Relations
(714) 781-4500

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www.wdwnews.com
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• This is the first Disney ride-through attraction that takes you “under the sea” with Ariel, Prince Eric, Sebastian and Ursula, with music and scenes from “The Little Mermaid” film.
• Nearly 200 Audio-Animatronics figures perform in the attraction. The Under the Sea scene alone has 128 figures, including 50 spinning starfish.
• Ursula is the largest Audio-Animatronics figure in the show at 7½-feet tall and 12-feet wide. She also has a squash-and-stretch function in her torso and flexible materials so she can bounce along with the music.
• An 86-foot long, hand-painted mural greets guests in the loading area of the attraction. The mural depicts many of the characters guests will see within the attraction including Prince Eric, King Triton, Sebastian, Flounder and, of course, Ariel.
• The attraction was created by a team of talented Imagineers and consultants including Senior Show Producer Lisa Girolami, Creative Director/Show Designer Larry Nikolai, and Frank Antonides, director of project management – all from Walt Disney Imagineering – along with Chris Crump, production and show designer, and Danny Troob, musical arranger and orchestrator.
• The attraction building was inspired by the Dragon Gorge scenic railway at the long-gone Ocean Park amusement zone in Southern California.
• The building’s façade features a statue of King Triton and relief carvings of six frolicking mermaids. The mermaids are Ariel’s older sisters: Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, and Alana.
• The Palace of Fine Arts rotunda, originally the entrance to the former “Golden Dreams” attraction, has been incorporated into The Little Mermaid attraction architecture and is now part of the entrance façade.
• A special skin technology had to be incorporated into the Audio-Animatronics figures for Ariel, King Triton and Ursula since they have so much skin exposed.
• The attraction features an Omnimover ride system pioneered by Walt Disney Imagineers in the 1960s and used for the “Doom Buggies” of the Haunted Mansion, as well as in Adventures Through Inner Space, formerly in Tomorrowland.
• Attraction vehicles are sculpted multi-colored, pastel clamshells.
• The attraction experience is approximately 5½ minutes from the time guests load the clamshell to the time they exit the clamshell.
• Music in the queue features an orchestral medley of songs from the film.
• Songs from the original film written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken are featured in the attraction: “Part of Your World,” “Kiss the Girl,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and the Academy Award winning “Under the Sea.” Guests will recognize the voices of Jodi Benson (Ariel) and Pat Carroll (Ursula).
• The Little Mermaid feature film debuted November 15, 1989, and the film won Academy Awards for Best Song, “Under the Sea,” and Best Original Score.
• The Little Mermaid was the first Disney film based on a classic fairy tale since Sleeping Beauty three decades earlier.
• Imagineers working on the attraction consulted with Ariel’s animator in the film, Glen Keane, who recommended that her hair be treated as a character all its own.
• Each scene of the attraction was first built as a one-quarter-inch scale model and then as a one‑inch scale model, so Imagineers could “ride” through the attraction scene-by-scene before full construction began.
• The attraction concludes with a surprise ending that takes us beyond the ending of the film.
• A similar version of the attraction is scheduled to open in the new Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Media Contacts: Disneyland Resort Public Relations
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The musical aspects of the experience begin in the Little Mermaid queue area, where guests waiting to board will hear an extended medley of songs from the original film, like the overture to a Broadway show.

Then, as they travel through the attraction, guests will see the familiar characters performing beloved musical numbers in exquisitely designed animated scenes, including “Part of Your World,” a rousing, spectacular “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and Ursula the Sea Witch’s darkly persuasive “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” Some original voice artists from “The Little Mermaid,” including Jodi Benson (Ariel) and Pat Carroll (Ursula), are featured on the attraction’s soundtrack.

The score for The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure was recorded by a 65-piece orchestra under the direction of Arranger and Orchestrator, Danny Troob, who has collaborated on many theatrical scores with Alan Menken, composer of the film score for “The Little Mermaid.” Troob’s arrangements were specially created for the Little Mermaid attraction.

“In film, the music withdraws and is supposed to be in the background,” Troob explains. “In a theme park (attraction), the music is supposed to be consistently entertaining, so your approach has to be a lot more proactive and even aggressive.”

Of the several musical highlights in The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, the largest scene is a full-scale musical “extravaganza” featuring 129 different characters performing “Under the Sea.” The sequence takes up approximately one-third of the area inside the attraction and has a scope similar to that of the final scene in “It’s a Small World.”

As in the motion picture, songs like “Part of Your World” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” illuminate key “Little Mermaid” characters and drive the emotional content of the show. As Larry Nikolai, Imagineering creative director and show designer for the Little Mermaid attraction observes, “I like to think the characters are the heart of our attraction, but music is really the soul. It brings everything to life and makes the story so special.”

About the Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure park – plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences.  The Resort’s three hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical 969-room Disneyland Hotel and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun.  For information on new attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

Media Contacts: Disneyland Resort Public Relations

(714) 781-4500

www.disneylandnews.com

www.disneyparks.com/blog

www.twitter.com/disneyland