Today DLP.info have completed their photographic tour of the new Toy Story Playland at Disneyland Paris with pictures of RC Racer. Once again, this looks amazingly detailed, clean and fresh. The queue area is by far the best part of the new Playland, being an actual Scalectrix style track for the pathway, with scenery to match.

Over at Walt Disney World, the new Italian restaurant, Via Napoli, opened officially today at the Italy Pavilion in EPCOT. Some pictures appear on the Stitch Kingdom Blog here. To see the full sized images, click on them. Notice the cool Mickey and Minnie Italian outfits! You can also read about it on the official Disney Parks Blog.

Toy Story Playland officially opens on the 17th August 2010 at Disneyland Paris.

Be sure to check it out!

Dan :)

Be sure to catch all the latest news about our relaunched blog page on my earlier post here.

Once again, in the run up to the grand opening of Toy Story Playland at Disneyland Paris, DLP.info has provided some great new pictures of the new area, this time focusing more on the Slinky Dog Spin.

Again, following on from what I said previously (here and here), the new land looks amazingly detailed, fresh and crisp. We look forward to seeing it soon!

Apparently, there are some Annual Passport Dream previews this coming week, as well as cast previews. Rumour also has it that there may be some other random opening times in normal park hours to give it a test run. Of course these are not guaranteed and it is just luck whether you are there when that happens.

Toy Story Playland officially opens on the 17th August 2010 at Disneyland Paris.

Be sure to check it out!

Dan :)

Be sure to catch all the latest news about our relaunched blog page on my earlier post here.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank a good friend of ours, who helps us in our character hunting at Disneyland Paris.

Hilde Heyvaert has allowed Character Central to use some of her images to fill in some gaps with character outfits and locations that we had.

So far Hilde has allowed us to give Mickey and Minnie Irish outfits, has written the information for the Flying Madmen, and provided Donald and Minnie with a location at the Santa Fe, as well as a Santa Fe costume for Minnie.

In the future we will be continuing to work with our friends, including a close friend in California, to offer more great content, so be sure to check it out!

Dan :)

Be sure to catch all the latest news about our relaunched blog page on my earlier post here.

Hi all,

Today see the launch of our new look blog here at Character Central!

Over the past eight months the site has come along amazingly, with many, many new characters, locations, shows, parades and more. The thing that has pretty much stayed the same though was the blog. Lately we have been making a lot more frequent posts, and updating our fans a lot more regularly, so we decided that it was about time the blog got a new look!

When on the main blog page you can now see a list of the most recent entries without having to scroll down; longer posts are now "cut" to make the main blog page shorter (to see a longer entry you click to read more); there is now a links box to some of the other Disney web blogs; and there is also a box with the 5 most recent pictures from each of Jon and I's Flickr photostreams, showing the latest Disney pictures. Also now when you click actually into a blog entry, to see the longer version, all the sidebars remain in place (they used to disappear before).  [ Read More... ]

This is the second in a series of articles I am writing about the Character Meet and Greet Experience. The first can be read here.

Along with being asked how we get to meet such a vast amount of characters, the next biggest thing we get asked by anybody is how do we get such fun pictures with them? Why does it look like we're really having a blast? Well, usually, we are! Your experience doesn't have to be just standing for a picture with them.

This article is aimed at getting you the most out of your character meeting experience. Ultimately it comes down to how interested you are in actually interacting with the characters. You may just want your photo and be done, which is fine, but for those of you like Jon and I, you will probably find this article very useful. Tips for actual photography of characters will be my next article.  [ Read More... ]

Today DLP.info updated their blog again, and have some more really neat shots of the new Toy Story Playland.

The latest one goes into more detail about the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop attraction, and takes you on a photographic journey through it's queue area.

I also learned from their blog, that the large Buzz Lightyear that is to stand at the entrance to TS Playland - the one that speaks - is to have a seasonal set of phrases that he greets guests with, at Christmastime! I thought that was a neat touch.

Toy Story Playland opens on the 17th August 2010 at Disneyland Paris.

Be sure to check it out!

Dan :)

Today, DLP.info posted an entry revealing some really nice images from inside the new Toy Story Playland at Walt Disney Studios, Disneyland Paris.

When you click the larger size images, you are treated to some really fantastic details. It far exceeds any of my previous expectations for the new sub-land, and I really am looking forward to seeing it in person!

From the K-NEX fences, the Domino wall, and the giant PIXAR ball, everything just looks fresh, new, colourful, and superbly themed.

Toy Story Playland opens on the 17th August 2010 at Disneyland Paris.

Be sure to check it out!

Dan :)

This morning I learned that starting August 9th, the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade will be changed once again. This time they are removing half of the horrible Princess float, and will now only feature the Fairy Godmother and Cinderella section. Ariel and Belle's floats will be removed.

In addition to this, Ariel and Eric, Belle and Beast, and Tiana and Naveen will move to the now archaic Crystal Castle float, replacing the Fab 5 friends that are currently there. The other characters that are normally associated with the Castle float (on or around), will be moving to in front of Mickey's float at the start of the parade. Aurora and Phillip still will not be joining the parade, and remain the only couple never to be given a permanent feature in it (Snow White and the Prince are on the Pinocchio float).

There is some rumours suggesting that the princes will not be joining Ariel, Belle and Tiana on the Castle float, but I guess we'll wait and see. Baloo and Louie are being replaced by the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit, and these will walk in front of the Peter / Alice float. There will still be no villains float.

The Los Angeles Times had an article talking a bit more about the new Disneyland Parade that I announced here last week. They do not really tell you any more than you can figure out yourself, but it is interesting reading.

As a recap, I also announced earlier this week that Belle would be axed from her storytelling spot, and being replaced by Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in a new "play and greet". There had initially been a suggestion that the main new villain would be coming too, but latest news and rumours do not seem to support this. Belle leaves August 12th, Rapunzel and Flynn arrive on 15th October.

I have also started a new blog series giving hints and tips about meeting Disney Characters. The first part can be read here. More to follow this week.

Finally, don't forget that this week is the very last week that you can catch the Power Ranger on the Streets of America at Hollywood Studios before they leave to save the world one last time. You last day is August 7th. The Good Time Gatherings Spot featuring all your favourite woodland pals also ends it's summer run this day too, likely to return at Christmas again.

Ok, that's it for now! Have a magical day,

Dan :)

People often ask us how is it that we manage to meet so many characters, or how did we get to meet THAT character? Unfortunately the answer isn't a straight forward one. There are of course many Disney characters that can always be found at the Disney parks and resorts, then there are those that are out from time to time, rare ones, then the ultra elusive ones. Sadly many of the coolest Disney characters fall into the rare or elusive categories.

The Common Ones

You would have to be doing something very wrong to not be able to meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy or Pluto at any park. Winnie the Pooh and Tigger are also way up there in the list of characters near impossible to miss also.
There are many other characters that frequent all the parks regularly, namely the princesses, other Fab 5 friends and many of the "classics" (Mary Poppins, Pinocchio amongst others).

Park Dependent

After the common ones there are those characters that are out often, but may vary depending on location. These may include Peter Pan and friends, Jungle Book and Lion King pals and the Pixar gang. Just because you haven't met a character in one park, it doesn't mean they can't be met at the other parks.

Rare and Elusive Ones

Of course, much to many fans frustration there are many neat characters that are just not out in the parks very often, if ever. Even more frustratingly, this seems to be more the trend in the US parks, with the original park in California suffering worst of any park worldwide.
You are certainly more likely to find cool characters such as Maleficent, Chicken Little and Launchpad in Disneyland Paris than anywhere else.
Disneyland Paris is very good at having a whole variety of cool characters on a regular basis. The Florida parks while still refusing to put out the rare ones, do tend to get most of the newer ones, albeit for very short periods of time (again, much to the fans annoyance).

Seasonal Appearances

During certain holidays and certain seasonal times of the year there will be any number of special characters out in the parks. California and Paris tend to fare better than most at Halloween (Paris being the better of the two), while at Christmas in Florida is the place to be.

Trends

For the most part Paris is better at varying the number and choice if characters, while Florida gets the newest ones, and California just gets left behind.
Florida sticks with the most popular and more recent characters, including the princesses, Pixar and fairies.
Paris loves to showcase the villains and more unusual ones, such as Gaston, Shan Yu, Jack Sparrow and Esmerelda.
One advantage that Florida has is that during off peak times, they do tends have a lot of character training, and though not always guaranteed, you may have some luck in finding some more unusual ones. You have to be quite lucky, or really looking for that to happen though. Florida’s characters other than when training and the limited time newbie’s, tend to be very static year in, year out.

And Finally...

Disney announced today on it's Disney Parks Blog that Rapunzel and Flynn Rider would start appearing in the Magic Kingdom on Friday 15th October 2010. They will be replacing the Storytime with Belle show and greeting that has been there for a number of years. Belle will be leaving on September 12th 2010.

Details are sketchy at the moment, but Disney are calling it a "play and greet", meaning that this will be a new style interactive meet and greet experience for the Magic Kingdom.

Speculating and thinking ahead, could this play and greet be a forerunner to what is to come with the new Fantasyland expansion? If you remember, plans for that include a whole number of new "interactive" Princess experiences, from storytelling to making birthday cards. Maybe this is a test run for ideas surrounding that? Time will tell...

Of course, it is sad that they feel they have to replace Belle - there is plenty of wasted space in the Magic Kingdom where I'm sure the new characters could fit in.

One final point to ponder is whether this will also have a Christmas version, or will Belle (or indeed some other Christmas show) return to the Garden in December? Or will Magic Kingdom be down one Christmas offering this year?

Dan.