Welcome to a new edition of the DLP Report! Lots of news this week thanks to the InsidEARS holiday event, from Disney Tales of Magic to Disney Music Festival and World Premiere. We also look at the new Lay’s popup and of course a check on the current project. Let’s go!
Disney Tales of Magic
In less than a month on January 10, Disneyland Paris will premiere Disney Tales of Magic, its new nighttime spectacular. The show will of course feature a ton of Disney Stories and impressive technology including additional lights, new projectors, projections on Main Street, drones (weather permitting) and more.
Creative Morgane Keesling was on hand to present the show and explain the vision for this new production:
Instead of a series of franchises, the show will be organized by themes centered around how we discover, feel and experience “Magic”. Guests will go through 5 major chapters:
- When you follow your dreams
- When you journey with your friends
- When you fall in love
- When you remember your loved ones
- When you feel accepted
As you can see the show will present a more abstract series of themes that may at first take some getting used to, it hopefully the love and care that has pretty obviously been put into its creation will conquer guest’s hearts.
Another original aspect of the show is that it is bookended with original hand drawn animation from the Walt Disney Animation Studios, an art form that is getting less common with time.
Check out a sneak peek just above.
If you’ve been on Main Street lately you may have noticed a number of new boxes on the roofs and kinda hidden projectors through the windows as the show rehearses ahead of its premiere. Hopefully these will receive a bit more hiding and theming over time.
And if you’ve been on Central Plaza, you may have come across one of these 12 new huge spotlights around the stages which will bring the light show right into the packed crowd each night.
We’ll see you there to experience the Magic, January 10.
Disney Music Festival
Little was known about the headliner season of 2025, the Disney Music Festival, but we now have all the deets. This 5 months season from April 19 to September 7 won’t be centered around on big hub show but rather 12 different smaller productions, all across the lands with a common theme of course: music. Show Director Matthieu Robin was here to present all of them:
1. Welcome to the Disney Music Festival
This will be the opening of the day, featuring Mickey in new outfit at Main Street Station. The happening will also debut a new song for the season.
There will also be some decorations in Main Street Station but we’re keeping it demure and cutesy with just a small sign and some flags.
2. Minnie’s Marching Band
Minnie will take over Main Street with her live Marching Band for some traditional Main Street music.
3. Goofy’s Imaginary Orchestra
What happens when Goofy’s Band doesn’t show up? Well he’s got to improvise and he will be directing the Sleeping Beauty Castle fountains!
4. Mary Poppins and the Pearly Band
At the Town Square Gazebo, Mary Poppins will have a jolly holiday with another Disney Parks classic music and dance offering.
5. Donald and Daisy Accordionists
We love to see more new outfits. Near Bella Notte, Donald and Daisy will being the romantic Italian vibes to the sound of the accordion.
6. Musical Meetup with Rapunzel and Flynn
Deeper into Frontierland, Rapunzel and Flynn will interact with Guests and dance to the sound of a folk band. A musical meet and play.
7. Miguel’s Fiesta Latina
In Frontierland, Miguel will finally appear in his Mariachi outfit at the Resort for his Fiesta Latina
8. Moana
In Adventurland, Moana will be joined by traditional Polynesian musicians for another meet and play.
9. Timon’s Matadance
It’s back! This popular offering dating back to the Lion King and Jungle Festival will return. In its first iteration the show was regularly a huge Guest Flow Nightmare (GFN) so it’ll be interesting to see if a stage is built for it this time or if the area will be better managed.
10. Stitch
Well it’s Stitch in Discoveryland. Give the people what they want I guess.
11. Disney Music Hits Concert
At Videopolis, the Disney Music Hits Concert will showcase the biggest Disney hits old and new live, with 6 musicians and 5 singers. From the visual you’ll also have guessed Chip and Dale will host and Matthieu made sure to tell us to “stay til the very end” for a “big surprise”!
12. The Grand Orchestra Finale
At the and of the day, all the characters who entertained guests all day long will gather in Central Plaza for one big finale. And here’s a map of all the offerings and where they’ll be located so you can start planning your day if you’re visiting between April 19 and September 7, 2025.
A whole line of merchandise is in the works for the season and it looks pretty good! Advance planning, we love to see it.
So – a completely different approach to a seasons after the lukewarm reception of “A Million Splashes of Colour”, gone is the 3-4 times a day big hub show, instead replaced by a dozen of smaller happenings. It’ll be interesting how this will work for Guests, with considerations like guest flow, timing of the shows (can you see it all in one day?), quality of the viewing areas (with many shows being flat on the ground) and more practical considerations. In any case, it all sounds super fun and it’s good that the Resort is trying something new. Can’t wait to see how this turns out!
World Premiere
The third part of the presentation was of course all about World Premiere, still slated to open in Spring 2025 with no more specific date.
The big reveal is the back side of World Premiere water aka the Front Lot side exit which will be themed to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. The facade will showcase artists desks – but of course the artists aren’t there because they’re at – duh – the World Premiere. It’ll also feature some “classic WDI gags” and little special effects. It’s a great choice that showcases this unremarkable yet legendary building in the history of the company and fits within the overall idea for the location.
The second reveal is the shop – goodbye Legends of Hollywood, hello Mickey’s of Hollywood. The shops is getting a complete redesign and new theme to match the venue’s new – more immersive – concept. Nicer floors, real walls, lavish furniture. However it is sadly still not getting.. a ceiling.
Additional elements were shown during the presentation (which was a no photos no videos kinda deal) including the fate of the Hep Cat cafe. It’s moving on the other side of the street in front of a new facade replacing the Gas station. It’s also becoming a former newsstand – as in it will look like a newsstand that’s been transformed into a snack location. The design is very realistic, in bronze shades with plenty of details – it all sounds like a great move, and it will also redirect some of the guest traffic away from the restaurant entrance.
Talking about – Hollywood Gardens Restaurant is receiving its .. gardens aka California oak trees (fake ones of course but they look great!).
The venue will be encircled by a large mural which will be projection mapped for added special effects throughout.
Check out this video from Walt Disney Imagineering for an inside look at World Premiere, and we will see you in the Spring for the big.. World Premiere.
Lay’s
Nobody asked for this but this week PepsiCo unveiled a new partnership popup at Disney Village: Lay’s Kitchen, serving potato waffles with crisp pieces on top. Oh boy, going from World Premiere to this is.. rough.
The location serves sweet or savory contraptions that all have one thing in common: crisps on top.
We tried one of each kind and first of all they don’t quite look like the menu photos. They’re actually not bad at all – just why the crisps. But it’s a partnership so you gotta fit them in somewhere. So that’s that.
Construction and Refurbishments
Snow caps in Arendelle!
Excitement is high to see World Of Frozen taking shape at such a visible pace these days. Just over one year to go y’all.
Closer to the front, some of the lampposts, likely for the “Raiponce Tangled Spin” area have been installed and they’re .. leafy.
Recently the Adventure Bay lake has been died brat green, likely for some technical checks. Bumpin’that.
Adventure Way continues to take shape slowly as well, with more planters, more infrastructure, more trees.
And on the “Walt Disney Studios” side, a billboard has been installed at Animation Celebration, the start of making the area feel like a “Theater District”.
Over at Disneyland Park, staging has started near the Geysers for the big Big Thunder Mountain technical refurbishment that will begin on January 6.
And at Disney Village, things are moving quickly at the site of the Sports Bar remodel with signage removed and activity picking up.
This and That..
A new collab with outdoor brand Columbia has popped up in the Disneyland Paris shops. It features subtle Mickey references and retails for €220, somewhat in line with the brand’s price point.
ShellieMay made a rare appearance at Disneyland Paris for the InsidEARS holiday event. She was a hit in her holiday outfit!
Mickey, Goody and Minnie also stopped by to celebrate the season. Our thanks to the Insidears team, the WDI and Live Entertainment spokespersons, and Disney Newport Bay Club for hosting us at this special event.
