Disney adding Toy Story attraction, starting Leibovitz campaign
By TRAVIS REED
AP
LAKE BUENA VISTA (AP) - Walt Disney theme parks are reviving the old carnival midway concept in a new Toy Story 3D attraction, and using celebrities posing as Disney characters in Annie Leibovitz photos to advertise its new prize campaign, executives said Friday.
The Leibovitz photographs feature soccer player David Beckham as Prince Phillip from "Sleeping Beauty," Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella descending the castle steps, and a swirling teacup scene for three: Beyonce as Alice (in Wonderland), Oliver Platt playing the Mad Hatter and Lyle Lovett portraying the March Hare.
Toy Story Mania will open at Orlando's Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's California Adventure in 2008. In it, guests will don 3D glasses and ride eight to a car through different stations featuring new turns on old carnival games. In Disney's rendition, the ring toss and darts will feature characters from Toy Story, and players will toss "virtual" rings, eggs and pies at targets using a toy cannon with a string and lever.
The announcements culminated a three-day press event in which Disney trumpeted its "Year of a Million Dreams" campaign, which awards unsuspecting park guests at random with prizes ranging from sheriff for a day at Frontierland to a night's stay in Cinderella's castle.
The Walt Disney Co. hopes the carnival concept will resonate with parents and older guests, while the video game component will draw in kids. Players will be tracked by computers that automatically raise or lower the difficulty level based on skill.
Tom Fitzgerald, senior creative executive with Walt Disney Imagineering, said the immersive game would even simulate "wind in your face, water spray, maybe even smell.
"I don't know about the eggs," he said.
Leibovitz said her photos, taken in December, were the first in a series featuring additional, to-be-named celebrities. Disney intends to use them in magazine ads for its "Dreams" contest.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.
By TRAVIS REED
AP
LAKE BUENA VISTA (AP) - Walt Disney theme parks are reviving the old carnival midway concept in a new Toy Story 3D attraction, and using celebrities posing as Disney characters in Annie Leibovitz photos to advertise its new prize campaign, executives said Friday.
The Leibovitz photographs feature soccer player David Beckham as Prince Phillip from "Sleeping Beauty," Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella descending the castle steps, and a swirling teacup scene for three: Beyonce as Alice (in Wonderland), Oliver Platt playing the Mad Hatter and Lyle Lovett portraying the March Hare.
Toy Story Mania will open at Orlando's Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's California Adventure in 2008. In it, guests will don 3D glasses and ride eight to a car through different stations featuring new turns on old carnival games. In Disney's rendition, the ring toss and darts will feature characters from Toy Story, and players will toss "virtual" rings, eggs and pies at targets using a toy cannon with a string and lever.
The announcements culminated a three-day press event in which Disney trumpeted its "Year of a Million Dreams" campaign, which awards unsuspecting park guests at random with prizes ranging from sheriff for a day at Frontierland to a night's stay in Cinderella's castle.
The Walt Disney Co. hopes the carnival concept will resonate with parents and older guests, while the video game component will draw in kids. Players will be tracked by computers that automatically raise or lower the difficulty level based on skill.
Tom Fitzgerald, senior creative executive with Walt Disney Imagineering, said the immersive game would even simulate "wind in your face, water spray, maybe even smell.
"I don't know about the eggs," he said.
Leibovitz said her photos, taken in December, were the first in a series featuring additional, to-be-named celebrities. Disney intends to use them in magazine ads for its "Dreams" contest.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.
