Disneyland's Mickey and the Magical Map Media Event

Disneyland just threw a massive two-day media event to celebrate the debut of their new live action musical show, "Mickey and the Magical Map," the opening of their new princess meet-and-greet area, "Fantasy Faire," and the kicking off of their 24 hour "Monstrous Summer All-Nighter" party. TPR was there with Brittney (AKA Spears) and David. Check out the full coverage below!

 

Part 1: Fantasy Faire and the "Mickey and the Magical Map" world premiere and party!

Part 2: Monstrous Summer All-Nighter kickoff!

 

Also, check out this video of the full Mickey and the Magical Map debut show thanks to Orlando Attractions Magazine:

TPR is at The Disneyland Resort for an epic two-day media event with tons of fun surprises!

Our first stop: The Grand Californian Hotel!

We checked in for what would end up being two great days at the resort. This is part 1 of 2. In this update we'll cover the first day - Fantasy Faire and the "Mickey and the Magical Map" world premiere and party!

In true Disney fashion, they pulled out all the stops for the event. This spread of food and drinks was awaiting us at the check-in area.

They even had custom printed cookies.

And Fantasy Faire napkins.

Once we got our media passes we headed to our room at The Grand Californian. For those who have never stayed there, The Grand Californian is the Disneyland Resort's premiere on-property hotel, and it has direct access to DCA.

The room was very nice and had everything one would expect from a Disney hotel.

The view from the room was pretty unique too! Spears and I both laughed when we opened the blinds to discover man-made clouds and sky outside. That mural is actually the back side of Goofy's Sky School roller coaster in DCA.

And here's a better shot of the view taken from the balcony. Pretty neat!

From the room it was possible to get some pics of Goofy's Sky School that you can't normally get in the park.

One more Goofy's Sky School shot.

And here's The Golden Zephyr with the Cars Land mountain range in the background.

Spears says, "The Grand Californian is awesome!" This was our first time staying there, and it totally lived up to our expectations.

A few more shots of The Grand Californian for those who have never been, and then we'll head over to Disneyland!

This is the lobby of the hotel. It's huge, homey, and awe inspiring - all at the same time!

And there's always a different giant flower arrangement that anchors the room.

But enough with the hotel, lets head to Disneyland to check out all the great new stuff they have to offer this year!

Fantasyland was already closed when we arrived because they were setting up for the Magical Map premiere party.

There were signs all around to announce the media event and Fantasyland closure.

Mickey and the Magical Map is in the Fantasyland Theatre across from It's a Small World.

Here's the entrance walkway to the theatre.

The newly refurbished theatre looks great! It had improvements from top to bottom - from the seats to the structure of the theatre to the technology in the show.

There are dripping paint buckets surrounding the stage.

And lots of new decorations for the show.

The president of the Disneyland Resort, Michael Colglazier, came on stage to welcome everyone to the world premiere of Mickey and the Magical Map.

He also invited Mickey to come on stage and say hi.

But Mickey was quickly whisked off because he needed to get ready for the show backstage. After a quick review of all the recent additions to Disneyland and DCA, Mr. Colglazier said he hoped everyone would enjoy the show and stepped off stage.

The curtain rose, revealing a 3-tier LED screen stage, and the show began!

Yen Sid appeared on screen to introduce the magical map, which has the power to transport dreams to any place imaginable.

Mickey then came on stage, paint buckets in hand, ready to join the other map makers in painting the map.

Yen Sid explains to Mickey that he is an apprentice. Someday, when he learns the secret of the map, he may join the other map makers - but not yet.

As everyone leaves, Mickey notices an unfinished spot of the map that they missed. He says aloud, "Maybe if I paint this spot Master Yen Sid will have me become a map maker!"

Mickey grabs a brush and turns to paint the unfinished spot.

As Mickey tries to paint the spot, it moves away as if it doesn't want to be painted.

Mickey tries again and again to paint the spot, but it keeps avoiding him and eventually unleashes the magic of the map!

The stage opens in the center and King Louie from The Jungle Book comes out and starts singing.

There's live music to go along with the recorded track.

And tons of action as Louie and the other characters dance around stage.

The vibrant LED screen does a great job of transporting you to the various worlds in the show. Even in the sunlight of the open air Fantasyland Theatre, the colors are vibrant and everything is easy to see.

The dance scenes are all wonderfully choreographed, and are full of energy and movement.

The characters in the show all use Disney's latest character technology so their mouths talk and their eyes blink. They're amazingly life-like!

In between each of the musical scenes Mickey returns to interact with the spot.

This was one of my favorite effects in the show. Mickey dips his hands in a paint bucket and they actually turn blue!

As Mickey continues to try to paint the spot, the spot moves under Mickey and pulls him into the map!

The live action mickey turns into a digital Mickey that interacts with the spot on the screen as they journey through the magical map.

The magical map transports viewers to many different places with various familiar Disney characters and songs. Here's Pocahontas singing, "Just Around the River Bend."

Mulan comes on stage and sings, "Reflection."

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider perform a segment from "Tangled."

In this shot you can really see how the tiered LED screen helps to enhance the show by transporting viewers to various scenes.

The theatre also has lighting effects built in around the stage that further enhance the show.

Mickey then follows the unpainted spot "Under The Sea" with Sebastian from "The Little Mermaid."

Two dancers climb into huge bubbles during the routine.

I love this Sebastian character!

It made me smile seeing him dancing around stage singing.

Mickey finally catches the spot under a barrel and says, "I'm gonna paint you, like it or not! I've just got to be a map maker!"

When Mickey hears the spot squealing under the barrel he suddenly has second thoughts. He realizes that maybe the spot just never wanted to be painted, and lets him go.

Mickey tells the spot that the spot is a masterpiece just the way he is. They become friends and agree to go on an adventure together.

They hit the waves to the song "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" from Lilo and Stitch.

Back flip!

The surfboard props in this scene were neat.

Yen Sid then re-appears and pushes Mickey from the map into the real world.

Yen Sid tells Mickey that by leaving the spot unfinished he discovered the secret of the map - "The map contains neverending magic for it will never be complete. Not as long as there is imagination left in the world." This was a nice tribue to a famous Walt Disney quote about Disneyland: "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."

Yen Sid tells Mickey that he is no longer an apprentice now that he has learned the secret of the map for himself. Mickey is given a brush, and Yen Sid proclaims, "It's up to you to choose where the magic will take you. The possibilities are endless!"

Mickey waves the brush, painting one last adventure.

The stage splits and Princess Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog" sings her way onto stage.

It's a great final scene.

When the song ends streamers rain down into the crowd.

Mickey says bye to the crowd and begins to walk off stage.

Just as Mickey is almost off stage the spot appears. Mickey turns around and sees him and says, "Let the journey continue!" and the spot jumps off screen as Mickey leaves the stage.

And that's the show!

After the show a group of trumpeters came on stage and announced that the premiere party was now beginning in Fantasyland.

After the special guests left for the party, there was a quick Q&A session for the media with Michael Jung, Vice president of creative development at WDI, and Kevin Eld, Head of creative entertainment for Walt Disney parks and resorts.

A few things we learned during the Q&A session:

1. The show took about two years to develop.

2. The show was designed to be able to evolve over time, so scenes might change or be added in the future.

3. While the show is unique to Disneyland at the moment, it is very possible that it could make its way to other Disney properties in the future.

Spears and I both loved the show, and definitely recommend coming to see it!

Now to the premiere party! Outside the party there were musicians getting everyone into the festive spirit.

Spears loved the pink carpet!

Fantasyland was filled with food stands and bars and tables just for the event.

TPR loves food!

TPR loves desserts too!

And Disney did not disappoint!

Those cupcakes have edible glitter on them!

Mmmmmmmm!

There were candelabras with beautiful bouquets throughout the land.

And did I mention food? At this station were hot dogs and tater tots with all sorts of toppings.

Spears loved the tater tots! (Almost as much as Napoleon Dynamite)

There was an impressive DJ booth set up in front of Casey Jr.

TPR loves food. TPR loves desserts. But what does TPR love most of all? Open bars!

There was a special drink for the evening called the "Mapmaker Martini." It was made with peach schnapps, blue curacao, and vodka.

Spears and I each decided to try one. They were delicious!

And they even came in light-up cups.

There were some special photo ops for the evening, one of which was with King Louie.

At the other photo location was Mickey Mouse in his show attire. We got to hold the brushes from the show too and paint magic with Mickey!

As night fell, Fantasyland was aglow with pink and blue lights.

All the rides were open as well, and they had no lines. Here's Spears in front of the non-existent Peter Pan line. I wish it was always like this!

A shot of some of the food tables in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

We then headed over to Fantasy Faire, a newly opened area of Fantasyland.

At The Royal Hall you can meet, talk to, and take photos with various Disney princesses.

It's really nice having a quiet area where you can interact with the princesses.

The princesses taught me how to pose like a prince!

When you meet characters around the park it's often noisy and rushed with people in the background of your photos. The royal hall solves these problems. You wait in one line to meet three different princesses. They each take the time to talk to guests, and the area is well lit and private, making for better photos.

Also part of Fantasy Faire is the Royal Theatre.

The Royal Theatre brings classic Disney stories to life in new ways.

Before the show, maidens from the town give the audience instructions to hoot and holler when various things happen in the show.

The performers act out classic Disney stories in a comedic way. It's not just a simple re-telling of the stories - there are lots of humor and antics added to make the stories interesting, even if you know them well.

There are two shows, one relating to “Beauty and the Beast,” and the other relating to “Tangled.” We saw the "Beauty and the Beast" show.

The costuming was great.

As was the lighting.

Lumière even makes an appearance.

There's also live piano playing as the soundtrack for the show.

And the characters levitate! (Okay, not really)

There are happy moments.

And touching moments.

Awwww.

There's fog.

And confetti!

Here's Spears posing with some of the performers from the show. Disney has always been known for their live entertainment, but things have only gotten better with these new additions.

Pro tip: Don't miss playing with this music box when you visit Fantasy Faire!

One more princess photo to round out our Fantasy Faire coverage.

Back behind the castle, Spears spent some time dancing with Louie.

The tater tots were really flowing this evening.

Princess Spears took a seat in her royal throne in front of Dumbo.

We decided to take a ride on Dumbo to end the night. A cast member escorted Princess Spears to her flying elephant.

Weeeee!

This is what the world looks like when you ride Dumbo. This is also what the world looks like when you've had too many Mapmaker Martinis. This is also what the world looks like when you've had too many tater tots.

The castle was as pretty as ever this evening.

Sadly, the party came to an end and we had to head back towards the hotel.

Main Street was nearly empty, so we snapped a few photos.

Here's Princess Spears in front of the castle.

As we left, Disney handed us each a party favor. They really do think of everything! An amazing end to an amazing night.

Back at The Grand Californian Princess Spears sat in one of the mini kid's chairs to watch some TV in the lobby.

When we got back to our room we caught the tail end of World of Color from the balcony.

As much as I would've loved to stay up and enjoy the view, we had to be up super early the next morning to cover the kickoff of the Monstrous Summer 24-hour event, so we had to hit the hay.

Shhhh, the princess is sleeping!

Thanks Disney for throwing a truly spectacular event! We had an amazing time and will never forget it. Mickey and the Magical Map and Fantasy Faire are both great additions to Disneyland that raise the bar for live entertainment, and we definitely recommend that people check them out. Be sure to check out part 2 of this report below!

Edited May 27, 2013 by ILoveRides

Looks good! Thanks for posting!

Here is part 2, coverage from the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter:

A few hours and several "snooze" button presses later we were up and ready to head back to the parks. It was a very special day as both Disneyland and DCA would be open for 24 hours, from 6am on 5/24 until 6am on 5/25.

We passed this sign on the way out of the hotel.

Downtown Disney was completely empty this early.

There was a media area set up in the middle of the courtyard between Disneyland and DCA.

Donald Duck says, "Good morning!"

While there were some crowds, it actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting.

The turnstile lines for Disneyland stretched a little less than half way across the courtyard.

Getting up early did have its benefits as we were able to score the free monster glasses!

Noted!

There were lots of cameras and camera equipment all around.

In the media area there was a display showing off the special merchandise and food for the event.

There was lots to choose from!

Here's a final look at the Disneyland crowd right before opening at 6am.

And a final look at the DCA crowd right before opening.

The whole crowd counted down the final 10 seconds, and a small firework was launched each second.

Then at 6am a quick burst of fireworks over each park signaled the beginning of the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter!

As the guests entered they were interviewed by various media outlets.

A band greeted guests as they came in.

If you're from Southern California you may recognize this guy! Local news weatherman Josh Rubenstein was giving the weather and conducting interviews from the park all morning.

A picture of Josh Rubenstein with Donald Duck.

All along Main Street characters and cast members lined up to greet guests and give high fives. (To be 100% accurate they actually gave high fours, because they were all wearing four fingered Mickey gloves.)

Spears was super excited to give high fours to EVERY cast member and character!

No really, she high-foured everyone!

She was so excited that she gave a little high four dance.

Like I said, everyone.

After Spears greeted every single cast member in the entire park with a high four, we headed to the media center for breakfast.

The media center was located in The Golden Horseshoe.

Disney had a nice breakfast spread set up for members of the media.

There were lots of food and drinks.

And muffins and croissants.

Each table had a center piece with beautiful real flowers.

After breakfast crowds were still pretty light. (Mind you, it was still quite early.)

We headed to Space Mountain which was still only a 10 minute wait.

It was a nice, leisurely morning before things picked up.

It's 7:29am and we're going to space!

Welcome to space!

If there's a monster in space is it called a monster or an alien?

Star Tours was a walk on.

So we took a spin!

This light up monster necklace was part of the event merchandise.

24 hours. It's "EYE" mazing!

Since we were honorary monsters for the day, we decided to do some scaring. Here we are scaring it up in front of the castle.

Scaring it up in front of the Partners statue.

Scaring it up in front of the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter sign.

Spears got a picture with Princess Tiana. Spears collects princess photo credits like TPR members collect coaster credits.

Over to DCA we decided to have lunch at Carthay Circle Theater.

Carthay is such a great restaurant! If you want to go, make sure you make reservations in advance as it can book up.

The room where we ate.

Spears got a rose petal soda. It had a real sugar-encrusted rose petal that was delicious.

I got the Pimm's Punch, which has to be one of the best drinks there is!

The vegan pasta in olive oil at Carthay is amazing. It's simple, but everything is seasonal and perfectly prepared.

Next up we headed to Cars Land.

Ready to race!

Weee!!!

Scaring it up on Racers!

Spears is so monstrous!

This cactus was blooming beautifully.

We aren't always scary monsters. We can be happy monsters too!

But mostly we're scary.

Next up, California Screamin'.

Of course we scared it up on Screamin' too!

In the afternoon the crowds started to pick up, and we were pretty tired from all the media coverage and lack of sleep, so we decided to throw in the towel and call it a day. We picked up our luggage from The Grand Californian and headed out. While we didn't stay the full 24 hours, the event was still a fun and monstrous start to the summer!

Thanks again to Disney for throwing such an amazing two day event and for inviting TPR to attend. The Monstrous Summer All-Nighter kicked off what is sure to be a great summer at the Disneyland resort. With all the recent additions to DCA such as Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, and the new live entertainment offerings at Disneyland - Fantasy Faire and Mickey and the Magical Map, it's a great time to visit the resort! Thanks for checking out our report!

Amazing report and some gorgeous photos.

 

So jealous I wasn't there for the 24hr event. Maybe next year.

Looks nice! Princess meet and greets are awesome and when they have more time to interact with visitors it really makes it special.

Looks like two great new shows. I really need to make a Cali trip soon to go to check out the new stuff. I think I would have a problem going to a media event with all that delicious looking food. Great photos and report.

Awesome photos. Both events looked like they were tons of fun. Thanks for posting!

 

dt

Disney definitely knows how to throw a party to woo the media. The screen also looks awesome!