Entry for May 8, 2009
Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” is on tour and coming to Oklahoma City via Amtrak!
Train will be in OKC August 21-23rd
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/#
ALL ABOARD FOR “DISNEY’S
A CHRISTMAS CAROL” TRAIN TOUR
FROM SNEAK PEEKS OF EXCLUSIVE 3D FILM FOOTAGE
TO SUMMERTIME SNOW –
DISNEY PULLS OUT ALL THE WHISTLE STOPS FOR 40-CITY
TRAVELING EXPERIENCE
Departing Los Angeles May 22; Tour to Cover More Than 16,000 Miles Disney is pulling out all the whistle stops and taking its show on the road with a
spectacular immersive and interactive 40-city train tour including a 3D sneak peek
of film footage from the upcoming movie “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” it was
announced today (05/08/09) by Dick Cook, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios.
Set amidst a snowy backdrop—complete with all of the sights and sounds of
Christmas including carolers, decorations, giveaways and many more surprises in
each of the 40 cities—the Train Tour is being launched with HP on board as the
title and technology sponsor and driven by Amtrak. This family event is for guests
of all ages and is free to the public.
Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Academy Award
Zemeckis, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” opens November 6 in theatres, in Disney
Digital 3D™ and in IMAX 3D®.
Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, “‘Disney’s A Christmas Carol’
Train Tour is an incredibly fun way to introduce families across the country to the
wonders and spectacle that is Robert Zemeckis’ unique and spectacular new
holiday film. We are so proud of the movie, and think the 3D footage is so
incredible, we just had to give everyone a chance to see it in Disney Digital 3D.
From Los Angeles to New York, and all points in between, guests are going to
have a fabulous time discovering things about the making of this extraordinary
film, participating in their own festive fantasies, and getting into the holiday spirit
all year round. ‘Disney’s A Christmas Carol’ is great entertainment for
moviegoers of all ages, and this is the perfect introduction to a fun and exciting
new holiday classic.”
Among the highlights of the tour are authentic artifacts on loan from the Charles
Dickens Museum of London; artwork, costumes and props from the film;
demonstrations of performance capture technology; and a chance to morph your
face into one of the film’s characters using HP TouchSmart PCs. At each stop
along the way, a state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3D Theatre will be erected, where
guests can get a sneak peek of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” and see other
exclusive behind-the-scenes materials from the movie. The latest details about tour
stops and scheduled events are available at www.christmascaroltraintour.com.
Featuring four custom-designed vintage rail cars full of behind-the-scenes
attractions, entertaining demonstrations, and fun activities, the tour will have its
inaugural stop at Los Angeles’ Union Station over Memorial Day Weekend, from
May 22nd through May 25th. During the next 24 weeks, the train will make 40
stops in 36 states, as it travels its way across more than 16,000 miles of track. The
tour will finish at New York’s Grand Central Terminal over the weekend of
October 30th through November 1st.
At every tour stop, Radio Disney will invite kids to enter for a chance to become a
Movie Surfer representing their hometown. Each Hometown Movie Surfer will get
a chance to appear on Disney Channel by filming their very own Movie Surfer’s
segment! They’ll also receive a prize package of exclusive Movie Surfer and
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol” gear.
ABC television stations across the country will run local promotions. At each stop,
guests will have the chance to win an HP TouchSmart PC and an HP Photosmart
wireless printer. Additionally, Disney is working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of
America organization to provide an early Christmas experience to kids across the
country. Disney will present the organization with a donation in the amount of
$100,000 at the May 21st launch in Los Angeles to further the organization’s
efforts of helping kids grow up to be great and will invite Boys & Girls Club kids
to be part of the tour when it comes to their town. Boys & Girls Clubs throughout
the nation are impacting the lives of 4.8 million young people each year with afterschool
programs that emphasize education, career exploration, community
service, technology skills, financial literacy, the arts and more to help them reach
their full potential as productive, caring citizens.
A variety of innovative HP technologies helped to make the Train Tour possible.
HP ProLiant servers and HP ProCurve switches will provide Disney with the
computing power that will allow guests to collect and upload photos. Throughout
the train exhibits, Disney is using HP TouchSmart PCs to run an interactive face
morph application and HP monitors to showcase performance capture technology
as well as images and digital effects from the film. Additionally, each train car will
be wrapped with Disney’s Train Tour logo using the versatility of HP Scitex
printers.
“For decades HP and Disney have joined together to captivate audiences through
technology innovation and digital entertainment,” said Michael Mendenhall, senior
vice president and chief marketing officer, HP. “HP technology used in the making
of ‘Disney’s A Christmas Carol’ has enabled Disney to push the boundaries in
performance capture technology. The Train Tour offers an innovative way for
guests to interact with HP’s latest technology and experience the magic behind the
film.”
Amtrak locomotives and engineers will lead the four-car Train Tour (plus a private
car), across the US, with stops ranging from 1-3 days along the way. Each train
station will be themed with holiday decorations, and feature artwork from the film,
Christmas Carolers, fun activities for the entire family, and snow!
“Rail travel continues to influence the way people connect with each other and
celebrating the release of a true classic is a perfect way to further that connection,”
said Emmett Fremaux, Vice President Marketing and Product Management,
Amtrak. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be teaming up with Walt Disney Studios
for this 40 city tour to help educate Americans about the benefit of rail travel.”
