There are two versions of the book: English and French. Both are currently still available through one of the authors, Alain Littaye (responsible for the book’s design and layout), although quantities are limited. I bought the English version (duh!), which has been updated from the initial publication (I think there were several grammatical and typographical errors from the original translation). Alain even signed my copy, which he does for all who buy the book directly from him.

The 320-page book is chock full of photos and concept images, much like the Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind-the-Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real. If you liked that one, you’ll love this one!

The downside to all of this? The book is expensive! It costs 87 euros, plus 15 euros for standard shipping. You can use Google to see the current exchange rate; type “102 euros to dollars” in the search box. But, it is an out-of-print book (originally published in 2002, I believe, and the updated version was last published in 2006). It is a hardcover, typically more expensive than a paperback, it’s big & heavy, and it has to be shipped overseas. So, it is definitely high-priced, but well worth the investment on this hard-to-find item.

If you’d like to get your hands on a copy, you can email Alain Littaye (lawrence55@wanadoo.fr) directly for payment instructions. I used PayPal, which is safe and quick.

It typically takes 4-6 weeks for an overseas delivery from Europe, but my book arrived in just eight days! As a book lover (as long as it has many pictures), I am fickle about their care and maintenance. So, I was more than pleased to see that the book arrived in a good, sturdy box, and was wrapped with many layers of bubble wrap. Not many people will go that far to protect an item like that, and the mailing systems (especially the USPS) can be brutal.

The book both looked and smelled as if it were fresh from the printer. I love the smell of a fresh book! I looked inside for my personalized autograph from Alain which read, “To Robert, this tribute to Disneyland Paris and the great Imagineers with all my best wishes!” Not only that, but there was an added bonus: an English version of a Disneyland Paris “Guide to the Parks” fold-out map. The guide covers all of Disneyland, the Walt Disney Studios, and has an overview of the entire resort. Since I kinda sorta collect park maps, this was exciting. Plus, I don’t have anything like this from any of the overseas parks.

Flipping through the book, I became giddy. The pages are packed with sketches, drawings, paintings, models, posters, elevation plans, and unique photos, all of which I love in a Disney theme park book (they’re good references for paper models). Disneyland Paris, alone, is an architectural and artistic delight. So, you can only imagine what the images and artwork are like inside the book. It’s simply breathtaking!

For even more great artwork from the Disney parks, check out Alain’s blog, Disney and More! While you’re there, you can also get more information about the book and how to get one of the last remaining copies.

The website doesn’t have too much information up right now, but you can get a heads-up on the Fan Art Contest, themed to 101 Dalmations. Although, if you’re sensitive about your artwork, note that the fine print clearly states that all work (sketches, final submissions) become the property of Disney Enterprises, Inc.. Anything to make a buck, right?

–UPDATE–

Crystal Von Oy emailed me. She is the sole person who built all of the models for the event. Great job, Crystal; that’s some dedication!

Anywho, it’s time for another round of great creations. Claudio reconstructs the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, Courtney gets a new tattoo, and Gert-Jan attempts to build the Disneyland Paris: Sleeping Beauty Castle. Gert-Jan, you’d better read the tip I’ve included if you don’t want to re-build the castle’s base.

Kristen was in charge of shipping the pen out, and I finally received the package on Thursday. It took some persistent bugging, but I finally nagged her enough that she finally mailed it out. Finally. I tease, Kristen. Thanks for the goodies!!!

My patient waiting and constant poking-with-a-stick scored me with a few other bonus items: some of Mousetalgia’s new promotional items. A magnet and matching button are nice. If I ever go to a Mousetalgia meet-up at the parks, I’ll be sure to wear my button!

I had to do a double-take on the postcard. At first, it looked like a an aerial image of San Jose. But, the Matterhorn is not that far north from me. Looking again, I saw the Haunted Mansion, Monorail, and the construction of New Orleans Square.

So, I have a new favorite pen, which I will use extensively, and a few other goodies to set on my desk. I only wish the Mousetalgia logo was more prominently featured on the magnet, button, and postcard. It’s a nice logo that needs to be be shown off more often.

First up is the Amulet of Future Knowledge contest. Guests submitted their “predictions” of what the next set of icons would be. In the end, the person who predicted the correct icons was revealed, and the icons were released. Yeah, the whole future knowledge thing was a bit of a stretch, but it was still fun.

The contest Web page was created mostly from an Indiana Jones Adventure decoder card, and an article from a Disney Magazine.

The Pixel Academy gave guests a chance to let their own talents shine for a change. The goal, of course, was creating 32 x 32 icons . . . the hard way. That is, the icons had to be created one pixel at a time just like I did. Shrinking any photos or artwork was strictly prohibited.

A crash course was available, instructing everyone on how to create an icon using nothing more than Windows’ Paint program. It could be done that way, but it wasn’t always pretty. Thankfully, I use a professional icon design program these days.

Once Upon a Scream. Here’s another icon contest, but strictly for villains!

In this contest, I took theming a little further. It received a snazzy logo, a custom confirmation screen, and two exclusive wallpapers.

Once again, you can download all three wallpapers (1024 x 768 only).

This year, I thought I’d try something a little bit different. Let’s try doing nothing but attraction posters. And, since it’s Disneyland’s 55th birthday, let’s pick a good representation from the past five-and-a-half decades.

This set contains 10 icons: Space Mountain Poster, Captain EO Poster, Grand Canyon Diorama Poster, Storybook Land Poster, Alice in Wonderland Poster, Space Station X-1 Poster, Indiana Jones Adventure Poster, Flying Saucers Poster, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Poster, Rocket to the Moon Poster.

I also took the liberty of replacing those annoying watermarks with ones that make it far easier to see the image details. This is good for all of you smart people who use them as reference material.

As soon as Flickr rolls out their new site design, you’ll be able to view even larger images (but not the original). If you have a Flickr account, you may have seen the preview of the new layout for which you can opt in. If you do opt in, you can already view the larger papercraft images, giving you a slight advantage over everyone else . . . for a little while. I don’t know when Flickr will make the new site design public.

This set contains 5 icons designed by Iconshock: Nemo, Dory, Bruce, Crush.

This set contains 5 icons designed by Iconshock: Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swan, Davey Jones, Aztec Coin, Jack’s Compass.

Right now, I have a couple of wallpapers designed from Louie Mantia. I’ve been trying to find a decent icon set with little success. With all of this icon digging and customization, I’ve gotten into a design mood; I just may take matters into my own hands and create my own set. It may be something . . . incredible.

Billy is building the Big Thunder Railroad paper model to be put on display in the attraction’s tower control center. A poll was taken, and everyone wanted engine seven, which didn’t exist until now.

Disneyland is the only park with engine number seven. After the horrific and well-known Big Thunder accident, engine two (the culprit of the accident) was replaced with engine seven.