TVEPFOX
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2007
- Messages
- 947
Christmas came a little early to upstate New York. Bright and early this morning Disneys A Christmas Carol Train Tour rolled into the Amtrak station in Rensselaer.
The five car train is a moving billboard and themed display for the new Jim Carey movie out this holiday season. The cars of the train, including the engine are wrapped with a winter theme courtesy of HP.
Our trip was a surprise for our seven year old daughter. I took her out of school early, made a quick stop to pick up my husband and we headed to station. My husband rides Amtrak for work, we called ahead to one of his conductor friends for a crowd update. Ive read the wait can be up to six hours to tour the train. We were told we could walk right up. Hours after we left, the conductor called back saying thousands of people were jamming the downtown area creating a traffic nightmare.
The train brings to mind Christmas and my childhood. My father loved toy trains. We always had a big board with trains on it under the tree. He wasnt like Gomez Adams, but grown men revert to boyhood at the sound of a trains whistle.
The train was isolated in the rail yard under heavy security. Once you entered the gates it was Disney magic. The area was transformed into a winter wonderland dating back to merry old England. Carolers were strolling the grounds, Saint Nick was talking with the kids, old fashioned gas lamps lined the street and only Disney could make it snow in September.
Once we made our way to the trains entrance we were given a ticket punched with the number of people in our group. My daughter immediately said, Look Mom, its a Mickey. You enter the train up a flight of stairs decorated with garland, velvet and lights, a conductor checks your ticket as you board.
You start the tour at the last car and make your way to the front. In classic Disney style careful attention is paid to every detail. The ceiling of the car is painted to resemble the sky, the walls are lined with wallpaper, strands of holiday garland hang from the woodwork and you walk on hardwood floors.
I remember the story of Scrooge, but teaching it to my seven year old on the fly was a challenge. I probably should have told her more about the story in the car ride down.
The first car is a museum of sorts, period costumes are on display, along with books and writings from Charles Dickens. The walls are decorated with portraits from the movie.
The second car looks like the television racks I remember as a kid in Montgomery Wards. Its lined with monitors showing scenes from the movie, while the cast and crew narrate the making of the movie.
Moving to the third car the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together. This car holds the models and sculptures used by the artists and film makers. The masks were so life-like they were creepy. Each character had a wax model made for the animation process. Its amazing to see 12 inches casts, they look like mini-people. The model used for Big Ben was really impressive. Tens of thousands of pieces of material, all carefully laid out to duplicate one of Londons iconic structures.
When we entered the next car we were told we could not take pictures because the movie is not complete and we were looking at unfinished scenes, but I did. This car really wowed us! It shows how computer generated graphics and mannequins are used to create the film. The process the actors go through looks like an experiment at NASA. Everything is shot in front of a green screen, then transformed by computers.
The second half of the car is an interactive experience. You can have your picture taken using a similar technology from the movie, then your image is morphed into a character. The only downside, the image will be emailed to you in 7 to 10 days, but you could see a preview. HP really did this part right. There were about two dozen stations for families to use. I can see this being time consuming. There are staffers on hand to help you.
Weve reached the end of the line and the last car. You really feel like its Christmas Eve at Scrooges house. You walk into a living room complete with a burning fireplace, the smell of a holiday dinner cooking and a table set with all the trimmings. This makes a great photo stop for the kids. The food on the table looks so real it was making me hungry.
When you depart the train youre given a holiday sheets to make snowflakes, ornaments and a coupon to ride Amtrak during the holiday season, inset Amtrak ad here.
Next stop, the big show. Across the rail yard Disney set up a two-story inflatable theater. The show starts every 15 minutes and runs 11 minutes. To keep the kids entertained, because 15 minutes is an eternity, Radio Disney Personalities play games, give away Santa hats and there are tables with activity sheets and holiday tattoos.
Youre escorted into the theater and given 3D glasses. The theater seats about 50, complete with a screen and surround sound. Two warnings for parents: its very dark and loud. The 3D technology Disney uses for this film is some of the best I have ever seen. People were cheering for the opening shot of the castle and Tinker Bell. Wait for it wait for it it only gets better The movie title comes off the screen at you, with snowflakes swirling all around. The first clip is an interview with Jim Carey, he seems to be genuinely impressed with the way the film was made. Next, a scene from the film. I thought it was a little scary for some kids and I was right, a few moms got up and left with crying kids. I saw a few dads jump out of their seats too. The clip morphs into the icing on the cake, what Disney wanted us to see all along, the movie trailer.
Disneys A Christmas Carol is in theaters November 6th. If the train tour rolls into your neck of the woods, dont miss it, its free! Theres something you dont hear too often the words Disney and free.
The five car train is a moving billboard and themed display for the new Jim Carey movie out this holiday season. The cars of the train, including the engine are wrapped with a winter theme courtesy of HP.
Our trip was a surprise for our seven year old daughter. I took her out of school early, made a quick stop to pick up my husband and we headed to station. My husband rides Amtrak for work, we called ahead to one of his conductor friends for a crowd update. Ive read the wait can be up to six hours to tour the train. We were told we could walk right up. Hours after we left, the conductor called back saying thousands of people were jamming the downtown area creating a traffic nightmare.
The train brings to mind Christmas and my childhood. My father loved toy trains. We always had a big board with trains on it under the tree. He wasnt like Gomez Adams, but grown men revert to boyhood at the sound of a trains whistle.
The train was isolated in the rail yard under heavy security. Once you entered the gates it was Disney magic. The area was transformed into a winter wonderland dating back to merry old England. Carolers were strolling the grounds, Saint Nick was talking with the kids, old fashioned gas lamps lined the street and only Disney could make it snow in September.
Once we made our way to the trains entrance we were given a ticket punched with the number of people in our group. My daughter immediately said, Look Mom, its a Mickey. You enter the train up a flight of stairs decorated with garland, velvet and lights, a conductor checks your ticket as you board.
You start the tour at the last car and make your way to the front. In classic Disney style careful attention is paid to every detail. The ceiling of the car is painted to resemble the sky, the walls are lined with wallpaper, strands of holiday garland hang from the woodwork and you walk on hardwood floors.
I remember the story of Scrooge, but teaching it to my seven year old on the fly was a challenge. I probably should have told her more about the story in the car ride down.
The first car is a museum of sorts, period costumes are on display, along with books and writings from Charles Dickens. The walls are decorated with portraits from the movie.
The second car looks like the television racks I remember as a kid in Montgomery Wards. Its lined with monitors showing scenes from the movie, while the cast and crew narrate the making of the movie.
Moving to the third car the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together. This car holds the models and sculptures used by the artists and film makers. The masks were so life-like they were creepy. Each character had a wax model made for the animation process. Its amazing to see 12 inches casts, they look like mini-people. The model used for Big Ben was really impressive. Tens of thousands of pieces of material, all carefully laid out to duplicate one of Londons iconic structures.
When we entered the next car we were told we could not take pictures because the movie is not complete and we were looking at unfinished scenes, but I did. This car really wowed us! It shows how computer generated graphics and mannequins are used to create the film. The process the actors go through looks like an experiment at NASA. Everything is shot in front of a green screen, then transformed by computers.
The second half of the car is an interactive experience. You can have your picture taken using a similar technology from the movie, then your image is morphed into a character. The only downside, the image will be emailed to you in 7 to 10 days, but you could see a preview. HP really did this part right. There were about two dozen stations for families to use. I can see this being time consuming. There are staffers on hand to help you.
Weve reached the end of the line and the last car. You really feel like its Christmas Eve at Scrooges house. You walk into a living room complete with a burning fireplace, the smell of a holiday dinner cooking and a table set with all the trimmings. This makes a great photo stop for the kids. The food on the table looks so real it was making me hungry.
When you depart the train youre given a holiday sheets to make snowflakes, ornaments and a coupon to ride Amtrak during the holiday season, inset Amtrak ad here.
Next stop, the big show. Across the rail yard Disney set up a two-story inflatable theater. The show starts every 15 minutes and runs 11 minutes. To keep the kids entertained, because 15 minutes is an eternity, Radio Disney Personalities play games, give away Santa hats and there are tables with activity sheets and holiday tattoos.
Youre escorted into the theater and given 3D glasses. The theater seats about 50, complete with a screen and surround sound. Two warnings for parents: its very dark and loud. The 3D technology Disney uses for this film is some of the best I have ever seen. People were cheering for the opening shot of the castle and Tinker Bell. Wait for it wait for it it only gets better The movie title comes off the screen at you, with snowflakes swirling all around. The first clip is an interview with Jim Carey, he seems to be genuinely impressed with the way the film was made. Next, a scene from the film. I thought it was a little scary for some kids and I was right, a few moms got up and left with crying kids. I saw a few dads jump out of their seats too. The clip morphs into the icing on the cake, what Disney wanted us to see all along, the movie trailer.
Disneys A Christmas Carol is in theaters November 6th. If the train tour rolls into your neck of the woods, dont miss it, its free! Theres something you dont hear too often the words Disney and free.
