Published: August 04, 2009 02:08 pm      

Disney Train Tour stops at Dallas Aug. 18-19

This summer, visitors of all ages from cities coast to coast will experience for free the magic behind “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” in this once-in-a-lifetime attraction. “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” is a thrilling, multi-sensory movie directed by Robert Zemeckis that takes the classic Dickens tale to the big screen like never before. The movie opens nationwide Nov. 6, 2009.

Traveling more than 16,000 miles, the train will pass through 36 states, hitting cities like Chicago, Ill., Albuquerque, N.M., Portland, Ore., Fargo, N.D., Sacramento, Calif., Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Louisville, Ky., Jacksonville, Fla., Philadelphia, Pa., Albany, N.Y., and Charleston, S.C. (A complete list can be found at www.christmascaroltraintour.com).

The Train Tour rolls into Dallas this Aug. 18-19, offering visitors an exclusive 3D sneak peek from the movie as well as a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of the movieówith artifacts and character designs housed in real train cars. The fun family event is totally free. From 9 a.m., until 7 p.m. both days, the mood around Dallas’ Union Station at 401 S. Houston St., is frenetic.

To launch the event, Disney Studios presented a check for $100,000 to Boys and Girls Club of America. Additionally, Boys and Girls Club kids from each city will take part in special activities.

Visitors will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the magic, the spectacle and the cutting-edge technology of ‘Disney’s A Christmas Carol.’ Four train cars will showcase immersive and interactive experiences, including:

• A first glimpse of the movie’s character development and character design.

• Artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum in London, England, including a first edition of “A Christmas Carol,” a portrait of Charles Dickens, his original writing tools and original letters written by Charles Dickens from his visits to the United States

• An inside look at the cutting-edge performance capture technique used to create the film.

• Interactive kiosks where guests can explore Dicken’s London and morph their face into characters from the movie using HP TouchSmart PCs, and guests will receive an email with links to download their face morph images for free exclusively from Walmart.com Photo.

• 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.

• Disney will hire locally in every stop to support the tour, fulfilling positions such as guest control, carolers and docents.

Visitors will also be the first to see an exclusive sneak peek of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” in Disney Digital 3D inside a state-of-the-art 48-foot-wide, 3D theatre — the first inflatable 3D theatre ever to go across the country — which will be erected onsite in each city. Dolby Laboratories is supplying its Dolby® 3D Digital Cinema solution for the traveling Digital 3D theater and Barco is providing the DP2000 digital projectors.

Snow will “fall” in each of the 40 cities throughout this summertime event. The winter wonderland will be complete with holiday decor and Christmas carolers.