New Mexico Lands First BIG Stop on Disney
Cross-Country Train Tour
Promotional Tour for 2009
Christmas Movie Comes to Albuquerque and Santa Fe
(Albuquerque,
NM – May
14, 2009)-
Coming this June to a railroad
station near you – Santa Fe and Albuquerque
will be the first major stops on a cross-country Walt Disney train
tour promoting a new Christmas movie set to hit the big screen this
2009 Holiday Season. To promote the movie - called “A Christmas
Carol” featuring actor Jim Carrey, Walt Disney Productions is taking
its show on the road – or “track”, so to speak – embarking on a
40-city interactive whistle-stop train tour that kicks off in
Los Angeles
on Memorial Day Weekend.
“This is going to be a truly “Disney-style”
interactive event, complete with fake snow! “, says
Lawrence Rael, Executive Director of the Mid-Region
Council of Governments. “Since Rail Runner service began here in New
Mexico, people have developed a heightened-awareness of the novelty
of trains, so this is perfect timing for Disney to be making New
Mexico its first major stop on its big promotional tour.”
Since Rail Runner service began in 2006, New Mexican's
enthusiasm for trains has steadily grown," said State Transportation
Secretary Gary L.J.
Girón. "It's no wonder Disney chose New Mexico as on of their
first stops on this tour."
After a brief stop at the
Grand Canyon, the tour’s very first major city stop is
June 2nd at the Santa Fe Depot Rail Runner Station at the
Railyard. From there, the train will make a three-day stop at the
Alvarado
Transportation
Center
in Downtown Albuquerque, where the public is invited to take
advantage of Disney-style displays and activities.
“People in
Albuquerque
are going to get a real treat”, says Albuquerque Mayor Martin
Chavez. “Our city will provide an excellent backdrop for this very
non-traditional top-notch promotion.”
Tour-goers can climb
aboard four train cars each showcasing a different aspect of the
production:
-
Digital Gallery -
Portraits of the
film’s characters that will digitally change to show how each
was created.
-
Artifacts –
Actual objects from the
Charles
Dickens
Museum in
London, including a
first edition of the original novel and some of the author’s
personal writing supplies.
-
Performance Technology Displays -
Movements and expressions of the real actors are recorded and
digitized, then used for animated renderings.
-
Interactive Games –
A face-morphing photo booth that will blend the visitor’s
features with Scrooge’s.
The fantasy will extend beyond the fully-wrapped
train cars, with the holiday spirit re-created with decorations,
local carolers, and even artificial snow! And in the parking lot: a
portable theater to show early footage from this high-tech 3-D
version of the Charles Dickens’ classic.
“This is a fun opportunity for Santa Feans made
possible by the Rail Runner,” Mayor David Coss said. “Santa
Fe
is a place where the past meets the present, and this promotional
stop is an example of our rich railroad history merging with the
potential of our new Rail Runner infrastructure.”
Both Events in Albuquerque
and Santa Fe
are FREE to the public!
1st
New Mexico Stop –
Santa Fe!
Tuesday, June 2nd from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Santa Fe Depot station in the Railyard
2nd
New Mexico Stop –
Albuquerque!
Friday, June 5th from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 6th from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 7th from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Alvarado Transportation Center/Downtown
Albuquerque
Paid parking will be available in both Santa Fe and
Albuquerque, but people are encouraged to use
public transportation such as the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, or
ABQ Ride and Santa Fe Trails buses.
Graphics, maps & other
information on the Disney Train Tour.
Contacts:
- Augusta Meyers, MRCOG Communications Mgr. 505-239-8612, ameyers@mrcog-nm.gov
- S.U. Mahesh, NM Department of Transportation (505) 490-0976
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