New Fantasyland - coming in 2013 to Magic Kingdom

[Chris]

The official Press Release (note this covers several topics):






The Plan (note, this appears to have changed slightly; it would seem as though Dumbo and Pixie Hollow have swapped spots):






And Concept Art:

New Fantasyland Overview:

*Note that the newly redone and expanded land does not affect the west side of the existing Fantasyland, home to Peter Pan's Flight and it's a small world.



Much of the focus of Fantasyland will be on interactions with the characters - but not your standard meet and greet / snap a phone sign a book and move along. These will be true interactions which take place in the character's natural settings straight out of the film, starting with:



Cinderella

Guests wishing to meet Cinderella will find her in the country chateau in which she grew up, also home of Lady Tramaine and her wicked step sisters.



Once inside, with the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella will literally transform right before your eyes from her servant clothes into a beauty gown fit for a royal ball.



However, a dress isn't all one needs to prepare for the ball; after all, you need to know how to dance! Young ones will be invited to practice dancing with Cinderella herself, while others wishing for a more "manly" activity will have the chance to train to be a royal knight.



Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

Guests wishing to meet Aurora will find her in the secret forest cottage in which she was raised by the three good faires, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.



As you recall, Aurora was hidden in the cottage until she turned 16 to avoid the curse put on her at birth by the evil Maleficent. Unfortunately, that plan backfired when Aurora pricked her finger on that fabled spinning wheel, putting her into a deep slumber - and in turn causing her to miss her Sweet 16 Party. Of course, everything turned out happily ever after, and guests are invited to make their own birthday cards for Aurora and..



Present those cards to Aurora personally at the surprise Sweet 16 Birthday Party we hold for her!



Belle

Those wishing to meet Belle will find her in her father's countryside cottage.



Once inside, a magic mirror will transport guests into the Beast's castle, where guests will be selected to perform in a comical retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast.



After their rehearsal, the talent cast of young volunteer actors will perform the show for Belle herself in the Beast's Library.


Be Our Guest Restaurant

Inside the Beast's Castle, guests will be able to dine in a brand new, highly interactive full service dinner location.



Gaston's Tavern

Or, if you're on the go, guests can opt instead to grab a bite at Gaston's Tavern, a brand new quickservice food location.



True to his word, Gaston uses antlers in all of his decorating!



Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

Guests wishing to meet Ariel can find her in a newly redesigned Ariel's Grotto, but if just meeting the Princess of the Sea isn't enough for you, take a ride along with her in the new E-ticket attraction, Ariel's Adventure.


This omni-mover dark ride will take guests through Ariel's undersea world, with an emphasis toward's the films award winning musical sequences.



Any good story needs a little conflict, and Ariel's Adventure is no different as Poor, Unfortune Souls encouter the wicked Ursula.



A happy ending awaits as the prince Kiss(es) The Girl.



Dumbo's Flying Circus

Fantasyland's most popular attraction gets a much needed boost as Dumbo will more than double its rider capacity while completely eliminating the ride's queue. To do so, a Big Top full of interactive games will be created to allow guests to play instead of wait!



To increase capacity, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin will be removed from Adventureland, rethemed and relocated to the new Fantasyland, placed side-by-side with the original Dumbo The Flying Elephant attraction in its new location.



Pixie Hollow

In a sort of Phase 2 to the Fantasyland Expansion, guests will shrink to the size of a fairy and enter Pixie Hollow, home of Tinkerbell and all her enchanted friends.



The newly re-imagined Fantasyland will open - with the exception of Pixie Hollow, in 2012 at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Pixie Hollow is expected to be complete sometime in 2013.

[Mike]

Wow Mermaid's facade is beautiful.

[Rinith]

Wow, I really like putting Dumbo in a circus tent. Makes that rather common-place ride a little more special.

Also, is Toontown Fair included in this?

[Chris]

Wow, I really like putting Dumbo in a circus tent. Makes that rather common-place ride a little more special.

Also, is Toontown Fair included in this?

Toontown Fair is GONE!

The Dumbo attraction will be on land previously occupied by Toontown Fair.

[Jeff]

Toontown Fair is GONE!

The Dumbo attraction will be on land previously occupied by Toontown Fair.

That looks amazing. Hard to believe they are doing that big a remodel.

[Honda Enoch]

Toontown Fair is GONE!

The Dumbo attraction will be on land previously occupied by Toontown Fair.

And why is this a reason to clap????

Mickey and Minnie's houses are VERY popular.


This whole refurb is juts another way Disney is KILLING the parks.

Aurora dose NOT belong in WDW, Put her over in DL at her own castle.

I can't believe Disney is doing what they are with Tinkerbell. SHe is nothing more then a helper to Peter Pan.

But oh well, the Disney we all grew up with and loved is gone. replaced with a park covered in Pooh and Stitch.

[Rinith]

And why is this a reason to clap????

Mickey and Minnie's houses are VERY popular.


This whole refurb is juts another way Disney is KILLING the parks.

Aurora dose NOT belong in WDW, Put her over in DL at her own castle.

I can't believe Disney is doing what they are with Tinkerbell. SHe is nothing more then a helper to Peter Pan.

But oh well, the Disney we all grew up with and loved is gone. replaced with a park covered in Pooh and Stitch.

How is this killing the park? There's neither Pooh nor Stitch in this new area, in fact they're all classic Disney characters. The Fantasyland in WDW has been in dire need of an update for ages and I think that this more than makes up for it. Though things do sometimes turn out less than they are planned and I think we should all hold our tongues until it's up and running.

[Chris]

And why is this a reason to clap????

Mickey and Minnie's houses are VERY popular.

Are you kidding? Mickey's Toontown Fair is a very subpar section of the theme park and always has been. Venture over to Disneyland or Tokyo Disneyland and see what a REAL Toontown section looks like. Even Mickey and Minnie's houses are second-rate versions here in Florida. The reason to clap is for the fact that we'd NEVER have a chance of getting a REAL Mickey's Toontown with the mediocre version still standing. With it gone, there is now a demand that at some point will likely need to be filled - and given the quality going into Fantasyland, I'd bet a future Mickey's Toontown for WDW will even surpass the DL/TDL version.

This whole refurb is juts another way Disney is KILLING the parks.

Spending hundreds of millions of dollars to do something that will completely revolutionize what a "Fantasyland" is thought to be is how Disney is KILLING the parks? Unless you mean all other versions of Fantasyland will feel week in comparison, I have to say I think you're nuts on this one. This is a really big deal for the park *and* the company.

Aurora dose NOT belong in WDW, Put her over in DL at her own castle.

Well that's an awfully short-sighted way of thinking.

I can't believe Disney is doing what they are with Tinkerbell. SHe is nothing more then a helper to Peter Pan.

Nothing more than a helper to Peter Pan who sells nearly as much merchandise as Mickey Mouse himself.

But oh well, the Disney we all grew up with and loved is gone. replaced with a park covered in Pooh and Stitch.

Amongst dozens of ground-breaking, bar-setting attractions known and accepted the world over as the best of the best.

[Neon]

This whole refurb is juts another way Disney is KILLING the parks.

Aurora dose NOT belong in WDW, Put her over in DL at her own castle.

I can't believe Disney is doing what they are with Tinkerbell. SHe is nothing more then a helper to Peter Pan.

But oh well, the Disney we all grew up with and loved is gone. replaced with a park covered in Pooh and Stitch.

Despite the fact I think Chris addressed this already pretty well still feel the need to respond here.
Spending millions to modernize the most clearly aging section of the park, and make it a much more relevant and immersive experience for all, can never be called killing the park.
First of all, her own castle?! How in the hell do you expect that to work, it just doesn't even make sense. Also, who are you to decide over disney what DOES and does not belong in their parks?
As stated, Tink has been more popular for YEARS then peter. She is one of disney's biggest money makers, and them expanding her use is not really that recent a phenomenon anyways
It's not long gone at all. For the most part this plan is keeping the old fantasyland around. For the most part the movies getting more attention are still some of the older classics like Beauty and the beast and Mermaid.
As for more things like pooh and stich, yea its not my cup of tea either but its not bad that disney is trying to stay relevent to what the current generation of kids like and want. If the newer movies are not brought into the park attendence will drop and thats not good for anyone

[Mike]

So does the announcement hold true to the concept art leaked on the internet earlier this year? I'm not too sure, but from the birds eye view it looks as if Dumbo is sitting on the plot that's currently being occupied Barn Stormer. Anybody care to weigh in?