48 (In Progress): Experience all the attractions in New Fantasyland (Under the Sea—Journey of the Little Mermaid)

From the Walt Disney World website:

“Enter Prince Eric’s stunning castle, board a giant clamshell and get ready for a musical adventure! During your journey, you’ll behold a world teeming with color and characters as you enjoy high-energy songs and incredible effects that take you inside scenes from the animated Disney film The Little Mermaid.”

Hop aboard a clamshell and join me!

I’d like to issue a little disclaimer here: my photos simply do NOT do this beautiful attraction justice. From beloved songs to beautiful, colorful scenes, to stunning transitions, this attraction truly brings you inside the beloved animated classic, The Little Mermaid.

One of the best sites of all? Watching all the mini-princesses so thrilled and excited to board the attraction and see their favorite mermaid-turned-Disney-Princess up close . Simply magical…

You’ll notice that I’ve still marked this item on my Disney Bucket List as “In Progress.” At this point, I’ve experienced all of the attractions in New Fantasyland that will be available to guests by the Grand Opening on December 6, 2012. Click any of the links below to read about my experiences on the other attractions and dining experiences so far:

Enchanted Tales with Belle
Gaston’s Tavern
The Barnstormer and Pete’s Silly Side Show
Dumbo The Flying Elephant and Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’Soak Station

So, what’s next? Princess Fairytale Hall, hosting a meet-and-greet with the Disney Princesses, will open in 2013. And in 2014, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will have its debut: “A swerving, swaying train of mine cars takes you on a wild ride through the diamond mine. As you travel along the twisting, turning track, you’ll weave in and out of the mine and through the countryside—with animated figures, glittering gems and playful surprises at every turn.” (The previous quote is from the Walt Disney World website.)

Hope to see YOU in New Fantasyland: Opening officially this December!

48: (In Progress) Experience all the attractions in New Fantasyland (The Barnstormer and Pete’s Silly Side Show)

As we look forward to the grand opening of New Fantasyland on December 6^th, it’s been wonderful to have had the chance to experience some of the attractions that have opened in phases. I had the opportunity to attend a guest preview of Enchanted Tales with Belle, and Magic Kingdom guests have been enjoying the Storybook Circus area since spring . (You can read about my flight with Dumbo the Elephant and visit to Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station here.) But now it’s time to introduce you to Dumbo’s next door neighbor, The Barnstormer!

Technically, Goofy’s Barnstormer is not a new attraction, as it was part of the now-closed Mickey’s Toontown Fair. However, it’s been re-introduced in Storybook Circus featuring the Great Goofini, Daredevil Stuntman Extraordinaire!  Or not so much… let’s face it, this is Goofy we’re talking about, so things are about to get a little silly !

From the Walt Disney World website:

“Goofy has goofed his way into the role of a circus stunt pilot, The Great Goofini. In the tradition of classic air shows, The Great Goofini takes you away on a spiraling stunt plane adventure. Your twisting, turning, daredevil, roller coaster ‘flight’ takes you high above the grounds of Storybook Circus in New Fantasyland.”

The Barnstormer is a child-friendly roller coaster—perfect for the little first timer who isn’t quite ready to take on Space Mountain. It only lasts about a minute and a half or so, but there is a lot of bang for your buck—this little coaster moves surprisingly fast, and the twists and turns pack in the fun…

While you’re in Storybook Circus, don’t forget to stop by and greet your friends Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Minnie Mouse in their brand new home at Pete’s Silly Side Show!

I was simply amazed at the incredible theme, fun, and whimsy in this fantastic character greeting spot! So much so that I couldn’t resist getting my picture taken with all four . Feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them so you can really appreciate the exceptional amount of detail. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming…

The Great Goofini!

The Astounding Donaldo, Snake Charmer!

Madame Daisy Fortuna, Fortuneteller!

AND… Minnie Magnifique and her Pirouetting Parisian Poodles!

Aaah, New Fantasyland… Dreams really do come true .

48 (In Progress): Experience all the attractions in New Fantasyland (Enchanted Tales with Belle)

SPOILER ALERT: For anyone not wishing to read about Enchanted Tales with Belle before it officially opens in December, please feel welcome to skip this post. I don’t want to ruin any surprises . Thank you!

“Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast”

The New Fantasyland Expansion (or at least, most of it ) will open to the public on December 6^th, 2012. A few guests (myself included) have been lucky enough to catch previews of Enchanted Tales with Belle in its testing stage this past week! Disney kindly welcomed us to take as many pictures as we would like, and I am happy to share some of mine with you.

Enchanted Tales brings guests into the story of Beauty and the Beast like never before! Guests will come across a quaint little cottage–Belle’s home which she shares with her father, Maurice…

Once inside, the waiting queue winds you through Belle’s home, complete with touches reflecting Belle’s childhood and her love of books:

I won’t deny shedding a tear or two at this painting of little Belle with her mom:

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie. As a Belle fan, the queue was an attraction in and of itself! The level of detail is astounding—even for Disney, and they are known for details! But I was unprepared for what was waiting in the next room.

Upon entering Maurice’s workshop, we are lead to a mirror, but not just any mirror… it’s an enchanted mirror, and we are told that Maurice uses this mirror to see Belle at the Castle where the Beast is keeping her. This mirror takes us “back to the day Belle and Beast fell in love.” My picture does NOT do it justice, but this stunning transformation left guests ooh-ing and aah-ing…

At last, the mirror transforms into an entrance to Beast’s castle, where the first character we meet is Madame Wardrobe, who (with a cast member’s assistance) chooses guests to play parts to help Belle tell her favorite story. You will be amazed by the technology that allows Madame Wardrobe to speak to guests—she is seamless and full of life!

I was chosen to play Mrs. Potts !

At last, we are escorted into the beautiful library, where we meet Lumiere—another technological wonder! As Lumiere speaks to the audience, I had to wonder, “How on earth did they do that?” But before I had too much time to think, the star of our show arrived… Princess Belle:

Members of the audience help tell the story of Beauty and the Beast—how they met and fell in love. The story and the setting are, indeed, enchanted. Children will love being so near to Belle and other Beauty and the Beast characters, and adults will be amazed by the combination of beauty and technology… Okay, if they’re anything like me, adults will be pretty psyched about the characters, too . Cast Members informed us that Enchanted Tales is not yet in it’s finished form while they are in the testing phase, so it will be exciting to see it when it officially opens in December!

I’m on my way to crossing #48, Experience all the new attractions in the Fantasyland Expansion, off my Disney Bucket List (you can read about my flight with Dumbo and getting splashed at Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station here), but there are several upcoming attractions to come—a whole new world to discover! Stay tuned, as more of New Fantasyland opens to the public on December 6th, and I’m excited to bring you along!

18: Fly with Dumbo

Dumbo  . We love this sweet, big-eared fellow!

What kid doesn’t want to fly through the air in their very own elephant? What parent doesn’t want that perfect photo of their child enjoying their very first Dumbo ride?

Who doesn’t know the thrill of soaring above Fantasyland, taking in the sites?

Me. I didn’t! THAT’S WHO.

But Dumbo The Flying Elephant is back, bigger and better than ever—at long last, my chance had arrived!

Allow me to explain… The Dumbo attraction was down for a time, as it was being refurbished then moved to its new home in Storybook Circus, part of the New Fantasyland expansion. And did I say, “bigger”? That’s because now there’s not one, but TWO Dumbo rides for guests to enjoy—this will help lessen the wait times for this well-loved attraction. Double the Dumbo, double the fun !

But guests have even more fun to look forward to than the ride itself. Disney has debuted an entirely new interactive queue experience, whereby guests receive a buzzer to reserve their place in line, then are free to play in the circus tent until their buzzer indicates that it’s time to board. It is beautiful under the Big Top! It is also fun, whimsical, and (wait for it…) air-conditioned .

As for me, I finally got my chance to board.

Here is my Dumbo, looking especially dapper in his blue cap:

The new Storybook Circus area, and the updated Dumbo attraction, is truly something to love—it’s colorful, whimsical, and beautiful. The Dumbo ride is equally as joyful for children as it ever was, if not more so, and flying at night over the amazing water effects in the new version is simply… well, magical .

Best of all, it certainly whets your appetite for everything yet  to come with the new Fantasyland expansion, opening December 6th!

By the way, after you’ve visited our friend Dumbo, be sure to stop by the newest addition to Storybook Circus: Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station… I cannot stress this enough: the emphasis here is on SOAK. This thing is amazing—you’ve got to see it to believe it! But if you want to stay dry, be sure to view it from afar…

12: Enjoy “Snow White’s Scary Adventures” one last time

Sometimes, in order to make space for something amazing and new (I’m lookin’ at you, Fantasyland Expansion!), we have to say goodbye to an old treasure. Snow White’s Scary Adventures will carry Walt Disney World guests for the last time on May 31.

Take one last ride with me!

Snow White’s Adventures was one of the original attractions in the Magic Kingdom when it opened in October 1971.  I can still remember riding it on my first trip to Walt Disney World. Frankly, it scared me to pieces, mostly because of recurring sudden appearances by this little lady…

… and also because my best friend kept dragging me on it again and again for kicks because she knew how freaked out I was. Hey thanks, Beth .

Anyway, I guess I wasn’t the only one… the attraction was closed for a time, and then reopened in 1994. The word “Scary” was added to the name to give parents a bit of a warning, while making the ride itself somewhat less so, by adding the visible presence of Snow White and more of the loveable and thankfully-not-scary-at-all-whatsoever Seven Dwarfs.

That said, the attraction still stands out in my mind as one that I fully remember from childhood. There is always a fondness for the original attractions (I still miss you, Mr. Toad…), and especially anything featuring any of the beloved characters from Walt Disney’s time. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” which premiered December 21, 1937, was Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated film. There are nods to the importance of this film in other places on Walt Disney World property. The picture below is part of “Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream”:

Carthay Circle Theater, where “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” had its premiere, is given a tribute in this replica at Hollywood Studios:

While we lose this attraction with the Fantasyland expansion, we won’t be losing the presence of Snow White or the Dwarfs by any means. The spot where “Snow White’s Scary Adventures” currently stands will become “Princess Fairytale Hall” where guests can meet Disney Princesses. And “The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” will add another small roller coaster (in addition to Goofy’s Barnstormer) to Fantasyland.

I’m thankful that I was able to enjoy this ride one last time. You kind of see with new eyes how very beautiful it is, and appreciate its history and significance just a little more, knowing it won’t be around any longer. It is oddly sad to lose it, but we look forward to all the amazing new experiences to come.

So, thanks for the memories to the Fairest One of All…

And even to you, Evil-Queen-turned-Wicked-Witch…

…and so long, Dopey. We’ll see you soon!