Fantasyland Expansion - SOFT OPENING!

[photogal06...Sommer 10]

Speaking of Be Our Guest Restaurant, who plans on making reservations when they become available in late August?

Me, me, me, me, me, me!!!!!! I was listening to a Lou Mongello WDW Radio podcast,and he was raving about the food at Be Our Guest based on description alone....it sounded soooooooooo good!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Assuming it's going to be open by the time we get there (fingers crossed!) I will very definitely be making reservations.

[Lou... 3,118]

The next batch of attractions is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

They are the princess laden "Enchanted Forest", which will include the "Under the Sea, Voyage of the Little Mermaid" ride

The "Beauty and the Beast" restaurant called "Be Our Guest," should be ready and an interactive character-greeting attraction, "Enchanted Tales with Belle." is also scheduled to be ready.

However, I wouldn't plan my trip to WDW based around all of them opening on time.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Most of the Storybook Circus area is open now.

So far all they're saying for everything else is "holidays 2012" but they haven't specified which holidays or exactly when.

From the sounds of it, the majority of what's coming is included:

Maurice's Cottage

Gaston's Tavern

Be Our Guest Restaurant

Bonjour Gifts

Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid

Exception is the new Snow White "mine coaster" which isn't slated to open until sometime in 2013.

However they have said they're going to start taking ADRs for the new Be Our Guest restaurant in the Beauty and the Beast area in August so....

Keeping ears and eyes open -- and hoping that "holidays" means Thanksgiving!!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From the Disney Parks blog...

All in the Details: Creating a Cozy Cottage for Maurice & Belle in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park

posted on July 31st, 2012 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager

This week’s photos, supplied by Walt Disney Imagineering, will focus on some of the charming details that can be found on the exterior of Maurice’s Cottage in New Fantasyland.

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All in the Details: Creating a Cozy Cottage for Maurice & Belle in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Parkview all

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The home of Maurice, Belle’s father, has a tinkerer’s touch both inside and out. The roof sports mismatched chimneys and this creative weather vane.

On the ground level, the house is highlighted with heart shutters. Support beams line the house, which Imagineers intricately hand-carved and stained to look just like wood. (Can you imagine making each one of these lines individually?). Also, notice in this shot how the metal that affixes the beams to the house was designed to look aged and weathered.

A wishing well and wooden fence, which has been repaired by the handy Maurice using extra wood found around the house, outline the property.

Maurice’s tinkering handiwork also extends inside the house, which you can check out in this previous blog post. Guests will be able to see it all themselves when the Enchanted Tales with Belle character interaction experience officially opens this holiday season.

Speaking of Enchanted Tales with Belle, we’ll have a few updates on this new experience coming up in August right here on the Disney Parks Blog. It will be much more than your average character meet and greet. Keep watching!

Read on for more posts in the “All in the Details” series from Walt Disney Imagineering:

• All in the Details: Finding the Enchanted Rose at Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom Park
  
• All in the Details: Painting Beast & Gaston Into the Picture at New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park
  
• All in the Details: A Castle Fit for a…Mermaid in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park
  

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/07/all-in-the-details-creating-a-cozy-cottage-for-maurice-belle-in-new-fantasyland-at-magic-kingdom-park/

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

AHHHHH!!! As if there weren't enough reasons to get an annual pass, this is from Inside The Magic...

New Fantasyland preview for Walt Disney World passholders announced for November, opening dates to follow

by Ricky BrigantePosted on August 1, 2012

Walt Disney World annual passholders will be among the first to see the latest attractions as part of a special preview event for New Fantasyland. Though Disney previously indicated the Be Our Guest restaurant and The Little Mermaid ride would open in time for “holidays 2012,” the passholder web site now reveals a limited-attendance preview will take place in November.

Though specifics of this special preview have not yet been revealed, it does establish a firmer timeline as to when sections of New Fantasyland will be opening. Disney Cast Member previews are also scheduled for late November.

From the Walt Disney World passholder web site:

Be among the first to experience the enchantment of New Fantasyland during a special Passholder Preview in November 2012! Upon completion, Fantasyland will nearly double in size – for the largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom Park.

Registration details are coming soon and will be communicated via email and here on the Passholder website. Event capacity is limited, so be sure to watch for these updates! Valid Magic Kingdom Theme Park admission is required to attend this event.

Only passholders can log in to access that section of the Walt Disney World web site.

It’s likely (though not announced or guaranteed) that public soft openings for New Fantasyland will also take place in November, with a full opening arriving just in time for the Christmas season.

The rest of the New Fantasyland expansion, including Princess Fairytale Hall and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster, won’t open until 2013 and 2014, respectively.

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2012/08/new-fantasyland-passholder-preview-set-for-november-with-little-mermaid-be-our-guest-restaurant-opening-dates-to-follow/

We won't be buying our APs until we arrive in November, so I can't log into the AP website. If there's anyone out there that can, please keep tabs and report back with any additional info. Thanks!!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

I didnt even know there was a specific AP holder website. Thanks Mo. I learned something new today and its only 12:12

[Total Joker ... TJ 203]

Whats up with the bearded girl??

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

maybe she wandered over from Storybook CIRCUS

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From the Disney Parks blog...

A New Fantasyland Milestone: Gaston Arrives in Belle’s Village at Magic Kingdom Park

posted on August 2nd, 2012 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager

Gaston has arrived in Belle’s Village – well, a statue of him has, anyway.

Our friends at Walt Disney Imagineering are excited to share this latest milestone as Gaston arrived on site earlier this week, and they even snapped this pic for us to share exclusively with our Disney Parks Blog readers.

Here’s what we can expect Belle’s Village to look like when it’s complete. (For reference, Gaston’s Tavern is on the left and Bonjour Gifts is on the right).

We’ll be back Tuesday morning with another update on New Fantasyland. In the meantime, what part of New Fantasyland do you want to see next?

Keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog and follow @WaltDisneyWorld on Twitter for the latest on the New Fantasyland expansion. While you’re on Twitter, join in the conversation by using the hashtag #NewFantasyland.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/a-new-fantasyland-milestone-gaston-arrives-in-belles-village-at-magic-kingdom/

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Photo update of expansion:

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Fantasyland/News/03Aug2012-PHOTOS---Latest-Fantasyland-construction-site-update.htm

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From the Disney Parks blog. Yippee!!!

New Fantasyland Grand Opening Set For December 6 at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort

posted on August 7th, 2012 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager

For more than a year now, we’ve shared updates on the New Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom Park and we’re just as excited as you are to experience these magical new attractions for ourselves.

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All in the Details: A Peek at New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Parkview all

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Today we’re thrilled to announce that the grand opening of New Fantasyland will take place on December 6, 2012. Attractions included in this opening are Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Ariel’s Grotto, Gaston’s Tavern and Bonjour! Village Gifts.

Previews of these attractions will begin November 19.

As previously planned, the New Fantasyland expansion will continue with the opening of Princess Fairytale Hall in 2013 and the debut of a new Disney “mountain” in the form of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in 2014.

The Storybook Circus section of the New Fantasyland expansion, which includes Barnstormer – Starring the Great Goofini, the Casey Jr. Splash & Soak Station, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant, opened to guests in July.

How soon will you visit? And which New Fantasyland attraction are you most excited to experience?

Keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog and follow @WaltDisneyWorld on Twitter for the latest on the New Fantasyland expansion. While you’re on Twitter, join in the conversation by using the hashtag #NewFantasyland.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/new-fantasyland-grand-opening-set-for-december-6-at-magic-kingdom-park-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

More from WDW Magic...

More details for the now confirmed November previews of the new Fantasyland

Aug 07, 2012

Hot on the heals of the official Disney Parks blog earlier announcement outlining the new Fantasyland preview and grand opening dates, Disney has also now issued a full press release. The full text is included below.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Magic Kingdom guests blink back in amazement at the scene: not one, but two colorful Dumbos spinning through the sky above Storybook Circus.

To the delight of fans of the beloved Dumbo, the Flying Elephant attraction, a second Dumbo flies alongside. The playful pachyderm is joined in Storybook Circus by the Barnstormer Coaster re-themed to the Great Goofini, the Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station water play area and the Fantasyland Train Station — all part of the multiyear, largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history.

There’s more to come as the expansion of the New Fantasyland – nearly doubling in size — continues at Walt Disney World Resort. In fact, so many more attractions are coming on line later this year that Dec. 6, 2012 has been set as the Grand Opening of Fantasyland. Previews begin Nov. 19.

Slated to make their debuts:

• Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, a major attraction where guests will travel with Ariel and her friends through their exciting adventures above and below the waves – all against a musical backdrop of songs from the film. The new attraction combines the enduring appeal of a classic Disney “dark ride” with wonderful technological innovations to offer guests a personal journey into the scenes of the film. Adventurers will feel as if they are descending below the ocean’s surface. Once “under the sea,” guests will find themselves immersed in the story of “The Little Mermaid,” sharing Ariel’s adventure through a magical cast of characters and a captivating musical score that will entice everyone to sing along. The fun continues at “Ariel’s Grotto,” a meet-and-greet with the mermaid heroine herself.
  
• The castle of the Beast stands majestically upon a hill across an old stone bridge from Ariel’s new home. The Be Our Guest Restaurant will feature a lavish dining experience in the elegant ballroom, gallery, and mysterious “West Wing” of the castle. With seating for 550, this magnificent facility will offer “great food fast” service by day and full table service dining in the evening. Nearby in Belle’s Village, guests will find the rousing Gaston’s Tavern and Bonjour! Village Gifts.
  
• Just outside the village is Belle’s cottage and Enchanted Tales with Belle. The adventure begins in Maurice’s workshop, where a magical mirror is the doorway to a captivating new kind of storytelling experience: guests will be transported to the Beast’s library to meet Belle and Lumiere, and share in a lively, interactive re-telling of the “tale as old as time.”
  

“Fantasyland is a place where a very special kind of memory is made: where children just old enough to understand the moment come in contact with princesses and heroes and meet their most beloved friends,” said Meg Crofton, president, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, United States and France.

“We are excited about sharing our treasured stories in new ways and giving guests the opportunity to interact with their favorite characters like never before.”

Beyond 2012, there’s more in store for Fantasyland guests:

• Located in the Castle Courtyard in the center of Fantasyland, Princess Fairytale Hall will be the new home for visiting royalty in the Magic Kingdom. The castle-like entrance will feature walls of stone and stained glass windows, opening up into a large gallery – an airy space with a high ceiling, where portraits of the Disney princesses adorn the walls. When it’s time for their audience with a princess, guests will proceed to elegantly finished rooms to meet Aurora, Cinderella and other Disney princesses, such as Tiana and Rapunzel (2013).
  
• The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will take guests on a rollicking, musical ride into the mine “where a million diamonds shine.” The coaster will feature a first-of-its-kind ride system with a train of vehicles that swing back and forth, responding to every twist and turn of the track. The journey will be accompanied by music from the classic Disney film and animated figures of Snow White and the Dwarfs (2014).
  

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Fantasyland/News/07Aug2012-More-details-for-the-now-confirmed-November-previews-of-the-new-Fantasyland.htm

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Even MORE from WDW Magic..

Remainder of Storybook Circus to open in time for the grand opening of the new Fantasyland

Aug 07, 2012

The big news today was of course the announcements of both the preview and grand opening dates for the new Fantasyland. Also communicated to cast members today was that the remainder of Storybook Circus will also be open in time for the grand opening on December 6 2012. This includes Pete's Silly Sideshow character meet and greet, and Big Top Souvenirs.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Fantasyland/News/07Aug2012-Remainder-of-Storybook-Circus-to-open-in-time-for-the-grand-opening-of-the-new-Fantasyland.htm

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

One more from the Disney Parks blog...

All in the Details: Meet the Gang at Pete’s Silly Sideshow in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park

posted on August 7th, 2012 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager

Come one, come all to Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom Park!

Many of you have been asking for details on what’s happening in the big-top tents in the Storybook Circus area of New Fantasyland. I’m happy to share that one tent will house Pete’s Silly Sideshow character greetings, a place where guests can meet some of their favorite Disney circus stars who wait to show off their special talents.

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Once inside the tent, guests have two options: Join a line that leads to Minnie Magnifique (Minnie Mouse as a circus star) and Madame Daisy Fortuna (Daisy Duck as a fortuneteller), or head to see The Great Goofini (Goofy as a daredevil stunt pilot) and The Astounding Donaldo (Donald Duck as a snake charmer).

In case you were wondering, Mickey Mouse will continue to greet guests in his current location at Town Square Theater on Main

Street, U.S.A. And as usual, all entertainment is subject to change.

Which character are you most excited to meet? Tell us in the comments section below!

Check out more posts in the “All in the Details” series from Walt Disney Imagineering:

• All in the Details: Creating a Cozy Cottage for Maurice & Belle in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park
  
• All in the Details: Finding the Enchanted Rose at Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom Park
  
• All in the Details: Painting Beast & Gaston Into the Picture at New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park
  

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/all-in-the-details-meet-the-gang-at-petes-silly-sideshow-in-new-fantasyland-at-magic-kingdom-park/

[Lou... 3,118]

And look at this, which was part of the internal announcement.

Wanna be my friend?

"Previews for Cast Members will take place well before the grand opening,"

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

What's it gonna take Lou?

Lobster? Pie?

Lobster Pie?

Lobster Pie served by adorable border collies?

[Lou... 3,118]

You know what it'll take.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

One more important tidbit. Guests will be able to make reservations in late August (no official date yet) for dining at the new Be Our Guest Restaurant for dates after November 19th.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

You know what it'll take.

how much Lou? How much? When is the preview?

[DaveInTN 3,247]

One more important tidbit. Guests will be able to make reservations in late August (no official date yet) for dining at the new Be Our Guest Restaurant for dates after November 19th.

But there will also be the option of dining in the Be Our Guest restaurant at lunch time with no reservation, when it will be configured as a counter service location, correct?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Correct!

[Lou... 3,118]

When is the preview?

For CMs, I'm guessing on or about the 3rd week in Nov.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Monique and Brian - November 10-30

...just sayin'

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

For CMs, I'm guessing on or about the 3rd week in Nov.

that puts me out

Monique and Brian - November 10-30

...just sayin'

if anyone deserves to go it would be the queen of content!