Future Plans For WDW's Fantasyland

[PrincePhillipFan]

For those who haven't heard, most of the Disney parks lately seem to be buzzed with the expansion of DCA, and now along with WDW's Fantasyland. Among the plans for the future expansion Disney is in the dreaming planning stage now include:

- A Cinderella section with a meet and greet
- A Sleeping Beauty section with a meet and greet
- A Little Mermaid section with a duplicate of the dark ride being planned for DCA
- A Beauty and the Beast section with a meet and greet, an all new table service restaurant, and a new quick service restaurant
- A Pixie Hollow section, with a meet and greet and playground
- A Dumbo section with two all new Flying Dumbo attractions
- Retheming of Barnstormer into something new, most likely a Cheshire Coaster which is the most likely and known option

These plans will include demolishing all of Mickey's Toontown Fair, and moving the Mickey and gang meet and greets to the Exposition Hall on Main Street, and expanding back to the old site of 20,000 Leagues. Also most likely are retheming and the changing of the facades to the preexisting Peter Pan, Snow White, Pooh, and Philharmagic attractions.

Here are the blueprints and some articles concerning it:
http://i31.tinypic.com/r2q9dt.jpg
http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky072109a.htm

[Super Aurora]

On the Blueprint I don't see where the 20,000 leagues under the sea is going to be located.

So I guess no Small World changing?

It would be cool if they added Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland ride that's in Disneyland. I'd like to experience that.

Also Is the Cinderella and Sleeping beauty section going to have any sort of ride? Or is it just going to have a meet and greet character thing?

[Escapay]

On the Blueprint I don't see where the 20,000 leagues under the sea is going to be located.

The area where 20K once stood (as well as some backstage area) is being completely redone for the new attractions and such. The Miceage page has good pictures showing which sections are being used for what parts.

I agree, I'd love to see the Pinocchio and Alice dark rides.

albert

[Super Aurora]

OOOOH I see now. I must of miss read PrincePhilipFan's paragraph in the shanghai thread. I actually thought the 20.000 league under sea ride was actually returning.

[Jack Skellington]

I'm betting that the BATB area is gonna have it's own dark ride, since they announced this before, and the area looks quite large on the blue-print.

[Kram Nebuer]

This is already posted in the Little Mermaid Ride thread, but it's more relevant here. At the D23 Expo, new concept art of the Fantasyland Expansion was released!!!!!!!

I was watching WDWRadio's LIve Stream from the expo and they mentioned/confirmed the following:
Princess mini-lands
Cinderella's Chateau
Be our Guest restaurant
Gaston's Tavern
Little Mermaid E-Ticket Attraction (never said it's the same as the one in DCA)
Dumbo Circus section
Dueling Dumbos (I don't think it's actually called that though) - apparently the "queue" for the new Dumbo attraction is an interactive circus of some sorts until it's your turn.


Overall Expansion

I love that they're kind of adding a little storybook village area for the new princesses section. I wonder who has the teeny tiny castle in the back. And the Dumbo section looks like fun! =)

Dumbo:


Dueling Dumbos:
http://twitpic.com/hgx5b
It looks like there's a Casey Jr. Train in the right hand corner...I wonder if this means they're putting in the same one as in Disneyland??

Little Mermaid:


A more accurate Blue Print:
http://disneydaddy.blogspot.com/2009/07 ... ishes.html

Construction Beginning:
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v ... 54&where1=

[PrincePhillipFan]

Wow, it looks even more awesome than I imagined! Thanks for the pics and info, Kram! I really can't wait to see this when they open it!

Incidentally I found this picture too from the Expo. It's rather blurry, but it looks like Aurora greeting kids outside the woodcutter's cottage.

[Kram Nebuer]

No problem, PrincePhillipFan! I have not seen that Aurora art!! It looks amazing!! To actually visit the Woodcutter's cottage sounds AMAZING!

If you want to join the live chat on Ustream, just log on and go to the WDWRadio Page:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wdw-radio ... fo-station


8 MB version of Fantasyland Expansion!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/featur ... screen.jpg

[Super Aurora]

HOLY SHIT! This is going to kick so much ass. Still it's shame there will be no Alice in Wonderland ride or Pinocchio ride added.

But damn. That Little Mermaid facade look amazing.

As for that aurora meet and greet. It's cool that it's the woodcutter cottage but Aurora in her princess going is ugh. Have her wear her peasent clothes.

[blackcauldron85]

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayRelea ... 643&EDATE=
(via disneyreport.com)

For Walt Disney World in Florida, Rasulo outlined plans for the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom, vastly increasing the size of Fantasyland by 2013. Guests will soon be able to:


* Visit their favorite Disney Princess in her castle, cottage, or chateau to share a dance with Cinderella; celebrate Sleeping Beauty's birthday with the Good Fairies; or join Belle in an enchanting story performance in the Beast's castle library.
* Be Our Guest and dine in one of three enchanted rooms inside the Beast's castle.
* Fly with Dumbo high above brand new circus grounds, twice the size of the existing attraction with a new interactive, three-ring circus tent.
* Journey under the sea with Ariel, The Little Mermaid, in her very own attraction - also opening at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim in 2011.
* Meet Tinker Bell and her friends in the magical world of Pixie Hollow.

[blackcauldron85]

Some highlights:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/a ... 4675.story

Beyond princesses, the plans call for doubling the size of and relocating Dumbo the Flying Elephant to a new "circus grounds" that will include an interactive queue under a big-top tent to entertain children waiting in line. Disney will add a new Pixie Hollow character-greeting area, home to Tinker Bell and other fairies.

To accommodate the expansion, Disney will raze most of Mickey's Toontown Fair, the smallest of the Magic Kingdom's "lands." Gone will be both of the walk-through homes where guests were guaranteed to meet Disney's most famous characters: Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Disney says Mickey and Minnie will get new homes near the front entrance of the park. The children's roller coaster, the Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm, will remain, though it will be re-themed, likely with a circus overlay linking it to Dumbo.

The first phase of the Fantasyland expansion, including the Mermaid ride and the princess areas, is scheduled to open in 2012. Pixie Hollow will follow in 2013.

[schoollover]

Since were on the topic of future plans Does anybody else think that the animal kingdom should add like a section of the lion king or some other animal films because it would go with the magic kingdom adding new lands and they could get rid of camp minnie mickey and put it there. I think it's a good idea because the magic and animal kingdoms are imo the places that are mostly character releated and could benefit from small overhauls. Oh and by the way did anybody notice that space mountain was closed cause I went their and it was closed till winter. Are they renovating it.

[PeterPanfan]

Since were on the topic of future plans Does anybody else think that the animal kingdom should add like a section of the lion king or some other animal films because it would go with the magic kingdom adding new lands and they could get rid of camp minnie mickey and put it there. I think it's a good idea because the magic and animal kingdoms are imo the places that are mostly character releated and could benefit from small overhauls. Oh and by the way did anybody notice that space mountain was closed cause I went their and it was closed till winter. Are they renovating it.

Yes Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Transit Authority are both being renovated.

[Jack Skellington]

So the Beast's castle is confirmed, but is it really gonna be that tiny little building on top of that cliff like in the picture, or did they just make it look like that to make it look further away from Cinderella castle ?

Oh and thank God for Harry freaking Potter by the way otherwise none of this would have happened.

[Super Aurora]

Since were on the topic of future plans Does anybody else think that the animal kingdom should add like a section of the lion king or some other animal films because it would go with the magic kingdom adding new lands and they could get rid of camp minnie mickey and put it there. I think it's a good idea because the magic and animal kingdoms are imo the places that are mostly character releated and could benefit from small overhauls. Oh and by the way did anybody notice that space mountain was closed cause I went their and it was closed till winter. Are they renovating it.

I'd rather they make a South American section since they have the great Rain forest and those animals would be worthy of being in Animal Kingdom.

[David S.]

I have mixed feelings about this.

I am VERY exited about the Little Mermaid dark ride! I always wanted more dark rides based on the DACs at the Magic Kingdom Fantasyland, especially because Disneyland's has always had more. Especially after losing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, our attraction total in the MKs FL of 8 attractions has really paled compared to the DL total of 13.

However, the rest of the expansion seems like a missed opportunity to add some of those other rides - classics like Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Alice In Wonderland, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which we ONCE had), Casey Jr. Circus Train, Storybook Land Canal Boats, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds will still be missing from the MK.

While I'm sure the new architecture and new music loops will be very charming and awesome, and people who enjoy queueing up to meet princesses will have a more enhanced experience in the new FL, I am sad that Toontown will be razed in the process. The razing of Toontown would have been easier for me to support IF the FL expansion would actually have more than one new ride, but it doesn't.

I admit to being in the apparent minority of online Disney fans who finds Toontown utterly charming, from the music loop drawing heavily on scores from the classic character shorts and Silly Symphonies, to the charming architecture and propping inside Mickey and Minnie's Houses. I wish the new expansion could have stayed more behind the existing FL and left Toontown intact, or possibly even expanded Toontown with the long-awaited WDW debut of Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin (yet another classic DL darkride absent in the MK). When these plans were first leaked, I was honestly hoping the typical Rasulo budget cuts would kick in, so we would get the new Mermaid ride, but save Toontown.

Oh well, it wouldn't be expansion at WDW without something being cut to make way for the new. Heaven knows that space is completely lacking in Florida!

PS. Another thing I will deeply miss is the position of Dumbo directly behind the Castle, which makes it my favorite place from which to view Wishes (onboard the ride)

PPS. When Pooh was added in 1998, a lot of people defended the decision to raze Toad rather than expand FL to add Pooh. In hindsight, if they WERE willing to expand FL north of it's existing borders, we could have kept Toad all along and had a new show building for Pooh!

[David S.]

I'd rather they make a South American section since they have the great Rain forest and those animals would be worthy of being in Animal Kingdom.

I agree! There is a lot that a South American section could do for AK, both in terms of unique animals that could be added, as well as the atmosphere of the continent itself (rainforest, etc). Australia and North America would make great additions as well.

Another area that could use work is World Showcase at Epcot. There hasn't been a new country since Norway in the late 80's, and they are only using 11 out of a possible 19 total pads for countries (although International Gateway took one, so I guess they could add up to 7 more countries for a total of 18.) Also, some of the existing countries, specifically those in the back closest to the US pavilion, could use attractions as well.

[jpanimation]

Sounds like a whole lot of nothing to me. The Little Mermaid attraction sounds good but the rest just seems like expensive theming. Unless your really into this whole meet-n-greet thing, it means nothing to you, but I'll probably enjoy the theming; just wish there was more to it. Pixy Hollow just looks like a waste (why devote an entire area to a fad that will fade like HSM will, they should stick with temporary meet-n-greets and such) and an additional Dumbo is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. They already have Dumbo, Aladdin's Flying Carpets and the Astro Orbitor, all the same ride and now they're adding a fourth one.

Overall, it sounds like an improvement from what's currently there but doesn't sound like they're spending their money wisely (can anyone say the worlds largest and most expensive meet-n-greets).

[pap64]

I haven't been to any of the parks, so this affects me the least. STILL, I think the idea of creating worlds based around the classic stories is a grand one. And I was under the impression that meet and greets were a BIG part of the experience, and that rides, dining experiences and other things were still part of the experience.

[PrincePhillipFan]

I haven't been to any of the parks, so this affects me the least. STILL, I think the idea of creating worlds based around the classic stories is a grand one. And I was under the impression that meet and greets were a BIG part of the experience, and that rides, dining experiences and other things were still part of the experience.

I think it might actually be the reverse - the attractions and theming are the biggest part of the experience, with the characters inbetween, and the dining being part of the experience but still important. A lot of parents do take their children to Disney to "see Mickey" and they are very much a part of the magical experience. But I think the attractions are probably some of the biggest draws more than anything. A lot of people mostly go for Disney purely for attractions, which I think is their biggest draw - Soarin', Tower Of Terror, Haunted Mansion, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Space Mountain. These are the experiences that what Walt created Disneyland for in the first place - one of a kind attractions and experiences that often you can't find other. The meet and greet with characters have grown in a lot more prominence, more than anything it seems in the past decade, but I think that the attractions and the whole level of detailed theming and ambience is what draws the audience more than anything.