Second Dumbo looks to open soon

 

Over the weekend, Disney Imagineers took down the construction walls surrounding the second (original) Dumbo spinner.

It looks like the double-Dumbo and the interactive queue will be opening soon, as Disney has said.  I suspect we may start to hear about guest testing and soft openings in the coming days and weeks.

 

Here is a different shot where you see the inactive spinner in the foreground with the new spinner running in the background.  If I happen to still be at WDW when testing or soft openings occur, I'll try to get some shots and share them on the blog.

New Fantasyland to open Fall 2012

Today Disney released some additional details about the ongoing construction for the new Fantasyland. The biggest relevation was a new indoor roller coaster based on the Seven Dwarfs Mine from Snow White.

The largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history will nearly double the size of Fantasyland and deliver a new home for Ariel, new ways to interact with favorite Disney princesses, an exciting new family coaster, a double dose of Dumbo and more.

Disney says the new area is scheduled to open in phases beginning in late 2012.

Among the highlights planned:
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, a major, all-new attraction during which 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 classic film.

The castle of the Beast, standing majestically upon a hill just 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 are 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.”

Disney then said that in the second phase some new attractions will open including The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which 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 ride 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 Seven Dwarfs.

In Princess Fairytale Hall, Aurora, Cinderella and other Disney princesses, such as Tiana and Rapunzel, will greet guests in their new home, an elegant royal court on the site where Snow White’s Scary Adventures stands today.

The sound of the calliope will lead guests to the brand new Storybook Circus and not one but two circling carousels of airborne pachyderms on Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Before taking to the skies on this Fantasyland favorite, guests can experience an array of fun-filled family games and interactive wonders for kids of all ages inside the Big Top.

Disney announced the Barnstormer will get a bright new look as well, featuring Goofy as "The Great Goofini." It’s a twisting, turning roller coaster “flight” high above the circus fun.

The construction is quite visable from current areas of Fantasyland. I'm sure we will be hearing more about these new attractions in the months to come. Personally, I can't wait for 2012!

Ariel's Grotto to close April 12

Today the official Disney Parks Blog announced that Ariel's Grotto, the popular meet and greet area for everyone's favorite mermaid princess will be closing April 12 to make way for the upcoming expansion of Fantasyland.

Disney says Ariel will continue to appear in Spectromagic (until the Main Street Electrical Parade returns this summer), the Voyage of the Little Mermaid and the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade.

Ariel will have an all-new meet and greet location and a new dark ride when the Fantasyland expansion is complete in 2013.

Fantasyland expansion project officially underway, no D23 Expo this year?

The official Disney blog today announced the Fantasyland expansion project at the Magic Kingdom has officially broken ground today. As you can see from the model above, there have been a few changes since Disney first announced at last year's D23 Expo that the rumors of the Fantasyland expansion was, in fact, true. The most obvious is the dual Dumbo attraction has moved next to the Barnstormer.

Construction walls are up as some of the backstage work now is underway.

In a somewhat related note, the L.A. Times stated in a blog post yesterday, that it appears that Disney will not hold a D23 Expo this year. According to the post, "The Disney plan, as of now, is to stage the D23 Expo as a biennial event." I guess this means the next possible D23 Expo will be in 2011. If an expo does take place in 2011, it will likely be in Anaheim again as Disney had initially said that the D23 Expo would take place in Anaheim for the first four years before considering other locations, such as Orlando.

I guess this makes sense, as Disney would have to have some pretty big announcements up its sleeve to top last year's D23 Expo. We'll just have to wait and see how things unfold.

Some lingering questions following the Fantasyland expansion announcement

Artists rendering of the new Fantasyland - image copyright Disney.

Now that's it's been several days since Disney's stunning announcement of the major expansion of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom, I was starting to consider some of the side effects of this project.

What will become of Cinderella's Royal Table?
With the new "Be Our Guest" restaurant coming to Belle and the Beast's castle, I figure this will become the new princess character dining location. The princesses can't be in two restaurants at once, so I guess Disney's leading ladies will leave the restaurant in the castle. Perhaps Cinderella and her friends will be the only ones to remain at CRT? Will Disney convert the space into a more adult-oriented upscale eatery? Many good questions.

Will Storytime with Belle stay in the same place? Will it move? Will it be closed?
In a similar manner to Cinderella's Royal Table, Disney faces a continuity problem if Belle is both at her castle in her attraction/meet-and-greet and at the old Storytime with Belle location between Cinderella's Castle and the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. If I had to take a guess, I'd say Storytime with Belle is on its last few chapters. Although it is one of the best places for some one-on-one interaction with a character, I can see Disney deciding to close the book on this show.

Most importantly, what's happening with Mickey and Minnie?
The one major draw for Toon Town are the meet-and-greets with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. These are Disney's top twosome and queues for picture and autograph time can easily exceed one hour each day. With the eventual demise of Toon Town in favor of a greatly expanded Pixie Hollow (something many Disney fans greeted with cheers when it was announced at the D23 Expo), Mickey and Minnie will become homeless. During a news conference at the D23 Expo, an Imagineer was asked this very question. The response was that Mickey and Minnie will have a new home. No further details were available. Could Disney's big couple be moving to Main Street? Perhaps in the Exposition Hall? Maybe Disney will (finally) remove the smoking location where the old swan boats were located and turn that into a meet-and-greet area?

What about the rest of the Fab 5?
While we're on the subject of Disney major characters, where will meet-and-greets for Donald, Goofy and Pluto go? Currently, Donald and Pluto can be found in Western garb at times in Frontierland.

Maybe Disney will find a space and create something like the Epcot Character Spot where guests can queue up in one line and get the entire Fab 5 in one series. That would be helpful.

What other questions are still unanswered in connection with the new Fantasyland? Post a comment!

Magic Kingdom Fantasyland Expansion is CONFIRMED!!!

Jay Rasulo, head of Disney Parks and Resorts gave his much-anticipated presentation today at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA.

He didn't waste any time with surprise announcements!

The rumored Fantasyland Expansion at the Magic Kingdom is TRUE!!! The area will double in size!! It all starts in 2010 and should be ready by 2012.

Pictures (click for larger version):
Fantasyland concept art:


Ariel's Adventure:


New Dumbos Attraction:



Basically the leaked blueprints are genuine!
Here they are:


Overlay to current Fantasyland:


This news spells the end of ToonTown. In a news conference Disney confirmed that ToonTown would be no more.

But wait, there's MORE!!!

Star Tours 2.0 in 3-D is CONFIRMED!!! It will close in 2010 to begin the refurb. Apparently Disneyland will be first. The Disneyland version will re-open in 2011. DHS also will be updated!



Video:


News Release from Disney Parks:
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo detailed plans for future lands, attractions and adventures that will be delighting Disney guests for years to come, at the first D23 Expo.

Most notable among the announcements were the confirmation of an all-new Star Tours attraction and the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World."Storytelling is the DNA of Disney dreams and we're always exploring new ways to tell new stories in new places," Rasulo told a crowd at the Anaheim Convention Center in California before taking them on a "behind-the-magic" tour of their favorite Disney destinations.Rasulo announced that a new 3-D version of the tremendously-popular "Star Tours" attraction will debut at the Disneyland Resort and Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2011.

Based on the iconic Lucasfilm "Star Wars" films, the attraction will include immersive new elements that will take guests to many familiar places in the Star Wars galaxy.

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.

Rasulo provided updates on the multi-year expansion of Disney's California Adventure including the new "World of Color" attraction slated to open in the spring of 2010 and the addition of the 12-acre Cars Land scheduled to open in 2012 where guests will literally step into the town of Radiator Springs and its six acres of hand-carved rockwork.

Rasulo noted the progress of several other recently-announced projects including the three new lands coming to Hong Kong Disneyland by 2014; the Disney Dream, the new ship being built by Disney Cruise Line; the many diverse itineraries being offered by Adventures by Disney that take guests on 19 unique, once-in-a-lifetime guided vacation experiences; and Disney's first family destination resort on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

Rasulo's keynote presentation was only part of the D23 EXPO experience.

Guests were able to discover:

• Never-before-seen models of upcoming Disney attractions.
• Up close and personal visits with Lucky the Dinosaur and Wall-E.
• A preview of the most advanced Audio-Animatronics figures ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering.
• Displays showcasing cutting-edge effects technologies that are being developed for Disney attractions, shows and venues.

More coverage from the D23 Web site.

Report: Something's going on backstage...

The Orlando Attractions Magazine blog is reporting cast members are starting to see some unusual things happening backstage near Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. According to the post, cast members say some construction is taking place backstage, presumably part of the rumored Fantasyland expansion. This is in addition to some additional reports noted in the post.

So far, there's no word at all from Disney on these supposed plans. It is still quite possible that this is all a hoax or just conceptual plans, but with all the talk coming from cast members, it appears something may be going on. Is it this rumored major expansion? Is it just routine maintenance that's being perceived as this supposed expansion plan? Who knows.

Fantasyland wishes, or at least this fan wishes...

Are these plans the real deal or just some hoax? Click image for a better view.

Same plans as above, overlayed on an aerial shot of the current Fantasyland (aerial photo courtesy Bing.com). Click image for a better view.

For the past week, the plans you see above have been making their way across the internet. As the story goes, these are apparently plans for a rumored major expansion of Fantasyland. Whether or not these are genuine plans or some fan hoax has yet to be determined (if it ever could be determined). Naturally, Disney has no comment on these supposed plans (which I'm not surprised about).

In any case, I initially held off commenting on these plans because I didn't want to spread the hoax (at first, I thought these plans were fake). The more I see other Disney fan sites and mainstream media discussing these plans, I thought I should go ahead and give some comments about what may or may not be in store for Fantasyland.

To help me get a sense of just what would stay and go, I superimposed the plans over an aerial image of present-day Fantasyland (thanks to Bing.com for the aerial view). As you can see from the second image above, much of the expansion (for argument's sake, let's consider this to be actual plans) will use land not currently in use. In fact, it would be a good thing for Disney to finally make something useful out of the old 20,000 Leagues site (of course, I'd like to see 20,000 Leagues make a return, but something's better than nothing).

This expansion does mean the death of Toon Town, which in my opinion isn't a huge loss. WDW's Toon Town never made it to the level of Toon Town at Disneyland. The most interesting part of Toon Town, the Barnstormer, would be staying. What's would be replacing Toon Town? Pixie Hollow. Now currently just a meet and greet area, Pixie Hollow would be greatly expanded to include a play area and a larger meet and greet area.

I also found it very interesting that much of the "planned" expansion centers around princesses. It should come as no surprise, since young girls (and their parents) are a huge target demographic for Disney. Boys, don't worry, you still have much of the rest of the park to visit if the princess-related attractions aren't your thing (think Pirates, Buzz Lightyear, Space-Splash-Big Thunder mountains, etc.).

Probably the biggest question I have is this "castle wall" section just beyond Cinderella's Golden Carousel. What's up with that? Fantasyland already has a big castle, does it need a second? Perhaps this is a low wall meant more to expand the castle theming rather than another castle altogether.

As we look further north, we get into some serious princess action. Cinderella, Aurora, Belle and Ariel each have attractions (though Aurora and Belle's attractions appear to be pretty small -- perhaps just walk-through areas or a movie-based attraction?). Most likely the "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" attraction (not to be confused with the show currently running at Disney's Hollywood Studios) will be similar, if not an exact replica, of The Little Mermaid attraction coming to Disney's California Adventure as part of that park's major renovation currently under construction. Note that no mention is made of Disney's newest princess, Tiana, making her on-screen debut this December in The Princess and the Frog. If these plans are genuine and do move forward, I suspect Tiana would find her way into these plans pretty quickly, perhaps at the expense of another princess, (Cinderella maybe -- after all, Cinderella does have a huge castle and a carousel already).

In addition to a Belle-themed attraction, the plans call for a new "Be Our Guest" restaurant (presumably table-service) and Gaston's Tavern (probably a counter-service or snack-service). Based on the layout, it appears these areas would be heavily themed and landscaped (no surprise).

What may be the most interesting element of all is the new "Dumbo" area with not one, but two Dumbo attractions (most likely similar to the current ultra-popular Dumbo attraction). What I find to be even more interesting than the dual attractions, which is probably a good idea given the immense wait times for Dumbo, especially in the afternoons, is the "nextgen interactive queue." I can only guess this would be a queue similar to Soarin' and Space Mountain (in the soon-to-be completed refurb), where guests would be able to play games or otherwise interact with different elements.

It's also worth noting that the old Toon Town train station has been re-named the Fantasyland train station -- further evidence of just how big Fantasyland would become -- easily the largest land in all of the Magic Kingdom.

I showed these possible plans to my elementary-aged daughter who is all about Disney princesses right now. She couldn't wait to see these new elements, especially the expanded Pixie Hollow and the new Little Mermaid attraction. When I asked her about the demise of Toon Town, should these plans move forward, she said "there isn't that much to do in Toon Town besides the Barnstormer." My sentiments exactly. Don't get me wrong, I like Mickey and Minnie's houses. They just aren't enough to make Toon Town a viable "land" all it's own. I imagine Disney might find a way to relocate those two elements. As for Donald's Boat, it looks like it could be taken up by an extension of the Dumbo area, though it's not clear on these plans what might be there.

Again, I want to stress that we have NO IDEA if these are genuine plans or not. If these are a fake, then someone's gone to a lot of effort to develop some very interesting plans using as much space as is available for expansion. If these are genuine plans, then I think Disney's got a great idea going. Fantasyland (and the Magic Kingdom as a whole) could really use some real attention.

There is one possibility. The 40th anniversary of the Magic Kingdom is coming in 2011. Could it be that this expansion was/is in the works to coincide with that major milestone?

Of course, there's another major element to consider when it comes to expansions -- the economy. Disney's not exactly raking it in right now, though I think things are better now than they were six months ago. All the same, Disney has billions committed to an expansion of DCA, half a billion (or so) committed to the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland, is in the works to build an all new park in Shanghai (as part of a joint venture with the Chinese gov't) and is still working on a significant renovation to Space Mountain at WDW. That's a lot on Imagineering's plate.

Does Disney have the capital for a multi-million dollar project like this expansion? I have no idea.

In the Blogosphere: Disney puts improvements to Fantasyland on hold

According to Jim Hill, Disney has apparently put on hold a fairly major renovation and expansion of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Take this news for what it is -- unconfirmed reports.

Still, it sounds plausible. I wouldn't be surprised if Disney did have some plans on the board to give some major attention to Fantasyland, which is looking rather stale. Given all the economic mess going on right now, I also wouldn't be surprised if any or all of those possible plans were put on hold.

The next few years are going to be interesting for Disney. With a mega-renovation project getting ready to start at Disney's California Adventure (DCA) and with a slew of new movie projects underway, Disney probably doesn't have all that much capital to play around with to plan projects at WDW. Toss in the falling stock prices and it's anybody's guess what could happen next.

Like the stock market, Disney fans should adopt a "wait and see" attitude.