New Fantasyland

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Recap of New Fantasyland® Grand Opening Ceremony

Off to Neverland Travel® was fortunate enough to receive a royal invitation to the Grand Opening Ceremony of the New Fantasyland® Area of the Magic Kingdom® Park. The ceremony, which was held last Thursday, was an event filled with stars, Disney characters and surprises!

The ceremony started with the introduction of the Royal Mistress of ceremonies, Ginnifer Goodwin, who plays Snow White on the hit ABC-TV drama “Once Upon A Time.” She talked about how Disney has held a special place in her heart since she was a little girl and how New Fantasyland® allows her to step into the middle of all those childhood stories.

Ginnifer introduced  pop star Jordin Sparks, who took us on a musical tour of Fantasyland® by singing a beautiful medley of some classic Disney songs, like Heigh Ho, Casey Jr., Under the Sea, and Beauty and the Beast. Her rendition of  these timeless melodies from classic Disney films was simply amazing!

Now, it was time for the dedication. To help, Mickey Mouse and Tom Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, joined the stage.

Walt Disney once promised that Disneyland, and by extension all of our parks, would never be complete as long as there is imagination left in the world. New Fantasyland® is a spectacular addition to the Magic Kingdom® that delivers on Walt’s promise. We’re thrilled to take guests beyond the walls of Cinderella Castle to discover new worlds featuring iconic Disney characters and stories in ways that are more imaginative, more interactive and more immersive than ever before.” – Tom Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Tom asked Ginnifer to do the honors of dedicating New Fantasyland®.

To all who believe in wishes and dreams.
To all those who are young and young at heart.
And to always believing that once upon a time will end with happily ever after.
New Fantasyland® will always be yours.

Several legends of Disney Animation were also in attendance at the Ceremony. Those guests included Jodi Benson (Voice of Ariel), Paige O’Hara (Voice of Belle), Jo Anne Worley (Voice of the Wardrobe), John Musker and Ron Clements (Directors of The Little Mermaid).

The ceremony ended with some daytime fireworks and the cheers of thousands in the audience as they were showered with confetti. It truly was a Magical event, and Off to Neverland Travel® was honored to be a part of it. Enjoy a few of our photos from the ceremony, along with a quick video overview. To view our complete album from the event, visit our album on our Facebook Page.

Final Countdown To New Fantasyland

We are just 6 days away from the highly anticipated Grand Opening of the New Fantasyland® Area in the Magic Kingdom® Park. Officially opening on Thursday, Dec. 6th to park guests is the Enchanted Forest, consisting of Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Ariel’s Grotto, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Gaston’s Tavern. Storybook Circus, also part of the New Fantasyland® expansion, previously opened to guests. Future additions to New Fantasyland® include Princess Fairytale Hall(2013) and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (2014).

We thought that some New Fantasyland® Fun Facts would be a great way help pass these few remaining days!

  • Originally 10 acres, the New Fantasyland expansion doubles the size to 21 acres!
  • Inside the Library at Enchanted Tales with Belle, guests will find over 12,000 “books.”
  • Beast’s Castle contains 115 windows.
  • The design teams called the lion-like figures flanking the door at the entrance to Be Our Guest Restaurant “golions,” a combination of goat and lion. The figures above the entrance doors, eagles with snake tails, were called “sneagles.”
  • Be Our Guest Restaurant’s centerpiece chandelier measures more than 12 feet tall and 11 feet wide. It boasts more than 84 candles and more than 100 jewels that hang down to give it added shine.
  • As a way to identify them, the six stone figures on the bridge leading to Be Our Guest Restaurant were all given the name “Frank” during the design phase.
  • At the Magic Kingdom® Park, Disneyland® Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland®, and at the Disneyland® Resort, Timothy Mouse carries a magic feather atop the Dumbo attraction. At Tokyo Disneyland®, he holds a circus whip.
  • Talk about authenticity! The music heard from the old fashioned calliope in the front of Pete’s Silly Sideshow was recorded from a set of antique circus crank organs owned by a collector in Southern California.
  • Of the 183 characters in Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, more than 70 percent (128, to be exact) are featured in the “Under the Sea” scene.
  • The Audio-Animatronics® figure of the sea witch Ursula is 7 1/2-feet tall and 12 feet wide.

Video: Step Inside the West Wing of Beast’s Castle

As we get closer to the Dec. 6th Grand Opening of the New Fantasyland® area of the Magic Kingdom® Park, information continues to surface about the attractions, venues, and meet and greets that will be available to guests. Today, we have a video explaining some of the detail and story line involving the West Wing of Beast’s Castle, which will host the Be Our Guest Restaurant.

The Be Our Guest Restaurant will feature three uniquely themed dining rooms – the mysterious West Wing, an elegant ballroom, and a beautiful Rose Gallery (which will be used only at lunch). Join Imagineers Chris Kelly, Ted Robledo and Tim Warzecha as they explore the Be Our Guest Restaurant.

‘Bonjour! Village Gifts’ To Offer Variety of Beauty and the Beast Items

When Bonjour! Village Gifts opens in the Enchanted Forest area of the New Fantasyland®, it will offer guests a wide selection of themed merchandise from Beauty and The Beast. This continues the drive by Walt Disney World® Resort’s merchandising team to provide themed merchandise in select stores throughout the parks. Another recent example of this was inside Big Top Souvenirs at Storybook Circus.

Minotaur candle holders, Be Our Guest Restaurant-inspired dishware, and Beauty and The Beast clothing are just a few of the things that you will find in this location. Take a look around:

Gaston’s Tavern Brings Additional Snack Options to Magic Kingdom® Park

As part of the Enchanted Forest area inside the New Fantasyland®, the opening of Gaston’s Tavern will bring additional snack options to guests of the Magic Kingdom® Park. Gaston’s Tavern carries out an amazing theme that is sure to please any Beauty and The Beast fan. Just like his personality, this location is all about Gaston.

Don’t expect the same ol’ snack options as a few will be exclusive to Gaston’s Tavern. Available items include:

  • Roasted Pork Shank
  • Warm Cinnamon Rolls
  • Chocolate Croissant
  • Mixed Fruit Cup, Sliced Apples with Caramel Sauce, or Mixed Vegetables with Dip
  • Hummus and Chips
  • LeFou’s Brew (available in a souvenir stein or goblet for additional cost)
  • Soft drinks, juices, milk, and hot beverages

LeFou’s Brew is a specialty drink made from no-sugar added frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow, topped with all-natural passion fruit-mango foam. And the Roasted Pork Shank is a new spin on the popular Turkey Legs that can be found at other dining locations throughout the Walt Disney World® Resort.

While you are visiting Belle’s Village, be on the look out for Gaston himself! You never know when he will be out posing for pictures and meeting his fans!

Here are some photos of Gaston’s Tavern and Belle’s Village:

Photos: A Look Inside Magic Kingdom® Park’s Enchanted Forest

Guests who visited the Magic Kingdom® Park this past weekend received an extra surprise when they were treated to a “dress rehearsal” for the Enchanted Forest of the New Fantasyland® Area. Guests were able to experience the Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid Attraction, take part in Enchanted Tales with Belle, and meet and greet everyone’s favorite mermaid inside Ariel’s Grotto. Although Be Our Guest Restaurant wasn’t serving food, guests were permitted to go inside and look around.

While Enchanted Forest remained open all weekend long, it is unclear how often these “Dress Rehearsals” will happen between now and the scheduled soft opening date on Nov. 19. Special previews will be held starting Oct. 20 – Nov. 11 for registered parties of select groups, including Cast Members, Annual Passholders, D23 Members, and DVC Members.

Photos: Step Inside Pete’s Silly Sideshow

Pete’s Silly Sideshow, the new meet and greet area inside Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom® Park welcomed its first guests yesterday. Inside, guests can choose to take one of two paths. The first will lead them to The Astounding Donaldo, the most charming of snake charmers, and The Great Goofini, circus stuntman extraordinaire. On the second path you will find Madame Daisy Fortuna, a mysterious gypsy fortuneteller, and the Parisian poodle trainer, Minnie Magnifique!

Take a peek inside the circus sideshow!

Photos: Castle Walls Emerge In New Fantasyland® Expansion

Construction walls have come down around a section of the castle walls that will be part of the New Fantasyland® at Magic Kingdom® Park. Guests will be amazed at the amount of detail that they will see in the wall and the sections that are still to come.

Click the images in the gallery below to enlarge:

The grand opening of the Enchanted Forest section of the New Fantasyland® is set for Dec. 6, 2012, with limited previews of the area starting Nov. 19, 2012.

Magic Kingdom® Park’s Be Our Guest Menu To Feature Wine & Beer

Walt Disney World® Resort recently announced that beer and wine will be included on the dinner menu when the Be Our Guest Restaurant opens on November 19th.

“As part of the overall theming, we wanted to offer wine that enhances the guest experience and complements the French-inspired cuisine. The wines focus primarily on France’s famous wine-growing regions, including Champagne, Alsace, Loire, Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux.” – Stuart McGuire, Beverage Director, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

The restaurant will also offer the leading French beer, Kronenbourg 1664, and various Belgian beers from that same themed area.

Longtime Disney Chef Roland Muller, a native of Alsace, France, has lead a team of Walt Disney World® Resort’s Culinary Cast Members in creating the lunch and dinner menus for the restaurant. After more than three years of work, they are sure that guests will be happy with the selection. See a full listing of menu options here.

Enjoy this preview of some of the dishes you can expect from Be Our Guest Restaurant when it opens in just a few short months!

Artist Rendering of Ariel’s Grotto Released

The Walt Disney World® Resort has released an artist rendering of Ariel’s Grotto, a new meet and greet location that will be part of the New Fantasyland® Expansion.

 Ariel’s Grotto will be located near the Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid Attraction, but will be a separate experience. When Ariel moves to her new location, she will meet her guests in mermaid form. The new Grotto location will officially open Dec. 6, but a preview period will start Nov. 19, 2012.

 

All images are artist renderings. Actual construction may vary.