We have shared several articles about the New Fantasyland expansion and the great amount of attention Imagineers are paying to the little details. With these new areas of the Magic Kingdom® Park comes the need for new cast member costuming.

Walt Disney Imagineering and Creative Entertainment have worked hand-in-hand to create new costumes for each area of New Fantasyland. These unique garments help tell a story of your surroundings and create a rich sense of community.

With last week’s opening of Storybook Circus, we saw costumes inspired by the “Big Top.” The bold colors of them evoke the spirit of the ringmaster or sideshow barker with tails and detailing provide a look of the 1930s.

Take a look into the design process and story behind the New Fantasyland Costumes

Last Wednesday, we shared about the “Soft Opening” of Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom® Park.

Imagineers and construction crews are hard at work making sure no details are missed in every aspect of the New Fantasyland. Recently, a massive mural was installed at the Be Our Guest Restaurant. This mural will serve as a backdrop making restaurant guests feel like they are part of the “Beauty and the Beast” movie.

Take a look at this amazing mural and how much detail is being placed into it.

45 years ago today, guests at the Disneyland® Park took the first ride on the Pirates of the Caribbean® attraction. Since its opening on March 18, 1967, it has become a guest favorite and a version of it can now be found in 4 Disney Theme Parks.

In honor of its birthday, enjoy some Pirates of the Caribbean® factoids on us!

• The original Pirates of the Caribbean® attraction in Disneyland® Park is the last attraction that Walt helped design. He passed 3-months before it’s opening.
• Written in 1967 by George Bruns and Xavier Atencio, “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” is the Pirates of the Caribbean® attraction’s theme song.
• A Pirates of the Caribbean® attraction was not part of the original plans for Magic Kingdom® Park. It was believed that because of Florida’s close proximity to the Caribbean, there would be little interest. Due to high guest demand, the attraction was quickly built and opened by the end of 1973.
• In the queue of Pirates of the Caribbean® at Magic Kingdom® Park, guest will find two skeletons locked in a cell playing chess who are stuck in a stalemate.
• At Disneyland® Park, guests can eat at the Blue Bayou which overlooks the opening to Pirates of the Caribbean®
• The attraction at 3 Disney Parks include references to Jack Sparrow, Captain Barbossa and the blockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean” films. All three include the smoke/waterfall effect with projections of:
• Davy Jones and Blackbeard, alternately, at Disneyland® Park
• Blackbeard at Magic Kingdom® Park at Walt Disney World® Resort
• Davy Jones at Tokyo Disneyland®
• The Pirates of the Caribbean® attraction can be found inside the Adventureland® Area at Magic Kingdom® Park, Tokyo Disneyland®, and Disneyland® Paris. Disneyland® Park is the only place you will find it in a different land – New Orleans Square.

Check out this video of the Capt. himself, Walt Disney, discussing the plans for the original Pirates of the Caribbean® attraction in Disneyland® Park

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day may only come once a year, but it is ‘just another day’ at Raglan Road™ Irish Pub and Restaurant in Walt Disney World® Resort’s Downtown Disney® Area. Open daily for lunch, dinner, and late-night light meals, Raglan Road™ serves up authentic Irish food and entertainment. With a design and decor based off pubs in the Emerald Isles, you will likely forget that you are in Central Florida after taking a seat inside.

Guests eating at Raglan Road™ can choose from Irish classics like beef stew, colcannon soup, and Sheperd’s pie. Live entertainment, available most days, includes traditional Irish music from their house band as well as spectacular, award-winning dancers. Guest on-the-go can still curb their hunger at Cookes of Dublin – Raglan Road’s™ quick-service dining location.  Raglan Road™ and Cookes of Dublin are both participating locations for the 2012 Disney Dining Plan.

Tucked in the corner of Main Street, U.S.A.® inside the Magic Kingdom® Park is a hidden gem guaranteed to take you back to a simpler time. The Harmony Barber Shop, located near the Emporium gift shop, is the Magic Kingdom® Park’s fully-functioning barber shop that has been in continuous operation since 1975. Complete with hair tonics and talcum powders, barbers at the Harmony Barber Shop serve approximately 400 guests per week.

“First Haircuts” have turned into the shop’s specialty. All guests receiving their “first haircut” while  inside this quaint shop get an extra special “My 1st Haircut” set of Mickey Ears and a certificate! With a wide range of services, the young aren’t the only guests visiting the Harmony Barber Shop – many are “young at heart!”

At Harmony Barber Shop, even the small details weren’t overlooked.  A turn-of-the-century Western Electric phone box is still used to make phone calls. Also, cast members use a cash register from 1912 to ring up their sales!

Advance reservations for Harmony Barber Shop can be made for those staying at a Disney resort or guests who have a dining reservation. Guests without reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Daily reservations are limited, so be sure to contact your Magic Maker® so your reservation can be made well in advance.