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.