Magic Kingdom

All posts tagged Magic Kingdom

Solving the Mystery surrounding the Rapunzel Tower in New Fantasyland…

Published December 13, 2012 by Disneyways.com

UPDATE ADDED MARCH 8TH 2013! Click here to see photos of the new tower!

Disney fans who have been to the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World recently have noticed something new rising out of New Fantasyland. Located next to the “It’s a Small World” attraction, right where the old Fantasyland Skyway ride was, an adorable tower can be seen from Fantasyland, Frontierland and even from the Haunted Mansion cue. This addition comes as somewhat of a surprise to Disney fans as Rapunzel’s tower and village was never included in any concept art of New Fantasyland released by Disney. It all seems so mysterious because details have been hard to come by.

We are now able to see for ourselves, because the tower is peeping up from behind Imagineer construction walls. Despite the rumors, there will not be a meet and greet in this spot. Rapunzel will be found in the new Princess Fairytale Hall (where Snow White’s Scary Adventures use to be) when it opens in 2013. Therefore the tower area does not need to be a meet and greet because we will already have Princess Fairytale Hall for that purpose. In case you haven’t seen them, here are some of the beautiful concept drawings released by Disney of the new Princess Fairytale Hall scheduled to open in 2013.

fairytale hall princesses fairytale hall fairytalesign princess fairytale hall photos

So why the tower?  Believe it or not Disney sources say this is where they will be placing new BATHROOMS. It seems so funny now that we know the truth doesn’t it?  It actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it.  When nature calls, and the kids have to “go” – this tower will be like a beacon in the night – letting us know that relief is not too far away. The new facility will include increased handicapped and family bathrooms, and is meant to replace the current bathrooms in the area by the Peter Pan’s Flight attraction. With those older bathrooms gone,  my thoughts are that they will add an expanded interactive queue for Peter Pan, sort of like  the one Winnie the Pooh has (only Pan themed of course!)  Imagineers are also planning to expand the walkways to help with traffic flow between Fantasyland and Liberty Square on those crowded days. Having a meet and greet here would actually crowd the area with folks waiting to meet princesses. I hope this helps explain things – let me know if you have heard or seen any new information that I am missing!  Personally, my thoughts are that maybe Disney doesn’t believe it’s very magical to brag about new bathrooms, so we are going to have to keep each other in the know on this one as things develop. Have a magical evening!

Tower 1 Tower 2 tower from frontier land tower from haunted mansion cue

Video by Daniel Andersson and edited by Jeff Lange from MouseSteps.com

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l1nCjXt77A

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Top 5 Things You Won’t Want to Miss in New Fantasyland

Published December 11, 2012 by Disneyways.com

Enchanted Tales With Belle. Meet and greet with Belle like never before when you actually get to help stage a short play for her. If you’re like me you will marvel at the AMAZING animatronics of Lumiere and Madame Wardrobe.  You even get a walk through of Maurice’s cottage from “Beauty and the Beast.”

Be Our Guest Restaurant. French cuisine has arrived beneath the Beast’s Castle. Lunch is quick service with no reservation required. Reservations are needed for dinner, when guests can order wine and beer with their meals for the first time in Magic Kingdom history. Click here to see a whole lot more – including a photo of “the grey stuff!”

Gaston’s statue and fountain. A tribute to the man, they myth the legend. A plaque reads: “Tribute to Gaston. An extravagantly generous gift to the humble people of my village. From me, Gaston.” Nearby: Gaston’s Tavern, a tiny eatery that serves up savory pork shanks and warm cinnamon buns that are bigger then your fist!  Despite its name, Gaston’s Tavern does not serve alcohol. Here is a video.

Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid. This mild-mannered ride is great for princesses young and old.  You will not want to miss the virtual way that you are actually submerged under water while staying completely dry! One showstopping room features 128 aquatic animatronics in action. Click here for more on this attraction.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant. This attraction was transported to Fantasyland’s new Storybook Circus area, and DOUBLED. Yep there are two Dumbo rides now. You won’t want ot miss the fantastic new gift shop that smells like heaven. Throw in an air-conditioned cue that doubles as a playground – as well as pagers that blink when it’s your turn to ride – and you’ve got a fantastic addition to the New Fanatsyland line up!

So what do you think? What would be in your top 5 list of New Fantasyland fun not to be missed? Photos are ©Disney Parks Blog

11_PR_P013169_DisneyBLOG_DSKTPs_BeOurGuest_AllSizes_v1_jm Beast BIG Belle's Cottage BIG gaston Dumbo at night big fantasyland view Mermaid new fantasy fireworks big wallpaper

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Candlelight Processional Mystery Revealed at Last!

Published December 3, 2012 by Disneyways.com
The holiday season is in full swing at Disney World! Our family has made the Epcot processional a family tradition. Thinking back to when I used to book Disney dining – I would often get asked “What time should I dine to see the ___o’clock show?” I haven’t seen this information in a lot of places, and it’s great to know. Times and availability are always subject to change but this is the general rule.
When you make your reservations for Candlelight dining packages – keep this in mind.

Dine time is 4:20-5:45 to see the 8:15 show

Dine time is 3:30-4.15 to see the  6:45 show

Dine time is 12:30-2:30 to see the 5:00 show (This will often be considered a  LUNCH package. Usually it’s  same exact menu as dinner – sometimes for a much lower price! The trade off is that the sun won’t be setting until around 5:30. If you prefer your entire candlelight processional in the dark – you may want to book a later time.)

If you call in your reservation, 407-WDW-DINE (407-949-3463) your agent will remind you what show time you will be getting. Make sure they specifically tell you this is a Candlelight booking – or you won’t get reserve seating for the show. They will ask you for a credit card number, just to hold the reservation (no charge for now!) so you will want to have that handy.

For more information and details about this and all the holiday happenings at the Walt Disney World Resort – please click the links below.
I hope you’ll find this information helpful. Merry Christmas!!
Neil Patrick Harris
mickeyspaceship earth Christmas Tree
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Local Orlando News Station Covers New Fantasyland

Published December 2, 2012 by Disneyways.com

Click here to see the Fantasyland tour from a local Orlando news station!

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Gator Spotted in Magic Kingdom! Keep Arms and Legs Inside the Boat!

Published December 2, 2012 by Disneyways.com

With all this talk about the dragon that flew over New Fantasyland during a media event in 2012 –  it was bound to happen. Conversation reemerged about  about this video of the Splash Mountain gator. My first thought?  Of course there are gators in Splash Mountain! They sing, dance and play the fiddle!

But this gator is not the singing kind – or even the University of Florida kind. I thought this story couldn’t possibly be true – so I had to see for myself.

The guests weren’t  in any danger since the gator was not IN the Splash Mountain attraction itself.  He was actually in the Rivers of America (where the riverboat and the rafts are) safely separated from guests on the ride by a dividing wall. I can’t believe people on the bridge were feeding the thing popcorn, however. That is just asking for trouble.

How did the gator get in to Magic Kingdom without a ticket? Well, this body of water he is enjoying is said to lead to a waterway – that then leads to Seven Seas Lagoon and finally empties in to Bay Lake. I’ve lived in Orlando my entire life so I can tell you from experience that Gators abound in Florida lakes. Man made or natural bodies of water can attract them, they do not discriminate. It is not unusual to see news stories about gators that have found their way to the backyard pools of Florida homeowners!

However…this is Disney after all…and this was filmed way back in 2003. I imagine some sort of precautions have been taken since then that would prevent anything like this from happening again. Unless of course…this is actually a baby dragon. I have heard that 9 years is about how long dragons take to mature into adults.

Maybe this guy just wanted to get a good spot for the parade or fireworks like the rest of us. What do you think?

Something’s Fishy at New Fantasyland!

Published December 1, 2012 by Disneyways.com

Sure, I’ll admit it. I am one of THOSE people. I LOVE the Little Mermaid. I know what a snarfblat is, I love Ariel, and I love little singing crabs with Jamaican accents. At the risk of keeping Disneyways family friendly…I think Prince Eric is kinda confident and sexy. I can’t think of another prince who wouldn’t get all embarrassed if you asked about his dinglehopper.

It’s OK because I know I am not the only one.

I remember all the lyrics to “Part of Your World” and have been known to sing them on demand. So when it was revealed that there would be a Little Mermaid attraction added to the new Fantasyland – well – let’s just say it was kind of a big deal to me. This may explain why I believe in my heart that Scuttle saw me and actually SPOKE to me (ala Turtle Talk with Crush) on one of my first rides through the attraction. I was alone…and it has not happened since…so it could just be that I had a little too much Le Fou’s Brew that morning.

Anyway, it is in this spirit of love for Princess Ariel, and the grand opening of the New Fantasyland on December 6th, that I wanted to share with you this video from Attractionsmagazine.com. Here you will find footage of the full ride and queue line preceding it. I hope you can come see the real thing for yourself very soon.

Oh – and if you hear singing from the clam shell behind you – that just might be me – so lean over and say hi before covering your ears.

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Walk-through Tour on Video of Be Our Guest!

Published November 28, 2012 by Disneyways.com

I searched for a long time. I wanted to find just the right video to give you a feeling of what it was really like in the early days of previews for the Be Our Guest Restaurant in the New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom. The first time I saw that waterfall outside I almost cried. You read about something so historical in Disney history (like the opening of New Fantasyland), see pictures, read some more, look forward to it…and once you get there in real life…well…it was hard for me not to be overwhelmed. Even though I have probably been there 20 times since then, and even got to have dinner in the new restaurant,  I am still like a little kid and totally impressed none the less! This video is special because it is from those early days when it was so new – it hadn’t been seen by much of the public. It may never be this quiet and empty again during opening hours, so this is a special memory for me. Thank you wdwmagic.com for sharing. Enjoy!

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Live from New Fantasyland! Gaston, The Man, The Myth, The Legend…

Published November 27, 2012 by Disneyways.com

This video reminds me of those shows on TV that give you the “real” Hollywood story. I have seen Gaston in person, and  I am too bashful to talk to him.

That’s why I was so thrilled to find this!

Here is Gaston, doing what he does best. The ladies love him!

Props to InsideTheMagic.net for the awesome video!

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Be Our Guest – for dinner!

Published November 26, 2012 by Disneyways.com

My husband, some family members, and I were able to enjoy dinner at the brand new Be Our Guest Restaurant on November 18, 2012. It was a beautiful, cool night! Everyone at the table really enjoyed their food and the overall experience. I would have to agree with the consensus that this is the best food I have ever eaten in the Magic Kingdom. I shared many pictures of our meal on facebook and instagram so today I wanted to share the thoughts and photos with you from some other great bloggers!

By far…one of the most creative write ups I have seen so far was from my friend Wendy. Read it here at mymagic100.wordpress.com! Join in her experience – synchronized to the lyrics of the song! Doubtful that you will see this anywhere else!

For all of you detail oriented foodies out there – check out AJ over at the  Disneyfoodblog.com. AJ has posted photos of everything on the menu,  all 3 dining rooms…and even some of the first alcoholic beverages ever to be served inside the Magic Kingdom. Tired of those nasally sounds you may have heard from your kids all day? Have some wine with your whine. You will only find these libations inside Be Our Guest!

While you’re at it – I hope you will subscribe to get Disneyways updates by email –  so you never miss a post!

OH- and the grey stuff?

It really is delicious!

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Animal Kingdom Kilimanjaro Safaris – Zebras!

Published November 25, 2012 by Disneyways.com

Once upon a time there were Zebras at Animal Kingdom!

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