YOUR Fantasyland Expansion Review

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We have tons of threads about the FLE and some with guest reviews scattered here and there. I thought it would be great to read everyone's review on this new area.

No speculation from pictures or what you think it will be like. Only actual first person reviews please!
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The pros:
• I liked the snow falling in the window at Be Our Guest quite a bit. It's an amazing effect.
• I also liked that there were the 3 rooms.
• I liked that they expanded on the usual lunch menu at BOG. I also was surprised to see that the prices were in line with many of the other quick service locations even though this menu was much more unique.
• The Little Mermaid Ride was better than I had expected.
• The queue areas (hallways) of the BoG restaurant were amazingly themed.

The cons:
• Wow. Is this expansion underwhelming. The BoG area, Gaston's Village, and TLM were all much smaller in person than I had imagined. The castle effect of being up in the mountains doesn't work AT ALL; Gaston's Village is much smaller in person than I had expected; The outside of TLM doesn't have nearly enough water and is way too close the BatB area to really work as a seaside castle.
• The food at BoG was fair at best. We had 9 people in our party and almost everyone complained about the food (I was the only one who did not, but I agreed that it could have been better).
• The ballroom feels like a mess hall. I'm sorry, it has beautiful finishes, but I never felt like I was actually in the Beast's Castle or in the ballroom. The shape is simply all wrong and the ceiling isn't tall enough to make it really work as the ballroom from BatB. As a quick service food location, it's amazing; as the ballroom from BatB, it's an epic fail.
• IMO, FL now feels disjointed. I want a Fantasyland that feels like there's just tons of stuff to explore like DL's. Unfortunately, the MK version now feels like 3 very small subpar sub-sections without feeling like one amazing Fantasyland. Hopefully, this will be different once the SWMT is completed.
• It took an insane amount of time for people to order at BoG. Even people ordering with the cast members seemed to take a very, very long time.
• Circusland is a complete waste of space. I went to check it out, but everyone else in our party saw absolutely no reason to be there. Considering that this area could have been used to expand Fantasyland, Circusland is a major disappointment. Compared to Toon Town Fair, t's a huge step up in theming. Unfortunately, it's also a major step down in substance.
• As others have stated, TLM doesn't do a good job of telling the story at all. It may work if the second to the last scene were changed to have more meaning. I found it enjoyable and I was surprised that I would actually ride it again (due to what I had read about it) but it's just a shame that it didn't come together better at the end.


Rightly or wrongly, the only things to compare the FLE to are Potter and Disneyland's Fantasyland (some would even compare it to CarsLand). Due to the huge budget, I'm left feeling like this should have been much, much better. There's simply no substance here and IMO it doesn't feel like anything actually works to it's full potential. For a $300+ mil expansion, I'm disappointed that there isn't anything there that I was actually excited about. I could really take it or leave it.
 

Patricia Melton

Well-Known Member
The pros:
• I liked the snow falling in the window at Be Our Guest quite a bit. It's an amazing effect.
• I also liked that there were the 3 rooms.
• I liked that they expanded on the usual lunch menu at BOG. I also was surprised to see that the prices were in line with many of the other quick service locations even though this menu was much more unique.
• The Little Mermaid Ride was better than I had expected.
• The queue areas (hallways) of the BoG restaurant were amazingly themed.

The cons:
• Wow. Is this expansion underwhelming. The BoG area, Gaston's Village, and TLM were all much smaller in person than I had imagined. The castle effect of being up in the mountains doesn't work AT ALL; Gaston's Village is much smaller in person than I had expected; The outside of TLM doesn't have nearly enough water and is way too close the BatB area to really work as a seaside castle.
• The food at BoG was fair at best. We had 9 people in our party and almost everyone complained about the food (I was the only one who did not, but I agreed that it could have been better).
• The ballroom feels like a mess hall. I'm sorry, it has beautiful finishes, but I never felt like I was actually in the Beast's Castle or in the ballroom. The shape is simply all wrong and the ceiling isn't tall enough to make it really work as the ballroom from BatB. As a quick service food location, it's amazing; as the ballroom from BatB, it's an epic fail.
• IMO, FL now feels disjointed. I want a Fantasyland that feels like there's just tons of stuff to explore like DL's. Unfortunately, the MK version now feels like 3 very small subpar sub-sections without feeling like one amazing Fantasyland. Hopefully, this will be different once the SWMT is completed.
• It took an insane amount of time for people to order at BoG. Even people ordering with the cast members seemed to take a very, very long time.
• Circusland is a complete waste of space. I went to check it out, but everyone else in our party saw absolutely no reason to be there. Considering that this area could have been used to expand Fantasyland, Circusland is a major disappointment. Compared to Toon Town Fair, t's a huge step up in theming. Unfortunately, it's also a major step down in substance.
• As others have stated, TLM doesn't do a good job of telling the story at all. It may work if the second to the last scene were changed to have more meaning. I found it enjoyable and I was surprised that I would actually ride it again (due to what I had read about it) but it's just a shame that it didn't come together better at the end.


Rightly or wrongly, the only things to compare the FLE to are Potter and Disneyland's Fantasyland (some would even compare it to CarsLand). Due to the huge budget, I'm left feeling like this should have been much, much better. There's simply no substance here and IMO it doesn't feel like anything actually works to it's full potential. For a $300+ mil expansion, I'm disappointed that there isn't anything there that I was actually excited about. I could really take it or leave it.

My goodness!

I am thankful I don't go through life with an attitude like yours!

* How big did you imagine the areas being? Sounds like you had a pretty unrealistic expectation. Is that really fair to hold against Disney?

* I've seen reviews by professional food critics who have raved about BoG's food. One of the things that malcontents constantly attack WDW (a theme park) over is the food. I always wonder what these people have in terms of expectation for theme park food...and how good the food is wherever they are from that everything else is just terrible. My goodness, maybe they should never leave their homes if everything is so much better in the paradise they live in. It sure doesn't seem like there is much to complain about in terms of the food for people who didn't wake up in the morning and decide they were going to complain no matter what happened.

* You're an adult writing this, right? The Beast's ballroom was in a cartoon movie, which is not real. Your not feeling like you were really inside a cartoon is laughable...because you can never be inside a real cartoon ballroom that does not exist in reality. Sure looks like Disney has given us the next best thing though. Only a crazy person would think he's really inside a cartoon somewhere.

* It's hilarious that you think Disneyland's this or that is so much better, when Disneyland has its own malcontents who think MK's Fantasyland is better. It seems there is a definite "grass is always greener in the other park" thing going on with malcontents.

* Complaining that it takes a long time to order when the whole process and the menu are new is an unfair criticism in my opinion. People take a long time to decide what they want and seem mesmerized by being in the castle. This is all part of the newness of the experience. Give the Mouse a break.

* What a bunch of wet blankets you went to the park with! Maybe they should have had their Lithium that morning, because your "friends" sure seemed decided to dislike everything before they even got to the park! I'm not aware of anything being actually called "Circusland" at MK, but Dumbo's Storybook Circus is a very cute area for little kids. I think it looks charming and my kids would have loved it when they were in the target age. Unless you are bringing little kids to the circus area, then maybe you should reserve judgment on it since you were not the target audience. It's nice having this area that's specifically geared towards kids.

* How cliche! We've heard the same complaints about the Little Mermaid ride since it debuted in California. They are weird complaints, too, because no dark ride has ever told the complete story of its movie...they are all little scenes...and they all abruptly end. Snow White's Scary Adventures was disjointed and abrupt too...but my family loved it. Alice in Wonderland in Disneyland is disjointed and abrupt...but we love that too. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which is enshrined by the malcontents because it is an extinct attraction in MK) makes no sense at all to anyone who has never seen the movie...but yet it's not maligned. Only the mermaid.
I think the fact that you found "nothing to be excited about" says more about you and your friends as people than it does about FLE or Disney.

Whatever happened to you in life to make you like this?
 

Captain Chaos

Well-Known Member
The pros:
• I liked the snow falling in the window at Be Our Guest quite a bit. It's an amazing effect.
• I also liked that there were the 3 rooms.
• I liked that they expanded on the usual lunch menu at BOG. I also was surprised to see that the prices were in line with many of the other quick service locations even though this menu was much more unique.
• The Little Mermaid Ride was better than I had expected.
• The queue areas (hallways) of the BoG restaurant were amazingly themed.

The cons:
• Wow. Is this expansion underwhelming. The BoG area, Gaston's Village, and TLM were all much smaller in person than I had imagined. The castle effect of being up in the mountains doesn't work AT ALL; Gaston's Village is much smaller in person than I had expected; The outside of TLM doesn't have nearly enough water and is way too close the BatB area to really work as a seaside castle.
• The food at BoG was fair at best. We had 9 people in our party and almost everyone complained about the food (I was the only one who did not, but I agreed that it could have been better).
• The ballroom feels like a mess hall. I'm sorry, it has beautiful finishes, but I never felt like I was actually in the Beast's Castle or in the ballroom. The shape is simply all wrong and the ceiling isn't tall enough to make it really work as the ballroom from BatB. As a quick service food location, it's amazing; as the ballroom from BatB, it's an epic fail.
• IMO, FL now feels disjointed. I want a Fantasyland that feels like there's just tons of stuff to explore like DL's. Unfortunately, the MK version now feels like 3 very small subpar sub-sections without feeling like one amazing Fantasyland. Hopefully, this will be different once the SWMT is completed.
• It took an insane amount of time for people to order at BoG. Even people ordering with the cast members seemed to take a very, very long time.
• Circusland is a complete waste of space. I went to check it out, but everyone else in our party saw absolutely no reason to be there. Considering that this area could have been used to expand Fantasyland, Circusland is a major disappointment. Compared to Toon Town Fair, t's a huge step up in theming. Unfortunately, it's also a major step down in substance.
• As others have stated, TLM doesn't do a good job of telling the story at all. It may work if the second to the last scene were changed to have more meaning. I found it enjoyable and I was surprised that I would actually ride it again (due to what I had read about it) but it's just a shame that it didn't come together better at the end.


Rightly or wrongly, the only things to compare the FLE to are Potter and Disneyland's Fantasyland (some would even compare it to CarsLand). Due to the huge budget, I'm left feeling like this should have been much, much better. There's simply no substance here and IMO it doesn't feel like anything actually works to it's full potential. For a $300+ mil expansion, I'm disappointed that there isn't anything there that I was actually excited about. I could really take it or leave it.

Thank you for an honest opinion that isn't laced with that pixie dust poison...
 

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Just returned from the World this morning. Here are our thoughts on the FLE...

Extremely impressed with the interiors and exteriors of all the new attractions and surrounding areas. The theming is truly excellent. The look of each of the different sections is really spot on for what it should be. It is nice to see each attractions given the attention to detail in appearance that WDW Fantasyland has always lacked in the 'castle courtyard' approach of the older attractions. Obviously the huge green and red walls around the mine train interfere with this feeling, but to my mind it is already substantially better to look at than the rest of FL. Does this make it feel disjointed from the old FL? Perhaps, but I think it actually improves on the feeling that was there. Adding the castle walls to divide the sections actually gives the old FL medieval faire idea a little more credibility in my book.

Be Our Guest as a dinner experience was excellent. Unique (for MK) food choices and very high quality displayed in our selections. Most happy with dessert selections that were different from the usual. Be Our Guest for lunch still has some developing to do. We didn't feel like the lunch experience was as high quality. Now, there seemed to be some computer issue where DDP participants who were on their last day had to be checked out by hand and paper and the pressure on the CMs doing this was causing errors. Also, there seemed to be lack of clarity and even confusion among CMs about the children's meal on DDP not including a dessert. The RFD roses are a great idea, but still not totally effective in deployment (saw managers trying to find guest tickets as CMs couldn't locate tables to deliver food).

Storytime with Belle was a great experience for us. Nice to see that kind of unique, individualized experience in an attraction. Also really enjoy the fact that the CMs involved have some freedom to inject humor and caring into the experience. To me, this is actually the highlight of the FLE. Everyone in our room excited with a smile - including the adults in there with no kids involved in the show.

The Little Mermaid is a dark ride with exceptional animatronics. That's what it is, and all it purports to be. Compared to the rest of the Disney movie-based dark rides, it is a large leap forward. Better theming, more detail in each scene, and a queue that doesn't remind one of cattle being led to slaughter.

Storybook Circus isn't, in my opinion, the best idea anyone has ever had. To my mind it is a desperate attempt to make Dumbo fit into the theme of Fantasyland. A flying elephant spinner ride in a castle courtyard has never been the best example of immersive theming in MK. Giving it a home with its own theme is a much better option in my book. Personally, I wouldn't consider it part of FL. Much like I never considered ToonTown a part of FL - it is a mini-land of its own and should be consider that. I would rather see that be the approach on maps and in story telling as well. Getting to meet the Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Donald in a different setting and unique costumes is a plus.

Is FLE a total slam dunk in my opinion? No. Is it a solid quality addition? Yes. I certainly hope that once the Mine Train is done and the green and red walls come down the experience will be improved even more. While the transition to Storybook Circus isn't ideal, it isn't any worse than the Tomorrowland to Fantasyland slap in the face of a transition!
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My goodness!

I am thankful I don't go through life with an attitude like yours!

* How big did you imagine the areas being? Sounds like you had a pretty unrealistic expectation. Is that really fair to hold against Disney?

* I've seen reviews by professional food critics who have raved about BoG's food. One of the things that malcontents constantly attack WDW (a theme park) over is the food. I always wonder what these people have in terms of expectation for theme park food...and how good the food is wherever they are from that everything else is just terrible. My goodness, maybe they should never leave their homes if everything is so much better in the paradise they live in. It sure doesn't seem like there is much to complain about in terms of the food for people who didn't wake up in the morning and decide they were going to complain no matter what happened.

* You're an adult writing this, right? The Beast's ballroom was in a cartoon movie, which is not real. Your not feeling like you were really inside a cartoon is laughable...because you can never be inside a real cartoon ballroom that does not exist in reality. Sure looks like Disney has given us the next best thing though. Only a crazy person would think he's really inside a cartoon somewhere.

* It's hilarious that you think Disneyland's this or that is so much better, when Disneyland has its own malcontents who think MK's Fantasyland is better. It seems there is a definite "grass is always greener in the other park" thing going on with malcontents.

* Complaining that it takes a long time to order when the whole process and the menu are new is an unfair criticism in my opinion. People take a long time to decide what they want and seem mesmerized by being in the castle. This is all part of the newness of the experience. Give the Mouse a break.

* What a bunch of wet blankets you went to the park with! Maybe they should have had their Lithium that morning, because your "friends" sure seemed decided to dislike everything before they even got to the park! I'm not aware of anything being actually called "Circusland" at MK, but Dumbo's Storybook Circus is a very cute area for little kids. I think it looks charming and my kids would have loved it when they were in the target age. Unless you are bringing little kids to the circus area, then maybe you should reserve judgment on it since you were not the target audience. It's nice having this area that's specifically geared towards kids.

* How cliche! We've heard the same complaints about the Little Mermaid ride since it debuted in California. They are weird complaints, too, because no dark ride has ever told the complete story of its movie...they are all little scenes...and they all abruptly end. Snow White's Scary Adventures was disjointed and abrupt too...but my family loved it. Alice in Wonderland in Disneyland is disjointed and abrupt...but we love that too. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which is enshrined by the malcontents because it is an extinct attraction in MK) makes no sense at all to anyone who has never seen the movie...but yet it's not maligned. Only the mermaid.
I think the fact that you found "nothing to be excited about" says more about you and your friends as people than it does about FLE or Disney.

Whatever happened to you in life to make you like this?


My goodness!

One thing you must understand Patty is that I, unlike others, have a completely subjective opinion. I WANT to love this expansion. There are many things WDI does that is fabulous. This simply isn't. Just because someone doesn't like something doesn't mean that they are a "malcontent" or that "something happened in their life to make them like this".

Oh, and my group consisted of a 7 year old, a 9 year old, and an 11 year old. Their family had a fabulous time at Disney World for their first time. I take their opinions as a great sample of the general public. I'm at WDW at least once a month, so it's great to get a completely subjective opinion. There were no preconceived notions or any agenda not to like something. I saw the joy on their faces at Buzz's Ranger Spin, Pirates, Philharmagic, IASW, etc. There were no such feelings after eating at Be Our Guest or riding TLM. Btw, my son loves the water play area at "CircusLand" but that doesn't mean the area is a success.

Also, BatB may be a "cartoon" but it isn't hard to tell the ballroom is round, 4+ stories tall, and has a domed ceiling. They certainly didn't need to build it that tall, but when replicating something from a movie, it helps to at least get the shape right.
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My goodness!

I am thankful I don't go through life with an attitude like yours!

* How big did you imagine the areas being? Sounds like you had a pretty unrealistic expectation. Is that really fair to hold against Disney?

* I've seen reviews by professional food critics who have raved about BoG's food. One of the things that malcontents constantly attack WDW (a theme park) over is the food. I always wonder what these people have in terms of expectation for theme park food...and how good the food is wherever they are from that everything else is just terrible. My goodness, maybe they should never leave their homes if everything is so much better in the paradise they live in. It sure doesn't seem like there is much to complain about in terms of the food for people who didn't wake up in the morning and decide they were going to complain no matter what happened.

* You're an adult writing this, right? The Beast's ballroom was in a cartoon movie, which is not real. Your not feeling like you were really inside a cartoon is laughable...because you can never be inside a real cartoon ballroom that does not exist in reality. Sure looks like Disney has given us the next best thing though. Only a crazy person would think he's really inside a cartoon somewhere.

* It's hilarious that you think Disneyland's this or that is so much better, when Disneyland has its own malcontents who think MK's Fantasyland is better. It seems there is a definite "grass is always greener in the other park" thing going on with malcontents.

* Complaining that it takes a long time to order when the whole process and the menu are new is an unfair criticism in my opinion. People take a long time to decide what they want and seem mesmerized by being in the castle. This is all part of the newness of the experience. Give the Mouse a break.

* What a bunch of wet blankets you went to the park with! Maybe they should have had their Lithium that morning, because your "friends" sure seemed decided to dislike everything before they even got to the park! I'm not aware of anything being actually called "Circusland" at MK, but Dumbo's Storybook Circus is a very cute area for little kids. I think it looks charming and my kids would have loved it when they were in the target age. Unless you are bringing little kids to the circus area, then maybe you should reserve judgment on it since you were not the target audience. It's nice having this area that's specifically geared towards kids.

* How cliche! We've heard the same complaints about the Little Mermaid ride since it debuted in California. They are weird complaints, too, because no dark ride has ever told the complete story of its movie...they are all little scenes...and they all abruptly end. Snow White's Scary Adventures was disjointed and abrupt too...but my family loved it. Alice in Wonderland in Disneyland is disjointed and abrupt...but we love that too. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which is enshrined by the malcontents because it is an extinct attraction in MK) makes no sense at all to anyone who has never seen the movie...but yet it's not maligned. Only the mermaid.
I think the fact that you found "nothing to be excited about" says more about you and your friends as people than it does about FLE or Disney.

Whatever happened to you in life to make you like this?


My goodness! And you might want to look at the first post that clearly states:
"No speculation from pictures or what you think it will be like! Only first hand reviews please."

You haven't been there, so I'm not sure why you think your opinion belongs in this thread.

Maybe you should start a thread entitled "What do you imagine the FLE to be like from pictures and videos but no first hand knowledge?"
 

JenniferS

Time To Be Movin’ Along
Premium Member
We were at WDW from November 9-18, and were able to experience the New Fantasyland on three separate occasions, while being "shut out" once.

This is a cut and paste from a previous post:
We have been here for 6 days, and were able to enter the New Fantasyland 3 of the 4 times we tried, PLUS we were able to book reservations for dinner at BOG 2 nights ago, and would have grabbed lunch there today had we not just overstuffed ourselves at Cinderella's Royal Table.

Storytime With Belle - Did it once. Loved it, but my 9 year old niece was being a bit of a pill that night, so she didn't play her role to its fullest. Waited about 30 minutes.

Little Mermaid Ride - Have done it 3 times. Nice little people-eater. The storyline seems truncated, like it needs an additional 2 scenes or so. Waited 10 minutes the first time; walked on the next two.

Ariel's Grotto - Have done it twice. Waited 15-20 minutes each time.

Gaston's Pub (or whatever it's called) - Been there twice for LeFou's Brew. Pork shank looked and smelled delish.

BOG- Did the "tour" the first time, which meant taking about 6 steps in. Was impressed. The second time, we were dining there in the grand ballroom. Dinner was fine. Not outstanding; but quite good. Desserts were a bust all around for our party of 4. And the seating arrangements were very university cafeteria hall-ish, if you know what I mean. Could have snagged lunch there today, but we were still too full.

ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT- Photo Op w/Gaston. We did this twice. It was a different guy each time, and they were both amazing! Just the right mix of machismo/ego and mockery. Loved him to bits, as did the rest of my party.


We have been home for a week now, and I have had the opportunity to reflect on what we experienced. I was so thrilled and surprised to enter the New Fantasyland the first time that I viewed it totally through rose coloured glasses. In retrospect, it stands up as a nice new area. Nice, not great. The construction of the mine train totally bisects the two finished areas, so the lack of cohesion is startling, at best.
Storybook Circus was a giant let down. We used the standby entrance for Dumbo on our first night, and finally returned our pager, without riding, after a 30 minute wait. We were absolutely exhausted from a lack of sleep (36 hours at that point) and while my 9 year old niece loved running around, the interminable wait in that cold, loud tent was the final nail in the coffin for the 3 adults. The next time we did Dumbo was by way of Fastpass. Having never been on Dumbo before, it was pretty much what I expected. Better than the Flying Carpets, but not as good as Astro Orbiter. We also did Barnstormer (which I have ridden before) and despite it being a walk on, my niece had no desire to do it a second time. It was too cold to do much more than walk quickly past Casey's water play-thingie. Donald and Goofy M & G was great. Fabulous character interaction. The girls were duds - Daisy especially.
My niece loved the LeFou's brew. I had really wanted to try the pork shank. It smelled delicious, but we had either just eaten, or were on our way to BOG the two times we were at Gaston's.
The new washrooms were lovely - well themed and clean. This is my first trip in more than 10 years that I found fault with the general cleanliness of the bathrooms throughout the 4 parks. If this is a result of cleaning staff cutbacks, then I am not impressed.
My opinion of BOG has not since changed. I would never do this outside of DDP; but then, I feel that way about most TS locations at Disney. The meal was fine. The desserts were meh. At $150 for 4 entrees, 4 sodas and 4 desserts, I want something more exciting than a small mediocre cupcake. I want some out-of-this-world creme brulee or cheesecake. Heck, I could get a way better cupcake back at POP Century for the same price.
I still think they closed Snow White way too early. With the mine train stil being a full year (or more) away from opening, I think they should have kept the ride running into next year some time; if only to gobble up some people. The old Fantasyland was still so much busier than I was expecting. I can't imagine what it's going to be like over the holidays.
And again, I loved (loved, loved) Gaston. We spent 15 minutes or more just watching him interact with the guests. As I stepped up to him, I told him to behave, I was married. After my picture was taken, and I was walking away, he shouted out: NO, I WILL NOT MAKE OUT WITH YOU LATER, LADY. Absolutely hysterical.

Now, if they would just get rid of the Speedway, and use the area to augment Fantasyland with a true E ticket, and add something to Tomorrowland, and get rid of Stitch, and clean up my beloved COP. Oh wait, I digress. But this is WDWMagic, so that happens a lot here.
Cheers.
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We were at WDW from November 9-18, and were able to experience the New Fantasyland on three separate occasions, while being "shut out" once.

This is a cut and paste from a previous post:
We have been here for 6 days, and were able to enter the New Fantasyland 3 of the 4 times we tried, PLUS we were able to book reservations for dinner at BOG 2 nights ago, and would have grabbed lunch there today had we not just overstuffed ourselves at Cinderella's Royal Table.

Storytime With Belle - Did it once. Loved it, but my 9 year old niece was being a bit of a pill that night, so she didn't play her role to its fullest. Waited about 30 minutes.

Little Mermaid Ride - Have done it 3 times. Nice little people-eater. The storyline seems truncated, like it needs an additional 2 scenes or so. Waited 10 minutes the first time; walked on the next two.

Ariel's Grotto - Have done it twice. Waited 15-20 minutes each time.

Gaston's Pub (or whatever it's called) - Been there twice for LeFou's Brew. Pork shank looked and smelled delish.

BOG- Did the "tour" the first time, which meant taking about 6 steps in. Was impressed. The second time, we were dining there in the grand ballroom. Dinner was fine. Not outstanding; but quite good. Desserts were a bust all around for our party of 4. And the seating arrangements were very university cafeteria hall-ish, if you know what I mean. Could have snagged lunch there today, but we were still too full.

ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT- Photo Op w/Gaston. We did this twice. It was a different guy each time, and they were both amazing! Just the right mix of machismo/ego and mockery. Loved him to bits, as did the rest of my party.


We have been home for a week now, and I have had the opportunity to reflect on what we experienced. I was so thrilled and surprised to enter the New Fantasyland the first time that I viewed it totally through rose coloured glasses. In retrospect, it stands up as a nice new area. Nice, not great. The construction of the mine train totally bisects the two finished areas, so the lack of cohesion is startling, at best.
Storybook Circus was a giant let down. We used the standby entrance for Dumbo on our first night, and finally returned our pager, without riding, after a 30 minute wait. We were absolutely exhausted from a lack of sleep (36 hours at that point) and while my 9 year old niece loved running around, the interminable wait in that cold, loud tent was the final nail in the coffin for the 3 adults. The next time we did Dumbo was by way of Fastpass. Having never been on Dumbo before, it was pretty much what I expected. Better than the Flying Carpets, but not as good as Astro Orbiter. We also did Barnstormer (which I have ridden before) and despite it being a walk on, my niece had no desire to do it a second time. It was too cold to do much more than walk quickly past Casey's water play-thingie. Donald and Goofy M & G was great. Fabulous character interaction. The girls were duds - Daisy especially.
My niece loved the LeFou's brew. I had really wanted to try the pork shank. It smelled delicious, but we had either just eaten, or were on our way to BOG the two times we were at Gaston's.
The new washrooms were lovely - well themed and clean. This is my first trip in more than 10 years that I found fault with the general cleanliness of the bathrooms throughout the 4 parks. If this is a result of cleaning staff cutbacks, then I am not impressed.
My opinion of BOG has not since changed. I would never do this outside of DDP; but then, I feel that way about most TS locations at Disney. The meal was fine. The desserts were meh. At $150 for 4 entrees, 4 sodas and 4 desserts, I want something more exciting than a small mediocre cupcake. I want some out-of-this-world creme brulee or cheesecake. Heck, I could get a way better cupcake back at POP Century for the same price.
I still think they closed Snow White way too early. With the mine train stil being a full year (or more) away from opening, I think they should have kept the ride running into next year some time; if only to gobble up some people. The old Fantasyland was still so much busier than I was expecting. I can't imagine what it's going to be like over the holidays.
And again, I loved (loved, loved) Gaston. We spent 15 minutes or more just watching him interact with the guests. As I stepped up to him, I told him to behave, I was married. After my picture was taken, and I was walking away, he shouted out: NO, I WILL NOT MAKE OUT WITH YOU LATER, LADY. Absolutely hysterical.

Now, if they would just get rid of the Speedway, and use the area to augment Fantasyland with a true E ticket, and add something to Tomorrowland, and get rid of Stitch, and clean up my beloved COP. Oh wait, I digress. But this is WDWMagic, so that happens a lot here.
Cheers.


Great review. I love to hear everyone's stories of their experience and their views of the new addition.

Don't you think it's sad that we have to hope for the Speedway to close in order to get a Fantasyland addition when the land was right there for them to use instead of Circusland? I just can't help but think how amazing the new addition would have been if they would have gone ahead and created Pixie Hollow (or just added more to Fantasyland).

Even with the SWMT, I just can't help but feel that there's something missing.
 

Timothy_Q

Well-Known Member
* You're an adult writing this, right? The Beast's ballroom was in a cartoon movie, which is not real. Your not feeling like you were really inside a cartoon is laughable...because you can never be inside a real cartoon ballroom that does not exist in reality. Sure looks like Disney has given us the next best thing though. Only a crazy person would think he's really inside a cartoon somewhere.

That is the most ridiculous argument I've seen around here.

Just because the ballroom was drawn or painted (it's actually CGI, but it doesn't matter) doesn't mean it doesn't have it's own set of proportions and measurements. Just like any other set, building and character in any movie. You have to stay true to it's proportions otherwise it'll feel like something different.

It's not that hard to understand that.
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
That is the most ridiculous argument I've seen around here.

Just because the ballroom was drawn or painted (it's actually CGI, but it doesn't matter) doesn't mean it doesn't have it's own set of proportions and measurements. Just like any other set, building and character in any movie. You have to stay true to it's proportions otherwise it'll feel like something different.

It's not that hard to understand that.


Well put.
 

wsmith1978

Well-Known Member
That is the most ridiculous argument I've seen around here.

Just because the ballroom was drawn or painted (it's actually CGI, but it doesn't matter) doesn't mean it doesn't have it's own set of proportions and measurements. Just like any other set, building and character in any movie. You have to stay true to it's proportions otherwise it'll feel like something different.

It's not that hard to understand that.

I agree. Patty, nothing personal, but almost everything in the parks is based on cartoons. If you're recreating something for real life, you want it to look like the cartoon. For example, the characters... Most of them were originally cartoons.

I don't like reading negative reviews either, but you can't really expect people not to be disappointed if the restaurant, in real life, looks nothing like the ballroom, in the movie. That being said, I haven't been there yet. I'll see in February, and I can't wait!!!!
 

Polyman

Active Member
TLM - experienced the ride last Sunday night. Expected a huge line. It was a walk-on, no wait. Took longer to go through the que than to ride. Good thing the que was the best part of the attraction. Truly amazing in details and theme. Ride was so-so. After the novelty has worn off and the Mine Train opens, I believe TLM will become another Finding Nemo or IASM. Only lines during holidays and other really busy times. Most of the time it should be a walk-on like Finding Nemo is now and a place to cool off and maybe catch a nap like IASM is now. No wow factor in the ride itself. No desire to experience it more than once.
 

Pixiedustmaker

Well-Known Member
My goodness!

I am thankful I don't go through life with an attitude like yours!

Very rude, but also the pot calling the kettle black. It is one thing to state your opinion, and another to resort to a personal attack.

* I've seen reviews by professional food critics who have raved about BoG's food.

You sure it wasn't just a local newspaper? I'd like to see what a food critic has to say as the place has barely been open. By the way, professional food critics of the top caliber critique the Michelin Star restaurants.

You're an adult writing this, right? The Beast's ballroom was in a cartoon movie, which is not real. Your not feeling like you were really inside a cartoon is laughable...because you can never be inside a real cartoon ballroom that does not exist in reality. Sure looks like Disney has given us the next best thing though. Only a crazy person would think he's really inside a cartoon somewhere.

Yeah, you shouldn't be calling a poster a "crazy person." Your comments are very patronizing, especially given many areas of MK, and other Disney parks, are supposed to, "make you feel like you're there." If somebody had a dream of a ballroom more like the film, then so be it. I think BoG looks great, haven't been yet, but sure, I guess it might have looked a tiny bit better to some if it was the one from the film. So, I wouldn't slam somebody for something that is subjective.

This is all part of the newness of the experience. Give the Mouse a break.

Uh-huh.

Who do you work for again?

...but yet it's not maligned. Only the mermaid.
I think the fact that you found "nothing to be excited about" says more about you and your friends as people than it does about FLE or Disney.

Whatever happened to you in life to make you like this?

Wow.

Everybody has an opinion, and some imagineers have quietly commented about how Mermaid doesn't quite have the 'magic' of the other classic Fantasyland dark rides. I think it creeps along very slowly, went the cheap route with screens and the little Ursula, and duplicate animatronics that don't make sense in the final scene. The other dark rides are holistically better, IMHO, than Mermaid, despite Mermaid having a couple new animatronics . . . which look plasticky b/c there apparently isn't enough room in the ride so the clamshells are right up in front of them.

No, someone's opinion of Mermaid doesn't say a lot about them, you attacking posters *does* say a lot about you.

* What a bunch of wet blankets you went to the park with! Maybe they should have had their Lithium that morning, because your "friends" sure seemed decided to dislike everything before they even got to the park!

Yet again, another reference to somebody being crazy for not loving FLE.

Mermaid proves that just because you build a Wal-Mart size building, add a couple of new animtronics, it ain't a classic Disney ride. Especially if you use a "ludicrously" low budget for the rest of the elements of said ride. The new imagination ride everybody complains about is better than Mermaid (at least the clone in DCA).

Oh, I don't like it that you insult other posters in the character of Merryweather.

Please stop.
 

Pixiedustmaker

Well-Known Member
TLM - experienced the ride last Sunday night. Expected a huge line. It was a walk-on, no wait. Took longer to go through the que than to ride. Good thing the que was the best part of the attraction. Truly amazing in details and theme. Ride was so-so. After the novelty has worn off and the Mine Train opens, I believe TLM will become another Finding Nemo or IASM. Only lines during holidays and other really busy times. Most of the time it should be a walk-on like Finding Nemo is now and a place to cool off and maybe catch a nap like IASM is now. No wow factor in the ride itself. No desire to experience it more than once.

Mermaid is a walk-on in DCA, (last half-dozen times I've gone). I think Mermaid has no "wow factor", (and doesn't make guests want to hop right back on), because it is mostly just simple animatronics, immobile plastic fish, poor/non-existent transitions, screens (pulls you out of the magic), lack of details (cardboard cut-out seaweed and green lights) and . . . everything looks like the work lights are on! (As opposed to just show lights). You can see the track, the bars holding up the mobil fish, everything. Doesn't feel magical to me.
 

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