mickeysbrother
Well-Known Member
Would there be soft openings before the preview? So maybe september during low season or october?
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FANTASYLAND EXPANSION PREVIEW FOR AP HOLDERS IN NOVEMBER 2012
- Thread starter Vader2112
- Start date
danlb_2000
Premium Member
The point of passholder previews would be to give them something special. Letting the general public into the area before the previews would minimize the value of a preview. So if they were already having soft openings, what would the point of a preview be?
NYwdwfan
Well-Known Member
Wouldn't they need to train staff well before opening to any guests? There are a lot of brand new elements to train on altough I have NO IDEA how long that would take. Cast training October, AP early November, soft open just before Thanksgiving? I hope they announce it soon or this is going to be a very long thread with every post starting with "I think"!!
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
That's not true. There almost ALWAYS are guest previews prior to AP previews. For comparison: Passholder previews of Mission: SPACE began August 1, 2003. Unannounced previews began around June 10, 2003. Expedition: Everest opened officially in April 2006 but previews began around January 1, 2006 (with AP and CM previews about 4 weeks later). They could have Mermaid opened pretty soon if they wanted to. It would be construction walls everywhere but that is the nature of previews. Remember the Soarin' previews in mid-March 2005 (6 weeks before official opening and a month before AP previews)?
Previews in September and October are certainly within the realm of possibilities (and highly precedented). It's just a matter of when operation is handed over. I don't believe AP previews have EVER been the first guest previews of attractions.
jugglingfanatic
Member
You just had to keep dangling the carrot in front of me, didn't you? I worked through the stages of grief yesterday, and was pretty good about accepting the fact there is no chance of it being open on our visit. But no, you just had to go and post that information, didn't you?
All kidding aside, I'm very happy to hear the history of soft openings you pointed out. My 9 year old daughter LOVES Ariel, and my 3 year old daughter would love the ride as well. I'm personally wanting to see BOG.
(Now lets just keep crossing our fingers about Test Track while we are at it. One of these being open/soft opening during our trip would really help me fell better.)
danlb_2000
Premium Member
Thanks for the info, I didn't realize this had been done before.
toolsnspools
Well-Known Member
I'll be there from 11/10 - 11/16, and I'm debating getting APs or not. I guess that question will be easy to answer when the release the actual dates for the preview... 
jmorri26
Well-Known Member
I would think though they would treat the FLE like they did Cars Land in Cali. Since this is a whole area, not just a ride, I doubt they would do just a soft open for Little Mermaid (I've been waiting for that ride easily 20+ years!) because to do so would mean letting people all the way through New Fantasyland to get to it (short of putting up narrow construction walls to filter people back)and I doubt they'll open a whole the whole Land early for soft testing. I never heard anyone reporting it in Cali.
With Cars Land I never heard of anyone getting a soft open for Radiator Springs Racers. They kept that pretty locked down until the press and AP previews it seemed.
Now Test Track, from what I gathered the inside is essentially done, they've just moved outside to do work now. If so, I could see random soft openings there.
I HOPE I'm wrong. We're going early mid Sept and I'm holding out hope a CM sees me longingly looking at the ride from afar and taps me on the shoulder! Not counting on it, but a nice thought
With Cars Land I never heard of anyone getting a soft open for Radiator Springs Racers. They kept that pretty locked down until the press and AP previews it seemed.
Now Test Track, from what I gathered the inside is essentially done, they've just moved outside to do work now. If so, I could see random soft openings there.
I HOPE I'm wrong. We're going early mid Sept and I'm holding out hope a CM sees me longingly looking at the ride from afar and taps me on the shoulder! Not counting on it, but a nice thought
lebeau
Well-Known Member
I'll be there from 11/10 - 11/16, and I'm debating getting APs or not. I guess that question will be easy to answer when the release the actual dates for the preview...
My guess is that the open spots will go fast. By the time they announce the dates, it may be too late to buy a pass and register for a spot.
I did not get the email. I was booking a few day and logged onto the AP section to see what offeres were available and this was the first thing that popped up.
Email works great too...If you know who to email instead of just Guest relations.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
Who knows? WDW is running the opening of the FLE VERY differently from how DCA managed Carsland. The DCA expansion was a challenge to finish on time so there wasn't much time for previews (though there were CM previews). WDW has been opening the FLE in phases and there will end up being probably a half-dozen different phases of opening when all is said and done. They opened Storybook Circus w/ LOTS of construction walls, one half of dumbo, goofini, and the train station. Then the 2nd half of dumbo and the water play area. Then the queue. Then will come the circus tents (likely in phases). Then Enchanted Forest begins to open with its central attraction still under construction and the princess meet and greet still under construction (and both of those will open at different times). Clearly they are using a very different attitude here compared to Carsland--and for good reason: they desperately need capacity in the MK and are opening everything as soon as it is available to increase capacity.I would think though they would treat the FLE like they did Cars Land in Cali. Since this is a whole area, not just a ride, I doubt they would do just a soft open for Little Mermaid (I've been waiting for that ride easily 20+ years!) because to do so would mean letting people all the way through New Fantasyland to get to it (short of putting up narrow construction walls to filter people back)and I doubt they'll open a whole the whole Land early for soft testing. I never heard anyone reporting it in Cali.
With Cars Land I never heard of anyone getting a soft open for Radiator Springs Racers. They kept that pretty locked down until the press and AP previews it seemed.
Now Test Track, from what I gathered the inside is essentially done, they've just moved outside to do work now. If so, I could see random soft openings there.
I HOPE I'm wrong. We're going early mid Sept and I'm holding out hope a CM sees me longingly looking at the ride from afar and taps me on the shoulder! Not counting on it, but a nice thought
Carsland was meant to reinvent DCA and they knew they would only get one shot at great reviews, so it had to all open at once to be impressive. California crowds are not very forgiving while we WDW crowds will continually give Disney the benefit of the doubt. WDW isn't trying to reinvent the MK--just expand it.
Do not think Tebow is the answer to our woes...Another new Offensive system...lolWell at least you have past step one... admission to your problems!
Lifelong Yanks and Giants fan here. Well Tebow will save you guys this year!!!
Mets..well the 1st half was a great surprise has all been down hill since the Allstar break!
jmorri26
Well-Known Member
This is a very good point. I forgot how early the first Dumbo spinner opened. I just went back and looked at the dates- WAY before Storybook Circus opened.
Fingers are sure crossed. Been looking forward to this for a long long time
Clamman73
Well-Known Member
That was quick...
jmorri26
Well-Known Member
Well it is set to open "Fall, 2012" Not too far from now.
MissM
Well-Known Member
I doubt it. They always put that on disclaimer on Passholder promos. It's because some passes come with blackouts or restrictions so merely being a Passholder doesn't get you into the event; you need valid admission as well. (For example, if they run a promo in the summer, someone with a Seasonal AP needs admission in addition to their pass since they're in blackout. Or an Epcot After4pm pass or something still counts as an AP but you'd need MK admission to get into the preview.)
stevehousse
Well-Known Member
it seems it will be up in the air for most of you trying to go in october and november, but like others have stated, they do have unannounced previews before the AP previews. back when Everest was not open yet, we werent expecting to see it running when we had walked into the park, and this was the last week of february mind you and the official opening wasnt until mid april of that year i believe, and they had fast pass running for it as well. so have a little disney faith, you never know what can happen down there.