We Present Team Communicore’s Fantasyland*:
Upon exiting the bright and vibrant Main Street USA guests will come upon Bell’s magnificent castle, gateway to Fantasyland.
~ Castle (Icon)
The Castle will be pink and blue similar to that of the Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty Castle, with Disneyland California style brickwork. The Castle will be architecturally very much the same as seen here:
The Upper floors of the Castle will be left vacant for the time being allowing for some Fantasyland expansion come time for Phase 2, or the expansions that occur shortly after the park opens. The lower part allows for the drawbridge entry into Fantasyland in the center and the lower two sides of the castle are used by the two attractions on either side.
~ Courtyard
The Castle walls open out into a beautiful courtyard surrounded by a lagoon, Mountain, forest, and of course the castle and its walls. The Castle’s Walls hold a re-imaginered Peter Pan’s Flight, The Darling’s Nursery Shop, Kingdom Keepers Thrill Ride, an exciting trackless dark ride currently slated to be Bell’s Magical Adventure, and, although an path through the walls separates them, a fun and exciting sit down restaurant currently slated to be a new take on the Be Our Guest dining experience currently being built for Walt Disney World’s Fantasyland Forrest as well as a snack counter to service non sit down guests.
The courtyard itself will feature the classic carousel attraction as well as a beautiful stained glass floor and multiple little landscaped sections one of which will feature an area for Princess Meet and Greets similar to that of the Winnie the Pooh meet and greets in Disneyland’s Critter Country. There will be one landscape section that will draw the eye however, with its large hill and archway going into it. The hill hides a pathway leading down to Wonderland where the wonderful teacup attraction takes guests for a charmingly wonderful Wonderland adventure round and around mixing both the classic Disney attraction’s bright and cherry Colors with the wonderful characters we met in Tim Burton’s recently released version.
~ Lagoon
Directly across the courtyard from the castle is the Fantasyland Lagoon, a sunken Disneyland ROA style lagoon with an island in the middle. The Lagoon has the potential to feature a water show, similar to World of Color or Fantasmic, in the future.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ It's a Small World
The Island located across the lagoon bears the IASW facade and on the Lagoon dock guests can board cruise ships for It's a Small World. Kind of similar to what is seen here:
The boats would cross the small lagoon and head into the forest then into the show building for the ride. Guests won’t see the entrance as they will feel like they are still in the forest and have just come to a clearing but once they see the hang gliders above them they'll realize...
On the side of the lagoon backing up to the forest and located right beside the dock is the It's a Small World Airlines side of the attraction. Guests Walk up to a beautifully adorned Manor and walk through seeing pictures of famous feats of aviation in Fantasyland History: The Darling Family's flight to Neverland, Dumbo's Flights etc. and advertisements for them, as well as pictures of the company flying over children at the landmarks in the countries featured throughout the IASW ride.
Guests would reach an airport terminal where they would board an "Airplane" where they would sit in seats that look similar to those seen in Soarin except only around 3 across. Guests would take off and go up and “out of the building” take a turn and drop you down into the first scene of IASW leaving guests to hang glide through IASW. The flight would then proceed with the music playing through speakers, air blowing gently to create the sense of flying, subtle scents to create atmosphere and such. With Both Riders now in the same show rooms the ride continues more or less as follows.
The First room is the basic hello room featuring the same entry as the Disneyland version of the attraction and then leads into The Arctic scene features Scandinavia and the North Pole, which is represented by ice skaters, Eskimos and ice fishers. You also see a polar bear and a beluga whale here. The song is alternately sung in Swedish and Norwegian. Here, you can also find two Disney characters here: Bambi and Thumper frolicking around in the snow.
You then head into Europe. our first stop is Denmark, where you pass through Tivoli Gardens, guarded by toy soldiers. From there, you go to Ireland, land of shamrocks and leprechauns, with Celtic music mixed into the song. Next, you go past Scotland, where you see a wee bagpiper playing the song on his bagpipes, followed by England. Here you go under the Tower Bridge (with a double-decker bus driving back and forth over it). Off to your right side, you see a chessboard with spinning chess pieces on it. Here, you can see Alice and the White Rabbit. On the left side, meanwhile, you see more of London itself, with Mary Poppins holding onto an umbrella in the sky, and Peter Pan and Tinker Bell flying around Big Ben. The theme song is being performed in British English with a Cockney accent. The next scene is a brand-new scene that no other version of this ride has, one that rounds out the British Isles: Wales. Here, the dolls you see are Welsh woman and a rugby player, with Cardiff Castle as a landmark. Next, you go past the usual scenes of Belgium (with its gooseherd) and the Netherlands (with two windmills, huge tulips and children in Dutch clothing, complete with big wooden shoes). After this, you go past the usual scenes of Spain and Portugal, followed by Italy, with its Leaning Tower of Pisa, Venetian gondolas and a new icon, the Roman Coliseum. Look carefully and you can see a puppet show being performed by Pinocchio (with Jiminy Cricket nearby). All the while, the song is sung in Italian. Next you go past the usual scene of France, complete with the Eiffel Tower and cancan dancers. You also see a new icon: Notre Dame. You also go past a scene introduced in the Hong Kong ride, a castle with a Disney love couple dancing in front. But this time, it's not Cinderella and Prince Charming; it's Princess Aurora with Prince Philip. Aurora's dress is blue. The song, of course, is being sung in French. You now go past the usual scene of Switzerland, backed by the Matterhorn, and then an expanded version of Germany, which features not just brand-new dolls, but also some new scenes, including Neuschwanstein Castle and Heidelburg. You can also see, during the Germany scene, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (provided you look hard; they're kind of hidden). Finally, you see yet another new scene in the ride: Austria, which features the palace of Belvedere. The song is performed in German during this whole scene of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Next, you head through the Balkans and go through the usual scene of Russia, with its Cossack dancers, backed by St. Basil's Cathedral. The song is sung in Russian. From here, you head through the usual scene of Greece, which newly features Hercules nearby and a few pieces of Greek mythology (from "Fantasia"): such as a Pegasus horse in the air and a couple of fauns playing the song on their panpipes as they mingle with Bacchus, the god of wine. Other than the new characters, though, the scene of Greece is the same as other versions of the ride.
Leaving Europe we head into the Middle East which is about the same in every aspect to the ride in Hong Kong, complete with the "Aladdin" characters making an appearance via a flying carpet (save for the Genie who is spotted nearby, emerging from his lamp), of which this part of the ride has a lot. You see a snake charmer (charming a snake) and some of belly dancers. The charmer is playing on his flute an almost eerie and mysterious rendition of the song. As I said before, you also see here several characters on flying carpets. The final scene here is an Arabian bazaar, featuring two children playing flutes and a third playing a mandolin, and finally, the Taj Mahal. The song here is performed in Arabic.
The Taj Mahal serves as the borderline between the Middle East and your next stop, Asia. Here again, it's similar to other versions of the ride seen out, with a majority coming from HKDL. From the Taj Mahal, you first go through the usual scenes of Southeast Asia and India. Here, you can also see Mowgli and Baloo from "The Jungle Book". Then you go through China, with Hong Kong. It's the new version made for the ride in HKDL, with all of the new scenes from that version of the ride in place, plus the Temple of Heaven added in as well. Here, you see Mulan who flies a kite shaped like Mushu. The song is sung in Cantonese Chinese. The last scene of Asia, after this one, is Japan, which features, among other things, the Torii Gate and a big pagoda, through which you go to leave this area. This part of the ride is identical to the ride in Disneyland. Here, the song is sung in Japanese.
As with the HKDL ride, this version of the ride segues from Asia to the South Seas, beginning with an underwater scene, with mermaids and sea creatures. Here, you'll no doubt be able to spot Ariel among the mermaids and her friends Flounder and Sebastian among the sea creatures. Also mingling with the sea creatures are Nemo, Dory, Squirt and Peach from "Finding Nemo", one of two Pixar movies represented in the ride (the other being "Toy Story"). After this, you go past the usual scenes of the South Seas scene: Australia, Polynesia and Hawaii, which features, in addition to hula dancers and surfers and a pod of dolphins, Lilo and Stitch on a surfboard. The song is sung in English throughout. This portion of the ride is identical to the ride in Florida.
You next Enter Africa where Conveniently enough, the sounds of wild animals fill the air as you enter the scene. This scene is virtually identical to other versions of this scene in the ride (most notably Disneyland's), featuring a variety of wild jungle animals, such as hippos, monkeys, elephants, lions, giraffes and hyenas, as well as masked tribal natives pounding out the song on tribal drums. If you look hard, you can even spot Simba, Timon and Pumbaa from "The Lion King" (the first set of many Disney characters to come), as well. The main difference in this scene compared to other versions is that Egypt is at the end of this scene rather than the start. Other than that, though, you should be familiar with the cast of characters in this scene if you're familiar with the ride. The ride's theme song is sung in English and the background music alternates between traditional African music and lively jazz music, as well as on tribal drums as mentioned earlier.
Segwaying perfectly into the traditional Tropical theme of the next scene which is a rainy rainforest. This rapidly leads into the next seen to come: Latin America. The rainforest scene features a variety of animals in the rain, including a crocodile, a jaguar and various small birds. Now you go through South America, where the song is sung in Spanish throughout. It's more or less identical in every respect to the scene of the ride in Florida. First, you see penguins in Antarctica. Next, you go through South America. You go past the usual Andes scene and all of its characters. Here, you see the Incans. After this, you see the usual scene of the carnival in Rio, which, of course, is used to represent Brazil. Next, as you go past the red-hot volcanoes and the Mayan-type sun that serve as the gateway to Central America, you can also make out Donald Duck, Jose Carioca and Panchito, the Three Caballeros, who have been placed carefully so as to show that you're about to leave Brazil and enter Mexico. Next, you go through the usual scene of Mexico, which is very much identical to all other scenes in the ride, complete with the Mexican boys and girls dancing in a circle. In the middle of the group is a mariachi band belting out a mariachi rendition of the song. The mariachi band members consist a straw-type man (on xylophones), a chicken (playing a trumpet) and a cactus (on guitar). Scattered about the area are various Mexican piñatas.
From here, you segue into North America. Now, this version is greatly different than other versions of the ride out there and a bit longer, too. From Mexico, you go through a desert scene on both sides with coyotes howling on the one side and a covered wagon on the other. The area is covered in goofy-looking cacti. You also see a few Native American children here, as well as cowboy children, two of whom bear a striking resemblance to Pecos Bill and Slue Foot Sue, respectively. Some of the Native Americans are pounding out a tom-tom rendition of the song, while one of the cowboys plays on his guitar a country-western rendition of the song. You can also see Woody and Jessie (Woody is astride his horse, Bullseye). They are NOT the same design as in HKDL, however. Then it transitions into grass and then trees. You first go by a backwoods area, similar to Splash Mountain. You see bullfrogs and alligators, plus an appearance by Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear. The children here are seen fishing and playing a banjo and a fiddle. You then go through more woods, with snowcapped mountains, fronted by a totem pole and a Mountie, meant to represent Canada. Pocahontas and Meeko are seen here. You also see a grizzly bear and a gray wolf. Then you go through a city skyline comprised of a mishmash of famous American buildings, such as the Space Needle and the Empire State Building, backed by the HOLLYWOODLAND sign and fronted by the Golden Gate Bridge, which you pass under (it features several cars traveling back and forth across it). You also see a small part of Broadway, with a big theater whose marquee shows off this ride's name in big letters. Among the dolls you see here are a pair of Broadway dancers, some sport players, and a big band. The song is heard in the style of a big swing band. Oh, yeah, and of course, the song here is sung in English throughout.
Passing through the Broadway Theater, you finally reach the all-white finale of the ride, which is more or less the same as in all other versions of the ride, but with the additions of some of the newer doll characters from the newer scenes of the ride mixed in. Also featured new are the lights on the walls often changing colors randomly and fireworks going off randomly (think the Pleasure Island scene of the Pinocchio ride). The theme song, of course, is sung in the finale-type version now used in most versions of the ride.
Leaving the finale scene, you finally go through the Goodbye Room, similar to all other versions of the ride, featuring both the flowers of Hong Kong Disneyland and the postcards of Disneyland. After this, the boat emerges into daylight, under some canopy tent-like roofs and you cruise along the exterior of the fanciful Small World building and reach the unload dock, where you disembark from your boat
At the end of the ride the boats will leave the show building and head back to the dock, turning right, while the “hang gliders/ planes” will turn the opposite direction head through a second floor only tunnel designed to look like just gliding over the sky at night, similar to Peter Pan except the ground below isn’t anything really special. The tunnel will allow the gliders to return to the “airport” of sorts and depart from their flight while not requiring the support beams for the suspended ride vehicle be seen by outsiders or the creation of scenes not available to those on the cruise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ Pooh's Rainy Day River Run
Towering over the left side of the Courtyard is “Pooh's Rainy Day River Run” an exciting new take on Splash Mountain exchanging the traditional Song of the South theme for the Hundred Acre Woods. The attraction would be more or less like this:
The mountain in which the ride is contained will resemble Splash Mountain in appearance, but much less Old South-like in appearance and more woodsy. You see the occasional ride vehicle plunge over the falls.
The Queue:
Waits should be 33-55 minutes on a busy day. It will have Fastpass. The queue is a cross between those for WDW's Pooh and Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh ride. The load area has a huge map of the 100 Acre Wood on it.
The Ride:
The boats are enormous honey pots, with four rows of seats, each row having two seats, for a total capacity of eight. The word "honey" is labeled on the back of the pot, while the front has the name of a random Pooh character on it.
As you board, you hear the safety spiel. After everyone has boarded the boat makes a right turn and goes up a small hill. At the top of the hill, you emerge from the ride and go under a series of small bridges (that guests can walk across). You go around the big mountain, with an enormous waterfall flowing down the front and into a pile of beehives in at the base. You look up and see a honey pot full of guests plunging over the falls and into the hives down below.
You then reenter the mountain and ascend another waterfall through another cave. At the top, you're inside. The narrator speaks about Pooh's exploits to leave home in search of honey. You see Pooh standing outside his home in a tree with Mr. Sanders' name on the sign above the door. He comments that he is off to search for a smackerel of something sweet. He is seen singing "Rumbly In My Tumbly". As you float along in your pot, you suddenly enter a dense thicket of trees. Then the river suddenly becomes a bit more turbulent. You feel wind blowing and see flying leaves. The narrator does the same narration here as DL. The music of "A Rather Blustery Day" fills the area.
You emerge from the woods to find yourself in the presence of various Pooh characters. You see Piglet flying about, clinging for dear life to the edge of a broom. Gopher pops up and wishes a "happy Windsday" as Piglet yelps. The pot passes Pooh who is hanging onto a blue balloon which is blown across the sky towards a honey tree, but suddenly, Pooh accidentally swoops down and knocks down Eeyore's stick home. Luckily, Eeyore is not in the way. He is off to the side, though.
You go past Rabbit clinging to some hung-up laundry that is also blowing in the wind. From here, you see Kanga, who is trying to keep Roo from blowing away in the wind. She is holding to him by his long scarf. Finally, you pass below Owl's house in the tree as it sways wildly in the wind. Owl, of course, doesn't notice. He just babbles on and on about his family. At the base of the tree, you see the last 100 Acre Wood resident: Tigger! He bounces around and invites you to bounce with him.
You then go down a roller coaster-like waterfall, similar to, yet longer than, the one you go over in Splash Mountain when you enter the Laughing Place scene. If no one was screaming (they probably will), you'd head "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" in the background. After this waterfall, you see go past Tigger, pounced on Pooh, as he warns him to beware of Heffalumps and Woozles, who steal honey.
You then enter Pooh's house nearby and see him lying on the ground, asleep. Flashes of lightning are seen outside his window. Suddenly, as you float forward the room darkens and you see, using the same technology as in Tokyo, the sleeping Pooh floating upward into the dream of Heffalumps and Woozles. You then mount another, much smaller lift hill, as you see Pooh floating past you above the hill. The hill is only long enough for you to climb to hear a ghostly voice warning that "Heffalumps and Woozles... steal honey... Beware... Beware..."
At the top of the hill, you enter Pooh's dream of Heffalumps and Woozles. These creatures are everywhere as psychadelic shapes and spirals are scattered across the room. It is similar in appearance to the one in Tokyo, complete with the jazz band of the creatures all performing a jazzy rendition of the "Heffalumps and Woozles" song. Above it all, you see a nervous-looking Pooh in a hot-air balloon. Near the end of the scene, you see a Woozle dressed in military attire lighting a Heffalump cannon's fuse with an oversize match. The fuse lights up and it fires a plume of smoke. Finally, you see two watering cans hovering above you and pouring water from their spouts. You get doused with a small mist. But that's not all. You also go over a small waterfall and out of the dream.
At the bottom of the drop, you see that the whole woods is flooded from rain. The whole area is no longer a mere canal of water, the whole area is covered in it. The narrator says that the 100 Acre Wood got "floodier and floodier". You hear the song "The Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down" in the background. You see Pooh floating about, with his head upside-down in a pot of honey.
Suddenly, you ascend another, much bigger lift hill. On the way up, you see all the Pooh characters (sans Pooh) all linking together to survive the flood. At the very top, you see Piglet, who is reaching his hand out to Tigger, who is reaching out to Piglet. Piglet looks over his shoulder to see a big waterfall. At the top of this hill, you emerge out of the mountain. Here you are given a spectacular view of Fantasyland. Suddenly, you go down a five-story waterfall into a pile of beehives down below. At the bottom of the fall, you splash down.
After the waterfall, you find yourself in a large pile of honey as you float through it. In the middle of it is a happy-looking Pooh. Emerging from the honey tunnel, you find yourself back in the woods in the day. You see everyone (sans Pooh) gathered around a table in party hats, all cheering for Pooh. You then find yourself back in the load area near the map of the woods. You get out and go down the exit tunnel to find yourself in, surprise, surprise, a Pooh-themed gift shop.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ Fantasy Forest
Across the courtyard from the Pooh’s River Run is the Fantasy Forest. Along the side of the forest is a massive storybook that will provide entrance into the Storybookland Attraction Queue. A pathway going down through the forest takes guests past two clearings, the first revealing a copy of Dumbo’s circus tent as is being built at Walt Disney World, and the other revealing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cottage where guests will be able to board a mine train themed Kid-coaster similar to Goofy’s barnstormer at Walt Disney World and Gadget Go Coaster at Disneyland California. The Snow White area will also contain a beautiful fountain area where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
~ Dark Village
Upon leaving the Forest guests will come out in a darker, very realistic medieval town where guests can board an intense Bald Mountain dark ride. (Ignore the layout picture indicating the Haunted Mansion is here, it is a misprint) The area also features a Quick Service Dark Knight Eatery that backs up to Villains Cove a Villains Meet and Great area, and a Dark Medieval villains shop where evil merchandise can be purchased.
Well there you have it, a brief layout of the new park's Fantasyland.
*Note: All of the information here is subject to change.
Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.