Little Mermaid and Beast Castles

[Skibum1970]

Quick questions: Will the two castles being built be largely ornamental or will there be some walkthru areas? I can see the Little Mermaid's castle being ornamental only as it has no real path to get to it (unless it's part of the queue). The Beast's castle artwork seems to show people climbing the stairs toward the castle itself. If this has been answered in a different thread, I do apologize.:shrug:

 

[Tom]

Quick questions: Will the two castles being built be largely ornamental or will there be some walkthru areas? I can see the Little Mermaid's castle being ornamental only as it has no real path to get to it (unless it's part of the queue). The Beast's castle artwork seems to show people climbing the stairs toward the castle itself. If this has been answered in a different thread, I do apologize.:shrug:

It's probably been covered exhaustively in other threads, but they're hundreds or thousands of posts long now, so I don't blame you for asking quickly here.

Mermaid's exterior will be essentially ornamental. I think some of the queue may wind around outside, but it will be meant to look like a rocky cliff with a lighthouse. Then you'll enter the building and queue inside, which will probably take you "under the sea" (like Nemo & Friends), but I'm not sure. It wouldn't make sense to go into Eric's castle though, as it would be out of sequence.

The BatB area is supposed to resemble Beast's castle from the outside, with some secondary themes involving Gaston's Tavern to the right and Belle's cottage to the left. The main restaurant (Be Our Guest) will be house "in the castle".

As for walk-thrus, not that I know of.

 

[britdaw]

OMG I totally missed that they were going to build these!!! WOW I can't wait to see them! Is there any ETA of when they'll be done?

 

[danlb_2000]

OMG I totally missed that they were going to build these!!! WOW I can't wait to see them! Is there any ETA of when they'll be done?

No official dates, but according to Lee our reliable "insider":

Rethemed Barnstormer - Jan-Mar 2012
Dumbo - Apr-June 2012
Circus and Princess M&G - July-Sept 2012
Beauty and the Beast/Little Mermaid - Oct-Dec 2012
Mine Coaster - Jan-March 2014

As always, subject to change. May not reflect soft openings.

 

[britdaw]

Wow, very cool. Thanks for the info!!

 

[ob1thx1138]

I also noticed the people climbing the stairs in the concept art work, but looking at the latest close up images it doesn't appear that there are any openings in the structure in the area where those stairs lead. I thought that maybe the restaurant was two story and that this was an alternate exit, but it appears to just be eye candy for the concept art.

As for being able to walk through the castles. Well you can see the foot print for Beasts castle on top of the building now. This is going to be a forced perspective castle and it will not be possible to get anywhere close to it without throwing off the effect. The best example I have heard is the Eiffel tower in epcot.

 

[britdaw]

That's disappointing. I'd love to be able to walk through even the "lobby" of the Beast's castle! But I'm sure it's going to be awesome no matter what.

 

[motox7]

That's disappointing. I'd love to be able to walk through even the "lobby" of the Beast's castle! But I'm sure it's going to be awesome no matter what.

you will still be walking through the lobby and all the different parts of the castle but instead of it being in the castle itself, it will actually be within the rock work you see in the concept art. it will def. feel though that your in the castle itself.

 

[danlb_2000]

That's disappointing. I'd love to be able to walk through even the "lobby" of the Beast's castle! But I'm sure it's going to be awesome no matter what.

Let's clarify this, when you are in the Be Our Guest Restaurant you will be in the Beast's castle, but not inside the structure that looks like the Beast's castle from the outside. It's sort of like the Harry Potter ride at Universal, you get to walk through Hogwarts Castle, but what you are walking through is within the rockwork structure under the actual castle.

 

[britdaw]

Oh, that will be amazing then! When I first started reading about all the changes they were making to Fantasyland, I was a little sad to see some of the stuff going that my kids were so looking forward to, but after reading about the Beast's castle, Belle's Village and the Ariel ride, I am totally excited.

 

[Tom]

Let's clarify this, when you are in the Be Our Guest Restaurant you will be in the Beast's castle, but not inside the structure that looks like the Beast's castle from the outside. It's sort of like the Harry Potter ride at Universal, you get to walk through Hogwarts Castle, but what you are walking through is within the rockwork structure under the actual castle.

If we want to get really specific, you'll actually be in a giant warehouse that's covered in plaster and decorated on the inside. :lol:

The analogy of the Beast's castle exterior being like the Eiffel Tower in Epcot is dead on. There will be a forced perspective model of a castle on top of the building, so it will look like a large castle way up past the rocks.

Oh, that will be amazing then! When I first started reading about all the changes they were making to Fantasyland, I was a little sad to see some of the stuff going that my kids were so looking forward to, but after reading about the Beast's castle, Belle's Village and the Ariel ride, I am totally excited.

It's going to be very nice indeed, and a welcomed replacement to an abandoned 20K Leagues. There's also going to be a Snow White themed mine ride in the middle of everything, if you hadn't seen that yet.

 

[pumpkin7]

i love the music in beauty and the beast. i hope they use it around the castle.

sorry, a bit off topic lol.

 

[cbconglom]

looking a the high res concept art from disney and more and seeing people walking up the stairs and looking at the waterfalls on the beast rockwork i do have to wonder how much of that will transpire..

 

[danlb_2000]

If we want to get really specific, you'll actually be in a giant warehouse that's covered in plaster and decorated on the inside. :lol:
.

Now your totally spoiling the magic! :animwink:

 

[Skibum1970]

Thanks

Thanks to everyone who responded. In looking at the large blow-up of the artwork, it still looks as if people are wandering around at the base of Eric's castle and reaching it from two separate paths. Hard to tell if that is just artistic license or if it art is imitating life. Regardless, I am excited and a little impatient for this whole area to open up. Though 2014 is a while off, I can definitely wait (although a little DCA trip may be needed in the interim). I think that it will really upgrade the Magic Kingdom with scenery and more ride capacity.

 

[Disney Rocks]

The stairs on both castles are for decoration and you don't actually enter the castle throught the front door, kinda like Haunted Mansion. The second entrance to Mermaid is the queue itself.