What would a theme park resort look like if Disney only used their live-action properties. This only includes the films that are already out under the Walt Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm or Jim Henson branch or have released a trailer at least (Aladdin, Dumbo, Mary Poppins Returns and The Lion King for example).
Episode 1: A Piece Of The Great Wen
In addition to the many successful stand-alone Disney live-action feature films, we have seen a lot of Disney live-action remakes of classic animated stories. One of the first ones to do so was the 101 Dalmatians franchise that received an American reboot with a human and live animal cast. However, since 2010 and the release of Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton, we have seen many of these so called remakes, Cinderella, Maleficent, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast etc. The trend is not over yet as there are over a dozen other projects still in production based on for example Lilo and Stitch, Mulan, The Little Mermaid and Lady and the Tramp. What if Disney decided to build a park which only based itself on their live-action films? Well, the park would probably be less popular, but it wouldn’t be new to see a greater presence of live-action properties. In the last few years we have seen new attractions based on Alice in Wonderland(2010), Pirates of the Caribbean, Tron, Star Wars, Marvel movies and even additions like the upcoming Beauty and The Beast Sing Along show prove their relevance and success. One of the lands I’d bring to such a park would be London Square, basing itself around the British stories taking place in The Great Wen.
London Square would serve as a traditional mini-land similar to areas like Liberty and New Orleans Square. Just like these other mentioned areas, the name would be a bit of a misnomer, since the area does not resemble a square so much as an intricate series of streets that weave around shops, restaurants and several state-of-the-art attractions. The area is designed to look like a stereotypical representation of London City, including replicas of popular locations and icons like Kensington Gardens, The House of Parliament, the Horse Guards and The Big Ben itself. Although the area represents London as a whole, styles from different time periods are present, like Victorian, Edwardian and wartime. Take a seat inside one of the horse-drawn carriages and make your way around London Square. Let your majestic Percheron clip clop along the brick-paved streets while you relax in ultimate splendor and comfort.
A majestic tune lurks us into a nearby park. This is where we find the Alice in Wonderland Maze, based on Tim Burton’s version from 2010. As you enter the typical British city park, you enter an entrance into a hollow tree. The hedge maze will be both indoor as well as outdoors and is largely inspired by the maze at Shanghai Disneyland and Alice’s Curious Labyrinth at Disneyland Paris. In the experience Guests will choose their own path as they wind through the delightfully whimsical world of Underland on their way to Tarrant Hightopp’s Tea Party. Along the way, they may encounter giant talking flowers, monsters like the Bandersnatch and the Jabberwocky, approaching play card soldiers and a peculiar cat with a silly grin floating and then disappearing in clouds of smoke right in front of your eyes. The experience will be way more immersive than the current version in Shanghai, thus featuring advanced audio animatronics, illusions, screens and special effects.
One of the streets of London Square, looks very familiar. Why this just happens to be Cherry Tree Lane. The large home estates, including number 17, the home of the Banks’ Family is recreated. The entrance to the Back to Cherry Tree Lane attraction starts in the house of the Banks’ Family. You’ll wind through several rooms of the house, re-created to look like the rooms as we know them from Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins Returns. From time to time, the cannon on top of the house fires itself and causes the whole house to shake. The queue then heads outside and into the park, facing the house. Here, we will find a classic horse carousel. But just after boarding the carousel something strange happens. The horses run loose from the carousel and follow Mary Poppins and Bert on a whimsical and musical adventure around London and their imaginary chalk world. The ride will capture the essence and magic we have learned to love from both the Mary Poppins movies and features popular as well as original songs, written and composed specifically for the attraction. In the park, you’ll also find the Jolly Holiday Bakery. Here you’ll be able to enjoy sandwiches, pastries and other typical afternoon-tea goods while enjoying beautifully designed scenery. In Cherry Tree Lane, The Kite Shop, sells Mary Poppins merchandise.
Another major attractions in London Square is The Many Adventures of Pooh and Christopher Robin. It is a technologically advanced version of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at Shanghai Disney, Hong Kong Disney, Walt Disney World and Disneyland resort utilizing a special inverted trackless ride system and more elaborate audio animatronic figures. In addition to that, it bases itself on the 2018 Christopher Robin feature film, in which a grown op Christopher reunites with his band of lovable stuffed animal friends, who help him rediscover the joys of family life, the value of friendship and to appreciate the simple pleasures in life once again. As the Guests enter Christopher’s family home they’ll pass by rooms which resemble the ones seen in the film and in the opening scene of the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh movie. They’ll then board air balloon baskets held by red balloons which will have the possibility to follow many different combinations of paths throughout the ride, revealing various parts of the show scenes. During the ride you’ll soar through the streets of London and the Hundred Acre Woods as you follow Pooh and his friends on a new adventure full of mayhem and fun. The attraction will not be a re-telling of the movie’s plot, but rather offers Guests a new story to enjoy with their favorite A.A. Milne characters. At the exit, Pooh’s Corner sells A.A. Milne and Christopher Robin souvenirs.
The last attraction, which I think would be really cool would take place in a recreation of the Buckingham Palace (on a scale similar to Haunted Mansion). Inside, you’ll find out that an orphaned girl named Sophie lives here now together with the Queen. In The Return to Giant Country, we follow Sophie as she calls her friend Big Friendly Giant or BGF to take her and the Guests on a tour around Giant Country. This attraction would be a dark ride similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, adopting its’ KUKA arm vehicle system. The ride also uses impressive screen, physical and audio animatronic effects to immerse Guests on this journey to Giant Country where they’ll catch dreams, enjoy frobscottle and escape the wrath of Fleshlumpeater and his crew of evil giants. Near this attraction you’ll find The Queen’s Table. This will be a table service restaurant where you can dine like a royal and even try frobscottle and snozzcumbers. The scenery includes a large portrait of the Queen, Sophie and the BFG having dinner together.
All this adventure is bound to make a person mighty hungry. When it does, just visit one of the delicious restaurants with food inspired by jolly old England herself. Try the fish and chips at the Whale of a Tale Fish and Chips Shop or take your taste buds to the liveliest of pubs at The Royal Crown Inn. Practice your finest toast while you quench our thirst and quell your appetite with fresh pints, flavorful bites and classic British fare. To chase away the busy streets of London, drop on by The Doubledecker Café for a satisfyin sit-down meal or venture to the Bulldog Bar for a bit of British Isles hospitality and a refreshing drink. Take home some of that London mirage and visit their shops. The Night Before Christmas Shop is inspired by Charles Dickens’ novels and offers great Christmas decorations and gifts all-year round. The London Library, inspired by British literature, features a wide collection of books and UK souvenirs, while The Tin Toy Soldier, offers a variety of typical British toys and merchandise inspired by the many stories that take place in London. What do you think of mini-areas in Disney theme parks? And what should a park featuring only live-action Disney properties look like according to you?
The ‘A Trip Through Neverland’- series takes us to a park inspired by concepts which were never realized by Disney. Think of the magical worlds of Beastly Kingdom, Discovery Bay and Glacier Bay when it comes to these concepts. This park is a collection of these ideas that were left on the design table.
Episode 2: The Hollywood That Never Was
Over the years, there have been many concepts that were envisioned for Disney’s MGM Studios (currently known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios), Walt Disney Studios Parc Paris and Hollywoodland at Disney’s California Adventure, but were eventually never built or opened. That’s why during our trip through Neverland, we’ll discover the land of Hollywoodland. This name was also once planned for a mini-land at Disneyland, but was eventually built in one form or another at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim. Hollywoodland represents what the studios parks and lands were originally going to realize, Hollywood as a set of ideals, a lifestyle and the idea or dream. Hollywoodland is not a place, it is a showcase of everything Hollywood is about, show business, the creation of extraordinary stories and worlds, the fun, the excitement and the idea of endless possibilities and ambitions. That’s why Guests wouldn’t wander around Hollywood’s many illusions, but instead around what it would be like if these illusions were realized. Not just showing what life behind the screens is like, but actually immersing you into these worlds that Hollywood has created.
The area would be a collection of big streets winding into each other, leading to smaller mini-neighbourhoods as well. The buildings represent the Hollywood that never was and in the back of the land a scaled-down version of the Hollywood Hills can be seen, but with the infamous Hollywoodland-sign still shining with pride. Every building tells a story and represents a part of the dream of Hollywoodland and almost equals the re-telling of a part of the American Dream which was re-invented in Hollywood, yet crushed by the Great Depression. The citizens of Hollywoodland let Guests join in with the story and immerse them into everything that makes Hollywood, Hollywood. If walking is not what you feel like, board The Red Car Trolley Line, which serves as a perfect and relaxing means of transport around Hollywoodland, even dropping Guests off at a recreation of Maroon Cartoon Studios. Through Maroon Cartoon Studios you’ll be able to visit Toontown, one of Neverland’s other themed areas.
Near Maroon Studios, you’ll be able to find the Ink and Paint Club. This underground nightclub from ‘’Who Framed Roger Rabbit’’ is where humans and toons come together to enjoy food, some drinks and live entertainment. While entering, you’ll pass by an animation of Bongo the Gorilla, the bouncer of the Club. He sees who comes into there, letting people in with the password ‘’Walt sent me’’. The club is a place where multiple cartoon characters – each of whom had their own bit of funny business- would fill the frame. A cursory glance around the nightclub reveals penguin waiters, an octopus bartender and a vintage black-and-white cartoon heroine a.k.a. Betty Boop slinging drinks. While enjoying a drink or filling meal watch as various toons perform on the grand stage. Acts include a face-off between Donald Duck and Daffy Duck playing pianos and Jessica Rabbit, Roger’s loving wife, performing her famous song, ‘’Why Don’t You Do Right?’’. These effects would be brought to life by screens, an enthusiastic human cast and impressive audio animatronics. In contradiction to how Jessica has been previously represented at the parks, I believe a face-version of Jessica would do more justice to the character than the current limited-seen masked character.
In one of the side streets, you’ll find yourself in Gangster Row. This run-down part of town is where you’ll find the entrance to Dick Tracy’s Crime Stoppers. This attraction, based on the 1990 Dick Tracy film, was once planned for the Sunset Boulevard area of Disney’s MGM Studios. The ride building is designed to look like an old, almost abandoned warehouse on the outside. Inside, however, you’ll find a recreation of the film’s set. During the ride, Guests board vehicles designed to look like high class cars from the 1920s which would use the enhanced motion vehicle system, currently used for Animal Kingdom’s Dinosaur and Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySEA’s Indiana Jones Adventure. Riders would race through the streets of Chicago, passing docks and zooming through buildings in an effort to get away from gangsters while using the equipped tommy guns to interact with the scenes in a way similar to Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue and Toy Story Midway Mania. The ride features the very latest in audio animatronics, simulation, sound and special effects as Guests will join America’s favorite comic-strip detective in a high-speed chase with his gangster adversaries. Nearby, the Patrick J. Ryan’s Bar would be a local meeting place of gangsters and mafia members.
Also, nearby is the Silent Film Stunt Show. Guests would enter a 1920s soundstage and watch as a Buster Keaton type character accidentally causes a series of slapstick disasters which cause the soundstage to collapse around them. This idea was originally rejected for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but now finds a life in Hollywoodland. In addition to the slapstick scenes, it also features scenes based on classic romance, gangster and thriller scenes. Another gangster-based attraction finds its way to Neverland’s Hollywoodland. A flying jetpack-themed rollercoaster based on the 1991 superhero film, The Rocketeer takes Guests on a thrilling experience over Los Angeles while being chased by Neville Sinclair and his henchmen.
Inside a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theater we would find The Great Moments at the Movies. Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘’that ride was built as The Great Movie Ride, so why is this part of Neverland?’’. This version of the ride is not based on The Great Movie Ride that was opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but instead on the pavilion that was once envisioned for Epcot. Passing by a small ticket booth entrance, Guests are given an insider’s look into the magic of film. In this surreal time-bending setting, the audience would not only experience a film, but live it! It is to be an educational experience revealing the process of making movies. Scenes include the unused comedy scene that would have featured audio animatronic versions of the Keystone Kops, W.C. Fields, Mae West, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin, the tornado scene and the encounter with the Wizard from the Wizard of Oz, a scene in which you roll over the red carpet of a Hollywood premiere and a finale featuring, amongst others, R2D2 and C3PO, Rhett Buttler and Scarlet O’ Hara, Rock Balboa, The Ghostbusters, Mary Poppins, Indiana Jones, George C. Scott as Patton, Liza Minelli as Sally Bowles, Gene Kelly as Donald Lockwood, John Wayne, Shirley Temple and Mickey Mouse.
One of Hollywoodland’s icons is the Hotel Hollywood. Inside you would find the Hotel Mel attraction. This would have been the original Tower of Terror, but based on the world and ideas of everybody’s favorite Jewish grandpa, Mel Brooks. Guests would be told they were on the set of a horror film, directed by Mel Brooks himself, that was being filmed inside an actual haunted hotel located in the heart of Hollywood. The plot of the ride revolves around the idea of the Guests auditioning for a role in the film and boarding studio golf carts. Gags would then ensue, such as Quasimodo as a bellman, Dracula attempting to shave in a mirror and Frankenstein in a bathroom stall without TP next to the Mummy. That makes the ride a combination of a dark ride and a drop ride as it would basically use a system similar to what is seen in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, where the drop tower vehicle moves into the 5th dimension. Nearby The Bellhop Bar would immerse Guests into an art-deco styled Hollywood hotel luxury lounge inspired by the 1920s and its jazz age, bootleggers, raccoon coats, bathtub gin, flappers, flagpole sitters and marathon dancers. The Legacy of Horror shop would sell classic Hollywood monster merchandise.
An attraction that was actually envisioned for Fantasyland also finds its way to Hollywoodland. It’s the ‘’Herbie the Love Bug’’ ride. Guests would ride in a Herbie that would imitate all the stunts the car does in the Herbie films, such as wheelies and driving up the Golden Gate Bridge. From the start, the car rears up, takes off and ends up in a chicken race, nearly missing the competitor. You would then race past a cliff edge, on 2 wheels leaning into the depth. At the Tijuana road race start we zig-zag through the other cars, before actually taking part in the race itself. We then drive under a town-away car, crash through a shack and even split in half to avoid a cactus in the middle of the road. The car then leaps over San Francisco buildings, nearly misses a cable car and climbs the Golden Gate Bridge. Coming down the bridge, the car fails to brake well and ends up in a mine shaft, nearly missing an ore car. As you exit the mine, you skip over water and end up in the ride’s finale. At the end, the ride vehicle would again split, but in front half and back half instead of left-right.
The most whimsical neighbourhood of Hollywoodland is The Muppet Studios area. Here we can find TheGreat Muppet Movie Ride. This misguided tour through movie history would be given in Muppet-style by Jim Henson’s puppet creations. The backstage ride would explain how movies are shot, but all the information given by our entirely Muppet cast would be wrong. Guests would pass through a variety of set pieces in which the Guests attempted to recreate scenes from classic movies, such as Frankenstein, Pigs in Space and Peter Pan. Statler and Waldorf would be seated in a cart alongside the Guests and would experience misfortune based on the different scenes. An idea spoofing the snow scene in Dr. Zhivago would have Kermit The Frog and Miss Piggy in a plastic ball that’s turned back and forth, while a Western-themed portion of the ride would feature horses making the sounds of galloping with coconuts tied to their hooves. At the exit of the ride, The Muppet Vault would offer a wide variety of Muppet merchandise.
Besides the attraction, Guests would also find two themed restaurants in this area. The first would be The Great Gonzo’s Pandemonium Pizza Parlor. This Muppet-themed restaurant would be a pizza parlor owned by the Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat. Animatronic Muppet rats would deliver pizzas to the tables by way of a train track system, Gonzo could be heard crawling through the duct work along the ceiling and the walls of the restaurant would be covered with recreations of props from various Muppet films and shows, as well as random sight gags. The other restaurant would be The Swedish Chef’s Videocooking School Restaurant. This restaurant, based on the Muppets’ famous bumbling chef, would serve a wide variety of dishes. Along the ceiling, video screens depicting classic Muppet clips as well as clips from the kitchen with the Chef working hard would entertain Guests while their eating. From time to time, an explosion comes from the kitchen, blowing open the doors and sending a cloud of smoke and chicken feathers into the dining room. On the streets, live performances by Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem would take place from time to time, while Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew perform experiments ending up in chaos.
Other restaurants and shops in the area are also included in Hollywoodland. One of these restaurants would be the Copperfield Magic Underground, combining a restaurant with magic live entertainment. The façade would have a 45-foot statue of Copperfield with 18-foot tall gas torches on either side of him. Every hour, a 90-second light show presentation takes place, beckoning passersby inside. Inside, diners would find themselves inside a 70-foot tall atrium with gargoyles perched on the trusses above them. Located around them, would be giant video screens featuring pre-recorded segments of David where he would suddenly have an entire table seem to levitate right in front of them. Another segment had a selection of diners disappear and a lucky volunteer would have the opportunity to be cut in half via Copperfield’s famous death saw illusion. The Coconut Club would be a classic Hollywood restaurant, a hang-out for the growing Hollywood stars inside a Golden building with a dome-like roof, styled in art-deco. Next to the Coconut Club, Sunset Palace Gifts would sell Hollywoodland merchandise.
The On Air Café would be another interesting addition to Hollywoodland. While Guests would dine at this restaurant, they would be able to watch as actors perform on stage in TV shows. Guests would be placed in the role of being the live audience being present while specific TV shows are being taped. A few signs like ‘’applause’’, ‘’laugh’’, ‘’ahw’’ and ‘’surprise’’ would be present to create a totally interactive experience for diners at this restaurant. So, what do you think of Hollywoodland? Does it miss anything that was never built? Would Hollywoodland be popular if it were to be built today? And where do you think it should have been/ should be built?
An analysis of extinct Disney theme park concepts and how these concepts could be revived and inspire a modern theme park.
Episode 2: Deep in the Jungles
‘’Here is adventure. Here is romance. Here is mystery. Tropical rivers silently flowing into the unknown. The unbelievable splendor of exotic flowers…the eerie sound of the jungle…with eyes that are always watching’’. Ever since these words of dedication were spoken by Walt Disney, Adventurelands, areas designed to look like vast tropical jungle civilizations have been opened at every single park around the park, each with quite a unique twist to it. Over the years we have seen many attractions, shows, restaurants and shows come and go which fit in this overall idea of Adventureland, not necessarily the locations it tries to conjure. Serving as the entrance to this land is the original entrance that was found at Disneyland in 1955. The rest of the land captures the feeling that Adventureland originally had, although it features former attractions from Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot as well.
One of the first attractions we will find is the Discovery River Boats, which would actually receive a boarding dock similar to Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. This attraction served as a means of transportation around Animal Kingdom, but is brought back to act as the park’s Jungle Cruise. As Guests walk up to the dock, they notice that each boat has a specific name, Manatee Maiden, Leaping Lizzard, Scarlet Flamingo, Otter Nonsense, Hasty Hippo, Crocodile Belle and Darting Dragonfly. As you cruise the Discovery River of Adventureland, you’ll pass by many different scenes. A series of active African geysers, whimsical water sculptures, mysterious caves in which a fire-breathing creature spews fire at the boats and even a prehistoric Iguanodon bathing and playing in the river. In addition to the lost Discovery River scenes, I think it would be an interesting opportunity to revive some of the lost scenes of the Jungle Cruise. This includes the return of a pair of menacing gorillas, the original lions scene, the charging rhinos, the bullfrogs, the wandering giraffes, the Amazon canopy and the fog effect.
Hidden in the jungles a mysterious, yet well-maintained building. This is the Dino Institute. In the courtyard in front of this museum-institute, we see a sculpture of a styracosaurus frozen in the middle of an infinity pool. It’s a static entrance, yet it’s got nothing on what awaits within the building, which is Countdown to Extinction. In the queue we pass by a full-fledged dinosaur gallery, offering mosaics, murals and dioramas depicting life during the Cretaceous period, before the extinction-enducing asteroid that collided with Earth killed over half of all species for good. The institute’s greatest treasure awaits within a great domed concourse, a complete skeleton of an ancient predator called carnotaurus. As we exit the old static galleries, we’re invited inside the briefing room for a communique with Dr. Marsh herself. She asks Guests to help her make history today with the time rover, by bringing back a creature, an Iguanodon, from the Cretaceous period. The Time rover is a lumbering 12-passenger off-roading vehicle designed to tackle the rough terrain of the Prehistoric times, using EMV system.
As it hums to life at the loading dock, it seems to shuffle and vibrate with power, heading straight ahead into the security scanning zone around the corner. The rover pauses as a green security beam sweeps over the vehicle. An alarm goes off signaling that our destination is unapproved, but it’s too late. The vehicle races through the Time Tunnel and ends up in a dense forest at the other side, almost bumping into a styracosaurus. During the ride we’ll encounter many different prehistoric creatures. All the scenes will be altered back to its’ opening day version and any reference to Dinosaur is removed. In addition to this, the scenes of the Universe of Energy featuring dinosaurs will be implemented in the ride, but upped with new modern technology to fit in with the rest of the ride’s quality and realism. The ride’s climax features a few encounters with the blood-thirsty Carnotaurus, before getting saved by the Iguanodon, following you back to our modern age. Around the area, we would also be able to meet Lucky the Dinosaur and Val the Velociraptor, adding some interactivity in the area.
Serving as this Adventureland’s Pirates of the Caribbean we will have El Rio del Tiempo. Hidden in a native Aztec temple, overgrown by the Jungle’s plant life, we will find the entrance to this attraction. The ride’s scale will be largely altered from it’s a small world type of ride to Pirates of the Caribbean flume ride. Guests board a boat and pass in front of another Aztec pyramid with an active volcano in the background, erupting as we pass by. Enterting a tunnel on the far side of the tunnels, the spirit of an Aztec priest appears to take us on a journey through the history of Mexico. Live-action scenes depict vignettes from Aztec mythology and culture, including the spirits of the four elements creating the world, the clash of good and evil between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca and assorted dances and rituals.
Mexico’s colonial years are represented with a large show scene of a festival taking place during Dias de los Muertos. This scene will not look like the It’s A Small World type of dolls, but instead like the Pirate Village scene in the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Leaving the festival takes us into present day. This section begins with recreational activities such as waterskiing, scuba diving and cliff-diving(causing us to pass down a drop along the cliff-divers). As we come into town, we pass by peddlers in a market following our boat to sell us souvenirs. The finale takes place in Mexico City at night with a grand fiesta of fireworks and life size marionettes dancing in a kazeebo. Before arriving at the unload area, we pass a large map of Mexico and the Aztec priest’s voice returns to offer us a farewell.
In Adventureland village, we find that there are many other places to explore. One is hidden in a building in Caribbean style and architecture. Inside is The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow. This is an immersive theatrical experience in which Guests will actually get to follow in the footsteps of Captain Jack Sparrow himself to see if they have what it takes to be pirates and be members of his crew. They’re guided through the adventure by an embodied talking skull, and he puts them through their paces and allows them to face a skeleton army, Davy Jones, mermaids and the Kraken. Nearby is the Tahitian Terrace, a restaurant offering food and live entertainment inspired by the islands of Polynesia. The waterfall curtains part, the band fills the warm evening air with island rhythms and the dancers give you a tour of Polynesia with graceful hip and hand movements. It even features a thrilling fire-knife dance, during which flames leap from the water.
Inside a theater themed to African architectural styles hosts The Legend of the Lion King. This show features Disney Humanimals, which are larger than life figures that look just like their animated film counterparts. In the pre-show, we meet up with Rafiki, a costumed actor with a mouth moving along with the narration. After Rafiki’s introduction and the story of Simba, the Circle of Life song and a scene start to play on a large screen behind him. Guests then move into a large show theater, where they are treated to a puppeteered version of key moments from The Lion King, similar to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Sunkist, I Presume dining option has returned and serves its’ orange juice, lemonade, lemon meringue pies and orange cheesecakes.
Also in the village is the Big Safari Shooting Gallery. The gallery features 12 riffles and offers a very wide variety of targets, including many wild animals and jungle artifacts that are activated if the targets are hit. One of the most exiting features of Adventureland, however, is the return of Pleasure Island’s Adventurers Club. This restaurant is themed after a private club for world travelers and explorers and is set in 1937. The walls of the club are covered with artifacts and photographs from various explorations. It also features animatronics, puppets, and a cast of adventurers performing shows and improvisational comedy while mingling with the club’s patrons. A few other return dining options are the Adventureland Veranda from the Magic Kingdom and the Tropical Cantina from Disneyland. For shops, go to the Safari Outpost, the Tiki Tropic Shop, Traders of Timbuktu or Oriental Imports, which offer a wide variety of souvenirs and merchandise. Would an Adventureland like this be successful today? Do we miss anything that Adventureland, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios has left in yesterday?
Dreaming of ideas for possible future Disney movie releases.
Episode 1: Red
The Walt Disney Company is known for bringing many of our favorite fairy tales, myths, folktales and legends to the screen in a most exciting way. This is how we have come to learn and love stories like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Hercules and Alice in Wonderland. Disney is also known for loosely basing its’ movies on classic stories like what they did with Frozen and the Snow Queen, The Princess and the Frog and the Frog Prince and The Lion King and Hamlet. The last category bases itself on stories that they have created themselves like Lilo and Stitch, Zootopia and Wreck-It Ralph. Looking back at that first and second category, I think several famous stories are yet to be adapted as Disney movies. One of these stories is a classic one found in Italian, French and German origins as La Finta Nonna, Le Petit Chaperon Rouge or Rotkäppchen, which translates to Little Red Riding Hood.
Originally, the story revolves around a girl called Little Red Riding Hood, named after her magical red hooded cape that she wears. Her mother asks her to deliver food to her sickly grandmother and orders her to stay strictly on her path as she passes through the woods. On her way, however, she meets a wolf who wants to eat the girl and the food in her basket. He suggests the girl to pick some flowers for her grandmother, which she does. In the meantime, the wolf goes to her grandmother’s house, swallows the old lady and then waits for the little girl, disguised as the grandma. When the girl arrives she notices her grandmother looks different. The wolf jumps out of bed and eats up the girl after she asks why she has such a big mouth. He then falls asleep. Luckily, a hunter passes by the cottage and notices the sleeping wolf. He comes to the rescue and cuts open the sleeping wolf, freeing the unharmed Red and her grandmother. They then fill the wolf’s body with heavy stones. The wolf awakens and attempts to flee, but the stones cause him to collapse and die, or, in a different version, he gets pushed down a well, which are both pretty dark versions of the story.
The story’s meaning has been interpreted in many different ways. The one we know best is the warning about talking to strangers. It is also seen as a representation of puberty. The girl leaves her home, enters a rebellious state and by going through the acts of the tale, is transformed into a mature woman by the act of coming out of the wolf’s stomach. The act of coming out of the wolf’s stomach is also seen as rebirth as Little Red Riding Hood foolishly followed the advice of a stranger and refused to listen to her own mother. The last one of the stories’ interpretations also includes negative connotations in terms of rape or abduction. This type of interpretation focuses on the empowerment of women and portrays the Grandmother and Red as strong women successfully defending themselves against the wolf. Obviously, the basis of the story, serves as a perfect contender for a Disney animated movie. However, for a modern audience it really needs some changes. A modern Disney animated movie based on Little Red Riding Hood needs more depth, humor, songs, a meaning and definitely the direction of female empowerment instead of helplessly being saved by a huntsman. In ABC’s Once Upon A Time we see an empowered version of Little Red, where she (spoilers ahead) turns out to be a werewolf tormenting her town and wears her magic cape to keep her from turning into the monster. In Disney’s Into the Woods, she wears the cape as it is made by her Granny and it’s one of the 4 objects needed to undo the Witch’s curse.
If I were Disney I would base the story around a girl (I’m not sure about a suited name, I feel like Sophie, Mary or Robin could work) who is inspired by her grandmother, who could possibly be married to Peter from Peter and the Wolf and was known for hunting down dangerous wolfs. At a young age, she is gifted a red hood by her grandmother, which she wears all the name and thus people have started to call her Red. Red’s mother has grown up in fear of wolves and other dangers outside, causing her to become extremely protective of her daughter and refuses to call her Red, even though the girl prefers the name (possibly including a backstory of Red’s father who gets killed by either a wolf or something else). Red has become quite rebellious and wants to explore the world. She causes trouble in her village by for example stealing sweets and bread from the Baker Shop (similar to what she does in Into the Woods). When she gets caught, she convinces people that it’s for her sick grandmother. When her mother catches her on her misbehavior, she becomes mad and grows really strict, almost like Mother Gothel in Tangled. When her grandmother actually falls sick, Red immediately wants to visit and take care of her, yet her mother refuses to let her go and warns her of all the dangers that are out there.
Red tells her mother that she has prepared a basket, which she wants deliver the next day to make sure granny is going to be okay. However, Red can’t go, because she has to learn her lesson first and her mother doesn’t believe Red can do it. This causes Red and her mother to fight. At night, Red ignores her mother’s orders, because she wants to prove to her mother that she is able to take her responsibility and of course to help and see her poor grandmother. She sneaks out of the house with the basket. In the woods, she encounters a sneaky wolf, similar to Johnny Depp’s character in Into the Woods, disguised to look like a man. He plans to eat the little girl, but for some reason can’t because of her cape (which ends up being enchanted). He recognizes the symbol on the cape as a signature of Red’s grandmother and asks her if they’re related and why she is in the woods. He tries to trick her by giving her advice to take off her hood and pick flowers. However, Red is not to be tricked and doesn’t trust his advice. His appearance is at first not revealed, but only after Red continues her path, he shows that he’s a wolf to the audience.
On her path she grows tired and finds a place to sleep. Her mother finds out about her absence and asks the village’s huntsman to find her. The huntsman doesn’t see any harm in the situation, makes fun of her, but does decide to send his son off into the woods to look for Red (believing that even HE could find her). However, he finds himself encountering the wolf. This time, the wolf isn’t stopped by an enchanted hood and immediately jumps at the young hunter. Red luckily passes by and bravely stops the wolf with the help of her hood. The young huntsman and Red befriend each other and even though the huntsman tries to bring Red back to the village at first, Red convinces him to join her on her trip to her Grandmother. The wolf decides to take revenge and pays a visit to Granny. This is not the easiest thing as she has set traps around her house to protect herself from the wolves. The wolf tries once, but Granny’s traps and strength cause his mission to fail. He then decides to make a red hood of his own and disguises himself as Red. This time he successfully tricks Granny and although she struggles and fights, she ends up to be too weak, because of her illness. The huntsman and Red reach the house, which looks to be quite normal. However, inside the wolf has disguised himself as Granny, waiting for Red to come in. In the meantime, Red’s mother has grown annoyed with the ignorance of her fellow towns’ people. Saddened, she looks at photo albums of her and her daughter when they were much closer. She also finds photos of herself and her parents, but two pages were stuck to each other. She carefully tries to reveal the page and discovers old photos of herself, her husband and her parents hunting for wolves. We find out that she has grown afraid, because of guilt what has happened to her father and husband. Yet one picture reveals that it just was not her fault. The mother grows courage and decides to look for her daughter herself.
The huntsman ends up getting trapped in one of the wolf traps, leaving Red having to go inside by herself to help not only her grandmother, but also her trapped friend. She takes off her hood and approaches her grandmother. This is when the classic scene happens where Red suspiciously asks why her grandmother looks so different (almost in a funny and offending way at first, telling her she has gained a lot of weight and indeed does look terrible, because of the illness). When she tries to give her grandmother some medicine, the disguised wolf refuses to take it and tells Red that she already feels better. “Why Granny, why do you have such a big mouth?’’. The wolf replies that it’s much easier to eat little girls like her with his large mouth and then tries to attack her. The wolf is known to swallow his victims, but leaving them unharmed so that it causes them to slowly but surely die in his stomach. Red and the wolf fight. Just in time, her mother arrives and helps Red as she is almost eaten by the wolf. Red reaches for her hood and continues the battle with the wolf, helped by her mother. They release Granny and give her medicine. Red proudly tells her that she took her responsibility and defeated the wolf. Granny then reveals that her hood is enchanted, which disappoints Red.
At that moment, the wolf wakes up from his unconscious state and swallows Red’s mother and Granny. He also sheers the hood to pieces, leaving a shocked and sad Red in a difficult situation. Red feels like there is no use to fighting if she doesn’t have her hood. The wolf slowly nears, feeling he has won the battle, but just at that moment the huntsman enters, shocked by everything he discovers inside. Red tells him to leave while he still can, but he tries to convince her to fight him. Red tells him about the hood, but the huntsman notices that there are two hoods, the real one and the wolf’s fake one. The real one is destroyed, but the fake one is still where the wolf left it before. The huntsman then tells Red that she is been wearing a fake one, she can do this without the hood. And that’s when Red actually realizes she can fight the wolf and release her mother and Granny. She succeeds and then scares off the wolf so that he never returns to her village or her family. She hugs her family, but her mother is still disappointed. Red apologizes and starts crying, she just wanted to prove herself. Her mother realizes she had been too strict and starts crying as well. The three women then encourage themselves to become a team of town protectors. The huntsman and the women prove to the huntsman’s father that he was wrong, causing the town to choose for the team of empowered women instead of the old hunter. And even though Red has lost her real cape, she still wears the fake one to honor her Granny and as a reminder that she herself is strong enough and doesn’t need magic to fix her problems.
I think that if Disney manages to tell the story this way, they truly add a story about female empowerment to their list of films. Additionally, it would reflect on a difficult bond between a rebellious daughter and an overprotective mother, teach children about obedience, not talking to strangers and believing in themselves. On the less serious note, I think the movie could be a combination of comedy, tragedy, action and music, telling a story about friendship, courage and family. When it comes to music I feel like there could be 10 songs, excluding the background soundtrack. The first one could be sort of a lullaby telling the story of Granny and her battle with the wolves, the creation of the red hood with Red not knowing it is enchanted and the fear of Red’s mother. Our second song takes place when Red is causing trouble in her village and is sung by Red herself and the annoyed town people (a bit like One Jump from Aladdin and Belle from Beauty and the Beast). Then a song, somewhat similar to Mother Knows Best from Tangled takes place when the mother warns Red of the dangers outside and points out her irresponsible behavior. The song following our last one will be Red’s response to this when she runs away from home to help her Granny and will be similar to when Vaiana leaves her island. The wolf’s song is next and will be another popular Disney villain song, with the wolf asking his questions and trying to trick Red.
The next song is based on when Red’s mother tries to ask for help from the hunter. The hunter sings about all the times asked for help, which ended up being false alarm (based on The Boy Who Cried Wolf). Then a song is played when the young hunter and Red have grown to become friends. This will be a fun song about friendship and helping each other out of trouble. Back in the town, when the mother looks in her photo albums, she sings a reprise of the opening scene, but with different lyrics. After she discovers the photos that reveal the truth about the past, the song grows stronger, symbolizing her growing courage. In Granny’s house, Red and the wolf take part in a duet where Red shares her suspicions, while the wolf tries to think of logical explanations. The last song starts with Red apologizing to her mother and the other way around as well, but then grows stronger and happier celebrating the defeat of the wolf and the happy ending in the town. I imagine Red to be similar to the character in Into the Woods and a mix of Rapunzel and Vanellope von Schweetz, Red’s mother would be similar to Eleanor from Brave and Mother Gothel, Granny would be similar to the character from Once Upon A Time, the old hunter would be similar to an older Gaston or Brom Bones, the young hunter would be similar to Milo from Atlantis and the Big Bad Wolf would be similar to B’rer Fox, the Big Bad Wolf, Hades and Doctor Facilier. I think, with some more professional adjustments, I would definitely watch this movie and be impressed by this addition to the Disney family. What do you think a Disney movie based on Little Red Riding Hood would and/or should look like? And what are other stories you would like to be seen adapted as Disney movies?
One of these stories is a classic one found in Italian, French and German origins as La Finta Nonna, Le Petit Chaperon Rouge or Rotkäppchen, which translates to Little Red Riding Hood.
One of my favorite useless facts, the German and Italian versions actually translate as Little Red Cap. This has been your mickeyfan useless fact of the day.
One of my favorite useless facts, the German and Italian versions actually translate as Little Red Cap. This has been your mickeyfan useless fact of the day.
This series envisions and will describe what I believe could and should be done to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort to expand and improve from what it is now and what it is planning to do, like adding Marvel and Frozen themed lands.
Episode 1: Royal Elegance
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort was Disney’s 5th theme park resort and continues the company’s tradition of evoking happiness, innocence and the sharing of memory-making experiences in new and unique ways, through immersive attractions like Mystic Manor in which Guests witness exotic museum artifacts spring to life before your eyes and themed areas like Fantasyland and Toy Story Land, providing a world of experiences unlike anything else in the world. Although, Hong Kong Disney has been struggling from the start and lacked a lot of original attractions, it has been growing fast over the last 5 years and continues to do so with ambient plans like Arendelle, a castle transformation and a Marvel themed land coming to the park soon. I believe that if Disney manages to figure out and sufficiently expand on their current park in Hong Kong, they will soon look at possibilities to add a second gate to the resort. The resort has enough space and definitely doesn’t lack the audience’s interest in expansion. But what could a theme for this park be? For me, this theme would be Gardens and Nature. That’s why Disney’s Gardens of Magic would bring a whole new world and theme, unfamiliar to Disney to their list of theme parks. The park would not only offer quality entertainment and impressive attractions, but would also pay extensive attention to detail when it comes to its’ landscaping and gardens. These gardens would be inspired by real-life quality gardens, similar to the Dutch Keukenhof, Dubai’s Miracle Garden, the French Gardens of Versailles and the Japanese Kenrokuen.
So this park would feature many different themed areas themed to gardens and plant-life and its story would basically focus around Mickey Mouse finding a secret garden. In this secret garden he finds different seeds, which grow out to beautiful and immersive garden areas. One of these areas, which we are going to dive into in this episode is Court Gardens. Court Gardens is inspired by the Dutch Garden (known for its dense atmosphere and efficient use of space), the English Landscape Garden (presenting an idealized view of nature, drawing inspiration from paintings of landscapes by Pousin and Lorrain) and the French Formal Garden (a garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature, often seen in the French Renaissance). Court Gardens is an area filled with royal Disney castles that truly represent these gardens and therefore will act like the Princess Fantasyland-like area of the park.
One of the castles that is going to be present is the Beast’s Castle from Beauty and the Beast, which will be dominantly inspired by the animated movie version, but features more realistic details which are also inspired by the live action movie. The castle is surrounded by pine trees and rocky waterfalls. A stone bridge actually leads to the castle, perched on top of rocks, but quite accurate to its actual scale, similar to what Tokyo Disneyland is doing in Fantasyland. Around the castle you’ll find the classic French Formal Gardens. These gardens are based on the Human Again and Something There scenes in the animated movie, the garden scenes in the live-action version and the famous Gardens of Versailles in France, which have inspired the style of the two movies. The French Formal Garden is known for a geometrical plan using perspective and optics, a terrace overlooking the garden, constrained and directed vegetation (trees are planted in straight lines, carefully trimmed and their tops are trimmed at a set height), the residence or castle serves as the central point of the garden, a central axis or perspective perpendicular to the façade of the residence, most elaborative parterres or planting beds (in shapes of squares, ovals, circles or scrolls)(with the ones near the residence filled with broderies to resemble the patterns of a carpet and the ones further away replaced with simple parterres filled with grass, often containing fountains or basins of water), bodies of water which serve as mirrors and the animation of the garden by placing pieces of sculpture.
In the garden you can find flower topiaries of the characters from Beauty and the Beast, which are similar to the ones find at Epcot during the Flowers and Garden Festival. Le Salon de Thé offers Guests a seat in a Renaissance-styled teahouse placed in the court garden of the Beast’s Castle. Inside we find out that this is where Belle often goes to read her books and enjoy the view of the gardens. Inside the castle itself we find several ourselves at the Main Foyer of the castle where we are given the choice of different themed experiences. One of these experiences is The Be Our Guest Restaurant. Enter the Beast’s Enchanted castle for an unforgettable breakfast, lunch or sit-down dinner. Feast on French-inspired fare in the classic Ballroom inspired by the magnificent baroque ballroom with its high domed ceiling, chandeliers and snow-laced Gothic arches. Another option is visit Madame de Garderobe’s Wardrobe, a shop where you can find Beauty and the Beast merchandise as well as many different costumes, based on the movies and classic French clothes. The biggest and most interesting experience inside the castle is The Enchanted Castle Tour.
In this walkthrough attraction we enter the Beast’s enchanted mirror and travel back in time to when the story of Beauty and the Beast is taking place. On the other side we will meet the cursed forms of Mrs. Potts, Lumiѐre, Chip, Cogsworth and Plumeau who guide us through the castle’s many places of interests. During the tour we’ll pass by the West Wing, The East Wing (including Belle’s bedroom), the minor and major dining rooms, the library, the boiler room and the ballroom. This attraction is based on Enchanting Tales with Belle and an unbuilt attraction that was once envisioned for Disneyland Paris’ Fantasyland and was somewhat similar to the Enchanted Tiki Room. Famous scenes would be recreated during the attraction like an encounter with Wardrobe in Belle’s Room, a scary scene featuring the Beast in the West Wing, a romantic ballroom dance, a spectacular Be Our Guest scene and an impressive fight and finale scene. I feel like even though Beauty and the Beast deserves a dark ride, it definitely is strong and popular enough to be a walkthrough attraction.
Our next castle is themed to Cinderella’s castle. It is again inspired by the one in the animated Cinderella movies and way more accurate in comparison to Orlando’s and Tokyo’s Cinderella Castles. The most interesting and impressive feature of the area is the influence of the style of the original Cinderella movie, which is largely created by Mary Blair. The gardens are less Versailles-like and are more inspired by the English Landscape Gardens featuring a less strict maintenance of nature. Characteristically it is filled with eye-catchers: grottoes, temples, tea houses, belvederes, pavilions, sham ruins, bridges and statues, graveled walks, tree plantations, shrubberies and a pond. There are however also lot of pillars with plant vases on top and fountains. Inside the castle we find Cinderella’s Midnight Journey. The queue winds through some of the majestic rooms of the castle and even includes funny and small animated scenes like the mice appearing in hidden corners of the room. In the attraction we meet the Fairy Godmother who wants to tell us about Cinderella’s story and with the use of magic creates pumpkin carriages that serve as our transport through the story. In the attraction, we’ll pass by famous scenes like Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boo, A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes, Sing Sweet Nightingale, The Mice Making A Dress for Cinderella, The Evil Stepsisters tearing the dress up, So this is love, a speedy escape from the castle somewhat similar to the thrill of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, the shoe fitting and a grand finale. The vehicles will use the EMV system to simulate a smoother, yet more realistic horse carriage experience. Also inside the castle is the Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique, an enchanted beauty salon that offers magical makeovers for princesses and knights by our Fairy Godmothers-in-Training.
Another area in Court Gardens is Sleeping Beauty Castle, which is similar to the castle at Disneyland Paris, but also again bases itself more on the style of the original movie. The film was styled after classic medieval tapestries and the historic works of Dutch, Italian and Greek Masters. It is almost as if the whole area is created in layers, like the film was as well. Strong verticals dominate the landscape deep rows of tall trees stretch out through the forest and in Stefan’s castle columns, tapestries and hanging manuscripts stretch the enormous height of the ballroom. The gardens around the castle will be inspired by the Dutch Garden, which is very simplistic, straight and efficient, yet beautiful. The description given to a Dutch Garden is a rectangular garden space, often enclosed within hedges or walls, even if part of a larger garden or parkland. It is laid in symmetrical arrangements, features highly coloured flowers, edged with shrubs or low walls and sometimes with artificial water, fountains or water butts. Inside the castle we can find King Stefan’s Banquet Hall, based on the dining hall in the movie, where Stefan and Huber enjoy their feast and sing Skumps. Enjoy live music by the kingdom’s minstrel while you try medieval meals. Also inside is a Sleeping Beauty Walkthrough similar to the ones found at Disneyland Paris and Disneyland in Anaheim. Lastly there is Aurora’s Surprise Party, which is similar to an experience that was originally planned for Walt Disney World’s New Fantasyland Expansion. This Play and Greet experience would let Guests celebrate Aurora’s birthday with the Good Fairies. Why no big attraction for Sleeping Beauty? Well, that’s because it will receive an attraction in another themed area of the park.
Our last castle is The Prince’s Castle from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is the golden castle that appears at the end of the movie and is the place where the prince takes Snow White after awakening from her death-like sleep. Although the castle will be loosely based on the one we see in the movie, its major influence comes from real-life castles found in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which truly capture the feeling of the movie. The castle is surrounded by forestland and gardens inspired by German court gardens (which take their inspiration from Dutch and English gardens). Besides a wishing well, we can find the entrance to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Cars ride. Instead of a mine train, Guests will board two connected swinging mine cars and not go through a re-telling of the story, but pass by scenes which are inspired by the famous movie moments like the diamond mine, the dwarfs crossing over a log, the silly yodel party at the Dwarfs’ cottage, a romantic horse ride between Snow White and the Prince and even an encounter with the evil Queen seeking revenge. Although all these sub-areas sound like they're separated, they will seamlessly be connected by castle walls, hedges, canals and forestland. This is how the park is different from the existing Disney parks as it brings a whole new style and focus on landscaping to life. So what do you think of the first area of Disney’s Gardens of Magic? Could a park like this work or should it need another theme or area design?
Sharing my vision of how Disneyland Resort Paris should have been instead of what Disney actually built in the end.
Episode 1: Cut The Scene
Disneyland Resort Paris is a beautiful resort that has a lot of pros when I look at its design. It manages to have a certain European feel to it, features many small detailed walkthroughs like the Nautilus, Dragon’s lair and the Aladdin walkthrough, it solved the Tomorrowland Paradox and features original locations and attractions like Phantom Manor, Le Chateau de Belle Au Bois Dormant and Skull Rock. However, there are a lot of wrongs when it comes to how Disney approached the construction, communication and design of the resort and that’s where this series is about. One of the things I feel like never fully worked was the opening of Walt Disney Studios Parc. Even though the park features e-ticket attractions like Crush Coaster, Tower of Terror, Ratatouille Adventure and Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster, the design was rushed and even the entire opening of the park was way too soon. Disney should have figured out the park they opened up at their resort in Paris first, before opening a park, which barely features attractions and lacks a logical flow. The park currently is shaped in a U, which just causes the park to have two dead ends. Also, I believe the theme lacks relevance. Films and studios are quite interesting themes for the European audience, but we are simply not raised with the overall magic of Hollywood and the enthusiasm of the European audience lacks greatly while a studio park needs interactivity.
It is sad that Disney is letting go of their studio themes, because I believe it could be pulled off. But then again, Disney never needed another studio park with one already present in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I guess it was just a cheap way to bring popular attractions and add capacity to the resort. If it were up to me, Disneyland Paris’ second gate shouldn’t have been themed to studios and films, but should have celebrated Europe as a collection of different cultures and values. Europe has always been home to many different stories and that’s why I feel like this mix between Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot would have been perfect for the resort. Now, I know of the existence of the German Europapark, which features areas themed to some European countries, as well as an Adventureland, Fairy Tale Land and Arthur and the Minimoys themed area. To avoid too much similarities I believe that instead of separate countries, Disney’s Europa should feature areas themed to collections of countries, Scandinavia, British Isles, Baltics etc. But instead of sticking to the traditional idea of ‘’themed areas in a theme park’’, the park features transitions but no strict themed areas, simply because it’s impossible to clearly put one country in one group of countries. Some people believe that it is irrelevant to theme something at Disney to something Guests can visit from an hour or a few hours away, but I believe that if the experience is relevant enough and manages to create a ‘’magical’’ environment it certainly doesn’t hurt to celebrate what a certain area, region or continent is known for.
One of the areas I’d bring to Disney’s Europa would be themed to North Western Europe, which would represent France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and the Netherlands. Instead of explicitly representing these countries, I believe the area should try and capture the feeling you get when you travel through these countries and especially resemble some major characteristic locations. This is why, if Guests walk around this area they’ll feel like they are walking around this area they’ll find themselves in sub-areas themed to the Parisian Avenues, Canals of Amsterdam, Swiss mountain villages and Rhine riverside walkways. But instead of just representing the big cities of Northwestern Europe (Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern and Vienna), the area also captures the feeling of the real Europe, the Europe outside the famous picture locations. And how will the difference be made between which stories are represented in Disney’s Europa and which ones in Disneyland Park’s Fantasyland for example. Well, I believe when a Disney movie truly takes viewers to another world of magic, doesn’t truly represent culture or just focuses on the aspect of magic, it belongs in Fantasyland. This is why I think Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Frozen, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast etc. fit the Fantasyland theme way better than what Disney’s Europa is about.
One of our sub-areas in Northwestern Europe is themed to Paris, which is obviously one of Europe’s capitals. One attraction that is currently present in Walt Disney Studios Parc would actually still be present at this park, which is Ratatouille Adventure. Its’ name would be changed to Ratatouille: Remy’s Culinary Calamity. Shrink down to the size of Remy and duck, dive, dodge and scurry to safety in a dazzling chase across a gigantic kitchen. Place de Remy, although different from the version we currently know, celebrates the culture, the architecture and France’s food, which we have been to introduced in Disney Pixar’s Ratatouille. That’s why I believe this version of the attraction should really put a bigger emphasis on France’s culinary side, by passing by various French dishes, recipes or just subtle hints to French chefs and food. In addition to that, I think the ride really misses physical effects and depends a lot on screen effects, therefore I’d add water, wind and even some audio animatronics to truly compliment the overall ride experience. Instead of being able to visit Chez Remy, I think a fully immersive La Ratatouille experience would better represent Disney’s Europa. This 5-star restaurant represents the high-class culinary side of France and offers classic dishes like Coq au Vin, Beef Bourguignon and of course Ratatouille. However, Chez Marianne, a boutique named as an homage to the iconic symbol of the French Republic, will be present at Place de Remy.
This will not be the only representation of Paris. We will also be able to explore the Île de la Cité. It is here that we can find the famous Notre- Dame Cathedral. Inside we will find an attraction themed to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In the queue we will find many references to Victor Hugo, one of France’s most talented authors. The ride itself however is themed after the 1996 animated Disney film. It is hosted by Chopin who attempts to retell the story of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Phoebus, Frollo and the fate of Paris with his puppets. Guests would board vehicles that are similar to Tower of Terror’s, but themed differently and it would actually feature a KUKA arm system as well. They would then pass through memorable scenes from the movie and even fall down the clock tower in a similar way to what The Tower of Terror managed to do, but just for a short moment. The story is told through audio animatronics, puppets, screens and moving stained glass images. Le Coq Fier would be a typical Parisian Café with a terrace overlooking the pathways and would serve typical French dishes like crepes, oysters and croques, while La Liberte Boulangerie et Patisserie sells croissants, pains au chocolat, macrons and baguettes.
Passing around the corner, we might actually see Brussels’ Manneken Pis, a figure of a little boy urinating. Nearby is the Aux Gaufres de Bruxelles, a place serving typical Brussels and Liege waffels with optional toppings of cream, chocolate and fruits for example. ‘T Frietkot is where you can try Belgian fries with their custom Mayonnaise as well as many typical Dutch fried snacks from the classic Dutch snack wall. Den Sluwe Vos, would be a small bar themed to the stories of Reynard the Fox and would sell beers and snacks from Luxembourg, The Netherlands, France and Belgium(especially the custom Belgian Beers would be a must). The area would be themed to cities like Antwerp, Brussels, Brugge, Luik, Leuven, Ghent, Breda, Luxembourg and Utrecht. Next we would find ourselves walking past the canals of Amsterdam. This historic belt of canals give the old center of Amsterdam its iconic look and they are surrounded with typical Dutch buildings. Places you have to visit here are De Pannekoekenbakker, serving typical Dutch pancakes as well as some other dishes like Stamppot and Zuurkool, Den Vliegende Hollander would be a quick service fish restaurant serving fried trout, kibbeling and haring and De Zoete Inval, selling Dutch sweets, cookies as well as Belgian chocolate.
One other experience we would find here is The Dutch Bicycle Club. This would be a dark ride, somewhat similar to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, where we enter an old Amsterdam building and meet the members of the Dutch Bicycle Club. Guests would then board old Dutch bicycles and race around Amsterdam and the Dutch countryside, known for its windmills, flower fields, cows and polders. Scenes would include crashing through the famous Nightwatch painting by Rembrandt, a ride down a Dutch dike and a near collision with a group of cows. The Cheese Company would be a shop selling all kinds of Dutch cheese, the shop also offers trials. We would then move to the more German/Austrian/Swiss sub-area of Northwestern Europe. One of the main attractions here is the Rhine River Cruise. This was an attraction that was once envisioned for Walt Disney World’s Epcot, but was unfortunately never opened. The ride offers as a simulated boat ride down the Rhine and other rivers, while affording a visual impression of the cultural heritage of The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Among the detailed models envision are scenes in the Black Forest(including an encounter with the Black Forest Witch), the Oktoberfest, Heidelberg and Industrial Ruhr Valley. Connected to the Rhine River Cruise is the Biergarten restaurant where Guests celebrate Oktoberfest all year long with authentic German cuisine and lively entertainment.
An area representing the more classic German villages like Rothenburg Ob Den Tauber, Cochem and Achkarren am Kaiserstuhl also features the Secrets of the Grimm Library attraction, which will be a walkthrough attraction exploring the legacy of the Brothers Grimm, their search and the many stories they have collected in a way similar to Shanghai Disneyland’s Once Upon A Time Adventure. Besides this walkthrough the highlight of the area would actually be the Matterhorn Bobsleds rollercoaster, similar to the one found in Disneyland. However, this one would be based on the unbuilt attraction at Walt Disney World’s Epcot in which Guests would find a secret Olympic training camp and join the crew to train for the Bobsled races. Along the way they would encounter many dangers like crashed bobsleds blocking the way, small avalanches and stubborn mountain goats. Hurtle through a snow-capped mountain on a speeding alpine sled while avoiding the many obstacles you encounter along your way down. Der Alt Berliner Konditorei offers typical German cakes and sweet baked goods, while the Apres-Ski serves typical dishes like Wiener Schnitzels, Cheese fondue, Goulash and Tafelspitz accompanied by a beer or schnapps. The Heimat shop sells typical objects like wooden-carved cuckoo clocks, alpine walking sticks and Tyrolean hats. So what do you think of a Disney’s Europa park which would be opened way later than the current studios park did so that the resort had room to develop more than it did? Is there anything you would like to see at a park like this?
Disneyland Resort Paris is a beautiful resort that has a lot of pros when I look at its design. It manages to have a certain European feel to it, features many small detailed walkthroughs like the Nautilus, Dragon’s lair and the Aladdin walkthrough, it solved the Tomorrowland Paradox and features original locations and attractions like Phantom Manor, Le Chateau de Belle Au Bois Dormant and Skull Rock. However, there are a lot of wrongs when it comes to how Disney approached the construction, communication and design of the resort and that’s where this series is about. One of the things I feel like never fully worked was the opening of Walt Disney Studios Parc. Even though the park features e-ticket attractions like Crush Coaster, Tower of Terror, Ratatouille Adventure and Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster, the design was rushed and even the entire opening of the park was way too soon. Disney should have figured out the park they opened up at their resort in Paris first, before opening a park, which barely features attractions and lacks a logical flow. The park currently is shaped in a U, which just causes the park to have two dead ends. Also, I believe the theme lacks relevance. Films and studios are quite interesting themes for the European audience, but we are simply not raised with the overall magic of Hollywood and the enthusiasm of the European audience lacks greatly while a studio park needs interactivity.
It is sad that Disney is letting go of their studio themes, because I believe it could be pulled off. But then again, Disney never needed another studio park with one already present in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I guess it was just a cheap way to bring popular attractions and add capacity to the resort. If it were up to me, Disneyland Paris’ second gate shouldn’t have been themed to studios and films, but should have celebrated Europe as a collection of different cultures and values. Europe has always been home to many different stories and that’s why I feel like this mix between Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot would have been perfect for the resort. Now, I know of the existence of the German Europapark, which features areas themed to some European countries, as well as an Adventureland, Fairy Tale Land and Arthur and the Minimoys themed area. To avoid too much similarities I believe that instead of separate countries, Disney’s Europa should feature areas themed to collections of countries, Scandinavia, British Isles, Baltics etc. But instead of sticking to the traditional idea of ‘’themed areas in a theme park’’, the park features transitions but no strict themed areas, simply because it’s impossible to clearly put one country in one group of countries. Some people believe that it is irrelevant to theme something at Disney to something Guests can visit from an hour or a few hours away, but I believe that if the experience is relevant enough and manages to create a ‘’magical’’ environment it certainly doesn’t hurt to celebrate what a certain area, region or continent is known for.
One of the areas I’d bring to Disney’s Europa would be themed to North Western Europe, which would represent France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and the Netherlands. Instead of explicitly representing these countries, I believe the area should try and capture the feeling you get when you travel through these countries and especially resemble some major characteristic locations. This is why, if Guests walk around this area they’ll feel like they are walking around this area they’ll find themselves in sub-areas themed to the Parisian Avenues, Canals of Amsterdam, Swiss mountain villages and Rhine riverside walkways. But instead of just representing the big cities of Northwestern Europe (Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern and Vienna), the area also captures the feeling of the real Europe, the Europe outside the famous picture locations. And how will the difference be made between which stories are represented in Disney’s Europa and which ones in Disneyland Park’s Fantasyland for example. Well, I believe when a Disney movie truly takes viewers to another world of magic, doesn’t truly represent culture or just focuses on the aspect of magic, it belongs in Fantasyland. This is why I think Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Frozen, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast etc. fit the Fantasyland theme way better than what Disney’s Europa is about.
One of our sub-areas in Northwestern Europe is themed to Paris, which is obviously one of Europe’s capitals. One attraction that is currently present in Walt Disney Studios Parc would actually still be present at this park, which is Ratatouille Adventure. Its’ name would be changed to Ratatouille: Remy’s Culinary Calamity. Shrink down to the size of Remy and duck, dive, dodge and scurry to safety in a dazzling chase across a gigantic kitchen. Place de Remy, although different from the version we currently know, celebrates the culture, the architecture and France’s food, which we have been to introduced in Disney Pixar’s Ratatouille. That’s why I believe this version of the attraction should really put a bigger emphasis on France’s culinary side, by passing by various French dishes, recipes or just subtle hints to French chefs and food. In addition to that, I think the ride really misses physical effects and depends a lot on screen effects, therefore I’d add water, wind and even some audio animatronics to truly compliment the overall ride experience. Instead of being able to visit Chez Remy, I think a fully immersive La Ratatouille experience would better represent Disney’s Europa. This 5-star restaurant represents the high-class culinary side of France and offers classic dishes like Coq au Vin, Beef Bourguignon and of course Ratatouille. However, Chez Marianne, a boutique named as an homage to the iconic symbol of the French Republic, will be present at Place de Remy.
This will not be the only representation of Paris. We will also be able to explore the Île de la Cité. It is here that we can find the famous Notre- Dame Cathedral. Inside we will find an attraction themed to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In the queue we will find many references to Victor Hugo, one of France’s most talented authors. The ride itself however is themed after the 1996 animated Disney film. It is hosted by Chopin who attempts to retell the story of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Phoebus, Frollo and the fate of Paris with his puppets. Guests would board vehicles that are similar to Tower of Terror’s, but themed differently and it would actually feature a KUKA arm system as well. They would then pass through memorable scenes from the movie and even fall down the clock tower in a similar way to what The Tower of Terror managed to do, but just for a short moment. The story is told through audio animatronics, puppets, screens and moving stained glass images. Le Coq Fier would be a typical Parisian Café with a terrace overlooking the pathways and would serve typical French dishes like crepes, oysters and croques, while La Liberte Boulangerie et Patisserie sells croissants, pains au chocolat, macrons and baguettes.
Passing around the corner, we might actually see Brussels’ Manneken Pis, a figure of a little boy urinating. Nearby is the Aux Gaufres de Bruxelles, a place serving typical Brussels and Liege waffels with optional toppings of cream, chocolate and fruits for example. ‘T Frietkot is where you can try Belgian fries with their custom Mayonnaise as well as many typical Dutch fried snacks from the classic Dutch snack wall. Den Sluwe Vos, would be a small bar themed to the stories of Reynard the Fox and would sell beers and snacks from Luxembourg, The Netherlands, France and Belgium(especially the custom Belgian Beers would be a must). The area would be themed to cities like Antwerp, Brussels, Brugge, Luik, Leuven, Ghent, Breda, Luxembourg and Utrecht. Next we would find ourselves walking past the canals of Amsterdam. This historic belt of canals give the old center of Amsterdam its iconic look and they are surrounded with typical Dutch buildings. Places you have to visit here are De Pannekoekenbakker, serving typical Dutch pancakes as well as some other dishes like Stamppot and Zuurkool, Den Vliegende Hollander would be a quick service fish restaurant serving fried trout, kibbeling and haring and De Zoete Inval, selling Dutch sweets, cookies as well as Belgian chocolate.
One other experience we would find here is The Dutch Bicycle Club. This would be a dark ride, somewhat similar to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, where we enter an old Amsterdam building and meet the members of the Dutch Bicycle Club. Guests would then board old Dutch bicycles and race around Amsterdam and the Dutch countryside, known for its windmills, flower fields, cows and polders. Scenes would include crashing through the famous Nightwatch painting by Rembrandt, a ride down a Dutch dike and a near collision with a group of cows. The Cheese Company would be a shop selling all kinds of Dutch cheese, the shop also offers trials. We would then move to the more German/Austrian/Swiss sub-area of Northwestern Europe. One of the main attractions here is the Rhine River Cruise. This was an attraction that was once envisioned for Walt Disney World’s Epcot, but was unfortunately never opened. The ride offers as a simulated boat ride down the Rhine and other rivers, while affording a visual impression of the cultural heritage of The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Among the detailed models envision are scenes in the Black Forest(including an encounter with the Black Forest Witch), the Oktoberfest, Heidelberg and Industrial Ruhr Valley. Connected to the Rhine River Cruise is the Biergarten restaurant where Guests celebrate Oktoberfest all year long with authentic German cuisine and lively entertainment.
An area representing the more classic German villages like Rothenburg Ob Den Tauber, Cochem and Achkarren am Kaiserstuhl also features the Secrets of the Grimm Library attraction, which will be a walkthrough attraction exploring the legacy of the Brothers Grimm, their search and the many stories they have collected in a way similar to Shanghai Disneyland’s Once Upon A Time Adventure. Besides this walkthrough the highlight of the area would actually be the Matterhorn Bobsleds rollercoaster, similar to the one found in Disneyland. However, this one would be based on the unbuilt attraction at Walt Disney World’s Epcot in which Guests would find a secret Olympic training camp and join the crew to train for the Bobsled races. Along the way they would encounter many dangers like crashed bobsleds blocking the way, small avalanches and stubborn mountain goats. Hurtle through a snow-capped mountain on a speeding alpine sled while avoiding the many obstacles you encounter along your way down. Der Alt Berliner Konditorei offers typical German cakes and sweet baked goods, while the Apres-Ski serves typical dishes like Wiener Schnitzels, Cheese fondue, Goulash and Tafelspitz accompanied by a beer or schnapps. The Heimat shop sells typical objects like wooden-carved cuckoo clocks, alpine walking sticks and Tyrolean hats. So what do you think of a Disney’s Europa park which would be opened way later than the current studios park did so that the resort had room to develop more than it did? Is there anything you would like to see at a park like this?
This series envisions and will describe what I believe could and should be done to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort to expand in terms of a new gate which would be called Disney’s Gardens of Magic, themed to various types of gardens and nature.
Episode 2: Down The Rabbit Hole
From the delicate and elegant gardens of Court Gardens we travel through a tunnel of green, similar to the entrance of Alice’s Curious Labyrinth at Disneyland Paris. At the end of the tunnel we find ourselves in the Wonderland Gardens. This would be the first time that Lewis Carol’s Wonderland would be brought to life in a fully themed land at a Disney theme park. When Alice in Wonderland was released in 1951, it presented a whole new world of weird plants, creatures, people and even brought a special style of animation to the big screens. The tone of the story makes for a perfect opportunity to test out a land with tech-heavy, impressionistic attractions, details, restaurants and shops. Wonderland is a place where nothing is as it is supposed to be and everyone is what they aren’t supposed to be. It is home to many unusual creatures, such as talking flowers and insane animals. The vast majority of Wonderland is forested, though there are other areas such as a shoreline and a meadow of flowers, which offers a perfect opportunity for Disney to experiment with this garden theme by making it as immersive as lands as Pandora and the New Fantasyland expansion but by theming it after the extra peculiar landscape of Wonderland. Although, the garden will be somewhat inspired by British gardens, Wonderland will be an area to really test the boundaries of what you can do with flowers and plants, even if they are fictional.
This will also be the first time that the land of Wonderland will be fully-explorable as an immersive land, instead of just presenting a labyrinth or attraction in which you just pass by a few of Wonderland’s many points of interests. One of the more familiar areas is the March Hare’s House. In his yard is a long table covered entirely by tea cups, pots (which will smoke, swing and make sound), plates and other utensils usually used during teatime. Above his yard is a string of multicolored lanterns, illuminating the premises. It is here we are able to enjoy tea, sandwiches, scones, sweet pastries and cakes and celebrate our Unbirthday Party at the March Hare’s Café. And what exactly is an Unbirthday, well there is only one real birthday in the year, but there are 364 days left to celebrate your Unbirthday. While you dine, you might meet the March Hare, Alice and the Mad Hatter as they are always happy to greet and sing along with Guests. Near the house, you’ll find a green topiary of the three characters, similar to the one that is found in front of the Mad Tea Party attraction in Walt Disney World.
Speaking of the Mad Tea Party, this attraction will be very close to the March Hare’s Café. This classic spinning tea cup ride is currently present at five of the six Disneyland-style theme parks around the world and is also inspired by the Unbirthday Party scene in Alice in Wonderland. Sit down in a colorful teacup and turn the wheel in the center to change the speed and direction that the cup whirls. The attraction will receive some enhancements and changes. Instead of the classic 3 turn tables, this version will be way more similar to the version that was originally designed for Disneyland. In this version of the attraction the cups would be given a trackless system as they spin on a track around the famous tea table from the movie. On the table we would find advanced audio animatronic figures on the level of the dwarfs from the seven dwarfs mine train, the living furniture from the Enchanted tales with Belle, the shaman from Na’vi River Journey and the amazing figures from the upcoming Beauty and the Beast dark ride in Tokyo (which, if you haven’t seen the video of yet, it’s absolutely fantastic, you should watch it as soon as possible). Also on the table would be the many tea pots huffing and puffing steam. The attraction would be protected from the weather conditions with a canopy similar to the one found in Disneyland Paris. Around the attraction, you’ll find by hedges and flower beds. During the climax of the attraction, the Dormouse would be lunched from a large tea pot in the middle of the tea table and then slowly descend back into his sleepy state. Almost connected to the attraction would be Mad Hats, a shop selling hats in every color, shape and size you wish, which would also be the first time the Mad Hatter’s (animated) house would be brought to life. It would therefore feature many different references to him and reveal more about his backstory.
The home of the White Rabbit is also present in the park, but is represented by a large flower topiary and walkthrough building. From the outside we find out that the house is put into peril by the size-altering accidents of Alice and the Dodo’s efforts to smoke Alice out. A giant limited motion audio animatronic of Alice can be found in the house. From time to time, the window shutters to reveal an audio animatronic figure of the White Rabbit yelling for help. Inside you’ll find many details related to the White Rabbit and his story, although we have limited access to the various rooms as the giant Alice takes up too much space. We will also find a path where we are lead to a slide. This will be a slide similar to the one that was once present at the labyrinth in Disneyland Paris and leads Guests back outside the ride. In the slide, however, a sensor-activated effect will show how Bill the Lizard gets launched out the chimney and into the sky. Outside we will see a figure of Bill emerge from the chimney in combination with black smoke if someone goes down the slide. Next to the house, you can also find the White Rabbit’s carrot garden.
If you walk further, you’ll find yourself in The Meadow of Living Flowers. This is where Guests seamlessly shrink to the size of an ant and wander through the over-sized landscape. Around the area you might encounter rocking-horseflies, bread-and-butterflies and stumble upon a wide variety of flowers, roses, irises, daisies, pansies, tulips, the dandy pup and so much more. From time to time they’ll start interacting with Guests and even start singing their famous song, In The Golden Afternoon. Not too far away, you might find yourself eye-in-eye with a big blue caterpillar placed on a large mushroom. Eating parts of the mushroom allows humans like Alice to become giant or small. The caterpillar smokes a hookah from which colorful smoke rises, forming letters, words and even images that he refers to while speaking. This audio animatronic figure will be an interactive speaker that is able to have full conversations with Guests.
As we near the Castle of Hearts, we find a tree that is opened by the Cheshire Cat. It is here that we find the entrance to the Wonderland Labyrinth. Wander through your own adventure in wonderland. Embark on a fantastical voyage while the Cheshire Cat manages to confuse Guests along their quest to find the way to the Queen’s Castle. Encounter famous magical creatures, decipher conflicting signage and take on the Queen of Hearts’ daunting maze, where card soldiers pop up around every corner. The Queen herself appears a few times as well as she screams ‘’Off with their Heads!’’. Once you’ve made it to the castle intact, enjoy your reward; a beautiful view of Wonderland. Although the attraction is similar to the one in Disneyland Paris, it will solely focus on the Labyrinth of Roses. It is for this reason that the labyrinth will not only be an attraction, but also a garden itself, featuring shaped green hedges and rose plants. In addition to that, the labyrinth features many advanced audio animatronics like a hopping White Rabbit (similar to the B’rer Rabbit figure in Splash Mountain), playing cards painting roses red and a appearing and disappearing Cheshire Cat. The Castle of Hearts will also be home to the Queen of Heart’s Banquet Hall, where you can try drink-me drinks, eat-me cookies or size-changing mushroom quiches.
The most exciting feature of the Wonderland Garden will be the Alice’s Curious Adventures in Wonderland. In this trackless dark ride, similar to Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and the upcoming dark ride themed to Beauty and the Beast, we will find ourselves following Alice on her search to find the White Rabbit, mainly focusing on the scenes which aren’t very much represented in the area itself. This means we come face to face with the Doorknob, Dodo, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, the many creatures of the Tulgey Wood and confront the Queen of Hearts and her army of card soldiers. An attraction like this could really test the senses of Guest and use state-of-the-art technology to truly immerse them into the world of Alice. Wind your way along a curving path surrounded by surreal sights, dazzling colors and madcap music while realistic audio animatronics of these earlier mentioned characters will re-tell Alice’s adventure down the Rabbit Hole. Can you escape in time to find the White Rabbit? Curiouser and curiouser! At the exit of the ride, you’ll find the Wonderland Shoppe where you’ll be able to find the perfect Wonderland souvenir.
The last place you’re able to visit in Wonderland is based on the Walrus and the Carpenter, characters from a story told by Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. The story is known as the story of the Curious Oysters. Along this waterside area, you’ll find Fish Dinners, a restaurant built by the Carpenter in less than a few seconds. Inside you’ll find a wide variety of fish meals, including oysters and bread. If you’re lucky you’ll actually be able to meet the Walrus and/or the Carpenter as they wander around their restaurant. Around the area, you’ll also find topiaries and decorations which were once planned for the United Kingdom pavilion at Epcot including a giant Cheshire Cat flower field, The Mome Rath, a Croquet Tournament topiary and a giant Door Tunnel entrance. What do you think a Wonderland area should look like? And would it fit a garden themed theme park? Oh before I forget, because this park will feature the Alice in Wonderland presence, The Mad Hatter Tea Cups will be removed from Hong Kong Disneyland Park, but don’t be upset just yet as that will park will receive enough expansions to make up for the move of this classic attraction from one park to the other.
Sharing my vision of how Disneyland Resort Paris should have been instead of what Disney actually built in the end.
Episode 2: The Spirit of the North
Last time, we discussed the opening of Disney’s Europa instead of Walt Disney Studios Parc Paris. This park focuses on the cultures, stories, food, languages and overall feelings of European countries and features attractions, restaurants, shows and shops celebrating the different cultures of this continent. This time we’ll focus on another ‘’area’’ of the park, which is themed after the Nordic Countries. These countries are Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway. The territories of the Aland Islands, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Svalbard will also be represented. The Nordic countries have much in common in their way of life, history, religion, language and social structure and is therefore often called Scandinavia in short, but there are still in many ways differences between these countries. The area is known for its legendary voyagers, the Vikings, the many legendary creatures like trolls and Valkyries and because of its powerful Gods, Odin, Freya and Thor for example.
Copenhagen is one of the main areas represented in the Nordic area. The city is a pocket-sized fairy tale and at the same time, a buzzling and innovative hub of ideas. It is all there, the urban pulse in the cobbled streets, the castles, the bell towers, the artists, makers and the green grass, the hipster dream and the royal family. One of the most famous writers in the world, Hans Christian Andersen arrived in Copenhagen in 1819 where he wrote some of his well-known fairy tales. Inside one of Copenhagen’s highlight icons, the Rundetaarn, we will find the entrance to Andersen’s Flying Trunk. Let yourself be enthralled by the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen as you board a flying trunk inspired by Den Flyvende Kuffert. The attraction will be a suspended dark ride similar to Efteling’s Dreamflight.
The style of the attraction will be very similar to Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage at Tokyo DisneySEA in terms of audio animatronics and special effects. During the ride, Guests will pass by scenes based on stories like Kejserens Nye Klæder (The Emperor’s New Clothes), Den Lille Pige med Svvlstikkerne (The Little Match Girl), Den Lille Havfrue (The Little Mermaid), Nattergalen (The Nightingale), De Røde Sko (The Red Shoes) and Snedronningen (The Snow Queen). Although some of these stories have been adapted by Disney, I believe this ride could stay true to the original stories, but present them in a child-friendly way to the modern audience. This is why I believe the audio animatronic style of the Sinbad ride lends itself perfectly to a ride like this, so that it not only remains interesting, but also seperates itself from the Little Mermaid, The Emperor’s New Groove and Frozen.
In Norway, Finland and Sweden, we can find the Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes. It is an ancient mountain range, forming fjords and high peaks. Parts of these mountains will be recreated here for one of the park’s biggest and most exciting thrill rides, Jötunheimr. This is a mythical land home to Jötnar, the giants in Norse mythology, and trolls. From this land the giants menace the humans on Earth and the Gods in Asgard. During the attraction, which will be similar to Expedition Everest, we venture across the Scandes until we find Gastropnir, the protection wall for the dwelling of the human world. As the wall opens itself we enter the world of Giants and are forced to flee as the trolls and Jötnar cast spells and cause chaos along our way. The train races along the mountains, into the rivers and fjords and through famous territories in the legend of Jötunheimr like Útgarðar, the capital of Jotunheim and the stronghold of the Giants. The ride features special effects, impressive and large audio animatronics, twists and turns which all make up for a thrilling ride through the mythical side of Scandinavia.
Yet, for the real Disney fans, Maelstrom may be the most exciting attraction in the area. In this ride Guests board boats patterned after Viking ships and pass through scenes with audio-animatronic figure. Although the ride is similar to the extinct attraction at Epcot’s Norway pavilion, this version will be very different as it bases itself on the folklore and history of all the Nordic countries. The ride will also be much longer than the one that was found at Epcot. During the ride Guests go on an adventure to seek the Spirit of Scandinavia and to reveal the mystery behind the Northern Lights. While on their quest, Guests will encounter mythological creatures like trolls, giants, sea monsters, water spirits and Yule Lads. They will also venture to Asgard, the land of Gods where they will face Loki, Frigga, Odin and Thor for example, but will return to Earth with the help of the Valkyries who lead you back to the seas, cruising past mighty Viking ships. Scenes that will not return are the ones that are based on the Arctic region and the oil rigs. The ride will also be more thrilling as it features a few drops and even a powerful whirlpool leading to the lair of the Kraken.
Adventure and mystery lies amid colourful wooden houses and a Norwegian stave church. The architecture of the colourful buildings will truly blend the styles of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. The area offers a beautiful balance between nature and human influences, this is why the area is surrounded with water, rocky territory and trees, yet offers a sense of walking around Nordic cities or towns. For a taste of the Nordic Countries, there are many different options to choose from. Den Lille Havfrue will be a restaurant based around Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale and serves many different fish dishes, like roasted salmon, baked cod and rugbrød with salmon, tuna or crab. The restaurant has an indoor and outdoor area overviewing the nearby water, which features the famous statue from Copenhagen’s harbor. Den Gamla Bagerens Fru Bageri will serve some of Scandinavia’s most delicious bread goods and pastries including Snegle, Kringler and Semla.
Karusell will be a restaurant themed around the famous Danish theme park, Tivoli Gardens which has partly inspired the Disney parks as we know them today. The restaurant serves typical Scandinavian dishes such as Kødboller with mashed potatoes, Crayfish and Raggmunk and will be located in a small recreation of the Danish park including Ballongyngen (classic Ferris Wheel), Dyrekarrusellen (classic carousel) and LEGO Galejen, a canal boat ride based on LEGO. Lapin Grilli will be a Finnish steak and grill restaurant themed to the Lapland region serving more casual and traditionally Finnish dishes. Lastly, Eriksons would be a restaurant themed to Leif Ericson, a Norse explorer from Iceland, the first known European to have set foot on continental North America. The restaurant serves a wide variety of dishes, but mainly focuses on Icelandic Cuisine.
Besides eating, there are also a lot of shops which offer different kinds of souvenirs or Scandinavian handcrafts. Den Stolte Reinen and Trollhús are the two shops which offer the general souvenirs of Scandinavia like troll figurines, reindeer toys, keychains and t-shirts. Snogens Gamle Kunst is a smaller shop which sells skilled hand worked objects for daily use in the home, weaving, clothing, kitchen and eating utensils, decorative items and tools. Kejserens Nye Klæder will be a small store based on the Emperor’s New Clothes story by Hans Christian Andersen while Eventyrverden will sell toys and souvenirs based on the stories of Hans Christian Andersen near the exit of Andersen’s Flying Trunk attraction. Would you like to explore a theme park area like this? Or would you add something else to this area? What would you like to be able to explore in the rest of Disney’s Europa?
Series: Disneyland Down Under ~ What Might Have Been
Analyzing the plans that were discussed in the 90s to build a so called ‘Disney Wharf’ at Sydney Harbour. It was a project that not only included classic Disney elements for the time, but also themed hotels, a marina and ferry wharf, two new light-rail stations, a retail space, an entertainment quarter and a residential development. In this series we will look at what might have been if Disney did create Disneyland Down Under and how it might have developed throughout the years.
Episode 2: A land of imagination, hopes and dreams
We haven’t dived into the unbuilt resort that was once planned for Sydney for a while now. Last time, we replaced Frontierland with a whole new land, The Badlands, a land dedicated to Australia and its wilderness. This time however we’ll venture off into a land which is more familiar. A land where you can only dream of such stories as flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London, tumbling into Alice’s nonsensical Wonderland and riding an enchanted pumpkin coach with Cinderella, this is Fantasyland. Although, there were rumored attractions for this land, this version of Fantasyland will be based on the designs of the two resorts which were opened around it, Paris (1992) and Hong Kong (2005). The franchises represented will be based on popular choices in the previously mentioned resorts and the movies which were released before 2000 with the highest box office responses in Australia. Let’s say that in an alternate world, Disneyland Paris wouldn’t have been a financial crisis, this resort would be a resort where Disney would continue altering the original Castle park formula and would probably dare to for example focus on new things and enjoy the profitable franchises from the Disney Renaissance.
Every Fantasyland needs a castle. Personally, I believe there are too many Sleeping Beauty Castles and even two Cinderella Castles is somewhat odd to me. I have always wondered why one of the original princesses never received her own Disney park castle though, Snow White. She’s an original and popular character who truly deserves a tribute in a Disney theme park. Why I’m looking at separate princesses? Because I feel like the idea of a truly original concept of a Disney castle only popped up with the design of Hong Kong Disneyland, when they were opting a It’s A Small World styled castle, which wasn’t even built. Only in 2016, with the opening of Shanghai Disneyland and the reveal of the Enchanted Storybook Castle has disconnected with the original feature of having a castle themed after one story or princess. But what would a castle like this be like? It will be loosely based on the Evil Queen’s and Prince Ferdinand’s castles, but would again play it safer by focusing on designs similar to Cinderella Castle in Orlando and Tokyo and Le Chateau de Belle au Bois Dormant in Paris. Snow White's Fairy Tale Castle’s main colors would be white, red and purple, with shades of gold, beige and yellow as well.
Near the castle you can find The Wishing Well, where Guests can make a wish and even hear the echo of Snow White singing ‘’I’m Wishing’’. The proceeds of the well go to local children’s charities. Near the well, we can find statues of Snow White, the Seven Dwarves and a few woodland creatures. Snow White is standing at the top of a cascading waterfall. At night, the area looks even more magical as it appears that a million diamonds emerge from the rocks around the waterfall. The castle itself features many references to the movie from 1937, like woodland creatures worked into the castle’s design, the 7 spires of the castle, the 7 dwarfs holding up the indoor pillars of the building in a similar way to the 19-feet-tall dwarfs from the Ink and Paint Department Building at Walt Disney Animation Studios and the glass-in-lead windows re-telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Inside the castle we can also find the Once Upon A Time Adventure: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This castle walkthrough attraction would feature displays similar to the ones found in the walkthroughs in Anaheim and Paris. With the use of special effects, small audio animatronics and music we would pass by the movie’s most memorable scenes, including an encounter with the Evil Queen and her magic mirror, a party by the seven dwarfs and the famous princess herself and of course the true love’s kiss. The first scene would feature a recreation of the book that can be seen in the movie’s opening scene.
Besides that, we would be able to visit the Mountainside Treasures shop, toppling over with treasures from the Enchanted Forest and the Dwarfs’ mine, including apparel, toys and many other mementos inspired by the world of Snow White. The Fairest of Them All Boutique is where you can pick your own prince or princess outfit and pose for a royal portrait at this boutique, which will be somewhat similar to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique as well. The shop sells various accessories, apparel and more related to the Disney Princess Franchise. Inside the castle a medley of ‘’I’m Wishing’’, ‘’One Song’’, ‘’Silly Song’’, ‘’Heigh Ho’’ and ‘’Someday My Prince Will Come’’ will set the tone of the area and please the ears of Guests passing by. Behind the castle, we’ll actually wander off into the world of Fantasyland. Themed around a fairy tale village, the land specifically notes the medieval and European origins of many of the classic Disney films’ source material and will therefore look similar to Disneyland’s and Disneyland Paris’ Fantasylands. Directly as you exit the castle, you’ll find yourself in a medieval square with cobble stone streets and beautiful fairy tale cottages.
The first attraction, we’ll find is the Fairytale Fanfare Carousel. Feel like a princess or prince as you pick your horse in this classic horse carousel featuring famous Disney horses like Samson from Sleeping Beauty and Philippe from Beauty and the Beast. Watching his daughters ride the Merry-Go-Round at Griffith Park in Los Angeles inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland Park. When Walt began turning his dream of constructing a theme park into a reality, this beloved attraction became the cornerstone of the design. This is why I believe it is an attraction that can not be missed. As you sit astride a regal street and gently gallop through a whirling backdrop of color and sound (a medley of songs like ''When You Wish Upon A Star'', ''A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes'' and ''Once Upon A Dream''), you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of the many other buildings around you. On the right side of the castle, you can find the Seven Dwarfs Cottage Kitchen, a restaurant based on the home of the seven little men. Inside the restaurant, you will see that the imagineers have tried to truly capture and recreate the images from the movie into a restaurant setting. Guests will be able to try some of Snow White’s specialties like soups, fish stews, gooseberry pie or a poisoned caramel apple.
On the left side of the castle we’ll find a building that looks familiar. It will be inspired by Cinderella Château, also known as Le Residence de Tremaine. Inside we’ll find Cinderella’s Enchanting Journey. However, before entering the building, looking up at the window above the entrance, you might notice the curtains moving as Lady Tremaine and her two daughters, Drizella and Anastasia spying on Fantasyland visitors every 30 seconds to scare you away from their residence. The attraction and queue itself will be styled similar to classic Fantasyland dark rides like Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. In the queue we’ll find many references to Cinderella and her youth, as well as audio animatronic appearances of Jaq, Gus, Bruno, Major and the mischievous Lucifer. Behind the loading station, you’ll see a mural which will be very similar to the mural found inside Cinderella Castle in Orlando. Guests will then board enchanted pumpkin coaches and venture through the story of Cinderella as she races against time to go to the ball and eventually reunite with her true love, but beware of Lady Tremaine and the spoiled stepsisters as they are always trying to stop Cinderella from being happy.
Another dark ride attraction in Fantasyland would be based on The Little Mermaid. Voyage of the Little Mermaid would serve as the park’s Peter Pan’s Flight and would be based on the unbuilt inverted dark ride based on the story of Ariel. The ride was once planned for Disneyland Paris, but was left unbuilt after funds depleted. Let’s dive under the sea, down where it’s wetter. Guests would enter a building similar to Prince Eric’s castle and board shell vehicles held by seahorses. We would then pass through different famous scenes from the Little Mermaid movie, like Under the Sea, Poor Unfortunate Souls and Kiss the Girl, switching between the two worlds Ariel finds herself in in the movie. Instead of being a typical book report dark ride, we would actually be able to ‘’dive’’ into the detailed environments of the story. Instead of flying out of the Darlings’ bedroom window, over London and to Neverland we would now swim through Atlantica and emerge from the ocean and explore Eric’s Seaside Kingdom. The Gadgets and Gizmos store will be where you’ll find toys and other fun merchandise themed to Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian and many other characters of the film. Not so far away, Les Poissons Restaurant offers Guests the option to dine inside Prince Eric’s Castle and enjoy Chef Louis’ special dishes.
Eric’s Castle will be connected to the Fantasyland Lagoon. Over the lagoon is a tightrope bridge which leads to a mysterious, yet beautiful island waiting on the other side. This is Neverland, based on the stories of Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell and the Darling Children. With a similar design to Paris’ Adventure Isle, Guests will be able to enjoy the Neverland Quest attraction. This walkthrough attraction will serve as the park’s labyrinth and Tom Sawyer Island. It will be a unique combination of these two mentioned before and will be the first time, Neverland will become a fully explorable environment at a Disney theme park. Guests will be able to explore locations like Mermaid lagoon, Skull Rock, the native village, the Neverwoods and enjoy a fantastic view over Fantasyland from Hangman’s Tree (sort of built to look like a treehouse and would serve a similar purpose to the Castle of Hearts at Disneyland Paris). While visiting these locations, you’ll enjoy different special effects and even witness limited motion audio animatronics. You might even be able to meet Peter Pan himself as he often enjoys exploring his island with visitors young at heart. You’ll even be able to step aboard the Jolly Roger, the Neverland ship belonging to Captain James Hook.
Another change to the classic castle park formula would be the absence of a Mad Tea Party spinner cups attraction. However, there will be a tea cup spinner in Sydney’s Fantasyland, just not themed to Alice in Wonderland. No, instead we’ll find the Be Our Guest Cuisine Cabaret. This attraction would be based on the Be Our Guest scene from The Beauty and the Beast animated film in which the song ‘’Be Our Guest’’ is performed in the style of a large-scale musical number by the Enchanted Castle’s staff of cursed furniture servants. Spin round and round in a giant French teacup during a madcap music-filled adventure. Each of the 18 decorative teacups holds up to 5 Guests. As the party gets underway, the cups swirl atop 3 turntables which are mounted on one larger turntable. Modeled after the Beauty and the Beast film, the attraction features the same formal and French-influenced architectural flourishes as seen in the movie. The teacups would spin around a large and impressive moving centerpiece featuring Lumiѐre on top of a cake surrounded by dancing and singing pieces of furniture. Even the building itself would be held by forks, spoons and knifes instead of steel pillars and instead of lanterns, we would find typical royal chandeliers. Surrounding the ride, would be a water feature with champagne bottles serving as fountains. Nearby, Lumiѐre’s Patisserie de France would serve sweets and bread goods like pain au chocolat, macarons, croissants and oh try the grey stuff, it’s truly delicious! Don’t believe me, ask the dishes!
One of the things that always sort of bothered me is the fact that Fantasyland is themed after Europe and its fairy tale stories and often features an attraction that sort of deviates from this theme. The attraction I’m talking about is Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which is not based on a European story or takes place in a European setting, but instead is a story about a wonder elephant in an American circus. That’s why this will also be the first time, Dumbo the Flying Elephant will not be present in Fantasyland. In its place comes Pinocchio’s Puppet Show. Get swept off your feet and into the air as you wheel above it all in graceful, soaring circles. This ride would be a chair swing ride themed after Pinocchio and his puppet shows. The swing itself would look like it’s completely carved out of wood and is styled after the movie’s Bavarian style. Guests would board wooden seats and feel like they are puppets held by strings as they fly above Fantasyland while enjoying songs like ‘’I’ve Got No Strings’’, ‘’Little Wooden Head’’, ‘’Give A Little Whistle’’ and ‘’Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee’’. Hidden within a charming woodcarver’s cottage, La Bottega di Geppetto, furnished with old-world wood, lies a wonderful collection of lovingly created toys for younger children inspired by the classic tale of Pinocchio. You don’t have to be Pinocchio to love Pleasure Island Candies and Galeteria as giant striped lollipops greet you when you enter this amazing candy shop filled with candies, cookies, chocolates and much more!
The last attraction of Sydney’s Fantasyland would be based on Lewis Carol’s Wonderland. In Alice’s Curious Adventures in Wonderland, Guests take a topsy-turvy tumble down the white rabbit’s hole and into the nonsensical world of Alice’s Wonderland aboard an oversized and colorful tea cup. Wind along a curving path surrounded by surreal sights, dazzling colors and madcap music as you retrace the steps of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland. Glide through the White Rabbit’s House, Tulgey Wood and the Queen’s Garden. Encounter Wonderland locals like the Mad Hatter, the Tweedles and the Cheshire Cat with his mysterious grin. Curiouser and curiouser, until you come face to face with the Queen of Hearts, who yells ‘’Off with their heads!’’. Can you escape in time to make it to the unbirthday party, where you’re the Guests of honor? During the finale the vehicles would come loose and spin in an immersive recreation of the Mad Tea Party scene in a way similar to Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups spinner attraction. After all that wackiness, you might want to take a seat at the March Hare’s Tea Garden and enjoy a cup of tea or wander around the Wonderland Shoppe, where you can pick from all kinds of Wonderland merchandise, like Mad Hats and eat-me biscuit boxes. Would you like to get lost in a Fantasyland like this one?
Sharing my vision of how Disneyland Resort Paris should have been instead of what Disney actually built in the end.
Episode 3: Envolez-vous pour un voyage féerique à travers un Land fantastique
Before we move on with Disneyland Paris’ alternative second gate, we go back to Parc Disneyland at the resort, the original park. In my opinion, the park has one of the best castle park designs and fixes many problems that other castle parks still struggle with and just authentic styles to differentiate itself from others, thus offering something unique to its’ Guests (e.g. the Arabian Nights entrance to Adventureland, the Western themed Haunted Mansion(known as Phantom Manor), the steampunk/ European Visionary Tomorrowland known as Discoveryland and the beautiful Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant). The castle has always been one of the most important focus points of the castle parks and even though imagineers managed to design a beautiful castle and setting for the European Disney Resort, I believe that Sleeping Beauty never was supposed to be the highlight story of the park, as one other story has more French realness to it. This story is the tale of the enchanted rose, or also known as Beauty and the Beast. That’s why in this alternative universe, Le Chateau Enchanté de la Belle et la Bête has been constructed instead of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Using classic European architecture and 17th/18th Century French styles, the castle stands tall and with pride and truly represents the Disney spirit, the story of Beauty and the Beast and the European cultures. The animated castle from the film was inspired by Le Chateau de Chambord in Loir-Et-Cher, France and that’s why people might recognize resemblances between this one and the park’s castle as well. A flowing waterfall and moat supports the immersion of the castle, while scary yet friendly gargoyles surround the building. Several stained glass windows depict certain events of the curse and tell the story of how the prince was changed into a Beast, but found his true love and broke the spell. The castle’s interior features a combination of different architectural styles – gothic, baroque, rococo and empire – all coming together to make a castle that seems monumental in scale. Inside the Castle, you’ll find many different experiences, including a brand new Tale As Old As Time e-ticket attraction. In this attraction, you’ll step into the animated film ‘’Beauty and the Beast’’ aboard tea cups that dance in rhythm to the film’s music. This attraction would not have been an opening day attraction, but instead a long awaited addition to the park featuring effects and animatronics on the level of the upcoming Beauty and the Beast attraction at Tokyo Disneyland and Enchanting Tales with Belle at the Magic Kingdom.
Also inside is the Be Our Guest Restaurant. Enter the Beast’s enchanted castle for a quick-service breakfast, lunch or an unforgettable sit-down dinner- bon appetit! Instead of being able to dine in many different rooms, Guests are seated solely in the iconic ballroom, where they are able to try many of the different French specialties on the menu. Other rooms, however, will be explorable as a walkthrough type of attraction as you witness many of the different enchanting rooms. Underneath the castle, La Taniere Du Dragon amazes Guests with one of the park’s largest and most impressive animatronics, the dragon. Venture deep beneath the enchanting Beast’s Castle for a meeting with a mythical beast. Lastly, inside the castle you’ll find a shop themed to the Christmas and winter atmospheres of Beauty and the Beast. La Boutique du Chateau sells decorations, ornaments and winter themed souvenirs, because Christmas is too magical to last for 24 hours, these resplendently decorated renaissance castle rooms are open every day.
Behind the Castle lies Fantasyland, a fairy tale world full of enchanting castles, beautiful cottages and cobblestone streets as you explore the many stories originating in Europe. Directly, as you step outside you’ll see a legendary sword stuck in a stone, marking the center of the castle courtyard, holding the magic of Fantasyland within its silver. Only the most honest, truest and kindest person is able to pull the sword from its’ resting place and is meant to step to the throne over Fantasyland. On your right you’ll find Le Confiserie de Trois Fees, where Aurora’s Fairy Godmothers have been busy decorating this enchanting hoard of sweet treats and chocolatery wonders. Choose from a fine array of sweets scattered among gnarled tree-trunks, stained glass windows and beautiful wooden beams. Adjacent to his cottage, you’ll find Merlin L’Enchanteur. This sorcerer’s cave contains some of the most fantastical items in Disneyland: exquisite etched crystal, delicate glass displays, dazzling jewelry and ancient medieval gifts. You can also see the magic of artisan glassware being made. Next to this mystic shop you’ll find La Chaumiere des Sept Nains. Explore a fantastical forest of huge trees, old stone walls, knights and witches standing in wait and woodland creatures at play. Find a wondrous selection of clothes, toys and costumes, surrounded by artefacts from another time.
Behind the raised castle courtyard, you’ll find La Place de la Magique. In the middle of the square Guests are able to see and hear the music coming from a medieval music box playing within Le Carousel de Lancelot. Take the reins and embark on an enchanting ride on Sir Lancelot’s very own merry-go-round. Surrounding the Carousel, is a series of shops and dining options, leading to various attractions, magical settings and flower gardens. Taking over the location of where the Blanche Neige et les Sept Nains ride is in the real Disneyland Paris, we can now find La Taverne du Gaston. The manliest of manly places, Gaston’s Tavern serves up such satisfying snacks as mixed vegetable cups, hummus with chips, fruit cups and warm cinnamon rolls. Plus, enjoy refreshing beverages like LeFou’s Brew. On the opposite side of the street, we’ll find an expanded version of Sir Mickey’s Boutique. Step back in time with Mickey’s medieval tribute to classic Disney in a store that feels like a festival tent merged with a castle. Cross the stone floor to claim your prized Disney Toy, accessory or plush.
Near La Taverne du Gaston, you’ll find Pinocchio’s Daring Voyage. Join Pinocchio and his friend Jiminy Cricket, on his incredible quest to become a real boy in this no-strings attached adventure. You might believe that this will be the attraction we all know and love nowadays, but instead this attraction has been converted to the original plans of it being a boat ride in which you board a wooden raft, crafted by Geppetto and cruise over the rivers of Pinocchio Village and confront the rough waves of the Mediterranean sea. The ride uses a system similar to the newest Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Shanghai Disneyland, but on a smaller scale. The ride’s effects would also be more modern and its animatronic characters more fluent. Additionally, the ride now features two small drops. At the end of the attraction, La Botega di Geppetto can be found. Hidden within this charming woodcarver’s cottage, furnished with old-world wood, lies a wonderful collection of lovingly created toys for younger children- inspired by the classic tale of Pinocchio and including many other favourites.
Next to these two locations, you’ll find Au Chalet de la Marionette. Discover delicious delights with a Bavarian and Alpine Italian touch in this chalet-style eatery straight from the world of Pinocchio. In reality, we would find Peter Pan’s Flight adjacent to this dining option. But instead, we’ll find a Danish seaside castle transitioning into Adventureland’s Buccaneer Bays. Inside we’ll find Les Voyages de La Petite Sirene. This is where you’ll find the once planned Little Mermaid attraction with a suspended vehicle ride system. Journey under the sea for a whimsical musical adventure awash with scenes from the animated Disney classic ‘’The Little Mermaid’’. Again the figures and effects will be on the level of Tokyo’s upcoming Beauty and the Beast attraction. Overall, the attraction will feel less rushed compared to the existing Little Mermaid attractions. Near the exit of the attraction is the Gadgets and Gizmos souvenir shop. Wander through Ariel’s collection of Thingamabobs and even meet Scuttle, the seagull from The Little Mermaid. Also present is the Les Poissons Restaurant, based on Chef Louis’ song sang inside his kitchen. Guests will be seated inside Prince Eric’s Castle Dining Room and be treated to Danish specialties, including fish dishes and pastries. Next to the Danish buildings, we’ll find the Fantasyland Railroad Station. It will be themed to a German cottage, perched on top of a hill. Inside you’ll find the train tracks passing by the Dwarfs’ Mine from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where a million diamonds shine inside. As you wait in the queue, you’ll be able to play interactive games themed to the dwarfs and even pass by impressive animatronic figures of the dwarfs working hard.
Flying over a clear water pond and beautiful greenery, Dumbo the Flying Elephant takes Guests to the skies with everybody’s favourite flying elephant for a breathtaking view of the magic below. When you ride this attraction, behold its unique ride design using a beautiful color scheme as well as hidden references to the Walt Disney Animated feature, Dumbo. Near this attraction, you would normally find the Mad Tea Party attraction. However, this land pays tribute to Beauty and the Beast and therefore built Be Our Guest Cuisine Cabaret instead. Swing in rhythm with th living furniture from Prince Adam’s Enchanted Castle as Lumiere proudly presents your dinner. Spoons, forks and knifes hold up the French glass panel topping the ride and cups similar to Chip swirl around a towering pink cake, with Lumiere perched atop. Champagne bottles and dancing pieces of furniture surround you while you spin and sing along to the film’s most well-known musical score, Be Our Guest.
Behind the spinner attraction, you’ll find Alice’s Curious Labyrinth. Wander through your own adventure in Wonderland, where a Cheshire cat sized smile awaits you around every corner. This version of the attraction features more fluent kinetic elements and original plans like the slide inside the Castle of Hearts, which doesn’t let people crash into Guests that just enter the castle. The castle offers beautiful views over Fantasyland (maybe the prettiest one at Disneyland Paris, in my opinion). Nearby is the March Hare’s Refreshments. Have a drink near the Hare from Wonderland’s house and enjoy Wonderland specials like Unbirthday cakes and eat me cookies. Also nearby is L’Arbre Enchanté, a small kiosk selling snacks and beverages, themed to a small cottage featuring a large enchanted tree.
Moving further to the back, you’ll find Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin, a spinning mini ferris wheel attraction themed to the Dutch windmills that inspired the Old Mill animated short. Sit in a bucket attached to the main windmill and enjoy picturesque views over Fantasyland’s enchanting landscape. The mill leads you to the back of Fantasyland, where normally you would find the Casey Jr. Train and Le Pays des Contes des Fées or Storybookland Canal Boats. Alternatively, we now enter the kingdoms of Corona and Arendelle from more recent Disney animated movies, Tangled and Frozen. In Tangled ~ Rapunzel’s Hair-Raising Adventure, a thrilling mine cart ride takes you and your family through the woods of Corona in search of a young princess’ true home. The ride’s mine carts would race through various scenes of the story as well as be raised by a sort of KUKA arm, simulating the feeling of swinging along Rapunzel’s hair, similar to the proposed Spiderman ride system. The Snuggly Duckling is where you step into a storybook tavern where German and French specialties of the house are served while Pub Thugs of Corona entertain you.
Another thrilling adventure awaits in Journey for the Frozen Heart. Board a Nordic sleigh and travel to the coldest snow caps of Arendelle to find the majestic snow queen, Elsa of Arendelle. Guests will join Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf on a sleigh journey while encountering freezing blizzards, wild wolfs, an abominable snowgiant and of course the snow queen as she sings her well-known track, Let it Go. The ride would in set-up be somewhat similar to Frozen Ever After, but with a different system and level of thrill. Even though, it is a more thrilling adventure, the ride would still be family friendly and not compete with the park’s other thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and De La Terre A La Lune. Nearby, Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna is where you’ll collect all you need to venture the Arctic Arendelle climate and meet the curious shop owner Oaken and his family.
Next to the Old Mil, we will find an updated and more modern version of It’s A Small World, however, it won’t see the added Disney characters update that many other versions around the world did get. Sail in a boat across the world with the happiest crew of singing children and moving props you’ve ever seen. What makes It’s A Small World in Paris so special? Well definitely the color scheme as well as scene design and set-up. The way in which the scenes flow in Paris is perfect and with a few tricks here and there, the ride could truly be as exciting as it was when it opened. Facing the large attraction show building is the Fantasia Gelati. Cool off with some truly magical ice cream flavours, courtesy of Carte D’Or. Pass around the corner and you’ll find yourself in a Mediterranean themed area of Fantasyland. Here we’ll find the Pizzeria Bella Notte. Share a magical moment over some Italian specialties inspired by Disney classic Lady and the Tramp. Facing this restaurant would be a new Olympian marketplace, with towering hills and temples above the buildings. Inside is Hercules: Zero to Hero. This interactive dark ride would let Guests train to become heroes at Phil’s academy and then face many mythological creatures together with the characters from the film. Overall Fantasyland represents a wide variety of stories with an origin in Europe, from France to Germany, from Denmark to the Netherlands, from Greece to Italy and so on. This is how the European Fantasyland is a distinct representation of cultures in the surrounding countries.
