Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder Soft Open 10/23

[NASAMan]

I had the pleasure to work the soft opening of the 'Tangled' interactive guest experience with Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder today. The Storytale Garden has had most of its benches removed and replaced with a giant stone table (I asked if we sacrificed Aslan on it afterward!).

iPhone photo

We would allow 35 guests into the garden, and younger guests (and anyone who asked) would be given a coloring page and crayons and work on the table to color. 2 garden attendants would help with this. Then after 5 - 10 minutes of this work, a musical cue would indicate the arrival of Flynn, who would then pop back and escort out the lovely Rapunzel. She would thank all for coming and joint the celebration, and invite the guests to dance with her. She and Flynn would come down off the stage area, hold hands with the guests in a big circle, and dance around the table. After the dance, guests would be invited to meet Rapunzel and Flynn, and form a queue up the ramp to the stage. At this point, we would allow another 40 - 60 guests to enter for the meet and greet.

iPhone photo

The day went great, great guests, and good kids to work with. The hardest part as always as turning people away! Get there early before the start time - it is bound to close quickly. If it announced to start at 11:00, coming at 11:05 may be too late. But it is a lot of fun for young girls and boys alike!

 

[NewfieFan]

Cool info! Thanks for the update!

It looks like they didn't make too many changes to the area (except for the obvious you mention - big table).

Dancing around the table sounds interesting... :lookaroun

 

[JustInTime]

Cool info! Thanks for the update!

It looks like they didn't make too many changes to the area (except for the obvious you mention - big table).

Dancing around the table sounds interesting... :lookaroun

It's practically magical...

BUT I am kinda let down in what we ended up getting.

EDIT: I just noticed the little lizard in her hands. Love that.

 

[NASAMan]

I just noticed the little lizard in her hands. Love that.

Pascal is mentioned as a toy that Rapunzel made of her small friend. The kids play a 'hot potato' like game passing him back and forth in the queue.

 

[mickey_hunter]

Here is a video of the meet and greet experience I saw today, just click on the picture and video will play;

 

[Neverland]

I wasn't doing anything at work, so I went down to the Enchanted Grove to blow bubbles and was surprised to see a soft opening of the play and greet! One of the attendants let me hang out and watch. The whole experience is really cute! ♥

 

[BrerFrog]

I couldn't care less about that Flynn-something guy. I want a picture with Rapunzel.

Thanks for the great info and pics! :wave:

 

[tiaragirl]

Rapunzel is very animated, which is great to see.

Gotta say, I'm slightly disappointed when comparing this to the DLR meet and greet.. but I might just be bitter because I LOVED Storytime with Belle.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Wow, the guy playing Flynn is a dead ringer! This looks great!

 

[PalisadesPkteer]

This means of course that we have lost yet another Christmas function.

No more Belle Enchanted Christmas Story.

Lets see...

Lost...

1. Mickeys Twas Night Before Christmas
2. Belle Enchanted Christmas Story

The only thing we gained was....

1. Stitch Supersonic Christmas

Maybe they will find yet another function to take away and charge even more for the party! This is getting ridiculous.

As for Rapunzel, she is a very Beautiful young woman and really does a great job in this show video.

Flynn did good job as well.

 

[jmuboy]

The Belle storytime will come back in her new cottage next to the new Beast Castle once the construction is complete.

 

[TP2000]

And Disneyland wins yet again. They get a nicely themed meet and greet with Rapunzel's hair flowing all the way outside to a newly built tower and we get another cheesy show to replace one people liked so much. :brick:

It does seem a little fishy to me that they closed this location for 5 weeks just to hang up some banners (that would take 1 hour) and put up a pole and some wires to string lights and an awning from (that would take 2 days tops).

Whereas at Disneyland they closed the candy shop in Fantasyland for 6 weeks to transform the cottage and an adjacent unused tower into the tower from the movie and a fully themed cottage set inside for meet n' greets.

To go from this candy shop...

To this new meet n' greet...

The timing on the version of Tangled for WDW just seems a bit fishy to me. Almost as if they had planned on doing something more along the lines of the Disneyland setup, but midway through cancelled it and then debated on what to do exactly and ended up just scrambling to do the banners and hanging lamps to get it open quickly. :veryconfu

It's a very odd decision, to be sure, and yet another baffling example of one coast doing one thing and the other coast doing something completely different with the exact same concept and characters. :hammer:

 

[ttalovebug]

^ Wow, have to agree with you there. Only one more week of work in Cali, and look at the difference of the two finished products! These parks couldn't be any more different in terms of managment.

 

[Sumshine 904]

I don't really like the stuffed chameleon in her arms, but aside from that they both look very nice and accurate. It pleases me that their hair doesn't look blatantly fake. XD

 

[spectropluto]

Here is a video of the meet and greet experience I saw today, just click on the picture and video will play;

((video))

The music is so festive!

 

[wishesjake]

Of course WDW's pales in comparison to DL, but it's still a nice addition to keep the parks fresh. This feels newer and fresher than Belle's storytime and builds up to what should be a solid animated offering.

 

[Fable McCloud]

I'm really excited to have my picture with them!! My BF looks like Flynn, and they're adorable!! Can't wait to see her in the Disney Princess line!

 

[Scar]

Can't wait to see it in January. Wish we were going down for MVMCP!

 

[TP2000]

Only one more week of work in Cali, and look at the difference of the two finished products! These parks couldn't be any more different in terms of managment.

It is interesting how the two Tangled meet n' greets differ, isn' it?

I think you hit the nail on the head by calling out WDW management on this one. You have to wonder what they do with all their money, don't you?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It is interesting how the two Tangled meet n' greets differ, isn' it?

I think you hit the nail on the head by calling out WDW management on this one. You have to wonder what they do with all their money, don't you?

WDW may have been kind-of cheap with this make over, but your pictures show just how much DL already had to work with when they started this project.