Storytime with Belle...That's it?!?

[josefalero]

Isn't it also the case that in all of WDW, there isn't currently one top-notch meet and greet experience. With all the families that arrive with kids, don't they deserve to have at least one meet and greet that pushes the bar higher? I don't have kids, and I love thrill rides and big E-Tickets, but I also understand that the little ones also deserve something extra. This meet and greet attraction raises that bar. There isn't a meet and greet anywhere that is of this level. Not everything is going to be designed for me, and that is fine. I'm good with everyone getting a share of the pie.

The point of my post wasn't to say that the meet and greet shouldn't be included, or that I think it should be sacrificed for a thrill ride. In fact most of my post was devoted to explaining why there needs to be a better balance between these types of experiences and new E-tickets. I think the meet and greet looks amazing and truly shows an advancement for character interaction. I also think that the Magic Kingdom is sorely lacking in any new exciting attractions and is beginning to feel stale.

The new Fantasyland looks great and I think that once we all experience it in person many of these fears and concerns will be alleviated and we will all see it for what it is: a new heavily themed expansion the likes has not been seen in the MK. I also think that as I'm strolling past the many meet and greets and shops at least part of me will think "what if?"

 

[Uddy]

If you into Meet n Greets, it's the most interactive one yet!

 

[flynnibus]

They are good, but doesn't the addition of multiple rooms, an elaborate queue, and animatronics take Belle way beyond those two?

I agree it takes it to new heights.. I don't have an issue with it. But I think when Town Hall opened.. and Turtle Talk opened.. both were pretty big leaps as well over the 'stand in front of the background' we had prior at the character spot, in toontown, etc.

 

[SirLink]

These statements do not compute to me. I do not see much difference in riding "kiddie" rides like Snow White or Peter Pan, and in walking through a kiddie attraction like Storytime with Belle. /shrug

I have kids, but none of my trips to the World have included them (yet). Some of my most fun times and magical moments at Disney have been (obviously) without my kids. On our Disneymoon, we got a surprise M&G with Cinderella on our way out of the park (and were actually headed for the DME/home). I am not a princess fan (far from it) -- but a PhotoPass photographer got a pic of me as we came around the corner and "saw" Cinderella. My eyes lit up like I was a small child. Last Fall, I toured EPCOT solo while my DH ran the W&D half-marathon. I had an absolute blast at Turtle Talk.

If I didn't have kids, I would likely go through the Storytime with Belle M&G. I wouldn't worry about anyone giving me the stink eye for being in a "kiddie" M&G. Aren't we all kids (or kids' at heart) when we are in WDW??

Witchy

I don't know, but maybe its because your not male. Unless you have a significant other that you could use as an excuse to enter this M&G then there is no way you wouldn't be looked at as strange.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I don't think Walt would appreciate you thinking that Walt would have appreciated the op not thinking that Walt would apprecitate your idea that you think people don't know what Walk would think.

I think Walt would want some Ibuprofin.

 

[Adam5897]

Enchanted tales with belle is very cool but when are they going to stop with the meet and greets. Thank god they changed the original plans to add the SDMT. Enchanted tales with belle and the storybook circus meet and greets are enough. I'm still upset about tearing down SWSA so make a meet and greet. I know disneyhas to change and keep updating and changing things but what they have done lately has just disappointed me. This whole fantasylad expansion is just a bad use of space except for little mermaid and SDMT. I hate to complain when this is all so nice but if ther going to do it..don't you think they should do it right? I mean people don't always complain just for the sake of complaining a lot of people dot like some of the decisions that WDI has made.

 

[CJR]

My problem with the attraction has more to do with rumors of Disney wanting to raise Florida ticket prices within the same percentage of the Cars Land increase at Disneyland while not really putting in the attraction power that Cars Land offers. Will I pay the price anyway? Probably, but I'm also considering a California trip. Cars Land just sounds interesting to me, and it's a cheaper vacation overall; win-win.

I suppose I agree with the topic happening in this thread: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/cost-of-new-attractions-these-days.841092/

Disney isn't spending their money well, in my opinion, and we get to pay for it through the price of admission, which is bound to skyrocket. Some of the cost of this expansion went towards money makers like Be Our Guest and Gaston's Tavern, which will both probably quickly pay for themselves. It's just hard to believe they could have put four or five Expedition: Everest's in this park for the same price. Where did the money go?

I am happy for the kids who get enjoy this attraction. To an extent, I'm jealous, because this is so much cooler than what we had when I was little. Still, I would like to have fun too. While I want to see my kids have fun, I would like to do more in life than just watch them. I hope Disney will toss in something in MK sometime for adults. Since AE was removed, MK is more about nostalgia than actual fun (for adults).

 

[J03Y]

um, geez. the attraction is for little kids, and personally i'd go just to see how amazing it all is in person cause those animatronics looks stunning.

look, if you were expecting an elaborate storytelling with projections and sound effects everywhere, you were going to be disappointed right from the beginning. you're just not the audience they're hoping to attract. whoopdie-doo.

 

[J03Y]

Enchanted tales with belle is very cool but when are they going to stop with the meet and greets. Thank god they changed the original plans to add the SDMT. Enchanted tales with belle and the storybook circus meet and greets are enough. I'm still upset about tearing down SWSA so make a meet and greet. I know disneyhas to change and keep updating and changing things but what they have done lately has just disappointed me. This whole fantasylad expansion is just a bad use of space except for little mermaid and SDMT. I hate to complain when this is all so nice but if ther going to do it..don't you think they should do it right? I mean people don't always complain just for the sake of complaining a lot of people dot like some of the decisions that WDI has made.

actually i think they're doing a great job, more or less, on the expansion. save for maybe Storybook Circus, personally i think that is a waste of good space. but i think that Disney is hoping to do what the Wizarding World expansion did, attract people by offering them the atmosphere and experience. i mean, everyone loves Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, so why not give the people a walk through the castle and a TLM dark ride? really that's what it's about. to us it all seems small and pointless, but to the people who aren't as big into keeping up with the news, the general public, they see it all as a huge thing, it's interesting and new.

 

[Adam5897]

actually i think they're doing a great job, more or less, on the expansion. save for maybe Storybook Circus, personally i think that is a waste of good space. but i think that Disney is hoping to do what the Wizarding World expansion did, attract people by offering them the atmosphere and experience. i mean, everyone loves Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, so why not give the people a walk through the castle and a TLM dark ride? really that's what it's about. to us it all seems small and pointless, but to the people who aren't as big into keeping up with the news, the general public, they see it all as a huge thing, it's interesting and new.

Enchanted tales with below really should have been a beauty an the beast or Sleepind beauty dark ride

 

[J03Y]

Enchanted tales with below really should have been a beauty an the beast or Sleepind beauty dark ride

understandable, it's not as exciting as a BatB dark ride, but i mean come on. it's Fantasyland. it's mainly for kids. as interesting and cool it would be, we can't just up and decide that Disney made a horrible decision not doing it. they had their reasons, and even if we don't like the reasons it doesn't mean they're wrong or stupid. it just means we don't know their reasons, and we're just gonna have to deal with the fact that a Storytime With Belle is just much more Fantasyland-ish than a dark ride.

 

[J03Y]

Disney isn't spending their money well, in my opinion, and we get to pay for it through the price of admission, which is bound to skyrocket. Some of the cost of this expansion went towards money makers like Be Our Guest and Gaston's Tavern, which will both probably quickly pay for themselves. It's just hard to believe they could have put four or five Expedition: Everest's in this park for the same price. Where did the money go?

I am happy for the kids who get enjoy this attraction. To an extent, I'm jealous, because this is so much cooler than what we had when I was little. Still, I would like to have fun too. While I want to see my kids have fun, I would like to do more in life than just watch them. I hope Disney will toss in something in MK sometime for adults. Since AE was removed, MK is more about nostalgia than actual fun (for adults).

it's Fantasyland, let alone the Magic Kingdom. it's not supposed to have four or five Expedition Everests, that's not what that part of the park is for. Fantasyland is a place for fairy tales and kid stuff. they're sort of pushing it a bit with the Mine Train, but still. there shouldn't be a freaking roller coaster in Fantasyland. maybe in the other lands, but not Fantasyland.

you're thinking too adult-y, for something meant to expand an area designed for kid-friendly attractions. it's lovely that you want attractions to interest you and make you have fun, but honestly that's not what this expansion is for. i'd suggest waiting for a DHS expansion/makeover before making these kinds of arguments

 

[doctornick]

Enchanted tales with below really should have been a beauty an the beast or Sleepind beauty dark ride

I kinda disagree. Having a phenominal M&G like this is a great thing and a sign that Disney still has the magic -- when they spend the time and money. It's an attraction that is perfect for this expansion. Some M&G was inevitable and I am glad to see TDO raise the bar with this. As others have said, the attraction is so plussed that people who otherwise would not even consider going to a princess M&G want to check it out.

But I agree that they should be more in the way of rides for this expansion. Given the amount of land they were using, they could and should have some up with more than LM and the 7DMT plus expanded Dumbo. More creative/efficient use of the space could have resulted in some additional smaller rides to increase capacity and really make the FLE stand out. Something themed to Tangled or Sleeping Beauty would have fit in perfectly to the Fantasyland Forest area. Or instead of Pete's Silly Sideshow being a M&G, why not have that tend be a ride themed to the same circus idea?

My new hope is that they might use the Fairytale Garden area to put in a ride once the Princess Fairytale Hall is completed. The Garden is literally ride next door and pretty superfluous and is sufficient space for a "traditional" dark ride.

 

[ellie-badge]

It boggles my mind how you (or anybody, for that matter) would have expected some kind of dark ride or what-have-you when it's been announced for almost a year that it wasn't going to be anything more than an elaborately themed meet-and-greet.

Does this make me a pixie dust snorter? No. Like you, once would probably be enough for me. But I can tell you with absolute certainty that if I was ten years old or younger, I'd be all over this M&G... and I guarantee that young children everywhere are going to be all over this, too -- which it was always intended for.

There are bigger fish to fry.

 

[ellie-badge]

Enchanted tales with below really should have been a beauty an the beast or Sleepind beauty dark ride

Should've, could've, would've... but it's not. What's there is there, and we should appreciate it.

 

[Grumpy1973]

My 2 and 1/2 year old will LOVE it...

 

[ZaneB]

I think a dark ride would of been better because it expands the target audience. Maybe like a teacup on wheels, chip?

 

[NADisney]

I think a dark ride would of been better because it expands the target audience. Maybe like a teacup on wheels, chip?

True. SWSA could had been switched out for Mr.Toad's Wild Ride. Mickey's Philharmagic could had been switched out for FairyTale Hall with three rooms to meet princess's,fantasyland characters or disney villians, and the disney fairies..along with a Disney Photopass shop at the exit. Mickey's Toontown could had been placed at the DHS - where the Silly Symphony Theater would be home to Mickey's Philharmagic , and hopefully ( Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin). There is Imagination out there ,we just need the proper people to see it and use it for that magical experience for the guest,and not for personal gain .

 

[Denscott]

So the idea of the attraction is that kids "recreate" the story of BATB to Belle through play-acting?
From a capacity POV this introduces a ton of variability which is not good. Is there only a certain "show time" for the kids to put on the play or does it end when it ends? What if kids do not cooperate? What if, due to the heavy international guest numbers, that the kids simply do not understand what to present to Belle? A lot of questions on how this does not become a capacity nightmare based on what info I have seen and heard.
Anytime you take the control away from the ride or show and put it in the hands of the guest is dangerous in my opinion.

 

[GoofGoof]

So the idea of the attraction is that kids "recreate" the story of BATB to Belle through play-acting?
From a capacity POV this introduces a ton of variability which is not good. Is there only a certain "show time" for the kids to put on the play or does it end when it ends? What if kids do not cooperate? What if, due to the heavy international guest numbers, that the kids simply do not understand what to present to Belle? A lot of questions on how this does not become a capacity nightmare based on what info I have seen and heard.
Anytime you take the control away from the ride or show and put it in the hands of the guest is dangerous in my opinion.

It will probably run similar to the way it ran before. The story time part is not new just moved to a new location.