Disney Imagineers Provide First Look at Tomorrowland Inside the Magic Kingdom.
-- Magic Kingdom Park will feature Disney’s most famous land, Fantasyland full of all sorts of attractions and new things in a French style. –
GOLD COAST (February 12, 2010) – Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) executives unveiled today the creative design and stories behind Fantasyland inside the theme park destination resort planned for the Gold Coast. The press briefing is the third in a series where Disney will unveil the creative design for the Down Under Resort targeted to open on March 15th, 2013.
The Down Under Resort will be the sixth Disney resort in the world and the first to combine the greatest ideas from every resort. It will be made up of themed lands evoking their own unique spirit of fantasy, excitement and adventure. Disney Imagineers, Brian DeLoera, vice president and executive producer in charge of the Down Under Resort and Mr. Jake, executive designer in charge of imagineering the Magic Kingdom, revealed several conceptual renderings and storyboards from a French courtyard and gardens that will be part of the Magic Kingdom experience.
Fantasyland
Once one steps into the hub, they will see the giant Snow White Castle looming over them. As seeming to rise out of the terrain next to it, it is a masterpiece. Just look out for the jealous queen looking out of her window near the middle of the castle.
Once inside, there are many things that you will soon be able to do inside the castle. On opening day, if you climb up the wonderful gothic staircase to the second story, you can view the "Snow White Story Tour". A collection of tapestries, books, and other cool things that tell the story of Snow White in detail. Notice the wonderful bronze statue at the end featuring Snow White and Prince Charming dancing. After some time, visit some of the wonderful shops inside the castle. Coming in a few years, the "Snow White Mystery Castle Tour" which will be under construction when the park opens. Featuring a tour of the caverns of Snow White Castle, you encounter evil and the group hero will defeat it and recieve a medal.
Castle Courtyard
Once outside you cross straight into the Castle Courtyard. This area will be themed to just that featuring some small topiaries and everything you would expect to find in a castle courtyard. Look closely and you might be able to spot Snow White's stable. If you look straight ahead, it's "Snow White's Carousel" featuring 5 galoping steeds and 4 carriages. Take a wonderful spin around Fantasyland and enjoy the view. If you go right from "Snow White's Carousel" you'll reach "Snow White's Scary Adventures" featuring Snow White's trip through the forst with trees reaching straight gfor you, into the Evil Queen's cavern we go, and see her transform. Out into the forest we are again running from her, but some smoke appears and it's her. "Would you like to eat?" she asks with the most evil laugh. Can you escape her? Continuing on, we'll reach "Pinocchio's Daring Journey" which is the story of Pinocchio as seen in vivid wooden sets and carvings and featuring a monsterous Monstro ending.
If we go left of "Snow White's Carousel", we will go into another courtyard, passing some wonderful high class eateries. We will reach "Snow White's Royal Rose Garden" where one can meet the characters of Snow White almost all times during the day. It's featured in a wonderful rose garden with some under pavillions or if you are lucky, catch Snow White picking roses.
Castle Gardens
If we continue ahead from "Snow White's Carousel", we will reach a river and cross into the Castle Gardens. Everything here is decorated with wonderful topiaries and lush green gardens and flowers and wonderful trees swaying in the wind. Hitch a ride on "Dumbo, The Flying Elephant" and once you've had enpugh with that, go left and take a spin on "Mad Tea Party" in the open air right under the weird and vacky pots of the Mad Hatter with the most vurious soundtrack to match the mad theme.
Continue ahead of "Dumbo, The Flying Elephant" and you'll reach a beautiful compass and you'll have to deciede which way to go. Go left and you'll reach the "Fantasyland Theater" which will be playing "Feel The Magic", a wonderful stage show in which Mickey Mouse takes us thru the magic of such movies like Pocahontas, Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid, and when the villians take over, it's upto Mickey to save the day and grant everyone their wish. Continuing left, we'd reach "it's a small world", which is a colorful ride thru the wonderful world of the world with the entrance covered in beautiful fountains and topiaries to add to the childish theme. Every so often, catch the children of the world singing along the edges in their native costumes.
If one goes ahead from the compass, they would reach "The Old Mill", a ferris wheel themed to the movie from which it was named after. Continuing after a spin over Fantasyland, we reach storybook land and take a spin on "Casey Jr. Circus Train" around models from our favorite movies and over "Storybook Land Canal Boats" which float thru the small land around the minatures with a wonderful musical soundtrack. Watch the topiaries, some might be alive. Want to go, board the train in the "Fantasyland Station" and travel to Tomorrowland.
If one goes right, they reach a giant area of gardens and mazes. At the very top near storybook land, is "Mary Poppin's Flying Time" in which we enter the same house Mary Poppins works in hearing the famous tunes from the moive and into the dining room to the loaidng area. We board our 6 passenger umbrellas and coast thru the sky in a tour of Mary Poppin's wonderland. Wait till you get to the breathtaking finale on the carousel with Mary herself.
Continuing down, we reach "Alice's Curious Labyrinth" in which we are placed in the maze around the castle of the Queen of Hearts and have to find our way there. Once there, we can climb to the top and get the most amazing view of Fantasyland. Next to that is the wonderful eatery, "Queen Of Heart's Banquet Hall" in which we are thrown in her castle and the twisted world which Alice has imagined. Curious food is served here with your wonderland waiters. Next to the Banquet Hall is "Alice In Wonderland", a dark ride by which we enter Alice's world and try to get out, but wait, here come the cars and your car plows right through them and outside along a path made of leaves into Alice's world again, but wait, what's that? "Off with your head!"
Castle Countryside
Going right from the "Mad Tea Party" we reach the countryside which is covered in lush trees and forest like qreas. Looming overhead is the Matterhorn, which features the "Matterhorn Bobsleds" in which we are hoisted to the top and go for a wild bobseld ride down the Matterhorn encountering the Abominable Snow Man and other hazards splashing down into a lagoon for the finale.
Near the Matterhorn is the future site of "Beauty and The Beast" an Audio Animatronic and live action theatrical show featuring extended versions of the songs staight from Broadway and many new special effects. Opening several years after opening day, construction will not start for a while and this area will feature a grotto in which people can relax from the amazing forest atmosphere.
North of the "Matterhorn Bobsleds" is "Pooh's Hunny Hunt". This is the most technologically advanced ride in Fantasyland at opening day. Riding in honey pots in sets of three, you coast on a track free ride guided by the GPS system and bouch with Tigger, fly with Pooh and even enter the nightmarish, but yet fun world of the Hephalums and Woozles.
Crossing down from the Matterhorn, we cross infront of Toontown, home of our characters and reach "Peter Pan's Flight" in which we enter his ships and coast above London and into Neverland meeting Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and our favorite Crocodile. Next door is the "Mickey Mouse Revue" featuring an Audio Animatronic show with Mickey Mouse and all of our most famous characters in a wonderful musical revue. Enter the concert hall lobby and then into the preshow film area. Watch a film on the history of Mickey Mouse and Disney music. You'll finally enter a magnificent musicla hall and watch the Silly Orchestra conduct your most famous songs and see them sung by the original characters.
Finally hungry? Check out such restaurants in the courtyard like "Cinderella's Inn" which is ultra expensive. Newly wed couples actually get to eat in her pumpkin coach while they listen to romantic music and have a wonderous dinner. Too bad they won't be going anywhere. Looking for something cheap in the courtyard, then check out "Pinocchio's Village Haus" featuring authentic German food and wonderous wooden settings carved by Geppetto himself.
In the gardens, visit "March Hare Refreshments" when you're running late or the expensive "Old Mill Restaurant" featuring old world favorites including authentic Medevil Foods and wonderful 7 course meals.
In the forest area? Check out "Toad Hall Restaurant" where Mr. Toad resides and teats everyone to an automotive dining expeience where everyone can sit in his cars and eat.
Want to do some shopping? Then check out the wonderful variety of shops. The largest shop, "The Evil Queen's Lair" takes place in her dungeon and caverns underneath Snow White's Castle featuring movie and other wonderous merchandise. Go to other fine places like "The Glass Slipper", "Le Petit Chalet Gifts", "Sir Mickey's" and "Pooh Corner". Some shops feature the infamous Pin Trading. Trade with cast members and collect some of the most wonderous pins produced for any park.
The Down Under Resort project was announced in November 2009 as a venture between The Walt Disney Company and the GCLC. Currently under reclamation by the GCLC, Disney is targeted to begin construction in early 2010 with the project scheduled to open in March 15th, 2013. The opening day program for the Down Under Resort will include a 15 million annual visitor Disneyland-style theme park, three hotels and retail, dining and entertainment uses. The project is estimated to create 25,000 new jobs at opening both Disney and other employment, growing to 40,000 once the first park reaches build-out. At the completion of Phase I, the project will include a 15 million annual visitor Disneyland-style theme park, 3,500 hotel rooms, and a giant district of retail, dining and entertainment.
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. - The WeirdOne 
