Tokyo Disneyland Resort Expansion

[Homemade Imagineering]

Now this attraction REALLY felt like a proper musical. Absolutely phenomenal

 

[IMDREW]

Those ride vehicles should have amazing motion in them as well. They really dance.

 

[Markiewong]

I am kind of surprised by how long they are spending in each scene. Its kind of a darkride/theater in one.

 

[180º]

This ride looks technically very impressive and high-budget, but I’m struggling to like it based on this video. It’s a book report ride with a select few scenes that are each played out roughly in full, on vast, unpopulated sets. The mood doesn’t exactly build in any direction.

I was rooting to have this ride in California but I think I’ll pass. I’d rather have Frozen Ever After since that makes better use of space and has some action.

 

[MisterPenguin]

You might enjoy it more if the music was in your native language. It's all about reveling in the songs rather than get snippets as you speed along.

 

[montydysquith-navarro]

My pre-show prediction was right!

I'm pretty sure filming was done through those glasses with an embedded camera on them though? I think that's the only way pre-opening video footage was captured and see the light of day.

Some nitpicks:

• I wish they could have found some way of putting that Belle animatronic on a moving platform to simulate her walking on the (oddly high) grand staircase. It's not really as sweeping as the one in Phantom Manor.
  EDIT: Now that I placed the original film still to pictures of the one in Tokyo, it's apparent they built something that's too high and too short on the sides (the side balconies doesn't help at all), hence the wonky look.

L-R: (1) Grand Staircase, 1992 Film; (2-3) Grand Staircase, 2020 Tokyo; (4) Grand Staircase, Phantom Manor​

• In the "Something There" scene, it feels like the ride vehicles are moving "too much" and we can't really take in as much as we can of the scene (especially the Belle/Phillipe AAs which is kinda weird since she starts off the song). Also, what's with the flat backdrop?
• The massive width of the doors (compare to the ride's humans) made chuckle a lot, but I guess the ride vehicle capacity was determined first before designing the interiors, hence the wide- portals.
• Am I the only one who's finding an issue with the height of the interior castle show scenes? It reminds me of the ones used for the aboveground scenes in the Little Mermaid ride (in a bad way).
• I think there's a sightline issue with the transformation scene? I barely see Belle's figure in the video.
• As predicted, the finale scene in the ballroom is quite low in height. Is this the same height used in Florida's Be Our Guest Restaurant? Also, I thought Adam and Belle would be in the center of the ballroom (2017 live-action Finale Ultimo style) as we dance around them, but I think they're placed off-center instead?

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Any chance they build this at MK?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Any chance they build this at MK?

Because of Beast, it's going in DAK.

 

[Disney Analyst]

The transformation scene was stunning, loved the waltzing animatronics. And impressed by the use of the table in Be our Guest. But I do agree the size of the rooms is a bit off-putting, feels empty at times.

 

[montydysquith-navarro]

Any chance they build this at MK?

I think there might be room, considering behind the backstage buildings is a service road and relatively untouched land (if Google Maps is meant to be believed). Just to keep within the "Enchanted Forest" section of Fantasyland, they'd have to tear down both Enchanted Tales with Belle and the Be Our Guest Restaurant for the ride to come in. And of course, they'd have to supersize the Beast's Castle from the current underwhelming mini-golf one...

 

[montydysquith-navarro]

The transformation scene was stunning, loved the waltzing animatronics. And impressed by the use of the table in Be our Guest. But I do agree the size of the rooms is a bit off-putting, feels empty at times.

The "Something There" set is the biggest offender here, tbh. The forest/mountain backdrop looks too flat! Also, aren't the trees supposed to be taller to give the illusion that the mountains are far away?

​

EDIT: Yup, they're definitely supposed to be taller. Look how tall Belle and Phillipe are compared to the nearest tree! Aren't tree crowns usually placed higher than the average human height?

 

[MisterPenguin]

The "Something There" set is the biggest offender here, tbh. The forest/mountain backdrop looks too flat! Also, aren't the trees supposed to be taller to give the illusion that the mountains are far away?
View attachment 499317

That's also not how trees look, even cartoon ones. Perhaps they were meant to be anthropomorphic at one point in the design and start to sway with the music?

 

[montydysquith-navarro]

That's also not how trees look, even cartoon ones. Perhaps they were meant to be anthropomorphic at one point in the design and start to sway with the music?

I can only hope so, but even that idea seems too outlandish for a ride based on an animated film filled with dancing houseware items.

 

[britain]

This appears to be an interesting narrative experiment for WDI. It's almost like someone threw down the gauntlet and said, "Book report!? We can make an attraction that tells the story as well as the book/film itself!" I don't think they quite succeeded, but thumbs up for trying something other than 'small scope book report' or 'lame new sequel story you never knew about.'

So I find it to be a new inventive form of theater first, ride second. Granted, we aren't feeling the spinning and the tipping by watching the video. That would definitely influence a legitimate in-person review.

 

[Magic Feather]

I

This appears to be an interesting narrative experiment for WDI. It's almost like someone threw down the gauntlet and said, "Book report!? We can make an attraction that tells the story as well as the book/film itself!" I don't think they quite succeeded, but thumbs up for trying something other than 'small scope book report' or 'lame new sequel story you never knew about.'

So I find it to be a new inventive form of theater first, ride second. Granted, we aren't feeling the spinning and the tipping by watching the video. That would definitely influence a legitimate in-person review.

This is probably the best read on the ride. It feels like they put a Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in each musical scene of the movie and strung them all together.

 

[britain]

I

This is probably the best read on the ride. It feels like they put a Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in each musical scene of the movie and strung them all together.

Seems like all the Japanese’ rave reviews of Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and the ‘dancing’ during Hephalumps scene had a big influence on this attraction.

But even Pooh dispatches you out and brings you in one pot at a time. RotR two at a time, and Mystic Manor / MMRR four at a time. Beast does four six, and the pacing... it’s not bad, but it’s not what we’re expecting.

It almost has more in common with Universe of Energy than a typical Fantasyland dark ride!

“Beauty and the Beast, brought to you by Exxon!”

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

I'm just thinking we'll get three more dark rides of this quality in a couple years.

EDIT: I think I'll reserve final judgment till I get on the ride one day. The effect of the ride vehicles and the music in concert might affect how people feel in a way that is impossible to be captured on video.

EDIT 2: Also if anyone could repost that overhead ride layout, that would be great.

 

[Surferboy567]

Just watched it here is my take:

SETUP: I’ve only seen this though a video thoughts can change, I also only speak English so that could affect my judgement not being able to understand.

QUEUE: 1st Room is super cool reminds me of ROTR instead of a hanger bay it’s the beast’s castle (obviously it’s much much smaller).

The loading room is weird...I get it’s a kitchen and we are meant to be riding in a teacup? soup dish? So it makes sense we are loading in there super new fantasyland(ish).

My main issue with this is why can we hear the be our guest scene while in the loading area. Not a fan of that at all.

Before I talk about the actual ride...

RIDE VEHICLES: Without a doubt the coolest thing about this attraction. I love how they dance with each other and how it pivots on a motion base. (Is it a motion base?). Really is a standout.

RIDE: I’ll break this down scene by scene but before I do this: I am honestly disappointed and was kinda expecting more. Let me explain, every scene is one room with one or two center focal points. They are big open spaces with not much going on. Rise also has big open spaces but they aren’t barren like this.

BE OUR GUEST: The setup is cool Lumiere looks cool, but beyond the impressive Belle and Lumiere the scene is ok. Even what is going on the table isn’t as advanced as I expected. The end however is cool when the lights come on and they whole room comes alive.

...oh and Belle on chair still looks like she is staring into your soul.

SOMETHING THERE: This scene is barren. I enjoy how the cars dance with each other here. Beyond 2? AA’s in here not much going on.

another side thing in the POV I watched they stalled in this room for a while which is unavoidable but definitely took me out of the experience.

TRANSFORMATION: The POV didn’t have a super clear view of it but looked really cool from what I saw. Definitely a fan of this scene.

BALL ROOM- Very cool scene the waltzing AA’s are really sweet. I wish the other AA’s were that impressive. Dancing in this scene was also cool.

END ROOM- Really liked seeing the rose, beyond that just an unloading room.

OVERALL: I’m kinda disappointed, it is FAR from bad not even close. Just not as impressed as I thought I would be. This at least for me isn’t the pinnacle of dark rides.

* Kinda a weird observation but what is with B & B in the parks and being on EXTREME fast forward. We start the attraction after the songs “Belle” and “Gaston” occur already leaving out two great songs. Then we just kinda whiz past “The Mob Song”.

 

[britain]

Why is the maid standing next to Cogsworth? She’s Lumiere’s girl!

 

[Nland316]

I think the pacing in Something There dragged on a bit too long. Be Our Guest was absolutely great. Overall quite solid!