Lee
Adventurer
I'll go further and say it should be at least 20% reserved for walk-ups. And all reservations should be no more than 30days out. Property wide.
Oh....and kill the dining plan.
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YOUR Fantasyland Expansion Review
- Thread starter Ignohippo
- Start date
Oh....and kill the dining plan.
IAmFloridaBorn
Well-Known Member
I missed the first few. I noticed something was causing the line to stop, but because I was admiring the waterfall I paid it no mind. Then my girlfriend pointed it out as she was amused by the little things. Personally I didn't care for them but they indeed are a great addition to a queue especially for younger children. Will keep their attention of waiting.
Tom
Beta Return
I like the 20%, but think it should be split between "call and book once you've arrived", since Stacey is on TV all day telling you to call and make dining reservations, and walk-ups.
And maybe 45-days out, since that's when final payments are due for MYW packages and trips are essentially official.
And yes, get rid of the DDP and drop prices back down to something even remotely reasonable.
Quick story...we were at MCO waiting for our flight and grabbed late lunch at Sbarro. When she rang up the total for two of us, I instantly thought it was a mistake, because the total for two of us was the same as ONE of us at a WDW QS location. Pathetic.
The first couple times through were at the end of the night during an Xmas Part. There was literally nobody in line, so we just hurried through so we could get a few ride-through's under our belt right away....thinking we'd ride again later when we would be forced to enjoy the queue. It wasn't until our 3rd or 4th ride that we realized those little crab guys were scattered around. I think the clinking noises is what caught our attention. We stopped and watched them for a bit. Definitely something to keep you mildly entertained...but not so tacky that it doesn't fit in. I think they were nicely done.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
I haven't been to NFL yet, but this would be my impression from riding the DCA version. The traditional dark rides in FL have nostalgia going for them, but in terms of objective quality, I think Little Mermaid is better than any of them. I think it is going to be a very popular ride for MK visitors, especially once in a lifetime or infrequent guests who don't have the same biases going in.
I hate all of this talk about "bias"!! Can't people have negative opinions without it being biassed against TDO?
I have a negative opinion about the FLE because, well, I don't think it has substance and for what there is, I don't feel has been executed well.
I'll give TDO kudos for the good things they do (TSMM is the most recent example of them doing a fantastic job), but I call everything objectively and as I see it.
As for TLM being better than the classic Fantasyland dark rides, IMO it's very good but it just goes wrong at the end. There really isn't much to compare to though. All that's left is Pooh and Pan and, as far as I'm concerned, Peter Pan is as good of a ride experience as you can ever have. The effect of being in the skies is well done and the figures are perfect for what it is – AND, it was done 40 years ago and at probably 100th of the budget (even at today's prices).
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
Just stopped by WDW today. Okay...as for the expansion...
There ain't much to it.
Yeah, the castle walls are nice. The buildings - especially Beast's Castle, Gaston's, and Enchanted Tales with Belle, are nice. The queue for the Little Mermaid ride is nice.
But that's all I can say about it all...it's nice. BUT IT'S SUCH A FREAKING LETDOWN!!!!
A new gift shop, a couple of new restaurants, a show strictly for the kiddies, and a new dark ride. Some expansion. And as for that dark ride...okay, please, those of you here who know me, you know how much I love and defend Disney (at least Walt Disney). I don't cast aspersions at the parks lightly. It HURTS to write this, but:
THE LITTLE MERMAID RIDE IS CRAP!
I was APPALLED when I rode it. So much freaking bad show, so much obvious corner-cutting...this thing is a shade, a hair, a split-atom above the old and recently removed Snow White dark ride AT BEST. Heck, it doesn't even have the CHARM of that old ride. It's just...MEH!!!
Worst of all...the "Under the Sea" scene, which one must assume is supposed to be the centerpiece of the ride...is so LAME. When I rode the ride, that scene was so brightly lit that you could see the rods and poles and apparatus EVERYWHERE. You could easily see the metal carousel the fish were spinning around on, you could see the machinery above the swirly cutouts on the ceiling, you could even see the black, cloth-covered pole STICKING OUT OF ARIEL'S BACK that was making her bounce up and down in front of a bunch of coral!!!! (That Ariel, BTW, was the formerly-known-as-soft-serve Ariel). And no, I wasn't looking for all of that stuff! It was just painfully obvious! The whole thing looked like a window display for FAO Schwartz!!!! I could not BELIEVE how cheap and careless the whole thing looked. "Bad show" doesn't even begin to describe it. "Lazy", "cynical", "penny-pinching", and "amateurish" would have to be added to that description to fully express how disappointing the ride is. Really, the ONLY thing even approaching the "wow" factor in that ride is the Ursula AA. She's terrific, and if everything else in the ride was up to that level, it'd be pretty amazing. But it isn't. It's as if TDO blew 75% of the ride's budget on her, and nickel-and-dimed the rest. AND IT SHOWS. And the ride's construction isn't its only problem. Its storyline is confusing and messed up, as other folks here at this message board have pointed out. Yes, it starts out well, with the "immersion" under the sea in the beginning, but then it's as if the wrong scenes from the movie were chosen to tell the ride's story, culminating in the abrupt ending with the blandly-waving Prince and humanized Ariel and the black cut-out of Ursula on the right that just...sits there. With an angry look on its face. Emoting, or something.
LAME!
What makes my disappointment with the new expansion worse is...after spending all of 30 minutes there, and not even being able to go into the Beast's castle, much less eat there...I took a side trip over to Universal's Islands of Adventure. Looked around, and thought...this blows ALL of Fantasyland out of the freaking water. The theming at IOA is amazing. Rich, and detailed, and quirky, and mysterious, and whimsical, and magical. That crooked tower with the light in it, the area around Mythos, Seuss Landing, Hogwarts and Hogsmeade...it's just staggering. Right now, and I hate to say it, WDW just doesn't have anything to compare with it. There's more art and imagination in Universal than there is at WDW right now. Universal hasn't just caught up with Disney, it's surpassed it. And Disney doesn't seem to even be AWARE of that fact, if the Mermaid ride is any indication. Or maybe it just doesn't care. Maybe it just thinks that the public's affection for Disney will always give it a leg up.
That makes me very sad. The company that invented the theme park, that used to be known for invention, imagination, and innovation, is resting on its laurels and thinking only of its stockholders. And you know what?
That SUCKS!
There ain't much to it.
Yeah, the castle walls are nice. The buildings - especially Beast's Castle, Gaston's, and Enchanted Tales with Belle, are nice. The queue for the Little Mermaid ride is nice.
But that's all I can say about it all...it's nice. BUT IT'S SUCH A FREAKING LETDOWN!!!!
A new gift shop, a couple of new restaurants, a show strictly for the kiddies, and a new dark ride. Some expansion. And as for that dark ride...okay, please, those of you here who know me, you know how much I love and defend Disney (at least Walt Disney). I don't cast aspersions at the parks lightly. It HURTS to write this, but:
THE LITTLE MERMAID RIDE IS CRAP!
I was APPALLED when I rode it. So much freaking bad show, so much obvious corner-cutting...this thing is a shade, a hair, a split-atom above the old and recently removed Snow White dark ride AT BEST. Heck, it doesn't even have the CHARM of that old ride. It's just...MEH!!!
Worst of all...the "Under the Sea" scene, which one must assume is supposed to be the centerpiece of the ride...is so LAME. When I rode the ride, that scene was so brightly lit that you could see the rods and poles and apparatus EVERYWHERE. You could easily see the metal carousel the fish were spinning around on, you could see the machinery above the swirly cutouts on the ceiling, you could even see the black, cloth-covered pole STICKING OUT OF ARIEL'S BACK that was making her bounce up and down in front of a bunch of coral!!!! (That Ariel, BTW, was the formerly-known-as-soft-serve Ariel). And no, I wasn't looking for all of that stuff! It was just painfully obvious! The whole thing looked like a window display for FAO Schwartz!!!! I could not BELIEVE how cheap and careless the whole thing looked. "Bad show" doesn't even begin to describe it. "Lazy", "cynical", "penny-pinching", and "amateurish" would have to be added to that description to fully express how disappointing the ride is. Really, the ONLY thing even approaching the "wow" factor in that ride is the Ursula AA. She's terrific, and if everything else in the ride was up to that level, it'd be pretty amazing. But it isn't. It's as if TDO blew 75% of the ride's budget on her, and nickel-and-dimed the rest. AND IT SHOWS. And the ride's construction isn't its only problem. Its storyline is confusing and messed up, as other folks here at this message board have pointed out. Yes, it starts out well, with the "immersion" under the sea in the beginning, but then it's as if the wrong scenes from the movie were chosen to tell the ride's story, culminating in the abrupt ending with the blandly-waving Prince and humanized Ariel and the black cut-out of Ursula on the right that just...sits there. With an angry look on its face. Emoting, or something.
LAME!
What makes my disappointment with the new expansion worse is...after spending all of 30 minutes there, and not even being able to go into the Beast's castle, much less eat there...I took a side trip over to Universal's Islands of Adventure. Looked around, and thought...this blows ALL of Fantasyland out of the freaking water. The theming at IOA is amazing. Rich, and detailed, and quirky, and mysterious, and whimsical, and magical. That crooked tower with the light in it, the area around Mythos, Seuss Landing, Hogwarts and Hogsmeade...it's just staggering. Right now, and I hate to say it, WDW just doesn't have anything to compare with it. There's more art and imagination in Universal than there is at WDW right now. Universal hasn't just caught up with Disney, it's surpassed it. And Disney doesn't seem to even be AWARE of that fact, if the Mermaid ride is any indication. Or maybe it just doesn't care. Maybe it just thinks that the public's affection for Disney will always give it a leg up.
That makes me very sad. The company that invented the theme park, that used to be known for invention, imagination, and innovation, is resting on its laurels and thinking only of its stockholders. And you know what?
That SUCKS!
bubbles1812
Well-Known Member
Lol. Tell us how you really feel Panther 
(I do have many of the same issues with The Little Mermaid ride as you do...mostly when it comes to the rushed poorly done ending). And oh how I do know how you like your Walt Disney. I am sorry you didn't enjoy it much though. Though I'm glad you enjoyed Universal.
(I do have many of the same issues with The Little Mermaid ride as you do...mostly when it comes to the rushed poorly done ending). And oh how I do know how you like your Walt Disney. I am sorry you didn't enjoy it much though. Though I'm glad you enjoyed Universal.
IAmFloridaBorn
Well-Known Member
Hence my reason for switching to UNI AP this , well next year!
Tom
Beta Return
I'm copying, pasting and editing from my not-yet-complete Trip Report. This post is going to irritate those who want to hate everything TDO is doing these days, but I'm going to speak my mind. I mentioned previously that my opinions and review of New Fantasyland are based SOLELY on what was delivered to us, the guests, and not in comparison to what "could have been." There is absolutely no use in offering a constructive review of something if you're comparing it to infinite Blue Sky possibilities.
With this said, our collective impressions (four adults ranging in age from 24 to 33), were that the BatB and LM exteriors are overwhelming, while the area itself felt cramped and the LM ride would rank as a C+ (using Disney's ride scale, not a school grading scale).
Now for more detail....
The exterior theming is just outstanding, in my opinion. Others apparently disagree, and want more. Sure, I'd take more, but I'm basing my opinion solely on what's there (and looking at things through a contractor's eye), they spared no expense on the exterior of these two pavilions. Again, a previous poster disagrees and believes they cut many corners. I did not see that - at least on the outside. That's for darn sure.
The Beast's castle looks a tiny bit strange on top of the mountain, given that you walk into the castle through full-size doors at close proximity, while seeing the actual "castle" in miniature format on top of the rockwork. The scale just doesn't make complete sense, but it still looks nice.
The water features at BatB are incredible. The waterfall is perfect, and the water splashes and flows very naturally into a creek and under the bridge, over toward the future mine ride. The night we stayed late, I inspected every detail of the bridge, forest, light fixtures, rockwork and pavement. It's top notch construction in every way.
The same goes for Mermaid's exterior and queue. There should be an E-Ticket attraction hidden behind that exterior and queue - not a C+ attraction. It's almost as if they wasted a facade on something unworthy of it.
I won't go into detail on the....details, because photos, videos and descriptions have saturated this forum and the web for weeks already. None of that can do this area justice - you MUST see it in person. And if possible, hang around until night time and until park closing, so you can take it all in.
As for the LM ride itself, I personally place it far above Snow White and Pooh, slightly above Peter Pan (since Pan actually has 3D sets and the vehicle flies), but well under the bar set by the original, perfect dark rides like Pirates and Haunted Mansion. A previous poster indicated that they would place it below Snow White - and I guess I would in certain regards, but at least this ride utilized dimensional sets throughout, while the older FL dark rides used a lot of 2D effects.
The music is straight out of the movie, which I like (I hate when they "adapt" or "re-compose"). The visuals are quite stunning. The few AA's are very impressive (primarily Ursula). And it tells the complete story very well.
What I don't like about it is that you can see everything (just as someone said above)....as in, the building infrastructure, light fixtures, catwalks, sound insulation nailed to the walls, and just about everything else that the original Imagineers would have gone miles to hide. The clamshell vehicles poorly direct the guests in many cases, and I think the sides should wrap around you more like the Doombuggies do - thus limiting your field of vision.
Additionally, it's as if they just hung a bunch of theater lights and turned them on. The sets are far too brightly lit, and it looks like they put no effort into masking lights. I have a technical theater background, and I know what capabilities there are with the types of light fixtures they used. Heck, they use the same fixtures in every ride/show on property without illuminating the entire building.
Just imagine riding through Haunted Mansion with the work lights on. You would see all kinds of un-magical stuff....and that's what you see in LM. It just felt like they didn't even try to hide the "backstage" stuff. This wasn't a remodel - it was a ground-up ride.
Dim a few fixtures. Mask some of them. Get fixtures with narrower beam spreads. Whatever it takes - stop illuminating the entire building, and stop aiming the guest so that they are staring at exterior walls, sound blankets and fully-lit catwalks.
I sincerely hope they do something to the Mermaid ride to make it more...I dunno...intimate. They hung 10,000 lights and turned them all on to 100%, and made no attempt at hiding the guts of the facility. I could even see steel beams and ductwork above me. Terrible show!
Ok, now for Be Our Guest. I'll start with dinner......AMAZING! We were a party of 6, and were seated in the Beast's Lair. It was a dark and creepy room with the magic rose in the corner, occasionally dropping a petal. We'd hear the Beast roaring once in a while, and lightning would strike, Illuminating the Beast's face on the portrait of the "Prince" version of him.
We walked through the grand ballroom to get there, and it also looks fantastic. I honestly don't give a crap that it's not identical to the one in the movie. C'mon people, it's a cartoon. Everything is distorted, and you can draw the impossible on celluloid. They did, in my opinion, a fantastic job of recreating the ballroom given their constraints of REALITY.
As for construction, it's also top notch. Terrazzo floors - that's unheard of! And the falling snow outside the wall of windows is fantastic.
We all ordered something different, and we all loved our meals. I started with the French Onion soup, and I'll put it down as one of the best I've ever had. My entree was the pork shank, green beans and baked mac-n-cheese (they called it something French and fancy). Absolutely delicious. Everyone else said the same about their meals. We all tried the desserts. I could take them or leave them, but they weren't bad.
My wife and I went back for lunch. Got in line at 10:30 and were inside by about 10:50 checking out the menu, then dispatched to an ordering booth at 11:00. I got the grilled ham and cheese with fries (but added a bowl of French Onion soup, because it was so good). She got the turkey sandwich.
Her sandwich was extremely bland - no hint of the supposed special mayo. My sandwich was so-so. I'm not into grainy breads, and that's what the Croque Monsiour (?) came on. With a side of good 'ol soggy Disney fries.
We sat in the grand ballroom for lunch, and the RFID Rose system worked flawlessly. Our food was at our table by the time we filled our fountain drinks and got real silverware from a cart. If you're going for the atmosphere and can't get a dinner reservation, go for lunch. I probably should have given it a second chance, but we didn't have time.
Storybook Circus is what it is. It's not for me, but it's a far cry better product than what was previously there. At least it looks professional and permanent, and has a cohesive theme. It's nicely done, but offers very little - except of course for the expanded spinner, re-painted coaster, splash pad and partially shaded "D-Zone" tent.
I hope the feeling of claustrophobia goes away when they take down the construction walls around the mine train, but given that there are building facades mere feet behind those walls, I predict it will maintain the same cramped feeling. But we'll see.
I DID like the vast openness between the carousel and the castle walls (where Dumbo used to be). It really helps with the mass of people who pass through that area of the park. Once the Rapunzel trail opens over to the HM courtyard, traffic through the north end of the park will be MUCH better.
Speaking of Rapunzel, we saw her tower the last couple days we were there. The tower itself looks fantastic, but it needs to be about 5' shorter. You can see it from the Mansion queue, and from Frontierland, in front of CBJ, across the River. Some (usually me) will say that I should wait until they're done....but having seen the blueprints and knowing what you can and can't do....I'm not 100% sure they can hide it with trees at this point. I'll be anxious to see the finished product, but they're going to have to get very creative.
Summary: Exteriors look fantastic. BoG interior is fantastic. BoG dinner is fantastic. BoG lunch is so-so. LM ride is good, but not awesome. Kids and families will love it - I'm just way too critical, especially when I know what Disney used to take pride in.
So that's my review in a nutshell. I am apparently far more tolerant than others on here, but again, I disclaimed that I didn't compare it to "what ifs" - but only to itself. I truly feel that the ride hiding behind the rockwork is not worthy of that level of exterior thematics. The exteriors are E-Ticket caliber - with a C-ish ride inside. I won't knock the addition of a restaurant, because MK needed another TS, and I look forward to the mine train opening.
And then.....spend money on the parks that actually NEED it.
With this said, our collective impressions (four adults ranging in age from 24 to 33), were that the BatB and LM exteriors are overwhelming, while the area itself felt cramped and the LM ride would rank as a C+ (using Disney's ride scale, not a school grading scale).
Now for more detail....
The exterior theming is just outstanding, in my opinion. Others apparently disagree, and want more. Sure, I'd take more, but I'm basing my opinion solely on what's there (and looking at things through a contractor's eye), they spared no expense on the exterior of these two pavilions. Again, a previous poster disagrees and believes they cut many corners. I did not see that - at least on the outside. That's for darn sure.
The Beast's castle looks a tiny bit strange on top of the mountain, given that you walk into the castle through full-size doors at close proximity, while seeing the actual "castle" in miniature format on top of the rockwork. The scale just doesn't make complete sense, but it still looks nice.
The water features at BatB are incredible. The waterfall is perfect, and the water splashes and flows very naturally into a creek and under the bridge, over toward the future mine ride. The night we stayed late, I inspected every detail of the bridge, forest, light fixtures, rockwork and pavement. It's top notch construction in every way.
The same goes for Mermaid's exterior and queue. There should be an E-Ticket attraction hidden behind that exterior and queue - not a C+ attraction. It's almost as if they wasted a facade on something unworthy of it.
I won't go into detail on the....details, because photos, videos and descriptions have saturated this forum and the web for weeks already. None of that can do this area justice - you MUST see it in person. And if possible, hang around until night time and until park closing, so you can take it all in.
As for the LM ride itself, I personally place it far above Snow White and Pooh, slightly above Peter Pan (since Pan actually has 3D sets and the vehicle flies), but well under the bar set by the original, perfect dark rides like Pirates and Haunted Mansion. A previous poster indicated that they would place it below Snow White - and I guess I would in certain regards, but at least this ride utilized dimensional sets throughout, while the older FL dark rides used a lot of 2D effects.
The music is straight out of the movie, which I like (I hate when they "adapt" or "re-compose"). The visuals are quite stunning. The few AA's are very impressive (primarily Ursula). And it tells the complete story very well.
What I don't like about it is that you can see everything (just as someone said above)....as in, the building infrastructure, light fixtures, catwalks, sound insulation nailed to the walls, and just about everything else that the original Imagineers would have gone miles to hide. The clamshell vehicles poorly direct the guests in many cases, and I think the sides should wrap around you more like the Doombuggies do - thus limiting your field of vision.
Additionally, it's as if they just hung a bunch of theater lights and turned them on. The sets are far too brightly lit, and it looks like they put no effort into masking lights. I have a technical theater background, and I know what capabilities there are with the types of light fixtures they used. Heck, they use the same fixtures in every ride/show on property without illuminating the entire building.
Just imagine riding through Haunted Mansion with the work lights on. You would see all kinds of un-magical stuff....and that's what you see in LM. It just felt like they didn't even try to hide the "backstage" stuff. This wasn't a remodel - it was a ground-up ride.
Dim a few fixtures. Mask some of them. Get fixtures with narrower beam spreads. Whatever it takes - stop illuminating the entire building, and stop aiming the guest so that they are staring at exterior walls, sound blankets and fully-lit catwalks.
I sincerely hope they do something to the Mermaid ride to make it more...I dunno...intimate. They hung 10,000 lights and turned them all on to 100%, and made no attempt at hiding the guts of the facility. I could even see steel beams and ductwork above me. Terrible show!
Ok, now for Be Our Guest. I'll start with dinner......AMAZING! We were a party of 6, and were seated in the Beast's Lair. It was a dark and creepy room with the magic rose in the corner, occasionally dropping a petal. We'd hear the Beast roaring once in a while, and lightning would strike, Illuminating the Beast's face on the portrait of the "Prince" version of him.
We walked through the grand ballroom to get there, and it also looks fantastic. I honestly don't give a crap that it's not identical to the one in the movie. C'mon people, it's a cartoon. Everything is distorted, and you can draw the impossible on celluloid. They did, in my opinion, a fantastic job of recreating the ballroom given their constraints of REALITY.
As for construction, it's also top notch. Terrazzo floors - that's unheard of! And the falling snow outside the wall of windows is fantastic.
We all ordered something different, and we all loved our meals. I started with the French Onion soup, and I'll put it down as one of the best I've ever had. My entree was the pork shank, green beans and baked mac-n-cheese (they called it something French and fancy). Absolutely delicious. Everyone else said the same about their meals. We all tried the desserts. I could take them or leave them, but they weren't bad.
My wife and I went back for lunch. Got in line at 10:30 and were inside by about 10:50 checking out the menu, then dispatched to an ordering booth at 11:00. I got the grilled ham and cheese with fries (but added a bowl of French Onion soup, because it was so good). She got the turkey sandwich.
Her sandwich was extremely bland - no hint of the supposed special mayo. My sandwich was so-so. I'm not into grainy breads, and that's what the Croque Monsiour (?) came on. With a side of good 'ol soggy Disney fries.
We sat in the grand ballroom for lunch, and the RFID Rose system worked flawlessly. Our food was at our table by the time we filled our fountain drinks and got real silverware from a cart. If you're going for the atmosphere and can't get a dinner reservation, go for lunch. I probably should have given it a second chance, but we didn't have time.
Storybook Circus is what it is. It's not for me, but it's a far cry better product than what was previously there. At least it looks professional and permanent, and has a cohesive theme. It's nicely done, but offers very little - except of course for the expanded spinner, re-painted coaster, splash pad and partially shaded "D-Zone" tent.
I hope the feeling of claustrophobia goes away when they take down the construction walls around the mine train, but given that there are building facades mere feet behind those walls, I predict it will maintain the same cramped feeling. But we'll see.
I DID like the vast openness between the carousel and the castle walls (where Dumbo used to be). It really helps with the mass of people who pass through that area of the park. Once the Rapunzel trail opens over to the HM courtyard, traffic through the north end of the park will be MUCH better.
Speaking of Rapunzel, we saw her tower the last couple days we were there. The tower itself looks fantastic, but it needs to be about 5' shorter. You can see it from the Mansion queue, and from Frontierland, in front of CBJ, across the River. Some (usually me) will say that I should wait until they're done....but having seen the blueprints and knowing what you can and can't do....I'm not 100% sure they can hide it with trees at this point. I'll be anxious to see the finished product, but they're going to have to get very creative.
Summary: Exteriors look fantastic. BoG interior is fantastic. BoG dinner is fantastic. BoG lunch is so-so. LM ride is good, but not awesome. Kids and families will love it - I'm just way too critical, especially when I know what Disney used to take pride in.
So that's my review in a nutshell. I am apparently far more tolerant than others on here, but again, I disclaimed that I didn't compare it to "what ifs" - but only to itself. I truly feel that the ride hiding behind the rockwork is not worthy of that level of exterior thematics. The exteriors are E-Ticket caliber - with a C-ish ride inside. I won't knock the addition of a restaurant, because MK needed another TS, and I look forward to the mine train opening.
And then.....spend money on the parks that actually NEED it.
CommyHolly
Member
I went Sunday,,,,,
I will say that I love love LOVED the Be Our Guest for lunch,,,,,,it's now my favorite restaurant,,,,for a dollar more than a hamburger, I got a sandwich that I could only eat half of (DH and I will most likely split one from now o n),,,,,,,it's fast food, I didn't expect, nor did I get 5 star quality for lunch, but it was delicious for fast food. I had a cream puff for dessert, and it was fantastic,,,,,,,,
Love the refillable soda machines for self service,,,,,,
As for Under the Sea,,,,,,
it was ok,,,,,probably better than OK,,,,kids will love it,,,,very cute, very bright and colorful,,,,I liked it, but I wouldn't wait forever for it. Still think POTC is a better ride. JMHO.
I will say that I love love LOVED the Be Our Guest for lunch,,,,,,it's now my favorite restaurant,,,,for a dollar more than a hamburger, I got a sandwich that I could only eat half of (DH and I will most likely split one from now o n),,,,,,,it's fast food, I didn't expect, nor did I get 5 star quality for lunch, but it was delicious for fast food. I had a cream puff for dessert, and it was fantastic,,,,,,,,
Love the refillable soda machines for self service,,,,,,
As for Under the Sea,,,,,,
it was ok,,,,,probably better than OK,,,,kids will love it,,,,very cute, very bright and colorful,,,,I liked it, but I wouldn't wait forever for it. Still think POTC is a better ride. JMHO.
dclfan
Well-Known Member
Was in WDW from 11/21 until 11/28 and went to expierieince the new Fantasyland twice in my visit. My group consisted of myself (23), sister (18th birthday trip ), Mom, Dad, Grandma (75) ans Uncle (68). We were all really impressed with the new Fantasyland. I would NOT say that our family was the target demographic of this land at all but we were still impressed with what Disney did with the land and were very anxious to see it in person.
First off I found that the addition significatnly opened up the whole fantasyland space. Before I felt very camped walking through now with the addition I felt there was a lot of open space and I didn't have to dodge strollers the whole time I was there. I feel that when the addition is fully open in 2013 this feeling will only be amplified as the mine train walls will be down. Everytime we walked through fantasyland on our trip my dad had to mention how much space he had. It was kinda hilarious actually.
Once entering through the castle walls I felt the land was extremely immersive. We took some pictures with beast's castle in the backround. The waterfalls were beautiful, and I liked that the castle was way up on the hill. It was on the small side but still it gave it an heir of mystery, much like the beast in the films. I loved loved loved Gastons tavern, had the cinnamon roll (which was warm and gooey A+).I sat outside and just soaked in the ambience before I got interrupted by Gaston himself asking for some of my cinnamon roll. He was perfect, so in chracter. Kept talking about how handsome he was, I loved it. It's so nice to be approached by a chracter instead of waiting in a 1/2 line to meet one. Very refreshing, that is how I rmemeber meeting chracters when I was a kid there was no designated times you just kind of found them.
Next up was Ariel, her castle was my favorite. The whole queve was highly immersive and beautiful. We got there nice and early so we were able to stop and take pictures without being rushed through. My mom was very excited about this ride, dark rides are her favorite. She absoloutley loved it. She loved how Ariels eyes closed when she went to kiss Eric in the boat and how they seemed to follow you around during "under the sea" portion of the ride. Everyone else enjoyed the ride as well. From the outside I thought they could have done a litle more with the ride but It was a dark ride and for that I think it did it's job well. I'm sure if I first saw it when I was 5 or 6 I would have been completley in love with this ride.
The last attraction we did before leaving the new Fantasland was enchanted tales with Belle. REALLY long line, guess we should hae stopped here first. I loved walking through the magic mirror but I think our group was a little old for this attraction. My dad did get to be a knight which was cool and we took lots of pictures but I don't forsee us waiting in line again.
All in all I was highly impressed with the new Fantasyland. Cool place to hang out, loved the theming. Will defninitley make Ariel one of our must do's on future trips. I would like to try Be Our Guest on our next visit since we missed it due to one of us (Me) getting a little sick , i have the worst luck, on the day we were supposed to go for lunch. Can't wait to see the finished Mine Train.
), Mom, Dad, Grandma (75) ans Uncle (68). We were all really impressed with the new Fantasyland. I would NOT say that our family was the target demographic of this land at all but we were still impressed with what Disney did with the land and were very anxious to see it in person. First off I found that the addition significatnly opened up the whole fantasyland space. Before I felt very camped walking through now with the addition I felt there was a lot of open space and I didn't have to dodge strollers the whole time I was there. I feel that when the addition is fully open in 2013 this feeling will only be amplified as the mine train walls will be down. Everytime we walked through fantasyland on our trip my dad had to mention how much space he had. It was kinda hilarious actually.
Once entering through the castle walls I felt the land was extremely immersive. We took some pictures with beast's castle in the backround. The waterfalls were beautiful, and I liked that the castle was way up on the hill. It was on the small side but still it gave it an heir of mystery, much like the beast in the films. I loved loved loved Gastons tavern, had the cinnamon roll (which was warm and gooey A+).I sat outside and just soaked in the ambience before I got interrupted by Gaston himself asking for some of my cinnamon roll. He was perfect, so in chracter. Kept talking about how handsome he was, I loved it. It's so nice to be approached by a chracter instead of waiting in a 1/2 line to meet one. Very refreshing, that is how I rmemeber meeting chracters when I was a kid there was no designated times you just kind of found them.
Next up was Ariel, her castle was my favorite. The whole queve was highly immersive and beautiful. We got there nice and early so we were able to stop and take pictures without being rushed through. My mom was very excited about this ride, dark rides are her favorite. She absoloutley loved it. She loved how Ariels eyes closed when she went to kiss Eric in the boat and how they seemed to follow you around during "under the sea" portion of the ride. Everyone else enjoyed the ride as well. From the outside I thought they could have done a litle more with the ride but It was a dark ride and for that I think it did it's job well. I'm sure if I first saw it when I was 5 or 6 I would have been completley in love with this ride.
The last attraction we did before leaving the new Fantasland was enchanted tales with Belle. REALLY long line, guess we should hae stopped here first. I loved walking through the magic mirror but I think our group was a little old for this attraction. My dad did get to be a knight which was cool and we took lots of pictures but I don't forsee us waiting in line again.
All in all I was highly impressed with the new Fantasyland. Cool place to hang out, loved the theming. Will defninitley make Ariel one of our must do's on future trips. I would like to try Be Our Guest on our next visit since we missed it due to one of us (Me) getting a little sick , i have the worst luck, on the day we were supposed to go for lunch. Can't wait to see the finished Mine Train.
puntagordabob
Well-Known Member
Just returned from WDW and experienced the new Fantasyland....
HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS:
In general I love the new area... well themed....love the rock work, the trees, plants, and very much like the water features.....
Be our Guest we experienced as a counter service (as table service rezzies are extinct at the moment lol).... a WONDERFUL experience both thematicly and cousinely.... I HOPE they use this model for future "counter service" locations where you sit down and they bring you the food.... much less chaotic than Sony Eclipse's home at Cosmic Rays (for the record Cosmic Rays has always been my favorite place to eat lunch at the MK.... never ever get tired of Sony's show ever since the early 70s when I first remmeber seeing it)....
The Little Mermaid ride was definitely cut down to save $$$ which is a REAL CRIME to be honest.... BUT THAT BEING SAID: I LOVED IT.... AA rides/shows have always and will always be my favorite Disney type of attraction.... Kinda wish they'd bring the Monster's AA ride from DCA to WDW somewhere (for those who have seen it you understand...for those that have not then youtube it as it is pretty cool)....
Gaston's Tavern was really cool though other than touring it we didnt have time to eat there.... the custom mugs were cool but really cheaply made... KIND of WISH they had an ADULT Glass mug with some cool design (such as the sheild design for Gaston's house for example!? I'd gladly pay for that!)...... theming was exceptional as was all of the new Fantasyland.
The Circus area was nice over all though sadly I did not get to check out Dumbo as I had intended.... Casey's train is very cool though I must admit the water aspect to it kept me from really getting to really enjoy it close up... wanted to get the Circusland coffee mug but I forgot to swing back by to purchase it...
The Gaston themed gift shop was nice... lots of new Fantasyland stuff in there.... IF ANY DISNEY folks are reading this: The kids foam shield with Gaston's crest on it was pretty cool: HOW ABOUT A WOOD VERSION one for our walls at home....?????? Perhaps they are making one and other items like that but have not been released yet.....
Enchanted forest.... like the idea.... hope they dont end up removing the trees when they mature though.... cuz I remember the days when the Hub, etc was nice and shaded too....then they removed them for various reasons... HOPE they let the new Forest area become an area full of mature trees...and leave it full of places for us to simply sit and enjoy the park rather than later cramming food and DVC kiosks in there.... LEAVE IT SPACIOUS, LEAVE IT BE. I fondly remember the nice area in Adventureland too before the carpets...areas like the forest and the adventurland veranda areas DO NOT need to be clausterphobic in nature... let us enjoy....
CONCLUSION: new Fantasyland is EXCELLENT addition to the MK. Could it/should it have been more: SURE..... BUT as it is today it is awesome too..... So to all those Hater's out there: Please be fair.... while you may have an issue with this or that, you SHOULD admit though that this is a great step in the right direction.
HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS:
In general I love the new area... well themed....love the rock work, the trees, plants, and very much like the water features.....
Be our Guest we experienced as a counter service (as table service rezzies are extinct at the moment lol).... a WONDERFUL experience both thematicly and cousinely.... I HOPE they use this model for future "counter service" locations where you sit down and they bring you the food.... much less chaotic than Sony Eclipse's home at Cosmic Rays (for the record Cosmic Rays has always been my favorite place to eat lunch at the MK.... never ever get tired of Sony's show ever since the early 70s when I first remmeber seeing it)....
The Little Mermaid ride was definitely cut down to save $$$ which is a REAL CRIME to be honest.... BUT THAT BEING SAID: I LOVED IT.... AA rides/shows have always and will always be my favorite Disney type of attraction.... Kinda wish they'd bring the Monster's AA ride from DCA to WDW somewhere (for those who have seen it you understand...for those that have not then youtube it as it is pretty cool)....
Gaston's Tavern was really cool though other than touring it we didnt have time to eat there.... the custom mugs were cool but really cheaply made... KIND of WISH they had an ADULT Glass mug with some cool design (such as the sheild design for Gaston's house for example!? I'd gladly pay for that!)...... theming was exceptional as was all of the new Fantasyland.
The Circus area was nice over all though sadly I did not get to check out Dumbo as I had intended.... Casey's train is very cool though I must admit the water aspect to it kept me from really getting to really enjoy it close up... wanted to get the Circusland coffee mug but I forgot to swing back by to purchase it...
The Gaston themed gift shop was nice... lots of new Fantasyland stuff in there.... IF ANY DISNEY folks are reading this: The kids foam shield with Gaston's crest on it was pretty cool: HOW ABOUT A WOOD VERSION one for our walls at home....?????? Perhaps they are making one and other items like that but have not been released yet.....
Enchanted forest.... like the idea.... hope they dont end up removing the trees when they mature though.... cuz I remember the days when the Hub, etc was nice and shaded too....then they removed them for various reasons... HOPE they let the new Forest area become an area full of mature trees...and leave it full of places for us to simply sit and enjoy the park rather than later cramming food and DVC kiosks in there.... LEAVE IT SPACIOUS, LEAVE IT BE. I fondly remember the nice area in Adventureland too before the carpets...areas like the forest and the adventurland veranda areas DO NOT need to be clausterphobic in nature... let us enjoy....
CONCLUSION: new Fantasyland is EXCELLENT addition to the MK. Could it/should it have been more: SURE..... BUT as it is today it is awesome too..... So to all those Hater's out there: Please be fair.... while you may have an issue with this or that, you SHOULD admit though that this is a great step in the right direction.
ChrisFL
Premium Member
I can't give TDO credit for that, it was just a clone of what was built for DCA, same with Mermaid
Good point, but the Florida version came first (if only by a couple of months). General TDO practice seems to be to wait and not greenlight something until others have done so and it has been forced on them. At least, in this case, they were the first to get it open.
The MadHatter
Well-Known Member
Avenger117
Well-Known Member
I was hoping for Pixie Hollow too. I'm still bummed that didn't happened. But I'm still pretty excited what they did do.I was hoping for Pixie Hollow - I never got Circusland. If they left it Toontown they could have still moved Dumbo - his is toon. lol
Can't wait to read more reviews!
jharvey
Well-Known Member
I do not think I have ever been as mad at someone as you appeared to be at the op. The life blood of this site is the posting of the points of view of the average guest. If you insist on slamming people, especially a non-newb, you will stunt that flow. I have personally found many posts to be drivle that does not rise to the level of intelligent thought and instead are the cerebral barkings of a troll ( hey hakuna).
Know how I, and most others, respond to weak posts (not a commentary on this post)? We don't. Let the offending post die of natural causes.
I will thank you for one thing. I have never been moved to respond to an unsolicited attack on this site, until now. Wow
neoshinok
Well-Known Member
Made my first FLE trip last night! I deem it a worthy addition to MK, and should be substantially more impressive when the mine train is complete.
I had already been on Little Mermaid in DCA, so I knew what to expect from the ride. The queue, however, is vastly superior in MK. Lots of nice detail, Scuttle animatronic, interactive crabs. I actually wished more loops were open so the line would go into the area to the left when you enter the interior building.
Made a BoG reservation the first day they were available, I felt bad seeing so many people being told walk-ups were not accommodated. The outside CMs seemed agitated, but they likely encounter a lot of unhappy people. The hostess leading us inside made a great presentation of it all; pulling both the large double doors open (What a grand entrance!), showing us around the ballroom, pointing out the snow (beautiful), and leading us into the West wing. The food was above average for WDW dining. We had French onion soup and Salmon. The picture effect transforming into Beast was a nice touch. I hope to dine here again.
Storytime with Belle had a 30 minute wait after dinner. The mirror transformation was even more impressive in person, my favorite effect in all of FLE. The wardrobe animatronic did not work, they had a cover over her head. Disappointing, but the CM covered well for it. Lumiere looked excellent. Of course, the interactive show is for children, but it was nice to see them enjoying it. If it were my design, the show would've been like Mysery Lodge in Knott's Berry farm, with Belle reading the story and different elements appearing around her, but I'll save that for my imagineering portfolio...
Can't wait for the mine train, it will really make this area shine!
I had already been on Little Mermaid in DCA, so I knew what to expect from the ride. The queue, however, is vastly superior in MK. Lots of nice detail, Scuttle animatronic, interactive crabs. I actually wished more loops were open so the line would go into the area to the left when you enter the interior building.
Made a BoG reservation the first day they were available, I felt bad seeing so many people being told walk-ups were not accommodated
. The outside CMs seemed agitated, but they likely encounter a lot of unhappy people. The hostess leading us inside made a great presentation of it all; pulling both the large double doors open (What a grand entrance!), showing us around the ballroom, pointing out the snow (beautiful), and leading us into the West wing. The food was above average for WDW dining. We had French onion soup and Salmon. The picture effect transforming into Beast was a nice touch. I hope to dine here again.Storytime with Belle had a 30 minute wait after dinner. The mirror transformation was even more impressive in person, my favorite effect in all of FLE. The wardrobe animatronic did not work, they had a cover over her head. Disappointing, but the CM covered well for it. Lumiere looked excellent. Of course, the interactive show is for children, but it was nice to see them enjoying it. If it were my design, the show would've been like Mysery Lodge in Knott's Berry farm, with Belle reading the story and different elements appearing around her, but I'll save that for my imagineering portfolio...
Can't wait for the mine train, it will really make this area shine!