Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
The wardrobe animatronic did not work, they had a cover over her head
I'm calling it: DISCO WARDROBE.
(heh heh FIRST!)
I'm calling it: DISCO WARDROBE.
(heh heh FIRST!)
-
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YOUR Fantasyland Expansion Review
- Thread starter Ignohippo
- Start date
Fox&Hound
Well-Known Member
My wife and I just got back from WDW and here are my thoughts:
Overall, I loved it! Beautiful themeing and it really opens things up. I tried to view it not as a separate land but as an extension to the original fantasyland that is already full of rides and experiences.
-Castle Walls- They just add something special to the park. And extra seating. Love it!
-Enchanted Tales with Belle- A cute idea, especially if you have little kids. As an adult, I'm not sure I would do it again. But, if I was a little kid, I'd love to have that experience with a Disney character cause that's what I remember as a kid-chasing Pluto down main street because he stole my brother's hat. It's a cool experience with interesting animatronics. Lots of details.
-Be Our Guest- Beautiful. Lunch was a little bland but it is a sight to see.
-Little Mermaid: I loved it! I don't know why there is so much hate. I've ridden it in Disneyland in CA and it really can't compare. The queue adds soooooo much. Reminds me of Splash Mountain. And the interactive crabs they have as a game to play while waiting- really cute. I love the ride although I will agree that the lighting could be improved and the end is rushed a little bit. But overall, I think it's a new classic. I really, really loved it.
-Ariel's Grotto: A great place to meet a mermaid. Nice and shady with great theming.
-Gaston's Tavern: Such a fun little spot. And I do mean little-I def thought it would be a much bigger space but it only seats a handful of people. 50, maybe? Food was great and LeFou's Brew is fantastic! Gaston walking around out front- very fun.
-Circus Area: Fun, but a little lacking. I think having an indoor queue for Dumbo with activities for the little ones is genius.
-Mine Train- Pictures do not do this thing justice. It is huuuuuuuuuuge. It takes up the entire land. It is really going to make an impression when it finally opens.
As I said, viewed by itself you might say "what else is there to do?" and feel a little bored. But try to view it as an extension of a land already full of rides and it might just change your experience.
I know others will disagree. And that's okay. For me, it was worth the wait.
Overall, I loved it! Beautiful themeing and it really opens things up. I tried to view it not as a separate land but as an extension to the original fantasyland that is already full of rides and experiences.
-Castle Walls- They just add something special to the park. And extra seating. Love it!
-Enchanted Tales with Belle- A cute idea, especially if you have little kids. As an adult, I'm not sure I would do it again. But, if I was a little kid, I'd love to have that experience with a Disney character cause that's what I remember as a kid-chasing Pluto down main street because he stole my brother's hat. It's a cool experience with interesting animatronics. Lots of details.
-Be Our Guest- Beautiful. Lunch was a little bland but it is a sight to see.
-Little Mermaid: I loved it! I don't know why there is so much hate. I've ridden it in Disneyland in CA and it really can't compare. The queue adds soooooo much. Reminds me of Splash Mountain. And the interactive crabs they have as a game to play while waiting- really cute. I love the ride although I will agree that the lighting could be improved and the end is rushed a little bit. But overall, I think it's a new classic. I really, really loved it.
-Ariel's Grotto: A great place to meet a mermaid. Nice and shady with great theming.
-Gaston's Tavern: Such a fun little spot. And I do mean little-I def thought it would be a much bigger space but it only seats a handful of people. 50, maybe? Food was great and LeFou's Brew is fantastic! Gaston walking around out front- very fun.
-Circus Area: Fun, but a little lacking. I think having an indoor queue for Dumbo with activities for the little ones is genius.
-Mine Train- Pictures do not do this thing justice. It is huuuuuuuuuuge. It takes up the entire land. It is really going to make an impression when it finally opens.
As I said, viewed by itself you might say "what else is there to do?" and feel a little bored. But try to view it as an extension of a land already full of rides and it might just change your experience.
I know others will disagree. And that's okay. For me, it was worth the wait.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
A little late to post...seeing as how we experienced it back on Nov 20th, but here goes...
Enchanted Tales with Belle
We waited standby...the line wasn't long at all, but it took longer than I would have expected for a line that short. One inside, I liked the mirror effect in person and the wardrobe was very cool. I was a bit bothered by something that happened in casting. They told us upon entering the room that they had enough props for every child to be part of the show, but when they got to my girls they were down to one prop. They handed it to my younger one and then told my older one she'd just have to share. Thankfully, they had extra props in the next room, but we had a few tense minutes before all was made right in the prop world and I'd considered letting her hold my prop as the Wardrobe and having her lip sync when it came time to sing. Beyond that- while it's technically a glorified meet and greet, it didn't feel that way when we were participating in it.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
My kids loved the ride, but I wasn't overly excited with the ride. It also bugged me that the standby time was grossly overestimated the two times we rode. It said 25 min and we literally walked right on. It's too bad too because I would have liked some extra time to play with the cute crabs in the queue. The CMs working the line wouldn't allow us to stay behind either. It also bugged me...brand new ride and it broke down for a minute or so when we rode it!
Gaston's
Like everything else we'd seen so far in FLE, the decoration and attention to detail was amazing; however, the menu just doesn't seem to be enough to draw us in there. i.e. they need more than a pork shank to make us consider it for food.
Be Our Guest
I can't remember the last time I'd worked so hard to get a reservation or anticipated a meal this much. I don't know if it was because we were there the day after the official preview started or what, but there were a lot of people trying to pull strings to get in and getting really upset when they were told "there's nothing until April." I'm also not a fan of being denied check in if it's more than 15 min out. I think we were about 25 min out...so not enough time to really do much but wait to check in so we could wait some more (since they were telling people they were running 15-20 min behind).
We were seated in the ballroom, which wound up being my favorite room in the place. I didn't really care for the gallery, and while there are neat aspects to the West Wing...I actually found the ballroom to be the more believable of the two. The West Wing also had TONS of traffic. I would have been miserable sitting in there and have the constant parade of diners wanting to take a look. The suits of armor towards the front of BoG were at least very funny...we liked hearing them snore.
As for the food...the onion soup and meat tray (charcuterie) were really good. In fact, the only beef with the charcuterie plate is that the little tables don't really accomodate the big board. I was constantly in fear that I'd flip all that yummy food on the floor. The entrees were a slightly different story...well, at least for mine. DH got the steak and while the pics I'd seen were far from appealing, it looked much better in person and tasted very good. I got the pork and found it disappointing. The meat had a strange consistency and taste. It was as if it were processed meat full of preservatives and not an actual pork chop. The macaroni gratin was rubbery and loaded with salt...disappointing since I love mac and cheese and this was pretty much inedible. The kids at least loved their Mickey meatloafs. We had grey stuff and tried the 3 different cupcakes. I'm not a big Oreo fan, but the grey stuff was pretty good. There were no complaints with any of the cupcakes. And yes...wine and beer for us too!
The M&G for Beast was also a mess. We loved how he came through the dining room, but the lines to meet him were long and that line stretched close to the gallery when they announced he'd be retiring for the night at 10pm. Needless to say, we never met Beast.
Fireworks
While it's not as good as viewing in front of Cindy's castle...Wishes is pretty interesting from the bridge to BoG. I wouldn't recommend it if you've never seen Wishes before or will only be seeing it once on your trip, but it's a neat vantage point if you're seeing Wishes several times on your vacay.
Storybook Circus
While it was nice to not wait forever for Dumbo and everything looks really nice...Barnstormer, I mean Goofini, feels about the same. I mean, I know they just rethemed and it's the same ride, but the actual ride didn't work as much for me in the new theme. Plus I was ticked that it was broken down when we first went to ride it. DH was bothered that the Big Top doesn't have regular popcorn - that he had to go over towards the Teacups to find some. Just seemed silly since I'd associate standard popcorn with the circus and not the specialty flavors they had handy. We didn't do any of Casey Jr b/c it was too chilly, but it was nice to be able to pick up the railroad again from this section of the park.
Conclusion
While what we saw was neat and I'm glad we got to experience it soooo early on, it wasn't without flaws, and for something that was such a huge expansion- it didn't really take up very much time. I'll be curious to see how it all feels once the mine train is up and running.
Enchanted Tales with Belle
We waited standby...the line wasn't long at all, but it took longer than I would have expected for a line that short. One inside, I liked the mirror effect in person and the wardrobe was very cool. I was a bit bothered by something that happened in casting. They told us upon entering the room that they had enough props for every child to be part of the show, but when they got to my girls they were down to one prop. They handed it to my younger one and then told my older one she'd just have to share. Thankfully, they had extra props in the next room, but we had a few tense minutes before all was made right in the prop world and I'd considered letting her hold my prop as the Wardrobe and having her lip sync when it came time to sing. Beyond that- while it's technically a glorified meet and greet, it didn't feel that way when we were participating in it.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
My kids loved the ride, but I wasn't overly excited with the ride. It also bugged me that the standby time was grossly overestimated the two times we rode. It said 25 min and we literally walked right on. It's too bad too because I would have liked some extra time to play with the cute crabs in the queue. The CMs working the line wouldn't allow us to stay behind either. It also bugged me...brand new ride and it broke down for a minute or so when we rode it!
Gaston's
Like everything else we'd seen so far in FLE, the decoration and attention to detail was amazing; however, the menu just doesn't seem to be enough to draw us in there. i.e. they need more than a pork shank to make us consider it for food.
Be Our Guest
I can't remember the last time I'd worked so hard to get a reservation or anticipated a meal this much. I don't know if it was because we were there the day after the official preview started or what, but there were a lot of people trying to pull strings to get in and getting really upset when they were told "there's nothing until April." I'm also not a fan of being denied check in if it's more than 15 min out. I think we were about 25 min out...so not enough time to really do much but wait to check in so we could wait some more (since they were telling people they were running 15-20 min behind).
We were seated in the ballroom, which wound up being my favorite room in the place. I didn't really care for the gallery, and while there are neat aspects to the West Wing...I actually found the ballroom to be the more believable of the two. The West Wing also had TONS of traffic. I would have been miserable sitting in there and have the constant parade of diners wanting to take a look. The suits of armor towards the front of BoG were at least very funny...we liked hearing them snore.
As for the food...the onion soup and meat tray (charcuterie) were really good. In fact, the only beef with the charcuterie plate is that the little tables don't really accomodate the big board. I was constantly in fear that I'd flip all that yummy food on the floor. The entrees were a slightly different story...well, at least for mine. DH got the steak and while the pics I'd seen were far from appealing, it looked much better in person and tasted very good. I got the pork and found it disappointing. The meat had a strange consistency and taste. It was as if it were processed meat full of preservatives and not an actual pork chop. The macaroni gratin was rubbery and loaded with salt...disappointing since I love mac and cheese and this was pretty much inedible. The kids at least loved their Mickey meatloafs. We had grey stuff and tried the 3 different cupcakes. I'm not a big Oreo fan, but the grey stuff was pretty good. There were no complaints with any of the cupcakes. And yes...wine and beer for us too!
The M&G for Beast was also a mess. We loved how he came through the dining room, but the lines to meet him were long and that line stretched close to the gallery when they announced he'd be retiring for the night at 10pm. Needless to say, we never met Beast.
Fireworks
While it's not as good as viewing in front of Cindy's castle...Wishes is pretty interesting from the bridge to BoG. I wouldn't recommend it if you've never seen Wishes before or will only be seeing it once on your trip, but it's a neat vantage point if you're seeing Wishes several times on your vacay.
Storybook Circus
While it was nice to not wait forever for Dumbo and everything looks really nice...Barnstormer, I mean Goofini, feels about the same. I mean, I know they just rethemed and it's the same ride, but the actual ride didn't work as much for me in the new theme. Plus I was ticked that it was broken down when we first went to ride it. DH was bothered that the Big Top doesn't have regular popcorn - that he had to go over towards the Teacups to find some. Just seemed silly since I'd associate standard popcorn with the circus and not the specialty flavors they had handy. We didn't do any of Casey Jr b/c it was too chilly, but it was nice to be able to pick up the railroad again from this section of the park.
Conclusion
While what we saw was neat and I'm glad we got to experience it soooo early on, it wasn't without flaws, and for something that was such a huge expansion- it didn't really take up very much time. I'll be curious to see how it all feels once the mine train is up and running.
Yert3
Well-Known Member
Ya. The wardrobe was broken when I was visiting. This thing is brand new and it is already broken??? Soon Lumiere is going to go down and we'll a show with only 2 animatronics with 2 broken animatronics. Quite sad.
mm52200
Well-Known Member
Are you sure the attraction actually broke down or did it just temporarily stop to load a wheelchair guest? Happens all the time with the omnimover attractions such as HM, Buzz Lightyear, and now this one.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
They had an announcement come on during the stoppage. I don't recall the exact wording, but it sounded like it was a technical issue and not a load issue.
grandmath
Active Member
It was okay. A nice area, but you feel it's half complete and that takes away from the experience. Will definitely feel more immersive next year.
Nothing spectacular though, nor groundbreaking. Great themeing, a cute darkride, and nice place to eat at. I would have loved a B&tB dark ride at the end of Enchanted Tales from Belle's line, which is great. Oh well, the "storytelling session" was fun too.
So overall very nice, not a game changer BUT, nothing to moan about either as some do here.
Nothing spectacular though, nor groundbreaking. Great themeing, a cute darkride, and nice place to eat at. I would have loved a B&tB dark ride at the end of Enchanted Tales from Belle's line, which is great. Oh well, the "storytelling session" was fun too.
So overall very nice, not a game changer BUT, nothing to moan about either as some do here.
taz0162
Well-Known Member
The area was beautiful. All the details were great. Loved the wagon wheel marks in the concrete and the peanuts embedded near Dumbo. We didn't have any issues with areas not working while we were there. My son was a barking footrest with Bell. The wardrobe and Lumiere worked fine and were unbelievable with how they were built. The silly Circus area was set up nicely and was a great way to get some pics and autographs of the characters. My 19 month old daughter didn't want to leave Minnie Mouse. All of the props around and on the Barnstormer were perfect and made me laugh. You could really imagine one of the old cartoons and him testing each of the devices out. Under the sea was a fun ride even for someone who remembers 20,000 legues from when he was little. Dumbos Bigtop Store does take a lot of space but with snacks in the middle and easy stroller manuverability it was a releif. We ate at Be Our Guest and even got to try "The Grey Stuff". the waiter did laugh when we asked for it and shortly thereafter he brought us a plate of it (It's small but still fun since it's not avertised or offered as a desert at all) Loved the snowey mountain setting through the windows in the Ballroom. I woudn't call it a character meal since the Beast only enters the ballroom breifly and then goes to a seperate non dinning room for pictures that is optional for any guest. Everyone is encouraged to check out the other wings that they were not dinning in to be able to see everything from the torn up West wing with the glowing Rose to the Large Music Box in the other wing. Gastons Tavern's Lefou Brew was good enough for me to want a second one before we ended our trip. I am so looking forward to The 7 Dwarfs Mine Cart ride that is coming along nicely.
Sped2424
Well-Known Member
Well here is my own two cents on new fantasy land, I love the entire theme and just the wonderful sense of being whisked away into a "Enchanted Forest" Disney in this case did what Disney Does best, Take you away from the today and enter you into someplace different. Now that being said It is a bit of a let down that while this is the initial Idea of what should be happening you have the constant reminder of the construction all around you for Snow Whites Mine Coaster, Seriously It is a huge eye sore at the moment but Thankfully that is a temporary problem and once its up and finished then I believe Fantasy Land will really be a gem. I think Enchanting tales With Belle Is a wonderful Step foot forward in terms of how meet and greets should be handled from now on and into the future being truly innovative and interactive to see my nieces face and my own to be honest Light up after we were picked by Madam wardrobe to be a part of a reenactment was truly astonishing but to see Lumiere Invite us inside was almost like walking into my own fantasy as a kid. Next comes Gaston's village which is a nice spot for resting, eating and spending some time to look around and just take in the beautiful scenery it was nice. As for the Be Our Guest Restaurant It has everything and more that any Disney fan could want in terms of service and imagination. From the highly decorated ballroom all the way to the Rose in the west wing to see it in person is truly an experience. Now here is where I hit little snag while this is all wonderful lets be honest the initial purpose of this area was to compete with harry potter world and on many levels it does just that however in some retrospects its missing the thrill rides to draw in the older crowd. But like I said snow white should just help to fix that issue. Now comes little mermaid while Belle has gotten the extreme extensive Treatment Ariel may have been a little Snubbed on this one. Hear me out while Ariel did get her own ride and Belle Didn't this ride (while being a joy and truly captures the dark rides of my youth) as my father simply put was a little bit of a let down considering how technologically aged it felt, most of the animations were static, the ride itself is a little short, and to put the cherry on the cake this is a ride that already existed in California was completely carbon copied for our park. Considering how we have much more space here in Florida I thought maybe they could have either added a few scenes in the ride (Ariel Singing on the famous rock anyone?) or something to truly differentiate this ride from its California Counterpart. Yes we have the extensively detailed and quite beautiful Que line with Eric's castle and the beautiful Lagoon it still doesn't justify the ride itself. At first when I heard of the expansion I was hoping there would be a sort of water ride involved with Ariel I was a little disappointed to learn they didn't capitalize on it. While the whole beauty and the beast area feels quite large I'm not sure the same could be said for The little Mermaid area which is a shame considering its one of my favorites and of course the Movie that really brought it all back for Disney and paved the way for Beauty and the beast. And while Belle got her wonderful interactive Meet and Greet Ariel Got her grotto back and while it is a nice meet and greet its kind of a shame they didn't treat it the same way they did with belle. Now onto Storybook circus The barn stormer was nice to see it return and the coaster is a wonderful area for children to come and try out their first real thrill ride. The entire section is themed wonderfully but its at night where this area truly begins to shine with its over the top lights and the dumbo rides gain this carousel of colorful lights that really mesmerizes the eyes. The area is wonderful for small children and for adults who just want to experience a little something extra with a childish charm.
My final Verdict on fantasy land is that although it has its disappointment's it still is a wonderful addition to the park and while I'm not sure that its the harry potter killer the park is looking for it still is a beautiful area that Disney fans and really any one who loves being taken away to another world can enjoy.
My final Verdict on fantasy land is that although it has its disappointment's it still is a wonderful addition to the park and while I'm not sure that its the harry potter killer the park is looking for it still is a beautiful area that Disney fans and really any one who loves being taken away to another world can enjoy.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
The main restaurant is actually relly nice (despite the obvious changes to the castle's design to make it more functionable as a restaurant), with details I was unaware of before visiting. The wait wasn't as bad as I had expected either, but we knew to get there before the 10:30am start. Having had lunch, I don't see the point in haing dinner, though. Gaston's wasn't as small as I was expecting and the shop had some relevant, nice stuff for sale. Mermaid's queue is great and the ride is what it was in DCA (good, but not great).
Overall nice, but not great (and no WWoHP). Looking forward to seeing it completed with the Mine Train coaster next year.
Overall nice, but not great (and no WWoHP). Looking forward to seeing it completed with the Mine Train coaster next year.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Okay, here's exactly why I personally have a problem with in statements like these. You say "not a game changer BUT, nothing to moan about either as some on here do."
Would you consider PotterLand at the park down the road a "game changer"? I certainly would.
This was nearly the same budget.
Why shouldn't this be a "game changer" too, then? It's been decades since the MK had a new addition and Disney Imagineering is supposed to be the very best in the business. Shouldn't it be a "game changer" too (or heck, how about just a movie-accurate ballroom and an above-average dark ride)?
To take the point further, when was the last time WDI had a "game changer" here on the East Coast?
Meanwhile, the park up the road will have had (or will soon have):
• Spider-Man
• WWoHP
• Transformers
• HP pt due
..all since the last time WDW got a "game changer".
For those of us who frequently spend serious bucks on Disney vacations and Annual Passes, I personally think it's time to expect more.
Nostalgic Reverie
Well-Known Member
There in December:
Overall the area is quite beautiful on the outside and expect that to be better when 7D area is finished.
Beast Castle - does not work on the visuals.
Be Our Guest - had lunch - themed pretty good. Lines take too long at their snails pace. Maybe this has gotten better. Food was fair. We were actually disappointed we skipped our traditional Columbia Harbor House fish and chips for this.
Little Mermaid - again, nice outside, que is decent. Would only go back through that if my kids wanted to. Ride seemed very cheap.
It gave us a sense of been there done that after we went through - which means it will not be a scheduled repeat.
Despise being negative, but it was as others put it - underwhelming.
Overall the area is quite beautiful on the outside and expect that to be better when 7D area is finished.
Beast Castle - does not work on the visuals.
Be Our Guest - had lunch - themed pretty good. Lines take too long at their snails pace. Maybe this has gotten better. Food was fair. We were actually disappointed we skipped our traditional Columbia Harbor House fish and chips for this.
Little Mermaid - again, nice outside, que is decent. Would only go back through that if my kids wanted to. Ride seemed very cheap.
It gave us a sense of been there done that after we went through - which means it will not be a scheduled repeat.
Despise being negative, but it was as others put it - underwhelming.
Sped2424
Well-Known Member
I dont understand what you are tying to just say by that comment lol do you think we are the same person...?
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
It's bizarre how posts 95&96&97 are almost identical in writing style. Just sayin'...
That's right, I accuse Sped2424 of being a pseudonym of Sped2424 whom I think is the alter ego of Sped2424.
That's right, I accuse Sped2424 of being a pseudonym of Sped2424 whom I think is the alter ego of Sped2424.
Sped2424
Well-Known Member
well played you caught me I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you meddling forum posters!
Tom
Beta Return
Most clever multi-user-name forum violation ever! Three users having the exact same username.
Wait....I think that really did happen, until a certain sandwich got banned, lol.