Beauty & The Beast – WDWNT Archive

Disney’s Live Action “Beauty and the Beast” to Hit Theaters March 17, 2017

WDWNT on March 19, 2015

Hot off the heels of the successful debut of Disney’s live action “Cinderella,” Disney has officially announced that the release date of their upcoming live action version of “Beauty & The Beast” will be March 17, 2017.

Official Press Release:

Disney will release Beauty and the Beast in 3D on March 17, 2017. The beloved tale will be retold for the big screen with a modern live-action lens and the help of transformative CG magic. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens will star as Belle and the Beast/Prince respectively, and Luke Evans will play the role of Gaston. Emma Thompson has joined the cast as Mrs. Potts and Kevin Kline as Belle’s father, Maurice.

Eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards for the 1991 animated classic, will score the film, which will feature new recordings of the original songs in addition to several new songs written by Menken and Sir Tim Rice. Bill Condon will direct from a script by Stephen Chbosky, and the film will be produced by Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. Production begins in May at Shepperton Studios in London.

The Cast:

Emma Watson as Belle

Dan Stevens as The Beast

Luke Evans as Gaston

Josh Gad as Lefou

Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts

Kevin Kline as Maurice

Step Through the Magic Mirror at New Fantasyland’s “Enchanted Tales with Belle”

WDWNT on December 21, 2012

Walt Disney Imagineering has provided a video taking a look inside Enchanted Tales with Belle today. Albeit still not as cool as the look we gave you a few weeks ago, it is nice to hear from those behind the project about it and see more of the little details:

Reservations for New Fantasyland’s “Be Our Guest” Restaurant Open August 20th!

WDWNT on December 21, 2012

Well, you have been asking us for months and Disney has finally answered the question: You can make your reservations beginning at noon August 20 at 407-WDW-DINE for Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom.

You can make reservations for up to 180 days out – the very first seating will be for dinner on November 19 by calling 407-WDW-DINE (3463), or visiting any Guest Relations theme park location or Guest Services desk at a resort. Online reservations will be available beginning two days later on August 22 by visiting www.disneyworld.com/dine.

On the Disney Dining Plan, Be Our Guest is one quick-service entitlement for lunch, and one table-service restaurant entitlement for dinner. Guests will be required to give a credit card number when making reservations and it will be charged if they do not show up for their reservation, as is policy with many other popular Walt Disney World restaurants. Disney also provided a short description of the restaurant:

Lunch is quick and casual, with guest-activated terminals that make ordering a snap (there also will be traditional cashiers for cash orders and special dietary requests). You order, take a seat and lunch is delivered to your table – on china, not paper. Dinner is table service.

Cuisine is French-inspired to match the hit animated film’s theme, with three themed dining rooms: the mysterious West Wing with the “enchanted rose”; the Rose Gallery with twirling, larger-than-life figures of Belle and Beast; and the elegant Ballroom with domed ceiling, twinkling chandeliers and glimpses of softly falling snow outside.

So, who’s ready to wait on hold for a few hours on Monday afternoon?

Menu Revealed for “Be Our Guest” Restaurant, Reservations Open August

WDWNT on October 30, 2012

From Pam Brandon on the Disney Parks Blog:

Braised pork for lunch and a grilled strip steak for dinner – Chef Michael Deardorff had a hard time choosing, but says those are two of his favorites from the new menu for Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park.

Guests can start making reservations in late August (we’ll let you know the exact date as soon as we can), with the restaurant to be open for the holidays.

Chef Deardorff has been at the helm in Disney kitchens for 25 years, most recently as part of the opening of the restaurants at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i. Now he’s back to open Be Our Guest, inspired by “Beauty and the Beast,” with three dining rooms and seats for over 500 guests.
“Lunch is quick service, but not traditional counter service,” says Deardorff. Guest-activated terminals make ordering a snap (there also will be traditional cashiers for cash orders and special dietary requests). You order, take a seat and lunch is delivered to your table – on china, not paper.

Back to the menu. “It’s all about simple, fresh ingredients,” says Deardorff. “Just like your favorite quick-service restaurants across Magic Kingdom Park, you’ll be able to enjoy sandwiches and salads at Be Our Guest Restaurant for lunch, but all with a twist that transports you to the French setting of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’”
There’s a little French bistro flavor with tuna Niçoise salad and a Croque Monsieur sandwich with carved ham, Gruyere cheese, béchamel and pommes frites (a fancy term for French fries). Or go for the carved turkey on a warm baguette with Dijon mayonnaise, or the grilled steak sandwich with garlic butter spread, both with pommes frites. Heartier fare includes braised pork that’s cooked for eight hours, and for vegetarians, there’s a loaded vegetable quiche or quinoa, shallot and chive salad.

Dinner is table service, with diverse starters such as a charcuterie plate with cured meats and sausages, mussels steamed in white wine, French onion or potato leek soup, and a salad with champagne vinaigrette. We’re intrigued by the salad trio with three mini tastes of roasted beet, raisins and orange; green beans, tomatoes and roasted shallots; and watermelon, radish and mint.

Entrées include a thyme-scented pork rack chop with au gratin pasta, rotisserie rock hen with roasted fingerling potatoes, pan-seared salmon in leek fondue, grilled strip steak with pommes frites, sautéed shrimp and scallops with veggies in puff pastry with creamy lobster sauce, and an oven-baked ratatouille.

Oh, and dessert – we vote for the cupcakes, strawberry cream cheese or triple chocolate. If cupcakes aren’t your favorite sweet ending, there’s a chocolate cream puff and a passion fruit cream puff.

For kids 9 and under, the lunch entrées include a carved turkey sandwich, roasted pulled pork, Mickey meatloaf, seared mahi mahi, or whole-grain macaroni topped with marinara and mozzarella. For dinner, it’s grilled steak, grilled fish of the day, whole-grain macaroni or grilled chicken breast.

“We think guests will be pleasantly surprised with the menu and the value,” says Deardorff. More updates soon!

Over 400 Photos of New Fantasyland Soft Opening from Earlier Today!

WDWNT on October 29, 2012

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth was on the scene for a soft opening of New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom earlier today, so get ready for an exhaustive look at Gaston’s Tavern, Bonjour Village Gifts, Ariel’s Grotto, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, and Scuttle’s Scavenger Hunt in photos:

We begin with a popcorn cart! We know this is what you waited for…

A nearby seating area

One permanent looking wall on the Mine Train side

Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Amazing…

The details are stunning

We know…

Cool sign

A full color Ariel on the front of a shipwreck

The backside of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Ariel’s Grotto had a 20 minute wait

Not working yet

Cool sign

Attraction exit for the ride

More Mine Train

The village off in the distance

Bridge to the Be Our Guest Restaurant

This is the Magic Kingdom?

It’s so purty…

The entrance to Be Our Guest Restuarant

This is detail at the Tokyo DisneySea level

Looks like this will be the check-in desk for the restaurant

Mine Train track

Enchanted Tales with Belle got signage

Lumiere Lamp!

The wait time sign is a bird house that looks like their house!

We’ve already seen this…

The backside of Castle Wall

FastPass isn’t running yet, but eventually will be distributed at Mickey’s Philharmagic along with Under the Se: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Another look at Mine Train

Big open path for guests to enter the land today

Stroller parking has to be done outside of the new area for now

We’ll be back in a few…

Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall

Still there

Little Mermaid merchandise is now available at Sir Mickey’s

DINGLEHOPPERS!

Creepy…

Back to New Fantasyland

Over the bridge again

Amazing tile mosiac

A look across the bridge

Menu is out

Gaston greeting guests

I love this photo…

Let’s eat!

Pork shanks and LeFou’s Brew are the specialty

A look at the menu

Looks better than a turkey leg…

cinnamon bun!

You can wimp out and get your brew in a generic cup…

SHANK!

The interior looks just like the film

Bambi?

Antlers is all of his decorating!

This guy looks down in the dumps…

Antler chandelier

There are antlers made of stained glass…

LeFou is losing

Gaston’s hat

Inside Bonjour Village Gifts

Exclusive merchandise

Gargoyle candle holders and picture frames

There is a tribute to long-tim Magic Kingdom Vice-President Phil Holmes

Lots of hidden references we’ll get to…

Back to Mermaid

I hate to say this, but it reminds me of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea…

Detail!

Speaking of 20,000 Leagues… THE NAUTILUS!

A second hidden Nautilus submarine in the Magic Kingdom, the other is in the tree at The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

We love themed pavement

This queue is incredible

This is the interactive queue element

We’ll keep our eyes peeled

I have a feeling we’ll be looking in these windows for something

A Scuttle animatronic in the queue for Scuttle’s Scavenger Hunt

Cool detail

The loading area

Stingrays on the moving walkway

If you want to see the full ride, we have a video available

The ride includes the recent changes to the DCA version, including Ariel’s new hair

Other than a few minor changes, the ride portion is the same

King Triton has a very different beard in this version…

We’ll be back

Exit

Back to Ariel’s Grotto

ARIEL!

The water is a little murky right now

Water features everywhere!

Storybook Circus looms in the distance

The backside of Mine Train

This might be the most beautiful queue ever made

Even with Mine Train not finished, the setting is visually stunning

Scuttle’s footprints in the pavement

We can’t stop looking at it! Apparently the song “Whale of a Tale” is in the area music loop as well…

Event the water fountains are themed…

So, here is the interactive queue element

Through projection technology, you can point out items that shouldn’t be there

The little crabs will pick up and take away the stuff if you point to it

Some old legends about the sea are written on the roof of this rotunda

The mural looks fantastic

No hidden Mr. Limpet figure in Florida… 🙁

The audio-animatronic Flotsam and Jetsam weren’t working yet

Awww…

I can’t get over his beard…

Back to Ariel’s Grotto

I love that Gaston gave the statue to the town… of himself…

Even though it wasn’t open, cast members were happy to show off the Be Our Guest menu

A themed tarp under the bridge until work is done on Mine Train

MORE FOOD!

YOU BOUGHT WATER? LEAVE!

This is amazing…

This is my favorite sign ever…

A beautiful restroom building

What a water fountain

The village is intricately detailed

We’ll be looking at this for a while…

So, the hidden details in the Phil Holmes portrait, there is a Magic Lamp, peanuts, and an apple. We assume these are nods to Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and Dumbo/Storybook Circus

He has a ring to celebrate his 40 years with the Magic Kingdom, and we assume the portrait celebrates him signing off on the New Fantasyland project

There’s a map in the book that includes Mickey’s Toontown (No Fair) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Belle’s Village is right behind the Mermaid queue

Scuttle talks to guests while interactive crabs remove items

Wow…

PHOTO-BOMBED WITH A THUMBS UP? HOW DARE YOU!

Bonjour Village Gifts

The cast member costumes look great

Plenty of Beauty and the Beast merchandise available

Be Our Guest restaurant plates and cups

There is Phil

Gaston’s Tavern shirt!

Another one

Eco-friendly printing

A French book on display

Looks like it is Beauty and the Beast

CHEAP WEAPONS

We end as we started… WITH POPCORN!

Coverage won’t end for New Fantasyland here, we will continue to cover the preview period up until the grand opening of New Fantasyland on December 6th! We still have yet to see the Be Our Guest Restaurant, so stay tuned!

Gaston’s Tavern Offers Incredible Details, Drinks… and a Pork Shank?

WDWNT on October 29, 2012

Disney released a ton of images from inside Gaston’s Tavern and around Belle’s Village in New Fantasyland today:

The statue of Gaston out in front

Poor Lefou

The Gaston’s tavern sign

Animals Gaston has hunted adorn the walls

His weapon

The antler chandelier

Gaston’s portrait

They have been playing darts, and Gaston is winning

So not only are there cinnamon buns and Lefou’s Brew, but there is a pork shank!

So, the menu is slightly more expansive then we thought, including chocolate croissants and even hummus

Even the water fountain is insanely themed…

Looks great!

This cart was out in Fantasyland for a while, but now that it is in its permanent home, I hope we are getting flavored popcorn at the Magic Kingdom!

VIDEO: “Enchanted Tales with Belle” Attraction in New Fantasyland Play-Test

WDWNT on October 29, 2012

Our own Justin Heyman was lucky enough to take part in a play-test of the new Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction in New Fantasyland a few weeks ago. Lucky for us, he has a video of the entire experience to share with us:

It is important to note that what you see in the video is not the finished product and the attraction may change a lot before it officially opens on December 6th.

Alcohol Comes to the Magic Kingdom Along with the Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland

WDWNT on October 29, 2012

Walt Disney World not only previewed some of the delicious dishes for the Be Our Guest restaurant opening November 19th as part of New Fantasyland today, but they actually revealed that assorted wines and beers will be served as well. This will make Be Our Guest the first restaurant in the 41 year history of the Magic Kingdom to serve alcohol.

“More than ever, we’re using storytelling and creativity as we develop our menus,” says Maribeth Bisienere, vice president of Food & Beverage and Merchandise for The Walt Disney Company. “We’re continually creating magical experiences, and Be Our Guest Restaurant at New Fantasyland is the next step in the evolution.”

As guests dine amongst either the Ballroom, Rose Gallery, or the West Wing, here are some of the offerings they can choose from:

Mussels Provençal

Grilled Strip Steak with Garlic-Herb Butter and Pommes Frites

Layered Ratatouille

Mousse-Filled Cream Puffs

Gourmet Cupcakes

Pan-seared Salmon with Leek Fondue and Saffron Potatoes

Assorted Cured Meats and Sausages

Lunch, Dinner, and Drink (complete with prices) menus are currently available online through the Walt Disney world website.

I’m sure you would like an explanation as to why they are serving beer and wines with dinner, so here is what Disney provided:

“As part of the overall theming, we wanted to offer wine that enhances the guest experience and complements the French-inspired cuisine,” says Stuart McGuire, Beverage Director, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “The wines focus primarily on France’s famous wine-growing regions, including Champagne, Alsace, Loire, Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux.

“We’ll also offer the leading French beer, Kronenbourg 1664,” says McGuire. “And, staying in the general region, we’ll also offer Belgian beers.”

So, what do you think of the menu and the bombshell announcement regarding alcohol in the Magic Kingdom?

Disney Offers First Look Inside New Fantasyland’s “Be Our Guest” Restaurant

WDWNT on August 30, 2012

From Jennifer Fickley-Baker on the Disney Parks Blog:

“Be our guest! Be our guest! Put our service to the test!” Or so the song goes. Who doesn’t love this playful scene from “Beauty and The Beast,” in which the enchanted staff welcomes Belle to the castle in grand style?

And speaking of “style,” Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) has been busy recreating the castle’s very detailed beauty in the form of the Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park.

In this video, provided by WDI, Senior Concept Designer Ted Robledo presents our very first sneak peek inside this highly anticipated restaurant. Imagineers recently put the finishing touches on one of its major elements: a massive mural that will serve as the restaurant’s backdrop. Here, Ted shows how WDI combined digital technology with traditional artistry to create a sweeping landscape that gives guests the feeling that they really are walking into a part of the film.

More Photos of Storybook Circus with Construction Walls Down!

WDWNT on August 30, 2012

Well, everyone enjoyed the photos we shared yesterday so much that WDWNT reader Jessica Walker decided to take another pass at Storybook Circus from the Walt Disney World Railroad, and there was plenty more to see:

Most of the Fantasyland Station is now visible