Scuttle’s Scavenger Hunt & Casey Jr. Roundhouse Join the Fantasyland Expansion!

WDWNT on June 1, 2011

Two new additions to the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland Expansion were announced today on the official page of the project, as well as some details on the other attractions coming as part of New Fantasyland:

Beyond the Horizon — New Expansions

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” —Walt Disney

The Fantasyland Expansion
Princesses, Dwarfs, Beauties and Beasts have all been working past midnight to unveil the grandest expansion of Magic Kingdom theme park ever! Scheduled to begin opening in 2012, here is a glimpse of the future of Fantasyland:

Storybook Circus
The sound of the calliope will lead you to the brand new carousels of airborne pachyderms on Dumbo the Flying Elephant—now with 2 Dumbos! Before taking to the skies on this Fantasyland favorite, experience an array of fun-filled family games and interactive wonders for kids of all ages inside the Big Top.

Barnstormer
Hosted by the Great Goofini, this daredevil roller coaster, which twists and turns high above the Storybook Circus grounds, is getting a bright new look.

Casey Jr. Roundhouse
Adjacent to the Fantasyland Train Station is the Casey Jr. Roundhouse, a circus-themed immersive water play area that’s fun for the little ones. They’ll splish and splash as Casey Jr. billows off cool steam and water squirts from playful monkeys, elephants and camels.

Under the Sea: Journey of The Little Mermaid
Make a splash with Ariel as you take a voyage in a clamshell into a world of imagination under the sea. This attraction features her friends Sebastian and King Triton and, of course, music from the Walt Disney Pictures film.

Scuttle’s Scavenger Hunt
While approaching Ariel’s Grotto to meet The Little Mermaid, join Scuttle for this fun, interactive game! Search the seaside entrance way to find the seagull’s treasures from the Human World, like a dinglehopper or a bulbous snarfblatt. Scuttle will be on hand to help with the hunt.

Enchanted Tales with Belle
In Maurice’s workshop, a magical mirror is your doorway to a captivating storytelling experience. Transport to the Beast’s library to meet Belle and Lumiere, and share in a lively, interactive re-telling of the “tale as old as time.”

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Experience the elegant ballroom, gallery and mysterious West Wing of the Beast’s castle. With seating for 550, this magnificent dining hall will offer great quick-service meals by day and full table-service dining in the evening. Nearby in Belle’s Village, discover the rousing Gaston’s Tavern and Bonjour!

Princess Fairytale Hall
Greet Aurora, Cinderella and Tiana and in their new home, an elegant royal court fit for every princess.

The Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, off to work you go! Take a rollicking, musical ride through the Seven Dwarfs mine—where a million diamonds shine. This roller coaster features a first-of-its-kind train that responds to every twist and turn of the track . The journey will be accompanied by music from Walt Disney’s animated classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Casey Jr. Roundhouse is not a big surprise, as we can actually see it in some early concept art (pictured below). On the other hand, “Scuttle’s Scavenger Hunt” is something completely new to us. We expect this to be very similar to the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure at Epcot. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information on the Fantasyland Expansion becomes available.

UPDATE:

Here is the concept art for the Casey Jr. Roundhouse released in the large overall concept back in January:

Also, multiple reports have confirmed that some early testing was conducted for Scuttle’s Scavenger Hunt inside the queue of The Seas with Nemo and Friends about a month ago.

First Look at the Full “Under The Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid” Ride

WDWNT on May 27, 2011

We have been previewing Fantasyland’s next “dark ride” an awful lot for it still being over a year away from opening, but that’s because Disney California Adventure has been nearing the opening of their version of “Under the Sea”, titled “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure”. Now, don’t let the name confuse you, this is the same attraction in a different location and with a different facade. Otherwise, the on-ride portion is identical to what is being constructed right now at the Magic Kingdom, scheduled to open in late 2012. The first soft openings for the California attraction were held yesterday and Disneyland News Today‘s Conner Purzycki was on the scene and has a video of the entire ride to share with us. If you don’t want this attraction spoiled for you, I wouldn’t watch. However, if you want a look at what the fine people at Walt Disney Imagineering are capable of these days, this video is certainly worth a view. Enjoy:

With the level of detail, the amount of high-tech audio-animatronics figures, and the classic story of The Little Mermaid, we fully expect this to become one of the most classic Disney attractions ever built. Even though we have now seen the ride in action, stay tuned to WDW News Today as we continue to cover the Fantasyland Expansion and our version of this ride (which I’m sure we all just can’t wait for after seeing that) coming next year!

First Look at Nearly Completed Pieces of “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid”

WDWNT on May 10, 2011

The video from this post on the Disney Parks Blog gives a great look at some of the figures and scenes from the Disney California Adventure version of “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid” which will be a part of new Fantasyland in 2012:

I know “The Little Mermaid” fans have been eagerly awaiting the opening of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure park. I’ve been waiting since I first saw the movie back in 1989! There are three other people who’ve also been hoping that someday a Little Mermaid attraction would open at Disney Parks: legendary Disney animators Glen Keane, Mark Henn and Andreas Deja. These three talented men are some of the creative minds behind all those lovable characters in the movie.

Recently, Walt Disney Imagineers Larry Nikolai and Chris Crump gave the animators a tour of the new attraction. I was lucky enough to also be on this tour, along with a crew from D23 magazine. You can read their extensive article in this month’s issue and here.

In this video you get to see a rare Disney moment: animators seeing their work come to life in a Disney Parks attraction. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And remember, The Little Mermaid~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure opens at Disney California Adventure park on June 3.

Here Comes the Bride! – Ariel’s Gown Sparkles “Under The Sea”

WDWNT on April 25, 2011

The Disneyland Resort is continuing its series of small previews of the upcoming “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure” at Disney California Adventure this week with a look at Ariel’s dress from the finale scene. As usual, this applies to Walt Disney World since “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid” is essentially the same attraction. From the Disney Parks Blog:

As anticipation builds for the British royal wedding on Friday, so does speculation about what Kate Middleton will wear when she weds Prince William. We have another princess getting ready to debut her wedding gown here at the Disneyland Resort, on June 3. That’s when Ariel and Prince Eric will debut in The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, an attraction inspired by the classic animated film, including the film’s wedding scene.

To find out more about Ariel’s dress and Prince Eric’s attire, I talked to the clothing designer, Gloria Bowls. She collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineer Larry Nikolai to create a look that reflects several periods of British history. Ariel’s gown, similar to the dress in the film, was largely influenced by the royal wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 (“The Little Mermaid” film debuted in 1989).

“What was amazing about Diana’s dress was that no princess had arrived on the scene with such grandeur – larger than life,” Gloria said. “Ariel’s dress has some of that grandeur, a fantasy come to life – and larger than life. The big poof sleeves are almost as big as her head.”

Here’s a sneak peek at Ariel in her wedding finery.

First Look at the Royal Wedding Dress - Ariel’s, That is

Gloria designed custom wedding gowns and evening wear before taking on the challenge of designing costumes for Audio-Animatronics figures and consulting for Disney. She credits Larry Nikolai’s vision for encouraging her to let this dress express Ariel’s mermaid personality (i.e., she has this thing for “thingamabobs”).

“Ariel’s dress is made very much like a regular bride’s dress in that the bodice is fully lined, interlined and extensively boned – it practically stands up on its own,” Bowls said. “My favorite part is the front inset of the skirt … an underwater seascape with a shell, a starfish, a seahorse, all beaded and appliqued on, with seaweed lace.

“I hope each little girl will come off the ride inspired and dreaming of having a dress like Ariel’s for her own wedding day.”

These photos show Gloria as she was working on the dress, plus some of the intricate detail.

First Look at the Royal Wedding Dress - Ariel’s, That is

First Look at the Royal Wedding Dress - Ariel’s, That is

First Look at the Royal Wedding Dress - Ariel’s, That is

Complementing Ariel’s dress is Prince Eric’s attire, inspired by 19th century British royalty and British military uniforms. Details such as gold silk buttons reflect the aspects of courage, valor and honor.