Zach Larson’s 4/25/11 WDW Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Zach Larson visited most of the Walt Disney World Resort on Monday and took a TON of newsworthy photos to share with us:
Let’s take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom
Here Comes the Bride! – Ariel’s Gown Sparkles “Under The Sea”
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.
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.
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.
Adam Roth’s 4/21/11 WDW Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited The Magic Kingdom and Epcot yesterday and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip, so let’s take a look:
I think you know where we’re going…
Taylor Martina’s 4/15/11 WDW Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Taylor Martina visited the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Downtown Disney on Friday and has a number of newsworthy photos from his trip to share with us:
it’s finally exciting to watch Fantasyland progress, as we can now see details beginning to emerge!
Robert Ashburn’s 4/13/11 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Robert Ashburn visited the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday and took a number of newsworthy photos to share with us. There is a ton of change happening at Disney’s flagship park as of late, so let’s take a look:
Welcome
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Behind the Scenes Look at Fantasyland’s Second Castle
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Today, we’re happy to present a backstage look at the creation of Beast castle at Magic Kingdom Park, a huge milestone in the Fantasyland expansion.
In response to Monday’s post, many of you asked how tall the new castle is, or if it would even distract from the view of Cinderella Castle (this shot was taken from the queue at Dumbo the Flying Elephant). Well, the next few photos should put your mind at ease. As you can see, Beast’s castle actually uses forced perspective architecture to make the structure look more grandiose in size than it appears in reality.
Forced perspective works as sort of an optical illusion, tricking the eye into believing a structure is much larger or taller than it really is. This is done by manipulating the size and scale of a building, based on the perspective it will be viewed from.
The company’s use of forced perspective started with Walt Disney during the construction of Disneyland park in California. At that time, Walt paid special attention to the scale of each building, as well as the specific shrubs and trees that flanked them in order to create the best sense of height and drama.
As you can see in this comparison between the artist rendering and the current construction, the castle sits high atop what will be the Be Our Guest Restaurant, which is really the gateway to the castle’s interior. Here, the restaurant will offer quick-service lunches and table-service dinners inside the Beast’s elegant ballroom, gallery and eerie “west-wing.” The construction to the far left will become Maurice’s Cottage.
Word on the street is that WDI is preparing a video tour of the area for our Disney Parks Blog readers. More to come on this next week.
New Fantasyland: Musical Scores and Beast’s Castle Soars
The Disney Parks Blog had two interesting articles featured today connecting to “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast” realms of the Fantasyland expansion. First, a video with a behind the scenes look at the creation of the musical score for “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid”:
Keep in mind that this video was produced to promote the upcoming California version of the ride, but it will be almost identical to the attraction opening in Florida in 2012. The second piece features the recently installed castle atop the “Be Our Guest Restaurant”:
Hi everyone. Today, we have a thrilling update for those of you who are excited to see the expansion of Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park come to life.
Walt Disney Imagineers are currently piecing together the Beast’s castle, which will sit high atop what will become the Be Our Guest Restaurant. The “Beauty and the Beast”-inspired restaurant, which is set to open in late 2012, will offer a lavish dining experience in the castle’s elegant ballroom, gallery and mysterious “west-wing.” The restaurant and castle will eventually be flanked by Gaston’s Tavern, Bonjour! Village Gifts, and the cottage of Maurice (Belle’s father).
Be sure to check the Disney Parks Blog later this week for some exclusive photos of WDI’s progress.
The castle construction is a major milestone in the expansion, which will nearly double the size of Fantasyland and include several new attractions, such as Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and enhanced versions of the existing attractions, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Barnstormer.
The expanded Fantasyland is scheduled to open in phases, beginning in late 2012.
Robert Ashburn’s 4/6/11 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Robert Ashburn visited the MAgic Kingdom on Wednesday and has a number of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
Winnie-the-Pooh movie poster at the TTC
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First Look at Ariel “Under The Sea”
Again, while we have to wait another year for Under The Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid to open at the Magic Kingdom, the California Adventure attraction is opening June 3rd and the Disney Parks Blog is offering another look at some cutting-edge audio-animatronic technology:
We are just a couple of months away from the official opening of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure park. Walt Disney Imagineers are working hard to make sure you feel transported into Ariel’s world through every detail – the water, the fish, the hair….yes, the hair! Ariel’s hair posed a particular challenge for Imagineers, one they hadn’t encountered before – how do you make hair that’s technically out of the water look like it’s floating underwater? Take a look at their progress.
Robert Ashburn’s 3/30/11 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Robert Ashburn visited the Magic Kingdom yesterday to attend the soft-opening of Town Square Theater, but believe it or not, there is other stuff going on at the park! Who would have though? Anyway, here are some other newsworthy photos from the Magic Kingdom
The covers for “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” projectors still look out of place…
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