An Aerial Look at New Fantasyland – March 2012

Courtesy of Scott Keating and scottkeating.net, we once again have some fantastic aerial photos of Fantasyland to share with you:

The base of the old Dumbo is still lingering, guess it isn’t that easy to completely remove…

A lot going on here: The bridge that will serve as the entrance to the Be Our Guest Restaurant is nearing completion, the Mermaid queue entrance is out from behind scaffolding and appears mostly complete with the exception of pavement, and we can now make out a distinguishable footprint for the Seven Dwarves Mine Train

Another angle shows that Gaston’s Tavern is far behind the other buildings in the village

We can now see where the Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station is going in Storybook Circus, but what lies beyond it in the tents is mostly a mystery…

Getting away from Fantasyland, the Big Thunder Mountain refurbishment rolls on with most of the queue being rebuilt, all track being replaced, and a visible fresh coat of paint being applied to the entire mountain

Work continues on the DVC wing of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Adam Roth’s 3/17/12 Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Adam roth visited the Magic Kingdom on Saturday evening and has some great nighttime photos to share with us from his trip:

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The Storybook Circus tents are completely empty

A look towards Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Dumbo… AT NIGHT!

Barnstormer… AT NIGHT!

The LED lighting makes Dumbo look glorious at night

The popcorn lights around the attraction also look great

You DO need a Magic Feather

The eerie blue light in the Train Station is weird…

The screen based signage doesn’t blend well at night

Props from various Goofy shorts are in the loading area

Some others tie-into the posters and stunts outside

Goodnight Magic Kingdom

An In-Depth Look at New Fantasyland’s Storybook Circus

While we wait for more pictures and video, I decided to post WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth’s twitter pictures of today’s Storybook Circus opening. Let’s take a closer look at the first piece of the New Fantasyland puzzle:

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Dumbo looks great in the new pastel colors!

The story scenes on the bottom of the carousel were a nice touch

Great attention to detail

The rest of Fantasyland has a long way to go…

PINK ELEPHANTS ON PARADE!

The other Dumbo spinner will take a while

Barnstormer signage

A look across the way

The back of the Barnstormer sign has a reference to Wiseacre Farm from Toontown Fair

This poster is up on the construction walls… including Humphrey the Bear eating a candy apple? Maybe he’ll be getting a food service location of some kind?

The Dumbo interactive queue isn’t open yet

Dumbo sign

Inside the queue

Lots of little popcorn lights on the queue

Dumbo looks great with the water feature!

Work continues on the tents

I can’t wait to see this at night

WATER!

Another new sign

Cool poster

I like that the flat people have now stepped into a three-dimensional scene…

Another cool poster

A magic feather!

Again, great details

You can see the train tracks that will come from the Roundhouse, where the Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station will be

These restrooms are amazing…

Plenty of luggage outside the Fantasyland Station exit

Animal prints in the pavement

Carolwood Park… I don’t have to tell you what an awesome Walt reference this is…

Booth at the entrance to Barnstormer

New signage for the train

Casey Jr. weathervane

Nice LED lighting

Even though the path to Tomorrowland is open, work still to be done

Some old train tracks

Tracks run all over the place in this section

Goofy crashed

This could have just been a cutout, but they even put a fringe where Goofy went through…

A Main Street cart out to handle guest demands for spring break

Work continues on more Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid facade

NEW GARBAGE CANS

This will eventually be the FASTPASS/xPASS collection point

Love the costumes

Speakers and cameras themed nicely

I see you old Dumbo…

There are peanuts in the pavement… wow…

FASTPASS/xPASS queue ready for The Barnstormer as well

See you real soon Storybook Circus, we’ll be back for more pictures and video!

More Photos of Storybook Circus with Construction Walls Down!

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:

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Most of the Fantasyland Station is now visible

Plenty of construction going on inside the building though

Still a little more work to be done

But the workers are excited to near completion!

Cool vest!

Even cooler vest!

Oh Goofy!

If you like behind the props in the queue, you can see the red Barnstormer plane vehicle

This queue is much improved

They were fixing the smoking rocket

Some final touches being added

We can see the front of the train!

From the other side, the detail on Dumbo is slowly appearing

I love the lighting fixtures in Storybook Circus

Well, this is what we get for making fun of DCA…

Work continues on Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

“Be Our Guest” Restaurant

Enchanted Tales with Belle

So, the Skyway is gone, clock-tower and all… Thanks again for the photos Jessica!

First Look at Storybook Circus Without Construction Walls!

WDWNT reader Jessica Walker was nice enough to provide us with some photos she took at the Magic Kingdom yesterday. Just wait until you see these…

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The Fantasyland Station looks just about finished

Some final painting and it should be ready to open!

Men at work

So the walls start coming down around this end of the Station… by the way, those are copper gutters… expensive stuff!

Imagineering gets ready to hand operations over to the Magic Kingdom

We can kind of see The Barnstormer from here…

OK! WALLS ARE DOWN! The Barnstormer queue is now located on this side of the building

The queue looks to have some great props of various Goofy stunts

A small poster next to the prop better explains the stunt

You can see a smoking rocket and other props strewn about

It looks like Goofy splattered paint all over the wood railings…

The back of the tower/lift hill

We can somewhat see something Goofy crashed through off to the left side of the building

I think they’re saying “We’re done!”

Construction walls already up near the tents which will open later this year

You can now see lights and canvas hung from the Dumbo queue which will open with Storybook Circus!

It’s almost time!

While a little further down the road, Belle’s Village is looking better and better every day

Prince Eric’s castle looks great too! Thanks for the photos Jessica!

Josh Siegel’s 1/12/12 Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel visited the Magic Kingdom on Thursday and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom was testing

There is a window at the head of the queue area to give guests more info

It is still a fire station, just with three added Sorcerers stations

WDWFD used instead of the customary MKFD

Package Pick-up/Chamber of Commerce behind tarps

Pooh and Tigger now greeting guests in the garden

New flowers planted for the season

Roy and Minnie await the move back to Town Square

Some of the Confectionary and The Chapeau facades behind tarps

Sign pointing guests to character FASTPASS

Waits are short

This will soon be a Sorcerers window

A well hidden window

I can’t wait for someone to ask a price on it…

Another window

Yet another… they probably should move that bench…

The WDW/DLR trains merchandise in the window

Center Street behind tarps

The Bakery as well

This will complete the multi-year Main Street facade clean-up

I want ice cream… sniff…

I want soft serve ice cream… sniff…

The Main Street bridge is being repaired

Way too many in the treehouse for a not-so-busy day…

The Sunshine Tree Terrace is still behind tarps

The restaurant is closed, but the Sorcerers window inside is still available

Pecos Bill’s behind tarps

I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am about the Golden Oak Outpost menu returning

Big Thunder Mountain is closed for refurbishment through late-May

Cool pin trading idea

Looks like they are already rebuilding this lift hill

Frontierland Trading Post behind tarps as well

Madame Leota’s cart is now close to the Liberty Belle dock

LOVE this shirt!

From far away, we can see the roof of a tunnel being replaced

Workers out on the track as well

all of the railroad ties were removed to be replaced as well

Work continues on the new Fantasyland/Liberty Square path

The pet cemetery is being moved, it should return later

Walls in Fantasyland

Some trees being removed

Peter Pan’s Flight is being painted before the interactive queue installation begins this week

This will soon be a restroom

Dumbo removal

The beginning of the new Castle Wall

This should begin to grow shortly

A look over the walls

The old gives way to the new

The circus tent top is starting to appear

Another look at the new Dumbo queue, now set to open in March

Less and less scaffolding visible on the Be Our Guest Restaurant

Some final touches of snow being added to the Beast’s Castle

Belle’s Village

Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Storybook Circus tents

Fantasyland Station

Back to Dumbo

You can see some of the Storybook Circus pavement already

The brick facade is starting to appear and it looks spectacular!

Back to Mermaid

Back to Belle’s Village

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Wide shot

Circus tent covering should go up on these queues soon

Timothy is expected to return as an audio-animatronic living character since he won’t be on the spinner anymore

All of the racks in the Seven Dwarfs Mine store are gone

The store will either be removed or replaced during the Castle Wall construction

Say goodbye to the diamond mine theme

This stroller parking is getting out of hand

The Sorcerers window in Frotnierland has a lighted element

It’s pretty cool

Zach Larson’s 1/6/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Zach Larson visited the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot on Friday and has some newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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Land clearing continues for the Grand Floridian DVC wing

More Main Street U.S.A. facades are going behind tarps, this should be the last batch

A temporary sidewalk ramp installed

Signs point guests around to the meet and greet FASTPASS distribution

Center Street tarps still up

The Bakery is now behind tarps

A temporary cart is also serving some bakery items

Plaza Ice Cream is closed

This facade will be behind tarps soon

Storybook Circus construction

Dumbo is almost ready to roll

The queue seems a bit behind

Dumbo was testing

We’re ready… we’ve been ready…

Belle’s Village

Trees in place, this is most likely where they will be staying

The details on Prince Eric’s castle are visible

The Beast’s Castle, Maurice’s Cottage, and the Castle Wall all in this shot

The path around Yankee Trader is now being constructed

It will put guests right about here

See?

The Madame Leota merchandise cart has moved closer to Columbia Harbor House

The Frontier Trading Post is still behind tarps

Pecos Bill’s is still behind tarps as well

Big Thunder is closing for a few months for major upgrades on the 9th

The queue should be the most radically different thing when it re-opens

The Barnstormer/Great Goofini looks like it is nearing completion

The times guide has been expanded to include the parade route, probably since it will change to a short loop this week as Electrical Parade goes dark for a paving project

Over to Hollywood Studios, where Toluca Legs Turkey Company is back in action…

During PIXAR Pals, an escape route… I mean alternate route is being opened to help guest flow

IT’S DONE! Oh, wrong park…

MUSH! MUSH!

Now on to Epcot

The tip board still works! A new record!

It indicates if FASTPASS is available

Time is almost up…

The pre-show monitors are now flat screens!

More and more cars are getting the Chevy branding

The new directional signage in Future World is color-coded and looks great!

Is it open?

Barely…

Oh, this side has lights…

No visible progress on the upcoming Habit Heroes exhibit

Thanks for the report Zach!

An Aerial View of New Fantasyland, The Grand Floridian DVC, and Big Thunder Mountain

Thanks to Scott Keating of www.scottkeating.net, we have an “over-the-walls” aerial view of the consturctiuon going on in New Fantasyland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the new DVC wing at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa:

The tents from Toontown are basically being rebuilt, but the rest of the Storybook Circus looks like it will make it for Mid-Februaury

Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid and the Beauty and the Beast realm are coming along nicely. Foundations for the Seven Dwarf Mine Train are starting to appear

Dumbos are being carefully removed from the old spinner, getting ready for the move

The new Dumbo spinner looks ready to go, and the queue isn’t far behind

The Fantasyland Station is almost done, and the Casey Jr. Roundhouse should be installed soon

The waterways are being carved out under bridges

It looks like a path is appearing slowly in front of Enchanted Tales with Belle

Moving out of the park, land has been cleared for the Grand Floridian DVC addition

The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment has begun, but there isn’t anything to see yet

 

 

Adam Roth’s 1/6/12 Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited the Magic Kingdom yesterday and has a TON of newsworthy photos to share with us (including a lot of New Fantasyland), so let’s take a look:

Work has begun on the new path into Liberty Square from Fantasyland

The path will cut around the Yankee Trader

Walls still up at the Skyway station, soon to be restrooms

Dumbo closes in the original location on January 9th

Plenty of trees planted in New Fantasyland now, these will be staying

The pavement is a bit messy still

Castle wall construction

PROGRESS!

Prince Eric’s castle is coming along nicely

Awww…

Not too bad…

Another look at the Castle Walls

The first interactive queue

A look at Maurice’s Cottage

Work on the new Dumbo queue

The tower that Goofini will crash through is coming along as well

Belle’s Village

Mermaid rock-work

Bonjour Village Gifts

Goodbye old Dumbo…

Although we will see this one again, slightly remodeled for Storybook Circus

The Barnstormer building looks great off in the distance

If you look in the bottom right, you can see the Dumbo title “D” clearly on the new spinner

What a mess!

Hopefully this will be cleaned up and ready to open next month

This area will take a little longer…

More of Belle’s Village

A better look at barnstormer and the top of the new Dumbo

They have practically rebuilt these tents from scratch at this point

The Be Our Guest restaurant building

Work continues on the facade of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

A lot of construction workers out and about

That’s still one long wall…

Work has shifted into high-speed on Dumbo

Some Storybook Circus pavement is now visible

Back to Under the Sea

Back to Dumbo and Storybook Circus

Maurice’s Cottage, home to Enchanted Tales with Belle

The Castle Wall again

Cement, FINALLY!

Some Haunted Mansion 40th anniversary shirts have been released

Big Thunder Mountain is closing for a 4.5 month refurbishment on Monday


Rumors are that an interactive queue, some new show elements, and a general fix-up will happen over this period

Work pretty much started months ago when the railroad ties were removed

More Main Street facades are being worked on and these will be like this until May. Here is the Bakery

Work continues on the new semi-announced Disney Vacation Club wing at the Grand Floridian

Ads for a special Florida resident pass up outside of the TTC

Go wild today!

Adam Roth’s 12/10/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited the Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney yesterday and took plenty of newsworthy photos, so let’s take a look at what’s new:

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It appears some of the elements for the Adventureland interactive game have been installed

This icon should help guests locate the game area

Not sure what this will do

A different icon near this cannon

You can see the cannon aiming at something behind this tarp

Another game area

Looks like there is a skeleton under the water where the Junior Jungle Boats used to be

Another game area being set-up

The Crow’s Nest is still behind walls

We expect this is where the game will begin for guests

Golden Oak Outpost is closed again…

The tower from Tangled visible from Frontierland

Kind of strange…

Work is speeding along on the restrooms on the former Skyway site, rumors still indicate we will see guest charging stations for electronics in this area as well

The tower was installed recently

The Royal Majesty Makers out and about in Fantasyland

Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train construction continues

The construction walls were updated with the Dwarfs now mimicking the areas they are in

This scene is near Enchanted Tales with Belle

The small Lumiere on the signage now swings his arms back and forth

Looks like another device built by Maurice

More new Mine Train walls

Some new concept art shows off the interactive queue

Looks like fun

The finale scene

Everyone has clocked in, meaning they are working hard on the new attraction

Another look at Mine Train

Some more walls came down revealing a small section of the bridge

A look from the other side

100 minutes for Mermaid… yeah, Fantasyland is a total failure 😉

All of the screen-based wait times signs in the park were themed recently, all of them now match the physical signage now

The back side of Mine Train

Triton’s Treasures is being built and is coming along quickly

Wait for Ariel’s Grotto

Some cool walls you can look through were put up as well

Let’s take a look inside

A lot of work still to be done

This wall is near Winnie-The-Pooh

Near the Mad Tea Party

Another look through the walls

Moving to Downtown Disney, the volcano at Rainforest Cafe is coming along nicely

Splitsville opens December 19th

Curl is also moving to some small space next door to Splitsville

Looks like there is space for another store as well

There’s an outside bar as well