New Fantasyland review.

[jarrdisney]

We were fortunate enough to do a preview of the new fantasyland expansion on sunday. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but I hope this review tempers some of your expectations.

The "Be our Guest" restaurant is pretty amazing. We were able to see every room. The attention to detail is superb and it literally took my wife's breath away. This will become a destination and is worth a visit.

The Belle attraction encompassed some pretty cool new technology. It is what you would expect of Disney when it comes to a new attraction. I'm sure a lot of you have read spoilers, so I'll leave it at that. Word of warning though. The que for this is going to be ridiculously long when it opens to the general public.

The Little Mermaid was the polar opposite. The ride system was exactly like nemo, with elements recycled from the mexican boat ride, splash mountain, It's a small world, etc. I went into this attraction with the idea that it would be on par with Nemo, and it barely met those expectations. I don't expect adults to to like this very much, as this and most of the land is very much geared towards young children. The que was OK, but nothing to write home about.

We went on POTC afterwards, and compared the two. It's amazing how an attraction that's nearly 40 years old, puts the mermaid attraction to shame. I'm sure the disney fanatics (I'm one of them) will think that it's the best thing since sliced bread. I don't see things through rose colored glasses, and disney really missed the mark on this one.

Compared to the Harry Potter expansion thus far, Disney has a lot of work to do.

 

[W.E.D.]

Thanks for the review!!

 

[heidijanesmith]

We were fortunate enough to do a preview of the new fantasyland expansion on sunday. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but I hope this review tempers some of your expectations.

The "Be our Guest" restaurant is pretty amazing. We were able to see every room. The attention to detail is superb and it literally took my wife's breath away. This will become a destination and is worth a visit.

The Belle attraction encompassed some pretty cool new technology. It is what you would expect of Disney when it comes to a new attraction. I'm sure a lot of you have read spoilers, so I'll leave it at that. Word of warning though. The que for this is going to be ridiculously long when it opens to the general public.

The Little Mermaid was the polar opposite. The ride system was exactly like nemo, with elements recycled from the mexican boat ride, splash mountain, It's a small world, etc. I went into this attraction with the idea that it would be on par with Nemo, and it barely met those expectations. I don't expect adults to to like this very much, as this and most of the land is very much geared towards young children. The que was OK, but nothing to write home about.

We went on POTC afterwards, and compared the two. It's amazing how an attraction that's nearly 40 years old, puts the mermaid attraction to shame. I'm sure the disney fanatics (I'm one of them) will think that it's the best thing since sliced bread. I don't see things through rose colored glasses, and disney really missed the mark on this one.

Compared to the Harry Potter expansion thus far, Disney has a lot of work to do.

I have not researched much about the Belle attraction, can you give me the details?

 

[Cee]

That review was precise and to the point. Thank you.

 

[elleherself]

I agree with your review entirely. I think they didn't include enough detail in The Little Mermaid to really immerse you and make you feel like part of the story. Even in Peter Pan, when your ship is flying across the moon and you see the shadows of Peter, Wendy, John, and Michael, you feel like you are on their journey. I worked hard to remain unspoiled, but I just don't think TLM lived up to the movie or what Disney imagineers are capable of.

I didn't get to tour Be Our Guest when I went. I'm signed up for an AP preview next Sunday but I'm not sure it will be worth the gas to get there. If Be Our Guest was open for dining it would be one thing, but my understanding is that was not the case for this Sunday's previews, and will probably not be the case for next Sunday either.

 

[yulilin3]

I agree with the original poster, I've had the opportunity to visit the area twice now (once on a dress rehearsal day and once on a CM preview day). The only thing I would add is that neeting Gaston has been the best character experience we've had ever (close second Lady Tremaine and the Stepsisters) he is awesome. I think the big ride will be the mine coaster and that should be on level (hopefully) to Forbbiden Journey in WWOHP. The area is beautifully done and there are many, many details to enjoy. Plus the best hidden Mickey on property IMHO, actually a hidden Steamboat Willie

 

[MrsDuck]

I have to agree that Little Mermaid was a little lacking for me. I did LOVE it but felt it could've been more.

BOG, on the other hand, was AMAZING. I'm reserving judgement on the whole until Snow White opens.

 

[rapunzels]

Skipped both our ap and dvc previews, but managed the little mermaid ride at the halloween party. What my DH and I noticed most was the ceiling space, with rafters, a/c vents ect. It certainly seemed unfinished. The ride itself was ok, but most wdw rides don't leave the ceiling area so exposed. I think they need to drop the ceiling area or moss it up or use some sort of shiny blue stuff to replicate water at least a good 5-10 feet especially in the under the sea area. The lighting could have also accomplished this, by making it darker or with a colored lense over the lights in that area. It was fairly bright, and wasn't similar to any of the ceiling coverage like on other rides.

 

[AuntPol]

I agree

Be Our Guest -gorgeous and good food.
Gaston's Tavern- LeFrou's brew is tasty!

Belle's attraction -the one piece of technology is awesome, the room and outside details very nice, and the story thing fun and good if you have small kids. I foresee this being a horribly, long wait though as it takes a long time to get through the show and pictures.

Arial's ride was lackluster. We've done it now and nobody wants to ever do it again-not even my daughter who loves Arial. I am not a fan of the ride through the story rides. I didn't like Pooh's. Neverland was interesting because you are flying and Haunted Mansion is okay for the effects at the end and Pirates is a classic. We didn't really like Nemo's but thought the technology for one part was interesting enough to do once (but would do Crush over Nemo at Epcot). This was more boring than Nemo's ride and if you miss it, you haven't missed anything. Not impressed at all.

We liked going to Arial's Grotto and being able to meet with Arial in her actual mermaid costume though.

 

[electricsoup]

We got to see NF on 10/31 - we loved the Little Mermaid ride! I thought it was much better than Nemo, but I can see how others could swing the other way. Meeting Ariel as a mermaid made my daughter's day!

Gaston as a face character was hilarious.

BOG was amazing. I couldn't agree more with the assessment that it will be a destination in and of itself. We had to choose between eating there and Belle, so we chose eating. I can't wait until the entire area is done, it's going to be an amazing addition!

 

[laborrn2]

We were there yesterday and selected to come in (party of 11) and preview. We are not AP or DVC... Just your average vacationers. They gave us a wristband and escorted us to Encbanted Tales w Belle. It was very cool! Our entire pack of kids (7) and myself participated. Then we rode Little Mermaid (agree w PP's assessment... geared for little ones). We got to go meet Ariel in fins in her grotto afterward, which was a new experience for all of us! Toured BOG which is beyond breathtaking! All in all, I loved it!

 

[jarrdisney]

Bottom line, for a new attraction in a new section of fantasyland, the mermaid ride is a complete disappointment. It's hard to use the word "good" and then say it's a notch below winnie the pooh. I'm not sure, about you but "winnie the pooh," while classic and cute, does not even crack my top 5 attractions at MK.

Are we complacent enough expect mediocrity out of disney from here on out? We all know what they're capable of, so it really wonder why they would let something like mermaid get the stamp of approval.

I really hope the seven dwarves attraction is fantastic, cause they have a lot of work to do in order to catch up to Universal's Potter and Transformers.

 

[skp]

lol I think all of you are crazy. I rode Little Mermaid for the first time in california and I cried through the whole thing. Its so beautiful and the animatronic effects are amazing.

I rode WDWs in a dress rehearsal and its almost exactly the same.

Its amazing and beautiful. And I never expected it to thrill me in ways i'd never been thrilled before. Its a dark ride.

 

[jarrdisney]

lol I think all of you are crazy. I rode Little Mermaid for the first time in california and I cried through the whole thing. Its so beautiful and the animatronic effects are amazing.

I rode WDWs in a dress rehearsal and its almost exactly the same.

Its amazing and beautiful. And I never expected it to thrill me in ways i'd never been thrilled before. Its a dark ride.

I imagine you cried because of how unbelievably creepy Ariel and Eric look throughout the whole thing.

 

[RandFamily]

I thought the Little Mermaid was a huge disappointment. There is nothing technologically new. Just very, very simple animatronics (like the fish that just twirl around on a pivot - this is the technology used on It's a Small World). I agree with the previous poster who said it looks unfinished. It doesn't really immerse you in anything - you are clearly aware that you are in a car riding through rooms. It is definitely not Disney's A game. I think they just didn't want to spend much money on it since they have spent so much recently on Carsland and Fantasyland.

 

[Meriweather]

We went tonight.
Agree about the ride. It was okay, but nothing special.
While Enchanted Tales with Belle was cute, it is going to be a nightmare when the real crows appear.
Be Our Guest was gorgeous. We got to walk through it all, no food was being served.
The village is very pretty and will be a great addition.

The coaster will be a nice addition.
We are 2 adults and other than trying the coaster to see what it is like (and since it is going to be a family coaster..........I see us only doing it once) and eating at the restaurant, I don't see us spending much time there.

 

[tony609]

Rode it in DL. I do t care to ride it again. We are going in may and will ride it since my friend never has. But I don't care to waste my time otherwise.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Thanks for the review. I xan't wait to see the new fantasyland. I am also excited for the mine coaster - when does this open again? i had read about it a couple of weeks back, and just can't remember...

hmm but its very exciting in WDW with many referbs and expansions.

Can't wait to get back there...

 

[savvy?71]

We also had the opportunity to preview the new Fantasyland. Maybe it was because we just came back from Universal/IoA, but my husband and I were both disappointed w/ the new Ariel ride. It seems a regurgitation of Nemo's ride, right down to the clamshell. I did love the 'new clamshell smell', however

While the animatronics are, as always, top-notch, why not do something additional or new? We've all done this ride before. How about some mild peril! Some dips & drops? A little speed? Disney, you have the technology, come on! Loved seeing Ariel back in her grotto, complete with fins. Ariel was just chillin' on her rock, not a soul in there, and the CM ushered us in (didn't even know she was around corner). Ariel spend a chunk of time with my 2 kids so it was a great experience.

Gaston's tavern is a cool place to stop in, great ale for all, but a small nook (I dread the crowds there).

Belle's Enchanted Tales is a great addition. Very impressed with the intro to the play. The parts were darling (my 8 yr old son was picked to be The Beast & I thought he was about to pass out when he realized he'd be dancing with Belle).

BoG restaurant is astounding. Very well done. I felt like I was actually in a grand castle ballroom/dining room.


I also echo others in that I hope the Dwarf Mine ride brings it all up a notch (it looks to have impressive potential).

 

[PrincessV]

OP, I could not agree more with your assessment of Under the Sea! We were able to get in during a MNSSHP and on top of its overall lackluster-ness, it experience a huge amount of technical difficulties... thank goodness, because it was the only thing that made the ride entertaining. My 10yo son and I enjoyed much hilarity laughing our way through.. not, I think, the intended result.

Neither of us has any interest in the Belle thing, but I look forward to trying out BOG one of these days. Other than that, we feel no need to rush back to the new area any time soon.