Here there guys and gals Anonymouse here.

Today’s Gossip comes to us from the Cast Members Mouth. Word is being spread that Peter Pan’s Flight in the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to get an Interactive Queue (Like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh). So while you are waiting in these really long lines for a mediocre ride you will have something to stare at instead of the wild child waiting in line in front of you.

Construction is expected to start January 16th and end by March 6th, 2012. Disney is not expecting any closures during the construction and I imagine getting around in Fantasyland is going to start getting worse as the closure of Dumbo the Flying Elephant has occurred and Disney gets ready to open the new area.

Personally I think this ride is in need of an overhaul. But I know many of you Disney World purists will probably defend it till your dying day. Don’t get me wrong I love Peter Pan and I am an even bigger fan of Jake & the Neverland Pirates, but I don’t understand waiting in line for hours for a quick 2 minute ride.

If you need me I will be across the street riding It’s a Small World over and over again!

Anywho that is all the Disney Gossip I have right now. For my past Gossip articles be sure to check them out here.

Got any good rumors?  Please email me at AnonyMouse@chipandco.com or on my Facebook Page

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Walt Disney World Resort sure had a memorable year – from celebrating major anniversaries to marking continued progress on new attractions, the Disney Parks Blog team really had a lot of exciting news to cover in 2011.

That said, here are their picks for the top-five Walt Disney World Resort stories of the year.

1. Magic Kingdom Park Marks 40 Years – I was lucky enough to cover this milestone in person at Magic Kingdom Park on Oct. 1.
2. Mickey Tests Some Magic Words at Walt Disney World – In my opinion, this was one of the most amazing videos we posted in all of 2011. It shows a Mickey meet-and-greet experience that was tested earlier this year at Magic Kingdom Park.
3. AVATAR Coming to Disney Parks – Social Media Director Tom Smith broke the story of a new land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom back on Sept. 20. The new area will based on James Cameron’s award-winning film, “AVATAR.”
4. Beast Castle: Behind the Scenes with Walt Disney Imagineers – This blog post was our first inside look at the new Beast Castle, currently under construction in New Fantasyland. The area will begin opening in phases in fall 2012.
5. Walt Disney Imagineers Install Nemo Icons at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – This video post gave our readers their first look inside this new resort, which is set to open in phases beginning in May 2012.

What would you add to the list?

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Apparently people were less than interested in having cardio equipment in their rooms and tea tree oils in their shower. The Health and Wellness suites that were set to debut at the Contemporary Resort in late 2011 have been cancelled.

The suites on the 14th floor where the new wellness suites were going to be are still going to be remodeled but are no longer set to gear toward the health and wellness experience, as was the original intention announced back in April.

Why do you think the wellness suites are no longer in the plan?

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Check out this fun photo from our friends at Walt Disney Imagineering. The team recently brought a little life into the New Fantasyland area at Magic Kingdom Park by planting the first tree.

To give you some reference, the building at the far left with the red and blue roof is actually the second floor of Pinocchio’s Village Haus, which peeks over the construction wall into New Fantasyland. The tree is being placed near what will become the entrance to New Fantasyland. The building at the right is Maurice’s Cottage, which will house fun, interactive storytelling with Belle and Lumiere.

Source Disney Parks Blog

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Disney Parks Blog hosted the first ever live chat yesterday, for those of you who missed it, people were invited to ask questions to the Imagineer in an online chat and get an immediate response. I’m sure there were many more questions than answers but that’s to be expected…inquiring mines want to know!

Chris Beatty was rather “Disney-esque” in his responses; not giving away too much information but slightly foreshadowing what the new Fantasyland will have to offer.

Main topics of the discussion were the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the Be Our Guest restaurant, Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid and the Great Goofini.

There were affirmations made regarding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, confirming that it will be a family friendly “coaster” and not a major thrill attraction. The ride will feature new technology inspired by the film itself. The ride will be the first to debut the “swinging bucket” feeling in the cart itself. The Mine Train will focus on the Seven Dwarfs but of course Snow White will make an appearance within the attraction.

The Fantasyland expansion will open in phases beginning in fall of 2012 and will offer experiences related to the classic Disney films that everyone loves.

Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid has already opened in Disneyland’s California Adventure park but the Walt Disney World adventure will bring you through the grottos and underneath Prince Eric’s Castle while your waiting for your ride vehicle.

Another major portion of the expansion project is the Be Our Guest restaurant, Beast’s Castle and Belle’s Cottage. Chris mentioned that he was most looking forward to the opening of the Be Our Guest Restaurant. He truly believes that you’ll feel transported into the film once you step inside. When asked if Lumiere will appear like Remy does at Les Chef’s De France, Chris replied, “We’re currently working on a new blog update on Lumiere, so stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog”.

Belle’s Cottage will feature a storybook adventure and you’ll feel as if you stepped inside the story of Beauty and the Beast. Gaston’s Tavern will have a larger than life portrait above one of the fireplaces.

Plenty of water has been added to the new Fantasyland areas. Under the Beast’s Castle and bridge past the Little Mermaid all the way to Dumbo the water features will make the environment feel authentic as only Disney can make it.

Last but not least, our beloved “Barnstormer” will be getting a make-over and transforming into “The Great Goofini”. Ride along with Goofy as he becomes a stunt pilot in the circus and be prepared for some Goofy flying lessons!

Chris mentioned more than once to keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog for more updates and new secrets to be revealed!

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Time-lapse of the beginning of construction of the expansion of Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida.

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Hey there guys and gals Anonymouse here.

If you know me in real life, you know that I live and breathe Disney gossip and the one thing that gets me all a twitter is anything about the Fantasyland Expansion.  Recently, I’ve been hearing rumblings that the Great Goofini is set to open sometime in the Spring.  I’m hearing May thrown around a lot, but I’d love to see it open in time for the big Spring Break crowds in early April.

You may recall that this new attraction is just a recycled Goofy’s Barnstormer (pray that they keep those chickens–I love them).  In Disney speak, it’s getting a new “overlay.”  I know, fancy right?  It will be themed along the lines of the Storybook Circus, with Goofy as a circus ringmaster.   And while it’s debatable whether or not kids even like the circus these days, that’s what you’re getting in the old Toon Town-a circus.  And you will like it. Bad Chip Monkey!

We already know that side A of the Dueling Dumbo will open some time in February (thanks to an article from yours truly),  so when Goofy opens up a couple of months later, this area should be complete, with a new train station, character meet and greets, and shopping.

But wait, there’s more.

Because we’re also hearing that the Journey of the Little Mermaid, the centerpiece attraction in the Fantasyland Expansion, may be further along than we thought. This is leading to some conjecture that we can expect soft openings sometime this summer. I’m not putting too much stock into this theory, but I like it and I hope it’s true.

I’ll keep you posted.

Anywho that is all the Disney Gossip I have right now. Let me know what you think in the comment box below. For my past Gossip articles be sure to check them out here. (Chip is making me plug my own articles)Bad Chip Monkey!

Got any good rumors?  Please email me at AnonyMouse@chipandco.com or on my Facebook Page

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Hey there guys and gals your friendly neighborhood Disney Gossip Columnist Anonymouse here!

So am I the only one not going to be at Walt Disney World this weekend for the start of the Epcot Food & Wine Fest? I feel like I should go but then again I am perfectly fine reading about the lines, food and fun from behind my monitor screen.

Anywho..

Today’s interesting bit of Disney Gossip comes to us from Hindustan Times. It seems Disney is scoping out some land to create a new theme park in India. Here are the deets:

In a secret yet high-profile visit, Walt Disney president and chief executive officer Robert A Iger made a quick stop at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon on Tuesday. The hush-hush affair gave rise to speculation whether Gurgaon will be the next destination to house a Disneyland.

The visit by Walt Disney’s top boss has once again rekindled hopes of setting up of a world-class amusement park in the city. The idea was first mooted by former Haryana chief minister OP Chautala in the early ’90s. Iger, escorted by about a dozen private bodyguards, reportedly spent more than two hours at the Kingdom of Dreams in Sector 29.

Anumod Sharma, managing director, Kingdom of Dreams, remained tightlipped and neither confirmed nor denied Iger’s visit. He also refused the divulge details regarding the purpose of top honcho’s visit.

Highly-placed sources, however, said that Iger reached the venue around 4pm after landing at the IGI Airport in his private aircraft and remained there till 6.30pm.

Click here to read the rest.

I think this would be one step closer to Disney’s Plan for World Domination and kinda goes with the news of them building Disneyland Russia. As always I want to know what you think?

Does Disney need to expand to India? Will there be meat on the menus as most of the country is vegetarian? Can I get someone to mail me some food from the Food & Wine Festival?

Anywho that is all the Disney Gossip I have right now.

Got any good rumors?  Please email me at AnonyMouse@chipandco.com or on my Facebook Page

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One of my favorite moments at the recent D23 Expo was walking through the Carousel of Projects, an area full of displays, models and renderings of new projects coming soon to Disney Parks around the world. Inside, there were Cars Land ride vehicles, a model of Buena Vista Street and Carthay Circle Theater at Disney California Adventure park, and much more. I have to say, it was a lot of fun to watch the reaction of expo attendees to all of the updated projects – especially to the model of New Fantasyland, which laid out just what this expanded area will look like when its complete.

The Carousel of Projects New Fantasyland display also featured a ton of previously unreleased renderings of the expansion, which Walt Disney Imagineering was happy to share with us. Check them out in the gallery below.

Which new attraction are you most looking forward to?

For more updates regarding New Fantasyland, check out the posts below:

• Magic Kingdom Fantasyland Through the Imagineering Lens
• Imagineers Use Innovative Technology to Build New Fantasyland
• New Fantasyland Renderings of Beauty, Beast and Great Goofini

A Tour Through New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog

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We all know Fantasyland is expanding and we’re anxious to start our countdown clocks for the new experiences…if only we knew when they were going to open!

Announcements were made at the D23 expo and a better idea of the timeline is out of the bag. Here are the projected completion dates/openings for the new and improved Fantasyland!

• Early 2012: Half of Storybook circus with Double Dumbo, Great Goofini coaster, Fantasyland Train Station and Casey Jr.

• Late 2012: Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid ride, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Beauty and the Beast Village, Belle meet-and-greet, Castle wall

• Early 2013: Remaining half of Storybook Circus with Pete’s Silly Slideshow

• Late 2013: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster

We have all been waiting to see what the new Fantasyland expansion has to bring, but we must be patient. These things take time and this is the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history. If you thought your feet were tired with the current Magic Kingdom offerings, gear up for the new attractions to come!

Storybook Circus:

• The famous Casey Jr. Circus Train has brought the 1930’s/40’s circus to town complete with Dumbo, Pete’s Silly Slideshow and The Great Donaldo and of course no circus would be complete without a spot to stock up on souvenirs!
• The greatest idea to happen to the Dumbo ride since the invention of the Dumbo ride…double the Dumbo and add air conditioning. The new “Big Top” will feature interactive queue’s, twice as much ride and magical air conditioning under the “Big Top” while you wait.
• The Great Goofini roller coaster took Goofy’s Barnstormer from Wise-Acre Farms and updated him to a circus extravaganza fit for the “Big Top”.
• Pete’s Silly Slideshow is bringing together characters from all over the world, in circus theme of course! The Great Donaldo is one of the characters we know about, Donald Duck as a famous snake charmer from the Far East…I wonder who else will make an appearance?

Castle Wall:

• A new Cinderella Castle wall will be near the existing carousel and will transition from the castle courtyard to the Fantasyland forest. Work your way through the winding forest complete with waterways and find new adventures along the way.
• The Little Mermaid-Ride through Ariel’s Undersea Adventures on her new attraction and experience life “Unda Da’ Sea!” then approach Prince Eric’s castle. How would you go about approaching a castle surrounded by water? Lucky for you, “The tide has gone out, but some tide pools will linger amidst that castle caverns that form the foundation of the castle” where the interactive queue will reside. Ariel returns to her Grotto to meet-and-greet in her natural environment.
• Beast’s Castle is home to Be Our Guest (a new restaurant) as well as an elaborate meet-and-greet with Belle, featuring everyone’s favorite candlestick-Lumiere!
• The fairest of them all is not to be forgotten, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster will suit the daring with a thrill level above the new Great Goofini but not as big as Big Thunder Mountain. What makes this ride so fantastic? The ride vehicles! The vehicles in this coaster will maneuver off the track and swivel left and right independently of the track, so the ride will never be the same twice.

As you can see the imagineers are hard at work making an even better Fantasyland, we’ll continue to keep you update as the timeline progresses and more information is available. What are you most looking forward to?

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Hey there guys and gals your friendly neighborhood Disney Gossip Columnist Anonymouse here!

As we all patiently wait for the D23 Expo and conveniently my ticket to the event got lost in the mail, luckily our Disneyland Correspondent Jessica will be there covering all the Disney News! You can follow her on Twitter @ocswaynee or she will be posting on the Chip and Co Facebook page!

Now that we got that outta the way lets dish on some Disney Gossip!

I have heard rumors on the net about Disney announcing the Expansion of Pixar Place in Disney Hollywood Studios. Right now it is the smallest land in all of Walt Disney World. The rumor going around again is the construction of a Monsters Inc Roller Coaster!

Chip wrote a plea request to the powers that be at Disney to create a coaster based off the door scene in Monsters Inc. Check out his whining article here.

In the rumor they talk about it being announced at the D23 Expo this weekend. I am very skeptical of this rumor considering Fantasyland is already under the knife and I can’t imagine Disney butchering 2 parks at the same time. But this is strictly a rumor any hate mail you have email me Chip

I think this rumor gets spread every time Disney has some major event so I won’t believe it till an official announcements gets emailed to my mailbox. Whatever the case Disney needs to do something in Hollywood Studios. I and many other people feel that DHS is lacking in the thrill department. Pixar is a major player in the Film industry and there needs to be a bigger presence at Walt Disney World in my opinion.

Let me know what you think in the comment box below.

Anywho that is all the Disney Gossip I have right now.

Got any good rumors?  Please email me at AnonyMouse@chipandco.com or on my Facebook Page.

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One of the most popular Walt Disney World resorts is Port Orleans Riverside! This moderate resort offers plenty of Southern charm and transports guests back in time to those old, lazy summer afternoons, along with some Pixie Dust too of course!

1. Quality-Port Orleans Riverside is the most popular moderate resort on property; and the reason for this is Riverside’s quality. This resort has great personality, warmth, helpful service, variety of activities, and a spectacular, leisurely setting. If a deluxe isn’t in your budget, Port Orleans Riverside is definitely your best alternative!

2. Variety-Unlike other moderate resorts, Port Orleans Riverside offers a great deal of variety. First of all, there are two different sections of this resort: Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend. The first offers rustic bungalos with log furniture and the like with small streams and thick foliage to represent the Southern bayous. Magnolia Bend can be found across the river where the grounds are more trim and manicured and rooms are found inside southern style mansion structures. If that wasn’t enough, Disney is now constructing special royal guest rooms at Riverside scheduled to open next year. Check out these rooms and other unique Disney guest rooms here!

3. Theme-Riverside takes Disney guests back in time to rural, river life in the Old South. Here you stroll along the banks of the Sassagoula River, check in at Riverside’s gorgeous, white lobby with giant paddle fans hanging from the ceiling, and enjoy a meal at the cavernous food court housed inside of an old cotton mill with a working water wheel just outside! This old Southern theme is not only picturesque, but comfortable and relaxing!

4. Dining-Disney’s moderate resorts typically offer a food court and one table service restaurant; and Riverside’s offerings don’t disappoint! The Riverside Mill is a large food court with different stations offering different menus. One station let’s you create your own pasta! Check it out here! Boatwrights is Riverside’s table service restaurant and what I consider to be a hidden gem due to it’s unique menu and fantastic service! Boatwright’s offers Southern and Cajun specialities, such as Crawfish, Gumbo, Jambalaya, Pecan Pie, amazing Banana Foster, and much more! Yum!

5. Location-Port Orleans Riverside sits right next door to Port Orleans French Quarter, providing easy access for guests to hop over to explore what it has to offer. Riverside is also very close to Downtown Disney and provides boat transportation to and fro. It’s a leisurely mode of transportation that gives guests views of the French Quarter, Saratoga Springs Resort and their treehouse villas, and a unique view of Downtown Disney. Learn more about this transportation route here!

What do you think is the best thing about Port Orleans Riverside? Is this one of your favorite Disney resorts? Be sure to let us know!

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Construction expands to the Grand Floridian Spa

Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa will close its doors September 19, 2011 for renovation and reconstruction. It is scheduled to reopen 18 months later, in the spring of 2013. Rumor has it that the construction project at the Grand Floridian will be the newest addition to the Disney Vacation Club.

Guests who wouldn’t dream of a Disney vacation without visiting a world-class spa can still book treatments at the Spa at the Saratoga Springs Resort.

Will the closure of the Grand Floridian Spa put a kink in your vacation plans? Let us know in the comments below!

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The 3 areas visible are marked on the concept art map

With the new Fantasyland expansion at Walt Disney World set to open in 2012, anticipation is running high.  Tall construction walls edge one side of Fantasyland adorned with beautiful concept art and descriptions of the wonders that will appear next year.  The looming cranes, thrumming motors, and occasional voices of workmen drifting from behind the wall, however, hint at a far more practical process going on just beyond view.

With the help of a bench or decorative wall and the help of a tall friend (shout out to my tall friend Mike), some of that excitement is visible.  There are three particular locations where glimpses of what’s going on behind that wall can be had – near Pinochio’s Village Haus, where the Beast’s castle, Be Our Guest restaurant, and Maurice’s cottage are well underway; past Dumbo, where more of the Beauty and the Beast area can be glimpsed; and across from The Adventure of Winnie the Pooh, where both the Little Mermaid show building and entrance to the dwarves’ mine train are visible.

The Beauty and the Beast area is, of course, the most visible and the most recognizably complete.  Well aware that the Beast’s castle, perched atop the building that will become the Be Our Guest restaurant, would be clearly visible over the construction walls, Disney made sure that the forced perspective building was complete and painted almost as soon as it was installed.  In a way, the structure serves as what Walt would have called a “weenie” – a visual teaser to pique interest and draw people’s attention to the new expansion.

Below that highly visible structure, however, other less visible things are taking shape.  The stonework of the mountains around the castle is visible as is the clearly recognizable shape of Maurice’s cottage, which will serve as the location for a Belle meet and greet/show where guests will be transported from Maurice’s cottage to the Beast’s castle in a 40 minute show.

Stonework at the side of the Beast's castle

Maurice's cottage is clearly taking shape

Below the castle, several pointed gothic arch openings are also visible, possibly marking the entrance to the restaurant. They seem to resemble the pictures of the restaurant entrance shown at Destination D.

Arches are visible at the lower right of the image

Further along, opposite The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the basic structure of a building is visible. Based on its location and shape, it seems likely it is a part of the cottage pictured as part of the entrance to the Dwarves’ Mine Train.

And, although individual features are not yet visible, the rockwork for Little Mermaid is taking shape around the ride building.

There is still a massive amount of work to be done, of course, but the overall skeleton of the Fantasyland expansion is quite definitely taking shape.  The areas for the rides and their basic structures are well underway, and construction will no doubt accelerate once those basic elements are in place.  We’ll be keeping a watch on the progress over the construction walls whenever possible.  Magic may be coming in 2012, but right now the excitement is in seeing that magic get underway!

Winnie the Pooh, Phineas and Ferb and the car stars of the Disney•Pixar motion picture “Cars 2″ are joining the ever-changing cavalcade of characters involved in meet-and-greets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Here’s what Walt Disney World guests have to look forward to:

• Winnie the Pooh replaces Lotso in the meet-and-greet location at Feature Animation on May 16. Lotso will continue to be seen in the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun parade.
• Guests will be able to take part in an energetic and fun-filled meet-and-play experience with Phineas and Ferb beginning May 16 near Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.
• A “Cars 2” meet-and-greet is scheduled to open June 5 near Muppet*Vision 3-D.
• Lightning McQueen replaces Herbie the Love Bug on stage in Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Spectacular beginning June 5.

The experiences are included with regular admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. More information about the Studios is available at Disneyworld.com.

The Beast’s Castle rises above the Fantasyland skyline, we have views from it from a variety of areas including Dumbo and the Astro Orbiter! You can see the rock work and more as well. Watch as a turret is lifted to the castle!

Visit http://www.JeffLangeDVD.com or http://www.MouseSteps.com for more information.

Mickey Mouse now reigns at a new location in Magic Kingdom to meet and greet his friends at Walt Disney World Resort. Guests can now go backstage at Town Square Theater for photos and autographs with Mickey — without waiting in a standby queue!

Mickey’s new location in the park also heralds the first-ever use of Disney’s FASTPASS Service for a character meet-and-greet experience. FASTPASS allows guests to reduce waiting by designating a window of time when they can return for a theme park experience.

The fun takes place at the Town Square Theater presented by Kodak, located just inside the Magic Kingdom entrance. Previously known as Town Square Exposition Hall, the venue has been re-imagined as a turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century theater where posters proclaim Mickey Mouse as the star of a magic show.

A glistening marquee with gold-leaf trim and sparkling lights beckons guests to enter a lobby that serves as a hub for character meet-and-greet queues, the Box Office Gifts merchandise shop and Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. Lush curtains with gold rope tie-backs, polished-brass chandeliers and a huge tile floor mosaic of the Town Square Theater logo adorn the space.

Just beyond the lobby, guests pass through an ornate arch and enter a queue to meet Magician Mickey Mouse — or a queue to meet the Disney princesses, for whom Town Square Theater will be a meet-and-greet location during New Fantasyland construction.

The meet-and-greet experience begins when magical posters featuring Mickey’s various magic acts come to life, enhancing guests’ journey through queues into the backstage corridors of the theater. Mickey greets guests in a rehearsal-room environment amid posters, steamer trunks and stage props. It’s a classic backstage area with a wood floor and ceiling. One wall is brick, the others are papered in red and black — Mickey colors.

During the Princesses’ limited engagement at Town Square Theater, they will greet guests in an area fit for royalty — replete with plush carpeting, lush velvety-blue drapes with gold tiebacks, and a large mural backdrop of a chateau amid green, tree-covered hills and fields.

Exiting the meet-and-greet areas, guests pass through Curtain Call Collectibles, a shop with design elements suggesting a backstage area used for theater shipping and receiving — with large, barn-like doors through which props and set pieces could pass.

Guests wanting to meet Mickey or the Princesses can either obtain a Disney’s FASTPASS ticket or get in standby queues. FASTPASS tickets, which are available near Town Square Theater, designate an hour window of time during which the guest can return to the theater and have their “magic moment” with Mickey or the Princesses without joining the standby queues.

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The Sunburst has been dismantled at Sunshine Plaza at the center of the Disney California Adventure entrance, and the Carthay Circle Theatre replica will be built in it’s place.

The Carthay Circle Theatre is a tribute to the landmark that used to show Silly Symphony cartoons and the first full-length feature, Snow White in the late 1920′s and 30′s.

A menu and interior are still to be decided upon where there will be a restaurant and lounge inside the building.  “Walt’s Cafe” and “Carthay Circle Steakhouse” are the names on a model of the building.  No theater is planned for the project.

They are setting this as part of the entrance for Buena Vista Street back in the days when Walt Disney arrived to start his studio career as part of their $1 billion makeover of California Adventure to be complete in 2012.

Jake and the Never Land Pirates are landing at Disney’s Hollywood Studios March 4, less than a month after they cast off on their first adventure on Disney Channel as part of the launch of Disney Junior programming designed for 2-to-7-year-old children.

At the Walt Disney World theme park, they are playing a role in “Disney Junior–Live on Stage!”, a theme park show created for young guests. Co-starring roles in the show are played by the cast of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny and Little Einsteins — other shows that are part of the Disney Junior schedule.

“Ever since ‘Playhouse Disney–Live on Stage!’ premiered in 2001, it has been a chance for our younger guests to experience their Disney Channel friends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios,” said Dan Fields of Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative director for “Disney Junior–Live on Stage!” “As their circle of TV friends has grown and changed during the years, we’ve endeavored to make sure those new friends are part of their vacation fun, too.”

Like the previous show (“Playhouse Disney–Live on Stage”), “Disney Junior–Live on Stage!” will be presented several times during the theme park day. Guests should check their Times Guide for show times.

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Disney fans are generally excited about the Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom, what with its increase in size and the addition of new attractions. There’s even been some rejoicing about changes to the original princess- and fairy-dusted plans.

But not all news about what’s next for Fantasyland at Walt Disney World has been magical. Along with the announcement for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a kiddie coaster, Disney slipped in the news that Snow White’s Scary Adventures will be closed. The classic dark ride, part of the park since 1971, will close some time during the Fantasyland expansion, probably in 2011 or 2012.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about the removal of Snow White’s Scary Adventures (SWSA). As a die-hard Disney fan, my heart is torn by two different sentiments.

There are classics that represent the best of Disney, reasons why people fall in love with Disney in the first place. Or as Walt Disney said, “I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”

Then there’s my craving for the new, the innovative, the immersive – a reaction again reflected in Walt’s: “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

Snow White, a Disney Classic Film Turned Disneyland Original Attraction

Snow White's Scary Adventures, Magic Mirror. Loren Javier.

My first instinct, then, is to lament the closing of SWSA as an end of a Disney era. The dark ride was a 1955 Disneyland original, something the Magic Kingdom brought over to honor Walt’s influence and imagination.

SWSA is based on Disney’s first feature-length animated film, certainly an accomplishment deserving a substantial presence in Disney parks. After all, the Walt Disney Company may have “started with a mouse,” but it was the success of “Disney’s Folly” that cemented Walt’s presence in Hollywood. And it’s Snow White, not the beloved dwarfs, who had the first film audience in tears. Shouldn’t she be the star of her own attraction?

Snow White’s Scary Adventures, a Dark Ride Turned Lighter

But I can’t quite convince myself I’m truly sad to see SWSA leave the Magic Kingdom. My consolation isn’t entirely because Seven Dwarfs Mine Train seems like a fun kiddie coaster. Or that its surrounding area promises to please Snow White fans.

Snow White's Scary Adventures, Magic Kingdom. Photo: Josh McConnell.

The truth is, that while I’m sad to see the idea of SWSA leave, I’m not sad to see the ride in its current state come to an end. The first time I rode SWSA it was closer to Walt’s original vision. Snow White didn’t appear in the ride, and the focus was on the Queen/Wicked Witch. Guests took up Snow White’s point of view in an almost nightmarish version of the film’s narrative.

In that version, we became Snow White and experienced some of her heart-raising adventures. It was a dark ride, in all senses of the word, and much scarier. Especially for young children. But it was also true to Disney’s animated feature, which has its own terrifying moments. And I loved it.

Walt Disney World redesigned the ride in 1994. Among the many changes was the incorporation of Snow White into its scenes, with guests looking on at our heroine’s experiences. The redesign comforts and reassures young guests because they see Snow White.

In this more straightforward retelling, a great deal of immersiveness central to SWSA has been removed. It’s a safer ride for young guests, but one less interesting, less challenging. And I loved it a bit less.

Why Shouldn’t Snow White’s Scary Adventures be Scary?

True love's kiss in Snow White's Scary Adventures. Josh McConnell.

More than that, though. SWSA’s redesign lost some of ride’s focus and appeal for many guests, including me. It lacks the clever narrative realized by Imagineering that I’ve come to expect from a Disney attraction.

But even the “new” version is still too scary for many young children, as Lisa Battista notes in Rides to Miss with Little Mr or Miss. Still, I can’t help thinking that a return to a darker, less young-child friendly concept of SWSA, one with updated technology, could be a good thing.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will act as a bridge between the “my first coaster” Goofy’s Barnstormer (to be renamed The Great Goofini). Couldn’t or shouldn’t SWSA be an entry-level ride to the mild scares of Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean? In the re-Imagineering of Fantasyland, isn’t there room for some thrills and chills beyond that of the coaster or thrill ride?

Snow White’s Scary Adventures: A Tale of Two Hearts

In examining my ambivalence to SWSA, I find myself mourning the future loss of the ride that is no longer what it was, nor is it what I want to it to be. I’m nostalgic for the attraction as I first experienced it, not as it is today.

So I’m looking forward to seeing the new Fantasyland even as it means the end of SWSA. Still, my heart tugs, ever so slightly, at the loss. Maybe I would rather have this version of SWSA at Walt Disney World than not have one at all?

Perhaps it’s a tale of my two hearts, then. I look forward to the Imagineers’ new ideas and experiencing Disney’s ability to continually re-invent its parks. But I can’t help wondering if the cost of such re-invention is some of that nostalgia Walt also valued so highly.

Photo credits: Josh McConnell, flickr, Creative Commons License (Entrance, apple, true love’s kiss); Loren Javier, flickr, Creative Commons License (Magic Mirror).

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• Disney Confidential: Fantasyland Expansion – Say Good-bye to Snow White! (chipandco.com)
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