Chapter 23 – Magic Kingdom – New Fantasyland – Enchanted Forest
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                updated 6/5/20

The New Fantasyland expansion of the Magic Kingdom had come a long way since it was first announced at the 2009 D23 Expo, not only in construction, but also in terms of what experiences guests would enjoy within. Over the three years span from 2009 to 2012, Imaginers had made major modifications to concepts of what would be included in the new area, dropping and adding major components based on fan feedback and reevaluation of what they considered would be the most entertaining attractions.

 
 
The New Fantasyland expansion opened on December 6, 2012. New Fantasyland theming is based on Disney princesses such as Belle, Snow White, and Ariel.
In Chapters 20 and 21 we toured Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland. Then in Chapter 22 we traveled back in time and looked at the Fantasyland That Once Was. Now we will continue our tour of the New Fantasyland.
New Fantasyland is the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom since opening day in 1971.  The entire area of Fantasyland 10 acres before the expansion and now the Fantasyland totals around 21 acres, more than doubling the original size of Fantasyland. 
There was a tremendous level of detail and Imagineering put into this expansion. The added theming of the Fantasyland expansion makes the Fantasyland it a perfect storybook land that includes many of the popular characters from Disney films and stories.

New Fantasyland Expansion

Just beyond the Courtyard and Castle walls of Cinderella’s Castle is New Fantasyland. New Fantasyland is divided into two new areas: Enchanted Forest and Storybook Circus.
The Enchanted Forest of Fantasyland
Most of Walt Disney Fairy Tale stories begin with “Once Upon a Time” and are set in an “Enchanted Forest”. Well in this Enchanted Forest there are several attractions attributing Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tales.
 
Online Reference:
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For current Magic Kingdom Map: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/magic-kingdom/maps/
Touring The Enchanted Forest of Fantasyland we will be visiting the following:

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Seven Dwarf’s Mine Co. Shop
Maurice's Cottage
Enchanted Tales with Belle
The Beast Castle
Be Our Guest Restaurant
Belle’s Village
Gaston’s Tavern
Bonjour! Village Gifts
Under the Sea – Journey of the little Mermaid
Prince Eric's Castle
Ariel's Grotto
Prince Eric’s Village Market
Cartographer
The Music of New Fantasyland

Music is everywhere in Walt Disney World whether prominent or as subtle background. With the expansion of Fantasyland this area doesn’t include just one style of music in its land. Now that it’s much bigger, many themes are sharing the space! From Medieval to Bavarian folk to Carousel organ to Carnival Music. Fantasyland’s music includes everything and offers a fresh twist to the familiar favorite songs.
Just as we explored the music while touring Fantasyland in the previous Chapters, we’ll include them as we tour the New Fantasyland.

 
Probably the best place to begin our tour of New Fantasyland is in The Enchanted Forest at the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937 and may be one of the most iconic films in the history of Walt Disney. The animated movie was the first full length picture of its kind.  Snow White definitely was the forefront level for all future animated pictures. It still appeals to guests of all ages. At Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom homage was paid to it with Snow White’s Scary Adventures which closed in 2012 to make room for the Princess Fairytale Hall. (Note: Disneyland still has the Snow White’s Scary Adventure) The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction is the story of Snow White, told using animated figures and music from the film
 
Note: the names of the Seven Dwarfs are Dopey, Sneezy, Bashful, Doc, Happy, Grumpy, and Sleepy

Movie Background Facts:
During the original planning of the Snow White animated movie there were 22 different Dwarf names considered. Some were outright dropped because they would be considered offensive, others because they didn't fit the story-line and the rest for being politically incorrect for the times.

For More on the other Dwarf's names:  
To continue the tribute in 2014, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train made its debut as part of the New Fantasyland Expansion.
So take a stroll behind Cinderella Castle and through the courtyard gates to take a trip through the magnificently detailed forest and mine belonging to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Music

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train area has very little music. The area is supposed to be outside the castle wall.
But occasionally guest walking around they will hear the Seven Dwarfs hard at work, ting-tinging with their picks and shovels in the mine.
 
But in the attraction listen for the instrumental versions of nine songs from the Snow White movie.
Queue
During the New Fantasyland Expansion the Disney Imagineers in several attractions added newer technology in the queues to entertain guests while waiting in line. 
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has a wonderful queue area to help guests pass the time.
In the next interactive parts, guests will see 12 wooden spigots that look like animal friends from the film.  The 12 spigots corresponding the notes of the musical scale. When they are all put together they will play the melody from the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs movie.  The imagineers really put a lot of effort into this.
Here guests can try their hand at spinning barrels of jewels at the vault. Check out what happens when all seven barrels are spun at the same time.
The footprints of forest creatures, large and small, and the impressions of sticks, stones and acorns are embedded in the dirt path that meanders through the Enchanted Forest of the Queue.
Great Deals - 468 x 60
At the first interactive station in the attraction queue, Doc’s note explains the jewel washing game. As the jewels flow by in a wooden trough, guests touch and drag them into a bin on the side of the trough, matching them by color and shape. The trough is about 15 feet long and is accessible from both sides
At the third interactive station inside the “Vault”. The “Vault” is carved into the wooden crosspiece above the doorway. The imagineers added this detail as a tribute to the Snow White film. It is a reference to the scene where Dopey opens the vault and throws in a bag of gems, then locks the door with a key. For safekeeping, Dopey hangs the key to the vault on a peg next to the door. The key hangs on a peg next to the entrance to the vault in the queue as well.
The song, “Music In Your Soup” is heard while in the queue.  The song was originally part of the film, but ended up being cut out. The Imagineers added to the Queue to pay homage to the film.
The Ride
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a very special experience. Walt Disney Imagineering developed a patented system. The mine carts are designed that each individual cart sways from side to side.  Each train has 5 carts that are hitched together to make the journey around and through the mine. At every turn each cart will independently sway side to side for the entire ride.
Vekoma is the company that built the Magic Kingdom Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, their home base is in Holland.
They were also responsible for building Big Thunder Mountain for Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
 
Each mine carts is uniquely different. They are each individually painted and designed to look aged and worn.  The level of detail was even put into the bolts and finishings on the mine carts so that they looked like old and worn mine carts.
The ride begins as a fast-paced, outdoor coaster. At the top of the second rise, guests have a brief moment to enjoy an inspiring view across Fantasyland to Belle’s cottage, Beast’s Castle above Be Our Guest Restaurant, and beyond.
Then, the track drops quickly, passing under a trestle and looping around the mountain crossing over the same trestle. The vehicle picks up speed as it zigzags down the mountain, twisting and turning, with the carts swinging back and forth. At the foot of the mountain, the mine train loops back to cross a pool at the bottom of a waterfall.
(Note:  The shadows were taken from the scene in the original film where the Dwarfs march across a log bridge, singing “…home from work we go.”)
Two vultures are perched near the mine entrance. These originally appeared in the Snow White’s Scary Adventure attraction (See Chapter 22 – Fantasyland That Once Was).


The train slows down as it enters the mines, where the Dwarfs are at work (well, mostly – Sleepy is taking a nap break, as you might expect), singing "Heigh-Ho", naturally.

Once you enter the mine you will be surrounded by the jewels. The gems throughout the mine come in four different sizes and six different colors: red, green, amber, purple, blue and clear.
Next to Doc’s workstation in the mine, the carved wooden clock is a replica of the one seen in the film with the figures of two miners striking an anvil. As in the film, the motion signals the start of the favorite song, “Heigh-Ho.”
 
The dwarfs are the most enhanced audio-animatronic that Disney has created to date.
The dwarf animatronics has been created so that their faces look like live animated faces that look, react and express the same expressions as their characters from the movie. 

As guest approach the end of the mine they’ll see the shadows of the Dwarfs marching homeward along the track on the lift inside of the mine. 
As the train leaves the mine, it again speeds up, before reaching the terminal guests get a glimpse of another memorable moment from the Snow White film. The Dwarfs cottage is a meticulously detailed representation of the cozy home seen in the classic film. The Imagineers recreated Snow White’s cottage from the 1937 feature film. Their attention to detail include the color of the wood, shingles, paint colors, the wisteria vine, birdhouse at the front door,  and even the pitch angle of the roof. 
 
In the last view of the cottage, around the corner of the far wall, the Wicked Queen can be seen in her disguise as an old hag watching Snow White and the Dwarfs through a cottage window. She turns toward the train as it passes, and cackles wickedly.
 
The figures of Grumpy, Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, and Happy, seen in the cottage, originally appeared in Snow White’s Scary Adventure. The figures of Snow White, Dopey and Sneezy, in the cottage scene, were created for this attraction.
Memory Maker Photos
Something has been added to several attractions. When a guests with a MagicBand and Memory Maker ride the attraction, their photo and video will be automatically linked to their My Disney Experience account. Guests will be able to view, download and share the photos and videos. Since there is no shop at the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train this is the best way to obtain these photos and videos.
Note: In the original tale by the Brothers Grimm, the Dwarfs were unnamed. When Walt Disney and his animators decided to name them to correspond with their character, scores of names were rejected including: Wheezy, Jumpy, Baldy, Hickey, Sniffy, Stuffy, Burpy, Tubby, Shorty, Deafy and Dizzy.
 Video of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train from WDWpov by The Moliterno's Group:
Seven Dwarfs' Mine Shop
 
There was a Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Shop long before the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train attraction was even on the drawing board. It opened in 1994 and closed in early January 2014.

At the Seven Dwarfs' Mine Shop (originally the Royal Candy Shoppe), over the years had an ever changing product selection themed to the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs include other Disney merchandise.  The Shop had great storytelling details. When you stepped into the shop you would find yourself in the middle of the dwarfs' mining operation, as if straight out of the Snow White animated film. More about it in Chapter 21 - Magic Kingdom - Fantasyland Part 2.
Maurice’s Popping Machine
As we leave the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train heading right and further into the Enchanted Forest, guests will pass a popcorn cart. Popcorn carts are nothing new around Disney World, but the one in Fantasyland is truly something different. This cart is carefully designed to look like a zany invention of Belle’s father Maurice. Though the popcorn is the same, but this is another great attention to theming and detail that may not initially notice.
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Enchanted Tales with Belle

Rounding the corner guests will come upon Maurice’s (Belle’s father) Cottage.
Maurice's Cottage is tucked in the Enchanted Forest and service as a backstory link for the Beauty and the Beast area. It’s the setting for the Enchanted Tales with Belle, one of the most innovative new interactive character meet and greet shows that Imagineers have introduced in a long time.
 
Guests make their way to the attraction by walking along a path in Fantasyland Enchanted Forest to Maurice’s cottage.
From the walkway to the cottage, you can get a faraway glimpse of the Beast's castle.
Her favorite books line the walls, markings Maurice made on the wall each year to record Belle’s height, a portrait of Belle and her mother reading together. As guests enter the cottage the first room is the living area of the cottage. Pay close attention to the detail in the cottage you will see lots of mementos form Belle's childhood. 
The next room is Maurice’s workshop. Maurice was an inventor and craftsman. Take a look around the workshop at the immense detail, such as Maurice’s sketches, tools and creations present throughout the room, they covers every inch of the floor, walls, and ceiling.
Once all the guests are inside the workshop, you guide will instruct the guests to focus their attention on the gold-framed mirror on the wall. The room will gets dark and the mirror begins to sparkle, it magically transforms into a door through which guests are transported to the Beast's castle. The effect is very well done. The seemingly ordinary mirror grows, begins to glow, and displays an animated scene that ends with the castle doors opening. Magically, the mirror disappears, and guests are invited to walk through what is now an open door.
(Note: The enchanted mirror was a gift from Beast to Maurice so he can visit Belle whenever he wishes.)
Guests are invited to step through the Door and enter into a wardrobe room. Once in the wardrobe room, Madame Wardrobe, a towering piece of furniture, will welcomes guests and sets the stage for the playacting that is about to unfold. With the help of cast members, she assigns roles, such as Knights, the Beast, and Mrs. Potts the teapot. Each actor is given a prop and is prepped to meet Belle and “surprise” her by helping her tell the story of when she and the Beast met.
(Note: Madame Wardrobe is voiced by comedian Jo Anne Worley, who also played her in the original film)

Once the parts are cast, Lumiere the candelabra, will summon guests into the Beast’s library and takes a seat. Cast members explain how the play will take place and introduce Belle, who gives a short speech about how thrilled she is for everyone to be there.
Then with Belle, the Guests will perform a re-enactment of Belle and Beast’s story as part of Belle’s birthday celebration. The play is acted out within a few minutes, then Belle invites participants over for a picture and even dances with them to the classic “Beauty and the Beast” song, “Beast Our Guest.”
Sam's Club -IOS
 
As guests leave the Library they’ll enter a hallway with fine tapestries.
The Imagineers have put an interesting combination with Audience participation, Auto-animatronics, Live Character interaction and Meet & Greet in the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction.
 
Fun Facts:
  • There are over 12,000 “books” in the library at the Enchanted Tales of Belle.
  • The Enchanted Tales with Belle is located at the former site of Ariel's Grotto. (for more on Ariel’s Grotto see Chapter 22 Fantasyland That Once Was)
 

The Beast Castle

As we leave Maurice’s Cottage and the Enchanted Tales with Belle, we’ll head to the left and the Mountains in the Enchanted Forest.
Rising high above Fantasyland Enchanted Forest is the Beast's Castle. It's a scary looking place in the snow covered mountains of Fantasyland.

Be Our Guest Restaurant

As we travel closer, you’ll come to a bridge lined with gargoyles. This bridge leads to the entrance to the Beast’s Castle and the Be Our Guest Restaurant.
 
The Imagineers have definitely gone up a notch in the richness of storytelling and attention to detail throughout the setting of the Be Our Guest Restaurant.
 
The restaurant is well themed after the song “Be Our Guest” from the 1991 Disney feature film Beauty and the Beast. The restaurant has three dining rooms, which are the forbidden West, the Rose Gallery, and the Ballroom where Belle and the Beast danced. The Imagineers have created an architectural marvel of elaborate breathtaking beauty from the exterior to interior and from floor to ceiling.
The restaurant opened in December 2012.
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To get into the right mood here is the music loop for the Be Our Guest Restaurant:
As we proceed across the Bridge leading up to the restaurant there are six stone figures, all oddly enough are referred to as “Frank.” This name was given to them by the Imagineers during the designing phase for the restaurant as a simple way to identify them.

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Entrance and Armor Hallway
The entrance is guarded by unique statuesque creature hybrids like the “golions” (part goat, part lions) and above the door are “sneagles,” or rather eagles with snake tails. Their gestures are as if saying “you may enter only by invitation”.
Above the doorway is a Mosaic, which tell the story of how the Prince became the Beast.
In the entrance hall the pillars are gargoyles that seem to watch you at every turn. On the left in the entrance hall is a mosaic of the Beast and Belle.
Throughout the Castle even the floor is tiled with intricate mosaics!

This photo of Be Our Guest Restaurant is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Moving on into the Armor Hallway, there are six suits of armor stand along the wall. If you listen closely you will hear an occasional whisper from the metal figures. Also the knights will interact as if enchanted with guests and each other.
The Be Our Guest Restaurant is counter service during the day, and table service at night.  French-inspired fare is served, keeping with the "Beauty and the Beast" theme. The restaurant holds three elaborately themed dining rooms to choose from—The Rose Gallery, The Grand Ballroom, and The West Wing.
Beast’s Parlor
During Breakfast and Lunch, the Beast’s Parlor is where you’ll order quick service meals. The hostess gives you a rose, which is used to activate the order. Then find a seat and your meal will be brought to you.  The roses work their magic by sending a signal out so that the wait staff can locate guests to bring them their specific orders, wherever they are seated.
During Dinner the mood changes as guests round a corner into the Beast’s Parlor. A warm and inviting with a fire roaring in the fireplace and soft wood finishes combine with colorful wallpaper and lush upholstery.
In the Beast’s Parlor the castle master will make himself available for pictures nightly during dinner service.

Grand Ballroom
Now moving on to the Great Ballroom. The iconic ballroom is overwhelming beautiful and the attention to detail is impressive.
This is where Belle and the Beast dance in the impressive scene from the movie.
 
The first thing that will get guests attention is grandeur of the 20-foot ceiling. It is decorated with fluffy clouds and cherubs and features sparkling golden chandeliers designed to convey the elegance of the Beast’s Castle in “Beauty and the Beast.”

(Note: The cherubs painted on the ceiling are said to be the faces of Disney Imagineer’s children.)

At the far end of the room, 18-foot-tall arched windows look out to a rich mountainous landscape, where special effects create a light snowfall through the starry sky.
 
With the Imagineered details, guests will feel as if they’ve been transported inside the beloved film. Check out the video that explains the ballroom’s backdrop:



(Fun Fact: There are 115 Windows in the Beast’s Castle)

During dinner service, the Beast will make random appearances as the Master of the house waving politely before retiring to the Beast’s Parlor for a meet-and-greet.
 
As throughout Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World, music is an important element and this is true for the Be Our Guest restaurant. Musical themes from the film add to the ambiance. In the Ballroom, a 50-piece orchestra recorded the music. The Rose Gallery, features special music box arrangements of the same pieces heard in the Ballroom, in perfect synchrony, so that guests moving from room to room will hear the same tune transformed from one style to another. It’s in the West Wing, that a somber, melancholy arrangement will be heard. If you listen closely to the music.
The West Wing
The ominously forbidden West Wing is very dark and foreboding. This is the smallest of the dining rooms. Guests stepping into the West Wing find it a darker and more mysterious atmosphere from the gorgeous Grand Ballroom.
 The atmosphere in this room offers a glimpse into the darker and tragic moments from the film.
 
With torn drapes on the windows and a thunder and lightning storm rolling in, which periodically crashes loudly outside the room’s windows.

Over the fireplace is a portrait of the Beast as a young prince, slashed by the beast’s claws. And with flashing of lightning, the image is transformed from prince to Beast.
 It’s a truly unique dining environment that’s not intended for everyone.
In the corner, by the window, a glass bell jar containing the enchanted rose that slowly drops petals as time runs out for the beast. As in the movie, the Beast's enchanted rose appears in the West Wing, not in the dining room named "Rose Gallery."

Rose Gallery
The Rose Gallery is the largest dining room. It offers a complete contrast to the West Wing.
In need of a third room the Imagineers decided on a room representing the rest of the film’s “enchanted story” like Chip and Mrs. Potts through tapestries lining the walls with the room’s centerpiece being a glorious music box featuring a rotating sculpture of Belle and the Beast in their famous ballroom dance.
Above the music box is a stunning stained-glass rose chandelier resembles cathedral window
The gorgeous blue and gold mosaic domed ceiling over the music box is an exact replica of the St. Chapelle cathedral near Notre-Dame in Paris.
Music is a dainty rendition of the “Beauty and the Beast” score duplicated recorded on a music box player.
Along the walls are Paintings and tapestries celebrating the characters from the story with four of the tapestries inspired by background art from the film.
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Roses are everywhere in the Rose Gallery.
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Even the floor is covered with intricate tile rose mosaics.
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As well as the roses on the capitals of these pillars.
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The roses carved into the backs of restaurant chairs.
Dining at Be Our Guest Restaurant
 
With the overwhelming amount of detail and décor themed to the Beauty and the Beast, Be Our Guest us also a French themed Restaurant.
 
As mentioned previously while touring the Beast’s Parlor, Breakfast and Lunch are Counter-service with a slight bit of Magic.
Dining orders are place in Kiosks located in the Beast’s Parlor, then guests are presented with a Rose. Through the Rose, Servers will be able to locate you in the Restaurant and provide you meals.
 
As is typical with the Restaurants in Walt Disney World menus will change. So check the below website for the latest Menu:

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Something to note

There had been a long standing rule since opening day in 1971, that there is no alcohol served at the Magic Kingdom. That rule has changed in Dec 2012 with the opening of Be Our Guest in Fantasyland.  If you dine at Be Our Guest Restaurant, guests can now order certain alcoholic beverages with dinner.  This was the first dining location in the Magic Kingdom to serve alcohol.  The justification for this offering is that since the restaurant is a French-themed restaurant that wine and other spirits would be a standard for the menu. 
 
Reference:
Belle’s Village

Located in the Enchanted Forest area of New Fantasyland, at the foot of the Castle is Belle's village. This is the little town where Belle grew up in. As you walk through the plaza you can imagine Belle walking the streets as she reads her book.
 
As guests enter the plaza, the first thing that will get their attention is the Fountain.
Guests will surely be impressed by this impressive fountain, which was a gift to the town from Gaston, himself.
The very large fountain depicts a huge statue of Gaston in the center with his sidekick, LeFou. Water pours out of barrels that Gaston is muscularly holding and LeFou is under foot attempting to catch the flow in drinking mugs.
 At the base is a plaque dedicating the Fountain. It states “Tribute to Gaston” with the inscription below: “An extremely generous gift to the humble people of my village, from me, Gaston.”
“There’s no man in town half as manly. Perfect, a pure paragon!” The Gaston song lyrics from the classic animated Disney film, Beauty and the Beast, provide a true personification of just how manly Gaston thinks he is!
(Gaston isn't troubled by false modesty)
At-A-Glance: It's Your Life, Take Note

Gaston’s Tavern
Behind the fountain is Gaston’s Tavern!
Definitely check out all of the art on the walls and all of the details.  Every detail was perfected, even down the tables that you find inside.
Next to the fireplace sits Gaston’s massive chair, made of leather and adorned with a throw of fur on top and arms which resemble antlers; and above the fireplace is a huge self-portrait of Gaston shows every bicep and muscle rippling. Gaston’s Tavern has no shortage of testosterone overload!
So let’s step into and experience Gaston’s Tavern.
 
Gaston’s Tavern is the favorite haunt of villain Gaston from Disney’s animated classic film Beauty and the Beast. As Gaston affirms, Gaston is the manliest man around the village.
 
Gaston's Tavern is a quick service restaurant. As guests enter there are two small rooms are located to the right and left of the ordering space.

The room to the right is where Gaston has gone all out with his decorating and embellishing skills!

Since Gaston is so masculine and woodsy, the interior of Gaston’s Tavern is embellished in details which perfectly matches his personality. Dark wood beams, a massive stone fireplace underneath a portrait of Gaston, and plenty of antlers everywhere. The antlers are some of the most remarkable details in the Tavern, they are distinctively crafted to make chandeliers, lights, frames, and hooks.
The left room is a simpler dining area with a dart board and smaller hunting trophies adorning the walls.
The menu is simple, but definitely guests should consider the massive Warm Cinnamon Roll, a perfect combination of sticky frosting, delicious cinnamon, and warm and flaky rolls of dough.
But check out the below website for the latest menu since they will routinely change:
As guests leave the Tavern they might see Gaston. He frequently does meet and greets right outside of the tavern. He rules this town.


TicketCity

A short but related side tour

Queues
With the New Fantasyland expansion Imagineers added a few new details and enhancements to Fantasyland.
Several of the attraction now have interactive queues to keep guests entertained while waiting. The new interactive queues where added to Peter Pan’s Flight, Princess Fairytale Hall, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, (see Chapters 20 and 21) Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Under Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid and even to Be Our Guest’s queue has an interactive queue (Knight’s in the Hall)
Rest Rooms
In addition, several of the rest rooms and areas where rethemed to better blend into the surroundings.
The entire Tangled rest area was added between the Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan’s Flight. Not only was a sitting area added, but the entire area was themed to the movie ‘Tangled” complete with Rapunzel’s Tower. During the evenings guests have a photo opportunity to hold one of the beautiful lanterns. These are replicas of the lanterns used in the film “Tangled.”
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Then the new rest area by Gaston's Tavern is also well themed to blend into the French character of Belle’s Village. This goes down to the designating signage used and a matching music loop.
Bonjour! Village Gifts
Located in Belle’s Village across from Gaston’s Tavern is Bonjour! Village Gifts
Imagine Belle walking through the Village to visit the Book Shop.

Guests can explore the shop to books, maps, books, souvenirs.
The shop sells items inspired by Beauty and the Beast, such as gargoyle goblets, dinnerware from "Be Our Guest" restaurant, Belle shirts for women and girls, home decor, and costume accessories.

Fun Facts: While looking at the back wall of Bonjour! Village Gifts you can find a painting of Phil Holmes, Vice President of the Magic Kingdom until 2015, in an outfit that fits with the theming of the area. Take a look around the portrait to find a Magic Kingdom map, props from different Disney films, and a ring with 40 written upon it (symbolizing his 40 years working at the Magic Kingdom)! Mr. Holmes is currently Vice President of Hollywood Studios.
We depart Belle’s Village and the Enchanted Forest heading toward the Sea or more like……

Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

The attraction Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid takes guests on a colorful, musical adventure with Ariel and all her friends based on the film The Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 animated musical film produced by Walt Disney and originated from a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen written in 1837. It tells the story of Ariel, a mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human.
Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction opened at the Magic Kingdom in Dec 2012 as part of the New Fantasyland Expansion.
 
The attraction is beautifully detailed, with a really remarkable queue and captures all of the important moments of the animated film.
History
With the success of the Little Mermaid film, a ride was originally designed for various Disney parks in the mid 1990’s, but it took until 2011 for the attraction to be built in Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
 
It was first a concept for Disney World and Disneyland Paris.  Then it was rumored that Tokyo DisneySea and Hong Kong Disneyland would each have the attraction upon their opening, the last two were never built.
 
In the Magic Kingdom, Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid was built on the space that once had the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride. In order to commemorate the replaced attraction, on the opening day of the new attraction Disney Imagineers poured water from the submarine ride into the lagoon surrounding the Little Mermaid ride.They also included an imprint of the Nautilus submarine in the rock formations in the queue and added the song "A Whale of a Tale" into the queue's music loop.
 
Before construction began the imagineers first built models. They started first with a one-quarter inch scale models so that the imagineers could visualize each scene of the attraction. After that they created one-inch scale models and with more details considered for the actual attraction.  Finally the construction began.

Let’s get ready to enter with a little background music from the attraction:
Queue
The entire attraction is closely detailed to the film'

As guests approach they’ll note a stunning castle-like building which sits high atop a seaside cliff overlooking the magnificently detailed attraction.
This marvelous building is a recreation of Prince Eric's castle.
Prince Eric's castle in The Little Mermaid was inspired by the Chillon Castle located on Lake Geneva, Switzerland.
 
Interesting Reference site:
As guests enter the queue it is marked with a shipwrecked boat with Ariel as the figurehead. Notice the small details that make this ship look like it’s been wrecked for ages, including its decayed balustrades and barnacles.

Then walk across a bridge over a pond that resembles a beach with the castle on it. The walkway weaves through waterfalls, sandy cliffs and caves below the castle. The queue area offers some great photo opportunities.
Notice the sea grass, starfish, and tide pools along the shoreline you’ll recognize some of Ariel’s collection of treasures as you enter the grotto under the cliffs that lead to the boarding area.
In the internal queue is the interactive game "Scuttle's Scavenger Hunt", where guests assist Scuttle and a group of crabs in cleaning up Ariel's collection of human stuff after a storm had thrown things out of order.
Rakuten Marketing Welcome Program
One of the most amazing aspects of this attraction is the external/internal queue area and how guests are immediately drawn into the story of “The Little Mermaid” even as they first approach the attraction.

The queue area for Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid is extremely impressive.

Ride
The indoor queue of the attraction features a mural along the back wall of the loading area, featuring Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, and many of the other characters from the film.
 
This ride is a simple dark ride with astonishing attention to detail. It features an Omnimover ride system like the ones used at The Haunted Mansion (see Chapter 18) and The Seas with Nemo & Friends in Epcot.
 
The ride transports guests under the sea and emphases many of the major scenes and musical numbers from the movie. Guests ride in cars themed to resemble large seashells.
  • After leaving the loading area, the clamshells proceed through a large opening of the broken hull of Prince Eric's ship.
  • The vehicles enter a shipwreck cove. A large opening in the wooden structure reveals Scuttle perched atop a set of rocks, the sun setting along the shoreline behind him. Scuttle, who is surrounded by some of the shipwreck's lost cargo, he’s playing an accordion while greeting the guests and beginning to tell them the story of Ariel and her dreams of becoming a human, but jumbles things up with his inability to decide where to start (even deciding to start at the day he was born).
  • The clamshells begin to rotate backwards as they make their way out of the shipwreck's hull.
  • The clamshells briefly travel along the shorelines of a beach, strewn with lost artifacts from the shipwreck.
  • With a splash, the clamshells proceed to travel underwater, employing the projected effect of an ocean wave passing over the clamshell in front of the rider to simulate the feeling of traveling under the ocean.
  • While the clamshells travel along the curve of the underwater passage, they take a slight descent to further simulate the illusion of traveling under the sea.
  • After passing under the ocean wave, projected bubbles and waves cover the rocky walls of the underwater passage, as seaweed and coral come into view.
  • The clamshells pass under an opening in the passage, revealing an image of Ariel and Flounder staring at the ocean's surface.
  • The clamshells leave the grotto and proceed through an underwater passage, where Sebastian tells Ariel about the wonders of being under the sea, while a view of King Triton's castle can be seen in the distance.
  • The scene opens up to a large undersea garden, where the undersea life join in singing "Under the Sea". Sebastian conducts the number from a clamshell overlooking the garden. Many of the creatures seen in the attraction are also found in the film, such as a spinning octopus, a dancing turtle, a group of lobsters, twirling starfish, and a huge blowfish, amongst many other sea creatures playing instruments and singing and dancing along. The vehicles encircle the scene, passing by Ariel as she dances to the music.
  • The clamshells enter the lair as the sea witch stands before her cauldron, singing "Poor, Unfortunate Souls". The Ursula Audio-Animatronic is one of the largest ever created. She is 7.5 feet tall and 12 feet wide, second only to the dragon used in the Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea versions of Fantasmic!  She is also equipped with a “squash-and-stretch” function in the torso of the figure so that she can move effortlessly as her character does to the music.
  • The underwater passage opens to reveal Ariel in her grotto, surrounded by all of the treasures that she has collected from the human world. Throughout the scene, Ariel sings "Part of Your World" while holding a chest filled with many of her gadgets and gizmos. The scene features a completely animated Audio-Animatronic of Ariel that has animated fins, hair, and facial expressions. Next to Ariel, Flounder floats along the walls of the grotto. A statue of Prince Eric is located in the corner of the grotto, implying that the scene takes place after Ariel had saved Eric from the wreckage of his ship. Throughout the scene, Sebastian occasionally appears, secretly spying on Ariel by popping up behind a treasure box or by appearing behind a magnifying glass or in a knight's helmet in some instances. To create the illusion of Ariel's hair flowing in water, Imagineers created a brand-new material.
  • The celebration fades as the clamshells pass into a dark canyon, filled with smoking geysers. The canyon leads into the mouth of a giant sea dragon skeleton, the entrance into Ursula's Lair.
  • Flotsam and Jetsam, Ursula's pet eels, welcome the clamshells into the sea witch's lair, exclaiming that they told Ariel that Ursula would help her in reaching her dreams of becoming a human.
  • Similar to the film a misty orb floating above the cauldron, images of Ariel nurturing Eric and signing Ursula's contract appear from within, as Ursula continues to sing. Ariel has made her agreement to give her voice to Ursula in exchange for legs.
  • The clamshells proceed past the sea witch and encounter walls adorned with many of the lost souls that Ursula had collected. The bright yellow eyes of the lost souls glow brightly in the passage.
  • The clamshells proceed through a cavernous passage adorned with lost souls, leading past an image of Ariel with a swirling vortex around her, revealing her new legs.
  • The clamshells slightly ascend through a rocky chamber as projected bubbles cover the walls, simulating the illusion of rising above the ocean's surface. The clamshells then proceed to enter a tranquil, romantic lagoon, as a human Ariel and Eric are seen floating in a boat along the lagoon's surface. Sebastian sings "Kiss the Girl" as Flounder and other fishes encircle the boat, fountains of water rising out of their mouths. Low, dangling moss is suspended over the lagoon. Fireflies twinkle throughout the scene as the moon brightly shines on the scene in the distance. Throughout the scene, Eric and Ariel lean in to kiss each other, only to have Eric back away sheepishly, leaving Ariel disappointed.
  • The clamshells proceed into the final scene of the attraction, where the kingdom celebrates the wedding of Ariel and Eric. Several sea creatures, King Triton, Sebastian, and Flounder are seen in the ocean celebrating, as the now-married Ariel and Eric wave goodbye from a gazebo on the ocean's edge. Prince Eric's castle lies just in the distance. Fireworks explode in the sky above the scene.
  • After leaving the lagoon, the clamshells pass before the silhouette of a giant Ursula, who is seen in the distant ocean. Smoke arises around the sea witch as her plans to rule the ocean went askew and she has been defeated.
  • Next to the silhouette of the sea witch, the clamshells pass in front of a doorway to Prince Eric's castle. Seen within the doorway of the castle, a silhouette of Ariel and Eric are seen kissing. A golden orb glows from within Ariel's neck, signifying that she has now regained her voice. The orb proceeds to encircle the two, creating a heart shape as Ariel and Eric kiss.
  • As the clamshells proceed back into the load/unload area, Scuttle closes off the attraction by exclaiming that Ariel had received her dream and everything worked out in the end.
  • The clamshells arrive back in the load/unload area where the guests exit the clamshells and proceed out of the attraction building.


Voice cast
  • Jodi Benson - Ariel
  • Philip Lawrence - Sebastian
  • Pat Carroll - Ursula
  • Chris Edgerly - Scuttle
  • Corey Burton - Flotsam and Jetsam
You may recognize some of these names (or definitely the voices) from other Disney films and attractions:
  • Jodi Benson is also famous for voicing several other Disney characters from various films and television series, including Weebo in Flubber, Barbie in Toy Story 2 and 3
  • Philip Lawrence is a songwriter, and voice actor known for his work as part of the music group "The Smeezingtons". He also voiced Felipe the Scarlet Macaw in Blue Sky's Rio 2.  
  • Chris Edgerly is known for voicing Timothy Mouse (Dumbo's best friend and mentor) for the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts appearances.
  • Corey Burton you may recognize his voice in the following attractions:
    • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Grumpy
    • Haunted Mansion Holiday – Ghost Host
    • Fantasmic! – Chernabog, Captain Hook, Pirates
    • Cranium Command – General Knowledge, Chicken
    • Horizons – Futureport 'Brava Centauri' Announcer
    • Pirates of the Caribbean – Stuffed Pirate
    • Peter Pan's Flight – Captain Hook, Mr. Smee
    • Mr. Toad's Wild Ride – Judge, Cop, Farmer
 Fun Facts
  1. Look closely at Ariel’s wedding dress – the sequins and embroidery illustrate little seahorses and starfish!
  2. Imagineers had to create and utilize new skin technology for the Ariel, Ursula and King Triton animatronics to make their movements and appearance look more realistic. 
  3. There are 183 total characters in the “Under the Sea” section of the attraction.
  4. Unique Hidden Mickey - The imagineers created a hidden Mickey that you can only see at noon on Mickey Mouse’s birthday, November 18. At this time the sun is in just the right position for the light to create a hidden Mickey on the path in the ride queue for the attraction. The location is near the boat wreckage, the area with a figure with its hand on its chest. 
  5. Hidden Mickeys Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid actually has a number of these Mickey heads scattered throughout its queue, as well as the ride itself. In the rocks lining the walls of the queue area or the backs of the frogs in the “Kiss the Girl” scene.
 
For reference:

Ariel’s Grotto

Next to the Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction is the Ariel’s Grotto where you can meet the Little Mermaid herself! (Note: In Chapter 22 – Fantasyland That Once Was – we wrote about Ariel’s Grotto with the changes and relocations of this Meet & Greet attraction over the years.)
Ariel’s Meet & Greet Grotto a perfectly themed character meeting spot connected to the Under the Sea - journey of the Little Mermaid attraction. 
Prince Eric's Village Market

Located across from Under the Sea: Voyage of the Little Mermaid is Prince Eric’s Village Market. It’s a snack location that offers special entrees, fresh fruits, vegetables, lemonade, beverages, etc...
 
Check the online menu for latest offerings:

King Triton Statue

Cartography

Most guests walk right by this without checking it out (I know because we have for 6 years) Through the archways behind King Triton are some fabulous treasures connected with the backstories of Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction. Here are some photos, and next time go in!
 
The sign over the archway features a globe, sun, and moon which create a hidden Mickey and the name H. Goff Cartographer. Harper Goff was an early animator and Imagineer who helped to create the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and ultimately worked on early concept drawings for Disneyland. This small tribute is a great example of how the tiniest of details can contain a lot of Walt Disney World history! (You may also remember H.Goff from Chapter 17 – Liberty Square – Haunted Mansion)
Next to Prince Eric’s Village Market is the location of the Disney Vacation Club kiosk in New Fantasyland. This is by far the most themed and elaborate of all the DVC locations.
But don’t it that sway you away in the building behind it is one of the noteworthy gems in New Fantasyland, the Cartography and the statue of King Triton.
The area behind King Triton is themed to a woodworking shop with conceptual model carvings related to the Under the Sea attractions. In the next room there is more concept art that includes King Triton.
In the next room, a large map includes King Triton, Flounder and Ursula. It says "Destinations of the World".  One feature of the cartographer’s shop is a large seafarer’s map on the back wall that features plenty of intricate detail.
Guests may recognize some familiar faces in the map’s detail – including Ursula and King Triton. But what about the sea monster and winged beast that are attacking the ships?
On the side walls is artwork showing Prince Eric's Castle.

Here is a video tour:

Since this had been the location of the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction, Imagineers left a leave little tribute to the former attraction, a weather vane of the squid atop the building.

References:
End of Chapter 23 - New Fantasyland – Enchanted Forest
 
We’ve come out of the remarkable Enchanted Forest and from Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid, now it’s time to go to the Circus, the Storybook Circus. In our next Chapter we are going to tour the exciting, colorful Storybook Circus that was launched with the New Fantasyland Expansion.
Afterword:
WDWMousing.com is designed to be a tour of Walt Disney World through photos. We have been to Walt Disney World countless times over the past 25 years and accumulated a magnitude of photos in that time. This website is an intention to combine two of our favorite pastimes, Walt Disney World and photography, and provide an insightful pictorial tour.
While doing so, we've done an extensive research of the internet and literary sources for background information on each area and atrraction. The information is available, but most bits and pieces are scattered all over. WDWMousing doesn't intend to rewrite the stories, legends or data, but to try and collect it into one location with reference and links to the original articles and authors. And giving rightful credit. We've stumbled through quite a bit of mis-information, most of which came to life by fans because the origins were lost, forgotten or no one seems to remember. Over the past 25 years we've also lost most of the great Imagineers that helped develop, design and build the original concepts of Walt Disney World. So we believe it's extremely important to make sure that their efforts, intentions, details and creativity in making this Happiest Place on Earth isn't lost.
So we ask for feedback, insights, and suggestions.

Thank you
WDWMousing

    We would definitely like to hear from you.
    Let us know what your thoughts, suggestions, ideas, and absolutely, if we've missed anything.