Today at the D23 Expo, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs and Disneyland Resort President George Kalogridis announced an exciting transformation poised to take place at Disneyland park.
The boundaries of Fantasyland are expanding with a brand new experience called Fantasy Faire. For this project, Carnations Plaza Gardens Stage is being reimagined into an enchanting village square that will immerse guests in the stories of their favorite princesses in exciting new ways.
Guests will travel through a village square surrounded by fairytale cottages and pavilions to the heart of the square – Tangled Tower, inspired by the film. The village square will come alive with activities and entertainment, including a Royal Ribbon Parade where guests can dance and interact with Belle or Rapunzel. Guests can visit the their favorite Disney royalty from such films as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Tangled.”
The Fantasy Faire Stage will be a new entertainment venue where the stories of Disney’s fairy tale heroes and heroines will be brought to life, letting guests become part of the story as well.
And at night, the Fantasy Faire Stage will come alive with the classic music and dance offerings that Disneyland park guests have loved for years.
We’ll have more updates on the new Fantasy Faire as they are available here on the Disney Parks Blog.
Comments
As someone mentioned earlier, from the hub the carnation gardens is shrouded by trees, so assuming that most of those trees stay put, we really don’t need to worry about any sight-line issues.
WE SHOULD HAVE A NEW STAGE SHOW AT THE FANTASYLAND THEATER!!! SINCE FANTASY FAIRE IS MOVING TO THE NEW AREA!!!! MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE ANIMAZEMENT BUT WITH MORE RECENT MOVIES???
I’m really glad they are incorporating Tangled into the new Fantasyland.My only question is what is the tangled tower all about, I’m not clear on that.
I think that calling this a “travesty” is a little dramatic. This is NOT the first time that the Plaza gardens area has seen some changes.
Nobody ever said that change was easy. But Disneyland cannot be expected to stay the same forever, Walt would not approve of that.
I LOVE Disneyland, and I believe in Walt’s dream for the park to change and evolve. 🙂
And as other have said, maybe now the Fantasyland theater will be used for stage shows again.
Also, I agree with Troy; we really need a new ride for the Peoplemover ride. Perhaps a new sleek, version of it. I realize that safety regulations have changed, but I’m sure that the imagineers could work something out.
Sorry…one more thought just occurred to me. If the park is expanding/changing- can they PLEASE do something about the track of the long defunct People Mover ride? Would it be too much to bring that back? If so, then take the track down. It takes up space (little or a lot- space is space) and Tomorrowland could use some freshening up. I LOVE Disneyland. Honestly and truly. But there truly are some areas that could use some much needed attention. 🙂
As an avid fan of some of the Disney Princesses (Pocahontas, Mulan, Rapunzel, Tiana, Cinderella), I am happy to hear there will be meet & greet opportunities. However, I most thoroughly agree with Phillip that the princes (Re: Naveen, Prince Charming, etc) should also be included. Flynn Rider should be included as well. There have been countless conversations of parents annoyed that they must split up for activities instead of experiencing things together. Most-but not all ;-)-little boys don’t want to see or hang around the princess area. It’s too girly. If there were more of or at least a decent sized portion of inclusion of male characters that might change. Then it wouldn’t be mommies & daughters watching the princesses and daddies and sons do other things. Now certainly Disney will always be expanding/changing and we can all agree that making everyone happy is humanly impossible. However, being respectful to both genders should be-and I am sure it is-a high priority. To think that ONLY girls will enjoy the princess faire and that ONLY boys will enjoy the Jedi Training area is complete non-sense. There is video footage of many, many little girls enjoying becoming a Jedi. I know one little boy in particular that insists that his birthday be held with the princesses each year. Gender neutrality is not confusing. It’s actual and factual. I for one look forward to seeing skits/performances of the princesses and their princes. Disney romance is not just for girls. Everyone loves romance!! Don’t they?
I’m not sold…Growth is lovely, but there is something for maintaining the purity of tradition. And the Plaza Garden’s stage falls completely in line with that….
They are going to HAVE to keep Sat Night Swing Dancing – and maybe even improve/make the floor bigger for this not to be a completely travesty.
By doing this they can use the old Skyway terminal next to Casey Junior as the entrance to create a “Bambi” ride. Walk back though a winding path like Indy, wooded setting to a dark ride. The “April Showers” scene could be really cool. They could rip out the old Princess Fantasy Faire and use that area and even part of the Thunder Ranch area. A perfect area right between Fantasyland and Frontierland for the story theme. Whaadya say?
Thanks Jeffrey (and all the other voices of reason here)
Oh and by the way, I realize now that in some of my posts here, I had been referring to the Carnations Gardens by the wrong name, so I apologize for that! 😉 🙂
Thanks to Fred from CA for being a voice of reason here (among a few others). Disneyland is elastic. It stretches and sometimes snaps back. More often than not it expands and becomes the new normal.
The amount of work going on at all the Disney properties is encouraging to me on a number of levels. First, most of it is so cool! Second, if all this money is being spent on entertainment, how bad can the economy actually be? 😉
Thanks Uncle Walt! For everything!
Why is everyone freaking out??? Change is inevitable at Disneyland! Carnation Plaza is an underused area. If there were plans to change Big Thunder Ranch and/or the Festival Arena to put in a new Frontierland attraction, you would all be okay. I just think that most of you aren’t too happy with WHAT they are using the Plaza for. Keep in mind, this may free up the Fantasyland Stage for a new stage show or possibly one of these “returning favorites” they teased about.
Looking at overhead photos of the area, if they get rid of the huge planter that is there, and possibly using some of the backstage area that is there, it is completely possible to include whats in the drawings and it will be great. As for the blending in with The Hub, I completely trust that the Imagineers will do everything they can so it’s not a sore thumb.
Patience, everyone! =)
Eliel–
The Carnations gardens is definitely not all getting plowed over. The stage will still be there, just re-dressed.
Although there are many exciting changes happening in Disneyland, this one involving the Carnation Gardens Pavilion getting plowed under will be a sad note in the history of the park. However, change is inevitable and should be, just like Walt admonished; ” As long as there is imagination left in the world, Disneyland will never be finished.”
Donald–
Great post! 🙂
I agree with everything you said.
I didn’t get the memo that says Fantasyland “has” to be behind the Castle. Can someone please forward it to me?!!
While the architecture of Carnation Gardens is Main Street in style, I don’t consider Carnation Gardens to really be part of Main Street. After Plaza Pavilion & Plaza Inn, you’ve got the entrances to Adventureland, Frontierland and Tomorrowland before you get to the Castle. Are those in a Main Street theme? Obviously not. Does anyone think those entrances are out of place? No, because the hub is the portal to the lands of Disneyland. Carnation Gardens is currently mostly hidden by trees and foliage, so it’s not like you see that much of it now. You have the Snow White Grotto on the right side of the Castle. Is that wrong because it’s not behind the Castle? Personally, I think this is a good move. Like it or not, little girls like the princesses and that is not going to change anytime soon. We adults need to not be so selfish and allow the kids an area like that in the park. With the Fantasyland Theater area freed up, they will hopefully be able to bring back some stage shows, something the Park has been sorely missing for too long. Could the Fantasy Faire have gone somewhere else? Yes, but, I’d rather see areas like Thunder Ranch be used for a bigger expansion of the park. There isn’t a whole lot of room in DL for expansion as we all know. I agree with the comments about losing the “quiet places” in the Park, as I sometimes need to escape the crowds, but, with limited room for expansion it is inevitable that we lose the quiet spots. Change can be hard sometimes, but, I’m all for change if it will ultimately be an improvement. I think this will add something positive to the park. They could have just slapped up a bunch of cheap painted flats for sets and backdrops for a new Fantasy Faire and called it a day. But, it looks like this addition will be very nicely done.
I love the additions and blending the old and new is wonderful! I am sure the imaginEARS won’t forget what Disneyland means to everyone and mess up. They already learned that lesson with California Adventure. Making Disneyland bigger is always a great idea!!
Ultimately, we have to remember that Walt Disney wanted Disneyland to change and evolve.
If Disneyland was forced to stay the same and never change, Walt would not approve.
I am looking forward to this new thing. The Plaza Pavilion area has needed a breath of fresh air for a while now.
I will say though, some of this concept art makes it hard to tell where things are in relation to what is there now. I’m looking forward to reading more details, and perhaps seeing a model.
And again, swing dancing will STILL be offered at night!
I remember going to Disneyland three or four times/week during the summer when I was in high school just to listen to Buddy Rich’s band and Louis Bellson’s band at the Carnation Plaza. Back then, friends who worked at the park could sign in their friends for the day. My friends and I would go as often as we could during the weeks that those two bands were there just to watch those great jazz drummers. What a treat and what a great memory!
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