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Time-Lapse Video: New Fantasyland Springs To Life at Magic Kingdom Park

Jennifer Fickley-Baker

by , Editorial Content Manager, Walt Disney World Resort

Who’s up for a fun look at the New Fantasyland expansion?

Walt Disney Imagineering just shared an updated time-lapse video with us that offers a bird’s-eye view of how this area is shaping up. See for yourself!

For reference, the area on the left will be Enchanted Tales With Belle, Beast Castle (which will contain the Be Our Guest Restaurant), and Gaston’s Tavern. The buildings and rockwork on the right side will house the Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction.

To learn more about any of these attractions, check out the following posts:

Comments

  • Jennifer, will New Fantasyland (or anywhere else in WDW) be featuring the new Pixar “Brave” film?

  • Anybody know how soon can we expect reservations for the restaurant to open before the actual opening of the restaurant?

  • We are coming to disney world in May 2012. I really wished they would have the new castles done by then. I am a big Mermaid and Beauty & the Beast fan.

  • This is amazing. I’m visiting in October and I’m hoping the expansion will be open when we arrive! It’s great to see how Fantasyland has changed over the past few months. It looks like great progress. One more way Disney is offering a one of a kind experience for families! Also, I really like that this video gives visitors a chance to look as to how things have changed.

  • i was there in Dec 2011 and was excited to see how far they had come since first breaking ground and now the updated video shows even more completion – SO EXCITED!!! i am hoping to be back in Jan 2013 for the Half Marathon weekend and to visit the park to see what a difference these new improvements have made to the park.

    • Sounds like an excellent plan, Melissa!

  • Please please, can you give me an idea of when the “Be our Guest” is going to open for reservations? We are coming in November and to miss this attraction would be horrible!!

    • We have no opening date info yet…keep checking back!

  • my wife and i will be celebrating our five year wedding anniversary, and have booked a trip to disney in october of 2012. we are really looking forward to the new fantasyland. my wife has promised to ride dumbo with me. i hope it will be a magical vacation for us both. any ideas on when be our guest restaurant will be open, and will it be on the dining plan? what other rides will be open in the new fantasyland area?

  • Any guess as to what will be open the week of September 16th, 2012?

  • We will be in WDW in Aug 11-18…Will anything else be open in the new Fantasyland…..

  • Thank you for this great video! It is really neat to see the progress from Cinderella’s Castle. I can’t wait to see the finished Beauty and the Beast area and Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid later this year!

  • I forgot to say this in my last post:

    The video is so cool! My family goes to WDW a couple of times a year, and I’ve been enjoying peeking over the wall from the top of Dumbo and from higher vantage points in Fantasyland. I can’t wait until it’s complete!

  • I can’t wait for the New Fantasyland area to open! 🙂 It looks amazing!

    We’ll be going to WDW in October 2012, too. I’m hoping that more of it will be open by then! Can you give us a hint about the opening dates, or at least about the announcement of the opening dates?

    • More should be announced soon, Allie.

  • It’s nice that they are FINALLY adding on, but it’s a shame that Disney has to take out a popular atraction, Snow White’s Scary Adventure to make room for a princess meet and greet.

  • What will be open in October 2012?

  • We will be visiting again in October 2012, which of the new attractions will be open?

  • We are headed down Sept 9-16th and are hoping to eat in the Beauty and The Beast Restaurant. I have all my reservations set already, but would change them in a heartbeat to eat there. I hope I see the announcement so I can make my reservation. I’d hate to hear about it late and it be all booked. I’m sure it’ll be just about impossible to get reservations there for a few years. My kids, son and daughter both, LOVE that movie!

  • This was so cool to watch on the local news last night.
    Of course they didnt show the whole thing which is why it is great to see it on this blog!!!

    The use of moving trees to provide blocking or noise reduction, the moving of Dumbo, even the way the buildings went up was just so fun to watch!

  • Jack, The old Sky Way will be new Bathrooms and the old bathrooms by Peter Pan will be used to extend the Que

  • I’m going with friends in October and then again in December. I’m excited for Be Our Guest and hope it will be open soon.

  • Misty – The rides that are there now will be open when you get there. Dumbo is open, but it is moved over by the Barnstormer.

  • Our family reunion will take place here in August, is there any chance that BE OUR GUEST will be open by then? We are hoping that Disney can work their magic and have this open! Is there any kind of date that you could give us?

    • Keep watching the blog – we should have opening dates to announce soon!

  • What are the plans for the old sky ride area next to It’s a Small World? I see activity there for the first time in a long time.

    • Let me look into it.

  • We will be at WDW April 26-30 (in just a couple weeks). What WILL be open in Fantasyland? Will the old rides/attractions still be there and will they be open? My daughter is really looking forward to many of the Fantasyland attractions…

  • I just wish August could be considered a part of Fall. Haha. 😀 I’ve got a honeymoon then, and would LOVE to be able to dine at Be Our Guest with my hubby! …Maybe you’ll surprise us all and open more of the new Fantasyland early??? Now that would be a dream come true! 😀

  • I’m so excited!! All the changes will be such a great addition to an already magical place!! Can’t wait for my family’s trip in December!!

    • That’s the spirit, Michelle!

  • This is awesome! I can’t wait to visit when it’s all done. It will be fun to explore someplace new and discover all the little Disney details!

  • What can we expect to see in October?

  • We go a lot to Magic Kingdom and wish they would put windows in the big green wall that hides the construction so we could see the progress. That would be fun.

  • That was amazing…I remeber taking my friend for her first trip in 2010 and when i made her ride dumbo I spent the ride peaking over the wall. going back Dec. 2013 I’m prepared to be blown away!!

    • It’s going to be amazing, Jess. 🙂

  • So wild watching them dismantle Dumbo! It’s been hard to imagine what how new Fantasyland will flow from old Fantasyland but this helps. Gosh I hope some of this is soft-opened by Thanksgiving when we are there! Can a girl dream of getting a reservation at Be Our Guest for the last week of November? Guess I’ll have to find a star to wish on…

  • I hope some of the new attractions have open when we go on June, besides Dumbo and Barnstormer

  • I’m excited for this section to be complete! I’m bringing my 3 year old daughter in December. I hope the Beauty and Beast section will be open by then. That’s her FAVORITE movie!!

    • We’ll see!

  • So stoked at this expansion! I think people who haven’t been keeping up with this are going to be shocked at what an undertaking this is! Now to wrap it up perfectly MK needs to say a fond farewell to the Tomorrowland Speedway and create a Cars based attraction like in Cali.

    • I agree, Mark. People who haven’t been here in 2 years or so will have a whole new area to explore! They won’t know where they are at first. 🙂

  • Jacki- We should know some opening dates soon. Keep checking back to the blog. (In case you missed it, 1/2 of the new Dumbo and the new Barnstormer have already opened).

  • I love this! I was trying to guess what “season” it was based on the weather and the crowds congregating around Dumbo.

  • We will be at WDW Feb. 6th to 13th 2013 will either of these attractions be open by then?

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