Almost every Florida citizen can recognize those famous ears connecting power lines as they drive into Kissimmee, Florida. Yes, Walt Disney World is near. One of the most family oriented places for decades is ready to undergo some changes to the layout to the park where “dreams come true”.
In 2009, Disney announced that one of the seven areas of the park, Fantasyland, will be expanded to two times the current size. The new and improved section will take over the current division known as Mickey’s Toontown Fair, which includes Mickey and Minnie’s Country Houses and The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm. However, The Barnstormer will stay, but be renamed as The Great Goofini.
The existing Fantasyland consists of the famous attractions, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Snow White’s Scary Adventures. Not only are there plans to add more attractions, but to upgrade or get rid of original ones. Dumbo the Flying Elephant will expand to two different platforms of flying animals and moved to the new section, Storybook Circus along with The Great Goofini. There will also be interactive games for those waiting in the line.
Snow White’s Scary Adventures will be removed and taken over by the Princess Fairytale Hall, where meet-and-greets with the royal court of Disney princesses will be held. The idea is to tone down the intensity of fright. For example, a new attraction called Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid will be constructed. This addition will be identical to the one at Disney’s California Adventures in Anaheim, California.
The Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train will be a new tiny rollercoaster exploring the caves of Snow White’s seven friends.
The largest change is the new Beauty and the Beast Land. This region entails the Beast’s castle, Belle’s father’s cottage, a simulated village, and a restaurant. The cottage is where visitors will be able to hear enchanting stories by Belle and interact with the princess. The Be Our Guest Restaurant will have a seating capacity of 550. In the early day, it will be a quick grab for some lunch, and in the evening, it will change to a luxurious sit-down eatery.
Although the remodeling is scheduled to start within the next month, the final product won’t be finished until the end of 2012.