Woohoo! It is now official. The new Fantasyland Expansion at Walt Disney World will open on December 6th, 2012. Previews of the attractions will begin on November 19th.
This includes the following attractions:
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Be Our Guest Restaurant
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Ariel’s Grotto
- Gaston’s Tavern
- Bonjour! Village Gifts.
The Princess Fairytale Hall will open some time in 2013 and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will open in 2014.
These attractions will join the Barnstormer, Casey Jr. Splash and Soak Station and Dumbo the Flying Elephant which opened in July.
(Thanks to Disney Parks Blog!)
We were there on October 19, and the New Fantasyland was open. We rode Ariel’s Under the Sea ride. We also did Enchanted Tales with Belle, and had a snack at Gaston’s Tavern. The new Dumbo ride, remodeled Barnstormer, and train station have been open for a while. The new water splash area was also open as well as meet and greets with characters back behind the big circus tent gift shop.
We were also in that parks last week and the expansion was open to Cast Members only during the day. Thankfully at about 7pm the new section opened up to the general public and we were able to check out Enchanted Tales with Belle (all I can say is WOW!!!!), Gaston’s Tavern and the LeFrou Brew and the grotto with Ariel and the Little Mermaid ride (as a child of the 80’s I felt like I was visiting Disney World for the first time! A-Ma-Zing!)
I live in Fl and I think you have to be an annual past holder to get in on the previews. Or at least that is what they where saying on the news.
Yeah!!!! I’m so excited for this….we go down Dec 9th just in time for all the new section to be open.
Does anybody know when the Be Our Guest Restaurant will be doing reservations?
I am very excited about the Be Our Guest Restaurant, this is I believe quick-service by day and table-service by night and is said to seat 450 people. Disney’s Magic Kingdom is ready for more food so this will be very beneficial :)
Does anyone know how these “previews” normally work ?? We will be there after the 19th!
If the WDW Little Mermaid ride will be the same as the one in Disneyland CA Adventure then it will be amazing! I loved the ride there, so beautiful and detailed with all the great music from the movie too.
Yay!!! I will be down there at that time!!! SO EXCITED!!! :)
So excited we’ll be there for the opening! My husband, however, is dreading the crowds. We’ll arrive on the opening day!
So disappointed! We go in October and my little girl has been dying to go on the “Ariel ride.” I can’t believe it won’t be done in time!
I am wondering that too! We will be there the day after thanksgiving up till December 1st.
Any idea how the preview will work? Will be there over Thxsgiving