Princess Fairytale Hall Now Open...Sort Of

It's what we refer to in the Disney universe as a "soft opening," but the Princess Fairytale Hall meet-n-greet opened this past weekend to some guests. From the photos I've seen, it's absolutely gorgeous--far more elaborate than past homes of the princesses.

Guests can expect to see all the regulars on a rotating basis: Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Rapunzel, Tiana, Jasmine, even Mulan. Conspicuously missing from the hall (at least from photos/video I've seen) are Belle and Ariel, presumably because both of these princesses have their own dedicated areas in the New Fantasyland.

I can't wait to take my little princesses to see all their favorites!

 

Worlds Collide! Storybrook Meets Fantasyland

If you're a fan of ABC's Once Upon a Time, you'll want to be sure to watch tonight's episode--and stay in the room for the commercials! A promo for the new Fantasyland, featuring the Evil Queen herself (as portrayed by actress Laura Parrilla) will be aired. If this behind the scenes look is any indication, this will be a really fun promo that you won't want to miss!

 

Roundup of Updates

I have been terribly remiss about keeping up with the updates around Walt Disney World. My only defense is the same as everyone else's: busyness! The holidays have really snuck up on me. (That explains why so many of my posts lately have been Amazon deals...I am still struggling to get my shopping done!) Pair that with a still fairly new-to-us home, a husband's crazy work schedule, the start of Upward cheer season (I'm a coach), and our normal lives as a homeschooling family, and I simply haven't been able to keep up with the Most Magical Place on Earth as much as I would like. But this morning, I finally carved out some time to read up on some exciting new developments, which I now share below (in shorthand) for you.

• The new Fantasyland expansion area continues to draw the crowds, with wait times exceeding 100 minutes at the Under the Sea--Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction. FYI, if you have a visit planned, you'll want to note that Fastpasses for the ride are located in OLD Fantasyland near Mickey's Philharmagic, not near the Little Mermaid attraction.


• Be Our Guest restaurant (new Fantasyland) will be testing a system that would allow guests to essentially reserve a time for lunch and even pre-order food. Guests would then arrive at the restaurant at the appointed time and go through an express checkout, where they would be given a magical rose (much like traditional restaurant "beepers") to take to their chosen table where the food would later be delivered. Sounds like a viable solution for eliminating the lunchtime bottleneck that seems to be happening in this very popular new eatery.


• WDW has just completed yet another test of the new Fastpass+ system--the first of these tests that also included live shows. (Many of us were curious as to how they would fit into the picture when the original concept was first introduced.) Certainly there are both pros and cons to the system, but based on how many of the new kiosks are sprouting up around the World, I'm guessing it's here to stay. I have yet to personally experience it, but I'm fluctuating between being excited about the new technology and lamenting over losing a system that I am familiar and comfortable with.


• There was a lot of buildup, and if you weren't in the Magic Kingdom on the evening of December 5 you missed it, but the dragon flew. And, as Forest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that."


• While Fantasyland was having its "Grand Re-Opening," Test Track was not to be outdone, when it rolled out its 2.0 version on December 6. There was a band (One Republic), pyrotechnics, WDW execs and such...it was kind of epic. I hear the attraction is pretty cool too. Our family is pretty psyched about giving it a whirl on our next visit!


• Disney has retooled the official Walt Disney World website. Check it out here.

Those are the highlights for now. Back to my Christmas shopping. Oooh...here's another great deal I found on Amazon (Ok, this one is actually from MY list):

New Fantasyland Officially Opens!

While it has been operating in soft opening for quite a while now, today is the official opening of the new Fantasyland, including several new attractions, restaurants, and experiences. Hop on over to the Official Disney Parks Blog for highlights and photos. I so wish I could be there!