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It’s 2012: where’s the new Fantasyland? Three years ago when I first read about all of Disney World’s planned expansions for the Magic Kingdom, I was so excited that for a moment I could close my eyes and almost imagine being there. That is the Disney World I always imagined as a child, and I only have to wait for three years, and there it’ll be.
Well, we’re halfway through 2012 now, but it seems like little has happened. The biggest expansion-related news to come out of a Disney Park has been about “Cars Land” out in Anaheim. We all know how excited I feel about that. What gives, official Disney Parks blog? What was with all of those 2012 notices?
It’s a bit harsh to say that we’re not seeing anything except hard hats and construction signs of the Fantasyland expansion. The first phase of Storybook Circus is open, with its new Dumbo the Flying Elephant Attraction (which has that queue-less waiting system). The next half of Dumbo’s attraction opens this month, along with the Casey Jr. Splash ‘n’ Soak station.
Dumbo’s cute and all, but that’s not really what I want to hear. I want to know when I can go and play in Beast’s Castle. I’m not a fan of how big the Disney Princess culture has gotten, but the movies that had princesses are the ones into which I always escaped the most, so what I really want to know is when Belle’s and Ariel’s attractions will open.
Someone must have heard me because after months of nothing but tantalizing pictures of things like Eric’s Castle and Belle’s village (how badly do I want to live in that village? Very badly) and oh, goodness, Belle’s library (though I don’t think whatever they cook up can actually look as much like Belle’s library as the reading room at the British Library or Library of Congress) in June we finally got a post with some of the latest opening dates. Any of this information is subject to change; yeah yeah, we know that, let me know when I can go pretend to be Belle. I’ve got the costume and everything (and because I wear glasses, I just might actually get away with dressing up like her).
After July we actually have to wait until nearly the end of 2012 to see anything else of the Fantasyland expansion. That’s cutting it really close to your 2012 opening date, Disney World, but I guess I’ll have to allow it. This holiday season we hit pay dirt: Ariel’s Grotto and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid (which basically means buildings and a few rides themed after “The Little Mermaid,” like Eric’s Castle mentioned above), and Enchanted Tales with Belle, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Gaston’s Tavern (all of our “Beauty and the Beast” themed locations) all open in late 2012.
Beyond 2012 there are still a couple new attractions at Disney World slated to open. In 2013 we’ll see the building of Princess Fairytale Hall, where guests can meet and greet with Disney’s famous royal court. Then in 2014 the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction, a roller coaster, will open.
I’ve grumbled a lot, but the Fantasyland I’ve been waiting for will finally open at the end of the year. What an awesome Christmas present from Disney World.
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Disney World to Build “Avatar” Park
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*(This image by BestWDW is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
