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From WDW Magic...

PHOTOS - Latest look at the Fantasyland construction site

Jul 22, 2011

Here is this week's look at the Fantasyland construction site in the Magic Kingdom. More and more rock-work is being added around Beast's castle, along with some miniature forced-perspective trees (you can just see them in the photos below if you look closely). Over at the Little Mermaid, the vast majority of the rock-work now has it's themed paintwork applied. As always, click on the thumbnail images to view the large versions.

View previous construction photos here.

Photos by WDWMAGIC

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Two pics from Fantasyland this morning. The first is on the bridge leading to the new restaurant (not yet open but you can peak inside) and the second is from the Arielle clamshell ride.

The next batch of attractions is scheduled to open by the end of the year. They are the princess laden "Enchanted Forest", which will include the "Under the Sea, Voyage of the Little Mermaid" ride

And that's the way it should stay!!!

Updates from WDW News Today...

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Moving to the Magic Kingdom, it’s time to check on Fantasyland! First stop: Storybook Circus

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Not much progress on the Dumbo queue as of late

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Meanwhile, much of the Barnstormer building is being rebuilt

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Construction towards the back of the Circus

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The top layer of rock-work on Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid looks complete

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Notice the painted grassy patches

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Eric’s castle is progressing nicely as well

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Beast’s Castle sits in the distance

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The rock-work wire mesh continues to form around the Be Our Guest restaurtant

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The roof is now on Bonjour! Village Gifts

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More rock-work forming

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Enchanted Tales with Belle has looked like this for a while now

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Looks like some grassy patches are coming in over here as well

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No visible progress on the castle wall

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Walls have come out by Pinocchio’s Village Haus

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Fantasyland is now California Adventure… at least Electrical Parade doesn’t squeeze through here…

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Guests are intrigued

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More photos from WDW News Today...

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The Castle Wall construction and the Village Haus refurb interfere with some views of the construction site

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Imagineers and construction crews out and about, working on New Fantasyland

The walls just keeping coming closer and closer…

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Walls out in front of Village Haus… why so many different colors?

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You can see Maurice’s Cottage (home to Enchanted Tales with Belle) over the walls

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If they were any closer, you would be using Maurice’s bathroom…

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A look at the Beauty and the Beast realm

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Plenty of workers out

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Trees help with the scale of the Beast’s Castle

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I see you back there…

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This guy ruins the scale…

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Bonjour! Village Gifts will have a roof shortly

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The rock-work is pretty big

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Construction workers out on the Mermaid facade as well

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Looking good

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Eric’s castle is coming along nicely

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Beautiful

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From WDW Magic...

PHOTO - New Fantasyland aerial view

Aug 01, 2011

Today we have another fantastic aerial look at the Fantasyland construction site (taken last week).

A huge thank you as always to Scott Keating for providing these spectacular shots. For more information on the Fantasyland expansion, head to our FAQ on this page.

Copyright 2011 by Scott Keating

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From WDW Magic

PHOTOS - Aerial views of the Fantasyland construction site

Aug 08, 2011

It is that time again for another series of aerial photos from the Fantasyland construction site. A huge thank you as always to Scott Keating for providing these spectacular shots. For more information on the Fantasyland expansion, head to our FAQ on this page.

Copyright 2011 by Scott Keating

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From the Disney Parks Blog...

Imagineers Use Innovative Technology to Build New Fantasyland

posted on August 10th, 2011

by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager

Who’s up for another inside look at the construction of the New Fantasyland?

In the video below, Walt Disney Imagineering takes you onto the construction site to learn more about the innovative technology the Imagineers are using to build the new attractions, restaurants and other guest areas that will make up the expansion.

As you’ll see, this visualization technology allows the team to identify any potential challenges before construction begins. Tablet computers also allow Imagineers to take the program onsite to see how work is progressing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE8PvsRqjkg

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From WDW Magic...

[quote PHOTOS - Fantasyland construction site update

Aug 16, 2011

It is time for another look at the Fantasyland construction site, where things are still moving forward at a rapid pace, with each of the three key areas shows significant progress this week.

First up, the Beauty and the Beast area is continuing with the ever-growing rock formations. As new areas of rock are installed, the earlier installed rock-work is getting more and more detailed paint, including moss and weathering.

Over at the Little Mermaid, much of the rock-work is now receiving it's final paint work and weathering effects. Work is ongoing on the castle structure, which is now seeing brickwork and details being applied.

More of the Dumbo queing structure is being added, and also in Storybook Circus, we can see the new station steel-work continuing to rise.

Head to the photos below for a look, and as always, click the thumbnails for the large versions.

If you have missed any of our previous updates, including aerial views, click here.

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Photos by WDWMAGIC

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A bit of a new perspective from MiceChat...

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In this 3D rendering of what looks to be the Beauty and the Beast restaurant building, you can see a great deal of layering, complete with how it relates to the land around it. Notice the date of 04/16/11, which would imply the proposed date this portion of the construction was either completed or should have been completed.

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Here we see another point of view that shows the front side of the same building, complete with what appears to be a forested layover. I sincerely hope this is the case as having that immersion will be key in getting people to believe they are in the forested area of Beast’s castle.

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With Beast's castle in the background, the rock wall is interesting in that it creates the illusion needed to make the castle appear larger than it really is, as well as set up, what I assume, is the entrance to the restaurant inside.

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Also provided is a sneak peek at some sculptures, which seem to take on some characteristics of the resident beast!

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It will be interesting to see the completed product as it is labeled to be 6ft tall, which could prove to be very towering to a young child’s perspective. Can you imagine walking through the doors at the age of five and being greeted by this massive creature?

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The interior of the restaurant most have seen before, I’m looking forward to seeing some of the magical aspects of this location, specifically the idea of it snowing outside the castle windows.

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Another sculpture of Beauty and the Beast, while it doesn't clarify where where it will be located while watching the video, they go from this photo and then point to an overhead portion of the banquet hall. I imagine if they put it up high it will be akin to the characters you’d find in the Disney stores with small figures looking down on you from above.

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More of Belle’s Cottage, with some outside details and markup.

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Which brings us to the outside of the Little Mermaid attraction, with the detailed rock wall and Prince Eric's castle protruding out of the rocks in red.

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Following that they zoom through to show how it nicely transitions into the queue for the Little Mermaid attraction.

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I certainly hope this is just for construction purposes and the doors won’t be left in a non-themed manner as shown below.

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Going through the doors, you find yourself in the queue, with the attraction cars through the arches on the right.

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With the queue progressing straight and then into an open area inside the building to the left, will be wonderful for a few reasons, air conditioned waiting for one and it keeps you away from the rain that frequents the “Sunshine State” for two.

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^Also note in this photo the clamshell style cars on the right will be visible for a good portion of the queue.

Which leads us to the attraction itself, with the beginning of the attraction progressing into what looks like the remains of a sunken ship.

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More of the interior of the ship. As I haven’t seen anything of the California version, I'm sure someone can weigh in and let us know if it’s the same as its DCA counterpart?

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As we progress it appears we enter an underwater cavern.

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The biggest scene in the attraction with the above water features, which I’m hoping will look more realistic and really give you the feeling like you’re underwater, that’s a large aspect of what will make it believable for me overall. It's such a difficult illusion to pull off though, I hope they won't employ the same effects they have on The Seas With Nemo and Friends

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It’s neat to see how they will be covering up this large catwalk above the big scene below and if these renderings are any indication, a huge testament to how much thought and effort goes into something like this.

Overall it was a really informative video and it gave me a lot of things to be excited about. One can only hope that the final product will be reflective of something we will all be happy with. For now I’ll just have to leave my speculating to riding Dumbo and taking photos of all the action.

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From Inside the Magic. These are from the D23 Expo going on right now in Anaheim...

For the first time, a model of New Fantasyland and Storybook Circus is on display, revealing elements of what will be inside this replacement for Mickey’s Toontown Fair and everything else that’s on the way from the large expansion of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The model shows off the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster, The Little Mermaid ride, Beast’s castle, and plenty of foliage that’s going to be added to the land.

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Here’s a video excerpt from the longer pavilion tour above, focusing only on New Fantasyland, Storybook Circus, and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster:

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Nearby, a full-size mock-up of a Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster ride vehicle is stationed next to a video, displaying what the unique coaster car is capable of.

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More from the D23 Expo from AllEars...

Being more of a Walt Disney World person than anything, though, my eyes went straight to the huge model that dominated the one section of the room -- the new Fantasyland currently under construction in the Magic Kingdom.

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fantasyland.jpg I spent some time talking about the project with Imagineer Lauren Baldesarra, who told me that this was the first time they'd revealed a full model of the project like this. I have to say, seeing it in 3D like that really brought everything to life much more than just seeing the 2D artists' renderings had.

I asked her specificially about the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, as they also had a short video showing the development of that new coaster. She pointed me to the mock-up they had on display of what a "mine car" will be like, illustrating how it will sway from side to side as it rolls along the track, simulating what a real mine car might be like.

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As for the Snow White Scary Adventures attraction, she confirmed that it would eventually be closing to make way for a new princess meet-and-greet location.

She also talked enthusiastically about the new Casey Jr. waterplay area, which will feature a Casey Jr. train that's been hijacked by monkeys, who will be squirting water at guests, as well as the new Big Top merchandise area, the Silly Side Show, the rethemed Barnstormer (known as the Great Goofini) and the play area that will connect the double Dumbos.

According to her, they are still projecting phased openings of the new area, with an early 2012 opening for the first phase. Quite honestly, I can't wait!

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More D23 Expo news from WDW News Today...

D23 Expo – Parks and Resorts Presentation: Fantasyland Videos

Posted on August 19, 2011

From Jennifer Fickley-Baker on the Disney Parks Blog:

Ever wonder how Disney develops new attractions and experiences for its theme parks and resorts? Today, Tom Staggs, chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and Bruce Vaughn, chief creative officer, Walt Disney Imagineering, took us on a behind-the-scenes look at the creative design process for the Magic Kingdom Park New Fantasyland expansion at Walt Disney World Resort.

When Imagineers start building a new park or a land, they first create a detailed scale model to help visualize what the project will look like when it’s complete. Models like the one in this Magic Kingdom Park New Fantasyland flythrough video are not only works of art, but they’re also an invaluable tool that helps Imagineers visualize sight lines, analyze guest traffic patterns and get an overall sense of the design and aesthetics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZjGKcS0fp4&feature=player_embedded

Some of the attractions and restaurants coming to New Fantasyland that you saw in that video include:

  • Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid where guests will get to experience what it’s like to go under the sea with Ariel and her friends.
  • Enchanted Tales with Belle where families and children will have the opportunity to meet Belle with a whole new degree of interactivity and personalization.
  • Dumbo The Flying Elephant, complete with an interactive queue under the Big Top and not one but two Dumbo attractions.
  • Be Our Guest Guests can dine in three separate dining rooms in the Beast’s castle. The main dining room is the Ballroom, where Belle and Beast had their first dance, in the West Wing or in the Castle Galley during lunch hours.
  • Gaston’s Tavern, a place where guests can dine in splendor and pay tribute to the manliest of men…Gaston himself!

Tom also gave D23 Expo attendees even more detail around the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train where guests will take a journey through the diamond mine of the Seven Dwarfs in a new ride system designed by Walt Disney Imagineering. The ride system allows each mine car to swing back and forth individually as the train twists and turns along the track. But don’t take my word for it – see for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SvLExG8CAQE

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Videos and more news coming out of D23 from WDW Magic...

http://www.wdwmagic....yland/Video.htm

Lumiere animatronic to be part of new Fantasyland expansion

Aug 19, 2011

Moments ago at the D23 Disney Parks presentation, Bruce Vaughn from WDI confirmed that Lumiere will indeed be part of the Beauty and the Beast area in Audio-Animatronic form.

http://www.wdwmagic....d-expansion.htm

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From WDW News Today...

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The covered Dumbo queues are up in the Storybook Circus

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You can see the WDW Railroad station rising in the back

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Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid is shaping up

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Big Top Souvenirs still looks the same

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Back to Mermaid, Prince Eric’s castle is coming along nicely

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A look at the area from Fantasyland

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Belle’s Village

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Another look at Mermaid

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More of the Beauty and the Beast realm

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Some character paint will be applied and then the mountain is done

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Castle Walls still look the same

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Work on Pinocchio’s Village Haus continues

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Fixing some pavement at the moment

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Not a whole lot to see here…

]

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  • 2 weeks later...

Excerpted from WDW News Today...

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Fantasyland construction! Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

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The Be Our Guest Restaurant

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Bonjour Village Gifts

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The entire cottage of Enchanted Tales with Belle now has a roof

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The mountain range is coming along nicely as well

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The real story is the construction walls around Dumbo, but I think there is a mime on the ride…

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Construction from the TTAm looking into Storybook Circus

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Under the Sea from a distance

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Another look at Mermaid

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The Storybook Circus train station is going up fast

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They are already putting a roof on

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Nothing new with the Dumbo queue

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A close-up of Prince Eric’s castle

http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/7934

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From WDW News Today...

New Concept Art Released for New Fantasyland!

Posted on September 1, 2011

The Disney Parks Blog released some new concept art (and some clearer versions of artwork we have seen previously) for New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom today:

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This artwork offers our very first look inside of Bonjour Village Gifts

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This portrait of Gaston will hang in Gaston’s Tavern

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Enchanted Tales with Belle entrance concept art

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Concept art for the entrance of Storybook Circus

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Interior concept art for Gaston’s Tavern

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Princess Fairytale Hall concept art

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Concept art for the Beauty and the Beast village

http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/7913

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From the Disney Parks Blog...

Animation Turns into an Attraction at Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

posted on September 15th, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager

One of the highly anticipated attractions coming to New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park is Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid.

The attraction, a seaside grotto beneath the castle of Prince Eric, is where guests enter the world of Ariel and her friends for an adventure filled with songs from the classic film. But you don’t have to wait until it opens to take a look inside. Walt Disney Imagineering just shared this video with us, in which Imagineer Eric Miller explains how the team is creating a realistic underwater environment for Ariel that’s inspired by the film.

This amazing and detailed process involves sketches, models, computer technology, construction and artistry. See for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjSbyAhsBmM

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/09/animation-turns-into-an-attraction-at-under-the-sea-journey-of-the-little-mermaid/

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From WDW Magic...

Disney confirm the timeframe of the first attractions of the new Fantasyland to open including the Dumbo move

Sep 30, 2011

Disney have now confirmed the timeline for the first of the new Fantasyland attractions to open.

First up, Dumbo will close in its current location in early 2012 and will move to take up position next to its twin in the new Storybook Circus land. The new double Dumbo experience will open later in 2012, complete with indoor queue with interactive experiences. This confirms that the existing Dumbo ride will be part of the new Fantasyland, as there was much speculation as to whether an entire new ride system would be used instead.

Opening in early 2012 will be "The Great Goofini", which is the rethemed Barnstormer attraction, and the completely rebuilt Fantasyland train station.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Fantasyland/News/30Sep2011-Disney-confirm-the-timeframe-of-the-first-attractions-of-the-new-Fantasyland-to-open-including-the-Dumbo-move.htm

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Something should be open, but don't expect too much.

Disney is saying that new attractions are scheduled to start opening in late 2012 and that the target date for completion is sometime in 2013.

But the design is ever changing and that usually means changes in the schedule as well.

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This is actually pretty cool from the Disney Parks Blog...

A Birds-Eye View of New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park

posted on October 3rd, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Managerbg-post-top.png

Up for another look at New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park?

Walt Disney Imagineering just shared this time-lapse video that shows the amazing progress that’s been made so far on the expansion. More importantly, this clip gives you an idea at exactly how large the expansion will be. I know I’ve said it before, but it’s the biggest expansion in Magic Kingdom Park history!

Just for your reference, the left side of the construction represents the future area of Be Our Guest Restaurant, Maurice’s Cottage, and Gaston’s Tavern. The large building on the right side will house The Little Mermaid. (Storybook Circus, which is not included in the frame, will begin at the far right of this attraction).

The attractions and other guest offerings in New Fantasyland will open in phases beginning in late 2012.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/10/a-birds-eye-view-of-new-fantasyland-at-magic-kingdom-park/

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