The Disneyland princesses will have a new home this spring, when Fantasy Faire opens on March 12 just outside of Sleeping Beauty Castle. The are will become the permanent home for the classic Disney princesses like Cinderella and Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty).
It is nice to see more of these themed character locations at the theme parks, since meeting the characters has become such a big part of a Disneyland visit. My son might not be the target demographic, but he loves the latest Tinker Bell movie. We waited about 45 minutes to meet Tinker Bell and her sister Periwinkle in the heavily themed Pixie Hollow area. We also waited to see Mickey Mouse in Toontown, after which my son raved about getting to see Mickey’s real house.
With the new Fantasy Faire, Disney is creating a space where you can meet up to three princesses at a time, can catch a small stage show, and find the obligatory food and merchandise stands. They are packing a lot into the small space that used to be Carnation Plaza Gardens.
Royal Hall: Meet the Princesses
Disney is calling the princess meet & greet area the Royal Hall, which seems fitting given it is a long hallway of photo opportunities. The reception hall will have the design flourishes you’d expect inside a royal castle, such as wood finishes and chandeliers. The princesses will each have a themed backdrop, which will look much better in photos than the current makeshift location in Fantasyland.
An interesting note is that Disney currently plans to only have the classic princesses available in the Royal Hall (Cinderella, Princess Aurora, Snow White, etc). This means that that you will still need to hunt around the theme park to find newer characters like Rapunzel, Belle, Ariel, Jasmine, and Merida. Personally speaking, I can say that my son is only interested in the newer, Pixar generation characters. It seems odd to exclude the newer princesses from the meet and greet location when they are the ones most likely to resonate with children.
Princess Shows
Disney preserved the stage from Carnation Plaza Gardens and will use it as a theater for two shows. One show will be based on Beauty and the Beast. The other show will be based on Rapunzel and Flynn from Rapunzel. The characters will likely do a short meet and greet after the show, which should give a chance to meet the modern characters if they are not included in the Royal Hall.
Walt Disney World recently opened a storytelling experience with Belle in which the children get to join as characters in the story. From the videos I have seen online, it appears to be a great experience and is one I suspect will inspire the performance offered at Disneyland.
Food: Maurice’s Treats
A small food cart will be added to the area and themed to Maurice, Belle’s father from Beauty and the Beast. Walt Disney World has a similar concept with Gaston’s Tavern, where pork shanks and a frozen apple drink are offered. At Maurice’s Treats, they have only announced plans to offer a drink based on the popular Dole Whip (from the Tiki Room juice bar). But odds are good that we’ll see the popular Gaston’s Tavern menu items offered here as well.
When Fantasy Faire opens March 12, it will create a nice extension of Fantasyland and a permanent home for the Disney princesses. I’m sure there will be long, long lines in this area when it opens. Don’t forget to bring your tiara.
Photos via Disney
