Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland

by Christopher Smith

  Once upon a time we had a need for stories and there was a wonderful land where these tales actually took place. But slowly our dreams of childhood went from wishing on a star to wishing we would grow up. And so...we did. Seizing their chance, evil villains cursed the land by taking a symbol from each of the stories of our world. They stole a feather that helped an elephant believe in himself. A rose that taught a beast he could be loved. Antlers that hung on a wall symbolizing the importance of humility. And a trident that gave a young mermaid new dreams to stand on. With these symbols gone, the villains shrouded our memories and imagination. Yet this land does exist…it’s been there all along. Waiting for you to believe again so that tales as old as time can be told once more. Find your way through the lands and perhaps you can help break the curse of New Fantasyland.

  The promotional videos were narrated by David Ogden Stiers and included an orchestral soundtrack that “brought these stories to life.” Disney even created a new interactive website, findingfantasyland.com, where guests could help re-discover the stolen magical symbols, break the curse, and bring New Fantasyland (which, according to the backstory, wasn’t new at all) back to life. The promotion ran for just over two months and resulted in approximately 1 million unique visitors.

  The Circus Comes to Fantasyland

  In addition to the overall backstory for how New Fantasyland came to be in the Magic Kingdom, Storybook Circus also has its own unique backstory. Disney explained this backstory and the inspiration for it:

  Storybook Circus will be based on our animated film, “Dumbo.” Here, Casey Jr., the famous locomotive from the movie, has rolled into town and brought the grand Storybook Circus with him. The area will be filled with colorful circus tents and nods to the famous film. For example, guests—especially little ones—are welcome to cool down with Casey Jr., who can be found near the train station, getting splashed by playful circus animals.

  Just past Casey Jr., guests will encounter big-top circus tents that lead to a “double” version of Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Also, in the tradition of classic air shows, Barnstormer will take on a new look and theme, becoming a spiraling stunt plane built by The Great Goofini.

  —Jennifer Fickley-Baker, A New Look at Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom Park, June 14, 2011, https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/06/a-new-look-at-storybook-circus-at-magic-kingdom-park.

  Disney provided more information about the backstory for Storybook Circus in March 2012:

  The greatest show in the kingdom, The Storybook Circus, has just come to town and set up in beautiful Carolwood Park. There’s fun and pageantry to be had for everyone.

  —Jennifer Fickley-Baker, The Adventurous Tale of the Great Goofini at Magic Kingdom Park, March 27, 2012, https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/03/the-adventurous-tale-of-the-great-goofini-at-magic-kingdom-park-2

  Storytelling Elements

  Cinderella Castle

  Cinderella Castle is the breathtaking icon of the Magic Kingdom, the unmistakable symbol of Walt Disney World as a whole, and one of the most recognized and photographed buildings in the entire world. The Castle looks as though it was literally taken from the pages of a classic fairy tale and is a timeless representation of innocence, adventure, hope, and romance. The sight of Cinderella Castle is so powerful that many guests have an emotional response when they see it, some even breaking down into tears.

  Cinderella Castle is not a replica of any single historical castle, or a single architectural style or time period. Instead, the structure is an amalgamation of different castles and chateaux from a variety of time periods. Imagineers drew inspiration from numerous French castles and chateaux including Fontainebleau, Versailles, Usse, Chenonceau, Chambord, and Chaumont. The large stone walls at the base of the castle and the large iron gate and draw bridge that mark the castle’s central walkway harken back to a 13th century medieval fortress. However, the upper level of the castle represents a Renaissance-era palace, and is much lighter and ornate, with numerous fanciful carvings and decorations. The castle also features 18 beautiful spires, the tallest of which is golden and topped with a flag.

  Approximately 3.4 million gallons of water fill the moat that surrounds the Castle. Dual pathways to the right and left-hand sides of the castle lead up to a drawbridge and a central walkway that takes guests through the castle and into the heart of Fantasyland. The Disney family coat of arms hangs above the entrance to the central walkway from both the front of the castle and from the Fantasyland side.

  Forced Perspective

  Forced perspective is a design technique used in theatrical performances whereby the real scale of objects is altered to create an artificial visual appearance. As discussed in Volume 1 of this series, Imagineers used forced perspective to make the buildings on Main Street, U.S.A., appear to be larger than they really are. The most notable example of forced perspective in Disney World is Cinderella Castle. Using forced perspective, the lower level of the castle is built to full scale. As the castle moves upward, however, the scale of the windows, stones, turrets and other features get progressively smaller. Because of forced perspective, the visual and sensory reflexes of guests are “tricked” into thinking that Cinderella Castle is larger than it really is. The result is dramatic. Although the castle appears to be 300 feet tall to the naked eye, it is in reality only 189 feet tall. Disney was adamant about making sure the castle was less than 200 feet tall in order to avoid Federal Aviation Administration regulations that required any structure over 200 feet to have a flashing warning light.

  Even at 189 feet tall, Cinderella Castle is the tallest structure in the Magic Kingdom and is more than 100 feet taller that its Disneyland counterpart, Sleeping Beauty Castle:

  Cinderella Castle differs in several ways from Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, though both represent the truest example of a Disney Park “weenie.” The Disneyland castle owes much of its design to Neuschwanstein—Mad King Ludwig’s Bavarian landmark—and stands 75 feet tall. Cinderella Castle uses more French Gothic reference, and a rather more ornamental style that includes elements drawn from various French chateaux such as Chambord, Usse, and Chenonceau. The Florida castle is also significantly larger, a result of the need to balance with the overall upsizing of the Park. This one is 189 feet tall, much taller than Sleeping Beauty Castle. It’s clearly visible from two miles away, as far as the Transportation and Ticket Center.

  —The Imagineers, The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, An Imagineer’s-Eye Tour (2005), 82.

  It took Imagineers approximately four years to design, plan, and construct Cinderella Castle. Although it appears to have been constructed using stone blocks, the structure actually consists of an approximately 600 ton steel frame that is covered in concrete, cement, plaster, and fiberglass. No actual stone blocks were used.

  The Castle Murals

  A series of stunning mosaics line the interior corridor of Cinderella Castle. These mosaics collectively tell the story of Cinderella and were designed by Disney Imagineer Dorothea Redmond. Redmond, who also worked on concept art for the Haunted Mansion, is honored with both a window on Main Street, U.S.A., and a tombstone in the mansion’s queue.

  A team of six artists led by Hanns-Joachim Scharff crafted and installed Redmond’s design into the actual mosaics. Scharff was a world-renowned mosaic artist whose work is displayed in numerous colleges and universities, Los Angeles City Hall and the California State Capitol building. His background is interesting. Scharff was a Nazi interrogator during World War II who was so successful that he became known as the “master interrogator.” Scharff’s interrogations were unique because he never used physical interrogation techniques, choosing instead to treat those he interrogated with dignity and respect. Scharff made the strange transition from interrogator to mosaic artist in the 1950s, which he continued until his death in 1992.

  The mosaics in the Cinderella Castle corridor consist of five separate panels that are true works of art. E
ach panel measures 15 feet by 10 feet and is shaped as a vaulting Gothic arch. The panels were constructed using hundreds of thousands of Italian glass tiles, some of which are smaller than the head of a tack, utilizing over 500 different colors. Many of those tiles include genuine 14-karat gold and sterling silver inlays. Artisans worked on the series of mosaics for over two years. A description of each mosaic panel is listed below:

  The first panel depicts Lady Tremaine reading the proclamation that announced the royal ball to her daughters Drizella and Anastasia while Cinderella sweeps the floor.

  The second panel, which was crafted around a doorway, shows the Fairy Godmother magically transforming Cinderella’s weathered clothing into a gorgeous dress. A beautiful coach that was transformed from a pumpkin sits in the background. Pay close attention to the Fairy Godmother, as she appears much thinner than her movie counterpart.

  The third panel portrays Cinderella running from the ball up a flight of stairs, presumably near midnight, leaving her glass slipper behind. The foreground includes numerous members of royalty enjoying the ball.

  The fourth mosaic depicts perhaps the most famous scene of the Cinderella film, where the glass slipper is placed on the foot of Cinderella. This particular panel includes numerous magical secrets. Guests should look closely at the faces of Cinderella’s stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. Anastasia’s face if red with anger and Drizella’s face is green with envy. In addition, the faces of Disney artists Herb Ryman and John Hench were used as the faces of the royal pages.

  The final panel shows Prince Charming and Cinderella riding off on a gallant white steed…presumably on their way to happily ever after.

  Guests should also look closely at the columns that separate the castle mosaics, as they are adorned with carvings of Cinderella’s animal friends, including mice Gus and Jaq.

  Cinderella Castle Offerings

  In addition to serving as a breathtaking visual icon, Cinderella Castle is also home to several “magical” experiences:

  A doorway between two of the murals leads to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. In this “enchanted beauty salon,” young princesses and knights can receive “magical makeovers.”

  Cinderella’s Royal Table is a signature table-service restaurant that is located inside the Castle. Strangely, the restaurant was formerly called King Stefan’s Royal Banquet Hall. King Stefan is Sleeping Beauty’s father, not Cinderella’s. The dining room is adorned with stained-glass windows and wrought iron fixtures. Guests should take note of the various coats of arms that decorate the dining area, as they are the family coats of arms of many Disney Imagineers who worked on the Disney World project.

  During the design phase for Cinderella Castle, a large space was set aside to be an apartment for the Disney family. However, those plans were not completed. The area was used for a variety of purposes over the years, including as a storage area, dressing room, and even a switchboard. In 2005, Disney converted the area into an approximately 650 square feet “magical” royal apartment suite. Unfortunately, this area is only used for special giveaways (including the ultra-popular “Year of a Million Dreams Campaign”), and guests can’t reserve the area…no matter how much money they are willing to spend.

  The Castle Courtyard

  Once guests pass through the Cinderella Castle central walkway, they exit into the castle courtyard, which is themed as a medieval Renaissance fair. A very fun detail that supports this theme is incorporated into the “it’s a small world” attraction. The canopy supports for that attraction look like royal jousting lances.

  The buildings that sit in the shadow of Cinderella Castle include many elements taken from Old World Europe:

  The setting of Fantasyland is rather eclectic. Inside the Castle walls it’s an enchanted European Gothic village. Within resides a pastiche of the various storybook settings found in so much of the source material. There is the medieval tournament-tent look of Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Peter Pan’s Flight, and “it’s a small world”; the Alpine village of Pinocchio’s Village Haus; the English Tudor style of Sir Mickey’s…All of these neighborhoods coexist within the walls of the Castle fortress—the common thread being that they are all dressed for festival day, a celebration to which all are invited through the Castle gates.

  —The Imagineers, The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, An Imagineer’s-Eye Tour (2005), 78.

  The use of European architecture was a deliberate design choice by Disney Imagineers:

  American audiences, in particular, view the European origins of famous fairy tales and literature (many of which have been brought to life by the artists at Disney) as a “once upon a time” kind of architecture, immediately transporting them to a realm of storytelling.

  —Jeff Kurtti and Bruce Gordon, The Art of Walt Disney World Resort (2009), p. 52.

  Distinctive stone walls that mimic the design of Cinderella Castle mark the entrance to the Enchanted Forest section of New Fantasyland. These walls signify that guests are departing the protection of the castle and are now entering the Kingdom’s countryside. After walking through these walls, guests will immediately notice numerous trees, bushes, grassy areas, and flowing streams that convey the theme that guests are now in a French countryside setting.

  Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

  The Prince Charming Regal Carrousel has the distinction of being the oldest attraction in Disney World and serves as the anchor attraction for the castle courtyard. It was first constructed in 1917 by the Philadelphia Tobbogan Company for Palace Garden Park in Detroit Michigan. The attraction was originally called the Liberty Carrousel, and was adorned in red, white, and blue colors and decorated with flags and images of bald eagles.

  In 1928, the carrousel was moved to Olympic Park in Maplewood, New Jersey. In the decades that followed, the carrousel fell into a state of disrepair. Disney Imagineers discovered the carrousel while working on the development plans for the Magic Kingdom and put the attraction through a painstaking restoration process:

  Our restoration involved the complete refinishing of all 72 original horses and the addition of several other antique horses purchased from various sources, to bring the total number to 90. In keeping with Walt’s insistence at Disneyland, everybody on this Carrousel was to have a horse. And the white horse of a hero or heroine, at that! To that end, four chariots were removed.

  —The Imagineers, The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, An Imagineer’s-Eye Tour (2005), 89.

  During the restoration process, Imagineers discovered that intricately carved horses had been largely hidden thanks to decades of re-painting. The horses were carved by expert Italian and German artisans when the carrousel was first constructed in 1917. As restored, these horses are unique pieces of art that have their own unique color palettes and carvings. The horses located on the outer portion of the carrousel are more ornate than those closer to the center, as they play a larger role in the storytelling process since all guests who pass by the attraction can see them.

  At nearly 60 feet in diameter, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel is one of the largest carousels in North America. The attraction currently includes 90 horses and one chariot in five rows. No two horses are exactly the same. If guests look closely at the horses, they will also see a unique number stamped on the bridle. The horses on the outer edge of the carousel travel at a speed of approximately 3½ mph., while those closer to the center travel at a faster pace of approximately 7 mph. Guests who want to ride Cinderella’s horse should look for the beautiful steed in the second row that has a golden ribbon tied to its tail.

  The attraction is housed underneath what looks like a medieval tent, which ties in well with the overall theme of this section of Fantasyland. When boarding the carrousel, guests should look up, as 18 beautiful hand-painted dioramas on the attraction’s canopy recount the story of Cinderella. Guests can also see a remnant of the carrousel’s original theming, as Miss Liberty’s face appears on the o
uter rounding board.

  Music plays a big role in the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Guests will hear a variety of classic Disney songs played by virtue of a calliope, including: “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Heigh-Ho,” “Be Our Guest,” “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” and “So This Is Love.”

  The attraction opened with the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971, and was originally known as Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel. However, the original location of the carrousel is not the same today as it is today:

  Roy O. Disney noticed, while on a walk-through of the new park during construction, that the Carrousel was slightly off-center when viewed through the Castle, so he had it moved into place.

  —The Imagineers, The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, An Imagineer’s-Eye Tour (2005), 88.

  On May 25, 2010, Disney announced that Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel would be re-branded as Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Disney provided a new backstory:

  Following their fairy-tale romance and happily-ever-after wedding, Cinderella and Prince Charming took up residence in Cinderella’s Castle. With peace throughout the kingdom, Prince Charming had time to practice for jousting tournaments. In the countryside near the castle, he built a training device of carved horses, on which he could practice the art of ring-spearing, a tournament event in which a knight rides his horse full speed, lance in hand, toward a small ring hanging from a tree limb, with the object of spearing the ring. This event was known by various names throughout the lands, but generally came to be called “carrousel.”