Fantasyland


Fantasyland is one of the "themed lands" at all of the Disneyland-style parks run by The [Walt Disney Company] around the world. It is themed after Disney's animated fairy tale feature films. Each Fantasyland has a castle, as well as several gentle rides themed after those Disney animated feature films.

Disneyland

History and environs

Fantasyland is one of the original themed lands at Disneyland. Fantasyland features Sleeping Beauty Castle at its main entrance, which is also the park's icon, and a central courtyard dominated by King Arthur Carrousel, in front of which sits a sword in an anvil; several times each day a costumed Merlin helps a child pull the sword from it. The entrance also contains a separate walk-through attraction that opened in 1957 but was closed from 2001 to 2008 due to security concerns following the September 11 attacks. The attraction reopened in May 2008.
The famed "Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks" show was introduced in 1956, but Tinker Bell's first flight wasn't until 1961. The first Tinker Bell was Tiny Kline, a former circus aerialist. Multiple shows have replaced this, most involving some sort of 'flying' character, such as Tinker Bell.
In 1983, Fantasyland received a major facelift and the attraction façades changed from a Renaissance motif to a fantasy mock up of a Bavarian village, similar to the European setting of many of the fairy tales Walt adapted. The area was expanded to allow for more space between attractions. Existing rides were given small but helpful upgrades; new rides were added; and only a small handful of less popular attractions were removed. To commemorate the opening of New Fantasyland, the drawbridge was lowered on Sleeping Beauty Castle for only the second time ever.
The plaque in front of the castle marks the spot where the Disneyland Time Capsule is buried. Sealed on the 40th anniversary of the park, it contains different items from the history of Disney parks. It is scheduled to be opened in the year 2035, forty years after it was first sealed.
Fantasyland was said by Walt Disney to be his favorite land in the park. He said, "What youngster has not dreamed of flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London, or tumbling into Alice's nonsensical Wonderland? In Fantasyland, these classic stories of everyone's youth have become realities for youngsters – of all ages – to participate in."

Current attractions and entertainment

Expansion

The area went through a large expansion and renovation between 2010 and 2014.
Conceptual artwork for the expansion shows several new additions and changes. Included is a new dark ride themed to Disney's 1989 film The Little Mermaid, and an area themed to Disney's 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast featuring the Beast's Castle with a new sit-down restaurant and Belle's cottage. Between the two attractions life-sized figures of Bambi and Thumper can be seen playing in the woodland with the Great Prince of the Forest watching them from a distance. There is also a rest area themed to Disney's 2010 musical film Tangled, and an interactive queue for Peter Pan's Flight.
There were originally plans for an area and attraction based on The Chronicles of Narnia film series as part of the expansion but they were cancelled when Walden Media’s contract with C. S. Lewis’ estate expired in 2011.
Mickey's Toontown Fair was closed on February 11, 2011 in order to build the Storybook Circus area of the Fantasyland extension. Some elements of Mickey's Toontown Fair were demolished and others were re-themed to the new area. Storybook Circus is based on elements of the 1941 animated film Dumbo and other characters from the Mickey Mouse universe. The Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride was removed from Fantasyland and rebuilt in Storybook Circus, the new version doubling the capacity of the old ride and introducing an interactive queue. The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm was renamed The Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini. Storybook Circus has been completed and became fully open to the public on October 4, 2012. The first stage was completed on March 12, 2012. The second phase of Storybook Circus opened in July 2012. The third and final phase saw the completion of Storybook Circus on October 4, 2012.
Snow White's Scary Adventures closed on May 31, 2012. The original ride was removed and Princess Fairytale Hall, a new Disney Princess "meet and greet" area, opened on September 18, 2013, where the attraction previously existed. An area themed to Disney's 1937 film Snow White and [the Seven Dwarfs |Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs] features the dwarfs' cottage and a new roller coaster ride called the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The coaster features a first-of-its-kind ride system with a train of ride vehicles that swing back and forth, responding to the twists and turns of the track. Although not part of the original plans for the new Fantasyland, this attraction took the place of several proposed interactive Disney Princess meet and greets; these have been removed from the updated plans for the expansion. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened on May 28, 2014, completing New Fantasyland.
On May 2, 2024, following the announcement, Magic Kingdom announced that a new interactive game attraction, Smellephants on Parade are debuted, where guests can find 8 pachyderms throughout Storybook Circus in a search-and-sniff adventure.

Current attractions and entertainment

Note: ▲ = Genie Plus / Lightning Lane available

Attractions

Castle Courtyard
Enchanted Forest
Castle Courtyard
  • Fantasy Faire – the exit gift shop at Mickey's PhiharMagic.
  • Sir Mickeys – gift shop themed after the Mickey and the Beanstalk segment from the 1947 Disney film Fun and Fancy Free. Guests can be "pixie-dusted" inside the store.
    Enchanted Forest
  • Cottage of the Three Fairies - confectionery shop themed after the fairies’ cottage in the 1959 Disney film Sleeping Beauty.
  • Hundred Acre Goods – specializes in Winnie-the-Pooh-themed merchandise.
  • Bonjour Village Gifts
    Storybook Circus
  • Big Top Souvenirs – a large gift shop that includes an ear-hat embroidery station and a smaller version of the confectionery.

    Points Of Interest

Castle Courtyard
  • Rapunzel's Tower – a themed area and replica of Rapunzel's Tower from the 2010 Disney film Tangled.
  • Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique – offers Disney Princess makeovers for children.
  • Cinderella Fountain – Cinderella themed fountain located near the castle.
  • Cinderella's Wishing Well – Cinderella themed Wishing well located near the castle.
    Storybook Circus
  • Walt Disney World Railroad
  • *Fantasyland Railroad Station

    Daytime shows

Castle Courtyard

Table-Service Restaurants

Enchanted Forest
Castle Courtyard
  • Pinocchio's Village Haus – quick service specializing in pizza, with themes from the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio.
    Enchanted Forest
  • Cheshire Cafe – named after the Cheshire Cat, a character featured in the 1951 Disney film Alice in Wonderland. Currently sponsored by Minute Maid
  • The Friar's Nook – named after the character Friar Tuck from the 1973 Disney film Robin Hood.
  • Storybook Treats – an ice cream quick service location.
  • Prince Eric's Village Market – named after Prince Eric from the 1989 Disney film The Little Mermaid.
  • Maurice's Popcorn Cart – named after Belle's father Maurice from Beauty and the Beast.
  • Gaston's Tavern – named after Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.

    Former restaurants and refreshments

  • Hook's Tavern
  • Enchanted Grove
  • Round Table
  • * Mrs. Potts' Cupboard
  • Lancer's Inn
  • * Gurgi's Munchings and Crunchings
  • * Lumiere's Kitchen
  • * The Village Frye Shoppe

    Tokyo Disneyland

has two original attractions among the usual dark rides: Cinderella's Fairy Tale Hall, which features the story of Cinderella in a walk-through style attraction, and Pooh's Hunny Hunt, which uses a trackless ride system. It is also the only version of Fantasyland to still feature the original version of Dumbo the Flying Elephant with only ten flying elephants, while the other versions of the attraction have sixteen elephants.
On April 29, 2015, The Oriental Land Company revealed a major expansion/re-imagining of the area that included the addition of areas based on Beauty and the Beast and Alice in Wonderland. Alice in Wonderland was supposed to be the theme for a new area that would have replaced the current It's a Small World building, which would have been moved next to Space Mountain. However, the plan was cancelled and been replaced by an indoor theater, The Happy Ride with Baymax, a ride based on the 2014 film Big Hero 6 in Tomorrowland, and a meet and greet attraction with Minnie Mouse in Mickey's Toontown.
On September 19, 2019, it was announced that the opening date of this area is April 15, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, this date was moved to September 28, 2020.

Current attractions and entertainment

The fourth Fantasyland to open was in France, at Disneyland Park, previously named Euro Disneyland. Themed as a fairy tale village, this land specifically notes the European origins of the source material for many Disney animated films.
A unique attraction of the park was Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin, a Ferris wheel added to the rear of The Old Mill building in 1993. The Old Mill, which resembles a Dutch windmill and was inspired by the 1937 Academy Award-winning Disney cartoon of the same name, was a feature of the park when it opened in 1992, and serves drinks and snacks. The ride closed in the early 2000s, but the wheel and its eight bucket-like passenger cars were left in place and were seasonally decorated. It was later reformed, with the buckets removed, the mill's building serving as a snack counter and the queue area as a meet and greet area. Rides and attractions themed to Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Winnie the Pooh have been planned for Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris since the park first opened but are yet to be built. The attraction ''Ratatouille: L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy was originally planned for Fantasyland but was built at the neighbouring Walt Disney Studios Park due to a lack of space.

Current attractions and entertainment

features the most prominent Disney trademark, Castle of Magical Dreams and many of the classic fairy tale characters from everyone's childhood find their "homes" here, all have their own attractions, and the rest of the gang hangs out at the Fantasy Gardens, the meeting point for character greetings.
In August 2014, the second Pixie Hollow decor had moved closer to Adventureland, and the area that up to the Fantasyland Train Station, was surrounded by fences hiding the works that started recently for "Fairy Tale Forest", which opened on December 17, 2015 as part of the park's 10th anniversary celebration presented by Pandora.
On June 29, 2023, the park removed Sword in the Stone due to the construction of a new Walt Disney statue entitled "Dream Makers" which debuted on October 15, 2023, as a part of the 100 Years of Wonder Celebration. The statue immortalizes the moment when Walt Disney, sitting on a bench and watching his daughters on the Merry-Go-Round in Griffith Park, dreamed up the idea for Disneyland.

Current attractions and entertainment

Opened on June 16, 2016, Shanghai Disneyland also features a version of Fantasyland. The park's castle, called Enchanted Storybook Castle, represents all Disney Princesses and is the largest of all six Magic Kingdom castles. A brand new unique attraction called Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, a guided boat ride tour through the castle, and around Fantasyland, is also included.

Current attractions and entertainment