Enchanted Tales with Belle Limited Previews!
© Disney
Enchanted Tales with Belle in New Fantasyland is now offering limited previews to select guests as of August 30, 2012. No word as to just how limited these previews are in nature, but they definitely do not rise to “soft opening” status. We’ve heard from multiple individuals who were in the Magic Kingdom yesterday, most of whom did not even know the previews were occurring. Some guests who inquired with Walt Disney World Cast Members near the New Fantasyland walls were told that the limited testing was only for Cast Members and their families, while other guests were approached by Cast Members at random to participate in the testing.
At this point it appears that the attraction is in very limited test and adjust phase, and has not yet entered any sort of public soft openings. Please be aware, if you head to the Magic Kingdom expecting to walk up to walls and be allowed to enter the attraction, that will not happen. The testing is currently on a more “invitation” basis. So maybe if you just wander around outside the walls all day, you’ll eventually be chosen! 😉 (Kidding, of course, that’s probably not a good use of your time.)
In case you didn’t see the video yesterday of Enchanted Tales with Belle, here it is:
Our Reaction:
Although Enchanted Tales with Belle has appeared further along that other parts of New Fantasyland (besides the Little Mermaid dark ride, which looks nearly finished) for a while, we’re a bit shocked that semi-public testing is already beginning. We previously heard that training for this attraction wasn’t even set to begin until September 1st, putting any type of soft opening in late September at the earliest. So training must have started prior to September 1st. We would do not expect these tests to be regular, nor do we expect any widespread testing to occur before November 19th. Our suspicion is that testing with “regular” guests present is more important here than anywhere else in New Fantasyland due to the interactive nature of the attraction, and this testing will be conducted until Walt Disney Imagineering is satisfied that it can resume “behind closed doors” testing and adjusting on its own.
I am excited to see the New Fantasyland. However, I think I might be the only one in my family wanting to go to Enchanted Tales with Belle next trip since their reactions to the video were not filled with much enthusiasm. I would like to see it to say that I’ve been, but based on the video, I do not think it will be a must do every trip. This will be especially true if the lines are long since I have passed the days of standing in massive lines for characters and character experiences.