Originally Posted By Disneymom443 I think it is going to be great. I can't wait until Oct. before I can see for myself. I wonder what else will be showing over the wall?
Originally Posted By dshyates Well, it is no Hogwarts. Which is good since it is not supposed to be. This will be more like the Eiffel Tower in France in EPCOT. After they get the rockwork, paint and theatrical lighting on/around it, it is going to be very cool.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 So I don't get it - will guests be able to walk up to it and if so, will that ruin the illusion of this imposing chateau? I am guessing it is too small to enter as a castle, per sé, but will the actual construct act as a showbuilding for the restaurant/show thing? Will it be more like a larger Storybookland type experience? So many questions!!!!!
Originally Posted By dshyates I believe the castle is pure facade sitting on top of the building housing the restaurant. The Building that houses the restaurant will be covered in fake rockwork. Through forced perspective the castle will appear high up on top of the rock cliff.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer ^^^ Exactly. You'll feel like you are "inside" the castle. I wonder if you can see Pyro over it...
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORWEN: Well, I just hope Belle and Beast are compassionate enough to take in the two mice and one duck who were made homeless just so a certain baby elephant could selfishly evict them from where they used to live!
Originally Posted By dshyates I am sure Beast would love to have the Duck for...err..I mean OVER for dinner. Not sure about the rodents though.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: If Belle is anything like Cinderella--and I'm sure she is--mice don't bother her a bit.
Originally Posted By brotherdave "The Beast's castle looks too cartoonish. Hogwarts is better!1!1!!" Yep, I can hear the Universal fans now... Both are great looking in their own way and I like them a lot, but nothing beats the 40 year old castle in front of the Beast's, including Hogwarts. At least you can literally WALK into Cindy's (and have dinner there, too!)!!! Both Beast and Hogwarts are just beautiful scale models on top of buildings.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt ^^^ Agreed. There's an interesting new behind the scenes Imagineering article posted on the Disney Blog regarding The Beast's new castle: <a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/04/beast-castle-behind-the-scenes-with-walt-disney-imagineers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DisneyParks+%28Disney+Parks+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher" target="_blank">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...dfetcher</a>
Originally Posted By phruby This makes me wonder why they put this model up now. Isn't it just going to be in the way as the build and theme the building underneath it? At the very least, its going to get dirty as construction is done around it.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt It isn't unusual to start with a frame and start building details from the top down. Both the Matterhorn and Big Thunder Mountain were built this way.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I like it and think it's being well executed. I think it's a shame that the Magic Kingdom is loosing "attractions" to gain what is esentially a sitdown restaurant. I guess attractions and rides don't draw revenue but restaurants and Disney merchandise shops do. Why is the Disney Company paying all this time and attention to food? Free meal plan, additional sitdown restaurants for DAK and MK. Should I mention a new lunch "boma" exclusively for guests participating in the Wild Africa Trek at DAK?
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<I think it's a shame that the Magic Kingdom is loosing "attractions" to gain what is esentially a sitdown restaurant.>> Beast's Castle is on the old 20K plot...so I mean it's not like this is replacing an actual attraction like the nothingness of Storybook Circus is.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 "ORWEN: Well, I just hope Belle and Beast are compassionate enough to take in the two mice and one duck who were made homeless just so a certain baby elephant could selfishly evict them from where they used to live!" Wasn't Mickey's Starland, errrr, Birthdayland, errrrr, Toon Townland(whatever)meant to be temporary anyway?!? You know, even being the Disney theme park obsessive I am, I have ZERO memory of that area from my holiday to WDW.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I have not been to WDW in going on two years. So I can not say just what spec of land formally occupied that space. I was not happy to see 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea filled in. I would prefer seeing 20,000 Leagues restored. In my judgement you don't take out an E ticket ride and replace it with yet another sitdown restaurant. And especially when you have restaurants nearby that are either seasonally open or permantly closed ie; Aunt Polly's Place on Tom Sawyer Island. As I said, attractions don't draw revenue, restaurants and Disney merchandise shops do. As far as Mickey's Toon Townland is concerned, I don't believe that was built on what was formally 20,000 Leagues space. And when Disney removed 20,000 Leagues, I was one of the people who thought that it would be best for Disney to remove all of Mickey's Toon Townland at the same time and build something much more permanent. I just didn't envision that Disney would replace the whole area with another sitdown restaurant and a relocation or the Dumbo ride and it's clone.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<I have not been to WDW in going on two years. So I can not say just what spec of land formally occupied that space. I was not happy to see 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea filled in. I would prefer seeing 20,000 Leagues restored. In my judgement you don't take out an E ticket ride and replace it with yet another sitdown restaurant.>> Well, to be fair, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the Little Mermaid attraction will also be going on the 20K plot. So it's not really just being replaced by BoG.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <Well, to be fair, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the Little Mermaid attraction will also be going on the 20K plot. So it's not really just being replaced by BoG.> Yes, but the Fantasyland rebuild includes taking out Snow White's Scary Adventure and replacing that with a meet and greet. So, essentionally Disney is just moving SWSA and placing it on what was previously part of Toontown.
