Yesterday we were chosen, as attendees of a randomly chosen showing of Philharmagic, to be part of an experience in visiting the new Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction which is in testing at the New Fantasyland prior to soft openings for pass-holders in November.

Follow along with our journey.

You enter the attraction through a queue that winds through the garden of Maurice’s Cottage.  This brings you into the living room where you see a fireplace, stacks of books, a painting of a young Belle with her mother and many other well-themed pieces.  This leads to Maurice’s Workshop.  Here a CM talks about Maurice and gives the story behind each of the pieces on display.  This room also holds the Magic Mirror given to Maurice by the Prince so that he can visit Belle whenever he wants.  The video below doesn’t do this amazing (and very magical) piece of art justice.   As the CM leads us in asking the mirror to take us to the day that Belle and the Beast fell in love, the mirror comes to life.  It sparkles and glows while scenes of the countryside flash by inside; all while growing and growing.  Finally the mirror opens into a doorway into the Beast’s Castle and we are invited inside.

We are then brought into the Wardrobe’s room where everyone is offered a role to play in the story of how Belle met the Beast.  Children get offered the main roles, but adults can ask for a role as well.  As a note, only those who take a role in the story will get their picture taken with Belle.  This may change as we were told that much of what we saw may change before it opens.  Catie was chose to be Footstool (the master’s loyal ‘dog’) and Ben was chosen to be the jumping Pepper shaker.

Lumiere then calls us into the Beast’s Library where we will all surprise Belle and then help her re-enact the story of the day she met the Beast.  The children and adults taking roles help re-enact the story and then march around the library.  Once this is done, all of those who will meet Belle are introduced to her, photos are taken and each gets a special bookmark.

We are led out of the library and into a foyer filled with wall hangings telling the story.  Here we were given a special Photopass card containing all the pictures taken during our visit.

This was a wonderful experience and will be well worth visiting every time you visit the new Fantasyland when it opens in December.  This was magical for the children and the adults and went far beyond any expectation we have ever had with any character meet.  4 big thumbs up from all the Viteks on this new attraction!

~Jen and Mark