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Magic Kingdom New Fantasyland Update - Beast's Castle

Magic Kingdom Photo Update – Part 2 – New Fantasyland Progress

Update: Just added part three with a lot more from around the Magic Kingdom.

In part one of this week’s Magic Kingdom Photo Update we covered some of the latest details to show up in Storybook Circus. Now we’re venturing into the rest of the Fantasyland expansion project. It too is racing toward completion. Limited soft openings are already underway at the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction the more of the land could open by late October or early November. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is still on track for sometime in 2014, but they did lay the first track inside the ride this week. So that’s a step in the right direction for sure.

Starting with Beast’s castle they’ve re-installed scaffolding to erect the artificial trees that will go up at the top of that hill.

Magic Kingdom New Fantasyland Update - Beast's Castle

A peek through the wall gives us this great view of the menu podium and entrance sign for the Be Our Guest restaurant.

Magic Kingdom New Fantasyland Update - Be Our Guest

Read More »Magic Kingdom Photo Update – Part 2 – New Fantasyland Progress

Manta, SeaWorld San Diego’s First Double-Launch Coaster Opens

SeaWorld San Diego has officially opened its first double-launch, multi-media roller coaster, Manta! Although it shares the same name as the Orlando coaster it is a very different experience. More of a family friendly coaster, Manta features an exciting 54 ft drop, multiple high-banking twists… Read More »Manta, SeaWorld San Diego’s First Double-Launch Coaster Opens

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Opens for Test After Rehab

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The Magic Kingdom’s popular western themed roller coaster reopened today after a months long rehabilitation process. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had extensive work done to its track, show scenes, primary queue, and lighting.

Where the queue was a tightly formed switchback that was seldom fully utilized, the new queue is better themed but shorter. It still has switchbacks, but the queue is wider and there are added show scenes. Also new to the queue is air conditioning. The new wider queue seems to be a conscious decision to accommodate American’s new wider body shapes.

I’m a little concerned about some of the new railings in the queue, they seem designed to cause welts on the heads of young children at the right height. Additionally, there are random boxes in the queue that have already become defacto benches. Without fastpass a full length queue was a wait of less than 30 minutes. Adding in Fastpass and the standby queue could be very long.

In the ride itself, many safety rails, paths, and lights have been added. The new LED safety lights really stood out as we rode, but I’m sure that over time they’ll fade into the background like other safety features. With the exception of some lighting a good attempt was made to theme the added safety features. Most show elements got a general makeover and many effects that haven’t worked in a long time are now functioning fine, even the geyser in the exit queue:

Big Thunder is supposed to return to regular operation on Monday and is not guaranteed to be open between now and then.

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The Matterhorn’s Fresh Coat of Snow – Behind the Scenes

Imagineers at Disneyland take us behind the walls at Disneyland’s classic Matterhorn roller coaster to show what’s been going on since it went down toward the beginning of this year. The refurbishment has been fairly extensive with new safety railings and a lot of work… Read More »The Matterhorn’s Fresh Coat of Snow – Behind the Scenes

The Barnstormer Featuring Goofy as The Great Goofini


Colorful entrance has a ticket book, since this is supposed to be part of a circus midway. Beautiful detail work and I love the hidden history carrying over the socks and pants from the old attraction.

Yes, That’s the full attraction name – The Barnstormer Featuring Goofy as The Great Goofini. Can someone check and see if that is the longest attraction name and can someone tell me what was wrong with Goofy’s Barnstormer. Which conveyed basically the same thing, and actually had a barn.

I’m actually quite happy with the upgrade, quibbles about the circus theme aside. However, I realized I posted an update to Storybook Circus about new posters in the land, but I had neglected to link to the original posters, which can be found in and around the Barnstormer queue. So let’s fix that right now.


I love these posters located around in in the queue. The Monkey is on all the posters. Apparently he does not have a name, so let’s have it fan community. What do we call the monkey?


Could this be a future attraction?

Read More »The Barnstormer Featuring Goofy as The Great Goofini

Inside the Matterhorn with New Ride Vehicles and a Basketball Court?

The Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland are in the middle of a six month refurbishment. While the outside of the snow-capped Matterhorn is covered in scaffolding Disney has taken a video camera inside to give fans a view of the new ride vehicles, a bit of… Read More »Inside the Matterhorn with New Ride Vehicles and a Basketball Court?

Matterhorn to undergo lengthy rehab, Main Street dining changes too

People tend to think of Disneyland and a static place tied to their childhood memories of magic, joy, and laughter. The reality is Disneyland is always changing, shifting, and updating to meet the needs of the park and its guests (the cynical would insert profits… Read More »Matterhorn to undergo lengthy rehab, Main Street dining changes too