November 22, 2024 12:31 PM

Walt Disney World News: Two New Castles Added to The Magic Kingdom

For many years Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom was the only castle at Disney World and was an iconic Disney symbol. Now with the opening of New Fantasyland at Walt Disney World, there is an addition of two new castles for the royals including Prince Eric's castle from "The Little Mermaid" and the Beast's castle from "Beauty and The Beast."

New Fantasyland opened last month and was the largest expansion for the Magic Kingdom since it first opened.

"In every storybook story there are multiple kingdoms, places you can travel to, woods to wander through and get lost and come upon a new story," said Chris Beatty, senior creative director Walt Disney Imagineering, to USA Today. "Now you can journey beyond the walls of Cinderella castle and find yourself in the forest and then at Beast's castle, or go to the seashore and visit Prince Eric's castle. It's these other stories, these other destinations, where we want to take our guests."

The new ride, Under the Sea: Journey is the location of Prince Eric's castle.

"Guests climb into slow-moving clam shells and relive the most memorable moments of "The Little Mermaid," from the almost-first kiss between Ariel and Eric to the theft of "poor unfortunate souls" plotted by Ursula," reports USA Today.

Beast's castle is in New Fantasyland and accompanied the opening to the restaurant, Be Our Guest, which boasts a French-inspired menu and the first to sell beer and wine.

The castle is also nearby the new attraction, "Enchanted Tales with Belle.

"We loved the ideas of letting guests meet Belle in a way that's intimate and new. It really lets guests visit the cottage where Belle and Maurice live," said Beatty to USA Today.

Disneyworld's website states that at Enchanted Forest, "Here, you can venture through lush landscapes, discovering roaring waterfalls and royal castles along the way."

Another new addition is Storybook Circus where visitors can "take to the sky with The Great Goofini on spiraling stunt plane adventure high above the Storybook Circus grounds," at The Barnstormer, states Disney's website. There is also a revamped Dumbo The Flying Elephant ride and a new addition to Walt Disney World Railroad with the Fantasyland Station.

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