All photos copyright Disney

Construction is nearing completion on Disneyland Park’s new Fantasy Faire, the princess meet & greet complex that is replacing the classic Carnation Plaza Gardens. The new area, which controversially extends Fantasyland’s theming into the central hub for the first time, officially opens to the public on March 12.

If you are an annual Passholder, you can get a sneak peek of this expansion on March 7, 8, 9. The preview events will be held between noon and 6pm on those three days, with Passholders limited to designated two-hour entry windows.

Passholders wishing to attend must register in person on the day of the event, beginning at 10:30am in Fronteirland. For more details, see Disney’s official instructions here.

Annual Passholder Previews for Disneyland’s Fantasy Faire This Week is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

All images copyright Disney

Are you a Disneyland Resort Annual Passholder?

Do you love the Disney animated classic Peter Pan?

Would you like to spend a couple extra hours in Fantasyland this week?

If your answer to the following questions is “all of the above,” head over to Disneyland on Wednesday night (February 27, 2013) for the latest Limited Time Magic event. For one night only, Passholders can see a special screening of Peter Pan at the Main Street Opera House, in honor of the film’s recent Blu-ray release.

As an added bonus, select Fantasyland attractions will be open to participating Passholders for 2 additional hours past the park’s public 8pm closing time. Be warned, however, that my recent experience with extended Passholder hours at Disney California Adventure did not result in light crowds and short queues; in fact, it was exactly the opposite.

Film screening start at 11am on Wednesday. Passholders may register for the event in person at the Opera House beginning at 10am on the day of the event; online and advance registration is not offered. See here for details on the event direct from Disney.

Peter Pan Passholder Event at Disneyland this Wednesday is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

All images copyright Disney

Disneyland recently released new details about its Fantasy Faire project, confirming that the former Carnation Plaza Gardens will reopen to guests on March 12, 2013.

The stage once used for swing dancing has been radically refurbished, with new surrounding facades giving the entire area to the side of Sleeping Beauty Castle a Fantasyland feel. Now known as “The Royal Theater,” the performance space will host a rotating pair of interactive shows.

Both productions feature Renaissance Faire-style actors (Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones) helping the audience act out the story of Beauty and the Beast or Tangled. These participatory shows sound suspiciously similar to the interactive Enchanted Tales With Belle attraction found at Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland in Florida.

In addition to the shows, the Fantasy Faire will feature a Royal Hall where guests can meet & greet a trio of princesses, including Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Unlike similar attractions in WDW, Disneyland’s version is not scheduled to utilize FASTPASS.

Finally, a few new pieces of concept art are available for Mickey and the Magical Map, the musical stage show opening in the Fatasyland Theatre later this summer.

Disneyland Fantasy Faire to Open March 12 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Among Disneyland Park’s greatest assets is its overabundance of attractions. With over 45 named rides and shows — more than any other park in the Touring Plans database — it’s inevitable to find some duplication among Disneyland’s lineup.

The existence of several pairs of extremely similar experiences makes crafting an efficient touring plan a little more interesting. A prime example is the pairing of Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train. Both Fantasyland attractions date back to Disneyland’s earliest days, and traverse the same elaborately manicured real estate.

It stands to reason that one of the two should be expendible on an efficient itinerary. Indeed, we do not include either attraction in our basic adult-oriented one-day touring plan. But we do suggest the inculsion of one or the other on all our kid-focused and multi-day plans. The question is, which trip to take?

The short answer is that our critical rating in the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland is 2½ stars for Casey Jr., and 3 stars for Storybook Land. But not so fast — both rides have their adherents, for good reasons:

Casey Jr. Circus Train

• With both trains running, Casey Jr. can handle crowds quicker than the canal boats (though neither is a quick loader).
• The trains’ modest velocity and elevation make it mildly thrilling compared to the sedate boats.
• The monkey cage train cars, though uncomfortable for adults to ride in, make for a great photo.
• The prerecorded Casey Jr. theme song is insistently catchy.
• Unlike the Canal Boats, Casey Jr. doesn’t shut down during the parade.
• At about under 4 minutes, it’s over quickly if you don’t enjoy it.

Storybook Land Canal Boats

• Like at the Jungle Cruise, the live narration of the canal boat drivers adds immensely to the experience, especially if you get a clever one.
• The boats give a much better view of the amazingly detailed fairytale miniatures along the waterways.
• Though its maximum capacity is lower, Storybook Land can move guests quicker than Casey Jr. does with only one train running.
• Over 6 minutes of cruising time means this one of the longer rides at Disneyland, making it a great return on your wait time investment.

I personally give the nod to the Canal Boats, but I urge everyone on a relaxed vacation schedule to give both a try, especially if the wait is under 20 minutes. While neither ride ranks among Disneyland’s most popular attractions, I’ve personally had “magical” experiences on both.

During my last visit to Disneyland, my wife and I were in line for the Storybook Land Canal Boats shortly before closing time. I noticed that we were the only people in the queue, and mentioned to my wife that we might get a boat all to ourselves. Just then a large family got in line behind us, and we assumed we would share our trip with them. But a cast member must have overheard us, because they held the group back and let us board alone for a private tour.

On an earlier occasion, we managed to board Casey Jr. just as the fireworks began. We not only got to experience the ride, but also had an exquisite view of the explosions seemingly surrounding us. The best part was getting an eyeful of the acrobatic Tinker Bell and Dumbo used in the Believe seasonal sky show.

On my first ever sailing through Storybook Land, I lucked out by boarding the boat of skipper “Mary Ann.” She split my sides with her sotto voce sunnily snarky side-comments, which I captured on the following video. I still see her regularly operating rides in Fantasyland, and never fail to notice her infectious enthusiasm.

For comparison purposes, here is a video I shot of a daytime ride on Casey Jr. Circus Train.

Which of these two rides do you include on your personal Disneyland touring itinerary? Neither or both? Tell me in the comments below!

Dueling Disneyland: Storybook Land Canal Boats vs. Casey Jr. Circus Train is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

On Monday May 1st 2006, the quick service restaurant formerly known as Lumiere’s will reopen as the “Village Fry Shoppe.” The new location will serve McDonalds’ french fries and hot dogs.

The location had been closed for several years, and is a typical quick service counter setup with several windows. It is located next to Mrs. Pott’s Cupboard which serves ice cream and the Seven Dwarves’ Mine gift shop. The adjacent seating area flanks Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Pooh’s Playful Spot.

New Village Fry Shop (previously Lumieres) will Open May 1 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.