Just got back. Big thumbs down for New Fantasyland. :(

[SandiR]

I really don't know what they were thinking here - other than trying to appeal to the 6 and under crowd. If that's the demographic they were targeting, then they did a decent job. Personally, there was nothing for my family.

The highlights/lowlights:

7DMT - a shorter version of BTMR. Nowhere near as visually appealing as I have come to expect from Disney.

Barnstormer - We, along with the people around us, got off laughing at the absurdity of waiting nearly 1/2 an hour for what could not have been more than a 40 second ride. Seriously?

Little Mermaid - Unless you are a 3-5 year old girl, you'll probably nap on this one.

We didn't get in to BOG, but maybe the restaurant is the one redeeming thing here. I don't know...

I'm so confused as to why they felt like they needed more preschool attractions. Aren't the most popular/biggest wait time attractions the ones that target older kids/adults? I'm thinking of Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, BTMR and - in the other parks - Test Track, Everest, Dinosaur, Rock and Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, etc.? We had a great time overall, but the new Fantasyland got me thinking that my kids - ages 10 and 12 - might be outgrowing WDW which is sad. We've decided that our next trip to Orlando will be our first trip to Universal Studios.

 

[L&Lfan]

I was underwhelmed by new FL myself. I think the architecture and landscaping is fantastic but the attractions themselves hold little repeat value to me. I just was expecting more from Disney after experiencing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 (and I'm not even a Potter fan!). So yeah, for me, it's a let down.

 

[twinboyz98]

I agree.. didn't do much for my family either. We were there in May and walked thru, but was not impressed by anything. We will skip the whole section next time. I think for little girls, it's a win.. but other than the 7DMT and Dumbo, my boys wouldn't have been interested when they were younger. Just my opinion.. I'm sure others feel differently.

 

[NeuroCindy]

I loved Little Mermaid, as did my whole group (and my ex's whole family). So that's women ages: 61, 53, 51, 29, 28, 6, and 3. Men ages 66, 29, and 9. But I guess we're all girls between 3 and 6.

I was underwhelmed by 7DMT. It was hyped a lot, and I didn't think it was anything spectacular.

 

[DisneyFive]

I hear ya. Definately geared towards a young crowd. ...but overall, I'd still rather have the new fantasyland than not.

No real headliner rides, but it does help spread the crowds a little.

The only part I really don't care for are the circus tents. Just feels too carni to me.

...and some of the walkways seem a little conjested.

Dan

 

[tndisneyfan]

Overall I agree. It was interesting walking thru it the first time. There's a lot of nice details, but I agree that it's for very young kids.

 

[DisneyFive]

I think the architecture and landscaping is fantastic but the attractions themselves hold little repeat value to me.

Agreed. The theming is very nice. The attractions themselves hold little wow factor.

I did love eating at BOG for lunch a few times on our last trip.

Dan

 

[disney world dreamer]

I really don't know what they were thinking here - other than trying to appeal to the 6 and under crowd. If that's the demographic they were targeting, then they did a decent job. Personally, there was nothing for my family.

The highlights/lowlights:

7DMT - a shorter version of BTMR. Nowhere near as visually appealing as I have come to expect from Disney.

Barnstormer - We, along with the people around us, got off laughing at the absurdity of waiting nearly 1/2 an hour for what could not have been more than a 40 second ride. Seriously?

Little Mermaid - Unless you are a 3-5 year old girl, you'll probably nap on this one.

We didn't get in to BOG, but maybe the restaurant is the one redeeming thing here. I don't know...

I'm so confused as to why they felt like they needed more preschool attractions. Aren't the most popular/biggest wait time attractions the ones that target older kids/adults? I'm thinking of Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, BTMR and - in the other parks - Test Track, Everest, Dinosaur, Rock and Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, etc.? We had a great time overall, but the new Fantasyland got me thinking that my kids - ages 10 and 12 - might be outgrowing WDW which is sad. We've decided that our next trip to Orlando will be our first trip to Universal Studios.

ummmmmmm i'm 28 and i enjoy most things about new fantasyland so idk what you are talking about that its for kids 6 and under?!

-7DMT: i'll agree about that one. i am not a fan. it didn't live up to the hype.

-barnstormer: its been there for years so i would think that you would have already known whether you felt it was worth your time or not.

-under the sea~journey of the little mermaid: again i'm 28 not 3-5 and i don't nap during this ride. its one of my new all time favorites. i've been on it at least 10 times since november 2012 during the soft opening. the little mermaid is one of my favorite disney movies. heck it was on abc family the past couple days and i watched it.

-BOG: idk how you go to MK and wait for 30 minutes to go on barnstormer which has been there for years yet you don't wait 30 minutes in line to go to bog for lunch.
its some of the best food and atmosphere disney has to offer.
i especially love the strawberry cream cheese cupcake.

-you didn't even mention enchanted tales with belle. its not something i would do every time but i was quite impressed with it. definitely worth doing at least once.
and don't tell me that your kids would be "too old" for it. my dad who is 71 enjoyed it and even got to be a knight.

-personally i'm not a fan of universal orlando anymore.
i went to it when it was in its glory days for the 90's and early 2000's.
i went last month and left within a few hours.

btw i find it odd that you think new fantasyland is only for 6 and under when prior to new fantasyland there was mickey's toontown fair. don't get me wrong i loved that section but you can't tell me that was for any older of a crowd by your logic.

 

[rwdavis2]

Ditto. BoG was nice, great theming. Little Mermaid was a waste of time. Didn't do anything else but just walked through. Although the Gaston m&g looked pretty enjoyable. Hopefully this draw enough people to make our wait at Peter Pan a little shorter the next time we go.

 

[luvmytwins02]

Well as someone speaking with a DS3, there has to be something to do at Disney for the little ones! They can't all be Large/Headliner rides....with height restrictions too tall for the small kids. And he loves the rides that we (adults) might think to be boring. And while some rides may not be my favorite, watching the smile on his face is all I need to make a ride a good one!

 

[piccolopat]

DH and I liked Little Mermaid and BoG (lunch). We did not like the carnival atmosphere of the circus area as it just seemed out of place. We did like the new walkway to the Space Mountain area. We also thought it odd that while the new FL has a lot of pretty architecture, there wasn't much more. They had the tower from Rapunzel but nothing from Tangled. There weren't even any interesting shops that could have been themed around the movies profiled here. We missed 7DMT by two weeks and liked the theming of the outside but I'll have to wait until our next trip to comment on it further. Overall, very underwhelmed.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Different lands for different ages. On our upcoming trip we have to avoid Frontierland completely to avoid our 3yo from being disappointed he cant ride on the mountains due to height. No one says you have to love every land or it has to be tailored to your specific family.

 

[surferdave]

Ever hear the expression all foam, no beer? I found NFL to be all theme, no attraction.

 

[agavegirl1]

Our last trip to WDW (DBF and I) included nothing but construction walls an refurbs. I am/was excited to go back and see what was going on. Meanwhile, we went to California and the changes there were extraordinary. I am sure I will still have a good time. Belle is my favorite.

 

[FLchick415]

I personally LOVE the Little Mermaid attraction because it's always been one of my favorite movies. So for me, it's a must do every trip. And yes, 7DMT is short, but I thought it was a very fun ride.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

We haven't ridden 7DMT yet, so I can't comment on it. You could easily argue, that one of the reason's BoG has demand issues is because it's the best thing in NFL.

 

[ChanFO]

I can tell this thread is going to be full of OPINIONS!

That said, two of my adult party members decided to completely pass on going to MK, because they felt there was nothing there for adults. I don't think New Fantasyland changed that perception at all, obviously. I don't think Disney is particularly looking to make MK anything other than Kid Specialized and that's okay, that's what the other parks are for.

I'm an adult, but I don't count, I'll happily ride the kid stuff.

 

[disnut8]

Well as someone speaking with a DS3, there has to be something to do at Disney for the little ones! They can't all be Large/Headliner rides....with height restrictions too tall for the small kids. And he loves the rides that we (adults) might think to be boring. And while some rides may not be my favorite, watching the smile on his face is all I need to make a ride a good one!

Agreed.

I'm 52, husband 54, son 32 with his own family (youngest is 7). Is the new Fantasyland anything for us? No. BUT - we are six people. Hundreds of thousands of more people than us go to Magic Kingdom every year so while I'll go and see things, it's not on my high priority list.

Disney World is for a large range of people in many different age categories with many different likings. If the new Fantasyland isn't the OP's thing, then they can skip it and still have a good time.

We've been to Camp Minnie Mickey at Animal Kingdom once. Wasn't our thing but I don't think it would get a thumbs down just because I didn't like it.

 

[FLchick415]

Different strokes for different folks. If everyone always liked the same things, it'd be so boring.

 

[ericstac]

We enjoy it back there.. the dumbo play area is a blast for the kids while we chill for a bit.. barnstormer is becoming a family tradition.. then the splashpad.. yeah it doesn't matter if it is winter or summer we hit the splashpad..

The big shopping tent has some cool treats in there as well.

The sideshows with the clowns and stuff are funny.. then we continue on through and hit the rides like pooh, 7dmt, and the mermaid one.. they are fun for all and give a good break from the heat during the rough times



...and did you notice the peanuts embedded in the walkways? awesome.