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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

PRINCESS FAIRYTALE HALL

By Jim Korkis

On June 2, 2012, Walt Disney World closed the Snow White’s Scary Adventures attraction. The Disney Princesses had been at the Town Square Theater on Main Street U.S.A. awaiting an expansion of Fantasyland that was originally going to feature individual areas for each of them. Those plans changed and instead the Princess Fairytale Hall opened in the ride’s location on September 18, 2013.

(c) Disney

“Princess Fairytale Hall is an annex to Cinderella Castle where our royal guests, our park guests, will come to meet a visiting princess,” Imagineer Jason Grandt, who was the creative art designer of the space, told me in 2013. “It is done in the same regal style as other additions to the castle so that it is a wonderfully detailed architectural environment fitting of Disney royalty.”

Guests pass through lush purple and gold exterior trimmings with stained glass windows featuring animal characters from the classic Disney animated movie Cinderella (1950) like the mice Jacques and Gus-Gus as well as shields adorned with each princess’s symbol that hang around the marquee. The outdoor light fixtures are in the shape of crowns.

Entering an elegant corridor filled with tapestries and themed lighting leads to an airy, high-ceilinged Royal Gallery with nearly full-sized portraits of Aurora, Tiana, Rapunzel, Mulan, Jasmine, and Snow White. This room also houses Cinderella’s glass slipper illuminated in a special case.

“The space is really opulent and filled with ornate chandeliers and several framed custom princess portraits that are stunning. They were painted by talented Disney artists who diligently labored to capture the atmosphere, design and story moments of the films.

“When they came into the office full size rather than just a computer sized image, we all just gasped; they were so lush and full of detail. Our portraits are to show that there are Disney princesses all over the world but the hall is primarily devoted to Cinderella.

“From there, you will be dispatched to a magnificent receiving room to meet with a princess and get photos, autographs and time to talk with her,” stated Grandt.

The rooms with luxurious carpets and drapes contain open storybooks. Snow White’s storybook is permanently placed as a tribute to the former ride and to the first Disney princess. The rooms also include props from the films like the king’s bookends in the Cinderella room.

“The team kept playing the films while we were working and the more you watch them, the more you see subtle things that you can include.
“For our Disney guests, we know that next to meeting Mickey Mouse, the Disney princesses are their greatest wish for us to make those fantasy worlds become a reality. Our Disney princesses are truly the heart of Fantasyland and now they have this very special location to interact with our guests.

“Part of the fun will be not knowing until that day which princess might be visiting with Cinderella or Rapunzel. Ariel and Belle have their own locations so won’t be here. Our guests want opportunities to meet the princesses and this royal encounter location will help satisfy those wishes.”

According to the Imagineering storyline, Princess Fairytale Hall is a gift from the King to Cinderella, and acts as a place where she can meet with visiting royalty and along with those other princesses can greet the subjects of Fantasyland.
Imagineer Pam Rawlins, assistant producer, said, “Guests are immersed into this majestic world of the princesses. It is all very elegant, with dark wood panelings and elegant finishes, with a bit of a gothic motif, so you really feel like you’re in the castle. You will be a royal subject meeting your princess.”

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! As it turns out, the “second” princess in each meet has usually had an extended run, rather than being a daily surprise.

And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest, Secret Stories of Disneyland, and his Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

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THE EASIEST DISNEY WORLD GUIDEBOOK

As I noted a few days ago, the 2018 edition of the best-reviewed Disney World guidebook, ever, is now available on Amazon—paperback here, and Kindle here.

A guidebook too large to be understood or easily used is doing folks no favors. Co-author Josh of easyWDW.com and I from the start wanted to publish the shortest and best-organized guidebook we could. Our 2018 edition has 307 substantive pages—about a third the size of some Disney World guidebooks—and in what is probably a first for Disney World guidebook series, has 8 fewer pages fewer than our 2017 edition!

But in those 307 pages we cover every major decision you need to make—how old and tall your kids should be, how long to stay, when to go, where to stay, what to do in the parks, where to eat, and more.

Moreover, we make it easy for you to refer to the book in the parks. If you purchase the paperback version, we make the Kindle version available for free. Load it onto a Kindle app on your phone and you are all set!

THE MOST ACCURATE DISNEY WORLD GUIDEBOOK

We also pride ourselves on providing the most accurate guidebook available. Our knowledge of Disney World comes from direct experience—Josh is in the parks and restuarants two to four times a week, and later this year I will have stayed in my 150th different Disney World-owned room, villa, suite, studio, cabin or campsite. No one else can match the experience we bring.

Dave’s stays…

We match this with disciplined judgment and a commitment to accuracy. Accuracy is really hard, and we’ve had our share of goofs. But we are sure that we have fewer than anyone else.

For example, another 2018 guidebook that also came out in August 2017 has not updated its entry on Toy Story Mania since 2015, nor has it updated its entry on the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival since 2015, either. More examples: it has Easter 2018 as April 11, still has a 54 inch trundle bed in Port Orleans Riverside—which was replaced by a 66 inch Murphy bed in 2012 (!)–and has only three DVC studios offering accommodations for 5, rather than the five that’s been true for a while now.

I could go on with many more errors from this alternative, but the key is that it’s really hard to be accurate, and we (largely) get it done.

THE MOST UP-TO-DATE DISNEY WORLD GUIDEBOOK

Our guidebook is up to date as of early August 2017—so we incorporate in it the latest refurb news at Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Coronado Springs, the shift of the afternoon parade to 2p, the closures of Ellen’s Energy Adventure and The Great Movie Ride, etc.

But no matter how up-to-date a guidebook is when published, it will necessarily become less so over time, as things change. We solve this problem for our customers by offering free updates. We will update the 2018 easy Guide two to four times between now and August 2018, when we publish our 2019 edition.

Anyone who emails us their Amazon receipt will get instructions on how to get these updates when they come out:

THE BEST DISNEY WORLD GUIDEBOOK

The best-reviewed Disney World guidebook. The easiest-to-use Disney World guidebook. The most accurate Disney World guidebook. The most up-to-date Disney World guidebook. That’s The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit.

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Update: parks to close early Saturday, remain closed Sunday and Monday

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 9 TO SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-11p 9/9, 9a-7p 9/10, 9a-10p 9/11, 9a-7p 9/12, 9a-9p 9/13 and 9/14, 9a-7p 9/15, 9a-11p 9/16, and 9a-7p 9/17

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/9,  9a-9p 9/10 through 9/14, 9a-10p 9/15 and 9/16, and 9a-9p 9/17

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p 9/9 through 9/16, and 9a-8.30p 9/17

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

Saturday 9/9 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/10  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 9/11 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 9/12 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 9/13 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 9/14 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 9/15 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 9/16 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/17  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 9/9, 9/11, 9/13, 9/14, and 9/16

IllumiNations at Epcot:  10p 9/9, 9p 9/10 through 9/14, 10p 9/15 and 9/16, and 9p 9/17

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p 9/9 through 9/16; 8p 9/17

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p 9/9 through 9/16; 8.30p 9/17

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 8.45 and 10p 9/9; 8.45p 9/10 through 9/16; 8.15p 9/17

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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THE FIREWORKS DESSERT PARTY AT MAGIC KINGDOM

Happily Ever After is the new projection and fireworks show at Magic Kingdom that replaced Wishes in May 2017.

Like Wishes, Happily Ever After was explicitly designed to be seen from the axis between the Main Street train station and the Castle.

Unlike Wishes, Happily Ever After has projections. Because its projections can be small and–more to the point–are only on the Main Street side of the castle, even more so than Wishes, first-timers should see it from this axis, and from further away from the station than could work well for Wishes.

Since all locals, repeat visitors and readers of sound sources of advice have caught on to this, the area between the Casey’s Corner end of Main Street and the Castle is more mobbed than ever—which will surprise those who had thought it could not be more packed. It can—and it is.

Although it is pricey, I had thought of adding the Plaza Garden variant of the Happily Ever After dessert party to my itineraries as a way of creating great, uncrowded spots to view the show. So I attended it in July 2017 to see what the value was.

The short version is that for anyone who can afford it and does not like crowds, the value is there.

There are two different parties, both of which start in the Tomorrowland Terrace.

• One is less expensive (about $63 adults/$37 kids, after tax) and has better propinquity and sightlines, but no rain protection during the viewing. This is the “Plaza Garden” party
• The other, the “Tomorrowland Terrace” party is more expensive (about $84 adults/$50 kids, after tax), more distant, and with off-center sight lines, but has rain protection during the viewing.

(Both have rain protection during the “dessert party” part of the evening, which takes place in the Tomorrowland Terrace.)

There are multiple potential sources of value here:

The food and non-alcoholic drinks at the party, mostly desserts…

…lotsa desserts…

…but also cheese and fruit

The very nice viewing location at the less expensive Plaza Garden viewing variant. The Terrace viewing is not bad, especially for those who have already seen Happily Ever After before, but it is a little more distant, and much more off center, than the Plaza Garden option. On the image above, the best spots overall are in gold, the Plaza Garden spot in green, and the Tomorrowland Terrace spot is marked by a red “X.”

The lack of crowding at either spot. You will have crowds once you leave, but the show itself will not feature the jostling mobs you’ll see everywhere else nearby.

The rain protection you will get during the show from the Tomorrowland Terrace location. (Both locations dine out of the rain.)

The key sources of value will vary depending on what matters to you. For me, it is seeing a great show from a close spot with a great angle without having to show up early. Add to this the absence of crowds and jostling—a value you can achieve no other way—and it’s well worth it.

For me the food is of little value. There are ways I would much rather spend my time at Magic Kingdom than hang around in Tomorrowland Terrace for 90 minutes eating cupcakes, and even if I were in the mood for junk food—which, face it, at Disney World I usually am—there’s other junk I much prefer.

Note that while you have to check in at Tomorrowland Terrace and get your credentials, you don’t have to hang around and eat and drink. Check in, get your stuff, and return about 15-20 minutes before the show to be escorted over to the viewing area.

For others the food—and/or the opportunity to sit and rest for a bit–has much more value. Moreover, unless you will be at Disney World for weeks, there’s not much need to obsess over the caliber of your diet, so conceivably cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, fruit and cheese could pass for dinner.

Since I spend the equivalent of a month or two in the parks every year (I have the somewhat rare notion that those advising others about Disney World ought to base that on personal, recent, deep experience) I am quite used to Disney World in the rain, so see little value to the covered viewing location compared to how off-center—and slightly more distant—it is, so can’t advise paying for the more expensive party.

Happily Ever After is the best evening show at Disney World. Seeing it from a good spot requires a long wait and involves much jostling and crowding. The Plaza Garden version of the dessert party is a way to make these negatives go away.

And scarf a cupcake or two while you are at it…

You can book the party on Disney’s website here, and my co-author Josh has even more on the party here.

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

DOLE WHIPS

By Jim Korkis

A cult following for a soft-serve frozen dessert created by the Dole Food Company known as Dole Whip has created such a frenzy in Disney theme park fans that many suspect that the treat is only available at Disney. It is not.

Of course, it has been served for decades at the Dole Plantation three miles north of Wahiawa, Hawaii, but in recent years, thanks to the ease in creating it, a variety of popular venues now offer it, from sporting events to zoos to state fairs and other amusement venues. Outside of Disney, vendors are strongly encouraged to use the term Dole Soft Serve instead.

(c) Disney

“Disney has literally created Dole Whip devotees,” stated Jamie Schwartz of Kent Precision Foods Group that licenses the product. “Disney built the brand.”

When Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room opened in June 1963, it was sponsored by United Airlines, promoting its flights to Hawaii. In 1976, the Dole Food Company took over sponsorship and opened up a food and beverage stand at the entrance to the attraction called the Tiki Bar.

Disneyland’s Concept Manager of Food Operations Karlos Siqueiros, who has worked at Disneyland for over thirty years, recalled that in the beginning the little stand only sold pineapple juice and pineapple spears: “Pineapple juice had always been served at the tiki stand, but we didn’t have anything to add to it literally until the Dole Whip came in.”

The soft-serve pineapple dessert can also be purchased as a “float” with pineapple juice or as a swirl of pineapple and vanilla. While most Disney fans associate the term “Dole Whip” with pineapple soft serve, it also comes in several other flavors like orange, strawberry, lemon, raspberry and mango.

In 1997, Kent Precision Foods Group in St. Louis, Missouri began to license the Dole Whip product. While it used to contain a dairy derivative, in 2013 the formula was changed and it became certified as vegan and gluten free. They sell the Dole Whip Mix which is a dry powder online. To make it just like at Disney, all that needs to happen is to add water and pour it into a home soft serve ice cream machine.

It is estimated that park guests at Disneyland and Walt Disney World consume 1.4 million Dole Whips each year. (Disneyland consumes a minimum of 600,000). It is not served at any of the other Disney theme parks worldwide. At the Aulani Resort in Hawaii, it is offered at the Lava Shack.

At WDW, it can be found at Aloha Isle, located outside of the Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland, and at Pineapple Lanai just outside the back of the Great Ceremonial House at the Polynesian Village Resort.

Starting in 2013, the Pineapple Promenade Booth at the Flower and Garden Festival sold Dole Whip where guests could order it with Siesta Key Spice Rum. Subsequent years had the option for including Coconut Rum and Sammy’s Beach Bar Red Head Macadamia Nut-flavored Rum. An alcoholic version with dark rum or coconut rum can also be purchased at Tamu Tamu restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Kent Precision Foods explains it as such: “Dole Soft Serve Mix is a lactose-free dry mix that is reconstituted with tap water and frozen down in a soft serve machine. Marketed under the popular Dole brand name, this unique product delivers an intense, natural pineapple fruit flavor, yet is fat free and cholesterol free.

“Although the Dole Food Company originally created the Dole Whip soft serve mix, they licensed the brand to Kent Precision Foods Group who now has an exclusive agreement.”

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest, Secret Stories of Disneyland, and his Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 2 TO SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-11p 9/2 and 9/3, 9a-9p 9/4 through 9/6, 9a-7p 9/7, 9a-9a 9/8, 9a-11p 9/9, and 9a-7p 9/10

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/2,  9a-9p 9/3 through 9/7, 9a-10p 9/8 and 9/9, and 9a-9p 9/10

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9.30p 9/2 and 9a-9p 9/3 through 9/10

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

Saturday 9/2 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/3  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 9/4 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 9/5 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 9/6 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 9/7 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 9/8 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 9/9 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/10  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 9/2 through 9/6 and 9/8 and 9/9

IllumiNations at Epcot:  10p 9/2, 9p 9/3 through 9/7, 10p 9/8 and 9/9, and 9p 9/10

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p every night

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 8.45 and 10p 9/2; 8.45p 9/3 through 9/8; 8.45 and 10p 9/9; 8.45p 9/10

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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