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It has been known for some time now that Fantasy Festival Stage in Fantasyland in Disneyland Paris will be closed and converted into the new pemanent meet 'n' greet location of Mickey Mouse.
In the last two weeks, as expected construction walls have indeed gone up around the theatre, and work has begun to install Mickey's new home.
The new 2012 DLP brochure, now available in travel agencies and online, which was released just about two weeks ago, also now has a small description that reads (and I quote)
"[Mickey] welcomes you to meet him backstage in the rehearsal room of his theatre in Fantasyland."
The description goes on to detail the "ornate music hall" where, while waiting in line, you can "laugh along with some classic short films featuring Mickey".
The picture with the description even looks like the Town Square Theatre location from Florida (you'll have to compare said image for yourself, with ones I have posted below, as I cannot repost something copyrighted).
Earlier this year, Town Square Theater in the Magic Kingdon, FL, opened it's doors. Formerly Exposition Hall (click for my tribute to Expo Hall here) the new Town Square Theatre became Mickey Mouse's new home after he was evicted from his house in Toon Town!
The new location is also the backstage dressing room of Mickey Mouse. The theming of the meet 'n' greet room itself is quite exceptional, and includes many hidden in-jokes and references to the Parks, shorts and movies.
Sadly the queue area and the hallways leave something to be desired, but overall, WDW did a pretty good job.
In California, those of you familiar with Mickey's House there, will know that during the queue, you pass through a theatre area which screens classic Mickey Mouse catoons.
So, with this new location in Paris's Fantasyland, we are now led to believe that this exciting new location will be something of a mixture of the both, plus some new things along the way.
From the cartoon screening room of California, to brand new hallways and setting unique to Paris, and then to the actual dressing room direct from Florida's new location, this brand new Mickey meet 'n' greet in our beloved Parc Disneyland is once again set to raise the bar of immersive theming standards that Disney - and especially DLP is renowned for.
Of course this also follows on from the success of another new meet 'n' greet location in Paris, the Princess Pavilion, which opened to massive success earlier last month. Again, the theming inside out-does the flop-tacular Fantasy Faire at California, and the blue painted wall hallways of the Princess Room at Town Square Theatre in WDW!
Who thought that this was a good idea for Florida's Princesses?!...
Anyway I am digressing... So let's take a tour now of the Town Square Theatre location in the Magic Kingdom, to see what we might expect once DLP's new Fantasyland location opens next year...
The signs and wait time boards outside Town Square Theater welcome you to meet Magician Mickey Mouse and the Princesses. In Paris, the Princesses already have a new location of course (the Princess Pavilion).
Once inside, there are more signs and wait times boards.
You pass through the appropriate doorway (we are of course going to meet Mickey), and are presented with a very large, open expanse with a few "magical" posters dotted around. You could be waiting here a while, so better get used to those cream walls! (This is where California's is far superior with the Screening Room, and Paris's will apparently have something similar to that).
You have to then pass through another doorway, and are now in a very small space that seems a little too small given the chasm you just left...
Obviously it isn't as bad as the blue walls of the Princess queue that we saw earlier, but still is a little underwhelming!
At last you reach the backstage doors of Mickey's dressing room, and you enter. You cannot see Mickey, but instead are behind some screens, still waiting in line. Whilst you wait you might want to check out some of the props left lying around by the Mouse.
Finally, you turn the corner and get to meet Mickey himself. Although he doesn't actually have a magician's outfit on (as the signs outside would imply), he is of course as chirpy as ever, and welcomes you to his dressing room.
In Florida Minnie nearly always meets with Mickey, but it is not yet known whether this will be the case in Paris.
Whilst hanging out with Mickey, why not check out some of the other cool things around the room. How many in-jokes and references can you find?
Give Mickey a wave goodbye, and you are once again back in Town Square - not before passing through a gift shop of course!
It is not yet known, and certainly hasn't been mentioned, whether Paris will have a new gift shop at the end, but don't be surprised if some sort of small retail location pops up!
The new Princess Pavilion has a small photo purchase desk, so Mickey is likely to have the same.
I hope that gives you all some idea of what to expect from the new Fantasyland location due to open for the 20th in April. We certainly welcome it and think it will be a fresh new change from the Boarding House on Main Street that Mickey has occupied for so long, in all weathers! An indoor location with climate control and a proper immersive queue is certainly long overdue, especially when the weather in Paris can be so varied. It is also finally putting to good use the long abandoned Fantasyland theatre, which hasn't really seen any real action in some years (outside of ticked events - and even this year that has not happened).
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Dan. |