Disney announced today on it's Disney Parks Blog that Rapunzel and Flynn Rider would start appearing in the Magic Kingdom on Friday 15th October 2010. They will be replacing the Storytime with Belle show and greeting that has been there for a number of years. Belle will be leaving on September 12th 2010.

Details are sketchy at the moment, but Disney are calling it a "play and greet", meaning that this will be a new style interactive meet and greet experience for the Magic Kingdom.

Speculating and thinking ahead, could this play and greet be a forerunner to what is to come with the new Fantasyland expansion? If you remember, plans for that include a whole number of new "interactive" Princess experiences, from storytelling to making birthday cards. Maybe this is a test run for ideas surrounding that? Time will tell...

Of course, it is sad that they feel they have to replace Belle - there is plenty of wasted space in the Magic Kingdom where I'm sure the new characters could fit in.

One final point to ponder is whether this will also have a Christmas version, or will Belle (or indeed some other Christmas show) return to the Garden in December? Or will Magic Kingdom be down one Christmas offering this year?

Dan.