A friend recently came to me asking for advice for her upcoming Disneyland trip. She was planning a very quick visit of only a day and half. Of course this lead me into my very long winded explanation of all the amazing Disney things to see and do. It was when she asked me if there was any place she should skip, that I paused. As a Disney enthusiast I immediately wanted to answer, of course not, all of Disney is worthwhile. But unfortunately I did have an answer, the Princess Fantasy Faire.
Upon my first visit to Disneyland in 2005 I visited this area of the park, formerly housing Snow White an Enchanting Musical. It was a wonderful show in an outdoor theater. The show eventually closed and the area under went the transformation to the Fantasy Faire. I became quite excited about visiting the transformed space three years later on my next visit.
Entrance to Snow White an Enchanted Musical 2005
My first glances of the new Princess area, however, were underwhelming. Remnants of the old Snow White musical were still present on stage, mixed in with the new lacklustre Princess show set. The front theater seats were all gone, replaced with nothing but plain concrete standing room. Off to the left was a simple stage used for storytime. And inside a plain ‘box’ one would find the Princess meet and greet….that is after waiting in a three hour long line.
Royal Coronation at Princess Fantasy Faire (2008)
It did have a few positives. The Royal Coronation show was enjoyable (check it out on our Youtube page ) and the actors in story time were entertaining. But all in all the area lacked that certain Disney touch.
I think what bothered me the most, even more than the area itself, was the enclosing of the Princesses within the ’box’. I love the idea of roaming Princesses in the park. Meeting Snow White by her grotto, having Aurora walk past you in Fantasyland, getting a picture with Cinderella by the Carnation Plaza Gardens, all with waits less than 20 minutes. It was a challenge to find all the Princesses, a challenge that was super fun.
Snow White in 2005 by her Grotto
In my opinion I think Disney needs to do away with the meet and greet ‘box’ and return to roaming Princesses as that is a hallmark of Disneyland. The Princess Fantasy Faire can remain but needs to be worked on to create a truly immersive experience. With the addition of more decorations and less concrete they can make it so you are stepping into a regal Palace.
This blog post is a little different than my regular entries. Normally talking about my favourite things I have strayed to talk about an area that could use a little…improvement. I assure you this is not a trend and I hope the Disney gods and fans take mercy on me.