Wonderland
One of Disney's most beloved properties is finally jumping off the silver screen and into Walt Disney World's parks 65 years after grossing a mere $2.4 million at the domestic box office. That's right, Wonderland from Walt Disney Pictures' hit 1951 animated feature Alice in Wonderland will be just one of the new experiences coming to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in its latest expansion.
Guests will be able to experience the whimsical and imaginative world that is Wonderland by falling down the Rabbit hole and entering Alice's story. Surrounded by tall, wacky hedges on all sides, guests will be transported into Wonderland by leaving behind other parts of Main Street U.S.A, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
Guests will be able to experience the whimsical and imaginative world that is Wonderland by falling down the Rabbit hole and entering Alice's story. Surrounded by tall, wacky hedges on all sides, guests will be transported into Wonderland by leaving behind other parts of Main Street U.S.A, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
Wonderland will feature three attractions, two dining locations and one shop for all things Wonderland. These experiences will be unlike any other, bringing the magic of Fantasyland to the guests of Walt Disney World in a way that is unique to theme park storytelling.
Theming:
Surrounding all of Wonderland will be a 25 foot tall hedge. In corporate into this landscaping masterpiece will be roots, vines, flowers and small easter eggs that fans of the film can look for. There will be four entrances/exits to Wonderland. One from the hub near INSERT NAME OF MAZE, one on the south side directly next to Mickey's Star Traders, and two from Fantasyland near Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. One will connect directly to the existing pathway adjacent to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The other will connect on the opposite side of Mad Tea Party into the pathway leading to Fantasia Gardens.
Each entrance and exit to Wonderland will have its own unique story to tell. The Main Street U.S.A entrance will transport guests through the hedge and into the Queen of Hearts' royal courtyard and directly next to INSERT NAME OF MAZE. The eastern Fantasyland entrance will be a whimsical tunnel through the hedge complete with lush landscaping and spectacular detail. The western most Fantasyland entrance will allow the guests to "fall" down the rabbit hole directly beside Alice's English cottage. And finally, the Tomorrowland entrance will transport guests through time into Wonderland. This transition is important, because the Tomorrowland facing side of the hedge will include modern, futuristic and metal accents that complement Tomorrowland's theme. Overall, these transitions are important, because they will further immerse guests in the world of Wonderland.
Location:
Wonderland will mostly take over space that was previously occupied by Tomorrowland. The Tomorrowland Speedway and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café will close in preparation for the construction of Wonderland and Fantasia Gardens and these two highly immersive Fantasyland additions will be built on top of them.
Attractions:
Alice's Curious Journey: An Adventure Through Wonderland
The headlining attraction of Wonderland is Alice's Curious Journey: An Adventure Through Wonderland. This unique, trackless attraction will put guests in the middle of the action of the beloved 1951 animated feature. Here at Hufflepuff Imagineering, our team has decided to evoke the film's spirit of discovery, whimsicality, imagination and adventure. Meant for the entire family, this attraction is sure to delight park guests.
Due to Magic Kingdom being raised up a story, attractions at Walt Disney World's first theme park are given the opportunity to be sunken into the ground without having to deal with the harsh Florida swamp lands. As long as the Utilizers don't get in the way, this can improve sight lines inside the park and can increase the footprint of the attraction without taking up guest walking space. For this reason, Alice's Curious Journey will be sunken into the ground by about 10 feet. Due to project leaders wanting to play with multiple levels for this attraction, this is a necessary move in order to prevent the show building from growing to high.
Facade:
The show building will be surrounded by Wonderland style rock work with vines, branches, roots and flowers intertwined. Guests will enter the attraction through the rock work and begin their adventure through Wonderland!
Queue:
Once guests enter through the facade's rock work, they travel through many caves before emerging into a beautiful courtyard. It is important to note that the caves will bring guests below the main level of the Magic Kingdom onto the floor of the show building. The clearing, evoking Wonderland's whimsical landscaping and architecture, will hold the majority of the queue. Once guests have moved past the clearing, they'll enter what looks like the rabbit hole.
Loading Area:
The loading area is themed to a section of the interior of the rabbit hole. Guests will board their vehicles in groups of four, meaning four vehicles can be loaded at a time and will depart simultaneously.
Vehicles:
Alice's Curious Journey: An Adventure Through Wonderland is one of the two trackless attractions in the newest Fantasyland expansion. However, the vehicles in this attraction aren't the typical round, bulky trackless vehicles.
Theming:
Surrounding all of Wonderland will be a 25 foot tall hedge. In corporate into this landscaping masterpiece will be roots, vines, flowers and small easter eggs that fans of the film can look for. There will be four entrances/exits to Wonderland. One from the hub near INSERT NAME OF MAZE, one on the south side directly next to Mickey's Star Traders, and two from Fantasyland near Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. One will connect directly to the existing pathway adjacent to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The other will connect on the opposite side of Mad Tea Party into the pathway leading to Fantasia Gardens.
Each entrance and exit to Wonderland will have its own unique story to tell. The Main Street U.S.A entrance will transport guests through the hedge and into the Queen of Hearts' royal courtyard and directly next to INSERT NAME OF MAZE. The eastern Fantasyland entrance will be a whimsical tunnel through the hedge complete with lush landscaping and spectacular detail. The western most Fantasyland entrance will allow the guests to "fall" down the rabbit hole directly beside Alice's English cottage. And finally, the Tomorrowland entrance will transport guests through time into Wonderland. This transition is important, because the Tomorrowland facing side of the hedge will include modern, futuristic and metal accents that complement Tomorrowland's theme. Overall, these transitions are important, because they will further immerse guests in the world of Wonderland.
Location:
Wonderland will mostly take over space that was previously occupied by Tomorrowland. The Tomorrowland Speedway and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café will close in preparation for the construction of Wonderland and Fantasia Gardens and these two highly immersive Fantasyland additions will be built on top of them.
Attractions:
Alice's Curious Journey: An Adventure Through Wonderland
The headlining attraction of Wonderland is Alice's Curious Journey: An Adventure Through Wonderland. This unique, trackless attraction will put guests in the middle of the action of the beloved 1951 animated feature. Here at Hufflepuff Imagineering, our team has decided to evoke the film's spirit of discovery, whimsicality, imagination and adventure. Meant for the entire family, this attraction is sure to delight park guests.
Due to Magic Kingdom being raised up a story, attractions at Walt Disney World's first theme park are given the opportunity to be sunken into the ground without having to deal with the harsh Florida swamp lands. As long as the Utilizers don't get in the way, this can improve sight lines inside the park and can increase the footprint of the attraction without taking up guest walking space. For this reason, Alice's Curious Journey will be sunken into the ground by about 10 feet. Due to project leaders wanting to play with multiple levels for this attraction, this is a necessary move in order to prevent the show building from growing to high.
Facade:
The show building will be surrounded by Wonderland style rock work with vines, branches, roots and flowers intertwined. Guests will enter the attraction through the rock work and begin their adventure through Wonderland!
Queue:
Once guests enter through the facade's rock work, they travel through many caves before emerging into a beautiful courtyard. It is important to note that the caves will bring guests below the main level of the Magic Kingdom onto the floor of the show building. The clearing, evoking Wonderland's whimsical landscaping and architecture, will hold the majority of the queue. Once guests have moved past the clearing, they'll enter what looks like the rabbit hole.
Loading Area:
The loading area is themed to a section of the interior of the rabbit hole. Guests will board their vehicles in groups of four, meaning four vehicles can be loaded at a time and will depart simultaneously.
Vehicles:
Alice's Curious Journey: An Adventure Through Wonderland is one of the two trackless attractions in the newest Fantasyland expansion. However, the vehicles in this attraction aren't the typical round, bulky trackless vehicles.
In fact, these vehicles are extremely close to Disneyland's vehicles. Guests will sit in a car themed to a caterpillar. Each caterpillar seats three rows of two people, making the capacity of each vehicle 6. The caterpillars also sit on top of a motion base, allowing for gentle movements (not enough to require a heigh restriction). As mentioned above, four vehicles will board at once and depart simultaneously, leaving the station roughly about every 30 seconds. This means the capacity of this ride is about 2,880 riders per hour.
Ride Experience:
Scene 1:
Guests depart the loading area and the four vehicles enter another area of the rabbit hole with a tall ceiling. The the four vehicles form a circle, while the motion base tilts up slightly to reveal Alice falling down the Rabbit Hole. The effect is completed by the use of a screen above the guests' heads. However, shortly before Alice falls to the ground the room goes dark and the vehicles leave the room.
Scene 2:
In the next room, guests see Alice at a door (a screen mixed in with practical sets). The vehicles stop in a straight line, facing Alice. However, she exclaims to the guests that she saw a white rabbit and needs to follow it. She begins to cry, flooding the room with her tears (this effect is done with the use of projection mapping technology). It is at this point that the motion base begins to move the vehicles as if they are bobbing up and down on the water. Alice drinks from a vile marked "Drink Me" and begins to shrink. Using highly advanced projection technology, the guests shrink with Alice. The vehicles continue to bob up and down as the caterpillars begin to spin and move on through the door's keyhole and into the next scene.
Scene 3:
In the next scene, guests emerge to find an Alice animatronic to the left of them. Suddenly, the sees the white rabbit and a "mad" chase ensues. Passing by practical sets of wonderland. Due to guests being the size of an insect from Alice's potion, the scenery around the vehicles is giant! Guests are then stopped in their tracks by Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum before moving into the next scene.
Scene 4:
Still extremely small, the four vehicles emerge inside a gigantic house, more specifically the White Rabbit's house. When a large White Rabbit animatronic appears, mistaking guests and another Alice animatronic (tiny sized) as maids. However, Alice eats a cookie allowing her to grow. In addition, the vehicles and guests begin to "grow" as well. This effect is pulled off through projection effects, strategic lighting and a unique set that shrinks as guests move up the elevator (similar to the magic mirror in Enchanted Tales with Belle, but on a much larger scale). Guests are now inside an elevator and "grow" to normal size and after the effect is complete, guests are inside of a normal sized house. The vehicles then depart through the door, now on the second level of the attraction.
Scene 5:
Guests then encounter the Caterpillar, as they travel through the luscious gardens of Wonderland. The vehicles swirl around the Caterpillar and an animatronic Alice as he gives Alice and the guests some vital knowledge on how to find the White Rabbit. Then, the vehicles move into the next scene.
Scene 6:
Now, in a similar scene to the last, guests come across the Cheshire Cat. He tells them to go meet the Mad Hatter at his Mad Tea Party to celebrate Alice's unbirthday. Once again, this is a shorter scene.
Scene 7:
Guests now emerge outside, under a rock overhang. The vehicles overlook the main pathways of Wonderland with park guests down below. Through the vehicle's speakers, guests hear Alice asking "Where is the Mad Hatter?" "Could someone help me find the Mad Hatter?" "Where is the mad tea party?". All the while, the vehicles are twisting and turning. Next, they re-enter the show building.
Scene 8:
Now, Alice has found the Mad Tea Party! This is the large room in the attraction that is one of the qualities that most trackless attractions have. The group of four vehicles join another group of 4 vehicles (for just a brief amount of time) that were previously dispatched in intertwining, dancing and celebrating Alice's unbirthday. The Mad Hatter (an animatronic) is in the center of the room singing and making jokes. Once the other group of vehicles depart, a White Rabbit animatronic appears. However, the Mad Hatter destroys the Rabbit's pocket watch and ejects the White Rabbit from the party. Now fed up, we hear Alice's voice say "I'm fed up with all of this nonsense. Now, I just want to find a way home". They now leave the party.
Scene 9:
Now trying to get home, the vehicles pass an animatronic Alice lost in the Tulgey Wood. This is a much creepier scene, so we hear Alice say "This place is terrifying!" The Cheshire Cat appears and tells Alice to go to the Queen of Hearts' hedge maze, where the Queen will help Alice return home.
Scene 10:
Now in the Queen's hedge maze, Alice enrages the Queen of Hearts while laying a game of croquet. Therefore, the vehicles "roll" down a hill while spinning to return to the first floor of the attraction. We hear the Queen order Alice's execution. This ensues a fast-paced chase through Wonderland where we hear various Wonderland characters behind us giving chase. Then, guests arrive at the door ****, the door opens and guests enter the unloading area, saved from persecution in Wonderland.
Unloading Area
The unloading area is themed to a luscious nook of Wonderland. Guests depart the attraction and exit through the main Wonderland gift shop.
Mad Tea Party
Mad Tea Party, the park's tea cup flat ride, will stay roughly the same. The only changes made will be thematic changes. To to the ride's extremely proximity to the hedge that separates Wonderland from the rest of Fantasyland, the hedge will be landscaped to hang over the entirety of the attraction. The hedge will hide steel beams that will allow lanterns and streamers to be hung from the hedge. This will allow for a much more natural feel to the attraction (much more similar to Disneyland's version), but will also protect the attraction from rain.
Queen of Hearts' Royal Labyrinth
Welcome to the Queen of Hearts' Royal Labyrinth. This walkthrough attraction is inspired by Disneyland's Paris' Alice's Curious Labyrinth and will allow guests to immerse themselves in the Queen's hedge maze. The hedge maze with then lead to the Queen of Hearts' castle, where they can climb to the top of the tower, offering beautiful views of Wonderland and the Magic Kingdom.
This attraction will take the place of Merida's current meet and greet, as Merida is moving to Princess Fairytale Hall as part of the expansion.
Dining:
Wonderland Banquet Hall
Welcome to the signature table service venue of Wonderland! This restaurant will be the re-themed from Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and will offer various cuisines.
In addition, the restaurant will have multiple dining rooms, such as the Queen of Hearts' Castle near the Queen of Hearts' Royal Labyrinth or the rabbit hole near Alice's Curious Journey. This experience is sure to delight guests and will most certainly bring much needed table service capacity to the park.
Cheshire Café
This dining location will remain unchanged in the expansion, except for minor thematic upgrades.
Shopping:
Wonderland Emporium
The Wonderland Emporium is the Magic Kingdom's retail location for all things Alice. Merchandise available ranges from Alice in Wonderland specific to general Walt Disney World merchandise.
Ride Experience:
Scene 1:
Guests depart the loading area and the four vehicles enter another area of the rabbit hole with a tall ceiling. The the four vehicles form a circle, while the motion base tilts up slightly to reveal Alice falling down the Rabbit Hole. The effect is completed by the use of a screen above the guests' heads. However, shortly before Alice falls to the ground the room goes dark and the vehicles leave the room.
Scene 2:
In the next room, guests see Alice at a door (a screen mixed in with practical sets). The vehicles stop in a straight line, facing Alice. However, she exclaims to the guests that she saw a white rabbit and needs to follow it. She begins to cry, flooding the room with her tears (this effect is done with the use of projection mapping technology). It is at this point that the motion base begins to move the vehicles as if they are bobbing up and down on the water. Alice drinks from a vile marked "Drink Me" and begins to shrink. Using highly advanced projection technology, the guests shrink with Alice. The vehicles continue to bob up and down as the caterpillars begin to spin and move on through the door's keyhole and into the next scene.
Scene 3:
In the next scene, guests emerge to find an Alice animatronic to the left of them. Suddenly, the sees the white rabbit and a "mad" chase ensues. Passing by practical sets of wonderland. Due to guests being the size of an insect from Alice's potion, the scenery around the vehicles is giant! Guests are then stopped in their tracks by Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum before moving into the next scene.
Scene 4:
Still extremely small, the four vehicles emerge inside a gigantic house, more specifically the White Rabbit's house. When a large White Rabbit animatronic appears, mistaking guests and another Alice animatronic (tiny sized) as maids. However, Alice eats a cookie allowing her to grow. In addition, the vehicles and guests begin to "grow" as well. This effect is pulled off through projection effects, strategic lighting and a unique set that shrinks as guests move up the elevator (similar to the magic mirror in Enchanted Tales with Belle, but on a much larger scale). Guests are now inside an elevator and "grow" to normal size and after the effect is complete, guests are inside of a normal sized house. The vehicles then depart through the door, now on the second level of the attraction.
Scene 5:
Guests then encounter the Caterpillar, as they travel through the luscious gardens of Wonderland. The vehicles swirl around the Caterpillar and an animatronic Alice as he gives Alice and the guests some vital knowledge on how to find the White Rabbit. Then, the vehicles move into the next scene.
Scene 6:
Now, in a similar scene to the last, guests come across the Cheshire Cat. He tells them to go meet the Mad Hatter at his Mad Tea Party to celebrate Alice's unbirthday. Once again, this is a shorter scene.
Scene 7:
Guests now emerge outside, under a rock overhang. The vehicles overlook the main pathways of Wonderland with park guests down below. Through the vehicle's speakers, guests hear Alice asking "Where is the Mad Hatter?" "Could someone help me find the Mad Hatter?" "Where is the mad tea party?". All the while, the vehicles are twisting and turning. Next, they re-enter the show building.
Scene 8:
Now, Alice has found the Mad Tea Party! This is the large room in the attraction that is one of the qualities that most trackless attractions have. The group of four vehicles join another group of 4 vehicles (for just a brief amount of time) that were previously dispatched in intertwining, dancing and celebrating Alice's unbirthday. The Mad Hatter (an animatronic) is in the center of the room singing and making jokes. Once the other group of vehicles depart, a White Rabbit animatronic appears. However, the Mad Hatter destroys the Rabbit's pocket watch and ejects the White Rabbit from the party. Now fed up, we hear Alice's voice say "I'm fed up with all of this nonsense. Now, I just want to find a way home". They now leave the party.
Scene 9:
Now trying to get home, the vehicles pass an animatronic Alice lost in the Tulgey Wood. This is a much creepier scene, so we hear Alice say "This place is terrifying!" The Cheshire Cat appears and tells Alice to go to the Queen of Hearts' hedge maze, where the Queen will help Alice return home.
Scene 10:
Now in the Queen's hedge maze, Alice enrages the Queen of Hearts while laying a game of croquet. Therefore, the vehicles "roll" down a hill while spinning to return to the first floor of the attraction. We hear the Queen order Alice's execution. This ensues a fast-paced chase through Wonderland where we hear various Wonderland characters behind us giving chase. Then, guests arrive at the door ****, the door opens and guests enter the unloading area, saved from persecution in Wonderland.
Unloading Area
The unloading area is themed to a luscious nook of Wonderland. Guests depart the attraction and exit through the main Wonderland gift shop.
Mad Tea Party
Mad Tea Party, the park's tea cup flat ride, will stay roughly the same. The only changes made will be thematic changes. To to the ride's extremely proximity to the hedge that separates Wonderland from the rest of Fantasyland, the hedge will be landscaped to hang over the entirety of the attraction. The hedge will hide steel beams that will allow lanterns and streamers to be hung from the hedge. This will allow for a much more natural feel to the attraction (much more similar to Disneyland's version), but will also protect the attraction from rain.
Queen of Hearts' Royal Labyrinth
Welcome to the Queen of Hearts' Royal Labyrinth. This walkthrough attraction is inspired by Disneyland's Paris' Alice's Curious Labyrinth and will allow guests to immerse themselves in the Queen's hedge maze. The hedge maze with then lead to the Queen of Hearts' castle, where they can climb to the top of the tower, offering beautiful views of Wonderland and the Magic Kingdom.
This attraction will take the place of Merida's current meet and greet, as Merida is moving to Princess Fairytale Hall as part of the expansion.
Dining:
Wonderland Banquet Hall
Welcome to the signature table service venue of Wonderland! This restaurant will be the re-themed from Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and will offer various cuisines.
In addition, the restaurant will have multiple dining rooms, such as the Queen of Hearts' Castle near the Queen of Hearts' Royal Labyrinth or the rabbit hole near Alice's Curious Journey. This experience is sure to delight guests and will most certainly bring much needed table service capacity to the park.
Cheshire Café
This dining location will remain unchanged in the expansion, except for minor thematic upgrades.
Shopping:
Wonderland Emporium
The Wonderland Emporium is the Magic Kingdom's retail location for all things Alice. Merchandise available ranges from Alice in Wonderland specific to general Walt Disney World merchandise.