New Fantasyland (The Enchanted Forest at Disney’s Magic Kingdom)
New Fantasyland, also called the Enchanted Forest, is an extension of Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom. This article discusses the rides, dining options, characters, and shopping in this area. For the record, this area of the park opened well over a decade ago. At the time it was built, the land was referred to as New Fantasyland, which comprised The Enchanted Forest and Storybook Circus. These days, most people refer to “New Fantasyland” as just Fantasyland.
That said, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was this land’s premier attraction and still often carries one of the longest wait times in the park. We cover Storybook Circus in another article. That connected land is home to Pete’s Silly Sideshow, Dumbo-the Flying Elephant, The Barnstormer, Casey Jr’s Soak Station, Big Top Souvenirs, and Fantasyland Station, a stop on the Walt Disney World Railroad. For this article, we’ll focus on the specifics of The Enchanted Forest in New Fantasyland. Most will agree this area of the park is enchanting, even if you had no idea it was called The Enchanted Forest in the first place.
New Fantasyland – The Enchanted Forest
Here is a list of attractions and other items we’ll cover for this land:
New Fantasyland Attractions
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
Dining in New Fantasyland
- Be Our Guest
- Gaston’s Tavern
- Maurice’s Amazing Popping Machine
- Prince Eric’s Village Market
Meet and Greets
- Ariel
Shops
- Bonjour Village Gifts
New Fantasyland Attractions
New Fantasyland has a couple of popular attractions in addition to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. However, if you’re scrolling through the My Disney Experience app, these attractions all fall under the Fantasyland location.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a mild roller coaster attraction. It sits at the front of New Fantasyland, across the walkway from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Each passenger vehicle on the Mine Train looks like a barrel. This is because it is suspended, allowing it to sway back and forth, adding a surprise element to the ride.
Once you set off in the mine car, you’ll be whisked away over the mountain, through the woods, and…you guessed it–down into the mine. Here, you’ll see the Seven Dwarfs hard at work mining for jewels. From there, you’ll ascend out of the mine and can take in brief glimpses of surrounding Fantasyland, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, and the Beast’s castle in the distance.
Before you know it, you’ll race around the mountain and back to the Seven Dwarfs’ cottage. Here, you can peer inside and see Snow White dancing with her friends. But be careful; the old hag is knocking at the front door! That said, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is not scary, and it’s a great step-up attraction from a kiddie coaster like Goofy’s Barnstormer. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has a 38″ height requirement and offers Rider Switch.
Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid is a slow-moving attraction that sits toward the back of The Enchanted Forest. A ship featuring a wooden carving of Ariel sits outside the attraction’s entrance.
Fun Facts–Prince Eric’s castle sits adjacent to the exterior of Journey of the Little Mermaid’s queue. It is one of only a few castles at Walt Disney World.
Once you reach the inside, the area features an interactive queue where you help the crabs sort out Scuttle’s collection.
As you continue into the caves under Prince Eric’s Castle, you’ll encounter a secret passage that travels under the sea! Here, you’ll board a slow-moving clamshell to experience the ride.
Ariel is featured throughout the ride in various scenes from The Little Mermaid.
You’ll also run into Ursula, Prince Eric, Sebastian, and others.
Overall, we almost always take a spin on this attraction while we’re in the area! We have a complete ride review for more details about this attraction.
Related: Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid Ride
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Enchanted Tales with Belle is a must-do attraction for fans of Belle or Beauty and the Beast. This attraction is a walk-through story of sorts that’s unique to Magic Kingdom.
First, you’ll step inside Belle and Maurice’s cottage. Once inside, you’re magically transported to the Beast’s castle via a magic mirror. Any children who want to participate are welcome and encouraged to take part in the play.
After parts are assigned, you’ll enter the Beast’s library. Shhh! Nobody is supposed to know you’re there! Lumiere then appears and introduces Belle, who helps tell the story of the day she and the Beast fell in love. A PhotoPass photographer is present and will provide guests with photo cards of the pictures taken during the story. For more details, we have an entire walk-through of Enchanted Tales with Belle. It has photos and videos of this experience. Note that this attraction often closes earlier than the rest of the park.
Dining in New Fantasyland
The Enchanted Forest of New Fantasyland offers a few dining spots, including one exceptionally famous table service restaurant, Be Our Guest.
Be Our Guest
Be Our Guest restaurant is the most popular dining reservation at Magic Kingdom. Almost everyone wants to dine in the Beast’s castle. Over the years, the menu and overall experience at Be Our Guest have changed considerably. Initially, the restaurant offered an à la carte menu comparable to fine dining during dinner service. Both of those meal periods are now prix fixe menus, requiring guests to pay one price for a choice of an appetizer, entree, and dessert. So while we still think everyone should have the opportunity to dine in the castle at least once, most are not a fan of the dining requirements.
Be Our Guest consists of three dining rooms with multiple seating areas: the Grand Ballroom, the Castle Gallery, and the West Wing.
While Be Our Guest is not classified as character dining, the Beast often makes appearances. However, he is not guaranteed and only walks through the restaurant and waves to guests from a distance. Of course, if you want to dine with the Disney Princesses, you might consider a meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table. This restaurant is located at the base of Cinderella Castle and offers a distinct dining experience.
Gaston’s Tavern
Gaston’s Tavern is a fun, quick-service restaurant that sits toward the back of New Fantasyland. FYI– a pair of restrooms sits immediately behind this area.
Gaston’s is primarily known for Le Fou’s Brew, a frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow flavor. Additionally, you can pick up a giant cinnamon roll at the tavern. Often, I see guests sharing the warm cinnamon roll. Word of warning: they are quite sizable and appear to be a decent value for the price. You can get Lefou’s Brew served in a souvenir stein or a regular cup. We’ve also enjoyed the Ham and Gruyère cheese sandwich and the creme brulee croissant at this location. (Both are so good!)
Inside Gaston’s Tavern, you’ll see a large portrait of the villain hanging above the mantle.
A huge chair for someone roughly the size of a barge sits nearby. I probably wouldn’t sit there!
You may remember he uses antlers in all of his decorating. If you’ve never stepped inside Gaston’s Tavern, you really must on your next visit. It has impeccable theming.
Maurice’s Amazing Popping Machine
Maurice’s Amazing Popping Machine is another fun contraption, I mean, snack cart that sits near Gaston’s Tavern. This location sells popcorn and a few other treats.
Prince Eric’s Village Market
Across from Journey of the Little Mermaid, we see Prince Eric’s Village Market. This is a popular location because they sell turkey legs.
In addition to turkey legs, they also have jumbo pretzels (not the Mickey-shaped ones), frozen slushies, fresh fruit cups, and pickles. Of course, several other dining options are available nearby in Fantasyland, like Pinocchio’s Village Haus, Storybook Treats, and Friar Nooks.
Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
Ariel, the Little Mermaid, meets at Ariel’s Grotto in New Fantasyland. This permanent location is open most of the day, but it usually closes by 8:00 p.m. You’ll want to check the My Disney Experience app for the exact times on the day of your visit.
Ariel is a talking character who signs autographs. You can ask her about Prince Eric, Sebastian, or her friend Flounder. One time, she asked me if I had a dinglehopper to comb my hair!
Bonjour Village Gifts
Across the walkway from Gaston’s Tavern sits Bonjour Village Gifts. This used-to-be charming store now offers an assortment of items with constantly changing merchandise.
Previously, this store was Beauty and the Beast-themed, offering everything from dishes to fine art. Now, things tend to change out fairly regularly.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you enjoyed our tour of The Enchanted Forest and New Fantasyland. This area offers classic rides, a fun character meet, and several unique dining options. For more on the park, see our guide to Magic Kingdom. We’re always exploring what’s new around Walt Disney World! Stop by Resorts Gal again soon for the latest!
In the Comments
What do you think of New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom? Is it one of your favorite lands? Let us know in the comments below.
