Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast dark ride takes top bill

AT: Tim Baldwin

TOKYO — Asian theme parks were among the first to experience closures owing to the COVID-19 crisis. Since those first shutdowns, all Disney parks have reopened with the exception of the two parks in California. Guests clamoring for some Disney magic are finding it in big servings at Tokyo Disneyland.

On September 28, the largest expansion in the history of Tokyo Disney Resort made its debut. New additions stretching across three lands not only included new attractions, but also restaurants, shops and more entertainment to engage guests in a grand way.

With three years in development, the most elaborate of them all is Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast. Housed within the enormous structure stylized to the Beast’s castle is a delightful queue, a captivating preshow in stained glass atop a beautiful staircase and a dark ride in which guests board bowls and saucers to be whisked away through various scenes in a retelling of the Oscar-nominated movie.

“Dark rides have been a part of the Disney experience since the opening of the very first Disneyland in 1955. They’ve evolved significantly both technically and experientially since then, but the focus on story and bringing these stories to life for our guests continues to be our priority,” said WDI Executive Creative Director, Ted Robledo. 

The looming castle housing all the fun is intricately themed throughout. As guests enter, the corridors that form the queue provide glimpses into the happenings in the castle and feature characters that are quick to elicit smiles from both young and old.

Once in the main room, groups are socially distanced for the preshow. As lights dim and the movie’s soundtrack escalates, eyes are drawn to the stained-glass window at the top of the staircase. The window comes alive with images summarizing the prologue, followed by heroine Belle and the Beast emerging on upper-floor balconies via impressive animatronics.

After doorways open, detailed hallways allow guests to see the castle kitchen as they are guided to the ride loading area. A grouping of trackless ride vehicles rounds a corner. Each “bowl” seats 10 passengers with a front row of four and a back row of six. Plexiglass currently separates riders during the pandemic. With a chorus of “Be Our Guest,” six vehicles are dispatched at once.

Riders enter a dining room to see Belle sitting at a long, empty table. Bowls turn toward Lumiere for a moment only to turn to see dancing objects now on the table. As passengers turn to take notice of dancing dishes in cabinets, they rotate back to see the same table now overloaded with food, enchanted objects and more. The scene culminates with passengers in their bowls dancing and gliding around the room.

“Unique to this ride is the vehicle that moves and ‘dances’ with the music of the show, connecting our guests to the songs and story they love like never before,” said Robledo. “In some scenes, the vehicles dance and move as a group, further enhancing the experience of celebrating the music together as a shared experience. Not only do the vehicles carry our guests to characters and moments in the story, but they also bring guests in different vehicles together by coordinating moments where they come together like two dancers would. We like to think that what we’ve achieved with Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast is not just a ‘ride,’ but a ‘ride musical.’”

Transitions between scenes continue to tell the tale. Those familiar with the story — and who isn’t? — embrace the surroundings, whether it be eavesdropping on the twosome falling in love, the villagers storming the castle or the moment when the Beast transforms back into the prince. The latter is particularly impressive in a multi-sensory illusion. Just as he transforms, the castle around the riders is also magically restored. To try to pinpoint the techniques in which it is done is stripping away the magic; passengers just take it in.

“Along with our sophisticated and life-like characters, our illusions team have created moments where not only do characters transform, but entire spaces as well,” Robledo told Amusement Today. “In other scenes of the ride, we combine traditional theatrical and illusion techniques, visually and audibly, with the latest technology to bring the enchanted objects and areas of the castle to life from the very first moment they enter the castle. In a sense, the attraction —character moments, atmosphere, and environment — starts in the queue and doesn’t end until the guests leave their vehicles.”

The final room allows the six bowls of guests into the grand ballroom where riders in their dishes dance along with the beloved couple and around the ballroom. The animatronics here are notably impressive as onlookers can see the prince’s legs dance. 

“One of the pillars of the Beauty and the Beast film is the music and lyrics written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Nearly 30 years after the original film was released, the music they created remains a key component to the storytelling,” said WDI Executive Creative Director for Music John Dennis. “When we started the project, we knew the music had to deliver the same spirit and feeling as the original film music.”  

Once moved into a garden, the bowls rotate to the unloading station. From preshow to ride finale, the experience is around 15 minutes, with close to eight minutes being in the dark ride itself. The attraction is on the Fastpass system and also offers a single rider line.

As outstanding as it is, the dark ride is just one of the new additions. The themed surroundings outside the Beast’s castle let people see villagers as well as Maurice’s cottage. Guests enter first at the village, and the roadway travels into the forest where the Beast’s castle stands almost 100 feet, towering above it all.

“The music team was also presented a few unique opportunities in the attraction,” said Dennis. “Unlike the film, in this experience the guests get to spend some time outside the castle near the forest then make their way through the castle before Belle arrives.  Arranger Mike Tavera adapted and arranged the music in these areas to set the mood for the guests as they first see the Beast’s Castle and then make their way through the castle until we come upon Belle and we all meet the Beast for the first time.”

The entire Beauty and the Beast area, while supposedly an extension of Fantasy Land, stretches into a midway of its own. However, Tomorrowland and Toontown also boast something new.

Happy Ride with Baymax is the first attraction to be themed to the movie Big Hero 6. Much like Alien Swirling Saucers at Walt Disney World’s Disney Hollywood Studios, guests are spun and whipped in circles. As with the variation in Orlando, this new addition to Tomorrowland was supplied by Zamperla. Lights in the ceiling “scan” for happiness.

Other additions include Minnie’s Style Studio in the park’s Toontown section. Inside, guests can do a meet and greet with the famous mouse as she creates her own flair in her fashions. As guests enter, they see magazine covers on display featuring the mouse fashionista. Visitors hoping for a photo op can soak it all in when they get to meet Minnie herself.

Village Shoppes feature La Belle Librairie, Little Town Traders and Bonjour Gifts. Guests will recognize details from the movie in the library and will also recognize music from the movie. Inside Little Town Traders, village craftspeople sell their wares, including handmade toys, candlesticks and dishware. Bonjour Gifts is a clothing store.

In terms of food, La Taverne De Gaston offers indoor dining nearby Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast. True to the setting, the menu is French. The counter service restaurant seats about 200 guests and is decorated like the tavern from the famed film. Adjacent to it is Le Fou’s. This small outlet sells a single item: apple caramel churros. Tokyo Disneyland Resort is well known for its flavored popcorns (to where the park even offers a map of all the locations!). A French-themed popper is in place, bringing the total of specialized popcorn outlets in the park to 16. Among them is a larger new outlet, Big Pop. Located in Tomorrowland, it sports a cosmic vibe and is the first shop themed specifically to popcorn.

Prior to the global pandemic, the resort had hoped to open the new additions in April. Among them were Fantasyland Forest Theater, set to host performances of the new show, “Mickey’s Magical Music World.” However, owing to the health crisis, the indoor theater is the remaining component yet to open.

Having been permitted to reopen at the beginning of July, Tokyo Disneyland now delivers the goods to entice devoted fans to return to the park once again.

This article appears in the 
NOVEMBER 2020 Pre-IAAPA issue
of Amusement Today.
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