Today at Disneyland: Fantasy Faire Preview

We headed out to Disneyland this morning for the last day of Annual Passholder Previews for Disneyland's new Fantasy Faire.

When we arrived we were able to check in quickly and obtain wristbands for the 2:00 time slot.

While awaiting our turn in Fantasy Faire, we enjoyed lunch at Rancho Del Zocalo and walked around taking in the park's gorgeous flowers. It's been a rainy week, but it was beautiful at the park today:

Soon enough it was time to get in line!

The lovely view as we entered:

Having seen sketches and models of Fantasy Faire in the Blue Sky Cellar, it was a lot of fun to see it completed. Fantasy Faire is very pretty, with lots of attractive details, yet there is still a bit of a "Carnation Plaza Gardens" feel to the area. For instance, the interior of the old bandstand, now called the Royal Theatre, hasn't really changed other than some decorative drapes and lamps:

The gray and white floor, which can been seen in a couple of these historic photographs, is still there, and a welcome sight for someone who has a lot of happy memories of Carnation Gardens.

There are many fun touches in the area, such as an animatronic Figaro the Cat napping on a window ledge:

Unfortunately Figaro never woke up while we were visiting today; video of Figaro in action is on YouTube.

The Rapunzel pole in the center of Fantasy Faire:

The tower lights up at night, as can be seen in a series of photos of Fantasy Faire at night posted at Dland Live.

The lighting wasn't right to get a good shot of the "CPG" crest which pays tribute to Carnation Plaza Gardens; it's part of the center tower in this photo:

The crest can be seen among the extensive photos posted this week at MiceChat.

Some of the nice details around the area:

The Royal Hall provides an area for little ones to meet their favorite Princesses:

Clopin's Music Box is a clever feature; unfortunately the glass front and the angle of the sun made it difficult to photograph today:

The Rapunzel show in the Royal Theatre lasted approximately 20-25 minutes and was quite well done, with a talented cast. The small fry seated up front were, shall we say, enchanted, and there were some nice "in" jokes for the adults, including a reference to Disneyland's famous "back side of water."

We're looking forward to seeing the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST show which will alternate with Rapunzel.

Maurice's Treats serves a Boysen Apple Freeze, which is a variation on the popular Red's Apple Freeze sold at the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land, along with a handful of snack items. We shared a Chocolate Twist to try one out and liked it.

In sum, Fantasy Faire is a very pleasant, thoughtfully designed area.  I'd like to see more benches added once the opening crowds have settled down, and I hope it's open in the evenings, as it would be a lovely place to relax after a busy day.  I also hope that eventually they will tone down the "1955 Fantasyland" pink of the Royal Theatre so that it blends in better with the "1983 New Fantasyland" colors of the rest of the buildings in Fantasy Faire.

One more beautiful view as we left the park this afternoon: