Cottage of the Seven Dwarfs

The Snow White story in Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris continues in the shop next door to the attraction, La Chaumière des Sept Nains. The first portion of the store is inspired by the Queen's castle, with heavy stone work and carved columns that echo the look of the nearby queue. You may even notice the apple motif in the Gothic chandeliers here.

Step through the arches, and you'll enter the world of the seven dwarfs, beginning with this diminutive suit of armor.

Straight ahead is the cottage of the dwarfs themselves. It's a beautifully rendered "outdoor" environment that serves as a transition between the two distinct spaces of the shop. Look back, and you'll see the exterior of the Queen's castle. Ahead is the cottage, complete with thatched roof and heart shutters as seen in the 1937 animated feature.

The little wooden bridge crosses a stream toward the cottage, where you'll discover some of the forest animals helping Snow White with the laundry.

Inside the cottage are other details that further tell the story of the dwarfs. There are more reminders of the film, like the heavy candle chandelier and the seven little beds (holding plush of course; not sure how I ended up without a picture of them). Up in the rafters, you'll even spot a selection of mining tools. My favorite? The pickax with the sock on it!

Good vs Evil / Light vs Dark

One corner of Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris looks considerably more dark and menacing than the rest. This area, inspired by the Black Forest region of Germany, brings to life the Brothers Grimm tale of Snow White. Here, the attraction is known simply as Blanche Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and doesn't have the word "scary" in its title like it does in the States. Instead, the designers used visual clues to let Guests know they could be in for a fright.

Approaching the entrance, the marquee with the carved faces of Snow White & Co. is juxtaposed with sculpted skulls and ravens. Just overhead, the Queen peers down on us from her upstairs window.

As it is in the Snow White film, the attraction presents a contrast between dark and light. A warning about the Wicked Witch comes just before a stone column capped with images of playful squirrels from the woods. A beautiful stained glass chandelier, upon closer inspection, reveals images of a poison apple and a dagger piercing a heart.

The castle-like interior of the queue space is, for the most part, inviting. In one corner, though, is a scene of the Queen's dungeon, complete with her spell book and the box she gave the Huntsman.

Soon, a carriage approaches to take us into the boundless realm of the supernatural... (Wait. Sorry. Wrong attraction.)

The carved wooden benches which carry us on our journey with Snow White are each named for one of the seven little men. We step aboard and glide past a mural to enter the forest for the story. (Curiously, the mural depicts both the Queen and the Witch together.)

Again, the attraction experience is very similar to the other Snow White dark rides around the world. In the end, good triumphs over evil, and everyone lives happily ever after!

Pinocchio Village

In Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris, the Italian-inspired tale of Pinocchio extends well beyond the dark-ride attraction, creating an entire village of charming cottages. Located near the exit of the attraction is La Bottega di Geppetto ("bottega" is Italian for "shop," of course). Inside Geppetto's workshop, you'll find dozens of hand-carved toys and cuckoo clocks, including several examples straight from the film.

Pulled up along the side of a road near the outskirts of the village is this colorful wagon. The vendor may be offering soft pretzels by day, but a look at the door on the side of the wagon reveals who calls this his (mobile) home - Stromboli!

Around the bend, we come into the main part of the village, a collection of buildings comprising Au Chalet de la Marionnette restaurant.

Similar to the Pinocchio Village Haus at the Magic Kingdom Park, this restaurant is divided into sections representing different shops, taverns and other places in the town. The counter service area of the restaurant is more open and meant to depict the town square, with colorful tapestries strung from building to building obscuring the view of the sky.

Throughout the restaurant, artwork in the form of carvings, sculpture and murals continue to tell the story of the little wooden boy and his adventures.

Some fun bits in the artwork include the little gingerbread donkey boys in the Pleasure Island mural (above) and Figaro by the "Exit" sign (below). Fans familiar with the Village Haus Restaurant at Disneyland may know the story of how a similar "Exit" sign there was installed off center. Rather than redo it, the Imagineers on the project painted an image of Figaro the cat, pulling the sign with a rope. Here in Paris, the sign was installed correctly, and Figaro couldn't be more pleased!

The storytelling in this section of Fantasyland is really thorough, carrying details from Pinocchio into every corner. The restrooms are marked by images of tiny marionettes, and even the transition to the next land is handled with skill. Just like Peter Pan, the Pinocchio village borders Adventureland. In this case, the room of the restaurant nearest that end recalls the moments Pinocchio and his father spent in the belly of Monstro the whale. The exterior on the Adventureland side then forgoes the village look and instead resembles the outside of a wrecked ship.

Les Voyages de Pinocchio

Les Voyages de Pinocchio brings Collodi's tale of the little puppet made of pine to Fantasyland. We may enter beneath the proscenium of a puppet theater, but soon find ourselves in a charming woodcutter's cottage where we await our journey.

Everything here has a handcrafted look, from the railings to the candle-holding chandeliers. In the center of the room, you'll even find a work in progress. A carved duck is beginning to emerge from a block of wood, courtesy of the tools seen in the workspace and the skilled hands of the sculptor.

Even the dark ride's vehicles have the look of carved and painted wood. As we board, notice how the dimensional sets around us blend seamlessly with the large-scale mural on the back wall, beginning to tell the story of Pinocchio. Will the little wooden boy make the right choice and go to school (l'ecole)? Or will he succumb to temptation and wind up at l'Isle aux Plaisirs (Pleasure Island)?

Honest John's promises of fame and fortune are too great to resist, so on to the theater!

From this point, the attraction itself is very similar to that of Pinocchio's Daring Journey, the version of the ride found in Anaheim and Tokyo. Pinocchio learns his lessons and becomes a real boy, and we are deposited safely into the warm environment of Geppetto's shop. Take a look at the scene through the window. It's the village outside, including the entrance of the marionette theater where our journey began.

Following the Leader

In a comment on my last post, the fine folks at disneygraphy.com (a gorgeous site dedicated to Disneyland Resort Paris) pointed out how nicely the transition works between Fantasyland and Adventureland. Pass from one to the next, and you'll find yourself leaving London and stepping right into Never Land. It's really a brilliant idea, associating the pirates from Peter Pan with Adventureland and forming a thematic bridge to jungle trails and the Pirates of the Caribbean.

During this year's Magical Moments Festival, that link is made even stronger as characters from Peter Pan who appear in Fantasyland (above) lead Guests into Adventureland for the start of the new "Following the Leader with Peter Pan" interactive show.

Peter Pan's London

Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris includes several traditional Disney "dark rides," indoor ride-through attractions which use black light effects to highlight characters and sets. Each of these unfolds behind a collection of facades both fantastical and at the same time reminiscent of the part of Europe in which the story takes place.

Peter Pan's Flight takes place in an area inspired by Edwardian England, the same era and setting as James Barrie's original tale. Of course, in this version the roof shingles are more colorful, and the weather vanes come in the shapes of pirate ships and crocodiles.

Inside, Guests board pirate galleons for a flight through the Darling children's nursery, and then high above London on their way to Never Land. The attraction itself unfolds in the traditional manner, most similar to the version at Disneyland in California.

As the journey to Never Land concludes, Tinker Bell douses our ship with (fiber optic) Pixie Dust to return us safely to Fantasyland. Don't forget to wave goodbye to the mermaids. Farewell, ladies! Until we meet again...

Fanta-Toontown

Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris is home to not just princesses and European storybook characters. It's also a place where Disney's "Fab Five" fit right in, especially as they appeared in some of their medieval or fairytale roles over the years.

Inside and out, La Menagerie du Royaume (The Menagerie of the Kingdom) is built to look like a tent, complementing the carousel nearby. You'll even find carousel horses designed into the stained glass window and at the pinnacle of the structure. The shop itself offers the typical character merchandise, but the highlight is this sculpture of Goofy at the center. The Goof appears much as he did in the 1946 animated short, "A Knight for a Day."

Nearby is Sir Mickey's, where everyone's favorite mouse gets into the fairytale action. This store in Paris actually inspired the creation of a similar shop at the Magic Kingdom. Here, the inclusion of the giant beanstalk not only supports the story being told, but contributes to a sense that this is a true fantasy environment, different from the traditional European village some of the park's Guests might actually think of as home.

Inside, details bring to life Mickey's adventures in "The Brave Little Tailor" (the sewing equipment, fabric and thread) and "Mickey and the Beanstalk" (the mural of Happy Valley).

Look up, and you'll find the beanstalk has entered the cottage, sweeping up chairs and lanterns as it grows. Mickey is there, too, holding on for the ride. Next stop: the castle in the clouds to rescue the singing harp from a giant.

Don't look now, Mickey, but you might not have to go far to find that giant. Willie is peeking in through the upper window of the cottage, curious about what's going on inside.

A Fairytale Village

The castle in Paris opens onto a fairytale village, a place that storybook characters call home where magical things happen. To the right is l'Auberge de Cendrillon (Cinderella's Cottage), a large table service restaurant. While I never had the opportunity to dine there, I did get to look around one morning at some of the exterior details.

The cottage is exquisite, rich colors and stonework mixed with fine details of brass and wrought iron. To those familiar with the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, there's even a bit of déja vu in these columns and the fountain statue of the young princess.

Indoors are rooms adorned with spectacular tapestries and chandeliers, but the cottage also surrounds a quiet courtyard where you can find Cinderella's famous pumpkin coach. Look closely at the base of the wishing well, you may even spot some of her little bird and mouse friends... along with Lucifer the cat creeping around the corner.

Also in the village, nearest Sleeping Beauty Castle, is another small cottage seemingly transplanted here from the woods. It's the home of the three good fairies who rescued and raised Briar Rose as their own. Now that she's returned to the kingdom as Princess Aurora, the fairies have taken up residence here to continue to keep a close watch... and make candy for sale!

Step inside La Confiserie des Trois Fées, and you'll find yourself in a charming little space, straight out of Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Look closely, and you may even catch a glimpse of Flora, Fauna and Merryweather as they drift by, going about their magical business.