Enchanted Tales with Belle: The new Dumbo.

The title isn’t meant as an insult, but to point to the importance of this attraction in your touring plan.  Dumbo used to the the number 1 attraction on most guests lists to avoid long lines.  Dumbo now offers FASTPASS, so it’s a much lower priority despite long lines in busy seasons.   Enchanted Tales with Belle (Contes enchantés avec belle) has become the new go-to attraction in the Magic Kingdom.  The lines for ETWB during the Christmas season have regularly been 90-150 minutes long.  That’s 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours to wait for one attraction!  Within a few minutes of park opening the line has been completely filled with guests eager to see this attraction.  It’s kind of like the Rapunzel Run, only worse.  The lines for ETWB often compete with Space Mountain and Peter Pan’s Flight for the highest wait times in the park, but ETWB does not offer FASTPASS of any kind at this time.

The best way to beat the crowds is to go straight there at rope drop or save it for last on your touring plan.  Many people have asked it they should go to Belle or Merida first. I would recommend going to each first on a separate  day.  If you can’t do that, then go to Belle, then Merida and take whatever line you see; or go to Merida first, then take in the Belle attraction late at night.  I’m sure the lines for Belle will moderate down to a high of about 60 minutes once the insane crowds subside, but that’s still 60 minutes of standing around.

If you’re going to either attraction first, you might want to send a runner to grab a FASTPASS for Peter Pan.

ETWB IS open for Extra Magic Hours

If a guest wishes to take a photo of their child with Belle, you must stand behind or beside the Photopass photographer.

Guests were allowed to pose with Belle that were not in the show the dates that we have visited.

OUR RECENT EXPERIENCE:  On December 19th, my daughter and I were a few minutes late arriving to the Magic Kingdom due to monorail issues.  We arrived at ETWB at 9:15 am when the line wasn’t very bad.  This photo was taken at 9:27 am.  This is the room that you enter before you begin the actual attraction.

We moved into l’atelier de maurice at 9:32 am.  The entire experience felt far more rushed than it did in test and adjust period.  In each room we were told to “hurry, hurry.”

The doors opened at 9:35 for us to enter la salle de armoire.

We moved on from la salle de armoire into la bibliothèque de la bête at 9:41 am.

My daughter had her photo taken with Belle at 9:49 am.

We were done completely by 9:52 am.  The wait and the attraction accounted for 37 minutes for us on a moderately busy day.  It may have been slightly shorter if we had been able to arrive 10 minutes earlier.  By the time we left the posted wait was 75 minutes and climbing.

Here’s my write-up from the attraction when they were still in test and adjust.  It includes photos and videos: http://kennythepirate.com/2012/09/16/enchanted-tales-with-belle-review-behind-the-new-fantasyland-wall/