The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (40 page)

Sword in the Stone Ceremony
(Discontinued)

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Discontinued.  It was a great photo opportunity.  This entry is retained for historical interest.
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Debuting in 1983, this interactive seasonal show used to be held periodically throughout the day.  Simply put,
Merlin
chose Guests who tried to remove the sword from the anvil near
King Arthur’s Carrousel
so they could become temporary ruler. 
Merlin
began by enlisting the assistance of a strong, Lancelot-esque Guest, but by the end of the show it was always a randomly selected child who was able to free the sword.  Children had to return the sword to the anvil, but they received a certificate and a medal as souvenirs of their triumph.  The show was discontinued, but the sword and the anvil are still there.  What is the secret of
Disneyland
’s
Sword in the Stone
?  Word is the sword is held in place with electromagnets; when the child pulled the weapon, an unseen Cast Member turned off the magnets so the sword could be released.  (See the
King Arthur’s Carrousel
entry for more details about the ceremony.)  The show has been MIA as a regular attraction, but keep your eyes open near the sword;
Disneyland
sometimes brings shows and attractions back to life out of the blue–like
magic
. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  It can be entertaining when you happen to see it.  Not something you’d want to bother to plan.  Step back if you don’t want to be picked, but if you get picked, don’t be shy.

Fantasyland
Gear and Grub

Gear:

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

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Pricey packages but good value for the expense.
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It seems that there are more children than ever roaming
Disneyland
in professional-looking royal gear, from gowns to crowns and fancy royal hairdos and sparkly makeup.  Part of the reason might be the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
, where your little princess or prince can receive a stunning royal makeover.  Located north of the
Enchanted Chamber
and the
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
entrance, this shop used to be
Once Upon A Time, The Disney Princess Shoppe
, until its makeover and re-opening as the
Bibbidi Bobbidi
Boutique
in spring of 2009.

Cinderella
fans recognize “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo” as the phrase that
Cinderella
’s
Fairy Godmother
uses to create
magical
transformations.  Transformation is at the heart of every princess (or hero) story, particularly those rooted in the
Cinderella
mythology.

From
Cinderella
’s transformation on the night of the ball to the evolution of the
Princess Diaries
’
Mia
from gawky school girl to princess to queen, these stories tap into little girls’ longing to unearth and unleash powerful inner and outer beauty.

One of
Disney
’s more recent animated features,
The Princess and the Frog
, turns the traditional concept of transformation inside out, as
Tiana
and her prince,
Naveen
, must experience life as
frogs
, earning outer beauty only by developing worthy inner character.

If your little one wants to experience an outward transformation,
phone (714) 781-STYLE to make an appointment at the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
.  You can call up to 60 days in advance.  Cancellations must be made within 48 hours of the appointment, or your credit card will be charged a $10 cancellation fee.  Little royals cannot be dropped off and picked up; an adult 18 years of age or older must accompany the child at all times during the salon visit.

Have your Lord of the Exchequer give you a few bags of gold, because the experience is a dream
-come-true for little ones, but pricey for the parents or guardians that foot the bill.  Package prices can change at any time, so when you call to make your reservation, check prices in advance and budget accordingly to avoid going
Bibbidi Bobbidi
broke.

Fantasy Faire
, the princess-themed
Fantasyland
extension that opened to the west of
Sleeping Beauty Castle
on March 12, 2013 (practically next door to the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
), is the perfect place for young princesses and princes to play and meet their favorite
Disney
royals.  In fact, according to the
Disneyland
website, little girls who receive the
Castle Package
makeover can now experience a royal escort to
Fantasy Faire
, and advance to the head of the meet-the-princesses line at the
Royal Hall
.  Ask a
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
Cast Member for details.

G
irls 3 to 12 years old can become princesses, including having their hair styled in one of four ways:
Disney Diva
,
Fairytale Princess
,
Pop Princess
, or
Color Star
:  (
Color Star
is a new option that includes “colorful hair streaks”).  And a
Sofia the First
makeover with
Sofia
hairstyling was recently added to the package lineup.

B
oys 3 to 12 year old can be transformed into heroic knights:

Disney Princess Fantasy Faire
  (Closed 2012)

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FastView:
 
See
Fairy Tale Treasures
entry.
]

Located near
“it’s a small world”
and the
Mickey’s Toontown
entrance, the
Disney Princess Fantasy Faire
sold toys, books, and accessories for princes and princesses-in-training, and offered face painting or hair braiding for a fee.

When
Disney Princess Fantasy Faire
closed in 2012 so that the
Fantasyland Theatre
could be remodeled to accommodate the stage show
Mickey and the Magical Map
, this shop closed too.

Princess fans
have nothing to fear, however.  Princess merchandise is sold in droves at
Fantasy Faire
, the
Fantasyland
extension near
Sleeping Beauty Castle
that opened on March 12, 2013.

Enchanted Chamber

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A royal treasury’s worth of princess goods.
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Located on the west side of the
Sleeping Beauty Castle
entrance arch, until recently the
Enchanted Chamber
stocked mainly
Pixie
-related regalia.  For
Tinker Bell
fans, this was a must-stop, must-shop part of the itinerary.

Tinker Bell
has been a popular character since her appearance in
Disney
’s 1953
Peter Pan
and her wand-waving openings of the
Disney
television programs.  Her popularity soared even higher with the release of computer-animated
Tinker Bell
in 2008 and its many sequels.

Pixie
T-shirts, jackets, hats, figures, purses, wands, wings, jewelry, and DVDs were all on hand in this castle chamber, one of the few shops that is actually housed in the
Sleeping Beauty Castle
.  (
Tink
has a special connection to the castle, given that she flies over it every night for the nightly fireworks–just like she used to open the
Disney
TV shows.)

The
Enchanted Chamber
replaced the
Castle Shoppe
in 2008.  This locale has had numerous tenants over the years.  For a time it was the
Castle Christmas Shop
, specializing in holiday ornaments, and prior to that it was
Castle Arts
, an
Arribas Brothers
crystal shop.  Presently you can find
Arribas
treasures at
Cristal d’Orléans
in
New Orleans Square
and
Crystal Arts
on
Main Street
.

The
Enchanted Chamber
now stocks a wide variety of
Disney Princess
dolls, from plush dolls to detailed action figures, as well as other princess regalia.

Princess markers, pens, and autograph books?  The
Enchanted Chamber
has stacks—and stacks—of those goodies.  With all of the princess paraphernalia already available at the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
and
Fairy Tale Treasures
, I wouldn’t be surprised if this shop welcomed new merchandise soon.

Tink
fans who need their
Pixie
fix should head east toward
Pixie Hollow
in the shadow of the
Matterhorn Mountain
to meet
Tink
and her
Pixie
pals and hear some lively Celtic music. 
Did You Know?
  The first
Tinker Bell
to fly over
Disneyland
’s
Sleeping Beauty Castle
was circus performer
Tiny Kline
.  She debuted in 1961 and played
Tinker Bell
over
Disneyland
’s nighttime landscape for three years. 
Tiny
was around 70 years old when she first waved her wand over the
Sleeping Beauty Castle
.  Born in 1891,
Tiny
was a performer for most of her life, and worked for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. 
Tiny
and subsequent
Tinker Bells
ended their flights by crash-landing on mattresses in
Fantasyland
.  The first time I saw
Tinker Bell
in 2006 I was stunned by the high-flying acrobatics, then stunned by how fast
Tinker Bell
zipped down her exit line at the show’s conclusion.  It looked like she was going to crash head first into a tree, but these professionals know their craft.  Performance
magic
!