Proudly Presents

“The Sword in the Stone” is arguably the most unknown yet legendary animated film in the Disney archives. This Academy Award nominee for “Best Score- Adaptation or Treatment” was the last animated film that Walt Disney saw released before his passing. It’s a film that has inspired sculptures that are featured in every Disney Park Fantasyland, and that are among the most photographed images in the Disney universe.

Somehow, though, in spite of this importance, it has never been brought to life in any Disney park with a major attraction of any kind. This glaring oversight has been rectified in the fourth phase of Disneyland Paris’ Fantasyland Nouveau project, scheduled for completion in 2023.

“Epee Dans la Pierre,” or “The Sword in the Stone,” a dark ride subtitled “Merlin Creates a King”, is based loosely on the 1889 book, “Le Morte d’Arthur” (originally titled “The Hoole Book of King Arthur and His Noble Knyghtes of the Rounde Table”) by Sir Thomas Malory. This collection and reworking of English and French tales brings to life the amazing adventures that the eccentric but wise and powerful wizard Merlin used to teach his young student, Arthur (who was commonly if not affectionately called “Wart” by his guardian, Sir Ector) how to one day become the King that Merlin “remembered.” Merlin aged backwards, remembering the future and knowing that Arthur was destined to rule England and lead the legendary Knights of the Round Table.

The location of this new major dark ride requires some significant but well-needed reorganization of several attractions in Fantasyland Nouveau. Les Voyages de Pinocchio (Pinocchio’s Journey) will be removed, and a new location for Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (“Snow White’s Scary Adventures” as it is more commonly known in English) will be created between “it’s a small world” and Fantasia Gardens, with the actual new Snow White ride structure being located backstage behind “it’s a small world,” thus allowing for a much larger, much improved and redesigned attraction.

The entire structure presently used for Pinocchio and Snow White will be reconstructed to house this major new dark ride, along with a renovation and retheming of Au Chalet de la Marionette to become “King Arthur’s Feast of the Round Table Banquet Hall.” The actual Sword in the Stone, presently located directly behind le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty Castle) will be relocated near the entrance to “The Sword in the Stone” in a magnificent stone alcove inspired by its location in the film.

After seeing the Sword in the Stone (and possibly trying to pull it out themselves for the chance of ruling England- or at least for a fun photo opportunity), guests enter the attraction by passing under a beautifully-carved and ornamented Gothic arch of granite. They find themselves in a majestic medieval Great Hall, with magnificent stone work of finely polished ashlar, vaulted hand-painted ceilings and heraldic banners hanging high overhead. Elegantly-woven tapestries on the walls tell the story of the death of King Uther Pendragon, of the appearance of the Sword in the Stone, and of the prophecy etched into the blade.

Emblazoned in gold on the cornice surrounding this chamber is the prophecy-

"Whoso pulleth

out this sword of

this stone and anvil

is rightwise King

born of England”

Along with this prophecy, the cornice around the hall is ornamented with skillfully-carved wall plaques (including some of various members of the Disney family and even specially-created escutcheons of some of Disney’s most famous animated creations, each carefully designed to match the theme and unnoticed as such except for those who know to look for them).

After moving through the Great Hall, guests enter a small doorway leading to what appears to be a servant’s hallway. The stonework is much rougher, the hallway is rather narrow, dark and dingy, with several sections of solid rock, as if it were chiseled out of the bedrock that the castle stands on. This hallway leads into the Castle Kitchen (which is also the loading station for the attraction.)

In the rich, artistic tradition of the great Disney dark rides, a magnificent hand-painted mural adorns the walls of the Kitchen loading station. It portrays Merlin enchanting everything in the kitchen, making the dishes wash themselves in great wooden buckets of soapy water, thus freeing young Arthur to join Merlin as the wizard begins to train Arthur how to be a great King.

Some of Merlin’s magic has spilled over and has enchanted a series of large wooden buckets, each large enough to hold four guests (in two rows of two). These become the ride vehicles, using an advanced version of the rail-suspended technology first created for the original Peter Pan’s Flight in Disneyland and further enhanced in the acclaimed Shanghai version of Peter Pan. Each bucket hangs by its handle from an overhead track, and has the ability to stop, change speed and, unlike the previous rail-suspended attractions, can turn ninety degrees in either direction to face the action and thus focus the riders’ attention on the scene. The track will carry riders through several changes in elevation, with the track ascending and descending at up to a thirty-degree angle, but the ride mechanism will always keep the vehicle and its riders level.

This attraction makes extensive use of further breakthrough technologies developed for the aforementioned Shanghai Peter Pan and Pirates attractions. Careful integration of physical sets, screens, scrims, high-definition projections and animatronics make “The Sword in the Stone” one of, if not THE, most advanced technological achievement in dark ride technology.

Many of the scenes shift back-and-forth between physical sets, animatronics, projections and screens. For the sake of clarity, these changes will not be mentioned in this presentation other than to say that any shifts between animated scenes from the original film to physical sets and animatronics will be done as seamlessly as possible.

(Note: For clarity, time limitations and space, some artistic license is taken with the storyline for this ride compared to the original film)

“The Sword in the Stone”

Scene One

Merlin magically transports Arthur to Merlin’s cottage, a simple dwelling with a thatched roof deep in a forest.

As the riders pass the cottage, it turns to reveal the interior, a cluttered mess of wizardly objects- books, experiments, and crumpled papers scattered everywhere.

Merlin and Arthur appear (as if by magic!). Merlin introduces Arthur to Archimedes, Merlin’s very wise (and very outspoken) owl.

“Wart, it’s time to begin your lessons,” Merlin announces, and the scene moves back outside into the forest, to a riverbank, and (moving downwards) into the river and under the water’s surface.

Scene Two

Merlin has changed Arthur and himself into fish to teach Arthur about physics.

After a short scene where Merlin explains about swimming and how pushing against the water makes a fish move- and where Arthur is having a wonderful time playing- they are suddenly attacked by a huge, dangerous Pike, intent on eating Arthur.

Arthur and Merlin are saved by Archimedes just in the nick of time.

Scene Three

Merlin changes Arthur and himself back into humans and transports them to an open-air turret high atop a castle tower, overlooking the beautiful English countryside. The ride buckets ascend and circle around this open-air turret, where the riders see Arthur looking out over the view and saying:

“I’ve always dreamed about flying. I wish I was a bird, and then I could sail all over the sky, up above everything.”

Merlin moves behind him and, waving his enchanted staff over Arthur’s head, says an enchantment that finishes with the word “Prestidigitonium” and Arthur changes into a sparrow. He is delighted, and leaps off of the tower to try his new wings. Archimedes flies off after him, and we see the owl teaching Arthur the tricks of flight. Suddenly Archimedes sees a hawk diving toward Arthur, and yells at him to escape.

As the hawk closes in on Arthur, Archimedes grabs one of the hawk’s tail feathers in his beak, slowing him down enough that Arthur can escape. Arthur dives into a dark, foreboding forest and lands on the chimney of a sinister-looking cottage. Just as Arthur starts to catch his breath, the hawk attacks one more time and Arthur dives into the chimney to escape.

Scene Four

The evil-looking cottage is the home of Mad Madam Mim, an eccentric evil sorceress and Merlin’s arch-rival, and as the riders pass the interior of the hut, they see that Mim is holding Arthur- still a bird- obviously with evil intentions.

The door from the outside is flung open and Merlin magically appears to save Arthur. Mim challenges Merlin to a “Wizard’s Duel”. The scene changes to outside in the forest, and alternates back and forth between filmed battles between the two magicians and massive animatronics, with the riders in their buckets turning to face the action. As in the film, Arthur in all his “transformations" is always blue and Mim is always shades of lavender or pink.

Sensing defeat, Mim turns herself into a huge fire-breathing dragon, and it seems as if Merlin might lose this battle.

Merlin disappears. Arthur and Archimedes have been watching this battle from a nearby tree branch. We hear Arthur exclaim, “He’s gone!” Archimedes says, “Disappeared!”

“I have not disappeared!” we hear Merlin’s voice say from inside the giant purple dragon. “I’m a germ, a rare disease, and you caught me, Mim!” We see Mim the Dragon turn green and be covered with spots!

As the riders leave the whining, complaining Mad Madam Mim behind, they see Merlin (now returned to his human appearance) with Archimedes and Arthur (still a sparrow) sitting on Merlin’s wizard’s hat.

“What did you learn, boy?” Merlin asks Arthur.

“That knowledge and wisdom is the real power,” he answers.

Scene Five

The scene changes and the riders now see Arthur`s foster father Sir Ector getting his son Sir Kay ready for a New Year’s Day jousting tournament, and Arthur has been recruited to be his squire. Kay forgot his sword, and orders Arthur to find him one to use. Arthur remembers seeing a sword stuck into a stone and anvil nearby, and – not knowing why it’s there or what it means-runs to see if he can pull it out and give it to Sir Kay.

He pulls the sword from the stone easily, and soon all the people of London gather to see who is the new king. It is Arthur- Merlin’s memory of the future has come true!

Scene Six

The riders pass the final scene- King Arthur, sitting on the throne of England, wearing too-large robes and a too-large crown, but surrounded by his friends Merlin and Archimedes. As the riders leave this beautiful scene, a voice is heard:

“So at last the miracle had come to pass in that far-off time on New Year’s Day. The glorious reign of King Arthur was begun, and it all started when a boy called Wart fulfilled the prophecy and claimed The Sword in the Stone!”

Riders exit their vehicles in what appears to be the stable of the Castle, with suits of armor standing against the walls, jousting lances proudly displayed and heavy wooden stalls directing them to “Cadeaux de Merlin Une Fois et L’avenir” (“Merlin’s Once and Future Gifts”).

“Fete du Roi Arthur de la Table Ronde Salle de Banquet”

(“King Arthur’s Feast of the Round Table Banquet Hall”)

“Au Chalet de la Marionette,” a counter-service restaurant themed to Pinocchio, will be completely renovated and rethemed to carry diners back to the days of King Arthur as “The Feast of the Round Table Banquet Hall”. The menu from Au Chalet de la Marionette will remain, with a few additions appropriate to an English medieval Great Hall- jambes de dinde (turkey legs), tartes a la viande (individual meat pies), pudding de caramel de mauvaise qualite (sticky toffee pudding), and dick tachete (spotted dick).

The Importance of the Sword in the Stone to Disneyland Paris

For many years Disney Parks have emphasized and promoted the “Disney Princesses” to both involve families with young girls into the Disney “Magic” and to promote sales. Disney has finally realized the deep, untapped potential for family involvement and sales that comparable young boys offer, and at Disneyland Paris it was decided to focus on the character of young King Arthur, affectionately called “Wart” from the Disney classic “The Sword in the Stone” (“Epee Dans la Pierre”). The character of young Arthur- awkward, tired of being bossed around, taken to dreaming about being a bird and flying away- is easily relatable to boys, and yes, to girls anywhere, from any culture. The concept of Merlin using his magic to teach young Arthur the importance of learning, of knowledge, and how to use that knowledge as Arthur undertakes the greatest adventure of his life- being the King of England- is a valuable moral lesson. Disney excels at “edutainment” and the wisdom of Merlin and his wise (if a bit eccentric) owl Archimedes is a great resource, put to brilliant use in this breathtaking dark ride, to be premiered in Fantasyland Nouveau at Disneyland Paris in 2023.

A Personal Note

(and a true story)

One snowy January afternoon about ten years ago I was walking in the downtown area of my hometown, heading towards the Ritz Theatre, a performing arts center that has been providing entertainment, including movies, to my community since 1928. Our local community theatre uses the Ritz as its headquarters, and I was heading there that afternoon to help with something (probably helping build a set for a play). I was about a half a block from the Ritz, walking past an old hotel that is even older than the theater. I saw the theater’s marquee ahead of me through the gently-falling snow, and suddenly I stopped. At that moment, I was once again seven years old. I was standing next to my father, waiting in a line that extended all the way to the box office of the theatre. I was holding my father’s hand, waiting anxiously to get inside and for the movie to start.

The movie was “The Sword in the Stone” and the year was 1963.

I probably hadn’t thought of that movie or that moment since it happened, but a snowy afternoon, a movie theater marquee, and “The Sword in the Stone” brought my dad back to me, even if just for a few moments.

There really is magic in that sword.