Once Upon A Dream

Written by @NigelChanning09 & @PerGron

Once Upon A Dream is an E-ticket attraction like no other. The gathering of Disney Princesses to show the world what it takes to be a true princess. The ride system utilizes the trackless boat technology used in Shanghai’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure.

Queue

Guests enter a village that is covered in decorations. Guests wind through a village pathway passing small houses. Above the village is a mountain with an elegant castle perched on top (achieved using forced perspective). Snow White has invited all of the Princesses to her kingdom to celebrate the harmony of their adjacent kingdoms.

Pre-Show

We enter a Pre-show room inside of a quaint village house. Inside, animatronics of the Fairy Godmother, Grandmother Willow, Grandma Tala (who is achieved using Pepper’s Ghost), and Mrs. Potts all reminisce about the respective journeys of the princesses.

“Through hard work and bravery, these princesses became much more than just mere royalty. They became true heroes in their own right and the joining together of our kingdoms only confirms this!” says the Fairy Godmother. With the wave of her wand, a nearby mirror displays images of famous Disney Princesses like Pocahontas, Mulan, and Anna. Suddenly, the mirror turns into a doorway and guests are ushered into the boarding area, which is themed as the inside of the castle. Windows (screens) display the village below. Guests board trackless boats and begin their journey.

Ride

They travel into the castle but go down a shallow drop and find themselves back in the village and wind their way around the festival. They see Meeko taking food from baskets. Mushu playing with fire (literally) and Sebastian conducting a musical fish orchestra. The boats then circle around the Season Tree and the Carosuel of Seasons.

The guests enter a cave and enter an enchanted forest. The Fairy Godmother appears out of thin air. “A princess must be Brave, Kind, and willing to make her dreams come true!” she says as the boasts quickly enter the next scene. They enter a dark room where, with the beat of a heavy drum, the lights turn on to reveal the training camp where Mulan became a warrior. “A princess must be brave. Always standing up for what’s right, no matter what!” the Fairy Godmother says. Mulan trains as Li Shang sings “I’ll Make A Man Out of You”. An audio animatronic Mulan climbs a pole and reaches the top.

The boats enter the magical forest from Frozen 2 as Anna sings “The Next Right Thing” atop a rock facing the water. “Just do the next right thing. Take a step, step again. It is all that I can to do. The next right thing”.

We enter a large show scene where Moana faces Te Kah and sings “I Know Who You Are”. She gives the heart of Te Fiti away and the island around us shifts back to normal.

The next scene takes place in a Scottish forest. Merida protects her mother against both Mord’u’ and her own father. She fires her bow at Mord’u’ as his spirit releases and her mother returns to normal.

We end up in the Snuggly Duckling as the Fairy Godmother says, “A Princess must show kindness to all. Even if it isn’t so easy.” The thugs and Rapunzel sing “I’ve Got A Dream”. Hookhand plays the piano and Flynn Ryder hesitantly sings along.

We end up in the courtyard of the Beast’s castle. As Belle sings about the Beast’s change of heart in “Something There”. Meanwhile, the beast struggles to get birds to rest on his arms.

The next scene is in the Seven Dwarfs’ cottage as Snow White and the forest creatures tidy up while singing along to “Whistle While You Work”. Our boats dance around and dance with eachother.

We end up in the North American wilderness and find Pocahontas teaching John Smith about the beauty of nature during “Colors of the Wind”. The sky changes colors and Pepper’s Ghost effects of wolves, bobcats, and otters appear.

After a splash of water, we end up at the bottom of the sea. The Fairy Godmother says, “And finally, a Princess must do what it takes to make her dreams come true. Through hard work, determination, and a good attitude.” We circle around Ariel stop a rock, who sings “Part of Your World”.

We then enter a large body of water with the city of Agrabah surrounding. We see Jasmine and Aladdin on their magic carpet while she sings her part of “A Whole New World”. Birds fly atop us as Jasmine touches the water and causes a ripple affect.

We enter a forest where Aurora sings “Once Upon A Dream”. The forest uses a lot of bright colors to match the beautiful setting of the movie. An audio animatronic Aurora dances to the music with her animal partners. It uses a lot of black lights like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

We enter a room where 2 1/2D is utilized. Tiana sings “Almost There” but the room gives off the feel of the original scene. Tiana herself i the scene is a screen but effects are in play that make her seem like a real life figure.

Elsa sings “Show Yourself”. She reveals herself as the 5th spirit of nature and sees her mother proudly staring back at her.

Cinderella and Prince Charming dance during “So, this is Love”.

The Fairy Godmother says, “And THAT, is what makes a princess!” as an animatronic of every princess steps onto a large stage and sings an original song, titled “What Makes A Princess”. This also includes princesses who weren’t included in the attraction like Megara, Jane, Kida, Giselle, and even Vanellope. The song reminds everyone that royal blood doesn’t make a difference and that anyone can be a true princess. All they have to do is have the strength to make it happen.

The boats return to the boarding area as the ride comes to an end. They exit out a magical portal into a village gift shop. They can buy shirts, toys, and plushes of every animal sidekick!