LP Lotion: Disney Offers a Sneak Peek at the Disneyland Dream Suite in New Orleans Square
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Tuesday, January 29 was a busy morning in New Orleans Square that started with the unveiling of the mural celebrating the winner of the Become a Disney Pirate sweepstakes. Trips through Pirates of the Caribbean followed. Then came an unexpected treat�a sneak peek at the much anticipated Disneyland Dream Suite. Despite the fact that the suite was just days away from opening, it was nonetheless filled with activity as it was introduced to the world through live television broadcasts and visits by members of print, electronic and on line media.

The suite, part of Disney�s Year of a Million Dreams, will offer guests the first ever opportunity to actually stay overnight in Walt Disney�s original magic kingdom. The lavish accommodations were built in an area that Walt Disney himself had planned as a private apartment.

Guests fortunate enough to be selected to stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite may enter by way of the curving entry stairs. Amid fanfare, they will be greeted by Queenie, the gracious lead singer of the Jambalaya Jazz Band. She will welcome New Orleans Square�s newest �neighbors,� and escort them through the 2,200 square feet of their temporary home.

Rooms include the Parlor, Entrance Lobby, Informal Sitting Room, Master Suite, Master Bath, as well as the Atrium Hallway, Courtyard, and Balcony. Lavish furnishings and appointments are applied with care and attention to detail. Surprises abound in each of the major rooms. From the balcony, guests can watch the passing scene, and have front row seats for the popular Fantasmic! nighttime spectacular.

Among specific details are the following.

Parlor: Hand painted murals depict two historic European castles that inspired Sleeping Beauty Castle: Neuschwanstein in Bavaria and Chateau Chenonceau in France. A carousel horse recalls the inspiration for King Arthur�s Carrousel, as well as the Los Angeles Merry-Go-Round where Walt Disney watched his young daughters while dreaming of a place where parents and children could have fun together. A reverse painted mirror, using motifs based on birds and squirrels from the film Sleeping Beauty is similar to pieces found in the Jewel d�Orleans shop. The grandfather clock in the Parlor plays different songs at various hours of the day, leading to interactive surprises in the room. They include tunes from the Enchanted Tiki Room, When You Wish Upon a Star, and A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes. The fireplace is a technical marvel, creating the illusion of crackling flames that appear to launch subtle �fireworks� above the castle design worked into the fire screen.

Entrance Lobby: Dorthea Redmond�s original renderings for the apartment are displayed in this new entrance to the Suite, accessible through a newly created elevator adjacent to Tarzan�s Treehouse in Adventureland. Sconces and chandeliers in this room are original to the suite�s most recent incarnation, the Disney Gallery.

Informal Sitting Room: This room, themed to Frontierland and directly adjacent to the balcony, serves as a second bedroom. The completely accessible bathroom for this room was created in an area that was originally a kitchenette, which served most recently as the cash register area for the Disney Gallery. A display shelf runs around the perimeter of the room, including a detailed model train in a glass display case. As an added surprise, a �Goodnight Kiss� Magical Moment sends the train around the room, accompanied by music from the Grand Canyon Suite, bringing various artifacts to life as it passes. The train is named in honor of Imagineer John Gritz, who was responsible for much of the magic found throughout the suite. The Informal Sitting Room also features an authentic antique Cinderella Franklin Stove complete with fire effect technology that was originally developed for the burning town in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. For cinema buffs, two armchairs in the room are original props from the Disney film The Happiest Millionaire.

Master Suite: Proximity to the Jungle Cruise and Tarzan�s Treehouse led Imagineers to base the d�cor of this room on romantic Victorian Exotic designs, which were in turn suggested by Dorthea Redmond�s original renderings. During the �Goodnight Kiss� in this room, subtle lighting changes evoke the romance of the tropics as the Overture from The Jungle Book plays. A painting, specially created for the Suite by Disney artist and Imagineer Jim Crouch magically changes from a lush tropical scene to a mermaid lagoon. Overhead, stars glow in the ceiling as the Magical Moment reaches its climax.

Master Bath: This lavishly appointed room is enhanced with intricate tile work, stained glass, and custom fittings. The Jacuzzi tub has a special setting that sprinkles the tile work with nearly 2,000 twinkling stars as the Pastoral music from Fantasia plays. The window is based on an original work by Louis Comfort Tiffany; entitled Aurora � Young Woman at a Fountain. The walk-in closet includes feminine details, including a traditional dressing table with all appointments.

Atrium Hallway: This newly created corridor links the Entrance Hallway, Master Suite, and Parlor. The sunny room features stained glass, potted palms, bird cages, and intricate light fixtures. It offers full views of the private outdoor Courtyard.

Courtyard: This newly restored space offers an informal area decorated to evoke the Blue Bayou Restaurant below. Music from the Pirates Overture plays, as Chinese silk lanterns gently sway overhead. A trickling fountain is enhanced by painted shields depicting the Disney family crest. At night, �fireflies� flit among the newly placed potted shrubs and trees.

Balcony: The balcony offers a brilliant view of the New Orleans Square waterfront, as well as the Rivers of America. This is also the best place to view Fantasmic! Guests may find themselves introduced from riverside during the pre-show entertainment. Restored wrought iron details include the initials WD and RD, for Walt Disney and Roy Disney, worked into the front rails. The new floor includes a gothic �D� in inlaid wood.

The �D� motif is used as the Disneyland Dream Suite logo, and has been worked into the d�cor of every room. It can be found in the tile work in the bathrooms, as a design element in lamp fittings, worked in stained glass door panels, etched into drinking glasses, as a major design element in the Parlor fire screen, and most notably in signage, keypads and the front door marquee.

Modern amenities have not been overlooked in this completely up-to-date suite. Televisions, including Blu-Ray players, are skillfully integrated into the rooms. Internet connections are also available.

Check in time is typically 3:00 in the afternoon, and check-out is 9:00am the following morning. Dinner, late night snacks and beverages are provided as part of the Disneyland Dream Suite experience. The Disneyland Dream Suite will be made available to lucky guests starting January 31st.

Videos

A video tour of the suite is available by clicking below

Exterior and main entrance
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Exterior and main entrance
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Exterior and main entrance
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Exterior and main entrance
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