Disneyland Paris Adding ‘Frozen’ and ‘Winnie the Pooh’ to Storybook Land Canal Boats

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Disneyland Paris will be adding “Frozen” and “Winnie the Pooh” scenes to Le Pays des Contes de Fées, their version of the Storybook Land Canal Boats, in 2024.

Le Pays des Contes de Fées opened at Disneyland Paris in 1994. In honor of its 30th anniversary, “Frozen” and “Winnie the Pooh” scenes will be added and the ride will be completely refurbished over the course of the next year.

Frozen

Before inviting guests to Arendelle over at Walt Disney Studios Park, “Frozen” will come to life in miniature form as one of the familiar fairy tale locales in Fantasyland. Imagineers are closely working with Disneyland Paris Central Shops to create a detailed model of the majestic North Mountain covered in a thick white blanket of snow and Elsa’s iconic Ice Palace at its peak. Guests will even be able to spot Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven on their way to Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post (and Sauna)!

Winnie the Pooh

paris storybook land winnie the pooh concept art

As your boat takes you through these enchanted realms, another timeless place will take root along the way, one full of charm, wisdom and … honey. Think, think, think … it’s the Hundred Acre Woods, of course! Storybook Land will soon offer a new home to Winnie the Pooh and friends, located not far from the cozy cottage of the Seven Dwarfs. 

“There’s something magical about taking something full scale and displaying it in miniature, it’s something Walt himself was obsessed with,” shares Keith Rector, Art Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris. “I grew up near Disneyland in California and Storybook Land has always been my favorite attraction. When I joined the team in Paris, we started a conversation about how we can bring new stories to Le Pays des Contes de Fées. I wanted to introduce new characters to this realm of storybook classics.”

Winnie the Pooh Meet and Greet Returns to Christopher Robin’s Bedroom in EPCOT U.K. Pavilion

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

The Winnie the Pooh meet and greet has reopened in Christopher Robin’s bedroom at the back of EPCOT’s U.K. Pavilion. This meet and greet space has been closed since 2020 when Walt Disney World theme parks shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the parks reopened, Pooh bear (and sometimes his friends) has only been appearing at EPCOT as a “sighting” near the Imagination! Pavilion.

The Christopher Robin’s bedroom meet and greet had actually been closed for three years before reopening in September 2019. The space features a wardrobe, desk, bed, and plenty of knick-knacks — including Christopher Robin’s yellow umbrella.

Pooh bear usually stands next to the bed, in front of the window — which shows the Hundred Acre Wood outside. When we visited, there was no PhotoPass photographer, but a Cast Member who could take your picture with your phone or camera.

winnie the pooh meet and greet epcot 2023 2260

https://x.com/WDWNT/status/1708860611491197065?s=20

Pooh and his friends also appear daily for meet and greets next to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom.

Winnie The Pooh (and Tigger Too) Are Coming Back to Crystal Palace

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

We have some tiggerific news that’s going to have you bouncing for joy! Winnie the Pooh and Pals are coming BACK to Crystal Palace for breakfast!

Earlier this year we discovered that the Hundred Acre Wood gang would return on September 20, 2022 for lunch and dinner only and wondered what that meant for the character breakfast. It seems that Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and the gang just needed a little bit more time to wake up than usual. They’ll return a month later on October 25, 2022! Reservations for breakfast open September 22, 2022 at 6:00am EST (trust me, you’ll want to be up bright and early to make this dining reservation as soon as it becomes available because it will fill up quickly).

Winnie the Pooh and Friends have been missing from their iconic Crystal Palace location since the Parks reopened in 2020 after the Covid closure. The restaurant was, at first, reopened as a family style rather than a buffet and no characters were present. Once the buffet came back, we knew it was only a matter of time until our beloved “silly old bear” came back too and we are so excited that very soon he will.

The Crystal Palace gets our vote for some of the best eats at Walt Disney World and certainly one of our favorites at Magic Kingdom. This Victorian greenhouse inspired restaurant serves American fare buffet style and they do it very well. However, not only is it a buffet, it’s also a party! You’ll celebrate friendship day with some of the best Pals we know: Pooh, Piglet Tigger and Eeyore!

Could Disney Lose Copyright Protection For Many Beloved Characters?

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

As we enter the year 2022, The Walt Disney Company will be facing some intriguing potential battles due to copyright law.

Some of Disney’s most cherished characters are set to enter the public domain and perhaps the most popular among those are the Winnie the Pooh characters that originally appeared in the books written by A.A. Milne. The characters, based on Milne’s son Christopher Robin and his stuffed animals, include Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, and Roo.

A report from USA Today reads:

Disney acquired the rights to the Winnie-the-Pooh books and their characters from Milne’s estate back in 1961 and has spun them into a multibillion-dollar industry. Investors might be surprised to find that Winnie the Pooh and friends are among the most lucrative in Disney’s catalog.

Winnie the Pooh is, in fact, among the most valuable media franchises in the world, having accumulated revenues of more than $80 billion over the years, putting it neck-and-neck with Mickey Mouse. While estimates vary, some believe that Disney currently generates annual revenue of between $3 billion and $6 billion from Pooh and friends. 

Winnie the Pooh 2011 animated movie

All is not lost for House of Mouse

It’s important to note a few important legal distinctions. Beginning in 2022, Disney won’t be able to sue anyone that uses A.A. Milne’s original Winnie-the-Pooh stories as inspiration, adapting the fictional bear for new projects or original creative works. The original line drawings from the book, penned by E.H. Shepard, will also be fair game.

Disney can, however, go after anyone that tries to use Disney’s version of Winnie the Pooh and the trademarked characters it created based on Milne’s stories. The House of Mouse also maintains the rights to Milne’s books and characters created after 1926, including Tigger, who first appeared in 1928.

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger

There is a chance that the Walt Disney Co. could attempt to extend the copyright on Winnie the Pooh, but many legal experts believe that would be a longshot.

Perhaps of greater concern for the Walt Disney Company is the fact that Steamboat Willie, the earliest version of Mickey Mouse, is set to enter the public domain in 2024.

steamboat

As Winnie the Pooh and his friends enter the public domain, Disney fans should not expect that anything different will happen with the characters from the company other than what we’ve already seen. However, what this could mean is that other companies outside of Disney could begin to look at ways to profit off the characters. They will not be able to use the Disney trademarks but would have to make their own versions.

Winnie the Pooh and Piglet Gold Statue Revealed as Part of “Disney Fab 50”

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

George Kalogridis, Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Global Ambassador, announced today that Winnie the Pooh and Piglet will be included in the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection.”

The gold statue of Pooh and Piglet will be at Magic Kingdom, alongside Minnie, Mickey, and more statues celebrating the park’s 50th anniversary.