WDW: What Happened to That New Fantasyland Dragon?

Disney Food Affinity and Beyond: Walt Disney World Speculation

New Fantasyland - the  biggest expansion to the Magic Kingdom ever - brought more than new food options to Disney World. Inspired by classic Disney films such as "Dumbo", "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", in came great attractions, fun gift shops, and endless detail culminating in an immersive theme park experience. During the Grand Opening of New Fantasyland on December 6, 2012 there was a very special guest - a dragon!

To me, I find this New Fantasyland dragon to be quite the mystery. The first mention of this dragon was in early 2012. Images leaked leading many to assume Disney Imagineering was test flying a dragon over Shafter-Minter Field airport in California. As Disney likes to keep their new projects top secret, I believe this leak forced Disney to make a move in order to cover up the mistake. 

Leaked Photo #1

Leaked Photo #2

So, Disney had to pull out some magic. They skillfully retook control of this secret information by transforming it into a thrilling social media campaign. Social Media Managing Editor Gary Buchanan began writing a segment on the Disney Parks Blog about a dragon flying around Central Florida. In addition, Gary kept updates on this dragon chase on a Tumbler Blog dedicated to this hunt. 

"Top Secret" file on the history of this dragon

Another "Top Secret" image

This all led up to the video sighting of the dragon over New Fantasyland on its Grand Opening night!

What an incredible show! This highly advanced piece of technology is yet another example of Disney Imagineering excellence. In the picture below, there are some fun facts released about this dragon (and with cooking as one of this dragons hobbies, it seems like he would fit in here at Foodie Finders NYC).

On a daily basis, this dragon would surely enchant all Disney World guests, young or old; however, this was a one night only appearance. As Gary said, "spotting a dragon is a special occasion". It was such a special occasion that it has yet to appear again two and a half years later. This tease seems to be right up this dragon's alley, since we know he "likes the occasional good-natured prank", as shown in the picture above.

The amount of money and research put into this technology could not have all been for one night. It is very possible we will see this flying dragon again, but the question is where?

In the image above, we see a cartoon of the New Fantasyland dragon in Animal Kingdom  - a logical home for this beast. While a dragon is a mythical animal, it still loosely fits into the animal theme, especially with the mythical addition of Pandora: The Land of Avatar (aka Avatar Land). With some extra detail, this technology can be made to resemble a flying banshee in the film.

Also, in Animal Kingdom, we have DinoLand U.S.A. While we have seen this technology as a dragon in one incarnation, it is feasible that it can be re-themed as a flying dinosaur. And lastly in Animal Kingdom, there is a new nighttime spectacular in development called "Rivers of Light" opening in 2016. Whether it is a banshee, dinosaur or dragon, this technology would make for a wonderful enhancement to this show. I believe this is the most likely option in which we will see this technology again. Yet, we are not limited to Animal Kingdom. An update to the Magic Kingdom Firework Show may include this dragon. Furthermore, Hollywood Studios is expected to have a major expansion. It is rumored to include a Star Wars Land and a Pixar Land. Star Wars has its fair share of extraterrestrial creatures, and that includes some that fly. Plus, Pixar is releasing a new movie in November 2015, called the Good Dinosaur. There is a slim chance they have been planning ahead to create a Good Dinosaur themed land with the Pixar expansion, which could include flying dinosaurs. With all of the changes that are coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios, it would not be a surprise if a new nighttime spectacular is being created to include this technology as well. 

And then of course, this dragon is not limited to Walt Disney World. We may see it pop up in any of the Disney Parks across the globe, including the newest theme park that will be opening up in Shanghai soon.  The possibilities seem to be endless, so we can only hope Disney drops a few hints soon - most likely at the next D23 Expo in August. Please feel free to comment below and keep on speculating!

-Mike