The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (41 page)

Fairy
Tale Treasures

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Everything your little princess’ heart could desire.  Not much for little boys, though.
]

The single shop in the new
Fantasy Faire
area,
Fairy Tale Treasures
fits the new mini-land like a glass slipper.  The theme here is simple and on point–all princess, all the time.

If
your
little princess has a favorite
Disney Princess
, she can purchase the complete costume here:  Gowns, hats, wigs, and accessories for any major
Disney Princess
you can name.  The original
Disney
royal,
Snow White
?  Aye.  The most recent addition to the royal pantheon,
Merida
?  Of course!  And
Cinderella
,
Aurora
,
Ariel
,
Jasmine
–every canonical princess your child adores.

Located near the
Royal Hall
exit and the corridor leading to
Frontierland
, the shop has a welcoming façade, timber and plaster topped by blue-and-pink shutters with heart-shaped eyelets.  Inside, the lighting–provided by wooden candelabra suspended from an artfully sloped timber and plaster ceiling–is medievalish.  The walls, washed pink, are stenciled with vines.  One feels like a visitor to a storybook cottage.

Wares hang from carved wooden racks or are stacked neatly on carved wooden shelves.  You and your little ones will enjoy examining the shelves for casks, and goblets, and display items related to different princesses.  There’s
Cinderella
’s coach!  And there’s a golden wig bearing
Aurora
’s crown!

Cast Members here are attentive and pleasant, selected, one presumes, for their ability to interact with children
and royals of all ages.

One item of concern is
the dearth of merchandise for boys.  Perhaps that will be remedied in time.  Dads and brothers cool enough to visit
Fantasy Faire
deserve to find some cool merchandise, too, just like the girls in the party.  Initially, the only item on hand for them seemed to be the (admittedly awesome) plush
Pascal
figure. 
Pascal
is
Rapunzel
’s chameleon sidekick.  Also near the
Rapunzel
merchandise, boys will find gold and silver swords nobly priced at a mere $5.  Now, bring on the shields, helmets, and prince and horse action figures!

Parents and guardians, be sure to check price tags before agreeing to purchase items that might exhaust your royal treasury.  Consult the helpful Cast Members if prices are unclear, and search for items at all price points.  You might want to discuss ground rules with kids in advance–a limit on the number or cost of items to be selected.  That doesn’t mean you won’t end up with tantrums or eye rolls, but it will improve your odds.

Doting aunts, uncles, and grandparents, drop by
Fairy Tale Treasures
to find treasures for the little ones back home! 
Did You Know?
  Can you find the secret golden acorn placed high above the entrance to
Fairy Tale Treasures
?  As
Imagineers
explain, to woodland creatures (the traditional sidekicks of princesses, a fact delightfully lampooned in
Enchanted
’s opening number), an acorn is more priceless and lovely than gold or gems.  To find the acorn, you must look up high, and seek what appears to be a gilded Fabergé acorn.

Fantasy Faire Gifts

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More here than meets the eye, especially for budget-priced souvenirs, and lines are usually short.
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A small kiosk with a roof like a medieval tent, this little shop stands close to the
Fantasyland Theatre
(formerly the
Disney Princess Fantasy Faire
attraction) and
“it’s a small world.”
Although it seems like a natural part of the landscape, it didn’t open until 1996.

F
or such a small space,
Fantasy Faire Gifts
sells a majestic selection of smaller toys, dolls, postcards, souvenirs, and lollipops.  This is an excellent place for little ones to browse if they’re contemplating a purchase with their allowance or a few
Disney Dollars
.  Kids and even grown-ups on a budget can find some nice trinkets for themselves or for friends, coworkers, and family back home.

The Heraldry Shop
pe

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Delve into your family history, order a copy of your family crest, and peruse a beautiful collection of armor and weapons.  You can’t miss this shop; just look for the suit of armor.
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On the east side of the
Sleeping Beauty Castle
courtyard, across from the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
, the
Heraldry Shoppe
boasts a magnificent suit of armor on its small porch, a great photo op for your group!

This is an interesting shop in part because it’s one of the few stores in the park without a
Disney
theme or
Disney
feel to it.  When you step inside, it’s as if you’ve been transported to a shop on a London side street or an Oxford lane.

Stores move around a lot in the castle courtyard.  The
Heraldry Shoppe
was in the west side of the castle from 1995 to 2006, the space that’s now the
Enchanted Chamber
.  The
Heraldry Shoppe
’s present digs next to
Peter Pan’s Flight
look like they were built in 1066, but it was only in 2006 that the
Heraldry Shoppe
moved to its present location, following in the footsteps of prior occupants
Merlin’s Magic Shop
(1955 to 1983),
Mickey’s Christmas Chalet
(1983 to 1987),
Briar Rose Cottage
(1987 to 1991), and
Disney Villains
(1991 to 1996).

Inside
the
Heraldry Shoppe
’s narrow castle chamber is a wonderful assortment of warrior weapons, from axes to daggers to gleaming swords, and they’re rather reasonably priced.

The main attractions are the
huge tomes containing almost every surname known to humankind.  Find your family surnames in the book, and, for a fee, the staff will be glad to have your family names, history, crest, etc. emblazoned on certificates or souvenirs.

The printing and engraving can be e
xpensive, but if you can foot the bill, these are
very
meaningful gifts for family members.  In these times, when we’re all plotting our family trees online, and having our DNA sliced-and-diced by ancestry labs, what’s in a name?  So, so much. 
Did You Know?
  As a young man,
Walt
was often called
Diz
(short for
Disney
) by friends.  In his biography
Walt Disney:  An American Original
author
Bob Thomas
shares that the
Disneys
came to North America from Ireland in the 1800’s, but they hailed originally from England and prior to that France, where their name was
D’Isigny
.  They were from
Isigny-Sur-Mer
which translates as Isigny-on-the-sea; like many surnames, then,
Disney
notes the place from which the family originally journeyed.

“it’s a small world” Toy Sho
p

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Lots of dolls and toys.  Kids will love it.  The
Disney Princesses’ wooden
“dream house” is trippy, and surreally foreshadowed
Fantasy Faire
.
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Debuting just before Christmas in 1992, this compact, round toy shop sits immediately outside
“it’s a small world”
.  The attraction has two exit ramps, one of which bypasses the toy shop and leads Guests onto
Small World Promenade
, while the other leads Guests directly into the store.  Parents on a budget might want to steer their family down the ramp that bypasses the shop!

Specializing in
princess costumes, plush dolls, autograph books and pens, play sets and other toys, the
“it’s a small world” Toy Shop
is a pleasant place to browse and while away a few moments.  If you’re looking for larger, higher-priced toys as opposed to smaller trinkets and souvenirs, this shop is a fine choice.

One of the grace notes of this shop is a display, a tall, multi-tiered toy castle, warmly lit from within, sporting elaborate balconies painted in pastel colors.  On each balcony stands a
Disney Princess
doll.  There’s
Ariel
.  There’s
Jasmine
.  There’s
Belle
.  There’s
Aurora
.  And so on.  It’s like the “Barbie Dream House” of
Disney Princess
castles.  It’s like a
Disney Princess
resort.  If your tiny ones are about to pitch a tantrum because you won’t buy them a trillion-dollar toy, distract them by pointing to this display; challenge them to find and name all the princesses in residence.

Le Petit Chalet Gifts

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Disney
hats and trinkets.  Great choices for Guests on a budget.
]

Appropriately enough, the Swiss-themed
Le Petit Chalet Gifts
is located near the
Matterhorn Mountain
.  It’s a wooden structure with a chalet roof and is quaintly decorated with painted green leaves and pink-red floral patterns in the Swiss fashion.

Le Petit Chalet
has bins of trinkets and
tchotchkes
in front–keychain, pens, antenna toppers–and larger items like
Disney
-themed T-shirts and hats and toys behind the counter.  This is one of the many shops in the park where kids can afford to buy gifts for themselves or friends and family even if they only have a few
Disney Dollars
.  They’ll enjoy inspecting the merchandise and deciding on their purchase.

Le Petit Chalet
isn’t far from
“it’s a small world”
and is close by
Edelweiss Snacks
, which sells
Disneyland
Turkey Legs
.  (I’m not a
Disneyland
Turkey Leg
fan myself, but many Guests are all but addicted.)

So after you purchase your
Disneyland
chapeau
or T-shirt or knick-knack at
Le Petit Chalet
, why not treat yourself to a
Turkey Leg
?  They’re huge, and they’re juicy, so have plenty of napkins (maybe even a bib or poncho!) on hand to protect yourself and your purchases. 
Did You Know?
  Another structure that looks like it’s always been part of the park,
Le Petit Chalet
actually didn’t debut until 1997. 
Did You Also Know?
  After conquering the
Matterhorn
, Guests used to be able to stop here for
Abominable Snowman
dolls.  Unfortunately,
Abominable
dolls are no longer sold here.  Neither are the trippy
Alice
T-shirts which tied into the
Disney
-
Tim Burton
Alice in Wonderland
live-action movie that opened on March 5, 2010.

Mad Hatter

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Marvelous hats in a
Wonderland
setting.  Can you find the hidden
Chesire Cat
?
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The
Mad Hatter
is housed in a charming thatched cottage in the classic style of rural England.  It’s accessible through a door near
Alice in Wonderland
’s exit, or, on the opposite side, via a door near the queue for
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
.