{Consideration provided by the Disneyland Resort}
As we walked into the Disneyland Resort on that sunny winter day, we couldn’t help but imagine what might be in store for the day. Disney’s reimagined live action film Beauty and the Beast is slated for release on March 17th, 2017, and with a special invite to “be our guest,” I knew that we were in for a special film-related surprise.
The original animated film was released by Disney in 1991 and starred the voice talents of Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White and Angela Lansbury. Beauty and the Beast was inspired by the original fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and the 1946 French Film. It tells the story of a prince who is transformed into a beast as punishment for his arrogance. When Belle, a beautiful young woman happens upon his castle in search for her father, she is imprisoned in exchange for his release. To break the spell and become a prince, the Beast must win Belle’s love before the last rose petal falls on his 21st birthday.
With it’s global success, Beauty and the Beast won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and became the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award. It went on to win Best Original Score and Best Original Song.
What You Didn’t Know About Beauty and the Beast
As we sat inside the Sunset Showcase Theater at Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Ambassador Mikey Trujillo shared some fun facts about Beauty and the Beast as we awaited the exclusive sneak peek of the film. Here are 12 Things You Didn’t Know About Beauty and the Beast.
- Over 8,700 candles (104,400 inches of wax) were used as set decoration during production.
- The ballroom floor in the Beast’s castle is made from 12,000 square feet of faux marble. Its design is based on a pattern found on the ceiling of the Benedictine Abbey in Braunau, Germany.
- The 10 glass chandeliers in the ballroom (each measuring 14 feet by 7 feet) are based on actual chandeliers from Versailles which were frosted, covered in fabric and candlelit.
- Approximately 1,500 red roses were grown or purchased during production for use as research or set decoration.
- The enchanted forest, which surrounds the Beast’s castle, features real trees, hedges, a frozen lake and 20,000 icicles. It took 15 weeks to complete.
- Approximately 180 feet of feather light satin organza was used to create Belle’s yellow dress. The dress, which required 3,000 feet of thread and took over 12,000 hours to create, was accentuated with 2,160 Swarovski crystals.
- The costume department challenged itself to design and create ethical and sustainable costumes made from fair-trade fabrics. The team used natural and low impact dyes, carefully disposed of any waste water, and printed with traditional wood blocks.
- Philippe, Belle (Emma Watson) and Maurice’s (Kevin Kline) horse, is played by three different horses, two of which had to be painted on a daily basis.
- Froufrou, the dog belonging to Madame de Garderobe (Audra McDonald) and Maestro Cadenza (Stanley Tucci), is played by Gizmo, a rescue from one of the U.K.’s oldest and most famous animal rescue centers.
- The coat of arms in the Beast’s castle is a lion and a boar with a WD anagram (the WD is meant to represent a fictional character, William Devereaux, but could also stand for Walt Disney).
- Some of the original lyrics written by Howard Ashman for the songs “Gaston” and “Beauty and the Beast” that were not used in the animated film have been added to the live-action adaptation.
- The lend-a-hand lights on the terrace and staircase in the Beast’s castle and the rose colonnade on the castle grounds are an homage to Jean Cocteau’s 1946 Avant Garde film, “La Belle et le Bête, which was a source of inspiration for Bill Condon.
After being completely immersed in Disney’s re-imagined film, Dan Stevens, who stars as The Beast, made a surprise appearance at the theater.
All of the guests in attendance were given tickets to a special advance screening of the film at Downtown Disney.
Through March 26th, 2017, guests visiting the Disneyland Resort can see an exclusive sneak peek of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. This showing is longer than any preview you might see online or in theaters and showcases an entire act in the film.
Images: Disney unless otherwise noted
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