Enchanted Tales with Belle is a fun interactive show with a special surprise at the end
Most character meet-and-greets are pretty at Walt Disney World are pretty straightforward. Wait in line for 20 to 30 minutes, walk up to the character and have a brief interaction before snapping a couple of pictures.
But tucked away in the Magic Kingdom (near the entrance to the Be Our Guest Restaurant) is a hidden gem: Enchanted Tales with Belle. If you're visiting the parks with a young child, it's absolutely a must-do, for two reasons.
Listed as a "Character Experience," Enchanted Tales with Belle doubles as an interactive show and a character meet and greet.
It begins with a relatively short queue in which you actually get to step into Belle and Maurice's country cottage. The wait time for Enchanted Tales with Belle is usually around 20 minutes, which about the length of the show. So if you just missed the start of one, there can be a bit of a wait — but still, it's nowhere near as long as some of the other character meet-and-greets at the park.
The queue is mostly in the shade so you don't have to worry too much about sweating in the Florida heat. Part of it being in the cottage also means kids have some built-in entertainment as they can marvel at all the charming decor.
You're then invited into Maurice's workshop, where you can see his inventive gadgets. Thus begins the interactive story.
Enchanted Tales with Belle recounts the story of how Belle and Beast first met, with your kids actually helping star in the show! Very few Disney shows actually allow audience participation these days, so naturally this is one of my favorites.
What I love about this attraction is that they go out of their way to make every kid feel special. The cast, with the help of the Enchanted Wardrobe, select participants for various roles in the story, including Mrs. Potts, Chip, and even the Beast!
And don't worry if your child doesn't get selected for one of the named roles. The cast makes sure everyone has a part in the show with some sort of prop to use as a costume. If your child is shy and simply wants to watch, that's fine too!
Once everyone has a part, you'll enter Beast's library where Lumiere tells guests about Belle's birthday and begins the fairytale story. The cast members are wonderful as they guide your children with their roles, telling them exactly what to do and when. Even if your kid is shy and just stands there, it's such an adorable show that simply seeing your kid up there is magical.
When Belle arrives, the kids all celebrate her birthday and parade around the room with her.
Then it's time for a truly special moment, an individual photo opportunity with Belle. Each kid has the chance to take a photo with Belle. Even if they didn't take part in the show, a cast member will still make sure they can meet her and take a photo. This, to me, makes the entire attraction worth it.
The photos are captured with Memory Maker through Disney PhotoPass, but you can also take your own photos and video.
Not only is Enchanted Tales with Belle a cute show, but it's a wonderful meet-and-greet experience. If you've got a young child, it's definitely worth the memories seeing them on "stage" interacting with Belle.
Five star rating: A 4.5 if you have young kids, otherwise you can probably skip it.