Disney World is making some major changes to Epcot's France Pavilion, and one of those new changes premiering in January will be a "tale as old as time." Soon, the classic Impressions de France film will have a companion feature to go hand-in-hand, as families and Disney princess lovers alike will have a chance to check out the new Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along feature. The experience will serve as a chance to sing the film's classic songs, and to get a fresh take on the story via new scenes we absolutely love.
Don Hahn, producer of the animated and live-action version of Beauty and the Beast, directed the Sing-Along and likened it to a cliff notes version of the Disney tale. In January, Epcot goers will get the chance to attend screenings and sing along to 5 songs all in a span of 14 minutes. They'll also learn the true story behind Belle and Beast's romance we didn't learn the first time around, and see some entirely new footage.
Angela Lansbury has reprised her role as Mrs. Potts to tell the audience that it wasn't fate that brought the two together, it was LeFou. In this adventure, Gaston's bumbling henchmen got fed up with being tossed around and taken for granted, and played matchmaker for Belle all to get back at Gaston. New scenes spliced in with original footage feature LeFou (who is still voiced by Jesse Corti) as the mastermind behind some of the movie's most iconic scenes.
LeFou, for example, was the person who made Belle's yellow gown, and also the person who released the birds that ate from the couple's hands in the winter scene. It's all very tongue-in-cheek and presented in a way that should get a lot of laughs, but is also an effective story that condenses the major moments of the film by telling the story strictly through LeFou's perspective.
Keeping the story tight is important in Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along because it keeps the audience engaged and able to bounce from one iconic song to the next. Audiences will sing "Belle," "Gaston," "Something There," "Be Our Guest," and of course, "Beauty and the Beast." It's fast-paced (and maybe a little intimidating), but even non-singers can have fun in this one while watching the movie intermixed with LeFou's new parts. As someone who was skeptical prior to the performance on whether or not I would enjoy it, I can say it surprised me quite a bit. It's nice to see the character get a redemption arc!
Related: Walt Disney World's Epcot Changes Are Even Bigger Than We Thought
As mentioned above, Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along will debut in Walt Disney World's Epcot France Pavilion January 2020. Stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for other major theme park updates, and for the latest on what's going on in the world of television and movies throughout the rest of 2019 and beyond.
