Disney theme parks are well known for their immersive attractions that incorporate a wide
range of practical and digital effects, from the classic stretching room of the haunted
mansion to state-of-the-art animatronics and projection mapping.
The topic of today’s video is not one of the major E-ticket rides, but it is a popular
attraction that combines many of these effects together to pull off a cool one-of-a-kind
illusion.
Enchanted Tales with Belle is an interactive walk-through experience in the Magic Kingdom
where guests have the opportunity to meet princess Belle and other characters from Beauty
and the Beast.
The story begins inside a small workshop which belongs to the character Maurice, and guests
are told that they will travel to Beast's castle by passing through an enchanted mirror
hanging on the wall.
Upon saying the magic words, the lights in the workshop go out, and the mirror comes
to life showing images of a forest and beast’s castle as the frame is illuminated with shimmering
lights.
The frame then expands both horizontally and vertically as the mirror transforms into a
wooden door, and it opens to reveal a passageway leading into the next part of the attraction.
This is a really effective illusion that might appear relatively simple at first, but there’s
actually quite a bit going on to make it all work seamlessly.
To start, it helps to identify the parts of the system that are stationary and the parts
that move.
The upper portion of the wall forms an upside-down U-shape around the top of the mirror, and
this is fixed within the dark wooden beams that enclose the show area.
The top middle part of the frame is secured to the wall, and pretty much everything else
can move in some way.
The bottom section of the wall, the frame, the glass, and even the wooden trim pieces
all need to be moved out of the way to create a portal when the mirror is in the open state.
These components are arranged in several layers, effectively hiding what is actually going
on underneath.
The frame is the first layer, which is positioned on top of the fixed part of the wall, while
the bottom part of the wall and the glass are both positioned behind.
The 4 sides of the frame are made up of telescoping segments that slide into one another, allowing
it to expand in 2 directions simultaneously.
When the mirror is in the closed state, there is a gap between the inside of the frame and
the edge of the wall, but the gap remains hidden because it is thinner than the width
of the frame.
As the top and bottom extend horizontally, the sides of the frame are pushed over the
wall to close the gap, giving the illusion that the opening is becoming wider.
The exact width that was chosen for the frame is quite important here, as it determines
how far the mirror is able to expand.
The motion itself is achieved with a rack and pinion system that is hidden underneath
the frame, and the telescoping segments are guided with linear bearings.
The pinions are circular gears that engage with toothed rails referred to as racks, and
they drive the racks forwards or backwards as they spin.
There are racks and pinions hidden behind the wall trim on either side of the mirror
as well, and the trim pieces are made up of telescoping segments just like the frame so
that they can contract as the frame expands.
To help disguise all the moving components, the effect takes place in a darkened room
and projection mapping is used to create shimmering lights that hide the expanding joints of the
frame.
The audio track that accompanies the show also plays an important role here because
it covers up any mechanic noises made by the system.
[Music]
Now, in order for the mirror to fully transform into a functional doorway, the bottom of the
frame and the lower part of the wall both have to completely disappear beneath the floor.
The lower wall section is a rigid U-shaped panel, and when the mirror is in the closed
state, the vertical sides of the U are hidden behind the fixed wall above.
As the frame expands, the wall panel moves downwards to reveal the two side pieces, which
become the new bottom part of the wall when the mirror is in the open state.
The panel is lowered into a maintenance pit underneath the room by a linear actuator,
and this is where mechanics are able to access most the electrical and mechanical components
when performing maintenance or troubleshooting the attraction.
The opening in the floor is the reason why there are two strategically placed props on
either side of the mirror, as these help to hide the gap from view when the wall is lowered.
Once the frame is fully open, it is revealed that the glass part of the mirror actually
extends all the way down to the floor behind the wall.
There are two glass panels installed side-by-side, and they slide horizontally along a track
so that they can function like a set of pocket doors.
The seam where they meet is initially hidden out of view behind the frame, but the panels
are moved just before the portal opens so that they spread apart from the center.
The glass itself is half-silvered to create a one-way mirror, and the animation is projected
onto the back from the opposite side of the wall.
The glass remains reflective from the viewpoint of the guests while the projection is running,
but the room is darkened so that the animation appears much brighter than the reflection.
As you can probably see in this low-light video, the reflection of the room is just
barely visible through the projection, and you really have to look closely to see it
in person.
At the end of the animation, the image of the castle transforms into a set of wooden
doors, and this is when the glass panels are moved into position before opening.
The panels simply slide apart from the center, but the projected image shows the doors opening
inward to give the illusion that they are real doors on hinges.
Once the portal is open, a cover plate is slid into place to cover the opening in the
floor where the frame was lowered, and guests are then invited to pass through the mirror
into Beast’s castle.
After the guests have moved through the passageway and on to the next part of the attraction,
the mirror is then returned to the closed state for the next group.
The glass panels are closed, the lower wall is raised, and the frame is retracted, so
that it once again looks like a regular mirror hanging on the wall.
This transforming mirror is a fantastic example of how practical and digital effects can be
used together effectively, and I think it’s great to see Disney continuing down this path
with many of their new attractions.
The overall illusion is achieved purely with physical mechanisms just like many of the
classic illusions from Disney’s past, but modern projection technology is used to enhance
the immersive experience by really bringing the mirror to life.
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