Early Footage From Disney's 'Beauty And The Beast' Ride Puts You Into The Ballroom Dance Scene

You know that feeling when you're lounging around, watching the Disney animated classic Beauty and the Beast, and thinking to yourself, "Man, I wish I could be inside that ballroom while Belle and the Beast bust a move on that slick-ass dance floor"? Of course you do – it's a common feeling for all of us. At Tokyo Disneyland, you'll soon be able to experience it for real.

Take a look at some early footage from the new Beauty and the Beast ride, which will be the first ever ride-through attraction based on the 1991 movie.

Tokyo Disneyland's Fantasyland area is leaning hard on Beauty and the Beast, creating a 97-foot castle that will house the attraction The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast. These pieces of concept art from Disney's website show the outside of the castle, as well as the "Village Shoppes" and "Le Tavern de Gaston" nearby, which "will further allow guests to explore the world of the film and enjoy the ambience of Belle's village."

Take a look at the making of the new ride:

The audio animatronics in this thing are pretty damn incredible. I've been to Walt Disney World and Disneyland several times, so the idea of seeing realistic versions of the studio's movie characters is certainly not a new thing for me, but there's something that's almost unnerving about watching this version of an animated character like Belle come to life in such a realistic way. The technology seems to have improved drastically in recent years. Rewatch the shot that begins at 1:48 – look at the character's smooth motion, and the weight of the lantern and how it sways in her hand instead of staying locked into place. If Skynet wants to really freak us out with the robot uprising, they'll take the form of beloved Disney characters when they turn on humanity.

Beyond that, though, I wouldn't be surprised if this turns into one of the most popular rides at the park. The Beast's castle is one of the coolest locations in any Disney animated film, and the notion of being able to be visit it – even if you're being whisked across the interior in a teacup chair that looks remarkably like Mrs. Potts' son Chip – is irresistible. (If this ride takes you through that library, I may have to book a trip to Tokyo just see this in person.) I kinda love that they seem to be taking a page from the Haunted Mansion's playbook here too – riders won't just be tooling around inside the castle, but they'll ride around "outside" as well, in the area where the movie's winter montage takes place.

The Beauty and the Beast Tokyo Disneyland attraction is set to open in spring 2020.