In honor of the fourth anniversary of Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast at Tokyo Disneyland, Walt Disney Imagineering shared a mock-up revealing how the attraction’s most impressive effect was pulled off.

Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast Transformation

In an Instagram post, Walt Disney Imagineering shared that one of the greatest effects in WDI history was mocked up as a shoe box diorama as a proof of concept. The caption for the Reel was as follows:

Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast at @tokyodisneyresort_official first wowed guests four years ago! To celebrate, we’re sharing a behind-the-scenes look at a mock-up of the Beast transformation illusion 🦁➡️👑

A mock-up brings ideas to life on a smaller scale, letting us see how they work in the real world. For illusions, it’s essential — digital tests can’t capture the magic, but a real version helps everyone see it come together! 🪄

The image above is a screenshot from the Reel. The top half of the image depicts the proof of concept, while the bottom half shows what guests see when onboard the attraction.

In the ride, Beast spins while wrapped in a cloak. The proof of concept shows that this illusion was created through creative light effects. In the mock-up, lights flicker over Beast as he transforms into his human form.

In this photo, the last remnants of Beast’s former being have all but disappeared as his human form completely takes over.

With the final touch of Disney magic, the Beast’s transformation is complete and he stands alongside Belle. His entire previous form is gone.

You can watch our full-ride video of Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast below to see the illusion in action. The transformation begins at 11:42:

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