Last month I reported that Disney Imagineering was working to restore the Sleeping Beauty Walk-Through that was originally created in 1953 within the walls of Sleeping beauty Castle in Disneyland but sadly closed in October of 2007. A post at Re-Imagineering today announces that it will re-open in time for Christmas.

Guests will experience a “reawakened” version of its classic walk through presentation kissed with vibrant scenes of Aurora, her charming prince, the evil Maleficent and other characters from the beloved fairy tale film.

“It is fitting that we are announcing the return of a classic on the 53rd anniversary of Disneyland,” said Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President of Creative Development for Walt Disney Imagineering, who unveiled a model of the castle on July 17, the birthday of Disneyland park.

The new walk-thru experiences will return to the unique style of the original 1957 show and motion picture, however enhanced with new scenes and special effects magic. The re-Imagineered attraction will employ technology not available in the 1950s to represent scenes from the story of Sleeping Beauty, including the magic of good fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, and the more sinister spells of the evil Maleficent.

Additionally, for the first time, guests who are unable to climb stairs or navigate the passageways of the Castle will be able to experience the walk-through “virtually” in a special room on the ground floor of the Castle.

Here is a preview of the dioramas you might see when the attraction is re-opened during the Christmas holiday.

As one who has never experience this piece of Disney magic, I am very much looking forward to it. Looks like I might need to schedule a trip back to the happiest place on Earth this Christmas holiday.

Related: Book your dream Disney vacation at Expedia.com!

Yahoo! News reports that in October, Disney will release its first animated classic on Blu-ray Disc, “Sleeping Beauty,” which will offer viewers a full palate of high-tech viewing options. Thanks to BD Live technology, which connects to the Internet, viewers will be able to pop “Sleeping Beauty” into their Blu-ray Disc player and get a variety of interactive features. And just what might those be?

• A customized version of the famed Sleeping Beauty castle that serves as a backdrop for the menu. The sky behind the castle will reflect the weather in their hometown, whether it’s a blizzard in Cleveland or a balmy day in San Diego.

• Once movie starts, viewers can chat with other viewers right on the movie screen, using a laptop, Blackberry or other personal digital assistant (PDA).

• The ability to insert customized video messages anywhere in the movie and send them to friends or family members via a Disney “movie mail” feature.

• Viewers will be able to play trivia games with fellow viewers across the country and when they’re done, get a constant supply of preview trailers simply by inserting the disc into their Web-connected player.

Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, hopes the release “will revolutionize the way people will interact with, and view, movies in the home.”

Personally, I don’t really care about the customized weather feature as I’m not going to sit there and stare at the menu for that long anyway. Being able to chat with other viewers might be cool but only if I know them. And trivia might be fun, especially if Seinfeld episodes begin to be released on Blue-ray.

One thing I fear is that all these “interactive” features will take away from the movie watching experience itself, at least if you are a guy. While my wife can watch something on the tube, be on her laptop and even carry on a conversation all at the same time, I need to concentrate on what I’m watching if I’m to take it all in.

One of Disney’s goals with this interactive release is to connect people online through a secured network. “Parents don’t have to worry,” Chapek said. “We’re trying to connect families, so for example your daughter can talk to her grandmother in Cincinnati while they are both watching the same movie, and you can leave the room and not have to worry.”

Disney isn’t the only studio that has announced plans to implement BD Live technology. Lionsgate’s Blu-ray versions of “War” and “Saw IV,” released in January, offer a chat feature. Sony released its first two BD Live features in April: “The Sixth Day” and “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” come with exclusive downloadable extra content. And Fox’s “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” lets viewers superimpose themselves into a game and play against others over the Internet.

I think for now I will just wait this all out. After all, I was one of the last people I know to give up my vinyl records for CDs. Therefore, although this BD Live technology sounds cool, I am in no rush to swap out all my DVDs.

Related: Only BLOCKBUSTER Total Access let’s you rent movies online with the flexibility to exchange in-store!