Fantasyland

Some historians say that Fantasyland was Walt's favorite part of Disneyland. It was the true home (before ToonTown) of his most personal creations: Mickey, Minnie and crew. It was certainly one of the original five lands upon which he bestowed a great deal of personal attention. Herb Ryman's original castle drawings reflected the majesty of a European castle, and it has been amply noted that Sleeping Beauty's Castle was drawn most directly from Neuschwenstein, the castle of Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria. The story, perhaps now an urban legend, was that Walt was unhappy with the model originally created. One of the early Imagineers removed the top portion, turned it 180 degrees, and set it back on the base. Thus the top faces backwards. Photos of Neuschwenstein give credence to that story, as that is what appears to have happened.

The earlier version of Fantasyland was something akin to a circus contained within a castle. The facades were tent-like, very colorful in reds and yellows. But Fantasyland truly became a land unto itself in 1983, when the "new" Fantasyland opened, complete with the look of a Bavarian or northern Italian village. This was the appropriate setting for Snow White, and Pinocchio, and even Toad Hall fit nicely into the array of ride facades.

The original layout for Fantasyland had King Arthur's Carousel just inside the main entry inside the castle, slightly off-center. The teacups were behind that, and Captain Hook's Pirate ship lay just beyond. Dumbo was roughly in the spot where Pinocchio's restaurant, the Village Haus now has its outdoor dining. During the changes of 1982-83, the Teacups were moved to their present location near Alice in Wonderland (quite appropriate), and Dumbo moved to the spot formerly occupied by Hook's Ship and Skull Rock. The Carousel was realigned to the center, and the whole interior of Fantasyland adopted the present "village" look. Snow White's Scary Adventure was renovated completely, and the Pinocchio Adventure was added. Peter Pan and Toad's Wild Ride remain unchanged, as far as the rides go, but both received a magnificent new exterior, particular that for Toad Hall.

With the new facades came an incredible attention to detail, and flights of fancy not previously available to the Imagineers. For example, White Rabbit's House now houses the Mad Hatter's Shop, selling, of course, hats. But in the garden grow incredibly large carrots, and the thatched roof is something of a modern miracle. At first glance, it is thatched. But straw would never withstand years of sun in southern California. Look closely. It appears to be straw-colored wiring insulation, without the wire. Absolutely great effect. Toad Hall, complete with all of those chimneys (and only one fireplace, or so we're told) produces smoke. And the new Dumbo has the charm of a gigantic mechanical music box.

One of the real treasures of Fantasyland has always been Storybook Land. Here, those beautiful little canal boats glide serenely through outdoor dioramas of our favorite Disney movie setting, such as Ghepetto's village, Snow White's house and the dwarf's diamond mine, Cinderella's village and the Prince's castle, and the recent additions of the palace at Agrabah from "Aladdin" and the castle from "The Little Mermaid."

Sleeping Beauty's Castle has a few interesting points. It's only 72' tall, but thanks to forced perspective (things get smaller as the height increases) it seems much taller. The drawbridge actually works, and was in fact lowered in a special ceremony when the park opened in 1955, and again when the new Fantasyland opened in 1983. The crest over the main entryway is that of the Disney family. After original construction, the castle interior was unfinished, and overrun with feral cats (and fleas!). The Sleeping Beauty walk-through dioramas were added much later. The gold covered spires and balls don't tarnish because they are covered with real gold leaf. And lastly, the spires of the castle conceal FM radio transmitters, used to beam the parade music, such as the Light Magic themes, to the various FM receivers in the floats, keeping the music in perfect synchronization with the music piped to the area speakers throughout the parade route.  The castle is undergoing a rehab at the moment (August 2004) with new paint, but don't worry:  it will only be a restoration and enhancement.  But wait until May 2005.  That's when the castle will be decorated with jewels, caps and ornamentation in celebration of Disneyland's 50th birthday, also called the Happiest Homecoming on Earth.

Doesn't the name say it all? This beautiful carousel, complete with fully restored gleaming white jeweled horses is a true work of art. It is graceful, majestic, and a treasure to behold. The only flaw is that the music is pre-recorded Disney tunes, rather than produced live by a carousel organ or melodian. That, with its thumping drum and crashing cymbal, would have made this carousel perfect.

Recently, this attraction has been closed for renovation, and its unknown when it may open. Originally, the interior of the castle was vacant. This attraction was added after the park opened, taking advantage of the "empty" space within the main castle walls. The dioramas presented are nicely realized, and present much the same type of display as those found in the windows of the Emporium on Main Street: studio crafted art wonderfully lit, depicting scenes from the Disney movie of the same name. Hint: during the summer, this place is cool, and always uncrowded. But there are stairs, so there is no handicap access to this attraction.

One of the original Fantasyland attractions, and still one of the best. Board your own flying pirate ship for a journey through the Darling's window, over London, past the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning! Try to catch the detail of decoration in the bedroom of the Darling children, and be sure to say "G'bye, Nana!" as you follow Tinkerbell out the window (yes, she's there!). Fly over nighttime London as you've never seen it, and circle Neverland from above. The detail of this "dark ride" (a black room filled with specially painted scenery, illuminated by ultraviolet light) is fascinating. Look down at London, and notice the cars moving on the expressways. You can almost reach out and touch Big Ben as you fly by. Similarly, Neverland is a beautifully rendered island, floating in the stars. The waterfalls are spectacular, and Hook's ship is right there in the bay where it belongs. The Indian Village is atop one hill, and you can almost tell where the Lost Boys have their hideaway. And yes, there are mermaids in that lagoon way, way down there. The only thing wrong with this ride is it's too short: less than three minutes. The kids will like it, and you can marvel at the scenery. Enjoy!

 

Not as scary as Snow White for young children, but Pleasure Island might give a chill, particularly when Lampwick becomes a donkey right before your eyes or Monstro the Whale suddenly lunges toward you near the end. Some very nice effects, particularly the fireworks over Pleasure Island. Lots to see, as Jiminy accompanies you here and there. Also a "dark ride," but very enjoyable, with a very happy ending: the Blue Fairy materializes and turns Pinocchio into a real boy! Next to Peter Pan, my favorite "dark ride."

The best thing this ride has going for it is the outside facade, which is a re-creation of Toad Hall, complete with its multiplicity of chimneys. As the name implies, you board a horseless carriage for a wild ride through Toad's house, the English Countryside, and well beyond. But again, beware. The end of the ride, after being "blown up," actually deposits you into an inferno, where "little devils" dance delightedly. Since it's a "hell" of an ending, small children may be a bit upset. Basically an inane attraction, and as you might guess, not one of my favorites. But hey, they can't all be gems. Recently, rumors have circulated that Toad's time is soon to be toast. The ride may be shut down. As of January 1999, however, the attraction is still open and operating, and the lines are still quite long during busy periods. Seems ol' Toad still can pack 'em in when he needs to!

Think of this as the Tomorrowland Rocket Jets on Quaalude. A sort of carnival attraction, where Dumbo replaces the kiddy cars as you go round and round. While that may seem harsh, the attraction as a whole is a marvel to behold, looking like some giant toy clockwork as it spins on its axis and the gears move up and down. Note the elephant sculptures on the lamp posts surrounding this attraction. Another great example of Disney attention to detail. Actually, this is the second generation Dumbo ride at Disneyland. The Original was located where the Village Haus restaurant now sits, more or less. During the 1983 rehab of Fantasyland, the old Dumbo was torn out, and ready to move, when it was discovered this beautiful new attraction. actually built for Euro-Disney (now called Disneyland Paris) was not yet needed there. So instead, Disneyland benefitted. The same attraction, and yet completely new.

This is probably my favorite Fantasyland attraction. I love the detail of the little houses, complete with their miniature landscaping. For example, Ghepetto's toyshop was crafted by hand by WED designers, who made the miniature stained windows, and tiny lead hinges on the door (so they can replace the light bulbs within, or so the story goes). The trees behind Snow White's cottage are a variety of miniature evergreen, and Cinderella's castle, the highest spot in Storybook Land, is beautiful with its real gold leaf spires. You enter this realm on a canal boat through the gaping maw of Monstro the Whale from Pinocchio. As a child, Monstro terrified and fascinated me. Why? Because from time to time, he blinks his eye, so I of course thought he must be real. Today, after "Jaws" and legions of other films, I don't think I'm yet comfortable with the idea of voluntarily entering the mouth of a whale. A couple years ago, Toad Hall was removed from this ride to make way for the Agrabah Palace, the former site of Toad Hall. Recently, Toad Hall was returned to a new site on the ride. Thank you, Imagineers, for returning this beautiful home complete with Ratty's hole, to Storybook Land.

The "spin-around-until-the-kids-get-sick" ride, this is sort of like the carnival Tilt-a-Whirl, but themed for Alice in Wonderland. A great ride if you haven't just eaten, and one even the littlest of kids will enjoy (so long as there's no overly enthusiastic or sadistic parent or older sibling along). There are six cups on three individual discs, all turning atop an even larger turntable. Lots of fun, and at least the ride is long enough to warrant the wait in line!

This ride was added after the park opened. It is another "dark ride" featuring carriages that look like the caterpillar, and the passengers ride down the rabbit hole, through the mad tea party, into the Queen of Heart's croquet game, and back again. The artwork is vibrant, and probably the best of any of the dark rides except for "Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin" in ToonTown. There is a short portion of the ride that is outside, and it appears to the passengers that they are about to careen off of the flower/leaf track on which they ride to be dashed on the pavement below. Otherwise, though, this is a very pleasant, and not scary at all for even the youngest guest (except, of course, for the Queen of Hearts screaming "Off with their heads!" during some of the final moments of the ride!). Another good thing about this ride, the line is frequently very short, as this attraction is located away from the main Fantasyland rides (not in the main courtyard), right next to the Mad Tea Party. See the Trivia page for some interesting info on this attraction.

Added to the park in 1959 with the expansion that included the monorail and the submarines, the Matterhorn was tied to Disney's picture "Third Man on the Mountain" which featured James MacArthur (later of Hawaii 5-0 fame). It is a rather tame roller coaster contained in a concrete shell that is a 1/100th scale model of the actual Matterhorn in Switzerland. The bobsleds are fun, although rather jerky and as coasters go, not particularly fast. During the day, real mountaineers scale the outside of the mountain in classic attire using traditional rock-climbing gear.  The Matterhorn was originally considered part of Tomorrowland, probably because it was created during the same monumental construction project that brought in the monorail and the submarine adventure, both in Tomorrowland.  But now in the tour books and officially, the Matterhorn is part of Fantasyland.

Just uttering that phrase will bring the never-ending, simple little tune to mind, and once there, you're stuck with it for hours, days, weeks or even longer. Originally built for the 1964-65 World's Fair in New York (and sponsored by Pepsi-Cola), this attraction features hundreds of dolls and doll-like children, representing the children from nations around the world, all gathering to celebrate their diversity and sameness. Canal boats take your through the attraction, while that music plays incessantly with lyrics in many languages. So if you're a kid, it's fun. If you an adult, pay attention to the beautiful costumes on the children, and the clever settings and animals. Just don't look down at the floor of the attraction. You'll see, if you do, that this was a "temporary" attraction at the World's Fair, and still looks as if it could be removed overnight should anyone ever decide to do so. I have a friend who was an art director for Imagineering, and he tells horror stories about having to ride through this attraction time and time and time again, making notes on what needed to be painted, repainted, repaired, etc. That was 25 years ago and he refuses to enter this attraction to this day!
Having said all that, the holiday attraction "It's a Small World Holiday" is wonderful. Disney has taken the theme from IASM and mixed it with Jingle Bells to produce a great medly featuring the holiday spirit from around the world. Here's a few photo images from the holiday attraction:
The picture above shows the pastel version of the Small World facade.  However, it was recently restored to the all-white mode, as it was originally painted at Disneyland and as it appeared (in part) at the 1964-65 World's Fair in New York.

FOOD

There's really only one place to eat in Fantasyland: the Village Haus. This is basically industrial strength fast food, but the variety is pretty good (burgers, hot dogs, etc.) and it does offer vegetarian fare (veggie burgers) and the usual assortment of soft drinks and deserts. I don't mean to make this sound bad; it isn't. It's actually one of the better Disneyland fast-food places (of course, I still prefer to go over to Fowler's Harbor for the chowder, fish or cajun curly fries). And the dining area itself, both inside and out, are pleasant, themed to a Pinocchio motif.

SHOPS

The Princess Toy Shop

Located just inside the castle to the left (west), this shop features a very nice selection of dolls, and a wide variety of plush toys, other toys, and children's/infants' clothing. Years ago, at the rear of the shop, there was a puppet theatre, and puppet shows were presented throughout the day. Alas, the puppet stage was removed a few years ago, and with it went the nice selection of puppets and marionettes  Until the recent merchandising campaign for the Disney Princesses (you know, Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Bell and Jasmine) this was the Tinkerbell Toy Shop.  Poor Tink.  Still popular but not enough to keep her name on her toy shop.

The Heraldry Shop

This little shop is relatively new, and is located to the right immediately inside the drawbridge. It features a service where you can find the heraldry, or coat of arms for your ancestral name, and receive the same as a print on a scroll with the story of that family's crest.

Mad Hatter

This is a wonderful hat shop, featuring beautiful headware of many types, and, of course, mouse ears. But the style of the shop, its design and detail are beautiful. I love the faux-thatched roof outside and the giant carrots growing in the garden. This shop is a perfect compliment to the tea cups and Alice's Adventure in Wonderland right next door.

It's a Small World Toy Shop

Just outside and to the left of It's a Small World, is this giant kiosk of a shop, featuring toys by Mattel (at last report), with a particular emphasis on Barbie. But there's other toys as well. If you really want a Cinderella Barbie, save a whole lotta money and go to Wal Mart AFTER you get home. Tell everyone you got it at Disneyland. I'll keep your secret. Honest.

Geppetto's Toys and Gifts

Right next to the Village Haus, and of course, right next to Pinocchio's Daring Journey, you'll find this small shop, which features a variety of clocks, particularly of the coo-koo kind. But there are beutiful puppets and other gift items as well, plus some delightful (and expensive) carved wooded items.

Stromboli's Wagon

This is the most authentic tourist-trap spot, selling back-scratchers with Mickey's hands, flashlights that say Disneyland, postcards, a few candy items, and general souvenier stuff. It's probably survived as a sales point mainly because it is directly across from the Fantasyland rest rooms at the back exit to Fantasyland that leads to Frontierland and the Festival of Fools.

Finally, neither a shop, attraction, or food location, there's Ariel's grotto.  Adjacent to King Triton's garden (the site of the old Monsanto House) between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, it's a location for a photo op with Triton's youngest daughter, or get her autograph.  Hours vary, so you just have to check to see when Ariel might surface. If you forgot your camera, you can still get a picture from a Disney photographer, for a fee of course.

Hey, it's my web site so here's my indulgence. Here's my granddaughter Adrianna with Ariel (taken 12-16-00):

Continue the Tour

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