Peter Pan's Flight

The movie, Peter Pan was a major part of my childhood. The summer was always in full swing when we would dig into my Grandparent's movie collection (Which really only included a few select films) and we could come up with Peter Pan in hand. We watched it repeatedly, then we would watch it again. There is something alluring I think to children about the ability to not grow up plus the ability to fly.

 

My Grandparents house had a staircase that criss-crossed up to their bedroom which my cousins and I would turn into a makeshift stage for our constant performances, and one of our favorites was Peter Pan. I would drop in from the upper staircase (no socks, or you would slip and fall on the hardwood floor) do a bit of stellar acting, then I would grab hold of the banister and pull myself up to make it look like I was taking off in flight. I'm not sure how many times my poor Grandparents had to sit through this show, but kudos to them for being good sports about it.

 

That being said, I am always shocked at the extensive line for this attraction. I'm not sure why the line is almost always the longest one in Fantasyland, but as an adult I have only braved the line a few times. I do love this ride, but I'm not sure how my family kept their sanity standing in this long line with my sister and I.

 

I loved this ride because of a few things; first would be the cars hanging under the track. I had honestly never seen that before and I loved the illusion of flying that it produced. Secondly, who doesn't love the scene where you fly over London all stretched out in miniature? Not only is the city amazing, but this was one of the first times I encountered black lights. I was just as fascinated with my glowing shirt or shoelaces as I was with the ride.

 

A Glimpse Behind the Magic

As you fly out of the Darling's window at the beginning of the ride, the blocks on the floor spell out "Disney'

 

Fantasyland really delivers with this ride, which is why it is a staple for most people. The simplicity of the dark rides makes them even more impressive when they can take your breath away, and soaring out through the night sky over London never fails to impress.

 

Lesson Learned;

Sometimes it doesn't take anything over the top to create a lasting memory.

 

BONUS- Peter Iron Pan. Just for fun.



Dumbo

For such a simple ride, Dumbo the Flying Elephant certainly has a complicated history. Most of the drama happened way before my time, but I still find the process interesting.

 

The ride is very simple, you climb aboard and fly around in a circle with the ability to dictate the height of your specific elephant with a lever.

 

Originally the attraction was called "Pink Elephants on Parade"  because they thought it would be confusing to have a bunch of 'Dumbos' flying around. They fixed this issue by painting all the elephants pink and themed the ride after Dumbo's alcohol-induced visions of elephants made of bubbles. Walt was not pleased, however, and demanded they be painted grey. Walt probably had the right idea, I can't imagine many people being thrilled about flying in a hallucination.

 

The original Dumbos were built with hinged ears so that they would flap like wings as the ride went around. The effect never worked as well as they might have hoped, so the ears remained stationary until the elephants were replaced with models with stationary ears. 

 

The top of the ride has been adorned with a disco ball and a hot air balloon, topped by Timothy mouse holding a whip or the magic feather. And I would like to interject that I think Timothy is one of the best sidekicks in Disney history. He genuinely cares about Dumbo and proactively tries to make his life better. He is protective and sensitive to his life problems and does everything he can to help. I think Timothy is a much better companion than Jimminy Cricket, who kind of just lets Pinocchio do whatever he wants and interjects randomly.

 

Dumbo has been moved and painted and tweaked so many times for a ride that simply goes around in a circle. I think many people have fond memories of this attraction because it was one of the few times that you were allowed to control a vehicle as a child. You could be adventurous and go all the way up or be conservative and stay near the bottom. I honestly don't remember specifics about being on this ride as a kid, I think by this point Dumbo was a welcome change to the pace of the day and so I just enjoyed it.

 

A Glimpse Behind the Magic

When President Truman visited Disneyland he declined to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant on the grounds that the elephant was the symbol for the republican party. Yet another reason why politics ruin all sorts of things.

 

The simplicity of this ride makes it seem too bland to really enjoy, but so many people have distinct memories of this ride because it's one of those attractions that Walt made Disneyland for; so parents and children can ride together.

 

Lesson Learned

Sometimes you have to rethink and change even simple things to make them perfect.

Sleeping Beauty Castle

The first thing you notice as you enter Disneyland is undoubtedly the castle standing at the end of Main Street. Walt wanted the structure to make a statement and it certainly does. I wasn't particularly fascinated by the castle as a child, it tends to draw my attention more now that I'm older.

 

As a kid we would pretty much just walk over the drawbridge and into Fantasyland without too much hullabaloo. It was much easier to get my sister and I on most of these rides as compared to Splash Mountain and the Haunted Mansion. I do remember the waterfall with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs always confused me, why was she hanging around Sleeping Beauty's castle? I know it was their first movie and all, but if you aren't calling it 'Snow White Castle' I think Snow White might have been more appropriate somewhere else.

 

A Glimpse Behind the Magic

The drawbridge is actually functional. It has only been raised/lowered twice, once on opening day, and then again after the Fantasyland refurbishment in 1983

 

If you walk through the interior of the castle and out the other side you can turn to your left and see an entrance to a less-traveled attraction. I don't remember doing this as a child, but I was very excited when they re-opened it in 2008. (It was closed after the events of 9/11)

 

Through a series of cleverly designed vignettes they tell the story of Sleeping Beauty, complete with sound effects, music and animation. The spot where you watch Maleficent (Spoiler Alert!) transform into the dragon is particularly impressive. I also love getting to the end to see Sleeping Beauty and the Prince dancing in their storybook with her dress changing from blue to pink and back again.

 

I always thought Maleficent was the most amazing of all the Disney Villains. She didn't want to rule the kingdom, she just wanted to be invited to the party. She was so offended by being overlooked that she curses a baby to DIE on her 16th birthday! She is volatile and unpredictable, going from disturbingly quiet to screaming at the top of her lungs in seconds. She is an ultimate Disney villain, and I always gasped a little as a child when she screamed the word 'HELL' just before she changes into the dragon.

 

I can only imagine how proud Walt must have been when he saw the reaction of the first group of guests as they walked onto Main Street and saw this marvel. Well done Disney on making this the symbol of so many of our childhoods.

 

 

 

Lesson Learned

Some things are easier to appreciate when you are older.

Fantasyland or Bust

Now we move on into Fantasyland, the second area my family would move into during our day at Disney. We would make it a point to walk back to the central hub and walk through the castle which is always a magical experience. Lets get ready for fun and fairy dust in Fantasyland!