October 13, 2012

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride Before & After

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride Original Disneyland 1960's dark ride old
One night at Disneyland back in the late 1960's, my parents let me borrow their camera to use up the last shot on whatever I wanted. My nine-year-old-mind knew exactly what to do: take a photo of random people bursting out of hell at the end of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

I have no idea who those folks are in the picture, but I love their attitude. And look -- that plucky kid didn't take his hands off the steering wheel -- not even while being taunted by cackling demons with pitchforks!

Jumping ahead to this past summer...
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride remodel new Fantasyland Disneyland dark ride
...we can see that I took better photos when I was nine. We can also see that the newer unload zone -- now inside Toad's mansion -- isn't nearly as gothic-looking. It's more difficult to photograph the final "crash" doors now without being a nuisance, but way back on the right you can see how those once hellish-looking doors are now painted to look like they lead from a wine cellar or pantry.

Inside, however, the ride is just as loud, chaotic and crazy as ever. Long live Mr. Toad's Wild Ride -- May its dynamite kegs never stop exploding.


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