The Ride Adults Fear Most (with Fish Heads & Crumbs)

What's the scariest ride at Disneyland Resort for many adults? Tower of Terror? No, that's in second place. We're talking about the good old Mad Tea Party. If you belong to the large percentage of adult humans who get motion sick when spinning wildly in circles, it can be a supreme act of courage to brave these jolly cups simply because your children don't want to ride alone.

Every day at Disneyland, that act of selflessness is carried out over and over again. It's kind of inspiring.

Mad Tea Party Magic

I was sorting through my Disneyland photos while listening to Christmas music, and the classic 1903 Victor Herbert song "Toyland" played as I came across this shot. I smiled at the line, "...once you pass its borders, you can never return again."

Victor Herbert never saw Disneyland, a place where adults eagerly hop into giant teacups to take a spin with their families and friends. No one feels ridiculous; Disneyland exists for moments like this. Sometimes you can return to Toyland, if only for brief, wonderful, fleeting moments.

Fantasyland at Night

Disneyland's Fantasyland takes on a unique energy late at night. Because much of it's blocked off during fireworks (as the castle hosts some of the pyrotechnics), the last hours of park operation find the area bustling with relaxed, tired-but-happy guests trying to get in one last ride on a childhood favorite before closing time.

The Mad Tea Leaves

The Mad Tea Party and the Alice in Wonderland leaves -- can you get any more "Disney" than this?

In the park's early years, the teacups sat by the carousel, far from the whimsical fantasy foliage of the Alice in Wonderland dark ride. As part of the 1980's Fantasyland renovation, the Mad Tea Party found a new home directly in front of Alice.

The two rides, combined with the White Rabbit's house (home to the Mad Hatter shop) and the March Hare's house (part of the Tea Party) formed a terrific Alice mini-land within Fantasyland. The gigantic, swirling leaves of the dark ride's exterior now extended over to the teacups, tying everything together.