A Tribute to Monstro, Fantasyland's Biggest Villain

Welcome to Whale Poetry Thursday! What better subject than the wondrous and despicable Monstro, who stars in two Fantasyland attractions: Storybook Land Canal Boats and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. The Disney Hipsters have the realm of park Haikus perfected, so all I can do is pay homage to Lewis Carroll and Isaac Watts...

How doth the massive angry whale
Improve the flower beds
And swallow elder toymakers
N' little woodenheads.

How scarily he lunges forth
By Daring Journey's track

And grosses out canal tours
With his epic layers of plaque.

Pinocchio's Daring Journey in 1983

Pinocchio's Daring Journey opened in Disneyland as part of the massive Fantasyland remodel in 1983. Then and now, guests encounter a bit of foreshadowing as they enter the queue and pass this deceptive, cheerful poster for Stromboli's show.

The above image is from this past summer, but all the following photos are from my family's first trip to "New Fantasyland" in the summer of 1983.

Ride vehicles designed to look hand-carved by Geppetto begin the journey by entering Stromboli's Theater. Guests have about two seconds to watch Pinocchio on stage before veering to the right as "Something Goes Terribly Wrong."

Darker Than You Think: Pinocchio's Daring Journey

I love the whimsical puppet theater exterior of Pinocchio's Daring Journey at Disneyland. Yet this 1983 dark ride is a lot spookier than it appears from outside. If you've seen the classic film, you know why.

My family witnessed a little scene while waiting in line. A nervous little girl asked her father, "What's going to happen on this ride?"

"Happen?" snapped the Dad, confused by the question. "Yer gonna see Pinocchio!" The girl was not reassured; clearly, she (unlike her pop) knew the story.

Yes, folks, "Yer gonna see Pinocchio." Yer also gonna get locked in a cage by Stromboli, stumble down Tobacco Row, watch kids turn into donkeys, nearly get shoved into a crate, and get attacked by Monstro the Whale, all while Jiminy Cricket yells, "Look out!" and "You're going the wrong way!"

I love this ride, but -- similar to what happens with Snow White's Scary Adventures -- parents should remember that Disney dark rides reflect their source material quite well, and Pinocchio's journey is loaded with villains, threats and narrow escapes. Just as with all good films and rides, the happy ending must be earned.

Monstro the Frequent Snacker

People often use the word "charming" to describe Disneyland, but what we need is a word that means, "charming in often weird and unexpected ways." Fantasyland's Monstro fits that description perfectly. This behemoth, after nearly bringing a tragic end to the story of Pinocchio, found a new career swallowing boatloads of happy park-goers.

No matter how hard the big lug tries to look fierce, however, he just can't escape the fact that he's surrounded by beautiful, serene landscaping. As the "gateway to enchantment" for the Storybook Land Canal Boats, Monstro adds another fun, quirky puzzle piece to the one-of-a-kind atmosphere of Disneyland's Fantasyland. He looks surreal and yet so perfectly at home.

I can tell you, when I rode the Canal Boats as a small child, I always held my breath 'till we'd motored safely past the teeth.