Which Line Didn't Make it to Wonderland?

Disney's animated Alice in Wonderland isn't perfect, but its unique and unforgettable style makes it my favorite Disney film (or, at least tied for first place with Peter Pan).

The movie's sharp, off-the-wall lyrics and dialogue are quite unlike anything in any other Disney feature. Here's a list of some gems, but can you spot the line that didn't make it into the final film? The answer sits under the next pic.

1) What it is, it wouldn't be--and what it wouldn't be, it would.

2) Not aquamarine!

3) I never, never ever do a thing about the weather, 'cause the weather never, ever does a thing for me.

4) Doh something, Doo-doo!

5) Started it tomorrow, but we'll finish yesterday.
 
6)  How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws--and welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws.

7) Follow the directions and directly you'll be directed in the right direction.

8) We don't want weeds in our bed!

9) If you'll believe that I believe that you believe in me, then I'll believe that you believe that I believe in you.
 
10) Start at the beginning, and when you get to the end...stop!

11) Don't tell the Queen what you have seen, nor say that's what we said.

12) This watch is full of wheels!

Underappreciated Disney Characters Part 1

At Mouse Troop, we love offbeat Disney Music, oddball park details, and--perhaps most of all--under-appreciated Disney characters! In part one of a threatened series, we're paying tribute to the best supporting players from two Disney classics. First up:

 COLONEL HATHI

Likes: Marching
Dislikes: Man-cubs

Voiced by the amazing J. Pat O'Malley (who also applied his perfect Stuffy-Elder-British-Officer impersonation to Alice in Wonderland and 101 Dalmations), Col. Hathi turns a minor plot moment in The Jungle Book into one of the funniest sequences in Disney filmdom. There's a nice bit of depth to this potentially one-note characterization: Beneath his gruff, loud exterior, Hathi cares very much about his young son. We also get the impression that, deep down inside, Hathi is well aware that he'd be helpless without the common sense input from his wife, Winifred.

APPEARANCES OUTSIDE THE FILM:

Col. Hathi once roamed the parks with Mowgli, long ago. He used to appear in occasional parades, and was last seen doing a soft-shoe (with his twin) in a Goofy dream sequence in Disney's Twelve Days of Christmas. Somewhat out of character, but that's show biz.

 THE HORN DUCKS

Like: Quality Family Time
Dislike: Being Trodden On

The Horn Ducks of Alice in Wonderland look so perfectly natural that it's truly a shame they don't exist in the real world. One of the most endearing species of Tulgey Wood, they express themselves quite well--and raucously--without speaking a word.

APPEARANCES OUTSIDE THE FILM

The Horn Ducks can be briefly glimpsed on Disneyland's Alice in Wonderland dark ride (don't blink!) and at Alice's Curious Labyrinth in Disneyland Paris.

Alice in Wonderland's Curious Signage

There's nothing quite as Fantasyland-ish as an eyeful of Wonderland leaves. That's a nicely-designed sign, too. Although, sometimes these ride descriptions get a bit too literal...

Is it really necessary to point out that the ride vehicles are oversized caterpillars? I honestly don't think anyone in line is expecting to board a normal-sized three-inch-long caterpillar...at least, I certainly hope not. Ah, well, it's a fun bit of signage nevertheless.

Photo by Lana Whitham

Lighting the Path for Alice

Fantastic flower lampposts tower above the queue for the Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Originally, the entire exterior was given over to the giant leaves and flowers inspired by the film. The real trees and hedges were worked into the scene as part of the 1984 remodeling.

Ordinarily, the clash of scale between the living trees and the giant make-believe flowers could be jarring, but it works well here. The ride's exterior becomes a transition between the outside park and the loud, colorful scenes waiting inside the show building. Wonderland is a dream world, so it makes sense for the exterior to represent a state of mind halfway between awake and asleep...or am I reading too much into it?

After all, the Alice ride's design--like so much of Disneyland-- is the result of Imagineers making the best possible use of limited and awkward spaces. It's a two-story indoor-outdoor adventure because part of it has to squeeze above Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. When talented people are tasked with that kind of design puzzle, we wind up with wonderful landscapes that might never have been dreamed up otherwise.

Hooray for awkward spaces!

Strange Things 9: Laughing Sky Edition!

Holy Cheshire Cats, "Beyond the Laughing Sky" is on iTunes! Time for another edition of Strange Things -- Recordings of Disney tunes which are offbeat, rarely heard or performed in unexpected ways. All are available on iTunes and Amazon MP3.

This first one, a stealth release from Disney, is one fans have been waiting for since the days of laser disc!

TRACK: Beyond the Laughing Sky
ALBUM: The Lost Chords: Peter Pan

The Lost Chords are short albums highlighting songs which were not used in the Disney films they were written for. Past releases include songs from Cinderella, The Aristocats and The Rescuers. Each lets you hear the original demo version, followed by a new recording of the piece.

"Beyond the Laughing Sky", however, is a special song--one that forever links the production history of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. If you watched the bonus material on the Alice in Wonderland laser disc or recent DVD releases, you probably know its history. The song was written for Alice, but not used. With a new set of lyrics, the song became "Second Star to the Right" in Peter Pan. Here's a music clip from the video releases, hosted by Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of both Alice and Wendy:

The new recording (by Vangie Gunn) on iTunes is beautiful. If you buy one Disney song this week, this is the one to get. Its history is strange, but its performance is wonderful.

Next up (we've got five picks today): Time for a classic 20,000 Leagues song as sung by a bunch of scallawags...

A Victim of Remodeling: World of Disney's White Rabbit

The White Rabbit is one of my favorite Disney characters, so I was delighted to find him freaking out from inside his residence above the mountain of plush toys in the original version of the "Alice" room of Disneyland Resort's World of Disney Store. Once upon a time, his entire house formed the focal point of that section of the shop.

Unfortunately, W. Rabbit and his house vanished during a major remodeling of the sales floor, and in their place the store got...well....um...nothing memorable.

The Queen of Hearts' exhausted, stressed-out herald can still be found in several spots in Disneyland, but the World of Disney Store is now, regrettably, de-bunnyfied.

Down the Rabbit Hole

Disneyland has seven black-light dark rides (Alice, Snow White, Mr. Toad, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Roger Rabbit and Pooh), but only one of them turns its first moments into a kinetic bit of outdoor storytelling for non-riders to watch. The rabbit hole entrance to Alice in Wonderland has been swallowing up caterpillars ever since its debut in 1958.

Originally, the winding, slow motion "fall" took place in complete darkness, and that's the version I grew up with. When the ride got a massive redesign, the downhill tunnel was lightened and decorated to resemble the film scene. In the newer rabbit hole, you can plainly see you're only descending a few feet, but back when it was dark and I was five, I thought we were going waaaay underground. Disneyland is incredibly awesome when you're small and you believe everything. And it's awsome in a different way when you're grown up and still love the magic of good storytelling.

If you'd like to take a quick trip to Wonderland, Rocketsummer23 has posted one of the best videos of the entire ride I've ever seen--and taken before the upper safety fences were added! See if you can spot the caterpillar's slippers on top of the giant outdoor mushroom toward the end.

Reviewing the Netflix Disney Films: Alice in Wonderland

With several great Disney classics readily available to stream on Netflix, there's no better time to take another look at these amazing films. Today Mouse Troop turns its attention to one of the most problematic and interesting films ever to come out of Walt Disney Studios. It has a castle, but no princess, no love story, no battles, no time, no way (except the Queen's way), no mustard in the watch, no oysters for the Carpenter and no tea (ever) for Alice.

Few would deny that Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland fails on a few levels. It lacks emotion, it’s episodic, the story has no goal…

And yet…

It’s my favorite Disney film. I first saw it on Wonderful World of Color way back during my 1960's childhood (when a chance to see Disney animation was a rare treat), and it haunted my dreams. I think small children can relate to Alice’s fear of being lost, and if you experience this film at a young age, the movie retains a deep-rooted sense of peril that’s lost on those who initially view it as an adult.

Mad "T" Party's House of Cards Bar

While I'm not the target audience for DCA's loud and bizarre Mad "T" Party, I do admire the clever design and overall high quality of the nighttime event. As mentioned before, I tend to treat it more as a walk-through attraction than a place to hang out.

The bar at the House of Cards stage offers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Like everything else at the Burton-esque festival, it's a pleasure to look at, even when just passing through.

Strange Things 5: More Great Offbeat Disney Tunes

Welcome back to Strange Things, an ongoing search for offbeat, unusual Disney tunes. The rules: the tracks should be obscure, rarely played, or performed in unexpected ways -- and available on iTunes or Amazon MP3. Today we've got Groucho Marx, pirates and more!

Let's start off with one of the best overlooked Disney songs ever, and a seasonal gem:

Track:   ONCE UPON A WINTERTIME
Album: Christine Davis & Family - Love Came Down.

I was surprised to find that this wonderful holiday song from Melody Time (the sequence with the young lovers, the horse-drawn sleigh and the cracking river ice) is only represented by a single recording on iTunes. Fortunately, it's a good one.

I'm not a big fan of electronic effects in ballads, but it works very well here. Mark Davis's relaxed vocals keep the song's folksy charm intact throughout this modern interpretation of a classic. Well done.

Next up: one of my all-time favorite finds on iTunes:

The Alice Caterpillars: Best Ride Vehicles Ever?

Hop in before he changes his mind!

When it comes to picking my favorite ride vehicles at Disneyland, one top choice leaps (or crawls) straight (or in a zig-zagging pattern) to mind; the Alice in Wonderland caterpillars.

The caterpillars seem to merely "tolerate" our presence

They're a work of art -- wonderful little sculptures full of personality, giving off a heap of attitude.

Down the rabbit hole

They're fun from every angle, too, and are as delightful to watch as they are to ride. Even with the temporary fences in place on the upper level (can't wait for the upcoming fix), their in-and-out zig-zagging turns the ride's exterior into one big, wonderful kinetic work of art.

Before the safety fences

Surprisingly, there are only two other rides in Disneyland Park with character vehicles: Dumbo and Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin. Both are great, but they can't top a journey to Wonderland.

Riding the Skyway in 1975

Here we are in 1975. Tomorrowland looks great, even in this crummy weather. My teenage self, on his first independent road trip to the park (with best friend), has camera in hand. Ready for a ride on the Skyway?

One problem: the line on the Tomorrowland side is ridiculously long. Being Disneyland pros, however, we know there's never a long line at the Fantasyland station. So, we'll just dash over to the Chalet and start there. By the way, the above shot captures a great little detail for die-hard Disneyland fans. Can you spot it? I'll reveal it at the end of our ride.

Gliding out from the Fantasyland Skyway station, we see the Mad Tea Party in its original location before it got moved -- lock, stock & saucers -- to a new home by the Alice dark ride in 1983.

The original Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Even before the remodel that turned the front into a detailed replica of Toad Hall (and mixed in ideas from the WDW version), this attraction's always drawn a crowd. In pre-home video days, very few guests had ever seen the film Ichabod and Mr. Toad, but the ride stood on its own. Still does!

Please click below to continue the flight!

Alice in Safety Land

The Alice in Wonderland ride's awful-looking safety railings and camouflage tarps have been uglifying the attraction's exterior since their unfortunate installment in 2010. The good -- very good -- news is that the fences are due to be replaced by a (hopefully) classier-looking alternative sometime in 2013.

This used to be a bright, open, whimsical fantasy garden with a graceful vine-path winding about overhead.

It's sad to realize most first-time visitors assume the fencing and tarps have always been there.

For 2010 reactions and a video of how gross the railings look on-ride, click Here.

To see how amazing this ride looked without the fencing, click Here.

Can't wait for remodel, which is also rumored to include several upgrades to the ride's interior! At least one of our crew is rooting for the Walrus and the Carpenter to get a scene this time.

Alice in Wonderland remains one of Disneyland's best rides. Fingers crossed that the exterior will soon look more like its wonderful, spectacular old self!

TIme Machine: The Wrecked Nature's Wonderland Mine Train

In 2007, when this shot was taken, a trip around Disneyland's Rivers of America included a view of this wonderful old Mine Train from the park's early years.

As a tribute to the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland (removed to make way for Big Thunder), this beautiful old MTTNW locomotive was set up  as though wrecked in a rockslide along one of the original ride's stretches of railroad track.

Little mechanized marmots (a species of ground squirrel) would pop up among the rocks in the mine cars, referencing a gag from the old ride.

The mine train tribute was removed during the recent refurbishment of Rivers of America, as new scenery was put in place to truly turn the river into a tour of America's greatest waterways.

Cheshire Cat Guidance

If you're lost, wandering around Fantasyland's borders, the Cheshire Cat's more than eager to point you toward the entrance to the Alice in Wonderland dark ride several yards away.

You'll be seeing a lot more of him inside the attraction, as he appears five times during the ride itself...although sometimes he's not quite "all there."

But beware. Just like in the animated classic, he has ulterior motives here; he loves any chance he can get to tick off the Queen of Hearts!

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.

Time Machine Day: Alice in Wonderland 1967

Caterpillars twist their way down the outdoor finale of Disneyland's Alice in Wonderland ride, circa 1967, as seen through the lens my childhood Polaroid Swinger Camera!

This is the original version of Alice before the remodel -- the version with the Upside Down Room, Oversized Room and hallway of Screaming Doors. In this version, the track did not re-enter the castle at the end; it twisted back and forth all the way to ground level, then simply did a U-turn to the unload zone.

Sunday Signage: The Mad "T" Party

I don't fit the target age group for loud techno dance clubs, but I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to DCA's Mad "T" Party. The experience begins with this amazing animated pocket watch -- one of the most mesmerizing entry signs I've ever seen. It serves as a vivid preview of the wild visuals and lighting effects awaiting down the neon rabbit hole.

What I found upon entering made me smile. Well done. For others like myself, who usually aren't into this sort of thing, I suggest treating "T" Party like a walk-through attraction, if you can handle the music volume. Enter down the rabbit hole and proceed on through, admiring the bizarre sights and sounds within. Then head on back to Cars Land for some great 60's Motown tunes and a milk shake at Flo's.

If you're looking for a loud, surreal dance club themed around a Blade-Runner twist on Alice in Wonderland, you couldn't ask for a more effective, colorful (and well-performed) realization of that very concept!

Alice In Wonderland - Before the Safety Fence

Alice in Wonderland is a Disneyland treasure, and my favorite black-light dark ride.

This photo was taken a couple of years ago, before the safety fencing was added to the upper outdoor section of track. The meandering downhill vine-path used to provide a visual thrill, as the caterpillar cars would seem to be heading right off the edge of the track before turning in another direction. It was like a gentle wild-mouse ride.

The dark ride portions are still great, but the safety fence has muted the visual fun of the outdoor descent. The good news: the outdoor track's about to get a major overhaul including a new, permanent re-work of the fencing. Hopefully, the new look will blend the fence more naturally into the whimsical setting and bring more fun back to the outdoor track.

One more pre-fence view, this one from 1994: