A Portal to Wondrous, Dark Adventures

Sleeping Beauty Castle is more than a fanciful park icon; It beckons you into a land containing the best collection of classic-style dark rides on the planet. And, once upon a time (before the mid-eighties), those rides were darker and more mysterious. Today's guests experience the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and Alice as journeys into film worlds they're well acquainted with. Mr. Toad's movie remains relatively obscure, but at least the film's available.

But the dark rides weren't always visits to familiar film worlds. Two factors originally combined to make each ride a stranger, more thrilling experience, particularly for children. Sure, there was the massive Fantasyland makeover in 1983, but most of it revolves around the fact that Disney animation was not always something you could view anytime you wanted.

Anyone who grew up in the 1950's, 60's or 70's might remember the particularly strong sense of otherworldliness Fantasyland held. Because...

In the pre-home-video days, more park guests knew the Disney versions of Alice, Snow White, Peter Pan, and Mr. Toad from their Fantasyland dark rides than from the films themselves.

The Chaotic Cabs of Car Toon Spin

Mouse Troop's got toons on the brain this week, so today we're taking a look at the vehicles and loading zone for the dizziest dark ride in Disney's lineup, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

Remember, this is Lenny the Cab, not Benny from the movie. Benny actually appears as a character in the first ride scene.

Is it just me, or does Lenny look a bit too eager to plunge us into danger?

I love this little red/green light signal hand that sends each pair of cabs on their way. Seconds into the ride, weasels throw toxic "dip" on the track, sending your cab into a spin mode that lasts for most of the ride.

Although riders can influence the spinning by turning the steering wheel, it doesn't take long to realize that--between the cars' momentum and the many sharp turns in the track--the cabs seem to have a mind of their own. That's actually a plus on this ride, because your struggles to guide the lurching vehicle add to the ride's slapstick atmosphere.

If you want it to spin constantly, it's going to fight you. If you don't want to spin at all, you're still going to pivot a lot. And if you just want to keep facing forward to take pictures...yeah, good luck with that!

Out-of-control craziness is the order of the day at Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, and that seems like the perfect approach for a Toontown adventure.

Under the Sea: The Best Scene in a Controversial Ride

Here's a burst of color for a June Sunday. In a previous post, we've mentioned a couple of things we like and dislike about The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure. Today, let's simply enjoy the very best scene on the ride: The Under the Sea room.

In this chamber, the Imagineers had to create one big, active environment based on a movie scene that's mostly composed of many quick, individual shots. This ride may not have much in the way of thrills, but it can certainly boast one heck of a cheerful centerpiece.

Plus, it no longer features Dole-Whip-Hair Ariel (a horror Florida fans never had to encounter).

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

Dark Ride Loading: Pinocchio's Daring Journey

The five Fantasyland dark rides each have a unique style to their loading area, but all aim to provide a smooth transition from the (relatively) real world to the glowing black-light realms inside the building.

At Pinocchio's Daring Journey, we feel as if we're entering a picture book that's springing to life, with three-dimensional set pieces emerging from background paintings.

Main Street Magic Shop

At some point in many children's lives, the mysterious world of stage magic becomes the most fascinating subject on Earth. I wonder what percentage of today's adult park fans bought their very first magic item long ago on Main Street at Disneyland or Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

My first magic purchase was the famous "Linking Rings" illusion. Cold reality smacked me in the face when I found just how much hard work and practice most tricks require to pull off properly. I realized "gags" were easier to pull off than illusions, so I ended up gravitating toward snakes-in-a-can, ice cube bugs and Haunted Mansion Portraits.

Oh, yes, the Haunted Mansion portraits! Who else here remembers those great souvenirs from the 70's? Each had two faces--a normal daytime face and a hidden "scary" glow-in-the-dark transformation that could only be seen with the lights out! Now, that's an item in need of a comeback!

Dark Ride Magic: Roger Rabbit's Falling Room

There's a moment on Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin where you seem to be hurled into the air by an explosion. You have to return to Earth somehow, of course...

How about a hundred-story fall between skyscrapers toward the distant skylight of the Acme warehouse? My blurry photos don't do it justice, but the "Falling Room" is one of my favorite Disney ride scenes: a horizontal hallway that makes you feel as though you're plummeting vertically.

It's simple, shorter than it looks, and effective simply because it's so well designed and painted--and it even gets its point across while your cab is spinning in circles (trying to keep the cab facing forward while snapping pictures is a challenge in itself!)

All of Disneyland's black-light dark rides have their own unique mood and approach. Roger's ride is full of mess-with-your-perception visual gags that do a fantastic job of making you feel off-balance and disoriented--exactly how a human chasing a gang of weasels through Toontown should feel.

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!

Scuttle's Endearing Rambling

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure is basically DCA's answer to It's A Small World. It's not the thrilling journey among storms, sharks and ghost-ships-in-a-giant-whirlpool that I would have preferred, but it is a colorful, air-conditioned cruise through some pleasant musical setpieces.

Best of all, it's got Scuttle. I have a few gripes about the way a couple of the ride's scenes turned out, but the decision to have Scuttle open and close the journey was absolutely brilliant. I especially love his first scene, where he rambles on and on--trying to set up the story and never quite getting to the point.

When you reach the journey's end, and you hear him remark, "...that's how I remember it..." it adds a touch of humor to ease the disappointment of not getting to see the epic battle with the sea-witch.

Because, apparently, Scuttle remembers it like this. Ah, well....

Bull in a China Shop

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin presented a unique challenge for its designers: most of its scenes would be viewed from spinning vehicles. There would be no "fixed" point of view for riders, so each room had to work from all angles.

One of the most brilliant solutions, The Bullina China Shop, is encountered early in the ride. Fantastically disorienting, it's a madhouse of noise and animation, from the rattling dishware to the frantic proprietor's balancing act. Huge mirrors fool the eye (in the above photo, the left doorway is a reflection), and the true exit only becomes clear as the taxis crash their way out.

Why does Peter Pan's Flight Remain So Popular?

Year in, year out, the waiting line builds up immediately after the park gates open and remains packed until closing. If you've ever attended an early morning rope-drop at Disneyland, you know the choice everyone makes as they hurry down Main Street. Half the crowd peels off to the right for Star Tours and Space Mountain while everyone else heads straight to Peter Pan's Flight.

It's one of the park's unique joys -- walking quickly up through the ride's queue and seeing the line of flying pirate ships waiting for you. You get one ride, and by the time you disembark two minutes later, the line is already too long to make a second flight worth considering.

The Roger Rabbit Fountain

Toontown's Roger Rabbit fountain sits just a few yards from the entrance to the character's popular dark ride, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

Robert Zemeckis, Richard Williams, and the other creators of Who Framed Roger Rabbit found an original niche for their title character -- a personality that didn't simple copy any previous major cartoon star. Roger's a good-hearted, enthusiastic, can-do optimist...who also happens to be a hyperactive disaster magnet.

The fountain sculpture sums him up perfectly, having him strike a happy show-biz pose seconds after a major automotive mishap--completely unaware he's got fire hydrant water spouting from his ears.

The Pinocchio That Never Was (with Fish Heads & Crumbs)

The entry for Pinocchio's Daring Journey, featuring the cheerful title character, misleads some first-time riders into thinking it's a happy trip through a puppet show. If you've seen the film, you know how that scenario plays out, and the ride is every bit as dark and full of villainy.

During the film's production, Walt Disney and co. made a wise decision when they scrapped their original concepts for the character -- which stuck fairly close to the book version -- in favor of a more likable, naive personality an audience could actually care about. Carlo Collodi's book is an amazing work of fantasy, but his Pinocchio is one of the most obnoxious, self-centered and irritating characters in children's literature.

Thank goodness you don't have to worry about running into that version of Pinocchio on the Disneyland dark ride. Er....

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.

Roger Rabbit Details: Backstage at the Ink & Paint Club

In honor of the recent Blu-ray release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, I'd like to highlight my very favorite detail hidden inside Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin at Disneyland. We can't use a Fastpass to find it, for it's tucked inside the amazing standby queue.

The queue takes us into the town's shadowy back alleys. As you approach the Ink & Paint Club, don't be alarmed when the door panel bangs open and the bouncer tells you to get lost; we're almost to our goal.

Ah, there it is! We're backstage at the Ink & Paint Club, and this is the call board listing the order of the acts for the night's show. In the movie, this is the show private eye Eddie Valiant walked into part way through. If you've ever wondered what the entire night's lineup was, here it is, performed three times a night:

Warm-Up - Goofy
Dog Tricks - Mickey & Pluto
"Always" - Minnie
Ballet - Horace & Clarabelle
Card Tricks - Mickey
"Hungarian Rhapsody" - Donald
"Do Right" - Jessica
Finale - Company

Wouldn't you love to see this show from beginning to end? If you're a fan of the movie, you know "Hungarian Rhapsody" is actually a duet performed by Donald and Daffy. Either Daffy decided he could no longer work with the volatile Donald...or else Disney (understandably) didn't want to pay Warner Bros. for the rights to use his name in a queue gag.

The Evil Queen is Watching You

Fantasyland isn't all flying elephants and glass slippers. There's a layer of darkness and shadow lurking about, and thank goodness; without it, the heroes and heroines would have nothing to test themselves against!

Above the entry  to Snow White's Scary Adventures, a pair of red curtains opens every minute or so as the Evil Queen glares out in contempt at the happy crowd below, as she's been doing since the land's remodeling in 1983.

She hates popcorn, mouse ears, California Girls and -- probably most of all -- the dozens of strollers parked on her property.

Inside Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

It's time for Mouse Troop's first Toad-related post of 2013, and today we're actually climbing aboard one of those awesome motorcars; get ready for a trip through Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

The entry hall tapestry pays tribute to the mural on the 1955 version's exterior. It details your upcoming trip from beginning to end.

The short interior queue gives us a glimpse of Toad's lifestyle. He certainly loves chandeliers...and carvings of himself.

 He looks so innocent...

We watch a few cars begin their journey by entering the library, knocking poor MacBadger off a ladder...

...and crashing out through the fireplace, sending sizzling embers across the floor.

As we climb aboard our motorcar, I must apologize for the upcoming murky, grainy on-ride photos. Between my slow reflexes, my iPhone's limitations and the ride's many abrupt turns, the results of this photo safari leave a lot to be desired. On the plus side, I think the shots manage to convey the look and black-light atmosphere of the ride...in a murky sort of way...

And...we're off! We encounter MacBadger, crash through the fireplace, escape a falling suit of armor and (as the black-light effects take over), rush down down a weasel-infested hall, disrupt Mole's dinner, and crash out of the mansion through a glass wall...

The local bobbies are not pleased to see us crashing through the countryside. We avoid a near head-on collision with another car (our own reflection) and pass Ratty's riverside home.

A Hive That's Wired For Sound

You won't have much luck swiping honey from this hive, but it sure can play some catchy background music. Hanging out near Disneyland's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, it's about as much fun as an outdoor speaker can get.

I enjoy the Pooh dark ride, but the little details of the woodsy outdoor loading area are the best part of the attraction. The ride, due to its way-back-yonder location in the park, is often a walk-on with little to no wait (the Country Bears, the location's previous tenants, faced similar challenges in drawing crowds to that spot). Sometimes I almost wish there were more folks in line so that I could enjoy the scenery a bit longer. Almost.

Toad's Newfangled Motorcar

Outside of Toad Hall in Fantasyland, one bright red motorcar beckons guests toward the madcap, out-of-control adventures of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

The charming little auto provides a great photo opportunity and adds another touch of storytelling to the setting. One can almost imagine J. Thaddeus Toad bursting out through his mansion's front door and scrambling to take a spin in his beloved new contraption.

The Toad cars get my vote for second-best vehicle design in the parks, second only to the awesome Alice Caterpillars. They're simple, yet completely believable. Inside the attraction, the false front wheels never touch the floor, allowing for the amazingly tight turns that give Mr. Toad's Wild Ride its unique flavor of recklessness as the cars swerve and zig-zag their way toward disaster.

The cars are all named after characters from the film: Mr. Toad, Toady, MacBadger, Ratty, Moley, Cyril, Weasel and Winky. Everyone waiting to board, of course, hopes to ride one of the two Toad cars. Why do I always get Winky?

NOTE: This week's Fish Heads & Crumbs will be posted Tuesday...if the drawing software behaves itself...

Adventureland After Park Closing

When Disneyland's open late, it's always fun to be one of the last riders admitted to Pirates of the Caribbean. When it's over, your park exit route leads through an Adventureland that's been closed for nearly twenty minutes.