Welcome to
the signature land of the Park. Fantasyland is every child's
dream. You can become part of favorite stories like Snow White,
Peter Pan and Wind in the Willows. You can go on the Happiest
Cruise That Ever Sailed on "it's a small world". You
can even careen through Matterhorn Mountain and meet up with
Harold, the Abominable Snowman.....only in Fantasyland.
Attractions
Sleeping Beauty Castle
& Walkthrough
The staple of Disneydom,
Sleeping Beauty Castle is seen at the start of every Walt Disney
Pictures film! It is not as tall as any other Disney castle, but
it is still very magical. From inside Fantasyland, you can enter
the Castle and walk past Audio-Animatronic dioramas depicting the
story of Sleeping Beauty.
USUAL WAIT: None
King Arthur's Carrousel
This beautiful carrousel
has been a Fantasyland hallmark since 1955. Get in, sit down, go
'round and 'round. Take in the beautiful horses on the way!
USUAL WAIT: 15-20 minutes at peak times
Peter Pan's Flight
This whimsical journey
over London and Neverland, is experienced from a flying pirate
ship! The ride is famous, and attracts long lines (usually the
longest in Fantasyland). You fly out of the station into the
Darling nursery, where some blocks spell out DISNEY, and then
it's off to Neverland, via London. Be sure to take a good look
around when you fly over London; the view is breathtaking. The
rest you'll have to find out for yourself. Interesting tidbit:
when walking by the ride, listen carefully. You can hear Peter
and Wendy having a conversation!
USUAL WAIT: 30 minutes at peak times
Snow White's Scary
Adventures
This tired old ride has
definitely seen better days. It's still fun though. Watch out for
that nasty Queen...she's everywhere here. And small children
might be frightened; she pops our pretty close! Interesting
tidbit: Touch the golden apple when you walk into the line. And,
watch the window above the entrance, the Queen surveys the Magic
Kingdom every once in a while.
USUAL WAIT: 10 minutes at peak times
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Wild only in name, this
one is a bit of a doozy. Mostly plywood cutouts and 2D scenery.
Mr. Toad deserved a better ride. Anyway, most small children
enjoy it up until the hell scene. Yup, not to spoil it for you,
but you end up careening through hell. Then you narrowly escape
Satan when you enter the unload area. Keep those happy thoughts
flowing! Off to Neverland!
USUAL WAIT: 20 minutes at peak times
Pinocchio's Daring
Journey
This ride, while slightly
charming, is nonetheless pretty lackluster. It's nothing special.
The Monstro scene will scare most people out of their mind the
first time, so most of the time kids aren't happy at that part of
the ride. Anyhoo, the ride is ok, with some nifty effects.
Overall, it's just average.
USUAL WAIT: 5-10 minutes at peak times
Casey Jr. Circus Train
This surprisingly fast and
relaxing sojourn through Storybookland is rather fun. Most kids
just riding in a "real" circus train, but some adults
find themselves crammed. All in all, good times.
USUAL WAIT: 15-20 minutes at peak times
Dumbo The Flying
Elephant
This immensely popular
ride based on Disney's animated classic Dumbo, attracts the
kiddies by the hordes. For some reason, children go bonkers for
this ride. I personally find it very fun but I don't get to ride
it very often because of the incessant long lines. Be sure to get
your magic feather!
USUAL WAIT: 60-90 minutes at peak times
The Mad Tea Party
One of the greatest group
rides of all time, friends have a ball trying to get their cup to
go faster than the others. It's not easy, but it's a ton of fun.
Kids love it too. But beware: going to The Mad Tea Party isn't so
fun if you lose your tea and scones. So don't eat and spin!
HINT: Ride this during the parade...it's a lot less crowded!
USUAL WAIT: 15-20 minutes at peak times
Storybookland Canal
Boats
Ever wanted to see all the
houses of your favorite fairy tale characters? Here's your
chance! Tinker Bell has used her magic to shrink the homes to a
small size for your viewing pleasure! Go by famous places from
Aladdin, The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad, Cinderella,
Snow White, Pinocchio, and others. NOTE: The Canal Boats close
during The Mulan Parade.
USUAL WAIT: 20-30 minutes at peak times
Alice In Wonderland
Another dark ride, only
this time down the rabbit hole. Very cute and enjoyable ride. The
Queen of Hearts does get pretty upset at you, so some small
children may be frightened! You ride in shelled out caterpillars
and when you go outside on the top level you feel as if you're
going to fall off!
HINT: Ride this during the parade...it's a lot less crowded!
USUAL WAIT: 20 minutes at peak times
The Matterhorn Bobsleds
Now 40 years old, this
enduring favorite was the first tubular steel tracked roller
coaster ever built. There are two different tracks on this ride:
left and right. In my opinion, the best way to ride is at night,
on the left track. I also much prefer the left track over the
right. Anyway, you run into Harold, the abominable snowman two or
three times. He's pretty cool. You can buy a park Beanie of him
at the Emporium on Main Street. Anyhoo, this ride is extra cool!!
USUAL WAIT: 20-30 minutes at peak times
it's a small world
Go on the Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed.
One of my personal favorites, this ride looks like new! And every
Christmas, it is magically transformed into "it's a small
world holiday" and instead of spouting that ever present
theme song the whole time, the dollies sing Christmas carols AND
that song. The whole thing is a Disneyland must!
TRIVIA: The three control towers, when viewed from above, make a
hidden Mickey; the ride was originally a 1964-65 World's Fair
attraction designed by Disney.
USUAL WAIT: 20 minutes at peak times
Live Shows!
The Sword In The Stone
Ceremony
Five or six times a day
(usually) Merlin appears in front of King Arthur's Carrousel
where a sword stuck in an anvil rests. He selects children to try
and pull it out, and the lucky one who does is proclaimed
king/queen of the realm. Quite fun for the kiddies and Merlin is
amusing.
USUAL WAIT: None, a show.
Disneyland Presents
Animazement! The Musical
at the Fantasyland Theater
presented by SONY
Anybody wanna see an AWESOME show? Here it
is! Set in the Wonderbra (Hi Fab!)...I mean Fantasyland Theater,
this enchanting and stylish revue covers every Disney animated
classic from The Little Mermaid to Hercules. Songs include
"Be Our Guest", "One Jump Ahead", "Under
the Sea", "Part of Your World", "Just Around
The Riverbend/Go The Distance/Out There Medley", "Topsy
Turvy", and "Circle of Life". The performers are
very talented and the whole show is excellent. An absolute must!
USUAL WAIT: Arrive at theater 20 minutes
prior to showtime to guarantee a good seat.
45 Years of Magic Parade
February 13, 2000 the 45 Years of Magic Parade will premiere with
floats and scenes from Fantasia 2000, Beauty & The Beast, The
Little Mermaid and more. An original score by Michael Torke will
accompany this beautiful pageant that celebrates 45 years of
Disneyland.
USUAL WAIT: Grab your spot as much as 30
minutes prior to the start of the parade.
Characters!
The Disney Princesses
Daily from 10:30am-6:30pm,
you can meet Disney princesses near Pinocchio's Daring Journey. A
queue is set up, and the line can get quite long.
The Little Mermaid
Near Triton's Gardens,
along Matterhorn Way, from 10am-6pm you can meet Ariel at Ariel's
Grotto. But, the line here gets long enough to "scare
Ursula." (Birnbaum's Official Guide to Walt Disney World)
Anyhoo, don't expect to find her during Animazement! or parade
times (check your guidemap and City Hall).
Wandering Characters
Characters seen wandering
aimlessly around Fantasyland include: The Beast, Alice, The Mad
Hatter, The White Rabbit, Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum, Merlin,
Belle, Sleeping Beauty, The Fairy Godmother, Honest John,
Maleficent, and others. Keep your eyes peeled!
Shops
The Castle Heraldry Shop
Ever wanted to trace down your family's coat of arms? You can
here, and even put it on a hat or sweatshirt. Pretty nifty! And
it's inside Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Tinker Bell Toy Shoppe
This charming and large
toy shop stocks everything from "The Main Street Electrical
Parade FAREWELL SEASON Video" to the Abominable Snowman Mini
Bean Bag toy. And, during the summer, at 11am, 12 & 1pm
Disney Princesses have storytelling sessions in the back!
The Villains Lair
This recently reinstated
villains shop stocks everything you need to celebrate your
favorite Disney bad guys! (And girls!) May I recommend the
Maleficent horns? Also, turn the key on the witch's cell and
she'll talk to you...kinda spooky!
"it's a small
world" Toy Shop
This little shop in a colorful gazebo
stocks lots of Mattel products (think Disney princesses and
Barbie) and Disney Mini Bean Bag toys. Right between the
"it's a small world" exit and entrance.
Geppetto's Toys &
Gifts
Located adjacent to
Village Haus restaurant, this charming little shop stocks
beautiful dolls and puppets.
The Mad Hatter
All the Disney hats you
could ever want are here. Everything from Mickey Ears to Sorcerer
Mickey Ears (those cost a lot!). It's very nice, and very cool.
Some hats can be mongrammed for free here.
Restaurants
The Village Haus
hosted by Minute Maid
The onyl eating establishment in
Fantasyland, this place is your basic fast food joint only themed
to Pinocchio. Offerings include pizza, salads, burgers, and
fries. As always, only Coca-Cola Products are served here. $
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