Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

July 1955 – present

LOCATION

Fantasyland – When entering from the castle, you will find it on the right hand side, just beyond Peter Pan’s Flight.

BACKGROUND

This ride is one of the few rides remaining that was in full operation on Opening Day in 1955. Based on the characters from the 1908 story The Wind in the Willows, Mr. Toad is an adventurous dark ride that briefly brings you into the magical and chaotic world of Mr. Toad, Ratty, Moley, MacBadger, Cyril, Winky, and Weasel, all from the passenger seat of Mr. Toad’s motorcar.

EXPERIENCE

Details:

• Single Rider Line – no
• Fast Pass – no
• Height Requirement – none
• Duration – 2:00

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride takes you on an erratic ride through the streets of London, starting in Toad Hall, the home of Mr. J Thaddeus Toad. Mr. Toad invites you to join him on an evening drive, and before long you find yourself twisting and turning in and out of buildings, around corners, and finally, under a giant train and into the pits of hell. Although it’s not terribly scary, I always found it bizarre that a ride intended to be a fun trip alongside Mr. Toad has such a dark twist at the end, but it’s fun nevertheless.

MY RATING: ★★★★☆

While this dark ride is a must for Disney fanatics like myself, it’s a very short ride (only about 90 seconds) that often isn’t worth the wait for many guests. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was one of the first rides designed for the park, and does not have any animatronics that 21^st century guests would find exciting. For families concerned about frightened kids, know that Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is very loud; guests ride past a screaming judge, a train blowing its horn, and an exploding wall. But the only room thats theme might be scary is the final room. The room is bright, but there are creepy looking characters, so kids might get a little spooked.

That being said, the storyline is entertaining and the main characters are classic. Most of all, the ride interior is beautiful and charming, so if you do have time to spare during your trip, it’s worth a visit, if not only to appreciate its history within the park.

VISITING TIPS

The best time to visit Fantasyland in general is first thing in the morning, and Mr. Toad is no exception. Even so, Mr. Toad almost never has a line longer than 30 minutes, aside from packed summer days or holidays. For me, it’s a great stop when waiting to turn in a fast pass, or right after a meal so you have a little break before hitting up the big rides again.

TRIVIA

All of the scenery within the ride is hand-painted.

Walt Disney never liked to be called Mr., and was often quoted as saying “there’s only one Mr. here, and that’s Mr. Toad.”

Almost all of the Alice in Wonderland ride sits directly on top of Mr. Toad. The lower levels of Alice sit up against the rear of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, which is why the track never ventures far into the back of the building.