May 1960 – January 1982
LOCATION
Fantasyland – When entering through the castle, guests could follow the main path and find Skull Rock straight ahead, in the area now occupied by Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
BACKGROUND
Skull Rock was a scenic lagoon inspired by Captain Hook’s Lair from the 1953 film Peter Pan. This area featured several waterfalls, a massive pirate ship, and an adjacent quick-service restaurant.
EXPERIENCE
Whether guests ventured over to the lagoon during the day or night, this area offered a beautiful dining experience with scenery straight out of Peter Pan. Diners grabbed food at the quick-service counter and could sit on the pirate ship or on the side patio, which was surrounded by plant life and overlooked the cove. After eating, guests could walk through a bit of the scenery, including a path leading directly through some of the rock formation. And at night, Skull Rock lit up in an eerie shade of green, inviting guests all over Fantasyland to come explore Captain Hook’s mysterious stomping ground.
CLOSURE
When Fantasyland underwent its major refurbishment in the 1980’s, Skull Rock was one of the first to be demolished. With the Storybook Land canal next door, Fantasyland was not lacking in water features, and the Skull Rock area interested riders on the Skyway much more than pedestrians on the ground. In the end, Skull Rock took up a large chunk of space and didn’t have much to show for it, since it’s only major feature was a quick-service restaurant. So in their efforts to make Fantasyland more spacious, Imagineers used the Peter Pan-themed lagoon as the new home for Dumbo.
TRIVIA
The Pirate Ship was originally called the “Chicken of the Sea Ship”, until the brand’s sponsorship ended in 1969. From 1970-1982, the restaurant became “Captain Hook’s Galley”.
If you’re looking for a glimpse of Skull Rock, you can still find it. If you wander around the back of Dumbo the Flying Elephant, near the Storybook Land Canal Boats, you can find a bit of rock formation embedded in the bushes.
they could totally bring this back! So awesome.
So cool!!!