July 1955 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – If you follow the path to the right of the castle, toward the Matterhorn, you will see the Mad Tea Party on your left, just beyond Alice in Wonderland. BACKGROUND Although Walt Disney and the Imagineers knew they wanted an Alice in Wonderland ride in Fantasyland, they struggled […] Read more…
May 1983 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – When entering from the castle, you will see the Sword In The Stone directly in front of you, right before the King Arthur Carrousel. BACKGROUND It’s very simple—pull the sword out of the stone, and you are the true king of England. What’s not so simple is actually […] Read more…
July 1955 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – When you enter through the castle, you will find Snow White’s Enchanted Wish on your left, directly across from Peter Pan’s Flight. BACKGROUND Snow White’s Enchanted Wish is one of the few rides left that was in full operation on Opening Day in 1955. Then called Snow White […] Read more…
May 1983 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – When entering through the castle, you will see Pinocchio on the left side, just beyond Snow White’s Scary Adventures. BACKGROUND Pinocchio’s Daring Journey was not one of the original dark rides in Fantasyland. In fact, it wasn’t until it’s equivalent in Disneyland Tokyo became overwhelmingly popular that Disney […] Read more…
July 1955 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – if you enter through the castle, follow the path to the back garden, and take a right at Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. You will see the Storybook Land Canal Boats just beyond the Mad Tea Party. BACKGROUND One of Walt Disney’s first ideas for his “magical little park” […] Read more…
March 2013 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – when standing on Main Street USA facing the castle, you will see the entrance to the Fantasy Faire on your left (between the castle and the entrance to Frontierland). BACKGROUND The princesses used to conduct meet and greets in the rear of Fantasyland, but the venue was largely […] Read more…
July 1955 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – When entering through the castle, you will see the King Arthur Carrousel straight in front of you. It is the central point of the main square in Fantasyland. BACKGROUND Walt Disney knew from the start that he wanted a carousel in Disneyland, and he wanted to build one […] Read more…
August 1955 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – Located directly behind the King Arthur Carrousel, you will reach Dumbo if you walk to the center of Fantasyland from any direction. BACKGROUND Dumbo the Flying Elephant was the first aerial carousel designed for the park. It was scheduled to debut on Opening Day in 1955, but the […] Read more…
April 1957 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – When you walk through the castle entrance, turn left immediately. You will see a small awning above a doorway, which is the start of the castle walkthrough. BACKGROUND When the castle was first constructed, Walt Disney was dissatisfied with the empty interior, deeming it a waste of valuable […] Read more…
July 1955 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – When entering Fantasyland through the castle, continue forward until you reach the King Arthur Carousel. Take a left just after the Carousel and you should see the entrance to the Casey Jr. Circus Train. BACKGROUND Casey Jr. was one of the first rides opened in the park after […] Read more…
June 1959 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – When facing the castle from Main Street USA, follow the path on the right-hand side and you will see Matterhorn Mountain. BACKGROUND When the park first opened, the ground that had been hollowed out for the castle moat was piled to the right of the castle. This area […] Read more…
July 1955 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – When entering through the Castle, you will find it on the right, just after the archway leading to Tomorrowland. BACKGROUND At first, Walt Disney envisioned a ride in which guests flew through Neverland as if they were Peter. Confused guests didn’t understand why Peter wasn’t found anywhere in […] Read more…
May 1966 – present LOCATION Fantasyland – At the very back, right before the path to Toontown. If you take the path to the right of the castle, you will reach It’s A Small World after passing the Storybook Land Canal Boats. BACKGROUND It’s A Small World was originally conceived of as a celebratory exhibit […] Read more…
July 1955 – present BACKGROUND Without a doubt, Fantasyland is the most famous and heavily visited area in Disneyland. Walt Disney envisioned Fantasyland as a place for children to become part of the stories they loved, and was supposedly his favorite area in the park. Fantasyland is styled as a medieval Bavarian village, but stays […] Read more…