The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (35 page)

For its time, the attraction, with its innovative overhead-track ride system,
its simulated flight, and its aerial views of late Victorian London and of
Never Land
, was a stunning celebration of the film.  However, given the technological limitations of the times, the attraction never fully captured and communicated the weightless delight of the movie.

The artists and engineers that crafted
Peter Pan’s Flight
, both in its
Opening Day
incarnation and its subsequent refurbishments, displayed the creative and technical prowess we’ve come to expect of
Imagineers
.  The pirate galleon conveyances that simulate flight by moving along an overhead track, rather than a floor track, are clever.  The model of London, with its myriad twinkling lights and Big Ben clock tower, is lovely, and the effect of sailing through a starry night sky is a visual stunner.

However,
in the new millennium,
Peter Pan’s Flight
seems to be showing its age, even after multiple refurbishments.  We all know the story of
Peter Pan
, a timeless tale familiar to us since we were children thanks to the dazzling 1953
Disney
animated feature and its sequels, and productions of the J.M. Barrie play that first introduced
Peter Pan
, and
Peter Pan’s Flight
doesn’t do anything different or unusual with the well-known story.

Peter Pan’s Flight
is a sweet attraction, but if you want to experience it, you have to brave a minimum 40-minute wait time on almost any day, at almost any time of day or night, in any season.  You and your party must judge if the payoff justifies the wait time, or make it your very first attraction of the day, since the only time when lines are short is immediately after the park opens.

As you plan your itinerary, remember that
Peter Pan’s Flight
is a two-and-a-half minute dark ride, far superior, of course, to non-
Disney
dark rides, but within the park there are more whimsical, more moving dark ride experiences that have shorter lines and a bigger payoff. 
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
and
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
, both in
Fantasyland
, spring instantly to mind, as does
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
over in
Critter Country
. 
Monster’s, Inc.
in
Disney California Adventure
is also a well-designed, immersive dark ride.

Peter Pan’s Flight
is one of the park attractions that has accrued an almost mystical reputation over the years; many Guests feel that, like
Pirates of the Caribbean
or
Haunted Mansion
,
Peter Pan’s Flight
is a must.  I’d venture to suggest that unless you or someone in your group is a big fan of
Peter Pan
or
Disneyland
history, it’s all right to skip this attraction if your only option is the 40-minute queue.

If you
do plan to experience it, you’ll enjoy the lovely music from the animated feature (including
The Second Star To The Right
and
You Can Fly
), your flight over nighttime Victorian London, and your enchanting drift through the stars (made dazzling by modern fiber-optics), ending with the presentation of several well-known
Peter Pan
tableaux
which in recent years have been expanded and enhanced.

T
he pirate galleons each seat two to three kids or adults, and if you’re interested in vehicles or engineering, it’s worth experiencing the innovative-in-its-day overhead track system (now a bit lurchy and creaky in spots; watch out for the jolting landing).

Located in the southeast area of
Fantasyland
, between
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
and
Sleeping Beauty Castle
,
Peter Pan’s Flight
is closed, like most of
Fantasyland
, during the nightly
Magical Fireworks
, and reopens after the show concludes.  The exterior of
Peter Pan’s Flight
boasts a beautiful clock tower.  Introduced in 1983, this attraction’s classic British exterior is part of the fairy tale charm of
Fantasyland
’s village.

Note to
parents with small children:  You should build this attraction into your itinerary, no matter how long you need to wait.  Unlike most
Disneyland
attractions, which delight both young and old,
Peter Pan’s Flight
seems to affect Guests very differently across age groups.  While teens and adults might find the journey brief and creaky, not worth the wait, most children are absolutely enchanted by it. 
Peter Pan’s Flight
reads very differently through the lens of childhood.  (Consider the
Kid’s Eye View
and
Teen’s Eye View
below, written by the same child at different times in her life.)  Adults might say the attraction needs more
pixie dust
, but most kids wouldn’t change a thing.
Did You Know?
  When the
Fantasyland
dark rides were first introduced, the concept was that the Guests were taking the place of the lead characters. 
Snow White
wasn’t seen in
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
, for example, because the Guest was sitting in for
Snow White
. 
Peter Pan
didn’t appear in
Peter Pan’s Flight
(although his shadow did) because the Guests were experiencing the story in
Peter
’s place.  Although this seems to make both logical and intuitive sense, over the years so many Guests were disappointed and confused not to see their favorite characters that they were eventually added to the attractions.
Did You Also Know?
 
Fantasyland
used to be even more of a hot spot for
Pan
fans.  From 1955 to 1982,
Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship
restaurant served tuna dishes to Guests, and from 1960 to 1982 the adjacent
Skull Rock
offered Guests an uncanny replica of the
Never Land
landmark.  Both were replaced by
Dumbo
in 1983.
Did You Also Know?
  In an article in the Jan. 10-16, 2011 edition of “TV Guide” actor
David Arquette
remarked that
Disneyland
’s
Peter Pan
ride is his favorite. 
Arquette
voices parrot
Skully
in the
Disney Channel
’s
Jake and the Never Land Pirates
, which premiered in February 2011 as part of the new
Disney Junior
channel that replaces the
Playhouse Disney
program block. 
FastPass:
No.  Like all other
Fantasyland
attractions,
Peter Pan
is not part of the
FastPass
system. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  It is awesome.  It feels like you’re flying and you don’t want it to end.  It’s really detailed, and it feels like you’re on
Soarin’
. 
Teen’s Eye View:
  There’s a huge line, and it’s about a five-minute ride, so you have to really like it [to wait in line to ride it].  There’s one point where you almost feel like you’re flying.  That’s fun, but that’s about it.

Pinocchio’s Daring Journey

[
FastView:
 
This lovely little dark ride is as enchanting as the
Wishing Star
that makes dreams come true.  For Guests of all ages, and there are rarely long queues.
]

Disney
’s beloved little wooden puppet, first seen in
Disney
’s 1940 animated feature
Pinocchio
, didn’t receive his own attraction until the comprehensive
Fantasyland
facelift and expansion in 1983, a century after the 1883 publication of
Disney
’s source material, Carlo Collodi’s “The Adventures of Pinocchio”.

By all accounts, the book was so distressing and bizarre, and its characterization of
Pinocchio
so unlikeable and incorrigible, that
Disney
’s creative team had to give the story and the star a major makeover to craft the beloved, inspiring classic film that we know and love today.

Located northwest of
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
, much of the charm of
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
resides in the alpine architecture, flower boxes, and elaborately carved wooden touches to the exterior, engaging Tyrolean motifs that are carried over in the adjoining shop and
Village Haus
restaurant.  Standing outside the entrance of
Pinocchio’s Daring Adventure
, one might be standing in a frame of the original feature film.

Pinocchio
’s lines are usually very short compared to most other
Fantasyland
attractions, and at three minutes, this is one of the longest
Fantasyland
journeys.  The stained glass, carved woodwork, and painted designs, just as detailed inside as on the exterior, provide interesting surroundings during Guests’ brief wait.

Almost before you can say “
Pinocchio,
” you and your group have boarded a handsome wooden ride vehicle with the image of little
Jiminy Cricket
on the front, and you’re off on your daring adventure, a journey through the most visually and emotionally compelling points in the
Pinocchio
story.

Like the animated feature, this is no
saccharine joy ride.  Prepare your toddler for a story arc that has dark elements.  There are bright moments, but for the most part you follow the increasingly disturbing path of the naïve little puppet as he misguidedly lets other characters pull his strings (pun intended).  He follows bad advice and companions such as
“Honest John” Foulfellow
and
Lampwick
and finds himself tangled in increasingly serious peril.

Have no fear, however
.  Adorable
Jiminy Cricket
, the avatar of
Pinocchio
’s conscience, makes frequent appearances and guides the puppet toward better decisions.  As the ride concludes,
Pinocchio
learns his lesson, is reunited with adopted father
Geppetto
, and is rewarded by the
Blue Fairy
.

What make this modern dark ride worth your time are its ingenious effects and its success at putting you in the original film, not only visually but viscerally. 
There are some powerful moments.  The figure of villainous
Stromboli
, for example, is gigantic, as is the cage that your cart veers into, and the clang of the cage door shutting behind you is startling.  At a gut level, you feel as small and trapped as
Pinocchio
’s character felt when
Stromboli
captured him.

Similarly, when
Monstro
the whale suddenly looms out of the ocean mist and lunges at you, you might find your heart in your mouth.  The seedy, carnival-style landscape of
Pleasure Island
both attracts and repels, and the sight and sound of
Lampwick
transforming into a donkey is disturbingly well presented.

When the journey
winds down to the lovely words and music of
When
You Wish Upon a Star
, and the
Blue Fairy
transforms
Pinocchio
as your vehicle glides through the exit
tableau
of the beautiful carved clocks and toys and furniture of
Geppetto
’s home, your heart will swell, at least a little bit, at the happy ending.  It is in this way a less abrupt and more satisfying conclusion than those of
Peter Pan’s Flight
or
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
.

Pinocchio’s Daring
Journey
benefitted from a 2009 refurbishment.  It was closed during part of July and August, cocooned from Guest’s eyes by green tarps while the
Imagineers
worked their
magic
.  The attraction reopened in mid-August with a refreshed queue mural of greater depth and dimensionality, and better lighting and richer, fresher colors and fabrics within the dark ride.  The pace seems slower and more measured, the better to enjoy the set pieces and effects. 
Lampwick
’s metamorphosis into a donkey is all the more nightmarish, and
Monstro
is all the more menacing.