The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (39 page)

Snow White Grotto
/
Snow White Wishing Well

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FastView:
 
One of
Disneyland
’s serene spots off-the-main-trail.  Make a wish and toss a coin into the well (all coins go to charity).  Or, on a romantic note, propose to your sweetheart here, as many Guests have done in the past.
]

Near the eastern entrance to
Sleeping Beauty Castle
is a gorgeous little stony green grotto with a waterfall spilling into a pond.  Above the waterfall and along its rocky shelves is arranged a
tableau
of pure white marble statues of
Snow White
and the
Seven Dwarfs
, and tiny forest animals like a fawn that stands symbolically near the little princess.

Snow White
appears to be standing high above her
Dwarf
friends, but that’s an example of forced perspective.  In this case, using forced perspective was literally forced upon the
Imagineer
team, since the
Snow White
statue was erroneously cut to the same scale as the
Dwarfs
.  If all of the figures had been positioned in a line, or even close together, the error would’ve been apparent, so they were arranged with
Snow White
placed at the very crown of the waterfall.

This is one example of the occasional
fortuosity
of mistakes.  Thanks goodness the
Snow White
statue wasn’t properly scaled; the result is the beautiful multi-level statuary
tableau
in this grotto!

How did the impeccably precise
Imagineers
make such an error in proportion?  The answer is, of course, that they didn’t.  The
Imagineers
didn’t craft the
Snow White
statues; they were an anonymous gift from an Italian sculptor.  Legendary
Imagineer John Hench
, who designed the grotto, resolved the scaling problem, as usual turning a challenge into a triumph.

The
Snow White Grotto
wasn’t an original feature of
Sleeping Beauty Castle
.  It was unveiled in 1961.  The waterfall spills down into a little pond, where from time to time fish statues affixed to rotating pipes chase each other in a circle and spout arcs of water.  Guests can cross a small wooden bridge decorated with hearts, and pause there to soak in the serene atmosphere.

Hearts are a key symbol in
Disney
’s 1937 animation masterpiece
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
.  There’s the latch shaped like a dagger-pierced heart on the box in which the
Huntsman
is supposed to bring back
Snow White
’s heart as proof of her demise.  There’s
Snow White
’s heart, which is in peril both literally and figuratively throughout the film.  The witch’s poisoned apple stops
Snow White
’s heart for a while, but love conquers all when the prince’s kiss revives and wins her heart.

The hearts on the grotto’s wooden bridge have inspired many a
modern
Prince Charming
to propose to his beloved in the
Snow White Grotto
.  Couples have held weddings in the grotto, too.  If you and your intended want to tie the knot there, call a
Disney Wedding Planner
at (321) 939-4610 or visit
http://disneyweddings.com
.

Besides romance, wishes in general are in the air in the
Snow White Grotto
.  On the pathway past the waterfall stands
Snow White’s Wishing Well
, based on the castle courtyard well where young
Snow White
sings
I’m Wishing
in the 1937 animated feature.  Guests can pause beside it to take photos, as well as to toss in coins and make wishes.  As a sign explains, all coins are collected and given to charity.

In the best
Disneyland
tradition, this well is interactive.  Spend a few moments beside it, and you’ll hear
Snow White
’s distinctive, melodic voice drifting from the echoing depths, singing
I’m Wishing
.  The singer is
Adriana Caselotti
, who voiced the little princess in the 1937 film. 
Did You Know?
It’s not just the coins tossed into
Snow White’s Wishing Well
that go to charity.  Guests are forever tossing coins into
Disneyland
canals, fountains, ponds, rivers, streams, and wells.  All coins are forwarded to charitable groups. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  It’s a cute place.  If you want to make a wish, throw a penny in the well and hear [
Snow White
] sing.  It’s really pretty.

Storybook Land Canal Boats
 
(
Opening Day
Attraction)

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FastView:
 
Lines move faster than you expect, and the intricately carved fairy tale villages along the canal are beautiful, especially at night.
]

The canal for this attraction was dug by opening day, but none of the other elements were in place.  According to sources that include
Chris Strodder
’s comprehensive
The Disneyland Encyclopedia
, this attraction opened with the rest of
Disneyland
on July 17, 1955, even though it wasn’t ready, not even close to the grand vision that
Walt
had for it.

It was called
Canal Boats of the World
, but what a sad, barren little world it was, more like a lunar or Martian surface than anything related to our teeming planet.  Guests (and very good sports they must have been) sat in boats that Cast Members piloted along a canal that looped around nothing but rocks and soil.  According to
Jim Korkis
’ carefully researched book
The Vault of Walt
, even
Disney
exec
Dick Nunis
called the original attraction “The Mud Bank Ride”!

Periodically the
Casey Jr. Circus Train
, whose tracks interlace the same northern portion of
Fantasyland
as the canals, would pass above the boaters, the only excitement of the otherwise lackluster experience.

But b
y 1956, the canal was completed to
Walt
’s exacting standards, and had become an attraction worthy of his vision. 
Imagineers
under the guidance of
Ken Anderson
had worked tirelessly to craft a miniature fairy tale world composed of structures from
Disney
animated shorts and features, including
Snow White
’s cottage and
Geppetto
’s village.

There were elaborate little cobblestone streets created by hand-placing
individual pebbles.  There were miniscule hinged doors and windows, Lilliputian props and lights.  For the
Imagineers
it was like building worlds–but worlds on a scale of one inch to one foot!  The enchanting attraction re-launched in 1956 as the
Storybook Land Canal Boats
.

As
Walt
had always wanted, boats entered the attraction by floating through a giant hollow statue of
Monstro
, the whale from
Pinocchio
. Early concept sketches by
Bruce Bushman
suggested that massive
Monstro
would house a tall slide down which the canal boats would plunge, but that was rejected as too spine-tingling to suit the average Guest.  So instead, then and now, Guests glide placidly through the great whale.  On the other side they discover canal banks lined with intricately detailed miniature buildings, sculpted to 1/12 scale.

What captivate
s Guests–and what captivated
Walt
; this was one of his favorite attractions–was that instead of an attraction that presents architecture from around the globe, as originally planned, the canals are rich with beautifully rendered replicas of the fairy tale and folk lore landscapes
Disney
brought to life in its animated shorts and features.

Guests view
the houses of
The Three Little Pigs
, for example, and high on a miniature escarpment stands a nineteen-foot tall rendering of
Cinderella’s Castle
, its design an interesting contrast to
Disneyland
’s iconic
Sleeping Beauty’s Castle
;
Cinderella Castle
was realized on a far larger scale in 1971 as the central icon of
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
.

Storybook Land
was the magical, miniature land that
Walt
had had in mind when he instructed artist
Herb Ryman
to sketch
Lilliputian Land
–with a canal, tiny houses, and a delicate central castle–on the famous
Disneyland
draft illustration that convinced
ABC
to invest in
Disneyland
when the park was still just a dream.  Although
Lilliputian Land
was never built in its entirety,
Storybook Land
evokes the fanciful little land
Walt
originally had envisioned.

Scaled-down flowers, plants
, and trees complete the charm of the canal banks’
tableaux
.  Each little building contains tiny light bulbs, which are lit when night falls, so that the small communities seem inhabited.  At night, lights among the canal bank foliage are ignited too, so that the journey has even more of an enchanted feeling than it does during the day.  When darkness falls the lights of the buildings and the lights of the foliage twinkle, reflected in the canal, and provide a breathtaking view for the
Casey Jr. Circus Train
circling above.

Unlike
Dumbo
for toddlers, the
Matterhorn
for teens, or
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
for anyone, the
Storybook Land Canal Boats
are not musts, but if you’re an artist, architect or major fan of
Disney
miniature models, you’ll want to make time for this attraction during your visit.  Interesting bit of trivia for serious
Disneyland
fans:  The park’s oldest tree is a modest, two-foot tall pine tree in the
Geppetto’s Village
area; it’s more than 150 years old.

A
nyone spending a couple of days at the resort, die-hard park fans or no, should make time for this cruise.  A refurbishment in August and September 2009 polished this little gem to an ever brighter luster.  This is a very important attraction in terms of
Disney
history;
Walt
’s interest in miniatures, and his personal construction of
Disneylandia
(tiny
tableaux
of Americana largely based on
Disney
’s 1948 live-action feature
So Dear to My Heart
) were key stepping stones on the winding path that eventually led to the conception and construction of
Disneyland
.

This attraction, located at the northern limits of
Fantasyland
, typically remains open during the
Magical Fireworks
show. 
Did You Know?
  Although not as well-known as other
Fantasyland
attractions, the canal boat experience was very close to
Walt
’s heart.  He wanted to share the artistry of the miniatures with Guests of all ages.  This is one of the attractions that bears his personal stamp. 
Did You Also Know?
  If you’re in
Fantasyland
at night, stroll past the
Monstro
sculpture through which the
Storybook Land
boats enter.  You’ll notice that
Monstro
’s teeth glow with an eerie red light, and his eye is a luminous white.  Watch the eye carefully, and you’ll see it wink!
Monstro
closes his eye during the daytime as well, and steam rises from his blowhole.
Did You Also Know?
 
Storybook Land Canal
craft are named after
Disney
heroines, including
Alice
,
Ariel
,
Aurora
,
Belle
,
Cinderella
,
Daisy
,
Faline
,
Fauna
,
Flora
,
Flower
,
Katrina
,
Merryweather
,
Snow White
,
Tinker Bell
and
Wendy
.
Night Vision:
  This journey has an extra layer of
magic
at night, when hundreds of minute lights twinkle! 
FastPass:
  No.  Like the other
Fantasyland
attractions, the canal boats are not linked to the park
FastPass
system.  The sometimes long lines on crowded days are not worth the wait unless you are really pining to see the miniature models. Arrive early or ride at night for shorter wait times.
Kid’s Eye View:
  It’s a very long ride, or maybe it just seems like it to a little kid.  It’s very relaxing.  It can be boring to adults, but it’s fun for little kids to see all the little buildings.