Alice in Disneyland
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Inside Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Disneyland
Not much has been written about the origins of the Mad Tea Party at Disneyland. Walt Disney certainly had a hand in its creation. The only other clue is an early sketch attributed to imagineer Bruce Bushman. Whoever the chief designer was, it is doubtful he knew he was creating a pop culture icon. Even children who have never set foot inside a Disney theme park have heard of the Teacups.
Some facts are certain. Mad Tea Party is one of the original 18 Disney attractions. It opened with Disneyland on July 17, 1955 and was located in the center of Fantasyland where King Arthur Carrousel is today. The attraction has changed location, color schemes and surrounding landscaping but the experience today remains largely as it was in July of 1955.
On the surface the attraction appears fairly simple. The ride vehicle is a round teacup. A wheel in the center allows the guests to spin the cup as fast as they like. Each set of 4 cups is on its own small spinning turntable. There are 4 small spinning turntable rotating independently on one large spinning turntable. In other words, there's a whole lot of spinning going on. Anyone who has ever been to an amusement park or even a traveling carnival is likely to have seen something similar. So why is this version so special? How has it maintained is popularity for 46 years and inspired three similar attractions in the Disney Magic Kingdoms around the world? The answer is story.
In July of 1951 Walt Disney Productions released its 13th animated feature, Alice in Wonderland. It is the story of a little girl who becomes lost in a world where everything is nonsense. During her travels, she comes across the Mad Hatter who is having a tea party with the March Hare. The site gags in this sequence are fast paced, insane and hysterical. Spinning around inside a giant teacup may not have been one of them but it would have fit right in. When guests ride the Mad Tea Party, they are suddenly inside the movie. They get a small taste of what Alice went through during her adventures in Wonderland. To complete the experience, a steam calliope version of The Unbirthday Song (the same as in the movie) plays in the background.
Although the Alice in Wonderland film was not a screaming success at the box office, it would influence Fantasyland more then any other animated feature. It may have been that Walt Disney had a soft spot for Alice. His relationship with the character went back to the 1920's and the series of Alice shorts he produced. Regardless, Alice next popped up in 1956 when Storybook Land opened.
The Church where Alice sings
Storybook Land is an area where settings from Disney animated features are recreated in miniature. Alice's village is one of these areas. There are two ways to view Storybook Land: the Casey Jr. Circus Train and the Storybook Land Canal Boats. The miniature train moves through the area quickly and, although it's a fun ride, the best way to see the miniatures is the slower paced Storybook Land Canal Boats. As the boat glides past Alice's Village, we get a view of a church and the small cottage where Alice lives. Oddly enough neither of these structures is featured in the movie. However, Alice's singing voice can be clearly heard coming from the church. The only feature in Alice's Village that is recognizable from the film is the entrance to the White Rabbit's hole.