Alice In Wonderland (Disneyland Park)
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| Watch the on-ride POV |
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| The top of the ride's former ticket booth | |||||||||||
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| Manufacturer | Arrow Development | ||||||||||
| Designer / calculations | WED Enterprises | ||||||||||
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| Capacity | 32 Caterpillars seating 4 guests each | ||||||||||
Alice In Wonderland is a Dark Ride located at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, USA. Opening on June 14, 1958, the dark ride is based on the 1951 film of the same name, Alice in Wonderland. The ride is located in the Fantasyland area of the park, specifically nearby Mad Tea Party, a ride that is based on a scene from the same film.
History
The original idea of an Alice in Wonderland attraction was brainstormed before the park was even open. Initially, the ride was not going to be one at all, rather, it was to be a Walk-Through attraction that focused on recreating certain scenes from the movie, utilizing special effects to properly recreate those scenes. However, the idea was scrapped due to a claim of capacity issues potentially being posed for the attraction.[1]
However, the idea was recirculated after Disneyland opened in 1955. The two chief art directors of the movie, Mary Blaire and Claude Coats, were approached with an idea of a ride based on the movie. After some planning, the ride would start construction that same year. The special caterpillar trains were developed by Arrow Development and are still in use today. The ride would be shoved in behind Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, with a second floor to allow for more showroom space. Lastly, the station would need to be outside the building, as there was little room, and the station needed to be very long to handle guests efficiently.
The talents of Ken Anderson, Collin Campbell, and Blaine Gibson, combined with the special effects work of Bob Gurr quickly finished the ride in time, for its opening on June 14, 1958. The event was televised with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with at-the-time Mouseketeer Karan Pendleton, who dressed as Alice for the event.[2]
The ride was unique compared to other Fantasyland dark rides in that it has a section completely outdoors, where the Caterpillar trains take hairpin-turns, that would originally lead down to the station. The ride also used optical illusions and cut-outs of the characters, and with the technology possible at the time, were able to make loose adaptations of the film's scenes. After the opening, however, the ride would receive very little changes for the next 2 and a half decades of its initial operation.
In 1982, the ride would close with the rest of the Fantasyland area of the park to become part of the Fantasyland overhaul. The ride's outdoor areas remained unchanged, aside from the exit of the outdoor portion now leading back into the show building for a new Un-Birthday finale scene.[3] Some scenes, like the Upside-Down room, were completely gutted and replaced.[4] Alongside these changes, the cut outs and cheap illusions were replaced with 3-D animatronic characters with limited movement, and new special effects to help better recreate the movie. When the ride originally opened, Alice's perspective was from the rider's eyes. Alice was now present in the ride in various scenes. Some elements were retained from the original ride however, such as the Caterpillar vehicles and some small set-pieces found throughout.
In 1984, after a short delay, the ride would open as part of the Fantasyland Overhaul. This new version is largely the same ride that is in the park as of present. Like the previous version, after opening, the ride would see little changes as the years went by.
On July 16, 2010, the ride would close without a notice. It had been discovered that the outdoor section of the ride was in violation of California's OSHA Department, as it had lacked handrails for workers.[5] The ride would reopen on August 13, with a temporary safety tarp under the ramp to allow workers to work on the ride with safety.
On March 10, 2014, the ride would close again. This time, the ride was to receive technical upgrades. New screen effects were added, and enhancements to the special effects. New figures of Alice were added, and several gags were redone as well. The ride re-opened from refurbishment on July 4, 2014,[6] and the ride has not been changed since.
Similar Rides
- In 1962, a similar ride of the same name opened at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It is heavily inspired on the version of the ride that existed at Disneyland prior to the 1982 season.
References
- ↑ "Persistence of Vision - Down the 'Ol Rabbit Hole". web.archive.org. 2000-12-17. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ↑ Diz Avenue (2017-04-20), Walt Disney Opens Alice in Wonderland - DisneyAvenue.com, retrieved 2024-10-31
- ↑ "Yesterland: Alice in Wonderland". www.yesterland.com. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ↑ "Yesterland: Alice in Wonderland". www.yesterland.com. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ↑ Martín, Hugo; Times, Los Angeles (2010-07-22). "Disneyland's Alice in Wonderland ride closed to install safety equipment". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ↑ Eades, Mark (2014-07-04). "New Wonders Added To Alice In Wonderland Dark Ride As Disneyland Enhances Classic Attraction". Inside the Magic. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
