From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Peter Pan's Flight |
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| Attraction poster |
| Land |
Fantasyland |
| Designer |
WED Enterprises |
| Attraction type |
Dark Ride |
| Theme |
Peter Pan |
| Vehicle type |
Flying Pirate Ship |
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Must transfer from wheelchair |
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Closed captioning available |
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| Disneyland |
| Opening date |
July 17, 1955 |
| Vehicle capacity |
3 (2 adults and 1 child, conversely 600 lbs) |
| Ride duration |
2:10 minutes |
| Rededicated |
May 23, 1983 |
| Required Ticket |
C |
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| Magic Kingdom |
| Opening date |
October 3, 1971 |
| Vehicle capacity |
3 (2 adults and 1 child) |
| Ride duration |
2:45 minutes |
| Loading Platform |
Omni-Mover |
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| Tokyo Disneyland |
| Opening date |
April 15, 1983 |
| Vehicle capacity |
2 |
| Ride duration |
2:30 minutes |
| Loading Platform |
Omni-Mover |
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Peter Pan's Flight is a single-bench (two to three person) suspended dark ride at the Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris theme parks. Located in Fantasyland, it is one of the few remaining attractions that was operational on Disneyland's opening day in 1955. The ride's story, music, staging and artwork are based on Walt Disney's Peter Pan, the animated film version of the classic Peter Pan story by J.M.Barrie.
[edit] History
The original intent of the attraction was for the guests to fly through the ride as if they were Peter Pan. Audiences did not quite grasp this concept and were left wondering, "Why wasn't Peter Pan in the Peter Pan ride?"
The Florida version of the ride, which opened in 1971, expanded on the original Disneyland attraction. While the overall theme and format of the ride was consistent with the original in California, the Florida ride, as with the other dark rides, would feature its characters in Audio-Animatronic style.
In 1982, Disneyland's Fantasyland was in a phase of major overhaul. Some of its rides were relocated to make room for expanded versions of the dark rides (as well a brand-new one). The posh redo of Fantasyland now resembled a rustic European village in the Alps, rather than a medieval faire. Mr. Toad and Snow White's dark rides moved their respective loading areas (and partial murals) indoors, but the Peter Pan ride still featured a colorful mural, depicting the characters from the film. In 1983, an Audio-Animatronic Peter Pan was added to the ride.
[edit] Ride plot and features
[edit] Original Disneyland version (1955 - 1982)
The original ride featured the ride vehicles flying through the nursery, out over London, onward to Never Land, and finally through Skull Rock, where riders saw Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Princess Tiger Lily and the Crocodile before unloading. The exterior had a medieval design with the queue being outside.
[edit] Expanded Disneyland version (1983 - present)
Departing from the station, but before entering the actual ride building, guests fly over the rooftops of London. The new version of the ride includes Audio-Animatronic versions of the characters, just like in Florida. As part of the new remodel, scenes from the Florida ride were added to Disneyland, including the pirate ship deck (unlike in Florida, Peter and Hook do not duel on the ship's mainsail in California, but rather on the tip of the ship's bowsprit). Few scenes are identical between the two versions, but they are very similar nonetheless. The new Disneyland ride opened as part of the rest of the New Fantasyland on May 25, 1983.
After winding through the queue, guests board a three-passenger miniature galleon, which is suspended from above to enhance the sensation of flying through the air (the ship hangs from a track on the ceiling, not on a floor track). The ship leaves the load area and winds through the Darlings' nursery, passing Nana the Nursemaid next to some toy blocks, the Darlings (Wendy, Michael and John) in bed and Peter Pan's shadow on the wall. Peter's voice is then heard saying, "And off to Never Land!" At this point, the ship flies out the nursery window and out over moonlit London. Lights twinkle all around. Below the ships are various miniature versions of London's famous landmarks: Big Ben, the Tower Bridge and the River Thames. Then, going past "the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning," the flying ships reach Neverland, where the guests go past some of its landmarks, including the Indian village, a glowing volcano, Mermaid Lagoon and Skull Rock. It is here that the guests encounter some of Neverland's most famous residents, including Princess Tiger Lily, Mr. Smee, the Crocodile and Peter's arch rival, Captain Hook (in addition to Peter and the Darlings).
[edit] Expanded Walt Disney World installation (1971 - present)
The load/unload area featured Omnimover-style moving ramps (like the Haunted Mansion) to better allow for smooth traffic flow. The scenes in the ride were done on a larger scale and featured audio-animatronic figures. The Lost Boys camp and Mermaid Lagoon were added to the Never Land scene. Also, Hook's 48-foot pirate ship, complete with deck, masts, sails and rigging was included. Guests saw Hook and Peter engaged in hand-to-hand combat on the mainsail, while the boys were lashed to the mast and Wendy was about to walk from a plank. Guests would then see Peter and the Darlings posed victoriously on the ship, poised to sail into the sky, back to London.
[edit] Tokyo Version (1983 - present)
Peter Pan's Flight at Tokyo Disneyland is almost exactly the same as the one in Walt Disney World.
[edit] Paris Version (1992 - present)
Peter Pan's Flight at Parc Disneyland in Paris is almost exactly the same as the expanded Disneyland version, but is 3 minutes long, while the other versions are about 2:30. It also has the biggest capacity per boat, with at least four guests riding compared to 2 or 3. The Paris version also tends to suffer constant breakdowns, so long queues are reduced by it being a Fastpass attraction.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
