[Question] Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

[traumwelt]

Anyone have any information on what Peter Pan's Flight looked like before the 1983 refurbishment? I've looked for video clips or even pictures but can't seem to find anything.

Thanks!

[sbk1234]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

Unfortunately, I really don't remember the ride back then, but I know the facade out front was simply a painted backdrop in the front of the building. Pretty bland, if I rememember correctly.

[merlinjones]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

One major thing they lost, and I've never figured out why, was a Tinker Bell figure with motorized wings that flew around in a circle over the London (or was it the Never Land) room - - and we'd all wait for her to circle past making a lawnmower noise!

---------- Post added 09-02-2012 at 10:53 PM ----------

New Fantasyland*1983 - Imagineering Disney -

[girlonawire]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

I know the major changes that I recall...although I was quite young...is the addition to the three dimensional Peter, Hook, Wendy, Crocodile, etc.

[traumwelt]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

thanks for the responses. i was just curious to know if it looked like the walt disney world magic kingdom version. from the links you shared, the exterior style was very similar between DL and WDW. i had no idea that only 2 dimendional cut-outs were used.

after watching every video possible of DL and WDW versions, and having been on both many times, i think DL has the best version: the story, lighting, music, and flow of scenes are fantastic. WDW seems static, poorly lit, and the scenic painting is not quite as good as DL.

[merlinjones]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

Actually, unlike Toad, Alice etc, the original version of Peter Pan Flight did have dimensional figures of Hook, Smee, Tiger Lily, Crocodile in what was then the final scene of the ride at Skull Rock. (Plus the aforementioned flying Tink).

Basically the ride expanded at either end in 1983, a bigger nursery scene at the beginning, and the addition of the pirate ship flyover and mermaid scenes at the end.

Unlike Snow White/Pinocchio side of Fantasyland (which was demolished and rebuilt from scratch), the Peter Pan side of Fantasyland was reconstructed from what was already there. In the case of Pan, the London and Never Land fly-over rooms kept the exact same real estate, but improved the effects, while the end scenes expanded the ride into what was originally the Mad Hatter shop next door.

There is a slide of the original Hook scene in some of the old Fantasyland View-Master packets should you be that curious.

As to the old Fantasyland exteriors, they were all "tournament tent" style flats with animated look -- patterned canopies and color designed by Eyvind Earle. Lots of exterior shots at:

Daveland Disneyland Peter Pan's Flight Attraction Photo Page

[HiddenMickeyBook]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

I forgot about the hovering Tinker Bell! I remember the whirrling noise, too! Maybe too many eager riders tried to grab her for a souvenir - just like on Snow White and the Witch's apple.

Yes, Daveland is a wonderful source for pics of the Park from way back!

[merlinjones]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

Yeah, I wish Tink would come back -- her "flyby" was a highly anticipated element of the show. Basically they had a very large steel hoop suspended from the ceiling that spun slowly and Tink hung down from the hoop, so she had a large circular path and would only show up when she buzzed your ship or hit the right spotlight (her wings fluttered via a tiny motor that made the buzz-by sound).

[IzzyInWonderland]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

It is so weird to see the changes and just how dated those pictures can look. If I'm not mistaken, does Disney World still have those cheap looking facades in their Fantasyland? And don't they have the old design on their teacups?

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

My Dad took these 2 photos on August 27, 1956. I'm not sure which attraction the first picture shows.



The girls in the queue are my sister and her friends; it was her 10th birthday.



The blond girl is my sister. She's now 66! She remembers it as a fun day.

More pictures at Disneyland, then and now - a set on Flickr

[Disneylandfan85]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

The Peter Pan ride had its own edition in E-Ticket Magazine. Here's basically what it said on the pre-1983 ride:

You go through the Darling family nursery, in which you see the children's beds, their toys and Nana's wooden blocks on the right and portraits of the family, Peter Pan and Never Land island on the left. You then saw Peter Pan's shadow on the wall as you fly out the window and past an animated figure of Tinker Bell.

You then go out over London and past Tinker Bell again as she moves in a continuous circle. You then go over Never Land as you often do. But then things changed. You then enter the final scene of the ride, Skull Rock. Until 1960, you entered through the skull's left eye socket. After that year, you sailed past the face of the skull and into the grotto ahead. Here, you see Captain Hook trying to work his plot against Peter Pan with Mr. Smee's assistance. Their captive, Princess Tiger Lily, is there too.

Hook stood on a boulder as he glowered at the flying ships. He is heard calling out to Smee, "Shoot them down, Smee! Shoot them down!" Smee stands in a rowboat and tries to aim and fire a huge blunderbuss at the ships. Each time he fired, there was a strobe flash in the barrel of the gun and a matching noise felt under the ships. At the ride's final turn, you passed by the Crocodile, who was positioned on another stone outcrop as if waiting for Hook to slip off and fall. This was the last impression for guests as their ships sailed out, almost abruptly, into the Fantasyland courtyard.

[IzzyInWonderland]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

My Dad took these 2 photos on August 27, 1956. I'm not sure which attraction the first picture shows.



The girls in the queue are my sister and her friends; it was her 10th birthday.



The blond girl is my sister. She's now 66! She remembers it as a fun day.

More pictures at Disneyland, then and now - a set on Flickr

What great pictures!! That first photo is in the line for Peter Pan, gauging by the pirate ship mural in the background and the sign to the right that says Peter.

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

Thanks... my Dad had written "Snow White Ride" on the Kodachrome slide (of the first picture), so I was never too sure which ride it was until now. Thanks for the info.

[traumwelt]

Re: Pre-1983 Fantasyland: Peter Pan's Flight

Oh great! Thanks for all of the responses!!!