Peter Pan (Disneyland)

For as long as there have been theme parks, there have been dark rides – but nobody does them better than Disney. And the quintessential dark ride of them all is Peter Pan. Taking the concept of the complete ride through of a movie and blowing it up, this is not just some sort of observational dark ride where the story unfolds from room to room – you are actually experiencing this entire movie from within.

Starting from the moment you board that beautiful flying pirate ship of your very own, you are whisked off on an adventure straight out of Neverland. First you fly through a nursery where Peter is struggling with his shadow, and then, voila, a little pixie dust and you go out the window and slowly soar above the clouds until London is tiny and far below you and everyone is the size of ants. You follow the second star to the right and the next thing you know, Captain Hook is shooting at you. There are mermaids and crocodiles and Tiger Lily and a fight between Hook and Peter on a pirate ship, and through it all, you fly right through the middle of the action.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Peter Pan not because I fell in love with it as a kid and its my favorite ride, but because unlike other Fantasyland rides, I never experience it as a ride. I love seeing London from a thousand feet up, and I love dipping down into the mermaid lagoon. I love Katie Nana barking at me as we fly through a window, and I love Peter and Hook fighting in front of me. There is an economy to this ride that hides its incredible nature – to wit, that this dark ride hangs from a ceiling, that you REALLY are soaring over things, and that, as a result, the sets are built around you and not above you. This kind of 3-D effect is what truly set Disneyland apart from the other theme park rides. Anyone can turn a common flying ride into Dumbo by theming their ride vehicles as pachyderms, but only Disney would ever dream to have a dark ride with FLYING vehicles. Game, Set, and Match competition!

Fantasyland rides tend to be packed all day long, so I never try to schedule this ride for any time of the day. I wait until I see a line that’s low and then I get in line. No matter the wait, though, this ride is worth it and, like it’s protagonist, it never gets old.

And now, here are some links:
AllEars
Laughing Place
Mice Age
Disney Shawn
YouTube
Official Disney
SURPRISE!