I spent a day trying Disneyland’s oldest, ‘politically corrected’ rides

Well, that descended into chaos unexpectedly. In Disneyland, a “jolly ride” through the streets of London becomes increasingly foreboding, as I – in the guise of the titular Mr Toad – receive warnings from cut-out bobbies to slow down then find myself careening through a public house and court of law before my ultimate demise at the hands of an oncoming train. Suddenly, I – or rather, Mr Toad – am in literal hell – a dark warning, it seems, about the perils of driving recklessly.

Disneyland’s 70 year celebrations are under way.

Such is the rather trippy narrative of Mr Toad’s Wild Ride, one of 10 still operating in Disneyland today that were here 70 years ago when the park first opened its gates.

On July 17, 1955, creator Walt Disney opened the 65-hectare Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, to an invited audience with a dedication that it would be “a source of joy and inspiration to the world.” It opened to the public the following day.

Costing about $US17 million at the time to build, it featured five themed lands (Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland and Main Street, USA) with 20 major attractions, rides, shows and exhibits including stagecoach and pack mule rides, an Indian village and a moon rocket simulation.

Seven decades and approaching 1 billion visitors later, Disneyland Resort now encompasses two parks (Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park) across 200 hectares, with 17 themed “lands”, three hotels and the Downtown Disney shopping precinct. Most visitors come for at least three days to take in all the entertainment, with the surrounding Anaheim area offering 30,000 hotel rooms to cater to the masses.

Inside Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – the fastest spaceship in the galaxy.

Yes, Disneyland is a business beyond even Walt’s wildest dreams: and as it celebrates this significant birthday, the “Happiest Place on Earth” is throwing a party, with confectionary-hued decorations, an earworm celebratory song courtesy of boy band Jonas Brothers, and a slew of new parades and light extravaganzas that are truly a joy to behold.

Meanwhile, visitors can expect to wait for more than an hour to ride some of Disneyland’s most whizz-bang rides, with relative newcomers including Guardians of the Galaxy, the Incredicoaster and the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run among the most popular.

Like many adults who visit without children, I’ve tended to focus on the rides offering the greatest thrills and the most screams (as well as the longest queues), avoiding the cutesy rides and attractions of Fantasyland, dismissed as “kid’s stuff”.

Leave the spinning things to the kids … the iconic tea cups of the Mad Tea Party ride.Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

But, having tasked myself with checking out the original Disneyland rides, I now find myself standing before one of its most iconic attractions, the spinning tea cups of the Mad Tea Party. Under jaunty hanging lanterns, the oversized pastel cups and saucers bearing playing card insignias spin frantically, as brave, green-faced parents clutch giggling toddlers to their chests.

Shuddering, I realise I’m about to fail my mission before it even begins. No way am I risking my lunch on that – give me a looping rollercoaster any day. Ditto the beautiful King Arthur Carrousel, with its 68 hand-carved bobbing horses dating back more than 90 years (making it technically the oldest ride in the park) – I’ll leave the spinning things to the little kids.

Celebrating the “happiest place on earth”.

Instead, I head to the towering faux-brick turret housing one of three original “dark” rides in Disneyland – Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. Like most of the original rides, this one has undergone several incarnations since 1955; originally entitled Snow White’s Adventures and minus the actual visage of the original Disney princess (the riders themselves were meant to be Snow White, escaping the clutches of the evil queen), it was renamed in 1983 as Snow White’s Scary Adventure, adding spooky elements and jump scares.

In 2021, however, more new visuals, animatronics and laser projections were added, which, along with the new name, give the ride a cheerier, more family-friendly – and dare I say bland – tone.

Far more thrilling to both children and adults (in my opinion) is Peter Pan’s Flight, following the adventures of JM Barrie’s Lost Boys as they interact with fairies, pirates, mermaids and crocodiles. Boarding an ornate flying sailboat, riders soar over London and Neverland, the twisting journey over stunning neon visuals creating a real sense of magic and wonder.

In 2024, it was announced that Peter Pan’s Flight was to be updated to correct racial stereotypes of Tiger Lily and her Native American family in the ride, following a similar change last August in Disney World’s version of the ride.

Adventureland and The Jungle Cruise.

Another original Disneyland attraction that has recently been politically corrected to remove what was described as “negative depictions of native peoples” is the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland.

I board the river boat at night, just before the fireworks and with no queues to contend with; and while the skipper’s commentary is muffled due to a microphone problem (which negates the whole point of the ride really, since it’s all about the “dad jokes”), I find the animatronic animals en route rather charming, especially the elephants and the chest-thumping gorillas. The war party of “natives” and tribal dancers of old are certainly not missed, with a storyline that is now more inclusive and less racially insensitive.

Opening day in 1955 did not go off without a hitch, by all accounts. The Mark Twain Steamboat (now Riverboat) was so overcrowded it got stuck in the mud; while Casey Jnr Circus Train – primed as the park’s first roller coaster – was immediately closed for safety reasons. It started carrying guests in its more gentle form two weeks later, with the Matterhorn Bobsleds (currently under restoration) becoming the first official roller coaster in 1959. Dumbo the Flying Elephant was also supposed to be an opening day attraction, but due to design issues (the grey elephants were too heavy), it launched a month later on August 16, 1955.

Another ride that has recently been adapted to incorporate more modern sensibilities is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – aka, the old Splash Mountain, which I was surprised to discover was not an original Disney ride, but in fact opened in 1989.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – the old Splash Mountain.

The log flume’s themes inspired by Uncle Remus stories and the 1946 Disney film Song of the South had always seemed problematic, leading me to believe it had been conceived in less enlightened times; but the reimagining based around the 2009 animation Princess and the Frog is a refreshing, fun adaptation, with nighttime scenes from a bayou, Mardis Gras celebrations, a New Orleans jazz soundtrack and an unbelievable soaking, especially if you’re the sucker in the front seat.

Walt Disney once said that “Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world.” While there will always be a buzz and excitement about new, technologically-advanced attractions, the vestiges of Disney’s original vision – albeit updated to accommodate more magic as well as contemporary ways of thinking – have an important and nostalgic place in the granddaddy of all theme parks.

The originals

The 10 original rides at Disneyland still operating today are:

• Mad Tea Party
• King Arthur’s Carrousel
• Mr Toad’s Wild Ride
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Storybookland Canal Boats
• Jungle Cruise
• Autopia
• Mark Twain Riverboat
• Disneyland Railroad

The details

Visit
Disneyland Resort’s 70th Celebration began on May 16 and will continue throughout the US summer. Tickets from $US100 ($153) a day for a four-day, one-park a day ticket, or from $US120 ($185) a day with a three-day, one-park a day ticket, valid to August 14, 2025. See disneyland.disney.go.com

Stay
Disneyland Resort has three on-property hotels – Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Pixar Place Hotel. See disneyland.disney.go.com

Fly
Delta Airlines flies daily from Sydney to Los Angeles; direct daily flights from Melbourne to Los Angeles will launch in December 2025. See delta.com

The writer travelled as a guest of Disneyland Resort.