Alice in Wonderland: the Ride

In the grand tradition of Disney dark rides, Disneyland allows us to travel down the rabbit hole to Wonderland in the Alice in Wonderland ride.

Located in Fantasyland, guests ride in caterpillars through various scenes from the film.

The ride actually starts outside and the caterpillars travel past flowers and giant leaves on their way to a dark entranceway.  This leads into a passage similar to the earthen hole Alice tumbles down at the start of the film.  Next is a crazy hallway with paintings on the twisted walls and a striking black and white checkered flooring.  At the end of the hall is a door with the talking doorknob.  The doorway opens and guest are in a wood in Wonderland.  Turning right, Tweedledum and Tweedledee can be seen.  A quick swerve past the cottage Alice gets stuck in when she grows large and guests get their first sight of the White Rabbit.

Now it's time to sing along with the flowers on a Golden Afternoon.  The colours are vibrant (and luminescent, adding an appropriately surreal element to this trip through Wonderland).  Around a corner, past rocking-horseflies, is the Caterpillar smoking his hookah atop a mushroom.  A sign points guests towards Tulgey Wood and its plethora of confusing signs.  Deep in the Tulgey Wood, a familiar grin and two yellow eyes can be seen briefly before guests head deeper into the wood and the Cheshire Cat appears in full, surrounded by other inhabitants of the wood such as the strange birdcage bird and the owl with an accordion for a neck.

The Cheshire Cat appears again to direct guests through to the Queen of Heart's maze.  Tall hedgerows in the shape of hearts line the route as guests pass bushes of  roses being painted read and head towards marching playing cards.  The White Rabbit appears again before guests head to the Queen's croquet game.  The Queen of Hearts looms ahead, wielding her flamigo mallet at an unfortunate hedgehog.  Only at the last second, do riders get a glimpse of the tiny King of Hearts hidden behind his dominating wife.

But then the mood changes and guests head into the courtroom to see a furious Queen of Hearts flanked by card guards.  More card guards line the route and suddenly, riders are outside again on an elevated twisting track which eventually travels back inside the ride, this time through a castle archway.

Guests find themselves in a tunnel with a manically grinning Cheshire Cat at the end, turning right to be greeted by huge tea and coffee pots.  In their midst, are gathered the Mad Hatter, March Hare and Dormouse having their daily tea party.  Beyond them the White Rabbit stands beside a Merry Unbirthday cake with a stick of dynamite for a candle, before, finally, the riders exit to the end of the ride.

An update to the ride in the last few years has seen more projection used to depict elements originally missing from the ride which includes Alice herself - scenes such as Alice chasing the rabbit; the hedgehog rolling away; playing cards flying through the air in spirals.  In a similar way to the Snow White dark ride, Alice wasn't seen in the original version (with riders presumably taking her 'role' in the story).  Now she appears a few times.

It's a magical, strange ride which lurches from one scene to another and definitely invokes the spirit of the film.