Disneyland Facts & History > Fantasyland (15)
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Disney Family Crest
Sleeping Beauty Castle: The official Walt Disney family crest is a triple set of lions surrounded by flourishes. The Disney Crest was added to Sleeping Beauty's Castle in 1960, located directly above the drawbridge entrance.
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Time Castle
On July 17, 1995 a "Time Castle" containing Disneyland memories, messages and milestones was buried in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. It is dedicated to the children of the 21st century, who may unlock its contents on Disneyland's 80th anniversary, July 17, 2035.
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Golden Spike
Found just inside the entrance of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, it's believed that this golden spike marks the geographic center of Disneyland. However, the spike was really placed there as a surveyor's mark, ensuring that Main Street is centered to the castle's drawbridge.
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Tinker Bell's Toy Shop
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique - Sleeping Beauty's Castle: Adorning the store's facade are three of Neverland's most infamous characters. The carved likenesses of the Croc, Captain Hook & Mister Smee can be found gracing the new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique storefront. Peter Pan's three friends act as smiling reminders of the Tinker Bell Toy Shop that once occupied the space.
Note: Before becoming the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on April 17, 2009, the location was also occupied by Once Upon A Time - The Disney Princess Shoppe. That Disneyland location has also hosted the original Fantasy Shop as well as afore mentioned Tinker Bell's Toy Shop.
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Fantasyland - Central Ticket Booth
The Kodak Film & Photo Information Station - currently located near it's a small world, was once Fantasyland's central ticket booth. This ticket booth was originally located in the King Arthur Carrousel's current location (before the carousel was moved in 1983).
In 1955, admission to Disneyland cost just $1. In addition to the price of admission, guests were required to purchase ride tickets. Originally ranging in price from 10 cents to 35 cents, guests presented these tickets to ride the attractions.
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Mushroom Ticket Booth
The giant yellow mushroom located outside Fantasyland's Alice in Wonderland is a former A-E ticket booth.
Ride tickets were identified by letters, A through E. A tickets were the least expensive, allowing guests to ride attractions like the King Arthur Carrousel or the various cars & carriages on Main Street. Introduced in 1959, E tickets were the priciest - granting admission to rides like the Matterhorn, Monorail and the Mine Train.
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Lighthouse Ticket Booth
The little Storybookland Lighthouse was once an A-E ticket booth.
Taking a cue from other theme parks, Disneyland stopped using tickets in 1982. Instead guests purchased all day passports, granting admission to all rides and attractions.
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Casey Junior Circus Train - Ticket Booth
This odd little building with the shingled roof, was originally the ticket booth for the Casey Junior Circus Train.
The quirky little shack was originally designed by Disney Legend, Bruce Bushman.
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"it's a small world" - Mary Blair Doll
Disney Legend, Mary Blair, was an artist renown for her stylized illustrations, use of color, watercolors and graphic design. Blair's work can be found in advertising, children's books, art galleries and animated features.
Mary joined the Walt Disney Studios in 1940, joining her husband Lee Everett Blair, who had worked for the studios since 1938. She worked on and off for the Disney Company for most of her career. As an art supervisor, she created concept art for Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1945). Her sense of color and style influenced the Disney features Song of the South (1946), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953).
In 1963, Walt Disney asked Mary Blair to design the It's a Small World attraction for the New York World's Fair (1964-65). The attraction was a success, thanks to the combination of Blair's styling, Rolly Crump's design and the Sherman Brother's hypnotic song, It's A Small World (After All). In 1966, the beloved attraction debuted at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
Inside the "it's a small world" attraction, there is a little blonde doll standing on the Eiffel Tower. That doll is dedicated to artist who inspired the attraction's overall look. Gazing at her red balloon, the Mary Blair doll has short cropped hair, blue eyes and is dressed in a yellow poncho and boots, as Blair was known for her quirky personal fashions.
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Walt Disney & Mary Blair - "it's a small world" Mary Blair Doll
This archive photo features Walt Disney with Mary Blair and the "it's a small world" doll dedicated to her. Known for her modern style, Blair is the artist who designed the "it's a small world" attraction for Walt Disney.
Other Imagineers on the project honored Blair with a small world doll featuring her trademark short, blonde hair and quirky sense of fashion.
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It's A Small World - Seven Seas
Fantasyland: To celebrate its opening, Walt Disney had water collected from each of the World's Seven Seas and symbolically added it to the It's A Small World waterway.
Note: Seven Seas is an archaic term referring to the seven bodies of water known to the Old World; predating the discovery of the Americas. The seven seas referred to are the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, Black Sea, Adriatic Sea, Caspian Sea and Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean). In modern usage, Seven Seas is a loose reference to all the oceans of the world. However, some believe that it specifically refers to the four oceans (Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean & Pacific Ocean) and the next three largest bodies of water (Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea & Gulf of Mexico).
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Skyway to Tomorrowland
Fantasyland: Hidden in the corner of Fantasyland (along the Frontierland border) sits the building that once housed the machinery and loading area for Skyway to Tomorrowland. The attraction used to carry 4 passengers in gondolas up to 60 feet in the air. The trip took park goers from Fantasyland through the Matternhorn and on to Tomorrowland (and back again after reboarding).
Originally opened on June 23, 1956, the Disneyland Skyway was permanently closed on November 9, 1994. A variety of factors were involved in the Skyway's closing; damaged supports, costly repairs, inefficiency (so many Cast Members were needed to operate the ride at both ends), waning popularity and difficulties making the ride ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
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Skyway to Tomorrowland
Fantasyland: A close-up of the building that once housed the Skyway to Tomorrowland. It's decorations matches the European Village theme that replaced the Fantasyland Carnival decor in 1983.
Originally opened on June 23, 1956, the Disneyland Skyway was permanently closed on November 9, 1994. A variety of factors were involved in the Skyway's closing; damaged supports, costly repairs, inefficiency (so many Cast Members were needed to operate the ride at both ends), waning popularity and difficulties making the ride ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
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Matterhorn Skyway Caves
Fantasyland: The Disneyland Skyway used to travel through these caves, taking guests straight through Matterhorn. Until 1978, when the Matterhorn was refurbished, Skyways riders could see the steel supports, concrete and catwalks that were fully exposed inside the manmade mountain. In 1978, Imagineers made the internal structure more convincing, covering the steel and concrete structure with faux snow and ice. After the Skyway's closing in 1994, Imagineers closed the cave openings further, to enhance the Matterhorn's bobsled theming and to make the removal of the Skyway less obvious.
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Matterhorn Basketball Court
Matterhorn: The rumors are true, there actually is a basketball court located inside the Matterhorn. The basketball hoop, complete with backboard and net, was installed in an attic-like space about two-thirds of the way up the mountain. Climbers and Cast Members used the basketball court and staging area to prepare for scheduled climbs or to pass time when there was bad weather.