Extinct Attractions Discussion Series: Mr Toad's Wild Ride

[Trumpet Joe]

This is, by far, the most lamented attraction in the history of the Disney theme parks. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride has been in Disney World since the day the Magic Kingdom opened, back in 1971; although, it originated in Disneyland, as did most rides. I only rode it once back in 1998 (the year it closed), so I can barely remember it, but luckily I did a YouTube search and saw many different versions of it. For further information, you can't go wrong with this site: http://home.cfl.rr.com/omniluxe/mtwr.htm

[MichaeLeah]

I agree with you Joe. I just can't understand the logic of replacing a ride in Fantasyland. In light of the lines that seem to always be in this land, you would think they should add more rides to spread out the crowds. I don't understand why they couldn't add Pooh toward the Fantasyland. I think they should expand the land backward. Also, to utilize the space, they should have some dark rides that go underneath the present rides (I think they do something like this at Disneyland). I am not sure if it is practical to alter the tunnel into a ride, but it's just an idea. The point is, they need to add some new attractions to the back of Fantasyland.

[Loomis]

Oh, Disney WORLD.

I read this title thread thinking "I hadn't heard that it closed...". Then again, I've only ever been to Anaheim (and Hong Kong). In Disneyland, both rides are there in peaceful coexistence (although Pooh did replace the Country Bears).

It is a shame Mr. Toad had to go in WDW, but Pooh is a multi-billion dollar industry for Disney. It makes sense to make it a priority ride. It is also a pretty good one at that.

[I am the Doctor]

Love the Disneyland version, the WDW version (which I rode in 1997) was a big letdown.

Spoiler ahead for the Disneyland ride-

highlight to read-
At Disneyland, after crashing with the train and ending up in hell, the place actually feels warm. The WDW version had the part of driving through hell, but the heat was missing. What a disappointment!

MichaeLeah wrote

Also, to utilize the space, they should have some dark rides that go underneath the present rides (I think they do something like this at Disneyland). I am not sure if it is practical to alter the tunnel into a ride, but it's just an idea. The point is, they need to add some new attractions to the back of Fantasyland.

Well, it's more like the ride is upstairs than underneath. At Disneyland, Alice In Wonderland (not to be confused with the Tea Cup ride) is housed upstairs in the same building as Peter Pan's Flight and Mr Toad's Wild Ride. To access Alice, one has to round the corner of the building as the entrance to Alice is on the side of the Matterhorn, while Mr. Toad and Peter Pan are on the castle side.

[MichaeLeah]

Well, it's more like the ride is upstairs than underneath. At Disneyland, Alice In Wonderland (not to be confused with the Tea Cup ride) is housed upstairs in the same building as Peter Pan's Flight and Mr Toad's Wild Ride. To access Alice, one has to round the corner of the building as the entrance to Alice is on the side of the Matterhorn, while Mr. Toad and Peter Pan are on the castle side.

Ah! Thanks for clearing that up for me. I would really like to visit Disneyland some day. I am intrigued at the way they utilize very limited space. I understand it is significantly smaller in area than the Magic Kingdom in Florida. I think the smaller space could be nice because it would mean you don't have to walk as much to get around.

I think the way Fantasyland is laid out in the Magic Kingdom is a bit of a mistake. They have too many attraction to the immediate northwest of the castle. This causes terrible congestion--it gets so bad that sometime my wife and I have trouble walking next to each other. If they had some more things to draw people toward the back of Fantasyland I think that would be helpful. Bringing back 20,000 Leagues would also do a lot to spread out Fantasyland; but that is another story.

[Escapay]

I think the way Fantasyland is laid out in the Magic Kingdom is a bit of a mistake. They have too many attraction to the immediate northwest of the castle. This causes terrible congestion--it gets so bad that sometime my wife and I have trouble walking next to each other. If they had some more things to draw people toward the back of Fantasyland I think that would be helpful. Bringing back 20,000 Leagues would also do a lot to spread out Fantasyland; but that is another story.

Yeah, that's one of the main problems with that one area of the park. Fifteen years ago, the attractions were evenly divided between all four areas (Fantasyland North/South/East/West Attractions). But with the closure of 20K Leagues and Skyway, and the big popularity of Philhar, it was "downsized" to simply Fantasyland East/West Attractions. One of the best things about Fantasyland East though is that because there's far less people there, lines for the Nut Wagon (right by the new Pooh's Playful Place) are never long.

Escapay

[I am the Doctor]

Ah! Thanks for clearing that up for me. I would really like to visit Disneyland some day. I am intrigued at the way they utilize very limited space. I understand it is significantly smaller in area than the Magic Kingdom in Florida. I think the smaller space could be nice because it would mean you don't have to walk as much to get around.

This is actually done all over Disneyland. Space is at a premium and usually when something new comes in, something's else's had gotta leave. For example, it's a well known fact that part of the reason that there is a stretch room at the beginning of the Haunted Mansion was there was a need to get guests from the park to the building housing the ride. The stretch room is acutally an elevator and you walk down a hallway to the ride, underneath the Disneyland railroad tracks.

I think one of the main reasons that Mr. Toad survived at Disneyland is that it is still popular at DL and the Country Bear Jamboree was not. Hence the reason to move Winnie the Pooh to the old CBJ building at DL. That, and the fact that the DL version beat the pants off the DW version.

[EricMontreal22]

Was the Country Bear show actually doing much better in Walt Disney World than it was in Disneyland? I was sad to see it go from DL but I would have been MUCH sadder to lose Toad

One reason may be all the DL dark rides were updated dignificantly in 1983 (84 for Alice in Wonderland) so that the Toad in Disneyland had more mdoern technology than the WDW one (which is sorta, from what I can tell form the E Ticket description of the old 1955 original Toad in Disneyland, a mix between the original DL version and the modern version except on a larger scale cuz of the two tracks).

WDW has enough room (unlike Disneyland) that I thinkt hey could have shoved in another dark ride instead of getting rid of Toad (especially considering that DL Fnatasyland has more dark rides). These rides are prob my all time fave Disney rides and it's sad to think any could be at risk--but Toad is such a standard, even if few people even remember or have seen the Disney Wind in the Willows (Ichabod and Mr Toad) it usually is a fave of any park fan, younger ones especially.

I wish, jsut for comparison there wer ehome movies of the original 1955 Disneyland Toad too...

It's true some DL attractions were build outside the rim (Small WOrld's show building is outside the traintracks--haunted mansions elevarotr walks you under the tracks which is why that part is diff in other parks, the caverns in Pirates ar emuch longer to get you under the tracks)

[EricMontreal22]

Oh, Disney WORLD. :)It is a shame Mr. Toad had to go in WDW, but Pooh is a multi-billion dollar industry for Disney. It makes sense to make it a priority ride. It is also a pretty good one at that.

Ppoh, in the US anyway is an *ok* ride. I find it disappointing and it misses out on the sense of fun/scary thrills Toad gives you--it's not as well thought through. It sounds like in Tokyo with the new car system this is very different--the ride is THAT much more magical, I think it's criminal this system wasn't even used in Hong Kong and wish it would be incorporate dinto the US versions of Pooh to liven them up.

The original Fantasyland dark rides weremeant tocomplement each other--Walt wanted a scary ride (Snow White) a pretty ride (Peter Pan) and a wild fast paced funny ride (mr Toad). Alice in Wonderland was decided to fit in too as a truly bizaare "experience" ride. I dunno where pooh fits here except for the boring dark ride

(Ok I'm kidding--I like Pooh but I think it's by far the lesser of those rides)

Wasn't tTOad closed during the time WDW was run by... that guy no one likes He didn't seem to have much respect for old favorite rides and very much had the mentality of "I don't knwo who this Toad is but I know Pooh"!

[Big Disney Fan]

Was the Country Bear show actually doing much better in Walt Disney World than it was in Disneyland? I was sad to see it go from DL but I would have been MUCH sadder to lose Toad

Well, the Country Bears did open at WDW first on its 1971 opening day before coming to Disneyland in '72. So it's probably just as well that it would be from Disneyland that the bears would be bounced (no pun intended), just as the old Tiki Room was removed from WDW instead of Disneyland, where it received a major cleanup that it deserved.

[EricMontreal22]

Love the Disneyland version, the WDW version (which I rode in 1997) was a big letdown.

Spoiler ahead for the Disneyland ride-

highlight to read-
At Disneyland, after crashing with the train and ending up in hell, the place actually feels warm. The WDW version had the part of driving through hell, but the heat was missing. What a disappointment!

MichaeLeah wrote

Also, to utilize the space, they should have some dark rides that go underneath the present rides (I think they do something like this at Disneyland). I am not sure if it is practical to alter the tunnel into a ride, but it's just an idea. The point is, they need to add some new attractions to the back of Fantasyland.

Well, it's more like the ride is upstairs than underneath. At Disneyland, Alice In Wonderland (not to be confused with the Tea Cup ride) is housed upstairs in the same building as Peter Pan's Flight and Mr Toad's Wild Ride. To access Alice, one has to round the corner of the building as the entrance to Alice is on the side of the Matterhorn, while Mr. Toad and Peter Pan are on the castle side.

When they did the Fantasyland upgrade they also criss crossed a lot of rides to try to find more room (each of the new 83 versions of the rides were at least a minute longer than their 55 originals)--I know that the town square part of the 83 DL Who--with the statue of Cyril--is right below parts of Alice in Wonderland etc
E

[EricMontreal22]

Was the Country Bear show actually doing much better in Walt Disney World than it was in Disneyland? I was sad to see it go from DL but I would have been MUCH sadder to lose Toad

Well, the Country Bears did open at WDW first on its 1971 opening day before coming to Disneyland in '72. So it's probably just as well that it would be from Disneyland that the bears would be bounced (no pun intended), just as the old Tiki Room was removed from WDW instead of Disneyland, where it received a major cleanup that it deserved.

I always prefered Tiki Room anyway though I only ever saw the two vacation (summer nad Winter) shows for the Bears, never the original. The Bears just felt a bit more liek something I'd grown up watching at those Bullwinkle Theme Restyaurants I guess--though I knwo it came before (and I did like it)

[Trumpet Joe]

I always prefered Tiki Room anyway

I don't think I'm alone in thinking that the Under New Management show is just awful

[Trumpet Joe]

Pooh, in the US anyway is an *ok* ride. I find it disappointing and it misses out on the sense of fun/scary thrills Toad gives you--it's not as well thought through.

The Winnie-the-Pooh franchise is, above all, for small children. And we all know that small children spook easily, so it's really better that the Pooh ride is NOT scary. Now, the Ichabod and Mr. Toad movie was, I think, not just a little more scary, but above all geared towards ADULTS. And adults (unless you're like me ) don't mind being scared. See, you have to think about your audience.

[EricMontreal22]

I saw some of the new mangaement show for Tiki Room on youtube and couldn't watch anymore I'm just glad, at least for a few more years thanks to the overhaul, this show is preserved at DL. (Even the TokyoDisneyland new version sounds much better than Under New Management though--prob doesn't help that I always found Iago one of the most obnoxious of Disney characters)

I don't think Ichabod/Mr Toad was ever intended for adults--by which I mean Disney was always in the market for family films. But it is true that in 1949 when it came out--and still by 1955 when the ride premiered--the film market was very different--while some films wer eintended more for adults certainly and some for kids (cheap serials etc especially) a lot more movies were aimed at a broad age market, partly due to the lack of ratings--and Pooh has always been aimed at a basically younger audience (although I found the Huffalumps and Woozles as a kid nearly as scary as Dumbo's Pink Elelphants but anything surreal scared me as a kid)

However I never meant the Pooh ride should be scary but I do in all honesty see NO excuse for them claiming to have no other room for it but as a replacement for Toad (and I do think theme parks in general right now are slightly suffering from dividing the age range of their rides too much--when Disneyland opened it basically was ALL geared more or less at all ages, increasingly parks aim for thrill seeking adults, and then really little kids

E

[slave2moonlight]

Good point. One of my main complaints about all non-Disney theme parks is that their rides are either for small little kids or for thrill-seeking adults. I'm not into extreme thrill rides and I sure don't like to see too many rides that just go around in a circle and that I can hardly fit into. I have always loved the Disney parks, and only the Disney parks, for two reasons: One, yes, I'm a Disney fanatic. Two, the rides and the parks in general were designed for kids and adults to enjoy together.

Anyways, though I have exclusively traveled to the Florida parks for the past 20 years or so and always loved Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and though I do greatly miss it, I am okay with the fact that it is gone since I know it still exists in the California park. I, personally, am under the impression that Disney is trying to differentiate their parks a little in order to get people to want to visit both. Of course, they want both parks to have the most popular attractions, like Pooh, but classic attractions have only so much appeal (especially when the movie you make to rejuvenate them flops), so they can be used as a tool to make the parks look different from each other. Toad started out in California, so they made him exclusive to that park in the U.S., the Country Bears started out in Florida, so now that is their exclusive location in the U.S. (I have no idea if these attractions are in the foreign parks; never been to one). So, while I miss riding Mr. Toad, I am okay with it as long as I know it is SOMEWHERE. I have been planning to get out to Disneyland for a LONG time. Don't know when I will, but having Mr. Toad only at that park gives me one more reason to make the trip. Frankly though, I'm dying to ride the Roger Rabbit and Indy rides. I suspect it will be quite trippy to get out there though, since I am so used to the Disney World layout by now.

As for the New Management version of the Tiki Room, myself and those I know who have seen it loved it. Most of us agree that it needed some sort of update, though I normally am not a fan of change at the Disney parks.

[EricMontreal22]

I liek the ideas of all the Magic Kingdoms being substantially "differentiated" in each park (though it should be pointed out the WDW Toad was quite a different layout--on both of its different tracks-than DL's)-the DIsney managemenet seems to ALWAYS be changing their mind on how much this should be done or not be done. I think you're giving them too much credit though if you say that part of the reason they were ok dropping Toad was to keep it in DL--I think neither decision had any bearing on each other.

One thing that excited me so much about Disneyland Paris when it opened was how every ride was basically "tweaked" (ok nearly everyride) --and I knwo that originally was meant to be even more true with the indoor type jungle ride planned, etc. TokyoDisneyland didn't seem different enough to me (and is even less so now with Meet the World--which really shoulda come to EPCOT World Showcase as planned--and Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour closed) though the magnificent looking TokyoSea has helped change this. But, as much as I'd love the chance to visit Hong Kong Disney, I'm pretty disappointed how it currently seems to just be a smaller version of Anaheim's. I hope the rumours of new takes on Pirates and Mansion are true.

It's true that there's always been a dilemna--the MAGNIFICENT sounding Western River Expedition, which is oh so infamous being a great example-0-planned as the showcase new adventure for Disneyworld it eventuallyw as replaced with the far cheaper, smaller take on Disney's Pirates, and laid to rest--part of hte (justifiable) reasoning being so many fans asked where Pirates was

I am surprised that DL's Pinochio ended up in Disneyworld--though mayeb ti was cuz of the European subject matter--since it always seems to be the least popular of the Disneyland dark rides (I get why it came to TokyoDisneyland as it was brand new at the time)