You Can Fly :
Peter Pan ’ s Flight
BY TIMOTHY MOORE
Mermaid Lagoon had never been bloodier . Hook ’ s sword sliced the air at the wrong moment , and before I could duck , it made contact , mere centimeters from my eye .
Before becoming our managing editor , a young Timothy Moore made his mark in the local children ' s theatre scene . PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHY MOORE
“ Fly away , Wendy !” I shouted in improv , skipping the rest of the fight choreography we had planned and cupping my hand over my eyeball as I sprinted off the stage . And with that , Act 1 of Peter Pan , presented by Kettering Children ’ s Theatre , came to a gory close .
Despite the scar left on my forehead by Captain Hook herself ( yes , the director cast a 15-year-old girl as Hook !), portraying Peter Pan onstage is one of my favorite childhood memories . I didn ’ t think I could ever become more immersed in my favorite Disney classic than that .
But that was before I rode Peter Pan ’ s Flight at Magic Kingdom , a wholly immersive Peter Pan encounter like no other .
FROM NEVERLAND TO DISNEYLAND Peter Pan ’ s Flight is a staple of any WDW visit , but it actually dates back to the opening of Disneyland in 1955 . At the time , Peter Pan was the most recent Walt Disney Studios film to debut , so it was fresh in the minds of guests on Disneyland ’ s opening day .
Gepetto ’ s clock shop , was scrapped entirely while the walkthrough version of Alice instead became the Mad Tea Party ride . Even Snow White and Her Adventures , which retained its original dark-ride layout , saw major scenes cut or changed .
Though Imagineers had to greatly scale back the ride and cut a Mermaid Lagoon scene with accompanying rainbow , Peter Pan ’ s Flight remained truest to Walt ’ s original vision when it opened .
It didn ’ t take long for the ride to get an overhaul , however . Upon opening , all of the Fantasyland dark rides placed guests in the role of each film ’ s protagonist . That meant , when riding Peter Pan ’ s Flight , guests were the boy who wouldn ’ t grow up — and thus didn ’ t see him during the ride experience . In fact , save for a mural that included Pan , Peter could not be seen anywhere throughout the attraction .
This led to a lot of complaints from guests who didn ’ t quite understand why their hero was missing . So in 1960 , Disneyland updated the attraction to feature Peter , including a shadow projection of Peter flying in the Darling nursery .
But that wasn ’ t the last update to Disneyland ’ s version of Peter Pan ’ s Flight . In 1983 , Disneyland expanded with New Fantasyland . At that time , Imagineers redesigned the exterior of Peter Pan ’ s Flight and finally added in the missing Mermaid Lagoon scene ( but at the end of the ride , rather than where it features in the film ’ s storyline ).
The nearby Captain Hook restaurant ( Chicken of the Sea ), which was set inside a pirate ship , was demolished at that same time to make room for Dumbo . Rumor has it that elements of the bulldozed ship can be spotted in Peter Pan ’ s Flight . Disney has never confirmed this , but as you exit the Disneyland attraction , you may notice a familiar hook holding a lantern . That hook is theorized to be the same hook that once held the restaurant ’ s sign .
But it ’ s a miracle that the now-famous railsuspended dark ride was ready to go on opening day ; Peter Pan ’ s Flight and other Fantasyland attractions , including rides themed for Alice in Wonderland , Snow White , Mr . Toad , and Pinocchio , were all finished at the last minute , if at all . Pinocchio Square , which was to feature
The entrance to Peter Pan ' s Flight in Disneyland . PHOTO BY BRIAN SHIH