"Must-Do" Rides in FantasyLand

[astroboy]

Hi all,

With only 2 days at the resort, I have a feeling that we won't be able to go on all the rides in both parks, so...

What would you say are the best rides in Fantasyland that shouldn't be missed? What about Mickey's ToonTown?

Peter Pan is already on my list, but not sure about Dumbo as that seems to be geared towards the little ones (there will be no kids in our group).

I look forward to hearing your suggestions!

 

[HydroGuy]

Answer depends if you have young children or not. If not, here is my list:

Fantasyland

Matterhorn
Peter Pan
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
StoryBook Land Canal Boats
Mad Tea Party (if you like to spin)
Small World (I detest this ride, but everyone should do it once)

Toontown

Without children, I just do not see anything in TT that is must-do. There are really only two actual rides. Roger Rabbit and Gadget's Go Coaster. Neither is all that good, IMO.

 

[carmel]

I agree with HydroGuy.

We spent about an hour in ToonTown simply because our youngest was asleep in the stroller and it gave our 7 yr old an opportunity to run around and burn off some energy. It was the least pleasant hour in the park.

There seems to be very little shade in TT and I was hot and bored. We got a FP for Roger Rabbit and boy was I disappointed. Even my 7 yr old thought it was lame. If Mr. Toad and Pooh had a child, it would be the RR ride. Without any of the cuteness.

The Gadget coaster is a slooooow loading ride for about 25 seconds of fun.

I'm not saying that TT is a horrible place. But if you don't have kids, you wouldn't miss anything if you skipped it. Especially if you have limited time.

 

[noryglory]

I think Mr. Toad and Peter Pan are the best Fantasyland Rides. I never think about the Matterhorn being a Fantasyland ride but of course you gotta do that too. Alice is pretty cool too, it is an indoor/outdoor ride which makes it unique. I would skip Dumbo and the Tea Party (lines can be verrrrry long as they run a smaller group of people every couple of minutes) and Casey Jr. It's been a few years so I can't even really remember Pinocchio or Snow White, but I do remember one of them is REALLY a short ride so if the line is long it is totally not worth it. (Can anyone else chime in about which one is so short?) The rest I'd give or take depending on availability.

I agree with Hydroguy about IASW--wait in this line and take this ride when you need a break. It's really long and sort of boring, but you do need to see it at least once and it's a nice break from a long day.

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

If I didn't have kids with me, my top five Fantasyland rides would be:

1. Peter Pan
2. Matterhorn
3. Snow White
4. Pinocchio
5. IASW (you can't go to DL without riding IASW!)

I agree with previous posters, TT doesn't have much to offer a group without kids!

 

[ralfrick]

I disagree most strongly that Roger Rabbit is not a good attraction. It has FP, the FP machine is not connected to any of the other FP machines, and you can use the FP anytime after the start of the return window. Get a RR FP whenever you're in the area, it won't matter if you already have one for another attraction, then use it at your leisure later in the day.

Storybookland is much better at night.

Cheers.

 

[Glynis]

Here are my top picks for Fantasyland:

1. Peter Pan
2. Alice in Wonderland
3. Matterhorn
4. IASW
5. Snow White's Scary Adventure
6. Storybookland Canal Boats - but do this one at night, so wonderful
7. Dumbo
8. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
9. Casey Jr. Circus Train
10. Pinocchio
11. Teacups


For what it's worth, I just went with a group of 20 aged 73 down to 18 months. We were able to get all of FL done in one morning. Every ride was available with no lines. All members of our party had a great time, even on Dumbo. My 72 year old mother went on it for the first time in her life, and pronounced it her favorite.

 

[Glynis]

Don't Do It! I really don't like Toontown at all. It's geared more to the younger set, but there's really not a whole lot to do. We were lucky in that while we were there it was not crowded, so our kids could wait in line to meet Mickey and Minnie without being in line for hours. That was the only plus I could find. No offense to those who love the place, it's just not for me!

 

[keahgirl8]

I would say that unless you want to see Mickey and Minnie (if that's important to you), all you need to see in ToonTown is Roger Rabbit. I personally love that ride. It's a must-ride whenever I go to Disneyland. I agree about all the rides in Fantasyland people have recommended. I haven't ridden Dumbo in years! Maybe I'll do that when I go this time. I don't know about the Matterhorn, but that's another post...lol

 

[Simba's Mom]

Storybook Canal boats at night-writing that down for my next trip.
My fave in Fantasyland (I didn't really think of the Matterhorn as being in Fantasyland, but that's a great one) are the Storybook Canal boats, and I've only done thm in the daytime-so far!

 

[Judy from Boise]

I admit I have never liked Roger rabbit, we usually skip it.
Alice is a must do, mister toad is so funny.....who would think that at a DL ride you get barmaids with clevage and go to h*ll ! I love tea cups, Peter pan, and pinocchio is always a nice walk on !

 

[HydroGuy]

Storybook Canal boats at night-writing that down for my next trip.
My fave in Fantasyland (I didn't really think of the Matterhorn as being in Fantasyland, but that's a great one) are the Storybook Canal boats, and I've only done thm in the daytime-so far!

We like StoryBook Land best at twilight, FWIW.

 

[jencav5]

I think there's no better Fantasyland atmosphere than taking a spin on Sleeping Beauty's Carousel! You can take in the sights of Fantasyland as you go around! Dumbo is also fun for the view - and such a Disney classic! I agree, that if you hit this land early, you may find yourself just going from ride to ride and doing a lot of them-best or not! Have fun!

 

[Brina78]

We like StoryBook Land best at twilight, FWIW.

We rode it just as it was getting dark, but not quite. The overhead bush arches with the lights are so gorgeous! And for Fantasyland, try to get to Peter Pan before any of the others. There's always a long line for that and boarding takes a little time per pirate ship. I'd skip Dumbo if I were you and focus more on Mr. Toad's, Snow White, Pinocchio and Alice. The thing about Roger Rabbit is it's a combination of a dark ride and the Mad Tea Party. If you really liked the movie, you'll enjoy the ride. It's longer than the other dark rides. Other than that, there's not much to do in Toon Town. Best not to linger around. Oh, and yes, do Small World at least once. It's good to ride on hot days, or if you want to go to sleep! A co-worker of mine said he'd only ride it if he were in a straight jacket!

 

[LucyKate]

The best ride in Fantasyland is Peter Pan - it has that real "wow" factor even for adults.

Mad Hatters (spinning tea cups) is fun, and matterhorn bobsleds are definitely worth a go. And I was actually quite surprised by Small World - expected to hate it and found it quite well done.

After that, most of them are fairly similar "dark" rides where you sit on a carriage and follow a track through scenes from the books or movies.

Toad is probably the best of these, followed by Alice then Pinocchio and Snow White - but all are well done and usually don't have long queues (apart from Peter Pan, and to a lesser extent Toad).

Sorry - I found the canal boats very boring. They were a big disappointment. Dumbo and the carousel are good to look at, but not worth queueing to ride unles you have small children.

And I agree with everyone about ToonTown - skip this unless you have small kids. The Gadget coaster lasts 47 seconds, and excluding the time it takes to head up the hill, the actual "thrill" part of the ride is 15 seconds. My 6YO loved it, but for adults it's a waste of time. Roger Rabbit is ok, but not worth the trek to ToonTown and a long queue.

 

[atakaratemom]

Wow such Small World animosity. Some of you sound like my DH and DS. They also fail to see the charm of IASW. Personally I love it and could never imagine going to DL without riding it. It makes me feel like a little girl again. Fortunately my DD loves it too so I have someone to ride with me. I guess the song is annoying to some, but I just find it so innocent and appealing especially with the way the world is today. For 15 minutes it is nice to float along and envision the world as such a happy, beautiful and harmonious place.

Mary

 

[tinkerbell13]

When are you going? I think this makes a big difference, you could do a lot of the rides in a short period of time, depending on when you are there.
If you want a really nice picture of you/your group with Mickey and no one else in the pic, definitely go to TT and visit him in the movie barn. I'd ride RR too, it really is a unique ride. I wouldn't ride Dumbo or Casey Jr with no kids, but I love all of the others. Pinocchio and Snow white are so short on lines there is no reason not to do them.

 

[HydroGuy]

Sorry - I found the canal boats very boring. They were a big disappointment. Dumbo and the carousel are good to look at, but not worth queueing to ride unles you have small children.

I admit the magic of this ride is tied to the ride thru Monstro (the whale) when I was a young boy. It might not be the same if your first time is as an adult.