Special Exhibit Articles Reconstructing Disneyland: Fantasyland None of Walt's new lands had a name that was nearly as enchanting as Fantasyland. What could be more appealing to children - and adults of all ages - than a place that promised the chance to make dreams and wishes come true? Part of the trick, of course, was to create attractions that would provide enough thrills and unexpected delights - without being too alarming for the younger children. It was a tricky balance but one that was brilliantly achieved. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride began its life as a mini roller coaster; but it was altered to make sure that everyone's stomachs' stayed put. Casey Jr. Circus Train originally had a grade change from 45 percent, according to Randy Bright's Book Disneyland: Inside Story, but that was changed to a 25 percent incline. Walt once described Fantasyland: "What youngster hasn't dreamed of flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London? Here in the 'happiest kingdom of them all,' you can journey with Snow White through the dark forest to the diamond mine of the seven dwarfs; flee the clutches of Mr. Smee and Captain Hook with Peter Pan; and race with Mr. Toad in his wild auto ride through the streets of old London Town. The time you spend in this carefree kingdom will be a dream come true - for everyone who is young at heart. Many of the Fantasyland attractions, like Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Adventures and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride were so called "dark rides," because, wrote Bright, "they made extensive use of black light, a particular kind of light that makes specially painted scenes glow with an eerie luminescence. Any white clothing worn by the guests also glows strangely in this light." One of Walt's imaginative ideas for Fantasyland was to allow his guests to picture themselves as the heroes of the various adventures into which they were plunged. So, for example, there was no Snow White in the Snow White Ride; nor did Peter Pan or Mr. Toad make appearances in the attractions with their names. This led some guests to become a bit confused about where these characters were hiding. The entrance to Fantasyland, of course, is the remarkable Sleeping Beauty Castle. Explains Master Imagineer Marty Sklar, "Though the castle's tallest tower is but 77 feet above the moat, a device well-known in motion picture circles, forced perspective, has been used to trick the eye into telling the mind that the castle is much taller. The walls and battlements are constructed of stones cut in graduated sizes, from large ones at the foundation to small ones at the topmost sentry posts and turrets." Designer Marvin Davis was given the primary task of designing the Castle, and discovered what a perfectionist Walt could be: "The first scheme you had, Walt would completely tear apart," he said. "Eventually you would come up with something better. He wanted to see every idea that you could possibly have before he settled on something." Ultimately, Davis would come up with 129 sketches before Walt accepted one. As was typical with most Disneyland attractions, that drawing was then handed over to the model department, which created a three-D prototype. "And then," recalled Davis, "Herb Ryman took my drawings and incorporated them into his beautiful sketch, which sold the whole thing really." One change: Ryman flipped the castle backwards, so that Davis' notion of its front appeared in the back. Davis: "I don't know whether he did it accidentally or because he wanted to. But anyhow, that's how it turned out." Two more of the centerpieces of the original Fantasyland were the Mad Tea Party (the "teacups", as many people called them) and the King Arthur Carousel. Writes Dave Smith in Disney A to Z, "Walt Disney bought an old 1875 Dentzel carousel from a Toronto amusement park, supplemented it with Murphy horses from another at Coney Island. He wanted all horses, so assorted other animals on the purchased carousels were put into storage. He also wanted all of his horses to be leaping so legs of standing horses were broken and reset in the proper configurations." Today, Fantasyland resembles its opening day look more closely than any of the other lands. In fact, all of the original attractions are still operating (though some have been rehabilitated or improved).