Peter Pan's Flight is an enchanting aerial journey inspired by the classic Disney movie Peter Pan. Soar over Never Land in a flying pirate galleon and watch the daring adventures of Peter as he confronts his dreaded arch-nemesis, Captain Hook.
Your journey to Never Land begins in the Darling children's nursery, where Peter is discovered by Wendy, Michael and John. With the help of some of Tinker Bell's pixie dust, you're lifted off the ground, out the window and into the moonlit sky. As you climb higher and higher into the thin air above London, the rooftops, streets and shimmering Thames river grow smaller and smaller below you. As distant stars twinkle above, you glide over majestic Big Ben and the lights of London recede into the night. You arrive over Never Land island surrounded by a dancing sea of stars. Slowly making your way down, you see lush tropical forests, iridescent waterfalls, simmering volcanoes and the foreboding Skull Rock. It's a high-flying adventure you'll never forget!
Ride Experience
Departing from the station, but before entering the actual ride building, guests fly over the rooftops of London. The new version of the ride includes Audio-Animatronic versions of the characters, like at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. As part of the new remodel, scenes from the Florida ride were added to Disneyland, including the pirate ship deck where Peter and Hook duel on the tip of the ship's bowsprit (at the Magic Kingdom Peter and Hook duel on the ship's mainsail). Few scenes are identical between the two versions, but they are very similar nonetheless.
The new Disneyland ride opened as part of New Fantasyland on May 25, 1983. After winding through the queue, guests board a three-passenger miniature galleon, which is suspended from a track on the ceiling above to enhance the sensation of flying through the air. The ship leaves the load area and winds through the Darlings' nursery, passing Nana the Nursemaid next to some toy blocks which spell "D1SN3Y" when read backwards. Wendy, Michael and John Darling are on the bed and Peter Pan's shadow is on the wall.
Guests hear Peter Pan saying, "Come on, everybody! Here we go!" At this point, the ship flies out the nursery window and over moonlit London. Lights twinkle all around. Below guests are miniature versions of some of London's famous landmarks, including St. Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben, the Tower Bridge and the River Thames.
Then, going past "the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning," the flying ships reach Neverland, where guests pass some of its landmarks, including the Indian village, a glowing volcano, Mermaid Lagoon and Skull Rock. It is here that guests encounter some of Neverland's most famous residents, including Princess Tiger Lily, Mr. Smee, Tick-Tock the Crocodile and Peter's arch rival, Captain Hook, in addition to Peter and the Darlings.
Touring Tips
- Peter Pan's Flight is located next to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Most of the queue is under cover, but if the line is long, as it often is, the queue begins outside the building and is not shaded at all.
- Peter Pan's Flight is one of the most popular attractions in Fantasyland, and the line gets very long. It is not a Fastpass attraction so it's best to ride it early in the day.
- Each pirate ship will seat a family of four (two adults and two children), or up to 3 adults on the single seat. A lap bar provides additional security as the ship gently glides along the track.
- Peter Pan's flight is unusual in that the ride vehicles are suspended from a track above, which really does give the sensation of flying through the scenes that are below.
- There's nothing especially scary or threatening about Peter Pan's Flight, but it is in the dark, though the scenes themselves are brightly lit.
- Some of the characters from Peter Pan make appearances at the character greeting area located on the raised terrace area along Small World Way. In addition, Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Wendy, and Smee occasionally accompany guests on the Sailing Ship Columbia, located in Frontierland. During Fantasmic! the fight scene aboard the pirate ship is re-created aboard the Columbia, and Peter Pan swings from the masts and duels with Captain Hook.
Facts
- Located in Fantasyland, it is one of the few remaining attractions that was operational on Disneyland's opening day in 1955.
- Peter Pan's Flight features unique 3-person pirate galleon vehicles that are suspended on a track from above. This inventive arrangement is one of the many reasons that the attraction has been one of the most popular rides at Disneyland Park for over a half century.
- The ride's story, music, staging and artwork are based on Walt Disney's Peter Pan, the animated film version of the classic Peter Pan story by J. M. Barrie.
- Ariel from the 1989 Disney film The Little Mermaid makes a cameo appearance at the mermaid lagoon.
- The alphabet blocks on the floor in the nursery spell out "Peter Pan" and "Disney."
- In honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary a golden pirate ship has been placed in the ride. A second version of the golden ship is located outside, and is much more accessible for use in photographs.
History
The original intent of the attraction was for guests to fly through the ride as if they were Peter Pan. Audiences did not quite grasp this concept and were left wondering why Peter Pan was not in the Peter Pan attraction. The Walt Disney World version of the ride, which opened in 1971, expanded on the original Disneyland attraction. While the overall theme and format of the ride was consistent with the original in California, the Magic Kingdom ride, as with the other dark rides, would feature its characters in Audio-Animatronic style.
In 1983, Disneyland's Fantasyland was in a phase of major overhaul. Some of Fantasyland's rides were relocated to make way for expanded versions of existing dark rides, as well as the addition of a new one. The posh redo of Fantasyland now resembled a rustic European village in the Alps, rather than a medieval fair. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Snow White's Scary Adventures moved their respective loading areas and partial murals indoors. Peter Pan's Flight continued to feature a colorful mural which depicted the characters from the film. During this renovation, the original Pirate Ship Restaurant and Skull Rock were removed and closed permanently. The riggings, lanterns, and other props from the restaurant were added to Peter Pan's Flight. An Audio-Animatronic Peter Pan was added to the ride.
The original ride featured the ride vehicles flying through scenes of the nursery, over London, onward to Neverland, and finally through Skull Rock, where riders saw Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Princess Tiger Lily and the Crocodile before unloading. The exterior of the attraction had a medieval design and the queue was outside.
Hidden Mickeys
- A hidden Mickey is located at the beginning of the ride. When the ship ascends, the shape of Mickey's head, formed by three cookies, can be seen below to the right.
- While flying over London, scan the clock tower for a Hidden Mickey. Mickey's silhouette is visible in a window above the clock's face.
- There are several toys in the second floor window of the Peter Pan's Flight facade. Found just above the attraction entrance, there is a teddy bear sitting in a chair. Look closely at the bear's paws to find the Hidden Mickeys.?