Fly over London in a pirate galleon to far-off Never Land on Peter Pan's Flight, located in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom theme park.
Take a seat in an aerial galleon, get doused with pixie dust by Tinker Bell and sail out of the Darling children's home and into the glittery lights of moonlit London! You'll soar over the famous sights of Big Ben, London Bridge and more. You can even see the tiny headlights of automobiles twinkling far below.
As music from Disney's classic 1953 film Peter Pan swells, you descend to wondrous Never Land Island. Soon, you'll be sweeping past the Lost Boys camp, Mermaid Lagoon and Skull Rock. Watch as Peter Pan valiantly faces off against Captain Hook aboard the captain's grand pirate ship to save Wendy and her brothers.
As you wind your way through the exterior (but covered) queue, you will watch folks loading onto their pirate galleon, suspended from the ceiling. Once aboard, Tinker Bell will sprinkle pixie dust your way and you swoop high above London in the moonlight -- right into the animated movie Peter Pan! For two minutes and 45 seconds you'll glide through the skies in the dark, cleverly illuminated by the Disney Imagineers with black lights and fiber optics.
You'll revisit scenes like Old London Town, Big Ben, Never Land, Mermaid Lagoon, and Skull Rock. As you listen to music from the movie, you'll watch the story unfold below. Of course, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee are around... as well as the ever-present ticking Crocodile, still hungry for another taste of the pirate captain!
The scenes in the ride are on a larger scale and feature Audio-Animatronic figures. Upon entering the very beginning of the nursery, a play tea party featuring two famous toys, Raggedy Ann and Andy, can be seen. The Lost Boys camp and Mermaid Lagoon are now a part of the Never Land scene. Also, Hook's 48-foot pirate ship is included, complete with deck, masts, sails and rigging. Guests see Hook and Peter engaged in hand-to-hand combat on the mainsail, while the boys are lashed to the mast and Wendy is about to walk the plank. Then, guests see Peter and the Darlings posed victoriously on the ship, poised to sail into the sky, back to London.
Touring Tips
- This is an attraction that you definitely should try to experience.
- Peter Pan is one of the most popular attractions at the Magic Kingdom. The line moves slowly, and forms quickly early in the day. Use FASTPASS if you can, so you don't have to wait too long! Otherwise try to visit this attraction first thing in the morning or during parade times when the lines may be shorter.
- Peter Pan's Flight is also open early during the Magic Kingdom's Extra Magic Hour days. This early time for resort guests, before the park opens to the general public, is a good time to ride.
- The load/unload area features Omnimover-style moving ramps, like those found at the Haunted Mansion, to allow for a smoother flow of traffic.
- Children (or adults) who have a fear of the dark may have a problem with this ride, as it is almost totally in the dark.
Facts
- Opened October 3, 1971.
- Located in Fantasyland, it is one of the few remaining attractions that was operational on Disneyland's opening day.
- 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.
- As your ship enters the nursery you might notice the building blocks stacked on the floor (a group is by Wendy's bed, another by the window as you exit). If you look closely, you'll see that these blocks spell "P Pan" and "DISNEY."
- Ariel from the 1989 Disney film The Little Mermaid makes a cameo appearance at the mermaid lagoon.
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.
Hidden Mickey
- When you enter just after the turnstiles on the left is a tree. In the tree bark a Hidden Mickey is painted dark brown as a tree "knot" about half way up.
- When the ship ascends, the shape of Mickey's head, formed by three cookies, can be seen below to the right.
- As you are flying over the Jolly Roger, there are two scenes: the one where the lost boys are tied up, and the one that shows the defeat of the pirates. In the second scene, there is a stack of cannon balls on the deck. The shadow makes a perfect Mickey symbol. Also, if you notice, the "shadow" is actually painted onto the deck so you should be able to spot it no problem.
- On the top of a mountain with 3 flowers painted on it (1 large and 2 small forming the ears).