Disney Park Comparison: August 2024

1. DISNEYLAND

FANTASYLAND - OPENED: JULY 17, 1955

On opening day, Fantasyland was designed as a medieval castle courtyard, the rather simple attraction façades, decorated with ribbons and flags, looked like tournament tents to represent a festival. The original idea of a quaint storybook village in the style of the early Disney movies like Pinocchio was scrapped to limit the costs. This concept was implemented eventually in 1983 when Fantasyland received a major makeover, replacing the plain tents with elaborate façades. Today, the cozy and colorful land features no less than 18 attractions.

Right behind the castle sits the heart of Fantasyland, styled from 1983 onwards as a romanticized medieval European village. Representing the architecture of villages as found in the Alsace region in France, in the English Countryside, and most notably in the Bavaria region in Germany (The style is often simply referred to as Bavarian). You enter this triangular-shaped area through the small but well themed castle, mainly based on the Neuschwanstein castle of the same German region. It features many influences from other buildings though (see separate castle comparison).

To the left stands a grand clock tower, reminiscent of the Freiburg clock tower in Germany. The adjacent façade of Snow White’s Enchanted Wish is styled as a German fortress like the Reichsburg in Cochem. Right next to it sits Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. The façades of this attraction and of the adjacent Red Rose Tavern are mainly inspired by Rothenburg, a rather famous village in Bavaria, with its typical half-timbered houses, whimsical turrets, and cozy streets. Similar streets are found in Eguisheim, France, where you also find the old Catharinenhof featuring comparable architecture. The entrance of the Pinocchio dark ride is styled like Stromboli’s house as seen in the movie. It was drawn by animator Gustaf Tenggren and, like the whole village in the movie, was also inspired by Rothenburg. Originally the Mickey Mouse Club Theater used to be here, it closed in favor of the Pinocchio ride, the only novelty of the 1983 makeover.

The first building on the opposite side (the right side behind the castle), is a shop themed to Merlin. It features the same typical half-timbered façade and a turret copied from the Feuerleinserker in Rothenburg. Next, you find Peter Pan’s Flight with an intricate façade combing the German and English village styles. The clock tower is supposedly based on London’s Big Ben but resembles Bavarian clock towers like the one in Bern much more. Next to Peter Pan sits Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in English Tudor Style similar to the Toad Hall pictured in the movie, based on the Foxwarren Country House in Surrey. In the middle of the village stands the colorful King Arthur Carrousel fittingly.

Thematically, the back of this triangle still looks like a fairground. Here are the Casey Jr. Circus Train ride and the classic Dumbo, the Flying Elephant ride. The waiting area of the latter has colorful tents, reminiscent of the original 1955 façades, but updated. This actually works quite well with the overall Dumbo/ circus theme. This is also the area of Storybook Land Canal Boats, right behind it. Further to the right follows an Alice in Wonderland zone, featuring abstract colorful leave-shaped forms. This more modern section is somewhat hidden from the previous part by meticulously planted trees. The only visible façade (the one next to the Mr. Toad ride) is reminiscent of the White Rabbit’s House as in the movie and is also in English Tudor style, but with a fantasy twist. The style is more cartoonish, with not quite straight walls, and a whimsical straw roof. It is an ingenious transition between the village and Alice’s ‘Wonderland’. Here is the classic Mad Tea Party, in a unique open-air version, adding a special quality to it. Furthermore, this area features the only version of the Alice in Wonderland dark ride too.

The massive Matterhorn Bobsleds opened in 1959 alongside the Monorail and the Submarine Voyage as part of Tomorrowland. Although the attraction was a first of a kind innovative masterpiece, the theming did not fit the futuristic land. In 1972 the mountain was made part of Fantasyland, while the other attractions remained in Tomorrowland. The entrance building, themed as a small Alpine town hall, including its wooden roof shingles and bell tower, is quite like the rest of the village architecture. The mountain works well as backdrop for the village but is separated from it by the somewhat contrasting area of Alice in Wonderland.

To the back of the land, adjacent the Matterhorn, and separated from the rest of the land, are 2 more attractions: Fantasyland Theatre and It’s a Small World. The huge façade of the latter, based on Mary Blair’s drawings, features abstract graphic forms that were popular in the 1960s representing famous landmarks from around the world. These attractions sit well here for 2 reasons: both are big attractions, and the architecture is too modern to be part of the small European village. It’s a Small World is one of the attractions that premiered at the New York World’s Fair and received a fix place in Walt’s park afterwards.

More recently, the rather small Fantasy Faire area was added in 2013, in whimsical medieval design. Since there was no available space within the triangle of the village, this addition was constructed outside the Fantasyland boundaries, next to the castle, on the left side of the hub. Although this is a nice little add-on, it is a good example of the unfortunate fact that Disneyland has become too small.

The attraction line-up and the overall theming makes this original Fantasyland one of the finest.

2. MAGIC KINGDOM

FANTASYLAND - OPENED: OCTOBER 1, 1971

The second installment of Fantasyland is found in the Magic Kingdom, it opened as a part of the entire Walt Disney World in 1971. Like the overall Magic Kingdom design, there is more open space and wider walking paths to be found here. Between 2012 and 2014, this land got a major expansion, dividing it in 3 sub area’s: the original Castle Courtyard and the additional Fantasyland Forest and Storybook Circus, each featuring a different theme. This is one of the biggest Fantasylands with a total of 18 attractions.

Most of the opening day attractions were duplicates from Disneyland including the Snow White, Peter Pan, and Mr. Toad dark rides. Mickey Mouse Revue, an audio-animatronic show, was the only new ride, today replaced by the 4D movie Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Originally, the Imagineers worked on a completely new set of rides, based on Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, The Sword in the Stone, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. To avoid taking too many risks, Walt’s brother Roy Disney advised to clone popular Disneyland rides instead of creating new ones. Another novelty would have been a boat ride created by Marc Davis named The Enchanted Snow Palace, based on The Snow Queen long before the film Frozen was made. It was simultaneously envisioned for Disneyland, but neither version opened.

Today, the Castle Courtyard blends the medieval festival and fairytale village themes. The attraction façades of Peter Pan’s Flight, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Princess Fairytale Hall and even It’s a Small World, all look similar, like colorful tents on a fairground. The Pinocchio Village Haus Restaurant on the other hand has a Bavarian theme, likely inspired by villages like Miltenberg in Germany and Kaysersberg in France. The tower next to the restaurant looks like the clock tower in Ostheim, Germany. Next to the entrance to Peter Pan’s Flight, stands a tower copied from the Kobolzeller gate tower in Rothenburg. The adjacent façades feature many elements of houses found in Rothenburg and Tübingen. Here, the architecture is more realistic than in Disneyland’s counterpart and the buildings are larger too, hence lacking the cozy storybook feeling. The majestic castle, inspired by real French castles from the Loire valley combined with gothic elements, fits well in this overall bigger park.

One of the key attractions of Fantasyland was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which unfortunately closed in 1994. It was basically a copy of a similar Disneyland attraction that opened in 1959 in Tomorrowland. The Florida version focused more on the fantasy elements of the movie and so it did not feel out of place here in this land.

Fantasyland Forest, one of the more recent areas, is extremely well themed and detailed and features a variety of new and unique experiences. Here, you are invited into the fairytale worlds of Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Snow White. Featuring the houses and architecture as seen in the movies, including Belle’s town with Belle’s house and Gaston’s Tavern, the Beast’s castle, Prince Eric’s castle, and the Dwarfs’ cottage. This area alone is probably the most immersive of all Fantasyland experiences, thus in a way contrasting the previous area. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Mad Tea Party are comprised in this new area and feel a bit out of place here. Especially Mad Tea Party is a bit separated in theme and style and sits close to Tomorrowland. It lacks the immersive feeling of this area.

The third area has a circus theme and is separated from the rest of Fantasyland. This is rather a good thing given the thematic differences. (It used to be a separate land before the expansion: Mickey’s Toontown Fair). The major experience here is an upgraded version of Dumbo, doubling its capacity and adding a virtual queue to it inside a huge circus tent. This eliminates its simplistic charm a bit but fits the theme better than before. (Dumbo feels odd in a Medieval European village if you think about it). The rest of the land is consistent in the circus theme but adds nothing special.

Overall, Magic Kingdom’s version of Fantasyland is exquisite. Although Castle Courtyard is less charming than Disneyland’s, this is largely countered by the unique setting of the rich and beautifully detailed Fantasyland Forest.

3. TOKYO DISNEYLAND

FANTASYLAND - OPENED: APRIL 15, 1983

Tokyo Disneyland’s version of Fantasyland was nothing special compared to the others in the early years. In fact, most of the attractions where uninspired copies. Even the castle is an exact copy of Magic Kingdom’s castle, although a little smaller. Over the years they changed their strategy and the latest addition of the Beauty and the Beast area for example show their ability to reinvent and come up with unique and sparkling attractions. Prior to this addition, many propositions to adapt and update the existing attractions of this land were proposed, but none were executed. To date there are 14 attractions in this land which is divided in 2 sub areas. The original and main area is the Castle Courtyard and the second is a Beauty and the Beast themed area, which opened in 2020.

The Castle Courtyard part, with its medieval tournament theming, opened the same year the Bavarian overlay happened at Disneyland. The contrast could not be more striking as the area here looks old and uninspired. Especially the rather flat tent-like façades of Snow White’s Adventures, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Mickey’s PhilharMagic all look similar and lack depth and detail. The façade of Pinocchio’s Daring Journey is Bavarian and more interesting, as are the shops in this area. Although the style is based on the Rothenburg architecture, similar to Magic Kingdom’s version, it is less detailed and less cozy here. Also, the overall open spaces diminish the feeling of an immersive fantasy world. The back of the land is dominated by the huge façade of It’s a Small World. Quite similar in design to Disneyland’s, but much more colorful, featuring a wide range of vivid pastels where Disneyland’s original has a white façade with blue and gold accents.

In 1986 Fantasyland got 2 additional attractions, the classic Alice’s Tea Party and Mystery Tour, a walk-trough attraction focusing on the villains from many Disney films, taking place inside the castle. This was one of the few original attractions of Tokyo and considered one of Disney’s scariest. In 2011 it was replaced by a gentler Cinderella walk-trough called Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall. Later additions include Pooh's Hunny Hunt and Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall, bringing nice additions in color and style. They both have a unique identity - not quite fitting the medieval setting - thus make the whole a bit thematically inconsistent.

The Haunted Mansion is also part of Fantasyland. It was placed here for cultural reasons. And although it is perfectly possible to have ghosts in a Fantasy land, it is a carbon copy of Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square Mansion, making it bit a bit out of place here behind Dumbo.

The good news is that the incredible theming of the newest Beauty and the Beast area is simply delightful. The design of the Beast Castle as entrance to the ride is rich and overwhelming, and much more intricate and detailed than Magic Kingdom’s version. The ride itself is beautiful and brings something unique to Tokyo. The rest of this area is an expanded version of Belle’s town in Magic Kingdom. It features the rich fairytale village style as seen in the movie, reminiscent of the medieval French towns of Conques and Riquewihr. This immersive mini land is quite separated from the rest of Fantasyland and is definitely a welcome new addition to Tokyo Disneyland.

The minor downside of each addition to Fantasyland is that it makes the original Castle Courtyard look outdated. This phenomenon is much more striking here than in Magic Kingdom.

4. DISNEYLAND PARIS

FANTASYLAND - OPENED: APRIL 12, 1992

Since many of the fairy tales come from Europe, the Imagineers designed a land that was very Disney, but also reflecting the European origins of the fairytales. It resulted in a lavish romanticized Medieval village blended with pure fantasy elements. It has 17 attractions including Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant: the fairy tale looking castle, very different from the previous ones that were all based on real European castles. The fantasy element of the castle is enhanced by the presence of a giant dragon animatronic sleeping in the dungeon underneath. The land itself is designed as a landscaping puzzle. Keeping the space needed for the crowds, but visually altering it by different flowerbeds, topiaries, and waterways. Therefore, attractions like Dumbo, the Flying Elephant and the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups blend smoothly with their surroundings.

The overall idea was to reflect many European countries in the lay-out. The Castle Courtyard is the French part with Sleeping Beauty castle right behind you, the restaurant L’Auberge de Cendrillon (meaning: The Cinderella Inn) to the right and Le Carrousel de Lancelot in front of you. The restaurant has a tranquil courtyard and is themed after the manor featured in the film blending the lavish French Baroque and Renaissance styles, similar to the famous Château Milandes. It adds a new and exclusive French countryside corner to Fantasyland. The entrance façade in the same style includes the Cinderella Fountain like the one behind the castle in Magic Kingdom. Adjacent the restaurant are some shops themed to different fairy tales. The exuberant façades feature colorful turrets, a giant beanstalk, and half a carousel with meticulous stained-glass windows.

To the left is the German section, with Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains and Les Voyages de Pinocchio in Bavarian style like Disneyland’s versions. Actually, this whole block is a close copy of the same block in Disneyland. Only here, many colors and details are added, like the Burgundian roof added to the clock tower. The 7 Dwarfs shop is also added and is styled like the Dwarfs’ Cottage as seen in the movie.

Further into the land sits the English area, with Peter Pan’s Flight, Toad Hall Restaurant, and an Alice in Wonderland section. The latter featuring Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, an English hedge maze based on the famous Hampton Court Maze combined with fantasy elements in the style of Disneyland’s similar section. Here, the colors are brighter, and the area is bigger, including the labyrinth with the Queen of Hearts’ Castle as its centerpiece. Disneyland’s Mr. Toad's Wild Ride façade is duplicated as the entrance to a restaurant here, the ride itself is not copied. The building that houses Peter Pan’s Flight is an expanded version of Disneyland’s adding an entrance gate and side section. This ride is situated deliberately adjacent Adventureland making a smooth transition towards the Pirates attraction and Captain Hook’s Galleon featured in the same film. Note that in this section all the signs of attractions, restaurants etc. are written in English (where French is used in the previous parts of Fantasyland).

A fourth area, exclusively found in Paris, does not feature any attractions but only one large restaurant: Pizzeria Bella Notte, is found on the right-hand side of the land. It is themed after the films Lady and the Tramp and Luca and reflects the classic Italian architecture of Venice, Siena, Pisa, and Pistoia. Italian is used for the signs here.

To the back of the land, Belgium and The Netherlands are represented as the calm corner in the otherwise lavish land. Here you find The Old Mill Restaurant, similar to the wooden mill depicted in Disney’s 1937 short by the same name, styled like a typical octagonal windmill as found in both countries. Behind the mill sits a canal boat ride called: Le Pays des Contes de Fées (meaning: The Land of Fairy Tales). This is quite similar to Disneyland’s Storybook Land Canal Boats, which was in turn inspired by Madurodam, a miniature world in The Netherlands that opened in 1952, 3 years prior to Disneyland. The imposing It’s a Small World, with a color scheme reminiscent of Tokyo’s, sits on the right side of this section bringing an American classic to Europe. Other American stories are added too: Casey Jr. - Le Petit Train du Cirque blends well with the canal boats and Dumbo, the Flying Elephant fits well next to the Alice in Wonderland area. Every lavish fantasy element is always altered by a soft flower bed or a small canal, making the whole - with all its different styles - the most cohesive Fantasyland around.

They even kept space available for future expansion within the borders of the land. The French area was to get an expansion with a Beauty and the Beast attraction and the site opposite the Italian section was kept for a Little Mermaid attraction. Originally written by the Danish H.C. Andersen, it would have added a Scandinavian touch to the European theme. Although the design and beauty of this land make it wonderful, it is a bit outdated today for it has been 30 years since an attraction (not counting the meet and greet installments) was added.

5. HONG KONG DISNEYLAND

FANTASYLAND - OPENED: SEPTEMBER 12, 2005

Hong Kong Disneyland’s Fantasyland opened in 2005 as a rather small land, lacking many classic attractions. Over the years, rides were added and today it features 14 attractions. Recently the castle received a complete makeover.

Its theme is mostly Medieval fairground, but it also features a bit of the storybook village style, most notably with the grand Bavarian façade of Mickey’s PhilharMagic. You will not find the Peter Pan, Snow White, or Pinocchio rides here for they wanted only attractions based on tales that were well known and loved in Hong Kong. That is why The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is the only dark ride here. Reminiscent of the Parisian versions, Cinderella Carousel, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, and Dumbo, the Flying Elephant are present too. Hong Kong’s exclusive Clopin's Festival of Foods is a restaurant based on The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, fitting the Medieval festival theme perfectly.

The back of the land has the Storybook Theater, inspired by musical pavilions found in European pleasure gardens like Tivoli Gardens. A bit similar in design is the meet-and-greet location Fantasy Gardens, designed as a more modern European garden, but with cartoonish gazebos. In 2008 It’s a Small World was added, with its colorful 1960’s Mary Blair façade, and in 2015 Fairy Tale Forest opened, a rather small but beautifully landscaped walk-trough version of Storybook Land Canal Boats.

Upon opening, Hong Kong featured an almost exact copy of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. But in 2020 it got a complete makeover. The brand-new Castle of Magical Dreams is now dedicated to 14 Disney Princesses instead of just one. It is very detailed and imposing as it is the tallest of all Disney castles. Architecturally, it is an eclectic combination of styles, and together with its pastel color palette, it comes across as a bit of a mishmash. It feels out of place in this rather small Medieval village. Off course anything is possible in a made-up fantasy world, but since this castle is not based on a fairy tale, it is more difficult to relate to.

The original plan features a more unique take on Fantasyland, dividing it in many different area’s: Pinocchio’s Village, Belle’s Village, London, Agrabah, and even a Villain area. The castle would be in the back of the land, designed in the colorful cardboard style of the It’s a Small World Façade. As is often the case, these unique ideas were scrapped and replaced by safer choices.

Although it is a nice coherent land, it does not feature as many attractions as the other Fantasylands. But the fantasy theme will get an expansion in the near future: the zone right behind Fantasyland is now under construction as a new Frozen themed land.

6. SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND

FANTASYLAND - OPENED: JUNE 16, 2016

As the rest of Shanghai Disneyland, this version of Fantasyland stands out as different. 2 Iconic Fantasyland rides are located in front of the castle in a new and unique land: Gardens of Imagination. This land too is included in this comparison. Fantasyland has 12 attractions, while Gardens of Imagination holds 5 attractions. The Enchanted Storybook Castle is the biggest castle of any Disney park. It is not based on French or German castles (like Disneyland’s or Magic Kingdom’s) and less fairytale like (like the Paris version). Instead, it is influenced by all previous castles adding many architectural styles (see separate castle comparison). Just like Hong Kong’s castle this one is based on all the Disney princesses, which is still thematically weird, but not visually disturbing because the exterior is more harmonious architecturally, and the building fits well in the overall grander park.

Entering Fantasyland through the castle, in all previous parks, you would find yourself in the typical cozy castle courtyard, with a carousel in the middle. This is not the case in Shanghai. Here you find a broad walkway stretching from left to right overlooking a boat ride taking up a lot of space. If you are used to the previous Fantasylands, you might need some time to adjust to this new approach. Since there are not a lot of attractions and every attraction/ section is somewhat separated from the next, the whole feels a bit empty sometimes.

The style of the land is mostly Bavarian, not small village-like, but a bit bigger and more unique. It features a completely new version of the Alice in Wonderland Maze, this time based on Tim Burton’s live-action movie instead of the animated film. Since many fans will argue that the wonderful world of Burton deserved an attraction since long, this is a good start. It sits on the right-hand side of the castle, which makes sense (having a garden/ maze next to a castle). The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, copied from the Magic Kingdom, is a nice addition here. On the left-hand side is a broad Bavarian street, featuring mostly shops and restaurants and also Peter Pan’s Flight, one of the few traditional Fantasyland rides duplicated here in Shanghai, but with a new Bavarian façade though.

The unique boat ride Voyage to the Crystal Grotto is a modern version of Storybook Land Canal Boats. It does not feature miniatures, but bigger scenes with life-sized characters and a grand finale inside the castle. Another unique attraction is Once Upon a Time Adventure. It also takes place inside the castle and tells the story of Snow White, using up-to-date optical techniques. To the back of the land, Tangled is represented with the Tangled Tree Tavern restaurant, based on the whimsical tavern from the film.

Finally, the typical teacups are replaced here by spinning honey pots in the Winnie the Pooh based Hunny Pot Spin. This attraction sits fittingly next to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. A shop in the same theme, with a storybook English cottage façade makes this nice little Winnie the Pooh area complete.

Shanghai’s Fantasyland is the most unique version, featuring more modern techniques and lacking most of the older ‘traditional’ rides.

GARDENS OF IMAGINATION - OPENED: JUNE 16, 2016

Gardens of Imagination is the second ‘fantasy’ land in Shanghai. It takes the place of the hub in the other parks. The idea to put Dumbo, the Flying Elephant, and the Fantasia Carousel in a calm environment in front of the castle rather than behind it is new and interesting. The carousel is the only one themed to Disney’s 1940 film Fantasia, featuring bright colored horses.

There is a lot of green in here and, together with the water features, it has an overall beautiful design. The Garden of the Twelve Friends and the Wandering Moon Restaurant create an attractive addition of local Chinese experiences. Marvel Universe is out of theme here, but since the show building is on the outside border of the Gardens and the fact that little of it is visible on the outside, it is not that big of a problem.

This is a new and unique land, that blends quite well with Mickey Avenue, just in front of it. It is beautifully designed, with a lot of detail, color, and care. Quite contrarily to all previous parks, this land, themed as a peaceful park, creates a tranquil central area in an otherwise busy theme park. A perfect example of what makes Shanghai so unique and different from the other parks.

(click image to enlarge)

FINAL THOUGHTS

In design, Hong Kong features a beautiful and charming land, but it is the smallest and least original version. Shanghai’s Fantasyland is the most recent version, featuring more modern techniques and lacking most of the older ‘traditional’ rides. Together with the small but beautifully shaped Gardens of Imagination, it is the most unique version.

Paris and Anaheim have a similar design. The difference is that Anaheim has more rides including Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Matterhorn Bobsleds. Paris on the other hand is bigger, has a better overall lay-out, and is more detailed. What tips the balance in favor of Paris is its storybook castle.

The Castles and Castle Courtyards of Tokyo and Florida are similar too. Both parks also received a large expansion quite recently. Tokyo added the stunning Beauty and the Beast section and Florida the entire Fantasyland Forest and Storybook Circus areas. Tokyo’s Beauty and the Beast section (the Beast’s Castle!) is largely preferable to Florida’s, but the latter’s overall Fantasyland Forest is quite astounding and has so much more to offer.

BEST FANTASYLAND: Magic Kingdom

Disney Park Comparison

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Comparing every Fantasyland