Oddly, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride has the Disney version of Hell
Written: Jan 21 '05 (Updated Apr 23 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Not scary for most kids
Cons: Many children unfamiliar with characters, cheap effects compared to other rides, devils.
The Bottom Line: A basic Fantasyland ride that preschoolers might enjoy. Timid kids might be scared of the hell scene.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - Disneyland |
We went on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride because it is in Fantasyland and my kids generally insist on going on all of the Fantasyland rides. This one isn't particularly of interest to them but it is fun to do once.
THE WAIT
The wait here is like all crowded Fantasyland rides. You are funneled into a narrow queue that is separated by chains and not railings. You are also forced into single file by the narrow channels. As a result, it is hard to talk among a large group. It is also very claustrophobic as you are right up against other guests. Kids swing on the chains crashing into others. All in all, it is a difficult wait.
The thing that is slightly different about this ride is that the wait occurs in a "courtyard" in the area next to the ride rather than out overlooking Fantasyland. While you are waiting in this courtyard, look up at the "thatch" roof in the building next door. The "thatch" looks like it is made out of electrical wire.
Eventually, the line winds up inside the Tudor-style building that houses the ride. I believe this is supposed to be Toad Hall. Here you can see the cars loading and unloading. There is a little more theming in this area than in other Fantasyland rides. There is a well-worn statue of Toad and you can see the library-like room where the ride starts. This room has some cool details including carvings of Toad's head and some stained glass windows. This little bit of extra theming helps during long waits because you at least have something else to look at.
The wait for this ride was about the same as Snow White. It was much shorter than Peter Pan. On days with few visitors, we have only waited ten minutes for this ride, but on crowded days, the wait can be up to an hour.
BOARDING
The ride takes place in a vehicle that looks like an old-fashioned car. We fit one adult, an eight year old and a five year old inside the car but it was squishy. The ride dictator insisted my five year old sit in the middle.
There is a mock steering wheel that doesn't really drive the car but the preschool set will love to pretend.
THE RIDE
I learned on the internet that the characters in this ride are from a 1949 Disney adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind In The Willows, first published in 1908. Apparently, Mr. Toad had an insatiable thirst for motor cars which is the basis for this ride.
The ride itself lasts about two minutes which is about as long as other, similar Fantasyland rides. I suppose the story of the ride is that Toad is driving out of control. The car veers through some scenes from what I guess were originally in the movie, but I am like most people nowadays that haven't seen the movie. There is a court scene where a judge finds you guilty. Then you are almost hit by a train, or I suppose you are actually hit, because the next scene is hell with some not so scary devils. This hell scene also feels hot and humid. Then, pretty quickly, the ride is over.
The ride vehicle does not go terribly fast but you get the sensation of speed since most of the scenes are short and it feels like you fly past them. You don't get time to look at many of them or appreciate the details. The car also makes several tight turns to give an "out of control" feeling. There is also a part where the car bumps a little bit. The scenes themselves are mostly painted wood cutouts or paintings although the scene where you are getting "hit" by the train (there is no actual collision) has a light coming at you that would be realistic for kids. The scene that stayed with me the most was the hell scene, maybe because it was multi-scensory with the heat. Also, it seemed so out of place to have a hell in Disneyland. This scene was detailed with some drippy wax, devils and pitchforks.
AGE APPROPRIATENESS
I didn't think this ride was scary. My eight year old was unimpressed by the whole experience. My five year old was not frightened, probably because they scenes flew by so fast he didn't have time to take it in. He also was not impressed. We like so many other rides better than this, it wasn't worth a redo, even with a short line.
REFLECTIONS
I found it so odd that, in the happiest place on earth, they would have a depiction of hell as the consequences of poor driving. The hell scene wasn't particularly scary but it did seem out of place along such other rides as It's A Small World. The ride also seemed out of place because it is probably the only ride in Disneyland where my kids are not familiar with the characters.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
This ride is fun to do once or twice. I wouldn't wait an hour to do it with more modern and interesting rides to try. However, it was a decent, average ride for Disney.
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Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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modernmarvel
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