ALICE IN SWITZERLAND?

Originally published on 24 Sept. 2018 on the old World Watchers site.

If you have ever been to Disneyland, then you might have seen the mighty slopes of the majestic Matterhorn and the infamous bobsleds bobbing in and out of the mountain. Approaching the Matterhorn from the Hub, guests are given two paths that circle the mountain. The right-hand path borders the backside of the northern Tomorrowland complex and offers a panorama of a slick highway skirting by an alpine mountain with a lagoon, fleet of submarines, and of course the rest of Tomorrowland itself. Wandering this path at night is way different than during the daytime because the neon adds to the thrill and sense of adventure to the atmosphere. The left-hand path is quicker and it passes through an area where the whimsical world of Fantasyland meets the Matterhorn. To the west of the Matterhorn queuing area is the "Wonderland" section with the Alice in Wonderland dark ride and the Mad Tea Cups ride and this is where the fictitious world of an English children's book stands in stark contrast to an imposing Swiss mountain.

Why is it that an attraction based on an English story situated next to an alpine-themed roller coaster when an attraction based on a story set in the German-Italian-Swiss-Austrian realm would better blend into the area? Well, it goes without saying that the same Imagineers who were tasked with designing the Alice in Wonderland attraction were also working on Walt's idea of a toboggan ride. The first attraction based on Alice in Wonderland was an opening day staple in the center of Fantasyland in 1955 and it was based on the Mad Hatter's "Mad Tea Cups". Initially, Imagineers planned out two walk-through attractions based on animated Disney features: Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland. However, monetary and time constraints had stalled the possibility of these two attractions opening in 1955. Around late 1957, construction began on the northeast corner of the Mr. Toad-Peter Pan show building and on 14 June 1958, Alice in Wonderland debuted to the public with Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Rabbits, and Walt in attendance. Around this time, the area directly to the east of the ride was just a hill where one of the central pylons for the Skyway ride sat and this area became known as a "lover's lane" since 1955. Walt wanted to build his toboggan ride on the site of this hill and on a business trip to Switzerland, Walt was awestruck by the Matterhorn. It was decided that Disneyland would receive its own Matterhorn and construction began in 1958. Alongside the Monorail and the Submarine Voyage, the Matterhorn opened up to the public on 14 June 1959, exactly one year after Alice opened to the public.

This doesn't really answer the question as to why Disney decided to put Alice in that corner of Fantasyland when she could've taken up a possible residency in the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (later known as the Fantasyland Theatre). If Disney wanted to incorporate an alpine motif on the east side of Fantasyland, then the placement of an Alice in Wonderland dark ride would be out of place, especially with its funky facade, in that area. Granted, the 1955 facades of Fantasyland were hastily built in the style of a medieval fairground without reference to the locations of the attractions inside. For example, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was not designed in the vein of Toad Hall until the 1983 refurbishment had elaborated on the setting of the attraction and gave the ride its Tudor facade. However, 1956's addition of the Sky-Way ride had contributed the storybook chalet to the area and this started the alpine motif of Fantasyland. Of course, one must look into what attractions occupied the eastern show building and the settings of those attractions. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Peter Pan's Flight are both set in England and of course the third attraction added onto that complex was also based in English literature. Would it break the English "streak" if the third attraction had been based on Pinocchio instead of Alice in Wonderland? Yes, but it would have also been less confusing to those who obsessed over themed environments.

However, I'd argue that the placement of Alice in Wonderland around the area designated for a "toboggan ride" could've been done for two distinct reasons. The first reason was that the area on the west side of the Land was already too occupied and thus the placement of a new attraction would require the destruction of the Mickey Mouse Club Theatre. The second reason relies on the juxtaposition of a mountain based on a real setting and a fantastic world that could never really exist. Either reason leads us to the conclusion that Disney is adept at developing a world of mystery and yet a world based in what they do best---magic that makes sense.

After all, the staging of a New Orleans area on the southern bend of the Rivers of America includes the Pirates of the Caribbean, obviously connecting real-life places with magical realms.

At any rate, it's no surprise that after thorough investigation that Disney has a unique way of tapping into the public consciousness as well as extending that public perception into understanding the world as presented by the Disney Company*.



*This is no criticism intended to bar myself from ever visiting another Disney park, but a simple analysis of Disney's effective way of influencing our perception of both the real world and the fantasy world.