The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (25 page)

The
Hungry Bear
is open after dark, and typically has short lines in the evenings when many Guests leave
Critter Country
to gather for the
Fantasmic!
and
Magical Fireworks
shows.  After a busy day it can be relaxing to sit in the lantern-lit dimness of the decks while the river waters lap at the rough-hewn posts.  In addition to its food, the restaurant also boasts a large complex of rest rooms on the lower level. 
Did You Know?
  The
Hungry Bear Restaurant
is named not for newcomer
Winnie
, but rather for the bears of
Bear Country
, which preceded
Critter Country
.  The eatery has been around since 1972, but until 1977 was called the
Golden Bear Lodge
. 
Did You Also Know?
  Sometimes in this neck of the woods you’ll see one or two of
Disneyland
’s many feral cats padding the worn floorboards of the restaurant, or curled up in the foliage along the river bank, dozing, lying in wait for water fowl, or both.  The cat most frequently seen is charcoal in color, with smudged, pale grey tiger stripes.  Word is,
Disneyland
quietly protects its feral cats, feeding them from hidden stations.  The cats are an inexpensive and effective way for
Disneyland
to keep any rodent population at bay (
Mickey
and
Minnie
excluded, of course). In addition to the cats at the
Hungry Bear
, my niece and I saw a beautiful grey cat ghosting into the plants surrounding the
Partners Statue
one midnight (summer 2012), and I saw a tan tabby navigating the shrubbery of
Downtown Disney
at dawn (winter 2013).  A 2010
LA Times
article by Hugo Martin reported that the park takes good care of its feline visitors via medical care and five secret feeding stations.
Kid’s Eye View:
I kind of like it, but it’s really crowded downstairs.  If you’re really hungry grab a burger and sit with your family.  You can watch ducks and look for the little grey cat.

Critter Country Character Meetings and Performers

You’ll frequently find
Pooh
,
Tigger
,
Eyeore
, or
Piglet
in a special meeting area called
Pooh’s Thotful Spot
at the end of the
Critter Country
cul-de-sac
.  The
Hundred Acre Woods
residents gladly pose for pictures and sign autographs.  If your little ones (or your big ones, even!) love the
Pooh
characters, check the character greeting schedule in advance online or via phone, or check the
Entertainment Times Guide
for the day upon arrival.  Like all masked
Disneyland
characters, the characters don’t speak, but they communicate with lively gestures and hugs.  The beaming faces of those meeting with them testify to the unimportance of words when it comes to meeting your favorite
Pooh
character!

Not to be outdone by their
Hundred Acre
pals, characters from
Song of the South
’s animated segments, including
Brer Fox
,
Brer Bear
and
Brer Rabbit
, can be seen in and around
Critter Country
for greetings, photos, and autographs.  The
Disneyland
website, the
Entertainment Times Guide
(available at the entrance turnstiles) or a Cast Member can provide specific character greeting information.

Fantasyland

Fantasyland At-a-Glance

Attractions:
 
Alice in Wonderland
,
Casey Jr. Circus Train
,
Disney Princess Fantasy Faire
(Closed 2012)
,
Dumbo the Flying
Elephant
,
Fantasy Faire
,
“it’s a small world”
,
King Arthur Carrousel
,
Mad Tea Party
,
Matterhorn Bobsleds
(S),
Mickey and the Magical Map
,
Mr. Toad’s
Wild Ride
,
Peter Pan’s Flight
,
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
,
Pixie Hollow
,
Sleeping Beauty Castle
Walkthrough
,
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
,
Snow White Grotto
/
Snow White Wishing Well
,
Storybook Land Canal Boats
,
Sword in the Stone Ceremony (Discontinued)

Gear:
 
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
,
Disney Princess Fantasy Faire (Closed 2012)
,
Enchanted Chamber
,
Fairy Tale Treasures
,
Fantasy Faire Gifts
,
Heraldry Shoppe
,
“it’s a small world” Toy Shop
,
Le Petit Chalet Gifts
,
Mad Hatter
,
Stromboli’s Wagon
,
Wishing Star Magic Crystals
(Closed 2009)

Grub:
 
Edelweiss Snacks
(S),
Fantasyland Fruit Cart
(S),
Maurice’s Treats
(S),
Troubadour Tavern
(L, D, S),
Village Haus Restaurant
(L, D, S)

Fantasyland Introduction

It’s well known that
Walt Disney
thought of
Fantasyland
as the conceptual, emotional, and geographic “heart” of the park. 
Walt
, like many children, grew up listening to and reading fairy tales and saw play and silent films based on those stories.  Those tales provided the inspiration for many of his beloved animated features, and
Fantasyland
was designed as a home for some of the classic characters from those films, and as a symbol of the
magic
, hope and beauty of the human imagination.

Fantasyland
was built in the north of the park, above the
Hub
, and while this crucial and unifying land would be provided with several entrances, the main entrance, visible from
Main Street
and the
Hub
, would be the iconic
Sleeping Beauty Castle
.  The gold-tipped spires point upward to all the stars one could hope to wish upon, and through the open archway the
King Arthur Carrousel
shimmers in a blur of gold and white.

Walt
consciously crafted and instructed his
Imagineer
s to design park elements that due to their size, color, motion, and
magic
would invariably attract Guests’ attention and draw them to points of interest. 
Walt
called these inviting landmarks
wienies
, as in the “frankfurter on the stick” that entices one forward.  Both the castle and the carrousel are meant to engage Guests with warm–not overwhelming–awe, and invite them into the world of
Disney
’s fairy tale fantasies.

Fantasyland
’s exteriors were originally constructed with a medieval tent motif that was playful but always somewhat circuslike.  Guests felt rather like they were at a fair.  In the 1980’s
Fantasyland
’s exteriors received a major overhaul and emerged as beautiful architectural samplings of their respective countries of origin, with a British visual flavor, for example, to
Peter Pan’s Flight
and the great
Toad Hall
manor house of
Mr. Toad’s
Wild Ride
, and Italian-German alpine charm in the carved wood and painted floral patterns of
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
and the
Village Haus
.  Now, when Guests roam through
Fantasyland
, the timber, stone and plaster they see has a sense of solidity that makes them feel as if they’re in an idealized European village.

Fantasyland
’s layout has changed dramatically over the years, but it’s always suffered from congestion due to the bounty of attractions confined within a limited space at a crossroads between many lands.  Although not the largest land in the
Magic Kingdom
,
Fantasyland
has 16 attractions, including experiences like
Pixie Hollow
, more than any other single land in the park.  Therefore, if you’re a Guest who doesn’t care for the
Disney
animated features or doesn’t have small children, there’s no point in subjecting yourself to the crowds when you can reach every land in the park
without
passing through
Fantasyland
’s core.

If you
–or anyone in your party–
is
a fan of
Disney
’s animated features,
Fantasyland
is a must, so you’ll want to brace yourself to brave the
Fantasyland
crowds. Be prepared to be cannoned into every other step by small children, adults, and even grandparents who are excited to be in
Fantasyland
, by weary parents who are ready for a nap, by strollers–you will be bashed into by ginormous, overloaded strollers, as elaborate as SUVs, pushed by texting parents, every other moment on crowded summer days and holidays.

Accepted walking etiquette pretty much around the world dictates that you should walk on the right
side of paths and walkways, and, in most parts of the park, Guests adhere to that unspoken agreement.  However, in congested, popular
Fantasyland
, you’ll find people clogging up all sides of the paths, heading in all sorts of directions, suddenly stopping, suddenly starting, turning, and so forth.  During the Christmas season or on a summer weekend, it’s simply a madhouse.  Be prepared to remain calm and be alert to the sudden, herky-jerky stops and starts of your fellow Guests.  It’s a good idea to decide in advance which
Fantasyland
attractions you want to see, locate them on the park map, and move from one to the other in an organized way.  That will cut down on your frustration level.  Also, everyone in your party should agree on a meeting spot should you become separated in the throng.

To experience
Fantasyland
with few people, to be able to hear yourself think, to stroll slowly about enjoying the architectural charm and harmony of the land, visit right when the park opens (or an hour before the park opens, an option called
Magic Mornings
that is available to Guests of the
Disneyland Resort Hotels
and sometimes to
Annual Passholders
).  If you’re not an early-bird, plan to visit on a rainy or cold day, or even on a sunny day during the off season.  The afternoon before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day itself are also times when attendance is light and you will almost feel that you have
Fantasyland
to yourself.

Southern
Fantasyland
is closed during the
Magical Fireworks
display each night, including the
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
,
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
,
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
,
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
,
Peter Pan’s Flight
, and
Alice in Wonderland
.  However, these attractions re-open when the fireworks conclude, and stay open until the park closes.

Fantasyland Attractions

Alice in Wonderland

[
FastView:
 
Unique to
Disneyland Park
in
Anaheim
, this is a whimsical, musical spin through the original animated feature.
]