Welcome back, fellow Disney devotees, to another week of MiceShots, your magical gateway to Disneyland’s enchanting realms – all through the lens of our talented photographers! This week, we’re turning our camera’s eye to the charming and intricate world of Storybook Land Canal Boats in Fantasyland. Thanks to our ace shutterbug, Jeff Zaret, we can deliver a whimsical tapestry of photos to your screen!
Welcome To Storybook Land Canal Boats
This week, we’re setting sail into the tiny, picturesque realm of fairy tales tucked away in the heart of Storybook Land. The journey commences as you step onto a petite vessel and navigate through the gaping jaws of Monstro, the whale. This leisurely cruise offers serene vistas, perfectly suited for both the dreamer and the adventurer in you. And although the tales remain unchanged from day to night, the ambiance transforms magically, giving you a different flavor of the experience. Time your journey just right, and you might even catch the dazzling spectacle of fireworks illuminating the Storybook Land skyline!
On occasion, little ones can sit on the bow of the boat as a “Whale Watcher.”
Let’s board our boat and take that calm ride through the land of make-believe.
Step Aboard
Located at the East entrance of Fantasyland, Storybook Land has seen many changes over the years, not just the attraction itself but also the surrounding landscape. Storybook Land is an original attraction to Disneyland when the park opened in July 1955, though it looked very different than how it does today. The buildings and landscapes were not added until the following year. When the attraction reopened in 1956 with its current name, the ride was built to a 1-inch to 1-foot scale.
Before you enter Storybook Land, you must first travel through Monstro the Whale, Pinocchio. While this may seem like a frightening start to the ride, it’s potentially the most tame of any attraction at Disneyland
Once you’ve transitioned from Fantasyland to Storybook Land, you’ll see an impressive array of houses, buildings, and castles from various Disney stories.
We never get tired of seeing the miniature trees in perfect condition.
All sorts of different Disney stories can be found here. Any guesses as to which characters live here?
In 1994, the attraction had a major update to include a large Aladdin segment. This includes a miniature version of the Sultan’s Palace of Agrabah, the archways covered in roses and jasmine that Aladdin and Jasmine allegedly flew under, and the Cave of Wonders.
There’s another attraction that shares a similar footprint to the Canal Boats. The Casey Jr. Circus Train takes a trip around Storybook Land from up a higher elevation.
One of the highlights is seeing the castle from Cinderella high up on the hilltop.
If you look closely, you can see that Cinderella’s coach has turned back into a pumpkin!
The most recent addition to Storybook Land is the kingdom of Arendelle that was added in 2014. This area includes Anna and Elsa’s castle, Elsa’s ice palace, and Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post.
The level of detail in the miniatures never fails to astound guests. Walt Disney had a love of miniatures, so it’s no surprise that this attraction was a personal favorite of his.
The tour around Storybook Land concludes with seeing not one, but two castles from The Little Mermaid. On dry land, you’ll see Prince Eric’s castle, and then on the opposite side, behind a waterfall, you’ll see King Triton’s castle.
Thank you for joining us on our photographic journey. We want to extend a special thanks to Jeff Zaret, for his contributions to this week’s photo essay. Be on the lookout for a future article featuring holiday decorations adorning this miniature lands.
Let’s take a ride on Storybook Land Canal Boats with Dusty Sage on the day they reopened in June of 2021:
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Let’s Hear From You
Do you have a favorite tale in Storybook Land? Is there something you would like to see added or changed? Have you experienced fireworks at night while on the attraction? Let us know in the comments below.
We always love hearing what your favorite things are at Disneyland, and love to take requests for future photo essays! If you have an idea for an upcoming MiceShots article or would like to show off your own photo essay, leave us a comment!
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Let us know what subjects you’d like us to focus our lens on next!