| (July 17, 1955–Present) BACKSTORY: Originally titled “Canal Boats of the World” there was no scenery to view to view when it first opened, only muddy hills with weeds(often referred to as “Mud Banks of the World”). The park brochure described it as: “Boats of Holland, France, England and America travel through canals which pass the fabulous sights of Fantasyland.” Cast members told confused guests: “The miniature landscaping is so miniature you can't see it!” The ride got off to a bad start when the boats broke down on opening day and had to be pulled back to the dock. The original 16' long Canal boat names were: Nellie Bly, Lady Katrina, Lady Of Shallot, Annie Oakley, Gretel, Bold Lockinvar, Lady Of The Lake, and Lady Guinivere. With Ken Anderson’s design help (and the assistance of Frank Armitage, Walt Peregoy, Harriet Burns, & Fred Joerger), the attraction was rethemed, retitled, and reopened at noon on June 16, 1956. Four Mouseketeers (Darlene, Lonnie, Sharon, and Bobby) joined a half dozen other children as the American Dairy Princess christened the boats with a pint of milk poured over the hulls. Big Rock Candy Mountain was also to be built here, with the boats entering the mountain and seeing Dorothy having a party with her Oz friends; this idea never got off the drawing boards. Boats were built by the Robert Dorris Boat Works, and were first powered by outboard motors, which often overheated and had to be towed back. Gas engines were so loud that guests could barely hear the guide’s narration. After a few months, motors gave way to batteries under the seats. The first summer, the ride was staffed predominately by men, dressed in white shirts and wide brim hats. An all-male closing crew had the duty of manually pulling the boats into the storage area and connecting the battery cables to charge the boats overnight. Electricians eventually installed a two-way switch on the boats, providing a reverse gear to easily back the boats into the storage tunnel.
Storybook Canal contains 465,000 gallons of water. Boats are scaled-down replicas of Dutch, English, and French boats, named after female Disney characters (except for Flower, the male skunk from “Bambi”). Original 13 Storybook Boat Names: Cinderella, Daisy, Aurora, Alice, Faline, Flora, Fauna, Flower, Katrina, Merryweather, Wendy, Snow White, and Tinkerbell. Belle & Ariel were later additions.
Guests enter the attraction through a chain queue that winds in front of the loading dock. A lighthouse at the entrance was once a ticketbooth when tickets were required for each attaction (this ride was a "D" coupon). After leaving the dock, the boat passes through a cave sculpted to look like Monstro, the whale from “Pinnochio.” Monstro’s eyes open & close, and steam comes out of his blowhole. The boats then exit to the banks of the Canal, where miniature buildings, trees, & shrubs, represent the homes of Disney characters. Many settings feature recordings of characters singing.
Settings include:
Pinocchio’s cobblestone village with Geppetto’s woodshop, Toad Hall from “The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad,” The Sultan’s Palace from “Aladdin,” London Park from “Peter Pan,”
Cinderella’s village (the 19' gold-spired castle is the highest point in Storybook Land. Ken Anderson recalls: “We had to get special permission on Cinderella’s Castle…to bring it to Disneyland on the freeway because there were places you couldn’t get it underneath the overpasses.”), the dwarfs’ cottage & mine from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, an English village from“ Alice in Wonderland” (with a church & entrance to the White Rabbit’s hole),
The Three Little Pigs’ homes,
and King Triton’s underwater castle from “The Little Mermaid” (partially hidden behind a waterfall).
click for original attraction poster
Photos presented in the order you’d see if you were riding this attraction. As an added bonus, narration from the 1968 spiel is included. Most photos available for purchase as enlargements; email your request. To view photos, allow popups in your web browser & click thumbnails below. |
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