  photography by Amy Melissa ~ Noisy Merriment Attractions: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Fantasyland (1955) Storybook Land Canal Boats (Toad Hall and Mole's Home), Fantasyland (1956) Restaurants: none. Shops: none. Ambiance: none. Meetable Characters: none Shows: none P.W.'s Mania on Ichabod and Mr. ToadOf all the Fantasyland dark rides, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride might be the most famous. This is especially curious since The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is easily the lesser-known of the many movies represented with its own attraction. I actually think this adds to its popularity since it lets the ride really stand on its own – it has its own identity, completely free from people's prior knowledge or preconceived notions of what a Mr. Toad themed attraction should be. Much like Toad's madcap adventures, the ride veers off the beaten path of the original story and blazes its own trail (pun INTENDED) where the attraction's final scene takes you through a very hot version of Hell - no such instance of this occurs in either The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad or the book the story is based on The Wind in the Willows. Could Disneyland just throw some random scene that never even took place into Snow White's Scary Adventure or Peter Pan's Flight? I don't think the Disneyphiles would go for that. And, with its preponderance of wooden cutouts and dearth of animatronics, it really does evoke the old carnival rides that Walt Disney originally based his dark rides on. Also, with the ride housed in the stately Toad Hall and its line that takes guests through an arbor-covered yard complete with plaques of all the main characters, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride easily owns Fantasyland's best architecture and most imaginative queue. Completely absent from Disneyland is any representation from the Ichabod portion of the movie. However, with Mickey's Halloween Party and its corresponding multitude of Halloween-inspired décor throughout the park, it seems the very spooktacular Legend of Sleepy Hollow could easily find itself somewhere in the park. I don't want to make a habit of referencing non-California Disney Parks but this clip from Walt Disney World's version of their Halloween celebration is too good to pass up. Are you telling me Disneyland can't do something as simple and awesome as this???  Fun Facts! Each motorcar has a different name inscribed on it, they are Mr. Toad, Toady, Ratty, Moley, MacBadger, Cyril, Winky and Weasel. A bronzed motorcar from the ride can be seen displayed alongside Autopia's track. Fantasyland dark rides are known for huge painted murals in their loading areas. Mr Toad's Wild Ride is significant because, in lieu of a painting, it boasts a needlepoint. Toad's shield over the entrance of the ride reads “Toadi Acceleratio” and “Semper Absurda.” 
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