Before we dive into the second route of the attraction by entering in through London Square, I’d like to mention that they are specific moments where the two tracks meet for the same scenes, albeit they don’t happen in order. Specifically, those scenes are when the ship flies over London, flies over Neverland, the duel on Hook’s ship and the following scene of Pan manning the ship with Wendy, the Lost Boys and co. celebrating. All of these scenes are a bit larger than traditional versions of this attraction to accommodate two tracks being inside. Additionally, due to the two tracks, while they may not share all scenes, instead I’ve opted to have some scenes “split” to tell two different stories. An example of this is how in the previous “to London” version, the finale shows Wendy looking longingly out towards the night sky from the Nursery window. Consequently, in the “to Neverland” version, the nursery is the first scene in that route, where Peter Pan is seen with Tinker Bell, sprinkling pixie dust over Wendy, John and Michael (while a dresser blocks the Wendy figure from the other track route to be seen on *this* route). Another example of this is Skull Rock. In the “to London” version, the ships fly inside Skull Rock and peer out the rock face, but in the “to Neverland” version, the ships are flying on the opposite side of the rock face. I think this is great way to plus this already popular attraction - to just feature two separate tracks that feature exclusive scenes, but to also show two different sides and stories to the same “room” when the tracks do converge into the same story space.
With that, we’re going to continue on to London Square where we’ll cover the second track to Peter Pan’s Flight, the new and newly-imagined attractions rounding out this sub-area and the remainder to our Fantasyland.
Tucked between the beautiful fjords of Arendelle and the untamed wonder of Neverland lies London Square, a beautifully themed land inspired by early-20th-century London, brimming with gas lamps, wrought-iron fences, smoking chimneys, Georgian facades and charming side alleys that glow with lit lanterns. This land is framed around a few of Disney’s most classic tales set in England, with each one given a new breath of life through immersive architecture, high-energy attractions, and cozy, story-filled dining. To preface, this expansion would sit north of where the current Beauty and the Beast/Mermaid area sits on the plot of land just before the fireworks launch pad. In this plan, the entire backstage Cast access road to the north of the Magic Kingdom will be reworked and the fireworks pad will be moved just a bit farther north, on the opposite side of the road where it currently sits. This move frees up a ton of space for the northern expansions of MK, including Discovery Bay and Fantasyland’s Arendelle/Neverland/London Square areas. With that leg work out of the way, let’s explore the streets of London Square.
The path between Arendelle and Neverland converges, leading to a charming square of cobblestone paths lit with flickering lampposts, Tudor-style storefronts and a center park of beautiful trees and a fountain. It’s a wonderful collection of attractions, some shops and dining locations that make a quaint, stately courtyard. The sub-land is anchored by the towering Big Ben clocktower, a forced perspective structure that also acts as a landmark for London Square’s entrance to Peter Pan’s Flight. In this entrance, guests wander through a queue that takes them inside the Big Ben structure and through the simulated moonlit streets of London, around the entrance to the Darling family home. When passing by the entrance, one can hear the bantering between Mr. And Mrs. Darling, as the queue leads through the backyard of the family’s house, passing by Nana’s doghouse, where a sleeping Nana is seen inside. The queue continues out of the backyard and down the streets of London, the path slowly elevating so that guests are now walking alongside rooftops before arriving at the load station where they board their flying pirate ships.
In this version of the attraction, the ship starts by turning into the Darling family’s nursery, where Pan’s shadow is seen flying across the wall and we see Peter Pan himself floating in the room next to Wendy, John and Michael. With a sprinkling of pixie dust from Tinker Bell’s help, the three children begin to float off the ground just as we proceed out of the nursery window. The ship begins to fly over the nearby townhouses of London at night, but not before passing by Nana, who’s barking up at us from her doghouse below. It isn’t long before the buildings beneath the ship grow tinier and tinier as we enter into our next scene and fly over a moonlit London to the tune of “You Can Fly!”. This scene is the same as the other route: we see the Big Ben clock tower beneath us, the Tower Bridge, the moving cars lining the city streets. As the ship sails through the scene, we then turn towards a dark corner of the room, where we see the glowing Second Star to the Right and in an instant, find ourselves flying around the remarkable island of Neverland, surrounded by dozens of glittering stars. This is also the same scene featured in the other route: a full vista of the green island mountains, peeking into Mermaid Lagoon, the Native American campgrounds, the Jolly Roger near Skull Rock and the water that surrounds the island. The ship encircles the island, offering a fantastic aerial view of Neverland, before taking a small angled dip into the darkness and steering away from the island, as the ethereal, dotted starlight from the room behind us fades away.
The ships encircle sails down and into a series of smaller vignette scenes that showcase Neverland’s memorable locations. The ship emerges into the jungle, passing by a waterfall amidst the trees where John, Michael and the Lost Boys recreate the “Following the Leader” scene from the film. Out of the jungle, the ship then comes upon a Native American campground, where the chief and his people are sitting among a roaring bonfire in the center of their tipis tents and totem poles. Tiger Lily and two children dance, encircling around the bonfire. The ship flies away from the campground precipice and enters into a waterfall cove, Mermaid Lagoon, passing by a trio of mermaid figures that primp and prim themselves while sitting in the aquatic grotto. The watery cove Carrie’s through until the rocks give way to the domineering entrance of Skull Rock. The sound of a ticking clock suddenly rings out and we see the Crocodile smiling up at us from the rocks at the base of Skull Rock.
The ship moves into the next scene and pass around the Jolly Roger, where Pan and Hook are caught in the middle of a duel on the ship! The Lost Boys put up a fight against Hook’s pirate crew, as Wendy, John and Michael cheer on Pan from the deck of the ship. The ominous sound of a ticking clock begins to sound out as the duel continues. As the guests circle past the open sail of the ship, a shadowed silhouette of Pan and Hook mid-duel is seen, only for Hook to fall from the mast with a scream and a splash to be heard. As the ship circles around the sail, we now see Peter Pan at the helm of the Jolly Roger, navigating the ship from the captain’s wheel as Wendy, John, Michael and the Lost Boys celebrate on the ship’s deck. The guests pass over the Jolly Roger, turning to then see Hook balancing himself in the jaws of the Crocodile in a sheer panic, as Smee paddles in a small boat. “Smee!!!” “I’m coming, Captain!” Hook dangerously teeters in the jaws of the snapping Crocodile and the ship turns away. In the finale of the attraction, the ship turns into the Neverland night sky a lit with stars and emerges alongside an elaborate Jolly Roger set piece, now golden and glowing with pixie dust, as Peter steers the ship and Wendy, John and Michael watch on. In one final magical moment, Tinker Bell sprinkles a bit of pixie dust from above, enchanting our own ships with golden magical sparkles. The golden dust and starlight around the ship fades and we find ourselves moving back into the unload/load area where guests disembark into the jungles of Neverland.
Across the way from the grand Big Ben landmark, we find our next attraction,
101 DALMATIANS, a slow-moving dark ride where guests board vintage *spotted* London cabs and embark on a mission to track down some puppies, stolen by Cruella De Vil and her henchmen, Horace and Jasper. Guests approach a series of brick townhouse facades nestled within London Square and soft piano melodies filter through open windows - Roger’s familiar tune, “Cruella de Vil.” The queue leads through the warm home of the Roger and Anita Radcliffe - bookshelves are crammed with sheet music and sketches of dalmatian puppies and fashion designs hang beside a mantle. In the parlor, guests glimpse a flickering television set playing the cartoon “Thunderbolt,” and in the entry hall, coats hang next to leashes and dog collars by the door. The cartoon program cuts off and a broadcast plays: “This just in: Cruella de Vil, infamous fur fashionista, has been spotted in pursuit of puppies. Authorities warn - she’s reckless and dangerous! Contact local authorities if encountered-“ the cartoon program then continues as usual.
The queue winds out of the Radcliffe house and enters into the boarding area, revealing a snowy London street as guests step into their elegant mid-century black cabs, dotted with spots. The vehicles set off into a town that is slick with snow, the rooftops shimmering under the evening lamplight. We pass the outside of the Radcliffe townhome and we hear Nanny panic. “The puppies are gone!” We see an open window and snowy pawprints leading outside. Pongo barks furiously from the window. The rooftops of London unfold in silhouette as the cab lifts slightly into a sweeping view of chimneys and spires. The “Twilight Bark” spreads through the city - hounds bay from balconies, terriers shout from alleyways and silhouettes bark across rooftops.
The music swells as the chase to find the puppies begins. As the cab vehicle moves down the street, a sudden burst of honking erupts and Cruella’s garish car roars into view, barreling down from an alley in a fury of smoke and screeching tires. Her maniacal voice echoes as the chase is on, “Those puppies are mine!” The carriage darts down an alleyway and across cobbled streets, where the silhouettes of puppies can be glimpsed scurrying along rooftops and ducking under fences. The journey leads out of the city and into the countryside, where Horace and Jasper’s battered truck stutters along the road, the bumbling duo too busy arguing inside and completely oblivious to the puppies slipping through a hedge just beside them. Suddenly, the carriage enters the looming shadow of Hell Hall. The air grows cold and the manor creaks beneath the cab. Inside, flickering candlelight reveals dozens of puppies, huddled beneath tattered curtains and furniture. As the cab makes its way through, we see puppy Dalmatians scatter through corridors, out of windows and crumbling passages as guests follow along, weaving through the old manor halls and out into the night once again.
https://youtu.be/L5aV5ogg9b8?si=WAWyO8GO-67NAR-L
The escape is frantic now. A frozen river glimmers around and the puppies slip and slide across the ice while the cab follows around the bend. In the distance, headlights pierce the trees - Cruella is closing in. The cabs weave along icy roads before Cruella emerges again in her her infamous car, crashing through a hedge. She grips the wheel wildly, coat billowing in the wind, eyes manic. “You fools!” she shrieks, barreling alongside us. Our can takes a sudden turn, catching the villainous fashionista off-guard, as she swerves and screeches, her car beginning to fall apart, bumper dragging and smoke pouring from the hood, before her car crashes into an embankment in a display of sparks and smoke. “Look what you imbeciles have done! You’ve ruined my chances of getting my dream coat!” With the conclusion of the chase and Cruella’s threats upended for now, the cabs glide back into London, arriving once more at the steps of the Radcliffe home and enter inside. This time it’s glowing with warmth and festivity. The fireplace crackles, garlands hang from the mantle, and Roger is at the piano, playing a happy tune. The puppies are all home - every last one of them. Pongo and Perdita are seated proudly in the center, surrounded by a sea of spots, as Anita looks on in wonder. “We’ll keep them all,” Roger declares, smiling. As the carriage turns toward the unload area, guests pass beside mural painted like a storybook page: a joyful tableau of the Radcliffe family, their 101 Dalmatians and the London skyline behind them. This dark ride is on the smaller scale for what would be traditionally done for a modern expansion, but I think it works especially when it is tucked between some major new additions.
The attraction exits into an adjacent shop,
THE CANINE’S CREST, a store that sells 101 Dalmatians-centric merchandise in a shopping setting that combines vintage London aesthetic with nods to the many dogs seen from the film. A corner of the store has seemingly been taken over by Cruella De Vil herself, covered with portraits and concept sketches of her eccentric fashions. Speaking of which, just outside the shop, one could usually find Cruella roaming the square in search of the puppies that just escaped her, but she’ll also occasionally stop to do a meet and greet with her fans. Just next to the attraction and shop is the
CROWN & HOUND TAVERN, the quick service dining location found in London Square and radiates the charm of a timeless English public house. Its Tudor-inspired facade features timbered beams, warm golden lanterns, and a hand-painted sign hanging above the door - a royal golden crown resting beside a dignified Dalmatian. Inside the tavern, rich oak paneling lines the walls, with portraits of London landmarks, and fanciful “royal pups” from Disney’s roster adorn the walls. A faux fireplace flickers beneath a carved stone mantle in the dining hall area, making it a cozier and intimate counter service option. The menu features traditional English entrees, such as Shepherd’s Pie, Bangers and Mash and a Toad-In-The-Hole Waffle, a Yorkshire pudding-style waffle stuffed with sausage and onion jam. This quick service location is also on the smaller side, working to make much of London Square feel very intimate and close.
Off the center park and down an alley adorned with lamplights and storefronts, guests can find themselves wandering down the familiar avenue of another Disney classic set in London. At the end of this street stands the iconic house at 17 Cherry Tree Lane - prim, proper, and perfectly picturesque with its wrought iron gates, gas lanterns flickering in the breeze and beautiful trees that fill the street. The familiar tune of “Chim Chim Cheree” fills the quiet street, as guests approach the block of houses and cherry trees. This street sets up the entry to London Square’s staple attraction and a long-marveled concept idea conceived by Imagineering legend, Tony Baxter -
MARY POPPINS’ JOLLY HOLIDAY. This attraction is a triumph of classic charm, musical storytelling, and inventive ride technology, one that has been long-popular in the Disney Imagineering community. As in the original concept idea, this attraction is a brand new take on the dark ride experience, as guests board either horses or benches that look like a traditional carousel, but then with a bit of magic, the vehicle physically separates from its carousel formation, moving through the ride in individual segments like a train moving through the whimsical animated scenes scene in Mary Poppins.
The queue begins just to the side of the Banks family home, where guests are invited to join Mary Poppins and Bert for an extraordinary day in the park. The queue winds its way through the children’s nursery that is brimming with hand-painted toys, kites, vintage books, and wooden puppets tucked around every corner. The queue leads to a charming simulated outdoor garden courtyard, a fanciful, pristine park with trimmed hedges, gazebos and the scent of cherry blossoms filling the air. Guests reach the garden load platform where they see the tide vehicle for the first time, resembling a full carousel come to life, with alternating rows of sculpted bench seats and fanciful white horses adorned with pastel ribbons. Guests are left unaware to how this magical carousel can spin, swirl, and even separate as it follows a hidden trackless path through this fanciful world. The “train” of carousel segments enters the adventure as Mary Poppins and Bert’s voices welcome riders into a most jolly holiday adventure.
With a musical sweep, the carousel spins gently, heading towards a series of animated drawings along the paths of the garden courtyard that come to life as we pass. Through the use of projections, the entire surroundings of the carousel become one large projection map, seeming as though we’re jumping into an animated drawing before us. The scene transitions into a beautiful park, bursting with oversized tulips, strolling animals, and painted trees that stretch into a sky-blue backdrop with everything looking so wonderfully animated and two-dimensional. As “Jolly Holiday” begins to play, riders pass animatronic foxes, hedgehogs, and of course, dancing penguins that tip their hats to the passing riders. Then, in a breathtaking moment, the carousel separates into a “train” formation and moves to encircle around a carousel where Mary and Bert are riding their own horses - the carousel vehicle changing formation to actually circle around another carousel! Mary and Bert sing and wave to the guests as they pass in this amazing moment.
The scene transitions seamlessly as the carousel glides onward, the halves of the train separating to circle a musical bandstand in the middle of the gardens. Musicians in bright pearly coats, brought to life through both animatronics and clever projection illusion, twirl and tap their instruments for a show-stopping “Supercalifragilisticexpialidiocious” musical scene number. Audio-animatronics of Mary and Bert appear on either side of the rotating bandstand, inviting guests to sing along. For a moment, the carousel gently halts and then rotates in a sweeping, musical dance - as if the whole ride has joined in on the choreography. The carousel spins away from the bandstand and moves towards a rolling English countryside, entirely animated and filled with beautiful flowers. Mary and Bert stand in the middle of the flower field as the “train” once again comes together to form a carousel around the duo. In that moment, the scene becomes alive wi the dozens of butterflies that flitter about with the use of projections and practical effects. When the carousel completes its circle around the countryside glade, it reforms as a “train” and moves forward towards another series of animated drawings. Through the same projection-mapping effect as earlier, the vehicles look as if it jumps directly into the picture of London on the ground.
Next comes a neat transition as the carousel swirls away from the animated world and back into the chimney-adorned rooftops of London, contrasted against a twilight silhouette of the skyline. Glowing windows, smoky chimneys, and the click of heels on slate tiles set the stage for “Step in Time”, where a chorus of dancing chimney sweeps spring to life in a sea of projections and practical effects. The carousel twists through the smokey shadows, silhouettes of dancers flipping and twirling on rooftops, before coming face-to-face with Bert and Mary once again - this time standing on the edge of a rooftop as the two join in on the dancing. As the vehicle moves into the finale scene, it reconfigures back into a carousel shape and circles around a floating figure of Mary Poppins, umbrella in hand as she sails through the sky to a triumphant score of “Let’s Go Fly a Kite”. Mary Poppins gives a final nod to the riders, before she looks up with a smile and lifts away, as the carousel circles away from the scene amidst a flurry of blustery leaves blowing in the wind. The carousel pulls into the unload station and spins to a gentle stop, before riders disembark. Guests re-enter the garden courtyard and exit through a small side shop,
SPOONFUL OF SUGAR, a back-of-park candy and sweet treat confectionary. The shop is adorned with ornate candy jars and glass fixtures, with the overall interior borrowing from the attraction next door and using vintage carousel horses as a motif. The sweet shop offers park exclusive sweets like Gold-Dusted Chocolate Horses, Cherry Tree Vanilla Blossoms and Picnic Macarons. It’s a great place to pick up a Mary Poppins-themed sweet treat at the back of the park.
Finally, we arrive at the last additions to London Square and Fantasyland in general: the return of Fantasyland original, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride - now wildly reimagined and turbocharged into a high-powered, indoor coaster -
MR. TOAD’S WILD MOTOR COASTER. Tucked along the edge of London Square, the stately Toad Hall marks the entrance to this over-the-top thrill ride. While much of the coaster’s track layout is hidden away at the northern berm of the park, the tallest portion of the ride - a swooping “Top Hat” element - is secretly housed within the mountain peaks of Arendelle’s North Mountain nearby, cleverly preserving the skyline of these kingdoms, yet including a large coaster segment that is cleverly hidden away from sight. Guests step into the ivy-covered Toad Hall, greeted by oil portraits of Mr. Toad. Through these portraits, a story is told: Mr. Toad has acquired a new motorcar and is taking it out for a spin, no map, no brakes, no sense of direction and going merrily on his way to nowhere in particular! The queue winds through lavish sitting rooms in various states of disrepair - tea spilled, a globe shattered, chandeliers swinging and suits of armor nearly toppling over. The final room of the queue leads into Toad’s Motor Garage, where real vintage vehicles from his previous Wild Ride are on display. From here, guests proceed to the load station where they board their vehicle - Toad’s “Motorcoaster Cars” - a vehicle designed to look like vintage motor cars. Each vehicle seats ten in five rows of two and, while designed to look like elongated versions of the motor cars featured in the original attraction, they pack an unexpected and high-powered kick.
The attraction kicks off as the Motorcoaster begins to depart from Toad’s Motor Garage, but just as it turns the corner, the engine fails. For a moment, the engine backfires and sputters, the Motorcoaster breaks down and just when we think that there’s something awry with the ride experience…a comically intense indoor launch propels guests forward and down a winding country road - hay bales flying, sheep running and Toad in his own motor car cackling madly alongside us as we steer past. We dart through the countryside and as we curve along, we have a near run in with another coaster vehicle, before we dart away. From the rolling green hills, the coaster barrels down a rickety bayside pier with swinging crates and barrels just nearly missing the cart. From the old pier, the coaster curves into a small English town where the Motorcoaster smashes through the wobbling wall of Winkie’s Pub, barreling past tankards and Winkie himself, with swirling steins of beer. We blast back out of the pub and into the small town, doing an angled curve and smashing into a Law House. In the courtroom, Judge Owl slams his gavel as we accelerate past. “Guilty! That is all. We swerve out of the courtroom as soon as we arrived, leap over a hill and drop back into the rolling countryside. We careen forward, darting through the trees, passing farmers and policemen warning us to stop - we have a near collision with another Motorcoaster, now on the opposite end of the near collision from earlier.
From here, we enter into an intersection of tracks - us going forward on our Motorcoaster…and a blaring train coming from the side! With a sudden, second launch, we accelerate forward and upward, blasting above the roaring train, the coaster making a top hat inversion, then taking a nosedive into the darkness…and well, it’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, so we all know where we’ll end up. Emerging from the darkness, the coaster swerves into the smoking red mouth of a cavern that looks like a demon’s head. The coaster twists and turns through a surreal, hellish landscape of snickering, red devil-weasels, smoke-blasting demons and caverns of wavy, fiery auras. The coaster encircles the cavern, turning and turning deeper and deeper into the darkness…until *BAM!* *BOOM!* *POW!* A series of strobes flash from the darkness and the Motorcoaster soon finds itself out of that otherworldly realm and rearing to a halt back at Toad Hall’s countryside. In his motor car next to us, Mr. Toad clutches the wheel, “Perhaps this ride is a big *too* wild!” With a wink and a honk from his motorcar’s horn, our Motorcoaster moves into the unload station and we disembark the vehicle.
Just next to the attraction’s exit is
THE CARRIAGE HOUSE, a stately English shop with a theme of carriages, motor cars, horse drawn trolleys and the like that decorate the small shop. Inside, the place is lit from lights made from motor coach headlights, shelves are fashioned out of carriage seats and the red brickwork of the walls are adorned with tasteful plates that offer nods and easter eggs to Disney history. The store is an excellent place to find more memorabilia on Mr. Toad’s motor vehicles, merchandise for other Disney stories that take place in London, England, as well as offer guests the opportunity to create their own motor plate. The final bit of London Square is just off Toad Hall and is
THE GREEN DRAGON PUB, a name that takes inspiration off the figure from the original Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The pub occupies a corner building with ivy-covered walls, tall chimneys and curved windows trimmed in dark green and gold. A hand-painted sign hangs above the door, featuring a whimsical green dragon coiled around a tankard of ale. Inside, old-world London pub is brought to life with timbered ceilings with exposed beams, wrought iron chandeliers, a mix of wooden booths, high-top barrels and cushioned benches line the tavern. The bar itself is a masterpiece of oak and etched glass, shelves of colorful bottles and brass taps behind it. The tavern offers drink selections, such as Green Dragon Ale, Mr. Toad’s Wild Rye, a Motorcar Manhattan and other crafted cocktails. The pub doesn’t require reservations, but there’s is enough amble seating for drinks to be finished inside. The addition offers a ice corner of the parks to grab a drink that ties in a few more connections and references to Mr. Toad.
