Original Alice in Wonderland Ride

[Rich T]

I found a page talking about the 1958 version, but this one is interesting because it has a proper layout of the ride. https://web.archive.org/web/20001217220700/http://www2.aros.net/~pov/issue03/rabbithole.html

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One weird thing I noticed is that at the beginning of the Garden scene, there are these rectangles with flower patterns on the walls. What are these supposed to be?

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They’re impressionistic backgrounds of the garden. The important thing to remember is that the ride was not lit up like it was for that photo. It was just black light, so the colors looked very different and riders only noticed the parts of the background structure that the artists wanted them to see. Of all the pre-1983 dark rides, Alice was the boldest with experimenting with black light effects, crazy color combos and color against sheer black.

Love that excellent track layout drawing!!!

 

[TROR]

Yesterworld has a new video on the topic

 

[Rich T]

Yesterworld has a new video on the topic

Well, it's definitely the best Youtube video look at the old Alice ride yet (the *only* one?). Just a couple of errors: The strobe-light effects in the Crash Room represented cartoonish explosions/hit-on-the-head symbols, not fireworks, and he doesn't mention that the doors at the end appeared to get smaller and smaller, ending with the keyhole, BUT other than that, it's a pretty good description of the ride, and the presentation is funny and well-done.

I do take exception to his dismissive attitude that the old ride was a nightmare-inducing failure. It was certainly nightmare-inducing, but in a good way. The ride was wonderfully surreal and perfectly captured the feeling of being caught up in a really bizarre dream. Its goal was to make riders feel lost and disoriented, and in that respect it worked brilliantly.

The 1983/84 remodel needed to happen, and overall it was an improvement, but I wish they'd kept just a bit more of the original's weirdness intact.

 

[Clover Bailey]

Well, it's definitely the best Youtube video look at the old Alice ride yet (the *only* one?). Just a couple of errors: The strobe-light effects in the Crash Room represented cartoonish explosions/hit-on-the-head symbols, not fireworks, and he doesn't mention that the doors at the end appeared to get smaller and smaller, ending with the keyhole, BUT other than that, it's a pretty good description of the ride, and the presentation is funny and well-done.

I do take exception to his dismissive attitude that the old ride was a nightmare-inducing failure. It was certainly nightmare-inducing, but in a good way. The ride was wonderfully surreal and perfectly captured the feeling of being caught up in a really bizarre dream. It's goal was to make riders feel lost and disoriented, and in that respect it worked brilliantly.

The 1983/84 remodel needed to happen, and overall it was an improvement, but I wish they'd kept just a bit more of the original's weirdness intact.

Everyone says they want a time machine to go see rides like Horizons or ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, but I'd use it to go on the weird opening day dark rides.

 

[Clover Bailey]

I found an audio tribute that has some dialogue from the original like "I kept getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller" and "How do I get out? I've lost my way!". But does anyone know if the Cheshire Cat's laughing at the end is from the original ride?

 

[Rich T]

I found an audio tribute that has some dialogue from the original like "I kept getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller" and "How do I get out? I've lost my way!". But does anyone know if the Cheshire Cat's laughing at the end is from the original ride?

Yes and no. It's an edited version of the clip that was used. On the original ride, in the Oversized Room, the Cheshire Cat's laughter was taken right from the film and looped over and over. It's the weird laugh that goes, "eh-huh, *full crazy laugh*, inhales" between the lines "Most everyone's mad here" and "You may have noticed I'm not all there myself." The ride used that full laugh, complete with the "eh-huh" and the inhale at the end. When looped, with no pause between the inhale and the "eh-huh" that starts it over again, it's very effective and creepy.

 

[Burgower1994]

Don Carson created this amazing video!!!

 

[Rich T]

Don Carson created this amazing video!!!

Oh. My. Gosh. My jaw is on the floor. THIS IS FANTASTIC!!!! As someone who rode the original dozens of times, I can say this recreation is 95% accurate—just off on a few minor details, but the overall result captures the ride brilliantly!

As mentioned in the video’s intro, there are liberties taken: the use of music in the original was much more crude than what’s heard here, but using the original loops would probably have made the video grating to the ear.

For anyone who’s ever wanted to see the original Alice ride— This is it. There are no major errors, and every room is done justice.

I’m especially happy that my favorite part—the crash room and screaming doors—are presented so accurately (aside from the doors not getting successively smaller—but that detail isn’t as important as the style and sound, which comes across perfectly). The screams are spot-on accurate—I felt like I’d gone back in time.

I’m stunned. This is absolutely wonderful!

 

[Disney Irish]

Oh. My. Gosh. My jaw is on the floor. THIS IS FANTASTIC!!!! As someone who rode the original dozens of times, I can say this recreation is 95% accurate—just off on a few minor details, but the overall result captures the ride brilliantly!

As mentioned in the video’s intro, there are liberties taken: the use of music in the original was much more crude than what’s heard here, but using the original loops would probably have made the video grating to the ear.

For anyone who’s ever wanted to see the original Alice ride— This is it. There are no major errors, and every room is done justice.

I’m especially happy that my favorite part—the crash room and screaming doors—are presented so accurately. The screams are spot-on perfect. I felt like I’d gone back in time.

I’m stunned. This is absolutely wonderful!

My only comment would be if they could have found a way to do the animations of the doors opening and the figures moving that would have put the video over the top.

 

[Brer Panther]

It reminds me of a Disney ride recreation made on Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (you can find a lot of those on YouTube).

 

[Rich T]

My only comment would be if they could have found a way to do the animations of the doors opening and the figures moving that would have put the video over the top.

Agreed, but I’m just so happy that such a good recreation of the interior now exists. Animation aside, there were only two big details missing/different: When the doors at the bottom of the rabbit hole opened, there was a huge concave mirror facing the riders, so you’d see your (and the vehicle’s) reflection upside down before turning right into the Upside Down Room. But that effect is impossible to recreate in a video like this, so its omission is completely understandable.

Also, the roaring dandlion’s face should be a lot bigger. But I don’t mind. This video, overall, is so accurate it’s invaluable as a park historical record.

And for everyone who never rode the original, they can watch this video and FINALLY the ride poster will make sense!

 

[Rich T]

It reminds me of a Disney ride recreation made on Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (you can find a lot of those on YouTube).

This is much better, though. Accurate track layout, pacing, room design and scenery placement. Lack of prop animation aside, this is an astonishingly great re-creation.

 

[Rich T]

A great audio detail: The cheshire cat laugh loop is dead-on perfect. Exactly like it was.

 

[mickEblu]

Oh. My. Gosh. My jaw is on the floor. THIS IS FANTASTIC!!!! As someone who rode the original dozens of times, I can say this recreation is 95% accurate—just off on a few minor details, but the overall result captures the ride brilliantly!

As mentioned in the video’s intro, there are liberties taken: the use of music in the original was much more crude than what’s heard here, but using the original loops would probably have made the video grating to the ear.

For anyone who’s ever wanted to see the original Alice ride— This is it. There are no major errors, and every room is done justice.

I’m especially happy that my favorite part—the crash room and screaming doors—are presented so accurately (aside from the doors not getting successively smaller—but that detail isn’t as important as the style and sound, which comes across perfectly). The screams are spot-on accurate—I felt like I’d gone back in time.

I’m stunned. This is absolutely wonderful!

This was really cool to see as I’d never seen the original Alice ride. Not sure why the heck they got rid of the upside down room? That looked pretty cool. Other than that, I prefer the current version more (if a fair comparison can be made from this ride through). Regardless, the quality of this recreation is fantastic. Can someone do one for ATIS or Natures Wonderland please?

Also did Alice really narrate the entire ride like that?

 

[SuddenStorm]

Can someone do one for ATIS or Natures Wonderland please?

For ATIS, there's Project: Snowflake

Currently there's a highly detailed recreation of Nature's Wonderland on displace at the Carolwood Barn, and I know I've seen a digital recreation of it somewhere. I'll do some digging.

 

[NobodyElse]

Can someone do one for ATIS or Natures Wonderland please?

A little old now, but...

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Did the extended Mad Hatter portion from the '83 re-do replace the Character Foods restaurant or was it just backstage area?

 

[Rich T]

This was really cool to see as I’d never seen the original Alice ride. Not sure why the heck they got rid of the upside down room? That looked pretty cool. Other than that, I prefer the current version more (if a fair comparison can be made from this ride through). Regardless, the quality of this recreation is fantastic. Can someone do one for ATIS or Natures Wonderland please?

Also did Alice really narrate the entire ride like that?

Yes, Alice did narrate the whole ride exactly as in the video. It’s startlingly accurate in all but a few very small details.

The Upside Down Room and Oversized Room were a bit more unsettling in reality, just because it was all done in black light, so there was more contrast and the colors weren’t as warm-looking. That’s not a criticism of the video, though; I love seeing all the detail so clearly— And if Disney ever does bring back the Upside Down Room (and they should), the lighting and colors would probably be upgraded and look like what’s here in the video.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

My only comment would be if they could have found a way to do the animations of the doors opening and the figures moving that would have put the video over the top.

I think I remember reading on Twitter that this is an unfinished version, the finished one will have animated figures and I'm assuming doors also.

This reminds me of the Virtual Toad project from well over a decade ago. Some guy was creating a 3D ridethrough of the MK Toad attraction but one day went on hiatus and hasn't been heard from since, although his site has stayed up all these years.

@Rich T One question I had watching this, were the Mad Hatter and March Hare cutouts really that proportion as seen in the video where they look huge towering over the track? Pretty unsettling.

 

[Rich T]

...were the Mad Hatter and March Hare cutouts really that proportion as seen in the video where they look huge towering over the track? Pretty unsettling.

Yes, they were that large. That whole scene was unsettling (in a good way), with the teacups on the right swiveling out of your path just in time and the teacup stack on the left spinning and looking ready to fall over. In fact, one detail that’s a bit off is the doormouse: The sugarbowl with the mouse was actually larger, so you’d have to look up to see his face pop up, but I don’t mind that it’s smaller here to allow video viewers to see the character.