One of the original Fantasyland attractions that debuted in 1955 the Mad Hatter's Mad Tea Party has gone through several changes the preliminary concept drawing show. Basically what guests see now is the whirl of teacups with an Alice in Wonderland theme that echoes the 1951 Disney film.
The most conspicuous stylistic differences between what was drawn and what was built concern the track layout in the attractions centerpiece one early illustration show 20 teacups circling a central hub as if they were on a racetrack with bank curves. Originally the main platform upon which the cups spun was grey later it was painted with a giant red and orange psychedelic spiral.
Guests instantly took to the crazy cups enthusiastic about the control wheel in the center of each cup that enabled riders to spin themselves faster or slower clockwise or counterclockwise. So frantic is the action that many guests don't realize the 90 second Mad Tea Party is one of the shortest rides in the park. Promoting the Mad Tea Party has always been pretty easy for Disneyland publicists. The attraction is easily understood andbasically sells itself.
When it opened the Mad Tea Party and its colorful tea cups were positioned in the Sleeping Beauty Castle Courtyard to the west of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride a location now occupied by the King Arthur Carrousel. While, it may seem nauseating and perplexing to some older guests millions still enjoy the thrills that have kept this particular party going for over five decades. Currently the music that plays is "The Un-Birthday Song" from the Alice In Wonderland movie. During the rides first two years, the Tea Cups had no brakes or clutches nothing to limit how fast they could be spun.
Mad Tea Party And Dumbo are the only attractions to have switched locations.In early 1982 Disney designers shut down the teacups for over a year so they could be relocated near the Alice in Wonderland attraction about 150 ft to the east. The carousel which was already in the castle Courtyard move north to fill the Mad Tea Parties former location and the Teacups filled what had once been an empty walkway. New party lights were strung above the cups and the Very Merry unbirthday Song from the Alice film was piped-in to enhance the connection. The Mad Tea Party has three small turntables, which rotate clockwise, each holding six teacups, within one large turntable,rotating counter-clockwise
From WED Disneyland Dictionary 1968 Mad Tea Party is inspired by the Mad Hatter's wild celebration as described in the story of Alice in Wondentand, This attraction features a merry whirl in spinning cups and twirling saucers.
From Steve Birnbaum brings you the best of Disneyland 1982: The sequence of Walt Disney's 1951 production of Lewis Carroll's novel Alice in Wonderland, in which the Mad Hatter hosts a tea party for his un-birthday, is the theme for this attraction. A group of oversize pastel teacups that spin and whirl on a spinning platform as wildly as many old amusement parks Tubs o Fun. As a result, it's always a great hit with the 9-to-20 crowd. (However, it does tend to make more riders sick to their stomachs than any other attraction in the park, so watch what you eat beforehand, and at least let a reasonable interval pass after eating before you embark on this mad whirl.)When this now closed attraction reopens in 1984, it will occupy the space between Storybook Land and Alice in Wonderland,
Specs: Capacity: 72 -- Capacity per hour 1440 -- Cycle Time 3:00 -- Load Time 1:30 -- Unoad Time 1:30 -- Trip Time: 1:45 -- Dispatch Interval 2:54 -- Trips per hour 20 --Distance Traveled: 158 feet -- Speed: 2.2 MPH
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