Disneyland Park is not just one land: it is actually made up of nine distinct lands. Starting today, we are taking some time to feature each of those lands. To start us off, we are highlighting the land at the heart of Disneyland Park: Fantasyland!
Where is Fantasyland at Disneyland?
Fantasyland is located in a fairly central location inside Disneyland Park. It includes Sleeping Beauty Castle and the area immediately around the castle.
If you are entering Disneyland Park, proceed north right down Main Street U.S.A. When you arrive at Sleeping Beauty Castle (hard to miss, its that seventy-year-old icon you’ve seen silhouetted at the beginning of countless films) you have arrived at Fantasyland. You can now cross over the drawbridge and through the castle to reach the bulk of the Fantasyland attractions. Alternatively, you can take one of the quieter meandering paths on either side of the castle. Or, you can take the larger path to the right, which will take you on to Matterhorn Bobsleds and eventually, “it’s a small world.”
Believe it or not, the Matterhorn Bobsleds are actually part of Fantasyland. We will cover a list of Fantasyland attractions in the next section. Before we get there, you should also know that Fantasyland is surrounded by Frontierland, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Mickey’s Toontown and Tomorrowland as well as Main Street U.S.A. You can find pathways leading from any of these lands into Fantasyland: just look for the spires of Sleeping Beauty Castle to orient yourself.
Fantasyland Attractions
Fantasyland currently features thirteen attractions. Eight of those attractions debuted during Disneyland’s opening year: 1955! Those attractions are turning 70 this year along with Disneyland itself, and they are marked with asterisks in the list below
- Alice in Wonderland
- Casey Jr. Circus Train*
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant*
- “it’s a small world”
- King Arthur Carrousel*
- Mad Tea Party*
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride*
- Peter Pan’s Flight*
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
- Snow White’s Enchanted Wish*
- Storybook Land Canal Boats*
A Tour of Disneyland’s Fantasyland
The first Fantasyland attraction is the walkthrough of Sleeping Beauty Castle featuring vignettes from the movie and the opportunity to go inside a Disney icon. Most of the rest of the Fantasyland attractions are clustered in and around the courtyard of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Classic Dark Rides and a Tea Party
Around the courtyard are a four slow-moving dark rides each in their own themed buildings resembling a charming fairy tale village. These four rides—Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and Snow White’s Enchanted Wish—are each based on classic Disney animated features.
In the center of this village is King Arthur Carrousel with its sweet carved horses. This carousel also has a connection to Mary Poppins, and you can frequently find her nearby with her friend Bert.
Alice in Wonderland is the fifth Fantasyland dark ride, but it is around the corner from the little village and integrated into the walls of the castle. Actually, the film Alice in Wonderland has the distinction of having two attractions in Fantasyland, and the namesake ride is neighbored by the instantly recognizable spinning teacups of the Mad Tea Party.
Fantasyland’s Unexpected Elevation
Just across a pathway from the two Alice rides is the massive Matterhorn Bobsleds. This is Fantasyland’s resident rollercoaster and one of only two Fantasyland ride to use Lightning Lane. You cannot miss it: Matterhorn is the snowy mountain tall enough to be seen from the streets of Anaheim.
Trains, Boats and Elephants
On the opposite side of the little village from Sleeping Beauty castle are the unmistakeable flying elephants of Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Next to Dumbo are two sweet little rides: Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train. These will both take you on a tour of some miniature “Storybook Land” settings from classic Disney films. The settings for both rides are the same, but your perspective changes when you ride by boat or rail.
It’s a Trip to a Small World
For the last of the Fantasyland attractions, you will need to walk a ways beyond Storybook Land and keep heading north on the same route used for Disneyland Park parades. This will take you to “it’s a small world,” the other Fantasyland ride that uses Lightning Lanes. “it’s a small world’s” distinctive topiaries and gold facade mark the far edge of Fantasyland, and beyond it is Mickey’s Toontown.
Characters in Fantasyland at Disneyland
In addition to these thirteen attractions, Fantasyland at Disneyland offers you the opportunity to meet princesses at Royal Hall or see them perform at Royal Theatre. Both are tucked into the west side of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Check the Disneyland app for scheduled times for attending shows and meeting the princesses.
There is a second and larger theater close to “it’s a small world” called Fantasyland Theatre. This stage features seasonal shows, and you will also want to check the Disneyland app for showtimes here.
You should be able to see characters on stage at the two theaters and after waiting in line at Royal Hall, but there is also a good chance you will see characters wandering around Fantasyland. During these spontaneous character encounters, guests are not usually invited to line-up to meet the characters. Rather, you can do things like wave at them as they skip by (Peter Pan) or join them in a dance (Mary Poppins). You will also frequently see Mary’s pals, The Pearly Band, making music around Fantasyland.
Other Features in Disneyland’s Fantasyland
Disneyland Park’s Fantasyland also has places to eat and shop. Two notable shops in Fantasyland are Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, which offers royal makeovers, and the Mad Hatter, where you can get your name stitched on some classic Mickey Ears or other headwear.
If you are hungry, there are plenty of quick service and snack cart options around Fantasyland. If you are looking for some indoor seating, head over to Red Rose Taverne, and try the grey stuff… or whatever stuff they are serving that day.
You can also find restrooms at Red Rose Taverne as well near the Alice in Wonderland attraction or outside the Fantasyland Theatre. The first two locations have water bottle filling stations available to guests. (We suggesting filling-up at the “King and Queen” restrooms by Alice In Wonderland for some fun theming.)
Why You Should Visit Fantasyland at Disneyland Park
If you ask someone to close their eyes and picture Disneyland, there is a good chance that they are imagining Sleeping Beauty Castle and Fantasyland. This magical land is quintessential Disneyland. It is home to many of Disneyland’s earliest attractions which are in turn based on several of Disney’s first feature films. Almost every ride in Fantasyland has no height or age restrictions. Fantasyland is—in many ways—the heart of Disneyland.
Fantasyland Strategies: Start Your Morning Here
Fantasyland is great because it has so many classic rides clustered together. It can also get very congested, because—well—it has so many classic rides clustered together. For this reason, we suggest visiting Fantasyland first thing in the morning or just before park closing. This will help you avoid some of the heaviest crowds of the day, so you can experience shorter waits and have an easier time walking through the land.
Really, early morning and late evening are the lightest crowd times for any land, but we suggest visiting Fantasyland in particular, because only two of the thirteen Fantasyland attraction uses Lightning Lane (Matterhorn Bobsleds and “it’s a small world’s”). That means, your only chance to experience the other eleven Fantasyland attractions with short waits is when crowds are low. Here is where the benefit of all those closely packed rides comes in. When you visit Fantasyland during those golden early morning or late evening hours, you can make the most of those valuable times by doing more riding and less walking between attractions.
We wrote a post on why we do Fantasyland first thing in the morning here: What to Do First at Disneyland Park. As we mentioned, just before closing is also a nice time to do Fantasyland attractions, but we still prefer the mornings because…
Part of Fantasyland Closes for Part of Many Evenings
During nighttime entertainment at Disneyland Park, part of Fantasyland usually closes. Some attractions might reopen before the end of the night, and some might stay closed. All of this really depends on the date of your visit. We suggest checking the attraction times in the Disneyland app. The planned closure times will depend on the entertainment schedule, ride location and ride popularity.
For example, today I am looking at the attraction hours for rides in Fantasyland, and Disneyland Park’s overall hours are 8:00am to midnight. Peter Pan’s Flight and Alice in Wonderland are scheduled from 8am to 8pm and then 10:15pm to midnight. Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough has shorter hours: 8:00am to 7:30pm and 10:15pm to midnight. But, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride are open longer: 8am to 8:30pm and 10:15 to midnight. And the intrepid Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Mad Tea Party remain open for the entirety of Disneyland Park’s operating hours. My point is, check the schedule, and if you have must-dos in Fantasyland, do them in the morning to be sure you get on them!
Thanks for reading our post on Fantasyland in Disneyland Park.
We hope you have found this overview helpful, and we plan to continue this series with other Disneyland lands. To get our latest articles, subscribe to the newsletter below the Fantasyland FAQs.
FAQs: Fantasyland at Disneyland
How do I find Fantasyland?
Fantasyland in Disneyland Park is directly ahead of you when you enter through the main gate. Just proceed up Main Street U.S.A. and towards Sleeping Beauty Castle. Want to find it when you are lost in other areas of the park? Look for the spires of Sleeping Beauty Castle and head that way.
Is Fantasyland at Disneyland Park the same as the one in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World?
No! The essence of Fantasyland at Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is the same: a land dedicated to fantasy (and Disney animated films), but the theming is different and the slate of attractions is surprisingly different. If you are a Walt Disney World regular, we highly recommend giving Disneyland Resort a try and spending some quality time in Fantasyland. (Also see: 5 Tips for Walt Disney World Pros Visiting Disneyland and Is Disneyland Resort the Easier Alternative to Walt Disney World?)
Why does Fantasyland close before the rest of Disneyland?
Select Fantasyland attractions and part of the walkways may close during Disneyland Park’s nighttime entertainment. This is for safety reasons. Cast Members will reopen these attractions if and when have the all-clear. We suggest checking the Disneyland app for hours for particular attractions.
Can I use Lightning Lane in Fantasyland at Disneyland Park?
The only two rides in Disneyland’s Fantasyland that use Lightning Lane are Matterhorn Bobsleds and “it’s a small world”. All other attractions use standby only. (See our Big Guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Disneyland Resort for strategies to using Lightning Lanes.)
Do I need a special ticket or reservation to enter Fantasyland at Disneyland?
Admission to Fantasyland in Disneyland Park is included with your general admission to Disneyland Park. So head over to that castle and enjoy all the attractions that Fantasyland has to offer!
