10 Curious Facts About the Alice in Wonderland Ride

The Alice in Wonderland ride opened up at Disneyland in 1958. To date, it’s the only ride in any Disney Park that takes Guests through the story of Alice and Wonderland.

Through the years, the ride has experienced a number of renovations and changes. However, one thing that has not changed is the love that Disneyland park goers have for this ride.

As you enjoy your journey through Wonderland, you may not be aware of the many details and secrets that this ride holds. Follow us down the rabbit hole as we dive deep into the history of this ride and share some of its lesser known facts with you. Once you’ve finished, you’ll realize why we’re all mad here about Alice in Wonderland.

1. Mushroom Ticket Booth

Within the queue is a large mushroom with an Alice in Wonderland book sitting on top of it. Today, the mushroom is simply a decorative piece in the eyes of Guests and a storage area for Cast Members to use. However, when the ride first opened, this mushroom was actually used as a ticket booth!

In the early days of Disneyland, the price of admission did not include access to the rides. After the Guests purchased an admission ticket to enter the park, they would then need to purchase a ticket for each ride and attraction that they wished to experience. The rides and attractions all had their own special booth where tickets could be purchased. For Alice in Wonderland, this was the mushroom.

Even though attraction tickets are no more, the mushroom fits in perfectly with the theming and design of Alice and Wonderland. It’s also a nice nod to the early days of Disneyland.

2. Shoes on Top of the Mushroom

If you take a close look at the top of the mushroom, you’ll be able to see six small shoes. It may be hard to see these from ground level, but when you’re taking your ride through Wonderland, you’ll be able to have a better view of them once you’re on the outside portion of the second level of the ride.

For those familiar with the film, you’ll most likely recognize these shoes. After all, who would have such small feet and need THAT many pairs of shoes? The caterpillar of course! In the film, after the caterpillar completes metamorphosis and turns into a butterfly, there is no sign of him other than his shoes that are left behind. These are the shoes that we see on top of the mushroom in the queue for the Alice in Wonderland ride.

3. The Upper Level Goes Above Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

Alice in Wonderland is Disneyland’s first multi-level attraction. Prior to a major renovation that took place in 1983, Fantasyland had very limited space. The Disney Imagineers had to get extremely creative when trying to figure out how to fit all of the rides and attractions in such a small space. As a result, Alice in Wonderland was designed with a lower and upper level.

To utilize enough space, the ride not only needed to go to a second level, but it also had to expand beyond the space of its own show building. With most of the ride taking place on the upper level, a portion of it actually extends over top of the neighboring attraction – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride!

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4. The Second Level Didn't Always Have Railings

Today, on the outside portion of the second level, you can see that there are platforms and railings that surround the track. Originally, these were not part of the attraction. From the time the ride opened in 1958, up until 2009, the track simply looked like leaves that the caterpillars would travel on.

However, in 2010, an employee of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health reported that the attraction did not meet proper safety protocols. Because of this, the ride was closed for about one month while temporary safety rails were put into place.

It was during the ride’s 2014 refurbishment that permanent safety structures were made a part of the second level. These safety changes included wider tracks, platforms, and railings in specific areas.

5. Hidden Mickey

What’s a Disney ride without a hidden Mickey? Alice in Wonderland has a unique hidden Mickey that can be easily missed if you don’t know where to look.

We all know that the Queen of Hearts is particular about the color of her roses. During the ride, we come upon the Card Soldiers frantically painting the roses red since they accidentally planted white roses. Just like in the movie, they’re doing a pretty sloppy job and get drops of paint all over the place.

Take a close look at the paint splatters on the shrubbery located on the left hand side of the track. You’ll see that three drops of paint fell perfectly into the shape of a Mickey! You’ll have to be on high alert to see this hidden Mickey. It passes by quickly!

6. One of the Few Dark Rides to Go Inside & Outside

There are many different dark rides throughout the Disney Parks. They were a very common ride type in the early days of Disney and are still being designed today! Dark rides take you on a journey through a story, often traveling through multiple scenes and rooms.

Normally, dark rides take place completely inside. However, Alice in Wonderland is an exception! There are multiple times throughout the ride that you travel back and forth between the inside of the attraction and the outdoors.

7. How to See the White Rabbit's House

After you finish your ride and you start to leave, you’ll notice a small door near the exit that reads W. Rabbit. This is the front door of the White Rabbit’s house! While you can’t open the door, there is a way to see the inside of his house.

Not far from this door, you’ll see a sign that reads “Mad Hatter”. This is a shop that sells a wide variety of hats and mouse ear headbands. If you go inside the Mad Hatter shop, you’ll actually be inside of the White Rabbit’s house! You’ll see the reverse side of the front door, rabbit furnishings, family pictures, decorations, and more! If you look up, you’ll be able to see the “second floor” of the home and see different rooms that the Rabbit family spends their time in.

If you take a moment to look at the shop from the outdoors, you’ll be able to see that the house looks exactly like it does in the animated film. (Luckily, there isn’t a large Alice stuck inside it anymore. However, you may see her walking around in the nearby area!)

8. Original Caterpillar Ride Vehicles

When taking a look at the original 1958 ride, you’ll see that the caterpillar ride vehicles are exactly the same today as they were on opening day! Of course, they have undergone standard maintenance and renovations such as new coats of paint and a change in lap bars, but the vehicles themselves are still the originals.

9. Alice Wasn't Part of the Ride

When the Alice in Wonderland ride opened up, Alice was not a part of it. It was very common for the main character to be absent in early Disney dark rides. This is because you were intended to experience the journey through the main character's eyes. Rather than simply going through and witnessing Alice’s journey as she traveled through Wonderland, the Imagineers wanted you to feel what it was like to be Alice as she traveled through this strange land.

When the attraction reopened after a renovation in 1984, Alice was now featured as one of the characters on the attraction. However, she’s still not seen too often. We actually see the White Rabbit more than we see Alice. Because of this, we can still get the sense of what it’s like to be in Alice’s shoes, but also get brief moments where we can enjoy simply observing her on her journey.

10. Goofy in Wonderland

While Goofy, of course, isn’t in the Alice in Wonderland animated film, his infamous laugh can be heard on the ride! After the Queen of Hearts gets mad and declares, “Off with their heads!”, we make our way through two sets of doors. As the second set of doors open up to the outside, listen closely! Goofy’s signature laugh can be heard as we transition from the chaos of Wonderland to the peaceful outdoor garden area.

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