Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Day *

* (restored/expanded)

 

‘The only attraction in history to entice riders with the prospect of donning the persona of a crazed amphibian, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is a true anormality. Of Disneyland’s original 1955 “Fantasyland Three” dark rides, Mr. Toad has only been constructed twice – half the number of incarnations Peter Pan’s Flight and Snow White’s Adventures have received. And overall, it is not too surprising – while Snow and Pan told something like their original stories, Mr. Toad spun off on a weird alternate reality that relied on your familiarity with a not-heavily-publicized postwar short feature to even understand the basic elements of what was going on.

‘Toad was always the most basic of the Fantasyland dark rides, even in 1955. While a number of characters appeared “in the round” at Snow White and Peter Pan, Toad featured entirely two dimensional characters. Depth in the sets was achieved through basic forced perspective and the spacing out of cut-out painted flats. Characters were often animated using the most basic methods, and there were not too many. What Toad depended on to be effective was the speed of the car, the twistiness of the track, and some basic simple effects like placing rubber lifters in the path of the car to simulate an uneven surface. This is still what makes Toad work today.

‘Of course, the attraction’s piece de resistance was its’ sinister and utterly absurd climax. Anybody of an impressionable age who has raced down that dark tunnel towards the oncoming “train” will never forget the terror of that scene, nor the surprise following when the cars deposited you in Hell to be accosted by rubber demons. This concept seems to account for much of the reason a dark ride was even attempted of Mr. Toad to begin with.

‘Is it possible that humans are simply hardwired in a way which, inevitably, certain tactile experiences are lasting because they’re essentially, innately appealing? Although much of the brilliance of Country Bears and America Sings, for example, is in their structure, they work because they are innovative variations on the time honored tradition of the proscenium arch. So, apparently, sitting still and moving your head from side to side to an effort to keep up with a show is innately appealing to the primordial ooze which we crawled out of. So, apparently, is sitting in a tiny car rattling down a dark rail waiting in mortal terror for the next bend in the track.

‘Dark Rides have been popular for well over 100 years now, and possibly because they, moreso than the roller coaster or omnimover or anything else, most recall the dream state and the irrationality of our own collective unconscious. Great dark rides feel like the whole thing is totally out of control. Is this why Mr. Toad works so well? Toad emphasizes the method of conveyance as the justification for the content, and the irrationality of the twists in the track are not because that’s what dark rides do, but because you’re a totally out of control amphibian riding a hot ticket to Hell. Form dictates content dictates form. And it increasingly seems like any way you cut it, Toad is a masterwork of a dark ride.’ — Passport to Dreams Old & New

 

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The experience

‘Passengers begin their journey by crashing into a library, where MacBadger is seen teetering atop a ladder with a stack of books. They then crash through the fireplace, where fiberoptic effects simulate the scattering of embers on the floor. Narrowly avoiding a falling suit of armor, the passengers break through a set of doors to find the interior hallway of Toad Hall in disarray, as weasels swing from chandeliers. Guests then enter the dining room, where Mr. Mole is eating at a dinner table and gets knocked aside.

‘Upon leaving Toad Hall, guests travel through the countryside, passing Mr. Rat’s house, aggravating policemen and terrifying a farmer and his sheep. Making a right turn, guests head for the docks and get the impression that their car will plunge into the river, but quickly make a sharp turn in a different direction and enter a warehouse full of barrels and crates containing explosives. Guests crash through a brick wall as the warehouse’s contents explode. They then head out into the streets of London, narrowly avoid a collision with a delivery truck, and enter Winkie’s Pub, where Mr.Winkie the bartender holds two beer mugs. He ducks down, leaving the mugs spinning in the air.

‘Passengers then enter the town square, where the cars wreak further havoc on the citizens. A working fountain featuring Toad and Cyril Proudbottom stands in the center of the town. Behind this statue is one of Lady Justice peeking out from under her blindfold. Next, guests enter a jury-less courtroom, where the riders are proclaimed guilty by a judge (based on the film’s prosecutor for the Crown). The cars then enter what is presumed to be a dark prison cell before abruptly turning right and landing on railroad tracks. The vehicles bounce along the tracks in the dark before colliding head-on with an oncoming train.

‘Passengers then arrive at the ride’s final scene: a tongue-in-cheek depiction of Hell not inspired by any scene in the movie or book. The entire room is heated, and the scenery features small devils who bounce up and down. Passengers also see a demon who resembles the Judge from the courtroom scene. Near the end of the scene, a towering green dragon emerges and attempts to burn the riders to a crisp. A glowing light is seen in the back of its throat and choking, coughing noises are heard while the motorcar speeds away. Granted a reprieve, the passengers eventually “escape” to the ride’s loading and unloading area, where they disembark.’ — Walt Dated World

 

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The ride

Disneyland version #1

Disneyland version #2

Disneyworld version (1971 – 1998, Track 1)

Disneyworld version (1971 – 1998, Track 2)

 

 

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Welcome to Virtual Toad

‘When Walt Disney World announced plans to close Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in 1998, Spencer Cook of Clearwater, Fla., was among the protesters. But the ride, based on a Disney film version of The Wind in the Willows, was scuttled in favor of one featuring Winnie the Pooh.

‘There’s a large online fandom for “extinct” Disney rides, as reflected by such sites as yesterland.com. Mr. Cook, 37, was not content with simply penning tributes or posting photographs, however. Instead, he recreated the ride itself through 3-D animation. The site included a fully interactive Virtual Toad QTVR Walking Tour, which, as of early 2012, covered roughly 1/5 of the ride, and was scheduled for completion in 2016.

Unfortunately this dream project doesn’t have a happy ending. Cook’s virtual recreation of the infamous WDW Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was shelved in 2008 indefinitely when he had a kid. What he finished was still up on his site until 2019 and it was pretty easy to see why it inspired so many. Now it’s gone, dead, but here’s hoping that he picks it back up one day.’ — NYT

 

 

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The Hidden Mickeys in Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

‘A Hidden Mickey is a representation of Mickey Mouse that has been inserted subtly into the design of a ride, attraction, or other location in a Disney theme park, Disney properties, movie or other Disney product. The most common Hidden Mickey is a formation of three circles that may be perceived as the silhouette of the head and ears of Mickey Mouse, often referred to by Disney aficionados as a “Classic Mickey”. Over time, the term Hidden Mickey has come to refer to a range of possibilities from a more complete representation of Mickey Mouse (such as Mickey mixed in with a crowd or in the background), or a representation of another character. Mickeys may be painted, made up of objects (such as rocks, or three plates on a table), or be references such as someone wearing Mickey Mouse Club ears in a painting. Hidden Mickeys can take on many sizes and forms.’ — Wiki

In line outside after you pass under an archway, you are facing the carrousel, just after you pass the window/doorway that shows you the inside line, look up, hanging from the corner of the roof is a pinecone looking thing. It’s texture is made up of overlapping circles, and the top row along with one from the 2nd row form a hidden Mickey. It’s pretty easy to see. There is also one hanging near the main door.
REPORTED: mathew 27 MAR 99

The Mickey outside the arch on Mr. Toad’s Wild is just a pinecone and is too common to be a Mickey. They can be found all over the park!
WISHFUL THINKING: Gregory Holcomb 21 APR 99

Mickey Mouse’s shadow in Toad Hall’s leaded window. In the lobby on the ceiling.
REPORTED: Robbie 31 AUG 96
Yup It could be……
CONFIRMED: Ambular & Lauren 04 MAR 97

In the line, if you look up in the rafters right before you go through the turn style, you will notice three red berries in the shape of a Hidden Mickey.
REPORTED: Andy & Farrah 30 JAN 97

There are some rafters with berries drawn on them. The rafters are located just after the boarding area of the ride. Look carefully at some of the berries, and some are in groups of 3 and form a Mickey face
CONFIRMED: Jack B 13 JUL 98

Outside in line, half way, in the bushes on the left side a Hidden Mickey is cut out of the end of the hedge.
REPORTED: KT Baker SHANGO-GRADNIT’97 15 JUN 97

I saw a cut out in a bush by the line in Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
CONFIRMED: Erica 27 OCT 98

In the bush on the left there is really a Hidden Mickey cut out.
CONFIRMED: Marla 28 OCT 98

While waiting in line, inside the building, is a picture of Mr. Toad. He is large… and to the right of the cast member sitting down loading the ride. This large painting on the wall shows a Hidden Mickey in Mr. Toad’s face. His eyes look like Mickey’s ears and nose bridge looks like the top of a Mickey “hat”. So I guess this would really be a Hidden Mickey Hat!
REPORTED: DP 28 MAR 98

While waiting in line outside, you walk by the large leaded-glass window in front of the ride. The Mr. Toad statue is there, waving. Look above the statue towards the ceiling. There are two curtains arranged in such a manner as to form a Mickey head. The large circular curtain in the middle is the head, and the bunched up curtain to the sides of the head is the ears. When you go inside, look at the curtains from the back. There is no logical reason for that large circular curtain to be hanging there in the middle; in fact, it appears as if the center curtain was added AFTER the side curtains. This is deliberate, and is, in my opinion, a Hidden Mickey.
REPORTED: Pianoman 28 OCT 98

While standing in line in the cue, once inside, you pass by a statue of Mr. Toad. Look deep into his eyes… you’ll see two Hidden Mickey’s. They are Mr. Toad’s pupils!
REPORTED: Shawnee 07 FEB 06

I was in line for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and while I waited I was inside right by the Mr. Toad statue the one by the window and you could touch if you want to, but I was looking at it then I realized I was looking at a Hidden Mickey. If you look in the eyes of the statue, the white highlight in the pupil is painted clear as day as a Hidden Mickey.
CONFIRMED: Nick Nygard 21 FEB 06

When you enter Toad hall there is a shield above the door. On the shield there is a car. The has the shape of Mickey’s head.
REPORTED: David and Brian MaWhinney 26 APR 98

In the ride, there is a halogram of a Mickey head on the door. You will see the Mickey only in the dusk hours of the day. When you enter the ride you go through a set of doors and then you turn and come back out again. When you turn to go throught the second set of doors as you pass through them look in the lower right hand side of the right door. There in the corner is a small Mickey head put there by the imagineers during construction. This was one of the two that the imagineers placed in the park. I was shown this one from Mickey one of the cast members at the park. Have fun finding this one it is great!
REPORTED: Julimo 13 NOV 00

After you pass the toad statue on your left, you will make a u-turn to the right. Just as you get to the turnstile, look at the crew member running the ride. There is a flower bouquet to the right of the crew member. There are three white flowers in the middle of the bouquet in the shape of a Mickey head.
REPORTED: TWINS 17 AUG 96
CONFIRMED: FRIENDS 07 SEP 96
LOST: Ambular & Lauren 04 MAR 97

In Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride after you pass through the first room, you enter a small area where there’s a statue of armor that will fall towards you. On each elbow, the armor is shaped like a sideways Mickey head!
REPORTED: Sara 24 JUN 02

As the ride starts you can see a shadow of Mickey on either the left or right hand corner of the window. I want to double check this in “Mouse Tales: A Behind-The-Ears Look at Disneyland” because I know it’s a real one. I just wanted to let you know in case you see it before I find it
REPORTED: Michael Campisi 10 MAR 96

The Mickey is on the left stained glass window as you go out through the fireplace its in the lower right hand side and painted in a purplish color
CONFIRMED: Tod Rees 26 MAY 96
CONFIRMED: Meg 17 JUN 96
CONFIRMED: FRIENDS 07 SEP 96

There is a tiny shadow of Mickey in Toad Hall. You can see him as you burst through the leaded-glass window. He is near the center, close to the sill.
CONFIRMED: Maeve C. 01 FEB 97
CONFIRMED: Candace and Eric 07 AUG 98
CONFIRMED: raul bustamante 11 AUG 00

After you pass that falling knight in armor at the beginning you go through a door into a hall of weasels. Its on that door (the left of the 2 swinging doors), in the “glass” part, very bottom left: a perfect shadow profile of that mouse. He’s very faded and small. I was shown it by a cast member after the ride broke and the lights were on.
CONFIRMED: bill 14 DEC 00
CONFIRMED: anon 08 OCT 01
CONFIRMED: Jason 27 JAN 02

This is my new favorite Hidden Mickey. I’d been looking and looking for the Mickey on the window at the beginning, and I finally found him. The ride then broke down, and my brother and I had to walk back out the way we came. I was able to take a closer look, and it is awesome!
CONFIRMED: Jaycub 11 JUN 02

There is a sillouette of Walt Disney holding or shaking Mickey’s hand. It can only be seen with the aid of a flashlight.
REPORTED: CHAR BERTEAUX IV 05 MAY 97

On the second door is a hidden Mickey
REPORTED: Cheryl 21 MAR 99

After you go throught the fireplace and then U-turn, there are pictures along both walls…. the second picture on the left side has a hidden Mickey at the top of the picture frame….. it’s upside down.
REPORTED: Paul 20 FEB 97

I thought I saw a Mickey in the train headlights just before it runs you down and you go to hell. There is one large light(the head)and two smaller ones above it (the ears).
REPORTED: Andrew Johnson 30 NOV 01

On the Fantasyland Mr. Toad Ride there may be a hidden Mickey on the train that is about to hit you. I can’t be sure though.
CONFIRMED: Collin Craghead 28 APR 02

If you are standing by Mr.Toads Wild ride, facing Its a Small World, walk slowly towards it and concentrate on the clock. As it opens, peek on the inside of the left door to see a pale outline of Mickey.
REPORTED: anon 27 FEB 99

 

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Hell

‘Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in Disneyland starts out tame enough. After boarding an early-20th-century automobile, you roll through the halls of an English manor filled with animal characters from The Wind in the Willows. Other stops on your joyride include a farm, a pub, and a TNT factory. Your reckless driving eventually lands you in court, where a judge finds you guilty. It feels like a fitting ending, though a bit of a downer for Disney. But your journey doesn’t stop there. Following the trial, the ride takes a literal and figurative turn onto the tracks of an oncoming train. A crash erupts as the vehicle is enveloped in darkness. In case your fate wasn’t clear enough, your car then enters the mouth of hell. The judge who sentenced you now sports horns and bat wings, and pitch fork-wielding demons dance to his maniacal laughter. Raging flames cast an eerie glow over the dim space. The last thing you see is a dragon behind a stalactite cage preparing to blast fire over you and your fellow passengers. This last section—which has nothing to do with the film that inspired the ride—spans less than 30 seconds, and when you finally emerge into the brightly-lit boarding area you may wonder if you imagined it.’ — Mental Floss

 

 

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The movie

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride  (released as The Wind in the Willows in the United Kingdom) is a 1996 British adventure comedy film based on the Disneyland ride, adapted and directed by Terry Jones, and produced by Jake Eberts and John Goldstone. The film stars Terry Jones, Steve Coogan, Eric Idle and Nicol Williamson. It was a box office bomb and had distribution problems in the United States. At the time of the US release, Jones, who was working on a documentary in New York, was told by telephone that the film was being shown in a cinema in Times Square. Jones rushed down to the square only to discover that the cinema was “one of those seedy little porno theatres.”‘ — Quad

 

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Second to lastly

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Trailer

Evacuation from Mr Toad’s Wild Ride

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – Source Audio – Toad Hall 1971

Little Big Planet 2: Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride by AaronDBaron

 

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Further

‘Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Magic Kingdom Archives’
Daveland’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Photo Page
Philip’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Photos
‘Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Before & After the 1983 Remodel
‘An up-close look at some of the figures from “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”‘
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride @ Walt Dated World
‘We Tried to Save Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride’
‘Bring back Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride!!!’ page @ Facebook
‘The Original Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride’ @ Yesterland
‘Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride props resurface as Walt Disney World collectibles’
Props from Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride’
Mr Toad’s Wild Ride mix-‘tape’ feat. Sun Ra, Popol Vuh, a.o.

 

 

 

*

p.s. Hey. ** Jeff Coleman, Hi, Jeff. I’m not there and don’t know the specifics, but, being a logical set of person, I feel like I can say with some authority that those voices are not from people here or probably from anyone other than your imagination? I definitely don’t hate you, au contraire, so you needn’t worry about that. Man, I really hope things get better for you. That sounds really scary. What non-actress were you referring to? Sorry, I’m spacing. The ‘Jerk’ film is surprising excellent. If it’s streaming somewhere else, and I don’t know, I’ll pass the locale along. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Yeah, right? I think you’d need an additional magic power or two to make immortality work properly. What did you get your dad? Are you looking forward to your Hungarian return at all? Have you reached the point where you feel any nostalgia for the place? Love either taking me out for a pizza dinner or making me not want to eat pizza so much, G. ** Ferdinand, Hey, man, good to see you! I will definitely check out the track once I finish this thing. Great, thanks! Everyone, Ferdinand, fine fine creator of artful things and long-time blog d.l. has a treat in store for us, and here he is to explain and point: ‘I recorded this vocal track while fiddling on a old Boss Dr Rhythm drummachine to the beat of “So Alive” by Love and Rockets and somehow it turned into this channeling of Social and Abandonment anxiety or something. Anyway I just uploaded it on youtube in order to share it here, thinking it might resonate with the blog. Please do check it out.’ Take care, sir. ** Jack Skelley, Happy anything, Jacko. Oh, lucky you on the McBride/Acker gig/ assignment. Pray tell or pray hint? And the DeLear too. Jeez, I miss having PRB in my hood, I gotta tell you. I hope and pray that you are a fellow adorer of Mr. Toad’s Disneyland property. Surely. Love infinitized, me. ** _Black_Acrylic, It’s pretty suave, as I recall. ** A, Hey. Okay, I’ll hunt down the King Kong issue. And the trailer. I’m out of the loop. The only Assayas movie I love is ‘Irma Vep’. The others seem hit and miss, but I haven’t seen them all by any means. I haven’t seen ‘Saltburn’ or the Haynes yet. I’m more interested in the former. Okay, inbox me, cool. The film: we’re ready to finish it, we’re just trying to find some funds so we can do that because we have none at the moment. But, yeah, it’ll be complete before very long one way or another. Take care, bud. ** Kyler, I don’t remember my phrasing precisely but I do believe I was just thanking you for the kind words. Charles Ludlam, what a great. I went to his funeral. True sadness. ** Steve Erickson, Definitely. Most of the great older experimental filmmakers basically only get to show their films in galleries and museums at this point, with only Anthology Film Archive and Film Forum in LA and few other places like that otherwise available. I mean, ‘PGL’ was screened in many, many more art contexts than in theaters. It’s a grim situation, but thank goodness the art world is so open. I think avoiding PayPal like the plague is a capital idea. I wish there was another big, popular option. ** Meg Gluth, Hey, Meg! Thanks. Yeah, we’re going to get the film finished for absolutely sure, and soon. We’re immensely happy with it and confident about it, and we’re fighting to get it to the finish line without a second thought. I will tell Zac hey and pass along your kind offer. Again, really excited to see what you and Oscar conjure together. Collaboration with a likemind is so great, isn’t it. So percolative, even though I guess that’s not a word. I’m blown away that I found that with Zac. Love, me. ** Marcus Whale, Hey, cool, thanks for coming back. Excellent about ‘Ecstacy’. I’ll be very excited to hear it as soon as it’s real. I will go straight to the last track on the Jute Gyte album. Sounds very needed. Stephen O is a good pal of mine, and even I was blindsided by the Khanate release. Best of the best to you. ** Misanthrope, Air is underrated. Well, I guess it’s highly rated, but maybe it doesn’t get actual verbal thanks enough. Cool about your mom’s successful b’day. Yikes on the labyrinthine mishap with the laptop. I don’t have health insurance either. I really, really need to get some. Procrastination at its stupidest. ** Darby 🎁💝, Yep, Marcus’s avatar — do they still call them that? — did a good thing to my eyes as well. I believe you about calisthenics. I used to (have to) do them in high school, and no complaints. I used to do yoga for years, but I got bored. My internet is too slow at this very moment for some reason to look at that video, but I will as soon as it’s up to speed. Yes, you have the story of the aptitude test precisely correct. Maryville? No, never heard of it. I’ll look it up, though. Um, I don’t think I knew anyone who had a lobotomy. Did I? No, I don’t think so. I knew some people who had really serious shock treatments. Which didn’t help them unless I’m forgetting. I got the humor in that guy’s statement. You prose translated it into an entertainment. I hope your year continues to pan out marvellously, and that I’ll get to hear all about that. That’s a nice NMH quote right there. ** Okay. Today I’m being quite self-indulgent by restoring a very old post that tells you more than you ever wanted to know about the sublime and massively influential amusement park attraction Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, my favorite amusement park attraction of all time, and now you all just have to find a way to enjoy the post or get around it somehow. And I will see you tomorrow.