Welcome back to this week’s edition of Attraction Smackdown! Last week’s version caused quite a bit of conversation and debate on which version of the attraction should have won. This will be taken into account in the Community Votes edition of Attraction Smackdown, where your voice will be heard! After reading some of the comments and conversation, I have decided to add in a poll at the end of each week’s post, in order to gauge the reaction of which attraction the WDWNT Community feels should have won.
Let’s go over the rules of these articles: I sent out a call to the staff of WDWNT to those who have been to both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and asked which of the attractions that, in their opinions, is the superior one between the two that I’ve pit against one another. That being said, the article will be based on mine and the staff’s personal opinions on the specific attractions. With that said, let’s get on to today’s contender: Peter Pan’s Flight.
Undeniably, this is one of the most popular attractions in all of Fantasyland on both coasts. This is a truly magical and quintessential Disney attraction. Taking guests on a magical journey over London, straight to the Second Star to the Right, and a darling adventure in Neverland with Peter Pan, both versions of this attraction offer something special. Let’s begin with the one that started it all, Disneyland.
Peter Pan’s Flight(Disneyland)
This one hits you right when you enter Fantasyland through Sleeping Beauty Castle. The massive crowds queued up for this attraction can be a bit overwhelming when entering the land. And from the responses I received from this version of the attraction, again, the queue here is a bit lackluster. Most of it is a lot of outside switchbacks, but the facade of this attraction is truly great. When the land was revamped in 1983, all the buildings inside of Fantasyland were given a much needed renovation. The facade of Peter Pan’s Flight was changed from that of a standard fair you can find anywhere in the world to a quaint European-style village.
Once you board this attraction, it truly shines. Since its revamp in 2015, it has elevated this great attraction to new heights. An updated scene in the Darling children’s room shows us that they’re getting ready for their flight over the streets and skies of London with Peter Pan. Through some brand new projection effects, we see Peter Pan’s shadow take off and into the streets of London. Every aspect of this attraction was revamped to make the experience brighter, more technologically advanced, and more magical than ever. If you have not been on this version of the attraction in the last few years, you really should check it out on your next trip. It’s a can’t miss.
Peter Pan’s Flight(Magic Kingdom)
This attraction hold a near-and-dear spot in my heart at the Magic Kingdom. It does not matter how many times I have been to this park, I always need to ride this! This attraction screams ‘Disney’ to me. And by the responses I have received, this is true for almost everyone. One thing I have learned in Attraction Smackdown is Walt Disney World knows how to make fantastic queues and this is no exception at this version of Peter Pan’s Flight.
The interactive part of this queue goes along with the fantastic theming throughout it and it’s top notch. My personal favorite is everyone’s favorite pixie, Tinkerbell, playing around in the Darling children’s room. It is a wonderfully clever mix of projection effects and practical effects.
The best part of this version of the attraction would have to be the tour over Neverland. Also, to me, the nostalgia factor of this attraction has played a lot into the responses I have received. The other part of this version of the attraction that I appreciate more than any other aspect is the length of the attraction. To me, and many others, they feel the Disneyland version is far too short, while the Magic Kingdom version is longer. When I go on this attraction, it shows me why I fell in love with Disney. Yes, some of the effects are not as amazing as the Disneyland counterpart, but it does not need to match for it to still be magical.
After quite a few of responses, and weighing in the pros and cons of each attraction on each coast, it seems there was a clear winner when it comes to the attraction itself. While Magic Kingdom has the superior queue, it does not live up to the level of the attraction in Disneyland. And for that, this week’s Attraction Smackdown winner is:
Peter Pan’s Flight(Disneyland)
What do you think of this week’s winner of Attraction Smackdown? Do you agree or disagree? Vote in our poll down below and comment below to let me know your opinion for our finale of the series where YOUR voice will be heard!
[poll id=”9″]
Next week, we will be pitting Splash Mountain on both coasts against each other!
I’m a fan of the Paris version – the queue is awful, but the ride (since it’s recent refurb) is definitely better than the WDW version. I haven’t been to California but I assume it’s similar.
Well, I think this week’s is wrong. I think the Magic Kingdom version is slightly better. I’ve rode both, and due to the loading process at Disneyland (They stop the ride vehicle for each party and load them up before starting the ride again for the next vehicle), it makes the line even slower, if you could imagine…and it is already bad in MK. And at least there is the possibility of Fast Pass at MK…
its a shame they can’t make this attraction accessible to disabled passengers who need to transfer from a wheelchair…..its a evacuation issue I know, but come on imagineers……imagine a way!
Having experienced the Disneyland version for the first time recently (and the Magic Kingdom version for the first time a few years ago), I find the Disneyland version to be far superior.
I have no nostalgia bias for either; simply put, the Disneyland attraction is updated and seems better maintained.
Of course, the queues are a different story. :)
Peter Pan is one of my and my wife’s very favorite rides. But the stop at the end of the Disneyland version has become more abrupt, so much so that it hurt both my back and my wife’s back.
Where is the interactive queue at MK? I have never seen it, just the long lines that snake around like it’s always been.
Magic Kingdom for me!
It’s probably more of a nostalgia thing, but this is my favorite Disney ride. It was the FIRST attraction I ever rode at a Disney park (my first trip in 2001), and I try to ride it at least 2 times whenever I visit MK. I rode the Disneyland version for the first time last year, and even though it has better effects and it’s better maintained, it does not compare for me to the magic of the MK ride. It’s simple by today’s standards, yet still so effective. There’s something so sweet about flying through the story accompanied by a soft instrumental rendition of “You Can Fly” that changes in style depending on which scene you’re riding through, as opposed to the medley from the film’s soundtrack featured in Disneyland. The MK version is the only ride that still looks as it did on the park’s opening day (minus the few cosmetic changes to the facade over the years, plus the recent interactive queue). Even though he never saw it, it has “WALT” written all over it because it was the last version built by his own creative team and still hasn’t been touched by the influence of the modern Imagineers. It’s one of those rare treasures that doesn’t need to be tampered with to be a magical Disney experience