Mad Tea Party

Mad Tea Party is a spinning tea cup ride at five of the six Disneyland-style theme parks around the world. The ride theme is inspired by the Unbirthday Party scene in Walt Disney's Alice In Wonderland, and plays a carousel version of the film's "Unbirthday Song". It was one of the opening day attractions operating at Disneyland on July 17, 1955.[3]

This article is about the amusement ride. For the nighttime event at Disney California Adventure, see Mad T Party. For the literary scene, see Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Mad Tea Party
Mad Tea Party at Disneyland
Disneyland
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates33.8135°N 117.9183°W / 33.8135; -117.9183
StatusOperating
Opening dateJuly 17, 1955
Magic Kingdom
AreaFantasyland
(Enchanted Forest)
Coordinates28.42°N 81.5798°W / 28.42; -81.5798
StatusOperating
Opening dateOctober 1, 1971
Tokyo Disneyland
NameAlice's Tea Party
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates35.6312°N 139.881°E / 35.6312; 139.881
StatusOperating
Opening dateMarch 8, 1986
Disneyland Park (Paris)
NameMad Hatter's Tea Cups
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates48.8744°N 2.7752°E / 48.8744; 2.7752
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 12, 1992
Hong Kong Disneyland
NameMad Hatter Tea Cups
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates22.3133°N 114.0401°E / 22.3133; 114.0401
StatusOperating
Opening dateSeptember 12, 2005
General statistics
Attraction typeTeacups
DesignerWalt Disney Imagineering
ThemeAlice in Wonderland
Height restrictionNo restriction for the American attractions[1][2]
ManufacturerArrow Development (Disneyland)
FastPass+ available

The attraction is called Mad Tea Party at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. It is known as Alice's Tea Party at Tokyo Disneyland,[4] Mad Hatter's Tea Cups at Disneyland Paris, and Mad Hatter Tea Cups at Hong Kong Disneyland.

All five versions of the attraction are located in Fantasyland, and all except the Tokyo version were opening-day attractions at their respective parks. The Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland versions do not have a big teapot in the center of the ride platform. The ride has gained infamy over the years for the number of guests who get motion sickness as a result of the spinning component to the ride.[5]

Like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Disneyland and its Hong Kong counterpart have a replica of one of the teacups located outside the attraction to be used by guests for better photo opportunities.

Attraction facts
  • Ride system: Three small turntables, which rotate clockwise, each holding six teacups, within one large turntable, rotating counter-clockwise
  • Theming: The Dormouse can be seen popping his head out of a large teapot in the middle of the large turntable. This occurs only at Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, as the other parks do not feature a central teapot; Hong Kong Disneyland and the March Hare Refreshments at Disneyland Paris feature their own teapots apart from the ride.
  • Restrictions: The original attraction at Disneyland is unable to run in the rain because once the turntables are saturated with a moderate amount of water, they slip and can no longer spin. The other versions of this attraction at Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland are covered to prevent such situations, as well as to protect riders from extreme heat and sun. Unlike its Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland counterparts, the Disneyland Paris version has a petal-shaped glass roof.

History

Disneyland

Several concepts for the Mad Tea Party were originally much more outrageous compared to today's version. One drawing showed the Mad Hatter's dinner table featured in the center of the ride with various lanterns and decorations all around. Another drawing showed 20 teacups circling a central hub, making it similar to a racetrack with banked curves.

For the first few months after the ride first opened, the tea cups spun on a bare platform before it was painted with the psychedelic spiral that exists today. Also, during the ride's first two years, the tea cups had no brakes or clutches; nothing limited how fast they could be spun.

The attraction's original[6][7] location was directly behind King Arthur Carrousel and Sleeping Beauty Castle. It was given slight modifications in 1972 with ornamental arches connecting the light posts, and again in 1978 with the platform and teacups being repainted. In 1983, the whole attraction was completely remodeled and relocated to its present location near Matterhorn Bobsleds.[8] It also incorporated a few ideas from the original concepts, such as colorful lanterns.

In 2004, the attraction was modified to make it more difficult to spin fast after a disabled rider lost his balance and slipped from a teacup.[9] Like other remaining 1955 attractions, one of Disneyland's teacups was painted gold in honor of the park's 50th anniversary in 2005.

The installation at Disneyland was manufactured by Arrow Development.[10]

In 1956, the ride was paired with a nearby gift shop, called the "Mad Hatter of Fantasyland"; when the Alice in Wonderland attraction was built in 1958, the store was moved closer to both rides, creating an Alice corner. One of the teacups is positioned outside the hat store, for photo opportunities.[11]

Magic Kingdom
Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom

Like Disneyland, Magic Kingdom's original 1971 version of this attraction opened without a roof. It was eventually added in 1973 (along with the central teapot) due to extreme weather conditions. It was updated in 1992 with a new color scheme, new music, and the colorful lanterns. In 2010, the canopy was repainted.

Disneyland Paris

The Paris version of the attraction is the only version to feature a petal-shaped glass roof and surrounding gardens. It also uses the Dormouse's teapot outside the ride, near the March Hare's Refreshments. The teacup designs were later used for Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland's teacups.

See also

References
  1. "Mad Tea Party". Disneyland. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  2. "Mad Tea Party". Magic Kingdom. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  3. Strodder, Chris (2017). The Disneyland Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). Santa Monica Press. pp. 291–292. ISBN 978-1595800909.
  4. Tokyo Disneyland ride description Archived 22 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Gennawey, Sam (2014). The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream. Keen Communications. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-62809-012-3.
  6. Your Guide to Disneyland Fall/Winter '67
  7. Disneyland Plot Plan blueprint
  8. Strodder, Chris (2015). The Disneyland Book of Lists. Santa Monica Press. p. 91. ISBN 9781595808264.
  9. At Disneyland, slower teacups
  10. Gurr, Bob (27 November 2013). "DESIGN: Those Were The Times – No.23 1955 Arrow Development – Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon". MiceChat. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  11. Strodder, Chris (2017). The Disneyland Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). Santa Monica Press. pp. 289–290. ISBN 978-1595800909.
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