Featured Attractions

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Original DISNEYLAND Attractions: Canal Boats of the World


Not every corner of DISNEYLAND was picturesque on opening day. Witness The Canal Boats of the World, a delightful Fantasyland boat ride past barren hills and empty vistas.

Walt Disney was running out of money, of course, and had to prioritize what projects could get completed. What was originally supposed to be an elaborate boat ride past miniature versions of Disney characters and villages had to be scaled way back to what park employees jokingly called 'the mud bank ride'. Guests still enjoyed it, however, and it was pretty popular up until the Fall of 1955 when it closed. 

DISNEYLAND had been wildly successful and money was rolling in. While Roy Disney wanted to bank the money, Walt was eager to spend it to improve his park. One of the first projects was to fully realize Walt's original vision for a miniature village on the banks of his Fantasyland canal. Storybook Land would open less than a year after DISNEYLAND's grand opening, a fully realized dream come true.