In 1955 when DISNEYLAND first opened, children instantly found much to like in this Magic Kingdom. DISNEYLAND instantly became a place that topped any kid's wish list as the ultimate vacation spot. Walt Disney knew exactly what children wanted and gave it to them. Or did he?
One of the biggest questions heard from guests about the attractions in Fantasyland was "where are the characters?" Or more accurately, "where are Snow White and Peter Pan?" You see, the attractions bearing the names of these two didn't actually feature either of them inside. Why would Disney build a Snow White attraction without Snow White? Or a Peter Pan ride without Peter Pan? The answer was simple.
When you step aboard either attraction, Walt Disney wanted you to feel like you had become Snow White and/or Peter Pan. You were experiencing their adventures from their point of view. Seeing either character in the ride would ruin this effect. After all, if you saw Peter Pan in the attraction, how could you also be him? This reasoning, however, was never understood by guests. DISNEYLAND didn't want to issue a pamphlet explaining to each guest why they wouldn't see either Peter Pan or Snow White in the attractions, so they were slowly worked into both rides every time there was scheduled maintenance. When Fantasyland was renovated in 1982 to look more like the land that Walt Disney had originally envisioned, Both attractions became fully tooned up with Peter Pan and Snow White.
