Vintage Disneyland Postcards: Fantasyland

Today is the final installment of my vintage Disneyland postcard series, and with it, I saved the most iconic land for last, Fantasyland. Disneyland perhaps wouldn’t be what it is if it were not for the beloved animated films created at the Walt Disney Studio, and here, in  Fantasyland Guests get to step into those stories and experience them.

The gateway to Fantasyland is also the central focus point of Disneyland, Sleeping Beauty Castle, where Guests can walk over a drawbridge and through the castle into a land of color and wonder.

A look down Main Street USA toward Sleeping Beauty's Castle, standing tall in the distance with white walls and blue roof.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle, straight on. The walls have a pink tint to them, and greyish blue roofs. People mingle in front.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle, with a large moat around it, and people crossing the drawbridge.

Walt Disney stands with Mickey Mouse, behind them a cavalcade of Disney characters, including the seven dwarves, the three little pigs, and the Big Bad Wolf, all in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

Mickey stands in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, which stands tall with white walls and pink roofs, brightly colored banners line the drawbridge.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle, at an angle, Guests walk along a path near the moat and over the drawbridge.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle, at an angle, Guests walk along a path near the moat and over the drawbridge.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle, at an angle, Guests walk along a path near the moat and over the drawbridge.

Even though the above four images are all relatively the same, they show a nice progression of how the area around the castle changed subtly over the years. Originally dirt pathways with minimal landscaping flanked the castle, but eventually a stone pathway was laid down and the vegetation grew to fill in the dirt around.

Goofy sits on a wall near the castle, his hand in his mouth, text reads "Goofy for Disneyland"

Snow White's Wishing Well stands on the left, with a waterfall featuring statues of Snow White and her seven dwarf friends. Guests walk by, a few look into the well.

In 1961 Walt commissioned statues of the characters from his first animated feature length movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, for an area near the castle known as Snow White’s Grotto, complete with wishing well. However, upon receiving the statues he discovered Snow White was the same height as the dwarves! Imagineer John Hench was tasked with coming up with a creative way to achieve a setting in which Snow White did not appear to be the same height, so he came up with this cascading waterfall and employed forced-perspective, a tactic used throughout Disneyland, placing Snow White atop a hill, with the dwarves below.

Once through the castle Guests were greeted by a massive carousel, spinning tea cups, flying elephants, a giant pirate ship, and brightly painted facades that were reminiscent of Renaissance tents.

A clown holding balloons chats with a young girl in front of Merlin's Magic Shop.

A view from above. Spinning brightly colored tea cups near a blue and white stripe canopy that is the carousel, the Castle just behind.

Children ride board horses on King Arthur's Carousel.

The Disneyland Band takes to the horses on the carousel.

Alice and the White Rabbit ride in a giant blue and white tea cup.

Guests board brightly colored tea cups that spin around at the Mad Tea Party.

Guests ride high aboard Dumbo.

Guests spin around and ride aboard Dumbo, the flying Elephant.

Monstro, the massive whale from Pinocchio, "eats" Guests who board the boats for Storybookland.

One of the boats from Storybookland, as it glides past miniatures of the homes from the various animated features.

Boats from Storybookland glide through the water as the look at miniature versions of the homes from characters from Disney films. Casey Jr. chugs along in the background.

Casey Jr. train, a colorful train that chugs along a track through Storybookland.

Casey Jr. train travels down the hill that it "thought it could" make.

Casey Jr. train, a colorful train that chugs along a track through Storybookland.

Casey Jr. travels along its tracks with colorful plants nearby. A miniature version of Cinderella's castle stands tall in the distance.

Fantasyland Skyway, a Swiss inspire chalet, Guests board round buckets that carry them over Fantasyland.

Fantasyland Skyway, a Swiss inspire chalet, Guests board round buckets that carry them over Fantasyland.

The Skyway buckets ride high above the Storybookland boats.

From 1956 to 1994 Guests could board the Skyway and travel to either Tomorrowland or Fantasyland in small, gondola like buckets, gliding high above Disneyland, giving them a bird’s eye view of the park, and even passing through the Matterhorn. In Fantasyland the Skyway Station was made-up to look like a little Swiss chalet, and was adorable to say the least. While the Skyway closed in 1994, the small Swiss chalet stood empty, rotting, until 2016. I became slightly obsessed with the old Skyway station, photographing it heavily in 2012, and was even lucky enough to have a Cast Member go up to the building and photograph it closer, which you can see in this post here. I photographed it again in 2016, just prior to its demolition.

The Chicken of the Sea Shop, a brightly colored pirate ship with red and yellow strip sails.

Skull Rock, a rock formation from Peter Pan, and appears to look like a skull, from its mouth a waterfall pours.

The Chicken of the Sea Shop, a brightly colored pirate ship with red and yellow strip sails. Nearby is Skull Rock.

And what is this, you ask? Why it is the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant that “floated” by the cascading falls of Skull Rock, where Guests could enjoy a variety of tuna dishes.

If Fantasyland looks a lot different, that is because it underwent a massive renovation in 1983, and was dubbed “New Fantasyland.” The brightly colored facades that had seen the park through its first three decades were never what Walt wanted, but time and money was not on his side in 1955, and it wasn’t until New Fantasyland that Walt’s dream of a fairytale village became a reality. As part of New Fantasyland King Arthur’s Carousel was moved just ever so slightly backwards, away from the Castle, the Mad Tea Party was moved entirely, to its current location by the Matterhorn, the Chicken of the Sea Restaurant and Skull Rock were completely removed, and Dumbo moved a little bit over to take its place, and in doing so opened up what is known as Big Thunder Trail, a shortcut into Frontierland.

Midget Autopia, children drive small brightly colored cars.

Autopia!? In Fantasyland? Yes, there were two Autopia attractions in Fantasyland, of course in addition to the one in Tomorrowland! There was Midget Autopia, seen here, allowed for the smaller children to drive around through more fairytale settings, and lasted from 1957 to 1966. And Fantasyland Autopia, which had a longer run from 1959 to 1999. In 1991 it was briefly transformed into Rescue Rangers Raceway when parts of the park were re-themed to promote the Disney Afternoon cartoons.

The Motorboat Cruise, small boats through waterways with small rocks. The Monorail glides by in the background.

And, yes, Fantasyland had boats as well! Seen here is the Motor Boat Cruise, which lasted from 1957 to 1993. Like the Fantasyland Autopia, it received a Disney Afternoon tie-in in 1991, and became The Motor Boat Cruise to Gummi Glen, and Guests floated by painted wooden cut outs of the buildings and characters from Disney’s TV show Gummi Bears. Today all that remains of the Motor Boat Cruise is the dock, across from the Matterhorn, and is a seating area, and sometimes character meet-and-greet location.

In 1966, after its successful run at the New York World’s Fair, “it’s a small world” was given a permanent home at Disneyland.

The facade of it's a small world, which is gold and white and has abstract versions of icons from the world, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The facade of it's a small world, which is gold and white and has abstract versions of icons from the world, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The facade of it's a small world, which is gold and white and has abstract versions of icons from the world, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Inside it's a small world: Dutch children sit in giant tulips, a windmill turns in the background.

Inside it's a small world: Here the happy children of Mexico dance under a vibrant sun and massive sombrero.

Inside it's a small world: Japan, with tall pagoda like arches.

Inside it's a small world: New Guinea children play drums and wear masks with large totems behind them.

Inside it's a small world: Africa, colorful with various animals like hippos and lions.

Inside it's a small world: A rainforest with friendly animal friends.

Inside it's a small world: finale scene where every child wears white, but still in traditional garb. African children dance, with girls doing the can-can in the distance.

Inside it's a small world: finale scene where every child wears white, but still in traditional garb. Children from northern Europe play musical instruments.

Inside it's a small world: finale scene where every child wears white, but still in traditional garb. Children from the middle east play musical instruments.

The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf stand in front of it's a small world, text reads "Three Pigs and 'Friend' Disneyland"

And what better way to end this post and the series than with a look at Sleeping Beauty Castle at night…

Sleeping Beauty's Castle at dusk, appearing a dusty pinky-yellow with teal rooftops.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle at sunset, and it blazes pale orange and reds with a pink and blue sky behind it.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle at night, Tinkerbell flies above.

Sleepy Beauty's Castle with fireworks going off behind it. People line the drawbridge for a look.

I hope you enjoyed this series showcasing my vintage Disneyland postcards! I do know my collection is far from complete, and perhaps I will add to these posts over time.

If you enjoyed this series, let me know in the comments below! I have a small collection of vintage Knott’s Berry Farm postcards that I will likely share next. Additionally, I have vintage photographs of Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm that I also plan on sharing.

Other Vintage Disneyland Postcard Posts
Main Street USA
Adventureland
New Orleans Square
Tomorrowland

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