The classic and the modern come together in the new “Peter Pan’s Flight” ride
Pixie dust and some hard labor gave new magic to the nearly 60 year old attraction
The classic and well-loved ride Peter Pan’s Flight is finally open for guests to enjoy once more. In the video from the Disney Parks Blog above, Imagineers Larry Nikolai and Elisabeth Papadopoulos explain the new elements of the ride that have been put into place.
Some of these new features involve updated figures, such as those of the Darling children in the nursery or Tiger Lily in Skull Rock. Many scenery elements, such as the Thames River, Neverland’s waterfalls, lagoon, and volcano, and the famous Second Star to the right have also been updated with brand new animation, bringing the ride to life. Nikolai and Papadopoulos also comment on Tinker Bell’s increased role, and how she and her pixie dust can be seen leading guests as the ride progresses.
While Peter Pan’s Flight has indeed been updated with brand new features, Nikolai and Papadopoulos are quick to point out that these new additions were added with the classic ride in mind. Nikolai noted the already established love for the ride, saying, “everybody knows and loves this, and it’s a beloved attraction, so we were very respectful of that. We never put new technology in just for the sake of new technology, it has to support the storytelling.”
In fact, the Imagineers kept certain elements of the original Peter Pan’s Flight: for example, Nana in the nursery and Admiral Nelson in London are both pieces from the original 1955 version of the ride!
Papadopoulos summarized the way Imagineers aim to capture the classic in their updates, saying, “we wanted to take what was already memorable and special…and make sure that the next time they ride, these elements will be even more magical than they last remember.”
Your ride to Neverland is now open to the public, so come see the new pixie dust for yourself for Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration!
