Mad Tea Party
Encyclopedia
Mad Tea Party is a spinning tea cup ride
at all five Disneyland-style theme parks around the world. The ride theme is inspired by the Unbirthday Party scene in Disney
's Alice In Wonderland
. 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.
The attraction is called Mad Tea Party at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. It is known as Alice's Tea Party at Tokyo Disneyland, 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 version was originally located directly behind Sleeping Beauty Castle
(in the present-day location of King Arthur Carrousel
) and was moved to its present-day location in 1983. This version was modified in 2004 to make it more difficult to spin fast after a disabled rider lost his balance and slipped from a teacup. The Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland versions do not have a big teapot in the center of the ride platform.
Teacups
Teacups is an amusement ride characterized by cup-style spinning vehicles atop a turntable-like floor.-Operation:Typically, each set of four teacup vehicles has a circular floor or a motor capable of turning 360 degrees. The circular floor or motor sits within a larger, turntable-like floor...
at all five Disneyland-style theme parks around the world. The ride theme is inspired by the Unbirthday Party scene in Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's Alice In Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass. Thirteenth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was released in New...
. The ride has gained infamy over the years for the number of guests who get motion sickness
Motion sickness
Motion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...
as a result of the spinning component to the ride.
The attraction is called Mad Tea Party at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. It is known as Alice's Tea Party at Tokyo Disneyland, 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
Fantasyland
Fantasyland is one of the "themed lands" at the many Magic Kingdom-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company around the world. Each Fantasyland has a castle as well as several gentle rides themed after Disney movies...
, and all except the Tokyo version were opening day attractions at their respective parks. The Disneyland version was originally located directly behind Sleeping Beauty Castle
Sleeping Beauty Castle
Sleeping Beauty Castle is the fairy tale structure castle at the center of Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. It is based on the late-19th century Neuschwanstein Castle,with some French inspirations .-Disneyland version:Opened July 17, 1955, the castle is the oldest of all Disney castles...
(in the present-day location of King Arthur Carrousel
King Arthur Carrousel
King Arthur Carrousel is the carousel in Fantasyland at Disneyland which was featured in the telecast of Disneyland's 1955 opening day.-History:...
) and was moved to its present-day location in 1983. This version was modified in 2004 to make it more difficult to spin fast after a disabled rider lost his balance and slipped from a teacup. The Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland versions do not have a big teapot in the center of the ride platform.
Attraction facts
- Ride system: Three small turntables, which rotate clockwise, each holding six teacups, within one large turntable, rotating counter-clockwise.
- Theming: The DormouseDormouse (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)The Dormouse is a character in "A Mad Tea-Party", Chapter VII from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. He sat between the March Hare and the Hatter...
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.
- Restrictions: The original attraction at Disneyland is unable to run in the rain, once the turntables are saturated with a moderate amount of water they slip and can no longer spin. All 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 protect riders from extreme heat and sun.
- On September 26, 2010, the ride at Walt Disney World closed for refurbishment. It reopened on November 12, 2010.
See also
- See Cars LandCars LandCars Land is a new themed land at Disney California Adventure Park that is currently under construction. This land will be built as part of the $1.1 billion expansion plan for Disney California Adventure Park on the former Timon Parking Lot behind the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and A Bug's...
under Mater's Junkyard Jamboree