Disneyland adding a modern movie to one of its original rides
For as many superfans as there are of the Disney movie “Tangled,” it has never been a part of an attraction at Disneyland or Walt Disney World – that is, until now.
The 2010 hit animated film is coming to Disneyland’s Storybook Land Canal Boats, an attraction that dates back to the park’s opening; a canal boat ride opened in 1955, but the fairy tale elements came the following year. A new Rapunzel’s tower scene is set to debut this winter when the ride reopens from refurbishment. During the day, the music in that area will be Rapunzel’s signature “When Will My Life Begin?” At night, the song will be “I See the Light,” from the movie’s famous floating lantern scene.
Concept art of the “Tangled” area coming to Storybook Land Canal Boats at Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disneyland)
Riders board a boat, sail through Monstro the whale’s mouth and emerge on the other side in a storybook land filled with miniature tableaus of classic fairy tales and children’s stories. The first stories included “Three Little Pigs,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wind in the Willows,” which inspired Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. As years passed, the park added modern movies like “Aladdin” and “Frozen.” It’s a peaceful sail through idyllic landscaping, and is home to the oldest living tree in Disneyland: a 2-foot-tall mugo pine built into the Pinocchio scene, which D23 estimates is 150 years old.
It’s not the most in-demand ride in the park, or even in Fantasyland, but there’s an argument to be made that the Storybook Land Canal Boats is the attraction closest to Walt Disney’s original vision for Disneyland. If he had gotten his way, “Disneylandia” would have been a collection of miniatures that traveled the country by train. A lot of that original collection is still on display at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.
Storybookland Canal Boats opened in 1956 as an update of an opening day Fantasyland ride. (Julie Tremaine)
There’s also a secret that one single fan per day can unlock at the attraction. If you’re the first rider in the morning, you’re invited to sign a guest book – it’s a small victory, but it’s reserved for the true diehards. You won’t see the book at any other point in the day.
It’s the first time “Tangled” is getting any kind of love on an attraction at the domestic Disney parks. Rapunzel is a meet-and-greet character, and she and her love interest Flynn Rider often appear in parades, especially during special events like Sweethearts’ Nite. Villain Mother Gothel is a mainstay at Oogie Boogie Bash.
The first person to ride Storybookland Canal Boats each day gets the opportunity to sign the ride’s guest book. (Julie Tremaine)
There is only one “Tangled” ride across all of Disney’s parks; Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival opened at Tokyo DisneySea in 2024 as part of its Fantasy Springs expansion. At Walt Disney World, there’s a “Tangled”-themed bathroom area in Magic Kingdom that’s a popular photo spot.
The movie has been gaining popularity on streaming as of late. On Oct. 5, Collider reported that “Tangled” entered the top 10 most streamed titles on Disney+ for the first time, 15 years after its release.
Disneyland hasn’t announced a reopening date for Storybook Land Canal Boats other than this coming winter. The park calendar, which currently extends to Nov. 17, shows the attraction is still closed that day.
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This article originally published at Disneyland adding a modern movie to one of its original rides.
