Disney announced a change coming to one of their classic Fantasyland attractions at Disneyland! Rapunzel’s Tower, from the film Tangled, will soon be showcased in Storybook Land Canal Boats. In this post, we’ll share the details about the addition before adding our own commentary. To the news!

Debuting during the Disneyland Resort 70^th Celebration, this addition joins the picturesque realm of miniature homes, villages, and castles from favorite fairytales in this classic Disneyland ride. You’ll find Rapunzel’s Tower between the Patchwork Quilt and Toad Hall when the attraction reopens this winter. 

As shown in newly released concept art, the slender tower is marked by a shingled turret and several windows high above the ground. A meticulously cared for selection of flora completes the scene, creating a lush green oasis among the boulders surrounding Rapunzel’s home. 

Beyond the tower, multiple wanted posters seeking Flynn Rider dot the stone wall, and even in miniature, they still couldn’t get Flynn’s nose right. In fact, each poster has a different depiction of Flynn’s most difficult-to-capture feature. Poor Flynn.

A secluded dock with a boat inspired by the one from the film will sit at the edge of the water further down the canal. The dock is framed by a trail of twinkling lights winding up a trellis on the bridge, where the Casey Jr. Circus Train rumbles along.

As you float by this scene during the day, you’ll hear a charming arrangement of “When Will My Life Begin?” escaping from Rapunzel’s Tower, recalling afternoons of puzzles, darts and baking. Once dusk falls, “I See the Light” will play as you drift along the canal and watch the winking lights, reminiscent of the lanterns Rapunzel and Flynn Rider gazed at from their boat in the film.  

It’s not hard to trace back the inspiration for this attraction. Walt long had a fascination with miniatures, which he collected for many years. His love of these petite creations played a non-miniature role in the making of the attraction that would become the Storybook Land Canal Boats.

On the opening day of Disneyland 70 years ago in 1955, Canal Boats of the World debuted as a serene boat ride. The attraction underwent a transformation months later to bring beloved, small-scale fairytales to life along the banks.

The attraction reopened as Storybook Land Canal Boats in June 1956, inviting guests to tour a tiny wonderland of fantastical realms. Residences from some favorite stories were painstakingly recreated at 1:12 scale and surrounded by impressive works of horticulture. 

As you pass through Fantasyland, you’ll notice one of the more unique attraction marquees at Disneyland Resort. Residing on a raised bank, “Storybook Land” is spelled in giant, living letters created by colorful plants. This is an example of the French landscape technique called “parterre,” which is the art of creating distinct designs with plants. 

The red and white striped lighthouse just outside the queue used to be a ticket booth, where guests could purchase their admission to the ride. Until all-inclusive ticket passports were introduced in 1982, guests would purchase tickets to be admitted into individual attractions. When it opened in 1956, Storybook Land Canal Boats was one of the first “D ticket” attractions at the park. 

Today, tours through the peaceful waters are narrated by expert cast member guides who point out landmarks from some favorite Disney stories, like the castle from Cinderella perched high on the hill and the humble workshop where Geppetto carves his wooden masterpieces. Over the years, the attraction has evolved to introduce iconic scenes and sounds from Disney Animation stories such as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Frozen. 

Commentary

This could bring another meaning to the Snuggly Duckling! Going into the mouth of Monstro the Whale would appear to be the scariest part of Storybook Land Canal Boats (it’s not scary). But the real threat to this charming attraction are the ducks. With miniatures, these ducks that plant themselves throughout the ride, specifically in the middle section, appear to be Godzilla sized to dwellers of these recreated sets. Flynn Rider’s nose would really be messed up if it was trampled on by the webbed feet of Godzilla Duck!

Know who else might get trampled? A long line of innocent bystanders who are trying to have a nice morning cruise while bloggers (like me) and youtubers race to get the first photo of Godzilla Duck inside of the new Tangled area.

What’s that? You didn’t come for my commentary on Storybook Land Canal Boat’s ducks? I find that hard to believe but I guess I’ll move on to say that this is good news! Tangled is Melissa’s favorite Disney movie and we’re always itching to see more of it represented in the theme parks. Bonus points if the representation isn’t in the form of toilets. I’ll resist the urge to make a duck poop joke here but I do want credit for my perseverance.

Storybook Land Canal Boats is a beautiful attraction and one that we’re happy to see them add to. Riding this in the morning is one of those perfect Disneyland moments. I love that this new section isn’t replacing anything and continues the ongoing 1956 idea of the ride. Concept art seems to be simple enough, where the tower isn’t intruding on any of the other parts of the ride. It should be a seamless addition.

I have a feeling that this could be a busy news week for the Disney Parks. Perhaps price increases and the (typical) accompanying piece of news will wait for another week or two but it’s been very quiet in the last month and I think we’ll see that change. This bit of news was unexpected but makes sense, seeing how Storybook Land Canal Boats has been under refurbishment. Knowing that the iconic attraction will reopen soon with an addition is exciting!

Are you excited for the Tangled Tower addition to Storybook Land Canal Boats? Let us know, along with any questions you have, in the comments below. If you are planning a trip to Disneyland Resort then check out our planning guide. Looking for discount Disneyland tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. You can do all of that on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!