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Snow White’s Adventures

Yet much of the ride’s true terror came from the fact that Coats was also a master of lighthearted beauty. A breathtaking façade, complete with a shimmering waterfall and wishing well, led more than a few parents to believe that this would be a shiny, happy trip through a beloved film. True, the Wicked Queen could be spotted peering down at the ride vehicles, but surely Disney would minimize her scariness in a Fantasyland ride, right?

Wrong. Almost as soon as the ride began, it became abundantly clear that this was no silly kid stuff. Cast as Snow White, you were about to experience the feeling of being relentlessly pursued by a Witch bent on your utter destruction.

The first stop was the Wicked Queen’s castle, where she peered into a mirror only to swing around in the guise of the howling, cackling Witch, just inches from your ride car. As you passed through the throne room and the dungeon, you quickly learned that this was no ordinary dark ride, and this Witch was playing for keeps. By the time you reached the potions room, where the Witch’s offer to “Have an apple, dearie,” was immediately followed by a shelf crashing to the ground, your heart was already thumping. But you had little time to catch your breath, as your ride vehicle went careening outside to the moat. Just as you got your bearings, the Witch came zipping by in a boat, beseeching you once again to take the apple. And when I say zipping by, that is exactly what I mean. The movement was fast, sharp, and completely unexpected.

Image: Disney

Escaping once again, you suddenly found yourself in the middle of the forest. Surrounded by demon trees, floating eyeballs, and bats, you were under constant auditory assault by the ongoing sounds of howls and shrieks. Finally, just up ahead, you spotted the familiar comfort of the dwarfs’ cottage. “Ah, we made it,” you might have thought. “The rest of the ride will be cozy and light.” 

Wrong again. As you entered the cottage, it was dark and foreboding. The furniture seemed alive, staring at you with oddly well-crafted eyes open wide in silent terror. The forest animals were huddled together in the open window, staring in horror at something outside of your visual range. Rounding the corner, you finally spotted the Dwarfs, stopped on the stairs. On the upstairs landing, a huge ghostly shadow was illuminated in light from an open door.

Just then, the Witch appeared out of nowhere in an open doorway, again shrieking and trying to make you take the poisoned apple. You escaped by heading straight through the wall. Now what? If even the dwarfs’ cottage was no longer safe, what did that mean for your ultimate fate?

 

Back outside, the Witch was again in front of you, cackling and menacing. You just managed to slip by, heading into the Seven Dwarfs Mine. Seemingly devoid of life, the mine was at once chillingly open and intensely claustrophobic. The color scheme became rich and vibrant here, a stark contrast to the darkly muted colors of the previous scenes.

Rounding a corner and proceeding down an apparently empty straight corridor, you again faced the Witch, this time standing high on a ledge. She ripped a crossbeam off its supports and asked in a cackle if you were enjoying the ride. Speeding off before you even had the chance to properly register her presence, you realized that the mine shaft was swaying precariously—possibly signaling an imminent cave-in.

Another cackle broke the silence as a mine cart filled with glittering gems came careening down the tracks, stopping just short of crashing into your ride car. You sped away, into the breathtaking Diamond Vault. All around, brilliantly colored gemstones twinkled gently as haunting music played. Your ride vehicle slowed down, allowing you to take in the wonder as you rolled gently toward a wooden door at the far side of the room.

Yet your reverie was quickly broken as you came to the shocking realization that the Witch was standing atop that door, crowbar poised underneath an impossibly large gem. Just as you approached the door, she shrieked, “Goodbye, dearie!” as she gave the gem a hard push.

The next room was filled with starburst patterns, strobe lights, and a slightly bizarre repeating version of the Witch’s cackle. Some say you were merely meant to be knocked out, while others claim that this was a death scene analogous to Mr. Toad’s Hell. Regardless, before you knew what happened, you were disembarking back into the bright Florida sunshine.

So for those who weren’t keeping count, there were eight separate run-ins with the witch (including the mine car), two direct attempts on your life, and the final murder scene, all packed into two and a half minutes. Not to mention your flight through the forest and the utter helplessness of the dwarfs, trapped inside their own cottage gone wrong.

Further enhancing the terror was the ride’s lack of a musical soundtrack. In the relatively small, tightly packed building, the shrieks and cackles and howls and screams created echo effects that reverberated throughout the ride. You were never quite sure where the Witch was going to appear from next, since you could hear her from every direction.

Warning Sign

How was this ride even possible? Situated on prime real estate in the heart of Fantasyland, it was inevitably a major draw for kids. Yet even the bravest were taken down a notch or two by the bizarre and unrelenting horror of this ride. More than a few locals claim that the ride, in tandem with Mr. Toad, was where they first learned to conquer their fears.

Yet it makes perfect sense in the broader context of Snow White history. Every generation is a bit more sophisticated and a bit more jaded than the one that came before. What scared film audiences in 1937 was passé by 1955, and what frightened a generation of original attraction riders was old hat by 1971.

Regardless, legions of parents were not amused. Not only did they not get to see Snow White, but their kids were terrified of a Fantasyland ride. Warning signage was placed outside to let riders know what to expect, but the ride, along with Mr. Toad, always teetered in a slightly controversial space where everyone had a strong opinion. You either passionately loved it or passionately hated it, with very few people falling in between. As a child of the 1980s, I happened to love both rides.

 
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