The Artistry & Craftsmanship of Disneyland’s Fantasyland

The Artistry & Craftsmanship of Disneyland’s Fantasyland

With the re-opening of Disneyland, it’s a great time to remember what makes this flagship park so special. In this post and podcast, we look at the artistry & magic of Disneyland’s Fantasyland. From art to sculpture to landscaping to characters themselves, we journey to find amazing characters and craftsmanship. Along the way we find what truly makes this the most magical of all the lands of Disneyland. Through narrative, photos and video, we invite you to take a stroll with us as we take a look at this happy place.

Our podcast carries narrative of the entire experience with photos and videos below supporting that narrative. You can find the podcast here on PodbeaniTunesSpotifyMyTuner, and ListenNotes. Please subscribe to both! 

Let’s start of with an overview of The Magic of Disneyland’s Fantasyland:

We’ll cover several art & craftsmanship themes:

  • Portrait
  • Weather Vanes
  • Sculpture
  • Gardening
  • Miniatures
  • Character
  • Magic

Let’s explore each.

Portrait

Pinocchio on road of choices. It is the original portrait created for the 1984 New Fantasyland.
The original painting for Snow White’s dark ride experience by Disney.
Happily ever after with Snow White and friends. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Painting by Disney. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Original Mr. Toad portrait by Disney. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
The Toad Tableau. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Weather Vanes

Never smile at a Crocodile–even if he’s a weather vane.
Merrily on the way to nowhere in particular. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Note that the whale is chasing the fish. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Sculpture

Once upon a sculpture. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
A grotto for making wishes coming true requires Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Where else can you find formal sculptures of a frog. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
The 72+ stallions of King Arthur’s Carrousel.
This sculpture has teeth to it. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
A Yeti has been sighted. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
The ultimate sculpture. Disney’s first major mountain–the Mighty Matterhorn. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Gardening

Swan topiaries greet guests to Fantasyland from Main Street, U.S.A. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Topiary have always graced the gardens of “it’s a small world”. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
A small plot of permanently planted carrots for the White Rabbit near the Mad Hatter Hat Shop. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Mountain flowers and alpine grasses at the base of Matterhorn Mountain. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Elegant hedges announce Storybook Land. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
A quilt of vegetation inspired by the Silly Symphony Lullaby Land canvassing Storybook Land. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Floral and fields of Storybook Land. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Miniatures

The road to Cinderella Castle. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
The streets and villages of Storybook Land. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Cozy little fairy homes are found throughout Pixie Hollow. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Small dioramas share the story of Sleeping Beauty. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
A small replica of Rapunzel’s tower is the centerpiece of Fantasy Faire.
Windows in Fantasyland shops come alive with miniature dioramas. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Character

Gaston making his presence clear. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Mary Poppins and Bert taking a stroll in Fantasy Faire. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Sharing the stories of Tangled and Beauty and the Beast are Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones at Fantasy Faire’s Royal Theatre. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Princess Tiana in Mickey and the Magical Map. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Pixie Dust Magic

Keep an eye on the cat and bird. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Turn the crank for Topsy Turvy Day. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Keep an eye for a sinister appearance. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Touch the apple. See what happens.
Tinkerbell makes the waters of Pixie Hollow come alive. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Even a small yeti can make a big difference–at least when it comes to making popcorn. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

The Wayfinder Society: A Patreon Site for Disney Fans

We are offering a new program where you have the opportunity to enjoy exclusive offerings from Disney at Play and Disney at Work. Join us as we introduce our new Patreon program, the Wayfinder Society, intended to give you new insights to all things Disney, whether its work or play. I am truly excited to share this new opportunity with you and look forward to creating new experiences that you will enjoy whether at home or at the Disney parks. There are a variety of options for joining, depending on your interests:

When you join, you will be given access to unique, interactive apps that explores the parks in new ways, offering stories, photos, videos and more. 

Here are some of the interactive apps we share with members of our society: 

  • Pandora: World of Avatar: This is an expansive and detailed look at every aspect of this land. You can’t find any source that has covered this entire land with its attractions, retail and dining more in depth.
  • Pirates of the Caribbean Across the Globe: We not only compare this attraction in parks world-wide, but we deep dive into what makes each unique. Currently we’ve covered Tokyo Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. More to come!
  • Coming Soon! S.E.A. Assembled! The Society of Adventurers and Explorers are coming to the Wayfinder Society. We’ll document their whereabouts and showcase their imprint on Disney attractions world-wide.
  • Disney at Work Interactive Tour: Disneyland. For our upper tiers, we have an interactive business tour of Disneyland to include more than fifty attractions spread throughout the park. These are best-in-business ideas you can apply to your own organization.
  • Coming Soon! Disney at Work Interactive Tour: Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary. Looking at the heritage of Most Magical Place in the World, we draw best practices from over the years that you can again, apply to your organization. 

As you see, we have so much to share. And when you donate, a portion of your contribution goes to Embrace Celebration, dedicated to helping Disney Cast Members and others in this area who are unemployed during this pandemic. To learn more, visit our site to discover our offerings and various tiers. Join us!

Become a Patron!

J. Jeff Kober

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