Five Signs You’ve Ridden Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland too Many Times

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is one of the most beloved… and controversial… attractions Walt Disney Imagineering has ever dreamed up. Whether at Disneyland or previously at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, the madcap motorcar ride has entertained millions of guests and created a smaller subsection of diehard fans whose fandom is unmatched in the annals of Disney Parks. 

However, even the most fervent passion should have its limits, and these signs may indicate you’ve ridden Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride a few too many times.

You Wear Nothing but Your Mr. Toad Tee-Shirt

As Disney is quick to point out on merchandise, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride holds a place of high esteem in Disneyland as one of Walt’s original park’s opening day attractions. Since 1955, the attraction – based on segments of the 1949 Walt Disney Studios film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, which in turn were based on the 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows – has stood out as dark and somewhat comical addition to the park’s Fantasyland.

You Use the Phrases “Right Track” and “Left Track”  When Giving Directions

When Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the park’s Fantasyland featured a version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. However, the Florida attraction varied wildly from its California cousin. The ride featured two tracks, right and left, each of which offered a different experience for riders. The tracks each featured different show scenes that told completely different stories before converging for the ride’s finale, which, like the Disneyland version, was set in Hell.

You’ve Decorated Your Home to Look Like Toad Hall:

Disneyland’s version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride underwent a massive renovation as part of the larger remodeling of Fantasyland that took place in the early 1980s. In additions to alterations in some shoe scenes, as well as the integration of some gags first featured in the Florida version, the 1983 ride boasts a brand new exterior. Gone was the original medieval circus tent, and in its place stood a full-scale reproduction of Toad Hall from the film.

Your Choice of Parisian Meal is Toad Hall:

When Disneyland Paris – then known as Euro Disney – opened in 1992, the park didn’t feature a version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. However, the park’s Fantasyland does feature a restaurant themed to Toad Hall. Inside an exterior similar to the Disneyland version, the Hall serves “time-honored dishes, where fish and chips, salad, and sweet, scrumptious desserts are served amid a backdrop of Mr Toad’s family portraits and Wind in the Willows artwork” according to Disney.

You Still Hate Winnie the Pooh:

In 1998, Disney announced that the Magic Kingdom version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride would be closing to make way for an attraction based on Winnie the Pooh. The plan caused immediate outrage amongst fans, leading to a large letter writing and email campaign, petitions, and even in-person protests at the park, These actions in turn led to mainstream media coverage, which made the closure of Walt Disney World’s Mr. Toad one of the most controversial events in the resorts history.

Unfortunately for fans, the controversy could not save the ride, as it was closed in September of that year and replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 2000. These days, the only signs of Mr. Toad one can find in the Magic Kingdom are an easter egg in the aforementioned Pooh ride, as well as a stone in the Haunted Mansion’s pet cemetery.

The ride does live on in Disneyland.

Are you a Disneylander who’s ridden Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride way too many times or a Walt Disney World visitor who’s still mourning its closure? Let us know in the comments below.

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