Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is a journey in Fantasy Springs, the $2 billion enlargement that includes this space plus the Frozen Kingdom and Rapunzel’s Forest from Tangled. The brand new port-of-call is the most costly land in Disney historical past and a worthy addition to Tokyo DisneySea, the very best theme park on this planet.
We’ve already reviewed Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, which we known as “flawless–a contemporary masterpiece of Imagineering.” That Arendelle attraction is more likely to be the #1 journey of the Fantasy Springs enlargement with most visitors. It takes a contemporary fan-favorite film and adapts it right into a meaty 6.5 minute boat journey with a implausible queue, memorable music, spectacular Audio Animatronics, and “how did they try this?” particular results.
Whereas I had effusive reward for the brand new Frozen boat journey, I’m nonetheless not 100% certain it’s my private favourite in Fantasy Springs. It most likely is, however Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey can also be within the working, and a detailed second at worst. So think about my shock once I pulled up the ole web to search out that armchair reviewers had deemed it an enormous miss. This evaluation mainly explains why they’re misguided, together with comparisons to a couple different Disney and Common points of interest to correctly contextualize the journey by way of By no means Land.
Truthfully, it shouldn’t be massively stunning that Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is receiving fairly tepid reactions amongst followers. This sort of factor invariably occurs when a brand new 3D screen-based attraction opens and the individuals “reviewing” it are watching 2D on-line ride-through movies.
It additionally shouldn’t be stunning that “experiencing” any attraction, not to mention one like this, by way of YouTube is suboptimal and fairly removed from what its creators meant. On the danger of stating the apparent, if the journey expertise had been materially replicable by way of movies, what could be the purpose of paying all that cash to go to a theme park within the first place?
Personally, I don’t assume ride-through movies precisely replicate the expertise of standard ole darkish rides with Audio Animatronics and dimensional units, which is why I’m so anti-spoiler myself. And I definitely don’t assume video can do justice to points of interest which are, themselves, screen-based.
A lot of the success of screen-based points of interest hinges on the whole bundle and the way suspension of disbelief is achieved (or isn’t!). In that case, ride-through movies are like a photocopy of a photocopy, versus viewing the factor itself in actual life. However we’ve been by way of all of this earlier than with Avatar Flight of Passage and Mario Kart: Bowser’s Problem, which had been initially panned by critics who watched ride-throughs. Opinions clearly are what they’re, however visitor consensus on each of these could be very totally different from first impressions by way of video.
The identical is now true with Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey–an attraction that visitors visiting Fantasy Springs IRL are going to completely adore, regardless of the damaging first impressions by way of video.
Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey begins with visitors coming into a shipwrecked space of Fantasy Springs (vibes of Storm Lagoon and even Coral Touchdown over at Tokyo Disneyland). You traverse outside caves full with particles and a waterfall earlier than coming into a formidable indoor part of the queue.
The indoor portion of the queue emulates the jungle at nightfall, and is actually the bottom camp of the Misplaced Children. It’s vaguely paying homage to Lord of the Flies or Yellowjackets besides with out, you recognize, all of the dying and darkish facet of human nature. Though it’s my understanding that the unique Peter Pan was darker than Disney has led us to consider…however I digress.
The environment within the perpetual nighttime setting of the jungle is pitch-perfect. The environment is serene and decompressing, the proper antidote for what’s certain to be an extended wait. There’s additionally loads of visible curiosity, from tree forts to private belongings of the youngsters. As with the queue for Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, there are additionally periodic results that activate to make the jungle really feel extra alive.
Listed below are my images from the queue of Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey:
From there, you enter the hideout pre-show. This units up Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey, the premise of which is that visitors turn into a member of the Misplaced Children and save John from Captain Hook and his pirates with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. The preshow and journey are completely in Japanese, but it surely’s not notably story-driven regardless that there may be dialogue.
After Peter Pan informs visitors that John has been kidnapped by Captain Hook and his pirate crew, they board a ship and set off on an journey. Listed below are images of the pre-show and queue main as much as the load space:
Tinker Bell then sprinkles fairy mud on the boat, and visitors to soar into the sky. Alongside the way in which, visitors see Wendy, Michael, the mermaids, Tiger Lily and, different beloved characters from the movie.
As they journey, visitors will uncover Captain Hook’s moored ship, the Jolly Roger, and be immersed within the battle between Peter Pan and the pirates. (All pictures that comply with are courtesy of OLC; images and video aren’t allowed on the attraction itself–even throughout media previews. Nicely, aside from “response pictures,” however I don’t assume you wish to take a look at a bunch of images of my mug sporting 3D glasses and looking out confused.)
The 6-minute 3D motion-base-simulator-meets-dark journey attraction has visitors boarding makeshift boat journey automobiles just like the Scoop from The Superb Adventures of Spider-Man or Transformers: The Experience 3D, two points of interest at Common Orlando (Spider-Man was at Common Studios Japan, however has since closed). The high-walled boats direct visitor consideration at a collection of screens that mix seamlessly with bodily units.
From my perspective, Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It takes the tried and true method of the Common Spider-Man and Transformers rides and iterates upon these. This alone could disappoint Disney followers, particularly since The Superb Adventures of Spider-Man is about 25 years previous. But it surely shouldn’t. I’m actually excited for Walt Disney World to lastly get Indiana Jones Journey, and that’s even older! The very best rides aren’t good for a couple of years or a decade or no matter–they stand the check of time.
To that time, I like each The Superb Adventures of Spider-Man and Transformers: The Experience 3D, which rating 10/10 and 9.5/10, respectively, in our journey evaluations for Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. I wrote that Spider-Man is “probably the greatest theme park points of interest on this planet” when reviewing that, and I actually consider it’s a timeless masterpiece–a rarity for a screen-based attraction. Transformers garnered related reward for its superior and chaotic vitality–it’s like a Michael Bay blockbuster come to life.
It’s truthfully wonderful how the ‘on paper’ description of rides might be so related, but the feeling and vibe are completely totally different. Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is an journey, certain. It’s proper there within the identify. However under no circumstances in the identical manner as Spider-Man and definitely not within the frenzied sense of Transformers.
As a substitute, Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is rather more like Avatar Flight of Passage, however utilizing a very totally different journey system. With that simulator at Pandora: World of Avatar, you may have battle and pleasure, but in addition an impressive and well-paced attraction that takes its time to decelerate and chew on the surroundings. The thrills are adopted by a quiet and introspective second, and a grand finale that’s beautiful and takes your breath away.
Regardless that Avatar Flight of Passage is a screen-based attraction, that fades away throughout the expertise. You might be totally immersed within the expertise, and totally droop disbelief and embrace the motion over Pandora. It’s the identical concept with Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey, however much more is completed right here to make you neglect you’re using previous a collection of screens.
Each points of interest have a sure je ne sais quoi that provokes an emotional response not like many different rides, and that’s a direct results of the pacing and manner they progresses from thrilling to serene hovering. It’s simply such a satisfying expertise, and it’s troublesome to completely articulate why.
On paper, Avatar Flight of Passage is sweet, however not the masterpiece it’s to so many visitors who truly expertise it. Similar to that journey was dubbed ‘Soarin’ on Steroids,’ this takes the ‘flight simulator’ (for lack of a greater time period) journey idea to the subsequent degree.
I’m spending a lot time on these examples as a result of that is precisely the method of Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey. It’s The Superb Adventures of Spider-Man meets Avatar Flight of Passage, with the journey system of the previous and the pacing of the latter. Absent compelling ride-through video and given my perception that this journey additionally has a sure je ne sais quoi to it, that’s the very best I can supply–comparisons to 2 points of interest with which you may already be acquainted.
Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is ideal to me. I just like the adventurous however majestic flight over By no means Land, and the choice to go on this course with a journey within the type of Spider-Man, however that eschews the frenzied motion for one thing extra mellow was a daring–and proper–selection. The choice to borrow the beat-by-beat pacing from Flight of Passage was good. It’s really like that or Hovering: Unbelievable Flight–and even Peter Pan’s Flight, however in simulator type.
It helps that Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey does an admirable job merging the screens and bodily units collectively. This would appear like a given because it’s over 20 years after Common Inventive perfected the expertise with Spider-Man. And but, newer points of interest like Remy’s Ratatouille Journey typically do a horrible job of mixing screens and units.
Fortunately, the identical isn’t true right here. It’s onerous to inform the place the screens finish and the dimensional environments start. Actually. Imagineering acquired intelligent in portray among the surroundings to match the screens (the very best instance of that is the sky in display matching the units, and the border of the screens being hid by timber or jungle).
Imagineering additionally used a particular UV paint that’s paying homage to old-fashioned darkish rides, and likewise, of animation. There are additionally quite a lot of props and sensible results within the bodily units which are activated by the motion on the screens. For instance, the Misplaced Children within the above photograph are turning a wheel on-screen that lifts the precise boat as much as the suitable, solely to have it fall a cut up second later.
All of this mixed, together with visible trickery in the way in which the screen-based motion is introduced (shadow-play, squinching, scrim projections), makes for a memorable expertise–and one the place suspension of disbelief is completed. All the pieces is working so effectively in unison that your mind stops seeing it as units vs. screens–it’s all By no means Land.
The cadence of the journey automobile definitely helps with this, and I like the choice to drift round within the water, with the boats bobbing round backwards and forwards earlier than easily chickening out and hovering over By no means Land. That’s interrupted by cannon fireplace and motion, but it surely by no means will get jerky. As with Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, it’s such as you’re the cinematographer for this scene–effectively, till your boat/the digicam crashes into one of many pirates.
However, the floating then flying sensation is immensely satisfying. In tandem with the visuals, it’s what makes this a particular expertise, even when it’s “solely” an iterative one on paper. The finale of the journey is the chef’s kiss, giving visitors one final flight over By no means Land to savor because the parting scene.
You know the way visitors inexplicably clap on the finish of sure rides as a result of it simply hit the entire proper notes? Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is that sort of attraction.
Finally, Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is an unbelievable attraction that’s undoubtedly technically spectacular. But it surely’s much more spectacular how, as soon as once more, the tail doesn’t wag the canine and the know-how fades away, blurring collectively into the background. The tip result’s a journey that feels such as you’re flying over By no means Land, seeing the Misplaced Children interact in shenanigans, battling pirates, and so forth. The enjoyment comes from the serenity and ease…even when it’s not truly easy (in any respect) to perform such a sensation.
Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey is true up there for me with Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey as my favourite attraction in Fantasy Springs. They’re virtually incomparable since they’re so totally different. I like the feeling of floating and flight in Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey, so it’s the journey I desire for the vibe. However I’m a sucker for Audio Animatronics, so Frozen Journey most likely will get the sting. It’s a detailed name, although, and these two are positively the 1A and 1B rides in Fantasy Springs.
The higher query is how Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey compares with The Superb Adventures of Spider-Man or Avatar Flight of Passage. For me, that is higher than the latter. There’s lots to be stated for truly shifting by way of bodily environments and the additional dimension that provides to an attraction.
As a lot as I like the Flight of Passage visuals and pacing, that is most likely higher. The comparability to The Superb Adventures of Spider-Man is harder; that’s a time-tested fashionable masterpiece that modified the sport over 20 years in the past. I desire the laid-back type of Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey, however respect simply how revolutionary Spider-Man was on the time.
Planning a visit to Tokyo Disney Resort? For complete recommendation, the very best place to start out is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Journey Planning Information! For extra specifics, our TDR Resort Rankings & Evaluations web page covers lodging. Our Restaurant Evaluations element the place to dine & snack. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash put up. Our What to Pack for Disney put up takes a singular take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Seek the advice of our Final Information to Kyoto, Japan and Metropolis Information to Tokyo, Japan.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Peter Pan’s By no means Land Journey? Have been you underwhelmed by the ride-through video, or do you perceive that 2D video of a 3D attraction gives an incomplete expertise? What are your ideas on both this or that–good and dangerous? The place does this journey rank relative to different next-gen Fantasyland points of interest? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions—even if you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
