Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Subscribe to Don Carson here: youtube.com/@UCa2BOoRPpQ6hUiwpjy7wlbA
Step into one of Disneyland’s strangest pieces of lost media, the original 1958 Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Using rare footage, scattered clips, and the incredible virtual recreation by artist Don Carson, I break down why the early Fantasyland rides were so poorly documented, then walk through Alice’s chaotic, jump scare heavy ride scene by scene, including the upside down room, concave mirror gag, crash doors, the aggressive dandelion, Tulgey Wood, the tea party pop ups, and that infamous Goofy yell payoff. Along the way, we also dig into how Walt kept the film alive after its 1951 flop, how the attraction shifted from walkthrough to dark ride, what changed in the 1960s, and why the safer 1984 rebuild still sparks debate today. Huge thanks to Agata Handley and David Allen for their article Ekphrasis in Disneyland: The Alice in Wonderland Ride, linked below, plus Don Carson’s behind the scenes breakdown of how he rebuilt this ride without AI.
Don Carson's recreation: youtube.com/watch?v=z6-BllH-Fxw
Don Carson's making of video: youtube.com/watch?v=Sh_q6DF0bPQ&t=3s
Demonic Chant sound by Soundolisk youtube.com/@UCM3tNaLuQS5slimA3mD4gDA
Ekphrasis Article: researchgate.net/publication/371997283_Ekphrasis_in_Disneyland_The_Alice_in_Wonderland_Ride_1958
Music by Xavi Rusan
Subscribe to Don Carson here: youtube.com/@UCa2BOoRPpQ6hUiwpjy7wlbA
Step into one of Disneyland’s strangest pieces of lost media, the original 1958 Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Using rare footage, scattered clips, and the incredible virtual recreation by artist Don Carson, I break down why the early Fantasyland rides were so poorly documented, then walk through Alice’s chaotic, jump scare heavy ride scene by scene, including the upside down room, concave mirror gag, crash doors, the aggressive dandelion, Tulgey Wood, the tea party pop ups, and that infamous Goofy yell payoff. Along the way, we also dig into how Walt kept the film alive after its 1951 flop, how the attraction shifted from walkthrough to dark ride, what changed in the 1960s, and why the safer 1984 rebuild still sparks debate today. Huge thanks to Agata Handley and David Allen for their article Ekphrasis in Disneyland: The Alice in Wonderland Ride, linked below, plus Don Carson’s behind the scenes breakdown of how he rebuilt this ride without AI.
Don Carson's recreation: youtube.com/watch?v=z6-BllH-Fxw
Don Carson's making of video: youtube.com/watch?v=Sh_q6DF0bPQ&t=3s
Demonic Chant sound by Soundolisk youtube.com/@UCM3tNaLuQS5slimA3mD4gDA
Ekphrasis Article: researchgate.net/publication/371997283_Ekphrasis_in_Disneyland_The_Alice_in_Wonderland_Ride_1958
Music by Xavi Rusan
