Mad Tea Party

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Mad Tea Party is a spinning teacup ride at five of the six Disneyland-style theme parks around the world. The ride theme is inspired by the Unbirthday Party scene in Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland. The ride has gained infamy over the years for the number of guests who get motion sickness as a result of the spinning component to the ride.
The attraction is called the Mad Tea Party at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. It is known as Alice's Tea Party at Tokyo Disneyland,Tokyo Disneyland ride description Mad Hatter's Tea Cups at Disneyland Paris, and Mad Hatter Tea Cups at Hong Kong Disneyland.
All five versions of the attraction are located in Fantasyland, and all except the Tokyo version were opening-day attractions at their respective parks. Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland versions do not have a big teapot in the center of the ride platform.
Like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Disneyland, and its Hong Kong counterpart have a replica of one of the teacups located outside of the attraction to be used by guests for better photo opportunities.
A similar ride known as "Hunny Pot Spin" based on Winnie the Pooh has opened at Shanghai Disneyland.
In March of 2020, the Mad Tea Party was chosen as the theme for the third monthly installment of the Minnie Mouse: the Main Attraction merchandise collection.
==Attraction facts==
* Ride system: Three small turntables, which rotate clockwise, each holding six teacups, within one large turntable, rotating counter-clockwise
* Theming: The Dormouse can be seen popping his head out of a large teapot in the middle of the large turntable. This occurs only at the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, as the other parks do not feature a central teapot; Hong Kong Disneyland and March Hare Refreshments at Disneyland Paris feature their own teapots apart from the ride.
* Restrictions: The original attraction at Disneyland is unable to run in the rain because once the turntables are saturated with a moderate amount of water, they slip and can no longer spin. The other versions of this attraction at the Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland are covered to prevent such situations, as well as to protect riders from extreme heat and sun. Unlike its Magic Kingdom, Tokyo, and Hong Kong counterparts, the Disneyland Paris version has a petal-shaped glass roof.
==History==
===Disneyland===
Several concepts for the Mad Tea Party were originally much more outrageous compared to today's version. One drawing showed the Mad Hatter's dinner table featured in the center of the ride with various lanterns and decorations all around. Another drawing showed 20 teacups circling a central hub, making it similar to a racetrack with banked curves.
For the first few months after the ride first opened, the teacups spun on a bare platform until fall 1955 when it was painted with the psychedelic spiral that exists today. Also, during the ride’s first two years, the teacups had no brakes or clutches; nothing limited how fast they could be spun.
Until 1982, the attraction's original location was directly behind Sleeping Beauty Castle (in the present-day location of King Arthur Carrousel). It was also given slight modifications in 1972 with ornamental arches connecting the light posts, and again in 1978 with the platform and teacups given a new color scheme used to this day. In 1983, the whole attraction was completely remodeled and relocated to its present location near the Matterhorn Bobsleds. It also incorporated a few ideas from the original concepts, such as the Japanese lanterns.
In 2004, the attraction was modified to make it more difficult to spin fast after a disabled rider lost his balance and slipped from a teacup.At Disneyland, slower teacups Like other remaining 1955 attractions, one of Disneyland's teacups was painted gold in honor of the park's 50th anniversary in 2005.
The installation at Disneyland was manufactured by Arrow Development.
===Magic Kingdom===
Like Disneyland, Magic Kingdom's original 1971 version of this attraction opened without a roof. It was eventually added in 1974 (along with the central teapot) due to extreme weather conditions. It was updated in 1992 with a new color scheme, new music, and colorful lanterns. In 2010, the canopy was repainted.
They were featured in The Muppets at Walt Disney World, where Beauregarde forced Miss Piggy to go on the ride with him.
On February 2, 2021, Magic Kingdom reopened after being temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak's impact on Florida. The ride closed temporarily on February 22 and reopened March 5, in time for Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration.
===Tokyo Disneyland===
Unlike any other version of the attraction, Tokyo's version did not open with the park in 1983, instead opening in 1986. It is mostly the same version as in Florida, with a canopy roof to protect from the often rainy Japanese weather and a teapot in the center from which the Dormouse continuously appears.
Originally, the ride was located close to the former Skyway station to Tomorrowland, on the edge of Fantasyland. However, in late 1998, as part of Tokyo Disneyland's 15th anniversary, the ride was relocated to the center of Fantasyland near Castle Carrousel, while the Skyway station was closed to make room for Pooh's Hunny Hunt. In the process, the ride was given an overhaul, with more swirly designs on the cups and teapot that resemble those from Disneyland Paris and the addition of colorful Japanese lanterns.
===Disneyland Paris===
The Paris version of the attraction is the only version to feature a petal-shaped glass roof and surrounding gardens, due to the typically overcast northern European climate. It also uses the Dormouse's teapot outside of the ride, near the March Hare's Refreshments. The teacup designs were later used for Hong Kong Disneyland's teacups, as well as the redesign for Tokyo Disneyland.
==Voices==
*Kathryn Beaumont - Alice
==Gallery==
David Spade Jillian Grace & daughter Harper Mad Tea Party Disneyland.jpg|David Spade with partner Jillian Grace and their daughter Harper riding the Mad Tea Party at Disneyland in September 2011.
Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom.jpg|Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom
TDL Alice's Tea Party.jpg|Alice's Tea Party at Tokyo Disneyland
DLP Mad Hatter's Tea Cups.jpg|Mad Hatter's Tea Cups at Disneyland Paris
HKDL Mad Hatter Tea Cups.jpg|Mad Hatter Tea Cups at Hong Kong Disneyland
Doormouse.jpg|The Dormouse figure used at the ride, as seen at Disneyland Paris
Mad Tea Party Disneyland.jpg
Mad Tea Party WDW.jpg
Mad Tea Party WDW 2.jpg
Ba-mad tea party.png
Mad Tea Party WDW 3.jpg
Mad Tea Party Disneyland 2.jpg
Mad Tea Party WDW 4.jpg
Mad Tea Party Disneyland 3.jpg
Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom 2.png
TDL Alice's Tea Party 2.jpg
Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom 3.png
HKDL Mad Hatter Tea Cups 2.jpg
Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom 4.jpg
Mad Tea Party Disneyland 4.png
Mad Tea Party WDW 5.jpg
Mad Tea Party Disneyland 5.jpg
Original tokyo tea cups pre-1998.jpg|The ride as it looked in Tokyo Disneyland before 1998
Mad Tea Party WDW 6.jpg
Mad Tea Party WDW 7.jpg
Mad Tea Party WDW 8.jpg
==See also==
*Hunny Pot Spin
*The Whirlpool
*Francis' Ladybug Boogie
*Raiponce Tangled Spin
==References==
Category:Alice in Wonderland
Category:Disneyland attractions
Category:Magic Kingdom attractions
Category:Tokyo Disneyland attractions
Category:Disneyland Paris attractions
Category:Hong Kong Disneyland attractions
Category:Fantasyland attractions
Category:Disney's Fastpass equipped attractions
Category:Kingdom Hearts
Category:Disney Magic Kingdoms