You probably know the story of Pinocchio, the puppet who wanted to become a boy. This ride follows his adventures as he tries to make his dream come true.

You get aboard a woodcarver’s cart at the Stromboli Puppet Theatre. You see the puppet Pinocchio dancing, but soon you (and Pinocchio) are in trouble. The evil puppet master Stromboli is after you. Fortunately, the Blue Fairy aids your escape, and you travel to Pleasure Island.

Pinocchio ignores warnings from Jiminy Cricket, which is a bad idea. Consequently, you enter a creepy carnival full of noisy barkers, a scary clown, and an ominously looming jack-in-the-box.

Eventually, you all return to Gepetto. Pinocchio transforms into a real boy, and everything in the workshop comes alive. As usual, all ends well.

What You Need to Know

• Location: Pinocchio is in Fantasyland.
• Rating: ★★★
• Restrictions: No height restrictions. Children under age seven must be accompanied by someone aged 14 or older.
• Ride Time: 3 minutes
• Recommended for: Small children and anyone who’s a kid at heart.
• Fun Factor: Medium
• Wait Factor: Medium to high
• Fear Factor: Medium, but some scenes might be scary for young children.
• Herky-Jerky Factor: Low to none
• Nausea Factor: Low to none
• Seating: Ride vehicles have two rows of bench seats, each holding two people. You step straight into them.
• Accessibility: You’ll need to transfer into the ride vehicle or request an accessible vehicle. Ask any Cast Member for boarding assistance.

How to Have More Fun

You won’t need any apps to keep you entertained while waiting in line. That’s because Pinocchio seldom has a long line, making it ideal when you just need to ride something quickly.

Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – like the other rides in Fantasyland – may close early to accommodate fireworks performances.

Some scenes might be too scary for younger guests. Be aware of an evil laugh at the start, a trip through a terrifying cage, and a chaotic, dark carnival. You may also hear the word “ass,” but here it refers to a donkey, not a part of human anatomy. Before you ride, remind the kids that it’s all make-believe and that Pinocchio’s story has a happy ending.

Fun Facts

The Pinocchio ride was the last dark ride built in Fantasyland, added in 1983 after it was successful at Tokyo Disneyland. Disney removed the Mickey Mouse Club Theater to accommodate it.

The story is based on Disney’s animated film “Pinocchio,” which was the studio’s second animated feature-length film. Ride designer Art Rowe and set designer Cliff Welch created the California ride, including the innovative black-light painting that gives depth to flat surfaces.

Designer Bruce Bushman conceptualized a Pinocchio boat ride that was never realized but seemed exciting. It would have sent riders plunging down the tongue of Monstro the whale into a lagoon, similar to Splash Mountain.

Pinocchio was the first Disneyland ride to employ holographic material, found in the mirror of the scene where the boys turn into donkeys on Pleasure Island.

Many claim that the Blue Fairy is a hologram; however, it actually uses a nineteenth-century illusion relying on reflections, known as Pepper’s Ghost Illusion. The same effect is present in Winnie the Pooh and the Haunted Mansion.

Don’t attempt to pull off the yellow bow tie on the donkey. Years ago, this was possible, but now it is permanently attached.

If you didn’t get enough of Monstro the whale, he also appears at the beginning of the Storybook Land Canal Boat ride.