Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is a ride in Fantasy Springs, the $2 billion expansion featuring this area plus the Frozen Kingdom and Rapunzel’s Forest from Tangled. The new port-of-call is the most expensive land in Disney history and a worthy addition to Tokyo DisneySea, the best theme park in the world.
We’ve already reviewed Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, which we called “flawless–a modern masterpiece of Imagineering.” That Arendelle attraction is likely to be the #1 ride of the Fantasy Springs expansion with most guests. It takes a modern fan-favorite movie and adapts it into a meaty 6.5 minute boat ride with a fantastic queue, memorable music, impressive Audio Animatronics, and “how did they do that?” special effects.
While I had effusive praise for the new Frozen boat ride, I’m still not 100% sure it’s my personal favorite in Fantasy Springs. It probably is, but Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is also in the running, and a close second at worst. So imagine my surprise when I pulled up the ole internet to find that armchair reviewers had deemed it a big miss. This review basically explains why they’re misguided, along with comparisons to a few other Disney and Universal attractions to properly contextualize the adventure through Never Land.
Honestly, it shouldn’t be hugely surprising that Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is receiving rather tepid reactions among fans. This type of thing invariably happens when a new 3D screen-based attraction opens and the people “reviewing” it are watching 2D online ride-through videos.
It also shouldn’t be surprising that “experiencing” any attraction, let alone one like this, via YouTube is suboptimal and pretty far from what its creators intended. At the risk of stating the obvious, if the ride experience were materially replicable via videos, what would be the point of paying all that money to visit a theme park in the first place?
Personally, I don’t think ride-through videos accurately reflect the experience of regular ole dark rides with Audio Animatronics and dimensional sets, which is why I’m so anti-spoiler myself. And I certainly don’t think video can do justice to attractions that are, themselves, screen-based.
So much of the success of screen-based attractions hinges on the complete package and how suspension of disbelief is achieved (or isn’t!). In that case, ride-through videos are like a photocopy of a photocopy, as opposed to viewing the thing itself in real life. But we’ve been through all of this before with Avatar Flight of Passage and Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which were initially panned by critics who watched ride-throughs. Opinions obviously are what they are, but guest consensus on both of those is very different from first impressions via video.
The same is now true with Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure–an attraction that guests visiting Fantasy Springs IRL are going to absolutely adore, despite the negative first impressions via video.
Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure begins with guests entering a shipwrecked area of Fantasy Springs (vibes of Typhoon Lagoon or even Coral Landing over at Tokyo Disneyland). You traverse outdoor caves complete with debris and a waterfall before entering an impressive indoor section of the queue.
The indoor portion of the queue emulates the jungle at dusk, and is essentially the base camp of the Lost Kids. It’s vaguely reminiscent of Lord of the Flies or Yellowjackets except without, you know, all the death and dark side of human nature. Although it’s my understanding that the original Peter Pan was darker than Disney has led us to believe…but I digress.
The atmosphere in the perpetual nighttime setting of the jungle is pitch-perfect. The atmosphere is serene and decompressing, the perfect antidote for what’s sure to be a long wait. There’s also plenty of visual interest, from tree forts to personal belongings of the kids. As with the queue for Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, there are also periodic effects that activate to make the jungle feel more alive.
Here are my photos from the queue of Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure:
From there, you enter the hideout pre-show. This sets up Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure, the premise of which is that guests become a member of the Lost Kids and save John from Captain Hook and his pirates with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. The preshow and ride are entirely in Japanese, but it’s not particularly story-driven even though there is dialogue.
After Peter Pan informs guests that John has been kidnapped by Captain Hook and his pirate crew, they board a boat and set off on an adventure. Here are photos of the pre-show and queue leading up to the load area:
Tinker Bell then sprinkles fairy dust on the boat, and guests to soar into the sky. Along the way, guests see Wendy, Michael, the mermaids, Tiger Lily and, other beloved characters from the film.
As they travel, guests will discover Captain Hook’s moored ship, the Jolly Roger, and be immersed in the battle between Peter Pan and the pirates. (All images that follow are courtesy of OLC; photos and video are not allowed on the attraction itself–even during media previews. Well, except for “reaction shots,” but I don’t think you want to look at a bunch of photos of my mug sporting 3D glasses and looking confused.)
The 6-minute 3D motion-base-simulator-meets-dark ride attraction has guests boarding makeshift boat ride vehicles similar to the Scoop from The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man or Transformers: The Ride 3D, two attractions at Universal Orlando (Spider-Man was at Universal Studios Japan, but has since closed). The high-walled boats direct guest attention at a series of screens that blend seamlessly with physical sets.
From my perspective, Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It takes the tried and true formula of the Universal Spider-Man and Transformers rides and iterates upon those. This alone may disappoint Disney fans, especially since The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is about 25 years old. But it shouldn’t. I’m really excited for Walt Disney World to finally get Indiana Jones Adventure, and that’s even older! The best rides aren’t good for a few years or a decade or whatever–they stand the test of time.
To that point, I love both The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Transformers: The Ride 3D, which score 10/10 and 9.5/10, respectively, in our ride reviews for Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. I wrote that Spider-Man is “one of the best theme park attractions in the world” when reviewing that, and I truly believe it’s a timeless masterpiece–a rarity for a screen-based attraction. Transformers garnered similar praise for its awesome and chaotic energy–it’s like a Michael Bay blockbuster come to life.
It’s honestly amazing how the ‘on paper’ description of rides can be so similar, yet the sensation and vibe are totally different. Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is an adventure, sure. It’s right there in the name. But not at all in the same way as Spider-Man and certainly not in the frenzied sense of Transformers.
Instead, Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is much more like Avatar Flight of Passage, but using a totally different ride system. With that simulator at Pandora: World of Avatar, you have battle and excitement, but also a majestic and well-paced attraction that takes its time to slow down and chew on the scenery. The thrills are followed by a quiet and introspective moment, and a grand finale that’s stunning and takes your breath away.
Even though Avatar Flight of Passage is a screen-based attraction, that fades away during the experience. You are fully immersed in the experience, and fully suspend disbelief and embrace the action over Pandora. It’s the same idea with Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure, but even more is done here to make you forget you’re riding past a series of screens.
Both attractions have a certain je ne sais quoi that provokes an emotional response unlike many other rides, and that’s a direct result of the pacing and way they progresses from thrilling to serene soaring. It’s just such a satisfying experience, and it’s difficult to fully articulate why.
On paper, Avatar Flight of Passage is good, but not the masterpiece it is to so many guests who actually experience it. Just like that ride was dubbed ‘Soarin’ on Steroids,’ this takes the ‘flight simulator’ (for lack of a better term) ride concept to the next level.
I’m spending so much time on these examples because this is exactly the formula of Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure. It’s The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man meets Avatar Flight of Passage, with the ride system of the former and the pacing of the latter. Absent compelling ride-through video and given my belief that this ride also has a certain je ne sais quoi to it, that’s the best I can offer–comparisons to two attractions with which you might already be familiar.
Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is perfect to me. I like the adventurous but majestic flight over Never Land, and the decision to go in this direction with a ride in the style of Spider-Man, but that eschews the frenzied action for something more mellow was a bold–and correct–choice. The decision to borrow the beat-by-beat pacing from Flight of Passage was brilliant. It’s truly like that or Soaring: Fantastic Flight–or even Peter Pan’s Flight, but in simulator form.
It helps that Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure does an admirable job merging the screens and physical sets together. This would seem like a given since it’s over two decades after Universal Creative perfected the experience with Spider-Man. And yet, newer attractions like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure often do a terrible job of blending screens and sets.
Thankfully, the same isn’t true here. It’s hard to tell where the screens end and the dimensional environments begin. Literally. Imagineering got clever in painting some of the scenery to match the screens (the best example of this is the sky in screen matching the sets, and the border of the screens being concealed by trees or jungle).
Imagineering also used a special UV paint that’s reminiscent of old school dark rides, and also, of animation. There are also a number of props and practical effects in the physical sets that are activated by the action on the screens. For example, the Lost Kids in the above photo are turning a wheel on-screen that lifts the actual boat up to the right, only to have it fall a split second later.
All of this combined, along with visual trickery in the way the screen-based action is presented (shadow-play, squinching, scrim projections), makes for a memorable experience–and one where suspension of disbelief is accomplished. Everything is working so well in unison that your brain stops seeing it as sets vs. screens–it’s all Never Land.
My biggest criticism of Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is that it never really rises above The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man or Avatar Flight of Passage. I would’ve loved to see it bringing something new to the table (and maybe it does via “invisible” technology), but from a guest-facing perspective, it’s basically just the intersection of those two attractions.
Audio Animatronics are the obvious thing this could’ve added, but honestly, I’m fine with Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure not having those. I think AAs actually would’ve worked against it, drawing guests out of the moment with technology that’s very visibly different from the animation.
What I would’ve liked to see is more from the physical environments. As it stands, they’re basically elaborate frames (for lack of a better term) for the screen-centric action. As noted, there are dimensional effects in these scenes, but they couldn’t stand alone without the screens. It’s not like Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure or Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, two attractions that could arguably stand on their own as dark rides without the screens (at least some scenes) .
If viewing Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure as Flight of Passage but with a different ride system, there’s not really much to criticize. It takes everything about that attraction that works well, and enhances it.
The cadence of the ride vehicle helps with this, and I love the decision to float around in the water, with the boats bobbing around back and forth before smoothly taking flight and soaring over Never Land. That’s interrupted by cannon fire and action, but it never gets jerky. As with Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, it’s like you’re the cinematographer for this scene–well, until your boat/the camera crashes into one of the pirates.
Nevertheless, the floating then flying sensation is immensely satisfying. In tandem with the visuals, it’s what makes this a special experience, even if it’s “only” an iterative one on paper. The finale of the ride is the chef’s kiss, giving guests one last flight over Never Land to savor as the parting scene.
You know how guests inexplicably clap at the end of certain rides because it just hit all of the right notes? Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is that type of attraction.
Ultimately, Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is an incredible attraction that is undoubtedly technically impressive. But it’s even more impressive how, once again, the tail does not wag the dog and the technology fades away, blurring together into the background. The end result is a ride that feels like you’re flying over Never Land, seeing the Lost Kids engage in shenanigans, battling pirates, and so forth. The joy comes from the serenity and simplicity…even if it’s not actually simple (at all) to accomplish such a sensation.
Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is right up there for me with Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey as my favorite attraction in Fantasy Springs. They’re almost incomparable since they’re so different. I love the feeling of floating and flight in Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure, so it’s the ride I prefer for the vibe. But I’m a sucker for Audio Animatronics, so Frozen Journey probably gets the edge. It’s a close call, though, and these two are definitely the 1A and 1B rides in Fantasy Springs.
The better question is how Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure compares with The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man or Avatar Flight of Passage. For me, this is better than the latter. There’s a lot to be said for actually moving through physical environments and the extra dimension that adds to an attraction.
As much as I love the Flight of Passage visuals and pacing, this is probably better. The comparison to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is more difficult; that’s a time-tested modern masterpiece that changed the game over two decades ago. I prefer the laid-back style of Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure, but respect just how revolutionary Spider-Man was at the time.
Planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort? For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Trip Planning Guide! For more specifics, our TDR Hotel Rankings & Reviews page covers accommodations. Our Restaurant Reviews detail where to dine & snack. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money post. Our What to Pack for Disney post takes a unique look at clever items to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Consult our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan and City Guide to Tokyo, Japan.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure? Were you underwhelmed by the ride-through video, or do you understand that 2D video of a 3D attraction offers an incomplete experience? What are your thoughts on either this or that–good and bad? Where does this ride rank relative to other next-gen Fantasyland attractions? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
