In this week’s case study we'll be looking at the simplistic font palette of one of the most popular rides within the Magic Kingdom, Peter Pan's Flight. Peter Pan's Flight is one of the original attractions designed by WED for opening day at Disneyland and quickly became one of the staples of Fantasyland, so it comes as no surprise that most every Fantasyland from here on out would have its own version of the attraction.
When the attraction first opened, Imagineers were giving guests too much creditability by casting them as Peter Pan. Guests couldn't quite grasp the concept of this first-person point-of-view, and they often asked where Peter Pan was within the ride, as was the case with the original Snow White and her Adventures. When Imagineers began re-imagineering the attraction for the Walt Disney World Resort, they quickly added Peter Pan into the attraction’s storyline. Peter Pan wouldn’t make his grand appearance at the Disneyland attraction until 1983 when Disneyland's Fantasyland underwent a major face-lift.
This attraction only uses a few different fonts, which is the case with most of the attractions within Fantasyland as these generally feature simpler thematic detailing. Peter Pan's Flight uses some of the same classic fonts used to brand other attractions within Fantasyland, with the two main classifications being Serif and Blackletter. These two classifications are the perfect mix of British and Medieval typography which reflect the story of Peter Pan by author J.M Barrie (born Scottish but lived and worked in London) and Fantasyland’s overall theme of a Medieval fair.
Well that concludes this week’s short but sweet post. Tune in on Monday for another Retro '71 concept and thanks for visiting. Have a great weekend!
