Quantcast

Disneyland Resort >> Disneyland Park >> Fantasyland

Mad Tea Party

Mad Tea Party (or simply "the Tea Cups") is one of the original Disneyland attractions, though when the park opened it was in a different spot and moved to its current location in 1983. Step into one of these teacups and spin yourself sick using the central wheel. In 2004, the ride became a point of controversy among park fans when the teacups were tightened, reducing the amount of spin it was possible to achieve.

General Information - Hide Section
  • Location: On the east end of Fanasyland between Alice in Wonderland and Storybook Land Canal Boats.
  • Date Opened: 7/17/1955
  • # of Ride Units: 18 teacups.
  • Ride Capacity: Each teacup can hold 3 or 4 adults, giving the ride an hourly capacity of 1,100 riders every hour.
  • Restraint Method: None
  • Ticket Rating: C Ticket
  • Ride Photo: No
 
Time Commitment Information - Hide Section
  • Open/Close: Opens and closes with the park. Open during Magic Mornings.
  • Wait Times: The queue moves more slowly than you'd expect but still rarely gets much longer than 30 minutes.
  • Length of Ride: 1 minute 30 seconds
  • FastPass: No
  • Single Rider: No
  • Queue Description: No real themed queue, just a corral that wraps around the attraction.
Access Information - Hide Section
  • Health Restriction: Even if you do not spin your individual teacup, the cups will still spin in a double circle (around the axis of one of three ride plates which in turn spin around the center of the ride). Anybody prone to nausea may want to avoid the ride and anybody with conditions exacerbated by g-forces should probably avoid the ride as well, or at least avoid spinning the individual teacup.
  • Ride Access: The queue is not wheelchair or ECV accessible. To enter, wait at the exit next to the operator's booth.
  • Wheelchair Transfer: It is required that riders transfer from wheelchairs or ECVs into the teacups. The wheelchair or ECV must then be removed from the ride platform and then retrieved to exit.
  • Service Animals: No
  • Audio: No assistive devices are available and sound only plays an atmospheric role in the attraction.
  • Weight and Size Issues: The teacups can accommodate people of just about any size.
Parenting Information - Hide Section
  • Height Restriction: No
  • Child Swap: No
  • Other Issues: Although this ride may cause motion sickness, in reality, the cups are difficult to spin.
History and Trivia - Hide Section
  • At this location: Mad Tea Party was moved into this location as part of the 1984 Fantasyland redesign. It is not known by us what was in this spot prior to that.
  • This attraction's history: Mad Tea Party was originally located in the area behind the castle in the space that is now occupied only by King Arthur Carrousel. As part of the 1984 redesign of Fantasyland it was moved to the other side of the Peter Pan's Flight and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride show buildings though the ride itself was little changed. Controversy struck the ride in early 2004 when, after a short maintenance closure, it was found that the teacups were so tightened that it was now impossible to spin that at any great speed. The reasons given for this change were contradictory but despite some well publicized complaint the change has not been reversed.
Links of Interest - Hide Section
Offsite Links (we can not vouch for their accuracy or timeliness)
  • The Old Location — This Yesterland page has a picture of Mad Tea Party in its original location next to King Arthur Carrousel.


You can help us keep these guides current. If you see anything incorrect on this page, or if you have additional information that should be added, please fill out our form.