The Mushroom Dance

Written by @D Hulk

The last flat ride on our Garden of Seasons program is The Mushroom Dance, inspired by Fantasia’s Nutcracker Suite sequence. It is located facing the Autumn (Fall) section, befitting the ride’s warm color palette. From walkways, guests will recognize a troupe of red Chinese mushrooms - all limited-motion animatronics - stacked up along a blue rocky precipice. This slightly sunken dance circle is ringed by a simple gazebo trellis queue.

The crag itself is borrowed from Sorcerer’s Apprentice. On the crag’s peak sits Hop Low, a smaller pink mushroom, who adorably always dances out-of-step with the larger toadstools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llA1xOFRYj0&feature=emb_title

Tchaikovsky’s rather short “Chinese Dance” piece plays out in its entirety as the ride spins. For all its elaborate theming, this is basically a tilt-a-whirl! Sixteen mushroom ride vehicles spin clockwise around the central precipice, up and down along a gently wavy track. (Scuttle’s Scooters at Tokyo DisneySea demonstrates the exact same family-friendly ride system.) The animatronic fungi on the rocky cliffs dance in time with the music. At first ride vehicles rush facing forward, but as the dance progresses they start to spin...then facing inwards, then backwards, then spinning in all directions! The ride sensation is bouncy and exhilarating like Tchaikovsky’s music, but never overwhelming or intense. Young and old both will find this a fun, gleeful experience!