The Wildlands - Fantasy River Cruise

The Fantasy River Cruise (“Cruzeiro Fluvial de Fantasia”) is the E-ticket of the land, a whimsical journey down an enchanted river created by Yen Sid, passing through the homes of a menagerie of fascinating creatures we were only told to exist in legends. The attraction is slow and pleasant, though has some thrill to it, including a few surprises and wonders along the way. The attraction can be a completely different experience at night, revealing more magic and secrets when the sun goes down.

The load/unload area is located in the lower level of the Grand Bestia, accessing via a spiralling slope down to a cavern below (the Hydra’s Cave is accessible from the ground floor).

Wooden boats await guests, resembling those from the Jungle Cruise and the Voyage of the Crystal Grotto. We sail on out through a carved out tunnel towards the light, passing by an open cavern where Yen Sid himself studies the most strangest of animals – a dodo. The character is an elaborate animatronic, sending guests on their way, working the usual ride spiel about safety into his words (“The animals are particularly sensitive to flashing lights,”).

Yen Sid provides minor narration, echoing from within the boats, describing the habits and habitats of the creatures we shall sail by. Before we exit the cave, we hear the sound of something slithering within the rocks. Another opening in the tunnel to our right shows a collection of statues. Perhaps a strange place to find such objects; only then do we realise they aren’t statues, but petrified people, being prey for a vicious Gorgon, a serpentine woman, with a serpent’s body, and live snakes for hair. Her eyes gleam as we pass by, wrapped around her most recent victim.

The cave exits out into the river, walled by high, fascinatingly enormous rock columns, based on those found at Meteora. Guests on the bridge above can see the boats emerge from the tunnel below. The boats pass through the nesting grounds of several winged pegasi, based on those on Fantasia, cute, pastel-coloured winged ponies, who gallop around on higher levels, though they have yet to master their wings. Overlooking the nest is Pegasus himself from Hercules, standing before the M&G area, which has a view over the river. At night, the pegasi’ wings and fur illuminate, giving them an aura of light around their feathers.

The boats go under a bridge, where we find a large troll taking a snooze, but will stir from its sleep. Our next destination takes us through a quaint, Grecian evergreen forest, with twisting trees and the occasional marble statue around. A melodious tune reaches our ears, as a faun comes into view, a young girl sport the lower body of a goat or a deer. She passionate plays a set of pan pipes. Around her, many flowers come into bloom, awakened by the faun’s melody. At night, all of the trees around the faun are enlightened with millions of tiny twinkling lights, implied to be fairies or sprites.

Across from the faun, a stealthy nymph, a shapeshifting demigod, listens to the music. But, once she realises she has ben spotted, she magically shapeshifts into a tree before our eyes (using visual effects akin to Jack Sparrow in Shanghai Disneyland).

Overlooked by the land's restaurant, sits the hippocampus springs, a beautiful oasis, situated before a series of sparkling waterfalls. The hippocampus are majestic aquatic horses like kelpie, with all the colours of tropical fish. This is an equivalent to the Jungle Cruise’s elephant bathing pool, but with mythical seahorses instead. While most bathe in the waterfalls, one emerges in and out of the water, playing spraying water at guests as they go by. Looking over the sides of the boat will reveal more hippocampus are beneath the water, staring up at the guests, emerging themselves to further spray them with water.

Around the curving corners lies another cave, jagged and a little uninviting, but a little alluring too. To the right, under a rocky outcropping sits a pride of manitcores, a perfect mix of a lion and scorpion, with dark fur and leathery bat wings. Somewhat menacing, they watch the boats pass by from their alcove, which is surrounded by discarded bones and skulls, some of which have unusual, long horns protruding from the foreheads.

The boat sail smoothly into the interior of the caves, where the Disneyland Railroad passes through on its track through the back of the cavern. Glinting jewels cover the ceiling and walls of the cave, giving it an oddly inviting, dazzling sight. But, lurking in the dark, watching both the boats and the steam train, are some creepy, pointy-eared creatures, observing us with huge nocturnal eyes and chattering teeth and whispers. These are Spriggan, nocturnal fairies from Welsh mythology, sensitive to bright lights and dwell within the dark depths of the Wildlands. They whisper to each other in a language beyond our understanding.

However, the Spriggan aren’t hiding from us, but are trying to evade the shining light of one of the most elusive, beautiful creatures in folklore. Like a glistening ray of hope, a silvery unicorn mare, complete with pony, hides on the other side of the cave. If those skull by the manticores were any indication, they have a taste for unicorns. The unicorn tends to its child delicately, its magic horn glowing brightly, like the darkness means nothing to it.

But, the unicorns aren’t the only source of light in the cave (aside from the approaching exit). The rockwork take on a more imperial, manmade quality, taking the boats into a temple or shrine of some kind, filled with lit torches, revealing a large painting of a great bird of some kind, shrouded in flames.

This is the temple of the Fenghuang, a Chinese phoenix of great power and respect. There, sitting in what looks like a fire pit built into an altar, is a large bird’s egg, covered in a thick crust of molten earth. And it is about to hatch. In a blast of smoke, the egg appears to hatch, as a mix of fire, lighting, and illusions summons forth the amazing Fenghuang from the egg. The cave begins to be bathed in red and orange shades, as fire spouts up around the sides of the boat. Luckily, we escape the cave before the Fenghuang takes flight.

Outside, we find ourselves in the Ancient Asia subland of the Wildlands. The mountainous walls are pointed and hilly, like the Huangshan Mountains in China. Under the shadow of the Chinese palace housing Land of the Dragon: Chinese History, we find ourselves travelling through a quaint Asian garden.

The most impressive feature is a grand waterfall, surrounded in ancient architecture and dragon statues. At the foot of the waterfall, which pours down into the river, is a carp flopping up and down. Before us, the intrepid carp hops right into and up the waterfall. A magical flow of energy emits from the waterfall, hinting that a great transformation has occurred. For this waterfall is the mythic Dragon’s Gate, said to transformed lucky carp into dragons if they manage to swim to the top. Out of the waterfall emerges the head of a magnificent blue and golden Chinese dragon, casting water across the boat, roaring triumphantly at its new form.

The boats sail on, passing by the visible Gardens of Wonder on the riverbank, a courtyard of mystical, magic statues. The boats then pass under the bridge and pagoda that lead into Ancient Asia. Beneath the pagoda, a magic lantern hanging from the underside of the bridge comes to life, creating the pattern of the crescent moon above us. The shape transforms into the outline of a rabbit – the Jade Rabbit, said to live on the Moon, creating the elixir of life for the goddess Chang’e. The rabbit dances about the bridge’s curving supports, vanishing as we leave.

As we round a corner towards the lagoon, we see the magnificent Origami No Umi restaurant to our right. On the bank sits a statue of a Qilin, a dragon/horse/giraffe guardian that protects the restaurant. Before our eyes, the Qilin’s grey stone body comes to life, breathing smoke from its nostrils and roaring at us, though not out of a threat, but perhaps giving a warning

We travel out to the lagoon, with the Grand Bestiary towering over us, welcoming us back into its hallowed halls. But, we aren’t out of the woods yet. A blast of flames signals the appearance of the Fenghuang, who perches on a rock, flapping its wings, setting the lagoon ablaze. It doesn’t want us to leave, threatening to burn down the boat. But, a pillar of water erupts from the lagoon, putting out the fire, as the Chinese dragon from the waterfall emerges to face the firebird.

The dragon disappears back under, separate animatronics showing its slithering body curling through the water, avoiding the Fenghuang’s flames. It reappears closer to the bird, consuming it in a spray of water, causing it to disappear (the animatronic bird vanishes under a platform out of view). The dragon roars triumphantly, as the boats sail back into the Grand Bestiary for unloading, accompanied by a chorus of unseen sirens. Guests disembark and go back up a separate slope to the ground floor.

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