Fairytale Castle, Indoor amusement ride at Liseberg, Sweden
The Fairytale Castle was an indoor ride at Liseberg using 15 suspended gondolas that moved visitors through different storybook scenes set within a castle building. These carriages traveled along a 192-meter track through mostly dark passages, with light only at the boarding and exit areas.
The ride opened in 1968 as Peter Pan, was renamed Vår Lilla Värld for 1981–1984, and became Sagoslottet in 1985. It closed at the end of the 2017 summer season and was demolished to make way for the Valkyria roller coaster. A similar ride, Underlandet, opened on 3 June 2021.
The ride's scenes drew on Peter Pan, Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland, The Emperor's New Clothes, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. A motorised figure welcomed riders to the "enchanted world of fairy tales" after the three arches, and a king appeared in the central window with a fanfare.
The gondolas moved at a very slow pace, allowing visitors to see and enjoy the scenes clearly without rushing. Since the ride was mostly in darkness, it takes a moment for eyes to adjust to the low light when entering.
A motorised guard figure patrolled the left side of the upper floor, while a king figure emerged from the central window at intervals, accompanied by a fanfare and a recorded welcome. The three open arches on the third floor gave riders a view of the courtyard and the Dragon Boats ride before the gondolas entered the dark scenes.
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