Storybook Land Canal Boats loaded with happy Guests

If you follow me on Instagram you know Storybook Land Canal Boats is my fave in Fantasyland. It combines beloved stories and characters we know and love from Disney movies with unbelievably detailed miniatures surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers. And then of course we get to sit in those gorgeous gleaming boats and have a real live Cast Member regale us with stories as we set sail into…THE MOUTH OF A WHALE! 😱

Storybook Land Canal Boats Cast Member surrounded by trees

If you’re a SLCB Mega-Fan like me, I insist you check out Disney History 101’s extraordinarily extensive post about the attraction including how it was developed (under Walt’s watchful eye), what it was like at first (dirt and mud) and why a Cast Member driving the boat dove into the water in the 1970s!

Loading area of Storybook Land Canal Boats

For today’s post we’re looking back at the Cast Member costumes at this attraction because OMG they were cute! It’s funnyβ€”though this ride originally was staffed only by men (who could pull the boats when they frequently broke down), I could barely find any pix of the old male costumes. In the shot below, don’t miss that tied beltβ€”so dashing!

Male Cast Members at Storybook Land Canal Boats

Check out the style in this next amazing photo from the collection of Dave DeCaro of Davelandweb! Dave is the GTG Official Photographer and I actually used this photo in the Vintage Edition of my Postcard Pals Pack. How could I not?! 😍

Cast Members work loading area near Monstro the Whale on Storybook Land Canal Boats

Head kerchiefs, straw hats, ruffles, aprons, knee socksβ€”all of my favorite things! It’s interesting to see those dark paint colors on the boats in the old days. It looks cool but I think I love the lighter brighter paint colors we have today just a bit more.

Storybook Land Canal Boat Cast Member
Storybook Land Canal Boat Cast Member
Storybook Land Canal Boat Cast Member

I found two pix of this Cast Member (below) in what looks like the cutest flowered blouse ever in the history of the world? I wish we could see it better. This fashion moment was in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Ahhhh, so cute!

Storybook Land Canal Boat ride in Disneyland

And here’s a slideshow roundup of some more great pix I found including a white top with blue skirt from the mid-1980s that’s a total snore!

gif of various Storybook Land Cast Member costumes

You may be wondering “What do Cast Members wear at this attraction today?” Slide the arrow across this next photo to see a 1960s costume compared to a Cast Member in 2021. I think today’s flower embroidered tops and pants trimmed with a contrasting color are cute BUT they can’t hold a candle to the vintage costumes!

Special Thanks…

So grateful for the Storybook Land Canal Boats vintage pix posted by:
β€’ Disney History 101
β€’ DavelandWeb
β€’ Disneyland Guy
β€’ Vintagedisneyparks tumblr

1960s Fantasyland Cast Member Costume2021 Fantasyland Cast Member
POST BY SHANNON W. LASKEY β€’ JULY 21, 2022 β€’ SEND QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK VIA EMAIL