You’ll Never Believe Who Once Flew Over Disney Like Tinker Bell

It’s one of the most magical moments during Disney’s fireworks.

Awaiting the enchanting spectacle when Tinker Bell flies over your head during Disney Enchantment, right from Cinderella Castle itself.

Of course, she also flies at Disneyland Park, but did you know that another famous character once flew over Guests’ heads too?

It’s been 66 years since Walt Disney opened his famous theme park Disneyland in Anaheim, which has expanded over the years to include hotels, Downtown Disney, and, of course, Disney’s California Adventure.

With the Resort full of secrets and nostalgia, it’s always fun to learn something new about the Parks, including an Indiana Jones surprise fun fact that you might not be aware of!

From Rise of the Resistance at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to the brand-new WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure attraction at Avengers Campus, Disneyland has got something for everyone.

With pixie dust and some Disney magic, Tinker Bell has been soaring over both Cinderella Castle (at 189 feet up) and Disneyland’s Matterhorn for years, sparking joy in all those watching the nighttime spectaculars.

The smile on young Guests’ faces when they realize Tink is flying over the top of them is priceless.

But, in a surprise piece of Disney history, Tinker Bell once lost her spot flying over Disneyland back in 1995 when Indiana Jones himself was the star!

His flight coincided with the opening of The Indiana Jones Adventure attraction, which was originally Temple of the Forbidden Eye at Disneyland Park back in March 1995.

Located in Adventureland, the ride was created with George Lucas after the success of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, which reopened on December 19 last year after the pandemic forced the show to close.

It’s a little-known Disney fact, but to celebrate the opening of the new Indiana Jones attraction at Disneyland, Disney incorporated Harrison Ford’s character into Disneyland’s 40th anniversary celebration, staging an entire chase scene and action sequence!

Twitter user Sam Carter posted exciting photos featuring the fedora-wearing hero climbing up the Matterhorn and going down Tinker Bell’s wire:

Oh you know, Just Indiana Jones going down the Tink wire, after being chased by the bad guys, all after climbing up the Matterhorn. July 17th 1995

Oh you know, Just Indiana Jones going down the Tink wire, after being chased by the bad guys, all after climbing up the Matterhorn.
July 17th 1995 pic.twitter.com/Ozc8ygEvEf

— Sam Carter (@Cartarsauce) January 22, 2020

Furthermore, Grammy-award-winning country singer Randy Travis sang “Happy Birthday” to the Park way up high on top of the Matterhorn!

It’s a fun little throwback to Disney’s eclectic moments. Special guests at the ceremony included David Smith from the Disney Archives, Russell Means (voice of Chief Powhatan in Pocahontas (1995)), Irene Bedard (voice of Pocahontas), John Hench (the Time Castle designer) and Fess Parker (Davy Crockett actor).

The very first Tinker Bell “flew” in Disneyland Park in 1961. Tiny Kline was Tink’s first friend flying high over Sleeping Beauty Castle on a cable. Kline was a pixie-sized 4’10”, 98 pounds, and nearly 70 years old at the time.

Later on, actress Gina Rock set records performing as Tinker Bell during the nighttime fireworks for a massive 21 years.

The Peter Pan (1953) fairy didn’t arrive in Walt Disney World Resort until the mid-1980s, where she first was seen in a holiday show. Disney Guests’ reactions were so positive that she became a permanent star of the classic nighttime spectacular “Wishes” in Magic Kingdom for the next twenty years.

Lucasfilm has already started production on Indiana Jones 5, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)) and Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro (1998)) joining Harrison Ford in Indy’s new adventures.