For Christmas 1961, the interior of the Main Street Opera House was transformed into the Forest of No Return – plus the Toy Factory and the Village Square – from Disney’s latest musical motion picture Babes in Toyland. The sets were the actual ones used for filming, dismantled and brought to Disneyland for the enjoyment of the Park’s Guests – the few who stumbled in or fumbled in anyway. The movie turned out to be a box office turkey, and its namesake Disneyland attraction didn’t fare much better. For those who did venture inside, there were a few fun surprises to be had, not the least of which were the trees that would unexpectedly spring to life in the Forest of No Return scene (courtesy of strategically placed, costumed Cast Members). The Forest disappeared, never to return, in 1962, and Guests drank their last lemonade for Tom and Mary on September 30, 1963, leaving the door open for other attractions to follow.
Babes in Toyland image ©Disney