Prepare for a lot of rides in this chapter!
Chapter 10: A Trip to the Magic Kingdom Part 2
"Tails! Tom! Wake up!"
Tails and Tom both slowly opened their eyes to see Sonic sitting up on the bed, grinning excitedly.
Seeing his father and little brother already waking up, Sonic rushed over to the other bed where Maddie and Knuckles were.
"Maddie! Knuckles! Wake up! Wake u-!" Sonic was cut off by Knuckles smashing his fist into the blue hedgehog's face, sending him flying across the room.
Now everyone was wide awake.
"Sonic! Are you okay?!" Tails cried, leaping out of bed and kneeling next to his older brother.
Sonic sat up, head spinning from the impact. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm not bleeding, am I?"
"... no."
"Then I'm okay!" Sonic gave a thumbs up, much to the relief of his family.
"Apologies, hedgehog. I did not realize it was you until, well…" Knuckles said apologetically.
"Hey, it's alright. I've taken punches from you before, no big deal." Sonic shook his head.
"Just be more careful with those punches, okay?" Maddie told the echidna sternly.
"Yes, Mother." Knuckles nodded.
Tom rubbed his temples while smoothing out his hair. "Let's just get some breakfast and head to the park."
"Yes!" Sonic exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Day of fun!"
"Day of fun!" Tails and Knuckles cheered as well.
Tom and Maddie both rolled their eyes, smiling fondly at their three alien kids.
Heading down to the lobby, the Wachowski family quickly got themselves some breakfast with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie eventually settling themselves by the TV playing cartoons in the corner.
The cartoon currently playing was called 'Lonesome Ghosts'.
As they ate their breakfast, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles sat back and enjoyed the cartoon, laughing at some of the slapstick while Tom and Maddie smiled fondly at their kids.
"Man, I love these cartoons, they're hilarious." Tails chuckled, eating a spoonful of cereal.
"Indeed, they are vastly entertaining." Knuckles agree, eating a croissant.
"Hey, it's Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. You know you're in for a fun time when it comes to these guys." Sonic remarked, taking a bite out of a cinnamon roll.
Once they had all finished their breakfast, the Wachowski family headed out of the lobby and into Downtown Disney, which Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all agreed definitely didn't look as beautiful during the day.
After a few minutes of walking down the streets, the Wachowski family finally exited Downtown Disney, coming into the large cross point between Disneyland itself and the California Adventure Park.
From there, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were able to catch their first glimpse of the Magic Kingdom. The towering brick railroad station with a small garden below it shaped like Mikey's Mouse's head.
Thankfully, they had gotten there early enough so that there weren't a lot of people, so they got to the entrance rather quickly.
At the turnstiles, the security guard who greeted them noticed the pins Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were wearing. "First time visiting?" She asked with an amused smile.
The three disguised alien kids looked down at their pins. "I mean, obviously." Sonic replied with a sheepish grin while Tails smiled bashfully.
The guard chuckled, already checking their tickets. "Well, have fun." She told them.
"Oh, we definitely will." Maddie smiled, taking a map before they went through the turnstiles.
Once they had passed through the gates, the family came to a brief stop outside the archway that led straight into the park.
"Hey, look!" Tails said, pointing to a circular brass plaque hanging above them on the archway.
"'Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy'." Sonic read the words on the plaque. "Ooh! Sounds exciting!"
"Oh, is there gonna be like a portal that takes us to the past and the future?" Tails asked eagerly.
Maddie winced sheepishly. "I'm pretty sure it's just a park." She said, much to the hedgehog and fox's slight disappointment. "It's still a very fun park, though."
"You boys ready?" Tom asked.
Sonic and Tails both smiled excitedly. "Yeah!" They exclaimed.
Knuckles simply nodded. "Indeed." He said.
"Then let's go!" Tom waved, already walking ahead.
The Wachowski family continued on, going under the archway before coming out on the other side. And after exiting the passageway, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were greeted by the sight of a fantastic new world.
Main Street, USA stretched out in front of the family of five in all its glory. Recreations of ornate turn-of-the-twentieth century Victorion-style buildings lined up both sides of the street, with cheery music playing from hidden speakers that gave a sense of atmosphere, a sense of excitement to the place. And far off from the very end of the street was the famous statue of Walt Disney holding Mickey Mouse's hand while the enormous magical castle looming over them in majestic tranquility.
Sonic, Tails, and even Knuckles all gaped, awestruck. It was like they had stepped into a completely different world.
"Sweet Gaia…" Tails whispered in wonderment, subconsciously grasping Sonic's hand. "It's amazing."
"It sure is." Sonic numbly nodded, squeezing Tails' hand as a smile slowly spread across his face.
"Truly a wondrous kingdom." Knuckles agreed.
"Well, come on! Let's go have some fun!" Maddie said.
"Day of fun!" Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles cheered before they rushed ahead down the street with Tom and Maddie following closely behind.
After approaching the statue of Walt and Mickey (and taking a quick family selfie by it), the Wachowski family settled down.
"So where should we go first?" Maddie asked, opening up the map of the park.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all looked at the map, examining it closely.
"Can we go to Tomorrowland?" Tails asked, peering over Maddie's shoulder. "That sounds cool. And look, there it is right there!" He pointed to the right of the Walt statue.
"Not as cool as Adventureland and Frontierland. Those sound epic!" Sonic argued, leaning against Maddie's arm.
"I am more interested in this Fantasyland." Knuckles stated.
"Tomorrow!"
"Adventure!"
"Fantasy!"
"Tomorrow!"
"Adventure!"
"Fantasy!"
"Alright, alright, settle down, all of you!" Tom quickly pushed Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles apart before they could come to blows. "Let's figure this out without fighting, okay?"
"How about this?" Maddie proposed, pulling out three straws, the length of them hidden by her closed hand. "The three of you each draw straws, and the one with the longest straw will get to decide where we go first, okay?"
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles glanced at each other before they shrugged and nodded.
"Fine." Sonic sighed.
"Okay." Tails agreed.
"Acceptable." Knuckles nodded.
One at a time, the three of them drew straws, with Tails getting the shortest one, Sonic getting the middle one… and Knuckles getting the longest one.
"Ha! Victory is mine!" Knuckles grinned, much to Sonic and Tails' ire.
Accepting their loss, Sonic and Tails followed Knuckles, Tom and Maddie straight ahead across the draw-bridge and past the massive castle (which they took a moment to admire one last time).
Coming out on the other side, the Wachowski family was met with sights of what seemed almost like a medieval town, with cobblestone streets and wattle and daub houses. And at the very center of the village was a large golden carousel with several children riding it while music played in the background.
"So… which ride should we go on first?" Tails asked after brief silence between them.
Sonic looked to the right, noticing one particular ride. "Ooh, Peter Pan… that sounds cool." He said, noticing the ride with the mural of said character.
"That sounds like a good start." Maddie agreed. "I love that ride."
"Then let's go before it gets crowded." Tom stated, already moving towards the line.
After waiting in line for several minutes (in which Sonic and Tails passed the time by playing games on the hedgehog's phone), the family five finally arrived at the front where an automated boat awaited them.
"How many?" One of the people running the ride asked.
"Five." Maddie replied.
"Alright, on you go." The worker smiled, gesturing to the boat.
Tom and Maddie climbed into the boat first with Tom sitting on the far left and Maddie sitting on the far right. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles then climbed in next, with Tails sitting in Tom's lap, Knuckles sitting in Maddie's lap, and Sonic squishing himself in the middle.
Once the lap-bar was down, the ride began, with the cables carrying the boat into the Darling bedroom where they could see animatronics of Wendy, John, and Michael Darling 'floating' in the air as they veered to the left towards the window.
"C'mon, everybody! Here we goooooooooooooo!" Peter Pan's voice echoed through the room as the window/slash door opened up.
"Off to Neverland!" Sonic cheered, earning a laugh from Tails as they glided through the window and flew high above the houses of London.
"Look! There's Big Ben!" Tails pointed out the miniature replica of the famous landmark as passed by it.
"Woah…" Sonic and Tails gasped, gazing around the room with wide eyes as they took in the sight of London from high above, combined with the darkness of the room and the melodic song of 'You can Fly! You can Fly! You can Fly!' playing in the air gave the ride a sense of atmosphere, of drama, as if they were experiencing the original movie the ride was based on first hand.
"Think of a wonderful thought
Any merry little thought
Think of Christmas, think of snow
Think of sleigh-bells – off you go
Like reindeer in the sky
You can fly! You can fly! You can fly!"
It was, they dare say, almost magical.
As they cruised around Big Ben, the boat soared upwards over the fake clouds, going behind a hidden wall, leaving the sights of London behind and coming upon a certain island.
"Neverland!" Knuckles gasped as they flew around said island.
"Neverland!" Tails gasped as well, gazing around at the island as well as the sea of stars that surrounded it.
"Neverland!" Sonic also gasped, looking down upon the lush trees, the majestic waterfalls and lakes, the shiny rainbow that spread out across the Mermaid Lagoon in the distance, the fiery volcano that glowed brightly in the dark, even Skull Rock in all its ominous glory.
"It's only a model." Tom said jokingly.
"Shh!" Maddie shushed her husband, giving him a slightly stern look, not wanting him to spoil their kids' enjoyment.
As they flew over the island, the boat suddenly swerved sharply to the left again, going behind another hidden wall approaching a much larger and up-close version of Skull Rock.
Peering over the edge, Knuckles gasped upon seeing the Chieftain's daughter Princess Tiger Lily tied to a log and slowly sinking into the water.
"The princess is in danger! Look!" Knuckles pointed out over the boat.
Sonic and Tails peaked over the side of the boat, spotting the sinking princess as well.
"We've gotta do something!" Tails gasped, looking like he was about to get out of his seat.
"Woah, woah, woah! Guys, relax! She's not real! She's just an animatronic! You know, part of the ride!" Sonic told them, holding Tails and Knuckles back before they could get out of the boat.
Then, the boat shifted left again as the Wachowski's now found themselves approaching Captain Hook's ship, where said pirate captain was battling Peter Pan while Wendy was being forced to walk the plank.
Sonic, grinning, decided to have a little fun as he used his speed to get off the boat and zip over onto the pirate ship, standing on the deck of the ship.
"Avast, me hearties! It be I, Captain Sonic!" Sonic said with a dramatic pirate accent, waving to his family on the ride.
Tails laughed with a wide smile as he waved back while Knuckles simply rolled his eyes with an amused smile. Tom and Maddie both chuckled before they waved to Sonic as well.
As the boat began to pass by, Sonic took a running start, maneuvering past the animatronic Wendy on the plank and using his speed to gain enough momentum to jump off the plank and back onto the boat with his family.
While Sonic got back into his seat, the boat soared to the right past the Indian village and over Captain Hook's ship, now having been commandeered by Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael.
"Cast off for London!" Peter Pan's animatronic exclaimed as the boat began to glitter with golden dust. "Pixie dust!"
"Pixie dust away!" Sonic and Tails cheered as they veered again to the right, now watching as Captain Hook was trying desperately to avoid the jaws of the Tick-Tock Crocodile.
"SMEE!" Captain Hook shrieked for his first mate, earning a hysterical laugh from Sonic and Tails.
"I'm coming, Captain!" Smee exclaimed, 'rowing' to save his captain.
"So long, Captain!" Sonic smirked, giving the animatronic a mocking salute.
"Hope you're sleeping with the fishies!" Tails joked, earning a laugh from Sonic.
And as the boat glided left and set down, even passing by some animatronic mermaids along the way, the lap bar automatically lifted, allowing Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie to get off the ride.
"So, what'd you boys think?" Maddie asked as they departed back into the streets of Fantasyland.
"It was amazing!" Tails exclaimed excitedly, practically beaming as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
"Let's go on another one!" Sonic grinned, zipping over across the street to the first ride he saw, which just so happened to be 'Pinocchio's Daring Journey'.
"Ooh, Pinocchio! Yes!" Tails cheered, rushing over to his older hedgehog brother and getting in line with him, with Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie not far behind.
The line this time was a bit longer than the one for Peter Pan since more people were starting to arrive, but soon they eventually got to the front of the line. Once again, they were asked how many were there and once again responded the same as they had before; five.
The ride soon rolled up to them, instead of a boat, it was now a small mine car that slid smoothly along the floor almost soundlessly.
"Dibs on the front!" Sonic exclaimed, quickly jumping into the front row of the mine cart on the far right.
"I call dibs too!" Tails added, sitting next to his older hedgehog brother in the front row right in the middle.
"I shall call dibs as well." Knuckles stated, climbing into the front row and sitting down on the far left side.
Tom and Maddie rolled their eyes at their kids' antics as they got in the back row, content enough to let their kids sit in the front row and experience the ride first hand.
The ride soon started, with the mine cart moving forward and going through an automatic door with a banner above that said 'Puppet Show'.
Upon entering the room, they were greeted by the sight of an animatronic Pinocchio dancing on the stage and singing with a couple other puppets.
"Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee! An Actor's for me!" Sonic and Tails joyfully sang with the Pinocchio animatronic will Knuckles simply nodded to the song, much to Tom and Maddie's amusement.
The cart then turned to the right, this time sliding through another pair of automatic doors, these ones labeled 'The Great Stromboli', into a darkened room while the cheery music began to slowly fade.
For a brief moment, there was silence before it was interrupted by a bout of loud haughty laughter, startling Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as they saw an animatronic Stromboli standing at by one of his carriages with several cages around him, one of which even had Pinocchio inside it.
"This is your new home!" The animatronic Stromboli declared harshly. "For me, you are making lots of money!"
Tails shrunk back, whimpering a bit at the towering animatronic as he instinctively grasped Sonic's arm in a vain attempt to hide behind the blue hedgehog.
"Hey, hey, Tails, it's okay." Sonic smiled reassuringly, wrapping his arm around the young fox and holding him close. "It's not real, alright?"
"It's okay, sweetie. No-one's going to hurt you." Maddie added softly.
Tails snuggled himself against Sonic's side as he looked up at his big brother and his mother, nodding with a thankful smile.
While this was happening, the cart swerved to the left and into a giant bird cage. Once inside, the cage door closed behind as another automatic door opened up in front of them, giving way to the streets of Pinocchio's village as a cheery tune began to play faintly in the distance.
"No, no! You're going the wrong way!" An animatronic Jiminy Cricket cried as the cart took a right turn, coming right up to the gates of Pleasure Island.
And as they approached Pleasure Island, the gates themselves opened, allowing the Wachowski family to enter the theme park.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles looked around in awe of Pleasure Island, seeing buildings and even rides made of candy, fireworks erupting in the sky, giant popcorn machines for any who were hungry, cigars being handed out on a whim, Honest John and Gideon playing a game of test-your-strength, all while a carnival version of 'Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee' played in the background.
The cart slid around the carnival for some time before they took another left turn at the Rough House, going into the billiard house where the cheery songs from the carnival ceased, now taking a more ominous tone.
"Lampwick! Oh my gosh!" The animatronic Pinocchio exclaimed in horror as the animatronic Lampwick turned around, revealing himself to be already turning into a donkey.
"So you bloke's wants the easy life, eh?" The Coachman animatronic smirked sinisterly from a hidden booth.
Sonic and Tails both gasped in horror, reminded of the terrifying scene in the movie, while Knuckles simply glared at the animatronic Coachman, clenching his fist almost hard enough to break the lap bar.
As the cart continued out of the billiard house, a more dreary and melancholy version of 'Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee' began to play while the Wachowski family was greeted by a rather run-down looking Pleasure Island, with food, toys, and cigars spilled on the ground while the bright lights from before had turned dim.
"Let me out of here!" They heard someone cry.
"Shut the doors and lock them tight!" Came the voice of the Coachman followed by the loud sound of a snapping whip.
Tails whimpered at the sound of whip, snuggling as much as he could into Sonic's side, burying his face into the crook of the hedgehog's neck while Sonic held him tight, stroking his back soothingly.
"It's okay, Tails, it's okay…" Sonic whispered to his little brother, which helped Tails calm down.
As they continued on, they soon slowly began to pass by a few dark cages with animatronic donkeys inside them.
"Ma-ah-ma! Ma-ah-ma!" One of the animatronic donkeys in young boy's clothing cried as it was clear they were struggling to speak.
"Please let me go! Please!" Another animatronic donkey sobbed from within his cell.
"This is horrible!" Tails gasped, feeling pity for the poor boys.
"Yeah, but it doesn't look like there's anything we can do about it." Sonic sighed sadly, wrapping his arm around Tails' shoulder and holding him close.
"Remember, it's all part of the ride, okay?" Tom reminded them reassuringly. "None of it is real."
"Hurry! Hurry!" A Jiminy Cricket animatronic yelled, but it was already too late as the gates to Pleasure Island automatically closed, cutting off their escape.
"We're trapped!" Sonic cried while Tails hugged him like he was a giant teddy bear.
"We must find another way out!" Knuckles exclaimed.
As the cart turned to the right, they were greeted by none other than the Coachman, grinning evilly as he opened a large wooden box right in front of them. "You blokes going somewheres?"
"Turn! Turn, turn, turn, turn, turn!" Sonic shouted as they continued to move closer and closer to the box.
Thankfully, at the last moment, the cart turned left, away from the box and the Coachman. Now, the Wachowski family found themselves cruising along the coast line, with the ocean painted on the wall in the background.
"Did we make it?" Tails asked, letting go of Sonic as he saw they were no longer on Pleasure Island.
"I believe so, fox." Knuckles nodded.
"Look!" Sonic pointed out to a wooden sign nearby. "Pinocchio's Village is just this way!" He grinned. "We're almost home!"
"Yay! We're almost there!" Tails cheered, pumping his fist and smiling happily.
"Thank the ancestors." Knuckles sighed with relief.
"Yep!" Sonic smiled. "And I'm sure there's going to be no more problems whatsoev–!"
"Oh my gosh! Monstro!" A Jiminy Cricket animatronic cried.
"Wait, what?!"
From beyond the sea and seemingly from the shadows came the ferocious sperm whale known as Monstro, his eyes full of hate and his mouth open, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. Thunder boomed in the background along with flashing lights, making his already intimidating appearance all the more terrifying.
Sonic, Tails, and even Knuckles all screamed at the sight of the monster as they clung to each other in sheer terror.
And just as quickly as it happened, it was gone as the cart turned, going under an archway and returning to the calm quiet streets of Pinocchio's village.
"Is-is it over?" Tails asked as he, Sonic, and Knuckles began to relax, the soft instrumental version of 'When You Wish Upon a Star' helping to comfort them.
"Yeah, it's over." Tom chuckled as he and Maddie ruffled their heads in a reassuring manner.
"Guys, look! The Wishing Star!" Sonic gasped, pointing to what seemed to be said Star glowing high above them.
"Woah! Should we make a wish?" Tails asked.
"Yes, let us each make a wish." Knuckles said, already clasping his hands together and closing his eyes.
Sonic and Tails quickly followed suit as they clasped their hands together and closed their eyes almost like a prayer.
There was a moment of silence between them as they each made their wishes before they all opened their eyes just as they went into Gepetto's workshop.
The inside of the workshop was bright and warm, with fantastical looking clocks all carved out of wood, cute little music boxes that each were a work of art, and of course shelf after shelf of toys.
As they entered the workshop, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie spotted Pinocchio on the bed with Gepetto tending to him, both with happy smiles on their faces.
"Home at last!" The Gepetto animatronic said.
"Gee, I'm glad to be home!" The animatronic Pinocchio beamed.
"Hey, he's still a puppet! Ride ruined!" Sonic pointed out, noticing that Pinocchio on this ride had not turned into a real boy like in the movie.
Tails laughed cutely at Sonic's joke while Knuckles simply rolled his eyes in amusement.
Soon enough, the ride came to an end as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie got off the ride, coming back out into the streets.
"Well… that was both fun and horrifying." Sonic said after a long silence.
"You said it." Tails nodded in agreement. "But at least there was a happy ending!"
"You got that right, buddy!" Sonic smiled, ruffling Tails' bangs affectionately, earning a few giggles from the kit. "So which ride should we do next?"
"Why not this one?" Knuckles questioned, pointing to the closest ride he saw, which was right next to the Peter Pan ride.
"Mr. Toad?" Maddie asked, to which Knuckles nodded. "Alright, let's go."
Hurrying over to the line, the Wachowski family was once again forced to wait as the lines for rides were slowly getting longer.
"What movie is Mr, Toad from?" Sonic asked curiously as they waited in line. "Because I don't think we've ever seen him."
"I don't think we have either." Tails said, quickly pulled out his Miles Electric. "Huh, apparently he's from this short movie called 'The Wind in the Willows'."
"Huh." Sonic blinked. "Wonder how a movie that hardly anyone's heard of got its own ride." He questioned.
"Just another of life's greatest mysteries." Tails shrugged as they finally reached the front of the line.
Once they had gotten to the ride, one of the managers told them that only two people at a time could ride it. So reluctantly, the Wachowski family decided to split into two groups, with Sonic riding with Tails while Knuckles rode with Tom and Maddie.
"I call shotgun!" Sonic declared as he hopped into the driver's seat.
"Hey, no fair! Why do you get to drive?" Tails whined as he climbed into the seat next to Sonic.
"Because I actually know how to drive." Sonic pointed out rather smugly.
"I can drive too!" Tails pouted adorably, crossing his arms.
"Yeah, off a cliff." Sonic remarked, gripping the steering wheel in his hands.
Tails rolled his eyes, before he grinned. "Didn't you trash Tom's truck on the way to Aunt Rachel's house?" He asked with a teasing smile.
Sonic stiffened. "That was not my fault!" He exclaimed, his voice raising an octave. "Robotnik trashed the truck first."
Tails laughed while Sonic gave him a playful push.
Once the lap bar was set down, the ride began as Sonic spun the wheel at the first turn, the automatic doors open and leading into the library where they found a paper cutout of Angus MacBadger hanging from a ladder while teetering on the edge of falling over.
"Don't mind us!" Sonic waved to MacBadger as he and Tails swiftly rounded to the right, going out of the library through the fireplace, which crackled with cinders upon exiting.
"Yeah, great driving so far." Tails teased.
"Shut up and let me drive." Sonic playfully retorted as the car took a sharp left turn into the massive hallways of Toad Hall where they could see the weasel thugs hanging from the chandeliers.
Riding down the hall, the car then took another sharp turn to the left right into the dinner hall where they saw a paper cut-out of Mr. Mole eating a chicken wing at the table.
"Sorry, Mr. Mole!" Tails apologized as the cardboard cutout folded back, allowing them to pass.
"Yeah, hope you finish your chicken wings!" Sonic added. "Save some for us too!" He called, earning a laugh from Tails.
Turning the car to the right, Sonic and Tails 'crashed' through the window, exiting Toad Hall and going into the forest, only to be immediately met by a cardboard cutout of a police officer blowing his whistle at them.
"You'll never take us alive, copper!" Sonic exclaimed dramatically as he and Tails swerved left, passing by a bridge hanging over the river.
"We'll see you in heck, lads!" Tails said with a mock posh accent.
"Stop!" Another policeman cutout cried, emerging from behind a tree.
"Sorry, officer, but we gotta go fast!" Sonic smirked, clenching the steering wheel in his hands as they drove past the cutout.
"Yeah, gotta go fast!" Tails cheered, pumping his fists adorably to which Sonic smiled amusedly.
Continuing their drive, Sonic and Tails went through a sign that read 'keep out' going under the archway and passing by a shepherd and his sheep as they came out the other side.
"One side, one side, sir!" Sonic called.
"Let the car through!" Tails added.
The two then made another sharp turn, this time coming up on the docks of London, even spotting Tower Bridge in the distance. And as the car rolled onto the docks, the uneven wooden planks made the car rock and shake.
"Woah! Talk about a bumpy ride!" Sonic said as he and Tails were bouncing in their seats due to the rickety platform.
"That was a cheap joke." Tails said.
"Oh, c'mon that was the first thing that came to mind!" Sonic whined, to which Tails rolled his eyes with a smile.
Making a left u-turn into a row of barrels, Sonic and Tails' eyes widened as they saw that all the boxes were labeled with things such as 'TNT', 'NITRO', 'DANGER', and 'EXPLOSIVES'.
"Oh nooooo!" Sonic and Tails cried as they clung to each other tightly as the car went into a dark tunnel, lights flashed brightly while the car zigged and zagged past cardboard cutouts made to look like cartoon explosions.
Coming out of the tunnel, Sonic and Tails released each other, both of them breathing a sigh of relief.
"Excuse us, sir!" Sonic exclaimed, taking back hold of the wheel as he and Tails drove past a cardboard cutout of a car across from them before entering Winkey's Pub.
"Come! I'll show you the world!" A cardboard cutout of Mr. Winky grinned, tossing two mugs of beer into the air as he ducked behind the bar.
"Cheerio, Tails!" Sonic grinned, pretending to hold an imaginary beer mug in his hand.
Tails smiled widely. "Cheers to you too, Sonic!" He laughed, holding an imaginary beer as well.
Sonic and Tails pretended to clink their imaginary beers before drinking them.
Driving out of the pub, it was general chaos as Sonic and Tails' car drove around a large fountain, nearly hitting a baker carrying several pies and almost hitting a scaffolding with two construction workers on it, all the while they could hear loud police whistles behind them.
Eventually, the car ducked into a nearby building, which Sonic and Tails just so happened to notice, was labeled 'Law Court'.
Entering the Court House, Sonic and Tails noticed the room was rather small, with the Judge himself standing at the podium, his cutout towering over them in a foreboding manner that actually made the young hedgehog and fox shrink back a bit.
"Guilty! That is all, that is all!" The Judge declared, grinning maniacally.
"Hey, it's not my fault Sonic's a terrible driver!" Tails playfully protested.
"Oh, like you're one to talk, little bro." Sonic snickered, ruffling the kit's bangs and earning a few giggles from Tails.
As they bantered, the car exited out of the Court House through another automatic door slowly moving towards the prison building where the police were waiting for them.
"No! I'm too young to go to jail!" Sonic cried dramatically.
"And I'm too cute to go to jail too!" Tails added, equally dramatic.
Sonic and Tails laughed at their little joke before the car suddenly swerved to the right unexpectedly into a dark tunnel.
Before either of them could question what was happening, they saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel, followed by the bellowing sound of a whistle that was most certainly not a police whistle.
"Uh oh…" Sonic and Tails both murmured as they quickly realized what it was.
The whistle blared again as the light became brighter the closer it got. Sonic and Tails screamed in fright as they braced themselves for the worst.
Seconds later, there was a loud bang followed by the sound of an explosion as lights flashed in the tunnel.
And before Sonic and Tails knew what was happening, they were suddenly finding themselves driving through the mouth of what seemed like that of a demon etched into a wall of rock, leading into a fiery cave full of stalagmites and stalactites.
"W-Where the heck are we?" Tails asked, feeling stunned and a tad frightened at the change of scenery.
"I… think we're in Heck." Sonic replied, just as astonished.
As they continued to drive, a more demonic version of the Judge emerged from behind a few stalagmites, wearing a red version of his outfit with little devil horns atop his wig, chuckling evilly.
"Hey, it's the Judge!" Tails gasped, pointing him out.
"I knew he was bad news from the start!" Sonic exclaimed.
Passing by the Judge, several little demons, and even a large dragon model, the car took a turn to the right, exiting out of the cave through an automatic door, and before Sonic and Tails knew it, they were back in Toad Hall.
For a moment, Sonic and Tails sat there in the car speechless, before they finally lifted the lap bar and got off the ride.
"... Well… that just happened." Sonic spoke after a long silence.
"Remind me to never drive recklessly again." Tails shivered, rubbing his arms.
"Remind me to not drive at all!" Sonic stated.
"You know, for a theme park aimed at kids, these rides are kinda traumatizing." Tails remarked.
"Yeah." Sonic nodded in agreement. "I have a feeling this is gonna be tame compared to some of the other rides."
"Still, it was fun though, right?" Tails smiled.
"Yeah!" Sonic grinned, giving his little brother a thumbs up.
After spending the next few minutes waiting, Tom, Maddie, and Knuckles eventually caught up with Sonic and Tails.
Heading out of Toad Hall, the Wachowski family decided to take a short break from some of the major rides and opted to go on some of the smaller ones in the meantime.
"Wahooo!" Sonic and Tails cheered, riding around on King Arthur's Carousel with Knuckles and several other kids.
"This is awesome!" Tails exclaimed, pumping his fist as he rode on his horse.
"This is almost like that time I rode that cow with no head back at the Piston Pit!" Sonic yelled before he muttered to himself "Although I can't tell if it had no head or if it just had two butts."
Knuckles, meanwhile, clung tightly to his horse, trying desperately to stay on even though his grip was slipping.
Tom and Maddie stood off to the side, watching their kids ride the carousel, with them even recording the whole thing on their phones.
"Whooooooo!" Sonic and Tails whooped as they rode around on the Dumbo flying carousel, the wind whipping through their ears and fur as they flew around and around in circles with Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie in their own Dumbo carts.
"Now this'll really convince a guy that elephants can fly!" Sonic quipped.
"Hey, if a fox like me can fly with two tails, I don't see how an elephant with big ears wouldn't be able to either!" Tails shrugged with a smile.
"Woah, woah, woah, wha-ha-ha-ha, I feel sick!" Sonic laughed as he, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie rode around in the spinning tea cups.
"How do you even get dizzy? You're fine every time you use your spin attack." Tails pointed out.
"That's different." Sonic responded.
Knuckles, meanwhile, clamped his hand over his mouth, his cheeks turning a bit green as they continued to spin.
"Knuckles, you okay, Sweetie?" Maddie asked in concern.
Knuckles tried to respond, but found himself gagging instead.
Tom went slightly pale. "We should probably slow down." He said.
After getting off the ride and letting Knuckles get his breakfast out of his system, Tom decided to take Sonic and Tails on a slower ride this time while Maddie helped Knuckles rest.
So here they were on the mellow Storybook Land boat, going through the mouth of Monstro and emerging on the other side looking at the many models strewn about.
Sonic sighed, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his knuckles as he was bored out of his mind. To ease his boredom, Tom began scratching the blue hedgehog behind the ear, which was rather relaxing for Sonic.
Tails, meanwhile, was actually enjoying the ride, gazing around at the different models and listening intently to the Captain as she talked about the characters living there.
Back with Maddie and Knuckles, Maddie was doing everything she could to make sure her red echidna son was feeling well after his little 'episode'. Luckily, Knuckles was beginning to feel better by the time Sonic, Tails, and Tom got off the boat.
With that, the Wachowski family continued their tour of Fantasyland. And they decided to continue it with none other than the Alice in Wonderland ride.
Getting in line and waiting for several minutes, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie eventually reached the front where they got into a cart shaped like the Caterpillar from the movie. The seats were much smaller than the ones on previous rides so they were forced to split into smaller groups.
Sonic and Tails sat together in the front seat, Knuckles sat in the middle seat, and Tom and Maddie sat in the very back.
"Is it weird to anyone that we're riding inside a giant bug?" Tails questioned as the ride started up.
"Maybe we'll turn into a beautiful butterfly at some point." Sonic snickered, earning a giggle from the fox.
The ride continued as they entered a dark cave that was almost pitch black.
"My adventures in Wonderland began when I followed the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole." Came Alice's voice from the hidden speakers, getting Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles' attention. "All of a sudden, I fell! Down, down…"
As she spoke, the lights in the tunnel came on, reflecting off a set of black crash doors and forming a recreation of the Upside-Down Room.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles gaped at the plethora of stylized furniture including chairs, mirrors, lamps, and flower pots as they passed by them.
Reaching the end of the tunnel, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were startled by a light suddenly shining on a small green door in front of them, the doorknob having a particularly cartoonish face.
"Oh, looking for the White Rabbit?" The Doorknob animatronic chuckled before the door opened automatically. "See for yourself!"
Going through the automatic door, the Wachowski's were greeted by the sight of a screen hidden behind some prop trees playing the scene of Alice chasing the White Rabbit from the movie.
"Oh, Mr. Rabbit? Wait! Please!" Onscreen Alice cried, giving chase.
"Come, brothers! We must find this white rabbit!" Knuckles exclaimed to Sonic and Tails.
"But how are we supposed to find him?" Tails questioned as the caterpillar car turned to the right.
"He went this way!" An animatronic Tweedle Dee said, leaning to the right.
"No, no, that way!" An animatronic Tweedle Dum protested, leaning to the left.
"Guys, look! There he is! The White Rabbit!" Sonic exclaimed as they turned to the right, spotting said rabbit.
"Hi, Mr. Rabbit!" Tails smiled, he and Sonic gleefully waving to the animatronic, much to Tom and Maddie's amusement.
"I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" The White Rabbit animatronic exclaimed.
"Bye, Mr. Rabbit!" Sonic grinned, he and Tails now waving goodbye to the animatronic as they passed by.
Moving on from the White Rabbit, the Wachowski's found themselves now cruising through what seemed to be a garden of tall grass and leaves, with flowers of many different colors that towered over them.
As they got closer to the flowers, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were quick to notice that many of the taller flowers actually had facial features on them such as eyes, mouths, and even noses, much to their surprise. The flowers themselves sang melodiously, singing the song 'All in the Golden Afternoon' in a harmonious fashion.
Rounding a corner to the left, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles spotted none other than the Caterpillar himself, sitting atop a purple mushroom and smoking his hookah.
"Hoo… R… U?" The animatronic Caterpillar questions, with syllabus being spelled out in colorful smoke.
"That depends." Tails said in a pontificating way. "It could relate to a crisis of identity. After all, the entirety of Alice in Wonderland is a fantastical metaphor for puberty, right? The change from childhood to adulthood. The process of growing up and the changes in both your body and mind as well as how much you yourself change along the way."
There was a brief silence as Sonic, Knuckles, and even Tom and Maddie stared at the young two-tailed fox in surprise.
"... Dude, what?" Sonic spoke up, raising a brow.
"Heh, um, sorry…" Tails smiled bashfully, clearing his throat, his white furry cheeks turning slightly red in embarrassment.
As they continued on, the caterpillar car took a sharp right turn this time, going into the dark depths of the Tulgey Woods. The forest itself was dimly lit, creating a rather foreboding atmosphere as they ventured on. Several signs were plastered on the trees pointing in several different directions, including 'Yonder', 'This Way', 'That Way', 'Up', 'Down', and 'Go Back'. The woods themselves were also filled with a variety of creatures cartoonishly mixed with inanimate objects. It truly was a place of madness.
"Lost, perchance?" A sly voice came, causing Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to look up and see the Cheshire Cat sitting in the trees with his signature wide grin.
Sonic shivered. "Eeh, that guy always creeped me out a bit."
"You said it." Tails nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. I do not trust this 'cat'." Knuckles added.
As they passed by the cat, another automatic door opened up in front of them, with a sign that said 'Royal Garden'.
Going into the garden, the Wachowski family was immediately subjected to the sight of living playing cards marching about the garden, some of them even painting a few of the white roses red.
"Hey, look! There's the rabbit again!" Sonic exclaimed to Tails and Knuckles, pointing out said rabbit.
"Her royal majesty, the Queen of Hearts!" The White Rabbit declared as the caterpillar car made a sharp left turn.
"And the king!" Piped up the King of Hearts.
"Shall we play croquet?" The Queen of Hearts asked, holding a flamingo up to the ball.
"Not sure how you'd play croquet with a flamingo." Tails remarked jokingly. "So, I'm gonna have to pass on that."
"And I'd especially not like to be a croquet ball, thank you very much." Sonic added, earning a laugh from the young fox.
"Rule 42, the Queen always wins." The King of Hearts meekly piped up.
"Dishonorable tyrant!" Knuckles yelled, shaking his fist at the animatronic.
Going past the Queen, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were greeted by the sight of a small screen showcasing a poor yellow hedgehog curling into a ball and crashing into a tree.
"Nooo! Rest in peace, dear brother!" Sonic cried dramatically.
"Hey, I thought we were your brothers!" Tails said, feigning hurt as he gestured to himself and Knuckles.
Even though he knew the fox was joking, Sonic still felt the need to speak against his words, to prove him wrong as quickly as possible. "You are my brother, Tails. You too, Knuckles."
Tails felt a wide smile grow on his face before he threw himself against Sonic's chest, wrapping his arms around the blue hedgehog and burying his face into the crook of his hedgehog brother's neck. "Thanks, Sonic." He said, nuzzling Sonic affectionately.
Sonic laughed before hugging Tails back. "Your welcome, little bro."
Knuckles simply patted Sonic on the shoulder with a warm smile to which Sonic smiled and nodded back.
Getting back to the ride, the group found themselves continuing to the right, only to be met with another animatronic of the Queen of Hearts, who this time looked furious.
"Enough! Off with her head!" The Queen of Heart's animatronic bellowed as the playing cards surrounded them.
"See ya, Queeny!" Tails jeered at the animatronic.
"Ain't no heads rolling today!" Sonic added as the caterpillar car headed out through the automatic door.
Instantly, the Wachowski family was met by the bright glare of the sun as they came outside, winding along the slow tracks of the ride they headed down a small downcline.
"So what ride should we go on after this?" Sonic asked, realizing that it was probably going to be a bit before the ride finally ended and there weren't any animatronics or pyrotechnics around to grab his or his family's attention at the moment.
"What about that one?" Tails replied, pointing to what seemed like a tall snowy mountain. And on it, they could see people in bobsleds zoom by before disappearing all while cheering and screaming the whole time.
"The Matterhorn?" Tom questioned in surprise. "Sure, we can go on that next."
Tails raised a brow in confusion. "I thought the Matterhorn was in Switzerland?"
"Oh, it is. This is just a replica of it." Sonic explained, hoping to clear up the confusion for his little brother.
"Ah." Tails nodded, now understanding.
Going down the hill, the tracks continued on their windy way before they reached the bottom, before entering into another tunnel.
Upon entering the tunnel, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles' ears were immediately assaulted by the sounds of whistling tea pots, each of them whistling to a specific note as they played. And turning to the right, they could see the iconic tea table, covered in cups and kettles of tea while Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the March Hare sat at the end of the table.
"Happy Unbirthday!" The Mad Hatter and the March Hare animatronics sang.
"Why, today's my unbirthday, too!" The Alice animatronic said, sharing some tea with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.
"Happy Unbirthday!" Sonic and Tails both cheered as they exited out of the tunnel, coming to a stop at the entrance of the ride.
"Gotta say, that wasn't quite as fun as some of the other rides we've been on so far." Sonic remarked as they got off the ride.
"Yeah, but it was still fun, right?" Maddie pointed out.
Sonic shrugged before he nodded. "Yeah, I guess."
"Then that's what really matters." Maddie stated.
"Can we go on the Matterhorn now?" Tails asked eagerly, taking a hold of Maddie's hand as he bounced on his feet excitedly.
"Of course, Sweetie. C'mon, let's go!" Maddie smiled, taking Tails and Sonic's hands and leading them over to the line for said ride with Tom and Knuckles following close behind.
Getting in line, Sonic tapped his foot impatiently as they waited while Tails held Maddie's hand and played some games on his miles electric. Knuckles and Tom both crossed their arms and waited as they shuffled closer and closer to the ride.
"So… is there any movie this ride is based on?" Sonic asked Tails, hoping to cure his boredom
It took about twenty minutes before the family of five finally reached the front of the line, where they told the ticket worker that they were together. After that was sorted out, they were guided to their own individual lines as a new bobsled approached them.
Once the gates opened, they got on with Sonic sitting in the very front with Tails behind him, followed by Knuckles, followed by Maddie, and finally ending with Tom in the very back.
As soon as the seat belts were fastened, the ride began as the bobsled went smoothly down the track, going into a darkened cave tunnel before the bobsled started to go slowly up a steep incline. As they went up, they heard a loud bellowing growl, which was accompanied by the all encompassing darkness of the tunnel which only served to make it more frightening.
"Uh, did anyone else hear that?" Sonic asked nervously.
"Uh-huh." Tails nodded, equally scared. "And I'm not sure I like it."
"Stay alert, brothers. The beast could be anywhere." Knuckles cautioned them.
As they reached the top of the incline, they found themselves sliding rapidly down the track, coming across a whole stash of broken and snow-covered equipment.
Sonic, Tails, and even Knuckles went pale at the sight of it. Even though they knew it was fake, this along with the monstrous growl and the speed they were going at really put them into a sense of unease.
As they started to go faster, they noticed another bobsled right beside them with other people on it as well.
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie all waved to the people on the other bobsled, to which they also waved back in a friendly manner.
Going around another bend, the bobsled started to go faster as the track began to decline. And as they went down, they were immediately met by the animatronic yeti, coming out of one of the caves and roaring at them.
Sonic, Tails, and even Knuckles screamed in fright as they zoomed past the yeti, the ride going into a series of sharp turns and sudden drops that left the Wachowski family screaming and whooping the whole way.
"This is like that time in Siberia, right, Tails?" Sonic yelled as they went down another sharp bend yet again.
"Yeah, and just as intense!" Tails yelled back over the howling winds.
Just then, the bobsled took another drop yet again, this time going into another dark tunnel that was pitch black.
Seconds after entering the tunnel, they were met by the yeti animatronic yet again as it howled its inhuman otherworldly roar, once again, scaring the wits out of the Wachowski family.
Zooming by the yeti animatronic, the bobsled exited the tunnel only to then slow down as it went onto an underwater track, kicking up a small amount of water in its wake.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles each took that time to catch their breath as the bobsled slowly came back to the start.
"Man, why isn't the real Matterhorn like that?" Sonic asked as they got off the ride.
Tails shivered. "I'm actually glad it isn't." He said. "That was both fun and terrifying!"
"If I ever run afoul of that yeti again, I will show no mercy." Knuckles stated firmly.
Tom took the map of the park out of his pocket and looked at it. "Well, we've done almost all the rides here." He informed them, putting the map away. "How about we go on one more ride here and then go to a different part of the park?"
Immediately, the three mobians looked eager.
"Yeah, let's do it!" Sonic cheered.
"I can't wait to see the rest of the park!" Tails exclaimed excitedly.
"I too am curious to see more of this kingdom." Knuckles said.
"So, what ride do you guys wanna do?" Maddie asked.
Sonic peered over the edge of the Matterhorn, looking back to the entrance near the castle.
"What about that one?" Sonic suggested, pointing to a specific ride close by the large castle.
Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie all looked over to the ride Sonic was pointing at. It was right next to the Pinocchio ride and looked like it was a miniature castle mixed with a cottage. Above the entrance was a banner that read 'Snow White's Enchanted Wish'.
"Alright, well, let's go." Tom shrugged.
Heading back across Fantasyland, the Wachowski Family quickly got in line.
They waited for several minutes, but like all the other rides, they eventually got to the front of the line.
Getting into the cart, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles once again sat at the front while Tom and Maddie sat in the back.
As the ride started up, the Wachowski family found themselves taking a sharp u-turn to the right and through a pair of automatic doors.
Upon entering the room, they were immediately met by the loud sounds of music and yodeling singing as they passed an animatronic Snow White dancing with an animatronic Dopey and Sneezy dancing with Snow White while the other dwarfs either sang or played their instruments.
Sonic and Tails smiled widely as they clapped along with the music while Knuckles nodded along with the song. Tom and Maddie smiled in amusement at their kids' antics while also enjoying the ride themselves.
Shortly, the cart slowly exited the house, where they spotted Snow White's evil step-mother, the Queen, peeking in through the window to the cottage.
"Soon, I'll be fairest in the land." The Queen animatronic sneered while her pet crow rested on her arm.
"No offense, but I don't think trying to murder your step-daughter makes you the fairest in the land." Tails pointed out with a cheeky smile.
"Yeah, like, how does killing a member of your own family make you a better person than her?" Sonic added, snickering a little.
"Dishonorable tyrant!" Knuckles declared, shaking his fist at the Queen while they passed her by, causing Sonic and Tails to laugh.
"Heigh-ho, Heigh-Ho, it's off to work we go!" Sonic and Tails sang along with the dwarves on the small screen in front of them showing the seven dwarfs marching off to work while singing their iconic song.
Seconds later, the family found themselves going to the dwarfs' mine. The walls were lined with jewels and diamonds of all different colors that shined in the dark like little night-lights that lit up the mine.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles gazed around the mine in wonder as the cart slowly moved through the mine, where they saw animatronics of the seven dwarfs working in the mines, with Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, and Sleepy chipping away at the rock with their shovels and pickaxes while Doc inspecting diamonds and Dopey rummaged through the carts of jewels.
The mine section of the ride, however, was short-lived as they found themselves turning into a dark and eerie forest. The trees dry and dead, the leaves gone and replaced by a pair of vultures that loomed over them.
Shortly after entering the dark forest, the cart rolled up to the Queen's castle, with a pair of iron-clad wooden doors automatically opening and allowing the family into the castle.
Upon entering, they were greeted to the sight of the Queen with her back to them, standing in front of a large mirror.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all immediately grew tense as they narrowed their eyes suspiciously at the Queen as they heard her chanting a sort of strange ritual.
Suddenly, the animatronic Queen swiveled around, revealing her new form. Sonic, Tails, and even Knuckles lurched back with a yelp at the sight of the Queen, now an ugly old hunchback.
"With this disguise, I'll fool them all!" The Queen cackled.
From there, the cart continued further into the dark castle, with tables covered in bottles of chemicals and potions, skulls, mixing bowls, and books. Eventually, they passed by the Queen, dipping an apple into a pot of poison, creating the poison apple.
Tails whimpered at the creepy imagery, clinging to Sonic's arm and leaning against his older brother.
Sonic, seeing this, gently rested his chin on Tails' head and grasped his hand, giving it a calming squeeze.
Rounding another bend, the Wachowski's spotted a small mirror in the corner showcasing Snow White eating the poisoned apple, causing the mirror to shatter.
Seconds after that, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were met by the sight of the seven dwarfs chasing the Queen up the cliff in the storm like in the movie.
"Take that witch down!" Sonic cheered the dwarfs on.
"Yeah! Show her who's boss!" Tails exclaimed as well.
"Avenge the sweet maiden White!" Knuckles yelled.
Continuing on, their attention was immediately drawn in front of them as they saw the Prince bend down and gently kiss the dormant Snow White.
As soon as his lips touched her, a wave of golden sparkles showered the forest, sun seeping through the dark clouds as Snow White awoke while angelic music began to play in the background.
The music was majestic, warm, and soothing, a chorus of voices singing together harmoniously in a dance of life, one that filled Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles with a feeling of relief and wonder.
And as they rolled by, they were met with an open storybook that read, 'A True Love's kiss awakened Snow White and the Good Dwarfs danced for joy'.
Continuing past another animatronic of Snow White and the Prince, now standing together with several critters and smiling at each other, the Wachowski family went through another pair of automatic doors, where they were greeted by a large open book with the simple words, '... And they lived Happily Ever After. Snow White's wish had come true.'
Turning to the right, the ride finally came to a stop, allowing the Wachowski family to lift up the seat bars and exit the ride.
"That was fun." Sonic said as they stopped outside of the ride.
"Yeah." Tails nodded in agreement. "So where to next?"
"Ooh, ooh, ooh! Can we go to Adventureland next? I drew the second longest straw!" Sonic immediately perked up.
"I am interested to see how this Adventureland will differ from this village." Knuckles stated.
Tom nodded. "Yeah, we can go. C'mon!"
With that, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie began to walk towards the outskirts of Fantasyland, with the three mobians eager to see the rest of the Magic Kingdom.
And that's Fantasyland done. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I will see you all next time!
