AT HOME WITH MR TOAD

Here is a small collection of Disney theme-park images related to one of my favourite, lesser-known, Disney characters: Mr J Thaddeus Toad, master of Toad Hall – originally created by Kenneth Grahame in his book The Wind in the Willows and later cinematically immortalised by Walt Disney in the 1949 film, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad...

In Disneyland, Anaheim, Mr Toad's grand residence is the home of 'Mr Toad's Wild Ride', a version of one of the park's original 'dark ride' attractions that was operational on opening day in 1955...

A companion attraction in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World was closed to make way for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and whilst Disneyland Paris never got a version of the ride, it does have a Toad Hall Restaurant with Toad-carvings and Toad-bullrush-and-lily-pad patterned wallpaper as well as antiques, paintings and mementos of J Thaddeus' extraordinarily adventurous – or misadventurous – career...

Finally, as anyone who has ever hitched a lift with Mr Toad's Wild Ride will remember, there is an explosive end to the harum-scarum automobile dash...