Something that separates Disneyland apart from Disney World, at least to me, is that Disneyland is really in touch with its weird and wacky side in a way that Disney World would NEVER. I mean, you can meet DEADPOOL in Disneyland. DEADPOOL.

Main Street, U.S.A.

Then there’s a ride in Fantasyland that literally takes you to hell and back (I love you, Mr. Toad). Plus you’ve got The Halloween Tree, which exists because of famed sci-fi author Ray Bradbury. And we can’t forget about the charming Little Man of Disneyland. Disneyland has always been in touch with its weirder side throughout its 70-year history, which brings me to something you may not know about: Pancake Races.

Okay, just the name alone is intriguing, especially for someone who writes for the Disney FOOD Blog. So I had decided to learn more about these Pancake Races. In 1957, Disneyland held a race among real housewives, dressed in their normal attire of skirts and aprons, flipping PANCAKES while they ran down Main Street. Y’all. You can’t MAKE this kinda’ thing up.

©D23

Disney didn’t create the pancake race, though. It actually goes back to the 1400s in the U.K. and, apparently, was a national pastime there in the 1950s. The race was generally held on Shrove Tuesday, the Tuesday before Lent, with the finish line being at a church door. The Pancake Race eventually became an international hit, and so, it made its way to Disneyland.

Pancakes were popular, I guess?

In August 1955, Quaker Oats opened a restaurant in Disneyland, Aunt Jemima’s Old South Kitchen, in Frontierland. So Disney partnered with Quaker Oats to hold the first Disneyland Pancake Race in 1957. Women from all over the country had to compete in several cities to qualify.

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So how did the Pancake Races work? Women would start with a skillet and pancake and start running down Main Street looking for ribbons that were stretched across the street above their heads. When a racer neared a ribbon, she had to flip her pancake OVER THE RIBBON in her skillet and catch it, WHILE STILL RUNNING. So, let’s just say that these races took a bit of deftness and skill.

©Disney

The fastest woman to the finish line was declared the winner and she received $100, as well as a plaque signed by Walt Disney, a huge Disneyland food basket, and more. Were these events huge publicity stunts for Disney and Quaker Oats? Yes, definitely. But the Disneyland Pancake Races ran every year from 1957 through 1964.

I love the idea of the Pancake Races because, although it didn’t originate in Disneyland, it still feels SO VERY Disneyland, but also one of those things that you can’t even imagine being witness to. So here’s to the Disneyland Pancake Races — may they be forever remembered fondly.

Stay tuned to DFB for more.

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What’s your favorite wacky story from Disneyland history? Let’s hear about it in the comments!