March 11, 1994: West Edmonton Mall changes amusement park name

It's now knownas Galaxyland,butthe name of West Edmonton's Mall's amusement park wasn't always so out of this world.

The park was first called Fantasyland when it opened at West Edmonton Mall in 1983. The name immediately drew attention Fantasyland had been an attraction in Disneyland since 1952, and was known as the home of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

In the initial lawsuit, Disney sued West Edmonton Mall for their use of the name, and the court ruled in Disney's favour. However, the court allowed the mall to continue using the name during the appeal process that followed.

The naming dispute came to an end when the appeal ruling was handed down on March 11, 1994.

The court found that Disney had been using the Fantasylandname long before West Edmonton Mall therefore themall must change the name ofthe indoor amusement park.

Galaxyland was the new name chosen for the amusement park in 1995, buttheFantasyland Hotel continues to operate under its original name.

In this archivevideo,CBC's Rick Boguski reports on the legal controversy andeventual ruling that led to the name change atthe amusement park.