104: Have You Ever Seen an Elephant Fly?!

January 13, 2023

Dear Disney,

Whenever a person thinks of Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom either that person thinks of the mountains or they think of that marvel of aeronautics: Dumbo the Elephant ride.

Darling does not like the Dumbo the Elephant Ride. The up and down motions of the flying elephants cause Darling to have some motion sickness, but the Dumbo the Elephant ride is a classic. Dumbo the Elephant was one of the original Disneyland rides. The ride was expected to be available on opening day, but do to a flaw in the ride, was opened a few weeks later.

The original concept designs were not the One and Only Dumbo, rather 10 pink elephants from the movie Dumbo and the song “Pink Elephants on Parade.” Thankfully, the Imagineers decided against that choice and settled for the ride to be filled with Dumbos. The decorations of the ride has evolved over time. Timothy the Mouse was missing from the top of the attraction for the first two years. Once there, Timothy held a whip in his hands. The Dumbo rides are very similar between the six parks, but Timothy is different. In Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, Timothy continues to hold a whip in his hands. At the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong, Timothy hold Dumbo’s feather.

Originally the Dumbo ears were hinged and would flap, but, after a remodel in the 1960’s, they were changed to be static. Additionally, the ride was expected to have a complete overhaul in the 1970’s, but was eventually cancelled. During the 1980’s Fantasyland remodel, the Dumbo ride was given a “toy maker” aesthetic that has been remarked by Tony Baxter, Imagineer and Genius, to be akin to one of Geppetto’s inventions.

The Dumbo the Elephant Ride is a ride fit for all ages and the feelings it brings to the hearts of Disney Adults is delightful. If you go to any Disney Park, ride all the rides, but if you can only ride a few, I suggest any ride that transports you back to an imagined, happier time.

Till tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Jim Dear and Darling