One of the highlights of the new Fantasyland section of Walt Disney World is the new Dumbo ride. The Disney imagineers have re-worked the entire attraction and turned a Magic Kingdom classic into a modern innovation.
This ride is based on Disney's 1941 animated classic "Dumbo" (and yes, I'm not to proud to admit that the lullabye song in this movie chokes me up every single time I watch it). In the movie version, Timothy Q. Mouse gives Dumbo a magic feather which gives him the confidence to fly. In this real life version, you'll find Timothy sitting on the very top waving the magic feather as Dumbo lifts off.
Yes, you and your kids can still enjoy the magic of riding a flying elephant. You still fly into the sky, just not too high making this a perfect thrill ride for the little ones. For those afraid of heights, you can control just how high Dumbo flies. There are now TWO identical Dumbo rides sitting side by side. The experience on either ride is exactly the same. One of the castmembers told us that one side rotates clockwise and the other goes counter clockwise.
Dumbo now sits in the new Fantasyland section known as "Storybook Circus". This area celebrates by gone days and the excitement of when the circus came to town. This area is geared towards younger kids with huge red circus like tents. Dumbo is located right next to Goofy's Barnstormer which is a rollercoaster geared to thrill younger kids.
Speaking of huge red tents, the very best part of the new Dumbo ride is waiting in line!
Seriously...yes, you read that right. I said waiting in line is actually fun here and here for both parents and kids....
Dumbo has always been a very popular draw with long lines. Like I mentioned, now there are two side by side dumbo rides which certainly helps to move folks along. Still the capacity for this ride is limited compared to many others and the lines do get lengthy. Disney Imagineers have added a HUGE red circus tent that houses the lines for Dumbo. The tent is AIR CONDITIONED and protects folks from the bright sun.
Inside the tent is a huge, interactive play area for kids and seats where parents can sit and relax. As guests enter the tent, parents are given a pager to alert them when it's time to board their pacyderm. Kids can run, jump, play and climb instead of whining, standing still and not fidgeting. This makes the waiting fun for everyone.
Even though the wait for Dumbo may be pleasant, it doesn't mean you want to spend an eternity here considering how many other atractions there's sure to be on your family's To Do list. If you want an even shorter wait for Dumbo, you can use fastpast. Just insert your park ticket into the fastpast machine and you'll get a ticket telling you the time to return back to ride Dumbo....easy, peasy.
All of this fun becomes even more magical after dark. There are dancing fountains along the base of the Dumbo carousels. In the evening the fountains are lit with multiple colored lights and dance in a really beautiful display complimented by the circus music.
If it would be possible to make a wish upon a flying elephant, I certainly do hope these interactive waiting areas magically appear at even more Walt Disney World attractions. The air conditioning certainly helps to protect the health of park visitors both young and old. Anything that will make a child's wait less tedious and helps to protect a parent's sanity is certainly a wonderful thing to wish for!
