Dumbo the Flying Elephant is one of the most loved attractions in all of Disney’s parks. This is a Uncle Walt original. Walt took a cheap carnival attraction and turned it in to a classic ride that has become one of the most loved rides of all times. And believe it or not, they just made it better!
Grab the little ones and climb on the back of one of the ride vehicles and take off into the wild blue yonder. Soar away high into the sky driven by one little mouse.
The New Dumbo
Storybook Circus
The new and improved Dumbo the Flying Elephant is the centerpiece of the new Storybook Circus. The circus is set in “Carolwood Park” just like in the movie. Casey Jr. (the train from the movie) comes around from time to time and drenches the kids. Casey Jr. even has his own house (which you can tour.)
Dumbo is the “A” attraction and “The Great Goofini” is the “B” attraction. It’s a cute roller coaster for kiddos.
Dad’s Storybook Circus page
The Great Goofini Billboard
The Big Top Tent – The Preshow
The biggest change to Dumbo the Flying Elephant is the waiting area. The old area was just out in the middle of everything. No shade, long lines, bad combination. With the new ride all of that changes.
Following the Circus theme, the waiting area has been moved inside. Into the “Big Top Tent”. Under the Big Top, children can play in a wonderful interactive playground and parents can wait in air conditioned comfort.
The Big Top Tent is really the beginning of the ride and part of the “Big” Show. Under the tent kids will be able to play on several different types of “circus-themed playground experiences”. The experiences are …
- Human Cannonball slide
- Net climbing
- Burning Building
- Disk Challenge
- Trampoline Climbers
When you arrive under the big top, you’ll get one of those restaurant pager things that will summon you when it’s your turn to ride. (It might be hard to tear kids away from the playground.)
Check out this video from Disney Parks about the Big Top
The Big Top is a great addition to Dumbo.
The Attraction
Dumbo the Flying Elephant is the star of any show. Not that there is really anything spectacular about the ride. You hop in a ride vehicle and go round and round and up and down for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Nothing special.
Except. Like most of Uncle Walt’s creations, take a mundane midway ride and Disney it up. Wow. Take one of the most beloved stories of all times and all of the sudden this little ride becomes one of the best, most loved rides anywhere.
It seems like every kid wants to ride Dumbo before any other ride. When we took the whole bunch, even the big kids had to ride Dumbo. (The littlest got to ride with Granddad. It was really cute.)
Dumbo at night
The Postshow
When you come out of Dumbo you are in the middle of Storybook Circus where you can play in the water that Casey Jr. spits, explore the Circus (look for the peanut shells in the concrete) including the Carolwood Park Train Station and even take a ride on The Great Goofini.
Dad’s Ride Information Table
| Description: a slow circular ride with controls that let you go up and down | ||||||||||||
| Height Requirement – none | FASTPASS: Yes | Length of Ride: 2 mins | ||||||||||
| Type of ride: Midway ride | ||||||||||||
Dad’s Ratings
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| Other Information: Kids love this ride | ||||||||||||
FASTPASS
Yes, now Dumbo the Flying Elephant not only has the Big Top Tent, FASTPASS is also available for the ride. For the first time ever, you can get a FASTPASS so you can plan your ride time. This is a big change.
Dad’s FASTPASS page
History
- The movie Dumbo the Flying Elephant was released in 1941.
- The first copy of the ride made its debut at Disneyland about 3 months after the park opened. It had only 10 ride vehicles.
- This version debuted when the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971.
- The first new ride vehicle opened on March 21, 2012. The second vehicle opened on June 22.
Fun Facts
- Timothy Mouse stands on a hot air balloon.
- Originally the elephants were to be painted pink, like in the dream sequence from the movie, but Uncle Walt objected because he didn’t want to expose his guests to a ride that came from a hallucination.
- The Disneyland version was supposed to be moved to Disneyland Paris, but delays in the park opening allowed it to stay.
- A magic feather replaced the whip in Timothy Mouse’s hand for a short time.
- Dumbo now flies over a fountain. (You won’t get wet.)
Need to know
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant is usually open during Extra Magic Hours.
- Wheelchairs aren’t allowed on the ride. You must be able to walk to the vehicle.
There are still lines outside Dumbo
The Crowd Factor
For years, Dumbo the Flying Elephant has been one of the most crowded rides in the Magic Kingdom. From the time the park opened the line grew and grew. Even though the ride is 2 minutes or less long, you use to have to wait as much as an hour in line.
All that has changed (somewhat). Lines are still long, but the wait is a lot more comfortable. Instead of hour long waits, it’s now about 30 minutes.
This ride is open during both morning and evening Extra Magic Hours. This is a good time to check out the lines because there are less people in the parks during Extra Magic Hours.
You can find out the best times to visit Dumbo and all of the Magic Kingdom by subscribing to Touringplans.com. They even have a touring plan called Dumbo do or die in a day.
Dad’s Touringplans.com page
Dad’s Bottom Line
The New Dumbo the Flying Elephant is amazing. The new Big Top play area is a great idea and the air conditioning is a welcome change. This is still one of the all time best rides in the Magic Kingdom. If you have young children it should be one of your first stops.
Trust me.
