Generations of children have happily soared above Fantasyland on Dumbo the Flying Elephant. This iconic attraction spins up to 3 passengers each in 16 elephants around an ornate pylon topped by Dumbo's best friend, Timothy Q. Mouse.
Feel a lighthearted thrill as Dumbo lifts off the ground, leaving the cares of the world behind. You control the aerial adventure by joystick: climb toward the clouds or "trunk"-dive back to earth. It's a high-flying adventure that lifts your spirits and reminds you that, if you believe in yourself, anything is possible!
Dumbo the Flying Elephant is inspired by the classic Disney movie, Dumbo, about a circus elephant born with abnormally large ears who discovers that he has the unlikely ability to fly.
Attraction
Based on the character from the 1941 animated feature, the sixteen ride vehicles are each shaped like Dumbo and are mounted on articulated armatures connected to a rotating hub. The passengers ride in the "Dumbos" and can maneuver them up and down with a joystick which operates a hydraulic ram. The ride itself rotates counterclockwise at a constant rate.
A figure of Timothy Q. Mouse, voiced by Chris Edgerly on this attraction, rides atop the central hub. For the original versions at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, the figure held a training whip and stood on a disco ball. He later held the "magic feather" and now stands on a small hot air balloon.
Each of the parks, except for the Disneyland Paris version, also have a replica of one of the Dumbo vehicles, located outside of the attraction, that is used for taking pictures.
Touring Tips
- It is usually best to ride Dumbo in the early morning when the park opens because it is so popular.
- The queue winds around the attraction and is largely unshaded. There are 16 Dumbos to choose from, wearing a variety of different colored hats and blankets.
- Each Dumbo holds two average-sized adults, so one adult and two children can fit, but it's better if each child can have their own Dumbo to avoid squabbles over the control stick!
- Next to the ride you will find a separate Dumbo set up for taking pictures. If you don't want to wait in line for the ride, at least snap a quick shot of your kids in Dumbo for the family album.
- Most of the ride you can control the height of your elephant. At the end of the ride all the Dumbo elephants raise high in the air. If your kids are afraid of heights this may be upsetting for them.
- Younger children will not be permitted to ride Dumbo solo.
- It can be difficult to snap a picture of a loved one as Dumbo the Flying Elephant whirls past. Fortunately, there is a replica of a Dumbo gondola located behind the main attraction. It's ideal for getting the perfect snapshot to remember your Disneyland Park experience forever.
Facts
- Dumbo is an original Disneyland attraction and opened in July 1955.
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant is a Telecombat-style ride located in Fantasyland at five Disney parks around the world. The original attraction opened at Disneyland in October 1955, three months after the park opened. The four other versions of the attraction were opening-day attractions at their respective parks.
- In 1957 former President Harry Truman refused to ride Dumbo because the elephant is the symbol for the Republican party.
- The band organ located under the circus tent behind Dumbo the Flying Elephant is an authentic Gavioli band organ, also known as a fairground organ, built in 1915. The band organ faithfully recreates the sound of several different instruments as it plays a merry collection of favorite Disney tunes.
- One elephant from the ride is in the collection of the National Museum of American History, donated in 2005, on the occasion of Disneyland's 50th anniversary.
- The Timothy Mouse figure on top orginally held a whip, but now he holds a feather.
- For Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration, a golden Dumbo was added to the ride. Another golden Dumbo sits nearby, providing an excellent photo opportunity.
History
The attraction was originally built with ten ride vehicles which were intended to represent not the "one and only" Dumbo, but the alcohol-induced "pink elephants" scene from the film. In fact, the working title of the attraction was "10 Pink Elephants On Parade" and the elephants were painted pink on installation. Walt Disney objected, not wishing Disneyland's guests to ride vehicles themed to a hallucination and thereby ordered them painted gray.
The ride was scheduled to be one of Disneyland's opening attractions, but instead opened a month after the park's grand opening, due to fiberglass prototypes, that weighed 700 pounds. For a few months, the original Dumbos' ears moved, which quickly caused a number of mechanical problems. The sculptor, Chris Mueller Jr., created new casts with no hinges for movement.
For its first two years, the hub of the original Dumbo ride lacked the Timothy Mouse figure standing on the disco ball.
A circa 1915 band organ occasionally provides background music. This powerful instrument is capable of being heard more than a mile away. Naturally, it is operated at only a fraction of its potential.
During his 1957 visit to Disneyland, Former United States President Harry S. Truman politely declined a ride on Dumbo the Flying Elephant, due to the elephant being a Republican symbol.
In 1983, as part of the opening of the New Fantasyland, the ride was moved to Skull Rock's original location and was completely redesigned to look more kinetic, although there were still 10 elephants.
In 1990, the attraction was updated with the sixteen vehicles originally intended for installation at Disneyland Paris, after an incident during which a bracket support broke. During the 1992 Disneyana convention, one of the original ride vehicles sold for US$16,000. Like other remaining 1955 attractions, one of Disneyland's Dumbos was painted gold in honor of the park's 50th anniversary in 2005. During that same time, Timothy's magic feather was returned to the whip.