What has happened to Dumbo at the Magic Kingdom

[Stu]

Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride at Disney's Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is an iconic Disney attraction that appeals to the young and young at heart but has it lost it's appeal or has the new location affected it's attendance?

Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride is based on the character from the 1941 animated feature film classic and until the redevelopment of Fantasyland it was located right in the centre of Fantasyland.

The attraction was always popular and nearly always had long wait times, even first thing in the morning. The advice for parents with young children was to arrive at the Magic Kingdom before park opening and then when the park opens to head straight up Main Street U.S.A., ignore all the shops and sights, head under the castle arch to enter Fantasyland then skirt around the Carrousel and immediately get in the line for Dumbo.

The wait times were always long especially at peak times and many parents have had their patience tested to breaking point by the long lines out in the blazing sun with the desire of their children to ride Dumbo.

Well starting in 2011 Disney redeveloped Fantasyland in to New Fantasyland. Part of this redevelopment was to move the Dumbo ride over to the old 'Mickey's Toontown Fair' which then became 'The Storybook Circus'. At the same time as moving the Dumbo ride Disney also increased it's capacity by adding a second identical ride. Both rides are fed by a new combined interactive queue.

Since the new Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride opened the ride has a lot of the time been a walk on ride. Now that can't just be down to the increased capacity. The capacity doubled so you would expect the wait time to have been halved, however the reduced wait times suggest something more than just capacity.

The old version of this ride took centre stage in fantasyland and was a focal point of Fantasyland catching not only the guests that headed straight for it, but all those guests crossing fantasyland from the other lands. It was always a very busy spot.

With the move to 'The Storybook Circus' the ride is almost shoved in to a corner of the park and I feel it no longer gets the same passing foot fall as it did when it was centre stage.

Looking at the current and historical wait times you can see a dramatic decrease in the time to ride now.

It seems Location Location Location is the key here. I don't think the ride has lost it's appeal, it's still an iconic popular ride. It's just that now it's often a walk on ride where for the same time of year previously you would be in an hour long queue.

What are your thoughts on this?

These are the current wait time graphs for the last seven days.

[Imagineer2802]

The location has definitely ruined it. Before, you used to feel right in the centre of the magic, with views of Fantasyland and Cinderella Castle. Now though, all you see is the roof of the queue line, the roof of storybook circus, and a few trees. They definitely didnt think it through. It used to be a first day must for us, but now we don't bother.

[Guest]

I think it's more a case of kids not being stimulated enough by rides that just spin and spin and not much else anymore.

When even 7/8 years olds have smart phones and can play on games all day, suddenly the appeal of standing in line for 30+ minutes to spin round and round for 180 seconds is no longer attractive.

Strap in some overhead restraints, and make the elephants loop upside-down though ...and even I'll queue to ride it

[Vickyvoo]

The Chuck-Bubba Relay used to be the highlight of our holiday-sad to think that this could now be redundant...

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[Tinker's Mum]

Still queues in excess of 30 minutes when we were there earlier this month

My daughter (5) loved it!

[BevS97]

I think its out of the way. We never used to ride as the wait was too long. Recently we have walked on. This year we opted to wait so DD could try the waiting area.

I dont see it as a problem, id prefer to be able to walk on.

[Disneyloverz]

I agree- the location has spoilt it a bit. I also think it's less special having 2 which I find makes it less appealing (to me anyway).

[goodevans]

I just think that it's location is not good.

I don't really like the Storybook Circus area too much as it's a bit like down market funfair but then again I don't like the Chester and Hester bit in AK for the same reason.

Compared to the lovely theming all around the rest of Fantasyland the area seems to have too much concrete and is far too hot .

It just has a sort of "stuck over in the corner" kind of feel and you have to make a definite effort to walk over there, especially when you are already flagging in the heat.

Adults seem to just give the area a cursory glance and dismiss it as just for kids.

Such a shame as the Dumbos is such an iconic ride !

At Easter we went over near park closing at midnight and rode it twice without any queues (our first visit without kids)

I should think though that the reduced wait times were a blessing for parents

[fd1972uk]

Okay, between dates we're talking around 13 or 14 years from the old ride to the new, but I remember the old ride and when the sun was out it was torture, battering down on all who queued. I actually find it similar a bit to Aladdin's Flying Carpets which is to open for my liking too, although did have some covering last year.

Not sure if the covered the Dumbo ride after my end of nineties visit, but I would have hated to wait in that queue with a little one.

I do agree, the view from Dumbo before was great and it was quite an iconic placing and seeing the many adverts etc that had it surrounded with all the great landmarks, now it is pushed over a bit.

Our little one still enjoyed it though.



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[Leggibone]

I think it's no longer a walk past and kids say "mummy I want to ride dumbo" kinda ride, (not to mention kids are too busy watching iggle piggle and pepper pig to know about dumbo) because it's so out of the way, unless your going up there for something else (this is my observation from 2012 though)