Dumbo in the Parks–Believe and Soar
A new telling of Dumbo, directed by Tim Burton, premieres this weekend at the box office. It would be hard to discuss Dumbo without noting its role in the Disney theme parks worldwide. Did you know that Dumbo Flying Elephants is the one attraction you can depend on in every Magic Kingdom-style park? Mad Tea Party isn’t found in Shanghai (they have spinning honey pots), and neither is the railroad or Space Mountain.. There’s a carousel in every park, but the carousel in Shanghai has a Fantasia theme, not a medieval overlay. But Dumbo–it’s the one attraction found in every Magic Kingdom-style park worldwide.
The first Dumbo was at Disneyland. It’s been remodeled several times over, including this last year, which offers a new queue in the back and space in the front to accommodate bigger crowds expected from Galaxy’s Edge.
Disneyland also has has a wonderful Casey jr. Circus train with it. It encircles Storybook land.
So does Disneyland Paris. You can see video of Casey jr. here from that park. It seems to hustle a bit more than the one at Disneyland in California.
Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World has the biggest tribute to Dumbo in the form of Storybook Circus. Here there is not only a fun Casey jr. water play area…
But Magic Kingdom has not one but two Dumbo spinners!
I love the indoor waiting area for Dumbo. If you remember the previous queue back in the heart of Fantasyland, it was pretty miserable suffering in the heat and humidity while small children were melting around you.
Across the world at Hong Kong Disneyland you can find a cute topiary adjacent to its Dumbo attraction.
Tokyo Disneyland is a purist in the truest sense. They still have the original spinner design, which you could see in the old days of Disneyland and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
They also have a really cute easter egg of Dumbo and Timothy during this time of year. Totally sweet!
Did you know that there’s a park where Dumbo isn’t in the greater Fantasyland realm? That would be Shanghai. Dumbo is in a big, beautiful park with gorgeous view of the front of Shanghai Disneyland’s Enchanted Castle just beyond.
Dumbo and Timothy also lead off the Mickey Storybook Express Parade daily at Shanghai Disney.
This attraction celebrates the “little train that could”. The story of this train comes from Dumbo and from a short that was created starring the train itself. At the heart of the Dumbo’s story was the idea of believing in yourself. That was framed perfectly by Casey Jr.’s own efforts to make it up the hill:
“I think I can! I think I can! I think I can…”
Soon that led to:
“I know I can! I know I can! I know I can…”
Dumbo had a similar challenge. He needed to believe in himself. He thought he would need a lucky feather in order to fly. But in the last minute and at the urging of his agent, Timothy, he came to his senses and ultimately soared.
Who would have thought that an elephant would fly? Certainly not those who mocked and made fun of them since he had such big ears. But those big ears led to big success when he came to the realization that what made him different was ultimately his strength.
So it is with us. We think that we can’t do certain things. We think we can’t lose weight because we’re genetically disadvantaged. We think we can’t attend an ivy league school because we come from the wrong side of town. We think we can’t achieve because we don’t have what it takes. But within us, we all have what it takes to be successful. And while it takes more than chanting “I think I can”, we must be positive and committed to taking on the hills before us.
Souvenirs for You and Your Organization:
- What are the hills you must climb and the flights you must soar?
- What perceived weaknesses do you have that could be turned into strengths?
- How is your attitude? What do you need to do to change your attitude from “I think I can” to “I know I can?
Dumbo is one of the most signature, iconic experiences in the Magic Kingdom. It serves as a reminder that all of us can believe and soar!
