Let's hop through the Hundred Acres Wood and visit a classic character—Pooh Bear! The Secret History of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a windy, dreamy and hoppy good time. Did you know this Disney dark ride replaced the beloved Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Magic Kingdom Park? We'll learn about this and other tad-bits during this secret history!
Hop here for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh wait times, ride details and more!
The Secret History of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
While a Winnie the Pooh attraction had been in the books for Disneyland since the late 1970s, it didn't make it there for some years down the road. The park was renovating Fantasyland and made plans to add a Pooh Bear ride, but once the area actually re-opened in 1983, the famous bear was not in attendance! Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland area had enough available space to make way for a Winnie the Pooh ride. Plus, Winnie the Pooh was making a comeback in popularity because of new television shows.
In 1997, Disney announced the closure of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride to make way for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The result of this announcement included protests from fans who loved Mr. Toad! According to The Complete Walt Disney World by Julie and Mike Neal, many fans picketed inside the park, and the Orlando Sentinel interviewed guests on the ride's last day of operation.
Opening on June 4, 1999, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was an instant hit for young tadpoles! The next Pooh ride made its way over to Tokyo Disneyland and debuted as Pooh's Hunny Hunt; this version of the attraction is slightly different with its innovative, trackless ride system. Guests sit inside their own pot of "hunny" that dances from scene to scene using trackless technology! You'll see this type of technology used in the recently opened Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters. (And it is toadally awesome!)
Pooh's next adventure would be inside Disneyland. With little space to build a new attraction, the only way to bring this popular dark ride would be to utilize another attraction's space. Country Bear Jamboree Show inside Critter Country was chosen due to its lack of popularity. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh finally opened at Disneyland Park in 2003!
The only other Disney park you can experience this Pooh Bear attraction is at Hong Kong Disneyland, which is very similar to Magic Kingdom's version! Hong Kong's version opened on September 12, 2005.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Fun Facts
- If you miss Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, you'll be pleased to know Magic Kingdom's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh honors the extinct ride! According to The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness, look at the picture on the wall inside Owl's house; you'll see Mr. Toad handing over the deed to his house to Owl!
- Magic Kingdom's version is based on the 1968 Disney Featurette "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day."
- Remember when we discussed the use of Pepper's Ghost Illusion during the secret history of the Haunted Mansion? Well, that same effect is also used on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh when Pooh floats away during the dream sequence!
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh inside Magic Kingdom Park went through an extensive refurbishment in 2010 to make the queue interactive; the queue now transports guests to the Hundred Acre Wood before they even board the ride!
- You're able to bounce like Tigger on the ride because of a Motion Enhanced Vehicle. Via DisneyFanatic.com, the front part of your hunny pot is like a motion simulator!
- The trackless ride technology on Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh's Hunny Hunt works by using electric sensors and computers that communicate with the ride vehicles.
Have you experienced gliding and bouncing in a hunny pot through the Hundred Acre Wood on this Disney ride? Let us know in the comments below! Don't forget to check out The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh wait times, ride details and more.
Stay cool!
