Dueling Dumbos: Walt Disney World vs Disneyland

It's very common for visitors at Walt Disney World and Disneyland to take a spin on the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction, but few people get to meet the pachyderm in person. Dumbo has made appearances in many parades, but is not known to be found strolling through Fantasyland.

Have you ever wondered what rental car company Dumbo uses? Well, wonder no more! In 1990, Dumbo appeared in ads for National Car Rental (then "the official car rental company of Walt Disney World and Disneyland"). Dopey, Goofy and Dumbo play car salesmen at Walt Disney World in Florida in front of Cinderella Castle.

A similar ad for Disneyland in California features the same characters in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. For some reason, it lacks the name joke, and seems a bit less clever.

I'm not sure why California's Dumbo looks completely different from the one in Florida. I think Walt Disney World's version is an older design, and maybe the folks in charge in Orlando did not think it was necessary to update the character's look. Interestingly, Disneyland's Dopey has a slightly different face from Walt Disney World's, too.

Since there is already an East Coast/West Coast rivalry between the two Dumbos, it's time to put the flying elephant in more grudge matches. Let's get ready to rumble!!!!

In one corner, we have the cast of Dumbo's Circus, a TV series that debuted on The Disney Channel in 1985. The animated character costumes were created by Alchemy II, the same company that developed the technology for the Teddy Ruxpin animated toy. In Dumbo's Circus, Dumbo spoke (voiced by Katie Leigh, known for voicing Rowlf on Muppet Babies and Sunni Gummi on Disney's Gummi Bears). Timothy Q. Mouse was not on the show, but Dumbo's Circus did feature a small lion with a New York accent named Lionel (the first Disney character voiced by versatile actor Jim Cummings). They are joined by Fair Dinkum (a koala), Barnaby (a dog), Lilly (a cat), Q.T. (an orangutan) and a purple cat named Sebastian. One of the puppeteers on the show was Paul Fusco, the creator and performer of ALF the alien.


In the other corner, we have Welcome to Pooh Corner. This show first aired on The Disney Channel in 1983. Like Dumbo's Circus, this show used animated puppet costumes and was aimed at young children.

For this series, Winnie the Pooh was voiced by Hal Smith (he played the always tanked up Otis on The Andy Griffith Show).


Next up, it's a comic book version of Dumbo. Because of the Dumbo ride, the character is synonymous with the Disney theme parks. Dumbo is on the cover, but does not actually appear in the book. I've had this "Special Magic Kingdom Issue" of Walt Disney Comics Digest for many, many years.

This issue has a story teaming Scamp, Chip and Dale, and Pinocchio!


Up against hand-drawn Dumbo is a computer generated Dumbo.

This version of Dumbo could be seen in commercials for Walt Disney World and Disneyland years ago. I like the clever ads that have CGI Dumbo ride vehicles whisking people away on a flight to the Disney Parks.

Next, we have the battle of the Dumbo Cookie Jars. Dumbo will be happy to guard your Barnum's Animal Crackers.


Dumbo will have to watch himself around this two-faced Dumbo Cookie Jar.

Like so many cool Disney items, this collectible was brought to life by artists Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily.

I wouldn't store peanut butter cookies in any of these jars, because you probably won't get them back.


It wouldn't be Christmas without an elephant on your tree. Dumbo survived Y2K to appear as plush ornaments in 2001 and 2002.

Wait a minute---the 2001 plush Dumbo ornament is holding a plush ornament. Crazy, man!


On a recently aired episode of Food Network Challenge: Beauty and the Beast Cakes, some contestants struggled with sculpting a good likeness of Mrs. Potts the teapot. The judges were concerned that one cake designer's Mrs. Potts looked too much like Dumbo. Of course, Dumbo himself is easily transformed into an actual teapot.



This teapot is from the 1990s. Teapot technology improved greatly in just a matter of years.

For the early 2000s, a new Dumbo teapot emerged to challenge the simpler version.


Anyone who was ever teased for being different can relate to Dumbo. Luckily, Dumbo had some good friends in his corner.


Dumbo's best friend is Timothy Mouse, an unlikely pal for an elephant (cartoon elephants fear mice, after all!).
Bronze Figurine Dumbo and Timothy have a big opponent to face!

"Dumbo's Only Friend" Harmony Kingdom Box packs a mean punch to the gut!

People may forget what a cruel world Dumbo lived in, but I bet the elephant never forgets.


Turn your kitchen into a circus with items that most likely were not designed to be functional.

The Dumbo Salt and Pepper Shakers just got served.

The Dumbo Charger is loud, large and in charge!

Many people will remember this charming Dumbo plush, available in theme parks and Disney Stores during the Nineties.

This Dumbo has some stuffed, stiff Steiff competition!

Unlike Woody and Buzz Lightyear, this toy wants to spend its life behind glass.


Up next, a snow (globe) storm is brewing!

Dumbo at play takes on Dumbo at work.

Where's the Unicorn? I bet I'm not the only person that remembers seeing commercials for the live unicorn appearing at the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus in the early 1980s. They also had a performing Hippo one year (a baboon perched on the Hippo's back really did all the work).

What can possibly go up against a pin set featuring Dumbo, his friends, a Pink Elephant, and Casey Junior the Circus Train, all housed in a Circus Box?


It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's SuperDumbo!

A Halloween pin set features Dumbo's rarely-seen Super Hero alter-ego, Elephantastic!


It's now time for a detailed Dumbo timepiece that recreates some key scenes from the movie.

Who will clean Dumbo's clock?

Watch out for E-Ticket Watches, featuring a Dumbo ride vehicle sculpture. Joining Dumbo is Splash Mountain, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Cinderella's Castle and The Haunted Mansion.


At Walt Disney World in Florida, Dumbo is getting ready to rumble in The Magic Kingdom. Soon there will be two Dumbo ride systems to handle the crowds of folks eager to pilot their own Dumbo in the skies of Fantasyland.

For Pete's Sake: Disney's 12 Days of Christmas

In 2004, Disney made a toy of long-time villain Pete that may be the best plush version of the character that I've seen (there's also a great Frontierland Pete). This looks most like Pete from "The Three Musketeers," also from 2004. This is the best looking character from a very, very bizarre and unusual "12 Days of Christmas" bean bag set released by The Disney Store and Catalog. Pete plays the "Twelve Drummers Drumming."

From the DVD of the 2004 computer animated movie, "Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas," it is revealed that a Disney "12 Days of Christmas" was planned for the film, but was scrapped. This would have also used classic characters representing the gifts.

I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about Disney, but I have no idea who this character is supposed to be playing the 12 Drummers Drumming for the animated version.

In the bean bag set, Goofy plays the Eleven Pipers Piping.



The animated film would have cast The Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland" as the Piper.


Minnie is a nice choice for the Nine Ladies Dancing, as is Mickey for the Ten Lords A'Leaping.


The animated film would have had very different characters.

Fantasia's alligator would have been the Ten Lords A'Leaping.


Hyacinth Hippo (also from Fantasia) would have represented the Nine Ladies Dancing.


The hippos and alligators did end up being in the "Belles On Ice" segment of Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas.

For the Eight Maids A' Milking, it's Clarabelle Cow (naturally!).

She's holding a bucket of her own milk, apparently. The jokes just write themselves here.

Clarabelle Cow was the choice for the animated version, too.


These were all the characters shown on the Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas DVD, so we'll have to imagine what the other choices would have been for the computer animated version.

For the bean bag set, Daisy Duck represents Seven Swans a' Swimming. She is holding a swan, (yes, you read that correctly) and wearing swan wings (you can't see them here).

I think her look was inspired by Bjork, the Icelandic singer who wore a swan dress to an awards show years ago.

Missed opportunity: The Ugly Duckling as the Seven Swans A' Swimming.

For the Six Geese A' Laying, it's Mickey Mouse. Of course! Who else would it be?

They could have used the Geese from The Aristocats, or Gus Goose, or Gladstone Gander. But they did not.

Minnie Mouse is cast as the 5 Golden Rings.

Missed Opportunity: The Golden Harp from "Mickey and the Beanstalk" (a stretch, I know).

Pluto, what have they done to you?!

Pluto is the Four Calling Birds. OK.

Missed Opportunity: Zazu from The Lion King.

For Three French Hens, the Disney Store chose Donald Duck (and he's not happy about it).

Since they used an obscure character like Clarabelle Cow, couldn't they have used Clara Cluck--a hen--for this?

Lastly, it's Mickey and Minnie, dressed as the Partridge in a Pear Tree and Two Turtle Doves.

Oh, Disney Store and Catalog, what were you thinking?!

Missed Opportunity: The Female Tree from the vintage "Flowers and Trees" cartoon could have had a tiny Partridge and a Pear. The Male Tree from the same short could have had the Two Turtle Doves. How's that for "outside the box" thinking?

By now, the song is probably stuck in your head, along with some of the images you've just seen.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Franken-Tigger Lives!

Luckily, the world did not come to an end in the year 2000, because it gave the Disney Catalog the chance to release a wild Winnie the Pooh Halloween line of merchandise.

Remember that chapter in A.A. Milne's "The House at Pooh Corner" when Christopher Robin made monster versions of all his friends? I don't either, but Winnie the Pooh was very popular at the Disney Store and Catalog at this time, and the Disney merchandise folks were very clever.

Here we see Tigger as Franken-Tigger. This incredible 14" tall decoration "dances and speaks four Halloween greetings." Batteries not included---sorry!



Here we see Franken-Tigger with Devilish Piglet on a felt door decoration that can be personalized.



Here we see Franken-Tigger, Devilish Piglet, Werewolf Pooh and Skeleton Eeyore as light-up decorations that you can put on your front porch.




Here we have a Cookie Jar with sound---and batteries are included! You know you need this.


Aren't you counting down the days until Halloween? Eeyore will help you, with this wooden calendar.

How about a candy basket with appliques of Werewolf Pooh, Devilish Piglet and Franken-Tigger (not shown)? This features "Candy corn print fabric lining and collapsible handle. Candy not included." Say what?!?!?


Here's a Pooh Halloween sweatshirt with a glow-in-the-dark moon. Roo is dressed as a clown and Rabbit is either a vampire or a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type character.



It's an inflatable Franken-Tigger candy bowl! Candy NOT included, in case you wondered. Curses, foiled again!!


"Ahh-wooo, it's scary Pooh!" Werewolf Pooh is 13" tall. This is one of the best costumes Pooh has ever had in the different lines of Halloween merchandise.




This flashlight reflects Pooh! That's good to know if you are in a neighborhood with lots of dogs.



OK, here's a candy jar. Let me guess, the candy is NOT included, right? WRONG! This features "yummy candy corn taffy inside." Woo-hoo!!




All the famous actresses in Hollywood wear the Pooh Halloween Cardigan when they go out for a night on the town.*

*I made this up.



At the Disney Store in Walla Walla, Washington, a woman punched another lady in the face over the last Pooh Halloween Chambray Shirt. She went to prison, but she got her shirt!*

*I made this up, too.


The crown jewel of this collection could be the Pooh Halloween Snowglobe. "Pooh and Piglet are inside the snowglobe, while their pals parade around the base that rotates to the tune, "Winnie the Pooh." Jack o'lanterns on the base light up and flash." It's a Halloween extravaganza in snowglobe form!

I do not own any of the merchandise in this collection, but I think this is one of the coolest Winnie the Pooh Halloween lines I've seen. Maybe one day we'll see Franken-Tigger and Werewolf Pooh again.