At a Glance
Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Look Out For: mild heights and spinning
Opening on October 1st, 1971, Dumbo the Flying Elephant is an opening day attraction that has delighted families and guests for decades. But how scary is Dumbo the Flying Elephant? Let’s take a look at the stats:
1. Ride Length
Dumbo the Flying Elephant has a ride duration of 1 minute and 30 seconds. However, like any ride, you should factor in a few extra seconds in the ride vehicle for slight delays or for loading and unloading.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
Dumbo the Flying Elephant has no height requirement or official warnings from Disney. Because of this, it could be a great choice for small children or even the most sensitive of riders.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride vehicles consist of individual cars (or elephants) seating approximately 2 passengers each. Both riders share a small seat belt and a joystick to control the up and down movement of the vehicle.
4. How Does Dumbo the Flying Elephant Work?
Dumbo the Flying Elephant works like a standard spinner or carousel ride, rotating the ride vehicles in a fixed circle for the entire duration. What makes this attraction slightly unique is the riders’ ability to move the vehicle up and down via a joystick.
5. Is Dumbo the Flying Elephant Scary?
Dumbo the Flying Elephant is not scary. Without any spooky theming or even dark settings, this attraction is a great one for those who may be easily frightened on other rides.
6. How High is Dumbo the Flying Elephant?
Dumbo the Flying Elephant does involve some mild heights. However, this is totally up to the riders and the cars reach a maximum height of around 20 feet. Since each individual car controls how high or low they go, you can simply remain close to the ground if you so desire.
7. How Fast is Dumbo the Flying Elephant?
Dumbo the Flying Elephant does not go fast. While perhaps a bit faster than the slow crawl you’ll find on Pirates of the Caribbean, I would compare the speed of this attraction to a standard carousel.
8. Does Dumbo the Flying Elephant Have Drops?
Dumbo the Flying Elephant does not have drops. However, it is worth noting that the joystick does control the up and down motion of the vehicle, allowing for vertical movement if you want it. Regardless, it’s nothing like a real thrill ride drop, and the control stick will simply send you down or up slowly.
9. Does Dumbo the Flying Elephant Cause Motion Sickness?
Dumbo the Flying Elephant may cause motion sickness to some riders. While the outdoor setting and lack of any screens or 4D effects certainly help, this attraction is still – at its core – a spinning ride. If you or anyone in your party has trouble with carousels or other similar attractions, you may want to skip out on this one.
10. Is Dumbo the Flying Elephant Claustrophobic?
Dumbo the Flying Elephant should not feel claustrophobic for most riders. As mentioned before, there is a small, fabric seat belt, but the outdoor setting and short ride duration make it a very non-confining ride, in my opinion.
In addition, the queue system for this attraction is wonderful for the claustrophobic among us – as it allows guests to relax in the playground area until paged. If the line is short enough, you may bypass this area altogether – but it certainly helps to know that you won’t be stuck in a long line for an extended period of time.
11. Are There Animatronics on Dumbo the Flying Elephant?
There are no animatronics on Dumbo the Flying Elephant. However, at the entrance of the ride, there is a small animatronic of Timothy Q. Mouse above the gate. Aside from being very cartoonish with limited movement, many guests will simply walk right under him without noticing.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in the Storybook Circus area of Magic Kingdom. When you enter the line, you will simply walk along the outside of the attraction before coming to the circus tent entrance. You will come to a cast member who (unless the line is very short) will hand you a pager that will notify you when it’s your turn to ride. You and your party will then be allowed into the playground area to either play or relax (in the AC, by the way) until your pager buzzes.
As I mentioned before, this is a great feature for guests with anxiety as it takes a lot of stress out of waiting in a hot and/or enclosed queue. Personally, I would love to see more attractions use this method in the future. Once you’re party is called, you’ll hop back into the line and simply walk back outside to the loading platform.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant Ride Walkthrough
Once boarding the vehicle, the ride will begin by lifting a few feet off the ground and rotating like a carousel. At this point, you will be able to control the up and down movement of your elephant by using the joystick in front of you. If you wish to remain motionless or stay at the bottom, just sit back and enjoy the ride! After about a minute and a half, the ride will come to an end and ease you slowly back to the ground so you can exit.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is Dumbo the Flying Elephant? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out this video from MouseSteps / JWL Media:
To get a look at the playground area, check out this video from Country Bear Tours:
