Glide and bounce and swirl through some of the most popular scenes and settings of Winnie the Pooh. Board a giant Hunny Pot and get lost in the pages of A.A. Milne's classic tales, as you journey to Hundred Acre Wood.
Magically make your way through a colorful, song-filled storybook illustration and experience a menagerie of kooky adventures, including:
Bounce with Tigger - Bounce up and down with Tigger during a delightful hide-and-seek adventure at night.
Heffalumps and Woozles - Enter a dream world where singing Heffalumps and Woozles spring up and down, giggle, and wiggle, and try to steal honey.
A Rainy Place - Awaken from a dream amid a torrential downpour as Eeyore, Roo, Kanga, Rabbit, Owl, and Tigger band together to stay afloat.
A Party for Pooh - Celebrate sunny days and togetherness before leaving the pages of Hundred Acre Wood as Pooh finally gets his paws on some yummy honey.
History[]
Original proposals for Disneyland's Fantasyland[]
After the rise in popularity of Walt Disney's film adaptation of Winnie the Pooh, Disney Imagineers made plans in the late 1970s for a Winnie the Pooh attraction at Disneyland's soon-to-be renovated Fantasyland. However, in 1983, when the renovated Fantasyland reopened, a Winnie the Pooh attraction was notably absent.
Plans for location in Toontown[]
Following the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988 , plans were made for a new section of the park located behind Fantasyland. Called Mickey's Toontown, this section of the park would recreate the Toontown that was seen in the film. One of the rides that would have gone on the east side of this land was a Winnie the Pooh dark ride in which guests would ride in "spinnable" honey pots (much like the Mad Hatter teacup ride in Fantasyland) through what was conceptualized as the best scenes from the three Winnie the Pooh featurettes. The ride fell through before it could be made, though, and the space that this ride was to have taken up and vehicle design of this ride were worked into Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.
Pooh arrives in the Magic Kingdom[]
Seven years later, during a period when the character was undergoing a resurgence in popularity, plans for a Winnie the Pooh attraction were approved at a different park: Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. That park's Fantasyland, much larger than the original Disneyland's, had space to easily accommodate a new attraction. However, planners instead decided to utilize an existing structure: that of the Fantasyland attraction Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
When some fans found out that Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was being shuttered for a Pooh attraction, they protested against its closure, organizing mass ridings along with peaceful protests. Despite cries from fans, the Walt Disney Company went ahead with its plans, and the first The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction opened in June 1999, proving popular with younger crowds. It has since received a new queue resembling the Hundred Acre Wood.
Pooh's Hunny Hunt opens at Tokyo Disneyland[]
The next version of the attraction, considerably different in configuration, was Pooh's Hunny Hunt, which opened in Tokyo Disneyland. Due to the closure of most of the Skyways connecting Tomorrowland and Fantasyland at Disney Parks across the world, including Tokyo, space was left in its place. With a budget of over $130 million, and featuring a never-before-used 'trackless' ride technology, Pooh's Hunny Hunt opened in late 2000 to large crowds and praise by many Disney internet fansites. To date, the attraction continues to have some of the longest wait times of any attraction at the Tokyo Disney Resort.
The Many Adventures go to Disneyland[]
The only solution to complete the growing roster was to bring the Winnie the Pooh attraction to Disneyland. An original plan from the mid-1990s had an indoor and outdoor light boat ride featuring a Winnie the Pooh theme, which was shelved by 1999. So, a new dark ride was planned. However, Disneyland is the only resort of all five Disney Resorts to have little room for expansion. The only solution to open an attraction in the park was to utilize a current attraction.
Fantasyland was ruled out because it contained the least amount of available space and because of the age of its buildings; park managers anticipated that the attraction would be popular and decided to place it in an area that could better accommodate the crowds. Critter Country, a small parcel between New Orleans Square and Frontierland was ultimately chosen, since Winnie the Pooh already had his own greeting area in that land. The area already featured two popular attractions, Splash Mountain and Country Bear Jamboree, the latter being the first attraction to open in the land (then Bear Country) in 1972.
Imagineers chose to replace the Country Bear Jamboree with Pooh due to its lack of popularity, which would require major excavation for space and leveling for the ride. They had initially proposed a new Country Bear attraction called the Critter Country 500 that would retain the beloved characters, but managers shot the plan down. When news of the former attraction's demise broke, many fans were once more upset at the loss of another classic attraction and again sought to change the park managers' minds. However, then-managers Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harris, both unpopular with Disneyland enthusiasts, ignored this and continued. The budget for the attraction was set at a reported $30,000,000, most of it dedicated to reformatting the Country Bear Jamboree show building. When it finally opened in 2003, it received large promotions by park management and lines were somewhat long at first, but quickly dropped off.
Its turnover rate with guests was low compared to older dark rides in Fantasyland. Some Disneyland enthusiast websites are generally critical of the attraction, considering it cheap and a bad reminder of the Paul Pressler/Cynthia Harris era of Disneyland's management. However, for younger and other guests, the ride is considered fun and another addition to the park. Some columnists still poke fun at it by posting images of the attraction's average wait times of 2 or 5 minutes while other similar rides might have 30, 75 or even 90-minute waits, even on days when the park might be at full capacity.
Some of the ride's advocates have commented that the ride has low waits because it is hidden in the northwest corner of the park, yet said location is adjacent to Splash Mountain, one of the most visited attractions in the park, and near the Haunted Mansion, another popular classic attraction. However, amongst all four versions of the attraction, this one is the least popular, in terms of attendance.
On May 24, 2021, following Disneyland Resort's reopening after being temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Disneyland announced that their version of the ride will closed temporarily for refurbishment on July 5, 2021.
Hong Kong Disneyland version opens[]
Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in September 2005, opened with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as the only dark ride in Fantasyland (the only other dark ride in the park was Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters). It was the only dark ride in the Hong Kong Fantasyland until the opening of It's a Small World in 2008. It was based on a variety of versions of the attraction but is most similar to the first version at the Magic Kingdom. It remains one of the most visited attractions in Fantasyland. It also features Disney's Fastpass.
Ride-through[]
The watering cans.
Magic Kingdom, Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland version[]
The ride vehicles go out of the load area and arrive near a giant story-book showing Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin. The vehicles arrive in the Hundred Acre Wood during a rather blustery day, with Piglet holding onto a broom while being spun around. Pooh is holding onto a balloon while trying to reach for some honey, while Eeyore patronizes him. Meanwhile, Roo begins to blow away as Kanga holds onto him.
In Owl's home, everything is scattered about, including a rather curious picture of J. Thaddeus Toad himself handing a deed over to Owl. There is also a picture of Winnie the Pooh greeting Moley (Mr. Toad's sidekick), which is flat on the floor to the right. These were placed as a subtle tribute to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, the ride that The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh replaced at the Magic Kingdom (another tribute to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at the Magic Kingdom comes in the form of a Mr. Toad statue in the Pet Cemetery outside the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square).
The ride then passes a second giant storybook page, where suddenly Tigger bounces out, whilst the ride vehicles begin to bounce like Tigger. The ride follows Tigger through the Hundred Acre Wood, where he randomly pops up. Tigger bounces upside down at one point before the ride moves on to Pooh's home. It transpires that Tigger has pinned Pooh to the floor as he tells him about Heffalumps and Woozles. Once in Pooh's house, Pooh falls asleep, and magically floats up into the sky, as the room blackens and is lit up by fiber optics (Pooh's floating is achieved with a Pepper's Ghost illusion).
The ride vehicles then move into a strange room as Pooh floats through. There are objects with eyes and mouths, while giant woozles with jack-in-the-box necks move in front of the guests. The ride moves round some very strange objects: a purple woozle lights a heffalump, causing a giant smoke ring to come from its trunk (in the Hong Kong Disneyland version, it was replaced with a heffabee taking a picture of a tan heffalump in a green uniform), and a giant heffalump has holes that reveal the way out of the heffalump scene.
Other funhouse effects are seen as the vehicles make an escape out of the heffalump scene, indicated by an umbrella and a watering can pouring rain over a pot of honey. After this, the vehicles arrive in a room painted with rain and cloud patterns as thunder and lightning go off, and then reenter the Hundred Acre Wood, which is experiencing a rainstorm. The ride vehicles begin to "float", although this is achieved by moving the vehicles at a steady speed. Eeyore complains about the wind and then about the rain. Gopher squirts water out of his mouth. Roo, Rabbit, Tigger, and Owl attempt to save Piglet from floating away, and the ride vehicles move to find Pooh stuck in a hive in a tree (with only his bottom showing).
The vehicles move into the final scene, where everyone apart from Pooh is celebrating that the rain has gone away. Piglet is a sculpted figure with movement, while Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, and Roo are illustrations on the wall behind. The vehicles move past Pooh enjoying a load of honey as Pooh says "Oh please, start the party without me." and then go past a page that reads "The End" before arriving back in the load area.
Disneyland version[]
Upon leaving the outdoor load area, the ride vehicles arrive indoors into the Hundred Acre Wood where Pooh is again trying to get the honey with the balloon. With Eeyore and the other characters is Gopher, who appears out of his hole to greet the guests. The ride vehicles move into the rain scene, moved from the second to last scene in Florida's to the second scene in California's. Most of the things at this point are identical to Florida's version. The ride vehicles move into the shortened Tigger scene, before moving to Pooh's bedroom where a similar part to that in Florida's version concurs.
The Heffalumps and Woozles.
The ride vehicles move into the Heffalump and Woozles dream sequence where the woozles with jack-in-the-box necks watch the guests. This version of the Heffalumps and Woozles scene focuses on the Heffalump and Woozle characters, with the absence of the objects with human eyes and mouths. A pink Tigger pins Pooh to the floor near some honey. Some of the effects at this part of the ride are similar to those at Florida's, minus a large balloon carrying Pooh above the guests. Instead, Pooh bobs up and down in a balloon suspended above a swirling whirlpool of honey. The mechanism was the one which once lowered Teddi Barra from the ceiling in Country Bear Jamboree, the Audio-Animatronic theater presentation previously housed in the show building.
Pooh eating his honey.
As the ride vehicles leave this scene, a subtle tribute to Country Bear Jamboree is suspended above the archway. The trophy heads of Max the buck, Buff the buffalo and Melvin the moose, Audio-Animatronics from Country Bear Jamboree, can be spotted if you look up and backward while leaving the Heffalump/Woozle room. The heads were taken from theatre 2 of the Country Bear Playhouse. The vehicles enter the start of the finale scene where Pooh is enjoying a "smackerel" of honey. The Heffalumps can be seen flying off into Pooh's dreamland, prior to several of Pooh's friends tell him to wake up. Proceeding on, the ride passes Pooh's bed, before moving on to show Pooh's friends (this time all sculpted figures with movement) celebrating his birthday. As the vehicles move to the load area, several of the gifts Pooh received for his party are shown and are moved back as the vehicles continue until they finally reach the load area.
Magic Kingdom Interactive Queue[]
Explore Rabbit’s Garden, paint with honey, and visit Eeyore’s home at this play space found just past the main entrance. Designed for both the young and young-at-heart, this Hundred Acre Wood-themed spot includes 4 areas of fun and games:
Rabbit’s Garden - A hide-and-seek game with gophers, vegetables that play music, and a crawl-through tunnel formed by stacked crates offer fun for little ones.
Hunny Wall - Draw shapes with overflowing honey by running your hand against a wall, revealing the Pooh characters behind the honey.
Piglet’s House - Knock on the front door to hear Piglet inside.
Eeyore’s Gloomy Place - Crawl through Eeyore’s leaning home.
References to Previous Attractions[]
In the Magic Kingdom's version, two tributes to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride can be spotted inside Owl's house. One portrait depicts Mr. Toad handing over the deed to the building to Owl, while a portrait of Pooh with Mole can be spotted lying on the floor.
At the Disneyland version, a tribute to Country Bear Jamboree is seen. The trophy heads of Max the buck, Buff the buffalo, and Melvin the moose, Audio-Animatronics from Country Bear Jamboree, can be spotted if a rider were to look up and backward while leaving the Heffalump/Woozle room, on the archway.
Also in the Disneyland version, Pete Renaday (the voice of Henry in the Country Bear shows) can be heard as the narrator.
Mr. Toad giving Owl the deed.
Mole and Pooh.
Melvin, Buff and Max at the Disneyland version of the attraction.
Differences/Similarities Between Versions[]
Magic Kingdom and Disneyland[]
Magic Kingdom's version is the only one that doesn't include Winnie the Pooh and friends on its marquis sign.
While Magic Kingdom's version is located in Fantasyland, the one at Disneyland is found in Critter Country. Disneyland's version.
Both versions in America replaced well-known opening day attractions that can be found at the opposite theme park: Disneyland's replaced Country Bear Jamboree and Magic Kingdom's got rid of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
Both rides use honey-themed ride vehicles. The vehicles at the Magic Kingdom are based off of honey pots, while Disneyland's are based off of bee hives.
The ride plays out differently between the two rides; the Magic Kingdom’s variant follows the story in the same order as the film (the blustery day, Tigger’s bouncing, Heffalumps and Woozles, the rainy day, and a celebration). Disneyland, however, rearranges the scenes; the rainy day scene was made to be the second scene, between the blustery day and Tigger’s scene.
Tigger's scene is much shorter in the Disneyland ride.
Tigger is voiced by Paul Winchell in the Magic Kingdom, and by Jim Cummings at Disneyland (though the latter still voices Tigger for the safety spiel in both rides.
Because of this, the audio of Tigger saying "Heffalumps and Woozles steal honey. Beware… beware," is different. Archival audio from the film is used in the Magic Kingdom, while Cummings redubs the line for Disneyland.
The audio for the Heffalumps and Woozles show scene is slightly different. While both use the same audio, the Magic Kingdom version has Thurl Ravenscroft singing "sly," "ply," and "size," as he did in the film, through archival audio. Additionally, the Magic Kingdom’s audio only includes the main lyrics before looping, while Disneyland’s audio includes the whole audio.
The celebrations at the end of the ride are different; while it is not said what the celebration is for at the end of the Magic Kingdom ride (presumably for the rain going away), Disneyland's version has the main cast celebrate Pooh's birthday.
The ride at Disneyland adds or alters some dialogue:
The narrator has different dialogue, talking about Pooh's search for honey instead of the east and west winds.
After Gopher declares "Happy Windsday," instead of saying "Maybe for you," Piglet now wails in the wind.
Roo says "Look, Mama, look! I'm a kite!" before Kanga says "Hang on tightly, Roo!" as opposed to after.
There is additional audio in the rain scene, with Roo declaring "Whee! This is fun!" and Rabbit saying "Goodness gracious!" In the same scene, Piglet cries "Help! Please!" instead of acknowledging the waterfall.
Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland[]
The rides at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland use the same version as the Magic Kingdom. Even so, there are a couple of differences.
While the Magic Kingdom updated the ride queue to include interactive play areas, Hong Kong Disneyland still uses the old queue, with the ride logo bearing the main characters over a green tent. Shanghai Disneyland has an entrance similar to Disneyland's, but eventually, guests enter into a show building similar to the ride in Florida and Hong Kong.
Tigger's scene at Hong Kong Disneyland features additional bouncing sound effects. These sound effects are also present in the ride at Shanghai Disneyland.
The ride at Hong Kong Disneyland adds or alters some dialogue:
A different take of the narrator saying "One day, in the Hundred Acre Wood," is used. This take omits the mentions of the east and west winds.
Piglet once again wails in the end after Gopher declares "Happy Windsday!" This wailing, however, is different than Disneyland's.
Eeyore now says "he's never gonna reach that tree," instead of "he'll never reach that tree." He also says this before Pooh declares "I'm in the mood for food!", as opposed to saying it after.
Rabbit now says "Oh, why do these things always happen to me?!" instead of "Why me? Why me?!"
Roo saying he's a kite was omitted, and now only calls out "Look, Mama, look!"
Tigger says that bouncing makes you feel "incredibible," instead of "just great, doesn't it?" There are also additional takes of Winchell chuckling throughout. The line "Watch out for Heffalumps and Woozles. They steal honey!" was also edited to just "Heffalumps and Woozles steal honey!"
Audio of Jim Cummings declaring "Heffalumps and Woozles steal honey. Beware… beware…" from the Disneyland ride is used instead of archival audio.
The Heffalumps and Woozles scene uses most of Disneyland's audio. While the audio reloops in the same spot as the Magic Kingdom, the audio loops when the honey pots sing "Beware! Beware! Be a very weary bear!" rather than looping the whole song as Disneyland does. Shanghai Disneyland also uses this loop.
The narrator says "Pooh woke up, quite in the middle of a cloud burst!" during the rain scene. This line is not present in the Magic Kingdom ride.
Roo and Rabbit have their lines from Disneyland present in the rain scene, with their audio being edited to add or remove extra lines. Roo now only declares "Whee!" while Rabbit now says "Oh my goodness gracious!" Additionally, a different take of Piglet saying "A very big waterfall!" is used.
The music at the end of the ride is different in both versions. The Magic Kingdom uses the Winnie the Pooh theme, while Hong Kong Disneyland uses "Hip-Hip-Poohray."
NOTE: This marked the final time Winchell would provide Tigger's voice in his lifetime, as his voice had become too raspy and Cummings would subsequently take over.
In Kingdom Keepers I: Disney After Dark, Charlene and Willa visit the park during the day and ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh for the wind reference. Maleficent gets their honey pot car alone in a scene, locks the doors, and sets off the water system, almost drowning and suffocating the girls to the ceiling. The two break the door foundation and escape, getting the clues on the ride along the way.
