The Dumbii
I have two 1956-ish slide scans for you - not the most exciting things ever. But you have to love the classic Dumbo ride (I mean attraction) from the early days, before everyone had one in their driveway. You DO have one in your driveway, don't you?? It's pretty clear that a parent was trying to capture their daughter as she circled around in her flying elephant. You have to have a steady hand, and a quick shutter finger! This first one is just a fraction of a second too late, but you can still see the red sweater and pony tail.
Ah, that one is a bit better, and the composition is a little more dynamic as well. I've pointed this detail out before, but you can always tell when a photo of the Casey Jr. ride (in the background) is early, because the track is just sort of "out there", without the attractive "stone work" added later.
10 comments:
Major-
Ahhhh.... Dumbo - pre-plastic surgery on his ears.
Thanks, Major.
Major, I agree with everything you said about these Dumbii photos. So my work here is done! See you tomorrow! ;-p
Seriously though, the composition of the second photo is so much better! Like you said; dynamic. Plus, Red Sweater girl is looking at the camera in the second image.
So weird to see the Casey Jr. track floating in mid-air. It looks like our model train track did, when we were kids, and added an elevated section for a figure-8 design. We never gave much thought to supporting it properly. And most of the time, when the heavy engine went over the poorly supported part, it caused the track to sag, and sometimes the engine would tip over and fall off the track. I hope that didn't happen here!
“Now there’s something you don’t see everyday, Chauncey…”
“What’s that, Edgar?”
"Flying elephants."
Thanks for the flying elephants, Major.
…… maybe it’s because the Dumbos have a much wider space between each elephant, but the support arms look uncomfortably high …..
Hey - where’s Harry Truman? Red Sweater Girl appears to be the only person riding the Dumbii. If so, why are there multiple empty elephants at maximum elevation? Isn’t the altitude controlled by the rider? Could the other pachyderms be occupied and operated by [gulp] g-g-g-ghosts?
Call me a degenerate, but I always get a kick out of seeing Casey’s naked trestles.
The Dumbli before Timothy Mouse arrived on the scene and cracked his whip.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant is the only attraction that's in every Disney castle park. At one time Buzz Lightyear was in every castle park until Disney converted the one in Hong Kong into The Antman & The Wasp: Nano Battle! While there's a carousel in every castle park, they carry different themes and names.
Thanks, Major.
Nanook, this is also before Dumbo got those collagen injections in his lips!
JB, there was yet another photo from this series, but it was so blurry it didn’t even qualify as a “Blurzle”. I assume that the Casey Jr. track was always supposed to be clad in “stone”, but they needed to get the ride open before they could make it pretty? Not knowing much about model railroading, I am not sure how you would support a track that was elevated. Mom’s cookbook?
Mike Cozart, oh yeah, I do remember that they added more Dumbos. In 1983? I think they squeezed in another four.
Chuck, I ask myself where Harry Truman is ALL the time. I go up to strangers and tug on their sleeves. Interesting question about the empty vehicles at “full elevation”, maybe the default was to go “up”?
K. Martinez, interesting, I did not even think about the fact that Timothy isn’t there, cracking his cruel whip! An “Antman and the Wasp” ride, no thank you. That was not a very good movie.
The best thing about taking a picture of your kid on Dumbo is that you get chance...after chance...after chance...
Chuck, that g-g-g-ghost from yesterday is probably in one of those Dumbi! Spooooooooky! Maybe when they finally finished the Haunted Mansion, they all moved in there.
All of my Dumbo shots of my kid (and grandkids) are from the trailing Dumbo, because why in the world should the kid get all the fun?
Cheers!
Dumbii or Dumbi? I'm not sure. Dumbo is another one of those loved movies like Bambi with mother themes. I would say that Dumbo makes me cry more...that one scene...CHANGE SUBJECT. EYES WELLING. Those Dumbii seem to be very high in the sky, as is that Casey Jr. track. Today, there would be no way that track could be like that, with no way to evacuate. It actually looks kind of sketchy, but perhaps that was the "thrill" part of the thrill ride. I recently went on Casey Jr, and will say that the downward track goes much slower than I remember. What I remember saying at one point...in the late 70's, was "wo Nelly!" This Casey has some power, and it did feel rather "thrill-ish". In my fantasy world, Dumbo becomes multi tier with 50+ Dumbi's all swirling around....OR...like Peter Pan...flying over corn fields and the circus, and the big top et al....and Dumbo would have done. My Disneyland is way way better than "Disneyland 70"...just saying. Thanks Major!
Also I just noticed there are no doors or access ways to board DUMBO…. Were there steps stools for guests to climb in??
DUMBO received more elephants sometime between 1955-1968. A whole new DUMBO with more elephants in 1968 …. 1983 …. More elephant capacity And again the 16 DUMBOS of today added in 1991/92. The last time was after an accident seriously injuring some guests …. The 1983 mechanism was quickly replaced with the JUST COMPLETED Dumbo for Euro Disneyland. The new 16 Dumbo was sent from the manufacturer in Italy to Anaheim. There’s was still time to
Build another DUMBO for the grand opening of Euro Disneyland.
Incidentally DUMBO THE FLYING ELEPHANTS is actually the MOST popular Disney theme park attraction - EVER. It may not have the biggest capacity , or take up the most real estate, but it is greatly loved. And technically is the only attraction in every Disney castle park as mention above . The new DOUBLE DUMBOS have started to replace the single rotary motors . A NEW NEW Fantasyland for Disneyland was being planed before the pandemic which would have seen an Anaheim Double Dumbo .
Hi folks, I did not realize that I was not signed in, so “Anonymous” is me!
Stu2957, you aren’t kidding, in SO many cases, if there is one photo of a kid on Dumbo, there is probably at least one more, and often two. Just as you said! A ghost Dumbi, I guess we’d have to learn how he died, which would be sad. Hey, I finally went on the ride as an adult, and had fun!
Bu, the scientific community is divided about “Dumbi” vs “Dumbii”, the controversy has been raging for decades. Dumbo is such a great film, possibly even a “perfect movie”, although the crows are a bit hard to take. They are ultimately good-hearted, but… you know. When I rode Casey two days ago, I was seated in the “Monkeys” car - never again. From my vantage point, everything of interest was behind me. I barely saw anything but walls covered in leaves. So disappointing. Next time I will ask if I can wait until the next train, and then take my preferred seat, which would be in an open-air car in the very back.
Mike Cozart, I can’t remember exactly, but isn’t there a circular walkway for the guests, and the Dumbo vehicles are inside that walkway, lower down? Maybe not. I remember hearing that we got the Euro Disneyland Dumbo, probably from you. There is something about this ride that is almost the “Platonic ideal” of Disneyland rides (though I feel that way about Storybook Land too), evoking a beloved classic animated character, and a ride that goes all the way back to 1955, giving riders essentially the same experience for 70 years. It’s a rite of passage for parents and kids.
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