Our new series comparing similar attractions at both Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort starts today with a look at The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to see which version of the family-friendly dark ride takes home the honey.
Although it isn’t an E-Ticket Attraction, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a favorite of young visitors at both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. But while the rides share the same name and several scenes, the two versions are actually quite different. Globe-traveling Disney fans know that Tokyo Disneyland’s trackless Hunny Hunt is by far the best Pooh-themed attraction, but for our purposes we’re only evaluating its cousins in Anaheim and Orlando.
Winnie the Pooh’s ride arrived first in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, where it replaced Fantasyland’s opening-day classic Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride to considerable controversy. Disneyland’s version of The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh arrived several years later and evicted Anaheim’s Country Bear Jamboree to a similar outcry.
In every version of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, guests ride through the pages of a huge picture book into the Hundred Acre Wood, where you encounter Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo as they contend with a blustery day. The highlight of both Orlando’s and Anaheim’s rides is a psychedelic dream sequence with Heffalumps and Woozles.
Here’s a full POV of Walt Disney World’s Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh:
And here’s Winnie the Pooh’s ride at Disneyland:
Sunny, happy, and upbeat, Pooh is a good choice on either coast if you have small children and you’re touring over two or more days. While aimed at kids, the Pooh attractions have plenty to offer adults, with attention to detail and special effects that make it worth seeing, even if you don’t have children in your party.
Walt Disney World’s attraction gets special praise for its interactive queue, with many things for little kids to touch and play with; the distraction helps delay meltdowns in the often slow-moving line.
Another advantage Orlando’s ride has is its “hunny pot” ride vehicles, which use a much more dynamic range of motions to simulate wind, waves, and bouncing Tiggers. The behive-shaped cars in California only offer a more limited rocking motion as they move along the indoor track.
Finally, while both attractions run about three minutes, Walt Disney Word’s Winnie-the-Pooh ride feels longer than Disneyland’s, thanks to better pacing of its scenes, providing a much more complete experience.
For all of these reasons, while we rate both attractions as 3 1/2 stars in the Unofficial Guides, we feel that Walt Disney World’s Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh is superior to Disneyland’s ride.
On the other hand, Orlando’s ride often sees posted standby waits of 30-60 minutes, while Anaheim’s wait is rarely more than 15 minutes and is typically less than 5. The only exceptions are on super-crowded days or when Splash Mountain is temporarily closed, which then causes crowds to swarm Winnie the Pooh.
Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? What duplicated Disney attractions would you like us to compare next? Let us know in the comments below!
For all there is to see and do at Disneyland, check out The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland by Seth Kubersky with Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa, and Guy Selga Jr. All Disneyland fans should also check out The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream by Sam Gennawey. For all there is to see and do at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, or to plan your family’s trip to Orlando, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids.
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